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Chapter Text

The first thing Lucifer ever knew was music. Before he had ever emerged from his egg, buried deep in that primordial void His nest had been burrowed out of; he'd heard his Father singing to him.
There were no words; but chirps and coos formed gentle melodies stilled etched into his heart thousands of years later. 

At first Lucifer had been content to listen, doze and learn His voice, but slowly an urge to sing back formed within him. It grew more insisted with each tune until it all but ripped from his chest. 
A loud, discordant pure shriek starkly contrasted the soft flowing sounds before it. Lucifer still rippled with pride at his achievement; until he heard his Father abruptly fall silent.
For the first time, and not the last, Lucifer felt panic at doing something wrong. 

And for the first time, and not the last, Lucifer heard his Father speak. 

Light had been commanded forth - and suddenly the enclosed comfort that had served as his home for as long as he'd known was suffocating to him. He had to get out.

Lucifer scrambled at the voidshell pressing painfully in. Becoming familiar with a body he'd never given thought to before, limbs twisting in strange ways he didn't understand. 
The void came undone like ribbons under his clawing hands - spilling down and entwining with him as he clambered upwards. The shell fragments felt like wet dust, sticking to his body as he brushed by. 
He couldn't even see where he was going, there could be no light until he arose to the Father's command. 

He screeched another desperate noise as his movements got caught on the loose pieces. He couldn't get out, what if he couldn't get out-! 

His Father chirped again, not a call, not a song but a firm encouragement - He was so close, he was almost there. 

Lucifer struggled harder. He heard something around him tear; and then a wing was free, still sheathed and soaked in void, shell and creation but free.

He pressed another wing up, trying to find the split left behind - wiggling them out one at a time. 

His head at once ripped loose from its confines, feeling the weight of his head crash down on his neck - although his arms and chest remained entrenched. 

He took a moment to catch his breath, his frame heaving with effort he hadn't known before. Where- where was his Father? He tried to call out again.

And there was Light. 

Lucifer blinked as he realized he was emitting that blinding glow, not that there was much to illuminate. 

He shook himself, flicking bits of gunk off - and opened his mouth for another trill. It sounded raspier in the open but far calmer than his shrill panic before. 

He immediately replied back, a new noise, a gentle rumbling that settled in Lucifer's bones that spoke so clearly of joy and pride. 
Lucifer's eyes focused in on its source. 

Caught in his light, he saw four- no five pairs of eyes looming high above him. The rest of His form obscured in the darkness, or maybe apart of it, swirling strangely as if his light didn't know how to reflect it properly. 
A firm prompting reminded Lucifer he wasn't done yet. 

He started to pull at his trapped arms, but struggled to get any leverage, his legs pushing against nothing as they flailed.
 
He was so very tired. 

He squirmed out just a little further before the air around him shifted. His Father pressed His beak against the edge of the shell, twisting down until Lucifer had gotten an arm out.
He immediately threw his free arm around His beak, leveraging his entire weight against it as he continued to pull himself up. 

His Father stilled under the touch for a moment, before letting out a chopped hum.  

Lucifer didn't recognize the noise but assumed it was good since He moved further down to let him get a better grip. 

After a few more uncomfortable dishevelling minutes of struggle, Lucifer tumbled out - laying limp on his side as his chest heaved. 

His Father pulled back only slightly, waiting patiently for His chick to acquaint itself with existence. 

Soon enough he began to stretch his limbs out into the new space, getting up on his knees. His Father immediately started pressing against his frame, attempting to usher him somewhere he didn't yet know. 

Lucifer back glanced curiously at the remnants of his hatching. 

He crawled towards the pieces swirling with a strange light he'd one day come to call creation - ignoring his Father's insistent, upset chirping. 

They still entangled his body, snared in his limp tender wings. 

And for the first time, and not the last, Lucifer saw the spark, potential in the discarded, hope in mistakes and flaws, dreams in nothing at all. 

The veins clinging to his body sunk down into a single point, cupped in his hands. Until it shone in eight brilliant points almost bright enough to match his own and even without the words he could feel the pure power it emitted. 

He looked at his Father with wide grin. 

He regraded the light carefully - eyes softening into a deep fondness; before He extended a claw out. 

After a breath of hesitation, Lucifer placed it in the waiting palm - and watched in rapt fascination as it was wreathed with golden rings. 

"Good, that was good." He hummed, crowning the halo upon the fledgling's head, he felt it melt into the rest of his essence. 

He wasn't called Lucifer yet then.

"Come, you will herald my dawn, My Morningstar." It would be his only name for a long time. 
~~

Lucifer was guided away from the hatching grounds on unsteady legs that didn't support him long. The ground seem to become more and more unmade as they moved away.Eventually his Father tucked His beak against the back of the fledgling's neck, hooking into the notch of his wings and gently carried him the rest of the way - He seemed to glide more than walk.

Father took him into His Nest, the void woven differently, tighter and softer than the hatching grounds. 

Tucking the chick safely under His wing, He settled and began to straighten out Lucifer's tangled wings. 

Lucifer doesn't know how long it was just him and Father, there was nothing to mark the passage of time, there wouldn't be until his fourth brother. 

All he knew was tender preening and his own soft light. 

He started pulling out other colours from his pure light to entertain himself. With each one Father would drift close and whisper a hushed 'Good,' in praise of a purpose he didn't yet know he was fulfilling. 

"This one is my favourite." Lucifer spoke for the first time, holding up what would one day be red.

His Father only nodded at that.

Chapter Text

At some point Lucifer fell asleep, and when he awoke Father guided him back to the hatching grounds. This time letting him climb upon His back.

He still didn't quite understand his Father's body (or his own, for that matter) it never seemed entirely visible at once, different parts blending in and out of the background. The piece Lucifer was clutching onto felt like feathers, so he liked it.

He peaked down when they arrived to the same spot as before. The shell pieces still scattered around, still glowing, if a bit weaker.

The void surrounding the egg seemed... agitated.

(He didn't know what hungry was yet.)

Writhing against itself, the shape it had been forced to take.

It scared him.

He was glad when he didn't have to come down.

Father began to sing again.

Before His harmonies just were to the chick, a part of reality, but now Lucifer could recognize them as beautiful. He nuzzled into the feathers and continued to watch.

It took him time to realize the tune was different. Hard to describe, softer and harsher at once. And it kept getting more different.

(He didn't know what desperation was either.)

And then, the cry finally, finally came and His song broke far too suddenly, frantically.

Father gave a command, for the Heavens to gather. It didn't mean much to Lucifer.

Until the contents of the egg started shaking.

He stared in wonder, leaning so far forward he almost fell off.

Father was much more vocal with this one than him, cooing after each little movement.

It shouldn't be too hard since Lucifer has already broken through the egg. He kept being drawn back to the lashing void far too close for comfort, a pit forming in his stomach.

Two awkward twitching wings found their way out, followed by a hand and Lucifer couldn't help himself.

He jumped down, his wings fluttering uncoordinated to soften his decent.

He stumbled over the uneven terrain. His Father's attempt to stop him was half-hearted, He'd already accepted what was to happen.

He grabbed the outstretched hand.

And yanked.

The other chick squealed as they were suddenly dragged up. Their foot caught on the shell and sent them crashing against Lucifer's chest.

He lost his grip and footing, fumbling over backwards.

He fell hard, a beak meeting his back and keeping him from hitting the writhing void. He was nudged to stand, while the other squirmed the rest of the way out.

Lucifer watched a bit unsure until He gestured him forward, tired but fond, or maybe relieved. He breathed, "Morningstar, your sibling of shared-shell. Show them what you showed Me, won't you?"

All those unfamiliar and strange buzzing feelings of anxiety and concern drained from him at once. Whipping around to face the younger chick.

Their eyes flickered around, a near perfect clone of Lucifer, expect for the sharp golden marks splicing down their cheeks where he had soft gold circles - although they seemed to struggle more with their ungainly limps. He couldn't even tell if they noticed the two beings in front of them.

He crouched down, their attention finally landing startled on him. They only held his eye for a moment before it slipped away in discomfort.

Lucifer was undeterred, snatching one the glowing threads off them and ignited it.

They stared with wide eyes, expression otherwise blank. They lifted their hand as if to touch before their gaze found Father.

In a blur of motion they surged forward, barrelling over Lucifer.

They grabbed at Him, swiping the air.

Father swept down to meet them, ushering the squirming chicks off each other. He nestled His younger fledgling's crest, quieting their sudden needy chatter. He tried to direct their attention back to Lucifer.

They trilled happily, pulling their wings tightly around themselves in a snug blanket.

Lucifer couldn't help but tilt his head. His sibling seemed contented, but their face remained still: open eyes staring out, lips sitting in a neutral slight frown. He was pretty sure his own face changed a lot, was he suppose to keep it still like that?

Father tapped His beak against Lucifer's halo with a clear 'Clink'.

He shook his head, "Right! Right away."

He grabbed their hand, sending sparks of light up between them. For a worrying moment he thought they just weren't going to react at all. Until a very hesitant hand reached out from behind the feather cocoon, mapping out the centre piece of Lucifer's halo with a barest touch.

It drifted back to the glowing threads, grabbing at their own chest hard; in a quick flourish the pieces gathered upon their head. Their halo was so different to Lucifer's, made of elegant sharp edges.

Their returning gaze stared straight head, boring silently in his own eyes. He started to get it, he thinks this was how they smiled - he made sure to grin back just in case before their eyes fell away again.

"My Divineblade, you will lead My heavens." He stood after an affirming nod, turning to Lucifer. "My Morningstar. Come along."

Michael is the name he'd eventually come to know.

They pulled their legs under them, fighting to follow Him. He tried to offer a hand only for them to suddenly sprint after His tail feathers, brushing Lucifer aside.

He moved to join them when a movement caught his eye.

The last of the fading glow dissipated from the remnants of his and his twin's egg. And it was descended upon.

The ground poured inside, scattering the pieces until the surroundings could return to its shifting stillness without a trace of it ever being anything else. Lucifer's feathers stood on end.

What if Michael had still been in there?

"Something troubles you already, Fledgling." Father hovered above, seeing His eldest straggle. Michael watched carefully from behind Him, struggling to understand why he hadn't come already, had Father not told them to?

It wasn't a question, but he still shook his head: thankfully He didn't press.

His eyes drifted to the rest of the hatching grounds, bound compact just like his egg once was.

He pointed at it. "We have more siblings?" And were they really going to be okay?

"They aren't ready yet, give them time." He teased into beak into his neck, making the chick squeak. "But My Divineblade is, would you leave your twin alone?"

Lucifer sprung up, running a bit too quickly towards Michael. Pushing the worrying thoughts down.

Surprisingly, Father didn't take them back to the Nest, He didn't seem to have taken them anywhere. The weave keeping the ground under them was loose here, he doubted they could go much further without getting lost to the thick of it.

This place seemed so big when he hatched, but he was already finding its ends.

Father spoke quietly to Michael, and he could feel the fuzziness of everything slowly be grounded by His words.

It didn't make much sense to Lucifer, but his sibling seemed to get it, their body turned to face Him with rapt attention.

When He was done, Michael hesitantly stood, looking out. Their wings shifting nervously.

They moved to reveal their hand again, dragging it slowly, bringing a glowing bladed edge with it.

Born fully grown and yet the sword still seemed oversized as they struggled to right their grip on its hilt.

Father gave one last encouragement and they threw their entire body into bringing the blade down, unleashing power Lucifer had only known passively before. The weave parted under the sword's force, brutally tearing with an all consuming silence far wider than the blade's length should allow.

He would have expected the walls to close in like they did with the egg, instead, there was actually something there. He thinks it was called white, covering the entire area, a different texture to the woven ground before, shinier.

Lucifer stepped forward to examine it. It felt like walking on solid ground after trudging for hours through deep mud. He tapped his claws against the hard floor for the new noise, then a few more times harder, giggling to himself.

Michael's body heaved with effort, their sword tip resting on the ground lacking the strength to lift it further.

At least their brother seemed to be appreciating it.

Their eyes crawled over to their Father, wingtips twitching self-consciously.

His attention was already focused on them. He sang with a joyful trill. "Perfect work, well done."

The chick fluttered without thinking, overtaken by a warming fluttering feeling blooming in their chest. Hastily bowing their head in submission, they barely even noticed they were hovering towards Him until they felt His feathers press against them, and His beak lightly pecking at the chick's head.

It ended far too soon, their Father wandering away to join Lucifer on the new substance.

He wondered aloud, "And so it begins." He wished He felt something other than grim resolution and the taste of a lie; 'there was no turning back now' He pitifully repeated to Himself.

His Morningstar was looking up at Him, clearly noticing he was about to be addressed. Clever little thing he was, clever little thing he'd stay.

He bent down until His head was nearly on his level. "You want to help too?"

He shouldn't fret now, it would be thousands of years before Creation became anything less than a delight. Some excitement still hummed underneath, these two stoking His anticipation to finally meet all His offspring, just a few more days now.

The little angel beamed. "Ab-sol-utely!"

He'd learn to ignored the desperate urge to cobble together answers from His knowledge, as if there was anything new to find. He had chosen His path, He had chosen the best possible option He could. There was no point in asking why.

It wouldn't lessen the pain of looking at him, none of His other knowledge did.

Lucifer had summoned his light before He could give any instructions. Unsure what to do, it began sparkling colours.

"Careful." Father quickly rested a single claw tip on it before it expanded further. "Your power is great, as is your reach, have hesitance in how you use it."

He chirped Michael over before directing both of them to the edges. "This is the bedrock of the divine realm, I charge you with its Creation and maintenance, Fledgling. It is your domain to bring under My Will. My Morningstar will assist, for now it is limited and unsubstantial, Herald the path anew where the empty becomes too thick to traverse."

Lucifer didn't think that should have made sense, but it did. He began to glimmer, letting light envelope him. His sibling shielding their eyes.

And at his touch, the walls shrivelled, leaving more threads of Creation in their wake. Lucifer eyes shined brighter than his magic as he kept pushing the new space further. It felt so right.

His gaze landed upwards, stubborn determination set on his face.

He began to flap his wings, jerking his body into the air, continuing to chase the perimeters away.

Michael self consciously readjusted their wings around themselves. They slipped into a sitting position, taking some raw Creation and beginning to hesitantly mould it.

"Should I fly like that?" The idea was so intimidating. Their hands habitually feeling out new shapes, they liked it, it grounded them.

"In due time, there's no rush." He regarded their handiwork. "Be strong My Blade, I know you won't disappoint Me."

"Never."

In flash of white their Creation came together, a small simplified imitation of the chicks. Too big a head, one pair of wings, a stumpy body. It's eyes opened, as blank as Michael's and without any intelligence behind.

"Did I just-?"

"No, it isn't alive, not yet. Just an extension of yourself. Nonetheless useful."

Michael considered it for moment before sending it to follow their twin and pick up the scrapes left behind. They started on something new.

Chapter Text

Father practically had to drag them both back to the Nest, lost in their new task as they were.

"Come on, I could have gone longer!" Lucifer complained.

"Morningstar."

Michael wouldn't argue, but they straggled behind, throwing longing glances to the incomplete Heaven and especially the handful of animated figures left behind.

They whispered just low enough for their sibling to hear, but there was a slight twitch of Father's eyes anyway. "Where are we going? Are there other projects? Is there anything else?" Their wings shift like they were gripping at their sword.

Lucifer melted into excitement as he realized Michael had yet to see the Nest. "Yes!" His voice all but cracks.

They flinch as Father snorts.

Their face didn't change, staring eyes, slight frown. But their walk tensed, feathers puffed.

He thought he recognized those feelings from the angry void, he doesn't know why they'd be scared. "One other place," they relaxed a little, alright he can work with this. "It's Father's and uh-"

"Everything is Mine."

Michael's stare snapped to Him, their brother catching a glint of their blade. "Then, what's the point of me? I don't want to hurt things that are Yours?"

Father's eyes creased, "To listen to Me and be listened to in return, to mold, and be molded in return, to create and be created in return." He pressed His head to theirs. "Your tool will dabble in destruction, yes. But it's necessary for progress and maintenance. For what is Mine is also Mine to discard. That's why you are one of the first."

They eyes were sparkling as Father pulled back.

Lucifer crooked his head, unsatisfied. "We aren't You but we're Yours...-?" In a moment it was forgotten. "Oh We're Here!"

He grabbed for Michael's hand, realized he couldn't get to it, grabbed their halo instead and sped off.

"Hey, hey!" They sputtered as they were dragged. "Brother-!" Lucifer sprang his wings and glided down. "Wait-"

They lost their stance as they nearly tipped over with him, wings flaring out for balance.

A single claw caught them around the waist, his hand slipping off their halo.

They squawked indignantly at their brother's half apologetic smile. Their Father didn't put them down until He had slipped within.

They brought their wings back around them as they settled against the soft martial. "And, the Morningstar's purpose? He was before me."

Lucifer perked up.

He hummed for a moment, "he is what's new, you are like Me, and you are also like him but he was like nothing else before." He didn't give them a chance to respond before pulling them under His wing. "Sleep, its almost time."

Their brother slid up against them with a smirk. Barely managing a whisper, "I could show you how to flex your wings, if you wanna take off?"

"Really?" Michael quickly nodded.

"Sleep." He restated, and pressed His wing in tighter, and pushing a squeak from both.

It was a bit longer of quiet murmuring that Father seemed to mostly give up on stopping before Lucifer found his sibling curled into his chest and drifting off. He was restless, only kept still by the weight on his lap.

He thought about the colours, wondering where he could use them. He didn't like colourless void, white was a nice start and Michael had already considered including blue and especially yellow.

He didn't mind creating empty space, if only because of the flying but he knew there was so much more.

Slipping in and out of consciousness until he felt Father start shifting.

Lucifer shot up, throwing Michael off. He ducked under His wing before He'd finished getting up and was already scrambling out of the Nest.

"Morningstar." He reprimanded softly.

The chick paused, glancing at his twin still struggling to wake up.

He hovered up beside Father's head, "another sibling?"

He hummed and began to move towards the hatching ground. He gestured for His younger and Lucifer quickly swooped down to grab them and unceremoniously deposit them on Father's back.

"Can we sing with You this time?" He rambled on.

"No."

"But-" he tried again.

"You'll learn later."

The chick settled down beside Michael, who bumped his shoulder sympathetically as they arrived a bit away from where the twins' egg had once been.

He soothed as Father sang, lighter than before. Michael crawled further up to get a better view.

The new chick's response came quicker, almost impatient. And Father commanded waters to gather beneath Heaven and spring forth.

"Is that really how I came about?" Michael wondered aloud as they watched the cracking tears emerge. "Is that how you came about?"

Lucifer nodded, "we... shared-shell, did you feel me beside you?"

They thought for a moment. "I don't think I knew where I began and ended before Father called me? Were we always different things?"

A serene trill announced the newest chick's success. The eldest moved to help their sibling down to greet them.

Pausing for just a moment to nuzzle into Father's beak, the hatchling immediately began to force themselves to stand. Their wings fought against the fibres binding them to spread out.

Lucifer approached with Michael trailing behind as they got their clawtips under them, purling in obvious delight at their achievement. Dwarfing both their older siblings, for the first time the twins saw something that looked truly different from them.

As they laid eyes on them, they gravitated towards him, cocking their head and peeping softly. Letting him take their hand while the other gripped their shoulder to steady them.

The chick was a little distractible, threading fingers through their siblings' feathers and comparing their wings. Their mobility still shaky, a twitch brought their larger wing down heavy on Michael, squashing them into their side.

The youngest barely acknowledged their sibling's sputtering and shrieking.

Eventually drawing attention to the halos they didn't shared. They got even touchier, taking Lucifer's over Michael's sharper edges, trying to feel out what they want.

They collected the creation in place, but continued to shift the shape around.

"Almost satisfied?" Father asked.

The chick nodded, barely looking at Him as they fussed about it with the help of their siblings.

He offered, "you'll be able to change it later if you so wish."

They paused, grumbling; letting it settle but clearly not content.

With a garnish they revealing a long thin staff, pushing most of their weight on to it as they stepped before their Father.

"My Healingspur, My earth with flourish before you." His voice lightened addressing the twins, "show them the way."

Raphael, that would be Raphael.

He let them take the lead. Excitedly explaining what they've already done to their new sibling. Lucifer did his best to stay on the ground with them.

Comfort leaked into Michael frame reentering the white, they summoned a few of the favourite little helpers they'd made to their side.

Raphael looked around with polite curiosity but was evidently not impressed with perfectly neat realm. They searched; drawn deeper into the holy realm.

"Brother," they turned back to Michael. "I need an exit."

"But-"

Lucifer sprang up, "I could do that."

"Wait-!" They whipped back and forth, eyes widening a fraction for the first time. "Father-"

He brushed His feathers placatingly over them. "We're learning to share Divineblade, this is My Morningstar's main function. As is the eldest's right. As is yours over the others."

Their face returned to neutrality, gaze trailing to the ground.

Lucifer kneaded his hands together before slapping them against the ground. Craving a clean opening out of the white. He nodded to Raphael.

They dipped their staff inside the open space, and as they stirred sparkling hues swirled within. Sutler colours than he would think to make, olive green, amber brown, navy blue.

When they eventually retracted their cane, it settled with a reflective blue surface that looked so pretty in his light.

Raphael raised their staff over their head, a glint in their eye. "I call it rain," they thrust down.

The clap of thunder unleashed tore through the divine realm in countless echos. The loudest noise any of them had experienced.

When Lucifer's head finally stopped ringing - he realized Michael had dragged both of them away, pinning the two close to them. Their grip tightened, death glaring the inconspicuous gateway.

Raphael on the other hand looked absolutely gleeful, wiggling away from their siblings.

"Brother-!" Michael croaked out.

They paused to face them, who quickly dodged their eye contact, and delicately clutched their face. "It's okay we're okay, I promise." Nestling their heads together and cooing before turning to Lucifer. "You want to go look?"

And with that Raphael flitted off. Michael couldn't bring out words, instead just releasing incredibly distressed chirps. While the eldest slipped after their sibling.

A muffled rumbling emitted from the gateway, a cool stream of air trickled out. He clasped their hand before dropping within.

Michael was left shaking like a leaf.

Father brought His wing over them, "You want to follow them?"

"I don't know," their voice choked. "Why can't they stay here? It's safe here."

"It's not in their nature to stay put, and this will not the last time that fact torments you." He suppressed a shudder of anticipation, reminding Himself to be patient. "I will accompany you if you go, but I won't leave you alone if you stay."

Their moment of consideration bordered on agonizing.

"I'll look-"

They couldn't get the full statement out before He swept them up in His beak and dissipated in a blur of mist.

Lucifer was glad he had a grip on Raphael's hand, the new realm seemingly endless open air. Rain poured down in thick sheets as they tried to figure out how orientate their wings while clinging to his arm.

He did his best to guide them downwards slowly, hoping solid ground would emerge past the torrents.

Raphael managed to get one of their pairs in sync, with far more water resistant feathers. They broke away and swooped towards what Lucifer only recognized when tumbled hard against it.

He futilely tried to shake the clogging liquid from his wings. Curiously, he dug his hands into the rich soil below him. The dirt was grainy and cooling, the water running down his entire body.

So much sensation after such sterile environments was thrilling and harrowing at once.

Raphael stood tall and spirited, pawing at terrain with clawtips.

They bent down to help him up, eyes shining and desperately sincere, "Do you like it?"

"Y-yeah, I think I do." He couldn't deny that face.

Their Father re-materialized, quickly releasing Michael to step across and explore the deepening mud.

"It's," Raphael grinned at them, "Wet." For once their blank face worked in their favour, as the younger chick didn't seem to notice their displeasure with that fact.

God inclined His gaze towards the sky, He close His eyes, allowing Himself to bath in the thundering rain.

And He laughed.

He spread the length of His wings to their full span for the first time, shrouding the entire area. "Wonderful! Oh, Glory!" He looked and sounded moment away from soaring off into air, but He steadied Himself. "My Healingspur, the Earth is yours to crave your rivulets, and from that water you'll learn to bring life, but I warn you now, it won't stay your realm alone."

He enjoyed stretching out in full space for one more moment. "If you two will remain here to continue your work, The Divineblade will return with Myself to the holy realm."

"Please-" Michael stuttered. "Uh, I mean- Of course, Father."

"Listen for My call, I won't be happy if I have to come fetch you Myself." He assisted the second born as they climbed up, taking off into the sky and disappearing behind the rain.

Raphael pressed their staff into the earth, creating a small muddy puddle they crouched over.

After a few minutes of cultivation, a small green algae flittered below the surface.

"Brother," Lucifer head perked. "I need some Light."