Further into the Heavens

“So, you’ve redeemed yourself?”

The white-winged angel snickered and shot an emerald-colored behind her, hearing as it swished in the air. She really didn’t expect for it to hit the person and heard him catch it smoothly, a small smirk coming to her lips as she turned around, arms folded over her chest and looking bemusedly at the man who stood in front of her, her dagger shooting out small electrical sparks at the tip and the emerald glowing a vivid, electric green.

“I guess you can say that.” Eri Kaminari’s wings gave the slightest flutter and she walked to him, soon snatching the dagger out of the man’s hands. “Judging by the state of my wings, all is well. Weirdly enough, I was getting used to the blackness blending in with the night. Could have stabbed Puro to death and say that it was for the better of the Heavens,” she muttered.

“Puro? The one who-”

“Traumatized and victimized the Queen of the Heavens, yes.” She waved a hand dismissively. “It’s all over now. Celeste is back on her feet and ruling, Cissa had recently gotten her wings back and it’s all okay up here. I have to admit, it was fun being the Queen’s lapdog.”

He had expected for her tone to be bitter and sarcastic, but was surprised at how thoughtful tone. The last time Mathias Gletscher had heard, Eri Kaminari was more on the sarcastic, snarky side of the spectrum. “But you’re not necessarily still on the job, are you?”

“I am sometimes.” She gave a shrug. “But we mostly take shifts. Arturia and Andi spend time with her the most. If any of the two can’t over, it’s usually me or Amaya. We don’t want anyone giving her problems, you know. Or they’ll end up with some messed up enchantment to the heart and banishment straight to Hell.”

She paused and fiddled with her dagger, walking to a nearby bench and sitting down. The man did likewise, sitting next to her. “Amaya Cielo brought back my wings a couple of weeks ago. To think I remembered so little about that happening…” the thought lingered. “But whatever. What matters is that Cissa and I aren’t considered Undesirable Angels because of what we did, and that the Court of the Heavens is on another case. Poor bastard.”

He glanced at her. The Lightning Angel was merely looking up at the sky, her white wings fluttering about. She didn’t even look annoyed, irritated or bitter. She just looked…normal. In deep thought.

“So, how were you able to get here without the other angels hounding you?”

“I have my ways.” She rolled her eyes at his reply. “I’m not the only one with a disguise, Kaminari. I could have black wings and no one would notice.”

The look on her face changed.

“I guess that’s true. But hell. You need to leave soon, before anyone catches me talking to you. The Heavens might rip my wings apart once they see a non-Angel in here.”

“I just wanted to ask one question, Kaminari. Then I’ll be off.”

“Ask it.”

He looked right at her.

“Is she okay?”

At first, the long-haired angel snorted.

“What a question. Aren’t you supposed to know, faux-Watcher? You’re the one looking after Arzen Venura, after all.”

“I’m just her watcher,” he argued. “I can’t necessarily break into her head and feel how she feels.”

“How sad for you.”

The lady stood up, brushing the dirt and such off the skirt of her silk green dress.

“If you must know, Megan sees her as alright. Now leave before I send you back myself.”

* * * * *

“A few years ago, I was able to make contact with a person that was not from this world,” Eri Ergen explained. Her short black hair and jade-green eyes were an obvious contrast against Eri Kaminari’s electric gaze and hip-length locks. “Something had happened to Amaya Egoran, and I was trying to work on the solution. It was just me alone with her lying on her bed. I was talking. And while I was talking, I felt someone else.”

“How did you know it wasn’t from here?”

“The presence was foreign. Even more foreign than the forsaken Silence, whom I have gotten used to. It didn’t feel like someone from the Further, and it definitely wasn’t a Spirit. If it was, it would have a much different aura. Moving on, I felt a presence. It was weird – the presence was like a part of me, except different in many ways. It was like a small part of myself had floated out my essence and into the surrounding area, watching. I can’t explain,” she told Mathias apologetically, taking a drink from her glass after. “It happened some time ago. My memories are blurry.”

“It’s alright,” he replied. “I just wanted to know if you have had contact with Arzen Venura.”

Eri frowned.

“Venura?”

“She’s the girl whose presence you felt.”

The lady sighed, “It seems like it. Her name doesn’t sound like a name from here, nor does she sound like someone I’ve met. But here’s the strange part. It’s like I know her – but at the same time, I don’t.”

“That’s her, then.”

“Tell me, Mathias. Why have you come here?”

“I want to ask if you know how she’s been.”

A rueful smile came to her lips.

“I’m afraid you’re asking the wrong person.”

He could only stare, and she went on.

“I can’t transmit her feelings to you. I am not a satellite, or are her feelings sound waves. If you really want to know, you have to ask her herself.”

“But she won’t tell – that’s the problem.”

She sighed and stood up, the light from outdoors showing the numerous scars on her body. Mathias felt the urge to look away.

“There is no other way I can tell you this. If she doesn’t confide in you, it’s either she’s afraid or she just doesn’t trust you as much.”

His visiting of Eri left a sour taste in his mouth. Departing, he walked away and eventually glanced at his wrist, pressing a few buttons on the machinery he wore, the man materializing into thin air much after. Kaminari had told him that Arzen was okay, and Ergen merely told him to find out himself – in the politest way possible.

But she acted weird around him lately.

Not even Blitz would tell him why she was behaving erratically.

* * * * *

The previously-Fallen Lightning Angel found the ginger quite irritating.

It had been his second, third visit to the Heavens and Eri Kaminari was surprised that they hadn’t been caught quite yet. Each and every time he visited, the question was the same: the condition of her Mortal Counterpart. Eri remembered briefly two years ago when she temporarily ‘possessed’ her counterpart – it wasn’t as easy as she had expected.

All the dark caverns in her mind scared her, to be honest.

But since then, she hadn’t come back. Instead, she watched quietly when she could, through the long mirrors. She didn’t dare step out of the Heavens even though she knew the existence of Other Worlds. Hell, the appearance of Elaine Rivers and Megan Alando had been enough. Even her travelling to the Mortal Realm was a slap to the face, some kind of culture shock.

In honesty, she knew the true condition of the girl, even though they weren’t as connected.

Actions and emotions had to somewhat take place in the Parallel Worlds, didn’t it? Even though the person wasn’t as connected to their Parallel in the other worlds other than the Canon World. Eri Kaminari could feel it in her bones, in her wings as her wings fluttered and guided her as she flew around the Heavens, sleepless and full of energy.

She felt the insatiable feeling.

She could see it as she watched the mirrors quietly, not daring to pass through.

For the nth time, Eri felt frustrated, helpless.

The mirror was right in front of her, glowing emerald green when ready, but she didn’t dare leap.

She had no right to interfere.

At all.

* * * * *

“Ergen. Who was that?”

“I was talking to myself, Egoran.”

“Huh. Okay.” The brunette’s tangerine eyes scanned her carefully, and Eri Ergen felt somewhat vulnerable.

“I thought I heard someone around here.”

“Must have been something else,” she replied dully, turning back to enter her room once more. The scarred lady could feel Amaya Egoran staring as she walked back into her room, shutting the door and locking it. No one really wondered why Eri locked her doors often. Cissa had explained that she was merely being precautious, but Eri knew it was much, much more than that.

She had seen the evident frustration in his eyes and let herself smirk. She hated to answer trivial things. Ever since her and Cissa’s return, they were bombarded with questions until Arturia Elub had snapped at the others to let them rest. Thankful for Arturia’s words, Eri Ergen proceeded to lock herself in her old room, which was untouched, her belongings still in place and clothes still neatly folded in her closet.

Ever since, she had developed her own doctrine, her own philosophy maybe.

“Let others figure out the answers to their own stupid questions.”

The same philosophy was taken into practice when she told him her answer, which left him confused.

“I refuse to answer your question until I know you can handle the truth,” she had spat upon returning, shocking even Cissa, who was missing and presumed deceased like her until that very day. All the questions burned her mind. People who wanted to know answers to something they knew very well were ridiculous.

She didn’t mean to have her answer be so cryptic and in a way, rude.

But Eri Ergen was tired of being a transmitter. As much as she wanted to help him out, she also wanted the strange fellow to answer his own forsaken questions. If she could live by herself surrounded by Silence for the longest time, why couldn’t other people find their own answer?

Despite that, she made a mental note to help him out the next time he would return.

If he would. 

Which, judging by her impression of him, he probably would do.