Luna’s eyes wandered frantically as she tried to place her surroundings. She could only vaguely remember examining the alien’s strange weapon in her old laboratory before her memory blanked out. She had opened her eyes to a darkened room seconds ago, her brain roiling in confusion before her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden giggle of a foal.

Her eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness, she found herself in what appeared to be a simple bedroom. Nearby, a child-like primate with platinum blonde hair sat up on a small bed, reaching both its hairless hands towards her. ’Pretty!’ a youthful voice exclaimed in her head. Her brow furrowed as she wandered up to the creature and tried prodding it with her hoof, but her form wavered as the limb merely passed through its arm. The child’s eyes enlarged in sudden enthusiasm as his mouth spread into a wide, innocent grin. Tiny bright sparks of light began fluttering into existence in the air around him.

The door to the bedroom creaked open, the hallway light silhouetting a tall shadow in the doorway. The child turned its bright eyes to the doorway, the tiny, floating sparks erupting exuberantly into small flickers of fire. “Look, Mommy! Fireflies!”

The shadow bore down on the child as something dark pressed against Luna’s mind and the world around her seemed to blur.

Blinking rapidly, the room was gone, replaced by another bathed in bright sunlight.

“Mommy, wake up! Wake up!” The voice of the child cried happily, and focusing on the sound, Luna saw the same sunny-haired young being from before, though it appeared to have grown a bit. ’A boy. It’s a young boy,’ a voice chided gently in the back of her mind. The ‘boy’ was shaking another creature atop the bed vigorously; the larger creature had dark, long hair and more refined, elegant appearance than the soft, undeveloped features of the child. ’I’m going to tell Mommy all about school and my new nice teacher and how I drew a dinosaur! I was afraid to go but school is fun!’ The voice echoed cheerfully in her brain. ’But I have to wake her up, first!’

Luna frowned. The random thoughts, the shifting landscape, it all seemed a bit too familiar for her liking. Her eyes lingered on an amber glass bottle on the nightstand next to the bed, near a smaller, similarly colored plastic bottle with a white label on it. Both were empty. Luna eyed a piece of paper next to both, reading the sloppy scrawls that had been hastily scribbled on its surface.

‘I couldn’t. I tried my best. I prayed to the Lord everyday. But I couldn’t exorcise my son’s demonic hellfires. I failed both my boy and my God. I can’t-’ Luna’s reading was interrupted by the child.

“Mommy! Wake up, sleepyhead! School was fun!” The larger being on the bed remained silent, its chest no longer rising with breath. “Mommy?”

“Oh, God, Jean, no!” a voice with a deep timbre suddenly exclaimed from the doorway. Luna turned, and as she did the world blurred again, everything shifting and melding as though the paint that colored all existence began running. She was in a new room, one that appeared to be a kitchen; another old memory. Though the circumstances differed, something about all of this seemed too disturbingly familiar to her.

An orange-haired ‘girl’ with light brown freckles laid her hand softly on the shoulder of the young boy. She smiled, then winced as the expression disturbed her swollen, cracked lip. Her eyes shimmered sadly as she ducked her head to meet the boy’s expression.

“It’s okay, Sean. Really, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

The boy pouted. “It’s not okay. Dad shouldn’t hurt you like that! And I hate that look!”

The door to the kitchen slammed open, their father bursting loudly into the room like a wild boar crashing through a drought-tinged forest’s underbrush. His eyes wandered sluggishly between the two of them. They dimly reflected the mute light of the room as his face contracted slowly in anger.

“Oh?! Big man, now, you have something to shay?!” His voice slurred drunkenly as he gesticulated wildly with his one free arm, the other grasping a brown glass bottle with an iron grip. “A real smartass, huh?!”

“No, Dad! Sean was just telling me about how he got an ‘A’ on a book report?” the girl pleaded.

“Booksh?” The man regarded the young boy, Sean, with sudden confusion, his eyes slowly glazing over as he retreated into memory. “Yer Mom always loved the things,” he muttered quietly. His gaze immediately darkened, staring at the boy with sudden fury as he took another swig of his glass bottle. “I loved her...”

“Dad, no-” The girl ran up to her father, hands out before her in conciliation. The man raised his free hand. “DON’T YOU TALK BACK TO ME, SARAH!”

Luna’s world twisted again as she was ferried down further memories. By now, she was almost certain of her current predicament. The washed out colors of her perceptions again came into focus.

“-and that, lil’ chillun’, is how you memorize your multiplication tables,” a warm voice intoned. Luna swore she could recognize it from somewhere. A young ‘man’ was leaning over the shoulder of a small girl, their hair color near perfect matches.

“I don’t like math.” The young girl frowned.

“Yeah, neither do I, but that’s no excuse not to be good at it. Besides, when you get older, you’ll probably have to teach me a thing or two, Jess.” The young man smiled warmly.

“You really think so, Sean?” the small girl asked incredulously.

“Oh, but of course, m’lady,” the adolescent, ‘Sean’, said with mock gravity as he prostrated himself before the young girl. She giggled. “You’re a lot better at math than I was at your age, and don’t get me started on Sarah and her violin, or Mike and his books. All of you are way too smart for me, I think,” he said, a finger ponderously placed upon his chin.

The girl’s giggling subsided and her eyes immediately took on a curious light. “But, Sean?” He brought his deep blue eyes down to meet his little sister’s. “If I’m good at math, Sarah’s good at music, and Mike’s good at writing, what’re you good at?”

Sean’s eyes widened in shock. “You mean, you really don’t know?!” His little sister, Jessi, merely shook her head in confusion. He smiled and ruffled her hair, to her annoyed satisfaction.

“If you and Sarah are good at some things, then obviously my special talent is being the best brother ever. And Mike is just good at being annoying,” he muttered affectionately. The brightness of his smile could have powered a large city, due in no small part to the mention of his best friend. She giggled again. “Thanks for the help on my homework, Mr. ‘Best Brother Eve-’” Shouting and the shattering of glass in another room made Jessi wilt. Sean’s head whipped around, concerned, before meeting his little sister’s terrified eyes.

“Hey, you stay here and keep working on your homework, ‘kay?”

“O-okay,” she replied numbly, looking up at him with hurt eyes. Sean hated that look.

Luna found it slightly difficult to maintain her own being as the world shifted again. There was no doubt what was transpiring, and she couldn’t afford to lose herself in Nix’s memories. Her personal history with this spell was all the evidence she required to shield herself from the onslaught of his soul.

The world came into focus again; an endtable lay broken next to a ratty couch, and Sarah held a hand to her cheek in resigned shock as her quivering eyes gazed up into her father’s angry glare. Luna hated that look, that simpering gaze of sadness and submission. Her father raised his hand even as his voice boomed angrily.

“You got accepted into Juilliard? Music school?! You think you can make a damn honest living playing that fucking violin?!” His raised arm twitched downward before it was stopped in midair, a white-knuckled fist clenched around his wrist. He swung his head around in angry shock.

“Dad, I think that’s about enough of that.” Sean stared into his father’s eyes, his deep blue gaze matching the iciness of his voice. His father’s mouth twisted in rage.

“Boy, you think you’ve grown up enough to be man enough to take me? You really are stupider than shit. Your own mothe-”

Luna’s world twisted violently again.

“The judge was actually pretty understanding, in spite of the extent your father’s injuries,” his lawyer chirped. “He’s a father himself, so bringing up the matter of the abuse immediately struck a chord with him.”

Sean stared numbly at the public defender. He didn’t remember much about that night. One second, he was helping his little sister Jessi with her math homework, and the next he was being dragged off of his father’s mangled body by police officers, Sarah huddling with Jessi in the corner, the smell of charred human flesh cloying heavily in the air. He learned after the fact that his father would never raise a hand against anyone again; hard to do that when you’re paralyzed from the neck down, after all. The police still didn't know where all the 3rd degree burns had come from, and Sarah and Jessi claimed they didn’t see much in the confusion.

“Also, as of today you and Sarah are officially legally emancipated-”

“What about Jessi?” Sean interrupted, snapping his eyes into focus sharply on the lawyer’s.

“She’ll...she’ll be taken into the custody of the state and relocated to a foster home- Now wait, I know it sounds bad-”

Anger sparked in Sean’s eyes. “You can’t take my little sister away from me, from Sarah, like that. Not when we’re finally free of that fucking monster!”

The world shimmered and darkened. Luna stood atop a hill, Sean lying down nearby and staring into the night sky. ’I wish I could go out there. Nothing ever seems to go right here.’ The thought echoed hollowly through her mind. Regarding the deep blue, moonless night and its cascade of stars, Luna found nothing particularly special about it; she felt she had done a much better job with her own sky. Sean took a long swig of the bottle next to him, and Luna could feel a slight burn in the pit of her stomach. She modified the field keeping her consciousness separate from Nix’s soul, and her body’s reaction to the hard liquor vanished.

“Figured I’d find you out here, all maudlin and aloof. Honestly, you should look into variegating your emotional spectrum. I hear smiles are what all the counterculture kids are into these days. That and rainbows.”

“Hey, Mike. Nice of you to stop by.”

“I have a sixth sense that alerts me to the best times to interrupt your melancholic reveries. Can’t have your lascivious trysts with despair progressing beyond a few one-night stands, now can I?”

“English, Mike...”

“You’re too damn mopey,” he responded plainly. A quiet silence fell.

Sean broke the quietude after a few moments. "I’m moving to Tucson. Sarah will have you up in New York since you’re going to NYU, and I’ve already talked to Jessi’s foster parents. They seem nice, and they don’t mind if I drop in to visit her. Wouldn’t be right to leave her alone in Arizona.”

“I see you’re still always the last to know about the decisions you’ll make. I’ve already been schooling Sarah on the intricacies of the ‘it’s only dry heat’ joke for the last week, now. She just rolls her eyes at me, though,” Mike said with mock sadness. Sean allowed himself a meager smile for the first time since the altercation with his father. He wasn't the only one who was the last to find out about lingering feelings. He was sure Sarah would be fine at Juilliard with Mike around to keep her company.

The world rolled once more, billions of flashing images, sensations, emotions fluttering through Luna’s consciousness with ephemeral abandon. Luna didn’t steel herself against them—she had learned that lesson the hard way—she merely felt her soul calm until it was as motionless as a clear pond on a windless day, and allowed them to flow across the surface of her being before moving onward. Some memories lingered on the surface for longer than others.

“Sean,” Sarah said softly, a mild tinge of pity playing across her deep green eyes. “You know I-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Sean interrupted suddenly. “It’s my birthday, I won’t have you ruining it with such a sad face! Even if I have to work tonight, I demand that everyone have fun and be happy! Speaking of which, Jessi should be here soon, right?”

“Yeah, she texted Mrs. Morose over there about 30 minutes ago saying she had just entered town. You might even get to spend an hour with her before you drag your obstinate ass off to work,” Mike prodded.

“I’ll have plenty of time to spend with her tomorrow. And ‘missus’? Funny, I don’t remember the wedding ceremony. I guess you could have always just used your editor as the best man in my absence, though.” Mike cringed a bit at this. Sean knew he hated his boss at the local newspaper even if he loved his job. “He might cut out some of your more flowery tangents on the vows, though.” Mike stared dumbly at him for a second before bursting out in his warm laughter. Sean couldn’t help but get caught up in the amazing infectiousness of his friend’s laugh and soon followed suit. Sarah merely watched the both of them with a smile on her face before even she started chuckling.

Sean’s eyes caught the blazing colors of orange, yellow, and purple across the undersides of lazily floating clouds as the sun inched closer to the horizon and the day wore closer to its end, a few brave stars meekly twinkling through the darkening purple to the east. He could swear that every evening in this place was a burning pyre of brilliant, stark beauty; Tucson really did have the best sunsets in the world. ’I’m happy.’ His laughter caught in his breath as the simple thought drove through his heart. A shitty retail job, no life goals, no impact on this world, no power whatsoever...and he didn’t care, so long as his meaningless life was spent with these amazing bastards, his family to the very end. ’I’m really fucking happy.’ His convulsing guffaws rolled harder across his chest even as the lump grew in his throat.

Luna allowed a small smile across her face as the joyous memory of friends floated along her perception, the surface of her astral façade rippling mildly at the brief, benevolent emotional perturbation. A jagged memory caught on the ripples and she immediately felt her world gnarl violently as she was forcibly dragged into another glancing experience.

Sean’s breath heaved deeply, bright yellow flames flickering madly in his eyes as he crouched low to the ground, a psychotic grin across his face. The store where he worked at crumbled in ruin behind him, spurts of flame flaring amidst the rubble. His grin deepened as he remembered just how much of the place he had personally destroyed. His opponent merely gazed arrogantly at him, his arms crossed lazily as his deep red cloak floated aimlessly in a non-existent wind.

“You are host to more spirit than your banal mortal counterparts, boy,” an imperious voice boomed from underneath the red cloth hood that concealed most of his features. He slowly drew a sword from the dozen that were strapped to his back in plain leather sheaths. “I am known as Gilgamesh. ‘Tis honor enough that you even know my name before your death. However, your fool bravery has inspired me. You cannot hope to match me with such middling weaponry as that,” he spat, pointing at the machetes Sean had taken from the sporting goods department. Sean merely smiled, the flames growing slightly brighter. “You may have dispatched the lycans I set upon your homestead, but I am but the first of many in the coming days.” He regarded the sword in his hand briefly, before meeting the man-child’s burning eyes. “You stand no-”

Sean disappeared in a flash, licks of flame tracing the ground of his path as he brought his cheap machetes down towards the red-cloaked being’s face. The being simply disappeared in shimmering red smoke as Sean’s machetes buried into the melting asphalt. He growled in frustration.

“You move quite well for a mortal. I wonder if you might be so bold had you realized the countless immortals I have slain in service to my Master.” Sean moved to pull his cheap machetes from the asphalt, but they shattered. His head twisted towards the sound of a metallic clang that impacted inches behind him. He whipped around quickly, licks of flame punctuating the motion. Buried in the ground at his feet was a grand greatsword, its hilt pearl and decorated with numerous gemstones. Grasping it with his hand, the sword seemed to gleam brighter, the runes on its blade flickering with a deep orange light. Giglamesh smiled grimly. “Perhaps, boy, you can give me a bit more entertainment than I’ve had in millennia.”

Luna watched numbly from a thousand years hence, shaking her head sadly. She immediately recognized Excalibur, Nix’s weapon. She also recognized that this ‘Sean’ was woefully outclassed. He moved with amazing intuition, but his opponent was simply too skilled. It took less than 30 seconds for Sean to fall on his opponent’s blade, Gilgamesh staring at him with a disgusted look before jerking Excalibur from his grasp and burying it deeply into Sean’s heart.

“Tch. I even lent you my best sword. Such a disappointment, but to be expected from your pathetic ilk. I shall enjoy laying waste to your world.” Sean’s eyes glazed over as his brain became oxygen starved. “Everyone in this city will be purified by the flames of the Lord Most High.” Sean’s final thoughts wavered on Mike, Sarah, and Jessi as they celebrated his birthday without him. There was always tomorrow, wasn’t there?

’You will not lay a hand on them.’ Sean’s thoughts boomed so violently in Luna’s head that her calm visage evaporated as the depth of his fury sent her own soul into violent paroxysms.

’We could have handled this with more finesse,’ she thought dimly to herself as a particularly voracious memory of Nix’s impacted the roiling surface of her soul’s projection, dragging her viciously into another shift of her reality.

Sean hovered in midair, his form consumed by brilliant white flames as he jerked Excalibur from his own heart. The buildings around the pair seemed to have been flattened by some force. Gilgamesh merely stood wide-eyed before him, his sword hanging limply in his grasp.

“You threaten my sisters? My friends?!” The burst of primal power he felt rushing from his heart consumed him in a maelstrom he found impossible to control, but he didn’t care. He had power, pure, unrestrained, immense power, enough to save his friends and his family and fix everything that had ever wronged anyone in this fucked up, vile existence. And the red-cloaked swordsman cowering before him was going to be the first thing he fixed. The fiery pandemonium that encircled his being picked up pace in a rapid whirlwind before focusing into a whirring, brilliant dot that floated inches from his forehead. His consciousness seemed to evaporate into a mist that scattered throughout the entire city, and he could suddenly sense a million souls going about a million tasks. He brought three such souls to the fore of his expanded consciousness. They were outside, celebrating his birthday for him. This Gilgamesh, this lowly thing, would not lay a hand upon them.

“You’ll do nothing!”

The small sphere exploded violently in a flash of brilliant white light as Sean brought his forearm to his eyes to shield his vision. He could feel a gargantuan chasm take hold in his lifeforce in place of the burning fire, as all the power he could muster flowed into the blast. The earth around him unfurled violently as a shockwave discharged from the torrent of energy he released.

The artificial wail of sirens sounded all across the city as blue and red flashing lights zipped down the road behind Sarah and Mike’s house. Jessi merely smirked.

“You see, this is why I don’t live in the city. Far too much crime.”

Sarah had a concerned look on her face; she hadn’t missed the fact that every emergency vehicle seemed to be heading towards Sean’s store. “It’s not usually like this, Jess...”

“She’s right,” Mike stated in simple agreement. “Hell, if there were fewer sirens I’d say your brother got himself into trouble, but this many? Not even he is capable of screwing things up that much.”

Jess leveled a light-hearted punch to Mike’s shoulder. “Easy what you say about my brother. You’re not family just yet.”

“Even still,” Sarah said, pulling out her phone. “I think I’m gonna try-”

She stopped midsentence as something brilliant glowed on the horizon. She shared a worried glance with Mike before gazing back at the blinding light that came from the direction of Sean’s workplace. “Is that-?”

A white wave of light passed over Jessi, Sarah, and Mike, not giving them a chance to scream or shout, or register each other’s shock; they barely felt any pain at all, really, as the blinding fire turned them to ash almost instantaneously. Barely any pain at all.

Luna’s eyes widened in horror.

Sean collapsed to the ground on his knees. His brain felt weird, as though each thought was trying to force its way through churning molasses. He looked around sluggishly, bringing himself to his feet. In every direction, the ground was simply a black, smooth glass, extending with utilitarian uniformity no matter which way he looked, save for a sword buried in the ground nearby, its haft pointing with exacting finality towards the shimmering night sky. The full moon bathed the world around him in quiet blue light with mute solemnity, reflecting brightly off the sword’s blade. ’I...weren’t there mountains over there before...?’ He paused. ’Before what?’ He racked his brain as he stumbled forward. It was so hard to think.

“Sarah?” he yelled. “Jessi? Where are you guys?” His gaze found a blackened pile of bone, still smoldering with licks of fire and enshrined in a deep red cloth pockmarked with burns. Tongues of flame lazily intertwined across the fabric’s surface. Sean’s brow furrowed deeper. He dug in his pocket for a cigarette, drunkenly placing the filter between his trembling lips and lifting one of the flaming bones to light his smoke. “Mike? Come on guys, it’s my birthday. It’s my birthday...” He took half a drag of his smoke before he collapsed to the hardened glass earth. His cigarette tumbled across the ground and came to a sudden rest as its embers slowly dulled, the last of its blue smoke dancing laconically in the cool night air before dissipating.

Luna fought back the tears in her eyes as she forced her soul to be as flat and smooth as the steaming glass on which Sean now lay. A thousand years of subsequent travesties played across her immortal mind as his memories flowed forth in a torrent. Sean’s adoption of the name “Phoenix”. His first love, Athena. Her death. The deaths of countless comrades as Nix tried desperately to right the wrongs his actions had triggered. His passage through countless dimensions as he resolutely fought to return to a world that he no longer remembered served as naught but a graveyard for everything that mattered to him.

The runic patterns of light and dark began dancing at the corners of her vision as the spell began to resolve, and as her vision began to fade to a murky white she collapsed.

She wept.