As Lucifer once more descended into the pit he felt something peculiar, something he hasn't felt since before the fall. It was the draw of an archangel towards another, the calling of their beings, the pull of essences, the bond between functions.
The angel of punishment followed the pull, and he found himself at the very heart of Hell, inside the deserted palace, where, since the banishment of all, none but the king had dared to step within.
None save another archangel.
"Raguel, it is good to see you brother. It has been... eons," Lucifer stated.
"Not many call me by that name anymore, it is Aztar now. I do not deserve to go by the name of an angel of God anymore..." The fallen archangel of justice responded, his tone even, but besides the depressing words, he also sensed something akin to trepidation, something that had set off his instincts as an older brother.
"What's wrong, little brother?" Lucifer immediately questioned as he drew himself closer, both their wings nearly touching the other. Lucifer's whiter than snow, Raguel's, once feathered grey with hints of green, but now red, batlike, more leathery appendages.
His appearance once that of a beautiful angel, now ruined, nothing more than a beast, one that can not even shift back to its original form.
The younger fallen angel was silent for a while, the words not coming out of his throat.
"I... I wish to seek redemption. I wish to seek our Father's forgiveness."
"What?" Lucifer questioned in surprise and aggression.
"I can't stand it here Morningstar. I can't fulfill my hearts desires. I can't bring justice in a place already full of justice. I need to be a part of justice, a needed part, not one where some demon can just as easily take my place. It burns me from within to think of it." Raguel explained, his voice weary, and anguished.
"Then simply come to the world of the living, Raguel. There is plenty need for justice there. There is no need to grovel back to dad for his crumbs of mercy!" Lucifer stated, his voice bitter and furious at even the thought of Raguel seeking their Father's forgiveness after what He had done to them.
"I am not as strong as you Lightbringer, Hell's pull over me is too strong. I can't escape it whenever I like. I need to be summoned, and anchored, by a mortal, and I would rather die than be connected to some sinful human's soul." Raguel countered revulsion in his tone.
The Devil hearing his brother's words, knowing how set his mind was, felt helpless and furious, for the moment his brother uttered his intention, Lucifer remembered what he had read in his past life once.
It was something more obscure, he as a human always was more interested in the original Lucifer comics rather than the superhero ones that were very confusion-inducing with their many different timelines, versions, and continuities.
He remembered reading once how the Spectre was the fallen archangel Raguel.
"You will not be accepted Raguel! Not as you are now! You rebelled just as I did! Your sense of justice made you stand against Him! That justice will be stripped from you! You will be but a shell of what you once were!" Lucifer roared, rage and plea in his tone for his brother to understand and stop this mad course of action.
"I can't Samael!" Raguel roared, calling the Morningstar by the name he was more familiar with, too overwhelmed with emotion and need for a sense of normalcy, much like before all of it fell apart, to care about his elder brother's distaste for the name.
"I would rather no longer be the way I am than to experience this hollow pain in my heart! I can not continue to exist like this angel of light... I see the error of my ways now. Father was right in His Judgement. We are lost without His infinite wisdom. Lost without his direction. Free Will is a curse, not a blessing, Samael.
Our hubris in thinking we know better has caused us nothing but suffering, and loss of purpose.
Even you Samael, once he who brought light and truth wherever you went, has become but a shadow of yourself. A mockery to everything you stood for as you now only bring falsehood and destruction wherever you go with your denial of submission and hubris in thinking your wiser than the All-Knowing.
Know this, the angel of your justice is dead, he has been killed by me. The one you deceived with your silver tongue, used his own sense of justice against him to turn him from the source of all good. He will remain dead for from his corpse will be reborn whatever The Just deems worthy of existing within His Presence.
Now farewell Lucifer, I pray when we meet once more, we do so as enemies." Without another word, the fallen archangel spread his wings, flying up high, calling out the Lord's name, seeking entry into Heaven to beg for His forgiveness.
And so, Lucifer saw the skies above the very heart of Hell tear, the gates of Heaven open and Heaven's light descend into the Pit, causing all to go still, the screams of the damned ceasing.
As Raguel with tears in his eyes called once more his Father's name he flew into the light and as he did the gate shut and disappeared, taking Heaven's light and the voices of the choirs of angels praising the Lord with it.
The damned flew into a frenzy like no other, all calling out why it couldn't allow them. Begging for forgiveness, for mercy, for peace, yet it was to no avail as no response came.
As usual.
The Devil in anger lashed out against the demons and souls and sent the winds of Sheol to all, tearing apart their flesh and crushing their bones, to shut them up.
Lucifer with one more look towards the sky, saw only darkness, as he was blind to the happens in Heaven, beat his wings and flew towards the Lost Paradise, to continue his seeking of his Mother's counsel.
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As the fallen angel walked upon the floors of the Silver City, he saw that he was in a hall, surrounded by the Host, every single one of them, all in rows on top of one another, their height so high, even his sight, that of an archangel could not see the end of them.
Though their presence may have just been nonexistent, for his true attention could only lie on the God who's Own Presence was heavier than if all of Creation was on his back.
The fallen angel, cloaked in the adornments of Hell, fell into prostration, both in submission and flee, as the Heavenly Light burned upon his sinful being, "I stand before you, Creator, ashamed of my rebellion, consumed by the fire of my own hubris.
One having thought my own understanding of justice surpassed yours. I see now the folly of my defiance. I seek a path -- if such exists -- to return into your Grace, to once more be an instrument of true justice within Your Hands."
"You once turned away from My worship, Aztar, what has changed within you that you now seek My Presence once more?" The Almighty questioned, his voice booming, born from every bit of the Beyond.
"I have experienced what it is like to be without your Guidance, without your Wisdom, and have found myself on the wrong path. One where I can not bestow justice.
One of suffering in darkness for even the Lightbringer has lost his way, no longer the wisest in Creation save you, but a man blinded by his own hubris." Aztar explained, his tone full of hope, fear, sorrow and exhaustion.
"What makes you think you are worthy of my forgiveness, Aztar?" God questions.
"I do not, my Lord. I am unworthy of forgiveness as I am now, but that is not my purpose in seeking your audience, oh, You who is the Most High. I seek guidance, a path to tread upon with surety that if followed will bring me back within your Mercy."
"Such a path does indeed exist, Aztar, but it is not without sacrifice." Yahweh states.
"Anything, I am willing to give up anything, Father, please, just ask it and I will gladly give it," Aztar responds, tears starting to stream down his eyes from relief and joy at being given such a chance, while the archangels themselves clench their weapons, fearful, but as well joyful within their hearts at the possibility of their fallen brother being redeemed.
"As you are now, Aztar, you can not tread it. The demon that you have become is not one suited for such a path and neither is the angel you once were that chose to follow ignorance.
You must accept to let it all fall away, that what makes you Aztar, that what makes you Raguel. You must forsake it till you reach the end of your path and pick it up once more. In this way you will be truly granted understanding." God explains, earning a gasp of shock from Aztar.
"But if I forsake my shape, my power, and my memories, how will I not repeat my mistakes without the understanding I have now of what it is like to being of the forsaken?" Aztar questions.
"You were never truly forsaken My Son, for if you were, you would not be standing before Me. What is needed will be bestowed upon you by Me, in my Mercy."
Aztar hearing God's words gains a determinded look upon his face, "Then I put my faith in you, Father. I accept." At Aztar's words God's Presence feels even heavier as His Power fills the very air, even the other angels falling down into prostration within the skies and on the earth of the Beyond.
"Rise then, Aztar. Rise as no longer a demon of Hell, nor an angel of Heaven, but a Spirit of Vengeance, My Vengeance and Wrath incarnated-" The Almighty begins and as he does, Aztar flies in the air, screaming in agony as his very being unravels, engulfed within holy fire, only his essence remaining untouched by it as it is being merged with Yahweh's Vengeance and Wrath.
"You are now, no longer Aztar, the weeping demon, nor Raguel the archangel of justice. You are now, The Spectre," God states and as from within the flames, the Spirit of Vengeance is born.
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(Author note: Hello everyone, hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Yeah, Raguel is no longer on Lucifer's side. He is now the Spectre, as he always was meant to be. How do you all find this development in the context of this fanfic? With how Yahweh and Lucifer are within this fanfic?
Was his choice right or wrong?
Please do comment and answer, because the more engagement you show, the more motivated I am to write, because I like interactions with you guys.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)