I'm back bitches! I'm kidding, y'all ain't bitches. Except for you. You know who you are. Of course my thanks go to detrametal for continuing to be my awesome beta! And I don't own Darksiders or Let The Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch! It's a new journey, filled with love, loss, destruction, pumpkins, and that one guy… You know who. Anywho, let's get on with the show! Story… this thingy here… below here. I'ma shut up now. Maybe. Probably not. Yeah, why not?

War raised up the broken Seal, "No. Not alone." Behind him, three different colored meteors fell from the sky.

Azrael closed the vision portal thingy and sighed.

What a perfect endin and setup fer a sequel.

With my own sigh, I stood and stretched, "Whelp, I'll see ya 'round then."

"Where are you going? Will you not wait for the Horseman to return?" Azzy asked.

"I kinda doubt he's comin back here so I'll go wander 'round I guess. Now that I got one promise outta the way, might as well go fulfill another." I looked down through the shadow bridge. It was a really long drop. "I told Sammy I'd go chat with him again. Now's a good a time as any I reckon. By the way, do ya know where I can find 'im? Also, can ya help me across this?"

"You promised the Blood Prince that you would go talk with him?" he gaped. Which was pretty funny.

"Yeeaah, ain't my best decision but not my worst by far."

"What was your worst decision?"

I thought about Shadow Man for a moment before shaking my head, "Don't matter now. It's over and done with." I gestured to the gap and he got the hint. Apparently, he could do the same magic trick as Sammy. He waved a hand and I was lifted into the air and carried over to the other side.

"Thanks Azzy!" I called to him after he set me down. "Later gator!" I jumped off the cliff and glided down the last few feet. As soon as my feet touched the sand/ash I summoned Mayhem who instantly licked my face.

"Alright, I love ya too, now down boy. Wanna go find Sammy?" I asked the demon and wiped the slobber off my face.

He whimpered and I could tell the thought scared him a bit. He never did like Samael.

"It's okay boy, I'll protect ya if he tries anythin."

This seemed to make him feel better as he started wagging his tail and licked my face again.

Ain't sure what I'd be able ta do if the demonic prince tried anythin but I'd sure as Hells try somethin.

Deciding not to say that out loud, I jumped onto Mayhem's back and grabbed ahold of his horns, "Alright boy, back ta the Prison. Let's take the shortcut." The shortcut being Vulgrim's Serpent Hole.

We passed through the small desert and into the tunnel on the other side. It was a good thing the creepy ass merchant had a place so close. I didn't really fancy going all the way across the Ashlands to his other one.

I banished Mayhem and jumped onto the small circle before its owner could appear and was transported to that strange dimension between dimensions. When I got out I was a lot less confused than the first time but it still took me a minute to remember where I was and what I was doing there.

Summoning Mayhem again, we walked back to the Prison with him running ahead to deal with the demons milling about before running back. Is this guy adorable or what?

When we finally got to the Prison, we found nobody there. Of course.

I sat and leaned against one of the stone gargoyles and Mayhem laid his head in my lap, almost jabbing my eye out with his horn.

"I'm glad fer 'im that he got out but now I don't know where ta find 'im. Bummer. Ya know, I'm not really sure why we came here in the first place."

Mayhem just huffed out his nose. I think he'd be happy if he never had to see Sammy again.

Knowing my demon would warn me if anyone - or anything - got too close, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, forgetting about Samael and intent on getting a nap. Though, there had to be a better place to do that than here, I just didn't feel like getting up.

I'd just started to doze off then Mayhem lifted his head off my lap and started growling.

"I hear it boy. Let's see if they're friendly first."

He stopped growling and laid his head back down but he was tense, ready to pounce if need be.

As soon as the whatever got closer, I could tell it was someone singing. It wasn't some song you'd expect to hear nowadays. Something like a siren song I wouldn't be surprised to hear. But this? I knew this song. I had it on my phone. Ya know, before I threw it in the lava. It was Let The Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch.

"There's no such thing as maybe, Burn it like you're fading, No more hesitating, Let the sparks fly baby; Drive it like you're racing, You can call me crazy, I'm just tired of waiting, Let the sparks fly baby."

I opened my eyes as the singing… girl came into view. She was pretty, I had to give her that. She had black hair that fell to her waist with green ribbons intertwined in it, pale skin, and eyes that seemed to change color every few steps. I could tell she was a demon by her horns and gossamer wings.

Well, this should be an interestin encounter.

She stopped singing and returned the short-sword that she was twirling to its sheath at her hip, a twin hanging on the other side. "You must be the infamous Hope." She said.

Pushing the still growling Mayhem away, I stood and brushed the dirt off my shorts, "Ya got me at a disadvantage here. Ya know me somehow but I don't know you."

"Yes you do. Well, you know of me anyway."

"I ain't followin."

She sighed, "I'm Alina."

Oh my glob. "Oh my glob, you're Big Red's girlfriend. Uh, can I ask what happened between ya two?"

What? I was curious.

"I broke it off with him for… personal reasons." She answered with a dismissive wave.

I was skeptic but decided to move on, "One more."

"Shoot."

"How do ya know bout me?"

She actually laughed at this one, "Word gets around about the human girl traveling with the Horseman War, and you've given it plenty of time to do so. Plus, I found these lying around."

She took a small black pouch off her belt and tossed it at me.

I caught and opened it to find all my notes neatly folded inside.

"Oh wow, ya found all o' 'em?"

"They weren't that hard to find."

"Exactly. I'm just surprised they weren't destroyed somehow er picked up by someone else."

I tried to hand the bag back to her but she shook her head, "You keep them."

Deciding not to argue, I attached the bag to my own belt beside the other one, "By the way, ya ain't… mad bout any o' this, are ya?"

Alina shook her head with a smile, "Of course not."

That was girl for "I'm saying no but I am a little."

"Uh-huh."

Suddenly, the she demon turned back the way she had come, "Looks like you have another guest."

"Please tell me it's someone nice. Someone who ain't gonna try and kill me."

"…Maybe he won't. Just don't piss him off." Crap, she hesitated. Whoever it was wasn't making Alina too happy. What was making her happy was the crow that came flying out of nowhere and landed on her shoulder, "Hello Dust."

She has a pet crow?

My breath caught in my throat as the next "guest" appeared. Pale, well-muscled, black hair that hung limply to his shoulders, meager armor, and no other discernable facial features besides glowing orange eyes. No, that's wrong. He probably had facial features but they were hidden behind a mask of bone.

Looking at him, the word "Death" came to mind and I instantly knew that's who this was. Oh shit…

For some reason though he seemed so familiar but I couldn't quite place him. Then it came to me. My dream of the swirling blue vortex. He was the one who fell in. The one whose hand I grabbed somehow. It was all starting to come together now.

"Alina." He greeted the demon, his eyes never leaving mine.

I had to reach a hand out to a whimpering Mayhem, both to comfort him and steady myself. I really wished he would look away cause I sure couldn't.

"Good to see you again Death. Last I'd heard, you'd jumped into the Well of Souls, what happened to that?"

So I was right. This is Death. I should leave. Immediately.

It was Death. The Grim frikkin Reaper. And the one who chose me to come back. I wanted to run out of there and yet… there was a strange pull towards him that made me want to stay.

The fuck? Why's my heart beatin so fast? What's this feelin? I don't like it.

"Shouldn't you be in Hell?" he asked, ignoring her own question and finally looking away.

Oh thank the volcano god.

"I'm not going back there." She stated simply.

Good fer you.

"Your winning streak in the arena begs to differ."

"It can beg to do whatever the fuck it wants, I'm not going back. Ever since an angel - Abaddon no less - became the Destroyer, that place has gone to Hell." She snarled.

"It is Hell."

He has a point. Wait, wasn't I leavin?

"You know what I mean." She continued. "Besides, the arena's closed. All the demons are picking a side and gearing up for war."

"I would not be surprised if the angels were doing the same." He added.

Didn't they just have a war er somethin? That's what caused the apocalypse right?

"And the Corruption spreading like wildfire isn't helping with anything either."

The Horseman started at this, "That is not possible. Absalom is dead."

The demon shook her head sadly, "Death, you may have cut off the head but Corruption is a hydra. Two more will just take its place. Except this time it grew three back."

"Speak plainly for once demon."

"The Charred Council. They threated my brother so that I would break up with War then blamed him for instigating the Endwar to preserve their 'Balance'. Seems pretty corrupt to me."

I probably shouldn't be listenin ta this but it's gettin interestin.

"Anything else I should know about?" he asked.

"There's a four-way war coming."

"Between whom?"

She counted them off on metal covered fingers, exasperation coloring her voice, "The Dark Prince and Samael, each vying for power in Hell. Heaven who's going to use that chance to wipe out the demons. And Corruption which still just wants to destroy everything. All four of you, me, and even the little human over there are sitting right smack-dab in the middle of it."

The Reaper looked over to where I was standing as if he just remembered I existed.

Uh-oh. Time ta duck out.

"Well, it's been nice chattin with y'all but my business is with Sammy and since he ain't here, I'ma go."

"A human…" the Horseman said. What'd he think I was? An oddly shaped pumpkin? Didn't he recognize me? Then again, it makes sense that he doesn't since he only saw my soul.

"What happened ta 'everyone knows o' the last human'?" I asked Alina. Okay, not her exact words but it was implied.

She shrugged, "You'll have to forgive him for being out of the loop. He's been swimming with the soul fish for a while now."

I nodded as if that made sense and went to mount Mayhem but a cold hand around my arm stopped me.

"It was you…" Death said.

So he does recognize me. My bad.

It took me a moment to regain the power of speech, "Ah, not sure what you're talkin bout." Lie! I've really gotta stop telling those. "Sorry but I gotta get."

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, ya know, just… somewhere. Places ta do, things ta see, people ta go. That sorta thing." Yeah, I realize that I totally - and royally - screwed that up.

With that, I jumped on Mayhem's back and rode out of the Prison.

Behind me I heard Alina tsk at the Rider, "Death, you should know better than to pine after something you know you can't have."

Well… that was awkward. In other news, I guess I'm back to writing these.

Kinda wishing I was a pumpkin,

Hope