Opposites attract

Darkness

Hundreds of hobgoblins were summoned by Amaimon. They busted into the Vatican and by their master's orders, were looking for Rin. A handful of exorcists disposed of a few hobgoblins but it didn't faze nor deter the Earth King. "I can smell the scent of Rin Okumura..." Amaimon was partially demonized. His tail was dense and green. His arms were also that way, his claws showing more and with arrows running down along both of them and his tail. His ears were elongated and he was now standing in front of Shura and a blond man. Amaimon and Aria were on top of Behemoth, only inches away from the council. "Ah... he's in there..." Aria decided it was best to remain silent for the moment and hid behind one of Behemoth's horns.
Shura and the blond man were arguing amongst themselves until the girl heard a strange woman's voice. "Really Arthur you're such a slave driver..." It was the sword speaking. Arthur... so that's his name huh? Aria took a mental note of this man. He seemed powerful and by the looks of it, he held some sort of high position in the Vatican. Shura also summoned her blade and unleased an attack towards Amaimon. Behemoth took the full blow and disintegrated. Aria's eyes went wide, now exposed, she fell to the floor with a 'thud.'
"Aria?!" Shura's eyes were also wide in surprise.
"B-Behemoth...." The girl's eyes were starting to fill with tears.
"What are you doing here?! And with him?!" Shura pointed to Amaimon as she spoke but the girl ignored her.
"How dare you... YOU KILLED MY BEHEMOTH!!!" Amaimon was overcome with anger. Shura and Arthur stood there watching the demon grow more and more powerful as his hatred intensified. Amaimon created a small earthquake and transformed himself into an Earth Golem. He smacked Shura and Arthur through the heavy double doors, sending them flying into the room where the council sat. With a wicked laugh, Amaimon inched closer to Rin's crystalized form. "I found you!" Some sort of protective barrier prevented the demon from touching Rin. That only fueled his anger and with one slam of his fist to the ground, Amaimon broke the crystal Rin was encased in.
Aria stood back behind Amaimon watching everything carefully. She promised not to interfere unless his life was in danger. She felt nervous and uneasy. Aria didn't want Amaimon to cause so much havoc and destruction. She suddenly heard Mephisto speak.
"No pressure but the poles will be closing soon! Time to cast your votes! Yay or nay?" He held a malicious smile on his handsome face. Arthur was accusing him of knowing full well that Rin would attract another demon and that this was all a plot of his. Of course he denied it and they were arguing back and forth with each other.
"I've come to settle things... Rin Okumura!" Amaimon held Rin's unconcios body between his golem's thumb and forefinger. He was squeezing his head and Aria was afraid Amaimon would pop it, in one bloody movement. Some exorcists were now shooting at Amaimon and Rin fell out of his grasp. In a rage, Amaimon now threatened the council. Watching all the destruction this demon was causing, one of the council members accepted whatever wager Mephisto had proposed to them. They wanted Amaimon gone by any means necessary, preferably extermination.
"Your wish is my command." Mephisto smiled devilishly. When Aria heard that, she tensed. Was he really going to kill Amaimon?... No... because she wouldn't let that happen. Bon suddenly appeared with Kurikara, attracting Amaimon's attention.
"I can hear it.... Rin Okumura's heart beat... give me that sword!!" The demon reached for Bon but he dodged. Bon tossed the blade to Shima and he tossed it to Izumo. Yukio now held it and Amaimon smacked him into some nearby stairs. Yukio crawled over to Rin and handed him the sword, prompting the young half-demon to wake up in a blaze of blue flames. Amaimon took a swing at Rin but he sliced through him with the blade. He seemed to be in a dazed state and was now running up one of Amaimon's arms, all the while slicing and dicing through him.
At the very moment Rin reached Amaimon, Aria managed to summon her wings and fly up between both demons. Wings stretched and aching, she struggled to fly as fast as she could to prevent the inevitable. They hadn't fully healed yet but she didn't care. She could take the pain, she would fight through as long as it meant she could reach Amaimon. Her arms outstretched to protect Amaimon and her eyes closed as she was now between both demons . Aria screamed 'stop' but it was far too late. Rin stabbed through her chest to reach the golden eyed demon.
"Impossible... I am King of Earth...how could I lose?... Aria.... ARIA!!!!" his final words before he burst in a fury of blue flames and his body disintegrating. Aria was still attached to the blade. She coughed up blood and her small hands were cut where she held onto Kurikara. Rin pulled the blade out slowly and fell to the floor, losing all consciousness. Aria fell as well, wings still out, and landed on her side on the hard ground. Arthur ran to the boy and placed his blade on his neck.
Aria could feel her blood pooling in her throat. Her gaze lingered on Rin. She felt something in her heart she hadn't before. Hatred. Hatred for Rin. He took Amaimon from her. Even when those girls picked on her and on occasion beat her up, she never hated them. Dislike, sure, but not hate.
Her eyes started to glaze over and she heard the council woman speak. "A-An angel?! A real angel?! H-how?!..." Aria coughed up blood once more as she gently held her hands over her heart.
"A-Amai... mon..." She whispered to herself. "I-I'm... s-sorry... I... f-failed.... you..." Tears ran down her caramel cheeks and she felt her heart slowly weakening. Her stomach felt like butterflies were escaping her and she thought at any moment now, she would die. Her healing wouldn't save her from something like this. As her gaze returned to Rin's unconscious form, she saw a pair of feet in front of her. The person before her wore some sort of sandals and a long flowing white rob. She felt her body lift ever so gently and this person held her close to his chest.
"I have been searching for you, little one..." His voice was so gentle... it brought her a sense of peace and love. She carefully looked up to see an unknown man's face. He had beautiful caramel colored hair and soft, gentle, facial features. His eyes were like the sweetest honey. He was very handsome. There was an aura of calm that radiated from him. Aria didn't know what was going on but the last thing she heard was a woman shriek.
"Another angel?!" Then, the girl closed her eyes, for what she thought would be the final time. Everyone was silent, even Mephisto, who usually had a snarky, smart remark, was quiet.
"You hid her from me rather well Sam." The angel's eyes glared towards Mephisto. The demon remained silent. "No matter... I have her now... she will be leaving with me." The angel placed a hand on Aria's forehead and it emitted a brilliant, soft, green light. A moment later, the girls chest began to rise and fall. She was alive again. Her body warmed up again and the color returned to her face. She was unconscious but alive.
"Raphael... how nice to see you again." Mephisto tensed up a bit.
"A-Archangel R-Raphael?!..." Arthur shuddered and fell to his knees. Every single person in the room fell to their knees at the mention of his name.
"Yes, it is I, Archangel Raphael, the healer." He turned away from Arthur and was once again staring at Mephisto. "Brother Michael is rather irritated with you Sam."
"Is he now?" Mephisto let out a soft, nervous chuckle.
"He wants to completely erase her from existence... But I'm sure you were well aware." Raphael's face held no emotion. The demon only fiddled with the handle of his umbrella. "I do not agree with Michael's decision of destroying the girl. Sariel's mistakes were his own. She should not suffer for it." The angel looked down at Aria with sadness in his eyes. From his peripheral vision, he spotted Rin still lying unconscious. "Disgusting..." He walked over to Rin's sleeping form. "Those were brother's words....for her and him." His eyes now held sadness for Rin. "The sacrifice of one's life for another is one of the noblest acts one can do." Raphael now returned his gaze to Aria. "She looks just like him..." He whispered to himself.
"If you take her, you risk Michael killing her." Mephisto spoke up as Raphael turned to leave.
"And she would be in better care with you? Laughable." Again, no emotion was evident on him.
"She is perfectly safe in my care, I assure you." The demon gave the angel a devil's smirk.
"Yes, perfectly safe, that is why she lays dead in my arms, correct?" It was Raphael's turn to smirk. Mephisto's smile turned into a frown. "She still weeps for her lost love I see..." Aria's eyes spilled tears that were held back before she died. Raphael walked over to Mephisto with Aria in his arms. He handed her to him and the demon now held the girl to his chest. "I must speak with brother. Convince him that her destruction is not necessary. I entrust you with her life Sam, if anything happens to her, I personally shall end you." The angel glared at the demon but Mephisto just smiled and tipped his hat to him.
"Why, I would never dream of harming the girl." Mephisto's smiled irked the angel. However, with a nod and a hint of hesitation, Raphael's wings stretched brilliantly before everyone. He took up to the skies with one leap and disappeared.
"Mr. Pheles would you please care to explain what is going on here?!" One of the council members was finally able to rise to her feet. Everyone was too afraid to even breathe, lest they offend the angel and be condemned to hell.
"Ah, it's a rather long and tiresome story..." Mephisto really didn't want to discuss this anymore. He needed to get Aria and Rin out of here as soon as possible.
"Speak or be dealt with Pheles!" The council woman seemed to have lost her patience with him now.
"This, my dear council woman, is Aria. The half-angel child of Archangel Sariel, or a Nephilim to be exact. She was an orphan that was to be released into society with absolutely no one to care for her. Naturally, as the caring father figure that I am, I took it upon myself to help the poor girl. She was unaware of her heavenly patronage. I believed I could train her properly, to bring about her holy light to shine on us all. Rin could destroy any potential threats to the Vatican and Aria here, could speak a simple prayer and protect us all. With these two working together for the good of the Vatican, well... there's really nothing to be afraid of is there?" Mephisto smirked. "It seems, however, that the stronger of an angel she became, her heavenly powers acted as a beacon and attracted not only demons, but angels as well. Angels are complicated things you see and even though her father was once among them, they seek to destroy the poor girl because she was an unfortunate result of her father's coupling with a human female. They consider her as much of an abomination as they do Rin."
"You have brought us not only the possible wrath of Satan to our doorstep but the wrath of the Archangels as well!" The council was in a frenzy. "Do what you must to protect the Vatican and fix your mistake! Not only must we now worry about the Fallen One but we must fear our Holy Archangel Michael to descend from the heavens in a rage for this girl! If you have to give her up, then so be it!" The council woman was livid.
"But what if we don't have to?..." Mephisto held tightly onto Aria's sleeping form. "What if I can convince the angels to let her stay here, to protect the Vatican? I mean really... what is more holy than a real, living, breathing, angel on your side? And a Nephilim no less! One of the strongest beings to ever exist!" The council talked amongst themselves for a moment before nodding.
"Alright Pheles... do what you must... but if you bring Michael's wrath upon us, it is your head on the line! Understood?!" The council woman scowled at the time demon.
Mephisto only nodded with that devilish smile plastered on his lips.