The Pasts We Wish We Didn’t Have: Part 11
A kind looking man with white hair strolled into the room. A dove that matched the color of his hair sat peacefully on his shoulder. He was holding the hand of the Christ child. “See Father.” The child said, pointing to Duo, Lorrie and Wufei.
“Yes, my Child, I see.” He kneeled to His Son. “Why don’t you go play?” The child nodded and left the room again. The man stood and smiled at His visitors. After a moment of shock Duo and Lorrie both quickly fell to the floor, bowing before their Creator. Wufei still looked at Him stunned.
“Duo, Lorrie, you may stand.” He said, walking up to the three. Duo and Lorrie hurried to his feet. He sighed and touched Lorrie on the face. He shook his head, “You have caused a bit of trouble, my daughter.” She lowered her head, “But I understand why you would do what you did and I forgive you.” The God’s face turned from Lorrie to Duo, “However now you have a great task before you, Duo Maxwell.” Duo looked at Heavenly Father’s eyes. “You must put your old companion back together. I believe it is only you two that can save Michael, and he needs to be saved from Hell. If he stays with Lucifer for the two weeks…he will never want to leave.”
Wufei was confused and he found his voice, “I’m confused…what happened to Michael? And who exactly are you?”
God smiled, “I am the Lord of many religions of Earth and the colonies.”
“Oh.” Wufei thought of a moment, “Oh! Um…hi.”
“Don’t
worry I don’t expect any blood sacrifices or any thing, you’ve been through
enough already. As for Michael, well he and Lucifer for that matter, are of my
White-Winged legions. The group of angels I created at the beginning, the ones
who fought the War in Heaven. Michael and Lucifer we married before the war.
They were the first gay couple I married, to be honest, but not the last. But
when I brought forward the plan of my Human Beings Lucifer became insanely
jealous. That is what the war was over. We he lost I forced Lucifer into
submission, and punished he more deeply after he corrupted my Adam and my Eve.
I trapped him in the
“I thought Lucifer was pure evil and therefore he couldn’t love.” Wufei said.
“That is a common misconception of Human Beings, they have to believe in absolutes. But there are no absolutes, Wufei. Nobody is perfect.”
Wufei brow wrinkled, “Aren’t you?” Duo smirked at Lorrie.
“No.” God smiled as well. “Duo, you and Lorelei, the complete Lorelei, can get Michael back. You need to put them back together.”
Duo nodded, “Of course, my Father.” Duo and Lorrie bowed their heads. “But how?” Duo asked.
“She will come to you.” There was a silence.
“How did we get here?” asked Wufei.
“I’m afraid to say I used you, Wufei, the Spirit inside you. I needed to tell them this and you, the Spirit inside you, is so powerful it can even overtake me. That’s why Lorelei, the evil one, wanted it so badly. I used it to bring these two angels here. To give them the ceremony that will put the two Lorelei’s together. But in the meantime, would you like to see Heaven Wufei, very few people view until they die, and I do love showing it off.” Wufei smiled and nodded.
God lead them out of the castle. The place resembled a city and a party was right now taking place on the streets. Streets, Wufei noticed, that were paved with gold. Human faces smiled and danced, the crowds were enormous. God lead the three through the crowds, cheery voices greeted them.
“Hello Father.”
“How’s you’re day, I Am?”
“Weather’s great, Creator.”
God nodded to everyone that greeted Him, placed His hands on the shoulders of some, and accepted any kisses offered to Him. He took Wufei by the arm and led him to a small hut-like house that opened to the sweet small of tea leaves.
“What are they celebrating?” Wufei asked in the quiet of the hut.
“Do they need a reason? They escaped Hell.”
Wufei smiled, “I guess that is a reason.”
Duo smiled at Wufei, “Too bad we angels don’t get to join in the fun.” He nudged Lorrie.
God turned His cheerful face towards the angels standing by the doorway, “Is that what you want, Duo?” Duo didn’t answer the question, but his playful smile faltered a little and Lorrie’s eyes darted to the ground. God nodded and looked back to Wufei.
“Where is that smell coming from? It’s so familiar.” Wufei asked.
God pointed at the doorway to Wufei’s left; it would lead him further into the hut. It lacked a door, but had a flap of shorts made from tan animal skin. Wufei moved the flap aside and peered into the room. His curious look faded and his eyes became very shocked. He dropped the flap and took a step back, speechless. Duo wondered what he had seen, when the flap moved again and a small female appeared from behind it, carrying a tray with a tea-pot and cups, the tea-pot had a trail of steam floating from it, rising straight to the ceiling. She had brown, almond-shaped eyes and long black hair that she slicked back into a band that collected it at her nape.
The woman wasn’t surprised to see them, but Wufei’s expression didn’t change, in fact he took another step back, as if merely touching the woman would curse him for eternity.
“Well? Are you going to sit down and have a cup of tea?” Her voice was thick with a Chinese accent. God and His two angels hurried to sit on the cushions by the small table of the room. God motioned his hand to usher Wufei to sit next to Him, Wufei slowly obeyed. The woman watched him sit down and shook her head slowly, amused, as if saying, ‘silly child’. Then she handed a cup to God, Duo and Lorrie.
“Why, my dear, are you not dancing with the others?” God asked her, sipping a little of her tea.
“Forgive me, Sir.” She bowed her head deeply, “I do love your celebration, but I am having visitors today, and one like me does appreciate the quiet every once and a while.”
Wufei actually laughed to himself at this, his head bowed and looking at the table. God smiled and raised the cup to His lips once more.
“Do you remember it differently, child?” The woman asked him, forcing Wufei to look at her, “I recall you being the same way, away from the other children, reading a book in that field of flowers, consorting yourself with the birds only.” She passed him a cup of tea, which he took, careful not to touch her fingers. Then he glared at the tea. “Who would have guessed that you would become such a noble warrior?” She said this with pride and he looked at up at her, shocked she had said such a thing, but then smiled, pride in his face as well. Finally he took a sip of the tea.
“Oh, it’s just like I remember it!” He said, looking in the cup again.
“Did you think it would be different, just because I’m dead?” She asked playfully.
“No, of course not, Mother. It’s just…memories.”
Duo looked at the woman again, “You’re his…mother? I didn’t think Wufei had one of those!” Wufei glared at him.
The woman smiled, “Well he does,” she reached out to touch his face, he let her, “This one…this one walked out on his own wedding. Did you know that?” Her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling.
Duo shook his head, “Wufei never much talked about his colony.”
“Really?” She seemed shocked, “How else do you expect us to live on? In the text books?”
“Mother please.” Wufei seemed like the dark liquid in the cup was the only thing that kept him sane. He glared into it, fighting the tears that formed in his eyes. In his mind an explosion played over and over.
Her hand dropped from him, she sipped from her cup. “Yes, well he walked out from his own wedding. I was shocked by his disrespect. Meiran was a fine choice for a wife!”
“What are you doing now woman? Flattering me again?” The voice came from the doorway of the hut. Wufei quickly looked up, “Nataku!” He said, and she smiled. She and her grandfather were standing in the doorway.
“You know it took me forever to get you to call me that.” Wufei watched her, eyes wide, as she walked around him to sit between him and his mother. Her grandfather moved to sit on the other side of Wufei’s mother. God smiled and sipped His tea, “Well Wufei, do you like this place?”
Wufei was staring awestruck at his wife and slowly he nodded, making everyone else in the place laugh.
Hours passed. God lead Duo and Lorrie from the small hut. The party was still going on outside, even though the sun had set. They left Wufei with the dead people of his past.
“Do you have a question for me Lorrie?” He asked her as he handed her a slip of paper, she looked at it and slipped it in her pocket.
Then she
nodded, “Humans come here when they die, or they go to Hell. But what about us?
What about my mother?”
God nodded and smiled, “Humans have souls. Angels do not. That Michael has told you several times. However you do have a type of essence that makes you live and think. This essence, when you die, travels to the other angels. That is how you felt her death, because her essence spread into you and Duo and Michael and every angel, even Lucifer. She does live, in you. She made each of you stronger and she holds you, in a way, even now. She isn’t alive in the literal sense, but her essence still exists in both of you and every other angel.”
At that time Wufei exited the hut. “It’s time for us to go home.” He said, very cheerful.
God nodded, “Yes of course. Good-bye, then, my children.”
Then they were back in Quatre’s house, looking at each other, and for Earth not a second had passed, however, when Lorrie put her hand in her pocket the paper was there, with the ceremony that would put her lustful side back with her written on it.
~~
“Father, God told us to wait for Lorelei to come to me.” Duo was back in the angelic realm, three days had passed since his adventure in Heaven.
“My son, I’m sorry, but…” Duo’s father bit his lower lip, “But I cannot ignore the fact that my friend and leader is under the grasp of the traitor angel who lead the War against his Creator.”
“Then you
lead a futile march against the
“Duo, I cannot…”
“What, consider that? That’s not very smart of you.” Duo said harshly. His father stopped walking and glared at him.
“Do you have white wings?” He asked his son simply.
“Father…”
“Do you have white wings?”
“No.” Duo’s eyes averted to the floor.
“Then you were not in the War, were you? Were you?”
“No.”
“So you don’t understand how horrible Lucifer can be. You weren’t alive when we could be killed. You didn’t see him, smiling, taking glory in killing his brothers and sisters. You didn’t see Michael mourning his husband. You don’t know what it was like, not knowing who would next deicide to follow the Son of the Morning, who would betray us. You don’t know what it was like fighting for humans. You don’t know, so don’t you DARE say I’m the one who is not smart! Tomorrow we will march into Hell and we will get Michael back. Do you understand me?”
“Yes I understand you,” his father started to walk away, “But I don’t agree!” His father ignored him and continued walking away.
~~
Michael nibbled on the tasteless cracker-like victuals, he was also laying on the black bed. It wasn’t very good, but Luc had survived on them since the War in Heaven, so he knew that he wouldn’t die from it. Speaking of the Devil, he knocked on the door. Michael faced the door and watched quietly as Lucifer entered the room.
“I…um…wanted to see if there is anything you wanted.”
“And even if I did? We’re in Hell, it’s not like you have anything but what I already have.”
Lucifer smiled, “And what’s that, a room and a few disgusting rations?”
Michael nodded, “Yes.”
“Do you know what I miss?” He said, sitting down in a slick black chair.
“An air conditioner?” Michael joked.
“Well, yeah, but also ice cream.”
“Um…ice cream, chocolate with sprinkles?”
“Yeah.” They were smiling together, joking. “What do you really think about this room?”
“If it were white it would be exactly like our bedroom before the war.”
“Really? I was afraid I might have forgotten something.”
“Well, if you did, so did I.”
Lucifer laughed uncomfortably, “I don’t think that would happen.”
“Neither do I.” There was a pause.
“Do you really hate me, Michael?” Luc looked at his old love, his eyes hurtful and hopeful.
“I said I hate traitors, Luc.”
“But do you hate me?”
Michael sat up on the bed and put his back to the wall, “Aren’t you a traitor?” Lucifer looked away from him, and then stood up, “I guess.” He moved to walk out of the room, but paused, turned to look back at Michael. “Will you dance with me?”
Michael was taken aback, “What?!”
“Will you dance with me?”
“There is no music in Hell, you know that and I know that.”
“So, when did we ever need music? I remember one night, we tangoed and--”
“I remember.”
“So will you?” Lucifer asked.
Michael slowly stood from the bed, Lucifer’s green eyes seemed pasted to him. Michael brushed a few crumbs from shirt, then held out his right hand for Lucifer, who came forward and took it, gratefully. Then he pulled Lucifer to him. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this.” He said, smiling.
“Ditto.” Lucifer answered as they started to move together.
And they danced. For that dance there had been no War in Heaven and the past years meant nothing. Michael laughed and Lucifer’s smile didn’t disappear. They moved around the entire room, spinning and swaying together. They moved together and apart, linked by their hands. They danced for what seemed like years and it melted away everything that had torn them apart, everything that had trapped Luc away from their marriage. And when they were finished with the dance they both buckled into the bed. Michael sighed and laid his back on the bed. Then he looked at the ceiling of the room. Lucifer looked at him and lay on his stomach next to Michael. “Thank-you.” He whispered.
Michael turned his head to look at Luc after a moment he smiled, “It was fun.” Then Michael turned back to face the ceiling, and Lucifer took a moment to be daring and kissed Michael on the cheek. Michael seemed to ignore it and Luc, crestfallen, started to leave the bed, until Michael sat up and pulled Luc to him. For a second they just looked at each other, until Michael arched his neck to kiss Lucifer. They were locked in a kiss for a moment, and Luc’s hands slowly moved to unbutton Michael’s shirt. He was surprised when Michael didn’t resist him. His fingers moved down the line of buttons on his white shirt and found a sliver chair. He pulled on it and looked down to see what was on the necklace. It was a sliver wedding band that matched his own. He looked at it and saw the inscription, Love Forever. He looked up into Michael’s eyes, “Lair,” he said softly.
“Don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation, you know,” Michael recounted.
“Don’t worry.” Lucifer said, moving to kiss him again.