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029. Birth
The news had reached Aziraphale, too, of course. Gabriel had personally come to tell him after he had informed those directly involved. Sometimes it was quite useful, being the little brother of the Heavenly Messenger.
Now, there were quite a few more angels on Earth than there usually were. Wherever Aziraphale looked, there was an angel. And they weren't the usual low-rank angels, either, those who flocked around humans all the time to guard and protect and whatnot. He was certain he had seen even a Cherub or two around.
The closer the day came, the more angels there were around. Crowley had gone into hiding, not wanting to attract any attention from the divine beings gathering close.
And then, one day, they were all gone. Recalled to Heaven, Aziraphale had heard from a Throne hurrying to leave. There was a task for them, he'd heard. As he himself hadn't got any orders, however, he remained on Earth.
As night fell, he could feel that something was different. Something, he felt, had changed...
And then, it was there. The unmistakable touch of Presence, spreading far from its original source. Drawn by the intense feeling, he hurried to see it for himself.
There were angels there, was the first thing he noticed. A few Seraphim, along with some of Michael's warriors, all gathered around a small, shabby stable. And in the stable was a man and a woman, and a child in a manger, asleep on the hay. Beside the manger sat Uriel, his wings spread to guard the child, a look of infinite wonder and amazement lighting up his dark face.
"He is here at last," whispered Uriel in angel's language, unheard by any but himself and Aziraphale. And the child, Aziraphale suspected, for however small and newborn He was, His baby-blue eyes still glanced about with curiosity and wonder, fixing on the faces of each of the angels as surely as on those of His parents.
"I see that," Aziraphale replied quietly. Kneeling down on the other side of the manger, he reached out a hand, invisible to humans, to brush against the little cheek. "To think that Our Lord would come to flesh..."
"It is unbelievable," Uriel admitted. "However, He still has done it to bring salvation to humans." There was joy in his voice unlike anything Aziraphale had ever heard coming from him. Well, that was probably only natural. After all, he was the Angel of Salvation among other things.
"Where is everybody else?" asked Aziraphale after a moment of silence. "They were recalled to Heaven just yesterday, saying they had a task to fulfil..."
"Go look out in the fields," Uriel advised, his eyes never leaving the child's little face. "Michael should be there, and Gabriel."
Aziraphale took another glance at the child, then at the amazed archangel. Then he turned around and left.
The soldiers stood in guard, glancing at him as he stepped out of the stable. One of them recognized him, responding to his nod of greeting with a silent salute. Over them, unheard by any humans but filling Aziraphale's heart with wondrous joy, sang the Seraphim praise.
Michael was indeed on the field, it turned out. As invisible to humans as Aziraphale was, he stood there as though waiting for something, his gaze following a small group of shepherds keeping watch over their flock. "Good evening, Aziraphale," he said quietly.
"The best of all," replied Aziraphale. "What are we waiting for?"
"Gabriel," replied Michael. "He should be here any moment now – ah, yes, there he is."
It was rare that Aziraphale actually got to witness Gabriel doing his work. All the beholds and such were indeed quite impressive. Once his brother was done, however, Aziraphale discovered just what had demanded the presence of all the angels. If it wasn't the whole Host of Heaven in that gathered group, at least most of them were indeed present.
"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men," echoed both Michael and Aziraphale after the heavenly choir. The other angels then left, Gabriel with them, but Michael remained.
"Uriel seemed quite enchanted about the Child," Aziraphale remarked as they lazily began to fly towards the town while the shepherds were still trying to come to an agreement about the best course of action. "And why wouldn't he? A third of His Presence taken away from him and enclosed in a mortal body should definitely draw him near, even if it is only to gain back the feeling of full Presence. I have a feeling you won't see much of him in the years to come."
"Possibly not," replied Michael with a note of sadness in his voice. "That doesn't matter, though. It is what makes him happy. It's not just regaining the feeling of the part he has lost – according to him, it feels even more intense within the Child."
Aziraphale nodded. He may not have fully understood, but he thought he got the general idea.
As they got closer to the stable, their ears caught the voices of the Seraphim. They had now switched from general praise to actual songs and hymns, it seemed.
"There He is, the Son of Man,
Of the Virgin born.
How such gracious deity can
Go to world so torn?
We've with our own eyes it seen
How the Word fulfilled has been
How the prophecies came true --
Bow stars, the Sun and the Moon!
Above angels all sing praise.
From the East the star shall bring
Wise men of the lands.
Let the babes and the old sing
Praise to God so grand.
For the sins of all He is
Brought down low by will of His.
Son of God now Man will be
So that Men can all be free.
Above angels all sing praise.
Bow down, forget all their might
Angel lords most high.
Now the Mother can in night
Sing her lullaby.
Purest, whitest wings are spread
O'er His lowly manger bed.
Angel voice the Mother's meets
In a lullaby so sweet.
Above angels all sing praise."
"Nice enough," Aziraphale said, shrugging a bit. "Too bad Uriel obviously didn't write it."
"And how would you know?" asked Michael, lifting an eyebrow. "Why couldn't it be his?"
"Uriel would never talk about highest angel lords and purest wings when it's himself in question," replied the young ex-Cherub. "Angels are perhaps all humble, but he is most so."
"Not most so, but enough, definitely," Michael chuckled. "You are right, though. For some time now Uriel has been in no state of mind to write any songs. It took all of my efforts combined with Gabriel's and Raphael's to keep him from following the Virgin around even before the birth."
"Well, at least this child will not lack in guardian angels," Aziraphale said softly as they together once again made their way into the dim warmth of the stable, smelling of hay and animals and Divine Grace. "Though I doubt he will need any."
Michael didn't reply. He was already watching the child.
Next Prompt: Death
