Fear paralyzes all that gives into its power. It slithers inside the mind like a snake, deceiving those that are willing to listen.
I drift above and watch as the demons take over the area. Ash is surrounded and overtaken by an army of darkness. During this time, it is dreadfully difficult not to fall into fear, but I don’t let myself. I hold onto something else.
Love.
I didn't hold onto love with my mother. I left and became the opposite of what I dreamt of. I turned into a person I used to detest.
When I met Ash, I was all in. I didn't know where this would leave me. I sure as shit didn't think I would fall in love. Of all things to happen, romance was never something I was looking for.
But he showed me what it felt like to have someone around that cared. He had every opportunity to be selfish and unkind like I initially was to him. He was always on my side.
He would die here if it meant keeping me safe.
"Loki. Heimdall. Somebody do something," I scream, but my voice doesn't hold any weight.
Loki fires rapidly into the demons that gain ground, but the ground continues to crack and crumble underneath him, creating deep canyons. He slides against the ground that stands, barely able to grab on to the edge.
Heimdall stares into the rising tides of the ocean. A wall of water forms into a crest. It plummets over him, flooding the land and carrying him away.
And for a second, I actually thought we achieved something.
Ash slashes the foes around him, but he is struggling. With the kill count rising, the orb in his sword grows brighter and brighter.
That's when it hits me. It's more than a sword. It's an all around weapon to end all evil.
"Ash, put your hand on the orb!" I yell.
Dumfounded, he places his palm around the spinning orb in the center of his sword. The orb itself indents and forms to his palm. It stops moving and starts to vibrate.
"What's happening to me?" he asks.
Before I can answer, the blue orb turns to liquid, flowing into his palm and wrist. It takes over his arm, draining into the pigment of his skin. His entire body turns blue. The sword twists into his flesh, molding into the actual bone, and replacing his right hand entirely.
Yes, his entire hand molds with the sword.
He lifts his arm in wonder before swinging it across to decapitate another demon. "You didn't think to tell me I could do this before?" he asks.
I dodge another massive fireball and land on my feet. "I like to see a man struggle to operate complicated machinery," I say.
Ash cocks his arm back, and a metal rod runs through to the top of the blade. A great ball of light forms around the center orb, and it all flows back into him.
"Okay, now what?" he asks me.
I honestly have no idea, but I have a feeling that I need to get out of the way. I soar into the other direction to help the fallen angels.
When I reach them, I close my eyes and focus on the love I know to be true. With that emotion, I enact an impenetrable force field around us. I focus on their wounds, healing them.
Everything is instinct to me now. The power to heal is no different.
Meanwhile, Ash takes aim at Beelzebub, and a blue fiery explosion leaves the center. It breaks apart into three different colors and swirls around the great devil. They detonate as soon as they hit his legs.
Beelzebub roars helplessly as his body crashes back into the ground. This time, he can't get up.
"Yes!" I shout and pump my fist. "Keep going."
Ash shoots another round. It explodes into his overgrown belly. Another set of rounds flies toward his head.
The devil moans in pain, voice shifting erratically. "Darkness cannot be defeated."