Itherael's thoughts were in turmoil. Even as he hovered behind her as she read, he knew that this wasn't what he really wanted. I wanted more. It was getting to a point that he was in pain. As she read with Tyrael, she noticed his strain right away. She thought and looked at him.

"Itherael, you said you wished to speak with me at length?" she asked.

"Oh! I did. But, I do not wish to pry you away from Tyrael," he said.

"It's perfectly fine. I need to check in on Lorath. When you are done speaking to her, I'll return," Tyrael nodded. She smiled at him and let him kiss her gently before getting up and vanishing from the room. When she looked at Itherael, he sighed.

"I was hoping for it to be a private conversation," he admitted. "I was hoping to tell you of my innermost thoughts. If it's too much..."

"No. It's fine," she smiled. "But...if I leave my chamber, my energy may deplete."

"Take her into her mind and speak there. I will ensure none will intervene. And neither will I," Malthael said when he appeared. Itherael nodded his thanks.

"If you can sit in a chair, I'll sit in your lap," she said. Itherael paused at this, but he was able to do so. When her weight settled on his legs, he found himself hugging her. "Let's go into my mind. Talk to me there, as Malthael suggested."

"Of course," he nodded and found himself focusing with her. When they appeared by the rain forest waterfall, he found himself sitting on the mossy rock with her in his lap. At first he said nothing. He was feeling only relief with her resting in his lap like this. It sent a form of contentment through him at long last. "I'll talk in a moment. In a way...well...this is what I needed right now."

"Is it?" she smiled. He only nodded slightly and rocked her gently. She didn't dare to reach up into his hood. Such a thing would be too much. Or so she thought. When he lifted her hand to place on his cheek, she paused with wonder. "You...want me to touch you?"

"If you could," he whispered.

"I normally only do this to those that are rather close to me," she frowned.

"The champion for Anu is supposed to be a part of me. A piece of my Aspect. In a way, I see your offspring as a bit of mine, too."

"Oh! Well...I suppose with that thought..."

"And, I would not tell any of what you do with me."

"You would not have to. Imperius would know."

"So much truth in that."

"Itherael, there is clearly something raging in your thoughts. Please tell me what is going on?"

"I'll tell you...but you may be in shock."

"With how you are right now, I do believe that."

"Well...you are correct that I am troubled. But, it is not what you would expect. Here is why. I am also in love with you. As deeply as the others."

"I..." she paused.

"I know that you cannot say anything back. That I may not see the same affection in return. I could not bear to see Imperius break that much more, either. I do believe that it is because of Anu's form being a part of me that had this intense feeling begin to appear. I cannot fathom the thought of you coming to any sort of harm. It...frustrates me...to feel this way..."

"You should not be frustrated," she whispered and softly caressed his cheek. He trembled and gave a soft gasp of relief at the tight hug she gave him.

"I want to be with you as Imperius is," Itherael finally admitted.

"Imperius would not like that," she cringed. "I vowed to let no others touch me in such a way. He is just barely able to allow what Malthael does! Even Tyrael, though they have a truce."

"I know. Talus'ar has revealed so much to me."

"What does Talus'ar say to this?"

"That I will suffer."

"Suffer?"

"To love you from afar without any hope of being able to be with you as I need to."

"Itherael..."

"I do not know what else I can do," he sighed. Then he found her mouth locked on his. He gave into the kiss easily until it ended. At the heavy sigh she gave now, he knew she was starting to fret. She wanted to ease my pain, but it was in a way that could not happen. "I know how to hide this with you. But, it will tax you each time. We...did this before..."

"We did?!" she gaped.

"Yes. And, I had to help you forget. All of it was to keep Imperius calmed. You will forget everything I have spoken of. Everything that I have admitted to you. All of it. I do not know what else to do. It pains me to do this. And it also harms you," Itherael said and tightened his hold on her. Just as she was going to suggest having him help her forget, she felt a pull directing her to the mental spire.

"Itherael, please take me to my mental spire," she said. At this, he was up with her in his arms and launching himself into the air with her. He now hovered before it with her in his arms, and she had him set her down. As she walked up to it, she paused at the intense feeling of love and trust that surrounded her. She hung her head to listen to what Anu was now telling her.

:HE IS PART...OF MY CHAMPION. NO LONGER...WILL YOU FORGET...: Anu ordered.

"But...Imperius..." she whispered.

:I SHALL HIDE THIS...AND HE WILL NOT...KNOW ANYTHING...:

"So...you will let me keep this knowledge? And let him sense nothing?"

:CORRECT. YOU SHALL FORGET...WHEN ITHERAEL LEAVES...BUT YOU WILL...REMEMBER ALL...WHEN HE RETURNS...:

"I see! So, I will know nothing when Itherael leaves my side? And I will only remember when he and I are like this?"

:CORRECT. BE WITH HIM...FREELY...WHEN HE IS NEAR...:

"I thank you, Anu," she smiled. When she turned to look at Itherael, he was oblivious to the conversation. Now she walked over to him, pulled him close, and kissed him fully. At his motion of shock, she said, "Anu does not wish for me to forget about you. So, he will hide the knowledge from Imperius. However, I will forget all of this when you are not close to me like this. I will remember everything when we are alone like this."

"Anu is...letting me..." Itherael said with sheer wonder. Talus'ar knew nothing of this, either.

"But, I do believe that it's if I return your love when everything will shatter," she warned. At the approval she felt from Anu, she nodded. "Yes. Anu agrees with me on this."

"Then do not return my love, but show me that you care. And, I know you do," Itherael sighed and pulled her close to hug her tight. "You did tell me that you do."

"Yes. As much as Tyrael and Malthael. I do know that much," she smiled. "Now tell me. What do you want to talk about?"

"I fear that talk is something I cannot focus on right now," he admitted.

"And what is it that you want to do?" she asked a touch mischievously. An odd growl now came from him, and it mildly surprised him. He never made a sound like that before. When he cleared his throat to apologize, she only giggled. "Itherael, that sound you made is quite normal."

"Is it?"

"Oh, yes! Imperius does the same sound when I entice him. Even Tyrael. Malthael does, too, but only when he isn't brooding."

"There is much for me to learn, it seems," he sighed.

"What do you want me to teach you?" she whispered in his invisible ear. That growl came back when he pulled her close. She had him move her to an enclosed area of her mind to spend a blissful thirty minutes with him. He never expected to find himself lying on his back with her on his chest. Even though it was a mental image, it was still different.

"I would say that I am defeated..." he started and paused at her finger to his invisible lips.

"You experienced pleasure. This is normal. And this is only a mental state. Imperius is the only one that I know of that has never lain on the ground with me. Although, I may have him try to be with me mentally and physically. He has not tried that yet," she mused. Itherael laughed softly and squeezed her. His wings still floated above him, since they were not attached to his body.

"It is a very different sensation."

"I would like to see your sanctum. In time."

"You had seen it before, but you had forgotten."

"I see. Tell me...what did you have me forget?"

"Well," Itherael sighed. "at first, Imperius had you forget that you mistook me for him. You had kissed me after he had joined with you. This was, truly, how all of this started."

"I can see why he would have me forget that."

"You wanted to forget, too."

"I can understand that."

"You were too afraid that you would feel as though you had begun to regret it."

"Were there any other times?"

"I also had to be with you for Anu's form. In my sanctum. It is why you had to forget again for Imperius. Then it had to happen once more. The first time was for your mental state. The last time was for the physical part. I am relieved that we do not have to worry."

"Yes. It is fine now. I am very glad that Anu has decided to assist with us."

"He said I was worthy of having offspring with you."

"But...how would that happen? Without Imperius knowing?"

"I am honestly unsure," he admitted. "We shall find out in time."

"That we will. Ah, I think it is time for us to wake," she said. "I'm getting hungry once again."

"Of course," he chuckled and kissed her softly. He let out an involuntary groan when the kiss became something more with a violent twist of need. It took another twenty minutes for them to finally wake. As she did, Anu had neatly pushed aside various memories. She would remember that they had talked, and that she helped Itherael see reason.

"That's odd," she frowned. "I can't really remember what all we discussed."

"You helped me find clarity," he said softly. "And I thank you for that."

"Oh," she blushed. He was still hugging her in his lap, and a chaste kiss was pressed to his lips. She made no move to leave his lap, and he wasn't planning for her to leave it, either. At the sight of the food presented to her now, she thought and looked at him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I want to try something with you. I did this with Imperius," she giggled. She selected a savory piece of chicken breast to eat. Then she turned and pressed her lips to his. She couldn't do the full kiss to him like this, but he was able to taste just enough of what she ate.

"Now that is interesting!" he said with complete amazement.

"Of course, with Imperius, he can kiss me fully. If I leave enough on my lips for you, you could taste what I eat," she smiled. Now he planned to have a meal ready for her in his sanctum. But that was only after she gave birth. She couldn't have her energy depleted right now.

"Sister, can you try that with me?" Izarius chuckled. She nodded, ate another piece of meat and gave him the chaste kiss she always gave him. "Wow! I can taste that!"

"I can't really do the wine, but you get the idea," she smiled.

"Try that?" Itherael said and gestured to a small dessert. She laughed softly to do as he asked. Now that she was eating and being neatly entertained, it was a completely different situation on Sanctuary. Inarius was getting ready to confront the demoness Lilith. And he was nervous.

"Where has he chosen to confront the demon filth?" Malthael asked Izual. Izual was standing in the viewing chamber to watch everything from afar.

"He decided to confront her where the Worldstone used to rest," Izual snorted. Malthael thought and vanished to appear where Imperius was. The powerful Archangel looked over at him.

"Inarius is going to confront the demon filth now. If you wish to watch at the viewing chamber, now is the time," Malthael muttered out.

"Yes, I will want to see this," Imperius nodded. "Is Anaurael well?"

"Itherael is with her and Izarius. She is eating again. Should I get Tyrael? He had returned to Sanctuary to assist the Horadrim," Malthael asked.

"Yes. Have him at the viewing chamber with us. Itherael should be there, too, with Auriel. This needs to be a Council witness," Imperius ordered. Malthael nodded and vanished first to Anaurael's bed chamber. Itherael looked up at him curiously.

"Imperius requires you to be at the main viewing pool. You will know when you get there. I am to retrieve Auriel and Tyrael," Malthael said.

"Is everything well?" Anaurael asked.

"It is about Inarius," he said lightly.

"I must see to this," Itherael agreed. He hugged her and moved to let her resettle in her chair, but Izarius was able to let her sit in his lap. She needed the comfort.

"Let me know what happens?" she asked.

"You shall know," Malthael promised.

"I shall retrieve Auriel. You get Tyrael," Itherael said. Malthael nodded and vanished to Sanctuary. He found Tyrael going over various documents with Lorath. At his approach, he was easily regarded for an explanation on his visit.

"Imperius wishes for you to come back to the High Heavens. Inarius is about to confront Lilith. You need to bear witness to this as a Council meeting," Malthael said.

"Lorath, I have Angiris Council business to attend to," Tyrael said.

"I have the rest of this! Thanks for stopping by," Lorath chuckled. Tyrael chuckled back and was able to teleport with Malthael back to Heaven.

"What did I miss?" Tyrael asked when he stood by Imperius at the chamber.

"Inarius is about to contact that demon filth," Imperius snorted.

"Where is he meeting her?" he asked.

"The place where the Worldstone once stood," Izual said.

"The chamber looks different now," Tyrael muttered while peering into the pool.

"Well, it is lacking an ancient artifact," Imperius growled.

"I did what I had to do!" Tyrael glared at him. "Baal had touched it!"

"You should have come to us first!" Imperius snapped.

"No! Do not argue!" Itherael said quickly. "Anaurael will know!"

"Think of her health with your offspring," Malthael added. "Remember your truce."

"Hard to do when there is no need to remember it!" Imperius said bitterly. Auriel suddenly vanished and went to Anaurael's chamber. When she arrived, Izarius looked up with Anaurael in his lap.

"I am asking you to go to Imperius. He cannot focus right now, and he is arguing with Tyrael. If he cannot properly judge what Inarius does next, it will affect everything," Auriel said.

"Izarius, please take me to him," Anaurael said.

"If you see any violence..." Izarius started.

"I shall not watch. I need to be there for Imperius, it seems," she said. Izarius nodded and rose up with her in his arms. Auriel nodded to them both and let them follow her teleport signature to where the others were. When Imperius saw Anaurael, he scowled. At that, her jaw dropped with a form of hurt. "Do not make that sound at me! For what purpose do I deserve that?"

"I..." Imperius seemed to tremble. Izarius set her down, and she walked over to him to rest her hands on his. When she ran her hands up his arms, he was quick to raise her up to his shoulders. It was something he couldn't ignore when she did that. When her hand slipped under his helm to caress his cheek, he shuddered with complete relief. "You should not be here..."

"You need me here," she whispered softly.

"I apologize for..." he started, but her finger moved to press against his invisible lips.

"I know why. You were slipping. I will not pay attention to what happens, but you must be clear in your thoughts. I forgive you. Now I want you to focus on what happens while I rest on you," she smiled softly. Her thumb gently traced over his mouth before she kissed him passionately.

"I missed you," he sighed and squeezed her to him.

"I missed you, too," she said and kept her hand on his cheek. Now that he was considerably calmed, he was able to look over at Tyrael to nod to him. Tyrael nodded back to show the argument was done and forgotten. Their attention was now fully focused on the viewing pool. Izual could only sigh and shake his head at what he witnessed. Anaurael was clearly the key to helping Imperius focus in full.

Once this was established, she kept her face pressed into the space between his helm and chest armor to keep her eyes shielded. He stood up tall with her in his arms and stared down into the pool. The others were quick to follow suit and watch what happened next. Izarius stood by her side to watch for her. As they paid rapt attention in the safety of the High Heavens, Inarius was finally calling forth the rift that he used to seal away Lilith.

The split in the air from the dimensional disturbance was quick to appear. He willed it to open with a couple more words of focused power. What fell out next made him pause. She was still beautiful to me. The rift kept her ageless and immortal, aside from her demonic blood. Her dark green skin was flawless. Her face was a singular perfection of beauty, save for the burning orbs that were her eyes. The four long, jointed limbs that extruded from her back seemed to waver as she regained her senses. The black clawed tips on the ends of them even dug into the earth around her to keep her stable.

Her four-fingered, clawed, black hands seemed to clench, as she struggled to figure out where she was. Her black hair was like a crown of horn-like spikes, and she heaved to let her massive chest take in true air once more. She would have been naked save for the darker armored skin that covered the front of her chest, and the slight armor that bound around her waist for the tassel to cover her front and back. She even had a bit of a tail that whipped around wildly at first before relaxing. It was as though she finally woke up from an intensely long sleep.

"Inarius...?" she seemed to purr out of her mouth of fangs when she stood up. She recognized his scent. Her hooved feet now bore her weight, as she regarded him.

"Yes. It is I," he nodded.

"You look...so different..." she whispered.

"Your father tortured me for a millennia," he said. "He said he would let me go if I gave over your location, but I did not. I knew he would not let me go, anyways."

"How did you get free?" she frowned.

"The Worldstone was destroyed just around twenty years ago. We are in the very chamber the Worldstone used to be. Since the Worldstone was fully obliterated, a Nephalem was able to be born into the world again. More are appearing now. They grouped together to rescue me from your father's place in the Burning Hells."

"But...why?! The angels despised you!" she said.

"I was granted a reprieve. But it is not given in full just yet," Inarius said lightly.

"Who granted that to you?" she now asked with full curiosity in her tone.

"I'll tell you, if you answer a question for me," he now said with a small sneer in his tone. "What made you decide to go after Uldyssian? I thought you had vowed to belong to none other than me."

"That was before you locked me away!" she growled.

"And you attacked me that second time, too, didn't you?"

"You still locked me away! You abandoned me!"

"You abandoned me when you attacked what were supposed to be our allies!" he snarled at her. She stopped to study him now. Then she purred and moved to press against him.

"I missed you," she whispered. "Surely, there is no way that you can grant me a reprieve? Don't you miss this? Us? Being together like this?"

"Demon filth!" he snapped and shoved her away from him. "I am immune to your charms!"

"Whoever said I was charming you?" she seemed to pout. What she didn't know was that Anu was protecting him. Anu was finally letting him see her as she truly was. A vile seductress that only wanted to gain favor with him to bend to her will. The moment Inarius decided to accept Lilith back at his side was when Anu would abandon him again.

"I see now what I was blinded from before," he trembled. "You used me."

"I did not! I gave you children!"

"And the ones that survived thrive just as well without us now. They still live to this day. Weakened from the Worldstone, but our descendants still live. You only seek to use me now to see if more Nephalem can be born. My answer is no. Because a full repeat of the past will reoccur. I cannot let that happen again."

"Well, then," she seemed to straighten. "if I cannot get what I want from you..."

"None will agree to what you want," he growled.

"Then I'll find my way to your precious Heaven! Maybe I'll find another there to suit my needs," she smirked. "Of course, I'll have to find a way past you first, won't I?"

"You will never get past me!" he spat. Then he took out his sword to point it at her. "I recall my vow to keep from slaying you! I owe no more debts! I have no more doubts!"

"You freed me from here! If you want to kill me, then hunt me down!" she shrieked at him and teleported away. What she didn't expect was to reappear at the opposite end of the room. She glared at him with a heavy snarl of hatred.

"If you want to leave here, then you have to kill me. I am the one that holds you here. Come and get me!" he said and readied his sword. She howled and flung herself at him. A moment later, she realized that he had impaled her straight through.

"You...actually..." she whispered.

"Yes. I did," he nodded.

"I loved you..."

"And I loved you. But, you betrayed me. I cannot go through such betrayal again. So, I am offering you release from your torment at last. Rest now. Be at peace," he said. As he started to withdraw his sword, she glared at him. Then her tail whipped out to impale through him.

"Let us both rest...together..." she smirked and finally fell dead. He coughed out his liquid Light and wrenched her tail free of him. He collapsed to the ground next to her body, but he felt himself lifted up. He soon found himself staring at the twin crystal pillars of Light that made up the Heavenly Arch.

"My brother. You have honored yourself well this day," Anaurael said when she leaned over his face. "I shall heal you now. Then you can rest and recover."

"Sister..." he whispered and cried out at the healing that was granted to him. She had to touch the crystal pillar of Light directly again to do this, but the last thing he remembered was a sensation of pride. Anu was very proud of me. He earned his right at last to be fully accepted back into the High Heavens. Malthael would likely still watch him, but now there would be no doubts about Inarius. At least until he gained roguish thoughts again. They would always have to watch for that.