The third day of being in Pottermore began with Mal waking first. As she opened her eyes and stretched, she sensed that all the others were resting. She’d been informed by Lily and Tonks this was her magic coming out more. Now that she had been able to rest properly and she was no longer under the care of the suffocating Rida, she began to feel her magic more.

It started off as simply being more aware of her surroundings. The people, and what was going on. Sensing them no matter where they were in Pottermore or on this flat earth floating in the cosmos. She was ready to learn more magic. Excitement bubbled inside of her and sleep was no longer possible.

Mal rolled till she was facing Ares, and sighed contentedly watching him sleep peacefully. She still couldn’t believe that this was happening. She was actually with him, he wanted her, and there was a mortal life waiting for them. One where if they succeeded, there would be happiness and hopefully a family for the two of them. Having lived that once already, she was eager to experience it all anew.

Getting restless she crawled carefully out of bed, dressed, and crept out the small castle. She walked out to the garden maze and found the path she saw the previous day. When she saw it then, she thought no, absolutely not!

However, it nagged her. In her dreams, she’d seen the path again, and she followed it, coming out into a scene she had only ever seen on tv before. If she had a heartbeat, she was sure it would be pounding in her ears as she turned off the usual garden path, and down this one.

As it had in her dream, it came to a dead end with nothing but tall hedges of the maze and vines covering one wall of them, she pushed the vines aside, and sure enough, there was a door. It was small, but it was big enough she could walk through it with ease.

On the other side, she followed the stairs she’d only seen a movie before, down into a clearing where an old stone building stood. A stone pond off to the side, and a large tree with a swing. Surrounded by flowers, and more hedges that she knew would have a path that would lead to the fields.

She smiled through the tears.

One of her favorite movies she was actually allowed to watch growing up was The Secret Garden. She later devoured the book with a hunger no other child in her class had. While her teacher was proud, not of the sect, and encouraged Mal's love of reading of distant places and fantasy adventures, the members of the sect were not too keen.

Still, it was a classic tale, The Secret Garden was one that she was allowed. Her later interests of the fantasy nature and were not allowed. So she read them when she could, and devoured them all with renewed vigor after her marriage fell apart and she was exiled from what she had come to realize and firmly believe was a cult.

Lost in thought, she sat on the swing and swayed back and forth gently eyes closed, enjoying the peace that surrounded her. The fragrance of the flowers, the earth, the water, filtered through the air and surrounded her. She could feel the sun warming her skin. A new feeling settled over her. It had been growing since her arrival to this floating mass of land, and now, it settled into her soul and radiated throughout her being.

It was home. Her home. Soon, she wouldn’t be sitting in a replication of it. Soon, she would be sitting in the real thing, the real Secret Garden.

No, Pottermore, she forced her mind to correct, the Pottermore Gardens. She was so amazed she didn’t know what to think.

When two strong arms wrapped around her, stopping her movement, she opened her eyes and smiled up into Ares’s golden eyes.

“I missed you this morning.” He said softly as he kissed her head. “I had to cast out my senses to find you, and this place. I didn’t appreciate that.”

"Sorry." She said meaning it. "I just saw the path that led here yesterday. All day I tried to convince myself it couldn't possibly be what I was thinking. I dreamed of walking down the path and finding this place. This morning, I couldn't deny the urge to come and look." She looked around and smiled. "It actually exists somewhere."

Ares looked around, he wasn’t so sure what was so great about this place, but the happiness radiating off of Mal was palpable, intoxicating even. He could feel it from their room back at the castle.

“What is this place?” He asked.

“The Secret Garden.” Mal said resting her head against his chest. “When I was a little girl, I saw the movie and it became my favorite. Whenever things were bad, I would envision this place. I wished I could disappear there, well, to here. Suddenly I was Mary Lennox, absconded from India to England after her parents died.” She breathed deeply. “I would roam the manor with my cousin, and work in the gardens. It was all so real in my mind. So much so, I’m sure that when I get to Occlumency, this,” She waved her hand around this place smiling brightly, “this will be my mindscape. That or Ariel’s underwater grotto.” She tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Perhaps a combination of the two.”

Ares looked around with renewed understand and smiled down at her. “Soon, you’ll see the real thing.”

“I know.” She grinned up at him. “I can’t wait.”

He leaned down and captured her lips his own. Sitting down on the swing with her, and kissing her deeply as they swayed slightly in a breeze that appeared out of nowhere.

When the parted he rested his head against her own. “In the future, please don’t disappear on me? Please let me know where you’re going.”

“I will.” She promised. “I got carried away in this place because we can sense each other.”

“We won’t have that soon.” He reminded her, knowing she didn’t really need it, but needing to say it nonetheless.

She kissed his lips softly then smiled. “We should get back. I can feel everyone else looking for us.”

He nodded and stood helping her stand.

As they walked back holding hands, she couldn’t help but notice their change in clothes. Purgatory was not lacking fashion that was for sure, and it seemed that souls were provided clothing based on what they liked.

Rather than the robes he died in, or the clothes she died in, Ares was now wearing a black t-shirt that hugged his upper body, and denim pants, with simple trainers. She was wearing a full-length dress that was dark plum. She’d had one as a teenager that she had loved, but was always too embarrassed to wear. She had wanted to modify it so instead of the short sleeves it had sleeveless straps that crossed behind her back that brought the fabric a bit closer to her neck. The dress was currently cut in a style reminiscent of a video game characters outfit, and she loved it.

Back at the castle every one was coming out the back and sighed with relief.

“We thought you’d vanished on us pups!” Sirius exclaimed.

“My fault.” Mal admitted with a small smile. “I wanted to see if I was right about something in the garden maze, and I was. I got lost my thoughts and emotions there.”

Mia smiled. “You found the Heart Garden.”

“I called it the Secret Garden growing up. It was in a movie I saw as a child.” Mal smiled. “I’m not much of a gardener I’ll admit, but I can’t wait to see the real thing with my own eyes.”

Mia grinned. “It is a magical place, and it always calls to its owner. The fact that you saw it, even in another world, is proof enough for me that you were always meant to be here.”

Before Mal could do more than smile happily at the love surrounding her, they felt the arrival of Gabriel and another Arch Angel.

“Looks like he brought Michael with him.” Ares mused as he led the way to the front of the castle, Mal still holding his hand and walking with him.

“So, our special training begins now.” She murmured.

“So it would seem.” Ares returned.

Out front, at what was once the Apparition point of the property, near the front gate, Gabriel was walking up with another angel beside him. His white wings were larger than his body and trailed behind him on the ground like a cape.

Ares, saw the leader of the angels, the Arch Angel Michael.

Mal looked at him confused for a moment, thinking she’d seen him before. When she realized how, she stopped. She saw him as someone else.

Mal came to an abrupt stop as shock and fear coursed through her, Ares looked back worried. Heartache was etched across her face as her ice blue eyes filled with tears.

“Andrew?” She whispered still staring at the lead Arch Angel.

Ares looked back at Michael in shock.

Michael, though still some distance away, stopped and smiled sadly at Mal. “Actually, it’s Michael, but yes.”

Dropping Ares’s hand, Mal rushed forward and crushed Michael in a hug as she sobbed. Ares stood back, arms crossed over his chest, watching as his wife was reunited with a brother she lost long ago.

Michael, in all the times he’d seen him, had never looked so vulnerable to Ares. Michael always made sure to keep emotions out of it, he argued and made decisions based on logic and facts. Which is why he suspected, Michael found it hard to accept change, even if those orders came from God. It was the only thing he could think of.

Yet here was this powerhouse of Purgatory, the stubborn mule as Gabriel called him after arguments, with tears in his eyes before he closed them and hugged Mal tightly. His wings instinctually closing around her as they embraced.

Gabriel looked between his brother hugging Mal, and Ares who had been abandoned. He feared that Ares would get upset. However, he was relieved to see the look of understanding and compassion. Ares wasn't upset that his wife had forgotten about him temporarily. This was the brother she had cried for, worried for, and missed greatly. He was happy that she was able to reunite with him as he had been with his family.

Though, that did beg the question, why did Michael live a mortal life? With Mal of all people?

When Mal pulled back wiping her tears, she smiled at him, “Now I understand. You were never in my other lives because you were needed here.”

Michael smiled, but Ares saw the burning rage and hatred in his eyes. It was the same way he felt when it came to the angels and humans responsible for Mal’s suffering.

“Yes.” Michael finally said. After hugging her one last time, he looked up and smiled politely at everyone gathered, who was watching the scene with various expression from shock to awe. Only Ares’s face was expressionless, and Michael knew why. “Let’s go inside, shall we? There is much to discuss.”

Mal grinned excitement that Michael remembered seeing on her as a little girl. “Of course! Oh, Andrew, sorry Michael, wait till you see this place! It’s amazing! And!” She bounced excitedly in front of it, “It has the Secret Garden!”

Mia’s lips twitched, wanting to correct the name, but didn’t have the heart to speak the words, which Ares was grateful for. Everyone watched shocked as Mal led the leader of the Angels, and Purgatory, inside talking a mile minute in her excitement. What surprised everyone present, even Gabriel, was Michael let her and laughed with her. Catching up as if they really were long lost siblings having been separated as children.

Mal wasn’t talking as fast as Hermione had when she behaved this way, but it was still pretty quick. Ares couldn’t help but compare how annoying Hermione had been, versus how amusing the scene with Mal was.

Perhaps it was because this was the first time he'd seen her like this, whereas Hermione seemed to have a reaction like this at least once a day. Or talked as if she expected everyone to be listening to every word every time she spoke.

He shook his head, that was the past, it wouldn’t do to compare his previous wives with his forever wife. He smiled at that nickname a bit. He could imagine the blush and smile that would be on Mal’s face when he called her that later.

“That’s different.” Gabriel finally muttered.

“Is this going to be a problem?” Ares asked gesturing with his head.

Gabriel shook his head and gave Ares a playful shocked look. “He’s more of a father figure than a lover.”

“Not what I meant.” Ares grumbled.

Gabriel snickered. “Sure, it wasn’t.”

Ares punched the angel in the arm and went to walk inside. Gabriel rubbed his arm briefly when Ares was looking, when he wasn’t, Gabriel made an expression that showed how much pain he really in from that punch.

“Still a soul and he can give me more pain than I’ve felt in over a hundred years.” Gabriel muttered still rubbing his abused arm. Fearful he might actually have a bruise from it.

}TLCW{

Mal hadn’t been sure where to bring Michael, who would later have Gabriel joining them. Because of the large number of people, she settled for the library as it had the most space and the tables, she had a feeling they would likely need it. Also feeling that most of her time was going to be spent here in the library as well.

This assessment was proven accurate when everyone arrived as Mal was still explaining the layout of the library to Michael.

Michael laughed as everyone was walking in, Ares leading the pack. “You’ll be right at home here. You always did love to read.”

“And she’ll have plenty of books.” Ares said coming up and wrapping his arms around her kissing her head. “Whatever is already here, plus whatever we get in the future.”

Michael didn’t miss the gesture on Ares’ part, but Ares didn’t watch Michael for a reaction as his eyes were on Mal. Who smiled up at him with all of her heart, happiness radiating all around her.

The family gathered, sitting in the plush armchairs nearby so they could hear what was said and step in if need be, while Mal and Ares sat at a table across from Gabriel and Michael.

Michael sighed and looked at Mal. "I think before we get to the contract, and the training regiment, there are things that I need to explain."

“I understand.” Mal nodded, but she held up her hand to stall him. “But I have one question first.”

Michael nodded, “You want to know what happened that night.”

“I have my theories, but I want to know the truth.” She said firmly. “After everything’s that’s happened, I can handle the truth, nothing’s worse than my own imagination.”

“That, I’m all too aware of.” Michael sighed. He glanced at Ares. “You’re in for it. Her imagination is something else.”

He shrugged. “Imagination or predictions, I don’t care. She’s my wife.”

Michael smiled at Ares. Then he sighed again.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t ask this, but I also knew it was a foolish hope.” He looked her in the eyes and nodded. “I was killed that night. While they chanted and prayed, I was beaten by everyone. Hands, feet, whatever they could get their hands on, you name it, it was used.” He sighed still looking her in the eyes, which were filling with tears. As if she was seeing it as he was telling the story. Now that he thought about it, she probably was. It also didn’t escape his notice that Ares took her hand and gripped it tight in comfort. “Near the end of it, Lauren was offered a deal, she could die naturally, with no further ridicule from the masses, at least not to her face, if she killed me herself and allowed Arnold to destroy the body.”

Mal closed her eyes and shook her head. “She did the same more or less with me time and again. Did she finish the beating, or stab you?”

"Blood would have made a mess. And I was already bleeding enough as it was." He reminded her of their mortal parents hate of messes. "With the number of injuries, I was going to die anyway without medical treatment. But they wanted me to die then and there. Quick and Quiet. Lauren pulled out her insulin and kept giving me shots till I died."

Mal shuddered. “Was it painful?”

Michael shrugged. “I was already in so much pain I don’t think I noticed.”

Mal nodded, "Then I guess we can get to the important matters." She looked at him with a curious expression. "I take it I will be hearing a summed-up version of the history of this place before we can get to the situation with Ares and me?"

Michael chuckled as he too sat back to get comfortable. “You always were scary right and eager for stories.”

Mal merely grinned and looked around. Then looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it proved to be the right thing to do."

Everyone had to laugh at that. There really was no argument for that.

}TLCW{

Michael told them all, minus Ares, as this was all a repeat lesson for him, at least the beginning was, the true history as Michael coined it.

When eternity was young, the Gods came into existence, they proceeded to travel away, closing themselves off into alternate dimensions, creating several thousands of worlds in their image. The God they recognized, and the angels that followed, stayed here. At first, she didn't create things, but she grew lonely. So she created the angels, warriors, and protectors. Friends whom she needed. Out of them, the first, Michael, was the only one who could understand her language.

“Before anyone reacts, yes, God was a she.” Michael said with a raised hand to stall questions. “Obviously this throws the whole Christian Bible out the door, but that’s not important right now. We’ve got a lot to get through, so questions are best kept till later.”

The Goddess went on to create several worlds, all of them were interconnected by pathways unseen to the human eyes, but could be seen with magic. The worlds were uncountable. For every world there seemed to be at least a hundred in its same image where different choices were made, a different path was set for it.

It was because of this pathway that Merlin was able to travel the realms and why so many of them have stories of the great wizard. Each world told a different story. Morgana LeFey was a fae, true and born bred, who could naturally travel between the realms without the aid of a focus or vessel. As the Fae regularly traveled between their pocket dimension that held their homeland, a place they called Tir Na Nog, they could easily visit and live in other worlds that caught their fancy.

However, not all things were created by God, and evil in its purest form began to fester and infect the worlds. Demons, who existed in the void, fed off God’s residual magic after she created things, creating a world for themselves. It was connected to the others, and they descended into the mortal realms gaining physical forms as they did so. They began to corrupt mankind. What ones they didn’t devour for food, they changed them, twisted them, till the humans God created were demons too.

Realizing their goal was to corrupt all of God's creation, and eventually corrupt God, killing her if they failed, the angels moved quickly in defense. Some demons had already managed to leave this plane of existence to find the other Gods realms, so they had to stop the rest of them before they managed to escape

Lucifer, ever the warrior, led his army of angels down to the mortal realms, not bothering with mortal vessels, but full Angels in their divine glory so as to have all of their true power, and went to war with demons. They began to beat the demons back to their world hidden in the void. Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Michael and God worked tirelessly to close the pathways. Thus, preventing any travel between the realms. They also made sure to utterly destroy the pathways between the mortal realms and heaven to protect the resting souls there.

With the realms finally sealed off, all that was left was to seal the demons into the world where they came from. The vast majority of them at last sealed away, the pathways closed down, Lucifer and his legion went to each world and systematically killed any straggler demons that had been left behind. No matter how weak they were. Whether it was all that time slaying demons or that time around mortals, no one was sure why, but Lucifer and his army's wings turned black.

They began to experience mortal emotions and were soon no different than the mortals themselves in a lot of their actions. As Gabriel has said and thought many times, where the white wings and most other angels acted on thought and little emotion, the black wings acted on emotion first, logic be damned a lot of the time. It had become Lucifer's and his army natural reaction to act first and ask questions later.

While there were some who were horrified by this, Michael could find no fault in them. They were still the brothers and sisters he knew well, they were just no longer detached and driven by logic. It wasn’t a bad thing; it was a new experience and one they all accepted.

However, as much as they wanted to believe the mortal realms were now better off and saved, they were wrong. Due to the presence of both evil and divine, seeing the divine change before their eyes, the mortal’s points of view changed. The demons had succeeded in one quest, and the damage was irrevocably done. While mortals had sinned before yes, it was nothing compared to what they were doing now.

“The Crusades, the Dark Ages, the Witch Hunts,” Michael listed off, “to name a few examples.”

Heaven was no longer an option for these souls, and no matter how many times they were reborn, their sins just kept getting greater and greater.

Ultimately, it was Lucifer, who came up with the solution. Let him and his legion administer punishment so that perhaps the souls could learn their lesson be redeemed. Let him be the patsy, the "bad guy". He already was in their eyes according to several realms' universal religion. That way, the black wings had a purpose, where they could act on their emotions and there wasn’t a mess for the others to clean up when they overreacted to something.

That way, they had a purpose, and a system in place to deal with the accumulating sinners and the ongoing corruption. While they may not be able to stop it right away, they would be able to systematically thin it down.

With God’s approval, Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel created Purgatory. From there, souls would be reborn, healed if needed by the Cherubs who set up an infirmary so they too could be of use, and judged. Lucifer created the Underworld where sinners would be punished for their sins before being sent back out to Gabriel’s care in Purgatory to be reborn again. However, they soon learned that some souls would never be able to be redeemed. Rather than keep them among the ones that could be redeemed, Lucifer created Hell, a place where a soul who was so dark and could never earn redemption would be placed, until their soul ceased to exist.

“Tell them the best part.” Gabriel grinned nudging Michael’s side with his elbow.

Michael glared at Gabriel, but Mal caught the little bit of embarrassment Michael had in his cheeks.

“You’re lovers with God.” Mal said with a smile. “Aren’t you?”

Michael looked a little taken aback before smiling at her, “Yes, we are. We have been since shortly after my creation. I think I was specifically made for that role, but she won’t say one way to the other. She often grumbles that if she made me to be the perfect lover I wouldn’t defy her as often as I do.”

Mal threw her head back and laughed. The light of the stars in the cosmos beyond the flat land grew brighter, and what planets were near began to spin faster. Once stationary comets began to move at lightning speed. Gabriel, was shocked, having only heard the bells of Gods language when Mal laughed, Michael heard and saw it all. Looking back at Mal, he knew whatever her destiny was, it was greater than even he knew.

“Yes.” Michael confirmed again. “I am lovers with God. While she can’t have any children physically, it’s because of our union that mortal souls were born in the first place. There are, most usually, no accidents when it comes to the grand design.”

He went on to explain had God not created the angels, and thus her creating the mortal souls with him, they never would have known about the existence of the demons. Had they not beaten back the demons, they would not have been able to create the elaborate afterlife that they had. While she was confusing and frustrating, even he had to concede there was often a reason why the woman did what she did. Even if she neglected to tell him until it was almost finished.

After the afterlife was set up the way they wanted it to be, God went into seclusion in her temple where only Michael and the other Arch Angels could get into. During a meeting, that same day, Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel all agreed they could never ever do that again. They could never again enter the mortal realm in their full glory. As mortals yes, but as full angels, no.

Reason being; humanity had changed so much because of the mere presence of angels and demons. Extreme religions were born, and humanity began to commit vicious acts in the name of those religions as he explained before. Few if any, held the real truth of God, and God saw more harm than good in the results of trying to reeducate them while they were still mortals. Which is why the knowledge was kept readily available in the afterlife. So the souls could slowly learn the truth.

If a world was in dire need of a savior, they made it where a mortal soul would have to deal with the problem, with the backing of the angels. Angels could descend into the world if they wished without a mortal body, but God made it to where their physical bodies had no form now. They were vaporous in nature, and no mortal eye could see them.

While they wanted to do the same with the demons, they had no physical bodies left of the demons, and such spells took a lot out of God to cast.

“There’s more,” Michael said with a sigh, “there’s another matter which I must come clean about, and that’s why I gave an overview of our history before I got to this point.” He glanced up at Mal and Ares, “This isn’t the first time your souls have met in this place. This first time was just over two thousand years ago.”

Mal and Ares looked at each other shocked.

"The same two thousand years that brought the reshuffling of souls to a different world so they wouldn't stagnant and led to soul healing in the infirmary?" Mal asked.

Michael nodded. “At the time of Purgatory’s creation, with the demons sealed away, and the mortal realms closed off, I decreed whatever souls were born into a world, that would be the world they would live and die in till they earned Heaven or joined the rank of angels, or sinned badly enough to warrant Hell.”

He sighed, “God kept trying to get me to reshuffle souls, warning me that the worlds would stagnate, but I ignored her. I was so set in my ways, I didn’t want the pathways to reopen again, and I feared, even if we did it here, the pathways would open.”

He explained it was at that time, two souls met in the afterlife. No one was sure how, as no angel had allowed this, but they met and begged to be together in their next life. However, they were from different worlds, and Michael refused to allow it. They were separated and thrown back into their own worlds.

God, was furious with him. She expected him to figure it out that she set them up and come to her ranting and raving, but he didn’t. So, in retaliation, she created a onetime wormhole and sent Mal through to Ares in another world.

However, their souls, which were already damaged to begin with, came back broken from that life after Ares was forced to watch her die in front of him. Meanwhile, she was under the belief it was because of him she was being killed. Which is what led to their broken state.

God took their souls then and put them back together herself. She refused to let the artisans touch them, knowing they would have been thrown away because of how broken they were. She put them back together and healed their souls until they were ready to return to the mortal realms.

“So why were we separated this time!?” Ares demanded furiously.

Michael looked at him with a calm expression, "Because you carry pieces of the other's soul within you. Just as you have pieces of Mal's, she has pieces of yours."

This silenced Ares and he sat back with Mal while they waited for Michael to finish explaining.

"You see, I can tell you that you're meant to be together all you want, and I can write a divine decree till my hand bleeds, but what form your mortal lives will take I can't always control." Michael explained. "I lack the power and time. So say you two were put in the same world, having pieces of the other in you, there would be no stopping the two of you from being together. In the case of the life we're sending you to soon is a good thing, but imagine if you will," Michael said leaning forward, "That Mal had been born your twin Ares."

This shocked the couple as they understood where Michael was going with this.

"Whether one of you was twenty and the other was ten, whether one of you was thirty-seven, while the other was seventeen, wouldn't have mattered if you were married to other people, wouldn't have mattered if you were related in any way shape or form," Michael eyed them critically, "You would have come together as a couple. Depending on your mindsets at the time, you could have become a worse evil than Dumbledore and Voldemort combined in your attempt to stay together."

Michael sat back and smiled at them. "You would have latched on to each other as you have now and not let go. You were always meant to come together again. You were meant the first time, but I was too stubborn to see it."

“What he’s not adding, is that we were hoping Ares would have saved his world by this point.” Gabriel sighed. “Mortal choices being what they are, we had no way of knowing what was going to happen. We put Mal with another angel so they could care for her until Ares had completed the task that was set before him. Once he was finished, we would have presented Mal to him, and offered any world you guys wanted.”

Mal raised an eyebrow unamused. “I’m a prize now?”

Gabriel winced and Michael chuckled. “Sort of, I was hoping to keep you out of the fray. Thinking you’d suffered enough in that first life.” He met her eyes, his look of loathing unmasked. “Had we known what was happening sooner, Rida would be dead, and I would have thrown you at Ares. Consequences be damned.”

Mal looked at Ares, remembering the black haired emerald green-eyed man he had been. Seeing the golden yellow-eyed pitch haired man that he was now. It didn't matter what he looked like, at least not to her, he was still the same person. He still felt the same, his soul was the same.

“At least now I know why I was always in love with you.” She said curling up in his arms. “And why after meeting you here, I couldn’t bear to part with you. Some part of me always knew that it was always going to be you.”

Ares wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head before nuzzling in closer. “The moment I saw you, I knew I loved you. The moment you came here, I never wanted to let you go.”

“This situation, while it was once rare, it not rare in the world you now hail from Ares.” Michael explained. “I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”

“True love,” Ares said smiling at her, “Though I think you mean soul bonds.”

Michael nodded. "The moment you two reunited here, your souls bonded in a way that can never be undone. If one soul is destroyed, it will destroy the other. That's how you were able to overcome my divine law in that test life. You were soul bonded."

“And the moment we reunite in Ares’s world, our world now,” Mal said with a smile, “The same will happen there. Marriage contracts in his true name aside, nothing can circumvent that.”

Ares sighed, “That’s a relief. At least we don’t have to worry about others coming between us.”

“That’s not to say they will not try.” Mal mused softly.

Everyone looked at her and realized the faraway look in her eyes. All recognized it for the prophecy that it was.

Gabriel shook his head. “Some daughter you have there, Michael. She truly is the daughter of the Goddess.”

}TLCW{

They took a break to stretch their legs, walking around the grounds and the gardens a bit. After a while, they once again congregated in the library. Once again, while the others still sat on the chairs, watching eagerly, Gabriel sat with Mal and Ares at a table. Michael opted to stand nearby, with his arms folded across his chest.

“Alright, I have the final contract.” Gabriel said setting a glowing document of several pages before them. “But before we begin, there is one thing I’m going to give Mal the option to change.” He said briefly glancing at Ares. “One creature, any creature so long as it’s magical,” He said looking back at her, “You’re allowed to change.”

"Werewolves." She said without a moment's hesitation. "I want to combine the werewolves/ shifters from the Twilight series and the Mercy Thompson series. Wolf forms, but larger, a painless change, and they keep their minds, at peace with their inner wolves, and coexist. Similar to animagi, only when the full moon rises, they have no choice, but to change. However, they can change at will any time in between. Of course, people will still hunt them for sport or their pelts, and bigots won't like that they turning into animals of course. Because in the bigot's eyes, they are essentially animals because there is no cure. Which will explain their lack of rights, and the hunting them. However, with these changes, I believe that even with Greyback leading a faction to support Voldemort, I don't think there will be as many, or as powerful."

“Why’s that?” Ares asked in amazement.

“Because combining the two,” Gabriel said looking up, “She’s making their bite ineffective, it’s only by birth that werewolves can be made.” Gabriel looked up at Remus, “It would mean instead of being bitten, that your mother would have been raped instead. However, I can make it to where regardless, you were your parents’ son, and they still loved you very much.”

Remus nodded, still at a loss for words.

Ares looked at Mal surprised, “But, I thought for sure you would change the mermaids, I know of your love for them. Why would you change the wolves and not them so you swim in the ocean with them?”

Mal smiled at Ares, “Because the werewolves live among us, while the merpeople are not really a part of the war. By changing the wolves to be similar to the way you were in our last life, it will be a huge benefit. For one, we will gain their allegiance in the war, and for two, it will mean that an easier life for Remus and his kind after the Battle of Hogwarts.”

It was then Mal noticed the shift in the room, before, it was patience and acceptance for no matter what came. Now, there was pride bursting in all of them and happiness to the point of tears. Mal looked around a little shocked.

“Why is it so surprising that I would choose this?” She asked looking around. “I may love mermaids and wish I had been one, and I won’t lie, sometimes I still will. That’s not a wish that can vanish overnight, but I’m not foolish enough to make a request that would see our cause fail.” She smiled and took Ares’s hand. “I’m sure we’ll have other lives, and in one of them, I’ll get to be a mermaid, possibly more than once. I can wait another life or two.”

“If I wasn’t already in love with you,” Ares said with a grin, “I would have fallen just then. I have a feeling I’m going to be thinking and saying that a lot.”

Remus came up, pulled Mal to her feet and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much. Thank you, Lioness."

“She is quite Regal.” James said with a grin.

Everyone present knew that her and Ares’s animagi were lions first and foremost, with a second form that was an eagle. Mal and Ares decided to spare their minds the shock at having a third Animagus. So they kept the wolf forms to themselves.

Mal grinned from Remus’s arms, knowing that she just got her Marauder name. “I solemnly swear that I will live up to the name and my place in Marauders.”

Sitting back at the table, Gabriel went over the contract with Mal and Ares. Going back with their memories, a freebie that Gabriel was giving them was Hedwig, which greatly pleased Ares, he'd missed his owl. Fawkes, so that the bird would get rid of Ares's Horcrux and change his appearance. Dobby, so Ares core would be unlocked and later help Ares with anything he needed.

Mal sighed with relief. “They will be an immense help.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Ares agreed. He gave Gabriel a grimace, “Just curb his obsession please.”

“The torture made him that bad.” Gabriel explained. “Then Dumbledore’s ordering him to leave you alone.”

They sat for an immeasurable length of time, going over the contract. Going over each favor, and how they would seem to come about, and how to handle the situation. They would be learning occlumency while here so as to protect their secrets, and go over the memories from before they were popped into the life they were being sent to. So that way when they began to interact with people, they could act accordingly with the relevant information.

Further, Gabriel went on to explain who was going back with their memories, and why. This was non-negotiable, and once he explained his reasoning, Ares begrudgingly understood. Course it helped when Mal held his hand and gave him a patient smile. They had talked about this, getting the most help, for the best possible outcome, even if it didn’t make a whole lot of sense in the beginning.

Once finished, Ares went over his hit list, not at all concerned about hiding his rage, not sparing his family the knowledge that he intended to kill every person on that list. At the top were Voldemort and Dumbledore. Others on the list included his former best friend, and his two previous wives, and of course the Lestrange's, in particular, Bellatrix, who was responsible for dealing the death blow to Sirius. The Dursley's needed no explanation as to why.

Snape had been on that list for the years of bullying and torture. However, after learning the truth from his family, he resolved to attempt to save him. If he couldn't, he would put Snape out of his misery quickly. Snape would be freed from a fate worse than death, and Dumbledore would lose a pawn. Win-win in his mind.

Mal noticed the grimace and worried look James and Lily passed between them. While they didn’t like the callousness of Ares’s tone, they understood why he felt that way, and even they agreed. If Snape could not be saved, then he would die.

Gabriel then went over his "save" list, and why. Most Ares could understand until they got to the last name. Bellatrix.

“What!?” Ares thundered as he rushed to his feet outraged.

"Bellatrix was forced into a marriage contract by Sirius's mothers." Gabriel explained patiently. "In it, was an obedience clause that might as well have made the whole thing a slave contract, she was forced into servitude by the Lestrange's who repeatedly tortured her with that curse she favored and raped her. They ordered her to pledge her services to Voldemort and follow his orders as if they were her Lords. She was actually a sweet girl who was in love with Arthur Weasley until she was sold off like cattle and Molly love potioned Arthur to her and not Bellatrix."

To prove his point, a pink winged angel entered the library with a small child. Flecks of multicolored crystal were floating around her as she cried. Her long, ring curled black hair surrounded the small girl and her cheeks were stained with tears as she cried.

"Bella." Sirius crooned heartbrokenly.

It really was the very same woman who had killed him. For he’d seen this image of her on the family walls when she was announced to the rest of the magical world at a ball. A floor length white dress, with a baby pink ribbon woven around the collar, the cuffs of the sleeves, and around the waist.

All Mall saw, was a hurting child.

"This is the last time she was truly innocent." Gabriel sighed. "It was after this that Walburga and her parents started to torture her when she misbehaved. Among other things."

Mal was the first to move, the pink winged angel watched a little worried, knowing that those in the room had not cared for the woman in life.

“How long as she been like this?” Mal asked looking to the angel as she walked forward.

“Since she arrived here in death, ma’am.” The angel answered, recognizing the kindness and there wasn’t any ill intent in Mal. Her thick accent came through even in as an angel, though Mal couldn’t tell if it was Scottish or Irish, as her attention was focused on Bellatrix.

Mal lowered herself down so she was face to face with the girl. “And these flecks of crystal surrounding her?”

“Her soul ma’am.” The angel sighed. “We’ve tried and tried to heal her, but we’re having so much trouble with it. Even the artisans are at a loss. All the girl does is cry, and it seems she can’t forgive herself, despite the fact that she is innocent. She fought against the orders she was given with her very soul, and the result is what we see now.”

Ares sat back down stunned. All hatred ebbing away at the sight of the broken soul before him. “If her soul can’t be fixed, then she can’t be saved.”

"And we most likely wouldn't be able to heal her enough in time put her back in her body as we will with you." Gabriel nodded. "We would have to put a different soul in that body, and it will likely be a very evil Bellatrix from another world. Not having observed her former lives, I couldn't tell you if this would work in our favor or not. I was hoping that you would agree to forgive her so her soul could start to heal."

With that last comment, Gabriel had looked around the room pleadingly.

Mal held out her arms to the girl. “Come here sweetheart,” she smiled softly at the crying girl who couldn’t have been more than three. “I won’t hurt you.”

Bellatrix, unsure at first, didn’t move, but neither did Mal. Soft smile still in place, she didn’t move her arms either. Slowly, the girl made her way from the angel to Mal. Carefully, Mal lifted the girl, the pieces of her soul following as they surrounded the girl. Mal noticed the breaks in the girl’s skin, she noticed that certain crystals were the same shape. Testing to see if she was right, she slowly turned, rocking Bellatrix who was still sobbing, she took hold of a crystal and pushed into one of the cracks on the girl.

She watched curiously as the piece fit into the crack and broken part, and heal over. She slowly did that with other pieces, having forgotten the others in the room, and the angel behind her. After thirty or so pieces were fit back, Bellatrix slowly stopped crying and drifted off to sleep in Mal's arms.

She looked to see everyone staring at her in shock again. Especially the angels and Ares.

"Uh," She looked around nervously. "What did I do now?

The cherub gulped. “You just put the pieces of a broken soul back together ma’am! I’ve never heard of a mere soul being able to do such a thing!”

“She’s no mere soul.” Michael said standing glaring at the Cherub, “There is a reason she’s a high priority case.”

"Well, I can see that!" The Cherub said indignantly, her hands on her hips. "A soul that can have the truth of that horrible Rida revealed has the blessing of two Arch Angels watching over her, not mention healing another soul is not a mere anything!"

She looked at Mal with narrowed eyes. “This will be your tenth life will it not?”

Mal nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”

"Mark my words my lady, you will be an angel by the time your mission is through." The Cherub pointed a finger at Mal. "And not a fledgling like Rida, not some pompous arse like that Stephan fellow who promoted her either. No, you, my dear lass will have a power that can rival an Arch Angel."

The Cherub looked at Ares who had come to stand behind Mal. “You as well laddie.”

She sighed and raised her hands, "But I'm not but a Cherub healer is not my place to go getting involved with such plots." She nodded to Gabriel and Michael. "I'll be taking my leave now since it's clear that her soul is in good hands. I'd wager she'll be ready for mortal life again in far better shape than if she had been left with us. At the very least it's less work for us, and work that we felt we couldn't handle since we weren't really helping."

With that, she turned and left and Mal was left shaking her head.

Mal turned and smiled at Ares. “Sorry, but I have to agree with Gabriel on this one.” She looked down at the sleeping Bellatrix who now clung to Mal’s dress in her sleep. Soft tears still flowing from her eyes. “She reminds me a lot of me, I’m sure I looked similar after Lauren abandoned me in the middle of winter at this age.”

Michael snarled having heard Mal, though she knew it was in reference to her mortal mother.

Ares, looking down at the little girl in Mal’s arms, couldn’t believe that this was the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange. He remembered the mad woman cackling as she attacked with sadistic or deadly force. He remembered the madness in her eyes. But looking at the child’s face, which blinked awake for a moment, and soft gray eyes landing on him, he saw the innocence in there. The grief. So much it seemed she was drowning in it. As she passed back out in Mal’s arms, he sighed.

He couldn’t hate her, not anymore. Knowing how powerful magical contracts and vows in the Wizarding World were, he knew that was very likely to go insane from being forced to do something against your will, or against your very nature. At least the potions from a young age made him think it was his own doing. With the contracts, Bellatrix knew, but couldn’t fight it physically. Fighting it internally broke her soul to this state.

No, he couldn’t hate her. And loathe as he was to admit it, he even began to forgive her. Especially seeing as she couldn’t let go of Mal. Clinging to her as if her life depended on it.

With even more to think about now than before, every one of the souls ascended to the next level and went to sleep. Mal wanted to put Bellatrix in one of the baby beds, but Ares let Bellatrix sleep with them. He held Mal from behind as Bellatrix slept in Mal’s arms.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

}TLCW{

Deciding to stay there, they sat in the library drinking a special wine that angels made in front of the fire.

“Well,” Gabriel hiccupped, “You heard Gerda, they’re to be angels, and almost as powerful as us!”

Michael merely glared into the flames. “Mal will be more than that someday.”

“A Goddess maybe?” Gabriel asked hiccupping again.

Michael nodded, "My theory as well, however, my love will not answer me if it will be true."

“Regardless,” Ares said from the doorway, causing the two drunken Arch Angels to look back at him, “She’s mine.”

“For all eternity I imagine.” Michael sighed with a slow wave of his hand. “You’re welcome to that and I give you my blessing son.”

“As if I needed your permission.” Ares scoffed as he sat down with them and helped himself to the wine. He looked at Michael critically. “I take it Arnold and Lauren are in Hell?”

He nodded. “The souls from that world are yes. However, another incarnation of Lauren exists in your world. Every world has a Doppelganger, and Lauren’s will be Mal’s birth mother. At least this time. It will suit the purposes of getting her existence known in that world, and there won’t be any new information for her to process.”

Ares nodded understanding. “I knew about the doppelgangers in every world. I take it that’s why God said souls can be put into different worlds. Same body, different soul.”

“Something like that.” Michael shrugged. “Personally, I think the artisans got lazy and thought once was enough and created copies. Original work is so hard to come by these days.”

Ares laughed then took a deep drink. He sat with the angels for a long time in silence. “I’ve decided what angel I will be.”

Both Arch Angels looked at him skeptically.

“Shouldn’t you,” Gabriel was interrupted by a burb before he continued, “talk about this with Mal first?”

Ares shook his head, “I believe she already knows where I’ll end up, and would be surprised if I didn’t.”

“You’re taking Satan up on his offer, aren’t you?” Michael asked him.

Satan, the leader of the black wings, was the Arch Angel formerly known as Lucifer. For shits and giggles, he changed his name after so many souls called him Satan upon their entry to Purgatory. So finally, one day, when a soul called him that, he just grinned and confirmed it was his name. The look on the soul's face made him laugh, so he kept the change for now.

“If souls could shit themselves, he would have!” Satan roared with laughter when he told Ares that story.

Ares nodded. “I’m driven by emotion, I know that.” Ares took a sip and stared into the flames deep in contemplation. “More than that,” He looked into Michael’s hazel eyes, fury and fire reflected in his now glowing yellow ones, “I want to punish the ones who hurt Mal. The ones who hurt me. I know they will all be headed to Hell for their crimes. Especially Petunia and Arnold. Lauren and Vernon for defending them and helping them hurt children. I want to be one of the angels who tears them apart piece by piece till they cease to exist.”

“I had a feeling,” Michael sighed, “I knew from the moment Satan tried to claim your soul that’s where you were headed.”

Gabriel barked with laughter, “You knew!? I knew the second he started to throw tantrums in my office!” He wagged a finger in Michael’s face. “Do you have, burp, any idea how hard it was to keep Satan from stepping in to lay claim on him sooner?”

Michael nodded, “That’s why I told him to stay away for now. Regardless of who watches over him, he will end up a Guardian of the Underworld and Hell, but I need a person with a level head to watch over his lives and not make the situation worse.”

“PSSH!” Gabriel spat. “Do you know how many times I wanted to go down and smite those bitches who hurt our boy here!”

Michael glared at him. “No more than I want to march into Mal’s former world and paint that town with the blood of the cult members, I assure you.”

Michael poured himself another glass and downed it in a single gulp.

If that’s how they were drinking, it was no wonder they were drunk. Ares thought.

"I don't foresee anything changing for you in the way of your status as an angel." Michael rasped out. "I can't say what the future holds." He met Ares's eyes, "But knowing that Mal is eventually going to be more than an angel, I wouldn't be surprised if you eventually became more than angel yourself."

Ares drank a bit more with the Arch Angels in silence before going back up his room with Mal, leaving the Arch Angels to nurse their wounds with their alcohol. When he got there, he saw Mal was getting out of bed.

“There you are!” She gushed and wrapped her arms around him. “I woke up and you weren’t here! I decided to wait and put some more of Bellatrix’s soul back together since I noticed there were more breaks to fill, but when I finished all that I could you still weren’t back.”

“I was with the Arch Angels who are getting drunk.” He giggled, while he wasn’t as drunk as the Arch Angels, he was still pretty wasted.

“Figures.” She said rolling her eyes. “I’m going to have to take care of you after you get drunk, aren’t I?”

He laughed, as he grabbed her and pulled her in for a deep searing kiss.

“More than likely.” He said when they finally parted. He gestured toward the bed with his chin. “How is she?”

“Well,” Mal said directing him to the toward the bed, “She’s not crying in her sleep anymore. I think she might actually wake up tomorrow.”

Ares sighed.

She looked at him a little worried. “Do you still hate her?”

He shook his head. “No, and it’s a sad reminder that things aren’t as black and white in that world as I would have liked them to be.”

“If it makes you feel better,” Mal said with a grin, “Pretty sure your ex-wives will be that cut and dry.”

He grinned at her. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

They laid down, this time with Bellatrix between them and drifted off to sleep.

}TLCW{

“Mama Angel?”

Mal felt a soft hand patting her cheek.

“Mama Angel?”

The soft voice of a little girl was reaching her, but still, Mal was reluctant to wake up.

“Come on little one, leave her be.” She heard Ares grunt.

“Mama Angel not up yet.”

Mal opened her eyes and Bellatrix’s hand on her cheek as she pouted at Ares who was standing at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

Mal sat up and smiled at them both, “Good morning.”

“Mama Angel awake!” Bellatrix squealed.

Mal looked at Bellatrix with a warm smile, her heart warming at hearing the girls nickname for her.

Ares saw the longing in his wife’s eyes. Any grudge he held had vanished the day before, but now, his heart melted. Bellatrix’s innocence was a plain as day, and the way she openly cared for Mal, he couldn’t keep his heart cold toward her.

In the library, with the sobered Arch Angels, Mal and Ares signed the contract, and Gabriel left to file it away and keep it safe.

“Rest up.” Michael told them. “Tomorrow, the training begins.”

No matter where Mal went that day, Bellatrix followed hot on her heels. Every once in a while, they would stop, and Mal would put some pieces of Bellatrix’s soul back together.

Who apparently wanted to be called Bella, or Trixie.

Seeing how great Mal was with Bella, as they had taken to calling the girl, he once again vowed they would have children. Many children. He grinned, knowing they already had, and he looked forward to doing it all over again.

}TLCW{

The Cherubs couldn’t be happier with their lot in life. Before, they were choir angels, and while some of them could sing, they had nowhere near the talent as the Artisans and didn't have the passion for it.

The mortals' view of them didn't help with their self-image issues. Seeing the Cherubs as nothing but babies with tiny wings wearing old fashion cloth diapers, if they wore anything at all. That had not made them happy.

So when the obvious need for healers arose, they jumped on the chance to actually be useful before another group of angels could put forth the idea. With their new jobs approved and encouraged, they built their infirmary in Purgatory. Soon, they catered to both angels and souls. They were indeed happy with their work.

Only, not today. Or the last week if they were being honest.

To say that no one in Purgatory liked Rida was an understatement. Since her promotion, all an angel had to do was meet her once, and they hated her with a passion unbefitting an angel. They could complain to the higher-ups about her, but as she was promoted by the Head Angel Stephan, all complaints about her were fielded to him, and he was in her corner all the way.

Needless to say, this dropped his popularity by a large margin. If he needed something in any department, be it the artisans, or the Infirmary, he was given the barest minimum and always at the lowest quality. Not that he seemed to notice, if he did, he chucked it up to them being corrupted. What utter nonsense. They were hardly corrupted.

Every last angel would say it was Stephan and his lackeys who were the corrupt ones. With Rida being the worst one of them.

That particular day, and for the many that passed previously, they all avoided a certain room. They drew straws several times a day before a very unlucky Cherub entered the room where Rida was staying while under their care.

She had come in from Gabriel’s office. Apparently, he’d ordered her to come straight here, and she didn’t listen. Another angel found her and dropped her in the infirmary before begging to be seen to make sure they didn’t get infected by her.

Rida’s wings were without feathers, down to their skeletal frame. But rather than the white leathery skin over the bone, it was black and withered. Festering with infection, bleeding in places where the skin had fallen off with the feathers, and rot from where the infection had burrowed deep.

She had to stay there for several days, and none of the Cherubs were happy about it. While they were happy to finally see her taken down a peg, they were not happy about having to deal with her. She was unbearable before, now, she was just a nightmare.

The entire first day there, she wailed, complained, and made impossible demands. They had to treat her infection before they could do anything. Being the unreasonable person that she is, at first, she refused. She would not let them touch her, she demanded to see Sir Stephan. She would not submit to any of their heretic treatments until he was present and assured her it was alright.

She was the only one to call Stephan, Sir Stephan, and everyone, on principle, pretended to not know whom she was talking about.

After her eighteenth refusal for treatment, and the umpteenth time the Cherub tried to explain no one could see her till the infection was cleared; the Cherub did the only logical thing there was left to do.

She walked out and waited.

There was an easy and a rather fun way to deal with the situation Rida was in; let her fester. While an infection such as this was rare, it was not unheard of, and if it was one thing that the Cherubs knew, was it was painful. It was just a matter of time before Rida realized this herself, and the Cherubs would patiently wait until she did.

Such infections came when an angel was promoted too soon, and reacted violently when the truth was shown to them and it proved contrary to what their soul so fiercely believed. Rida wasn’t their first cast like this, though she was the first in a few hundred years.

The infection was treatable. However, much like the mortal world, they couldn’t do anything until the angel had given permission. The patient had to want the treatment before it could work. Such was the power of this place, and it’s healing. Intent. So even if the Cherubs had overridden Rida’s desire, and treated her anyway, it wouldn’t have worked.

So they sat and waited. For the first day, all they heard was Rida’s rants about an ungrateful slut of a charge. How said charge was the future Devil Queen. How it was the charge’s fault that Rida was even in this situation. How things would change once Sir Stephan finally put his plans into action and the afterlife was made right once more.

The more she ranted, the more one thing was clear; Rida’s situation was entirely her fault.

On the second day, it seemed Rida had calmed down enough to realize she was in pain. While Cherubs knew it was painful, the bloodcurdling screams were not appropriate. Amidst the screaming and tears, they finally managed some level of consent and began the treatment.

If only for their peace of mind, they also took it a step further and knocked her out as much as they could as well.

Several days later, the infection was gone, and Rida’s wings were beginning to grow back. Only, instead of the glowing pure white they had been before, they were now a dull, flat, light gray.

Rida panicked when she saw their color, blaming them for the change. Putting the reason up to mistreatment, or something outrageous along those lines. When that tactic failed to get her any attention, she demanded as many tests as they could perform to ascertain why this was happening.

Since that was their orders anyway, they performed all of the tests they had.

The Cherubs knew why her wing color had changed, but they kept their mouths shut. If nothing else it kept her away from her former charge and the priority case Gabriel, and now Michael were personally handling. Satan was involved as well, but to what extent, they did not know.

Their choice to protect the former charge was proven right when Gerda returned, absent of the broken soul she had left with.

“I tell you it was nothing like I’d ever seen before!” Gerda told them in hushed excited tones. “The soul, she simply picked the girl up and started putting the pieces right back in place! As if she could see where the breaks were!”

“That’s impossible!” Another Cherub gasped, “We have to have special equipment for that, and you’re telling me that a soul could do it freehand!?”

Gerda nodded. “That’s what I’m telling you! Not even the Artisans can do that!"

Another Cherub, the Arch Angel Ephraim, smiled. “Sounds like we’ve got another Goddess in the making.”

All the Cherubs turned to him in shock, he nodded. “I’ve seen the Goddess herself put souls back together in such a way. She did the same with the couple back over two thousand years ago when they broke apart. That’s how she created the soul bonds that we see today, by placing pieces of the other's soul into their destined partner."

The Cherubs talked excitedly amongst themselves after that. Whoever this Mal was, she had just won the allegiance of all of the Cherubs, and she hadn’t even spoken a word to them.

It was for her sake, they detained Rida, for longer than initially thought possible. In the end, they’d run every test they had, they did everything they could think of. They even made up several tests and procedures off the top of their heads to put Rida through. But there was nothing more they could do now, every test had been run and there were no more new ideas without letting Rida know she’d been duped.

It was the day they had been both dreading and praying for; it was the day they had to set her free.

“Well!?” Rida demanded when a Cherub walked in. “Have you incompetents found out what’s wrong with my wings yet!?”

She hadn’t paid attention to any of them, they were all the same in her eyes. Had she known this was an Arch Angel, she might have reacted more reserved. Knowing this was why Ephraim decided to handle this meeting. He’d put this Cherubs through enough stress, he could deal with one trumped up Fledgling.

“Oh, we’ve actually known for quite some time.” Ephraim said. His arms folded behind his back. The Clipboard hovering in front of his face with all of the relevant information about her stay there.

“What!?” Rida shrieked. “Why wasn’t I informed before!?”

“Simple” He shrugged, “We didn’t want you to run out of here and cause trouble for the Arch Angels or your former charge again.” He glared slightly as he continued. “Even if we hadn’t been ordered to, we would have kept you here. Detaining you for some time was a benefit for everyone, and while we enjoyed making you suffer, we Cherub’s will be quite happy to see you leave our care.”

She returned his glare. “Before my charge was taken from me, no one would have dared said that.”

“Actually, we said it. A lot.” Ephraim informed her. “I assure you my fellow Arch Angels and I said some very creative things in regards to you and your personality. None of them were flattering.”

Rida reeled back as if struck and shaking her head from the shock of what was just said.

“As I was fixing to say before you opened that poisoned pit you call a mouth,” He said looking to his clipboard so he could read what was on it. “We’ve done every test we have available, and tests we just made up on the spot. It should be of interest for you to know that those might actually be useful in the future for a few cases we’ve had trouble with.”

He rubbed his chin before he shook his head and looked back at Rida. “Your wings are now gray, and it’s by your own doing. There’s nothing medical about it, nor is there anything we can do to help you.”

Rida stared at him horrified, and heartbroken.

Ephraim didn't care. He couldn’t even pretend to. Not after learning what she did to her charge and why she was here. This was justice, Karma coming back to bite her. In his mind, she’d more than earned the suffering she endured, and whatever happened next. He knew Michael well enough to know the changing color of her wings was the least of Rida’s worries.

“But, how-”

“It seems you let yourself be fueled with rage. Not just any rage, mind you, but murderous rage. You intended to act on this rage and inflict harm on one or more people.” He said cutting her off before she could ask that stupid question.

At her pout, he shook his head, “There’s no sense in denying it. I’m as old as the other Arch Angels, and I know a case of an insubordinate fledgling who was put into work too soon. You never even went through the courses, did you?”

Rida looked away with a scowl. “Sir Stephan said I did not need it.”

“Stephan!” Ephraim corrected her, venom dripping from his voice as he spoke down to her. “Stephan is not the be all or end all of the Heavens, that’s God! Stephan is not the ultimate authority among the angels, that’s Michael. Stephan has no right to stop angels from taking the program. Stephan is a lowly angel! It goes Fledgling, guardian or whatever occupation has you, head angel. Stephan is merely the third stepping stone of the corporate ladder, yet you worship him as if he was on the highest level. Which is only held by the Arch Angels, there are at least fifteen different levels between him and the Arch Angels.”

He listed off each point, being as brutal as he could to drive the concept home.

“Fifteen!?” She whispered looking at him in shock.

“At least!”

Rida shook her head, whether because she didn’t believe him, or because she was in a state of shock, he wasn’t sure.

“My recommendations are to go through the courses.” Ephraim said making a note on his clipboard. “Perhaps after that, along with constant meditation and logical choosing, you might be able to get your white wings back. However,” He glared at her again, “I doubt it. It’s rare for an angel who has fallen from their white wings due to emotion to get them back. Even if you went through the rebirth cycle again, and were given the status of an angel in the future, you still would have grey wings."

With that, he handed her a note. "It's time you leave this place, Rida. Keep in mind you come back to us in that state again, we will heal you, but after you're healed, we'll strip you of your wings and then we will shove you into the underworld kicking and screaming ourselves or put you back in the rebirth cycle. Such is my authority. The other Arch Angels trust my judgment and will not question me. There is nothing your precious Stephan can do to stop me if that’s what I wish. By the time he has the thought to, you will already be beyond his reach. Permanently.”

Rida's shaking hand took the note but said nothing and she would not meet his eyes.

“I suggest you go make yourself comfortable in the barracks if you don’t go into the courses. You’re still under investigation, so be mindful of that. Also,” He said as he walked out. When he looked back at her, her eyes were still on the floor, “Do not cause trouble for anyone; Michael’s already on the verge of killing you as it is. That's a mercy considering what he's done to others who've gone against him.”

Having said all there was to say, Ephraim left the room, and Rida soon left the infirmary. He sent a missive off to Gabriel, knowing he needed to be warned that Rida was once more on the loose and to be on guard. After that, he and his fellow Cherubs celebrated with wine.

They didn’t do this often, and he made sure the ones on shift only had half a cup. They’d more than earned this after what they had to put up with.

}TLCW{

Rida was beside herself with grief. She indeed went to her room in the barracks which had taken the form of her old room at the convent. She had seen the other angels in the barracks as well. Lost in her own misery, she spared enough attention to notice they were all followers of Sir Stephan. After that, they faded from significance.

She winced remembering that Cherubs words. He had been vicious when correcting her and made sure to say Sir Stephan's name with as much contempt as possible. She, of course, couldn't stop the habit of speaking or thinking, his name without that honorific. She felt he had earned that title, and couldn’t think of him in any other way.

For her, he had been the ultimate angel. The ultimate authority.

However, she realized now how flawed that thinking was. God, was the ultimate authority. The Arch Angels below him. Yet she had blatantly ignored their orders. She could understand the hostility toward her now. Especially her fellow comrades in Sir Stephan’s plans for the afterlife.

But at the same time, she had to wonder what she did wrong?

She retraced her steps and came back to when Sir Stephan had taken her aside and gave her charge. Her first ever charge.

Sir Stephan’s orders when he gave her the paperwork for that girl’s soul were sweet and to the point: Follow Michael’s instructions exactly as they were written. Michael would call upon Rida for possession of Mal's soul again after Gabriel had finished with his priority case. She would have stayed with Gabriel, but because he had the priority case, and that took up all of his time. So he passed the soul off to Sir Stephan, showing how much they trusted him.

Sir Stephan gave her the charge because of his complete faith in her. He was busy with the new recruits, so it was on her to take of this important case. She glowed under the praise and was more than ready. She kept her training at the front of her mind, and carefully read through the file with due diligence. Determined to not mess this up.

She was filled with glee that her charge was from her homeworld and that they were even from the same community. However, when Rida saw the fate of her precious sect, she was mortified. Having been raised, and lived her life by their rules, to find out they were going to be brutally shut down by outsiders was sickening. She saw that her charge was going to be the catalyst for their destruction, she was in tears. Many of its members would be arrested and sent to prison for the rest of their lives. Several would die during the raid. A few committing suicide to escape their fate at the hands of the outsiders.

That her charge would be responsible for this travesty, Rida would not stand for it. She had thought for a moment about requesting someone else care for this charge, but in the end, she kept it. She had defended her communities’ ways in life, and now, she would defend them in death. She was resolved to spare her people the terrible fate that awaited them.

Having heard the other angels talk about Gabriel’s priority charge and his contract, she was confused, but it sparked a hope inside of her. She immediately went to Sir Stephan’s friend in Records, Robert. He had chocolate brown eyes, with equally chocolate brown hair, and he always had a smile for her. He was a pleasant angel with dark gray wings, however, she could overlook that. All angels in Records had that color wings.

They couldn’t be bad if Sir Stephan relied on them so much.

She asked him about contracts, and what purpose they served. All Robert told her was they had a specific set of limits and non-negotiable terms that once the soul signed, they had to abide by. The soul must meet the terms and conditions of the contract, or repeat the same life over until they did.

Rida rejoiced. There was the answer! It was the answer to saving her community, more, it was the answer to finally prove herself.

She sat down with Robert then and there and went over a contract for him to create for her. They went over every step for her new charge. These steps would ensure that the community would avoid its future destruction. More, her charge would live a life just like Rida had, and rise to be the exact same as Rida.

Robert did all of this work for her, even got another angel in Records to just sign his approval for it without reading it. He gave her the contract and she went to face her young charge and set about correcting the future.

Rida saw a chance to pay back the community that raised her to rise into Heaven, so she grabbed it with both hands.

But that was only half of the story. She’d been in this place for years now, but nothing had gone the way she thought it would. So she wanted to prove to everyone, especially Michael, that she was worthy. Worthy of the community’s approval for her to be a nun despite their protests and wanting her to be a breeder. Worthy of her status as a Guardian Angel that Sir Stephan promoted her to.

She knew by saving the sect, she would get Michael's attention. This was, after all, a soul that he dealt with personally, and would come to her when he was ready for it again. She wanted him to see just how wonderful of an angel she was. Hopefully, after seeing her success in saving the world from its unholy course, she’d finally be allowed past the citadel doors.

That’s what she truly wanted. The reason why she worked as hard as she did, why she wanted to prove herself worthy

She longed to meet the God she had devoted herself to her entire life. She wanted to finally be told what a good and pure woman she was in her years of service. Technically, she was God’s wife, as were her fellow nuns. They had sworn themselves to God, and were married to him by the Arch Bishop himself! There was no higher authority in the community, and the Arch Bishop’s word was his sacred. Binding even in the Heavens!

She longed to meet her husband God, to wrapped in his loving embrace physically after having been wrapped in it spiritually for years. She’d seen many mortal couples embrace each other in the way she envisioned her husband God would embrace her. While she had longed for the experience in life, she withheld herself from the sins of the mortal flesh. She knew once she reached God’s domain, she would be with her husband God, and he would treat her like a husband should.

But, when she got here, her husband God wasn’t there waiting for her. Sure, his presence could be felt, but she’d never been given the opportunity to see him. She was barred from seeing him. She was told lowly angels such as herself couldn’t handle God’s true visage. There was still more work, and yet more proving herself worthy.

She was heartbroken. All of that work while alive wasn’t enough? She had to prove herself worthy even in death!? Would she ever meet her husband God?

Sir Stephan had consoled her. Holding her in his arms, offering words of comfort. His embrace was nice, but it wasn’t the embrace she longed for. His hold was more like that of an understanding older brother. Like the monks who offered solace after family members passed away in the community.

Once she was calmed down again, Sir Stephan explained to her the reason behind why she was being denied. It was for her, for all of his wives, protection. With Satan walking around the Heavens with free reign with his number of wives, it wasn’t like God could make an appearance, or call forth his wives to be with him. To do so would paint a target on their backs. While Satan would take any slag to his bed in marriage, God took only the purest, and the best for his wives. Making them prime targets for the Devil’s whores and Satan’s execution games.

Sitting on her cot as she remembered all of this, she was drawn to Mal’s words about the truth only being spoke, and lies were easily noticed because they lacked the ringing power of the truth. This had been mentioned many times before, but Rida could never understand it. Sir Stephan’s words never had that “ringing” they spoke of, and yet, he’d never lied to her. The other angels were all tainted by Satan, that “ring of truth” was nothing but his spell to charm them and lure them into a false sense of security. She would not be swayed by it.

Looking back at the past, even knowing the dangers Sir Stephan spoke of, Rida wanted to be with her husband God. She longed to be with him as any loyal wife would. She was the first wife from her convent who made an appearance. Surely his other wives from the other convents must have other work they could be doing, or maybe she was the first wife here at all.

Making her the best of the best just as Sir Stephan said! But would she be his only wife? Perhaps it was selfish, but she sincerely wished that to be true. Once she was in his arms, the Devil could have her former charge, for a wife or victim, it didn’t matter to her.

So, armed with a plan, a contract, and a goal, she met her charge and set things in motion. She didn’t bother with consulting Sir Stephan, despite his initial orders, she just knew he would be so proud of her and approve of every move she made. He would support her efforts and applaud them for the hard work that they were.

She had thought this plan was foolproof. One life and Mal would become just like Rida, and the community would be saved. Once Sir Stephan promoted Mal, Rida would be ushered into the welcoming embrace of her husband God going back into seclusion with him, and Mal would take Rida’s place at Sir Stephan’s side.

Mal would with Sir Stephan and his comrades as they worked to right the wrongs of the afterlife. So they could restore it to its former glory. Where the Devils were in hell, and only God’s angels remained in Heaven. No more of this Purgatory. No more of this Underworld place she kept hearing about. No more rebirth. Only those who were worthy would be permitted here. Just as it was before, and should have remained.

There was no doubt in Rida’s mind, even now, that once this system was back in place, the worlds would be much better off.

However, much to her shock, her charge defied. Every time she was supposed to submit, the girl’s soul fought back. Soon, everything was falling apart. After the third time of sending the girl back, Rida got so frustrated. The contract was made by the Records department, there wasn't supposed to be a way for a mortal to defy it!

She knew the choices of mortals could affect the contract, and disrupt the plans, but all of the mortals surrounding Mal were working within the contract's parameters. Rida had written it around the communities' beliefs and way of life. Watching her charge's life, she could see the girl's very soul rebelling in a way that baffled and worried Rida.

She remembered her teachings about the Devil, about how he had defied God’s law just as Mal was doing. It didn’t take long for Rida to realize that her charge was being called down the path of the Devil, and willingly answering. It upset her so much that when Gabriel sent trainees to watch how the process was done, she refused.

Adamantly.

She ranted the mortal she was in charge of wasn’t doing as her contract demanded. Time and time again, she went against the contract, disrupted the world, and failed miserably. She refused to permit these impressionable younglings to such depravity and a harlot’s influence!

Even now, she stood by that she was right. After all, just look at what happened with Gabriel’s priority charged. Not even a day and they were naked in bed together!

It wasn’t until she was in the infirmary that she learned a vital piece of information. Contracts for mortal souls were only in dire circumstances. They were meant as guidelines to save a world from dying. Her contract wasn’t an official contract, and Mal could sign the contract all she wanted, giving Rida the power to interfere with her course. However, it wasn’t binding. The Cherubs had laughed at her. Saying it was no wonder that her charge had rebelled.

But it was a lie! It had to be all lies! It went against everything that Sir Stephan told her. And he never lied to her, never! So what was happening? Why were those taunts and the Arch Angels words echoing through her mind?

That’s when she realized it. She’d gotten so upset with her charge that her constant faith had slipped. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Satan’s spell to work its way into her heart and mind. She’d been tainted by the Devil!

She broke down crying. Where was Sir Stephan? Where was her husband God!? Why weren’t they protecting her!? She needed their help! She couldn’t fight the Devil all by herself!

}TLCW{

To say that Stephan was furious, that would be putting it mildly. One minute he was preparing his comrades for the inevitable war that would befall this place, and the next, he had no power. His position had been suspended, he and his comrades were rounded up like pathetic cattle, and he was locked away in this location.

Of course, it didn’t take very long to figure out why he was put here. As the investigation went on, his comrades still outside knew they would be next, and they gathered what information they could to bring to him.

“It’s Rida’s fault.” One of his generals told him.

This angel was a former Roman general soul. From a world where the Romans still ruled the land, and he’d been a handpicked by Stephan. He was someone who could train and get Stephan’s comrades ready for what was to come. Julius was his name.

By this point, he’d already been in the Barracks for three days with his comrades. More arriving by the hour, and he was desperate for information. This was the first piece of relevant information brought to him since his unjustly arrest.

“We are a crucial point in our preparations. I can’t have all of this attention on me.” Stephan ranted as he paced his room. “Damn it. I have a war to plan. The heavens to save.”

Despite his obvious state of ill temper, his voice was cold and calculating as he spoke.

The four other angels that came with Julius watching him pace apathetically. Trained to be that way, so no one would find out what they were up to. Stephan never bothered with their names. He only bothered with his generals or angels that were different from the rest.

“Rida’s job was simple.” Stephan said to no one in particular. “Do the job in the paperwork, keep her nose down, and not draw attention to herself. How could it have gone so badly?”

"Sir." One of the four stepped away from the rank.

Stephan glared at him for the insubordination. “What?”

He held out a folder to Stephan. “I believe you’ll understand once you read the file, sir. It explains it better than we can.”

Stephan glared as he took the file from the angel, who immediately stepped back into rank. Not one expression of any emotion on his face. Well, at least the fool was well trained in that regard, Stephan took no consolation though.

He didn’t bother to read the file the first time. He had been too busy to deal with it. He had a new batch of recruitments that needed his attention. He knew it was another of Gabriel’s test. What was the trust of one Arch Angel who consorted with the enemy when there was a bigger picture to see? A war to plan for? He didn’t waste his time on such a juvenile thing.

However, it seemed this juvenile thing he wanted nothing to do with was the cause of their current situation.

Seeing as this was the only way he would ever get answers, he read the file now. As he read this Mal girl’s file, he finally got the answers he wanted, and he didn’t like them. He sat down when he finished, realization dawning on him just what he allowed to happen through his inaction.

It had been a test engineered by Gabriel, just as Stephan had suspected. However, it would seem, this time, Gabriel got clever, and Stephan reacted just the way Gabriel had anticipated he would. Meaning, Stephan failed.

He long since suspected that Gabriel was onto his plots, and these tests were his way of looking for proof of what Stephan was actually up to. Each test was a means to get evidence brought before the other Arch Angels to discredit him.

Well, now that Stephan failed, it was clear Gabriel had some information, but what of and how much. Rida was certifiably insane, and he could argue that point well enough to Michael. Her cemented beliefs, as well as her previous and current actions, were proof enough. Stephan was sure that he could turn this around on Gabriel. So long as Gabriel wasn't aware of his true goal, and had proof of it.

While Stephan was aware of all of this and already making plans, his comrades were not. He didn't want to trouble their minds before they were ready enough. Overburdening them would have them reacting to something unimportant and tip their hand too soon. He couldn't let that happen. So he put on his best face and raised his head to face the music.

“I should have read the file and given it the attention it was due the first time.” Shaking his head as he continued. “Of course, Rida would want to save her precious cult.”

He already knew they blamed her, now they had more fuel for the fire.

“I beg your pardon, sir,” Julius said cautiously. “but I warned you about promoting her, and I strong cautioned about giving her the task.”

“That you did.” Stephan agreed. “That you did. Yet I ignored you.”

“If I may sir,” Julius stepped forward, “forgive me as this is brazen, but why? You’ve never ignored my council before. Why did you that time?”

“I don’t know. I had thought she was as devoted to our cause like all of you. I never imagined she would disobey my orders and follow her own agenda.” He looked at Julius, as he spoke, “Even if I had known what this was about, I would have believed she would have put the Heaven's fate over the fall of an insignificant moral cult.”

“Clearly we underestimated her devotion to it.” Julius said squaring his shoulders. “As well as overestimating her devotion to our cause.”

“No.” Stephan said as he stood, and began pacing once more. “I am at fault for this. I should have seen the signs, and yet I did not. I will take the blame for all of this.”

The look of admiration in everyone’s eyes gave Stephan hope.

“What now?” One of the other angels asked.

It was a valid question, and for that reason, he didn’t punish the recruit.

“Now,” Stephan said as his arms folded behind his back and he faced his comrades. “Now, we do damage control. Rida is surely to make her way to me to find absolution and help with whatever mess she’s found herself in. She’s rather helpless without my presence in her corner. Though, clearly, she’s capable of acting on her own, considering what she did to save that cult. She’ll also have it out for this Mal. We may be able to use this to our advantage."

He picked up the folder and handed it to Julius. “Hide this, and when she comes to me, let her through, not a word is to be spoken to her, she is not to be stopped. Remember, we want her to come to me.” Julius handed the folder to the angel who brought it, and Stephan went back to pacing. “In the meantime, keep gathering what information we can. The more we have, the more I can use it against Rida. Talk to everyone, someone will have the missing pieces that we need.”

The other angels nodded and left the room to follow his orders. Julius looked at Stephan and could see the cogs and wheels in his brain turning and working overtime.

"What's the plan, sir?"

Stephan took a breath and nodded, “I think I may have something, but I need more time to figure this out.”

“I might have something then that could be of use.”

Stephan leaned against a chair waiting for Julius to divulge the information.

“Emily from the Cherubs infirmary?”

“What of her?” Stephan glared remembering the traitor.

Julius shrugged; he wasn’t about to apologize for an old friend. “She was saying that Rida came in with an infection in her wings. Orders from the top say to keep Rida absconded there for as long as they can.”

Stephan sighed, as he relaxed his posture and sat in the chair. “If we are not released before she is, she’ll be sent here. She’ll come to me shortly thereafter.” He looked amused as he said the next bit. “I suppose this will give me more than enough time to work out a way to make her the only villain here, and paint us as the innocent bystanders.”

Julius doubted it, but he let Stephan plot.

}TLCW{

Rida upon realizing she’d been infected by the Devil, rushed out of her room, and through the halls of the barracks. There were many angels, her comrades in the cause, but they said nothing to her. More importantly, they didn’t stop her.

Perhaps if she hadn’t been so distraught, she would have realized they were deliberately clearing a path for her.

She found Sir Stephan’s room rather quickly and was soon face to face with Sir Stephan.

He was sitting on his bed with the most forlorn look she’d ever seen. Once he looked up and saw her, his expression turned to compassion, and he gave her a small smile.

"Hello, my child." His voice was as sweet and honey, as smooth as silk. Often in her dreams after coming here, she dreamt that her husband God’s voice was the exact same as his.

Sir Stephan’s compassion and kind words broke the dam she had been holding back. More tears fell and she rushed forward into his waiting arms. It was all her fault he’d been trapped in here for several days like this.

How anyone could treat someone as great as Sir Stephan like this broke her heart! And yet, he harbored her no ill will. Here she was, kneeling in front of him, her arms wrapped around him, and he still smiled and showed he cared about her. This was all the truth she needed.

Sir Stephan was the ultimate authority until it was safe for God to reemerge from his seclusion. Everyone else was under Satan’s control.

“Oh, Sir Stephan!” She cried, tears falling down her cheeks as he ran his fingers through her hair. Usually, it was covered, but since leaving the infirmary, she couldn't find her usual clothes. It felt nice, this gesture of comfort. "That charge you gave me was going to destroy my homeworld! My community! I tried to stop her! I did everything I could think of! But she was infected by the Devil! Just like everyone else is too! I couldn’t understand how the Arch Angels could defend an evil that’s as bad as Satan himself! That’s when I realized everything you’ve been saying is true! You were right all along!”

She pulled back to look up into his eyes and gestured at her wings. “Look what she did to me! My wings have turned! I’ve been tainted, Sir Stephan! Just as you warned us would happen! I battled her but I lost! Now the Arch Angels are protecting her! I failed you! I failed you all! I’m so sorry!” She broke down sobbing more, her face dropping in her shame. “Please! Please, you have to help me! I’ll do anything you say, just please heal this condition!”

“There, there, my child.” He crooned as he ran his fingers through her hair again. “There, there, it will be alright.”

“How!?” She sobbed. “How can it be alright!?”

He smiled reassuringly at her.

“No one holds you responsible for this. Anyone of us could have stood where you were, and we would have ended up exactly where you are now. You made it out alive, you still have your wings, that's what matters.” He softly said in the most compassionate tone she’d ever heard. He pulled her back into his embrace and held her tightly as his words gave her comfort and hope.

“Unfortunately, healing isn’t one of my abilities I’m afraid.” He sighed; genuine regret etched on his face when Rida pulled back to look at him. “You know I would in a second if it were within my power, my child. You’ll just have to trust the Cherubs know what they are talking about. They’ve always been on our side and have been trusted in the past. You’ll have to do as they told you. I’m sure you’ll get your color back soon.”

“They said to stay away from my former charge! To take the courses that you said I didn’t need!” She wailed.

“Oh my.” He said sounding disheartened. “How could they suggest such a thing? Especially since I said you didn’t need it? That would only corrupt and ruin you further. Have they no sense? Surely my word is good enough for the likes of them.”

Rida looked up at him with hope spreading through her. She just knew that he was the answer to all of their problems and corrupt way of thinking.

“That’s exactly what I said to them, but they wouldn’t listen!”

“Oh dear.” He looked away, worry dominating his features. “It would appear Satan's influence has infiltrated the Cherubs. If this is true, and their words to you are proof enough to me, they can no longer be trusts. We’ll have to be very careful from this point on. We’re very lucky you managed an escape with just a bit of color. Who knows what kind of discoloration they would have tarnished you with had you stayed in their care.”

He pulled her back into his arms again. She could feel the love, the care there. This was what she needed back in the infirmary when everything fell apart. As Sir Stephan said, yet more proof that outsiders could not be trusted.

Stephan pulled back after a long while and cupped her cheek, “My child, my poor sweet child.”

“Oh, Sir Stephan!” She gasped leaning into his hold.

If she had an older brother, she imagined he would have been just like Sir Stephan. The only person could possibly be better than him was her husband God.

“You said the Arch Angels have your previous charge?” He asked quizzically. “Is that still the case?”

Tears fell down her cheeks but she kept her eyes on his. There was such love in those eyes. “I tried to keep her, Sir Stephan, I tried to explain what evil she was, I truly did, but Gabriel and those black wings stole her from me!”

“That’s because they are acting on orders of Satan.” Stephan said softly.

She nodded in agreement with him. After everything she’d been through, there was no longer any doubt of Satan’s hold on the Heavens.

“Listen very carefully my child,” he said taking her face into both hands so she was looking only at him. “You must listen to my every word and not speak of this again; do you understand my child?”

“Yes, Sir Stephan.” She whispered. She remembered the way lovers used to whisper to each other, and it sounded similar, but that’s not the tone she had. No, she was speaking to Sir Stephan as if he were her brother.

Stephan, smiled brightly, then that smile fell, and his face turned serious. “I’m afraid it is as you suspected my child. Satan has marked your former charge for his ultimate bride, his future Queen.”

She stared at him, lost for words. She had said and suspected as such, but hear it confirmed is another thing entirely.

“Gabriel and Satan’s followers have conspired against you. They wish to break you and induct you in as a new Devil so they could get information on how to defeat me. Thank Heavens you were strong enough to resist them. However, it only proves that you are our last hope." Stephan whispered resting his head against her own. "I wish I could help you, my child, I wish I could take this burden from you, but alas, I cannot."

He raised his head once more and his determination, his belief, radiated out of his eyes and pierced her core, “Only you can stop her. You two are of the same world, the same community. Only you can stop her from becoming the Devil’s Queen and saving us from the damnation that awaits. You must get her back and banish her to the mortal plain till her soul ceases to exist, or all of the Heavens is doomed. If she ever returns to the Heavens, she will marry Satan. Once she has, then it will be the end. Satan’s control over the Heavens will become absolute.”

Rida’s tears dried, and her shoulders squared. Despite the heavy burden placed upon her, she didn't cower. She believed Sir Stephan's every word.

“What can I do?” She asked carefully. “The black winged heathens and Gabriel all proved I am no match for their power.”

“Ah, my child.” Stephan grinned before pressing a chaste kiss against her lips. “You already hold the answers within yourself. I have every faith you will complete this task put before. It is, after all, your destiny.”

“Can I even leave this place?” She hesitated.

“I believe so.” He nodded. “You don’t have the mark like the rest of us. Without it, you are free to leave this place, we, however, cannot. You will be on your own for this.”

Rida rose and smiled brightly. “I will complete this task you’ve asked of me; I will not fail you, Sir Stephan.”

Stephan smiled at her. “I believe in you.”

Armed with a task, a mighty one to be sure, but she would not cower, Rida left the room. Her comrades all glanced at her as she left. She knew they were wishing her well. All of the Heavens were depending on her. It was up to her to defeat the wicked witch before she was the Devil’s bride, and save them all. Rida would not fail them again.

As he said, she was able to leave. With a smile, she knew just where to go, and what to do. Just as Sir Stephan said.

}TLCW{

Julius’s eyes were on Stephan as he watched as Rida leave. He looked greatly amused at himself and the situation.

“Perhaps I laid it on a little too thick.”

Julius moved from the corner of the room, Rida never realized he was there. “I think you laid it on just enough.”

Though it was curious. He didn’t sense any of the Divine Truth as Stephan spoke. Not one hint of it. Julius could tell this, and he knew many of the others could as well. All of it was a blatant lie, yet Rida hung onto his every word. He wondered if Rida had some kind filter when it came to the afterlife. If it didn't match the way she thought, then it was a lie. No matter the power behind it.

It was rather disturbing.

“Now with her out of the way, we can focus on more important things.”

“What if she succeeds?” Julius felt compelled to ask.

“I have no expectation that she will,” Stephan said as he chuckled a bit. “In fact, it was my intention when I gave her that task to fail.”

A mild shock ran through Julius, and he was sure that Stephan saw it before he squashed that emotion again.

“I gave her an impossible task.” Stephan grinned, seeming to answer Julius’s unasked question. “She’s up against two Arch Angels, Satan, and whoever else is in on this plot. What I do expect, however, is for her to cause a big enough scene, a big enough mess, that all of the attention will be on her.

“When it’s all said and done, I’ll be able to hold my head high and say my orders were to follow Michael’s instructions. Everything thereafter was her own twisted line of thinking and actions. I’m only responsible for putting the charge in her care. Which, I can honestly say she begged me to let her prove herself, and I was unable to deny her.” Stephan grinned turned slightly vicious. “And all of it will ring with that Divine Truth everyone is so worried about.”

Stephan barked with laughter. “They will be so busy cleaning up after her they will forget all about us. By the time they remember, we’ll have our place secured and our plans moving forward.”

Julius wasn’t stupid enough to say anything. He was a General first and foremost, all of this universe, Heavens, and mighty beings were unimportant to him. However, it was clear this situation was serious, and his instincts were screaming at him.

This could only mean one thing; there was a battle coming.

Sooner rather than later.

}TLCW{

After dealing with Rida, Stephan asked to be alone. His subordinates obeyed like the faithful followers they were. After everything that happened, he needed to center himself before another obstacle was brought their way. It had been a long tiring couple of weeks before Rida was finally released.

Actually, it had been a long tiring few hundred years, and Stephan hadn’t let himself rest for too long. He didn’t feel secure enough. Even with his generals watching over him.

Stephan had been promoted to angel a handful of centuries ago. But his mind and heart were in turmoil. He too had grown with a completely different way of thinking and beliefs of the afterlife. It had been ingrained into him during his many lives. He lost count after thirty but knew it was less than two hundred, by the time he was promoted to an angel.

He went through the courses as required, where he learned “The True History” as the teachers said. He was able to reconcile that God was actually Goddess. He was even able to come to terms that Michael was her lover. And coming from a person who believed that God was a man, and who went to war over this belief, the fact that he came to terms with that knowledge, that in of itself was a miracle.

The thing he wasn't able to come to terms with, however, was the truth about Lucifer, or more recently hailed as Satan. Satan walked around the Heavens as if he owned them. He’d spoken with God apparently, on a regular basis.

Stephan could accept the rest, but Satan being the good guy, no. That just wasn’t possible. In fact, it was heresy!

Still, Stephan beat down all of his thoughts and animosity on the matter. For years he lived and worked. Gabriel and Michael tried to take him under their wings and tutor him, and educate him. He played along for a time until they tried to get him to converse with Satan, apparently so he would realize that Satan wasn’t the villain the mortal realms painted him to be. Stephan stopped after that, and Satan had urged the other Arch Angels to leave him be.

Stephan began to fear why that was? In all of his former teachings, Satan wanted control of the Heavens. It would appear, he’d more or less managed it, was gaining more ground each year. With only Stephan questioning why and worrying about the implications.

That’s when Stephan realized, Satan considered him a threat. Stephan rarely slept after that. He kept his thoughts and feelings to himself more so now than before. If Satan considered him a threat, he wasn’t going to give the Devil reason to come after him.

He eventually found himself promoted to Head Angel, by his once superior Brock. Brock, like most, had no idea about Stephan’s true thoughts and feelings. He had no idea about the festering animosity in Stephan. That it was slowly poisoning him over time. Had Brock known, Stephan suspected he never would have promoted Stephan to take Brock’s place.

Brock, went into Heaven to sleep.

Finally, Stephan was in charge, he had power. Only to find, it wasn’t that much, and there were others who were far superior. The fact that Satan was one of them, burned his throat every day.

Over the years, the animosity grew. He saw “Evil” where the rest saw “Emotion”. With every year that passed, and the more angel recruits came in, Stephan’s previous observations were proving true. Through the many ranks of angels, three/fourths of every new batch went to the black wings, and into Satan’s domain. Of the fourth that was left, they split up into the lesser ranks of angels. Such as the Artisans, and the Cherubs. The white wings saw a new recruit every other generation.

It got to the point where Stephan became resolved that something had to give. The black wings were dominating the angels in numbers, with their natural enemy, the white wings, being the lowest in number. If Satan went to war with the rest of the Heavens, they would succeed unopposed. The white wings were no longer the warriors that Stephan believed they once were and believed were the only ones who could battle and defeat the black wings.

He found himself promoting souls to the rank of angels before their time. He often had Records fast track it through without question. If they had to lie about a few details, then that wasn’t his problem, it was the Records Department’s problem.

He promoted angels, but to his dismay, many fell into the lesser rank of angels almost immediately, or straight into the Devil’s arms. Oh, they had accepted the truth about this place and the way things were without question.

Stephan continued with his promoting, going younger, and with fewer lives lived. Each time, he found their wings were a brighter white than his own, and they stayed white. They stayed with him and believed his worry had merit. Resolved to help him in any way that they could. When one suggested they start training to be the warriors that they once were, Stephan wholeheartedly agreed and began promoting his generals for just that purpose.

It came to pass that he found a woman who was the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Her wings were so bright, glowing with purity and power unlike anything he’d seen. He had thought she would be by his side through it all. Later he was forced to watch as she went into Satan’s arms willingly. Her once pure, glowing white wings faded into a deep blood red when the light hit them just right.

He buried his heart that day. He had to; else it would have broken as he saw her again over the years. On Satan’s arm, with Satan’s other concubines. He eventually stopped looking at her when he saw she was heavy with child. Satan’s spawn.

Stephan continued recruiting and training. Even going so far as to train with them. His time as warrior bled through into his angel prowess, and he had no doubt he could take down the Devil and his contingency when the time came.

Time moved forward to when he found Rida. Her wings were even brighter than the woman’s who broke his heart. It was the brightest he’d ever seen. He had firmly believed she would always be a pure white winged angel, and nothing could sway her. Still, he kept her close, fed her delusions to suit his purpose. He wanted to protect her, worried that the minute she was away from him she would be turned.

He was right in his fear. Like before, his precious purity angel was tarnished.

His scheme had been going on for a while, unchecked, and unhindered. However, even with his new followers, his animosity still grew, and it showed from time to time. As did his subordinates. That was when Gabriel and Michael stepped in again. They began to berate him, and his subordinates. While Michael had other duties, it fell on Gabriel to keep testing Stephan. To test his loyalty to the Heavens, and the purpose they served.

He was loyal to it all. Except for Satan and his black wings. He knew that the others wouldn’t understand, and if they found out, they would put a stop to it. All of the work Stephan had put in to save them all from the Devil would be ruined because they trusted that heathen bastard.

So he played along with Gabriel’s schemes, though they tried Stephan’s patience.

He had gotten fed up passed the charge onto Rida. Yes, while he’d been busy with the training, it was mostly because Stephan had grown tired of Gabriel’s endless tests. He wanted to be left alone just once.

Even so, he gave very specific instructions to Rida. After that, he went as far as to enlist his longtime friend in Records, Robert. Robert’s instructions were to help Rida in every way possible if she came to him. He made sure to tell Robert to not draw attention to themselves.

Despite that, things spiraled out of control fast. If he had just read the file, or if he had checked up on Rida’s progress, none of this would have happened. But it did, and as he feared would happen, he was now under investigation at the insistence of Gabriel. It wouldn’t be so worrying if he didn’t know that Satan had Gabriel’s year.

It would seem that Satan had finally made his move against Stephan. Thankfully, Stephan had not been idle. He’d been preparing for this moment for years.

He had long since been convinced that it was coming to war. With the black wings and Satan being the enemy. Michael and Gabriel needed to be shown just how awful the black wings and Satan were. Guardians or not.

Stephan knew that Satan wouldn’t take control until he was sure no one would stand against him. To prevent that day from coming, and catching Satan unawares, Stephan wanted to start the war before Satan had a better standing in the Heavens. He had many plans to start the war. One of his favorites was to commit an unspeakable act, and frame Satan for it.

Once a horrible act was committed in Purgatory, say, an attack on Heaven where many souls died brutally and bloody, or something predictably Satan like that; Gabriel and Michael would finally see what Stephan saw. They would finally go to war like they should have done eons ago. His angels would help with this effort, of course, it was what they had been training for.

Satan, his fellow black wings, and his precious children would be slaughtered like the heathen devils they were.

He firmly believed that they would fall like lambs. He knew that Satan would be taken out by Michael. Stephan liked to believe he could kill Satan, but being realistic for a moment, he knew that wouldn’t be the case. All Stephan hoped when it came to the black wings slaughter, is that he could take out the woman who broke his heart. Her children would be easy, but killing her would take more. If those were the only devils he took out during the war, he could live with that.

For he would have succeeded in righting a great wrong. The Heavens would be free of Satan and the black wings once more, and Stephan’s heart would be avenged.

However, recent events pushed things forward. He didn't need to enact any secret and sickening plot anymore. Satan had moved first, now, Stephan would land the blow that would end all of this.

As he planned and envisioned this bright future that was sure to come, he forgot all about Rida. All he saw was his own mission and was calculating the time till his expected victory.

He knew as his eye twitched that he should probably get some sleep. It wouldn’t do for a leader such as himself to be so sleep deprived, and it had been a few decades since he last slept. But with the pending war looming on the horizon, he needed to train.

}TLCW{

Robert was having another dull day. Since Stephan and his contingency were essentially imprisoned, he’d had very little to actually do. He worried about Rida when he heard she was in the infirmary, but an acquaintance told him she would be fine and make a full recovery. So it was back to the dull meaningless work that awaited him day after day in this place.

With that being his normal, it was only natural that he would be pleasantly surprised when Rida appeared in the doorway.

He immediately stood, closed the door to his cubical, and pulled her into his arms. “I was so worried!”

“I’m alright now.” She assured Robert.

He pulled back a bit, his arms still firmly around her, holding her close, as he smiled. “So, what can the scoundrel in Records do for you today?”

“I need your help.” She said dropping her voice.

“Anything.” He said dropping his own to match her.

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "My former charge that you helped me with, Mal, she's going to be the Devil's Queen. If I don't stop this, all of the Heavens will be lost, and we'll all be doomed to damnation."

Robert, quirked an eyebrow amused. “How can I help?”

Rida smiled. "I need another contract. One that will put Mal under my complete control. We must banish her to the mortal plane until her soul diminishes and vanishes away completely.”

“What of the priority case with Gabriel?” Robert asked. “They’re saying she’s now tied to him.”

Rida shook her head. "A misconception to deceive us." She continued on with determination. "We must get her away from that innocent soul, and out of the Heavens. Really, he'll thank us one day, it's for his own protection after all. She's not really tied to him, much less love him. He's merely a means to sate her lusts until the Devil calls her home."

Robert was well aware that Rida didn’t know that Mal and Ares had already signed a contract created by Gabriel and Michael, while it was supported and rendered unbreakable by Raphael. He could also tell that everything she said was bat shit crazy. He knew who she got it from, and trying to convince her otherwise would be more trouble than it was worth. It would ultimately end with her stomping out of here and never speaking with him again.

“So you want a contract that will give you complete control over Mal?” He asked making sure he was getting this right.

Rida smiled brightly and eagerly nodded.

"And you want it written in a way that Ares can never have any contact with her ever again, for his own protection?"

She reacted the same as she did to the previous question.

“And you want a contingency in there that says Mal can never return to Purgatory under any circumstances?”

Once more, he was met with the same reaction.

Well, now that he was clear on what she wanted from him.

“Let me get right on that.” Robert grinned at her.

The brightness of her smile made him giddy and weak in the knees. He knew what would happen if they succeeded, but he could never be considered to be the brightest man. Even in life, his choices weren’t very impressive. Right now, all he could think about was how happy this made Rida, and how beautiful she was.

He had lived many lifetimes before becoming an angel. His years as an angel were as dull as his mortal lives. Till he saw her. Even with her wings now gray, and as she ranted and raved. About Gabriel being a spy for Satan. Her destiny that Sir Stephan set her on. Her whore of a former charge. It all went in one ear and out the other.

He hoped that this favor for her would finally see him getting laid by a beautiful woman. Maybe if she got laid her crazy religious rants would cease. Really, what man could compete with the image of God? Especially when the man she was picturing sounded like the Greek God Zeus with the Devil’s voice. He could think of a few more examples that were more reasonable and relatively handsome. So long as it wasn’t an old man Rida lusted after.

He wasn’t sure if he loved Rida, but he definitely wanted her. So as he worked, he let her do whatever she wanted, all the while admiring her pretty gray wings. Noticing they were a brighter gray than his own.

Maybe they were meant to be together after all?