Outside of a duel or mission, you may not strike someone until they have struck at you three times.

Sheet lightning this time, and Ikiri and Stephanie called up shields.

'That was the third time, Mister-High-and-Mighty!'

Everyone blinked, and Ikiri had disappeared, disappeared so quickly and leaving faint traces around the room that the 'man' whirled around, trying to follow her movements.

He didn't see Stephanie casting a spell that made the air crackle with the sudden rush of energy. Slowly, inexorably, the 'man' sank into the stonework, and some of the molten lava rolled towards him, stinging him, scalding him.

Staring incredulously as he sank into a vortex, he again didn't see the next attack, this time from above.

'Kurae! Eat this!' cried Ikiri. Stone from the roof pulled out in spikes, and flew straight for Him, thudding into him, piercing him.

He had gaping holes through His body, but no, he didn't die. Flames licked at the edges of the holes and the streamed out, whirling together to form.

'Lucifer.' Muttered Stephanie. She was the only Helix there, and she was the best Helix there was.

'You got that right, girl.' He hissed, and then the angels started raising the alarm.

'LUCIFER IS HERE! ALERT! LUCIFER IS HERE!' The screamed, magically enhanced voices reaching all levels of the Clouds.

'You two. you are powerful. you would not hesitate to attack your Lord. perhaps I could entice you to my legions?'

Ikiri snorted. 'In your dreams. We would only attack our lord if he were like you. Which he isn't, and you. you were and are always our enemy.'

'What a pity.' Lucifer sniggered.

'Yes, what a pity, because you are about to die now, not at Armageddon.' Stephanie flew up beside Ikiri, and they linked hands.

The kinjutsu, the one Stephanie had wanted to learn all those years ago.

'. you ready?'

'Yes.'

'Keran hura gatsi vitra, phley net na.' Lucifer gazed, awed by fast gathering power.

When it suddenly stopped. Disappeared.

Ikiri and Stephanie blinked and realised simultaneously what had happened.

'He's here. The real Him.'

'He's here.'

'The real one.'

Lucifer's eyes widened and he stared at Him, the pair collecting their power, preparing for the imminent final showdown.

'Now is not the time, Lucifer. The Judgements are yet to fall.'

Lucifer laughed. 'Too scared, are you? Scared of how much power I have?'

'No. Get out before I make you leave, Lucifer.'

And so Lucifer left, and the prophecy of the Apocalypse stood.

He turned to Ikiri and Stephanie. 'Do you choose here, amongst the Clouds, or down on Earth?'

'Earth.' Stephanie replied shortly.

'I choose the Earth, also.' Ikiri agreed.

'Then live on Earth, until you change your mind.'

Stephanie and Ikiri grinned. 'We will never change our minds. Earth is where we belong, and that is where we will stay.'

And they disappeared.

He sighed. 'There is a future. a small future, where she will choose to come back here. A world amongst millions others, but as time goes on. she is drawn inexorably to that path. And the other will die.'

The angels that explored the future, the present and the past nodded. 'It is. becoming more and more likely. She is probably also aware of this and is doing all she can to avoid it.'

He nodded. 'That would explain why things are different from what could have been. It is. slower, less noticeable. Yet you notice how she clings to every moment. She is subconsciously resigning herself to the inevitable.'

'Yes.'

I read this conversation later, in another record in the very same collection that you are reading this from.

They knew of that 'possible' future. And we all knew that it was the best future for the universe as a whole, although not many people realise it. Not many angels either.

And so here I am. Living in the one future that existed where my star of all stars does not exist. It is one that has removed the capability of humans to kill each other, of any species to kill their own.

You may think that with that, capital punishment would become redundant, and that would be a bad thing.

But it's not. Think about it. A punishment is to make someone want to change. What's the point of a punishment that doesn't give them the chance to change? And if you say 'well, we think they won't change', how would you know? I mean, there are some crimes that give an automatic death sentence. What if that were someone's first offence? There would be no record as to whether or not they would want to change or not, and you've seen how humans are.

Judgemental. prone to stereotyping and fear of new things. yes, it is better this way. Better for humans, that is.

Not better for me, on two counts.

One, I no longer have Stephanie by my side.

Two, all Kuro members now have twice the work. Actually, more than twice the work we used to have. Humans used to kill a lot of other humans, and now we have to clean up the ones that are really twisted. And if you say 'look, you should have let humans kill other humans', I'm telling you at least this way, only those that definitely won't change are killed. The others. have a chance to live happy and free.

Something I never will.

If you were born after The Fifth Revolution, then you probably don't understand how Stephanie and I ever came to Earth.

Angels live forever, but eventually we tire of the Clouds.

We tire, and we become human, albeit with a few powers at our disposal, 'just in case anything happens'.

And we become mortal for eighty odd years, something relatively short to what we have experienced. When we die, a Kuro comes to pick up our soul, as a last honour for our services as angels.

We fall in love with normal humans, but nothing ever replaces our star of stars.

Some of us, like Stephanie and I had, visit Earth as immortals. Immortals in the sense that only another spiritual being can kill us, and that happened to us once, but we were reborn. When reborn, memories, powers and looks are suppressed. This is because we have human 'parents', and it would look really awkward if we didn't look like them, and didn't grow up like normal children.

By the time this record is accepted into the Library, I will have become a mortal. The higher-ups decided I was apparently too powerful, and so all of my powers are suppressed, unless I or someone I care for comes into mortal danger.

If you lose your star of stars, you keep seeing them everywhere. The loss reverberates in and out of your life, and everywhere you see someone that slightly resembles them, you feel the loss, and wish that they were here.

It's a little too easy for us partnerless ones to 'fall in love' with humans, so many of them have inklings of power. In fact, one of us could be in love with more than one human, seeing different qualities in them that remind us of our star of stars.

You wonder why I am going to Earth, when I know what is going to become of me.

It is because I cannot bear to see all of you, whole in your partnership, all of you knowing that they will never, ever leave your side.

Because her death signalled the end of my old life, your old life, everyone's old life. A new start, two changed worlds.

I heard her that time. when she begged to be taught the kinjutsu. She wanted power, for me to see her as my equal. I already saw her as an equal then, and now.

Now, I know she was far more powerful than me. Mr-High-and-Mighty and the Seers, they knew I would have to spill her blood over the Earth and the Clouds. 'To choose to come back here', meant I chose to do what was best for everyone, not what was best for me.

And this. this choice is the best for everyone too. Let the young ones focus on their own peers, and avoid falling into a deep fugue over me, and let them think I never ever existed. That the figure of 'Kuro Ikiri' and 'Stephanie Helix' were merely representative of a group of angels.

Let them think the story, this story, is a myth, a legend, an embroidered tale.

For it only matters to the people who were in it and know what this story really means, and the only remaining person of the tale, other than Mr-High- and-Mighty, and truly understand everything, is me.

And I will die in eighty or so years time, on Earth, in love with everyone and in love with just one person.

I'll be waiting for a Kuro to pick up my soul.

Kuro Ikiri.

Department of Records

Name: Kuro Ikiri Age: 5832 Birth Date: 5^21^12618, The Second Revolution Occupation: AoD Years Served: 4832

Years Training: 682 Instructor: Kuro Gerald

Honours: The Bringer of The Fifth Revolution, Master AoD, Mage Level 8

Star: Stephanie Helix Alive/Deceased: Deceased Cause of Death: Sacrificially Murdered Reason of Death: The Fifth Revolution

Current Residence: Earth Earth Age: Unborn as yet

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cos you're so right, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cos you will hate yourself in the end.

Comments: It is amazing that you have managed to find the scroll of Kuro Ikiri again, and it is also credit to your judgement for having copied it immediately, before it deteriorated further.

As you mentioned, it seems that there is a decaying spell on this scroll, and we are examining your copy to see if the spell affects copies as well. Considering Kuro Ikiri's nature as mentioned in other scrolls, this is quite likely.

The record is also quite remarkable, as it is rare of the Department of Records to have left an entry un-updated - the age of Kuro Ikiri is out by a few years.

In the Department of Earth, the record states that she was 'born' into Earth quite recently. The reason for the delay is unknown.

It is of the utmost importance that Kuro Ikiri's existence be erased entirely. If even the hope inspired by her name is allowed to flourish, then it could possibly stymie our plans.

I was severely wounded during The Fifth Revolution, and continue to suffer. It is of my opinion that if we can remove one of the links and if I were to absorb her soul's power, I can be freed of this God awful curse.

Lucifer

I am a Seer of The Sixth Era. This prophecy is the story on how Lucifer's plan to eat Ikiri's soul will end.

It will never start. In each and every future I have scried, Lucifer has not been able to get close to her. Mister-High-and-Mighty, as we call Him, has used his power to protect her - it is His way of showing her (although she knows it not) that He is grateful for her services.

It was terrible when she came to the Clouds, on the final step of her task. Stephanie Helix's blood, Ikiri's star's blood, was showered everywhere in a mist so fine that afterwards, we could not see it with the naked eye.

Her hands were dripping red, a red that angels said had the same shades as Stephanie's wings. Kuro Ikiri had drawn a small helix with Stephanie's blood across the back of her hand, and later, bid the Department of Earth to imprint it as a birthmark into her mortal body.

If she did not remember, it would fade slowly, inexorably, unless she remembered how Stephanie Helix died.

In her record, she remarked that few understood and were present. I was not present in her story, but I understand.

I know what she gave up to do her lord's bidding. And I think we all know what Stephanie gave up as well. She gave up far more than anyone else in the equation, giving her soul into the Earth and the Clouds.

Perhaps that is why, now, Ikiri is reminded of Stephanie wherever she turns, although she does not know it. She merely falls in love with everything beautiful, everything that is magical and mystical.

And she yearns for someone and something she does not remember, like she did long, long ago. The someone is Stephanie Helix of course.

The something is the sense of belonging, of loving and knowing she is loved back.