Improper Guardian

Chapter Thirty One

By: Brenli

Nyssa heard the soft knock on her door and bade the visitor to step in. She felt mixed feelings as Nema entered. This awkwardness around the leader of the Revolution was something she rather wished she did not feel, but it was there. For Nema had ruined Rujiel. Even if it was truly an accident, and Nyssa would grudgingly admit that must have been the truth… the point was Nema had still ruined Rujiel. "… Where's your crown?" She asked plainly, returning to examining her sword.

"I left it at Isobelle's shrine." Nema returned in the same tone. She stood at the door, obviously not feeling welcome. "… I came for a report on today's activities… Raphael had a more to fix up than usual."

"Yes, well while we were trying to find an alternate route to the bases we kept meeting up with what was pretty much a WALL of defense…" Nyssa couldn't help but smile a little. "They're afraid of us, that's for sure. But that means that the only way to them if you want to attack is through the Rabbit Fields. There's no stopping that."

"… So should I attack them, then?"

"You're asking me?" Nyssa looked to her from the corner of her eye.

"I have an opportunity to ask for a professional opinion from someone other than Lucifer… who is always fine with my maneuvers." The Queen said quietly.

"… You trust my judgment?"

"I am one of the few that always have."

Nyssa laid her sword across her lap and shut her eyes. "… All the time away from White Wings made me forget how merciless the Hunters are."

Nema chortled. "Oh, so you've lost your sympathy for them, suddenly?"

"The Hunters. I've lost sympathy for them." Nyssa reopened her bright green orbs and told her honestly, "… If there was ever a more promising time for attack, it would be now. Head to the Fields and battle them there. We would probably break through quickly and be able to take over the base Michael resides in."

Nema said nothing. She only nodded and stepped further into Nyssa's room, waving a hand at her sword. "May I?"

"If you want…" She held up the sword and allowed Nema to take it and wave it side to side in swift, fluid motions. The blade was light, but by no means was the blade weak. "… It was awarded to me by Raziel-sama."

Nema blinked down at her. "Seriously?"

Nyssa nodded. "You hold in your hands the Qarnier. He had awarded it to me at the time that my rebellion began… as a sign that he was truly on our side. It was regarded as a symbol of hope… if you read the blade."

Nema did. One side had the word "victory" etched into the metal, and on the other side, "equality."

"It's been a long time since the Qarnier tasted any blood… until today." Nyssa said quietly.

"This is a beautiful sword…" Nema mused. "Raziel gave this to you?"

"Yes… though he does nothing to aid us in our attempts for freedom, I know he is on our side… because of this." Nyssa held out her hand and took back the sword. "I'm glad you like it… in the event that I die, I want you to have it."

Nema's ruby eyes squinted in confusion. "… Are you planning some lone wolf mission I ought to know about?"

"You will know about it, right now." Nyssa stood and held the sword before her. "Because I swear upon this sword that I will kill Cheriour…! For all the evil he has done to everyone…! To me…! And to Rujiel…"

"I thought that you still loved the man he once was…"

"I refuse to love him, now." Nyssa said firmly. "He is no longer a man worth having hope in."

"… And when do you plan on carrying out this mission?"

"On the day you launch your attack, if you don't mind."

Nema smiled a little. "I don't mind at all, you know that."

Nyssa sat back down on her bed and smiled back. "When I drive this blade through Cheriour's heart, I will tell him that it was in the name of the better man. Rujiel. I will say his name so clearly and slowly that it'll haunt him forever in whatever afterlife he endures."

Nema allowed a quiet sigh to escape her lips and sat at the foot of Nyssa's bed. "Rujiel told me to take care of Lilliel, before he changed…"

"He wasn't angry toward you…?"

"I don't think there was any time for him to spend damning me. Though that might have been on his mind." Nema paused. "He told me to tell you…he loved you."

She watched as Nyssa's body tensed and sat up. "… That's just like him…" The green-eyed I-Child said in soft yet choked up tones, "Hopelessly devoted like that…" She quickly wiped away two stray tears. "… I should have chosen him."

Suddenly, she stood before Nema. "Let me show you something." With that, she lifted her black shirt to expose an elaborate tattoo… a rose lacking leaves. A pair of detailed black wings took their place. "Rujiel took me to a tattoo parlor on Assiah… after Cheriour took out my family, and I let my rebellion fall apart…"

A small and sad smile curled Nema's lips. "That was sweet of him…"

"What was sweet was what he told me… He showed me the drawing he'd made…" Nyssa brushed a hand over her tattoo, "And he said to me, 'Most guys give girls flowers when they get upset… but they die eventually. I figure that this way… the flower I give you will never die.' … I was too heartbroken to fathom being with anyone, then… but I think… I should have chosen him then, at the latest." Nyssa frowned and smoothed her shirt back down over her white belly. "If there was ever a chance to see Rujiel again… do you think he'd forgive me?"

"… I do." Nema returned the smile that suddenly crossed Nyssa's lips. It was then that Nema noticed some black material sitting on Nyssa's vanity. "… What is that?"

Nyssa went over to pick it up and show it to her. "A shirt. I haven't worn this in years… I was checking to see if it would still fit."

Nema's ruby eyes widened just the slightest bit. "It's beautiful…" She cooed. Truly, it was a gorgeous top. Leather, like Nyssa's pants. A crop top, lacing up the back and up one inch of the bust.

"You really think so?" Nyssa smiled crookedly. "I didn't think leather was really your thing."

"It is on some days." Nema said haughtily, suddenly forgetting the awkwardness she had felt around Nyssa. "It's LOVELY. Shame I have a small chest. I would STEAL that from you, if it fit me."

"Well it's a good thing it DOESN'T fit you, then!"

"Please try it on…?" Nema begged lightly. "It'll probably still fit you…!"

Nyssa arched a pale brow. "Okay, fine." Nyssa turned and lifted off her black shirt, slipping on the leather one with ease. Then she turned back around. "Looks good?"

"Fits you perfectly…!" Nema grinned, coming to stand by her. "If only Rujiel could see you now…"

And in spite of Nyssa's attempts at swallowing down her emotions, a blush spread over her face. "Oh no. Would he like it too much?"

"He'd like it just enough!" Nema said with a firm nod.

"… So are you already over his death?" Nyssa suddenly threw the question out there.

Nema paused, but looked at Nyssa fully. "I am the cause of his… 'death,' if that's what it really is. I will never get over that. But… I believe that Rujiel did want me to be happy. For you to be happy. For Lilliel and everyone else, as well. For that… I will do my best to carry on… After all… I have a whole race of people to liberate." She smiled crookedly. "Which reminds me… I wanted to speak with you about Raziel."

Nyssa arched a pale brow. "… What do you wish to know…?"

"You say he is truly on our side, but he doesn't aid us in any way…"

"But you should notice that –"

"That he fails to aid Cheriour in his side of the war. I've looked into it." Nema finished for Nyssa. "… You say he gave you the Qarnier… do you still keep in contact with him?"

"He contacts no one, really… except for counsel elders, I suppose. I wouldn't know… he hasn't contacted me since my rebellion…"

Nema nodded, allowing Nyssa to stop speaking, for the end of her rebellion seemed to be a touchy subject, indeed. "… I want to talk to him."

Nyssa's eyes widened. "DO you? Good luck with that?"

"Why 'good luck'? I've done a fair amount of research, thank you. Plenty of sleepless nights. I know that there are still Anima Mundi members that serve as his personal security at all times."

"They are all White Wings."

"But Anima Mundi members, nonetheless, which means that at least at one point, they believed in our rights. Right?"

"Right." Nyssa admitted grudgingly.

"Now, from here I make speculations… but, say that OUR former Anima Mundi members could make arrangements with HIS Anima Mundi members and… schedule a special visit just for me. With you, too, if you'd like." Nema drummed her snowy-colored fingers together.

Nyssa's eyes widened. "What are you going to do then? Kill him?"

"No! What gave you that idea?" Nema cried.

"What else would you do with the HEAD of Heaven? After all, his lack of participation is what gave us any reason AT ALL to defend ourselves…"

"Well I'm NOT going to assassinate him. But I would like to have a nice, civil conversation with him ABOUT his lack-of-participation."

Nyssa couldn't help but let her cynicism show through. "You won't get far. He is an Aion, just like you and I."

Nema's ruby eyes narrowed. "If he tries to get violent I will threaten to exercise my power on him, much like I did you."

"And if you dared to try, he would make you self-combust." Nyssa met Nema's questioning look with an all-knowing one. "He can control your body. If he feels threatened you bet your ass he'll make you kill yourself."

"… Well who said I would come in a threatening manner?" Nema shrugged after a time. "Like I said, I want a nice, civil conversation."

"… And what will you get out of him? His sudden aid?"

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" Nema smiled. "… Actually I was seeking him to step in for the sole purpose of calling an end to the fighting."

"An end?"

"I would rather call up some kind of debate among the counsel."

"You won't get away with that now that you've come so far… They'll see you as a criminal."

"Then they can treat me like one… if they treat Cheriour like one, too."

"Then that's like finding out who's guilty."

"Yes… like a trial."

Nyssa was silent for a short moment, thinking over Nema's idea. "… So that's a bit like upholding your parent's request for a truce."

"That's partially why I have considered this little plan… It's also that I'm a little tired of bloodshed." Nema sighed. "I want to get this all over and done with the fastest way. A trial would be faster than a war."

"And then what are you going to do?"

"… I don't know." Nema turned and began to leave. "… Sew. That's all I have left for me."

"And let's say you get your trial and you lose." Nyssa called out once Nema reached the doorway.

And Nema turned with a grin and said, "Then they'll have forced me to be the violent Queen for a bit longer, haven't they?"

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"You wanted to speak with me, Uriel?" Doll chirped.

The Earth Angel wondered why she no longer addressed him as Uriel-sama… he tried to assume that this was a good thing. "Yes, there was a small matter I wished to speak with you about." Was it really a small thing? Uriel wasn't sure. For such a small thing he was certainly nervous. Something kept telling him he was doing something wrong. But was he, really?

The room was dark, with little light to filter in through the windows of Uriel's most favorite library on this night. A candle that Doll held in an antique candleholder allowed enough light for him to see the silhouette of her as he sat in his chair, not facing her. Her shadow made him swallow the lump in his scarred throat. There were no excess lines detailing a dress. What could she be wearing now?

"For that matter, before we begin, I had a request for you."

"… Did you?"

"If it's not too much trouble…"

"Not at all, Doll." Uriel felt a small smile light his features. "You have never asked a favor of me, before…"

"I guess that changes now, doesn't it?" Doll laughed. "… I wanted to change rooms."

"Oh? Why?"

"It's a lonely room. I don't like living alone."

Uriel was forced to swallow another lump in his throat. Well, wasn't that forward of her. "… I am sorry I've kept you unhappy, Doll."

Doll giggled. "I'm not unhappy, anymore, Uriel."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I'd like to request permission to move in with Katou, Uriel."

… What? "… Move in with Katou, Doll?"

"Yes…!" She sounded far too happy for Uriel's comfort. "I know we didn't seem close at first, did we?"

"Hardly…"

"It has changed now, Uriel…! I think… I might even be in love with him! Isn't that wonderful?"

"…Very."

Doll bubbled over in giggles. "He's actually a very nice person, you know… Still a pig, but he's got a good heart! He has kissed me a whole lot!"

"Doll." Uriel said quickly. "That's hardly proper talk… sharing intimate details so openly."

Doll finally paused. "… Why do you sound so cold, Uriel? I would like to show you something. Please turn around?"

It took more strength than the Earth Angel would like to admit, facing Doll. She stood before him in her gray capris and white top tied together between her breasts, her white high heels clacking against the ground as she hopped in excitement. She rushed forth and leaned toward him, holding out a silver pendant on a silver chain… To Uriel's shame, his gaze had been stuck on the vast number of purple marks on Doll's neck. One was running along her collarbone… this alone was far too low for Uriel's comfort. After his green eyes blinked, he focused on the pendant she held out to him. It was two silver pistols, crossed together in a perfect X, a single rose laid in front of them. Elaborately made, but a bit large. It was a man's necklace, then.

"The night that Katou first kissed me, he gave this to me. He won't admit this to anyone, but he told me that he hoped we could be together, and if you did not permit it, then at least he wanted me to think of him when I saw this. I told him he was being silly. You have always been a kind and considerate man, Uriel. I told him you would surely let me live with him." Doll beamed innocently.

If there was ever a flaw in Doll, it was that her rebirth had nearly completely wiped away her sense of right and wrong. She was as innocent as an infant, almost blissfully so, but right now… it truly hurt Uriel in a way he had ever known. "… He must treat you well." He said darkly.

"There's not a doubt in my mind he'll treat me like the very best!" Doll smiled.

Uriel frowned. "… It's truly what you want."

"I have never wanted anything more than being with Katou!" Doll giggled. "I realize that now!"

He sighed. He never, ever should have listened to Raphael. It was easy for Raphael to tell him, 'date her,' because he had never had to deal with the pain that came from a love unreturned. He had been forever admired by all sorts of women, able to commit sin with them, and when Raphael finally cleaned up his act and was done lusting after women, he'd had a woman already lined up for him to hold and to truly love. Now, Raphael was only a few steps away from becoming a father, a family man, with the one woman he really loved. And doubtless, he would spend his life with this woman and this child, and maybe more they would make together, and that was Raphael's plotted destiny. To feel love. To never fully understand… heartbreak.

No, he should never have listened to Raphael. Raphael made Uriel believe he actually had an open shot. There was no such thing. He was too late.

He had waited too long, and Doll… she couldn't wait forever. "… Go to him. I won't stop you." Uriel said darkly.

"OH I KNEW YOU WOULD SAY YES!" Doll laughed merrily and threw her arms around Uriel's tan neck, embracing him in a strong hug.

"But…"

Doll pulled back and frowned thoughtfully as she looked down at Uriel, not reading into the sudden coldness in his green eyes and the frown curling his firm mouth.

"He must take your key, then. I will not be responsible for winding you back up, anymore. He will be the one to unzip your dress. Not I."

The sharp frozen voice that came from around him pierced into Doll with alarm. "… Uriel…?"

"And I won't have you bouncing around with those… marks on your neck. If you're going to have fun, you won't be announcing it with love bites. Cover those up. Whether you use clothing or makeup doesn't matter."

Doll frowned down at him, but nodded slowly.

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement, then." Uriel finished coldly.

"… What is it you wished to speak with me about, Uriel…?" Doll asked quietly.

Uriel stared long and hard at her. He wondered if he should say the truth or not. He wondered how cruel he could be.

But then a piercing scream began. It grew louder and louder until Raphael threw open the library doors. "DOLL! PLEASE FOLLOW ME!"

"RAPHAEL!" Barbiel cried, clinging to him.

Doll gasped and quickly ran to join him. "Nearest bed is my old room! Quickly! This way!"

And just like that, she was gone. And her room wasn't even her room, anymore. It was her OLD room, and she hadn't even really moved out, yet.

"Uriel! Barbiel's going to have her baby! Come on!" Setsuna called to him in urgency, as Uriel watched Sara appear behind him. And from behind both of them, the blonde head of Katou ran by, a cigarette stuck in his mouth as he ran.

No one seemed to notice Uriel's sudden drop in mood. But he figured… that was fine. Let them all deal with Barbiel as she brought forth new life. Let them focus on that. And while he watched with them, he'd fall away inside himself.

He would never long for the love of a woman, or even believe that he had a chance to feel the love of a woman, ever again.

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Michael never wanted to fall in love ever again! EVER! What had he gained from any of this? Now he was walking hypocrite! Full of contradictions and he hated himself for it!

For instance… HER. He was fucking ANGRY at her. A part of him was lost in such a rage he rather believed he'd like to burn her to a crisp. LET that fucking Holy Blood burn her to ashes! What had she done? Here's what she did! SHE MADE HIM FALL IN LOVE WITH HER! Yes, she MADE him! He wasn't sure how, but she MADE him fall for her, just like in the fucking romance novels! AND SHE SHOULD FUCKING DIE FOR EVER DOING THIS TO HIM! But here's the catch, 'cause there's ALWAYS a fucking catch. If he heard from Rabbit Hunters of her death, and read about it in the papers, and was invited to parties, he'd kill them all. Oh, he'd kill them all. Why? Because they were celebrating HER death! HER DEATH! And damn them all to Hell for wanting her dead! Because she was far too good to die! She was strong in spirit and a fucking glorious fighter… and a fucking gorgeous girl. His girl. HIS GIRL! And no girl of his was going to die! Because he LOVED her, he fucking LOVED her, ADORED her, damn near WORSHIPPED her. He never dropped to his knees and prayed to her, or offered sacrifices, but he just nearly fucking worshipped that girl.

So did Michael want her alive or dead? He couldn't very well have both, now could he?

Michael breathed in ragged breaths and sent another wave of fire at one of his walls. Nothing happened. Nothing at all. Why? Because when he had gotten back from his walk in the Rabbit Fields, he had received a rude knock over the head. And when he came to, where the fuck was he? In a room coated in Angel Crystal. And what sin had he commited THIS time? None, but he found out soon enough just why they stuck him in there. Word had spread that Nema and her troops were going to try and take over one of Cheriour's bases. Right through the Rabbit Fields. And here was where it truly became a nightmare: Cheriour was going to take advantage of this. They were going to set up for the Holy Blood battle TONIGHT, in preparation for Nema's advancement TOMORROW. TOMORROW! And because "his ambiguous state in the face of this battle," as put so nicely in terms from a head Hunter, they thought it best that he "be contained until the greatest and final Holy Blood casuality had been counted."

In other words, he wasn't getting out until they knew for sure that Nema had died because of his Holy Blood.

WELL DAMN THEM ALL! LET HER DIE!

…

OH GOD, DON'T LET HER DIE!

Michael beat his fists against the Angel Crystal. He screamed and kicked and hit and screamed some more. They'd even had the cruelty to construct these sheets of indestructible material around the walls of the room he'd spend his life in, as a Rabbit Hunter. Imagine his shock and horror when the windows and the door wouldn't open, and his rage when the silky voice of that head Rabbit Hunter spoke to him through the speaker set up in his room. At first he sat back and laughed. After an hour he got nervous. After another hour he set most things on fire. After two more hours, he became the wreck he was now, beating everything to absolutely no avail, and getting all the more angry for it. He let out another loud yell, angry and anguished. And then he collapsed against an Angel Crystal wall. And then he cried.

He cried and he didn't fucking care. It wasn't like any of THEM cared whether he cried or not. They were busy ensuring the death of the girl Michael loved. LOVED.

This is what love can do strong, cruel, supposedly heartless man. In the worst situations… love can completely ruin a man and bring him to nothing but tears.

This is why Michael never wanted to fall in love ever again.

The Fire Angel allowed the fatigue to fall over him, and he slouched against the wall. Never, ever again would he fall in love. Nema was going to die. And he was never going to love anyone, ever, EVER again. It wasn't worth it. Loving Nema hurt enough, as it was.

Michael saw the glimmer of something from the corner of his eye and looked at it lazily. A phone.

Then he saw it as more than a phone. It was an opportunity.

He had one last chance to save her. He couldn't do it himself…

Raphael could.

He wondered what Raphael would do once he called. Would he listen and save the day, or would he write Michael off as a traitor and not even give him the time to speak? That was something Michael would have to risk. For her sake, and her life.

He picked up the phone. He almost forgot Raphael's number, having not called it in so long… He dialed the number and waited and waited.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

Michael choked on frightened, restless, angry tears.

Four rings. Five.

"Hey, you've reached Raphael's business phone –"

Dammit, he'd dialed the wrong number! It was the same cell phone but a different fucking voicemail!

"Please leave your name and number and I will get back to you. If this is an emergency…"

YES, THIS WAS A FUCKING EMERGENCY!

"- please leave your reason for calling and try again." Beeeeep.

God… he couldn't fucking believe it. He didn't even pick up.

Well, there was nothing he could do but leave a message. Michael tried to swallow down most of his tears and began to speak…

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"Congratulations…" Doll cooed happily to an exhausted Barbiel.

"… It's a boy…" It was hard to say whether Raphael sounded a bit tired himself, in shock, or happy. It was more likely all three. He looked down at his little son, skin as white as the cloth wrapped around his freshly-cleaned form. His son hadn't cried open his birth, but they knew him to be alive because he laughed a great deal. And as his son blinked a blue left eye and a red right eye up at his father, Raphael almost wanted to cry. "Honey, look at him…" Raphael moved forth and allowed Barbiel to take her son in her arms.

Barbiel did not even bother to blink back her tears. "You are beautiful… my son…!" She sighed as her baby laughed up at her. "… Abel."

Raphael responded with a proud, firm nod. "Abel."

"I hate to disrupt this moment." A voice flowed smoothly from the back of the room. "Your phone rang a while ago, Raphael." To Uriel's distaste, Doll rushed forth and took the phone from Uriel's grasp.

"I'll let it play for you! You stay by Abel!" And she went through the motions to answering Raphael's voicemail.

A very torn and distraught voice began to speak. "Raphael… it's me…"

The Wind Angel's eyes widened instantly. "Michael…!"

"Barbiel should be due, right? … Congrats." The Fire Angel said this with a slight laugh to his voice, one that showed he was happy for Raphael. But this was quickly lost as they heard him sniffle. Yes… sniffle. "I have… bad news. Tomorrow… Nema…" He paused to breathe. "She wants to take her fighters into the Rabbit Fields…" Suddenly, he exploded in frantic speech, slurring with tears. "IT'S A TRAP! Cheriour's going to kill them all!" They listened to a shuffling noise and a distant cry of, "Oh, God…!" And then he came back with a desperate, "I know you wanna be with Barbiel, but please…! I'm trapped…! You gotta make 'em stop!" Michael was so loud that the phone crackled from the volume. There was a long pause, but they heard Michael breathe, sniffle, breathe, sniffle. He came back and pleaded, "… Save her… I…" He paused again. Raphael could have sworn Michael was barely fighting down a real sob. "… I still love her, Raphael. I never… never stopped." Several faces frowned as they listened to this and absorbed it. Abel cooed and looked around at the suddenly gloomy faces. "I hope… we can talk again. I need help… I… I really fucked up; I… I don't know what to do." There was another shuffling sound. They came to realize this was Michael putting the phone down and allowing himself the relief of sobbing a little. When he came back, all he said was, in his incredibly lost, pleading, sad tone, "I still love her, Raphael."

And then he hung up. He left no number, just this torn and saddening plea.

Abel began to cry, feeding off the sudden unhappiness in the room. Barbiel and Raphael were quick to tend to their newborn son, but not a soul could shake the words Michael had given them.

Nema was walking right into a trap he could not save her from. In desperation, he sought the aid of Raphael. But most of all…

He still loved her.

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AUTHORESS NOTE: Just to make sure we get this all clear, I DO happen to like Uriel. In SPITE of the pain I am subjecting him to. (Even though I DO still like Katou X Doll). I suppose, if one MUST know, I am subjecting Uriel to this pain for the sake of Impy's sequel.

… Yes, I said 'sequel.'

It's going to be a collaboration with my dear friend and round-eyed sister, AmetrineButterfly, otherwise known to me as Ametriney. And I suppose that's all you need to know about that, for now.

Lastly… yay for the birth of Abel! Did you all even remember Barbiel was pregnant until I mentioned it in the last chapter? Well? Didya?