And here, dear readers, is chapter two. I'm planning to try to update more than once a week, but I'm not sure how well we'll do on that. Reviews would certainly help.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Gabriel was in a panic. He had been sent to collect Horatiel from wherever he'd wandered off to, but after looking everywhere he could think of, he still hadn't found his little brother. He'd asked Zadkiel and Jophiel and Raguel to help him and had asked all of the other angels he'd passed if they had seen him, but still, there had been no sign. That's why now, hands clenched anxiously by his sides, he was looking for Michael. Michael would be able to find him. He had to be able to.

It didn't take too long to locate the oldest angel, but the conversation was less than pleasant.

"You've lost our brother?"

Gabriel ducked his head in embarrassment and regret and nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry, Michael, but I've looked everywhere."

"Yes, you said that. When and where was he last seen?"

Gabriel told him, as he had told so many other people through the day and Michael didn't look happy about it.

"You should have come to me sooner, Gabriel. Much sooner."

Gabriel blinked hard. "I know," he breathed.

A comforting hand came down on his shoulder and Gabriel looked up at Michael. "We'll find him." Gabriel sniffed and looked up at Michael, catching a glimpse of a caring but worried face before the elder angel flashed away, leaving Gabriel alone again.

~O~

Over the next week, every inch of every planet God had created was searched. Heaven was turned upside-down and even Hell was given a thorough perusal, but still, Horatiel was not found. It was two months later, when Michael found Horatiel's grace nestled at the center of a glorious new rainforest several solar systems over from Earth, that God declared his youngest archangel dead.

Mourning overtook the angels and all of heaven was left in sadness and darkness. Most of the angels fell into mindlessly following orders and focusing solely on the work, but the archangels' reactions were varied.

Michael distanced himself from all of the other angels and simply followed orders fiercely. He fulfilled his responsibilities and became very inflexible when it came to others doing the same. He assumed that Horatiel's fall had been a direct result of lax regulations and wouldn't allow it to happen again if he could possibly prevent it.

Raphael became confused and found that he could no longer trust anybody. He also followed orders to the letter and became very withdrawn and closed-off from the others, but he did not separate himself from the others as much as Michael had. He wasn't sure why Horatiel had been lost and with no explanation or clear way to prevent its recurrence, he was left to only watch out for himself. He gave up his pastime of healing others except when ordered to do so and aligned himself with God and Michael in all appearances because it seemed that that was the winning side—the place that would offer the most protection.

Phanuel and Zadkiel were confused too, but unlike Michael and Raphael, they didn't close themselves off. Instead, they lashed out in anger, becoming great warriors for Heaven. Their lives were frequently in danger, but they defended their brothers and sisters and their Father's other creations fiercely.

Lucifer was angry. Furious, really. He, unlike the rest of the angels, blamed God and the humans for the tragedy that had occurred. Lashing out against God, he fought loudly and sometimes violently with Michael and their father. A war broke out in heaven because of Lucifer's actions. Most of the angels fought on the side of God to protect the humans down on Earth and try to prevent unnecessary loss of life, but a few joined Lucifer in his battle against God.

Phanuel and Zadkiel fought and were killed in this war along with dozens of other angels, all because Lucifer wanted to take control of Heaven. He just didn't trust his father to have their best interests at heart any more. However, not too long after the war began, it was abruptly ended by God throwing Lucifer down into the pit of Hell along with all those who had sided with him.

Immediately after this, with no warning, God left heaven behind, telling no one where he had gone.

Gabriel, unable to face the continued fighting and sadness and outrageous loss in heaven, and without his father to stop him, fled heaven. After several centuries of semi-isolation while still trying to fulfill his angel duties, it all became too much for him to handle and he shed his identity as an archangel. He hid completely from his brothers, joining the ring of pagan gods as the Trickster God.

With Michael and Raphael the only archangels left in heaven, they did their best to restore order, but it was centuries later when things were finally running smoothly again, and still, the angels were nothing like they used to be. They were obedient and they did God's work, but that was all. They used to be full of life, but refusing to embrace emotion was the only way the two eldest non-fallen angels knew how to handle things.

When new generations of angels came into existence, the fact that God was no longer in Heaven was hid from them. They weren't even informed that Horatiel had ever existed. Phanuel and Zadkiel were all but forgotten. This was all, of course, in the name of maintaining order and following God's last commandments.

Protect the humans. Guide them down my paths and keep them safe. Watch over them. Be there for them, always.

Reviews are highly motivational and I would absolutely love to know what you all think, so please, leave me a comment.

Thank you for reading!

-MP