The Rebirth Of Evil Chapter 6: Forgotten Memories, a diablo fanfic

The Rebirth of Evil

Chapter 5

Forgotten Memories

The officer quarter's door shut loudly behind Locke as his sister slowly led him through the dimly lit wooden corridors, passing closed doors on both sides. The doors held the names of their respective occupants carved into the door, seen only by the strangled light of the lamps systematically placed along the corridor.

Marianna stopped at a door and looked up and down the dimly lit corridor before knocking in at the door before them. Locke looked back toward his right, back the way they had come and noticed dark figures in the shadows creeping towards them. He saw the glint of steel as the feeble light barely illumed the members of the crew slinking toward them in the shadows.

"Umm, Marianna…" Locke asked tentatively, "what are-"

"Shut up Locke. Cain! Open the door!" She shouted as she warily eyed the advancing crew.

Locke knelt down and grabbed his knife out of its boot sheathe as Marianna turned to face him. Marianna nodded at him and drew her short sword as she put her back against each other. Ok, if Cain doesn't open this door soon, this is going to get messy, he thought, glancing towards his left at the still shut door.

Suddenly the door opened and the old black scholar eyed the situation with mild amusement.

"Come in, my friends," he chuckled as both Locke and Marianna slowly edged into the room, weapons still readied. Cain eyed the approaching crowd with skepticism, as they had stopped at the sound of Cain's recognition of these two as his friends.

"You may go back to your quarters, gentleman, these two are not here to harm me," he said to the assembled mass. Quietly they disappeared back into the shadows they had come from as Cain closed his door and latched it.

"They are a bit… overzealous in their protection of me," he said, still chuckling as he made his way across the cabin and sat in a large padded chair, "They care for my well being far beyond what their salary requires."

"So, you've paid those men to protect you?" Locke asked as he slowly walked across the cabin, finding himself a similar, yet smaller chair. Glancing to his right, he saw that his sister had done the same.

"Oh, no… not I. Meshif is concerned about me, with the destruction of Lut Gholien and the following madness," he said in a more somber tone.

Marianna suddenly spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen after those words, "Cain, I would like to know what destroyed Lut Gholein—"

Instantly Locke chimed in, "Yeah, and what happened to me after I blacked out?" Marianna glared at him as he sunk back in his chair, having leapt to sit on the edge of it in his excitement.

"Marianna, that which you ask is something that I may not tell you," he said with an edge of fear in his voice.

"But, Cain… why—"

"Because," Cain quickly cut her off, "To even mutter the proof of its existence… it would cause evil omens to befall us all…" his voice trailed off as he stared at her.

"It destroyed the whole city… didn't it?" Locke muttered as Cain slowly shifted his head to stare at him.

"Yes, Locke… but I don't think it was just out to destroy the city," Cain murmured as he continued to stare at Locke. Marianna glanced over at her younger brother, only to see a look of horror on his eyes.

"Wait… you mean, it was after—"

"Yes," Cain cut her off, "It may have been after your little brother, Lachlan Lighthand."

"What?" Locke yelled as he shot up and moved away from the old black man in graying robes.

"It is a creature that must not be trifled with, and you would do well to remember this, Locke," he said calmly, leaning on his gnarled walking stick as he stood up. "I take it, Marianna, that you never told him," he said as he turned his scowl back toward her.

"I didn't think…" her voice trailed off as she turned around to look at her little brother. "I'm sorry Locke, I should have told you before all of this happened…"

"Sis? Cain? What's going on here?" He asked hysterically. He continued to step back from them as Marianna got up and slowly made her way across the room towards him. He glanced around and quickly grabbed the latch.

"Tell me!" He screamed, and Marianna stopped her advance.

"Locke," Cain said as all attention was focused upon him again, "You and Marianna are not truly related… you were adopted."

"No!" Locke yelled as tears sprang from his eyes as he opened the door and shot through it into the dark hallway.

"Locke!" Marianna screamed as she ran to catch him, only to be stopped by Cain's hand holding her shoulder.

"Let him go, he needs time to sort this out," he said with regret filling his voice. "Besides, we have many important matters to discuss."

Marianna's eyes were glazed with tears as she sat down opposite from Cain's chair, "Like what? I tried to deny the truth for so long… I tried so hard to treat him like a real brother…" she sobbed as Cain put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Marianna, you two grew into fine warriors, mainly by the guidance of your parents. You passed that onto Locke… he is more of a brother to you than most real siblings are to each other."

Marianna looked up at Cain and saw the truth of his words reflected in his eyes. "Okay," was all she said, as she wiped away her tears. Cain slowly walked across the cabin, gently shutting the door after looking out into the dark hallway.

"There are things about your brother that neither you, nor your parents truly knew," Cain said as he eased back into his plush, high backed chair. "I think it is about time that you learned the truth about what your brother is, or could very well be."

Marianna stared at the old man and simply nodded as she settled back into her own chair.

"The note," he began, "that was left with him was not written by his parents, but rather by something else entirely…"

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The screams of millions of tortured souls could be heard in the damned eternal River of Flame. Hundreds of Megademons could be seen furiously whipping and tearing apart the pitiful souls of the damned as they eternally burned. As far as the eye could see there spread a massive river of sulfur and magma, broken only by small and narrow walkways made of magically cooled and maintained obsidian.

Deep within this unholy region were an enormous flight of stairs, leading up into the rocky ceiling. Above this grand and unholy staircase was a dead land, swamped with demons and the undead. As the souls of the dead were gathered, whether wrongfully or banished in punishment, a ruined city sprang up in the heart of this murderous landscape, with a foreboding castle placed right over the entrance to the endless River of Flame. Only one spire still stood, because when eastern spire had collapsed it knocked down the eastern wall, and half of the southern. The collapse also successfully destroyed a third of the living space the castle was originally designed with.

The front of the castle held an ethereal drawbridge, that was currently being let down by two Minions of Destruction. Their master stepped onto the seemingly invisible bridge, its metal boots making a dull clanking sound. Quickly following the robed figure was an eight foot tall beast with massive fangs, and sword that could only be described as pure evil.

"Y'gorl, I will give you one last chance to stop those pathetic mortals," the robed figure's voice boomed as it stopped and turned around.

"Yes master," the massive creature replied, clenching the Infernal Moonblade in its fist, "I will not fail you… again."

Locke leaned against the railing above the officer's quarters, where he had originally come earlier to discover the destroyed city they had left behind. The cool night breeze chilled him through his thin clothing as he continued to stare out across the black water.

A silent tear slid down his cheek as he thought of his sister… or the woman that he was brought up to believe was his sister. He thought of the times he remembered, growing up with her. All the things that she had taught him about life, manners, fighting, respect… Lies! It's all lies! He screamed silently as he banged his fist on the banister. He set his head on the banister as he started crying.

Someone came up to him and put their arms around him as he silently continued to sob. He felt a kiss on his cheek and nearly jumped back in surprise, but quickly looked to see who it was. A beautiful pair of hazel eyes and a small smile with a beautifully shaped face greeted him.

"Marija…" he muttered before embracing her.

"Locke…" she said, hugging him back, "where is your sister?"

He immediately pulled away from her as sorrow and rage flew across his face. "I don't have a sister…"

"What?" Marija shyly questioned him. He turned to stare at her, the pain evident in his eyes.

"It was all a lie, Marija…" he began slowly, "I was just speaking with Cain and Marianna," he said the name with slight distaste, "When Cain told me that I had been…"

Marija slowly walked forward and placed her arms around him again. "What did he say?" she asked in a sad, almost pleading tone. Locke sighed aloud as he hugged her again.

"It doesn't matter… I don't belong to her," he said as his anger returned.

"Yes you do," a solemn voice called out, "you're more of a brother than anyone could ever hope for."

Marija turned to see Marianna walking up the steps by the banister as Locke slammed his fist against the banister again and began to walk off. Marianna opened her mouth to speak, but slowly shut it as she watched his receding form.

Suddenly, he turned around to face them, "Why did you lie to me, for all these years?" he yelled as he threw his hands above his head in despair.

"I didn't want to," she yelled back, "I wanted to tell you so bad… but mom made me promise to never tell you!"

"Yeah, well mom's dead Marianna…" Locke choked up at the painful memory, unable to speak.

Marianna sensed Locke's pain, even from across the deck, "She was your mother too…" she said solemnly.

"At least your mother died," Locke yelled back anyway, his anger slowly draining out of him, "I don't even have one…"

Marianna saw Locke slowly collapse onto the deck as he began to sob uncontrollably. "She loved you, Locke…" she said as she started walking towards him, "I love you too." Locke glanced up at her and quickly wiped away his tears.

"I want to be Lachlan Silverwind," he sobbed as she knelt down and put a consoling arm around his shoulders, "I don't want to be 'Lighthand'," he muttered sadly.

"You are Locke, as much as if you were birthed by mom herself," Marianna said, trying to calm her little brother, "this doesn't change who you are, we are still related."

"But, now I'm a completely different person…" his voice trailed off as he lowered his head.

"No, you not," Marianna said firmly, "you just… have some new information to integrate into who you already are," she finished, hopeful that he would not start crying again.

Locke lifted his head and looked at her with teary, pain filled eyes. "Thanks, sis…" he mumbled as he threw his arms around her.

The first thing he heard was the wind. It was a high pitched whistle that had woken him up, and it was basically the only thing here. As he picked himself up off the ground he glanced around to a familiar sight. The ruined city looked the same as last time, but there was one difference. He felt the wind. The black grains in the wind bit into him like a million ants crawling over his entire backside. He screamed aloud as the pain exceeded what he could stand, but the wind never stopped. He dropped to his knees and raised his fist to punch the ground when a bright light caught his attention.

He glanced at his stinging arm and saw his skin being peeled off, revealing an intricate glowing design glowing from the surface of his hand and arm. He held his arm up, fascinated as he watched the skin being torn away, revealing the whole design. It started about halfway up his forearm, and intricately twined its way up to his hand, which was mostly covered by it. He turned his hand to look at his palm and saw a symbol on it, but he could not decipher it.

He looked at his other arm, plain and normal looking, and back to his glowing arm. Slowly he held his other arm out, crying out as the wind continued to bite at his back and head. He saw the same design being slowly revealed as the skin was being eaten away by the horrible black sand that flew through this place. He slowly stood at the last of the design was revealed as he turned to face the wind. He heard a high pitched, shrilly cry cut through the air, muting even the perpetual scream of the wind for a few precious seconds.

He turned his head to glance at the black phantom he knew was careening towards him with its huge blade drawn. A whisper ran through the back of his mind as the wind beat down ceaselessly upon him, and he chose to listen to that whisper. He began chanting, and his arms began to glow brighter. He held them out in front of him and turned them to where they were vertical. He brought them together, as he turned to block out the phantasm speeding at him. He felt the air around him tense as he began chanting louder, moving his arms apart and holding them straight out at his sides, palms out. As he screamed the last few words of the incantation, the designs on his arms projected a half-foot from his skin.

Suddenly the wind stopped as the golden aura around him was completed. He started gathering massive amounts of energy from the surrounding area, drawing it even from the wicked black sand that seemed to noiselessly flow around him. He pointed his right palm at the creature and released all his pent up rage, and sorrow, mixing that with his newly obtained energy. He screamed aloud as he felt himself being torn apart…

Locke awoke with a scream of pure agony as he sat up on his cot. He glanced around to see where he was, but couldn't remember. Wait, I went to bed, he thought as he started to recognize the small cabin covered in shadow. He raised his hands to rub his face and stopped. Slowly pulling them away from his face, he opened his eyes to see a faint light glowing, trapped beneath his skin.