In the beginning, God created heaven and earth, and the earth was then welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God's breath hovered over the waters. And God's breath became an angel, the first of its kind. And God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. And God asked the first angel if it was good. And he said it was. And God divided light from the darkness and called the light day and the darkness he called night. And it was evening and morning, first day. And God created more angels, and their number was seven after the first: Belial and Raphael and Yurkemi and Gabriel, twins, and Sandalphon and Adrigon, twins, and Azrael, and the first angel, first called Ruah then named Lucifer, for this name means light-bringer.
When the angels were first made, they were very similar. Adrigon and Sandalphon stayed together, Gabriel and Yurkemi stayed together, Raphael and Belial stayed together, and both Lucifer and Azrael lived alone. It took some time for them to discover their personalities and to change from incarnations of praise to real people.
They changed, however, and soon the chaos rang with laughter and discussion as well as song.
Adrigon would cling fondly to his brother, quiet behind the stronger, firmer angel, but his bright eyes would dance, not missing much.
Adrigon decided he liked Raphael. Raphael was so nice, and would sing at him. Azrael was a bit spooky, but nice in his own gruff, hurting way. Adrigon liked Yurkemi too -- she was so sweet and sweet! He wasn't too fond of Belial or Gabriel though. Belial always glared and acted all possessive of Raphael and that was scary, right? Nobody should possess another. And Gabriel wasn't possessive, but he was just SO tied up in Yurkemi that he didn't want to talk to anyone else. So! Adrigon would just ignore him back!
And he loved his brother, of course! Sandalphon was protective and loving and silent and just so-so special. Sandy and he would be together forever!
And then there was Lucifer. Lucifer was just so beautiful and stunningly brilliant, but a bit scary. Sometimes it seemed like he didn't need anybody, like everyone else needed somebody. Even Azrael NEEDED somebody, even if he didn't have anyone.
Adrigon knew that it might come from being the first, Most Holy's picked first angel. But still, it wasn't very nice.
And God said, "Let there be a vault in the midst of the waters and let it divide water from water." And God made the vault and it divided the water beneath the vault from the water above the vault and so it was. And God called the Vault Heaven, and it was evening and morning, second day.
The angels moved into Heaven as soon as it was made. There were buildings already there. The twins moved in together. Raphael and Belial moved in together. Azrael found a building connected to Raphael and Belial's. Lucifer lived alone.
Adrigon liked to walk in the City, as the others called the nest of arranged buildings. Most Holy had plans for the City, he was sure. In the distance, there was a tower, rising into the sky. Adrigon would wonder what it was for, watching the heights thoughtfully.
And God said, "Let the waters under Heaven be gathered in one place so that the dry land will appear," and so it was. And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering of waters he called Seas, and God asked His first angel if it was good. And he replied that it was. And God said, "Let the Earth grow grass, plants yielding seed of each kind and trees bearing fruit that has its seed within it." And so it was. And God asked His first angel if it was good. And he replied that it was.
A collective breath was held when Earth came into being, then a cheer and a celebration. Even Lucifer joined the party, laughing and drinking and hugging with the rest of them, eyes bright.
Adrigon slipped away from the party and the congratulations, cheeks hot, needing some air. He stared up at the Earth, smiling. He could nearly smell the plant life, out there.
He glanced over as Lucifer also came out, leaned against the wall beside him. "Hi," Adrigon said, unsure.
"It's beautiful," Lucifer breathed, staring at the Earth. "It's so beautiful."
Adrigon studied the profile, saw the awe and wonder, and smiled. "Yeah," he said, and heard his voice come out quiet and shy.
Lucifer smiled, then leaned over and brushed his lips over Adrigon's. "Congratulations," he murmured, and headed back inside.
Adrigon touched his tingling lips, blushing. Lucifer wasn't that bad, really.
And God said, "Let there be lights in Heaven to divide the night from day and light up the Earth." And so it was, and God asked His first angel if it was good. And he replied that it was. And it was evening and morning, fourth day. And God said, "Let waters swarm with living creatures and fowl fly over the Earth." And so it was, and God asked His first angel if it was good. And he replied that it was. And God blessed them. And it was evening and morning, fifth day.
It took the angels a while to catch on to birds and fish. They were living. It was stunning. It was beautiful.
Adrigon chased birds for a while on Earth, laughing and delighted, two winged creatures enjoying the wind.
He was beautiful. His long hair had been pulled back in a ponytail and he started to wear coloured robes based on bird plumage. Sometimes it seemed that he became more beautiful the more was created.
And God said, "Let the Earth bring forth living creatures of each kind, cattle and crawling things and wild beasts of each kind. And so it was. And God asked His first angel if it was good. And he replied that it was.
As the days passed, the angels calmed down, moved about their own lives and developing routines, started to explore the complexities of their personalities.
And, no longer able to resist the lure, Adrigon entered the palatial complex where Lucifer lived, sneaking around to find the tower entrance, and began climbing steps. He didn't fly, because he felt the journey deserved more.
And God said, "Let us make a human." And God created the human in His image, in the image of God He created the human, male and female he created the human. And God asked his first angel if it was good. And he was silent.
Contrary to popular belief, angels do have free will.
And Adrigon's eyes widened, because he could see all of Heaven, see all of Earth, and the wind was wailing around him.
And then a voice spoke, for his ears alone.
He would be His voice.
"Why, Most Holy?" Adrigon asked, shy, nervous, awed. "Why me?"
And he knew.
Because he'd been watching. Because he had suspicion of the danger to come. Because he could sympathize with both sides. Because his mind might survive.
Adrigon looked out over Heaven and Earth and closed gray eyes. "Yes," he said, crying.
/enfolded in great wings like coming home like coming home and BANG! bubble like a million places and he was drowning and drowning in a sea of Voice see of Voice speaking knowing too much too much chaos and he was screaming he was falling and burning from the tower the tower was burning but it wasn't it wasn't his mind was on fire his body was burning his throat was it too noisy noisy noisy and/
The Metatron opened silver eyes, old name falling away like a snake shedding its skin and he wiped tears. Not certain, not certain. Most Holy didn't know everything that would happen, but he knew everything that /might/ happen.
He trembled, unable to rise from his knees, afraid to head away, downstairs, perhaps to meet Lucifer, see the possibilities spinning away like endless rainbow tops, little dreidels of possibility like screaming whirling dervishes like--
/Here. Is this better?/
The sense of Most Holy backed off enough so that he could feel the presence without drowning in it and he smiled. "Thank you," he whispered.
/Any time./
The Metatron rose, slipped, and clung to the wall for a moment. He had to go. To tell everyone that new angels would be made from the souls of certain humans. He had to tell this. To risk it. To recognize discontent in someone's eyes and pretend not too because of free will, because it wasn't his choice. He had to go.
He was worried that he couldn't manage the stairs. And... he had this insane urge...
/Go for it. You know you want to./
The Metatron smiled, then grinned, and flung himself out the window, spreading his wings to catch the updraft he knew was coming.
And God blessed the human.