The room ascended rapidly up the pillar. It created a g-force which forced the trio to crouch on the floor. It was rather uncomfortable. After about twenty-five seconds, the room abruptly stopped and the door opened. Mathis got up and rubbed his head. "What the hell?"
"It would seem that we have already arrived at the top," Nevanyk stated.
"That sure was fast," Alex mused.
"You can say that again," Mathis told him as he exited the room. The top floor was as vast as the bottom one. It seemed to be totally empty, save for a huge crystal with a sword stuck in it. "Alex," Mathis urged, "look!"
Alex and Nevanyk looked to where Mathis was pointing. The crystal was blue color. Actually, it was hard to explain the color of the crystal. It was a color Alex didn't know even existed. The colors of blue seemed to flow within the crystal, ever changing. It was if it was alive. And protruding from the top, was the Blade of Lost Souls. Alex moved closer to the sword. "HALT." Boomed a voice that came from everywhere.
"No!" Byron exclaimed. "Malachy has reached the plane of knowledge! How is that possible!"
"NO ONE HAS EVER ATTAINED THE PLANE OF KNOWLEDGE."
"What can we do against him?" Byron asked.
"NOTHING. WE SIT AND WAIT. I WANT TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT." Byron was confused at his master's attitude, but decided not to question him.
Alex readied his sword. "Malachy, is that you!"
"YES. I AM MALACHY."
"Then I will have to defeat you. In order to save Lograndia and Lunar." Alex was serious. He had no idea how he would be able to fight him though. He couldn't even see him.
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! IT'S AMAZING HOW VERY LITTLE YOU KNOW."
"What's so funny!?" Mathis hollered.
"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR?"
"We're fighting for the sake of our worlds!" Alex answered.
"NO, NOT WHY. I MEANT WHO. DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR."
"What are you talking about?" Mathis asked.
"DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN PAWNS; PAWNS FOR THE EVIL BEING KNOWN AS DESTINY."
"HOW DARE HE!" The voice thundered through the space. "BYRON! GO THERE NOW! STOP HIM FROM CONTAMINATING THEIR MINDS!"
"Destiny?" Alex asked.
"YES, DESTINY. YOU SEE, THERE IS A BEING KNOWN AS DESTINY. HE IS TRULY OMNIPOTENT. HE CAN SEE, AND HEAR ALL. HE BELIEVES THAT HE HAS THE RIGHT TO GOVERN THE FATES OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. HE HAS DESTROYED COUNTLESS LIVES JUST BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE THEIR FATE." Alex was shocked. Was what Malachy saying true? Or was it just an elaborate ruse to knock them off guard.
"Don't listen to him!" screamed a voice. The trio turned around to see Byron. "He's trying to mess with your mind! Fight him Alex, fight him!"
"ALEX, MEET BYRON, LOYAL SUBJECT TO DESTINY. THE ONLY REASON HE HAS BEEN HELPING YOU, IS BECAUSE THE REVIVAL OF TERRANOX WAS NOT PART OF DESTINY'S PLAN."
"Byron, is this true?"
"Don't believe him Alex! Use the spear! Defeat his evil!"
"AH YES, THE SPEAR. DO YOU REMEMBER THE VISION YOU WERE SHOWN BY LONGINUS?"
Alex nodded. He was so very confused at this point. "THAT TOOK PLACE ON EARTH. THE PLANET YOU NOW CALL THE BLUE STAR. THE EARTH USED TO BE A BEAUTIFUL PLANET. AT THE TIME OF IT'S EXISTENCE, THERE WAS ANOTHER BEING EQUAL TO DESTINY. THIS BEING WAS KNOWN ONLY AS GOD."
"The same God whose son was killed by Longinus?"
"CORRECT ALEX. YOU SEE, EARTH WAS THE FIRST PLANET TO HAVE LIFE. AS SOON AS LIFE WAS CREATED, DESTINY SAW IT FIT THAT SOMEONE SHOULD GOVERN ITS FATE. GOD HOWEVER, PROTESTED THIS ASSUMPTION. FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE CHOIRS OF ANGELS FOUGHT THE SOLDIERS OF DESTINY. WHEN FINALLY, THE END CAME. GOD WAS DEFEATED AND EARTH WAS DESTROYED.
"NOW IS WHERE LUNAR'S HISTORY BEGAN. DESTINY CREATED ALTHENA TO BRING HUMANITY TO LUNAR. HE ALSO CREATED MANY OTHER PLANETS AND DEITIES. SO MANY LIVES WERE CRUSHED AT HIS WHIM."
"But why?" Alex asked. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"BECAUSE, THERE IS A WAY TO STOP HIM."
"No!" Byron cut in. "Alex, you don't know what you are doing. He is controlling your mind!"
"ALEX, WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN REMOVE THE BONDS THAT HOLD THE ONE TRUE GOD. WE CAN FINALLY BE RID OF DESTINY."
"How Malachy? How can we do it?"
"WITH THE SACRIFICE OF A HUMAN SOUL."
"Sacrifice!" Mathis blurted out. For once in the entire discussion, he had spoken.
"YES MATHIS, A SACRIFICE. IF SOMEONE WERE TO USE THE BLADE OF LOST SOULS, AND THEN BE KILLED WITH THE SPEAR, IT WOULD BE JUST ENOUGH POWER TO RELEASE HIM."
"You're all insane!" Byron insulted. "You have absolutely no clue what was going on."
Mathis spun around and shot a bolt of lightning at him. "Shut the hell up!" Byron tried to move, but he was paralyzed. "It's your fault she had to die! you and your damn destiny! You're lucky I don't kill you right now!" Mathis turned to Alex. "I'll do it."
"Are you sure?" Nevanyk. "You have your entire life ahead of you."
"Nevanyk, this is something I have to do."
Nevanyk placed his hand on Mathis' shoulder. "I understand Mathis. If it something you must do, then do it."
Mathis now looked at Alex. "It's time Alex."
"Mathis, why? Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself."
"Search me, I guess I just no longer fear death. Anyway, I want to put and end to Destiny." Alex knew he was right. It just seemed so wrong for someone so young to die.
"MATHIS, COME TAKE THE SWORD." Mathis did as he was told. he approached the crystal and removed the blade. The blade had an evil power radiating from it. "NOW ALEX, AFTER MATHIS USES THE SWORD, YOU MUST KILL HIM."
"What! Why me?! There's no way I can kill him!"
"Alex, you have to. You have to kill me. It is the only way to save the universe."
"But, but, I can't!" That's when Alex heard the voice of Longinus speaking to him. Alex, you have to use the spear. it is the only way. "But I can't just take a life in cold blood!" Alex! I know it will be hard, but you have to understand that it isn't murder. Mathis is willing to sacrifice himself. Try not to think of it as murder.
Alex looked up from the ground. "I'll do it. But after that I'll need the sword. I still have to save Lunar."
"ALEX, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND YET? LUNAR IS ALREADY COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER, BUT THE PEOPLE YET LIVE."
"How is that possible? I thought that if one the light totally vanishes, life will cease to exist." That's when Alex realized the truth. He knew that the light was inside every person that was alive. The true power of Lunar lied not within the planet, but within its people.
"Stop!" Byron still persisted. "He's going to use the power for himself! He's only tricking you!" His screams were in vain. They had totally blocked him out.
Mathis held the sword in his hands ready to begin the sacrifice. "Mathis," Nevanyk said, "I respect your bravery. You are truly the bravest man I have ever met."
Mathis was glad to hear this. He had finally obtained Nevanyk's respect. It was time. Time to begin the sacrifice. "I hereby sacrifice my soul to the one true God. May he be released from his bonds and defeat the evil that is Destiny." The sword began to glow, and Mathis could feel his strength being sapped from him.
"NOW ALEX, NOW!" Malachy screamed.
Alex readied the spear. He pulled it back, then thrust it through his side. Mathis did not scream, he stood there as the spear ran him through.
To his astonishment, the spear began to glow. It then seemed to dissolve into Mathis. A pillar of white light shot down at Mathis. Suddenly, they could hear the Hallelujah Chorus being sung. "THE CHOIRS OF ANGELS ARE SINGING ONCE MORE."
"NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! I AM DESTINY! HOW DARE THEY DEFY ME!" Destiny could already feel his power draining. He was no match for the divine power that was assaulting him. "NO! I AM Destiny. I can't be defeated. I am eternal." His voice trailed off as his void in space collapsed.
Mathis seemed to dissolve and ascend up the pillar of light. "ALEX, YOU MUST LEAVE HERE NOW. My power is draining. I have also given up my strength to help Him. Hurry, I shall bring you back to Lunar. And Nevanyk will be brought back as well."
"No," Nevanyk protested. "I wish to stay here. I have nothing left on this planet."
"Very well. Alex, remember that you have done a lot more than save your planet. You will have a high seat in the Kingdom of God. Good-bye, Alex." And with his last ounce of strength, Alex was transported to Lunar.
Alex returned to Lunar to find himself surrounded in darkness. "SO ALEX, YOU FINALLY RETURN. I HAVE WON. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME!"
Alex almost laughed. He couldn't believe how uninformed Terranox was. Compared to what he had just gone through, Terranox seemed so pustule. "Terranox, you really are stupid aren't you."
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT YOUR MASTER!"
"Master!? Ha, that's a good one." Alex shut his eyes and concentrated. "Everyone of Lunar, listen to me. We can defeat Terranox, but we have to act as one. Look deep within yourself. Everyone of us has the light of Lunar inside us. All of us, we must focus it. Then, and only then, can we revive our planet."
"DON'T BE FOOLISH. THERE IS NO MORE LIGHT LEFT ON THIS MISERABLE WORLD. I HAVE WON!" A small light began to radiate from Alex. And from every other soul, light radiated. "WHAT'S THIS! WHERE'S THIS LIGHT COMING FROM!" Terranox's questions meant nothing. Soon, the entire planet was once again filled with light. "NO! I AM TERRANOX! I CAN'T LOSE! NOOOO!"
Alex found himself in a field of grass. He had won. Finally, everything was back to normal. "Alex? Alex is that really you!?"
Alex spun around to see Luna. His heart was filled with an immense joy. He embraced his wife in a loving hug. Tears began to spill down his face. "Oh Luna. I've missed you so much. You would have no idea the troubles I went through."
"It's all over now Alex. You have saved us all again. And I love you." Alex looked into Luna's eyes. Oh how beautiful they were! He had almost forgotten what her touch felt like. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently kissed her. They stayed in that position for God knows how long. It was over. Peace had returned at last.