For four years, the war continued in Heaven. The rebellious angels had chosen to close the Pearly Gates of the Afterlife, so that no living souls could enter Heaven while the war was still on. Some of those souls eventually went to Lucifer to spend eternity in Hell, but most of them remained outside the Gates, in the hopes that one day they would get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and find peace.
Because of what Gabriel started, thousands of angels took sides against each other. Brothers were torn apart by hatred, blinded by jealousy, all because God loved humans more than angels. Those that were still loyal to God fought their rebel brethren under the command of Michael, the humble warrior who smote the Devil during the first war and threw him out of Heaven, along with all others who followed Satan and turned against God.
Mica wanted no part of this war and chose to stay out of it. The only comfort she had were the angel children she cared for. Whenever they were concerned or afraid, Mica would do her best to put their minds at ease by telling them stories or singing to them with her angelic voice. Many nights, she would look down on the people of Earth and wonder what had become of Gabriel. Last she had heard, the fallen Archangel had been dragged down to Hell by Lucifer. Her heart broke when she heard this news, but then one day, the Archangel Michael appeared to her and told her Gabriel would soon be spat out from the Depths of Damnation, but would become the very thing he hated most. Mica didn't understand, but Michael told her be patient and to keep her eyes locked on Earth and continue watching. Mica did just that, but she did not like what she saw when the time came.
It was bad enough that Gabriel had started a war in Heaven, but when he sought out on a new mission to try and kill a pregnant woman, God decided Gabriel had gone too far and ordered Michael to strip him of his angelic powers and turn him into a mortal as punishment, so they he may walk among the men he despised and learn from his mistake. There were many things Mica could not stand to see, but seeing Gabriel fall from God's grace was a heavy weight on her heart. It was because of her love for Gabriel that Mica went to God and knelt by His throne, begging Him for forgiveness and mercy, but God would not heed her word, for what He had done was to teach Gabriel a lesson. Mica understood, but was troubled and confused. She never disobeyed God before, but with the war still raging on and the fact she knew Gabriel was in trouble, Mica had a difficult decision to make.
For the first time in her entire existence, Mica was about to leave Heaven on account of her own free will and go down to Earth and guide Gabriel back on the path of righteousness again, with or without God's permission.
Mica had never been to Earth before, but she remembered what Gabriel and the other angels told her about their experiences while visiting there. She understood the basic ways of human life from looking down on the world from the clouds, but still needed some advice and decided to seek counsel in the only other place she could think of: The Garden of Eden.
Thunder rumbled as Mica flew down to Eden, where a large steel gate surrounded the Garden. An angel in black was guarding the way in, but allowed her to enter, knowing she meant no harm. Once she entered the Garden, Mica looked around in shock at what a literal dump the once-lush paradise had become. Neglected due to the war, as well as what men had made of it, Eden had somehow managed to turn itself into an industrial wasteland.
Mica continued to look around the destroyed garden and felt her heart break when she came upon the sight of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was broken and withered, nothing grew from its branches save for a single, delicious-looking, red fruit.
Several other angels looked down on the angel girl, who came to a ladder of stairs that led up to a platform. Mica climbed the stairs to the top and saw hundreds of candles were lit all around. There was a silver-haired man lighting another one, and when he looked over and saw her, Mica found it necessary to kneel before him and bow her head in respect. She knew exactly who this man was, for he was there, along with Gabriel and Lucifer, when God created the Earth.
"Raise up", said the man, walking over to Mica. He looked human, but he wasn't. He was an angel. Even better, he was an Archangel by the name of Michael. He placed his hand under Mica's chin and lifted her head up gently so she could look him in his eyes. "Stand up, Mica. There's no need for that."
Mica obeyed him and stood up at once, her wings fluttering. Unlike Gabriel, Michael was wise and caring. The wisest of all the angels. He was the mightiest and strongest of all God's angels, even more powerful than Lucifer.
"Forgive me", said Mica.
"What's to forgive?" Michael asked her. "The fact that you wish to ran away from home? I know why you want to leave, Mica. I don't blame you. I've seen over two-thousands battles and each one is more uglier than the last. You came here because your heart is heavy with sorrow. You claim loyalty to our Father, but your heart is telling you that Gabriel must return to us. I warned him what would happen if he tried to turn against God, and now he is paying the price."
"You made him mortal."
"I had to. There was no other choice." Michael turned from the angel girl and went to light three more candles while thunder rumbled overhead. Each candle he lit represented an angel that perished and died in battle.
"What if he dies?" Mica asked him.
"If that is God's will, then so be it", said Michael, keeping his back to her.
Mica flew over to him and pleaded, "Michael, please. Don't do this to him. Gabriel will kill himself if he is forced to live as a human. You must let him come back home. Please, Michael, I beg you. Reserve it."
Michael turned around and looked at her again. "You make it sound as if you were siding with the enemy."
"Gabriel isn't the enemy, Michael, he's your brother. Our brother."
Michael sighed and shook his head, sympathetic for her naivety. "You won't be able to save him, Mica", he said. "God will only allow Gabriel to reclaim his title as Archangel when he learns to see the error of his ways and appreciate humans for who and what they are. Until he learns his lesson, Gabriel shall remain a mortal and learn what it means to be a human, even if it means he will die. Go home, little sister. Let your heart be at peace."
"Home? What home? Heaven isn't home right now, Michael. It's becoming a Hell. Until this war is over, I'm not going back."
Michael was surprised to hear her so defiant. "You, an obedient angel, would dare to turn your back on God and disobey the orders of one of His highest angels?" He questioned.
"I'm not turning my back on anyone, sir", Mica explained. "I just can't stay there. Not while my brothers and sisters are turning against each other over God's love of humanity. I love our Father and will always obey His laws and do as He and His angels tell me, but I refuse to live in a blood-soaked paradise and pretend that everything is all right when I know for a fact that it isn't. I don't wish to leave because I lost my faith. I wish to leave because I seek to find peace."
Michael stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you know why God created you, Mica? Every so often, our Father gets an idea to create something so good and pure in heart and spirit, He has a tough time deciding if that good thing should be given a chance to live on Earth or stay with Him in His Kingdom forever. God grows so fond of that creation, He sometimes decides they're too good for the sinful world below and should never descend down to Earth. Our Father keeps His most treasured creations within his grasp, but every hundred years or so, He leaves behind evidence of some of His finest creations on Earth for people to find, whether it be in the most beautiful flower or in the brightest jewel."
"What are you saying?"
"Go to Earth if you like, but if you decide to stay there, you won't be able to return to Heaven until after the war is over. Do you understand?"
Mica nodded her head. "I understand."
"Earth is not what you think it is, Mica", Michael warned her. "There is good in it, but there is also evil. I shall watch over you, but it's your choice."
Thunder rumbled across the sky again. Mica and Michael looked up towards the heavens. Silhouettes of angels taking flight could be seen from behind dark clouds that shielded the oncoming light of a new day.
"The others are calling me", said Michael. He looked at the angel girl and told her, "Good luck." He kissed two of his fingers and waved them over her, an angel's blessing of sorts. Then he stepped back and vanished into a flash of bright light, exploding into a sea of doves that took off into the sky.
Mica looked up at the world she was thinking about leaving behind. So many memories came flooding back to the good times she had with her holy family, back before this rebellious war, and even further back before Lucifer fell from grace. Her heart felt torn and she was scared about leaving the only home she had ever known, but it was her only chance of escaping from all this madness. Mica had always been loyal to God, but she couldn't stand being in a place where everything was stained with blood. Heaven was not evil, but the rebel angels who wanted to see humans destroyed were making the loyal angels look bad.
If Mica descended down to Earth, she would take on the form of a mortal woman and would still be able to keep her wings, but must look and act the part of a human. It wasn't forbidden, but she would try her best not to reveal her true form to anyone. It wasn't exactly a good idea to let people on Earth know if one was an angel, less they drop dead at the sight of one. If Mica failed in making Gabriel see the error of his way, she prayed that God would not hold it against her and she would still be allowed back into Heaven. Either way, if Gabriel refused to repent, he would be doomed to remain a mortal until the day he died, and losing him was what Mica feared the most.
With another rumbled of thunder and a flash of lightening, Mica looked down at the world below her, taking in the view of the Earth, before she closed her eyes and raised her head, holding her arms out. She fell forward and leaped off the platform, falling down from the Garden of Eden as she descended down to Earth.