Author's Note: I know you're all waiting for chapter 9, but I haven't finished it yet ^_^'
This is a filler chapter, an extra about Crystal to compensate for no chapter 9.
Hopefully you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Crystal had always been an ambitious angel. If you asked any other angel that knew her, they would confirm that she was one of the most motivated and driven out of them all. No one knew why she was so ambitious, only that when she started out as a Novice Angel, she aimed for perfection, not just from herself, but from others... moderately, at least. It was unknown if her ambition stemmed from her background as a human or it was just how she was (to be fair, no one knew if she had been a former human or an Angel created by God).
Crystal was in the Archives, putting away a few files that had been recently updated. She flew about the shelves, categorizing the more new files that had been created. "Miss Crystal?" the Advisor Angel looked over her shoulder, her eyes casting downwards to see a timid Messenger Angel below her.
"Ah, is something wrong Huynh?" Crystal turned around, flying to the table behind Huynh, placing the files that needed updating on its surface.
"Nothing's wrong." they replied nervously, "I have a message from Instructor Winona."
"Has something happened at the Academy?"
"Instructor Winona has rescheduled visitation day."
"What day did she reschedule it to?"
"Today." Crystal nearly dropped the stack of files she had picked up. She recomposed herself before turning to Huynh with a smile.
"It wouldn't happen to be starting in a few minutes would it?" hesitantly, the angel nodded their head. "Why wasn't this told to me sooner?!"
"There was a slight... miscommunication with a few other Messenger Angels." Huynh winced when she had shouted. "Originally Gold was to deliver the message to you, but he passed it onto others and it sort of got... lost."
"Of course." Crystal placed the files back on the table. They would have to wait, "Thanks for telling me Huynh." as quick as she could, she left the Archives. She flew by other angels and nearly flew into Gold, who stood in her way.
"Hey, Crys!" Gold greeted her with a grin, "Where ya flying too?"
"Gold you know full well where I'm going!" she jabbed her finger at his chest angrily, "Why didn't you tell me about the change for visitation day?!"
"I was busy." he merely shrugged, "Plus, you always shooed me away when I tried to talk to you."
"I don't have time for this." she muttered, "I'm already late as it is." she pushed him aside and flew off to the Academy. He followed after her of course. Winona stood at the entrance waiting for her.
"Miss Crystal."
"Miss Winona." Crystal greeted her, "I'm sorry for my tardiness."
"It's fine dear. I assumed that my message hadn't been able to reach you given who the person I asked to tell you is." Winona turned around, gesturing to the inside of the Academy. "Shall we?" Crystal nodded her head and the two made their way to the training grounds. Crystal stood with Winona, watching as the group of Novice Angels went through the daily exercises.
"This is the class that is currently set on moving forward?"
"It is. All other classes were dismissed for visitation day, as always." she handed her a clipboard, with papers attached. As always, the papers had a profile of the different Novice Angels that were part of the class moving forward.
Crystal hummed as she observed the Novice Angels, a good portion of them had stopped to stare but went back to their training once their instructor called on them. "Anyone you'd like me to pay extra attention to?"
"No one in particular. I trust you enough to make your own assumptions."
"I won't disappoint you." Crystal went back to watching the Novice Angels. Each of them had a number attached to a belt they wore around their waist. Whatever Crystal wrote on their profiles would automatically be transferred to their number. Crystal flew closer to the group, flipping through her clipboard, writing minor notes and comments. Crystal spotted a young Angel, who lagged behind the others during the physical part of their training. The Angel had the number 34 on their belt.
"Who is 34?" Winona looked over to the Angel.
"That's Lizzy." Crystal flipped through her clipboard, finding the Angel'sprofile. "She often lags behind in training."
"I see that." Crystal noted that her profile included her scores on tests, which were lower than the average score. She wrote a comment that the Novice Angel would be best suited as a Messenger Angel, but seemed to lack the motivation as shown in her scores.
"Instructor Winona?" a Security Angel flew to the two. "A Messenger Angel has a message for you from Master Wallace."
"Thank you." Winona turned to Crystal, "I will see you later to help you with the profiles."
"Alright." Winona nodded her head and followed the Security Angel out of the Academy.
"Man I thought she'd never leave." Crystal looked up in surprise, seeing Gold flying above her.
"Gold!" she looked at him with suspicion. "How did you get in here? The Security Angels at the door aren't allowed to let anyone but Advisors in on Visitation Day."
"Snuck past them."
"How?"
"If I told you then you'd make sure I won't be able to come in."
"That's because you were banned from the Academy after you graduated because of your little stunt with the lighting and ambrosia."
"I was just trying to prove to Silver that lighting could set ambrosia on fire. Which I was successful at." he grinned, landing on the ground so he stood next to her.
"You nearly set the Academy on fire." she gave him an irritated look, "Gold you're distracting me from my job." she went back to watching the Novice Angels, flying closer so she could observe their personalities for herself. The Novice Angels often glanced at her and whispered to one another, but they ignored her for the most part. She noticed a Novice Angel, one who looked much smaller than the others, by himself.
"Do you know who that Angel is?" she asked Gold. "The small one."
"That's my buddy Rald. Short for Emerald." Gold told her. "He's a cool little dude, but he doesn't have a lot of friends. People tend to pick on him cause of his height. Pretty self-conscious about it." as Gold had spoken, Crystal had found Emerald's profile. Number 41, outspoken, with a bit of an attitude towards fellow students.
"He may need a Mentor..." Crystal muttered. "Though I don't know who would be best suited for him."
"How bout yourself?"
"Me?" Crystal stared at him in surprise as he grabbed her pen out of her hand.
"Why not?" he began tossing the pen in the air absentmindedly. "You're always busy with paperwork and shit right?"
"Well I am but-"
"Plus you're always telling me and Silv that you'd like to have an assistant to help you out right?" he stopped tossing the pen in the air, "Besides, all these Novice Angels always talk about is 'Crystal, the Advisor Angel that graduated top of her class'."
"I-" Crystal was sure Gold was just trying to butter her up now, but it was working. He put the pen in her hand. Crystal was hesitant, but she decided to be selfish for once. She wrote herself as a suggestion for Emerald's mentor. She sighed, "Why do I let you convince me to be selfish."
"Cause I'm a convincing person. Plus nothing wrong with being selfish every now and then."
"You're also distracting me again." she hummed and went back to watching the Novice Angels. She wrote down a few more notes on angels, when she noticed that 34, Lizzy, was talking to another Angel as the two waited for their turn on the obstacle course. The Angel she spoke to seemed slightly amused by what she was saying. Crystal noticed that he seemed annoyed when another Angel tried to join their conversation.
"Who's that Novice Angel over there then?" she asked Gold, as she couldn't see the number on his belt. "The one talking to 34."
"Why do you assume I know every Novice Angel around?"
"Because you're always sneaking into the Academy to talk to them." she retorted.
"Fair point. His name's Ruby." Gold replied, "I heard that he's super bitter and pessimistic about a lot of things. He also doesn't like humans."
"Great, another you," Crystal muttered as she found Ruby's profile. Twenty-six was his number. He scored fairly well on his tests but apparently lacked empathy and sympathy when the topic of humans was brought up. "His test scores are great, but his attitude isn't."
"Why don't you just make him a Messenger Angel then." Gold suggested as he stretched his arms. "Then you can have someone keep an eye on him and maybe change his attitude."
"That's actually a good idea," Crystal muttered, "He doesn't seem to show much interest in anything else anyway. But who could be his mentor?"
"I dunno. How bout Wallace?"
"He's already busy enough as it is." a pause, followed by a stare at the Messenger Angel. "Thank you for volunteering yourself Gold."
"Wait hold on a second I didn't agree to this!" Gold's shouting attracted the attention of the present Novice Angels and Instructors that were testing them.
"I can and I will." she replied, writing onto the profile, "It was your idea after all."
"That doesn't mean I have to be the one made responsible."
"Your logic astounds me," she said sarcastically, finishing what she had written. "You better get going. One of the Instructors is finally calling Security on you."
"Shit." Crystal watched Gold fly off in amusement. She had been lying when she had told him about the Instructors calling Security. The Instructors had ignored Gold, seeing as he wasn't doing any harm and was with her. Still, it was fun to freak him out every now and then. She went back to watching the Novice Angels maneuver through the obstacle course. Realistically, the Angels could fly through the objects as Angels did not have a solid form. Still, it was a test to see if they were quick enough to dodge objects that would get in their way in the case of them accidentally taking on solid form (it happened more often than she wanted it to).
Winona had returned shortly after Gold had left, speaking with the other two Instructors. After all the Novice Angels had gone through the obstacle course, they were taken inside for a seminar. With a gesture from Winona, Crystal followed them into the lecture hall.
Once all the Novice Angels had been seated, Winona began to speak. "You all know the rules for the seminar. You are to debate on the topic that is given. There is no winning or losing. Give everyone a chance to speak." she gestured towards Crystal, "This is Crystal, an Advisor Angel, and Caretaker to the Archives and Museum." the crowd began to murmur, and Crystal sighed. No doubt they were discussing her popularity. "Settle down everyone." Winona continued, "She has taken time out of her busy schedule to be with us today, so do be respectful. Crystal will be choosing the topic. Remember, no fighting, keep it civil."
The Instructor stepped back, allowing Crystal to take the floor, "Our topic will be on humans, whether or not our efforts in helping and guiding them are futile at this point, seeing as they are growing every day. Your thirty minutes start now." there was a moment of silence after she had spoken before the Novice Angels all began speaking at once. Crystal would be amazed at their enthusiasm if not for how utterly baffled she was at the fact that they were so... unruly. Many were standing from their seats, arguing with one another.
"Are they... always like this?" she glanced at Winona.
"They're the only class like this during seminars if that's what you're asking. The main reason is because of 26." she motioned her head at the Novice Angel who was flying above a few others, shouting.
"Ruby?"
Winona nodded her head, "As you've read, he isn't exactly quiet about his opinions that majority of his fellow Angels do not share. Because of this, it results in sometimes... passionate debates."
"Everyone settle down, please!" Crystal shouted over the Novice Angels, and they gradually quieted down. "This is a seminar so let's settle this in a more calm manner. Take turns speaking." an Angel shyly raised their hand. "And you are?"
"Number 37." Crystal flipped to their profile.
"Just call me Cap."
"Alright, Cap. What are your views on this topic?"
"I think humans still need our help." Cap spoke, "With all the war and stuff going on." murmurs of agreement came from other Novice Angels.
"I have to agree." another Angel spoke, though they didn't bother telling Crystal their number or name, and from where they sat she couldn't even see their number. "They've advanced in the ways of technology and other things, but they're pretty stupid in starting wars with each other." more murmurs of agreement.
"They're pretty stupid in general." Ruby had spoken, and everyone was quiet, staring at him. "Pathetic and ignorant, there really is no point in us 'helping' them." his words stirred the others into a frenzy. Crystal sighed, wishing her job was easier as the Angels began shouting once more.
"Everyone, please! Settle down!" her voice was drowned out by the screaming matches. Crystal sighed, giving Winona a pleading look of help, but the Instructor merely shook her head. Nothing could be done to calm the Novice Angels now. Once Ruby had spoken, that was it.
"HEY!" an all too familiar voice shouted from the doorway. The room quieted down again and Crystal whipped her head to see Gold standing at the door with a grin.
"IT'S GOLD." someone shouted, and there were multiple cheers and shouts for the Messenger Angel. He seemed to be well known and quite popular with the group of Novice Angels. She noticed that there were a couple, if not a few, Novice Angels that didn't seem as enthusiastic about Gold's appearance.
"Hey guys." he finger gunned the crowd, causing them to cheer even louder. Crystal groaned, wondering if this was how the Novice Angels really acted whenever Gold showed up or if it was all just an inside joke. She hoped it was the latter.
Classes drew to an end, and the Novice Angels were dismissed for the rest of the day. Crystal had stayed behind in the classroom, looking through the notes she had written on the profiles and scribbling away a few more comments here and there.
"Gold don't you have more important things to do other than watch me write?"
"Not that I can think of." he shrugged, "Plus I like watching you work."
"You do?" that sounded like a lie. Gold never seemed to be interested in her work unless it somehow involved himself or something fun.
"Of course! It's cause I like you." he was definitely lying. He always told her he liked her, which Crystal highly doubted since the Angel always seemed to be flirting with other Angels.
"I need to find Miss Winona." Crystal looked up from the clipboard, "She's going to help me with the profiles."
"Can I help?"
Crystal shook her head, "I appreciate the offer, but no. You've already done a lot by keeping the Novice Angels from screaming at each other during the seminar."
"Aw shit are you actually complimenting me?" he leaned closer to her face, making things rather uncomfortable. She flicked his forehead, forcing him back.
"Don't let it get to your head." she replied, "I'll see you and Silver later."
Started this off as just a little extra thing so it'd be easier for me to get my ideas out and focus on the main story better.
Was supposed to be about Crystal herself, but it ended up being about Crystal and (sort of) Gold?
No romance between the two (maybe some from Gold), but their relationship is purely platonic. Might change it in the future? Who knows
Will write more extras about other characters in different points of their lives