246Lovely Angel
Note: Almost everyday I contemplate rewriting this story, and before I knew it, two years passed by. I won't be, I've finally decided, instead I'll "continue" to put that energy into the story where I reimagine the plot, in which Irina stayed. It's already out on my profile if you're interested. I'll still update this one and have no intentions of giving up on this story (or anything else that has been posted if they haven't been rewritten already). Last year was focused on Pokemon (still sorta is) and getting around to rewrites, after leaving plenty on the back burner.
This year? Shorter updates in general (unless I forget) but, hopefully, more consistently constant all around (ignore the fuckall from the first half of the year; I was a degen gamer).
Thank you all again for sticking around still.
—[†]—
Issei stirred in his dreamless sleep. Unfortunately, it woke up his companion, who hugged him from behind. This time, she was draped in a soft robe. It did little to hide her perfect beauty, but there was no one around to admire it. If Michael had any say, it would stay that way. He was silly like that.
...Speaking of her brother, it was almost time for their monthly meeting.
"Issei," Gabriel whispered as she began to slip away, "I have to go, okay?" The boy only latched tighter onto the arm that once held him. "Ise?"
He furrowed his brows but didn't open his eyes. "...sorry," he mumbled, releasing her.
The strongest woman in Heaven smiled, "It was nothing, Ise. Rest well."
"Mmh.."
She refrained from patting his head, lest she disturb his rest further. With a spark of Holy Light, her robes became her battle attire. It wouldn't be well to show up with sleepwear. Her remaining siblings deserved her best. That, and she had done it once to her utter embarrassment. She would never do it again.
Let it be known, the Seraph Gabriel learned for her mistakes!
Her footfalls were silent on the cloud flooring. She made only a single glance at the boy before she turned. The Angel could only beam, seeing him rest peacefully again.
Her siblings were working so hard so the rest of God's children and, therefore, her younger siblings could live fulfilling lives. Issei's journey may be arduous, but he was shaping into a good Angel nonetheless. Pun intended! Gabriel almost couldn't wait to share her findings and observations on the beta test of the Brave Saints!
And so, with that in mind, she happily skipped to their meeting room. The radiant woman made sure to greet any angels. It was always so delightful to see their faces light up. Whether it be the thousands of years before or a bad day, just seeing the effect she could have on others by being kind reinforced her far more than any hardship could try to pull her down.
Unfortunately, stopping to converse with each of them ate at the time she had before the meeting. Before she knew it, she was already late. Some Left Hand of Father, she thought shamefully as she stumbled through the door with haste.
She mustered a bright smile, seeing some of her closest siblings seated together. Only Uriel, Raphael, and Michael showed up. There could be more, but their missions or goals were too important. There was a time when it was bigger, but death came for all and bringing stability after such change for unchanged beings like themselves was... almost unfathomable.
Even still, they were managing.
Their indomitable Father was no different from the mortals he birthed or adopted, they had come to learn, sadly. Maybe Gabriel should've noticed it before their Father had allowed his distaste for the serpentine to blind him. However, she had cherished him, her remaining brothers and sisters. And, she would only continue to do so, even after they had fallen or perished.
Her smile widened at the unintentional albeit bleak pun as she smoothly made her way to her seat at the long table, across from Michael, who replaced Lucifer's spot. The seat left of hers was empty as well. Her seraphic sister, Sariel, had disappeared during the war. Metatron was still out searching for her with some help from Azazel, so his seat beside Michael was empty. Her "soul" had yet to reach Heaven...
Both she and her Archangel brother used to sit beside their father, but...
Her eyes flickered to the empty seat between them. It was still wrong to see all the seats empty, but she could not remain depressed!
"Sorry for being late again!"
The ever-patient brother that was Michael simply passed her a small smile, knowing well what had kept her.
Raphael closed his eyes and snorted. "If you were truly sorry, you'd make it on time more often, Sister."
Uriel, seated beside him, stuck his head out and away, playing up his annoyance. "It's like you think we don't have anything important to say, Sister Gabriel."
As always, she took a small offense to that, summoning her many wings. "I would never, dear Brothers!" She rambled on and on about the things that plagued the younger Angels. The things that they dealt with. The things they hoped to fix. The things that kept them going in the slow-to-change Heaven.
Admittedly, it changed little with no new angels coming around and the faith in Father remaining pretty stagnant. However, she made sure to note and highlight any change that plagued them.
It took her over thirty minutes to confess all she knew. Through it all, she saw her siblings jot and note some of the things she said. As she ended, Michael passed Gabriel her own notebook, opened up to a page, where he had taken notes for her, regarding what she had missed.
The contents outlined their efforts to preserve their dwindling race, without the completed reincarnation system that was the Brave Saints.
Beneath that were Uriel's successful efforts to power the upper-level systems without Michael's assistance and the continual progress of their young siblings' training. The former was a large step forward, allowing Michael to focus on the Heavenly Throne. And then, on average, their lower tiered siblings were close to Mid-tier creatures. However, they had yet to join their ranks amongst the Seraphim. There was potential, but drawing it out was still as stagnant as ever.
Below those were Raphael's hard work at cultivating the garden of Eden, caring for the cherubs who have remained alive but are unable to wake with the loss of their father. They haven't lost any in the past few decades, thanks to his (and secretive Azazel's) careful examinations. The garden of Eden recently began showing signs of growth and pollination. Gabriel nearly wept at the news.
It had been far too long since Eden, their Father's favorite place, showed signs of proper life. It had been like a photograph turnt reality with how it remained still but untouched. Furthermore, it wasn't until a relative recent happenstance that they had mustered the courage and will to take a sample to research.
As always, it was only due to their ever-inquisitive younger Brother, Azazel, they had thought to try.
It was a shame that because his wings turned black that they lost such a helpful and kind Brother. Even now, Gabriel was as proud as she was regretful that her Fallen Brother followed their Father's footsteps to house and lead their shunned siblings. He was smart enough to pull out from the needless bloodshed and make tries for peace behind the scenes where, quite literally, everyone else had failed.
As much as that fact shamed her, she couldn't help but be so proud to be able to see and eventually experience the upcoming era of united peace! It was so close!
"...Now, onto the final subject, Sister," Raphael began, drawing her from her thoughts. "How goes the young fletching?"
Immediately, her blue eyes lit up.
"He is, well.. growing up like a human boy. It's been so long since we saw an Angel grow, and I get to experience up close, everyday almost!" She gushed, nearly rising out her seat. "I know I say that every time, but I cannot convey how it feels to cultivate another one of us, again, my Brothers."
Gabriel then cleared her throat and said her findings. "Ahem. It's hard for him to balance his ego and hormones, given his Longinus and the dragonic nature of it. With his half human heritage and his current age, the latter is a bit of an issue now more than ever. I believe in Issei, but it is something we should keep in mind for any future candidates."
All her fellow Great Seraphs nodded as she paused for them to make some notes. Raphael in particular jotted notes, rapidly. At the sight of it, Gabriel could only smile. Knowing her brother, he was already making a list of races where they would have to be really careful in choosing. Or perhaps, he was thinking of ways to suppress hormones or whatever else that could help prevent them from Falling accidently.
Either way, there was an easy solution to this.
"My suggestion for any future candidates is that they must be fully matured."
Raphael paused to look up at her and then to his notes, mouth slightly agape before he sheepishly nodded. It made sense. Perhaps it was why Father had waited till humans had died before reincarnating them into Angels. All the same, Raphael's notes were valid but still, avoidable. They would be best saved in cases outside the norm then, he decided. Something for the future him to glance back over.
Michael nodded as well, finally speaking up. "That aligns with Father's process of reincarnation. They get to experience an entire mortal life, maturing in ways many of us Angels cannot, before they joined our ranks. I'll keep the suggestion in mind for our new doctrine regarding reincarnation. Thank you, Sister."
All their eyes drifted to Metatron's seat. He was one such Angel.
Uriel scoffed slightly. "Should we just wait till death reaches them, then, if we must follow in Father's footsteps?"
Her brothers moved to interject, but Gabriel spoke first. It wasn't the fact that he said those words that bothered her.
No, instead of doing better, her siblings' willingness to rely on their Father's dying goodwill frustrated her. That of which should be pointed solely at cultivating Eden, His Heaven amongst Heaven.
"The world moves without Father—even Eden. It does not stand still despite it's stagnation, nor will it wait. We've already wasted so much time to try and eventually begin to replace Father. We cannot remain as slow to the world as we have; our numbers dwindle and the concerns only continue to fester. Perhaps, you've been so focused on training our remaining younger Siblings, but we have lost so much.
"Without Father... we don't have the power to afford such luxury such as time. The Evil Pieces have already taken so many potential cherubs or reincarnations. I—"
Her voice cracked as she recalled watching their Father's process of bringing life back from the brink. Unlike the Devil's method, his was painless, smooth and consoling. "I know Father would have loved to bring many of them to Heaven and comfort them after death."
Gabriel still regretted being unable to find His soul echoes to comfort their immortal Father after His sudden death. Eventually, she could only assume since He had passed on, He did not have any regrets or needs for condolences. Still, irrespective of his all-consuming knowledge, it wasn't fair of Him to leave without telling His children that He loved them. So many lost hope and fell if they hadn't taken their own life through battle or some other form of suicide.
But, she could not linger on that. She ignored her potential tears, stood tall and proud, planting her palms on the table. Father was relying on them to uphold Heaven without Him for the rest of time. She could not betray that trust. His and all her younger siblings that stayed true to their principles even now!
"Rebuilding Heaven and initiating proper Peace—if we hold back now, Heaven will be in the wrong. We've taken too long to consolidate our power and control over said power. Many of the humans have taken that too far and made deals that go against many virtues."
A slight narrow to her normally bubbly gaze and a flare of her powers summoned files. While she had let Issei free, she knew exactly where the boy would go and kept an eye on him. She had pretended otherwise because what teenage boy wanted to be watched so intimately? Gabriel wasn't blind to human ways; she had watched them for far too long to be so ignorant!
Although, she truly didn't expect the recoil of his Sacred Gear and powers to be so heavy. That she would have to make up to him. Normally, she wouldn't dare be so invasive, but Heaven could not let Issei fall out of their sights in the slightest. It was necessary, and she had full faith he'd succeed, Griselda or not. And it just so happened he led the path to those who wished to smear the efforts for peace. With that, she finally got proper evidence of the corruption infecting their own method of retaining moral and power: their ties to the Church.
Her armor shone brightly, and her wings flickered between white and gold (an occurrence that only grew more common these days) as she continued.
"Once my Joker awakes, I'll be able to share a first-hand account. For now, you'll have to make do with the White Nun's account and findings." They trusted her enough to not bother asking why said Joker wasn't present now. Still, even minor signs of trust made her body tingle with happiness.
She opened the folder and splayed the pages. Each of them had a photo of a missing nun or Father. Descriptions that mentioned changes in manners, which hadn't gone unnoticed but wasn't big enough to draw any real attention from other Church Officials.
"I beg of you, my Brothers, that we open up a proper point of contact to trusted humans. I know we're spread too thin. I will... forgo my outings from now on and lead this operation personally. My Joker doesn't need me to hold his hand anymore—at his current age, he doesn't desire it as much anymore. The boy is... embracing manhood with open arms, and he still has his own father to guide him.
"Please, I see no better option than this to fix the issues beforehand and not let them settle like we have."
She bowed deeply, revealing she had picked up a lot more than she intended during her frequent visits to the East nation of Japan. For a moment, she wanted to draw back in shame, but only doubled down, pressing her forehead against the table.
Peace could not necessitate anything else other than her pure, unadulterated effort. Change, as much they disliked it, was necessary. That much her Siblings could understand if they didn't completely understand the complete meaning behind the bow.
Surprisingly, Uriel responded first.
"Sorry about that, Sister." Without looking up, she already knew he was looking away, feeling regret at her uncharacteristic outburst. "Y-You know me. Training is mastering repetition, molded by traditions. I.. I let that cloud my words."
There was a slight lull, so Gabriel rose. Her siblings probably didn't know she was waiting for all of them to reply to her first. She didn't mind "breaking" the usual process of this. Heaven could use more of it, if it wanted to remain a significant force of Good. Uriel responding quickly was a sign of the many changes to come. They could use a lot more person-to-person communication. Such as their collective ties to the Vatican. Minor as they were, they could grow and strengthened with unseen possibilities. Humans were as fickle as they were humble. People who ascended to strength like the White Nun only reaffirmed such a notion.
It was things like this and that, which filled her with great hope. They could most definitely do it!
Having retook her seat, her other two Brothers replied to her honest wishes. They tentatively agreed and would allow her to take on one or two Angels as helpers for now.
The problem now was that she wasn't sure how to break the news to Issei. She hoped he wouldn't take the news poorly. Especially if it'll give him the space he wanted to sort himself out in.
Really, that boy was too much to both want and not want her around. Mortals could be so silly at times.
Perhaps, she could place him as liaison, given his half-blood? If there was anyone who could relate to humanity best, it should be someone who was partly human, right? It would allow him some measure of distance, responsibility he desired (if just to "begin to repay her"), and a reason to interact with others.
And, hopefully, he would become the hero he so clearly wanted to be in the process.
The blonde nodded inwardly, shoving her excitement down. She'd bring it up when they get Issei's account of the ordeal.
Having woken up due to prodding from Ddraig, Issei flopped onto his back and stared at what used to be a blinding ceiling. He had long grown used to the bright atmosphere of Heaven. Fondly, he could recall hiding under blankets or, even more embarrassingly, Gabriel's wings, but the light would penetrate them all.
Back then, her wings also didn't emit light like they did now.
['She has grown a lot stronger by simply being by your side, Partner.']
That didn't tell anywhere near the full story, but Issei wasn't one to get bogged down by details. He nodded just as the fogginess of sleep slowly faded away.
Issei's face could only flush red. The memories of failing returned. He cried out in sharp exasperation. Ddraig didn't say a word. However, the boy knew what the ancient dragon was thinking. He was being dumb and had been stupid for trying to deal with the backlash himself.
He couldn't just ask for help... Gabriel had already done so much for him. She was already so busy with carrying change in the settled Heaven, a land without a master. The Seraph was slowly distancing from him...
Speaking of backlash...
Tears squeezed out of his shut eyes.
He hadn't just failed there. Saving the Devil-nun. Protecting Irina. Masking his angelic powers properly.
He let himself settle in the vortex of negativity. This was the rebound as a half-breed. They may not be beholden to the same extreme restrictions as Pure Angels, but they had to deal with the emotional and mental repercussions. Issei had tried his best to hold back the tide. It had worked until he returned to a safe place—his bedroom.
Irina's presence had helped a ton, too, embarrassingly enough...
Crying on a nun—and not just any nun at that—was so embarrassing as well! He wasn't a sinful man, who was confessing and baring his soul. The memory of the horrific incident was, thankfully, not exaggerated with his current repercussions. However, despite his feelings on it, crying without tears really had helped alleviate the repercussions as well. He understood that venting mental or emotional turmoil through physical means could do a lot.
But, he was an Angel!
One fused with dragon genes, at that.
['And bogged with humanity's feeble emotions.'] Ddraig supplied, 'helpfully.'
If it weren't for the general negativity threatening to overcome him, Issei was pretty sure he would be able to clap back.
He bit his lip. He was taking the words the wrong way. The negativity was getting to him. As Gabriel's Joker, he couldn't damage her reputation as a downer or a complete edgelord.
Lying around trying to wait out the rush wasn't working if he wanted to get the repercussions out of the way. And so, he rose, and unleashed his twin pair of white wings and blazing halo. It would help him stave off the darker feelings, as they seemed to pulse quicker. His angelic energies were like a beacon. The ironic thing was his dragonic energies would eat at any darker feelings that dared to approach.
Not to say he couldn't be overwhelmed, but his bad karma wouldn't outpace the power he's gathered.
It was the only reason Gabriel would leave him to his own devices. Ddraig had revealed it, trying to brag about how superior dragons were to artificial creatures like Angels, who he thought were no better than simple robots or winged pets.
['I'm not that bad... anymore.'] The dragon spirit grunted that last part begrudgingly. ['Feeling better yet?']
"A little bit."
Ddraig's presence retreated into the recesses of the Sacred Gear. Knowing him, he had kept watch throughout the night. It made his lips curl upwards.
Still, he had to report the situation to Gabriel. She needed to know what he discovered.
—[†]—
Aes (AN): Azazel's MVP still, huh?
I'm not necessarily trying to highlight how incompetent Heaven is, but more of how slow and gradual they are to change even to change itself. While they can go hand-in-hand often, Heaven isn't a slouch when they put their effort into the swing of things, which we'll be seeing soon tm. All we got from this chapter were secondhand recounts or after-the-fact notes, but none of the efforts really.
Gabriel isn't as naive as I probably intended originally, but that's more than fine.
Words: [3,735]
Edits: did