And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is The Book of Life: And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:12, 15
Preface
"Hearken when Michael speaketh, for I am he that stands in the presence of God."
-Apocalypse of Paul 42
“Saint Michael. Ruler of the fourth heaven, guardian of the keys to the two kingdoms, and conqueror of our fallen brother.”
The mighty and glorious Archangel .
The one to slay the serpent.
Yes. Michael was all of these things, but even more, he was my brother. And I feared for his fate now.
“Thou hath been judged and tried by the Father, the Seven Angels of Armageddon, and the Court of Machon for your crime against the Father and His kingdom.”
If only they could understand mine and Michael’s pain.
If only there was another way to save Her.
“For the crime thou so thoughtlessly committed, the Father has mercifully granted you a single choice between two.”
There was a surprised and hopeful murmur among thousands of white cloaked angels. I saw Michael’s one and only eternal soul mate amongst them; her soft soul wept tears that shimmered silver as they fell through the glistening floors. She and I both knew that Michael would not amend his sin if blessed with the chance. He did it for Mother and he would accept the consequences that follow.
“The first option we grant thee, and pray with the fullness of our souls that thou wilt choose, is full pardon and forgiveness to you and yours if thou wilt recover what you have hidden on the Earth.”
My brother, whom I loved so much, stood before the court steadfast and immovable. His hair shone like sunlight and his eyes were as blue and soft as an Earth’s winter.
“The second option, and the one we plead thee not to take, is a punishment to fit the crime.”
This day would be nearly as famous in all angelic history as the day The Morning Star fell.
The day the Archangel Michael chose punishment over pardon.
“I would suffer anything,” my brother whispered. “Before I would condemn my innocent mother to face the tormenting waves of The Lake of Fire.”
More angels broke into the soft song of tears, a tragic and haunting melody that echoed through the golden court. They loved him almost as much as I, and with a heavy heart I found myself wishing I could take his place. It should have been me to hide the evil thing on the Earth! It should be me standing trial and receiving punishment!
The seventh angel leaned towards Michael. “Is it punishment you so chose?”
“It is punishment I so request,” he replied softly. “If mine own mother may be tricked into a Hellish fate, then I shall choose it by mine own sane will!”
The angel sat back, and concern for my only brother’s sentence picked away at my soul. “Very well,” the angel said sadly. “The punishment, decided by the Lord and the Father, is banishment and exile from the Kingdom of Heaven
There was a wale of sorrow from the angels. Earth was a cruel and lonely place.
“As an addition to the punishment!” The angel continued over the sounds of saddened angels, his voice heard by all. “You, Saint Michael, will not be carrying out the term of the banishment, but rather, five other angels shall take thy place to assure that the return of the sacred instrument is guaranteed! They shall be removed of their heavenly memory and be branded with a mark of heaven to aid in finding one another. Among your sister, the remaining four angels are-“
Now, instead of a soft weeping, there was a burst of waling, shock, and devastation that thundered through the grand court as the angel declared the four angels that would be accompanying me to Earth.
“Daughter of the Archangel Azrial! Eldest son of the Archangel Uriel! Eldest son of the Archangel Rapheal! And brother to the Archangel Gabriel!”
Angels sobbed, unable to fathom the punishment given. They knew too well that their fallen brother, Samuel, would fight to temp and corrupt the five angels on Earth, where he and his own have power.
I would accept this punishment of course, but would I be strong enough to return? Too many angels fell into the grasp of the worldly pleasures. Without mine own heavenly memory, how would I remember who I was? Would I remember Michael? Would I remember the Father? Surely I would not know what I was sent to do; I would not know mine own purpose.
The Earth used to be a beautiful place, so I’d heard from older and wiser souls. The birthplace of the very first bodies, and the origin of The Garden. Spirits loved and lived together there once, even so much as a vicious beast lying with the quintessence of innocence and fragility.
But that was in the beginning, before men grew wicked and knew their true identity as God’s natural enemy. The race of man had fallen many earthly years ago. Without having the sacred instrument, The Father could not call on the last days. He allowed disasters such as floods, fires, storms, and many other catastrophic things to tear apart his creation, His creation that he so lovingly declared as a home for his angels to feel and learn. Few souls dwelled there now, only the strongest and most courageous or the most wicked and vindictive. Samuel has let his fallen angels fly upon that cursed world, leaving them to do as they please; and they so please to desecrate.
Will I be strong enough?
Michael was staring at me, his eyes brimming with guilt and pain that I could feel all the way from across the grand court. He knew what the earth was like, and I saw the anguish he felt for being the reason his sister would be sent there.
I tried to smile, to let him know that it was going to be okay, that I would be okay. But I could tell he knew me better.
Wish granted.
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