Chapter Two:
Heaven & Hell
Robin blinked in the blindingly bright light before her. She had finally made it through all the names and all the beds to find that the bright light was coming from a city made out of pure white stone. The dark stone path she was walking became white, almost as if it had snowed in this area and not in the other. An open gate led inside the city, marking it as 'purgatory'.
That's a weird name for a city…As she wandered around the city's streets, she noticed that there were no schools, doctor's office's, grocery stores, places of worship…there wasn't much of anything but residential buildings and parks.
"I can't take this!"
"Which is it?"
"It can't be..! That can't be right!"
"How can I choose?"
Everyone she passed seemed to be in their own little world, muttering about some sort of decision. Some of them broke down crying, screaming, and the like. It was uncomfortable… everyone walked by as if the others weren't there, as if it were normal.
"Excuse me," She tapped a man on the shoulder. "But what's wrong with everyone?"
He turned and glanced at her. "Do you know what to do?" He asked, almost as if blaming or requiring something from her…she wasn't really sure which.
A little taken aback, Robin stammered. "F-for what?"
He squinted his eyes at her. "You're new."
"Just passing through."
"That's what all the new ones say." He waved for her to follow him. The man lead her further into the city and the further they went, the brighter it became.
"Is the light source in the middle of this city?" Robin asked.
With that, the man froze in his tracks. He pulled out a strange looking watch with strange symbols and numbers on it. She realized that everyone had left the streets by now…was something going on?
As the man put on a pair of metal goggle-like things, Robin asked him what was happening. He turned back to her again and gasped. "You…you don't have one?"
Completely confused, she grew defensive. "Have what? Stop talking as if I know everything!"
"You don't have an angel." He stated. "Everyone has one - needs one."
"What do you mean by that and why do I need one?" Her patience was wearing thin.
"The first night to befall Purgatory in months…" He noticed that she wasn't following. "The night is when the devils come out to try and drag us down - or up- into Hell, whichever direction it is. Our Guardian Angels can fight them off with us but if you don't have one…" His searching eyes were prying for answers. "We need to get indoors."
"So those…glasses there let you see angels?" Robin asked, piecing things together.
"And demons."
All of a sudden the light completely disappeared. Robin couldn't she anything. All it was was black. She could hear the man's breathing and her own.
Something overpowering came towards them, it's presence seemed to eat up all the oxygen but…where was it?
"Watch out!" The man shouted.
How was she supposed to 'watch'! Robin knew it was coming closer, if only she could see…
"Duck!"
Robin ducked and covered her head, feeling a rush of wind over her back. She started to her feet only to feel a hand wrap around her ankle. Her eyes closed as she let out a scream.
A sudden heat appeared at her feet. Her fire craft! For a moment she caught a glimpse of her own feet in the flash of the flames. In wasn't long though before she was back in darkness, it's hands reaching at her neck. I don't need an angel! I can fight! She watched as her flames spread down the invisible monster's arms.
But something else began wrapping around her. She readied for another burst of fire but the man stopped her. "What are you doing?" He shouted. "You're helping them!"
Helping? How could her craft…? A bright light burned through her eyelids. A new force was there, a different one. Is this his angel?
"She can hold it off!" The man shouted, grabbing her arm. "We need to get you inside!" He pulled her in some direction and before she knew it the immense pressures were gone. She heard a door shut behind them. "We made it." He panted. Then, "Are you alright."
Robin could feel herself shaking. She was so…scared. Amon. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees. "W-where am I?" She whispered, bring her hands up to her face. Amon!
Morning came after what everyone told her was 'about three of the day's you're used to'. It was like a nightmare. For three days not being able to see, only to hear those…things banging around outside. They had said that there was no way the 'devils' could get inside but Robin wasn't so sure about that.
The man from before, his name was Johan Libert, led her outside once the light came back. "But what about breakfast?" she asked.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, surprised.
Robin thought it was a stupid question, if she hadn't eaten in three days of course she would be hungry. "Really hungry."
"But, in Purgatory we don't need to eat."
"Don't you have some food?" Robin figured that it made sense if they didn't need to eat, everyone here was dead after all. Everyone except for her that is.
"Yeah." Johan led her back inside and found some apples in a semi-looking-mess hall. He sat quietly as she ate.
"Okay, we can go now." She said, tossing the cores into a waste bin. "Where are you taking me anyway?"
"The Tree of Life." He explained as she followed him back into the city. "It is the source of light and the reason we are all here." He pointed to the ground. "Do you see those bumps? They're the tree's roots."
It wasn't much longer until they made it to the large city square; a massive white bark tree growing in the middle. It didn't look like it was giving off any light but Robin assumed that if it did then being up close like this would be painful, so maybe it made sense.
Johan pointed at it's base. "The angel there is visible to everyone, ask him about it."
She wondered why he wouldn't go any further but shrugged it off, this place was weird enough already. Making it to the base, she caught sight of the angel.
He was beautifully…sad. He was dressed in a ragged pure white robe, his arms loosely hanging at the sides and covered in bandages. As she approached, he glanced up at her, his white hair reveling an eye patch on his left eye. She also couldn't help but notice that his disjointed wings were covered in crimson blood. "Are you here to decide your path?" He asked in a whisper of a voice.
"What happened to you?" Robin asked, concerned that he should be up and out here.
He smiled a sad smile. "I cannot forgive myself." He blinked towards her. "I lost her…I lost my living one to the devils." Waving his arms to the city around him, he continued. "So I took this job and now I see the same thing happen all the time."
"I'm sorry, but what is it that you do here?"
"Oh, you're new." He stated. The angel pointed to his right. There was a path leading downwards that glowed with a reddish light, while a sign pointed to it saying 'heaven'. Then he pointed to the left where a ladder led upwards and disappeared out of her sight, another sign pointed this way, saying 'hell'. "So which do you choose?"
"Are the signs correct?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll take the right path." And so she stepped downwards, feeling the heat warm her cold skin.
"Why did I not come to this city before?" Amon asked, nervously watching from the city's skyscrapers as Robin descended.
"This is not your path." Maria simply answered. She shook her head. "At least she didn't take after her father in this sense. Toudou is still down there, wondering which path to choose."
Amon smiled sadly. "I get it. 'purgatory' is supposed to purge people of their sins, right? This place forces people to finally be able to have faith in themselves and others."
Maria nodded. "You have to be pretty brave to put everything on the line like that and decide which way is right." then she turned and added to him. "You don't have to worry, she chose the right path."
"I know."
