Precious Alliance

Focus: Ange/Mammon
Timeline: Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 4. Following the summoning in "Mariage Sorciere."
Summary: Finally reunited after that incident, Mammon struggles with the idea of forgiving Ange.
Disclaimer: Umineko no Naku Koro ni belongs to Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion.

Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust; known collectively as the Seven Deadly Sins, they represented the lowest one's morality could descend. Paradise, said God's messengers, could be attained by mere abstinence of these seven, but theirs was a severe underestimation. To humans, who emerged into this world with nothing to call their own, the power the sins offer could not be more tempting. Letting the sins be their guidepost in life, following a path of self-indulgence and self-satisfaction—there could not be a more direct path to damnation.

They were the Seven Sisters of Purgatory. Not being of the mortal realm, they were such beings that allowed the sins to dictate their behaviour. Each sister considered herself master of her respective sin, and any lowly human who dared rival her would find themselves impaled by a stake. It was a most effective method of purification, and all seven relished in gouging their enemies, bathing in the warmth of their blood. The Stakes were terrifying, high-level furniture, servants only of the one who inherited the name Beatrice, Endless Witch. On a Rokkenjima eternally suspended between October 4 and October 5, 1986, they carried out the blood lust of their master.

It was an exhilarating experience. Gouge and kill, gouge and kill; there could be no greater pleasure for furniture than to be used.

But when Ushiromiya Ange became their next summoner, they were asked to only remain as her friends. It was most definitely a change of pace, but the Seven Stakes of Purgatory, as lively and talkative as any young group, were more than happy to oblige.

A game of rock, paper, scissors had awarded the fifth sister the privilege of spending the most time with her newest Master, a privilege she gloated about whenever opportunity presented. Ruling over Greed gave she a slightly different outlook from her sisters, but the sin itself was a constant. Hers was an ever questioning, curious mind, but once absorbed, she refused to share any of her new found knowledge with the world. Usually she found herself in opposition to Beelzebub's Gluttony, what with their mutual taste for material goods—Beelze in the more literal sense. Where Ange was concerned, it was the same; if she wished for a friend, Mammon would accompany her to the ends of the earth but she wouldn't be satisfied unless she monopolized all of Ange's attentions. Of course, considering how enthusiastically she encouraged Ange's magical progress, this was a tad contradictory, but she wanted it all the same. To improve oneself, to grasp one's happiness with one's own hands—these too were of her realm, and Mammon wholeheartedly wished for her Master's success.

That it would also result in her own ascension up the ranks had nothing to do with it~

Okay, maybe it did, but Mammon learned quickly to change her objective once she got to get acquainted with the red-head. Watching her Master, a sacrifice for the girls of St. Lucia, going through life without so much as a smile on her face, Mammon just couldn't leave her alone and resolved to bring light into her world no matter what. Making snide remarks in the classroom for a laugh, sharing in the cafeteria's rich assortment of goodies during lunch. They were trivial actions, things any lowly human could have done, but to support her Master meant that supporting her heart as well. On more than one occasion she would drag Ange out of that prison for a breath of fresh air, and there were often nights when they would stay up until late improving magical concentration. As the days passed, Ange's expressions grew softer, she smiled more freely, and for one who had grown much too fond of this new Master, Mammon considered this payment enough.

It was most likely the reason why Ange's betrayal was so hard to accept.

The voices of her sisters still rang clear in her head—their cries and shrieks as they begged Ange to spare their lives, and that horrible shattering sound when their pleas were rejected. There the two of them had stood, a classroom flowing thick with the anti-magic toxin, surrounded by the remains of the Sisters of Purgatory. In the end, the one she had praised as a Witch of Resurrection, the one she had agreed to stay with always, could only spout tears and rejections of magic. She couldn't understand—no, she wouldn't understand the miracle of magic.

"Fine, kill me, deny me! Your first and final friend...!"

Aaaah, how boring.

Mammon stared lazily pass translucent hands to the ceiling sprawled out before her. There was a second when a pinky flickered out of sight, but she blinked it away nonchalantly and assumed an upright position. She looked over her shoulder to where her summoner lay, eyes closed and breaths granting motion to the sheets. The Stake let out a dismissing puff of air and went back to facing the curtains, its once rich crimson dyed now with the shade of age. She could deduce from the various pamphlets laid out that they were in a hotel room—a rather luxurious one too, if the size of the room was any indication. What's more, a clock on the wall read ten after five—no more than a few hours had passed since she materialized, which probably meant Ange had decided to pull her little stunt at the peak of exhaustion.

"What kind of sense is that?" the brunette muttered, drifting over to the window. Taking a glimpse out the curtains, she was temporary blinded by the sunlight and had to wait a moment for her eyes to adjust to its intensity. "She should have known how tiring it is, and she was just looking to pass with time? Give me a break." Yet grumble all she wanted, Mammon had to accept the blame for pushing Ange past her breaking point. If she had been paying more attention instead of getting over-exciting at seeing her sisters again, it might not have turned out this way. To be a burden on her Master; didn't that make her a failure as furniture? Still, as the city slowly came to life before her, Mammon couldn't help thinking...

"If it was the old Ange-sama, she would've been able to summon us without any effort at all."

Even with all their bickering, the sisters had noticed almost immediately when Ange collapsed. It helped that Satan, the most recently invoked, was swept away by a golden shower in the middle of one of her lengthy rants—much to the delight of her younger siblings. Belphegor, taking up mantle as the next in line, had demanded those remaining erase themselves as well, but even after Beelze and Asmo had had their turn, Mammon chose to hold back. She tried to reason that her own stake, the one Ange had used as a vessel for the ritual, should be enough to bind her to the human world for a while longer, but in actuality she was just being greedy. Of course, what else would one expect from the Sister of Greed? How much time has passed since she last took form in the human world? Mammon wanted to absorb as much of the experience as possible—the sights, the smells, the sounds. And...

She sighed and landed softly on the carpet, being careful not to make too much noise. Mammon walked over to Ange's side, recognizing at once the ornaments in her hair. This was a girl who had once studied magic for the sake of bringing her family back—a noble cause—but she had also tossed aside her friends when they could no longer be manipulated to her advantage. Thinking about it made her character a little questionable, but it wasn't as if their previous Master possessed the purest of souls either. The Seven Stakes of Purgatory were duty-bound anyway to serve the next Beatrice so even bothering to be a character judge was a waste of time.

"But being employed by such a weak master?" she asked, voicing her earlier complaint. "I'm not as pathetic as Luci-nee, but even my pride could have trouble with the thought."

"Well... sorry for being such a weak master."

"A-Ange-sama?" Mammon jerked back a few inches into the air. "W-What's this? You were awake?" That caught her off-guard; she hadn't sensed the other girl stirring at all.

A sliver of blue peeked out, looking as un-awake as ever but credit had to be given for trying to bring them into focus. "Had a feeling someone was badmouthing me," Ange explained warily. "Guess I was right."

"So Ange-sama's still full of surprises, huh?" Mammon crossed her arms and tried to look as disinterested as possible. It was an immature position, but she stuck with it. "I'll remember to keep that in mind."

A strained grunt redirected her attention to the bed and after an exasperated sigh, Mammon moved quickly to help her Master sit up against the headboard. Ange's breathing had gotten slightly heavier, proof that even this simple exercise was taxing for her. "Honestly, you're hopeless without me around, aren't you?" she asked, placing both hands on her hips. "If you were tired, you could've said something, you know. Once Luci-nee gets wind of this, I'm going to hear about it for weeks. Ah, but you summoned Satan-nee, didn't you? That'll be troublesome."

The last surviving Ushiromiya mustered a shrug. "You didn't seem all that overjoyed so maybe I wanted to prove myself? Guess I'm not what I used to be."

An eyebrow arched in amusement and Mammon twirled into the air. "I'd say. The Ange-sama I knew could summon all seven of us, and now she can't even manage more than one. What happened, Ange-sama? Could you have possibly been slacking off in your studies?" she asked pointedly, stressing each syllable. If there was an opportunity to get back, it was in her nature to seize it. The sadistic side of her sneered when Ange's expression clouded. Good. I'll teach you a lesson for treating us lightly. An unworthy master, to so easily brush aside everything that we've done.

"I can't believe it! They're almost all wrong, aren't they? Did you really study properly?"

Wait... The smirk dropped from her face. Why did that sound so familiar?

"Look how many people are staying this late for you, Ushiromiya-san. Why not thank us a little?"

"Mammon..." Ange kept her head down as she spoke but even then she was unable to elaborate further. Recognizing this habit, the Stake's brow furrowed uncomfortably. It was the same back then. No matter how much she had wanted to cry, Ange would stay withdrawn and silent, pretending her classmates' words never once pierced their way to her heart. In a world of bullying and jeers, she could only allow herself to confide in magic, in the miracle that united her with her cousin and the Seven Sisters of Purgatory. Magic was the only place that offered her sanctuary from the harsh criticisms of the real world, was the only place she could go to heal her heart, expose the secrets that lay within.

If you thought about it that way, they were the ones who had betrayed her first. They had showed her that there was no substance to magic, and now when she had finally stepped back into their world...

I'm... really an idiot.

The brunette closed her eyes with a sigh, letting the tension leave her body. Lucifer was right about her impulsiveness; it was pointless to lash out for something that happened in the past. Ange-sama's marks might suck, but she's not stupid. After what happened Ange wouldn't have summoned them unless she could accept her own part in their falling-out. Unless she really was stupid, but that was a rude claim. Laughing silently at herself, Mammon shook her head in disbelief. And here I am calling myself a high-level furniture. It was her failure as furniture to be unable to observe her Master's intentions. More importantly, it was her failure as a friend for being unable to read into her heart.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, as if doing so could expel the last of her anger. Mammon crouched mid-air and proceeded to fall onto an empty space on the bed, getting a little bounce for her efforts. Ange looked up in surprise and Mammon responded by tilting her head playfully, catching those puzzled eyes with an upward gaze. "'Useless furniture,' was it?" she echoed. "You'll have to do a lot better than that, Ange-sama. Beatrice-sama often came up with the most inventive of insults."

Blue eyes glazed over for a moment. "Mammon, I..." But Ange trailed off again, which prompted Mammon to roll her eyes. If she left this up to Ange, they wouldn't get anywhere.

But, of course, that's what she was here for. Leaning forward, she rested their foreheads together and watched as a sudden redness overtook her master's features. Seeing that her actions had the intended response, the Fifth Sister of Purgatory couldn't help breaking out into a smile. She's indeed the same Ange-sama I know and love. It was strange. She had tried her best to harden her heart after that incident, but as expected seeing Ange again undid all her resolve. Mammon just couldn't lie to herself. She missed spending time with the red-head, missed the way her eyes lit up, the way she would smile in that special reserved way of hers. That smile Mammon had worked so hard to gain, she wanted to see it forever.

She was greedy, after all. And what kind of reputation would she have if she let a little fight get in the way?

"Ange-sama, if there's something you want to say, just spit it out already," she advised. "If you want to obtain something, the first step is to say you want it. Greed has its rules too; you can't be afraid to acknowledge your desires." Mammon stuck out her tongue. "Or maybe I haven't been a good enough teacher?"

The smallest hints of a smile finally graced Ange's lips and she shook her head slightly, relaxing into her partner. "You said so yourself: I'm a weak and hopeless master. I still have a lot to learn, but that's why..." Mammon was aware that Ange's hand had drifted over to hers, and she stored that warmth away in her heart. "I'm sorry, Mammon, but could you stay by my side a while longer? I might not be able to become a good enough master for you, but at the very least I can try to be a better friend."

Mammon laughed. "What's this? Those are some pretty honest words coming from you." she teased lightly. "I suppose I could stick around until you reach your former strength." Red eyes softened and she maneuvered her fingers into the familiar spaces between Ange's. How long has it been since they last held hands like this? Trapped in that world of nothingness, never in her wildest dreams could she imagine a world where she could smile with this girl again. "No, until you reach more splendid heights. I, Mammon of Greed, will most definitely serve you to the utmost of my ability." She leaned in closer so that the tips of their noses were touching now and grinned. "But I've promised that already, haven't I?"

Ange squeezed her hand but didn't pull away. "Welcome back, Mammon."

"I'm home, Ange-sama."

Note: This is my first fanfic in nearly two years and I guess it shows, huh? Fast resolution is fast. Been suffering something of an art block the past couple of weeks so I decided to sit down and write for a change. A few months ago, I was wondering about how the anime didn't give much in terms of a reunion between Ange and Mammon... and, well, the visual novel was tons better because we got more Stakes, but that's it. So I wanted to try my hand at a scene regardless of whether it fits neatly before the boat or not. Struggled a bit trying to figure out where I wanted to go with this fic, especially while trying to keep Mammon's character in mind—with such a delicate topic, that was difficult to do. And I honestly believe that Ange can only open her heart to Mammon—and the other magic peoples, of course—so you get an Ange of a slightly different favour. I do think I kept her in character though.

Still, not all that satisfied with the resolution. Didn't expect it to go this long. Just me trying to get back into the flow of writing narratives. If I'm feeling up to it—or if I'm suffering more art blocks, I'll attempt another AngeXMammon piece. Because this world needs more AngeXMammon. And less... everything else. ...Actually, this was more friendship themed, wasn't it? Just in case it wasn't clear, I really do ship them to insane lengths. I just really suck at writing romance. ::sweatdrop:: I'll try harder next time. Maybe. Reviews appreciated because... err, two years.

Written: June 6-14, 2010.