Truth through time.

"At the time we met, we were Angels. Just because I was in a younger body again didn't mean there was anything wrong with it. Besides, the school had him down as only twenty one years old. I was sixteen when I met him again." Amatae defended herself, cringing when her bell laughter rang through the air again.

 

Eliza nodded, "Okay but I'm coming with you, alright?" She figured that he was going to do this anyway, so at least if she was there she could stop him doing anything too stupid.

 

He smiled at Eliza and halfway down the street, he felt a tremor in the balance of fate. "Get down!" he pushed her away from him as Drake's sword came down where she'd been standing. "Drake!"

"Drake smiled, "Good to see you remember me, Brother. I had hoped you'd come to the past again. Why it's been so long since I got to see you. You interfered with that just now. You are not my brother from this time, but from the future. I know your tricks! They don't call me Archangel Gabriel's darkest son for no reason!" he tried to bring the sword down on Gabriel and he caught it, cutting his hand in the process.

 

Eliza watched, her heart racing, she knew this was not her fight but she hated to see Gabriel get hurt. So, gradually her body harderned, not obviously at first but slowly her entire body turned to diamond. Though she did not move immediatly to help, seeing if Gabriel could deal with Drake first without her help.

 

As Amatae waited for Rita to form a reply, she watched the scene between the past Amatae and Past Pierce, wondering where the present one had gotten off to after he'd accompanied them to the past. "Say, Ri, where did Pierce go after he accompanied us here?"

"Well, monsieur Bannidlues, I'm afraid I must be off. It was a pleasure meeting you." The past Amatae spoke, giggling. She was wearing a light, soft yellow dress, one that the present Amatae thought clashed terribly with her red tinted hair. A white bow was wrapped around the waistline, and the hem of the dress reached just above her ankles. She was wearing the shoes of the time period.

"Wait! I- um... Will I see you again?"

 

"I don't know..." Rita said in response to Amatae's question. "He might have gone looking for the same thing we're looking at right now." She indicated to the young Amatae and Pierce.

 

Amatae gave a nod. "I hope so. Because Pierce hasn't changed a bit, and if the past me is currently flirting with present Pierce, I may stab her." She then checked the clothing of the past Amatae. "Weird, huh? I went from yellow frills, to dark gothic clothing, to this." She indicated her smart outfit.

 

Gabriel, holding onto Drake's sword, kicked Drake's stomach and let go. "And what makes you think I'm from the future. You're talking crazy."

Drake looked over at Eliza turning to diamond, "Because the Gabriel I know, wouldn't hang out with her. You always liked mortals and then there's Sorcha, but only you would know how that ends."

Gabriel flinched, "Sorcha is none of your buisness. You'd never be able to best me now, as you could never best me then!" He summoned a sword and twirled it in his uninjured hand, "There's no amount of pain I wouldn't be willing to go through to save you brother, from your fate."

Drake laughed and a distant look came over his face, "You've no idea the pain I endured when we fell."

 

"I doubt that's Prof. Pierce, and even if it was, you couldn't stab your past self, it may cause you alot of harm in the future." Rita sighed. "Yeah, that is kinda strange, I still can't believe I used to wear a skirt like that." She looked over at her past self, who was petting an orangey-red cat. "May I ask why you went gothic? Mid-life crisis?"

 

Eliza remained silent, watching the scene unfold, Gabriel seemed to be doing fine. Although she was kicking herself about turning diamond so soon and giving the game away but it had already been done. As the last of her body turned to diamond, she just watched so still she could of been mistaken for a statue made of diamond.

 

Amatae gave a small laugh at Rita's words. "No, not a mid-life crisis. Pierce's fog on my memories faded just before I attended the school, and I'd accidentally opened my wings one night in my old home. My wings are black, because I used to be on the side of darkness, but I'd forgotten about that fact. I assumed that wearing black was the best thing to do, since it went with my wings. Mid life crisis might come into that too, somewhere." She watched the past Rita petting a cat. "Did you have a thing for the colour orange?"

 

"How much more pain could await me in the future?" Drake looked up at his brother and let his black eyes burn into him, "You used to be such a kind brother. So gentle. What happens to us in the future, Gabriel?"

Gabriel knew he shouldn't answer him, "I can't tell you that. It's against the rules." He noticed Drake hadn't opened his wings, "Somethin' wrong with you?" He watched Drake roll his shoulders and shake his head, "Nothing that can't be fixed." Nodding, Gabriel realized this is where Drake had disappeared to. He was talking to him all the time while he won Sorcha's heart. He smiled, relieved that he hadn't abandoned his brother completely.

 

Eliza remained glued to the spot like a diamond statue.

 

Gabriel shifted and let the sword disappear, "C'mon Eliza, we're done here."

Drake spran to his feet, "Hold on! You're just gonna leave, just like that? Don't you want to see Sorcha one last time?"

Gabriel hid his smile and continued walking.

 

Rita grinned slightly, "Most likely, considering the getup I'm in now, it wouldn't be too surprising." She noted her Red and Orange striped socks and cloak. "Strange though, Why I don't transform into an orange cat..."

 

Eliza raised one diamond eyebrow before moving to follow him, her body returning to flesh and blood as she walked.

 

Drake ran after them and walked beside Gabriel, "What are you doing here if you're from the future? Am I...alive?" His dark eyes probed his brother eagerly for answers as his powers probed his friend's memories for glimpses into the future.

Gabriel ignored him and sliently put up a barrier between Eliza's and Drake's minds, feeling only a slight pin prick on Eliza's part, "Leave it alone Drake. You're...more or less alive in the future, but that's all I can answer. Your questions jepordize the efforts of the future."

Drake growled, "You make no sense, just like you always did. Always speaking in riddles." He looked to Eliza, "Who are you? You're an angel too? When did you fall?"

 

"Maybe seeing that cat is what gives you the inspiration to turn into an orange cat?" Amatae asked, looking over to the past Pierce and Amatae, keeping her eyes on them as they conversed.

"My my, what unusual outfits for two ladies of this time."

At that, Amatae turned around quickly, knocking slightly into Rita and spluttering in a completely undignified manner. "P-Pierce!" That was shouted rather loudly, loud enough to reach the ears of the past Pierce and Amatae, and possibly even the past Rita.

 

Eliza smiled, only pausing when she felt an odd pin prick, she knew she probably shouldn't reply but something made her simply say, "My name is Eliza and to when I fell, I'm afraid I can not tell you, I don't remember."

 

Drake grumbled and grabbed Eliza's arm, pulling her to a stop, "Gabriel stop it. Let me see her memories. It's my right. Father said I could do what I wanted with my powers." Dark, almost black, blue eyes stared into Eliza's and a charming smile spread across his lips.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "I'm afraid I can't. Father may have said they were yours to do with as you choose but as the keeper of balance, I'm not going to let you ruin the future. I like it the way it is. Leave Eliza alone. She's got nothing to do with your future. She doesn't even know who you are. Drake...you can't unlock her memories if she doesn't want them to be unlocked."