When Dean came back he had another man with him. The man looked very serious and had a frown on his face. He was also wearing a long trench coat which calmed Merlin and Arthur, as it reminded them of the robes Gaius was fond of wearing.
"You must be Cas." Merlin stood up and extended a hand in greeting. Cas looked at it for a moment before finally shaking it.
"And you are not from this world." he replied in a simple manner. He had immediately seen that the two strangers didn't belong here.
Sam and Dean looked at each other and Dean spoke. "Sure, they look weird but come on man, they're not that strange. See, two arms, two legs, eyes – I'm pretty sure they are not the little green men." he gestured at the pair.
"Don't worry guys, Cas here still hasn't learned what politeness means." He turned to the king and warlock and clapped the angel on the back.
"No, he is right. The more I look around the more I understand that this is not our world. The colours are all somehow different – darker. And everyone's voices are deeper." Arthur agreed with the angel. He had first noticed the difference in the voices in the car. And he didn't like it. They made him sound weak. At first he had considered the option to imitate them but decided against it – he was the king and he didn't need to imitate anyone. He just had to be himself and everything would be fine – Merlin taught him that.
"Maybe it's just that the world is the same but the time is different – maybe this is the future for you." Sam tried to provide an alternative.
"That is not possible, I have been here ever since the first men. I can sense if someone is in a time where they shouldn't be." Castiel dismissed the possibility.
Merlin and Arthur looked at him in surprise. "He does not look so old, how is that possible? How could someone be alive now and have seen the first men?" Arthur whispered to Merlin. "Maybe he has powerful magic? Or maybe that's just common in this world? Maybe his "lord" is a powerful magical being?" the warlock tried to come up with an explanation, he was just as perplexed as the king.
"Besides," Cas continued, paying no attention to the whispering duo. "if what Dean told me is true, they come from Camelot. Camelot is just a legend you made up. It has never existed in this world. At least not in the way your legends or you two describe it." Cas calmly explained gesturing to Merlin and Arthur.
"So that hole must have been a pathway to another world, not a transportation device." Merlin told Arthur.
"Whoa, stop there, what hole? You didn't mention any hole before!" Dean was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the men in front of him were from another reality.
"The hole we came here through. The hole that the dogs came here through. Well, it was a hole in our world but we didn't see it when we found ourselves in your world." Arthur explained.
"So that's why they were all purebred. Because they came from the other world and medieval time." Sam mumbled.
"You managed to check the breed of the dogs when we were running away from them? And since when are you interested in dog breeds? Planning to change careers?" Dean asked in disbelief and laughed.
Sam sent a glare to Dean and turned to Merlin and Arthur. "Ok, so clearly you haven't told us everything." he said.
"We are listening, leave nothing out this time, blondie." Dean sat down and motioned the two to speak.
Meanwhile Cas stood and looked at Merlin and Arthur. He was trying to figure out if they posed a threat to the brothers or were telling the truth. Having determined them to really be the legends they claimed to be he relaxed and turned his attention to the story they were telling.
Arthur began speaking. He told the hunters and the angel about the butterflies, and his butterfly wings, which caused smirks from Dean which in turn caused Sam to look at his brother with disproval. Then Merlin took over the narrative and described the butterflies disappearing after losing colour. Cas looked mildly interested while Sam and Dean still wondered how all this was connected to the reason of the literary legendary men being here.
"Ok, you don't need insect exterminators in your world. Can you cut to the case already?" Dean was growing impatient.
"Fine" Arthur sent the hunter an angry look. He didn't appreciate it when someone interrupted his friend. Merlin might not have minded but Arthur thought it showed disrespect.
So he quickly told them about the stinking forest and the colourless bush hiding the hole.
"And that's how the dogs and we got here." Merlin finished the story.
"This "hole" you describe is definitely some sort of portal." Castiel added. "I'll look around, see if something similar is happening anywhere here." And with these words he disappeared, completely shocking Merlin and Arthur.
"I'll call Bobby, ask him to check around too." Dean said and picked up his mobile earning confused glances from Merlin and Arthur.
"How is he supposed to call anyone using a small black box?" Arthur whispered to Merlin.
"Maybe it's some kind of magic of this world." Merlin guessed watching the man tap his fingers on one side of the small box. Then Dean put the phone to his ear and the attention of the legendary characters was diverted by Sam.
"So, while we wait for Castiel maybe let's eat. I couldn't help but notice that in your story you didn't mention any meals. I take it you are pretty hungry?" Sam friendly asked.
"Yes, we haven't had anything to eat for the whole day." Merlin sighed.
"Well, in that case I recommend pie." Dean said having finished his conversation just in time to hear the last remark.
Sam and Dean ordered for them all, since the king and his warlock were still perplexed at the names in the menu – there were no recognisable dishes. They were also perplexed at the notion of a menu – in their world they just said what they wanted and got it. Besides, they rarely ate outside of the castle, and if they did, they brought their own food.
"Just our luck, we had to go to a TV themed diner. Of course they don't know what a Star Wars Strudel means." Sam thought.
While waiting for the dishes to come the four sat and went over everything they had heard. They talked more about Gaius and Bobby, finding more and more similarities between the two. When the orders finally came the conversation stopped and everyone became focused on their food.
"We should find you different clothes – you stick out like a sore thumb." Dean said, mouth full of delicious pie.
"What Dean is trying to say is you bring attention to yourselves. And that isn't what you want to do if you're with us." Sam explained seeing the medieval pair confused at the expression.
"Is it really that bad? I think we won't be here for long – we just have to find another hole and we'll be home." Merlin was reluctant to change his attire.
"We're still not sure there is another portal. And even if there is, our world is very large – it might take days, months even to find it." Sam tried convince them.
His attempt was interrupted when Cas appeared in the diner. "I found it. Let's go." He said and made a move to transport them all.
"Wait a minute, let us finish eating." Dean protested. Merlin and Arthur sat frozen in their seats. They had never seen someone appear or disappear so casually – in their world there was always some wind or flying sand and leaves involved, not excluding loud curses and promises of revenge.
Seeing their reaction Sam turned to the angel. "Cas, stop scaring the once and future king and the greatest wizard in the world." he scolded the angel.
Hearing themselves being called by the now already ordinary but still quite embarrassing titles the two men calmed down and resumed eating. Hearing something familiar in this strange world calmed them.
Cas patiently stood and waited till every last bit of food was gone in the stomachs of the four. "Now can I transport you?" the angel asked watching as Dean swallowed the last piece of pie.
"Calm your horses." Dean exclaimed. Merlin and Arthur calmed down even more after hearing the familiar expression – they knew horses very well. But why were they mentioned now? Cas didn't have any horses. "Maybe it's another of their weird expressions, Dean seems to have a lot of them." Merlin concluded.
"Is it very far or can we go there with my baby? I still remember the first time you transported me. Do you really think that will end well this time with two already disoriented passengers?" he gestured to Arthur and Merlin.
"It is quite far. No, it is not possible to get there by car. I think they are stronger than you think – they are legends in this world for a reason." Cas addressed each point of Dean's protest. Then he reached out and awkwardly, to touch every man and make it possible to transport them together, produced what looked like a group hug.
"Don't want to take two trips, huh, Cas?" Dean joked squished next to the angel.
It was lucky for them that the diner was empty by the time they disappeared. Most people had been feeling more and more uncomfortable with the shouting and the strange behaviour at booth seven.
A lot of customers had left during the conversation, even more decided to leave when the four strangers started eating like they had never seen food before. The strongest or perhaps most stubborn customers had left at the beginning of the hug.
And now, with Sam, Dean, Merlin, Arthur, and Cas having transported away the diner was left empty.
