Chapter Four: Raphael

Chapter Three: Gabriel

“Sir?” The young angel said, tugging on Raphael’s good arm, “You—” He coughed, trying to expel dust from his lungs, “You need to come with me.”

Raphael knocked the angel’s arm away and turned back to the impaled young Valkyrie at his feet. “Not now.” He replied tightly.

The Valkryie was strong; she grit her teeth, growling through waves of agony. Part of the ruined throne room had jutted up and thrust clear through her left side. Quickly assessing the injury, as he had so many times before on the battlefield, Raphael looked back to her. Although he kept his face free of emotion, she struggled and forced eye contact. “Tell me.” She demanded, her voice quivering, “How…how…bad is it?”

Major nerve damage, her kidney is probably shot…even if we get this out her combat days are over.
She read the assessment in his eyes. She reached up, grabbing his cloak with her left hand, while her right still struggled with the object that impaled her. “Help…” She managed, “Help…the others!”

There was a tremendous booming sound from outside. The throne room shook; everyone within screamed and struggled to maintain their balance. Raphael instinctively threw himself onto the Valkryie. It quickly subsided.

Raphael chanced a look upwards, towards what remained of the doors and was grateful to see no more demonic forces advancing. He guessed that another one of Yevon’s many towering structures had come down.

Many more angels flooded the throne room, some carrying others, most of them injured, all of them looking for safety in the wake of what had just occurred. The Seraphim attended to them as best they could. It was the first useful thing Raphael had ever seen them do.

Raphael had injuries of his own to attend to, but they were minor; they could wait. Wiping the blood from a fresh cut on his face, the veteran angel sat up, looking down to the Valkryie.

Oh no…
Her eyes were now hollow, her body transparent and like glass. Death was the last commonality shared between angels and demons. Their bodies reverted to their native form before being infused with a soul.

She had released Raphael’s cloak before passing.
Raphael stood and backed away as a shimmering, sky-blue energy from within the crystal corpse floated upwards through the body, slowly dissipating as it rose into the sky.

”Sir, please.” From behind Raphael, the young angel spoke gingerly, reaching for Raphael’s good shoulder. “I…I must ask you–”

Again wiping blood and sweat from his face, Raphael whipped so suddenly that the cherub was frightened. “I will see Yang alone.” he seethed, “I need no escort.”

A gaping hole in the throne room’s ceiling allowed the reddened, cloudy sky to be seen. Around him, angels cried, tending their wounded, praying for them to hold on. At last count, from the last skirmish alone, there were twenty-three dead—twenty-four now—nearly three hundred injured and an unknown number missing.

Raphael clenched his left fist, the only one he could. If Yin was no longer taking prisoners, there was no reason they should, either.
He heard a man crying, calling the name of someone, just before he approached the rear of the throne room. He didn’t look back; it would do no good.

Yang’s throne had been knocked down during the calamity; Yin’s had been destroyed long ago. Raphael stepped between them, holding his hand to the painted marble wall that depicted Yin and Yang in happier times.

He stepped forward, passing through the illusion as though stepping through water. Once on the other side, Raphael found himself in the sky, stepping on air as though it were solid, with the throne room miles below him. This was Yang’s inner sanctum. Only a few angels were aware of it.

There were only two others present as Raphael entered, both of them looking a little worse for wear. Odin, the lord of Asgard and second only to Yang, leaned against an invisible wall off to the left. He was shirtless and bleeding from his right arm, though he seemed not to notice. As Raphael entered, Odin looked up and approached him.

Raphael had a head on Odin, who stood at an unassuming five foot six, lean, bald, and exceptionally dark-skinned. Odin was also Heaven’s most powerful fighter, the only who ever beaten Yang himself in competition. Holding dominion in Asgard meant he was in charge of the world’s most powerful force, the Valkryies.

Like many others, Odin had lost all of his children to this war, some at his own hand. He understood the stakes better than most.
Raphael had been one of Odin’s first students, long before the Valkryie Order had been established. They met now as brother combatants.

”My brother,” Odin greeted in his usual, deep baritone as he embraced Raphael. “I won’t bother to ask how you have been.”

Raphael returned the embrace with his good arm, and as he pulled away, he managed the best smile he could towards Odin. Beyond Odin was Yang, lord of all Heaven.

Yang was five foot eight but stocky; well-built, with fiery red hair that went up on both sides. Tattoos that signified major events in the war ran up and down his body, his emerald green eyes betrayed his eternal youth.

Yang was standing with his back to them, his arms crossed as the clouds passed beneath their feet. Raphael stepped past Odin and moved towards Yang. “Please tell me,” Raphael said, almost desperately, “that you are not still considering the nexus stone.”

Yang didn’t turn when he spoke. “Raphael,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness, “what would you have me do?”

”Something else. Anything else.” Raphael replied quickly, scant feet from Yang. Raphael shook his head, his voice rumbling and low. “This will not end well.”

Yang nodded. “No,” he lowered his head, slowly turning, “but at least it will end.”

”With what, genocide?” Raphael countered, his voice rising. “With the addition of the nexus stone, she’ll have nothing to keep her from—”

Raphael trailed off. Yang raised his eyebrows. “From what, Raphael?” He asked, “From killing children? Invading the capitol?”

Raphael said nothing. Yang moved to stand directly in front of him.
”Yin is pushing for genocide now, Raphael. Please, if you can think of any other option, I welcome it.”

”I do not approve of this either, brother,” Odin spoke from behind Raphael, “But we can no longer deny the advantage Lucifer has given the enemy.”

Raphael grew tense. “Do you lay that at my feet, Odin?”
”No,” Odin replied, “But it is what it is, Raphael.”

For a moment, the three of them were silent. “I miss him too,” Yang finally said, nodding, saying aloud what they all felt, “he was my friend, and he was a great fighter…but he made his choice. And his choice is killing us.”

Raphael looked up. “Who have you chosen,” he asked quietly, “To receive the brunt of the nexus stone?”
”Gabriel,” Yang replied, “Uriel, who’ll be cleared if he agrees to this, and Michael….Arakiel’s son.”

Raphael’s eyes widened at the mention of Michael. “NO.” He said emphatically. “Even if he could be trusted, he hasn’t the experience for this. And Uriel—”

Yang nodded. “I’m aware of your history with Uriel; the two of you will have to get beyond it. As for Michael, what he doesn’t have in experience, he more than makes up for with skill.”

For a moment, Raphael said nothing. He eventually shook his head. “I don’t trust him.”

“He will earn your trust, Raphael.” Yang stated flatly. Apparently, Michael’s involvement wasn’t a request. “And you will earn is, as his leader.”

Raphael looked up to Yang, surprised. “Excuse me?”
”I called you here because I want you to lead the Archangels, Raphael.”

Raphael was stunned to silence. He had served as a battle commander before, but there were so many others more qualified, including Gabriel.

A myriad of colors rose to the sky, dissipating slowly. Beneath them, the crying intensified.
As one, the three of them observed as many souls disappeared to their final destinations; only to be revived when Amen, Yin and Yang’s father, awoke.
”My command.” Raphael finally said, “I run the unit as I see fit.”
Yang looked back to him.
Raphael continued, “I do it under those terms, or not at all.”

Yang nodded. He looked to Odin.
”Take him to Asgard.” He said softly. “Wait for the others to arrive there.”
Odin nodded, stepping beside Raphael. “Odin?” Yang quickly asked, and the lord of Asgard looked to him.
”Put the Valkryies on high alert. This isn’t over.”
”I know.” Odin replied. “They are ready.”

In a bolt of red lightning, Odin and Raphael disappeared. Yang was left alone in the sky with the remnants of the dead drifting around him.