She had never known emotion before; not like this. Now there was rage and terror at the thought of another war in heaven, mirrored by a war on Earth. The first war her rebellious brother had unleashed in heaven had been horrible beyond imagining. Horrible beyond imagining, no one had ever wanted to see it again. But what happened, she wondered now, when the truly rebellious ones seemed to be the angels who were in charge?
Beloved Michael, whom she had never met but adored…. Blessed Raphael powerful and terrifying….. Mysterious Uriel, who had died at the hands of another angel…. Gentle, mischievous Gabriel, long lost but not forgotten. Could Gabriel have talked his brothers out of their current march towards war and madness? No one would ever know.
This was a heartbreak that knew no bounds, that spilled over into tears that rained as liquid fire from dragon eyes and splashed on the cold hard stone below her feet. There was no way to measure time anymore. She could have been here for days or years, mourning her brothers and sisters, helpless, aching for Sam…..
When she first heard the noise coming from above her head, she wasn't at all sure it was something real. First it was just scratching. Then dirt and stones rained down on her head. When the first glimmer of heaven's light began to filter through the cracking earth, Raethaniel backed up as far as the chain around her neck would allow and crouched. She bared her teeth, unsheathing the one long fang that was her angel blade. She had no idea who was coming for her but she wasn't going down without a fight.
A gigantic paw broke through, claws out and one glinted as only an angel blade could. Raethaniel surged forward and lashed out with fangs and claws. Her mouth snapped shut just as the paw was swiftly withdrawn.
"Raethaniel!" The voice of Dalquiel rang against the stone around her, his truevoice, the one only angels could bear to hear. "Stand down. I am here to help you!"
She swung her head back and forth in agitation, almost numb to the pain now, driven by it.
"You put me here!"
"No, I did not," he answered. "That was Anahiel and she was acting on orders from Zechariah."
"Where were you?" She snarled. Raethaniel was still crouched, ready to spring again, maddened by confinement and pain.
"I was putting down a rebellion," he growled back, "until I found out why the angels were rebelling. Now, stand down and let me free you. That's an order from the Angel Prince of the Third Heaven.At least I still hold that title. I do not know for how much longer."
"Why?" Raeth asked, barely able to understand what was happening, suspicious. "Why are you setting me free?"
She had allowed Dalquiel to make the hole large enough for his huge head to appear, gazing down at her, eyes glowing red. She was still crouched, waiting to be able to lunge at him again, knowing the limits of her chains.
"I will not allow you to stay trapped down here," Dalquiel said, "You need to help us fight to end this. You need to help us stop them."
"Who?"
"The ones who will bring Armageddon down on the world," Dalquiel cried, anguished. "The angels committed to the Apocalypse."
"Then stop Sam Winchester!"
"We are being blocked," the Bear rumbled, angry.
Raethaniel snarled again.
"How many have rebelled?" she asked.
The Great Bear abruptly vanished. In its place was a young boy, perhaps ten years of age, brown-skinned and barefoot, wearing simple shorts and a t-shirt. The boy dropped down to land lightly on his feet, dwarfed now by Raethaniel's claws. He drew his angel blade.
"Not enough," he murmured sadly. "Now stand still. Only an angel blade will cut these chains."
"Do you think I didn't try that?" She snapped.
"Of course you did," Dalquiel said, more softly now, as he eyed the twisted burn running up Raethaniel's right foreleg. "I imagine you tried breathing fire on them and even reverting to your vessel. None of that worked, of course. These chains were forged to hold angels. Hold still. I will be careful but I could still cut you."
Raethaniel clamped her mouth shut and resolved to remain unmoving. She was shaking from fatigue and pain. But now there was hope.
She was getting out this prison. But she wasn't going to help fight her own brothers and sisters. When she got out of here, she was heading straight for the Gate and if she had to battle her way through, then so be it.
But she was going to get to Sam and she was going to stop him. If only it wasn't too late…..
(0)
The battle in the Third Heaven was already raging. The skies were filled with angels in the vessels and in their trueforms. Lightning flashed as angel blades met and clashed. Angels fell as some of those blades caused lethal wounds, tumbling down like falling stars.
Raethaniel shut it all out the best she could, dodging and wheeling, diving when she had to. She had no interest in fighting her brethren. Her only purpose was to find Sam Winchester and stop him. She heard the voice of Baradiel in her head, an order to stand and fight from her garrison leader.
She ignored it, though doing so broke her already shattered heart into even smaller pieces.
Her flight was pure agony. Her wings were badly burned and ached from being chained for so long. Her pain increased with each stroke that kept her in the air.
The Gate loomed before her. Lamechiel and Peniel were engaged in fierce combat. She had no idea if the Gate's Guardians were trying to start the Apocalypse or end it before it began. She was fairly certain that Lamechiel had been as horrified as she and Castiel. It was also possible that they were just doing what the Guardians had always done – not letting anything in or out without permission.
Raeth knew that she didn't have permission of any kind. But she could have wept fresh at the idea of fighting Lamechiel or Peniel. In her present state, she would never
As the approached the Gate, Lamechiel slew Harmaiel by driving his angel blade straight into the other angels throat. Peniel closed with Darmariel. The Great Raven caught the Ram in his claws and they tumbled together in the sky, locked in battle.
"Lamechiel!" Raethaniel cried, "Open the Gate."
"May our Father forgive me, Raethaniel," he cried in return, "I cannot. The Gate will not open."
Intent on a swift exit as the Gate opened, Raethaniel was forced to back wing, sending waves of pain into her spine. She ground her teeth.
"What?" She managed to ask, stunned.
"It is Sealed," Lamechiel told her.
A wave of helplessness overtook her. The need to reach Sam was suddenly more important than her Grace, though what she could do without her Grace was a mystery.
She was staring at Lamechiel, into the eyes of the swirling tornado of water and lightning, when the air around them seemed to shimmer. All the colors of the sunset bloomed and melted together. Like a specter came the shining figure of a Fire Bird.
Its wings spanned the heavens. Emerald eyes glittered with power and majesty. It was beautiful beyond words and terrifying beyond imagining. Fire trailed from its wings and tail in blazing plumes.
Michael, the Greatest of the Archangels, He Who Is As Great As God.
Raethaniel tried to say his name but it ended in a soft, frightened whimper.
Around her the battle staggered to a halt as one by one and then in groups the angels of the Third Heaven realized who was now among them. They fell to the ground willingly now, knees bent, heads bowed, wings tucked tightly, trueforms and vessels alike.
Raethaniel shrank down into her vessel, knelt and lowered her head.
The silence was overwhelming after the din of battle. There was nothing but the steady beating of the Great Fire Bird's wings.
Raethaniel.
The voice was only in her mind but she knew what it was. It was Michael.
She dared to look up, into the eyes of green flame. She couldn't find her voice at all.
"Go," Michael said out loud.
It was then that she realized the Gate was standing open. It had nothing to do with courage, after that. She was driven only by her fear for Sam Winchester.
"I…." She began, swallowed and tried again, "I need to-"
"I know what you need to do," Michael interrupted and she dropped her head and trembled violently. "Go!"
She was on her feet instantly, burned wings unfurled and carrying her into the air and through the Gate. She flew as fast as she could, ignoring pain. She set her attention on finding Sam and dove into the dimension that separated Heaven from Earth.
Hold on, Sam, she thought, I'm coming…
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