Alright, before you people get all excited that I updated (looks around to see if its possible that people are actually still reading this), I'd like to point out that this is about 1/4 done.I've somehow managed, over the course of writing this story, to lose this chapter not once but TWICE and have had to re-write it. This is the third re-write. I will have the completed chapter up to replace this faulty version within a week.

This was originally to be the last chapter, but in light of how horrible I've been, I've written an epilogue (already completed.) Please, don't hate me, and continue to read.*bows self out*

Divine Inflection Unfinished

Four dark-winged beings swooped into the church, blazing red eyes filled with fury, and for a moment Simeon thought they were demons. Then he saw the feathers. "Fallen cherubim!" he whispered. He'd never seen them before, their kind generally being too insane and stricken to entertain even the most sadistic of their kind.

One of the Fallen screeched, a high, unclean sound, and dove for the icon Kokuyo was still holding. He turned to her slowly, eyes glazed as he held the crucifix up. The others flew to attack the four remaining.

Simeon sent out a frantic mental summons to JJ, forcing his way into the boy's mind despite the lack of the sort of physical connection that Simeon's kind usually relied upon for these spirits of messages. He was vaguely aware of some sort of hazy acknowledgement from the boy. Running to the side he grabbed one of the candlesticks and hurled it like a javelin, sending it right through the shoulder of one of the Fallen angels. It fell, writhing, to the ground, screeching unnaturally.

"I can't see them!" JJ exclaimed in frustration, whirling, splashing holy water around him haphazardly, dart gun clutched uselessly to his chest. Kokuyo grunted, stepping away from the altar, one of the devils immediately at his side, pulling him towards them.

"Kokuyo!" Hisei yelled, eyes pained as she struck out at her former brethren, but the Fallen screeched out of her way, swarming toward Kokuyo, seemingly intent on him, and the devil held the boy out to the creature. Kokuyo's face turned slowly toward Hisei, and he smiled, the strength of the joy in the expression completely at odds with everything around them, making the expression unnatural. One of the Fallen bore down on him, knocking him to the ground, jagged teeth snapping at his neck, putrid, bile tears leaking boils onto Kokuyo's neck and shoulders. His child-like grin strained, but he didn't move away, and Hisei rushed to his side, another of the blessed candlesticks held like a club in her hand.

Her first blow missed as the Fallen unexpectedly gained altitude, yowling in heart-wrenching anguish as the creature recognized Hisei for what she was. Hisei swung again, her blow just clipping the scored and ragged wings. The creature hissed in pain, turning to strike at her instead, loathing deep in its eyes. The devil laughed horribly, pushing Kokuyo toward her, and she fell under the weight of his body, blessed weapon clattering loudly underneath her.

Simeon cursed loudly, and leaned forward to restrain a panicking JJ who, while being unable to see the peril his sister was going through, was acutely aware that some sort of attack was raging around him. When the boy struggled, Simeon exerted a fraction of his power, holding him in place.

"Be still, you idiot. You'll need to see through my eyes." JJ paled, but nodded, a questioning look on his face. "What do I-"?

"Shit, I don't know. You think I was trying to do it before. Um." A screech from Hisei as one of the Fallen landed beside her, moaning insistently. Simeon cursed more eloquently, and pushed JJ away, forcing himself into the boy's mind in a way that was distinctly intimate. JJ yelped, and covered himself as if Simeon had just groped him. He blinked, suddenly aware of the danger around him. "What-"

"Go get my father and bring him back here!" Simeon snarled, and JJ gave him a startled look, unused to obeying orders from anyone, but did as he was bid. He rushed immediately to Hisei's aid, but already she had worked the candlestick from under her and was jabbing viciously at the Fallen, her face twisted with fear and revulsion as she rolled her strangely stiff brother off of her.

JJ tapped Simeon on the shoulder, and his father was at his side, yellow eyes shifting nervously around the room, lingering on Hisei and her battle with an as-of-yet invisible enemy. Simeon spent no time explaining, but brushed into the other man's mind as well, shuddering a bit as his father went white at the intrusion, clutching his heart and giving Simeon an odd look. "Feels like you-"

Simeon snarled. "I didn't!" He knew his little twinge had worked, when his father suddenly whirled in the direction of one of the Fallen, spouting expletives and reaching into the pool of holy water for a weapon.

JJ had his blowgun out, and Simeon whooped as another Fallen screeched, clutching scalded holes in its wings and arms. Kokuyo hugged the desecrated cross to his chest, unnoticed, mumbling something that no one paid attention to in the midst of battle.

Now the Hellhounds were bounding through the door, and Simeon and JJ charged to meet them. Simeon cheered mentally when he saw the blessed weapons tearing easily through demonic flesh, sending the Hounds yelping and skittering away. It still wouldn't be an easy fight-there had to be a dozen or more of the Hounds, plus who knew how many were still outside-but perhaps they had a chance now!

Hisei stumbled up beside him, panting, hauling her brother up with her. Kokuyo seemed to ignore both of their presence, his eyes fixed on one of the devils, Simeon couldn't place which one, that insane smile still on his face. Simeon had the irresistible urge to throttle the boy, but repressed it as Hisei put a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Cover me for a second, and hold my brother" she gasped, and Simeon obliged, bringing his heel down on Kokuyo's chest, acutely aware of how little the boy reacted. Strange.

Hisei cupped her hands together and concentrated, mumbling melodically under her breath. A prayer? This was hardly the time-motes of light that burned into Simeon's vision like embers streamed around his lover, and the sparks settled in her hair, casting her in a sharp glow as the motes expanded into blinding streamers of thick yellow brilliance, gathering around a sphere Hisei was cupping in her hands like a rosary, delicately winding her fingers into the center of it all as the sphere expanded into a long, thin length.

Abruptly, it coalesced into the shining double-bladed long sword that was every seraph's birthright as one of the Lord's dispensers of Justice, and Hisei grinned brightly at him. "I was hoping I could still do that" she breathed, and charged into battle with her new weapon, leaving her brother to glare up at Simeon from under his heel, his attention abruptly shifted.

Simeon knelt down to help the boy up past his dislike, but Kokuyo refused to look away from his eyes, burning holes in Simeon's cornea with the intensity of his stare. Simeon didn't have time for this right looked away deliberately, hoping Kokuyo was playing some sort of game, but when he glanced back, the other boy was still glaring at him as if he were the source of all evil, and Simeon straightened irritably, tski-ing.