SUNNYVALE

(86) NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME FROM NOW ON

"I don't trust her" Ingrid says, frowning. "I mean, isn't she supposed to have lost her memories? 'Cause I find it weird as Hell that she immediately came to The Circle and knew who to speak to..."

"Agreed" Crystal says, nodding her head slowly. As Shelina starts walking in circle around the room, her girlfriend continues: "I mean, the Goddess already used our dead friends against us back when some of us went to Heaven by accident - there is no undeniable proof that Jessie comes from Hell with direct orders from Abby."

"Last time I checked, Abby lost her soul" Kelley continues, nothing but straightening the common point, "she is probably consumed by the flames of Hell right now, there is no way-"

But Christen has had enough of all those hypothesises. 

"Maybe the best idea would be to support Shelina the best we can right now : I mean, according to that Jessie girl, she has the future of all humanity weighting on her shoulders right now, and the Goddess is probably not far away now..." she blurts out. As a deadly silence establishes in the room, Christen slowly looks up at Shelina, who had stopped walking, before adding: "I-I mean, no pressure, girl, (she then turns to everybody else and continues:) but I really do not think debating right here is helping anyone."

Mapi nods her head in agreement.

While Kelley rolls her eyes - visibly fed up with all the lesbian activities going on inside one room, with Julie and Ingrid sitting right next to each other, sometimes exchanging cute looks ; with Crystal actually freaking out about her girlfriend's fate but trying to hide it ; with Christen and Mapi obviously more in love than they ever were ; with Sam and Tierna shamelessly holding each other's hands - Sam just throws her a deadly look. 

While a heavy silence is pressing everyone's chests at the moment, Shelina suddenly speaks up in a rather calm tone, all things considered:

"Actually, I really think this is my fight and my fight only - I am of kin, so therefore the only person able to actually take her down. I don't want to involve any of you guys in the process, so I shall go meet her alone."

"Shelina, no, it's a bad-" Crystal immediately starts.

While the angels just look down, uneasy - visibly, the betrayal of their eternal master was still a hard blow to accept although it was necessary - Shelina just stares at her girlfriend before grabbing her hands.

In a shaky yet calm voice, Shelina articulates slowly:

"I love you, Crystal, but I have to do this on my own: it is my destiny."

Crystal frowns, tears in her eyes and falling down her cheeks, while her emotion just propagates around the room. Realising this was a goodbye of some sorts, Sam urges everybody else to get on the other end of the room and continue talking about strategy. From afar, they see Shelina grabbing Crystal's face between her hands delicately, before kissing her with fierce and softness at the same time, and then hugging her as tight as she could.

They were both crying.

And, on the corner of the room, observing the whole scene, was a very disturbed Jessie, who had no idea as to how or why she was sent there, but would only feel the pain of the satanic sign drawn in her arm, and the voice of a woman repeating always the same words: PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF SUNNYVALE. PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF SUNNYVALE. PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF SUNNYVALE...

Jessie sighs, absolutely not sure how this day will end...

***

Ingrid, still hurt by Kristie's attack the last day, was determined to still accompany Shelina without her knowing in order to be able to protect her in case anything happened. She was on the Circle's balcony - The Circle, that, by the way, they were all about to leave in case Shelina cannot stop her mother and that she would then try and kill them : it was better if they were not all in the same place, let alone a known spot, for sure - trying to deploy her wings, that felt like they were tearing her skin out. She was trying as best as she could to close her wounds, but it was taking more time than it usually does.

Julie, who had felt the light in Ingrid's eyes as suicidal determination, just ran after her, and when she sees her on the verge of taking off, she yells:

"So, you're gonna kill yourself and you didn't even think of saying goodbye?"

Ingrid turns around, and something in her eyes just expressed how broken she was at that very moment. 

As Julie walks straight at her, the angel just whispers:

"It was too hard, and I did not want to hurt you..."

"This is some bullshit excuse !" Julie exclaims, more than annoyed. As Ingrid's eyes go wide because she had never seen the blonde so angry, the latter continues on the same tone: "You're just a coward, and just like you never had the courage to tell me we're fucking soulmates, you did not have the courage to tell straight to my face: 'hey, Julie, we just started bonding, but hey I was just playing and now I'm out, maybe forever! See you in another life!'. I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?"

Ingrid frowns.

"You told me to chose sides, and so I did: the very purpose, the reason of life as well as the fate of the angels is to serve the almighty, and now I chose to serve Shelina. I cannot do anything else than follow her, even if it leads to death: I have this duty in the depths of my being. I am sorry, Julie, I wish we had more time."

Obviously, the blonde wasn't pleased with the answer.

"So you're just... gonna leave me behind?" Julie asks, setting her jaw.

The pain in Ingrid's eyes and whole body was visible, as she just lets one last sigh out of her throat. 

She then walks straight at Julie, before grabbing the back of her neck and crashing her lips against hers. The blonde doesn't react at first, caught off guard, as Ingrid just remains still, not moving a single inch. Then, as she tries to break the contact, Julie just doesn't allow her to do so, kissing her back shyly but meaningfully. 

After a while, they just get away from each other, both pretty shaken up. They are both crying, fearing that it was the last time they'd meet.

Her wings starting to activate, Ingrid says:

"I will always be with you, soulmate" 

And, just like that, she disappears onto the sky, while a roar not far from The Circle just make every survivor of Sunnyvale's blood run cold.

Nothing will ever be the same...