Chapter One
There was a time when demons did not exist. The beings on Earth watched over by their winged counterparts, known as the angels, were governed by the seven archangels, each controlling their own power to use for the good of the fragile lives modeled after the heavenly father. They were known as: Uriel of Earth, Gabriel of Water, Raphael of Fire, Orifiel of Time, Zerachiel the Light, Astaroth the Incarnator, Beelzebub the Life, and Azazel the Consoler. Yet still above them rested two others, names so sacred that not a soul dared to utter them. It was not until after the Holy War that the name Lucifer was revealed and replaced with the title Satan. As a symbol of the change five of the eight fallen changed their own names: Uriel to Amaimon, Gabriel to Egyn, Raphael to Iblis, Orifiel to Samael, and upon Satan deeming Zerachiel to be his ultimate commander, he bestowed upon him a great honor-his former name Lucifer. With God weakened from battle, the one Sacred Angel left in Heaven was left on his own to teach the mortals to battle. It was with tears streaming down his face that the three-winged one taught the humans how to kill his former brothers and sisters-and the Sacred One that once stood beside him on top of the hierarchy of the divine ones, his father, Satan.
The tremors began three months ago. Nobody knew what was causing it: none of the exorcists had time to find out, too busy fighting the demons pouring out of the cracks caused by the shaking of the ground. The sheer amount of coal tars was enough to kill any seasoned exorcist; by now, even those without temptaint could sense the pressure in the air and the lingering feeling that something was wrong. In order to stay alive, exorcists all over Japan flocked to the Order Headquarters to seek refuge inside the many demon barriers surrounding the building; and if the Headquarters were too full, a few desperate low class-exorcists traveled to the only other place with constantly strengthened barriers, True Cross Academy. Little did they know of the Great Battle taking place in Gehenna, a war so fierce that the incredible power radiating from within seeped into Assiah. It was that day that the last angel fell to Earth, surrounded with blazing white flame tinged with cerulean blue, covered in battle wounds. Even as he fell, he stared up at his beloved family, who he was condemned to fight until the end of time. Michael, the one who threw Satan from Heaven, smiled gently when he saw the symbols he taught the mortals, and, knowing that he would come to no harm among the fragile beings that He loved, retracted his three wings and let his black hair stream past his face as he cupped the rapidly retreating moon with the palm of his hand.
He did not feel the collision. Having borne the pain of countless battles, a simple fall was not even enough to register as an injury; he regretted, though, that on his way down he had disrupted the barriers keeping the demons out. Michael sighed amidst the pile of rubble, gently bringing himself to his feet with unparalleled grace. Casting his eyes around, he observed that he was in a large, circular room with three chairs set upon the second floor. The moonlight drifted in from the jagged space he had made in the arched ceiling of the space, minute coal tars peeking in with interest. Noticing crystal shards sticking out of his robe, Michael blinked, realizing that he had crashed into an object that had originally hung from the ceiling. He stepped over the mess he had created after neatly picking out the pieces of crystal, willing the Kurikara to disappear. "Where am I?"he murmured. He placed his hands behind his head, frowning at the hobgoblins already beginning to make their way into the room. As the kin of the one that formerly was known as Uriel, one of his closest brothers, he disliked putting them down. Letting a fraction of his aura suddenly slip out, Michael commanded in angel tongue, "Leave." The crushing wave of demons froze, seeing flames flickering behind the commanding figure's eyes, so much like their ruler. Still they hesitated. He frowned, re-summoning the Kurikara. The scabbard was clad in a thin blanket of azure flames, giving way to the navy underneath; yet before he drew it, multiple gunshots rang out through the formerly still air, barely scraping Michael's face. Ignoring the already healed scratch, he turned, regarding the crowd of exorcists gathered near the exit of the room. He smiled tenderly, vanishing the demon sword while taking a few small steps toward the people gathered. "Stop! Who the hell are you?" Michael's lips once again lowered, sadly regarding the bemused expressions on each of the human's faces. He understood; why would anybody crash through the ceiling of holy ground, unless he was a demon? Yet the building was protected with powerful demon barriers; it would be impossible for any demon to touch it. Michael held out his arms, letting his head fall back as he silently stretched out three impossibly soft wings from his back: two white, one ebony. Ignoring the astonished expressions on the mortal's faces, he bowed lightly at the waist, speaking in the dialect he immediately registered when the fragile beings spoke.
"I am the one that directly serves under the Father; the one who taught mortals how to slay my former brothers and sisters so long ago; the last angel, Michael."
Hello, everybody! I sincerely hope you are enjoying the story so far; reviews would be greatly appreciated! I plan to gradually expand this into a story at least thirty chapters long, 1000 words a chapter. It'll be updated, hopefully, at least once every two weeks.
Disclaimer: Ao no Exorcist does not belong to me, but Kazue Kato.
One-shots will be published soon from Man, Blue Exorcist, and Tokyo Ghoul.
Enjoy!