My Fallen Angel

The show was today! All the hard work and preparation from the past few weeks was finally going to pay off, all those hours spent dancing and listening to Ashlandil whine over it --- at least all of it would finally be for something.
I'd left so early I hadn't gotten to say goodbye, he'd still been asleep, but I would see him after the show.
I chewed my lip as I stared at my reflection, seeing the ridiculous makeup CC had made fun of, the rest of my costume complimenting it. It was on the verge of being too tight and I could hardly breathe, so I couldn't wait for the show to end so I could get out of it and scrub this makeup off!
I look ridiculous.
But I suppose that was the point.
My eyes traveled down my reflection, my hand eventually laying over my stomach where it was starting to swell. The little peanut there was really starting to make my clothing an issue, and Ashlandil had already suggested maybe we should go shopping again.
I didn't like shopping!
Ugh!
And Ashlandil was so annoying over it.
Of course everything he did was staring to get a little annoying.
But maybe that was just me?
"Don't be nervous, it'll go quicker then you think," the white princess said as she stood beside me, letting her tiara be braided into her hair patiently; I didn't like it when they messed with my hair, always jerking and tugging and giving me a headache. She handled it quite calmly, where I'd already hissed once or twice at the woman who did mine.
"I hope so," I sighed, glancing at the time. The show would be starting soon and Ashlan would be out there with his band and friends, and I hoped they liked the show. I'm sure it wouldn't really be interesting to any of them, but the fact they would be here would be nice.
I just hoped I played my part well, that I remembered all the moves and didn't mess up somehow. I was sure it was just the stress of being pregnant and all the nonsense going on with the other angels and Cronus and Andy ---.
Andy.
Would he be here tonight?
Would he come?
I wasn't sure if I wanted him to or not.
I was so conflicted over my feelings toward him, I loved him but after all that had happened --- how could Andiel claim to love me and yet be so cruel?
Was Seraphine telling the truth the entire time? Was he doing to me what he'd done to her? It made my heart ache to think it was true, but the way things had been going lately...
I didn't know what to believe.
All I knew for sure was I had this baby, and it needed to be protected and cared for despite my feelings or anyone else's. And without Ashlandil to help me I knew making it on my own would be near impossible, there was still so much I didn't understand about this world, and I almost hadn't survived last time!
Getting involved with Theda and the others had been a mistake.
One that had cost two of the trio their lives, and that was my fault. If I'd never joined them, no matter how brief it had been, Seraphine would never had noticed them and used them against us. I regretted killing Theda more then I'd ever admit, her death had been so pointless and awful --- but Raza...
When you let the darkness consume you, there's no coming back from it
It was a fate we'd all face eventually if another death didn't find us first.
"Kenna, my apple dumpling!" a voice gasped from behind me, and I withheld a sigh as I turned, seeing Francis trotting towards us, dressed in a tux and looking quite handsome. "You look perfect! So beautiful! It's almost like you're an angel! I know you certainly saved us showing up when you did," he added.
Oh the irony if his words.
"You say that now, but ---."
"Fifteen minutes!" a voice boomed from above, my eyes flicking to the ceiling where speakers rattled. "Show begins in fifteen minutes!"
I clenched my hands nervously.
Looks like I didn't have long left then.


Ashlandil


I was so nervous.
Kenali was performing today.
I glanced around the crowded theatre, seeing everyone dressed in their finery, jewels and dresses and tuxes that cost more then my already substantial rent.
CC was with me, looking uncomfortable and tugging at the collar of his suit.
"Man the fuck up, would you?" I grunted at him, annoyed. "Stop whining already. Where are the rest of the guys?"
"They should be here soon." he said, frowning at me. "Why are you freaking out?"
I want sure.
I just had a bad feeling about tonight.
Something was going to go horribly wrong and I didn't know what it was --- I wanted to be prepared.
Would the angels attack tonight when we least expected it --- Seraphine? Cronus? Iriel, since we were naming names?
All had us on their shit list.
All could do something that would ruin Kenalis night.
All would die the second they made her cry.
I was done with their bullshit, I just wanted her happy and the only way to do that was to keep her as far away from angels as possible.
Myself not included of course.
It was all I knew to do.
Which is why we were taking a vacation after this. I had it all planned out. Kenali had never been to the beach, so I was taking her. I'd come back a couple days before we were to leave for Warped, but the time between now and then would be spent as far from LA as possible. I wanted to get her out of the war zone.
And away from Andy.
I didn't want her in the same city as him anymore.
Or state.
Or fuck, even country.
this was all his damned fault anyway, getting his ass sent down here and then fucking around with her until he knocked her up. Fucking bastard.
Kenali was more hurt over how he'd treated her then I'd ever seen.
He didn't deserve to be an angel.
None of us did except for her.
Sure, she'd slipped up a few times, but earth would do that to you. Killing that guy in the alley back in Wales had been an accident, Theda had been necessary to save Andy (the useless bastard), and that was the only major transgressions I could think of.
She was overall good.
And that child she carried... I hoped it would take after her.
"Hey guys."
"Jake, Jinxx. I'm glad you guys made it," I turned to them, relieved. I'd wanted them all here to support Kenali tonight.
I glanced at the theatre, seeing the crowd streaming inside, all going to their seats. We would need to head in soon.
I wish I could have seen her before the show.
Comforted her, boosted her up.
Hopefully she knows how much I cared about her.
"We should head in," I told the three of them, painfully aware of the missing member of the band. I was glad he wasn't here, after what he did he didn't deserve to be.
None of the guys had ever seen Kenali dance, and oh was it a sight to behold. It was entrancing, I could remember that, how she moved so in tune with the music, how she made it possible to hear and feel the words of the story when there was no dialogue.
She was amazing.
But that's what she'd been created to be.
."Uh, Ash?"
"What?"
I glanced over as CC hesitated in step beside me, and I half turned, looking over my shoulder to follow his gaze.
Well you son of a bitch.
I eyed Andy as he hesitantly approached us, dressed in his black suit, looking fancy and fucking nice. He hunched a little as he stepped to us, looking uncomfortable and as if he knew his reception wouldn't be a good one.
Motherfucker.
"Andy." I said stiffly. "You made it."
"Yeah, I... Yeah." he shifted, grimacing; not even he could hide the dark circles under his eyes. He probably felt like shit, being under Iriels influence after someone had been feeding him darkness. He'd been manipulated by angels more in his human form then any other.
Which oddly I got some satisfaction out of.
I glanced at my watch.
Well if I was going to be a dick and tell him he couldn't go, now would be the time. But, knowing Kenali, even after all that he'd done she'd want him here. And she'd be mad if she found out I'd made him leave.
So.
"You coming in with us?" I asked, crossing my arms. "All the tickets are seated together."
"Yeah."
Good.
I turned away, and the guys all followed me as we walked into the theatre.
It was nice as hell in here. I glanced around appreciatively at the red and gold tones the outer hall was decorated in, from the red carpet to the gold-lined ceiling with murals. The furniture looked antique, though it was probably the fake kind, and chandeliers were everywhere.
It was pretty damn fancy.
But I had expected no less.
Francis seemed the fancy type.
"Nice place," I heard Jake comment. "Not what I expected."
Me either.
It was almost too nice for my liking.
I frowned.
Everyone was already heading in deeper, going where the stage would be, and I had to admit I was nervous to go in there. I was excited to see Kenali and watch her perform, but I really did have a bad feeling about tonight.
All the scenarios had already run through my head of all the awful things that could happen; I was just hoping none of them did.
I took a deep breath, glancing at my fellow band mates.
Well, it was now or never.
Once the doors were closed they wouldn't open again.
"Come on," I sighed, accepting the fact that something horrible was probably going to happen that would either start the apocalypse or infuriate Kenali, which might as well be equal to the end of the world. I couldn't miss this show, she'd kill me anyway or be so disappointed me I'd have to grovel for forgiveness, and neither of those options sounded great.
So, to my probable doom I went.
The guys trailed behind me, all of us heading for the stairs where the boxes would be; we were famous, after all, what if we set with the rest of the crowd and someone recognized us? It would be a mob, and the show would never get started.
Heh.
Hey, wait, that actually wasn't a bad idea.
If the show couldn't get started, nothing bad could happen, right?
Or would that be the bad thing?
Why the fuck was I suddenly feeling so paranoid?
"Ash, this is us," I heard CC call, and I realized I'd walked straight past our box, so lost in my paranoid thoughts.
It wouldn't do to be unobservant tonight.
It was too important.
Huffing, I turned and started back for the curtain, all of us finding seats near the front of the box, and after a few minutes I heard more people filing in behind us to the remaining seats.
We had a great view of the stage from here.
And how the fuck did I end up in the middle of everyone?
"How long til the show starts?" CC asked, staring down at the pamphlet we'd been given. "Like how long is it?"
"It's a while." Andy responds, sitting on the end beside CC and almost looking bored, his chin propped on his fist. "Ballets last a while."
He didn't have to sound so excited.
I glared at him.
"This is a big deal for Kenna," I said after a moment, getting all their attention. "It's her last show for a while, so let's all be on our best behavior."
"That's funny coming from you," CC said, snorting. "And is her name Kenna or Kenali? You switch between the two constantly."
I did?
Oh.
"It's Kenali," I muttered. "Kenna is her nickname."
"How did she end up with a name like Kenali? It sounds African."
I rolled my eyes.
"CC, can you just shove ---?"
"Attention ladies and gentlemen!" a voice suddenly boomed over the intercom, making all of us cringe at how defeaning it was. "Please begin finding your seats and turning off all electronic devices! There is to be no video taping, no---."
Blah blah blah.
I sunk down in my seat, my eyes flicking over the people steadily filling the seats below us, almost every seat full by the time the lights started to dim, the orchestra in the front starting slow, dark music.
And so it begins.

Notes

Four months! I'm so sorry it's taken that long for me to even update, I am such a lame nugget.

But! I will be posting regularly from now on until the end of MFA, I hope everyone is excited and hasn't forgotten anything! I have a chapter that's just a major summary somewhere.....

Right.
Read on!


Also, MAJOR shout out to Smuttypariah and Anathema for being insistent doodles who never let me forget that I needed to write this and finish this and get back to this and if I was abandoning it I need to say so and stop writing other stuff until I finish this and don't forget this and ---.

Well that was the gist of it.

Enjoy!