Anastasia

Numbness. I welcomed it as I tilted my head to the sky, the bloodstained sky. So much red, so much death.

Like Marco's eye.

My throat felt raw and I realized that I was still screaming. I was screaming for the hollow emptiness in my chest, for the loss of my beloved, and for the dark Angel, my Grim Reaper, my Demon, who continued to lay motionless on the floor.

Many things happened in an instant; a man's roar (Feith's?) was heard, the sound of slashing metal filled the sky and then...

Light.

Glorious, bright light.

I didn't close my eyes willing the light to blind me. I couldn't see anymore. Not when he wasn't here. The sound of wings, three pairs, blue, white and golden echoed around me. I saw the colors forming a circle. Then, a pair of delicate hands touched my cheeks but I didn't lift my head. I continued looking down at Marco, caressing each and every feature of his face.

He always was taking pride of his looks, egomaniac man.

"Sleep." A soft voice said.

And everything became darkness.

"Ana, Ana, Ana..." his voice was soft against my ear, as his lips trailed kisses from my neck down to my shoulder.

I smiled even with my eyelids closed. "Tickles..." I murmured and snuggled closer to him. Marco's arms covered my back and the scent of pineapple jelly bears filled my nostrils. His hand trailed down, down and his husky voice whispered to my ear:

"Wake up. Anastasia."

My eyes opened and met blue ones. Two similar faces were staring down at me, their blond hair, shining.

"Anastasia." Meli said and touched my cheek.

I felt my back touching something soft and I turned my head slowly to my left. Marco wasn't here. But he was hugging me!

"Meli, where is Marco?"

Her expression shattered. "Anastasia. Marco..."

I turned to the other Angel. "Moli, where is Marco?"

She lifted me up and hugged me. "I am so sorry child." Her voice was broken.

"No!" I shouted and pushed her away, scrabbling away from the bed. I got up and ran towards the double doors.

I heard the Angels shouting behind me. I ran through the corridors, their white marble cool against my palm as I staggered for a breath. My feet felt so weak and my breathing was harsh.

I tried to sense Marco, the ghosts, even Murasaki and Feith. But nothing worked. My senses were gone. "No..." I whispered and continued running, towards where I didn't know but I passed rooms where Protectors were lying with their families, Healers who made way for me to pass.

"Anastasia!" I saw Feith flying towards me and stopped. He looked...different. The grey irises were silver, shining like moonlight, the grey hair had become almost diamond while his grey wings looked wider, bigger.

"What are you doing? You were not supposed to be up." He said and grabbed my elbows. 

I pulled away from him, feeling the hollow part in me twisting. "Where is Marco?"

Feith stilled.

"Feith?"

"Hold on." He said and grabbed me from my waist taking me quickly off. We flew high and I finally registered that we were at the First Division. Uriel's HQ was still marvelous even after all the destruction. Feith maneuvered around a tower until he slowly found an open landing space.

His wings folded tightly behind him and by holding my hand he guided me towards a room. Murasaki and Rath together with Christin and Haimei were standing outside the closed doors. When Murasaki saw us she became furious.

"Have you lost your mind? Why did you bring her here?"

"Murasaki."

I walked towards the door and Christin touched my shoulder. "Don't go in there Annie."

"I need Marco," I said with a steady voice my eyes locked on the doorknob. I felt her hand tightening around my shoulder and I brushed her off, pushing the door open.

The room was wide and for a moment it reminded me of Parthenon. Mom and Dad used to tell me countless stories about the glory of Ancient Athens. The colors were white with drawings of gold around their surface. A window, huge with a glass panel was covering the wall across me, illuminating the dais below it.

And upon the dais...

A body was lying...

"No..." I ran towards the dais, climbing the stairs with one stride. Marco was lying on the marble floor. His eyes were closed, his hands gently placed on his chest, while the long black wings were tightly settled on his back. His clothes were clean, his Grim Reaper uniform and boots polished.

I fell on my knees, not caring about the pain and I drew patterns with my fingers on his face. He was so still.

"Wake up...please wake up..." I chanted again and again until I laid my head on his chest.

There was no heartbeat, Marco's slow heartbeat wasn't echoing. I fisted his black shirt and buried his face on the crook of his neck.

And cried.

I don't know for how long I sat there, holding Marco tightly, but at some point I felt soft hands on my back. I spun around. Kyoko and Christin tried to help me up. I refused and tugged my hands away.

They left.

Later, the ghosts appeared. I could still see them, but my gift was not so strong anymore. "Ana-dono, please eat something."

"You've been here for hours kid."

"Otekah." Kachina's ghostly hands touched my hand, but I couldn't feel her.

"Leave us alone....please."

"If you need anything call us okay?" Perseus said.

I didn't turn to see if they had left. I scooted closer to Marco's lying body and touched gently his arm. I willed his arms to circle my body, hold me against his chest. He didn't move and anguish weighed in me. I cried and left the darkness to consume me.

I dreamed of scythes and feathers, blood and angel dust, wings and of gold, white and blue, and into all this palette of colors, Marco stood, his expression serious, his arms folded on his chest.

"Marco!" I shouted and ran towards him. But as I ran I realized that I hadn't even managed to reach the distance which separated us.

"Wake up Ana. They need you." Marco said his voice stern.

"I need you too! I fucking deserve to be selfish for once!" I screamed at him and his eyes became soft.

"You are right." He walked closer, easily drawing closer. His fingertips traced my cheeks, my lips, down to my raging pulse. "I am always with you...never forget that." His lips touched mine before pulling back, his body becoming fuzzy, disappearing.

"Go, Anastasia. I'll be right here."

I opened my eyes. It was dark into the gigantic room, Marco was lying and I got up, turning towards the large window. Only the moon shone; there were no stars. "Oh God." I muttered and looked down at Marco. I cupped his cheeks and gave him one last kiss, before running outside from the room, closing the doors behind me.

Haimei and Kachina were standing on the wall, their forms not so solid. Haimei's armor wasn't shiny like it used to while Kachina's feathers looked crumbled on her head. When they noticed me, their bodies shined as if a switch was turned on.

"Otekah!" Kachina hugged me as I looked at Haimei. "You were inside for two days. You must be hungry."

"And in need for a bath." Haimei tipped his nose.

I glared at him. "I must see Feith. I want to know what happened."

They guided me on the top floor of another tower, after taking a quick flight with a Healer who had happened to pass by. The Angel had looked at me with quite awe and he held me as if I was going to break. His hold was nothing like the vise grip of Marco's hands.

When we reached the doors a strange sense of déjà vu hit me. I knew the chamber behind these doors. It was the one Auge had entered when she was going to be interviewed about her position as a Protector. I pushed the doors open and the ghosts followed behind me. Feith, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael were satring down at a large oval table, which was shining a purple hue.

The four of them looked magnificent but their expressions were betraying something else; sadness, fear. Feith was the first to look up and his eyes widened as if he wasn't expecting me to come. "Anastasia."

I marveled at his transformation, at the way his wings flared when he turned or how his eyes had become silver, instead of grey. I managed a weak smile. "You look good Feith."

H chuckled as he helped me sit on one of the armchairs. "You should see Murasaki. She had gone crazy, jumping all around shouting 'mine', 'mine', 'mine'."

A loud cough made us look up. Gabriel was scowling at us while Raphael and Uriel were grinning. "We should focus here." The redhead Angel said and pointed at something on the table. I leaned too to see the map of a structure so wide, that the boundaries were blurred.

The map was showing three circles one after another with their edges interlocking together. The left circle had the structure of the Four Divisions, the right one was simply noted as 'Hell', while the third one had a cavern that looked like a pitch-black hole. "Death Inc." Feith said.

"And Nether Realm?"

"That one stays unaffected," Raphael said and pushed back his mane of brown hair.

"And this gap between the circles?"

"That is the universe and into it between the galaxies and the stars lies Earth." Uriel spoke softly and I looked at her.

"Oh, I had never thought of that..."

"Ah! Leito!" Feith spoke and I looked up.

Leito's blue hair was the only familiar thing I got to notice. Because his body had become that of a man's with board shoulders, lean torso, and grey wings smaller than Feith's. If only Marco could see him now, I was sure that he would say something cool.

Or irritating.

"Tell us child, why have you come here?" Gabriel asked me.

"I want to know how much time we have. And I want to ask Uriel about...a crow's last words." I turned to Uriel as I spoke.

"Leito, take Anastasia to the baths. She needs food too." Feith instructed and I scowled at him.

Feith smirked. "Then you can talk, isn't that right Lady Uriel?"

"Yes, Lord Feith." She smiled kindly at him. There was trust between them and a feeling of balance. Maybe the change on the head of the Fourth Division wasn't so bad after all.

I got up and followed Leito out of the room. We walked in silence, followed by Kachina who had waited for me. "So, you have grown." I noted and Leito turned around.

"That was the result of the change. It seemed that Machias was 'feeding' on your bond between you and the Fallen. That much his power had fallen. When Marco threw that dagger he weakened Machias enough for Feith to deliver the final strike."

"The power which was unleashed was enough to give me an adult form. And also to free the Lords from the Garden." Leito's gaze traveled on my clothes, torn and blooded as they were.

I could still feel Marco's hair on my fingertips. "Even if I knew what was going to happen, after all these years..." his eyes locked with mine, "I wouldn't have taken him from you, that day on the airport."

"You wouldn't have taken my parents too. Your loyalty blinded you, Leito but I am not the one to judge. We have lost many."

I walked around him while Kachina's hand touched mine, silently following me.

"So you forgive me, Anastasia?" Leito followed from behind, his grey wings making soft sounds as they moved.

"No. But I will learn to live with my losses."

He didn't speak until we reached the common baths, something that I had learnt from Meli and Moli. Leito bowed and left without another word and Kachina turned to me. "He carries quite a burden Otekah."

"Good, let him have a conscience for once." I spat and opened the doors.

The steam invaded my skin and warmth welcomed me. Kyoko and Christin were taking off their clothes and when they saw me they rushed to my side hugging me. I wanted to dissolve into tears, scream and wail but the numbness wouldn't let me Kyoko's blue eyes were tired and I noticed her scars on her waist and arms.

"Kyoko..."

"Onee-chan, don't worry." She smiled at me.

"Come on Annie." Christin tugged me towards the water, helping me get rid of the blooded armor on my chest, the brown leggings and boots. When the warm water coverd me body, I moaned with relief and sat on the marble bench at the edge of the pool, the water, reaching my chest.

Kyoko and Christin took their time, using oils and a bruh to rub my skin and comb my hair. After a while with my skin flush and my hair shiny from the oils Kyoko had used, I got up and headed to take towels for us. I avoided looking at the mirror which was at my right. The last time I had stood into a bathroom like that Marco was behind me.

A white tunic with short pants and a pair of silver sandals waited for me when I got out. I let Kyoko and Christin dress me, too tired to even move my arms. "Let's get you something to eat okay?" Christin said and guided me to a room through another door.

There was a round table and some Healers had already settled down fruit and some kind of pies. Kyoko filled a plate for me as I sat and nibbed a little from the bread. We ate in silence and I knew that they were uncomfortable. I couldn't blame them, we all had seen enough death.

"Where are Leonard and Asrenia?" I asked, remembering their limp bodies under the rumble.

"They....didn't make it..." Kyoko said with a low voice and I lowered my head.

Leonard's humor, Arsenia's witty words were some things I liked about these two. And Marco had mentioned that they had a lot of hormones to take care of. I gagged the food and got up quickly, running towards the bathroom.

The basin luckily was near and I vomited the little I had eaten, heaving after. Falling down to my knees, I felt a towel at my mouth and Christin's brown eyes looking at me with concern. "I know it hurts Annie. I know."

I hugged her tightly and wept. She smoothed my hair, whispering in both Greek and English, her voice like a lullaby. When I finally stopped, she helped me up and we returned to the room. Tomo was standing near Kyoko, holding her hand in reassurance. "Ana-dono." He bowed and looked up. "Murasaki was looking for you."

"Okay." I murmured and followed Tomo, giving a weak smile at Kyoko and Christin.

We found Murasaki at the gardens of the First Division, which were surrounding the HQ. She stood by a big willow, practicing her katanas, the purple hue shining on the blades. When she noticed us ahe told Tomo to go back and the fox spirit disappeared into blue fire.

"You know, I didn't like you the first time I met you." Murasaki said as she sheathed her swords.

"Gee, thanks..." I mumbled and sat on one of the fallen logs.

"I was too busy wooing Marco at that assignment, I didn't notice the way he looked, cared about you." She tossed her long purple hair back and fixed her kimono.

It was still a black one with a red sash around her waist.

"When a Grim Reaper is either outcasted or, rarely, being reborn his or her scythe returns to Death."

I looked up at her, frowning. "Why are you telling me this?"

She came closer and crouched in front of me, holding something metallic between her fingers. When she let the key ring fall, I bit back a cry. "Where, how did you get this?" I trailed the small black scythe on the key ring."

"His scythe never returned to Death. It appeared before me when...you know..." Murasaki placed it gently on my palms. "It seems that the scythe can't leave."

"My bond is gone Murasaki." I grunted tightening my hold around the cool metal.

She tilted my chin, making me look at her. "A bond is never broken, Anastasia. There are no conditions, no limitations in love. You can love beyond time, space, and Realms, you can lose those you care of but love, never, ever disappears."

I smiled at her. "Since when have you become so wise Murasaki?"

She rubbed my head, making my hair frizzy. "Having Feith for a boyfriend has given me some...perks."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She pouted, a dreamy smile on her lips. "Oh, fucking yeah..." She got up and patted my shoulder. "For whatever the reason Marco left the scythe behind, he must have had a plan, or something."

I nodded and Murasaki left. I got up and began walking across the gardens, holding the ke ring tightly. The gardens had lost most of their beauty, the flowers were withered and orange patches had covered the ground. Decay and death, nothing more. A pang on my chest had me look down at the small scythe. Marco always liked to play with his key ring, back in our contract days.

"What do you want to tell me Marco?" I asked the small black scythe and kissed it, trying to hold back my anguish.

The scythe trembled and jumped from my hands becoming longer and bigger. Soon the scythe hovered before me, the onyx blade shiny and smooth at the touch. A deadly weapon that was at the same time terrifyingly beautiful.

"Recording, recording." Marco's voice was heard, coming from the scythe and I gasped.

"Marco!"

"How the fuck does this thing works? I should have told D to give me the instructions!" his irritated voice echoed from the scythe and I stepped closer.

"Marco, is that you?"

"So now let's see." The voice said again and I realized that it was just the scythe's report. Marco had explained to me that all Grim Reapers were sending their reports via their scythes, keeping at the same time a 'copy' of their missions. "I met a kid today. A girl with the Sight. She freaked me out jumping on me, asking to give her grandmother's soul back. I will return later and learn more."

I held my palm on my mouth and sat back. Marco was talking about me. The recordings continued, Marco either speaking about his missions or me, commenting on the way I worked or how I was doing with my everyday life. All the years he spent with me, stocked into a scythe.

"I find it hard, staying away. Sometimes the numbness is welcome but I can't stop thinking of her kiss. Damn, I had turned into a pedophile!" Marco scolded himself and I laughed.

"I wish I could give her more. A life, a home, and all these mundane things humans like, such as a lazy day on TV or chocolate bars. Ana loves them. If I could I would give her so much chocolate she would beg me to stop. And not to mention the ways I could use the chocolate on her. But..." he sighed "I fear that this day maybe will not come. Her wings are gone but she still wants to fight."

"If I am gone, what will happen to her? She lost almost everyone...I promised that I would be there for her. And Ana would skin me alive if I was gone. Wait, that doesn't sound well."

Despite my urge to shout, I laughed; Marco always had his humor.

"I love you Anastasia Peters. If you ever hear that, know that I might have failed, so polish that damn sexy sword and come to cut my balls. I'll wait for you."

The recording ended and the scythe fell to the ground. I reached and tied to pick it up. There was no more power in it, so the instrument was lifted with ease. I held it close to me and trailed my fingertips on the blade.

"A man's brave words."

I jumped at the sound o the voice and turned around. Uriel stood not so far from me with her long golden wings casting a faint hue on her alabaster skin and almost white hair. She walked closer looking at the scythe. "A Demon with the heart of an Angel."

"No, he was a Demon with the heart of a man." I retorted and Uriel smiled.

"Come, child, let me take you into a familiar place." Her wings covered me and a light blinded my surroundings. All too soon I stood into a small clearing with an opening on my right, towards the sky a small garden all around me, and a tree with two seats under its bare branches.

"I know this place." I trailed my fingers on the seat. "You used to teach Auge here."

Uriel sat down and motioned for me to sit. I placed the scythe on my lap and scooted closer.

"Such a good child Auge was. I loved her from the day she opened her eyes, even if her choices brought sadness and pain afterward."

"You could stop her."

Uriel smiled sadly. "Who can stop love Anastasia? Love never stopped you from throwing yourself at Nether Realm, neither when you found out that there would be no return without Marco."

She turned towards the open space which led to the sky. I remembered Auge liking take off from that spot. "Love didn't stop Marco from protecting you." She turned her gaze to me. "I know that this is not the end, even when I try to look at the future I only see eternal darkness. What do you believe Anastasia?"

I took a deep breath, hoping to hold my tears back. "I...Shiro told me something before he died."

"Yes, Earth's spirits have strong premonitions. Another gift from Him to His children. Tell me what Shiro told you."

"The darkness must die and the tears must fall.

The wings will shine and the Master shall crawl.

Listen to the song of the light,

And bring forth the stars of the night."

"Most certainly wings shone. Feith ascended as the new Lord of the Fourth Divison causing Machias to fall. Or crawl if you want." Uriel said drily and I couldn't agree more.

"Then...Shiro knew? He knew the future?"

"Remember Anastasia, the future is never set in stone. Our choices create new paths and these paths lead into new futures and destinies."

And then it hit me. What the words darkness and tears meant. I tightened my hold around the scythe's stick and willed myself to speak "Marco had to die and I had to cry? If that is true then how can I 'listen to the song of the light, and bring forth the stars of the night?"

"You will not be alone Anastasia. I am free now and I have already spoken to every able Angel." She got up from her seat and helped up. Her hands touched my cheek and smooth my hair, like a mother's caress. "We shall sing for you. We will sing for the Creation even if the Creation itself has long stopped listening."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Uriel looked at the scythe then at me. "Marco left something for you behind. I am sure he had a reason." She kissed my forehead and began walking back to the HQ. "The Angels have already begun gathering, there's not much time left."

I got up and walked to the edge of the opening. Below me, clouds were moving slowly but the sky was a dull gray, like life had already been drained from the wars and evil and sadness. If the Creation had already given up, then what could I do? Marco and I were supposed to work together, halves of all the beings in Creation in order to ensure the Balance.

Halves...

I eyed the scythe. Marco could handle his Grim Reaper powers and his demonic ones. If the scythe was in my hands then... "Marco you ass..." I smiled and kissed the blade. It hummed under my skin and power surged through it. I was laughing loudly, tears streaking down my cheeks. Marco had indeed stayed behind for me.

"Annie?"

I turned around. Christin was watching me puzzled. No wonder she thought that I had lost my mind. I ran and hugged her tightly. If I, we, could fix this then maybe there was hope for her and Rath to be together. "I love you Christin, you are my best friend."

"I love you too silly." She cried on my shoulder and her body trembled. I saw Rath appearing and gently pushed her towards his arms.

"Take care of my friend Rath."

He inclined his head into a silent nod. "You too Anastasia."

I walked back towards the edge and silently called over my ghosts. Perseus, Haimei and Kachina appeared and their hands were comforting on my back. "So it's come to that huh?" Perseus said and fixed his shield on his left arm.

"I have some powers of my own, my eyes can prove that, and," I held the scythe tightly "Marco is with me."

"We will fly you Ana-dono."

"As long as we can." Kachina hugged me and I held back a sob.

"Thank you," I said and by stepping a little back, I ran and jumped over the garden's edge into nothingness. The scythe was light in my hands and trembled as I fell, its power surging into me. The wind was hard and strong as my body was pulled down from the gravity but there was no fear.

Because as I fell, kept only by the power of my ghosts and the feelings kept tightly inside a scythe my heart was soaring high. I was laughing, since I knew that the only way to restore the Creation was to give unconditionally all the power I held in me, the feelings of love for my friends, my home, for Marco. It was deliberating to know that sometimes dying was not the end of the road, but a new beginning.

The scythe changed color and it became golden. The metal started to melt and from my hands it enveloped all my body. I felt Perseus, Haimei, and Kachina using the last bit of their strength to keep me safe before they disappear forever, back into the Garden.

My body was light and I opened my arms welcoming the cold and the warm, the good and the bad, the love and the hatred. Because nothing could exist without the other and Balance was meant to be kept by accepting both sides. It didn't matter if someone was human, Demon, Angel, Grim Reaper, or a spirit and ghost. We all had a place to contribute to the Balance and as this knowledge poured into my mind, I heard the music which filled the sky.

All the Angels were singing and strangely a humming sound came from the ther side, from another Realm. Hell, too was offering help. I looked down at me. My body had become a mass of gold, my hair was long shiny locks which fell over my shoulders and on the top of my head, something was placed. I traced the crown; it felt like hot iron with sparkling diamonds at the edges.

I felt the power surginf through me and I flew down, willing the Creation to hear my plea. I held my hands together, trying to concentrate on my surroundings and blinked. Here was no sky or earth around me, only a mass of golden clouds and endless silver and colorful stars. The song of the Angels was echoing in every direction and I smiled.

There was never the need to restore the Creation. It would continue to exist. But the Balance needed the power of all Realms. I opened my palms. Inside a single diamond, no stars were formed and it began shimmering. I stretched my right hand, holding it towards the Creation. "I bring back the stars of the night," I murmured and the star flew away from me.

I opened my arms wide and tilted my head back. The scent of pineapple jelly bears filled my nostrils and a pair of strong arms, covered mine from behind. Marco's head leaned close to my ear and his voice was smooth, like a song. "Together Ana?" he murmured and I realized that his spirit was as transparent as every soul I had helped in my life. But he was strong and torn.

My beautiful dark Angel.

"Together Marco."

And I clasped my hands.

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

That day, in the brink of total destruction, Feith witnessed the sacrifice of a human girl whose heart and soul was strongest even from the Four Lords together. From the First Division where all the Angels and even Ana's friends had gathered together to sing, he saw her body falling down to the void and bursting into thousands of golden and black rays of light. Ike a sea's tide the light and darkness covered the Creation, traveling from Hell to Death's Realm and from there up to Heaven.

An earthquake shook all the Divisions as the light reformed them, placing the Divisions not one under the other but on a perfect circle, each facing the other. Equality and understanding, faith and respect were the lessons Ana and Marco taught to the Angels.

And finally, when the combined light and darkness flooded down on Earth, they reshaped the planet, using something so unique that not even Gabriel, who was ancient as time could name. Their lifeforce was poured into the universe and billions of stars and lives were reborn.

At that exact moment, a wild air vacuum filled the First Division, pulling away Kyoko, Tomo, Rath, Christin, Murasaki, and the remaining Grim Reapers. They were never meant to live into another Realm and as the Balance was going to be restored they had to return.

"Feith!" Murasaki screamed as she clawed her way towards Feith who roared when he saw the Shinigami being taken from him. He grabbed her arms and pulled her close.

"I will not leave you!" he shouted through the air and Murasaki's eyes shone. She kissed him wildly and muzzled her nose on his cheek. "I will come back, baka. Will you wait for me, anata?"

"Eien ni." Forever.

Murasaki smiled and let the wind take her away as Feith screamed her name from the Heavens.

Raphael held tightly Uriel while Gabriel instructed all Angels to remain calm. As the Balance was being restored a new vision filled the mind of the Angel of Destiny. She smiled at the sky, blessing the power of Him and began singing the anthem of purification, paying her tribute to Marco and Anastasia, the pair who fought through feathers and scythes and earned a place into eternity.