Darksiders Death and Nereza "Strength and Shadows"


"Have you ever wondered, Death, what our child would have thought of you?"

Location: Open Field, Death's Realm
Before the annihilation of the Nephilim

"Looks like I finally get my chance to whack you around, Death!"

"KEEP TALKING, little brother!"

"HEY. Are the both of you forgetting who the bigger one is here?! COME HERE."

Fury and Leila Nereza laughed their hearts out at the sight of the three brothers engaging in their mini battle. Apparently, the three brothers had defied each other for the last time and now this little war was going to be the way to settle it.

"Give me a break, Strife!" Death yelled, wiggling his pinky finger. "I have more grace in my finger than you have in your entire body!"

"YOU CAN'T MOVE without waking up the dead!" replied Strife.

Nereza was currently dressed in a navy-blue long-sleeved gown, but still had her blue amulet and green hooded cloak – the two things she couldn't part with. She was also going to cry if this graceless battle was going to continue any longer. "I can't take it!"

Fury shook her head at them, chuckling away. "Just like human children."

"Exactly."

"Speaking of children…" Fury leaned over to her best friend and flashed a grin.

"I still don't know if it's a boy or a girl," Nereza answered, reading her best friend's mind. "But I know Death wants it to be a boy. I just hope I can give that to him."

"It wouldn't matter to him, Reza. He would still love the child to death." Fury said.

She smiled to herself. "I know he will… I know he will."


Location: Foster's Park, Near the Corinthian Apartments, Seattle, Washington
January 23th
11:51pm

After writing a new journal entry, Melaena Sullivan threw on a deep green hoodie jacket over her tank top and decided that a little walk in Foster's Park, a little park near her apartment building would suffice her well. Foster's Park even had a tiny pond where it served as a wishing well. Whenever Melaena would head to the park, she would make the same wish every single time: "I wish that I could meet Death", before tossing a penny into it.

Foster's park pond was not that deep, so everyone could view the tossed coins just by standing over it. Many people had many wishes, but she was sure that most of them were hers.

Tossing her coin, she turned her heel to walk back to her apartment. A small breeze blew through the park and Melaena tried her best to enjoy it. This particular breeze felt just like the ones she would enjoy in Death's realm. It often surprised her how beautiful his field was, considering his dark tastes. But the field was even more breath-taking at night. Like it was meant to be, the moon would always cast its glow on the field flawlessly.

And when Melaena glanced up at the black sky, there was the moon, in all its glory. As she walked, she gave a little smile, allowing herself to feel a little better about this whole situation. Perhaps her obsession with Death was unhealthy, but it was also the only thing keeping her alive. If those results from her latest visit churn up bad news then-

"Please stop tormenting me, Nereza! I can't take it anymore! You're killing me!"

Melaena narrowed her eyes in great confusion and spun around immediately. She saw something… in a distance, near the wishing pond. But that voice… that deep, husky voice… There was only one person in this whole world who had it.


Meanwhile…

With much gracefulness and agility that would make most ballet performers jealous, Death emerged from the wishing pond, and landed on his feet. He turned his head to glance briefly at the pond. Nathaniel tore through and sent me to Earth through this pond. But I now wield the other exit, which I can use whenever I want to. But I must remember to close it every time. But if the Council were to find out, I could care less. I will take whatever will come. Because it will be worth it.

If it will be worth it…

Death glanced around. Earth. A part of it, at least. According to Nathaniel, this was the closet he could bring Death to. Now he had to find the mortal. But how, exactly?

Something inside him told her she was close. He could feel her. He could feel his angel. He could feel her soul and that she was near. But where, exactly?

Death looked at her amulet around his neck. Since her soul was no longer in there, what was it? He knew for a fact, it was something that had belonged to her. Every time he was near it or he touched it, it told him that it was her. Or rather, a part of her. But what, exactly?

Death gripped the amulet, took a deep breath and began to walk ahead. He had to find her and it had to be now, before the sun would come up or any other mortal would spot him. He could not deal with much trivial matters at this moment.

Suddenly, the amulet shuddered just a little and let go of a sound that sounded distantly like an exhaled breath. Death halted immediately and glanced at it. What the… Her amulet moved. It moved. What did that mean? Was he… was he getting closer to the mortal?

"Don't have high hopes, Death. What if it's not meant to be?"

The Reaper froze, the color draining from his already pale face. No… no, no. That voice… he had heard it so many times over these few centuries. Now it just might be appearing in physical form. He dreaded to even turn around.

"Face me, Reaper! Face the sins you have committed!"

He managed to gather the courage to yell, "NO!"

"Why not? Is the guilt tearing away at you? It should, you know. You deserve it."

That last statement might have just broke him. He spun around and glared at the cruel version of his beloved. "Please stop tormenting me, Nereza! I can't take it anymore! You're killing me!"

"Well, you deserve it, Death!" Her blood-red eyes flashed anger at him. "You killed me! Killed Absalom! Killed the rest of our race! You ended it all! Why do you not want to take responsibility for your actions?"

"I regret nothing!"

She faked a laugh. "You may have said that to the Lord of Bones, but you cannot fool your own beloved…"

He was breathing heavily at this point – brought on by his anger, his pain and the sight of what he was seeing. Why was he seeing this? A part of him just wanted to cry out and just run away. Run away from all of his mistakes and pain. "Why…?" His plea was but a soft sob. "Why do you continue to torment me…? Your voice alone brought so much pain… Now to see you like this…"

This version of Nereza – the corner of her mouth curved into a smile, before a collection of shadows gathered beneath her feet and swallowed her, disappearing from Death's sight. The Pale Rider shut his eyes tightly once more, in an attempt to push aside whatever he may be feeling right now.

"Death?"

Normally, he would have spun around at a new voice. But this one… this was calm, soft and it was Nereza's. But he didn't know want to expect, so he crooked his head first… and was greeted with a surprisingly pleasant sight. So with this assurance, he turned his whole body to this woman in front of him.

The mortal.

She was… of the same height as Nereza. She had the hair, the facial features… everything (if you minus her outfit). She battered her long eyelashes at him, glancing with shock but contentment. Death could not see that those two things in her eyes though, because he was too busy gaping at her.

"It's you," She spoke. "It's really you."


A/N: Death and Melaena finally meet! :D