Time limit
A/N:- Thank you for the reviews and onto the next chapter. Enjoy.
Shizuo clenched his fists following the path they had been given. Where heaven was full of plant life and an over cleanliness, hell was the complete opposite. Around the portal to heaven it was empty and desolate, full of rocks. It hadn't got much better around the portal to the human one. Just a desk and a long queue of demons.
After the cross roads it was different. It seemed as if there was a large mansion in every direction. And of course the one that was a pain in the ass to get to was the highest one. Tsugaru stood close to him, a single touch and his rage would drain leaving a soothing calmness. "Looks like its up these steps."
Gritting his teeth, Shizuo trudged up the stairs reluctantly. He already had his family, there was no need for another, especially a bunch of demons. He was still half angel. "Shizuo, how are you feeling? Do you feel sick any more?" Since the anniversary of his birth, he had been more prone to getting sick.
"I don't have a fever. Looks like its fine." His eldest brother nodded, the pair of them continuing their hike up the mountain of steps.
"Good. If it starts again, let me know." Shizuo forced a smile. It wasn't like he could keep that promise. Soon they wouldn't be able to meet again for a while.
At the last they reached the top. Glancing over he could see the archangel wasn't doing too well. It must be hot and stuffy in the suits. "So this is it." Right in front of them was a large gate, the symbol on his chest stood out, showing that the mansion ahead belonged to the Orihara-clan. Shizuo swallowed nervously not wanting to take a step forward.
"How can I help?" A female demon stood by the gate. "Which of my masters are you here to see?" Tsugaru looked as puzzled as he felt. He didn't know anything about the family, let alone his so called father's name. Taking a deep breath, he quickly showed the mark on his chest. The demon took a step back mouth dropping open. "If you'll excuse me." The demon turned and ran along the path towards the house.
"Do you think she'll be back?" Shizuo shrugged, running his finger along the gate. If it came to it he could always rip the gate from its hinges. The mark on his chest once again made itself known, heating up against his skin. "That was quick."
The demon slowed as she reached the gate. "My apologies for making you wait. The master will see you now." The gate slowly opened letting them through. "If you'll follow me." With every step he took a feeling of sickness washed over him. Had his other family known of his existence? If not wasn't he about to destroy them with the news they had a half brother?
Walking under the arch Shizuo noticed various drawings on the walls. Stepping over the threshold he was met with a loud shriek and the slamming of a door. "The mistress did not expect your arrival. I will take you to the master." The two of them were led to another room.
The room itself was about three times the size of his bedroom. The things that had been drawn were on the walls as little statues, something long wrapped around the room as a border. There were a lot of chairs each a different colour placed around the room, one was a dark green, another white and pink, a few of them black. In one of the black ones sat a man he would never have noticed.
But since he was the only one in the room, it was probably the man that he was expected to call father. It was impossible to tell the age. His eyes were dark, his hair the same. "Don't stand there, come in." The demon was smiling as he got up. "I never expected to see you. How is your mother?" Through the walls he could hear banging and screaming.
Shizuo bit his lip taking a step back and taking his brother's hand. "Our mother is doing well. Shizuo needs to get to the human realm. We need your seal of approval to get through." The demon blinked.
"Shizuo? I can't give it to you. We've just met. Surely you can stay here. I can introduce you to your family."
Right now he should be grabbing the demon by his throat, Tsugaru's grip tightened. "That isn't possible. No one knows what Shizuo is. If he stays in the human realm at least he would be classed as a fallen. You know only demons can survive here." It was good that his brother was with him.
"That's not a problem. He can share with my son. The room pulls air from the human realm." Next to him Tsugaru sighed.
"Our mother is still in heaven. I need to get Shizuo through the portal before I go back." Shizuo glanced between the two of them, knowing there was something he wasn't being told. The demon looked disappointed.
"I see. I'll give you the seal. Shizuo, you are welcome back any time." By the screaming through the walls it didn't look like it.
"This is what you need." In his hand was a silver square, the family symbol standing out in what looked like blood. He didn't say thank you. Shizuo didn't acknowledge the demon, quickly leaving the room. The less he knew the better.
"AN ANGEL? I WAS CHEATED ON WITH AN ANGEL?" Tsugaru squeezed his hand leading him from the home. The female demon was still with them leading them back to the gate. "Master, If there is anything you need..." Shizuo grit his teeth. This wasn't his home. His home had been taken from him.
Once they were through the gate and down the long flight of steps, Shizuo looked down at the seal. "Are you okay? I don't think I can use my ability much longer." Knowing his brother was suffering made him feel awful. Tsugaru needed to get out of hell before the air ran out on the suit.
"I'll try to stay calm." A hand rested on his shoulder, though he could see his brother was sweating.
The queue was a long one, curling into an s shape. It looked like it was going to take a while. "Tsugaru, I should be fine on my own..." A single finger rested against his lips.
"I'm not going back until I see you go through that portal." The looks the other demons were giving the archangel weren't good. The tension around them was dangerously high.
At last the queue dwindled and once again he was standing at the desk. "Present your seal." Shizuo handed it over, the demon's head shooting up to look at him.
"All clear. You may go through. The angel cannot." Taking back the seal, his gaze fell to the neutral looking arch.
"Shizuo. Good luck, remember what I said."
Shizuo nodded, swallowing thickly. It was really goodbye. Letting go of his brother's hand, he threw his arms around him. "Make sure Tsuki doesn't get lost again." A calming hand ruffled his hair.
"Yeah, we'll have to do your job now. Take care, Shizuo. We're still family. We'll see each other again."
"Hey! Move it along." Taking a step back he growled at the demon, slowly walking towards the portal. "Tsugaru. I will always be Shizuo Heiwajima." Closing his eyes, Shizuo stepped through the portal that would take him to his new home.
"Yeah, you will." Tsugaru smiled sadly, knowing that at least for now his little brother was safe. Now things would become complicated. It was time to return to heaven and find out if Shitsuo had diffused a fatal situation. Quickly stepping out of the line, the archangel hurried back to the angel portal, glancing at how much air was left.
None of the demons had tried to attack him, so it looked like the fragile truce still remained in place. "Hello." Or not. The same demon that he had calmed stood in front of him. The rabbit demon didn't look dangerous but looks could be deceiving.
Bright pink eyes gazed into his own. "You're an angel, aren't you? Who was the boy you were with?" Tsuagru sighed softly, continuing his walk. His air was going down quickly.
"Yes, I'm an angel. That was my brother." The rabbit was a bouncy one that kept trying to get in his way.
"Only demons can get through that portal. Wait is he a demon? Is that why you went to my home?" Blue eyes blinked, then that meant... "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Psyche Orihara. What's your name? Was that my half brother? What age is he?"
Tsugaru rested a hand on the demon's shoulder, channelling his power. "Tsuagru Heiwajima. Shizuo is eighteen in human years." Psyche pouted tugging at the headphones around his neck.
"That's not fair. He's the same age as Hibi-nii. I wanted a younger brother. He's in the human realm now so we can't play! It's not fair!" Why wasn't the demon calming down? Was it because he was tired and couldn't use his power properly?
"Can we play? I'm bored. Roppi-nii is no fun and Iza-nii won't let me go to the human realm." His air was depleting quickly.
"Sorry, I have to go back to heaven. See this gage? This is what keeps me alive here." Pink eyes widened.
"No! Don't die. I'll carry you." Tsugaru smiled, the demon grabbing his hand as they broke into a run.
The wolf demon from before was no where in sight. "Tsu-chan. I like you, so you have to come back and play!" It looked like the Orihara clan were different from the other demons. "Bye bye! See you soon! You have to come ba-" Tsugaru stepped through the portal.
Shizuka leaned against the door frame, watching her youngest son sleep. It had taken a long time for him to calm down and cry himself to sleep. Tsuki was the delicate one in their family, he would blame himself. "Tsugaru has come back. He was arrested near the human portal. Mother-"
"I know, Shitsuo. Tsuki should sleep for a while."
The fact that someone who had never left heaven had gone and that an archangel had followed hadn't gone unnoticed. "We've been summoned by the arch angels." It wasn't going to be good news.
"Sleep well, Tsuki. Don't wake up until we get back." Gently closing the door, Shizuka followed her son towards the archangel's chamber.
Tsugaru was already waiting beside the door. Somehow they needed to avoid the truth coming out. "How did it go?" There was a possibility that her son hated her.
"He met his father. He's in the human realm now." The blonde sighed in relief. At least he was out of harms way.
"Shizuka and Tsugaru Heiwajima report to the centre." Shitsuo bowed apologetically.
"I have to go to my seat. Please be careful." A calming feeling washed over her as she walked into the room.
"Thanks Tsugaru." It wasn't the first time she had been in the room. Everything was white marble, stretching into a series of pillars each with a seating area for the arch angels. Each one of them showed up as a shadow. Right now Shitsuo was an archangel before he was family.
The floor was tiled into a picture of large angel wings. "Shizuka, Tsugaru. You know why you are both here?" Right now it was just her and her son against the deciding force of heaven.
"The angel Tsukishima trespassed, going through the portal without authorization. Your other son then went through to get him and didn't return. How do you explain this? He still hasn't retuned."
"Isn't it obvious? He's gone bad just like the other one!" Shizuka sighed, Shizuo wasn't the most popular.
"Tsuki got lost and the guard on duty scared him into that portal. You yourselves have made sure that he remains pure and innocent. He knew nothing about where he was." Tsugaru tightened his grip trying to keep her calm. "Shizuo went after him to make sure his brother was okay. Again the guard only allowed him to take one suit."
"Is this true? How do you know they aren't lying?"
"Shizuo has been trouble from the start!"
"Enough! Tsugaru. You went after him what happened?"
"When I got through the portal, Shizuo was laying unconscious in front of it. The air in hell is poisonous to all angels. Someone like Shizuo who hadn't left heaven it was nearly fatal."
"Then where is he?"
"Did he die?"
"Tsugaru! What happened then?"
"I brought him back through the portal." Shizuka said nothing knowing he was lying.
"Then where is he?" The centre shadow seemed like the oldest and the one that wasn't on team anti-Shizuo.
"He's in the human realm." Harsh whispers broke out surrounding them.
"You had no authorization to do that!"
"He forgets his place!"
"Do you have a reason for this?"
Shizuka stepped forward. "I asked him to. As you know my son has reached his coming of age. Just like his older brothers he was showing signs of awakening. Shizuo has never left heaven. I wanted him to see the human realm before he goes into his sleep. It was selfish of me but I want my child to be happy."
"Lies! That child won't become anything!"
"Another archangel?"
"Silence! Shizuka, you are the mother to two of the archangels, we hope Shizuo will be another and not turn corrupt like Delic. However the rules must be upheld for all angels. Since it has already been done, I give your son permission to be in the human realm." Shizuka clasped her hands.
"Than-"
"One month. Shizuo Heiwajima has one month in the human realm. If he does not return, he will be put to trial. Do you understand this?"
One month. Somehow they had to Shizuo back by then. "I understand." They had been given a time limit but still it was better than the alternative.
"Tsugaru Heiwajima. You disobeyed the rules to save your own family. For this you will be suspended from all your archangel duties until further notice. Return to your home and report tomorrow for your punishment. Dismissed."
One by one the shadows faded, except for the one at the end that hadn't uttered a single word. "We should get back to Tsuki. He's likely to panic if he wakes up on his own." Shizuka nodded leaving the room. One month. There was only one month to make things right before their secrets came to light.
