Chapter Two

[Quantum Rain]

First topic message reminder :

As the forum auto-splits topics every 50 pages, the next topics will be named further chapters accordingly. This is chapter two, guys, KEEP IT UP!

Post.
POST.
POST!

---

Reeds just kept on whistling as guards and crew cleared out of his path. Eventually, he stopped at a door, the label addressing it as 'Science Lab 2A.' He smiled as he opened the door and Lae saw that the science lab was not small by any means. It was massive, in fact, taking up at least five rooms and two floors entirely on its own. It also seemed to host a massive range of equipment, some of which were entirely foreign to him. With all of the technology, equipment, and stores here, one could only wonder what Reeds' intention was with this lab.

He rolled the cart up next to two others and then proceeded to rummage around for a datapad. "Sit down, my fine lab rat." He said friendly still as he finally found his desired object, turning it own and turning toward Lae, a mischievous grin on his face.

[Wynn]

Rain sat in his chair, that cold, lethal stare combined with the dark, borderline sinister emotions one could almost see clouding around him made the position they were both in even more dark and awkward feeling. The only thing holding back the firestorm Lae saw was an awfully high amount of patience. "I asked you a question." He said, his tone rising slightly to an elevated degree of a cold rage.

Lae was looking at Rain, but wasn't making direct eye contact. "Yes." He mumbled quietly. He still didn't show any sign of emotion other than not wanting to be in that room.

[Quantum Rain]

Rain took the answer and cut it to pieces within his mind. One could only imagine what he was thinking at this point. "Do you now?" He said softly again, his voice returning to the usual harsh, soft voice as before. He pulled out a datapad and placed it at the far end of the desk, for Lae to see.

On the datapad were several pictures, notes, love letters of various dates, but all written by some man named Mitchell. Many of them were personal, very personal. The pictures always showed a man and a women, close together, smiling in the city background that Lae was in moments ago. The notes depicted schedules, various future plans, some were small journal excerpts translated from verbal logs.

"Mitchell T. Serez. Age twenty-four, just got out of college, recently accepted to a promising job. Close ties to his family, a few friends, and most notable a fiancee, to be officially married within three months, once his job was secure, or as the journals went." Rain said softly, somewhat lamentable for the man, but returning to his normal harshness again as he observed Lae's reaction.

[Wynn]

Rain took the answer and cut it to pieces within his mind. One could only imagine what he was thinking at this point. "Do you now?" He said softly again, his voice returning to the usual harsh, soft voice as before. He pulled out a datapad and placed it at the far end of the desk, for Lae to see.

On the datapad were several pictures, notes, love letters of various dates, but all written by some man named Mitchell. Many of them were personal, very personal. The pictures always showed a man and a women, close together, smiling in the city background that Lae was in moments ago. The notes depicted schedules, various future plans, some were small journal excerpts translated from verbal logs.

"Mitchell T. Serez. Age twenty-four, just got out of college, recently accepted to a promising job. Close ties to his family, a few friends, and most notable a fiancee, to be officially married within three months, once his job was secure, or as the journals went." Rain said softly, somewhat lamentable for the man, but returning to his normal harshness again as he observed Lae's reaction.

Lae didnt say a word. He looked at the data pad briefly, then looked away. He looked down at the ground off to his left, his mouth actually opened slightly.

[Quantum Rain]

"His funeral is scheduled to occur within the week, on Sunday no less. The tradition for funerals for his people is a week of Mourning Calm, an interesting ceremony, usually accompanied with various slow musics, hymnal chanting, and culminating with the final farewell, where each person close to him gives a short speech demonstrating their loss with a poem." Rain explained, only further driving the point home as he did so. "So I ask you again, do you really understand the consequences of your decision?"

[Wynn]

"His funeral is scheduled to occur within the week, on Sunday no less. The tradition for funerals for his people is a week of Mourning Calm, an interesting ceremony, usually accompanied with various slow musics, hymnal chanting, and culminating with the final farewell, where each person close to him gives a short speech demonstrating their loss with a poem." Rain explained, only further driving the point home as he did so. "So I ask you again, do you really understand the consequences of your decision?"

Lae stood there for a moment. He still didn't say a word. He let out a breath, turned around and stormed out of the office. He walked down the halls a while, and hid in a hangar underneath a star fighter's landing gear. He had his arms resting on his knees and his face buried in his arms.

[Quantum Rain]

Several minutes passed before someone bent down to see who was underneath. "I thought I would find you here." The familiar voice said. The face that accompanied it was friendly, a reassuring smile attempting to follow through with its purpose.

[Wynn]

Several minutes passed before someone bent down to see who was underneath. "I thought I would find you here." The familiar voice said. The face that accompanied it was friendly, a reassuring smile attempting to follow through with its purpose.

Lae lifted his head up slightly, and looked at him with a doleful expression. He put his head back down. "Need something?" Lae asked dryly, his head still down.

[Quantum Rain]

"Can't a guy ask if his friend is feeling alright when he's not?" Jonothan said, sitting down next to Lae. "Or would that be bad for appearances?" He asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.

[Wynn]

"Can't a guy ask if his friend is feeling alright when he's not?" Jonothan said, sitting down next to Lae. "Or would that be bad for appearances?" He asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.

Lae lifted his head up and just stared straight forward. "...I..." Lae choked. "...I killed someone."

[Quantum Rain]

"..." Though the statement was vague, Jonothan understood, looking away after a few moments of awkward silence. "Married?" He asked, the question self-evident for what he was meaning and for the topic at hand.

[Wynn]

"..." Though the statement was vague, Jonothan understood, looking away after a few moments of awkward silence. "Married?" He asked, the question self-evident for what he was meaning and for the topic at hand.

"Engaged." Lae replied. "...what have I done?" He hit himself on the head. "Im such a [censored] idiot! I should have just pulled out!"

[Quantum Rain]

"... Everyone makes mistakes." Jonothan said, trying to rationalize it just in an attempt to make Lae feel better. "Sometimes, it's the wrong mistake, but you can't help it."

[Wynn]

"... Everyone makes mistakes." Jonothan said, trying to rationalize it just in an attempt to make Lae feel better. "Sometimes, it's the wrong mistake, but you can't help it."

"That's the point." Lae replied. He shook his head. "On paper, you can wipe a mistake a way... but you can't take a bullet or an arrow back." He just stared off into the distance. "I knew what i would be doing, taking life... but I never thought there would be one that weighs as heavily on my mind as this..."

[Quantum Rain]

"You can only try to make his passage easier." The archangel followed up, sighing as he took in the magnitude of the situation. "If you don't, it won't go away." He turned back to Lae, to answer him more reassuringly. "You can't take away a bullet, but you can sew the wound back together." He explained further.

[Wynn]

"You can only try to make his passage easier." The archangel followed up, sighing as he took in the magnitude of the situation. "If you don't, it won't go away." He turned back to Lae, to answer him more reassuringly. "You can't take away a bullet, but you can sew the wound back together." He explained further.

Lae remained silent. He seemed to be thinking of what to do next. "...alright..." He still sat still, staring off like he had been the whole time.

[Quantum Rain]

Jonothan nodded, and then handed him a small card. "This will get you past security. Rain had you grounded, but I think you need to stretch your wings every now and then when the going gets tough." He smiled reassuringly before standing up and walking away. "Good luck." He said, before disappearing through the door.

As the minutes passed, Jonothan and one other person watched Lae fly off in a stealth fighter, conveniently the one he was hiding under. "Was all of this really necessary?" The archangel asked the other person. "If he doesn't learn the lesson the first time," Rain started, watching the fighter fly off and stealth, "then the next time will only hit harder."

--One week later, same city, same planet as before--

The solemn parade was chanting lightly and, though under normal circumstances would be too soft to hear, the city was dead silent, honoring the dead alongside the chanters. This day was the day that the week of Mourning Calm ends, the seventh day, the day of Farewells. It was somewhat beautiful, the chanting, when it mixed in and swerved around the music in its own way. Counterbalancing at one point, then smoothly mixing in with the slow, sad song. This march continued all the way to the cathedral in the back, one of the few churches, but one of the largest. It was worshiping the god Vires, whom was also said to look after the dead on their journey.

This was their destination, and several hundreds waited for them there...

[Wynn]

Jonothan nodded, and then handed him a small card. "This will get you past security. Rain had you grounded, but I think you need to stretch your wings every now and then when the going gets tough." He smiled reassuringly before standing up and walking away. "Good luck." He said, before disappearing through the door.

As the minutes passed, Jonothan and one other person watched Lae fly off in a stealth fighter, conveniently the one he was hiding under. "Was all of this really necessary?" The archangel asked the other person. "If he doesn't learn the lesson the first time," Rain started, watching the fighter fly off and stealth, "then the next time will only hit harder."

--One week later, same city, same planet as before--

The solemn parade was chanting lightly and, though under normal circumstances would be too soft to hear, the city was dead silent, honoring the dead alongside the chanters. This day was the day that the week of Mourning Calm ends, the seventh day, the day of Farewells. It was somewhat beautiful, the chanting, when it mixed in and swerved around the music in its own way. Counterbalancing at one point, then smoothly mixing in with the slow, sad song. This march continued all the way to the cathedral in the back, one of the few churches, but one of the largest. It was worshiping the god Vires, whom was also said to look after the dead on their journey.

This was their destination, and several hundreds waited for them there...

Among them, Lae stood wearing a black cloak over dark grey clothing. He wore the hood and kept his head down slightly, both to look like a mourner and to hide his face a bit better. He stood near the front of the crowds, waiting just outside the church for the parade to reach them. He knew he had to look like the rest of them, which wasnt all that hard, since he was wracked with guilt and sadness himself.

[Quantum Rain]

The family and friends of the dead were the first to enter, followed by the high priest and two other priests, then the band and choir. Then, they were finally followed by all else that followed or waited, all showing emotion of some sort, though generally in the grief and mourning section of the spectrum. The crowd remained standing in the massive amounts of pews. Though there was plenty of places to sit, it seemed doing so would not be a good idea. The family and friends stood at the forefront of the aisles.

The day began with various chants by the two priests as everyone bowed their heads, possibly praying. This lasted for almost a half hour. The priests finally ended the session with a succession of three rising notes, slow, and mournful, but with the last one offering up a tinge of hope.

---

The demon sighed to himself, having been forced to participate this event due to formality. He couldn't care less for the people that died, but damn... well, at least the priests are half-decent singers. Then they stopped singing... oh how he hated this next part...

---

The choir and the band were silent during all of this, in the back and front of the church, surrounding the walls entirely really. The high priest stood forward, and held out his hands wide and high, light emerging from them. It was obviously mystic powers, but no one seemed to care. The choir took to their singing soon afterwords, an awfully familiar tune this time.

The choir sang a familiar hymn, the words entirely unfamiliar, but oddly calming as the audience soon joined in after the first loop. The band grew in power as the song continued, and then after the third loop, they stopped. The weirdest part was when the song did not stop, however, and continued in the cathedral as the bodies soon dissipated into several orbs of light, dancing around the caskets and then slowly upward, fading through the ceiling and beyond.

The high priest shouted out, "May Vires see them safe, vivat inter astra. The souls of the dead have passed beyond us now, ut custodiat nos. We shall mourn their deaths no longer, ut cognoscant futura. Rest now my brothers and sisters, ut Vires munus nobis donum pacem. Sic dicit in potentia, Vires."

[Wynn]

The family and friends of the dead were the first to enter, followed by the high priest and two other priests, then the band and choir. Then, they were finally followed by all else that followed or waited, all showing emotion of some sort, though generally in the grief and mourning section of the spectrum. The crowd remained standing in the massive amounts of pews. Though there was plenty of places to sit, it seemed doing so would not be a good idea. The family and friends stood at the forefront of the aisles.

The day began with various chants by the two priests as everyone bowed their heads, possibly praying. This lasted for almost a half hour. The priests finally ended the session with a succession of three rising notes, slow, and mournful, but with the last one offering up a tinge of hope.

---

The demon sighed to himself, having been forced to participate this event due to formality. He couldn't care less for the people that died, but damn... well, at least the priests are half-decent singers. Then they stopped singing... oh how he hated this next part...

---

The choir and the band were silent during all of this, in the back and front of the church, surrounding the walls entirely really. The high priest stood forward, and held out his hands wide and high, light emerging from them. It was obviously mystic powers, but no one seemed to care. The choir took to their singing soon afterwords, an awfully familiar tune this time.

The choir sang a familiar hymn, the words entirely unfamiliar, but oddly calming as the audience soon joined in after the first loop. The band grew in power as the song continued, and then after the third loop, they stopped. The weirdest part was when the song did not stop, however, and continued in the cathedral as the bodies soon dissipated into several orbs of light, dancing around the caskets and then slowly upward, fading through the ceiling and beyond.

The high priest shouted out, "May Vires see them safe, vivat inter astra. The souls of the dead have passed beyond us now, ut custodiat nos. We shall mourn their deaths no longer, ut cognoscant futura. Rest now my brothers and sisters, ut Vires munus nobis donum pacem. Sic dicit in potentia, Vires."

Lae made his way around the room, looking at the caskets. He looked at the names, going up and down the rows. He spent a few minutes, but finally found the one marked 'Mitchell T. Serez', and just stared at it for a few moments. He put his hand on the casket, and muttered a few words. "I don't expect you to forgive me," he said. "I don't even expect you to understand my point of view. I was an idiot, and my decision cost you your life. It wasn't fair. Even if you hate me, I must at least say: I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He just stood there with his hand on the casket for a while.

[Quantum Rain]

A lady wearing a black dress and cloak around that approached the casket, solemn looking, dried tears at the edges of her eyes. She was prudent enough to avoid wearing makeup for that reason... She stared at the name, as many of the audience were either leaving or visiting caskets now that the ceremony was over. The demon remained, however, looking at the person that attracted his attention. You continue to surprise me, kiddo... He thought to himself, as he hid in the background. He wanted to see what would happen.

[Wynn]

A lady wearing a black dress and cloak around that approached the casket, solemn looking, dried tears at the edges of her eyes. She was prudent enough to avoid wearing makeup for that reason... She stared at the name, as many of the audience were either leaving or visiting caskets now that the ceremony was over. The demon remained, however, looking at the person that attracted his attention. You continue to surprise me, kiddo... He thought to himself, as he hid in the background. He wanted to see what would happen.

Lae looked up at her with his eyes, but did not lift his head. He had a good idea who she was, but decided to say something anyway. "You know Mitchell, huh?" He said solemnly, his hand was still on the casket. You're the wife, aren't you? Lae thought to himself before she even replied.

[Quantum Rain]

She nodded lightly, not looking at Lae. She fumbled with her hands for several minutes, then she procured a pair of rings. One she kept in her hand, but the other, she placed it within the casket, some tears falling in after it. She hung her head, eyes closed, but tears still falling. Her brother, it seemed, appeared and was holding onto her in a familial way, comforting her.

[Wynn]

She nodded lightly, not looking at Lae. She fumbled with her hands for several minutes, then she procured a pair of rings. One she kept in her hand, but the other, she placed it within the casket, some tears falling in after it. She hung her head, eyes closed, but tears still falling. Her brother, it seemed, appeared and was holding onto her in a familial way, comforting her.

Lae finally took his hand off the casket and walked over to their side. He faced them, but they would not be able to see his face. "I am so sorry..." He said, and just stopped, seeming to have a lack of words. He turned his head away, as if he were trying to think of the words.
This is the hardest thing to do: face the family of the one you killed. I cant even look at them.

[Quantum Rain]

The brother spoke up, calm and collected despite the loss. "It wasn't your fault." He tried to say comfortingly, though the kid was a stranger to himself.

The demon was slightly amused at the conversation's turn of events. This was definitely something to report, but first, he wondered, how would the kid react? He wondered if he would lie, or... well, that would be an interesting turn of events as well...

[Wynn]

The brother spoke up, calm and collected despite the loss. "It wasn't your fault." He tried to say comfortingly, though the kid was a stranger to himself.

The demon was slightly amused at the conversation's turn of events. This was definitely something to report, but first, he wondered, how would the kid react? He wondered if he would lie, or... well, that would be an interesting turn of events as well...

"I wish I could honestly say that..." He gestured to the casket. "See for yourself." He was looking away, and down at the ground as he gestured to the casket.

[Sponsored content]