Chapter 9

Levin sat down beside Kyo with a cup of tea. The demon's eyelids were faltering but the angel didn't notice. The moon shone in the window as full as it was the night he lost his wing.

"Kyo? What would happen if you lost your wings?" he asked quietly.

Kyo blinked and turned his attention from the TV. Levin wasn't looking at him but outside. "An angel's wings and a demon's wings have two very different purposes. You use your wings to descend to the mortal plane. For us we use them to ascend. If we loose our wings we fall back down and have to start again. It's a major set back. It takes a lot to get your wings from the Maker."

"Do demons loose their wings often?"

"Not really. We're a close family. Though we may not see Him often the Maker tries to take care of us."

Levin nodded slowly. "So if you lost your wings I'd never see you again?"

Kyo looked at Levin for some deeper meaning to his question but the angel still wouldn't look at him. "Well, not for a while anyway. You'd just have to wait till I got my wings back."

Levin nodded and looked into his tea. He said nothing more and sleep slowly claimed Kyo.

*

Levin rode the elevator up with a large bag of baked goods in his arms, under his nose, driving him mad at the scent. He couldn't wait to share his find with Kyo wondering if the demon knew of the bakery just a few blocks away. With a ding the elevator doors opened and he stepped into the hall sniffing ravenously, eager to try the myriad of things he'd picked out. Levin had tried to pull the demon out of bed to join him but Kyo had thrown his wallet at him and gone back to sleep.

Trying to dig his key out of his pocket Levin leaned his bag against the door. The door slid open without his key and he grabbed at the bag to keep the baking from falling. "Kyo?" Levin called warily, sure he had locked the door before he left. No one answered him as he moved through the living room. "Kyo? You up?" he called again and moved into the kitchen to set down the baking on the counter. A glass lay shattered in the kitchen's heart. "No." Levin muttered and followed the trail of smashed picture frames and holes in the walls to the bedroom. The room was in shambles and among the ripped fabric lay several off white feathers.

Levin was half way to the roof before his mind reminded him he was flight impaired. Shaking off the thought he continued, swearing he'd find a way to heaven in time if it killed him.

Still running Levin went out onto the roof and spread his wing. Praying hard he made a leap of faith and jumped. His eyes were closed when hands wrapped around his wrists pulling him upwards. The fog surrounding heaven hid his savior's faces but he sensed the shared urgency surrounding them and allowed them to bear him upwards.

A crowd had gathered in front of the gates where the trial was occurring. Levin left the two that helped him behind with out a glance and pushed through the crowd of gawking cherubs and stern faced angels.

"You have been found guilty of attacking two angels." Boomed the arc angel apparently in charge. Before him kneeled the three demons, golden chains around their necks connected to the marble floor, hand tied behind their backs, wings out. "I sentence you to compete oblivion." At those words he drew his sword of blue flame and approached Kyo.

"No!" screamed Kiyoshi. "Leave him! Take us and leave him!"

"We did nothing wrong!" Chirolyn snarled, fighting his bonds.

Kyo could only look at the sword above him, dozens of thoughts floating through his head. Would oblivion be what he thought suicide would get him? Instead he'd gotten a dysfunctional, loving family. Would it be better to die first and have his Brothers suffer? Or go last and watch them die? Would Levin miss him? Mere seconds passed and he closed his eyes as the sword fell. Someone yelled and he felt the wind and heat.

"Out of the way Levin!" growled the arc angel to the slightly glowing figure in his way. His sword was mere seconds from cleaving him and the demon in half.

"They did nothing wrong. These three fought for me."

"What?" the arc angel moved the sword off to the side.

Levin spotted his attackers in the front of the crowd looking stricken, significantly more injured then they had been when Kyo and he had left them. "Kamijo, those two angels attacked me twice in an attempt to take my mission from me. These demons are the only reason I am not yet completely mortal, or dead. As you can see I am not completely angel." He silently spread his one wing.

A gasp broke through the crowd and they all stepped away from Levin's attackers as though they were diseased. Kamijo turned to look at the pair through narrowed eyes. "Is this true?" The angels cringed and Kamijo approached them menacingly. "Speak! Did you remove Levin's wing?"

"Sir!" pleaded one angel. "The demons, they must have Levin cursed! To think that we wou�"

"Thou shall not lie!" Kamijo snarled.

The angel who had spoken cringed and hung his head. "We cornered Levin in an alleyway. Jealous we sought to turn him mortal so he could not achieve his task and it would be passed to us. A demon dropped from the sky and startled us. We fled."

"And you tried this a second time?" Kamijo was so furious he was glowing.

"Yes. We ambushed him and the demon. They fought back, but�"

"Enough! I have heard enough!"

"You're loosing your touch Kamijo." Sugizo announced from the back of the group. He stood with his arms across his chest, the Maker just behind him looking submissive. "I remember when an angel couldn't look at your feet and lie to you, they had to turn away." The group of angels parted with sudden realization of who stood among them. "Now they can lie to your face and get away with it." Tisking Sugizo made his way forwards, the Maker just behind him.

"Lucifer." Kamijo nodded in acknowledgement and sheathed his blade, eyes still narrowed.

"I thought I'd make a visit." Sugizo stopped and the Maker stepped forwards to wink at Levin and set His demons loose. "I wanted to personally offer my assistance and I find you executing my Children."

The three demons released, the Maker wrapped His arms around Kyo and Kiyoshi's shoulders, Chirolyn at His shoulder. Kamijo glanced at the Maker and found Him smirking. Turning back to Sugizo Kamijo snarled, "Release." Sugizo's eight wings burst forth and the angels let out another gasp.

"Loosing your touch." The Maker repeated. "Maybe you should retire."

"What is the meaning of this?" Kamijo gestured to Sugizo who met the disgusted looks of the crowd with a smirk.

"I should ask you the same." The Maker's voice turned cold. "You would risk starting a war during your most vulnerable time over the minor injuries inflicted on a pair of fools not worth the light used to make them?"

"I believed a crime had been committed." Kamijo replied.

"It had. Those that removed Levin's wing need to be punished. Considering my Children were getting oblivion for assault I sincerely hope attempted murder receives no less."

Kamijo frowned. "They will be punished accordingly, let me assure you."

The Maker nodded. "Sugizo, take them home." Sugizo nodded and lead the three younger demons to the edge of heaven.

"You would have declared war?" Kamijo asked as the Maker turned to leave.

"Wouldn't you?" the Maker tossed over His shoulder before pausing. "Kamijo. Next time you plan on obliterating some of my Children I'd appreciate being informed."

"Will you still help us?"

The Maker looked over His shoulder and smirked. "Of course! I'm not going to leave you in charge!"

Levin followed the Maker to the fog where the Maker spread His black bird wings and helped Levin back down to Earth.

When they landed Sugizo was wrapped around Chirolyn and Kiyoshi scolding them for scaring the shit out of him. Kyo stood a little ways away staring at nothing. The Maker left Levin and moved to Kyo using His hands to force Kyo to look at Him. "I would have started a war for you Kyo. I would have cleaved Kamijo in half if that sword had touched your hairline. You don't believe me but it's true." Touching His lips to Kyo's forehead He moved away back to Levin. "He doesn't believe me, maybe he'll believe you." And He left pulling Sugizo, Chirolyn and Kiyoshi with Him.

When the door closed behind the Maker Kyo's legs gave out and Levin moved to his side afraid they'd missed some injury.

"Is this it? Am I dead? For real this time?" Kyo demanded, his whole body shaking. "Is oblivion thinking I'm alive?"

"Oblivion doesn't involve thinking Kyo." Levin said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Kyo looked up at him with wide eyes. "How do you know? Has anyone ever come back from oblivion? No!"

"Kyo, why would I be in your oblivion?"

Kyo's eyes abruptly looked so stricken and he looked away mumbling, "Why wouldn't you be?" before holding his hands out in front of himself to watch them shake. "I felt the wind, the heat of the blade. I'm dead."

Levin kneeled behind Kyo and put his hands over the demon's to stop the shaking. "Kyo, I was the wind." He whispered in his ear. "I was the heat. I was so ready to stop Kamijo I started to glow. I haven't glowed since I was born."

"So you saved me?" Kyo asked and Levin nodded. "So we're even then�I should help you pack."

"Pack?" Levin's brow creased.

"So you can move out, like you wanted too." Kyo sounded so downtrodden Levin smiled.

"Do you want me to move out?" Kyo shook his head 'no', not trusting his voice. "Then I'm not going too." Still smiling Levin helped him to his feet and half carried him to their apartment. When they stepped inside Levin remembered the disaster that was Kyo's room and moved him to sit on the couch. Kyo's shaking was almost gone and he looked up at Levin who moved to pass his hand over Kyo's face.

"You aren't leaving?" Kyo asked quietly.

"No Kyo, I'm not leaving." Giving the demon one more smile Levin put him to sleep.

Kamijo stepped out of the kitchen as Levin pulled a blanket over Kyo. The arc angel had replaced his white robes with a long cream jacket and sniffed warily at a cupcake he'd rummaged out of the forgotten baking bag. "Why didn�t you tell anyone? Taka even?"

Levin didn't look at the higher-ranking angel. "I knew what you would do. I'd be coddled and consoled, my task taken from me. I'd get some desk job where everyone would be extra nice to me, their eyes full of pity. You gave me a job to do Kamijo. Wing or no wing."

"You're right." Kamijo admitted. "And in all fairness I doubt our plea would have been delivered without you." Kamijo nibbled the tiny cake and paused to consider its taste. "What will you do now?"

"I want to stay here. I think I could be useful as a liaison between you and the Maker. No one else is qualified and you know it. Our pride is too prejudicial. Anyone else would treat them as inferiors and insult them. That's not what we need right now."

"And you're okay with that? You know you are always welcome in heaven. Like you said, wing or no wing." Kamijo popped the last of the cupcake into his mouth.

Levin finally turned to look at the arc angle and smiled sadly. "Thank you Kamijo, for understanding."

Kamijo smiled back. "You're welcome." And he made for the front door.

"Kamijo." The arc angel paused. "Do angels have soul mates?"

Kamijo glanced over his shoulder. "God is supposed to be our soul mate Levin. But just maybe when you lost your wing you became mortal enough to need more then that." With that he let himself out.

Levin nodded slightly, looking at the floor. Turning to glance at Kyo he tucked the demon in a touch more and curled up beside him. Single white wing drawing out it wrapped around the pair protectively as Levin fell asleep.