Book 1

In the beginning

Chapter 1

The year had no number. The earth had no age. The planet shifted in endless space and Lucifer sat back on his heels to watch the sun rise for the first time.

"It's beautiful, Father," he whispered. It didn't matter that he was alone on this hilltop – he knew his Creator could hear him.

"Isn't it?"

Lucifer started and leapt to his feet, spinning around on his heel – apparently he was not as alone as he'd thought. Michael strode towards him lazily, eyes fixed on the as-yet-nameless colors beginning to wash over the horizon. "Brother," called Lucifer, a smile lighting up his face. "Have you not seen it before? I thought for certain he would have shown you…"

"No," replied Michael with a chuckle as he reached Lucifer's side. "I am only one star older than you, and this new… this earth, has barely had time to breathe. We are the first, little brother. The very first."

Lucifer turned back to gaze out across the landscape. "Gabriel will be furious."

"Gabriel will be fine."

For a few long moments, they were quiet, huddled together despite the countless empty miles surrounding them, watching the sky begin to show the first hint of day-color. When the light finally broke over the dark, un-seeable line that was the horizon, however, Lucifer noticed that something had changed. Abruptly he grabbed for Michael's arm, crying, "Brother, look – the ground is moving!"

"The ground was already moving, Lucifer," said Michael, bewildered. "The whole planet spins. They all do."

"No – no, not the planet, the ground! Look… these… these life-forms, they sense the sun! Watch the light run through them, Michael, watch!"

Michael peered down the path of Lucifer's frantically pointing finger, his eyes squinting as he tried to see what Lucifer saw – and then he saw it. The life-forms on the ground, the plants and grass, Father had called them, were practically vibrating with the rise of the sun. In the silence of the newborn planet, you could almost hear them.

"They are singing, Lucifer," Michael whispered, breath ragged with awe. "They are singing to Him."

The two brothers, children though they were, felt old surrounded by so much new life. The light slowly filled the sky, end to end, covering Lucifer and his brother in the most delightful warmth he'd ever felt, and without saying a word, they both reached for each other's hands. Lucifer felt tears rise up in his eyes and Michael, Michael who always knew what Lucifer needed, squeezed his hand tightly.

"Gabriel will be furious," Lucifer repeated with a hoarse, wet laugh.

Michael smiled and covered Lucifer's hand with both of his. "Gabriel will be fine."

(break)

Gabriel was furious.

"I can't believe you two," he spat, splitting the tree branch he'd been trying to climb without his wings in half petulantly. Where it fell to the ground, a sapling began to push itself through the soil. The four of them, eldest of the angels, were gathered in their favorite clearing in their Father's garden; Michael leaned contentedly against the tree Gabriel was trying to climb, while Raphael sat a few branches over their heads, a smug smile just barely showing itself on her mouth. Lucifer had been lying on the ground, his hands under his head, chattering on about the marvels of the new paradise Father had created for them, but as soon as the first leaves of the new tree began to sprout, he leapt to his feet and hurried over to watch.

"That's a sign of a distinct lack of faith, Gabriel," said Raphael, her face straight as a poker. Michael and Lucifer chuckled, though, Michael reaching out to tug a lock of Gabriel's mane affectionately as Lucifer bounced excitedly around the tiny new tree, marveling at its sudden appearance.

"Don't be angry, Gabriel," said Michael, biting back his smile when he saw his little brother's face. "We'll get to go, all four of us, very soon."

"When?" Gabriel whined. He'd been looking forward to the new earth for an orbit, it seemed. He loved Heaven, of course, but earth seemed to have endless possibilities – and the science of it, the easy manipulation of the matter in the air, that Father had told him would be possible, made his heart pound with excitement every time he thought about it. Perhaps, Gabriel thought, Father might let him stay there for a long time, and experiment and play. "I want to go now."

"Be patient."

"I am patient."

"You are not." The same smug smile was still in place on Raphael's face as she slid down the branches and landed with a thump on the ground at Michael's feet. "Father blessed you with many qualities, brother, but patience is not one of them." Michael coughed to hide his laugh, but Lucifer threw back his head – the sound of it was so pleasing even Gabriel had to smile. "If you ask me," Raphael continued, lying down where Lucifer had been moments before and stretching languidly, "Next time anyone goes, it should be just Gabriel and me, and you two can stay behind and tend the gardens." Gabriel laughed in agreement, his mood already lifting.

"No!" cried Lucifer, rushing to grab Gabriel's hands in his own. He'd been ecstatic ever since their visit to the new earth and his mood showed no signs of dropping. "We have to all go, together. The two of you can go alone another time but… but I want to see your faces when you see the flowers sing!"

"Flowers?" asked Michael, frowning.

"The – the little, colorful round things. That came out of the grass."

"They're called flowers?"

"Well, I…" Lucifer rubbed his neck and looked down sheepishly. "I sort of… named them myself. The way their leaves opened for the sun reminded me of an angel spreading his wings for the first time, and we call that –"

"Flowering, Lucifer, we know," said Raphael. She and Michael exchanged grins. "So I guess they're called flowers, now."

"I'm sorry – I just thought of them as flowers one time and then after that I couldn't think of them as anything else. Do you think Father will be mad?"

"Have you ever seen Father get mad?" asked Michael in a reassuring voice. "Gabriel gets mad."

"Shut up, dirt-breath," snapped Gabriel with a playful shove.

"Then it's settled," said Raphael over Michael and Lucifer's laughter. "We'll go together. The four of us. Soon."

"How soon?" demanded Gabriel.

Michael wrapped an affectionate arm around Gabriel's shoulders. "Soon enough. After all, I don't think Lucifer can wait too much longer, either."

Lucifer grinned and ran a sheepish finger over the leaves of the sapling. "Just wait till you see it, Brother," he murmured, his eyes far away. "It's more than creation. It's… art."

(break)

"How did it go?"

Splendidly. They loved it. I really do think they're pleased, Father.

Emmanuel, Creator, and Pneuma sat together. It was what they did. They sat and they spoke, though no one else, not even Michael or Lucifer, heard what they said. No one even knew Emmanuel existed, actually, and most only knew of Pneuma through the sheer gravity of Her presence, which fell heavy on the heart though She remained invisible to everyone but Her source. Creator was the physical one, the one the angels could see and hear with the ears He had shaped for them. Now He sat, His hands open on His lap and His eyes closed to block out the constantly shifting colors of the throne room. Emmanuel sat to His right, Pneuma to His left, and they spoke.

"What did they find pleasing?"

The photosynthesis, Pneuma murmured with a satisfied little shiver. I'm glad. I was particularly proud of that one.

"As was I," replied Creator. "Was there anything else they seemed to like?"

All of it, grinned Emmanuel, ducking as Creator swatted at him with a feigned grimace of irritation, But Michael particularly seemed to enjoy the colors.

"The colors. We must make more colors. Which do We have so far?"

Blue, pink, orange, yellow, red. Gray. Pneuma chewed her lip thoughtfully. I particularly like the gray. Zachariah has concocted something he calls "green". It's lovely, I think it will fit perfectly for the leaves and the grass. And I've been thinking…

"Yes?"

We've mixed together colors and created new ones, but… what if We created shades?

Shades as in shadows? Emmanuel asked.

Yes, exactly. What if We added shadows to the colors – to make them darker?

"Lucifer won't like that. He does have such an affinity for light."

Lucifer will love anything We give him, replied Pneuma, her voice warm with affection. Besides, even if he doesn't, We can always give him the opposite – extract as much darkness as We can, make the colors lighter, brighter.

Oh, he'll love that, said Emmanuel delightedly. We have to try it, Father.

"I'll have Metatron inform Zachariah. And perhaps We should let Gabriel help – he wasn't happy with Me when he found out I'd send the older two without him, and he's been wanting a part in this since the beginning."

Why didn't You send them? asked Emmanuel, frowning. Gabriel's so fascinated by the chemistry, and Raphael's been jabbering about ecosystems since Zachariah explained what they were. We won't hear the end of it for letting them miss that first sunrise for a long time.

"One day, Michael and Lucifer will be the princes of this world," said Creator gravely. "They must learn to love this planet and all its life before anything – even before Us."

The humans will need all the love We can give. Pneuma's voice took on a different note when She spoke the word "humans" – as low and soft as ever, but there was an edge to it, as if She was holding back excitement. No one is more loving than Lucifer, or more caring than Michael. Of course Gabriel will provide protection and Raphael wisdom, but more than anything the humans will need love. That is why Michael and Lucifer had to see the world first. They have to love it, to want to care for it, at all costs – for the humans will not make the job easy.

Creator nodded. "They must be nothing but love. That is the only thing they will all be born with, no matter what. Physically, they will hunger, they will thirst, they will ache, they will lust; but the condition of their souls will be their doing and their doing only."

But are they not to be in Our image? asked Emmanuel.

"They may look like us, but only We can be God. Their forms resemble Ours, their DNA is directly from My own hands, but they will be flawed. Imperfect.

Beautiful.

"Yes. Beautiful. But the true mark of Our image, the stamp We will leave on each and every one, will be the ability to love, and the ability to create from that love as We create from Our love."

Never forget, Emmanuel, whispered Pneuma, That that is the reason We began all this in the first place. The need to be loved.

Emmanuel shook his head. I will never forget.

"We will send Gabriel and Raphael next sunrise. For now, Emmanuel, find Metatron and send him to Zachariah with the new orders. I want Gabriel to tell me what he thinks of the shaded colors."

Yes, Father.

Emmanuel vanished, and a second later Pneuma flickered away as well. Creator opened His eyes and looked around. The throne room and all the surrounding heavens were beautiful, but this – this new earth, these humans, were going to be His masterpiece. Everything was falling into place. Deep inside His endless being, Creator felt the well of suppressed excitement stir. At last, the time was coming. At last, His true children would walk beside Him.

He, the Alpha and Omega, the Father of stars and angels, the King of all the realms… He… couldn't wait.