Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There exists a world high above the clouds. Legends say you can access this world between the hours of 3:37 am and 4:05 am when a Lunar Eclipse falls. Others say you can access this world if you are special, perhaps divine. This world, known as the Great Above, is filled with very remarkable creatures. Each of these creatures have a role to play. The Angels are meant to guide and protect innocent people in need of help. The Ghosts are assigned specific humans to observe and protect. The Messengers deliver news to the divine creatures, serving as guides to them. The Watchers tell the Archangel if any of the divine creatures are out of line. And finally the Archangel, a strong brute of an Angel, is in charge of everyone and makes sure they are doing their respective duties. The roles of the divine creatures were their birthright and each creature was to be celebrated regardless of their role. The divine creatures lurk around the world as we know it, living in peaceful harmony amongst themselves.  

Our tale begins with perhaps the most special Angel in the Great Above, Silver. Silver was such a kind hearted soul. The pearly grey hedgehog Angel always made sure to take extra good care of the people he was called to help, especially children. He was loved by simply everyone. Silver’s best friend was Royal, a carefree Watcher who never liked to tattle on people. Royal had always been infatuated with Silver, even when they were small children. He had grown to love Silver very dearly. That was the problem… The one rule that was placed upon the divine creatures in the Great Above was that they were forbidden from having any sort of romantic ties with anyone, divine or not. Romantic ties were seen as a hindrance from their jobs, as well as blasphemous. As the Angel and the Watcher grew into young adults, Royal couldn’t stand the fact that he couldn’t love Silver freely. He just couldn’t stand it! He had to speak to him about his feelings. He just had to!

One fateful afternoon, Royal was tempted to confess… He could not get Silver out of his head. “Silver… Do you have a moment? I need to tell you something important.” Silver, who had just returned from Mobius, nodded with a smile. “Yes of course you may, Royal! I’ll be right there.” Royal couldn’t keep his eyes off Silver's beautiful wings. The way they fluttered like a butterfly was truly endearing. As soon as Silver was out of sight, Royal zoned out. Was he really about to tell Silver? What would he say? What would he do? As Royal was pondering, Silver accidentally spooked him as came up to his side, wrapping his wings around his shoulder. “Hi, Royal~!” Silver playfully said in a sing-song voice. Royal gave a stiff smile and delicately grabbed Silver’s hands. “Silver… There- there’s something I need to discuss with you. What I’m about to say is very important and… and you have to promise not to tell a soul.” Silver furred his brows in concern, his tail slightly slowing its vigorous wagging. “I- I-... I saw someone steal the Archangel’s pendant!” Royal blurted out. Royal covered his mouth with his hands. How could he have messed up that badly! No one had even stolen the Archangel’s pendant! The pendant was just lost! Silver gasped in disbelief. “Oh dear! Do you… Do you know who it was?” “I… I didn’t see it was dark! I just saw the glare of his pendant. I didn’t know what to do.” Silver rubbed Royal’s back to soothe him. “It’s alright! I’m sure if you don’t tell the Archangel someone else will. I promise.” Silver gave a passive smile when all of a sudden his cyan markings started to glow. He sighed as he softly rubbed his temple. “I have to go, I'm being called! We can talk more about this later… okay? I promise I’ll be back soon!” Royal nodded and watched as Silver flew off to his next client. 

As the beautiful afternoon passed, Royal waited for Silver as he watched the divine creatures. He spent the majority of the afternoon trying to find ways to get Silver out of his head. Silver was starting to heavily affect his work. He had missed two things while on watch and had gotten into a substantial amount of trouble by the Archangel. If only he could just get rid of him from his mind. Get rid of him… Royal’s mind became clouded with a dark twisted way of getting rid of Silver in order for the feeling to go away. The Archangel still did not have his pendant. He was going to find it. 

As night fell, the divine creatures fell into their slumber after a hard, long day of work. This was the time Royal decided to make his move. He had spent the rest of his earlier day scouting the Great Above for the pendant like a crazed hawk. Finally, after mere hours of searching he found it. He snatched the pendant and hid it within a cloud. Royal went to the cloud and placed the pendant carefully in his hands. He hurriedly traveled to Silver’s small, cozy hut. Cautiously, he entered inside. He swiftly dropped the pendant right next to Silver’s other glimmering jewelry. Everyone knew he was a fiend for jewelry. Royal quickly got out of the hut and started heading towards his own hut. As Royal laid in his bed, the pit within his stomach began to grow with the slightest amount of guilt. 

… 

Soft snores echoed throughout the small hut. Little droplets of drool fell from the sleeping Angel’s mouth, rolling onto his feather stuffed pillow. Suddenly, Royal barged in with the Archangel. “There! It’s laying there right upon his dresser, your honor!” Silver jumped awake at the intrusion. “Royal… Royal? What is the meaning of this?” Royal glared at Silver like he never had before. “It was you! You stole the Archangel’s pendant!” Silver’s eyes widened in utter disbelief. “What! Your honor, I would never do such a thing!” Silver pleaded as he started to panic. “Silence!” The Archangel’s voice boomed throughout the hut. “You’re coming with me, boy.” The Archangel grabbed Silver’s wrist harshly, swinging him out of the hut with such ease it was as if he was no more than a ragdoll. “Ouch! Let go of me! I did nothing wrong!” The Archangel turned around in the blink of an eye and smacked Silver forcefully. “Silver, I rebuke you.You have sinned against me. You have stolen my pendant and are refusing to confess! You are wicked and should be tried with treason” the Archangel shouted in anger. Without thinking, the Archangel stabbed Silver through his wings with his sharp golden staff. Silver threw his head back as he screamed in pain like a Banshee. Overridden by anger, Silver growled and drew out his claws. “How dare you! I did nothing wrong!” He shouted as he charged at the Archangel. No one had ever dared argue with the Archangel, let alone attack him. No angel dared to step in and help Silver after seeing how angry the Archangel was. “Royal! Tell him I didn’t do anything! I didn’t take it! I was working all day! Please, Royal! Please!”  Royal casted his eyes upon the ground in silence. Because of Royal’s silence, the  Archangel stabbed Silver again. Another boisterous scream rang out of Silver’s mouth. The pain was making his energy wither away rapidly… 

The Archangel grabbed Silver’s fluffy chest and yanked him up towards his face. The Archangel let out all his eyes and wings solely to intimidate him. “I forbid you from entering the Great Above ever again. As long as you live I rebuke you from this sacred place. You deserve to be a Fallen Angel after what you did.” Silver wriggled around in his grip, trying desperately to get loose. The Archangel threw Silver to the ground, puncturing his wings and ripping them with his staff. Silver gritted his teeth in agony, shutting his eyes tight. The Archangel picked up Silver by his scruff and looked at his face. His amber eyes were on fire with hatred and dismay towards everyone. “I… I did nothing wrong.” The Archangel glared at Silver and started chanting. Suddenly, a gaping hole was placed in the clouds, showing the long fall down. “Your time here is over. You need to leave now. Here… let me help you get started.” The Archangel swiftly shoved Silver into the hole. Silver, while losing his balance, instinctively grabbed onto the only thing he could to keep himself from falling. The Archangel gasped as Silver took him down with himself. The Archangel glared harshly as they rapidly plummeted down. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” He stabbed Silver near his armpit, too close to his veins for his liking. Silver grunted and let go of his harsh grip on the Archangel. The Archangel caught himself with his wings. Silver saw him flying in place, staring at him as he fell further and further down. 

Silver’s screams of pure terror echoed through the sky as he fell. His wings were too injured to help him fly. Silver frantically flipped over on his side and did everything he could to not land on his back. As he got closer to the ground, he tried spreading out his broken wings to try and not land so rough. His wings bent in unnatural ways due to the force of the wind going through the stabbed holes. Panicking, Silver decided to curl his wings around him like a cocoon. This was his last hope. 

…

Deep within the forest, filled with luscious, thick trees, there stood a beautiful hidden mansion. Inside the luxurious mansion lived a powerful witch. The witch, who’s name was Mephiles, was the incredibly smart heir to the Black Arms throne. Mephiles was littered with incantation scarings of spells he often used. He wore necklaces that had drops of potions in them and beads that were made of magic repellent wood. He was the embodiment of cunningness and enigma. He mastered black magic, with the help of his wicked father Black Doom, and was a charming manipulator. Mephiles had made countless deals with people from far and wide. He had always managed to be enamoring to other’s, always managing to strike a deal. 

Speaking of deals, Mephiles’ most recent request from a client was sent to him in a letter. The man had wanted a love potion for his failing arranged marriage. Mephiles scoffed reading the letter. “What imbecile would think a love potion would work…” Grumbling, he rolled his eyes, truly disgusted at the wishy washy nonsense. Mephiles casted the letter aside and got to work. Hours later, Mephiles was nearly finished with his spell. “Ouch!” He hissed as he sliced his finger clean off! He cursed at the sky in anger as he held his now lopped off finger. Mephiles quickly gathered the ingredients to fix his wound… Fuck. He didn’t have nightshade berries…

Mephiles sighed and came out of his house, quickly putting on his unrecognizable disguise, simple black and grey quills and green glowing eyes. He just needed the nightshade berries from the forest to create a spell to heal his unpleasant wound.  After several minutes of wandering around the vast forest, he huffed. He could not find the damned berries. “Curse these blasted berries!” Mephiles cursed in pure vexation. Grumbling, Mephiles was about to use his black magic when his ears twitched. Someone was lurking nearby. Completely on guard, Mephiles took out his honed claws, simply waiting for another sound. *Snap* His ears twitched again at yet another branch snapping. Before Mephiles could scare off whoever was following him, a soft, pained wail was heard. 

Confused, Mephiles quietly creeped towards the wailing. The wailing turned into soft sobs that would have gone unheard if he had not been alert. Mephiles continued creeping towards the sound. It was quite odd. He could not pinpoint where the sound was exactly coming from. The voice sounded so far away, yet the way his ears twitched with such irritation he knew it was close. *Crunch* Mephiles jumped a little as he stepped on something walking between two bushes. The wailing cries of agony were now heard louder, and somehow more echoed. Admittedly, Mephiles was a little frightened to look down. What the hell could he have stepped on? Mephiles mustered up the courage and looked. A… wing? Mephiles jumped off the wing so quickly, he looked like a cat that got spooked. “What the fuck!?” Mephiles nearly screamed as he clutched his chest. After recovering, he carefully bent down on the ground and touched the wing. The wing twitched and the soft sobs became hushed almost instantly. Whatever the wing belonged to was inside the bushes. 

Mephiles was amazed by the wings' shape and color. He had never seen anything like it  before. Curiosity overrode his weariness. Carefully he separated the bushes so he could find what the wing belonged to. Mephiles gasped as he saw a pearly grey hedgehog. He was divine… He was an Angel. Mephiles knew little about the Angels. All he knew was that their wings were so powerful they served as the Angel’s life source. The grey hedgehog wheezed as Mephiles gently held his wing. Feeling sorry for the injured Angel, Mephiles hesitantly picked the Angel up. His finger would just have to wait a little longer. “Let’s get you out of here. It’s not safe here. Can you hear me?” The Angel squirmed a bit in his hold, his eyes still unopened. The Angel made a pained cooing sound. It was as if he was trying desperately to speak. Mephiles knew his health was slowly depleting. For the first time in a very long time Mephiles felt utter pity for someone. Sighing, Mephiles awkwardly shushed the Angel as gently as possible. “Uhhh.. Shh shhh. It’s no matter. I’ll… I’ll heal you. Just hang tight.” 

Mephiles fled with the Angel in his hands, carefully making his way throughout the forest he knew like the back of his hand. As he got closer to his home, he noticed the Angel starting to wake. Entering the mansion, Mephiles quietly brang the Angel into one of the vast guest rooms. He carefully set the Angel down and shushed him gently. He seemed to stop his stirring and snuggled into the warm wool blankets. Mephiles tucked the Angel in, softly chanting a sleeping spell so he wouldn’t have to struggle to sleep. He placed a hand upon the Angel’s forehead and rubbed his head softly. The Angel’s eyes relaxed and so did his body. Mephiles cupped his cheek before leaving him to sleep. “I’ll be back, Angel…”

Chapter Text

Two long days had slowly piddled away since the Witch had aided the injured Angel. Two very, very long days. On day one, Mephiles kept a watchful eye on the Angel, rarely leaving the snowy hog’s side. He practically loomed over the Angel, like a sleep paralysis demon of sorts. The Angel’s breathing and heartbeat, if he could even call it that, was steady. Mephiles was extremely surprised to find his heartbeat only to be heard in his wings. He examined his chest area, where his heart ought to be, and it was completely silent. His heart was embedded into his wings. Mephiles ever so carefully wrapped the wings with thick ivory bandages. The ivory bandages soaked into the Angel’s golden blood, becoming wet almost instantly. The Angel’s golden blood spooked Mephiles a little, as he had accidentally dropped some on his fingers. “Well you don’t see that everyday.” Mephiles muttered out. He examined the blood on his fingers closely. Maybe it would be of use to the Angel, or even himself. Mephiles swiftly turned around, speedily booking it to his own quarters. He grabbed a necklace with a vile from his dresser and went back to the Angel’s room. Mephiles carefully lifted the Angel’s cyan wing and tipped it so the blood would start to drip. The Angel squirmed a bit from the pressure of his wing being touched. “Hold on Angel… I’m almost done.” Mephiles whispered as he slowly tipped the wing back. He didn’t want to take too much blood from the divine creature. Once finished, Mephiles sealed the vile carefully and wrapped the necklace tightly around his wooden horn. “There you go.” He cooed as he gently put the Angel’s wing down. He tenderly patted his head and cupped his cheek. “You truly are a beautiful creature… I’ll get you better soon, don’t you worry.” 

The Angel leaned his cheek a bit into the Witch’s touch. Mephiles’ ears perked up at the sudden pressure on his hand. He smiled softly at the creature, taking in his features for the first time. The Angel had five fluffy quills that had cyan and gold markings on them. The quills reminded Mephiles of a maple leaf. He had two long quills that rested behind the five front quills. These quills had golden jewelry placed all around them.  He had long beautiful eyelashes that had cyan shimmer on them. His eyeliner was crisp, though a bit smeared from the tears he produced from pain. Seeing this, Mephiles got some mineral water and gently removed his eye liner. The Angel hummed softly and his lips moved as the water dripped down his muzzle into his mouth. “Are you thirsty?” The Angel hummed again, even softer than the first time. Mephiles hastily grabbed a rag and a bowl from the bathroom. He filled up the bowl with water and placed the rag into the water. He knelt down next to the bed and gently squeezed the rag near the Angel’s muzzle. The Angel opened his mouth just enough for the water to slip in. Mephiles kept sending small spurts of water into the Angel’s mouth. The Angel kept his mouth shut once he was done drinking. Once finished, Mephiles got up and placed the rag and the bowl on the bed’s nightstand. 

Slowly, the day dissipated and turned into a rainy, cold night. Mephiles left the Angel for a short time to go and collect firewood to keep them both warm for the night. The nights had recently gotten atrociously cold. The winds and rain were cold enough to cause a Mobian to go into hypothermic shock. Mephiles sighed as he came back into the house. He unbundled himself from his outside wear and placed the logs and sticks into the fireplace. With a flick of a match the wood was set ablaze, emitting heat into the lavish living room. Mephiles went back to the Angel’s room, whispering his plan as if the Angel could respond. “I’m going to carefully move you to the living room. I’ve set up a fireplace so it’s much warmer there. I think the heat will be good for you.” Mephiles picked the divine creature up bridal style, being cautious not to bump his wings on any of his household objects. 

When the two boys got to the living room, Mephiles set the Angel down on the couch closest to the fire. The Angel emitted low, satisfied purrs at the heat. He nuzzled his head into the pillow Mephiles had set for him. “See! I told you the fire was going to be good for you. There! Now you have even more warmth.” He spoke as he placed a faux fur blanket across the Angel’s body.

The Angel’s eyes started to flutter open from the warmth. Amber eyes began to peek out from behind his lids. The Angel scanned the room with his half opened eyes. Mephiles took notice and knelt down so the creature could see him. “Greetings, Angel… You’re alright and safe. For now, I think it’s best if you go back to sleep.” He softly declared as he chanted a sleeping spell. The sleeping spell took full effect within minutes. The Angel’s amber eyes disappeared once again as he fell into a deep slumber. Soft snores came out of his mouth as he shoved his head back into the warmth of the fuzzy pillow.   

Mephiles stayed with him all throughout the night. He set up his own bed on the floor with an abundance of blankets and pillows. He laid awake, pondering what to do with the creature he invited in his home. How was he to wake him up? How was he to feed him? How was he to heal his wounds? So many unanswered questions bounced around his head like a whirly ball. At 2 am, he decided he would look in his library for any books with information on Angels. That would be a good start… Mephiles slumped over on his side, staring at the fire as it crackled and sparked in anger. He rolled over and took one last look at the Angel before shutting his eyes. “Goodnight, Angel…”

…

The next morning, Mephiles woke up to the Angel’s soft snores. He was still in a very deep sleep. Mephiles could tell by the way his wings slowly rose and fell. Mephiles muttered out a curse. His sleeping spell worked a little too well. Sighing, he got up and neatly put his bed away. He made himself some breakfast, keeping note to research what Angels ate. After his breakfast, the Witch went to aid his guest before heading to the library. Mephiles re-wrapped the beautiful wings ever so carefully. He made sure the wrappings were not too tight, but tight enough to where they would stay put if the Angel rolled around. Finally, Mephiles placed a megascope by the sleeping Angel to keep a close eye on him while he was away.

Mephiles pondered slowly to his library, thinking of more questions to do extensive research on. Opening the big doors to the library, he immediately began scanning around and looking for any and all books he had on Angels. Surprisingly, he didn’t even know every book that was in his own library. Some books had even collected a disgusting amount of dust bunnies from just how little they were used. He was for certain that his books on Angels would be completely dust covered, for he had thought they were mere stories made up for children and the depressed.  Therefore, he never spared them even a glance. 

Bingo. He found copies of a few old manuscripts on Angels given to him by his dear little brother, Shadow. He had placed the manuscripts on a shelf next to a few other books filled with old relics and tales his brother had given him when they were teenagers. Shadow had truly loved old folklore tales. He sighed softly, carefully grazing his fingers over his brother's favorite book. He hadn’t spoken to him in six years. Perhaps… Perhaps it was time to contact him again. No… He couldn’t face Shadow again. Not after all that happened. Not after the horrible things they both did to each other. 

Mephiles huffed as he neatly put away his brother’s book. He snatched the old manuscripts and meandered around his library like a little bee, weaving all around the vast shelves stuffed to the brim with diverse literature. He found some more books on Angels tucked in the back of his library. The Witch dusted them off with a wet rag and opened them. He spent hours in his study soaking up every minute detail in each of the books. Angels had never crossed his mind as being powerful creatures, however, as he dug deeper into his study, he realized that Angels were extremely powerful, if not dangerous. Mephiles became nervous on how his guest even got to Mobius. There were two options the books stated on how Angels could come to Mobius. 1. An Angel could leave the Great Above to come to Mobius if they are guiding a hindered soul. 2. An Angel who is rebuked by the Archangel shall be casted down from the Great Above, becoming what is known as a Fallen Angel. 

Mephiles stiffened up. What if the divine creature in his living room was a Fallen Angel… He quickly read the glossary for information on Fallen Angels. Nothing. Nothing in any of the books or manuscripts. Absolutely exasperated, Mephiles shut the book he had open loudly. He glanced at the megascope. The Angel was still sleeping soundly, snores still quietly coming out of his dark tan muzzle. Grabbing a specific book on Angel healing, Mephiles got up and walked back to the living room. The Angel should be thirsty by now, plus he had to change his wrappings. Mephiles grabbed more ivory bandages as well as some Myrrh and Cinnamon. He had read that those two spices were great for healing wounds on the wing. He sprinkled a generous amount of the spices on the ivory bandages and carefully wrapped his wing. The wing began to glow, becoming healed instantaneously. “I’m sorry, Angel! I would’ve done that sooner if I had known.” Mephiles apologized. The snowy hog shuffled against the blankets, a faint smile appearing on his muzzle. Mephiles lifted his other wing and did the same thing. The Angel purred in delight as the second wing healed quickly. Mephiles was pleased at how nicely his wings healed. They were still a bit torn up, but it would do just fine. 

Next, Mephiles gave the Angel water, just the way he did the day before. He was glad the divine creature was doing better today. “I think tomorrow we should wake you up. Get you some food and a proper amount of water, hmm?” The Angel flapped his wings up and down, as if that was his way of responding. Mephiles stifled a laugh at the action. “You sure are mentally awake, aren’t you? I’m sorry my sleeping spell worked a little too well on you. You will be physically drowsy until the morning.” 

As the night began to fall once again, the Witch stayed close to the Angel’s side. He had moved the more important books and manuscripts into the living room so he could still read. He had discovered that his guest was a Fallen Angel based on intuition. He read that any and all classes of Angels have six wings. The Angel on his couch only had two… Mephiles sighed at that information, making a mental note not to piss the Angel off. Mephiles put the book down and decided to get some rest. He set the manuscript he was holding aside next to him. As he started to doze off, he thought about his brother. The guilt of not contacting his little brother started eating away at him like acid. Mephiles huffed as he tried to get his brother out of his head. He rolled over multiple times, the icky feeling of guilt never escaping his stomach.

 Perhaps that’s why he convinced himself the manuscripts and books were made up of silly nonsense. For Gaia’s sake he was a Witch! Of course magical creatures, spirits, and entities were real. He had communicated and seen them before. Deep down he knew he just wanted an excuse to avoid thinking about his little brother…Sighing he got up from his makeshift bed, careful not to disrupt the Angel’s sleep. He calmly left to go to his study. He grabbed a piece of paper and a feather ink pen, sat down, and started writing a letter to his little brother…

My Dear Shadow, 

It is with great humbleness that I contact you. It has been six years since we last conversed with each other. I wish to change that. I wish to reconnect with you. I wish to put our resentment towards each other to rest. I wish to make amends with you, truly I do. For we both know not what we do. I dream of an absolution. For us both to rest our regret and shame. What happened, happened. We dwell so much on the past that we cannot move forward with the future. Our future. My dear Shadow, if you accept this letter from me, I plead with you to come visit me so we may have a consultation. - Mephistopheles  

Mephiles held back his culpable tears as he sealed the letter. He settled and called a crow down from the night sky with a call. He handed the chirping ebony crow the letter.  “Go. Deliver this to a brooding hedgehog with dark purple spikes, filled with orange and red markings, a long honed tail, and green and yellow glowing rings.” Mephiles gently rubbed the crows neck and shooed it off.  He watched as the bird took off, the note tightly lodged in its beak. Mephiles quietly went back to the Angel’s side. He laid in his makeshift bed, feeling a little relieved. He looked at the Angel one more time before falling asleep without another word.  

Chapter Text

Deep within the forest, where the willows grew, there stood a somber little hut. The door of the hut burst open, the homeowner scaring the resting bats sitting upon it. A tall grey jackal, snarled at the bats that intruded his home. “Shoo you insolent bats!” The jackal barked out in anger as he stumbled into his home. The jackal breathed heavily, due to the painful, gaping hole in his chest where a beautiful ruby once laid. He had lost his magnificent magic ruby to the hands of the Witch. That god forsaken Witch… The jackal, who went by the name Infinite, winced in pain thinking about his ruby. The greedy Witch had no inducement to take his ruby! The blasted Witch had ruined everything he had planned to do with ruby! Infinite angrily snarled thinking about his lost ruby. He began to think about it obsessively, vividly trying to locate it using his limited magic. He had to get it back. He had to. A sadistic smirk fell upon the jackal’s face. Bingo. He found it in the wretched Witch’s house. He was going to do whatever it took to get it back and get his revenge… 

…  

Mephiles struggled to stay in his sleep that night. He tossed and turned, feeling restless and weary. Something, or rather someone, was corrupting his heart and mind. Mephiles finally awoke, getting up after realizing he was not going to sleep anytime soon. Mephiles began to walk in the grand halls of his home. He enjoyed the peaceful nights that had been happening quite often. The rain's pitter-pattering against the glass of the house pacified Mephiles in a way he couldn’t explain. As he journeyed around the estate, he crossed a particular room. A soft glow emitted into the shadows of the halls. Mephiles, becoming fully alert, quickly investigated the light. 

His breath hitched in his throat. The ruby he had stolen from a powerful Warlock was dancing around it’s glass cage like a little fairy. Mephiles hastily chanted a repellent spell against the warlock. “I rebuke the twisted jackal and curse his blood with thorns. Make him bleed, make him bleed. Chain his soul down in the Underworld where it belongs. Get him away from the precious stone that was once his. Oh… It is no longer his. It is no longer his. He cannot feel it. Rebuke him. Rebuke him. REBUKE HIM.” The ruby fell in an instant, no longer glowing or making any movement. Mephiles breathed out in relief, his eyes still dilated from the rush of adrenaline. After a moment, he whined in pain, looking down at his arm. Both his arms started growing crystals, causing dark plum colored blood to ooze out of him. Mephiles disregarded his arms, completely focused on the ruby. He stared at it so intently, as if he was trying to break it with his mind and shatter it into a million tiny crackly little pieces. After an hour of staring in paranoia, the Witch finally backed down. The ruby hadn’t moved, the crystals on both his arms had stopped growing, and he was finally tired, his heart and mind both restful once again. Mephiles sighed heavily as he made his way back to the living room. 

There in the living room, laid the sleeping Angel. Mephiles loomed over the Angel, watching him sleep peacefully. The Angel flapped his wings ever so slightly, trying to readjust the blanket placed upon his back. Mephiles cooed at the Angel in a hushed voice as he replaced the blanket over his wings. “Here you are, Angel.”  The Angel smiled and snuggled his face into the pillow as he curled his body further into the couch. “You are an odd creature… You seem to like the couch more than the bed. Imagine that.” Mephiles chuckled at the thought. He let the Angel sleep and settled down into his makeshift bed on the floor, falling asleep to the relief of knowing the Angel and the ruby were safe.  

…

The early morning sunbeam’s shone their glimmering light into the Witch’s ornate living room. The sunbeam’s light tickled the Angel’s nose. He fluttered his eyes open as the bright light interrupted his sleep. The Angel softly groaned at the light, still feeling groggy from the Witch’s spell. The divine creature flopped over on the couch, leaning a little too far to the right. BAM. “ACH!” The Witch hissed as he felt a large weight fall upon his side, unpleasantly waking him up. Mephiles opened his eyes and flipped over, glaring at the intruder. He touched noses with the Angel, whose sunkissed eyes were still barely open. “Mmm, sorry…” The Angel timidly slurred, still half asleep. Mephiles’ ears twitched at his soft, echoing voice. Knowing Angel’s were rather timid creatures, Mephiles sighed. He didn’t want to distress him anymore than he already was. “It’s… It’s alright I suppose.” The Angel squeezed his eyes shut, wincing in pain from the fall. “Come here, Angel.” Mephiles whispered calmly as he lifted up the Angel back onto the couch.  

The Angel flapped his wings on Mephiles cheek in thanks. He stared at Mephiles, sleepily watching him neatly tidy up the living room floor. Mephiles read in Shadow’s manuscripts that Angels are tremendously coltish creatures who loved to play. Mephiles whipped around, playfully spooking the Angel. The Angel covered his eyes with his wing, his little grin peeking through the feathers on his wing. Mephiles did this every once in a while, just to keep his guest on his toes, well in this case wings. As Mephiles finished his work, he examined the Angel’s wings carefully. He decided to remove the bandages and place new ones without spices on. He decided he should still give him cushy wrappings in case he accidentally bangs into something. 

The Angel chirped at Mephiles as he changed his wrappings, watching his every move intently. Mephiles chuckled at the small sound, finding it amusing. “What?” A soft echoed voice asked. The Angel tilted his head in confusion on just what was so funny. He had made that sound all the time at his home, in fact all the Angels in the Great Above did. “Hmm. Oh nothing, Angel. I’ve just never heard such a sound.”  Mephiles replied to the Angel’s question. “Silver. My name is Silver.” “Well isn't that a charming name. You may call me Mephiles.” “Alright, Mephiles.” Silver’s voice echoed out. “Does your voice always sound like that?” Silver looked at Mephiles with a small glare. “Like what exactly?” “Echoey. It sounds… distant yet I know you are right here.” Silver, seeing Mephiles was merely curious, replied, “Oh! Yeah that’s how all the divine creatures in the Great Above speak. Our voices are echoed because we use echolocation to find each other and our clients. My echo is fading though…” Mephiles sat down next to the Angel. He had a million questions he wished to ask, however, only one managed to escape his mouth. “How did you get so injured? When I found you, you might as well have been dead.” 

Silver’s ears airplaned out at the question. “I fell.” He simply stated, not wanting to go into details on what had happened. Mephiles decided not to push the Angel further with questions on his past. “Are you hungry?” Silver’s amber eyes snapped to Mephiles’ acid green ones. “Yes!” Silver nearly shouted, getting off the couch quickly as he spoke. He stood up too fast and nearly toppled over. “Slow down, Silver.” Mephiles scolded as he caught the Angel. Silver gave a bashful smile to the glaring Witch. “Come along now. I’ll show you around.” Silver was about to interrupt but Mephiles already knew what he was going to say. “And get you food.” Silver chirped in delight at the words. Mephiles cautiously helped Silver up from the couch. He wrapped his arm around Silver’s arm so the Angel could have some balance while walking. 

As the two hedgehogs walked through the estate, Silver stared at anything and everything. He had never seen such a marvellously decorated home before. He had wondered how Mephiles was able to acquire half of the stuff he had laying around. “Where did you get all this neat stuff?” He asked as he stopped to carefully touch a glass rose placed on a little oak table. Mephiles hummed at the Angel’s curiosity. He was half-debating on telling him he was of royal descent, however, he dismissed the idea and told a half-truth. “I come from a… very wealthy family. Most of these items are hand-me-downs from my father.” Silver hummed and walked over to a dainty folding fan. He carefully picked it up and fawned over the pretty pattern on it. “Do you ever use these items?” He asked as he flicked the fan open and waved it across his face, hiding his muzzle and showing his pretty eyes. “Not all of them. Although, I do use the books, the clocks, the glassware, and the old dressers I’ve acquired over the years.” Silver put the fan down and latched onto Mephiles as they started heading towards the kitchen. 

Mephiles pulled away from Silver and drew out a chair for his guest to sit down. Silver sat down, folding his wings slightly so he could fit. “I couldn’t exactly find this in my books, but… what do Angels eat?” Mephiles awkwardly asked, turning away from the fridge to look at the Angel. Silver flapped his wings over the chair. “Olive oil!” “Olive oil?” Silver snickered at Mephiles’ perplexed face, hiding his smirk under his wings. “Mhm! We don’t eat it by mouth, though, oh goodness no! We spread it across our wings and let the olive oil sink in. That gives us enough nutrients to keep ourselves functionable. Angels only have to do this once a month.” He declared as he stood up and walked over towards where Mephiles was standing. “We can eat regular food, but it doesn’t really do much for us. I like the taste of food even though I don’t have it very often. Oh! Do you happen to have cherries? Those are my favorite.” Mephiles blinked at Silver, who excitedly stood by the fridge. “Olive oil and cherries…You are an odd creature, you know that?” Mephiles proclaimed as he opened the fridge and dragged out the cherries. “Here you can look in there and see if you find anything else you want to eat or try.” Mephiles moved out of Silver’s way and to the cabinets where his cooking oils were placed. He moved everything around, finally finding and grabbing the olive oil. Mephiles turned to set it on the counter only to be surprised with half his counter full of different foods and Silver waist deep into his fridge. 

“There!” Silver happily shouted as he grabbed his last item. He looked proudly at the food spread across the counter. Mephiles couldn’t even be upset because of just how happy the Angel was. The Witch sighed, grabbing a large plate and a handful of bowls for random sauces the Angel picked out. Silver grabbed the bowls and plate with his psychokinesis powers. Mephiles stared at Silver in shock over his powers. He was still trying to process that every word in the books and manuscripts were unexaggerated truths. Silver chirped in delight at all the food he had and grabbed silverware for his meal. He ruffled the Witch's cheek with his wing once again. “Ack!” Mephiles spit a turquoise feather out from his mouth. “Must you do that?” Silver blinked in response, turning around and whacking the Witch with his wings on purpose. “Oops!” He sarcastically said as he started filling a bowl up with cherries. 

“Mephiles?” The Angel asked, his muzzle now having red cherry stains on it and his wings soaked in olive oil. “Aren’t you going to eat something?” “Yes, I will eat something in a moment. I’m just thinking about what I want.” After a minute or two more of pondering, Mephiles grabbed a thick-cut steak. He started slicing it up as he heated up a pan. He rarely ever cooked his meat, however, not wanting to alarm the Angel, he cooked it. After making his sandwich, the Witch sat down next to his guest, sighing softly as he fell into the chair. Silver stared at Mephiles’ food, his mouth salivating at how delicious it looked. Mephiles took notice of this and cut off one-fourth of the sandwich, putting it on Silver’s plate. Silver chirped and instead of ruffling his cheek with his oil soaked wings, he nuzzled his head on Mephiles’ cheek like a cat. If Mephiles was being entirely honest, he was flabbergasted at how the Angel never found him even remotely scary. Surely, he was creepy looking to others… Why not the Angel? 

Silver finished his meal and looked at Mephiles who was deep in thought. Silver tilted his head and got a closer look at him. Mephiles had multicolored crystals growing through his quills and arms, wooden beads, and scars of incantations across his horns, ears, and muzzle. Silver quietly moved his finger, placing it on Mephiles’ nose ever so softly. He stared into the Witch’s eyes so intently you might’ve thought he was exploding him with his mind. His finger started to glow a brilliant cyan color as he pressed harder into Mephiles’ nose. He closed his eyes and hummed a quiet song. His eyes slightly bounced inside his closed eyelids from the vibrations. “Hmmm… I sense you have a helping heart. I like you!” He smiled as he took his finger off Mephiles’ nose, opening his eyes once again. Mephiles shook his quills and rubbed his nose. “I help people in need.” He responded as he started cleaning up the kitchen. Curious, Silver replied, “How do you help them?” Mephiles turned around, knowing the Angel was not going to be pleased with his answer. “Witchcraft.” Silver looked at the Witch up and down. “MMmm… That’s a choice.” He paused before levitating his dishes into the sink rather nonchalantly. “I can tell.” Mephiles scoffed at the Angel’s sassiness. “Rude.” The Witch muttered under his breath.  

“You can still have a good heart, you know…” Silver whispered out softly. He stood up, being mindful of his wings and walked towards Mephiles. “I believe you do. You didn’t have to help me. You chose to help me. There are Angel poachers who lurk around waiting for vulnerable Angels like me and stop at nothing to take their wings. They kill us for our priceless wings and our golden blood. You could've done the same, but you didn’t. You healed me without hesitation, or knowing anything about me, therefore, you, Mephiles, have a good heart.” Mephiles’ ears perked up such an accusation. He slowly turned around and looked deep into Silver’s eyes. As he stared, Silver continued his rant. “You saved my life, Mephiles… I owe you.” Silver’s markings and palms started to glow. “If you shake my hand I will help you with whatever you need. I will serve you and aid you in anything you ask of me. I will serve as your guardian Angel with as much power I have left. This is my oath to you.” 

“You’d help me… with anything?” Mephiles heavily considered the Angel’s deal, for he had his own debts to pay. Silver nodded, fluttering around Mephiles like a butterfly. “How do I know I can trust you?” Mephiles muttered out to the Angel. “You don’t.” Silver teased as he landed gracefully on the ground. Mephiles recoiled his hand away from Silver’s glowing hand and glared. Silver stifled a mischievous laugh, covering his smirking mouth with his wing. “In all seriousness, Mephiles… Once you shake my hand, I cannot stray away from you. I am bonded with you and shall help you until you no longer need me. I promise.” Mephiles thought about the powers Angel’s had… maybe it would be enough to help him take down the Warlock.  Maybe it would be enough to save them . “Are you sure this is what you want, Angel? I am a Witch afterall.” It was Silver’s turn to recoil his hand away. 

His hand stopped glowing as he shivered, remembering what happened to him. Silver was suddenly a little frightened of the situation. Who knew what kind of people the Witch was associated with. Silver knew he wasn’t obligated to help anyone anymore… but maybe, just maybe he could earn his rightful place back in the Great Above by proving himself by helping a lowly, yet kind, Witch in need. Silver looked at Mephiles, eyes untelling of what he felt. “Mephiles… I am a wrongfully labeled Fallen Angel. I was cast out of my home by the Archangel over an utterly disgraceful misconception. I am not obligated to help anyone anymore, but I want to help. I want to help you. You helped me so very much. It’s the least I could do in return. And… And maybe I can even go back home if I prove myself.” Silver’s wings fluttered faintly as he explained his thoughts to Mephiles. The Witch smiled softly at the Angel. He appreciated Silver’s honesty about the matter. The deal in turn would benefit both of them. Sighing, Mephiles held out his hand and whispered, “This is new for me. I’m usually the one who makes the deals… I’m ready whenever you are.” Silver smiled so widely his fangs poked out of his mouth. “REALLY!?” Silver coughed curtly before brushing himself off. “I mean- OKAY!” Silver smiled as his hand started glowing once again. He hummed a song as he shook the Witch’s hand. A brilliant light shone brightly as the Witch and Angel shook hands, sealing their oath. 

Chapter Text

“Ah- Ouch!!!” Mephiles screeched as he yanked his hand back as the glowing light dissipated away from his hand. A beautiful iron ring, that symbolized their oath, now lay upon his ring finger. Silver tilted his head, confused why Mephiles yelped in agony. “Get it off! Oh! Get it off!” “Get what off!?” Silver panicked as he flew around Mephiles, trying to figure out what the matter was. “The ring! It’s iron! Iron hurts Witches horribly!” Thinking quickly, Silver tapped the ring, making it a dark bronze material instead of iron. Mephiles sighed in relief, then gave an icy glare to the Angel. Grumpily, he crossed his arms and adjusted his new bronze ring. “Hmph. This will do I suppose.” Silver smiled, glad his new companion was okay. “How come you don’t have a ring?” Silver smirked at the comment deviously, “Why? Do you want me to have a ring?” Mephiles felt an unexpected heat come up to his cheeks. “O-Of course not, Angel. I was merely asking about an astute observation.” Silver giggled at Mephiles’ ‘observation’. “I can make myself a ring if you want. I technically don’t have to wear one but if it helps you sleep at night I will.” Mephiles huffed at Silver’s brassy remark. Silver’s hands started to glow and he made himself a rose gold ring, slipping it onto his ring finger. 

  “Hmm… that reminds me, if we are going to be living together now, I need a good strong alias to go by.” Silver walked around in circles, thinking for several minutes. “I KNOW!” Silver finally shouted, startling Mephiles so much that he jumped up, putting a hand over his chest. “I’ll be your consort! That will be my alias while I’m with you!” “My what?” “Your consort!” Silver fluttered around the kitchen in pure joy. “No one will ever find that suspicious, hmm?” Mephiles thought for a moment… he did think that Silver was beautiful. What harm could it truly bring? Angels were very close-knit creatures anyway, it would be good for Silver. “Alright… If that makes you happy. We need to get you proper clothes then and do something about your wings. We certainly can’t have anyone knowing you are an Angel.” “Right!” Silver shouted a little too excitedly. His wings flew out and smacked Mephiles right in the face. Mephiles yelped and coughed up turquoise feathers as he glared harshly. “Sorry, Meph!” Silver cheekily said as he ruffled his cheek with his wing. Mephiles sighed heavily. Oh brother, what has he gotten himself into?

…

The forest where the Witch and the Angel stayed was numerous miles away, seventeen miles to be exact, from a small populated village named Camelot. At the edge of Camelot, there stood a secluded antique cottage next to a flowing stream. There in the cottage lived the town’s fanciful Herbalist, Sonic. Sonic was busily working on new herbal mixes to bring to the market the next morning. He zoomed around the small cottage, muttering at a quick pace, asking himself what his best selling mixes were. A knock on his front door startled him out of his dedicated working trance. “Coming!” The Herbalist opened the door, smiling a million miles wide seeing his beloved companion. “Shadow! You’re back!” Shadow smiled fondly at Sonic, ruffling his quills as he walked into their home. “I missed you so very much!” Shadow hummed at Sonic’s excitement as he started to put away his things neatly. “Are you getting ready for the market tomorrow?” “Mhm! I’ve been workin’ all day on collecting and crushing herbs and spices! Did you pick up the Stone Flowers I asked you for?” Sonic replied, sticking his hands in one of the bags Shadow had brought back. “Yes. They should be wrapped up in a white cloth.” Sonic rummaged a bit longer, pulling the flowers carefully out of the bag after a few seconds. “They are perfect! Wanna help me crush them up?”  Shadow nodded and both boys got to work. 

“Shadow?” Shadow hummed softly hearing his name, not stopping the process of crushing up the Stone Flower he was working on. “A letter came for you yesterday. I put it on the dresser in the bedroom. It was odd… A large crow had it in its mouth and dropped it by the door. There was no name on the outside saying who it was from. It was just addressed to your name.” Shadow paused, looking at Sonic before sighing softly. “That is… very odd.” Sonic bit his lip before whispering, “Do you think it could be from your father?” Shadow hissed in reply. “It better not be. If it is, I am going to burn it to a crisp and we are packing up and moving away from here.” Sonic stifled a laugh at that comment. “I’ll go fetch it for you.” He placed down his flower and hastily grabbed the letter. Shadow’s name was neatly written on the front, the distinct handwriting making him freeze. Shadow grabbed it and he opened it as slowly as possible, a knot in his stomach forming with anxiousness. 

My Dear Shadow, 

It is with great humbleness that I contact you. It has been six years since we last conversed with each other. I wish to change that. I wish to reconnect with you. I wish to put our resentment towards each other to rest. I wish to make amends with you, truly I do. For we both know not what we do. I dream of an absolution. For us both to rest our regret and shame. What happened, happened. We dwell so much on the past that we cannot move forward with the future. Our future. My dear Shadow, if you accept this letter from me, I plead with you to come visit me so we may have a consultation. - Mephistopheles  

Shadow’s eyes fell down to the floor after reading the letter. He had believed his older brother would never contact him again. Tears welled in his eyes as his claws bent the note from how tight he was holding onto it. Sonic glanced over at the Alien in concern. “Shadow? Who is it from?” “My older brother, Mephiles.” Shadow was barely able to control his tears. They slipped down his muzzle and landed onto the letter, making the paper soggy and the ink start to smear. Sonic gently took the letter from Shadow’s hands as he led him to the living room couch. He quietly read the letter himself as he rubbed Shadow’s back. The Alien emitted soft purrs at the comforting gesture. “Oh Shadow…” Sonic continued to rub his back, softly hushing his loved one as he wept. “I have to go see him.” Shadow finally spoke, rubbing off the tears from his swollen eyes. Sonic frowned at Shadow, not sure making such a hasty decision was a good choice. “Are you sure? This isn’t something you should rush. Besides… Do you even know where he lives? Or if it’s safe to go to him?” Sonic knew of the powerful magic that lurked around through people. For all he knew it could be a trap from someone. 

Shadow took the note from Sonic’s hand and scanned it for any information it would have. On the back in small font was Mephiles’ address. “The Soleanna Forest… That’s only seventeen miles from here.” Shadow stood up and started pacing around the living room. “It should only take two days’ time to get there.” Sonic stood up and paced with Shadow, the two hedgehogs bee-lining a circle on the fluffy living room rug. “What if… What if you came with me?” Shadow proposed as he halted, making Sonic crash into his back. “Me?” “Yes, who else?” The Herbalist chuffed at his beloved, rubbing his shoulder from crashing into the Alien’s back.

 “I’d be happy to come along, I get rather bored and lonely without you.” Sonic cooed as he sultrily draped his arms across Shadow’s shoulders, giving his neck a quick smooch. “Besides, I want to keep an eye on you and make sure nothing happens to you. What day would we take our leave?” “I shall send him a letter back and let him know I am coming. It would be rude to not give notice, I suppose. How long is the market supposed to last this week?” Sonic unlatched from Shadow’s back and walked over to the kitchen where he kept the dates for all his events written down. “It’ll last three days. So it’s short this week.” Shadow hummed, “Then we shall go after your market is over. I know you worked hard to prepare your specialties for this particular one.” Shadow smiled at the Herbalist fondly. Sonic always got so ecstatic when the market came around. It was good for income and Sonic enjoyed selling his merchandise and making people happy more than anything. 

“Then it’s settled! Is there anything you need or want while I’m there? There will be plenty of other well known vendors in town.” Shadow pondered for a moment before shyly requesting his favorite snack. “Maybe some of those Star Fruits from Tikal? Tikal always has the best fruits money can buy.” Sonic hummed and wrote down the fruit neatly in his journal so he wouldn’t forget. While Sonic wrote down some other things they needed, Shadow grabbed his bag from the shelf and gave Sonic a handful of groats. “Here you are. You can use these for anything you need to buy.” Sonic stared at the patterned silver coins. “I can’t take this much. These are your earnings.” Shadow ruffled Sonic’s quills. “No take backs. You know what’s mine is yours.” Shadow booped Sonic’s nose and turned to go to their room. Sonic chased him down, a cheeky smile resting on his face.

…

The next morning, Sonic woke up before the sun even started rising. He quietly got up from the bed, being mindful of Shadow sleeping, and started to get ready. He grabbed his favorite jewelry, his rings, and his chestnut colored leather pouch. “You’re up too early, Hedgehog.” Sonic jumped and whipped around, covering himself up as he stared at a groggy Shadow. Shadow sighed and kissed his beloved’s forehead, cupping his cheek with his hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Sonic softly asked as he leaned into Shadow’s tender touch. Shadow nodded, a saddened look placed upon his face. “You know I can’t. People will recognize me. I am the “Missing” Prince for Chaos sake. I… I just don’t want to put you or myself in danger. It’s too risky.” Sonic nodded in understanding. He wished Shadow could come with him more than anything. He was going to miss him ever so dearly. “Is there anything else I can pick up at the market for you? Anything you need?” Shadow hummed, walking behind Sonic and draping his arms around the Herbalist’s shoulders, his long honed tail carefully wrapped around Sonic's leg. “Mmmm. I don’t think so. All I really want is for you to come home safe.” Sonic tilted his head, carefully inspecting Shadow’s facial expression. He was worried more than usual, which was quite odd. Shadow wasn’t the worry wart type. 

“Everything… Okay, Shads? If you want, I can stay here-" "No! Oh no! Please don’t stay for me! I’ll be okay, I promise. I just… I’m a little paranoid after last time. I can not have Doom find you. He will execute you, and I- I’d never ever forgive myself if that happened.” Sonic sat down on the small vanity stool in the corner of their shared room. “Doom won’t find me or you, I can tell you that much. Doom wouldn’t go near a market with a thirty nine and a half foot pole.” Sonic teased as he hopped up and started lacing up his sandals. Shadow rolled his eyes fondly at Sonic’s comment. “Besides, we know he’s already scoped out Camelot. Everything will be fine and dandy, Shads.” Sonic kissed Shadow’s cheek quickly before grabbing his things. “Don’t cause too much trouble while I’m gone.” The Alien teased as he wrapped his beloved in a hug. “Oomph! Shadow! You’re squeezing too tight!” Sonic squirmed under Shadow’s grip a bit before giving up. Shadow hummed in content, giving him one last squeeze before letting him go and helping him grab his items for the market.  

…

Shadow stared out to the horizon as Sonic took their horse, Chip. Sonic looked back and gave Shadow one last wave before completely vanishing out of Shadow’s sight. Shadow sighed heavily after losing sight of his companion. The Alien turned on his heel and quickly went inside the small cottage. “It’s too quiet here.” Shadow grumbled after a few minutes of sitting down watching the sunrise through the window. Shadow huffed and got up, slowly going over to his and Sonic’s shared office. He grabbed a full piece of paper and a fancy envelope. He sat down and wrote to his older brother, deciding to formally accept his consultation invitation.