Serenity

A/N: Hope you guys like this chapter. Things are finally going to heat up. I really had to rack my brain to get this one finished! Thanks to everyone that reviewed Chapter 2! It's nice to know you guys haven't given up on Serenity! MassMurderer, 4000kills, Henrietta Skylink, MDA, Oblivion Star Seeker, nie261, Mecholisskat, smileymeme, AquaticSilver, AkiDreamz, TigerRaiken, Dark Angel, Loveless Melody, aquabutterfly1000, DarkBlueLynx, quasi una fantasia, FlowersN'Stars, Bob, MidnightReader1, snowlily, Ashelia Lucis Caelum, The SilverLight!

Chapter 3: Wings of Resurrection

It was a sad day for the Avalon Law Enforcement Department. A shroud of terror lingered over each and every one of the many rooms in the massive law enforcement building.

The many police officers and military personnel hung their heads in absolute defeat. Who would have ever thought that the unthinkable—no, the impossible could happen?

The news that the veteran General of Avalon Law, Richard Lusk was murdered in a bloody battle against the horde struck the hearts of everyone in the law enforcement department, viciously marring their morale.

No one ever thought the day would come when the cheerful, loud-mouthed, brawny old General would be defeated. Hell, even the new recruits thought the invincible, old man would outlive them all.

Clarissa brushed a tear aside. General Lusk had been a father to her, taking her in under his wing when she was a recruit and teaching her everything there was to know about being a cop. Many times, he had scolded her for being too brash and arrogant, reminding her that the only dead cops were those who tried to play hero.

The old man had even gone so far as to lecture her for being stubborn while she laid paralyzed in a hospital ward after being in severe accident.

Just the thought that the Horde had managed to eliminate a man as powerful as her mentor was frightening. Although he was of minor demon descent, General Lusk was said to have been on par with greater demons in terms of strength. He was definitely, by far, the strongest man she had ever met.

And despite her being human, he had kindly accepted her as his personal assistant.

Clarissa winced as a sudden screeched reverberated through every room.

"Officer Angel please report to the Red room," An officer requested through the damaged intercom. "I repeat, Officer Angel please report to the Red room. Your presence is required immediately."

She already knew why they wanted her. As the ex-General's attendant, she had managed his files in his absence and attended to his missions when he was occupied. Now, Avalon Law wanted her to become acquaintances with the new General that they had procured.

From the ever present rumors, she learned that the new General was quite young, but well-versed in the art of war nonetheless. Apparently, though she doubted it was true, the new General was stronger than General Lusk, and had been sent by the Demon King himself.

Clarissa strolled along the plain grey hallways, passing different departments on her way, but the atmosphere remained the same. It was evident that General Lusk had left lasting impressions on everyone.

She finally reached the Red room and pulled the door open. Inside, a group of high ranking officers sat around a metal table, patiently waiting for her to do the same. Seeing the half of the men in military attire, she realized that the issue at hand was serious. General Lusk hadn't been killed during a reconnaissance mission into the Wilderness, he had been slain while patrolling the border, which meant the Horde were preparing to invade.

At that moment one of the commanding officers entered the room. She along with the other officers stood as a gesture of respect. The protocol was new to her, but she knew that the man deserved respect.

"You may sit," The elderly white-haired colonel ordered. "Except for you Officer Angel. The General has just arrived from his long flight from the demon palace. I expect you to attend to his every need while he is here. Any insubordination and it will be the end of your career, understood?"

"Y-Yes sir!" Clarissa replied. So it was just as she had expected. She would be playing maid for the new General as she had done for General Lusk. It couldn't be that bad now that she thought of it.

"The General is in his quarters. Go introduce yourself to him. I'm sure he's quite weary by now, the pleasantries shouldn't take long. You are dismissed!"

Clarissa took the Colonel's weary tone to heart and left the room before he could say anything else. Once again, she found herself weaving through puzzling hallways. Honestly, the new general had better be worth her effort, or else someone was going to pay.

Frustrated with the role she had to play, she should have waited until her anger sizzled down before entering the room, but she went in nonetheless.

The room was fairy clean which was fine, for now, considering that the General had only just arrived. Slightly weary and hearing that the General was using the shower, Clarissa lay on the massive bed. For some time, she laid there, gazing at the ceiling, until the sound of falling water stopped.

Clarissa stood and evened out the wrinkles that had form on her uniform. It wouldn't do her any to make a bad first impression on her boss.

The bathroom door slid open. A man with an ungodly physique walked out of the room with only a towel around his waist. It was next to impossible not to drool all over his jagged, ripped abs. The dim lighting of the room only outlined the edges of his muscles even more.

Phew, was it just her or was it getting hot? Never mind that, would she be considered a cougar if she went after that?

Clarissa waited patiently, mentally obsessing over the General's luscious body, while he dried his hair with the towel. She prayed the man's looks were as good his body. And if that was the case, God help both of them.

God this was so bad! She wanted nothing more than to pounce on the General. Ashamed of her lewd thoughts, she tore her gaze away from his body.

"Who the hell are you?" The general questioned in an all-too-familiar, baritone voice.

Oh no, no, no.

Clarissa closed her eyes. If that voice belonged to who she thought it did then she took all of her thoughts back. She looked into the General's equally shocked face and found herself staring into the crystal eyes of Lucien Caelum. Yup, it was official; the fates were really fucked up pieces of shits.

"You!" The Seraph growled angrily as he recognized who she was. The expression on his face was not pleasant.

Once again, Clarissa found herself subject to the Seraph's unparalleled strength. Lucien Caelum took a hold of her wrist and roughly tossed her onto his bed. Although she did put up a fight, she was no match for him. He easily pinned her against the bed, trapping her arms over her head.

"Well, well," the Demon King's son smiled maliciously. "Isn't this funny? I've been waiting for this opportunity for so long and here you are. I told you I wouldn't forget about you, bitch."

"Yo—" Clarissa tried to curse, but the Seraph quickly covered her lips with his hand.

"I have to say, I never would have thought that Clarissa Angel, my new personal assistant, was the same woman that dared to insult me." Lucien laughed. "Seriously what were the chances?"

Clarissa writhed in absolute disgust as the King's son slipped his hand under her shirt, slowly rubbing circles around her cold, stomach.

"You want this, don't you?" Lucien motioned to his body then slid his hand higher until it rested on the valley between her breasts. "Damn, you've got some nice tits for a human woman."

Unable to handle any more of this shameful humiliation, Clarissa twisted her body in attempt to free herself, but once again, it was useless. She couldn't break free. She'd have to subject herself to whatever perverse act the Seraph had on his mind. It was so sickening, she wanted to cry.

Then as if the fates had decided to hear her silent pleas, a phone rang. Lucien clenched his teeth, hearing his private, cell phone ring. Whoever was calling had better have a damn, good reason as to why they were interrupting him.

Letting go of his assistant, Lucien grabbed the phone, but made sure to block the exit.

"What the hell do you want Lucia?" He barked into his cell.

Clarissa didn't waste this opportunity. She ran headfirst into the Seraph and found out that wasn't the brightest thing to do. The Seraph predicted her actions the minute she got up and swatted her aside like a fly. The difference in power between them was too much. Comparing a Seraph like Lucien to a small human like herself was like comparing a human to an ant.

"Am I angry? No, I'm just fucking yelling at you because it makes me happy," Lucien sneered at the sheer idiocy of the question posed by his twin. "No SHIT, I'm angry." He ruffled his hair in frustration. His stupid bitch of a sister was starting to irritate him.

Lucien sucked in a breath, "I'll take whatever tone I want with you."

Lifting herself up, Clarissa walked towards the Seraph with only one thought in mind. Something in her head told her that this would work. Her mind almost guaranteed that it would and that it had in the past when she was in a situation similar to this one.

So she drew her leg back and kicked the prince in between the legs where the sun almost never shined. Human or not, the move was super effective—it always was against males. Lucien dropped his phone and knelt over, grabbing his manhood. The fact that he had only been wearing a towel made the blow even more excruciating. He couldn't believe the bitch had the audacity to damage his precious family heirloom.

"Next time you try to pull that shit on me," Clarissa breathed raggedly. "I'll kill you. Do you honestly think that you can do whatever you want just because you're some prince, just because Noctis Lucis Caelum is your father? Grow up."

"Hah!" Lucien laughed despite being in a humiliating position. "Come tomorrow, I'm going to fucking rape you, I guarantee it. You better run while you can cause you won't ever be walking again once I'm done with you."

Clarissa shuddered at the prince's brutal threat, but remained vigilant, "I think you're forgetting about something. There isn't going to be a tomorrow, you'll never see me again. I quit."

"Is that so?" Lucien questioned from the floor. His tone was so arrogant it was frightening. "I guess you wouldn't mind then if your daughter, oh so happened, to be expelled from the academy that she loves so much. You quit, and I'll make damn sure that she does as well."

"You bastard!" Clarissa hissed. In her anger, she lost control of her wit. "I can't believe that you would resort to blackmail. Your mother would roll in her grave if she could see you now. I guess she wasn't too bright leaving you with that father of yours." Shit, she must have totally lost her mind. Those were the words of suicidal people, and she knew it as soon as they slipped out of her mouth. If there was someone you didn't mention around the Seraph, it was his mother.

The room started to crackle with ominous energy. Lucien rose to his feet, with an expression of pure anger on his face. Clarissa slowly backed away, terrified at the sight the Seraph's monstrous dark energy. T-This was a Seraph's true power...

"Never," he stated without emotion. "Talk about my mother like that again, or I will kill you."

Before she could take another breath, Lucien razed an entire hallway with his fist. The ceilings, along with the windows, came crumbling down, unable to withstand the magnificent power of the Seraph.

"Get out!" He snapped.

Clarissa left the building quicker than she thought was possible. She didn't even bother to stop to answer her frightened co-workers questions. Right now, she had to leave. That was the best thing to do. Damn, she really fucked up, and a good chunk of the Department building had paid for it.

Outside, the ex-cop lingered around a deserted bus stop. She paced in front of a rusted bench while waiting for the closest bus to come take her home. For some reason, the devastated look on the Seraph's face wouldn't leave her mind.

She paused to catch a breath and steady herself. Her knees were shaking wildly from the sight of the severe destruction Prince Lucien had caused. To think that hole in the department building could have been her... Thank God the prince had shown some restraint. He was known to have killed others for less.

Well... there was nothing she could do about it anymore. The best course of action would be to move on and search for a new job, preferably one that didn't involve angry Seraphs.

Ring! Ring!

Clarissa fumbled her pockets for her phone, "Hello?"

"M-Mommy...?" Serenity sniffled into the speaker—she was crying.

"Honey what's wrong?" Clarissa asked anxiously. "Why are you crying, baby?"

"E-Everyone hates me here—my jerk of a roommate hates me, my teachers hate me, and all the other students hate me—and now I'm in trouble... I s-swear I didn't do it! They tricked me, you have to believe me..."

"Baby calm down, you're not making sense," she whispered. It broke her heart to hear her daughter so devastated and scared. "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened. Why are you in trouble?"

"I got framed by a group of girls. They were nice to me at first, but then one of the girls told to me to go fetch her purse from the auditorium. I did as she said and took her purse, but the purse actually belonged to Princess Lucia. The minute I got my hands on the bag, they came in with the princess and accused me of stealing it!"

Clarissa balled her fists. How dare those kids hurt her baby. "Don't worry, honey, do you want me to come over there?"

"N-No!" Reni replied quickly. "I'm just a bit scared... I'm sitting outside of the Demon King's office, waiting for him to finish an appointment. Oh mom, what if I get expelled? What's going to happen to me? I heard that the Demon King's tolerance for humans is just a facade and that deep down inside, he really hates us."

"Baby, I'm going over there. Once your Uncle Hope gets off from work, I'm going to take the car. Just wait for me," Clarissa reassured her daughter.

"Mom... I have to go, the King just finished his appointment," Reni replied silently. "Don't come for me... Please, mom. I need to do this on my own. I can't keep having you come for me whenever I'm in trouble."

"B-But!" Clarissa protested.

"—No, is a no," Reni cut her persistent mother off. Although she was touched by her mother's affection, she couldn't rely on her anymore. She realized that calling her mother had been a mistake in the first place. "I have to go mom. Take care of Ciel, I'll see you in the summer."

The phone conversation ended with a click. Clarissa slowly lowered her arm, smiling proudly at the level of maturity her daughter had reached. She was no longer the little girl who always insisted that she be by her side. Motherly pride flourished inside of her.

Her joy was short lived. Suddenly, she felt her body weaken. She fell towards the ground with no one to catch her. How strange... She thought as her weightless body fell to floor. An electric jolt surged throughout her body.

With her strength depleted, Clarissa closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

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A white room.

Where am I?

Clarissa thought sullenly as her feet touched the cold floor. A dream?

A young girl entered the abstract room, completely unaware of her presence although she was standing right in front of her. The girl was dressed like a school girl with a white tee and red miniskirt. Her pink hair was peculiarly done in a side ponytail.

"Serah."

The girl jumped as a majestic, silver-haired man walked into the room, a shining orb in his hand. A cursed blade the size of a train was strapped at his side. The man was obviously a seasoned warrior. The hard, stoic look in his eyes and the proud gait, which he walked in, was proof.

"Sephiroth, you're home," The girl named Serah greeted somewhat hesitantly.

"I have a present for you," The man, Sephiroth chuckled and tucked a strand of Serah's hair behind her ear. The gesture was something a lover would do, but the two looked far from being lovers. Unless, the relationship was one-sided then that changed everything.

Holding out a crystal, clear orb, Sephiroth motioned for Serah to take it.

"It's beautiful," Serah gasped. "What is it?"

"It's everything I ever wanted," Sephiroth answered. "Keep it safe."

With those words, the dark-shrouded man exited the room.

Serah stared fixated by the beautiful object. She held it to her cheek and listened to it hum for a moment before drawing it away. The orb was a marvelous object probably worth more than anyone in the world, except the Demon King, could afford.

'Serah.'

Clarissa's eyes widened as the orb talked. It seemed Serah was just as shocked as she was. The young girl stared at the orb, urging it to say something again. The sight of the girl rubbing the orb as if it were some magic lamp was quite amusing.

'SERAH!' The orb screamed.

Startled, Serah stumbled backwards, tripping over a stool. Losing her grip on the orb, she watched helplessly as it flew into the air. Clarissa shot to where the orb was falling and held her hands out to catch it, but the crystal sphere slipped through her transparent fingers. She could only watch helplessly as the orb shattered when it hit the floor.

A howling gale escaped from the broken orb, causing the entire room to shake in frenzy. The strong winds tossed the girl, Serah aside, pinning her against the door frame. The girl wasn't mortally harmed in any way, but she was unconscious.

Before Clarissa could help the girl, the scene changed.

This time, she knew immediately, from experience, that she was in a prison cell. The metal bars trapped her inside of a white cage. The cell was surprisingly tidy and comfortable, considering it was a room where criminals were held captive.

In the corner of the room was a woman, who had her back towards her. This woman also had pink hair, but her mature body shape distinguished her from the young girl that she had previously seen. The woman was wearing a white dress that exposed her back, revealing deep, bloody gashes near her shoulder blades.

A guard donned in fine armor came up to the cell. Once again, the guard didn't notice her.

"Lightning Eclair Caelum," The guard's voice boomed. His tone was not one of disgust; rather, it held this "Lightning" person in high reverence. "The heavenly councils have made their decisions. You will accompany me to the heavenly courts to receive their mandate."

Lightning Eclair Caelum? Wasn't that the name of the demon king's wife, the woman that the angelic race heralded as their princess? What was she doing here? Clarissa racked her brains for a logical answer, but from what she knew, the Archangel was supposed to be dead.

Clarissa watched as the woman, Lightning stood and turned, giving her a full view of her physique. The sight of the woman made her gasp. With the exception of her pink hair and crystal, green eyes, this woman was her mirror image!

It was quite the shock. No one in the continent of Aria, excluding a couple of old timers, knew what the demon king's wife looked like. The demon king had burned all photos and trinkets of her in order to prevent his twins from bearing the pain of losing their mother.

Lightning did as she was ordered to and followed the guard out of the dungeons. Clarissa trailed behind the Archangel, copying the woman's graceful steps. She wanted to know why she was here, having these visions. This wasn't a dream. Someone or something was trying to convey a message to her.

They finally entered a grand courtroom structured similar to the ones that they used in Avalon. At the pulpit was a white specter, but she knew that it was the Lord of the Heavens in his unnatural form. Surrounding them, in their high pedestals, were flocks of ancient Archangels, all of whom were in attendance for one purpose: judgment.

Lightning walked to the center of the room.

It was judgment time.

"Lightning Eclair Caelum," The ruler of heavenly skies addressed. The specter's voice was angelic and musical. Not even the greatest songs could compare to the richness of his voice. "You stand before for the heavenly courts for your misdemeanors. Will you accept our judgment?"

"I will my liege," Lightning bowed respectfully. "State what you have mandated and I will accept graciously."

"Very well," the specter declared. "You are here, in visible form, because your soul, which was once entrapped inside an orb, was freed. As you know, Archangels are immortal, and the reason you live despite having been dead is because your soul lives on." The God continued, "We cannot destroy your soul, as it is a task unfit for heavenly beings and because it repulses me to take the life of my own child. Therefore, a punishment other than death will be given to you."

"What is your judgment then, my lord?" Lightning questioned.

"As decided by the heavenly council, you will be temporarily stripped of your rank of Archangel. From the moment you leave this room, you will be a traitor — a Fallen Angel for committing the crime of soul exchange," The Lord of Heavens articulated. "You will lose memories of your previous life and be forced to live as a human."

Lightning nodded. There was nothing she could do about this cruel fate, but there was something she wanted to know, "My lord, what do you mean when you say I will temporarily lose my rank of Archangel."

"My child. Do not assume that I am merciless. Redemption is rewarded to everyone, including the worst of sinners," The heavenly lord hummed gloriously. "If by chance, during your life, you encounter your husband, fair-haired Lucifer's heir, Noctis Lucis Caelum and make physical contact with him, your memories, titles, and life will be restored to you."

Lightning visibly brightened. Although the chances were one in a million, there was a slight possibility that she would be reunited with Noctis and her twins, Lucien and Lucia. The mere fact that she would see her family again strengthened her resolve.

"So my child. Do you accept the trials laid out for you?"

Dare she do otherwise?

"I do."

"Then fall, my child. And may your wings guide you back to us once again."

With those words, the floor opened up beneath her and Lightning fell from the heavens, falling at neck-breaking speeds. Clarissa, who had been spectating the whole time, watched as the Archangel was exiled from her lands. And while she fell, the Archangel underwent enchanting changes.

"As black as the color of sin," Clarissa heard the Lord of the Heavens speak. "So shall your appearance become."

The dark-haired woman watched with growing curiosity as the Archangel, Lightning's hair darkened until it was completely black, not a single trace of her angelic hair remained. Then interestingly, her eyes lost their luster and darkened until they were the same color as her sable-black hair.

"And as the blind lament at the injustice of their disabilities," The Lord of the Heavens ended his verse after uttering the last stanza. "Your eyes shall bear their darkness."

Clarissa froze as Lightning, who was now her doppelganger was immersed in the mercurial river waters below. The scene changed for the last time and now it was Clarissa that stood at the center of the heavenly council.

"Welcome back my child," The Lord of the Heavens greeted warmly. "You have returned as was pre-destined. Although much time has passed since you departed, you have returned nonetheless. The Heavens praise this day."

Overwhelmed, Clarissa took a step away from the heavenly specter, "I-I don't understand..."

"Of course, it is only natural that you do not. The process involved in regaining one's memory is meticulous after all."

"I'm not Clarissa Angel, am I?" She asked.

"Indeed, you are not. Clarissa Angel was merely a human guise given to you by your extended family in Avalon. Do you truly not remember who you are?" The heavenly deity questioned.

"I do remember... sort of... never mind that, how is this possible that I'm here? Why are memories resurfacing now? I've yet to come in contact with Noctis!" Clarissa protested. "I believe you said I had to make physical contact with him."

"And you did," answered the Lord of the Heavens. "Do you remember when I said, 'may your wings guide you back to us once again.' My child, how many wings do angels have?"

"Two," Clarissa claimed.

"How many wings do you have?" The Lord of the Heavens inquired. "Now think before you answer this question."

"I have none," Clarissa remarked. "My wings were taken from me, and I still have no idea how my wings relate to how I came into physical contact with my husband."

"That is where you are incorrect," The Lord of the Heavens proclaimed. "Let me ask you this instead. As Clarissa Angel, how many children do you have? And what are their names."

"I have two children," Clarissa explained. "Serenity and Luciel."

"How many wings do angels have?" The Lord of the Heavens repeated once more.

"Two."

"So I'll ask you again. How many children do you have?"

"Tw—" Clarissa gasped finally grasping everything. How did she not realize this before? "Serenity... and Luciel... they're my wings, aren't they? My children are my wings..."

"Correct," The heavenly deity affirmed. "You see my child, you never lost your wings when you sacrificed them. They merely manifested into forms that would better suit your situation. Hence, Serenity and Luciel were born."

"But I thought I gave birth to Serenity and Luciel due to my separation from Noctis!" Clarissa protested.

"No, Lucien and Lucia resulted from your separation. And as long as they live, you will never give birth to another set of twins in the fashion you birthed them," The Lord of the Heavens explained. "Lucien and Lucia are the twins you birthed out of necessity, and Serenity and Luciel are the twins you birthed out of luxury."

Clarissa let the heavy weight of the heavenly deity's words sink in. Everything made sense. Serenity and Luciel were her wings who wanted to comfort and support her like other angel wings would. And in a figurative sense, they were trying to raise her up with their unconditional love.

"Do you understand now?"

Clarissa nodded, "Wait... I still don't understand how I came into physical contact with my husband. I never met him in person while I was human."

The Lord of the Heavens chimed as if he had been expecting the question, "Your wings are parts of you, correct?"

"Yes, I'd assume they are," Clarissa replied.

"Well then... Didn't you get a call from your daughter prior to these series of visions? Correct me if I am wrong, but I think she said she was on her way to meet with..."

"Noctis," Clarissa breathed. "Serenity touched Noctis. She touched her father..."

"That's the only logical explanation there is," The Lord of the Heavens answered. "Now... We've dilly dallied for too long. Although it was quite nice to see you again, my child, I believe your place is on Aria."

"WAI—"

She didn't even get to finish.

"It's time to wake up, Lightning. You've been asleep for too long."

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The infamous Avalon night, known for its freezing temperature, brought snow from the skies. In the middle of an inconspicuous bus stop, a lone woman continued to lay still. To a passerby, the woman looked like a corpse, but she was far from that.

Slowly, the woman stirred awake.

Lightning opened her eyes for the first time in 16 years.

And she remembered everything.

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A/N: Okay, I lied. NOW, Serenity is going on a mega-hiatus. I felt that if I had to leave Serenity on hiatus this chapter would be the best one to do so. So, I'm going to go work on Caitiff now. Expect that sometime in two weeks!

Anywhoo, for all of you confused readers, is the story starting to piece itself together? Clarissa isn't an OC! If it wasn't clear to you in this chapter, Clarissa = Lightning.

If Clarissa = Lightning, then Reni, Ciel, Lucia, Lucien = Lightis babies

If Reni, Ciel, Lucia, Lucien = Lightis babies, then Noctis = Reni's father.

If that doesn't = sense, then Eel Nivek = kick a puppy.

Gotta love math. So leave your thoughts, and I will get back to you ASAP :D