I was really excited about starting this story, but now I just want to work on other things. I'm sorry if this fic isn't turning out good. I assume people still like it from the views but I am honestly surprised when it gets favorites and followers. But nonetheless, I will still try my best to finish this story with a well and deserved ending.
Edit! This use to be chapter 25 part one. It is, obviously, now the only part of chapter 25.
Ivan glared at the cards in his hand, then at the smiling blond across to him. Usually that smile was something that promised hot nights and soft sighs, but right now it had taken on a smug edge and really he just wanted to slap it off the cocky Angel.
Alfred may not have been able to beat Ivan in chess(well he didn't know if he could beat Ivan but he definitely couldn't beat Vanya), but he'd be damned if Ivan could beat him in poker. It may have been seen as petty to gloat so obviously, but as was going through his mind right now, fuck that. This was for technically beating him so many times in chess. And he hated losing.
Ivan debated the possibility of Alfred winning and therefore gloating, which would allow Ivan to smack him. Relationship or no, he wasn't above teaching the little upstart a lesson in humility.
He laid his hand down, cautiously, and waited for the inevitable shout of either joy or despair. He didn't have to wait long.
"Fuck yeah! Suck it!" Alfred stood and slammed his hand on the table. Ivan had three pair, jacks, but Alfred had a straight flush, seven through jack of spades. Ivan groaned and put a hand to his face, staring at Alfred between his fingers. Alfred was doing a victory dance and was completely ignorant to his actions quickly making Ivan more and more irritated.
"Alfred please, try and be a little less..." Katyusha tried to think of a nice way to say "dickish" but was struggling. Ivan however had no problem voicing his thoughts.
"You really are asking for it Alfred. I will not show restraint just because you're my boyfriend."
"Oh yeah?" Alfred smirked, putting his hands up in a "come here" motion. "Bring it on."
"Gladly," Ivan growled.
Katyusha sighed and shook her head. Men.
As she watched Ivan spiral further into irritation every time Alfred beat him, she was monitoring the heartbeats still active. Not one of the more common Demon powers, but also not the most unused one. As far as she could tell, only Arthur and Francis were still awake, though one was about to fall asleep. They were most likely in the library. It was already 11: 40, so she got up from her seat next to the table.
"I'm—" She paused upon seeing them. Ivan had managed to restrain Alfred's hands behind his back, though not without having to knock the blond to the ground somehow. She cleared her throat and they paused to look up at her.
"I'm going to go say goodnight to Arthur and Francis now. Then we'll go to the attic, yes?" She left them after they nodded.
Truth be told, Katyusha felt bad for Arthur. He was really trying to find a way for them to succeed without putting them at too much risk. But that would ultimately be something he couldn't avoid. As far as she understood(not having been around when Al had come to the Human Realm), this task was never going to be easy. Alfred knew so little compared to seasoned Angels. She didn't know their opponent, but Arthur had informed her of what had transpired during Ivan's spell. Al knew more about Angels than their Alfred did.
The door to the library was cracked open, so she nudged it enough to stick her head through and knocked softly to announce her presence. Arthur looked up from his book and saved his place, waving her in. Francis was sitting across from him—well more like slumped across from him; he was asleep. Katyusha picked up an old quilt and placed it over him.
"You should get some rest Arthur. Magic can't do everything," she admonished him. He sighed and rubbed his face. "I know, I know; don't think I haven't been told already many times. But I know I can find the answer. I can't—I won't rest until I find a way."
"I understand Arthur, but you're no good to us if you run yourself ragged. Even if you do find a way, you're going to have to rest awhile to replenish your strength. Wouldn't it be better to rest at least a little bit each night?" She didn't want to be mean, but for people like Arthur, it required getting straight to the point, sometimes even being cruel. He needed to see that his actions now would have possibly severe consequences later, namely death.
They stared at each other, a sort of challenge they both knew Katyusha would win. Breaking eye contact, Arthur let his eyes drift to the sleeping Francis, who had stayed with him all day. There was a very real possibility that any one of them could die. And if he wasn't on top of his game, more than necessary could. He didn't want to make a mistake because of sleep and magic deprivation that resulted in Francis, Matthew, or Alfred becoming endangered by helping him. And he knew that would be less than ideal, because Alfred would have something much more important to focus on, and if his concentration was split, Al wouldn't think twice before killing him. As for Francis and Matthew, he knew Al was going to conjure some sort of creature for them to fight. Plus now he had Alfred's words on his mind. If the other Ivan was on their side, he knew he wouldn't just accept that. Arthur would be suspicious of every move he made, which would only put them further in danger. Katyusha was right.
"You're right, of course. But I feel so close, I...I can't stop. I know the dangers of what I'm doing, but if we don't get to Heaven soon, Al might just get bored enough to attack us here. We'd be so unprepared, we wouldn't stand a chance."
Katyusha walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, using it as an excuse to comfort him to hide her true intentions. "Don't worry Arthur, you are a very intelligent individual. I have faith you'll figure this out." Quickly, before he could sense or react to her magic, she sent a pulse of energy through him, giving him only the chance to gasp before he passed out in much needed sleep. She took the book from him and placed it on the table, then manhandled him until he was laying down. Finally she covered him with a blanket and smiled before walking back to Ivan's room.
Just as she turned the knob and pushed the door open, her instincts told her to maybe knock first, despite telling them she was going to be back. She should never ignore her instincts either. Truthfully, Katyusha was old. Old and wise and, though she acted patient and kind, there was only so much she could take before becoming commanding. It was in her nature, after all, as the Demon King's daughter, to want to rule over others. Despite repressing that urge to near non-existence, sometimes it was brought out.
She stood in the doorway, light blush on her face. Apparently sexual gratification was more important than being prepared at the moment, because even though they still had clothes on, things were getting way too heated. She coughed, hoping to get their attention, and when that didn't work she stepped into the room and shut the door.
They must have been invested in each other quite a lot for Ivan to not notice her presence. She briefly wondered if they would actually take a shot at getting off somehow if she stood there and did nothing, but Ivan was her brother so it would be inappropriate. She cleared her throat loudly, hands on her hips.
They froze and Alfred gasped, tilting his head back to look at her upside down. Ivan groaned and pressed his face to the area between Alfred's neck and shoulder, ears red in embarrassment. Stupid Alfred and his stupid charming ways. Ivan knew it would be a bad idea, that there was no way they could get far enough to be satisfied before Katyusha came back. Now he was horny and it was all Alfred's fault.
"Boys, please, try to show a little more restraint?" Was that too much to ask? They kind of had an important task ahead.
"S-Sorry," Alfred stuttered, pushing Ivan off of him. They got up, faces red, and fixed their rumpled appearances.
"Everyone is asleep now, we should gather our things and meet in the attic," Katyusha suggested, going over to the desk and picking up a small bag. Inside was a vial with a mix of ingredients she'd prepared earlier, as well as a sewing needle. Then she transported herself to the attic, leaving Ivan and Alfred behind.
She didn't have to wait long for them to appear.
"So what now?" Alfred asked, sitting on one of the cots in the room. The attic itself was dusty and cluttered, unexpected seeing as how the rest of the manor was spotless. Boxes, pictures, documents, and various other belongings littered the room in heaps on one side. On their side, cots barely comfortable enough to be called beds sat, stiff and infused with an odor of age. It was dark, with only the light of the moon above coming through a skylight providing an eerie glow.
Katyusha held out the vial, uncorking it. "After we finish the potion, you need to drink it then fall asleep. Once your mind is pulled to the Dream Realm, we will automatically follow. We will be tied to you until you awaken. But because of this there is some danger. If we are discovered, and you or either of us injured, we all feel it. The same applies to death." Alfred felt nervousness stab along his spine, making him feel twitchy and nauseous. This was turning out to be a lot more risky than he'd planned. "So be extra careful, got it."
Katyusha handed the cork to Ivan and pulled out the needle. "To finish the potion, Ivan and I must add our blood first, then you yours. Then you must drink it." Alfred gulped and looked at the sickly colored liquid in the vial. "Isn't that dangerous? Me being an Angel and you two Demons?" He did not want to drink something with blood in it.
Katyusha poked her middle finger and let a drop fall in, then healed the small break and held the vial out for Ivan to do the same. "There is nothing to worry about. The small amount of blood will be eradicated once it enters your body, but the point of it is to complete the potion. It allows for the strong binding we need."
Alfred watched the liquid sizzle and turn black as Ivan added his own blood. "Oh." Ivan handed him the needle while Katyusha held the vial out. Quickly, Alfred stabbed his finger and squeezed a drop into the liquid. Immediately the liquid turned a radiant blue, emitting a mist like it was frozen. Upon taking the vial, Alfred discovered it was freezing cold. It definitely looked much better to drink. "Whenever you're ready," Katyusha said.
Alfred paused for only a second before downing the vial, the freezing liquid felt all the way down his throat. He handed the glass back to Katyusha while Ivan put a hand to his temple, sending a little jolt of energy through him like earlier. Alfred fell back on the bed, sound asleep.
Katyusha laid down on one of the cots next to Alfred, Ivan on the other side after putting on a watch. They felt only a quick mental pull before they were following Alfred to the Dream Realm.
!~~:(~~!
This time when he opened his eyes, he wasn't standing in the field, but laying on the grass, staring up at the cloud spotted sky. Sitting up, he saw Ivan and Katyusha doing the same.
"Okay, so Vanya usually waits a bit before greeting me. He should be here in a little bit."
"Well while we wait I can set the alarm on this watch," Ivan said, bringing his wrist up.
"We left just before midnight," Katyusha started, "So that means we should return to the Medium around five. I don't know how early some of them wake up so just to be on the safe side we should get back early morning. So from twelve to five is five hours, which gives us five days here." Ivan set the alarm to go off at four thirty, which would give them time to get back to...Vanya's pocket of the realm before returning to the Medium. A lot could happen in five days, and they might end up far enough away that it could take some time to get back here.
"Okay, I set the alarm to four thirty. That should give us enough time to come back here before we return home."
"So what happens if we get separated?" Alfred asked. He was still new to potions and actually using them. He used to help Arthur make them but he never drank any save the ones supposedly making him live longer(of course he knew the truth about them now—offhandedly, he wondered what was in those).
"The potion takes care of that for us. If I were to walk that way," she pointed in front of her, "without stopping, eventually I'd start feeling a strong pull backwards; towards you, Alfred. Because of the nature of the potion, we will be drawn to you, but not each other, which is fine. You, on the other hand, will feel drawn to both of us. So if we are ever separated completely, Ivan and I will be able to find you. All you'd need to do is find a safe place to hide."
Alfred nodded along with her words. "Makes sense."
Suddenly Vanya appeared before them, looking tired. Alfred, Ivan, and Katyusha turned to face him, Alfred in front of the two Demons. Whether or not they were physically real, Vanya was still an unknown Demon. It couldn't be helped that they were wary around him, and suspicious.
"Hello again, Alfred." He greeted, looking past Alfred to the two Demons. "And to you as well. I must say, it had been awhile since I've seen my own sister. I can only hope she's doing as well as you are." Katyusha offered a smile, but no more. He could see from their silence and stance that they were in no state to chat with him, so he cut to business. "I took the liberty of finding a door for you. I assume you'll want to be traveling to your own timeline's past?"
"Yes," Katyusha answered, "That is the most logical course of action. It would be best to meddle with our own line than bother someone else's. We don't want to influence something we have no control in." Usually Katyusha was very trusting and kind, but this was something she had to really think about. If this Ivan proved to be tricking them, she couldn't be caught unaware because she acted like Alfred and believed in him fully. He had nothing to lose helping them, and everything to gain, but she couldn't take that chance.
"Then once you leave here go straight until you see a large archway. Turn right and go up the steps to a lone door. That will be the closest portal to your own timeline. You can decide when you want to go from there."
"Thank you for helping us, again," Alfred said with a smile. Vanya smiled back a bit hesitantly, because Ivan was glaring at him so intensely, like he wanted to rip his eyes out for just looking at Alfred. He opened a portal to the main plane of the Dream Realm, the first plane, and sighed at the prospect of being around his own Alfred again. After their last encounter, he was sure this one would leave him with a lot of bruises and a stronger than normal urge to kill himself.
"How long do you plan on being here?"
"Five days."
"Then I shall see you then. Here, take these; they will shield you from Al's presence while in the same part of the forgotten realm as him," he held out three small charms to Alfred. "Be safe, all of you, and please, find whatever you're looking for." With that parting, he disappeared back to the first plane of existence.
With him gone Katyusha and Ivan could relax. The tension was so palpable that Alfred could feel it in the air almost as clearly as wind. He turned to them. "What the hell was that guys? You didn't have to get so edgy around him. I could tell from here that you both wanted to rip him to shreds, or something. You could try to be a little more trusting!"
"I'm sorry Alfred!" Katyusha said, "He's just so different and radiates a negative, corrupted energy. I can't help it." Alfred nodded and patted her on the shoulder, showing it was alright. Ivan on the other hand didn't believe they were harsh enough to him. "And you?" Alfred asked, turning to Ivan.
"I'm not sorry, if you're looking for an apology. He deserves to be treated with suspicion and hatred, even. You have a big heart Alfred, and sometimes you don't see the bad in people when that's all there is to them."
"That's not true!" Alfred defended. He figured Ivan's reasoning didn't apply to only Vanya but Al as well. Alfred knew that both Vanya and Al could get better, but they needed his help. Why couldn't Ivan, or Arthur, see that? "I know Al still had good in him. It may be deep down but it's there, I know it! And I'm going to help him; both of them deserve that after all they've been through."
Ivan bit his tongue and suppressed the urge to destroy something. Alfred saw this and looked down at the charms in his hands, changing the subject. They had no time to be turning on each other. "Here, we better get going," he said, handing on charm to Katyusha and one to Ivan. He took his own and admired it. It looked pretty simple, made crudely from whatever materials Vanya could find. It must have been cursed or something to prevent Al from sensing them. It had a long string, obviously meant to be worn around his neck. He put it on and walked towards the portal, Ivan and Katyusha following.
Exiting the portal opened up to a large, dark, bare environment. Everything was a shade of gray, and no light penetrated the darkness. It was quiet and nothing moved. Alfred shivered. "This place is weird. What's the deal here?"
Seeing the archway as Vanya had said, Katyusha started walking towards it. "This was once a normal realm like the others. People came here in their dreams. But once Demons took control of it, you can probably guess what happened. People started coming here only in their nightmares, or would have their dream quickly turn dark. People also started being banished here, and once that happens, if you're not a Demon, it's almost impossible to return to another realm." She turned her head to look at him. "That's how you got here. Al, who is just as much Demon as Angel, pulled you here in your dreams, and influenced them into a nightmare. Though, he must have waited a long time for someone like you to appear, because this realm is vast; it is made up from people's dreams, so the environment is drastically different in some places." She looked around, frown on her face. "I haven't been in for a long time now, but it is definitely darker than I remember. It seems Al's prolonged stay here is having an adverse effect on the realm."
"Oh," Alfred said, and that was really all he could say. God, Al was such a dick. Alfred still couldn't imagine being changed so thoroughly as to destroy not only his relationship but also an extremely old realm of dreams. But Alfred also knew that Al was desperate to escape, just as Vanya was desperate enough to ask for help.
Subconsciously, his fear of specters and the ghostly feeling of his surroundings dialing up his nerves, he reached to his left and grabbed Ivan's hand. Ivan smiled a little but noticed something different. He looked down and turned his hand to view Alfred's. "Alfred? When did you start wearing this?"
"What?" Alfred said, following Ivan's gaze to the ring on his finger. His heart nearly stopped beating before accelerating to a rapid pace. Fear shot through his body like a drug. It was the ring from his nightmare, the one he discovers on himself and the same one on Al's fist when it clutches his heart. He started shaking slightly as he let go of Ivan's hand and pulled his own to his face to better observe the ring. He most certainly had not been wearing it; he'd honestly hoped he'd never see it again.
"It—it's the ring...the ring from my nightmare," Alfred said, lifting his other hand to gently and slowly touch it. When nothing happened he grabbed it frantically and pulled. It didn't budge. He let out a choked sort of gasp and pulled more urgently, but no matter how much force he used it wouldn't come off. "It won't come off! Do something!"
"Alfred, relax. You're going to be okay," Ivan said, trying to calm him down. It wouldn't be good for them to start freaking out now, not when they were so deep already. And Alfred was the last person of their group who needed to lose his head.
"How is this going to be okay!? This demon ring won't come off!" Alfred said, voiced strained as he continued to try and pull the ring off. It wasn't that it was too tight, it simply did not move. He feared the only way to take it off would be to sever his finger.
"Here, let me see it Alfred," Katyusha asked, taking Alfred's hand in hers. She brought her hand up to trace along the ring's edge. "It is not an actual ring, but the shadow of the real one. It has no purpose as far as I can tell."
"What do you mean? Like, it's fake?" Alfred asked. She nodded. "Yes. There should be a double somewhere. Whatever is going on with it won't effect you, only the other one." She dropped his hand. "So you see? There is really nothing to worry about. Now let's continue, shall we?" She smiled kindly and walked on. She wasn't completely sure if the ring was harmless, but the power it held was not in this one but its twin. Plus, she didn't want Alfred freaking out.
They followed Vanya's instructions, passing the archway and turning right. The small set of stairs and a lone door were hard to miss, as they were the only obvious structures around. They approached the door and stopped. "Okay, so I'll try to get us to a date before the Civil War, but I don't know how close we might be to it. We could arrive years before it, or one day."
"Wait, what about you two? I mean, I'm an Angel so I should be okay, but won't you guys be sensed like, right away? Al and Vanya still had their powers outside this realm in a world not their own, shouldn't you two?"
"Yes, we will," Ivan answered, "But just the fact we are with you and you are unharmed should be enough to convince them that we are of no threat. Our presence will also be so small any Angel would have to be right next to us to sense us. We will feel like a bug to them, that is how small our presence will seem." He put a hand on the back of Alfred's neck and rubbed it reassuringly. "You really need to stop worrying so much. Only Al can kill us in this realm, and he does not even know we're here. And the potion helps us keep track of each other. So please, just relax."
"I know, I'm sorry. This is just turning out so much different than I imagined. Arthur was right, this way is too risky."
"But it is the quickest way, right? And possibly the only way. Arthur and Yao are trying their best, I'm sure, but we need to take action now."
"Yeah, yeah you're right. Let's just hope we get to a safe time, huh?"
Katyusha held out her hand and focused on the years before the Civil War, trying to remember which they were exactly. After a few seconds the door pulsed once and lit up a dark blue. "That should be around the time we want. Are you ready?" She asked them.
"Yes," Alfred said, clutching Ivan's hand again for moral support. "I'm ready."
Katyusha took Alfred's other hand and walked through, pulling Alfred and Ivan behind her. (She didn't want to risk the door sending them to different areas—time was a fickle thing.)
A blinding light made them shield their eyes. They walked forward, eyes adjusting to the whiteness around them. Everything was so bright and colorful and pure. They were in Heaven.
It was incredible. The air was light and clean, the sun warm. If he had his wings out he was sure that sun would feel amazing on them. Something in Alfred longed to go out and fly through the air, to roll around in the bright green grass and generally be himself. It was like he'd been here in a memory, or a dream. It was so familiar yet strange to him. This was Heaven. And he was the Angel who never knew it.
For Ivan and Katyusha, however, Heaven was too bright. Even Ivan, who was only half-demon, could not stand the purity and brightness of such a place. He was sure if they were in a complete physical form the rays of Heaven's sun would burn their skin.
"It's...very bright, wouldn't you say?" Katyusha asked, mostly to Ivan. He nodded and looked at Alfred, who was as unbothered as any being in their natural environment. "Come on," he said, grabbing Alfred's hand. "Let's go find someone to help us. We need to know what the date is." Alfred let Ivan drag him behind him and Katyusha, admiring Heaven still. He couldn't help it really, as this was his first time seeing Heaven—wait.
"Wait," Alfred said, tugging Ivan to a stop. The Demon siblings turned to look at Alfred, though Alfred was looking at a particular structure. In the distance was a temple like building, with many pillars leading up to it. The temple itself was built in the side of a small mountain. Darkness and creeping shadows chasing him, running and jumping over a bridge, walking past broken pillars and into the blue-lit temple. Domed rooms and glowing eyes, and death. Alfred gasped and took a step back.
"What's wrong?" Ivan said, concerned from the look on Alfred's face, like the blond had seen a terrifying ghost. Alfred lifted a hand to point at the distant structure.
"That temple...and the pillars...they're from my nightmare as well." He let that sink in as he started putting the pieces together. This place was familiar because he had been there, technically. His nightmare had taken place in Heaven, or what must have been Heaven as it was in his present. He wondered if the temple really did have a grand throne room, though he doubted the throne itself was made of bones.
"Your nightmare was in Heaven?" Ivan asked. That would mean Al had either pulled Alfred into their Heaven or he'd been to his own when he was still in his world. He could understand Al going to visit Heaven in his own world, but why would he visit their Heaven? And why would he force Alfred there?
"I guess so," Alfred said, now more unnerved than he was with the ring. Everything about him and his nightmare and the cause of his nightmare were connecting in the most complicated of ways.
They continued walking along the bright path, seeing nothing but native foliage and the sun above. How strange to be in Heaven, when for so long it had not been a sign of hope in their world. Eventually they came across a small house on the outskirts, quite a distance from the temple they'd previously been able to see.
"Do you think they'll help us?" Alfred asked, standing between the Demons. Ivan pushed him forward a bit. "We won't know until you ask. Go on," he urged. Alfred swatted his hands away and frowned. "Alright, I'm going." He slowly made him way to the doorstep, looking back once to see both Demons urge him on. He brought his hand up and hesitated, giving several almost knocks before finally knocking audibly.
He waited, shifting nervously, for the door to open, and almost turned around when he heard and saw the knob turn. A moment later the door opened to a young woman.
They stared at each other. There was silence for several moments as they did so. Alfred took in the sight of another Angel, amazed by the sight of someone like himself. She had her wings out, and was wearing a simple white dress, loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough to show a bump at her stomach. She must have been pregnant, Alfred thought.
"...Can I help you?" She asked. He could tell by the way she kept the door close to her that she wasn't taking any chance with a stranger, especially one who looked as strange as he must have. Belatedly, he realized he and the Demons must look weird wearing their modern clothing. Also, they were transparent.
"Ah, yes, if you don't mind actually. We don't mean any harm, we just need to know some information." He gestured to the siblings. "We can stay out here if it makes you feel any better."
"No, it is alright for you to come in, I don't mind," she said, opening the door wider. Alfred waved the Demons over and followed the woman in.
The home was small, but welcoming. It was warm, but in the sense that a family belonged there, despite the fact there were no signs anyone but her lived there. She sat down on a cushioned rocking chair. Alfred, Ivan, and Katyusha took the couch. She stared at them for a bit, rubbing circles along her swelled stomach.
"You three are not from around here, are you?" She asked, looking more to Ivan and Katyusha than Alfred. They looked at each other and both boys motioned for Katyusha to take over the conversation.
"No, we are not," She offered. She didn't know what sort of impact they'd have if they said too much.
"By your appearances, I'd say you came from the realm of sleep, am I wrong?...And some time in the future, for surely no one wears such interesting apparel as yourselves."
Oh. "Yes, we are from there, and...yes, we are from the future. This timeline's future, actually. We desperately need your help. Well, Alfred needs your help—oh! I'm sorry, let me introduce us. I'm Katyusha, this is Ivan, and this is Alfred."
"I am called Alison."
"Alison, it is very nice to meet you. Can you tell us what year it is? In the human realm, I mean."
"The...year? I must admit I am not current with that realm's time, as I have not been there in several months. Since I started carrying my little one I have stayed here, in Heaven."
Well, not the worst thing that could have happened to them. So they didn't know the date, but that wouldn't stop them. Katyusha was sure there was another way to get an estimate, at least.
"I'm sorry, but you two are Demons? And, Alfred was it? You are an Angel? Your energies are very low and hard to read."
"That's right, we are Demons, and Alfred is indeed an Angel."
"Then I must ask what you three are doing together? It is not common for our kinds to mingle so casually. I can see you are comfortable around each other, and by the way the young one is holding onto you," she said, talking to Ivan now, "you are probably a lot more intimately comfortable than you're letting on."
Alfred was holding onto Ivan's arm, an unconscious action to make himself feel safer, even though there wasn't any danger. Quickly, he retracted his grip, though it was too late.
"Well you see, things are a bit different in our time," Katyusha tried to explain, but it would be impossible for Alison to completely understand. That would mean revealing that Angels no longer existed save for Alfred, and that was something she knew would have a dramatic change on their history. Or not, of course, but it all depended on this Angel in front of them. If they told and she either didn't care about the conflict or ended up dying, nothing would change. Or, she could try and report the future and simply be ignored. But they couldn't risk their pasts changing, lest they wished to become displaced in time.
"You do not have to tell me, I know how dangerous traveling through time can be." And she smiled a smile Ivan recognized instantly, though he kept his surprise and suspicion to himself for now.
"Right. The thing is that Alfred's circumstances forced him to grow up in the Human Realm, with no other Angels there to guide him. I raised him myself for a bit before passing him off to a capable mage to look after him, but there are some things only Angels can teach each other."
Alison looked visibly surprised at this news. "Oh you poor dear, growing up without other Angels must have been so difficult. And to be abandoned like that..." She shook her head. "It is not unheard of that Angels sometimes leave their children in another realm, as we are not completely holy and good. We are made out to be, but sometimes we act just like humans."
Ivan found it odd she'd be the one to say this, considering that she would end up abandoning Alfred, but he supposed, since she had been injured and ended up dying, he couldn't fault her. Still, he wondered if Katyusha had already connected Alfred and Alison as being family, or if either of the Angels had. After all, they looked alike. Both had blond hair, cut rather short, and the same eyes. Plus that smile Ivan had seen...though Alison's had been toned down, it was definitely something Alfred had inherited from her.
"I cannot help but notice you are expecting," Ivan said, curious. She nodded and smiled to show it was alright to be so. "Yes, my little one will be here soon, I know it. I hope Heaven hasn't changed too much by the time he's here."
"What do you mean?" Alfred asked. Alison sighed and looked down at her stomach.
"There has been a lot of tension lately between two sides. The Angels have split down the middle and started arguing about the best course to take for the future. One side wants to eradicate all residents of Hell while the other does not wish to. We are suppose to be a peaceful race, fair to all, even our enemies, but the way some are talking about killing...it cuts my heart up. I need no more proof than this that not all Demons are bad," she said, gesturing to the three of them at the end.
This was news to Ivan and Katyusha. That's what the Civil War in Heaven had been about? Angels had destroyed themselves because of Demons? Somehow it was both wrong and fitting, that Angels would fight each other over their enemy. It was very obvious to both Demons that the Angels had become nearly extinct for the most stupid of reasons.
"That's certainly news to us," Katyusha mentioned. "No one in our time knows why the Angels...fought." She'd almost given it away that they only succeeded in dying out.
"Well, since you two are still alive I'm guessing the more compassionate side won. I just hope my baby and I manage to stay out of it."
Ivan looked at Alfred, because "her baby" managed to get himself right in the middle of it.
"Actually," Katyusha said, subtly trying to change the subject. "The information we need has to do with Demons; particularly how Angels exercise them."
This conversation must had contained a lot of firsts for her, because she looked shocked again, but it was easy to understand why. Two Demons and an Angel wanted to know how Angels exercised Demons. She'd think they wouldn't want Alfred knowing that but it was obviously not the case.
"That is a subject I'm afraid has many parts to it. We teach our young here about that fairly early on in their lives. It is a crucial part of having them protected from Demons."
"I can see why," Alfred muttered to Ivan.
"We have five days here, is that enough time?" Katyusha asked, and Alison looked to the side. "It really depends on how much you want to know."
"I don't know anything about the subject," Alfred said. "How would an Angel exorcise a normal Demon, give me a run down or something."
Alison smiled slightly. "I suppose that would be a great place to start. If you don't mind though, I'd like to get something to drink before I begin."
"Not at all," Alfred said, even standing up and outstretching a hand in offering. She took it, amused yet thankful for his gesture, and walked over to the kitchen. Ivan wondered if this would be a good time to tell Alfred about his suspicions that Alison was his mother. Maybe Katyusha had noticed.
"Sister, have you noticed anything...similar, between Alison and Alfred?" He whispered in Russian. Alfred eyed them though didn't say anything for now. Katyusha nodded some. "Yes, they have many remarkable similarities, both in their appearance and mannerisms. Watch their hands when they speak, you'll see. Also, I would keep this to ourselves for now." He pulled away from her and smiled widely at Alfred's questioning look. Alison walked back in with a pitcher and four cups.
"Feel free to help yourselves." She sat the pitcher on the table and poured herself a glassful, sitting back in the rocking chair. "Now, where to begin...I haven't battled a Demon in awhile but their fighting styles don't change that often. Usually one way works with multiple Demons. You all know that our energies war, right? That they can't connect without one overtaking the other?"
When they nodded she continued. "It is a very intense mental battle. It is physical as well, but the majority is mental. For the first example, we'll assume the Angel wins. In that case, the Demon's energy is stripped from him and the Angel can do with it what he wants. Angels will deal with the energy before dealing with Demon's body. There are two things Angels can do with the energy; it can be released and transformed into natural energy, or the Angel can absorb it and convert it to angelic energy. The Angel can then either turn the Demon human, leave him to fade away, or destroy him on the spot. Usually, depending on the Demon's strength and rank, the Angel will decide what to do with the energy and body on the spot. Now, Demons, being corrupt at their core, will only drain the Angel of his energy and convert it to their own, in turn destroying the Angel's body. They do not allow the Angel to become human, nor to have a quick and painless death. That is why we teach young Angels so young how to defend themselves."
An uneasy feeling, almost sickening in its intensity, was creeping up on Alfred. It was quickly becoming apparent to him that Al and him would have to be locked in that kind of battle, and if Al won, there would be no way for Alfred to survive. But if he managed to defeat Al, he would be able to change him back to normal.
"What about Dark Angels?" Alfred asked.
She looked at him curiously, brow furrowing slightly. "It...depends on which side is stronger. There hasn't been a Dark Angel here in thousands of years, but from our records the outcomes are the same if one side is stronger. That will also be the case for each Dark Angel; there will never be one with equal parts Angel and Demon, because the original will always be either an Angel first, or a Demon...
may I ask why you are concerned with this?"
Alfred looked to Katyusha for help. She smiled and encouraged him to continue, as there was nothing she could see that would influence their present.
"I do need to learn how to exercise Demons, but right now, there is a Dark Angel after us. Well, me. He's trapped in the Dream Realm and believes taking my own energy will give him enough to escape."
"Oh, that sounds terrible!" She put both hands on her stomach. "There are so many unpredictable outcomes in life...with the growing conflict my nights are filled with worry for my baby. My little Angel doesn't have a father either, and I know I am strong enough to protect him but..."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Katyusha said, reaching over to lay a hand on her arm. Tears were edging at her eyes. She'd always had a soft heart. "I know how hard it can be to lose someone close to you." She resisted looking over at Alfred.
"Oh," and Alison laughed a bit, patting Katyusha's hand. "He's not dead or anything. You're very sweet to be empathetic though. He's alive, but...I personally do not know how Demon relationships progress after certain stages, but for Angels the carrier can only have one child, and no more. The provider stays to make sure conception takes, then leaves the carrier to protect the child."
"Amazingly," Ivan said, "It is very similar to our own customs." He himself was victim to that. Only he had the added disadvantage of being half-human.
"Wait, so he just left you?" Alfred asked. From all the calm casual chatting going on it was like he was the only one concerned. "What kind of guy does that?"
"It is our custom, and has been since the beginning. Things might be different in your time, but for us right now, this is how it has to be. Besides, even if he stayed I would have no need for him. It is better for both of us if he focuses on the conflict."
Heaven was turning out to be much different than he'd expected. It was almost like Earth, just with winged people. But abandoning his child and family? That was something Alfred would never do. He may not be able to experience having a family, since he and Ivan were both men and he didn't see them leaving each other any time soon, but still even just the thought was sickening to him.
"Still," Alfred pressed, leaning forward, "Don't you have love here? How can you be okay with raising your baby by yourself when the father is making no move to help you? Doesn't he want to be a part of his child's life?" Alfred knew that since Heaven apparently operated differently that Alison would probably not understand why he was so displeased at this news, but surely she couldn't agree with something so preposterous.
She wasn't upset by his words though, nor angry. "I can see that family means a lot to you, and I can only assume that the reason for that is because you did not grow up here. If you had, you'd understand."
I don't want to understand, he thought. Katyusha was looking at him sadly, slowly shaking her head. He was getting too close to blurting out that it would have been impossible to grow up in Heaven because, if the wrong side had one, he and Alison would have been killed together. She couldn't know Heaven ends up destroyed.
He sat back and crossed his arms, and Katyusha turned to Alison. "If you don't mind, do you think you can teach Alfred what he needs to know? I know you are with child, but we are desperate. This chance we are taking could cost us everything."
"I don't mind. Though, are you planning on leaving any time soon?
"We have to leave in five days."
Alison bit her lip and stared at her stomach. Alfred looked back over to her, worried suddenly that it would take more than the time they had.
"It is not hard to learn how to exorcise. The problem is practice. There are creatures captured from Hell in the Grand Temple, used to teach the young ones how to defend themselves. I assume you don't want to practice on each other, since one of you might lose control?" Yeah, that was definitely a no-go. Neither Ivan nor Katyusha wanted to risk their baser instincts overtaking them. Since he was just beginning, Alfred wouldn't stand a chance against them. Though there was still hope. If they could get to those creatures, both were confident Alfred could learn how to become a capable exorcist because of his fierce determination and spirit.
"When can we start?"
"Any time you're ready."
"We should go now," Ivan said, standing up and dragging Alfred with him. "We need to get this done quickly."
Katyusha stood up as well and helped Alison up. "The temple is not far," Alison said. "It used to be guarded, but all capable Angels have devoted themselves to helping strengthen the argument on one side," she shook her head. "It is a shame too, because Heaven used to be so full of life, but now I see only selfish individuals quarreling over meaningless topics." She sighed.
"Don't worry," Katyusha said, "Their bickering will come to an end, and they will be at peace." Not technically a lie.
"I can't wait to see that day," she smiled. Alison excused herself to gather a bag and some supplies, which left the Angel and Demons to themselves.
"It's sad she never will," Katyusha said to Ivan, who nodded. Alfred looked at them again and couldn't keep quiet. "Alright, what are you two talking about?"
They blinked, feigning innocence. "It is nothing to worry yourself over, just some simple observations," Ivan said.
"Really? Then why's it sad she'll never see the end of the Angel's fight? Because she dies like all the others?"
They froze. He could understand them. Which meant he spoke Russian. "You know Russian?" Ivan asked.
Alfred looked at them funny. "Are you seriously going to ask if I know more than one language? And don't tell me you two don't speak only Russian, Ukrainian, and English. I've been alive for a long time, of course I learned different languages. I used to live in Europe after all. Now, what's this about Alison?"
Ivan and Katyusha were speechless, looking to each other for answers. They had a silent conversation in which they debated telling Alfred the truth. Katyusha won out finally, so Ivan frowned and turned to Alfred.
"When we were talking to Alison earlier, I noticed a few shared traits between her and you. Katyusha noticed it too, and we believe that Alison is...your mother." Alfred looked between them, expression blank. But then he smiled, doubly over in laughter like they'd just told the most hilarious joke he'd ever heard. When he straightened up, breathing heavy and tears in his eyes, he managed to say, "Good one, that really was a good one guys."
"Alfred please, this is not a joke."
"Come one guys, so what if we're similar? I'm sure other Angels have blond hair and blue eyes. It's not a special trait you know."
"I saw your smile in hers. The way you present yourself, it is very similar; too similar to be anything other than mother and son."
"No way guys, it's too...cliché, don't you think? The hero goes on a quest and meets a long lost family member. There's no way that Alison is my mother."
Ivan was going to reply if not for Katyusha's hand on his shoulder making him pause. He wasn't going to believe them without proof that she was undeniably his mother. But why he wouldn't want to accept it was beyond Ivan. Maybe it was because Alfred had never known his mother or where he'd come from, but for whatever reason Alfred didn't seem to care when evidence pointed straight to her.
Alison walked in then, holding a bag. "I've packed some things that might help us, if we need it. Also, I've been thinking and I believe it will be beneficial to have a Divine help us. I know a nice one who will be happy to; we go way back." She noticed the mood around them and glanced between them, settling on Katyusha. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no, just...anxious to get going." Katyusha too didn't understand fully why Alfred wasn't accepting the news. She thought he'd be ecstatic.
"We can meet her by the temple," Alison said, walking towards the door. Alfred offered to hold her bag for her and she kindly accepted, handing it over. Alfred followed behind her, Ivan and Katyusha following side by side behind Alfred.
After walking past familiar scenery, it became apparent quickly that the temple Alison had mentioned was the same one from Alfred's nightmare. He shuddered upon seeing it, slowly down a bit in a subconscious effort to stay away. Ivan gave him a little push forward. "Just remember," he whispered into Alfred's ear, hands rubbing soothingly over his shoulders, "Katyusha and I are here to assist. You'll be safe, I promise; I won't let anything happen to you."
Alfred took a deep breath and whispered back, "Thank you."
Though the sun still shone and the wind still made a light breeze, Alfred imagined storm clouds over the mountain, as already it looked big and ominous. The sun was blocked by the mountain's peak, so the entire temple was bathed in shadows. There was a weird sense of deja vu as he walked past the pillars. Images from his nightmare kept overlapping his reality. Pillars he'd seen destroyed in his dream were perfectly upright and it was making him feel uneasy. The undisturbed steps of the temple's entrance suddenly had a stain from what Alfred now believed was blood. Probably from a great battle, one that hadn't happened yet. Already he knew the inside was going to be so much worse.
He took another deep breath and followed Alison into the temple.
The library was quiet with only the sound of steady breathing filling the room. A clocked ticked on one side and the house creaked ominously.
Near the closed door, gold tendrils of energy materialized and began spinning in a circle, quickly becoming a blur of brilliant color before, with a curse and a stumble, a young looking man appeared. Mumbling to himself about magic and its absurd side effects, the man straightened out his clothing and observed his surroundings. Upon seeing the sleeping figures, he snorted and approached them.
"I swear, working my ass off and these two are sleeping?" He muttered. He picked up a pillow and threw it at the mage on the couch. "Wake up! I don't have all day!"
When that didn't work, he picked it up and hit him with it, multiple times. After no response, he infused the pillow with energy and tried one more time. The reaction was immediate and fitting.
The mage gasped awake and flailed, in the process falling off the couch. The older mage didn't so much as crack a smile at the sight, though he definitely felt the other deserved it for slacking off. He could have sworn he taught the younger man something in the years they studied together.
"Ow, bloody hell, what—Yao?"
Arthur stood up from the floor and looked around. Yao was standing in front of him, Francis continuing to sleep across from him, and no sign of Katyusha.
Katyusha.
That—That...bloody she-witch! She'd tricked him!
"Damn Demon," Arthur mumbled. Yao cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Care to explain why my best student is slacking off at a time like this?"
"Slacking—No one is slacking off around here, Yao. It was that Demon, Katyusha. Trust me, I was prepared to stay up all night but she forced me asleep." He left out the part about her having reason to do so, as she was right about him needing sleep for the battle that was soon to come. Yao seemed unconvinced and Arthur knew it would take more than he was willing to give to convince him. "Look, just...forget, about that. Thank you for waking me." It was here he realized Yao was standing across from him. "Ah, when did you get here?"
"Just now," Yao replied tersely. He sat down on the couch and motioned for Arthur to join him.
"I think I've discovered a way to help you. It has the potential to be risky but with our combined abilities and the...Demons you've involved, we should be able to come up with a suitable plan of safety."
Arthur stayed silent and gestured for Yao to continue. "At first I tried to think of how our own Heaven might help us. As you know it has not been home to Angels for hundreds of years. And Divines, as I discovered, will not have been able to stay there for long after the Angel's departure. Their very nature would have them rip Heaven to pieces for their own gain. And after they've had their way with Heaven, there would have been no way for them to stay there—if the Guardians hadn't already picked them off to begin with. So I wouldn't count on any Divines even being there at this point in time."
Oh no. This was sounding familiar. Arthur dreaded where this conversation was going. "...Yes, I entertained the thought as well."
"Very good. So I asked myself, 'How would I get to Heaven if I wanted to talk to Angels?' Of course I'd have to go back in time, wouldn't I? But that got me thinking. Going back in time is not a bad idea. It yields the best and most successful results out of any scenarios I thought about. But time travel alone is very difficult, you know that." Arthur nodded, feeling as though a lead weight dropped in his stomach. This was very bad.
"The answer was right in front of us the entire time. The forgotten realm. One in that realm has the...capability to travel to other worlds, even different times if they have power. It would not be so difficult to find a path to our own timeline and simply transport ourselves to our own past. That would provide us not only with the Angels Alfred needs but safety from danger as well. Only Demons can kill in that realm, and with our numbers and wide range of energy manipulation, plus two Demons, it would be easy to defend ourselves."
No. No no no no no. Arthur closed his eyes, damning the world. Alfred had been right. Alfred had been right and Arthur had outright rejected his plan. He felt bad; worse than bad, he felt terrible.
"What about Al? He resides in the realm itself, on its first plane no doubt. Surely that would complicate things?"
Yao waved the notion away. "Simple spells can hide our presence. You act as if we do not have skill with such things."
Arthur put his hand over his faced and wished he could turn back time to not act like such a damn fool. He'd been adamant about not following Alfred's plan because he thought it was too risky, but here Yao was telling him the plan would be simple. And coming from Yao it did sound simple. But Arthur should have trusted Alfred, should have been able to see what Yao had, what spells to use to help them, how they would have avoided Al. He felt...like a dick. There was no elegant way to say how badly he felt for treating Alfred like a little kid.
But Alfred's plan also had involved that other Ivan...who couldn't be trusted, right? Arthur had eyes, he could see how strongly Alfred felt for Ivan and vice versa. Was it really too much to think that an alternate version of them would feel the same about each other. He himself would do anything for Francis, he knew that. Maybe even ask the enemy for help.
"God, I've been a fool," Arthur said, standing up and pacing about. Yao watched him, surprised by his reaction. "What are you talking about? Did something happen?"
"Yes!" Arthur exclaimed, though hushed his voice when he remembered Francis was still sleeping. "You're not going to believe this, but Alfred thought up that exact plan."
"Then you have raised a smart boy," Yao said, in turn making Arthur feel worse.
"Yes but...I rejected it."
"You rejected it." There was a silence in which Yao stared at him and Arthur looked ashamed. "What were you thinking?"
"You have to understand Yao, Alfred is my son, I only want him to be safe! His plan to use the forgotten realm as a method of contacting Angels had a variable yours does not, one I'm not certain about. He's accepting help from the other Ivan."
Yao could admit that Alfred's plan, now that he knew all the parts to it, was more dangerous, but nothing they couldn't handle. Just by the way they interacted Yao could tell they'd do anything for each other, which baffled him because he'd learned his lesson in trusting Demons.
"So? I do not see a problem. If Alfred trusts him, you should respect his judgment. As I've said Alfred is a smart boy, and you a smart man. You do not need to trust those Alfred trusts, only in Alfred himself. All you would need to do is protect Alfred in the case he was being deceived."
God, would Yao ever stop making sense about everything? It was only serving to make Arthur feel worse.
"It seems I'm having the unfortunate luck of being wrong lately." Arthur shook his head.
"Perhaps not necessarily wrong, just...protective. It is understandable." Yao stood up and stopped Arthur's pacing with a hand on his shoulder. "You have come a long way from my student. That was when you were wrong a lot. Now is when you are wrong but have the mindset to amend your mistakes." He patted Arthur's shoulder. "I think I will take my leave now. If you need me, just call." He walked back over to where he'd appeared and used the same spell to return home in another flash of gold.
Arthur stood for a bit longer after Yao left before sitting in his origin seat on the couch. He hung his head and stared at the carpet before a voice jolted him out of his thoughts and nearly out of his skin.
"Yao is right though, you know."
Arthur looked up into Francis's smiling face. The werewolf had his head in his palm as he stared at Arthur. He tapped his ears at Arthur's questioning look. "Heightened senses."
"Of course," Arthur said. Just his luck Francis would end up hearing all that.
"Alfred is a very smart boy Arthur, you've raised him well. But it is only natural that you will feel protective of him and in turn disagree with him about a lot of choices he might make. I don't think you want to go through the Revolutionary War again, do you?" Arthur hated remembering that time, when he and Alfred had been so angry at each other it had escalated quickly into violence, though they couldn't bring themselves to hurt one another.
"No, of course I don't. He just won't understand that I only want his safety. I don't know what to do with him."
Francis stood up and walked over to sit down next to him. He turned Arthur towards him and just hugged him. He didn't speak, didn't let his hands wander, he just hugged him. Eventually Arthur reciprocated the hug, tightly wrapping his arms around Francis's upper back. Arthur wasn't the type of person to seek emotional comfort when angry or hurt, though sometimes it couldn't be helped. Clinging was also something he didn't do, but he trusted Francis wouldn't broadcast how tightly Arthur was hugging him to the world.
Francis pulled back(after a few tries)and looked Arthur straight in the eyes. "You need to trust him. Do you think it was easy for me to let Matthew go off by himself to hunt? No, it worried me constantly, like a parasite eating away at my mind. But each time Matthew would come back, safe and sound. He has proved himself to me many times. Now you need to let Alfred prove himself to you. But he can not do that if you don't give him the chance. It might hurt, but the look of pride on his face will be worth it, trust me."
"I do trust you, despite my better judgment at times," he quipped. Francis put his hand to his heart in mock hurt and Arthur chuckled. "In the morning," he promised, "I'll talk to Alfred."
"That is all I can ask of you now."
Hm, is Arthur going to be mad when he finds out Alfred went behind his back? I just don't know. And I know, character death is so hard sometimes, but yes, more than one person is going to die. One for sure, the other two I'm planning I'm not sure about yet.