Return of the Angels
She walked through the gates of the Guardian Force and was instantly bombarded by hugs from very worried females. Storm was the last to give a hug so powerful that Celine thought she might break her in half. When she stepped back, there were tears in her blue eyes, ones that threatened Celine's heart to break. She had been hurt at her disappearance, so badly that she must have been crying herself to sleep every night to try and avoid from thinking negatively about what might be happening to her. Celine smoothed her friend's hair behind her ear and looked at her with a powerful friendship love that kept them connected together for so many years.
"Do you need to worry about little old me?" Celine says and Storm released a laugh that wasn't humorous, but it did hold a hell of a lot of relief. As if passing a test she hadn't known she had to pass, Celine was crushed into another hug with Storm. Her usual gentle hands were tight around her, refusing to allow her to go away again. Through it, Celine could tell that Storm was scared for her, like usual. There is never a change for her, even when she had the name Rain she was just the same worrywart friend as she is now. But Celine didn't want it to change. Storm was fine just the way she is.
"Do I get to hug my girl anytime soon?" a male voice said and Storm released her, stepped back as she wiped her tears. Celine looked to Azrael, the same eyes as her looked down at her with such relief that it reviled Storm's. Celine smiled gently and wrapped herself in his embrace. His long black sleeves flowed around her as he hugged her to him. "It's so good to have you back." He said giving her a little squeeze.
"You need to pack on some weight, you're all bones," she said jokingly. She was supposed to not have known that her father was only bones, but as he looked at her now, she wasn't afraid of him for what she's found out. Instead she looked as if she was pleased to find that she could have easily guessed it, since she's heard that the angel of death was all bones from the beginning.
"Oh come on, Celine, I'm bone," he said, spreading his arms and his bones clashed against each other at his movements. The others behind him cringed at the sound, still not getting used to the fact that he wasn't exactly with skin. Celine laughed joyously; especially since her friends were disgusted at the fact her father was nothing more than simple bone. "I've been skinned and gutted, I'm just a walking skeleton," which increased the humans further disgust.
"That's still no excuse," she says with laughter still ready to flow from her.
Azrael placed an arm around her shoulders and steered her towards the building with everyone following behind them. They talked, randomly, avoiding what had happened back in her holding place. Celine's wound was still fresh and sore, if it were to be poked at; it would increase and probably become infected. Although she carried no physical wounds, she did carry ones of the heart, mind and soul. She looked unaffected, but in truth, deep within, she was incredibly affected and she didn't know how to react other than to pretend she was outwardly fine to everyone else.
Azrael could easily see through what she was putting off. He knew not to go poking around in something that was far too fresh to discuss. Others were considering it as they walked behind them, but he would look back at them with glare of his deep blue eyes, instantly shutting their mouths and their minds. He was not going to tolerate anyone that wished for her to experience the same pain again. They wanted information on what happened; well they are going to have to wait until she's ready to speak it without having to fall back within and fear everything around her.
Azrael stopped just shy at the door. He turned to the others. "I'm taking Celine to her room so she can rest peacefully. She will have no disturbance, you hear me?" no one made a sound but they merely nodded their heads in understanding. He steered her through the compound, away from the others that watched as they walked away. Azrael refused to say something and Celine was able to see this from his stern expression. He wasn't happy with something and it concerned her.
"Father…" he looked down at her, knowing the question her eyes were asking.
He shook his head. "Do not fret, Celine. You need your rest and I don't want everyone to bombard you with questions when you're wounds are still far too fresh." Understanding that he merely wished for her wellbeing, she left it alone and allowed him to direct her through the base and to her room. He stopped before the door, his mind completely uneasy and his heart in welling confusing. Celine looks at him with confusion of her own, wondering what was getting to him, despite he was supposed to be the calmest of the angels…apparently.
He shook his head dismissing whatever he was conversing with himself. But Celine would not let it pass so easily. In truth she has not known her father to ever be so confused like this before.
"Father… What's the matter?"
"It's nothing to worry about, Celine, child."
"I can't believe that for an instant. If there is a problem among my own species, I am the first to be notified." Her seriousness faltered. "But I'm not asking you as a fellow angel. I'm asking you as your daughter."
"My heart is confused with my responsibilities as an angel of death and as a father," his eyes close and he is shrouded in darkness until he opens them again. "All I am supposed to do is focus on harvest souls, but I've had a daughter for seventeen years, and although I've done nothing with you, my heart is confused as to which is the most important."
Celine smiles, "you know which is the most important, father."
"I am not abandoning you to do my duty," he says with a frown.
"Your duty is much more important than me. If you do not keep to harvesting souls, the world will be overridden in them and soon it would be the world of the dead and not the living. Without you, there is no cycle of life, and nothing can be reborn."
"You make me sound like a saint, when others view me as a bad guy."
She shrugged her shoulders. "You're both, because you make yourself out to be the bad guy, but some people do recognize you to be what you truly are."
He laughed. "You must be really exhausted if you're making me out to be a saint."
She glowered at him, hands on her hips. "I never said you were a saint, but I did say you're a good guy and a bad guy."
"I can't be both," he said grinning an unseen grin.
"Ha!" she exploded disbelieving. "That is hilarious, the angel of death is neither good nor bad and that is fact."
He closed his mouth as he had tried to argue against it, but knew that he could not. That was fact as she had said so. It was the complete undying truth about the angel of death. He was indeed neither good nor bad. He blames others for pinpointing him in a particular direction, especially when he was mainly pointed in the evil category. He only did his job and kept the cycle of life going. Yada, yada, yada! Not his fault that the role exists. If anyone were to blame it would be the creator since he is the one that appointed the position in the first place.
Azrael was just about to open the door when Celine's words stopped him. "I heard mother's voice…" she hadn't wanted to say a single word about it, but she felt compelled to tell him. He turned around to face her and she only knew this because she felt his gaze upon her. She didn't meet his eyes as if ashamed for bringing up such a subject, as if it had been forbidden to have been spoken of.
His bony fingers touched her check, declaring it safe to talk about it, but still no words passed from her lips as she looked up at him, a tear falling down her cheek. No words came out of his mouth; instead he silently consoled her with just a touch from his skin scraped bones. Closing her eyes she leaned into his touch, content enough to release her silent tears that had welled within her heart since she no longer had contact with her mother's gentle, warm and loving voice. One quick glimpse of what her mother looked like was not enough for her. She wanted her to be beside her, but she was gone forever, with just that simple image forever in her heart.
"She stopped me from losing sight of who I am," she clarifies, opening her eyes to look up at him. "She's glad that you've obtained your goal of the fallen… But it was some of the fallen that had captured me and…" she looked away, unable to finish the sentence. Bringing up that particular memory was painful. Azrael pulled her into his embrace, a consolation of his own in a way. She understood and hugged him back, consoling each other. "I miss her so much," she said against his shoulder, her tears falling.
"We all miss her," he responds, hugging her tighter. If Azrael could shed tears, Celine would gather that he would be now. Since he was just one of bones, he probably would not be able to cry. But when they pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes, she swears she could see the nearly unnoticeable tears that seemed to glow against the darkness that clouded his bony face. "Get some rest Celine," he says soothing her hair at the side of her face.
She hugged him tightly before she disappeared into the darkness of her room. Azrael remained outside, watching until she closed the door on him. She leaned against its back, feeling her father still standing on the other side. Closing her eyes, her heart felt empty as he eventually walked away, pain vibrating through each step. The angel of death was not heartless, today it had been proven. She pushed away from the door and shuffled her feet on the ground towards her bed. As soon as she reached it, she fell against the cover and brought her pillow to her face, weeping into it.
The organoids were already in the room, and they watched with dismay at Celine's actions. Pain slammed into Mai's core as she looked upon her master's weeping form. Terror and Shadow swapped looks at each other, unsure on what they should do. Mai, instinctively, knew what should be done. She walked over to her master and gently nudged her arm, offering reassurance in silent words. She looked up from the pillow, face tear stained and she latched her arms around Mai's neck and wept against her as she took up the offer.
Knowing that this was all she needed, she shifted so she lay on the bed so Celine could curl herself beside her and weep, knowing she was safe embracing arms that were willing to console her at any given time.