Messenger of Letters

CHAPTER 9 - Requiem for a... (AKA I'm Not So Sure Anymore...)

{Summer, Before}

Gabriel sat up on his mass of clouds, briefly arching his back to splay out his six golden wings, arching behind him in a catlike stretch.

Eyes scanning the expanse of Heaven, he noted the relative peace that seemed to pervade every corner of the light, glowing and glimmering with purity and calm.

Then he heard it.

Lucifer screaming at Michael, again.

Turning toward the House of Churches, Gabriel had been just in time to see Lucifer streaking out of the building with wings spread wide, whipping the winds around him into submission as he shot for the corners of Heaven, wherever that may be that day.

With an enormous sigh, Gabriel got up, beating his wings against the currents of Heaven to take to the air, languidly chasing his elder brother who shot across Heaven like a star, blazing a bloody trail across the sky.

Gabriel trailed him to the farthest corner that Lucifer had yet found, tracking him by the red stripe he left in the sky, the messed up clouds, and shots of grace that hit the ground every few minutes. He didn't get too close until Lucifer's anger was spent, until he had destroyed every empty chunk of unused material, until the crater around him was nothing but smote ash.

Then Lucifer sat down right in the centre of his destruction, folding his knees into his chest and crossing his arms over his legs, burying his face in the little shadowed spot created by the movement, wings wrapping quietly around him, alone in his world.

Gabriel landed carefully on one of the half-destroyed white pillars, balancing on one foot, the other hanging down the side. As the Messenger, Gabriel tended to be swifter and more agile than the other Archangels, even moreso than Michael, and because of this, he could easily balance on a slanted piece of smooth, perfect carving, no more than a few inches wide.

He waited for several minutes, watching Lucifer with sharp, silent eyes, right before all the tension in his brother's shoulders came back, and a low, half-muffled sob started from the ball of burgundy-red-orange feathers.

Gabriel unfurled his wings, leaning forward on the pillar to offset his balance, tipping off the edge and falling, gliding smoothly to land beside Lucifer.

"Luci?" He asked, as if he hadn't just watched his brother break down.

Lucifer instantly stiffened, sitting up somewhat and rubbing at his face with a wing. "Oh. Hey, Gabriel." He greeted, voice a forced happiness. Gabriel recognized it for the shitty imitation it was.

Lucifer was the Morningstar. He was unique and beautiful and too brilliant to be real. His wings were gorgeous and flashy, rivalled only by Gabriel's, and a young angel with silver wings. It didn't matter. When Lucifer was happy and relaxed, he laughed softly, a more gentle sound that seemingly couldn't exist, not even on Heaven's plane. If he found something excessively entertaining, he would wheeze silently on air, tears half coming out of his eyes from amusement. Even then, Lucifer's laughter never failed to make Michael smile.

Gabriel huffed unhappily, sitting at Lucifer's side promptly. "...You wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" Lucifer questioned, swiping a hand subtly over his eyes.

"Don't bullshit me." Gabriel ordered, extending his left wings to lay over Lucifer's back. "I saw that fight. What was Michael on about now?"

"...I kinda... Blew a hole. In the Tapestry." Lucifer admitted slowly. "Again."

"Again? Oh, bro..." Gabriel moaned in shared agony, letting Lucifer lean on his shoulder. "...You really shouldn't do that."