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. . .
In a quiet and tranquil manner, a woman of vivid golden tresses ambled her way around the cemetery in which her son laid. It came as a surprise to her when she finally stepped outside her house. Usually, in New Orleans, she expected the day to be wet and humid during spring, but today it was mostly sunny with gentle breezes. Earlier today, she went to the nearest flower shop. The people of New Orleans greeted her with veneration and sometimes, if they manage to find her address, they would send letters regarding how courageous her son was. Men offer her a chance to court but she declined all of their 'offerings'. She was not in the mood to date other men when the only man she truly loved in this world was gone. The only man that she dedicated half of her life to raise.
She sighed woefully, with her hair in a loose braid and a bouquet of white and red roses she brought fresh from the flower shop, she finally entered the cemetery, a place she dreaded to visit for a year. She ambled through the path that led to her son's gravestone, a path that was ravishing to someone's eyes. The path consisted of gravel and small rocks with different colors of gray. As she continued through, the more visible the grave was. It was almost suffocating to her. She would imagine that she would never get over her son's death, especially when her son died in her arms. The same arms that cradled him when he was an infant. No matter how hard she tried to get over it, she'd always find herself in tears of agony and grieve. It was also the time when she wanted to convince Menyara to dig a second grave for her. She couldn't endure the never-ending pain back then. Nowadays, she hardly smiles, barely walks out of her house unless it was for mass and she refuses to talk to anyone. People such as Bubba, Mark, Kyrian, Acheron, Menyara and Rosa come every now and then to give her words of 'encouragement' but no words would ever change the fact that her only son is permanently gone from this world. Their words only made her sob even more. She knew that she would forever grieve for her son's death until they meet again in God's kingdom. That was the only thing she waited for now.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stood right in front of the gravestone her son was now buried in. As a soft breeze blew parts of her hair to the side of her face, she carefully read what was engraved:
Here lies Nicholas Ambrosius Aloysius Gautier
He is known for being a hero of New Orleans
A fighter
A friend
And a loving and tender son
May he rest in peace
She crouched down to lay the bouquet of roses against the gravestone that already had bouquets from other people who acknowledged him as a hero. As she stood back up, she wiped away any tears that escaped from her celestial blue eyes. She had to remind herself to remain strong and to keep moving forward, just like her son, who once said the exact same thing to her with pure pride. She knew deep down that her son wishes her to live until old age but without him, life for her would be miserable and she knew this. She let out another sigh as she continued to stand there. Then, she began to speak.
". . .Hello Boo. I'm terribly sorry for not visiting you this past year. I had so many things to cope with. The house you helped me buy, my job, the bills and your. . ."
She didn't continue, as she knew that it'll only make her burst into tears again and alas, her son was no longer alive to wipe them for her.
"I know that you remember when I told you that if anything were to happen to you, Menyara will have to dig two graves. I was almost to the point where I asked her to but she only held me in place and told me to keep on living. But how can I? Nickyboo, you know I can't live without you, but here I am, still alive."
She gazed up at the clouds above, wondering if her son really was listening to her. Due to her being a full on catholic, she knew that God was watching over her and the rest of His children. She knew that her son was in good hands with God. He had to be. Her faith for the catholic church never flatter and in times such as of right now, her faith had to be stronger than ever. She still had the shrines of Mary and Jesus in her house and prays to them every day of her life now. God gave her this life and will take it away when time was right and if she had to live the rest her life in misery just to see her son again, she'll do it. She'll continue to live for her son's sake and for the chance to meet him up there.
"I hope you know how miserable my life is now. . .but even so, I will always love you. I hope we meet again, Nickyboo."
With ending the conversation, she gazed at her son's gravestone for the last time today. As she was about to leave, she heard footsteps in the distance. Immediately alerted, she whipped her small body around and to her discomfort saw the man she 'least' wanted to see right now. Cringing in disgust, she did not move an inch as he began to approach. Once the man noticed her, he couldn't believe his eyes. Cherise was the last person he wanted to encounter. Not because she was the person who turn him in so he can go to prison but because he couldn't stand to look straight at her celestial blue eyes. He felt ashamed and unworthy, feelings he never thought he could feel. In fact, he didn't know he could feel at all. Cherise noticed that he carried his own bouquet of flowers. She stiffened as he approached her son's gravestone. It took a lot from her not to react to anything he was going to do but much to her surprise, he placed the bouquet beside hers. Her celestial blue eyes widen with shock of his sudden. . .benignant deed.
As he got back up, it took him a lot of restrain not to talk to Cherise. He knew she didn't want to see or interact with him again and he knew the reasons why. A full array of emotions clouded him as he tried to feel nothing. He should've remained dead so he couldn't see the heartache and affliction in Cherise's heavenly blue eyes. It was because of him she had to go through all of this. All because of an emotion called 'love'. He hated that word with everything in his gut. He should've known that a demon such as himself couldn't possibly love or learn how to love. When he first met Cherise, he felt different, warm and melty. Those feelings were new to him and admittedly, he missed feeling that warmth. Due to that, he enrolled himself in the same school as her, scheduled himself almost all of the same classes with her just to feel the same warmth again. It felt relieving just to watch her from afar and he intended to keep it that way until that one 'faithful day' when she noticed his existence in history class. She shouldn't have, it was for her own good and maybe his as well.
He stared at the scenery he was in. Since when did he enjoy a scenery like this? Probably due to the fact that she's present. He didn't know why, but he could still sense Cherise's presence beside him. He turned around to leave the cemetery, having enough feeling foolish due to the warmth that radiated from her. The farther he walked away, the more of her warmth faded. And the most difficult thing is, he yearned for that warmth already. Before he could walk away any further, Cherise stopped him by grabbing his hand. He flinched as he felt a mass fire igniting his heart.
'Curse the gods who are tormenting me with this. Curse this feeling. Curse love.'
He didn't dare to turn around. He couldn't bear to look at her, if he did, he knew he'll go stupid and mush for her. The least he could do was hear her out but even then, he couldn't bear to hear her angelic voice. Time stopped and it was just the two of them. No noise, no breeze, just them. Cherise hesitated, she didn't know why she came into contact with the man she swore to never interact with again but something in her told her to. She wanted to know if the man had any feelings of remorse or regret at all but he refused to even look at her. Slowly, she began to understand why.
Cautiously, she asked, "Look at me, Adarian."
Adarian had a conflicting war inside of him. One side telling him to just leave her be and the other told him to do as she said despite the hurt in her eyes. Ultimately, the elder Malachai surrendered and slowly turned around to face the person he ever truly loved in his existence. Despite the huge height, it did not matter to him once he glanced into those everlasting blue glowing eyes. Cherise looked up to gaze at his eyes and truth be told, they did show some type of emotion. A whole bunch of them in one place. Cherise noticed that he no longer had tattoos covering his arms and admittedly, he looks as handsome as the first day she noticed him at her school. Almost everything of that man reminded her of her son. She realized that his hair had grown out a bit, getting rid of the nasty looking hair cut he had during his imprisonment. If only she knew how long Adarian had been in prison for. Everything about him was different and this concerned Cherise the most.
'Had he really changed?' Cherise questioned.
After her son was proclaimed dead, she was forced to go a ceremony in which she prayed until she sweated blood to never happen. She remembered that she, along with Menyara, were dressed in all black. Her eyes were puffy and red due to the many tears she had cried out and if the scene wasn't already depressing enough, rain started pouring down on them as Kyrian and Acheron managed to cover up the coffin with dirt, which is soon to be covered up by cement. Through all the blinding mourning and anguish, at the corner of her vision, she saw a man dressed in all black that appeared similar to Nick. At first, she thought she was hallucinating but apparently, after she blinked three times, Adarian was still there. Unintentionally, she noticed the discernible heart-rending look on his face as he gazed towards her in the distance. For the first time, Cherise acknowledged and understood why he appeared that way and that broke her. She didn't understand why her heart longed to heal the man's wounds. Adarian did not deserve her tenderness in the slightest, especially after all the lives he took with his large disdained hands. All the lives he mercilessly took, and yet that was the moment in which she saw his weakness, his heart that he barely has. His greatest weakness was her, to be more specifically, her despondency.
No wonder why he couldn't stand to look at her.
Cherise bit her lip, trying not to make this moment any more awkward. Eventually she lets go of Adarian's hand, her warmth already fading away. Adarian's eyes couldn't stand to look at the purely saint woman that was right in front of him. Any second longer and his heart would do cartwheels. Silence filled the atmosphere again as Cherise tried to find the right words to say. She gazed at her son's tombstone before letting out a sigh. She looked at Adarian again before asking him a straightforward question.
"May I ask one small favor?"
Adarian's ears immediately were alerted as he listened closely. His mind drifted off to the possible favors in which Cherise may mention. He hadn't been the one to do favors for anyone in particular but for Cherise, he'll do whatever it takes to satisfy her needs and bring her happiness. The only thing he wished above all. Love can definitely make you foolish to the core. That's what the elder Malachai learned at least. As a response, Adarian inclined his head, still contemplating if what he was doing was a good idea. If the situation could've been worse, Cherise, the small and petite woman, decided to stand right beside him and clasp her hand onto his. Her warmth knocked down all of his defenses in an instant and blood rushed up toward his cheeks. To keep his dignity, he fought so hard not to smack his hand away from hers.
"Adarian, even though what you did in the past was wrong, even what you did to me, I still believe in giving people second chances. My son. . .our son had taught me that, at least. I know I can't hate you forever, even if it's the more logical grudge I have against you. Somehow, someway, I have a feeling that you've changed as a person. My heart is yearning to believe that."
'Foolish woman. Have I really changed at all?' Adarian wanted to ask that directly at Cherise but he had to be mindful about how she would react to such question. As far as he could recall, he didn't care what or how others would react. Even through his doubts, he can still feel her sincerity when she said that. She was telling the truth, every single word that came from her holy lips was the truth and nothing but that. Eventually, he dared to look straight in her eyes again, which further confirms her honesty. If his heart wasn't rapidly beating enough, she gave him a small cheerful smile. A smile that was meant for him, a smile made his heart melt all the ice away, the same smile that he himself caused. Her loveliness was the only thing he noticed from her once she smiled. Adarian wanted to tell her to keep smiling but he would look like a fool doing so. A small breeze went by, making Cherise's hair go to the side a little, which only further enhance her beauty.
Cherise averted her eyes from him, now gazing at her son's tombstone and the bouquet of flowers Adarian placed not too long ago.
"Throughout times like these, it means so much to me that Nick is recognized as a hero. He'll always be my hero. It also means the world to me knowing that you were there at his funeral and that you give your time just to place these flowers here. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. My son isn't known to contain grudges for a long time. I'm sure his grudges for you would vanish in time."
She finally gazed at his eyes before continuing, "About the small favor. . .I wanted to know if you can meet me sometime at the cafe Nick always visited. If you can, that is."
Adarian felt her nervousness after she said that. He clasped his hand around hers and to his surprise, she did not flinch or show any signs of discomfort. That was all the reassurance he needed before giving his response and it was a depressing one.
"Cherise. . .I don't know how you keep seeing the good in people. I never had. I've been tortured and abused for the majority of my life and I don't even have a reason to show anyone any mercy. It's mainly the reason why I am in and out of jail. It seems out of the ordinary for me to walk around in this world and find peace. I always expected to get tormented at any second and no matter how far I run away, they always keep approaching. If I didn't fight at all, I would be in slavery for the rest of my life. It always been like that. . .until I met you."
After hearing all of that, Cherise wanted to know if it was the whole truth but she gazed into his eyes, the truth was so hard to bear. Even throughout the misfortunes Adarian had, that still did not give him any reason to take innocent lives. They had nothing to do with his pain. She was even curious to how they first met really changed who he was. What was special about her? She had yet to find out.
"I was just walking through the streets until I came across you and your group of friends. It was almost as if something hit me in my chest area. Something warm and fuzzy. A feeling I wasn't even aware that existed in me. After that day, I finally have another reason to live and that reason is to see you."
Cherise raised her eyebrow as she became curious and skeptical, "If you were running away for your tormentors your whole life, that means you don't have a family. . .How did you sign up at my school?"
For the first time since they had conversed like this, Cherise saw a genuine smile appear on Adarian's lips. A smile that somehow made her heart flutter.
"When you're in love, you'll find ways to be with the person you love the most. Back then, I thought love was a stupid notion, that you gain nothing from it. I was wrong in some ways and correct on others about the concept. All of that knowledge I've managed to collect came from you."
Surprised, Cherise placed her other hand on top of Adarian's, "You didn't know what love was?"
Adarian shook his head in response. Of course, he wouldn't, why would a creature such as himself know anything about love? His breed of demon was born in hate and violence. It's even written in their code: Kirast Kiroza Kirent. 'Conceived in Violence to do Violence and to Die Violently'. Creatures like them weren't supposed to know what love was. He was conceived from a mother who hated him and a father who he would kill in the future. No love can come from both of them. Everything Adarian knows about love all came from Cherise.
The small petite woman gasped at his response. It's no wonder why it was in his nature to push people around. How was he supposed to care if he knew nothing about how to care? That would explain a lot of his malevolent actions. Cherise felt partially responsible for that. She could still sense that there was hope in Adarian to redeem himself. She didn't know how but she could only sense the good in people, that includes people like Adarian.
As they both stood there, Cherise gave a last glance at her son's gravestone before gazing up at the man she once considered a friend or possibly even more. She intertwined her small fingers in Adarian's large and cold hand. Adarian's spine shivered with the sudden contact of her warmth. Somehow and in some way, her warmth managed to find its way towards his heart. Much to the Malachai's dignity, his cheeks glared a bright crimson. He wasn't used to the 'tenderness' Cherise was giving but he sure wasn't dumb enough to quickly remove his hand from hers. He soon realized how much he lacked this emotion. If he had any heart at all, would he still be able to return the same warmth? The elder Malachai mentally groaned in frustration. He was sure many are capable to return the same love. Many except him. The Fates do work in cruel ways to torment him with something he was actually incapable of. He was capable of destroying the world, bringing chaos, killing all of his enemies and absorbing their powers yet he was incapable to love someone else. If there was a battle between him and the Fates, the Fates could've easily won.
Currently, he stood next to the person he wants to return the same love to. He finally gazed into Cherise's eyes before he could make any decisions. This woman has been through so much because of him and he knew it would be unwise to leave her by herself. Now, since their son was gone and there was no one left to protect her, he knew he had no choice. His heart had no other available option left for him. For once in his decision making, he did not fight it. He tightened the grip around her small hand as he made his final decision. He was granted a second chance by Cherise and by a goddess he made a bargain with, he wasn't going to give it away so carelessly. Fortunately for him, no demons, gods or other entities are going after his head. Due to the pact he made with Her, Her powers blocks off any entity from learning that he was still alive. His powers continued to work and is boosted up by Her powers. Powers that he has yet to activate. At the moment, he has no real reason to activate them. He was, at the very least, free from any attacks and entities that wanted his blood. Something that he wasn't used to experiencing.
Contemplating still, he stated, "I know it was because of me that you had to go through all of this. I realized that and no amount of apologizes can change that but there's something we can still change."
Cherise looked at him, wondering what they can 'actually' change.
Skeptically, she queried, "What can we change?"
"I know I'm not an optimist, I lost that feeling ages ago but I'm willing to start over. I get how pathetic I sound and if you don't want to, I'm not going to force you. I've learned how painful that lesson was to get over."
It was implied that Adarian wanted to improve his relationship with Cherise. Cherise knew what she was getting herself into when she decided to let Adarian in her life years ago. It wasn't the best decision that she made and it was probably the worst but how many times is she willing to let Adarian stay by her side before he maltreats her? She realizes that she'll do the same thing over and over again and she knows that it would hurt. In her heart, she knew Adarian changed, somehow, some way, and if it helps bettering Adarian as a person then she might as well go stupid for him. Love can definitely blind people from the truth but love is a rare connection between them, that includes the ups and downs and the reckless lengths they'll go through, knowing that it'll all be worth it in the end. If bettering Adarian as a person is all worth it, what kind of man would he be in the end?
Cherise was reluctant this time to accept Adarian's 'overall apology and request' considering that her son deceased almost a year ago and the mourning she had to deal with. She had a feeling that Adarian was aware of her emotional condition and he did well to go easy on her and not pressure her too hard. He was almost convincing. She had nothing telling her it was a bad idea and her instincts seemed to agree. She gazed at Adarian's eyes once more, searching if everything he told her was the truth. To her reassurance, it was. She knew the trouble she would get herself into but she already dealt with all kinds of trouble with her son. Despite knowing how hard it's going to be, she is a human for a reason.
'Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway.' Cherise ended her time for contemplating the subject at hand. She has either made the worst decision in her life or the best but either way, she'll accept it as a choice she made on her own and will be accountable for it. Cherise recalled briefly what she asked moments ago and she smiled, knowing her final response.
She gazed up at the blue sky and soaring clouds before she answered, ". . .About the cafe I mentioned earlier. Do you want to go there with me, right now?"
Adarian must be hearing things. He glanced over towards her direction, noticing the return of her bright smile that made his heart melt all over again. At that point he knew Cherise accepted his apology and he was eternally grateful and blessed. He inclined his head with a new feeling that arose from inside of him. A feeling that brighten up his day without having love interfere with it. Happiness is another word for it, he believed. Cherise took him by his arm and led him to the cafe, where they chatted all day until dusk.
. . .
One Year Heretofore
A fifteen-year-old with dark brown hair barely managed to escape Azmodea. Gashed up and bruised, he made a final attempt to teleport to his world before the Mavromino, mainly Noir, were able to find him. He didn't know how he ended up in that inferno but he knew he was definitely not on the guest list. Regardless, he should've listened to Caleb when he had the chance. Caleb warned him about the dangers and why he should never even think about the malefic primary god or go near him and that hellish place. Now, he understood why. Now he understood why his father never allowed himself to be held captive in a place such as Azmodea.
Nicholas Gautier never wanted to associate himself with his father. He's ruthless, merciless, heartless and need he say more. He didn't understand what his mother saw in a monstrous man like him. His hatred for his father is more than enough to fuel a place such as Azmodea. There was no empathy in that man and as far as he knew, he was in and out of prison for high crimes, such as murder. After he found out what he really was, he couldn't see himself embracing such dark and atrocious powers. He couldn't find himself to believe that he would be the one to cause the end of the world and kill millions of lives. One of those lives would be his first lover, Nekoda. He refused to believe in such things until he found out who his 'uncle' really was.
Ambrose, his future self, specially told him that he was very close to losing the last drops of his humanity before their 'dreaded nightmare' becomes a reality. That is why he managed to travel back in time in his past to change and alter such barbarous future. He failed three times and now this was his fourth and final attempt to change things. No matter what happens, Nick swore to himself to never embrace such powers like his future self did. It was hinted that something terrible happened to Ambrose before he decided to embrace such powers. Nick couldn't find any reason why until he saw his mother dying. Unfortunately, he now understood why.
Whatever it takes, he must find a way to prevent such tragedy from happening. Unlike the previous Malachais, he's the first of his breed to ever know and express the concept of love. His mother, Cherise, nurtured him with the greatest love and care he could possibly receive. That's why his mother is so dear to him and that he'll protect her with his life from any threats. If anything were to happen to her, not only would he go for the blood of the ones who harm her but go 'full-on-Malachai-mode' to bring her back to safety. It's no wonder why Ambrose went malachai.
After arriving at his world, he immediately felt his legs buckling. He knew he ended up teleporting in New Orleans and was relieved that he was close to home. That is, until he realized that he teleported on top of a building. Nick struggled to find the strength to get up as he was losing blood. His eyes started to blur as he tried to fight his delirium. He curled up his hands into fists as tried to get up, despite the fact that he was severally injured.
'I can't die like this. I need to fight back.' Nick attempted to encourage himself to move at least a limp or part of his body. When he did, he let out a hiss of agony as his body ached like fire burning through his skin. This caused him to collapse again and to lose his fight for life. His eyes slowly began to lose light as he drifted into darkness. . .not quite. He felt an entity close by him. Despite his eyes giving up on him, he felt a cool breeze brush his blood-covered-cheek. The sensation was cool to the touch but at least it was soothing and surprisingly sanative. The coolness disappeared only to reappear again on his head. It was an extremely soothing sensation as it gave him equanimity. It remained like that for a few more moments until the 'peace' was interrupted by a voice he knew too well for his liking.
"Didn't I tell you to protect your mother, boy? What the hell were you doing in Azmodea?"
Yay, more scolding from his 'deadbeat' father. As if meeting him in 'nowhere' wasn't enough. Unsettlingly, since their meeting, he wasn't sure how to feel about him. He wasn't there in his life as a child and he definitely wasn't there when he discovered what he was. That particular 'meeting' got Nick to contemplate about his sperm donor a lot. He still wasn't sure if what they had back then during that 'meeting' was an illusion but apparently, his father revealed it to be true seconds ago. It was so perplexing for him. He still loathed his father for what he had done to his mother, that hasn't changed. The thing is, it was so disturbing and eccentric for someone like his father to be. . .gentle and caring and to him no less. He wasn't sure if this was a sign that the world was ending or if what his father was doing was real.
Yep, the devil is still eating ice cream from his hand while sitting on icicles.
Eventually, the fifteen-year-old gazed up at his father, who was currently scrutinizing their surroundings. The boy's eyes widen as he continued to look at his parental figure. Something about him has changed and Nick can't tell if that change was good or bad. In fact, he can't sense anything from his father at all, only his cool touch. His father's physical features were different. He was no longer heavily tattooed and his hair grew back. It's no surprise why his future self appeared very similar to his father. Makes him wonder why Ambrose wasn't complaining but then again, who was he to complain when he looked that striking. Inspecting his father a little more, he wasn't sure if he was still a ghost or not. He didn't have those black soulless eyes from before but everything that made up his father had different shades of cyan. Small mists of cyan surrounded his parental figure, making it seem like he was glowing.
Curiosity won him over in an instant as he asked, "What are you?"
Adarian narrowed his eyes as he tightened his grip on his offspring, "That was the first thing you've asked me the last time we've met. As if you couldn't say anything else."
Nick rolled his eyes and gazed up at his progenitor, "Oh, I am so sorry 'dear father'. Apparently, I can't seem to know what you are or if you're actually dead or not. Apparently, I can't keep my mouth shut and according to my last three brain cells, that trait came directly from my DNA."
Nick managed to make his father groan in exasperation and tightened his hold on him even more. That was the moment when the boy realized that his upper body was on his father's cold lap and his father's enormous hand still rested on his head while his other arm was tightly around Nick's chest. If Nick ever decided to irritate his progenitor even more, he'll be suffocating under his father's 'very caring and very fatherly' embrace. Now was not the time to act dumb around him, considering the fact that he was still bleeding and that he no longer had the strength to fight off Adarian.
"Keep sassing me boy and I'll leave you here to rot until all of your blood is drained from your carcass. Then I'll gut you until you're unrecognizable."
If there's one thing Nick found notorious about his father, it was his threats. If he's capable of killing countless entities, he would not hesitate to give his offspring a prequel. It was because of this that Nick had to be wary of what he says or does around him. No matter what his father was, he's still is capable of 'fulfilling' all that glory and jazz. Unfortunately for Nick, he was now stuck in his father's 'questionable' captivity and had to restrain himself from doing something stupid. His father was unpredictable and it was in his nature. Nick eventually gave in but made sure he was alerted. He remained alerted, that is, until his body gave him an 'awakening call' that reminded him that he was still injured. The minor Malachai let out hiss of excruciating pain. The elder noticed his son was still in need of healing and though the best decision was to leave him out to rot, his son no longer took a part of his 'life and death' situation. Thus, it didn't give him a reason to kill him. Even if he did, his Cherise would never forgive him and would hate him for as long as he existed.
Adarian exhaled deeply as he places both of his hands on top of his son's head. Due to the bargain he made, he was introduced to a lot of powers. Powers he had yet to master. When he first started off, the sudden power overflow was so overwhelming, that he had to obtain two restraining power bangles in order to keep them in control. These days, he only wears them for training purposes. One of the powers he gained was the power to restore and soothe. The healing arts was not a problem for him and he mastered it with no difficulties. He was used to utilizing those powers onto himself but not on others. That is why he was a little hesitant when he started healing the boy's wounds. After he mastered restoration, he was introduced to a foreign power called 'soothing'. This power can assist with the restoration process and help calm the minds of others. This was the first time Adarian tested this power. When he commenced, he set forth and felt all of the emotions and feelings his son was currently experiencing. He felt confused, hurt and Adarian could hear the agonizing screaming.
Using those powers was a curious experience. Not only was he able to tap into his son's emotions but he can also replace them with his. It required an excessive amount of focus and energy. Adarian had no other choice but to help his son live. He knew that if Nick were to perish, another ultimate evil would take his place, an evil that would definitely cause the end to everything in existence. Everything, including Cherise. When he was brought back from 'nowhere', he soon found out why that woman was so 'special' to him. She was no regular human being. When he found out that she was a descendant of a Sephiroth, this made him wonder if he was set up for a trap. Of course, Cherise had no knowledge of this and continued to be blissfully unaware of her lineage. It's no wonder why he was so connected to her. She was basically the yin of his yang. The ultimate good and light of his ultimate evil and darkness. With this information, it did not matter to him if he was set up, he loved the woman dearly. The only person who introduced him to the concept of love.
This gave the elder Malachai hope that his son would be different. He had blood of a Sephiroth in his veins and he could be the Malachai destined to defy his dark powers. And when that happens, he hopes that it will finally break the curse set on their breed. And for once, have a taste of what freedom is really like. It's what Adarian once wanted the most, to have your enemies bow down to you and to be free from all ties of the Mavromino. To show the whole universe that he's a demon to be feared and a force that should not be reckoned with. In the end, his wishes were not his to fulfill but rather his son's. Now that he's chosen a whole new different path, a path that could prevent the End from happening and a path in which Cherise can grow old peacefully. That was the only thing he and his son wish for and they will fulfill it.
Nick's body stiffened as he felt his father's cold and transparent hands on his head. It took a whole other minute to realize what his father was doing and he couldn't help but ask just to verify it.
"Were you healing me this whole time?"
Adarian growled at his son's slowness as he started the restoration process again. The process first started with Nick's head and slowly went lower to heal and stop the bleeding from more open gashes. An ivory aura surrounded Nick's body as huge swirls of the same color started to circulate around him. Nick gaped in astonishment as he witnessed one of the powers that his progenitor possessed. It couldn't be possible. His father gave up all of his powers to him before he combusted into dust. Most importantly, how did he escape 'nowhere'? Nick felt stupid for not asking his 'suppose-to-be-dead' parental figure that question first, but then again, he's always that way. It's no surprise why Adarian loathed his guts. Include his stupidity with smart-mouth, sass and sarcastic humor and you'd have the whole dinner table of reasons to hate him. Yet, that didn't stop him from asking anymore vacuous questions. His blue irises met up with his father's eyes.
"Why are you helping me?"
His father's expression softened a bit when he glanced down at those well-known sapphire eyes that reminded him of dear Cherise. It was the only thing he found admirable about the kid, or at least that's what he keeps on telling himself. Processing the question, Adarian managed to leave details out with a truthful response.
"As much as I hate your existence, I have no other choice but to assist you. You would've died if I didn't come and heal you."
Nick scoffed in response, "Isn't that what you wished for to happen?"
For the first time, Nick witnessed his father genuinely shake his head.
"As much as I want that wish to be fulfill, I need you alive. Your mother and the universe depend on you."
Even with Nick's father's genuine response, Nick continued, "If you let me die, you would absorb my powers, won't you?"
Again, Adarian responded genuinely, "No, I no longer have a reason to and I don't believe I have that power anymore. Remember, I gave all of my powers to you."
"Yet you can heal me. What did you do to escape 'nowhere'?" Nick continued to interrogate.
Adarian furrowed his brow. He wanted to yank his son's hair out for not being satisfied with his responses but he also knew that he had no reason to hide the truth from him. Besides, he'll find out eventually, according to what Maia told him. Using the power to soothe, he caressed Nick's cheek gently. While Nick wanted to know if this was actually his father being kind to him, he felt overwhelmed by calm and relaxed sensations. Whatever spell his father was using, did help numb his pain, both physically and mentally.
'Thanks?' Nick placed his thoughts into his father's head, not sure if he had the power to detect them or not.
And for his answer, Adarian rolled his eyes and glared at him, 'Your welcome. Next time, you won't be so lucky. If you get yourself in a life and death situation, you're on your own, boy.'
Nick couldn't help but laugh at what his father just said, revealing his 'girly' dimples. For his stupidity to take over randomly, he was surprised that he wasn't laughing throughout their conversation. He couldn't help it. He failed to stop as he attempted to cover up his embarrassing dimples that can shatter the man inside of him. So much for not getting killed by his own father, now he thinks he's a lunatic.
Adarian gazed at his son in confusion, "What is there to laugh about?"
In a sarcastic tone, Nick replied in a laugh, "My stupidity."
He was not wrong about that but the boy was definitely laughing at something Adarian said. It took everything out of the elder Malachai not to rip his son's heart out, though something inside of him told him that he'll regret it.
"Come on. Laugh a little. Ma said it was good for my health, though I think she just wants to see my humiliating dimples and tease me about them. Really does help me become the man I'm destined to be. Casey told me they were girl magnets but I don't believe her. And Kody told me that they go well with my tacky Hawaiian t-shirts."
Adarian raised his eyebrow, a little agitated, "What does this have anything to do with the question you wanted me to answer?"
Nick dared to smirk at his own 'killing-demons-and-absorbing-their-powers' father as he replied, "It called having excessive ADD, powered up by male testosterone that can send any adult to rehab, especially anger management and can get your mother to ground you until your great grandchildren have children."
"You put Cherise through hell, don't you?" Adarian asked, almost in an angrily tone.
Nick's dimples faded when the question was asked, his smile was replaced with a frown. He knew the answer to the question and he was ashamed to admit it. Not only did he put his mother through hell, he made her cry. God, it was the most traumatic thing to ever watch. He even swore that if he ever made his mother cry again, he would never forgive himself. Adarian saw the light dim from Nick's eyes and automatically, he knew the truth. Normally, Adarian would be enraged and kill his 'sad-excuse-for-a-son' right on the spot. Cherise did not deserve to cry for any reason and she deserves the best life and care imaginable. She should be safe and protected from any threats and that was the original reason why he let Nick live right after he was born. To protect her and give her the best life. How that scum failed miserably. Back then, it was the only thing that led him to believe that there was potential in his offspring. Now, he saw more, despite Nick's sarcastic and humorous remarks that make him want to end his life. Unfortunately, Adarian knew better than to end his son's life and cause the end of the world in which Cherise would die in and he hated admitting the fact that he would regret all of it.
"You don't have to answer you worthless imbecile. I told you explicitly not to let her cry under any circumstances and you couldn't even follow one simple rule I gave you."
It was obvious that Adarian was beyond incensed but despite that, he kept caressing Nick's cheek in hopes that it would calm him down. Adarian exhaled deeply as reluctantly said the impossible.
"Now you know why I set that as a rule to obey. Seeing her cry is beyond the worst thing I've ever witnessed in my life. If anything were to happen to you, she would be in tears and seeing her like that. . ."
Adarian didn't even dare continue the sentence. He didn't want to sound weak in front of his son. Unfortunately for him, Nick understood why his father set that up as a rule and why it pained the both of them to see Cherise in tears. A few more minutes of silence passed as Adarian finished the restoration process. Nick looked at his arms to see if there were any more gashes left. Admittedly, without his father healing his injuries, he would be a goner. Nick sat up, blinking his eyes as he became more aware of his surroundings. He eventually got up on his feet and was relieved he didn't feel any pain. It was all thanks to his father, someone who he actually needs to repay debt to. Gautiers don't accept charity for any reason and his father healing his wounds from his deathbed wasn't an exception. The fifteen-year-old turned around to see his father at his full height but in this case, he was still encircled by cyan mists. Bashfully, Nick rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say to the parental figure that just saved his life. Thanks to his extreme ADD, he could get distracted and tell his father something meaningless instead of what he actually wanted to say. Before he could say anything else, Adarian started to interrogate him.
"What were you doing in Azmodea?"
Great, back to the question in which Nick rather avoid answering if he didn't want to sound stupid enough. At least his dad didn't put 'hell' in the question, that would be even more intimidating and give more hints to the nature of Azmodea.
Sighing, Nick expected more humiliation from his father when he answered, "I honestly don't know how I ended up in that hellish place. All I know is that I was in my room in my Ma's condo and all of a sudden, I got teleported, beat up into Cajun cuisine and then you showed up. I don't know much else."
Adarian furrowed his brow. There had to be a reason why his son was teleported to that inferno and he knew that the answer was not a lighthearted one. He was about to respond back when abruptly, the building beneath them started to palpitate. The sky gradually turned red as dark clouds covered the sun's rays. To his horror, Adarian knew what was coming and it was something he dreaded for a while. Strong gusts of wind blew from every direction and trees below them started to lose their grip in the soil. Unlike everything and everyone else, Adarian was not affected by the sudden change in weather. It was because he wasn't 'physically' here and only in incorporeal form. A form that won't last very long if he continued to use his powers toward its full extent. He looked back at his son, who was now hanging on a railing for dear life. Cursing underneath his breath, he went up to his offspring and wrenched him off the railing of the building. Nick yelped as he instinctively tried to fight off Adarian's grip on him.
"You fool! Keep acting like a moron and I will not hesitate to let you fall toward your bitter end!"
Nick's eyes widen in alarm as he now realized that he was in midair and that everything around him was in constant motion and basically everything's going through hell. Nick tried to grip his father arm, only to go through it.
In appall, Nick mumbled out a question that was barely audible, "What. . .what are you really?"
"I'm in incorporeal form. Due to the power, I'm using, I can be here but not physically. Unfortunately, I don't have much time left. My power is waning and Noir is planning to attack."
"What? . . .Why for? What is he after?" Nick asked as many questions as he wanted answers.
"He sensed that you were in Azmodea. There is a reason why I told you to never go there. Unless you want to be brutally tortured for centuries like me."
"I rather not be but I congratulate you for surviving that. If it were me, I'll probably be dead."
"This isn't the time to be playing games. Listen to me Nicholas, you must summon your Šarras if you think you have any chance to win this war."
"War?!" Nick sounded alarmed.
There is no way this is happening. First Nick gets teleported to Azmodea, Noir senses him and now was declaring war on him. He's just a kid! Nick kept looking at his father in disbelief but to his dismay saw seriousness in his father's eyes. God, this was not happening. Adarian noticed his son's pessimistic countenance and despite not sharing a similar reaction when he first led armies, he felt sympathetic, something he never felt before for anyone. He didn't have time to contemplate that now, no matter what the voices inside of him were telling him, he wasn't going to be responsible for the end of the world and Cherise.
"Listen kid, I didn't have much of a choice when I first led my generals and armies into battle. Although it was nice to be free from Noir and have the power to rain hell on my enemies."
Nick scoffed as he uttered, "Of course you didn't have a problem with that. War could be your wife if you continue to rain lava and fire. You wouldn't care if millions of lives are lost to Grim. Unlike you, I'm not heartless enough to risk everyone's lives just for a war that serves no purpose. At that point, it hardly matters which side wins, both sides are devastated one way or another."
Adarian was surprised to hear such sagacity from his son, a boy who has not involved himself in war just yet. Exasperated, Adarian flew upward to get a view of Earth before it's gone and restrain himself from letting his son fall toward his death on purpose.
"Look around you Nicholas. Everything and everyone are going to be eradicated if you don't act now. I may be heartless but I'm not stupid enough to let your slavery be the end of this existence and your mother. Be glad I'm even helping you win this pathetic war. You let Cherise die and I won't hesitate to kill you myself. She's the only entity in this world I would give my body, heart and soul to. The only person I would gladly die for, but despite my threats, you are, regrettably, my flesh and blood. I hope you remembered what I told you in 'nowhere'."
"I remember clearly, don't worry. I remember you said 'Barely one day a Malachai and you've already screwed it all up. You are even more worthless than I thought'. Nice to know that you can easily shatter the little bit of self-esteem I had back then."
"Though I still think you're worthless, that's not the part I'm asking you to remember."
"Oh, forgive me, 'dear father of mine'. Sometimes, I do have bad memory loss." Nick feigned an apology.
"I want to remind you that your name is Conquest. No one can defeat you-"
"-Unless you allow it." Nick continued the sentence, amazed that he actually remembered every single word.
"Show Noir no mercy when you lead your armies. Besides, he doesn't plan to show you any."
Nick then fluttered his eyelashes as he asked, "Please enlighten me again, Lord Father of mine and tell me how to lead an army with six generals."
Adarian glowered as he responded, "You're the Malachai and their Uma-Šarru, they should be able to assist you from there. Noir is weak and should not be a problem for you unless you let him win."
"Trust me, there is no way I'm going to become Nick Mcnuggets for that thug."
Out in the distance, both of them heard a thunderclap so loud that it could've easily shatter the glass windows of buildings and houses if they were located close to the sky. Lightning strikes came and went and as they struck the ground, revolting, hideous entities started to spawn in large quantities, scaring away the people that roamed the roads and streets. People in their cars started to drive uncontrollably, some hit the brakes and some turned to the other side of the road. As the screams of people began to become more severe, a figure appeared on top of a building, with armor and a sword in hand. The figure took off its helmet, which revealed a woman with dark brown curls and brown eyes. Eyes that craved chaos and destruction but mostly the head and blood of the most powerful and vicious demon known throughout the universes.
". . .Laguerre." Adarian mumbled out the name of the woman that appeared.
Nick rolled his eyes, of course she was here. He somehow knew that she was here for his head and this time, it was official. He gazed at his parental figure, who still had a grip on him and eyes of pure rage for the woman who he once called an ally. Sometimes Fate is like that. Turn your allies into enemies and enemies into your allies. In the end, you can't trust neither of them, you can only trust in yourself.
'. . .Trust. . .' an angelic feminal voice spoke to him through his head.
Nick responded in surprise, '. . .What?'
'. . .You can trust him. . .He's aiding you. . .'
'Trust who?' Nick asked, unsure who the voice was referring to and unsure who the voice was.
'. . .Adarian. . .'
Nick must be hearing things, or at least that what he thought at first. For reasons unknown to him, his father healed him, saved him from possible death and told him a little bit about how to beat Noir in war. He and Adarian never been father and son, or friendly to one another until now and probably in 'nowhere' as well. Despite Nick's irresolution, something in his gut told him to listen to the voice. This is one of the moments he hated going through. The inner conflicts within himself is probably one of the most annoying things he's ever experienced. Fortunately, people, such as Caleb, told him to listen to his gut because his gut was made to help him survive through the arduous situations life placed on him. So far, he was right. Even through life and death, his gut helped him survive the impossible and if he can survive being on a high bounty for every high entity to see, he can survive a war.
He mentally let out a frustrating sigh as he gave his answer, 'Alright, I trust him, but if he starts acting suspicious, I will-'
'. . .Trust me when I say, that from this day onward, he'll be at your side. He was chosen to follow a new path, a path that can help save this existence and all the people that live in it. One day, your father would be of use to you and will illuminate the right path for you to follow. He was 'chosen' for a reason and you should trust his judgment. I promise that it will not be a decision worth regretting. . .'
'I hope so and, before you disappear, mind telling me who you are. I would like to know if you're telling me to trust someone, I have a burning loathe for.'
'. . .You will find out who I am in time, but for now, listen to your father's guidance. Do that and winning this war will be a guarantee. I promise you that we will meet again. . .'
The voice faded away as Nick tried to reach out for it. There was a huge level of uncertainty grinding up in his stomach and he didn't relish that feel at all. Adarian finally let the boy loose on the ground near Cherise's residence. He disappeared in a mist of cyan as his powers reached their limit. Nick cursed underneath his breath. He just spoke with someone who said to trust his father and now he simply vanished. Nick felt like an utter moron who hadn't learned anything from the first time someone left him to fend for himself.
'Go and find Cherise. Get her to safety!'
Nick jumped as he felt his heart leaped out of his rib cage from the unanticipated ear-splitting command his 'caring' father had gave him.
'And I thought you let me out here to die. Next time, at least give me a warning before you decide to scream in my head. This time, I have to admit that you scared the bejesus out of me. Seriously, Old Man, did you have to do that?!'
At this point, he didn't even care if someone heard him, they had other important manners to get through, like saving their lives from a potential war that might be catastrophic.
'Keep blathering and there's more where that came from, boy! Find Cherise and get her to safety! Let none of Noir's minions lay a hair on her! He knows that she is your weakness and will do anything to make you turn!'
'Alright! Alright! As long as you stop giving me a migraine, I will gladly follow what you tell me to do!'
Nick ran up the stairs that lead to his mother's condo. Using the key, she gave him when they moved, he quickly unlocked the door, where he found Xevikan Daraxerxes, an ancient cursed god, on the sofa in his cat form.
"Where is she?" Nick asked his Šarru-Dara in haste.
'Where is who?' Xevikan asked as he placed his thoughts in Nick's head.
"My Ma! Who else?!" Nick shouted in distress as he dashed towards his mother's bedroom.
'She's asleep. Don't wake her up or she will-'
"Nicholas Ambrosius Aloysius Gautier! What is the meaning of this?!" Cherise particularly screamed as she sat up from her bed.
Nick felt bad for interrupting her beauty sleep but he had to make up an excuse to get her to safety, in this case, at Bubba's computer and gun store. A place his mother was not fond of. Speaking of his mother, how did she not know he was gone? Xevikan didn't know either, it was so strange. Nick walked closer to her; his face hinted that something was wrong. Cherise immediately sensed his distress.
"Baby, I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I was trying to rest for a while, knowing that my next shift at Aimee's is going to be tiring. Is something wrong?"
"I should be the one apologizing. Anyway, yeah, you could say that. Didn't you hear we're under a hurricane warning? Just look outside."
Cherise pushed aside the window curtains behind her bed. She gasped at the sight. She got up and put her shoes on and headed for the door until Nick stopped her.
"Nicholas, we have to evacuate, grab some of the cash off my dresser and grab everything you need and just to remind you, everything you need is not the whole condo." Cherise explained as she stepped aside and kept heading toward her bedroom door. Nick grabbed her hand before she could do anything else.
Before she decided to glare at him, Nick grabbed the keys to her car as he said, "No Ma. We have to move quickly. The hurricane is almost here and the only place that is save is Bubba's store."
Cherise sighed, "Are you fully convinced that his store is the safest place to be during a time like this?"
"Yes, and please go there before I become an orphan. I can't imagine living a life without you."
Cherise sighed again as she gave in. She cupped her son's cheek and kissed it.
"What did I do to raise a perfect son like you? Everything about me is flawed and you're the only thing I've done right in this world."
Nick hugged his little mom tightly, not believing the things she was saying about herself. She was anything but flawed and she was perfect in every way. Yet she was still surprised when people told her that she raised a perfect son. Nick wished that his mother would acknowledge just how pure and tender of a person she was. It's no surprise why his father grew very fond of her. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father's incorporeal form, only this time, it was a little more dimmer. Again, Nick saw a sweet and gentle smile grace his father's lips, something Nick would have to die many times to see such thing in his existence.
But then again, he would have to get used to seeing his dad smile a lot if it meant hanging around with his mother. At least it was relieving to know that a family figure was watching and protecting them. And from the smile on his face, he would protect them until his last dying breath.