Things went by pretty fast from that point on. Contrary to popular belief, angels don't just stand around all day singing and playing harps. We never do, actually. As part of my job as an angel, I was assigned to reconstruction duty, since the war with the Darkness had left much of Heaven torn apart, and a lot still needed to be completed. So we got to work, oblivious to the passing of time. How long had it passed since I came into being? Days? Years? Hundreds of years? Did it matter? Time in Heaven is a strange thing- the notion of it is very different from that on Earth, since neither night nor day exists here.

While we worked away patching up Heaven, Father stayed up there, planning and creating. What he was preparing, we did not know. Every once in a while Michael, or Lucifer, or another of the Arches would come down to relay a message to one of us, who would then pass it on to the rest of us. In that way, a crude hierarchical structure was formed among our ranks. We were gradually organized into Garrisons, each led by a Seraph. They were really a sight to behold, if you humans could see them in their true forms. Six wings sprouted from their backs, with four faces in the form of a variety of different beasts. When one head talked, all three of them spoke. Sometimes I wondered what would happen if the heads got into an argument with each other.

Anael was the head, well, heads of my Garrison, which consisted of about 50 or so brothers and sisters. I still remember the names of every single one. I would list them all out, but they will be mentioned some way or the other later on. For now, I'll describe Anael the best I can.

Anael, Anna being her human name, was what you could call a bit different from the others. She was from the start, and sometimes a distant look would drift over her features. I think she was bored, if such a word existed then. Bored of Heaven, of the blankness and silence that we angels were so accustomed to. Sometimes she'd pause suddenly, just to look around at us, the shadow of a frown over her features. She never asked too much from us, never rose her voice even if she had four heads that were capable of shattering the ears of a whole stadium full of humans. I grew on her, I think, and she favored me slightly more than the rest. Sometimes, between construction periods, the two of us could be found off to the side. Just sitting and talking. Balthazar, perhaps the most outspoken one in our Garrison, always teased me about it, saying,

"Look at you two, all snuggled up together. I really must congratulate you, Cas."

I never did understand what he was congratulating me on.

After the construction of Heaven was completed, we all wondered what to do next. We'd built up so many cities from the ground, but none of them were inhabited. Angels have no need for a shelter, as we don't sleep or eat, but we didn't question what we were ordered to do. So we just wandered through the empty cities, and waited and looked upwards in hope that Father will soon send one of his Archangels to give us directions. We lived to serve Him. Doing his Word was our food and sustenance. Without it we were nothing.

Finally, the day came, though none of us expected what would happen next. Lucifer appeared in a gust of wind, landing in our midst. Quickly, we all stood, waiting to receive revelations. Instead, Lucifer, who was smiling so brightly that we couldn't help but grin along, declared,

"Brothers and sisters, I bring warm regards from Father! Rejoice, for He has just announced to us of an upcoming creation- one that He invites you all to come witness. It will be called 'Earth', and it will be a second paradise, a second Heaven."

Many of us didn't comprehend this concept. Why have another Heaven on this "Earth", when we already had more than enough space here? We were all silent for a long while, trying to grasp what Lucifer had told us. I glanced at Anael, who was standing beside me. Instead of seeing the confusion that everyone else wore, I saw hope. It was an unexpected thing to see, and it surprised me. Why was she hopeful? I just didn't understand.

Lucifer left after this message, leaving us to ponder about this news by ourselves. Before he ascended, though, his eyes had paused to linger on us. I repeatedly have to tell myself that he was good back then, or my mind will twist the truth - the truth that Lucifer had given us a look of infinite love. It had shone from his eyes and spilled out through his expression, filling us with emotions that we rarely allowed ourselves to feel.

Bliss…

Joy...

Affection…

For years after I would recall that look, and imagine that if Father Himself had smiled down on us, that was what He would look like. It's no wonder why Lucifer was His favorite.

An indefinite amount of time passes, until one moment we hear this sound in our ears. It's hard to explain, but could be comparable to a loud "PING", with its vibrations carrying on for a long time after. I glance around, my siblings all pausing and doing the same, unsure of what was happening. But it was something big. Shortly after, a thunderous rumble shook the ground beneath us and sent shockwaves through the air. It took me a while to realize where it was coming from. It came from Father, high up above where light now swirled, forming and reforming in bursts of brilliant, sizzling power.

The creation of Earth had begun.

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