Being dead was a one of a kind thing, you could say that death was another way of taking a resting or a really deep sleeping, at least for angels and demons.
Since Humans and other animals had heaven and hell as their end destination but between angels and demons, it was always theorized about what happened after their death.
Some believed they would become a star, shining brightly along with their fallen brethren and the other stars. Others believed that you simply just got erased from existence after you die, there was no heaven, hell or even purgatory for them. At least not of what they know of, no one had ever come back from the dead. At least not yet.
Crowley did not know how much time had passed or where he was nor did he really care about it, where ever he was, he felt at rest and at a peace, a feeling he had not felt in a long time.
There was not much he could do wherever he was, but sometimes he went through a few memories, they were a bit distant or he just wasn't focusing on it properly due to being caught in another wave of peace or sleepiness and had welcomed it.
Today, well whatever day it was, he decided he wanted to go through some available memories and picked one he felt was a good one, he rarely found a bad one but when he did, they were blurry and distant and quickly got blurrier and he quickly got out due to a weird shock.
…
He was flying through a big garden, his gaze looking down, searching for someone, he did not have to search long thankfully, as he flew down, he was greeted with three pairs of white wings that engulfed him along with a hug, laughing, he greeted the person with the three pairs of white wings, '' Samael, what are you doing?'' He said amused.
''Well this is how I greet my younger siblings, Raph and you, my dear younger sibling, is one of them,'' Samael answered smugly, extending one arm over him.
Ducking under the arm, he turned to Samael curiously, ''but why did you call for me? I do not think it was just to greet me, I was forced to cancel my promise to teach Uriel how to take care of some of the flowers so I could meet you here.'' He said, hoping for an answer.
Samael smiled smugly at him, ''do not worry, I would never waste your time brother, but this is what we have been waiting for! She accepted our request of taking the dark away and giving it colour!'' He said looking up, spreading his arms, excitedly smiling.
''She-she accepted it?'' He said surprised, excitement coming into his voice.
Nodding, Samael's smiled widened, ''Yes, she did! She said she would join us at some point and do something, I do not know what and I can't wait till we get started! Can we please get started now? We promised we would do it together, we can ask if the others want to join later, can we start now? Please,'' Samael confirmed and asked, giving a one of a kind puppy eyes.
''Yes, yes! I did not cancel anything to just stare at the ground, well I presume I can just go back and say 'let us go in the garden, nah, do not worry, I cancelled it just to realize I did not want to do it.'
Samael stared at him confused.
He began laughing, a twinkle in his eye, ''Shall we go my dear brother?'' He amusingly asked.
Samael smiled at him and motioned for him to follow and was about to before he remembered something.
''Wait!'' He said quickly.
Samael stopped and looked at him confused as to why he suddenly stopped.
''Before we go I want to give you something, I have wanted to give it for a while, but I-I kept delaying it, due to me being nervous or both of us not having time and forgetting, I know you gave me one but I also wanted to give one to you,'' he held out his hand, something green was laying on it as he rambled on.
Samael looked down at his hand, taking in, what was in it, contemplating with himself weather he should take it or not, unable to get a word out of his traitorous throat, he strongly pulled Raphael into a hug, silently but carefully taking a hold off the green object.
''a-are you sure?'' Samael tried to say, still unable to say anything, only those three words got out, continuing to hug him for a little while longer until he finally stepped back and looked at the green feather, smiling he said, ''well, honestly? I love it, thank you, little brother,''
''No problem Sam.''
''We should go and begin before well, you know,'' Lucifer tried after a comfortable silence.
Nodding, he agreed, motioning for Samael to follow him after Samael had placed the feather some where he could get it afterwards, he realized he did not know the way. He chuckled, finding amusement in it.
''What is it?'' Samael asked, curious as to why he chuckled.
''Well I-I motioned for you to follow so we could go but I just realized I did not know the way and yet I began moving away,'' he said between small laughs.
Samael looked dumbfounded at him, a smile slowly showing on his face, ''oh Raph, I cannot avoid loving your humour, what would we do without you?'' Samael said as he began flying away with him following behind, suddenly flying up beside him, ''probably something else, really, just do not, do not get so sad if something ever happened… Do not worry, nothing is going to happen, nothing will, trust me,'' he babbled.
…
As Crowley was in one of his memories, everything suddenly became a bit less focused again, he felt himself beginning to get a bit exhausted, trying to keep the good memory in focus, manging some of it.
…
''Are you ready?'' a voiced asked.
''Together,'' he answered.
''Together,'' the voice repeated.
A dark, quiet space was in front of them both, deciding to start with something so simple as different colours, they agreed to, instead of just making an orange dot here and a blue dot there, they decided to kind of push it together and mostly just hope for the best.
He held his left hand out to his side and waited for it to be taken and it did. Light suddenly filled both their hands, taking different forms and getting brighter until it looked as bright as a... A star, yes that sounded about right, that word. Throwing their hands out, the colour quickly swirled somewhere and what it did you could resemble to exploding yet it looked nothing like it, but it immediately 'exploded' And began forming some sort of pattern.
''You did it! Ha!''
''Well you also did it, it wasn't me alone you know,''
Smugly smiling he said, ''Well, what a star,'' tasting the new word, he continued, ''Morningstar.''
…
An abruptly force forced him out of a memory, it almost felt like a careful shove or pull he mused. He did not feel sleepy nor exhausted, it was something else then... But what?
There was nothing to see, all was still quiet, no noise either, it was all just dark and quiet, nothing else, he looked around again, still seeing nothing other than darkness until he looked closer, becoming brighter and brighter was what looked like a swirling white circle, wishing for him to come closer, promising things would change. For the better or worse it did not say. Flying? Walking closer to the swirling mass, he felt something warm reach out to him, he wantd to trust it he really did.
...
Screaming, all he heard was screaming, all on fire, no, no he was not on fire, falling, no, being pulled painfully. he did not feel anything, he could only see, watch, and listen to it all.
Something on his side began aching painfully, copying what he was seeing. A memory something supplied him, his memory. The pain in his side began aching more painfully, it probably was not only his side hurting. Biting back a scream as a light engulfed him, trying to sooth him, claiming they would meet again.
...
''What? How? Why?!'' Someone exclaimed terrified.
As the mass finally revealed a location but it was not a location, it was words, written if someone was hurrying to write it and close to forgetting what they were writing:
Zira, it's me? I'm sorry, Crowle-
''Crowley, Crowley! Oh no, no, no. He-he would not, not...'' Aziraphale protested to himself, looking up, fear for the first time visible on his face.
Everyone stood quietly, not doing anything else,
''Are we sure it works on demons?'' Pepper slowly said, hope visible in her voice.
''I-I don't know, it should but-but I honestly don't know,'' Anathema stammered, unsure if it even worked.
The writing in the bowl looked and resembled Crowley's writing but how could he be sure? It could just be a trick, made by who? Hell? Heaven? No, no it could not be heaven, they would not care about Crowley, except if he were smitten. Could it have been hell? But how could he be sure? Crowley would not just wander around or get napped, last time he did get kidnapped, they were both meant to get kidnapped, only so they would not be bothered anymore by both sides. Well it appears to be a failure with hell, he hoped heaven was not involved in it, oh lord, why did she have to do it? Why him?
Aziraphale sighed, looking up he saw everyone else looking either with worry or sympathy.
Thinking about trying to say something, he opened his mouth.
No words came out.
''Are-are you sure it is his writing?''
Somehow finding his voice, he answered, ''Yes-yes, I am sadly quite sure it is his writing. I have known him for thousands of years; we have worked together for most of them but still, it was my fault for not realizing our friendship sooner.''
''Is there a chance we know for certain he is not what we have been implying for the last few minutes, maybe this is just a sick joke he made for. For… I do not know.'' Adam speculated poorly.
''Can we not well, I do not know, ask someone who can clarify if...''
Someone knocked on the door.
Again, Knock, knock.
The Them, Anathema, newt and Aziraphale stood for a moment listening, a hope swelled up in Aziraphale's chest before Anathema, Newt and he went to answer the door.
As Anathema, who reached the door first, opened it only to see who they guessed to be a really late mailman driving away quickly.
On the doorstep laid a small letter, it looked old but well-kept in shape, a name was written in a classy old writing. Agnes Nutter writing.
'Oh no,' Aziraphale heard Anathema quietly mumble to herself as he bended down to pick up the letter, inspecting it slowly before following the witch and former witch hunter back to the living room where the Them had went and sat down, this time taking the couch and chair, well Dog had taken the chair.
''Who was at the door?'' Adam asked.
''You know, just the mailman carrying yet another thing from Agnes.'' Anathema informed an edge to her voice.
'Eh' Aziraphale said as he tried to hand the letter to Anathema, she shook her head motioning for Aziraphale to read it.
As they had made them selves as comfortable as they could at the moment, he began reading the letter aloud.
As ye did not expect me to write thy a letter, dis different. Ye're friend, thy demon has sadly passed, I am sorry for it is I who has to giveth thee message all thee way back from 1656. Fear not foolish angel, ye are strong like a fyre and shall not needth to worry much longer. He will come in front of thy see through brick, be wary, he has thy answers.
Your dearest Agnes Nutter.
See his eyes, ye foolish angel.
As he finished reading, he looked up to see the shocked and surprised faces of Anathema and Newt, he looked at them confused,
''What?''
''Did she just,'' Newt said, looking surprised at Anathema.
''Yeah, I think she did,'' She answered.
Still not getting what they were implying, he turned and looked at the Them, who did not know who Agnes was. ''She was flirting with you!'' Adam informed him, beginning to laugh with the Them.
''Oh dear.'' Aziraphale murmured.
''Well what do you guys think she meant with 'he will come in front of thy see through brick.'' Anathema questioned after Aziraphale had gotten what they were saying.
''I believe she would be talking about me, young lady.'' A dark figure said, standing in front of a window.
The people immediately tensed up from the new sudden appearance.
''Death.'' Aziraphale acknowledge, a worried edge to his voice, ready to defend his friends, he stood in front of the Them and looked death in the eyes. ''what are you doing here? I assure you no one has died. At least not here anyway,'' He asked.
''Or hello as some people would say,'' Death said.
What are you doing here?'' Aziraphale repeated.
Death ignored him and proceed to look around the room and the other occupants, his gaze lasting a second longer on Adam before looking at Aziraphale with a mysterious twinkle in his almost none visible eyes and said, ''to answer some questions,'' He said lazily.
''About what?'' Adam asked, still having nerves to ask death and not go hiding immediately afterwards. Death looked down at the former antichrist.
''I think you and your friends know the answer young boy,'' Death answered.
''Crowley,'' it was a whisper but loud enough so death could hear it, with or without supernatural senses.
''Your old friend is not here anymore, besides that is not his true name nor did the spell you performed fully work, you got through but not fully.'' Death informed.
A silence fell over six of the occupants in the room while the other simply waited, ever patient.
''Before you ask why or any other questions, you all should know by now that names have power, some more than others. The given name or those you use to hide or disguise something.''
Yet another silence filled the room.
''Does that mean what I think it does... W-'' Anathema slowly stated before being interrupted.
''Yes.''
''Wait your real name is not death?''
''Yes.''
''Crowley's real name isn-''
''Yes.''
''Then if your real name is not death, then what is it?'' Adam suddenly asked.
''You already know the answer, all of you yet again. You should know this Aziraphale,'' Death answered.
Aziraphale was about to say something about how he did not know but if he supposedly knew, he was not sure if he should say it. ''What about Crowley's?'' A quiet voice piped up.
''That is not for me to tell young one. Crowley is who he is and is who he was and is who he will always be.'' Death confusingly replied after mumbling something about 'meeting all' and 'always saying who you were old friend.'
''I believe it is time for me to go now, we shall see each other in the future,'' Death said with a mysterious gilt in his eyes, ''Should children this age not be asleep by now?'' He continued before disappearing.
A small pause came in the room.
''Well do not sit there, d-death was right it is almost 12 am (24)'' Anathema suddenly said, guiding the annoyed Them towards the door.
''We will come back tomorrow, goodnight!'' Adam said before being hurtled outside by Dog,
''I will be back in a few minutes, by the way Aziraphale, if you want you can stay here for the night, we have a spare room,'' Anathema said.
''Thank you for the nice offer, I-I think I can stay for the night but I do not need sleep, is it okay if I use the living room to read for the night?''
Anathema nodded before following the Them home.
…
After Anathema had come back, she and Newt bid Aziraphale goodnight and went in for the night. Aziraphale sat down in the living room couch and decided to miracle a book from his bookshop so he could read during the night instead of dwelling over his many thoughts.
(sorry a bit rushed I know)
…
It was during the late noon, and the Them had returned as they promised the night earlier.
All seven of them were discussing in the garden about what death had said and what they could and would do now, when a sudden rush of a strong power blew past them, so near and strong that any human in the near 50 mile radius would have felt something. Aziraphale looked up as did the others.
''What was that?'' Anathema asked.
''It looks like someone is falling… Like a meteor towards the... The forest of all places, we should probably go and look,'' Pepper said.
Nodding the group of humans and an angel went over to the forest in a hurry.
They met that angry old man, as he was walking his dog. Ignoring his silly remarks about running in the streets, they continued.
When they reached the forest, they did not expect to see a person laying on the ground looking dizzy, but that was what greeted them when they arrived, they inspected the man lying on the ground. When he suddenly looked up at them, he said shocked and surprised, ''Aziraphale,'' before he passed out.
''What the-