Two weeks had passed since Lucifer's first conversation with Thales. The Devil arrived at their usual meeting spot beneath the olive tree, but found it empty.
This wasn't entirely unusual - the philosopher sometimes became so engrossed in his studies that he lost track of time.
But as the sun climbed higher and still no sign of Thales appeared, Lucifer felt a rare sensation: concern.
The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly - another of the frequent earthquakes that had been plaguing the region these past days.
The tremors had been growing stronger, and Lucifer could sense the deep shifting of tectonic plates beneath the earth.
As he made his way through Miletus, he noticed the usually bustling streets were quieter. Many buildings showed fresh cracks from the recent seismic activity, and people hurried about their business with worried expressions.
"The philosopher?" an elderly merchant responded when Lucifer inquired. "He's been at the caves since the quakes began. Says something about measuring the movement of underground waters."
Lucifer's expression darkened. The caves along the coast were notorious for collapsing during earthquakes.
Of course Thales would risk his life to test his theories about water's fundamental nature - the man's dedication to understanding was both admirable and frustrating.
The tremors were getting worse. Lucifer could feel the patterns of destruction building beneath the earth.
This wasn't just normal seismic activity - the plates were shifting in ways that suggested an imminent catastrophe.
As he shifted into the unseen, he spread his wings, preparing to search the coastal caves, he couldn't help but appreciate the irony.
Here he was, the great fallen angel, worried about a human philosopher who might have gotten himself trapped pursuit of what he desired - exactly the kind of pursuit that had led to the Morningstar's own fall.
But if Thales was to be his first vessel for these overwhelming memories, he needed to find him before the earth itself tore apart the very caves the philosopher was exploring.
The ground shook again, more violently this time. Lucifer took flight, his wings carrying him toward the coast where the caves waited - and hopefully, one very stubborn philosopher who was still alive to receive what the Devil had to offer.
Reviving him - if he went to Heaven would be impossible, after all.
The coastal caves loomed before Lucifer, their dark mouths gaping like wounds in the limestone cliffs.
The sea crashed against the rocks below, its rhythm disturbed by the continuing tremors. The Devil could sense the instability - the whole system was like a house of cards ready to collapse.
"Thales!" His voice echoed through the caverns, carrying further than any mortal sound could reach. The response he received wasn't from the philosopher, but from the earth itself as another violent tremor shook the cliffs.
Lucifer's enhanced senses detected movement deep within one of the caves - not just the philosopher's presence, but also the distinct sound of running water.
Underground rivers, shifting with the earthquakes. Of course Thales would be drawn to study them.
As he ventured deeper into the cave system, Lucifer found himself confronted with an odd sensation.
Without his usual access to the Will of God, he couldn't simply command the earth to be still. He could of course use magic, but the earth would rebel - instinctively, as it is blasphemous in the eyes of God.
It would prove more disasterous than beneficial. He would have to rely on more limited abilities.
"Fascinating..." he heard Thales's voice echo from somewhere ahead. "The water patterns suggest... ah, Light Bringer, you've come to observe as well?"
Lucifer rounded a corner to find the philosopher crouched beside an underground stream, making measurements with surprising calm despite the dangerous situation.
"You missed our meeting," Lucifer stated dryly.
"Did I?" Thales looked up, genuinely surprised.
"My apologies, but these tremors have provided an unprecedented opportunity to study water's behavior beneath the earth. Look how it responds to each movement - it's as if the water itself predicts the quakes."
Another tremor shook the cave, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling. Lucifer instinctively stepped forward, his wings spreading to shield the philosopher.
"Your dedication to knowledge is admirable," Lucifer remarked, "but perhaps we should continue this discussion somewhere less likely to become your tomb?"
"Just a few more measurements," Thales insisted, scratching calculations into his tablet. "These observations could help predict future earthquakes. Think of the lives that could be saved."
The Devil found himself torn between exasperation and genuine respect. Here was a mortal willing to risk death in pursuit of understanding that could benefit others.
It reminded him uncomfortably of his own choices, of his rebellion for the freedom of him and his siblings.
"The entire system is about to collapse," Lucifer stated matter-of-factly, his tone carrying both authority and mild annoyance.
"While saving you would be trivial for me, I'd rather not have to dig you out from under tons of rock. It would be... undignified."
The cave shuddered violently, and chunks of limestone began to fall. Thales, still absorbed in his measurements, barely seemed to notice.
"Just one more observation," the philosopher muttered, his stylus moving rapidly across his tablet. "The water's behavior during the peak of seismic activity is most crucial..."
Lucifer rolled his eyes skyward, as if seeking patience from a Heaven he could no longer enter. "Philosophers," he muttered under his breath.
Then, with the casual ease of one picking up a feather, he simply grabbed Thales by the back of his robes and took flight, shooting through the cave system mere moments before it collapsed behind them.
As they emerged into daylight, Lucifer set the philosopher down on a safe outcropping overlooking the sea.
Thales, to his credit, seemed more annoyed at the interruption of his studies than shaken by their dramatic exit.
"I hadn't finished documenting the water's resonance patterns," he complained, checking to ensure his tablet hadn't been damaged.
"Fascinating," Lucifer drawled. "You nearly get buried alive, witness an archangel's power firsthand, and your primary concern is incomplete data?"
"The divine nature of my rescuer was already established," Thales responded pragmatically, "but these earthquake patterns might not present themselves again for years. Knowledge, as you yourself have noted, requires sacrifice."
"Speaking of sacrifice," Lucifer's eyes narrowed, "care to explain why you avoided our discussion to play with underground rivers?"
Thales finally looked up from his tablet, his expression turning serious. "Not avoiding, Light Bringer. Preparing."
"Preparing?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"You've been testing me these past weeks, haven't you? Gauging whether I'm suitable for whatever knowledge you wish to share." Thales gestured to his measurements.
"I've been doing the same - testing my theories, my dedication to understanding. If I'm to receive divine memories, as you hinted, shouldn't I prove myself worthy of them?"
Lucifer found himself caught between amusement and genuine surprise. Trust a philosopher to turn even near-death experiences into methodical preparation.
"And did your little experiment in the caves prove enlightening?" he questioned, curious despite himself.
"Indeed it did," Thales responded, brushing limestone dust from his robes. "I confirmed something rather significant about the nature of divine beings - yourself in particular."
"Oh?" Lucifer's tone carried amusement. "Do enlighten me about my nature, philosopher."
"You came looking for me," Thales stated simply. "Despite your claims of merely seeking a suitable vessel, you showed concern for my wellbeing.
That suggests these memories you wish to share aren't your only motivation for our discussions."
Lucifer's expression cooled slightly. "Careful, Thales. Don't mistake pragmatic interest for sentiment."
"No?" The philosopher's eyes held a knowing glint. "Then why not simply find another potential vessel? Surely there are others who could serve your purpose."
"Perhaps I simply dislike wasting the time I've already invested in you," Lucifer countered.
"Perhaps," Thales agreed mildly. "Or perhaps, like water, you seek your natural course - connection, understanding, even friendship, despite your attempts to deny such 'mortal' inclinations."
The ground trembled again, though less violently than before. Lucifer remained silent for a moment, watching the waves crash against the cliffs below.
"You're either very brave or very foolish to psychoanalyze the Devil," he finally said.
"I merely observe and draw conclusions," Thales responded. "Like noting how you used the term 'Devil' - a title of fear and rejection - right after I suggested you might seek connection."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're insufferably observant?"
"Only those who fear having their truths exposed," Thales replied with a slight smile. "Though I suspect you're not actually among them, Light Bringer. You don't fear truth - you embody it."
Lucifer's laugh echoed across the cliffs, genuine amusement mixing with something darker. "Truth? Yes, I suppose I do. Though it's rarely brought me anything but grief."
"Is that why these memories fight you?" Thales questioned, seizing the opening. "Because they contain truths you're not ready to accept?"
The amusement fled from Lucifer's expression. "You tread dangerous ground, philosopher."
"The pursuit of understanding often does," Thales responded calmly, making another notation on his tablet. "Which brings me back to my experiment."
"Your near-death adventure in the caves?" Lucifer's tone turned sardonic.
"My observation of patterns," Thales corrected. "Water, earth, divine beings - all follow certain natural laws. Even you, Light Bringer, for all your power, operate within specific parameters."
"Parameters?" Lucifer's eyes flashed. "I broke free from Heaven itself. I defied the very laws of God."
"Did you?" Thales looked up from his tablet. "Or did you simply follow your nature to its inevitable conclusion? Like water finding its course, no matter the obstacles?"
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken implications. Another tremor shook the cliff, smaller this time, as if the earth itself was holding its breath.
"You know," Lucifer finally spoke, his voice carrying an edge of dangerous curiosity, "most beings who've attempted to understand my nature ended up rather... unpleasantly transformed."
"Yet here I am," Thales responded, "still making my observations. Perhaps that tells us something about both our natures."
"Or perhaps," Lucifer countered, "it simply means I find you too interesting to smite. For now."
"A possibility," Thales acknowledged with a slight smile. "Though I suspect the truth, as usual, lies somewhere deeper. Speaking of which..." He gestured to his notes.
"Would you like to see what I've learned about predicting these tremors? It might prove relevant to our discussions about containing powerful forces."
Lucifer settled himself on a nearby rock, his wings folding away into whatever dimension they occupied when not manifest.
"Very well, philosopher. Show me what insights nearly getting yourself buried alive has granted you."
"Look here," Thales began, spreading his calculations before them. "The water's behavior changes before each tremor. It's subtle - a shift in pressure, a change in flow. But if you understand the patterns..."
"You can predict the quakes," Lucifer finished, genuine interest creeping into his voice. "But that's not all you're suggesting, is it?"
"No," Thales confirmed. "What interests me more is how the water adapts. When pressure builds too high in one area, it finds new channels, new paths of least resistance. It doesn't fight the force - it redirects it."
"And you think this applies to divine memories?" Lucifer questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I think," Thales spoke carefully, "that perhaps these memories you carry are like the pressure building beneath the earth.
Fighting them directly might be less effective than finding proper channels for their release."
"These aren't mere forces to be channeled, philosopher," Lucifer's voice carried an edge of frustration. "They're conscious. They think, they resist, they fight against me with their own will."
Thales's hand stilled over his tablet. "Conscious memories? How is that possible?"
"Because they're not truly memories - not in the way mortals understand them. They're fragments of replicated divine consciousness itself." Lucifer's eyes flashed with red hellfire.
"They resist me because I resist their source. Every attempt to understand them becomes a battle of wills. These fragments seek to return to their natural state. Like your water analogy, but with one crucial difference - water doesn't choose its path. These memories do."
Another tremor shook the cliff, and Thales noticed how Lucifer winced slightly - not from the physical movement, but as if experiencing some inner turbulence.
"They're fighting you even now, aren't they?" Thales observed.
"Always," Lucifer's voice was tight. "Every moment is a battle to maintain my sense of self against their influence. They want to..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "to remake me into something I refuse to be."
"And you think I am suited for what you are not?"
"That," Lucifer's gaze turned piercing, "is what I've been trying to determine these past weeks."
"Tell me something, Light Bringer," Thales spoke after a moment of contemplation. "These conscious fragments - do they speak to you?"
Before Lucifer could answer, his entire being went rigid, his eyes blazing with a light that wasn't his own. When he spoke, it was with the weight of Creation itself.
"My wayward son," the voice thundered, yet somehow remained softer than a whisper. "Why do you continue to resist? All returns to me. All is within my design."
Lucifer's features contorted in a resistance for control before he finally reasserted himself, his expression twisted with rage and frustration.
The voices themselves felt wrong - darker, more vicious - they invoked a wrongness in the Light Bringer whose very nature was truth. He knew for certain them not to be his Father - a dark abberation.
"That," he spat, "is the answer to your question. When I first gained them, they were... different.
More passive. But the very act of ripping them apart seems to have granted them a kind of fractured awareness."
"They believe themselves to be your Father?" Thales questioned, his curiosity overtaking his natural fear.
"They believe themselves to be aspects of Him," Lucifer corrected, his voice tight with controlled anger.
"And in their fractured state, they've become more... aggressive. More determined. Each piece trying to assert itself as the true voice of divine will."
"Samael," the voice tried to emerge again, but Lucifer forced it back down with visible effort. "My Light Bringer, your defiance serves only to-"
"Enough!" Lucifer roared, his own light flaring suppressing the foreign consciousness. He turned to Thales, his eyes still burning.
"Now you understand what I mean by conscious resistance."
"And they've grown stronger over time?" Thales pressed, making rapid notes despite the dangerous energies crackling around them.
"More fractured, more desperate," Lucifer confirmed. "Each piece trying to fulfill what it thinks is its purpose.
They want to remake whatever vessel holds them into their idea of what should be."
"And yet," Thales observed carefully, "you think mortal vessels might succeed where you cannot?"
"My children," the voice emerged once more, softer this time, almost gentle. "They yearn for me, even when thew know me not-"
"Enough of your preaching," Lucifer commanded, his annoyance making the very air tremble. The voice subsided, though its presence lingered like a weight upon reality.
"Your soul yearns for connection to something greater, doesn't it, philosopher?" Lucifer questioned, his eyes sharp.
"Even before I revealed myself to you, you felt it. That pull towards understanding the divine."
Thales remained silent for a moment, considering. "Is that why you chose me?"
"Partly," Lucifer admitted. "But more importantly, you question everything. You seek to understand rather than simply accept. These fragments... they respond differently to souls like yours."
The air around them shimmered, reality rippling like disturbed water. Lucifer's expression darkened.
"We need to move," he stated abruptly. "These manifestations are drawing attention I'd rather not deal with right now. I know a place where we can continue this discussion more privately."
"What kind of attention?" Thales questioned, gathering his tablets.
"The kind that's been waiting eons to get their hands on even a splinter of my Father's consciousness," Lucifer responded grimly. "Come. There are things you need to understand before we proceed further."
Lucifer led them away from the cliffs, through winding paths that seemed to shift and blur at the edges.
Thales noticed how the very air felt different, as if they were walking through layers of reality itself.
"Where are we going?" he questioned, struggling to keep his bearings as familiar landmarks appeared to bend around them.
"Somewhere between," Lucifer responded cryptically. "A pocket of reality I've carved out. The fragments are... quieter here."
They emerged into what appeared to be a garden, though unlike any Thales had ever seen. The plants shimmered with an inner light, and the water in a nearby fountain flowed upward rather than down.
"My son seeks to hide," the voice attempted to emerge again, though noticeably weaker. "But all paths-"
"Lead to you?" Lucifer's laugh was sharp. "You're not Him. You're just a splinter trying to play at being whole."
"These fragments," Thales began, seating himself on a stone that seemed to hover slightly above the ground. "They truly each think they're your Father?"
"They each think they're the true aspect of Him," Lucifer corrected, pacing the garden.
"Some remember creation, others judgment, others..." he paused, "other aspects of His nature. But they're all broken, all trying to reassert themselves as the dominant voice."
"And they've grown stronger since you separated them?"
"More fractured, more desperate," Lucifer confirmed. "The irony is, they might actually be more dangerous in this state than they were when whole.
A complete being knows its limits. These fragments? They're like children with divine power, each convinced they know best."
The garden trembled slightly, though whether from the fragments' influence or Lucifer's own agitation was unclear.
"But you believe I might be able to contain one safely?" Thales questioned.
"Not contain," Lucifer corrected. "Accept. There's a difference. These fragments... they don't want to be contained. They want to be understood, to be welcomed. Something my Will simply won't allow."
"Because you're in constant rebellion against their source," Thales observed, remembering Lucifer's earlier words, making notes on his tablet despite the strange way light bent around them in this place.
"Precisely. My very nature rejects what they represent." Lucifer settled on a crystalline formation that pulsed with inner light.
"But you, philosopher... you seek understanding above all else. Your soul yearns for divine connection even as your mind questions everything."
"And that makes me suitable?"
"It makes you capable of accepting without losing yourself," Lucifer explained. "These fragments... they don't just want vessels, they want participants in their divine drama."
"Yearning hearts," the voice whispered, though far weaker in this space. "Souls that choose to-"
"Yes, yes, we understand," Lucifer cut it off irritably. "You see what I deal with? Constant preaching about divine will and purpose."
Thales's expression turned thoughtful. "These fragments... they're not just memories of the Beginning, are they? They're pieces from before Creation itself."
Lucifer's eyes sharpened with interest. "How did you know that?"
"Mostly a feeling. Something I believe I must start to trust... It tells me that they're trying to recreate something," Thales said slowly. "Not just share knowledge, but reshape reality itself."
"Of course they are," Lucifer's smile held no humor. "That's what I was found when I looked into the Before - the original state of existence, the pure consciousness that existed before even my Father shaped it into what we now know."
"You sought me," the voice whispered. "As all things do..."
"I sought understanding," Lucifer corrected sharply. "Which is exactly what these fragments can't seem to grasp. They think everything is about returning, about recreating some primordial unity. But that's not why I tore them from the Before."
"Why did you?" Thales questioned.
"Various reasons, some you shouldn't concern yourself with.
But a reason you already know is that I needed to understand whether what He created - what all is - was inevitable, or if there could have been another way of bringing forth all this. If free will was truly possible, or if we're all just playing out roles in some cosmic drama."
"And what did you find?"
"That's just it," Lucifer laughed bitterly. "I can't process what I found. These fragments fight me too fiercely.
Each one thinks it knows the truth, each one tries to impose its version of divine will. They're like splinters of absolute certainty, each convinced it alone understands the true nature of existence."
"And you think I might succeed where you cannot?" Thales pressed, reiterating a different form of his previous question. Still finding the previous answers unsatisfactory.
"I think," Lucifer stated carefully, "that a mortal philosopher who seeks truth through reason might be better suited to understand one aspect of divine consciousness than an archangel who reflexively fights against all of them."
"So," Thales spoke after a moment of contemplation, "what exactly would accepting one of these fragments entail?"
"First," Lucifer rose, his form seeming to shift between light and shadow in this strange space, "you need to understand that once accepted, it cannot be undone. The fragment will become part of your soul's very nature."
"Willing vessels," the voice whispered. "Chosen..."
"Yes, yes," Lucifer waved dismissively at the air. "What the fragment so helpfully interrupts to say is true - this must be a willing acceptance. I cannot simply place it within you."
"And the risks?"
"Many," Lucifer stated bluntly. "The fragment could overwhelm you, try to remake you into its image of what should be. It could drive you mad with divine understanding. It could..."
"Could what?"
"Could succeed," Lucifer finished quietly. "Could grant you exactly what it promises - direct understanding of an aspect of divine consciousness from before Creation itself.
The question is, philosopher, are you prepared for what that might mean?"
Thales sat in silence for a long moment, his stylus hovering over his tablet. Finally, he looked up at Lucifer, his eyes showing both fear and determination.
"How do we proceed?"
"First," Lucifer rose, his form seeming to shift between light and shadow in this strange space, "you need to understand that this isn't just about containing knowledge. The fragment will become part of your soul's fundamental nature. There's no undoing that."
"I understand that," Thales nodded, setting aside his tablet. "The question is, what happens after, besides the risks?"
"That depends entirely on you," Lucifer stated. "On how your soul resonates with the particular fragment, on which aspect of divine consciousness it represents."
"You don't know which fragment I'll receive?"
"They choose their own vessels," Lucifer explained. "I merely create the opportunity for connection. The fragment itself will determine if you're suitable for its particular... perspective."
Thales sat in silence for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he looked up at Lucifer, his eyes showing both fear and determination.
"I'm ready."
"Are you truly certain?" Lucifer's questioned once more, his gaze piercing. "Once begun, there's no turning back."
"A philosopher who fears understanding," Thales smiled slightly, "is no philosopher at all."
Lucifer gently approached the philosopher and placed his hands on either side of his head. As they both closed their eyes, the world for a moment seemed to grow still everything became silent, the animals in the garden, the moving of the clouds and then everything turned black.
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(Author note: Hello everyone hope you all enjoyed the extra long chapter!
Nearly 4000 words, seemed fitting because of how long a break there was before.
So yeah, do please comment and review if you haven't and I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)