Fallen for a Star

When Lucifer walked the golden streets, Castiel couldn't help but listen.

Sometimes, if he wasn't in a hurry, he shut his eyes and swayed back and forth while the archangel's voice rose and fell. He sang of Heaven's beauty with divinely-inspired lyrics that Castiel had never heard before, yet the meaning of the words surfaced in his mind like a memory. Even the sound of Lucifer's voice varied depending on the hour, or the subject of the song, so that no two sounded alike.

Castiel could only guess as to whether Lucifer composed his work ahead of time, or why that particular angel had been blessed so lavishly. The Cherubim, angels who recorded events throughout the history of their existence, penned entire scrolls describing the beauty yet still failed to capture the experience of simply standing nearby as he performed. Some envied Lucifer, but others, like Castiel, admired the talent without jealousy. Castiel loved nothing more than to hear the glorious music that sprung from Lucifer like the stream that flowed from the heavenly throne, casting a brighter light over Heaven wherever he offered his music.

Many angels approached him in the hopes of being selected as one of his pupils, but Lucifer chose only the most gifted among them, and didn't bother to spare their feelings when they fell short of his standards. Fearing this, Castiel paced the gardens with his hands clasped at his chest. He exhaled soft prayers that Lucifer would not deal too harshly with Suriel, who had left in the early hours to present himself before Lucifer.

While Castiel enjoyed the pieces that Suriel crooned in places of solitude where no one else could hear, his music suffered when others listened. If angels were there to hear him, Suriel had to pant for breath and his voice shook with a fearful vibrato that he had never learned to control, and Castiel knew Lucifer would notice that at once. Still, Castiel could hardly discourage Suriel from auditioning before Lucifer, and now Castiel could only wait and implore that Suriel be blessed with either courage for himself or mercy from the Morning Star.

"Castiel?"

The voice startled Castiel, and he opened his eyes. "Suriel. You have returned."

The other angel nodded, shoulders arched as if weighted down by the mass of feathers that stretched skyward from his back. "I must have done something right. He said yes."

Resting one hand on Suriel's shoulder, Castiel hid his surprise with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Congratulations." Even though he swelled with pride for Suriel, he could not help but marvel at the impossibility of Lucifer's acceptance.

Then Suriel continued with an announcement even more unexpected than the last. "Lucifer wants to see you tomorrow. Lucky for you, he's found out about your gifts."

Shocked, Castiel crossed his arms at his chest. "My talent is adequate for a—a fifth-rank choir, perhaps, but nothing with which to impress Lucifer." He breathed the name with admiration and bewilderment, as if the name belonged to a legend. It very nearly did. "And he mentioned my name, specifically? You are certain of it?"

"Of course. Besides, I'd hate for you to get away with not facing him, after I had to go through with it." No doubt along with countless other angels, Castiel wondered how this was possible, how Suriel could be saying any of this. A smile crept up Suriel's face, flushed red rather than its usual paleness, with pleasure at having been chosen. "We'll be the envy of all Heaven."

"I don't understand why Lucifer would take any interest in me…but I would never question the Son of Dawn." The last part, Castiel added when a passing Seraph shot a glance in his direction, and Suriel directed the words Watch it to Castiel's consciousness without speaking aloud. The Seraph turned his head but did not comment, to both Suriel and Castiel's relief

Although no others could hear any words that one angel directed to the mind of another, the higher ranks such as Seraphim and Archangels could sense the communication. While they would not chastise anyone for "whispering" to one another, the elders did not hide their contempt for those who did.

They should know that I mean no disrespect, Castiel replied.

Still, it ruffles their feathers that you've caught Lucifer's eye. Not long ago, Lucifer stopped teaching that one, and you better believe he wasn't thrilled about that.

Lucifer dismissed a Seraph?

Suriel laughed at Castiel's wide eyes, and they continued down the path as it wound in and out among buildings. They passed through several of the gardens that dotted Lucifer's quarters, though Suriel teased that it was more of a palace fit for the king that Lucifer obviously considered himself to be. Even Castiel frowned at that, but didn't reprimand Suriel. At any rate, Castiel couldn't deny that the whole structure consisted of light, precious gems, and gold so that it sparkled like burnished bronze, practically shaming the mansions of other angels. Naturally that would give Suriel the impression that Lucifer considered himself more deserving than his brothers. Besides, the young Suriel was always carrying on about something, or cracking a joke in an attempt to earn Castiel's laughter. As a result, the other angels disciplined Suriel often enough anyway, determined to wipe that eternal grin off his face.

When they had exited the gardens, Suriel invited Castiel to his quarters so that Castiel could rehearse his song. Like most angelic quarters, Suriel's featured translucent barriers through which the light of Heaven shone while still veiling the rooms from those outside. Various furnishings cluttered the room—a desk, chairs, shelves with a small library, balconies opening onto vistas of the parks below, a garden that yielded Heaven's most wonderful plants.

To Castiel's frustration, stains spotted much of the furniture, dents marked the wood, and dust collected from neglect. No one limited Suriel as to how much he could own, but the higher-order angels grumbled when they noticed the ridiculous state of his home along with his low rank and fairly recent creation, by Heaven's standards. Castiel himself kept his own quarters spotless, a fact which Suriel constantly reminded him of.

Grabbing a lyre that lay on his floor, Suriel seated himself at the table and propped his legs up. "Go ahead, make me jealous. You always do."

Castiel couldn't help but chuckle at Suriel, who still insisted that Castiel was the better of the two even after earning one of the highest honors in Heaven. As Suriel strummed an introduction, Castiel inhaled, chest expanding with air as his heart beat in unison with Suriel's rhythm, and then he opened his mouth to voice one of the oldest psalms. All songs in Heaven resonated throughout the land, and this was no exception, the music of Castiel and Suriel ringing joined with melodies sung by Archangels on Mount Zion to the youngest messenger in the lowest valley. From every place the cries ascended until they chorused as one.

Even as he raised his voice, though, Castiel's mind wandered, and he tripped over one of the words. He pushed more forcefully on the next, burying the mistake in a sweeping crescendo, but Suriel's fingers halted at the lyre and the stream of music stopped like a river's current halting without warning. "I'd laugh, but this is one of the oldest hymns. You know it like the High Temple, Cas. Something's wrong, so you might as well tell me now."

Although Castiel started to say that it was just a mistake, he knew that Suriel would never believe that. So instead he answered, "My mind wandered for a moment. It will not happen again."

Slapping his knee, Suriel howled with laughter until he registered Castiel's less-than-thrilled expression. "You, distracted. Right. Really, what gives? Did you hear what I thought…?"

When Suriel didn't finish the question, that confirmed Castiel's fears. "So I did not imagine it."

"Chin up, you're not crazy after all."

"That's hardly a comfort."

With a shrug, Suriel set the lyre down at his feet and swung his legs around. "Ignore them, Castiel. They're jealous, every one of them. I wasn't kidding about the 'envy of all Heaven' thing, although maybe it does have its disadvantages—"

"They have cut me off like this before, when I was younger, as a disciplinary measure. They should not respond like children, with jealous anger. That does not befit their rank."

"That's the joke of it." Suriel's eyes followed Castiel as he paced around the room, weaving in and out of Suriel's furniture. "But they'll forget soon enough, they always do. Short memory and all. Low-rank no-names like us can't hold their attention for long." Then Suriel smirked and added, "Besides, you'll be under Lucifer's protection soon enough."

Lucifer's protection indeed, Castiel thought, and nodded. "Let us continue to practice."

And they did, though the room echoed hollow now without the songs of other angels to surround their own. The Seraphim had blocked all other music from penetrating Suriel's quarters, so that they could not enjoy the choirs of Heaven that had accompanied them before. In the end, Castiel understood that it did benefit him to only hear his own voice, as it would no doubt be in the presentation before Lucifer, but Castiel wished that Jehoel and the others would have cut him off for that reason and not spite alone.

After a night of prayer, Castiel rose with the dawn to appear before the leader of music. On the walk there, Castiel passed Suriel's quarters and awoke him so that Suriel could wait outside the mansion of Lucifer as Castiel had, although he did not know if Suriel would pray on his behalf. Not that Castiel doubted Suriel's devotion to him, because the two were rarely apart for long, but because Castiel never saw Suriel pray anymore. He didn't even bother to close his eyes when they praised the humans at the Mount of Assembly. Castiel had quietly mentioned this once when really he wanted to shake Suriel by the shoulders and command him to do it for his own good, but Suriel never failed to change the subject.

When they reached the gardens of the courtyard, Suriel groaned at the sight of a throng of angels standing there. "Great, they're having church out here," he muttered to Castiel. Again, Castiel nearly scolded Suriel, but he held his tongue.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Suriel had every right to be upset. If any other angel had come to appear before Lucifer, multitudes would have gathered to pray for their friend and hear the outcome, but no one had come for Suriel the previous day just as none would wait for Castiel. Even when he and Suriel so much as approached the crowd, they shrunk away into groups of three or four that lowered their prayers to whispers or stopped altogether. This was, Castiel knew, exactly what Suriel expected.

But Castiel swallowed his bitter thoughts at once, remembering how they once welcomed him into their circles, at least until he walked with Suriel. This wasn't the first time the hosts had responded in such a way, and it wouldn't be the last, and that was why Castiel didn't have the heart to admonish Suriel for his remark. Really, they were lucky that no one openly glared at them or, even worse, politely thanked Castiel for displaying "such admirable patience" towards Suriel. Instead, they just bowed their heads to indicate that they were less than thrilled to see the two.

I'm wounded, Suriel whispered in Castiel's mind, placing a hand against his forehead for the others to see. Oh wait, Lucifer's chosen me above every one of them.

After some time, an older angel that Castiel recognized as Omael trudged out of the mansion, shaking his head. The others circled and wrapped their wings around him in a gesture of comfort, offering soothing words, but hushed at once when Castiel began to stride up the steps that led to a pair of doors, the shadow of which extended over the courtyard. Now the angels were glaring, and probably praying that Lucifer would tear Castiel apart with criticism, maybe silence his songs forever.

Well, Castiel wasn't sure about the last part, but he could feel their many eyes upon him, and he straightened his spine, summoning an air of confidence to irritate them in his only means of retaliation.

Everything within the mansion displayed Lucifer's taste for luxury like the outside, if not to a greater degree, but Castiel barely noticed the tapestries hanging from the walls of jasper and onyx when his eyes fell on Lucifer. Castiel dropped to his knees, rested his head against the crystal floor. In the few seconds that he stared at the Archangel, Castiel realized that the Lucifer more than mirrored the beauty of his house. Wings hovered over Castiel with serpentine feathers that stretched out like the rays of his namesake, the Morning Star. A jeweled robe trailed behind Lucifer and his face glowed with radiance, each eye a burning orb that split the light into an array of rainbowed beauty.

Castiel.

The sound of his name tickled his ear like a zephyr, passing through with the gentlest touch. But when Castiel stood to his feet, Lucifer gave no indication that he had spoken, aloud or to Castiel's consciousness.

"You must be Castiel."

He even spoke in music, three quick staccatos followed by a pause on the last word, tasting it on his tongue. While Castiel focused on steady breathing so that he could sing properly, he replied with a nod and prayed silently. It troubled Castiel when he disappointed any angel, but he could not bear the thought of this one condemning his best efforts.

"You are the friend of Suriel's." Because Suriel had but one. Although overwhelmed by Lucifer's majesty, Castiel could not help but grit his teeth at what he understood to be an insult. "Make no mistake, his abilities astonish me for one so young," Lucifer continued, and Castiel dared a tiny smile, "as does his boldness. He demanded that I hear you as well."

Suriel, demanding something of Lucifer. That sounded about right. Unsure of what to say, Castiel nodded again.

"What a quiet one…so different from your little friend. You have a voice, I'm told?" His tone was strangely playful, as if this amused him.

"Y—yes." The air just wouldn't come, at first. Castiel wished he wasn't so nervous, but then, he was standing before the Morning Star.

"Then let me hear it as it was meant to be heard, in song."

When Castiel waited for Lucifer to choose an instrument, perhaps a lyre or a trumpet, Lucifer cocked his head to one side in bewilderment. "Are you prepared to begin?"

"Forgive my question, but, you wish for me to sing without accompaniment?"

"But of course. How can I examine the voice in any state other than stripped down to its barest essence?"

Closing his eyes, Castiel started the opening line, willing the uneasy vibrato to steady with every fiber of his being. He swelled where the music called for crescendo and, in the softer sections, dropped the volume to little more than a whisper escaping his lips as they quivered. Though he barely heard the words that tumbled from his throat and filled the mansion, he burst forth with them as though the Lord Himself stood before him instead of Lucifer. As he ended the first verse, he gulped for air and prayed that he could sing the second in the same manner. He embraced every note, straining to reach the higher ones and grasping those at the bottom his range without skipping over them or holding back. At the final line, he expelled every last inch of breath within himself, eyes blinking open to await Lucifer's response.

The Morning Star had folded his wings around himself. "Suriel did not lie. The two of you possess excellent gifts. Gifts that it would be a sin for me not to acknowledge." He lingered on the "s" as he mentioned sin, emphasizing it for some reason that Castiel could not understand. "With my teaching, you will reach even greater heights. Heaven will envy Suriel and Castiel, whom they wish to ignore, but your voice will be heard."

The phrase rang familiar in Castiel's mind, and he recalled Suriel saying something to that effect. Staring into those glittering eyes, he shivered.

Lucifer dismissed him with the command that he return at the third hour of each day for musical instruction, and Castiel stumbled out of the palace to find that the host of angels remained at the foot of the steps, searching his face for an answer.

They will know soon enough, Castiel decided, and directed his next thoughts at Suriel. I'm in. Never had so many heads turned at once as everyone looked then at Suriel, sensing that the two had conversed, and Castiel felt thoughts sent back and forth as the other angels exchanged information. At first, Suriel didn't follow Castiel as he walked away, and smirked at the questioning faces. "Let's go," Castiel said, grabbing Suriel by the arm.

Once out of sight, Castiel smiled through the entire trip back to his home, and Suriel slapped Castiel on the back and congratulated him. "Now this is cause for a celebration."

"What do you suggest?"

As he considered the question, Suriel's wings fluttered, and it pleased Castiel to see Suriel so happy. "Let's climb Mount Zion."

And they did, ascending the high, shimmering white slopes on foot, without a single flap of their wings. They arrived at the peak, where the mists rose, just as the clamor of bells signaled the eleventh hour, and the clanging harmonies reminded Castiel of their blessed opportunity to learn such music from Lucifer. On a whim, he kneeled and hummed a psalm of gratitude. For a moment, he was aware of only the beauty of the nature around him and complete worship, adoring the presence of his Creator in the marvelous creation of Mount Zion. If Suriel could but grasp this love, and not resist it…

Suriel! At sudden rustle of wings, Castiel whirled around, but Suriel was long gone.

The following day, Castiel's wings drooped low, dragging behind him all the way up the steps of Lucifer's manor. Castiel tried to remind himself that there was still reason to rejoice: Lucifer had chosen them.He had chosen them. But still, why did Suriel resist his Creator so, especially blessed as he was?

"Ah…you made it."

Again, Castiel struggled to think of some suitable response. Lucifer always surprised him with his flippant attitude, as though he were an angel of Castiel's rank rather than the Morning Star. And still, his words carried a melodic lilt of their own, song shaping even his speech. "O-of course."

"No need to be nervous. I don't bite." What an odd thing to say, Castiel thought, and imaged that Suriel would have been grinning. The two were actually quite similar, now that Castiel considered it.

Lucifer unraveled a scroll of music and placed it on a table before his new pupil. "I have written this psalm. You will learn it, and perform it at the Mount of Assembly at the next gathering. You are surprised, Castiel?"

"I did not imagine that you would have me perform so soon." At all, in fact. Many of Lucifer's students did, of course, but Castiel could not envision himself or Suriel before the host of Heaven.

"I believe you will make a quick learner."

Before having Castiel sing through the composition, Lucifer demonstrated. Oh, he demonstrated, song spilling forth in showers of light as he caressed each note. At the end of the piece, Castiel asked the question that burned within him. "Your gifts are far superior to mine, so why do you not perform this instead?"

"Castiel, Castiel, why do you worry about such things? I lead worship for the majority of our time there and, besides the fact that I enjoy the little breaks, it gives me a chance to show you off. And the rest of my students, of course, but especially you and Suriel." Castiel furrowed his brow, and Lucifer chuckled. "You wonder why? You two are very special, and I can't teach that in anyone."

Though Castiel was not sure that he understood completely, he followed Lucifer's direction and sang through the beginning. Lucifer corrected many things: posture, the enunciation of consonants, and even added some trills to enhance the piece. Even so, he never rebuked Castiel with harsh words or insulted him in any way, although Castiel couldn't help but balk at some of Lucifer's odder statements.

One of these occasions arose during one of Castiel's later lessons, when Lucifer mentioned the humans. While Castiel didn't know much about the wingless Men, except that they were apparently to be esteemed above angels, he overheard many angels discussing them with increasing frustration. "They don't understand music as we do," Lucifer had muttered.

When Castiel replied that Man was to be praised just like the creations of Heaven, Lucifer snapped, "Time will tell."

The lesson concluded and Castiel returned to his quarters, where he rehearsed for hours and forgot the incident, until a flurry of wings startled him.

"Suriel." Why does he come now? Busy with lessons and practices, the two had not spoken since the day on Mount Zion when Suriel had vanished without warning.

As Suriel replied, Castiel noticed that Suriel now stood with his shoulders squared, wings upright. For as long as Castiel had known him, Suriel had consistently slouched. His face shone with light, also, as if Lucifer's had spread to him. "Has he told you?"

"What do you mean?

"You've heard about the dissenters, right?"

"Of course." The creation of Man had provoked a split amongst the angels that everyone talked about, even sometimes speaking to Castiel about it; after all, he hadn't been seen with Suriel in a few weeks. A few of them argued that angels deserved higher rank than the humans, while others insisted that this was the indisputable will of God. Michael cautioned several times that some bordered on defying their Father's orders, but no one heeded the warning. "They will come around, with time."

"No. No, they won't." As Castiel narrowed his eyes, Suriel continued, "Lucifer plans to join them. Actually, he'll lead them, and take charge of Heaven."

What has he been telling you?"That is impossible." Why, Castiel wondered more than anything, had Lucifer said nothing of this at Castiel's lessons and yet confided in Suriel? Unless he recognized Suriel's doubt already, but Lucifer would not try to manipulate that doubt to drag Suriel into this mad plan. Would he?

"You're wrong," Suriel said, but when Castiel disagreed, Suriel disappeared.

Over the next few weeks, Castiel paid attention whenever he passed a group of angels, and most everything that he overheard alarmed him. That is, when they even talked aloud, for now almost all of them whispered to one another in case an Archangel was listening. More than ever before, Castiel felt alone, without even the company of Suriel, except on occasion when Suriel visited to try and persuade Castiel.

"You don't know him like I do," Suriel said, raising his voice. Never had Castiel heard Suriel speak with such anger, even towards the angels who mocked him. "Ask about his plans, and he'll tell you everything. It's no secret. Everyone thinks you're on his side anyway."

"So we're choosing sides now." How is God allowing this?

"It's what has to be done."

"Why?" Castiel demanded. "What is so wrong with Heaven that we need to divide the angels and pretend to be gods to fix it?"

As he spoke, Suriel's wings trembled with excitement. "Divided? We're already divided! They treat us like lepers and expect us to take it, they always have. But Lucifer accepts us as we are—flawed, not perfect copies like the others."

Hardly a day passed when Suriel did not come to Castiel, begging him to choose Lucifer. Once, Castiel asked, "What has convinced you that it is better to align with an angel as opposed to the Almighty God?"

"Lucifer can be very…persuasive." Suriel did not meet Castiel's eyes when he said this.

At one of his final lessons before the gathering at the Mount of Assembly, Castiel brought up Suriel's strange behavior, and Lucifer laughed, but with none of the gentle musical cadence that it had been. Instead, he sneered, and the noise shocked Castiel almost as much as Lucifer's next words. "I told you that you were special. You are an outcast among the angels, like the dissenters, and I hope that you will join your teacher in this."

"In what?"

Stretching out his wings so that they covered the ceiling and windows, Lucifer blocked all light from the outside of the mansion so that he alone illuminated the room. But his narrowed eyes, once resplendent jewels, had dimmed somehow. "A plan so glorious that you can't even imagine, Castiel. I'm going to remake Heaven so that my followers can worship whom we choose, even if that is to be ourselves. No more rules, or empty prayers, or mindless praise. The Men have free will, and so do we, if we would simply allow ourselves to use it."

He walked circles around Castiel as he spoke, so that Castiel was always turning to face him. But then Lucifer stopped and titled his head to one side when he asked, "Wouldn't you like that?"

Thoughts spun in Castiel's head and he stepped backwards, almost stumbling over his feet. "No. This is a mistake. Do not do this."

Lucifer clicked his tongue. "Not what you want, then?" The mighty form shrank before Castiel's eyes into the shape of a Woman, creatures that even the angels admitted embodied a kind of beauty that one could not find in Heaven. Until now, Castiel had never seen one of these wingless bodies, bare of any covering. The Woman walked up to him, swaying her slim, inviting hips, and Castiel shivered. She approached so close that he could not drag his eyes away from hers, a shade of dark brown that he had never seen on any angel. Inhaling sharply, he breathed the scent of ripe fruit that drifted from the curls that adorned her head like a crown. "Would you like this instead?" she purred, slipping one hand behind his back to stroke the junction where feathers met his shoulder.

His mouth was completely dry. Even when Castiel swallowed, he couldn't get rid of the hoarseness in his voice. "Lucifer, I will never join you."

In his entire existence, no one had looked at him like that; no one had wanted him like that. The energy coiled in her graceful movements reminded him of an Earthly animal, padding toward its prey. The sensations coursed through him like a refined torture, because he could not continue, could not allow this. But, out of either fear or something far worse, he didn't push her away just yet. Not with those lips hovering just centimeters in front of him now, and suddenly they grazed the tips of his own like the brush of a wing, with which he might fly. The fingers of both hands raced through his own wings, tugging at feathers, slithering into the crevices between each one, as her tongue licked his lower lip. When he opened his mouth to speak, or maybe cry out, her tongue slipped in, curling up inside his mouth and against his teeth. She writhed so that her thighs pressed into his, and one of her hands crept down Castiel's pale chest, where every hair stood on end, and she shuddered against him.

Wings flailing desperately, Castiel placed his hands against her shoulders and forced her off of him, and shoved her away. He fled at once for the safety of his quarters and called out for Suriel in his mind, but no one responded. It was beyond that, though. There was a hollowness, a void in the air as If Suriel no longer existed, that terrified Castiel.

His legs buckled under him and he collapsed in a chair, and bent over, head in his hands. He massaged his throbbing temples and wrestled with the images of Lucifer that rose to his memory.

How, Castiel wondered, was he to perform before the angels on the next day? The ceremony had been announced months ago, intended to celebrate the Man and Woman, but even the angels that did not reject the humans could hardly stand next to one of Lucifer's angels without quarrelling. Gabriel himself intervened once, yanking a Cherub away at the last minute, before it attempted to hurt another angel. With Suriel as he was now, Castiel only left the confines of his quarters to attend lessons, but even in those brief intervals, angels sometimes approached him and demanded to know why he sided with Lucifer. No matter how Castiel tried to explain, they often ignored it and promised to pray that he might regain his senses. If all of them met at the Mount of Assembly, the loyalists and dissenters, there would be conflict, and Castiel already dreaded it. Lucifer must have known that Castiel would have avoided such a situation if he could…and perhaps that was why Lucifer was forcing Castiel to sing there, because now he had no choice but to attend.

As Castiel meditated on the floor of his room, Suriel popped in, a grin spread across his face.

"Where were you? What have you been doing?" As he realized that he was shouting, Castiel had softened his voice by the time he reached the last word.

"Enjoying the perks of rebelling against—"

Before Suriel could finish, Castiel clasped a hand over his friend's mouth. "If anyone hears you utter those words, you will be punished."

When Castiel lowered his hand, Suriel snorted laughter. "Like they've punished Lucifer? He's still top dog around here. If they haven't kicked him out already, they never will."

"Why do you say that, Suriel? What has he done?"

The grin widened. "Opened a little door so his followers can walk on Earth. That human Woman, Eve, she's quite the beauty. Showed me some tricks you can't pull off up here."

"Suriel…." Castiel's spirit twisted with pain, crying out within him with such grief that Suriel sensed it, and his smile faded.

"I didn't know you'd be so upset. You used to love our adventures. Remember when we swam the Great River? It's just like that, Cas, you get the same thrill like you're pushing against the current."

In a voice so soft that Suriel strained to hear, Castiel said, "I can not participate in such iniquity. I will not disappoint my Father."

At first, Suriel didn't reply. Then he said, "I'll be seeing you," and disappeared.

When Castiel left his quarters the next day, even the atmosphere of Heaven pulsed with the anxious energy of the angels as they prepared for the gathering. Castiel arrived early to practice one last time with Lucifer, who said nothing of Castiel's refusal the day before, no doubt because his brother Archangels all stood near him and observed silently. Castiel's wings did not tense as they once did when he rehearsed, because Lucifer had taught him how to control apprehension, but Castiel could not meet the eyes of the other students. Besides Castiel and Suriel, Lucifer also taught several others, all of which were about to perform at the Mount. They two were blessed with great talent, and Castiel wondered how many of them served Lucifer.

Angels slowly trickled in, from Cherubim to Seraphim, warriors to Cupids, musicians to messengers. They circled the mountain in a throng of light and wings, and when all had arrived, Michael raised one of his hands to hush the crowd.

"Today with celebrate the sacred ritual that unites the Man and Woman," Michael cried, and the angels whispered to one another. Castiel wondered if the Archangels were aware that the Woman, Eve, had apparently interacted with Suriel, and Castiel tried not to consider what Suriel's words had implied. "They will be fruitful, and they will multiply unto many, until Man fills the Earth."

Unable to concentrate on Michael's speech, Castiel watched Suriel, where he sat at the feet of the Morning Star.

Eventually, they were introduced and invited upon to sing. When Michael called upon Suriel, Castiel heard the complaints at the foot of the mountain, but Suriel quieted them with the first note. Within himself, Castiel mourned that Lucifer had ensnared the youth, who could have achieved high rank and honor with his gifts if not for his rebellion. Regret wrung Castiel's very soul and he closed his eyes as Suriel captivated the audience with his voice. Angels murmured their approval, setting aside their differences and allowing Suriel to lead them in worship as they sang with him.

Not until the end did Michael declare that Castiel was to perform, and lead the multitude in one final hymn. When he stood to his feet, the angels grumbled even louder, and Castiel realized that they must be even more upset with him than Suriel. While the younger one had always rebelled, even the angels who ignored or outwardly disliked Castiel still acknowledged his loyalty to their Father, at least until rumor told them otherwise.

With every word, Castiel climbed in volume and urgency. The others below and above joined him, and he swelled as the vibrations towed through him like an undercurrent and shook his entire body. When Lucifer entered on the second verse, music and light shimmered up into the air above them in sizzling bolts that crackled white, orange, turquoise, and crimson. The mountain quaked, and every soul shook with delight. Even Gabriel's mouth was agape with wonder. Only after the climax did they catch their breath, exhausted, beaded with sweat and basking in the thrumming power like a roaring fire.

Michael spoke again. "The Man and Woman will bear many children, and we will adore these children, knit by our Father Himself in their mother's womb."

Then Lucifer began to rise into the air, even above the mountain, and even his brothers stared upwards at him in shock. A few of the others rose with him, but their numbers were small.

"What are you doing, brother?" asked Michael.

"The music you heard today will fill my kingdom every day. But no one will be forced into it, or made to give it all to those humans."

The angels below broke out into chaos, shaking their fists and yelling condemnation or, worse, their approval. Michael shouted, "This is blasphemy!"

"I'm only telling the truth, brother. Our Father is a tyrant!"

Something within each of them reeled, staggering with the exclamation.

But Michael regained his composure as an aura of light surrounded him. "He has disproven this."

"Oh, and how has He done that?"

Michael's gaze roamed over all the angels before he answered. "You are permitted a choice. If you wish to depart from Heaven and construct your own kingdom, so be it. Any one of the angels can follow you."

"You mistake me, Michael. I don't aim to make some kingdom of my own. We demand Heaven! No angel should suffer exile because they have chosen not to worship the lowly humans. Not one of us was given a choice in that." To the others, Lucifer called, "Will you bow to them? Will you kneel before the animals and worship them?"

Suriel was nodding, and so were many of the others, some that Castiel could not recall ever showing a desire to rebel before. "It is not yours to take," said Michael.

Angels gathered around Lucifer, who looked to the sky and drew a gleaming sword from his side. His hair blew back in the breeze, his cloak wafted out behind him like a flying mantle. "I will ascend to the Heavens!" he cried. "I will raise my throne above the stars of God! I will ascend above the clouds. Who is with me?"

The swarm of voices filled the air again as the myriads screamed in reply.

"Follow me!" Lucifer called down as he lifted higher, and Castiel watched in amazement.

And then Suriel whispered to him, "This is it! We have to go now!"

He launched into the air towards Lucifer and the others. At the last moment, Castiel leapt and caught Suriel's feet, dragging him down.

"No, Suriel! Don't make this mistake."

Behind him, the sky darkened as the shrieks and war bellows of soldiers filled the air. "Hands off, Castiel." He shrugged hard, so that Castiel fell back.

"Why?" Castiel had to yell above the uproar of angels clamoring around him, some weeping for their brothers who trailed behind the Bearer of Light, others pleading for their companions to follow.

"Why? Because now I see what your Father is! A tyrant, and I won't bow to Him or his humans."

And he was gone. They all soared into space toward the clouds through which Lucifer rose, weapons gleaming in the light. With crashes and thuds, Michael and the Archangels battled the followers of Lucifer

Then, as if struck by an invisible sword, lightning flashed and Lucifer with his minions were hurled back. They rolled and clattered through Heaven as if thrown, wings colliding as they crashed down past the peaks. As if caught on a tidal surge, every one of them was thorn back a thousand paces to a second mountain.

"You can't stop us!" Lucifer cried. Another thrust cast them over the edge of the Outer Reaches, and their deafening roars followed them.

Castiel stared, aghast, at the empty skies where they had been. Where they could be, he did not know, only that the Morning Star had fallen and his dissenters with him. The loyalists had begged for divine intervention, and He had swept the unfaithful away.

Then, behind Castiel, a quiet weeping broke through the ranks. Even a few of the Archangels lowered their heads, hands still clinging to the swords at their sides. Many had lost dear soulmates and friends, and Castiel knew that Suriel had made his choice, for all eternity, in that blink of madness.

Never had the angels displayed so much emotion, but this had shaken even the hardest hearts. "Lost forever," some whispered. "Please, make it not so."

One by one, angels vanished, fleeing the site of such tragedy. Others turned and began walking back into the land, toward the city, shoulders hunched in sorrow and eyes wet. All around, the voices of Heaven lifted in chilling lamentations. Many friends and loved ones had been wrested from them, gone forever. Castiel lost just one, but it was his only one.

Eventually he alone remained at the mountain, and in the silence he sank to his knees. A presence hung down heavy around him, reassuring him of his Father, but Castiel found himself longing to reach and touch something besides air. Something material, like Suriel.

After the incident, Castiel rarely spoke after, even to his Father. Although so many of the elders had studied under Lucifer just like Castiel, they criticized any of the younger angels who had done the same, and told Castiel that he was no better than the angels who had fallen. In time he learned that the Lucifer's followers had been cast into a pit, and that Lucifer was locked and sealed in a prison at the heart of the pit. Castiel approached Michael once and asked him if it would ever be possible to retrieve some of the fallen angels from the pit. Michael replied that no, although some of them had escaped and roamed the Earth, because Hell had twisted them into something other than angels that no one wanted to speak of.

Castiel pushed all memories of Suriel to the back of his mind. He spent hours praying in solitude or working quietly for his Father, and forgot companionship until one day, when he was singing a psalm under his breath outside his house.

"That's good," he heard someone say. "Very good. You must have been one of his students."

At once, Castiel stopped, and his wings tensed as he waited for the angel to chastise him for working with Lucifer. "Yes," he said, without turning around.

"So was I, as it happens. Seems a bit unfair, doesn't it, that they act like we joined him even though we stayed behind?"

Finally Castiel turned around, eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The angel offered his hand, and Castiel shook it. "The name's Balthazar. I don't believe we've met."

AN: This combines two of my favorite things, Supernatural and music! If you've seen the older version and are wondering why the ending changed, that's because I wrote it before Balthazar was introduced. But I like the idea of this leading to their unlikely friendship, and I hope to write a sequel to explore how that friendship developed before the series.