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When God created Lucifer, Michael knew he would need to keep him close. He was just so different from all of the other angels. His hair was black, as though the night was always with him, but his eyes were gold, as though they had captured the sun in their depths. Michael had no idea what to expect from his new brother, so he gave his best grin and said “Hello!”
Though he had been initially nervous, Michael found that the more time he spent with Lucifer, the more the bright-eyed angel grew on him. He was fun; he could always come up with something entertaining to do, and he was naturally witty. Michael could spend all day with Lucifer and not be bored for more than a moment.
However, one day, Michael was summoned by God to assist Raphael in creating a Garden of some kind. It was going to be home to two new creatures – humans. Michael dove right into the project, studying what these humans would need to be able to live. Once that was done, he helped Raphael outline a plan for the Garden. Between the two of them, the plan was completed in just a few days.
But he hadn’t realized how long he’d been neglecting his friendships with the other angels – specifically, Lucifer. It wasn’t until Gabriel warned him and Raphael about an imminent watery ambush by Uriel and Lucifer that it occurred to him how single-mindedly focused he had been about planning the Garden.
Still, it hadn’t been all that long. If anything, Lucifer would just be a little bit annoyed at being ignored for a few days. Michael grinned and clapped his hands. “This is perfect timing! Raphael, we can totally get them back, too.”
They ended up catching Lucifer and Uriel completely by surprise. Nonetheless, they all managed to continue the water fight for the better part of two hours before they were all soaked and tired. While Gabriel complained about getting caught in the fray, Michael and Lucifer sat back-to-back.
“Can’t believe you thought you could pull a fast one on me like that, bro,” Michael laughed.
Not much time passed before God created the first two humans, Adam and Eve. Most of the angels either liked them or didn’t really care one way or the other. Lucifer, however, felt betrayed by their Father. He demanded an explanation, thinking God meant to replace him and the other angels with a new favorite creation.
“Are we not good enough for you?” he had shouted.
But God never gave him an answer; He only looked upon the angel with disappointment and told him to mind his place.
When Michael found him later, Lucifer’s normally fiery eyes were damp and muted with tears. “Did you see what Dad did, Michael?” he asked, wiping furiously at his eyes. “He went and made those gross… things!”
Michael was taken aback. He’d never seen his brother this worked up before.
“And he’s ignoring us,” Lucifer went on, his hands clenched into fists. “It’s like he likes them more than us!”
Looking back on it, this should have been Michael’s first clue to be concerned. He should have told Lucifer that he needed to suck it up, that he shouldn’t doubt God like that, that he should trust in His plan.
But instead, he called upon a grin and teased his brother about being jealous of the new family pet. It was what he said next, though, that he would forever regret. “Look, forget about those people. At the end of the day, you’ll always have me.”
He couldn’t have known at the time how big of a lie that would turn out to be.
A day or two later, Michael went looking for Gabriel, for reasons that he no longer remembers. Before he could find him, he ran into Raphael.
“Hey, bro,” Michael said cheerfully. “Have you seen Gabe? I’ve been meaning t –”
“Watch out for him,” Raphael said, cutting him off.
Michael’s eyes widened in surprise. Watch out for… Gabriel? “Huh??”
“I see something festering in him,” Raphael explained. Michael felt his shoulders slump slightly, but he tried not to let it show. No, he knew who Raphael was referring to. He had asked him the day before to check on Lucifer. “You will inevitably be hurt. I’m sorry.”
Michael’s heart gave a sharp tug. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing, but he had to; Raphael was not one to tell lies.
Raphael’s words were proven true only three days after.
Someone had convinced the humans to eat from the Tree. The Tree that they were specifically told not to eat from by God Himself.
Only a few angels knew what it would mean if the humans ate from the Tree.
Michael felt sick. He had told Lucifer one day about the Garden. He’d told him about the animals he had helped to design, the beautiful stones and plants. He’d told him about the Tree of Knowledge. He’d told him how it was a test of the human’s loyalty to God, that if they ever ate from the tree they would be disobeying Him.
There was only one angel who would want to turn the humans against their Creator.
“Lucifer!” Michael roared, grabbing his brother by the front of his robe. “Do you know what you just did?”
Lucifer looked nonplussed for a moment, perhaps not understanding the severity of his actions, perhaps only shocked that Michael would be angry. “Yeah,” was all he said.
Michael shoved him away before throwing a punch that connected with his brother’s face. Lucifer fell to the floor, holding his cheek with one hand and looking up at Michael with wide eyes.
“What the fuck?”
It was only after those words left Lucifer’s mouth that Michael’s brain caught up with his actions. He dropped his arm and took a deep breath. It didn’t make him any less tense. “Luce,” he hissed, “You can’t just go against Dad like that. It’s not right!”
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, his eyebrows drawing together. He slowly got to his feet. “You know what’s not right?” he growled. “We’ve never fought before, not really. But the second I step a toe out of line, you fucking hit me. Doesn’t that seem a little messed up to you!?”
“No, it doesn’t! What’s ‘messed up’ is that you’d even get out of line in the first place! He made us, Luce! The least we could do is respect his other creations!”
“We’re brothers, Michael! You’ve known me since I was born. You can’t honestly tell me that you care more about these – these animals –”
“It isn’t about the humans, Lucifer! You deliberately went against Dad! And you ruined the Garden!”
“Ruined!? You should be glad those disgusting meatsacks are out of there for good! It’s an improvement!”
Both angels were just about bursting with furious light. Most of the others stayed far back, watching from a distance.
No one could remember later whether it was Michael or Lucifer who struck first. All anyone could seem to agree on was that it was Gabriel who was hit.
Both dropped their offensive positions immediately, but they still glowed and shook with anger. Gabriel backed away quickly, his blood seeping from his lips.
“Michael,” Lucifer said, barely containing himself from striking out again. “I’m not the only one who thinks this whole place is fucked.”
“Why don’t you just leave, then.” Michael clenched and unclenched his fists several times.
“We will.”
“All who desert are betrayers.”
“That’s fine,” Lucifer said, his words like venom dripping from his teeth. “You’re always so generous, Michael.”
Michael’s light flashed once, but he managed to pull it back before it could hurt anyone. “Take them. I don’t want to look at you anymore.” If his voice caught anywhere in his last sentence, neither of them acknowledged it.
Maybe it was foolish to think so, but when the black-haired angel left heaven, Michael felt as though he had taken the sun with him.