Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian of Love: The Origins ❯ Astral Planes ( Chapter 19 )

Guardian of Love

The Origins

Chapter 19 - The Astral Planes

By Angel Love

 

Author's Notes: As for those readers who were curious as to how I managed to bring back the character in FD I am sure this chapter will answer quite a few questions. This is easily one of my most favorite chapters so far in this story. I worked long and hard on it, I hope you enjoy!

 

Warnings: Death from the previous chapter…

 

Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Sailor Moon, the Greek Gods or any of the various characters that I have used to fashion them after. However, the Guardians are mine, please ask before you use them.

 

 

I opened my eyes and I found that I was lying on my stomach, my back feeling incredibly heavy for some reason. I couldn't see anything but darkness around me and I could barely suppress the urge to panic. `Where is Rose? And why am I not at home where I should be?' I wondered. My mind was locked in the past, before I met Eros and had my future changed drastically.

 

Then I saw a man step from the shadowy mist that surrounded me, his intense eyes looking down at me in concern as a struggled to get myself into a position that wasn't so vulnerable. My attention was divided between watching this man, tall, darkly handsome with his flashing violet eyes and long chestnut hair flowing around his black cape, and trying to slid my knees under me to push me up from the floor.

 

He knelt in front of me and flashed me a grin. “It would help if you tucked your wings in,” he said in an amused voice, although his eyes still shown in concern.

 

My eyes went wide and I looked over my shoulder. I had wings, two very large, beautiful wings with soft silky white feathers that came from my back to cover the floor as they stretched out. “Goddess! I have wings!” I exclaimed quite stupidly. Although I do have to give myself a little leniency here because my mind was no longer the 3000 year old warrior that I had become, but was still the innocent girl that I had once been.

 

I turned back to the strange man when he chuckled. “Yes, you do,” he said softly, his eyes softening when he saw the confusion on my face. “You can't remember me, can you?" he asked softly, reaching over to help me fold my wings against my back so that I could sit up when it became obvious that I was having problems working them.

 

I closed my eyes as his hands trailed down the soft downy feathers. Something about the way his hands felt made me go hot inside, my entire body flushing about the intimacy of it. My lips parted and a soft sound escaped my lips, it even became slightly difficult for me to breathe because it felt as if someone had placed a rock on my chest and something hot and boiling in the pit of my stomach.

 

When I felt him still his hands, I opened my eyes to find his face inches from my own, his breath tickling my face. His eyes were dark as he looked at me through with a mixture of surprise and something else on his face, something that I think would be called lust since I had seen a similar look on my father's face when he looked at me, but this man didn't make me want to run screaming the way my father did. I was oddly comfortable in his presence, like I had known him forever, even if at the moment he was making my insides feel like mush. “Who are you?” I asked him quietly. “Why do I think I know you?”

 

He smiled softly at me and slowly removed his hands from my wings, making me feel strangely disappointed and even more confused because of the strange feelings that were swirling inside of me. “I am Hades,” he answered, taking one of my hands, a grin crossing his face when I looked at him with a stunned expression.

 

“You are the God of the Underworld?” I asked in a shocked voice, not understanding when his amusement increased, almost as if he was laughing at his own private joke.

 

“What did you expect?” he asked with a wide grin.

 

Something was flickering in my mind, but I couldn't quite grasp what it was that was tugging on my memory. “Someone dark... and dreary...” my words starting trailing off as the words clicked with a memory, releasing it in my mind and suddenly they all flooded back to me and I could hear Rose screaming my name through our mental link, yelling at me for leaving her behind. It was all I could do not to clutch my head and scream for it all to stop.

 

I started to shake and I knew that my face had paled as my eyes stared into his violet ones. “Am I dead?” I asked in a quivering voice.

 

He cupped my cheek with his palm and I leaned into his hand, trying to find whatever comfort I could. Reliving Beryl's beating as well as the nightmarish visions that I had because of her wasn't a pleasant experience, not to mention the actual death. “You are no longer in your body,” he said quietly. “This,” he waved a hand over my form, “is just your astral body, your soul if you will. This is what you look like inside.” He motioned to my wings and then let out a sigh. “Now would be the time that I should be preparing you to cross over into the Underworld with me, but to be honest I don't want to. In fact I am the only thing holding you onto your life. I need you to live, Angel.”

 

I looked at him with wide eyes and slowly moved to stand, wobbling slightly with the weight of the wings, making him stand and quickly reach out both of his hands to steady me. “Why?” I asked him, clutching onto his arms as I shifted my wings to fit across my back better. “I gave my life so that they could live, Hades. I knew that I was going to die before I did it. Why are you denying my right to pass into your realm?”

 

His eyes flashed at me with anger. “I would never deny you your rights into my realm. I don't want you there though. You are light and that place it dark and dreary. Your place is among the living. You still have too much to do.”

 

I pushed away from him and crossed my arms over my chest, vaguely surprised that I wasn't in my Guardian fuku but in a long tight white dress without a back, spaghetti straps and a slit up to my right thigh. However I ignored the dress to give him a hard look. “I have done my job, Hades. I have protected Earth for thousands of years and passed on my powers to other people. It is their fight now.”

 

He turned me around and pointed at what looked like to be a large mirror. There was an image of Rose clutching my body to her. I stared for a minute at my broken, lifeless body, oddly fascinated by the morbidity of me staring at my own face, covered in blood and watched as the oozing red liquid coated my once golden hair to a deep crimson color. I was pulled out of my trance over my body by Rose's anguished cries, the same sounds that I could still hear ringing through my head from our mental link, a link I could tell was very weak, so weak that I knew she could not feel me any longer.

 

I felt my heart pull violently in my chest as she began to rock my body back and forth in her arms, her eyes desperate and afraid. Tears coated her pretty face as it contorted with misery. “God, no. Please, Hades, give her back,” she pleaded desperately.

 

I didn't look at anyone else's reactions; my sister's was enough to rip apart my soul. I turned my face away, aware of the tears coating my own cheeks as I looked up at the God with something akin to betrayal in my eyes. “Why do you have to hurt me?” I asked desperately. I balled up my fist and hit him in the chest, just to have him grab my hand and pull me up against him as the sobs tore through me. I could hear soft murmurs from him as I emptied my sorrow against him, my entire body racking with the violent tremors.

 

He slowly stroked my hair until I finally calmed down, reminding me when he had done this before, when I had failed Rose the first time. Now, I was failing her again. I was leaving her. My decision had been made and I was not about to go back on it, the consequences were too great. I would not be used against them.

 

Hades slowly pulled my face up to his and tenderly brushed away the tears on my face, speaking softly. “I know you are angry with me for making you see this, but you need to see that yes, your sacrifice was noble and valiant, but she cannot do this without you.”

 

I shook my head in denial. “She is strong, Hades. She can live without me. I know she can.”

 

He shook his head, still speaking softly to me, pleading for me to listen to him. “Everyone has something or someone that keeps them strong, makes them go on. For Rose that is you. You have always been by her side, no matter what has happened. After Allen's death, you were the only thing that kept her from following in his path. She needs you.”

 

I shook my head again, but instead of answering him, I slowly turned to face the mirror once more, watching what was happening. Serena had once more taken on her Supreme Princess form and the senshi had transformed as well. They, as well as the generals and Prince Endymion were fighting Beryl. I blinked slowly and stepped closer to the mirror. “That's Metellia,” I whispered. “She's taken over Beryl's body.”

 

He nodded faintly as he stepped up next to me, watching as well. When I glanced at him I saw that he had a worried look in his eyes. I quickly looked back at the mirror, my eyes widening in horror. “They aren't strong enough, even with the power of the Imperium Crystal and the generals. Princess Serenity doesn't have the experience to tap all of the energy needed.”

 

Hades nodded once more, his voice very quiet. “You are right, without the help that you were supposed to give there, they will not make it. Rose cannot give it because she is too deep in her misery over your death.”

 

I shook my head, my fists clenching a little. “I did not give up my life just for them to die now.” I concentrated hard, focusing my eyes on Rose, mentally and verbally calling out to her, not caring that Hades was watching me closely. I reached out slowly to the mirror, almost feeling her hair move through my fingers. “Help them, Rose. They need you.”

 

Hades caught me before I could collapse, my spirit feeling weak from the amount of energy I had used just to reach out across the realm of the dead to the living. I knew without opening my eyes that Rose had called upon her powers and began to help the senshi with their battle. Instead I laid my head on Hades' shoulder and whispered, “She will get over my death, Hades. Allen is alive again. She will find him and be happy. Let me die now... please.”

 

He began stroking my hair again and I could feel the frustration and sadness coming off of him as he shifted me to sit against him on the cool ground in this strange astral place he had taken me to, helping me to adjust my wings so I didn't smash them. “Why do you want to die so badly, Angel?” he asked in a choked voice.

 

I looked up at him slowly, slightly surprised to see the deep sorrow in his eyes but I answered him softly, honestly. “I'm tired, Hades. I have been alive for three thousand years, living my life for my senshi, watching them die, watching them hurt, being forced to do nothing. I gave them everything that I had; now my job is done.”

 

He nodded slowly, gently brushing my hair back from my face and over my shoulder. “What about you, Angel? When will you live?”

 

I blinked in confusion. “I have been living. I... I don't understand what you mean.”

 

He looked me in the eyes. “When will you live for yourself? Rose found love, her true love. She married him and she will probably marry him again when she finds him. The other Guardians have all had their own lives. Even Trista has lived a life outside of being a Guardian and a senshi. When will you do the same?”

 

I gave Hades a small smile, briefly thinking of the people that had passed through my life, like Queen Serenity and Aurora. “I have lived. I have made wonderful friends that I have watched grow old and die.”

 

He shook his head, still looking into my eyes. “What about love? You deserve to have someone that you can love, the kind that Rose has for Allen.”

 

I stood up a little shakily, watching him rise to his feet as well. “It was my job to protect love, not be in it. Besides I had all that I needed with you, Eros, and Vega, even with Osmound.”

 

Hades looked at me and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You may love us, Angel, but you are not in love with any of us, nor are you capable of being in love with any of us, even if it to a disappointment of a few.”

 

I felt my cheeks burn brightly, not completely understanding the full meaning behind Hades words, but my words were soft as I answered him. “Perhaps I am not capable of loving someone like that. Does it matter anyways? I have already given my life. Why are we discussing this now?”

 

Hades shook his head at me. “You are a stubborn one. You are capable of feeling it. I know you are.”

 

I wrinkled my nose at him. “And how would you know this? The last time I checked you were the God of the Underworld, not the God of Love.”

 

He lifted an eyebrow at me, a smile pulling at his lips. “It is nice to see that you are still sassy. I know this because my best friend is the God of Love. We have discussed many things, including you.” I blinked slowly at him, completely speechless, making him smirk at me. “Could you turn your back on your true love? You would be forcing him to live a life without a complete soul.”

 

I sighed and gave him a look, not wanting to admit at the painful ache inside my chest. “You aren't playing very fair, Hades.”

 

Hades smirked at me, his violet eyes shining in amusement. “Was I supposed to?” He nodded towards the mirror. “Go have another look into that.”

 

I hesitated a moment. I didn't want to see Rose crying over my dead body again. I didn't think I could handle seeing that again, but when he nudged me a little towards the mirror, I moved slowly over to it, feeling the tips of my heavy wings trail a little on the ground. The mirror was blank when I looked at it. I blinked in confusion and looked back at Hades before I looked into the mirror again, this time very slowly an image began to form.

 

The first thing that I saw was a pair of mesmerizing midnight blue eyes. They seemed familiar to me but at the same time brand new. I felt an ache in my heart that only grew as the rest of the handsome face slowly came into focus. He was gorgeous, with ebony bangs across his forehead and his long ponytail blowing in a slight breeze. I knew this man but I could not recall just where I had seen him before, perhaps it was only in my dreams.

 

I don't know why I reached out and touched the mirror, but I nearly jumped out of my wings when the figure lifted up his hand and placed it over mine. I gasped when the fingers of our hands slowly linked together and he slowly stepped out of the mirror, looking down at me, gently closing my mouth and offering me a small smile, whispering, “I don't know how I got here either.”

 

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the midnight blue ones, I felt helplessly drawn into them. My heart suddenly felt complete as he gently caressed my face, knowing without asking that he felt the same way. This was the one that I had been waiting centuries for. But why now? Why would I find him after I had given up my life?

 

The young man gently gathered me close, obviously reading the anguish on my face. I laid my head on his broad chest, tears in my eyes as my arms surrounded him. “Why are you doing this, Hades? Why are you torturing me?” I pulled away from the young man just slightly to glare at Hades. “You were supposed to be my friend.”

 

He moved towards us and I felt my young man's arms tighten protectively around me. Hades lifted an eyebrow at him as he stopped just a foot away, turning his eyes to look into mine. “Can you really just give up your life, Angel? Can you give up your soul mate? Can you give up your twin and the promise to reunite her with her soul mate? What about your friends, the senshi, can you give them up as well?”

 

“I did my duty, Hades!” I yelled back at him, pulling away from my young man to look up at Hades. “I can't take it back; if I do then they will all die.”

 

I turned to look up in midnight blue eyes, seeing the dawning realization in his eyes before. I looked away from him as I wrapped my arms around myself and whispered, “As much as this hurts me, I will not take it back. I won't trade my life for theirs, no matter what the cost is to me.”

 

Hades shook his head, confusing with the smile on his face. “And if I told you that you would not have to trade your life for theirs, what would you say?” He smiled a little more when I just looked at him with even more confusion. “You can return to your body right now. The battle is over and their lives are no longer in danger.”

 

The young man spoke when it became apparent that I was too stunned to say anything. “How can she do that?”

 

He looked over at him with a raised eyebrow before he slowly smirked. “That is my own secret that I will not tell.” I looked back at me. “What would you say, Angel?”

 

I looked at him for a long moment. “I would not be taking back my sacrifice and endangering the senshi?” He shook his head no and I chewed on my lip thoughtfully, before I spoke again. “My body is broken, Hades. You saw the damage done. I would not be able to do anything for a long time.”

 

Hades shook his head again. “Do you have so little faith in me? I would not send you back to your body in the shape that it is in. I am a God, I can heal you.”

 

I smiled a little at Hades. “I have much faith in you. I know you have a lot of power especially if you brought me here as well as,” I turned to look at my handsome young man, still not knowing his name but somehow not really caring at that moment, “him.”

 

Hades shook his head. “No, I didn't bring him here. You called for him yourself and he answered. You still have all of your magic within you even if you are not in your body.”

 

I reached out and took the young man's hand in mind, for a moment just getting lost in the midnight blue eyes before I closed mine and heaved a soft sigh. “How can you replace my quartz, I smashed it, Hades?” Hades shook his head and held out his hand and opened it, making my mouth drop open when I saw my quartz shining brightly in his hand as if I had never smashed it. I looked at him in amazement, reaching out slowly, my hand just hovering over it. “What? How?”

 

He smiled at me in one of his mysterious ways. “You once put it in my hand to take your life. You do not think I could not call it back to me again?” He chuckled when I just sighed and muttered about never understanding all of the rules with him.

 

Finally I took the quartz in my hand and I could feel Rose even stronger now. I knew I was holding the gateway back to my life, but even though everything else was confusing me, there were still two rules that I knew. “What is the cost, Hades? I remember you cannot give a life without taking a life. I also know that nothing is given without a price.”

 

Hades nodded his head. “You are right. The first you do not have to worry about. I am not giving a life, because yours has not been taken yet.” He put a finger to my lips when I started to ask him what he meant. “Do not ask me questions you know I will not answer you. As for the other, the price...” He swept his eyes over me before the young man growled and pushed me behind him.

 

“Whatever the price is for her life, I will pay it,” he said in a challenging voice to Hades.

 

Hades merely raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms, his black cloak flowing around him and he focused completely on me. “The price is you. I want you for one day, whenever I choose.”

 

The young man growled and put a hand behind him as if to protect me further. “Never, she is not going to sell her soul to you!”

 

I gently put a hand on the soft silk of his shirt and shook my head softly at him when he turned to look at me, speaking softly to him. “Relax, he is not asking for my soul. I trust Hades. I know he would never hurt me. If he asks for a day from me, I know that he will take care of me during that day. If this is the price I pay to be with you, then I will pay it.”

 

He looked at me as he turned and brought me into his arms. “I don't want you to pay this price, but if you are sure about this I cannot tell you no. Will you promise me that you will just be careful with him?” He swept an untrusting look at Hades, which for some reason made me smile.

 

I tenderly caressed his face, bringing his eyes back to mine. “I promise.” Then I looked up at Hades and held my quartz out to him. “Alright, Hades, I agree to your terms. For one day, one that you choose, I will be yours for the exchange of my life.”

 

Hades held up one hand instead of taking the quartz. “That is not all. In addition to your payment, he will not be able to remember what happened here. You will only be a vague memory of a dream to him until you meet again. You will not be allowed to search for him; you will have to leave it up to fate for him to find you again.”

 

I looked at Hades in horror. I was agreeing to all of this to go back to my sister, to finally be with someone that I loved, but in the end he was being taken away from me and I wasn't even allowed to find him again. I knew Hades well enough to know that this was not his decision. The Fates really were cruel. I closed my eyes, trying to reign in the urge to cry.

 

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder and my young man gently turned me to face him, looking down with his own pained eyes. “I may not remember you at first, but I promise you, I will find you again.”

 

I gently took his hand and pressed it to my cheek. “I believe you. We will find each other someday again.” I looked at Hades and held the quartz out again. “Alright, I agree, Hades.”

 

He took the quartz this time and closed his hand over it and kissed my forehead. “I will give you the chance to say goodbye to him and then I will send you back. You and I will see each other a little later to talk.”

 

I nodded and looked up at my soul mate, not wanting to let him go but I knew I would have to. I tenderly caressed his face with the back of my fingers, looking up into his handsome face. “I am not going to say goodbye.”

 

He shook his head and fingered one of my curls near my face. “Then don't, just let me kiss you.” Before I had a chance to respond, he brushed his lips softly against mine. A sigh left my lips as he gathered me in his arms, our bodies fitting somehow just right against each other's. I felt the soft wetness of his tongue before the taste of him invaded my senses; it was sweet and spicy at the same time.

 

It felt like my soul was complete for the first time in my life. There was a piece of me that was fulfilled and then suddenly it was empty again as the warmth surrounded me and we were both being sent back to our bodies. Our fingers lingered for a moment before suddenly he was gone and my astral body was on Earth in the park where we had left Luna and Artemis waiting for us when we went into the Negaverse.

 

I looked up when I heard the cats give a cry of joy and relief. I watched them and jump into their respective mistresses' arms as they came out of the portal. I stepped forward before I realized that they could not see me, I was nothing but a ghost until I could combine with my body once more.

 

The cats both spoke hurriedly and happily to the girls, but slowly fell silent when they noticed that although the girls seemed relieved to be back, they were also very sad. They looked from one person to the next trying to figure out just what was wrong, when their eyes finally settled on the last person to come through the portal, Tuxedo Mask, carrying my body, which was looking even more battered now than when I had first seen it.

 

“Oh no,” Luna whispered.

 

“Is she...?” Artemis asked quietly.

 

“Yes,” a new voice answered, a voice that I knew. It comforted me that I had made the right choice in coming back. I turned to see Eros, his two beautiful white wings gleaming in the sunlight on his back. He was dressed in tight-fitting blue jeans and button-up green silk top, which was a little odd since I had never seen him with a shirt on before. His brown hair covered half his face, but it didn't hide the misery in his emerald eyes, I could feel the ache inside me at knowing that I had caused it.

 

"Eros!" Destiny exclaimed, making my head snap back over to her, for some reason I had not seen her before. She looked so sad, so angry, even worse than when Allen had died. Without warning she flew at him with her fists flying. "You promised to protect her," she yelled at him. "She's dead! You lied!"

 

He stood there passively, not even flinching under her attack. He just watched her with no expression on his face, but I could feel his emotions. He was letting her hit him because he felt he deserved it.

 

I looked up when I felt another presence and then closed my eyes when she passed right through me, feeling her spirit. Sailor Pluto paused and looked back in my direction before she wrapped two strong arms around Destiny from behind, halting her attack. She struggled against her capture until she heard the soothing voice of her little sister in her ear. “Stop, Ro. Attacking Eros isn't going to help.”

 

Destiny stilled, her body slumping, it was like watching her admit defeat and it was all I could do not to break down and cry. “She's dead, Trista. Angel's dead.”

 

“I know,” Pluto answered sadly. “I... I felt it... but I wasn't sure what I felt until I saw Eros. He told me how it happened.”

 

Destiny slowly turned around and buried her face into her little sister's shoulder and began to sob. I clutched my heart because I felt like I had once again let my sister down. I couldn't take away the pain that this had inflicted upon her and I wasn't sure how to stop it. I wasn't sure how to get back into my body. Hades had forgotten to tell me how to do that.

 

The others watched in silence, and I could tell that they were not sure how to react to the two new people. They all knew Pluto from their time in the Silver Millennium but they had not seen her often and when they did, she always held herself aloof from everyone. It was just her way. I'm sure that by then they had guessed Eros to be the God of Love from their expressions. It was very humbling to be in his presence at first.

 

I turned my eyes back to my sisters. Pluto had tears in her red eyes as she listened to Rose sob out her misery. I watched Eros gently take my body from Tuxedo Mask and sink to the ground slowly with it.

 

He was oblivious to everyone watching him. It looked like he could only see the body of the once immortal Guardian in his arms, not knowing that my astral form was standing just in front of him. I looked my body over and I could see the numerous injuries that had been inflicted upon it. I looked up at Eros' face and I could see he was looking at the bloody remains of my body as well and my heart ached to see the single tear that slipped down his cheek. He tenderly brushed the hair from my face when he looked back up at it. "Oh, Angel," he sighed.

 

I swept my eyes over the senshi, hearing Venus and Sailor Moon crying softly into their boyfriends' shoulders. I didn't know what to do, but I had to end all of this misery before it overwhelmed me, although I was making a silent vow to myself to kick Hades very hard in the shin for not telling me what to do.

 

I moved over to Rose, my beautiful twin and looked at her for a long moment. Then I reached out slowly, trying to run my fingers through her long silky black hair but my fingers slid right through it. Nevertheless I saw her still and I was encouraged to speak softly to her right into her ear. “Don't cry, Rose. I could never leave you behind.”

 

She turned slowly towards me but she looked right through my astral body. I wasn't daunted, instead, I lightly touched Trista's face and then moved over to kneel in front of Eros and brushed my fingers along his as well, watching his eyes go wide, his mouth dropping open as he felt my touch.

 

I looked down at my body, sighing. How in the name of the Goddess was I going to get back into my body? Just as I was about to cry out Hades' name for help I noticed the gem of my tiara glittered a little, the only part of my tiara that was free from blood. I reached out slowly to touch it and suddenly it felt like I was being sucked back into my body.

 

I could feel all of the pain filling me as well as the burning on my forehead as the heart stone flared to life and my entire body was enveloped in a bright, warming light. My injuries healed themselves and the white wings that I had while I was in the astral planes flared out onto my back.

 

At the same time I felt Destiny hit the ground, feeling the energy that was coursing through me running through her as well. Black wings flared out on her own back, and I was told that Pluto had to step away from her in an effort not to get hit by them. I could hear her heavy breathing as she tried to regain control herself, the pain and power almost overwhelming her.

 

“What's happening?” I heard Sailor Moon asked quietly through the fog in my brain.

 

“I don't know,” Mercury answered in an awed voice.

 

As everyone watched, I took in a startled breath finally in control of my own body. My eyes opened slowly to reveal their ancient hazel depths. I blinked a few times before I finally focused on Eros' startled face. I smiled softly up at him then whispered, “You know dying hurts like a bitch.”

 

I heard everyone cry out in joy before surrounding us, tears of joy sliding down their faces.

 

Eros smiled slightly at my odd humor. “I'll be sure to tell Hades that for you,” he whispered huskily.

 

Destiny glared at me and lightly smacked me in the arm. “I have this urge to throttle you right now, but I can't seem to move. These wings are really heavy.”

 

I tried to sit up but the weight of my wings and my own weakness made me sink back down into Eros' strong embrace. I groaned at the pain that seemed to emanate in my whole body. I may have been healed but I could still feel just where each and every cut, bruise and broken bone was. I pulled at one of the white feathers that I could see and made a face. I did not think I was going to have them after I left the astral body and reconnected with my real one. “You know these things are much prettier to look at than to wear.”

 

“I agree,” Destiny muttered as she moved her black wings slightly on her back.

 

By then everyone was laughing. Even Eros was chuckling slightly, amused by our reactions to our new accessories.

 

Destiny looked over at me and I heard her mental voice in my head. `Thank you for not leaving me.'

 

I moved slowly over to her, struggling a little before I wrapped my arms tightly around her, whispering mentally back, `I'm sorry I even considered it. I'm just glad that I have so much to come back to.'

 

As I spoke into her mind, I allowed Rose to read through the memories in my mind of everything that happened on the astral plane, making sure I filtered out any mention of Allen, and she gasped softly when it was over and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. `Oh Angel, he will find you someday. You are too kind and loving to be alone forever.'

 

I pulled back, hearing the chattering of happy people around us and I just smiled a little sadly at Rose. `I hope so. I don't have anything to go on and even if I did, I am not allowed to look for him.' She gently helped me up with some extra support from Trista and Eros and we shifted back to our civilian forms, noticing our wings disappeared. Even Eros hid his.

 

As we were heading back I looked up at the sky for some reason and sighed, just knowing that somewhere out there was my mystery man, my soul mate. I didn't even know his name, but his midnight blue eyes and his smile still stay with me. When I close my eyes and open my heart, I could hear his voice promising me that he would find me and I knew he would indeed.

 

To be continued...