Castiel carefully scanned the horizon. There was no sign of any disturbances. At least, not yet. Castiel pondered his position. The Aether was unable to be extracted from the female's veins- Jane, her name was. Thor seemed to have an interest in her. Castiel had not meant to insult her earlier, but he'd been frantic to get the Aether out of her and return it to its place- neither of which they could do. So they were stuck.

Perhaps we can devise some sort of plan . . . Maybe-

Sirens wailed from down in the palace. Castiel's eyes directed downwards, his gaze icy. In an instant, he was flying next to Thor as a celestial wavelength, unknown to him. Thor touched down, and Castiel appeared next to him. The thunder god didn't notice him at first. He glanced at the sky for a brief moment, saw Castiel, looked back at the sky, and did a quick double-take when he realized the angel was standing there.

"Castiel!" Thor boomed heartily. "I should have known you'd come to help. The dungeon's alarms are going off." The god tightened his grip on his hammer, then stormed towards the dungeons. Castiel followed him casually. Once near the doors, the sound of fighting increased. More soldiers poured from the castle, faces stoic. Thor smashed the doors open, growling. Castiel was nearly shoved by the group of Asgardian soldiers flooding the dungeon area. Around them, a dozen more fighters battled against the Marauders who were escaping their cells. Upon seeing Thor, they hesitated.

"Return to your cells and no further harm will come to you. You have my word," Thor said calmly. A wild fist hit him in the face. Thor grabbed the Marauder who did it. "Very well, you do not have my word." He tossed the man aside with a smash from his own fist. Thor looked back at his partner and nodded to the chaos. Castiel glanced around, perplexed, but Thor dashed off. Taking that as his cue to help end this madness, the angel twisted around to stop an incoming Marauder. The prisoner screamed as the angel blade was forced through his armor. Castiel let the man drop to the floor. He weaved his way around idly, fighting with whatever prisoner dared enter his path. That was when a strange rumble shook the palace walls. Thor, his friends, and Castiel glanced around, puzzled. Thor cast his gaze over to Loki, who returned it with a somewhat uneasy smirk.

"Come. We must go," Thor commanded. The fighting was over. "Something is happening."

"Castiel! Go help defeat the elves. They've invaded the castle," Thor ordered, sprinting towards their chambers.

"I sense an evil presence," Castiel responded, barely keeping pace with the god of thunder. "Be wary."

"Of course there's an evil presence! Now GO!"

Castiel stopped as he was shouted at. Thor was very stressed about this. But Castiel could feel something . . . and it was where Thor was headed. Taking off, the angel flew into the room, startling the beings inside. Castiel felt his vessel's heart beat louder.

Malekith.

The elf's eyes flashed with recognition. Malekith stood taller, lifting his chin to face Castiel.

"Well, well, well," Malekith started, "what have we here?" He began to circle the angel.

"Let her go, Malekith," Castiel commanded, eyes dark. Their gaze briefly flitted over to Frigga, who was being held by Kurse.

"I feel like we've met before." The elf's tone was mocking. He pretended to think about it as he paced. "Oh yes, I remember. Your race, the warriors of Heaven." Malekith used the word scornfully.

"Be wary of your tone."

"Oh yes," Malekith snarled. "I know who you are, warrior."

Castiel allowed his angel blade to fall from his sleeve. "I know who you are as well. And I order you to let the woman go."

Malekith glanced at the blade in Castiel's hand and then back at Kurse. As he directed his attention back to Castiel, a wicked smirk spread across his face.

"I don't think I will."

There was a sharp gasp from Frigga as Kurse slid the blade into her side. It was not even all the way into her when Castiel was beside her, angel blade being forced into Kurse. He dropped her and swung around as the silver blade was stopped by his armor. A giant hand came up and slammed down on Castiel, who jumped away. The two began to fight.

A bolt of lightning zapped through the room. Malekith- faintly seen out of the corner of Castiel's eye as he tussled with Kurse- went down, falling onto the short flight of steps to the balcony. A cry of anguish ripped through the air as Thor flew into the room. Castiel briefly turned his face towards the action and regretted that instantly as Kurse punched him in the chest. Castiel went soaring across the room . . . and straight off the balcony. Kurse, once clear of his fight, ran towards the felled Malekith and leapt off the balcony, straight onto a passing ship. They were gone before Thor could even grab Mjolnir.

Thor's heart was filled with grief. He sat in Frigga's chamber, eyes staring at the blood stain on the carpet. Her body and Odin were long gone, but he had stayed.

He had failed.

A fist clenched, tears welling up in his eyes, and the next thing he knew, there was a hole in the wall. Thor weakly looked around as he felt the tears dripping down his face. He pushed up from one knee. There was something missing here . . . oh yeah. With his mother's death and the escape of Malekith, he'd forgotten all about the figure he'd seen falling out of the sky just a moment before that.

Thor picked grabbed Mjolnir up from the floor, grateful for the familiar weight in his hand. He casually strode towards the balcony, eyes roaming downwards. In a single, swift moment, Thor hopped over the balcony. Upon reaching the ground, he glanced about. Finding what he was searching for, the thunder god padded over.

"Castiel, you have seen better days, my fine feathered friend," Thor said in a bitter yet somewhat amused tone. "Here, allow me to assist you." He reached down and took hold of the angel by the arm, hauling him to his feet. Castiel shook his head, eyes distant.

"That was . . . most unpleasant," he murmured, stumbling a few steps. Thor allowed his eyes to scan Castiel, but he didn't find any injuries.

"You are well, yes?"

"Of course." The angel nodded in response. He watched Thor for a short moment.

"Good." Thor began to walk away. "Walk with me." Castiel paused, hesitant, but followed after a moment. The streets of Asgard were empty, many inside their houses mourning for lost loved ones. Castiel glanced about, a dreadful sense of foreboding falling over him. He raised an eyebrow at Thor as they proceeded to go into a more protected side street near the castle. Thor wasn't saying a word yet. But suddenly he pulled Castiel to the side, grabbing his arm, nearly pushing him into the wall.

"Now, tell me: what can you do with healing others?"

Castiel searched Thor's determined expression. "Is this about . . ." He tried to think of a name to place with her but couldn't. Thor waited for him to complete his phrase, but when he didn't, he finished for him.

"My mother: Frigga," Thor admitted, eyes shining with grief. "She was killed by that beast."

"Kurse." Castiel removed Thor's arm from his, easily doing so. "And I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Thor's demeanor changed. "You were in there! Why didn't you save her?!"

"I tried!"

Thor smashed his forearm into Castiel's chest, pushing him against the wall and pinning him there. "You are no sort of warrior if you cannot even save a life!" He paused, trying to control his anger. Castiel once again grabbed Thor's arm and removed it from his form.

"I cannot save everyone."

Thor focused him with a watery glare that quickly turned into a look of anguish. "Can- can you save her?"

Castiel hesitated.

"I know not what you are doing, but will you please put me down?"

Thor was swinging Castiel around in a circle, the angel hugged to his broad chest. A smile of relief was plastered on his face, tears of joy springing up in his eyes. Suddenly, Thor set him back on the floor, looking down upon him.

"Come! We must go!" the god of thunder declared happily. Thor dashed off, startling Castiel, who quickly followed on wing. The thunder god romped down the golden hallways, navigating the twists and turns of the castle. Soon, they came about the "morgue" of the palace. Castiel reappeared as Thor burst in, surprising the guards who were standing outside. The various Aesir inside- healers and maids- glanced up, stopping at the intrusion.

"Castiel, come forward," Thor proclaimed. The angel shuffled around the thunder god. The Asgardians looked puzzled. Frigga's inanimate body lay still on the table as she was prepped for the Ceremony of Death. "I ask you all to back away, please."

"With all due respect, you cannot be in here," said Eir, the head of the healers.

"Just let my friend through. I promise, nothing but good will come from this."

"Thor-"

The god silenced her with a wave of his hand. Eir scoffed as she was nudged to the side, allowing Castiel to make his way to Thor's mother's pale form.

"You cannot allow that stranger to touch the Queen's body!" Eir barked.

"Just be quiet, please. I mean you no disrespect," Thor apologized.

"Me?! I'll get the guards if I have to!"

"Shush, woman!" Thor exclaimed as Castiel moved forward to place a hand upon Frigga's forehead. The room fell silent in less than a second. Castiel gently brushed a hand across her head and then allowed his arm to fall back down at his side. The room remained silent.

It was then that Frigga began to shift. Her eyes fluttered open, mouth open to pull in a breath. Thor nearly jumped with delight, quickly approaching his mother. Frigga sat up, her strength returning. She saw her son and allowed him to help her stand.

"How- how did-" Eir stammered, voicing aloud nearly the whole room's thoughts.

"Thor? What . . . How? I . . . I died," Frigga stammered, hand feeling up and down her back where she'd been stabbed. Thor gently took ahold of her hands, smiling at her.

"Aye, it is but in the past. You are well now, and that is all that matters," Thor reassured.

Frigga blinked at her son for a moment before embracing him in a tight hug, tears in her eyes. Thor returned it with gusto. After a few moments of bonding, they released their hold.

"We must go and tell Odin. He will be more than pleased to see you," Thor continued. "Castiel, I-" As he turned around, the thunder prince discovered that Castiel was no longer present.

Thor found the angel on the balcony of some random uninhabited room in the castle. Castiel gazed out over the shining city of Asgard.

"Castiel-"

"Do not speak to me," Castiel ordered, voice angry. Thor blinked in astonishment; was he talking to him?! But then again . . . who else could it have been? The angel's back was ramrod straight, hands at his sides. Thor hesitantly walked forward, face full of confusion.

"Friend, what is the matter?"

"You know not what you have caused."

"Me?!"

Castiel whirled around, blue eyes full of fire. "Frigga's death was not supposed to happen. That is the only reason I agreed to revive her. But now, because of that, the whole future is changed."

Thor fumbled briefly for a moment. "Do not just blame me! As you said, you agreed to heal her! If her death was not meant, then how could that possibly change the future? You are being foolish."

Castiel glared. "Foolish? Think of you are speaking to."

Frigga's too awesome to die; your argument is invalid. I hope you guys enjoy it so far . . . it's a little weirder than the first "Castiel the Avenger", but it should be as good in the end.