Elfen High 2: Skin to Bone, Steel to Rust

[Ende]

Ivy looked at him blankly.

"I...."

She paused, breathing deeply. He was...she was happier with the...no. No. No. That was wrong. These were lies. Because if he was telling the truth, everything was a lie. Everything. Everything she believed to be a lie was a truth, and everything she believed to be truth was a lie. It would rip her apart from the inside.

And so, she settled on the only response that she could truly believe.

"They're lies." she spat, fists clenching at her sides, only half-believing her own words.

"They're all lies, Lucifer." she continued angrily, but, at the same time, rather weakly. "What else would they be? Your "reasons" are selfish, thoughtless, and uncaring. You didn't create your war for love. You created it from hatred. Yes, you loved her, and perhaps you wanted to give the angels feelings and freedoms, but you didn't give them their freedom because you wanted them to be free. You gave them their freedom because you wanted an army. You wanted revenge. And, really, why wouldn't you? Michael and Uriel were the reason why you had lost her. You wanted to have revenge on them. And, so, knowing exactly what would happen, you gave people freedom. You know exactly what it creates. You know exactly what it does. Have you seen what it creates? Has that happened yet? Because I can tell you what happens, Lucifer. Hell happens. Your sharing of "love" created a hellish war. Hell isn't a planet - it's what you created. You created a war between demonkind and the angels that has lasted for millenia...for revenge. Maybe you don't know this. Maybe this is the past. This doesn't seem like Hell. Do you want to know what happens? You lose. You die. Your quest to spread "love" causes misery and hate for millenia. The only way to fix your "love" was to kill all who you had ruined. The angels aren't supposed to have feelings and thoughts like humans do...humans shouldn't even have that. All it causes is hatred and strife. Before your war, Lucifer, you were all brothers. You were
all servants of the Lord and the Father. And your fit of revenge, which you've deluded yourself into thinking as a noble cause, has caused so much more harm than Michael and Uriel ever did. Millions have died, because you couldn't let go of your grief for one person."

She paused for a moment, and then pulled her sword from her side. The golden metal from which it was made shined in the light of the room, and she pointed it at Lucifer.

"Do you know what you'll cause? Do you know what you'll do? You'll create Hell, Lucifer. And because of your petty revenge, you'll be stranded there, enveloped in your own hatred - until you die, or until you manage to break free and kill your brothers. You deserve to die." she said. Despite her attempted confidence, her hands were shaking violently, and it was clear that she was obviously too afraid to strike Lucifer, or even take a single step closer. She breathed, quickly and shallowly, pressing back against the wall.

"Why am I here?" she said, looking around. "Why are you here? Is this even real?" she stated, closing her eyes and praying that it was not real - but it was obviously real.

Lucifer gave a laugh. "Oh, you girl. You stupid, brilliant, beautiful, horrible, generous, selfish and human girl." he said in an amused way. "You've proving exactly what I'm trying to say. Look at you, quivering in fear, in disbelief, in anger and in reluctant belief. Because you know I'm right." he said calmly. Though he may have had arrogance in his voice, he no longer did. Now he was simply confident. "I am what I always said I was- an angel of justice and truth. And occasionally that truth lay outside Heaven. Will I create a true Hell?" he looked at her intensely. "I have seen your memories. I have seen what is in those. I know that because of my actions, eventually there will be a world where humans matter and are not just meat and servants. The angels fear you, do you know? So do the demons and all the pagans. And to be utterly honest, they shouldn't. They should praise you humans."

He looked at the ceiling. "What do you honestly believe? Your belief, not any other. Do you believe that life should be complete and absolute order? No love, no free will, no passion, no pain, no pleasure, no happiness, no sadness? Or do believe that life should be life?" he asked. "My father once told me that I would give the world an ideal to strive towards. They would follow me. We would stumble and fall. But eventually, we would rise up toward the stars. We would accomplish wonders. I know now he wasn't referring to me- he was referring to humanity in general, because my father believed in the human race as much as I do."

"Now, time for us to go. As for whether this is real...of course it's a dream, but why on Earth does that mean it isn't real?" he asked as he faded away into nothing.

Suddenly, Ivy woke up in a battlefield herself, though not the same as the one Lewis and his group were in. This one was quite plainly in Heaven, judging by the pictures she had been shown. But a different Heaven. A burning one, a Heaven on fire and being ripped apart. The sky was a dark red and there was screaming. Screams of pain and occasionally of joy. And there was blood in the air.

A tired man looked down at her, his features perfect like every angel. "Who are you?" he asked her bluntly, a sword in his hand. "I do not have time to waste."

Ivy leapt backwards, dropping her sword to the ground, terror filling her eyes. Then, she realized that...she wasn't with Lucifer anymore. Jerking her head to the side, she realized that she was in...Heaven.

This Heaven wasn't the Heaven of her childhood. This Heaven wasn't what she had learned of in Heavensgate.

This Heaven was set alight. The sky was blood-red, and she was standing in the midst of a scorched battleground.

And if she was in Heaven, she was in Uriel's realm.

Uriel.

She had heard things about Uriel. Horrific things. Rumors. Even the angels in Heavensgate seemed unnerved by the name. From what she was heard...he was Fallen. He was utterly and completely fallen. The angels under his service were misguided, possibly, but Uriel himself had stepped too far beyond reason and...she didn't know anything about Uriel, but the mere reactions she had seen to his name, the rumors that she had heard...

Terrified, she stood up quickly, and then stiffly saluted the Angel.

"My name is Mary, sir. Soldier under Michael's command. Ready for orders." she said stiffly. She was lucky, in a sense - she had practice at being like them. Perhaps, if she pretended to be one of them, she would be able to blend in with the angels, and not be thrown in with the humans. She had heard of the humans in Heaven. In Heavensgate, humans were...well, they weren't slaves, but they weren't citizens. They were servants - treated decently, at worst, but never given the responsibilities or authority of the angels. There were a few who were advisors - a few who were messengers - but most of them served the same function as the demons in Heavensgate.

In Heaven...she had heard that they were slaves. And spontaneously appearing...in Heaven...in the midst of the battle...there was no good explanation, at all. She wasn't even sure how she was here, or why, and, from what she had heard about Uriel, to be found out would most likely be death, or...worse.

So, she stood stiffly, looking the angel in the eyes, imitating them in every way. In the back of her mind, though, she knew it wouldn't work. The angels were tall, and, predominantly male. They were perfect. She was not - she had tried to be like them, but it was evident, that, if you looked closely, she wasn't. Perhaps a normal human wouldn't be able to tell - perhaps even a demon couldn't - but an angel would. An angel would know it in a second. And the angels...they rarely showed fear. Calliel had felt it before, and she knew it was possible, but...

She wasn't one of them, and, at that moment, she realized that being different from them, like she was, was going to end very badly.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"You are a liar." the angel said simply. "You are a human. We would never allow a human to serve as a soldier of such caliber. And you do not know that Michael has left Heavensgate?" he asked. "Why, you are a liar. And I know of liars." There was a pause as Ivy would realise she had returned to the present. Or perhaps she had always been in the present. It was a confusing thing.

"You are in Heaven." the angel said emotionlessly, his eyes and face giving absolutely nothing away. His perfect features had eyes of amber. You could stare into those eyes forever and see nothing there. It was simple and pure confidence in his power and knowledge that he was right. The eyes were windows to the soul, and these windows revealed a house where sunlight had never shone. He was powered entirely by his own certainty and his own light.

The sword that had lain on the ground flew into the angel's hand, and then Ivy felt it on her neck, a twitch away. "You will follow me, human and liar. And we will punish you and make you repent for your sins." he replied serenely and earnestly.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

'Joshua' stepped forward, and nodded. "We're with H.Q.," he said, immediately assuming a straight stance and nodding. He made sure to emphasize his stub of an arm, to show that he had combat experience. "Tell us what's going on here, we have delicate business in this region and will need all the information you have."

"Quiet, soldier!" Lewis barked, "Only speak when your superiors give you permission! Do I look like your grandmother here?! THIS IS AN ARMY!"

He stepped forward and saluted Commander Jones. He'd gotten around to watching Men in Black, so he knew this guy didn't take any shit or something. Whatever. He liked playing the drill sergeant type, let him unleash his pent-up aggression. He had always felt that he was a Vietnam era West Point instructor born too soon.

"I am Commander Elliot Durwood!" he continued, "You are at my service! And who are you, soldier?!"

There was a long pause as the other man seemed to understand this. Ultimately, he gave a shrug. "Foreigners." he grumbled. "I assume you are with the Greeks? Well, welcome to the battlefield. We are fighting the Fae on this area of the field. And searching for a weapon they call "the Grail". I am Sekhet, commander of the Egyptian army. We are glad to have your assistance. What information do you need and why have you come and who sent you?"

[Ende]

"You are a liar." the angel said simply. "You are a human. We would never allow a human to serve as a soldier of such caliber. And you do not know that Michael has left Heavensgate?" he asked. "Why, you are a liar. And I know of liars." There was a pause as Ivy would realise she had returned to the present. Or perhaps she had always been in the present. It was a confusing thing.

"You are in Heaven." the angel said emotionlessly, his eyes and face giving absolutely nothing away. His perfect features had eyes of amber. You could stare into those eyes forever and see nothing there. It was simple and pure confidence in his power and knowledge that he was right. The eyes were windows to the soul, and these windows revealed a house where sunlight had never shone. He was powered entirely by his own certainty and his own light.

The sword that had lain on the ground flew into the angel's hand, and then Ivy felt it on her neck, a twitch away. "You will follow me, human and liar. And we will punish you and make you repent for your sins." he replied serenely and earnestly.

Ivy would have backed away, but she didn't. She knew what would happen if she backed away. The angels were perfect. And, unluckily, this meant that if she took a single step back, a sword would be heading directly through her neck, killing her in an instant. She looked at the angel, desperation filling her eyes.

"Please, don't bring...no...not...I don't even know how I'm here or why I'm here. P-please just let me go." she begged, terrified. She had heard things about Uriel. She didn't know if any of them were true, but the fact that the rumors existed in the first place...

There was no running. The angel was faster, stronger, and better. After all - they were perfect. And he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. They weren't like people. The angel wouldn't think twice about stabbing her through.

And she knew that her plea would be ignored. Why would he regard it? To him, she was a sinner. A liar. An enemy. A human. All detestable, all crimes, and all reasons for punishment. And, at that point, she wasn't sure whether death was honestly a worse alternative, from what she had heard about Uriel...but those were just stories, and...

She looked down at the ground, filled with dread, and then looked at angel tearfully, indicating that she was ready to follow.

"Please." she whispered, knowing that it would be ignored, but praying that it wouldn't be, even though it was futile.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Ciel did exactly what it has been stated she could do: Run straight out of the room. While the castle of glass was enormous and constantly growing, she figured that she would have to come across the exit eventually. It's not like she was in a hurry to go anywhere, except the hell out of there. The Elfen Highers tried to kill her, and the one person that hadn't betrayed her was convinced that she was a copy. She couldn't, and didn't want to, go back to any of them. She didn't really know where she could go, though.

But then again, wasn't that how she lived most of her life before arriving at Elfen High? Yes, it was, and she had survived, so she would survive again. It didn't matter that she was alone. For most of her life, she had been alone.

Amidst these thoughts, she didn't realize that Izanagi was trying, and failing, to catch up to her.

---

Alastor simply blinked when Arthur introduced himself and Morgan. So, that was Morgan Le Fae. That wasn't exactly good to hear, but he supposed that at least she didn't seem to be acting aggressively towards any of them. She didn't seem upset by Laz's Lazrianness, either, so that was good, he supposed.

Then Laz ignored everything and continued trying to flirt with her. Alastor sighed and rubbed his temples. "I am going to need some medicine after this." He stated. He looked at the open door, but didn't try to run away just yet. Instead, he simply turned to Arthur, not surrendering or making any attempts to run away, or fight and die.

"So, where is Excalibur, if you do not mind the question?" He asked, quite obviously still remembering what they had come to look for.

"Right here, as a matter of fact." Arthur said, raising his sword. "I assume you want it?"

"It would be highly appreciated." Richard said.

"Well, I suppose you could take it if you fight me for it." Arthur replied. "I've been told I'm a good fighter."

Richard shrugged. "Will we be allowed to leave safely if we win?"

"I'll make the attempt to allow you to." Arthur conceded. "But it is up to my sister."

---

Of course, the fake Ciel and Izanagi need to enter the story again somehow. So they would charge through a hallway and find themselves magically...in the same camp that Lewis and his group were in. The same bizarre battlefield.

Sekhet stared at the two Ciels and the Japanese man. "...Bizarre foreigners." he said.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"You are a liar." the angel said simply. "You are a human. We would never allow a human to serve as a soldier of such caliber. And you do not know that Michael has left Heavensgate?" he asked. "Why, you are a liar. And I know of liars." There was a pause as Ivy would realise she had returned to the present. Or perhaps she had always been in the present. It was a confusing thing.

"You are in Heaven." the angel said emotionlessly, his eyes and face giving absolutely nothing away. His perfect features had eyes of amber. You could stare into those eyes forever and see nothing there. It was simple and pure confidence in his power and knowledge that he was right. The eyes were windows to the soul, and these windows revealed a house where sunlight had never shone. He was powered entirely by his own certainty and his own light.

The sword that had lain on the ground flew into the angel's hand, and then Ivy felt it on her neck, a twitch away. "You will follow me, human and liar. And we will punish you and make you repent for your sins." he replied serenely and earnestly.

Ivy would have backed away, but she didn't. She knew what would happen if she backed away. The angels were perfect. And, unluckily, this meant that if she took a single step back, a sword would be heading directly through her neck, killing her in an instant. She looked at the angel, desperation filling her eyes.

"Please, don't bring...no...not...I don't even know how I'm here or why I'm here. P-please just let me go." she begged, terrified. She had heard things about Uriel. She didn't know if any of them were true, but the fact that the rumors existed in the first place...

There was no running. The angel was faster, stronger, and better. After all - they were perfect. And he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. They weren't like people. The angel wouldn't think twice about stabbing her through.

And she knew that her plea would be ignored. Why would he regard it? To him, she was a sinner. A liar. An enemy. A human. All detestable, all crimes, and all reasons for punishment. And, at that point, she wasn't sure whether death was honestly a worse alternative, from what she had heard about Uriel...but those were just stories, and...

She looked down at the ground, filled with dread, and then looked at angel tearfully, indicating that she was ready to follow.

"Please." she whispered, knowing that it would be ignored, but praying that it wouldn't be, even though it was futile.

"You are entirely too exposed." the angel said in a tone of disapproval, her clothes suddenly growing out and covering her whole body and face, like a veil or niqab. And it was burningly warm in that costume, far warmer than the usual version worn in the Middle East. These ones were deliberately worn to be utterly uncomfortable and difficult to move in. Yet they walked for several minutes, Ivy getting easily exhausted in the clothing.

"Keep moving." the angel said calmly, poking her with the sword in the back lightly and drawing just the slightest blood through the veil. A brief burst of air would enter before the fabric sealed again, tormenting her with the brief time of cool before the searing heat returned.

It was difficult to see through the clothing, but she saw herself evidently heading to a church-like building. As she walked, she saw several humans labouring silently in what seemed like a mine at first. But upon closer inspection, she saw it was something entirely different.

Mass graves. Graves labelled only by a cross as dead bodies of other humans were placed into the ground. "Work faster!" the angel who was carrying Ivy along called out. "Work faster and you shall receive your rations! The fruits of your labour will reflect your labour, as the Good Book says!" That line wasn't in any copy of the Bible Ivy had read. Perhaps the two of them had slightly different versions.

Another poke with the sword, in precisely the same place as last time. "Move, don't slow down." the angel ordered. "You will be redeemed shortly for your sins." Soon, they entered the church. Or the morgue. Even though Ivy's eyesight was weakened by the veil, she still saw the dead bodies laying everywhere as the angel had to walk her across the ground carefully so they did not stop on the bodies. Specifically, did not step on the bodies of the angels. The angel freely stepped on the bodies of the humans, which did not require as much respect.

Then they were in a back room of the church-like building and the angel opened a door. "Walk inside." he told Ivy, gesturing to the empty room which resembled a jail cell more than a confession booth. "A Priest will be here shortly."

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Quiet, soldier!" Lewis barked, "Only speak when your superiors give you permission! Do I look like your grandmother here?! THIS IS AN ARMY!"

He stepped forward and saluted Commander Jones. He'd gotten around to watching Men in Black, so he knew this guy didn't take any shit or something. Whatever. He liked playing the drill sergeant type, let him unleash his pent-up aggression. He had always felt that he was a Vietnam era West Point instructor born too soon.

"I am Commander Elliot Durwood!" he continued, "You are at my service! And who are you, soldier?!"

There was a long pause as the other man seemed to understand this. Ultimately, he gave a shrug. "Foreigners." he grumbled. "I assume you are with the Greeks? Well, welcome to the battlefield. We are fighting the Fae on this area of the field. And searching for a weapon they call "the Grail". I am Sekhet, commander of the Egyptian army. We are glad to have your assistance. What information do you need and why have you come and who sent you?"

"Athena," he replied, "The virgin warrior and daughter of the thunder god. We're a meager cadre of unarmed solders, given that we had to sneak in through unfriendly territory, but still enough to whip your Ma'at asses into shape."

In Lewis' many years, he had, obviously, become quite acquainted with the religions of the worlds. He was savvy enough to resist the impulse to identify his group as serving Ares, like most would - Ares was, in the Greek tradition, but a hot-blooded fool. The true military mind was Athena, with the Roman conflation of Mars (given that whole Romulus and Remus debacle) coming to eclipse her in later years. Whatever parallel that had in reality, Lewis figured, at the time of the Fae War, the gods were still in their beginnings.

"Zeus was worried about ye' takin' on the Fae by yourselves, so he had Athena send us to help," he explained, "Our job is to ensure the Grail is found and taken to a safe location where its uses might be better examined. Only problem is, we were sidetracked on the way by an ambush from non-compliant factions who weren't too pleased about us trekkin' through their homes, so we're a bit out of the loop. What the hell is going on here, soldier?"

When Izanagi and fake Ciel stumbled into the camp, Lewis hardly even blinked.

"There's some of our group! By the Fates, I thought the bastards had killed 'em! " he said, before falling into a low whisper only Sekhet could hear, "Listen, ye' need to take the girl to the infirmary. She's infirm, mentally, shaken by battle. Maybe some guards around wouldn't hurt. She can be... dangerous."

[Ende]

Ivy would have backed away, but she didn't. She knew what would happen if she backed away. The angels were perfect. And, unluckily, this meant that if she took a single step back, a sword would be heading directly through her neck, killing her in an instant. She looked at the angel, desperation filling her eyes.

"Please, don't bring...no...not...I don't even know how I'm here or why I'm here. P-please just let me go." she begged, terrified. She had heard things about Uriel. She didn't know if any of them were true, but the fact that the rumors existed in the first place...

There was no running. The angel was faster, stronger, and better. After all - they were perfect. And he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. They weren't like people. The angel wouldn't think twice about stabbing her through.

And she knew that her plea would be ignored. Why would he regard it? To him, she was a sinner. A liar. An enemy. A human. All detestable, all crimes, and all reasons for punishment. And, at that point, she wasn't sure whether death was honestly a worse alternative, from what she had heard about Uriel...but those were just stories, and...

She looked down at the ground, filled with dread, and then looked at angel tearfully, indicating that she was ready to follow.

"Please." she whispered, knowing that it would be ignored, but praying that it wouldn't be, even though it was futile.

"You are entirely too exposed." the angel said in a tone of disapproval, her clothes suddenly growing out and covering her whole body and face, like a veil or niqab. And it was burningly warm in that costume, far warmer than the usual version worn in the Middle East. These ones were deliberately worn to be utterly uncomfortable and difficult to move in. Yet they walked for several minutes, Ivy getting easily exhausted in the clothing.

"Keep moving." the angel said calmly, poking her with the sword in the back lightly and drawing just the slightest blood through the veil. A brief burst of air would enter before the fabric sealed again, tormenting her with the brief time of cool before the searing heat returned.

It was difficult to see through the clothing, but she saw herself evidently heading to a church-like building. As she walked, she saw several humans labouring silently in what seemed like a mine at first. But upon closer inspection, she saw it was something entirely different.

Mass graves. Graves labelled only by a cross as dead bodies of other humans were placed into the ground. "Work faster!" the angel who was carrying Ivy along called out. "Work faster and you shall receive your rations! The fruits of your labour will reflect your labour, as the Good Book says!" That line wasn't in any copy of the Bible Ivy had read. Perhaps the two of them had slightly different versions.

Another poke with the sword, in precisely the same place as last time. "Move, don't slow down." the angel ordered. "You will be redeemed shortly for your sins." Soon, they entered the church. Or the morgue. Even though Ivy's eyesight was weakened by the veil, she still saw the dead bodies laying everywhere as the angel had to walk her across the ground carefully so they did not stop on the bodies. Specifically, did not step on the bodies of the angels. The angel freely stepped on the bodies of the humans, which did not require as much respect.

Then they were in a back room of the church-like building and the angel opened a door. "Walk inside." he told Ivy, gesturing to the empty room which resembled a jail cell more than a confession booth. "A Priest will be here shortly."

Trembling, Ivy took a few steps, and then she was inside.

The room was solid cement. There was no way out - and the room was completely empty. As far as she could tell, there was no way out. The only thing between her and the exit was the angel - and she was completely unarmed. Her powers were completely useless here - there was no life that she could control here, and, even if there was, the angel would likely be able to kill her. Besides, even if she made it past him, there was still the fact that...she was in Heaven. There was no way out.

How had she even gotten here? This was Hell. Maybe Lucifer was right...Uriel was...this wasn't Heaven. She would rather be in Hell right now. At least in Hell, there was some chance of escape. There was none in this place.

The only thing she could do was sit and wait for what came next. Or, attempt to get past the angel, and that was essentially throwing herself onto his sword.

There was nothing else she could do - so she walked to the corner of the room and sat down in a corner, pulling her legs close to her, wishing that she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. Even being back in the room with Lucifer would be better than this. She was horribly confused and hurt...but that was...that was normal. She was confused about everything. Right as something seemed as if it was making an ounce of sense, it was ripped away from her, and completely torn apart. She shifted uncomfortably - the robe was horribly warm, and she felt sweat trickling down her face. The small wound in her back, made by the angel's sword, burned slightly, and it was a slight distraction from the stifling heat.

She put her head in her hands and tried not to cry. Crying wouldn't help. Praying wouldn't help. Nothing would help. All she could do was sit, and wait for what came next.

And so, she sat.

And waited.

[Hardened Pyrokinetics]

There was a long pause as the other man seemed to understand this. Ultimately, he gave a shrug. "Foreigners." he grumbled. "I assume you are with the Greeks? Well, welcome to the battlefield. We are fighting the Fae on this area of the field. And searching for a weapon they call "the Grail". I am Sekhet, commander of the Egyptian army. We are glad to have your assistance. What information do you need and why have you come and who sent you?"

"Athena," he replied, "The virgin warrior and daughter of the thunder god. We're a meager cadre of unarmed solders, given that we had to sneak in through unfriendly territory, but still enough to whip your Ma'at asses into shape."

In Lewis' many years, he had, obviously, become quite acquainted with the religions of the worlds. He was savvy enough to resist the impulse to identify his group as serving Ares, like most would - Ares was, in the Greek tradition, but a hot-blooded fool. The true military mind was Athena, with the Roman conflation of Mars (given that whole Romulus and Remus debacle) coming to eclipse her in later years. Whatever parallel that had in reality, Lewis figured, at the time of the Fae War, the gods were still in their beginnings.

"Zeus was worried about ye' takin' on the Fae by yourselves, so he had Athena send us to help," he explained, "Our job is to ensure the Grail is found and taken to a safe location where its uses might be better examined. Only problem is, we were sidetracked on the way by an ambush from non-compliant factions who weren't too pleased about us trekkin' through their homes, so we're a bit out of the loop. What the hell is going on here, soldier?"

When Izanagi and fake Ciel stumbled into the camp, Lewis hardly even blinked.

"There's some of our group! By the Fates, I thought the bastards had killed 'em! " he said, before falling into a low whisper only Sekhet could hear, "Listen, ye' need to take the girl to the infirmary. She's infirm, mentally, shaken by battle. Maybe some guards around wouldn't hurt. She can be... dangerous."

The Jameses, catching on, quickly and quietly found a place to hide their weapons. DH James also removed his very out-of-place sneakers, leaving him barefoot. A minor graze on a rock, just enough to draw blood and leave a decent-size scar along the right foot stretching from heel to toe, would complete the illusion that he had been forced to walk barefoot.

The two returned to the group, EH James speaking up. "We are sorry to interrupt, but my brother was wounded in our journey." He spoke calmly, indicating the cut. "He lost his shoes, and we were unable to carry extras. If you have any available we would greatly appreciate it."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"You are entirely too exposed." the angel said in a tone of disapproval, her clothes suddenly growing out and covering her whole body and face, like a veil or niqab. And it was burningly warm in that costume, far warmer than the usual version worn in the Middle East. These ones were deliberately worn to be utterly uncomfortable and difficult to move in. Yet they walked for several minutes, Ivy getting easily exhausted in the clothing.

"Keep moving." the angel said calmly, poking her with the sword in the back lightly and drawing just the slightest blood through the veil. A brief burst of air would enter before the fabric sealed again, tormenting her with the brief time of cool before the searing heat returned.

It was difficult to see through the clothing, but she saw herself evidently heading to a church-like building. As she walked, she saw several humans labouring silently in what seemed like a mine at first. But upon closer inspection, she saw it was something entirely different.

Mass graves. Graves labelled only by a cross as dead bodies of other humans were placed into the ground. "Work faster!" the angel who was carrying Ivy along called out. "Work faster and you shall receive your rations! The fruits of your labour will reflect your labour, as the Good Book says!" That line wasn't in any copy of the Bible Ivy had read. Perhaps the two of them had slightly different versions.

Another poke with the sword, in precisely the same place as last time. "Move, don't slow down." the angel ordered. "You will be redeemed shortly for your sins." Soon, they entered the church. Or the morgue. Even though Ivy's eyesight was weakened by the veil, she still saw the dead bodies laying everywhere as the angel had to walk her across the ground carefully so they did not stop on the bodies. Specifically, did not step on the bodies of the angels. The angel freely stepped on the bodies of the humans, which did not require as much respect.

Then they were in a back room of the church-like building and the angel opened a door. "Walk inside." he told Ivy, gesturing to the empty room which resembled a jail cell more than a confession booth. "A Priest will be here shortly."

Trembling, Ivy took a few steps, and then she was inside.

The room was solid cement. There was no way out - and the room was completely empty. As far as she could tell, there was no way out. The only thing between her and the exit was the angel - and she was completely unarmed. Her powers were completely useless here - there was no life that she could control here, and, even if there was, the angel would likely be able to kill her. Besides, even if she made it past him, there was still the fact that...she was in Heaven. There was no way out.

How had she even gotten here? This was Hell. Maybe Lucifer was right...Uriel was...this wasn't Heaven. She would rather be in Hell right now. At least in Hell, there was some chance of escape. There was none in this place.

The only thing she could do was sit and wait for what came next. Or, attempt to get past the angel, and that was essentially throwing herself onto his sword.

There was nothing else she could do - so she walked to the corner of the room and sat down in a corner, pulling her legs close to her, wishing that she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. Even being back in the room with Lucifer would be better than this. She was horribly confused and hurt...but that was...that was normal. She was confused about everything. Right as something seemed as if it was making an ounce of sense, it was ripped away from her, and completely torn apart. She shifted uncomfortably - the robe was horribly warm, and she felt sweat trickling down her face. The small wound in her back, made by the angel's sword, burned slightly, and it was a slight distraction from the stifling heat.

She put her head in her hands and tried not to cry. Crying wouldn't help. Praying wouldn't help. Nothing would help. All she could do was sit, and wait for what came next.

And so, she sat.

And waited.

A man suddenly appeared. Just appeared in front of her. He wore a traditional Catholic priest's garb and was a handsome man, like all the other angels. He looked at her and saw her trying to not cry. "Do not weep in this house of God, child." he said in a deep, resonant voice. "I am here to judge you and your sins." He sounded polite but his eyes were as hollow as the other angel's. "I am a Father, my name is Father Joseph." he said calmly. "What is your name?"

[Ende]

Trembling, Ivy took a few steps, and then she was inside.

The room was solid cement. There was no way out - and the room was completely empty. As far as she could tell, there was no way out. The only thing between her and the exit was the angel - and she was completely unarmed. Her powers were completely useless here - there was no life that she could control here, and, even if there was, the angel would likely be able to kill her. Besides, even if she made it past him, there was still the fact that...she was in Heaven. There was no way out.

How had she even gotten here? This was Hell. Maybe Lucifer was right...Uriel was...this wasn't Heaven. She would rather be in Hell right now. At least in Hell, there was some chance of escape. There was none in this place.

The only thing she could do was sit and wait for what came next. Or, attempt to get past the angel, and that was essentially throwing herself onto his sword.

There was nothing else she could do - so she walked to the corner of the room and sat down in a corner, pulling her legs close to her, wishing that she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. Even being back in the room with Lucifer would be better than this. She was horribly confused and hurt...but that was...that was normal. She was confused about everything. Right as something seemed as if it was making an ounce of sense, it was ripped away from her, and completely torn apart. She shifted uncomfortably - the robe was horribly warm, and she felt sweat trickling down her face. The small wound in her back, made by the angel's sword, burned slightly, and it was a slight distraction from the stifling heat.

She put her head in her hands and tried not to cry. Crying wouldn't help. Praying wouldn't help. Nothing would help. All she could do was sit, and wait for what came next.

And so, she sat.

And waited.

A man suddenly appeared. Just appeared in front of her. He wore a traditional Catholic priest's garb and was a handsome man, like all the other angels. He looked at her and saw her trying to not cry. "Do not weep in this house of God, child." he said in a deep, resonant voice. "I am here to judge you and your sins." He sounded polite but his eyes were as hollow as the other angel's. "I am a Father, my name is Father Joseph." he said calmly. "What is your name?"

Ivy wasn't sure whether to tell him the truth or not. Lying wouldn't really do anything, here, but, on the other hand, neither would telling the truth. The angel could probably tell if she was lying, though, and she was honestly too afraid to see if he could or not. But...on the other hand, if her name was linked in any way to Raphael, and they made any sort of connection...the connotations would be terrible. If she, a servant from Heavensgate, was found here...

The truth was dangerous. Horribly dangerous. Lying was, as well, but, between the two, it was the better option.

"My name is Mary." she lied, thankful that the garment that the angel had forced her to wear covered her eyes - the Father wouldn't be able to see her dishonesty. She was bad at lying. Well, no, that was a lie. She was excellent at lying to herself, but, when it came to lying to other people, she was average at best, and terrible at worst. She cringed slightly, waiting for what would come next. She wasn't sure what the Father was going to do, but she doubted that it would be any sort of improvement at all.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

After hearing the exchange between Richard and Arthur, Alastor sighed. "There is simply never an easy way to do things in everything you people are involved in, is there, prophet?" He said, though he didn't actually expect a response. Instead, he tore another hole in the air and reached in with his hand, pulling out a long black sword. His human disguise faded afterwads, giving way to the form of an armored being.

"Well, let us be done with this already, if there is no other way." He said, his voice now sounding as befitting a demon, whereas previously it was the voice of a mere human.

---

As Lewis and Damien continued to talk to the man named Sekhet, Ciel simply stood there, doing her best to maintain a facade of serenity, even though inside of her confusion, concern and the aftermath of pain all converged with a myriad of other things. However, the conversation the others had with Sekhet was kind of comical in a way, so it served as a good distraction from all of that. She made an effort to keep herself from smiling and look serious instead, and succeeded for the most part.

Then the other Ciel suddenly appeared there. More confusion.

The other Ciel, who had until recently been running through the hallways of the enormous castle of glass, trying to find a way out to get away from... Well, everyone in there, was also thoroughly confused when she ended up in a camp in the middle of a bizarre battlefield, and had only her reflexes to thank for making her stop running at full speed before she charged into someplace or something worse.

And then the other Ciel saw Ciel.

The two of them blinked and stared at each other.

[Mavorpen]

Izanagi quickly lost track of Ciel 2 (yes, I'm calling her Ciel 2, because fuck you), and decided that it was no good to just keep running blind. He questioned whether he should give up or not. He sat down to contemplate the possible scenarios that could happen. If she met Ciel 1, then she would pretty much be forced to entertain the fact that she was a copy. Then again, she might die along the way. Then again, she might end up having lesbian sex with the other Ciel, possibly destroying the world.

Despite how fantabulous (fuck you, it's a word now) the last one sounded, he decided it would be best to find Ciel 2 before something happened to her. Taking a deep breath, he released a loud, drawn out whistle. It was loud enough to be heard, albeit as a faint high pitched sound, by the Lewis, Crowley, etc. group. Seconds later, the echo of the whistle came back, giving him a good picture of where he needed to go in the castle to reach the group. He stood up and ran forward.

It only took him a few minutes to catch up to Ciel 2, and found her, along with the rest of the group and Ciel 1. They stared at each other, leading to an awkward silence. The silence was broken by the sound of crunching... it sounding almost like popcorn. Suddenly Natsu and Kyoko appeared to his side, both eating popcorn. Natsu said, "Took you long enough to get here. Popcorn?" He held out the bag, and Izanagi took a handful. Naturally, he just had to ask. "Natsu...where did you get this popcorn?" Natsu looked at Izanagi, then at the popcorn bag, then back at Izanagi, then back at the popcorn bag. Finally, he said, "I...don't know." They both shrugged and continued eating the popcorn, waiting to see the events unfold before them.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

As the two Ciels continued staring at each other, Faeborn Ciel, still confused, examined the other, the one she was convinced was a copy, the tortured Ciel. Other than confused, the tortured Ciel seemed to be quite obviously distraught by something. Maybe she had already been told about her condition? Faeborn Ciel didn't know, but either way, even though tortured Ciel looked exactly like her physically, she didn't seem the same. She didn't seem as confident, for one. She even seemed kind of... Weak. But she wasn't going to judge the copy, perhaps the Fae's job hadn't been as well done as they thought. At least she knew that tortured Ciel couldn't be that other person, the one that licked her. That person was, well, the exact opposite.

Tortured Ciel, on the other hand, was simply confused. She hadn't met Anti-Ciel and didn't have the slightest idea of who Faeborn Ciel was, as she hadn't talked to Morgan or Arthur either. So, she simply didn't know what to make of the situation. She only remembered being with Jacob and Yuzuki and meeting up with Izanagi, but after that, only... Pain. She shuddered at the memory and pushed it off her mind. It wasn't something pleasant to think of at all, and this seemed more important at the moment either way.

Their silence was interrupted by Natsu's popcorn. Hearing it, Faeborn Ciel turned and glared at him, before looking back at tortured Ciel. She was with all the people that had turned on her. Perhaps they would turn on her too, and she seemed weaker. Perhaps she wouldn't survive if they did, so she had to warn her. There were a lot of unknown people around too. She didn't like this, she didn't like this at all.

Slowly, she approached tortured Ciel, warily eyeing the Elfen Highers, ready to run at the slightest perceived threat. When she was next to her, she spoke.

"Come, sis, I need to talk to you in private." She said. She didn't know what the unknown soldiers there did or didn't know, but pretending was probably safer than the alternative. After speaking, she put a hand on tortured Ciel's back and started pushing her along.

Tortured Ciel saw Faeborn Ciel approaching, still not knowing what to make of the situation. When the other Ciel spoke to her, she was even more confused. Sis? What was all of that about? What did this person want to talk to her about? Perhap she was just pretending, like Lewis and the others had been doing. It seemed logical, but still, she had no idea. When the other Ciel started pushing her along, tortured Ciel walked without really putting forth any resistance. She was curious about this other her.

"Who are you?" Tortured Ciel asked the other when they were out of earshot.

The other Ciel sighed. This talk was going to take a bit.

[Nationstatelandsville]

As the two Ciels continued staring at each other, Faeborn Ciel, still confused, examined the other, the one she was convinced was a copy, the tortured Ciel. Other than confused, the tortured Ciel seemed to be quite obviously distraught by something. Maybe she had already been told about her condition? Faeborn Ciel didn't know, but either way, even though tortured Ciel looked exactly like her physically, she didn't seem the same. She didn't seem as confident, for one. She even seemed kind of... Weak. But she wasn't going to judge the copy, perhaps the Fae's job hadn't been as well done as they thought. At least she knew that tortured Ciel couldn't be that other person, the one that licked her. That person was, well, the exact opposite.

Tortured Ciel, on the other hand, was simply confused. She hadn't met Anti-Ciel and didn't have the slightest idea of who Faeborn Ciel was, as she hadn't talked to Morgan or Arthur either. So, she simply didn't know what to make of the situation. She only remembered being with Jacob and Yuzuki and meeting up with Izanagi, but after that, only... Pain. She shuddered at the memory and pushed it off her mind. It wasn't something pleasant to think of at all, and this seemed more important at the moment either way.

Their silence was interrupted by Natsu's popcorn. Hearing it, Faeborn Ciel turned and glared at him, before looking back at tortured Ciel. She was with all the people that had turned on her. Perhaps they would turn on her too, and she seemed weaker. Perhaps she wouldn't survive if they did, so she had to warn her. There were a lot of unknown people around too. She didn't like this, she didn't like this at all.

Slowly, she approached tortured Ciel, warily eyeing the Elfen Highers, ready to run at the slightest perceived threat. When she was next to her, she spoke.

"Come, sis, I need to talk to you in private." She said. She didn't know what the unknown soldiers there did or didn't know, but pretending was probably safer than the alternative. After speaking, she put a hand on tortured Ciel's back and started pushing her along.

Tortured Ciel saw Faeborn Ciel approaching, still not knowing what to make of the situation. When the other Ciel spoke to her, she was even more confused. Sis? What was all of that about? What did this person want to talk to her about? Perhap she was just pretending, like Lewis and the others had been doing. It seemed logical, but still, she had no idea. When the other Ciel started pushing her along, tortured Ciel walked without really putting forth any resistance. She was curious about this other her.

"Who are you?" Tortured Ciel asked the other when they were out of earshot.

The other Ciel sighed. This talk was going to take a bit.

Lewis tapped Damien on the shoulder and gestured slightly with his head at the two Ciels. He knew the boy would understand what was needed - intervention, before the fake Ciel made the real Ciel do something stupid. By all means, real Ciel was a weakling. Lewis doubted she could handle standing up to the will of someone with their life on the line, and she certainly couldn't face the Fae.

He then turned his attention back to Sekhet.

"If ye' have any space, I'll be sendin' my men to rest," he said, before gesturing at anti-Crowley, "Lieutenant Delaware and I will discuss this battle with ye' in private."

[Rupudska]

Yuzuki nodded at the idea. "If you wish, Sekhet, I can easily provide you with superior weapons to the ones you have now. It would be mere child's play to an intellect such as mine."

She patted her rifle, which she had managed to find lying around the castle because I can, that's why.

"Indeed, once I'm finished, no army on Earth would stand a chance against you."

[Nationstatelandsville]

Yuzuki nodded at the idea. "If you wish, Sekhet, I can easily provide you with superior weapons to the ones you have now. It would be mere child's play to an intellect such as mine."

She patted her rifle, which she had managed to find lying around the castle because I can, that's why.

"Indeed, once I'm finished, no army on Earth would stand a chance against you."

Lewis immediately shoved Yuzuki away.

"Yuzuki, ye' crazy bitch, GET BACK IN YOUR POSITION!" Lewis roared, "DOES IT LOOK LIKE SEKHET HAS TIME FOR YOUR CRAZED BULLSHIT?! YOU ARE NOT AN INVENTOR, YOU ARE AN INSANE, SYPHILITIC WHORE WHO THINKS SHE CAN IMPROVE ON WEAPONRY BUILT BY THE HANDS OF THE GODS THEMSELVES! YOU ARE AN INSULT TO YOUR ARMY!"

Lewis immediately knew he would regret that later, but he also knew that Yuzuki was blowing their cover.

"Sorry," he apologize to Sekhet, "she sneaked that onto the mission and wouldn't give it up."

[Rupudska]

"Syphilitic? Why I ought to..." Yuzuki paused. If she brought out any more modern technology, she'd probably just get into more trouble.

"Ohh, screw it." She went up to Lewis and whispered, "Who said I was going to build them guns, dumbass? Not me, I can assure you that."She then backed away and returned to her position in formation.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

A man suddenly appeared. Just appeared in front of her. He wore a traditional Catholic priest's garb and was a handsome man, like all the other angels. He looked at her and saw her trying to not cry. "Do not weep in this house of God, child." he said in a deep, resonant voice. "I am here to judge you and your sins." He sounded polite but his eyes were as hollow as the other angel's. "I am a Father, my name is Father Joseph." he said calmly. "What is your name?"

Ivy wasn't sure whether to tell him the truth or not. Lying wouldn't really do anything, here, but, on the other hand, neither would telling the truth. The angel could probably tell if she was lying, though, and she was honestly too afraid to see if he could or not. But...on the other hand, if her name was linked in any way to Raphael, and they made any sort of connection...the connotations would be terrible. If she, a servant from Heavensgate, was found here...

The truth was dangerous. Horribly dangerous. Lying was, as well, but, between the two, it was the better option.

"My name is Mary." she lied, thankful that the garment that the angel had forced her to wear covered her eyes - the Father wouldn't be able to see her dishonesty. She was bad at lying. Well, no, that was a lie. She was excellent at lying to herself, but, when it came to lying to other people, she was average at best, and terrible at worst. She cringed slightly, waiting for what would come next. She wasn't sure what the Father was going to do, but she doubted that it would be any sort of improvement at all.

"Incorrect." the Father replied calmly. His eyes stared into hers with the calmness of a fanatic, though his tone was slightly disappointed. "I am saddened, girl, that you would lie in a House of God. This is a special place. Our saviour died so you could be here today and you lie to his servant in his own home?" the priest said, his tone sounding like a teacher scolding a naughty student.

Of course, teachers normally didn't have their hand on the student's neck and didn't slam them back into the wall. The wall, which, mind you, was growing burning warm. It did burn the fabric on the back of Ivy's veil, but touching the wall was like...When you were a child, you may touch a kettle that was on the stove with your finger before realising that hurt and taking your finger away after a second.

The kettle was the whole wall, the finger was Ivy's entire back and it was much longer than a second. "Those are the flames those who disobey the saviour go to." the priest said calmly. "The flames that liars and blasphemers find. Now, I will redeem you if you are honest with me. And we may even spare your child if you are."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"Syphilitic? Why I ought to..." Yuzuki paused. If she brought out any more modern technology, she'd probably just get into more trouble.

"Ohh, screw it." She went up to Lewis and whispered, "Who said I was going to build them guns, dumbass? Not me, I can assure you that."She then backed away and returned to her position in formation.

Sekhet just stared. "Foreigners. But Athena's foreigners. Athena appears to be remarkably sane compared to the others." he said, gesturing away many of the other soldiers and members of the EH/DH crew. Crowley, Minh, Lewis, Damien and Yuzuki would likely stay with Sekhet while the others were sent off to explore and ask the other soldiers questions. They would have a lot to say. So ask them.

Sekhet sighed. "We're in a bad place. Haven't seen most of our own gods in a while. I'm running blind and those just keep coming. We get deserters since they seem to be able to sing this fucking music that just compels you. Started wearing earplugs because of it. And those deserters become one of the Fae monsters. It's not pleasant." Sekhet mused. "But we do have a choice. There's a powerful weapon hidden inside one of our pyramids. If we can go inside and not get lost, we can find the Grail. That's the basics. But you undoubtedly have more to ask."

[Nude East Ireland]

"Syphilitic? Why I ought to..." Yuzuki paused. If she brought out any more modern technology, she'd probably just get into more trouble.

"Ohh, screw it." She went up to Lewis and whispered, "Who said I was going to build them guns, dumbass? Not me, I can assure you that."She then backed away and returned to her position in formation.

Sekhet just stared. "Foreigners. But Athena's foreigners. Athena appears to be remarkably sane compared to the others." he said, gesturing away many of the other soldiers and members of the EH/DH crew. Crowley, Minh, Lewis, Damien and Yuzuki would likely stay with Sekhet while the others were sent off to explore and ask the other soldiers questions. They would have a lot to say. So ask them.

Sekhet sighed. "We're in a bad place. Haven't seen most of our own gods in a while. I'm running blind and those just keep coming. We get deserters since they seem to be able to sing this fucking music that just compels you. Started wearing earplugs because of it. And those deserters become one of the Fae monsters. It's not pleasant." Sekhet mused. "But we do have a choice. There's a powerful weapon hidden inside one of our pyramids. If we can go inside and not get lost, we can find the Grail. That's the basics. But you undoubtedly have more to ask."

"Yeah, just one thing," Damien asked. "Any idea how to kill these Fae things?"

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Sekhet just stared. "Foreigners. But Athena's foreigners. Athena appears to be remarkably sane compared to the others." he said, gesturing away many of the other soldiers and members of the EH/DH crew. Crowley, Minh, Lewis, Damien and Yuzuki would likely stay with Sekhet while the others were sent off to explore and ask the other soldiers questions. They would have a lot to say. So ask them.

Sekhet sighed. "We're in a bad place. Haven't seen most of our own gods in a while. I'm running blind and those just keep coming. We get deserters since they seem to be able to sing this fucking music that just compels you. Started wearing earplugs because of it. And those deserters become one of the Fae monsters. It's not pleasant." Sekhet mused. "But we do have a choice. There's a powerful weapon hidden inside one of our pyramids. If we can go inside and not get lost, we can find the Grail. That's the basics. But you undoubtedly have more to ask."

"Yeah, just one thing," Damien asked. "Any idea how to kill these Fae things?"

"Those basic Knights?" Sekhet asked. "They die fast. But there are sometimes enemies that come out and take an incredible amount of time to be killed. More powerful Fae, even some who can appear to match the gods." Sekhet glanced up in caution, as though worried a lightning bolt might strike him for such blasphemy.

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Yeah, just one thing," Damien asked. "Any idea how to kill these Fae things?"

"Those basic Knights?" Sekhet asked. "They die fast. But there are sometimes enemies that come out and take an incredible amount of time to be killed. More powerful Fae, even some who can appear to match the gods." Sekhet glanced up in caution, as though worried a lightning bolt might strike him for such blasphemy.

"Do ye' know what the Grail is, Sekhet?" Lewis asked, " 'Cause I'm beginnin' to wonder what the fuck it's doin' under one of your pyramids. Also, what the cadet said."

He then gave Damien the biggest glare anyone has ever received, and motioned subtly with his hand at the two Ciels. The kid was going to get them all killed if he didn't intervene.

"Joshua," Lewis said, "I suggest ye' go check on Ciel and Lacy. They need some medical attention and I know you're good with... medicine."

Lewis hoped Damien didn't take that the way he usually did.

[Nude East Ireland]

And then the other Ciel saw Ciel.

The two of them blinked and stared at each other.

And then Damien.

"Hey, uh, Ciel, you've been hit on the head. You're probably seeing double - double of you, I mean. You know, hallucinations. They're pretty real. Just follow me, and I'll give you medicine. I'm a doctor. You're in the future. You just woke up from a coma. We're in Ancient Egypt... Just follow me, alright?"

[Constaniana]

William looked at King Arthur in surprise. "The King Arthur? How are you here? Aren't you supposed to be dead or something? You went to Avalon after your uncle-son Mordred did your wife and stole your kingdom while you were off beating up some emperor, didn't you?" A massive trollish grin spread across his face. "Or was it just a flesh wound?"