Greed was watching everything very closely. He was a touch surprised to find out about the origins of her offspring, though. He also noticed how Tyrael seemed to have developed a fondness for her. Would something come of this? He wasn't too sure. He was happy that Imperius did make a set of trick stairs to lead into an alternate room. It was already being heaped with treasures. Anaurael was able to visit it to help organize it. It was where she found her hairpins, too.
He was exceptionally curious about Malthael. It actually worried him. He stretched out on his throne of vast coins, gems and treasures to think more. He didn't like not knowing what was going on. The sin of greed didn't have to go to just treasures. Knowledge was something else, and it was highly overlooked. And he always wanted more of that, too.
"My Greatness of Greats?" a goblin asked.
"Hmm?" he responded.
"What shall we do? What can we find?" it asked.
"Go to the human cities and find more stuff. Shiny stuff and sparkly stuff," he ordered lazily. The goblins were concerned. He hadn't been himself lately.
"I think he is sad that his Bopping Stick broke on him," one whispered.
"I know! Let's find him another one!" a goblin beamed.
"No. It's not the same. That one was special. It came from that human girl," the first one said.
"Do you think we can fix it?" the second goblin asked. The broken shovel came apart at the handle just the other day. Greed was very depressed over it, and it was one of his main reasons for acting so lazy. When Gurzick appeared, the other goblins clamored over to him to tell them the issue.
"Give me the Bopping Stick," he said. The pieces were handed over, and he teleported to Sanctuary. He bounded right over to Haedrig and waved.
"Oh! Hello. What do ya need?" he asked.
"Fix?" Gurzick asked and showed him the shovel.
"Hmm. The handle's all out of whack. The shovel blade is poorly bent. It's scrap," Haedrig frowned. "There isn't much I can do for it."
"Greed likes. His. Fix?" Gurzick asked again.
"What did he use this for?"
"Um...ah! Smack! Others!" the goblin beamed. "No work. Get smack."
"So, that's why it's all bent up. Hah! Okay. I could fix out the dents, but the handle is shot. If you can get me another handle, I can fix this for you," Haedrig said with a nod.
"Okay," he nodded back. He teleported back to his home and talked to the other goblins there. They managed to find a long bar of solid gold, but it was too heavy. After more searching through the mess of treasures, they found an old lounge stool. It was taken by a newly recruited goblin some time ago, and Greed wasn't impressed with it. But, since it was found, it was kept. Gurzick took it back to Haedrig. On studying it, the legs were able to be salvaged into a new shovel handle. Now that it was repaired, and the shovel blade reinforced to withstand more head smacks, it was taken to Greed.
"What is this?" Greed blinked.
"We fixed your Bopping Stick!" Gurzick beamed. Greed took the shovel and tested it. On looking at a lounging goblin, he swung it and smacked the lazy minion perfectly upside the head.
"Half of you are to go to the Burning Hells and find me more gold and sparklies! The rest of you are to help Gurzick find a gift for the one who fixed my Bopping Stick! Go!" Greed ordered.
"He's back!" a goblin giggled.
"He is..." the lazy goblin winced and rubbed his head. Within the hour, Haedrig would find his forge heaped with weapons and armors from all over the world of Sanctuary for him to fix and keep. After swearing at the unruly pile, he glanced over at his mildly dozing apprentice. He sighed and laughed. My work was never done, was it? As they got to work, Greed chuckled at what he saw in his mirror. Twirling his newly repaired Bopping Stick in a free hand, he moved his gaze to the High Heavens.
The angelic troupe had just reached the chamber that held Chalad'ar. Imperius squeezed Anaurael to him and let her down to stand near Tyrael.
"All right. What questions do you have?" Tyrael asked.
"You can ask your questions about mine after you have answered mine," Malthael said through Anaurael's form. That confused Tyrael at first, but he nodded. "For my first question. Is this girl truly the link needed to heal what is done between you and Imperius?"
"Hmm..." Tyrael thought and gazed into the Chalice. At his wince, Malthael frowned.
"Ignore the density. Look for the purity. Keep yourself focused. Separate the negative from the positive. Try again," he instructed. Tyrael closed his eyes and refocused. On gazing into the Chalice again, he blinked at what he learned.
"Yes. It is true. She will help heal us," Tyrael said.
"Good. Now, ask how exactly it is to be done."
"Very well," he said and looked again. At what he discovered, he backed away with shock.
"What did it say?" Malthael asked. With Imperius staring at him with the other two powerful Archangels, Tyrael grimaced. He licked his lips and cleared his throat.
"She needs to give birth to a mortal child. From me," he said. Imperius seemed to stop moving. He could sense Anaurael screaming her distaste at it from within her mind.
"But...I mean...?" Itherael started to ask with confusion, but Malthael rose up Anaurael's hand.
"I am not done. I have one last question. Will I seek the redemption I need with this child?" Malthael asked. Tyrael looked at Anaurael with a glare, since it was Malthael in control, but he moved back to look into the Chalice after clearing his thoughts. After a moment, he looked away.
"Yes. You can be reborn through this child. But, you may lose some memories. If not all," Tyrael said and looked away. If it wasn't for Imperius being in complete focus with Anaurael's mental frame, he would have shattered the Chalice.
"What questions did you have, Tyrael?" Auriel asked softly.
"They have been answered with his," Tyrael muttered.
"I wish to speak with you alone, Tyrael," Imperius grounded out. "Malthael, I want Anaurael in her chambers. She needs to remain there until I come for her."
"Of course," Malthael mused and had her teleport away. She was not happy. Imperius knew this. Auriel and Itherael were already gone. Imperius seemed to glare at Tyrael and shudder.
"It's good to see you again, too," Tyrael frowned.
"Were it not for her..."
"I can understand that."
"She is only meant to be for me!"
"Well, what would you have us do then?" Tyrael finally glared back at him. "Malthael is trapped in her mind. From what I know, he touched her mark and left a part of himself in her. In order to get him out safely, he needs to be reborn. The Heavenly Arch doesn't recognize him anymore, Imperius. The Chalice revealed that to me. There is no other way for him to be freed. Would you let her suffer? Would you destroy Malthael in full?"
"I should destroy him," Imperius growled.
"This is a very nasty dilemma that we have. Do you let me help Anaurael, so that we can get Malthael out? Or do we let him stay in her mind and cause her more grief? Yes, I can tell she isn't happy about this. I'm not either. I doubt that anyone is. What would you have me say? And what would happen, if you destroyed Malthael? Where would that leave us?"
"I would have you leave Heaven and not return. I would have you continue to remain as my enemy. As for Malthael, he is still sick! I should obliterate him out of her mind, so that he ceases to exist! I should watch him finally wither and die, so that he may finally know peace!"
"But, you won't. Because he is still our brother," Tyrael said in a stern tone. Imperius could only mutter and look away. "and Anaurael would feel guilty, too."
Imperius looked at the Chalice, as it glowed in its own soft Light. "Ask it what will happen, if Malthael is reborn. What would it mean?"
"I can ask that," Tyrael nodded. He went to the Chalice and looked inside it. "He will become a champion for the Angiris Council. He will be unopposed through all of Sanctuary and the High Heavens. Mainly because he will be my son to work with Sanctuary, and he will uphold Justice with Wisdom. He will also hold a portion of your Light to help moderate Heaven at all times. He will be able to fight equally at our sides in any battle."
"So, no matter what happens, only good will come of this. A champion for Heaven. Malthael knew this, I think. Anaurael told me that she had a feeling that he was up to something. I don't think he expected this much. But, the magnitude of this now! He knew that he would gain more power!"
"But, he would be born as a mortal. And, think of this. He would have a mortal soul. He would not be born of the Lightsong, but a mortal angelic woman. And yet, it is true, he would be powerful."
"As would my offspring when that one comes to pass," Imperius thought aloud. "Any of my offspring with her. I only intend to have one champion mortally born from her."
"So...you want to go through with this?" Tyrael frowned.
"It is either this, or we continue to watch Anaurael suffer. She is my champion. The Light I have lost for so long. She is important to me. I cannot let her suffer for so long. It would not be good for her. I am not doing this for you. I will always despise you. But, for her..." he trailed off in thought. "Ask the Chalice one more question for me."
"And what would that be?"
"What would happen...if a human tried to be with her?"
"Let's find out," he nodded and looked into Chalad'ar. "Her body cannot bear any form of demon spawn. Humans are also listed in this. The pregnancy will always fail."
"So...only angels. At least that makes me feel better. If by a touch. As if I would let her lay with such a filthy thing, anyways," Imperius snorted.
"There is a slight issue, though," Tyrael said.
"What issue?"
"A pregnancy may not take right away. It may take a few tries. Lilaurael told me that she was with Ilerael constantly. Whenever they had a chance to be together. It took several months for her to conceive. Will that happen with Anaurael? I have no clue. But, if Malthael is in control, I'm sure he would know how to manipulate her body to suit his needs."
"I shall hope that once is enough. Should an offspring happen quickly, then I shall be...tolerable of you. It will be your son. I will not deprive you from checking on her health. That is the most I will ever allow. Once the offspring takes, you are not to touch her ever again."
"I would have no need to," Tyrael agreed. "I am busy enough, as it is."
"Very well," Imperius sighed heavily. "I...am unsure how to approach this with her."
"We should give her some time first. To let her get accustomed to the idea. To accept it. I did tell her that I would show her the Courts of Justice. I could gain her trust there."
"As much as I hate it..." Imperius seemed to ground out. "I agree."
"Shall we form a truce?" Tyrael asked. The massive Archangel seemed to grumble, but he straightened all the same.
"I accept. Our truce starts as of now."