Me: Whew this one's long!
Axel: Nu the others were just suuuper short!
Me: Why you so mean?
Axel: O_O I'm not mean...I'm just passionate!
Me: lol suuure. Heres chapter 3!
I can hear mom coming down the stairs. I hate for her to see me like this, but I can't move; I'm frozen with fear. I'm still wheezing which isn't good, either.
"Axel?" I hear from the top of the stairs. "Axel!" now she's running. I hate to admit it, but I do need her help. My wheezing is worsening; my breath escapes me. Mom is still running to me. Why does this place have to be so big?
"I'm…fine…Mom…" I say through each attempt to heave oxygen into my lungs. But, I'm not fine. One, two, three last breaths and I fall to the ground. My mind couldn't allow me a break from my fears. Before I know it, I'm dreaming.
I'm at Reno's wedding. Everything's amazing; the decorations, the food, the music, and most importantly, Reno's happy. Everyone is waiting for the bride to walk out. Finally, the organ signals Elena to enter the room. She's beautiful as ever. Her long train and short skirt accent her height. I can't see her face, but I'm sure it's just as beautiful. I'm a bit jealous. Mom and Dad are fixed up and happy at the front row. Angeal and Lucretcia are radiantly glowing along with the rest of the angels. The preacher begins the ceremony when she finally finishes her walk. After the 'I do's' is the time for the kiss. Reno lifts Elena's veil. I freeze again. Her skin is decaying, her face cracking. Her eyes are gone entirely. She's practically a moving corpse. I force myself to look at Reno's reaction. I don't notice anything except the blood that pours from his nose and mouth. I'm able to move again. I turn to see Mom. All of her joints are turned in the wrong direction. I desperately turn to see maybe something good from Dad. His sword is stuck in his abdomen. Where's Angeal? I look for any of the guardian angels, but the only things there are angels of death. Large, black, and lifeless with glowing yellow eyes, the winged creatures of destruction see me. They circle the room. Some are feasting on my family. I try to save them, but my body won't move. I can't lose my family. I am nothing without them!
"Axel!" a single voice breaks through my nightmares. The angels of death hear, too. They race for me, and I run. "Axel!" I hear again. The voice is familiar. It pulls me out of the darkness. I can recognize the voice now.
"Angeal!" I'm sitting up in my bed. Angeal and my dad are there beside me.
"Axel, who's Angeal?" Dad puts a cold cloth on my forehead.
"No one…" I'm covered in sweat.
"Lay back down, Axel," Angeal tells me. I was going to anyway…I'm completely wiped out.
"What happened?" Dad asks. Worry floods his eyes.
"I…had a memory attack. Then nightmares." I wipe my whole face with the cloth. It feels nice.
"Well you're home, now. That was in the past, and you're still with us." Which is obvious. I start to roll over when he stops me, "Yaknow, Axel, did I ever tell you what I felt the day you were hit?" He looks at the floor.
"No." He just held me, and told me how sorry he was. That he should've driven to the store himself. After I changed my name, he never wanted to talk about it much.
"When your mother called me, I was still at work. I don't even think I clocked out before I jumped off the side of the building," he laughs, "that's how I broke my leg. Anyway, I drove as fast as I could to the hospital. When I got there, Reno and your mom were already in the room. I walked in just as the doctors were telling us it was too late. It was so much of a shock that my strongest son could possibly be gone…that I fell to my knees." He laughs again. Not a good laugh, either; the kind that if you didn't laugh, you would cry. Angeal puts a hand on Dad's shoulder. Angels can help with pain sometimes. "Reno was already crying over your corpse…Your mom was beating the doctor with his clipboard! Hehe you see why I love her. I broke down. Eventually we were practically being pushed out of the room, your brother the last to leave. I was trying to be strong for the two of them. Then Reno called for us…and I was about to slap the boy for giving us false hope, but when I, too, heard the beeping, I broke down again. Pretty pathetic if you ask me." He pauses.
"And then what?" I'm really surprised that my old man could have really been torn apart like that.
"And then we all cried over you," His smile is one I haven't seen since I was little. I hug him.
"I love you, Dad," I can't believe I'm actually tearing up. He looks surprised when I release him. Then he grabs me back.
"You too, Lea." I haven't heard my true name in so long. "I've gotta get ready for work now, alright?" He gets up. "A wise man once told me, Embrace your dreams and whatever happens sustain your honor." He looks back down on me, and grins. "Think you can do that?" I'm shocked. That same line was told to me several years ago by Angeal…How could he have…?
"Yea, Dad." He leaves the room, but Angeal takes his seat. "You told him that didn't you?" I lay back down. My head is still spinning.
"Yep. I was allowed one conversation with him. He was about to kill himself." Another shocker.
"Why?"
"He was an orphan, and had always told himself that he could still be the hero his parents had deserved when he saw them murdered. I was able to say something right, because he's remembered that all these years. I'm glad I did, too. If I hadn't, I would've never been able to meet you." My eyes are wide open. I chuckle.
"You're so sappy!"
"Ya like that? I've got about a hundred more speeches I could give!" He gleams with pride.
"I think I prefer the nightmares!" The nightmares…I've forgotten them for the moment… "Hey…Angeal?"
"Hm?" He's still laughing a little.
"I didn't pass out of a memory attack…well I did, but the cause was because Lucretcia told me about your feelings." This stops him cold.
"I told her not to…"
"Why not?"
"Well…some angels are assigned to their person because that person is in need of something beyond the ordinary to help them get through life. Mine is that I can sense the future sometimes; however, in rare cases like yours people can communicate with angels."
"You mean I'm not the only one?"
"No…just be quiet for a minute. There's a rule that we can't tell any mortal of what we can do. But now that you know, might as well let you know that your angel was special, too."
"What could she do?"
"She was a fighter. If you ever remember a time when you could get out of a fight without just using your own strength, you weren't. Kairi was helping you." I do remember multiple times like that. One in particular, where I would've died. I was surrounded by thugs, nearly unconscious, but someone fought them all off for me.
"Angeal…tell me more. Do you know anything more about who will die?"
"No…Axel I can't tell you anything more. I shouldn't even said what I did. Get some rest. Now." He stands gets me a glass of water, then puts the towel back on my forehead. He vanishes without another word.