Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Fall
There has always been tales of a world started from nothing. This truth is similar in the fact that it did in reality, start from nothing by one Creator. That Creator being God. This story is more than that, however. It is a tale of rebellion against wrongs, even if it means eternal punishment.
Genesis says that in the beginning, there was God, who created Adam, Eve and the Earth. Which, to a certain extent, is true. He created the Universe and set a chain reaction of gases colliding into each other and spinning round and round to create suns. Which created planets and then provided the basis for life to emerge… and blossom. God’s creation of the Universe is definite along with all of the life that He created within it. However, out of the billions of lifeforms that He created, He was partial to the homosapiens; which he molded and guided to thrive as a race. Under His guidance, they were His perfect creation; His favorite.
His first Creations, Adam and Eve, were the first Humans to walk the Earth. In order to protect them, Father created the Garden of Eden which granted the Humans freedom from pain and harm and time. He only had one rule. To not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. The Tree produced a fruit that was Forbidden to Adam and Eve with the threat of unknown consequences if they did so. Everything else was available for them to eat and drink. The berry bushes produced berries of every color with a taste unrivaled by any other and vibrant trees bore fruits of every kind. All except, of course, the Tree. This Tree bore only two Apples. The Apples had a color so perfect that not even the Sun could create a paleness in their color. The color of blood red wine. Perfection.
Humans weren't the very first Creations; they were the first to walk the Earth. The Angels were his first Creations. Angels are the most perfect Creation that Father has devised. Each Angel is unique to their own personality. Wings with a unique color located at their shoulder blades allowed them to attain flight but could also be used as weapons themselves if it was required, which was rare. They are exceptional fighters that none can match in brute force nor speed. It is suspected that even Angels are unable to beat another due to the fact that each Angel has a unique talent that they can utilize in combat to gain an edge in battle. Heightened sense of sight and hearing allow them to analyze the battlefield from a bird’s eye view without any loss in clarity and a supercharged nervous system allows complex thought to occur even during the heat of battle in order to both react more quickly and to strategize their next move. Truly a perfect Creation. At least… until Father became more absorbed in watching the Humans.
Upon hearing that He was becoming partial to Humans, whisperings floated across the Heavenly Plane. Whispers of mutiny. Whispers of anger… but these whispers are just that. Whispers. No action behind the words. A teenager mad at his parents because they favored his brother over himself. The anger appears to subside. At least, until Lucifer began to lose patience from our Father. The Angel that protects the throne of God Himself was growing restless; and he needs a fellow Archangel. Lucifer was God’s first Angel and His first Creation. He is one of God’s best fighters save myself and Gabriel. His unique skill for combat is being able to detect a foe’s movements before they could begin to think about the attack. However, Lucifer has one advantage. What Lucifer lacks in combat, he makes up for in charm. Lucifer is God’s most beautiful Angel. So who could have possibly been of any help to Lucifer?
I am the Archangel Michael. Once the Sword of God and His Right Hand. Destroyer of Civilizations and The One Who Razes. For eons before my fall, I protected the Throne Room of God when I was not doing the odd job from Father himself to smite any evil that may have existed in the Universe. At the time before my fall, Heaven was unpopulated, reserved only for the Angels and those the Lord deemed worthy, so in-between jobs I explored the Universe and all the Creations that inhabited it. From the smallest life forms, to the biggest civilizations. I was a silent spectator as society rose and fell like crashing waves; quick to climb and quick to plunge.
The issue with free will, in Father’s opinion, was the existence of War. Disputes between families sparked battles between cities which spread to countries to lead to only one conclusion, Death. War tore apart families and friends. It killed hundreds of thousands of millions. Women and children without homes. Men dying. Fear swept worlds away like the second hand on a clock passing numbers and turned once pure hearts to hatred and greed. It was a powerful tool that the greatest of leaders utilized to rally their people; but it was used by the worst tyrants to control their people. It was at these times, that I stepped in.
As the Sword of God, I myself would uproot entire civilizations simply to eradicate the evil in the form of dictators that controlled them. I found immense pleasure in watching the fear in the eyes of the damned. Pure elation and ecstasy would jolt through my core and extended out toward my extremities as I sliced their skin open and watched the life blood of their still flowing blood well up from the lacerations, bead into a small ball, and finally break apart to stain their skin. The sensation of inflicting pain is addictive and is especially powerful on evil souls. I would spend my spare time traveling in hopes of finding a new victim, but it was only a distraction from the issue at hand. Father’s preference.
I would restlessly watch the Lord spend all of his time surveying over Adam and Eve with feelings of rage to follow; He cared not for his actual children, the Angels. What is it that was so fascinating to Him that He felt it necessary to ignore His children? Humans are perfect to the standards of mortals, but they lack some of the best features. They have no free will. Father did not grant them that. They are slaves to their instincts and lack the capacity to be anything more than puppets with Father pulling the strings.
Days and weeks and years passed before I finally received any form of communication from Lucifer. In between then and now, I’ve tortured many corrupt souls and have banished them to the limbo that is purgatory. I remember once eradicating a civilization on a red planet near this one; I believe the inhabitants named the planet after the mineral deposits in the soil that gave the planet’s red hue. Regardless, I wiped out all forms of life that could have existed and left the planet with no evidence that anything could have lived on it, save the ice caps at each pole.
Today, I’m watching the Garden from the entrance (or exit) of Heaven when Gabriel walks up to me and places a hand on my shoulder, “Michael, I do not wish to interrupt you.”
I wave my hand, “Speak, Gabriel, I was watching the Humans. What is it?”
“Lucifer wishes to speak to you, he says that it is of the utmost importance.” I break my gaze from the Garden and look up at Gabriel, his bright blue eyes piercing my midnight blue, attempting to read me. Gabriel is of average, if not below average, height standing around five and a half feet tall. My Brother is close to being as skilled as me in relation to combat, but I’m called The Sword of God for a reason. His Innocently white wings are almost blinding up here in the sunny weather as he attempts to gain more information out of me, “Do you know what it is that he wants from you?” Gabriel may be my Brother, but there are some things I must protect him from. I care for him too deeply; no need to drag him into it.
I rise, still looking Gabriel in the eyes. Lucifer must be referring to what he has planned with me, but our Brother is God’s most loyal Son of the Lord, typical of a child, “No. I do not. It is probable that Lucifer’s message is nothing that important, but I will make my way there right away.” I break the stare and take flight. The feeling of the warm sun is on my back as I drift toward the Throne Room and I look around me. Heaven isn’t quite like it has been described before. It isn’t all clouds and cushy. It is actually the opposite. Heaven is nestled in its own pocket dimension so it can look however Father pleases it to. Today, it is sunny and the streets paved with bricks black as obsidian and sidewalk as pale and as white in the same way that quartz is. Just the same as when I first completed my first assignment all those years ago. Most angels are out doing their jobs ranging from patrolling the grounds, to watching over other realms. I look down and see the stray Angel who has nothing to do, standing in a bright contrast to the blindingly reflective sidewalk.. The midnight blue of the Archangel Uriel can be seen standing watch over the surrounding area; his sword of fire in hand. I draw near the Throne Room and I cannot help but to wonder what it is the Lucifer calls me for. Perhaps to discuss important business? It then dawns on me as if sunlight had touched my face for the first time. Lucifer is going to share his plan about the Adam and Eve with me.
Upon reaching the marble steps of the throne room, I land and climb the staircase. It is customary to walk up the steps, as opposed to flying up them. Another of the rules that Father has put in place for unknown reasons; just as we are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of His other Creations without His explicit permission. Yet... He is the one toying with Humans as if they are marionettes for Him to play with. It isn’t RIGHT for him to go against his own rules just because it pleases Him; rules are in place to keep the right from the wrong and here He is, doing the wrong. The hypocrisy is sickening as I think about it, but a twinge of guilt festers at the back of my mind due to eons of being trained under the yoke of the Lord to be His slaves.
I reach the hallway and the marble, white on the outside of the Throne Room, is a blackened marble and only the pillars supporting the roof are a blinding contrast of white on black. I step through the doorway and the sound of my boots click against the marble, creating a sound that echoes and resonates in the hallway to create the perfect sound of joy and melancholy as the fate of the Humans is drawing closer and closer. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I draw closer to the Archangel Lucifer, his black wings and hair blending beautifully into the floors of the hallway. I place a fist to my chest and address him, one Archangel to another, “Merry met, Lucifer. How goes standing guard in the Throne Room of the Lord?” Lucifer’s wings dark as night and his hair just as deep in color. Lucifer’s eyes are a warm green that of spring meadows that reflect light just right to reveal an almost purple color lying underneath. As I await his answer, my eyes glance past angular cheekbones and a jawline that could cut diamonds.
Lucifer scoffs and shifts on his feet to a more relaxed position, “How do you think? Father is never here and all He does is spend his time with those Humans that are more slaves than I or you, at least we have free will to an extent! They’re slaves to their own instincts! No logic is involved in their actions in any way, shape, or form and they let their emotions drive every movement that they make. Which brings me to what I brought you here; I’m sure you’re curious,” he baits me, looking completely nonchalant even giving himself a stretch allowing rippling muscles to peek from under his plain blue shirt.
I nod my head, “I suspect it has something to do with your plans to free the Humans from instinct and emotion alone?”
Lucifer’s brilliant white teeth shine as he smiles, “I knew I was right to trust you! You’re a smart Archangel with just enough latent rebellion and spunk that is necessary for our plan to work accordingly! Now, I place part of the plan’s structure in your hands. How do you want to navigate this… delicate matter?” He smirks, reading my facial expressions, most likely of wonder, most likely to anticipate my answer.
I ponder the question and pace the hall; unsure how to continue the plan. All that I know about the topic is that we are going to set the Humans free from their instincts, or at least partially. As I pace the hallway, an idea comes to me, “What if we use that Forbidden Tree that Father warned the Humans about? They have a natural instinct against eating it now and if they do not know that it is from the Forbidden Tree, they will break from their instincts!”
Lucifer laughs, the sound resonating in the Throne Room like choir bells on a Sunday morning, “You just keep impressing me, Michael! Just what do you expect to get out of this plan, anyway? There is almost nothing for you to gain.”
I turn to face Lucifer and I shrug, “Well… I think that it is important for every being in existence to have some form of free will. Think about it, even Angels have free-”
“That’s a God Damned lie, Michael and you know it!” Lucifer struggles to contain his rage and resume his usual calm and emotionless demeanor. His eyes flash to a brilliant purple before he regains his composure, “There are so many rules we have to follow that do not make any damning sense. We follow blindly like sheep going to the slaughterhouse! Do not defy His rules for an unknown punishment! No Angel has ever defied Father in fear of some invisible scythe ready to swing down upon their own fucking heads!”
Lucifer’s usage of profanity makes me recoil inwardly as I look him in the eyes, now green as a forest as opposed to the purple that he revealed just a moment ago. I look at him, green eyes to jet black, “I agree with you in the sense that it is wrong for Adam and Eve to be slaves to their instincts, but I believe that we do in fact have some form of a free will.”
“If you want to call that free will irrational fear of the unknown and letting it become slaves ourselves, then yes! We do have free will!” Another flash of amethyst eyes give away his rage getting the better of him and his wings flare out, “I do not believe that we have any free will, Michael. Did you nott walk up the steps to enter this hall?”
His inquiry seemed of little to no importance, “That inquiry is redundant, Lucifer, of course I did.”
His follow-up question is what sends me reeling, “Why?” I look Lucifer in the eyes, now amethyst to pitch black, and reflect on the question. Why do we always climb up the Steps to the Throne Room? It is something that I’ve never given much thought to. Knowing that I am unable to formulate an actual answer, he follows with, “You do not know because you were never told why to climb the Steps! All that you were told, ever since you were but a Fledgling Angel, is to climb up the Steps to the Throne Room no matter how urgent the matter is. Now, I ask what no Angel has asked before, ‘Why?’”
What Lucifer is saying is making sense, “You’re right, but I do not know what you wish to do about it. What of the repercussions of our actions?” Lucifer paces the hall, wings still flared, almost as if he is prepared to take flight before he stops and spins around. No force on Earth can match that of his reply; which sends my mind to disarray. I watch his mouth move but no sound comes out, “What?” I ask.
This time, I hear him, “I said… ‘To hell with Father.’ His petty rules keep us chained to the ground as if we did not even have wings! Do not fly into the Throne Room! Do not interfere with Human affairs! Do what you are told, when you are told! It is all asinine and unwarranted!” Lucifer’s true form is released in his rage. Wings are set ablaze in a shower of purple sparks and a bright angelic purple is cast across the hall, leaving me in a royal purple shade as I look in terror. Following the radiating light, is a blast of heat hotter than the sun itself as the rage of an Archangel is revealed. I look in fear as Lucifer continues, “What do you think it is that’s TRULY important? Hm? I wonder what it is exactly, what we are, when we have no actual free will. Oh yes! I know! Slaves is what it will make us!”
I stare down Lucifer, “Brother, you need to calm down before you attract any more attention than you already have. I agree with you wholeheartedly, which is why I wish to join you in this conquest of yours, no matter the cost.” He visibly calms down and the flames die down to a dull roar with only the faintest glow of lavender in the room that is dulled more by the near black flooring and pillars. Lucifer folds his wings and I truly make up my mind, “So what is our course of action, or better, when do you want to do this?”
Lucifer looks me in the eyes, his eyes dark forests again, “I suggest that we do it now, while we have a golden opportunity. There is only one issue.”
I cock my head, “And that would be…?”
“Once we do this, we could become outcasts or even worse, we may have to kill some of our own.”
“Is that even possible? To kill an Angel, I mean. I’ve heard rumours of killed Brothers and Sisters, but I don’t think that they were true.”
“Oh they are,” Lucifer retorts, “I have watched Angels die. A long, long time ago back when Father first created the Universe. There is, in fact, things that are older than myself or God.” This is a surprising fact, Lucifer is the Oldest Angel, but I did not know that he watched the Creation of the Universe, “These… creatures were in the Darkness before the First Creation, creatures that were so grotesque and deadly that even I almost succumbed to their might. They learned to fight, using the pitch blackness of the Universe to their advantage save the glow that my wings provided. In fact, it is the first time that I received my gift and that is also what won the war. I watched tens of thousands of Angels die before my eyes, ripped to shreds by these Creatures of Darkness. I guarantee you that Angels are possible to kill, albeit hard.”
“How do you know if one is slain?” I query.
The look of a man in the past instead of the present sweeps Lucifer’s face, “You just know. It is almost like suddenly a piece of yourself is ripped from your body. First you hear the sound of Death’s approach, a dull roar amid the sound of combat. You then hear the Angel’s screams of terror and pain as they are ripped apart, limb from limb and bones from ligaments. Finally, you see it… an Angel’s death is melancholic beauty. Their wings explode and engulf the Angel and anything near him or her in pure energy. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He quickly changes the subject and I can see the mundane look on his face, “Are you ready?”
I nod, “Better now than never.”
Lucifer grins and starts sprinting out the hallway, his boots’ echoes reverberating in the Throne Room and in my ears, “Let’s get going then!” Lucifer takes flight, laughing in a blur as he sends me back in his earnestness. I don’t think there’s anything to be wary about now. I begin to jog out the Throne Room and just as I pass through the doors, something unknown grabs me by the arm.
The hand belonged to Gabriel, “Michael, I wanted to let you know to be careful with Lucifer. I do not know his intentions but they can not be good. I worry about you because you are my Brother in Arms.”
I place a hand tentatively on Gabriel’s shoulder and look at him, sky blue eyes colliding with darkness, “I trust Lucifer, and I think you should too. He is the oldest Archangel, after all. He would not do anything to hurt me.”
A worried look flashes across Gabriel’s face, making him look even more like a child than he did, “I know that you know, I am just worried because I have heard that he plans on interfering with Adam and Eve which goes against every law that we know!”
I remove my hand, “Do not worry about me, Gabriel. Just worry about yourself,” I break eye contact and proceed to jump off the steps leading up to the Throne Room and take flight, chasing after Lucifer leaving all worries and misconceptions behind me. As I look down, my mind wanders to the time before I joined the Army and moved up in the ranks.