Peril's Origin - A Magical Girl Quest [Complete]

"Hey, Gabriel."

The wing covering you retreats, revealing three surprised Angels. You only know two of them, but the third came in with Gabriel and should thus be fine. You sit with a groan and shake off the momentary nausea; yet the sudden, pounding headache remains. "My head feels like I ran into a wall."

Gabriel merely smiles. "I would not be surprised if you did, friend."

"I'll say." You throw Lu a sour look while the two Angels chuckle. The third one keeps looking between the two; her eyes sometimes fall on you as well, but that happens less often.

Once the two are done making fun of you, Gabriel fully enters the room and ducks her head slightly; the other woman, about Lu's size, has to actually bend her knees in order to fit inside. An unspoken agreement has all of them cast off their wings to take away less space, and then they all sit in a loose circle in front of your bed.

Well, it is not yours. Far too uncomfortable to what you are used to by now, anyway. You slide out of it and let your aura out; the unknown Angel starts a little and eyes you curiously, but you ignore her while you take the spot between your friends. "What happened while I was out?"

There is a suspiciously long silence while you look between them, with Gabriel even starting to fidget. Lu ultimately breaks it and points at the other Angels. "You messed up your jump and sent us three thousand years ahead, to Reluxus. The Elves have no idea yet, but we had bad luck and Lucy there found out." Lucy, as she is now named, offers you a nod and then turns her attention to Lu.

"On that note, I had auntie fill me in on your... 'history'." There is some bite to her voice and you wince while Lu shrugs. Lucy does not seem happy. "Do you have nothing to say in your defense?"

"No. I know I am a monster, I know I long exhausted any moral high ground I might have had, and I am not going to change for I have no other way left to live. You can neither stop nor change nor kill me here." They stare at each other for long moments, only interrupted when Gabriel sighs and chimes in.

"It was good that you thought of informing me. Not many do think of you when speaking the name these days, but those who do would not be inclined to give you any quarter." You do not like the sound of that, but Lu seems unsurprised. She does shake a little though, you can see that in the candlelight. Gabriel distracts you from the sight at that point: "And hello to you, Adelheid. It is good to see you again, although everything is a little hectic at the moment, as you probably guessed."

You just wave back and return her smile. "Hard to miss. So, who is she?" A motion toward Lucy is all it takes for Gabriel to switch tracks, though the woman herself speaks up first.

"Valkyrie Lucifer, at your service."

Aaaand there goes your somewhat good mood. You blink at the Valkyrie dumbfounded, mouth opening before closing again, then turn to Lu, who nods. "Huh." Your eyes go back to Lucy, who has her own eyes lowered. You know that angelic names are unique, so it is very clear what that means. Lu will die. Even though she is still alive right next to you, she will die and you can do nothing about it despite your power over time. It will happen either way.

You suddenly do not want to be here anymore, but play over it as best as you can when Lucy addresses you curiously: "I was meaning to ask, but how do you know Gabriel?"

It is a welcome distraction, which you take with a small shrug. "We, uh, met when Gabriel was still a little girl." "That never changed." You throw Lu a look for the interruption while Gabriel pouts at her, and Lucy blinks before coughing in a manner that almost sounds like a giggle.

"So, as I was saying, we met when Gabriel was young. Technically, at least... you know, time travel. It's weird." Lucy nods while the other two are still busy pouting and chuckling respectively, so you continue. "Then again when she was an Archangel; we had a battle, that I won," you just have to add that, "then we killed a Dragon. You know, the usual things friends do together."

That last bit had a bit of sarcasm while Lucy gapes at you. Gabriel makes to speak, but the younger Angel's voice drowns her out: "That was you?! You are The Dragonslayer?"

You stare at her for a moment, then at the faux-innocent looking Gabriel, then back to her. "You're serious? People still remember that?"

"Not many," Gabriel now chimes in with a kind smile. "But you arrived from nowhere, bested me, and then destroyed the last Dragon sighted since then, with me as a witness. I doubt any beside Selector Hildr and I remember your name, but many still know the legend of The Dragonslayer. I saw to that." Her smile turned a little more devious there and you can not help but flip her off in exchange.

Lu takes over from there, motioning back to Lucy. "So, 'auntie'?"

And just like that, Gabriel's mirth is gone and replaced with sheepishness. She plays with a loose thread of yarn on her clothes for a moment, then tears it off neatly and repeats the procedure. "Well, I took to tutoring Lucif-, er, Lucy, on occasion. She is my protegé."

"That translates to having to fight her for every bit of paperwork she is not supposed to do herself but does anyway," Lucy quips while you can not help but keep looking at her, thinking. "This might be the first time this year that I got her away from her work."

Lu chuckles, but you do not feel like laughing. With Gabriel mentioning her name again, your mind got back there and now you can not push it away anymore. You just, somehow, do not feel like having a reunion. You just found out one of your best friends won't live to your own time.

You feel like crying.

So you get up, ribbons and sleeves rustling but otherwise silent. The others are watching you, though. You should give them something at least. "I'm going to take a walk." Good enough.

Lu gives you a look but says nothing and Lucy merely nods. Gabriel, meanwhile, looks between the other two and then back to you. "Would you mind if I accompanied you?" You do not mind that with her presence soothing you like it does, but do you really want to have her along?

-------------

[] Go alone

[] Take Gabriel along


[] EXP-Plan
-[] Write-in what to buy
-[] Save it


+10xp Chatting With Friends

EXP gained: 10
Total EXP: 1,425

You are Lucifer, and your two closest friends have left you in peace for now. Well, you and your successor; Gabriel probably noticed that you want to speak with her, or Adelheid's distress, perhaps both.

"I admit," Lucy starts after a few seconds, "I did not expect you to be so calm about it all. Rebelling against Heaven like you apparently did, that is hard to believe even with auntie being nice about it." She is staring at her hands, clenching and unclenching them as if to maintain her calm. You can not help but feel anger, wrath which is quelled just as fast as it appeared.

"It is how it is. I tried to scream bloody murder at first, but that no longer felt freeing after the first year or two. I just ended up with a hoarse throat after every battle." You shrug when she looks up to meet your eyes. "Just because I don't scream about it anymore or pretend it is just does not mean I am any less convinced of it."

"And that is what I do not get. How can you be so sure of yourself despite knowing what you do is wrong?"

She does not understand; how could she? Without falling herself, having the agony gnaw at her mind whenever she loses focus, becoming so used to it that even life-threatening injuries feel like little more than bruises, how could she know?

You can only sigh. "As an old friend recently pointed out to me, my only other choice is death. I am the selfish kind of person that gladly seeks battle and kills, if it only means I can stay alive." Looking at her, you can guess why your end is inevitable. "And that dichotomy is going to be my undoing one day." You shudder at the thought and change the subject: "Tell me about your parents? Children of love are not that common in my time, at least from what I remember."

Lucy shrugs at you this time, brows furrowed in thought. She holds a fond smile at the same time, though. "They are still rare, to be honest. With the war and everything giving us little time for romance, and all the other races around, we have more hybrids than full-blooded Angels conceived." You nod and wait for her to continue, which she does softly. "My parents are an odd couple, to be honest. Father ascended to the rank of Archangel a few centuries ago while Mother is just, er, 'just' a squadron commander."

She pauses a moment to think; you consider interjecting and asking their names, but decide that it can wait.

"I am a particular rarity for having inherited an Affinity from each of them, Hope from Father and Battle from Mother. Also most of Mother's traits, but a presence similar to Father's. And of course, I could use neither Judgement nor To Glory all that well, so I had to make up another spell all my own. Would you like to see?"

You raise an eyebrow and nod, which prompts a smile. Lucy materialises her weapon, a blade of energy held in form by a black casing. "Radiant Dawn!" Its name gives you pause as you realise what it is. Just like your own spell, an aura of bright, silvery light wraps around her sword and almost blinds you. Lucy beams. "It is quite potent," she offers with audible content.

A chuckle is your first response; the light hides her face, so you can only read the confusion from her posture as you summon your cross and turn off its anti-magic property. "Radiant Dawn," you call as well while magic surges out from your hand and around the weapon. Lucy almost drops hers while you shudder as it burns your hand.

"Radiant Dawn came to me just as easily. It seems to be tied to our name. It is the only part of my powers that remained unchanged through my fall, but it now burns my hand wherever it touches me." You dismiss the spell and Lucy does the same a moment later, looking thoughtful. Your weapons are dismissed as well and you push the conversation elsewhere to sate your curiousity: "What are their names? How were you raised?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Of course you would be curious about that." Lucy shrugs softly and looks aside, probably thinking back. "My father is Archangel Michael-" You twitch violently, but keep it under control. "-and my mother is Valkyrie Commander Sigrún. They raised me rather strictly in regard to studies and exercise, but any time we spent on recreational activities is probably among my fondest memories."

Her smile lasts until she notices your grimace, then it drops. "What's wrong?"

You can not hold her gaze and avert yours to the ground. "My little brother was the previous Michael. I fell when I broke my promise to protect him."

She is quiet at that, thinking, while you get yourself under control and force the calm back into place. Now is not the time to break down. Again. "It was a long time ago."

"Perhaps it was fate, then?" You have to raise an eyebrow at her, but Lucy just shrugs. "We who share names and are both connected to the name of Michael, if in different ways. Brought together by a most unusual being. If I had not agreed on a whim to come inspect this garrison for how suitable it is to have Angels stationed here, we would have never met. That does sound like fate to me."

You try to respond, but have no words. If fate really is a tangible force, something that sets up all that is and will be, to happen exactly as designed, you want to find and murder it. "Perhaps," you can finally get out. Lucy does not seem to mind.

"Well, enough of that. Tell me about Adelheid. What is she exactly, and how did you meet her?"

That, at least, is a subject which gives you enough to talk about. "Oh, where to start. She initially arrived as weak as a common Elf and was put under my tutelage. From there-"


The cold is actually quite calming. No snow or anything but this is definitely Spring, if not late Winter.

You shiver a little despite the calming light of Gabriel's presence; your friend walks next to you, preventing any and all Elves from approaching you out of respect. You hear whispers about a hybrid though, so Lu probably spun the same tale as last time. The ears make it kind of obvious, admittedly.

Oil lanterns illuminate the streets you walk down, Archangel by your side. Gabriel stays quiet while you calm down from the intense burst of emotions you felt earlier.

Perhaps you already guessed something like Lu's death subconciously, but you never really thought about it. How you would have heard of someone like her if she were still fighting for the UD in your time. Especially as Lucifer; no way Christian dignitaries would not have talked about that.

And now it was rubbed in your face that she is going to die, not even deliberately. The very existence of her successor means there is no hope at all.

You feel tears prick in your eyes, but wipe them away with your long sleeves. Cloth rustles quietly as you walk, not caring for where you are going, just on and on until the feelings become manageable again. Gabriel being with you is soothing.

"When?" Your friend starts. "When is she going to die?" You have to know.

"Oh." Gabriel wilts under your stare and mutters quietly: "About fifteen hundred years ago. I oversaw the proceedings, I, I am sorry it had to come to this. I-" "It's fine."

You wave her off, feeling empty even while doing so. "It's not your fault." It might be hers, but you do not want to think that. If not Gabriel, someone else would have done it eventually. This has always been what happened, even before you went to the past; yet somehow, understanding that does not make it feel any less horrible.

"Perhaps so, but I still consigned her to death." Gabriel slumps a little and you both sit down on a small bench, a soft wing wrapping around you to guard against the cold. "When her name passed on three hundred years later, I took it upon myself to tutor the next Lucifer. Make sure she could be happy, as my own way of atonement. She is doing well for herself, on a fast track to become Hildr's right hand and taking command of the entire Valhallan theater."

The words make sense to you, but only one part breaks you out of your muddied thoughts. "Hildr? She's still alive?" Right, there was something about that.

Your friend perks up at that and nods, a bit of a smile on her face. "Oh, she is. She was crowned Selector a good millennium ago and keeps Valhalla secure no matter who leads the charge."

"Sounds just like her." You can not help but chuckle and Gabriel does the same after a moment. You watch her carefully, the gentle features you know can turn into hard lines in a hartbeat. "What about you?"

"Me?" She ponders for a moment before offering you a smile. "Oh, nothing extraordinary. My life is rather quite steady, though Lucy is quite the dear. She is working to help me against hostile gods if we encounter more of them; the Satans are unusually active recently, so she decided to build herself a bow tailor-made to strike down divine beings. She still has a long way to go for it work, but I see great potential there."

She is babbling. And, you realise, trying to distract you. All that gets her is a flat stare which makes her fidget even while she continues, somewhat faster than before: "It is, ah, a blessing to have her there to help me out with my work, the load increased a little more when I made Grand Archangel last year and... please stop?"

The last bit is more a whine than anything else while you hold your stare, arms now crossed. There are no Elves nearby, which is the perfect opportunity to make Gabriel squirm. You let her fidget a little longer before dropping the act. "I was asking about you, not about your work or about Lucy. Please tell me you got a life since last time we met."

"Um, well...."

You smack your palm against your forehead and sigh deeply. Gabriel just averts her gaze. "Seriously, get laid or something. Or get a hobby. Or anything, really."

You get no response to that.


The conversation and fresh air definitely helped you calm down somewhat, though only seeing Lu close to being actually happy lifts the burden of this knowledge somewhat. For a reason you do not get, she took a liking to her successor and they seem to get along quite well.

Maybe too well, you think the following morning.

"Okay. Why?"

"She is only staying for a week, and that is nothing to you who commands time. Is this really too much to ask?"

Because, apparently, they decided to hang out for a little longer than you expected. Gabriel chuckles at the side while Lucy watches your exchange with a mixture of confusion and mirth. Lu's wings are lowered in disappointment, her eyes averted... how does she manage to look so miserable while towering over you?

In the end, you heave a sigh. "Alright." She perks up immediately, and you can for the life of you not figure out if the previous behaviour was an act or not. Either way, you stop her from saying anything by raising your hand. "But only for a week, not a day longer. Are we clear?"

You only get a simple "Yes", but honestly did not expect any more. Lucy nods as well and offers you a happy smile. "I am quite glad about this as well, and please forgive my rudeness last night." She steps forward. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Adelheid."

You shudder and throw Lu a glance. "Please, just Heidi." What is it with Angels and using your full name?

"Very well." She steps even closer and holds out her hand. Once you move to take it however, she pulls back a little. "No, no." Lucy frowns while Gabriel's eyebrows rise. The Valkyrie taps her arm, a bit above the wrist. "You are supposed to grab here, not take the hand."

Her instruction is simple enough, so you follow it and she grabs your arm in turn; her grasp is tight and you try your best to match it. Lucy grins. "This is how us Valkyries greet a friend, and you are my friend from this day forward. Do not ever forget it."

You stare at her for long moments, hardly comprehending the statement. It has not been twelve hours since you met, one does not make friends that fast.

Reading the question from your face, Lucy nods toward Lu and Gabriel. "If both of them think of you as a friend, then I feel I want to do the same."

It takes another moment of disbelief before you sigh and nod. "Sure, no problem." What is it with these Angels?

"Well," Gabriel breaks the building silence with a fond though saddened smile, "I believe it is time for me to take my leave. There is still much... um, is something wrong?"

You keep one eyebrow raised and cross your arms while turning to her fully. Lu steps back and takes Lucy with her, leaving you free to step toward Gabriel. A flat "No." is all you have to say.

"What do you-" "No."

She appears as if she wants to keep questioning you, so you roll your eyes, take her hand, and pull her toward the other Angels. "'No', as in, 'you are not going to get back to work as long as we're here'. You, my dear friend, are taking a break. And you are going to like it."

She looks as if her world is crumbling around her, but the deer-in-headlights expression quickly turns into a bright flush when she realises that both Lucifers are laughing.

-------------

Aside from spending time with the Angels, you do have a bit of time to yourself. What do you do for the first few days? Pick one:


[] There is a monastery on the mountain, time to investigate

[] You heard there are Elven Champions around and go to find out more

[] Practice with Gabriel
(No write-ins for this one)


[] EXP-Plan
-[] Write-in what to buy
-[] Save it


+25xp Vacation Time!

EXP gained: 25
Total EXP: 1,450