Angel Of The Abyss [Hiatus]

Chapter 14

In Zebel, Asia was sitting in a small waiting room outside the council chambers; wearing a spare armour that was given to low level healer angels, given to her by Raphael. She wondered why she had been brought here from the hospital on the First Heaven. Everyone was a bit worried when she was called; she had made friends with Griselda Quarta, Gabriel's Queen, and was well like among the reincarnated as well as pure angels. But her summons to the Council cambers was a quiet albeit known affair, as most of them, didn't want her to leave after they met her, just because of the fact he was branded a heretic before reincarnation. As she prayed for everything to be alright, Gabriel exited the chambers and tapped her shoulder,"Come Asia, Everything will be alright." Asia looked at her in reverence not for the first time but got up quickly,"Hai Gabriel-sama." Asia followed her inside the council chamber silently and was told to sit on the chair in the middle of the chamber while Michael, Metatron, Uriel and Raziel sat on their respective seats. As Gabriel sat on her seat, Michael asked curiously,"Metatron, can you now tell us why Asia was called here?" Metatron looked at the nervous Asia for a long while then asked,"Dear, open your wings for us to see." Asia hesitated for a second but nodded. As she opened her wings behind her, Uriel and Michael immediately straightened up then Michael asked, his voice full of worry yet curiosity,"Metatron, that is not a trick of light, is it?" Metatron sighed with his eyes closed,"Gabriel. You and Rahab were right. I'll apologize to him if she stays." Gabriel nodded slightly and said,"Vote on Asia being made aware of the forbidden topic." Michael looked at his sister then nodded,"Agreed." Uriel nodded,"Very well." Raziel and Metatron nodded as well. Asia then meekly asked,"Umm. What is happening, Gabriel-sama?" Metatron chuckled a bit and replied,"Your wings are 'flickering', dear." Asia immediately froze as tears welled in her eyes, she had hear the term before, as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap and started prayed; unknown to her, the golden glow of her wings increased. As Gabriel rushed to Asia to calm her down, Michael stiffened as did Uriel while Raziel gave Metatron a glare. Gabriel hugged Asia and whispered in her year,"Shh. Calm down Asia. You won't fall. Your wings are flickering Gold not Black..."

As Asia sobbed a bit in her embrace, she repeated quietly,"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry." Gabriel ran her fingers through her hair and patted her to calm her down. As Asia's sobs subsided, Gabriel sat her in her lap and nodded. Michael said,"Metatron, brother, please be empathetic sometimes." Metatron sighed,"I'm sorry, Asia. I should have been clearer." Asia nodded slightly as Gabriel pointed out,"Brother, her top three lines of feather's have settled on gold. The rest will soon follow." Michael nodded slightly, his voice full of urgency,"Gabriel take her to the Null Chamber. And tell her about the forbidden topic. I'll try to bring a proper conduit. She makes which weapons readily?" Gabriel answered for Asia,"Rahab says, she makes ideal holy spears like you." Michael nodded as he and Uriel got up and rushed to the armoury. As they left Raziel and Metatron in the room, Metatron held his head and sighed in relief. Raziel spoke with a light glare at him,"You need to understand what you could have done. Your paranoia could have led her to fall." Metatron spoke with a pained voice,"She would have fallen if she harboured sins. She doesn't. Every one of us knows that she may be the purest person we have found." Raziel's glare intensified,"You cursed humanity, Metatron. It will continue to haunt you. Taking it out on the rest will not help anyone, least of all you." Metatron laid his head on the desk in resignation as, what Raziel said was right. Raziel took a deep breath and said calmly,"I believe it's time for you to find a proper set of brave saints. You've been putting it off for a while." Metatron looked at him and nodded slightly.

In the Null Chamber, Gabriel sat Asia down on the bed and pressed the buzzer to seal it and power it on. Gabriel then sat beside her and said,"Asia do you know why this is happening?" Asia sniffled as she shook her head. Gabriel sighed and said,"Asia, it's happening because of your faith." Asia asked tentatively,"My Faith?" Gabriel nodded,"Its greater than most. Somewhere around the upper choir of Principalities. That shouldn't be possible for a human, you know?" Asia titled her head in question,"But I just pray like most. Most of the times less than the most devout." Gabriel sighed, knowing that explaining faith wasn't as easy, then continued,"You may pray less, Asia. But people don't usually believe to the degree you do. It's nearly impossible for humans. The only one whose faith has reached to the tiers of the angels is you." Asia looked a bit out of her depth but curious nonetheless. Gabriel gave a side ways hug and said in a pained tone,"Asia, Our Father isn't in Heaven now." As Asia's face gained a alarmed look, Gabriel continued,"In the last great war, Father died. As did the Original Devils. You realise that the number of angels in heaven is quite less, right?" As Asia's eyes started leaking tears,"Then all those trials? All those people?" Gabriel rubbed her head slightly as she replied,"Asia no-one except you considered those trials. That day when Rahab saved you, we restarted the Heavens system fully. Only from that night we have been running at around 90% of what we could have when Father was here. And Rahab came for you because he and father share the same belief that pure beings such as you should be protected, not used as they had been using you. Your Sacred Gear is one that usually appears for those who are pure hearted." Asia nodded slightly, her eyes lacking the usual twinkle, talking in a small voice to herself,"But all those people, suffering because of the absence of God....No, the angels are working, they don't stay put for a lot of time." Gabriel gave her a gentle rub and nodded,"Asia, you've noticed Rahab and Michael tiring and having headaches that you can't heal, right?" When Asia gave her a nod while looking at her in a pleadingly way, she continued,"Earlier only Michael was handling the Heaven's system. On that Day, we gave the control of Most of the Prayer system to Rahab while Michael took hold of the deployment and a small part of the prayer system. The headaches are usually because of the prayers that run through their head. We've been trying harder than before now that the System has been running properly. Rahab didn't want to take control earlier because he thought he would be dirtying Father's place. But he took his place to save my mind and the person whose prayers brought him out of the abyss, his now Ace of Hearts, Ayato. Recently he added you to that list as well." Asia nodded slightly as the colour of her eyes returned,"But what should I do now?" Gabriel sighed slightly and said,"Rahab made a adjustment to the system, Everyone who knows of the Forbidden topic of the death of God and still wants to follow him, will in turn strengthen the system. Metatron and Uriel think that Rahab made the adjustment remotely when he wanted to reincarnated you. And all of us agree that it was the right thing to do."