Angels, Demons and the Worlds Ending

Rating: Teen, For Now

Warnings: Action violence, occasional fluff, ooc main characters, liberties taken with cannon timelines.

Authors Note: After recently buying a copy of Diablo 3, Ultimate Evil Edition and playing through it with a few of the different classes before reading most of the fan fiction that has been written so far, I had an idea. If Demons can father children with mortals (As Diablo does with Adria), then why not Angels too? What would happen if Tyrael and the Sorceress had shared a night together just prior to the destruction of the worldstone in Diablo 2? Obviously All game copyrights and characters belong to Blizzard and I'm just borrowing them for fun. I will try to keep this as lore friendly as I can but some things including in game events and dialogue will change to fit where necessary.

Prologue

Kestrel slumped against the pillar, panting with exhaustion as her eyes met the dying form of the Lord of Destruction as her last blizzard spell sent him to the floor with shards of ice embedded in his chest. The battle had been long and the torn corpses of demons littered the chamber where she had fought for the very existence of humanity and the freedom of Sanctuary. Baal managed one last smirk and whispered to her just as the last of his unholy life ebbed away.

'You are too late little sorceress, soon your pathetic race shall be little more than pawns as all creation becomes the realm of hell. You shall pay for your meddling in ways you cannot begin to imagine….'

Kestrel turned towards the giant glowing stone as a fierce rumbling began to shake the chamber and as she slowly walked towards the stone which now began to pulse with waves of unholy power, Tyrael materialized. Despite the impending doom, Kestrel smiled up at the champion of justice.

His presence had always been a pillar of strength to her, even in the darkest of times as they had fought against the forces of the burning hells and the more she had known of him, the more she had grown to respect and care for him. The terrible burdens he bore in his selfless efforts to save humanity, and his willingness to go against the high heavens when most of his peers would never have dared had all stirred feelings she thought she would never feel for anyone, even the companions she had fought alongside during the long struggle that had been waged. But as Kestrel had tirelessly fought the forces of hell, little did she know that the archangel had begun to value and care for her more and more and in time began to mirror those same feelings that had stirred in her heart. Finally the two had confessed their feelings to each other on the evening before Kestrel had begun her final ascent of the sacred mountain to face the Lord of Destruction. They had shared one glorious night of passion together, the very thought of which made Kestrel's cheeks flush as she remembered how such a giant of a being had been so gentle and loving as they laid together during that one perfect night which had changed everything for her.

Tyrael's voice seemed to echo with sadness, one of only a few times she had ever heard the emotion in his words as he began to speak.

'Kestrel my love, Baal's power has corrupted the stone and unless it is stopped, then all humanity is doomed to become the thralls of the demons as the walls of reality collapse. I have no other choice but to destroy it, you must leave this place, and quickly. Get to Deckard Cain, get him out and warn the Barbarians to leave Harrogath and get clear of the mountain with all haste.'

Tears filled Kestrel's eyes, 'no! Tyrael you mustn't! You'll die!'

Tyrael came closer and enveloped her in his arms, pulling her against him and murmuring,

'I'm sorry Kestrel, there's no other way and no time to discuss this, but you and Deckard Cain are too important, and the people of Harrogath are innocent in this. This conflict is not of your making and you should not suffer for it. I will be fine, I will return when I may.'

With a gesture of his hands, Tyrael quickly cast a town portal spell.

'I will buy you all the time I may to get clear of the mountain, but do not linger any longer than you need to warn the people and collect Deckard. I shall always love you and shall never forget our time together even if we never meet again in this life.'

Tyrael lowered his hood revealing the smooth dark skin of his head below it before Kestrel put her arms around his neck and drew him in for a kiss, doing her utmost to express all the emotions she felt at that moment as the shaking began to grow worse and the unholy light emanating from the stone seemed to become stronger. After what felt like an eternity but in reality was only mere moments, Tyrael and Kestrel broke apart and with one look back as Tyrael drew El'Druin from its scabbard, she walked through the portal.

Materializing in the town square, Kestrel hurried to Anya and hurriedly said.

'Anya, get everyone out of the town now! Baal has been destroyed but his magic has corrupted the stone! Tyrael is doing all he can to destroy it but bade me to evacuate the town. We must hurry and escape, we may not have much time.'

Anya nodded and hurried off to warn the townspeople while Kestrel looked for Deckard Cain and soon found him near the town stables where he had secured a pair of horses which were saddled and ready to ride.

'I heard what you said to Anya my dear, if Tyrael means to destroy the stone then we have no time to waste, the energies that will be released will be vast and the destruction that shall result will be terrible. Now if you would be so kind and help an old man onto his mount?'

Kestrel smiled and after she had helped the old man onto his horse she quickly climbed onto hers before they began to join the crowd of townsfolk heading out of the gate and onto the lower slopes of the mountain. Urging their horses faster, Kestrel and Deckard followed the road as fast as they could and had only travelled a few miles from the base of the mountain when the ground began to shake beneath them. Kestrel felt a wave of raw magical energy pulse overhead, before, with a roar greater than any noise she had ever heard, the mountain split apart and collapsed into a smoking crater as a rush of air flattened every tree for at least a mile from the mountains base. Kestrel heard the panicked neighing as her horse reared and had to quickly seize the reins to prevent herself from being thrown as her and Deckard's horses were spooked by the explosion. When everything settled to a quiet stillness which felt almost unnatural to Kestrel she felt the tears begin to flow down her face as the shock finally caught up with her.

Deckard trotted next to her and put a comforting arm around her and she wept into his shoulder.

'Do not weep Kestrel, through Tyrael's noble sacrifice the forces of hell have been defeated, at least for a time. Though a heavy price has been paid for our victory today, the cost of defeat would have been far greater. Tyrael's sacrifice has given us all hope, hope for a better world free of the corruption of demons.'

Kestrel drew away from the kindly old man and smiled.

'I know, but after all that's happened, so much has been lost to evil, and now Tyrael has paid for the actions of a traitor with his life, and the Barbarians have lost everything they ever held dear.'

'Yet they still have a chance to find new homes, a new purpose, just as all who have suffered from the actions of the prime evils may now do. Though this peace shall not last forever, we have at least won the time to prepare ourselves for whatever may come to pass.'

Together the pair journeyed south, soon leaving the cold Northlands behind them as they began to make their way towards Caldeum. But one evening, a long day's ride had brought them to a small village in the empires northern borderlands. While they had yet to reach the vast deserts of the empires interior, the heat had risen steadily as they had made their way southwards and Kestrel felt drained as she dismounted from her horse.

Deckard dismounted from beside her.

'We cannot be more than a few days ride from Caldeum now, once we reach the capital we can either stay there or travel on to almost anywhere in the world. It would be a good place to gather information on the state of the world as the worldstones destruction has surely created significant upheaval. '

'Just as well, I don't feel up to travelling much further,' and as the words left her lips, the world suddenly seemed to spin and turned to blackness.

When she came to, Kestrel found herself lying on a soft bed and noticed both Deckard and an unfamiliar woman who looked like one of the villagers fussing over her. Deckard noticed her stir and said.

'Kestrel, I was quite worried for a moment, you collapsed before Nasira insisted I have you brought here.'

Kestrel politely thanked the kindly looking healer who after shooing away Deckard and proceeded to examine her and then question her for a time before she finally told a shocked Kestrel her findings. Kestrel soon found Deckard at the local inn and after making sure the two of them were out of earshot of the other guests, the old man asked.

'Are you feeling better dear? What did Nasira say?'

Kestrel felt the blush on her face but whispered to Cain.

'I'm not ill, according to Nasira I'm expecting a child.'

The old man's eyes lit up in surprise and happiness, 'oh that's wonderful dear, but who is the father? I never noticed you take a lover while we were travelling, and for the symptoms to be showing themselves now it must have happened while we were at mount Arreat. Unless …..'

Kestrel noticed his eyes widen in shock, 'Tyrael's the father isn't he.'

Kestrel nodded, 'to think that he will never know of his daughter.'

Deckard was confused, 'a daughter? But how could you know that for certain?'

Kestrel smiled, 'while attachment is not forbidden for us very few of us marry, as many of us loath the idea of surrendering our freedom to practice magic, and most men have always been fearful of us, no doubt a legacy of the Vizjerei clan's misinformation. However of those of us who do marry or take lovers, for a reason that has always been unknown to us we always bear daughters, and so there is no doubt that I shall as well.'

Deckard looked awestruck, 'to think, in my lifetime I would witness such an event. It is quite beyond anything of my knowledge. While demons have been well known to take their perverse pleasures on mortals in many different ways, the angels have never been known to consort with mortals in any physical manner. While Tyrael has been a rare exception in his dealings with mortals in that he has always believed in the potential of humanity, I could never have imagined even him taking a mortal lover. Your daughter shall indeed be unique Kestrel. A child born of both angel and human with the power of the high heavens and the elements of nature as befits a sorceress.'

Kestrel beamed at the thought before Baal's last words flashed across her memory and she shuddered at the thought of what the demons would do to her child in revenge for Baal's death.

'Deckard, while we may have won a great victory by destroying Baal, I fear this war is far from over. It may take a year, it may take centuries but sooner or later the demons will return. When they do, they will be very angry for our resisting them and will seek their vengeance on me. If it comes to that, you must promise me to do all you can for my child.'

Deckard nodded solemnly, 'of course, I owe you a debt and I would be honoured to do what I can if it is needed. But what shall you do? The child will be powerful, of that there is no doubt, and such power cannot remain untrained or it can become a danger.'

'I know, that is actually one of the main reason why the clan of sorceresses have been so eager in their taking and training girls with the talent. Those with the power within them if left untrained can easily be exploited by those who would use their power for evil. While the Vizjerei clan has become much less powerful in recent times, there are still those in the world who would seek to use the demonic powers as a quick route to influence. I still have many friends among the clan and when my daughter is old enough, one of them will be able to train her. While normally among sorceresses, daughters are trained by their mothers I fear for what may happen if we were to be attacked suddenly. If she takes her noviciate among the clan she would be safe if I were to be attacked during that time. Also, while don't doubt that I will be able to teach her many lessons, her power will be very different than mine and they will be able to teach what I cannot. However I have a long time to consider the best course of action, as the normal age for girls to begin a formal apprenticeship among sorceresses is twelve years of age.'

Deckard seemed to agree before he insisted that she get some rest and so Kestrel awoke the next morning feeling quite refreshed and ready to head out. Two days later Deckard and Kestrel finally reached Caldeum, the jewel of the east beckoning to them as they passed through the city gates.

Deckard stretched, clicking a few bones as he dismounted from his horse and said.

'Ahh Caldeum, the jewel of the east, it has been far too long since I last set foot here.'

Kestrel smiled, 'we should be safe enough here, at least for now and we ought to be able to learn much of the state of the world as traders pass into the city from all directions carrying news from abroad as well as new goods. Though it seems an age since I was last here, I feel a lot more comfortable here than journeying on westward.'

'You mean to stay here then?'

'Yes though I may move on in the future, I feel that I should remain at least until my daughter is of a more manageable age. The caravan routes are no place for babies, but what of you? What will you do Deckard? With Tristram destroyed and Khanduras in chaos, where shall you go?'

'I will stay here as well, at least for the time being. The great library of Caldeum is a treasure house of lost knowledge and some of the tomes may hold a clue on what the fate may have in store for mankind. Also, you should not be by yourself when facing such a situation as the birth of your child my dear.'

'Thank you Deckard, I will be most grateful and I'm sure Tyrael will be as well.'

And so it was that the sorceress and the elder settled in Caldeum, the odd pairing soon purchasing a home not far from the main bazaar and starting a new life together. At first the locals were somewhat suspicious of the strangers but soon welcomed them into the community as gossip spread that the elderly scholar was the young woman's father who was simply looking out for his recently widowed daughter. Deckard Cain was as good as his word and he spent most of his time within the great library, scouring through forgotten tomes in search of lost knowledge of the Horadrim. Kestrel however set up a market stall, dealing in small magic's to help the locals and soon found her services valued by the community as word spread of her victories in fighting the demons at mount Arreat. Kestrel felt contented as her pregnancy progressed smoothly, though she missed Tyrael's presence often and still felt the grief of his passing. She was grateful for Deckard Cain's support and found herself wondering what she'd do without the old man who'd seemingly become a father figure without her even knowing it.

But in a world such as theirs which was always under threat by those who would collaborate with the demons, such idyll could not last forever. Deckard came into the house one evening many months later, the grave look in his eyes visible to Kestrel as he sat in his chair while Kestrel reclined on a couch, her back supported by pillows.

'I bring you grave news my dear, an old friend of mine from Tristram had recently decided to come to Caldeum and she and her daughter were attacked by members of a cult just outside the city gates.'

Kestrel gasped, 'to think, so close to Caldeum after so much time has passed since the defeat of the prime evils, are they alright?'

'Yes, thankfully the iron wolves intervened and cut down the cultists, but it does cast a shadow over us. I can only hope that this was a coincidence, but I fear otherwise'

Kestrel grimaced and laid a hand over her swollen middle as a sudden pain made itself known, the gesture was noted as Deckard asked.

'Are you well? Your time cannot be long now.'

The pain passed and Kestrel relaxed, 'I think I'm alright but what about your friend?'

'I told you of the witch Adria, she gave birth to a daughter recently and decided to come to Caldeum as she wished to speak with me urgently.'

Not long afterwards another pain made Kestrel moan and she bade Deckard.

'It's time, fetch the midwife.'

Deckard hurried to do as he was bade and after he had done so he found Adria where he had left her in the local inn.

'Deckard my old friend, I trust our heroine is in the best of care?'

'Indeed, the midwife and her assistant are with her now and so there is little more I can do for Kestrel at the moment.'

Deckard saw the witch gaze down at the bundle in her arms before she looked at him with an intense look that he had sometimes seen her wear.

'Deckard, I will not waste your time, I would not have sought you out so urgently without a good reason to do so. I need a favour, for both my sake and that of my child. Promise me that you will at least listen to me.'

The elderly scholar was confused but nodded as the witch began her request.

'Ever since Tristram was destroyed I have been on the trail of Zoltun Khule's legacy as I believe that his black soulstone will provide the key to take revenge against the evil that devastated our land and I believe I may have a lead on the keys to unlock his archives. But now I fear that these cultists may be aware of my efforts and mean to kill me. I cannot allow my Leah to share my fate and so I would deem it a favour if you could look after her for me, just for the time being. I will send word when I am safe.'

Deckard was astonished, 'Zoltun Khule, then you mean to use his stone to trap the demonic essences of the prime evils? That's a dangerous path you tread my friend. But are you certain you want to do this?'

Adria nodded, 'I lost everything I had to those fiends, and think of what they did to our friends. Griswald, Peppin, young Wirt…. So many senseless deaths and now I have a chance to make sure that they didn't die in vain.'

'If you are certain, then I shall, but I am hardly ideal to raise a child at my age.'

'What of your friend Kestrel? Can she not help you? Leah and Kestrel's daughter could grow up together.'

'Kestrel will face many challenges and I will do all I can to aid her and her daughter. Though I fear what could happen if the Prime evils were to learn of the children, both will potentially be a great threat to them and tonight has proven that many of their agents still linger among us.'

Adria had been nodding, 'indeed, you are wise my friend which is why I have chosen you for this task, why I believe that you could give my Leah the best chance.'

'Very well, but how soon must you leave?'

Adria handed over the wrapped bundle and Deckard gently took the child and gazed down, where a tuft of dark red hair was just visible peeking out from the blankets. Adria reached into her cloak and passed a small bag which made a clinking noise as she set it onto the table in front of Deckard.

'Here, take this, this should cover food and clothing for her with a bit extra for when she's older.'

Adria got up from her chair, bent down and kissed her sleeping daughter and whispered something that Deckard couldn't make out before she raised the hood of her cloak and set off into the night.'

The old man gazed thoughtfully at the sleeping child in his arms.

'Hmmm, what shall you grow to be little one? What manner of destiny lies before you? Is the nature of one's path determined by the actions of their forebears or can one's own will change the scrolls of fate?'

Deckard slowly got up and made his way out of the inn and headed back to the home he had long shared with his beloved companion, his heart sinking as he realised what he would have do in order to fulfil his promises. The night felt to Deckard like one of the longest of his life as he listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom, helpless to assist as Kestrel laboured to give life to the daughter of Justice. But finally as dawn broke the cries of a newborn echoed through the house, disturbing the child who had so far been silent and causing her to cry as she was suddenly awakened.

'Hush now little one, let us now go and see how your aunt fares after her trial.'

Deckard did his best to settle the child, eventually putting her back to sleep just as the midwife came down the stairs, looking weary but triumphant as she spoke to him.

'A strong and healthy baby girl, and both mother and child should be fine but try not to disturb them as they both need their rest.'

'Thank the heavens for that, for I cannot deny I was worried.'

'You should be resting as well, my assistant and I will watch over the children but who is this child you carry?'

'My great niece, her mother was attacked during the night by agents of an unknown cult and she asked me to protect Leah while she draws the rest of them away from here.'

The midwife looked grim but smiled at him and volunteered to watch Leah as he went to his room and slept, the nights events having exhausted him. He stirred a few hours later and went up to Kestrel's room finding his friend awake in bed. She looked exhausted, but the love was clear in her eyes as Deckard watched the scene with his own eyes misting. Kestrel finally noticed him and beckoned him to come forward and so he approached and sat down beside the bed and whispered.

'How do you fare my dear?'

'As well as can be expected, given the circumstances.'

'Have you chosen a name for the child?'

'Gabrielle, considering who her father is I thought it quite fitting.'

Deckard chuckled, 'yes, quite so.' His humour fled as he remembered what he had to do, 'I'm afraid I cannot linger here much longer.'

Kestrel was confused, ''why ever not? Gabrielle will need her grandfather.'

'I know and I will do all I can for her,' Deckard hurriedly explained what had happened to Adria and why he had to leave as Kestrel's face fell as she knew he was right to consider doing so.

'Well Deckard, you must do what is best, I trust you and I know that your reasons are good ones, but I will miss you terribly.'

'As shall I my dear, but before I leave I have a gift that should prove useful for when young Gabrielle is old enough.'

He reached into his robe and pulled out a small crystal orb that Kestrel felt giving off waves of power.

'This is a Horadric focus, mages of the order used them long ago to assist in channelling their magic. Only a handful were ever made and all of them were blessed by Tyrael himself, this should assist Gabrielle to control her angelic powers as the magic flowing through it is quite similar to her that of her birthright.'

Kestrel smiled, 'I thank you, I have been concerned as to how any sorceress could possibly teach her to control her power as she will be quite unique in her gifts.'

Deckard heard the cry of his other charge and remembered his duty, 'I must leave, and I can only pray that we shall see each other soon.'

He bent down and kissed both mother and daughter goodbye before he went downstairs to collect his charge from the midwife. As he exited the city gates, he looked back towards the house and whispered.

'The seeds of the future have begun to grow, and now only time will tell how the new life shall bloom.'