Becoming The Strongest Angel With A Saintess System-Chapter 29: The Celestial Banquet, Part Three

Grace woke up before dawn, the medallion still warm against her skin. The vision from last night replayed in her mind on an endless loop. All those angels with their strange blue-purple auras, following that woman with steel-gray hair.

[I need answers. NOW.]

She threw on a simple white tunic and headed out to find Celestia, marching onwards like a tiny hurricane.

No training today, no etiquette lessons (at least, as long as she could avoid Venus), just the truth.

The halls of the Dominion were eerily quiet this early. She figured most angels were either on duty in the mortal realm or still resting. Grace's footsteps echoed as she-

"Looking for someone?" a voice asked.

"EEP!"

Grace turned to find a small angel with blue hair and blue wings. She recognized her vaguely.

Meridian, from the Ascended Choir. They'd never actually spoken before.

"Um, y-yes. Celestia. Have you seen her?"

Meridian tilted her head, studying Grace with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

"The Archangel? She's in the Memory Pools. East wing, down the spiral stairs."

"Memory Pools?" Grace had never heard of them.

"Ancient place. Off-limits to most." Meridian's eyes narrowed slightly. "But I suppose normal rules don't apply to you."

There was something in her tone that made Grace's skin prickle.

"Thanks," she mumbled, hurrying away from Meridian's scrutinizing gaze.

[Actually... Is it okay for someone from the Choir to be here?]

East wing. Spiral stairs. The directions led Grace to a part of the Dominion she'd never explored before. The pristine white marble gradually gave way to older stone, worn smooth by countless centuries. The air felt different here.

The spiral staircase descended deep into what felt like the heart of the floating realm. Grace's hand trailed along the wall for balance as she made her way down, the light growing dimmer with each step.

Just as she was about to turn back, thinking she'd made a wrong turn, the staircase opened into a vast circular chamber.

"Whoa," Grace breathed.

The room was filled with pools of silvery liquid, each one a perfect circle, embedded in the stone floor. They glowed with a soft, pulsing light. And standing at the edge of the largest pool in the center was Celestia, her rainbow wings folded against her back, her expression distant.

"Celestia?" Grace called softly.

The Archangel looked up, surprise crossing her features before settling into a warm smile.

"Grace. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I need to talk to you," Grace said, stepping carefully between the pools to reach her. "About these visions I've been having."

"Visions?" Celestia's voice was neutral, but there was a hint of surprise on her face.

Grace nodded, touching the medallion at her throat.

"Ever since you gave me this, I've been seeing... things. Through Eternia's eyes, I think."

Celestia went very still.

"Tell me."

Grace described everything. The first vision during the ceremony, the woman with steel-gray hair and piercing blue eyes, and last night's vision of angels with blue-purple auras following her away from Eternia.

With each detail, Celestia's composed demeanor slipped a little more. By the time Grace finished, she looked outright concerned.

"That's... not possible," Celestia whispered.

"What's not possible?"

"The medallion." Celestia reached out, her fingers hovering just above it without touching. "It's sharing memories with you. Eternia's memories."

"Is that... bad?"

Celestia shook her head, looking genuinely shocked.

"I... do not think so. It's just unprecedented. That medallion was given to me by Eternia herself, the day she... the day she left us."

Grace blinked.

"Did... Did she say to wait and give it to someone?"

"She didn't say anything. She just gave it to me and left." A small, incredulous laugh escaped her. "Of course... Hearing what you're telling me now, she certainly must have planned this all along. Somehow, she knew you would come."

Grace swallowed hard.

[She probably did,] Grace thought. [Because her leaving was probably so she could do that... thing she said. About focusing her energy until she could "make me."]

Celestia turned to the central pool.

"Perhaps the Memory Pools can show us."

"What are these anyway?" Grace asked, peering into the silvery liquid. It moved like water but seemed thicker, almost mercury-like.

"The collective memory of angelkind," Celestia explained. "Every significant moment in our history leaves an imprint here. They respond to thought and touch."

She dipped a finger into the pool before them. The silvery surface rippled, then stilled, showing a reflection of the two of them looking down. But then the image changed, flowing like paint in water until it showed a different scene entirely.

Two angels stood in what looked like the grand hall, but brighter, more vibrant than Grace had ever seen it. One was unmistakably Eternia. She looked exactly like Grace but taller, more regal, and... well, blessed in certain places.

But beside her stood another angel with steel-gray wings and those piercing blue eyes Grace had seen in her visions.

"Azrael," Celestia said softly, answering Grace's unspoken question. "She was Eternia's most beloved angel. Her right hand. Her..." She trailed off and didn't finish.

In the pool, the two angels were laughing together, their wings occasionally brushing in a gesture that seemed intimate.

"They ruled the Dominion together. Eternia always preferred making things as opposed to keeping an eye on the things she made. So, she created Azrael. And, from that point on, Eternia created and Azrael organized. Eternia dreamed and Azrael executed. She made Azrael to be her perfect complementary piece." Celestia's voice held a note of sadness. "Azrael was my mentor, also. She taught me everything I know about leadership."

Grace took that in.

"What happened between them? In my vision, it looked like they were arguing."

Celestia waved her hand over the pool. The scene changed to show Azrael standing before a group of humans, her hand outstretched. The humans were doing... something Grace couldn't quite make out, but it looked wrong. Their faces were twisted with cruelty or greed. And as they acted, wisps of dark energy flowed from them into Azrael's palm.

"Azrael discovered something," Celestia said quietly. "Angels draw power from what Eternia called the Three Human Virtues: Bravery, Compassion, and Love. But Azrael found that we could also absorb power from what she called Human Sins. Cowardice, Hatred, and Apathy."

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"Is that... what the blue aura was? In my visions?"

"Possibly," Celestia replied with a shrug. "Eternia was horrified. She insisted this corrupted divine essence. That there was a reason angels were only meant to draw from virtues. But Azrael argued it was simply a different form of power. More efficient, more potent."

The pool shifted again, showing Eternia and Azrael standing nose to nose, clearly in the midst of a heated argument.

"Their debate split the Dominion, back then," Celestia continued. "Most angels stayed loyal to Eternia, but many - especially the more pragmatic ones - sided with Azrael. They claimed to have seen through the veil of Eternia's teachings to a greater truth."

"But they were wrong?" Grace asked, studying the image.

Celestia hesitated.

"It's... not that simple. The power Azrael discovered was real, and it did make those angels stronger. But it also changed them. Made them colder. More calculating."

As Celestia spoke, Grace noticed something strange in the pool. Celestia's reflection flickered briefly, her rainbow wings shimmering and momentarily appearing steel-gray. Grace blinked, and the image was normal again.

[Did I imagine that?]

"The Veil takes after what Azrael preached, though to a lesser degree. At the banquet," Celestia said, "there will be angels from The Veil present. It's a tradition - the banquet is neutral ground, a time when all factions can gather without fear of conflict. You may be able to learn more about them then."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Not openly. They're not demons or anything. They're angels who made a different choice. Most still believe they're serving heaven's interests, just... through different means." Celestia's gaze was intense. "But don't let them sway your heart. The path of sin, no matter how efficient, leads to corruption."

"So, then, why have them be invited?"

"I believe the best way to bridge the gap is through conversation. Simple as that."

Grace nodded, though something about Celestia's words didn't quite sit right. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"I should go," Celestia said suddenly. "There's much to prepare for."

"Wait," Grace caught her arm. "If Eternia and Azrael were so close, why didn't they work it out? Why split the Dominion?"

Celestia's eyes held a deep sadness.

"I've longed to know the answer to that question myself. But, alas, only they will ever know."