"A disappearing horse?" Dean would be incredulous if they hadn't had a case once that involved a unicorn.

"Yeah, apparently some kids told their teacher about it and she didn't believe them until she saw it too. A friend of hers told her to call us."

"Not a unicorn?" Dean tried to look at Sam normally, to keep the concern out of his eyes but he couldn't help but watch his little brother carefully. Right now he looked fine though and he was looking more and more comfortable on his desk in the batcave. Home.

"No, but apparently it is white and glowy. According to this teacher it looked lost,"

"Lost? Are they sure the horse hasn't just escaped its paddock or something and ran away when it saw them?"

"And it decided to hang out in a suburban playground?" Sam retorts.

Dean sighs. "I suppose we should check it out then." Horses are not his favourite animal. In fact Dean is not really an animal person full stop but he agrees because maybe this will help to distract him from being able to do anything about anything else.


It is an unrewarding chat with the teacher. They can't use an FBI cover for a horse so pretend to be rangers instead. She clearly knows less than Dean and Sam about horses though. They do learn that the children left some carrots out in a bucket overnight and the carrots were gone by morning. They leave, telling her they would take a look.

Walking back to the car, Sam seems to think the whole thing is quite funny.

It annoys Dean. "It likes carrots. Wow, must be magical."

"Dean it disappeared."

"I'm not convinced."

"It shouldn't be hard to check it out."

Dean stops and glares at Sam as they reach the car. "Sam we are not sitting out in a park all night with a bucket of carrots. That's like waiting for Santa."


It takes a long time for it to appear. It is a boring and frustrating wait. Dean is restless, this hunt seems so trivial and it isn't providing much of a distraction. He wants to close the gates of hell, not muck around with magical ponies.

Sam falls asleep and Dean decides not to wake him. He is worried about Sam. Not an unusual feeling for him but for a while there he was getting used to Sam being okay. Now here he is again worried about something supernatural trying to hurt his brother. He is more sure than ever that he shouldn't have let Sam do the trials.

The worst thing is he had pleaded to Castiel and he hadn't come. Before then he had kept his prayers pretty casual, just like leaving a message on an answering machine. He had given in though, he was desperate and this was Sam. So he had tried begging.

It had scared him to be that vulnerable and still Cas hadn't come. In the end it had left him feeling helpless and lonely and he felt more than ever how much he needed Cas.


It is early morning when it appears. Dean doesn't know what he expected, but it isn't this. This horse looks beautiful and elegant, with a delicate head but it is strong. It is fit and well muscled and it glows, even though there isn't any moonlight, even though its coat is scruffy and its mane is tangled.

It looks around and it does look lost, forlorn even as it neighs to the empty park. Then it stands still, flicking its ears, waiting for a reply. Silence. Then it sees the bucket of carrots and blink of an eye its eating them. Dean blinks again.

It had either been really quick or it just moved there. It looked happier now. Dean is just starting to wonder exactly what he and Sam were going to do about it when it looked at him.

It saw him.

Come here. The words in his head are so quiet, just a suggestion.

He gets out of the car and shut the door. Sam stirs but doesn't wake up.

Dean doesn't know why he reaches out and strokes its neck. It feels like velvet. It sniffs his hands and then looks at him again with weary lost eyes. Dean gets a sudden feeling of mutual understanding. He reaches into the bucket and gets out a carrot and offers it out in his hand. The horse takes it gently and chews contentedly.

Thankyou.

He definitely didn't imagine it that time. He starts talking to it, just rambling not knowing what to say, but hoping it will talk again.

"What are you? Hey? Why are you freaking out the kids? You must have a home somewhere. Somewhere you belong."

No home, not anymore. Free now.

It's not like the horse is speaking to him, more like planting little thoughts deep into his subconscious.

"Why are you here then?"

I didn't know what to do. I am alone.

"You better not be hurting anyone."

No.

"You are scaring people though. Horses don't normally disappear.

I apologise.

This horse is starting to remind him of Cas in a vague sort of way and he feels sorry for it. "Can I help?"

Probably not. But I will help you. I can take you to your angel who is in trouble.

"How can you do that? And how do you know where he is?"

I can fly. Get on my back.

The horse is kneeling down before Dean can reply. This is mad and he decides he must be dreaming or something because there is no way this is actually happening. And he can't ride.

He steps over its back and sits down and it stands up.

Hold on.

Dean wraps a hand in its mane. There is a sound of flapping wings and they are gone.