Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or any of its characters. If I did, there wouldn't be a cliffhanger ending to TB's anime. But, I don't own Trinity Blood. So there.
Even Angels Can Be Monsters
"ABEL! We're out of sugar again!"
Abel winced. This wasn't going to be pretty, he knew this for a fact. He could tell from the pretty unhappy face and urgent tone of Esther that she was annoyed with him. Like usual, he decided to put on a show for the heckuvit.
"E-Esther, it wasn't me! I swear it! There must be another sugarpredator around he-"
Esther gave a huff. "Don't give me THAT again! You said that three days ago, and now we're out of sugar AGAIN! Oh, and don't go giving me that innocent look, Father Nightroad! You're not getting off easy!"
Abel sighed. He knew Esther was too sharp for his usual Play-the-Innocent-Priest act. "Fine, fine, I admit it- I eat too much sugar."
"But of COURSE! And since you're the chief consumer of it, I suggest that YOU buy it yourself!" Esther demanded, obviously intent on pushing Abel.
"Bu-Bu-BUT I TOOK A VOW OF POVERTY! I can't pay for sugar!" Abel protested with mock horror. Esther sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Fine, Abel. Let's go to the marketplace and get some sugar. Just…please, don't eat it in three days. Some of us here would like to have sugar with our tea, as well," Esther gave in, knowing she would have to pay for it out of her own pocket, as Abel spent his paycheck all too quickly on food. How exactly he could eat a mountain of cake and not gain a single pound was a mystery- not even the Professor could explain the grand mystery of life that was Abel Nightroad's stomach.
So, they trotted along to the market, with Esther engaging in a lecture along the way. "Father, you really SHOULDN'T eat so much! All of that sugar is going to bite you on the butt one day!"
Abel smiled his usual goofy smile. "NONSENSE, Esther! If any of us should watch our figures, it should be you! I might end up lecturing you one day about how you shouldn't have eaten all of those cupcakes while you shuffle around the room, trying to fit through the door!"
Esther shook her head and sighed. "Father, Father, Father…"
The two continued down the path, only to stop at a booth with massive bags of sugar. Esther fished around in her pockets to find enough money to pay for one of the bags, while Abel looked on, counting the coins in her outstreched hand for her, just in case she miscounted. "That should be enough," Esther mumbled as she put the last dinar into her palm and handed it to the stallkeeper. Abel took the liberty of hoarding the heavy sugar bag the stallkeeper intended on handing off to Esther. They set off once more, intending on returning to the Vatican with fresh sugar.
However, this was not to be. As Abel and Esther trotted along the road to the Vatican, lurking in the shadows was a pair of spying eyes. These eyes belonged to an especially gruesome owner, and as the young red-haired nun and her bespectecaled priest companion passed by, his eyes followed, tracking the nun's every movement and analyzing them, making note of movements that seemed weak or strange. Finally, from the shadows, as a blur in the sky, he lunged at Esther, and attacked. Esther yelped in pain as the creature's blade, which grew out of his left arm's wrist, gently sliced her arm, only leaving a small gash. The normally gentle glacier eyes of Abel turned into a piercing glare as he spun around to identify the attacker.
"VAMPIRE!" was what Esther screamed, obviously doing the identifying work for Abel. In one swift movement, he grabbed his glasses off his nose and got into a fighting stance.
"Nanomachine Crusnik 02. Power output 40…Activate!" was what Abel muttered under his breath. Thus began the terrifying transformation- Abel's long silver hair, normally in a ponytail, floated in the sky, lifted up by an imaginary wind. His eyes began glowing a bloodlusting red, his teeth became identical to that of a vampire's, and his skin grew paler than normal. From what was nothing became a beautiful, deadly scythe made out of blood. This was the creature known as a Crusnik- a terrifying vampire as beautiful as it is deadly…and death was practically embodied by the Crusnik.
Abel, now in his Crusnik form, swung the scythe in a savage rage, swiftly cutting through the vampire's shoulder like a knife in butter, and out from the wound burst crimson blood. The vampire's arm was then severed from its socket, leaving behind only a stub of flesh, blood, muscle, and bone. "Don't worry," Abel rasped in a now metallic voice, "the next cut may not kill you unless I will it to."
Esther was cowering in fear behind her protector, quivering with fear as the sight of her beloved friend turned into a horrid monster. Yes, he was doing this for her sake…but at what cost? What more could be gained from this, other than the protection of many others from this vampire's bloodlust? She herself had to bite her own tongue to keep herself from screaming. So bite her tongue she did, drawing blood, which tasted horribly in her mouth, but she had to stay quiet, had to not screech in terror, lest Abel let his guard down and possibly lose his life.
"Damn…Terran…" was what the vampire spat at Abel, though his spit contained blood. His arms were now laying next to him on the road, along with his left leg. Pools of blood were gushing forth from his wounds, and, if he were a human, he would have died then. Abel then delivered the final, bloodiest action. Silently, he raised his scythe into the air, and, in a single instant, brought the blade down, piercing the heart of the vampire in one swift movement. Blood showered out, and it seemed to rain from the sky…but since when was rain red?
Esther let loose a terrifying, wailing, heart-shredding scream then. Her heart seemed to rip itself into pieces, and, as it did, so did her sanity. Tears started rolling down her face then, like a great river bursting out of a barricade after being held back for so long. Abel quietly reverted back to his usual self, and, quietly, lifted Esther up into the air. "I'm sorry…you had to see that…" he whispered to her, true apology ringing in his bell-like voice.
Esther was still sobbing then, but even through her tear-glazed eyes did she see the beauty of her friend. His long silver hair, although bloodstained and not in his usual ponytail style, was shining with the aid of the sun, and his glacier eyes had a deep amount of concern within, though she could see pain and agony within, as well. Only did then did she notice that tears were at the edges of his eyes, too.
"No…I'm the one who should be sorry…" was what Esther replied. She alone caused him grief. She was the one who painted agony in his eyes…or was she?
"I'm a…monster…Aren't I…Esther?" Abel asked, small sobs seeming to break his voice.
"If so…then, why do you look so beautiful? Monsters are supposed to be ugly…" was what Esther had replied. She was trying to comfort her own friend while comforting herself…and most likely failing at both.
"I suppose…even angels can be monsters, too," Abel sighed, intending on hurting himself with his own words. Esther started crying again, except this time, it was because her very friend was hurting himself…why couldn't he see that he was an angel sent to Earth?
"Abel…please…Don't hurt yourself…" was her pitiful plea. Abel's eyes widened, as if hearing a voice of reason from the heavens above. Perhaps, maybe, her request had some effect on him, even as stupid as it was presented.
"Esther…" Abel's voice trailed off. His eyes closed, and he seemed to mutter under his breath, as if praying for some divine forgiveness. His expression calmed, and he seemed to be able to relax. Finally, he opened his eyes again, seeing the world in a light anew. He hugged Esther closer to himself, and shifted her she would be comfortable. Esther smiled, and closed her eyes.
"Thank you…Father Nightroad…" She seemed to lose unconciousness, which was understandable- she had, after all, gotten attacked by a savage Methusalah in one day. Abel, all of a sudden, remembered the sugar that they originally came to the market to get...
"Oh dear…how am I to get both the sugar and my love hom-"
Wait. Did he just address Esther as 'love'?
"Great, Abel…you're going insane. Not only are you addressing an unconcious nun as your love, you're also talking to yourself…out loud. So, now that you're officially insane, how would you like to take your prizes home?" he whispered to himself. Perhaps, maybe, it would be best to just find a bench in which to lay Esther in, drag the sugar bag to her, and wait for her to gain conciousness once more…However, parts of his mind, intent on throwing sanity out of the window, suggested far more ludicrous ideas. And frankly, he was actually thinking about these ludicrous, Vatican-scandalizing ideas seriously. Half of him was mentally slapping himself, trying to get himself to become sane again…
"Whatever. Sanity inside me died when I became what I am," he told himself lightly. Indeed, Abel and sanity never mixed well since Lilith died…
Odd, he thought. The name Lilith usually awakened the monster inside of him, except this time, it had no effect on him. Then, finally, he realized what Esther had truly done.
"Thank you, love…Thank you, for saving myself…" Abel whispered to Esther, who was still lying in his arms with an angelic smile on her face. Her last plea before diving into unconciousness was a godsent gift…a gift, after all of these years.
Esther seemed to surface back into conciousness again. Abel was delighted to see life stirring within her again. Only a moment later did Esther's sapphire eyes flitter open like a butterfly spreading newfound wings…
"Father Nightroad…?"
"What is it?" Abel asked, willing to fill whatever task she might have asked of him. Esther stared at him, trying to analyze where she was.
"I'm not in heaven, though it seems an angel is holding me," she said, talking to herself. Abel chuckled a little.
"I'm no angel, my love, but I'm no monster, either," Abel remarked. Esther blushed, mostly at the usage of 'my love', and started crying, oddly enough, tears of joy.
"I am in heaven. Abel, you're the only one that has ever returned love for me…" Her voice trailed off, as if remembering a distant memory. Abel sighed, as if recalling a memory of his own.
"We've both been used as puppets for others, I'm afraid," Abel said.
"It's only fair the manipulated get love in the end, too," Esther replied. Abel looked around for a moment, then remembered that, in fact, they both had to get back to the Vatican with sugar.
"Esther…hopefully you're not planning on spending forever in these arms, even though both of us want to stay this way," Abel laughed. Esther's eyes moved in the direction of the sugar bag, still neglected from the battle with the Methusalah.
"Oh! We still have to get the sugar back to the Vatican!" she reminded herself. With Abel's help, she reluctantly got her feet back on the ground again, and scooped up the massive sugar bag.
"It's…heavy…" Esther said between gasps for air. Abel chuckled, and gently took the weight off her shoulder by effortlessly taking the sugar bag from her. Esther breathed a sigh of relief, and the two walked back home, laughing all the way.