Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Sanctuary with its original characters and neither the Irish folklore. I do own this story though.

This story assumes that Lucifer ended up dying and was sent to the reincarnation cycle to live as a human.

Patience

She couldn’t quite remember when it had turned around. Had absolutely no idea when their chase, in her mind courtship, had altered its roles, changed, reversed. Now, she wasn’t the distant wisp of a dream constantly chased after by the valiant dreamer. No. Her soul was fixed in an astral body once again.

She did recall the darkness. Falling, (drowning?), locked in a tight embrace. His face had been serene, but his touch desperate. A smile of happiness yet it was also tinged with sadness. Because their time was short, perhaps not even substantial, the bittersweet moment was of utmost anxiety. Time was their trial not a blessing.

Marble lips soft and relaxed pressed firmly by red luscious ones. She gave him a chaste kiss; she didn’t quite know how to do it any other way. It was not about passion of the flesh, but something deeper. He was in many ways a light at the end of the tunnel for her. Never spoken out loud, she knew the word: savior. Hidden by sadistic games, subdued by endless power plays, the admiration was always there. The charisma had trapped her as well, but she turned the spell against its caster.

He met her as a doll, he left her a woman. She met him a lost soul, captivated him into worshiper. One moment, when she had looked at him she had seen something new. Was it the human presence? The newly acquired emotions, were they what had brought her attention to him. She offered her original body’s virginity to soothe him, at least in that moment when she thought his death at her hands was dawning near. The blade would pierce his heart, but she would’ve kissed him lovingly.

Once again when she met him in Eden, her heart fluttered and also wept. Oh, demon lord, could you ever hold me without the bounds of pain, her sorrow cried. She sunk Eden down, laughing, overjoyed. Here it started, here it ends was the message. Duty was duty, regardless. Rosiel was her main concern, the only reason she was fighting. The dark knight and his horses of the Apocalypse could wait the bitter princess. Yes, bitter was what she was, her actions harsh and words venomous.

When she had been locked in his embrace and a smirk found her lips, she knew what she wanted -- to be simply a woman, his woman.

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Ireland, 2013

A young child was treading on dangerous territories near the sea, the risk of losing his footing and falling to the water a distant concern in his mind. Making his way through the slippery stones, his gaze was soon enticed by a shimmering glint near the water. Fearlessly bending down, he reached out and removed a pebble from the reaches of the salty sea.

He grinned victoriously. When he arrived home, he would gladly boast his conquest to his brothers and thrive on the jealous frowns they would bestow him. Sure, it was only a little stone, but for him the satisfaction of seeing how the other boys were at awe over his abilities and bravery made him proud.

Running through the meadows, the young boy grasped the stone secured in his right hand harder, the precious items deep crimson color leaking from the space between his fingers. Jumping the small hills on his path, he found his secret base by the ancient formation of edgy pillars. Sitting down, he calmed his breath and inspected his treasure with interest.

It was quite clearly a gemstone, the blood red fascinating to his boyish gray eyes. Rubbing the stone to get rid of the dirt, he cut his hand in one of its sharp edges. Such was its sharpness; the cut was deep enough for a considerable amount of blood to come rushing out. Yet, the boy disregarded the wound, his treasure a major concern. “Silly child, treat the injury.”

The first reaction his body offered was quickly jumping up from his resting position. He looked around frantically, the previous interruption seemingly coming out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Fishing out of the dirty pocket of his old black pants a small, rusty knife, the boy tried to look menacing. Shoulders held wide and scowl in place, he used his voice as deeply as he could manage, “Who goes there?”

His question was met with silence. The disembodied voice didn’t answer right away, but just as he was about to demand again, the melodious tone spoke, “Who? You say you do not know, yet, you’ve known me for so long.”

By now, his heart was pounding wildly in his ribcage. Did he know this person? Better yet, could it be a mythical creature his grandmother had told him about? If it was a fairy or leprechaun trying to play a prank on him, he had nothing to worry about. As his father always told him, his swift feet could carry him as fast as any horse. Apprehension arose, however, because the voice did seem to come of all around him. It seemed like a spirit or presence. Could he outrun such a thing?

As if the voice was disturbed by his silence it spoke directly to him, the sound now focused in one direction only. “Do not be afraid, I shall not hurt you.”

There, he saw it. The presence shifted in the corner of a particularly tall stone, partially covered by its enormous shadow. What he saw, was not what he expected. Possibly, the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, he thought such a beauty was only a make believe or something of legend. Nonetheless, she stood proud and tall, clad in a modest white tunic somewhat redundant in the cold wind of the countryside, shrouded by the shadows of the old shrine.

The beautiful (fairy?) smiled at him gently and he knew he was enchanted. Like she had told him earlier, it did seem like he knew her for very long. Her long black hair assaulted by the winds, she slowly and ever so gracefully made her way to him, long smooth legs carrying her visage towards his small body. Now closer, he could see that even he, a tall boy for his age, barely reached her strong collarbone. Perhaps she really was a stuff of legend, one of those – banshees?

He stood firm in place by her magnetic presence, not out of fear. Something deep within told him to stay and reach out for her. So, he did, a shy hand reaching for the unnatural beauty. He stopped it mid track startled when she reached for him as well, gently taking his wounded appendage. Ever slowly, she traced the cut with her red lips, sending jolts of electricity through his body. He did not know the feelings, but he liked them very much. As if aware of it, she sent him a darker gaze. “As I said, treat it.”

With this said she let his hand go, removing herself from the warmth of his body. In which moment had she fallen over him, he couldn’t remember. He missed the presence, her body molded against his, but before he could protest, she silenced him with a lone finger to his lips. “The sky soon turns dark, young Devil, you must leave my company.”

She had been gone soon after, leaving him to wonder about the ethereal beauty and the electrical touch. Somehow, this was not their first meeting and if he could help, not their last.

By the time he arrived home, the sky had turned a deep blue and the stars shone brightly. Unfortunately, his parents weren’t in quite so bright a mood. As soon as set foot inside the small house, his father hit him sending his lithe body to the hard floor. Still regaining his lost breath, the young boy let a disgruntled snarl when his old man grabbed him by the neck, roughly pressing him to the wall. “Where the hell have you been, brat?”

His mother quickly grasped the man’s arm, trying to pry it from her son’s throat. “Honey, please let me take care of this. I’m sure, Colin had a good reason to be out so late.”

A good reason indeed, at least in his head. By the time his father removed his hold, Colin had already started coughing faintly. For this and other reasons he hated this household and wished to depart from this place as soon as possible. They were like a nightmare to him; every day he wondered how long would it take for them to rob him of his humanity. An alcoholic, his father had nothing better to do other than beat his children and his wife. A coward man who forced himself on those he deemed weaker. Colin knew however, that soon enough he would be able to stand up for himself. He was rapidly growing, his height twice the size of the last year. Also, his body was slowly changing. Some more years and he would be a man.

Then, he would show this weak beast. For now, he had only to keep himself healthy and sane. “I went too far away from the road and got lost, forgive me.”

His mother, a blond woman in her late 30’s, was a kind person though her husband seemed like too much a weight to carry upon her shoulders. Many times her fair skin had been bruised as she tried to protect her sons from the wrathful punches of her drunken partner. Sometimes, Colin really pitied the woman. Knowing her son would not tell her more than that, she told him to go to his room where she would bring him a plate of food.

Doing as he was told, Colin quickly run to his room ignoring his brothers calls for attention and locked himself in. He wanted to do something and he couldn’t have them annoying him. In the way to this wretched house, he had decided to give his gemstone to the mysterious woman, but given it’s rather raw appearance, he wished to at least try and make it more pleasant to the eyes. It would surely take the whole night, but he wanted to please the gorgeous banshee.

A knock on his door alerted him of his mother’s presence; he rapidly hid the ruby and knife under his pillow. He opened the door with an apathetic expression something he had acquired through the years in this place. “Yes, mother?”

The woman smiled, she was used to her son’s coldness by now. Without a word she showed him the plate of soup and the piece of bread she brought with her. Colin thanked the food, taking the items to his bed quietly, but he remembered something and the curiosity got the best of him. “Mother, is there any legend about a beautiful woman that lives in the shrines by the meadows?”

His mother contemplated the question for a second and then waved her head, she was sure there was no such thing in this country. Nevertheless, there was a similar story that she feared ever since a kid. “Well, there is the Lianhan Shee.”

At this answer, Colin’s eyes perked up in attention, maybe his first guess had been right. The beautiful fair maiden he met at the meadows was truly a banshee or maybe even a selkie in disguise. He waited for his mother’s explanation eagerly. Her tone was solemn and her eyes held apprehension, but she didn’t stutter. “She is the Lianhan shee, or the love fairy. A powerful creature who seeks the love and domination of mortal men as she is desire incarnate, if a man falls for her, he becomes hers forever, body and soul. Once she’s ensnared him, he will live only for her and his all consuming passion will often destroy him. She’s a cruel fairy, but the more suffering she inflicts on the man, the more he wants her. She’s a tease, and the more he hungers for her, the more she eludes him. The Lianhan shee creates such passion in a man that he will do anything, sacrifice everything to have her.”

It was quite the horror story if one thought about it, but Colin was not afraid as he didn’t feel she was such a thing. More than anything, he felt like he had known her for centuries. Not to mention he didn’t feel such a fatal attraction. He ate in silence and returned the dishes to his mother who left him alone. Better that way, he thought. He had a whole night of work to do.

------

The next day, he woke up early just barely running out of the house before the first rays of the sun appeared. Following the same path of the other day, he finally arrived at the shrine where he had last found the mysterious lady. He was quite nervous about his gift. If he gave her the very petite gem would she like it? Even then bad thoughts haunted his mind. He completely disregarded if he would actually be able to find her. Had he not found her by accident previously? She could simply have been a dream, an incredible hallucination.

His heart fell to the pit of his stomach, Colin wondered if it was a dream and it hurt him deeply. He called for her and sat on the shrines old stones waiting for her to appear. By the sun’s position already some hours went past and he had no guarantee his prayers would be answered. A deep sorrow overwhelmed him. ‘Where are you? Please, I want to see you!’

Tears slowly pooling under his eyes, he was almost relenting and accepting his fate: go home with his gift left untouched and heart crushed, when the sweetest voice whispered in his year. “Why do you cry, my lord?”

The beautiful goddess circled her arms around his shoulders pushing him towards her large bosom. With lips of rose, she kissed his tears away, gently rocking him on her lap. It felt truly great and his heart was soothed in no time by her captivating presence. Almost shyly, he reached for his pocket and removed the now lapidated stone, bringing the shimmering gem to his companions attention. “It is a gift for you.”

Her smile was warming, his heart fluttered in its happiness. His work was not in vain, she had in fact liked the beautiful gemstone. “It’s just a token really.”

He preferred to be lost in silly modesty than seem too sure and risk losing the lady’s respect, the faint blush on his cheeks was more flattering to the mythical woman. Once again, his curiosity was overpowering and he asked her excitedly. “What is the lady’s name? Excuse my rudeness, but what are you?”

The divine beauty smiled sadly and lowered her head as if very thoughtful, prompting a surge of panic from the young boy. The last thing he wanted was to push her away, would never even think of having crossed a simple boundary. In his panic, he turned and hugged the woman strongly, stirring a low gasp from her. He was too young to understand why her pant was raw and throaty or why her skin flushed a tantalizing red, but following his instincts he grasped her harder. “I’m sorry, please do not leave.”

The sadness in her face remained, but he did not understand why. She spoke to him slowly, a subtle tremble in her raspy voice. “Leave you? My only wish this past 14 years was to see you again. How truly sorrowful for me that you do not remember or rather, that you’re not really the same. For all those years I went about ignoring your presence, now the lack of it breaks my heart. It truly is ironic!”

Colin blinked in confusion, he felt that she spoke of some sort of secret, however a secret he ought to know. He heard a name whispered in the wind. ‘Alexiel.’ He dared not repeat it, something within told him not to. In his desire to comfort her, he made her rest her head on his chest and whispered sweet nothings with his lips pressed firmly to her soft curly hair. This action seemed to distress her even further, making the woman lift her head to look him in the eyes. “Though you look the same, it is not you Lucifer and that is truly cruel.”

Alexiel barely lifted her lips to his, weakly pressing them together. It looked as if she was afraid to hurt him, but what bothered him was the distant voice in his head telling him to push her away. Somehow, by whispers in the wind again, he heard a deep voice telling him this was not the correct life time. “You have to wait…”

He whispered it so slowly, so faintly, he thought even himself couldn’t hear it, but Alexiel understood the words clearly.

She composed herself, lifting from the ground with utmost pride. If this was not the correct life time than it was alright, she could wait too. Patience was a virtue she did possess and she would make good use of it. The angel glanced at the young boy kneeling in front of her one last time; she smiled faintly, before opening snow white wings and flying away.

The boy fell in awe of the sight and he told himself later that she truly was a fairy, but not the love fairy, who blinded man with passion and made them trade their lives for a single kiss. He grew older, had children, grandchildren to whom he told the stories of the beautiful woman. His death was uneventful, his life quite nice. By his death bed once again he saw her before sleeping eternally. Something told him deep down, they would always meet again.

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She did not quite remember when did their ever constant chase change its roles. She didn’t remember when she had turned the hunter and him the treasure, but she did remember kissing him lovingly even if chastely and whispering how she wanted to be his and only his woman. She could chase for many centuries and she could watch afar without touching. Patience was a virtue she did possess.

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A/N: Well, a one-shot kind of thing. Just to vent off a bit and not go crazy with RoftH. Okay, okay, well the fairytales are actually true, well, not TRUE. But part of the Irish folklore which is quite rich may I add. The love fairy seduced man and lead them to death so she could be with them (or not). Also, selkie’s are part human, part seal things that were kind of like mermaids. Hope, you like this.

Tell me what you thought of it and how it worked or didn’t work for you. To be honest, I have so many ideas about this fic, but not too sure if it's worth continuing.