Chapter 1. Ariel
Summary: The idea already had been in her mind ever since she heard the news. She had considered it: all the possible outcomes and all the resources needed. She just needed one certain fallen angel's agreement on this.
Notes: Hello, how've all been? Been good? Seen better days? You wanna vomit? AH, but that's fine, as long as you follow/favorite this story and me and leave a positive review, you won't ever have to worry about feeling bad…
Okay, jokes and clickbaiting aside, I just wanna say I felt really satisfied while writing this chapie. For some darned reason, it just felt righter than anything I've written so far. And writing this type of story gives me absolute freedom, because nobody will judge. Maybe that is why I don't bile up the moment I post the newest chapter. Hmm…well, its too early to say. I've barely posted two chapters and I am already worrying for what types of reviews you will leave xD. Bah who am I kidding?! I am just spilling out nonsense to fill in the void between the beginning and end notes! Its true I haven't really got anything to say to you. Except…maybe tell you that you are a great person, whoever you are behind that electronic screen.
Welp, that's all for the beginning notes. Have fun reading!
Beautiful.
Ariel always knew how beautiful her only female sibling was. And it wasn't just on looks alone- Gabriel's soul was a beauty of its own. And unlike her, wherever she went, she would instantly give the impression of being a God's child without even having to announce her identity.
Her splendid image, golden hair, appealing curves, pure persona- no matter which way you looked at her, it'd be pretty obvious she was an angel beauty blooming.
Ariel on the other hand? Perhaps the most contrasting one to Gabriel out of all their siblings.
Where Gabriel had that pretty radiant silky pale golden hair that went to the small of her back, Ariel had messy, shoulder-length hair colored in distasteful green and a bit of grey.
Where Gabriel had those big round tits of hers that you can bury your entire face in and those types of curves that are to drool over for, Ariel's breasts were near non-existent and she was almost as curvy as a square.
Finally, the most prominent gap between them as two individuals- their mentality. It was a bit hard to explain, but both had very conflicting ways of viewing the world.
Gabriel has always been a sweetheart to everyone that did not threaten Heaven. She continuously acts upon the affection she feels. Its not even anger she feels when she finds an opponent. She is merely worried for the innocents that might get hurt by the damned bastard. She had the heart of a rabbit and would bile up at even the slightest mention of excessive violence.
Ariel, much unlike her…let's just say, she had a very rough and cold view on the world compared to Gabriel's 'sunshine and rainbows'-type of mentality. And it would turn out that her coldness was not accepted in the fluffy kingdom of mindless sheep and purposeless shepherds.
She had never forgotten the day her own Father banished her from the walls of all seven parts of Heaven, forever to be cast out.
Thankfully, Azazel and his fallen angels welcomed her in kind and with affection akin to brotherhood…well, at least the sane ones in his group.
People like that moron warmongering moron Kokabiel annoyed didn't even try to fact that they were a pain in everybody's ass, but considering the circumstances of the so-called Middle Faction, the fallen angels benefitted a lot from people like him. That didn't stop her from expressing her distaste towards him and his crew of damning drunktards though.
That aside, life's not been so bad. In fact, she liked it a bit more now that she was free of the damning shackles that are her Father's words. 'My word is law' is a terrible philosophy(if it was even a philosophy).
In all honesty, there really wasn't any sort of real strain between her and what was once her family. Well, except for Father, Luci, Sam and Azi, but they weren't really liked by anyone in Heaven at this point. Theirs was an objective isolation.
Luci turned into an ambitious warmonger who thought he deserved all of Creation, so he was thrown like a piece of garbage in the fiery trashbin that was Hell.
Sam did whatever the fuck he wanted so he was turned into an ugly draconic monster, who sometimes reminded her of a failed breed between fallen angel and a dragon(this image will haunt her forever).
Azreal has become some sort of necrophilic lunatic to all her good knowledge about him. Seraph and Jophiel are busy playing with flowers and singing to the birds like the little baby boys they are. Raphael was boring as shit. Father…well, he's got his own problems.
Truly, the only people she was even remotely interested to talking from times to times in this damned place were Gabriel and Michael. As different as she was from the blonde duo, they were ironically the only people she could chat with and actually enjoy their conversations. To an extent at least.
Humans were pretty good companions, as well, though she would prefer sitting on Gabriel's lap everyday. Azazel was a…cool guy, but he was a bit dry in Ariel's honest opinion. Too dry for her to form a lasting friendship with him.
So, one day, she hears the news of the attack on Third Heaven that was totally 'unexpected' by 'literally anyone', she was really unhappy. Not only because there have had been thousands upon millions of innocents who have been either slaughtered like animals or raped and violated to death, but also because there was no doubt that Gabriel had probably been caught up in all this ruckus as well.
Out of all the angels there are, only Gabriel spends as much time as she does playing wet-nurse to humanity. The only entity who could rival her care for the funny little tribe of primates was Jesus Christ, which was a bit(VERY) ironic considering the same subjects he loves so dearly killed him without showing remorse. Some of them did, but not all…
Now, both her and Ariel were here. In one of the MHR(Modified Healing Room), where any of the archangels were to be put in if they were mortally wounded. Instead of having a system where archangels are replaceable, Heaven currently has a system that makes sure the original creations of their Father were almost always in top-notch form.
Gabriel was the second most powerful of the current remaining pure angels, so she was expected to always be in perfect condition, both physically and mentally. It was a smart tactic to a point, one that she did not know her brother Michael could devise. She always thought him to be the dumbest of them all, Gabriel excluded.
If the leaders are portrayed as invincible and irreplaceable in front of the world, then little will discourage their brave minions. Unfortunately, while this lie was the absolute truth for others, Ariel knew better. She knew the truth as it was, bitter and soar. Azreal, as well others, probably even Micheal, were aware of that as well.
They're powerful…angel, archangel, demon, devil, dragon, spirit, demigod, deity…all of 'em…but none are truly invincible.
Sure, some are near-damn impossible to deal with like the Ouroboros and Apocalypse Dragons, but these two had flaws of their own, too. They had to have. Nothing was, is and ever will be perfect. Nothing can be polished till it shines in the dark. Believing there is would be the biggest delusion that would eventually drag you down.
Her sister was both a deluded slave to her non-ideals and a perfect target for the armies of Hell. And with her constantly straying from her angelic brethren to guard the humans, she was probably the most vulnerable of all the archangels. Of course, she'd be the first to fall under the sword of Hell.
This is why Ariel came here in such a hurried distraught. Ariel, the scrawny unattractive mean sister, being nervously converned with the well-being of the kind, beautiful one. It almost sounded ridiculous, yet it was more genuine then everything people will hear about her.
Like a girl-on-girl romantic drama, that's she thought the others would think. Except…it wasn't. At least, she didn't want this to be viewed that way. She didn't want herself to view that way.
She balled her hands into tiny fists at her sides as she desperately tried to chase those inappropriate-for-the moment thoughts and silly ideas. Thankfully, a most-expected visitor of Gabriel came to her unintended rescue.
Strolling past the entrance to the room that was ominously illuminated in the green light of the incubator, a long golden hair appeared. Ariel straightened her back a little and stiffened her posture to greet him formally.
"Brother, greeting…"
"Returned in kind, Sister Ariel." Michael said with a slight bow. Ariel's brow raised in faux confusion.
"Came to visit how Fem-You is doing?" she jested with an airy nudge of her shoulder. The only response she got was a quiet neutral glare, followed up by a long weary sigh.
"I understand your perturbance with the…events that have rained upon us like a storm, believe me I sincerely do." he said somewhat poetically and crestfallenly. He turned around to look at her with the same kind of weariness that occupied his façade. "But you must be aware of the fact that it isn't just you that has been strained of their strength by what the Black Prince did that day."
"'Black Prince'…" she repeated the title with a skeptical click of her tongue. She didn't like that name. It made a fool like Luci look way too intimidating for everyone's own good, even his. "Don't you think it's a bit overblown? We don't have to call him that, you know. He's still same old Lucif-"
"No, he's NOT!" he cut her off with unexpected anger. His breath quivered for a split second, before he regained his composure once again. "He's not the Lucifer we all knew and admired. That person is dead. A flawed casting of the perfect mold is what remains."
"Ptsh…we all know he's just a Darkoid-wannabe" Ariel snorted. Her brother was literally dickriding Luci by using that dramatic tone of his. This was all too silly. Her brothers have always been too silly. Of course, Michael didn't get the joke and simply glared at her silently for what seemed like ten minutes. Maybe they really sat in silence for ten minutes, maybe not. Who gave a shit about time anyways? Nobody in Heaven certainly did, so why should she?
"Ariel…" he said, a clear edge of warning and coldness at the back of his throat. "Don't dare speak of the Great Dark Ones so lightly. They are forces that not even Father would ever want to meddle with…"
Darkoids were deities that represented everything that nearly every race resented in the universe and themselves: darkness, soundless voids, emotional apathy, destruction, carnage, madness, evil, sin, amoral ideologies…all that piece of black shit you can think of. The name of their race was rarely spoken of, much less their individual identities discussed in open. They say that by simply saying one of the Darkoids' names, you are practically inviting them to a tea party in your soul. That's how dangerous these things are rumored be.
The only known beings who can effectively deal with the Darkoids are superior-class deities- the ones responsible for the creation of almost the more powerful mythological factions that exist, such as her Father. There were other prominent examples such as Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Odin, Kronos and Zeus. Much lesser known are the progenitors of the Mayan and Shinto factions.
"So…how are the others handling it?" Ariel asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Sitting for hours, blankly starring at her sister's body through the incubator and doing absolutely nothing had left her the skin of her hips tingling with the nasty urge to scratch herself down there. She didn't give a damn about Heaven's strict ethics, but running her fingers through her rear in the most ill-mannered way, while one of her brothers was here was just weird…and kind of disgusting.
Michael slowly ran hand over his robe-clothed leg, before he gave his crestfallen answer.
"I wish I could say 'fine', but…" he gave her an obviously false smile. "…that'd be a blatant lie."
"And Michael Goldenchild is no liar. Not like his smarter siblings, at least…" Ariel finished for him, giving him a lifeless smile as her bright green eyes flickered with satiric sarcasm. The lines of Michael's face darkened as he grimaced.
" 'Goldenchild'...I hate it, this nickname of mine."
"Its supposed to show that you are the best of us, dummy. Well, you AND Gabi over there…"
"But that's not what I want. Its not even true. We are all children of God and between us, nobody's higher or lower than the other, misguided ideals or not." he said with a stern look on his pretty girly face. He was serious about his statement and it almost made Ariel laugh hysterically. She managed to water it down to a booming chuckle.
'He is still Daddy's golden boy…he hasn't changed one bit. Just in size and girlyness.'
"Pft-Ha ha ha ha…Oh boy!" she clapped her hands and give him a wide grin. "If you're so convinced in that childish ideology of yours than you wouldn't mind going up to Luci, Sam and Azi and telling them you view them as equals."
Michael didn't answer, not with words. His lip just quivered once like a worm under a human's thumb. The faintest of grunts could be caught in the air. He was biting back his anger. He wanted to do something bad to her, judging from the way his wings were darkening in shade little by little. He eventually sighed in defeat and let it go, turning around to distract himself with looking at Gabriel's healing form. His blind love for his job as the devoted right hand of their Father prevented him from falling to her level. Pity, she would've enjoyed watching his wings blacken just like hers.
Ariel knew she could poke fun at Michael's mindset without stopping. But she wouldn't go off so peacefully if Daddy-Mighty heard her talking bad on how his kingdom was a running joke. So were Luci's and Azazel's factions. So were nearly every one of the factions that existed. Well, except the Hindus…these guys did their shit just right. But regardless of that. Her seeing the truth garnered the detest of her brethren. She was ironically put in the position of JC(Jesus Christ).
Her prolonged thoughts were cut off short by Michaell's dry and bitter voice.
"It's bad. Worse than bad…" he nervously rubbed his hands together and sighed wearily, before continuing. "Jophiel and Seraph would only bat an eye to it all once the walls of Seventh Heaven have been breached. They aren't of any use to anyone. Raphael's trying to play the warrior of absolute justice. Azazel remains silent." he turned around to directly look at her. "Wish you were here to perhaps deliver his decisi-"
"Nope. Continue with the rest."
He sighed and turned around, continuing.
"Azreal, too is not responding to any of the messages we've sent him. Not that I even want to imagine what he is keeping him pre-occupied. And Father…well, you know…you know in what dire condition our dear Lord is in."
There was a clear note of immense weight of sadness in that last sentence. Ariel was not surprised. It was no sercet to any of the archangels that their Lord-Father(former 'Lord' to some) had seen way better days and by days she meant centuries.
An unknown accident occurred two hundred years ago and the aftermath of whatever storm had rained over her dear old Dad had left him partially crippled. Nobody knew of what had happened. Father had insisted to tell no one, except…
'Azazel, that corpsefucker.' she thought with a bitter wrinkle of her nose. She could see why Father had told him alone of the details of his befalling. Azreal was just the type of person you would want to keep your darkest secrets with. He had dark secrets of his own. Funny how only his secrets were revealed to everyone, but not those that have been entrusted with him.
She could understand, but all the others wouldn't. They were like gawking crows, envious of their Father's trust in the second most detested brother. As kind as some of them were, most inhabitants were pure fools, right down to the core. They were literally like blind sheep, now led by a crippled shepherd with his crippled ideology. She could see why Luci would have it in against all of them.
And Heaven's lack of functioning brains was the utmost obvious reason why this war had just began and it was already in Hell's favor. It was the reason why everyone else had expected an attack on Third Heaven…everyone, except for her former brothers and sisters.
She wanted to let out a grunt, realizing the reality of the situation. Luci had played his cards perfectly. His tactics were disgusting and with no honor, but when was there a war with true honor? He had a brain and he used it, that's what matters in the end. He knew that none from Heaven, not even their Lord-Father would anticipate such a dirty move, he knew what kind of monsters and assholes to send in Third Heaven to scare the world with his ruthlessness and he knew that these simple actions would be enough to put Heaven in a frenzy, provoking some of them to recklessly charge into battle and scaring the rest till all they can do is shit themselves.
'Luci…you have always been the smartest and worst of us.'
They say this so-called 'Great War' will continue for longer than a century…who knows, it might not even last an year.
"Brother." she called and like a pet, his head turned around.
"Yes…?"
"Let me ask you a peculiar question:" she rubbed her index fingers together and licked her lower lip. "Why were millions of children and innocent men and women allowed to be left for dead, to be killed like animals or raped like street whores?"
Michael's face twisted with barely contained rage and disgust. Ariel mentally pouted. Anger didn't suit his pretty girly face.
"Because the attack was too sudden for us to react." he spat through grith teeth. "And if you haven't noticed, sister, we have just begun mobilizing our forces much unlike the Black Prince's armies who have been preparing for this despicable war for Father knows how long."
'Even Father doesn't know how long…' she thought in dry sarcasm.
"Okay, let me put it to you this way, then: Why were the citizens of Third Heaven not informed of the potential danger they were in?" she re-rephrased her question by carefully picking her words. Michael froze like a lake during winter and for a moment, he remained still, shaking ever so slightly. He looked down at the greenish floor, as if too embarrassed to spill out the obvious answer to the question every damn faction must be asking right now.
"B-Because…None of us even suspected the possibility that the Black Prince would be cruel enough to use such despicable tactics…"
There was her answer. It was just as obvious as the seeming result of this silly war. Her brethren were way too soft-hearted for their own good and way too blind with devotion for some non-existent glory by licking Father's toes to fight back. All seven parts of Heaven will be sacked and burned to ashes in the span of like- one or two years…perhaps less.
It was inevitable...unless, a third party were to intervene.
Yes, the idea had already been once on her mind, ever since she heard of the dreadful news of the attack on Third Heaven. She had quickly discarded it back then, but now…seeing the poor condition of her ex-family's forces convinced her to re-think on that idea once again.
She went depthly-in-thought. She went through all the scenarios, likely outcomes, possible gains and losses. In many ways this could backfire on her and Azazel's fallen angels, earning her the title of her own people's killer. On the other hand though, this could significantly turn the tides of battle.
Why was she willing to do this for her family? She wasn't doing for her goshdarned family. Except for Gabriel, she didn't really give a shit about any of them. But she admitted that she'd rather have Heaven's suffocating slavery than the unlimited carnage of Hell. Who knows, this act of heroism might even give her a chance with Gabi. She might…love her more than their Father. Bah, who was she kidding?! Her kinky little fantasies will matter little in this…Better to just make it seem like a selfless act of valour.
Setting her sights in a clear direction, Ariel firmly got up and swiftly made her way to the entrance of the wide dark room. Micheal shifted in confusion.
"Sister, where are you go-"
"To Azazel's. I've got an urgent request I better make soon." she shot one last glance at her brother. "Before Luci gets his hands on Father's soar throat."
End Notes: HEEEY, you made it! Congrats! You win…uuh, Socrates what do they win?
Socrates- A sweet tasty bottle of-
Vodka?
Socrates- POISON!
…Go home, Socrates, ur drunk.
Socrates- WITH POISON! HUE HUE HUE- JUSTICE ABOVE ALL! GODS SUCK! HUMANITY FOREVA!*jumps away into the distance*
Hmm…that happened. Bad jokes aside, I hope you liked the first chapter of "A Game of Wars and Cruelty". The idea for the story comes from the show "Game of Thrones" and the books it is inspired from: the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire". I love this show down to my core. Anything gothic, dark, dramatic and with lots of tragedy and emotion in it is my style.
And as you've also noticed, I like to make bad jokes. Yeeaah, you're gonna have to deal with that, because that's something I like to do in my notes…
Now, up to some summarization and clarification!
In this chapter, the aftermath of the unexpected attack on Third Heaven was profusely discussed over, explained and reviewed. We see the first real clash between totally contrasting ideologies in the story: between the crestfallen realist and the overblown optimists.
As Ariel explains: Everyone in Heaven is too meek to realize that there is nothing that can prevent the war from spiraling downhill. To them, war is a battle of two powerful forces colliding in an empty open battlefield as they decide whose leader is more worthy to hold the mantle of 'The Supreme'.
But actually, real wars aren't fought this way. They never have and that factor is very rarely contradicted. Real wars aren't battle royals. You can't just 'duke out' man-to-man, face-to-face. You either have to be cunning, merciless and quick to act or you have to have a shit ton of support to have a clear victory. And Lucifer fits these categories perfectly. Ariel recognizes that, which gives her the slightest bit of edge against him.
She has a plan in mind on how to at least stagger his forces until Heaven manage to get their shit together or some other faction comes to their rescue.
(In case you are wondering about Ariel's appearance): Think of Azriel from No Game No Life Zero. Her appearance somewhat resembles that character.
(In case you are wondering who Ariel even is:) In the myths, archangel Ariel is the patron saint of all animals and mainly depicted either as a female angel or a lion with angel wings. She's something like the hippy of the archangelic family, I would've guessed. Now why didn't I do her like her original self? Weeell…I have my preferences and I would rather pick a more politically-focused character than an animal-lover. I love animals, but the mind of an animal-lover and vegetarians is something truly alien to me.
Slight Sneak Peak: Next chapter will focus on my favorite villain from Warriorman's "Highschool DxD: Rise of the Solar God".
Well, that's all for this long-ass note. Hope its not too much to ask to tolerate my unending load of words. That said, I'll be off. Bye!
Enjoy & Review