I couldn�t imagine what had taken hold of my Lucifer, to make him despise our beloved creations so.� Lucifer, more beautiful and radiant than any of us, now grimaced in hatred at the mere mention of Adam or Lilith.� He had never shown any sign of a temper previous to this, but now he seemed so cruel, so determined in his malevolent agenda.� I tried to speak sense to him more than once, but each time he pushed me away.� Tensions continued to rise; with Lucifer scheming so secretively with his followers, planning what we could only assume was some final, grand act of violence.� It made me weep to think that sometime soon I may have to raise arms against my Lucifer.
However, while this was going on, something miraculous (excuse my ironic word choice) was happening on Earth.� We began to notice that outside of our garden, things had been growing.� There were flowers, trees, plants of every kind you can imagine, some decidedly more violent than the ones we kept in the garden.� But more than that, animals had seemingly evolved from the nothingness around the garden, animals very much like those we created ourselves.� Surprisingly like them.
There were humans.
We watched them constantly, interested in how they behaved, how they interacted.� They were all over our little planet, and had adapted to the many different environments that had evolved with them.� We saw different skin tones, different languages, different cultures; all took a firm hold in the daily lives of these hard-working people.� They had become as diverse as ourselves, more so.� It was with a slightly heavy heart that we finally realized the truth�they didn�t need us.� They flourished all by themselves.� And yet, there Adam and Lilith sat, oblivious to the outside world and its workings.� There was no way we could let them out into it, with them as na�ve as they were.
I sat watching them from Heaven as tensions grew around me, riots broke out for Lucifer�s cause, and fights were frequent between those who once called each other brother, but it was all I could do not to cry as I sat, trying to cheer myself up with the help of the humans below me.� And I was succeeding until I gained company.
�Look at how they swarm.� They�re like insects�� Raym�s smooth, deceptively seductive voice spoke up from behind me, causing me to jump.� He took a seat next to me, quite closer than I appreciated.
Raym was stunningly beautiful of course, as all cunning things of naturally evil orientation are.� I despised Raym, as I do now, and yet even as he sat there mocking me and our beautiful world, I still felt the need to pet him.� Damn him and that long hair.� And it was long.� Raven black plaits, fine as silk, trailing down to his lean hips in perfectly straight tresses.� Damn him.� Not that it was his fault how he looked.� But I had to blame it on someone other than myself.� He had cute little bangs as well, slightly wild in their faint spikes down to his cheekbones.� They actually framed his lightly tanned face quite nicely, usually able to avoid getting in the way of his bright emerald eyes.� He truly was gorgeous, and powerful, and confidence oozed from him, because he knew it.� Sweet mother of Christ I hate that one.
�I don�t think so,� I answered him shortly.
�Don�t you?� What else would you call them?�
�People.�
He laughed.� I hated that laugh.� Unless something was uproariously funny, it wasn�t a real laugh, but more of an insane giggle.� He always lowered his head, and his lips would part into a sort of grin that you could never see.� His giggle was more high-pitched than his deep speaking voice, and it sent cold shivers down your spine.� It always made him sound as if he knew exactly what you would say, and he had some kind of scheme planned that you were unwittingly going along with perfectly.� �Those humans are just pets.� We made them for our entertainment, did we not?� So why do you insist on being their pet, instead of the other way around?�
�Even if they are just pets�it seems right that the masters should become slave to the pet.� Do you not have to feed a pet, take care of it, protect it, and provide for it?� Is this not the same as a slave?�
�Then why create something to which you will only be slave?�
I glanced to him about of the corner of my eyes.� �What would you rather be doing, Raym?� Is your existence so full that you have no time for this?�
�I would rather be bored than a slave to a creature I created to be inferior to me.�
Now I turned my face fully to him, eyes narrow.� �Then it�s a good thing you aren�t powerful enough to create them, isn�t it?�
Raym let out an indignant scoff before he stood and left me to my gazing.
I continued to sit silently, lost in my thoughts and hoping to escape the crumbling world around me, until I heard a soft sigh from behind me.� When I glanced back, I saw Lucifer supporting his weight against a nearby willow tree with one hand, the other covering his eyes.� He looked pained; his brow was furrowed, he slouched against his support, and those soft, thin lips were drawn into a frown or a grimace, I couldn�t tell.
He looked up when I softly spoke his name, a look of surprise in his warm golden eyes.� �Samael,� he near whispered.� �I didn�t see you there.�
�Lucifer, Lucifer,� I repeated, and stood to move to him, �why do you do this?� Can�t you see it�s only madness?�
�It is madness, brother.� But it is a necessary madness.� We cannot allow ourselves to become servants to our creations, no matter how precious they may be.�
�You have drawn all of Heaven into an uproar.� I cannot help thinking that you will lose, and you will be punished somehow.�� I felt my voice beginning to break.� �Something horrible will happen to you, Lucifer.� And look, see how they flourish without us!� They don�t need us!� Soon we will be beyond being servants!� This battle is pointless, Lucifer!�
He pushed away from the tree and straightened, holding his head high.� �I will not lose.� I will not fail.�� He smiled warmly to me, and touched my cheek.� �You will see.�
�Lucifer, if it�s madness, and you know it, then why continue?� You can stop now, all will be forgiven, and everything will be perfect again!�
He sighed softly, and let his fingers slip from my face.� �No.� It has already begun.� Even if I did stop now, they would still continue.� I began this, and for that I can never be forgiven�no matter what happens, I must go on,� he concluded with a touch of what I thought was regret.
�No�no you don�t�� I shook my head, looking away from him.
�Please understand, Samael.� It is too late.�� He then walked away, and I dropped to my knees and began to weep.
Michael was tenser than I had ever seen him�and that was quite a feat.� I had the displeasure of being called to help restrain a riot at the gates, by request of a rather uptight general.� I only reluctantly responded.
It was the most horrible thing I had seen up to that time.
I saw angels I had once held in my arms screaming for justice, for freedom�for blood.� Why, why did they have to kill them to be satisfied?� There must have been some other way�I thought I would begin weeping again, and a very nearly did, but before I could, Michael�s harsh voice brought me out of my reverie.
�Samael!� Don�t just stand!�� I jumped at his call, and swiftly made my way to the gate, standing beside Gabriel.� I was immediately attacked, forced to lock hands with a young-looking, naturally spiteful angel I recognized as Asmodeus.� I struggled to keep a firm hold on him, my mind too blurred with pain and confusion to fully assert myself.
�Why don�t you give up?� Asmodeus murmured, a smirk forming on his lips as he pushed and twisted against me.� �All it would take is one or two of us to escape, and your precious pets will be wiped out.�
�We won�t allow that to happen�I won�t allow that to happen.�
�You think you can stop it?� Lucifer will lead us into a future unhindered by foolish notions such as yours!�
My eyes narrowed, and for the first time I felt true hatred burn in my chest.� �The only place Lucifer will lead you is into Hell,� I gritted, daring to speak the name of the still secret place of punishment.� I violently shoved him away, but as he began to rush at me again, a frightened yell sounded from near us in the crowd.� We both looked for the source of the shout as a circle opened toward the center of the group.� Gabriel, who apparently had drifted from my side, now was on his knees at one end of the clearing gripping his side tightly as a thick, deep red liquid seeped through his fingers.� A horrified gasp spread through the congregation as more of us caught sight of the scene.� Standing in front of Gabriel was Raym, who looked quite pleased with himself.� His right hand was dyed red, lazily dripping onto the ground the same substance that seeped from Gabriel�s wound.
I saw Matriel on the other side of the circle, covering his mouth, his eyes wide with horror.� The poor thing looked about to faint.� What mostly concerned me was what that substance was, and the satisfied grin with which Raym had adorned himself.�
Michael stepped in between Gabriel and Raym, boiling with rage.� I�d never seen those large brown puppy eyes so full of anger.� �What did you do to him, Raym?!� What�s happening to him?!�
�I have decided to name it dam,� Raym answered nonchalantly, �Your masters on earth shed it all the time, haven�t you noticed?� Tsk tsk tsk�what inattentive servants you all are.� If the humans lose enough of it, they stop working.� They can�t move.� They die.� I was just curious if it would have the same effect on one of us.�
Michael didn�t even have time to glower; he was turned and crouched by Gabriel in the blink of an eye.� �Gabriel�Gabriel, don�t die�you can�t die�we don�t know what will happen if one of us dies��
To be honest, we weren�t entirely sure what happened when anything else died, either.� We hadn�t exactly had enough free time to watch them as carefully as we would have liked.� Defending their existence and all.
But Gabriel only looked up at the General with a soft, tired smile.� �It�s all right�it�s stopping now.� I�ll be fine.�
�Are you sure?�
�Yes�I�m all right.�
�Damn,� Raym interrupted, lifting his hand to his lips to try the red liquid and seeming pleased with the taste.� �I suppose I�ll have to find some other way to kill you.�
�You arrogant, worthless excuse for a scrap of soul!� Michael roared, practically leaping to his feet and taking a threatening step towards the other angel.� �I�ll tear out your heart!�
�Ooh, now there�s an idea,� Raym answered with a grin, some of the blood still smeared messily on his lips and cheek.� He slowly licked another droplet from the tip of his finger.� �Ripping out the heart might work quite well.�� I could tell he was positively paralyzed with fear of Michael�s wrath.
I honestly thought Raym was dead after that.� Michael leapt at him, knocking him to the ground and straddling him once they finished rolling, in preparation for the sound beating he was about to give.� What do you call it?� Oh yes.� He �opened up a can of whoop ass on him.�� Then it was Raym�s own blood he was tasting.� It took four of us, myself included (however reluctantly�I was quite inclined to let Michael try and rip the sorry bastard�s heart out), to pull our supposed leader away from him.� Gabriel only sat by and watched with sorrow in his eyes, leaning his head weakly against Matriel�s shoulder.� The angel of the rain had rushed to Gabriel to support him when he started to away.� Apparently the wound couldn�t kill him, but it could make him quite weak.
Michael continued to struggle against us, but at least calmed down enough to the point that he stopped yelling at least.
Raym violently shoved away those of his side who tried to help him as soon as he was to his feet, growling and wiping the blood off his lips with the back of his hand, only to think better of it a moment later and lick it from his hand instead.� �Michael, if you think�"
�That�s enough, Raym,� Lucifer�s soft voice said firmly, and the throng of his followers parted reverently to allow him to the center of the group.� �That�s enough.� Let us end it for today.�
�Release me,� Michael commanded, roughly shrugging us off and taking a step towards the Morning Star.� �We will end this once and for all, not just for today.� No more of these riots, these scraps.� People are getting hurt.� If any small group of your dogs tries to start something with us, we will find a way to kill an angel, and seek out every last one of you.� Now it is war.� If we are the victors, the humans live.� If it is you, then they will die.� It�s as simple as that.� Do we have an agreement?�
��It is agreed.�� And Lucifer took Michael�s hand to seal the deal.� He then turned away and left the area, gesturing for his allies to follow him, which they did.
I could only stare at Lucifer�s departing back in disbelief, but Raphael approached Michael with a frown, reaching out like he meant to touch his arm but wasn�t quite sure about it.
�Was that wise, Michael?� A war�?�
�I didn�t ask for your consul, Raphael.�� He coldly brushed him aside, walking past him and off by himself.� Gabriel called for him softly, but Matriel gently shushed him, stroking his hair as his eyes closed.
Somehow I knew that things were going to get drastically worse very quickly, and that even afterwards, there was little to no chance of them getting better.
The next time the sun rose on the earth, Michael had gathered our ranks in a defensive before the gate, and all of us had been armed with the sword Lucifer himself had crafted for us.� Our newly proved General barked orders at us from where he hovered in front of us, grand wings flapping slowly to keep him aloft.� He told us that these beings we were to battle were no longer our brother.� They were our enemies, and would not hesitate to kill us.� We should not hesitate either.� It could cost us our lives.� They were mad.� They no longer held any respect for life.� If we expected to survive, we should go for the heart.� It had to be the only way, though none of us really knew for sure.
He dropped down to stand with us, the crimson and gold armor he wore glinting in the sunlight that had just begun to deep into out world.� We wore only the white robes we had always worn.� I glared death at the back of his head, tightening my grip on my weapon.� Lucifer had made that armor for him.� How dare he wear it now?
Our �enemies� came into view, marching towards us proudly in their own ranks.� But I could not see Lucifer.� He was not leading them?� There where was he?� Instead, Raym, who Lucifer had apparently named his second in command, and Beelzebub, the next in line, led the army.� Where was Lucifer?� I glanced to Michael, and could tell he was thinking the same thing.� Raphael stood on my other side, and when I turned to give him a questioning look, I saw that his eyes were already locked on to something distant.� I followed his gaze, having to swallow my gasp as I caught sight of what he was looking at.
There was Lucifer, standing on the ragged top of a pillar broken by rioters.� I don�t think I had ever seen him look so beautiful.� He had changed his robes�they were now black, and of a different style.� While ours looked something like a common wraparound robe, falling to our ankles and the sleeves coming down to cover out hands, as were the robes of our enemies, his had no top to speak of.� It was simply a piece of long, ankle-length linen that had been wrapped low around his hips, with a single strip that began on his left side, went up over his left shoulder, and presumably fastened to something in the back.� Almost his entire chest was exposed, his equally bare arms folded over it.� His hair was left loose as usual, some falling over his shoulder and the rest cascading down his back to touch the pillar.� His wings were slightly spread behind him, making him look quite intimidating.� He seemed to only be watching his army march, but what went through his mind then I knew not.� Was he proud?� Excited?� Remorseful?� Did he feel sorrow, or fear?� His face said nothing.
The army of his followers stopped a fair distance in front of us, and both groups readied themselves.� �Stand ready, my brothers!� Lucifer�s deep voice commanded from atop his perch, and for a moment I didn�t know which group he was speaking to.� But then I remembered what Michael had said�we were no longer brothers.� We were enemies.� I watched in sad awe as Lucifer leapt down from the pillar to drop in front of his army.� As soon as one foot soundlessly touched the ground, he began to move forward, his wings propelling him as his entire force lurched into a run behind him.� Michael yelled at us to charge, and he started forth as well, all of us right behind him.� Michael clashed with Lucifer, Gabriel with Raym, Uriel with Beelzebub, and I again found myself face with the spiteful Asmodeus.
He had no spirited words for me this time, only hatred in his eyes as his blade pressed against mind.� The heat seared from both of them, nearly unbearable on my face, neck, and hands, but Asmodeus only glowered, and roared as he shoved hard against me.� I stumbled back a step, but didn�t drop my guard, letting my sword be knocked to the side so that I could bring it back up with more force, aiming the slash for his chest.� He fought back of course, and it seemed an eternity that we attacked, blocked, and generally released tension on each other.� I even somehow managed to keep my focus only on him when I caught sight of one of my brothers falling beside me, his blood flying into a great arc as he dropped backwards, feeling the warm droplets hit my cheek and roll down to my chin.� This only made my hatred burn more fiercely, and I fought Asmodeus with all of my strength.� I injured him enough to make him fall, but damn Michael, I didn�t want to kill him, �enemy� or not.� So I didn�t.� I moved on, and found Barakiel, who was later to encourage gambling on earth, but as of yet had only a strange obsession with an invention of his called dice.
Barakiel gave me a smirk before he attacked, rushing for my with all the cunning agility that lithe little body allowed him, and had the audacity to kiss me on the mouth when he got close enough before bringing his sword against me.� �It�s such a shame we have to fight��
I didn�t answer, rage filling me, only returned his attack.� I pushed him away, and them the crumbling of the pillar that Lucifer had been standing on caught my eyes.� It broke for no apparent reason at first, splitting away from itself until it resembled more a pike then a pillar.� And then I saw the reason someone had encouraged it to break in such a way.
Raym flew up to the top of the makeshift spire, carrying a struggling body in his arms.� I didn�t recognize the figure until he had already flung it over his head to impale it face up on the marble spike.� The sharp, ragged tips of the stone ripped through the flesh easily, catching bits on it that stretched unnaturally as the body slipped down further.� Blood smeared where the body had already slipped by, staining the pure white stone, and more trickled down in rivers from where the wound opened in his back.� My eyes widened in horror as I saw that sweet face twisted in pain, and then go still, blue eyes rolling back to show only whites.
�Gadal!!� I cried out, starting towards my now dead brother, but Barakiel got to his feet again and knocked me down, trying to pin my by my hips.� We rolled, so he didn�t get that far, and we began to wrestle.� I swear the little bastard was enjoying it.� He groped me three times.� After a long while, I heard Raym tell triumphantly to his comrades, �It is the heart!�
A feral grin stretched across Barakiel�s lips as he pushed me over, his knees on my shoulders.� I stared up at him through wide, slightly frightened eyes as he drew his hand back in preparation.� I was unarmed�my sword had been knocked from my hand the first time he tackled me.� But just as he started to bring his hand down on my chest, he let out a pained scream, his torso arching backwards, and he limply fell away from me, unconscious, I saw his attacker.
Mihr, a 5�2�, tiny slip of a boy angel, stood behind him, the tip of his sword resting on the ground to recover from the blow.� Trembling hands gripped the hilt of the sword unsteadily, wide, childlike blue eyes staring down with disbelief at what he had just done, at the angelic blood dripping down the edge of his blade to sink into the ground.� �S-Samael,� his meek, gentle voice called pleadingly, and I got to my feet quickly, rushing to him and hugging him close by his shoulders.
�Shh, shh�it�s all right, Mihr.� You saved my life�thank you.� Now I want you to go and find Akatriel, do you understand?� Find Akatriel; take care of him for me.� Can you do that?�� I felt him nod as he trembled against my chest, and slowly released him, urging him away from the front lines and smiling very faintly as I watched him go.� This had accomplished two things�it had gotten the boy angel away from the heat of the battle, which I knew he couldn�t handle, and it had provided a protector for Akatriel, who was completely blind and surely would be defenseless.
I glanced around as I bent to pick up my weapon, but as I rose, horror and shock settled into me.� Everywhere, on all side, the dead and the dying surrounded me.� As soon as Lucifer�s followers had heard how to kill, they had rushed forward with twice the insistency.� Bodies stretched as far as I could see, some still, some crawling for help that would not arrive, some only thrashing about in agony.� Some were not even complete bodies.� Arms, legs, half-bodies, and even a few heads littered the battlefield, separated from their whole self forever.� Yet even now, despite all the carnage, between the bodies and around the, the living still fought violently, each side obsessed with dominating the other.� I felt something within me lurch with nausea as I made the mistake of glancing up to the pillar.� Six more of my brothers had fallen victim to Raym�s sadistic games, making a total of seven angels impaled on the pike.
By the fourth day of battle, they still had not been pulled down.� The bodies of both sides of allies had not been cleared away.� No one had stopped fighting for that long.� We all fought until we thought we would fall from exhaustion alone.� Occasionally both sides would stop fighting and retreat, but it was only ever for a few hours before either one side or the other grew restless, and those short hours were always filled with a silent unease.� I began to grow weary, by mind numbed to the sight of blood and flesh being ripped from bone, ones I had held close and kissed and called my brother all falling, either on my side or against me.� I killed those I once loved.� I watched them die beside me.� And I didn�t care.� My robes were stained red with the blood of friend and foe; it was in my hair, on my hands, on my wings, and on my face.� And I didn�t care.
On the last day, the fifth day, what remained of both sides pulled themselves into some kind of order after one of the brief breaks.� To my dulled astonishment, they all still rushed for one another like they had on the first day, full of war cries and hatred.� So did I.� I must have seemed mad in my fervor, dried blood flaking away from my cheek as I ran towards my enemies, keeping my eyes on the one I planned to hit.� I focused on him with all the concentration I could muster, and when we clashed I felt nothing, only a kind of grim satisfaction as my blade ripped through the flesh of his stomach.� I chose not to kill this one, but when he fell, I slammed my blade point first through his abdomen until I felt the tip hit ground.� He wouldn�t get up for a long while that way.
I happened to glance up just in time to see Raym add another of my comrades to his pile of corpses (now numbering at about a dozen, he had broken down another pillar to begin again), and I felt rage boil in me again at the mere sight of him.� A growl ripped fits way out of my throat even as I felt my eyes burn with tears I didn�t dare shed, and with a loud cry I ran for the main cluster of those still fighting.� I screamed out Raym�s name, searching for him, knocking aside any who got in my way.� But I stopped short at the edge of a small clearing that had formed around two figures�Michael and Lucifer.
The fighting around them had not ceased, but it was obvious that most of both side�s attention was focused on the leaders.� No one attacked me then, and it was a good thing, because I would have gone down in an instant.
The two had lost their weapons obviously some time ago, and now they stood facing each other, their hands interlocked as they pushed against each other.� Their bare feet dug into the ground, and occasionally one or both of them would skid backwards just the tiniest bit.� I could see them staring into each other�s eyes, and I felt the weight of their responsibility in my chest.� I felt their pain, physical and mental, their sadness, their exhaustion, and their sorrowful determination to be the victor.� Michael�s eyes were masked with anger, but I could see the pain he felt deep within them.� Lucifer made no attempt to hide his anguish, an eternity of apologies in those gentle golden eyes, but also supported by the belief that he was in the right.
But this was no wrestling match, no real battle.� This was a display of strength, pure and simple.� They were finished playing.� Whoever was stronger would win out in the end.� And they seemed to be an even match for each other.
Then I noticed three more things�the blood spattered across Lucifer�s chest, the tears streaming down his cheeks, and across the clearing, Gabriel, crumpled on the ground in a quite unnatural position, with an extraordinarily deep gash across his chest.� My eyes widened most at this last sight, and I felt my breath catch in my chest.� Gabriel couldn�t be�Lucifer wouldn�t harm Gabriel!� �Would he?
A searing pain suddenly tore its way through my back, starting at one shoulder and ripping down to my opposite hip.� At the exact same time, I saw Michael push hard against Lucifer, knocking him to the ground.� I didn�t see who attacked me, for I instantly dropped to my knees, and then to the side, my vision blurring at the edges.� I didn�t see why he didn�t kill me, either, though I saw the probable reason.� The last thing I saw before unconsciousness took me was Michael, his foot keeping Lucifer�s head on the ground and the tip of his newly regained sword aimed threateningly at the back of the Morning Star�s neck.� His armor was spattered with blood, as were his wings and face.� Those red-tinted wings were splayed grandly behind him, in a show of victory, power, or pure coincidence, I didn�t know.� His normally kind eyes were hard now, staring down at Lucifer with coldness I had never seen in them before, and his gentle, handsome face was twisted into a horrible grimace.�
I tried to call out to him in Lucifer�s defense, but I�m sure it came out as no more than a strangled whimper before the blackness took me.