First Demonic Dragon

Once Abaddon was no longer a raging incarnation of creation's final destination, the forgotten seemed to lose their previous aggression.

One by one, they sank back into the background of their own accord as the world around them slowly returned to normal.

The angels were incredibly worse for wear.

No longer airborne or upright, each of them were on the ground trembling as they tried to forget the hell they had just witnessed.

Unbeknownst to them, the fact that they were even still sane at all was a true testament to their power.

Sif's head was currently sandwiched between the breasts of Lisa so that she wouldn't see something she wouldn't recover from.

Though currently, she was still undergoing a sort of traumatic experience that she would remember for the rest of her life.

When Abaddon returned to his normal state, a massive migraine nearly knocked him onto his back.

"Easy, honey." Like an angel, Lailah used her smaller body to support her husband by wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "What's the matter with you?"

Now that she was in physical contact with her husband, Lailah could sense that there was nothing internally wrong with him.

His energy levels were fine, he wasn't sweaty, out of breath, wounded, or horny, so she didn't understand the sudden dizzy spell.

"He's dealing with a sort of migraine, Dear Lailah."

Nyx descended towards the couple like a goddess of knowledge ready to impart wisdom.

"It's been so long since I've seen this sort of thing I forgot that it was even possible. You overexerted yourself when you're still just a baby... how cute." she giggled coquettishly.

"Isn't everyone a baby to you when you're older than dirt?" Evidently, Abaddon wasn't so tired that he was incapable of slinging unkind remarks.

"We're practically the sage, you beast!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I just turned 40."

"A lie don't care who tell it..."

Abaddon looked bewildered. "Where the hell are you learning all this southern slang from!?"

"My son!" Nyx smiled proudly.

"Jesus..."

"N-Nevermind that for now!" Nyx said as she waived her hand. "As I was trying to explain, you lost your head for a moment.

A problem with being living personifications of concepts is that sometimes our personalities can be drowned out by the enormity of what we are.

It usually only happens when we first cinto being, as we don't know how to properly 'center' ourselves.

It doesn't usually make us quite so angry, but you are oblivion, my dear dragon.

When you are unfocused, your instincts will have you devour... everything, until all is you, and you are all. I daresay you have to be more careful than most."

Abaddon sighed as he clutched his forehead. "So then... how do I fix this?"

"Yoga?" Nyx shrugged.

"Eh?"

"It doesn't have to be that specifically, but that is the general idea.

You need to reach true inner peace within yourself and build your mind up so that you are unshakable.

When you know who you are and understand yourself, you needn't fear the loss of your personality ever again."

As her words sank in, Abaddon and Lailah leaned in like they were waiting for something.

"...What? Why're you two looking atlike that??"

Abaddon: "Wow..."

Abaddon: "It''s a miracle, babe."

Lailah: "Indeed it is, honey."

A vein bulged in Nyx's head as she showed a smile that was not a smile.

"Honestly... What do you two think of me?"

Abaddon and Lailah opened their mouths to answer in unison.

Unsurprisingly, Nyx covered their mouths at the last moment to protect her peace. "Nevermind, don't tell me."

The pair rolled their eyes in unison, as they proceeded to tell her telepathically.

"...Rude." she muttered.

At that moment, the rest of the wives started to trickle over one by one with Tati in the center.

Abaddon felt his heart clench at the sight of the burn on his wife's left cheek that was healing so much slower than it should have.

Shyly, the young woman twirled her fingers unconsciously as she walked up to her husband with her head down.

Tatiana wasn't afraid that Abaddon would yell at her, but she was more than a little fearful of the fact that he might be disappointed in her performance.

Abaddon removed his arm from around Lailah's neck and cupped Tati's face in one hand.

Ever so gently, he kissed her burned cheek while exhaling onto her skin.

A familiar warm and inviting feeling encompassed her face that made her temporarily shed a tear of bliss.

Once her husband pulled away, it was revealed that her burn had almost completely healed.

She finally met her husband's gaze and found him smiling at her softly; taking her completely by surprise.

"Feeling alright?" He asked.

"O-Oh, yes..."

"Using lightning as a surfboard... I have to say I'm pretty impressed, my dear. I don't know if I would have thought of that."

Tatiana's face slowly beamed with pride.

The hours she spent practicing with Seras in training and even Lisa to understand lightning appeared to have been put to good use.

Without understanding why, she hugged her husband tight enough to snap him in half, and he returned her affection in the sway.

"M-Mmh..."

"Easy now, my boy... try to rest..."

Finally, Abaddon looked over his shoulder at Asherah and Michael.

The twin of Lucifer was lying on the ground with his head in his mother's lap.

As Abaddon had done for Tati, she was healing the burns on his face.

However, it was a much more... unfruitful process.

In his anger, Abaddon not only got even with Michael, but perhaps went overboard with it as well.

A horrendous burn in the shape of a handprint covered Michael's entire face.

As if that weren't bad enough, his nostrils and mouth were completely melted shut like a bar of chocolate on a summer day.

Abaddon walked past the rest of the archangels who were standing in his pathwithout even sparing them a glance.

Or more accurate to say that they couldn't spare him one.

After that scene that they had witnessed earlier... they didn't even want to sniff Abaddon, let alone look at him.

A fear had been ingrained into them that they couldn't possibly hope to understand, fight against, or escape.

A few months ago, they were worried that the gods were in too much of a panic over Abaddon's resurrection.

Now they were worried that perhaps they hadn't panicked enough.

Abaddon took a knee beside Michael and Asherah.

He inhaled deeply before expelling a wave of aether over his body.

Asherah's abilities may not have been able to heal him before, but it appeared as though Abaddon's power worked just fine.

As Michael's face slowly regained it's movie star good looks, Asherah turned to Abaddon with a small amount of surprise on her usual robotic expression.

"…Don't look atlike that." Abaddon folded his arms in annoyance. "I also have children… I fully understand the pain that comes with seeing them hurt."

Asherah briefly smiled to herself as she watched Michael continue to improve. "Ever the merciful one, aren't you?"

"I believe there are many who would disagree with that claim." Abaddon glanced at the lingering archangels with a cold gaze and chuckled as they backed away.

"Perhaps… but I believe that sometimes kindness is a luxury that not everyone has the privilege to express.

And you, for all of your flaws and shortcomings, have attempted to be kind on many occasions that did not directly benefit you.

It is why we have no qualms about putting our faith in you during this life. And why I do not resent you for the choices you make, even if I do not always agree with them."

Now, Abaddon looked like the one who was floored.

In that moment, he was stunned by the grace of a woman who was much more kind and understanding than he could have ever hoped to be.

Abaddon felt as if he could have sat in a remote cave and meditated for years on end, and he still wouldn't have achieved the level of self control that the mother goddess had.

"Ugh…"

Michael finally sat up, and his first instinct was to back away from the black monster at his feet.

"Shhh, easy now…" Asherah soothed. "No one is going to hurt you now."

Michael's cheeks turned slightly red at his mother's coddling, as well as the fact that Abaddon was seeing him on the receiving end of it.

But internally, the dragon didn't feel like it was his place to judge on this particular matter.

He also had mothers who were overly affectionate, so he was more aware of the great burden than anyone.

Asherah finally helped her son sit up, and resumed her peacekeeping position between herself and Abaddon.

"Now that all of the barbaric violence is out of the way, are we all ready to cto an amicable solution at this time?"

Abaddon looked like he was going to say something about her use of the word 'barbaric' when Michael suddenly spoke up first.

"We… concede."