All his life, Dean had had one constant hero.
Michael never once wavered in his loyalty to his father.
Dean knew his dad wasn't perfect. He knew that he had made mistakes. But that didn't lessen his love for him one bit. It was his father's drive to right all wrongs that truly made Dean want to be just like him. It was that drive that made him so untouchable.
Although Michael had only once met him, he knew that his father could do no wrong. He trusted his father, over anything else. Over life, over death, and certainly over his own judgement. Because God was almighty; because his father was the highest power.
"Protect Sammy," was the mantra that had been burned so effectively into Dean's very being. It was his purpose, his orders. And he followed orders, because his dad knew best. Still, sometimes he wondered how he was supposed to protect his brother when he refused to follow his orders. He was too stubborn, too outspoken. He just mulishly turned his back on his father and brother's attempts to make him understand why they had to do what they did. Dean loved his brother; he did. But their dad's word was law, and Sam just wouldn't accept that it was for the best.
"Protect the humans," was the whisper that echoed through the angels' Grace so many eons ago. Michael accepted his orders without hesitation, as did all of his siblings... Bar one. Lucifer, one of Michael's younger brothers, questioned his orders. He dared approach their father and object to his ruling. He dared lash out against his father's judgement, and the beings he had created with such love. Michael was horrifed and angered at his brother's imputiny, but even more, he was frightened. Lucifer had been more loyal than any of his sibling's before the humans walked the earth. Why must his disobey now? Michael loved his siblings, Lucifer included. He did not want his little brother to have to face their father's wrath. But their father's word was law, and Lucifer just couldn't accept that it was for the best.
Dean grew, and Sam left. Sam ran, and Dean fought. Dean was the brave one, he would tell himself. Sam is the coward, he would think as he hunted monster after monster in the name of his mother, by the word of his father. Sometimes he thought about his brother though, more than he would like to admit. He wondered if he was safe at school. If anything had come after him. If he was even still alive... and if he was happy.
Michael grew older and older. He learned countless things, witnessed coutnless events, obeyed countless orders. He loved and protected the humans at his father's command, and he swiftly led his siblings to do the same. He liked to consider himself special to his father. Fancied to think that he was more than his siblings in his father's eyes, and often he truly believed he was. But then, sometimes, he would remember Lucifer. He would remember the grief in his father's order to cast him into the pit of Hell. He would remember the mourning silence that followed his brother's fall. So he told himself he was the special one, all the while wondering if his little brother even remembered him anymore.
When Dean woke up in a hospital bed, attached to tubes and pumps of all sorts, his dad and his brother were there. In Sam's eyes were relief and righteous anger, while in his father's, there was only sadness. Dean feared that he had failed his God - his father, but before he could affirm it, his brother spoke out angrily in his defense. He felt frustration and affection for his brother then; frustration for standing against their father, and affection for defending him. It was when their dad sent him away in a strangely soft voice however, that Dean knew something had happened, that something was wrong. And when he whispered that final command into his ear, he knew that the end of this world was near.
Thousands upon thousands of years had passed. Humans had evolved to a point of minor intelligence and sentience. Angels and humans alike now only mentioned Lucifer in whispers and clandenstine musings. He was nearly a myth, even to his siblings. A warning to angels just as much as humans on how not to behave, and what would happen if you failed to obey. Lucifer's demons walked the earth now, threatening God's creations and the primitive peace they lived in. And Michael resented his brother for that, just as much as he pitied him. He wished he could just accept his fate and stay out of earthly and heavenly affairs, yet, and though he loathed to admit, he could imagine the betrayal Lucifer felt. He believed he was being righteous in his fury. He believed he had been wronged. But still, Michael knew better. And when his father whispered with haunting finality in a voice that felt strangely different from the one Michael was accustomed to, he knew that the end of this world was near.
Dean watched helplessly as his brother stood at the precipice of falling - falling past human, past monster, past demon. He believed his was doing right. He believed he was going to make it better. And he knew that Sam didn't want to fight, but he wouldn't back down until he saved the world, and somewhere inside him, Dean knew his brother was right this time. He watched Sam let go of his humanity, let go of his free will, let go of-
Michael faced Lucifer in the boneyard in Kansas. It was the first time they had met face to face since he had fallen; fallen so far past what he used to be, and what was even intended initially. No... no one had predicted Lucifer would become so twisted in his mission for revenge, perhaps not even God. But this was the end now, and Michael bore witness as his little brother relinquished any Grace that may have remained, as he relinquished his grief in the impending fight, as he relinquished-
-everything.
-everything.
And the good son watched
as his brother
made
his
descent
to
Hell.
….….…
This might be considered slightly AU or OOC since I did take some liberty with character speculation, but hopefully it didn't bother you too much! Thanks for reading, and review if you want more! I'm considering making this a series of parallel structure fics like this one~