Please read the oneshot Heavenly Nightmare first.
Chapter 1: A Hellish Interruption
She'd been having nightmares again, horrific flashes to her time on Earth, being stuck in that dank basement, the scent of copper heavy in the air, thunder crashing all around, and her best friend's teary smile, bearing down on her until it all faded away.
Varya brushed it off as much as she could, treating herself to a lavender latte on the way to the church. She needed to repent.
It shouldn't have been a surprise to Varya that Heaven had churches, of course the angels would want to thank their Lord for granting them access to the Heavens. Usually goers would pray for their still living loved ones, or those that did not make it to Heaven, in hopes that one day, their sinner grandpa or aunt would finally return to them.
Varya kept to the back of the church, squeezing her eyes shut and praying once again for forgiveness.
"The nightmares are back again my Lord. I… I'm sorry. I know that these thoughts have no place in your Kingdom. I will try my best to eradicate them. I… Please. I'm trying."
She was so pathetic. What kind of angel gets nightmares? Wasn't the whole point of Heaven to be eternally happy? At peace?
There was nothing peaceful about the aching in her back, x marking the spot where she was brutally stabbed.
With a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit, Varya exited the church as fast as she'd entered. She needed to get to her shop, set up her kit for her meeting.
Varya's Jungle was one of many stores of that name, littered around Heaven selling bouquets, bath-bombs and herbal remedies to any angel in need of some pampering. The shop was already bustling with life, a gaggle of children stood in awe at their Venus flytrap display, with a couple of older angels fussing over their latest floral display.
"Your kit is ready on the counter Ma'am!" Called one of Varya's assistants, a pink hued angel with lilies entwined into her regal braids. She flashed her a perfect smile, whilst tending to a customer whose arms overflowed with their latest release of glittering oils and sprays.
"It's Varya Marina, How many times must I tell you?" She laughed, grabbing at the wicker basket full of remedies. Skin salve, ointment for burns, herbs to encourage strength, teas that enhanced stamina. And some soaps and creams, for good measure. A free sample went a long way, especially with a client like him.
"Whatever you say Ma'am!" The cheeky angel winked, before disappearing off into the hustle and bustle that was the cosmetics section.
Varya greeted and smiled to each and every customer that passed, it would be bad business not to, hoping that her mask was perfect, and that no one noticed the grit in her teeth, or the whites of her knuckles, clutching the basket as if it was a life line.
It was her annual meeting with Adam today, the First-Man, her number one customer. Every year he'd order an obscene amount of performance enhancing and healing remedies off her, causing her to slave away in her workshop for days on end until everything was perfect, only to end up needing twice as much because his soldiers had wasted it all.
It was a blessing really, to serve the First-Man and his angelic army. Varya wasn't allowed to know the details, but she was a smart woman. Adam and his army would go to war every year like clock work, defending the sanctity of Heaven from those who wished to see it all burn.
Varya's heart jumped at the thought of it. The battle, the adrenaline, the excitement. Fighting for something you believed in, bleeding for it.
She jolted to a stop, deep breath.
Maybe she'd visit the church again after the meeting. For good measure.
Shaking her head, the angel powered on to the First-Man's headquarters, on the very edge of Heaven, a hulking building that radiated power and authority. Settling into the waiting hall, filled with plush sofas and beautiful stained glass windows.
Adam was always too late, and Varya always too early, she could rest for a moment.
Sniff.
What was that smell?
Varya scanned the room, and then she saw it.
Was that… Was that a demon? In Heaven?
Why would Adam ever want to meet with a demon? Was the war going that badly? Were they thinking of a truce?
What would a truce between Heaven and Hell even look like?
The demon smelt smoky, and of sweat. She guessed it made sense, Hell must be hot and all. She had blonde hair, pasty white skin and a red suit. She was… crying?
Don't go over there, don't go over there don't-
"Excuse me? Miss? Are you ok?"
The demon jumped out of her skin, all wide yellowed eyes and fangs, shooting up and shoving a hand in Varya's face.
"HI! Hello! Me? I'm fine, I'm good I'm… actually amazing! And you know why I'm amazing because I am working on a very special project that I want to show Heaven! And yeah so maybe my first audience weren't… too impressed, but you! You might be!"
Varya assessed the manic, ghostly puppet of a girl nearly shaking with mania in front of her, reminding the angel of a hyperactive puppy. Before Varya could so much as blink, the demon was rushing through a presentation on her "project", complete with a little tune and many crayoned drawings.
"So! What do you think?" The demon gasped, out of breath from her frantic word-vomit. If she had performed like this in front of the First-Man, no wonder she had been crying. Adam was… Adam.
Varya paused, always one to think deeply before speaking.
"I think it is a good idea. Redemption." The demon's eyes somehow got bigger, shinier, brimming with hope. Something Varya didn't think would exist in the depths of Hell. "But-"
"But?" Clearly manners did not exist down there.
"But you were sorely mistaken if you thought the First-Man would join your side."
The demon's face collapsed, Varya hadn't seen a face so down that wasn't her own.
"He… He was such an-"
"Asshole?" The swear came out as a hushed whisper, as if God himself would hear her and cast her to the Hells. She wondered if this meeting was even allowed. Could angels speak to sinners, to demons without consequence? Maybe once she was done talking product with Adam, she would be cast aside, her usefulness now expired.
"YEAH. WHAT A FUCKING ASSHOLE RIGHT?" The Hellspawn's shoulders sagged, drawings floating to the floor as she rubbed her eyes, looking far too tired, too despondent for someone so young and bright.
"Adam… is difficult. Heaven. Is difficult. You cannot expect to have an easy time changing the status quo like this."
"It's just so unfair. A person's mistakes shouldn't result in an eternity of damnation. Hell is so overpopulated. And Sinners are being destroyed every year by your Exorcists. It would be insane to think that all of those sinners, all of those people, deserve that forever."
Varya pet the girl's head, her eyes still forlorn, downcast to the floor. She picked up the silly drawings and handed them to her.
"Have hope. There are plenty of bleeding hearts in Heaven. You just need to find them."
The girl brightened a bit after that, sniffling and smiling at the angel. She flicked through her drawings, and handed one back to Varya with a shy smile.
"Keep this. Please."
"Of course." It showed the hotel, with some poorly drawn figures outside, Varya imagined these to be prospective residents, or perhaps the young girl's friends. If they even had friends down there. She tucked it into her dress, hidden away from prying eyes.
From the corner of her eye, Varya saw the signal that it was her time to face the First Man, "I must leave. Take care, Demon."
"Charlie! Charlie Morningstar"
Varya shut off the shock of her speaking to the daughter of Lucifer himself, gripping her basket of products tightly and smiling as politely as possible.
"Vavarya."
Politely, Varya walked the demon, Charlie, to the door, where a swirling orange portal awaited her.
"Good luck" She whispered, as the demon disappeared with a blink, leaving nothing but the scent of sulphur. Varya found herself leaning towards the scent, though unpleasant, it was so different. Bad smells, bad anything did not exist in heaven.
Pulling herself together, gripping her basket like it was a lifeline, Varya entered the meeting room where Adam's rowdy laughter echoed from one of the meeting rooms, the door now wide open.
"VaVa VOOM babe, nice to see ya, hope you didn't bump into anything gross on the way here"
Lute, who Varya believed may die should she be more than two feet away from the First-Man, barked a mean laugh.
"Haha yeah, we have a vermin problem up here it seems."
"I did not know we allowed demons into our holy land." Varya flashed a smile at the two, both grimacing and grumbling to each other like a pair of spoiled teenagers. "Here." She threw two fresh blocks of lavender soap at them, "For the smell."
"Bro you have no idea. Ugh, I dunno why I even had to talk to it. Like… Princess of Hell or not, that means nothing up here"
"Her idea was cute. Though naive. I am surprised that a-"
"Dumbass?" Lute interrupted.
"Massive fucking airhead?" Adam scoffed.
"Yes… I am surprised someone like that manages to survive down there."
Adam scoffed, scrubbing the soap all over his body, hidden under his robes.
"Yeah. Well not for long, we're heading down there early this year to stomp on that bug."
Lute jolted forward, almost grabbing Adam by the shoulder but stopping herself mere inches away from the First Man.
"S-sir."
Adam shoved her away, shrugging, "Oh c'mon she's basically one of the team. Hey VaVa" The idiot leaned forward, leering smirk visible even with the mask, "You wanna join this year? I know it's supposed to be all secret but you're a smart gal. And I know how bored you must be, fucking about with flowers for eternity."
Varya smiled gently, "I would do anything for the benefit of Heaven, for you. Sir. Flowers and all."
Adam liked that, the man's ego swelling to fill the room, "Heaven yeah, you good with a weapon? Doesn't matter much though, these sinners are shit at defending themselves because… HA! They can't!" He spun to high five Lute, who's wariness of the situation had quickly dissipated with Adam's excitement. Her devotion to the man was a disgusting sight to behold, Varya hoped she'd never looked so pathetic back when she was… anyways.
Varya chuckled lightly along with the two, "I am very handy with a pair of shears you know. Great for culling weeds."
"I'd love to see that babe, hey Lute go get her suited and booted. We'll turn this flower power swamp-witch into a cold hearted machine in no time. It's gonna be bitchin'"