Fallen (Being rewritten - Sorry about the wait!)

Another way as an official fledgling

"Cursed!" I retract my hand.

"The room is not cursed!" Clyde glares at Daniel.

"It is! Lucifer cursed the thing eons ago!" Daniel's eyes are wide with innocency. "You go in there, pretty, and you'll find out who you are, but there will be no way to change your destiny, that is the price you must pay to if you are to know what you will be."

"Did you go in there?" I ask. Daniel didn't look very old but I didn't look very young either-maybe seventeen? Age didn't match up with appearances.

"No, I didn't. I was always a bit rebellious. I never went in there, unlike Mr. Cold here, who went in there and found his destiny to be unchangeable." Daniel shakes his head.

"I could change my destiny if I wanted to. But since I really don't want to, I haven't. Unlike you, who wouldn't care either way! All you care about is hurting those around you!" Clyde protests.

"If I were to go through the ceremony would I end up like Clyde?" I nervously ask Daniel.

"Not necessarily. Clyde has had a hard life, ever since he was a fledgling and I'm ashamed to say I helped make it such a horrible existence. But what is done is done. However I try, I can't fix what I did." Daniel hangs his head in shame and my heart softens a bit.

"You're only tricking her! You wouldn't care either way what happened to her!" Clyde glares at Daniel.

I look down, shocked to see the floor instead of my feet. Was I fading? Was this normal? Daniel and Clyde looked to busy to bother, I'm sure I'm fine.

I started fading, my body turning invisible, yet they still argued.

"I do care! Why do you think I'd go through such lengths to do something I didn't want to do or didn't care about? You know what I think? I think you're jealous! You wish that she liked you as much as she obviously likes me and you could change what your destiny is! You wish that you could be bold like me and you didn't have to answer to anyone! But it's too late! You know it is! So you want to make someone as miserable as you! Why else would you sign up for this job?" Daniel accuses a purple-faced Clyde.

"Me?" Clyde stutters, "Jealous of you? In your dreams! I took on this job to make sure that no angel turned out like you!"

"Free, you mean? Unable to make their own choices? Because that's what happens to all those trusting, innocent fledglings you lead through that door."

"Uhm-I'm still here, I think. I'm not sure because I seem to be fading." I whisper.

"When did this start happening?" Daniel grasps my fading arms and starts shaking me.

"About the time you started arguing." I say.

"Hurry! We need to turn her into a full fledgling! We need to get her into the room before she fades completely!" Clyde tries to push me towards the door of knowledge, but Daniel stops him.

So this wasn't normal.

"There's another way."

"Not that! You talk about giving her a choice but if you do that would you really be giving her one?" A pale Clyde argues. "Think about it!"

"It would be all fine and grand with me if you didn't think about it, because you may take a while and I could completely fade by that time. Besides, I really don't want to go anywhere near that door or room." I whisper, frightened. "I think my voice is starting to fade..." Clyde glares at me before stalking away.

"You're right! We don't have time! Do you trust me?" Daniel asks hurriedly.

"I just me-"

"Never mind that!" Daniel interrupts. "Do you trust me?"

I nod, unable to make a sound. I clutch my throat as I realize that my voice had faded away completely.

"Then come here!" Daniel grabs me and crushes his lips against mine.

My eyes widen. How could he just kiss me like this? And without permission too.

"What's your problem?!" I spit out the words once he quickly finishes.

"I don't have a problem, I was only turning you. The process is now complete. You are a fallen angel, you belong to the dark realm. Now to come up with a name for you..." He looks at me thoughtfully and snaps his fingers. "How about Celeste? Or Kelsey or Meagan? Which one do you like best?"

I'm supposed to chose out my own name? I chew on my lip thoughtfully. Celeste was pretty, Kelsey sounded nice, and Meagan reminded me of nuts. But that wasn't who I was. Who am I?

"How about Myria?" Daniel suggests quietly.

Myria sounded right, it was strange, I felt like a missing part of me was suddenly there. Myria felt right, Myria felt like... like me.

"Myria... that is who I am. That is... me." I grin, in spite of my frustration and anger with him. "I feel a sense of purpose! I love it! Thank you!"

Daniel laughs. "That's because you have a name. Now to give you your wings... let's give you ones that match your hair. That'd be pretty."

"You think so? I wonder what my hair looks like." I sigh, fantasizing red wings, with black tips.

"That's right! Your hair is still held back by your lifeline!" Daniel reaches over and pulls something out of my hair. Burnished copper hair fell in ringlets in front of my eyes. So it's not black and red, like I originally thought, but still pretty.

"Lifeline?" I ask curiously as I blow hair out of my eyes.

"Every angel has one." Daniel explains. "It's different for everyone but it's always a physical thing. If anything, anything happens to your lifeline you will die. Some of the more powerful angels can combine with their lifelines, making it so they aren't quite so vulnerable to attacks. It looks like yours is a headband." He holds up a braided, leather band.

"What's yours?" I ask, wide eyed as I gingerly take my lifeline from him and cradle it in my arms.

"Mine is a bracelet, see?" he holds up his wrist for my inspection. A worn, woven, leather bracelet hung there. A shark tooth was laced into it and the curved end laid gently against a vein.

"Pretty." I breath. "Are we done here?"

Daniel laughs. "Almost. We just need to form your wings." He motions for me to turn around. "Now if I remember correctly, I only need to pull on them and they will straighten out."

I hear a grunt from Daniel and feel a sharp pain in the middle of my back.

"Ow!" I screech, fighting back tears.

"It's all over now. You are now an official fledgling. Now why don't we go try your new wings out?" Daniel grabs my hand, spreads out his wings, and launches us over the side into the abysses below.