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Thieves of Light Chapter 8.A Saint Seiya fanfiction by Ariane Kovacevic, AKA Fuu-chan. An instant we were all standing atop Star Hill, hands joined, and in the next we were pulled forward by a gigantic force, swallowed by a hole of white light which illuminated the mountains in the waning light of dusk. There was no time to brace ourselves or to prepare against the shock of the crossing between realities. Chaos rushed at us and on instinct I closed my eyes, unable to deny the voice which kept telling me we'd be crushed against a wall of solid light. For an eternity, everything vanished, all feeling of self was dissolved by the blinding tunnel leading us towards a Place which only existed in myths. Every sensation vanished, all but one. Flying. Flying upwards, higher than the sky, higher than the stars and moon. We were feathers, safely hidden in the midst of beautiful wings of night upon which the burning light slid past without hurting, harmless. Ground beneath my feet. Gravity...of sorts. I blinked and then looked down while instinctively adjusting my balance so as not to fall. There was indeed a ground beneath my feet, and at least an illusion of reality around me. Barren, I thought, noticing a weird absence of life all around. Reaching out in a tentative gesture, I stared at my outstretched hand in wonder. Its movement was slow and sluggish to my eyes, as if I had encountered an obstacle in the air. But there hadn't been any. It was a bit like swimming underwater, except that there was no feeling of resistance whatsoever. Everything just felt...slow. "Shun?" I turned towards my brother and gave him a reassuring smile. "Just experimenting," I told him. "Time seems to behave in a weird fashion here." "That's because we've stepped into a realm closer to the En Sof," Belial's perfectly pitched voice supplied in explanation. "As we near our destination, Time as you mortals know it will start losing meaning to become the very essence of change." All of a sudden, a beautiful bush of black roses appeared next to the Fallen Angel, their thorns shining in the mist which was hanging over the place. "A potential for change that can be used if one knows how to touch it." Belial made a swift gesture of the right hand and the rosebush melted into a black unicorn. The mythical beast turned its deep blue eyes towards us and lowered its ears flat on its skull. Then it shimmered back into nothingness. It was gone in the time of a heartbeat. "An interesting demonstration," Julian Solo said in a dangerously quiet voice. From the corner of an eye, I saw the host of Poseidon squeeze the great Trident in a tense gesture. "But this isn't the place we were supposed to reach. I thought you knew the hidden pathways of Heaven's realms." In front of us, Lucifer who had been facing forward until now turned towards us, a humorless smile on his lips. "We do." With a slow shake of his head, the Prince of Demons added, unable to completely mask the smallest trace of anger in his voice, "This isn't the final Gate leading to Atsilouth, you're correct. It would seem that the Heavenly Host had been busy since the fall of Zeus. They've apparently managed to reinstate more of the inner structure of the Four Worlds than I had expected they would." The Fallen Angel let his voice trail off into silence, as if inwardly struggling with something, then he went on in a low voice, "We're standing at the roots of Beriyah, the World of Creation, and the place we must reach lies at the edge of its highest branches, at the Gate in the heart of Qodech Qodachim." It was tension I could hear in Lucifer's tone, beyond anger. It was as if he was feeling insecure. Afraid? I wondered, and felt a bitter smile creeping up my lips at the thought. Looking up at the strange sky, the Lord of Hell said, his voice distant, "To cross to a higher level would have meant being discovered and dealt with as we'd have fully stepped into Heaven. We'd have alerted the Heavenly Host to our presence, for before us stand the Seven Celestial Halls and their Wardens." Facing us once more, the Fallen Angel gave Julian Solo a level stare before adding, "We agreed that stealth was our only chance, hence our ending up in this spot. Trust me," he smiled, a cold, frightening smile which never reached his eyes, "I haven't forgotten the pact that we sealed. Even though two pagan Gods have united their powers to hide the presence of demons in Heaven, even that formidable combination can't hope to fool the watchful eyes of the Wardens. Like it or not, from here on we go the only way we can. We go the long way of the Questers of Soul which has existed since the dawn of mankind." "Well," Saori-san sighed. "I can't say that I like what I just heard, but I believe you and I agree that we must use another path to our goal. So," she said quietly, "lead the way. I don't want to stay in the realms of Heaven a moment longer than I have to. Despite all our preparations, the world is vulnerable while we're here. Where to, Lord of Hell?" It was an interesting bet we had made, a risky gambit for which we could lose it all in an instant: confident that the Heavenly Host would never expect those it so desperately wanted to capture to go to the very place they wanted to bring them to, we had decided on stealing our way through the higher worlds, quick and unseen, before they had time to completely tear through the Veil protecting the Earth. But if one or two angels descended from Heaven in the meantime.... Lune and Merle had remained behind, the two new Gold Saints having been charged with the heavy responsibility of leading the Sanctuary and defend humanity with all its might if need be. Lune had been furious when he had heard Saori-san's decision. It was madness, he had argued, for he and Merle were yet too young, too inexperienced to be entrusted with such an important task. There had been more words flashing in the redhead's emerald eyes, words he hadn't been able to say during a war council in which Lucifer was present, but we had guessed them easily enough: as his part of the alliance, the Prince of Demons had called Fallen Ones to lend strength for the Sanctuary's defense. The contemptuous Shadow called Assiel had come, and many others with him, whose names I didn't know except for the one who had accompanied us along with Lucifer and Belial: Sammael. Yes, we understood the double fear roving in Lune's heart: that the Heavenly Host would take upon the Earth while the Goddess Athena and her Guardians were gone, hopelessly beyond reach, or that in the instant we'd reach our goal the Fallen Ones would turn upon the weakened Sanctuary forces and obliterate them. We're insane, all of us. I grinned at the thought, sending numbing fear back to the shadows of my soul with the easiness of one used to the feeling of its cold hand clawing at his heart. Ours was a desperate move, but we had run out of options. Before us, Lucifer pointed towards the horizon and answered Saori-san's question. "There," he said, "towards Livnat Hasapir, the first Celestial Hall." Abruptly, I saw it and stepped back on impulse. Close to the horizon, in the direction that the Fallen angels had indicated, a pillar of Light was tearing through the translucent mist which seemed to be the essence of this world named Beriyah. It seemed to emanate from some strange hill in the distance and it was reaching higher than the eye could see, a blinding arrow without end. "Should we expect patrols or anything of the kind?" Shiryu asked, the only one of us with enough sense to remember we were standing on enemy ground. Out of habit, I looked down to check the Chain, to remember that a half of it was dead, lost forever. I bit my lower lip, refusing the memories which came to my mind, ghosts which haunted me night and day. The past was immaterial; what mattered that a half of the Chain remained and was still part of the Andromeda Cloth. Part of me...like the great sword hanging at my belt. Lifting my left arm at the level of my eyes, I focused on the Chain and sparked the tiniest fraction of my cosmo. The Chain's rings twinkled softly, their echoes tearing through the silence that had followed Shiryu's question. "Shun? You can still use the Chain, but I thought--" The startled whisper had come from Hyoga, who was looking at me with wonder in his eyes. Wonder, and something which might have been hope. Warmth spread inside me at the sight, and I gave a small chuckle, nodding. "Yes, of course I still can. I'm Andromeda," I added in a quiet voice, "nothing can change the constellation I was born under." Ignoring the sardonic smile which briefly touched Lucifer's lips, I told my companions, "There's danger here, but the feeling of it is vague and diffuse. There's no immediate threat to us, and anyway the Chain will give us advance warning if the situation changes." "All right!" Seiya nodded impatiently, fire dancing in his chocolate eyes. "Since it's safe to move, let's go! The sooner we get this done, the better." With that, the Pegasus Saint started towards the distant shaft of Light in the horizon and I followed after him, relief filling my heart at the sight of my friend's rash enthusiasm. It was as if we were kids again, naive adolescents taking upon the Gold Saints to restore Athena's power, innocent fools who could accomplish anything they set out to do. As we neared the source of the pillar of Light, the world around us seemed to become more real; landmarks appeared in the ground, giving it shape and substance. But beyond the perception of Beriyah, there was something unknown which was pulling at us like a distant beacon. "It's the Light of Infinity," Lucifer said softly, as if in answer to my thoughts, "we're fragments of it, all living beings are, and as we approach it we feel the Light's longing for oneness. We feel the Will of the One," he added in a grim voice, "who banished us." "The Lord's Will?" Hyoga snorted disdainfully. "Do you mean to say that God's Will is to reap the light of all life to be whole again and thus to unmake the universe He created?" Apparently unruffled by the incredulity mixed with contempt there had been in the Cygnus Saint's question, Lucifer allowed a feral grin to come to his lips. "An amusing possibility, isn't it?" Before Hyoga could muster an angry retort, Saori-san reached out to him and briefly rested a hand on his left shoulder. "There's much you don't know about the truth of the concept called God, Hyoga. Now isn't the time to discuss it. Now's not the time to let ourselves be distracted from our goal." Hyoga nodded in silence, clearly unhappy about all this but unable to deny the truth there had been in the young woman's words. After a quick glance at the Chain on my left forearm, I quietly indicated that the way before us was clear and we started on our way again. We hadn't walked for more than a quarter of an hours when I froze in my tracks. Coming from somewhere close before us, a long wail echoed in the air. Inwardly, I shivered, unable to prevent the instinctive reaction. The cry was one of absolute pain and despair, and it abruptly filled the world, as if Beriyah's very essence was being reshaped by it. I took a long, shuddering breath and fought the urge to cover my ears so I'd stop hearing the horrible scream. I knew, deep inside, that nothing could ever hope to muffle the heartrending sound. "We're coming to the Northern Gate, good." Satisfaction was plain in the tone of Belial's musical voice. Pulling myself together, I forced myself to focus on my surroundings, and noted that the Fallen Angels didn't seem to be disturbed in the slightest by the keening howl which was still filling the atmosphere. "Damnit, don't they ever shut up?" Harsh, mocking laughter answered my brother's furious question, and Belial smiled. "They can't shut up. What you're hearing are the prayers of all those who are persecuted in the world of Assiah. That cry has risen towards the Northern Gate of Livnat Hasapir since the day mankind first walked upon the Earth, and it'll stop only on the day the world ends. Now, as to whether those desperate prayers are heard...that's anybody's guess." "Enough," Lucifer calmly stepped forward. "Games of cat and mouse will wait until we're done." After crossing over a last hill's top, we came in view of the first Celestial Hall. Reflexively, I reached out to my brother and his hand gripped mine hard. Like me, he was shaking. The sight set before our eyes was breathtaking, and it sent awe to the core of my being. Less than a mile away from us, the narrow pathway we had followed was coming to a great chasm in the land. An infinite abyss, as if the world had been severed by the stroke of a giant's blade. As I stepped towards it, I realized that there was no end to it. The wail of despair was coming from its depths, rising along it as if it had reached up through the void between realities, coming from the world of men to touch Heaven. From the impossible cliff's edge, a fragile, translucent bridge of crystal was leading to what appeared to be a tower of pure white stone, an unearthly beautiful palace which was floating above the abyss. "The Hall of Sapphire Whiteness," Saori-san whispered in a reverent voice, "It was well-named." I nodded in mute agreement, moved by the enchanting beauty of the white palace even though this was one of the enemy's strongholds. There was something in the Celestial Hall which touched the heart, which touched and embraced the essence of one's being. Holy, I distantly thought. So this is how holy feels. We stopped at the endless cliff's very edge, and again we stared at the sight laid before our eyes. Now that we were closer, I could glimpse in the distance two other translucent bridges which were set at an exact straight angle left and right from the one we had reached. They seemed no thicker than a hair's width, fragile things that the smallest breeze would tear apart and blow away. In front of us, the bridge was leading to a gate opening inside the great tower. There were also other openings on the side, huge baywindows offering a view on the endless chasm. Like fountains, they were releasing sparkling falls of pure Light. During a long moment we watched the fantastic spectacle, transfixed by its majestic beauty. The springs of Light were releasing their shining waters down the great abyss. When I looked down, unable to help myself, I saw them disappear in a bright, insubstantial mist far, far below. Eventually, Shiryu managed to snap out of the dreamlike trance which had taken hold of us and asked me quietly, "Shun, can you feel anything now?" Abruptly brought back to reality and my duties, I focused on the Chain but it didn't react in any particular fashion. "No", I shook my head, replying in a thoughtful whisper, my eyes set on the slowly revolving rings, "there's nothing clear yet. There's danger, more than the last time I checked, but the Chain can't find its source. It's as if it kept shifting, on one spot one moment, and miles away in the next second." "There's nothing definite in Beriyah," the deep, harmonious voice of Sammael interrupted me. Taken aback, we turned towards the tall, red-haired Fallen Angel. It was the first time that he had condescended to speak to mere mortals. "Its nature is dictated by thoughts." He continued in a distant voice, as if remembering events of long ago, "Creation, reflection and knowledge shape it and reshape it endlessly. There's only one focus point, one immutable thing at its core: the Light which cascades down the Seven Celestial Halls from Atsilouth to reach out beyond infinity and touch the last two worlds." A cold smile came to the Fallen Angel's lips and his long fiery hair suddenly glistened in the strange, alien light surrounding us. "The Northern Gate will be guarded. There are Wardens set at each of the Four Directions, night and day." "Then we won't be able to avoid confrontation," Saori-san sighed. "No," Lucifer chuckled, "but then battles are a rather normal occurrence in times of war, aren't they?" Without waiting for an answer, the lord of Hell strode towards and stepped on the translucent bridge of crystal. While we reluctantly moved to follow after him, Lucifer's tall shape suddenly shimmered, and in an instant the beautiful wings of night in his back faded into the mists of Beriyah. On my left, the same thing happened to the other two, and Belial grinned. "There's no way we can completely hide ourselves, but let's not make it the task too easy for Livnat Hasapir's Wardens." We crossed over the infinite void like dreamers held in thrall. As Lucifer had warned me it would, the light's pull at our souls grew steadily as we came closer to the Celestial Hall. From distant background noise it became an eerie song filling our minds. "Reach within," Julian Solo whispered all of a sudden, "touch your cosmo and hold on to us. That should help." Relief flashed in my friends' and my brother's eyes as they followed the host of Poseidon's advice, but I bit my lower lip in worry when I saw the tension in his and Saori-san's stances. They were Light, it was true, but being the anchor of all six of us had to be a strain. Tentatively, I turned my gaze inwards and touched the Fire poised inside my heart. It leapt up to embrace me and I let it, focusing all the will that I had. Fighting for control. "Shun?" I nodded, releasing air from my lungs in a slightly trembling breath. With a small smile, I reached up and squeezed the hand which had touched my left shoulder. "Yes," I told my brother softly, "it's all right. Hold on to me if you will, that ought to make it easier for Saori-san." There was Light in my heart as well, and it was past time I acknowledged the high flames and learnt to use them. I'd need weapons when the time came to keep the promise made in the hall named Agony. "I'm glad," Ikki-niisan said in a low voice in which seeped the slightest trace of pride, "that you can come to terms with this." Eventually, we reached the foot of the great tower that was the first Celestial Hall, and all of a sudden a myriad of dots of light rushed towards each other to shape a human-like silhouette which barred the way to the entry gate. The angel was pure light, his hold on solidity a tenuous one at best. Eyes of liquid fire set upon our groups, and the unearthly being pointed a great spear towards us. "You're no Questers of Soul," he said coldly. For a moment, he seemed to study us, and I fought to restrain the Fire within, praying he wouldn't sense it. Hoping against all odds that he'd let us in without a fight. Eventually, he shook his head, and asked in a puzzled whisper, "You don't bear the Seal. What folly possessed mortals to come to this Hall without it?" "Yours, Sabrael dear!" Malicious glee shine in Sammael's eyes, and the Fallen Angel lunged forward. All of a sudden, the shadow of the tower's entrance grew, swallowing the ever-present Light, and the angel named Sabrael recoiled, eyes wild. Sammael was darkness, a blade which would pierce through the shining mist that was the guardian. It's murder, I thought distantly. I watched, numbed by the raw wave of violence and hatred which had engulfed the atmosphere, waiting for death to strike, but the angel brought his spear up, taking a step back to brace himself, and caught the terrible blow of blackness. "Sammael!" The creature of light snarled, shaking under the Fallen Angel's brutal assault. Fury and revulsion shone in the alien eyes, and all of a sudden Sammael stumbled forward, unbalanced by his impetus. Sabrael was gone. "Curse it, after him!" Lucifer hissed, flinging himself forward, "he'll warn the other Wardens and if word reaches the Ruling Prince of this Hall we'll be lost!" Confronted with one of the great Lords of Hell, the angel had known that he was overmatched. Instead of fighting a helpless battle which would have resulted in allowing enemies within the White Tower undisclosed, he had chosen flight. Not so set in their ways as you thought, Lucifer. I smiled grimly as I ran, on the heels of the Prince of Demons. The war had begun. Strange echoes were haunting the inside of the Celestial Hall, like thousands of voices reaching out from the other end of the universe. The shining mist was everywhere around us, making it almost impossible to find our bearings. Without the Fallen Angels to lead us, we'd have been lost in the alien labyrinth of light. From time to time images flashed before us or on the side, scorching flames which brushed against us, their terrible heat stopped by the protection of our Cloths. Faces sometimes appeared before us, their expressions distorted by pain or fear and once or twice, fury. Ignoring the mad illusions with difficulty, I focused on the backs of the three demons before us, accelerating even further for fear of losing them. Time, as Lucifer had said, seemed to have lost all meaning. It seemed that our race after the angel named Sabrael had neither beginning nor end. Abruptly, something touched me and I froze. Taken aback, I tried to resume my course, I willed my legs to move but they refused to obey. Beside me, everyone else had been paralyzed in a similar fashion. Held in thrall by an unknown, unfelt force. Frantic, I reached within, intent on using my cosmo to win free, and in the same time the Chain came to life, pointing towards a spot before us. At that moment, the ever-present mist which confused my senses parted, giving way to a tall, human-like silhouette in its heart, retreating in waves like a court bowing low before its king. From the corner of an eye, I noticed Lucifer reaching out to Belial in a quick, restraining gesture. So, they're not trapped like we are. There was no time to analyze the thought. The one who had appeared before us lifted his head, and unfathomable grey eyes locked on each of us and held us. "There will be no life taken in this Hall." The angel's musical voice calmly resounded in the air. Looking at the six beautiful wings in his back and at his shoulder-length curly golden hair, I felt a name come to my lips as the memory of recent events flashed in my mind. "Lord Gabriel," Saori-san gave the archangel a graceful curtsey, displaying ease and confidence as if she had expected his coming. "Lady of the Earth," Gabriel nodded at her, adding conversationally, "you're far from your domain." The archangel's alien gaze swept over us, taking each of us in, and abruptly the grey eyes widened. Heavy, threatening silence fell over us, until eventually Gabriel said in a toneless voice, "I knew we'd meet again, I even expected your coming to this Hall, but," the archangel's great wings slowly unfolded in his back, giving rise to a sudden, burning wind while he went on, "not in such company." Flames of what which might have been pain flickered in the grey eyes. "Do you know, Lady Athena," Gabriel asked softly, "do you truly understand what it is you have chosen to ally yourselves with?" "Pfeh." Ikki-niisan snorted disdainfully. "We have no need for advice from self-righteous assassins who plan to destroy humanity. Who are you to judge the choices the Goddess Athena is forced to make because of your own insane plans?" Fire, the high flames of the Phoenix were shining around my brother. Sad laughter was the answer to my brother's question. "There may be truth in what you say, mortal." There was a distant smile on Gabriel's lips. The archangel shook his head, adding, "But you would do well to stop and reflect on what I told you." Turning towards Saori-san and Julian Solo, he asked in a level voice, "So, Lady of the Earth, Lord of Thunder, what are you after? War?" "Survival," Julian Solo replied. "We want our worlds to live, no more and no less." Quietly, the host of Poseidon confronted Gabriel and said, "And if that means a war, then we will wage it." The archangel's clear gaze clouded for a moment, then he heaved out an almost imperceptible sigh. "Yes, I suppose we should have expected no less." With a slow shake of his head, Gabriel added, "Had you come alone, I'd have allowed you free passage. After all," he gave us a cold, mirthless smile and explained, "none of you possess the Seals necessary to touch the way from one Hall to the next. Being who and what you are, you might have found your way to them and won through alive. In any case, it would have been in the hands of Fate..." Gabriel's beautiful voice reduced to a low, harsh whisper as he said, "but the darkness beside you *knows*, and I can't let it pass." "You're a fool, Gabriel." Lucifer snorted. "You know how this will all end if nothing changes. I know you do, I know you didn't let yourself be blinded like the others. Let us through, and you and yours might perhaps survive. Bar our way," the Fallen Angel's eyes glittered with a malevolent light and his smile bared his teeth, "and we *will* destroy you where you stand. Stop playing the idiot, I know you haven't warned the other Halls of our intrusion yet. Your Wardens will follow you if you tell them to remain silent." Silence alone followed those words. Then, softly, gently, Lucifer added, "You can't walk the line any longer, Gabriel. You must choose now. You must commit yourself, one way or another." A troubled light suddenly shone in the archangel's grey eyes. Slowly, he bowed his head, replying, "No. I won't hear you. I cannot hear you. We're fragments, emanations of the Light, all of us, and we may not know a Will other than its own. No matter what we perceive, we must bow for if we do not..." pain came to Gabriel's voice, the pain of memories that relentlessly stalked their owner, while he went on, "we Fall. There is no escape, no way out. I walk a thin, dangerous line as it is, and I won't step away from it, not on your words, Lucifer." Abruptly, the archangel looked up to face the Lord of Hell. "You are pain and darkness. You are pride and hatred, and the lacerations upon your heart will bleed for all eternity, your only way of release one that is forever denied you because of what you have become. Madness," Gabriel said, implacable, "revolt. Cruelty and despair are your names, and I won't follow in your steps. I know too well where they lead, I know the price to pay. Freedom doesn't exist, it's nothing more than a human illusion." Was it compassion and disgust I could see warring in the grey eyes? In the deep silence which followed the archangel's harsh, sad words, emotions came to life in the shadow of the White Tower's halls. Pain. Despair. Grief. Hatred. Above all, pain, which smothered the air and touched me. Pain, which struck me, hammering at my heart. Tears came to my eyes, unbidden, and on impulse I reached out. My fingers touched a hand, and I held on to it with desperate strength, refusing to let go. Refusing to shield myself. Sharing the horrible, alien pain with the one it was haunting. I could see nothing, I could hear nothing. I was nothing but Fire. Flames, which engulfed me as well as the one I had linked myself to, and devoured everything. All of a sudden, the scorching Fire retreated, releasing me and allowing me to exist once more. From very far away, I saw that Ikki-niisan was watching me with raw terror in his eyes. Then I felt the fingers of my right hand gripping another, holding on with all the strength that I had, and I looked to the side to see Lucifer staring at me, dumbfounded. There was shock in the usually mocking, contemptuous gaze, and a shadow which had no name. I looked at our intertwined fingers for a long time, numb, then the realization of what had happened brutally dawned on me. I snatched my hand away, shaking, and fought the urge to step back. It had been a reflex; blind instinct had led me, undeniable. I had...I let out a shuddering breath, fighting down the chaos inside my heart. What had I done? Nothing, I repeated myself in a litany. Nothing at all. Hatred was still there, its terrible ebony ice woven together with the Fire that was my essence. Reaching out to it, to the only anchor I could find, I cloaked myself in it and got a harsh grip over myself. "Not, there's no chance for you," Gabriel's beautiful voice reached my ears and allowed me to win free of the storm raging inside me. "None but one so small...." The archangel's soft whisper trailed off into silence, and all of a sudden I realized that the grey eyes were set on me. The unfathomable light was gone from the inhuman gaze to be replaced by a veil of deep sadness. Along my left forearm, the Chain abruptly tensed. "Danger!" I cried out to warn my companions, reflexively releasing the Chain. While it was drawing a spiral on the ethereal ground at our feet, shaped of light appeared in a circle around us. More than a score of angels, weapons at the ready. I looked at the swords and spears, I looked at the arrows of fire aimed at our hearts and felt a sinking feeling at the pit of my stomach. "Damn cowards," my brother spat beside me, setting fire to his cosmo. "I cannot let you pass beyond this Hall unhindered." Gabriel's solemn voice broke through the tension which had swept over the place. "However, I'll show you the heart of Livnat Hasapir as is my right as Ruling Prince of this House...if you'll give me the absolute reassurance that, should you reach your goal, you won't harm Beriyah." He wants to protect his own. I looked away, understanding. But how could we give him what he was asking for? We didn't even know if we could save ourselves. "Of you," the archangel briefly glanced towards Lucifer, "I ask nothing." Then he turned towards Julian Solo and Saori-san. "You have chosen your allies, and as one of your guardians said it's not for me to question your decisions. However, you'll have to deal with the consequence of your choices, and so I ask, human godlings, that you give me the reassurance I need." A bitter smile crept up Saori-san's lips, and she gave a helpless shrug, replying, "How can I give you something I don't have, Lord Gabriel? I'll gladly promise you we won't harm this world of Heaven so long as we can survive, but I can only offer you my word. And it's not enough, is it?" "No." Gabriel shook his head. "But give me a hold on you, Lady of the Earth, give me a thread of your life and I will guide you to the edge of my domain." A thread of life? While I was struggling with the strange words, trying to divine a meaning to them, cosmo exploded on my left. An ethereal whinny resounded in the tower as a luminous white horse reared in challenge, unfolding its great wings. Seiya! I thought, startled by the raw violence in the feeling of my friend's cosmo. "No!" The Pegasus Saint wildly exclaimed, his voice full of fury. "No," he repeated, "I'm done allowing such things to happen! We all swore after the war against Hades that we'd never let you sacrifice yourself again," Seiya told Saori-san, his hands closed into tight fists and his jaw set. Then he turned to face Gabriel and said defiantly, "If you want a life as a way of insuring we'll keep our word, take mine. But leave her alone or if you don't," the Pegasus Saint's voice reduced to a low, threatening whisper, "I'll smash you to pieces, archangel or not." "Seiya?!" Saori-san gasped, surprise mixed with horror plain in her startled exclamation. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and she was the one who looked away, as if she was unwilling or unable to sustain Seiya's gaze. "Very well." Gabriel nodded, a knowing smile on his lips. "If you're willing, I'll take what you offer." All at once, the archangel vanished. Then Gabriel reappeared right behind Seiya, an unreal sword in his right hand. Before any of us could react, he lifted the ethereal blade and struck twice. Severing the Wings of Pegasus. A shocked cry of pain escaped from my friend's lips, and as he was about to collapse, the archangel supported him. "The pain will be gone in a moment," Gabriel said softly. "They aren't truly gone, they're simply marked with my seal." Gentle light suddenly surrounded them both, emanating from the archangel. It only lasted for a few seconds, then Gabriel released the Pegasus Saint and stepped away, concluding, "If you keep your word, the marks will disappear. If you don't, through them I'll tear your Wings apart." Gabriel faced us and went on, merciless, "And through you I'll reach out to your Lady and exact the price of betrayal. Through the feeling hidden deep inside your hearts," he said with a strange smile on his lips, "I'll pull the thread of her life and unravel the tapestry of her Light." Seiya staggered backwards, as if he had received a savage blow, and I reached out to steady him. Wordlessly, I squeezed his right shoulder in support. There was nothing I could say that would help. I knew, like we all did, that the bond between Saori-san and Seiya was running deeper than the one we shared with her. It was a strong, precious thing that they never allowed themselves to dwell upon, trapped by who they were. A secret that must never be revealed because it would hurt too much if they were forced to acknowledge it. And now.... "You're clever, Lord Gabriel," Saori-san said in a carefully neutral voice. Summoning a brave smile to her lips, the young woman went on, "Now that your demand has been met, will you keep your half of the bargain?" "You and yours are Questers of Souls, Lady, and your presence in this Celestial Hall is an expected one. No warning will be sent." The archangel bowed deeply to her, as if paying homage, and the added, his grey eyes locked on us, "I don't relish harming human beings, I have no liking for what I did to you, but like you I have no choice." Turning away, he waved at the other angels, who winked out of existence as if they'd indeed been no more than fragments of light. "Come," Gabriel said, stepping forward, "I'll lead you to the edge of the world." "It would seem that bringing mortals along might prove useful after all," Belial remarked to no one in particular while we moved to follow after the archangel. "Who would have thought it could be so?" The Fallen Angel's beautiful laughter rose in the corridor, its mocking echoes filling the White Tower with dark, enthralling music. We stopped in front of great double doors of white wood. When I looked up, I didn't manage to see their end. There didn't seem to be a ceiling in the tower; the eye kept losing perspective in the confusing whiteness all around us. At least, Livnat Hasapir had gained more substance, had become more real with Gabriel to lead our way. Soft music had followed the archangel's steps, an almost inaudible humming song which had embraced us and had set an atmosphere of peace and serenity around us. It was as if the White Tower was alive, expressing its happiness at having its Ruling Prince walk its halls. "I can accompany you no further." Gabriel's beautiful voice echoed in the room, drawing me out of the gentle trance the tower's music had plunged me into. "Beyond these doors you'll find the only way of reaching the higher Halls open to mortal men. The Light that the central room contains," the archangel turned towards us, saying in deadly earnest, "is a pure, focused beam, a fragment of the En Sof which descends directly from Atsilouth, and from beyond the first realm, from Infinity itself. Its Fire will scorch your souls if you cannot protect yourselves, if you don't have the sacred Seal which will shield your fragile essences and let your glide upwards in harmony with the high flames." Stepping towards the imposing doors, Seiya rested the palms of his hands against the white wood and retorted in an uncharacteristically voice, "We'll make it, no matter what. We may not have your damn Seal, but the Kamui will protect us." With that, my friend started to push the doors open. "No," Gabriel smiled, a gentle smile in which there might have been the smallest traces of affection. "No armor, be it forged with the blood of the Gods, can shield you. Your Cloth would burn like torches and melt away, reduced to ashes in an instant. The only ones who would be spared would be those whose very nature is kin to the eternal Fire, and those who have, willingly or not," the archangel added in a soft whisper, "shed their mortal skin of clay." Cold hit the pit of my stomach in the same time that his words registered in my mind. Fear, dread because of the double meaning in them. He means me, I closed my hands into fists. Me, Saori-san, Poseidon and the Fallen Angels. But Ikki-niisan, Shiryu, Hyoga and Seiya, they-- "You're a good teacher, Gabriel, but we have no time for this." Lucifer came to stand beside Seiya, and distinctly I saw a smile full of unveiled disdain on his lips as he turned towards us and said, "We're allies. We won't let you burn. Trust us and come. Or wait here for a thousand years while darling Gabriel teaches you the knowledge and wisdom necessary to grow the Seal inside your small human hearts." With that, he whirled around to again face the double doors barring the way to the heart of the Hall of Sapphire Whiteness. Silently, I stared at the Lord of Hell's back, and wondered if there were times when he could stop stirring dissention and sparking anger in all those around him. "Small," Gabriel said suddenly, "yes, but those small hearts are the same that can create angels when they gather around a single wish." With a sigh, the archangel waved his own words away. "But no matter. Before I go and leave you to decide whether you should open those doors, there's one last thing I must give you." Abruptly, three beautiful, shining white cloaks appeared in Gabriel's arms. In a slow, strangely reluctant movement he stepped over to Lucifer's side and held them out to him. Then he said, his voice carefully neutral and his gaze locked with the Prince of Demons', "Even though you have two human godlings to shield you and yours, nothing can hide you to the eyes of the Wardens of Beriyah's Celestial Halls. Not even these," he added, a small, self-deprecating smile creeping up his lips, "but at least they'll deceive the guardians so long as they don't think to examine you too closely. Take them," the archangel nodded, and something like pain seeped into his beautiful voice when he repeated, "Take them, and begone before I open my eyes and realize what it is I'm allowing to come to pass." For a moment there was silence in the long corridor, while Lucifer stared back at Gabriel, an unfathomable light inflaming the purple eyes. Then the Fallen Angel's expression softened somewhat. Carefully taking hold of the archangel's gifts, the Lord of Hell let out a soft chuckle, saying in a surprisingly gentle voice, "You're doomed to pray we'll succeed, Gabriel. If we don't, you'll Fall like we did when the world was young. But if you do," the ghost of a smile touched Lucifer's lips and he added, his tone not unkind, "I'll remember this moment." Startlement shone in the archangel's eyes, then Gabriel stepped away and said, his voice distant, "Don't expect surrender or easy passage from the other Halls. I'll let you go for now, in Livnat Hasapir which is mine to rule, but we'll meet again if nothing stops you. In that moment, we'll be enemies." With that grim promise, Gabriel vanished and we found ourselves alone before the great double doors. "Fool, Gabriel," Lucifer whispered in a soft, distant voice. "You Fell once in the past, if only briefly, and that has changed you forever, even though you stubbornly refuse to look at yourself and acknowledge the truth." "Even though he's not blind, he keeps wishing his eyes could have remained sealed." Sammael snorted. Anger was lighting the red-haired Fallen Angel's gaze, and all of a sudden I wondered why they cared. Contempt, mockery I understood and expected coming from them and directed towards those who reminded them of what they had lost, but this raw feeling of anger...it went beyond enmity, it was an emotion experienced towards somebody one truly cared about. In front of me, Lucifer laid his right hand against the white wood of the great double doors and said, "The Seal Gabriel mentioned is a word. Sounds, words have power here. They can shape reality and direct the flow of Light. In the instant we step inside the heart of Livnat Hasapir, I'll release it. You'll have to focus on the sounds and echo them within. The Seal will shield you, but even with its protection the crossing won't be pleasant. Focus on us and be ready. There's no telling what we'll find when we reach the second Celestial Hall. Gabriel won't betray us, but there's no way to be sure of what awaits on the other side. Are you ready?" We all nodded in silence, unwilling to tarry here any longer. Before us, Lucifer pushed the great doors open, and Light rushed at us, escaping the confines of the White Tower's heart like a mad river in spate. When the blinding radiance engulfed us, a clear voice resounded in the air, and the echoes of the Word it pronounced filled the world with thunder. "Shamriel," Lucifer said, and the storm of raw Fire swallowed us.
End of Chapter 8.
Notes
Sabrael: an angel Warden of the 1st Celestial Hall. In certain sources, he's noted as one of the 7 archangels. In occultism, he's the only angel who can overcome the demon of disease.
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