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A Grim Excursion

(Takes place after Lore VII. Major characters: Raphael, Luke, and Solomon. ~1500 words)

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Caked earth crumbled beneath the feet of the three travelers, the soft cracking and crunching filling the silence of the dead air. Solomon put a hand above his eyes to shield them from the light as he gazed out to the horizon. There wasn't much to see. For miles across rolling hills, the earth was dried to a pale beige, covered in cracks and fissures. Heaps of ash and blackened stumps were all that remained of the tranquil forests, and the robin blue sky was now tinted a harsh, ominous yellow. "I hope Michael and Simeon are okay..." Luke uttered. The young child was clearly unsettled, his eyes seeming glued open wide. It was no doubt uncomfortable for the angel to see what had become of the Celestial Realm. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to bring a child along, but Luke was the only one with a powerful enough protective blessing to shield Solomon and Raphael from the blinding, burning light. The adult angel glanced back at Luke for a second, his dark blue eyes settling on the troubled boy. However, he didn't say anything. And he never slowed his pace. Raphael was silent, and facing forward again before long. "I'm sure they're fine." Solomon offered with a smile. "The Coalition has grown quite powerful. I'm sure they're being taken care of well." "But half the Coalition is demons." Luke pointed out, squirming and shuddering a bit at the thought. "I imagine Lucifer isn't letting them get too out of hand." Raphael stated, glancing back slightly without turning his head. Luke begrudgingly accepted this, and the three continued their trek. While the rest of the Equinox Coalition was making their plans in the Human World, Solomon, Luke and Raphael were on a mission in the Celestial Realm. Their goal? To find the Ring of Light. "According to my research, the Ring of Light might be worth a try." Solomon had said in a meeting with the other Coalition leaders. "Or, it would be." He frowned. "Unfortunately, as many of you know," the sorcerer glanced to Lucifer, "the Ring of Light was lost in the Great Celestial War." "Actually, it wasn't." Michael stepped forth from the corner of the bunker, the flame of his wings illuminating the roundtable as he grew closer. Most of the members instinctively flinched back as he did so, a fact that Michael elected not to comment on. "What do you mean, it wasn't?" Solomon asked. "Oh, right." Simeon spoke with a smile. "Michael, you have the Ring of Light, don't you?" "I do." Michael nodded as he took a step back. "Unfortunately, I left it in the Celestial Realm when I moved to the Human World for the war. It should be in my quarters in the Celestial Palace." The room's skeptical hope dissipated as Michael spoke, and each member looked to one another. A long moment of silence fell over the room. "Just how destroyed is the Celestial Realm, exactly?" Lucifer spoke up, looking at Michael. "If it's anything comparable to the Devildom, it probably isn't worth it." Satan remarked with a sigh. Lucifer shot Satan a harsh look, seeming to lean ever so slightly in towards Lord Diavolo. Lord Diavolo, like Michael, had distanced himself from the table, and he had spent most of the meeting in silent yet clearly visible discomfort from his worsening power-sickness. If Solomon's theory that the magic-neutralizing and magic-managing powers of the Ring of Light could treat power-sickness, Diavolo needed it, and quick. "Simeon..." Michael started. "Yes?" Simeon spoke, a nervous frown present on his scarred face as he turned to face Michael. "How is Luke doing?" A sigh of relief echoed through the room. "Michael, is this really the time to be asking about that?" Simeon asked, earning a subtle nod of agreement from Lucifer. "Last I checked, Luke was nearly untouched by the effects of the light." Michael pointed out. Simeon frowned deeply, his charred wings beginning to lift. "If you think I'll be alright with you sending Luke back up there alone, you are very mistaken." "No, no, let him continue." Raphael spoke, exchanging a glance with Michael. "The reason Luke was able to survive relatively unscathed was because of his nearly unprecedented protective abilities. This protection can be shared with others through blessings." Michael explained. "So, if Luke can shield others from the effects of the light using his blessing, we can potentially send a small team up to the Celestial Realm to procure the ring." Tension seemed to ease from the room as the members looked amongst each other. One question was clearly in everyone's minds: who would this team be? "We should likely keep the team as small as possible, to avoid putting too much strain on Luke." Simeon spoke, earning several nods of agreement. "I believe it goes without saying that Solomon would go, as it was his idea." Michael said. "In that case, at least one high-ranking angel should accompany him, as it is the Celestial Realm. Simeon and I need to stay here to manage and protect the Coalition, so Raphael, would you?" The gray-haired angel nodded. "Of course." And that was how the three ended up on a long journey through the Celestial Realm. Unfortunately, locating the Celestial Palace was proving difficult. The strong light created a sort of white fog that made it extremely difficult to see. With how barren their surroundings were, Luke was beginning to question whether the Celestial Palace was even still standing. Though, of course, he didn't dare say it out loud. Solomon put his hand up as a visor once more and peered into the distance. Finally, he saw the silhouette of a building. It wasn't the Celestial Palace; it wasn't tall enough, and it wasn't in the shape of the palace's spires. But it was something. It could serve as a useful landmark. "There's a building up ahead." Solomon informed the others. "Let's pick up the pace." Raphael responded, much to the short-legged Luke's chagrin. The group covered the ground rather quickly, and found themselves on the cobbled path of a small town. The buildings seemed, surprisingly, in good condition, albeit neglected. Any buildings made of wood had burned away with little trace, leaving only the fire-resistant buildings standing in opposition to the unforgiving realm. "Oh, I think I know where we are." Raphael spoke. "If we go north of here, we should be at the Celestial Palace within twenty minutes." A sigh of relief came in response. "You sound tired, Luke. Do you need me to carry you the rest of the way?" Solomon asked with a teasing smile. "Wha- no I don't! I'll be fine." "Alright," Solomon said skeptically. The light mood was quickly shattered by the sound of shifting rubble. Luke jumped back, and the two adults quickly turned their gaze to their left in the direction of the sound. "What was that?!" Luke asked. Solomon and Raphael looked to each other, nodded, and approached the sound. Solomon was the first to see. A stone roof lay across the ground, split off into pieces. It must have fallen after the wooden walls holding it up burned down. Under a rather large piece, an angel was pinned down. They were stuck from their waist down, laid across another piece of roof. They looked... barely alive. Their feathers had been scorched until only the bare skin of their wings remained, and their body was covered in burns. Whether the burns were from the oppressive heat alone or whatever fire burned the house down was uncertain. But, miraculously, they were breathing. They were breathing. Solomon could see their chest rising and falling. "They're alive!" Solomon exclaimed, voice full of wonder and surprise as he reached and pulled them out from under the rubble. He frowned deeply as the sound of ripping skin filled the air, and a muffled moan rung out. Solomon's eyes widened and he offered a weak, "sorry." As Solomon had dragged the angel out, this brought the body into the view of Luke, who was approaching after Solomon's exclamation. The boy gasped in horror as he laid his eyes on them. "Are they going to be okay?!" He demanded. They weren't. Solomon could tell when he brought the angel down and got a good look at their face. The flesh across the entire face seemed melted. Not just burnt; melted. It was nearly impossible to make out any features. Not because they didn't exist anymore, like with Michael, but because they were so swollen and distorted and fused together. This angel must have been trapped there, forced to stare up at the sun, for who knows how long. And considering they weren't able to escape to the Human World, they were likely a low-ranking angel. The low-ranking angels got it the worst. Raphael walked towards the body and knelt down. Without a word, he held onto their hand. Given how burnt it was, Solomon half expected the skin to slough off, but it didn't. There was hardly time to. Within an instant, the entire body was turned to a bright white silhouette, then vanished. Only ash was left in its place. Luke gasped. "Raphael, why did you do that?!" He screamed. Raphael still said nothing, only standing back up with a solemn look on his face. "RAPHAEL!" Luke yelled. Raphael still didn't acknowledge Luke, only turning to Solomon to say "let's keep goi-" "NO, Raphael! What did you do?! How could you just... WHY?! You just murd-" "Quiet!" Raphael snarled, face twisting into a vicious grimace as he clenched his shaking fists at his sides. Luke's eyes widened as he stumbled back. Raphael took a deep breath and once again told Solomon, "Let's keep going." The rest of the expedition was dead silent.

Mammon has a handgun as his main weapon and uses it to protect from looters

Lore VIII - Within the Wreckage

<-------(Lore VII)-------«

After a long, tireless fight from the Equinox Coalition, both Father and the Demon King were overthrown. The six fallen angels fought alongside their angel comrades once more to bring Father down, and in turn for their liberation the angels fought alongside the demons to bring down the Demon King. All major Coalition members survived, but their struggles weren’t over. Many questions still remained.

What would become of the Celestial Realm and the Devildom, which the two felled leaders had left ravaged in their wake? Where would the angels and demons go, if not to their homes? Who would command the angels in Father’s place, and the demons in the Demon King’s? How would each of the three realms be restored?

Most importantly, how could they even begin to recover from the horrific events that had nearly destroyed their world?

After the common enemy was taken out, the Coalition members began to argue amongst themselves. They stopped repressing their deep concerns and proclaimed themselves boldly in two categories: the Cohabitionalists, and the Reformists.

Many angels and demons missed their homelands, and wished to see them restored to their former glory. Many found the idea of coexisting among the other races to be humiliating and damaging to their culture. Many humans agreed with them, opposing the idea of housing angels and demons on their land. This group of angels, humans, and demons became known as the Reformists. They believed in reforming the Celestial Realm and the Devildom under new and more progressive leaders.

Demons who are a part of the Reformist school of thought usually nominate Lord Diavolo as their desired leader, while with angels it’s far more complicated. Many believed Michael to be the rightful ruler of a reformed Celestial Realm, but Michael has stepped away from nearly all of his responsibilities and showed no intention to regain leadership. In the fallout of the Armageddon, Michael no longer had the mental stability to lead, and readily admits and asserts this. Raphael is the logical second choice, but most angels strongly oppose his candidacy due to the oppressive and tyrannical tendencies he expressed as a military general in the war, as well as his poor track record even before the war. Simeon is a relatively well-liked option, though Simeon is expressedly a Cohabitationalist and many critics point out that Simeon is a rather low-ranking angel to be given this duty even if he wanted it.

A large number of humans supported the Reformist movement. They argued that the humans were having a hard enough time supporting themselves in the wreckage of their home, and that the angels and demons would simply be a further drain on their scarce resources. Additionally, many were still angry at the angels and demons for the destruction they had wrought upon the Human World in their time in the Celestial Legions and Devildom military, and felt no sympathy for these displaced peoples.

In opposition to the Reformist movement, many of those who had faced the worst the Celestial Realm and the Devildom had to offer argued that trying to restore those two realms was far too dangerous to be worth it. This view was corroborated by Solomon, who asserted that his knowledge of magic led him to believe these two realms were both too far gone. Those of this belief became known as the Cohabitionalists. They believed in the cohabitation of humans, angels, and demons in a rebuilt Human World.

Cohabitionalists often point out that the different species have more or less been sharing the Human World for quite a while already, as most angels and demons have immigrated to the Human World to escape the conditions of their own realms. The Royal Alliance of Diavolo is often pointed to as evidence that a society of all three species can and does work. They are also skeptical of the practicality of restoring the other two realms, believing that the reformists’ ideas are too unrealistic and that attempting to return to the two realms holds more risk than reward.

Just as a large number of humans opposed housing the demons and angels, a large number also embraced it. Many humans viewed the angels and demons as their honorary brethren after fighting so long and hard by their side. They had a certain sense of solidarity from the Equinox Coalition, and were more than ready to allow the surviving angels and demons to live with them in the Human World. A lot of help would be needed to rebuild it, after all. Many were willing to host the angels and demons as long as they helped with the effort to reverse the damage they had done.

During the war, the Reformists and Cohabitionalists hardly argued. Regardless of their belief, everyone was in it together, and everyone had the common goal of taking down Father and the Demon King. However, after the war ended and their common goal was achieved, the Equinox Coalition quickly split at the question of: “what now?”

The discourse between these two groups became very nasty very quickly. It quite literally pitted brother against brother, and every influential leader had something different to say. Simeon and Raphael became aggressive rivals during this period, with Simeon being a strong cohabitionalist and Raphael being a diehard Reformist. Most angels flocked to either Simeon or Raphael, essentially splitting the angels into two parties. Due to the differing ideas, an exhausted and broken Michael’s refusal to get involved, and Father’s absence, the infighting between the angels got out of hand and occasionally violent.

The demons, while less split than the angels due to all acknowledging Diavolo as their rightful leader, were also quite divided. Though Diavolo himself was expressedly a Cohabitionalist, many Reformists from the former demon nobility- such as Mephistopheles- touted him as a new Devildom ruler. The Seven Rulers of Hell couldn’t decide amongst themselves what they wanted- some were Reformists, and some were Cohabitionalists. Even the twins, Beelzebub and Belphegor, were split apart by this debate. Belphegor was a passionate Reformist who vehemently opposed living with humans, while Beelzebub didn’t want to put anyone through the unforgiving wrath of the two broken realms ever again.

The times directly after the war were extremely uncertain times for all three races. It would eventually become known as “The Era of Uncertainty”.

»-------(Lore IX)------->

Update

Links in posts have been properly updated; I apologize for the delay.

Little status update, I only have one major post left to make. The next lore post coming out next Saturday will be the last of the lore, and I don’t have any inspiration for more character files or fics at the moment. So, after this weekend, there will no longer be weekly long posts on the weekends.

I’ll still be here, posting little tidbits and thoughts and such about the AU and reblogging others’ Armageddon AU content like I have been throughout the weekdays. So don’t mourn; this AU isn’t over or anything like that. It’s just that the content I’d planned has run its course. 

Lore IX - Rebuilding the World

<------- (Lore VIII)-------«

Though the times after the war were harsh, they eventually settled down. Everyone on all sides was terrified of starting another war after what they had just been through, and most were too weak and weary to fight hard. 

The Reformists’ ideas began to fade out as shocking incidents arose. The demon Reformists were devastated as an expedition to the Devildom led by Reformist leader Mephistopheles turned for the worst, with only Mephistopheles and Belphegor returning alive. The angels began to question what had become of them after political leaders Simeon and Raphael got into a physical altercation over their beliefs that severely wounded Simeon. Eventually, the Reformists begrudgingly conceded to the Cohabitionalists. The humans agreed to house the angels and demons, as long as they pulled their weight and helped repair the damage they had done. Slowly, together, the races began to rebuild the Human World, from the ground up.

The world was rebuilt with all three races in mind- the angels, the demons, and of course, the humans. The angels and demons’ magic came in handy for making effective use of space and resources, as well as bringing some aspects from the other two realms into the Human World. Celestial magic was used to create floating islands in the sky above the earth, which would become home to most of the angel refugees. Cave systems were expanded and modified to house the demons, who were used to living in low light. Though each race had their primary locations- the angels on the floating islands, the demons in the caves and the humans on the surface- they were all very much in contact with each other. It was certainly not unheard of for a human to live in the Celestial Isles, or a demon to live in a human city. There was much cultural diffusion between the three groups, mostly thanks to their comradery built up over the war as well as the consistent exchange of resources between the groups while they were rebuilding.

Michael officially announced his retirement soon after the arrangement to move to the Human World was settled. Everyone saw it coming- what had been done to Michael left him emotionally exhausted and mentally broken, and as such he had been unwilling to lead for quite some time. Even though Michael had been returned to normal physically, he still wasn’t mentally ready to lead again. Raphael fully supported Michael’s decision and ended up following suit, giving his endorsement to Simeon to lead the angels into a new era. The two of them now share a home in the Celestial Isles, relaxing peacefully and attempting to recover from what they had experienced. Simeon ended up being the main representative of the Celestial Realm in the World Council. 

The World Council is a gathering of representatives from all three realms. Its goal is to oversee the rebuilding of the realm and cohabitation between the races, and make decisions to move these processes further along. Simeon is the head of the council and also one of the angel representatives. Diavolo and Lucifer are demon representatives on the council, and Solomon is one of the human representatives. Raphael would eventually return from his retirement to be a representative of the Celestial Realm, having realized that his usually-busy life felt empty without having work to do (and that living with Michael was driving him cuckoo and he needed some time out of the house.)

Under the council, great progress was made to bring the races together and rebuild what had been destroyed. For the first time in ages, a bright future was ahead.

Like seriously.

Imagine this.

Black background with white text reading “ “I gave you my sword, my heart and my faith."

fading to an image underneath, of Raphael’s silhouette staring out into a destroyed Celestial Realm

“But now the sky is burning, and I scream and wonder...”

Gahhhhh I have so many ideas in my head if only I had skill

Some day I’d really like to get art of this AU captioned with matching “Together, Against The Sisters” lyrics