[fic] These Three Things (Supernatural; eventual Destiel) 3/10-ish
These Three Things
by: exorcistor
Fandom: Supernatural
People/pairings (this chapter): Castiel, Jimmy Novak, Dean, Alastair, other angels
Word count: 1900
Genre: idk, drama? family?
Rating: worksafe
Beta: Thank you aerilex for the helpful pointers on both canon, theology, and language!
Note: And then there was Dean and we saw that it was good. Time for canon storyline, you guys! Future Destiel as the canon storyline goes on.
---
PART ONE: Faith
Chapter three: To Hell And Back
And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things; and the greater of these is love.
- St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: 13:13, the Bible
This is what love is, he realizes; love is pain, love is a double-edged sword. Through Michael, his Father told him so, so long ago, but he hasn't been able to understand it until now. His brethren falling to the Pit, falling victims to the war... It has been torment, but to have his own superior, the angel whom he has worked alongside almost since the beginning of time, willingly leave them...
It stirs something inside of Castiel, something big and frightening for which he has no name yet.
He wishes to go speak to Uriel; his next closest brother, as they have also worked together for a long time. But Uriel is otherwise occupied; another prophet has been found, who will tell the story of two brothers of great importance. It is time to act, they are told. All can be made right, if they only follow the Word of the prophet.
The time for Castiel to take a vessel and walk the Earth again grows near, he is told, and he goes to find the man Jimmy Novak, as is foretold by the prophet. The bloodline, which started with the young girl whose dreams he once visited for years, goes back further than most of his siblings in the garrison; it should not be hard to prepare him for the assignment.
For weeks, Castiel speaks to Jimmy, carefully calling the mortal to him and preparing his mind for what is to come. Naturally, he could use more forceful persuasion; most of his brethren only ask once before gaining the necessary "yes" from their vessels. Castiel, however, has no other assignment at the moment, and he prefers to be thorough when he can.
Suddenly, Zachariah calls upon Castiel to return to Heaven. They meet in the Gardens, and Castiel looks around, then, searching for sign of his Father; he would like to ask him about the fallen angels, and what Haniel meant by him being unable to understand, he wants to know about love and the purpose of it, if suffering is the unavoidable result of loving. But God is nowhere. Castiel tries not to let disappointment get hold of him, but truth of the matter is that he has been listening to the prayers of mortals for so long now, feeling the discontent from their race seep into him for centuries, and he is tired of not being able to do anything to change things.
"So we will give you a chance to change something, Castiel," Zachariah says.
Castiel looks up in surprise.
"This mission is not for the light of heart, Castiel. It is of utmost importance that you are ready to face whatever may come to fulfill this task."
Castiel does not understand why he needs to assure this; of course he would go to the depths of the Pit and back if need be.
"There is need, Castiel, and it is dire," Zachariah nods gravely. His voice is serene, but his eyes are filled with intensity. He knows what he is asking of Castiel. But Dean Winchester must be saved.
Through the opening of Hell is not a problem. It is well guarded, naturally, but the guards burdens themselves little with stopping people from entering the Pit. Their true assignment is to keep anyone from escaping it. As Castiel and his Garrison circles lower along the levels of the Pit, they encounter their fallen sisters and brothers, and the pain Castiel feels when he sees the state of them, can sense their torment and feel the ruined shreds of what used to be their Grace, is overwhelming. He curses the necessity which has ruined these wonderful beings that once loved and fought alongside him. But he does not question it.
The red darkness of Hell bleeds into everything around them, and Castiel shudders with revulsion as he pushes further, further down into the levels. There is such hopelessness to everything he sees in the Pit, and Castiel can feel it seep into his Grace from every direction. The human souls he sees are beyond recognition; naturally he has gazed upon the wretched spirits of demons before, as they have taken a host on Earth to spread their ill will amongst the living, but here in the darkness they are more terrifying than ever before, and Castiel has to fight the urge to smite them all, to release them from their endless suffering. That is not his mission, so instead he only leaves the demons stunned by his visage as he and his brethren pass them.
As Hell twists the time they have spent in it's wretched darkness into years, he begins to fear that when he finds Dean Winchester's soul, it will already be beyond recognition, twisted into something terrifying and evil, irreparably broken. But he cannot fail his Father; he most find Dean Winchester and bring him back, no matter the state of his soul. His brethren stay close, and they can all feel evil and pain lapping at their Grace, and there is a burn in Castiel, a sensation of anguish too close to that of a physical being for his comfort. He does not know how his fallen brothers and sisters came to be what they are today, but he is now terrified for his own self; can an angel fall without consent? And if he, an angel of the Lord, can be tricked into dubiety in such a short time, how can he expect a human such as Dean Winchester to have withstood the pain for so long?
The first time he lays eyes on the soul of the human being that is Dean Winchester, unaware and strapped to the rack along with thousands of other, strung up like a pig waiting for slaughter - no, not waiting for; having been slaughtered, over and over, for years - he is almost blinded by its persistent shine. Castiel can feel the heavy, ugly soot of the Pit on his own wings, and yet, as cracked and sick as the human Dean Winchester looks, he still shines. As all memories of beauty and happiness seems to be washed to the side by the tide of desperation to simply survive this frightful place, the soul of Dean Winchester seems to him the most beautiful thing Castiel has ever laid eyes on. His brothers and sisters rejoice with him; they have made it.
There is a demon at Dean Winchester's side then, cackling as it speaks to Castiel in a nasal drawl; "It is too late, angel!" it calls to him. "The righteous man has been broken; the seal is no more!"
Castiel does not hesitate; he lands directly on top of the demon, pushing it down and possibly - hopefully - breaking something vital in the process. He stares into the twisted, grinning face of Alastair, and he knows what he has had Dean Winchester do. His eyes narrow. If he'd had his Blade... But then he shakes the thought; it does not matter. His mission is to salvage what can be salvaged, not to dwell on what has been lost.
"Your power over his fate ends here, demon," he growls, his Grace flaring out and burning Alastair's form. The demon screams, and laughs, crazed, and vanishes.
There will be others coming, they know, and the Garrison keeps guard as Castiel goes to free Dean Winchester from his bonds. He reaches out, carefully lifting the chains off him. The demons circling them dare not come too close; they won't risk the wrath of the true servants of God, even this far into the Pit. Castiel snorts; despicable and cowardly abominations, they are. But he also knows they do not need to stop him. Not anymore. The seal is broken; he was too late. But he will not fall into despair. His mission remains.
As soon as Dean Winchester is free from the straps, he lifts him to his chest. There's no time to be gentle; they will have to force their way out of the Pit, as it does not release its captives easily. And it shall have to be swift; the light of Dean Winchester's soul is flickering in exhaustion.
For the rest of his existence, Castiel will not be able to recall their escape fully. While he remembers his descent into Hell with frightful clarity, the ascent... He is too occupied with the little, human soul in his arms to take any real notice of the demons around him taking their swings at the Garrison. Their claws and blades cut into his sisters and brothers, and around him he can hear their shrieks, feel their pain is if were it his own. Castiel bursts out of the Gate, he is alone, and he stumbles as a wave of sensation hits him. His wings are torn and barely able to keep him up, and the agony of losing his brethren is overwhelming. Still, he does not let go of Dean Winchester's soul. In his desperation, he even clutches the trembling core of the mortal too hard, and his Grace has burned it. Castiel begs on his knees for forgiveness for having harmed this precious creation of his Father, and he is crying as Uriel appears by his side, complete with a new vessel. He was the only angel of the Garrison who dod not come into Hell with Castiel. And now he is the only one left.
"Dean Winchester is saved," he says, and the Hosts of Heaven rejoices. "But I was too late; the seal was broken, Uriel. I am sorry."
"Don't blame yourself, Castiel," Uriel says. "It was inevitable. We shall never know the true purpose of all that happens, but as it is our Father's will, so it shall come to pass."
Castiel nods. "I shall take Dean with me to the Everlasting, where-"
"No," Uriel stops him. "Dean Winchester has not yet served his full purpose. He must return to the world of mortals once more, Castiel, and we must watch over him. You know the importance of Dean Winchester's safety."
Castiel nods. "I understand." Though he does not truly understand. He wonders if he should ask Zachariah for insight, or even go to Raphael for Revelation, as Uriel so often does lately, but that shall have to wait. For now, the task at hand - to reassemble Dean Winchester's body and redeliver him to his mortal life - is the one thing Castiel needs to keep his mind on. It does not matter if he is tired; he is a warrior of God, and as long as he has a mission to fulfill, he will never wilt. There will be time to rest when he is done.
There is a mark on Dean Winchester's shoulder.
Castiel marvels as he arranges the limp body in its casket, six feet under ground. Their flight from Hell was no joyride, and Castiel had not had the opportunity to be gentle. Yet the only sign of his Grace's touch is that one mark on Dean Winchester's shoulder. Not to mention the forty years spent in Hell, and still he had not been tarnished and turned. There is no doubt; Dean Winchester is made differently than any human he has ever encountered before. Perhaps they can put their faith in him, after all.
---
Previous | Next
by: exorcistor
Fandom: Supernatural
People/pairings (this chapter): Castiel, Jimmy Novak, Dean, Alastair, other angels
Word count: 1900
Genre: idk, drama? family?
Rating: worksafe
Beta: Thank you aerilex for the helpful pointers on both canon, theology, and language!
Note: And then there was Dean and we saw that it was good. Time for canon storyline, you guys! Future Destiel as the canon storyline goes on.
---
PART ONE: Faith
Chapter three: To Hell And Back
And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things; and the greater of these is love.
- St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: 13:13, the Bible
This is what love is, he realizes; love is pain, love is a double-edged sword. Through Michael, his Father told him so, so long ago, but he hasn't been able to understand it until now. His brethren falling to the Pit, falling victims to the war... It has been torment, but to have his own superior, the angel whom he has worked alongside almost since the beginning of time, willingly leave them...
It stirs something inside of Castiel, something big and frightening for which he has no name yet.
He wishes to go speak to Uriel; his next closest brother, as they have also worked together for a long time. But Uriel is otherwise occupied; another prophet has been found, who will tell the story of two brothers of great importance. It is time to act, they are told. All can be made right, if they only follow the Word of the prophet.
The time for Castiel to take a vessel and walk the Earth again grows near, he is told, and he goes to find the man Jimmy Novak, as is foretold by the prophet. The bloodline, which started with the young girl whose dreams he once visited for years, goes back further than most of his siblings in the garrison; it should not be hard to prepare him for the assignment.
For weeks, Castiel speaks to Jimmy, carefully calling the mortal to him and preparing his mind for what is to come. Naturally, he could use more forceful persuasion; most of his brethren only ask once before gaining the necessary "yes" from their vessels. Castiel, however, has no other assignment at the moment, and he prefers to be thorough when he can.
Suddenly, Zachariah calls upon Castiel to return to Heaven. They meet in the Gardens, and Castiel looks around, then, searching for sign of his Father; he would like to ask him about the fallen angels, and what Haniel meant by him being unable to understand, he wants to know about love and the purpose of it, if suffering is the unavoidable result of loving. But God is nowhere. Castiel tries not to let disappointment get hold of him, but truth of the matter is that he has been listening to the prayers of mortals for so long now, feeling the discontent from their race seep into him for centuries, and he is tired of not being able to do anything to change things.
"So we will give you a chance to change something, Castiel," Zachariah says.
Castiel looks up in surprise.
"This mission is not for the light of heart, Castiel. It is of utmost importance that you are ready to face whatever may come to fulfill this task."
Castiel does not understand why he needs to assure this; of course he would go to the depths of the Pit and back if need be.
"There is need, Castiel, and it is dire," Zachariah nods gravely. His voice is serene, but his eyes are filled with intensity. He knows what he is asking of Castiel. But Dean Winchester must be saved.
Through the opening of Hell is not a problem. It is well guarded, naturally, but the guards burdens themselves little with stopping people from entering the Pit. Their true assignment is to keep anyone from escaping it. As Castiel and his Garrison circles lower along the levels of the Pit, they encounter their fallen sisters and brothers, and the pain Castiel feels when he sees the state of them, can sense their torment and feel the ruined shreds of what used to be their Grace, is overwhelming. He curses the necessity which has ruined these wonderful beings that once loved and fought alongside him. But he does not question it.
The red darkness of Hell bleeds into everything around them, and Castiel shudders with revulsion as he pushes further, further down into the levels. There is such hopelessness to everything he sees in the Pit, and Castiel can feel it seep into his Grace from every direction. The human souls he sees are beyond recognition; naturally he has gazed upon the wretched spirits of demons before, as they have taken a host on Earth to spread their ill will amongst the living, but here in the darkness they are more terrifying than ever before, and Castiel has to fight the urge to smite them all, to release them from their endless suffering. That is not his mission, so instead he only leaves the demons stunned by his visage as he and his brethren pass them.
As Hell twists the time they have spent in it's wretched darkness into years, he begins to fear that when he finds Dean Winchester's soul, it will already be beyond recognition, twisted into something terrifying and evil, irreparably broken. But he cannot fail his Father; he most find Dean Winchester and bring him back, no matter the state of his soul. His brethren stay close, and they can all feel evil and pain lapping at their Grace, and there is a burn in Castiel, a sensation of anguish too close to that of a physical being for his comfort. He does not know how his fallen brothers and sisters came to be what they are today, but he is now terrified for his own self; can an angel fall without consent? And if he, an angel of the Lord, can be tricked into dubiety in such a short time, how can he expect a human such as Dean Winchester to have withstood the pain for so long?
The first time he lays eyes on the soul of the human being that is Dean Winchester, unaware and strapped to the rack along with thousands of other, strung up like a pig waiting for slaughter - no, not waiting for; having been slaughtered, over and over, for years - he is almost blinded by its persistent shine. Castiel can feel the heavy, ugly soot of the Pit on his own wings, and yet, as cracked and sick as the human Dean Winchester looks, he still shines. As all memories of beauty and happiness seems to be washed to the side by the tide of desperation to simply survive this frightful place, the soul of Dean Winchester seems to him the most beautiful thing Castiel has ever laid eyes on. His brothers and sisters rejoice with him; they have made it.
There is a demon at Dean Winchester's side then, cackling as it speaks to Castiel in a nasal drawl; "It is too late, angel!" it calls to him. "The righteous man has been broken; the seal is no more!"
Castiel does not hesitate; he lands directly on top of the demon, pushing it down and possibly - hopefully - breaking something vital in the process. He stares into the twisted, grinning face of Alastair, and he knows what he has had Dean Winchester do. His eyes narrow. If he'd had his Blade... But then he shakes the thought; it does not matter. His mission is to salvage what can be salvaged, not to dwell on what has been lost.
"Your power over his fate ends here, demon," he growls, his Grace flaring out and burning Alastair's form. The demon screams, and laughs, crazed, and vanishes.
There will be others coming, they know, and the Garrison keeps guard as Castiel goes to free Dean Winchester from his bonds. He reaches out, carefully lifting the chains off him. The demons circling them dare not come too close; they won't risk the wrath of the true servants of God, even this far into the Pit. Castiel snorts; despicable and cowardly abominations, they are. But he also knows they do not need to stop him. Not anymore. The seal is broken; he was too late. But he will not fall into despair. His mission remains.
As soon as Dean Winchester is free from the straps, he lifts him to his chest. There's no time to be gentle; they will have to force their way out of the Pit, as it does not release its captives easily. And it shall have to be swift; the light of Dean Winchester's soul is flickering in exhaustion.
For the rest of his existence, Castiel will not be able to recall their escape fully. While he remembers his descent into Hell with frightful clarity, the ascent... He is too occupied with the little, human soul in his arms to take any real notice of the demons around him taking their swings at the Garrison. Their claws and blades cut into his sisters and brothers, and around him he can hear their shrieks, feel their pain is if were it his own. Castiel bursts out of the Gate, he is alone, and he stumbles as a wave of sensation hits him. His wings are torn and barely able to keep him up, and the agony of losing his brethren is overwhelming. Still, he does not let go of Dean Winchester's soul. In his desperation, he even clutches the trembling core of the mortal too hard, and his Grace has burned it. Castiel begs on his knees for forgiveness for having harmed this precious creation of his Father, and he is crying as Uriel appears by his side, complete with a new vessel. He was the only angel of the Garrison who dod not come into Hell with Castiel. And now he is the only one left.
"Dean Winchester is saved," he says, and the Hosts of Heaven rejoices. "But I was too late; the seal was broken, Uriel. I am sorry."
"Don't blame yourself, Castiel," Uriel says. "It was inevitable. We shall never know the true purpose of all that happens, but as it is our Father's will, so it shall come to pass."
Castiel nods. "I shall take Dean with me to the Everlasting, where-"
"No," Uriel stops him. "Dean Winchester has not yet served his full purpose. He must return to the world of mortals once more, Castiel, and we must watch over him. You know the importance of Dean Winchester's safety."
Castiel nods. "I understand." Though he does not truly understand. He wonders if he should ask Zachariah for insight, or even go to Raphael for Revelation, as Uriel so often does lately, but that shall have to wait. For now, the task at hand - to reassemble Dean Winchester's body and redeliver him to his mortal life - is the one thing Castiel needs to keep his mind on. It does not matter if he is tired; he is a warrior of God, and as long as he has a mission to fulfill, he will never wilt. There will be time to rest when he is done.
There is a mark on Dean Winchester's shoulder.
Castiel marvels as he arranges the limp body in its casket, six feet under ground. Their flight from Hell was no joyride, and Castiel had not had the opportunity to be gentle. Yet the only sign of his Grace's touch is that one mark on Dean Winchester's shoulder. Not to mention the forty years spent in Hell, and still he had not been tarnished and turned. There is no doubt; Dean Winchester is made differently than any human he has ever encountered before. Perhaps they can put their faith in him, after all.
---
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