Lucifer: The story behind the angel

Chapter 11

A breath hitches in my throat as a big opalescent flash of light shines in a far corner of the room. I try to act smooth as I turn around slowly. "Hello, Gabriel." he saunters over, taking in his surroundings. "It is wonderful to see you again, Samael." I continue acting like his visit is no big deal. "So I see you've gotten word of my new name." "Well it definitely can't be light-bringer anymore, can it?" He quips. The light radiating off of him and reflecting off of the crystals made me homesick. Rex growls briskly at him, not recognizing the sight. Gabriel watches him warily. "I see you made a friend?" I thought about dismissing the animal, but then again, why would I? Gabriel was an intruder. "What do you want Gabriel?" He was still watching Rex. "Father has asked me to warn you." I immediately get defensive. I put as much poison into my words as possible. "Really? Warn me of what?" I step up to him, but now his body was a lot larger, and taller than my human one. He looks to me, then to the crystals lining the wall. He leans in closer, as if his next words were meant for a small child. "Of yourself."  I step back in confusion. "What?" He purses his lips. "There will be time when you will have many a trial." He looks scornful  as he adds his next words. "It's going to take your entire personality." He shifts his weight. "I have missed you brother." I run my hand through my hair. I had finally almost healed from losing everything I had ever known. Especially my brothers. "I think you should leave." He looks hurt. "I am so sorry brother." "For everything." I turn around, so he couldn't see the emotion etching my face. "Now." A brief flash of light and the next thing I know is he's gone. Rex finally relaxes and i'm left in pieces for the nth time today.

Gabriel's POV

The wind whistles in my ears as I pick up altitude, away from the desert. Away from my damaged brother. I wasn't used to his new look. Oh well. I suppose it's another one of his punishments. I hold on tightly to the small white crystal I had borrowed from his chamber. Drop it from this height and it's lost forever. The hole in my chest had returned after seeing him again. I guess he will never forgive me, or Michael, or the humans or father. Especially not the humans. Which is why Father told me to warn him. Now I understood while Michael didn't want to come. I fold my wings back up as I land back on the Firmament. I toss the crystal to Michael, who is standing there idly. "So, how'd it go?" I let the sword I had around my belt fall to the ground. "Just as well as you think it went." And he snickers as I walk away in an angry huff. "I told you he hated us." I continue stomping away. "Technically, he shouldn't be able to hate." He chases after me, grabbing my sword. "Technically, he's Samael." "He can do what wants now, because Father said he's the ruling party in Hell." I stop walking and sigh, probably over-dramatically so. "When will you see how much it bothers me Michael?" His normally jovial demeanor changes as he hands me the sword. "When you learn to accept facts." I grab the sword away angrily and walk off, my wings flapping erratically behind me, like they used to do when I was younger. Grief overtakes me as I remember the time when Lucifer acted as if he were my brother and taught me how to fold my wings in, when he let me see what he had just created first. I scolded myself for remembering. I am not entirely sure where that harp went. I think he would be grateful if I brought it to him. I scold myself again. I can't go back, ever. Because it will make it harder to let go. Father was right to punish him. He rebelled. He did something wrong, and Father had to make it right. I look at the sword I had forged for him one last time, before setting it down by the broken sections of his wings.

Lucifer's POV

I stare up at the full moon and wonder curiously if any up there was looking at it also. I also found it mesmerizing, even all the way down here. Father's words echoed in my mind. "And this will be the dark, to contrast the light, and to create a need for it." A pang of sadness and longing ran through my core, before I quickly bundled it up and stuck it deep inside me. It sounds very unhealthy I know, but as it turns out, they don't have counselors for fallen angels. Lilith had returned, but hadn't spoken to me in years. I don't blame her. Every so often I would get a few sentences from her, but other than that she remained quiet. Mankind has flourished, there are now more humans on earth than there are stars dotting the sky. Different cultures have come about, their myths and lore creating deities and pagan gods, who among the years, have manifested into truths. I mostly keep to myself. Every now and again I will visit a town and cause trouble, but I suppose that if you're good at something, you should do that and that alone. The Hebrews have a name for me. "Satan". It means poser, in their language, but as far as I know, I don't pose as anything. I just do what I do. I try to think back to a time when I was happy. I can't remember any happy memories. Rex died. Old age. That memory stands out, because that was the day I realized that death would never come for me. Couldn't come for me. I know this was selfish, but soon after Rex's passing, I raised his soul back from the dead. I should have known this, but when he returned, he was something twisted and unnatural. He was an excellent guard dog for wandering souls though. And if Lilith was afraid of him before, she sure as Hell was now. My thoughts were interrupted by a jangling noise and the sound of running feet. I stand up, my wings aching from the way I was resting on them. Off in the distance, I see a donkey, with what seemed to be a female human on it's back. Leading it along was a male human, looking completely exhausted. The woman had a hand on her stomach. "Odd." I thought. I head over in their direction, tucking my wings in the hiding veil. They weren't going that fast, probably because the donkey couldn't run in the sand. As I get closer, the man looks over to me, holding up a small knife towards me. I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Easy there pal." He puts it down slowly, but he is still watching me warily. "Who are you?" I put my hands at my sides. "Samael." He shifts his weight from side to side, as if pondering whether he should introduce himself. "Joseph." "Do you know where we could stop for the night?" I look at the woman, now I could tell. She was pregnant. "No." "I don't know of any towns close to here." Because I didn't. He frowns and looks up to the girl, then back to me. "What are you doing out here?" I look down at the sand. "Hadn't thought of that." The woman watches me awkwardly, then to Joseph. "It's an angel." They both smile gratefully. The man walks towards me, smiling widely. "God still provides." I tilt my head at him, wondering why he was out here, in the middle of the desert, with a donkey and a pregnant woman. But now I realize it's useless hiding what I am, since obviously they already knew. My wings spread out slowly at my sides, and stretch to their full size before I fold them back up. "Yeah." "What gave me away?" They both look on me, awe struck. "Well, you are out here with us, with no beast and no water." "You must be divine help." The woman holds her stomach as she slides down from the donkey. "I admit there is something that I don't understand." I look down at her, since she is quite a bit shorter. "What's that?" She turns to Joseph. "Why do you look so strange, in comparison to the other that showed up, to tell me of the good news?" I smirk at her. "How do I look strange?" She pets the donkey listlessly. "You are so much less bright than he." Joseph nods in agreement. "Yes, but Mary, who are we to question the will of God, or who He sends for divine intervention?" I nearly bust out laughing. "Well, I hate to break it to you two, but I wasn't sent by my Father." They back away at the same time as I fan out my wings once more. Joseph's eyes widen as he tries to comfort a scared Mary. "It's fine." "God will protect." She closes her eyes, presumably to pray. He gets his knife out again. "Oh no!" I fall to my knees, and put my hands up. "You found my weakness!" "Small pewter knives!" He looks oddly triumphant. I guess he didn't know I was being sarcastic. I grab his hand with the knife in it as he points it closer, and I stand up. "My name is Lucifer Morningstar, and I would like to know what you are doing in my desert." He looks me in the eye. "My name is Joseph, husband of Mary, the Virgin who is pregnant with the Son Of God, and we are here to cross over to Bethlehem." All the while he's telling me this, I am watching Mary, who looks to be in extreme pain. "Yeah, you might want to speed up that crossing process there, buddy." He turns to Mary. "He leans down next to her, and picks her up to put her on the donkey. He turns to me to shout a question, seemingly no longer afraid of my status as Satan. "Is there any towns?" "Please?!" I look again at the young girl, who is now in labor. "Head west." "There is a small encampment, there might be someone there who can point you to Bethlehem." He pulls on the rope around the donkeys neck, making it go faster, and I watch them all disappear into the night. I flap my wings, gliding back over to my spot in front of the cavern. I crash into the ground instead of landing softly on my feet. "Ouch." That's just a side affect of having clipped wings. The feathers that grew back are coarse and tattered, instead of soft and correlated. They don't pick up air the same way. I head back into the crystal cavern, not having anything else to do. Lilith was sitting on one of the rocks, Indian style, and messing with a pack of cards that she made herself. "At least she's resourceful." Her voice startles me, because I didn't expect it. "Have you heard of Hecate?" I stare at her, thinking. "Oh yea, the Greek Goddess of magic or whatever." She nods. "She has a crush on you." I roll my eyes. "Well tell her to suck it up." "And by the way, how do you know all these random facts about Gods and Goddesses?" She smiles, now silent. "Great, back to not responding again huh?" I shake my head. "Your loss." "I just won't tell you about the Son Of God." As I'm walking away, I hear her slide off the rock quickly and run up behind me, tapping on my shoulder. I grin silently. She never could stand me knowing more than her. "Apparently, Father wants to make a clean slate for his humans, by way of his Son." "Birthed by a Virgin." She nods, and then turns to walk away. I watch her. "Why do you never talk to me anymore?" She turns to look at me. "Because it's hard to carry out a normal conversation with somebody you are in love with." She adds the last part in a near whisper. "Also, I think you are devilishly handsome." I open my mouth to tell her something, then close it. I look away and then back to her several times. "Oh." "Well then." "I'm not sure what romance feels like." She walks back over to me, reaches up to hold my face close to hers, and kisses me on the lips, her tongue sliding across my upper one, silently asking for entrance. I kiss her back, with as much force, and I barely notice her hands slide around my waist, all the way up to where my wings attach to my back. I pat my hands along her body, finally finding a place they can set, on either side right between her rib cage and her hips. I wasn't sure, it just felt natural. Her hands slide up from my wings and to my hair, which she runs her hands through. After a moment of that, we realize we actually need oxygen, and we part from each other. She gathers herself after a moment. "That's what romance feels like." I nod, breathless. She turns, and I stare at a place I probably shouldn't as she sashays away. This was the night I experienced lust firsthand.