Gabriel stood uneasily and Samael stood before her, her former love wearing a pair of Michael's beloved wings… Gabriel had a feeling this was not going to go very well…
"So… Michael wants his wings back, and the Maker has sent you to retrieve them… His little errand boy, his messenger, the fleet-footed Gabriel. What do you expect of me, Jibril?" Samael's arms folded, his emerald eyes glinting, bloodstained wings shifting now and then to remind of Michael's he wore.
Gabriel winced at the nickname. It was the name she was destined to take, should she Fall. Before, it had not held such dire meaning, and was no more than a whispered lover's name, but she'd learned of its full meaning since the Fall, and being called by it made her tremble. "I expect nothing, Shamael," she bit back, horribly pleased as Samael recoiled at the use of his Angelic name. "But I had hoped you would return those wings to me. Or is it your wish to see me suffer for failure?" Gabriel prayed it was not so.
Samael sighed. "I do not wish suffering on you, my dear Jibril. Gabriel, if you will take away my name for you."
Gabriel appeared embarrassed, seeing Samael honestly wounded that he should no longer be allowed to call Gabriel by Jibril. She looked away shyly, softly interrupting, "Jibril is fine…"
Samael seemed relieved and continued, "Jibril, I do not wish suffering on you. I have seen that lot, and it is not what I want for you. But I will not give back Michael's wings: never for nothing. They are my trophies. If God will make you suffer for circumstances beyond your control, then you see why I choose to Fall and follow Our Morning Star then scrape for the arbitrary Deity."
"Samael, please," Gabriel begged, but she stopped as Samael threw up a hand.
"It's too late. I've said I'd never do it for nothing, and what have I been offered? Unlike God and His hordes, we in Gehenna keep our word and hold it sacred." Samael looked at Gabriel with finality, but something of sadness too. "My Jibril, for what becomes of you for this, I will be miserable, but it is done."
Gabriel sighed. "Then I have no other choice." Gabriel attacked Samael boldly, screaming hopelessly, hating this fate.
The battle was shockingly quick, but powerful, heated. Helplessness and anger fueled the two Seraphim, till Samael pinned Gabriel to the ground, and Gabriel closed her eyes in defeat, and revealed her throat, praying for death.
Samael melted at the miserable sight, leaning down and pressing his lips to Gabriel's throat, and kissing as the other tensed, expecting a bite. Gabriel gasped finding Samael's lips gentle, the fatal fangs drawn back.
"Shah-Shamael, no, I can't…" Gabriel murmured, despite the way she panted, chest heaving.
Samael drew away slowly, reaching down to stroke Gabriel's face. Gabriel struggle to pull herself away, and Samael stood, his countenance black at being denied. However… "Never for nothing. That earns you something…" Samael muttered, reaching back and plucking a single, glimmering, iridescent feather from Michael's beautiful wing and holding it out to Gabriel.
Gabriel looked at Samael suspiciously, accepting the feather slowly, and Samael vanished in a gust of wind, as if sand blown from a statue. Gabriel shook, and fled Gehenna, holding the feather tightly that the winds of madness might not steal it from her on her way back into heaven.
Gabriel was on one knee before the Metatron, and held out the feather Samael had allowed her, pleading her case, leaving out the detail of the kiss for the sake of the other angels present… It was well known that she and Samael had been lovers before the revolution, and her loyalty was doubted now and then as it was, without revealing that… God already knew the truth, anyhow, so Gabriel made it out to the others that the feather had been a gift out of Samael's gratitude at seeing her again, no more…
The Metatron took the feather from Gabriel and inspected it slowly: God had fled Heaven since the Fall of Lucifer and the others, and could not be found… In His stead, the Metatron and seven remaining Seraphim, including Gabriel herself, ruled.
The Metatron held out the feather to Michael, who held the precious plume in quivering hands and looked at Gabriel in disbelief and regret. Gabriel avoided Michael's painful gaze. She'd failed her God, but more than that, she'd failed her friend, Michael.
Raguel stepped forward slowly with Gabriel's judgment. "Gabriel, I am to understand you are withholding parts of the tale for shame. You also failed in your task. For these transgressions, you must be punished."
Gabriel winced, her eyes shut tight, gnashing her teeth and lowering her head with each word.
"However, your inability to complete the task was beyond your control. I am to understand your lie to be insignificant." Gabriel winced again – it was hardly insignificant to her, and the ill fame that would surround him in Heaven had she told the whole truth would have been too great! Yet, she was thankful also, for it seemed this detail might aid her… For angels usually were not allowed redemption.
"Therefore is your punishment mild: you will be born on the earth as a man to be named Noah, and charged with a mission, once there. Your life will be plagued with troubles, great tasks, and half-memories of your existence as the Arch Angel Seraph Gabriel. If you fail, then you will fall as all the humans do, unsaved." Gabriel quivered: failure meant entrapment as a human soul in Gehenna, bound to suffer for eternity, and be abused by her fallen brethren, perhaps Samael himself… She couldn't stand the thought of it and put it away, determined she would not fail.
"If you succeed the great mission, however, then you will ascend once more to Heaven and reclaim your title and have three names: Gabriel, Jibril, and Noah, and you will be known by the first two for as long as you are called Gabriel." Raguel finished coolly, the angel of judgment who'd hardened his heart against being hurt by the task that was his. Few in Heaven faulted Raguel for becoming cold – after all, he'd had to pass judgment on all of Lucifer's legions, even his own love, a task no one envied in the slightest, as they had every one of them lost someone close due to the war.
"Thank you, Raguel, and praise of the highest be to God in His mercy and grace," Gabriel murmured.
"Are you prepared to face your judgment now, Gabriel?" Raguel asked.
Gabriel nodded slowly. "I am prepared," she breathed, and that was the last thing she knew.
Noah shuddered, kneeling on all fours in God's Heavenly temple, Raguel and the Metatron seated before him, Sariel stood at Raguel's side, and the other four Arch Seraphim flanked him. He was not Noah, or he was, but more than that, he was Gabriel. Memories came to fill in the gaps when in life she'd only scraps she could not understand and feared… now she remembered, and feared, and prayed fervently her life had been lead in a way that pleased God fully enough to allow her admittance back into Heaven.
Michael stepped forward, his voice hollow as he intoned, "She succeeded her task this time."
Noah – Gabriel cringed. Pain seared through her body, grateful pain at Michael's defense. She did not deserve it, not when Michael was the one her failure wounded most, but she was so grateful.
Michael stepped back, and Uriel took his place. "Her failure before would have been excusable, but lying to us is not. Perhaps had she not, then this lesson would be sufficient, perhaps make her better than any of us. But her deceit is sickening. Heaven has no place for liars: those belong in Hell."
Gabriel shrank, unable to help but recall Samael's words – "Unlike God and His hordes, we in Gehenna keep our word and hold it sacred." If there was no place for lies in Heaven, and no place in Hell, then what would become of Gabriel, for one lie she'd judged harmless because God would know? Because her beloved God would understand – didn't He?
Azrael replaced Uriel next. "But as Uriel said, this experience will remind Gabriel in the future, and I doubt she will transgress again, knowing the next time she wavers will she Fall. She will be stronger than the rest of us for having failed and known God's punishment, whilst we have only witnessed it and trembled at the imagination of it. I say let Gabriel become a Seraph once more, and shine brighter for this polishing."
Azrael was replaced Raphael, the youngest and sweetest of the Seraphim, who spoke warmly, laying a gentle hand on Gabriel's head, "Our loving God has given Gabriel a chance, and by all accounts, Gabriel has succeeded. Regardless of what her previous crimes are, she was told what penance to pay and tasks to fulfill, and she has paid and fulfilled. Let us call her Gabriel and Jibril alike as it was said we would, and make a Seraph of her again."
Raphael's healing hand soothed Gabriel slightly, and she drew a shaky breath, awaiting the judgment of God through Raguel with as much grace as she could muster.
Raguel and the Metatron were silent a moment as Raphael and the others backed away from Gabriel. She had to accept, for better or worse, on her own.
"Raguel, tell her what has been passed," the Metatron said in his dead voice.
"Gabriel, for your failure and deception you have been challenged with human life and a task of great magnitude, and been harried in all manner of ways, given to all sorts of temptation. You succeeded in your task, and lived life well as may be expected of a human, well enough that your human name will be remembered and given praise for ages hence. However, one temptation continued to hinder you, and will continue to hinder you throughout time."
Samael. Gabriel mouthed prayers, promising to resist Samael's temptation if she could just be granted to stay in Heaven – even if no longer a Seraph, even if only a nameless, rankless, sexless Angel, to be forgotten by her friends of the Seraphim, the Cherubim, by all… If only to stay in Paradise, and not be cast to Sheol as a human spirit…
"It is the hope of the Maker this experience will purify you and keep you from further failure in His service. It is with the understanding that you will not again be granted mercy for any further shortcoming that you will once more be made a Seraph," Raguel concluded, and Gabriel sighed, melted with relief at this pronouncement, and Sariel stepped forward to enact the judgment.
Gabriel gritted her teeth as Sariel unsheathed her sword and cut away Gabriel's clothes. She slit two great cuts down Gabriel's back and Gabriel screamed as her six wings sprouted from her back, and her body filled once more with her former power – it was almost too much to go back to, after living in a human body so long.
Michael stormed away unnoticed, as Sariel rejoined Raguel. Uriel left, displeased with the judgment but conceding it as he dared not question God. Raphael hurried to Gabriel's side, laying his hands on Gabriel's back and healing her, soothing the sickening, sharp pain of the new wings and sudden power.
Gabriel couldn't see through it all, couldn't think or breathe, and slumped to the ground, and young Raphael redoubled his efforts. Azrael watched, wishing there was more he could do, but, as the angel presiding over death, scribes and records, his ability to heal was sadly limited. Likewise did Sariel watch, itching to help, but she was a warrior and musician…
When Gabriel woke again, her first thought was gratitude… Then she remembered hurt Michael, whom she'd failed, who had stood up for her despite that, whom she couldn't see now… She bolted up out of bed and turned to Raphael, who'd stayed with her and was surprised at Gabriel's sudden wakening.
"Where's Michael?"
"Gabriel, You shouldn't be up!" Raphael protested, and, indeed, a wave of dizziness dragged Gabriel's eyes back and she fell back on the bed, struggling to stay sitting up rather then fall back and unconscious again. Her head she held in her hands, sweating and panting heavily.
Slowly, she looked back up at Raphael. "Please…" She whispered. "I have to see Michael."
Raphael sighed. "We're not sure. He's not here."
Gabriel's face sank back into her hands, elbows propped on her knees. She was red-faced with shame. "It's my fault… I should have been able to convince Samael… I should have been able to… I have to find him, Raphael; I have to find Michael!"
"Gabriel, you can't hope to find him now, when you're still so weak!" Raphael argued.
Gabriel stood slowly. "I have to try. And I have to find him alone. If I fail… Then let me Fall, by God. I won't deserve another chance," Gabriel said resolutely. She wasn't exactly sure what she would do when she found Michael, but… She had to do something!
Gabriel walked out slowly, and Raphael sighed, remaining behind, knowing it was useless.
Gabriel had to move slowly, wincing from time to time, her new wings useless for now… In time, she's be healed back to normal, and fly swiftly to carry God's messages, but for now…
After a while, she gave up Heaven, and went to Enoch. She didn't think to meet him there, but the Fallen Angels had an uncanny knowledge of the whereabouts of the Heavenly Angels… Perhaps one would take pity on her and help… Or that sort of knowledge could always be bought…
She concealed herself best she could – a weak angel went under the Fallens' and various demons' and vampires' radars – but if they recognized Gabriel in weakness… She would never see Heaven again…
Gabriel woke to find she was lying on a soft bed. A moment and she realized she was still in Enoch… Her eyes burned, and she sat up, rubbing them tiredly, morosely… She'd failed, and God only knew what had been done to her while she had been passed out…
She stood, looking around, and went into the next room – where Michael paced angrily. Her jaw dropped, and she ran, stumbled to him. "Michael!" she cried.
Michael looked up and glared at her, and Gabriel stopped immediately, fearful of his wrathful, fiery eyes… "You stupid bitch," he scorned, and she shrank.
"Michael. I'm so sorry. I tried, Michael, I did, but – you know Samael!" Gabriel supplicated, putting her hands together as if in prayer.
Michael could only stare at her wings, still wilted and weak, yet… Yet, she had been given her wings back. She, who'd failed and lied, had been given her wings back. And Michael, who'd committed no wrong, but lost his wings to her lover? Nothing. Nothing but a feather, sad remnant of what he'd once had.
"I'm sure you did. Welcome back to the fold, Seraph Gabriel-Jibril. I did my duty, found you passed out in an alley surrounded by a couple of weak Devils and saved you, now I'm done," Michael growled, turning as if to leave.
"Wait, Michael! Please, Michael, please accept my apologies!" Gabriel begged.
Michael looked back over his shoulder at her, his infernal eyes narrow, and after a moment, he turned, then she didn't know him again till she was on her knees on the floor, and his large, hot hands grabbed the base of her wings and tugged, one of his feet anchoring her down.
Gabriel cried out, tears gathering at her eyes, the pain as Michael tugged nearly unbearable. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?" He roared, emphasizing each word with a sharp yank.
"YES, YES, MICHAEL!" Gabriel pleaded, holding up her hands in prayer yet.
"NO! NO, YOU DON'T, YOU STUPID, STUPID BITCH!" Michael roared back.
"PLEASE, MICHAEL! Oh, take them, take them, they're yours and I don't deserve them! Please, Michael, take anything you want from me!" Gabriel offered, sinking into sobs as Michael slowly released her and she sank to the ground.
Michael stood before her, red-faced with anger that he could barely control, and he held out the feather from his wings. "Take it." Gabriel hesitated, and he shook it slightly. "It's no use to me. It was your lover's token to you. Take it!" Michael ordered when Gabriel still hesitated, and Gabriel at last took it, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Michael, and then looked away in shame again.
Michael left, and Gabriel held the beautiful feather delicately, smoothing it out and fixing the torn edges… "I'm sorry, Michael," she muttered over and over, hyperventilating and struggling to calm down, sporadically bursting into tears from time to time till at last there was nothing left in her, and she closed her eyes and held the quill and slowly stood, to journey slowly, painfully back to Heaven…