Maybe Angels

Title: Maybe Angels Part 20/20 – I’m Alive
Author: Makoto Sagara
Archives: the usual suspects; anywhere else, just ask
Category: Supernatural, Angst, Romance
Pairing(s): 2+5, 1+2, 3+1, 4+3, 4+2, H+4, 6+9, S+C, R+OC, 5+R (friendship), 13x5, eventual 2x5x2
Rating: T (13 )
Warnings: Shonen ai, OOC, AU, language, skewed views of a few different religions

Disclaimers: (sigh) No part of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, or its characters, belongs to me. Any references to Dogma are just made because I adore the movie and Kevin Smith, and are meant only out of love and affection for both. Not a single cent was made off of this piece of fanfiction. Suing would be inevitably pointless, seeing as how I have no money. Flames -will- be used to entertain my rabid muses... All three of them... They live for the things.

A/N: Have I mentioned how much I hate computers? I’m seriously getting sick of mine deciding to go and get messed up. So, if anyone wants to shoot at my old disk drive that died, let me know. You can have a new target. >< Anyhow, thanks to Rainy for helping me recover the ONLY scene I hadn’t typed up.

Symbols: -- change in scene, POV, or time
- Blah - in mind communication
-Blah- emphasized words

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My hands float up above me
And you whisper you love me
And I begin to fade
Into our secret place
The music makes me sway
The angels singing say we are alone with you
I am alone and they are too with you
I'm alive, I'm alive
I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing
And so I cry
The light is white
And I see you
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
~All Around Me, By Flyleaf
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I’m Alive
For the second time in one week, Wufei’s cell phone woke him and Relena up from a dead sleep. The summoning from above meant that it was horrible indeed. Of course, the dreadful feeling only increased when I listened in on my charge’s end of the call, along with Relena and Noin. He’d always been on of those fully awake once he wasn’t sleeping sort of people, but I’d never seen him go from asleep to awake to angry in all his life. Those beautiful, bottomless eyes that could be as cold as ice or as warm as a blazing fire had never seemed so empty. It killed me to see that in him.

Relena tried to get him to talk when he hung up, but Wufei just shook his head. I could tell from my own feelings that he really had no words in him. Nothing I could do or say would draw him out, not with the girl there, and my actions were limited by her presence. With what I hoped was a reassuring brush, I gave into the Heavenly summons.

I wasn’t surprised to find the rest of the Chang’s personal angels assembled, but the addition of Metatron, Gabriel, Michael and Raguiel told that Solo had made my charge both an orphan and only child. I saw red and only the sight of God’s tear-stained face stopped me. I ran over to Her, forgetting all decorum, and flung myself into Her lap. The hug She gave me was so devastatingly sorrowful that my eyes became wet.

“My Lord,” I started, my voice extremely rough and thick with emotion, “you know what has to be done now. It’s unavoidable.”

“I believe it is so, my Dearest Playful One, but this does not make it any easier for me to hand this sentence down on any of my creations, perverted as Soliriel is now.”

“This is all your fault, Diachriel!” Hilde screamed, getting up from her perched position to stare me straight in the eye. “This never would have happened had you been able to remember how to behave in the first place. I will never forgive you!” Her face was twisted into something ugly – full of anger and pain and futility. And I really wish that I could say that I didn’t rise to the bait, but I cannot.

“My fault? Need I remind you how all of this started? I will -not- take the blame for the actions of others. I absolutely refuse to be told that I am the cause of innocent lives being taken by someone who can’t even keep herself separated from her charge’s feelings long enough to remember who her friends are.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you, Mr. My-Charge-Is-Everything-And-No-Other-Soul-Matters.” She was in my face, her hands clinched in fists as if to strike me, and I could only feel sadness for what was lost.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, moving back towards God to face the Archangels. “Anyone else have a grievance they’d like to air? I’m all ears.”

“Diachriel,” Metatron said, disdain for my impatience showing, “you, of all of us, may want to pay attention to what our Creator is trying to say.”

“It’s alright, Metatron. It is better that they get these things out before we continue, but now it must be put aside.” She stood from Her throne and began pacing before it. “The reason that Gabriel and Raguiel are here is because I have decided that the five of you – yes, five, Diachriel, including Metatron and Michael – shall be working to bring Soliriel to justice together. If I were to allow only Michael and Diachriel to do so, I am afraid that Lilith or one of Lucifer’s other soldiers would interfere for their own personal glory.

“Hildariel, Sarasasel, and Clidontiel, you three will serve as extra protection around Relena and Wufei. Girondial is already aware and the Natal Angels that were formerly assigned to them will be assisting in protecting the humans as well. If any demonic interference occurs, send someone back IMMEDIATELY.” She sighed heavily and waved one hand. “Go to your duty.”

I could -feel- Hilde’s eyes on me as they were dismissed, and the sadness from the loss of our friendship brought tears to my eyes. Only time would repair the damage, and that was one thing no one had then. After wiping the drops away and shaking my head, I returned my attention to God and the Seraphim. It was time to discuss how this operation was going down.

------------------------------

Wufei was staring at his ruined house, amid fire marshals, police officers, and pedestrians. Relena stood next to him, delicately holding his right hand as the fire chief spoke. Unable to stand our separation any longer, I materialized into human form, walked silently to his other side and slid my hand into his unoccupied one. He stiffened at the contact and fixed me with dead eyes. Relena looked over with a confused look, and I returned it with a warm smile. It was rather nice to be seen by the girl who had been such a source of inspiration to me. I could see the other Angels surrounding us – Noin and Zechs around the girl, Noin and Quatre standing back, but obviously keeping an eye on my charge – but their presence did little to dispel the anxiety I felt.

The chief left the teenagers and I alone and I sighed as the girl put her pretty blue eyes on me. “I don’t know you, but Wufei trusts you. However, his judgment has been off lately.” Her eyes swept up and down my body slowly. “I’ll admit that he has good taste. I’m Relena Peacecraft.” She shoved a hand in my face, which I took out of politeness.

“Duo Maxwell, at your service,” I said, hoping that I managed to sound genial.

“Oh, are you -that- Duo?”

“Um, I guess. What has Fei told you about me?”

The smile she gave sent chills up my spine. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“Excuse me, are you Mister Chang?” A police officer was standing in front of Wufei, who still couldn’t, or wouldn’t, speak.

“He is now,” I answered for my charge.

“You are?” The officer’s green eyes reminded me of Trowa’s for a second, cold and calculating.

“We’re his family now,” Relena said defiantly, and I had to admit that I was glad that she’d included me. “What do you need, Officer?”

“Ah, yes, Miss Peacecraft, we, ah, found something suspicious in the, ah, backyard.” He held up a plastic evidence bag containing a piece of tattered red silk. “It was tangled in the fence.”

“Wufei, isn’t that…” Relena started.

“It belongs to Chang Li,” he growled, finally allowing his emotions to show. “It is probably from the leg of his hun sha.”

“His what?”

“A traditional wedding suit,” I said, trying to transmit some calm through the link I shard with my charge.

“Hm, yes, I think I heard something about that…. Is there somewhere we can reach you at a later time if we need to ask any of you questions?”

“Yes, we will be staying at my house,” Relena said, stopping me from what I was going to say. “Any inquiries can be directed there.” Her business mode was a little intimidating, but I could tell that my charge was more than happy for his friend to take over for him. The police officer left his card with the girl and returned to the others at the back of the property. “Really, you’d think we were suspects with the way that he was carrying on.”

“Well, you know that those closest to the victims are usually the first suspects,” I said, and glanced at Wufei when I realized what I’d said. My charge’s shoulders sagged and the lifelessness had taken up residence in his eyes again. “Miss Peacecraft, I believe that it might be time to take our mutual friend here back to your home,” I whispered quietly.

“Please, call me Relena. I think you’re right about Wufei though.” A bright smile broke out on her face. “Besides, the car ride will give me ample time to get to know you.” Despite the smile on her pretty face, I felt a cold chill up my spine. I was in for a very long trip.

-----------------------------------

My thoughts on the trip over are as followed: Wufei does not deal with grief well. Relena is a scary woman when she feels the need to be. And I am obviously a pushover for hot Asian men in pain….

By the time we had reached her home, I was ecstatic to be free of the questioning. However, Wufei was the first one out of the car, making his way to the front door before either Relena or I had even gotten out. I could have gone into my Angelic form and caught up with him before he went too far, but I didn’t really see the need to do so. Besides, it was probably better for him to move on his own, away from either of us, if only for a few moments.

“He’s probably headed to his room. I had Pargon set it up while the police were still trying to talk to us,” the blonde girl said, walking towards the imposing mansion with ease. “I didn’t know you were going to be staying with us, so I’m afraid it will take some time for the arrangements to be made for your room.”

I raised a questioning eyebrow at her – a trick learned from my charge – and she laughed. “Don’t worry. I can find my own accommodations just fine, Relena.”

“Oh, I’m sure you can, Duo. I’m sure you can,” she said after calming down. “But we’ll probably find him in that room right now.” Warily, I followed her through the halls until we stopped at a door. Upon opening it, we found the boy sitting on the floor, staring at the wall. He didn’t even look up as we entered, but as soon as I sat down next to him, one hand had latched onto my braided hair with a grip that bordered on pulling it. We sat that way for God only knows how long, until someone crashing through the door at full speed interrupted us.

“She… is she… Where is she?” Hiroshi said, his eyes wild and his normally well-kept appearance looking even worse than it had days before the wedding.

“Gone,” Wufei replied, sounding rather detached. His friend strode into the room and grabbed him by the shoulders and shook the Chinese boy. It was then that the difference in their sizes really became evident. Hiroshi’s lanky frame towered over my charge, but there was a sort of deadly grace that the smaller of the two possessed, even in his diminished state. “They’re all gone.” A lone tear slid down his face, and I felt like someone had just punched me in the gut. Tears gathered in my eyes and I had to shake my head violently to get them to stop.

“What kind of answer is that?” The Japanese boy was punctuating every word with a mind-rattling shake. “Where is Meiran?!!!”

“She’s dead, Hiroshi,” Relena whispered sadly from the doorway. “They’re all dead.” We all watched as the taller boy let go of Wufei and seemed to deflate as if someone had punched a hole into a beach ball.

“Wha… No,” he cried, before falling to his knees and sobbing uncontrollably. I moved behind Relena before becoming visible again.

“Relena, take care of Hiroshi, please. I need to be alone with Wufei,” I whispered. She responded with a nod of the head and moved out of my way. I watched as she wrapped her arms around the sobbing boy and guided him from the room with quiet authority and grace. Wufei just continued to watch everything with no expression, as if he was dead. “’Fei?” His head cocked to the side, but that was the only sign of life from my charge I was allowed to see. “Are you physically alright?”

“I… continue to exist, if that is what you are questioning,” he said, continuing his detached attitude.

“Who talks like that?” I asked. One thin eyebrow quirked in question – score a point for the Personal Angel who asks ridiculous things. “Wufei, how are you?”

“I don’t know,” he said, new tears springing to his eyes as he seemed to sink to the floor. “I feel numb and weak. Half of me is missing.” His voice was tight and low, brimming over with the emotion that I knew he felt. Carefully, I approached him and wrapped my arms around his trembling body. He seemed to be so frail, until a hand clamped around my wrist forcefully. “Don’t go.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I breathed. We held onto one another until Relena joined us, giving me a bashful glance before pulling Hiroshi in behind her. I then noticed that the Japanese boy had bottles of alcohol in his arms, and that the only reason he was standing upright was with the girl’s assistance. Wufei’s eyes fluttered open when they walked into the room, but he just as quickly put his head back on my shoulder as if nothing happened. I jerked my head at the other two and they came into the room fully, taking up spots across from us.

“I opened up Daddy’s liquor cabinet. Hiro needed a drink,” Relena said quickly, her eyes darting between Wufei’s tranquil face and my own amused eyes.

“You had one too, ‘Lena,” Hiro said, his words slurring together slightly.

“Well, it’s been one of those days,” she said, the embarrassment obvious in her voice. She took one of the bottles from Hiro and screwed off the top. The smell of decent whiskey wafted over to me and I crinkled my nose. “Don’t you like whiskey, Duo?” Relena asked.

“It’s not that. I just haven’t been allowed to consume it for a very long time and every once in a while the smell gets to me.” It was then that I noticed Hiroshi was staring at me very intensely. “Is there something the matter, Hiro?”

“Well, you and ‘Fei seem close… Do you know him from school?” He looked from me to Relena. “I thought for a minute that you’d taken up with him, ‘Lena, but he’s not your type.” His drunken smile seemed to crumple in an instant and tears were streaming down his face. “I shouldn’t drink,” he muttered as his friend held him to her shoulder.

“No, you shouldn’t,” she said sweetly, but not moving to take the bottle of gin he’d designated for his own consumption. I cleared my throat and caught her attention and shook my head. The look she gave me told me to mind my own business, but I knew exactly what she was up to and it wasn’t going to end pretty if she pushed too much. I reached out to Noin.

- She’s playing a really dangerous game, Noin. –

- I know, Duo, but she’s not listening to me right now. She’s definitely got plans of her own, and they’re ugly and selfish from the way she’s projecting, - my friend sent back to me. I sighed heavily and that caught the attention of the Asian boy leaning against me.

“Duo, are you alright,” he asked quietly. I jerked my head over in the direction of his two best friends and frowned. Wufei’s brow furrowed in contemplation before he walked over and yanked the girl off of Hiroshi by her arm and dragged her from the room. I didn’t need to be with them to know that he was angrily telling her that her behaviour was beneath her and that she was being completely selfish – he was projecting his thoughts to me, unintentionally. That fact amused me.

When only Wufei returned, I raised an eyebrow in question. – She’s gone to her room, - he sent.

“What about him?” I asked, gesturing to an unconscious Hiroshi, who was still cradling the bottle he’d been drinking from.

“There’s another bedroom that we can take him next door. He should be fine there,” Wufei said, moving to try and pick the other boy up. I rose from my position on the floor and helped him drag his friend to the next room. No sooner had the door been shut before my charge had me pinned to it, his lips latching onto mine as if his life depended upon it.

I was startled at first, but my body was responding with a life of its own. My hands were in his hair, on his arms, shoulders, back, buttocks, and wrapping themselves around his neck. His hands were not idle either. They were engrossed in trying to disrobe me.

“Fei,” I said between bruising kisses, “we’re in a hallway.”

“You’re right,” he growled, releasing me just long enough so that he could drag me back to his bedroom, where the onslaught began again. His hands went from trying to take my clothes off to trying to loosen my hair and back again, as if he was unsure what he wanted first.

However, we all know that all good things must come to an end, and this time was no different. I was being paged.

--------------------------------

Being paged home is not exactly something that I enjoyed with any of my charges, but God’s timing with Wufei seemed to be annoying on spot. It was bad enough that I lost control of the relationship so much that I could be more of a liability than any assistance in securing the safety of my charge and those closest to him. With every kiss, Wufei was making it more and more difficult for me to abide by the rules that I had agreed to so long ago. My decision to use myself to draw Solo out for the Archangels was the correct one, but it was foolish and dangerous. I understood God’s initial objections – and I’m sure that if I had told either Wufei or Relena, they would have had something to say about it – but I was doing my part to make sure that Soliriel didn’t endanger any other humans.

If I said that I was ready to die for that assurance, I’d be lying. At that time, I was consumed with the thought of actually obtaining mortality. I wasn’t ready to squander it for, however justified, revenge. But to say that I hadn’t considered every angle before demanding my particular part in the plan would be wrong. I knew and obsessed over every possible outcome relentlessly, but the chance of being with Wufei after all this mess was over outweighed any risk I could bring upon myself. At least, that’s what I told myself every time I started to doubt my sanity.

So, when Solo managed to break into the barrier of Heaven to contact me, I couldn’t decide if I was angrier at his invasion or surprised at his gall and strength.

“Beloved, soon we shall meet again, and I won’t take no for an answer this time,” his cold voice rang out. I was starting to wonder if only I had heard it, but the immediate arrival of Michael, Gabriel, Raguiel and Metatron assured me that it was not so.

“He’s getting entirely too damn strong,” Metatron swore.

“He has definitely thrown down the final gauntlet,” Michael added, almost sounding excited.

“Damn him,” I muttered, my hands tangling themselves in my loose hair.

“It is far too late for that, Diachriel,” Gabriel whispered, his extremely effeminate face too close to my own for comfort.

“When are we doing this?” I growled, moving as far away from the Archangels as possible so that I could rein in my anger.

“Our Lord has instructed us to move quickly, so to resolve this issue,” Michael replied, undaunted by my tone.

“Diachriel, a moment if you will?” Metatron said. I nodded and we stepped away farther from the rest of the group. “A word of precaution before this operation – I believe Soliriel witnessed the scene between you and your charge.” A grimace swept across his normally calm face. “I say this only to prepare you for the fight ahead.” He handed me a sword similar to the one that the Archangels always carried. “You may have to strike first. I will not comment on what I saw, as that is between yourself and Our Lord.”

“Thanks, Metie,” I said, taking the holy weapon from him gingerly. The very fact that I was holding that thing removed me from the Third Choir of Angels and put me directly into the First. “Is She…”

“Yes, She said that you know the importance and that She has faith that you will return to Her safely.”

“I’m glad that someone does,” I said sadly. “What about…”

“He has already been reassigned.”

“To whom?”

“The former Personal Angel to his father.” He paused and fixed me with his nearly black eyes. “He will also be in charge of you, should you choose to transubstantiate to be with Chang Wufei.” I guess he could read the expression of surprise on my face. “I will let Her tell you about that decision when this is all over.”

“Do I have time to see him before?”

“No, unfortunately not. We must hurry if we are to secure his and his friends’ safety.” I nodded solemnly and we joined the other three Angels.

“Diachriel, I have not seen you ready for war for such a long time,” Gabriel said. “I’d forgotten how the holy aura looks on you. Very fitting.”

“Stop teasing him, Gabby,” Raguiel said, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of his companion. “God’s Playful One won’t be one of us for very long anyway.”

“Have you seen his human? I don’t blame him.”

“If I didn’t know you, I’d be hurt.”

“Can you stop talking about me as if I wasn’t standing right here?” I shouted, surprising myself at the way my voice reverberated. The others smiled briefly before Michael cleared his throat.

“We leave now.”

---------------------------------

I stood alone in the park where I had first met Solo again, garbed like a normal human being – which was much easier to maintain now that I’d been temporarily promoted – and waited. We’d all agreed that if I was alone, Soliriel was more likely to appear, since he seemed a little shy after our last meeting. The other Archangels were easy to feel nearby, but the absence of the link to Wufei was consuming. Not since the second of his birth was there a moment I could not feel him, and the emptiness was heart wrenching.

“Ready for battle, I see,” Lilith’s cool voice said, preceding the demoness by mere seconds. “I suppose it is about time She replaced Lucifer. Was Michael getting lonely?”

Sighing heavily, I turned to face her. “I don’t know, Lily. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“Michael listens to me about as much as you listen to him,” she snarled, shaking her head and letting her appearance fade to something more human-like. “You, at least, react when I’m around. Samayael thinks you and Michael are no fun goody-goodies, but he’s like that.” She strolled up next to me and threw an arm around my neck. The instant she came into contact with me, she jumped back as if on fire. “Damn you. I forgot Archangels burn so much brighter.” I could smell the sulphur stronger than normal.

“You know, with you here, it’s ruining my plan,” I said, exhausted dealing with Lilith and Solo and Li and everyone else that wasn’t Wufei. There were far too many egos involved and I was just sick of it all. “Why don’t you go cry on Sama’s shoulders instead of harassing me?” I turned my back on her and I could hear her high heels clicking as she stomped away.

“You turn more and more angry with each passing day, Beloved,” Solo whispered, his cold voice freezing the air around me for a few seconds. “It is extremely attractive.”

“And you grow more and more insane every day, Soliriel,” I said, waiting for him to show himself before I even breathed too loudly.

“Congratulations on your promotion. You look even more beautiful now.” His hand touched my waist and the smell of burning sulphur assaulted my nose again. He hissed but didn’t remove his hand. On the contrary, he came closer, until he was flush against my body. “You glow so brightly now, it’s almost not fair.”

The smell was so overwhelming that I was trying not to gag. Slowly, I turned to face him and was startled by what I found. His long black hair was disheveled, his eyes were wild, and his clothes and wings seemed to belong to a demon nearly twice his size. “Hm, Soliriel, you seem a little out of sorts. When was the last time you took a break?” I tried to sound worried, stifling the urge to behead him instantly.

“I can’t rest without you,” he whispered.

“I haven’t changed my mind, demon,” I said, putting one hand against his chest and shoving. “Nothing you could say would ever entice me to resume our previous relationship.” He let out an unearthly howl and fluttered his large bat-like wings a few times before he extended his hands in front of him. It was then that I saw the nails on his hands had grown until they resembled black stilettos.

“I don’t want that any longer,” he screamed, his voice reminding me of a mentally ill human. “I want all reminders of you, the rat, and that -BITCH- gone.”

“Which bitch?” I asked casually, dropping my human guise and pulling out my new weapon. Even though it was the dead of night, there was a brilliance that made the entire park light up as if in midday.

“First, that stupid cunt Lilith will die. And then, I think Samayael and Lucifer will join her in Oblivion. After that, who knows: Michael, Gabriel, Raguiel, Raphael, Enoch, even God Herself?! I have so many delicious choices.”

“What have you done with Chang Li?” I yelled over his insane ramblings, readying myself to attack him if he made any sudden movements.

“The rat’s remaining relative is still alive,” Solo screamed. “I want him to witness the destruction of his line by his own hands before I have him take his own life.”

“Where is he?!” He waved one hand of dagger-like nails and I watched in horror as my love’s uncle stumbled out from behind a dark copse of elm trees.

“There’s your precious rat’s uncle, alive and… Well, he’s rather worse for wear, I’m afraid.” I saw Gabriel swoop in and drag the human away from the potential battlefield. “NO! GABRIEL!” he raged.

“Pay attention! I’m your enemy, not him,” I shouted, lifting my flaming sword before me. He responded by letting loose an eerie cackle and lunging right for me. My heart skipped a beat as I felt my sword slice through Soliriel’s stomach as if it were a hot knife through butter. And I began screaming as all ten of his nails ripped through my chest and wings. I blinked back hot tears and put all of my energy into one deep thrust of my sword. It was then that I saw Metatron, Raguiel and Michael had stabbed Soliriel from behind and both sides, sealing the last few seconds of his fate.

Tears flowed from every eye, but Solo’s face took on the familiar look of peaceful thought he’d always worn before The Fall. “I love you, Diachriel,” he whispered as he exploded into a thousand tiny lights that winked out on their own.

When he was completely gone, I sank to my knees, the pain in my body and soul making it difficult to stand. The others moved to catch me, but Lilith had reached me first, her claws embedded in my neck.

“He was MINE to destroy,” she screeched, digging her nails in deeper.

Michael raising his sword again was the last thing I saw clearly as my vision swam and then began to go black. However, I could still hear him and the other two threaten her with certain demise unless she released me. She said something, and then I heard her scream before I lost consciousness.

-------------------------------

“Those scratches are taking a long time to heal,” Gabriel said, his voice laced with worry.

“I believe Soliriel and Lilith’s evil might have made their claws tainted as if by a poison especially for our kind,” Metatron responded, obviously disgusted.

“Am I dead yet?” I asked, keeping my eyes closed from the sure to be blinding light of Paradise.

“Not just yet, Diachriel,” Raguiel said merrily. “We -had- begun to worry though.”

“Yes, you’ve been sleeping for about a week now,” Michael added. That had me bolting right up.

“Where’s Wufei? Does he know what happened? Is he safe? What about Li? Relena? Hiroshi?”

“Calm down, Playful One,” God said, Her voice soothing me immediately as the others Angels parted to allow Her to sit next to my “sickbed”. She waved a hand and the others disappeared, even Metatron, leave me alone with Her completely for the first time ever.

“My Lord-“

“Don’t worry, Diachriel. Chang Wufei was alerted of your victory after the others returned with you. I have allowed Clidontiel to give his charge regular updates. Not that that has stopped him from threatening the poor soul everyday you have been recuperating.” She smiled and the image of Wufei and his sword made the laughter bubble up inside of me. I laughed until the pain from my injuries became unbearable.

I lifted a hand to the wound at my neck and hissed at the stinging feeling. “Ugh.”

“Ah, yes, as I have no doubt, you overheard Metatron’s assessment. It seems that those in Lucifer’s First Choir, Soliriel and Lilith included, have managed to tip their claws in a very nasty poison that kills Angels if untreated. I have been keeping a close eye on you myself.” She patted my arm and looked over my injuries like a worried mother. “You seem to have made it past the dangerous part. The wounds on your neck are superficial and will heal without scarring. Those on your chest, however…”

I nodded. “My last reminder of Solo,” I said sadly. “What of Chang Li?”

“He is alive, but Soliriel has damaged his mind permanently. There is no healing that I will allow anyone to do to assist him. He has been returned to Earth and given over to the proper authorities. Perhaps that will allow Chang Wufei the chance to heal.” She sighed heavily and my head snapped to watch her carefully. “It is time we talked, Diachriel.”

“Yes, it is, I suppose.” For some reason, I was anxious, excited, and fidgety all of a sudden. “I-“

“I will miss you, you know,” She interrupted me, a sad, sweet smile making it impossible to look directly in her face. “Sometimes, I believe that you are my favorite. However, I know what is in both your and Wufei’s hearts. So, I am losing you to someone worthy.”

“I have a question.”

“Only one?”

“Well, this has been bothering me for a while now… When Wufei and Meiran were born, you told us all that they were extremely important. Why?”

“Besides the fact that all multiple births are special, I saw this day coming, Diachriel. You know how human souls are picked to be born. What you don’t know is that Wufei asked to be born – to be near you.”

I blinked a few times, trying to absorb what She’d just said. “But-“

“No one has ever asked to be born to a certain set of Angels. So I had him questioned thoroughly before allowing his request. I knew that the two of you would do well together. I just didn’t consider Soliriel as a part of the equations because he’d been silent about you for so long. That was a severe lack of foresight on my part.”

I felt the corners of my mouth lift once again. “So, even you can’t keep tabs on Solo. Why am I not surprised?” She chuckled in return and patted my arm again.

“Anything else?”

“How soon can I return?” She smiled sadly and placed one hand on my chest and another on my throat. I could feel the itching and stinging disperse and when I touched my neck, the skin was completely smooth once more. The wounds on my chest were healed and pain free, but they were still red, swollen and ugly.

“Those should fade over time, but they will never go away,” She said to my unasked question. “When you return to Earth, you will be completely human, in the form you have now. I’m sure Wufei will have no problem with that.”

“Understatement of the millennia,” I muttered.

“If you wish to see your friends before you leave, I will send them in.”

I thought about it for a few minutes. On the one hand, I hadn’t spent really any time with them in a while, but on the other, I would still be able to see them. The thing about faith is that when you truly believe (or in my case know), it’s extremely hard to not see and interact with the other Heavenly beings. Hilde’s dislike of me was very evident the last time we met. Quatre, Trowa, Heero, Sally and Cathy would or would not feel the same – I wasn’t too sure. As for Zechs and Noin, I would still be friends with them, and I guessed the same would be true about the Muses. If they wanted to see me, it wouldn’t take much of an effort on their part, me being human or not.

“Diachriel?”

“I suppose,” I said finally, not really sure of what I had gotten myself into. God left me and was replaced by Heero and Trowa, who approached as if I was dead or sleeping. The look of concern each wore was so out of character that I began laughing.

“It is good to see that not even a near-death experience can stop your sense of humor,” Trowa deadpanned.

“Please, I had Wufei to get back to. I couldn’t risk dying just yet.” Heero rolled his eyes, but it was Trowa’s knowing smile that cheered me up more. “How is he, really?”

“Raising hell for Clidontiel, as I’m sure you’re very much aware. Relena’s family is letting him stay there until his parents’ estate is taken care of.”

“What is she up to, ‘Ro?”

“Causing headaches for authorities to work faster to wrap up the investigation since they have Li in custody, for the news outlets to stop harassing her friend and family, to get the last of preparations for the memorial service completed before Friday.”

“All this while maintaining her 4.0 GPA,” Trowa added. “Wufei has been saddled with a personal assistant for the time being as well.”

“Has he scared the person to death yet?”

“For some reason, the ditzy woman thought all homosexual males were flamboyant and safe. She was rather shocked to meet Wufei’s sword face-to-face.” The image made me burst into laughter again.

“Did she cry?” I asked between laughs.

“Afraid so,” Heero said, the hint of a smile breaking his otherwise stoic mood. I shook my head in amused resignation – my love’s way of greeting had not improved much over the years. “We should return to our posts, but I am glad that you are doing better, Diachriel. It will not be the same without you.”

“It will be much quieter,” Trowa added, a sad smile showing for a brief moment.

“I’ll miss you too, Tro,” I said, hugging them both fiercely before they left. Sally and Quatre replaced them moments later, both excusing their partners’ absences. Cathy had a new charge, and Hilde was in an audience with Metatron and Raguiel. The looks the blond Natal Angel was giving me told me that he was more than a little worried about the purpose and outcome of such a meeting. We spent a few minutes talking amicably, but when they left, I was relieved to be alone again. Zechs stopped by to say goodbye, but left after a gentle hug and a promise to not be a stranger. But, Jean-Paul and Giselle never showed. Their absence stung more than that of Hilde, and was less acceptable in my opinion.

Then, there was nothing to stop me from returning to Wufei. Except, I was scared to death of it all. I had survived my own insane desire, his teenage hormones, Solo’s crazy revenge, Treize’s presence, Lilith and Michael’s tag team, and so much guilt that now that it was all over, I didn’t know what to expect. However the words of a very wise charge came to me – To live is to expect the unexpected, but to be truly alive was to trust in the unexpected occurring. So, in other words, I had to grow balls to grow balls, to quote another charge.

With one last look at the blinding beauty and splendor of Heaven, I took a deep breath and descended to Earth for the last time.

-----------------------------------

I can’t say that everything has been great since getting here. Wufei and I don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and we do argue like most couples. Relena has been a great sounding board for most of our disagreements, although I do try to keep the minor things in perspective so that we don’t fight as much as we would otherwise.

Until now, I haven’t explained to any human being what happened that night with Soliriel and Lilith. As of now, I still don’t know what happened to the demoness, and I must confess that I don’t really care. Clidontiel has proven himself a more than capable Personal Angel, and slowly but surely he has become a great companion to the both of us.

The night that I returned, Wufei locked us in his room and proceeded to examine me from head to toe. He told me that I no longer had a blinding aura, but I was still as beautiful as ever. We spent the next few days in his room at Relena’s house, staying in bed and exploring one another’s body in every way possible. From the moment of our first kiss until that point, the passion that had been building up between us exploded.

My first orgasm was messy, but unforgettable. I had only felt that kind of intimate pleasure while in the presence of God Herself. After that, I couldn’t make fun of anyone who makes strange faces during sex.

No one has told us anything regarding the whereabouts of Chang Li, but admittedly we haven’t asked either. So, when he and I were married, Relena, Hiroshi and their children were there as our family. We have been blessed with no other supernatural intervention, so whatever happened to Lilith isn’t being avenged – at least not on us.

But this is where my story will end now. I can think of nothing else that is my place to say. If you wish to know the story of someone else, you must ask them. However, I must say that although it has taken me a long time to get this story told, it has been a truly liberating experience. To finally have this personal history revealed is like having a boulder removed from off of my shoulders. I hope that you, as my readers, have enjoyed this as much as I have and thank you very much.

Good luck and God Bless –
Diachriel Chang, “Duo”

The End