To Deny Your Family's Name

Perciel gripped her blade, tightly, her victims blood splattering her face and the battlefield.

She dug it into the chest of Cindriel, a childhood friend, and Viamire, a distant cousin. Savael, her newest battle partner, stood at her back. His pure white wings touched her mostly golden ones. Suddenly, Savael cried out in pain and she turned just in time to see him tossed to the side, dead. Her eyes met those of his attacker and, for a second, both time and her heart stopped.

"P-perciel?" the attacker choked out. She narrowed her eyes.

"Samviel," she hissed.

"I... I... It's been so long," Samviel murmured, disbelief painting her face.

"Take up your weapon," Perciel commanded, trying to push down any lingering feelings as best as she could. Samviel stared.

"I... I can't fight you," she refused.

"I won't warn you, again," Perciel stated.

"No," Samviel tossed her own blade away.

"I will not kill you if you are unarmed," Perciel voiced, "Pick it up."

"No," Samviel repeated, sizing her opponent. Perciel shoved her to her knees.

"Pick it up!" Perciel ordered.

"Or what?" Samviel challenged.

"Or... Or I'll cut your wings off," Perciel threatened, skimming her blade across the feathers.

"Do it, then," Samviel replied, holding in a hiss as the cold blade touched her wing.

"You don't think I will?" Perciel glared.

"I won't fight you," Samviel answered, "I still love you, Perciel."

"Don't say that to me!" Perciel carved her blade partway through Samviel's wing, "Don't you DARE say that to me!"

As soon as the blade penetrated her feathers, immence pain rippled through her and Samviel screamed, her voice echoing across Heaven.

"Am I still a self-righteous bitch to you, Samviel?" Perciel yelled over her screams, "Huh? No witty comeback? No more insults towards those you were supposed to care about?" She pulled away a chunk of feathers and bone, tossing it carelessly to the side.

"Fight back, you satanic whore!" Perciel commanded, tears streaming down her face, "Fight back!"

Samviel could barely shake her head; could barely think to respond to her bonded. Every part of her being begged her to stop the carving - To stop the torture - and she couldn't focus on much.

She clearly heard every word Perciel threw at her, however.

"How about the fledgling, huh?" Perciel jabbed, tearing away more wing from the other side, "What happened to living through his, huh? Was that all a lie?"

Perciel continued cutting and yelling. Blinded by her tears, Samviel groped for her blade. When her hand finally closed around the handle, she pushed her bonded away and, reaching behind her in an awkward angle, Samviel cut the damaged appendages from her back in a jagged pattern, making it impossible to hurt her with them, again.

Perciel fell back and watched as Samviel cut off her own wings, aghast. Dropping her own blade, she crawled back towards her bonded, gingerly reading for the stubs that had once been beautiful white wings, detailed in red.

"Ple-please," Samviel pleaded, "N-no more. I'm sorr... I'm sorry."

"Oh, Samviel," Perciel hugged her, tearing up all over, again, "What have I done? My sweet, sweet bonded..."

"L...Lucifer's losing," Samviel pressed her blade into Perciel's hand, "I... I... I don't want to go to... Hell, Perciel. P... Put me out of my misery."

"Shh, don't talk like that," Perciel choked out, petting her hair, comfortingly, "We'll think of something, Samviel. Please..."

"Love you," Samviel whispered, her body slipping from Perciel's grip.

"No! Stop! What's happening?" Perciel panicked.

"Without my wings, my body can't retain enough flight to stay up here," Samviel explained, calmly, giving Perciel a reassuring smile, "It's okay, Love. Falling is just like flying... Just with a more permanent destination."

Desperately, Perciel pressed their lips together and, for a second, they shared a kiss that expressed all their sorrow and apology. Too soon, however, Samviel was falling.

And Perciel knew it was her fault.

The End.