The Fourth Level of Heaven - Third Sphere

Sariel hesitated at the accusation that she was seeking Gabriel to find the Michael Sword; uncertainty started to eat at her, like a flesh eating bacteria that would come to no good. She narrowed her piercing green eyes to the others and pulled back her shoulders.

"What do you know of Michael's orders?"

"We're not blind Sariel, it is our mission to know what is going on with the legions," he replied.

"Our Father's legions, Ezekiel. Not hers, not anything else but for his purpose," Sariel argued, knowing that it would fall on deaf ears. Ezekiel sighed, running a hand through his short, spiked black hair and turned to Raziel.

"I told you, she will not listen. Michael has had her too long."

Sariel frowned at the thought. It was true, she had been gone from their Mother's angels for too long. But they were all one, big family now. No separation. No need to work for either the masculine or the feminine - there was only the One, and he commanded complete devotion.

"You are all treading a dangerous path here," Sariel warned. She feared deeply for her siblings and where they might find themselves.

No one had forgotten the punishment set upon both Samael for his disobedience. It was still burned into Sariel's eyes as if it had happened yesterday. And Jophiel's punishment for trying to help their sister had been just as swift and cruel. She sat, imprisoned, in the same place she had been for millennia, cast aside and forgotten by most angels - but not by Sariel. She saw the unbalanced way Uriel moved through the Heavens. She knew that he was touched by that the same yearning for his counterpart, and unable to reach her.

No, these actions had to stop now, or there would be a world of consequences to be reaped.

"If you start down this path, you will land in a place even I cannot save you from," Sariel continued, looking at them both.

"I have no choice," Ezekiel said. "I am being called, and I will not abandon our Mother this time!"

His eyes blazed a sharp, vibrant blue and Remiel reached out to pat his arm, the gesture comforting him somewhat.

"Sariel, I am a Throne. I sit in Revelation for the majority of my days. I am telling you, I hear her, she is awake," Remiel's words rung long and hard in the still air, their effects running deeper than Sariel let on.

She felt a touch of doubt, coupled with the events from the last few months, and knew it would be her undoing. "How is this possible?" She asked, her eyes starting to water, as she looked from one to the other of the angels in front of her. "She was banished… we haven't… we haven't heard her voice in millennia."

The Third Sphere - Fourth Realm of Heaven

Gabriel watched his twin enter the healing trance, but he knew it wasn't going to be enough. They had to know this, why hadn't they summoned him? What hadn't Sariel mentioned how bad Zadkiel was when he'd encountered her.

The answer that she hadn't cared enough to tell him, troubled him more than the reason that she hadn't actually known. He reasoned through this, and told himself it had to be the latter. If Sariel was guilty of anything, it was of being distant, and cut off from her sisters - Michael had seen to that.

How long had Sariel lay in the First Sphere? How long had she been communing with Seraphim and a missing father, waiting for guidance that was never coming? Gabriel resolved that it was time this fiery leader of their legion, disbanded or not, had a reality check.

She would be here, he knew. Somewhere in Heaven, he hoped it was not the upper spheres, because he was not about to abandon his Vessel and announce his presence to the entire Host. If he knew Sariel (and he prided himself on knowing all his siblings quite well) she would be on this very level, if not on the 2nd.

Gabriel was a master of communication. If someone was loitering he could find them. He closed his eyes, and settled into the very centre of himself. All at once the voices of thousands of angels pressed in on him. It was a double edged sword he was walking - if anyone sensed him, recognised his thoughts and identified him, they could track him. But Gabriel was smarter than that.

One by one he filtered out the voices, like tuning a radio, until there was….

Nothing?

Impossible. Sariel would never return to Earth without reason. She had to be here. Incensed, Gabriel started to seek out the hidden pockets in Heaven, small sections where one couldn't be eavesdropped upon. There weren't many, but they did exist. Most of them popped like a bubble when he pressed against them with his will, but there was one… right in this Realm… that he could not penetrate!

Allowing Zadkiel to slip back into the pond, he glanced down at her as she lay resting in the still waters.

"I will return," he whispered, and then he projected himself forward, visualising the pocket of the Garden where the Great Tree stood. There was something about being so close to the ley lines that afforded the individual some privacy, perhaps it was because it was so hard to distinguish between the voices of angels and the rush of the energy slips that could take you to and from this Realm.

As he walked closer, Gabriel's attire changed. He was back in his favourite red converse, summoning up the same clothes he had been wearing at the desert. They didn't afford him a lot of cover for sneaking up, but he didn't need camouflage to do that. No - in Heaven, it helped, but if an angel sensed your presence, no amount of facepaint and khaki was going to save his ass from discovery.

Wrapped in a bubble of his own making, Gabriel allowed himself to blend into the scenery around him. It was made easier by the long green grass that ran the length of the valley before them, as far as the eye could see. He belly crawled through it until he was off to the side of the quiet zone, and found himself wide eyed at what he was seeing and hearing.

4th Level of Heaven - 3rd Sphere

"Something has changed," Raziel said. "And we're not the only ones who are aware of it."

"What do you mean?"

"You think you're the only one being summoned by Uriel for strange missions? I see them leaving, some are not coming back," Raziel said. "I have sought further clarity from Uriel, to understand his actions and why our legions are being called forth when there is no war. But he denies me satisfaction."

"He is lying to us," Ezekiel cut in, a little faster to anger than his commanding angel.

"He is hiding something," Remiel countered. "It is not the same."

"We all heard what he did to Zadkiel…"

Sariel sucked in a short breath, one that did not go unnoticed by Raziel.

Gabriel's blood boiled at the mention of his twin's name. They knew. They knew! And yet they stood around and did nothing! Once again Gabriel felt the stab of betrayal, the reason he had left in the first place. He fought not to jump out and accuse them all in that moment. Instead, driven by centuries of knowing how to bide his time, he waited, and watched.

"Then it is true," Raziel asked, noting the way Sariel's eyes flicked to the background behind them, trying not to reveal her mission or what was happening in the Healing Garden.

"You know it is," Ezekiel said. "Why hide it from us Sariel? Unless you're working with them on something."

Sariel's eyes flashed angrily at him, unhappy at the accusation. "I am nothing but my Lord's servant," she said. It was almost as if the weather changed with her mood, a dark cloud forming in the skies above. She glanced up, seeing it swirling and sighed, letting the emotion pass. She had been to Earth but for a few hours, and already it was eating at her like a poison.

"Emotion," Raziel said. "Interesting. Tell me sister, where did Zadkiel send you to find Gabriel?"

"You haven't been gone so long that you've forgotten what it's like to walk on Earth" Ezekiel asked. "What it means to feel."

"Is that where Gabriel is? Earth?" Raziel asked quickly. Gabriel chuckled to himself… if only they knew. He considered conjuring up a goat, just like he had so many years ago and messed with Samael for fun. What about a whole herd of goats? He pondered, that would really get them going!

But, Gabriel knew that now was not the time for games if he wanted information. Now that he knew he could traverse Heaven with no one the wiser, there would be time enough for that later. No, for now, he had far more important things to consider.

"Emotion is weakness. Feelings lead to doubt. Doubt is blasphemy," Sariel's stilted voice carried to Gabriel, and he rolled his eyes, pulling a piece of candy out of his pocket and unwrapping it. He popped it into his mouth and contemplated. So Sariel is feeling again. That was interesting.

"Sariel," Remiel's voice was soft, almost unheard over the other two. "We are only trying to follow the guidance we are receiving."

"There are rumours," Ezekiel said, his voice softening to match that of Remiel, as if he was directly influenced just from standing within close proximity to her. "They say that Heaven is seeking the Michael sword. To do that he needs Gabriel, to find the lost lineage of Cain. You know why he would be looking, Sariel, we all do."

"Someone plans to open Lucifer's cage," Raziel stated plainly. "Already there is talk about where the seals lie. Which ones would be easy to topple."

"It doesn't matter," Sariel responded. "The first seal must be broken in Hell itself, by a righteous man, how do you envisage that ever occurring?" She was certain in this, as sure as she was that their Father was watching over all the events unfolding, biding his return, and judging all of his children by their actions.

"Hell breaks everyone, eventually," Ezekiel replied softly.

"They have to get such a man first," Sariel said.

The Fourth Realm of Heaven - Third Sphere

Gabriel had heard enough and was growing bored. There was nothing to learn here.

He did not care what manner of plots and dramas that Heaven was getting itself caught up in - they weren't his battles. He had made that loud and clear thousands of years ago. He was done.

He pushed himself backwards with his arms and then froze.

A couple of stones slid out from under his hands and toppled down the embankment toward the other angels. They all swung around, searching the ledge for intruders.

"Who goes there?" Ezekiel called out, and there was a glint of silver as his sword slid from his armour.

In the blind of an eye Gabriel summoned the very herd of goats he'd been contemplating earlier. With a grin, he smacked one on the ass and sent them all running toward the ledge. Just like goats, they found their footing, and leaped down the steep embankment knocking stones and clumps of dirt as they went. Gabriel felt himself changed in appearance, taking on the four hooves and the furry exterior of the animals who were moving down hill.

Ezekiel tensed, but then relaxed as the animals bleated in alarm, rushing past the four.

Gabriel, in his guise of a billy goat, stomped past Ezekiel, and then with an internal chuckle, kicked out with his rear legs, landing contact square on Ezekiels' behind. The angel cursed as he was sent sprawling forward into the dirt. With a growl, he spun around and held up his sword, but Gabriel was already moving, his hooves kicking up dirt as he chased down the other goats until he was out of sight.

Only then he stood up and teleported back to the Healing Garden. He had no time to lose. If he was going to save Zadkiel, he would have to do it himself.

By the time he rounded the corner, he found her standing by the edge of the pool. She rested on the sturdy trunk of a palm tree, and lifted her chin to him when he arrived.

"I am ready," she said. Gabriel came up short on words.

Of course she knew his plans, this close it was practically impossible to avoid it - unless he was actively blocking her, which had had not been. Gabriel admitted that he had been getting sloppy, and vowed quietly to remedy that as soon as they were free of Heaven.

"It may not be safe for you," he argued, even though he and Zadkiel both knew he'd made up his mind. It was a formality, a chance for her to back out.

"You think I am safe here?" Zadkiel asked. "What happens when Uriel learns I lied about your location?"

He had already thought about this. The solution was as simple as it was dangerous. Zadkiel had to leave Heaven with him, today, and until they came up with a cure for what was eating away at her, she could not return.

"You do realise, that if you do this, you'll likely die… out there?"

"I'm aware. But at least it will be on my terms, Gabe," she replied. She was calm, her expression showing that she had accepted her fate. She could not stay here.

Gabriel cursed under his breath, and then nodded. "Time moves faster there, I have no idea how it will affect this… poison inside of you."

"I will take my chances with you," she said, her eyes strong, her conviction clear.

With a short nod, he took her hand, and then led her away to the portal that would take them back to Niagara Falls.

"Hold your breath," he instructed. "Where we're landing isn't going to be your princess pool here." She chuckled at him, nodding and then taking a deep breath.

Together, the angels stepped into the vortex, instantly catapulted through the air until they hit water. Freezing. Breathtaking. Strong… the current picked them up and carried them away.

Gabriel lamented the fact that he would be unable to make his reappearance for the tourists, leading to a much more dramatic exit than he'd planned. And then he visualised his favourite place on Earth.

They landed, dripping wet, in the middle of a hotel lobby, scaring the concierge half to death.

"Monsieur LaMont!" He exclaimed, his eyes taking in the state of Gabriel and his companion. "We did not know you were due to arrive."

"Ah!" Gabriel said, with a flourish of his hand. "A little …. chopper trouble, my good man. And it is so hot here we simply had to jump in the pool as soon as we arrived."

The pool was on the 24th floor, so how they'd managed that had gone ignored. Soon, Gabriel and Zadkiel found themselves in the penthouse suite, wrapped in warm, fluffy towels.

Gabriel turned to his sister and smiled. "You're gonna love it here. I have ordered a massage from Charlie - the best in the business, I swear - and he will be here momentarily. I'm so happy you're here, Zad. I swear it to you," his eyes grew serious as he stepped closer. "I'm going to take care of you. We're going to fix this."

Fourth Realm of Heaven - 3rd Sphere

Sariel found herself troubled by the appearance of the goats. She couldn't quite put her finger on the reason why, but they had unsettled her even though Raziel had found no sign of anyone else when she and Ezekiel had quickly searched the area.

"We need you with us sister!" Raziel said once she returned, stepping forward. "Take up your sword again, in your rightful place. Not as some lap dog to Michael, who has clearly lost his way."

"Michael has his reasons," Sariel defended her counterpart. "He would not be sending me …"

"Who says it's him giving the orders?" Ezekiel pressed. "Have you spoken to him yourself?"

Sariel's doubt showed in her eyes and Raziel nodded knowingly at her, stepping up and taking Sariel's hands in her own.

"I know you're afraid," she said, "we all were, at first, too. But, we have been holding the flame for hundreds of years. No one knows the Legion still stands, not yet." Sariel's eyes widened as the ramifications of what Raziel was saying settled in.

Somewhere, in the shadows of Heaven was a force waiting to be summoned.

"What are you saying?" Sariel asked.

"We stand ready, just as we always have. Some are hidden, most are doing their jobs, just like us - waiting for the moment to strike," Raziel replied. "I have kept the hope alive, that one day She would be returned to us."

Sariel felt a stab of guilt - that had been her responsibility, and she'd failed. Remiel saw the admission in her eyes, and stepped forward.

"Now is the time to take action. There is a plot within Heaven. Our Father has been gone too long, Sariel. No one knows where he is. There are some among us who grow restless. They are seeking to break the seals and release Lucifer from his bonds, to bring on the Apocalypse and watch the world burn."

Sariel had seen this vision thousands of years ago, during the writing of the book of Revelations. It spoke of a world, consumed by chaos, the fire rising from Hell below to swallow it whole. The only way to force it back would be for Michael to rise against Lucifer, to bring him down as he did the first time. But millions of innocents - human and angel alike - would perish in the wake of destruction.

"The Northmen spoke of Ragnarok, centuries past now," Sariel said, looking at them. "They say it cannot be stopped. It will come to pass as it has been foretold."

"Pagans and heretics!" Ezekiel frowned, his eyes looking troubled. "They do not understand the world of God as it is given them. The world turns, in cycles, yes - but the Darkness? The Apocalypse? That does not have to come to pass," he said with a strength Sariel didn't feel. "We can stop it, if Father will not return to heed our cries, then perhaps our Mother will."

"You can't be serious?" Sariel asked. "The last time she walked in Heaven, she tried to awaken the Darkness. She wanted to destroy everything!"

"Do you know why our Father locked her way, Sariel?" Ezekiel countered. "Because he would cease to exist if he destroys her! Light cannot exist without dark, male without female… the cosmic balance would be broken. Everything would fall. But I am not the only one who says that we are falling into Darkness regardless. She may as well be gone from us - and God? Where is He?! Gone too."

Sariel bit her lip, pondering what he was saying. He wasn't the first to have said it to her - Layiel herself had said it.

"Sariel, it is too late for me. You are now tasked with keeping our Mother's legacy alive. Keep Her alive in the hearts of her creations, the new humans she has created. Without her there is no balance, only chaos. It may take a millennia, maybe two, but surely as day turns to night, this world will sink into Armageddon and wipe out all we see and more."

She shivered, thinking about how true her sister had been.

"War is coming, Sariel. Rumours abound… there is a breach into Heaven, and they are coming."

"Impossible," Sariel said.

"Is it?" Raziel insisted. "It's not the first time."

"There hasn't been a breach in four hundred years," Sariel said.

"Then I say we're about due," Ezekiel said. "They've been biding their time… waiting for when Heaven is at its weakest. We're complacent. God is missing in action. There is no better time that to strike now."

"Then maybe Michael is right to seek his Vessel," Sariel argued. "If war is coming."

"Avoiding it, rather than allowing it to happen, is a better option," Remiel said.

"If there is a breach, it is coming from within," Raziel said.

"Uriel!" Ezekiel accused, his eyes flashing with fury.

"Uriel may be working under Michael's guidance," Remiel stated, turning to Sariel.

"To torture our sister?" Sariel asked."I can't believe that."

"Why not?," Ezekiel said. "Who has seen him recently? Anyone? He hasn't answered my summons in months. No one has spoken to him for any amount of time, not even you Sariel." He said it with such certainty, Sariel wished she could deny it, but he was correct. Michael had been in the highest sphere of Heaven for millennia. He had, as the highest ranking angel, taken over the running of Heaven when their Father had disappeared. Even Sariel had not received visitation from him of recent years.

"He may not even be aware of what is happening," Sariel stated. "He runs Heaven. I have only a handful of duties and they are huge, imagine his burden. I refuse to believe he would set about creating the Apocalypse. For what reason?"

The others shrugged, and frowned at the red-haired warrior.

"We need you to find out who is behind this, if Michael is behind it," Raziel said plainly.

"You want me to spy on Michael?"

"We want you to speak to him, alone, and discover the truth from him," Remiel said. Sariel nodded, but in her heart she felt lost.

'Michael?' She sent a soft prayer out to her twin, waiting to see if a reply would come.

Nothing.

"And one more thing," Ezekiel said, stepping closer. Sariel looked at him questioningly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Ezekiel raised his eyebrow, and then tilted his head to the side. "We need to speak to Gabriel."

She started to open her mouth, to deny she'd had any contact with the missing angel, but the look from all three of her companions told her that it would be falling on deaf ears. Instead she sighed.

"I need to think about what you have told me," Sariel said finally. There really was only one person she could turn to right now, and the thought of going to him with a plea for help was causing her stomach to churn.

"Don't take too long, Sariel," Ezekiel said after a pause. "Those of us on the Third Sphere don't have the luxury of time."

Sariel frowned, looking at him. If what he said was true, it seemed logical that the conspirators against Heaven would keep their work to the physical realms, where they could move faster, plan their actions against both Heaven and Hell. Those on the upper spheres moved in different ways, the bigger picture the greater concern, not that of the mere trifles of humanity. They would not be so eager to step in and action a war without proof. Even then it might take a hundred years of Earth time to convince them to step in.

With a nod at her companions, Sariel stepped over to the Tree, following the energy lines with her own. Taking a deep breath, she dove into the etheric plane and allowed herself to be carried down. It was like riding a ray of light, and tuning a radio at the same time.

Her body knew where it was going before her mind admitted the destination. She couldn't explain why she was pulled to find him again, seek out his advice, but she followed the instinct just the same.

"Gabriel…" she thought, allowing herself to tune in to his energy signature. Now that she knew his guise, it was easier, not completely foolproof but enough that she could get close.

With each slight movement in the direction of her destination, Sariel found herself moving so quickly that she almost gasped for breath as she landed, feet first, in a field outside a large and expansive city.

To the right of her was a large billboard, advertising XXX girls, and welcoming travelers to Vegas. She frowned… squinting at the city in the distance and allowing her energy to take in the vibe of its inhabitants. What she felt fly back at her was a torrent of greed, lust, wrath… all of the sins were here. Not the literal demonic version of the Sins of course, they were safely banished to Hell where they belonged, but their essence was well and truly alive as sure was Sodom and Gomorrah had been ready to fall.

Gabriel was a loose cannon, neglectful of his duties in Heaven, and too unpredictable to rely on for assistance beyond what he wanted to give. Yet here she was about to enter among gamblers, and thieves, liars, and seductresses - the home of all things loud and garish, a homage to the sins of the earthy plane.

Naturally, she thought, I would find him here.

Las Vegas, Nevada
3 days later

He'd known she would be coming eventually.

At least Sariel knew how to find him. He'd deliberately attuned his energy to her for that purpose, made it easier. She had been away from Earth too long, whereas he had been here for a millennia - among the bottom feeders, the mud monkeys, and he loved every minute of it. If Gabriel wanted to disappear again, he could, but for now he perhaps needed Sariel as much as she needed him.

Oh he hadn't let her find him right away, no Gabriel was enjoying himself way too much for that. Gabriel felt alive with every moment he spent on Earth, and knowing it might all come to an end at any time. As soon as he'd felt Sariel's presence, Gabriel had started to track her, and then, he'd started to mess with her.

Zadkiel didn't approve of the way Gabriel's methods, but she was too weak to argue too much. He'd left her upstairs, soaking in the private pool. It seemed to be the only place that made her feel better and he'd done everything he could to make her comfortable, setting the pool up with some of her favourite water plants and flowers. Sure, the maid would have trouble explaining to management about how a jungle had grown on the balcony over night, but that wasn't Gabriel's concern - he was focused on Sariel.

Sariel. Proud, wilful, and absolutely stunning. Gabriel couldn't deny the attraction he'd been feeling to her the last few days. It didn't change the fact that he was furious at her inaction about Zadkiel, but it did take the edge off a little. He had been letting her suffer for the last two days, pitting dead end against dead end in an effort to blow off steam before he encountered her.

He'd enjoyed the last few days, watching the angel trying to find him in the huge city. He gave her a few glimpses here and there, just enough to keep her going - so she wouldn't give up and return to Heaven. She had to feel that she was in control, like she was going to have the upper hand.

But he was in control.

Today, he had decided, was the day he was going to make contact.

He followed Sariel through a small gathering of people who were smiling and joking, talking about the show they had just been to - an Elvis impersonation. Gabriel made a note that he would have to see it later, he loved Elvis.

In fact, that was perfect! With the snap of his fingers, Gabriel found himself in a small private bar. A small stage held a standing microphone, and with another snap of his fingers all the patrons disappeared, and on stage appeared Elvis. Not the real one, mind you, even Gabriel couldn't bring back the dead. But the impersonator would have to do.

"Thank you for agreeing to this private show, my good man," called out Gabriel, seeing the confusion on the man's face.

"Uh, what …?"

He snapped his fingers again, and the man's expression changed to a smile, and he nodded.

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure sir."

As the man started singing, Gabriel let himself melt into the back of the room, and waited.

It didn't take long for Sariel to follow the signature of his energy, and enter into the bar. She glanced around, frowning. He watched, feeling himself strangely turned on by her presence. Sariel moved to the bar, spoke briefly to the bartender (who still remained) who shook his head negatively at her question: he hadn't seen a blonde man in here.

She turned to watch the stage and then strode forward to stand in front of the performer.

"Stop playing games, Gabriel!" She called out. Gabriel saw the confusion flicker across the man's face, but he was a true artist, and kept going. That was his cue, Gabriel slipped his angel sword out of his jacket sleeve and teleported to behind Sariel, bringing it up to her throat as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

"Sariel, so nice of you to drop by."