The Glassy Sky

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: End of an Era

As we all sat there, mourning for a friend that we've lost in a fight. Soldiers woke up and saw everything that happened, and they all came to sympathized for our lost by saluting at us. We can't help but cry our hearts out when the soldiers did what they have to. Then, suddenly my sword alarmed me that the fight isn't over yet. I saw Morpheus on the sky creating a huge fireball that is the same size of the moon from our stand point, then send it to our direction. I just realized that I can't help everyone with a fireball that huge. "I can't protect everyone!" I said. "Don't worry, I have a plan." Hunter said. Hunter controlled a huge body of water and tried to encapsulate the fireball. "It's working!" Hunter said. But the fireball is too hot that it escaped the water and still went towards our direction. "Uriel, if you have a trick in your sleeves, now is the time to do it." I said. Then a huge flame came out from my sword that is shaped like a huge dragon's head from the sky. It encircled the entire fireball and swallowed it whole. Then immediately went to Morpheus to attack him and it worked. Half of his body is destroyed, but the heart remained intact. "You can't defeat me with that." Morpheus said.

"I know, but I have something that can destroy you." I said while looking at Hunter and Sam. "I'll take care of this, both of you, protect the others."

"Are you sure you can handle this all alone?" Hunter asked.

"Can you do it without our help?" Sam asked.

"I'll be fine, I got this!" I replied. "This is for Toby." I stopped the time using Uriel's power from the sword, but I can only stop time within a few minutes. So when I got there to his back, Morpheus felt my presence from his behind and is able to evade my attack using the sword that he took from Hypnos. "How did you?.." He asked surprisingly.

"Surprised?" I asked. I tried to attack him again using the flames from my sword by concentrating the heat from the blade to create a slashing effect that could cut through any buildings, then Morpheus tried to create a force field using his own flames, then it was destroyed.

"You're getting weaker." I said.

"Not quite!" He replied. He roared so loud that everyone became frightened, and once again, the sky shattered to million pieces. And I was falling from the sky. I can't use the powers of my imagination. "Don't worry, I got you." Uriel said. She created wings made out of blue flame and all of the sudden, I can fly again. "It will be harder to control, but I know you can handle it. I know you've been through a lot, you can do this, Zack." Uriel said.

"Thank you, Uriel." Though I'm having some issues with control, but I tried to use my will power to control every aspect of the sword's power. I'm heavily reliant to the sword now since I can't use my imagination to destroy Morpheus. "I see, so you still have some tricks in your sleeves." Morpheus said. "I'll make sure to kill you this time and take the sword from you by force."

"As long as I'm breathing, I'll fight for what is right."

"Then so be it." Morpheus used Hypnos' sword to hypnotize me. He wants me to give the sword to him. I tried to stop my body, but my body won't listen. Only my mind is talking but my body and my mouth is literally listening to his bidding. "That's it, give me the sword." Morpheus said. Then I woke up from the spell and all of the sudden the sword is already in his hands and I'm falling from the sky. Hunter summoned some tentacles of water to save me and took me back to the boulevard. "Thank you, Hunter." I said.

"That was a dumb move, you did. Why did you give him the sword?" Hunter asked.

"I didn't, but this time I can't control myself." I said. "I tried to stop myself, but his hypnotic powers are so powerful that I gave in to his desires."

"Now that he has the sword, what now?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." I said. "I failed you, I failed everyone. I'm sorry."

"Now is not the time to despair, Zack. Get up and we still have a fight to finish." Hunter said.

"You're right, I'll think of a plan while all of you fight him for the meantime."

"At last! The sword is mine." Morpheus said. Everyone prepared for battle. "You are not worthy of this power!" Someone said. That voice came from Uriel, then a huge amount of flame came out of the sword then consumed Morpheus's entire body until he drops the sword. The sword came flying on to my direction and I was shocked. But then I remembered that if you're not compatible with the sword, the sword won't listen to you. Morpheus fell on the river and was badly injured. Then I noticed the sky went back to normal and I saw Hypnos flying and landing to our direction. "I hope it's never too late to join the party." Hypnos said.

"Nope, you're just in time." I replied.

"Time for what?" Sam asked.

"The grand finale." I stood up and took the sword, then Morpheus flew from the sky regenerated from the wound that the sword gave him. "Attack the glowing red crystal on the middle of his chest, that's his weak spot." Hypnos said.

"I already know that." I replied.

"Good, then I'll help you."

"Why are you helping us again?" Hunter asked.

"To restore balance in this world. He ruined it for eons and I have no power to stop him myself." Hypnos said.

"We're gonna need all the help that we can get, thank you, Hypnos." I said.

"How is that possible?" Morpheus asked.

"Because you're not worthy." I said.

"How?"

"I know it's difficult to understand, but you're not worthy of this power."

"Then I'll force you to do my bidding for me." He tried to hypnotize me again, but this time, Hypnos pointed his right hand towards Morpheus and reverse the hypnotism. This time he's now under the bidding of Hypnos. "I own the sword, and I know how it works more than you do." Hypnos said. "Now, Zack! Attack him." I flew as fast as I can and I had my opening and stabbed him in his chest, breaking the crystal that lies on the middle then used the flame to burn him to cinder. "How?.." Morpheus asked while badly hurt.

"This is for Toby." I said. I stood there while he incinerates to ashes. When he turned to nothing, I took Hypnos' sword and went back to everyone and all of them are happy that the fight is over. I returned Hypnos his weapon and all the soldiers, the Garuda's, the sirens and might be, even the angels from above are happy to know that the enemy is no longer capable of destroying our lives.

The era of the demon of sleep is over, the dream world will finally be free from his wrath. I hope it's truly over and I also hope that I gave Toby's death justice. And from the river, I saw a light from the sky pointing towards Morpheus's direction, taking his essence above and I can finally see his human form now. He looks like a man in his late thirties, with a brown brunette hair, brown eyes and brown beard. And the way he dresses, he looks like he's from an ancient Greek period. He floated towards me and we were all in battle position for we don't know what to expect. Then he said, "There's no need for you to fear me anymore. I just want to thank you, Zack! You freed me from my curse. I can finally rest in peace now."

"Why are you so soft, all of the sudden?" Hunter asked.

"Are you really the Morpheus that tried to kill us, several times?" I asked.

"Forgive me for everything that I did.I was cursed to seek revenge from the death of my family, that's why I act thatway. But now that I'm free, I personally would like to thank you for giving mea second change to live and be back with my family in the next life. I canfinally rest in peace now. I'll see you in the next life." I'm glad that thisis all over now, and I just realized that Morpheus isn't all that bad, he wasjust seeking revenge from the death of his loved ones, that's why he acts thatway. I just hope that wherever he goes, he will be in good hands just likeToby.