Fallen
Rholomous had his hand tightly squeezed around Jackael’s neck. It was dark, and the temperature was the hottest one could imagine. Jackael felt his flesh being singed by the air itself. He saw small embers spontaneously appearing on his body at random places. The blood that flowed through him felt as if it were boiling oil, and he felt all of his organs melting and liquefying inside of him. Screaming and wailing could be heard from all directions. He could feel that his feet were not touching the ground. He looked down, and Rholomous had Jackael lifted up by his neck above him.
Jackael looked beneath him, and saw that he was being dangled over a gigantic pit while still in Rholomous’ grip. He saw a pit full of liquid fire and tortured souls. Each soul was black with red glowing eyes, and covered in charred burning flesh that would re-generate, only to be scorched again and again by unquenchable flames. Worms and other vile creatures could be seen eating at their bodies, slowly sinking their teeth into the bodies of those who were the damned. They could be heard pleading and begging, some were swearing, and others were simply crying as they thrashed about in the liquid hellfire. They would never know relief.
Jackael tried to struggle against his foe’s grip. He tried to kick and punch his opponent, but to no avail. Rholomous smiled and tightened his squeeze, “And now, it is time to put you in your place.”
In a final desperate effort, Jackael tried to flap his wings, but found nothing but pain. He reached back with a free hand and felt moist stumps where his wings used to be. His eyes grew wide as he looked back in terror at Rholomous, silently begging for mercy.
There was none to be found.
He was dropped. Screaming all the way down, he somehow managed to turn mid-fall. He saw the magma fast approaching, with the souls reaching to grab him, and pull him into the pit forever.
“Jackael! Jackael! Wake up!”
Jackael was jerked awake. He sat up abruptly, and winced in pain as he fell back down on the fluffy couch. The scent of animals assaulted his nostrils as he looked around and saw cages upon cages of animals and furry critters scattered among the small living space. Next to him was Fluttershy, wearing a small, worried smile.
“You were out for a few hours. I tried to bring you to the hospital, but you were too heavy...so, I brought you here, and figured I’d do the next best thing.” She turned and motioned with her hoof for someone to join her. “Jackael, this is my good friend Rainbow Dash. She’s not a doctor, but if there was anyone I ever knew that was an expert on wings and getting hurt, I’d be honored to say it was her.” She smiled proudly with her eyes closed, and felt satisfied at her opinion about her friend.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Uh, thanks for the...flattering introduction. Now, what’s your name again?”
The angel tried to sit up, but a blue hoof upon his chest was quick to protest. He looked up, “I’m Jackael.”
Rainbow’s nose scrunched and her eyes darted at the ceiling. “Yeah, that name’s a little hard to say casually, so I’m gonna call you Jack”
Jackael smiled at what Rainbow said. It’s been an awfully long time since anyone’s called him that.
“Now, lemme have a look at that wing. Believe me, I know all the ins and outs of it.”
He looked at Fluttershy, and she smiled and nodded her approval to him. Jackael slowly turned on his left side, exposing the injured wing.
Rainbow stifled a gasp. “Uh...heh. See, now, when Fluttershy told me it was bad, I thought it was like, dislocated or something. This is uh...uh...Fluttershy, help me out here.”
Fluttershy squinted as she looked at the wing. “Well, I’d say that in addition to being broken, it’s...it’s…” Her words failed, and beckoned Rainbow closer to her. “Rainbow, is it me, or does this not look as bad as before?”
“Well I wasn’t there when you met him, so I don’t know.”
Fluttershy sighed. “Well, when I first met him, it was almost hanging by a thread. But now, it looks like it’s not as broken as it was when I first encountered him.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Fluttershy, if it was that bad, it would take months to heal. How can something be that bad, and look this...well, I wouldn’t say good, but you know.”
Jackael’s eyes grew wider. “It must be my powers.”
Rainbow Dash took a step back, and put her foreleg up to protect herself. “Wait, what do you mean powers?”
“Don’t be afraid. I don’t mean the kind you’re thinking of. When an angel is born in Heaven, it is bestowed with the grace of God. That grace serves an infinite amount of purpose, with healing being one of them, as well as one of the most well-known. My body must be healing because of His grace, which means that I’m not completely disconnected from Him.”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked at each other and each cocked an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak, “Riiiight...well, if you say so. Still, I would recommend staying off that wing for at least a few more weeks. Maybe two to three, four to be safe.”
Jackael sat up in protest. “We don’t have that much time. Rholomous is loose, and is causing terror and destruction on Earth. I can only pray that Michael and the others are okay.”
Fluttershy shook her head and spoke up, “Wait, there are more like you?”
Jackael smiled, “Trust me, there are legions of us. More than anyone could ever begin to fathom. However, there are just as many demons and fallen angels that seek to steal, kill, and destroy that which has been made.”
Rainbow Dash quickly puffed up her chest. “Heh, don’t worry about it. We’ve fought demons here before. They’re nothing we can’t handle.”
Jackael raised an eyebrow. “Really now? And what, may I ask, did these demons look like?” How could the fallen have already known about this place? Did Rholomous send Jackael here on purpose?
Rainbow Dash continued her pride-filled explanation. “Yeah! I mean, demons, dragons, and other things are common here. You can think of us kind of like the angels of this town, though. We protect them and stuff. We’re always who the pony folk come to anymore for solving any problems.”
Fluttershy rolled her eyes at her boastful friend. After more thinking though, she sighed. “Rainbow Dash, I know we’ve faced a lot of villains in our time, but Jackael is from another universe altogether. He’s seen and known things that are far out of our spectrum.” She turned to Jackael, and rested a wing on his shoulder. “Jackael, what kind of foes are you specifically referring to? And who’s Michael? Is he another angel?”
Jackael’s eyes fell to the floor, and he let out a breath he forgot he was holding. “Michael is the mightiest of warriors short of God Himself. He was the very one to cast Lucifer out from Heaven after the rebellion.”
Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up. “Rebellion? What in the hay happened? Who’s Lucy-fur?”
Jackael’s eyes closed as he took a deep breath. “It was so long ago, and yet...the memory burns in my mind forever.”
Angels flew through the air as Heaven bustled with activity. God had just announced a new creation, a planet called “Earth” about a week ago. He had already furnished it with water, animals, livestock, trees, land, and skies. All He needed now were stewards to watch over and protect that which He had created. Jackael, along with Michael, were heading to the throne room at the Grand Palace where God’s Son was to announce the plans to all of the Heavenly Host. Perhaps some lucky angels would be chosen to take care of this precious new creation.
“Michael, wait up!” Jackael struggled to fly through the air to keep up with his angelic brethren. Michael turned around and smiled, and waited patiently for the newest addition to the angelic host to catch up to him. “Michael, you fly faster than the winds carry leaves! How did you ever get so fast?”
Michael let out a hearty laugh and ruffled Jackael’s cinnamon hair, “All with time and patience, young one. You will get there eventually.”
Just as Michael finished saying that, a beautiful angel powered his way through the crowded skies, nearly knocking Michael and Jackael out of the air. He wore a crown studded with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other precious gems. His wingspan stretched on for what seemed like eons, and his ego was that of the same size. He turned around to scold those who were in his way. “Watch where you’re going, fools! Don’t you know that those of us who actually matter have somewhere to be?”
Michael scowled at the angel’s words and actions. “Careful, Lucifer. Your arrogance will come back to haunt you in the end if you keep it up.”
Lucifer laughed as he came to a halt in front of Michael, and flew down a few feet to look him in the eyes. “Ha! As if God would ever dispose of His most prized creation. You’re simply jealous that He loves me more than you. After all, I am the most powerful, beautiful, most spectacular angel He’s ever made.” He paused to admire his own words. He looked back at Michael with a smug grin, “I wouldn’t let that ruin your day though, Michael. Someone has to be second best.” He playfully patted Michael’s cheek.
Michael swatted his hand away. “All I’m saying is this: God will do what Hewants, not what you want Him to do. Are you prepared to let Him be God, and you be His second best?”
Lucifer’s expression faltered, and a small scowl appeared on his face, which he was quick to correct. “That is neither here nor there. Watch yourself, Michael,” Lucifer hissed, “You never know who you can really trust.” He looked down to Jackael, who lightly backed away. “You must be the newest creation.”
Jackael answered swiftly. “I am.”
Lucifer grimaced, “I already don’t like you.” With that, he flew speedily away towards the Grand Palace. Jackael looked down, only to have Michael pick his head up by his chin.
“Don’t let him get to you. He’s always been that arrogant. Besides, he’s just jealous that he’s not as new as you.”
They both shared a laugh, and flew towards their Creator’s dwelling.
The throne room was a spectacular room to be seen. Beautiful colors adorned the palace at every angle, with vibrant and mellow greens, reds, blues, yellows, oranges, and other spectrums of colors dotting the walls, ceilings, and floors. The colors themselves actually shifted, and moved about the room with every second that passed by, and made the entire room alive.
The carpet leading up to the throne was a rich red, as red as blood. The throne itself was whiter than snow, and the words, “The Father” were inscribed in gold at the foot of the throne. His face could not be seen, for the further up one would look, they would find only a bright white light. In His left hand He held a shepherd’s crook, and in His right hand he held an open book, whose pages were constantly turning as new words were spoken by the Father. On His right side, was another throne. There sat an olive-skinned man, who was the Son of God. His name was Jesus, and it was inscribed in pure gold on the top of his throne. He wore a simple white robe with a rope belt, and a very simplistic gold crown upon His head. He looked up to the Father and nodded, as if He had heard what had been spoken. He then turned his attention to His Heavenly Host.
The angels all bowed down deeply, except for Jackael. He looked around, and Michael looked back at him and prodded the side of his left leg. Jackael quickly took the hint, and bowed deeply. He just hoped that God had not noticed.
Jesus had indeed noticed, and smiled at the attempted display of courtesy. He then spoke, “Holy angels of God, sons and daughters of light, hear my words! Today marks a new day in our existence as a whole! For today, the final capstone of creation has been born!”
Quiet murmurs of speculation broke out amongst the angels, and Jesus cleared his throat. “The Father, the Holy Spirit, and Myself had all agreed to make a creation that is in our very image. They have emotions, a soul, and are capable of great feats of many kinds. Angels of Heaven, I present to you, human beings!” At those words, a gigantic liquid sheet of glass appeared in front of them, and showed them a garden of magnificent splendor. In a large field dotted by various vegetations lay a man and a woman.
One angel spoke up, “Master, what shall we call these human beings?”
Jesus smiled, “We have named the man Adam, and he has named the woman, who is his wife, Eve.”
Most of the angels smiled, and nodded in agreement at the lovely names. Lucifer sat amongst himself, scolding at what he saw on the screen.
Jesus put up his hand. “I have one more bit of news as well. With this new creation, comes new parameters.”
A hush fell over the angelic host as they awaited the news. Jesus took a deep breath. “Much speculation has been said amongst us,” He looked back to the Father and up towards the endless sky, “And it has been agreed that these human beings shall be the primary receivers of our love and grace. For it is in our image that they were created from dust and dirt of the Earth, and it is our breath that breathed into them a living soul.”
Many of the angels nodded and smiled, but more than a few did not share the same joyful feeling. Lucifer spoke up, “If I may be so bold, your Majesty, how are you to expect us to accept that? After all, we have been serving you from the very beginning, before there was even a solar system or planets to be inhabited!”
Jesus smiled. “Lucifer, Bearer of Light, I understand that this change must be hard to accept. But know that you are not unloved, but rather that the humans are the ones who need our love the most, for they are lowly beings crafted carefully from soil, and you are not.”
Lucifer flew up to where he was right in front of Jesus’ face, and spoke in a hushed tone. “All I understand is that I am no longer the most loved. And this simply cannot be!”
Jesus’s smile faltered, and his expression took a darker turn. “Lucifer, I caution you to be very careful with your words. I can sense anger and resentment building inside of you. Lest you be tempted to rebel and lose your place, I suggest that you kindly back down.”
Lucifer huffed, “We’ll see whose place is lost, Almighty One.” With that, he flew rapidly out of the palace. Angels watching the display quickly speculated, and questions flew out of everyone’s mouth.
Jesus saw the chaos rising, and raised His voice. “Everyone, be quiet!” A hush fell immediately. “Pay no mind to those who wish to challenge the One who has created them. Everyone, please, return home. You will be informed immediately of what is to come.”
The angels quickly made their way out of the palace. Some flew off to find Lucifer, others simply went home, and Jackael found his way over to Michael with some other angels. “Michael, can I talk to you?”
Michael quickly signaled that he needed to leave the conversation, and left with Jackael. “Michael, I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of scared. What Lucifer said, and what Jesus said, I mean...can we really lose our place? Are we not special to God anymore?”
Michael smiled warmly down at the young angel. “Of course we are. This is simply God’s will. As long as we obey Him and do our best to serve Him and His wishes, we have nothing to worry about. God is love, young one, and love only results in good.”
Jackael smiled, “Thanks, Michael. I guess I better get going, I have more classes at the academy to get to.”
Michael stared into space for a bit, “Jackael!” Jackael turned around to look back at the archangel. “Be careful, yes?”
Jackael nodded somberly, and flew off toward the academy where he was due back.
Later…
Jackael was fast asleep in his cottage in the clouds. Suddenly, shouting and commotion could be heard. Jackael sprang from his bed and flew out of his window. He saw warrior angels flying toward the Heavenly Palace. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, and flew on toward the palace.
When he finally arrived, the scene that was before him was nothing short of horrific. Angels of all kinds lay bleeding and wounded at the gates of the palace. Jackael flew up to one of the guards that was lying on the ground and asked, “Who did this? Are you okay? What happened?!”
The guard choked up blood a little, and stood up with Jackael’s help. “Lucifer...and his band of angels...broke through us. They’re in the palace, go and get help…” At that, he fell down, and fell unconscious. Jackael quickly flew into the palace, and toward the throne room.
After much searching, he had no luck finding any active battles, though evidence of violence was clear. Blood was splattered and smeared on the walls, and various pieces of armor were lying about, as well as bloodied swords and torn garments. When Jackael finally arrived at the throne room, he found Lucifer and his band of angels confronting Jesus. He decided to sit behind a pillar, and listen to what was said.
Lucifer barked an order at his legion of followers, and made his way on his own up to where the throne was. As he approached, Michael flew in from behind the throne and blocked his way. He hissed at the archangel that stood in front of him,“Michael! Get out of the way! You’re only delaying the inevitable.”
Michael held his ground and unsheathed his sword, and pointed the tip at Lucifer. “The only thing I’m about to do, is rid this land of its waste.”
Lucifer looked around frantically. Then, he grinned. “Michael, don’t you see? With me in charge, I can make you my most powerful angel. Do you really think that God would ever elevate you to someone of my potential?” He put his arm around Michael’s shoulder. “Think of it: the universe at our beck and call, and all of these insignificant beings could serve us for a change. Let us overthrow God, and call ourselves gods!”
Michael was unphased, and violently smacked Lucifer’s hand away. “Never. My allegiance is with the true King, and you will perish at my sword!”
Lucifer frowned, and his eyes fixated on Michael. “You won’t live to regret that.”
Michael and Lucifer fought. Jackael quivered behind the pillar at the sound of swords made of fire clashing. He poked his head from behind the pillar and marveled at the sight before him. Sparks flew in every direction. Michael gained an advantage, and stabbed viciously through Lucifer’s heart, at which point a black ooze poured out in place of red blood. Lucifer hissed at the wound, and growled an evil, monstrous growl as he fell onto the palace floor.
At that, God the Father spoke, “Because of your pride and your rebellion against Me, you shall no longer be a part of my Heavenly Host. I change your name now from Lucifer, the Bearer of Light, to Satan, the Adversary. You will no longer know what good is, and you shall forever be known as the father of lies. Your pride has caused your fall, and you shall roam the earth with your other brethren that have chosen to follow you and forsake Me, until the final Day. From there, you shall be cast into everlasting punishment. Your days are now numbered. On that Day, you shall find no mercy from Me.”
At those words, Lucifer’s appearance changed. His angel wings had turned into those resembling a bat’s, and his white robes were changed to black. His eyes turned from blue to what seemed to be black, as if his very eyes had dissolved. He screamed as his grace was stripped from his very being. A hole opened up in the floor, and Michael cast him down to the Earth. After he fell through, Satan’s followers underwent similar transformations. The hole in the floor widened, and they too were swallowed up. After the last fallen angel had disappeared, the palace was restored to its original state.
Jackael sat in the corner of the room. He felt tears drop from his eyes, and silent sobs escaped him. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and none other than Jesus Himself beside him. The Son of God knelt down, and sat down next to the quivering angel. “Son, are you alright?”
Jackael was silent.
Jesus took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say, that what you just saw, is nothing that will ever happen to you.”
Jackael looked back at his God. “Are you so certain?”
Jesus smiled. “Trust me. I know a thing or two about a thing or two. You’ll be fine, Jack. I promise.”
Jackael smiled, and hugged Jesus. Jesus returned the hug, and addressed him. “Now go, there are plans to be made.”
Jackael was curious, “What kind of plans?”
Jesus smiled sadly, and looked up to the Father. “Oh, you’ll see.”
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat stunned at his tale. Rainbow Dash's eyes were wide, and she gulped, “Yeah, I uh...I don’t think we’ve ever fought anyone like that.”
Fluttershy whimpered, only slightly cowering behind Rainbow Dash. “Is...is Satan dead, then?”
Jackael sighed. “No. Sadly, his reign of terror still plagues the earth. Which is why I must return there as soon as possible. I must aid Michael and the other holy angels in the battle against evil. One day, it will all be over, but for now, the battle rages on.” He tried to get up, but his injuries kept him in pain.
Fluttershy gently put a hoof on his shoulder. “Right now, if you really want to fight, you’ll rest. Every good warrior needs rest, and you look like you haven’t rested in ages. You can stay with me for now.
Jackael smiled. “Thank you, Fluttershy. Your kindness radiates from you.”
She blushed as she ushered Rainbow Dash into the kitchen. “It’s no problem at all, Jackael. You wait here while I have a word with Rainbow Dash.”
Once they were out of earshot, Fluttershy confronted Dash. “Whatever do we do? I don’t think he’s lying, but I definitely don’t think we can help him on our own. We need Twilight for this.”
Rainbow Dash buried her face in her hooves and groaned. “Are you freaking kidding me? She can’t even do this! I’m not even sure Princess Celestia would know what to do!” She peeked back into the living room, where the angel sat semi-upright with a bird rested on his finger. “But, at the same time, we can’t just keep him here. Someone’s got to do something. I guess you’re right, we’ll start with Twilight. Who knows? Maybe she has a book on this thing or something.”
Fluttershy shrugged. “All I know, is that he’s hurt, and right now he needs medical attention, no matter how fast he may be able to heal on his own. For now, how about you go let Twilight know what’s going on. While you’re doing that, I can help him out. Just tell me what to do, and you go get some kind of help.”
Rainbow nodded. “Okay, sounds good to me.”
After that, Rainbow Dash showed Fluttershy exactly what to do with Jackael’s wing in order to speed recovery time. After she was done, Fluttershy went to tend to some animals outside while Rainbow Dash got her saddlebags together and prepared to leave for Twilight’s treehouse.
Jackael saw her preparing to leave, and spoke. “Rainbow Dash, before you go, there’s something I have to say.”
She turned to the angel, and he looked her in the eyes. “What you and your friend are doing for me, well...it’s something I haven’t seen in quite a while. Please, don’t think it isn’t going unnoticed.”
Rainbow Dash paused, not knowing just what to make of that. Her gaze fell towards the floor as a blush appeared on her face, “Um, thanks, I guess?”
Jackael smiled, and fluffed his pillow. As he did, Rainbow Dash left, ripping through the skies at lightning speed. As she neared Ponyville and it’s treehouse library where Twilight Sparkle resided, she couldn’t help but feel the tug of a smile pull at her face.
Battles and Dimensions
One thousand yards from a group of campers, a patrol of angels walked through the forest.
The Archangel Michael was in charge of the ten angels under his command. Demonic activity was reported to be a common occurrence in these woods, so he had direct orders from God Himself to protect the campers that would be spending their time there.
Michael looked around at his surroundings. He took note of every bird that sang, every branch that snapped, and every gust of wind. After a while of patrolling the area, he eventually heard the beginnings of human laughter and conversation. A smile made its way on his face.
Behind him, a young angel named Jackael discussed miscellaneous odds and ends with his friend Nathaniel, wondering where their next potential target could be. He paused his conversation with Nathaniel, approached his commander and asked, “Sir, what are we looking for again?”
The Archangel looked behind briefly, and responded in a hushed tone to muffled his voice. “Anything or anyone that’s not supposed to be here.”
The young angel looked down and scrunched his brow. “All of these surroundings look like the ones in Heaven. The trees, the birds and the rest of the area all looks very familiar to me." He looked back up to Michael. "I’m not sure I can tell the difference between what is supposed to be normal, and what is strange.”
Michael sighed, and put a fist up in the air. The patrol stopped in their tracks, and Michael walked over to look the eager angel in the eyes. “Jackael, leave the looking around up to me. You will know when I need your help. You have not been out of heaven for too long, young one. You know next to nothing about earth, despite their many similarities.” Jackael looked down, a frown slowly formed where his toothy smile used to be.
Michael was quick to rebuke. He put a firm hand on Jackael’s shoulder, causing him to look back up, and smiled at the young angel. “Which is why I’m here to show you.” He directed their view to the forest. “Look around you.”
Jackael looked up and around at the thick and dense forest around them. Oaks, evergreens, and shrubbery in every direction. The scent of wild berries and pine tickled his nose. He smiled and replied, “It’s all very beautiful. But what do you want me to notice?”
“These trees, plants, and other kinds of vegetation are all alive and well. This is the season known as summer. All things have blossomed and bloomed, and are supposed to be thriving. However, not everything is as it should be. See this dead tree?”
Looking next to where Michael pointed, Jackael noticed a tree that should have had rich, green leaves on it, for it was a white pine. However, it had withered and aged, despite it being merely a juvenile. Its bark was peeling, and the needles had all turned brown, and most had fallen off. “This, my friend, is why we are here. No sickness has plagued these grounds, making this one of many oddities that I have spotted so far.”
Looking on with his mouth slightly agape, Jackael asked, “What other oddities do you see?”
Michael smiled. “When you are as old as I am, you know what to look for.” Turning back to the patrol, he beckoned. “Come! Let us move forth, the scent of evil has amplified!” Jackael was quick to get back in formation, not wanting to hold up the patrol any longer.
A few more hundred yards in, and the campers had been spotted. Michael signaled for his patrol to come to a halt, and he flew up to a tree. Perched on a steady branch, he looked on to see the family that had been assigned to him and his troops to protect: a father, wife, and two sons.
Michael studied the site, and watched in captivation as the two brothers play-wrestled and the father played the part of the referee. The mother was busy pitching a tent and shouting scoldings at the father for not helping her. He continued to cheer the children on as he hurried over to her. She stood up and kissed him on the cheek, before playfully arguing who was the more responsible one. They both shared a laugh, and the father aided her in finishing up the tent. Once done, they both walked over to the boys who were still laughing and rolling on the ground in what looked like a very one-sided fight.
The smile Michael had from watching them faltered, however, when he spotted a demon grunt hovering above a loose tree branch that was dangerously close to snapping, and trapping the two playing children underneath it.
He sprang up from where he was perching, and flew with blinding speed towards the offending perpetrator. He knocked the demon from the branch, and watched it fall to the ground with a smack.
He jumped down to it, planting a strong foot over its neck and unsheathing his sword, holding the point to the demon’s jugular.
The demon squirmed and knocked its fists against Michael’s strong legs. Michael waited for a few seconds for its futile attacks to cease, and addressed it. “Who are you, and who sent you? Where are your brothers?”
The demon coughed, and Michael’s foot let up a bit of pressure to allow it to speak. “My brothers have already begun! Those children will do great things for God one day, and our master cannot have it!” It hacked again, spitting up some blood along with it. “If you wish to save the children and the family, you may want to do it soon, for the Vipers of Hell have already begun their attacks!” With a long, shaky, bony finger, the demon pointed on toward the camp.
Michael turned around and gasped. Heading toward the tent was what seemed to be at least fifty snakes—all copperheads and rattlesnakes. Their eyes were unnaturally red, and they left a trail of smoke behind them as they slithered and hissed.
He turned to look back at the demon, who was now laughing with a noticeable rasp in its voice. Michael’s eyebrows furrowed at the vile creature. With a quick slice of his sword, the demon’s neck was cut, and blood squirted onto Michael’s leg. He turned and shouted to alert his troops. “Vipers! Near the tent! Move!”
Without hesitation, the squad sprang into action. They all flew on past the campers and toward the smoke that was rising up. With a flick of their swords, the angels made quick work of the snakes. They sliced heads left and right, leaving a smoldering trail of headless, bleeding snakes where they went.
However, once the last snake was silenced, a distant roar resonated from afar. The angels looked up and saw at least twenty demons, all bestowing different ranks and powers, flying down from the sky. As soon as they landed, the two opposing forces clashed.
The demons were relentless. Countless dirty tactics were employed, sending a few rogue angels pack to Heaven as they were killed.
Jackael was holding his own though. He had killed two demons, albeit fairly weak ones at that. Michael had caught up to him and saw how good he was doing, and figured he would try to stay close by in case worse came to worse.
However, a dark surprise was waiting in the midst of the fight. One of the demons, Rholomous, had just arrived on the scene and spotted the unfamiliar Jackael.
Smirking, the demon charged from his position, emerging quickly from the shadows of the trees he hid under. He took Jackael by the shoulders and lanced into the sky. Rholomous figured that by offsetting the angel so rapidly would make him off-balance, causing an unfair advantage to be in the demon’s favor. Rholomous figured this would be an easy match, seeing that the angel before him was no where near someone of Michael’s rank.
However, Jackael was unfazed as he swung his sword, landing a gash across the snarling demon’s chest.
Rholomous let out a growl from the pain, and took Jackael by the leg, and threw him back down to earth.
He crashed into the trees and landed distantly from the others, and Rholomous landed on top of him. The two wrestled violently on the ground. Punches were exchanged, holds were administered, and dust mixed with blood kicked up in all directions.
In one swift motion, Jackael kicked Rholomous in the face, causing blood to drip and spray from the demon’s nose. The angel then charged, having gained the upper hand by pinning Rholomous to the ground with his knee. He unsheathed his sword.
For a moment, it looked as if Jackael would be the victor. He went to drive his sword into the demon’s chest.
However, Rholomous grabbed Jackael’s right wing, and pulled it hard, feeling a satisfying snap under his claws.
The angel howled in pain as he fell to the ground, dropping his sword from his hand and using it to clutch his aching appendage. Rholomous climbed on top of him, now gaining the advantage.
He looked Jackael down for a brief moment and studied him. He put his nose up to him and sniffed him like a hungry wolf inspecting its prey. “Hmm…who are you, young one?. Fresh from the Academy of Angelic Warriors, I presume? Oh look, they even gave you a toy as a souvenir.”
He grabbed Jackael’s sword, but threw it down and shrieked in pain as a burn mark was left smoldering in his hand. He grabbed Jackael by the shoulders and violently jerked him around. “What are you doing here, fresh meat? I thought only the best got to fight the beasts. You’re not even worthy to swat a fly.” He snarled, and smoke discharged from his nostrils onto Jackael’s face.
Jackael was not giving in though, and quickly retorted. “You’ll never win. You know that, right? I almost had you! You only got this far because you’re detestable. In a fair fight, I would have had you.”
“Oh, spare me the lecture young one. Besides, why would I ever let a little child like you even dream of defeating someone like me? You smell like you’re only about fifteen eons old...You’re just a baby. Much too young to be trifling with the lights of someone as powerful as I.” He snarled a bit more, and spat in Jackael’s face. “Now look here, I have a bit of a dilemma, so pay attention.” He grabbed Jackael’s broken wing, and twisted it, causing the angel’s face to contort and twist in pain as gasps of torture left his mouth. “I can’t simply kill you, despite how satisfying that sounds. Doing that would just send you back to heaven, and you’d be on my case quicker than flies on shit. So, the way I see it, I’d have to send you somewhere far away, somewhere…impossible to escape from. What’s the word I’m looking for…” He tapped his chin and smirked. “Ah, yes. Banishment!” He twisted the angel’s wing violently at the last word, causing a howl to emerge from Jackael’s throat.
“I’m going to send you somewhere so far out of reality, that simply being there will be an eternal thorn in your side, somewhere where no one would ever think to look. You’ll have a fate in eternal torture worse than Hell itself. You shall long for Heaven, but no one will come to save you.”
Jackael looked back up at his oppressor, who continued to twist and pull on his wounded wing, using his claws to pick and pull at the flesh near the connective tissue. “I’ll find a way to stop you eventually, even if it means searching every dimension to find you, you Spawn of Hell!”
“Oh please, you flatter me. Though, I really wish you would try. I would look forward to tearing your body to shreds, feasting on your organs, and throwing your corpse into the fire of the pits of Hell.Too bad you’ll never be heard from again!” He spat the last sentence into Jackael’s face, still clutching the angel by the wing. He took his free hand, and used his nails to slice a tear in time and space. A vacuum effect was initiated, as the portal sucked in Jackael’s sword. “Goodbye, Jackael! It was never a pleasure.” With that, he tossed the angel into the portal as if he were trash, and closed it by waving his hand over it.
Jackael fell for what felt like an eternity, spinning and tossing in the flashing colors and lights. Sounds of all kinds molested his ears as he tried to hang on to the brink of his sanity. Sounds of children crying and laughing, sounds of screaming and violent shrieking. The heat assaulted him as well, burning his flesh and scorching his bones. He felt as if he were lying naked on the sun, and burning coal was his blanket. He reached upward in a bittersweet attempt for help, but there was none to be found in this vortex of Hell.
He tried in vain to fly, but his wing simply hurt too much. The pain had started to send a tingling sensation to his spine. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying his best to regain control over his hapless falling.
After giving up trying to fly, he let his body go limp. There was no use in trying to fight it, so he accepted his inevitability.
Then he saw a light.
Not knowing what to expect, he unfurled his wings as much as his pain would allow, closed his eyes, and braced for anything.
He fell through the hole in the vortex. When he opened his eyes, he saw green. It was as if whatever land he was being thrown into was made of pure emerald. They were what looked to be the tops of trees, and they were approaching him fast. His unfurled wings slowed his descent, but he still fell at the speed of light. All he could do was brace for impact.
His fall through the trees was a violent one, with tree limbs scratching and stabbing him at every turn. Before he even had a chance to swat one branch out of his face, a dozen new ones were there to attack him . A thicker branch nailed into his stomach, with enough force to cause him to vomit a bit of blood. Dizziness overtook him, and soon he found the ground with an audible smack. He rolled over onto his back, looking for relief. He looked up, and his eyes went wide as he saw an object plummeting toward the ground.
It was his sword.
He tried to move, but the sword fell too fast. He braced for what he thought was certain death. However, he was spared, as his sword landed tip-first into the soil right next to his left ear, gently slicing the edge of it..
Then, he passed out.
After a while, Jackael woke up. His entire body seized, and had what felt like a full-body muscle spasm. Lying on the ground motionless, the pain he felt literally prevented him from making a sound. After a few moments of soundless sobbing, he pulled himself up and grabbed his sword out from the ground. A large tree welcomed his tired form as he fell against it. He tugged his right wing over to where he could examine it. It was swollen, and some feathers were missing. Dust from the crash had stained them a slight brownish color, and the pain was increasing. He ran his tongue around his cheeks and tasted copper, and his mouth was dry like desert sand.
Tall trees and shadows created a makeshift ceiling above him, blocking out any kind of natural light with exception for a few stray rays and the hole his fall had just created. There were sounds of buzzing, crawling, and some growling coming from various places around him. He brought his hand up to his neck to swat something away as sweat poured down his face. The humidity was enough to make him gasp, and the smell of flowers and rotting corpses tingled his nose.
He slumped down further against the tree as his eyes darted around, looking for any end or potential way out of the forest he suddenly found himself in. He thought back to the battle, Michael, the humans, and Rholomous. His eye twitched and his blood boiled. His rage forced him to his feet. Once on them though, he staggered, and his knees buckled. The broken wing made itself known by sending a string of numbing pain up the edge of it. He started to walk aimlessly, hoping for a miracle.
A shy yellow pegasus was walking with her pet bunny in the Everfree Forest, looking for food for her more exotic pets at her cottage. Going into the forest this late in the afternoon was not the best of ideas, but her pets were so demanding at times. So, she made an exception.
“Oh, Angel. I really wish the parrots would stop asking for such exotic seeds. I don’t understand why they can’t just accept what I have to give them.” Angel made a few indistinguishable noises, which Fluttershy quickly translated. “Oh, I know that I need to be more assertive, but I’m trying to build up the courage. I will, one of these days…”
Jackael heard a noise approaching his location.
It sounded like voices.
Looking around, he looked for somewhere to hide. He spotted a branch above him, and jumped. He overshot it just a bit, and cracked his head on a higher branch. He almost didn’t grab the limb he was aiming for because of the sudden pain, but he managed to find his footing and perched on the tree limb.
He furrowed his brow, as he saw what looked to be a yellow pony with butterflies on her posterior. Were those wings that she had? Why was she able to talk? She was accompanied by a strange white rabbit, which seemed to be sniffing the air viciously. It turned to where he was perched, and started tugging at the hair of the pony-looking creature, and it looked, and spoke. “What is it, Angel? You see something?”
Before she could say more, Jackael quickly jumped down from where he was, unsheathing his sword in a smooth motion and holding it to Fluttershy’s throat, the blade’s tip gently kissing her neck. The white creature proved to be quite feeble. When it went to attack him, he kicked it and sent it at least ten feet away from them, knocking it out cold.
The angel proceeded to interrogate his victim. “Who are you?! Where am I?!”
Fluttershy was near hysterics, as she frantically tried her best to answer. “No! P-please! Somepony! Anypony! Help meeeeee!” She was crying by now, and shaking as if were freezing cold. Jackael’s expression softened. He lowered his sword, but still kept it at his side.
He tried to speak as gently as he could, while keeping his guard up. “Look, I put the sword down. See? I’m not going to hurt you, so try not to be afraid. Now, since I did that, why don’t you tell me where I am?” His heart was still racing, and his instincts were still on overdrive, but he also knew that threats would not get him anywhere.
She practically whispered her name. “My…my name’s…Fluttershy…” She turned her head away, only to turn it back to study his wings. One looked to be in mild shape, while the other one seemed to be hanging by a thread. “This is the Everfree Forest, just outside of Ponyville. D-do you know where that is?”
His mouth hung open. He swallowed, and tried to think of how to approach this. “I’m sorry for attacking you. I just don’t know what to make of anything right now.” He studied her still-trembling form. “You-you’re a pony. Living in the land of...Ponyville? Where exactly is this...Ponyville?”
“It’s a part of Equestria. Do you know about Equestria?”
He shook his head, and put his sword back in its sheath. “No, I’m afraid not.”
She gulped while she watched him sheathe his sword. “Who-who are you? And what do you want?”
“I am Jackael; angel of God Almighty, and protector of Truth. And what I want, is to get back to where I belong.”
“Oh, oh my…that’s quite a long title.” Her mind suddenly clicked. “ Wait, have you seen Angel?!” She practically knocked the wind out of him with how fast she flew past him, calling out her pet’s name. “Angel! Angel!”
Scratching his head, he asked, “Wait, are there other angels?”
She turned to look at him. “N-no. Th-that’s the name of my pet bunny.”
He looked at her in bewilderment, not sure how to respond. Animals can...have pets? Then he remembered back to the confrontation they shared a few moments prior. With that thought in mind, his eyes grew wider, and he fell very quiet. There was an overwhelming temptation to hide back on his perch in the tree.
He heard a loud shriek a few yards away. Fluttershy had stumbled upon her beloved angel, and almost passed out at the sight.
Seeing her bunny bruised and swollen made her heart drop a little, and fresh tears started to dot her eyes.
He looked at the rabbit, whose chest rose and fell with forced breaths. He sighed, knowing of the one thing he was able to do. “I can make him better.”
Fluttershy recoiled, “How? He’s…he’s…” With that, she soon began to sniffle, and the tears trapped in her eyes freed themselves down her cheeks. She started to wail and cry, as she thought about her soon-to-be-dead pet that she loved.
However, she stopped crying when she saw Jackael had cupped the bunny in his hand, and now a strange light was emanating from his grasp. Once done, he put the bunny down to the forest floor, where it sprang up and hopped happily to Fluttershy, who sat with her mouth agape, eyes fixed on Angel. She looked up at Jackael, who had a small smile on his face. She wanted to ask him how he did it; however, before she could get a word out, his smile faltered as he dropped to his knees. He looked up at Fluttershy with pleading eyes as he fell to the forest floor, succumbing to unconsciousness.
Author's Note
Feedback and criticisms are always appreciated! More to come soon.
