Disclaimer: RWBY and all religions not owned by me.

The sun rose over the city, the dawn light creeping from one horizon to the other as the minutes passed. She watched it all from the fire escape, having fled the apartment the moment Heaven's light left her alone in the small space. She would've preferred staying within those walls, clinging to memories, but it suddenly felt so empty. Weiss had survived centuries walking through Hell, subject to the horrors of the den of sin itself, and she'd fought tooth and nail to escape the place, but never had she felt the sort of loneliness that struck her to the core ever since Blake disappeared.

She hadn't bothered reverting to her disguise, not yet. She still had the ability to hide from mortals' eyes without transforming; she only maintained the visage for Blake's sake, really.

Weiss had done a lot of things for the Fallen Angel. Some were small, some much grander, but she never said anything. Never made a big deal out of it. It seemed easier, at the time, to pretend like she didn't have this strange… fixation on her companion.

But now… words kept swirling around her head, things she wished she could've said but didn't. She thought it would be best, to keep her mouth shut, to help Blake achieve her goal and say nothing of how her own aim had shifted. Where before, she sought nothing but the freedom to do as she pleased, now she wanted only to see what the world had to offer with the Fallen Angel at her side. They'd been so many places already. They'd seen half of a country together, why not the rest of the world?

Her tail curled around her, a poor substitute for her companion's arms.

"Blake."

She wanted to cry. Imagine, her, a full fledged Pride Demon moved to such a base mortal emotion- yet, there it was. She felt sad and lost, moreso than when she stepped into the mortals' world for the first time after breaking her chain. That had come with a brilliant sort of liberation… not this, this toxin working its way beneath her skin, poisoning her very being. The antidote- the only thing that could chase away this cursed sensation- was likely beyond her grasp. Even if she set about scouring the world now, how many centuries would it take for her to find the Fallen Angel? What if she missed her for centuries, a decade too early or late, or what if she'd been thrown down to Hell, as all those who fell were eventually sent? Where should she even start her search?

With a priest, of course. Someone of the cloth who might have the means of researching where Angels were sent when they failed to meeting Heaven's exacting expectations. Mortals couldn't understand the full nature of the worlds above or below, but they had colorful tales that contained kernels of truth. All she needed to do was find the right kernel.

"Blake, I swear you'll never hear the end of this." She ignored the thickness in her voice, mentally adding the sharp edge it currently lacked. "You've got one Hell of a lecture coming your way when I find you."

"Would it help if I say I'm sorry?"

Weiss' head snapped up, blue eyes widening as the Fallen Angel landed lightly on the fire escape's railing in front of her, raven wings stretching out wide and obscuring the rising sun. "Blake?"

She smiled, crouching down and putting one hand on the railing to steady herself, though it seemed more a subconscious action than for necessity's sake. "Did you miss me?"

"This is hardly a time to be cheeky!" Despite the inherent heat in her words, the Demon gained her feet and launched forward, putting too much energy into the movements in her rush to reach her companion. It didn't matter that she was balanced on the edge of a railing- honestly, she'd catch them both before they hit the ground- and the only thing that mattered was that she'd closed her arms around the Fallen Angel, confirming that it was her, really her, not some sort of illusion conjured by a wayward Demon looking for an especially painful banishment. The moment she did- careful to keep her claws from digging into flesh rather than fabric- relief suffused her being. "It is you."

Her tail latched onto the railing, to control their descent somewhat, but found herself hovering in air as the beating of wings met her ears. In the time they'd known each other, Blake's wings had never had the ability to support her weight, merely cushioning falls. Yet, here they were, tethered to the fire escape by the Demon's tail and held aloft by Angel wings.

"Of course it's me." Weiss opened her eyes then, looking up into amused amber eyes as great black wings nearly blended into her thick raven mane. "I made a promise."

It struck her, then, why her companion kept her torn wings hidden from view as much as possible over the past year. Seeing them now, in their full glory was like seeing the other half of a well known photograph, the complete picture far more spectacular. The shame that had clung to her like a shroud whenever they appeared, consciously forced aside so the broken things could still be used- it all suddenly made sense. But, honestly, the demon missed seeing the torn ones she'd come to know. What they lacked in size and power, they more than made up for in being meaningful, scars that told the story of how the Fallen Angel was forged, and they were a little… cute. She never said as much though; it probably wouldn't be well received.

"One you've kept… for now." A frown touched her lips as Blake brought them back to the fire escape, setting them down lightly and folding her wings behind her back. Weiss didn't let go- couldn't, not yet- and found herself more than a little relieved that her companion didn't seem keen on creating space between them, either. "I can't imagine it'll be long before Heaven calls you back to take your place among the other Angels."

"That's a call that will never come." She bent her head, allowing blue eyes to confirm the distinct lack of a halo hovering above her. "The Highest offered me a deal. I can keep my wings, remain immortal, but I can never return to Heaven. I'm Fallen, for all eternity."

Weiss furrowed her brows, shaking her head and trying to control the surge of hope in her chest. A Demon knew that there was always fine print, always some loophole- good things simply didn't come without strings attached. "But… that's what you wanted. To go back."

"What I wanted… past tense, yes." Blake stepped closer, bending her head down and lowering her voice. "But I've found somewhere better than Heaven to spend the rest of eternity."

"And where is that?" The Demon felt her breath catch as one hand came up to cup her cheek gently, thumb brushing the bottom of her scar and following it up. She closed her eyes, allowing the soft touch to trace the remaining evidence of her flight from Hell, up to the nub of her broken horn and back, carding through ivory locks.

"Here, with you," she said, cradling the back of Weiss' head tenderly.

"Still such a wordsmith." A chuckle brushed past her lips, eyes fluttering open to look up at the now perpetually Fallen Angel, her companion until the end of time. "And still dramatic. Is there no end to your charm?"

"We'll see. We have all eternity to find out." Blake hummed, a flicker of something passing over her expression. "There were words I didn't say before I left. I didn't want to be unfair to you, but, seeing as I'll be staying… perhaps I can say them now?"

Weiss tilted her head, eyes darting towards her companion's lips as she bit them nervously. So strange, how hesitant she could be despite being imbued with the power of Heaven itself. "You can. The question remains: will you?"

The Fallen Angel let out a surprised chuckle, pulling her in closer and speaking directly into her ear, soft and low. "I love you."

Fleetingly, she considered it strange. As a Demon, she'd known of Lust long before she'd ever encountered love, this foreign concept far beyond the comprehension of a creature such as herself. But she'd learned, piece by piece, both in her solo journey and with Blake by her side, that the things that seemed entirely out of her reach before were only such through ignorance or lack of conviction. She'd learn that faith and Faith were different things, that mortals weren't alone in their capacity to feel, to experience, to take charge of their destinies and fulfill their own goals, and that even a Demon could embrace the light of Heaven and come away unburnt.

Her tail slipped around Blake's waist, pulling their bodies flush together. "That's rather fortunate. As it stands, I love you, too."

"Hmmm, are you sure?" The Fallen Angel teased, drawing back enough to look her in the eyes. Although she'd often hidden away her broken wings, now with them in all their glory framing her silhouette… it made quite the picture.

Rather than waste time with words, Weiss pushed herself up, claiming her companion's lips in a kiss. She'd probably held onto the impulse as long as Blake held onto her words, neither wanting to burden the other with that strange, bittersweet heartache. It obviously wasn't the sort of response the Fallen Angel expected but she didn't seem perturbed by it, either, returning the pressure and holding her tighter.

After a few seconds, they parted, both wearing giddy smiles as a thought occurred to the Demon, one she could see reflected in amber eyes. This was the beginning of their new journey, free of a deadline, free of creatures hounding at their heels, free of anything but their own whims.

Truly free.

"I want to show you something." The Fallen Angel pulled away, lightly coaxing her into turning around and sliding both arms around Weiss' waist. Her tail quickly returned the favor seeing as her arms couldn't and, a moment later, her feet left the fire escape again, the two rising in the dawn light until they could watch the sunrise breaking across the horizon, light pouring over the city as Blake's voice sounded by her ear. "I know you don't like the mortals' version of flying, but how's mine?"

"Perfect." She turned her head carefully, eyes fluttering closed as a kiss was pressed against the curve of her intact horn. "I suppose we can go anywhere now. Do whatever we wish."

"Yes." Blake paused, some of her happiness sliding away. "Though, I made a deal of my own before I left."

"Oh?" Part of her was curious- she'd known all manner of deals mortals made with Demons, but what sort could be made with Angels? "Do tell."

"Adam's descended into Hell. He's truly fallen from grace." The arms around her waist tightened. "But he's still Adam and I know he won't be satisfied until he's taken down the Archangels, or been turned to sulfur trying. When he launches his assault on Heaven, I still want to be there to stop them. It's the only time I'll be allowed back."

Weiss felt a frown touch her lips. "I suppose it would be too much to ask if I could accompany you."

She had no personal vendetta against those who truly fell, no other reason to stand in defense of Heaven or against the minions of Hell… except to protect Blake. It would likely hurt- she still couldn't walk too close to Holy Ground without feeling an unpleasant tingling beneath her skin- but it would be worth it in the end.

"That's why I made the deal," the Fallen Angel replied, a lilt to her voice. "When I am called to Heaven, you may come with me, so we can both fight against him. There… is a bit of a catch, though."

She perked up, twisting enough to look back at her companion. "And what's that?"

"The Highest gave me more stakes." Blake shrugged. "Apparently, we make a pretty good team when it comes to stopping and deterring Demons."

"He… does realize it'll be more difficult to come across them, doesn't he?" A smile started tugging at her lips.

She laughed. "I think he does, but he had to do something to make it seem like a fair trade. I think he's taken a liking to you. He offered to ascend you-"

"Pass."

Blake laughed. "I told him as much."

Weiss looked forward and leaned her head back against the Fallen Angel's shoulder, a small smile on her lips. "Good."

For all her aspirations to be free of Hell, it never occurred to the Demon to aim higher. Truthfully, Heaven never appealed to her in any sense, always seeming more constricting than the chaos she'd known and no more enjoyable for it. But when she felt Blake's cheek nuzzle the side of her head affectionately as they watched the dawn rise, she thought this must be the Heaven mortals imagined when they spoke of the place. Such a profound sensation of contentment that spread through her, only eclipsed by the warmth she'd come to associate with her companion's presence.

In the arms of a Fallen Angel, the Demon had found Heaven on Earth.

Author's Note: And that's the end. Like I said, just a quick, dumb story. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the brief detour into ridiculousness!