Chaos. Screaming. Furious yelling. Hands grabbing- so many hands - grabbing, grabbing at me. I'm panicking. "Help me!" They drag me upward. Fear. Rough, harsh hands, gripping painfully. I feel rage.

Silence.

Lost... Then hurt; pain. Pain. Burning, aching, tearing pain. Why?

XXXXX

I woke, lying on my stomach. I'm in so much pain, every part of me aches. I'm bruised. I'm bleeding. I'm broken... I opened my eyes only to squeeze them shut again. What is this? This isn't home. There's so much light - so bright it burned my eyes. I called out for Lucifer, but he's not there - no-one is. I'm alone. I'd never been alone before. I curled up, pulling my knees into my chest, trying to ignore the flare of brutal pain as tears started to fall from my eyes. Why was I alone?

It took so long for me to be able to get to my feet. Everything was so bright, everything felt so weird, different, new. And the pain was so sharp and cutting, it struck me to the core as it throbbed through me. This was Earth, it had to be; the way Lucifer had described it... everything seemed too solid, too hard. I could feel the air all around me, pressing against my skin, making me feel claustrophobic. When I breathed the air felt thick and heavy as it travelled from my throat to my lungs. Getting to my feet had been the worst problem. I had realised, of course, what they had done to me, those intruders. I knew, but I begged that I was wrong. I'd hoped that my wings had only been broken, that they would heal, that everything would be alright in time. That was false hope - I knew that even while I thought on it. I could feel the blood running down my back, and the emptiness behind me.

Trying to stand, with only one pair of wings had seemed impossible - my balance was thrown off entirely, I kept falling face first back to the ground. Everything took so much effort here - it required energy I didn't have. My muscles ached, my throat was dry and sore. I felt dirty - dry dust stuck to my skin, it tangled in my hair and my between the feathers of my wings.

I was on my feet now. Everywhere I looked it was the same, like some horrid illusion. Dry, scorched land stretched out for as far as I could see, and I guessed that it went further still. Where am I? Lucifer had said that Earth was large, but it was finite. There were only so many places I could be - but it wasn't like I knew the names of those places, and I was certain that this wasn't Eden.

A loud noise I didn't recognise frightened me, I tripped backwards landing hard on my wounded back and wings. I let out a scream of agony. I tried to return to my feet, searching for the source of the noise. I found it. A man stood a short distance away, looking at me, his hands folded behind his back - as he walked closer I realised that he wasn't a man at all, but an angel. I grabbed for a nearby stick, it wasn't particularly long, but it was thick, it seemed strong. "Leave me alone" I warned, trying my best to make myself threatening, but the words left my mouth cracked and hoarse. I knew that if this angel wanted to, he could kill me instantly.

"I'm not going to hurt you" he said softly, walking closer.

"Stay away!" I yelled, my voice rasping.

He raised his hands in defense of his statement, "You are hurt. You need help." I shook my head. I couldn't trust an angel, I couldn't. "There are others out looking for you, who want to kill you - but I don't. I want to help you. I can protect you"

I shook my head again, holding the stick in both hands out in front of me, "I can't trust you"

"Yes you can"

"No-"

He stepped closer again, he seemed so calm, "Listen, if you stay out here, by yourself, like this, the angels will kill you"

"You're an angel. You'll kill me!" I backed away.

"I don't associate with them, I swear. Now, do you accept my help?" he held his hand out to me.

I studied him, the way he stood, the way he had acted. "Give me your blade." I demanded.

"What?" he almost seemed amused by what I'd said.

"Your angel blade, your weapon - give it to me and I'll trust you. You can't hurt me without a weapon." I reasoned, still ready to fight him if I had to.

His lips twitched to a momentary smile, "That is very true. Okay, just give me a second." he lowered his hand to his side, then the blade dropped into his hand. I stepped back, then he turned the blade in his hand, offering it out to me by the handle. I took it, dropping the stick. "Okay?"

I nodded, "Where are we going?"

"You said you'd trust me, yes?"

"Yes"

"Then hold my hand"

I frowned, "Why?"

"So I can transport us away from here and to somewhere safe, alright?"

Frowning still, I held out my hand, still clutching the blade in my other. Gently he wrapped his hand around mine. Then we disappeared.

XXXXX

I lost my balance as we appeared in a new setting. The angel caught me, holding me up by my elbows as I tried to steady myself. We were inside a building, outside were trees, there was little furnishings; a bed, a table, a chair, a fireplace, a chest in the corner. It was warm though - warmth was so strange, it was tingly and soft; I was so used to Lucifer's chill. I curled my wings in around myself, trying not to knock over anything in the tiny room. "Right, so - are you okay?" he asked.

I looked up at the angel, pulling myself out of his hold to stand by my own will, "I'm... I'm- I... I don't know..." I turned away, struggling to breath. Furiously I wiped the tears from my eyes. "I'm fine."

"You can put your wings away now, they're just going to get in your way in here"

"Put them... away?" I frowned.

"Yes, just focus and put them away" He said casually, leaning against the back of the chair.

"I didn't know you could do that" I said softly, to myself.

"It's okay, it's different now you're on earth - just focus and order your wings to hide away" I nodded. It took time and concentration, but eventually I managed to perform such an unusual task. When I did, my body felt wrong - as if my whole form had become more condensed, like the material of my wings had been spread out along the rest of my body. It messed with my balance, again I felt front heavy, having no weight behind me to keep me up right. He steadied me again, giving me a moment to adjust to not having my wings behind me. I looked up at the angel, suddenly feeling very small and very weak.

"You're still bleeding" he told me.

"I'm aware of that" I snapped, trying not to come of as as weak as I felt.

First he made sure that I was able to stand, then he held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay - my name's Balthazar, by the way"

I looked him up and down, "Lucifer never mentioned you"

"Ah" he lowered his hands again, "So you are her..." he studied me with curiosity.

"I am who?"

"The... girl from the Cage"

"The Cage? My home? ...Is that what you call it?"

"Well, yes - it was... you know what, never mind, let's not talk about that. So, you're Mavriel?"

"...yes. How do you know my name?" I clutched his angel blade in my hand, the smooth metal held tightly in my grip.

He nodded, "All the angels know your name - you were big news in Heaven. Listen, I'm sorry, I never thought that they would actually..."

I frowned, anger rising in me alongside realisation, breathing became difficult as I tried to speak, "Wh- what...? It- it was the angels that, that... They did this to me!"

"Shh, shh, okay, alright" Balthazar crossed the room to me, pity and concern on his face. He stepped closer, holding me by the shoulders. "It was a small group. Completely independent. As a whole, the angels wanted nothing to do with you - now I don't mean anything by that, but believe me when I say-"

I pushed him away, "Why do you even care?! What have you got to do with any of this? Why were you so determined to 'help' me?!"

"Right, calm down Darling-"

"Don't call me that!" I growled.

"Okay, okay. Just listen" he soothed, "Why don't you sit down? Yeah?" I blinked a few times, confused, but sat down anyway, looking up at him, "Geez, do you want to put some clothes on or something?"

I looked down at myself, naked, dirty and covered in blood, a small amount of embarrassment sank in. "I should- I should get cleaned up" I mumbled, trying to cover myself with just my arms.

"Yeah" he nodded, "are you going to let me help you with that?" I nodded reluctantly. "Okay" he said softly.

He walked past me, from somewhere behind me Balthazar produced a bucket of water and a cloth. Despite his gentleness, I couldn't help but pull away from his touch, I couldn't stop flinching at contact. But Balthazar wasn't discouraged, he continued to clean the blood and dirt from my body. Once I'd helped him clean off my legs, he found me a pair of trousers for me to wear. I pulled them on, the feeling of them odd - at home Lucifer and I wore loose, full length robes, nothing as tight as this.

As Balthazar began to try to clean the wounds on my back, I seized up, my back arching away as I clenched my teeth. "Just stay still, I'll be gentle, promise."

I sat tense, but I didn't move, trying not to focus on the pain. "So why are helping me?"

"Because you're interesting. Because the angels generally don't like you - and generally I don't like the other angels."

"You're helping me to spite them?" my brow furrowed.

"Well... yes"

"So you don't actually care, you just want to piss them off" I mumbled.

"If I don't actually care, you wouldn't be here right now and I wouldn't be cleaning you up, would I?"

"... I don't know" I told him honestly.

"Well, let me tell you truthfully - I wouldn't, no-one would. There's no-one who hates that much"

I contemplated that for quite some time as Balthazar continued to clean me. "You said you don't associate with the other angels. Why?"

"Because we generally don't agree."

I mused on that, "Do you live here?"

"Sometimes"

"But you don't live in Heaven?"

He laughed quietly, "Not anymore"

"Don't you have friends?"

He laughed loudly this time, "I've got a few."

"Do they stay in Heaven?"

"Some of them do"

"And some don't?"

"Yeah"

"... Do you want to go back?"

"To Heaven?" he asked, pausing for a moment. I nodded, "Sometimes" he confessed.

I stared down at the floor, "...I can't go back home, can I?"

"To the Cage?" he said reluctantly "...No ...I'm sorry ...you can't"

I nodded. On the inside, my world had just fallen down about my ears. Tears welled in my eyes. Suddenly it had become hard to breath - but I knew there was more, I knew it, I didn't want to ask, but I needed to, "And Lucifer?"

"... he's trapped in the Cage - Heaven's going to be making it even harder to get anywhere near it, adding extra precautions. He... won't be able to break out... no-one will be able to get near the Cage"

My bottom lip trembled, tears beginning to fall from my eyes. Then anger started to rise within me, hatred and sorrow and blinding fury. I stood abruptly before pushing past Balthazar to leave, grabbing the top he'd left lying for me on the bed and pulling it on as I ran outside. There had never been much space in the Cage, I'd never had the chance to run, but it came naturally as I sprinted through the trees, further and further from that house and Balthazar. I was so angry, but he had been kind to me, he didn't need to see my anger - Lucifer had always left me to myself when I got upset, he had said it was for the best that I let it all out. I needed to get out my rage, and Balthazar didn't need to witness it. I didn't want to hurt him either by mistake.

I tripped on a root, falling hard to the ground, scraping my face and arms. It had begun to rain. I lay there where I had fallen, sobbing as I embraced my physical pain. I was trapped on Earth. Lucifer was trapped in the Cage. I could never see him again. I pushed myself to sit up against a tree, wincing at the scratches on my palms and the wounds on my back. My lips trembled, I sucked in shaky breathes. I was so angry.

I screamed at the sky, cursed the angels, all of them for allowing it to happen. I cursed God for not stopping them. I screamed at the raining sky until my throat ached, then kept on screaming, furiously. I don't know how long I was there, sitting and screaming up at the sky as I got soaked to the skin.

Balthazar had just cleaned me up to, and look what I'd gone and done- "Mavriel?" I flinched when I heard the voice, I looked up at Balthazar. He walked over to me and crouched by my side, "Are you okay? Have you hurt yourself?"

I turned my head so he could see the scratches on my cheek before raising my arms for him to see. I didn't look at him. I couldn't. He must be angry at me, I ran away, I've got blood and dirt on me again just after he'd cleaned me up. I'd been stupid. "It's not that bad, come on - let's go back, I'll get you sorted."

Hesitantly, I looked up, "You- you're not angry?" my voice was hoarse as it left my lips.

He smiled kindly, "Nope, now come on, get up"

I frowned at him, perplexed, "But...?"

"Enough of that. You can get up, yes?"

I nodded, slowly getting back up. I looked at him, waiting for something, any kind of reprimand for what I'd done. But there was none; nothing at all. He led me back to the house, helped me out of the soaked clothes, cleaned up my new injuries and dirty skin. He dried my hair then found me another set of fresh clothes. "You should sleep" He said, leaning back in the chair.

I nodded. I was still expecting some kind of telling off for my actions, I was still suspicious that he was so kind. It took time but I did learn that not all people were like Lucifer, not everyone would play games with truth or emotions. Somehow, I slept well that night - despite the strange enviroment, despite the stranger in the room, despite being apart from Lucifer from the first time ever, I slept so well. The next morning Balthazar brought me food and water and slowly I began to understand he was actually my friend.