Call to Arms
When the heavenly family riot reached its peak and Gabriel couldn’t take it anymore, he didn’t really want to leave alone. Gabriel’s a very social and empathic angel, despite the common belief that angels should feel nothing.
Angels didn’t feel once they’re at war. And the spat between Lucifer and Michael already broke the last of everyone’s restraints that everyone had picked sides and started the first war.
Michael demanded his loyalty and cooperation. Lucifer pleaded for Gabriel to understand the situation. A whole battalion of angels waited for Gabriel’s cue, so they could pick a side as well. Instead of picking a side, Gabriel turned to those who followed him and declared himself neutral. He would not fight.
He knew what would happen next and was saddened to be right when he saw everyone under his command fly off to other battalions and join the fray. But there was this one angel who wore Michael’s sigil and looked on at Gabriel with disappointment.
“What are you looking at?” Gabriel’s hackles rose, more than a little annoyed that some grunt would dare to judge him, an archangel.
“What would you do instead while all of heaven fought?”
The nerve of a tiny angel, judging Gabriel and questioning him now, too. But he did consider the question and felt the rage in him calm down with a decision, “I would rather run than kill one of my own.”
“How is that any better?”
Gabriel exploded, “You have too many questions for a soldier!”
Then he realized what he was looking at, finally. Here was an angel, already garbed in armor ready for war at a moment’s notice but had stayed here with Gabriel when his commander had already called for assembly. “Castiel.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you still here?” Gabriel moved closer to see for himself, to know more about this peculiar creature. All the angels had gone already, and Gabriel could feel the call for arms, the gathering of power in the distance. This one did not follow an order.
For the first time, Gabriel saw that Castiel was confused, his light fading just a little.
“Because you do not want to fight as well,” Gabriel answered for him, feeling himself gain a brother to his side. “Come with me.”
“You mustn’t leave,” Castiel said after a long considering silence. “If you do not want this war, then stop it. Here.”
“Sorry, kiddo. When Michael and Lucifer decided to kill each other, nothing could stop them. Not even me.”
“So you would leave all of us.” There it was, the judgment and disappointment that Gabriel thought he saw before but it was only now that they were real. The anger behind the calm words simmered through unblinking eyes and the pulsing heat of an angel’s fiery light.
“Yes. You can still come with me.”
“I would rather die in battle than be a coward.”
Gabriel unthinkingly called for his sword and he felt it materialize in his hand, ready to strike this disrespectful little piece of… and then withdrew. Castiel was unmoved at the show of Gabriel’s wrath. It was then he knew for a fact that Castiel would watch him turn his back, and fly to places unknown.
Because he really was a coward.
“I sincerely hope that you do not die in this stupid war.”
“You could stay. I would be by your side if you would just try to stop this.”
“This is goodbye, little brother.” Gabriel bid his last farewell to the only angel left who still knew what it was like to feel. War would take Castiel, too, once he raised his sword against a brother. It was inevitable.
Millions and thousands of years after time was finally defined by human standards, Gabriel and Castiel would see each other again. Both of them still harboring the anger and regret of decisions from a past.
fin
