(Nine-year-old Sophia discovers her father's lifeless body. Her scream is unnatural, and her mother comes running out. It is the one time Monica shows emotion. Her hands shaking, she lays her hands on her husband in an attempt to heal him, but she knows it's useless, he is still human and the damage is too much. Mara grabs Sophia, bringing her away from her father's body.)
Sophia: No! Let me see him! Dad!
Mara: No, sweetheart. Now isn't the time. You'll see him again soon.
Sophia: You're lying, Aunt Mara! He's dying, I can feel it. Let me say goodbye. He's my dad!
(Sophia attempts to break free, but Mara holds her tight. Something dark switches on in Sophia. She flicks her hand, flinging her aunt against the wall and pinning her there. Mara stares in shock as Sophia runs out of the room. She runs to her backyard to discover her father completely dead, and her mother gone. She walks to his body, her small body folding next to him.)
Mara(from inside): Sophia!
Sophia: Dad? (Her voice breaking) Daddy?
(Nothing. He's gone. Sophia stands up, her hands shaking. Her hands are covered in his blood. She raises her hands above her head. Her eyes are glowing purple, and her scream is unnatural. A shock wave of energy emanates out from her, and Mara is shaken to the floor. On the edge of the backyard, concealed by trees, Monica is watching, in complete shock at her daughter. Mara runs out, grabbing her and dragging her back inside. At her aunt's touch, Sophia returns to the normal child she is.)
Sophia: Aunt Mara, I'm so sorry! I didn't meant to hurt you! It just happened!
Mara: It's all right, Sophia. Come inside.
(Mara has calmed Sophia enough to put her to sleep. Monica returns to the house, and she sits in the living room with Mara.)
Mara: Did you feel it?
Monica: I saw it. I saw her. I was in the woods.
Mara: So you know. It was her. It was your daughter.
Monica: What did you feel, Mara?
Mara: It was just a switch in her. The good little girl we know shut off and something horrible took over. She pinned me against the wall with a flick of her wrist. It was dark. It was awful, Monica. She has evil deep within her. She has the Darkness living inside her just as Cain does, but hers is born to her. It can't be removed from her as it can Cain. She's the One, Monica. It's her.
Monica: No. That's not possible.
Mara: She is the strongest witch among us, Monica. You know it. She worked magic against me- and I am her blood. You know she shouldn't be able to that. That power surge she let out… none of us can come close to that. I only felt it, but you- you saw it.
Monica: Stop it. She's my daughter. I can't believe the worst of her. This can't be true. I won't believe it, Mara.
Mara: She has hope. She has us. She has you. You're the one thing that can keep her rooted to this earth instead of destroying it one day.
Monica: How?
Mara: You have to teach her. Condition her. You know what I saw when she was born. She's going to save the world, but my visions, you know how they are.
Monica: They're subjective, based on her decisions.
Mara: Yes. I see her choosing to save the world, but you must show her the way. You need to show her why. She can be great, Monica, but you must set her on that path. You need to show her how to use that power, that evil for good.
Monica: But she's just a child, Mara. She can't be truly evil.
Mara: She isn't truly evil, but true evil lies within her. When I look into her aura, I feel turmoil. Your child suffers, Monica. She chooses the good every single day, and it's a fight- a fight within her. The evil within her tells her to kill and gives her the power to do it, but she doesn't. She fights it. As long as she lives, Monica, she will never know peace. All she will know is this fight, until she gives into it.
Monica: How bad will it get, Mara?
Mara: Unbearable. It will only become worse throughout the years. The only way it will abate is if she feeds it in small amounts.
Monica: What do you mean?
Mara: She will have to kill. Killing monsters will suffice for a while, but the darkness will only grow stronger as she ages. She'll have to fight for eternity to keep it in check. She should know what she's facing, Monica.
(Monica stands, her shock complete. She knows her sister is right, but she cannot accept it: her daughter may well grow up to become a monster.)
Monica: No. She must never know.
Mara: Monica.
Monica: She's MY daughter! I'M the one who will have to watch her burn the world one day. I don't want her knowing what she could be doomed for.
Mara: But she has a chance! The choices I see her making- she makes choices for love, for nobility. She will sacrifice for the greater good, and to save the lives of others. Please, Monica, she has a chance. She chooses the good within her everyday as it is. She should know the fight she faces.
Monica: She doesn't know now, Mara. I tell her, and she chooses to live and die as a human witch to avoid an eternity of the fight within her. She dies young, and she saves no one.
Mara: It should always be her choice, Monica! Just because you are her mother doesn't mean you know best. You love her, and your judgment is clouded.
(Monica stops, knowing her sister is right.)
Monica: You're right. For now, we wait. She's a child, Mara, she shouldn't have that weight on her shoulders. When she's older, we will give her all the facts, and let her decide. You're right. It SHOULD be her choice. After all, we are here because of free will.
Mara: Finally, you see reason. You shouldn't be making decisions like this now, anyway. Your husband is dead. Sophia will never be the same.
Monica: All I can focus on now is the future. Sophia is our future, and that is a weight she should not feel until she's older. Promise me you'll stay close now, Mara. She's going to need us to guide her.
Mara: Sophia needs all of us. Rally the community around her. I don't envy her position, but at least she will have all of us.
(Around the corner, at the landing of the stairs, Sophia is listening intently. She looks at her hands, which are shaking. She's terrified.)
(Flash forward to Sophia as a human 16 year old. She is at a party with Castiel, who is in a different vessel, a 20 year old boy with bright eyes, dark hair, and covered in tattoos. They make an incredibly picturesque couple, and others notice them. They are partying, drinking, and dancing. Sophia pulls Castiel close, letting her hands slide a little too low on his back. Though he is nervous and a bit awkward, his hands slide low on her back as well. They look at each other. Castiel smiles, but he's still the awkward angel he is in the present.)
Castiel: Are you having fun?
Sophia: Yes, of course. Are you?
Castiel: I am. You bring me great joy, Sophia. I'm incredibly glad to be here with you.
(Sophia smiles, and he leans down to kiss her. She turns around, and leans back against him, letting her hips press up against his. Though Castiel has no idea what he's doing, he manages to fake it. He keeps his hands on Sophia's hips, holding her close to him. She opens her eyes, seeing Sully looking at her from across the room. No one else can see him, not even Castiel. She snaps out of the moment, turning around.)
Sophia: I have to pee. I'll be right back.
Castiel: Again? You just went.
Sophia: What can I say? I broke the seal.
(Sophia kisses him. She walks to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She turns around, seeing Sully behind her. She smiles. So does he.)
Sully: You look happy.
Sophia: I love him, Sully.
Sully: He cares for you a lot, Sophia. But you can't trust him.
Sophia: Sully, it's okay. He's safe. I feel safe with him.
Sully: Don't. He's going to be the death of you, Sophia. I don't want you to get hurt.
Sophia: He won't hurt me. He wouldn't.
Sully: I can't stand by and let you do this.
Sophia: Then maybe I'm finally ready for you to go.
(Castiel is knocking on the door.)
Castiel(outside): Sophia? Are you all right?
Sully: Please be careful, Sophia. Please. You may not see it now, but he's dangerous.
Sophia: Bye, Sully. I'll miss you. I love you. Thank you for being my friend when no one else would. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
(Sophia hugs Sully goodbye. They are both tearing up, but Sophia wipes hers away. Sophia leans in close, kissing Sully gently on the mouth. Though their relationship was not romantic, they did occasionally bend the norms of friendship. Castiel is still knocking on the door. Sophia turns to open it, but then looks back at Sully. He's already gone. She opens the door to Castiel. She pulls him into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.)
Castiel: Who were you talking to?
Sophia: No one. Just my imagination, Castiel.
(Sophia reaches up, kissing Castiel. They begin making out, and he lifts her onto the bathroom sink. She reaches up for his cheeks, and they continue sucking face.)
(A little bit later that year, after Sophia believes Monica has killed Castiel. She is beside herself in grief and guilt. Her mother has taken her into the wilderness to teach her about hunting with nothing. They are sitting around a fire at night.)
Monica: Do you understand why I separated you and Castiel?
Sophia: Because you don't trust angels.
Monica: Well, yes. But that's not the whole reason, Sophia. I have to explain this to you, and you're still so young, you might not take it well. But you have 8 years before you need to make a decision, so you have time to think on this.
Sophia: Mom, what is it?
Monica: I separated you from Castiel to see how you would do when losing someone you love. Yes, Sophia, I know how much you love him even now. There is nothing you can do that I can't see. It's our blood. When you were born, I went to Aunt Mara.
Sophia: Why? She's never been right.
Monica: On the contrary, Sophia, she's never been wrong… about you. Aunt Mara has predicted your entire life so far. When it comes to you, she has been 100% accurate. She warned me you would be willful and rebellious. She told me you would be more powerful than all of us. After all, your father's line and my line are the most powerful in the world, and creating a child from those two? You were bound to be everything you are, Sophia. You can work magic towards us. Your father couldn't. I can't. I can't put a spell on you at all, but you can kill me with one.
Sophia: I would never-
Monica: I know, Sophia. But you CAN. No one else can. But none of this is the hard part of the decision you have to make. You will inherit everything from me- the house, the money, the businesses, my leadership position. The house, money, and the restaurant are things I am sure you understand. My leadership position, however? That is what I must explain to you.
Sophia: Explain?
Monica: Sometime in the future, and this may never happen, a great darkness may be unleashed. Remember the stories we used to tell you as a child about Amara, the Darkness?
Sophia: Of course. They gave me nightmares.
Monica: The Darkness is real, Sophia. They are not just stories. In our world, in our universe, God is the light. We don't worship God, but he does exist, and he is representative to us of Light. The Darkness is God's sister, whom we have always called Amara.
Sophia: Amara is real?
Monica: I'm sorry, Sophia. But this is the ugly side of what we are. She is our origins.
Sophia: What does this have to do with me?
Monica: Amara made us on a dare, to spite God. She created us to do her bidding, to show God that she was capable. She and Cain were lovers, Sophia. Cain was the one who figured out how to contain her in the Mark. He killed his brother out of jealousy, Sophia. They were in competition for Amara. It's why it's called the Mark of Cain. Even as just a mark, the Darkness was still powerful. She turned Cain into a demon from the inside out, all out of revenge. If he ever dies, truly dies, her power reverts back to us, to our leader.
(Sophia is silent, realizing what this means for her.)
Sophia: And what happens to me if any of this happens?
Monica: Cain can only be killed by his own blade. If someone were able to use it, they'd have to be bearing the Mark of Cain. If that mark is ever removed… Amara will be free. She is our Dark Mother, and we are the only ones who can kill her. You. If you choose this path, if you decide to succeed me as a leader, you may have to die to save the world from Amara.
(Sophia is quiet.)
Sophia: And if I choose immortality, I choose to become your successor?
Monica: If you want to inherit everything I have, Sophia. It's all or nothing. Those are the laws. But remember, you can choose not to inherit. I can choose another successor. You will become immortal either way, if you want to.
Sophia: And this is what you chose as well?
Monica: Yes. Because I would die for our people, Sophia. I would die for you. I know I'm not incredibly emotional or nurturing, but you are my daughter, and I would do anything for you. If there was a way to teach you to hunt and to sacrifice without having to ever hurt you, I would. But this is the only way.
Sophia: You killed Castiel to show me loss. To prepare me for the future?
Monica: If you choose this, Sophia, there is an 85% chance you will lose everything and everyone you love, even me. Even if Amara is never freed. But Aunt Mara says it will be so.
Sophia: What else did Aunt Mara say?
Monica: She said you will be a fierce and powerful leader, and you will be loved. She said you will be the first witch to walk through Hell, Heaven, Earth, and Purgatory, and live through all of them. Monsters will fear you, and humans will adore you.
Sophia: That doesn't sound so awful.
Monica: She did say something else, Sophia. She said you will love endlessly and powerfully.
Sophia: Did she know his name?
Monica: Names. Their names. She said there were three men. Two were clear, but the third, whom she said would be eternal, was murky.
Sophia: Will I have children?
Monica: No. One of these men will be chosen to succeed you. She did not know which, because you haven't decided yet.
Sophia: So, if Amara is freed, and I sacrifice myself, these men I love… they'll live?
Monica: Yes. Your blood can kill Amara. Your bloodshed.
(Sophia is silent for a moment. She seems to be struggling.)
Sophia: Can I make this decision now?
Monica: You can change your mind up until you are 24. Once you are 24, and you are ready to become immortal, I need to tailor the ritual to what you've decided.
Sophia: I've decided. I want to be your successor. If I have to die so that the men I love in the future live, then so be it. It will be what I can do to protect people I love.
Monica: Then I can begin training you.
(Sophia, age 17, visits her Aunt Mara. Mara smiles to see her.)
Mara: Sophia, how pleasant to see you. I had a feeling you were coming.
Sophia: Aunt Mara. I had to know if what you told my mother was true. I need to hear it for myself.
Mara: It is, Sophia. Castiel may be dead, but you will love three more men as much as you loved him, maybe even more.
Sophia: How did you know that that was what I was most interested in?
Mara: I'm your personal psychic, Sophia. I know where your mind is. What would you like to know?
Sophia: These men- who are they?
Mara: You will be immortal; they will be humans. Well, two of them will be. They will all be tall men, and very handsome. They will know how to fight demons and will have been raised as hunters. They will be brothers. You'll meet their father first. He won't know what you are, but you'll tell him. Trust him.
Sophia: And I'll fall in love with both of them?
Mara: Yes. The first one, the older brother, will end in tears, and the other may never end. It depends upon your decisions, Sophia. But I do know that you will love this brother for years before you are finally together. Your third lover will be present during this time as well. The time I'm speaking of is when your future becomes murky. Just know that there is no right or wrong during this time, Sophia.
Sophia: Why does it become murky?
Mara: I think because there are decisions you haven't made yet.
Sophia: Do you know the names of the brothers?
Mara: Yes. Winchester. Sam and Dean Winchester. You'll know which is which by the feeling in your stomach when you look at Dean. Sam is the taller and younger one.
Sophia: What about Number 3? He's a mystery man?
Mara: I'm not feeling anything about him, Sophia. I'm sorry. I wish I could help, because the feeling I get is that he's the most important of the three. What I can tell you is that you will love him before the other two- and long after the other two are gone. He will also hurt you the most, though he will love you beyond all measure. There is nothing in this Universe that this man would put in front of you, but he will do a lot of damage to you and the world around you. I get the feeling like events will get in the way, but when it's your choice… you two will always choose each other.
Sophia: Well, I guess that's comforting. Will I love them as much as I loved Castiel?
Mara: This mystery man, Sophia… You will love him more than you've ever loved anyone. I wish I could tell you more, because you will do anything for him.
Sophia: I'll come back when the time is right.
(Silently, Sophia hugs her aunt and leaves. Castiel comes out of the back room.)
Castiel: She didn't pick up on my presence?
Mara: I didn't like lying to her or her mother, Castiel. They both think you are dead.
Castiel: I understand, but she needs to make her decisions free from the thought of me. She needs to think that there's something bigger out there for her. Her people need her. I can soldier on without her until the time is right. If what you see is true, I'll be back for her someday.
(Flashback 13 years. John Winchester and Sophia are having target practice in the woods. John is clearly romantically interested in Sophia, but she sees him as a father figure.)
John: See, you're a dead shot. So, you're the ultimate package. Beautiful, deadly, powerful. You're perfect.
Sophia: I have my flaws.
(John takes her by the hands, running a hand through her hair. She looks up into his eyes, not really understanding the moment.)
John: You really are beautiful…
(John leans in, kissing her. When he pulls back and Sophia is not smiling, his face falls.)
Sophia: John… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to give you the wrong idea.
John: Oh, my god, no. Sophia. I am so sorry. I thought you-
Sophia: John, it's okay. We both messed up. I should have been more watchful. I just… I just see you as more of a father figure.
(John is hurt, but closes himself off rather than talk it out.)
John: No, it's fine. I should get going, anyway. I'll, uh, I'll be in touch.
(Sophia is in her kitchen when she turns around to John holding a bat.)
Sophia: John?
(John hits her across the face with the bat, knocking her out.)
(Sophia comes to tied up in her own basement. John has a fire going, and all the ingredients necessary to revert her to human form. He begins the ritual, and Sophia realizes it quickly.)
Sophia: John, stop. I'm sorry, okay? Don't do this. What do you want?
John: You're gonna make the spell for my sons. You're gonna go to them, and you're going to protect them. If you don't agree, I'm turning you human, and you'll be dead within a week.
Sophia: I trusted you, John.
John: First mistake you made.
Sophia: John, it doesn't have to be like this.
John: You've been stringing me along the entire time, Sophia!
Sophia: I wasn't! I wouldn't. I have a chance to help you. I CAN help you.
John: Then what the hell is taking so long, Sophia? How hard is it to make up your mind here?
Sophia: Do you want the truth?
John: I'm waiting.
Sophia: I had second thoughts after you made a move on me. I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't know what you wanted. I wanted to prove myself to human hunters. I wanted to have a connection to that network, and you were the perfect choice. But I- I just don't see you that way, John. I am so sorry.
(John is clearly hurt, but he doesn't say anything.)
John: You're going to do this, Sophia. You're gonna cast that damn spell.
Sophia: I will, John. I will. Just untie me and I'll start putting it together. I can have it together in 3 days.
John: After the spell is cast, you're gonna find my sons, and you're gonna follow them. And if anything happens to them, you will save them.
Sophia: I will, John, just untie me.
(John looks at her for a moment, a macabre smile on his face. Suddenly, he throws her Book of Shadows into the fire. Sophia is horrified.)
John: Now you can't die. So you can spend eternity protecting my boys.
(He comes over to her, cutting the ties holding her.)
John: Any questions?
(Sophia slaps him across the face. John just smiles, locking her in the room. She kicks at the door, but she knows she can't break it down.)