Hey guys. So, I'm going through some issues and my interest in this story is slowly dwindling. I'm trying my best to push through but I haven't been in a motivated mood recently. Also, I have my first organic chemistry 2 test coming up, and have no clue how to pass because the professor isn't teaching in a way that I can understand. For now, I'll update this chapter then take a little break so that I can focus more on my studies. Sorry to leave you guys hanging, but I'm sure you understand my predicament. Enjoy!
"Can you tell me about the war between the angels and demons, Etihw?"
The God turned to Arbil when she spoke up. The hybrid was sitting on the ground, absentmindedly playing her lyre. They were at the castle's side garden enjoying the late afternoon. Earlier that day, as promised, Arbil played and sung her song to Eti, Kcalb, and Wodahs in the Great Hall. They all enjoyed her performance.
"Sure," Etihw answered, "but it is not a pleasant tale. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"I was just curious. When Grora mentioned it, I sensed grief in her. It seems the war still has a great effect on some of you, even though it occurred ages ago.
"And don't worry about the violent parts," Arbil added. "I'm used to it."
Etihw nodded. "All right. It's only fair that you know since you live here now."
This is a perfect opportunity, the God thought to herself. If I tell her about our history, she may be willing to share more about her past.
Eti took in a deep breath as she prepared to tell the tragic story.
"Long ago, eons to be more precise, the Gray Garden wasn't called what it is now. Angels and demons still lived in this world, but in different realms: Heaven and Hell. In the beginning, we didn't fight. We didn't particularly like each other, but we respected one another, maintaining neutrality.
"Then, all of a sudden, Kcalb started an attack on the angels and me. They were small skirmishes at first, but eventually evolved into an all-out war. That was about the time Wodahs joined with me as my head angel to fight against his brother."
Etihw plucked a flower from the ground and twirled it in her hand. "From then on, Kcalb and I fought, along with our people. He was overpowering, but I always won our battle." She smirked at the last sentence.
"I managed to subdue him by sealing him underground for hundreds of years. I thought it would last for eternity, enough time for us to wipe out the demons, but he escaped sooner than I anticipated. He came back with a vengeance, and it was more difficult for me to fight him.
"The war waged on for so long that we forgot the sole reason why we were fighting in the first place. Eventually, Kcalb destroyed the entire world, leaving nothing but ashes and bodies. I lost a few of my important angelic warriors: Ciel, Sherbet, and Rigatona."
The whole time that Etihw was speaking, Arbil was gliding her hand through the strings on her lyre. At the mention of the names, the hybrid froze, abruptly stopping her playing. They sounded very similar to her angel friends' names. She gazed up at the God, but Etihw wasn't looking her way. Arbil had some inkling why Eti's past angels had similar names to her friends, but she refrained from asking. If she didn't figure it out, Etihw would've explained more but she didn't. The hybrid knew that the God thought she was smart enough to know what she was getting at.
Arbil swallowed. "What happened after," she quietly questioned.
"I was so devastated by the destruction, I nearly lost hope. But Wodahs spoke to me, to both of us actually, that 'woke' up, you could say. After that, we reconciled, I recreated the world, and we achieved everlasting peace."
"What about Wodahs and Grora's eyes?" Arbil resumed playing. "What happened to them in order to lose their eyes?"
"In a fit of rage, Kcalb lashed out at Wodahs, taking his right eye. He deeply regrets it to this day. As for Grora, Ater was being her mischievous self and took Grora's left eye for fun." Etihw sighed under her breath. "I really wish she would let it go. It's been ages. I doubt Ater even has it anymore."
The two remained silent as Etihw finished her story. Arbil contemplated the horrid history of the Gray Garden.
She turned her head to Etihw with a smile. "Thank you, Etihw for telling me that story, and for trusting me enough to tell it."
The God returned the gesture. "You're welcome."
Arbil looked down to her instrument. "Now that you've told me something about you, I'd like to tell you something about myself. Something personal."
"Alright," said Etihw, waiting for the girl's response.
The hybrid took a deep breath. "I don't know how, but I have a huge gap in my memory."
Eti's eyes widened a little. "Really? It seems that you're so sure of yourself all the time. And you talk about your memories without any problems."
"Well, my childhood and late adulthood memories are the only ones I recall with clarity," Arbil explained. "The middle is a blank slate. I can't remember anything about it.
"The earliest I can recall is my early young adult years, then nothing. After that, all I can remember is living in my hut in Dead Woods."
So that's what I felt strange about her, Etihw thought. She has partial amnesia, and it must be linked to the power locked inside her.
"Would you like me to remove it," the God offered.
Arbil gazed at her, confused. "What?"
"I can remove your memory gap, so that you can remember what happened during that time. Would you like me to?"
Arbil's eyes flitted back and forth as she contemplated Etihw's offer. The God could hear the cogs in the hybrid's mind turning at a rapid rate.
Arbil shot Eti a small smile. "Thanks, but I'll have to decline. If it was erased from my memories, then it must have been traumatizing in order for me to forget. Plus, I feel that it's one of those things where it will reveal itself when the time is right."
Etihw grinned. Good. No need to start anything prematurely if she is what I think she is.
"As you wish."
"Also, I didn't come here with permission from my God," Arbil added.
"What do you mean," Eti asked.
"As I said when I first came here, my friend Crimson opened the portal for me. Before I could get in, Revlis attacked us, not wanting us to leave. That's how I arrived heavily injured in your world."
"Why didn't he come with you? From the sound of it, he's a close friend of yours."
"He's my only friend," Arbil responded with a smile. "He didn't come with me because he works for Revlis, so he would've noticed Crimson's absence. All Darkened angels work for Revlis."
Etihw arched an elegant eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. "Darkened angels?"
"They are angels who turn into demons and gain demonic powers," Arbil explained. "It's a disease that only exists in my former home world. It can happen to any angel at any point in their lives. No one knows how it came to exist or why it affects certain angels."
"It's a disease? Is it life-threatening?"
Arbil vigorously shook her head, her long hair swaying. "No, no, no! It's completely harmless. It actually makes the affected angel more powerful, almost on par with a God or Devil. But it greatly changes their personalities most of the time, sometimes for the worst, and their angelic power changes to a demonic power."
"And your friend is a Darkened angel?" Etihw clarified.
"Yes." Arbil had a far-off look as she reminisced her past. "He Darkened when we were little. He collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain as the disease took over him. I watched helplessly as his feathers turned midnight black, and I sensed intense heat coming from him. His power was originally light, but now it's demonic fire.
"What I was most afraid of at the time wasn't his appearance changing, but his personality. I was scared that he wouldn't be my friend anymore, but he remained the same, at least to me."
Etihw gave Arbil a sympathetic look. "You must be very worried about him, especially since you said your God attacked you both."
"I am, but I know that he's fine. Revlis would've come after me sooner, but he hasn't shown up yet, which means that Crimson was able to hold him off."
Arbil solemnly closed her eyes. "But at what cost?"
"If you say that he's about as powerful as a god, I'm sure he's all right."
Etihw's sympathetic smile turned into a teasing smirk. "From how much you talk about him, you must admire him a lot."
Arbil's entire face heated up at the romantic implication. "Just as a friend! Nothing more like a lover or anything," she denied strongly.
The God giggled at the hybrid's flustered state.
When night fell, everyone in the castle and Gray Village were sound asleep. Their lights were off and somewhat loud snoring could be heard through the walls.
But there was one person who wasn't in their bed. She flew across the star-speckled night sky, her silhouette shadowed by the ethereal moonlight. Arbil flew over the surrounding areas, enjoying the night scene and cool breeze. She flapped her wings quietly to not disturb her fellow friends.
She was about to head back to the castle and go to sleep until she saw a dark figure standing on a cliff. She saw a black diamond cloak waving behind it.
"Kcalb?" Arbil pondered. "I wonder what's he doing out here?"
To find her answer, she glided down to the cliff, landing behind him. He didn't turn around, too busy staring at the full moon.
Arbil called out his name. "Kcalb?"
The Devil jolted then twisted his head to the hybrid. "Oh, Arbil, it's just you."
"What are you doing out here at night," she asked as she walked to his side.
Kcalb turned his gaze back to the moon. "I like looking at the moon sometimes." He glanced at Arbil from the corner of his eye. "What about you?"
"Flying at night reminds me of my home world," Arbil responded softly. "How I would fly when it was completely dark so that I wouldn't disturb anyone."
Arbil lifted her head to the moon, tilting her head to the side with a thoughtful expression. "It's weird. I don't like my former home, but I find myself thinking about it sometimes." She turned her head to Kcalb. "Strange, huh?"
Arbil waited to see if the Devil was going to respond to her question. It was rhetorical, but she wondered if he had an answer to it.
"There's nothing wrong about remembering your home, your origins," Kcalb said after a few seconds of silence. "It's a part of who you are, whether it's good or bad. It's what you choose to do with your life after that matters most."
Arbil shot Kcalb a surprised look, not expecting him to give such a philosophical advice.
She smiled at him in a teasing manner. "That was really meaningful, Kcalb. I have a feeling that Etihw told you that once upon a time."
His only response was a barely audible groan.
They continued standing there, staring at the moon until Kcalb stoked up a conversation. "You know, sometimes you can see shooting stars here."
"Really? I want to see one. You can wish on them, right?"
Kcalb nodded. "Yes, or as stories go."
"What would you wish for, then?"
"To see a friend of mine once more and apologize."
"Okay." Arbil didn't ask him to elaborate more.
"And you?"
Arbil's eyes dimmed a bit. She tilted her head up, looking past the moon as if she could see something beyond it that Kcalb couldn't see. She spoke with a soft, gentle tone. "Even though he told me not to return, I wish to see Crimson one more time."
And that's it for now! Again, I'm sorry for leaving you guys, but I need a break. I will write the next chapter, just not update as frequently as I have been for a few weeks. It's pretty long so I'm debating whether to cut it into two chapters or leave it as one. Also, I want to write another fanfiction, so this story might be delayed even more. I'll see you soon! Please review!