Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on across the universe. Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box; they tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe -Across the Universe - The Beatles


"Sol is seeing no one today Sirius," the Flare said again. "Not even you."

"But-" began Sirius.

"I'm sorry!" the Flare interrupted, annoyed. "Sol left us all explicit instructions not to let anyone in today. Come back tomorrow maybe, and he will be better." The orange Flare shuffled his feet and shifted his spear from hand to hand nervously. It was not wise to become angry at Sirius, ever. But something seemed wrong today. The Flare noticed that the light in Sirius' eyes was completely gone.

Sirius sighed. He didn't have the will to rage, he had hardly the will to do anything. He nodded meekly. Turning back towards the universe, he spread his wings and slowly flew away, trailing a light green streak across the black.

Mildly, he wondered what was wrong with Sol. Sol had never refused to see anyone before. He hoped it wasn't serious.

As he drifted across the universe, he tried not to think of what had happened. Kathleen wasn't really back at his sphere. She was still on earth, she still didn't remember him. Of course that was what had happened.

He suddenly let out a scream of anguish and buried his head in his hands. Green fire exploded in all directions, causing celestials of all sorts to jump and panic. The green fire burned fiercely and pulsated, lighting up the Milky Way like a beacon for all of space. Sirius drifted down, down, down, through his sphere, and thought of nothing but the fire and how to make in burn hotter.


Sol felt the explosion. He turned his head toward the sound and saw Sirius, falling, rather than floating, down through the Milky Way. He made to get up, but the complete absence of energy forced him back down again.

"Sol, stop," commanded Firiana. "You can't get up and you know that. Firiana made her way across the room to where he lay in bed. "You expended far too much energy on the Earth being to do anything today."

"But Sirius… Something's wrong!" protested Sol.

"And I'm sure whatever it is he can tell you about tomorrow! Please Sol, you'll never get your energy back again like this!" Firiana tucked the blankets in tighter around him. "Do you need anything?" she asked.

"I need to know what's wrong with Sirius."

"You can find out later. I don't want you worrying or becoming anxious over anything today, okay?" Firiana bowed and left the room.

Sol sighed. Firiana meant well, but he needed to find out what was wrong. He was sure it had something to do with Kathleen. Sirius was completely devoted to her, and if anything was wrong he would be in need of help. He tried to get up again, but to no avail.

"Sorry Sirius," he said to the falling image. "I guess this time you'll have to go it alone."


Sirius had fallen past the Milky Way by now. He fell lying on his back, his wings fluttering lifelessly at his sides. He drew his fire into him and watched his sphere fly away as he fell through space. For the first time he saw how small it really was, how insignificant in the great body of the universe. Yet he was so important, so revered among celestials. Somehow it didn't make sense.

He was falling still, now somewhere near Delphi's sphere. In a distance corner of his mind he dimly recalled that Delphi was somewhere near the edge of the known universe. If he fell much farther he would certainly be lost among the darkness of the Unknown. He smiled at the thought. He would disappear completely. They would have to replace him, again, and this time it would be permanent. Sol wouldn't like it, of course, but he would get used to the matter after the first millennia or so. He might even forget. Everyone would forget.

Purple rushed passed him as he fell through Delphi's sphere. He saw the shocked face of Delphi for only a moment before it was lost in the purple haze.

Of course, there was the small matter of an earth being in the green sphere, but he supposed Sol could deal with that. Send her back to wherever she came from. Make her forget. That would be the easiest.

"How long will I fall?" he whispered to himself. The stars began to thin out. He was falling toward the Unknown.

"It's cold," he thought for a moment. He called up the last of his dumb dog sense and placed it like a film over his mind. Instantly his thoughts were dulled. His senses grew sharper. He heard the music of the spheres for the first time since he had been falling. But the sweet music was now a discordant melody. Everything was dissonance.


"He's gone darling! We didn't have to do a thing! He tied himself to a dead weight and look at how he falls! He'll be gone forever!"

"Don't be too sure my sweet. You know how he is. He might pull himself out yet."

"Oh please, look at him! He's finished! Good thing too, he finished himself. No questions asked."

"And we don't have to worry about the earth being. Most likely she'll be destroyed by the Council. What they did was completely against regulations. It's funny really. He gives up everything for her, and they both are destroyed in the end.

"The perfect story my darling"

"Yes my sweet. The perfect story."

They raised their Zoi together, and in a blinding flash of light, they both disappeared.


The green explosion knocked Polaris off his chair. Suddenly green was everywhere, and a cry of despair reached his ears.

"It's Sirius," he said to Alpha. "Good! He needs to get angry again!" he cried triumphantly.

"He needs to get angry?" questioned Alpha. "Years ago you hated him for his rages!"

"I know, but Sirius has changed. Truth be told I was worried about him!" He reclined in his chair and put his feet on the table.

Alpha was making his weekly visit. Polaris and Alpha had been friends for eons, and every week Alpha had come over to Polaris' sphere to chat. By now all they had left to talk about was current events.

Because of Sirius' outburst, the topic quickly changed to the subdued Celestial. Alpha had to get back to his own sphere shortly, and Polaris had one thing left to say.

"You know Alpha, I'll tell you something I've hardly told anyone before." Alpha's ears perked up. "While he was on Earth, Sirius became very attached to an Earth human girl. It seems he would do anything for her! He and Sol are even cooking up some crazy scheme to bring her up here!" Polaris laughed heartily, and Alpha along with him.

"Ah poor Sirius," said Alpha. "A once great celestial, now bound to such a meaningless lesser being!"


The stars were even thinner now. Unknown was fast approaching, its darkness beginning to envelop him like a blanket.

He thought of Kathleen. Not the Kathleen that existed now, but a younger Kathleen, one filled with life and vigor and happiness even in the face of impossible odds. Who made a wish to be able to talk to her dog when she could have had anything in the world. Who saved a half drowned puppy from the river, and sold her soul to a she-demon to keep it. His Kathleen.

There was no turning back now. The darkness lay like a dark pool right below him. A few more seconds of falling and it would all be over. He closed his eyes, and smiled.

Suddenly his falling was stopped. A soft hand had grabbed his own and was pulling him up from the darkness. The hand burned with its own fire, similar but separate from Sirius'. Goodness radiated from the other's fire. It was warmth and gentleness. Sirius opened his eyes.

Andromeda, burning pink fire, was pulling him up from the dark abyss. Her face was very sad, and she held out her other hand, hoping Sirius would take it.

"Come Sirius," she said softly. "The dark is no place for fire like yours. We have to see your fire and we can't if you are in the dark. Come back with me." Her eyes were pleading. "Please Sirius. Come back."

Sirius stared back at her. The sight of her had shattered his film of dog sense. He suddenly realized what he was doing. He wondered why Andromeda was helping him.

Sirius looked at her outstretched hand and then back to her face. A small pink tear was rolling down her cheek. "Please," she repeated. "Please."

"Andromeda…" he breathed. He couldn't understand why she was doing this, much less why she was so upset. The warmth glowed.

Sirius placed his hand in hers. Her face fell with relief, and more tears fell from her eyes. With her strong gentle arms she pulled him far away from the darkness that had almost swallowed him. She stared at his hollow green eyes and he stared at her bright burning pink eyes, both afraid of what would happen if they broke the connection.