Sam's eyes went wide. "Take him down? Like, down, down? Like kill him? Personally?" He's known the situation was big, but this idea that God would take it into His own hands made it seem a lot more serious.

Aemeliana nodded, a definite sadness in her eyes. "I'm afraid so," she told him. "And such a shame, too. I rather liked him."

Aeliana rolled her eyes. "Yes, it will be such a shame to lose an angel as wonderful as Castiel," she said sarcastically. Dean shot her a look. "What? It happens. Things die. My favorite demon died almost a millennia ago, I didn't whine about it."

"Favorite demon?" Dean hissed. "What, are you the evil sister, too?"

Aemeliana shook her head insistently. "Not evil! We are… we are supposed to be impartial to the dealings of demons and angels, to good and evil. We do have our preferences, but they are not swayed by good or evil. Rather, those whose machinations most amuse us-"

"Amuse you? So, people's suffering amuses you?"

"No, no, not at all!" she answered, "It's just… well, we enjoy watching things change. For beings that are constant, it's fascinating! Like, when you would watch a movie! A horror movie, or an action movie! You aren't happy that those teenagers die-"

"Speak for yourself," Sam laughed. They all gave him a crazy look. "What?" he asked. "I'm just saying… I mean, have you seen the most recent Friday the Thirteenth? Those idiots are asking for it."

Aeliana smirked a little. "The point we are making is, obviously, your suffering isn't amusing, it doesn't please us, but we can like the direction it takes things. The demon I spoke of, he was so ambitious! His plans laid down the building bricks for so much of today's society! And there was good that came out of his crimes. So, he was my favorite."

"In the same way, Castiel has done so much for the world. Without his influence, the two of you would never have managed all that you have. And so, we-" Aeliana interrupted her sister with a little snort, "we are quite upset at the prospect of the Father having to end him."

Sam glanced at Aeliana. "I take it you're not too broken up about this?"

She sighed a little. "It's not that I don't like Castiel, I do. Quite a bit, actually. But, there are two particular beings," she gave the brothers a significant look, "Who I am much more partial to, and God has decided that it is their job to put a stop to this."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "So, you're okay with God 'ending' Cas because you'd rather him die than us?" She nodded simply. "Why?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Because! The two of you have made some of the most interesting moves I have seen in… I don't think I have ever seen a more interesting pair! I mean, we've said it already, haven't we? God didn't even have to send the Son in to clean up Lilith and Lucifer's mess because of the two of you! You are some of the most, if not the most, influential people to have ever existed, human, angel, demon, monster, no one has done more than you! And without God having to tell you! For God to sacrifice the two of you, to save him? It just seems so… so wasteful!"

"So, what, we're more important than he is?" Dean yelled, growing even more furious. "Castiel is my friend, and you're throwing a hissy fit about saving him because you think we're more important than he is?"

Aemeliana cut in. "No, you're not more important, no one is more imp-"

"Screw that!" Aeliana said. "They are! Castiel may have helped them to their goals, but I have no doubt that they would have done it without him! The Winchesters never give up on anything!" She turned to the brothers, her eyes intense. "You are so driven, and even when you have nothing to go on, you manage! No one else in all of existence has ever had the drive to do as you do! And I would know! So don't tell me that he's your friend and you should be willing to die for him, because I don't care! I want you to live, Castiel be damned!"

Sam stepped between his brother and Aeliana, holding Dean back as he moved to hit her. "Dean, just chill, alright?" He turned to Aeliana, frowning. "But, it doesn't really matter, right? I mean, after we're done, can't you just bring us back? It's been done before."

Aemeliana shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid it won't work that way anymore. God has forbidden it. He says that the laws of His universe have been bent and broken enough, and that from now on, death is the end. No more resurrections. For anyone, not just the two of you. He says that a sacrifice is a sacrifice, and allowing people to return after dying for a noble cause cheapens what they did."

"So, if you're so mad about the idea of us saving Castiel because you're worried about us dying in the process, why are you bothering to tell us anything at all?" Sam asked Aeliana.

She smiled, the expression a little sad, a little sarcastic. "Because, I know that the two of you would have, eventually, decided you couldn't just sit on your hands over the whole matter, and would try to take some sort of action. And you're more likely to get yourself killed without the information we can provide. So, here I am, trying to arm you as best I can."

"You know, for someone who likes us so much, you sure don't seem to think to highly of us," Dean bit out, still pissed.

She sighed. "I do like you both. I just… Dean, you frustrate me sometimes. You have such a quick temper! So fast to judge, to yell and blame! And Sam, you have zero survival instinct. I mean, how am I supposed to remain patient with you when I see you throwing yourself into the fire? When you took hold of your body and jumped into the pit, it was all I could do not to reach in and steal you back."

Aemeliana smiled. "Aeliana, like you, Dean, has a quick temper. And when you endanger yourselves, or make foolish decisions, it scares her, and she is not used to being scared, so she gets angry instead."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, sounds like you two are peas in a pod," he said, laughing.

Aeliana smirked. "I could say the same of you and my sister. Aemeliana is forever watching over every little detail she can, trying to find out every little thing. She is incapable of taking the leap without looking first, until it really matters. Then, when she needs to look most, she leaps with so much passion! And she feels so much, and shows so little!"

Dean smirked. "Yeah, sounds like Sammy." His eyes went wide for a moment, and he looked at his brother with concern. "Hey, wait a minute. You're… you're alright? What the hell?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Hell, man, you remember hell! You've barely spoken for days and now you're back to your normal self. What gives?" He turned to look at the twins. "Do you two have something to do with this?"

They exchanged a look, and moved forward, each placing a hand on Sam's shoulders. "In a way, yes," they said in unison, back to the freaky, magic twin behavior they'd exhibited when they'd first arrived. Aeliana rubbed Sam's shoulder, almost lovingly, and gave him an affectionate look. "In this world, the pain goes away. Remember what the Lord's word says, that in His realm, all suffering is eased. And so, while here, Sam is not suffering any ill effects of his time in the pit." Her eyes clouded over, and she suddenly looked very upset. "However, that is the extent of it. Once you return, it will return. I am afraid I cannot help, at least not permanently. My sister and I can ease it for a while, but…"

"But it will not last." Aemeliana finished, patting her sister's head to comfort her. "We could bring him back here when it begins to wear thin, of course, but it will have to be done again, repeatedly."

Dean frowned. "So, why not just do that? Have him come back to get all fixed up?"

They leaned forward, in front of Sam, and looked at each other, sighing together. "It may not take," Aeliana said. "And there is no telling how long it will last. With what is at stake now, it seems to be the most expedient plan, but…"

"But the more times we do it, the harder it will be for him to face on his own. And he must face it alone, eventually," her sister finished, and they sighed again. Aemeliana stepped away from Sam, coming to stand with Dean, squeezing his shoulder gently. He gave her an odd look before brushing it off to deal with the matter at hand.

"So, why are you willing to do it now?" he asked.

"Because we don't have much time, I'm afraid," she replied gently. "Castiel must be saved, or He will stop him. And since the two of you must save Castiel, Sam must be at his best. And so, we must help his mind to bear. But, starting from the moment we cast the magic, you must begin to work towards the goal at hand. There can be no time wasted. And you must be sure. If the two of you are not positive you can save him, or are unwilling, you need only say so, and God will end him now. You are the only ones who can save him, and so you are the only ones who He will wait for."

Dean and Sam looked at each other, resigned. Dean sighed and ran his hand over his head, then to his mouth. Sam just stared, his expression fierce.

"So," he said, "how do we save Castiel?"