SPN: "Devil's Game"
Yeah. I'm not really sure what to do with this one. Have a friends-only exclusive.
Spoilers through the end of season 4. Rampant speculation, possible blasphemy--you know, the usual.
Lucifer was imprisoned to save mankind. His hatred and jealousy had become too strong; he was convinced that the destruction of mankind would earn him back his place in Heaven.
God joined him in that prison willingly, a sacrifice to save the universe. To imprison one and not the other would have upset the fragile balance God had so carefully established at Creation. To maintain that balance, only two angels knew where he had gone--but he knew Michael and Gabriel could manage Heaven in his absence, just as he knew his absence was necessary to lay the foundation for the future.
As irate as he was at the imprisonment, Lucifer was even more upset at finding he had a cellmate.
***
The first broken seal sent shudders through the rock surrounding them--not that it was actual rock, but it was Lucifer's turn to dictate what the walls of their shared cell appeared to be, and he much preferred the rough-hewn black granite, slippery with apparent water trickling to the surface of the apparent earth, to the fine-polished marbles his cellmate usually chose.
"The righteous man has broken," Lucifer said, sliding a pawn into the eighth rank and exchanging it for a bishop. "What?" he added. "You don't think there're enough queens on the board?" The only answer was a shrug. "Just as well. This game has gone on forever."
"Nonsense," said God, capturing a black knight and adding it to the pile beside the table. "When we began, it was sennet."
***
Each fractured seal rang more loudly through the rock. After the first thirty or so--neither of them was counting--the table began to shake so badly with each explosion that chess became impossible. God chose Chinese checkers. Lucifer chose Go.
The denarius they tossed landed on heads.
"We never did settle the terms," Lucifer said, claiming red, black, and yellow.
God replied, mildly enough, "Didn't you learn your lesson with Job?"
***
The prison became more physical, less magical. Unfortunately, it froze during God's turn, leaving them locked in a room of priceless pink jade. "I hope they hurry up," Lucifer said, glaring at the Chinese checkers board. Their choice of games had become as limited as their prison; it was this, or Twister. "I feel like I've been locked in a bottle of Pepto-Bismol."
God surveyed the jade walls critically. "Not dark enough."
***
Lilith's presence hung over their room like the smoke he missed so badly. "She's almost through."
"She may be." God had produced two decks of cards from somewhere--not even Lucifer cared to speculate where--and was playing some kind of solitaire, with the cards spread out in a cross and four piles and a reserve pile.
"My children are going to win." God didn't look up from his cards. "The balance will be broken."
Seemingly unconcerned, God moved through the reserve pile, one by one, as if he didn't know precisely where every card was.
"No angel will stop me. None of your warriors will." No response. "The eight is four cards back, just go through the reserve pile already."
God ignored him.
Power surged. Blood began to drip from the ceiling, eating at the stones.
Lucifer screamed in triumph. "No angel will ever be able to stop me!" he snarled, and broke the bonds that had held them for so long.
God flipped another card from the reserve, uncovering the king of clubs. Deftly, he moved cards around the piles and the free spots, and in a moment, the reserve was clear. "Not all my warriors are angels, my son," he said softly, and left the prison he had entered willingly.
Spoilers through the end of season 4. Rampant speculation, possible blasphemy--you know, the usual.
Lucifer was imprisoned to save mankind. His hatred and jealousy had become too strong; he was convinced that the destruction of mankind would earn him back his place in Heaven.
God joined him in that prison willingly, a sacrifice to save the universe. To imprison one and not the other would have upset the fragile balance God had so carefully established at Creation. To maintain that balance, only two angels knew where he had gone--but he knew Michael and Gabriel could manage Heaven in his absence, just as he knew his absence was necessary to lay the foundation for the future.
As irate as he was at the imprisonment, Lucifer was even more upset at finding he had a cellmate.
***
The first broken seal sent shudders through the rock surrounding them--not that it was actual rock, but it was Lucifer's turn to dictate what the walls of their shared cell appeared to be, and he much preferred the rough-hewn black granite, slippery with apparent water trickling to the surface of the apparent earth, to the fine-polished marbles his cellmate usually chose.
"The righteous man has broken," Lucifer said, sliding a pawn into the eighth rank and exchanging it for a bishop. "What?" he added. "You don't think there're enough queens on the board?" The only answer was a shrug. "Just as well. This game has gone on forever."
"Nonsense," said God, capturing a black knight and adding it to the pile beside the table. "When we began, it was sennet."
***
Each fractured seal rang more loudly through the rock. After the first thirty or so--neither of them was counting--the table began to shake so badly with each explosion that chess became impossible. God chose Chinese checkers. Lucifer chose Go.
The denarius they tossed landed on heads.
"We never did settle the terms," Lucifer said, claiming red, black, and yellow.
God replied, mildly enough, "Didn't you learn your lesson with Job?"
***
The prison became more physical, less magical. Unfortunately, it froze during God's turn, leaving them locked in a room of priceless pink jade. "I hope they hurry up," Lucifer said, glaring at the Chinese checkers board. Their choice of games had become as limited as their prison; it was this, or Twister. "I feel like I've been locked in a bottle of Pepto-Bismol."
God surveyed the jade walls critically. "Not dark enough."
***
Lilith's presence hung over their room like the smoke he missed so badly. "She's almost through."
"She may be." God had produced two decks of cards from somewhere--not even Lucifer cared to speculate where--and was playing some kind of solitaire, with the cards spread out in a cross and four piles and a reserve pile.
"My children are going to win." God didn't look up from his cards. "The balance will be broken."
Seemingly unconcerned, God moved through the reserve pile, one by one, as if he didn't know precisely where every card was.
"No angel will stop me. None of your warriors will." No response. "The eight is four cards back, just go through the reserve pile already."
God ignored him.
Power surged. Blood began to drip from the ceiling, eating at the stones.
Lucifer screamed in triumph. "No angel will ever be able to stop me!" he snarled, and broke the bonds that had held them for so long.
God flipped another card from the reserve, uncovering the king of clubs. Deftly, he moved cards around the piles and the free spots, and in a moment, the reserve was clear. "Not all my warriors are angels, my son," he said softly, and left the prison he had entered willingly.