Fic: A History of Heaven (Gabriel/Various Angels, PG-13 for most) 3/59
For full notes and other chapters, please see the Masterpost.
Notes: In this story, before Lucifer fell, his name was Sammael. He was not Lucifer in Heaven.
There is one other canon character operating under an OC name, but I wish for his identity to remain unknown.
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Chapter word count: 1,074
Chapter Summary: While in Heaven, Gabriel visits with his brother, Sammael.
CHAPTER 3:
Meet the New Messenger
Sammael’s tower was a spike of ice to the south, streaking up in a glittering push of whites and blues. The walls were translucent and shone in the light of Heaven, pitted here and there with entrances to the gleaming rooms within. Gabriel knew Sammael’s personal rooms were at the very peak of the tower, so he headed for the uppermost entrance, his new gold-edged wings slicing easily through the air.
Once inside the tower, a handful of Seraphim dropped to one knee before him, spreading their own wings. Gabriel’s grace flared in amusement-Sammael was managing to break them of falling fully prone! He’d need to ask his brother how he had managed that. Giving his kneeling brothers a nod, Gabriel strode past them. There wasn’t much point asking them to stand, as he had learned from long experience. That only trapped him in an endless debate over whether or not it was proper.
It wasn’t proper to just barge into Sammael’s personal office, but then again, Gabriel had never cared much for propriety. He did warn Sammael with a sharp knock on the cool door before waving it open and stepping inside.
“Gabriel!” The new Messenger was greeted immediately by an excited cry from his brother, and Sammael vaulted over his desk to wrap the younger Archangel in a hug with arms and wings and voice. “You’re here!”
“You doubted me, Light Bringer?” Michael was leaning against the wall behind Sammael’s desk, his arms folded loosely, wings relaxed. “Gabriel.” He greeted his brother with a nod and flare of peace through his grace.
“Sammael, Michael.” Gabriel flared his grace back at both brothers, and then spread his wings as he hugged Sammael back. “I heard you missed me?”
“Oh, of course not!” Sammael ruffled Gabriel’s wings affectionately, and then stepped back with a puzzled ripple of his grace, his head cocking to the side as he studied the younger Archangel. “Gabriel… did Earth bleach your wings!?”
Gabriel laughed and spun around, showing off his new look. “Father did it! He’s asked me to be His Messenger, the Messenger, for all of Heaven!”
“He’s trusting you with His Word?” Michael grace was impressed as he drew away from the wall, approaching Gabriel and examining one of his wings. “Congratulations, Little One. I knew He was not summoning you for a punishment!”
“Or maybe He is,” Sammael teased, giving Gabriel’s wings another ruffle. “Trusting this little runt with carrying His Word?”
“I’m not that small,” Gabriel protested, batting Sammael’s hands away, to his brother’s amusement. He was the smallest Archangel, yes, barely more than half the height of Michael or Sammael, but the Seraphim were still smaller than him.
Most of them.
“Gabriel’s size has always been perfect for his duties,” Michael admitted, inclining his head. “And his Seraphim are easily the most loyal already, perhaps because of his size.”
“Despite his physical absence!” Sammael’s arm slipped easily around Gabriel’s shoulders, drawing him over to the edge of the room so they could sit and look out over Heaven. Michael joined them, the three brothers curling together, their wings entwined. “You must tell me how you managed that, Gabriel. I keep losing my own Seraphim to Michael, and I’m here all the time!”
“I can’t help that my Seraphim are more charismatic!” Michael laughed. “You should have made wiser choices!”
All four Archangels had been present at the Seraphim’s fledgings. They had gathered around each clutch of fledglings, twelve baby angels, and watched as their Father had awakened each with his own name.
You, celestial being, have been created to be an angel of the Lord. I name you Filiel.
I name you Azazel.
I name you Raguel.
I name you Remiel.
I name you Marmoniel
I name you Cariel…
Each fledgling had opened his eyes and spread his wings for the first time when he heard his name, turning his face up to his four oldest brothers. Some had waited patiently for orders, some had tested their movements, and some had looked around and started singing. Cariel had been one of the latter. Gabriel was supposed to have let Michael have the first pick of the Seraphim for his choir, but the moment Cariel started to sing his utterly unusual song, Gabriel had known he needed this brother for his own. He hadn’t wanted to risk Sammael choosing him-Sammael liked things that were different and new almost as much as Gabriel did-so he had broken ranks and begged Michael for the first pick.
In the end, every Seraphim had sung a unique version of the Heavenly chorus, and all the Archangels were pleased with their choices, but Gabriel still believed Cariel’s voice rose above all the rest.
“Look over there,” Sammael was saying, tugging on one of Gabriel’s minor wings to catch his attention before pointing off to the northeast. “See the glow?” A faint reddish shimmer hung low on the horizon, pulsating gently.
“Oh!” Gabriel leaned forward, trying to see over the distance. “A new clutch?”
“There are fourteen new clutches now.” Michael indicated some other smudges of color. “The red one is closest to fledging. We suspect it will happen before the end of the year.”
“Already, this new rank of angel outnumbers the rest of us,” Sammael grumbled good-naturedly. “Raphael’s been poking around the clutches. He suspects the new ones only have one set of wings.”
“Only one?” Gabriel’s own wings rustled distastefully. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to be a Seraph, with only six wings to carry him. If he lost five hundred and eighty of his wings, he would be absolutely crippled in the air. His major wingset alone could carry him if all others broke, but his flight would be slow and awkward.
“It is absolutely bizarre,” Sammael agreed. “But then again, we thought the same of you when we saw how few wings you had!” He gave a tug on Gabriel’s feathers and then nuzzled in close to his little brother. “We love you anyway, freakish deformities and all.”
“You’re all deformed in my eyes,” Michael declared, though he softened his words by wrapping both brothers in his warm feathers. With exactly one thousand wings, Michael had hundreds more than any other angel, even Sammael, who had over two hundred more than Gabriel.
Gabriel hummed contentedly as he rested against his brothers. This, now, this was Paradise.
Next...
Notes: In this story, before Lucifer fell, his name was Sammael. He was not Lucifer in Heaven.
There is one other canon character operating under an OC name, but I wish for his identity to remain unknown.
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Chapter word count: 1,074
Chapter Summary: While in Heaven, Gabriel visits with his brother, Sammael.
CHAPTER 3:
Meet the New Messenger
Sammael’s tower was a spike of ice to the south, streaking up in a glittering push of whites and blues. The walls were translucent and shone in the light of Heaven, pitted here and there with entrances to the gleaming rooms within. Gabriel knew Sammael’s personal rooms were at the very peak of the tower, so he headed for the uppermost entrance, his new gold-edged wings slicing easily through the air.
Once inside the tower, a handful of Seraphim dropped to one knee before him, spreading their own wings. Gabriel’s grace flared in amusement-Sammael was managing to break them of falling fully prone! He’d need to ask his brother how he had managed that. Giving his kneeling brothers a nod, Gabriel strode past them. There wasn’t much point asking them to stand, as he had learned from long experience. That only trapped him in an endless debate over whether or not it was proper.
It wasn’t proper to just barge into Sammael’s personal office, but then again, Gabriel had never cared much for propriety. He did warn Sammael with a sharp knock on the cool door before waving it open and stepping inside.
“Gabriel!” The new Messenger was greeted immediately by an excited cry from his brother, and Sammael vaulted over his desk to wrap the younger Archangel in a hug with arms and wings and voice. “You’re here!”
“You doubted me, Light Bringer?” Michael was leaning against the wall behind Sammael’s desk, his arms folded loosely, wings relaxed. “Gabriel.” He greeted his brother with a nod and flare of peace through his grace.
“Sammael, Michael.” Gabriel flared his grace back at both brothers, and then spread his wings as he hugged Sammael back. “I heard you missed me?”
“Oh, of course not!” Sammael ruffled Gabriel’s wings affectionately, and then stepped back with a puzzled ripple of his grace, his head cocking to the side as he studied the younger Archangel. “Gabriel… did Earth bleach your wings!?”
Gabriel laughed and spun around, showing off his new look. “Father did it! He’s asked me to be His Messenger, the Messenger, for all of Heaven!”
“He’s trusting you with His Word?” Michael grace was impressed as he drew away from the wall, approaching Gabriel and examining one of his wings. “Congratulations, Little One. I knew He was not summoning you for a punishment!”
“Or maybe He is,” Sammael teased, giving Gabriel’s wings another ruffle. “Trusting this little runt with carrying His Word?”
“I’m not that small,” Gabriel protested, batting Sammael’s hands away, to his brother’s amusement. He was the smallest Archangel, yes, barely more than half the height of Michael or Sammael, but the Seraphim were still smaller than him.
Most of them.
“Gabriel’s size has always been perfect for his duties,” Michael admitted, inclining his head. “And his Seraphim are easily the most loyal already, perhaps because of his size.”
“Despite his physical absence!” Sammael’s arm slipped easily around Gabriel’s shoulders, drawing him over to the edge of the room so they could sit and look out over Heaven. Michael joined them, the three brothers curling together, their wings entwined. “You must tell me how you managed that, Gabriel. I keep losing my own Seraphim to Michael, and I’m here all the time!”
“I can’t help that my Seraphim are more charismatic!” Michael laughed. “You should have made wiser choices!”
All four Archangels had been present at the Seraphim’s fledgings. They had gathered around each clutch of fledglings, twelve baby angels, and watched as their Father had awakened each with his own name.
You, celestial being, have been created to be an angel of the Lord. I name you Filiel.
I name you Azazel.
I name you Raguel.
I name you Remiel.
I name you Marmoniel
I name you Cariel…
Each fledgling had opened his eyes and spread his wings for the first time when he heard his name, turning his face up to his four oldest brothers. Some had waited patiently for orders, some had tested their movements, and some had looked around and started singing. Cariel had been one of the latter. Gabriel was supposed to have let Michael have the first pick of the Seraphim for his choir, but the moment Cariel started to sing his utterly unusual song, Gabriel had known he needed this brother for his own. He hadn’t wanted to risk Sammael choosing him-Sammael liked things that were different and new almost as much as Gabriel did-so he had broken ranks and begged Michael for the first pick.
In the end, every Seraphim had sung a unique version of the Heavenly chorus, and all the Archangels were pleased with their choices, but Gabriel still believed Cariel’s voice rose above all the rest.
“Look over there,” Sammael was saying, tugging on one of Gabriel’s minor wings to catch his attention before pointing off to the northeast. “See the glow?” A faint reddish shimmer hung low on the horizon, pulsating gently.
“Oh!” Gabriel leaned forward, trying to see over the distance. “A new clutch?”
“There are fourteen new clutches now.” Michael indicated some other smudges of color. “The red one is closest to fledging. We suspect it will happen before the end of the year.”
“Already, this new rank of angel outnumbers the rest of us,” Sammael grumbled good-naturedly. “Raphael’s been poking around the clutches. He suspects the new ones only have one set of wings.”
“Only one?” Gabriel’s own wings rustled distastefully. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to be a Seraph, with only six wings to carry him. If he lost five hundred and eighty of his wings, he would be absolutely crippled in the air. His major wingset alone could carry him if all others broke, but his flight would be slow and awkward.
“It is absolutely bizarre,” Sammael agreed. “But then again, we thought the same of you when we saw how few wings you had!” He gave a tug on Gabriel’s feathers and then nuzzled in close to his little brother. “We love you anyway, freakish deformities and all.”
“You’re all deformed in my eyes,” Michael declared, though he softened his words by wrapping both brothers in his warm feathers. With exactly one thousand wings, Michael had hundreds more than any other angel, even Sammael, who had over two hundred more than Gabriel.
Gabriel hummed contentedly as he rested against his brothers. This, now, this was Paradise.
Next...