Chapter 7: Birthday Surprise.
(Several months later)
Now that most of the physical sparring part of the training was complete and the teens were able to hold their own against not only each other, but various simulations as well, now they moved onto the more difficult part of their training regimen. Which was now teaching Andorra how to tap into and use her angelic powers at will.
So far, the only time she had used the more active aspects, had been from her awakening. She'd never tried to use them since.
"Okay, so... How am I supposed to call forth the angel?" She was asking once they finished their mountain of breakfast.
"It takes alot of mental focus in the beginning." Vergil explained. "You have to latch onto a particular memory, emotion, or goal in order to call it forth. Eventually it will become second nature and you can transform and/or use your abilities at will. However, if you are in extreme emotional or physical duress, many times they will activate on their own to save you." He went on. "The inner demon within me is an instinctual creature, it often wishes to fight when I know I should stay calm. I cannot tell you how many times it's tried to take over as we've been training."
"Aha... Uh, you're not alone there." Andorra admitted, tone taking on a sheepish hint to it as she rubbed the back of her neck. "My angel apparently sees you as a threat."
"Likewise. So... I should warn you now. Being that emotions play a major factor here, we may end up fighting alot and being generally angry with each other due to the inner halves seeing each other as threats. But I assure you, anything I say is not to be taken a truthful."
"I guess I should say the same?" She asked. "We're not going to end up hating each other's will we?"
"I hope not. But if any time, once we've calmed down, if you need a break, do not hesitate to ask for one. Mental and emotional trauma is so much more damaging than physical. If you are not ready to continue, please do not force yourself. It will not end well, do you understand?"
Andorra nodded, and swallowed a bit. She didn't like all this talk... She didn't want to say anything mean or hurtful to Vergil. He'd been one of her only friends for most of her life. She did t want to jeopardize that. If she fucked up their friendship...
Demons and angels should not be friends.
She heard that damned voice and squinted her eyes shut for a second.
Shut up. She thought.
Your feelings will be unrequited. He'll turn on you the first chance he can. It's what they do.
Shut up, I said. You're wrong about Vergil. He's different. He wouldn't turn on me, and I won't turn on him.
That voice laughed at her, tone derisive and unbelieving.
We shall see, won't we?
Andorra sighed and ignored the echoing words in her mind. She could handle this kind of training. It couldn't be any harder than the torment she already went through at school.
She got so many messages before deleting her social media last month...
This couldn't be any worse than her peers thinking and saying those kinds of things...could it?
"Are you ready?" Vergil asked her as he cleaned away the breakfast dishes. "We'll be going outside for this training. We don't want to destroy anything inside."
"We could destroy the stuff downstairs?"
"Yes. When you're transformed, everything is enhanced. Senses, speed, strength, power, agility... Everything. Outside the worst we can do is topple a few trees, but we're far enough away that it shouldn't alert anyone."
"Works for me. Aside from our morning and afternoon runs, I haven't been outside much, some fresh air will be nice."
"Very well, go change and then we can go." He said, making his way to the stairs as he spoke. "And please don't spend forever admiring yourself in the mirror." He added on.
"Ha, says the one that spends a half hour spiking his hair every day." She laughed as she got up and followed him. "It doesn't even take me half that long to braid mine and keep it out of my face. You ever thought of just wearing a sweat band to keep your hair out of your face?"
"No." Was his simple and swift answer. The way in which he said it must have been comical to her, because she laughed.
"I've got some hair ties, we could-"
"Nope." He didn't let her finish.
"Awe you're no fun." She pouted, lower lip jutting out.
"You are fun enough for the both of us." He countered. "Besides we aren't here to have fun."
"I know..." She said, sounding genuinely sad and disappointed now. "You don't have to keep reminding me."
The pair feel into silence as they reached their room. For some reason they had to share. 'it will help.' they'd been told. How, they weren't told. Oh well, so far the arrangement had worked out. Thank God the bed was on the large side. Andorra tended to spread out as she slept.
The girl grabbed her workout clothes and headed into the adjacent bathroom to change whilst Vergil did so in the room.
As much as she tried to avoid looking over herself in the mirror, she enjoyed seeing the changes her body had gone through with all this training.
She had abs of steel damn near, and she did enjoy her newfound curves. She'd always been a busty girl, and was wider in the hips, but now that her mid section had thinned out, she almost had a perfect hourglass figure. She had muscle tone in her arms and legs. She wasn't too happy with how wide her thighs were, but they were more muscle than fat now, so it wasn't all bad. Oh well...
She hurried and braided her hair to keep it out of her face and put on her shoes.
"I'm done!" She announced, not opening the door yet. She'd did that one morning and he hadn't quite been done dressing yet...
"You can come out." He answered, having just finished putting on his shirt.
Awe... Why was he wearing a shirt... She liked looking at his muscles too...
Although this one was sleeveless so she could at least admire his arms...
Stop that... Now's not the time.
Although she could swear his eyes travelled over her for just a second before grabbing their 'break bag' which was mostly filled with bottles of water and some protein snacks.
Wishful thinking, most likely.
"Ready?" He asked her.
"Yep." She said. "I didn't spend forever looking at myself either."
"But you did admire yourself." He added on as they started back for the stairs.
"I can't help it!" She defended herself, grinning. "I've got the body I've always wanted, mostly. Excuse me for admiring the artwork. I should sign myself!"
"I helped, perhaps I should as well." It was hard to tell if he were being serious or not.
"I've got a Sharpie somewhere..." She offered, earning a light chuckle from him.
"Perhaps later." He said as they descended the stairs.
"Say less!" She said, clapping her hands and smiling widely. "Aside from you hitting me, I'd love to have you touch me." She said without thinking and immediately wished she could take that back.
Oh no... Ohnonononononono... No, she did NOT just say that!
"I..." Vergil went to speak but found he could find nothing that worked in this situation. "I am I sure how to respond to that..." He admitted truthfully.
"Then let's pretend I never said it." She said quickly, face flushing a deep red.
God, she'd just made shit awkward!
I told you. Foolish child.
Nobody asked you!
The pair left the cabin in awkward silence and made the trip to their designated training grounds in the same silence. It seemed to take forever, Andorra rethinking that one stupid statement and wishing she had never uttered it. It was meant as a joke! Gah, stupid emotions and feelings!
The designated area was a rather large clearing with nothing around them save for trees for miles and miles.
"There's a lake near here." Vergil explained. "Once we get you used to your angel, we'll go there next."
"Why do we need to go to the lake?" She asked.
"To learn to fight underwater. Your angel will take over all your anaerobic functions, you'll be able to hold your breath for long periods of time without hurting yourself. But you'll still need to train to increase that time. But we'll focus on that later."
"Problem...I can't swim." She said. "I never learned how."
"... I will teach you then, but at least you will not have to worry about drowning." He told her setting down the bag near the edge of the clearing before walking to the center.
Andorra nodded, not wanting to think about that. Truth was, she didn't like deep water,. especially if she couldn't see beneath the surface. She'd seen too many videos on YouTube of close encounters in the deep ocean...
People almost getting swallowed by whale a because they were too close to a bait ball, sharks coming out of nowhere, octopi wrapping around a divers mask and tank...
Nope, not for her, thank you very much.
"In order for this to work, you need to stop focusing on other things." Vergil told her, able to tell she was distracted. "A calm and clear mind works best for this, at least, it does for me."
"Okay." She agreed, trying to not think of anything.
"Focus on your angel, think only about it. You want to find it and latch onto it, when you do, it should trigger your transformation."
"Okay." She said. She closed her eyes, trying to look for something she wasn't sure how to find.
She felt it stirring in her mind and suddenly it felt tangible. All she had to do was reach out and grab it...
She felt a surge of power and suddenly opened her eyes. Her sight seemed to be on fucking crack. She could see almost every individual grain of sand and dirt in the ground, count the leaves on the trees, the bark was so in focus...
Her hearing could pick up the creatures in the trees scurrying around. She could hear birds chirping from far away. She hadn't heard them before. She could hear heartbeats. Multiple ones... Actually, only two...
"How do you feel?" Vergil asked, causing her to shift her gaze to him.
"Am I doing it?" She asked, looking herself over, she caught something out of the corner of her eyes and noticed a pair of great grey wings had sprouted from her back.
"I'm unsure... I felt power then it was gone. You look no different aside from those." He indicated her wings. "During your first transformation there was a bright flash of golden light, but I didn't see it this time."
"I can see a shit ton better." She said. "And I'm hearing all kinds of stuff."
"Hmm...maybe your awakening was incomplete?" He mused...
Suddenly, Andorra's phone begin to ring and she recognized her mother's ringtone.
"Why can I hear my phone ringing from the cabin?" She asked.
"Because I brought it with us." He explained, heading over to the bag to answer it.
"Oh." She wondered why mom was calling..."
Vergils answered her phone before handing it over to her.
"Hello?" She answered, putting it on speakerphone.
"Andorra, why are you not training?" Elizabeth voice asked over the phone.
"We are, we went outside to a clearing for angel training. Vergil was worried we'd break something inside."
"Oh, well... Okay, you sound different, everything okay?"
"Uh... I'm not sure? I tried focusing on my angel and tapping into it but so far all I've achieved is I can see and hear better and I now have a pair of wings."
"..." Elizabeth was quiet for a moment, muttering something to someone else on the other end of the line before replying to her daughter. "Go back to the cabin, we'll be there shortly. Keep an eye on how long these changes last, okay?"
"O...okay?" Andorra wasn't sure what was going on as the line clicked dead.
She looked over at Vergil to see what he thought about all this. He was frowning, looking like he was contemplating something.
"What?" She asked.
"Something is different..." He mused, walking around her. "Your aura... It's like your more...awake? It's hard to explain and describe. I'm fairly certain your awakening was incomplete and the first transformation was purely induced by rage for a brief moment. When is your birthday?"
"Um... What's today?" She asked.
"The fourteenth."
"Then it's today."
"...Let's get back to the cabin. Hopefully this hiccup won't last long."
By the time the parents arrived, Andorra had noted no changes. She still had the wings and her sight and hearing was still cracked out.
She hadn't been able to sit down and had spent most of the time waiting pacing back and forth until her mother came and immediately took her daughter by the shoulders and stared at her.
Andorra was confused.
"Hold still just a moment." She was told as her mother placed her hands on either side of her daughters face, index fingers resting on her temples. She closed her eyes and appeared to be concentrating. Andorra felt something...strange, and off, wiggling about within her skin and eventually twisted out of her mother's grip.
"Uh-huh, we were right." She stated, looking over at Sparda.
"Wait, right about what?" Andoora questioned. "What's going on? Why can't I make these-" she jabbed a finger at the wings on her back. "Go away?"
"It's not a big deal just a small detail we hadn't thought of." Elizabeth replied. "You can make them go away, you just have to focus and concentrate."
"Uh...yeah, tried that." Andorra replied sarcastically. Wow, wish she had thought of that, of course she'd tried!
"Do not. Take that tone. With me, young lady." Elizabeth warned her offspring.
"Yes ma'am..." The girl muttered, keeping her attitude in check.
"You were probably excited and anxious and not calm because you didn't understand what was going on. You'll learn how to control them, just like everything else."
"Okay." Her mother was probably right... "Um... Question, why are they dark? I thought angel wings were supposed to be like pure white, or golden?"
"I...I don't know." Elizabeth answered with a shrug. "But the color doesn't matter. Anyways... It appears your premature awakening kept some of your powers dormant until now, now that you're seventeen and considered fully grown by angelic standards, it's finished."
"Vergil had the same idea." Andorra stated. "So, what now?"
"You can go back training and work on learning how to use your wings as well. They'll be a great asset in combat. They may look soft, but they're harder than steel, almost nothing can penetrate them. If you learn to utilize them properly, you'll be a force to be reckoned with."
"So, unless I want to hide them, they're just out and about forever?"
"Pretty much yes."
"What other powers do I have?"
"That ,I can't say. You'll have to discover that on your own. Although, be sure to record your first flight, it's exhilarating."
"I can fly with these puppies?!" Oh, that sealed the deal for the girl, she was never putting these things away!
Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle at Andorra's exuberance.
"Yes. You have to train them like any other muscle though. And trust me when I say it will be physically draining. They are heavy so you have to train the muscles in your shoulders and back, as well as the wings themselves. Another perk, if you find you can't put them away, you can learn to phase them in and out of existence whenever you wish to change clothes. They'll still be visible just not tangible."
"Oh believe me I can feel how heavy they are." Andorra said. "My back hurts from trying not to fall over backwards." But the fact she could change clothes with them if she learned right was a good bright side.
"You can sit with them, just on the edge, or maybe lay down on your side or stomach for a bit." Her mother suggested. "Until you can learn to phase them.
"I hadn't thought of that." The girl said.
James, having been outside for the duration of the talking, came bursting inside, a big smile on his face.
"I've got an idea!" He exclaimed. "Since we're already here, why don't we just start the party early?! We were coming over tonight anyways."
"James..."
"Oh...come on Liz. They can take a break for just one day. It's not everyday your kid turns seventeen, besides, it looks like there's more than just a birthday to celebrate! Please?" The man was so excited and speaking so fast it was nearly hard to understand what he was saying.
Elizabeth looked over to Sparda and Eva. But she didn't have time to ask them anything before Andorra piped in.
"Yeah! And, we won't be so tired from training all day." She added. "We'll actually be in the mood to have a little fun."
The parents all looked at each other before agreeing.
"Yay!" Andorra and James both exclaimed.
"I'll go get the food!" The elder man replied before dashing back out of the cabin.
"I haven't seen him move like that since I went into labor..." Elizabeth commented with a chuckle.
"I didn't know Dad could even move that fast." Andorra said with a laugh. Guess her old man was more spry than she gave him credit for.
(Hours later)
Andorra was glad for the break in training. She missed being able to just hang out and have a good time. Granted it was just her, Vergil, and their parents, but it was still nice to joke and kid around and generally be a normal teenager for a little while.
Although, as much as she had enjoyed the day, but the time everyone had cleaned up and left, the girl was worn the hell out. Carting these wings around all day had done a number on her back and shoulders and she was ready to pass out for the night.
But, before she could do that, she had to sit and try to put them away. She couldn't sleep on her stomach or side all night. Not with her boobs as big as they are.
She was currently sitting cross legged on the floor, trying to concentrate and focus. She tried the same thing as earlier in the day, looking for that part of her. It took a long time, but eventually she could feel it.
When she latched onto it, she focused on picturing the wings going away, like a shirt being hung up in a closet or something.
Almost immediately, she felt the weight disappear from her back and opened her eyes with a gasp.
Holy fuck that felt so good!
She fell backwards and just laid on the floor, never so grateful to feel cold wood beneath her back than she was right now.
"You did it." Vergil commented when he noticed she no longer had feathers.
"It was hard." She said. "Do you think I'll be able to do it on command?"
"With the right training and dedication, yes." He replied, coming over and offering a hand to help her up. "Think you can have them out tomorrow while we train? You need to get used to them."
"I was thinking the same thing, if my back isn't sore as shit." She said, taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. "For now though, I'm taking a long soak in that Jacuzzi tub..." she added on, putting her hands on her lower back and stretching it, chest poking forward.
"Before you do that..." He prompted her, voice sounding like she would like what he had to say next as he produced a Sharpie from his pocket, and it gave him a chance to move his gaze away from the ample bosom he felt himself drawn to... "You still up for signing your artwork?" He asked, using the marker to gesture to her general person.
Her face lit up, a big beaming smile spreading across her features.
"Hell yeah!" She cheered. "Want me to stand up or lay down? Might be easier for you if I lay down huh?"
"Whatever works for you." He said, popping the cap off the marker with a flick of his thumb before catching it in his free hand and sticking it onto the end of the container.
While he did that, Andorra turned to the couch and vaulted over the back of it, landing on the soft cushions in front.
"Ugh, shouldn't have done that." She groaned. She'd forgotten how sore her back and shoulders were...
"Perhaps we could hold off on the autograph, for now." Vergil suggested, offering a hand to her as he walked around the front of the couch like a normal person. "You should go soak and relax a bit. Tomorrow is going to be even more strenuous than usual."
"Yeah, probably so." She agreed, albeit reluctantly as she took the offered hand and, with his help, stood up.
She had expected him to let go as soon as she was stable on her feet, but when he didn't, she looked down at their hands, then back up to him with a confused look.
He slowly let go of her hand and turned away, coughing a bit to clear his throat. She could swear she saw a hint of redness on his cheeks.
"Something wrong?" She asked him, wondering what that was about just now.
"I...I just recalled what you had said this morning is all." He replied, sounding as though he were having a hard time finding words.
And now it was her turn to feel her skin flush red.
"Right... I thought we'd agreed to forget that." She mumbled, clearly embarrassed.
"Well... It's gotten me thinking..." He went on, still not quite looking at her. Instead, he chose to walk a few steps away, as though he needed space to think clearly.
"We've been focusing mostly on our training, and not much else, correct?"
"Uh-huh..." She replied, curious as she tilted her head.
"And we are...for all intents and purposes by human standards, engaged, yes?"
"Yah..." She replied.
"So, what if... In addition to our training, we also start, uh, perhaps working on being a couple?" He suggested. Why did he sound as though he was having a hard time? Was he worried she would reject him? Or was it just usual teenage anxiety when one confessed they liked another? Perhaps a combination?
Andorra, on the other hand, was trying to process what he just asked her.
She was confused, then happy, then elated, then worried, then back to being excited and nervous.
"I... I don't see why, um, why not." She managed to stumble out. "Us being close is supposed to be helpful, right?"
Vergil nodded before turning to face her. If there were any redness on his face before, it was gone now. Now he was calmer and could string together words more decently.
Not that he knew which ones to say at the moment... He was still a bit relieved and now nervous that they would taking this step now. It was not something he was used to.
Andorra was also at a loss for words for the time being. At least as far as this subject went.
"So...uh, I guess we should go and get ready for bed." She said. "Not, like together, but, uh... Oh crap, that's not what I meant, or maybe... I'm gonna go upstairs now..." She spluttered, going to turn away.
Only she misjudged how close she still was to the couch and smacked her foot right into it.
She didn't fall or stumble but the couch did move a good few inches.
God just open a hole in the ground and swallow her now...
Vergil, up until now, had never understood what the phrase "you're cute when you're flustered" meant until now.
And he let out a light chuckle.
"I apologize if I've made you distressed." He told her, smiling slightly as she turned to face him.
"It's just butterflies they'll go away." She said swiftly, this time watching where she was going as she moved around the couch.
Distance.
Distance was a good thing right now, before she made an even bigger fool of herself.
Vergil found her behavior a bit strange, but chalked it up to the 'butterflies' as she said.
He had to admit, he found himself feeling a bit off as well. Perhaps her butterflies had moved to him? Or awoken his own he didn't even realize he had until this moment?
At any rate, moving forward from now on would certainly be interesting...