The Heavenly Ruins

[Kotomine_Rin]

The Heavenly Ruins

An archipelago of celestial landmarks, hills and locations, wrecked in an ancient battle and drawn into the Nexus after many years. It expands in the skies over the sea, as far as the eye can see...

The Grand Sky Theater

A palace built by divine beings, which floats above the clouds. It is a landmark of a forgotten age, with verdant gardens and pure stone marble that stretches wide above the sky. Its peak is the statue of a woman, a former goddess who was slain by her lover. A human girl who is now embracing the heavens, with that same brilliant smile. It is now a ruin, with its structures eroded by time and battle, but the singer stands nonetheless. The view is simply spectacular, and evokes a calm feeling.

This coliseum in the sky was her final resting place.

[Kotomine_Rin]

6:00 PM - Day 3

Zeke

Continued from Xibalba.

With wild acrobacies, Zeke flew accross the salty waters and touched them with one hand, splitting the currents as he dragged his body against them- only to soar back even higher with a splashing boom.

His dark wings flapped, and the dark beast flew like a black comet. The sun was setting beautifully in front of him, with its orange and purple hues, and its blinding light. Enamored as ever, he flew straight in its direction, never looking away. This black bird would simply keep flying towards the sun. And with a final soar, the two could finally see land.

Looks like we've arrived.

The sight was as shocking as it was marvelous. That otherwordly pasture's color, the pure beauty of the stone structures. She had seen something like this before though. It couldn't be... this was the place she saw in his memories. The ones of the man she killed.

It was broken, but there was no mistake. And so the wind sings quietly on the grassy and stony halls of this heaven.

THE GRAND SKY THEATER.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna climbed out of Zeke's arms, spreading her bat like wings to catch her.  This place.... it was a real one?  It was strange, being somewhere that was supposed to just be his soul.  Did Zeke transport them into his soul?  Does that mean he lives still somehow?

With Ezekial at her back and her gaze in the distance she said, "This place.... How did you get us here?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

No. This is reality. He smiled and closed his eyes patiently. He had seen some of her memories in her soul but... well... other blanks, he filled in himself. Not  like he'd be telling how, after all, what king of magician reveals his tricks?

This nexus pulls things and people from other dimensions. If that man could find his way here, why not the place of his dreams? No, I can't bring people inside the world of the dead. Forget all illusions or delusions. The man you killed can never come back.

He grinned and landed, dropping off Aruna safely. It's a pretty romantic place though, eh?

[yinsukin]

Aruna

"The place of his dreams?  Yes, the world of a soul was not unlike a dream," Aruna said.  She paused for a second then giggled.  "Maybe this is actually the city of dreams.  No wonder it is so horrifyingly absurd."

Aruna dived down, her cheeks caressing the grass.  In a way, the blades tickling her cheek felt less real than being in that man's soul.  Then again it was only natural.  The world feels so much more real when one has solidarity.  That was the one power the demons had that was on par with humans, the one of connection.  Maybe that's why the wind blowing through the trees felt like the forgotten wail of a man long since gone.

"I know..." she said, landing on the grass.  Her wings sunk into her back and she slowly approached the tree.  "That was the first time in a while I tried to save someone.  I forgot the pain of giving your all to protect someone, only for them to sink into the sands of time.  I always wonder if the pain that comes with grieving is just the selfish power of the dead, desperately clinging onto life once their body is long gone.  I remember the words of a human. A man dies not when his body becomes a husk, but when he is forgotten.  Its the only explanation."

After all, she didn't know him for long.  Sure, she dived into his soul, tried to save him from himself and took on his burden, but she didn't KNOW him.  Even worse, he was an angel, one of the light gifted with gods light.  Imagine, the oppressed didn't just include the demons, but the angels of light as well.  God tortured all those beneath him, even his own children.  The annoying thing about their time together was the realization that if he were born a demon, they would have been friends.  Maybe that is really what she was grieving, the loss of what could be.

Aruna turned around, frowning at Ezekial.  "Do you always try to court a woman by showing them a dead lover?  I suppose it can be romantic if you are into NTR.  For the record, humans stole that from us, as well as BDSM.  When they figured that one out, they started the middle ages. I don't think it ever really ended."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Enntee ah...beedee ess whaaa? What is this- what are you doing!? He raised an eyebrow in pure confusion and crossed his arms, pouting away from her.  Was this some kind of demonic initiation ritual? Of course, humans would only learn things like that from hellspawns. Of course.

Hmph. I wouldn't fool around with a demon.

He was totally pouting.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna's eyes widened as she said,  "Do... do you not grieve?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Hm? Why would I? I never inherited such feelings. To be honest, I can't understand them. His nonchalant tone rung through her heart like a poison, and he just shrugged before pacing to the side.

But you're right. This place has gotta be the city of dreams. If you wish for it hard enough, even your wildest desires can come true. He touched the base of the woman's statue and smiled, even as the sun beat directly on his face he didn't waver.

Still beautiful as ever, eh? My poor wounded songbird...

Did he... know that woman too for some reason? No, it was impossible. So what was up with the feeling of nostalgia in the air? It was God's providence... gravity, that drew him to the living. To this world of endless possibility. And to her. And as he thought about it, he turned to Aruna.

If I truly loved someone, I think I'd like them to smile when they think back at our precious time. We've only got so much of it, you know?

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna paused, walking behind Ezekial and resting a hand on his still shirtless muscular back.  "If you work hard enough huh?  Ezekial, you said you can not grieve, but what are you doing?"

As he turned to her, she simply stared into his eyes, looking deep into his soul for the true answer.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

It's just homesickness. He sighed and grinned, but didn't find the strength or will to move. He didn't understand such things, and likely couldn't feel them anymore. Even if he knew about them on an intellectual level, these emotions were as far from his heart as possible. Even he didn't always know how it operated, so it was hard even for the demon to tell.

Just what maddening swirl of emotions mixed inside Zeke. But each one of these was a gradient of wapred joy.

It must be gratefulness. Without that woman, I would not have gotten where I am. A poor, broken divine shell slain by her very lover. It was a marvelous subject to study. I... admired her.

Incomprehensibly, he clawed at the foot of the statue and dragged his nails inside, marking it with a scratch. Her name was Lilith. A poor soul who ended up falling in love with a demon, and lost her everything to it. My father managed to collect her body in hyperspace... what a pitiful existence. Heh heh heh...

It was funny. Just like Aruna's newfound power, he too had received a gift from God, stolen from heaven's claws. Were they really so different, with their fancy words and pretty emotions or lack thereof? Don't humanize me so much. It's embarassing, coming from you.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

"Too late," Aruna said, walking beside him, connecting her arms to his, touching that woman through him.  "Your as human as they come.  You can try to fool me, the world and even yourself, but you are human."

They were so close now.  She could hear the swirl of emotions screaming, his very soul crying out.  Thats right crying out.  The souls could be mistaken for a hyped up frenzy, but that wasn't true joy.  When a soul was happy, there was a soft hum and the soul was bright.  While the soul was bright, it cried out, a false joy rooted in a twisted yearning.  In other words, nostalgia.  Even so...

Aruna giggled.  "It is isn't it, a demon trying to humanize a fake demon?  Its almost as ridiculous as a demon befriending an angel and just as sad as one morning such a killers death!  You lust for more, yet you refuse your own humanity?  What a pitifully human sentiment."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

His eyes perked up all of a sudden, and for a moment he looked confused. A raspy, dry chuckle somehow escaped his ravaged throat, and he finally had no choice but to shake his head. Be careful then. I get the feeling you're projecting your expecations on me.

My, my, my. What a pure girl he caught from the riverside. His old fart would be rolling in his grave if he heard what she were blabbering. This was just too great, he'd been called a thousand things... but never that.

He grabbed her hand in defiance, and grinned before taking the demon for a spin, twirling her in a dance before he twisted himself. IN that moment, he came face to face to her with a dramatic bow and his head lowered and tipped to her.

I hate to dissappoint.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

"Oh you have," she said, lowering her eyelids just a tad at the flamboyant display.  "Thats why I know I'm right.  A connection is a connection all the same, no matter how perverted it is from human standards."

Lilith. Aruna wondered what on earth he admired so much about her.  Some poor soul who fell for a demon...  Was that it, that naivete, that open-mindedness?

[Kotomine_Rin]

ZEKE

Aw. I am so hurt to hear that. However... His wild grin faded, grew calmer, and he just pointed at her left arm - with a cheeky glance and a turn of his head. There was a sudden pull, he twirled her to his side, until the two were entangled like roots on a tree. A false demon, and a demon poser. An angel's copycat, and an angel's thief. The fake original, or the original faker. Light, and darkness. But before that, Zeke smiled patiently down on her. Green stares. Black stares. Golden stares. Bonds and shackles.

Zeke and Aruna.

In that case, you're no less human than me.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna did not resist the pull, standing beside the false demon without any care in the world.  Her eyes glanced upward during the twirl, almost as if she was staring into the heavens themselves for thoughts.  Once she ceased her spin, she averted her gaze before returning it with a vengeance, the type of glare you give someone who just slapped you.  "I don't like that answer," she said, tightening her grip.  "But... I guess your right in a way."