Once Upon a Time

Contradictions

Contrary to popular belief, the veil that separated the mortal realm from that of the supernatural was thin and stretched across the earth. Beings that could not be explained nor be comprehended in a mortal's simple mind walked among them, interacted with them, sometimes in secret, sometimes not.

One such being now walked among the blanket of night. Michael the Archangel strolled through the empty streets of London, his face calm despite the nervous energy that emanated from the city's terrified citizens as they hid behind locked doors. It was only five past six, but the city appeared deserted, with the exception of a few dimly lit windows here and there.

Michael walked alone, but appearances were deceiving. High above him, standing upon the building tops, William T. Spears and his group of Reapers stood watch, their green eyes taking in any and all movement. This neither comforted nor reassured the angel, for his mission went beyond the mission of the shinigami.

As he had told the demon Sebastian Michaelis, his appearance meant that the situation in London was getting out of hand. Whether the demon understood his meaning, Michael did not know, but what he was sure of, Sebastian would not be willing to do what was needed to remedy the situation.

And really, Michael could not blame him....if the demon's past was any indication.

Despite his high status, Michael enjoyed what the mortals called "people watching." There had been many times that he had returned to earth, simply to stand upon the highest peak available and merely watch. He had witnessed many things in the history of the world and of humans, some monumental, others quiet and small. Having been the first human to walk the earth, Michael had found the notion of observing those that followed in their various time periods to be intriguing and enlightening.

London was no different. He had visited this particular area many times in the past, always marveling at its progress and growth. With the changing times, it seemed the city was well on its way to greeting the next century with open arms. It both amused and awed the angel with what the mortals thought of and created; many were truly epic ideas to behold.

But, Michael would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that this time, this sojourn to London was just the tiniest, teensiest different than all of his other visits.

He had Sebastian Michaelis and Vanessa Hammond to thank for that.

Although rare, having a soul remember their time in heaven was not unheard of among the angels. For one unknown reason or another, a few of the world's greatest minds had been those to remember, harnessing their knowledge gleaned from the pre-mortal existence and sharing it with the growing world. These were the minds of souls destined to shape and mold the world, to help its growth.

But, with this destiny came a consequence.

Even as his high rank of First In Command, Michael did not know why the memories of a soul's time in Heaven changed its essence. With the few times he had been able to encounter a Restored Soul, the sweetest of all fragrances had accompanied it. He could only imagine what that scent was like to the heightened sense of a demon.

It also meant death for Restored Souls was inevitable.

Demons walked the earth more often than angels, and because of it, were more likely to encounter the ambrosia offered by Restored Souls. And, in the many cases he had seen, Michael knew these demons had no qualms about taking it.

It grieved his heart to know that he had been too late to save other Restored Souls; it hadn't come to their attention until a few centuries ago that the regained memories changed the souls in brightness and smell. Vanessa Hammond was the newest Restored Soul, and her circumstances were interesting, to say the least.