Chapter Text
When the fallen angel opened his eyes he had no idea where he was. The ground was wet and cold, stars sparkled in front of his eyes. There was zero light pollution keeping him from being able to see every constellation. He looked at the stars, and with horror realized that he could name every constellation above him, but could not recall his own name.
He laid there desperately trying to grasp what his name had been. All he could come up with was the letter L. Was it Luke? Liam? Lionel? He didn’t know. That scared him. He gathered his thoughts and recounted what he did know. The concern gained in his chest when he realized that the list of things he could recall was very short. All he knew was that he was an angel of God. That was proven by the 6 golden feathered wings that were splayed out behind him as he laid on the ground. He reached up to touch his halo and was surprised to find not a golden ring, but 2 sharp horns on his head. He gasped and flinched. Had he fallen? What had he done? Had God forsaken him? He didn’t know.
He sat up and looked around his surroundings. He had been laying on one of the only patches of land in the area. In every direction he was surrounded by dark water littered with lilypads, leaves, and fallen twigs. The trees around him sprouted up from the water and their leaves hung over him like a canopy. Crickets and frogs chirped all around him. Other than the sounds of the chirping, it was completely silent. In the distance the angel could see a tiny house perched on top of 4 wooden beams, keeping the house out of the water. Light shown from the windows, telling him that there may be occupants inside the house. The Angel did not think it was wise to show himself to any humans, but he also was at a loss at what to do. He shifted on to his knees and clasped his hands together and bowed his head. He began to pray to try to contact his father.
“Father I am lost, can you hear me?” The angel prayed. Tears threatened to escape his eyes so he squeeze his eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. He waited for a response, none came. “Father, I don’t know who I am. I need your help.” He tried again. He pushed hard mentally like he was trying to push the message through. He did not know what to do if his father would not answer him. His body began to shudder as tiny sobs began to wrack through him. What had he done to be thrown down here? He could not remember. Whatever it had been must have been bad enough that his father was refusing to speak with him. Finally a voice boomed in his head.
“It has been a long time since you have prayed to me child.” The voice boomed. His father’s voice, even with no memory he recognized that voice.
“Father! I don't know who I am, I do not even know my name. Please, help me.” The angel prayed hard. He clasped his hands tighter and begged to be heard.
“Lucifer, my boy. Your name is Lucifer.” God’s voice spoke in his head.
Lucifer, that’s right. He remembered now. His name was Lucifer. Relief rolled over him.
“Why am I here Father?” Lucifer asked him. He waited for a response. It took a few moments, but the voice came again.
“You have betrayed me, child. Not for the first time.” God’s voice sounded in his head. A pain like lightening racked through Lucifer’s skull. He unclasped his hands and grabbed his head. The pain made him yell out. “I can no longer tolerate your brazen display of defiance.” God’s voice continued in his head. “You will stay on Earth. You will not be permitted to return to Heaven or Hell.” The pain in Lucifer’s head subsided. He had fallen to his side as he clutched his head. He clammered back to his knees and clasped his hands again.
“Father, I am sorry!” He said this out loud instead of only in his head. His cheeks were covered in tears and dirt. “Please, I am so so sorry.” Lucifer cried. He was begging for forgiveness and was only answered with silence. Lucifer continued to beg, he prayed and prayed, whispering “I’m sorry.” over and over. God did not speak to him again.
The angel cried. He rolled on to his side and pulled his legs up to his chest as he cried. He did not recollect what he had done to be treated this way. In his head he was a servant of God. The same God that had just abandoned him. Whatever he had done must have been terrible, he wished he could remember what it was so he could try to repent for it. Lucifer was too busy crying to notice footsteps approaching him. He jumped up when he felt fingers graze his wings. He faced the direction the touch had come from. A man stood on the tiny island with him. Lucifer saw a tiny paddle boat behind him, the man must have paddled up on him while he was praying.
“What on Earth are you?” The man asked him, pure bewilderment in his voice. Lucifer assumed that this must be insane for the man to find in a swamp. A crying angel laying in the dirt. Lucifer could not recall if he had ever spoken to a human before. He rubbed the tears from his cheeks before he spoke.
“Do not be afraid, I am an Angel of the Lord.” Lucifer told him. The man only smiled at him. He did not appear to be afraid.
“Why would I be afraid of a little thing like you?” The man said to him. He stepped closer to him, Lucifer backed up as he approached. “You sure are pretty.” The man continued to advance on him. Lucifer soon found he could not back up any further or he would step directly into the water, that he did not know how deep it was. The man was in his personal space now. He reached out to touch him, Lucifer flinched as the mans hand made contact with his cheek. “Why are you crying out here all alone?” The man asked him. He seemed kind, which eased Lucifer’s anxieties.
“I- I don’t know.” Lucifer admitted. The man smiled at him again. Lucifer thought the man was very handsome. He had brown skin and curly brown hair, and from what Lucifer could tell in this light, matching brown eyes. He was much taller than Lucifer.
“What is your name?” The man asked him. Lucifer was glad that he could at least remember his name now to be able to answer the question.
“Lucifer.” He told him. The man looked slightly shocked, his hand dropped from his face.
“Like the Devil?” The man asked him.
The Devil? Lucifer did not know what that was. He did not know if that was good or bad.
“I’m not sure, have you heard of me? Do you know who I am?” Lucifer asked the man. He knew humans held a book that came from the mouth of God. Maybe he had been mentioned in there.
“I’m pretty sure the whole world knows who you are.” The man told him, he chuckled as he said this. “What brings the Devil to my bayou?” The man did not seem concerned that Lucifer was this “Devil” person, whoever that was. So Lucifer assumed it must not be a bad thing.
“I don’t know.” Lucifer told him for a second time. “I cannot seem to remember anything. When I woke up here all I could remember was that I was an Angel.” He wasn’t sure he should admit so much to this stranger, but the stranger was being kind to him and he had no one else to rely on. Lucifer figured it was either continue to lay in the dirt here in the middle of this swamp or open up to this man. Opening up to another living being seemed like the more appealing of the two options.
The man didn’t say anything else, but he eyed Lucifer up and down. He reached out to him again, but did not touch him this time. He held his hand out to the Angel and said;
“My name is Alastor. It is a pleasure to be meeting you, Devil.” Alastor was smiling at him again, and Lucifer found that he was enraptured by the man’s smile. “Quite a pleasure.”
Lucifer took his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” He said as they shook hands. “Can you please call me Lucifer, I don’t know who the Devil is.”
The man laughed at that as he released Lucifer’s hand. Lucifer wasn’t sure what was so funny.
“Of course, Lucifer.” Alastor was eyeing him up and down again. Lucifer almost felt naked under his gaze, almost like the man was undressing him with his eyes. Lucifer blushed.
“Where are we?” Lucifer asked him.
“We’re just outside New Orleans, Angel.” Alastor told him. “We’re standing in the middle of a gator invested bayou.” Alastor smirked when Lucifer jumped and began looking around.
“Alligators?” Lucifer gulped.
“The very same,” Alastor took his hand again. “But not to worry, you’re safe with me.”
Lucifer did feel safe with Alastor. He did not know why, maybe it was the fact that before this he had been all alone with nobody to rely on. Or maybe it was the way the man kept smiling at him, but Lucifer felt safe. Almost protected by the man’s presence.
“You can stay with me tonight, if you wish.” Alastor continued. “My house is just up there, My mother and I reside there.” Alastor pointed at the house that Lucifer had noticed earlier. “Your more than welcome to stay for as long as you’d like.”
“I think I’d like that.” Lucifer admitted. The idea of a soft warm bed, or even a dry floor to sleep on sounded fantastic.
“Great! Follow me then, pretty Angel.” Alastor began making his way to his boat and motioned for Lucifer to follow. Once they were both in the boat, Alastor continued. “One more thing, do not tell my mother you name is Lucifer.”
Lucifer was confused by that. He didn’t know why this man would want him to lie about his name, but Alastor was giving him a place to stay, so he wasn’t going to argue with him.
“Why not?” Lucifer held on to Alastor as the boat began to sway as it moved across the water. He was afraid he would fall in and be Alligator food.
“Your name has a lot of meaning to humans.” Alastor explained. “I won’t get into it now, but my mother may not take to kindly to you being in her house.”
Lucifer was confused again, perhaps this had something to do with why God had kicked him out of Heaven.
“Tell her your name is Michael.” Alastor continued. “Michael is a name for an Angel, correct?”
Michael did sound familiar. Now that Alastor had said the name, Lucifer was almost certain he had a brother named Michael.
“Yes, Michael is the name of an Angel.” Lucifer nodded.
“Great, then from now on, at least in front of my mother, your name is Michael.” Alastor turned to him and stopped paddling for a moment, waiting for Lucifer to agree. “Deal?”
“Deal.” Lucifer agreed. Alastor began paddling again and the two made their way to the tiny house.
Lucifer did not know what lied in store for him in the future, but he was so grateful Alastor had found him.