Chapter Text
An angel stands alone in the middle of one of Heaven’s gardens. Her three pairs of wings were bright as starlight, her hair falling in soft waves and her garments were pure white almost glowing in the morning radiance.
Near an old silver-barked tree, she practices her morning harmonics. Scales fall from her lips in an enchanting melody weaving through the garden like warm light through crystal. The flowers bloom under the morning light and tilt towards her as if listening.
Her voice drifts farther than intended, far enough to catch the attention of a certain, curious angel.
“Wow! Your voice is heavenly.”
The angel is startled, her wings flaring up and out in a shining arc as she whirls toward the unexpected intruder.
Her eyes widened further upon seeing who it was, “Morningstar! Your Highness. Pardon my reaction. I did not think anyone would be passing by here.”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Lucifer chuckles, descending through a shaft of celestial light. He lands lightly, wings falling with feline grace, feathers settling in elegant ripples.
He studies her for a moment, observing the golden waves of magic lingering from her song.
“What’s your name?”
Doing a small curtsy the angel dips her head, “[Y/N], your highness.”
Lucifer tilts his head, eyes bright with interest, “[Y/N],” he repeats the name as though it was a line of music itself. “Beautiful. Fitting.”
You straighten, visibly flustered at the compliment, wings giving a small, betraying twitch. “Thank you, your highness.”
Lucifer shakes his head, his hand giving a dismissing wave, “No need for titles. Not with a voice like yours.”
Your breath hitches just a little.
“Was it… good enough for the morning choir? I know I’m supposed to practice set harmonics."
Lucifer smiles warmly, “It wasn’t good enough,” he says.
You falter, eyes dropping.
“It was better,” he adds.
Your head snaps up, surprised.
He walks past you, wings spreading and flying up to the sky, “You weren’t simply following the instructed melody,” He turns to look at you, “You were giving it life.”
He flutters down, “Will you sing again? For me this time?”
The garden falls silent, as if waiting for your response, “I couldn’t possibly, your high- Lucifer.”
“Then how about… with me?” He holds out his hand to you.
You place your hand in his, “As you wish.”
Lucifer’s smile brightens as he pulls you to fly up in the sky and make magic with your melodies.
-
It has been years since that day, and Lucifer and you have gotten closer. Together, you sang the most beautiful melodies, flew across the skies and talked about the beauty and blessing of existence.
-
One day, all of the angels are called to Heaven’s Assembly. Within the great atrium of light, the Speaker of God descends and announces that a new task is to be given to a select few angels.
“The Heavenly Father has created something new. Something wonderful, called Earth.”
A glowing orb appears in the middle of Heaven’s Assembly, forming the view of Earth. Here, different creatures live. On land, in the waters and in the sky. The land is filled with a variety of flora of different sizes, shapes and hues.
And at the center of it all, are the first man and the first woman. Walking hand in hand beneath a canopy of leaves, lanterned with fruit and soft blossoms.
“These,” The Speaker says, “Are Adam, and Lilith. The first of humankind. Care for them, guide them, and tend to the world that shelters them. Let Earth grow, flourish and change.”
A few names are called to step up, and among those names are, “Lucifer. [Y/N].”
Lucifer turns toward you, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes. Your own mirroring his.
He leans close enough and whispers, “Seems like we’re partners again. Though this won’t be like us sharing a song.”
Your wings twitch in excitement, mirroring his, “Perhaps. It is such an honor to be chosen. I can’t wait to see all that there is on Earth.”
“Me too.”
Lucifer offers his hand, “Shall we?”
You smile and place your hand in his, “We shall.”
-
Quickly they descend to Earth, wings cutting through the newborn skies. Sunlight catches on their feathers as they pass through the veil between realms.
The air on Earth is different compared to Heaven, it is warmer, thicker with possibility. Every scent, color, and texture is new.
“It’s beautiful,” [Y/N] whispers in awe.
“So full of life.”
Lucifer smirks, though his tone is softened by his wonder, “It’s almost as radiant as you when you sing.”
You shake your head, however your cheeks glow with warmth. “Lucifer…”
He lifts his hands in mock surrender, but fondness stays in his eyes, “I merely state the truth.”
Together with the other angels, they explore everything Earth has to offer. They fly high over mountains and walk over the grasslands. They touch the world gently, guiding its growth as commanded.
Over time, they come to know Adam and his bride, Lilith.
Both humans are fascinated by their visitors. Lilith, bold and curious, asking all there is about Heaven and Adam listens with wide eyes.
“Heaven sounds… so wonderful.” Lilith says wistfully laying her head against [Y/N]’s shoulder as she listens.
“It is. Song everywhere, smiles bright and angels fly free.” You reply.
“Seems like my kind of place.” Adam replies, sitting beside Lilith.
Lucifer sits beside you and chuckles, “Your kind of place? I bet when you get there, you’d be reprimanded for causing trouble.”
A chuckle escapes you, “Like how you do, Lucifer?”
Lucifer feigns hurt, “Me? Why, such disrespect, go back and reflect, dear angel.”
The three laugh at Lucifer’s dramatics.
Lilith raises her head from your shoulder, “You know, you and Lucifer make quite the pair.”
Lucifer raises a brow, “I suppose we do.”
“Only when he wants to cause trouble.” You gently push him with your wing, causing him to stumble into the grass.
Adam and Lilith look at each other before looking at both of you with knowing eyes. It is Adam that smirks and speaks up, “Are all angels as close as you two?”
Your cheeks turn pink, your wings fluttering, “We work well together, that’s all.”
Lucifer sits back up, his lips curl into a warm knowing smile, “Very well.”
You push him once more, “Hush you.”
Together, the four of them become inseparable. The closest of friends.
Lucifer and [Y/N] teach Adam and Lilith to tend to the animals, how to identify herbs and feel the presence of the divine in the wind.
Only happiness can be seen towards the horizon.
That is… until darkness unfolds.
-
It creeps in small, quiet and cold.
Lucifer’s ideas for Earth’s development slowly get turned down by the elders, one by one.
He proposes creating animals with mixed and countering features.
Rejected.
He suggests giving Adam and Lilith better tools to innovate the shelter they stay in.
Dismissed.
It continues until he breaches a line. Suggesting giving the fruit of knowledge to Adam and Lilith.
The Elder’s messages turn sharp and harsh.
“The humans must remain simple.”
“Too much knowledge will corrupt.”
“You are to observe, not interfere.”
Lucifer paces under the same tree where you first met, each step tight with frustration, wings trembling.
The soft flutter of wings breaks his spiraling thoughts, “Lucifer… Adam and Lilith have been asking for you the whole day. You never returned to Earth.”
He looks up at you, his brows furrowed, “They refused me. Again. They refuse every single idea I give. The only one they accepted is the creation of the duck!”
He sinks down by the roots of the tree, sighing in defeat and frustration. You move closer, lowering yourself beside him.
“Change can be frightening, even for us angels.” You say softly.
“But it doesn’t have to be.” He snaps. “What I’m trying to do is good. What we’re tasked to do is guide and improve Earth.”
“But Lucifer, what if they’re right? What if giving the fruit of knowledge to Adam and Lilith could truly harm them?”
Lucifer looks at you in disbelief. “[Y/N], not you too.”
You place a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Luci… I only worry you’d end up doing something you regret.”
Lucifer shrugs off your hand, angry.
“I thought you believed in me. How could you think that something I want to do would hurt them? Do you not trust Lilith? Adam? Me?”
“Luci… of course, I trust you-“
“Then why don’t you support me?” His voice rises, cracking. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you stopped speaking up for me when we raise our suggestions at the assemblies.”
“Luci-“
“And don’t think I don’t notice how much more time you spend with Adam recently.”
Your breath catches. “Lucifer, what are you saying?”
He looks at you with hurt, confusion, anger and at a loss, “Leave me.”
The words fall heavy as stone.
And you do.
Giving him a worried glance, you whisper a soft good night before flying off.
-
Over time, you and Lucifer drift apart. Conversations become short, glances become rare. The silence becomes a wall neither of you even attempt to break.
But as the distance grows, you notice something far more painful.
During your visits to Earth, Lucifer spends more and more time with Lilith.
Your heart breaks when Adam tells you that Lucifer and Lilith have fallen in love in a furious rant.
-
One day, you were called to Heaven’s Assembly.
Your breath leaves you when you see Lucifer and Lilith standing before the council, surrounded by blinding light. Their actions, their defiance leading them to this moment.
The dark pit opens beneath them and you try to rush forward, to plead for mercy, for forgiveness on their behalf.
But the other angels held you back.
You can only watch in despair as Lilith and Lucifer, your dear friend and your love… Fall.
Love.
The truth hits you like a blow.
You loved him.
You loved the Morningstar.
And now, it’s far too late. Tears fall as you realize your beacon of light and dreams disappear into the darkness below.
-
For years afterward, you do everything you can to save him. You preach his goodness, his brilliance, his compassion. Anything.
But each time, you are silenced.
“Keep quiet.”
“Do not question the decree.”
“Do you wish to fall as well?”
And so you endure, quietly carrying the memory of him alone. Your love buried beneath the weight of Heaven’s rejection of your efforts.
-
After years, Adam arrives in Heaven along with his children. He seeks you out almost immediately. His face that was once so gentle, filled with wonder and curiosity is now hardened, etched with grief and resentment.
He tells you of his new bride, Eve, and the anger he carries towards Lilith and Lucifer. How he felt betrayed, not only because Lilith left him but because Lucifer took Eve from his side.
His voice trembles when he reveals the final blow.
Lucifer and Lilith have had a child.
A daughter.
Your heart cracks wide open at that.
‘A daughter. Lucifer has a daughter.’
Your vision swims, your body trembles. The ache inside you finally threatens to swallow you whole.
‘Was it all nothing to Lucifer?’
‘Was everything you shared nothing to him?’
‘Why did he keep stacking sin after sin? Why did he let himself fall farther and farther from you?’
Bleakness settles over you like ash.
-
Rumors slowly begin to trickle within the circles of the high ranking angels.
“Hell’s population is increasing rapidly.”
“The sinners are being led by Lilith to retaliate against Heaven.”
“Hell is growing in power and will soon wish to wage war over Heaven!”
You didn’t know what to believe.
The years of anger, grief and feelings of betrayal churn inside your head. Whirling in your mind like a storm.
But still… you cling to hope.
You pray that the whispers are all lies. You pray that Lucifer is not lost.
-
One day, attend an assembly of Heaven’s high ranking angels.
The topic of discussion? What to do with Hell’s growing power and population.
“Maybe we can help them decrease the sinners population somehow?” one angel suggests.
“That’s right! Let’s take responsibility into our own hands! They clearly can’t handle this themselves.”
Another voice joins in, sharper, eager. “Right, we can-”
“We can exterminate the sinners yearly!” Adam suggests.
“What?! No!” you cry, horrified.
Adam laughs darkly, his general’s helmet glistening on his head. “Fuck yes! Come on Sera, Hell is bound to retaliate one of these centuries. It’s best we protect the souls in Heaven before they strike first.”
“Sera! Sera no!” You plead, but the tide has shifted.
Sera rises from her seat, “This meeting is dismissed. Adam, come with me, you and I need to discuss this new decree.”
“Sera!" you shout again, helpless as Adam follows Sera out the assembly hall.
Your pulse hammers. Your breath shudders.
Quickly, you rush from the hall to your office. Your wings dragging behind you in frantic despair.
You fling open drawers, papers scattering to the floor. You search for a quill, ink and parchment. Your hand trembles as you find them, dropping them to your desk and you press you quill to the page.
Words pouring out somehow from your head, your voice trembling as it rises into a song.
“What am I doing?”
“Why did I say that?”
“Have to, got to stop this.”
Your hand writing grows frantic, nearly unreadable.
“What am I doing?”
“Why did I say that?”
“Have to, got to stop this.”
Soon, conditions of your counter-proposal for the new decree form onto the page.
“Let his family be spared”
“Let the hellborn be skimped”
“Let them focus on sinners”
“Only they shall be slain”
You sign the parchment, heart pounding.
“Let his light never dim”
“And however they try”
You rush to Sera’ office, a swirl of many emotions. Fear, desperation and hope.
“To destroy him”
“May his light never die”
“May this creed be applied”
Your wings flap, a nervous stutter in your flight, but you push through.
“Sera, anyone, everyone”
“May these words convince you”
“Hell won’t start a war”
“Not unless, unless you choose to.”
You reach Sera’s door and open up the scroll once more, looking over at your proposal, your last resort to at least save the ones you care about. “Ugh! What good is this writing?”
You pull on your hair, frustrated and scared, “I don’t even know if they’ll listen. I don’t even know if I should still try.”
You look out the tall window, towards Heaven’s orange tinted skies, a vision of Lucifer and Lilith invading your mind,
Lucifer, how are you?
Dreaming away still with Lilith?
One more heartbreak I can add to my generous supply?
You enter Sera’s office finding her discussing with Adam and his right hand, Lute, about the extermination.
You offer your proposal, which thankfully they accept and consider reasonable. However, knowing Adam’s anger and resentment towards Lucifer and by extension, Hell, you make a difficult decision.
You join the angelic army.
With every day that you prepare to exterminate sinners, you recall each memory you have with him. Slowly those memories twist into something dark.
Each memory, you begin to question your own intentions. The day he approached you, each time you joined in on his fun. You begin to look at each memory as if you were in the wrong from the very beginning.
No good deed goes unpunished
No act of charity goes unresented
As you endure the harsh training, more memories flash in your head. Falling deeper into dark places.
No good deed goes unpunished
That's my new creed
Finally, you reach a high enough rank to command your own division of troops.
My road of good intentions
Led where such roads always lead
No good deed
Goes unpunished…
On the eve of the first extermination, you stare at your reflection, haunted by the echoes of a time when the four of you were happy.
Adam…
Lilith…
Lucifer…
Lucifer!
A single tear falls. You don your helmet and join the army. Marching to the gates.
You sing softly,
One question haunts and hurts
Too much, too much to mention:
Was I really seeking good
Or seeking his attention?
When you reach the assembly, you stand in attention. Adam gives instructions. You raise your spear along with the other soldier.
Is that all my deeds are
When looked at with an ice-cold eye?
If what all I do are
Maybe that's the reason why…
You dive down. Hell erupts in screams beneath you.
You fly quickly, wings flapping behind you as you start killing left and right.
No good deed goes unpunished
All helpful urges should be circumvented.
No good deed goes unpunished
Sure, I meant well
You pause your slaughter, looking at Hell from above, seeing the chaos of the extermination. Your voice trembles, “Well, look at what well-meant did… All right, enough.”
You look round and decide, you have been hurt enough. You stone your heart and raise your spear.
So be it, so be it then
Let Heaven and Hell be agreed
I'm wicked through and through
You dive back down, now faster and fiercer.
Since I can not succeed
Lucifer, redeeming you
I promise no good deed
Will I attempt to do again!
Ever again!
No good deed will I do AGAIN!
You fly across Hell’s skies and swoop down on the sinners, reigning terror and death. Hell burning beneath your wings.
-
Unknown to you, Lucifer looks through the glass of his tower. And there, he spots you. His eyes widened in disbelief. A flash of regret in his eyes.
“[Y/N]?”