[Trinity Blood] (PG)
Author's Note: Written for 
fic_promptly's Author's choice, author's choice, the heart of the labyrinth Featuring Abel Nightroad, after the end of the anime.
Cain could be anywhere now, Abel thought as he stood in the apse of Chartes Cathedral. He stood beside the "entrance" to the great labyrinth of black and white blocks of marble set into the floor, the surface worn smooth by the footsteps of millions of pilgrims come to the cathedral since its completion in the 1200s, so many ages ago. Now his feet followed its traces in the same path, meditating as they had, though likely not dwelling on the same thing. The pilgrims who walked this pathway had raised their thoughts to the spiritual journey to heaven, but Abel thought also of the physical journey which lay ahead of him, the long road ahead, seeking for clues of Cain's whereabouts, all leading to one final purpose, one which would no doubt lead to his destruction along with his brother's. But he offered this sacrifice of his place in the Vatican and possibly of his life, if it came to that, in order to protect the lives of others. Cain had no regard for human life, while Abel had spent his time atoning for his sins against humanity and the very earth itself on which they dwelt.
The path of the labyrinth wound in slow loops, turning back on themselves at each of the compass points, drawn tight within the circle, not wasting a bit of space. The initial path ran straight for the core of the labyrinth before a sudden turn sent him in a completely opposite direction, heading back toward the edge, almost as if it were sending him right back to the beginning. For a moment, he thought perhaps he had taken a wrong turn, that he had skipped a line or crossed over onto the path leading back to the first step. But he reminded himself that it did this, that the designers and decorators of the cathedral had made it this way to teach the traveler a lesson: the journey of the spirit could do the same thing. You thought that you made a lot of progress right away, that your success was a quick guarantee, but one little thing could send you back along the path, leaving you feeling as though you had taken a wrong turn and gone back to where you started, to the things that set you on the path to spiritual improvement in the first place. But with perseverance, he knew he would reach the heart of the labyrinth, just as he would, with perseverance, find his brother. He only hoped that he would find Cain before he could harm more humans. He knew, ultimately, that was impossible, that Cain lived to harm humans just as much as he lived to protect them, but it was something he wished he could somehow prevent.
Proof that he was still striving for the heart of his own labyrinth, that of growing stronger and not letting his hopes reach too high. Not that he should not strive for better things, but rather, that he should not let himself grow despondent when he did not succeed as he had wanted, that his hope, while vital and precious, was not infallible.
As he thought these things, his steps turned along the last gyre and into the rosette-shaped heart of the labyrinth. He let himself stop then, to rest and gaze about him, at the soft colors pooled on the floor beneath the tall windows in the cathedral walls, at the other pilgrims passing by him, and then toward another pilgrim, just starting to enter the labyrinth and follow its path. He smile and vacated the center of the labyrinth, letting her have the path to herself so as not to disturb her meditations.
His head and his heart were clearer than before, and so he left the cathedral, going down to the inn where Ion waited for him...
fic_promptly's Author's choice, author's choice, the heart of the labyrinth Featuring Abel Nightroad, after the end of the anime.
Cain could be anywhere now, Abel thought as he stood in the apse of Chartes Cathedral. He stood beside the "entrance" to the great labyrinth of black and white blocks of marble set into the floor, the surface worn smooth by the footsteps of millions of pilgrims come to the cathedral since its completion in the 1200s, so many ages ago. Now his feet followed its traces in the same path, meditating as they had, though likely not dwelling on the same thing. The pilgrims who walked this pathway had raised their thoughts to the spiritual journey to heaven, but Abel thought also of the physical journey which lay ahead of him, the long road ahead, seeking for clues of Cain's whereabouts, all leading to one final purpose, one which would no doubt lead to his destruction along with his brother's. But he offered this sacrifice of his place in the Vatican and possibly of his life, if it came to that, in order to protect the lives of others. Cain had no regard for human life, while Abel had spent his time atoning for his sins against humanity and the very earth itself on which they dwelt.
The path of the labyrinth wound in slow loops, turning back on themselves at each of the compass points, drawn tight within the circle, not wasting a bit of space. The initial path ran straight for the core of the labyrinth before a sudden turn sent him in a completely opposite direction, heading back toward the edge, almost as if it were sending him right back to the beginning. For a moment, he thought perhaps he had taken a wrong turn, that he had skipped a line or crossed over onto the path leading back to the first step. But he reminded himself that it did this, that the designers and decorators of the cathedral had made it this way to teach the traveler a lesson: the journey of the spirit could do the same thing. You thought that you made a lot of progress right away, that your success was a quick guarantee, but one little thing could send you back along the path, leaving you feeling as though you had taken a wrong turn and gone back to where you started, to the things that set you on the path to spiritual improvement in the first place. But with perseverance, he knew he would reach the heart of the labyrinth, just as he would, with perseverance, find his brother. He only hoped that he would find Cain before he could harm more humans. He knew, ultimately, that was impossible, that Cain lived to harm humans just as much as he lived to protect them, but it was something he wished he could somehow prevent.
Proof that he was still striving for the heart of his own labyrinth, that of growing stronger and not letting his hopes reach too high. Not that he should not strive for better things, but rather, that he should not let himself grow despondent when he did not succeed as he had wanted, that his hope, while vital and precious, was not infallible.
As he thought these things, his steps turned along the last gyre and into the rosette-shaped heart of the labyrinth. He let himself stop then, to rest and gaze about him, at the soft colors pooled on the floor beneath the tall windows in the cathedral walls, at the other pilgrims passing by him, and then toward another pilgrim, just starting to enter the labyrinth and follow its path. He smile and vacated the center of the labyrinth, letting her have the path to herself so as not to disturb her meditations.
His head and his heart were clearer than before, and so he left the cathedral, going down to the inn where Ion waited for him...