Pavillion of Lanterns, Monday
The lanterns swayed on the branches as they passed them. A faint ghost of a scream for help could be heard from all around, the souls turned lanterns tugged at the stitches holding them together to reach out to the angels.
Lucifer walked past them calmly, as if only going out for a stroll in the garden.
That was easier said than done for Aziraphale. He'd never spent any time with the souls of the departed, but this was far from his idea of what the Afterlife should be.
And every soul they passed that reached out, he wondered if that one was James.
After exchanging his soul for Lucifer's there was a link between them, one that Lucifer followed into the heart of the Pavilion of Lanterns and the caretaker there.
"Try not to do anything foolish," Lucifer said as Tsuki-Yomi came into view.
Aziraphale replied with a scowl at Lucifer's words. "I won't do anything that puts James in jeopardy, Lucifer. But I think it's too late to warn me against doing anything foolish."
The former moon god stood when his very unwelcome visitors came closer. The needle and thread tossed aside along with a half made lantern.
"Morningstar, I did not expect you to come." He looked around the woods nervously, well aware of the ramifications of the angel being in this place. "How can I help you, Prince of Hell?"
Biting his tongue on the words 'You can give us James back!', Aziraphale obeyed the other angel's admonishment to behave himself, and glared at Tsuki-Yomi instead. This entire place gave him the creeps, and all he wanted was to get Wilson's soul and get the hell out.
"The soul of James Wilson," Lucifer replied, taking a step toward the dead god.
That made Tsuki-Yomi laughed, a raspy coughing noise that did not bring to mind pleasant feelings. "He's tied to you. I felt it when he first arrive."
"No, I think I will keep him. It pleases me to be able to hold something of yours when you've taken so much of mine," He said, sitting back down to begin work again.
Stepping forward, Aziraphale said, "And what have I taken that belongs to you? You'd punish someone whose had no dealings with you, just to spite someone else?"
He pierced the fabric of the lantern with his needle, causing a quiet sob from both souls being stitched together as the torment started once more. "He is the reason why I am here. He took my life from me, when all I offered was hospitality." The dead god tugged sharply on the thread. "Oh yes, I believe I will take my punishment out on anyone as long as he suffers."
Aziraphale eyes narrowed, and he advanced on Tsuki-Yomi. "You were a fool for expecting anything different. And you're a fool now if you believe I'll let you torture James just because you're in a pique over your own misjudgements."
Diplomacy...was not so much Aziraphale's strong suit.
Tsuki-Yomi didn't even look up at him, secure in the fact that this was his domain and there was nothing they could do to him here. Not unless Lucifer wanted to destroy billions of souls.
"Go home little angel." Lantern finished, he stood and hung it on a nearby tree, admiring the terrified looks on the of the souls on it. "Go home unless you want to join my art."
Okay, fine. If the annoying little tailor wasn't willing to cooperate, Aziraphale would just find Wilson's soul himself. Surely it couldn't be that hard. Even without the ring-bond, surely he would recognize Wilson's presence.
So with a muttered "Bugger all this" under his breath, the angel stalked angrily toward the hanging lanterns, intent on searching out the single one he needed.
Lucifer fixed the god with a stare, walking away from him and toward one of the trees to examine the lanterns thereon. "There are billions of souls here,Aziraphale. That would not be the best course of action."
"I give you one more opportunity to give us his soul, Tsuki-Yomi."
"Then what if we just set them all free?" Aziraphale replied, looking back at Lucifer. "That would be easier."
And he was perfectly willing to do it, too. Unless the Adversary insisted against it.
"Did I ever share what happened when I abandoned Hell?" Lucifer asked, running a finger down the seam of one lantern. "I let them all go. Each soul that was there, all of them were freed. Where do billions upon billions of souls go when they have no realm in which to remain?"
He turned and gave Aziraphale a dark smile. "They went everywhere. It threw the realms into chaos over the refugees from Hell."
Tsuki-Yomi hissed and narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Your father would not allow it."
"HE didn't stop us from coming here, did HE?" Aziraphale snapped. "Maybe it's part of HIS Plan, to destroy you and your freakish...workshop." Reaching up, he wrapped his fingers around one of the lanterns, cradling it as though prepared to break it to pieces.
"But," Lucifer said, tapping the lantern and turning away. "That would still take too much of our precious time here."
From his coat pocket he produced a bottle that may have once contained scotch. "I gave you a chance, you can't say I did not try to be civil about this." Opening the bottle, he held it out at the forest of lanterns. "James Wilson. Come."
There was a tearing noise as one lantern behind Tsuki-Yomi shook violently and fell, splitting the souls on it as one flew into the bottle.
Aziraphale had to suppress the urge to just fling himself at the bottle, when he realized what had just flown into it. For a moment, he wondered if it could be that easy after all. If they could just take his lover's soul and walk out of this place.
"James..." he murmured softly.
Tsuki-Yomi stalked toward the Morningstar, skeletal fists clenched tightly at his sides. "You have no right to do this. I won't allow it!"
A pair of shears appeared in his hand, flashing in the light of the lanterns. "This is my place," The former moon god said darkly.
Scissors? Aziraphale stopped in his tracks, and blinked. The little god was going to try and fight them with scissors?
"Then stand aside and this will remain your place," he replied, moving to put himself between Tsuki-Yomi and the precious bottle Lucifer held.
"Out of my way, pest!" Tsuki-Yomi slashed the blades across Aziraphale's chest.
Aziraphale stared. He didn't attempt to defend himself from the attack. Because...scissors.
It hurt, although not the way the attacks on the ship had hurt, nor was it the deep and searing pain of his abuse at the hands of Scoria . And because it seemed like a bizarre and unlikely way to fight -- and because he was determined to protect the young doctor's soul, now that they had found it --Aziraphale stood his ground.
Stupid little angel. They never learned, did they?
Tsuki-Yomi sneered and stabbed the scissors up into Aziraphale's stomach. "I said, get out of my way."
Fighting with sewing implements hadn't been covered in the angel training manual. Which was why Aziraphale made a sharp grunt of surprise when he found himself having a pair of scissors shoved into his gut.
It did manage to shake him out of his bewilderment, however. Wings flaring, he summoned up his sword and slashed at the figure in front of him.
"Is that all?" Tsuki-Yomi asked, running his hand over the spot where Aziraphale sliced. It only cut the cloth, the paper like skin beneath was unharmed.
Aziraphale, on the other hand...
Stumbling back, Aziraphale looked down to see the deep gash across his own chest, and realized why Tsuki-Yomi hadn't been afraid to face them. Banishing the sword as swiftly as he'd called it, he shot a glance over his shoulder at Lucifer.
Then he threw himself forward, hoping to grapple the little god to the ground. Bind him somehow, perhaps, so that the other angel could take the soul away unharmed.
Lucifer reached forward and grabbed the other angel by the shoulder, pulling him back. "We do not have time for this." He passed the bottle to him, smiling at the dead god as he stepped forward.
"Would you care to see what it means to not care as long as your enemy is destroyed?" He asked, still smiling as fire started to travel up Tsuki-Yomi's robes.
Aziraphale cradled the bottle against him, turning his face away from the sight. Discorporation was far cry from true destruction, but his own experience was too raw for him to be able to watch. Even if he knew that Lucifer could withstand the flames.
The flames grew brighter as the god burned, screeching in pain. "You will destroy everything!"
Lucifer continued to smile. "Oh yes, I am aware of that." He turned and started to walk away, no longer bothering to keep himself in check as the forest rumbled around them.
"We should leave before it all collapses."
Idly wondering if they would be leaving anything intact on this journey, Aziraphale nodded sharply, still holding the bottle containing Wilson's soul pressed to his chest. The gash from his encounter with Tsuki-Yomi still bled, covering the bottle and his hands, but at the moment he didn't care.
"Will the ship take us home?"
Lucifer unfurled his wings and took to the sky, assuming Aziraphale would follow behind him. "No need this time. Just follow me closely."
Aziraphale was surprised at how relieved he felt that they wouldn't be going back the way they came. With a beat of his wings, he was close on Lucifer's heels, doing exactly as the Adversary had told him, and keeping close enough almost to touch.
[[ooc: Almost done, honest. NFB or interaction, pre played with a_phale]]