Hi everyone :) Meet Pronab (on the pic above).

Enjoy the chapter!

B.

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Chapter 52

"Gabrielle"

"Hurry! You don't want to miss this!" Elaine said excited as she rushed through the stairs that led them all to the rooftop.

It was a place staged to be a heliport, the perfect area for what was to come. Elaine was the first one to be outside; the Meng twins were already there, though. Everyone followed and saw the sunrise in its full glory.

When Elaine earlier started talking through a speaker, she brought everyone to the center living room area, and invited them all to follow her to the roof. She didn't explain more, but all knew it was something worth it if Elaine was excited.

The sun rising gave them all a wonderful sight of the colorful view; everywhere the sun touched became alive. Then at the distance, a mass of some sort started to approach them. Caliope squeezed her eyes trying to decipher what it was.

"Are those clouds forming up?"

"No darling, that is what I brought you to see." Elaine replied with a smile, leaving everything in suspense.

Caliope stood looking at the shapeless mass forming in the distance, and after some minutes she felt Amra's arms wrap around her. "They are coming to our Gathering, love. There's nothing to be scared of."

She nodded and relaxed on his arms; there was nothing that could scare her as long as he was with her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and brushed his lips on her earlobe. She felt goosebumps arise all over her arms, and she giggled blushing.

"What on earth are those? Birds?" Vanessa asked, still rubbing her eyes as she was slowly waking up.

"Nothing from earth, for sure... more like heavenly. Those are angels' hun." Pronab nudged her then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side.

The mass took shape of something that Caliope already saw once, was it in her dreams? She had a sense of deja'vu as she watched them approach. They started landing on the rooftop of different buildings; and the sight was magnificent. Each angel had a different landing style, and the variation of wings was delightful to watch. There was one young woman with loose hair standing in the air near them, she was watching all land and kept giving orders with her hands. She was dressed in ancient clothe; a tunic that resembled to old Greek Gods. After most angels landed, she gave a spin and flew straight to them, aerobically landing in front of Elaine.

"You haven't lost your magic, darling." Elaine said to her with open arms.

"Mother, I inherited that from you..." The girl hugged her tight.

"Mother?" Caliope almost gasped. Elaine turned around and smiled at her.

"Caly my dear, meet my daughter Gabrielle."

"I didn't even know you had a daughter." Caliope replied still in shock. An awkward silence before she added. "It is truly a pleasure meeting you Gabrielle, you have such grace in the air, I was really impressed."

Gabrielle smiled at her almost giggling, then she exchanged a look with Elaine and finally returning to Caliope. "I have been on the hiding for some years, so probably mother hasn't talked much about me. Please don't hold that against her. I asked her to hide me for a while."

Caliope blushed. "Oh I won't, I was just surprised." And she smiled to affirm her statement.

Elaine chuckled then continued. "I am sure you know who Amra is."

Amra gave her a smile, Gabrielle replied with kindness. "An honor to serve you, Amrafel." And she bowed her head.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Gabrielle. Elaine has only greatness to speak of your name. Well, back when she was allowed to talk about you." He finished teasingly.

Gabrielle giggled and Elaine tried to hold a laugh, she rushed introductions with the rest of the people and finally led them inside the hotel.

When they were all in the gathering area of their floor, Elaine took a seat and smiled as Gabrielle sat next to her and gave her a hug. Caliope and Amra sat in the opposite couch and she kept staring at Gabrielle with pure curiosity, she turned her head and caught back her glare.

"I am sorry Caliope, I know it is hard to believe but yes, Elaine had me long time ago." Gabrielle said with a grin.

Caliope frowned and shook her head. "At first, I was really trying to figure out if I knew it already and had just forgotten. But I guess I really didn't know about your existence after all."

Gabrielle turned to look back at her mother surprised. "Forgotten? What happened to her?"

"There is plenty that happened and I couldn't fill you in by 'our' phone. She lost her memory but is slowly getting back."

"Fine; But you will tell me all about it later, please?" Gabrielle smiled at her mother. Elaine chuckled and nodded. "Of course my dear."

"So why was she hiding?" Vanessa was the one who started the questioning that Caliope already was dying to begin.

"I asked mother to hide me." She grinned as she eyed Vanessa. "About twenty five years ago, we heard rumors about the dark angels planning a big hit on us, something like we've never seen before. I went hiding underground with the fallen ones in order to spy them. Years aren't really a big thing for us once you are in our world." She winked at Caliope when she finished in that statement.

"What have you found out?" Pronab encouraged her to talk.

"Well, I was going to wait for all of them to be here but since you ask." She adjusted herself in the couch and sat straight before continuing. "Through all this time, I had always been in contact with mother; she and I have a special way of communicating, Astral Projection. I know there was one high rank General in their forces who was personally responsible for Gaius disappearance. However, since I had only been with the fallen ones, I couldn't reach that high to find out who it was. One of my connections though, found out he was missing as well, ever since Gaius disappeared. So they are at least in search of where this General has gone. Also, mother told me about what one of the sub's thoughts were about his disappearance, and am inclined to believe it seems to be true, whatever they did to capture him, it was done without real knowledge of them doing this."

"Sub? Are you referring to the other Elaine?" Caliope interrupted her.

"Yes darling, she is. It is a bad habit of her, and she will have to re adjust and get used to call them by their proper rank, which is Second in Command." Elaine replied and gave Gabrielle a stare; she giggled and nodded without wanting to get into arguments.

"Well, the Second in Command Elaine Warrick. Happy mother?" She teased Elaine who couldn't help but laugh and nod. "Yes, I was surprised we never thought about it before, but it looks like it must be true, they took courage now though, and are starting to push us over with more attacks since they haven't seen any actions taken yet against them. I personally wish we could throw Amrafel at them and let him vanish them all for once." Gabrielle sighed and leaned on the couch.

Amra shook his head "I am not a dog to be thrown into the hunt field, thank you."

"She was trying to be funny, dear. Don't take it the wrong way." Elaine tried to ease Amra who was taking a defensive position.

"What would the world be without some bad to balance the good? I believe God doesn't want them to be completely vanished. Even though the idea to end this war quickly before it even begins is appealing." Caliope said as she looked down to her hands. She didn't even notice how everyone was staring at her until the awkward silence made her look up.

"You are wise beyond your years Caliope, definitely a smart cookie. I like you already." Gabrielle smiled at her and Caliope blushed. "I was only teasing of course, and I think it would be impossible to live only in goodness. We tried once, for a couple hundred years, it was a disaster as well." Gabrielle finished.

Caliope perked a brow and showed interest. "You tried it before?"

"Yes we did an experiment. We had humans living in peace and harmony with Angels around to guard them. They fell into slumber; numbed in emotions. Everything became monotonous and simple, almost like machines that did what they were supposed to do and nothing else." Elaine said with sadness. She sighed and continued. "Even though our Father had warned Us that -that- was not the way, we had to experiment on ourselves and see why. He was right and we saw it. Without the bad or negativeness in things, there was no way to ponder the difference and strive for betterness. They became people who didn't even want to think anymore, not even love. Life without some 'bad' in it was impossible. It became inevitable to let life follow its course without our full interference."

Caliope nodded, she could see how they would have wanted to experience on their own and see for themselves what they were told, something humans do constantly. She saw how angels too have curiosity and try to see things happen even after they were warned.

They exchanged a few more words then finally Elaine guided her daughter to her room so she could rest. Vanessa and Caliope went to get breakfast and were caught by surprise when Pronab already ordered room service for them all; waiters brought cars with different kinds of food and left them at the entrance.

Once they were enjoying their food, Caliope couldn't help but to let her curiosity speak. "Pronab, who is Gabrielle's father? Where is he?"

Pronab almost choked after hearing her question, he coughed briefly then took a sip of his juice before formulating some words. This reaction alone made Caliope more than interested in what he could say. "He was a Greek philosopher, a man who fell deeply in love of Elaine and she of him. He transcended to be the male version of what you are to Amra, but it is a process that takes some time, as you might know by now. And dark angels caught him and killed him before he finished his process. It was very hard for Elaine, and it became hard on those dark angels as well. Those were ancient times, a lot of revelry and not many rules were made yet in this earth. The pain of Elaine was so deep, so strong, her cries reached even them and they felt it in their skins, since her power is to manipulate emotions, it made the pain stronger. They were surprised of the effect it had in her and them so much, they gathered and decided to establish no one would ever try to do harm into another's loved one. They agreed in spoken words, the way things were done back then. Very few rogue one's ever tried to break this rule since."

"I never thought there was such a sad story behind her life, she always seemed so happy, bright, and sunny." Caliope said after some thought. Pronab nodded.

"It was a rough time for her, the hardest one ever I believe. I was in the other side when this happened, I remember the nights of agony it brought to me, and I wasn't even one of those rogues who attacked her loved one."

"Was his name Gabriel?" Vanessa asked.

"No, actually I don't remember his name, Elaine never mentioned either. But Archangel Gabriel took care of her and her daughter, he became like a big brother to Elaine and guarded her until hundreds of years passed and she finally moved on. In his honor, she named her daughter Gabrielle."

They all nodded in agreement. Amra was silent during all this time, much of what was being said was new to him, and the thought of losing his Asteria made him feel bad for what Elaine went through. It only made him promise himself to never let his guard down, to always protect Caliope.

At noon, Elaine and Gabrielle joined all of them in the living room while they waited for the lunch to arrive.

"Why don't we go out to eat? I mean such a big city all for us, full of angels, completely safe supposedly, and we stay locked here?" Vanessa said almost frustrated. She was used to always go out to explore new places, and staying inside was killing her.

Pronab smirked. "You don't want to go out right now."

"Why not?" Vanessa asked while frowning at him.

"They have just arrived. You haven't seen angels on the loose before. They are getting familiar with the city and taking over by now. We are better here for another day at least."

"Are they that wild?" Caliope continued while she chuckled.

"Oh you have no idea." Pronab laughed. "They have been mingled with humans for centuries; many of them haven't spread their wings in that long as well. They are in a city built for them with no danger to show themselves as they are. It is like dropping a kid in a candy store and tell him everything is free..."

Vanessa and Caliope looked one to the other and started laughing at the analogy; inside her, Caliope remembered a carefree Pronab jumping into an abyss in one of their trips.

Hours later, Gabrielle was leaning on the window of her room as Elaine knocked on her door and came in.

"Everything ok?"

"Yes mother, thank you."

"Were you able to see anything dark inside her?"

"It felt strange; I couldn't really get into her mind at all. I will need to make her aware of what I want to do and try some experiments with her, but for now it is all in vain. Why didn't you want me to tell her on the first place?" Gabrielle turned around to face Elaine.

"I wanted to know if you could get through her and read her, that way I would know if any other tries to and can be successful. If you failed, then I have nothing to worry about. We will talk with her tomorrow and begin some tests."

"I am more than curious now though; they called her their Morrighan."

"The one from the myths?" Elaine asked a little concerned.

Gabrielle nodded. "Yes, but I think I know what she is. I will be more sure about it tomorrow."

Elaine took a deep breath and pondered what Gabrielle just told her; something as simple as a name became more than an inconvenience.