Darksiders – Death and Nereza – "Strength and Shadows"

Location: Corinthian Apartments, Seattle, Washington
January 29th
10:23pm

"You know, what I'm about to tell you is a little embarrassing…"

"Oh? Well, we shared everything when you were Nereza. What could possibly be embarrassing?"

Melaena Sullivan clutched her journal close to her heart, the embarrassment flushing in her cheeks. "Because when I was Nereza, I never actually told you this."

Death smiled behind his mask. "Well, you have intrigued me now. Please tell me."

After several days of meetings and exchanging information, here they were once again.

Melaena bit her lower lip in even further embarrassment. Reluctantly, she pulled the journal away, flipped to a page and plopped herself next to Death. "Okay, okay. This was another memory, but it didn't involve you. Well, not directly. This was something Nereza told her sisters the day she met you:" She cleared her throat and began to read. "When Fury told me about him, I found it hard to believe. But she was right about every single thing about him. However, she left out the some facts – like the fact that he had such an amazing body. Oh, how it took every fiber of my being not to pounce on him the first time I saw him."

He laughed, but it sounded more like an evil chuckle than an actual laugh. Laughter was never his strongest point, anyway.

Melaena dumped her face into her journal. "Stop laughing! It's embarrassing!"

"Why should it be?"

"I never thought words like that could come out of my mouth…" She said in muffles, due to her face still pressed against her journal.

"Well, you've been living with these memories for so long," He said, pulling her hand away. "You ought to know by now how Reza is."

"I suppose…"

"Is there more?"

"Lots," She said, flipping through some more pages. "Nereza could never shut up about you. Looks like she was really taken by you."

Death sighed slightly. "Her exact word was 'enchanted'."

"I know. I had that dream a thousand times over," She said. "The moon looked just like the one outside," She pointed to her window, where the luminous moon casted a white glow over Seattle. "I would like to see the field for myself, Death. I've always wanted to. It's where you and Nereza shared so many memories. I think I would be doing her justice by visiting it. I know I have to; it's like a feeling inside me that won't go away. I know the feeling's probably due to the fact that Reza's soul is inside me but… but I need to. I have to."

Listening with alertness, Death titled his head to her. "Well… that can be arranged, if you so desire, my angel."

She raised her perfectly trimmed eyebrows at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I think it's high time you come back to my realm. We've exchanged enough information. Perhaps being in the place she once lived in can bring her out a little more."

"I don't know, Death," She frowned. "We've talked for so long and I still feel like I'm trapped. I know I'm Nereza but she just won't come out and take my place."

"We are still trying to find a way, my angel. Have no fear. We will, in due time," He said, quickly taking one hand. "And besides… Fury has been begging me to bring you to her."

Her eyebrows then wrinkled in slight confusion. "F-Fury? You're serious? She wants to see me?"

"You are her sister by law, Laena. Of course she wants to see you."

Melaena looked as if she was uncertain as she lowered her head a little. "She does know that… that I'm not completely Nereza, right? That I don't have shadow powers or anything? That all I have are her memories and features and… feelings that I can't deny…"

Death took her other hand gently, overlooking her last statement. "You are confusing yourself, dearest angel," He lifted her chin high enough for his burning eyes to glance into hers. "You are Nereza. Everything about you screams her. We just need to get you out of the human life you have now."

"Seems almost impossible, now that I think about it. When you sacrificed the Nephilim souls to resurrect mankind, her soul became me. It's pretty obvious. I don't know how you can undo what's already done."

"Trust me, Melaena," He said in his grating yet assuring tone, as he ran that finger he had on her chin to her cheek. "If you have been through what I've been through, you would know that there is always a way. Have faith, dearest angel. You will become who you were always meant to be."

Melaena quickly clasped that hand he had on her cheek and shut her eyes. "Just keep calling me 'angel' like you did and I think I'll be okay."

A/N: Here's a quick, solely Death and Mel chapter!

Okay, so here's something I wanna address because I think I might be confusing some of you guys: Mel is the reincarnation of Reza. What Mel wants is actually to be Nereza, having been through all those dreams for so long. Yes, Mel is her own person, but she can't deny who she was in her previous life and believes she's meant to be, and always be Nereza. Which is why she 'wants to bring Nereza back' - basically, Mel wants to throw away her human life so to speak and be the Nephilim she once was.

Now I know there's gonna be more questions about how it'll all happen because it's all farfetched. But trust me when I say I will address them, but that'll be in the story itself. I can't say anything now or I'll ruin it XD

Hope some things are cleared up! If there are more questions, feel free to send me a personal message and I will answer the best I can!

Please drop by a little constructive review! Hope you guys like it so far :)