Things have been crazy for me lately. I'm taking 21 credits this semester. My Grandfather was in a car accident in January and on March 6th he died from injuries sustained from that accident. His death was a shock to me, because I always thought he would be around. My Grandpa meant the world to me, because my Dad was never consistent, so my Grandpa was my first male role model. He was reliable, intelligent, and words can't even describe how much he meant to me. I love him so much. But as much as it hurts, even though the ones we love die, we still have to live on. It's hard, to stay behind while our loved ones leave us. But I believe he's in a better place now, probably playing poker with all the other Grandpas in Heaven. :)

So yea this is long, probably not as proof-read as my other submissions are, and I'm sorry. And yes it's my first update in months. I'm sorry for that too. But there's too much going on right now.


INTERMISSION 02 B:

The Ultimate Deception

((Suzu and Zion))


"Zion!!!" Zion jumped as he heard Suzu's scream. He rapidly flew over in her direction, following the sound of her voice. It echoed through his ears like a drum. He could feel his heart racing. Zion finally reached Suzu, who was surrounded by wingless beings that were clothed entirely in black. These were the assassins Kizura had warned him about. Clearly, they had been waiting for him to mess up. And the second he did… they were ready.

The Guardian Angel drew his sword as he neared the pack of assassins. There were about ten of them, black shadows, closing in on his charge. He sliced through the one nearest to him. The being gave out a final, gurgled cry and crumpled into the grass, blood spilling out of its wounds. The rest of the assassins whirled around and faced Zion. They had no faces… and the emptiness behind their garments slightly alarmed the Angel. Why are they here? Zion frowned as he stretched out his wings.

The beings started floating towards him menacingly, outstretched, empty sleeves inching to him. Zion flew forward and slashed through another one. The ethereal body fell to the ground, the flowing blood staining the grass. The other assassins circled around him.

"Zion!!" Suzu shouted out, her purple eyes laden with fear.

Zion froze as an arm wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"It appears as though you have failed to perform the qualifications of your job." Kizura crooned into Zion's ear.

"Gamma, what are you doing? He's not the enemy! Those things tried to hurt me!" Suzu protested. She watched in amazement as the phantom creatures hovered over to Kizura and floated behind her. "They're… with you? You sent them after me?"

"Four months… that was all the time I needed to find out who hired them to kill you." Kizura spat out, tightening her grip on Zion's throat.

"Who… who was it?" Suzu gulped, hoping it wasn't one of her family members.

"Doesn't matter… they won't be bothering you anymore." Kizura snorted and lifted Zion's body into the air. "Isn't that right, Zion?"

"What are you talking about? Zion? Do you know who-" Suzu broke off as realization dawned upon her. Tears filled her eyes. "Zion… you sent them?"

Zion avoided Suzu's tearful gaze, which was easy as there were white spots in his vision. He was dignified enough to accept his punishment and didn't attempt to pry Kizura's fingers from his neck.

"I thought it was a little odd… that as soon as you started watching Suzu, the attacks stopped. So I did a little research and found out that you paid these scum quite a bit of money to attack my granddaughter. You ceased your little contract with them once I appointed you.

"I have to admit, you're quite the mastermind… to be able to anticipate exactly what kind of Angel I would want on the job and then to create a situation in which your skills would be needed. You're good." Kizura twisted Zion's body around so she was staring into his silver eyes. "Any last words?"

Suzu fell to her knees in shock. "Please, Gamma, don't kill him!" She cried out, sobs taking control of her body.

"Why? He tried to kill you." The Hybrid retorted, digging her fingernails into Zion's neck. Blood trickled down the Angel's chest.

"I know but… he just tried to save me…" Suzu's chin quivered. "Zion… I don't understand. Please, help me understand."

Kizura frowned and threw Zion's body to the ground a few feet from Suzu. "You have one minute to explain yourself before I end your life." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at him.

Zion coughed up blood and sat up, facing Suzu. He stared deeply into her swollen, still crying eyes. He reached out a hand and stroked her short, black hair. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry." The Angel smiled as he cupped Suzu's face. "I thought that if I got this job, I would gain prestige. I come from nothing, Suzu. My parents were nobodies and their parents were nobodies. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth… but I wanted it. I wanted it badly enough to do this."

Suzu sniffled, but held Zion's strong gaze. She saw the sincerity behind his words. "You didn't want me dead?" She whispered, curving her face into Zion's palm.

"Never." Zion promised. I care about you… The Angel admitted to himself. It almost hurt to think it. It hurt, because the girl would never know. It hurt because Kizura was going to kill him.

He heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being released from its sheath. Zion turned his head as saw Kizura stalking towards him, holding a longsword in one hand. The lethal blade had green vines swirling up from the point to the pommel. In her other hand, she held a kris, the golden, wavy blade glinting at him.

"Gamma! No, don't do it!" Suzu stood up, wiping her eyes hurriedly. "You don't have to kill him! He's sorry!"

Kizura ignored her and pointed both the hilts of the swords at each other. Zion watched as the hilts attached to each other. The vines that were on the longsword spread out and twirled around the kris… the two deadly swords became one weapon. Kizura grasped onto the hilt of her new, double-edged sword. The hilt was now in the middle of the two swords.

Zion knew he was going to die… and he felt oddly calm. He was at peace. He deserved to die, didn't he? For hurting Suzu, whom he had sworn to protect?

"Stop!!!" Suzu shrieked out, running so that she was standing in between her Grandmother and Zion. "You can't kill him!"

"Move aside, granddaughter. I will rid Heaven of this scum." Kizura's grip on her double-edged sword tightened. She stalked towards the two of them, eyes red with fury.

Zion's silver eyes widened. What was Suzu doing? Why was she protecting him after what he did to her? It didn't make any sense. She didn't make any sense. His body screamed at him to heal himself, but his mind just didn't, couldn't do so. And he didn't know why.

"Who are you killing him for, Grandma?" Suzu shouted back. "You're not killing him for me. You want to kill him to prove a point, to show everyone here that you have power… that you can do anything you want and no one can challenge you. Well I'm here. I'm going to challenge you. You cannot just continue to take lives like this."

"What can you do to stop me?" Kizura barked out. "Your seal doesn't come off for another week. You can do nothing."

"I will decide what I can and cannot do!" Suzu roared in response and her eyes flashed red for a nanosecond.

"Suzu… stop this nonsense. He must die."

"No! That's not right! Arrest him, put him on trial, convict him and lock him in jail! That's the way things are done here! That's the way things are done everywhere! That's justice!"

"Justice? Justice? Do you think that if he was a demon, he would get justice? If he was a demon and he attempted to assassinate an Angel, he would be exterminated on the spot! Why should I treat him any differently than a demon would be treated? He wants to carry on deals with demons? Very well, I will treat him like a demon to be slain. I will slay him."

"He's NOT a demon and you will NOT slay him!"

Zion stood up slowly, keeping a firm hand on his neck to stop the bleeding. He staggered slightly, but was able to walk over to where Suzu was standing. "What did she mean by seal?" He coughed and his throat constricted in response. He didn't understand why he felt so weak, so unwilling to fight.

Suzu whirled around and her red eyes searched his face. "Oh dammit all… you've been Petrified." The dog demon scowled. "In order to keep my powers from multiplying out of control, a seal is placed on my body for six months and I'm not allowed to train. Then for the other six months, I train all day, every day... or as much as I can."

"But your seal doesn't come off for another week." Kizura repeated, twirling her blade in one hand. "I can decapitate you easily."

"I never liked the idea of leaving myself defenseless for six months at a time." Suzu turned around so she was facing her Grandmother. "So a couple decades ago, I asked Raziel how, in case of an emergency, I would be able to get rid of it. And he told me 'get angry'. Still believe you can take me out?"

"Impossible. You can't break the seal I put on you. And even if you did, your body will be weak."

"That's assuming I haven't done this before, Gamma." Suzu grinned widely, showing off her fangs.

Zion watched in shock as Suzu's body started to glow purple.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you protecting him?" Kizura roared, slashing at her granddaughter ferociously.

Suzu jumped in the air and twisted her body around to avoid her Grandmother's blows. "If anyone has the right to punish him, it is ME!" Suzu snarled back, red eyes gleaming at her opponent. Ten fireballs materialized out of the air and shot at Kizura. "And his punishment is to live! He will live and he will remember EVERY day the sins he has committed against me! But die? He does NOT deserve to die! He will NOT die!"

Zion stared in shock. None but his parents had fought so hard for him. He watched as two curved blades appeared in the girl's hands. With her body glowing fiercely, Suzu dove at Kizura. What happened next, the demonstration of power he was about to see, would change not only his world, but his destiny.


Zion gently opened the door and crept into Suzu's room. After that day, the girl had passed out. She was still sleeping, four days later. Raziel told him it was a side effect of having her memory erased. He didn't agree with it, but at the same time, he didn't understand what had happened. Suzu probably wouldn't understand either.

Zion took his seat by her bed, like he had done for the past few days. He was allowed to come visit her because Kizura couldn't. The Hybrid was still in critical condition after what happened. She was going to make it… Michael and Raphael were doing their best to heal her. But the damage was extensive. It would take a week for her to be fully healed… which was a long time, especially for Kizura.

Sunlight shone in through a cracked window. Suzu stirred in her sleep and rolled over, a frown on her face. She forced her eyes open and immediately felt how tired she still was.

"Wuz goin on?" She asked groggily.

"Suzu? You're awake?" Zion stood up immediately, leaning over her bed.

"Mmm… feel like shit."

"Language, Suzu."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Suzu groaned and tried to sit up, but Zion put his hands on her shoulders and gently held her in place. "Jeez… what're you doing?"

"You've been asleep for four days, Suzu. You're not back up to full strength yet. Give your body some time." Zion smiled, brushing some of her hair away from her face.

"Fine, fine." Suzu frowned again, a confused expression on her face. "Why was I sleeping for four days? Was I sick?" Then her eyes widened. "You're not dead! Gamma didn't kill you! That's great!"

"That's right…" Zion prepared to lie to Suzu and say exactly what Raziel instructed him to say. It hurt more than he thought it would. "You fought Kizura and defeated her. She won't be killing me anytime soon." Omitting the truth was a lie, wasn't it? Wasn't it?

"I defeated her?" Suzu's eyes widened. "By myself? No way!!! That's so cool! But why… why can't I remember?"

Zion cleared his throat. "Well, just as you injured Kizura, she injured you. Because of the damage you endured from the battle, your recent memories were…" He trailed off. She wasn't going to believe him. But then again, what other choice did she have? Why… why was he the one who had to lie to her?

"I guess that makes sense…" Suzu said, a shrug in her voice. "So what's going to happen now?"

"I'm being sent to jail for attempting to assassinate you and for conspiring with demons." The Angel informed the young girl.

"Oh." Suzu blinked her purple eyes. "Zion, I think I need to be alone now." How could she have forgotten? Zion had used her. The beginnings of tears gathered in her eyes. She was only starting to remember what had transpired right before. She remembered the anger, the overwhelming anger. She saw herself standing in front of her Grandma, ready to fight. And she did it, for him. But why couldn't she remember their battle?

"Suzu…" Zion started to say, but paused. He rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion. His long hair swayed with him as he walked towards her door. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry."

"I'm not sure… if it's worth anything right now." Suzu turned her head and stared at the wall. She was crying but she didn't know why. She refused to make a sound. She would not show weakness.

"Thank you for saving my life." Zion bowed to Suzu, even though she wasn't looking at him. He slowly backed out of her room and shut the door behind her. He wondered when his incarceration would begin.


Suzu, despite being in good physical condition, did not leave her bed for ten days. Zion never came to see her. She didn't know whether he was in prison or not. Kizura, while no longer in critical condition, was not allowed to get out of bed.

The dog demon was staring off into space when someone rapidly knocked on her door. Purple eyes narrowed. "Who is it?" Suzu shouted out.

The door opened and tall, red-haired male entered. Sharp, blue eyes scanned the room until they rested onto the white bed and its sole inhabitant. Elegant, birdlike wings fanned out behind the male. The redhead walked to Suzu's bedside and sat down gracefully, not saying a word.

"Michael. What're you doing here?" Suzu failed to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Michael smiled and felt Suzu's forehead, as if checking for a fever. "You're not sick at all. Why haven't you gone to visit your Grandmother yet?" The Archangel sat back in his chair.

"Is she even awake?"

"She drifts in and out of consciousness. She should be relatively stable and alert in a few days time."

"Whatever. I don't see the point. Why would she want to see me?"

"You're her heir. She-"

"I nearly killed her, Michael! Why the hell would she want to see me? I'm a monster…" Suzu started crying mid-sentence. She finally vocalized what had been plaguing her, what kept her from sleeping, what prevented her from visiting her Gamma.

"Suzu… you're not a monster. You did what you did to protect Zion." Michael tried to comfort the crying girl. It would guilt the girl, thinking that she alone was the cause of Kizura's extensive wounds. But she was not to know the truth. "Kizura is strong. She'll bounce back from this in no time."

"It's been a week!" Suzu screamed back. "And she still isn't better. I almost killed my own-" She broke off as Michael embraced her. Her eyes widened in shock; he had never done such a thing.

Michael slowly rubbed the girl's back. He hated seeing her in pain. He didn't want her to suffer anymore than she already had. But her life was going to be full of pain. He couldn't change her destiny. But he could help her through it.


In a little over an hour, Suzu was showered, dressed, and out of her room. She and Michael were having a private lunch in his observatory. The sunlight room was full of beautiful artwork, chirping birds in cages, and even a tiny fountain closer to the back of the room. There were clear windows and glass doors all around the room.

"It's been a long time since I've been here." Suzu ran up to one of the birdcages and giggled as the tiny birds flitted around and sang.

"I know." Michael pulled out Suzu's chair, waiting for the girl to sit down.

"Oh. Thanks!" Suzu scampered over and plopped down in her seat. The Archangel pushed it in and then took his seat at the opposite side of the table.

Luckily, it wasn't a long table, but more round. The tablecloth was made of white lace. The entire table was covered with fruits, cheeses, slices of bread, and tiny slivers of meat. Two shining glasses of water were set in front of each seat, along with silverware and plates.

"I never know which fork goes with which." Suzu scowled.

"Forget about it, for today." Michael put an array of fruits onto one of the tinier plates before him. "Do as you like."

"Great!" Suzu grinned widely, showing her fangs. She dug in ravenously.

Michael watched her eat for a moment, with a somewhat wistful smile on his face. Sometimes he saw Lilith in her. If she could hear me now… She'd probably laugh in my face. The male became lost in forbidden memories, a hazy expression on his face.

"Well, jeez, if you're not gonna eat, say something!" Suzu admonished, taking a break from her feast. "Don't just stare at me!"

"Very well… what would you like to talk about?" The redhead took a sip of his water, amusement in his eyes.

The girl smirked, a cunning look on her face. "Forbidden stuff." She inwardly cheered at Michael's reaction.

The Archangel choked on his water and slammed the glass back down on the table. "What? What do you mean?"

"Oh come on! I got out of bed for you. Surely I get something in return." Suzu grinned cheekily.

"Before I decline your offer, I am curious… what did you want to know?" Michael snorted, stabbing a piece of fruit and plunging it into his mouth.

"I wanna know about that lady in the history books." Suzu cocked her head to one side. "Back when Gamma put me in school… in history, we always talked about the Zenith Wars and how bad the demons were and everything. But there was this lady whose name I could never pronounce… but I remember the books always say she betrayed the Golden Ones and was sealed inside a cross."

"Naytievanol." Michael said slowly, rising up in his seat. Was she already exerting her influence over the girl? After saying she wouldn't? "Why do you want to know about her?"

Suzu jumped at the sharpness of Michael's tone. "I dunno… I've always been curious about her. But no one ever tells me anything. And the way I see it, if no one's going to tell me what happened to Gamma, I may as well try my luck and ask about this."

"What are you talking about?" The redhead narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not an idiot, Michael. I know I couldn't have defeated her by myself. I don't care what anyone says. I don't care how angry I was." Suzu angrily looked away. "And all of you seem content to dance around the issue, to placate me with lies-"

"Forbidden subjects are forbidden for a reason." Michael said firmly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. "But stories can never be banned as long as we have voices to tell them. Because stories can be twisted, changed, until they no longer represent the reality they are supposed to depict. Stories... are sometimes far from the truth, sometimes not."

Suzu laughed out loud joyously, the anticipation nearly killing her. She snatched two slices of bread and put some strips of meat in between them. She lifted the bread up to her mouth, looking at Michael expectantly. And so, the Archangel began to speak:

"Before the Great War, all beings lived in peace: humans, demons, and angels… all coexisting in one realm. All were equal and prosperous. But there were some beings who desired power more than others. Some believed that the races were not equal at all. And some of them… wanted separation.

"Happiness can sometimes make one ignorant. Many beings, believed that there were only three races in existence. They were wrong. There were whispers of creatures; gangly, gruesome blue-skinned creatures, creatures that couldn't talk… only snarl. These creatures could use magic beyond everyone's imagination. Powerful spells that could bring forth a soul out of a demon's body, could heal any wound, could harness the power of the elements… and yet, only these creatures could use them.

"The demons believed they were entitled to this new magic. But some angels wanted it, too. One angel in particular… an angel I will call… Vanity. Now Vanity was a smart woman. She knew that war was inevitable, that the greed that had infested the demons would lead to battle. The demons would attack the humans and the angels would rise to defend them.

"Vanity desired power; it was all she wanted and desired. She didn't care what she had to do. All she wanted was access to that forbidden magic. So she did what no other woman of her time dreamed of doing. She used a spell on herself to make her appearance that of a man's, because at this primeval time, women were not soldiers. She enlisted in the angel's army, under the guise of a human male.

"Not many know how she accomplished it. But in the midst of the Zenith Wars, Vanity managed to possess a startling knowledge of this magic. She wielded it in battle and exposed herself as an Angel, becoming the first of her kind to acquire, not two, but six wings, each of them a manifestation of her powerful magic. But through all this, no one, not a single Angel, realized that she was, in fact, female.

"Only one being saw through her disguise: a demon named Lilith. She had observed Vanity from afar-"

"Lilith!!! No way, she's in the history books, too!!!!" Suzu interrupted. Her mind was reeling with excitement. "There's a statue of her in one of the museums! Gamma took me there on a trip!"

"Are you going to let me finish?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm… one more question and then, yes." The girl put her finger on her chin. "You changed… Nayti… or whatever, you changed her name. Why didn't you change Lilith's? She's just as taboo a topic!"

"You're abnormally perceptive for your age." The Archangel snorted, hiding his discomfort. "To change her name? Lilith would never..." He trailed off.

"Oh." Suzu scratched her black hair. "I don't get it, but that's alright. Keep going! It was just getting good! So, Lilith knew that Vanity was a girl, right?"

"Yes." Michael chuckled and continued on. "Lilith was, like you, very perceptive. By this time, of course, the demons were losing the war due to the use of Type Zero Enchantments. They had become desperate and were willing to ask anyone and everyone for aid. Lilith was the sort of demon who would only do something if it benefited her. And she saw an opportunity with Vanity.

"Lilith approached Vanity and the two made a deal. Lilith would keep Vanity's secret, but in return, if the demons lost the war, Lilith was to be protected. Vanity fully intended on honoring their agreement, but what she hadn't realized was that someone had seen them meeting.

"That someone… would eventually become the Angel of Death. So I'll refer to him by his occupation, Death. Death was obsessed with Vanity. He did not know that she was a woman and rather, did not care, something that was unheard of at this time. Death was delusional and believed that the two of them were in love. He did not realize that Vanity, as her name suggests, was very narcissistic. She loved herself more than anything else. She was not capable of loving another.

"Now Death never stuck around to hear their deal… he was so shocked by Vanity's apparent betrayal that he walked around, speechless for days, unsure of what to do-"

"Jeez… I always knew Taziel was an idiot." Suzu snorted, stuffing some kiwi into her mouth. "So, he STILL thinks Vanity's a guy?"

"Yes… he refused to see the truth that was before his eyes. His refusal blinded him. Furthermore, very few know of Naytievanol's true gender and even less talk of her." Michael stared at Suzu. "You are to never repeat this story to anyone, understood?"

"Cross my heart!" Suzu rang out cheerfully. "So what happened next? Did Taziel squeal to someone? And what happened?"

"I think you can guess what happened. The Angels had no proof of what Vanity had done, only hearsay. It caused an obvious rift between the Angels, those that believed Vanity should have been executed on the spot and those who wanted to use her powers to win the war. So they decided to act on neither impulse, simply focusing on defeating the demons.

"But a new race arose from the ashes, hearing the cries of the zombies. When the first ghost floated upon the earth, it was said that every babe in the land started to wail. And the wailing didn't stop for days. Neither did the extermination. The ghosts easily overpowered all three races. It left some beings nearly extinct, such as the Phoenixes.

"Five beings, one from each race, met in a neutral location and spoke about future relations. It was decided that the one realm would be split into five, to keep the previously coexisting beings separate. But Lilith did not agree with the council's decision… because demons were not allowed in Heaven. They of course wanted nothing to do with her and ignored her requests.

"But then another came along who thought he deserved to journey to Heaven. He was the first of a brand new race, labeled abominations by everyone else. We'll call him, Rain, after the element he controlled. Rain was a champion among some demons and all humans. He fought for the freedom of humans and for that, thought he was also entitled to a seat in paradise.

"Rain made his case before the newly appointed High Angels, but just as they rejected Lilith's demands, they rejected his as well. But Rain's charismatic words had enraptured Vanity. Vanity had never felt interested in someone more than she was interested in herself, so naturally she was curious. She did not understand why she felt drawn to Rain, but she did nothing to deter it.

"Vanity spoke with the High Angels, telling them that if they continued to rebuke Rain, the humans would begin to detest them. And she was right. Some of the humans dismissed Angels all together, thinking they no longer deserved the title and that they acted too high and mighty.

"The more humans became resentful of humans, the less of them made it to Heaven. It was a vicious cycle that lasted for years. Finally, the Angels relented and allowed Rain to enter Heaven. Humans and demons alike rejoiced. Rain thoroughly enjoyed himself in paradise, interacting with the Angels and humans. He learned, he explored, and he experienced… but someone was missing from his life.

"That someone was Vanity. You see, the two of them didn't realize it, but they were actually Twin Flames. It was thought that only Angels could have Twin Flames. But Vanity was not like other Angels. She was somewhat of an outcast and the only one of her kind to bear six wings. She knew far too much about the illegal magic. So rather than associate with her, most Angels left her alone. Furthermore, she was still pretending to be male, which isolated her even more. Only Death still socialized with her, because he was unhealthily obsessed with her.

"Rain, while a hero to humans, was still seen as an abomination. He was the first of his kind... and very alone. Many demons detested him and the humans were beginning to forget about all he had done for them. More half-demons were being born, but they were not as revered as he. He had a lot of pressure on him... and he never felt that he could identify with humans or demons. And the Angels looked down upon him. So while Rain was first ecstatic about being in Heaven, he was starting to fall into a deep depression.

"One day, while trying to avoid Death, Vanity collided with Rain. From the moment their eyes met, they felt the connection between them. It didn't help that they both had purple eyes-"

"Like me!" Suzu interjected cheerfully.

"Yes, Suzu, like you." Michael drank some more of his water.

The chirping birds suddenly quieted. A bright light appeared out of nowhere and a tanned male appeared. He had short, spiky, black hair and was dressed from the neck down in metal armor. "Don't you think this story has gone on long enough?" The being had short, but wide beige wings and startling, turquoise eyes.

"Aw, come on, Uriel! It was just getting good!" Suzu pouted.

"A story is never too long." Michael smiled cryptically and stood up.

"You're going to be late for Prayer Duty." Uriel narrowed his bright eyes.

"I see. Suzu, I'm afraid we have to leave." The redhead gestured to the table below him and all the remaining food disappeared.

"No fair!" The dog demon rolled her eyes and pushed away from the table. She stood up, hands balled into fists. "You ruin everything, Uriel. You're no fun."

"Regardless, it's time for you to leave. Kizura would like to see you." Uriel opened the door to the observatory and walked out.

Michael held his hand out and Suzu instantly grabbed it. "I will take you to her room." He led her out of the room, thinking not of Prayer Duty, but of a time long ago, a time that was now as a part of Suzu as it was a part of him. The only difference was he knew the whole truth… but she didn't. And judging by Uriel's actions, the other Archangels didn't want her to know.


Zion was sentenced to five years in jail… a minor slap on the wrist. Kizura, naturally, was outraged. Suzu was allowed to train all year round, as there was no point in sealing her powers anymore. Kizura enrolled her back in school so she would be around other Angels. Suzu went to visit Zion every day. Some days she went after school and some days she went after training.

When Zion was released from jail, Kizura offered to promote him to High Angel, to keep him away from Suzu. But he declined, saying that he simply wished for his old job back. So one day, Suzu and Zion traveled to the Demon Realm to talk in private…


Zion and Suzu walked through the abandoned, rocky beach. The sand was hard, the air was cold, and it was partly cloudy out. But Suzu loved visiting the Demon Realm, because it was always sunny and bright in Heaven. It was nice to see something different every now and then.

"How long is everyone going to keep the truth from me?" Suzu stood up, facing the grand ocean before her.

"I'm sorry… I wish I could tell you. But it's forbidden." Zion didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say or how to comfort her.

"I don't know…" Suzu sighed as she flippantly tossed a rock into the ocean. A seagull squawked boastfully above them. "I don't know if I can ever trust you again." She sat down in the sand, stretching her legs out.

Her words cut Zion like a knife. "I understand." The Angel replied. The salty breeze whistled through his long hair.

"I mean, I'm going to try, I guess." Suzu shrugged, placing her chin in her hands. "But it hurts, you know? You tried to use me to get ahead… What I don't get is why you just didn't take the promotion. She would've made you a High Angel. You would've gotten what you wanted."

"What I want is to atone for my sins." Zion declared. "What I used to want has… changed." She intrigued him, not only because of her innocent heart, but because of the dormant power that was nestled in her soul. He wanted to see if she was as formidable as Raziel had prophesized. But most of all, her very being intrigued him; it was as if the two of them were tied to one another. Either way, he didn't want to leave her side. Not yet.

They weren't back to the way they were. But they would try.


Suzu plopped down into the grass, breathing heavily. "I'm tired. No more." She shielded her eyes from the light.

"If you have enough energy to complain, you can certainly get up." Zion leaned over her fallen body, a disapproving expression on his face.

"Do me a favor. Take that stick out of your ass and smile for once." Suzu snapped back, rolling over onto her stomach. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed loudly.

"Get up." Zion repeated firmly. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it… to train every day?"

"I don't have to do what you say. You're not the boss of me." The dark-haired girl snorted.

"I am in charge of-" Zion broke off as the Archangel Michael teleported into the vicinity. His commanding aura immediately changed the situation. Zion felt as if he was being watched and judged by eyes that were never satisfied. It made Zion angry, that Michael would just walk into the girl's life whenever it was convenient for him. It wasn't fair to Suzu. She looked up to the Archangel, everyone could tell. But he wasn't the type of being to come when he was called. He appeared when he wanted to… and not a moment sooner. Michael was selfish, stubborn, and arrogant.

Michael walked over to Suzu and stared down at her. Suzu instantly stood up, a sheepish expression on her face.

"You're bored, aren't you?" Michael guessed. His trademark flaming sword appeared in his hands.

"Um… yea, I guess so." Suzu shrugged, but nevertheless, her blades, the twin Egyptian khopesh that the redhead had given to her eons ago materialized into her palms.

"You're strong. But your magical abilities have yet to be honed. Your element is fire, yes?"

"Yes!"

"Very well… drop your blades then. You will not use them."

Zion was amazed that Michael seemed to understand Suzu better than he did. He was Suzu's Guardian Angel; he was around the girl most. And yet, this Archangel, who was never around, understood his charge on a level he could never begin to grasp. When would Zion learn to read Suzu like Michael could?

Zion watched Michael and Suzu train together. Oddly enough, their movements seemed parallel. They were able to anticipate each other's moves and respond within nanoseconds. He watched as they dueled until nightfall, until Michael left to meet with the other Archangels. He never understood why the redhead would sporadically make time for his charge. He didn't want to know.


Suzu was lying in bed, unable to get up due to disbelief. She didn't realize it until she had a dream about him last night. A dream in which Zion was… kissing her! She was almost thirteen hundred and her body was finally beginning to develop. But with those changes came other changes, too. So she was finally growing up. Everyone had crushes, didn't they? But she was ignorant, blind to her own feelings. It made sense, because they spent so much time together, it was practically bound to happen. It was normal for such a thing to happen, right?

But now it would be impossible for her to act normal around him.

Suzu groaned loudly and rolled out of bed. I can't do this. I can't do this. A blush covered her cheeks and she let out an annoyed scream. Just thinking about him makes me crazy! And he's old! What the hell is wrong with me?

As if Fate was taunting her, someone knocked quickly on her door. "Suzu? Are you dressed yet? We're leaving." Zion's voice drifted into her room. Why was his voice so tantalizing? Why was her face bright red?

I'm going to kill someone. She wanted to squash these stupid feelings and make them disappear. She didn't have time for a stupid crush, especially one on her frickin Guardian Angel! How was she supposed to function now, when all she could think about was him kissing her? And she had never even been kissed before. She didn't know what to expect, but she always thought it was gross. But she didn't feel gross. She wanted him to kiss her. What the hell?!?

"Suzu, what are you doing?" Zion walked into Suzu's room without warning.

Suzu froze and turned around. She feigned anger. "What the hell are you doing here? Get out!!!" She pushed at his robes feebly. She didn't want to touch him. She wanted him to touch her… no, wait that was gross! What was she thinking? But she wasn't thinking. That was it.

Zion raised an eyebrow at his charge. She was in one of her moods again. "Kizura is not going to be happy if we're late. Again." He noted how red her face was and how disheveled she looked. The girl was nowhere near ready to leave.

"I don't care. Let her come after me. I'll kill her!" Suzu hissed. "Now get out!"

"As you wish." Zion replied nonchalantly, shutting the door behind him as he left.

As soon as he left, Suzu fell to her knees. How am I going to do this without making a complete fool of myself? The dog demon tried to calm her racing mind. I've never had a crush before. I mean, I've heard of it, but I don't know what to do with it. I have to act normal, even though I don't feel normal?

But then the girl realized: she faked her feelings all the time. Whenever Kizura dragged her to a ball, or a meeting, or some other kind of gathering, Suzu always had to pretend like she wanted to be there. She had to be polite and friendly and gracious and act like it was okay that she was being judged and whatnot. How was this any different?


Zion sat with his back to a dogwood tree. The sky was just beginning to change color. He watched as Michael and Suzu fought each other vigorously. Michael had been training with the girl more often, by the latter's request. The fact that Michael even heeded Suzu's request was astonishing. The redhead was around all the time now.

Zion didn't like it. He felt as if he wasn't needed. The fact that Suzu had started to act odd around him didn't exactly help the situation. His charge was avoiding him more. If they did interact, she was strangely formal. She rarely talked to him about anything anymore, her feelings, her dreams, her thoughts... nothing. She used to be as open as a book… and now he couldn't read her at all. The language had changed. And it had been going on for years now. He didn't understand why.

Michael zipped at Suzu, flaming sword in hand. Suzu grinned maliciously as both of her fists became inflamed. She jumped in the air and twisted her body around just in time to block Michael's infamous sword. Suzu punched Michael in the chest, sending his body back a few feet.

The dog demon held her left hand out, the fire energy swirling in her palm. The fire energy changed into a narrow disk made of flames. "Yes! I did it!" Suzu whooped as she hopped onto the fiery disk and soared towards Michael.

"You can't always rely on that. Eventually, you need to fly on your own." Michael narrowed his eyes.

"Well I'm not using those stupid Angel wings! Never!" Suzu shouted back. She had vowed never to release the wings of an Angel with the blood that ran through her veins, because it was the blood that ran through Kizura's veins, the blood that had killed her Father.

Zion stood up. The two of them were engaged in each other. He finally understood the "three's a crowd" saying. He was intruding. The reason why Suzu asked Michael to start training with her was because he was too weak to do so. Suzu was stronger, much stronger than he could ever be. Suzu needed someone strong to train with. And he wasn't the one. Michael was. It made sense... Michael was an Archangel and Zion was just her Guardian.

So why did it hurt so much for Zion to leave?

Suzu turned around as soon as she felt Zion's presence vanish. He's gone… I did it. I chased him away. The female lowered herself to the grass and her fiery disk faded away. Tears filled her eyes.

"Suzu…" Michael's sword disappeared and he was by her side in an instant. The girl hadn't told him anything, but he could tell.

"I'm fine…" Suzu forced a smile on her face. "Just a little tired… I need a minute. Then you can go back to kicking my ass."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" The Archangel crossed his arms over his chest.

Suzu's purple eyes widened. But then they hardened. "Yup. I'm ready. Where's your sword?" She rose to her feet, tears forgotten. For now.


A few months later, Kizura and Suzu were walking through the business district of Heaven. Angels and High Angels strolled about, for the most part, ignoring the duo. Astrum de Platea was a few blocks away. But the center of the district was always overcrowded. Suzu was glad they weren't walking there... too many damn Angels around.

"What's going on with you and Zion?" Kizura asked casually, causing her heir to stop in her tracks.

"N-nothing… why do you ask?" Suzu avoided her Grandmother's gaze. "And even if there was something going on, it's none of your business, Gamma."

"The two of you are hardly around each other anymore. What am I paying him for if he's not watching you?" Kizura snapped out.

"Well, maybe I don't want him breathing down my neck!" Suzu retorted. "And that goes double for you!"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that-" Kizura's eyes flashed red and then she calmed herself down. She took one look at her granddaughter, the sad look in her purple eyes, and she knew. The realization made her even angrier, not with Suzu, but with Zion. "You love him."

Suzu's throat clamped down and her heart started pounding. "Yeah… I do." She murmured to herself, not noticing how Kizura's eyes flashed red again.

At least her heir was smart enough to stay away from Zion and not act on her feelings. Kizura inwardly sighed. But she was going to wring that fool's neck. "I want him away from you." Kizura snarled, stomping her heels on the ground.

Suzu let out a bitter laugh. "So do I… it hurts." It felt good to talk about her feelings. Keeping them inside for so long had changed something in Suzu. It made her angry, cynical, and dark. She didn't like it. She hated pining away for something she could never have. She hated the feeling of loving Zion and having him so close to her, but yet she couldn't have him the way she wanted. And how many more decades could she keep this up?

"Then hurt him." Kizura replied simply. "That's the only way to drive a man away. Stab his pride." Then may he never come back.

Is that really the right thing to do? Suzu wondered. She didn't want to hurt Zion. But she couldn't tell him about her feelings. He'd laugh in her face, say how young and naïve she was, how unattractive he found her… she couldn't tell him. But was it fair to hurt him? Was it right?


Days later, Suzu invited Zion to have lunch with her in one of the many gardens of Heaven. "Hey Zion." The girl began as she started cutting her meat.

"Yes?" Zion almost smiled. She was talking like she used to. It made him happy. It made him think that finally, maybe they could go back to the way they were.

"Why are boys such idiots?" Suzu stuffed some chicken into her mouth.

"… Not all boys are idiots, Suzu." The Guardian Angel shook his head.

"Well, the ones in school are. I swear… putting me in a stuck up Angel school was probably the worst idea Gamma's ever had. I mean, I thought she fucked up when she… ok, ok, sorry, I thought she messed up when she picked you to be my Guardian.

"But… what good could possibly come of me being around a bunch of snooty Angel brats? None of them like me. The boys constantly tease me for not being full-blooded like they are… and the girls ignore me and or give me dirty looks. The teachers won't call on me, even if I'm the only one raising my hand. Does she just want me to be miserable?" Suzu sighed dramatically as she finished her false tirade.

"She doesn't want you to be miserable. I think she wants you to learn a valuable lesson: How Angels perceive you. Most Angels, by nature, look down on everyone else… literally and figuratively, as Heaven is located in the planet's exosphere." Finally, the two of them were having an actual conversation. Zion was eager to talk. The words were just flying off his tongue. He was relieved. Maybe she would stop acting weird.

"That's one thing I've always wondered… whenever we leave to go to the Demon Realm, we always teleport. But how would we get back manually?" Suzu feigned curiosity. She didn't care. She would probably learn in school anyway. And if the teachers didn't want to tell her, she could just ask Michael. She would probably be spending more time with him anyway.

"The Demon Realm, Half-Demon Realm and the Human Realm all have portals in their exospheres and inner cores. The portal in the exosphere leads to Heaven and the portal in the inner core leads to Hell. But because of their respective locations… it is nearly impossible to reach them manually. That is why teleportation is much more efficient and safe."

"But what if someone did it? What if someone managed to reach the portal in the exosphere of like… the Human Realm? What would happen then?"

"Well… if that being was alive when they touched the portal and entered Heaven, they should be allowed to leave in the same exact state, I believe. No matter how much time they spend here." Why was she asking him so many questions? Zion was started to get annoyed. And she hadn't even explained her odd behavior. That was what they needed to talk about. Was she going to act like they hadn't grown distant for over a century?

"That's so cool… if I did it, I'd be famous!" Suzu smirked as if she truly believed she could do such a thing. She had thrown the bait.

"Suzu… you wouldn't last in the exosphere or the inner core. You'd either be incinerated in nanoseconds or suffocate or be torn apart by gravity." Zion rolled his eyes. His tone matched his angry thoughts, his unanswered questions. His temper was rising.

He was frustrated… she had successfully provoked him. "Oh please… the inner core is just fire and brimstone and all that nonsense. I can handle that. I am-" Suzu knew Zion, knew him more than she knew herself. She knew exactly which buttons to push. And right now, she wasn't pushing, she was smashing.

"No, you're not. You're cocky, that's what you are. Your affinity for fire will not aid you in the inner core. Going to the inner core or even suggesting such a thing is just as idiotic as proposing to kiss the Sun and walk away unscathed. Foolish talk like that will only get you killed."

"I think we're done having this conversation. I'm not hungry anymore."

"Excuse me?"

"I've no reason to talk to you anymore. And you've no right to judge me like that."

"What is the matter with you?"

"You can never take a fucking joke, can you? I know I can't fucking to the inner core! I'm NOT an idiot! All I wanted was to take my mind off school! And you know why? Because there, they all try to bring me down! They don't think I belong there! They hate me!

"And you're no better than they are! Every time, you always bring me down. You never let me imagine, hope, dream… it's always reality with you. I can't be anything, I can't do anything; I can't break any records or cross any boundaries or do anything that doesn't fit into your fucking mold! You don't believe in me at all, do you? Just once, Zion, once I want you to say: 'You can be anything you want.' Or: 'You can do anything.'

"Why can't you believe in me? Why can't you believe in anything? Even if it's just for a second… even if it's about something ridiculous or impossible or implausible… why can't you just believe? Why can't you believe for a second that unexpected things do happen? Why can't you believe that pigs can fly, that-" Suzu broke off as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Oh gods, she was doing it, she was chasing him away. She was no better than Kizura, pushing the one that meant the most to her away. That was why Kizura did not have a mate. She did not allow herself to be tied down by love. Was Suzu's fate the same? Was she destined to be alone?

"Nothing good comes of thinking of what could be. Thinking of what is… that is more valuable. More importantly, why are you acting this way? This isn't like you at all. Suzu, just tell me what's wrong. Did Kizura put you up to this?" Zion stood up and started to walk towards Suzu.

"I don't want to see your face again." Suzu didn't look at Zion. "I'm old enough to terminate you. I, Suzu, hereby-"

"Suzu!" Zion's eyes widened, shouting over her. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Why was she overreacting like this? It didn't make any sense. If she uttered those fateful words… it was over. It was all over. Was this why she had called him here in the first place, to dismiss him like this… to break him coldly? IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE!

"-dismiss you from your service. You are no longer my Guardian." Suzu stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "I will have my Grandmother promote you to High Angel. It's what you wanted, right? It's all you've ever wanted." It wasn't what either of them wanted... but she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't pretend that she didn't love him. So it was better to push him away, to make him hate her... maybe she could hate him, too.

Something inside Zion broke… he would realize later that it was his heart. "I will take my leave then. Farewell." Zion teleported out of the gardens, eyes hardened.

Suzu fell to her knees and cried. At one-thousand, five hundred and twenty-three years old, Suzu lost her Guardian Angel. They wouldn't see each other for nearly half a century…


"Ugh!! Why do we have to go to this?" Suzu tugged on her Grandmother's arm as they stalked through a pearl white hallway.

"Oh hush. Bartholomew's going to be there, so you can leave early and fuck or whatever it is the two of you do when you think I'm not spying on you." Kizura ripped her arm out of Suzu's grip. The two of them were wearing ball gowns, high heels, and sparkling jewelry.

"Ok, first… creepy much, Gamma? Second, this is Heaven… premarital sex is kind of forbidden. Third, have you met my boyfriend? He's such a fucking prude! It took him FOREVER to kiss me." Suzu was wearing an exquisite, red gown, with ruffled sleeves that circled her shoulders and left the rest of her arms bare. The dress hugged her curves and then swished and swooped down to the floor.

"No one ever said courting an Angel would be easy." Kizura smirked wryly. She was quite pleased that Suzu was dating; she thought her granddaughter would never get over her naïve crush on Zion. Thankfully, time healed most diseases. Kizura was happy that Zion wasn't around Suzu anymore… they had been much too attached to each other. It was inappropriate on his part… allowing himself to get emotionally attached to his charge.

"Don't let him hear you call him just an Angel. Bartholomew is a High Angel." Suzu feigned snobbishness, sticking her nose into the air.

"Insolent child." Kizura sighed, shaking her head. She was wearing an elegant, dark blue dress and white, satin gloves that extended to her upper arms.

"You love me!" Suzu declared, cutely wrinkling her nose. It was a habit she had picked up from her summons. The two of them reached the banquet doors and they swung wide automatically. Every Angel in the entire room turned to them for a moment and then went back to their business. The room buzzed with wine and conversation.

Kizura and Suzu walked over to the host of the ball, Michael. The redhead was standing near the appetizers. They had been placed on a crystal table. The three of them chatted about trivialities for a couple minutes, until Michael left to tend to the rest of his guests.

"What do you want to drink?" Kizura asked Suzu. Her heir shrugged in response, so the Hybrid simply walked off.

Suzu smiled. It was nice, being at a party. No one really spoke to her and if they did, it wasn't for very long. Plus being at a party meant free food. And she loved to eat. She talked to some Angels that she knew from school. Then she jumped around from table to table, trying every food within her reach. Just as Suzu was about to try the fried calamari, the unthinkable happened.

"I thought you hated dressing up." A deep voice uttered from behind Suzu. The dog demon's eyes widened; she knew that voice. That voice had haunted her in her sleep for hundreds of years. She wished time would freeze so she could have a moment to think about how to react, what to do, what to say, what facial expression to adopt… but she had nothing.

So Suzu winged it. She whirled around, her dress elegantly following her movements. Suzu stared into the cold, silver eyes of her former Guardian Angel. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in his presence. He was wearing a traditional, black suit, white tie, black shoes, etc… but he looked damn good. It looked more like the suit was wearing Zion, because he dominated it, he made it look better, he enhanced it. He had gotten more toned, that much she could tell. Or maybe she had forgotten how fit he was.

"Hi." Was all Suzu could say, a slight blush covering her cheeks. Fuck, I'm done. I can't believe this… it's like I'm a little kid again. Pull yourself together, you old broad! You're almost two-thousand! That's much too old to fall for the charms of a stupid, egotistical, cold-hearted, materialistic, cynic who only cares about-

Zion took another step towards her. "You certainly seemed to have flourished during my absence." The High Angel cocked an eyebrow as he looked her up and down… slowly. His stare lingered on her bosom, which was accentuated by the dress. Then his eyes traveled up to her purple eyes and softened.

She was going to hyperventilate and die. She would rather kiss the Sun than feel the heat of his sweltering gaze. She couldn't remember a time when she was so terrified, but excited at the same time. "I… I missed you." Suzu lowered her eyes, shoulders shaking. She took a step forward, although it felt more like floating.

Zion leaned down and grasped Suzu's chin with one hand. His other arm curved around her waist and pulled her to him. She was so close to him she could've reached out and touched his wings. The female gulped and shivered slightly. How could she be so hot and so cold at the same time? What was he doing to her?

"I hope you and Bartholomew are very happy together." He uttered into her ear, his cruel bitter tone going unnoticed for the time being. "He seems perfect for you." Then, gently, carefully, Zion's lips pressed against her cheek. And just like that, he released her, smirked, and walked away.

Suzu's chest began to heave up and down. Wait… did he just… leave? She thought to herself. She was dazed from whatever spell he had put on her. But then realization dawned on her and the sinking feeling came. The warmth vanished, flushed out of her system. She recalled his words, the attitude in his voice. She felt sick.

He played me like a fucking fiddle… Suzu took a deep breath. She was either going to explode or implode. Neither one of those things was proper ballroom etiquette. Breathe, breathe, breathe… just concentrate on breathing… it'll all be okay. Suzu stumbled over to the nearest chair and plopped down into it. She felt frozen and dead inside. How could he do such a thing? Why would he do such a thing?

"Suzu? What are you doing sitting down?" Kizura walked over to her granddaughter, carrying the drinks she ordered. "You need to socialize."

"I've done enough of that, thank you very much." Suzu snatched the drink out of Kizura's hand and started to chug it. She didn't care if anyone stared at her. It was either this or suicide. And suicide was starting to look pretty damn good. How did Zion even know about Bartholomew? And why did she feel guilty?

Suzu had always dreamed of their reunion. It wasn't supposed to be perfect… but it wasn't supposed to be a nightmare either. It would be complicated and chaotic and out of control and angry, because that was how their relationship used to be. Maybe they would hug. Maybe he'd ruffle her hair. But this… this was something else. It was sick and wrong and horrific. He had ogled her like a piece of purchased meat, and then left disgusted, as if she was a common whore, tainted.

"Suzu? Suzu, I'm talking to you!" Kizura hissed, her eyes flashing at her granddaughter.

"I'm afraid I have to go." Suzu downed the rest of her drink. "If you need me, I'll be in my room." Maybe she was tainted. It was her fault, wasn't it?

"Suzu. What is wrong with you?" Kizura demanded.

Suzu laughed out loud, covering her mouth with her hand. "Why don't you ask Zion? I'm sure he'll tell you." She said over her shoulder as she sauntered away. She was gone, she was gone. There was nothing inside of her. And to be empty, was to be free. Free of everything, free of all the wishes and hopes and dreams she had. Because she loved him… she did. And just like she threw him away, he had just thrown her away. She meant nothing to him. She was just another female now, just another body he wouldn't bother to lust after. No one was good enough for him... certainly not her.

Right before Suzu walked out of the ballroom, she turned around and took one last look around. Michael was staring at her quizzically. Kizura was stalking towards Zion, who was waltzing with some blonde-haired beauty. Zion stiffened for a second and turned, looking straight at her. Suzu lifted her hand up to her forehead and gave the Angel a mock, two-fingered salute. She twirled and exited the ballroom. The doors shut after her.


It was ironic that Heaven had a gigantic statue of Lilith, being that she was one of the universe's most feared demons. But there she was, sinister and beautiful, the face of a warrior, the body of a temptress… Lilith was breathtaking. And to think… she was only a statue in a pitch black museum. But her daunting presence had sparked many a horror story.

Suzu was leaning against the base of the grand statue. No one was in this district, not at this time of night. No one would think to look for her here. Suzu had always found comfort in the statue, despite the fact that it scared her. She was a little obsessed with the demon, always had been since she was younger.

Because Lilith was a demon, so cunning and powerful and legendary, the Angels built the statue as a reminder… a reminder to stay on their toes, a reminder to never underestimate the power of a demon. It was tremendous pressure, to be… to be venerated by demons and cursed by Angels. Suzu knew she could never deal with the pressure. But at the same time, she envied Lilith.

There was a flash of light and someone entered the museum. The being strode over to her quickly. "All of Heaven is looking for you." Suzu looked up into the calm, blue eyes of Michael, who knew exactly where to find her.

"I'm not that special." Suzu chuckled bitterly. "How'd you find me?"

"I know you like this statue." The Archangel replied simply.

"Well I need to go." Suzu started to get up, but Michael sat down on the ground next to her. Her jaw dropped open and she sat back down. "What are you doing?"

"Lilith is beautiful, isn't she?" Michael said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"Uh… yeah, I guess." Suzu ran her fingers through her hair. "Umm… if you don't mind me asking, did you know her?" She recalled Michael telling her some kind of story long ago, back when Zion was in prison.

"Yes." Michael smiled in the darkness. "She was a charismatic leader. She believed that demons deserved to go to Heaven and demanded to know why they couldn't. So the Angels told her that if she could make it here without teleporting, then she could stay as long as she'd like. And she did it. To this day, we have no idea how Lilith succeeded."

"Wait a minute… she made it through the exosphere?!? No way!!! So someone actually did it? How long did she stay?"

"Long enough to earn her place in this museum." Michael snorted, shaking his wings for a second. "If I recall correctly, the last time she came to Heaven, she was caught conspiring with a half-demon… Shu was his name. That was the last straw… we expelled her and imprisoned him here. She is trapped in the depths of Saiaku and he is frozen inside a chamber surrounded by clouds."

The two of them sat in silence for a couple minutes. But she couldn't take the quiet anymore. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Suzu smiled sadly. "I'm not a kid anymore... there's no reason for you to comfort me."

"I too, know the pain of loving someone whose pride is bigger than your own. And the two of us certainly have big egos." Michael stood up and extended his hand. Suzu took it reluctantly and got pulled to her feet. "And if he loves you back, then he will relinquish his pride and leave himself helpless before you. If he does not, then walk away with your head high and make him regret ever letting you go."

Tears silently ran down Suzu's cheeks. "Let's go back." She sniffled, wiping her cheeks. "I'm going to make him suffer."

"Music to my ears." Michael smiled and stole a look at the statue of Lilith. He could've sworn it was jeering at him. He buried the uneasy feeling away and concentrated on the ballroom. The two of them vanished, leaving the statue behind. If they had stayed any longer, they would have heard an eerie, dark chuckle.


Suzu started seeing Bartholomew more formally. She pushed all thoughts of Zion away from her mind. When Kizura asked, she never told. She acted as if their encounter didn't bother her, as if she wasn't hurt and mortified. The female held her head high and refused to show that she was in pain. And it worked… until she saw him again two months later.

Suzu was walking towards Kizura's room. The two of them had to go dress shopping. She didn't want to go, hated dressing up, but she had no choice. The dog demon would much rather be training than trying on dresses. She scowled as she stomped her feet down the hallway.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon." Zion's voice caused her to freeze in place for a moment.

Suzu slowly turned around. Zion was behind her, closing one of the doors in the hallway. He locked it slowly, not looking in her direction. The female bristled, her fangs biting into her gums.

"Too soon." She snarled out, balling her hands into fists. How dare he be so smug? She commanded her heart and stomach to calm down. It wasn't working.

Zion pocketed the key and strolled over to her. "Really? I was under the impression that you missed me. Isn't that what you said?" His voice was almost gleeful. But she could see the malice in his eyes.

"I said what I thought you wanted to hear." Suzu lied smoothly, keeping her voice as emotionless as possible. Her anger would only please him. "Do you want the truth, Zion? Do you want to know how I truly feel about you?"

Zion narrowed his eyes, towering over her. "I want nothing more from you." He seethed, spinning on his heel and stalking away in the opposite direction.

"Good." Suzu smirked at his retreating back. "Then the next time you see me, you shouldn't feel any need to say anything at all." As soon as Zion was out of sight, she slumped against the wall and fell to the ground. She cursed him over and over again. She couldn't wish for Michael to come find her and make it all better. Words could only do so much. She couldn't tell Kizura, because she would just use it as an excuse to attack him again. She had no one to turn to in moments like these, when she felt so powerless and hopeless and inadequate and stupid and ugly and just, just so unwanted.

Will I ever be happy? The female thought as she forced herself to stand up. Even if she wasn't happy, at least she was still alive. And so, Suzu trudged on towards Kizura's room, already making up a scenario to explain why she was late…


The clouds drifted above Michael and Suzu. They were lying on the grass, the wind rustling through the field and their hair. It was a peaceful day, for once.

"Remember that story you told me when I was a kid?" Suzu chuckled out. Her three rabbits were prancing about in the field, nibbling on flowers. They loved coming out on days like this. And her summons deserved some free time, because they served her faithfully.

"I think so…" Michael replied, closing his eyes. It was nice to just relax.

"Tell me more. I want to know what happened with Nay… I mean, Vanity." The dog demon grinned.

"I don't remember where I left off… it was so long ago…"

"Oh, cut the bullshit. I think Sh... Rain was in Heaven or something?"

"Ah, yes, yes, once Rain arrived in Heaven, it didn't take long for Lilith to find out. She demanded again to be allowed into Heaven. The Angels knew how powerful Lilith was… and to further promote peace among the races, they gave her a test and told her that if she passed, she could come to Heaven. Of course, she passed, so Lilith became the first and only full-blooded demon to enter Heaven.

"Vanity, Rain, and Lilith were the unlikely trio of Heaven, they were a force to be reckoned with. Angels and humans alike were afraid of what they could do. But as you know, fear can easily turn into hate. The Angels always suspected Vanity was after the zombie's magic. And now she had been 'scheming' with a demon. Some of the Angels attempted to seal her away inside of a cross… but they failed. Her power could not be contained into such a small object…

"But the other Angels didn't want everyone to know that Vanity was not inside the cross. It would mean they had failed. It would mean that Vanity was stronger than the Archangels."

"So you mean all the textbooks lied? Then… if she's not in the cross, where is she? And what's really inside the cross?"

"That, my dear, is something is one of many things I can never tell you."

"You suck! Okay, tell me more. What other dirty secrets are you Angels keeping from us?"

"Well… there is a certain prophecy."

"A prophecy! Tell me, tell me!"

"That's your Grandmother's job, not mine. Ask me something else."

"Aw... you're horrible! You can't tease me like that! So... tell me more about what they did in Heaven. I'll bet Death was really jealous."

"Yes... Death was extremely jealous of Rain and tried to kill him once. He did not understand why Rain was so close to Vanity and he was not. It plagued him for years..."


Weeks passed and luckily, Suzu hadn't seen Zion at all. She was currently standing in front of her mirror. She put her hands on her hips. Her purple eye stared back at her. I'm not sure if I like it… The dog demon had cut her hair so that her bangs covered one of her eyes. She looked kind of mysterious. The female shrugged and started to put on some makeup.

Someone rapped on her door. It was probably Bartholomew. He was impatient. She was always late when she was getting ready; she couldn't help it. But he didn't mind… that much. He was going to propose to her soon. She would probably say yes. Not that it mattered much to her. She didn't really love him, but she loved children. She wouldn't mind having some with him.

"You can come in, Bart. I'm not ready yet." Suzu hollered.

The door opened and someone walked in. Suzu froze as a certain scent entered her nose. It wasn't Bartholomew. It was Zion. Suzu whirled around, just in time to see her former Guardian shut the door behind him.

"We need to talk." Zion said simply. He walked over to her bed and sat down, facing her.

"G-get out!" Suzu shouted. How dare he just barge in here? She slammed her makeup onto her dresser angrily.

"No. I'm not leaving until we talk." The High Angel answered firmly.

"I thought you didn't want-"

"I lied." Zion interrupted, causing Suzu's eyes to widen. "You've been on my mind… for decades. Did you really think that I could-"

"I don't care!" Suzu clamped her hands over her ears… not that it would help. "God, why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I was stupid. I didn't realize how you felt about me… until you were gone. Until I looked back and retraced my memories. Until I saw you with him." Zion stood up, his silvery blue hair swishing as he stalked towards her.

Suzu backed up until she hit the wall behind her. "It doesn't matter how I felt. Go be stupid somewhere else!" She seethed out.

"Why do you keep trying to push me away?" Zion didn't stop walking until he was right in front of Suzu. His silver eyes bored into her purple ones. He reached up a hand to stroke her hair, but she knocked it away. "Why?!?"

"Because I can't trust you!" Suzu screamed back.

"Still? After all these years… you can't?" The pain stabbed Zion again... that same pain.

"I can't trust anyone… not even you… especially you. You all lied to me… about that day. When I was a kid and Gamma tried to kill you. No one ever talks about it. You all just act like it didn't happen. And I've forgotten a lot… but I do remember that there's a piece of me missing. And I don't know if it's you or if it's the memory I don't have." Suzu forced herself to look away from him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I lied to you. But you lied, too." Zion hung his head, his hair cascading down his shoulders like rain.

"I lied to protect myself. How can I be with someone that-" She broke off as Zion kissed her. It was better than her dream. Suzu threw herself into Zion's embrace. They kissed feverishly, one of his hands in her hair, the other undressing her. Her legs were around his waist, her fingers nimbly unbuttoning his robe. In the back of her mind, Suzu made a mental note to break up with Bartholomew. "You're hired... again." She mumbled in between kisses.

Maybe she would never know the truth. But today, she knew something else. She had him.


Okay, sorry I cut it off here. I don't have the energy to write anymore about the two of them and this is getting too long. I want to get back to the original plot. Sorry if this is badly written, but it's just an Intermission… and if you hate it that badly lol, I'll rewrite it and post it again.

But anyways, the next chapter is back to the present. Now that Shuichi has defeated Horobosu, it's time to say goodbye to Suzu. Shuichi, Tiril, and Apollyon travel on, towards the end of their long journey. And what's this? Someone gives Shuichi a present?