The cuts were small.

The pain was not.

Eve had screamed as they sliced off what should have been hers until she went to asylum. Screamed so loud even the demons under the earth must have heard her and wondered what could make such a horrendous sound. Surly not such a holy being as her.

Then they had cast her out, thrown her off the city of Eden, Eve, for first the first time in her long life, understood why humans feared heights. The wind flew her hair above her head, fear quickly overcoming the flames that raged in her back, turning her body icy cold. The ground approached so quickly that she barely blinked before even more pain hit her. Literally.

Eve was not blessed with unconsciousness, heaven seemed determined to make her life as miserable as possible. The more time she spent on that earthen plane the more pain she felt. It wasn't the wounds on her back that caused the pain either, the pain, seemed to push on her, pull her down.

What was causing her to feel so crushed? So weighed down?

She was in the earth, the solid earth that got into her eyes and nose but she was hurting too much to care. Face planting in the dirt was not good for ones complexion, it ground itself into her, making her feel gritty and unclean.

What was that heavy feeling?

Try to think of happy things. She forcefully told herself. That will make you feel better.

But what was there to think about that wouldn't cause her pain in her heart? Her family, Eden, Even her few friends were all too much to think about.

Her studies.

Yes, they would work.

Calling up to her mind a memorized line from the books she had studied whilst fighting pain, Eve thought rapidly, The angel race was born one hundred thousand years ago, it was only a few hundred years later when they came to Earth to explore. Unfamiliar with sold ground they quickly realized they would need a mode of transport, they attached legs to themselves so they could walk on ground.

Soon, however, it was clear the weight of earth was to much for them so they attached wings so they would never have to feel the crushing-

Gravity.

That's what was the feeling was.

Gravity.

Suddenly she had much to think about, despite still being face-planted in the earth.

Eve had never felt gravity before, but had longed to for all her life. Obsessing over humans and their way of life had been her downfall.

How apt. Her mind thought.

Her whole life was apt.

Excitement replaced the pain in her body. She was on earth, she could finally experience all the pain and gravity she wanted to.

Forcing herself to push herself off the ground, her arms shook as she forced herself away from the stupid gravity.

How did the humans do it? How did they go about being pulled down so much and still survive? How did they build such tall buildings and walk about with hope?

Finally on her legs, she looked up on what she recalled was called the horizon. On it was a human city! One with lots of tall buildings that shone in the sun, a longing in her heart pushed for her to go to it, to be with the humans.

Eve took one step forward and immediately fell down again.

Saying several words that should have made her mouth burn, she felt a strange liquid fall from her head.

Tears...

Why was everything so hard and cruel on this planet? Some part of her wanted to lay on that ground until she was a part of it. But at the same time, a fiery feeling exploded within Eve, one that filled her from head to toe.

"I'll not be defeated by an invisible force!" She shouted fiercely, letting the wind pull the sound along until it faded away into nothing.

Struggling to her feet again, she took one tiny step and managed to stay aloft.

A smile twitched across her mouth as the feeling inside her grew stronger, pushing her to go on even while she cursed her weak legs that were unused to exercise. Once again Eve struggled across the hills towards the city. 

Yet the pain was still overcoming her. She needed to think of something else, so she began think on her studies to distract herself from the pain again, this time the words of her professor echoed in her mind.

Humans are stupid animals that couldn't see the right way if it danced naked in front of them. They argue amongst themselves, they tear down all that is precious and hate all that is good.

Yet they changed! Oh how they changed, and they were learning. Eve had watched them for thousands of years. They changed and grew and learned, that was what made them so interesting.

In Eden, things were always the same, nothing changed. There were the same people, the same city, the same lessons.

Yet they were the ones free, they were the ones who did not have to feel pain. Why did they not fly to the heights that were allowed them, why didn't they take advantage of it all? Eve had seemed to be the only one that felt curiosity at all.

Grunting, Eve picked up speed, finally getting the hang of the tedious matter of placing one leg in front of the other, she continued to wonder.

Humans, they were bound down, they suffered. But they grew, they learned, they changed. They became better. All while suffering the enormous pain of gravity.

The sun sparkled in Eve's eyes as she gazed once again to the shining city ahead of her and thought of the burning that she had experienced inside of her that had pushed her to go on, to improve and keep on going. Surly if she would have never felt such a feeling if she had stayed. Though Eve recalled feeling something like it before.

Defiance her teachers, parents and friends had called it. Defiance had driven her to keep on watching the humans when she shouldn't have. Defiance had caused her to lose her wings.

Yet this was stronger. It was similar, but not the same. Whatever it was, it came from pain, and it inspired her to keep on going.

Eve smiled as she realized suddenly that she had walked for quite some time and had not fallen. She glanced ahead to see the shining city in the distance.

Humans felt the feeling of "defiance" when they felt pain as well, she was sure of it. 

Eden had no such feelings.

Maybe that's why they grew and Eden didn't.