Note: This is a Sequel to my first story "Blades of Fallen Feathers"
This will make no sense if you haven't read that one haha.
Once a year, the skies of Hell opened to have angels from Heaven descend and slaughter sinners to prevent overpopulation. Out of the fear that sinners might outnumber them and come to Heaven to overtake , wreck and ravage it. But one day, something extraordinary happened. The sky split open, a thunderous wave shook the entire planes of Hell, as an angelic sinner fell down. Tainted by actions but pure by heart. Her wings shining white in the darkened lights. Whatever the reason for her descend unknown and a mystery when she was found by one of the blackest most tainted souls in Hell.
He took her to reside in the Hazbin Hotel where the Princess of Hell was trying to find a way to redeem souls, not for her safety but purely out of entertainment purposes. When she woke up, his world would never be the same again. Strange as it might seem, the two developed a bond, fond of each other's presence, accepting of each other's souls. One, a cannibalistic serial killer, an overlord even, and the other, a murderer by duty but not by will, fell in love. No matter how opposed their opinions and souls were, in a matter of no time they were bound, daring anyone to question their loyalty.
The sinner saw how his Angel fought though. Fought for her soul. For her grays to be seen. Wondering if she truly was a sinner in her core. And even if the words of loving him and never wanting to leave him were true, he felt the anguish cry of her questions. So when given the opportunity, he let her go to Heaven, to speak to them, to convince them to re-evaluate their ways. The judgments. Their exterminations.
They saw her then, and allowed her passage to Heaven. With a smile, and crying of relief, she declined. Standing beside her one true love. Ready for the fight that was about to come. To fight for him. Be with him. Her lover though, filled with love but frightened of what she might do, what she might die for, decided on a drastic measurement. She would never leave. She would never be safe. Only if he broke her heart. So he did. Brutally. In a way that he would carry the burden of guilt for forever.
Utterly destroyed and saddened, bleeding in body and heart, she fled. And when the chance presented itself, went to Heaven. He was relieved for a split second. His love would be safe for eternity. Without him but safe. But then she turned the tables, saying she would be coming for his head. A woman scorned. Ready to make him bleed in return. So the next time they laid eyes on each other, once filled with love, now filled with regrets, anger and dread, they were on opposite sides of the battlefield.
He was ready. Ready to bleed and beg and pray for the woman he loved to destroy him how he had done to her. But when she pulled her blade, she swung it into the man leading the attack, Adam the first man, decapitated him, as her loyalty was shown to have never faltered. Having figured out her lover's plan. Tragically, what the sinner had been afraid of came to be, as she fought hard and bravely and took down hundreds of angels by herself, she could not stay unharmed. Died, in his arms.
He screamed, grieved, mourned and cried for the loss of the only thing that had given him love in his afterlife and he would have locked himself away forever. Until a letter from Heaven arrived. And she stood in front of him, redeemed, holy and alive. Their reunion sweet but short lived as the angel had to bargain her way out of Heaven first after her gruesome deeds. But they promised, pledged to each other, to have faith and they would return to each other once more.
Months went by when finally the skies opened again. An angel, now pledged and sworn to become a warrior of Heaven, to serve and keep the sinners of Hell in check like a judge, returned to him. No matter her new assignment, her new purpose, all was worth it to be once and forever more in the arms of the one she loves. The sinner that learned to love in earnest and the angel that had learned to bloody her hands for herself.
Charlie is staring at them with big, expectant happy gooey eyes, waiting to see their response to the book she had written for them. Drawings and all! Well, to give her some credit, these drawings are better than the ones she used many times for… Other important presentations.
Judging by the look on Alastor's face, he is about to say something to crush the poor Princess's hard work so Cattaleya jumps in before he can. "It is lovely, Charlie. Thank you for the precious gift."
She squeals so loudly that Alastor pushes his ears to his head to save them from the sound barrier shattering noise. "I am so glad you like it! Your story is just so precious and sweet and such an inspiration that I could not help myself and make this book! You see, I have one myself and I couldn't help but think this might actually become a very important part of history and who knows what more books that could be written after we go to Heaven and meet with Emily and-"
Cattaleya laughs and stands as she makes a calm-down motion with her hands. "Breathe, as I think you haven't yet." A large intake of air her reply. "We will treasure it. I do need to do my rounds soon so." She flutters a bit with her wings, only showing her lower ones, the ones she originally fallen to Hell with, as Alastor prefers it that way. And it is significantly less heavy. Those things kill her back.
"Oh right right right. See you soon! Bye Al!" She quickly gets the memo and excuses herself out of their apartment which Alastor had modeled in Cattaleya's absence.
"You have done your rounds already, sweet lying Dove." Alastor remarks as he takes a sip from his coffee as he looks at the red leather covered book. "Trashbin or fire?"
"Neither." She says with a chuckle as she sits on his lap, his arm automatically snakes around her waist, and takes the book out of his hand. "This was made with genuine care."
"If this is the gifts we receive when she cares I am terrified to see what she might conjure up when she decides she doesn't like us!" He says with a slight snicker of his own.
"Hilarious. It's not that bad." She says as she flips the pages again. "A bit exaggerated but still very considerate."
"Of course you would enjoy it. You are painted perfectly right as the beautiful soul you are." He emphasizes it with a kiss to her cheek. "I on the other hand have been done ugly in the story! There has been nothing written down about the powerful being that I am! Nothing about how I can tear a soul to smithereens in a snap! Instead my glorious self is painted as a sappy sinner."
"Aren't you though?"
His grin turns mischievous, rising to her challenge. "Do not tempt me to show you otherwise."
"Thrilling."
Their rising heat and starting touchy hands are interrupted as her phone rings. With a groan of complaint, from Alastor of course, Cattaleya grabs it to see who is calling. Velvette. "Can't she go a day without calling you?"
"Not eager to share attention?"
"Certainly not. Give me that horrendous device." He reaches out, playfully though, and she holds it out of his reach. His claw waving in the air as she giggles.
"I'll call her back later but you know what happens when I find my phone misplaced again." She actually caught him trying to microwave it once out of pure disdain. He got such a scolding and an ear pulling he felt it days after.
"All I am saying is that she has no right to claim what is rightfully mine. All your attention."
"Poor you having to learn how to share." She kisses his nose before taking the book to their bookshelf. When she turns back around, she can't help but feel a warmth gently spreading throughout her whole being, head to toe. As she looks at Alastor, reopening his newspaper with a content smile and joy in his expression, sitting at their dining table, in their own little cozy apartment he made for them, which made her cry the first time she saw it… There is so much love and peace between them it's insane. Domestic bliss one might call it. To think that after her torment of a life, their short but intense struggles in their afterlife, they would end up here. Together like this.
It is easy to forget they are in Hell. Easy to forget he is the great Radio demon overlord. Easy to forget she is an Angel, a servant of Heaven, one to keep Hell in check and if she fails it might doom Hell back to the extermination…
Life is simple together. A little more complicated outside these walls. But nothing they can't handle. Nothing to worry about. If they can survive what they have, then nothing can break them.
Alastor notices the way she is looking at him and holds out his hand to her. He pulls her back into her previous position on his lap and they cuddle as he reads some random news articles out loud.
Yes, this is their bliss. And she is eager to see what they will achieve together.