Thousands of Years Ago, exact date unknown.
REALM OF THE UPSIDE-DOWN
The Upside-Down was once like Earth, full of luscious green trees and deep blue rivers and oceans before the Mind Flayer came and planted the seeds of desecration, it was the realm of the Celestials.
The light was gone. The Celestials had no idea where it vanished to. They were left in the howling of the dark just like Humanity before them. The barriers that kept darker dimensional beings away was suddenly weakened by the lack of the light.
The Mind Flayer had appeared within the fields of elysian letting out a deep thunderous roar as it was surrounded by demonic clouds of red lightning. Which struck the landscape around it. As the storm travelled it left a barren landscape filled with falling flakes of ash and a sticky like resin that engulfed every single piece of greenery, twisting it, defiling it, a corruption of the light itself. Demonic cloud of Sulfur spread through the realm eclipsing the Celestial Sun because the Mind Flayers Corruption could not survive contact with it
The Mind Flayer mercilessly destroyed, slaughtered and devoured everything that was it it's path.
The Celestials sensed the immediate invasion of the Mind Flayer, rushing to where they felt the presence of the demon. They stood in shock and awe at the towering gargantuan monster before it, there was a deep thundering rumble as the Celestials realized the demon was laughing at them.
Were they not the most powerful beings in the known Universe? The Light had made them into warriors and warriors were strong, were they not strong? Amongst the thousands that stood before the Mind Flayer. They felt their grace being choked as they felt the fields of elysian being defiled by the demon.
Blades of various length and size fell from their sleeves into their waiting hands as they prepared for the fight that was to come. The Celestials readied into a fighting stance as they waited for the demon to makes it move. It lifted its faceless head and screeched to the sky.
Through the mist underneath the storm and the Mind Flayer itself emerged a dozen hulking figures. They too had no visible faces except that of a mouth the encompassed the entirety of its head, lined with razor sharp teeth. The first faced the waiting Celestials, regarding them for a moment before letting out a jagged howl towards them. Several creatures of the same species emerged from the red mist followed by smaller forms that numbered three times more than the hulking beasts.
Demogorgans and Demo-Dogs charged towards the waiting Celestials, the Demo-Dogs bounding forwards weaving in and out of the other Demogorgans legs. The Demogorgans too bounded forward although they were slower than the smaller Demo-Dogs they were far stronger and superior to their weaker brethren.
The Celestials raised their arms in unison their irises lighting up a bright shimmering blue, millennia of combat experience between them all. From their fingertips flew bolts of intense energy, like that of a laser light lightshow, the demo-dogs were fast enough to leap out of the way of the bolts, however several were stuck killing them outright. But the bigger Demogorgans tanked the hits barely affected by the light attacks. Only sizzling charred flesh which enraged the creatures.
The mass of beings collided with each other, blades were thrust into the beasts snuffing the light from like that of a candle but the Celestials were simply overwhelmed by the brutal and animalistic nature of the Demogorgans and dogs.
Soon the Celestials found themselves overwhelmed and beaten, The Celestial Sun was no longer of help as the Mind Flayers demonic Sulfur clouds spread through the Celestial Sky. Eclipsing the Sun and easing their path to War and to the genocide of the Celestial race.
Only a few hundred Celestials remained and were forced to flee, one or two managed to escape the Upside-Down through a fountain of Earth. A fountain of Earth being a natural link to Earth allowing passageway although all those who did escape were forced to destroy the fountains lest the Mind Flayer follow them to Earth.
The barriers between the two dimensions were severely weakened.
Because of this aspects of the corrupted upside-down and Earth started to bleed into one another, although Earth was lucky in the regard that no aspect of the Mind Flayers corruption could survive contact with the Sun. However buildings from Earth had started to materialise within the Upside-Down where the vines and falling flakes of ash would claim it as it's own, forever locking a link between Earth and The Upside-Down.
The Mind Flayer would have to manifest on Earth to fully corrupt it just like it did with the Upside-down.
One day a girl only known as Eleven would accidentally open a portal to the Upside-Down.
Where a boy named Will Byers would be taken by a creature loyal to the Mind Flayer.
The Mind Flayer would force it's essence into the boy. Creating a spy.
Over several Months The Mind Flayer would spread tunnels of its corruption around Hawkins, increasing the size of the gate which would allow the Mind Flayer to Manifest on Earth and engulf it with an eternal storm of red lightning.
But it was stopped by a being of immeasurable power. A being that scared the Mind Flayer, at first he thought it was the light. But it wasn't.
It was a Girl.
The Beast starred at her through the gate as she was lowered on a metallic platform with another primitive human. The Flayer could instantly sense the potential power radiating from her in waves and for the first time since the time of the Ancients or the Primordial's it felt fear, fear for the girl who held such devastating and immense power.
The gate to Earth was destroyed and although the Mind Flayer attempted to stop her it was a futile effort, due to the meddling of other humans of burning the hub it had weakened him. Instead he focused on hunting down the last of the Celestials.
xXx
The Celestial awoke just as the sun was making its way over the top of the horizon to signal the start of a new day, The Celestial rose to his knees and for the first time in thousands of years he felt the warmth of Sunlight on his face. He sat in awe and sat paralyzed.
He felt several silent tears escape him, his tears were made of light. To feel the sun on his face again was heaven. For thousands of years a being of Light was absent without it. The celestial stood up and stretched, working the tension out his muscles and checking his blade was sheathed and hidden within his sleeve he strode into Hawkins to complete his mission.
XxX
Mike awoke to something wet and warm, it immediately didn't register in his sleep induced state until it really did wake him up and he bolt up to look at Eleven, who's shirt was soaked in blood. He shook her quickly, sweat had immediately poured down his skin as he was scared shitless by what he was seeing.
"El! El! Wake up!" he said frantically shaking her. El sat upright nearly head butting Mike in the nose, her face was normal for about a second before the screaming began.
"El talk to me! what is it?!" he managed to shout over her screams
"it burns! Mike, help! It burns so much! My back!"
XxX
Karen opened her front door to see Chief Jim Hopper standing on the threshold of her doorway.
"Hi Karen, is Jane here?" Hopper asked in a somewhat tired tone Karen noted, she sighed in response to his question.
"Yeah, she is upstairs with Michael" She said, lately she had been checking every morning whether she was there or not, and if she wasn't, then Mike would be over the cabin in her bed. When she did find her she usually found her curled up into Mike's side, even Hopper would notice that the little shit had an adorable smile on her face as she slept next to him. He would just gently close the door leaving it open by an inch because damn it he weren't having any closed doors in his cabin when Mike was there.
Hopper just let out a huff in response which in turn just turned to a low chuckle.
"Okay, I just needed to know, tell her to call me when she-"
Hopper never got to finish his sentence as Eleven's anguished screams just washed over them like a Tsunami, Hopper shoved past Karen and sprinted up the steps two at a time, withdrawing his revolver and kicking the door to Mike's bedroom open.
Mike jumped about a foot away from El and banged his head harshly on the top bunk of his bed.
But there on his bed Eleven sat leant over, her face red and sobbing, with a blood soaked white shirt, most of the blood was confined to her back, Hopper Immediately looked to Mike, who noticed, with the scariest look he'd ever seen, not from the Chief of Police, but that of a protective father. He immediately holstered his weapon and swooped to El's side, Karen appeared in the doorway a second later.
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed.
"Bathroom" Hopper growled. He picked up El in his arms, she looked incredibly diminutive in his broad arms, not like the force of Nature she had become months previous.
"Mike!" she cried out, her hand reaching for him as Hopper Made his way out of Mike's bedroom. Mike flew to his feet and rushed forward to grasp her hand in his.
"I'm here, El, I'm not going anywhere" he said quietly.
"Promise?"
"Promise" he said firmly.
Hopper rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance but said nothing as he carried his daughter to the bathroom.
"Wheeler grab me the first aid kit" Hopper said gruffly, Mike nodded frantically and scrambled to get the first aid kit, El's screams had become small, pathetic whimpers that tore at Hoppers heartstrings, what the hell had happened?
Mike handed him the first aid kit, Hopper noted that Mike's hands were covered in her blood. "Is she okay?" Mike asked concerned.
"I don't know yet kid, that's what were going to find out" Hopper said gruffly
"El I'm going to lift your shirt up is that okay?" Hopper said softly.
She nodded, she reached her hand out again "Mike" she said quietly, Mike was by her side in an instant take one of her small hands in his. Hopper wanted to rip what was left of his hair out at this point but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
He carefully lifted up her shirt to see her blood soaked back but was confusing was the fact there was no wound, no cut, nothing at all, he began to wipe the blood away with a damp cloth, she would hiss with pain, however, when he two specific identical areas on her back, again he saw nothing. But to El it felt like something was trying to rip itself out of her back.
Hopper turned to Mike.
"Get me a clean shirt" he said to Mike. Mike nodded before Mike did something that would either be insanely brave or insanely stupid.
"I'll be right back El" before pressing a small Kiss to her damp forehead before rushing out of the room quickly before she or Hopper saw the blush rise to his cheeks. He walked back into his room and fished for a clean shirt until he found the shirt he had first given to her the night they found her. He smiled at the memory.
Something caught his eye.
His bed was covered in blood sure, but that's not what he spotted, no, what he spotted was two pure white feathers, covered in streaks of El's blood, he scooped them up from the bed, turning them this way and that, examining them. He shrugged and walked quickly back into the bathroom.
"Hop, uh Chief um sir" Mike began, Mike cleared his throat "I uh found these on the bed" he said holding up the two feathers. Hopper took them from Mike and starred at the time like it would provide so damn answers.
"What in the hell" he said more to himself than anything else. Mike looked at the feathers confused himself, where did they come from?
"Let's go outside so El can change" he said "Alone!" he added before El could Protest.
Mike followed Hopper outside, giving El a weak smile as he did so, El gave him one back, Mike felt his heart flutter, like it always did before Hopper closed the door and El escaped from view. She held the clothes up to her face where her sense of smell was invaded by the scent of Mike, he smelt like fresh apple and for the briefest of moments it eased the pain that her back was going through.
"Where did you find these" he asked holding up the feathers.
"On the bed" Mike said pointing towards the object in question, Hopper strode into his room and carefully examined the bed for any more feathers, it wasn't just the fact that they were feathers it was also because they were much larger than the size of normal bird feathers, they were bloody gigantic.
Hopper heard shuffling behind him and saw El enter the bedroom and quickly walked over to Mike and wrapping her arms around him, Mike instantly wrapped his own gangly limbs around her waist.
"It's okay El I'm here, I'm always here" He said quietly. Hopper watched the interaction silently, it still amazed him at how close these two were, he'd never seen anything like it, no-one.
"I love you Mike" she whispered delicately in his ear.
Hopper wanted to throw up.
"I love you, El, so damn much" he whispered fiercely
Yep, he definitely was going to throw up.
"C'mon El, lets get you home" Hopper said more gently than Mike thought possible of the Chief. She merely nodded pulling away from Mike without letting go of his hand. They slowly made their way down stairs with Hopper following closely behind, he still had the feathers, just as they made it to the front door, Dustin Henderson pulled up on his Bike.
"Hey, Guys… Holy shit, El what happened to you?" he asked after seeing the dried tears on her face and the blood soaked shirt that Hopper was carrying in his other hand.
"Back, Pain, lots of Pain, felt like fire" she whispered looking at the ground
"Yeah do you know what's even weirder, there were two feathers on my bed" Mike said pointing to the two feathers that Hopper was holding.
Dustin walked over and snatched one of the feathers from Hopper's grip.
"Hey" Hopper said indignantly, Dustin However held up a hand to shush him surprising himself as well as Hopper. Dustin examined the feather closely. Before walking over to his Bike and climbed aboard it.
"Dustin where are you going" Mike called out to him.
"Library" He replied like it was the most logical thing in the world.
"What about our Homework" Mike called back half-heartedly, Dustin was meant to be coming over early for them to complete some homework for a lesson only the two of them took.
"I think this is a little more important, I'll see you guys in a bit" and with that Dustin pedalled off in the general direction of Hawkins Library. Mike just shook his head in exasperation.
El watched the conversation with remote interest until her eyes started to wander, she loved the world, nature, the fresh air, the sun, especially the sun, she never knew something could be so bright and warm, the lab had been bright and bitterly cold. Her eyes caught something and she felt her whole body stiffen.
A man stood a good distance away within the tree line to the Woods. He starred at her and she starred right back but the thing that caught her attention was the appendages that were sticking out of his back.
Wings.
Wings made of Brilliant Blue Lightning, they shimmered and glowed intensely. It was one of the most beautiful non-Mike things she had ever seen in her life, his attire was also unusual, a cloak of a heavy and think material that she could not name covered his entire body as it reached to the floor.
"Mike" she said turning to him. She instantly had his attention where she turned and pointed in the direction of the Winged Man but he had vanished.
"What is it, El?" he asked, unsure of what he was meant to be looking at.
"Nothing, it's gone" she said her brows furrowed.
XxX
The Celestial crashed into one of the many trees in the woods surrounding Hawkins, not the most gracious of Landings he mused. However his head was full of thoughts, it was simply to good to be true, She had seen his wings, no ordinary human could see a Celestials Wings unless they wished to materialise it onto the physical plane of perception. It was simply implausible for him to find her this quickly. He could see what was happening to her back, of what was forming underneath her skin and he never thought he would see it again, not after everything the Mind Flayer did.
He closed his eyes, his Halo came into being as it shone a deep and golden blue. As he sent a message to those that were still alive in the Upside-Down. This was there only hope now.
"My Celestial Brothers and Sisters, I have found her" He felt collective shock across the telepathic message, their hope had been restored. He gazed into the Sun not just feeling warmth but a sense of renewed hope.
He Had Found Her.
(A/N) this chapter is 3000 words exactly not including this Authors Note, this story has got some many ideas flowing I can barely keep up with them all lol hopefully I might be able to get a chapter out a day considering the inspiration and motivation is thick and free flowing right now.
Thank you to
phieillydinyia
darthstormer
unicornkeeper
For helping me with the first part of this chapter, you guys are awesome! And to my other readers and followers this story would simply not be possible without your views, favs, follows and reviews. I write for you guys.
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