Fic: A History of Heaven (Gabriel/Various Angels, PG-13 for this chapter) 54/59
For full notes and other chapters, please see the Masterpost.
Notes: Sammael = Lucifer
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Chapter word count: 1,363
Chapter Summary: The fight between Raphael and Gabriel has been lasting for over five centuries now… and it’s contagious.
CHAPTER 54:
Summary of War
In the end, it took three tries for Gabriel and Raphael to both calm down enough at the same time to come up with a feasible war plan, and another two months and six hundred dead brothers for them to kill the last of the Knights of Hell, the elite group of demons that had besieged Heaven for so long. Only the Archangels’ weapons were effective against the fallen angels. The lower ranks of angels had proven to be little better than distracting cannon fodder. Several of the Knights had fled the battle, returning to Hell, but the angels relaxed once they were gone from the Borderlands.
Even after that threat was dispatched, peace did not return to Heaven. Michael himself enforced the ban on trips between Heaven and Earth, recalling all of the Earth-bound angels and cutting off the planet entirely from direct intervention. Gabriel’s angels monitored the world from his tower, which was now buzzing with activity. The Cherubim flitted through the Borderlands, firing their arrows through the veil separating the worlds, but nothing larger was allowed to pass. Barachiel’s angels developed methods of tracking the weather and movements of the world from three entire floors of the tower, and Cariel’s angels started fine-tuning their ability to long-distance dream-walk.
Without the ability to escape to Earth, Gabriel and Raphael butted heads and locked their wings with terrifying frequency. When the Archangels clashed, the very foundations of Heaven shook. Raphael had not been seen without shiny burn scars etched into his spirit for over five hundred years, and Gabriel was equally battered, bruised by winds he couldn’t ignite and constantly disheveled.
The animosity between the Archangels had spilled out into their choirs. Raphael’s Seraphim and Gabriel’s Seraphim were frequently being dragged apart from actual fist-fights on the Axis Mundi, and their garrisons postured and snarled across heavenly fields. Their seconds were the worst of all: in the most memorable fight, still whispered about centuries later, Marmoniel had broken Cariel’s arm and Cariel had dislocated three of her wings.
Heaven was, in short, a mess. Michael had long ago given up trying to stop the fighting and simply ordered the healers to only tend to injuries incurred by non-angelic means. Any angel Michael’s garrisons caught fighting was dragged before him and sentenced to patrol the outer reaches of the Borderlands, near the Edges of the Universe, where the weirdest and most frightening monsters came from.
And still, Raphael and Gabriel fought.
Even in Gabriel’s tower, there was no peace. Gabriel had forgiven Cariel for obeying the orders of the other Archangels in his absence, but a crack had formed between the once-inseparable pair. Gabriel never again spoke of running away with Cariel. Cariel never again sought excuses to touch Gabriel. They worked together and watched each other across the office, but they never talked. Not the way they used to.
It had been well over five centuries since Gabriel had talked with anyone. He avoided even Michael these days, hating the disappointment that constantly clouded his brother’s grace. It was bad enough that Michael was still drowning in grief even centuries after Lucifer’s fall, with no relief in sight. The disappointment was at least half Gabriel’s fault, no matter how much he tried to restrain himself from attacking Raphael. It was his fault, and that made it a thousand times worse to see.
Little tongues of flame crackled along the edges of Gabriel’s wings as he stormed through the halls of his tower. His angels parted around him like the sea, nodding acknowledgements to the Archangel but otherwise staying out of his way. Only one moved to walk beside him: Cariel, still his lieutenant despite their distance.
“Barachiel has finished his annual reports, which have been compiled and filed for reference, should you ever bother to look. I’ve prepared a one-page summary for your review. Selaphiel would like to speak with you about several bloodlines which are becoming dangerously entwined, and Jegudiel has requested a review of the upper ionosphere.”
“Now?” Gabriel asked, taking a corner sharply and nearly knocking over a Cherub with one of his wings. Cariel kept up easily, throwing out his own wing to keep the smaller angel from falling but quickly moving past him.
“Selaphiel can be delayed for up to three years, on the outside, but I wouldn’t encourage waiting that long. Jegudiel insists his review is urgent, but Barachiel’s report implied that the urgency won’t actually come about for another century. However, Barachiel is not the angel of the atmosphere, and last time it burned…”
“The whole world boiled.” Gabriel sighed, giving a nod. “Tell Jegudiel I will meet with him this evening, but make sure he gets no more than two hours. If necessary, schedule Selaphiel for immediately after.” Despite being one of the younger Seraphim, Jegudiel always put Gabriel in mind of an old man who loved to hear himself lecture. If he didn’t have a time limit, Jegudiel could talk for days about ‘urgent’ matters.
“Nothing else has happened while you were out.” Cariel stopped just inside the door as they reached Gabriel’s office. The Archangel swept over to his desk and dropped heavily into his chair, glaring at the smooth surface as if it had personally offended him. “What new damage this time?”
Raphael and Gabriel had been arguing for the past thirty hours about the paths of hurricanes during the storm season on Earth. As always, Michael had stepped in to end the battle and make a decision. “Raphael has a wingful of charred feathers now,” Gabriel answered, shifting in his seat. “I’m fairly certain he bruised my hip. How is that possible, Cariel? I don’t even have a real joint there to be bruised!”
“You’re asking the wrong angel.” Cariel smiled thinly and leaned against the door jamb, the most relaxed he ever was around Gabriel these days. His eyes tracked the Archangel, the longing plain for anyone to see, but Gabriel turned away. He wanted to open up to Cariel again. He ached to unload his fears and concerns onto his Seraph’s capable shoulders, to feel Cariel’s fingers combing through his feathers and reassuring him that his worries weren’t nearly as big as they seemed.
But somehow, Raphael knew all he spoke of to Cariel. Somehow, Raphael always learned Gabriel’s secrets the moment they were shared with Gabriel’s second, and Raphael always found ways to attack him with them. Gabriel didn’t want to believe Cariel would sell him out to Raphael, but he had no other explanation.
Don’t look at me like that. You make me want to look back.
“Who won?” Cariel asked. “The argument, that is?”
“I did.” Gabriel smiled as he recalled Michael’s judgment. “The hurricanes will continue to follow the traditional patterns, instead of spinning wherever Raphael feels needs more weather. Consistent weather patterns are my domain, not his, even though they involve winds.”
“Point for us, then.” Cariel gave a nod. “I’ll alert Jegudiel.”
“Thank you, Cariel. I-” Gabriel cut off abruptly, pressure building in his mind.
Gabriel.
“Father!?”
God had been silent ever since Jesus’ death and subsequent disappearance (the Son of God hadn’t appeared in Heaven, nor was he still wandering on Earth). He visited Heaven on an erratic schedule, settling down in the Garden with only Metatron for company. The absences between His visits grew longer with each departure. It had been nearly a full century since the last time God in all His glory had shone forth from the heart of Heaven. Gabriel hadn’t seen his Father personally since the last message to carry to Jesus, and he was fairly certain Michael and Raphael hadn’t either.
Cariel stood up straight, the surprise on his face. “God is back?”
Gabriel nodded once, touching two fingers to the side of his head. “Should I come?”
Yes. Meet Me in the Garden.
God’s presence lifted as abruptly as it had settled, leaving Gabriel feeling alone inside his own head. He looked over at Cariel, unsure of what this meant. “Perhaps you should hold off on scheduling things until after this meeting.”
Cariel nodded. “I’ll put Him in your calendar.”
Next...
Notes: Sammael = Lucifer
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Chapter word count: 1,363
Chapter Summary: The fight between Raphael and Gabriel has been lasting for over five centuries now… and it’s contagious.
CHAPTER 54:
Summary of War
In the end, it took three tries for Gabriel and Raphael to both calm down enough at the same time to come up with a feasible war plan, and another two months and six hundred dead brothers for them to kill the last of the Knights of Hell, the elite group of demons that had besieged Heaven for so long. Only the Archangels’ weapons were effective against the fallen angels. The lower ranks of angels had proven to be little better than distracting cannon fodder. Several of the Knights had fled the battle, returning to Hell, but the angels relaxed once they were gone from the Borderlands.
Even after that threat was dispatched, peace did not return to Heaven. Michael himself enforced the ban on trips between Heaven and Earth, recalling all of the Earth-bound angels and cutting off the planet entirely from direct intervention. Gabriel’s angels monitored the world from his tower, which was now buzzing with activity. The Cherubim flitted through the Borderlands, firing their arrows through the veil separating the worlds, but nothing larger was allowed to pass. Barachiel’s angels developed methods of tracking the weather and movements of the world from three entire floors of the tower, and Cariel’s angels started fine-tuning their ability to long-distance dream-walk.
Without the ability to escape to Earth, Gabriel and Raphael butted heads and locked their wings with terrifying frequency. When the Archangels clashed, the very foundations of Heaven shook. Raphael had not been seen without shiny burn scars etched into his spirit for over five hundred years, and Gabriel was equally battered, bruised by winds he couldn’t ignite and constantly disheveled.
The animosity between the Archangels had spilled out into their choirs. Raphael’s Seraphim and Gabriel’s Seraphim were frequently being dragged apart from actual fist-fights on the Axis Mundi, and their garrisons postured and snarled across heavenly fields. Their seconds were the worst of all: in the most memorable fight, still whispered about centuries later, Marmoniel had broken Cariel’s arm and Cariel had dislocated three of her wings.
Heaven was, in short, a mess. Michael had long ago given up trying to stop the fighting and simply ordered the healers to only tend to injuries incurred by non-angelic means. Any angel Michael’s garrisons caught fighting was dragged before him and sentenced to patrol the outer reaches of the Borderlands, near the Edges of the Universe, where the weirdest and most frightening monsters came from.
And still, Raphael and Gabriel fought.
Even in Gabriel’s tower, there was no peace. Gabriel had forgiven Cariel for obeying the orders of the other Archangels in his absence, but a crack had formed between the once-inseparable pair. Gabriel never again spoke of running away with Cariel. Cariel never again sought excuses to touch Gabriel. They worked together and watched each other across the office, but they never talked. Not the way they used to.
It had been well over five centuries since Gabriel had talked with anyone. He avoided even Michael these days, hating the disappointment that constantly clouded his brother’s grace. It was bad enough that Michael was still drowning in grief even centuries after Lucifer’s fall, with no relief in sight. The disappointment was at least half Gabriel’s fault, no matter how much he tried to restrain himself from attacking Raphael. It was his fault, and that made it a thousand times worse to see.
Little tongues of flame crackled along the edges of Gabriel’s wings as he stormed through the halls of his tower. His angels parted around him like the sea, nodding acknowledgements to the Archangel but otherwise staying out of his way. Only one moved to walk beside him: Cariel, still his lieutenant despite their distance.
“Barachiel has finished his annual reports, which have been compiled and filed for reference, should you ever bother to look. I’ve prepared a one-page summary for your review. Selaphiel would like to speak with you about several bloodlines which are becoming dangerously entwined, and Jegudiel has requested a review of the upper ionosphere.”
“Now?” Gabriel asked, taking a corner sharply and nearly knocking over a Cherub with one of his wings. Cariel kept up easily, throwing out his own wing to keep the smaller angel from falling but quickly moving past him.
“Selaphiel can be delayed for up to three years, on the outside, but I wouldn’t encourage waiting that long. Jegudiel insists his review is urgent, but Barachiel’s report implied that the urgency won’t actually come about for another century. However, Barachiel is not the angel of the atmosphere, and last time it burned…”
“The whole world boiled.” Gabriel sighed, giving a nod. “Tell Jegudiel I will meet with him this evening, but make sure he gets no more than two hours. If necessary, schedule Selaphiel for immediately after.” Despite being one of the younger Seraphim, Jegudiel always put Gabriel in mind of an old man who loved to hear himself lecture. If he didn’t have a time limit, Jegudiel could talk for days about ‘urgent’ matters.
“Nothing else has happened while you were out.” Cariel stopped just inside the door as they reached Gabriel’s office. The Archangel swept over to his desk and dropped heavily into his chair, glaring at the smooth surface as if it had personally offended him. “What new damage this time?”
Raphael and Gabriel had been arguing for the past thirty hours about the paths of hurricanes during the storm season on Earth. As always, Michael had stepped in to end the battle and make a decision. “Raphael has a wingful of charred feathers now,” Gabriel answered, shifting in his seat. “I’m fairly certain he bruised my hip. How is that possible, Cariel? I don’t even have a real joint there to be bruised!”
“You’re asking the wrong angel.” Cariel smiled thinly and leaned against the door jamb, the most relaxed he ever was around Gabriel these days. His eyes tracked the Archangel, the longing plain for anyone to see, but Gabriel turned away. He wanted to open up to Cariel again. He ached to unload his fears and concerns onto his Seraph’s capable shoulders, to feel Cariel’s fingers combing through his feathers and reassuring him that his worries weren’t nearly as big as they seemed.
But somehow, Raphael knew all he spoke of to Cariel. Somehow, Raphael always learned Gabriel’s secrets the moment they were shared with Gabriel’s second, and Raphael always found ways to attack him with them. Gabriel didn’t want to believe Cariel would sell him out to Raphael, but he had no other explanation.
Don’t look at me like that. You make me want to look back.
“Who won?” Cariel asked. “The argument, that is?”
“I did.” Gabriel smiled as he recalled Michael’s judgment. “The hurricanes will continue to follow the traditional patterns, instead of spinning wherever Raphael feels needs more weather. Consistent weather patterns are my domain, not his, even though they involve winds.”
“Point for us, then.” Cariel gave a nod. “I’ll alert Jegudiel.”
“Thank you, Cariel. I-” Gabriel cut off abruptly, pressure building in his mind.
Gabriel.
“Father!?”
God had been silent ever since Jesus’ death and subsequent disappearance (the Son of God hadn’t appeared in Heaven, nor was he still wandering on Earth). He visited Heaven on an erratic schedule, settling down in the Garden with only Metatron for company. The absences between His visits grew longer with each departure. It had been nearly a full century since the last time God in all His glory had shone forth from the heart of Heaven. Gabriel hadn’t seen his Father personally since the last message to carry to Jesus, and he was fairly certain Michael and Raphael hadn’t either.
Cariel stood up straight, the surprise on his face. “God is back?”
Gabriel nodded once, touching two fingers to the side of his head. “Should I come?”
Yes. Meet Me in the Garden.
God’s presence lifted as abruptly as it had settled, leaving Gabriel feeling alone inside his own head. He looked over at Cariel, unsure of what this meant. “Perhaps you should hold off on scheduling things until after this meeting.”
Cariel nodded. “I’ll put Him in your calendar.”
Next...