I've noticed that there's this 'heaven and hell' fad here in . While I believe that the concept is good, the monotony of forbidden love between angels and demons has become…well, monotonous (yippee for redundancy). So this is my take on your heaven and hell themed fic. Voila!
A play in seven parts. Enjoy.
Act I: The first rider.
Setting: (Heaven- A highly urbanized city of golden lights and soaring alabaster buildings. Enshrouded by cumulus clouds that sparkle with bluish wonder is a temple of ivory hoisted by bronze Corinthian posts. It is triangular in shape, similar to the temple complex of Angkor wat but more minimalistic. It is the shortest building in the city. Inside this building, ethereal beings in white business suits busily walk against the red marble floors. The clicking of their heels resonates with the somber silence of the halls. Their halos glimmer like firecrackers as they walk past each other with a polite nod and a friendly smile. No two halos are alike. Each one is different. Some look like Stained Glass paintings, some look like shrunken full moons, and some halos are ancient swirling scripts floating about in some invisible axis.)
(Shizuru walks towards the busy crowd. Her halo is perhaps the rarest of them all. It is a golden crown of thorns. An Ouroboros encircles the golden crown in a gluttonous, endless swivel. Faint purple and white rays of light escape the scales of the golden specter. She is greeted by her fellow angels. A dark skinned man stops in front of her. She smiles at him.)
Unnamed Angel: Your Call?
Shizuru: Evidently.
Unnamed Angel: Who is on the list?
Shizuru: Singaporean. Male. Forty Seven Earth years, two months and twenty two days old. Spent half of his life in misery, and the other half in drugs. Walk with me, Bathesinbrine.
(The two walk towards the stock-exchange room. They pause in front of an enormous blackscreen that says: MANA COUNT. 67th millennia.)
Bathesinbrine: (he sighs sadly after seeing that they were losing again. He then turns to Shizuru and asks in a low voice: ) Any chance of Salvation?
Shizuru: (laughing) hardly.
Bathesinbrine: We're losing to them again.
Shizuru: (with a sarcastic chuckle) Mortals did not support our products since day one. Consumption has always been negative.
Bathesinbrine: (sadly) And we're in a trade deficit since that Austrian mortal declared war over the other half of the world.
Shizuru: Yes.
Bathesinbrine: And still you're going to damn this Singaporean?
Shizuru: I am merely exercising my authority and abiding by the legalities that govern mortals and immortals. Do not take it against me, Bathesinbrine. Nothing personal. I'm just doing my job.
(A phone rings and the 'economists' struggle to make phone calls and answer phone calls. The stock exchange market becomes chaotic. And Shizuru exits)
(The screen blinks at Bathesinbrine: MANA COUNT: -8.90)
-
-
(Setting: Hell – tediously organized. The city shines silver, not gold. The streets are crowded by men and women in black suits. Natsuki walks towards a crimson tower. Her two horns are well trimmed with silver specked arches. She is carrying a suitcase with her like everyone else inside that building. The devils nod at each other politely. Their horns are elegantly trimmed.)
Announcer: Mana count has risen to zero point seventy eight. I repeat, Mana count has risen to zero point seventy eight.
Natsuki: Come on. Can't you people do any better?
(Natsuki gnashes her teeth and enters a huge elevator. She presses the only button – a green button: the up button. More devils join her. The Elevator travels upwards. A familiar face greets her. It is Takeda. He is wearing a jet black suit like everyone else. His skin is a hellish red. His tail wagged happily behind him. He squeezes his way towards her.)
Takeda: Natsuki, good day.
Natsuki: Hello. Fancy seeing you here (she fakes a smile)
Takeda: Indeed. Mana count has risen again.
(The elevator's passengers grumble in discontent: 'Damn all those sinners!' 'It's already overpopulated here!' 'Is it so hard to do something good?')
Natsuki: Now you've done it. Never mention the stocks in the elevator.
Takeda: (loudly) I'm dreadfully sorry, everyone!
(The elevator stops. The silver doors open with Transylvanian fog. Exit devils, save for Natsuki and Takeda)
Takeda: (shyly) Aren't you getting off?
Natsuki: Nope.
Takeda: Why?
Natsuki: Got a case to handle.
Takeda: Oh! Right…right…so, whose it gonna be?
Natsuki: Singaporean drug dealer. Not a king pin in the narcotics business, but still a leading figure. Had sales that reached up to North Korea and— aren't you getting off?
Takeda: (blushing) Right. Right. I guess I'll see you around. (exits)
Natsuki: Okay. Be well.
Takeda: Sure. Sure…And um…Natsuki?
(Natsuki raises and eye brow at Takeda)
Takeda: (with a smile) goodluck.
(Door closes again for Natsuki. Natsuki presses the 'rooftop' button)
(Door opens for Shizuru. Shizuru presses the basement button. She is greeted by more share pleasantries.)
(The elevators travel towards their destinations.)
-
(Shizuru's elevator reaches the ground floor. The golden door opens. Exit seraphs and minor deities. She is greeted by sitar music. She waits for everyone to leave before she takes a small mirror out of her coat pocket. She checks herself. She is perfect in every aspect. She presses a button with a suppressed giggle. The button is a yellow button with the letter "P" written on it in bold. The sitar music fades. The sound of wind chimes fill the air as the elevator's left wall bubbles and then the metal melts into rain water to reveal to elevator's other half. The 'other' elevator merges with Shizuru's elevator. The two elevators become one.)
(A devil stands beside Shizuru. The devil is wearing a red and green oni mask. The devil is reading a small book.)
Shizuru: (with a smile) must you wear that all the time?
The Devil: (surprised, she takes the mask off hurriedly. It is Natsuki. Her horns are terrible short, her skin is cadaverously white, and her tail is hidden.)
Shizuru: Why do you insist on hiding that pretty face behind that horrible mask?
Natsuki: I live for stereotypes.
Shizuru: Mhmm. But, the she-devil is believed to be a seductress. The complete opposite of the oni, actually.
Natsuki: It makes me feel more powerful.
Shizuru: Powerful (she laughs)
Natsuki: Are you going to press that button? (She points to the blinking yellow "P" button) or should I press it for you?
Shizuru: Ever polite, aren't we?
Natsuki: I see no reason to be discourteous.
Shizuru: Do be chivalrous enough to exert a small amount of energy for me.
Natsuki: my pleasure (she presses the button and the elevator zooms forward.)
Shizuru: What were you reading?
Natsuki: Just reviewing my penal code.
Shizuru: Ara…you're making me feel very confident, Natsuki.
Natsuki: (rolls her eyes)
(Shizuru eyes Natsuki with her bright, curious eyes. She is obviously drawn to the devil. Natsuki is a complete stoic though. She stands calmly in a perfect posture while the elevator travels in the speed of light towards its destination. They arrive with a loud "DING!")
(Doors open. Exit Seraph and the devil.)
(They pause in front of a huge bronze door with the word : PURGATORIO inscribed in golden letters. The two push the door open.)
-
-
(Setting: Hall of Judgement. A.K.A Purgatorio/Purgatory. A vast hall of ebony posts and ivory walls. The floor is the night itself, with footsteps accompanied by starlight. In the center of the room is "The Channeler", an inanimate, eyeless, bronze head of what seems to be a chimera. It speaks with the voice of thunder, in a language unspoken by any mortal tongue but understandable to all mortal ears. The audience is a humorless, faceless crowd. They call themselves the legion. They are many but they are one. The 'accused' is seated on the Channeler's left hand.)
(As Natsuki and Shizuru enter the hall, their auras are magnified. Shizuru's halo grows brighter and bigger and the Ouroboros spins faster. Eagle wings burst from her back with a rain of silver and beige feathers. Natsuki too, is affected by the mana of the room. Her skin becomes red, her horns grow in length, her sooty tail uncurls like a butterfly's mouth.)
(The accused shivers in her seat. As Shizuru and Natsuki draw closer, two tables spring forth from the star strewn ground – A black table to the left and a golden table to the right. The two stand before the accused: Natsuki to the left, Shizuru to the right.)
Natsuki: (as she extends her right hand for a hand shake) Good Morning, Mr. Quan. I am your Public Attorney. Natsuki at your service, sir.
(Mr. Quan screams when he sees Natsuki. He starts cursing in his native tongue. He turns to Shizuru for comfort but he is greeted by a stern face.)
Shizuru: You have every right to be silent. You have violated Article I and III of the revised act on R.A. 9876, more commonly known as the Act on the use of Natural Herbs and Medicine, Article seven of R.A. 7291, or the Act on the consumption of Organic and Inorganic Medicine, have misused drugs, have abused and disobeyed both legal and legitimate laws of your society, are guilty of three counts of third degree murder, have been the reason for the downfall of fifty three youths since the day you passed your B.A, and you are a candidate for eternal damnation. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in this court of law.
Natsuki: (she puts a hand on his shoulder. Mr. Quan's mouth hangs open in awe) As I was saying, Mr. Quan, I am your lawyer. I am on your side, Mr. Quan. Do not be afraid. Do not feel threatened. I know everything about you, Mr. Quan. I know all of your misdemeanors.
(Shizuru smiles wickedly at him. Natsuki grimaces at her.)
Natsuki continues: We can plead forgiveness and assert your ruined childhood and the divorce of your parents when you were sixteen. The abuse you went through as a teenager can also be used as a defense. You have the right to admit and beg for forgiveness, Ip Meyun Quan. I understand. Life has been cruel, life has been unfair, life has been a real bitch for you and so you took matters into your own hands. You have the right to spill out your regrets this very instant, Mr. Quan. I don't want you to go to hell.
(Mr. Quan begins to speak in Singaporean again. Natsuki shakes her head in response)
Natsuki: Believe me, Mr. Quan. As we speak, there is already a special, personal torture prepared for you within your own private chamber in hell. What horrors it holds for you, I know not. That's not part of my job description. I am a lawyer. I am here to defend you, not damn you.
(Mr. Quan reasons out again.)
Shizuru: (calmly but sternly) say it to the judge.
Channeler: State your allegiances.
(Shizuru and Natsuki raise their right arms and declare in unison: )
Shizuru and Natsuki: I, do solemnly swear that I will maintain allegiance to my domain, I will support THE Constitution and obey the laws as well as the legal orders of the duly constituted authorities therein; I will do no falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in court; I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit, or give aid nor consent to the same; I will delay no man for mana or malice, and will conduct myself as a lawyer according to the best of my knowledge and discretion, with all good fidelity as well to the courts as to my clients; and I impose upon myself these voluntary obligations without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
Channeler: Let us begin. Proceed with thy case, Heaven.
(Shizuru stands up, walks up to the Channeler, and speaks in an accusing tone.)
Shizuru: Your honor…
(blackout)
To be continued.