Disclaimer - Don't own anything. Don't really want to; too much responsibility. But thanks to Kripke and the gang for the fun boys we can play with and enjoy.
A/N - Thanks Sams1ra for the title!
Of Generals, Warriors and Others in Between
Tell me if this sounds familiar. There's a war going on, all over the world, since the beginning of time. It's a war that most humans never know about – and probably don't want to know about. It's a war between good and evil for the souls of men. Sound familiar? Sound cliché? It's true. I know the outcome. I know who wins; who has won. The thing is, the battle is for humans and humans are bound by time. So we fight a linear battle until the "end of time." Knowing the outcome doesn't always make the battles easier to fight, either.
Who am I? I'm a combatant. I am a Son of God – an angel. No, not a pansy in a white dress carrying a harp with gently fluttering wings spreading messages of joy. I am not a singing telegram. I am a warrior, a protector. I'm a messenger in the same way men were "runners" in human wars, carrying marked packages, marching orders, secrets, in time of war. I'm a soldier who takes orders from a General I will live and die for. And I have my orders.
For now, I'm a guardian. My assignment: Dean Winchester. You may wonder why the General has an interest in him. Humans look at him and come to any number of various assumptions about him. Really, it doesn't matter. Who he will become, in human time, is how the General sees him now. And Dean is His. So I am honored to serve as guardian. But I'll come back to that.
Sometimes the war spills over into the physical world. There are a few humans who recognize the war, who see it for what it is. Dean Winchester is one of those. At four years of age, the war ripped through the veil and took a casualty. Mary Winchester. This one event set the entire family on a journey that they have yet to finish. Dean could not have been placed in a better family. John learned as much as he could, though he was sadly blinded to certain key pieces of information. But he passed on most of his knowledge to his sons. He raised them to be soldiers. He trained Dean to be in command when need be, to be responsible for those weaker than he. Sam, though, kept Dean's heart from freezing over with the chill and numbness of loss. It allowed Dean to turn orders into purpose and responsibility into compassion.
He's good, too, or aware. The demon that unwittingly set these men on their path so many years ago, continues to push them to the General's inevitable victory in this battle. Some time ago, the demon decided it was time to eliminate Dean. There was one time Dean's father sent him and Sam to Colorado. Sam's abilities had been awakened at this point, but he was still in a haze of grief and anger. The enemy thought to attack during Sam's vulnerability. It was not yet time for the young men to face their enemy. They were not yet ready. I stood guard. The battle that ensued was glorious, heart pounding, but one of the minions almost broke through the veil. Dean was aware. He heard it; he didn't recognize it for what it was, though. He turned from the back of his car to see what was there, but the minion had been vanquished by then and he saw nothing.
That was the first in a series of direct physical attacks. They came for him again. Thinking his guard would be down if he did not have Sam to protect, they tried to catch him alone. Sam was protecting a girl from what they labeled "The Hook Man," while Dean walked a cemetery alone. The General woke up Pastor Jim to pray extra warriors into action that night. Good thing, too. I was outnumbered in the solitude of that place. But the General is never caught unawares and help came in plenty of time. Once again, the veil was almost breached. I think Dean thought there was a ghost with him in the cemetery. He still has much to learn.
Then there was the incident in the asylum. Once again they decided to attack him while he was alone, thinking him unguarded. He was reading Dr. Ellicott's journal of atrocities. The place was already full of spirits, so I had extra guards with me anyway. When that failed, they turned their attention to Sam, trying to control him and turn him on his brother. Dean's a smart one, though. I can see why the General chose him. I'm sometimes amazed at the enemy's tenacity despite failure. But, considering Lucifer's stance in the face of defeat…well, I digress.
The next time they tried to attack him outright, he was already vulnerable. Sam had gone missing, kidnapped by other humans. Sadly, not every bad thing that humans do is under the influence of the enemy. Man's propensity for evil can be staggering. Again, I digress. The minions were going to use the humans to take him out, but a few got…excited…and tried to take him out before he got to the main floor of the house. They're not the only ones who have learned to hide in the shadows. This was the last time the enemy tried to just kill him. The enemy decided to try a new strategy after that.
At the same time, the General also gave me new orders. Among the most difficult orders that a soldier can get in the midst of battle are standing orders - orders that state I am to do nothing to interfere unless my charge's life is in danger. These are the orders I was given. I know the wisdom of the General is flawless, of that I have no doubt. I am also well versed in the idea that, in a fallen world, pain is sometimes the best teacher and the only means of change and growth. It is still not easy to watch.
The demon responsible for controlling or destroying this family decided it was time to take personal control of the situation. He also felt that all warriors involved would be weakened more by loss of morale and heart than Dean's death and martyrdom. Or maybe he just settled for loss of morale when he realized the General would not allow him to take Dean's life at the cabin. We were allowed to free John enough to save Dean's life, but like Job, that was the only reprieve he would be given.
John, Dean's father and foundation, gave in to his own demons after that and fell. His time in the battle ended. But, with the shaking of Dean's foundation and the crumbling of his safety structure, rebuilding can begin. Light and whispers from the General can now filter through and mold him into something new and unshakable. He still has free will. He still has to fight his own darkness, but I know he will rise to his destiny.
His destiny. Do you want to hear something funny? The demon said he has plans for Sam and all children like him. He said he killed Mary and Jess to get to Sam. He said Sam was John's favorite and Dean needed them more than they needed him. The General has plans of his own for Sam and the others. The irony is that Sam will be the leader of the chosen, but the one who so fiercely protects Sam is the one they are destined to guard. It's not about Sam. He has his part to play. But it is Sam, the other children, and all of the warriors in the crucial battle of this age that need Dean. He will lead us to victory and we will fight for him, unseen, though side-by-side with his brother and the other chosen. Few will ever know when the battle is fought and won, but through it, Dean will join the ranks of the elders of the remnant. And that is why I'm honored to serve, to guard, and to lay down my life for him. In the name of the General.