Another 'Lucifer fell from grace' story by yours truly! But in all seriousness, after receiving the prompt, Icarus, I couldn't help but think of Lucifer because both were similar in certain ways and hubris was their downfall. So, this little thing was created, making allusions to the Greek Myth of Icarus.
For those who don't know the myth of Icarus, basically, the King of Minos locked Daedalus and his son, Icarus, in a tower after Daedalus created the labyrinth to trap the Minotaur in, not wanting for them to help people escaping or whatever that were sent in as sacrifices. Daedalus helped fashion two pairs of wings made of wax and feathers so that he and his son could escape the tower, but warned Icarus that he shouldn't fly too close to the son because it would melt the wax and his wings would fall apart and to also not fly too low for the water will dampen the feathers and make it too heavy to fly. Icarus listens to his father for a bit, but after a while, grows cocky with the joy of flying and flies too close to the sun, melting the wax from his wings and plummeting into the ocean where he drowns.
Did change it slightly to fit more with the show, but it does follow the myth fairly closely.
Enjoy.
Lucifer wandered the Heavens, restless, fingers itching, grace yearning for something he didn't quite know. He felt trapped, stuck on the ground as his older brother flew in the air and so God, seeking the misery that clung to His child's grace, taught Lucifer how to fly as well, hoping this would help the restlessness that Lucifer always had, and it did. The young angel would fly every chance he had, getting lost in it and God would always smile as He felt the joy Lucifer's grace sent out from it. He'd watch from His study as His son flew through the air, laughter filling the air, calling out for his brother to join him. Should Michael ever refuse to join him, busy with chores, Lucifer would turn to his younger brother, Raphael, who was only just learning still how to fly, spending his time teaching the fledgling how so that he could join the Morning Star.
He also watched as once Gabriel came around, Lucifer taught the young fledgling how to fly as well, not wanting his brothers to feel trapped like had once had, unable to soar through the Heavens and feel the wind in their hair.
God watched His second eldest with a proud smile, grace warm and bright at the sight of how Lucifer acted with the younger ones.
And so, when it came time to lock away the Darkness for good, God knew He needed a carrier for the mark, as it could not just be placed anywhere, and while He knew He should most likely carry it Himself, He felt He'd be far too busy and distracted by other projects to care for it so He, looking at His two eldest sons, chose Lucifer to bare the mark. While Michael had been a suitable choice, He had seen from the fighting that Michael was too much brute force, too rough in some places and knowing His sister, Michael wasn't the right choice, so He gave His second eldest the mark.
He stood facing Lucifer, the two tucked away in His office. He stared at His son with careful blue eyes, worried of what this choice might bring later on.
"Lucifer. You must be strong, my son," He told the Archangel before Him. "The mark might try to sway your thoughts, tell you to fly higher to be close to the sun, but you must promise me you will not listen to Her cruel whispers," God warned in a stern voice and Lucifer shifted slightly, looking down at the mark on his arm, angry and red before back up at his Father.
"The sun is too strong, Lucifer and if you fly too close to it, it may ruin your wings and you'll fall," He added.
"You worry too much Father. I'll be strong enough to deal with Her," Lucifer said with a grin.
"I mean it. Don't ignore my warnings." His Father gave him a stern look and Lucifer nodded.
"I got it, I got it. Don't fly too close to the sun or bad stuff'll happen."
And the Archangel then left, leaving the office before taking flight and God sighed, worry only growing.
God moved alongside His son, watching the Archangel with hesitant blue eyes as they flew through the sky, swooped past thundering waterfalls and dove in dark caves. Lucifer's face was eternally lit up with joy and wonder, wishing to be doing nothing else. He loved the feeling of flying, of soaring high above the clouds, of feeling the wind whipping your cheeks and turning them pink, loved the weightless feeling of flying through the air. It was exhilarating, addicting.
But his Father didn't share Lucifer's excitement. Instead He spoke in a cautious tone of a parent, always keeping eye on His child. "Be careful," his Father warned him, watching as His son flew through the sky almost recklessness. "Don't go too high, Luce."
It was the same warning Lucifer had hear a hundred times before, every time he and his Father flew, always naggin Lucifer over and over about his high he'd always seem to fly.
"I'm fine pops! I'm hardly that high up!" Lucifer would shoot back, spinning in the air but that answer never satisfied his Father, he could tell.
God worried too much for His son's ability to get lost so easily while flying and every warning He gave was received with the same response, Lucifer not caring for those warnings and it only added to the mounting worry God ahd for the Morning Star.
Lucifer would spend hours flying, just ask anyone in Heaven and they'd tell you it'd be impossible to never not spot the Morning Star flying.
He'd teach all of his younger siblings how to do so as well, even the newer fledglings after the last Archangel, stating he didn't want any of them to miss out on such a glorious experience (and also that he knew the others would wait too long to teach the younger ones and Lucifer didn't want them to wait). He'd also put on shows for them, swooping and diving and spinning through the air, thriving off their laughter and cheers, taking daring drops and quick sharp turn to hear their gasps and watch their eyes widen in surprise and then glee. The voice in his head would whisper softly, oh so softly for him to fly just a little higher, to take more risks and he'd listen to it every time.
But while many loved Lucifer rebellious tricks and actions, others did not. And God was one of those. He approached His son with never ending worry in His gaze.
"Lucifer, why do you not heed my warnings? I see you flying higher and higher each day, hear talk of your tricks you do," God said, and the young Archangel gave a carefree laugh, not taking in the seriousness in his Father's tone.
"You worry too much Father! I never go too high!"
God shook His head. "But one day you might, Lucifer. You take more and more risks flying, and while you never fly too high, one day you might, and the sun would not be kind on showing you mercy."
Lucifer pauses, fluttering down beside his Father. "I know. But would you rather me fly too low? You know of the demons that live on the ground, their clawed hands reaching though the earth in waves, threatening to drag those that get too close down to their depths and swallow them whole. If I fly too close they'll grab me. So that's why I fly high, so they don't. Surely that isn't so bad?" He ends it off in a question, tilting his head and for a moment, something dark flashes over his light blue eyes.
God sees this and knows that She's whispering in His child's ears, egging him to go higher and higher, but part of God knows Lucifer will resist it, realizing how should he obey it, it will lead to his downfall. He hopes that with His constant nagging and reminders that Lucifer will keep it in check.
But he still sighs in defeat, rubbing His face. He's had this conversation with Lucifer hundreds of times, each though the wording just a little different. It's like a broken record stuck on repeat over and over as they give the same scripted responses, do the same actions, and get almost no where. And after His sigh, He'd say: "Very well. But be careful." And Lucifer would nod, hug Him and grin.
"I always am." And then, like always, promises he will never fly too close to the sun, but each day he gets a bit closer.
Until one day when he flies to high.
Lucifer never realizes it at first, listening to the voice, zooming through the clouds, weaving in and out of forests on earth, diving down valleys without a care. He feels so free flying, like everytime he walked it was with chains and only flying set him free. He feels invincible, unstoppable, high off the feeling of the power he gets from doing this.
So he goes higher, higher, higher, getting closer and closer as the voice whispers the dark waves are growing higher, too close to swallowing him and dragging him under. And like everytime, he listens. But he doesn't realize just how high he's gone, too exhilarated by the cheers and voices of his fellow siblings that cheer him on. He gets closer and closer to the sun, and not once does he care because it's so brilliant and bright, calling out to him. Part of him says to stop, that he's going too high and this is fine. The power and all that he has right now is good enough but now Lucifer wants more. He wants more of that power, addicted to that rush it gives him and so he listens to the voice.
Higher, and higher, and higher.
And for a moment, he's eye to eye with the sun, and it's incredible. He feels unstoppable, but then the sun shifts. It unfurls it's large wings, hot fiery eyes glaring at his icy blue ines and it strikes Lucifer with its rays, slicing his skin. He cries out in shock and pain, trying to fly away from it's grasp but the sun is too strong, too powerful and it tears at Lucifer's wings with it's hot anger, breaking his feathers. Wax oozes out of his wounds, weighing down his limbs, his broken damaged wings, hot like liquid fire on his flesh. He begs for mercy from the sun, asking his brother for forgiveness but the sun is cold and harsh to Lucifer, no longer warm and bright and comforting. It doesn't listen to Lucifer, insteading watching as he falls from the sky, wings too broken to keep him in flight.
Lucifer tries to flap his heavy wings but the wax that drips weighs too much and so he plummets from the clouds, reaching out for the sun with panicking fingers. Down, down, down he falls with tears on his wind whipped cheeks, leaving a trail of wax coated feathers floating through the air. Fear replaces the pride the Morning Star once had as he falls, watching as his siblings become specks in the sky, growing closer and closer to the dark waves below him. The demons' hands reach out hungrily, hundreds and hundreds of hands reaching for battered limbs, ready to pull him under.
He hits the dark wave, coldness rushing over him as they grab him, grip tight, pulling him farther and farther from the light. Lucifer screams, loud and long until his throat is raw and ruined but that doesn't stop them. No one comes for him as he is pulled further and further, everything becoming so dark, so cold. It seeps into his tattered wings, his broken bones, his burnt flesh. So hard, he tries to escape, but he can't.
Lucifer had once been free with flight, soaring through the sky but he hadn't listened to his Father's constant warnings, far too prideful and too hungry for power, for more that he allowed it to twist him. And now the sun had beat him down, destroyed the wings that once freed him, sending him plummeting into a cage surrounded by waves of demons. Now he was trapped once more with no way to break free.
Just a quick note: updates and new stories will begin to be posted more, the last two months with school has been brutal what with tests and assignments and exams. I haven't abandoned anything and do plan on having longer stuff up besides this little 2,000 word max prompts. (As of now, like three 3,000 word plus things sit in my docs that need to be edited and will then be posted the moment I've got some free time so keep an eye out for that!).
Let me know what you thought of this! I love reading people's reviews! And, if there are any other myths, Greek or otherwise that you want me to base a story off, leave a comment!
-Twist