IN THE BEGINNING: FLYING LESSONS - Part 1

Fixing the dam seemed to take forever. And while Juriel went about the work with a mild lack of enthusiasm, Aziraphale threw himself into it.

Working whole-heartedly with the two angels set to help the fledglings, Aziraphale seemed almost every day to bring new drawings to show them of his ideas on how to accomplish Juriel's idea of letting water continue to flow down the stream while keeping the dam in place.

Finally they settled on the idea of a tunnel placed in the dam at the lowest level Raphael would agree to let the lake go down to.

Juriel thought at least they would be able to lag behind a bit on the flight to the gateway, double back, and explore a little. No harm in that. But what struck him as odd, was that Aziraphale had no interest in the idea at all, and even made a point of leaving with the older angels, even allowing them to personally fly him back to the gateway, claiming he was tired after working most of the day.

Or maybe it wasn't so odd. While they were in the garden, Juriel noticed a definite change in his friend's demeanor towards him. He wasn't rude to him, but more just tried like everything to avoid him, working and speaking mostly with the older angels. Juriel tried several times to get his friend to talk to him about the problem, but finally acknowledged it was going to take time.

Once the work was done, as was laid out in their punishment, both of them were banned from the garden. No barrier was set in place or any other deterrent to stop them. But they were strictly warned that breaking this rule would result in an even harsher punishment.

For a time after that, eons it seemed to Juriel's young mind, the young angel didn't see any presence of his friend. Aziraphale wasn't even in training, and Vangelis wouldn't answer any of his questions as to where the fledgling was.

So it was with great excitement that Juriel came across his missing best friend in a hallway one day. Walking with his head down, Aziraphale didn't seem to even notice him.

Running to catch up to him, Juriel called out excitedly to him.

"Hey, Aziraphale!"

But the other fledgling appeared to have not heard him with the exception that he quickened his pace.

Juriel quickly spread his wings and, starting to run, leapt into the air, easily gliding down the corridor until he came to a well practiced landing just behind his friend.

"Hey, Aziraphale!" Juriel asked, stepping up next to him as he tucked in his wings. "Didn't you hear me?"

Aziraphale tucked his head down further and kept walking, quickening his pace again as much as he could.

Juriel immediately matched his speed, staring over at his friend. "Are you still mad?" he ask carefully.

No answer came, but the steps definitely increased again.

"Come on." Juriel pleaded, trying to soften his friend's apparent ire. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for us to get into trouble."

Aziraphale gave a soft snort of derision. "But we did. And now I'm banished from the garden." He stated, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Well, I got banished too." Juriel reminded him. 'Comrades in everything', he hoped to remind the other, 'even in punishment'.

But Aziraphale wasn't having it. He pulled up to a stop so abruptly, Juriel ended up a few feet ahead of him now. "Juriel, what do you want?"

Juriel turned back to him, lowering his own head as he shuffled back with his arms behind him to where Aziraphale stood glaring at him. "For you to forgive me." he said softly.

"Fine." Aziraphale snapped back at him. "You're forgiven."

"Don't feel very forgiven." Juriel replied, looking up at his best friend from under his crop of dark red hair.

"I said so, didn't I?"

Juriel took some courage in the fact Aziraphale hadn't walked away yet. In Aziraphale's language, to Juriel, this meant he was willing to listen. "Prove it." He replied.

Aziraphale gave him a sideways look. "Prove it?"

Juriel could feel his friend being lured in. "Yeah." He suggested in a careful tone. "Let go do something."

Aziraphale took several seconds to answer this time as he thought over the offer.

Truth be told, even if only to himself, he really missed his friend's company. Juriel could be a handful, to be sure, but he hadn't abandoned him in the garden when the others showed up. And he had taken his fair share of the blame. He was still mad at him, but maybe it was time to see where things stood.

Aziraphale gave a soft sigh in resignation. He really did miss his friend.

"Like what?" He ask, trying to make it sound as disinterested as possible.

Juriel's whole demeanor brightened at the words as the smile returned and he lifted his head up. "Lets go flying. We can go to the lake."

But the enthusiasm disappeared just as quickly as Aziraphale lowered his head again as he shook it. "No. Not flying."

"Come on. It'll be fun." Juriel implored, trying to convince him.

But Aziraphale simply stepped around him and started off down the hallway again. "Not today." he replied, but added softly, "Not ever."

Juriel stared after him for a moment. He had heard a last comment, but wasn't sure he quite caught it right.

He ran to catch up with Aziraphale again.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." Came the answer with a bit of an edge. "Look, Juriel, I really just want to be alone today, all right?"

Juriel stopped walking, and simply watched his friend walk away. "OK." he replied softly.

Walking through the corridors later, Juriel scuffed a foot along the polished floors as he walked, mumbling to himself about how stubborn, stupid, and selfish other people could be. All he could think of was how much fun they were missing out at down at the lake. It was a crisp, clear morning without a breath of wind. A perfect day for flying. To try and outdo each other for speed and distance. Several others had now also gotten the idea and had run off to the lakeshore, calling for Juriel to come with them. But he had begged off.

While technically they were not banned from flying, it was highly suggested to try and keep it 'low key'. Trainees were encouraged to keep their flights to heaven only, and to never go to the garden or outside its walls. It was stated as being simply too dangerous.

Per the rules, while the younger angels did tend to keep their activities in this regard to heaven's realm, it did not preclude accidents from happening. From the occasional sprain or pulled muscle in the back, to the much more serious injuries, such as a broken wing, Raphael always frowned deeply on the younger angels not waiting for their official training to try out this new ability.

Their teacher, Anna, was a kind and gentle angel with red hair, though not nearly as brightly colored as Raphael's. Among the angels, she was cited as being the best flyer, and so training of this particular skill was given over to her. But by the time the trainees got to her, they were usually already flying with some skill. Her job mostly was to teach them the rules of fight, how to ride the air currents for longer flights, how to execute maneuvers in flight when necessary, and the other more specified nuances of flying.

Of all of them, Juriel was the best by far. He flew more like one of the older angels than just a beginner. But as Vangelis had been told by Juriel's Primary, the fledgling would rather fly than walk and was already lifting himself off the ground in the nursery. Even God had come by to see her remarkable flyer several times, encouraging him to keep practicing and he would be a great flyer one day.

But truth be told, it wasn't the flying so much Juriel had wanted to do that day. It was to simply spend time with Aziraphale.

He missed his best friend. And now it looked like Aziraphale was so mad at him he didn't want to spend any time with him at all.

'But he did.' Juriel reminded himself as he walked along. 'He was going to come, until I suggested we go flying.'.

Then the littler angel had shut down again, brushing him off as he all but ran from him.

Why? What was wrong with him? Did Aziraphale just not like flying?

Juriel thought about this new possibility. Aziraphale had desperately not wanted to take the gateway to the garden. It had positively terrified him. And when he really thought about it, Juriel had never once recalled ever seeing Aziraphale fly.

Maybe his friend really was just afraid to fly.

Mulling over this new possibility, Juriel suddenly stopped as his keen ears picked up a sound down one of the side corridors.

Following the sound, Juriel came across several older angels in a back room. He had thought Aziraphale's torment at the hands of this particular group of older angels had stopped.

But apparently not.

"Come on, little angel." One of the angels taunted him. "Let's see you fly. You're old enough now. I want to see you fly."

Aziraphale backed up from his tormentor only to bump into another one, who pulled him around to face him. "What's the matter, little angel?" He poked at him. "Aren't those wings good for anything?"

"I have an idea!" One of the angel's quickly offered. "Let's take him to the tower. Then we can see for ourselves if he can fly."

"Leave me alone!" Aziraphale cried. "I haven't done anything to you."

One of the angels laughed. "You haven't flown for us either. Fly, and we'll leave you alone."

Aziraphale sized up his chances. The only way he figured he was going to be able to get out of this, was do what they wanted, just like the last time.

Pulling out his wings, he flexed them a few times, then leapt up into the air, flapping them like mad.

To his credit, Juriel noted, he did manage to hover a few seconds before crashing back to the floor.

The older angels erupted into laughter as Juriel watched his friend sit as still as he could on the floor, just hoping they would go away.

Juriel told himself he should have done something to intervene, but he decided in the end he learned a lot more by simply seeing how the matter played itself out. Aziraphale may have been embarrassed, but he wasn't hurt this time. And he could have saved himself a lot of trouble, Juriel told himself, if he had just been honest with him.

Bored now with the game, the others finally left. They had already been caught once for this infraction, and a second offense wouldn't be so lightly dealt with.

Still watching his friend, Juriel noted that Aziraphale waited until the others left before he slowly pulled himself off the floor. He carefully wiped a sleeve over his face as he sniffed quietly into it. Looking cautiously about, Aziraphale looked up, and with all his might leapt into the air again.

Juriel had never seen someone flap their wings as hard as Aziraphale did.

For all the good it did him.

Just like before, he only hovered for a few seconds, then crashed back to the floor.

But this time Juriel noted his friend didn't try to get up, he just stayed on the floor on his hands and knees, tucking his head down as he quietly cried.

The sound positively broke Juriel's heart. Why didn't he tell him? Was it honestly such a big deal to him that he couldn't fly that he felt the need to hide it even from his best friend?

Juriel wondered if Azireaphale had actually confided his secret to anyone.

Tired of watching his friend suffer, Juriel quietly stepped out from the side corridor where he had been watching, and slowly walked up to his friend.

"Aziraphale?" he said softly.

For all of his inability to fly, Juriel swore the little angel went about three feet into the air at the sound of his name.

Pulling over on his back, Aziraphale looked up at the new comer as he quickly wiped back his tears.

"What do you want?" Aziraphale asked, trying to keep up some sort of bravado. "Come to laugh with the others?"

Juriel stared down at him for a moment, hardly believing his friend would honestly think that of him.

"I'm not laughing." He replied as kindly as he could. Holding his hand out, he offered it to Aziraphale. "Here."

Aziraphale stared at the offered hand for a few moments, then finally let Juriel help him up.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He asked.

Aziraphale busied himself with trying to straighten his robes, refusing to answer him.

"Aziraphale!" Juriel stated, raising his voice a little.

The little angel turned a tear stained face back to his friend, a deep frown etched in his expression. "About what?" He ask. "An angel who can't fly?" And with that admission, Aziraphale turned and stormed off down the corridor.

But Juriel wasn't about to let him escape this. Hurrying after him, he came up next to him, matching his angry pace.

For a few moments they simply walked along in silence.

"Have you ever been able to fly?" Juriel finally ventured.

He expected Aziraphale to simply ignore him. But to his surprise, the littler angel shook his head.

Juriel looked amazed. "Not ever?"

Aziraphale took a deep breath. "I said 'no'." He replied, his anger rising again.

'OK. Wrong direction,' Juriel told himself. 'Time to try something else.'

"Well, you know what you were doing back there; that's not the right way to get into the air." Jurie tried instead. "At least not the first time."

Aziraphale slowed down a little as he turned to him.

Stopping, Juriel decided a demonstration was the best way to go. And it would put them a bit more on equal ground.

Mustering his strength, Juriel leapt as hard as he could straight up into the air and began flapping his wings. But even with his stronger wings, the result was exactly the same as he fell back to the ground.

"See?" He stated. " Even I can't do it that way yet. Vertical is the hardest way to take off."

Although Aziraphale didn't say anything, Juriel was encouraged to note he was watching him carefully and paying attention to the demonstration.

"Even I still have to...take a running start." Juriel stated, again aiming for a practical demonstration as he ran a short way down the corridor, spreading his wings as he started to flap them, finally easily leaving the ground.

Coasting a short distance down the corridor, he finally landed and turned about, running back to where Aziraphale was still watching him.

"Come on." He stated, "Give it a try."

"I really hate falling on the floor, Juriel." Aziraphale replied stoically. "It hurts."

"OK. Look," Juriel suggested, holding out his hand, "come out behind the woods with me then, and I'll help you learn. No one's out there right now. We'll be alone. And the ground is softer than the floor."

Aziraphale stared at the out-stretched hand for some time, thinking over the offer. He had tried to learn on his own, but nothing seemed to be working. And Juriel could fly really well. He must know something about learning how to fly.

Finally with a small smile, Aziraphale took his hand.

Slipping out a back door where no one would see them, Juriel took the smaller angel out to the back wooded area behind one of the large, pristine white buildings where they lived in heaven.

For the rest of the day, he worked with Aziraphale, trying to figure out exactly why the littler angel couldn't fly.

As hard as they were working, they totally failed to notice their efforts were not going completely un-noticed.

High above them, standing on one of the white balconies that overlooked the area behind the building, God stood with her ever present companion by Her side.

"You have to give them credit, they are trying." God commented.

Raphael simply made a derisive sound.

"Now, don't be so harsh on them." She replied. "Don't you remember when you were young?" She gave him a broad smile as She turned to him. "Or can you even remember back that far, old friend?"

The arch angel didn't bother answering, but kept his attention focused on the two below.

"Well, I have other business to attend to." God said after a few more moments past. "But keep a watch on them for me, won't you? Let me know how they get on."

Again Raphael made no move to answer Her as She walked away, but continued to watch the effort below to get Aziraphale off the ground.

For the rest of the day Juriel continued to try and help his friend learn to fly. And his efforts did not go un-rewarded. By the end of the day, Aziraphale was able to glide for a short distance. And if he flapped his wings, he could manage a good ten feet.

But finally Aziraphale called a halt to the lessons, feeling he wasn't seeing a lot of improvement

"What do you mean?" Juriel encouraged him. "You can glide now. That's more than you did this morning!"

"But I can't FLY!" Aziraphale answered in a disparaged tone.

"And you won't learn in one day!"

Aziraphale crossed his arms in front of himself. "How long did it take you?"

Juriel paused for a moment. "Two."

Aziraphale rolled his eyes as he walked off. But Juriel hurried after him and pulled him back around.

"No. I'm just having fun." He admitted. "It took me awhile. But mostly to get my wings strong enough to be able to support me."

Aziraphale stood with his head down. "And I'm a runt."

"Runts can fly, Aziraphale. It just takes longer. Your wing muscles aren't as strong. You'll have to get strength in them before you can really fly." Juriel stood in front of him, fixing a pleading look on him. "Please don't give up. Let's try again tomorrow. OK?"

Aziraphale didn't move to make any answer.

"Tomorrow?" Juriel tried again.

"OK." Finally came the barely audible answer.