Blessed by Night

Achey and mildly exhausted, Malachi sat in the corner of a room while he watched his mother and a small crowd form around Abaddon's newborn baby.

Now... he felt a bit on the outskirts.

It wasn't anyone's fault, but whenever he got to witness moments like this it kind of stung... because he had already missed the most important birth of all.

With that thought in mind... He began to feel more than a little homesick.

Hadn't he already missed enough time with his family?

As if she could senses his thoughts, Nyx looked at him from across the room. She smiled faintly and nodded.

Abaddon was standing at her side. She gave him a slight nudge on the arm and together the two of them came up to Malachi.

"You look weary. I guess we should work on getting you home now." Abaddon said.

Malachi smiled wryly.

"I don't believe I've ever given a blessing before, so tell me what you need and I will ensure it comes to fruition." Abaddon said sincerely.

The willingness he displayed to held was quite touching to see. Malachi was more appreciative than he knew how to express.

Most people would kill for this opportunity. Asking a literal god outside of space and continuity for anything in the world was practically a fever dream.

But he wasn't about to ask for something for himself.

Some would say that Malachi was about to waste his opportunity.

He didnt really see it that way though.

Because he had a lot more people to provide for than just those he went home to at night.

"I'm not going to ask you for any of your power, though I admit I'm tempted." Malachi chuckled.

"Instead, I just need you to help keep the gods from interfering with my earth... And I need the powers that the blessed have to come from their bodies and bloodlines... not a divine connection."

Abaddon seemed surprised by the subject around Malachi's request. All four of his eyes showed it.

"Right... Are you sure that's all you want? It's not that there is anything wrong with it, but it is just a little unexpected."

He wasn't expecting Mal to ask for so little.

Malachi smiled wryly. "I'm afraid that's just how I am... I have a hard time asking people for things I know I can do myself."

"I see... Well, I've known many men like that. And I'm willing to bet that you will definitely not be the last." He smiled.

Abaddon pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

He held the phone up to his ear and began speaking with someone in a business-like manner. "It's me... I need to borrow some of his authority for a bit."

While Abaddon walked away, Malachi felt he had more questions than ever.

"Who's he on the phone with, God?" Mal joked.

"...."

Malachi stared at his mother out of the corner of his eye. "…You're kidding me. Just on speed dial like that?"

Nyx just kind of shrugged.

She placed her hand on Malachi's head and ran her fingers through his hair absentmindedly.

"When you go back.. Make sure to hug me a lot, okay? The separation was... a bit harder on us than you realize." She said quietly.

Malachi smiled at his mother caringly. "Believe me... I would have done that even if you didn't ask."

Finally, Abaddon walked back over to the duo just as Nx rested her head on her son's shoulder.

"Things are in order. When you go back to your world, you should notice a change immediately… Oh, and you might be in a bit of pain as well."

"Huh-"

"Thank you, Abaddon." Nyx stood up and hugged the egregiously tall man. "I'll always be grateful to you for this."

"There's no need for that, my friend. Family takes care of family." He smiled.

Malachi felt a discreet tap on his shoulder from behind.

Looking back, he came face to chest with an unnecessarily large Satan.

For some reason, the ancient demon looked like he was suffering under the brutal thumb of constipation.

"Ah…Look, kid, I appreciate you being a good sport and all about almost dyin' n' stuff."

"Are you… trying to apologize or something?"

"N-No! That is beneath me! I wouldn't dare!"

"Uhhh…"

"J-Just take this! Hopefully you'll be in better condition when I see you next. Then we can have some real fun!"

Malachi was stunned when Satan suddenly reached towards his own head and grabbed his horn. He proceeded to break it off like it was made of plywood.

Before Malachi knew what was happening, Satan stabbed him right between the eyes with his broken horn.

Nyx barely caught her son's body in time as he slumped over; completely unconscious.

She glared at Satan in mild annoyance.

"You couldn't have been a bit gentler when you did that?"

"Nag, nag, nag… This is why I don't do nice things for anyone…" Satan grumbled.

As the demon of wrath stormed off, Abaddon helped Nyx get Malachi settled on her shoulder. "Let's get him home, since he'll need a bit of time to digest that."

"What about my daughter and her friends? Where are they?" Nyx asked.

Abaddon made a kind of funny expression.

"Well… you live here, so you'll just have to see them in the morning?"

"What? But-"

"They're spending the night."

"How co-"

"Please don't make me tell you anything else about this." Abaddon smiled as politely as possible.

"Ah…" Recognition finally shone in Nyx's eyes and she licked her lips lasciviously. "Maybe I should-"

"I will not allow you to lay a finger on those children! They're too young for you!"

"For your information I happen to have had sex with my daughter and her girlfriend once already!" Nyx stuck her chest out proudly.

Abaddon wished he could say that revelation surprised him.

"I… I don't think I can allow you to be Odessa's godmother anymore."

"What?! That's not fair! It wasn't this me, but the other one!" Nyx snapped.

"Does that really matter?"

"Yes!" (No.)

Abaddon never felt comfortable leaving Nyx alone with his children after that. Though he never should have considered it to behind with…

-

Time in the abyss is a funny thing. Even though Malachi and the others had been gone for several hours, it was like no time had passed at all on earth.

As soon as Sei and the others got done seeing off the group, Nyx opened up another portal to pull Malachi's unconscious body back through.

The panic was immediate.

Sei: "Oh my god!"

Anna: "What happened??"

Bianca: "What is that sticking out of his head?!"

Nyx smiled apologetically at the girls. "I promise you three that I will explain everything to you when you wake up. Just for now… try not to scream."

Before the girls could ask what she meant, a horrible wave of heat washed over their bodies.

With the exception of Nadine, all of the girls collapsed, and just as Nyx had predicted, they screamed unconsciously.