Angel Warriors - HeavenBound Section 7

AUTHOR'S NOTES: MOST OF HEAVENBOUND IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS AND ROUGHED OUT SCENES AND NOTES.


When Mihdael and Uriel arrive, Michael is battling the system’s guardian angels, toying with them – he’s cruel and harsh. Mihdael and Uriel are in time to witness the slaughter of the 12 angels (whose souls ascend to Heaven).


Mihdael: (horrified) Commander! What hast thou done?!


Michael: And what are you that I should answer?


Michael advances toward them, and Uriel knows the system must have a guardian. He deflects Michael’s first destructive blast, but it staggers him; Mihdael intervenes, drawing Michael’s fire to him. While Uriel recovers, Mihdael continues to bait Michael, skillful and fast enough to avoid the blasts of deadly energy, and insults Michael into following him, leading him away from Uriel and the parallel system. Mihdael knows he can’t have an all-out battle here, for the entire system would be destroyed by the repercussions of their battle…


Mihdael: (taunting) Art thee fast enough, and skilled enough to keep up with me? Thou art naught but an ancient warrior, one who hast outlived his usefulness… Art thine reflexes and speed up to par? Prove thy worth, ancient one! I challenge thee to pursue and capture me…


Michael is steaming with anger, and goes after him.


Mihdael uses his ‘star bouncing’ ability which gives him a slight edge over Michael, and leads the archangel to a desolate and empty area of space. Here he will either defeat Michael, or end the archangel’s existence.



As Mihdael and Michael disappear, the 12 replacement guardian angels appear. One of them tells Uriel that God has told them not to join in the battle – for Mihdael would either return victorious, or he would return alone.


Uriel fears the third possibility – that Mihdael would not return; that at the moment of truth, the warrior would be incapable of killing Michael, therefore ensuring his own destruction… Uriel goes to Mihdael’s aid, and the battle is enjoined… They managed to subdue and capture Michael, but they can’t hold him for long; a decision has to be made.


Uriel: (already injured, his strength isn’t up to par) Mihdael! Quickly! It must be done; we cannot hold him!


The combined energy of Uriel and Mihdael is being disintegrated by Michael’s superior power; Uriel and Mihdael have perhaps 10 seconds left to live, and the parallel Solar System that they are trying to save has about 12 seconds more of existence.


Uriel: (urgent) Mihdael, thee must decide!


Mihdael: {to Michael, he has no choice} Would that I could die in thy stead, Commander…


Michael: {his eyes blaze with hatred and fury} You will, you damned angel! Once I am free, there will be no memory left of you…


Mihdael raises the Sword of the Archangel, and, with eyes bright with tears, brings the blade down…


Mihdael: Forgive me, Michael…


…opening his hand, he lets the Sword fall in its downward momentum…


Released from Mihdael's grip, the glowing blade slices easily through Michael's black armor; it cuts deep, in the exact center of Michael's chest, immobilizing him. The blue-white energy flares, enveloping the Archangel's dark form with God's Light. Michael's own energy is dissipated, and he's paralyzed within the enery field. Just as Mihdael hoped he would be: powerless, but still alive.

Mihdael had taken the risk that the Sword, alone, wouldn't cause Michael's destruction; but God had empowered both Mihdael and the Sword for that purpose, so the Warrior had been careful to be touching the Sword when it struck. That way, Mihdael reasoned (hoped), the Sword's power would be divided and Michael would possibly survive.

Uriel and Mihdael manage to get Michael back to
God, and He returns the Archangel to his former state of being.




*** *** ***

The first thing Michael wants to do, after God changes him back to his former nature and status, is return to Earth, to Serafina…


God tells him that a great deal of time has passed on Earth, and that Michael must stay within that time frame, he can’t go back in time at the point he left…


When Michael returns, he looks for Serafina. He finds a young woman, late-to-early 30’s, at the house once owned by Serafina. Her back is to him, her long, black hair gleaming in the sunlight. He approaches quietly, then speaks in a low tone, hoping not to frighten her, “Sera…?’


She turns, and her features are very familiar… “Yes, I am Sarah…”


“Do you not remember me, Sera? I have come back for you… it is I, Michael.”


He then learns that the young lady isn’t Serafina, but her daughter. Serafina waited 10 years for his return, even when news reached her that the ship he said he would be on sank with all hands aboard. She finally married another, and is now widowed, a woman approaching 80 years and living with Sarah and her husband. She’s inside, does Michael want to see her…?


Michael returns to Heaven, broken-hearted. He had no idea so much time had passed on Earth; but Serafina had finally married, finding the love she needed and the family she had always wanted. Her sons and daughters went on to perform great things, and Sarah, her youngest, and Sarah’s family, remained with her.


Michael, distraught, falls to his knees at the foot of God’s Throne, and the joyous Light is gone: Why …didst Thee not tell me?!?


And God’s Light, Grace, and Love covers His Archangel, and His voice is infinitely kind: My son… If I hadst done so, wouldst thee hath cared less for her…?


Michael: No…. but, I would have been prepared; I would have—


God: Thee wouldst have been armed…Armed aginst the very thing thee sought so diligently. And thee wouldst never have found that which thee sought…


Michael: I can understand, Father; but such does not ease this pain I feel…


God is sympathetic, an offers to change Serafina’s life for Michael; to restore her to her former youth and status – but she will loose her Earthly husband and family, as she will have Michael instead.


And though it breaks his heart to give her up, he tells God: “No, Father; she has a life…a family… She has those who love her, and given her life meaning; given her the love and warmth she needed for her later years…


No, I love her too much to take those things from her…


If I must live with this pain and desolation, then let it be so….
God: Let My Light take that pain from thee…


Michael: (he lurches to his feet; shaking his head, he backs away) No… it is all I have left of her…

If I lose that, it will have all been for naught…. (he turns sharply and nearly runs from God’s presence)


God: Michael…!


But the Archangel doesn’t stop…


And now he understands, all too well, what Mihdael has endured for centuries…



Michael is at his aeyrie. He can’t cope, no matter how he tries…


…and Mihdael arrives, although Michael didn’t summon him…


Mihdael: Commander…let me help you – as you helped me…


Michael: You? When did I ever help you?


Mihdael: You gave me the strength to continue, when I wanted nothing more than oblivion…


You gave me the compassion to feel and know the joys and sorrows of others, and to recognize such in myself.


Let me help you now…


Michael: I do not want to forget her…


Mihdael: I know; do not forget, but share… share the pain you feel with me…


Michael finally gives in, and Mihdael embraces him with the same Angelic Healing that Michael had given him. His dark wings curve around the Archangel and the they glow so brilliantly that the feathers once again become white… And Mihdael takes all the memories that are painful to Michael and shows the Archangel the joy, the happiness, and the wonderful things from those memories… so Michael no longer holds on to the painful memories, but only the joyous ones…


And then God summons Michael, and tells him that Sera’s time has come…


God tells Michael that Sera has died and her Guardian Angel is about to guide her soul to Heaven.


God offers Michael the chance to see Sera for the last time before she goes to Heaven so Michael is able to bid her a final farewell.


Michael hesitates; there is a part of him that tells him that he won’t be able to recover from this final blow, but there is also a part of him that desperately wants to see her again, and it’s his last chance to say goodbye to her. Even though it pains him deeply, he knows that he must go.


God tells Sera’s Guardian to leave her in this ‘open field’ and that Michael will take it form there.


Michael flies to this open field, quietly and as unassuming as possible so Sera won’t notice him. Standing at quite a distance from her, she appears to be the same age as when he saw her last.


Sera has her back turned to him and Michael approaches her quietly, as he gets closer, the emotions nearly overwhelms him.


He stops in his path when she turns around and slowly faces him; her skin has a golden glow from the reflecting sun, and something in her eyes told Michael that she knew he would come for her.


Michael can see that same sparkle in her luminous eyes as when he first met her so long ago. He hesitated once more as he met her calm gaze and he felt the emotions well, felt them threaten to break him down right there and then. This proved far more difficult for the Archangel than he had initially anticipated...


And then...Sera, smiling so gently, reaches one hand out to him.


He moved until he came within her reach and felt the warmth as she took his hand. He opened his mouth and, before he could say her name, she tilted her head to one side and a little smile curled on her lips, and Michael knew that he didn’t have to say anything.


For a long moment, no words were exchanged – no words needed to be exchanged, and even words could not have described that very moment as they stood so close to each other; Michael was stroking her hair gently and she tilted her head to meet his eyes. They embrace each other.


The love he feels for her is stronger than ever, and with this last embrace, he finds some peace knowing how good her life turned out. Yet at the same time, it hurts him that he could not have been the one to give her that life...


Michael looked into her eyes for the last time and suddenly, his Archangel wings coalesced until all three pairs appeared in their full form; the wings spread out and his Light appeared brighter, as Sera’s spirit (soul) began to take over her physical body until the light surrounding them was even brighter than the sky’s.


Their spirits ascended until it disappeared into the heavens.



After his return to Heaven, Michael tells Mihdael that he knows that the warrior could have easily destroyed him and assumed Command of the Celestial Army with a clear conscience…and that he, Michael, is very grateful that Mihdael didn’t chose the obvious route.


Michael calls the Army forth, as well all the Archangels and Angels in Heaven. Mihdael has no idea what Michael is up to, and feels a bit self-conscious before such a distinguished multitude. With the Holy Trinity looking on, Michael continues…


Michael: Warrior Mihdael, thou hast humbled me – by that loyalty, courage, and integrity that I sought to dispute, to undermine. I was wrong to ever doubt thee, Mihdael; and I was wrong to take from thee all that is rightfully thine. Thou art my finest warrior, in spirit, soul, and heart; thou art my good right arm, and I have great need of thee, and now beg thee to resume thy former office as my second-in-command and commander of the First Legion. I bow to thee, and ask now for thine forgiveness for my unwarranted actions and thoughts against thee…


There is no way that Mihdael can possibly refuse him (and knows if he does refuse Michael, that such an action would not reflect badly on him; he is free to respond as he wants to without fear of any condemnation). The archangel has done more than say everything Mihdael ever wanted to hear from him – Michael has done so before the Holy Trinity and all the Hosts of Heaven… when in his heart, Michael knew that a private apology to Mihdael would have sufficed…


[LAST PAGE IN BOOK: MIHDAEL'S CLOSING WORDS...]


I have come to understand that I was granted this life,
and it is a life that must be led…
and not necessarily on my terms…

A life is to be lived, a gift that is treasured and shared;
not to be put away from light and love,..
a gift that is not to be rejected or returned

I have lived and experienced the worst and best that God, Man, and Devil has to offer…
My faith sustained me, my love vindicated me, and my sorrows strengthened me…

I am sound in mind and heart…

I am Angel…



THE END