--First Movement: Angels--
::Prelude::
There is a void between Heaven and Earth: a choking, stifling place of complete nothingness that could not possibly exist and does, in all senses, not exist at all. Few could survive in the land that was no real land, yet one managed to live - if indeed you could call it living - in the impenetrable blackness of the void. This was his home, the place where he could converse with the gods and still keep an eye on his true domain: earth, the realm of man.
True, you couldn't really consider him to be a "he," shapeless as he was, but in the tales that were told by humans he was described as male, and so it was the form of a man that he often chose to take.
He was the Weaver of Fates, the Master of Men's Destinies.
He now sat on a misty, chair-like cloud, staring intently at the thing that sat before him. It was his land, the earth, mapped out much like a chessboard. He glanced around at the many human lives that filled the board; so many pawns in a neverending game. The Weaver allowed his man-form's face to smile slightly as he moved a young man closer to a woman, a woman that hopefully would help the young man become a very powerful figure in the world. He rarely allowed himself a moment of celebration when he made a good choice; there were always many others that needed his immediate attention.
At the moment, his never-blinking eyes were focused intently on the Empire of Konan, where he hoped his next great step in man's history would soon begin to unravel. He looked up, wondering what was taking their messenger so long. "Whether it be good or bad word, they had better send it soon. Time is of the essence and, though my brothers seem to think otherwise, it stops for no one."
The Weaver's sharp, grey orbs spotted a pinion of emerald light moving slowly out of the misty darkness, floating in a more-or-less direct line towards him. The deity didn't bother standing - Time was wasted on polite gestures to subordinates - but he did acknowledge the being's presence with a distracted: "So, they finally sent someone."
The ball of light flared briefly, then settled and dimmed into the form of a woman. The woman was clothed in a simple robe of pure white, sashed around the middle with an emerald strip of cloth. The robe cut off at her ankles, displaying her feet, which were covered in slippers the color of spring grass. She tossed her raven-black hair casually over one shoulder, green eyes watching the Weaver intently. She smiled a little, stretching white wings outlined in rays of light and bowing politely. "My master Genbu has sent me here with many tidings and events for his elder brother to hear and digest."
"Angels spend too much Time on fancy, useless words," the Weaver barked impatiently. "Get on with it, messenger. What word from the gods? What's their verdict?"
"The gods remain..." the Angel smiled sadly, taking a seat on a grey mass of mist in the black void, "torn, I fear. Seiryuu and Genbu understand and agree with your request, Byakko remains undecided, and Suzaku... ah, well, as I'm sure you expected he is beside himself with fury. Seiryuu and Genbu move to persuade him, but that battle is one that may take more Time than you possess."
"Against it. Of course," the Weaver sighed. He hated getting involved with his younger brothers, who had a tendency to let emotions interfere with necessity. He waved a hand at the Angel, as if to brush her aside. "You may leave, then. And remind your masters that it will be no fault of mine when the world falls to ruin."
The woman laughed lightly, a carefree and arrogant sound. "Perhaps Weaver-sama should await my full message before he dismisses me. As I said, I am a servant of Genbu, not of Suzaku. I come bearing word from my master: words and aid."
"Aid?" he turned around, temporarily leaving his chessboard to its own devices.
"Yes, but if Weaver-sama wants me out of his sight then I suppose it shall be so..."
"Oh, stop sitting there with that cocky smile, Angel, and tell me what Genbu sent you for!" the deity snapped impatiently. "I have work to do, something you and my brothers seem to forget."
She waved a hand. "Hai, hai. Genbu-sama simply wanted you to know that even though Suzaku is against your plans, he sees the need for what you wish to have done. That is why he has sent me, Asatenshi - the Morning Angel - to aid you in all of your tasks." The Angel stood long enough to bow regally. "I serve my master, and if my master wishes it then it shall be so. I am yours to command, Weaver-sama."
The Weaver's scowl did not change; in fact, he nearly frowned harder. "Well, at least now we have a chance... we can't just have you travel down there and dispose of them in one blast, as I had hoped - if we did that the gods might notice - but with a little indirect manipulation..."
"Do you have a plan, Weaver-sama?" the Angel clapped her hands together almost teasingly. "Genbu-sama speaks of you with high regard - since my master is the god of wisdom, I do not doubt his words - so you must have a wonderful idea, deshou?"
"I believe I do," he allowed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He spoke quietly and slowly, thinking about each word before it was said. "Asatenshi, for humans to continue living, they must continue to grow, to move forward and evolve with time. If they stay in the same place for too long, they will be replaced by a new creature, and their world and existences will fail. Mortal creatures can only evolve with change." He turned back to his board, focusing in on the Konan Empire. "The age of magic has at last come to an end. The age of the gods and their seven has been finished; the summonings have ended, the servants have protected our land from destruction, and their duties have been sufficiently fulfilled.
"The age of magic has ended, Angel. The age of the seishi has ended. The two go hand-in-hand, and the only way to destroy one is to destroy the other. The human race cannot move forward until these tales of wizardry and godly servants fade into the past, become history, then legend, and finally myth. And these things cannot be forgotten if they still exist."
"Now who is wasting time on needless words, Weaver-sama?" Asatenshi remarked casually. "I heard the gods' argument. I know what you wish, so how about we stop bantering and you tell me what you want me to do?" The Angel's voice had gradually changed from frivolous to businesslike during her speech; the Weaver could see why she'd been sent to him.
The deity smiled slightly. "Very good, very good. Asatenshi, as I'm sure you know, only two seishi still remain alive and with knowledge of their power: two Suzaku seishi within the Konan Empire. I have had my hand in their affairs recently, and to make our job easier the two will soon be reunited. That's where you come in." The Weaver held out his hand, uttering a short incantation. In moments, the figure of a blue-haired monk walking down a path appeared in his palm. "This is the man we are going to... eliminate... first."
Asatenshi smiled, clapping her hands together. "Ah! Seishi-chan wa kawaii!"
"I never knew Angels had a taste for humans."
She touched the illusion with one hand. "I like to think of them more as pets than lovers." The Angel smiled slightly. "Hm... this one has a dark past, deshou?"
The Weaver nodded in agreement. "Both of them do, in one way or another. I hope to use that. For the moment, however, we're just going to focus on this one; one at a time will be quite enough. They're more cunning than they look, so be cautious."
"I always am," Asatenshi's smile dropped. "I have to be, with her always getting in my way."
"Hm?"
"Don't you know anything about the name Asatenshi?" the Angel asked in near disbelief. "About my Fallen sister, who was somehow enlisted as a servant to the Mother, and her... desires and skills to discover my missions and try to prevent them?" Her frown deepened slightly. "Mm, and this sort of thing is right up her alley. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if she had already found one of the targets... such a pain you are, Nee-san..."
"I will handle her as I see fit," the Weaver muttered shortly. "Do you understand the basics of your mission?"
The Angel stood and bowed again, voice once more all business. "I do, Weaver-sama, and in my master Genbu's name I swear to complete your plans to the very best of my ability."
"Good. Then here's what you must do..."
