The clouds grew more and more distant as he fell. The wind hitting against his back and his feathered wings, making it impossible for him to open them up to save himself. He tried to turn himself over, so he could see the ground that he was rapidly approaching. He'd be able to open his wings then, but the falling angel couldn't seem to accomplish this. Further and further he fell, the clouds he had been standing on just moments ago seeming so far away now.
Arthur reached out to the clouds and tried screaming for help. He screamed until his throat was sore, but his cries went unheard. He was already too far away from Heaven for anyone to hear him now. He could call for no one to help him and he couldn't help himself.
What kind of angel was he? Letting himself fall from Heaven? What had been distracting him so much that he hadn't been able to notice the edge he walked off? Arthur couldn't remember now. The only thing on his mind now was how he was most likely going to die once he hit the ground. This really was the end for him, wasn't it? Was it possible for an angel to die? As Arthur turned his head enough to look past his shoulder, he saw a bunch of trees growing closer as he fell. He would soon be landing in the mortal world and though didn't know if it was possibly for an angel to die from a great fall, he figured he would soon be finding out as he braced for impact.
His eyes opened sometime later. It took a moment for his blurry vision to clear, but once it did he was able see his surroundings. He was in some sort of woods or forest. The one he had seen while was falling. Arthur was honestly surprised he was able to see it again now. He had thought for sure that he would be dead once he hit the ground, but apparently he had only been knocked out into unconsciousness by the fall.
He was still very much alive, even though it didn't feel like it. His body ached all over. His head was pounding. He could feel the sting of cuts and scrapes on his skin. He wondered if maybe his halo had cracked or even fallen off once he had made impact with the ground, but when he lifted his hand to touch the golden ring above his head it was there and didn't seem to be damaged. The surely was a relief. The fall hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. He was still alive and now that he was awake he could fly back home to Heaven and pretend this had never happened. Hopefully no one had noticed his absence yet. He would hate to have to explain how he fell because he had been distracted by his own mind and daydreams.
Arthur struggled to stand. His arms and legs were sore and he couldn't lift himself up with them. No problem. Arthur could just use his wings to help him to his feet. Outstretching his wings, he prepared to help himself up. As his wings stretched out from behind him though, he felt a sudden wave a pain shooting through his back. Arthur cringed and his wings quickly folded against his back again. He was barely able to hold back on cry as he waited for the pain to subdue.
Once the pain did die down, he tried opening his wings again, this time much slower. He could feel the same wrenching feeling from when he first tried to open his wings. His wings tried to pull back again, but he didn't let them. He kept them half open as he looked over his shoulder to see what the matter was, trying to ignore the horrible, aching feeling he felt to keep them open. Looking over his shoulder, his right wing look perfectly fine, apart from a few feathers missing here and there. Arthur wished he could say the same for his left wing.
His left wing looked crocked and mangled. It was bent in an awkward angle that made Arthur cringe just looking at it. Carefully, he lifted a hand and touched the wing. It hurt at the smallest touch. His wing was broken. There was no doubt about it and as Arthur realized this, a sudden feeling of doom crept over him. Without his wings he could not fly. If he could not fly then he could not return to Heaven. He would be stuck in the mortal world and would have no way of returning to his home.
This was brilliant! Just brilliant! He was an angel stuck in a world that was not his with a broken wing and no way to return to Heaven. How much more perfect could his situation be?
Letting his wings close on his back, he turned his gaze to the ground as his body began to shake with frustration. How could this happen to him? Out of all the angels in Heaven why did it have to be him!? Arthur wanted to scream out his anger and frustrations, but he didn't. He didn't want to attract any unwanted company. What else was he to do though? His wing was broken so he was unable to fly and his body was so sore that he couldn't even stand up and walk to find some shelter.
Everything was so helpless. With a heavy sigh, Arthur calmed down only slightly so that his body was no longer shaking as he lied back down on the forest floor. He kept on his side, not wanting to lie on his injured wing. He curled up slightly, bringing his arms and legs close to his chest as he stared off into the forest. No, he hadn't died when hit the ground, but perhaps his death wasn't all that far off after all.
Arthur didn't move for hours, half because his body was too sore to move and half because even if he did manage to get himself on his feet, he had no idea where he was and had no way to get back home. He thought he might as well just stay where he was instead of getting himself lost in the unfamiliar forest.
He knew he would have to move eventually, but right now he just wanted to wallow in his own self-pity.
Eventually, night fell and the forest grew dark. Arthur was somewhat frightened about being alone in the unfamiliar world in the dark. It wasn't that he thought a mortal might walk by and see him or that some animal would come and attack him. It wasn't any Earthly creature he was afraid of, but he was frightened by the fact of something that wasn't of this world could come running into him.
There were other immortal and what the mortals would call supernatural things that could possibly do harm to Arthur, and with the state he was in now, he had no way to defend himself.
Arthur could only hope that maybe someone in Heaven would eventually notice his absence and come looking for him. He was one of the more solitary angels, but even he had a few angels he could call friends. "Hopefully someone will find me…" Arthur muttered softly to himself.
Some more time passed. Arthur thought he would be left unfound this night.
He was proven wrong though when he suddenly felt the presence of another immortal not far from where he was. Arthur lifted his head up from the ground. Had someone come searching for him? Someone from Heaven? Arthur almost felt relief wash over him at the thought of being rescued, but then he felt the presence come closer. The presence didn't feel at all like an angel's. It felt much darker and the aura he felt from the approaching being seemed to be the exact opposite of an angel's.
Who was it that had detected Arthur and was now coming towards him? Still not being able to move, Arthur had no choice but to just sit there and wait, even though a tugging thought kept prodding his mind to run away and hide from whatever was coming.
The sound of steps came closer and closer and soon the being was standing in front of Arthur and staring down at him. When Arthur saw the being, his eyes widen with shock and fear.
The being had jet-black hair and wore dark clothes. Horns curled downwards on the sides of his head and a pair of bat-like wings sprouted out from behind his back. He also had a tail with a sharp tip that look like it could cut through skin behind him as well. Out of all the things that could have found him, Arthur would have wished for anything else but the demon now standing before him.
A demon was the natural enemy of an angel. Hundreds and thousands of years would pass and peace would never found between to two beings. Now, Arthur had one in front of him, with him in such a weakened state. He really was going to die. Just not the way he had originally thought he would.
As Arthur stared up at the demon, he noticed how he seemed equally shocked about finding an angel as Arthur was about a demon finding him. His eyes were widened, just like Arthur's, and he stayed frozen in place, perhaps in disbelief.
Arthur wanted to run, wanted to fly away and flee back to Heaven where he would be safe, but he knew he couldn't. His wing was broken and his body was still weak from his fall. He had no chance of escape and as he slowly came to accept this, the shocked look in his face faded.
He stared up at the demon, watching his eyes narrow behind the wire rimmed glasses on his face and he took a step closer, moving slowly as if giving Arthur a warning and time to get up and run. Arthur didn't move though and simply continued to stare up at him. He thought about asking for his help, thinking that maybe there was just some small chance he could appeal to the demon's better nature.
Arthur almost laughed at the thought. As if he could do that. He had never once heard of a demon taking pity on an angel.
They were all just heartless beings after all.
Seeing as there was no way of escape and that the demon was probably going to kill him, Arthur let his head fall back down and rest on the ground again.
The demon was quiet for a moment. He was probably just figuring out how he should kill Arthur. Arthur stayed where he was and when he heard the demon step closer, he lifted his gaze and saw the dark being looming over him. His eyes were set in a glare, but he saw slight confusion those blue eyes that Arthur almost found alluring, if it weren't for the fact those eyes belonged to what Arthur thought was going to be the death of him. He must be wondering why Arthur wasn't making any attempt to defend himself or run.
Arthur stared up at the demon, meeting his gaze for a moment before he turned his head away again and let his eyes close, waiting for the demon to strike.
He waited to feel pain. Feel blood flowing out from whatever wound the demon would give him. Feel himself disappear and fade from existence.
Expecting to feel all those things that would eventually end with him dying, Arthur was surprised when the only thing he felt was a pair of arms move under him and lift him up from the ground. His eyes opened, first glancing down at the spot he had previously been before looking up to the demon that was now carrying him. The demon didn't look down at the angel and started walking off into the forest with Arthur in his arms.
He didn't know where they were going, but he was starting to think that this demon wasn't going to kill him after all. He wanted to ask why he hadn't killed him and where they were going, but Arthur stayed quiet. He should just be happy that he wasn't dead for now and ask questions later. Arthur let his eyes close again and his head fell against the demon's chest as he drifted off, letting himself be carried to wherever the demon was taking him. Perhaps his death wouldn't come as quickly as he thought it would.
Arthur was awoken from his dream by sunlight shining through the open window and on his face. His emerald eyes opened and a soft hiss escaped his lips, wincing at the light. His wings opened to cover his face as he stood up from the couch and ran over to the window, almost tripping over Alfred who he had forgotten was sleeping on the floor. He was able to avoid the other demon though and quickly pulled the curtains closed over the open window. He let out a quiet sigh of relief once the sunlight was gone and no longer burning his skin. Who was the fool to leave a curtain open in a home full of light-sensitive demons? Shaking his head to forget the question, he turned around and looked around the cabin.
It was quiet. Alfred was still asleep and Matthew was nowhere to be seen. Arthur wondered if he had already left to go to the human town already like he had said he would. He also wondered how it was possible that he was able to travel with the sun still being out. Despite the curious question that came to his mind, drowsiness quickly over powered it. Arthur decided he would just go back to sleep for now. Though he had already been asleep for a while now, the events from the past few days left Arthur exhausted. He wanted to rest for a while longer.
He started to make his way back to the couch to go back to sleep, but was stopped when he heard the sound of knocking, rather pounding, on the front door. He turned his head, tail twitching, as he stared at the door. Who could it be? Was it Matthew? Perhaps he had forgotten his key?
Still tired and half asleep, Arthur dragged his feet over to the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He reached for the doorknob after unlocking it and opened the door. He expected to see Matthew on the other side of the door, but instead he saw a young woman who practically pushed Arthur down to get inside of the cabin.
"Curse this blasted sun!" Arthur heard the woman hiss as she pushed her way inside. He turned and glared at her once he had regained his balance, about to demand why she had pushed her way in, but the words never left past his lips and his mouth stayed hanging open as he stared at the woman.
The woman wore a dark green jacket and a long skirt of a matching color. She had some long, black boots on her feet and a black ribbon in her long, platinum blonde hair. She had a pair of the black wings that stuck out from her back and the horns that twisted and curled downwards, much like Alfred's did. This woman was a demon, but not just any demon. She was one of the High Demons from Hell and one of the ones who had wanted to call for Arthur and Alfred's death.
"Natalia!? What are you doing here?" Arthur gapped, still shocked that the she-demon had been able to find them so quickly. Natalia simply glared at Arthur as she straightened herself up before speaking. "I've come to deliver the punishment you escaped from, aniol." She hissed.
Arthur pushed the surprised expression off his face and replaced it with an angered glare. "Punishment? Have I not suffered enough? I've already had my angel wings torn from my back, turned into a demon, and banished from my home in Heaven. What more punishment can you have for me?"
"Your death." Natalia answered in a simple, but cold tone that sent a shiver running up Arthur's spine. He tried not to let fear over take him though as she continued to speak. "You've overstepped your boundaries, aniol. You and that demon of yours. We need to be sure an example is made for any other demons who try to form a relationship with angels."
"Isn't banishment enough of a punishment? Nothing we did was all that wrong!" Arthur tried to argue with her, but Natalia lashed her tail and outstretched her wings to intimidate and silence him. "No! Banishment isn't enough for the likes of you two. Your punishment must be more severe."
Arthur flinched, taking a slight step back away from her. "Can't you just leave us alone? We've both suffered enough."
"You don't know suffering." She replied coolly.
Arthur glared at her. He knew that Natalia was not fond of angels, including demons who had once been angels but turned, like himself. He doubted he could escape death if it was she who wished it, but what about Alfred? As he glanced back towards the sleeping demon, he wondered if perhaps there was some chance he could be spared.
"Did you plan to kill both of us?" Arthur asked as he turned back to face her. Natalia answered with a silent nod of her head.
"Why not just kill me?" Arthur asked, offering himself up without a fight in attempt to save Alfred. "I mean, if it weren't for me, none of this would have ever happened. Alfred was just helping me in my time of need. He doesn't deserve to die."
Natalia's glare didn't soften in the least and neither did the cold tone in her voice. "He knows very well the risks of helping an angel. He too shall die." Arthur's eyes widen as he looked to her, shaking his head frantically as he continued to try to get her to spare Alfred's life. "But, that isn't fair! Please, he didn't do anything wrong!"
"Perhaps not in your world it is seen as a kind deed, but in our world it is seen as a betrayal of to our kind when you lend help to the enemy." Natalia said. Arthur realized that he had no chance of talking Natalia out of killing Alfred either. He narrowed his eyes again and opened his wings, attempting to intimidate her as she had done to him before. "I won't let you kill Alfred! You'll have to kill me first if you want to kill him." He said, trying to make his voice sound firm and determined, but it had little effect on the she-demon. "You both will die." She said, her expression unchanged and seemingly unfazed by the red headed demon. "You both deserve punishment, but if you truly wish to be the first one to die…" She began and Arthur noticed her pulling a knife out from her jacket. "Then so be it."
Arthur's eyes widen at the sight of the knife and as Natalia began to approach him, he slowly started to back away from her. He backed away until he felt his back hit a wall. He stared fearfully at Natalia as she stepped towards him, trying to figure some way out of the situation he was in. Thankfully, he didn't have to, for a voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Hey!" Arthur turned his head to look behind Natalia, seeing Alfred suddenly up and awake and coming up from behind the she-demon, reaching out with a hand to turn her around. "Who are you and what do you think you are doing-" As he turned Natalia around and saw her face, Alfred's eyes instantly widened and he pulled away from her. "N- Natalia…" He murmured in shock.
"Yes, hello to you, too, Alfred." Natalia said. "I've come to deliver punishment to you and your little friend."
Arthur watched Alfred and he looked to be frozen in shock and fear, making no attempt to move or even give a verbal reply to Natalia. Before she could make a move to harm Alfred while he was in his frozen state, Arthur quickly moved forward to stand in between the two. "There will be no punishment given today." He quickly said, but Natalia still didn't see him as a threat. "You both will die and you both will die today, whether you want to or not." She hissed and looked as if she was about to try to make another move, but once again she was interrupted by another voice. "Leave them alone!"
Natalia turned her head at the sound of a growl. Kumajiro stood behind her, still in the form of a cub, but his teeth still bared and eyes narrowed into a glare, looking as if he could change into the beast Arthur had seen last night at any moment. Natalia seemed to pause as she stared down at the bear. She studied him with a thoughtful expression before speaking again. "I know what you are… You are that bear who caused a bit of chaos in Hell a few years back." She muttered, probably more to herself than to Kuma. Arthur was a bit surprised to learn that she recognized the bear and even more surprised when he saw her putting away her knife. "Surely I won't be able to kill you two if you have this bear as a protector." Natalia said as she turned her eyes back to look to Alfred and Arthur.
"You may have escaped death today, but I will be sure you do receive your full punishment. You better keep an eye out." She hissed to them. Arthur stayed quiet and kept his eyes set in a glare as he looked to her. He hoped Alfred too would show some way that he wasn't afraid of her threats, but he was still frozen in fear, so Arthur did his best to block him from her view.
"I'll be back..." Natalia said and turned, rushing to the door and quickly running into the shade of the forest outside the cabin, her warning still lingering in the air even after she was gone.
Note:
Aniol is angel in Belarusian.
