Chapter Twenty Nine: three days away. (part one)

"three days until the holy union... what is everyone doing?"
-me, asking you. (rhetorical)

kevin and oriado sat in the lounge on the first floor.
benson had left for his new home with lily, and ronaldo sat on the recliner near them.
"so, do you both understand the situation?"
oriado breathed deeply, and exhaled "since i'm illegal, everyone in the police force is out to kill me."
kevin closed his eyes "and...one day, ori will try to eat me."
ronaldo nodded "yes. i can get everyone to stop, especially since you'll be my son in law, but i can't do anything about the devouring..."
kevin rubbed his chin, thinking...
oriado bowed his head "believe me, it won't be my choice, i don't want to kill him... i won't be able to help myself..."
"exactly how will this 'need' come across?" kevin asked, still thinking
"well, i'll be the same, but i'll keep trying to gnaw and bite you, sometimes i'll be normal, and other times i'll want to taste your... ergh... blood... and i'll heave want to eat you.... but, i'll still love you at the same time."
"so... you'll unconsiously attempt to eat me?"
"y-yeah... a-and i'll be really sorry after each try!"
kevin's eyes snapped open, he grinned.
"would you try it in your sleep?"
oriado nodded sadly.
"then.... you could wear a muzzler!" kevin exclaimed jovially, but then looked apologetic "oh, uhh... sorry... that'd be kinda cruel on you..."
oriado looked at him lovingly "no... it's perfect. it'd stop me from being able to try!"
ronaldo contemplated "yes.... that actually sounds plausible..."
kevin shook his head quickly "but-! i wouldn't be able to hear you... you wouldn't be able to talk to me!"
the older wolf hugged him and smiled slyly "oh, i'll get my point across for how much you mean to me, don't you worry~!"
kevin wrapped his arms around him "i............ good."
ronaldo cleared his throat "where've you been staying, wolf?"
"i haven't had a home... i've just lived in the woods, nomad-like."
kevin rubbed the black wolf's head "well, not any more. you're staying with me from now on."
ronaldo and oriado looked at him.
"and i mean starting tonight! i can't let my guy live in the cold outdoors!"
oriado hugged him tighter "i love you, you're MY favourite doggie~!"
"then you're MY favourite wolf~!"
ronaldo stood and stretched "i've gotta go."
kevin looked at his father "you'll... you'll be there... won't you, dad?" he asked uncertainly.
ronaldo walked towards the door, and stopped just before he left.
"i wouldn't miss it for the universe."
he walked out the door and left.

kevin was still a little unnerved.
a loving little lick on his chest caught his attention.
"don't worry, kev. it'll be fine, you'll always have me." oriado said comfortingly
"same here..." kevin smiled.
he whispered into the wolf's ear
"imma go take a shower."
he stood and went upstairs.
oriado was left to his thoughts.
"will he be okay? when will the urge first start?"
he thought harder "we'll get gifts for each other... i know what i'll get. he'll think it's for me, but it'll definitely be for him."

---

kevin stood in the shower, thinking while he washed.
(i said i didn't care... but the idea that he'll want to eat me one day... it's downright horrifying...)
he trembled and shook his head "no! if i think like that, i'm betraying ori. i refuse to think like that!"
he scrubbed at his arms, legs and chest. he scrubbed over his tail, and his paws.
he chuckled as the scrub brush tickled his pads.
"i... i'll never know unless we try, anyway!"

a buzz went through his head.

Hi kevin.

"ben? are you telepathic now?"

well... i guess you could say that, yeah.

"wierd... no offense."

none taken.

"can i ask something?"

go ahead, bud.

"do you think... i was right in what i said earlier? about the whole 'i could get eaten one day' thing?"

i was fine with you when i was small, and you could've either crushed me or taken advantage of me, and there would've been nothing i could've done. but i trusted you, and i told myself 'he'd never do that on purpose' and, if it'd happened accidentally, i'd've forgiven you.

"i can understand one thing... but..."

recall the day we met, when you were getting dressed? remember the accident that happened?

"oh..." kevin chuckled at the memory "...THAT"

if i can forgive and trust you after THAT, i think you can trust and forgive ori for what'll eventually happen.

"you're right." kevin said, determined "now, please get OUT of my head!"

ha ha. later kevin.

the buzzing faded away.
kevin smiled "it's not like i'm not scared... but ben must've been this way when he was small... if he could deal with me at this size, i should be able to deal with ori."

---

meanwhile, at an apartment in central bordertown...
benson lay on the kingsize bed, clad in only his boxers, a blanket draped over the lower half of his body.
lily sat on his chest, wearing a blue nightgown
"is the place big enough for you, benny?"
his arms were behind his head, and his eyes were closed "it's okay. it doesn't matter as long as there're two things: that i can fit, and..."
she stroked her paws through his fur "and.... what?"
he smiled "and... that you're here with me." he opened his eyes, half lidded "as long as i have those, i'll be happy to live anywhere."
he moved a paw to gently pat her on the head "i mean it, i'll endure anything as long as i have you, lil"
she purred at his touch "benny... i want you to be comfortable, too..."
"i am."
"but... our apartment's cramped for you..."
"but it's more than enough for you, isn't it? that's all that matters."
she lay down in his chest ruff "you're too kind for your own good, you know that, benny?"
he put his paw over her "well. you should just enjoy it then, shouldn't you?" he yawned
she snuggled down into his warm white fur "guess i will, then."
"yes, you'd yawn you'd better..." he fell asleep
she sighed, pressed gently between the warm paw and his chest, she was kept warm, and she felt safe.
"i must be the luckiest girl in the world... to have such a perfect guy like you~" she said lovingly, as she brushed her arms through his chest ruff, enjoying the wonderful warmth he radiated, and the softness of his fur, which had improved since he no longer dealt with the rough particles used in particle-molecular fusion.
now, his fur was as soft as silk.
she kissed his chest and settled down to sleep.
"goodnight my darling fox..."

---

-Gentiki: corivacci librarium, after hours (where amelia works)-

amelia busily restacked the bare shelves of the history section, the bookshelf standing three meters high.
she'd been left to the library duties alone, since lily had moved to Virada to be with benson.
and although the job was difficult, she was happy for her twin sister, she'd found something that gave her joy in her life, and that was something she deserved.
she finished stacking the shelf, and heard a knock at the door.
"library's closed! come back tommorrow!"
the knocking persisted
"we're CLOSED!"
the knocking became louder, more instistant.
she stormed over to the door
"WE... ARE... CLOSED!!"
she opened it and glared.
a smiling man stood there.
"i already said WE'RE CLOSED! come back during OPEN HOURS!" she yelled in his face.
he just kept smiling, and held up a book
she looked it over, finding no sticker or title.
"this doesn't belong to us."
he still tried handing it to her
"what? what do you want me to do?"
he kept trying to give it to her
"uh... is it a donation?"
he nodded fiercely, beaming.
"i'm sorry, but we're still closed. you'll have to come back tomorrow morning, those're the rules."
he looked to be in thought, then opened the cover.
inside the book lay a pressed flower, it's petals were amethyst purple with ruby red stripes, it's centre was the colour of shining pink sapphire.
"wh-what's this?"
the man smiled, and handed over the book, along with an envelope.
"is this going to explian?" she asked, getsuring to the envelope
he nodded, bowed, and walked off into the empty street.
she ducked back inside and watched him leave through the glass.
just before he was out of sight...
a pair of white wings unfurled from his back, and he flew away.
she stared, then looked at what she'd been given
she ran into the study desks and opened the envelope, it contained a hand written letter.

"dear Ms A. Heartrow...
i thought you'd appreciate this text as an addition to the library, you'll find it... VERY interesting.
i do hope my messenger didn't cause you too much trouble.
by the way, the pressed flower is called a 'heart's rose'
it seemed appropriate; Heartrow - Heart's rose.
i wish you well.

• A Friend."

she looked back at the pressed rose.
it was beautiful.
she put the flower aside, and looked through the book
on the second page, there was a title
"The Complete Compendium And Guide Of Holy And Unholy Creatures And Entities"
"Author: Metatron, scribe and advocate of heaven"
"Year Of Publication Unknown"

on the next page, it showed a beautiful blonde angel in a white robe, it was titled
"the ninth order: angel - the watchers who never sleep-"
it contained detailed information, the most interesting thing about it to amelia was that among these angels were the guardian angels assigned to each person at birth.
it was comforting to think about.
she flipped a few pages in, finding "The Four Archangels: Uriel"
"meh, another time."
she skipped a few more pages, finding a page without a picture, it was titled "He Who Creates"
she read the text, descovering that this 'creator' was a formless entity, as 'he' had created all physical matter, this creator 'himself' couldn't be composed of any physical thing, 'he' was a spiritual creature.
it also said 'he' created the angel heirarchy, the nine orders of angels, the scribe and advocate, the archangels, and the light bringer.
she paused.
the article she was reading was about "God" himself.
she wondered about this 'light bringer' and flipped to the article
"The Light Bringer: Lucifer Morningstar, also known as The Rebel King, And The Leader Of The Fallen Angels"
she read on; lucifer was an angel created by 'god' and was the most powerful one ever created, but when mortals were created, lucifer had grown jealous, and lead an army of 72 angels to rebel.
the rebellion was crushed, and the angels were stripped of grace, becoming fallen angels.
lucifer himself had taken a third of the heavenly host with him, and had become the ruler of hell, becoming both angel and demon at once, but technically not a nephilim.

she scowled, the more she read about lucifer, the more of a douche he sounded.
she flipped through again...
and then a title caught her eye.

"Kenziel part |: Kenziel, Guardian Of The Angel City"
she read eagerly
"Kenziel, also known as Kenziel the Gatekeeper, is the angel who guards the entrance to the city of the angels in heaven, separating the blessed dead souls, and the angels themselves.
in the past, kenziel has been known to leave heaven on occasion, and take the form of a handsome young man, blessing the people of the city he inhabbits, bringing them good fortune and bliss.
in these times, he has been sent to appoint a mortal as a spititual guide for the people.
kenziel has been reffered to as a class two angel, a cherubim, but whether this is true or not is unknown, as he more closely resembles a seraphim in appearance.
his loyalty to his lord's creations is questionable, as he finds intreague in mortals rather than his own kind.
he is brother to Tarikel.
he has been known to deliver a most beautiful flower to those he favours, but he has left this gift without a name, so it has been referred to simply as 'the flower of kenziel'
his feathers, it has been said, can cure any illness when used as incense, but as he has very seldom given out his plumage, this remains unknown.
it is said that kenziel has the power to call back the souls of the dead into the living world, providing they have not already entered through the heavenly gates.
but, it is said that he will only do this for those who are meaningful to him personally."

amelia was speechless.
she turned the page

"Kenziel part ||: Kenziel The Fallen"
she looked at the picture, it showed ian, with black wings.
"kenziel was cast out of heaven by one of his peers, Zeitiel, brother of his fiance, Tythiel.
in a straightforward mission to destroy a fallen angel, kenziel and a squad of power order angels travelled to earth, and discovered the fallen, Ose.
upon engaging Ose, the powers lit the village ablaze, to purge the people who had been 'corrupted' by ose.
kenziel did not believe the humans had to be killed, and when he was ordered to kill an orphaned child from the village, he went against his own kind, and mercilessly murdered the powers.
after hiding the child with a church, he returned to heaven, where he was punished.
his halo was smashed, and his wings torn off, he was sentenced to eternity as a human, having to change his identity every 80 years by staging his own death.
over time, it is said kenziel abandonned his angel's sword, taking up more modern weaponary which he imbued with his holy flame. his sword's location remains unknown.
over countless lifetimes, kenziel is said to have taken over 1500 different names from mortals he befriends, he is given these names as a sign of his trust in the mortals, regressing into a child at the end of each lifetime.
at the end of the 1990's (AD), it is said that kenziel escaped earth, leaving to another planet.
over time, kenziel's wings regrew, but he is said to have sacrificed them to give a voice to a mortal who was born without one.
kenziel spent the rest of that life under the name of 'Ian Buckler' which he recieved from the voiceless one.
kenziel was given new wings as a reward for this in 2014 AD.
in this same year, kenziel helped stop a monster called 'Draco Shay'
as well as this, he discovered a way back into heaven, his current situation remains unknown"

she turned the page
"Kenziel part |||: the Apotheosized Angel"
she frowned and read the text "this article is still being written
-Metatron"

she looked back at the pressed flower.
"he 'gives it to those he favours'...hmm"
she picked it up
"ian... i miss you..."
a single tear landed upon the flower.
"i wish... i had told you... how i felt..."

she felt terible.
and then the power cut out.
"oh COME ON, really?! i was having a moment!"

a purple light approached in the darkness.
"ian?"
the light came within a meter, and she saw it was a yellow cat, he was holding a ball of light in his paws.
"not quite."
she sighed "library's closed."
"i know" he said calmly "you always told me that this place was very important"
she looked at him confusedly "i'm sorry, who're you?"
he bowed a little "i'm sorry, my name is Velian."
"well, 'velian' i don't know you, but you seem familiar."
he smiled "but i know you, and i'll show you how."
he turned around.
amelia gasped.
growing from his back were a pair of large white wings.
"Miss..." he turned around "my full name is Velian Keroso Buckler... i'm... i'm your son."
she looked him over "well... that explains the whole 'winged cat' thing... but... why should i believe you?"
"because, i can prove it."
she stood up "oh, how?"
he produced an older, wilted looking version of the pressed rose amelia had recieved.
she looked at it, and then at her own
"each one has a differnt scent, no two have the same fragrance."
she smelled it.
it was a wonderful scent, indescribable.
then, she smelled the other one.
she froze.

it smelled the same.
EXACTLY the same.

she turned back to 'Velian'
"i.... i still need proof..."
he looked up, and groaned
"fine.... ugh, i hate to do this, but..."
he cleared his throat
"what're you doing?"
"shush please..."
"you're not about to sing, are you?"
he looked away "uhhh... noooooooo..."
she walked over to him "you're adorable."
she reached out to touch his wing
he jumped back "no, no, no! you don't wanna do that! trust me"
"why?"
he sighed, and grabbed her paw.

she felt dizzy.
the world lurched.
"do it now." he told her.
she reached out with her other paw...

the world blurred.
she heard far-off thunder.

the world stopped lurching, the dizziness faded, her vision focussed.
she looked down, and saw a fluffy white, cottonny floor.
"what's this?"
velian tapped her on the shoulder, and pointed forward.

she looked forward, and saw a human sitting nearby.
there was a luminescent purple ring hovering over his head, and two magnificent pearl-white wings potruding from his back, he had short blonde hair.
he turned.
he stared in disbelief.
"a-amelia?!"

TO BE CONTINUED...