"Sinking", Final Chapter
Jan. 28th, 2005 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalNotes: In Nomine, Laurence and Christopher, Rated PG.
Laurence found Christopher on the edge of the lake, near his Cottage. The new Malakite was sitting crosslegged at the end of the dock, watching his Blessed Souls frolic in the water and play with relievers in the guise of dolphins and more fantastic creatures. There was a young reliever in Christopher’s lap, watching the whole proceeding with intense curiousity.
“Lord Christopher,” he greeted.
“Commander,” Christopher replied, glancing up at him but making no move to stand. He patted the little reliever on the head. “This is Lord Commander Laurence, little one. Say hello.”
“Hello! Hey, he’s got black wings like you!” the reliever piped up.
“Yes, I do,” Laurence replied, kneeling down beside them both. “What’s your name, little one?”
The young reliever scrunched up his brows in concentration. “I’m Dr--Druiel. I’m a re-reliever! I help people!”
Laurence smiled carefully. “’Druiel’, that’s a very good name.”
“I like it!” Druiel said, lifting off from Christopher’s lap to fly a quick circle around the two archangels. “I like helping people too!”
“Druiel, would you like to play with the others in the lake? Laurence and I need to talk,” Christopher asked.
“Sure! Bye-bye, Laurence! Bye-bye, Dad!” Druiel sped off without a backward glance towards a game of Marco Polo that was beginning to start.
Christopher watched him go, looking a little sad. “He’s a good child,” the archangel noted.
“His redemption did not go easily, I take it?” Laurence asked.
“No, not easily,” Christopher agreed. “He was not at all certain he’d made the right choice, or whether he was worthy of redemption at all. He lost much in the transistion, including most of his memories. Perhaps I should have waited before making the attempt, so soon after.”
“No redemption goes easily,” Laurence noted. “At the very least he survived it. That’s not always for certain. The fact that he lost his memories as well might be considered a disguised blessing.”
Christopher’s expression hardened. “When he is older, I will tell Druiel all that happened, from his Fall, to his selfless acts in the defense of Retzel, to his Redemption. There is no room for deception.”
“Truth.” Laurence shifted uncomfortably, then adopted Christopher’s crosslegged posture. “I would like to say… that I am sorry, Lord Christopher, for the suffering you endured, and the deceptions that partially led to it. But I did not see another way.”
Christopher nodded gravely, and raised his shackled arms. “Until I felt these chains bind me, I did not realize how heavy a burden they could truly be. You were acting for the betterment of the Host as a whole, Laurence. I will not deny at the time of my capture I was more of a burden for Heaven than an asset.” He shook his head. “I had even managed to turn Blandine against me. You did what you thought you must.”
Laurence let out a sigh. “Dominic would say I’d blinded myself to other alternatives. I know that I acted, if not dishonorably, at least in a manner that favored expedience over what was Right.”
“Mmm. Speaking of what is Right, do you have an opinion concerning the Grigori Matter?”
“Your proposal has… possibilities… Lord Christopher. But I might tell you that in all the time of Grigori’s exile, none have approached any of the Host to request their Outcasting be lifted from them.”
“Hard to approach a Tether to speak to someone, when they faced the possibility of seeing themselves and whatever family they have be murdered by the people they have to beg forgiveness from,” Christopher noted. “That must change. Those who persecuted and murdered the Grigori must be made to face Judgement.”
Laurence frowned. “Politically speaking, that might not be the wisest course. We must not face the threat of the Horde with a house divided.”
Christopher levered himself up to a standing position, and Laurence did likewise. “Politically speaking, I don’t care, Lord Commander. If we can only maintain our unity by harboring murderers among us, then we do not deserve to win the fight against the forces of Lucifer. You wish Heaven’s house to be united? Then let us begin by welcoming back the Choir that has been seperated from it for so very long.”
“Judgement may not agree with you,” Laurence warned. When did Christopher become taller than me? he wondered, standing beside him for the first time since his change.
“That is for Dominic to decide. As for myself, earlier I forgave you for doing what you believed was right for the Host. Well, now I must act for what is right for the Host as well. I would appreciate it if you did not interfere.” Christopher crossed his arms, and stared Laurence down.
“As you wish,” Laurence said, realizing he’d overstayed his welcome. “Good day to you, Lord Christopher.”
“Good day, Lord Commander.”
Be careful on your path, Christopher, Laurence thought as he left the Cottage’s grounds. David thought he was doing the right thing as well, once.
The End
Laurence found Christopher on the edge of the lake, near his Cottage. The new Malakite was sitting crosslegged at the end of the dock, watching his Blessed Souls frolic in the water and play with relievers in the guise of dolphins and more fantastic creatures. There was a young reliever in Christopher’s lap, watching the whole proceeding with intense curiousity.
“Lord Christopher,” he greeted.
“Commander,” Christopher replied, glancing up at him but making no move to stand. He patted the little reliever on the head. “This is Lord Commander Laurence, little one. Say hello.”
“Hello! Hey, he’s got black wings like you!” the reliever piped up.
“Yes, I do,” Laurence replied, kneeling down beside them both. “What’s your name, little one?”
The young reliever scrunched up his brows in concentration. “I’m Dr--Druiel. I’m a re-reliever! I help people!”
Laurence smiled carefully. “’Druiel’, that’s a very good name.”
“I like it!” Druiel said, lifting off from Christopher’s lap to fly a quick circle around the two archangels. “I like helping people too!”
“Druiel, would you like to play with the others in the lake? Laurence and I need to talk,” Christopher asked.
“Sure! Bye-bye, Laurence! Bye-bye, Dad!” Druiel sped off without a backward glance towards a game of Marco Polo that was beginning to start.
Christopher watched him go, looking a little sad. “He’s a good child,” the archangel noted.
“His redemption did not go easily, I take it?” Laurence asked.
“No, not easily,” Christopher agreed. “He was not at all certain he’d made the right choice, or whether he was worthy of redemption at all. He lost much in the transistion, including most of his memories. Perhaps I should have waited before making the attempt, so soon after.”
“No redemption goes easily,” Laurence noted. “At the very least he survived it. That’s not always for certain. The fact that he lost his memories as well might be considered a disguised blessing.”
Christopher’s expression hardened. “When he is older, I will tell Druiel all that happened, from his Fall, to his selfless acts in the defense of Retzel, to his Redemption. There is no room for deception.”
“Truth.” Laurence shifted uncomfortably, then adopted Christopher’s crosslegged posture. “I would like to say… that I am sorry, Lord Christopher, for the suffering you endured, and the deceptions that partially led to it. But I did not see another way.”
Christopher nodded gravely, and raised his shackled arms. “Until I felt these chains bind me, I did not realize how heavy a burden they could truly be. You were acting for the betterment of the Host as a whole, Laurence. I will not deny at the time of my capture I was more of a burden for Heaven than an asset.” He shook his head. “I had even managed to turn Blandine against me. You did what you thought you must.”
Laurence let out a sigh. “Dominic would say I’d blinded myself to other alternatives. I know that I acted, if not dishonorably, at least in a manner that favored expedience over what was Right.”
“Mmm. Speaking of what is Right, do you have an opinion concerning the Grigori Matter?”
“Your proposal has… possibilities… Lord Christopher. But I might tell you that in all the time of Grigori’s exile, none have approached any of the Host to request their Outcasting be lifted from them.”
“Hard to approach a Tether to speak to someone, when they faced the possibility of seeing themselves and whatever family they have be murdered by the people they have to beg forgiveness from,” Christopher noted. “That must change. Those who persecuted and murdered the Grigori must be made to face Judgement.”
Laurence frowned. “Politically speaking, that might not be the wisest course. We must not face the threat of the Horde with a house divided.”
Christopher levered himself up to a standing position, and Laurence did likewise. “Politically speaking, I don’t care, Lord Commander. If we can only maintain our unity by harboring murderers among us, then we do not deserve to win the fight against the forces of Lucifer. You wish Heaven’s house to be united? Then let us begin by welcoming back the Choir that has been seperated from it for so very long.”
“Judgement may not agree with you,” Laurence warned. When did Christopher become taller than me? he wondered, standing beside him for the first time since his change.
“That is for Dominic to decide. As for myself, earlier I forgave you for doing what you believed was right for the Host. Well, now I must act for what is right for the Host as well. I would appreciate it if you did not interfere.” Christopher crossed his arms, and stared Laurence down.
“As you wish,” Laurence said, realizing he’d overstayed his welcome. “Good day to you, Lord Christopher.”
“Good day, Lord Commander.”
Be careful on your path, Christopher, Laurence thought as he left the Cottage’s grounds. David thought he was doing the right thing as well, once.
The End
