She opened her eyes only to see nothing. Well probably more than nothing but it was dark. Certainly betten than hell though. The room she was in looked like a cellar. Cold, wet and adonned with spider-webs. It looked like none had been around for some time. Finding a narrow dusty window she opened it letting in fresh air and a little of the moonlight that made the garden outside glow in an eerie light. Searching for a door she instead found that she was not alone. Two more people were there, tangled in each others limbs, holding on. The woman, a blonde many would describe as beautiful lent against the wall holding her companion, an older man, in her arms. While he looked beaten and was unconscious the woman looked less bad. She eyed her waryly from her sitting position. Not threatening but curious. With a start she realised that she knew who those people were. She had heard stories about them everywhere, in hell, on earth and in purgatory. They were Mary and John Winchester. Tough luck. So hell spit them out just at the same time she got thrown out of afterlife. That was either irony or something really messed up was going on.
"What is going on?", the voice sonded weary, rough, pained. But that was no suprise, in hell you didn't really talk that much. Sure you did have time to do so but screaming due to torture did not increase the possibility of a smooth voice.
She turned to look outside again "We got out of our afterlifes. No idea how." Silence reigned the room once more until the blonde shifter a little and broke the silence "Who are you? Have you been down there as well?" A sigh escaped her lips while a cloud cast a shaddow over the moon. Only when it had passed and Mary had moved next to her she answered "I have been there and I am sorry. Neither of you should have had to bear it. But it is not where I come from now. I came here from purgatory. My name..." she trailed off, remembering how much pain she had brought to those close to her. Most of it had not been her fault but still she felt guilty. Pushed by angels and demons to corrupt a pour and innocent soul had not been fair. But his death would not have been either.
While she continued thinking Mary had organized her thoughts, wrapping her mind around purgatory and how the girl she saw in front of her got there and how said girl had yet to answer one of her questions. "Who and what are you? As far as I gathered down there only dead supernatural beings go to purgatory when they die." An uncertainty overcame Mary after she had voiced her thoughts. How was she supposed to react if this thing was evil? She had nothing to defend herself. The girl turned towards her and only then did Mary see the stark contrast between the girls dark, wavy hair, brown eyes and pale skin. She looked like a princess from a fairytale in the moonlight. But that look lasted for mere seconds, then the girls eyes turned pitch-black and her voice, grave and bitter, cut through the peaceful picure "I am Ruby, I was a witch when I was human. Afterwards I became a demon. I made many mistakes but I tried to be good and I will continue doing so. I know who you are so I don't expect any mercy though.", with that said the demon, Ruby blinked, her eyes returned to their original colour and Mary was frozen next to a demon without any intention to exorcise her. She had no idea why but something in the darkness that had been the girls eyes, emotions of a strengh unknown to be possesed by a demon, had shone through. She could not help but wonder whether there was more the girl regretted than just being a witch. And girl, really, why did se continue to lable this being a girl? Ruby was not human nor did Mary know whether the former witch wasn't actually older than she was?
Uncertain as she was she went back to John. He looked so different now. But then they both had had enough time get used to each other again. The demons had held them close to eachother, inflicting pain through hurting their partner. It had been cruel but at time the two of them could talk. They had used this precious time to rebuild their realationship, to talk about their sons. The hardest had been to talk about hunting, to hear that her sons were hunters. She and John had an argument about that. More than one but in the end when you are in hell all that mattered was that the boys were alive.
Checking on her husband she realized that while he was beaten up pretty bad he most probably would be fine. Carefully moving some hair from his face she stood again, searching for a door. Mary moved along the wall for the light was still not bright enough to eluminate even half of the room. When she was at the far end she found what she had been searching for but that was about all the luck she seemed to have for now. The door was locked and as strange as it seemed she had no idea what to do. Turning her back in the irritating door she eyed the room from her new position. Neither of the other occupants had moved. John still laid on the floor, Ruby still stood by the window her face illuminated by the moon looking sad. It was then that it really sunk in. Mary was sitting in a cellar with her husband unconsiousness and a demon at the only possible way out. And she had yet to exorzise said demon.
Staring at the moon she wondered whether there was any justice. Death had not been bad, far from it actually. But hello, why should she have the luxury of staying dead? Her own sarcasm had brought her to the question she was not sure she even wanted an answer to. Why would someone bring her back? John and Mary? They were great hunters and the boys deserved to get their family back. But she? Even if someone cared that all that happened had initially not been her fault there was still no reason for her to be here. Well tough luck she was back and she would find out why. With new determination she turned around to the direction she felt Mary stand and locked eyes with the woman who seemed suprised by her change in attitude. "Grab your man we're out of here", she said in a calm voice nearly commanding the blonde to listen. When Mary was at Johns side Ruby had all but kicked open the door with a mere flicker of her hand and was standing on the doorstep waiting for the other two. Only when Mary was at her side did Ruby help, taking the major part of Johns' weight on her shoulders and dragging the man out into the night.
It was suprisingly cold outside and once Mary stopped taking in the beauty that was life and breathing in the cool and soothing night air she was suprised to find Ruby standing next to a van, seemingly waiting with an impatient look on her face. John who obviously had been knocked out good had already been put inside the car. The shock of the demons moves was fast covered and Mary went over sitting shotgun. Only when Ruby failed to turn on the car but instead dared to speak and thus breaking the silence both women found precious and unbearable at the same time did Mary feel the need to react "where do you want to go?". Mary jerked her head around. She had somehow expected that the demon she impossibly seemed not to distrust had a plan. With an uncertain voice she answered "I'm not sure. Maybe... John talked of a friend my sons might know. I wish to find them. And I believe John needs to be checked. He still hasn't woken up."
"Bobbys' it is then.", the demoness uttered silently so that Mary wasn't sure she had even heard it. What Ruby said next though caught Marys full attention. "Your husband will wake up sooner or later. It is his way of coping with hell. You shouldn't worry." Before Mary could question the words Ruby had started the car and drove down a highway seemingly knowing exactly where to go. Mary wondered whether she did indeed know for she had no idea of the abilities of this demon, especially if she had been a witch before.
"Like what you see?", Mary had not realized she had been staring. What she had realized though was that what had been posed as a question had not been one. The dry tone and the irritated look on the bruntettes face told her that much. "Ah sorry. I was just wondering..." she trailed of but took the silence from the seat next to her as an encouragement to continue, "what is it that you regret?" The sudden tenseness that shot through Rubys body was nothing Mary could miss and she asked herself just how bad it had been. "I can't tell you. You would hear only parts of the story. You wouldn't understand." "But... I need to know!", she felt vulnerable all of sudden. Not only because this declaration made her unsure of her and Johns safety but somehow she wanted the girl (and here it was again. Girl, really?) to trust her. She could not explain why but something in her wanted no needed to know. She needed to understand the regret she had seen, needed to understand how a demon could have emotions, why she seemed helpful, why she had been brought back. And more than that she wanted to trust. Trust someone aside from John.
When Ruby raised her voice Mary wondered if she had sounded as desperate as she had felt for the demoness sounded somehow soothing rather than matter of fact even though most of what she had said had been either annoyed or matter of fact. "I can show you if you wish. But for that you would have to trust me. The only place you can see my memories are your dreams."
Mary breathed in and out. That was hard. She wanted to trust but the only way to trust the demon was to give herself to her. What was she supposed to do? John, her whole family would protest but she had to take the chance "Alright." Before she even knew it she heard Ruby silently chant in latin. Then she fell asleep.
A muddy city, children are crying. The stench of death hits her nose.
A petite blonde girl tucks at the hand of her older sister. The dark hair of the taller girl falls into her face when she bends down to pick the little creature up, the little one who looks sick. Bars with people who died due to the plague were carried past. The younger girl began to scream, reached out to the dead. They were her parents. The older girl just closed her eyes. It wasn't fair. When she opened them again they were detemined.
The same girls from before mere years later. The blonde looked better though. Mary could have sworn she had had the plague in the vision before. She still held onto the hand of her older sister. Unlike the blonde who had only grown and barley set aside her childish face the older girl had changed drastically. Her eyes were darker her face held a grave look. Her posture more regal. She seemed entirely different thoug the moment she looked at her sister one could see the girl from before in her eyes. When a woman was brought in front of the mass the croud around them cheered. "A witch!" "Burn her!" And they did. And as they did the little girl watched in fear and the older one with regret. They seemed to know the woman.
The blonde looked defeated. "She was no bad woman. Why did they kill her?"
"Because they don't understand what she did for them."
"What about you?"
"They will catch me eventually." A pessimistic answer. But there was no fear.
"But..." "No. You will live you life. I have chosen to do this. You are my sister. You are all that I treasure."
"You saved them as well."
"They won't care. It doesn't matter. Just remember I love you."
The older sister was to burn at the stake. She stood calm. Her eyes were closed. She was praying for them all. Her little sister was among the crowd. She was crying. Next to her was a boy holding her. She was pregnant.
The girl was screaming, tortured by Allistair. Lilith was watching. The girl had been among the witches that had sold her soul and yet had might be useful. She might be a loose canon. But she would find a way to control that one. She had had great potential as a witch.
The girl had become a demon. She was posessing a blonde, stalking a boy that Mary knew to be Sam. The demoness herself was watched by Lilith. She smiled. The one thing she needed to do and it would be so easy. The demoness had a weakness.
Lilith had banned Ruby back into hell. She was torturing her. She was pushing her, making her say the words. "I will work for you." Still there was a glint in her eyes. One that told Lilith and Mary that she would protect Sam no matter what.
An angel stood before her. Another one stood beside the bed which was occupied by a sleeping Sam. He held his knive at the boy-kings throat. She was defeated. Not by the demons but by angels. Their prophethy was to become reality. She would do everything so that Sam would open the gate to Lucifers cage. Not that Azazel hadn't already pulled her strings. They hadn't been the first. But they had been even worse than Azazel. If that was possible.
The angels were gone. She sat at Sams side. "I will protect you." She moved to the window. "No matter what. No matter from whom." With that a bloodspell was spoken. A small light formed in her hand. She placed it over Sams heart.
Lucifers cage opened. She laid on the floor. Dead. When light illuminated the room and the boys could not flee a small light began to glow and the boys sat in a plane.
Mary awoke with a start. She looked around trying to remember where she was. When she saw the suddenly extremly familiar face of Ruby next to her, the demoness still driving she remembered. Looking in the back of the car she found John still asleep.
"Your sister... those people... you safed them. Why did they? And Sam?" She did not know what to ask first. Some minutes of silence followed but the one who broke them was not Ruby, rather it was John who groaned. He had woken up "Where... Mary?" His confused eyes caught those of his wife. "It's alright. We are alive and on our way to the boys." He seemed to breathe then. Only to stare intently at the driver of their car. His instincts told him that something was wrong. This was not a human. "Who is that?" "A... friend. She is helping us out with finding Sam and Dean." Even though the answer had been hesitant Mary sounded sure so John did not question her. What he had not seen was a suprised look on Rubys face. One that soon turned into a silent chuckle. Mary merely raised a brow. "You are. I know you now." So they drove.
"We are here."
The car stood in front of Bobbys house. John, though confused how the stranger seemed to know this place immediately went out of the car and to the door. Mary followed and saw how John got splashed with holy water. It made her chuckle. It felt good to see something normal again. Well as normal as things with hunters would ever be. After having proven their humanity they were hugged.
"How did you get here?", the elderly hunter questioned. Mary turned around thinking she would see Ruby. But all that was there was the lone car. "We had help." Was all she said. She had a feeling that Ruby would not be on Bobbys friends list. Not if all of what she had seen had been true. And of that she was rather certain. The words that had been spoke had been words she had known, had read before in the book of a witch. It had been a spell designed by witches to prove their loyality. It showed the other person their soul. They were unable to keep any secrets.
When John touched her shoulder she was pulled from her thoughts. The trio went inside, they had much to talk about after all.