A/N: I severely twisted the cannon plotline for my story. Mainly because Castiel is a female; so if you don't like girl!Cas or gender-bent stories altogether, please quietly move on. For those who choose to continue on, please review as it helps spur my inspiration.
sections in Italics are flashbacks
"What are we doing, Gabriel?" Castielle asks as they walk through a crowd of people. To the humans surrounding them, the pair looks possibly like a father and daughter, as the young fledgling is using the form of a seven year old child. Her tiny hand held securely in her companion's. The busy street practically pulsated with energy as people made preparations for the Christmas holiday. They had visited a church earlier. The younger angel had been surprised to see a depiction of herself playing her harp; although the angel depicted was a blonde, Castielle had recognized her harp immediately. While Gabriel had complained about the inaccurate depiction of the Christ's birth; but the older angel had seemed determined to teach his young charge about the human holiday, nonetheless.
"Well Cassie, if you're going to be a messenger like me one day: you need to learn how to walk among people. Father told us to love them and protect them. How are we to do that if we don't know them? "
"Michael will be mad that we left." Castielle deadpanned.
"Don't worry about Mikey. He needs to learn to lighten up; just like you, Coco-bean." Gabriel said, using his special nickname for his young charge.
"Can we stay down here?" Castielle's question caught Gabriel off-guard for a moment.
"Why would we do that?" Gabriel asks, although he already suspects the answer.
"The others call me 'Crow-wings.'" Castielle answers quietly. And Gabriel wasn't far from the target of knowing what the little Angel was going to say.
Castielle's wings had marked her as different among the others. The size of them alone was enough to be different. Compared to the others, whose wings were proportionate to their size, Castielle's wing span and strength is impressive to say the least. It was like a puppy whose paws are too big for their body. And the color is one that had never been seen before: pure black. But the true significance of the wings is lost on the other angels; Castielle's wings are meant for a purpose. They will not fail her in the task that lay ahead of her: one day breaching the depths of the pit of Hell to save the righteous man. It is painful for Gabriel to know that his young charge's destiny is to enter the pit, even if she is strong enough to succeed. His job now is to prepare her for when the day comes.
Besides the wings, Castielle's creation, the first in over a Millennia, had marked when God had taken a step back, allowing the reigns of Heaven to be passed to Michael. Gabriel is aware that those facts had isolated the young Angel from the other Angels. Snapping his fingers, Gabriel conceals them from the crowd. He bent down so that he was at eye level with Castielle.
"Castielle, your wings are very special. Dad made them especially for you. One day, you will have to rely on their strength; and their coloring to protect you."
"When I go into Hell?" Castielle questions, and Gabriel is surprised that the young Angel knows about that; as he had always tried to protect her from the knowledge of her mission.
"Where did you learn about that?"
"From Zachariah, and Uriel, and Raphael. Is it true Gabriel? Will I have to go into Hell one day?" Castielle asked, staring at Gabriel with eyes so blue that Gabriel swears that Castielle's grace is flaring up.
"Yeah, Coco-bean. It's true." Gabriel said reaching out to stroke one of the braids that hang next to Castielle's ears. "It's why your wings are so special. None of the other angels will be able to get into the depths of hell like you will."
"Not even you or Michael? I'll have to go alone?" And with that question, Castielle's grace does begin to flare.
"Calm down, Cassie. You won't be a fledgling anymore when you do it. And our wings weren't made for entering hell, yours are. The reason that they are black is because they will shield you from the evils of hell. You will have to complete this mission on your own. You're not ready for it yet; but you will be ready when the time comes."
Gabriel snaps his fingers and two candy canes appeared in his free hand; he handed one over to Castielle as he stands to his full height and took Castielle's hand again. "One of the best things humans have ever made: Candy." Gabriel explained to Castielle's questioning look; before he smirked and put his candy cane into his mouth and began to suck on it; clearly ready to change the subject. Castielle can see Gabriel watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Castielle stares back at him, before contemplating the bright candy cane in her hand. She is curious about the candy; wondering what it tastes like. Gabriel had snuck her sweets before; although it is forbidden by Zachariah, but never any like this. Castielle is about to put the candy in her mouth like Gabriel, when the image fades away.
Castielle groans, her eyes fluttering open, a small droplet of sweat trickling from her temple to her cheek; coming to rest on the straps to the gag held securely between her teeth. She isn't sure what brought her out of her precious rest, her memories of her time under Gabriel's care were her only source of comfort in this nightmare of a place.
She rolls her shoulders as best she could, and hears her chains jingle over her head. The cuffs bite into her bruised and bloodied wrists from where she had struggled too much, causing several crimson tracks to run down her arms. The heavy metal collar secured around her throat has rubbed her neck raw from her attempt to rest.
The cuffs and collar are magic and absorbs most of her Grace; keeping her from healing herself, though keeping her alive through the torture. But even with her full power it wouldn't enough to break free from them. The bonds are designed to capture the strongest of archangels. Even Michael wouldn't be able to break free of these bonds. The thought of her eldest brother cause a new surge of learned emotions to come over her. Every moment Castielle spends in the cuffs, she can feel her grace diminishing with every heavy breath. Soon there might not be anything left, leaving her vulnerable and human.
Castielle tries to maneuver her body into a position so she could try to rest; as her vessel's body is badly wounded and weak from the pain. Her back still feels like it is on fire from where her wings had been tortured. She doesn't have the strength or the space to extend her wings for a visual examination, but she can feel the damage to them. Most of her feathers had been ripped from the wings, and those that are left are mangled. And she is fairly certain one wing is broken, as any attempt to move it is meet with resistance and pain.
Castielle halts her movements; however, when she can hear voices above her. Castielle had lost track of how long it had been since she had heard any sign of life, or even how long she had even been here. Focusing every ounce of her being, she tries to determine who it is. Castielle had long since given up on the notion of a rescue. Gabriel is dead, or at least that was what Zachariah had said, and Gabriel was the only one bold enough to go against heaven. And her torturers liked to project the image of Human authority when tormenting her.
Suddenly she hears the door to her prison open, and sees light coming down the stairs. Castielle braces herself for whatever is about to happen to her next.
TBC