May 31, 2007
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From Hell to Hell 15-18!!
Okay, here are the next FOUR CHAPTERS to From Hell to Hell. I've had them for awhile, but with not knowing if it died or not and just the thing of coding stopped me and then thoughts to move to LJ. Then LJ started all the deleting shit so then I had to backup my LJ since I'm going to be involved in a protest and then they offered the apology and all that crap. So I decided to suck it up , deal with code, and that's where we are now. So as a peace offering, the next four chapters. ;;;
Chapter 15: Sara's ChapterMichael was unaware of the changes, no matter what Azazel thought. With every step toward the bedroom, uncertainty rose in his throat, doom sank its fangs into the deepest corners of his mind.
Still, Michael continued on. He opened the door, startling the blonde fallen and his companion. The arch angel gazed at Ivan, who was a being of two worlds, bound by Azazel’s hold to the hellish realm, yet trapped in heaven by Michael’s will.
“Ivan,” Michael said calmly, “you have to help me fight. Without you, Azazel will be lost again.”
Ivan glanced to Azazel, who remained silent, and nodded. Anything to save the one he loved.
Michael returned the nod, then strode past him. He placed a hand on Azazel’s forehead, whispering all the while an enchantment.
Red and black feathers faded until they had a radiant white luster. Cold, hate-filled silver eyes gave way to foggy confusion, as the blonde fell back onto the bed.
Azazel, the fallen, was no more.
- -
Nimora listened to what Kaggren had to say silently. “Ssso,” she hissed when the Fallen had finished. “Michael has finally overstepped his boundssss.” Her smile was so wide, Kaggren could count each individual fang. Her forked tongue wiped across her lips as she thought. “Lovely."
Kaggren wasn’t one to be surprised by Nimora’s behavior. “Does this mean you’ll help me?”
Nimora’s eyes glittered. “Of coursssse not,” she replied. “I plan to sssit here and watch the fight."
Kaggren’s face must have shown how disappointed he was, because Nimora laughed at him. “You ssseem upset, Kaggren. Did I catch you off guard?”
“No more so than usual. Though, I asked for help-”
“You always were the uselesss one.”
Kaggren sighed deeply. “Nimora…”
The dragon queen raised a clawed hand. “I will help you, Kaggren. Just thiss once.”
Kaggren’s grin slowly grew to match hers.
- -
Vlad entered the throne room, just as Kaggren was closing the connection with Nimora. “Vlad,” Kaggren greeted. “Good to see you’re back on your feet. After all, we can’t spend too much time moping.”
Vlad didn’t even bother to roll his eyes. He stared at Kaggren blankly. “We don’t believe warring with Michael is a good idea.” Beside him, Yasuo nodded.
“What do you suggest we do then?” Kaggren asked.
“Wait him out. Azazel will come back on his own,” Yasuo replied. “Unless, of course, he decides he likes heaven more. Though, why he would choose the place over this underground dump is beyond me.”
"It doesn't matter," Michael told them. "Nimora is on her way with her troops. This is going to happen, no matter what you two think."
- -
His mother of pearl armor glistened in the spreading red and orange light of the coming dawn. The sunrise behind his figure cast a shadow larger than life across his army of dozens. His golden helm outshone any other in the ranks, the silver wing on either side showed the world who he was.
This was a man of war; a war his enemy was not prepared to fight.
All around him, angels stood at rapt attention, not stirring, hardly breathing at all. Each waited for instructions to travel forth into the underworld. Beside the leader, stood his second in command.
Though his armor was hardly a comparison to the king’s, he stood out all the same. With a battle cry, he thrust his weapon into the air, trusting the soldiers would follow suit.
Cheers filled the encampment, each piling on another, creating a chorus of hatred and vengeance. The strength was exhilarating to all. Yet, the leader was still not assured.
“We do not stop until none remain!” he announced, raising his spread hands into the air. “Let every last one of those dogs feel the sting of your blade!”
A portal to the underworld was opened, allowing angels to surge into hell.
Right into a situation none of them could have foreseen.
Chapter 16: Crystal's (my) chapterHell was nothing like the Angels had every hoped to witness before in their immortal lives. They entered the plane, under a dark blue sky, and hot heavy wind raked across a barren wasteland. Dried up land, cracks allowing glimpses into the underbelly of the next level, where the screams seemed to come from every which way. Screeching laughter seemed to come from nowhere, to disappear just as suddenly, as to through them off guard. Everywhere there seemed to be shadows growing and shrinking, foretelling that they were hiding creatures that would love nothing more then to chew on their pure souls, and they promised it would be painful.
Azazel stood still, looking over the scene before him. This looked so familiar, so very familiar that it was making his head spin. Had he been here before? No, he couldn't have been! He had been in Heaven his whole existence as an immortal, never treading on this unholy ground every before! Always under Michael's direction, always with Ivan at his side and hiding their forbidden love for each other under his very nose. Never here...he couldn't have ever been...or could he?
“Azazel,” Ivan asked in a hushed voice, trying not to worry the troops of Angels that were shifting from foot to foot uneasily. “Azazel, what's wrong?”
“Have I ever been here before,” he asked, silver eyes wide and wild. “Please...tell me I've never been here before!”
Ivan looked at Azazel mournfully. He felt the overwhelming familiarity of this place, the confusion that Azazel was feeling right at that moment. Could he lie? Would Azazel know if he were? Clapping a hand on his shoulder, Ivan smiled his brightest, trying to reassure him.
“That you have, on a few missions before,” Ivan replied. “We had to make you forget so that you wouldn't be the blabbering, shaking mess you were when you came back. Don't worry, I won't let that happen to you.”
There was a moment of serenity between the two, Ivan offering his support to the other, and Azazel taking it without abandon. That is, until the portal broke behind them, and the glaring face of the second highest ranking Dragon of Heaven flew into the air, along with her clan, and the clans of those that she was able to gather in her short amount of time.
“This does not concern you Nimora,” Azazel yelled, standing up.
The majestic beast landed on the hard ground, talons raking the stone like it was nothing but paper. Deadly golden eyes peered from under four large silver horns on a narrow head. Body of scales, colored Turquoise, and painted with green sigmoid led the other Dragons of Heaven with the same green writing, although of different base colors. Creamy white feather wings spread out in their full glory were acting like a barrier in between the two races.
“Welcome to Purgatory,” Nimora hissed. “The resssting placcce of many of you, sssince you jussst can't be good little Angelsss and fight only when there is truly a war.”
“The Millennium wars were won by us, and we have come to finish off what we should have at the treaty ceromonies.”
“Killing them will do nothing,” Nimora replied. “Trusst me. On thisss.”
Running at the Millennium Dragon, famous for her brutality and having no abandon for the enemy, Azazel could hear the rest of the army behind him, always his support. Ivan was by his side, facing the army of Dragons.
“Heaven fighting against itself,” Yasuo sighed, watching from a rather safe vantage point, hovering above the scene. “Haven't seen this in a long time.”
Vlad said nothing, only watch the scene below. Azazel was leading them, with strange white wings. So much like he imagined him before he Fell, yet just as out of reach of him.
“Vlad?”
“It's nothing,” he sighed, turning away. “We should tell Kaggren that they breeched purgatory.”
Nodding, Yasuo nodded, watching Nimora slaughter half of the army with one swipe of a massive claw, and a roar that made him twitch.
*Insert some sort of AWESOME scene separator here*
“WHAT?!?”
“Michael, the Dragons have all gathered,” an Angel said, slightly bowing and scowl on his perfect face. “They demand we recoil. They say Nimora and her forces have already met Azazel and the others. Your plan is failing.”
“This cannot happen,” Michael growled out. “I have waited too long, sacrificed too much to let this happen.”
“Sir, there's nothing we can do about it. The Dragons have already started to attack,” a new face said, battered, singed, and barely making it through the doors. “And half of the army's back here, trying to heal. We're loosing.”
“And Azazel?”
“I don't know.”
This wasn't going according to plan at all, and he didn't like that one bit.
*Insert some sort of AWESOME scene separator here*
Only two were left. Two of the thousands that entered Hell. Nimora hadn't lost one of her Dragons, something that she was extremely proud of. That meant the younger ones were becoming stronger, which meant that soon, one might challenge her for her position. Well, maybe not that far, but it meant that soon, there would be no more unauthorized entries into Heaven, since their jobs were to scout the lands just before the Gates, and make sure that nothing that wasn't supposed to be there was trying to get in. Or one of the prisoners accidentally getting out.
Azazel was left panting, one arm broken and the rest of him bloodstained. Ivan was beside him, and looking worse for wear. Nimora puffed out some smoke in pride, and stepped forward, her army behind her. “Never enter again, Azzzazzzel,” she warned. “Or next time, you will not esssscape so eassily.”
With that, the portal opened, and she and her army were gone.
Chapter 17: Sara's chapterHe stared at the closing portal silently until something clicked in his head. “Wait! How do you know who I am?” he shouted, though it was obviously a worthless effort. With nothing but the howling wind in his ears, Azazel sank to the ground, cradling his arm.
“We should find Michael,” Ivan commented, sitting next to him. “He’ll want to know we’re alive and in one piece.” The angel looked down at his blood spattered robes. Deep scratches in his skin showed through the tears in the material. “Mostly one piece, anyway.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.”
Both angels looked up. Ivan’s eyes narrowed, while Azazel’s widened in surprise. He had never seen a Fallen so close before.
The Fallen’s black hair was whipped about in the wind, his expression darkened enough to match Ivan’s. “Did you think this crazy idea would work too?” he growled, dragging Ivan to his feet, “Or are you simply playing games?” When Ivan refused to answer, he growled again. “Answer me!”
“Let him go!” Azazel exclaimed, climbing to his feet with some effort. “Just, leave him alone.”
The Fallen glanced at him, aquamarine eyes hard. “Sorry. Not even for you. He’s been pissing me off for far too long.”
Without another word, the Fallen turned on his heel and dragged Ivan across the field.
“Wait! Where are you taking him?!”
He could almost hear the sigh of frustration. “Azazel, if there was ever a time for you to not question something, now would be it.”
Azazel moved quicker than anyone would have expected from someone in his condition. “No! I’m tired of not being told anything!” He was acting like a child, he knew. “Where are you taking him?”
The Fallen sighed. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course not!” What a stupid question!
“Then you can come with. How does that sound? That way, I won’t break my orders, and you’ll still find out. Okay?”
Azazel mulled the idea over in his head. Perhaps wherever Ivan was going, he could find some answers. “Alright.”
- -
It was a throne room twice the size of Michael’s. The walls were stone and bare of all decorations except for one or two torches, which cast light into all corners of the room.
“Vlad, did you get him?”
Carelessly, Vlad tossed his prisoner on the ground in front of Kaggren, much to Azazel’s distress. He began to move, but Vlad grabbed his arm and held him back.
Razors sliced through his nerves in one fell swoop, forcing Azazel to grit his teeth against the scream. He didn’t dare try to yank free, for fear of causing more damage. He needn’t have worried, however. Vlad released him with a rushed apology. “I’m sorry. I should have made sure you weren’t hurt. We should get you to a healer.”
“No one is going anywhere until we have this sorted out,” a booming voice commanded, freezing everyone.
All eyes turned on the man seated on the throne. He glared at each of them in turn, demanding complete silence. “Now then.” His eyes settled on the huddled, shuddering form of Ivan. “Explain yourself.”
“I c-came here with M-m-”
“I know who you came here with, and I know why you came! That isn’t what I asked!”
Ivan stopped shivering to stare at him. “Then, what did you ask…?”
“That’s Kaggren,” Vlad whispered to Azazel while the king debated his answer. “You know, the leader of us? Remember him?”
Azazel shook his head, then returned his attention to Kaggren.
“Why take Azazel?” Kaggren asked, leaning forward. “What was your reward?”
- -
Michael glared at the crowd of Fallen. His plan had been torn to shreds, no thanks to Nimora, and he now had nowhere to run.
Except heaven, of course. With the few surviving angels following him, the arch angel created a portal and made his escape.
Chapter 18: Crystal's (my) Chapter“My reward was him as my own as it should have been from the start,” Ivan growled. “That was the only thing I gained, I lost everything for that.”
“You became a Fallen yourself for that,” Kaggren pondered, looking at Ivan. “And why was that? You do realize that once Michael closed the Gates, that Azazel was out of reach of you, and the fact that he and Vlad were a couple, you broke them apart with no abandon to get what you want.”
“Michael said...”
“Michael lied,” Kaggren interrupted. “He wanted us whipped from existence and you were a perfect little pawn. Azazel used to be his favored toy before you, and now both of you are here.”
Azazel just stared in front of him, not believing any of the words that were coming from Ivan's mouth. He...was tricked? No, but he had never been here before, never met these Fallen in all his existence, why did they insist that he was one of them? His wings were different, but they were white, a symbol of his purity. Why....why would they be any other color? He was an Angel...wasn't he?
“Both...”
“You seem to have done something to condemn yourself here,” Kaggren replied. “And so, I guess I am your leader as of now. Give me the antidote to Azazel's condition.”
“I don't know,” Ivan admitted. “Michael used quite a few spells, I'm not even sure of where to begin...”
To see the hatred in Kaggren's eyes at the moment was to graze into the Devil's himself as he was cast out of Heaven's Gates. Michael dared to mess with one of his subjects. One that it was his duty to protect and not allow anything to happen to. And there was the possibility if he tried to many things to fix it, Azazel would never be the same, not like he would in the first place. He had an idea of which spells though, since over the millenia, Michael still hadn't changed all too much with his methods. Something he was turning out to be grateful for.
Standing up, walking over to Azazel, he placed a hand on the other's head, allowing him to be able to go through the other's mind and therefore determine exactly what Michael did. It was a quick fix, seeing as very few things couldn't be undone by those of the Shadows, especially one as old as he was. Except he couldn't really guarantee that Azazel would come out of it the same. There were always risks when playing with spells such as these, and he was afraid that Michael didn't care about such risks, and therefore threw all caution to the wind.
Vlad watched with mounting eagerness to see if Azazel would be alright. He watched as Kaggren closed his eyes and knew that he was going to be walking through the shadows of Azazel's mind, to try to put everything back in order and disspell some of what Michael had done to him. He glared at Ivan who was watching with equal worry in his eyes. He had no right to worry, he had helped in getting him like this, like something he never was.
“Vlad, I'm sure he'll be all right,” Yasuo said, laying a hand on the other's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “After all, he's a lot stronger then most people give him credit for.”
“I know,” Vlad sighed. “But remember what they're capable of. Sure, we haven't been up there for so long, but I still remember some of their magic. Some of the more potent ones.”
“You were once in Heaven,” Ivan said, grimmicing. “Glad I wasn't around.”
Snorting, it took all Vlad had not to kill the new Fallen right then and there. This was mostly his fault, for taking Azazel away and then...well, he didn't want to think about it. He wanted Ivan to pay for what he had done, what he put them all through. He also wanted to take some rage out on Michael for even plotting against them like he did.
“Don't speak,” Vlad growled at him, eyes promising pain, and lots of it. “You're in no position to speak.”
“But...” Another glare shut him right up. Yasuo almost pitied him. He went for one he loved while, himself, watched Vlad find his own, and continued to try to be happy for him. He sort of envied him, even if he was nothing but a pawn.
Azazel's gasp broke the strained silence of the room, drawing all the attention to himself and Kaggren. Kaggren sighed and blinked as he held his head, Azazel fell back into the waiting arms of Vlad, who looked worriedly at him. Azazel smiled up at him, as his wings changed back into being black with red tips.
“I guess I'm back,” he smiled.
Vlad turned him around and hugged him, nuzzling his neck as he took in a deep breath. He did not cry, but he sure as hell was close to it.
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