Heaven was unlike anything the Tricksters had dreamed of.

And, they were told, that this was the lowest level. Even here, things were beautiful. Light came from everywhere and nowhere at once, things glittered and warmth was everywhere. Though Angels were technically just manifestations of Grace, Gabriel and Babylon saw them as people; strangers, still, but people none the less. Awe filled them as they moved, their bells and jewelry tinkling as they walked through the streets of Heaven, drinking in the warmth and light of it all. It was the second most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, Gabriel thought. Second.

Babylon was as enamored as she was terrified. She spoke to him, in the backward language of Tricksters. "Deracs m'I, Gabriel," she admitted silently, still holding him by the arm. The elder looked to her, wrapping his arm as well as two of his golden wings around her and pulled her close. "It's going to be fine, Babylon," he murmured softly, fingers petting her hair, moving over the decorations in it carefully, "We're going to be fine. This is a good thing, remember? We're doing this for the Tricksters, to save them and put an end to the violence put against them."

The two were directed to two house-like buildings, glittering and grand, and moved towards one. An Angel stopped them, shaking their head. "No. The Female in one, the Male in the other," it told them, "That is the way."

Babylon looked at Gabriel, and he could tell that, for the first time, she was on the verge of panic. The two had never been apart in her entire life, and even Gabriel had only been alone for a few hundred years before meeting her. There was little they had done in their lives without one another, and the idea of having to live separately unnerved them, especially Babylon. "Gabriel -"

"Baby, we're going to be okay," he repeated, like a mantra, a strong hand cupping her small cheek, "We're going to be fine..."

Maybe, if he said it enough, he would believe it. It would be true.

She leaned gently into his hand, and he could tell she was trembling. Gently, he pressed a reassuring kiss to her forehead and moved towards his new home. In the doorway, he heard the young Trickster ask when the moon would rise.

"There is no moon or night in Heaven, Trickster. Only day. Only sun."

And in that instant, Gabriel's heart sank and he ached to comfort her.

Heavenly life took great adjustment. They weren't able to use their power unless specifically given permission. It was indecent to display their wings as they did, so they had to be hidden away at all times. And they were hardly ever allowed to be alone together. There was no need for food, or wine, or sleep, or anything the Tricksters had grown so used to. Things that were normal, things that were a comfort to them. And, as they had learned the first day, there was no night in this Heavenly realm. There was no need. There was no sleep, no dreaming. No moonlight.

And Gabriel could see how badly his Moon Princess was suffering. How horribly she ached for the coolness of moonlight, of its gentle kiss upon her skin once again. How she longed to dance and sing and fly under its loving rays of light. It was a sad, sad sight - her bells taken, her gems removed, her silks put away. Her long, chocolate, wild hair tamed and put up on her head, no longer free to flow behind her as she moved. Her glowing green eyes dulled with sadness. Like an animal caged, forced into submission. And it broke Gabriel's heart.

He, thankfully, was having an easier time. They seemed kinder to him, more welcoming. He was allowed to fly with them, to use more of his power, to explore unchaperoned. Maybe it was the gold of his wings. The look of him. His age. And Gabriel would almost enjoy his privileges - until he would see Babylon, see her bordering misery, and remember that some birds were not meant to be caged. And he would appeal for her, for her equal freedoms. But repeatedly he was told she was too wild. Too dangerous. Too much a creature of Darkness.

And Gabriel could do nothing but watch.

Watch as Babylon sacrificed her freedom, and all things she loved, just to give their kind a chance at redemption. At freedom. A chance that future generations would not be hunted and killed because of what they were. He watched as her unhappiness grew.

But they adored him. Oh, how they adored Gabriel. He was given praise, given favor. His mentors were the best of the best, the Archangels themselves more often than not. Babylon's mentors were sub-par, her advantages little. She was behind, purposefully set behind, as Gabriel advanced and blossomed. He began to love it there, love the people, the world, the sun. Together one day, taking a break from their studies, Gabriel looked over the Kingdom of Heaven with a smile. "Surely there is nobody so lovely and so well beloved as I," he sighed, his smile as bright as the sun he loved so.

And the shadow he cast fell over the younger Trickster he loved, filling her with sweet darkness and growing only darker as the days passed.