In Tadfield lies an ordinary cottage. Said ordinary cottage was, at the moment, occupied by a dog, 5 humans, a witch, a former Witchhunter Newton Pulsifer, a former antichrist and two celestial beings. The celestial beings sat in the cottage's sofa while talking to the witch, while the former antichrist, his dog and the Them sat in the kitchen watching Newt in an apron saying 'kitchen witch' that he got from Anathema. He took newly baked cookies out of the oven.
"Ahh, that hurts!" exclaimed Newt as he took the second pair of cookies out of the oven, then shook his burnt hand.
"Are you alright, Newt?" asked Adam with a worried and curious face.
"Yeah, don't worry, just burnt my hand a bit. At least the cookies aren't burnt," Newt explained as Anathema and Aziraphale walked in with matched worried expressions.
"Are you sure Newt?" said Anathema. "That burn you got looks painful. I can go look for a healing spell?"
"No, no honestly, it's fi-" Newt tried to say.
"Or you could get Aziraphale to heal it for you; see angelic healing magic at its finest," Crowley yelled from the living room. Newt flinched, as much as he may enjoy spending time, in the last few months, with the apparent demon, he was still a bit uncomfortable in his presence. It could have been the 'small' pranks here and there, or simply because he was a demon, and demons were Evil's servants, not that it of course bothered him or Crowley for that matter.
Newt looked confused as the cogs in his brain were turning to register the demon's newest quip. Aziraphale blushed slightly embarrassed.
"Well, I wouldn't call it the finest. Really I was never the best, that was and will always be the first healer himself," said Aziraphale as he walked over to Newt with slightly outstretched hands. "Now this won't hurt a bit my dear," he said as he took a hold of the former witch hunter's burnt hand. As curious gazes around the kitchen began to form and one from the living room simply looked on, a small white glow came and he slowly took his hands back, stepping back and looking proud at what he just did.
"Y-you mean Raphael? The archangel, I mean," Newt said as he looked up from inspecting his hand with Brain and Wensleydale.
"The archangels aren't nice, they wanted to end the world," Pepper said strongly, only a quick note of uncertainty.
Both Aziraphale and Crowley look sad at the mention of the archangel, unknown to the others and each other, for two different reasons. Aziraphale, for mourning, thinking back at how creative and kind the Archangel was to all and everything, and Crowley. He was not exactly mourning, not the way you would think. He was mourning the loss of identity, of who he used to be. Not all demons forgot who they were. Once they fell, some did, others chose to ignore their past completely, few like Crowley remembered it all, and hoped that one day, forgiveness would come to them, before the end. Crowley cleared his throat and looked away.
Aziraphale opened and closed his mouth before answering. "Well, it's a miracle how humanity has come to know of Raphael's existence, it really is; he was a great angel, truly kindness and love." He stopped and looked at Crowley, ignoring the confused looks sent Crowley's and his way, silently asking the demon to continue on the subject. Crowley looked anywhere but him, feeling slightly guilty for not saying anything.
"You see well, before the earth, in Heaven there was a war - the first war to be precise. In that war, many angels fell and became demons, some died, and others survived, but, uh, Raphael... he went missing during the war, killed by Lucifer in fit of rage. All of Heaven felt it, to be honest," Aziraphale finished sadly while looking down.
"What do you mean by the 'all of Heaven felt it?" Adam asked slowly, uncertain if it was alright to ask questions yet.
"Angels weren't created to die, still aren't. Archangels even more, so when one dies all of Heaven would feel it," Crowley replied quietly with a hint of regret and guilt. If anybody heard it, they did not point it out.
While Aziraphale and Crowley either looked down or looked anywhere but the other beings in the room, Anathema awkwardly coughed.
"So, um, how are the cookies?" she said, pointing to the newly baked cookies on the kitchen table.
"Yes, they look good, anyone want to taste?" Newts asked looking around "Or shall we take them with a cup of tea instead?"
"A cuppa would be nice. If you still have more questions you can of course ask them there, and we can answer some of your other questions Anathema," said Aziraphale.
…
Sitting now on the living room couch was Anathema, Newt and Aziraphale and almost laying down in an armchair was Crowley, with the Them sitting on the floor, on blankets and stolen pillows from the couch, with their tea cups, petting Dog, and the newly baked cookies laying on the living room table.
"So, Raphael," Anathema said after finishing sipping tea. "If he is missing, how is it that we know of him? And didn't he visit and help Tobias, and with that fish?"
"That is the question, my dear. Did he guide Tobias and much more, or maybe it was Michael who did it, so you would all get the chance to know of him? He really was quite wonderful," Aziraphale said. He took another slow sip of his tea.
"He sounds nice. Maybe his death is the reason the archangels are so mean now," Wensleydale said, eating a cookie.
"Don't be stupid. If Raphael was still here, he probably would've been mean too," Pepper interrupted.
"No, no, dear, Wensleydale does have a point. The archangels were the closest of angels. If he still was here, Heaven would have clearly had better days..." he said distantly, shaking his head, holding his cup of tea but not drinking it.
"Do you guys really have wings since your angels?" Wensleydale asked curiously, changing the subject.
"Do you have special colours? Or more than one pair?" Brain added, equally curious, holding a half bitten cookie in his hand.
"One angel and a Fallen angel," Crowley corrected, looking at the Them through his dark glasses.
"I saw your wings, didn't I? When you stopped time and talked to me, I saw your wings. Only one pair each? Do some angels have more than one pair of wings?" Adam asked. The Them sent surprised looks at him.
"Yes. The higher spears, or ranks, you would call them. It got leaked down here somehow - I have no idea how, really," Aziraphale said. "But yes. Cherubs have two pairs, seraphim and Archangels have three pairs; Archangels have a bit bigger wings. Others only have one pair," Aziraphale informed, happy to answer their question.
"What rank are you Aziraphale?" Anathema asked and leaned interested towards Aziraphale. And theThem listened curiously, as they took more cookies. The pile was nearly gone.
"I'm really nothing special, just a mere principality," Aziraphale said, as he blushed a bit. "Archangels are the only angels who have coloured wings. I have only once seen their wings: when I was only a mere fledgling, but it was still an honour," he added, holding his mug.
Aziraphale didn't understand when the Them looked at him with innocent, almost puppy like, gazes. He simply thought they asked for more cookies, or another pillow from the couch - that was until he looked at the two humans on the couch sharing similar gazes. He then looked at Crowley, confusion in his eyes, who silently told him they wanted him to tell them about meeting the archangels before the war. Aziraphale made an 'oh' face, and spoke. "Oh, alright, I can tell you some,"
Taking a small bite out of his first cookie, he began.
[FLASHBACK]
He opened his eyes, a warm feeling of love around him. He looked around. Beside him were newly created angels, like himself. Fledglings. Yes, they were fledglings. How he knew, he did not know.
"Welcome to Heaven, my dear children," said a warm voice, he and the other fledglings looked around to identify the warm voice's origin and saw winged figures. Many, in fact, all looking either curiously or happily at them, but none of them originated the voice. Closest to themselves were five winged beings, standing in a line. They instinctively somehow knew who they were: the archangels, the youngest to the oldest of them. First was the fire of God, Uriel, with beautiful pairs of yellow and orange wings, the primary and secondary feathers a beautiful orange, the coverts a nice, almost shining yellow. Beside her, the messenger, Gabriel, with copper and light purple coloured wings. His primary and coverts were a light purple, and secondary feathers were copper. The healer, Raphael, was standing next to Gabriel. The bend of his wings were shiny silver and his coverts were a light blue mixing into the green primary parts of the wings, but that was not the only thing. You could see a special kind of dust, specifically stardust, brushed over his wings as if he came in a hurry from the cosmos to see this. Next, the Morningstar, Samael. The Morningstar was beautiful and shining, his wings even more so, primary and secondary feathers white gold and the rest was a beautiful white, shining brightly as a star. He, too, had stardust on his wings as if he came with Raphael from the cosmos, seeing as he probably did. Beside him was the eldest of them all, the general and warrior, Michael. Michael had bright and dark blue wings with silver in a high tip in the primary and secondary feathers. All of their wings stood calmly behind the five beings, as they smiled at the fledglings.
"As the Almighty said: 'Welcome to Heaven'. We all welcome you here and hope you are taken kindly to, and take kindly to others as well. The other Archangels and I will help and guide you all. Bless the Almighty for creating you all," Michael said, having opened her arms in a warm, welcoming gesture.
Other angels slowly began to fly away either in big or small pairs. All that remained were the newly created fledglings, not having learned to fly yet. Archangels Gabriel and Uriel stood waiting, being Michael needed to make the training grounds ready for the new fledglings, and Samael and Raphael flying into the cosmos once more. The remaining Archangels smiled kindly at them, then began to explain things and show them around, from the big green garden to other places. Their tour ended in the training grounds, where they were supposed to learn to master their abilities, fly and learn to fight and defend themselves. They did not know back then why they had to learn to fight. There was not anything bad, there was peace and love, wasn't there? There was only peace and love. That was until Lucifer and the war. Angels learned of sin, of evil, of madness, guilt, and grief.
…
When he finished his story, he looked around to meet awed gazes and a quiet uncomfortable looking demon looking down.
"Who is Samael?" Pepper curiously asked.
"Well you see, shortly before the war, Samael changed his name to what you all know him as: Lucifer," Aziraphale explained. "He is also known as the devil, Satan and other silly names," he then added.
"So, Lucifer was the Morningstar? The guy who created the stars with Raphael? Well, your dad did do some good Adam" Pepper said in a teasing way looking at Adam.
"He's not my dad anymore, never was," Adam said, petting Dog, slightly angry from the tease.
"But Raphael, he also created the stars? They did it together! Why did Lucifer kill him if they were so close?" Anathema asked, remembering their past talks.
"I honestly don't know my dear. I'm sorry I can't answer. If anyone knew it'd be Lucifer himself or Raphael, if he still was here," he said quietly. An awkward silence fell in the room. The tea had slowly gotten cold a while ago, and the cookies still tasted like cookies should, just without their newly baked warmth now.
"Wait maybe he still is! Crowley. Crowley dear, did you see Raphael before or during the Fall?" Aziraphale suddenly exclaimed.
Crowley who had by now, laid all over the armchair avoiding gazes, silently listening to the conversations. Now sat up, looking uncomfortable. "Yeah, sorry angel, was a bit busy trying not to die during it all," he said slowly then adding a bit fast, "But no, I never saw him during the war or after," he said wrinkling his nose and then looking at the now very interesting window.
"Ah, yes, of course. But, Crowley, do you, well, remember anything? From before the Fall, I mean," Aziraphale asked nervously, glancing at the others in the room.
Crowley remained silent and looked at his cold cup of tea, then slowly said, "Does it matter? I mean come on, it was a long time ago."
"So... You do remember," Anathema said.
"It doesn't matter," snapped Crowley beginning to sit more upright. "It was a long time ago."
Crowley sat uncomfortably, ready to stand up, looking at the visible dust flying around in the sunlight coming from one of the windows, slightly annoyed at the current discussion going on. He didn't like discussing his past, or who he was, disliking it even more so because they literally talked about him - him, for crying out loud! But he was just a Fallen version, a different version. It was not his fault. He asked the wrong questions, then ended up Falling, but that did not mean it did not hurt when discussing it, with or without him present for it.
The Them had until now sat quietly and listened to Aziraphale's story and petting Dog even until the new argument slowly heated up. But until now things did not begin to shake and cold tea spilled on the floor, while things began falling off the table and windowsills.
"Um, guys," Newt warily said, as he looked at the liquid in his cup shaking. Dog began to bark and stood up and looked at the demon.
"Dog be quiet! Quiet, shush!" Adam said trying to get Dog to stop barking, but Dog did not seem to want to stop.
As things slowly stopped shaking, Crowley irritatedly mumbled "Oh keep quiet, we get it, I get it." Just as Dog stopped barking, feeling really proud of itself. Crowley began to saunter over to the door and said, "I am going for a walk, alone ,", opened the door and left.
"That went well," Newt signed, taking his face in his hands, "I'll go get some towels to get this cleaned up," he said as he got up and walked over to the kitchen to get some towels.
"Should we follow him?" Anathema asked uncertainly, looking at Aziraphale.
"No, probably not, he will come back and if anything happens, we can just call him or he can call us," Aziraphale said reassuringly.
Crowley was walking down the road, deep in thought. He was thinking about the past and his dear old sibling, on how it all ended up like this. Oh, how he missed them even after all this time. No. They tried… they wanted to kill Aziraphale, even still when he walked in Heaven's halls, looking like Aziraphale. Having been missing his home, through it all, he was shocked to see it had changed so much. It felt warm, but the warmth did not reach anyone. It hurt even more, when he talked with Gabriel, and saw Uriel and him standing behind their cold façade. It hurt him to see them like that. That was not how he expected their first family reunion to be after all these years, having highly doubted one in the first place.
Continuing to walk, he saw all kinds of people, old and young, well, in human standards, even the elderly man he asked for directions to the Tadfield airbase, while Armageddon was still ongoing. The man did not seem to be looking or notice him for that matter. He did not want to answer questions to why his precious Bently was burning, he was too tired. After having walked for some time, he found a bench and decided to sit down. He looked at nature and its big trees and all kinds of flowers sitting in the ground. He sat there for some time, either thinking or just simply staring into nature and its beauty, in periods. When he could see the sun slowly beginning to set, he sighed and decided it would be best if he began walking back. Cannot have Aziraphale worrying, of course. While walking back, he could feel something or someone watching him. Shaking it off he continued.
"Hey laddie, I have to return something! Do you know when I can do that?" someone annoying said, in a false, humoristic way.
Something hit Crowley in the back of his head, he fell to the ground looking up. His sunglasses lay broken on the ground. "I'll just have to return it now, laddie," the annoying someone said - no, a demon said, looking down on him. Stupid demons, he thought as everything went dark.
When Crowley woke up, all he could do was stare, thinking 'what the f***?'.