A/N: Hi, hi, Luci here!

Okay so, before you start reading this thing, I gotta make it clear that this is basically an AU of an AU. A 'Lucifer' AU that my girlfriend and I have expanded on quite a bit. So if you haven't read the stories for those, you should go do that first. I mean, you don't have to - but I will explain here that my Michael is different from the canon version of Michael. In my AU, Michael is the second-born angel and Lucifer's older brother, not his twin. This is an AU of that AU.

A while back, my girlfriend and I were toying with the idea of Michael, wracked with jealousy and hatred, becoming the Devil instead of Lucifer. So this basically expands on that. I'm considering doing a series on this, but for now I'd just like to know what you guys think.

Hope you enjoy the story! ^^

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time, there was a loyal little archangel. He was a Prince, he was a soldier, he was everything that everyone needed him to be and more. A poster child for obedience if there ever was one; the second-born son of God and Goddess, the two highest celestial beings in the universe. And he might have just been the second-born child, but even his oldest brother Amenadiel could hardly rise to his level. The archangel, Michael, was - quite possibly - the highest ranking angel in the Silver City. Second only to God Himself; even his mother found it impossible sometimes to stand at Her husband's side, often becoming frustrated with Him, and His antics, and His creations. But Michael stood by Him dutifully, happy to serve, day and night. He never questioned; his loyalty never faltered; he never doubted, for a second, his Father's magnificence. He was the All Powerful, the Almighty, the brightest, shining star in Heaven. No, nobody else could light a candle to Michael's loyalty and obedience. He was the perfect son.

And how did that work out for him, you might ask? How did all his loyalty, his unconditional love, his hard work, his blood, his sweat, his tears - all dedicated to his Father - pay off? Well, it didn't.

Michael worked his wings off, slaving day and night to carry out whatever orders God requested. He watched the fledglings, he trained the soldiers, he patrolled the Garden of Eden. And he took his sweet, darling little brother Samael under his wing when he was asked to do so. Oh, how bright the Lightbringer shone when he was created. How adorably naive he had been. When Samael had been born, Heaven had been turned upside down. Suddenly, God wasn't the brightest star in Heaven; the little angel's radiance outshone even that of their Father's. It irked Michael from the beginning, but God never seemed to mind. He, just like everyone else, was captivated by his beautiful little creation. The Little Lightbringer would take them places, their Father would insist. The Little Lightbringer would bring Heaven to glory. He is the One.

"You must teach him, Michael. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have mentor him."

"Yes, Father, of course."

Before Samael, Michael's life had been perfect. The orders he carried out were so simple, to him. He had never doubted his Father's judgement, not once. But then the little angel came, and he threw the archangel for a loop. Suddenly Michael found himself disgusted with God's choice, he found himself angry with how easily the angel managed to blindsight their magnificent Father. Everyone else saw Samael's light, but the Prince only saw his darkness. At first, his younger brother was… well, he was obedient. Back then, he knew only what he'd been taught - to carry out his Father's wishes. But then the other angels had begun spoiling their brother. God, even, let him get away with so many things… it was only natural for Samael to realize how special he was, and how easily he could get away with things. So when he started testing his boundaries, pushing the limits between him and their Father, Michael watched. He watched as, time and time again, Samael was forgiven. Mistake after mistake, forgiven, forgotten.

Everyone in the Silver City let Samael get away with his antics - but not Michael, oh, no. Michael took it upon himself to be the only one who didn't. While everyone else adored the Little Lightbringer, the Prince decided to make his disdain for him clear. He was hardest on his brother during training - even when they weren't training, really, he ripped his brother apart. If not with weapons, then with words. And, oh, the pleasure he took in it. His younger brother, Raphael, who had been born just after him, noticed the games he played with the Little Lightbringer. And he, too, with some persuasion, came to realize how manipulative the little angel could really be. He didn't participate in the torture Michael put their brother through - but he was the only one, in the beginning, to see how ridiculously spoiled little Samael had been. But it wasn't enough.

It wasn't enough, not for Michael. He wanted everyone to see. He wanted God to see. So he continued pushing, prodding, testing his limits and trying to bring Samael to the brink every time. But every time he thought this is it, this is the day he snaps, his brother was consoled by one of his other siblings. Amenadiel, Gabriel, Azrael. He was brought back from the edge each time, and a large chunk of Michael's progress was proven to be in vain. He had to think of something.

Why was it so easy to dismiss Samael's wrongdoings? He hardly even got scolded for the things he did. That was what made Michael start to press harder - not at his brother, this time.

At God.

Slowly, steadily, Michael turned his focus to other things. The things Samael did, the things he got away with. It started with the little things, conveniently 'forgetting' to carry out orders. God didn't notice, so the archangel upped his game a little. A white lie here, a whisper there, some 'Father said' every now and again, and he even had other angels, loyal angels, obeying his commands instead of God's. He twisted his Father's words, sprinkled in some flavor to some of his orders. Sometimes he even told them to do the exact opposite of what God had asked. And for a long time, a few hundred years, he got away with it. And during that time, Michael actually began to enjoy doing the things he was doing. The angels that were unfortunate enough to get caught doing something Michael had told them to do were punished - and the archangel even managed to get Samael in trouble a few times, for things he hadn't even done. That was the funniest thing, watching their brother, who 'didn't lie', insist that he hadn't done anything wrong. And watching nobody believe him - because Samael had a reputation.

And on the surface? Michael managed to maintain his 'loyal son' image, all the while going behind his Father's back to stir up as much trouble as he could. The truth was, he realized, it wasn't really Samael he had been angry with. It had always been God. Even taking his anger out on his little brother hadn't been as satisfying as watching Heaven dissolve into chaos, and watching his beautiful Father scramble to pick up the pieces and figure out what was going on.

Once he started, Michael couldn't stop.

Once he started, Michael didn't want to stop.

Eventually, of course, all good things came to an end. The things he did… he continued to press harder and harder, not just for his own enjoyment, but toying with the idea of getting caught. He wanted to see the look on God's face when He realized His loyal soldier wasn't so loyal. He might not have been the Favorite Son, but he still had a reputation of his own. He wanted to know what would happen when his Father realized he had tarnished that reputation willingly. He wanted that to be the moment he confronted his Father. He wanted that to be the moment the Almighty's light faded out completely. He wanted to stamp it out himself, whatever the cost.

So he became more reckless. More open with his disobedience. It started with the creation of the first 'Humans' - the 'Demons', the failed Project. When they were cast out of Heaven, Michael took it upon himself to bring them back. So what if they weren't what God intended? The archangel let them through the gate, let them storm the Silver City, the halls of Heaven. That was when he received his first warning from God.

"Michael, I can't believe you-!"

"Oh, it's alright, Father. It's not like they hurt anybody."

He was ecstatic, seeing the horror on God's face. But his Father still ended up dismissing him after that, and so Michael decided to lie low for a bit, recharge and see what else God had in store. He continued to toy with Samael for a while after that, more so for his own amusement than anything. Not physically - not anymore, no, he didn't lay a hand on his brother. By then, Michael had come to realize that his anger wasn't really directed toward the Little Lightbringer. He wasn't going to take it out on him anymore, either. No, instead, he filled Samael's head with doubts of his own. Wondered aloud what in the world God could be doing now, and what could possibly be more important than His own family. Samael never responded - but he could see the wheels turning in his head anyway. That's when his brother started to act out a little more, too.

Next came the creation of Humans. His Father's Project finally kicked off. Adam and Eve were… they were simple, but they were beautiful. Michael watched them in silent fascination, while the other angels didn't take too much interest in them. They were told not to go into the Garden after the Humans had been placed there - and once again, Michael saw opportunity.

He ventured into the Garden. Of course he did; there was only one angel outside to guard it, and Michael was God's right hand. He could get through any angel, any gate he pleased. And to keep himself on the 'down low', he decided to briefly take another form. The moment he stepped through the gate, he held himself up on four golden paws. His wings were still spread, outstretched from the lion's back, but Michael made no effort to put them away just yet. There was no reason to - he wasn't allowed to expose himself to the Humans, which just made him want to do it more. So he continued on his way through the Garden without breaking stride.

When he found the Humans, he did something… irreversible.

"My Father has been lying to you… there's so much more out there than even you Humans could dream of. But I could teach you… if you'd like…"

The Humans and their curiosity encouraged him. They wanted to learn more, and so he taught them. He taught them all about God and His Power and His Rules and all of the Divine Knowledge they weren't supposed to know about. He fed into their curiosity and watched as it continued to grow, as their questions became more frequent, as they began pressing more and more. He was happy to tell them whatever they wanted to know. And when, finally, their curiosity had reached its peak - he led them to the Tree. He told them that there was only so much even he could teach them, but if they really, truly, wanted to know what it was like to understand Divinity… then they needed to know what it was like to understand that they could hold the same kind of power. They were capable of creating things, just as God was. They were capable of choosing their own paths and making their own decisions. They had something beautiful; Free Will. Oh, Michael thought it was just Divine, itself…

… how easily he could use that to manipulate them. It was a bitch sometimes, he'd admit. But Humans weren't perfect, and neither was God, neither were angels. They were capable of more than what God could offer them - and, you know what? He realized that so was he. He was capable of more than what he had been. He could be anything - not just a loyal, stupid soldier clinging to his Father's throne. So when the Humans took that leap into their Free Will, he jumped right along with them. They ate the fruit, and he waged a war against his Father.

In the beginning, there was God.

In the end, there was Michael.

He looked into his Father's eyes during the Trial, answered each question with a grin on his face. Plead 'guilty' when asked, and surveyed the entire room to watch his siblings' reactions. Raphael had his head down, eyes averted. Amenadiel wasn't looking at him, either, but he could sense his brother's anger with ease. And Samael… oh, Samael, at Michael's side, was tense. Eyes on the floor, fear racing through the little angel's heart. Michael couldn't help but grin. Samael could stay by God's side if he really, truly wanted to. He could become the loyal soldier Michael had long given up on trying to be. He'd come to realize that it wasn't worth it eventually.

The Fall was a beautiful moment for him. A moment that struck the realization that God's love was, indeed, conditional. To be loved by God, one had to obey his every command without question, without hesitation. To be loved by God, one had to give up every piece of themselves, every bit of Free Will and sense of self-worth that they had. And that was the moment he realized that everyone's love was like that. If you pushed someone hard enough, love could easily dissolve into hatred; that was what had happened to him. His own love toward his Father had been conditional. And that meant that love just wasn't worth it; receiving it and giving it, there wasn't any point to it. He was tired of being bound by expectations, by loyalty.

Everyone says Michael became the Devil when he fell into Hell, but that wasn't true. Michael became the Devil the moment he caught a glimpse of what was beyond the rose-colored glasses he wore. His Father wasn't perfect. Nobody could be perfect. Not even God himself. No, Michael became the Devil when Samael was born. And he would always have his little brother to thank for that, for being the reason Michael started looking beyond just being the perfect son. He had loved Heaven, once upon a time - but he found more refuge in Hell. Free of expectation, free of perfection. Hell was an enigma in itself, filled with anomalies, Demons, failed creations. Hell was feared, looked down upon in disgust. That was just how Michael liked it.

Once upon a time, the archangel Michael was cast out of Heaven and condemned to rule Hell for all eternity. 'Condemned' is a word Humans use to describe a punishment. A conviction. And, once upon a time, Michael didn't see it that way. If anything, he used to love it.

But it was Lilith's idea to leave. Oh, Lilith… how he admired her. The first Human to defy God's wishes, all on her own. The first soul to become a Demon. His first recruit in the War.

She followed him into Heaven. He found it only fitting to follow her through the gates of Hell. And so that was what he did, letting her guide him along, to a place he'd never been before. A vacation was just what he needed, she insisted. A break. Just to see how the beloved Humans were carrying on. Yes, Michael certainly adored Humans. It was one thing that hadn't changed. He respected them, admired them. So, he figured, fine, he might as well go on and check up on his Father's creation. Sure, Hell was home - but certainly Earth could be a great vacation spot.