Misjudged Fates
Chapter 16, Woot!
By Forgetful
The steps were cut directly into the chalk-like face, so that it came up as walls, sealing them in. Quatre dragged his hand along the right hand wall as he climbed. His hand was never white, even though dust fell onto the steps, it never collected on his palm. The church had disappeared a long time before then, the crack through which they could just make out the crucifix was gone. Thanks to the monotony of climbing and the surrounding colours (being white and grey, and white...and grey.) his mind pounced on the chance to scan over the events of the past few weeks. Or was it simply days? It'd all seemed to have merged into one indecipherable splodge in his head. He supposed it began with his father, everything seemed to lead back to that man. And then he'd met Trowa...
Trowa. He glanced over to the mysterious angel. The staircase was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and so they walked single file, Trowa was just ahead of him. This was the reason that no-one else, including Quatre, noticed the openning in the rock until it was too late.
" Ah!" The wall he'd been leaning on suddenly dissapated, and like the landing of stairs in Hell's Palace, gave way to a flat expanse. Quatre only noticed the flat floor though, as he found himself approaching it rapidly before those familiar arms encircled him and narrowly prevented his painful fall.
" Are you alright?" Trowa asked him. Quatre just looked up at him dumbly, until Duo whistled his appreciation.
The blond span round to reprimand the braided boy, but he wasn't fast enough to tell wether he'd been teasing them, or just admiring the view. And what a view! They seemed so high, and yet the atmosphere was so easy to be in. Around them was a sea of white, that met with a clash the pale blue sky at the 'horizon'. The sea could have been clouds, or rock, or shining water. None of them could tell.
" It's beautiful." Quatre breathed. "Are we at the coast Trowa?"
" You could say that Q!" Duo flung his arms around the blond's shoulders, completely ignoring the fact that the queston was directed at someone else."But don't go swimmming, 'cause if you jump in there you'll be falling for eternity." Quatre's eyes widened, and Heero who'd been silent throughout the whole journey decided to question the angels.
" How far are we from Heaven?"
" We'll need to travel for about two more hours, and then we'll reach the gates." Trowa replied impassively. Heero frowned.
" The gates?" He queried.
" Oh man the gates! I forgot we'd be going through there. Since I fell I never went through them...Hey Trowa? You did tell Zechs I fell, right?" Duo blabbered, surprisingly, Trowa seemed to be able to keep up pretty easily.
" Yes Duo. And in answer to your question Heero, the gates are a crossing. Mortals that come into Heaven go through the Pearl Gate. Angels, and in this case Demons, go through the Moonstone Gates. There are nine gates in all." Trowa sounded as though he were reciting from a textbook, which Quatre supposed he might be. He didnt know about or if Heaven had a school system.
" What are the other gates, do they all lead somewhere? Why have so many?" Quatre asked eagerly.
" There is one which leads to Hell, is there not? The Topaz Gate." Wufei's unexpected voice cut through Quatre's questioning, to be answered by Trowa once more. He didn't think he'd spoken so much in his life.
" Topaz, Gate of Trauma and Desperation. Yes, it leads to Hell. There's also the Sodalite Gate, Gate of inner peace and the gate all dead angels pass through. The Jasper Gate; One that leads to Eden, where God is said to reside alone. The Amber Gate which leads to the Angelic council's halls. There they shall decide your fates. The Celestite Gate; leading to the Unknown Realms of Heaven. Amethyst, Leading to the libraries and scholars of Heaven. And Haematite..." He trailed off, leaving a heavy silence.
" What is beyond the Haematite Gate?" Heero pressed.
" Death, War. The Gate there is one of imbalance and unwant, a Gate of Trickery. It will lead you to the War between Heaven and Hell, if it feels like it. If not, it will leave you to wander the halls of nowhere forever, much like the drop here." He gestured vaguely to the rolling seas before them.
Quatre broke the silence of thought, deciding it wasn't one he was comfortable with.
" We should eat something here, to make it easier to face climbing more of those stairs." He offered, taking the pack of Heero's back. Duo groaned his protests.
" What! More stairs? I thought we were already there..."
" No, there's still two more landing stages like this one. Besides, I already said we still had two more hours of climbing." Trowa answered.
" No, you said two more hours 'till we got to Heaven. I guess I just liked the idea of not having my legs turn to jelly because I bent them up and down too long!" Duo was quickly silenced, and his mood improved once they'd gotten some food into him. Even though he did complain endlessly once they started up the climb again.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The two angels stood beyond the gate, watching, scrying, spying on the travellers. A gloved hand waved over the picture and it was gone.
" I never thought I'd see him again." A male voice pondered, smooth and light.
" No, but God works in mysterious ways, even if not directly." The other, also male, replied. He walked toward the Gate, which was a beautiful translucent white, and laid his palm to it.
" I have a lot to thank the Lord for. I never thought...I wonder if he remembers me?"
" Who, God?" They exchanged smiles.
" You know I didn't mean God. I meant him." The picture came back to life, playing in a scrying pool that was one of many among the pillars and marble. An empty hall that carried on and on and on and on...
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
They reached the second landing within the hour, and it had seemed to the whole party that the steps were getting steeper.
" I really hate stairs." Duo groaned and leaned back onto the wall, a dramatic hand to his forhead.
" Trowa, do any others use these stairs?" Wufei asked, a look of pure irritation on his face.
" It is very unusual to run into others on the Stair, but they are there and will be climbing either ahead or behind us." Trowa replied.
" So if we wait at a landing we might meet some people? I'd like to talk to someone who doesn't know where I'm from, just to meet someone from Heaven without them hating me." Quatre explained. He was looking over his shoulder, and noted that Wufei was doing the same thing. " I don't see anyone."
" No, I've never heard of a case where two people who didn't set off together met on the Stair."
" I heard this one guy started climbing before his friend, and then his friend started climbing five minutes later, but they couldn't see eachother. The guy who set off first said he'd waited twenty minutes for the other guy, and that guy said he'd never stopped. They met at the top, but didn't see eachother exit the Stair." Duo put in his worth, retelling the story that he'd probably told to merchants in the streets as a snip of gossip. Trowa nodded thoughtfully.
" Either way, I don't think waiting at a landing for too long is a good idea. No two people see them in the same place, and so it's guessed that they move, or disappear." At this point, three of the group stepped back onto the steps and eyed the flat land warilly." We should move on."
" I'll be right behind you, I just need to adjust this damn mortal contraption." Wufei replied, setting the backpack down and fiddling with the buckles.
" I'll wait with ya buddy, after all those stories it wouldn't be safe to go places along right?" Wufei rolled his eyes, but accepted the idea, and soon the others were beyond sight, behind the stair's chalk wall.
" Duo?" Trowa's voice floated down the steps.
" Yeah, me and Fei are almost done, just coming T-man!" Duo yelled back happilly.
" My name is WUfei, Maxwell. Not 'Fei'." Wufei growled.
" Alrighty Wuffles, whatever you say!" The braided baka grinned.
" Duo!" The call came again.
" I said we're coming!" He shouted, slightly annoyed.
" Just come here Duo!" He rolled his eyes.
" I'll be right around the corner Wu-man!" And with that he disappeared onto the steps. Wufei growled and stood up.
Duo searched the stairs and scratched his head. There was no-one there, but he was sure he'd heard Trowa call.
" Trowa? Hey T-man, whaddya' want?" He called, slightly worried. When he got no reply he rounded the corner to ask Wufei." Hey W'Fei, you heard that call didn't you?" When he got no answer to that either, he panicked.
" Guys? Anyone! Helloooo! Ah Hell, please don't say I'm on my own please, please...YAH!" A ghostly touch on his shoulder made him yelp and spin round, going down a couple of steps and into a fighting stance.
" Ah Trowa, don't do that! You scared me shitless!" Quatre laughed lightly and Trowa smiled. " I thought you'd all gone and left me." He beamed.
" Where's Wufei?" The group turned to face Heero.
" Um..."
XxxxxxxxxxX
Wufei dropped the pack when he was trapped from behind, his arms pinned to his side by arms that encircled his lower chest. He struggled, pulling with all his strength against whoever, whatever, had him. He froze when it kissed his cheek and then fought more visciously.
" Let go of me you twisted thing! Don't you know it's dishonourable to sneek up on a man when his back is turned!" Wufei cried, vainly attempting to elbow his attacker. Light laughter came from behind him.
" You haven't changed a bit." he was released suddenly and turned to face, with a sudden thought, the man behind him.
" Treize?" He asked in an incredibly quiet voice.
" Hello again Wufei." The refined young man replied. "It's been a long time since we two spoke like this." Wufei's hand was to his mouth, trying to hide the fact that it was hanging open.
" But...But I saw you die. You died Treize. I can't believe...You're not him, you can't be. This is Heaven's cruel trick, or has Satan caught up with us so quickly? I refuse to believe you are him, how dare you dishonour his memory like this!" Wufei stopped ranting as 'Treize' walked toward him, he backed up until he felt the all-to-solid wall behind him. Treize loosly took hold of both the chinese boy's arms and held him there.
" Just listen to me Dragon, please?" Wufei thought it over, taking into consideration his position and what information Heaven had.
" Fine." He caved."But if I find you arn't him, don't expect to live." Treize smiled, and brushed a stray strand of hair behind Wufei's ear.
" When I died, I died for you. That shot I took, it was meant for the only sorcerer left in Hell, they would stop at nothing to make sure that sorcerer was gone. Though I knew this, I thought that if I took it, you would have time, just a few seconds, to get away. To live. I'm glad that you took those seconds, that my life wasn't given in vain." Wufei was silent, studying the floor and the dust at his feet.
" That doesn't explain why you're here now."
" No, and yet it does. I died for you, don't you see? That self sacrifice was all God needed to give me another chance. He let me come up here, to Heaven, with the promise that one day, you would come back to me. And now I'm thanking everyone and thing that I know of that you're here." Treize finished.
" You're in Heaven...as an honourary angel?" Treize nodded.
" Do you believe me?" Tears began to well up in the eyes of the Dragon warrior, and he threw himself into the arms of Treize the 'Angel'. " It's alright, I'm here now. I won't leave you like that again. I promise." Once the initial shock was over, Wufei pulled back and roughly scrubbed his eyes, effectively ridding himself of the incriminating tears.
" I'm sorry, I shouldn't show such weakness, but...Treize. I didn't think I could go on! I was left alone, and they blamed me for your death. I would never, I couldn't forgive myself. But now, I will make it up to you. And that's my promise." Treize pulled him close and kissed him, bringing his hands up to cup tanned cheeks.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
" I swear this is not my fault!" Duo exclaimed, waving his hands franticly in front of his face. Heero, finding it to be an effective method, took hold of both wrists and kissed the lips of the Fallen Angel. Hard. The others were searching the landing, which was, incidently, empty. None of them could find the demon, and as they were close to Heaven, Trowa was worried, which means he blinked a mili-second quicker than usual.
" We know it wasn't your fault Duo." He reasoned. "None of us called you, which leads me to believe another Angel had a hand in this. If Wufei is clever he'll carry on climbing, and will meet us at the top. There's nothing we can do but hope he'll be there." The others nodded in solemn acceptance, and began to grimly climb once more.
:Picture a clock going really fast. There you go! We're now an hour later:
An hour later :grin: bright light washed over the group who had previously been diluted by shade. The stairs had gone, spreading out until they were no more. Looking back, one could only see the unblemished marble floor. It was rose-pink, with a penticle made out of white and grey marble seemingly carved into it. And, around the edge of the penticle's circle, were nine huge doors.
" The Gates?" Quatre asked quietly.
" Yes." Trowa replied, taking the small boy's hand. Hoping it wasn't all too daunting for the Hell-brothers. Heero, who'd managed to detatch himself from Duo after the kiss that had acted as a silencer, surveyed the scene before him. He could sense they were very much like the Portals Hell used. However, instead of coming out of the natural scenery, these were giant, solid Gates made from precious stones. Behind them was nothing, giving the impression they led nowhere but into the sea-like clouds. They just rose up out of the pentacle, alone and stern, like ancient giants. He felt oddly drawn to an orangy-copper coloured Gate. It was old and unused, and had carvings and wards of sealing all over it. Even as a person who used no magic he could see them. The Topaz Gate. His mind supplied. The way to Hell...Home. His eyes lazily followed the other Gates, acknowledging their colours and images, but always his gaze flicked back to the Topaz Gate. He barely even noitced the deceptive little door crammed between Gates of the colours Blue and White, but once he knew hat it was, he avoided it.
" The Haematite Gate." He started as Duo's hand wound it's way up to his shoulder."You don't like the idea of that Gate, do you?" The Angel asked, kneading Heero's shoulders.
" Hn." Was the only response he got, and Duo was annoyed. So much for him opening up...
" He's here!" Quatre's joyous cry alerted them all to Wufei's return, along with someone else.
" Glad to see you returned, demon." Trowa greeted, going down on one knee." General." He nodded to the man behind the chinese boy.
" Get up Angel, if anything I should be bowing to you, not the other way around.' Heero's ears pricked up, had he heard right? Turning slowly, he came to the sight of...
" Kushranada?"
" Prince Heero?"
" You died, what did the Superior Siblings 1 do this time? Resurrect you?" Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously.
" No, far from it, I got off on a catch. Thanks to Wufei." One glance to the demon showed him to be blushing profusely. Treize seemed unaffected though, and continued standing and smiling politely.
" Heero, who is this 'Kushranada'?" Quatre piped up uncertainly, gripping Trowa's hand tightly. Heero shook his head; of couse Quatre wouldn't know. The sweet boy wanted nothing to do with death, and this man had everything to do with it.
" He was a general, in the war, on our side. We used to sparr, but he died in battle. Valiently, I heard, protecting our Sorcerer. Meet General Treize Kushranada, leader of our forces, or what used to be ours anyway." Heero waved a hand in Treize's general direction.
" Pleased to meet you, I assume, Prince Quatre?" He gave a slight bow, looking genuinly interested in what they all had to say.
" Yes. I'm charmed, but...If you died, what was the 'catch' that saved you from the Beyond?2" Quatre's face crinckled adorably as he tried to figure out how an act so impossible had been acheived.
" I took an attack meant for Wufei, because I love him." Silence. " God decided that was enough to give me a second chance. Before we go on, I must get you to a safer location. I believe there is someone here eager to meet you all." The white gate, made from Moonstone, began to open with the horrendous noise of a train crash and a Heavenly choir mixed into one. Through the noise and the lights, they all squinted to make out the advancing figure. One who was tall with long platinum hair. Duo's face lit up.
" Zechs!"
Whew. Well that took me a whole day. Writing on and off, and whoah, did I just write out a whole chapter of crap that wasn't planned? That's right people, I did it again. At this point my plan of this fic says Trowa and Duo should be talking to the high council, and they both get banished to Earth, but now it's a whole new twist. I get to condemn people again! WOOT! Okay, no. This is not just going to be a replay of events in Hell, however I might have to drag a cookie old bat up to Heaven to lighten the mood. :grin:
Maikeru: Whatever. This is a lot more fun than usual. I get to torture the plot bunnies and get ideas out of them, as Forgetful has none of her own, OW:holds aching head:
Forgetful: I do too have ideas. And don't bring the plot bunnies in here, you know they chew the couch.
Shoichi: And they're scary!
:End on face-vault silence:
1 Superior Siblings-referring to God and Satan.
2 Beyond-where Demons and Angels go when they die, the empty void that is life after life after death. As in Treize's case, Demons can move up to Heaven after death after life, but only through self sacrifice or another selfless deed.