The Soul Within

Darkephoenix: Glad to know you're enjoying it and I hope you enjoy this part. Francesco meeting with Kanzeon was fun to write.


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Abel watched as Sister Kate appeared in the office, his face emotionless, but his gut churned with a chaotic mix of emotions. There was fury at Cain, old and familiar that urged him to rip the murderous traitor apart with his bare hands before decorating the landscape with his entrails while the weary acceptance that always came with another mission settled across his shoulders even though he had barely recovered from the last mission he had been on. Yet, each time his eyes fell on the lush hermaphrodite that stood there in sheer silk and gold jewelry with a smirk on hir ruby lips, there was a feeling of familiarness, as if he was suppose to know hir.

“Yes, Your Excellency?” inquired Sister Kate, her holographic image flickering slightly as she stood there. “How may I be of assistance?”

“Father Nightroad requires the use of your transmitter,” Catarina announced, gesturing to Abel and Sister Kate turned to look at him, an expectant look on her face.

Reaching up, Abel removed his glasses and smiled at the young nun. “I apologize for any discomfort you might experience,” he said before straightening and fixing her with a piercing stare. “Commander Abel Nightroad of the United Aerospace Force, Red mars Project, identification code UNASF 984R MOC 666 02AK, open communications to satellite Hermes.”

Sister Kate blinked in confusion as Alessandro stared at Abel as if he had never seen the silver haired man before, and the blonde nun let out a startled yelp before her image wavered and was replaced with an image of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Augusta Vradica, evoking startled gasps from both Catarina and Alessandro as Abel smiled at his sister in spirit. “Hello, Seth.”

The small ruler grinned, her green eyes dancing. “Hi, Abel. Where do you need me to hide the bodies?”

“It's nothing like that, bratling,” he teased before a serious expression slid across his face, erasing all humor. “Cain's been spotted in the Desolate Lands, and my help's being asked for. I don't know how long I'll be gone so I wanted to ask a favor from you.”

“Anything, brother. You know that,” Seth replied, her voice earnest as she leaned forward slightly on her throne, and a warm feeling enveloped Abel, one he hadn't felt in ages.

“I want you to bring Lilith home,” he stated, his blue eyes meeting her green ones. The had talked about this this on the station before Abel had left with Lilith's body, and Seth had made Abel promise to allow her to entomb their mother if anything was to happen to Abel. He truly didn't want to ask this of Seth, but with so much of the Desolate Lands uncharted, it was questionable if he would ever return even if he should defeat Cain and his minions.

Seth closed her eyes for a few seconds, and she took a deep breath before speaking again. “I will send Mira to collect our mother,” she said in a soft voice before opening her eyes to meet Abel's gaze, her emerald eyes flashing brightly. “Bring the bastard's head back on a pike and we'll throw a week long party.”

“Be careful, little sister.” Abel reached out his hand as if to place it against the edge of the hologram like it was a window.

She reached out as well, mirroring his gesture as their palms almost touched, and he could almost swear he could feel the heat of her skin on his. “You're never alone, big brother.”

With that, she vanished as the transmition was terminated, and Abel slipped his glasses back on as Sister Kate reappeared, a slightly disoriented look on her face. “Thank you for the assistance, Sister Kate. If you will excuse me, I need to pack for this assignment.” He glanced at the hermaphrodite and smiled slightly at hir. “It won't take me long since I haven't unpacked from the last mission.” He bowed briefly to Alessandro and Catarina before he withdrew from the office.

Several minutes later, Abel was shoving the last box of silver bullets into the old pack he had found stuffed in the bottom of his wardrobe, crushing the black robes that were folded in the bottom, and he paused to look around the room that he had claimed for the past several years. The small room was plain stone with a bed, desk, chair, and wardrobe that doubled as a weapons locker, but there was nothing at all that indicated that someone had ever lived there. No trinkets and nicknacks fought for space with pictures on the desk, no personal items covered the walls, and the blanket on the bed was the one that came with the room. It was almost depressing to realize that once he left, there would be no sign that he had ever been there.

'But this isn't my home,' he mused, a faint frown on his face as he turned back to his packing. 'I don't know where it is, but this wasn't it.'

“Yo, Father Four-Eyes,” greeted a friendly voice from the door, and Abel glanced over his shoulder to find Father Leon de Garcia leaning on the frame with a small smirk on his face. “There's a rumor racing around about a shapely lady wearing only gold jewelry and a smile getting past the guards to see the Pope.”

Tying the bedroll to the pack, Abel smiled and shouldered it as he brushed past the Spaniard. “That's not true. Se's also wearing a gauzy tunic.”

That got a hearty laugh out of Leon as the two priests walked down the hallway, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they moved. Dark eyes glanced over the dark pack that was stuffed full. “So, how long are you going to be gone this time?”

“I don't know if I will return,” confessed Abel, not meeting Leon's eyes. Out of everyone at the AX, Leon was the closest to a true friend that Abel had. Catarina may have given him a purpose in life again, but Leon was the one to show him how to enjoy his life. For that alone, the Spaniard deserved the truth about Abel's absence. “I'm going to the Desolate Lands to stop the Rozen Kruens Order, even if it's the last thing I do.”

A gentle hand on his arm stopped him, and Abel turned to find Leon staring at him with a strange expression. “Don't get yourself killed out there. I expect you to come back and tell me everything that happened as I try to drink you under the table.”

“I will try but I can't promise,” Abel sighed, closing his eyes briefly as he gathered his resolve. Why couldn't Leon see that it hurt to leave like this, not knowing if he was ever going to see his friends again while the dirt and blood from the last mission still stained his skin?

Suddenly, warm lips covered his as a strong hand gripped the back of his head, preventing him from moving away. Abel's eyes flew to find Leon's eyes closed as he continued kissing the silver haired man, and a startled gasp slipped out of Abel before the dark haired priest broke the kiss, his eyes burning with a fierce light.

“Take my love as a weapon against the darkness, beautiful one,” Leon murmured in Spanish as he slipped something heavy on Abel's wrist before turning to walk down the hallway away from the stunned priest. “See you when you get back, Abel Nightroad.”

Abel stared after Leon, one hand coming up to touch his tingling lips as the Spaniard vanished around a corner, and part of him wondered why Leon had never mentioned that he felt that way towards Abel while another part was moaning at the lost opportunities. A weight on his wrist reminded him of the object the Spaniard had slipped on his arm, and he looked down to find a thick silver cuff, keen eyes picking out the nearly invisible zigzag design on the surface while a small button was neatly hidden along the edge. Abel knew pressing the button would cause the silver teeth to spring out, forming the deadly points of the throwing disk, and a small smile crossed his face. It was a weapon Leon was most proficient with, other than the grenade launcher, and by presenting Abel with this disk, Leon was verifying that the silver haired priest had a weapon against vampires when his bullets ran out.

'And they will run out,' Abel sighed as he mentally prepared to once more jump willingly into the fight against the Rozen Kruens Order, and he squared his shoulders as continued to His Holiness' office where his strange guide to Cain waited.

***

The door opened to admit Abel a second time, and Kanzeon smiled at the sight of the full pack clutched in one hand, the bedroll tied neatly to the top, and the determined look in his blue eyes despite the weariness that was in his gaze.

“Catarina, it was a true pleasure knowing you,” Abel stated, a soft smile on his face before he bowed to the boy pope. “Your Holiness, believe in yourself because you are stronger than you think, and Francesco fears that strength.” Reaching out, he placed a card, two long silvered earclips, and a pair of rimless glasses on the desk before pushing them over to Sforza, who was staring at him with tears starting to build in her grey eyes. “Should I return, I will reclaim these, but until that time, keep them safe for me.”

Kanzeon slipped hir arm through his and grinned up at him. “Ready to go?”

The silver haired man nodded, and se transported them both to a deserted stretch of road that was only a few hours drive from the next town which was hir nephew's next stop on his journey west. Se glanced around with a satisfied smirk as se sent out a mental call to Hakuryuu to hurry up, and se glanced at Abel to find him looking around in confusion.

“I don't mean to question your decision, but what am I doing here instead of in a town or even where Cain is?” he asked, and se smiled gently at him even as se realized that he was still talking in Italian. Reaching up, se cupped his face in hir hands and placed a gentle kiss on his brow, transferring the knowledge of the local language to him as well as replacing the cobalt diamond he wore as Nataku. It was only a faint shadow on his skin but as his memories of his time in Heaven returned, so would the mark.

“You're going to meet the group you're to travel with,” Kanzeon stated, straightening the collar of his robe before reaching up and slipping the black ribbon out of his hair, letting it cascade around his shoulders like a silver waterfall. It had always been a shame that Nataku had always worn his hair pinned up as was the fashion in Heaven since he had such lovely silver hair, and se was glad to see that Abel had the same shade.

He opened his mouth, and se grinned at him, holding up a gold card between two fingers. “This is for you, to pay for your part of the trip. Since I asked you along, it seems only fair to pay your way.” Se ruffled his bangs as se heard the sound of the jeep approaching, and se turned to smirk at the four sitting in the vehicle.

Genjyo Sanzo snorted as he glared at them, a lit cigarette held between two fingers, and se felt Abel fidget slightly next to hir. “What do you want?”

“I've brought you some help because a new player's barged into the game,” Kanzeon stated, slapping Abel on the back hard enough that he stumbled forward a step. “He's going to be traveling with you and helping you on your journey.”

“Don't want him. Take him back,” growled Sanzo, taking another puff on his cigarette even as his violet eyes narrowed suspiciously. He jerked his cigarette at the other three in the jeep. “Bad enough I'm saddled with this three.”

Gojya snorted, lighting a cigarette of his own before blowing the smoke towards the blond. “We love you too, Sanzo,” he drawled only to yelp when a large paper fan was swung at his head by Sanzo, and Kanzeon laughed before vanishing in a sparkle of light, heading back to Heaven to enjoy watching hir favorite nephew and his group of friends.

***