Judge Me As You Will.[Finished]

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi took time to heal himself after the multiple sessions in his basement in the sixth. At the moment he had heard very little from anyone and he was unsure of what he was to do. He felt unsure and unsafe even in the only realm he felt at home. It was almost as if he understood himself as a traitor even before he was given that label. His mind was crammed with thoughts of what action he should take and the only answer was to face judgment. It was inevitable and he wouldn't be the one to attempt to avoid punishment. Though, death wouldn't be too easily accepted. Arashi knew in his heart he would accept all, but anything that serious. He couldn't lie about it either considering his position. His heart told him that loyalty to Tomo would cause this to plague him. It was inherent that he feel loyalty to the hellion king over all else. Though, it was his Djinni tendency to manipulate and twist truths that made him feel as if it was a foolish decision.

Are you sure about this? I'm not even so sure she trusts you as much as you trust her. If anything she's had her eye on you for being what you are, let alone who you are. There is no way in heaven or hell she would let a walking ball of chaos roam free at your age, and taking into account your tender dispostion...

There is little I can do otherwise Ranmyaku, this is a serious moment and I'm out of options.

Options? This is the only course of action you even considered. You are not very likely to be welcome here, and you have yet to alert your own king anyway. You should just go to Yomi.

I will go to Tomo because this situation is far more serious if I'm not mistaken. I will go to Tomo because she found me and brought me to my only real home. I will go to Tomo because she gave me a place and allowed me to find myself despite her own desire to guide me. I owe her more then I owe anyone, so this is... this is me betraying her more then anything.

With that thought he stopped, looking up at the gates he'd fond himself lead to without motiving. just beyond this point was his fate and he was very much unsure which part of him was to win. His loyalty making him step forth or his survival and freedom heading back. The sigh of his sprite let him know she was with him but he himself felt rushed. The enchanted wrapped at his side hovered from his body and floated an inch away from him. The nervous emotions of the young fallen fueling his flow of magical energy. His presence was likely known already, and the blade was almost an alert to him that he was shaking as well. The swirling haze showed the unsettled mind of the youth and it seemed his own power was betraying his inner sanctum's instability.

"Who are you boy. What is it that you want here?"

The sudden words of the guard startled the youth and his hazed black chaos went still suddenly. The blade relaxed to his side and he exhaled. Finding his resolve, Arashi solidified his sleek black wings and stood upright as if to prove to himself that he was certain in his course of action.

"What is anyone who comes to this gate here for really?"

The guard eyed him as if trying to figure exactly what his purpose here was. The display shown just a moment ago hadn't much impressed him as much as alerted him to the possibility of another threat to the castle. The guard didn't move, as he knew that the presence of the youth was already known by many in the castle and orders would likely be sent up and back within a moment.

[Oracle]

[Takes place immediately after "Arsonic and Handcuffs"]

Oracle approached the gates after being escorted by the three guards from before. The disappointment in his eyes was covered by the darkness of the inside of his hood, of course, but if anyone could see his face, they could easily sense the corruption of emotions within his spirit; that is, if he had one to begin with. One of the guards could do this without seeing his face.

"Is all well, Zaihou?" he asked.

Oracle twitched his head at the guards direction, implying that he heard him. He gave a small smile; knowingly fake, but a smile none the less.

"Yes," he lied. "Yes, all is well. I just have a lot on my mind as usual."

Oracle immediately reminisced of the last moment of bliss between the two of them. That night, when he held him close on the rooftops of Tokyo, Japan, Tomo told him that he trusted him a little more than before after Oracle admitted with all of his heart and soul that he loved him. If Tomo did indeed trust him more than before, then how could he have been so cold to him then, especially since he already received the hint that night that all they could do was be good friends? He was playing his chips blindly; always betting on the same number in hopes that it would pay off in the end, whereas luck never gave him the kiss on the cheek he was expecting.

Then Oracle looked up. He could see the biggest of the three guards at the gates, somehow quicker than the other to and himself. But what he also noticed was the conversation he was having with someone who wanted entry.

"Who are you boy?" he said. "What is it that you want here?"

What Oracle heard next made him raise an eyebrow.

"What is anyone who comes to this gate here for really?"

Oracle smiled. He had no idea as to why, but he was smiling none the less. Only guessing, it was the part inside of him that wanted nothing to do with social order at all; almost as if he was unwillingly attracted to a sense of chaos.
And he could sense a strong amount from the man by the guard.

Oracle left the company of the other two as he approached the larger ones. He tapped him on the shoulder, instantly telling him to recede from the boy's demands.

"I'll settle this one," he told the guard.

The guard nodded in respect. "As you wish, Zaihou," he acknowledged.

Oracle immediately looked at the man before him. "You make a good point, sir," he said with somewhat of a sinister smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Oracle. Tomo is busy at the moment attending her newborn child. However, maybe I can be of some help to you..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Looking on past the guard revealed that there were others near. Arashi hadn't been very aware of much else seeing as his own energy had long masked the presence of others. Lacking the ability to really recognize other energies wasn't a great thing in the realm he called home. Ranmyaku had failed to realize him as well and surely was startled by the fact she hadn't noticed him either. All was well however, because he wasn't in any immediate danger, and that part he could sense. Arashi looked to the stranger and his three guards without a sign of any inner awkwardness, and remained poised as before. The billowing black of his robes seemingly faded against the pitch blackness of his serrated wings.

I don't like this guy Arashi

I don't like his face. He just seems... hollow, not dangerous, not safe, just... hollow.

Don't tell me he spooks you, after the shit you've been privileged enough to have lived through.

Tell me I'm wrong?

The silence on Ranmyaku's part told him that the feeling was mutual. The man before them had an awkward presence, not that Arashi could tell much, but he just seemed off and instinctively, Arashi wasn't too sure about the man. The man spoke up and the sound that traveled to Arashi's ears wasn't assuring at all. Arashi didn't much like his tone, he seemed to be pleasant, but that wasn't the feeling Arashi sensed. Arashi didn't get much of anything past face value from the guy. The fact that he was offering his service in place of the hellion king's wasn't all to acceptable to Arashi either. Arashi didn't much want to speak of his dilemma with anyone other then Tomo at the moment. Anyone else would not be fit to judge him, at least, that is the way the young fallen saw things.

"You can't help me much I think. You are not Tomo, so you can't handle her matters. You are not Cielle, so you are not in the position to assume you have the right to try. So try again and state your reason for meeting me with an attempt to help when you have no right nor reason to do so? I'm in no mood to talk to fallen annoyances. You don't appear to be one that Tomo would admit into her presence very normally, and you don't much seem to fit here at all."

a bit defensive are we?

Shut it, I'm not really looking to deal with anyone I don't know. I'm likely being hunted by half of heaven by now for the deaths of their king and their fellow angels.

I don't know... that vampire didn't seem all tat competent anyway, so maybe they want to thank you for that.

Not funny

The troubled and annoyed Arashi allowed his face to admit a flicker of his bothered state. His lip quivered and his eyes let his agitation shimmer in the deep mildly luminescent pools of his black eyes for a moment. His wings stretched out a bit then fully so that the lethal black blades cast ominous shadows on the ground around him. The sword at his side again quivered and floated in response to his mood flaring up another flurry of chaos within the fallen's body. The instability of his element only became an unsteady pulse as the youth became volatile. The stress of his guilt was pulling roughly at his mentality. It wouldn't take much longer for him to lash out without thought as he had in the second layer.

Maybe you should let me out. If you cause problems here you won't be able to survive the week. I don't want you dead yet Arashi, I'll be able to stop you ...

No, you stay.

But with all the chaos in you it might be smart to let a

No.

Arashi relaxed his wings waiting to here the man called Oracle explain himself.

[Oracle]

The biggest guard let down his spear and pointed it at Arashi's face. He frowned as he heard the insolence about Oracle's state being lashed as an insult.

"How dare you speak to the Zaihou that way, boy?" the guard said in Oracle's defense. "This is Oracle the Zaihou; a Joukai of Heaven; the Nightmare of Children and the Generational Executioner of the Ningenkai. I would expect you to treat him with the same respect that you would if you were in the presence of the Yami-Ou!"

Oracle once again placed his hand on the shoulder of Tomo's guard, silently telling him all is well. He even looked at the two guards behind him to assure them that he had the situation under control. He looked at the larger one and lowered his hand.

"Lower your weapon," he said calmly, "and hold fasten to your angry tongue."

The guard nodded. "Yes, Zaihou," he said.

Oracle looked at the young man again. He could smell the chaos rolling off him like boulders from a mountainside. And the aroma was rather pleasant.

"I sense a lot of division in you, young one," he said as he stepped into the light, revealing to the boy that he had no wings at all. He took off his hood to reveal his white locks of hair and his cat-like eyes. "Yes; I am well aware of your situation. You are wanted in Heaven as a murderer. Your alter Ranmyaku does not trust me. You didn't like the way I presented myself to you because I seemed... hollow." He chuckled a but. "That part made me laugh a bit."

Oracle then walked closer to the young man; close enough to show an interest, but not close enough to imply another interest. "But I can help you, young Arashi," he said as he seemed to pick his name out of the air. "And, being an upright myself, I can assure you that not everyone in Heaven want's to condemn you instantly." Then he smiled sinisterly. "Especially if you have the power of a Shijin at your side..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi was not at all impressed by the aggression of the burly guard. It wasn't much more then his own arrogance that caused this, but he wasn't afraid of much anymore. The greatest worry he had was that he was bringing heaven against Tomo, and not that he was hunted by heaven. As far as he was concerned the man was in no way a threat, and to say that he was afraid to bleed would be a joke. Arashi stared deep into the man and looked for a sign of desire, anything to tell exactly what the man wanted, what desire was pushing him. A habit of Arashi's was to search everyone he met, which is a reason he disliked the presence of this.. Oracle. Arashi more or less felt nothing but the savage defensiveness and indignation and considered the man your standard bodyguard.

The blade at his side unwrapped itself and the long red sash circled Arashi as if waiting for the boy to react to the posed threat. The sharpened wings folded just a bit around Arashi, shielding him slightly from the possible assault of the man. Arashi's cool expression had little to show he wouldn't have minded a fight to relieve his stress, though the man was called to relax and Arashi again turned his attention to the smaller man.

There is only one way he would know that much Arashi...

I think I knew that already Ranmyaku, I may not be that wise but the souls I've taken weren't so foolish.

Don't try and sound smart because we have a guest.

Ignoring Ranmyaku's last he allowed his wings to fade back into a thick black haze of chaos as it was normally. He looked at the man stepping into the light and noticed the look of mild interest. There seemed to be something he wanted, and whatever it was, Arashi wasn't so sure he wanted it.

"Yes, I'm being hunted and I'm not so sure Tomo will be pleased I betrayed her. Though, there are two things I don't like, one thing is that I don't much trust and upright to aid me, last i saw one they tried to kill me. Second is that i don't fear persecution, nor do I fear death for a life I have only begun to live. Third, I don't enjoy such invasion in my mind. I will tell you what I want to tell you, and Ranmyaku can do the same, no need to peer inside. Continue and I'll be splitting you open so I can peek inside of you."

The agitation he had felt was not so easily put away at the moment and his obviously aggressive state was only fueled by unbalanced energy. The blade's sash coiled up his arm and latched to him causing blood to flow, trailing down the edge of the blade and to the floor. The pool was seemingly deep and spread quickly around the ground Arashi stood on. The sheet of blood was thinner then a millimeter though, and circled Arashi as he glared. Nothing about Oracle felt right, and Arashi didn't think he needed much more power if it was only to appease those in heaven.

"Heaven cast out their gods. Why would having the power of one of them aid me with dealing with them?"

[Oracle]

Oracle continued to smile, although it did decrease to some degree. Instead of keeping his chesire-like grin, he hid his teeth with his lips in the form of a smirk. It was almost like he was fighting the urge to give in to the chaos that was already inside him, and the chaos that Arashi oozed that seemed to call him with a sweet whisper in his ear.

"Like I said before, Arashi," he continued in a serious tone of voice, yet keeping his grin. "Not every upright is in a hurry to kill you. I believe everyone is in need of more than one second chance. Believe me; I am in need of one now."

He looked at the pool of blood surrounding Arashi and the ribbon that sourced the leak. Unknowingly why, Oracle licked his lips at the sight; completely getting rid of s his smirk. Now with a serious look on his face, he stared at Arashi again with his cat-like yes.

"I do apologize for the invasion," he said sincerely. "It's a habit, you see; I tend to do it all the time, but with meeting you, I was inclined to use the knowledge to try and reach you. You are indeed a diamond in the rough; let no other ever tell you different."

Oracle tilted his head and gave the eye contact Arashi gave him. "And if I know Tomo like I do, then having the power of a very certain Shijin would not only show favor toward you, but it would show her that trust would no longer be an issue. With the power I speak of, you could be her right hand..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi's annoyance at the man's persistent smile grew. It had nothing to do with reason but all to do with the fact that Arashi wasn't very comfortable. He was very much an outcast and he had no place he knew was safe enough to call home anymore. The seething amount of energy spilling from his nervous body and from the freely flowing pool of chaos infused blood only agitated Arashi's uneven state. Lacking the balance of a calm environment and state of mind didn't at all aid in Arashi controlling himself and his magic. Ranmyaku began to grow nervous herself, considering his already shaky standings with Tomo after what she had learned there was likely very little needed to push his punishment to execution.

Arashi, relax yourself you should know it wouldn't be smart to attack anyone here.

Arashi ignored the words and maintained his glare until the last of Oracle's words passed into Arashi's mind. There was a chance he could be easily forgiven and trusted. The way it translated to the young fallen was almost to good to be true and Arashi was calm in that instant. Though nothing about his appearance would have suggested such. The agitation of his bloody chaos and his own spilling energy was great and he was close t losing it.

"A free pass and power to maintain it. What do you suggest stranger?"

The line spoken was an obvious except ion to his stance of no approach. He was willing to deal with the unknown devil and he wondered little of what may happen as a result.

[Oracle]

Oracle struggled within himself to keep his lips sealed. But the force within him that was being drawn to Arashi's power was overcoming his own willpower. He never felt anything like this to this degree before; Oracle's words were starting to become foreign to him, never making an attempt to have others operate under his will to this degree before. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't. He wanted to stop talking, but his tongue developed a conscious of its own.

He was a living breathing puppet. And he was the puppet master.

"There is a sword of legends that was created by the Shijin of Chaos long ago," he told Arashi. "You may know it as the Sword of Darkness. The power within it could turn a mortal into a god, but only in the right hands."

He cracked his neck with a fluent motion of his head, and stared back into Arashi's eyes with his own.

"Only a person the blade finds to be worthy enough can access it's power," he said. "I was one of them, but it has been so long since I wielded possession of it that I don't think it remembers me. The sword seems to have a life of its own, you see." He then gave off a smile and a look that could only be described in one word and one word alone: Seductive.

"Control that sword, Arashi," he said in a radical, yet soothing voice to the ear, "and you can finally make what you always wanted to be a reality; a perfect life..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi's mind warped into the state of hunger he was so used to at the thought of furthering his power. He knew he had advanced very far thus far, but the sword had an appeal that Arashi couldn't resist. The fact that his mind and heart were being warped by the chaos that he was seething in at the moment didn't help his hunger. Arashi hadn't much of a mind to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness, but if he could assume control of such a blade it would surely even out his sins. The youth began to convince himself that to take the blade was his best and only option, the stubborn and rebellious nature inherited from his father took hold and he released his grip on the chaos eating blade. The sash sapped up more of his blood as the pool at his feet slowly ate the ground from beneath Arashi.

"I want the blade. But why are you giving this to me. You don't know me well, nor do you owe me favor."

I don't think this will go well Arashi, just leave.

The young fallen felt his energy swell in excitement now, the slick wings of his hellion race beat once in a relaxed swing as he pondered what it would cost him to receive this treasure. His wings were held up over his head now, shading the area and the deepening pool of blood that covered an area three feet in diameter around him. The magically fueled blade rest it's tip on the surface of the red liquid as Arashi stood atop the pool as if the surface was solid.

[Oracle]

"We have much in common," he began as he stared into Arashi's eyes, "you and I. We have both been persecuted by our peers, we both have a different mindset of the world than others." Then he licked his lips again, this time out of the habit of thinking. "And we both have a craving for revenge who wronged us. So, without me having to probe your mind like I did out of habit earlier, I can say I know you very well."

He looked at the three guards. With one nod from Oracle's head, they retreated to the inside of Tomo's palace, leaving Oracle alone with the boy. He closed the gates behind him, standing in front of them as he continued to become attracted to the seemingly never-ending chaos he spewed.

"The Sword of Darkness is in the Ningenkai," Oracle said. "It is right now possessed by Abbadon Hakaisha; it's original owner. He was once a very prominent archangel, responsible for the formation of the rebellion against Tsubasa thousands of years ago. I was ordered to kill him, so I decided to see if I could use the power of the sword myself. I was correct. When I had possession of it for that short time, the sword bound Abbadon's power and knocked him unconscious at the same time. With my own abilities, I altered his mind to make him believe that he is a human being. Thusly, I trapped him in the mortal realm.

"A man known as Shadow Akuma came to me after my last thwart to kill this man failed and offered his services in return for... emotional changes needed in his life. I ordered him to kill Hakaisha. He accepted, but I have not heard from him since. After a little bit of detective work I performed in the mortal realm, I found out that Shadow is the leader of the Devil Saints; a prominent link to Heaven, Hell and the Mortal Realms. My worse fear is that he did not do my appointed task and that the two became allies."

Oracle frowned.

"Or worse," he said quietly.

He looked at Arashi again, this time with another serious stare. "It's simple, really," he told him, still standing in front of the gates. "Find Shadow and you find Abbadon." He nodded behind him. "So, what's it going to be, Arashi? Will you wait here for the gates to open themselves? Or will you make them open for you...?"