Finally kicked myself back to writing this chapter. There were 3 prior drafts to this, all about 1k words, which I scrapped. The first half of the chapter was the hardest bit, the second half came sightly easier. Hope it still works well with you guys, it was difficult to replicate the style of the previous chapters due to the long hiatus from this monster of a fic.

:

The dazzling white of midsummer sun faded, only to be replaced with a different kind of light. Phantom knew this new light well, the kind that stung his eyes even though they were shut, and seemed piercing enough to bore a hole through him if he wasn't paying attention.

He almost lost his balance with the shift of gravity and the rocking that made it feel like they were on a boat rather than on solid ground. Even though he had impeccable balance and knew how to ride a ship on whirling winds the Master Thief still thankful for the hand Freud offered to him for support.

'You alright, Phantom?'

'Yeah, yeah.' He breathed deeply and gave himself a few moments to gather his wits, for he knew from experience that even the Master Thief couldn't function properly without a clear mind. 'Thanks.'

Freud squeezed his hand. 'Great.'

'Great it is indeed. It's great that you both are here.'

It was a new voice. The high-pitched voice of a smiling little girl that Phantom had also recently come to associated with immense, terrifying power.

Destiny was smiling as she took another step closer to them. She looked even smaller than Phantom remembered, especially with the wooden shelves which towered above them, extending upwards and outwards into infinity. The countless crystal orbs shimmered almost in a warning as the Archangel stuck out her hand.

'Freud,' hissed Phantom, dropping his own hand to his cane. If he was fast enough, quick enough on his feet, he was sure he could create a distraction to last as long as they'd need to make their getaway.

Freud stayed his hand.

But his usually gentle blue eyes were hard, narrowed and locked on the strange grey eyes of the Archangel before them.

'Very good, Freud. You choose wisely.' Destiny smiled wider, though the light in her eyes stayed hard as diamond. She beckoned. 'Now, give it back.'

'Listen. You sound like a spoiled brat demanding for her toy,' growled Phantom. Nobody spoke to Freud like that and got away with it. 'I could teach you manners, put a hole through your skull before you could even blink.'

'Phantom,' murmured Freud in warning, but he ignored it.

'You'd never best the Master Thief in his speed. Not even if you're an archangel.'

'It is unfortunate that you're mistaken, then.' Destiny rose to his bait, her wings unfurling slightly in silent threat. 'Firstly, you're a human and you can do no damage to an angel.'

'I can touch Freud and I can do the same to you —'

At some unseen signal the ring of winged guards around him raised their gleaming spears and hefted them, the barbed, glowing tips all aimed to slice through his throat with a single thrust.

A sidelong glance confirmed that the spears were pointed at Freud's neck, too.

'You mangy demons,' growled Phantom, lowering his cane.

One of the guards narrowed his eyes and Phantom scowled harder at him. Mean-face. They wouldn't be so sure of themselves if they fought him one-on-one. In fact, he'd even let them keep their fancy spears because they probably counted for nothing against him in combat.

'It would do you good to be a little more humble, mortal,' murmured the Archangel warmly, reading his mind. He bristled at her casual tone, as if she were merely commenting on the colour of Phantom's hat or describing the rules of a game she wanted to play.

'Tell your minion underlings to play nice and I'll take you on —'

'Secondly, you're in our realm now, where your magic cannot possibly do much damage to us. And if I might add, your human magic; on an ethereal being's invincible body.'

Phantom gripped his cane tighter. He was probably fast enough to take out two of the angels and then break out of this ring. And if Freud covered his back, he'd be able to get them to someplace safe for them to consider their next move.

'So what? I don't discriminate —'

'Phantom.'

He spun around to glare at Freud, who had turned to him and was eyeing him with open disapproval.

'Play nice,' said Freud.

Play nice? How as he supposed to play nice when they were being threatened at that very moment? And that damn Archangel was being so high-and-mighty, he wanted to knock her off her angelic Pegasus of a high horse and put her back in her place and teach her the value of respect.

'I won't! She —'

'Phantom.'

Freud's voice, hard and cold, hinted that the Archangel would be the least of his worries if Phantom didn't do as Freud asked.

Phantom relented and fell silent, not because he wanted to, but because he didn't want to embarrass Freud in front of the angels.

And also because it was the tone of voice that the Dragon Master frequently used in the past, and it meant improvement, even if just a little.

A fat lot of good that would do now, thought Phantom sourly.

'Finally.' Destiny let out a bored sigh. 'I wondered how long it'd take for him to shut up.'

Phantom really wanted to shut her up.

'Just cut to the chase, Destiny.' Freud folded his wings more securely against his back and Phantom wanted to applaud him for sounding like he was bored out of his mind.

'You're no fun.'

'You were never one for "fun", Destiny.'

The archangel laughed. It was such an innocent, childlike laugh that would make Phantom's lip twitch despite himself if not for the expression in her eyes that promised utter death if they didn't do what she wanted to, and fast.

'Well then.' She held out her hand again. 'Cut to the chase, Freud.'

Phantom bristled as Freud clenched the crystal orb in his hand tighter. That was what the Archangel wanted back, but it held everything the Dragon Master ever remembered and it was crucial to helping Freud regain his memories. No, it might be the only thing that could ever help Freud remember.

'Freud, we need that,' he protested as Freud lifted his hand to pass it back.

He got no reply. Destiny's eyes glinted.

Something heavy and cold slammed into the depths of Phantom's gut as Freud dropped the crystal onto the Archangel's waiting palm.

'Thank you,' she smiled, holding the orb up to inspect it.

Of course there weren't going to be cracks. The damn angel was only doing it to spite them. He clenched his jaws so hard that he might've cracked a tooth. Almost desperately, he wished for another image, another flash of color, just a flicker of light, anything, anything to give them a sign that there was another way out of this.

But there was nothing.

When she had her fill of looking at them through the crystal and finally made it disappear, he feared he might never chew right again.

As one, the guards wordlessly hefted their weapons and started to file out of the room. Phantom watched them curiously. Weren't they worried that he or Freud might try to make a break for it?

Then he realised why. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he turned around to see another angel, with dark eyes and even darker wingtips, like he had dipped his wings into midnight.

If the tiny little girl sent a terrified chill through him before, this towering, frowning angel made his entire gut freeze.

This was the most carnal magic he had ever sensed. It was dark, and strange, and twisted, and wrong.

'Angel Freud. Phantom.'

His voice was slick and slimy and reminded Phantom of oil.

'The Master Thief at your service.' Phantom bowed with a flourish of his cape.

He was rewarded with a raised eyebrow from this strange Archangel, a snort from Destiny behind him, and an amused twinkle in the ocean depths of Freud's eyes.

Totally worth it.

'It's good to meet you in person at last,' smirked the Archangel, 'Your actions have been rather… history-changing.'

'Glad to know that I'm a responsible party,' smirked Phantom in kind, 'But I would be no good without my trusty sidekick.'

'Freud, your sidekick?' the dark-eyed Archangel mused, interest piqued, 'I always thought it was the other way around.'

Phantom flashed the most charming, brilliant, shameless smile he could manage. 'Yes, of course he's my sidekick. We're in the middle of a quest to get something Freud holds very important to him —'

'His memories,' prompted Destiny.

'— and you see, I'm in charge,' Phantom continued smoothly, like Destiny hadn't said a peep at all, 'But we can't get anywhere because you spoilsports have taken the fun out of everything.'

The dead-eyed Archangel scoffed and then closed the distance between them with two strides. Phantom had to tilt his head to meet his gaze.

'To me, you're not in charge.'

He smiled, and Phantom had to resist his instincts urging him to turn and run now. The haunting gaze shifted and settled on Freud, who was still looking unbearably calm.

'The one accountable for all of this is you, Freud.'

'Isn't that just a tad bit unfair, Archangel Fate?'

Fate? This Archangel's name was Fate? How clichéd. Phantom snorted under his breath. Destiny and Fate, how cute.

Fate smiled wider, a grinning skull on gleaming robes, as he replied to Freud's question. 'This isn't "unfair" at all, Freud. You were the start of all the problems cropping up now, and so you force my hand.'

There was a lot of unspoken history between them, Phantom mused quietly.

'Are you going to kill Phantom, then?' Freud deadpanned. 'Because you can't. An angel can't harm a human before his time has come.'

Phantom found himself deflating unconsciously in relief, when Fate chuckled.

These Archangels should really be banned from laughing, it was too inhuman to listen to.

Fate composed himself, folded his six wings behind him, and smiled.

'You could know that, wouldn't you, Freud?'

Freud's eyes hardened.

'You're the black sheep in our flock. Killing how many, just to save one life? Was it seventy-eight, or seventy-nine?'

Freud, killing people? 'Impossible,' hissed Phantom, taking a step forward. 'Freud wouldn't.'

'Oh, but Freud did.' Fate was still smiling, something malevolent and sinister lurking in his shadowy gaze. 'Killed innocents who weren't supposed to die while you and Hilla raged it out in Kerning City, in exchange for your surviving.'

A glance at Freud confirmed that it was true.

Phantom schooled his expression. This was something he had spent hours trying to wrap his head around when Freud explained the past to him, when Freud talked about the Archangels resetting the time.

But Freud hadn't mentioned the death.

And Destiny had said… said what? Said that Freud wasn't the Freud he knew from the past. He was pretty sure she had been lying before, but now he just wasn't too sure.

All he had was faith, now. It had been faith that led him to Freud's room one starlit night with a tarot card in his hand, and it was faith that allowed Phantom to trust that everything Freud did he did with a purpose.

It was what he clung to, with all the hope of a dying man.

'It had to be done,' replied Phantom in a muted whisper, though the words were bitter on his tongue.

'It was a mistake,' countered Fate easily. 'And since Freud has yet again managed to ruin things by bringing a human into our dimension, I have no choice but to do what I need to.'

Fate folded his arms, and Phantom knew the conversation was over. He glared daggers as Fate strode past, uttered a few words to Destiny and then faded, probably disappeared back to Earth.

'Follow me,' said Destiny. Her voice was icy. 'And I don't want any more nonsense from either of you, or I will drag you there personally.'

'Where?' Phantom asked, but Destiny was already at the door, pushing it open.

He fell in step beside Freud, who was tensed and edgy. 'Freud?'

'I should've told you about what I did,' whispered Freud hurriedly before he could say anything more as they stepped out of the room.

They guards from before, who had clearly been waiting, fell into formation around them. Phantom recognised mean-face, the angel who had made faces at him earlier and growled at him.

'Forgive me.' Freud's gaze was haunted.

Phantom recognised this expression, the one that he and Aria used to wear on late nights after long meetings and battle strategy formations. The one that spoke of a deeper understanding about what they were going to sacrifice, and hated every moment of it.

Every victory needed sacrifice.

'There is nothing to forgive,' murmured Phantom.

He felt something heavy lift from his chest as Freud smiled slightly in relief.

They walked on quietly, Phantom studying the eight stone-faced guards around him. He wondered if they used to be human too, once upon a time, like Freud was. It was easy, up here in Aether, to forget that humans and angels were related at all. Each of the guards looked fighting fit, magnificent with their glowing wings behind them, and to Phantom's upset they outshone even his flashy uniform.

He found himself marvelling at the fine architecture, towering pillars that cast no shadow. In fact he felt like he was walking on a road of pure light, with soapy galaxies of color drifting slowly across the pavements.

They passed archways and swirling staircases and hallways that went on as far as the eye could see. A vast, empty courtyard, a glimmering fountain in the center with liquid silver flowing down ornately carved designs of feathers and clouds and stars.

It should be paradise to Phantom — streets of gold, the entire building made of more riches than he was worth, but it only felt empty, now.

After what felt like eternity, they came to another set of towering doors which opened with a rumble. More light flooded out (just how much light was in here? Phantom swore with a hand over his eyes).

The room was packed with waiting angels, who fell deathly silent as he and Freud strode in.

This was some sort of parliament room, or a courtroom of some sort. The pews at the back were raised so its occupants, looking down, would get a clear view. It looked even bigger than it actually was, hundreds and thousands of angels all gazing down at him.

Phantom balked. It was the first time he had seen any more than the ten or so angels together in a single room. He didn't know there were so many of them.

But there wasn't time to look at the angels' faces. The mean-faced guard led Freud over to a raised platform in the middle of the room and Phantom bristled at the glowing runic shackles the guard held out. The angel gave a gruff, haughty order. 'Hold out your hands.'

'Hey,' Phantom snapped, 'What do you even need those damn things for? Freud isn't going anywhere —'

'You mind your own circumstance first, human,' growled the guard, ignoring Phantom's rage and snapping the brackets around Freud's wrists.

'Phantom, I'll be fine,' Freud smiled sideways at him as the guard did some last inspections and modifications to his bonds. 'This is more symbolic than anything, just to prevent me from using magic until it's removed.'

'But —'

'Be nice,' said Freud, with a slight nod towards all the angels, who were watching him like hawks.

Phantom bit his tongue as a glowing chain materialised from Freud's shackles, holding him fast to his stand.

With one last glance at Freud, he allowed himself to be led to the side of the hall, back near the door. 'Easy there,' he growled as two guards took position beside him and pointed their spears at his neck.

'Stay still and no harm will befall you,' said one.

'Gods, alright, alright. Jeez.'

'Pity those binds don't work on humans,' huffed the other. 'Or we'd have decked you in chains by now.'

Phantom decided to play the better man and stay silent. Beside him, the doors slammed shut with a low thud, pulsing with energy. Locked, probably.

Whatever was going to happen was going to be very serious.

The hairs on the back of his neck pricked.

Nothing was happening yet, just Freud patiently standing in the middle of the room, hands chained in front of him, while Destiny was off at the other side of the room talking quietly to some other angels.

But something was amiss. Phantom knew this strange sensation, a stirring at the back of his throat. The taste of magic in the air.

Familiar magic.

The doors. The seal, the lock, whatever it was, it made him uneasy.

'Angels,' Destiny raised her voice. It was high and carried well, probably enhanced by magic to drift across the entire room. 'All of you have been called here today to learn from the disobedience of a single angel.'

Freud kept his gaze calm as he squared his shoulders and raised his head, the very picture of a man who's conscience was clean.

'Every single one of you know what he has done. He was responsible for the reset of time, something that many of you were frustrated about —'

There was a soft murmur in acknowledgement.

'— and he compromised the safety of his next ward, conducting an illicit exchange of his ward's safety with another angel's.'

It was new information to many, apparently, because there was an angry rumble that echoed through the room as all the angels chattered to their neighbours.

Phantom felt eyes turn on him and he would've bowed if there weren't two spears inches away from his neck. He opted for grinning instead.

'Do you accept or deny these charges, angel Freud?'

'They are true,' replied Freud evenly, and the room erupted into shouts.

Destiny silenced them with a raised hand. 'I will not tolerate misconduct in my courtroom!'

Phantom was glad he hadn't made a sound.

'I understand the source of your ire,' said Destiny into the silence, 'But above all I expect decorum in this room…'

Boring.

Phantom tuned out and turned his attention back to those doors. Something was off, and he knew it. If only he could realise what.

Think, Phantom, think. This strange magic reminded him of snow, plants, water, and sand. All at once.

'… Phantom into the streets of Aether!'

His ears pricked at the sound of his name. Destiny was circling Freud, a little girl glaring up at a grown man and Phantom almost found it amusing.

'I had no choice,' replied Freud, keeping his eyes up and staring evenly at the horde of angels before him. 'It was my duty as his guardian angel. He would have died before his time.'

I'm just here, thought Phantom sulkily.

'Because you stepped in to meddle with the present, for the second time! The Resistance was not supposed to be part of this…'

Honestly. Did every congregation of people or sentient beings need to have meetings all the damn time?

Phantom gnawed on his lip in frustration, concentrating. This magic, this magic. More images floated to mind. Dead trees, blossoming flowers.

It was carnal magic, not used by any human he had ever come across.

Slabs of ice, fallen leaves. Waves crashing upon a white shore.

A beach, an island.

A dragon.

Then Phantom remembered where he had encountered this magic before, this magic that was as cold as ice yet searing like the summer sun, one that surrounded something sleeping in the depths of a glacier.

'Where is Fate?' he shouted.

His voice rang out across the room and there was a ripple of indignation. He had interrupted Destiny's tirade and her gaze spoke of death.

'I'm serious! I need to know where he is —'

The guards slammed him into the wall so hard he saw stars. 'Silence!'

His knees couldn't hold his weight and he buckled to the ground with a hiss of pain, head swimming. When the doubles faded and the world slid back into focus, he was staring at Destiny's shoes.

She tilted his head up to meet her eyes.

'Do I need to put a permanent end to your soul, Phantom?' Destiny's eyes were narrowed.

'No, you don't understand,' Phantom gritted through clenched teeth. 'He's out there, but —'

'He has business to attend to.'

'No! The Black Mage,' shouted Phantom. 'He's working with the Black Mage.'

Destiny's eyes widened in rage. 'I will personally end your blasphemous —'

Over the angel's shoulder, Phantom saw half the angels stand.

Their weapons were raised.

'To think a human figured it out faster than our dearest Archangel did.'

It was mean-face, grinning as he picked up his own spear. Almost at once, the other half of the angels cried out in unison, clutching various parts of their bodies.

'My ward is dying!'

'Gods, no, this can't be —'

'Archangel!'

Destiny's eyes were wide with bewilderment, she didn't know what was happening.

What the hell was going on?

'By the end of another day on earth,' sneered mean-face, his voice somehow clear across the shouts of pain, 'Every single human will have died, and we would have destroyed their souls instead of letting them in to Aether.'

'How dare you,' hissed Destiny.

She was no longer a little girl, but a tall and slender form, hair of spun ivory cascading down her back where six pure white wings sprouted.

Mean-face faltered slightly at the sight, Destiny must've looked menacing, but he kept talking.

'Only half of us are leaving this room with intact souls, Destiny. Those are Fate's orders.'

The guards who had been standing beside Phantom tried the door, but obviously it was locked.

The tips of his wings began to stain black, so similar to Fate's wings, and Phantom recognised the tell-tale signature of the Black Mage's magic.

'We will claim Aether for the Black Mage.' Mean-face laughed, courage growing with every moment. 'But first, we're going to get rid of every last human standing in the Black Mage's way. Starting with Freud's ward —'

Destiny and mean-face turned to his spot by the door, but obviously Phantom wouldn't have been standing there doing absolutely nothing, would he?

Phantom was halfway through picking past the tightly woven strands of magic in Freud's shackles when his dark sight faded.

Freud blinked, clearly shocked to see Phantom appear so suddenly in front of him.

'Oops,' whispered Phantom.

All the angels spread their wings.

'Get him!'

'Run, Phantom!'

Chaos.