It All Started with an Apple. Subtitled: Lucifer's forbidden fruit

Chapter 26 Lucifer

  Lucifer stops the strike of his blade. A strike that would have severed Michael's head as he feels the absence of his bride. He turns to where she was and freezes like ice in fear and despair. His eyes first find Gabriel to see he is too lost in his own emotions to have been the cause of her vanishing. He then turns his gaze back to Michael who is still awaiting the blow that would end his angelic form. With a fierce howl he closes his eyes tightly to use his powerful mind to locate her soul. "Charsoc!" he growls, shimmering from God and his brothers.

"Lucifer come back and let this be finished once and for all between us!" Michael bellows out in frustration, his eyes a fierce storm of raw emotion as a single blue tear falls from them against his will. Running his powerful hands through his blood and brimstone-soaked hair he looks around to find his brother and God. Gabriel 's eyes are full of unexplained guilt and shame; he can hardly keep eye contact with Michael. Instantly Michael must wonder if he was somehow responsible for Lucifers untimely exit. Without thinking- letting his infamous temper have the better of him as he often did in the beginning before Lucifer's council when they were still brothers, Michael Shimmers to his younger brother. He grabs him harshly by his long raven hair pulling him to his feet.

"What have you done Gabriel? Do you truly choose a Lucifer- the unclean creature over our father and heaven? How dare you interfere even if it looked as if I was to fall to his sword. You risk your wings and his grace, your honor and my love for you!" Michael hisses- their eyes meet and hold as Gabriel remains silent. He refuses to deny or admit his guilt. The annoyance within Michael dangerously becomes rage and wrath, both sins that are forbidden to an Angel. Michael close his eyes desperate to stop the storm from exploding and spreading like a disease inside him. He fights the darkness that is seeping into him. The same darkness that his older brother lost the battle against. Micheal's anger, fear, bitterness and grief over Lucifer is nearly too much for him to handle. Gabriel seems the only outlet to release it on currently.

"Michael my beloved son enough is enough, release your brother. Let my light and love again to fill your being. Hell's darkness and despair is tainting you. Lucifer will be back, and we must be prepared for him. Aelia's soul has vanished, and I cannot seem to sense it anywhere. For now, Lucifer has won the battle but there is nothing that we can do. Take comfort that I did sense that he also has no idea where her soul has vanished to either. I fear there is a mighty war coming my sons, now is the time for unison not self- destruction." God's powerful presence and authoritative tone of voice fills the entirety of the space around them. Neither Michael or Gabriel speak as they shimmer with God away from Lucifer's realm and re- enter heaven.

Hours later Gabriel stands gazing across heaven. His mind is heavy with thoughts that he can no longer deny. He knows their father's law is final in all things and they have no right to question it. If they did question it, they would be punished greatly. Gabriel wants desperately to ignore these radical thoughts that Lucifer should be granted the right to keep his mate. Aelia taught him how to love again and should that not count for something in their father's eyes. He wants to voice this to God- his father but he knew he was angry the last time he tried, and he could not stand the idea of disappointing him yet again. He also cannot tell Michael either after he accused him and nearly attacked him in hell. His brothers need for battle and glory overwrote his better judgment as well as his love for their fallen brother.

Michael, like Gabriel, stood in heaven's core, his mind heavy with turbulent thoughts. His emotions are mixed and troubled. He cannot understand how he could have lost control on Gabriel like he had. He loves his brother, and he would never do any harm to him, yet they're in Lucifer's realm something happened for a split second. He felt wrath and pride- sins only mankind and Lucifer were meant to endure. If it had not been for their beloved father, he would have harmed and possibly even destroyed Gabriel. The constant battle to save the race the man was taking its toll on them all, it didn't seem fair to him anymore. It was unfair that he and his angelic race was constantly having to protect these humans and save them from their sins. It was wrong that they must go against their own brother, whom they all loved and cherished above all else until he had fallen from grace. Micheal loves Lucifer and he can no longer deny the change in him due to his love and devotion to his human mate. Yet Micheal still feels obligated to destroy him to save an earth from his wrath.

God senses the turmoil inside of his archangels and he wishes he could seize their troubled thoughts, but he dares not interfere. As with his beloved children, he must covert his angelic children and watch over them. He must guide them but never force them to act in his favor. True he gave them not the free will he gave his children on earth, but he still gave them freedom to think and keep thoughts in silence, after all he too could not deny the change, he saw in his fallen son. Lucifer has indeed learned to love again but he still refuses to understand and accept he could not freely mate and converse with mankind. It is both forbidden and unnatural, God can never allow them to reunite- no more than he can ever allow Aelia's soul to escape judgment and sentencing.

Gabriel turns at the feel of a very large hand on his shoulder and finds himself face to face with his brother Michael. Micheal's eyes are full of raw emotion, his mouth set in a sad frown. It is very clear to Gabriel that he feels remorse for his attack on him. His shoulders are slumped, and his golden wings are lying limply at his sides. His usually well-kept reddish locks are matted and unkempt. His words are so softly spoken they're barely audible to Gabriel's ears.

"My brother I beg your forgiveness and understanding. I would never unless under the powerful spell of Hell's toxic power harm you. I fear this battle is wearing on my sanity."

"I do forgive you Michael. I love you as I love God and heaven's light. I only wish this battle was not our burden to bear. I love Lucifer as I loved him before darkness crept into our home and changed him. I sadly and shamefully admit that I understand his anger and believe he truly loves Aelia. I believe they should be able to be together. I know it goes against God- our father and his law but..." Gabriel's voice trails off.

"I'm sorry forgive me," Gabriel cries- thesadness and shame in his eyes is more than Micheal can bear. Michael pulls his brother into his comfortingembrace. Rather he cares to admit it or not he understands how and why he feelsthe way he feels. He too wishes God would leave Lucifer and Aelia together. Heto thinks that it might perhaps stop his never-ending obsession with bringingabout the final fall of the race man. However, like his brother Micheal knowshe could never voice these ideas and feelings to their father for he wouldnever understand or allow such radical ideas and views from his most loyalangels.