The abyss lasted kilometres past kilometres, the world shifting and time passing in heartbeats. The future was changing, and prophecies were smashed. However, was it the end, or was it just the beginning? The chosen phoenix fell, but did the future have to fall?

A song of hope echoed through the walls. It was oddly familiar, and that was what brought Birdhead back to his senses.

He looked around, trying to find the one that sang. It felt windy and hard to falling, so he brought himself aloft with his wings. Looking up, he knew he could not fly all the way back. He also knew his wings could not hold him for long before he fell again.

A small, blue light zipped across his face, and he yelped, alarmed, losing balance for a moment. In a blink of an eye, the blue light, or spirit-like animal, put itself right in front of the phoenix’s face. It tilted itself left and right, as if it was inspecting him. Then, in a heartbeat, light filled Birdhead’s vision, and he was transported into a pure white world.

In front of him stood an interesting figure. Its feathers where light blue, and a lump of feathers grew from the top of his head. It seemed like a phoenix, but it colours were very different from the warm ones of normal phoenixes. But it revealed itself to be one.

The figure turned and smiled at Birdhead.

“Hello. My name is Hajime.”

The name hit Birdhead hard in the face. What?!

“Yes, you must be shocked, this is…quite some years before my time. You told me I saved you when I was young. I am your younger brother, Birdhead.”
“But that’s not possible!”

Is it not? Time travel is a weird and wonderful thing. You said that yourself. I mean, in the future you did.”

“How are you…”

“Hey, deal with these paradoxical problems later, okay? I think there’s something we need to fight.”

In another flash of blinding light, Birdhead felt himself being pulled up by a soft, warm wing that easily flew fast.

“How is this happening?”

Birdhead looked up and saw Hajime smile down at him. His face was pale blue and kind, and his head looked a bit like the Dark Ashgle’s. But then, he was the corrupted phoenix’s future son.
Does that mean Cherry and Kosuke will reunite again? Or is this just the infinite loop of time, with the timelines dashing in three thousand directions? Would I live to see the good one, where Hajime exists? Or the bad, where the Hajime from the good would travel back, attempt a save, but die at the wings of Kosuke?

“It’s happening because you believe it can happen.”

“I’m not good at riddles.”

“It’s not a riddle, it’s a fact. You always believed I’ll exist, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes.”

“See? What did I just say?”

“Something that sounded confusing, then turned into something that was…truthful?”

“Do you want to return and fight alongside your friends? Time flies and it is gold, make your decision in careful haste.”

“Of course I wish to. Are they my friends?”

“They are great, and quick-bonding ones. They have not met you, and are forced to form into a team of strangers, however they cope greatly, and they care. Now, do you wish, at this moment, to take your brother’s wing back in time, to when you fell?”

“Won’t that break time?”

“No, it will not…as this is a special time.”

Birdhead stepped forward and studied the brother that never existed. His beak curved like Myrtlelana’s, his head like Kosuke’s. His wings looked like Beakfall’s, his tail floated gently like Lionessfire’s. His eyes were emerald-green, the shape the same as his own. A glint of musical pleasure Melody had drifted in the green pastures of his beautiful pupils. His appearance held the kindness and courage of the dancing Peachu.

The golden phoenix took his brother’s wing. It was soft and smooth, just like Myrtlelana. His vision blurred and he felt dizzy; his feathers fluttered as he sped up the chasm. Birdhead felt himself return to his friends, as warmth surrounded his cold coat of feathers. Suddenly, his vision returned, and his mind was clear: he had returned.

“BIRDHEAD!”

The scream was of different voices and emotions, happiness, fear, excitement, and rage. The voice of rage was clear, strong, and demeaning: the voice Birdhead feared to hear. His father’s.

Ashgle turned to stare at the two phoenix brothers. They hovered over the abyss he had formed and thrown Birdhead into. “So, you choose to fight. The painful way.”

“There is no way that is not painful. But in every way, there is hope when there is life.”

Hajime glared fiercely at his father.

“And you will never stay bad, you will never stay in rule. There will always be an end: And end where you will be light. You may not believe this, but this is only the beginning of the end.”

Ashgle laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, mysterious phoenix. I definitely believe you. Well, I don’t.”

The dark phoenix lifted his wing and prepared to attack.

“And in the end, you will not defeat us.”

Hajime’s words of wisdom rang through the room. It was a great surprise to every mythicimal, that the great Dragon Lord Deku flew into the chaos. Ashgle stared at the dragon in seething hate and fear.

The wise lord landed lightly on the rocky grounds and sighed. Hajime rose and flapped his wings mightily, creating azure fires around him. He seemed to absorb its power, then they burst out into more flames, creating a graceful dragon shape. It landed softly, and pulled its head back, flapping its great wings.

Its eyes formed slowly, blinking calmly. They were the same as Birdhead’s.

Ashgle growled and sent a burst of dark violet flames at the blue dragon. It roared and sent back aquamarine flames. The two attacks fought violently, Hajime overcoming the darkness easily. The Dark Phoenix fell back onto the ground. Seething with cold rage, he quickly recovered, and attempted once again to destroy his future son.

The Dragon Lord swept his tail, and an upheaval of dangerous fires were aimed at the fallen phoenix. However, he showed no weakness. Ashgle leapt up into the air and blasted the fires away. In hateful anger, he created a wall and swept at the fighters of light, causing all to be caught in confusion. With this advantage, he used his terrifying powers and wounded the Mythicals and the two new allies.

Both sides hit, darkness was winning – his enemies severely hurt in his first strike.

Ashgle chuckled and shook the ground. Hajime recovered in his dragon shape and dashed fiercely at the phoenix. It missed but its tail swept and caught the Dark Phoenix. However, it did not do much. It may have caused Ashgle to stagger, but he once again sent out another flurry of attacks, until all were on the ground, Hajime out of his dragon shape.

Beakfall rose from the ground, scars on his wings. His golden beak curved in fear. But in a time of war, especially if your side was losing, you had to try hardest to overcome the enemy. So this is what the hippogriff attempted to do. Though with his crown of leaves he was immortal, he was still hurt and at a loss of power. His knowledge was his only hope: so that is what he used.

Standing firmly, in the dream that light were to overcome, his knowledge transformed into a sacred light. In his claws were his words of wisdom, his wings the answers of riddles. Combined, they were Sacred Light, his name, his heart, and his life. Sacred Light rose in the air, his power awakened. His presence was almighty, and his allies recovered. Birdhead flew into the sky, his power returned. Hajime flapped next to him. The Dragon Lord looked up: three lofty deities flew in his view, yet he was not one of them.

Ashgle stared at each with his glowing garnet eyes: his stare as piercing as the sharpest spear. His eyes were needles, his beak a sword, and he was the darkest phoenix born since the birth of the land.

However, even with his deadly powers and wisdom, he would be no match for the three deities of the land. Their powers combined were as if twenty sorcerers with the most powerful magic arose and merged into one. Ashgle was only half of that.

Needless to say, Ashgle was outnumbered.

The fight was treacherous. Beakfall lunged at the phoenix, weakening Ashgle with his light. Hajime was almost a god of the blue fires; he created a wave of them, ambushing the treacherous darkness. Weakened to a state he could not stand, Ashgle fell. However, all legends on the dark phoenix were true. Only the Fire of Courage had the power to destroy the evil inside.

Deku was in the presence of the fight; however, he could not create the Fire since he made it. The Fire that Birdhead had had already been blown away by the Dark Ashgle. But had it already been? The Fire of Courage is not extinguishable as long as the holder has courage. The Courage in the Fire was not in the flame when it was blown. Birdhead had already absorbed the Courage.

The golden phoenix fluttered down beside the dying Ashgle. With a powerful nudge, Birdhead settled his wing on the dark phoenix’s neck. The wing began to glow with Courage. It destroyed the Ash that corrupted Kosuke, as the sun started to rise in the distance.

Ashgle was no more.