Strikimir gripped his sword. He was ready. He was so close.

    Taste victory. Taste the blood of the phoenixes. He thought savagely, as if he was going to turn into cannibal. Phoenix blood, is all I should desire right now.

    Ice Talons called attention, then started saying each position everyone's going to be in. "Strikimir, you take any phoenixes that come out of the blazing sun-like thing that I think they call it the Fire Ring, or something. Take them all out, as the phoenixes in there are apparently super important," Ice Talons said, pointing at a map that he had carefully laid out. "Abyss, you and the Water-Xs and the Thunder Ices will attack the main palace of all of the phoenixes. Hyreclaw, and I, along with fifteen other Ice Dragons will sneak in and destroy the Phoenix Orb that will at once weaken the phoenixes. The rest of the Ice Dragons will break and distract the phoenix guards, leading us all into the Rising Sun." He looked around, looking for anyone who was lost in the carefully laid out plans. "Oh, and yeah. A few Water-Xs should help Strikimir, in case he has any trouble." He looked at Strikimir. "Everyone got it?" Pause. "Good. Now, Strikimir. Just remember to kill. Be at no mercy to anyone. Got it? Good. Now, do as I've said for you to do." Ice Talons lifted off of the frozen table. "And as a reminder to all of you, this is just going to be fake, got it? We must kill no one. They must think that we're weak, and drop their guard. Don't worry, Hyreclaw and I will just fake it out, and 'fail'. Abyss, make sure that you're provided as a good distraction."

    Ice Talons looked thoughtfully ahead. "Except when we break in there. When we breech the security, mske sure that you weaken any phoenixes by drawing blood from them..." Then they all lifted off. "Oh, yeah. And you may have permission to eat any phoenixes."

    Now Strikimir was mostly on his own,  for now. With the Water-Xs at his back, he felt even more confident than ever to receive his victory.

    The distracting quadron sneaked forward, snaking through the waters, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. A Titanium Phoenix soared above, with a Fire Phoenix as the companion. They swooped ever lower, to scan the horizon, and the waters, for any sign of danger. When they came within fifty feet of the distraction quadron, the Ice Dragons surged out of the water, jaws snapping. The phoenixes were in shock for a moment, the  dove down to attack the dragons. The Fire Phoenix blasted a vortex of fire at an array of Ice Dragons, which knocked them off the air. The Ice Dragons kept fighting.

    Soon, more phoenixes came to see what had happened, and were in shock. Some got eaten, most were attacking. An Ice Dragon lunged at a Thunder/Lightning Phoenix, only to be electrocuted. She fell, and slammed into other dragons & phoenixes along the way down. Blue blood dripped down, creating a sort of blue rain beneath. Phoenixes dissolved into their element when they were killed.

    The night was now a mess of feathers, ice, and blood.

    "NOW!" Ice Talons roared. The attacking forces forced their way through the barrier, killing any guards. While Strikimir headed towards the Ring of Fire, Ice Talons and Abyss and the forces were heading towards the phoenix palace. The phoenix palace was laced with elements from phoenixes long ago. Marble branches and columns stood massively over anything. That is, but not Ice Talons.

    Strikimir flew straight towards the bright blazing ball of fire in the night. With each wingbeat, he felt his heart pump more wildly than ever. As he reached the outskirts of the fire arena, he could almost hear his ice sword groaning under the pressure of heat from the fires. Fortunately, his ice sword never melted, so that would give him an advantage. His ice sword had survived tons of flames, and never got a dent but just the tiniest scorch mark on the hilt. Before long, Strikimir could hear things calming down around inside of the arena.

    This is it! He thought. My revenge awaits me! Now is the time for the old Strikimir to fade away. New Strikimir, be born today!

    Out came a fire blazing hawk. Strikimir at first advanced towards her, then halted. For the hawk hovering right there in front of him was his distant relative. His own little Fire Phoenix.

    Canyon just hovered there, silently. Obviously, she was confused and excited at the same time. With wary eyes, she eyed him up and down. She obviously was astonished at his small size.

    "You...you're-..." She stammered. "You're Strikimir!" As she was about to come any closer, another Fire Phoenixe materialized from the arena. Alabastorm.

    "Canyon, fly away from him!" Alabastorm yelled, fear in his voice. "He'll kill you!"

    With all the confusion about, Canyon fluttered slowly backwards.

    "No, Canyon! Come to me! Be free with me!" Strikimir yelled through the haze of fire and smoke. Revenge didn't matter now. His perhaps only family was right here. RIGHT HERE AT THIS INSTANT.

    Alabastorm screeched, and thrust himself between Strikimir and Canyon. His talons were raised, fire blazing on them. He whispered softly to Canyon out of the corner of his mouth. "Go, Canyon. Tell the others. You are not safe here in his presence." He eyed Strikimir, then turned towards him, letting out all of his fierce anger. "How dare you come here, after all these years! You were among a bunch of losers who were also once a bunch of traitorous fools like you! At least they had the sense to never return!" His raging screams rang about the place, fading into the night. Flashing lightning bolts boomed as the alarms blared. Alabastorm charged at once, and a division of phoenixes materialized from behind him, rising. All of the types of species. "Ay, Strikimir!" Alabstorm yelled once more, raising a fire shaped anvil. "Be gone!" And the skies turned into a battle ground once more.

    Alabastorm struck Strikimir in the jaw with his anvil, sending a loud, ringing sound. Strikimir just hovered in that position, shocked. "No, please don't hurt him!" Canyon yelled desperately. But her cries were swallowed up into the battle. At once, Water-Xs came hurtling out of the skies like water meteorites, crashing into phoenixes.

    Strikimir regained his bearings once more, and as a Thunderbird pinned him to a ledge, he yelled out, "Don't hurt Canyon! Don't hurt Canyon! Obey my wishes at once!" But his desperate cries were smothered by elemental magic flaring all about.

   A Water-X blasted a vortex of water at a group of phoenixes. And that water hit Canyon. "Watch out!" Strikimir yelled. Too late. Canyon only had enough time to look around, her blue eyes dilated, her feathers turning white with fear.

    The water vortex hit her squarely in the back, propelling her forward into the jagged stones below. Canyon slammed into a wall, her eyes went unconscious, and as she slid down the wall, her head lolled. She wasn't moving at all right now. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Strikimir let out an earsplitting shriek. "Canyon, dear! Be alive!"

    Alabastorm suddenly appeared in front of Strikimir, nudging the Thunderbird from Strikimir. "You know nothing of Canyon." These words hurt the worst. "Stay away from her!" Another bad comment.

    Chaos rang out. Ice, water, and the rest of the elements clashed against each other. Then just as Alabastorm released Strikimir and got ready to give him the fatal blow that would end his life, Ice Talons magically appeared in a haze of a blizzard. One moment there was nothing, the next moment was a violent snow storm buffeting the skies.

    Ice Talons dove between Strikimir, and spread his wings wide, making winds come forward. The winds made Alabastorm wobble in flight, then fall backward.

    "Alliances, fall back! Follow me!" Roared Ice Talons at his allies. And if by some magic, a huge ice storm came. It only lasted a second, though by the time it finished, all of the enemies were gone. Strikimir took one last long look at Canyon, then disappeared into his ice cave, where he alone could brood in silence. And that left all of the phoenixes to brood over lost, loved ones.

    Strikimir thought that he might've killed her. But he still wanted to believe that she was alive. She has to be alive! She just has to! If she wasn't alive and well, then he would commit suicide. What was the point of life if you killed someone very close to you?

    No, he just most likely injured her. Now, even though Strikimir wasn't the one who had given the attack, Canyon would know that the Water-Xs were his doing. She would now have monstrous nightmares about him.

    Strikimir would perhaps never be forgiven. Even though if he's just a small, runty kite, and Canyon was just a new Fire Phoenix, he would still be a killer. A KILLER! Or perhaps a kite who tried to kill his own relative?!

    What have I done? What have I done?!

    Strikimir silently screamed in his head. I'm a traitor to family. I'm just like that idiot Talios - except with much shame brought down upon me!

    He had attacked his possibly only living relative!

    "What was I thinking, bringing in Water-Xs at my back? I should've known never to trust anyone to not hurt Canyon!" He yelled into the blue iciness of his cave. His voice than receded to a whisper. "I now just want to be forgiven..."

   A low, deep growl suddenly filled his ice room, shaking the walls, and making Strikimir fall back on his back. The growl slowly stopped, then a voice that sounded like Ice Talons talking with two others talked. "You may think that what you've done is unforgivable." The voices whispered urgently. "But every bad deed does have a price to pay. And if you ever want trust from Canyon, to ever see her again, then you must make me a bargain." The voices abruptly stopped, then in front of Strikimir, materialized a phoenix with silver wings, and strikingly lovely sky blue eyes. And she was also glowing a dark red. "Make me a sacrifice, and all will be well. You can trust me. For I am Rathore! The Phoenix God of Light!"