Heaven's Misadventures: one shots

Short - Sammael (If you have a minute why don't we go)

...talk about it somewhere only we know?

Lucifer landed smack on the floor, and laid there for a while when he realised he was in the cage. There was an tugging feeling emanating from the scar where he had carried the Seal for the Darkness, and he rolled over to see a whole lot of dark smoke drain away into the air and dissolve. His wings (which had been a dull, bone white) were suddenly bright and shiny and pale pink once again.

"Huh." Sammael said, as a metaphorical string settled on each one of his wings.

(Two days later, Cage time)

Sammael had gotten over his annoyance and had progressed to quiet acceptance, and grief. He also hadn't moved yet.

He should rectify that.

Sammael gently levered himself upwards and realised exactly how poisonous the Darkness had been, as pathways that hadn't been used in centuries flooded with holy light, spreading through him and settling there. And then-

'Lord Lucifer, accept this sacrifice...' Sammael flinched as the prayer trickled into his awareness with the blood of slaughtered innocents tainting it. "Stop it." He whispered, but of course no one listened. The virgins died, and he heard their dying screams.

Rivkael was above, he knew. Gabriel had been planning to run, if she hadn't already, Raphael was tied and Michael was broken. None of the archangels were
well.  And suddenly-

'Sammael, I don't know if you can hear me.' It was Rivkael, nir prayer clean of taint or murder. 'I found your Lamp, and am protecting it. Heaven is so strange now, Sammael. Isa the Christ is dead. The humans sacrificed him for claiming to be Parent's son. I have visited him in his heaven. It is very peaceful there. I spoke to Raphael about the Cage - apparently it doesn't let any sort of Darkness into it, so hopefully the taint you were unable to see is gone now. I don't know how often I'll be able to speak to you, but I'll try to talk often. I doubt you have much else to do.' Rivkael's voice faded away, and Sammael sighed, and stood up to explore.

(A long time later)

'Parent!' The whisper echoed through his Cage, and Sammael stood in shock as his sibling Rivkael was torn wing from wing, screaming in his mind through their connection. Ne couldn't hear him, he knew that, and he took a running leap, battering at the ceiling with his wings.

"Please, Parent!" He yelled. "Don't let nem die. Ne's the binding, Heaven will fall without nem!"

There was a warm touch in his mind as the Lamp was picked up by a Divine hand.

SAMMAEL.

Sammael flopped back onto the floor as he was gently pushed away from the Cage wall. "Parent, Rivkael-"

RIVKAEL IS GOING 'UNDERCOVER' His Father explained. NE WILL BE FINE. HEAVEN IS ALREADY GOING TO FALL, RIVKAEL CANNOT PREVENT IT

Sammael sighed in relief for his sibling, then realised- "Parent, I'm so sorry."

SAMMAEL, the voice was loving. YOU WERE FORGIVEN BEFORE THE THOUGHT WAS EVEN FORMED, BUT THE REST OF THE HOST WOULD NOT SEE IT THAT WAY. I WISH I COULD RELEASE YOU, BUT THAT IS NOT HOW THE CAGE WORKS. WHEN YOU ARE FREED, GO TO JOSHUA AND ASK FOR ME.

Sammael stood up as his Father's Presence receeded. His wings spread wide, and he absentmindedly pulled one around to straighten a few feathers.

(Centuries later, earth time)

Sammael picked up the box of chalk that had just appeared in a swirl of Godly Presence. It happened occasionally, if he asked nicely enough.

He pulled out a thick green stick of chalk and began drawing on the walls.

(A long time later)

Sammael was satisfied. His chalk drawings had been very therapeutic, and they made him feel safe whenever he saw the bronze, grey, white, gold, silver and red feathers sketched out at regular intervals.

He wondered what Man looked like now, and realised that he had spent more time in the Cage, Cage-time, than he'd spent out of the Cage, Earth-time.

It wasn't a prison, more a solace, a personal space to think and grow. Sammael could spend days thinking.

His wings were always pristine, and he liked to spend a few hours every other day checking their entirety for imperfections. It wasn't vanity so much as boredom, and his little case of what his Father called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. PERFECTLY NORMAL IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE. He had said in their chat. EVEN EXPECTED.

Sammael looked over at the snake which was draped over a tree, with Man and Woman standing below her. He smiled sadly. He didn't regret giving humans their Free Will, but he needn't have done it so... Opulently. It could've just been a conversation with himself and his Parent, but no - he'd become a downright brat about it and caused no end of trouble.

Then he became aware of an itching on one of his smaller wings. He bent it forward, peering at it. Then he pitched over, landing on his front and screaming. Grace glowed in his eyes and mouth as the wing was peeled, feathers and skin, until only the bones were left.

"Why- why?" Sammael had tears of Grace running down his cheeks and the wing glowed itself as more of his self trickled from the gap.

He didn't move for sometime.

He couldn't breathe. He had just had a wing stripped from him, physically and metaphysically. Why had it happened? Pain swirled over his thoughts as he tried to move his wings - all of the ones on that side caused him the pain, though he had lost only one.

He couldn't breathe.

SAMMAEL! And there was actually an exclamation mark there. I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD BE HERE EVERY TIME BUT I HAVE ALREADY BROKEN MY WORD

Sammael didn't move. He couldn't. "What is this, parent?" He breathed quietly.

THE CAGE - IT OPENS THROUGH SEALS. SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX TO BE EXACT. SIXTY SIX MUST BE BROKEN TO OPEN IT, HOWEVER THE FIRST AND LAST SEALS MUST BE THE CORRECT ONES AND BEFORE THAT ANY SEALS BROKEN DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS OPENING THE CAGE. HOWEVER THEY STILL COUNT TOWARDS... YOU

"My wings..." Sammael couldn't get angry. He was too sad, and tired, and pained. "Parent...?"

SLEEP, SON. TAKE YOUR REST

Despite the fact that angels don't need to sleep, Sammael did so.

He didn't hear God's next words. YOU WILL NEED IT