Gabriel

This is a sequel, of sorts to my earlier work 'Lucifer', its events playing out from POV of Arch Angel Gabriel.

☆Before the Fall☆

Gabriel, “God is my power”.

Arch Angel of the Heavenly Host.

During the war with Darkness her role was to act as the vanguards shield.

Protecting others from harm, keeping enemy at bay.

To others in the Arch Angel caste she was often the reliable big sister.

Where Israfel was the icon whose songs gave solace to the host and like Lucifer was one to be ired, yet intimidated to approach;

Gabriel was someone others of her caste dared to approach and find counsel in.

At times even those of Seraphim caste would entrust tasks to her.

Which is ironic in many ways, as she is the second youngest of her siblings next to Michael.

It does not outwardly show with her, but most of the time she is very insecure about the counsel she gives.

Wondering if it was alright or not.

Tasks by the Seraphim?

Even more so.

Only ones whom she had told about her anxiety, insecurity aside from God, their Lord and Father were Jophiel, Raphael, Dumah.

And Michael.

Technically it was Michael who had asked her about them, having noticed her internal struggles.

Which was baffling to her as how did the little runt figure it out?

He could be frighteningly perceptive, despite always hiding behind their eldest brother a lot.

Gabriel knew not to expect advice or answers from him, their Lord and Father gave her enough to not collapse under it all but like all other Angels aside from Lucifer, his presence invoked such reverence she could not ask for anything more.

With Jophiel she felt, even if for a moment, more confident afterwards.

Raphael was similar.

Dumah she felt like gaining more insight.

With Michael, from whom she expected nothing, she simply felt good, relieved having him just listen to her.

When Darkness was sealed into Hell and the war ending, despite having her new duties with creation of the universe, Gabriel often felt adrift.

Less and less the others came to her for anything outside of mundane tasks.

At times she actually found herself feeling nostalgic within memories of the war.

Despite the insecurity and anxiety, it was the time she felt closest to her siblings.

Now with creating the universe, she could not escape this listless feeling.

Then everything changed.

God their Lord and father announced mankind.

☆Rebellion☆

If there ever was something one could say made Gabriel stand out…

She chose to Lucifer in the rebellion.

Lucifers words and Dumahs ‘counsel’ had her convinced this is where she belonged;

For if all she could feel under the lords light was that listless, meaningless neandering while playing second fiddle to humans while simply being near the two of them had her feeling such determination;

It was an easy decision.

… at least that is what she wanted to believe.

When the rebellion started, seeing the madness and being part of it tore her apart inside.

Desire to believe Lucifer, to hold onto the determination…

Reality of what she was doing, to strike down those who once relied on her…

She awoke to dark, single minded focus;

Shut everything out,

Keep going,

For Lucifer.

Only Lucifer.

Until she crossed swords with Michael.

That was where her focus faltered once more.

(BGM starts; Xandria – Save my life)

He tried reaching out to her, not wanting to strike down anymore of his siblings.

Gabriel could not accept it.

Clinging desperately to that feeling of certain determination…

The devotion Lucifer had awoken in her.

Sinking deeper and deeper into that dark single minded focus, she fought Michael to make him stop talking those words that…

That…

Made her the pain, the regret,

The cost of that devotion.

She would endure it,

She would pay it,

Because it was all for…

For…

As she kept drowning out what was tearing her apart, the fight against Michael became increasingly savage, driven by desperation and madness.

Yet he would not attempt a killing blow,

All attacks were just to slow her down.

Gabriel felt increasingly infuriated by this, that Michael was not taking her seriously despite trying to kill him.

But what Gabriel really could not stand were his words, pleading her to stop, to not make him do this.

They were family,

Siblings killing siblings,

For what? Was the devotion truly worth this… evil?

It was all wrong.

That he knows she feels it too.

To not lose it, discard it.

To stop forcing herself to believe in a lie!

Gabriel upon hearing that lost control of it all.

In a state of pure frenzy, last ditch effort to hold onto the devotion.

At that point Michael could no longer hold himself back.

Outwardly Gabriel seemed a crazed beast, devoid of all that made her an Angel of the Lord.

But somewhere, past the ever growing blight within her;

One last whimpering echo could be heard…

‘Stop… me…’

For Michael, it was a cry of help.

As Gabriels last attack was coming Michael delivered his own;

In that one instant the force behind it shattered her weapon, broke her armor and sent her crashing against a wall.

It took Gabriel everything to stay standing, her back against it.

‘What was that…?’ She thought, her mind losing grip on the devotion that had driven her.

‘How did he do this? In one hit, he has reduced me to… this.

My hands, won’t lift.

My legs, won’t move.

My weapon, armor, shattered…

How did we end up like this…?

Since when…?’

As Michael drew closer, Gabriel without realising was saying her thoughts out loud;

“Since when have you been so strong?

When did you, who always hid behind Lucifer, who could do no more than listen to my council or woes grow up so much?

That little brother, always teased by his eldest brother…

Doesn’t need me anymore.

No one does.”

It was depressing, yet strangely good feeling to see her younger sibling suring her like this.

Michael reached her, having heard her thoughts out loud.

It pained him to hear them.

He responded, trying to keep his composure.

“Sister… you know this is wrong, just as much as i do.

Maybe even more so than i.

Lucifer… our eldest brother, i don’t want to believe he has turned on us.

Father says so, but i cannot bring myself to believe it.

I know, Gabriel; I too feel the doubts about humanity, of why i should keep having faith in our Lord.

And it tears me apart inside, just trying to think if Lucifer truly is wrong and what it entails…

Who am i supposed to believe in?!”

He failed to remain composed.

“Why are we fighting like this? For what?!

Why do i need to choose between our father and Lucifer?!”

Seeing him like this, riddled with doubts and on verge of breaking down.

Yet still remaining steadfast, strong enough to best her.

He, who loved Lucifer most out of them… shouldn’t he have been the first to follow him?

To quell those doubts like…

Like she herself had…

What had she been doing all this time?

Why had she raised her arms against her siblings?

Against Michael?

Against God, their Lord and father?

Had she been wrong? Is what Lucifer was trying to achieve the gravest of follies?

It couldn’t be;

No one who was so wrong could have possibly instilled such devotion, that even faith in their Lord and father could not stop.

Gabriel couldn’t say anything.

After a minute, Michael calmed himself.

“I’m going to confront him.

I will not follow my doubts, nor fathers decision;

I will speak to Lucifer, hear his answer and only then will i decide what i must do.

No matter how much it will tear me apart.

Gabriel, you too need to witness it.

And whatever your choice;

You are my sister, whom i will always love.

Who i will always trust.”

Were Michaels strong words, yet she could see it in his face;

He was terrified of confronting Lucifer about this.

But would not stop.

He gave her a firm, yet cautious hug.

This alone had Gabriel spinning.

“Don’t say no one needs you.

I do.” He whispered quietly, his voice cracking.

That had her on the verge of breaking down.

She was too weak to return the hug,

Her mind in such disaray no words came out.

Michael let go and took off to where Lucifer would be.

Gabriel had no idea what to do now.

Everything was so out of control internally.

It was maddening.

‘Don’t say no one needs you, i do.’

Those words were the one thing keeping her from coming apart.

And also answer to what she needed to do.

Testing her wings and finding they were intact unlike the rest of her body, so carefully she took flight to where Michael was heading.

To witness what would unfold.

(Details of this confrontation are in my completed writing, “Lucifer”)

☆Judgment☆

The rebellion had failed with Lucifers defeat, something none had thought possible.

Firstborn of God,

Hero of Light,

Supreme commander,

Lightbringer,

Second only to God.

Struck down by Michael, the youngest of them all.

Lucifer and his cohorts were all rounded up.

Most having seen their supreme commander defeated had lost all will to fight, while a few fought to the end.

Biggest surprise had been Simikiel, everyone had dreaded him fighting until the end but instead…

He just stopped.

Even helped carrying wounded to Raphael and subdue some of the ones who still fought back.

Then just accepted being detained.

No resistance, no nothing.

Mystery to this day.

As deliberation on what their judgment would be continued, heaven was on pins and needles.

But there was one amongst them to whom none of that mattered.

Gabriel even now could not believe what she witnessed when Michael confronted Lucifer.

At first hearing Lucifers reasoning had her ready to choose him,

But when Michael rejected him and accused him…

It made her very being run cold.

Lucifers mask of deceit had slipped.

And Gabriel had bared witness to the unspeakable evil he had become.

… an evil she had just moment ago desired to return to.

To devote herself to.

Whom she had fought her siblings for.

What was once devotion, turned to bottomless spiral of despair.

Guilt.

Self-hatred.

Never had she felt such helplesness.

She didn’t much afterwards.

What she learned was that when they found her to be rounded up, apparently she had been trying to break her own halo with a rock.

Took four of them to subdue her in that frenzied state.

Now here she was, amongst the rebels awaiting judgment.

In front the source of her despair; Lucifer.

What had once been the most beautiful…

Words can never describe the hideous revulsion and terror that was now there.

She had consorted with it,

Believed in it,

Acted on behalf of it.

She could see Michael amongst the others, his expression…

To say devoid of everything, would be underplaying it.

Gabriel wished she could feel like that, nothing at all.

Rather than the endless spiral.

When God appeared before them to lay his judgment, that Lucifer and his followers were to be cast out of heaven into hell;

She felt relieved.

It was what she deserved, what they all deserved.

Then God, their Lord and father offered one last chance at mercy.

Forgiveness.

Should they only ask for it.

Gabriel did not at that moment care.

She had been wrong, so very wrong and committed betrayal for it.

This is how it should be.

Then Lucifer declared his intent to be Gods adversary at every turn, no matter what it took.

His followers, despite knowing what would happen found their devotion for him rekindled.

Madness, it was all just madness.

In her, it invoked the opposite.

Soon, it would be over.

Gabriel looked at Michaels direction one last time.

And something changed.

His face was no longer devoid of everything, rather…

He looked like he had before confronting Lucifer.

Only this time there was nothing holding him together like then.

While many others looked disgusted, furious.

Michaels, looked of one about to lose family.

Even now, at judgment…

‘You are my sister, whom i will always love.’

Her resolve to fall wavered.

She deserved it,

Her wrongs have to be judged…

And yet, the thought of what her fall would do to Michael whom even now at the very end…

‘Don’t say no one needs you, i do.’

… Was far worse.

Whether or not she deserved perdition, didn’t matter to her anymore.

Not if it meant making her little brother, who refused to give up on her to suffer like this.

They would be disgusted of her,

She would always carry the stigma of a traitor,

That she deserved to fall.

But if there was even the tiniest shard of hope…

For redemption,

For atonement,

… to be family again.

Before the heavenly host,

The fallen,

Gabriel fell to her knees in prayer, closed her eyes, choking back her tears she spoke:

“I was wrong,

I was weak,

I chose to believe in a lie and committed betrayal.

I deserve to fall.”

Tears were now falling freely from her.

“Yet i am terrified.

Of Darkness that awaits,

To no longer feel the light…

… to not be family anymore.

Father, i am weak.

I am a failure.

I don’t believe i can be forgiven.”

Her voice turned desperate, as the fall was starting.

“Yet that is nothing but my arrogance;

You are the light,

The truth,

The only one whom judgment belongs to.

Should i be cast out, so be it.

If you will still deem me worthy of heaven, to remain your child…

….

…..

……”

Struggling to take that final step, as the fall was imminent, ing Michaels words;

The guilt,

Self-hatred,

The desperation,

Even if only a moment;

The truth she didn’t want to say out loud…

Was heard.

“… I want to stay, i don’t want to fall.

I want to be redeemed,

I want to be family again,

Despite all i have done…

… father, forgive me.”

The Fall was carried out.

Judgment was over.

Gabriel was afraid to open her eyes.

Until she heard another voice.

“… and i plead you, forgive her father.”

Michael?

Why was he?

… !

Opening her eyes, she saw the light.

She was alone, kneeling in prayer.

Other Fallen were gone.

In front of her was Michael, also kneeling in prayer.

It took a long moment before she realised it; he too was praying for her.

… he really would not give up, would he?

But because of it, neither had she.

He saved her from giving up on herself.

“Michael…”

Her voice was hoarse.

Hearing her, he turned to look and it wasn’t long before he was holding her, crying his eyes out.

Gabriel slowly hugged him back, whispering quietly; “… Thank you.”

Heavenly host witnessed all of it, but remained silent.

They did not know what to think of Gabriel or her act of humility.

Also out of respect for Michaels demonstration of humility, of standing up for family that they themselves should have.

Though there was more than one another whose sniffling could be heard.

After a bit embarrassingly long time, Michael finally calmed down.

Their Lord spoke;

“My child, Gabriel has cast off deception of the betrayer and malady of sin.

By humility a voice was given to the vulnerable truth those of the prideful would keep silent, hidden.

Ye has bared all, an act of bravery without disgrace.

Thy plead for forgiveness,

Judged free of falsehoods;

Stand redeemed, know you will always be my child.

As thy Lord and father, my decree is thus and so shall it be.”

For the Heavenly host word of God is absolute, before it no falsehood nor deceit will thrive or hide.

With his decree of Gabriels redemption; all back thoughts, suspicion, resentment were no more.

As it all settled in, God spoke once more;

“Michael, my child. Thy prayer was strong, but unnecessary. Dedication to thy family is to be commended…”

One could swear the Lord was smirking.

“… by ye should know not to babble amidst thy prayer.”

And so God departed.

Leaving a very red faced Michael looking at the ground, as snickering spread amongst the Heavenly host.

They tried to stay silent about it but if the Lord says so…

Afterwards, Gabriel was awkward with her siblings for a while.

They had accepted her back, their father had forgiven her but memories of what she had done to them, especially those who once sought her council lingered on.

How was she to make peace with it? Never had it been thought possible for Angels to kill each other.

It was beyond what their existence had been designed for, utterly unknown waters.

She wasn’t the only one.

Michael, Uriel, Raphael, Jophiel…

all siblings in her caste had been left scarred by the rebellion.

Only, they had fought stopping the evil Lucifer had become.

She had fought by his side against them.

Had it not been for Michael…

It made her that cold terror from witnessing the evil of Lucifer.

And how close she had been to becoming part of it.

She had been forgiven, she had wanted to be forgiven.

None of that had changed, nor had her faith in the Lord.

This was something else.

Even thinking of it was unbearable.

It took a long while, until Gabriel first prayed to God about it, then decided she had to say it.

Meeting Michael alone, as the only other one who witnessed what she did.

Because of him she had been redeemed.

Being family again was more than words could ever convey, but Gabriel had to confess;

That when Michael confronted Lucifer, his temptation had her only one step from reing him.

Even now, she feared it.

That weakness.

How Michael had endured, been able to reject him and even bring him down.

Had it been her…

She would have chosen Lucifer.

Even at the Fall, she would have done it.

Just let herself go.

She hadn’t had the faith to reject Lucifer.

She hadn’t had the courage to ask forgiveness.

She didn’t know where to go from here.

She felt…

Unworthy of her name.

To her surprise, Michael said he understood her.

More than she thought;

For he too…

Had been only a step from choosing Lucifer.

Just like her.

Had rejecting him, striking him down been a mistake?

Choosing duty to God over love for his brother,

Severing fraternal bond in favor of humanity?

How easy it would have been to give into denial and not accept what he had become.

Why had he rejected Lucifer then?

What made him break free from denial, knowing what would be the result?

“Because i met you.”

He told her.

“When we fought, my words to you were…”

He sighed, sounding ashamed.

“I didn’t even believe in them, I was trying to convince myself more than you.

Seeing you slipping away, losing yourself to desperation of frenzy…

I was terrified; was it my fault? Were my half-hearted words pushing you further and further away?”

He swallowed hard.

“… I saw myself in you at that moment. We both knew Lucifer was wrong, yet me who was against him and you who ed him; neither wanted to see or accept it.

My denial,

Your desperate devotion… we rather clinged onto what was wrong, that was tearing us apart like fools.

That was when for the first time, I felt truly angry.

At you, myself…

When i struck you, it was with intent to kill you.

To destroy the me i saw in you.

… I’m such a hypocrite.

I spoke to you how wrong we were to fight like this, yet to cling onto my denial I was going to kill you.”

His tone was miserable, self-loathing.

Gabriel could only stare at him.

He… had been just as weak as her.

For she too, for the sake of that desperate devotion had tried to kill him.

There was a pang of anger towards him for his confession, but it didn’t last.

They were so similar it hurt.

“… then, what stopped you?”

She asked somewhat hesitantly, yet needing to know.

He was silent for a little while.

Then answered;

“… Therazel.”

Now she was utterly confused.

“… a rebel from another caste, whom tried to kill me.

She, could not stand how Lucifer had favored me.

The little runt who could do nothing but hide behind him.

Her taunts, they… got to me.

In a moment of indignant rage i cut her down.

I still the look on her face…

The fear of coming oblivion, the disbelief having been cut down by me.

I could have simply disarmed or incapacitated her, yet because she brought up our eldest brother and associated him with the rebellion…

I killed her.

For daring to intrude upon my denial, i killed our sibling without hesitation.

Yet, seeing her dying i trying to take it all back.

That i couldn’t have done what i did.

As she faded to oblivion, i buried it all, wanting to pretend it had been because she was a rebel, an enemy of our Lord.

Not because of something so… so…”

He couldn’t finish, though Gabriel understood what he was trying to say and told him;

“I too killed two of our siblings, one in panic to defend myself.

The other… because he dared to turn my own counsel against me.

I didn’t need to kill him, but i was so enraged, so desperate to not see what i was doing was wrong.”

Gabriel was silent for a bit, then added feeling guilty;

“I… don’t even his name.

I have not dared to ask.

I know i need to face it.

Don’t let me forget; after this i must pray to our Lord and father, to ask for his name.”

She told him, her voice shaky but resolved.

Michael nodded.

Then continued;

“When i was about to kill you, i saw her in your eyes staring back at me.

My hypocricy.

A hideous reflection.

In that instant seeing past myself, i heard your cry for help.

It was too late to stop myself, so i focused it all onto your weapon and armor instead. Placing my hope that your defensive abilities that kept so many of us safe in the heated battles against Darkness would endure.

When i saw you survived i was so relieved.

Then i heard you thinking out loud and… my denial found its voice.

I told you what i had not even itted to myself until then.

Because of it i…”

His throat tightened.

Gabriel realised where this was heading, and took said the rest;

“Gained the resolve to not take that last step and rejected Lucifer.”

Michael looked at her, his eyes conveying the pain from his choice;

“Because of you when i stood at that point, that last step beckoning;

ing you were there to witness the truth, that i had resolved to face,

I… stood up to him and let his mask slip.”

Gabriel felt that cold terror again just thinking of what happened next.

“Gabriel, all of us were weak before Lucifer whether we it it or not.

Had it been you, me or any of us alone in that situation;

None of us could have rejected him.

It is because of you;

I was able to reject him not because i wasn’t weak,

The resolve i gained from baring my denial to you, giving it a voice, are why i confronted him for what he was and rejected him inspite of being weak.”

Michael approached the utterly stunned Gabriel, his voice confident.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, he finished;

“Gabriel, sister; you are not unworthy of your name.

Just as i gained the resolve to confront Lucifer from you,

When faced with perdition amongst all the prideful ones, you found the courage and humility from me to confess and ask forgiveness from father, our Lord before us all.

Your prayer, is what moved me to kneel before our father as well.”

He then held her hands together with his own.

“It will take time, as we venture lost in these unknown waters until we find where we are going.

If you find it before me, light a fire where you are.

But for now, there is a burden you must confront.

One we both carry, yet only by ourselves can it be laid to rest.

Be it today or another, once you have; come find us.

We miss you.”

Gabriel wanted to say so much, but felt overwhelmed by his words.

After he had taken flight, she stood there for a long while basking in all the feelings that she had forgotten, felt unworthy of.

It was indescribable.

A state where all felt right.

Blissful.

Blessed.

Beautiful.

‘God is my power.’

For the first time, it truly felt like it was her name.

One Gabriel would live up to.

… and first step, was one she had dared not to take for far too long.

Kneeling in prayer, despite the trepidation she began;

“Father, our sibling who was felled by my hand and folly…

….

…..

…… please, tell me his name.”

☆As an Archangel☆

Gabriels weapon is very unique in its design, making it more suited for defensive stances and motions.

It moves in near perfect junction with her body and hand movements, but anyone else trying to wield it find it…. Infuriatingly impossible.

It can feel light as a feather or heavy as sin at a moments notice or going from one motion to another.

It has no sharp blades on it, but if Gabriel grabs the handles with both hands, infuses her magic into it and holds it horizontally an unstoppable pure force rages forth like a tempest in 180 degree radius in front of her.

It repulses everything caught in it.

That force is comparable to Amons attack, but not as lethal or focused.

Is she instead holds it vertically that same force is generated, only it instead comes raining down;

Forcing onto the ground and immobilising everything caught in it.

To use it either way, Gabriel has to remain stationary.

Her weapon can be split in two and become a pair of arm blades for close quarter combat. In this state they can with minor wrist movements swap between offensive blades or defensive tonfas.

Infusing magic enhances the blades sharpness or the tonfas density.

In any of these forms her weapon is harder to break than Amons body.

Her way of fighting aims to repel enemies, keeping them away and protecting her siblings as the vanguards shield.

She is the only Angel whose offensive and defensive capabilities are completely balanced.

She has no obvious strengths but no exploitable weaknesses either, if anything Gabriel can fight no matter how fast or suddenly situation changes in battle without losing her pace or focus.

She’s like a moving bulwark.

However when fighting as a pair with another, her true potential comes forth.

Gabriel, like all other high caste Angels can bring forth a Divine power unique to them;

“My faith be the shield to ye,

Whom walketh thy path of thorns and strife,

To endure and become thou grace and might;

Perpetua Gratia!”

(Unbroken Grace)

When her Divine power is active, her body takes on the colour of grey, her veins that of pulsing amber, the sclera of her eyes turn dark while iris that of moonlight silver.

In this state, her body becomes unbreakable.

No matter the injuries, force, pressure or magic; no damage or hit is fatal.

Gabriels body simply puts itself back together in seconds.

She doesn’t bleed or feel pain either.

It is not invincible though.

After a long while her movements will become increasingly stiffer, clunkier as if the body itself is hardening inside out.

Then it stops altogether and she reverts back.

The other weakness is where it can be fatal.

True nature of Gabriels Divine power is not transformation, but rather…

To put it in simple , her weapon becomes her body while her body becomes her weapon.

To truly stop her in this state, one has to destroy her weapon as the practically indestructible defense in it is now in her ‘body’.

But who would think to keep targeting something that until this point has not been possible to damage?