Chapter 2: Redemption
They had fallen
Given up
Left for dead.
Their hope futile, their faith useless.
And as the midnight sky fell, He journeyed onto the battle scared land,
A man called love.
The demons looked to Him, His very presence etched deep in their souls.
He walked to the defeated twins, life gone from their fragile bodies.
The demons backed away, the fire in His eyes demanding respect.
Rise,
He commanded.
He touched their bodies, breath filling their lungs once more.
Zack gazed up, his body shaking with fear.
The mere fact he was touching one like this, a miracle.
Zack rose again, his body coated with the ember blood of war.
Cody too rose, the night bleaker than ever, his sight failing him in light of the surrounding darkness.
Stay back, He said, and the two retreated, obedience the only option.
He held out his hands, and they gazed upon the scars on his wrist, wrought from the judgment long ago.
Inside the twins, pride and ego battled their powerlessness.
They dreamed to take up arms again against these legions of hell, to avenge their fallen friends, to claim a victory wrought of their own two hands.
Though they knew it would be for naught.
With all they had, they fought, wills pushed to the limit, bodies sacrificed in the battle, and for a time, some might guess they could win.
But it was not a battle fallen solders could win.
So the twins stood back and gazed forward, knowing it was no longer their battle.
He stood alone in the darkest night, a light for all to see.
The Light of the World shone, inviting to all, though the darkness could not understand.
In wrath and pride, Hell's forces struck, victory surely but one strike away.
They had lost their power and their daggers fell at His feet.
In droves they ran, determined to bring him to death, to their domain.
Their weapons had lost their sting.
He gazed at them, a hatred beyond words.
He rose into the sky, the light of the sun rising for all to see.
Victory assured, simply a matter of moments.
In awe the twins stood, blinded by his fury, consumed by holy fear.
Pure light descended upon the war-scarred land.
Their power beyond all measure.
No force on earth could match or undo the destruction.
The ashes rose, as He returned to the ground.
Victoriously, He stepped toward them.
My children, you are mine.
He embraced them, the battle hardened men, seeing that this fight was no longer theirs alone.
And while the war would rage once more, they knew they were never alone, and should they fall again, He would be the one to carry them through the fight.