Authors Note: This has been stewing in my brain for a while now. Takes place after Lucifer is cast into hell the first time but before Gabriel skips out of heaven. I own nothing
Messenger Of God
Gabriel hadn't been himself of late. The youngest archangel had been somber, melancholy even, since the final battle between Michael and Lucifer. The war had hurt him more than most, he'd lost the big brother he'd been closet to. The one who'd loved him best. Worse than that during the last fight Gabriel had been injured pretty severely. His wing was almost torn in half by Lucifer's angel blade. Lucifer hadn't been stupid, he'd known that he was losing the war, so he'd done the unthinkable and gone after the fledgling angels. Gabriel had arrived just in time to save the last three fledglings left alive, Samandriel, Joshua and the youngest fledgling of all Castiel. He'd only just arrived in time to save heavens smallest angel by throwing himself between the crying tiny bundle of black feathers and the vengeful falling archangel. His wing was ruined but he'd saved the three fledglings and Michael had cast Lucifer into hell. But God was beginning to become worried about the youngest archangel.
Without his wing, he would never be able to fly again. The rest of the angels considered it a mark of honor and bravery but there was pity there too. Raphael had spent weeks trying to heal the wing, to no avail. The once beautiful silver feathers were damaged beyond repair. And along with them Gabriel's grace was fading. God could not allow that to happen, Gabriel would be crucial to what would happen later. He reached out to the mind of the young archangel and called him to his side. Though Gabriel had secluded himself from everyone after Lucifer had been cast out no angel could resist a direct call from God. Moments later Gabriel walked into his presence and knelt. God felt his heart constrict, Gabriel was in much worse shape than he'd been expecting. Grace was leaking out of the wound in his wing that refused to heal. He had to do something or Gabriel would die, he could not allow that.
"My child you have done well, you have been hurt by this conflict beyond any pain I have seen. I have decided to reward you for your bravery by giving you a special job to do." Gabriel looked up, slightly grace glazed eyes confused.
"You will be my messenger to humanity. I have many messages for you to deliver but to do so you must be the swiftest of any angel to exist." Gabriel frowned, tears pricking at the corners of his blue glazed gold eyes. God waved his hands and Gabriel was surrounded in a warm golden glow.
"So I will gift you with a new set of wings, you have done well to protect your brothers and sisters in this conflict. You deserve this Gabriel." When the light dissipated Gabriel stood before him with six golden glowing wings sprouting newly formed from his back. Tears, this time of joy, streamed from his golden shining eyes.
"You will carry my word to humanity from now on my child. As my messenger you will be able to create your own form instead of taking a vessel. You will also need this." God held a hand out to Gabriel as a gold horn formed in it etched with Enochian, the largest symbol was Gabriel's own.
"You who have cared so deeply for family will be able to call them to you whenever you need them with this." Gabriel took the horn and nodded, happy tears still pricking his eyes.
"Now go my son and spread my word to humanity." Gabriel beamed, slung the horn on a leather strap around his shoulder and flew off, a blur of gold. Laughter that had not been heard since the fighting began echoed through heaven, not quite as loud as it once had been but every angel heard it none the less and smiled at its return.
Many Years Later
God was gone, disappeared out of nowhere with no word to anyone, not even to his messenger. Heaven had suffered another small rebellion and several other angels had been cast out to join Lucifer below. Gabriel couldn't take it anymore, the fighting the killing. Even Raphael who had somehow managed not to kill anyone during the last war had been stained by the grace of his brothers. There was nothing he could do to stop the fighting. He'd tried everything. Nothing worked, Michael wasn't himself anymore, he wasn't the brother Gabriel had once looked up to. Nothing in heaven was the same without God, it was falling apart. Slowly but surely everything was becoming less like a home and more like a soulless barracks, filled with a set of toy soldiers for Michael to play with, not a family.
Gabriel couldn't stand that. So he got up in the middle of one of Michael's training sessions and found the one angel who still tried to act like they were family, if only when Michael wasn't around. Michael would be busy battle training this garrison for hours, he wouldn't notice anything.
"Castiel? May I speak with you for a second?" The dark haired black winged angel looked up from his studies and nodded following Gabriel outside the records hall. Gabriel looped an arm around Castiel's shoulder. Castiel glanced at him, blue eyes confused.
"Listen little brother, you are the youngest angel and with Father not here right now you need to know that you still have family. Even if things have changed a bit, know that I love you little brother. If nothing else, remember that." Castiel's face scrunched in confusion, he opened his mouth to ask Gabriel something but Gabriel placed a finger over his mouth.
"Back to your studies little brother, you're going to be the best of us someday." Castiel obeyed but glanced back over his shoulder at him, confusion still written in his big blue eyes. Gabriel would miss him, he really would. But he was leaving and nothing would change his mind. This place wasn't home anymore, it would never be again. He could only hope what he was planning would maybe snap Michael back to the brother he'd once known. After glancing around to make sure no other angels were there Gabriel sped off into the unknown.
The angels searched for years but never found any sign of the missing archangel. One garrison at a time they gave up the search, leaving Earth and returning to heaven. Soon there was just a single angel left on Earth searching with the grudging permission of his garrison leader. Later, weeks later another angel descended to Earth to speak with the youngest angel.
"Castiel." The young angel turned toward the sound dropping into a bow as he did. It was Michael, the Sword of God.
"You need to come home Castiel. Stop this futile search." Castiel frowned down at the ground.
"Gabriel…" Michael cut across him.
"Gabriel is dead Castiel!" His true voice boomed loudly across the world for every entity to hear. Tears filled Castiel's eyes and dripped onto the ground. Michael reached out and tipped his head up so he could look him in the eye.
"Good soldiers don't cry Castiel. Wipe your tears and come home." Castiel nodded and followed Michael back to heaven. Once they were long gone a figure stepped out of the shadows, looking up at the sky with tears in his gold eyes. Nothing had changed even when they believed him dead. Michael, the Michael he'd known before the war would have comforted heavens youngest angel, especially now that their father was missing. With him gone there would be no new angels made. Castiel was the last of them, he would be the best and brightest if only allowed to live up to his full potential. But that would never happen now, he would be one of Michael's toy soldiers until the apocalypse destroyed creation. Tears flowing freely down his face Gabriel turned his back on heaven and stepped into his new life as Loki the Trickster God.