by Maggie Walsh
“As Noah said, I take the most evil from your body,” Micah said, then made a fist and ripped his hand back, and as he did, Hades’s chest burst open and his heart flew out. “That’s for my mate.”
Micah then held up both hands and forced all the power inside him, including Hades’s own, out, and screamed a mighty roar as it crashed into Hades. The god exploded into a billion pieces of fine dust. “And that is for all of us,” he stated and watched as the dust particles floated off into the heavens.
* * * *
Aurora placed her hand on Micah’s shoulder and said, “Zeus and the others will collect those and see to it that Hades never harms another soul. You did wonderful, son.”
The world around him shifted and swirled and suddenly he was standing in the field behind his destroyed home, surrounded by the bodies of the dead. No ash fell, and there was no breeze. Everything was still and quiet. Micah stood there turning slowly in a circle looking at all the destruction and death, the field the color of crimson from all the blood that had been lost. “How could I have called upon their powers when they all lay here dead?” Micah whispered, his voice solemn, his body numb.
Aurora stepped up beside him and touched his arm. “As I explained to you all, you each have your own individual power, but can call on and use each other’s whenever you wanted. With all the powers given to each of you, but combined with the aid of a few demigods, and the greatest power I bestowed upon the Guardian, his ability to siphon anyone’s powers, including a god, your powers became limitless. As one, you stood just as powerful as a god. Their bodies may be lying here dead, but their souls are still here with you. Remember, Micah, love always wins.”
“But Jesse is my mate. We share one soul. I thought, like the others, that I would die when he died,” Micah asked in confusion as he turned to look at Aurora.
“That is true, Micah. Because all true mates share a soul, if one dies so does the other or others, but it doesn’t mean instantaneously. It can happen within minutes or hours.”
“I don’t understand. My mate, my Jesse, died in my arms and yet I still stand,” Micah replied on a sob as his eyes filled with tears. “They are all gone, and I am now here alone. Will I be joining my mate soon?”
“When you took the soul of Xazxhal into you, you joined your soul to his. When Jesse died, he took you with him. Did you not feel a great pain upon his loss?”
“Yes, but of course I would feel that. He is my mate,” Micah argued.
“Yes, but that was the pain of your soul ripping from your body, not of the loss of the one you loved. As I said, your soul did die at the exact moment Jesse’s did because of the strong bond you two share. But you did not mourn Jesse’s passing because your soul went with him at the exact moment his heart stopped beating.”
“Then again, how am I standing here?”
Aurora gave Micah a soft smile and replied, “Micah. Think about what I have said. You joined your soul with Xazxhal’s.”
“Who is Xazxhal?” Micah asked.
Aurora laughed softly. “Fluffy. That is what Lucifer called him because of his love for the beast, but the hellhound leader’s name is Xazxhal. Your soul was already with Jesse, so therefore Xazxhal merged with you both, but Xazxhal would not die with you, as he is not your mate, nor Jesse’s, and can only be killed by angel sword. When Jesse’s heart stopped beating and your joined soul left, it ripped, leaving Xazxhal’s soul behind, along with a piece of yours and Jesse’s that held on to his. That is how you were able to do all those amazing things, and why your beast morphed into something else. It merged with Xazxhal, but you and Jesse are still there, as well. Together, with Xazxhal’s help, you were able to fight Hades. The reason Xazxhal so willingly sacrificed himself to you was because one, he knew a great leader when he saw one, and two, because of his love for Lucifer and his hatred for Hades, who is Lucifer’s greatest enemy. Then when you called upon all of them, you drew their souls into you, as well, taking in all their powers. As I said, you must all stand as one to stand victorious. If you did not take Xazxhal into you, you would have died with Jesse and lost this war, but by having Xazxhal’s soul within you, he allowed you to live on, which in turn, allowed you to embrace all of them, taking them into you, and all standing together to win the war.”
“So when you said we all must stand as one you meant it literally? All of us in one body.” Aurora nodded. “So now what? Now I go on living the shell of the man I used to be with a hellhound animating me and walk the earth alone without them? Without my mate?”
Aurora gave him a mischievous grin. “Now, do you really think I would allow that to happen? Zeus,” Aurora called out the god’s name and a huge bolt of lightning split the air, crashing into the ground, the sound deafening, making Micah cringe and cover his ears. When he looked at the spot the lightning had struck, there stood, Zeus.
“Hello, Micah,” the god said with a smile.
“Zeus.”
Zeus looked to Aurora, then back to Micah and said, “You and your family have made myself and the other gods very proud. I must admit for a moment there even I was scared, but Aurora reminded me to put the same faith in all of you that you have given to us. Although I had hoped that my brother Hades would have come to his senses and stopped all of this, I am happy that you were able to defeat him. And as strange as this may sound, a part of me is saddened by his loss, even though it was deserved.”
Zeus turned and looked around at all the carnage and destruction and sighed heavily. “It is a heavy thing to be burdened so deeply, as I know you are aware of as a leader. So much pain and loss which didn’t need to happen.” Zeus sighed again, then turned back and met Micah’s gaze. “All of your sacrifices and those of your family will never be forgotten. As we speak, the heavens celebrate your victory and cry for loss.”
“Does this mean that I am to go on without them?” Micah asked with deep sorrow.
Zeus stepped forward and placed a hand on Micah’s shoulder. “Have you ever heard that sacrificing one’s life for another is the ultimate act of love, as Jesus himself displayed? If the act was for martyrdom, then is it truly a sacrifice? That would be left up to god…me…to decide. But, if the act was by true sacrifice out of love, pure and simple, then the sacrifice is true and would be rewarded. Love bears all things, believes all things, and endures all things. Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. You, your mate, and your loved ones have all sacrificed so much, for so long, without thought of self-preservation, with only the hope that in doing so would be for the greater good of all mankind, including those of all our paranormal creations as well as the preservation of heaven. You all have suffered these sacrifices with full faith in us, in me, in the prophecy of the world’s end, in hopes of balancing the scales between good and evil, and preserving life, even if it meant losing all of yours.
“You all came to this field to battle against a foe who has much greater power than you, knowing that he held more power than any one of you, and thinking that even as a whole, standing together, that he held more power and you would most likely fail. But all still took their place on this field of battle and faced him together. Putting all of your faith and hope in one another, and us, that we had given you what you needed to get the job done and defeat Hades and his army, even if that meant you would all die trying. That was the ultimate sacrifice. You, your mate, and all your family and friends, each and every one of you sacrificed your own lives to protect others. You have each performed the ultimate sacrifice and therefore will each reap the rewards.”
Zeus released Micah’s shoulder and stepped back. He looked up to the heavens and called out, “My brothers and sister, sons and daughters, I call upon you to join me now to stand in judgment of the sacrifices of these souls in interest of reward.”
All around them, bolts of lightning flashed and as each one vanished, a god appeared. Micah stood in a circle surrounded by all the gods in heaven with Zeus standing directly befor
e him. Zeus looked around to each of them as he spoke. “You have all bore witness to the events leading up to this day, and all that has happened here today. What say you in judgment of these souls?”
Micah turned in a circle, meeting each god’s smiling face. As he met each of their gazes, one by one they bowed their heads to him. Once the last of the gods bowed their head, Micah turned to face Zeus again. Zeus smiled and bowed, then looked up and met Micah’s gaze again. “It has been decided. What has now been written, shall now be done.”
Zeus held his hands out in front of him side by side, palms up and a book appeared. “I call to you my four horsemen. Return to me!”
The sound of rushing hooves came from each direction, north, south, east, and west. As they approached, the volume grew and echoed through the field. All at once, a white horse with a rider carrying a bow and wearing a crown upon his head, a red horse with its rider carrying a great sword, a black horse with its rider carrying a pair of scales, and a pale horse, with the rider upon its back covered in a black shroud, appeared and headed straight toward Zeus. As they got closer, the horses ascended into the air over the heads of the other gods, then jumped into the book and disappeared. Once the last horse vanished, Zeus closed the book and placed his hand on top, and a seal appeared.
“This book, the scroll of the Lamb, was hidden for many a millennium and was meant to only be opened by the Lamb himself. We were all betrayed the day it was found and given to Hades because with it, was his escape from the Underworld as he rode out on the tail of Death himself. This book will now be once again placed somewhere within all of creation and hidden until the day it was meant to be opened, or for the seal to never be broken again,” Zeus said, then suddenly the book disappeared.
Hermes spoke and what he said, caused Micah to look at him with surprise. “We have discussed it and have taken what your wonderful mate said to heart, and we agree. Utopia would mean no free will and none of us here are willing to take that away from anyone. It is time for this world to start healing.”
Hermes rolled his eyes and huffed from Micah’s reaction. “I am not a total asshole you know?”
Micah shook his head and looked back to Zeus, who was also shaking his head and smirking. “Hermes is correct. It is time.” Zeus looked to one of the gods and nodded. A young man with long white hair stepped forward. He reached into his robes and pulled out what looked like an egg, then turned it between his hands. The top going in one direction and the bottom in the other, then he closed his eyes as he began to mumble. A large ring of gold appeared around him vertically, and he now stood inside it. The egg disappeared, and the young man raised his hands and grabbed onto the golden ring above his head and lifted himself from the ground. He released the ring and hovered in the air. The ring began to spin faster and faster. All of a sudden, a wave of energy pulsed from the ring and washed over all of them. The ring stopped, and the man settled back to the earth, then the ring disappeared. The man opened his eyes and looked to Zeus, then bowed and took a step back.
“What was that?” Micah asked.
“That is Khronos Aion, not to be confused with Kronos, my grandfather. This Khronos is the primordial god of time. He is eternity personified. Only Khronos Aion can change time,” Zeus explained.
“So what did he just do?” Micah asked.
“As we watched your battle, we all came to a decision. That if you stood victorious, we would allow something we have never done before. We would change time. Push back the days and events that have led up to this day, but only for the rest of the world, not you. But for Khronos Aion to agree to do this, we had to give him something in return. You all, as well as all paranormals, would remember everything that happened from the moment the four horsemen were released onto the earth and all the damage that had been done, but no human will remember. All paranormals will now know, without hesitation or question, that the Alpha Prime is the true ruler of the paranormal race. To the humans, life just went on as it was without them missing a day. For those souls that were supposed to die on any day in that time, they will now be taken, to right fate. You have not been exposed to the humans, but there will be so much for you to deal with in the paranormal world. It is time for you to start rebuilding, and we believe that with you and your family in charge to lead the way, that we leave this planet in good hands. Even though the threat of Minos and Hades is now gone, that does not mean that all the problems have gone with them. There is much to do, and mankind’s difficulties, plights, and obstacles will still be here.”
Micah looked at Zeus hopeful. “You said me and my family. What does that mean exactly?”
Zeus and Aurora each gave him a bright smile. “It means this,” Zeus replied and nodded to the other gods. They each held out their arms to the sides and lifted them high as they closed their eyes. A great light engulfed them all and surrounded Micah. Suddenly his heart was filled with so much love that he began to cry.
The light faded, and Micah still stood facing Zeus and Aurora. Then he heard it. “Micah.” The most beautiful sound in all creation and he couldn’t hold back the sob that escaped him as his body shook and his eyes closed. Micah swallowed thickly, then slowly turned around, but he was afraid to look. Afraid that he was dreaming. A soft, warm hand touched his cheek tenderly as his mate’s wonderful scent of chocolate, cinnamon, and lavender washed over him. Micah pressed his face against the hand as he cried, and the tears broke free, streaming down his face. “If this is a dream, then never let me awaken,” he whispered
“I’m here, love. I’ve always been here with you,” Jesse said softly.
Micah raised his head and slowly opened his eyes. A fresh wave of tears rolled down his face as his gaze landed on the love of his life, alive and well, and so beautiful. His eyes closed tight as the tears continued and he leaned forward into Jesse’s loving embrace. The feel of his mate’s arms wrapped around him again filled his heart with love and joy. He was back to where he belonged.
Jesse held him tight as he cried with him and rained kisses along Micah’s head and neck. After a few moments, Jesse pulled back and cupped his face between his hands and raised Micah’s head. “Look at me, love. Let me see those beautiful blue eyes of yours,” Jesse said.
Micah opened his eyes and his gaze locked with the amazing icy blue eyes of his mate, and he could see all the love that Jesse had for him inside them. Jesse raised up on tiptoes as he pulled Micah down, then pressed their lips together. It was the most wonderful feeling in his whole life, to be kissing his mate again. Micah slid his arms around Jesse’s waist and picked him up, holding him close as he deepened the kiss.
When air was needed, Micah reluctantly pulled back, breaking their kiss, then placed his forehead to Jesse’s. “I watched you die, baby. I watched you all die,” he cried.
“I know, Micah, and I am so sorry you had to suffer through that. But I’m here, my love. I’m here because of you. We’re all here because of you.”
“Micah,” Taylor said from behind Jesse.
Micah pulled his head back and looked over Jesse’s shoulder. There, standing in the circle of the gods, was his whole family. Everyone was there, and they were all smiling, crying, and holding on to their mates.
Taylor and Gabriel moved closer, and Micah let Jesse slide down his body to stand, but he didn’t let him go—he kept him pressed against his side with his arm wrapped around him. “Taylor, Gabe,” Micah whispered on a sob, and Taylor and Gabriel pulled him and Jesse into a hug. The four of them stood there locked together for a few minutes. After that, it was a flurry of happy tears, hugs, and kisses as everyone joined in.
Once they were done but refused to let go of one another, they all turned to the gods who were still gathered there, each of them grinning tearfully. Jesse looked to Zeus, then Aurora. “Thank you, Mother, for bringing us all together and for making us all for each other in the first place, as well as preparing us for today.”
Noah, who stood on Jesse’s other side holding his hand al
so looked to Aurora and replied, “Thank you, Mother, for everything.”
Aurora gave them both warm, loving smiles and stepped before them, then opened her arms wide. Jesse and Noah rushed into her arms, and the three of them hugged.
Zeus looked to them with amusement. “Mother, huh?”
Aurora laughed and pulled back as Jesse and Noah returned to Micah’s side. Aurora slapped Zeus on the arm playfully as she smirked. “Too bad. You all have had your fun and have had many children. But these beautiful boys and their family are all mine,” she teased and smiled bright. Zeus and the other gods all chuckled.
Lucifer stepped forward and looked to Zeus as he raised a brow. “Was there something you forgot to tell me, Father?”
Zeus grinned. “We can’t give everything away. We need to have some tricks up our sleeves.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Taylor asked.
“How was it possible for the gates of hell to open and allow the demons to walk free upon the earth? I thought there was only one spell that could do that, and it is a forbidden spell?” Lucifer said.
“It was a failsafe we all decided on,” Zeus began. “We knew Hades would never figure it out or even think of it. He would believe that we would have a gatekeeper and a spell to keep them closed, but you, Lucifer, are the key to the gates of hell. Never did we think that you would die, so therefore hell’s gates could never be opened. Once you died on this field, the gates were flung open. Hades never even realized that in his last hour of life. Thank the…well us, that the Guardian figured out what Aurora meant that you could call upon everyone’s powers and use them and with that he would be strong enough to siphon even Hades’s powers, then use them to destroy all the demons. Unfortunately, Hades’s powers were too much for the Guardian’s body to hold for more than a few minutes and in the end, they destroyed him.”
