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Closed Heaven and Hell

Michael soared over the clouds in heaven, cruising above the cloud layer which formed the ground.

I need help with this. For it seems a true trap; to get out would kill me, and create another Lucifer in my stead. Cleaver, Justice, cleaver. The issue is if I can pass the test.

He saw something below him, and dived down to investigate.
 
The words resonated through Verity's head again. "You have to do the opposite. Even though it may stride against your nature." What could it mean? Was it implying she ahd to act like that nasty Meowth, Greed? She didn't much fancy being selfish. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to be greedy.

Sighing and still in thought, she looked up just in time to avoid flying into a blue, winged Vulpix.

"Oooh! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" she exclaimed, flustered, turning to look at the Vulpix. "I should have been looking where I was going! I'm so silly! I beg your mercy!"
 
The Bitil from before was flying toward the Gallade when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

An all-too familiar Typhlosion was yelling like crazy at another Gallade, and this one had wings.

A much more satifsying find, he thought as he flew toward them, picking up some red stones as he did so, I think I'll be pleased
 
"Oh, it's okay! Don't worry about it!" Viviana said, noticing that the Togekiss who had just avoided bumping into her. "You don't have to apologize! It's alright. I probably woulda' done the same, so..." She then heard someone call her name from below her. "Hey, it's Twilight! Hiya, there Twilight! Hey, Togekiss! I'll probably see ya again, since we're all stuck in Heaven anyway. Well, bye!"

Viviana flew down to where her pal, Twilight was. She transformed back into a Fire-type, her wings shrinking, her fur color back to normal once she landed. "So, what's up? As for me, I'm still thinking about what Justice had said. Does it mean, to be opposite, I'll have to be like that slow-moving, lazy-finned, retarded Magikarp, Sloth? I hope not. Being active is a lot more fun, and once you get something done, you feel rewarded and happy, right?"
 
The avatar of Humility made no reaction to Lucifer's insults and the fiery shadows; after all, it had no mind with which to feel fear, only Lotus to control it from the safety of her hiding spot. Besides, that would be letting Pride get his way in this encounter.

"Oh, there's no need to be that modest, friend," the Gallade continued, walking straight out of the encircling darkness without the slightest indication of pain - these material dangers could not bring any harm to a mere illusion, nor would it serve any benefit for the puppet to go up in flames. "With the strength you possess, there is no need to have any enemies. Because, certainly, there is none able to rival your sheer might to the point of being an adequate enough threat to require your attention."

"And yet..." the Virtue stopped, right within Lucifer's striking distance. Fortunately, there would not be anywhere near enough time for a scuffle to break out. "You feel obligated to battle me. Why is that, Pride?" It leaned forward, the image's face that much closer to the Sin's enraged glare. "Is it simply because of who we are? A classic battle between the forces of good and evil? But a fight must have two sides, mustn't it? So then, why is it that I do not fight against you; do you want to know?"

In an instant, the image vanished before momentarily reappearing next to the infernal Typhlosion, then whispered directly into his ear with the utmost malevolence, "Because I know that this facade of confidence is only a shell of lies covering the pathetic coward you really are."

And with that, the illusion vanished.

Meanwhile, the most envious of all Milotics was writhing in throes of laughter behind her now thoroughly soaked hiding place, barely stifled as a prolonged series of sniggers.
 
"Hello! I have, too. I suppose that's what Justice meant, there's no other way to interpret it, sadly. So, that means I have to be impatient and unforgiving. Wrathful."
Twilight answered slowly, thinking. She shook her head and laughed,
"I have about as much chance at that as you have of being lazy. Namely, none at all. Why would I want to be cruel like Wrath? Hm.."
 
The clouds glimmered divinely, their marvelous ivory glory whiter than show itself. Such purity... such whiteness that made snow not only pale in comparison, but were it there, look gray.

Arkra did not have time to take notice of the clouds however, or care much of them. The clouds themselves, despite their glimmer, looked rather like snow had looked next to them, compared to her ivory wings. Every day she had seen those same fields of white whisps... seemingly endless... running on and on.

It was sort of boring, actually.

She herself was beginning to lose patience with Justice's most vague forture. Baah, how she hated vagueness. No, no... was that a faint fizzle of anger? She had to restrain it! Self-control! Anger was not to be felt by the Mighty Virture Abstinence, she had to abstain from all things sin.

Eventually... eventually... eventually they would figure out the prophecy. Not her though, she had no mind for that sort of thing. All she was to do was to abstain, abstain from all things excessive. And perhaps thinking itself was excessive... perhaps she was thinking too much.

And she stopped that too.

Faintly, she could hear the voices of the other inhabitants of Heaven. Aaargh, she wasn't in the mood to talk to the other Virtues right now. Talking to them... she would have to socialize. And perhaps... perhaps they would corrupt her, despite the fact that they were divine beings like her.

No, they weren't as pure as her. Not even the clouds, the clouds of heaven themselves shimmered with as much purity as her cottony wings. Her goal was one thing, to abstain, to remain pure and incorruptable.

The Altaria slowly hovered away from the sounds of the voices.
 
The Bitil that was flying toward Lucifer pulled back to assure the Typhlosion that he wasn't trying to attack, and then threw the handful of rocks that he was holding at the ground, where they let off a distinctive crack

That should get my current self's attention, he thought, And now I wait
 
Michael looked up from his dive to see a solitary shape moving away from the group below.

Arkra. Perhaps abstinence is the one virtue I will need if pride will open this prison.

He changed course, and with a few rapid beats of his wings cruised up to the other Virtue.

"Hello, Arkra. May we talk?"
 
She was caught by surprise by the sudden appearance of the Gallade, jumping slightly. The Virture's small dark eyes met with Michael's, gazing upon him in shock. She had been lost in thoughts of trying to repress her thoughts.

All Arkra could do was nod feebly.

If he wanted to talk, it must've been something rather important... but ooh, she disliked the whole talking thing. What if he said something that... that let her know too much? That corrupted her innocence?

Well, it had to be important. He was Humility, after all.
 
Solon stood up and walked around, looking for another virtue who found out what Justice meant. Maybe by "you must do the opposite" he meant I had to be like the sin Lust? But that's impossible! Never will I be able to do that! Well, only if it's for the sake of my life... while she was walking she came across an Altaria and a Gallade. Perhaps Arkra and Micheal? Solon walked up to the two, "Do either of you know what Justice meant when he said we must do the opposite?"
 
Michael turned to see Solon before him.

"Ah, hello Chastity. I believe I have a theory as to what may be needed, but I fear that if I am correct then we are caught in a most dangerous booby trap. For I suspect that it is the opposite to our core values which will provide our escape, but I truly fear that there is no way any of us could survive if we attempted to escape alone. I think this is the ultimate trap, as any who can convert their nature enough may well be unable to restore it once they return to the world. Thus I feel that somehow this has to be a team effort, and we must all protect each other's core values to prevent the duplication of the sin."

"I have spoken for long enough, and have not given you chance to have your say."
 
She blinked several times, the words completely escaping her. Arkra could not gasp their meaning so well, they were a bit... complex. Well, maybe a lot complex actually.

"Um...?"

The Altaria merely stood there, her dark eyes completely avoiding the Gallade's, observing the brilliant clouds, looking anywhere. But her confusion was quite evident in the tone of her voice.

Waah! Where did that Espeon come from?

Arkra let out a small, but very controlled jump. It was so miniscule that the others could not have possibly hoped to see it. She then quickly assembled her features to a blank expression, observing the sudden appearance of the third Virture with slight disdain and also, quite a bit of shock, though she hid it well.

...This gathering was becoming a bit too crowded than what she had liked.
 
The Altaria seemed confused, and Michael realised that he may have used language which she didn't understand.

"I apologise, Arkra. I seem to have confused you. Please, if you feel I have said something which you disagree with or don't understand, tell me."
 
"The whole thing." She said, her voice even and carefully controlled. No, she had displayed too much confusion. He could tell. But she made sure to keep all confusion from it this time.

Still she continued to gaze off at the clouds, not really seeing them. The anxiety was beginning to build again. How could the other Virtues be so... social? It all made her too nervous, but she remained still. On the outside, there were no signs of anxiety. Nothing more than a blank, dispassionate face as she struggled to contain her nervousness.

She... she was a Virture... a being of Heaven! How could she have so many imperfections? She cleared her mind of thoughts again, she was thinking too much. Too much about herself. And that was selfishness.

What was important now was what Justice had said.
 
"I apologise. I have spent too long avoiding others, allowing my secondary nature to govern what I do."

"It seems to get out we must take on the characteristics of our opposing sin. I am simply worried that if we do that we may not be able to reclaim our true natures after we leave. Hence I think that each of us will need the support of the others, to remind us of who we really are."
 
"Hmm...I agree with Micheal. We should stay together no matter what. But how will doing the opposite help us to escape? I mean, I would never be able to be like Lust...it's just too wrong."
 
Luc threw a few more coins at the Snorlax. "HEY! GET UP! YOU'RE BLOCKING THE WAY!" he said.
 
"I believe that is, in fact, the reason we must act as that sin. The very thing that is hardest for us to do is the one thing we need to do to get out. Brilliant work, Justice," Michael added, his head facing vaguely upwards and off to the right, as though there was someone up there.
 
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