Grace walked beside Celestia through the Dominion's upper levels.
"So where's Azrael?" Grace asked again.
Celestia's wings drooped slightly.
"That's complicated."
"Everything with her is complicated."
"True." Celestia stopped at a balcony overlooking the clouds. "After you removed her corruption, she woke up within days. But she couldn't..."
"Couldn't what?"
"Couldn't bear it." Celestia gripped the marble railing. "The shame. The guilt. Everything she'd done under corruption's influence."
Grace waited for Celestia to elaborate.
"She tried to apologize to everyone." Celestia's voice dropped. "The angels she'd led astray. The ones who died in the battle. Me. But words weren't enough. Not for her."
"So she left?"
"Self-exile." Celestia turned to face Grace. "She's gone to the Origin."
Grace blinked.
"The Origin? Like, where Eternia started building Linaria?"
