A/N: Tada! Like I said, had two chapters in one! Updates never happen this quickly, otherwise. Actually, they've never happened this quickly before ever.
Who watched the eclipse yesterday? That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen! Super eerie!
Enjoy!
"I didn't call Lucifer when we were at the ocean," Eliyon told Gabriel once they were back in the Archangel's aerie.
Gabriel looked up from preening his feathers and saw the Fledgling's downcast eyes. "It would have been alright if you did," he replied, realizing that Eliyon was worried he'd be reprimanded for bothering the Morningstar. "Lucifer meant it when he said he didn't mind checking on us, even though he knew there wasn't any danger."
"Then…why did he come?" Eliyon asked.
"Because he's connected to your Grace, and he felt how scared you were," Gabriel explained. "I'm sorry about that," he added softly.
Eliyon shrugged his forgiveness and Gabriel smiled. Then, his expression turned serious. "Eliyon, about today…"
"I didn't mean to leave," Eliyon said quietly. "I don't know how I did it. I just wanted to see them."
Gabriel felt his mind twist as he recalled the moment that five pups became six, only to become five again.
"Am I in trouble?" Eliyon asked resignedly.
"No," Gabriel quickly reassured him. "You just…you did something today that no one ever has before. That's all. Maybe it's because you're a Fledgling. I dunno. Maybe you don't need a vessel."
"But you said we had to have a vessel in the physical plane," Eliyon reminded him.
"We do," Gabriel replied. "Because of our Grace. That's what makes us dangerous to humans if we don't conceal it within a vessel. Yours is different. It's…" he gave a helpless chuckle, "unique."
Eliyon's mouth quirked into a small smile.
"Come with me," Gabriel said as a thought struck him. "There's something I want to show you."
He took Eliyon to the Citadel and when they landed in the courtyard, the Fledgling gazed up at the choirs. His bronze wings seemed to rise of their own accord and his feathers fluffed happily as he closed his eyes, a rapturous expression on his face. Gabriel smiled as he saw Eliyon's Grace glowing brighter until, suddenly, it crackled against his own.
"Lucifer used to lead them," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Eliyon looked at him, his silver eyes shining like stars. "Really?" He gazed up in wonder, imagining how glorious that must have sounded.
"Then, the fighting started," Gabriel added sadly.
"Will he ever sing with them again?" Eliyon asked.
"Maybe," Gabriel replied, trying to not sound as hopeless as he felt.
"I hope so," Eliyon said and followed Gabriel up the steps.
"This is the Mercy Room," Gabriel told him, showing the massive chamber with a sweep of his arm. "We bring our petitions here, both for Father and for each other. This is what I wanted to show you." He strode to the altar and lifted Eliyon so he could see over the golden rim.
Eliyon's wings fluttered, reflexively trying to escape the intense heat coming up from the glowing coals.
"Our Grace burns like the lamps of holy fire," Gabriel told him. "An open flame, hot, dangerous, especially when it combines with others. Yours is like one of these coals, burning just as hot, but the fire is…contained. That's why it was so difficult for you to connect with the rest of us. Our fire was just skimming across your coal."
"Oh," Eliyon said slowly. Then, he reached out a tentative hand and held it above the coals, watching the air twist in the heat as he contemplated this thing that was just like him. Every cruel word, both unintentional and intentional, came back to him, from Liel telling him that his Grace was weak, to Zachariah, who wasn't even a Fledgling anymore, plucking the feathers out his wings and telling him that he would never be able to fly. As he felt the heat washing over his hand, it suddenly struck him that Father had chosen those glowing embers to fill his altar…instead of fire. So, maybe, just maybe, Father had a purpose for making him a coal instead of an open flame.
"Is there a Judgment Room, too?" Eliyon asked suddenly.
"You're standing in it," Gabriel replied, his content mood evaporating.
"But, you said it was called the Mercy Room," Eliyon insisted in confusion.
Gabriel nodded. "Sometimes one takes the place of the other," he said grimly.
He remembered the day they went to war against the Darkness, the first time he had felt the power of his father's wrath. Heaven had darkened and even the light of the lamps was swallowed. Then, the altar had suddenly erupted into a roaring pillar of flame that nearly touched the ceiling and the four Archangels had staggered back from the heat. He remembered Lucifer stepping in front of him to shield him from the inferno while Michael moved to protect Raphael.
"When it is time for mercy, the coals lie here, at rest," Gabriel went on. "When it is time for judgment, the coals become a devouring flame."
Eliyon's expression became grave. He could feel the power of Father's judgment sleeping beneath the smoldering coals.
"Your feathers are a mess!" Gabriel exclaimed suddenly with a laugh. "Come on."
He led Eliyon back outside but before they left the room, Eliyon glanced back at the altar.
Father made me a coal.
His feathers fluffed happily again once they were outside and he could hear the choir singing.
"BALTHAZAR!"
Michael's wrathful shout shattered the tranquility.
Gabriel turned toward the sound and saw the sandy-winged Fledgling dive out of one of the library windows. The golden-haired Archangel pulsed his Grace, drawing the young Angel to him before Michael could emerge, as well.
"It was an accident!" Balthazar cried as he landed at Gabriel's feet. "I promise it was!"
Gabriel cocked his head, studying the Fledgling and trying not to laugh.
"What happened to your wings?" Eliyon asked.
Balthazar frowned at the rosy blush that covered the ends of his feathers. "Today, Esme showed us a red bird that lives on Earth. I was trying to bring it here," he explained sourly.
"You tried to summon a bird?" Gabriel asked, unable to hide his grin.
"I did everything right!" Balthazar exclaimed in frustration. "I don't know what went wrong."
Gabriel thought for a moment, recalling everything necessary to perform a successful summoning. First, you had to identify what you wanted, which required things that would serve as a description, representatively.
"What did you use for the color?" he asked at last.
"A rose," Balthazar replied. "The book said a flower would work."
"Was it fresh?" Gabriel asked.
"Ye-es?" Balthazar answered uncertainly.
Gabriel shook his head. "Needs to be dried."
Balthazar's shoulders sagged and his wings drooped to the ground. "Oh."
"Balthazar!" Michael's angry voice cracked like thunder. He landed in the courtyard, the wind from his wings churning the air like a storm and his emerald eyes flashed with fury as his gaze lit upon the Fledgling.
Balthazar squeaked in fear. "I didn't mean to!"
Gabriel swept both Fledglings behind him with a wing.
"Gabriel, you will not defend him from me," Michael snarled, flaring his wings threateningly.
Gabriel erupted into laughter at the sight of the red stains that covered the longest feathers on Michael's pure white wings.
"This is NOT funny!" Michael growled.
"Yes it is!" Gabriel howled. Still, he was aware of just how angry Michael was and he kept his wings spread protectively.
"This foolishness will stop, right now!" Michael snapped, glaring through Gabriel's wing to where he knew Balthazar was standing; he could see the Fledgling's feet.
"You said that to Lucifer, once," Gabriel reminded him. "Then, you said it to me."
Michael flared even more, his eyes glowing with his anger.
"He's just a Fledgling, Michael," Gabriel reasoned, trying not to laugh anymore. "He was trying to perform a summoning and he used fresh ingredients by mistake. I know he has a reputation for mischief—"
"He has been told to stay out of the library for just this reason," Michael growled.
Gabriel realized that nothing he could say would save Balthazar from Michael's retribution. He pushed a tendril of Grace into Eliyon.
Eliyon grabbed Balthazar's hand and vanished with him.
"Michael," Gabriel began, "is it really such a horrible thing? He didn't damage your wings. They don't even look bad!"
"That is NOT the point!" Michael snapped. He grabbed Gabriel's shoulder and moved him to one side. "Where is he?"
"Dunno," Gabriel said, pursing his lips. He didn't have to feign ignorance this time. He hadn't even felt Eliyon leave. He produced a crystal vial with a flourishing gesture and held it out to his brother. "This should get the stains out."
Michael glared at him, looking for any sign of mischief, then he took the vial. "Thank you," he said gruffly.
"He's just a Fledgling, Michael," Gabriel said again.
Michael glowered but didn't say anything for a moment. "What was he trying to summon?"
Gabriel smirked. "A bird."
Michael's anger vanished and he stared at Gabriel, dumbfounded. "Why, in Father's name, would he want to summon a bird?"
Gabriel shrugged. "I guess he liked the one Esme showed them."
"What kind of bird?" Michael asked.
"A red one," Gabriel replied.
Michael rolled his eyes and turned to leave. A chill washed over them both and Lucifer landed.
"Brother," he greeted Michael, his mouth twitching with the effort of suppressing his amusement as his eyes took in the stains on Michael's wings. "I see Balthazar found his way into the library again."
"Hm," Michael grunted indignantly and took flight.
"I imagine he ran to you," Lucifer said to Gabriel, watching his older brother fly away.
Gabriel shrugged.
"I have work to attend to," Lucifer said. "I only stopped because I saw Michael's wings and I just had to know what had happened. Moments like this make me glad he's such an authoritarian, it wouldn't be nearly as amusing if he wasn't."
"Balthazar didn't think it was funny at all," Gabriel said with a chuckle. "Now, I have go and find them."
"Follow the chaos and I'm sure you'll find him quickly enough," Lucifer laughed and flew off.
Gabriel found Balthazar in the garden with Castiel and the other Fledglings. Esme had never known he was gone and Gabriel wasn't sure if that was a testament to Balthazar's deviousness or Esme's lack of attention. He traced Eliyon back to his aerie and found the Fledgling sitting in the floor, massaging one of his wings.
"What happened?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't know," Eliyon said with a wince. "It started burning when I took Balthazar."
"Let me see," Gabriel said and sat next to him.
Eliyon stretched his right wing out to him and the Archangel ran his hands along the bones. He frowned when he felt heat in the joint and tested the bones for a break. Eliyon grimaced as his injury pulsed with pain in Gabriel's strong grip.
"Did you carry him?" Gabriel asked suddenly, turning Eliyon side-on to him so he could reach the injury better. The bones were intact but he could feel the small fractures from the overexertion.
Eliyon nodded. "He can't fly as fast as I can," he explained.
"Your wings aren't strong enough to be carrying anyone but yourself," Gabriel said. "They'll be fine, but it might be a little while before you can fly long distances."
He massaged Eliyon's wing, infusing his Grace into the muscles and bones to heal the injury. The Fledgling sighed as relief coursed through him.
"Does that mean we can't go back to Earth?" Eliyon asked, disheartened.
"For a little while, it does," Gabriel replied.
"When we do go back," Eliyon stifled a yawn, "can we find some dried roses for Balthazar so he can summon the bird?"
Gabriel grinned. "Maybe so," he said as Eliyon slumped against him tiredly. "Get some rest, kiddo. Your wing will heal faster."
Eliyon didn't reply, but Gabriel felt his Grace sink down into a dull glow. He chuckled and started straightening Eliyon's feathers, carefully infusing more Grace to speed the healing. The bronze wings smelled like the ocean, sand, the woods and the wind and he remembered the moment he'd lost Eliyon and realized he'd crossed to the physical plane. The alarm that jolted him at the memory faded as he felt Eliyon's resting Grace touch his. He shifted and wrapped his wings around them both, only this time, it was for his comfort. He sighed with relief when Eliyon grasped his feathers in his sleep, providing Gabriel undeniable proof that he hadn't lost his Fledgling.
"Next time we go to Earth," he muttered tiredly, "I'll definitely keep a closer eye on you."