"These are my confessions"
-Confessions Part 2, Usher
It didn't take me long to drive up to the Marx's mansion.
Raveena and Riven were standing in the driveway, waiting for me. I guess my father alerted them of my arrival.
As soon as the car stopped, I hopped out and stood before them.
"Siberia," Raveena was the first to break the silence, her smile friendly but showing the slightest bit of discomfort. "I'm glad you came."
I smile politely before I just decide I want to jump right into it.
"Can we just skip the pleasantries and you guys just tell me what's going on?" I keep my voice as polite as possible
A smile played around the corners of Raveena's mouth and she nodded. She looked as relieved as I felt to skip the pleasantries.
"Well, obviously, your father told you Riven and I are angels."
I nodded and studied them. Their crystalline eyes, their perfect features. Sure, they looked angelic. But angels? It was just so odd.
Raveena sighed and looked over at her brother who was looking at me with an intense expression.
"Why don't you come inside? We can explain in there. It's gonna rain soon."
I looked up and realized Raveena was right. The grey clouds that hung above us ominously looked very ready to sprinkle water on us at any moment.
I looked back at them and nodded once, following them inside.
*****************************
"I guess I should take it from the top," Raveena began softly, leaning back in her seat.
Raveena and Riven sat side by side on the couch across from me. Riven hadn't said a word since I got here, his expression was a mix between sheepish and angry.
"Riven and I are...er...were... Archangels," Raveena said. "There are many levels in the kingdom of Heaven, and being an Archangel is the highest you can go. Archangels are the closest to God Himself. We are the only ones who have ever truly seen His face.
"Anyway, Riven and I are Archangels. I guess the story really starts on the day of The Fall. All of the angels were called to His Throne. It was the first time a lot of angels had been there. Lucifer was planning to rebel against God. God told all the angels who agreed with Lucifer to step forward. I was surprised when one after the other, angels stepped forward. After they stepped forward, God said they had to be punished. Heaven became cold after that." Raveena frowned at the memory. "I knew something was wrong right at that moment. Heaven is warm, comforting. But for those few moments, Heaven became cold, Siberia. Colder than I ever thought possible. Then the ground shook beneath us and it opened up. Lucifer and all the angels who had agreed with him Fell.
"They Fell so fast that their wings burned from their backs. We all watched as they Fell. We watched for what humans said was nine days and nine nights. Time is different in Heaven." She waved a hand.
"After Lucifer and his angels Fell, something in Lucifer grew darker. I think he felt betrayed that Father banished him from Heaven. Whatever it was, Lucifer grew more and more wicked. Father knew that, at the rate Lucifer was going, he would soon destroy mankind. He would make them turn on themselves. So, Father created something strong enough to stop him. He called it Essence. He said that when the time was right, it would be used to defeat Lucifer.
"He entrusted this energy to Michael, the most powerful angel in Heaven. Michael guarded the Essence for many centuries. He fought off every demon and every fallen angel Lucifer sent with ease.
"However, one day, Lucifer cornered Michael but he was not alone. He had Kronos. Kronos had begun to think of himself as a god because at that time, humans worshipped him. He mated with human women, who were more than honored to invite him into their beds. He had many children, but the only one who survived through all these years was Phillipe. Anyway, back to the story, together, Kronos and Lucifer fought Michael. Michael fended them off, but he barely escaped with his life."
I was listening to Raveena, unable to believe it was all true. I wanted to say they were all crazy, but the way they spoke said it all. This was the truth.
"Michael came to Riven and I," Raveena continued, her eyes far away as she recalled that time. "He said that we had to guard it now. Father agreed, he said he knew we would do Him proud. And then the ground opened up and Riven and I Fell. Another angel came with us, she was an Archangel too." She closed her eyes.
"What was it like?" I heard myself ask.
"Falling from Heaven was single-handedly the scariest thing that I've ever endured," she answered truthfully. "The wind whips by you so quickly it hurts. You can feel your wings burning, you can smell them burning. Although it hurts, you can't open your mouth to scream. All you can do is fall."
I tried to imagine that and I found that I could imagine it with ease. I could see it as if I was there.
"Anyway, when we Fell, we landed in a deserted place. It was 1758 at the time. We soon blended in with the humans, all the while, the three of us protected the Essence." Raveena paused as Riven stiffened.
"Then the eighties rolled around," she began again. Riven's shoulders sagged with relief and I had a feeling Raveena left something out. "Riven and I learned that we could place the Essence inside of a person, but not just any person, this person's parents had to both be half angels.
"We searched for a long time before we finally found your parents, Siberia. They agreed. We placed the Essence inside of you.
"Kronos realized that if he could get his hands on the Essence, he would then be the most powerful being on earth. He could enslave humans, bend them to his will. The Essence contains the power of God, and Kronos just couldn't let power like that go.
"Imagine his surprise-all of our surprise, really- when the Essence attaches itself to you." Raveena shook her head in disbelief. "Riven and I were always close by, watching over you. But before we would watch you from a distance. Then Kronos came back and we knew the only way we could protect you was to be near you."
I thought over her story. I had the power of God inside me and the only way to remove it was by cutting out my heart.
That was actually very disturbing.
"You said that only you and Riven fell, but what about your brothers and sisters and your parents?"
Raveena's mouth parted in an 'O' of understanding before she explained.
"The other angel who travelled to earth with us... She was killed," Raveena said softly. I saw Riven's jaw clench and his eyes burn with rage. "It was about five years before we met your parents. Kronos killed her. We didn't think it was possible, but somehow Lucifer found a way... After she died, Father sent them down to help us. We immediately became like a real family. My parents fell in love... Kronos only killed her body, though, her spirit still remained. We kept her spirit inside of a necklace."
I just looked at them. They looked...sad. Especially Riven. It was easy to see this angel had meant a lot to him. I wondered if Riven had loved her as more than just a sister. From the look on his, I'd say he did.
That made a little bit of jealousy rear its ugly head. For some reason the thought of him with someone else was...painful.
"Who was she?" I found myself asking. "What was her name?"
Raveena looked over at Riven and Riven just stared at me. They both look extremely uncomfortable.
"Umm... I-I think you should go, Siberia. Before it gets too late," she suggested, gesturing to the window on the far left side of the room.
The sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon. A light rain was misting softly. I was shocked. I hadn't realized I had been here for so long.
I turned back to them and nodded. They both visibly relaxed until I spoke again.
"I'll leave once you tell me who this angel was."
They tensed up again.
This is ridiculous, I thought to myself. It's just a name. How hard can it be to tell me her name?
It was quiet, the silence seemed endless as Riven and Raveena stared at me and I stared back.
Finally Raveena sighed and said, "You have to tell her, Riven."
Riven's jaw clenched and he nodded once, his eyes filled with determination.
Raveena got up from where she was sitting and smiled at me.
"I'll see you at school on Monday, okay?"
I nodded and she began to walk away, I called her name and she turned around.
"Why are you leaving?" I was confused as hell. I didn't understand why she had to leave.
Her eyes flickered to Riven before they found mine again, she gave me a smile and her expression was unfathomable.
"This is something you and Riven should discuss in private."
And then, before I could say anything else, before I could even blink, she was gone.
I turned back to Riven to find him already staring at me. His expression was strange and I struggled to put a name to it.
Determined, I decided.
"So, who was she?" My voice was not as strong as before. I was partly freaked out. Why did Riven and I have to discuss this alone?
Riven takes a deep breath, hesitating again and again before he finally speaks.
"She was you, Siberia."