Author's note: This chapter was the most difficult for me to write so far because I had it so much at heart to make it as trilling as it was in my head. I just hope you will have a Hell of a time reading it! Enjoy!
Their swords crashed against one another in a sparkling explosion of power. Both knew that this fight could only end in the death of one of them.
Michael fended his first attack easily and counter attacked quickly with a violent slash of his two handed sword, immediately followed by a sharp sweeping stroke of wing that grazed Lucifer's chest.
Lucifer kept at it a few rounds, to gauge his opponent, attacking and trying to fend two attacks coming almost at the same time. He got cut almost every time by the tip of Michael's wings and just narrowly avoided having his throat cut once. He was already bloodied after less than a minute of fight whereas Michael was still sparklingly intact.
He saw the condescending smile on his brother's face creep back into place. "Not so confident anymore, are you Satan?" The angel didn't wait for a reply and lashed into a series of attacks combining sword, wings and short flights to smash from above.
To add to the challenge of the presence of the wings, it became evident that Michael didn't lack practice in fighting with a sword. To be honest, Michael was even better at it than he had been back in the time of Lucifer's Fall. On the other hand, Lucifer had only rarely used a sword in his time in Hell and his last training went back centuries ago. He was still good enough at it to spar a bit though, mind you, but it became rapidly clear that Lucifer would never win a sword fight in these conditions. To confirm his suspicions, he was suddenly thrown back violently on the ground from a devastating slashing wing that left a big gash on his torso.
Lucifer tried to take in a deep breath but the pain was excruciating. He certainly had a couple ribs broken along with the gaping wound. Okay! It didn't seem to be going well for him so far. Maybe he should have come better prepared in the first place. Time to think of a plan B now. He had a couple ideas in mind but a simple use of brut power would not do the trick here. Michael had a powerful weapon too that could absorb almost everything the Devil could throw at him and the angel had some powers of his own too. Lucifer would have to be smart and maybe even play dirty if he wanted to get out of there alive.
The angel took his time to prowl around his apparently weaken little brother, jubilating at watching him down and bloodied.
Lucifer took advantage of the offered time off to get back his bearings and his breath and think of his options. What were his assets here? First he had The Flaming sword, which meant he had a lot of fire power. He just had to determinate what to do with it. Second, as good as Michael was with his sword, he seemed to be just a little bit slower than Lucifer due to the fact he was wielding a two handed sword and that Lucifer's was a long sword that could be handled with only one hand. Last and not the least, Michael probably had no idea of his hellish powers, which would give him an important advantage. If he could only get rid of the wings, he would have a fighting chance.
It didn't take long for Michael to get back at trying to kill him. In a swirl of feathers, the angel rose into the air at an incredible speed to bring down his sword on Lucifer who was still in the process of getting back up. Putting aside his pain, Lucifer rolled over away from the blow, barely escaping in one piece. In a surge of power, he surprised his feathered brother with a ball of fire coming from the palm of his hand that took the angel right in the middle of a deployed wing. He quickly had it followed by a column of fire coming from the ground that swallowed them both in a rush of devouring heat. Lucifer continued to roll over as far away as he could from another stroke while maintaining the fire in place to cover his movements.
Now back on his feet, covered in flames but unburned by it, Lucifer saw his brother coming out of the fire all gleaming with an eerie light around him that seemed to emanate from his sword. His wings were tucked behind his back, all blacken at the tip of the feathers but still apparently mostly whole. He couldn't see if the fireball had made as much damage as he hoped, but it had certainly taken out some feathers for sure. With a few pats of his hands, Michael took out the fire that had started on his clothes just before the reflex of protecting himself with his sword's power had kicked in.
Lucifer was glad to see a rictus of anger on the smartass's face. "Who is losing confidence now? Brother! You'll see that I'm not as easily killed as it seems." The Devil gloated. He slowly took off his jacket still in flames with his shirt along with it. Damn! It was his third suit to be ruined in only a week. He saved what was left of his pants by extinguishing the fire with some of his hellish power. He didn't want to fight in his Adam suit after all.
When only a few days before a simple fireball had depleted almost all of Lucifer's energy, he could now barely feel the impact of his having used so much power with this attack. Well! Well! The Flaming sword was as powerful as he remembered. No need for wings and celestial power after all!
His breathing was almost back to normal now even if the pain was still very much present. Not wanting to let his brother time enough to recover from his last attack, he launched himself at the angel with his sword raised and a scream of war. It was great time to light things up!
Lucifer changed tactic. Before each stroke of his sword, he would make fire burst from the ground around Michael to force him to keep his wings folded and to use his powers to protect himself, which distracted him efficiently from their sword fight and provided Lucifer openings to attack and hit his target. Michael backed away slowly with each attack until they were at the limit of the meadow. By now Michael was wearing a few cuts of his own on his arms and legs and more than a few burns, and his wings were fuming. His wounds were slowly starting to slow him down, but not as much as Lucifer's were.
The feathered prick finally gave in and tucked away his smoking wings. Very good! He was probably too afraid of burning them for good. After all, without them fairly intact, he could not leave this plane to get his wounds tended by one of their brother, if he got out of the fight alive, that is. They were now both on more even ground.
Lucifer looked him over with evident satisfaction. "Those burns must hurt like bitches! How incommoding!" Angering his brother was very much fun, but it could also make him too eager to fight and hopefully sloppy.
The angel looked really pissed alright. "Look at you! Dirty little thing! You can't even fight nobly!" He walked slowly around Lucifer to not have the trees at his back and returned back farther into the field.
Lucifer left him walk away, taking the opportunity to recover a bit. His fractured ribs hurt like Hell every time he took a swing and he was losing a lot of blood due to his gaping wound, which was making him weaker by the minute. "Well! You see, I find myself wanting very much to stay alive. So I'm willing to do as need be to stay as such." Lucifer wasn't particularly proud of his way of fighting, but he preferred being sorry than dead.
"I can play dirty too little brother!" With that threat, the angel ran at him and attacked with all his might. The force of the blow reverberated painfully through Lucifer's sword's arm and ribs. Without the power of The Flaming sword, Lucifer could never have stopped it with only one arm, probably not even with two. He didn't even have time to wince though that he felt a powerful knee kick connecting with his diaphragm that took his breath away and displaced his broken ribs, follow closely by an uppercut right under the chin. He was hurled backward some feet away where he fell on his back, stunned.
He tried to stand back up but the pain in his abdomen and chest was too much and he was unable to breathe. His vision was blurring, feeling consciousness leaving him slowly. No! He could not lose it now! He just needed time to recover. But he didn't have time. He could see through his blurring vision the shape of his brother approaching him slowly, probably gloating in delight.
With only the strength of willpower, Lucifer fought to stay conscious and took one last swing of his sword only to have it hit the ground with full force. It started a thundering ripple of earth that went straight to the surprised angel. The ground erupted around him in a shower of earth, rocks and fire, propelling him into the air at least 20 feet away. He hit the ground forcefully on his back, losing his sword in the process. Lucifer could barely see him through tears of pain, but once he located him, the Devil closed his eyes slowly to tap into the power of his sword. He felt It come alive, growing in strength and hunger. He opened his eyes and saw It, hovering above Michael from behind. The latter seemed confused following the shock of the hit he just took and didn't seem to be aware of It's presence.
With as much power at his hands, Lucifer was certain he could have summoned a real demon up here, but the idea of unleashing it on Earth didn't warm him. There were other things he could temporarily summon though, one of them being that beautiful creature. The thing was part fire, part darkness, with glowing red eyes. It was raising up five feet tall on four legs of fire and was wearing a bestial face with long dark fangs. A long tail of raging fire was whipping angrily behind It. The thing licked Its blazing lips ravenously with a long black tongue that seemed to be dripping fire.
In the blink of an eye, the beast sank Its fangs into the angel's left shoulder and upper torso from behind. Now completely lost in the frenzy of tasting a celestial being, the thing growled and shook Michael from left to right as if to take him apart. If it hadn't been for his armor plate protecting his torso and part of his shoulder, Michael would certainly have lost his arm and maybe more. As it was, the fangs had pierced through the plate and reached the skin in some places, drawing rivulets of blood down his torso. The force of the jaw grip even cracked his left clavicle. The angel let escape a cry of agony.
After a moment of shaking him around, the fire beast threw the angel away and proceeded to place itself in front of him to take a new bite. While Lucifer took advantage of the situation to get back his senses, Michael scrambled on all four to reach his sword before the next attack from the hellish beast. Unfortunately for the Devil, his brother had fallen close to his sword and was now raising it unsteadily to defend himself. The beast approached him cautiously, sending a heated growl of frustration that shook the earth. Chin up and on one knee, Michael stood fast and waited for the attack that was sure to come soon. Still in his frenzy of angelic blood, the beast finally attacked head first at a lightning speed.
Michael's sword connected with the beast's neck but not strongly enough to decapitate it, due to his lack of strength in his left arm and to the speed of the attack. The beast growled in pain while tumbling over the angel. It tried to sink Its fangs and claws into the celestial being but Michael held him at arm's length. But to hold back a beast of fire with bare hands did not come without its price. Even with the power of his sword coursing through him, Michael's hands were burning at the touch of the hellish creature. Suddenly, a burst of celestial energy shot off from Michael and pushed the beast a few feet away, far enough for Michael to get up on shaky legs and raise his sword once more with burned hands. This time, Michael didn't way for another attack and drove his sword down with as much force as he could muster. The sword cleaved the beast in two in the middle of Its torso, and It started to dissipate with a piercing howl, in a cloud of smoke and darkness.
Michael stood there motionless, breathing hard and moaning in pain. After a few seconds, he dropped his sword and clenched his shoulder with his right hand. He turned around to look at Lucifer who was now back on his feet a secure distance away. They were both panting noisily, visibly greatly weaken.
After a long moment of looking hatefully at each other and trying to get their breath back, Michael lowered himself and retrieved his sword. He proceeded to walk slowly around Lucifer to evaluate the Devil's remaining strength, while dragging his sword heavily behind him.
"You are a monster!" The angel spat disdainfully.
Lucifer felt his hatred for his brother redouble. "And whose fault is that? Tell me?" He screamed. "You are the one who helped create me in the first place by sending me to Hell! What did you expect to accomplish by doing so? Make me more angelic?" He snorted contemptuously.
"You deserved that punishment a hundred times over! You killed them all!" Michael was losing it, unable to keep his old resentments buried any longer. "And I will send you back to Hell, even if I have to die doing it!" He was now screaming at the top of his lungs, overwhelmed by anger, hatred and pain at the reminder of the people he lost all those millennia ago.
Lucifer nodded slowly with determination. "So be it!"
They started fighting again, sword beating against sword, both with heavy and clumsy movements. Neither had much energy left in him. Lucifer still felt the power of the sword coursing through him, fueled by his burning hatred, but he was hesitant to use it again, afraid it would drain the few remaining strength he still had in him. Started here and there during their fight, the fires were gaining strength by the minute. It helped contain Michael, and Lucifer used it at his advantage. But he knew he would not be able to keep fighting much longer for he could feel his broken ribs moving and tear him apart from the inside each time he swung his sword. They both got a few successful hit at each other again though. Lucifer's torso and abdomen wore now multiple bleeding gashes whereas Michael had a few new ones on his arms and thighs and even one on his left torso where The Flaming sword had gone through.
Nothing would have been more satisfying than to defeat his brother with a sword's stroke, but after a few more minutes of painful fighting, Lucifer knew he had no choice but to rely once more on his sword's power to stay alive. So he backed away a few feet from Michael to collect himself and tap into his power, hoping it wouldn't drain him dry.
Michael didn't follow him, probably glad for the moment of respite allowed to him. He looked as weak as Lucifer felt. Slowly, at first hardly noticeable because of the setting sun and the fires shedding shadows around the meadow, patches of shadows started forming and move around Michael. Surprised when he noticed it, the angel tried to fend it with his sword but it only went through it as if he was trying to cut through smoke. Lucifer backed away a little further and smiled at his accomplishment. He felt weaker as expected, but could still keep upright. Michael looked around wildly, very much on edge in front of this unknown treat. More shadows rose around him that the angel was still not able to slay. At Lucifer's silent commend, the shadows started to attack, grabbing Michael's limbs with dark tentacles and pulling him down. Each time Michael succeeded at hitting a grabbing shadow it dissipated and released its hold on him, only to reform slowly somewhere else and attack again. Quickly overwhelmed by the darkness, Michael went down on his knees, exhausted. Those things were not fast nor strong and there was no way it could have made Michael bend the knee, even less overpower him like that, had the angel been any stronger. Never had the Devil thought that those simple shadows he normally used only to scare weak human souls, would one day save his life.
When his brother's sword fell down on the ground, Lucifer painfully walked towards him slowly. He was victorious at last. His vengeance was now at hand. "Look at me brother!" He thundered. And Michael did. The angel didn't try anymore to escape from the shadows. He knew he was defeated. "I am the last thing you'll ever see." Lucifer added, raising his sword, ready to kill.
"You are an evil thing and deserve to burn in Hell! I pray that someone else will stop you!" Michael yelled.
Lucifer's face contorted in anger. "I AM NOT EVIL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Michael started laughing madly. "Look at you! You are the embodiment of evil!"
Lucifer lowered his sword slowly and passed it to his left hand. "I told you!" He said dangerously, raising his right fist. "I, AM, NOT, EVIL" He screamed, punctuating each word with a strong punch in Michael's face that drew blood and broke bones.
Michael continued laughing during his beating. However, he didn't seem to be able to stay upright on his knees by himself anymore, only the shadows kept him so.
At last Michael kept quiet, too busy spiting blood out of his mouth. Lucifer looked at him, panting in rage. It was his turn to be victorious! His time of glory! So why did he not feel happier at the view of his kneeling brother? An image sprang into his mind. An image of himself kneeling before Michael at the end of the battle in Heaven. An image not so different from what was displaying in front of him. He could once more see the deaths around him, hear the screams of his dying brothers and sisters, and feel again the devastation he had felt at knowing he was the one responsible for it. He didn't need Michael to remind him that he was to blame for it even if he had killed none of them with his sword. The only person he had ever killed was Uriel, because he had no choice at the time and he would bear the pain and guilt of that action for eternity.
Did he have a choice now? Could he do otherwise? And what would Chloe think of him if he killed him only for revenge? What would he think of himself? Could he even be able to look at himself in a mirror if he killed another of his brother when he could have done otherwise? Suddenly he remembered what he had said to Azrael, that he would insure peace and not chaos with The Flaming sword. He looked around him, at the devastated meadow raging with fire and at his brother plastered with blood, barely conscious. He, had brought chaos around himself! No one else. Was he becoming exactly what he swore he would never be? Evil? A killer? No! He would never become what they wanted him to be. What they all thought him to be. He had free will, and he could chose to be whoever he wanted, and he was not a killer. He was not evil!
A deep feeling of guilt and shame washed over him and he moaned in misery. He looked at his sword still in his left hand, wondering what to do with it. His mind finally made up, he used one last time the power of The Flaming sword to quench the fires around him then, he released Michael by conjuring the shadows away. That done, the fire-like light around The Flaming sword dissipated along with the hatred in Lucifer and he dropped the sword, drained.
At the same moment, thunder rumbled dangerously above them. Lucifer looked up at the darkening sky that was completely empty only moments ago, to discover that black angry clouds were now hovering over them, as if God himself was judging his actions.
Chloe looked at the devastation displaying before her. Fires were raging almost everywhere over the meadow by now and black smoke was rising towards the sky. As much as that picture was distressing, what was terrifying her even more was the sight of hellish creatures of shadows encircling who she thought to be Michael and bringing him down. She saw Lucifer walking slowly, shirt less, through a patch of fire towards his brother. Was that all his doing? The fires, the dark creatures? Of course it was! The look on Lucifer's face was one of pure hatred. She saw him raise his sword, ready to strike at the angel who was now completely at his mercy. She felt her heart beat faster and louder in her chest. Had she already lost him completely even if he was the one still standing? She was afraid to watch and have her darkest fear confirmed but was unable to turn her gaze from the sight.
She felt Amenadiel unnecessarily hold her back by putting his hand on her arm, silently asking her to not intervene. She wanted nothing more than to scream at Lucifer, scream for him to stop now and not lose his soul completely by crossing a line he could never comeback from, but she was also too afraid of distracting him and have him get killed by her fault. He was still alive at least, wasn't that the most important thing? But what would be left of the man she loved if he turned himself to the shadows?
She heard him scream at Michael that he was not evil and saw him hit his brother forcefully in the face. Tears fell down her cheeks at the sight. Amenadiel was still holding her arm tightly, as if frozen into place. After the pummeling, Lucifer stayed very still, hovering over Michael. There was a long moment of complete silence during which only the noise of the fires could be heard. It was as if nature itself was holding its breath in front of the drama that was taking place.
After what seemed an eternity to Chloe, all fires disappeared suddenly as if by magic, leaving only a light mist behind. The unearthly shadows retreated too, letting Michael fall on all four. She just had the time to release a breath of relief she must have been holding for a long time, when she heard thunder rolling angrily in the sky. She looked up reflexively at the threat. The dark clouds that were gathering there seemed unnatural, diffusing an eerie light. She saw lightning illuminating them here and there followed closely by other deep rumblings of thunders.
She could swear she just took her eyes off the two brothers for a couple of seconds before concentrating on them again, but what she saw and then heard when she gazed again upon them froze her blood into her veins. As if caught up in a bad dream, Chloe heard herself scream in horror. "Nooooooo!"
A sharp pain brought Lucifer's gaze down on himself. He could not make sense of what he was seeing. There was a blade coming out of his left side. "What…?" He looked half way up at his brother who was still on his knees in front of him but with his sword in hands now deeply buried inside him. It felt like a replay of his Fall, except at the time it was him who had been on his knees. The blade had penetrated him in the exact same spot as it had pierced him that fatidic day.
Tears of anger and pain were streaming down Michael's face. "You killed them! You killed them all! I can't let you do it again with humanity!" He half screamed, half cried.
Lucifer saw in Michael's eyes the echo of his own pain at having lost so many of his siblings. "I'm… I'm sorry!" He whispered. What else could he say?
Lucifer didn't know if Michael even heard him, for the angel went on screaming his rage. "You will burn in Hell for eternity! I will make you Fall all over again!"
With that, the angel's wings spread out and he launched himself in the air, carrying Lucifer who was still impaled on his sword.
Lucifer's ears were buzzing with the rush of blood and the pain. However, over the noise, he thought he heard a scream of horror coming from farther away. His eyes snapped open. Could it be her? Was she truly here or was he hallucinating because of the pain he was in? The screams seemed to be continuing though. It really sounded like her! She must have followed him after all. That was so like her! The thought made him smile in spite of everything. It was saddening though, to think she was seeing him end like that, but on the other hand, he was glad for this last chance at seeing her. He tried to turn his head enough to get a look at his lover. Please! He pleaded silently. Just one last look at her before I go! But he was immobilised by the weight of his own body impaled on the sword and could not turn around enough to see her. He felt himself flying upward farther and farther away. At one point, he could no longer hear her voice and it broke his heart. She was gone from his life for good now. He would never see her again. He would burn in Hell again where his family would insure he'd stay for good this time.
Lucifer saw and heard the sky illuminating in lightning and thunder all around him. His Father had obviously come to admire the show and seemed eager to see the last scene play. Their speed decreased all of a sudden and they came to a halt where Michael started flying in place.
The angel withdrew his blade slowly while pushing on Lucifer's body to release him. Through his anger, Michael almost seemed sad. "You leave me no choice brother!"
Michael gave one last push on his body then Lucifer felt himself Fall. Once more, he was Falling inexorably towards Hell!
Author's note: Did I succeed? Was this good? Please let me know! Your reviews will be my reward and my fuel to keep on writing this story. Thanks for reading and following this story!