Dean's Curse
The new self-proclaimed God leaned down to stare into the eyes of the battered Dean Winchester.
"All his memories are here, Dean," said the monster now wearing Castiel's visage.
"I can feel him inside me."
The familiar gravelly voice taunted, "Have you ever heard an Angel beg, Dean? His last thought was of you, he died begging for your life. He loved you above all his brothers, he died for you time and time again. Did you ever thank him?"
Seeing the answer in Dean's bloodshot eyes, Godstiel shook his head.
"No, you never did and yet he was willing to sacrifice himself for you, not just his body, but his grace. Castiel was such a fool to have faith in you.
"One word from you, Dean, would have saved him. One word of faith, one minute of trust, and Castiel would be here in front of you instead of your new God. Castiel was a warrior, strong in his fight to prevent the Apocalypse from starting again," Godstiel said as he traced the bruises on Dean's face, gently, almost lovingly.
"But in the end he had no one, nothing to fight for anymore. It made him weak, Dean, and I was able to gain control and destroy the Angel Castiel."
The new God moved his hand over the bloody remains of Sam Winchester and Bobby Singer, hunters and Dean's family. They had died for refusing to bow down.
Bobby had died first, of course, not because he fought the longest but because as long as Sam was alive Dean would have hope. Taking away that hope would be next, Godstiel contemplated ruthlessly. He remembered how every scream, every drop of blood shed from the grizzled old hunter had caused the Winchesters pain and filled him with joy. After removing the still-beating heart of their mentor he had gently placed it in the shaking hands of Sam Winchester.
"Castiel meant to save you Sam, he really did. He knew that you were strong enough to withstand the memories of Hell long enough for him to stop Raphael. He meant to come back to help you." With that, Godstiel threw the first punch at Sam who took the hit from Godstiel exactly like a Winchester would, he came back fighting. Each punch from Sam elicited a laugh from Godstiel, the punches as useless as an umbrella in a hurricane.
When Godstiel grew weary of this new entertainment, he started throwing his own punches again. With each punch he said the name of someone who had died because of the Winchester's actions, starting with Jessica Moore. The list was long, the list was cruel, and finally at the end of the list came the end of Sam Winchester's life.
He surveyed the destruction. He turned back to Dean.
The sight of the helpless hunter strapped to the same gurney that Crowley used for his torture sessions filled him with amusement. Dean was violently fighting against the restraints in a futile attempt to save his family. He looked at the blood pouring from Dean's wounds and laughed.
"You could have prevented all of this," said the new God, looking at his handiwork with a self-satisfied smirk.
"If you had only believed in your angel like he believed in you none of this would have happened. Bobby and Sam would be alive; you could continue hunting things and saving people in your precious car."
Dean's punishment should be different, decided the new God. Death really had no meaning to a man who had died multiple times and had spent forty years in Hell. From Castiel's memories of the man lying before him, Godstiel devised the perfect plan.
Reaching out with the hand that had so often been used for healing, Godstiel touched Dean's bloody forehead to impose his retribution. His work done, Godstiel stepped back.
Looking deep into Dean's eyes, with blue eyes so familiar and yet so different, Godstiel smiled.
"Your punishment is this, Dean," he said deliberately, each word a curse burning into Dean's soul. "You will live the rest of your life knowing that because of your lack of faith, your family and all of humanity is lost. Every pain, every death will be on your shoulders. There will be no redemption for you. You are immortal now, Dean, now live with your mistakes."
Godstiel watched as the truth of his words, the realization of his punishment reached the eyes of the hunter lying in front of him.
Looking into Dean's horror-filled eyes, the new God nodded, satisfied.
"I have work to do," he said and disappeared.
THE END