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There was laughter in the throne room again. Which meant, of course, that Lucifer and Gabriel were dicking around again. It really pisses Raphael off how just the echo of their voices can disrupt the fledglings under him. They perk up in memory or anticipation of a song, a game or a glimpse.
Its not the time for that though. Its time to train, or at least to attempt it. And of course it would be his job to teach the defective ones. Michael may lead the host but its Raphael whos stuck with the backwards infants, the ones who dont fly, dont fight, or dont listen. The ones who get hurt.
It makes no sense even trying to train them. Just toss them into the abyss or into the ocean with the leviathan and be done with it. Its where most of them end up anyways.
"Pay attention!" his voice thunders across the heavens. "And pick up your blades." Small hands with large blades. No one is holding them right and it takes an eternity to correct them. Again. Not that it matters. Half of them will freeze and won't even use them. "Pair off."
"I don't have a partner." One says which is impossible because everyone has a partner.
"Your partner is the angel right beside you who is unpaired." Some fleglings dont shine quite so brightly as the others.
"But he wont..."The protest dies on his lips and Raphael looks closer at who hes next to. Of course, that one. The one who did just fine with his blade until he hurt his partner.
"Castiel, Sammael is your partner. You will spar with him."
"I dont want to hurt him." And of course, he's not so skilled that he wouldnt.
"I will heal you. I heal all of you, all the time."
"Its not a fair fight. He's smaller than me." Which is true. But everyone in this regimen is smaller and younger than him so theres no helping it.
"Here then." Rapael takes the child's blade way. "Hes smaller, you're unarmed. Is that better?"
And of course, he nods instead of protests. Of course he nods and turns to face Sammael, who looks a bit reluctant himself until Raphael gives him a look. Hes gotten better at those looks. Not quite Michael level but 'I don't have to heal you' is about as effective as 'I will hurt you.' At least with these accident prone creatures.
"North fire strike, ten repititions. By the depths of darkness! You are the sheild of god that implies DEFENSE at the very LEAST!" Unbelievable.
"Keep it down, Raph. Some of us are trying to enjoy life." Gabriel pop in breifly to kiss his elder brother's head before dissappearing again. Enjoy life. You have to be alive to enjoy it. Well, he is trying to keep them alive. Even if it is like herding cats.
"For the love of all that is holy. Castiel just stand there to the side and watch. Sammael, come up here. You'll spar with me."
At least this one has enthusiasm, if not an utter lack of skill. That can be fixed. Most of them at least try to hone their skills. Its important. Their father's reaching the next stage of creation soon. There will be things to fight, to protect soon besides each other. And should they survive a fall to earth before the leviathans are cleared, fighting well enough to get an opening to escape is their only hope.
"Raphael!" A distressed cry arises near the back of the left flank and a bundle of fledgelings have surroubded an injured brother. No, two injured brothers.
"What happened?" Raphael hears himself asking, though that's not important at the moment.
"I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to." Is the panicked tearful response. "I tripped." Which is par for the course with this one.
"All if you, move." He gently brushes them aside.
Two children are curled together on the floor, both peirced by one blade. The one underneath is barely harmed, though crying just as desperately as the owner of the blade. The one curled around him, however is much worse off, silent and unmoving, alive only by the grace of god.
The blade has peirced both wing and chest. Raphael draws in a breath, almost cursing despite himself. The blade by some odd chance is all thats keeping the babes grace inside. He slowly removes the blade, inch by inch, healing a fraction at a time, hoping hes quick enough to do so. When he's done, the child is whole, if a bit faded and deminished.
"I'm sorry." Harahel grabs his brother, embracing both the healer and the healed, "I didn't mean to. I didn't."
"We know." He comforts the child as best he can. A wounded heart isnt something he can fix. "Sabiel," Raphael places his hand on the small wound on the childs chest. This one, if it hadnt been blocked, would have been instantly fatal. "You are alright."
"And Castiel?"the trembling babe enquires.
"He will be just fine. All he needs is rest. " Raphael holds the pain in the ass fledgling close. "Now what happened?"
Alot of varied and confused accounts are given before he can conclude that Harahel was off balnce and strayed out of bounds, bumped into Abner and then fell when trying to parry Azazel. But Sabiel was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Castiel, who was watching, as told, sprinted to sheild his younger brother with his body before he could be killed, taking the blade in the process.
"Understood. All of you are to practice staying in bounds while i take him back to the garden. Do not leave until i return. Anael, monitor them." Raphael returns to the garden, placing the weary nuisance in the soft grass.
"Sabiel?" Is the young one's question upon returning to awareness.
"Functional."A worried irritaton arises within him. "You however are useless."
"I sheilded..."
"A sheild that can only take one blow is worthless, you child! If you die saving one you can't save anymore. Now rest. And dont come back to the training grounds until youre ready to train. As told."
"Yes, sir." Castiel curls in on himself, returning to a restful state, regaining his strength.
"Raphael." Gabriel greets him softly as he manifests beside him. "Come fly with me."
"You don't have business in the throne room?" Raphael's tone is a bit more snippy than he intends.
"I have business with my other favorite brother right now. Fly with me." He grasps his handa, pulling him out if the garden.
"Very well."
"Shall we see what dad's up to?"
"More ocean of course. Its nothing but oceans and leviathan and things eaten by them right now. Lets not go to earth, its the least beautiful thing hes done."
"Because its not done yet. Okay, the pretty big one with the rings. Not too far but nice to look at." He tugs, though Raphael only half heartedly resists leaving heaven. "You know you need a break. Anael has them."
"I do need a break, but not long. If they wander off and fall into things, Michael will pluck my feathers off." Which of course won't happen. They're old enough not to. Only the wingless newborns do that.
"Yes, well he wasn't exactly doing well with them himself, which is why he handed them to you." The speed at which Gabriel pulls him to a seat on the rings is exhilarating. He always was the fastest. "Why are you trying to do what he does? It didn't work for him, why would i work for you?"
"Is this an official message?" Raph snaps, despite himself.
"No. Its common sense. You're not Michael, you're Raphael. You heal people, you fix things. Thats why they need you." Gabriel nudges him, sitting arm to arm,wing to wing, like after the first battle when there was so much to fix. Michael and lucifer hovered of course, but it was Raphael he clung to first.
Of course as soon as Gabriel was out of danger, he was swept away by the morning star without protest. Not that he blames him for preferring Lucifer, everyone does.
"Yes well, you're the messenger, not the next light bringer." More bitterness, though he doesnt feel bitter. He feels tired.
"Dont remind me." It almost hurts to hear the same tone in his little brothers voice. Raphael wants to tell him that he doesn't have to be. One Lucifer is enough. Even if Gabriel isn't quite as beautiful, he speaks better, sings better laughs better. If Lucifer manifests god's beauty, Gabriel is god's voice. But he doesnt say anything, because hes just so tired of fixing things.
"I am still learning from him though." Gabriel perks up. "Look." The swirls on the surface change until resemble a strutting Michael addressing the troops, though looking less like god's strength than he does arrogance incarnate. Definitely Lucifer's touch there. "Its all light. Isn't that amazing. You just take and twist and turn light and its almost like the real thing. Isn't that amazing?" The images change to reflect the wingless ones tumbling among each other, playing, laughing.
"Its not the real thing though."Raphael struggles to put words to the discomfort brewed by the image of michael. "Its...a lie."
"What? No... it's... it's... a picture. Just... I'm," and the loss of words frightens Raphael even more. When does Gabriel ever not know what to say? "It's... i dont know, but its not a lie."
"I tell them the truth." Raphael switches back to his charges, almost desperate not to think too hard about this. "They have to learn to fight."
"Maybe not each other though." Gabriel kindly allows the change of subject, but does he have to make such a pointless suggestion?
"What?"
"Thats the main concern these fluff balls have right?"
"That or hurting themselves. What else can they learn on?"
"Why not fake targets? Like this?" A swirl of light coalesces into a blank baby angel form. Its so disturbing and he cant place why.
"I wont train them with lies." He swipes the light away.
"Its to show them the truth. That they can do it. And theyre not hurting their brothers this way. C'mon, this group. I wouldnt have made them soldiers, but thats what dad wanted. Maybe babysitters. Like that poor wayward cutie. Have you ever seen such an infant do that? And hes not even flying. That was officer type action." Raphael just snorts at this assessment.
"No, hes not flying yet. Dont get my hopes up. You know how this will end. How it always ends, the empty or a laviathans stomach." Raphael can look at anything anymore and just covers himself completely wrapped in his own wings, shutting it all out. "Im so tired of losing children. I cant take this anymore."
He feels his brothers wings around his own and a quiet hum of affection that eventually soothes back his own tears.
"Maybe Luci has some ideas." Gabriel of course has to ruin the moment with his boundless admiration. Raphael snorts, uncovering himself.
"Yes, Michael would love that, my going to Lucifer for training issues."
"Oooo, right."Gabriel half hisses at the thought. "Then we'd get more of this."
The images of Michael and Lucifer quarreling like fledglings is somewhat amusing, but its when the start throwing planets at each other that Raphael starts laughing. He almost falls off the ring as he does so, but it loosens something inside him and he can smile again almost wth ease.
"See, its not a lie. Not really. its just a different way of saying a fundinental truth." Of course the hints of desperation and denial in Gabriels voice takes Raphaels smile away.
"Its not your job to decide how the truth is given, Gabriel."
"No. I know. I just deliver the messages. But whats the point of a message if it isnt understood? What good is a straight truth if it makes them believe a lie."
"I... you're confusing... you're confused, Gabriel. Maybe you need a break." Raphael doesnt know what exactly to say.
"From what?" The question is almost a challenge.
"From the emptiness of the throne room for one. Come... play with the babies."he hurridly throws out the suggestion before Gabe can counter. It works though as the anger he sees growing is over taken by surprise.
"You hate when i play with them. It makes them noisy and unruly."gabriel scoffs though he doesnt reject the idea. Maybe it isnt just favoritism that keeps him in the throne room with Lucifer so much. Maybe he just doesnt feel welcome anywhere else.
"Well, you can sing to them too. We could sing together. That calms them down when we need them to behave. If you went now, itd let the
broken sheild get better rest. Not that it ultimately matters."
"Boy you really do need a break. Hey, i dont have any messages for a while, why dont i watch the kids for a while and you can go spar with Michael a bit, or watch the seraphs train and recharge. I know that last healing took it out of you. Im impressed by the way. You couldnt have done that for the first batch."
"The first batch werent suicidally stupid. Granted they're beaurocrats not soldiers." Raphael concedes. "You kind of have to be a reckless idiot to be a hero." This back handed compliment earns him a kiss and from everyones favorite reckless idiot archangel who nearly got himself killed distracting their aunt for Lucifer.
"We'll play in the garden until you return. I wont loose any i promise"
"Thank you."
After resting and sparring, Michael had quite a few things to say that were less than relaxing. Especially the offer of having Lucifer give a few personal lessons in the throne room or taking over a session when dad returns for his breif breaks. It was appealing but at the same time felt deeply wrong.
But as Michael said, theres no place for petty jealousy. Earth would be finished soon and the time to expel the leviathans would arrive. They must learn. And given how likely their deaths will be, it wont matter who trains them.
And either way itd be good for Gabriel not to be alone with him, with the mark, if he's confused and loosing words. Hes not as strong as his older brothers, just quicker, quicker to learn, to laugh, to feel, to remember. So what if the younger angels get unmanageable. Theyre hardly manageable anyways and they listen to Gabriel. Everyone does.
No, more than that they hear him. Maybe hes right about speaking to be understood and not as just a straight truth. But thats not him saying it. It's not. Its Lucifer's adoring baby brother saying things like that, not gods messenger. But still maybe Gabriel should be teaching the wayward babes instead. Better confusion than death.
Raphael gives a start as he sees Lucifer in the garden. He practically never even goes near the infants. Though as expected, the children are all in awe at being so close to the unmatchable beauty of the lightbringer himself, he who locked the darkness away.
Not that he did it all himself, Michael defending his back, Gabriel leading the enemy on chase after chase, Raphael himself keeping them all whole, spending himself to the point he thought hed be broken forever. But Lucifer bears the mark of victory, a stain on the boundless beauty its almost impossible not to get lost in.
The older children worship from afar, a bit more respectfully than the flghtless ones too young to know better who tumble over him like downy waves, touching and holding the shining creature.
All thats left uncovered, unkissed, untouched is the arm with the mark, held away from the innocent ones almost instinctively. It comforts Raphael to see that, and lets him enjoy his brothers smile at the attention. Though in truth hes not entirely sure all that adoration is good for lucifer. Still its hard to stay resentful in his presence.
"What brings you here?" Raphael joins them.
"Father has breifly returned to speak with Michael so Gabriel asked me to watch the babies while he tries to get the last seraph airborne. It seemed important to him that they had an archangel supervise them. Though, Nathan and Anael seem competant enough." The pleased fluster invoked in the two by the complaint disguised as praise makes Raphael roll his eyes.
"He said youd needed some time alone."
"I did. I do. This batch looks about ready to start flying too dont you think?" Raphael changes the subject.
"Almost. And you havent lost any either. Im kind of impressed. I dont know why our father made so many defective ones, cannon fodder maybe but..."
"Lucifer!"
"Dont worry, im not letting them hear me." This statement is hardly less disturbing. "What?" The completely unphased look in his big brothers eyes shows he clearly doesnt understand why Raphael would be upset at his statement which is the most upsetting of all.
"No. You... you cant... we dont question our father." Is what comes out as the most easily defined part of the problem.
"I didnt. I simply said i didnt understand. You know you dont either."
"No, i dont but we dont have to understand. Or we would. But we dont... I... wheres Castiel?" Raphael desperately looks around for an escape to this conversation.
"Who?"
"The... oh, right, the last seraph. Nevermind. I keep forgetting that little pain in the ass is a seraph."
Raphael covers his face with his hands.
"You know, Raph," his big brother says gently. "If you keep naming them, you'll just get more attatched and only hurt yourself even worse when they're lost."
The kindness and concern in this is warming, but still somehow cold. Raphael just brushes the chill aside and watches his most beautiful of brothers embrace the entire flock with his wings, drawing them in for a moment of unconscious affection before releasing them to tumble in a giggling heap at his feet.
"Anyway," Lucifer smiles at his brother. "You wont have to worry about that one anymore. It looks like Gabriel's taking a kill or cure approach this time."
"What?" Raphael quicky darts off to find them.
They are of course in the skies over earth, though so very close to the waves. Gabriel is flying upside down, his back to the waters, holding the child above him to let him feel the wind in his wings as if he were flying himself. Its an echo of Lucifer playing with the newlymade Gabriel, hidden in the garden away from amara as she consumed and wharped what came before. And those creatures, the leviathan are below, trapped in the ocean not nearly as seperate as they were before. The beings that nearly stole his brother from them before.
"Gabriel!" Fear tears the name from his throat and the waves grow higher. Raphael knows its his terror that freezes him in place and distracts his little brother for that breifest moment. But the moment is long enough that a wave catches one if Gabriels wings just enough to send him spinning, his grip on Castiel lost and twisted out from under him. Before they can recover themselves a second wave smacks the babe into the ocean depths.
"SHIT!" Gabriel dives into the waters after him. His enormous presence illuminates the water both illuminating the small sinking seraph and the darkness racing towards them from the deepest depths.
"Michael, help!" Raphael calls for the eldest unsure what to do. All Gabriel is doing is aiming for their baby brother trying to out race the leviathan Raphael darts to the point nearest the leviathan closing in on his siblings and swoops breifly beneath the waves. Predicably they change course toward him until he retracts into the sky. He does it twice in what feels like an eternity before Michael descends, blazing forth, the ocean fleeing before him and the leviathan with them.
Raphael manages to grab hold of Gabriel's wings, dragging him from the mass of water and monsters, getting him clear just as Michael reaches them and helps bring them home.
"What happened?" The panic in Lucifers voice on their arrival ruffles the children though not quite taking them from their rest. "Gabriel! Gabe..." He's immediately to their side, poring over the archangels drenched, bitten, ragged form. The golden wings curled protectively around his own body are jagged and frayed, some feathers just torn out entirely.
"They were playing with him" Raphael realizes blankly. But their cruelty is why hes even still alive. "I suppose the seraph was filling enough for that." They lost another one. Raphael feels oddly numb at the realization.
"Gabriel went into the deeps after a broken seraph!" Lucifers fury is nipped by the unfolding of Gabriels damaged wings. "You reckless idiot!"
"I have him. Its okay." Gabriel looks up at them with a cracked smile and hands the frightened babe to Raphael. "I didnt loose him."
"You think THAT'S what we care about?" Lucifer rages.
Raphael quickly takes the quivery ball of damp feathers to the huddle of resting children. Theyre oblivious to the argument now thundering behind them, spurred on by Michaels alternating chastizement and praise of Gabriels actions.
"Youre unhurt." He informs the child with relief as he hands him over to Ana. But still he can see in the poor things eyes that it doesnt matter. Hes seen that fear before, this angel will never willingly leave the garden again. He wont fly, he wont fight, he wont listen. And when he absolutely must, he'll fall into the emptiness of the abyss. Hes not the first. He wont be the last.
"Why are you wasting your time with that useless garbage!" Lucifers attention turns to him. "Your brother is hurt. Heal him!"
"Watch your tongue." Michaels anger is quieter but feircer none the less. "They are all our brothers."
Raphael winces, knowing whats coming. But before violence can explode again, Michael grabs Lucifer by the shoulders of his robes and removes him bodily from the garden.
That is not going to end well, but Raphael is grateful they're not doing it here. Their fights always seem to hurt Gabriel the most.
"You'll be alright." Raphael lays hands on his brothers wings. "Its superficial, more painful than damaging." He knows its not a comfort, though the soft golden wings are back to new quickly enough. Gabriel doesn't say anything, which is the worst response of all. All Raphael can think to do now is hold him close and tell him its alright.
"I had him." Gabriel finally says.
"I know." Raphael forces himself to acknowledge, refraining from informing him that he shouldnt have done it. That Lucifer was right. They're all their brothers, but theyre not their Brothers. Theyre not... they arent as important to him as Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer and never will be. They cant be. "You saved him. You didnt loose him. I know."
"Before that!" Gabriel pushes away. "I had him. I knew what i was doing! We were almost there too. He was just about to fly when you..." he doesnt finish but he doesnt have to. Raphael is well aware that he himself caused the accident.
"Im sorry." Is all he can excuse saying.
"But did you have to be so close to the water." If his tone was anything but distressed, its unlikely that gabriel would be hugging him again.
"No. It just made it look like there was less distance to fall."
"When youre over an ocean full of leviathan, thats a bad thing, Gabe!"
"I just needed him to feel safe enough to try. I was right there." But the protest is weak. "Like Luci..."
"He's broken, Gabriel." Raphael forces himself to say, the pointless torturous hope in his brothers eyes is killing him.
"Dont say that." Gabriels eyes grow hard forcing Raphael to retreat.
"Its my fault. Okay? But he is. I cant fix his mind. Hes never going to fly now and you know what that means."
"No. I dont."The hardness remains."And neither do you. Unless its been written, its not inevitable. And it isnt!" Gabriel pulls himself away.
"Gabriel..."
"Nothing has been written!"
And his brother is gone, off to wherever he goes when the fighting gets too much. He'll be back shorter by a deluge of tears, but he'll be back and thats okay.
"We need to talk about Gabriel." Raphael says, half blurting it out. Michael looks up from his plans, not half as annoyed as he'd expected. Which means hes worried too.
"What about exactly." Michaels weak smile asking him to narrow it down instead of dismissing it. But what to say? That he found where Gabriel goes? That their baby brother sits at the edge of the abyss, watering oblivion with his tears? He'd promised not to tell. Honestly where else could anyone really hope to escape the arguments.
"He's spending too much time with Lucifer."Is what his brain goes with instead.
"He's the only one of us with much time to spend." Michael says softly. "Its good for Luci to have him there. The throne room can be a lonely place. Gabe keeps him laughing."
"I know, but.... he's changing, Michael."
"I know. But he helps, gives him something to hold on to."
"Gabriel." Raphael clarifies, not a little pissed. "Gabriel's changing. He's confused. He's loosing words, and he's become obsessed with that broken seraph, making him fly."
"I didnt realize they were so close." Michael sounds surprised.
"They aren't. He doesnt even remember the angels name half the time. But he just... He threw him out over the abyss."
"What? Gabriel THREW a child into the abyss? When did this happen? Why wasnt I informed immediately?"
"No one was hurt. No one was lost and nothing bad happened. It wasnt into the abyss. It was over the abyss and gabriel had him tethered so there was no.... danger..." but the look if horror on Michaels face says differently.
Raphael suddenly realizes that a tether meant to pull one back out could easily be used to pull the other in. And the only think scarier than the thought of gabriel being unaware of the possibility is the thought that he was.
"Where is he?"
"Im not sure. Delivering messages i assume."
"And that seraph?"
"The garden. That attempt was about as succesful as the first." Raphael has to hurry to keep up with his older brother. "I'm fairly sure he wants nothing to do with gabriel anymore though."
"Thats a serious problem in itself, but one to be adressed later." Michael steps into the garden and the ones old enough to know, draw to attention. The babies just keep trying to continue their games with the suddenly uncooperative seraphs. "Where is that.... whats the broken seraphs name again?"
"Castiel."
"He was right..." Ana turns to point to a corner, then stops and looks around, "He was right there. Resting his wings. And where's Balthazar! Abner i told you to keep at least two eyes on him!"
"I was! There are a thousand fledgling, Ana. I am one angel!"
"Enough!" Michael thunders. " In formation all of you." He motions for Raphael to search the perimiter. "Who else is unaccounted for?"
"No one sir."
Sure enough, theres an open door hidden behind a tree. He follows it straight down the faint traces of a flightless infant making his way down make it easy until the solid edge of the garden walls end. Raphael descends heaven to see the two below him. The unconcerned babe batting the clouds as hes held aloft by a struggling young seraph on his first flight.
He's only shaken out of his surprise when the little angels wings begin to pull with the strain, but before he can rescue them, Gabriel's there, his arms around the two, with one of the brightest smiles anyones seen on him in a long time.
"I knew you could do it." Gabriel trumpets to the not quite so thrilled looking little seraph. Not that Raphael blames the boy for his lack of enthusiasm."I am so proud of you."
As Gabriel can easily carry both children, Raphael turns to go let Michael know everythings alright, but Michael is there already and does not look happy.
"Bring Gabriel to the throne room." He disappears. Raphael's heart sinks a little as Gabriel catches up, a radiant grin still on his face.
"Did you see that?" Gabriel greets his brother as they all land in the hallway. Raphael just stares at him, afraid to comment. "Oh, don't worry. They were never in any danger. I was right there the whole time." He reassures his older brother.
"What?" The truth revealed by that statement stuns him from silence. He set the whole thing up. Gabriel waggles his eyebrows, his grin never faltering, but now less joyful more impressed with his on cleverness.
"Oh again! Cassie, fly me again." The tiny one demands in excitement as Gabriel sets them both down.
"Im not big enough yet. I can't hold you very long. But we can practice in the garden later." Castiel dissappoints him before either of the archangels can. "Go back and play." The infant doesnt need more urging and races back towards the garden.
"I saw the ocean!"they can hear him crow. "And clouds!" Castiel stays put though as if waiting to be scolded.
"Let me see your wings." Raphael kneels down and checks the strained appendages. "No real damage. Just growing pains. Rest them completely a day, and dont attempt another flight for fortnight. Gabriel, Michael wants to see you in the throne room."
"I'm sure he does." Gabriel disappears. Hopefully to the throne room.
"I'm impressed." Raphael pats the surprised boy's head. "You flew, and kept aloft with a passenger your first time. You did well." The child looks as if hed never heard words of praise before today. Granted he might not have. Few of the lesser angels ever actually do anything legitimately praiseworthy.
"But,"Raphael continues."You'd have done better if you'd had more practice. If Gabriel hadnt been there you both would have been lost. Fighting, flying its all just in preparation for things like this. You cant protect people if you cant fight for them. Parried sword is better than a sacrice and a dead enemy does less harm than a diverted one. Thats why we practice."
"But they're my brothers, not my enemy. How can i learn to protect them by hurting them?"
"Thats just how it is. One day youll face enemies. One day you may even have to pull a brother from the depths, but if you dont know what you need to you'll fail and you'll lose him and yourself."
"How do i know what ill need to know?" Because of course he cant just say yes and fall in line. Of course he cant. He should just send him back. Why bother trying to explain? He should just understand and he doesnt.
"You dont know. Its impossible to know. Thats why you do everything you can as long as you can and push yourself as hard as you can until you cant do anything at all. Because its your only hope of suceeding. Do you understand?" Which of course he wont but please just let him say yes and fall in line anyways.
"Yes."the solemn thoughtful nod almost makes him believe it. While an outright lie is unthinkable, it doesnt mean the boy isnt just deluded. "I believe so." And thats good enough for now.
"Good. Go back to the garden. I think i may be needed in the throne room." Raphael sighs and sends him on his way.
He drags his feet on the way to his brothers. He knows hes doing so.
But it isnt going to be pretty. Neither of the elder two will be happy with Gabriel. Fault will inevitably be found with Raphael as well. Lucifer will be mad at him for the stunt with the abyss and probably be impressed with this one.
Michael undoubtedly is with the scheme, but for the fact that Gabe used an infant as bait. he risked a perfectly forming unbroken impressively fearless infant to do this. and that....thats not okay.
"You lied, Gabriel. You... actively intentionally decieved us and our brothers." Michael's impasssioned accusation surprises Raphael. It appears to surprise his other brothers as well. "And whats worse is you dont even know how wrong that was."
"It was a good plan, Michael." Lucifer of course jumps to Gabriels defense. "And it just so happens to have worked."
"You really think that makes it alright?" Michael shakes his head. "No. No.... Gabriel, until father returns you're not to enter the garden again." Gabriel gives a reluctant nod, accepting the unfortunate but justified punishment. Michael takes a breath and looks over to Lucifer. "And the throne room as well." This goes over less well.
"What? But why?"
"Your punishing me now, too?"Lucifer cuts right to it, drawing himself up."Who gave you the right?"
"Its not a punishment and you know who." Michael steps closer.
"But Michael..."
"Starting now, Gabriel!" The look in Michael gives brooks no argument. Gabriel gives Lucifer the breifest of looks before doing leaving at his nod. Unfortunately Michael notices this and turns back to his brother more pissed off than before.
"I suppose you're just going to keep standing there." Lucifer snaps at Raphael.
"You leave him out of this. This is about you and you know it."
"Im certianly not taking him in confidence." this last shot convinces Raphael to step out before he's caught in the crossfire.
"Send for me when you're done trying to kill each other." He's very grateful neither of them come after him for this one. "If you'll excuse me ill be pulling Gabriel back from the edge of the abyss."
"Thats not funny." Lucifer glares at him
"Do i look like I'm joking?" Raphael snaps, "By all means keep fighting. It'll be nice to have some wounds i can actually heal out of this." He takes himself to the abyss.
Gabriel is, of course, just standing there staring into nothing, his fists clenched tightly. If hes not crying yet. Its only because he's too angry.
"Gabriel."
"Leave me alone."
"Okay, but... just... step back a little?"
"Im fine where i am."
"Gabriel, don't!" Raphael looks over to see Michael race to their younger brother put his arms around him and haul him back as far from the edge as one full strength yank can take them both. The confused look of surprise on Gabriels face as they tumble to the floort so almost makes Raphael laugh.
"Michael....What in the dark..." he looks so bewildered he's not even angry anymore,
"Don't do it." Michael keeps holding onto him.
" Don't do wh... holy shit. Did.. did you think i was going to throw myself into oblivion?"
"Maybe."Raphael answers for the both Michael and himself.
"You threw a child you were tethered to into the abyss."
"Over the abyss"
" There is no over! Only before. You almost lost him and had yourself dragged in behind him!" Michael is only just shy of yelling this.
"Huh." Is the face of poor planning's only response.
"What are you doing here if not contemplating suicide?" Raphael kneels down next to the prone two as Michael tries to think of what to do next."Standing so close to the edge of nothing."
Gabriel sighs and stops trying to get out of Michael's grip, just laying there for a moment.
"It's peaceful. Thats all. Theres nothing. I see nothing, hear nothing and im alone with my thoughts. The closer i am the less there is to ignore. Thats all. If i was going to kill myself over you three being jackasses, i'd have died a million times already. Now will you let me go?"
"No." Michael smiles folding his wings to grab both his brothers this time. And neither of them can hold back their own grins.
"So you dont think about it, standing there looking in?" Raphael hates himself for spoiling the mood but the question wont let itself go unasked.
"I dont think you can stand there without thinking about it." Comes the quiet reply. "That kind of peace....its a seductive thing."
"Lets go back." Michael sounds oddly chipper. "Before Luci decides to come after you after all, orders be damned." They all know its not quite a joke though so Gabriel agrees without argument.
"So i can go in the throne room?"
"You can wave from the hall."
Raphael isnt exactly surprised though when, the second their father returns, Michael and Lucifer take off and when they return the edge of the abyss is, if not gone, impossible to find.