The Prince of Light stood before the seven angels before him, his lips pulled into a thin line. In his hands was a large scroll, rolled up that and lined with gold. Standing tall in his pure white robes, a red sash draped across his shoulders, tied by a golden chord, he surveyed the young angels grouped together several steps below. On either side of them were a set of Thrones, each holding a weapon in their hands to prevent the seven angels from escaping or fleeing. Even above there were several more who were present to dissuade them from taking flight.
Glancing down at the scroll in his hands, Archangel Michael looked very displeased as if his politeness was strained and he wished to act in a completely different manner from how he was now. Would he lash out? No, but he probably wanted to -- at least verbally.
A hand reached out and touched his shoulder, drawing his gaze up behind him where a figured, cloaked in a robe the color of coral, with a cowl large enough to hide his/her face. It was Metatron, the androgynous incarnation of the Tree of Life. "He" stood tall, just the same as Michael, though there was something about "him" that was very warm and welcoming. It was hard to believe the harsh truth of this situation with him present, though Michael's frowning face was a reminder that indeed, something troubling was underway in this normally peaceful and harmonious place.
"Calm, my friend," came Metatron's voice, the sound neither distinctly female or male. It was a wonder, without being to see Metatron's face, if he moved his mouth or not.
Michael inhaled slowly, held his breath, and slowly let it out. He nodded at the older being, respecting his advice. When he turned his attention back to the group before him, he was still terribly and obviously displeased, but held his temper as he looked down at the scroll in his hands and unrolled it. "Hear this, Servants of Our Lord: in my hands now is a list of crimes you are accused of against Our Lord. You are being accused of defiling Paradise with your presence, and it has been decided by the Seraphim that Divine Punishment is in order."
He looked up from the scroll to glance at the angels, a frown creasing his brow. "However, the Archangels believe you may be innocent of your supposed crimes. There is doubt that any of you are capable of committing such an atrocity. So it has been discussed by both Seraphim and Archangels that instead of Banishing you to Hell, a period of trial will be put into place. We will send you to the Mortal world to Repent. Use this time to cleanse yourselves and beg for the Forgiveness of Our Lord."
Michael rolled up the scroll, gripping it tightly in his hands. He looked at each angel individually. After a short pause, he stepped down toward them and came to one of the angels. He reached his hand out and touched the girl's forehead. "Each of you has been convicted. Though some may beg to differ, the decision has been made. You will be Marked. This mark will tie you to the Mortal world and seal your angelic powers. You will not be able to use them. You will not be able to influence the mortals with them at all."
He covered the girl's eyes with his hand, his fingers wrapping around her face to block her vision. "I wish I could do something to relieve you of your sentence, young ones, but what's done is done. His Will is Law. And if you are in any way a Taint in the Lord's Garden of Eden, like the Snake that tempted man with the Fruit of Evil, we will cast you out so that your poison -- harmless or not -- will not dare spread and damage the rest of the Lord's creatures."
With a flicker of his power, he forcefully drew the girl into sleep, marking somewhere on her body the sign of a Sinner, a Fallen cast from Heaven. One by one he did this to the other angels, forcing them to fall asleep. When they now lay upon the floor, he stood back and looked down at them with a look of pity.
"What must be done, must be done."
Michael glanced over his shoulder at Metatron, that frown present on his face again. "They could be innocent," he argued quietly.
The hood swayed from side to side as Metatron shook his head. "It has been Written, Archangel. You said it yourself-- His Will is Law. We cannot disobey or question." There was a pause as Metatron glided down the steps to stand next to him. "However... if they happen to overcome the difficulties that will certainly arise during this period of trial, then... when they return, a most sincere apology is in order."
Michael looked into that obscure hood of Metatron as if looking for a more definitive answer, as if seeking more from the wise Tree, but the incarnate said nothing more. So the Archangel turned his attention back to the angels before him and looked at the Thrones standing guard nearby. "Take them to the Mortal world," he ordered.
The Thrones nodded and came forward without question or peep, each one taking one angel into their arms. They extended their wings as one and in a flourish of feathers, they suddenly vanished, the sound of bells ringing after them.
In the deepest reaches of Hell lay the throne of the Devil -- Satan -- Lucifer -- the ex-Seraphim who was first cast out of Heaven thousands of years ago when he waged war against God and his angels. It was here the Prince of Hell took up residence, the only place where Hell's hottest flames were extinguished and replaced with the freezing tundra that was crafted by his magnificent six wings. Abdiel, a servant of Lucifer, stood before the the Devil's throne facing four demons who were most loyal to the Prince.
Black hair swept back into long, razor thin spikes high above his head, and dressed in leathers, he addressed the three demons with a smirk. "Well, well, news certainly does fly fast between the Realms, doesn't it? Guess what 'His Lordship' has done to his beloved little children? Apparently Paradise isn't quite so perfect after all." He snorted and shook his head slowly. "Luckily for you four, our Prince has a task in mind to help these unfortunate souls who have been abandoned by their Almighty Father."
Abdiel looked at the demons with a grin. He brought his hand to his heart. "He would like for you to meet with those poor Fallen and do exactly what you do best. Truly, they do not know what they're missing. Teach them the love of Sin, my fellow demons. Show them that they're better off without Heaven."
The elder demon turned partially to the side to gesture for someone to come forth. "Phoenix will be joining you."
The redheaded demon stepped up to present himself, smiling at the three demons before him. It had been a while since he'd been in the limelight of action, his primary duty being to stay close to Lucifer and do his personal bidding. Chasing after little pitiful angels wasn't exactly the initial part of his resume. But if Lucifer had asked for it, he would comply.
"Hello my fellow advocates of evil," he greeted. "It will be a pleasure working along side of you." He glanced at Abdiel and after receiving a nod from the older demon, Nix took a step forward toward the other demons. He joined them to look at the Abdiel for further instructions.
The dark-haired demon smirked. "Go to the Mortal world where you will pose as humans and associate with the angels. Do what you must to gain their favor and persuade them to fall deeper into Sin. However! Do not use your powers. Avoid detection or suspicion so that if or when these fools realize what's happening to them, it will be too late for them to be saved. Heaven will regret ever letting go of such valuable individuals."
With a nod toward Nix, the male demon turned to the three, bidding their attention and obedience. "Let's go. Time to get this party started." With a smirk, he disappeared in a shroud of darkness.
Noise. Smells. Lights. The evidence of humans and their filth. Nix resisted the urge to make a disgusted noise as he ran a hand through his hair and pushed a few strands from his face. Nearby he saw a couple young women passing by and give a long, furtive glance in his direction. He pretended not to notice at first, his gaze slowly wandering around him until at last he caught their gaze and gave a surprised but warm, open smile.
They giggled and whispered to each other secretively -- or at least what they thought was secretly. Nix gave them a friendly wave, exuding charm and an open attitude toward them. One of them blushed, while the other was daring enough to give a shy little wave in return. How cute. Nix didn't linger on them for too long, though, his mind was elsewhere as he waited for the arrival of his fellow demons (and demoness).
Crossing his legs under the table, he brought his cup to his lips and gave a sip, enjoying the taste of his drink as he sat back in his chair and basked in the warm, afternoon sun at the outside picnic area of a well known cafe. Dressed in a light colored button-up with the first two buttons undone as well as the last bottom button, and contrasting dark jeans, Nix did nothing to turn wandering eyes away from him, his casual attitude speaking as if he were naturally charming and just simply couldn't help being attractive. Well, it was true. Being a demon had its perks.
He almost smirked to himself as he thought of how this was simply the beginning of what was to be a long but surely eventful mission. Though he hated humans and their filth and naivety -- almost as much as he hated angels themselves -- he would perform this job appropriately and with a little bit of fun in mind. Servant though he was, Nix was after some personal entertainment along the way.
Smiling kindly at a a couple that wandered by, he inwardly laughed to himself when the male of the two reacted even more vibrantly than the female. How hilarious-- humans were so two-dimensional it was beyond sad. No doubt the angels would be just as pathetic. Ruining them was bound to be such great fun. He was glad Lucifer had let him take part in this job.

















