Chapter 9: Castiel's Trial
Castiel found himself trapped in a circle of holy oil, in the center of what looked like the heavenly version of a law court. Ariel sat at the ‘judges’ bench in front of him. He turned slowly clockwise, surveying those of his brothers and sisters left after the Civil War and Godhood he’d inflicted upon them. He could see Ariel had arranged the host so that those who had followed Castiel were seated to her left and those remaining loyal to Raphael were seated to her right. Those undecided sat facing her; these were the clerics, healers and guardians of the human heavens.
Castiel had tried to keep them out of the war with Raphael. He couldn’t remember whether this had remained so during his false Godhood. There was a sudden lightening in the atmosphere of the courtroom and Castiel lifted his gaze to find that the Cherubim had joined the host.
While Ariel addressed the Host, Castiel had been coming to grips with absorbing Sam’s hell hallucinations. As the host settled itself and waited for his trial to begin. Castiel gained mastery of his hallucinations. They didn’t frighten him anymore. He accepted them as simply his ego trying to assert itself. Castiel had known real insanity in the period of his short lived divinity. Lucifer’s hallucinatory trickery, real or imagined, was comforting by comparison.
Castiel looked around the courtroom again. One battalion had fallen in the First War of heaven and the Second had claimed two garrisons. In the year of the aborted apocalypse, perhaps a further five hundred had died. His false divinity had claimed another five hundred. Nearly two thousand five hundred angels gone, their grace lost forever and all for nothing.
Castiel could do nothing but hang his head in shame and give silent thanks that the brevity of this trial would be the only mercy shown him. He should have known his luck had run out. Listening to Ariel speak, Castiel knew that brevity would be the last thing this trial offered.
***
“All things are known to God. Our Father knows the pain visited upon the Host. Our brother Castiel stands before us to receive judgment for the damage he has rent upon the Host. Those who supported our late brother Raphael shall have their say. Those who sort guidance from and then followed Castiel shall have their say.
There shall be no anger shown in this court. There shall be no calling for unnecessary bloodshed by either side. There shall be no interruptions to those speaking by either side.
If there are any amongst you that cannot or will not abide by these principles, leave. There shall be no recriminations shown you, however know that you shall have no recourse against the final judgment upon Castiel.
If you do not like it, you have only yourselves to blame. If any dissent is heard, rumored or implied amongst the host after this trial is done, those responsible shall have to deal with me.
For those who remain within this courtroom, any amongst you who show of anger, interruption or bloodlust shall find themselves held in greeting by the Cherubim until the end of Castiel’s trial and judgment is passed.
Are there any questions?”
Ariel waited while a frenzy of muttering passed amongst the gathered host. Hovering above the courtroom the Cherubim also murmured amongst themselves. Their excitement and happiness at being given such an honor by an archangel caused a burst of uncontrolled love to pass over the gathered host.
When everything had returned to normal and silence once again reigned over the court. Castiel saw that none had chosen to leave. He wasn’t really surprised. His trial wasn’t only to judge his actions, it would allow a rare opportunity for the Host to vent all their frustration and despair bottled and misdirected since Lucifer first dared to question their Father.
This was going to take a while. Castiel sent a last prayer to his Father, if he still existed, that Dean, Sam Winchester and Wen Smith be safe.
The loyal and the rebellious have their say
Ariel called forth the angels Sofiel, an angel of nature, and Ongkanon, an angel of communication. They would be the Clerks of Court for the duration of his trial.
“Who would speak first?” Ariel addressed the Host. There was a long silence, and then from her right, came a voice. All eyes turned to the standing angel.
“I am Rahael; amongst humankind I have been called an angel of respect. Prayers are offered me seeking wisdom and guidance from those who walked before us. Humans learn the importance of respecting the wisdom of their elders. It has always been our duty to respect the word and judgment of Our Father and His Archangels. To follow their example without question; this I have done for Raphael. This I shall do for Ariel, now Our Father has restored her to our sight and memory. This is all I know and I find no reason to be otherwise.”
Rahael sat back down. From Ariel’s left rose an angel and all eyes turned to her.
“I am Dina; amongst humankind I have been called an angel of learning. Prayers are offered me seeking how best to learn and acquire knowledge. Rahael makes is a valid point. Yet, Raphael did not respect the word or judgment of Our Father. Lucifer rose, as was written. Michael met and fought him, as was written. I do not understand why Father allowed both our brothers to fall and be imprisoned. I do not understand why Father allowed Castiel to be reborn.
I do understand that, what was written, took place. I understand that it is my duty as an angel of learning to keep seeking knowledge. This is why I followed Castiel. To learn from the knowledge he had gained from his time on Earth with the Righteous Man. It pains me that so much of the Righteous Man’s knowledge has come through bloodshed. It pains me that I have had to do likewise to continue my purpose as an angel of learning.”
Dina sat back down. Another angel rose to speak and so it continued. Castiel lifted his gaze to Ariel. She met his gaze and for a fraction of a second Castiel thought he saw satisfaction in her eyes. He dropped his gaze and returned to listening to what his brothers and sisters had to say. He wondered what Dean was doing. The thought filled him with something like courage. He stood a little taller.
A strange place for humour
Midway through his trial, Castiel, was finding it difficult to control himself. In the midst of listening to the anger and despair, confusion and hurt of his fellow angels, he’d discovered humor and was trying very hard not to burst out laughing. For around the courtroom, on either side of the judge’s bench, angels were held fast in a cupid’s embrace. Ariel had kept her word and those who had spoken in reactionary anger, who called for Castiel’s head without reason, who heckled those speaking, had found themselves in the uncomfortable greeting embrace of the cherubim.
Castiel breathed deeply and looked up at Ariel. He was reminded of Anna and how she would diffuse garrison unrest with subtlety wherever possible rather than brute force. The Cherubim, with their existence centered on spreading love amongst humanity, acted as an effective control against the host lynching Castiel. Their excited bursts of happiness, raining down love upon the assembled host meant that those angels who rose to spoke did so without prejudice.
“I’ve missed my sister. Look at her Castiel. Isn’t she magnificent? Cupids used as courtroom security.” Lucifer laughed and a feeling of genuine affection washed through Castiel. Lucifer was an enigma to him, whether as this quasi-ego hallucination of his own mind or as the real archangel he encountered in Carthage.
“Why can’t you apologise? Is it truly better to be ruler of Hell, known as evil incarnate, than an angel of the Lord?” Castiel turned to Lucifer, who turned and regarded the younger angel silently for a long time before answering.
“I could, but I won’t. I have more influence now than I ever did and I’ve been locked in prison for the better part of two and a half millennia. Paradoxically, my all too brief release has given me even more followers. Crowley might be running Hell at the moment, but he’s not and will never be, ‘The Devil.’” Lucifer shrugged and continued, “Besides, say that came to pass and Daddy dearest accepted me back into the flock. Who do you think he’s going to exile and make the new Devil? Let’s face it brother, ‘I am your new god, a better god’, is a lot more blasphemous than wanting to annihilate Dad’s pet mud-monkeys.” An evil grin spread across his face and he went for the kill shot.
“But, I’m sure Sam and Dean will come to your rescue. After all, ‘next to Sam and Bobby, you’re the closest thing to family I’ve got.’” Lucifer said, as Dean, before morphing back into Nick. He laughed as Castiel shivered with horror.
For the first time in this trial he felt afraid. He’d just assumed that he would be executed, no matter the show of justice being made. The thought of banishment or worse that had never crossed his mind, until now, Lucifer quietly slipped away, back into the recess of Castiel’s mind as the last witness spoke.
***
A year in Heaven, close to a week on Earth, passed. At year’s end, the supporters of Raphael and Castiel had finished speaking. He had been surprised to learn that some of Raphael’s supporters had in fact considered his argument for free-will and had begun walking amongst the human heavens to try and understand the fascination. He was disappointed to learn that several of his supporters believed him a better leader when he named himself a god. They felt leadership should involve a degree of tyranny.
Ariel called the court to order and informed them that they would adjourn for a two months to attend to heavenly duties. Castiel would be placed in her custody until court reconvened and the Clerics, Healers and Guardians of Human Heavens would be asked to speak.
She expressly ordered that there would be no discussion concerning Castiel’s trial and that if any such rumour, thought or innuendo was made known to her she would smite first and ask questions later. A look of unadulterated fear passed across the Host at her words. With a nod to the Cherubim, the offending angels were released from their embrace and the courtroom emptied within minutes.
***
Ariel came down from the judge’s bench and addressed Castiel.
“Fear was Michael and Raphael’s way of keeping control of the heavenly host. I do not like having to follow in their footsteps because of the quivering mess you false divinity left upon the psyche of our brothers and sisters. Since you are not moving for the two months, you would do well to purge yourself of whatever lingering essence of The Morning Star you took into yourself healing Sam Winchester. The ghost of a fallen archangel will not give you strength to face sentencing. Regardless of the outcome, it is time you healed yourself Castiel.”
With that she was gone and Castiel stood alone within the circle of burning holy oil, Lucifer laughing beside him. “If I knew you’d make a far more interesting vessel, Sammy could have gone on ‘saving people, hunting things, the family business.’” Lucifer used Dean’s image to mock Castiel.
Castiel merely closed his eyes. Lucifer held no sway over him because from the moment Castiel had beheld Dean in hell, a burning light trapped in a shadow. His hearts allegiance had been to The Righteous Man. Lucifer, real or imagined, couldn’t begin to compete with such love and devotion, didn’t understand it and was ultimately jealous of it. By the time the host gathered in the courtroom Castiel was once again master of himself.
part two