They began to hate her.

Babylon was ignored, scorned almost, by the Angels of Heaven. They were abrasive towards her, harsh, treating her more as a prisoner than a guest or future Archangel. It seemed that the choice had been made, even before their training had completed. And there were times where Gabriel noticed. Times when Babylon would try to go to him, to beg for his help, for them to forget the whole thing and leave. He could hear her crying when she thought no one could hear, listened as she was slowly driven down and near to insanity because of the neglect, because of her captivity. But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly takes hold of the mind of its host. And that foolish Trickster did nothing to stop the destruction of one who had needed him most.

Gabriel was nearly worshiped. The Angels loved him, Archangels befriended him. He made them laugh, brought them joy, and thrived. This world, it seemed, was meant for him. It was as if Gabriel had been born to the wrong species - something, the Archangels told him, that could be easily remedied. And he was thankful. No longer did he associate himself with Tricksters. As far as he was concerned, he was an Angel, a Knight of Heaven, willing and ready to protect and defend the home he had come to know and love. The thousands of years in Heaven had changed Gabriel, had molded him into just what the Archangels had wanted all those years ago - a being of power, akin to Archangels, with all the knowledge and ability to take on such a heavy task.

And the Darkness she loved so much turned violent, and angry. It began to devour her, rot her from the inside out. And locked away in that house, thrown aside like an old doll, it festered. It bloomed. It turned into something powerful and frightening and awesome all at once. And the more they adored him, the less Gabriel came to her. The less the sun frightened away the Darkness. The less it feared escape. The less she feared it.

Gabriel flourished. He was allowed his powers as often as he pleased. With no guard, he was free to do as he pleased. He was one of them. One of the Angels. The Chosen Trickster. And he loved it. He loved the praise, and the worship, and the adoration. The feeling of being wanted - needed. And soon, his Moon Princess, his True Mate, his other half, was nothing but a faint memory in the mind of the Sun God.

The Darkness twisted her. Made her feral. Held hostage in the place she had almost considered a home, her mind began to unwind. She began to see things in the walls, hear voices in the air, sounds that frightened her and soothed her all at once. Wings, seeable and unkempt, beat furiously as she tried breaking free from her cage. From her prison. From the thoughts filling her head. How dare they ignore her! How dare they scorn her! Was she not just as powerful as Gabriel? Was she not a ruler too? Wouldn't she, had she actually been given the chance, been an Angel just as (if not more) powerful than he?

What was wrong with the darkness? With the night? Was it because she was kissed by the Moon, because she was born in the Darkness? Because her wings were black, the color of night and therefore she was considered evil? What was wrong with her? What had made them scorn her so?

Had she not tried? Had she not, despite her fear, been kind? Obeyed their laws, their customs? Had she not done everything they asked without question? Had she not given over everything she was to please them? Hadn't she sacrificed enough?

And Gabriel sat in his home, brushing his wings, the warmth of the eternal sunlight filling his room, filling his heart. He was ignorant to, or otherwise wished to ignore, the torment going on in the home beside him. There was nothing but the promise of eternal happiness. Of eternal love, and family, and acceptance. Of power beyond anything he had ever imagined. And for Gabriel, that was all he wanted. To walk in the sunlight. To be as powerful as it was bright. To wield swords of flame and blow the sacred trumpet and rule over Heaven and Earth beside those he now strongly considered his brothers. He was of the Sun, of the Light. And that was where he would stay.

The sound echoed through Heaven and shook Gabriel from his rest.

The sunlight that shone eternally began to dim, throwing the Heavens into darkness. There were screams, sounds of terror and confusion that echoed through the usually serine city. He burst from his home, honey eyes watching as the cloud of darkness began to spread from the place it had started.

Directly above Babylon's home.

He turned, his eyes watching as the dark cloud spread from one central point. The house itself lay in ruin, crumpled ash below the cloud that throbbed and swirled above it. From the cloud came a shade, a shadow of what had once been Babylon. Skin and eyes black, hair swirling and waving behind her in the wind caused by the beat of her now massive wings, it was clear the beast was now more than just Trickster. It was something else, something dark, something new entirely. And when it spoke, when she spoke, it was only a ghost of the voice Gabriel recognized.

"Abandon your hope, forget your sun," it trilled, insanity echoing in its voice, "The night will last forever."

And there was destruction. Lightning crashed down from the massive clouds of darkness, striking down buildings and structures of Heaven, destroying things, beginning fires. And all Gabriel could do was watch; watch with anger, watch with fear. And then the Archangels arrived, standing beside him as he stared up at the beast that had once been someone he loved more than life itself. "You must destroy it," they told him, "Banish it to Hell, to the Cage, where it belongs. Then you will earn your rank among us, Brother Gabriel."

Eyes stared at them, watching as they offered him a flaming sword. They flicked towards Babylon, who's insane laughter had yet to pause, who had no idea of just what was going down below her on the ground. Slowly, he took the flaming sword into his hands, weighing it in his hands, feeling it and knowing just what it meant. Redemption. His rightful place. Becoming a hero. His eyes slit as he looked back up at her, his wings spreading as he moved into the air and prepared to do battle with what once was his only friend.