Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
Chapter 13: Redemption
Angel sat on his bed, cheeks moist with tears, body covered in new bruises. Lenore had never been that abusive towards him, she was always such a kind and caring guardian. He slumped slightly, hunched over his growling stomach, wings tense and shaking. Mogget watched from the desk, amused, eyes examining the once favored waltz, cowering from the abuse Lenore had dealt as punishment, glossy feathers beginning to molt in ugly clumps from stress and built-up magic.
She had locked him up in his room for nearly eight days now after she had brought him back from the Black Mage Village, not even letting him out to relieve himself. Angel looked across the room at a potted plant that had served as his temporary latrine, the leaves starting to turn yellow and splotched brown, the ends looking as though someone had taken a match to them. How could be so cruel? Why!?
"God damn it!" he cursed and tore at the sheets, rabidly attacking the matress, clawing and ripping at them with all his frenzied might, wanting out. The deafening silence, his own destructive energy, pent up and held back, his pain and hunger, that fucking cat! Angel turned to Mogget, eyes narrowed. The cat licked her paw nonchalantly, ignoring the waltz's compulsive mood swings, which usually went between sorrow and anger.
"I just wanted to explore..." he murmured to the room, beginning to collect his wits and stopping himself for a moment. "That isn't bad. Why is Lenore doing this?"
"Conditioning," a soft voice said through the door. Angel forced his head up, eyes wide in fear and wonder. The lock clicked open and Lenore walked in, her stride as confident and cool as ever. She slipped the key into her pocket, hand still on the knob, and looked around the room. Several lumps of feathers littered the ground as did frazzles of torn and ripped bedclothes. Lenore looked up to Angel, and a look of concern passed over her features, but she quickly hid this maternal instinct. "You look awful."
'I haven't eaten in eight days and I've been in here with nothing but that stupid cat!' Angel thought bitterly, tears stinging his eyes.
"I know it seems harsh, but there's something you've proved to me, that you're loyal, and you know what you did," Lenore cooed. Angel grumbled slightly. "I know you knew you could had blasted through that door any moment you wanted to, but you waited for me to let you out, isn't that right?"
The waltz nodded slowly. Lenore tried to force a smile, but was unable. She could feel the magic tension building up inside Angel's bones, uncontrolled and waiting for the smallest outlet. 'That's what I want,' she nodded. 'For him to be completely ready, itching for a kill.'
"Well, let's get you cleaned up," Lenore said affectionately. "We have a wedding to go to."
Angel looked away from his knees and to the girl.
"Why'd you hit me? Why'd you lock me up in here?" he sniffled.
"Because, I need you to have that anger," Lenore said. "You'll need it for your first job."
"A job? Me?" he asked.
"Yes, a very important one at that." Lenore nodded. "Now go grab yourself another set of clothes and get cleaned up. We'll be leaving fairly soon."
The waltz complied, not even bringing up his empty stomach. Lenore smiled at the Angel's obedience and added, "You can have a small meal on the way there. But not too much, it'll make you tired and slow."
Angel hobbled out of the bed, his knees buckling as though he was using them for the first time. But Lenore went to his side and offered him a hand. The small waltz took the assistance greedily, clinging to her arm and not wanting to let go. She removed his hat and ran her fingers through his slightly greasy black hair. "Alright, come on, we'll get you a bath then we'll go ahead and leave, okay?"
Angel nodded, beginning to rely on Lenore less and less as they continued walking, but still clung to her arm with childish fervor, feeling contented while she was near.
Lenore sat outside the lavatory as Angel finished his bath, toying with her hair, running her long and slender fingers through it gently, nervously. 'Is he really ready to take on this kind of mission?' she asked herself, looking to the door. The others had failed at this task, to dispose of Zidane and party. How could she know Angel would be different? Because they trust him as Vivi. He can use that to his advantage. She sighed and leaned against the wall, her lavender robes spread out like a great, delicate wave around her. Angel jostled the handle and stepped out, wearing an outfit similar to his old one, though the small stitch that held his coat together was replaced by four brass buttons.
"Wonderful," Lenore said, running her hand over his wing. She winced as she noted the several patches of velvety black skin exposed by his molting, but got past it easily. "Grab your things and we'll be on our way."
Angel nodded and ran to his room, grabbing his sickle and jogging back as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Lenore smiled and began heading for the dragons' stables. As she got on her mount, she looked to Angel as he tensed and flexed his wings several times.
"What on Gaia are you doing?" Lenore asked. "You're riding up here with me."
Angel looked up to her in surprise.
"R-really?"
"Have I lied to you before?" Lenore retorted.
Angel quickly scrambled up onto the dragon's back.
"Okay, hold on now," Lenore directed as she kicked the dragon's sides like a horse. The beast reared up and growled, spreading his wings. Angel wrapped his arms around Lenore's waist from behind, pressing his wings nervously against his back. He didn't like the idea of not being able to control how fast and how high he was flying. With a loud flap, the dragon took to the air forcefully, beating his wings fiercely and proudly.
Angel watched as the ground passed by below them, sand shifting into ocean and remaining that constant, omnipresent blue. Lenore stood on the back of her dragon, arms crossed, completely at ease. She noticed Angel's disconcerning silence and decided to break it.
"Come on, stand up now, it's nice to feel the wind throw your hair," Lenore sighed, spreading her arms to the sky in a smooth movement. Angel shifted his wings.
"N-No thanks," he mumbled.
"Alright, I suppose you know more than I do about that," she chuckled. "So what are you going to do when you get to Alexandria?"
"I don't know..." Angel murmured.
"You mean you're not planning anything?" Lenore asked, surprised.
"I didn't think I'd be able to go around by myself." Angel replied.
"Of course you are," Lenore said, looking to the midafternoon sky. "But I need you to do me one favor. Otherwise I'm afraid I'll have nothing more to do with you."
"What?" he murmured. "W-what do you mean?"
"You past disobediences haven't been forgotten, nor completely forgiven," Lenore snapped, turning her gaze evilly backwards. "If you complete this small task I ask, all will be forgiven. But if you should fail---"
She paused a moment for effect.
"I'm afraid I'll have nothing more to do with you and you'll be fending for yourself from then on," Lenore said grimly.
Angel looked at his weapon.
"Okay," he nodded. "I'll do it!"
"And try to keep your cover," Lenore said. "You won't be able to get anywhere near the wedding if you start killing people as soon as you walk in. Just, try to keep calm, enjoy yourself a little before the ceremony."
The waltz gave another small nod.
"I'll be there up until the actual wedding, so I'm trusting you to your best instincts pet," Lenore warned. "I'm not going to be there to give you directions the whole way through."
"I can do it by myself," Angel said proudly. Lenore smiled and gave him a small pat on the wing.
"Good," she said with a grin.
Chapter 13: Redemption
Angel sat on his bed, cheeks moist with tears, body covered in new bruises. Lenore had never been that abusive towards him, she was always such a kind and caring guardian. He slumped slightly, hunched over his growling stomach, wings tense and shaking. Mogget watched from the desk, amused, eyes examining the once favored waltz, cowering from the abuse Lenore had dealt as punishment, glossy feathers beginning to molt in ugly clumps from stress and built-up magic.
She had locked him up in his room for nearly eight days now after she had brought him back from the Black Mage Village, not even letting him out to relieve himself. Angel looked across the room at a potted plant that had served as his temporary latrine, the leaves starting to turn yellow and splotched brown, the ends looking as though someone had taken a match to them. How could be so cruel? Why!?
"God damn it!" he cursed and tore at the sheets, rabidly attacking the matress, clawing and ripping at them with all his frenzied might, wanting out. The deafening silence, his own destructive energy, pent up and held back, his pain and hunger, that fucking cat! Angel turned to Mogget, eyes narrowed. The cat licked her paw nonchalantly, ignoring the waltz's compulsive mood swings, which usually went between sorrow and anger.
"I just wanted to explore..." he murmured to the room, beginning to collect his wits and stopping himself for a moment. "That isn't bad. Why is Lenore doing this?"
"Conditioning," a soft voice said through the door. Angel forced his head up, eyes wide in fear and wonder. The lock clicked open and Lenore walked in, her stride as confident and cool as ever. She slipped the key into her pocket, hand still on the knob, and looked around the room. Several lumps of feathers littered the ground as did frazzles of torn and ripped bedclothes. Lenore looked up to Angel, and a look of concern passed over her features, but she quickly hid this maternal instinct. "You look awful."
'I haven't eaten in eight days and I've been in here with nothing but that stupid cat!' Angel thought bitterly, tears stinging his eyes.
"I know it seems harsh, but there's something you've proved to me, that you're loyal, and you know what you did," Lenore cooed. Angel grumbled slightly. "I know you knew you could had blasted through that door any moment you wanted to, but you waited for me to let you out, isn't that right?"
The waltz nodded slowly. Lenore tried to force a smile, but was unable. She could feel the magic tension building up inside Angel's bones, uncontrolled and waiting for the smallest outlet. 'That's what I want,' she nodded. 'For him to be completely ready, itching for a kill.'
"Well, let's get you cleaned up," Lenore said affectionately. "We have a wedding to go to."
Angel looked away from his knees and to the girl.
"Why'd you hit me? Why'd you lock me up in here?" he sniffled.
"Because, I need you to have that anger," Lenore said. "You'll need it for your first job."
"A job? Me?" he asked.
"Yes, a very important one at that." Lenore nodded. "Now go grab yourself another set of clothes and get cleaned up. We'll be leaving fairly soon."
The waltz complied, not even bringing up his empty stomach. Lenore smiled at the Angel's obedience and added, "You can have a small meal on the way there. But not too much, it'll make you tired and slow."
Angel hobbled out of the bed, his knees buckling as though he was using them for the first time. But Lenore went to his side and offered him a hand. The small waltz took the assistance greedily, clinging to her arm and not wanting to let go. She removed his hat and ran her fingers through his slightly greasy black hair. "Alright, come on, we'll get you a bath then we'll go ahead and leave, okay?"
Angel nodded, beginning to rely on Lenore less and less as they continued walking, but still clung to her arm with childish fervor, feeling contented while she was near.
Lenore sat outside the lavatory as Angel finished his bath, toying with her hair, running her long and slender fingers through it gently, nervously. 'Is he really ready to take on this kind of mission?' she asked herself, looking to the door. The others had failed at this task, to dispose of Zidane and party. How could she know Angel would be different? Because they trust him as Vivi. He can use that to his advantage. She sighed and leaned against the wall, her lavender robes spread out like a great, delicate wave around her. Angel jostled the handle and stepped out, wearing an outfit similar to his old one, though the small stitch that held his coat together was replaced by four brass buttons.
"Wonderful," Lenore said, running her hand over his wing. She winced as she noted the several patches of velvety black skin exposed by his molting, but got past it easily. "Grab your things and we'll be on our way."
Angel nodded and ran to his room, grabbing his sickle and jogging back as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Lenore smiled and began heading for the dragons' stables. As she got on her mount, she looked to Angel as he tensed and flexed his wings several times.
"What on Gaia are you doing?" Lenore asked. "You're riding up here with me."
Angel looked up to her in surprise.
"R-really?"
"Have I lied to you before?" Lenore retorted.
Angel quickly scrambled up onto the dragon's back.
"Okay, hold on now," Lenore directed as she kicked the dragon's sides like a horse. The beast reared up and growled, spreading his wings. Angel wrapped his arms around Lenore's waist from behind, pressing his wings nervously against his back. He didn't like the idea of not being able to control how fast and how high he was flying. With a loud flap, the dragon took to the air forcefully, beating his wings fiercely and proudly.
Angel watched as the ground passed by below them, sand shifting into ocean and remaining that constant, omnipresent blue. Lenore stood on the back of her dragon, arms crossed, completely at ease. She noticed Angel's disconcerning silence and decided to break it.
"Come on, stand up now, it's nice to feel the wind throw your hair," Lenore sighed, spreading her arms to the sky in a smooth movement. Angel shifted his wings.
"N-No thanks," he mumbled.
"Alright, I suppose you know more than I do about that," she chuckled. "So what are you going to do when you get to Alexandria?"
"I don't know..." Angel murmured.
"You mean you're not planning anything?" Lenore asked, surprised.
"I didn't think I'd be able to go around by myself." Angel replied.
"Of course you are," Lenore said, looking to the midafternoon sky. "But I need you to do me one favor. Otherwise I'm afraid I'll have nothing more to do with you."
"What?" he murmured. "W-what do you mean?"
"You past disobediences haven't been forgotten, nor completely forgiven," Lenore snapped, turning her gaze evilly backwards. "If you complete this small task I ask, all will be forgiven. But if you should fail---"
She paused a moment for effect.
"I'm afraid I'll have nothing more to do with you and you'll be fending for yourself from then on," Lenore said grimly.
Angel looked at his weapon.
"Okay," he nodded. "I'll do it!"
"And try to keep your cover," Lenore said. "You won't be able to get anywhere near the wedding if you start killing people as soon as you walk in. Just, try to keep calm, enjoy yourself a little before the ceremony."
The waltz gave another small nod.
"I'll be there up until the actual wedding, so I'm trusting you to your best instincts pet," Lenore warned. "I'm not going to be there to give you directions the whole way through."
"I can do it by myself," Angel said proudly. Lenore smiled and gave him a small pat on the wing.
"Good," she said with a grin.