Nine Sparks fill the courtyard, all moving in sync as they slowly approach me. Nine. One for each Muse Era. One for each rifle.

Nine.

My eyes flickered to the gem on the top of the shaft. That must be the Insprix. So now I had to get it and escape from the Sparks.

The Sparks and Shadows must be combined, together with the two powers, into the body of a rifle in order to operate at the Muse 9 level, the level of power Mnemosyne wielded.

In order to build the rifle, I needed to somehow combine the Sparks and Shadows, at least according to the Muse 9 texts. But how was I supposed to do that?

The first Spark jumped at me and I fired straight through its chest. It dropped to the ground as the other eight circled around me, in a very similar fashion to the Shadows down by the Library. On the bright side, it would be easier to bring them down, there being only nine.

The sun flashed against the gem and another Spark materialized near the fountain, quickly joining the circle of its comrades.

Great. Just great.

I needed to shoot these Sparks down quickly, but I also needed to remove the Insprix. And since they would reform every time I shot one, this was not going to be as easy as I had thought a mere moment ago.

Sable Huntris. Sable Huntris. Sable Huntris. Their whispered, toneless voices punched through into my brain.

That's it!

The memories.

I had taken a memory from the Shadows, in an attempt to figure them out at a later time. Perhaps that was how I could combine the Shadows and the Sparks, through combining the memories.

Well. It was worth a shot, anyway.

I tapped at the controls of my rifle, adjusting them to "capture." Then I lifted my Muse 8, firing at a Spark. As soon as my tracker indicated a captured memory, I charged forward, switching my settings back to "kill," and aimed my rifle at the Sparks.

The sun figures rushed towards me as my first shot took out one of the Sparks. The remaining ones tightened the circle around me and launched themselves forward, needlelike fingers reaching for my skull.

Ducking, I narrowly avoided their groping hands and fired into their legs, sending them falling away as I propelled myself forward. I felt the sharp needles rip into my skin, a fierce burning sensation igniting in my flesh as they made contact and froze me in place.

Sable Huntris.

You think you will build the Muse 9, Sable Huntris? You think you will do what no one else has ever done? You may have bested the Shadows but we are stronger. You cannot manipulate us so easily.

Bright light filled my mind, blinding me as more needles sunk into my skull. I gasped, feeling white hot pain flood me. But no memories came. I didn't see my mother, my brother, or glimpses of my father. I didn't see anything but the glittering gem on the gold shaft before me, taunting me.

Obtaining the Orphoid doesn't make you Mnemosyne, Sable Huntris.

As I opened my mouth, hot liquid bubbled up in my throat, burning my sinus cavities and the back of my throat. I couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. All I could feel was the searing pain of the fiery liquid in my mouth.

The laughter of the Sparks bombarded my mind, already wracked with pain. My chest seized up, and my body tried to retch, to expel the burning liquid. But the Sparks' grasp on my skull kept me from moving. I couldn't do anything. Nothing at all except choke on the boiling hot liquid.

What now, Sable Huntris? How will you defeat those who are unbeatable? You will die here, choking on your own ambition.

There was only one thing I could think of. There are no good hunters, only living ones. The words came slowly, illuminated by the fiery backdrop that was now my mind. Then other words came, ones that were my own.

Luktor.

He's counting on me.

If I die, he does, too.

The Sparks seemed to sense this drift. Sable Huntris, do you think your brother will ever appreciate your help? He thinks himself superior to you, always has. How will saving him change that?

My mental answer was slow, again, but I felt every ounce of my strength behind the words. I'm done fighting. Luktor can either decide the same or not, but I have to do my part. Mom and Dad would want this. Eurykhan, he's been preaching it to me ever since we were kids. And it took the Drain to teach me that he was right.

I'm done fighting with Luktor.

After all, he's blood.

I felt my senses begin to fade as the pain filled my head. I couldn't physically hold myself in suspension forever, even though I was frozen by the Sparks. My muscles were trembling, burning, but they couldn't give out. The rifle fell from my hand and clattered on the stones. I barely heard it through the liquid filling my ears with boiling pain.

Was this it?

Was this how I died?

Yes. Yes, Sable Huntris. This is how you die.

I felt haziness slither into my eyes, a strange feeling when my head was in agony. I wondered if this is what it felt like, to die.

I couldn't see but, as liquid dripped from my mouth and splattered on the stone ground with a hiss, I heard something as the buzzing in my ears seemed to fade slightly. It took a second, but years in the Drain made the sound easily recognizable.

Water.

The fountain.

And it was close.

But I couldn't reach it.

I thought of my mother, my father, Eurykhan handing me the Muse 5 rifle I treasured. I thought of Luktor.

Blood.

I'm sorry, Luktor.

I can't do this.

I felt my body become heavy, the light in my eyes fade.

[----]

"Hey, Mnemosyne."

I opened my eyes and saw Luktor, standing before me. Light glowed all around us. Narrowing my eyes, I gave my brother a dubious look. "Where am I?"

"Well, you're not dead," Luktor told me. "But you're about to be."

I remembered my mother, appearing to me when I was about to be overcome by the Shadows. "I'm not complaining, but how come I get near death helpful hints?"

Luktor laughed. "Sable, Sable, Sable. You fight so hard, and yet you can't do this on your own. We're just reminding you of what you already know."

"What do I know?" I asked. "How do I face the sun?"

"You told me once you can manipulate thoughts, memories," he said. "Despite their boasting, the Sparks are just that. Powerful memories, but only memories. Make them release you, just enough for you to fall forwards. It's as easy as making yourself close your eyes when looking into the bright Kycenan sky, before you're blinded by the sun."

[----]

My eyes flickered open and for a moment, I could see the courtyard. The fountain continued to trickle before me, splashing into the decorative bowl. Then my vision blurred and vanished, but I could still hear the fountain.

I focused on forming thoughts, thoughts powerful enough to influence the Sparks. Boiling liquid burned my lips as I opened my eyes, against the will of the figures, and thought.

RELEASE...ME....

RELEASE...ME....

RELEASE...ME!

I put all my strength into my words and the Sparks, taken off guard by my forcefulness, loosened their grip on my skull. I stumbled forward, and my abdomen hit the edge of the fountain. Throwing all my weight forward, I just felt the grazing tips of the needles against the side of my face as I slammed into the surface of the water.

The burning in my head died down as the water engulfed me and I felt my body's defense mechanism kicking in. Rising up from the water, I retched, the searing liquid splashing into the water as the fountain's streams rained down on my hair. The fiery golden substance sizzled on striking the water and I recoiled, wrinkling my nose and feeling pain rush through my nasal passages.

The Sparks surrounding the fountain stayed a couple feet back from the water, honing in on me. Pulling my daggers from my greaves, I turned and looked up at the shaft, piercing the air above me.

I needed to grab that Insprix.

You won't defeat us, Sable Huntris.

Ignoring them, I turned and grabbed at the stone structure of the fountain, hoisting myself up to where the water flowed out. Clear water doused me, but after the burning sensation, I welcomed it. As the water drenched my tunic and poncho, I grasped the golden pole and pulled myself up.

The pole wasn't too high, so I was able to shimmy up it and come within reach of the gem. Carefully, I removed one of my hands and grabbed the Insprix off the top of the pole.

It flashed in my hand as I slid down the pole. Turning, I stared down at the Sparks. "I have both the Insprix and the Orphoid. I win. You don't. Leave."

The Sparks shuddered.

"Leave," I insisted, clutching the gem tighter. "Now."

As you wish, Mnemosyne. As you wish. We will leave you. But the Muse 9 rifle comes at a price. It will change the world. You can't return to your old life. You'll never have that life back again.