Different Yet The Same

Chapter Thirty-Six

-Spark-

"Dalton I'm afraid." I admit honestly.

"Don't be. Have faith in yourself. Have faith in your angel spirit. She will protect you. You will protect yourself."
I gaze into his intelligent eyes. Soft and welcoming. Honest and kind. "Goodbye Spark. Good luck."

I turn away from him and step through the portal. Time to fight. Time to win.

I'm coming Ember.

•••

We found out where Ember was planning to attack easily. It's almost like she was taunting us by sending a surplus of demons to scout the Sahara desert.

It may be a trap. That thought has crossed my mind before but, we couldn't risk not going. A thousand thoughts flow through my already busy mind as the portal takes us into the abandoned desert.

It's silent...then the portals open and the sound of thousands of feet pounding the ground erupts around us, sending echoes into the darkest reaches of the plains.

Then once again it is silent. Deadly silent. I'm about to suggest we try some place else when a portal opens on the other side of the bowl like dip in the sand we are along the borders of.

Ember.

She bursts out of the portal, in all her hellish glory. Her black armour identical to our gold and white ones. I've heard it before, no matter how hard we try, demons and angles always have some similarities.

Her mismatched army bursts out behind her, letting loose battle cries. I look across the army, settling my eyes on Coal.

My heart leaps with joy at the sight of him, then it again plummets when I see him take Embers hand.

No one speaks. The sound of the swirling sand the only melody, either army encounters.

People are looking at me expectantly. Waiting for me to say something but I simply can't. Ember smirks and let's out a throaty laugh.

"I'm surprised you came." She shoots her words across the space between us.

"Surprised or not, I'm here." Power intertwined with my words.

"I can see that. Still think you can beat me?" It's a dare.

"I know I can. I can also take your man while I'm at it."

"If only you meant it."

Then it has begun.

With two cries of battle roaring from either side, we charge.

Angels versus demons. The battle to end all battles.

My army surges forward. Now in their known territory. Disregarding me, and anyone else. Simply bent on destruction. I never thought such immense hatred was possible among Angels.

I watch the battle carry through. Angles soaring above and letting arrows fly. Demons lashing and slaying with no second thoughts. I watch as my warriors die all because of me.

Ember is already in the fight, taunting the warriors into submission. Treating it like some kind of game. Coal is at her back, slaying with no remorse, protecting Ember. They move fluently, as one. Ducking and swerving in sync with each other.

They really are soul mates. What is the point of this war? To simply settle a score? To find a victor? Don't they realize that without good there can be no bad and vice versa? There will always be a war. There will always a fight. There will always be a score to settle, but you can't settle the score if you need the other team.

Opposites exist to create balance. To maintain a sort of stability. This war will end in nothing but loss for both sides...I need to stop it before things get worse. I need to save these lives, save Ember, and find our mom.

"Ember!" I call so loud my voice shakes. She can't hear me. I call my angle spirit and go to take flight. I make it a few feet off the ground before someone grabs my ankle and pulls me down, landing on my hands and knees I look up at the face of a demon.

The elusive Pyro, Lucifers pride and joy.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." He clucks. "We wouldn't want to spoil a good fight now, would we?" I jump up to my feet. Glare intensifying. "Don't get me wrong, what you were about to do was very heroic. Save lives. Maintain balance. All very touching, but I can't let you do that."

"Why not?" Voice steady, unwavering.

"I need it to be unbalanced. I need everything to tip and fall, crumple and break so I can rise above and rebuild it all."

"You want to be the leader of Hell?" Curiosity killed the cat...

"No no no. You miss understand." He looks at me slyly. "I want to rule everything. Heaven, Hell, Earth and anything in between ."

"I won't let you do that." I pull a knife from the strap at my side.

"Silly little Spark. You already have. Now that you have played your part, you will die."

"Not today and not by your hand."

"We shall see." Barely a second after he's spoken, the fight has begun. Pyro throws punches, landing them on my abdomen. I get a few in but not enough to do any damage.

Finally I have an opening and kick him in the stomach. He slides across the ground that is now made of...ice? What happened? I look around and see we are now in the a mountain range up North. Michael must have sent us all here, giving us the upper hand.

Looking around I spot him in a one on one battle with The King of Hell himself.

Spinning back to face Pyro I see he's up and ready to go. We throw a few punches and land a few kicks but nothing fatal is served. As we fight the landscape is constantly switching between the mountains and the desert, courtesy of Michael and Lucifer.

Suddenly, the shifting has stopped at the desert we look back and Michael has been slain.

This only strengthens the angles ferocity. The battle continues.

Pyro takes my moment of shock and sadness to spin me around so I'm caught between his arms, back pressed to his chest.

I try and break my hold but a mixture of grief and exhaustion has come over me.

"Goodbye little Spark." Is the last thing I hear before the knife is plunged deep into my chest.

I'm dropped to the ground, limp and cold. I feel no pain. From somewhere in the distance I hear someone call my name. I use my remaining strength to turn my head and see Ember running up to me, collapsing on her knees and placing my head on her lap.

"Spark? What happened?" Tears trickling down her cheeks that are coated with dust.

"I'm s-sorry." I close my eyes, ready to surrender to darkness.

"Spark! Come on! Don't go! I can't lose you. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Please don't go." I hear my sister sob from at my side.

"It's o-ok. I'm sorry. Take care ofthose you love. I love y-you Ember." She cries with renewed vigour.

"Please don't go. I love you Spark. Don't go." I wish I could stay but I close my eyes for the last time, and am pulled away into an abyss of memories.

I watch as all my memories go by, playing with Ember at the park, reading with my mom, dancing with Caleb, hanging out with friends, kissing Coal, seeing Ember for the last time.

I watch my memories fly by in a whirl, showing me my life, how I've lived it. I feel a pull on my heart, something begging me to come to another realm. A different place. A better place.

Right before I go I realize something that makes me happier than I have ever been before.

I'm not just the spark, I am the flame.