Fic: The Left Behind (Various Angels, PG) 4/6
For full notes and other chapters, please see the Masterpost.
Notes: This is the sequel to A History of Heaven.
This chapter, by the way, is my little hand-waving over a character and reveal in the latest episode of Season 9 and why he hasn't been mentioned at all in this story before!
Chapter Rating: PG
Chapter word count: 1,509
Chapter Summary: Joshua is not the most comforting angel to have a chat with.
CHAPTER 4:
The Lies
To the south, the icy tower of Sammael, Archangel of Water, cracked and groaned, shedding chunks over the centuries of disuse and abandon. Cariel had often glanced its way as he flew through Heaven, wondering how it must feel to Sammael’s dispersed choir as they watched their home crumble into ruin.
He didn’t have to wonder anymore. Gabriel’s tower still stood to the west, but the red glass was entirely spiderwebbed with cracks now, and a breeze could cause it to flake, glittering shards falling to the ground of Heaven. When the light caught all of the new facets, the tower gleamed brilliantly, blazing as if it were being consumed in flames.
The tower was still stable enough to enter, according to a few of the lower-no, higher now, higher orders of Seraphim who had once served Gabriel. Cariel took their word for it. He couldn’t bring himself to set foot inside the empty tower. There were too many memories dying in those rooms.
Cariel’s new office was in the belly of Michael’s tower. He was grateful for the consideration-better this tiny corner of Michael’s tower than an expansive office in Raphael’s-but the wood and stone of the Archangel of the Earth’s workspace held none of the familiar warmth of Gabriel’s fire. Cariel couldn’t relax in his broom cupboard of a workspace even with the door shut.
Barachiel’s office wasn’t any more comforting. Raphael had claimed the cheerful Seraph for his own tower, and Barachiel was ensconced high in the whirlwind Raphael called home. Unlike Cariel, Barachiel had his very own window in his office-he had only been demoted to third-class in the transition-but his room was every bit as white and sterile as the rest of Raphael’s tower. Cariel had dropped by for a visit once, but he had been unable to get the edge out of his wings. His feathers crawled just from the atmosphere of the tower, and he had quickly found an excuse to leave. How Barachiel could stand working there was beyond him. He had asked his brother once, but Barachiel had simply given a little shrug. You get used to it, he had said.
Cariel didn’t care that his desk was polished smoother than the walls of Gabriel’s tower had been, or that the ornate carvings decorating the ceiling of his office had been shaped by talented Cherubim. He just wanted a place where he felt at home again.
With that desire in mind, Cariel flew south, toward the center of Heaven. The song of the Axis Mundi called to his wings, and before he realized it, he was landing outside the gates to the Garden. The Seraph paused just outside, one hand touching the iron bars, feeling for God, but His presence was absent. Feeling guilty for feeling relieved, Cariel pushed the gate open and stepped inside.
The wind that rustled through the trees here was not created by Raphael. The grass that brushed against Cariel’s feet did not spring from Michael’s bounty. This Garden was created by God, and it lacked the hostility and despair that had slowly been filling Heaven. Cariel himself hadn’t realized how suffocating the rest of Heaven had been until he felt the weight lift from his wings in here.
“This is an uncommon visit.” Not too far away, the Cherub Joshua was leaning against a hoe. Gabriel had always spoken fondly of Joshua. He had approved of the industrious Cherub who had always tended God’s Garden faithfully. “What brings you here, Seraph Cariel?”
“Just Cariel is fine. We are all meant to be equals in the Garden.” Cariel trailed his fingers over the trunk of a tree and smiled as a little red glass bench wove itself up beside a path in front of him. Joshua winked and gestured for him to take a seat.
“I think I know why you’re here.” Joshua sat beside Cariel on the little bench, curling one of his wings around the older angel. For all of Joshua’s relative youth, the Cherub was deeply calming. Cariel was starting to understand why Gabriel frequently sought him out when feeling his most stressed. “You miss Gabriel. We all do.”
“Speak for yourself,” Cariel warned gently. “Raphael won’t care to be grouped in with those of us who mourn for our wayward Archangel.”
Joshua just smiled and shook his head. “And he’d do what? Smite me? I am but a humble gardener, no threat at all to such a mighty angel. Raphael would sooner pretend he didn’t hear. Even so, I think you’ll find that isn’t true. Surely you must have realized by now that there is more to Raphael than he likes to let on. For all that he might bluster and blow, Raphael does miss Gabriel. He did love him, in his own way.”
“They were at each other’s throats, at the end,” Cariel reminded Joshua. “Raphael tried to kill him. He’s still trying to kill him.”
“But he isn’t enjoying it,” Joshua pointed out. “There is no thrill of the hunt in him. He pursues Gabriel because he feels it is the merciful thing to do, not out of any sense of hatred or revenge.”
“How is hunting Gabriel merciful?” Cariel demanded.
“It keeps him from falling like Lucifer did.” Joshua sighed. “Wherever Gabriel is, he must hide from Raphael. He must limit himself and his actions. He cannot take over humanity while avoiding the gaze of the angels.”
“Gabriel doesn’t want to take over humanity,” Cariel argued.
“Perhaps not now,” Joshua agreed. “But neither did Lucifer, at first.”
“Gabriel is not like Lucifer.” Cariel’s wings stirred agitatedly behind him. He wished he could fly to his choirmaster-his ex-choirmaster-and tell him what others were saying about him. “He is nothing like Lucifer!”
“Your faith in him is admirable, Cariel. Hold on to it. You’ll need it.”
“My faith in Gabriel is hardly an asset these days,” Cariel pointed out. “It’s seen as more of a flaw in my programming, to be so loyal to one considered a traitor.”
“None would condemn you for it,” Joshua assured Cariel, though he smiled at Cariel’s doubtful look and amended his reassurance. “No one in any position to do you harm would condemn you for it. The relationship between an Archangel and his lieutenant has always been a sacred one. Raphael knows that he cannot remove your affection for Gabriel, and yes, even Michael is aware of it. So long as you do not jeopardize the safety of Heaven, they won’t lift a hand against you for still thinking of him.”
“Raphael’s already threatened to kill me,” Cariel groused. “Several times. A week. He needs new material.”
Joshua chuckled into the curve of a wing. “Raphael has a nasty bark, but he very rarely gets provoked into actually biting. The day the Host figures this out will be a sorry day for him indeed. Marmoniel may actually dare to hug him!”
Cariel had to admit, the thought of the prickliest Archangel getting a hug from his much softer lieutenant was enough to bring a smile to his face and lighten his grace. He wished Gabriel was around to share the image with. Gabriel would probably laugh out loud and then start plotting a way to make it happen.
As Cariel’s grace dropped in mood, Joshua leaned closer to bump their shoulders together. “It could be worse,” he pointed out.
“I know. I could actually be dead. Or Gabriel could be.”
“No.” Joshua shook his head. “Being dead ends your life. It does not prolong it in suffering.”
“It is already prolonged in suffering.”
Joshua was shaking his head in protest. “You could be alone, Cariel, locked away and forgotten in the darkest reaches of Heaven, where even the Archangels dare not tread.”
“There is no such place.” Cariel eyed Joshua warily. “There are no dark corners in Heaven.”
“You know this as a fact?” Joshua asked, with innocence in his eyes and his grace.
Too much innocence. Gabriel used to do that, when he was obviously lying. Cariel narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I have never heard of such a place.”
For some reason, Joshua’s smile and nod of approval meant as much to Cariel as equal approval from Gabriel would have. “There is more to Heaven than God ever shared with the Host. Secrets kept even from the Archangels themselves. Already, there are powerful Angels capable of disturbing your very own memories, and Dominions and Seraphim who can do so much more. What limits would our Father have when it comes to what we know?”
Cariel glanced around the Garden, feeling a lot less secure here now than he had a few minutes ago. A gentle wind blew through the trees, but no one seemed to be overhearing them. “Be careful what you say, Joshua,” Cariel warned anyway. “Even your trees may have ears.”
Joshua smiled sadly and pushed himself to his feet. “Be careful yourself, Cariel. Heaven is a pretty place, full of pretty lies.”
Next...
Notes: This is the sequel to A History of Heaven.
This chapter, by the way, is my little hand-waving over a character and reveal in the latest episode of Season 9 and why he hasn't been mentioned at all in this story before!
Chapter Rating: PG
Chapter word count: 1,509
Chapter Summary: Joshua is not the most comforting angel to have a chat with.
CHAPTER 4:
The Lies
To the south, the icy tower of Sammael, Archangel of Water, cracked and groaned, shedding chunks over the centuries of disuse and abandon. Cariel had often glanced its way as he flew through Heaven, wondering how it must feel to Sammael’s dispersed choir as they watched their home crumble into ruin.
He didn’t have to wonder anymore. Gabriel’s tower still stood to the west, but the red glass was entirely spiderwebbed with cracks now, and a breeze could cause it to flake, glittering shards falling to the ground of Heaven. When the light caught all of the new facets, the tower gleamed brilliantly, blazing as if it were being consumed in flames.
The tower was still stable enough to enter, according to a few of the lower-no, higher now, higher orders of Seraphim who had once served Gabriel. Cariel took their word for it. He couldn’t bring himself to set foot inside the empty tower. There were too many memories dying in those rooms.
Cariel’s new office was in the belly of Michael’s tower. He was grateful for the consideration-better this tiny corner of Michael’s tower than an expansive office in Raphael’s-but the wood and stone of the Archangel of the Earth’s workspace held none of the familiar warmth of Gabriel’s fire. Cariel couldn’t relax in his broom cupboard of a workspace even with the door shut.
Barachiel’s office wasn’t any more comforting. Raphael had claimed the cheerful Seraph for his own tower, and Barachiel was ensconced high in the whirlwind Raphael called home. Unlike Cariel, Barachiel had his very own window in his office-he had only been demoted to third-class in the transition-but his room was every bit as white and sterile as the rest of Raphael’s tower. Cariel had dropped by for a visit once, but he had been unable to get the edge out of his wings. His feathers crawled just from the atmosphere of the tower, and he had quickly found an excuse to leave. How Barachiel could stand working there was beyond him. He had asked his brother once, but Barachiel had simply given a little shrug. You get used to it, he had said.
Cariel didn’t care that his desk was polished smoother than the walls of Gabriel’s tower had been, or that the ornate carvings decorating the ceiling of his office had been shaped by talented Cherubim. He just wanted a place where he felt at home again.
With that desire in mind, Cariel flew south, toward the center of Heaven. The song of the Axis Mundi called to his wings, and before he realized it, he was landing outside the gates to the Garden. The Seraph paused just outside, one hand touching the iron bars, feeling for God, but His presence was absent. Feeling guilty for feeling relieved, Cariel pushed the gate open and stepped inside.
The wind that rustled through the trees here was not created by Raphael. The grass that brushed against Cariel’s feet did not spring from Michael’s bounty. This Garden was created by God, and it lacked the hostility and despair that had slowly been filling Heaven. Cariel himself hadn’t realized how suffocating the rest of Heaven had been until he felt the weight lift from his wings in here.
“This is an uncommon visit.” Not too far away, the Cherub Joshua was leaning against a hoe. Gabriel had always spoken fondly of Joshua. He had approved of the industrious Cherub who had always tended God’s Garden faithfully. “What brings you here, Seraph Cariel?”
“Just Cariel is fine. We are all meant to be equals in the Garden.” Cariel trailed his fingers over the trunk of a tree and smiled as a little red glass bench wove itself up beside a path in front of him. Joshua winked and gestured for him to take a seat.
“I think I know why you’re here.” Joshua sat beside Cariel on the little bench, curling one of his wings around the older angel. For all of Joshua’s relative youth, the Cherub was deeply calming. Cariel was starting to understand why Gabriel frequently sought him out when feeling his most stressed. “You miss Gabriel. We all do.”
“Speak for yourself,” Cariel warned gently. “Raphael won’t care to be grouped in with those of us who mourn for our wayward Archangel.”
Joshua just smiled and shook his head. “And he’d do what? Smite me? I am but a humble gardener, no threat at all to such a mighty angel. Raphael would sooner pretend he didn’t hear. Even so, I think you’ll find that isn’t true. Surely you must have realized by now that there is more to Raphael than he likes to let on. For all that he might bluster and blow, Raphael does miss Gabriel. He did love him, in his own way.”
“They were at each other’s throats, at the end,” Cariel reminded Joshua. “Raphael tried to kill him. He’s still trying to kill him.”
“But he isn’t enjoying it,” Joshua pointed out. “There is no thrill of the hunt in him. He pursues Gabriel because he feels it is the merciful thing to do, not out of any sense of hatred or revenge.”
“How is hunting Gabriel merciful?” Cariel demanded.
“It keeps him from falling like Lucifer did.” Joshua sighed. “Wherever Gabriel is, he must hide from Raphael. He must limit himself and his actions. He cannot take over humanity while avoiding the gaze of the angels.”
“Gabriel doesn’t want to take over humanity,” Cariel argued.
“Perhaps not now,” Joshua agreed. “But neither did Lucifer, at first.”
“Gabriel is not like Lucifer.” Cariel’s wings stirred agitatedly behind him. He wished he could fly to his choirmaster-his ex-choirmaster-and tell him what others were saying about him. “He is nothing like Lucifer!”
“Your faith in him is admirable, Cariel. Hold on to it. You’ll need it.”
“My faith in Gabriel is hardly an asset these days,” Cariel pointed out. “It’s seen as more of a flaw in my programming, to be so loyal to one considered a traitor.”
“None would condemn you for it,” Joshua assured Cariel, though he smiled at Cariel’s doubtful look and amended his reassurance. “No one in any position to do you harm would condemn you for it. The relationship between an Archangel and his lieutenant has always been a sacred one. Raphael knows that he cannot remove your affection for Gabriel, and yes, even Michael is aware of it. So long as you do not jeopardize the safety of Heaven, they won’t lift a hand against you for still thinking of him.”
“Raphael’s already threatened to kill me,” Cariel groused. “Several times. A week. He needs new material.”
Joshua chuckled into the curve of a wing. “Raphael has a nasty bark, but he very rarely gets provoked into actually biting. The day the Host figures this out will be a sorry day for him indeed. Marmoniel may actually dare to hug him!”
Cariel had to admit, the thought of the prickliest Archangel getting a hug from his much softer lieutenant was enough to bring a smile to his face and lighten his grace. He wished Gabriel was around to share the image with. Gabriel would probably laugh out loud and then start plotting a way to make it happen.
As Cariel’s grace dropped in mood, Joshua leaned closer to bump their shoulders together. “It could be worse,” he pointed out.
“I know. I could actually be dead. Or Gabriel could be.”
“No.” Joshua shook his head. “Being dead ends your life. It does not prolong it in suffering.”
“It is already prolonged in suffering.”
Joshua was shaking his head in protest. “You could be alone, Cariel, locked away and forgotten in the darkest reaches of Heaven, where even the Archangels dare not tread.”
“There is no such place.” Cariel eyed Joshua warily. “There are no dark corners in Heaven.”
“You know this as a fact?” Joshua asked, with innocence in his eyes and his grace.
Too much innocence. Gabriel used to do that, when he was obviously lying. Cariel narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I have never heard of such a place.”
For some reason, Joshua’s smile and nod of approval meant as much to Cariel as equal approval from Gabriel would have. “There is more to Heaven than God ever shared with the Host. Secrets kept even from the Archangels themselves. Already, there are powerful Angels capable of disturbing your very own memories, and Dominions and Seraphim who can do so much more. What limits would our Father have when it comes to what we know?”
Cariel glanced around the Garden, feeling a lot less secure here now than he had a few minutes ago. A gentle wind blew through the trees, but no one seemed to be overhearing them. “Be careful what you say, Joshua,” Cariel warned anyway. “Even your trees may have ears.”
Joshua smiled sadly and pushed himself to his feet. “Be careful yourself, Cariel. Heaven is a pretty place, full of pretty lies.”
Next...