You will begin to cry
Hearing the silence breaking
You breathe, alive
But you are alone again




> The Devouring
Pyra looked over at her father and strolled over. Slipping her hand in his she smiled. With her schedule with Phoenix Rising and everything else she hadn't seen him for a while.
"So how are you?" She asked looking up at her father.
"Alright, well I have a headache and I sometimes think you will be the death of me. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"Notice what?" Pyra asked innocently.
"Your hospital stint," Glen stated with a shake of his head.
"You know how the press is they blow everything out of proportion. It wasn't half as bad as they made it out to be."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah dad, I'm fine," Pyra assured as he gave her a hug. Returning the hug she whispered, "Get better," neither noticing as a gold shimmer flared over them both and faded out of view.
"It's already gone, take care of yourself."
"I do dad," she said releasing the hug wondering how a parent could make her happy and sad at the same time. Walking away she saw Adam frowning and shaking his head as he talked to one of the writers for the show.
She waved as he turned away and her step faltered. Her vision blurred and pain exploded in her head. She wasn't aware she was crying out until arms wrapped around her and she looked into the concerned green of Adam's eyes.
"Okay?"
"Mystic."
"You guys are speaking?" Adam asked and decided he didn't need an answer as Pyra's eyes flamed over and his skin went cold despite her heat.
Scooping Pyra up in his arms he ran for Mystic's temporary office, glad this was one of the rare days she was actually on location. She almost never had much to do with the brand anymore.
"Mystic I need your help!" Adam exclaimed bursting into the room.
"What? Why?"
"Something is wrong with Pyra, she just told me to bring her to you."
"Sahara," Pyra gasped the pain intensifying.
Mystic looked at the girl and saw the burns appearing on Adam's arms and quickly orbed Pyra deep into the desert of her choice hoping that was what was being asked of her. She saw Adam wince and healed his arms.
"Do you know what that was about?"
"Dude, if you haven't noticed Pyra can hold a grudge, she ain't talking to me."
"She started talking to me again. She'll come around."
"Uh huh," Mystic said wondering why Pyra hadn't simply flamed herself to the desert. But if the burns on Adam were any indication Pyra had lost control of her powers. Which didn't seem possible.

Like my first time That I caught fire Pyra didn't feel the sand beneath her, didn't know when it turned to glass, didn't feel when her wings sprung forth and the Phoenix took control drinking in the sunlight to heal the damage done. Battering at barriers, as she pulled more strength and let loose a scream not heard on earth in thousands of years.

"If you are to do this now is your chance," She said as emotionlessly as she always was.
"I do, you can do it now?"
"Something has happened, now is the only time she will not suspect."
"Then do it."
"You will need to be made mortal."
"Give me the appearance of mortality. I will not go there weak."
"The portal is open, go."
"If you were betrayed like this what would you do?"
"I am not her, it is a foolish question to ask. I assume she will eradicate you and rent the worlds to find him. Or she may simply want an exchange. I am not her mind. I can not know."
"Keep him alive, it may be my only bargaining chip if this goes wrong."
"I will."


"Lucky?" Pyra gasped weakened.
"Shh, I got you," he whispered and Pyra didn't have the strength or presence of mind to question how or why her cat was in the middle of the desert with her.
Lucky looked over at his companion and frowned.
He held up his slightly singed hands and his white wings fluttered. "I'm a god and I couldn't touch her. Whatever you are even in this state she knows and protects you."
"Can we go now?"
"She needs the light, we will only move to follow the sun or she will remain in this state longer."
"I get it," Lucky said plucking bits of glass out of Pyra's hair as her body remained wreathed in Phoenix flame. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but I haven't heard a Phoenix scream since the fall of the pantheon. I came as fast as I could. Then I had to get someone, I would have claimed the human male, but his love was wrong, I could not understand it."
"Adam? They aren't together right now."
"That was not it; she may be able to understand it when she wakes."
"The sun is starting to set," Lucky pointed out, and he and Cupid spent the next 12 hours chasing the sun until they reached sunrise in the Sahara. It was then the flames and wings receded leaving a golden glow that focused on her head but spread throughout her body.
"Why did you do it?" Lucky asked as he appeared before the compound despite the obvious strain it put on the weakened god."
"We are family, and I was the only one who heard the scream.
Lucky nodded not mentioning he had heard the scream and had burst forth from the compound. How he would have made it to Africa without even knowing where he was headed was not something he wanted to think about. Pyra was safe and that was all that mattered.
Night had fallen and Lucky was waiting for the god cupid to wake when he heard a giggling that was nearly a maniacal cackle.