Tags for the Episodes "The Rapture" and parts of "When the Levee Breaks"...
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural (sadly enough) nor the characters (also sadly enough...). I am merely borrowing them. Kripke owns all my toys, damn him....
The angels in this fic are taken from an archive of Angels. I tried to pick angels that would suit the purpose of the the characters I needed for the fic. I explained in the fic who two of the more unknown ones are, but if you would like to know more about any of them or need resources for your own fics, let me know...
Without further ado...
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The Ravaging of the Raptured...
Chapter 1:
The Unwilling Return
"Please….ttaaakkkeee meee…." Jimmy whispered, the effort to speak the words draining what little energy he had left as his life-blood poured from his body. He gazed imploringly into the eyes of his daughter…into the eyes of the angel Castiel…
"As you wish…" she said in a voice far older than her years, her eyes searing his with the energy of a thousand suns. She reached out and laid her hand upon him and he felt Castiel's now familiar energy pour into his body once again, healing his body from the inside out. As the last of Castiel flooded his senses, Jimmy slipped quietly into the recesses of his mind once again, never to see his family again, sacrificing his own body so that his daughter could live. He told himself he could live with that…that as long as she and his wife got to live a normal life, that he would sacrifice himself in a second.
Castiel took control of the vessel once more, tucking the consciousness of the man known as Jimmy away inside. He could feel the torment and anguish of the man and the relief that he had been allowed to take his daughter's place as well. He was saddened to have to do this to the man, but he didn't dare show it…not after what had been done to him in Heaven…He knew now that he could never show the slightest hint of emotion or doubt again, though they lingered inside him like an accumulating poison…Castiel knew that if he let on that they had not fully purged his essence of the so-called "taint of human emotions" that he would be subject to the wrath of the Host of Angels and it would mean his end.
Castiel had disobeyed…he had doubted…he doubted still…but there was nothing he could do now but follow orders…He had aided Dean, his human charge…he unknowing followed the orders of a rampaging, renegade angel…and he had been punished severely for his transgressions. He had been on his way to warn Dean, of the plans to turn his brother against him…to allow him to become the monster that they feared and to let him take out Lilith so they could in turn take him down as well. When he arrived at the warehouse, the meeting place he had set Dean of the path to find once he had slipped away from his dream, he was met with two angels. He fought them as fiercely as he could, hoping against hope that Dean would arrive in time to be warned…they were too powerful for him. While he and one of the angels fought, the other angel conducted the ritual to Rapture him from his human vessel and send him home to Heaven. The ritual did not require consent and so he had been ripped excruciatingly, painfully out of the vessel, thrown Heaven-bound in less than a second. He saw his vessel collapse behind him…at least Dean and Sam would be there to take care of Jimmy when he could not.
The moment he regained a sense of himself, he knew he was deeply in trouble…Castiel's eyes, which, though Angels do not have the same form as humans, he had come to think of his senses and parts in human terms, fought to adjust to the astounding wash of brilliant light all around him. He let them wander for a moment, taking in his situation…Surrounding him was a gathering of angels…5 angels…3 of which were among the eldest of his brethren: the Archangels Michael, Raguel, and Zerachiel. The angel Amaliel was there as well, as was his direct superior, Zachariah…Castiel was terrified…especially of two of the angels in particular: Raguel, the Archangel who overseas and ensures the good behavior of other angels and was responsible for bringing wayward angels to account for their transgressions and Amaliel, the angel of punishment and weakness…
Castiel closed his eyes in shame and terror. They knew then, what he had done…they knew he doubted…that he had disobeyed…Castiel swallowed down his terror, determined to take whatever punishment they saw fit to bring down upon him for his trangressions…
"Castiel…" Michael said, his voice resounding painfully loud throughout Castiel's mind, shaking him to his core. "We have drawn together this council of brethren to judge the changes in your behavior as of late…You have been accused of doubt and of disobedience…What say you before this council?..."
Castiel tensed in his shackles…he looked down, avoiding the glaring gaze of his brethren.
"Speak, young one…tell us what you will have us know so that we can seek resolution of this matter…" Raguel said, her voice almost motherly in nature…
Castiel lifted his eyes to meet the assembled angels. "I…" he faltered. He took a moment to will himself calm. "I have disobeyed orders…questioned orders…I have doubted myself and other angels. I have never doubted our Father. My faith has never been stronger. I was willing to perish rather then turn away from our Father when Uriel was found to be the one killing his own brethren. I know I must be punished for my transgressions and so I give myself to the mercy of your will…" he said, willing his form to release his tension.
The council looked upon him for a moment. He felt impotent under their gaze.
"Castiel…we must discuss your fate. We shall return when we have determined a punishment suitable to your transgressions…" Raguel said before they all disappeared from the chamber.
Castiel sank down in his bindings, terrified of what they would do to him. Anna had disobeyed…and he had been commanded to find and destroy her…would he be handed the same fate? And what of his human charge, Dean Winchester? What would happen to the man he had come to like, as stubborn as he was…He had been rebuilding his faith, before it was dashed down by Alastair once again…Even still, Castiel had sensed it reawakening in the face of losing his brother when they had discovered the Prophet. He had prayed and he had meant it…He hoped for Dean's sake, if he was indeed to perish, that Dean would be tended to by Rahmiel or Ananchel…they at least had a benevolence to human kind…They were best suited to helping Dean reclaim his floundering faith and perhaps even help him rebuild his crumbling relationship with his brother Sam. Castiel prayed for Dean that this would be so…that if he must leave his charge, then at least he would be placed in the hands angels capable of helping him heal…of helping him find forgiveness.
Castiel pondered once again why he, of all angel in the Host was chosen to free Dean Winchester from Hell…he was not particularly powerful or suited to the demands of the task he was given, so why then was he the one to be commanded to lead the angels in their siege of Hell to locate and save Dean Winchester? He knew he was questioning things again…he stopped himself from doing so…because to do so, he was only borrowing more trouble for himself. Who was he to question the orders of God? He was merely an angel, and God was the Creator…the Father of all…Castiel hung his head in shame…
Castiel had no conception of how much time passed while the council was away…Time was a difficult concept to grasp because it was not a straight line, moving in a single direction, but rather it was a current. One that could be sped up or slowed down or diverted or waded against to slip backwards…here, time moved quicker than on the earthly plane. He was sure that if he returned to the earthly plane, they would place him back in a time close to his departure. In Hell, time was bent…moving so much slower than on Earth or indeed Heaven…In Hell, a year there was approximately equal to 3 days on the earthly plane. Castiel wondered if he might be cast down to Hell for what he had done…He quickly discounted the idea, though. He knew too much to be placed where the denizens of Hell would be capable of extracting that information from him. He would be put to death. It was a much safer way to expel him. Castiel decided not to think about his situation anymore. He had no control and he would not be given choice in the matter. Better to not think at all. He closed his eyes, praying to the Father, asking him to watch over his charge and his charges' brother. He asked the Father to watch over his brethren, to guide them to victory in the war and to punish the wicked who had taken up the war in the name of their Fallen leader. He prayed that even those lost souls of the enemies were capable of being saved. He prayed for his vessel and his family…he had promised to protect them in exchange for the use of the vessel's body. Now, he worried what would happen to him and his family without the protection he had provided. He prayed they would be safe and that they could have a good, long life and that his angelic brothers and the human fighters would be able to stop the Apocalypse and that humans would live long enough to evolve into peace and kindness and purity, instead of killing themselves quickly and violently, as they seem set on doing right now. Just as he had finished his prayers, Castiel felt the presence of his brethren before him. He opened his eyes and awaited their determination.
"Castiel…we have decided…" Raguel said, turning for a moment to catch Michael's gaze. Michael nodded. She returned her gaze to Castiel's bound form. "For your disobedience and doubt, you will be punished severely. For these transgressions you have freely admitted to, you will be shown little mercy…a sentence of death would normally be given, however, we have need of you…as such…you punishment will be as follows…"
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Leavin' you with a cliffie....remember....Patience is a virtue....
*evil grin*