In These Waters, Part VI
Gabriel went with Dean to Crarae. It was only right, he said, that he should be the one to go.
When they arrived, they were surprised to find the castle and its yards empty, save for the King, who sat at a throne in the yard as though he had waited an eternity for this moment. He was dressed in a golden suit of armor, which struck Dean as odd. The King seemed ready for battle.
“This is the first meeting we’ve ever had, yes?” the King asked, looking at Dean.
“I believe so,” Dean replied. He took one step closer to the throne and bowed deeply. “An honor to at last lay eyes upon you, great King.”
The King smirked. He was not one for false pleasantries.
“I wish to save you the time and effort of explaining why you are here,” he said, standing and towering over them both. “I am aware of your callous actions. I know that there is not one deity in all of the Kingdom who is not aware of our most absolute rule.”
“You mean the absolute dumbest rule?” Gabriel snorted. “I think we might be acquainted with it.”
“Watch your tone, son,” the King bristled. “Do you think yourself above my reproach simply because you are mine?”
“On the contrary, I figure I’ll probably get it worse than anyone else would. It’s been worth it. We’ve changed things. Humans know they can accomplish much more now. They know that they deserve more.”
“Do you think it outside my realm of control to erase that sense of entitlement?” came the King’s thundering voice. “Do you forget that it was I who created all of you? Do not forget that it is I who can take it away!”
The silence that followed was deafening. Gabriel stood beside Dean, shaking with rage. Outside the castle, the low rumble of thunder started in the distance.
The King began to laugh. “Are you threatening me?” he asked, his tone mocking. “Do you think that you are capable of battling me, boy?”
Before Gabriel could respond, a voice from the other side of the court yard yelled, “Father? Are you out here?”
Dean’s heart stopped. Cas. What was Cas doing here?
“My son,” the King said, turning around to face his youngest child. “Come enjoy this beautiful weather with me.”
Castiel walked up to his Father, confusion written on his face. When he laid eyes on Gabriel and Dean, he shook his head, not understanding.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“Cas,” Dean began, taking a step forward. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
“I only came here to reason with my Father.”
“There is no reasoning with him, don’t you see that?” Gabriel shouted. “He wears armor, ready to fight! He knew his sons were coming and yet he prepared himself for battle! Do you see now what sort of deity he is?”
A look of uncertainty flickered over Castiel’s features. He took in the scene before him: His brother, dressed in only robes of white; his Dean, in simple garbs of purple; and his Father, in golden armor with his mighty sword at his waist. It did appear suspicious but…this was their Father. He had created them from nothingness. He had given them life.
“This is all a waste of my time,” their Father said, cutting into Castiel’s uncertainty. “I have already given Iblis the charge of tending to the humans.”
Gabriel’s face was drained of all its color.
“You…you did what?” he said, voice hollow with disbelief.
Their Father sighed. He took a step forward, his hand held out. “Stop fighting with me, my son, and come inside.”
Gabriel backed away, shaking his head. With his staff in his right hand, he brought it down swiftly into the ground. There was a loud boom as the clouds crashed together. From behind the castle, a giant wind tunnel began to form. Dean realized with awe that Gabriel was forming tornadoes, and he intended to attack the King.
Castiel rose to the challenge: He sent his own funnel of water crashing into Gabriel’s, trying to subdue it. With the water filling it up, he had equal control of it. Frustrated, Gabriel charged at his brother.
Castiel allowed himself to be pummeled. He was thrown mercilessly against the castle wall. In the distance, the tornado dispersed.
“If attacking me will make you feel better,” Castiel said as he stood up slowly, “then by all means - do it. But I will not allow you to attack our Father. You will not commit such a travesty.”
“You would defend the bastard that is trying to ruin this world?” Gabriel demanded, his voice an angry quake.
“I would defend this world period! This is not about us!”
The King came to stand between his sons. He shoved Gabriel backward. “What do you think would become of this world without me?” he inquired. “It would cease to exist. I am the King of Kings. The ruler of all things living, and all things past, and all things future. This is all Mine.”
As the brothers continued to argue with their Father, Dean headed out of the court yard. Frantically, he called for Impalus. His faithful steed was there in a moment, wings poised and ready to fly. Dean climbed atop the great Pegasus and they took off.
Below the Heavens, on a large continent filled with lush greens and beautiful lakes, rested a small town called Sherwood. Its people had happily welcomed Dean and all his advice. They were quick learners; they grasped the concept of how to forge weapons and other household items. They came to understand various cooking methods. They were not mindless apes.
But when Dean arrived at his favorite village, he found it in chaos. Homes were engulfed in flames. Children sat on the streets, crying and screaming for their mothers. There were women weeping over dead bodies; bodies of their husbands, their children, their sisters. Bandits were openly rummaging through the stores. This was not the Sherwood that Dean had known.
And on the opposite end of town, near the forest, stood the shadowy form that was Iblis. He wriggled his black claws at Dean, a broad smirk on his face.
This was not his village, Dean knew it. This was another pure thing that had been corrupted by the touch of Iblis.
---
In Crarae, the brothers were having no luck with their Father. They had only continued to butt heads.
“At least allow me to show you the village!” Gabriel boomed. “You have judged them and condemned them when you have never set foot there!”
“I have condemned them to NOTHING!” the King responded. “they have condemned themselves. They damned themselves to failure when they sought to lure my daughter away from me.”
“Anna fell for a human of her own free will! She left only after you drove her away!” Once more, Gabriel bristled with anger. The clouds darkened in the sky; in turn the waters of the ocean began to churn in choppy waves.
“Father, please. Do not allow Iblis to ruin the village before you have even seen it,” Castiel said in a low voice. “Allow Gabriel to at least show you.”
With a snarl, their Father agreed.
---
Dean made to charge through the village. His only target was Iblis.
But Iblis was too fast. He moved as black smoke, wistful and silent. Dean could hear soft laughter echoing around him.
Beyond the laughter, in the distance, he heard the familiar ring of Gabriel’s voice.
“What…what happened?”
Dean guided Impalus around and saw Gabriel, who had fallen to his knees, staring into the village.
“What is the meaning of this?” came the King’s voice from behind his son. “This is a gross travesty. This is what you wished me to see?”
Castiel, too, was perplexed. He did not know this village. He knew Sherwood, yes, but this was…this was akin to the chaos of Hades.
When his sons could not answer, the King of Kings made up his mind. “I will smite the town myself,” he announced. “Get you away from this pit, all of you.”
“No.” Castiel looked up in surprise. His brother was getting to his feet, defiance etched on his face, and voice purposeful. “This is foul play. You set this up.”
The King’s laughter was a booming echo in the silent forest. “As if I would need to set anything up. These are mortals in their natural ways. I told you, my son. They are savages.”
“I don’t believe that,” Gabriel quaked. “My sister would not have given up everything for savages. Your judgment is clouded. You refuse to see beyond your hatred.”
Not for the first time, the King had grown agitated with his son’s attitude. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Gabriel.
“Stand down,” he commanded. Gabriel shook his head defiantly. He unsheathed his own sword, which crackled with lighting.
Suddenly, they threw themselves at one another. Their swords made a resonating clanging sound as they met in the air.
Castiel looked on in horror and agony. All of this…because he had not been strong enough to resist his father’s commands; because he had not been strong enough to resist Iblis.
When the King plunged his sword through his son’s chest, the world stopped - it fell silent. And suddenly, in a whoosh, the sky erupted. Lightning bolts slammed into the Earth, decimating anything in their path. The sky darkened and poured down sheets of rain. The ground erupted with fiery streams of anger. The planet was at a loss.
But the greatest sound of despair came in the form of an anguished cry that burst forth from Castiel’s chest and blossomed out from his lips.
Gabriel looked at his Father, betrayal and hurt in his eyes, amber liquid dripping from his mouth and gaping wound. “May you never find reprieve from the anger that consumes you,” he whispered as he crumpled to the ground.
The King felt a momentary stab of remorse. He had not foreseen things unfolding this way. Perhaps he had purposely blocked this possible timeline from his vision. He had been in denial, possibly.
The remorse was fleeting. It went as quickly as it came.
“I am justified,” he said loudly. “I am Ruler of all things. I am Creator. I am Absolute.”
He turned to his remaining son. “I will give you and yours one chance to leave this place,” he declared. “You will be spared any punishment if you leave and never look back. But know that if you do look back, there will be no mercy.”
Dean dismounted Impalus and came to stand beside Castiel. Castiel stood frozen with heartache.
“Cas,” he whispered into Castiel’s ear. “We have to move.”
“No, my - my brother - I have to get his body. He needs a - a burial,” Castiel sobbed.
“We can’t think about that now. Let’s go.”
Castiel allowed himself to be guided toward Impalus. Dean gave Castiel a lift onto the Pegasus. He walked beside Impalus, holding on to the reign and leading him.
When they had walked a ways, Dean stopped. Castiel blinked when he noticed the abrupt cease in moving.
“Why have we stopped?” he asked, his voice dull and low.
Dean took a deep breath before answering. “I’m not going with you, Cas. You have to go on with Impalus.”
“W-what?” Castiel replied, not believing what he was hearing.
“Go on! I will not turn my back on them and you must survive this! Go!” Dean swatted the rear haunches of his great Pegasus. When Castiel made to turn around and plead with Dean, he roared, “I TOLD YOU TO GO! YOU HAVE TO ESCAPE THIS PLACE!”
Hunched over and clutching his chest, Castiel was driven on by Impalus. Dean watched him leave before turning to face Sherwood. The last thing he saw was the smoldering ruins of a once beautiful town.
---
When the human town of Sherwood fell; when the only Royal Child left was Castiel; when the God of the Moon made the decision to turn his back on their Kingdom, the aftermath was horrendous.
The King of Kings was left with one remaining son. His anger could be felt through all the land. He had now lost two children to the wants of the mortals. Bitter and distrustful once more, he expelled every last God from his Kingdom. Every God but his own son, who he kept close to his vest.
They fell from the Heavens in hordes, some of them dying on impact as they crashed into the ground. Some of them fell more gently, as raindrops. Those that survived the Fall were doomed to walk the Earth as mortals. They would never again set eyes on their castles, their lands, their friends and family. They were destined to suffer.
Iblis sat alone, feeling empty and nowhere near as happy as he thought he would be. He had aided in wiping out an entire town, yes, but still his side was cold where his beloved should be.
The King, realizing that Iblis had aimed only for selfishness, damned him to Hell.
“You are never again to walk this Earth,” he commanded. “You should get accustomed to only seeing the fires of Hell day in and day out. You will perform your duties as the Lord of the Underworld faithfully. You will punish the souls as you see fit, but only the souls that I send to you.”
Iblis laughed mirthlessly. “I will corrupt every soul my jinn can touch,” he promised. “I will corrupt every faithless soul, and if my jinn are trusting in me enough, I will grant them the powers to corrupt even the most pious of servants.”
“I will fill Hell with you and every single soul like you,” the King boomed.
When the King of Kings decided to punish the God of the Moon with endless reincarnation, he knew it was more a punishment for his own son than it was for the Moon Lord. He knew that his son would suffer the most. And he knew that his son would need to suffer in order to atone for his sins.
“You will spend the rest of eternity searching the globe for your soul mate,” he commanded. “You will do this no matter how tired you become, no matter how much you want to resist, and despite any objections you may have. This is your punishment.”
And so, Castiel spent every century searching the world for his lost lover. He combed the countries, searching for any sign of his Dean. He sent his servants to look. He sent Bahamut to search the waters, certain that they would find him. He knew that no matter what, Dean would return.