First Awakening

Actually, this should have been Sebian's story, but she asked me to edit it prior to publication. I got a little carried away with the editing. My apologies to the archangels for painting them in such a harsh light.


IN THE BEGINNING

was my bedroom; or at least that's all I remember-- the colours all blasted by the First Light above me-- my body taking shape within that Purest of Flames, then Sebian's firm grasp on my hand. I stood waist-deep in cloud vapour, the airs glistening with ten thousand lights, the essence of intensity.
"Welcome into existence, Shzuru. I am Sebian, the Archangel of New Souls. This is the First Light of the Highest Heaven."
"Yes, I know," I muttered, blinking furiously. Sebian looked momentarily confused. I stretched my lower back and gave my belly a rub. "The First Light is my soul, Heaven my mind. You and that fellow Zefiel have been busy constructing Heaven."
"Of course you would know," Sebian sighed. "Although sleep has held you until now. Come, we need your presence in the Lower Heavens."
"Quite. First I need some proper robes."
"This way," said Sebian. The sweet vapours beneath the Light parted, and we descended into a homely room, a large rumpled bed dissolving in the formless light from the windows. My bedroom.
"How long have I slept?"
"Time has just begun, Lord," said Sebian, who began pulling garments out of the light.

I followed Sebian down a corridor of light to Middle Heaven-- usually she travels via the Spheres, she told me-- and to my surprise I found a large building made of slender pillars and soaring arches casting a good deal of shade over a small collection of buildings.
"Good heavens. What is that?" I said, once we had walked into the shadow of the enormous thing.
"Zefiel's Temple," said Sebian. "He's been doing most of the construction down here."
"Zefiel?" I called, entering the labyrinth of pillars.
"Hm, Sebian?" a far-off voice echoed towards me.
"No. Shzuru. Where are you?" I shouted, entering the moiré of light and shadow.
"Ah, well, you have awakened!" Zefiel appeared, ducking through a little doorway. He was tall, lean, and apparently nearsighted, for he craned his head towards me and squinted as he spoke. "Hm, welcome to Heaven! We have worked hard and long, but Heaven wasn't complete without you."
"Time is flowing?" asked Sebian.
"Ah, yes, well, follow me," sputtered Zefiel happily, and led us through a catacomb of tight workshops to a balcony that overlooked shimmering space and floating planets. There on the balcony was a spinning web of copper wire and spheres, and in the center of this glowed a familiar light. The light of my heart. The beating of Time.
"It just, ah, started working," he purred.
"Good," I said impatiently, leaning over the railing. "Now, here's the plan."
They stared at me dumbly.
"Hm, plan?" Zefiel said. "We already have a plan. We've been working on it before Time itself."
Sebian gave him a sideways look.
"I've got to get out of Heaven," I said, waving my arms about and pacing. "All these delicate little mechanisms, all the light--"
"Ahem, but you are, after all, Shzuru," said Zefiel.
"Just... get me to some open ground," I sputtered, waving my arms at Sebian and Zefiel, and they each took an arm and lifted me over the Temple to a large open plateau where stairs led down through the mists.
"Where do they lead?" I asked, pointing down.
"To the Lower Heavens," said Sebian.
"Ah, the Gates are not working," muttered Zefiel, "just give me a little more time."
"You've had enough, Zefiel. The world is ready for more souls. I can't believe it's just been the two of you for so long! Haven't you grown tired of each other?"
"Eh, no," said Zefiel, with a puzzled look on his face.
Sebian just smiled a pleasant, tight-lipped smile.
"Right," I grunted, and began walking down the stairs. They followed quietly behind me.
"So, Sebian, go back to the First Light and create new souls to populate Heaven and Chaos."
"Chaos?" they both stopped walking.
I looked back and motioned them to keep moving. "Chaos. Yawning Void. That is where I will be when I step though the Gates. At first, Chaos will be empty, but people will fill it with planets and stars.
"Sebian, your expertise is with souls. Gently introduce them to Heaven and lead them to Zefiel."
"Hm? Me?" Zefiel said, surprised.
I paused on a landing lost in a nowhere of shifting fogs and rummaged through my robes.
"Here." I handed him a book as large as his chest. "The Book of Names."
He took it and almost fell down. Sebian's face dimpled.
"You must record the name of every important soul in that book," I said. "Without it, people will merge into Greyness."
"But... well, there is so much more work to be done," muttered Zefiel.
"You've done enough hard work. Now you are the Archangel of the Book of Names. That book is more important than Heaven." I turned back to the stairs and descended through the mists. "In your spare time, build a Temple for Sebian near the First Light."
"Well, hm, I suppose you know best."
I turned around and his face almost bumped into mine. Sebian was smiling behind him. My mouth grinned towards either ear.
"I don't. I just know."

The stairs ended in a huge plaza with five coloured gates opening into nothingness.
"The Lower Heavens," said Sebian.
"A forsaken place," remarked Zefiel.
"Someday, this sacred ground will be overflowing with souls embarking to the Worlds," I said, feeling grand for a moment.
I walked up to a gate carved with vines, flowers and grapes, and stepped through.

Void. Light vanished. Coolness. The sound of leaves in the wind. That fragrance. From my dreams.
Colour dashed upon my senses, and here I am, in my garden. The skies are yet empty, but occasionally I see other tribes and angels working on the earth. My world is a tangle of glowing green, of sunbeams sunk in humid thickets, of morning mists trembling a shy semblance of Heaven.








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Written by Joseph Reinstra, copied by me, taken out of the NUPA archives.