A/N: Thank you and yes I do miss the original. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: Dissension amongst the Divine~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Heaven there are seven layers or Plains. The topmost is where the God of all creation-some say slumbers- the Angels know it as Shikouten; in Hell it is simply Highest Heaven. Below that is Briah, the High Angels retain Mansions on this vast watery Plain. Watery-you ask?
The entire area is an inland sea almost like a massive fountain sitting at the feet of the Creator. From there the Human souls brought through the 'Red door' that is reserved for suicides are slowly filtered down through the remaining five layers-Raqia: Celestial armory, Eleison: Heavenly Choirs division, the unknown quarter of Shequam and finally the grand glittering Angel city of Etenamenki. After that, the water is no more than a trickle, which empties out into Mathey, a grassy land guarded by the soldiers of Great Thrones, Kenpachi Zaraki. Who if you ask Retsu, did not even deserve the title of 'Seven Virtues, Diligence.' A rank given to him after defeating the former Great Thrones in hand-to-hand combat.
Definitely not suitable behavior for an Angel.
However, one must not think Heaven such a vain empty place. The beauty of Etenamenki was widely whispered about and even held in awe by the Demons of Hell. Rukia did not know this even as she sat at the edge of the porch belonging to Heavenly Choirs, Retsu Unohana. Beulah was the name of the Mansion. A graceful place of lofty windows and delicate lace curtains, a cool breeze stirred Rukia's loose long black hair. She pushed strands away and swung her bare feet just above the water's surface.
Far down below, lights glimmered, wings flapped, she doubted they ever realized the sky above them clear. If she looked far enough, she imagined she could see the bright green fields of Mathey and if her vision was correct—Hisana, resplendent in gray robes and carrying a Konso staff. How she missed her! But, she had to remind herself, being the only female officer in the Great Thrones service was an honor. Hisana wasn't necessarily a soldier but a 'Reaper' the Angel of Death who forgave the sinful Human souls and guided them onto rebirth.
An honorable job for a female Angel such as herself. The long held stigma of being born a female- through the tree of life all Angels are created- gender shouldn't have mattered if not for the Fallen Angel Lilith and Lucifel whose unholy union between two a-similar beings started the Royal family of Hell's dynasty. Among the tenets prescribed by God to his first Creations-the Angels, three simple rules stood out.
It is forbidden the union of two Angels.
It is unnatural to harbor or assimilate feelings of love other than that reserved for worshipping the supreme Creator.
It is an Angel who is damned to walk the anguished road of Golgotha whom dares participate in carnal acts for pleasure or otherwise.
They weren't hard to follow. Rukia was still pure enough so that she didn't question any of these rules. Nothing mattered in that moment…Renji had stayed in Etenamenki while Lady Retsu had called her up to Beulah. A slight suspicion that the empty seat of the High Angel's Adjutant needed to be filled and—she wasn't so conceited to think that the Lady would offer it to her. No. There were lots of other Angels more qualified to be in the esteemed position. So again wondering why she'd been called up to the Mansion and left by herself—Lady Retsu had been summoned away suddenly. Something about a dispute near Etenamenki…probably from the rebel group- Ragnarok. Rukia hoped it wasn't involving Renji; the red head always had a knack for getting into trouble.
She chuckled and the sound carried echoing disconcertingly off the stonewalls; father inside a door slammed. Agitated swirls of Astral energy crackled in the air. Rukia stood up, her dress fell in soft pleats, and her steady gaze was fixated on the open doorway. Slowly but surely a curl of fear unwound itself inside her belly; she was afraid. But what was there to be…afraid of? Certainly not a meaningless look by a Demon or a few words said carelessly which had been designed to evoke worry in Lady Retsu.
So what was it?
Only seconds it seemed like an eternity, someone appeared in the vacant space. She wouldn't have recognized her if not for the violet robes worn to assembly and the bloodstained sword held unsheathed at her side. "Lady Retsu! What happened?!" Rukia ran to her superior who clutched at her weakly, "Rukia…I'm so sorry…but your sister…Demons invaded Mathey…They've taken her!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: Dissension amongst the Divine~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time was meaningless in Hell.
An eon could pass and it would seem like the blink of an eye. Demons didn't understand the concept of years, hours, and minutes. Not a second it felt had passed since Ichigo and -'his little Angel'-what he began to think of her as, had laid eyes upon one another. No matter how Karin and his mother tried to interest him in their latest shopping conquests, all he could think of…was she.
Clear undefiled eyes of the deepest ocean blue color—his 'partner' in watching the border 'had' blue eyes but not nearly the depth of hers nor as pure. Masaki could see his pining mood and endeavored to fix it. The girl was an Angel but then so had SHE. Regardless of the fact that Isshin would never permit his only son to have anything resembling a relationship, Masaki did the one thing mothers from all life forms would do. She meddled.
Beginning with a simple summoning of the Once fallen-a contingent loyal only to the Queen and a message to each of the four Dragon masters. She had assembled in the narrow area known as the Glass garden a small but formidable force. To keep the King or anyone else for that matter out of the loop, she had erected a barrier of sacred magic that hid the side facing the Castle from all prying eyes.
And after two of the four Dragons had alighted on the glass-strewn ground with their Masters; Masaki began her pitch. Wasn't Heaven's rule overrated? Didn't they wish to see the beautiful city of Etenamenki for themselves? She had—but decided not to mention that. Just a small raid into Mathey to raise a little 'Hell' amongst those most Divine. Anyway, Etenamenki was just above and she could have sworn the little Angel her son was so entranced with, was a 'Reaper' for the Great Thrones. What she had been doing with a Seven Virtues was anybody's guess.
"So, my Lady, you are proposing we ride into Mathey waving our swords around and screaming bloody heresy?" asked Tatsuki Arisawa. She was a slim girl with bobbed black hair and a calculating look about her aesthetic features. Being the result of Enra O, one of the ancient now blasphemed old Gods and a mortal, Tatsuki at first hadn't amounted to much and as a babe was to be drowned in Lethe's waters. Hesitance by a servant and quick intercession by the first Dragon master had saved her. He now stood beside her, holding the reins of his mount loosely in his large gloved hands.
Masaki tried to smile convincingly, "that's about the long and short of it." Tatsuki nodded to herself, her mount, Anfang, a silver Dragon with black lid-less eyes snorted and clawed the ground. The other a red Dragon by the name of Rengoku-ki held perfectly still, its composure derived entirely by the man who was its master, Byakuya Kuchiki. The blue eyed black-haired man kept his face straight and unemotional not in the least bit excited about the prospect of raiding Heaven—at least not outwardly.
"So…what do you say then?" Masaki asked finally.
"I say…Let's!" Tatsuki grinned a wicked smile.
The pigs of Heaven were going to have unwelcome visitors on their doorstep soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: Dissension amongst the Divine~~~~~~~~~~~~
It didn't feel as though everything was all right.
Rukia could swear she still heard wild screams coming from Mathey. The streets of Etenamenki were relatively calm even with Great Thrones troops rallying at every entryway to the city. Lady Retsu's words hovered at the edge of her consciousness, 'Demons invaded Mathey…they've taken her!' Disbelief and a sense of unreality came over her and she swayed slightly…the ground was a welcome relief.
Her dreams…if she dreamed any, were colored by golden ochre. She was lost in it; everywhere she turned it was there…HE was there. The unnamed Demon boy and his bright hair, never saying a word only staring at her, analyzing her, but for what purpose? Why? She cried silently. He shook his head as if not understanding her. Rukia took a breath in and uttered the phrase most feared by all Demons.
'YHWH,' the sacred name of God.
Abruptly the dream world shattered and the Demon boy's face disappeared. Rukia found herself lying on a cobblestone street in Etenamenki. Night had fallen and she shivered. Stiffly she rose up and tottered a few steps to the curb. Inside the few-lit buildings, silence reigned. It was near daylight, she judged. Her numb hands shook when she lowered her head into them. Lady Retsu she barely gave a thought to, for after leaving her in the care of the sisters, she had run off. First on foot then by flight until the round pale pink Alabaster dome of the Great seal had come into sight. She'd tried to get all the way down into Mathey but two Guards at the Solomon's key gate-the main entrance into Etenamenki had stopped her.
Obviously things at the time hadn't been too secure.
She thought they might be now, though.
To work out the plan she had hastily concocted, she needed no interference and…an item Lady Retsu possessed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: Dissension amongst the Divine~~~~~~~~~~~~
The instant, Masaki set eyes upon the Angel brought back from Mathey, she knew she had been wrong. Bound in chains made of Tatsuki's element-solidified air-the female Angel raised gray eyes to the Queen. The resemblance was uncanny. "Your Highness," her voice held a note of maturity that the other's had lacked, "what do you hope to gain by breaking the treaty?" Masaki knew it took a lot of guts to address her; she could sense the underlying current of fear just beneath the Angel's calm surface.
If she played her cards right…
"Now I know you're a smart girl," Masaki lowered the crimson hood of her cloak and tried to remember the way of acting like she was STILL one of them. That is-an upper class Seven virtues. Tatsuki watched her curiously; unsure of what her Queen was up to. The Angel seemed a bit ill at ease even when with a nod from Masaki; her bindings were removed. "What I would like to know is—" Masaki glanced at the badge ripped from the 'Reaper' robes, "Hisana, of the Eleventh Squad Great Thrones…what is by chance the name of your sibling?"
Hisana didn't know how to answer the unexpected question. To stall, she cast her gaze about the ruinous Castle of Gehenna that they had brought her to. If she was right and this was the ruin of Amanozako…then they weren't very far from Mathey's border. She hesitated and then opened her mouth to speak, "I…I don't have any siblings."
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: Dissension amongst the Divine~~~~~~~~~~~~
In her private bedchamber inside Beulah, Retsu Unohana couldn't sleep. Her mind kept going back to the scene that had greeted her startled eyes in Mathey. Angels running, swords clashing, the thick residue of Sulfuric fumes rising in from the looming darkness of the slashed dimensional portal between the worlds. Demons, they were invading Heaven! She should have known the wary peace concocted by that simpering fool of the Grand Council-Dominions, Jushiro Ukitake-would not last. A roar from above directed her attention to the massive silver form gliding effortlessly in the pale blue sky.
A Dragon master!
And not just any Dragon master, the second one to be precise, Tatsuki-daughter of Enra O and her fierce dragon of Wind-Anfang; Retsu braced her wings as a terrible whipping wind tore the ground apart. Clods of earth and droplets of water raised themselves in the air, Angels and their opponents all knew what was coming next…
"Laden! Nacht Weider, Anfang!" Tatsuki yelled joyously.
Her Dragon responded its jagged teeth filled mouth opened and emitted a shrieking torrent of sound waves combining with the errant energies causing the Plain to rise up. Angels screamed; the Dragon's voice thundered along, Retsu dove into the air trying to avoid being swallowed into the black pit opening up. A sudden piercing light cut through the sound waves, Retsu halfway turned, a lone female Angel stood among the chaos. Her face was so alike her sister's; that for a second she thought it was really Rukia.
'Hisana Shelumiel…'
"Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus. Deus Saboath! Pleni sunt coeli et terra Gloria tua," Hisana was chanting the Holy Trisagion that praised God in the highest. Tatsuki bared her teeth in a mocking grin, "yo, Kuchiki, we've found the Fraulein!" Retsu didn't dare to think the incident in Paris and now the Dragon masters invading Heaven weren't related. And Kuchiki must be…another Dragon-a gleaming ruby red behemoth swooped in; a handsome raven-haired man was seated regally upon it. His Dragon growled and in a voice devoid of emotion he spoke its command,"Tenma Gokasho, Rengoku-ki."
Hisana had vanished in one searing wave of heat.
Retsu shut her eyes briefly; to lose such a valuable member of your division…she knew Zaraki must be furious particularly if he had been told that 'she' had been there. Little love was lost between Great Thrones and Choirs; if anything they despised each other. A formal Counsel would probably be held in the—
Her bedroom door burst open, "My Lady! Dominions and Great Thrones are here to see you!" exclaimed a harried looking sister in white serfs clothing. Retsu flung the covers off, "Dominions?" she asked herself aloud. What would HE want at this hour? And Great Thrones…couldn't they ever let her get any rest?!
Unsuitably attired in a long puffy-sleeved dressing gown with her long hair unbraided and streaming down her shoulders, Retsu walked haughtily to the glass-paneled door where she could sense Astral energy building up like a storm. Dramatically she threw the doors open; a small transporter Merkava hovered just off the veranda. The machine's tiny jets sent ripples along the water's calm surface. "Greetings, Lady Unohana," called a burly giant standing at the fore of the ship's deck. A paler white-haired man stood beside him, garbed in a close-fitting green and gold trimmed jacket with coat tails, "third of the Seven Virtues, I am sorry for this most unexpected visit, but I am deeply—"
Clearing her throat and letting the shimmery folds of her dressing gown slide open; she watched with some amusement at the infusion of color impose itself on the Dominion's face. SHE did have a regular evening shift beneath the other gown…but…Angels are Angels after all. "So, you see Lord Ukitake, Lord Zaraki, you have disturbed me from my rest," Retsu allowed a slight smile to grace her face. The burly giant chuckled at the 'Lord Zaraki' honorific, "cut the crap, Retsu. It was one of MY soldiers who was taken, not one of your pansy choir girls or boys."
If possible the Dominion's cheeks flamed and immediately he had a coughing fit, "La-Lady Retsu, I humbly appeal for your pardon…but you see," he lowered the seemingly dark-stained handkerchief from his mouth, "a message has come from Angarola and the news it bears bring ill tidings for all of Heaven."
Using an excuse was one thing but to deny the head of the Grand Council entry…
"Of course. Where are my manners?" Retsu snapped her fingers and a waiting retinue of sisters stepped forward. Imperiously, she waved a hand at the Merkava, "see to them. Excuse me, my Lords," she backed away modestly tugging the dressing gown closed, "I will be back shortly." Retsu bowed slightly and then swept along the opposite corridor; a tall marble cross-draped in a purple shroud shivered when she went past it.
To be continued
A/N: switching the character p.o.v is hard. So currently the story is from Retsu, Rukia and Masaki's points of view—and soon Hisana's as she deals with Byakuya. Until next time, reviews are appreciated! Ciao!