Darksiders: Falling to Grace

Chapter XXX

It wasn't until the darkness fell upon the land that the two began to head inside. A warm glow filled the grass beneath their feet and Strife quickly spun around. The angel before him had a bandage across his cheek concealing the healing wound from earlier that week.

"Michael?" Strife asked, "why are you back here?"

"I'm delivering a message to you both."

War chimed in with a scoff. "Then why not send Gabriel? He's the messenger - or have you been demoted?" He chortled.

Michael sighed heavily and glowered at the Rider. "No, it's a personal message. That... fallen angel, isn't just an angel now-"

"Duh." Strife commented. "I killed her."

Michael snapped at the foolish Horseman, "she's very much alive. For a demon that is. I knew this would happen but I never expected it was Her who was helping the damned one. Not until I faced her, that is."

"What?" Both asked in unison.

"I killed her myself, Michael. I watched her bleed out as my bullets buried themselves within her tainted flesh." Strife responded.

Michael sighed once more, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She was hanging on by a thread, Strife. Can you not feel the shift in the wind? Or have your powers diminished so?"

Strife cringed and grabbed Michael by his armour. "I suggest you not threaten me, if you do, I'll kill you myself. That battle you and the Demon had - that's not even a fraction of the power I contain. And I will not hesitate to use it."

Michael smirked. "Is that so? Well then, you'd best get to using that power to protect the ones you love." The angel flapped his overly large wings, lifting himself from the tainted soil and into the sky. "Until then, I highly suggest you watch your temper. Wouldn't want to piss off the wrong character."

"Stupid pigeon." War whispered under his breath. "But what was that all about? He didn't realise it was "Her" who was aiding that demon?"

Strife shrugged. Michael was onto something... But what? He couldn't guess yet.

***

Some time had passed on earth and Kikyo couldn't have been happier. The twins would arrive soon and the shop never had so much business. It seemed after they heard she was to be a "single mother" everyone poured in and bought stuff. Even some of the other mothers offered clothes and other things for the unborn.

"This is so exciting!" Kikyo exclaimed after closing time. "I just can't believe it!"

Jax smiled in agreement. "This is the best thing to happen to this shop since Mom." Kikyo hugged Jax tightly.

"Thank you for being here for me..." She smiled again.

"No problem. If you wouldn't mind me asking... Who's the father?" Her smile twisted into a scowl and then into a faded frown. She swallowed hard and walked away. "Kikyo, I'm sorry but-"

"It's fine, Jackson. Really. I just - I'm not sure if I wanna go back. I've come to love earth like I loved my old home aeons ago." She folded her arms into her frilly white sleeves. Her slippered feet guided her up the steps and into her room. Kikyo took her scrapbook off the shelf and flipped through her pictures. Finally she stopped on the picture she first took of them.

The background showed the three moons reflecting off the lake's surface back at her home. It was the first time he took off his helm since he became a horseman. A time when they were still very young for their race. The world she inhabited hadn't yet fallen apart and the flora and fauna were numerous. A family of deer were seen drinking at the lake as Kikyo took the picture. Her golden bird necklace draped carefully around her neck and Strife had one of his own. Except his was silver. They never looked happier.

Should I show him?

Kikyo carefully treaded back down to a waiting Jax who cleaned the glass on the counter.

"Need to put up a sign that says DO NOT TOUCH GLASS." He grumbled beneath his breath.

Kikyo tapped him on the shoulder and showed him the photo. Jax took it with care and held it to the light. Pointing to Strife, the healer nodded.

"Yep, that's him..." Jax could tell she wasn't too pleased about showing him this. She sighed heavily and politely held her hand out. Jax placed it and her grip on the photo tightened. "I miss these days the most. Especially of late when everything's...never mind." She smiled and folded an arm behind her back pressing at the small of it. "That's the past and we can only live on, right?"

Jax nodded with snort "yeah, I suppose. But you need to lie down Kikyo and get some rest." he gestured to her womb.

Kikyo sighed and placed the hand that held the photo on her enlarged abdomen. He was right, they'd be born in less than a month and the strain on her back and feet was unbearable.

"Are you gonna go home for the birth or stay here and check into a hospital?"

She shrugged and headed back up stairs wanting to avoid any unnecessary conversation. That was enough for one night. She slipped into some comfortable clothes and placed the photo back into the album. Then she turned her fan on medium and slid under her lavender comforter shutting her pale eyelids, eventually succumbing to slumber.