"Agony."
The word resounded through the Great Hall of the UnderKingdom.
Edward shifted, grabbing a pastry from the tray, trying to make himself seem like he was not listening, when he was incredibly interested in his master's story. Lucifer had never been very open about that chapter of his life, and instead chose to focus on the other parts. Edward had only known about Lucifer's extreme hatred of the Ruler, and his desire for revenge, but had yet to hear Lucifer's history.
Hearing the word "agony" resonate, Ravenna blanched. Lucifer was so certain that Michael was going to Fall, and that was the single word he chose to describe the experience.
"L..Lu..Lucifer? Wh..What do you mean?" Ravenna's words came out in a stutter, her anxieties growing.
Lucifer sighed. "Edward, some whiskey, if you don't mind, please." The demon nodded, and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. "We will wait for his return, he does not take long."
True to Lucifer's words, Edward soon reappeared in the same manner as he had left. He bowed, poured whiskey into two ornate glasses, and left the bottle on the tray with the pastries and wine. The demon sat back in his place on the bench across from his master, and sipped at his own drink.
Lucifer emptied his glass quickly, and poured himself a second. It was clear to Ravenna that his Fall was not a comfortable topic. To her surprise, he stood, and removed his tunic. Edward quickly rose to take the garment from his master.
Ravenna arched her eyebrows and her stomach clenched as Lucifer stepped toward her. "It has been two thousand years, Ravenna. The scars are still the same." Lucifer turned his back to her, and knelt in front of the throne, facing away from her. "Go ahead. I have had millennia to get used to them. You should have time to get used to them, too." Lucifer pulled his long black hair over his shoulder, fully exposing his back.
Ravenna was so shocked by the scars in front of her that she did not notice Edward come to stand next to her. Her original thoughts of what Lucifer's back must look like had been close, but her imagination could not have predicted the mangled skin in front of her. Lucifer's back looked like it had been ripped apart at two different parts, and allowed to knit itself back together without any aid. The thick rope of scarring ranged from about three inches wide, tapering down as the scars reached his lower back.
"Did no one take care of you when this happened?" Ravenna finally gathered up her courage to speak after the long uncomfortable silence.
"No. It was just myself. I did not land in the Human Realm, I landed here. I'm sure the Ruler meant for me to die. Things would have been easier for Him if I had." The sadness in Lucifer's voice was apparent, and Edward stepped forward, putting his hand on his master's shoulder.
"Seraphim can…I thought…I didn't know angels could die? Michael said something about Gabriel and Zerachiel both being over a thousand years old…and you Fell over two thousand years ago?"
"Ah, yes. We are immortal, but were created with fatal flaws, in case the Ruler wished to destroy us. We were designed so that we could be eliminated if such a need arose. I believe the Ruler thought the Fall would kill me. Angels can be killed in several manners; we are destroyed through blood loss, and pierced through the heart. The third way is destroyed through my blood magic, which protects your room. The Ruler must have intended for me to die through blood loss after my wings were torn from my back."
"I understand…um…can I touch the scars?"
"Feel free. They no longer pain me."
Ravenna stood, and slowly reached out toward Lucifer. Her fingers made contact with the scars, and she felt her stomach roll. The scars were so thick, so jagged, so mottled. She could tell exactly where Lucifer's wings used to be, and the violent manner in which they were stolen from him. Her hands trailed across Lucifer's upper back; it was easy to distinguish the scarring from the skin.
"I am so sorry, Lucifer. I wish someone had been there for you; maybe the wounds would have healed cleaner if someone had been there to care for you."
"Think nothing of it, dear. It is a reminder of who I am and who I used to be."
Lucifer stood and held out his hand toward his demon. Edward immediately handed Lucifer's tunic back to his master, and Lucifer shrugged the garment back on. "Perhaps, Ravenna, Michael's scarring will not be so disfiguring."
The Fallen man sat back on his bench, and Edward sat across from him. Lucifer refilled his whiskey glass, clearly using the drink as a way to cope with his memories.
"Lucifer? If you don't mind me asking…what was it like? The Fall?"
Lucifer sighed. "The Ruler ripped the wings from my back and threw me from the Kingdom. I fainted from blood loss before I Fell too far. There was a nasty storm, I do remember the storm before I lost consciousness. The violence of the storm. I saw the blackness of the clouds - they were so dark, I do not know if I Fell during the day or the night. The roar of the thunder. The lightning that nearly struck me. I do not know how long I was unconscious, but I woke alone in this realm, many of my ribs and my left leg broken, so many wounds across my body."
Ravenna put her wine glass on the floor, and leaned back on the throne, using the tall back of the chair for support. She crossed her arms across her stomach, feeling nauseous hearing Lucifer's words. "You really think this is going to happen to Michael?"
"I believe it is just a matter of time, yes. I am sorry, my dear. But we have my experience on our side. We can help him. We can heal him. His scars do not have to look like mine. I told you once and I will promise it again; it does not matter where he lands, your realm or mine, we will find him and we will help him."
Ravenna was so caught up in hearing Lucifer's promises of helping Michael, she had forgotten her earlier rage toward the Fallen man. –Lucifer is so hard to trust, but I want to believe him so much about his willingness to help Michael, especially when he says we will find him. The Fall sounds like a horrible experience, and Michael's Fall is my fault. I need Lucifer's help to take care of Michael properly, I need to trust him.–
Lucifer broke Ravenna from her thoughts. "Would you like to see what the UnderKingdom has to offer, since you're here? There are plenty of things you may find…interesting." Lucifer stood from his bench and offered Ravenna his hand, enticing her to join him to leave the Palace of the UnderKingdom.