Seraphim Shadows

A/N: There are two versions currently of this story. One will soon be reaching Fiction Press, and one will reside here. Eventually I'll finish the rest of my stories, but for right now I have no reviews, no inspiration. Oh well. Please enjoy this. Flame me, compliment me, criticize me, I don't care. Just say something.

Chapter One: Hallowed Be Thy Name…

"Lucifer! The Archangels have breached our first line defenses!" A dirty-blonde haired Seraphim came racing up to Lucifer, clutching a roll of parchment. He was bleeding from a small nick on his cheek.

Calmly, the Aphimity Seraphim took the roll and unfolded it. A few seconds passed, and his knuckles turned white, clutching and ripping the parchment.

"Take the third line offenses and force an opening in their fifth line. That should reveal their Sanctifier. You know what to do from there." An edge of coldness entered his voice, hatred spiraling around his aura in dizzying waves.

Azrael almost stumbled from the pathic onslaught. His friend, he could tell, was soon going to unleash a power not seen in five centuries of the Holy Order. Chaos had already sprung, but soon a new terror, more fearful than Purgatory would erupt from Lucifer.

A smart salute was sent towards Lucifer, and Azrael took off again, on foot to protect his wings from the flaming arrows of the White Archangels. He stopped off for a moment to admire his troops, Lucifer's troops. The fifteen Seraphim, and the twenty five Angels. No Archangels. How ironic that it would be the First God would take the Archangels, and youthful Angels.

Fondly he recalled his days as an Angel, before he rose to Archangel, and then Seraphim. He broke away from his thoughts, and launched himself into the air, landing with a light thud in front of the third line offenses.

Immediately the smartened up, standing ramrod straight at attention. All third line offenses were Seraphim. Five Seraphim, exactly one third of the Seraphims.

"Your orders are to penetrate the fifth line defenses to create opening. Lucifer and myself shall attack the Sanctifier, and from there, you will join the remnants of the first line defenses and second line defenses." Azrael rapped out his orders like a drill instructor, pointing to the fifth line defenses, and gesturing to their own first and second line defenses.

A resounding, "Yes sir!" greeted Azrael's ears in unison, and then each rose into the air and dove at lighting speed towards the White defenses. Azrael double-checked his armor, arranging the straps and plates, before unsheathing his Sword. Immediately he returned to Lucifer's side, standing beside the powerful Aphimity Seraphim.

Lucifer's hair was swirling wildly around him in the strong wind. He had clothed himself in similar armor to Azrael's, and prepared his own weapons. A Sword, his Arch, and his Dagger. He carried three weapons: the Sword of Aphimity, the Arch of Demetrius, and the Dagger of Escanova. Carefully he replaced his quiver of arrows with powerful arrows of Purity, making sure to pack enough for both Jehova and the Sanctifier.

He turned to look at his friend, really look at him. Azrael. His true friend. Dirty blonde hair, shattering green eyes, the Angel of Death and Destruction, formerly Holy Scholar of the First God. How he felt for his friend, the pain his friend had gone through. After Jehova had declared war upon Lucifer, Azrael had been cast from the role of Scholar, and given the higher role of Angel of Death and Destruction. So named such, he was bound to the Sword of Destruction, the flaming Sword of ancient legend. Many years had Azrael admired it, encased in glass in the First God's Hall, but never had he expected to be the owner, bound or unbound, of such a weapon.

Lucifer had never expected it either, until Azrael had came to his door, swearing eternal loyalty to the Humanity cause as Lucifer came to call it. He turned back to watch the sky, quickly darkening into night. All day they had fought, since the Dawn of Declaration. There were still neutral Angels out there, hiding away in Sanctuaries, floating amongst humans unseen. But he would soon recruit them. They would win: They had the Seraphims.

Lucifer was ripped from his thoughts as a flaming arrow, dipped in blood came soaring towards them, landing at their feet. Azrael and Lucifer looked at each other, saying so many words their eyes, and sped towards the battlefield. The Sanctifier was open and ready to attack.

Memories flooded their minds as they flew, each lost in the heat of the battle and pain of the past. Their past, their pain, and their tragedies. They recalled when they had researched more on the Sanctifier, on the history of the Holy Order.

The Sanctifier:

The Holy object that supports the First God Jehovah's power, and the power of all common Angels and Archangels. It was created in the time of Creation, when the Fourth Gods of the Universe gathered, and split their rulings. Jehovah would rule Heaven, Purgatory, and any Creations he so chose to. The Second, Third, and Fourth Gods were left with nothing, for Jehovah had tricked them into nonexistence, banishing them to Purgatory: their Powers stripped and combined to form the Sanctifier. They are more commonly known as the personifications of the Southwest Wind, Southeast Wind, and the Northeast Wind. Forever entwined are their Powers in the Sanctifier, unless destroyed by the First God's own servants. Upon destruction they shall scatter, returned to their Commanders, and they shall rise up and Join with the First God. So says the First God, our Lord in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into evil, but deliver us from temptation. For thy is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever, Amen.

Azrael's History:

(A/N: I'm sure that by this point, confusion is overwhelming. I'll try to help, without revealing the whole story here)

Azrael to us is a Fallen Seraphim, lost the world and hidden away from all. Azrael was born at approximately the same time as Lucifer, and so they grew up together. Azrael was sent to the role as a Holy Scholar, and Lucifer became the First God's favorite. Azrael became one of the fifteen Seraphim along with Lucifer, and was so because of his extraordinary Powers and Gifts. All fifteen Seraphim have dirty-blonde hair, as opposing the common Angels and Archangels. Many suspect it was destiny that these fifteen Seraphim, including Lucifer would become the Fallen. They were the only ones to have different hair colors. Please type in these addresses, without spaces to see how my Azrael is portrayed. It is done by mangapunksai with no relation to me whatsoever.

http/www. deviantart .com /view/ 7063291/

http/www. deviantart .com /view/ 12461611/

http/ www. deviantart .com /deviation/ 3412685/

Lucifer's History:

Lucifer is commonly referred to truly as the Devil. He was the only one in all of heaven to have jet black hair. The only one. Though truly Lucifer, after he Fell from Heaven with the other fifteen, went insane from pain and betrayal. One can argue that insanity does not lead to evil, but then I shall ask you, why does insanity generally lead to violence. Lucifer is trapped in insanity for eternity, and was only broken from it a short time by something unknown. In this fic, Lucifer will not go insane, and their shall be no evil excepting the Three remaining Gods of the Sanctifier. He was also referred to before his Fall as Lucifer the Morning Star, God's favorite as usual. Many can and will debate, but please, this is my little personal choice version. Type in theses addresses for profiles.

http/ www. deviantart. com /view/ 12319081/

http/www .deviantart. com /deviation /7030324/

http/www. deviantart. com /view/ 3830124/

http/www. deviantart. com /view/ 3775026/

Quietly, they landed behind a small hill of dead angels, and peered through the bodies at the bleeding mass that created a path to the Sanctifier. Another glance at each other, and they readied their weapons.

Azrael's Sword began it's smiting blaze, and Lucifer's Arch was strung with an arrow, ready for anything. One more nod, and they split across the field of bloody wings at frightening speed, each prepared to destroy…

A/N: Okay. Short, again. But in any case I have a few goodies for you. A few characters will blend in to this story later, so here a few links for you to type in to stare at. Trust me, this will be good. Satan is NOT the same as Lucifer! Please remember this, and all will be explained eventually.

Lilith: http/ www. deviantart .com /view/ 15412724/

Satan: http/ www. deviantart .com /deviation /18299663/

Andrael: http/ www. deviantart .com /deviation /6127024/

Azarael has yet to be drawn. Please wait patiently!