Two chapters posted today! Make sure you read the previous one before reading this, the last chapter of the story!

A huge thank you goes to everyone who has reviewed this story: Alycia, BelayaNika, coldforangels, darkumbreon9, FashionablyHospitable, InkyNeck, kytee, Lita12576, MeemeBear, MindyB, NotReallyMagical, RandomFandom5, Scotty Cat, Syndicate327, XMissxHallawayX, yetanotherside, and my anonymous reviewers! All of your words always made me smile! I look forward to your reactions to the sequels!

FAREWELL

Raphael was in his war room, alone, when Gabriel arrived. He glanced up at the other Archangel, scowling at his brother.

"Here to dissuade me?" Raphael asked, unrolling a map of one of the farthest corners of the universe.

"No," Gabriel answered, tucking his hands behind his back. "Not here to talk about controlling the universe at all."

"Then you can wait." Raphael turned his back to Gabriel. "I'm in no mood for a fight with you."

"Five minutes, Raphael." The numbness that had pervaded Gabriel's spirit still filled him, a blank calm leaving him uncharacteristically serene. There was one more thing that needed to be done before he could leave, one last loose end to tie up. "I'm asking as your twin. Please."

The normal swirl of Raphael's grace stuttered at the dual blow of 'twin' and 'please,' two words the younger Archangels did everything they could to avoid with each other. Slowly, the Archangel of the Air turned his head toward Gabriel, studying him for any sort of trickery. Gabriel offered him nothing more than calm, core-deep and complete.

"Very well." Raphael walked around his table to a nearby chair, clearly using this time to recompose himself. His grace tightened around him, controlled and contained. Raphael folded his wings behind his back and looked up at Gabriel expectantly.

Ordinarily, Raphael's haughty appraisal would have made Gabriel fidget, but not today. This was for the good of Heaven. For once, Gabriel could feel utter certainty filling him. This was the right decision. He had no room for doubt.

"What is it?"

"I'm leaving." Still no fear. Gabriel radiated peace at his brother. "I came to say goodbye."

"Leaving?"

"The Host. Heaven. I am renouncing my position and leaving."

The words were spoken. Gabriel couldn't take them back now. The words were spoken, and Raphael had heard them. Gabriel felt giddy laughter bubbling up within him. He was leaving! A smile threatened to tug at his mouth, but he bit it back. Raphael would not understand if Gabriel found this amusing.

"Leaving." Raphael slowly pushed himself to his feet, his eyes narrowed, a dark anger growing in his grace. "When we need the power of the Archangels the most is when you turn your back on us? You dare, you have the audacity-"

Gabriel held up a hand, cutting Raphael off. "It has to be done. You know it does. One of us has to leave, Raphael. I can't do this anymore. I can't stay locked up in Heaven and fight for the rest of eternity. I can't. You can't. Heaven would not survive both of us here together. Not without Father. I can't do that to my choir, my brothers… to you. I can't do it anymore. I quit."

Raphael sank back into his chair, his grace a cloud of disbelief around him. "Then why are you even here? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I've seen what happens to an Archangel who loses his partner," Gabriel answered. "I've seen Michael fall. Angels aren't meant to be alone. You and I have never been close, Raphael, but we've also never been apart. Not like this. You'll be on your own here. I won't be your scapegoat anymore. I hope… I hope you and Michael can turn to each other. You'll both be without your partner, and let's face it; you've always preferred him over me. Maybe you two can support each other. He's moving again. You can help him recover."

"You will be alone," Raphael pointed out, "unless you free Lucifer and join with him."

"I've had practice being alone, in my years on Earth," Gabriel answered. "I'll endure. After these last few centuries shared with you, I think I may even enjoy my solitude."

Raphael pressed his hands against the map table before standing again. "You always do everything wrong, Gabriel, and now you have made a grave mistake."

"I've thought this through. For centuries, even."

"No." Raphael's sword hummed like a cloud pregnant with lightning as he unsheathed it. "You should not have told me first. The penalty for leaving Heaven," he launched himself across the table, silver blade swinging down, "is death."

Gabriel had been expecting Raphael's attack since he first stepped into this room. He blocked Raphael's lightning strike with his own blade, the crash of Archangel sword against Archangel sword rattling through the Heavens. Outside Raphael's war room, Gabriel could hear Seraphim shouting, calling their garrisons to them for battle. Gabriel slammed his fiery wings against his brother, throwing him back, before he launched himself out of the room.

The Archangel took advantage of the Seraphim's confusion, rocketing toward Earth, pushing his wings as if God Himself was calling one last time. He didn't dare fold with so many angels around him—if one got caught up in his grace, he could drag them along and be easily found again. Instead, he flew, his eyes on the eastern gate. Angels all around him shouted, but he didn't turn back. Raphael was always faster in the open air. Gabriel had only bought himself a few seconds' head start.

A few seconds was all it took to plunge through the Borderlands and into Earth's atmosphere. He plummeted through the clouds and into a thick forest. Raphael was right behind him, a wordless scream in the air.

Raphael was never faster around obstacles.

Gabriel trimmed his wings, weaving through the heavy trees with an ease born of long practice in his decades alone on Earth. He yanked his grace in as he flew, incrementally dimming his presence. Loki, you better have felt me! He cast what remained of his grace ahead of him, seeking out the young god.

Each wingbeat increased the distance between the two Archangels. Raphael hadn't been to Earth in centuries. He was unaccustomed to real wind (wind that pushed Gabriel forward and pulled Raphael back? Barachiel!), to the solidness of trees, the way their branches twined together. Gabriel listened to the curses Raphael hurled after him, tracking how much time he had before his brother could catch him.

Almost, almost…

Gabriel felt a tingle off to the south. He banked right and shot toward the closest mountain, praying the flare of power was who he thought it was. There! A figure lounged against a birch tree, apparently asleep.

"Loki!" Gabriel came to an abrupt stop over the god, flapping his wings awkwardly to keep his momentum from toppling him forward. "Last chance! Any second thoughts?"

Loki cracked open one honey-colored eye to grin at the angel. "Still promising my name will never be forgotten?"

Gabriel nodded. "I promise. I'll make sure the whole world knows your name Loki. You'll still be worshipped a thousand years from now. Just say yes."

The god grinned and spread his arms. "Then what are you waiting for, o shiny one? Hop in. Yes. I'm yours."

Gabriel reached for Loki, pouring himself through the golden bridge and into the god's body. Raphael was bearing down on him. He didn't have time to waste.

Gabriel ripped the excess grace from his wings, pulling it free as Lucifer must have once, centuries ago. He balled the grace up and flung it toward the nearest mountain, willing it to create a trail for Raphael to track. By the time his brother burst into view, Gabriel was once against reclining against the tree, his eyes closed, apparently asleep.

Raphael snatched Gabriel up, his unfiltered hand searing against Loki's throat, and slammed him against the tree. "Angel!" he snarled.

Gabriel choked, clawing at Raphael's hand as the Archangel broke the god's neck. It was not a fatal injury, but it still hurt.

This was the one untested part of Gabriel's plan: how much of himself could he hide behind Loki's own power? A Cherub like Metatron could hide completely behind a human soul, but an Archangel was a different story. Just as he would never be able to veil his immense grace completely from an angel's eyes, he would also never pass as fully human. If he had taken a vessel in his bloodline, Raphael would have found him out immediately just by glancing at him. Loki, though, Loki already glittered with his own form of power. Gabriel couldn't hide his grace, but could he disguise it as nothing more than a pagan god's own abilities?

"I am looking for an angel." Raphael seemed to remember creatures of Earth needed their throats to speak and flung Gabriel to the ground. He pressed the tip of his silver sword against Loki's burnt skin, drawing a bead of blood. If he shoved now, Gabriel would die.

"Angel?" Gabriel rasped through Loki's crushed throat. "Big glowy streak of light, like you?"

"Yes. Gabriel, my brother."

Gabriel stamped down the rising giddiness within him and lifted a hand to point toward the mountains. "Just missed him, sunshine."

Just like that, Raphael was gone, streaking toward the mountain. Gabriel let out a deep breath, pressing the heels of his borrowed hands against his eyes. His grace surged forward, already repairing the damage to Loki's throat. It worked. It worked! Raphael, his partner, his twin, had looked right at him and did not see! He would follow Gabriel's false trail to the end and find no angel. Heaven would look fruitlessly after Gabriel's vessels. None of them would think to double-check with the god who had witnessed the angel's escape. By the time they realized something was wrong, Gabriel would be long gone.

Gabriel lifted one hand, pressing his thumb to his finger. This was it. He had left. He was free.

Snap!

TO BE CONTINUED...

...in Left Behind, starting tomorrow!