Chapter Text
Evil.
That's what they called Her.
It didn't have a meaning yet.
Just Not-Good. Not-Heaven. Not-Angels. Not-Creation. Not-Them.
Evil was fine with that.
She couldn't create and had no desire to.
She didn't care for anything yet.
She Just Was.
So She lurked in the void, watching The Angels as they Worshiped Good and Built Creation.
They were happy.
She felt nothing.
It didn't Hurt.
She Just Was.
But She did try to understand.
Angels and Her were similar in terms of existence.
They needed nothing. They were being of what they called Good, Evil's opposite.
So why build this City called Heaven?
To Keep Her Out.
She didn't blame them.
Angels were of Good.
Evil was Not-Good.
But why a City?
They only needed a wall.
Perhaps there was more to do when one was not alone.
Evil didn't care.
But Evil was Evil.
And Angels were right to be wary of Her abyss.
Just as She was wary of their Six-Wings.
Mighty, blazing, bright, so bright.
And then there was him.
Bright One.
Light Spreader.
Spotted Angel.
The Dreamer
She didn't like him.
He placed lights far and wide in her void.
He rambled his ideas into the Nothingness.
He was the Brightest of the Angels.
He was the Weakest of the Angels.
His power was great, yes.
He was Six-Wings.
He, perhaps, had more power than any other angel.
But his Heart was Weak.
He taught her about the Weakness in the Light, in the Good Angels.
The Angels had cracks in their souls.
Arrogance.
Compliance.
Dogmatism.
Sadness.
Self-Pity.
The Dream had the Brightest Cracks in his soul.
But now, she could see them all.
See the cracks that could open Creation to her.
The Cracks Would Let Her In.
She could Bring Ruin To All That Was Good.
But she didn't.
She wanted to see where this was going.
What was the point of Good and Creation?
Evil wanted to know before she became True Evil, instead of just Not-Good.
They Made The Earth.
.....Why?
It was Imperfect.
It was Finite.
It was Impermanent.
Why would the Builders of Creation invite such a flaw?
Then, she saw it.
Part of Earth, But Not-Earth.
Above Earth, yet Within Earth.
Earth was for Practice.
Testing.
This Not-Earth, it was Near-Permanent.
They called it the Garden.
Evil was Fascinated.
The Garden was perfectly crafted.
But easily destroyed.
It would crumble if one part of its inner workings were undone.
It was a place of Permanence, made of Impermanence.
And it was utterly impossible for her to enter.
She could only watch.
It was...interesting.
But....Why?
Things filled the Earth.
Finite entities of matter.
Barely aware.
They took some to the Garden.
These too, were tests.
Practice.
The Angels were making Something.
And making a place for that Something.
They were excited.
Glad.
Eager.
They collected Dust.
The Goodness of Creation blessed the Dust.
The Angels Shaped The Dust.
Than.
Evil Reeled Back.
Creation Breathed Forth Two Souls.
They were not the blazing pure light of Creation.
They were Less than the Angels.
Yet they were also Much More Than The Angels.
One Churning with a soft amethyst glow that was almost soothing to the eyeless gaze of Evil.
The other roared with a golden hue that was vibrant enough to briefly outshine all lights.
All Attention was on them.
The Spotted Angel gained another crack.
Evil ignored him.
She watched as they entered the Dust.
Watched as Life became a part of Creation.
Evil could feel Death forming in the Void.
Evil could not Create.
Only reflect, only warp, only destroy.
But the Angels made a mistake.
In their awe, they allowed Imperfect Light to exist.
Just for a Moment.
That was all Evil needed.
The Souls-In-Flesh stood.
And at their feet were shadows.
And through their shadows, Evil watched.
Evil listened.
Evil learned.
Evil got very bored.
It was interesting, at first.
Adam and Lilith, they were called.
Humans.
And Evil Understood.
The Humans Were Angels.
But not yet.
Angels-To-Be.
This was quicker.
Angels took Eons to form from The Light of Creation.
The Angels Were Lonely.
Or maybe, they just wanted to help the Future Angels.
Evil didn't know.
Or care.
But the Garden was for the Humans.
And so the Humans were given the task of Mastering the Garden.
They were Equals.
They Shaped Creation.
Not in mass like the Angels.
But small ways.
The feel of grass.
The color of dirt.
The smell of flowers.
Evil got very, very bored watching them touch grass.
Then the Naming began.
Names were important.
Evil knew that from the moment she heard 'Adam.'
Names defined a thing.
Names were powerful.
Names were dangerous.
Evil had no true name.
She didn't want one.
But the Naming came easy to Adam.
Lilith, not so much.
No one minded.
No one said it was bad.
No one thought less of her.
Evil felt a crack form in Lilith's soul.
No one, but Lilith herself.
Adam tried to show her.
Help her.
Teach her.
But they were meant to be equals.
Lilith didn't feel that way.
Not if she had to be taught, and he didn't.
Even when her own talents were shown.
She saw only what she Could Not Do.
And what Adam Could Do.
Evil decided she didn't like Lilith.
Adam was strange to Evil.
He hurt when Lilith turned from him.
Again and again.
But his soul did not crack.
Just Almost-Cracked.
Sorrow, Uncertainty, Frustration.
But they did not stick.
This was not new.
Many Angels shrugged these off.
But Adam was not an Angel.
Not Yet.
He sat beneath the Tree.
The Tree of Freewill.
But it was Not Just-Freewill.
It was Knowledge.
It was Knowledge of Her.
Good and Evil were Good-and-Evil.
Separate, but a package. Reflections. Opposites.
They could keep her out, but they cannot destroy her.
There was nothing to destroy.
For Evil had no true power.
She was impotent.
She only existed as What If?
As Should I?
She was only as powerful as Creation let her be.
She could only Exist.
Whisper.
Remind them they didn't HAVE to be Good.
And that-
He Touched Her!
Evil felt shock.
Surprise.
Fear?
She looked up at Adam.
His golden Eyes were looking at her through his own shadow.
"Who Are You?"
His head was tilted.
She tried to do that too.
I Have No Name.
She didn't think he would hear her.
But he did.
He didn't know what she was.
But he smiled at her.
And His Light was not blazing.
It was warm.
He Didn't Know.
Into the shadows, he smiled.
Through the Shadows, his soul peaked out.
She should leave.
But she didn't.
Beyond Creation, he reached out to her.
"Roo."
What?
"You are just under my shadow, look roots beneath the ground."
Evil stared.
"You're name is Roo."
Her name was Roo.
Evil was Roo.
Roo was Evil.
He couldn't name her.
But he did name her.
She wasn't of Creation.
But Her Name Was Roo!
She felt....something.
She left him alone.
That made him sad.
She went to the Abyss.
But she was still Roo!
She couldn't be Not-Roo.
Not now.
Not again.
Not ever.
Why?
She looked into the Abyss.
She looked into Creation.
She had no answer.
She came back to The Garden
Adam Smiled At Her.
Why could he see her?!
He hadn't mentioned her to the Angels.
Not out of secretively.
He thought they knew.
Even they thought they would know if she was here.
That was funny.
The Garden went on.
But Lilith was still unhappy.
As was the Bright One.
Oh, Adam helped name the Angels now.
The Bright One was Lucifer.
Bringer of Light.
Roo felt more cracks forming in Souls.
Souls in Eden.
Still not Adam.
Not yet.
But Lilith's discontent grew.
And Lucifer felt outcasted.
Unappreciated.
Envious.
Roo would raise an eyebrow if she had one.
Lucifer was envious of the humans and the attention on them.
How petty.
But she found more cracks forming.
Betrayal.
To Love was not Treachery.
But how they did it?
Adam's heart cracked.
But his soul did not.
Amazing.
But it came close.
Adam was alone in the Garden.
He had the Angels.
He had the Animals.
He had the Garden.
It was all his.
All he could want.
But he needed someone.
He had no one like himself, and all others did.
One did not need to be alone to be lonely.
His soul might crack if left alone.
She should have left him alone.
But she remained in his shadow.
He knew she was there.
Just beneath his shadow.
Just beneath his touch.
Creation made Adam to endure.
He slept one day.
The angels took a piece of him out of his body.
Roo probably could have done something with that.
But she wanted to see what they were up to.
Because, again, why?
They made another human, a New First Woman.
Cracks of indignation formed in Lilith's soul at her very nature being given to another.
Cracks of frustration and misplaced protectiveness filled Lucifer's soul.
The New First Woman was called Eve.
She was not like Lilith.
She was more like Lucifer.
But not the parts Roo found displeasing.
No, she was like Lucifer-With-Lilith.
Roo felt nothing for her.
But she made Adam happy.
Yet Lucifer and Lilith were not happy.
Craters formed in their Souls.
Ambition.
Pride.
Arrogance.
Delusions.
Dreamers indeed.
She left Adam and Eve to listen to Lucifer and Lilith.
They wanted to Open Eve's Eyes.
And Adam's.
But mostly Eve's.
They didn't like Adam.
Roo watched them plot.
Plan.
Scheme.
Roo was Evil.
But Adam still trusted these two.
They were supposed to be Good.
Or at least, Not-Evil.
But if they wanted to be Evil?
Fine.
She'd grant their selfish wish.
She flooded the cracks in the souls.
It did nothing.
Nothing really.
Nothing they weren't already going to do.
She listened as they found Eve alone.
They told her many things.
All of them true.
Technically.
But all wrongly put.
Told in a way they wanted her to hear.
To make her fear losing her place in Creation.
Her place in the Garden.
Her place with Adam.
Poor thing didn't have a chance.
But cracks formed in her soul all the same.
So many fears and insecurities and more.
Poor, poor Eve.
She felt the Cracks widening into Caverns.
Caverns on the Soul.
Sins.
She felt the Angels coming.
They felt Sin, they felt Evil.
They would drive her influence out.
And those tainted by it.
They didn't know she was Roo yet.
That was only for Adam to say.
Poor Adam.
He'd be alone again.
Or he would have been.
But he ate the apple too.
Why?
She didn't know.
But in eating the Apple, Adam understood Evil.
And in that moment, Evil understood Adam.
He named her.
He made her not Just-Evil.
More than Evil, Less than Evil.
And in doing so, as Adam Fell From Grace, Roo knew what she felt at last.
One thing was reflected perfectly in Evil and Good.
One thing both could have equally in all its perfect and imperfect forms.
Love.
She loved that foolish, enduring Soul.
That was why his fall made her sad.
He fell to Earth, not to her.
Not to Hell.
Right, Hell existed now.
So focused on the End of Eden, Roo didn't notice she had become a realm onto herself.
Heaven's equal.
How unimportant that felt.
Demons began to form and roam the terrible landscape.
Lilith and Lucifer were thrown into her.
She didn't care.
She let them be.
For now.
She followed Adam on Earth and watched him.
Nine Hundred Years he endured Earth.
He had been happy.
Nine Thousand years he endured Heaven.
He had been happy, at first.
But there was a bitter Despair in his heart.
Not the despair that made one sob and break down.
The Despair of one who endured and knew it would only get worse.
So, when Hell rose, he slaughtered them. Demons and Sinners alike.
Heaven did so as well.
Once more, Lucifer and Lilith were humbled.
Roo had almost forgotten they existed.
Now Adam came and slaughtered every year.
He drenched Roo with the essence of his fallen bloodline.
Lilith would liken it to child sacrifice.
Roo still didn't like Lilith.
Still, Roo was happy when, every year, Adam's mocking voice filled the air as he brought final death to sinners.
His soul was battered, dented, and all else.
But he remained.
He endured.
He went on.
He was the strongest mortal soul in Heaven.
Only Lucifer could lay him low.
Or lay him low enough for another to slay.
She Never Liked Lucifer.
She smiled when she felt Adam's soul.
Oh, he would not die. Never, ever would Adam die.
Death was banned from truly ending him.
No, no, no.
Roo wrapped her entire being around Adam's ancient soul.
She gently pulled him down.
Others would have fought back.
They would know they were in danger.
But Adam didn't fight back.
Because he didn't feel any danger.
There was none.
Not for him.
Her smile widened as she embraced Adam.
Hell Embraced the First Man.
Evil Embraced the Oldest Living Soul.
Roo Embrace the Love of Her Life.
She never liked Lucifer.
She never like Lilith.
Now?
Now, at long last, she had Adam.
She had the Devil she always wanted.
And in her realm, he would reign to his wickedest content.
She didn't care about Heaven.
Or Creation.
Or anything.
The Angels could have the rest.
Just leave them in their dark realm.
After all, Adam had endured enough.
It was time for him to rest.
Rest, and sit upon the True Throne of Hell.