Chasing the Sun (CMGQ Spin Off)

When an Angel is first born, they are formless. A vague mass of hopes that suddenly found agency.

It is with the advent of "I" that an Angel takes shape, and gains a face.

But the advent of "I" is not enough to allow an Angel to form fully. Millenia ago, this was not a well known fact; for it is in the motion of the Prayer that the Angel finishes forming. Once they have an "I", all an Angel needs to do is act on the Prayer that gave them birth in order to finish forming. This is not spoken of; no one has ever witnessed the birth of an Angel, and Angels themselves don't talk about it for why would they?

An Angel comes into the world fully formed. This is the truth that the rest of the Local Dimensional Cluster 'knows'. They give no thought to why some Angels have a bit of initial trouble with their powers before they're released from Heaven's embrace. Even other Angels sometimes fail to consider that same thing.

Not you, one of whom has found the same stumbling block.

Your lessons for the day speak of Lucy, true name Lucifer. Of an Angel that carries a legacy almost as old and overwhelming as that of Gabriel. Of a Valkyrie that refused to reject the one who carried her name before her. Who took it as her duty to live up to it.

She carries the Night alongside her Light, and is greater for it.

You have a choice. One that is neither as great nor grand as that which Lucy had faced herself. The name 'Adriel' has no legacy save for the meaning held by those who Prayed for you. William once shared that in human mythology, 'Adriel' is the name of a guardian angel, though he was ignorant of more than that.

The thought of being a Guardian Angel once more makes you think of the cruel light of ruin that prayed for love, and how it burned away everything dear to it. Of the desperate Cold that wanted to save that Light, even at the cost of itself.

Part of you is scared that acting upon your Prayer will destroy you. Not for yourself, but for the ones who Prayed for you. Because how pathetic would you be for annihilating yourself before you could do anything?

Normal convention demands that you finish shaping yourself in the open, bathed in the same Light as all that came before you. But you're scared. Scared that your light will damage everyone around you.

… Scared that your Light will reveal your own twisted nature.

Your classes pass without incident. Selene's origin as a human shines through as while you're good at picking up new information, your ability to apply that information is weirdly backwards at times in comparison to the older angels that were born from elves. 'Combat' class, you spend just letting Heaven's Light flow through you without letting it shape around your Prayer as you have been doing for weeks now.

Sister Mist gives you a few pointers with the greatsword that is both familiar and not.

Time passes you by all too soon, and your free time rolls up quickly. Your promise to William burns beneath your skin, as the intent behind it drags your attention to how time is quickly running out to keep it.

'If you tell me where to find a good place to practice away from prying eyes, I'll actually shape my Prayer.'

By wording, one would think you'd be able to put it off indefinitely. But by Spirit, it is implied you'd do it as soon as possible. Or that's how you had taken it. William might not have cared if you put it off for months before finally keeping it, but as an Angel, the Stigma is sacrosanct.

So instead of visiting one of your many 'hideaways', you find your feet carrying you to one of the places that he had told you of. A rarely used structure in a rarely visited part of the fourth layer. You viciously cut off the mental tangent you were about to devolve into as you closed the door behind you.

Once inside the empty hall, you carefully kneel down in the middle of the room on the soft carpet and take a deep breath…

Then finally think of the other one that had Prayed for you. Veere, true identity; Nightmare of Solar.

A Nightmare that gained her name from the one she was born from as she died in her arms.

"I wish for someone to love me."

A Prayer and a desire in one. One that was given form in the shape of a young girl. A Prayer that was repeated in the deepest confines of Selene's heart that it almost gave birth to you all on its own… if not for a single stray thought from another source.

"Someone, please save her!"

An existence whose nature was pure cold, that evaporated under the burning inferno that was the Annihilating Sun it was born to love. If anything, Veere and Selene were lucky in a way; Veere only had a few days to live before she managed to catch up to Solar and die. Selene didn't have a chance to grow attached to this strange girl who disintegrated in her arms before she died, lasting only long enough to ask for a name. A name that Solar gave her more on reflex than anything… but it was enough. Enough to give Veere her own advent of "I", and thus enough to let her Prayer be heard.

Enough that it joined Selene's own desperation in you.

If not for that… chances are your Prayer would likely have been too pure. A singular fact that defined you; Angels like that have never lasted long. One and all, insane in such a way that can't truly be described. Who completely annihilated themselves chasing after that pure Prayer, regardless of what it was.

Veere was born to torture Selene with her existence, but you can't help but thank her regardless. If it wasn't for her single minded obsession, she might have never reached Selene before you were born, saving you before you were Adriel.

For the first time, you call forth your own Light as you think of Selene and Veere in the moment of your conception.

Of Selene's confusion laced with the need to carry the Hope she represented.

Of Veere's relief of finding Selene, and the despair that she couldn't do more.

Of you, and your nature born from the meeting between Transcendence and Falsehood.

Your wings lose their pure white luster, and become something less than real. Your skin cracks, even as celestial flame comes forth to embrace your arms in metallic gloves, even as you become something more than real.

A dark blue Light consumes the darkness around you, and you know you are Complete.

(You have taken Form.

Transcendent Presence of False Light
Level 1 (1/10 EXP)
-All allies gain 50 health per action Adriel takes during a turn. All enemies take 50 damage for every action Adriel takes during a turn. So long as Adriel is on the battlefield, the battlefield modifier 'Between the Real and Imaginary' is active. The latter half of this ability operates as an Overwhelming Presence Effect.)

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"Adriel? Is that you?" Sister Mist asks as you step back into the open areas of the Fifth Layer.

"Ah, Sister Mist? I thought you were done for the day." Instead of answering you, Sister Mist Immediately steps forward, and ducks behind you and-

A tingle races down your wings, to your back, and then lower immediately triggering a full body shiver as parts of you that hadn't existed until a few minutes ago are suddenly stimulated. "Sister Mist!"

"Ah, sorry Adriel." The Valkyrie steps back as you awkwardly shuffle away from her as you try and fail to smooth down your ruffled feathers. The tingling feeling fails to fade before the older female ducks back under your suddenly larger wings to throw an arm over your shoulder, "I was so surprised that I couldn't resist inspecting your changes~. I'm so happy that you finally found the courage to take form!"

You… don't quite choke on her words? A sudden blast of worry that she knows and is going to tell everyone and you're going to be locked away-!

"Hey, hey! Deep breaths Adriel." Sister Mist is suddenly in front of you, hands on your shoulders and looking you square in the eye. Why is she… oh, you're having a panic attack. That's not good, might want to listen to her-

Strength suddenly leaves your legs, and you slowly sink to the ground as you wrestle with your heaving lungs to get your breathing back under control. Slowly, you manage to force your breathing to slow enough that oxygen -do angels even breath oxygen? You don't actually know- finally starts reaching your brain again and you can think.

"Keep breathing, Adriel. Everything is going to be okay." You feel her hand pat you atop your head, and somehow manage to nod. "You're not the first Angel to be born from a Nightmare you know."

"I'm not?" This is news to you. Being born from a Nightmare feels like a Big Deal, and your classes never covered any angels that were born from the forces of Darkness…

"Of course not. And you definitely won't be the last; the only species that can't create an Angel are demons. So it should be obvious that the rest can." Parts of your confusion recede even as more questions crop up from your confusion, something that Sister Mist seems to notice immediately. "We don't talk about it because no one that cares about that has the desire to make the very obvious connections with the very public information we give out. And everyone that has made the connection doesn't care. At least in my experience."

That… is actually extremely relieving to know. It doesn't change the fear, or even get rid of it, but it does lessen it somewhat. The chance of someone finding out and taking exception with your existence is still there but knowing that your people won't, takes a weight you haven't even noticed off your shoulders. And since they're the only ones that'd know just by sight then so long as you don't advertise your Prayer came from a Nightmare, then you… wouldn't be good, but definitely manageable.

"Thank you… Sister Mist." The Valkyrie smiles before pulling you into a hug.

"Your welcome, Adriel. Your worries are perfectly natural, especially with the state of the War these years." Sister Mist leans back before climbing to her feet and helping you to yours. "Now, why don't you tell me about your form?"

"I…" You almost immediately start blurting out to your Valkyr superior as you've been taught, but the same need to hide the truth about yourself chokes the words in your throat almost as soon as they're formed. You know she won't judge you now, but the slightly withered fear and habit both are difficult to overcome. "I… carry a part of two. Selene, you know. But the other… Her name was Veere. She… she was born from Selene. She Prayed for someone to save Selene from her loneliness as she died."

For a split instant, the feeling of boiling away like morning dew under the heat of the sun runs across your skin, and through your bones. Drowned out by the feeling of love for the sun.

Mist looks at you knowingly, before pulling you in for another hug. "I know the feeling." It's a simple statement, but the weight behind the words tells you that she does. "It's not something you'll ever really leave behind… but you can still answer it. And I believe in your ability to do so."

… It's warm.

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"Now, even though you're Formed, there's still some work to do before you can head out into the greater Cluster." You walk sedately behind Mist as she leads you back to the training ground in the Sixth Layer. "A few decisions to make, and some more training to get yourself used to your basic abilities."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have a vague idea of how to swing a sword, but you didn't get one when you Formed, correct?"

You nod slightly as you consider her words; the only thing that came to mind were… you look down at the not-quite gauntlets on your arms. A sword? It'd only get in the way when you finally have a chance to hold the sun. Something like that would require both hands.

"Your Grace is something else then. We'll need to figure that out; and while we're doing that we'll need to learn your Judgment."

"Like your Glory?"

"Right." Sister Mist walks past the normal training area, and leads you to a long room with wooden dummies at one end. "It'll come to you naturally. Just think about whats more important to you."

Sister Mist waves a hand to the dummies, and you focus on them.

What's more important to you, huh?