I wrote this for Reflections at my school, but I left it on my dresser the day I meant to turn it in...And I didn't get to enter it! DX Waahhh...Well, I'll post it here for ya'll to enjoy anyway, I guess.
"Together We Can..." Fall from Grace
A Short Story
by Tobi Zelazny
"Do not stand at my grave and forever weep. I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the morning sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn's rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush, of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and forever cry. I am not there. I did not die." ~Anonymous
The Angel of Grief, Mara. Twin to the Angel of Light, Lucifer.
It has always been my belief that I should have been born an Archangel. After all, my twin brother, Lucifer, is belonging to both the Choir of Archangels and Cherubim, is he not? Yet I am a mere Angel, last of all in the Choirs, and spend my time flying from Heaven to Earth in a constant cycle.
I suppose it could be worse. I could be a Guardian, cursed to spend my existence watching over humans, or a Seraph, ever singing a chorus of, "holy, holy, holy," and existing only for the worship of God.
I cannot, however, bring myself to accept this position of mine: Angel of Grief, in charge of assisting those humans who are consumed by loss and tragedy. The other Angels, with their soft words and ways, have tried to convince me otherwise, but Lucifer and common sense prevent my change of heart.
There must be something, anything, better than this.
~*~
"Mara," Lucifer said loudly, clapping me on the shoulder. Everything about Lucifer was loud, from his appearance, to his voice, to his very being.
I sighed wearily, placing my mirror to the side before replying. "Yes, Lucifer?"
"You're abnormally dim today. What's up?" Ah, bold he may be, but Lucifer is certainly quite perceptive...
His bright blue eyes were piercing as he stared at me, awaiting my answer. Strangely, the corners of his full lips were turned downward in a frown. I don't believe I've ever seen him frown before.
There was a long stretch of silence before I answered him. Perhaps it was rain falling unto the Earth (visible through the mirror), or perhaps it was just my personality, but either way, there was a certain quiet to that moment.
"We lost another to grief today. I believe Michael is disappointed in me," I stated softly, averting my gaze. The smooth white floor seemed to darken under my stare. When I looked back at Lucifer, I found his countenance had darkened as well.
"Michael has no right to judge you, Sister," he proclaimed, crossing his arms across his golden-tanned chest. "In fact, He doesn't either. If I were Him, I'd--"
"Lucifer!" I admonished him, shock coursing through my system. To suggest such a thing...!
"What? We've all thought about it, we just don't say it aloud," he protested, his lower lip stiffening like that of a child. I glared at him, knowing he hated the piercing glare of my coal-black eyes.
Unfortunately, he was never one to back down so easily. "I will ascend to heaven, and I will raise my throne above the stars of God!" he declared proudly, his wings giving a bright flicker in a agreement. My own were giving off a dim gray-ish glow; things were worse with Lucifer than I thought. At first, I had hope. I thought, "He'll snap out of it eventually, he always does."
He didn't, though, and I was no longer sure that was such a bad thing.
Perhaps there was a place for the two of us, higher than that into which we were born.
~*~
It was a cold day. A dark day. I kept glancing up at the sky, searching for rain that never fell.
Days like these were the hardest, for both the humans and myself. They seemed to be more weighed down, as if the rain were made from lead. Grief often consumed them, and death followed soon after that if I didn't interfere.
Now, my interference is not merely comforting them and protecting them from death; rather, I must ensure that such situations never arise for that human again. I am more than a soother of grief; I am a thief of memories. I steal the bad memories from them, and thus those memories become a part of my being. That's why I'm so very dim in comparison to the other angels. Sadness trails behind me wherever I choose to go, painting pools of darkness.
That day, the sorrow was worse than ever before, making flying difficult. Light wings allow an easy flight, but wings heavy with darkness make my sort of travel nearly impossible.
I was at the house of a widower, grieving his wife and child, when it happened. An event I could never have predicted, and an event which changed my world entirely.
Lucifer rebelled. I could feel it, as both Heaven and Earth shook from the clashing forces of the battle. His energy was strong and clear as it crackled through the air, but for the first time in all my existence, I could feel another, stronger force.
Him. Maybe His entourage of Seraphs, too, along with the forces of the other Archangels. Lucifer's numbers were equally large, but against Him, they were fighting a losing battle.
And I'd be damned if I let my only brother die alone.
~*~
"Lucifer! Are you posessed?!" I cried, stumbling to a shaky halt beside my brother. His aura was nearly blinding, but it was nothing compared to the beings on the other side of the battle field.
"No," he declared, a stern expression on his haughty face, "I'm merely achieving a position that's rightfully mine!"
If that was truly the case, he was far gone than I'd originally thought...But hadn't I been thinking similar thoughts only moments ago? Wishing for something greater than what I was given?
Yes. I wanted out of my position, but to rebel against Him was madness. Lucifer's legion of followers, though vast, stood no change against the purity of the beings they opposed.
A sudden, booming announcement drowned out my thoughts.
"How you are fallen from Heaven, Lucifer, Son of the Morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit," He announced grimly, His entity swirling with anger. I glanced at my brother beside me, amazed at how calm he appeared. All right, he was a tad ambitious, but wasn't that a bit extreme for Him?
"Wait a moment! I would like to request permission to speak, Father," I called out into the tense silence. Every being present turned to stare at me, wondering who the dim Angel at the traitor's side was.
"And you, Mara, Daughter of Night! I have seen how you doubt that which is Holy; deep within your soul, a darkness is stirring. You and your twin, opposites so alike, will rule that foul purity known as Hell alongside one another," He continued, ignoring my request. Well, there comes a time when you have to take matters into your own hands...
"Lucifer is all that I have. Aside from these dark memories, he is foremost in my thoughts," I said, trying to waive his decision. As always, however, he was firm. "Please! Perfection is impossible, yet You have given it to him! It is only natural that he strives for more, and it's not his fault more happens to be beyond You! My supposed 'darkness' is only in due to this duty You have given me, to watch over those who have lost. It's within their power to overcome their grief on their own! They do not need me to steal their memories!" I protested, my voice steadily rising until I was nearly beyond shouting.
Yet, He did not waver. Truly, I did not expect Him to. If anything, though, he was even more firm than before.
I looked to Lucifer, still standing tall at my side. For a fraction of a second, his gaze met mine, his blue eyes still bright and confident. Mine were most likely filled with worry and despair. But, as our banishment become final, I reached for his hand, vaguely wondering if it would hold mine as it used to. Of course, it did.
Thus forth we were banished, falling through Earth in a spiral of fire, our hands still firmly clasped.
Together, We Did Fall From Grace.
~Tobi~
~Psh...I dunno what to do with this thing...~
Subject: Together We Can Fall From Grace (Original Short-Story) 
