Wings. Massive, crystalline, black wings sprouted from Cas' back, between his shoulder blades. Each feather was coated with Jack's intricate designs.
Both non-humans looked surprised by the outcome of their contact. Sam and Dean were still struggling to pick their jaws up off the floor.
"Uh," Jack stammered, "s-sorry. I mean, should have seen it coming. What with the boundary broken and all, contact would probably edit you appearance to fit what children believe it to be. Guess that means wings."
"I've always had wings, they're just invisible and intangible in this vessel," Cas explained.
###
After some careful folding and jostling, the four had managed to orient themselves around Sam's laptop and some papers.
After Jack gave Sam and Dean some initial background information ("Santa is real! HA, I told you, Dean!), they began choosing a plan of action.
"Ok. North, Bunny and Tooth are the one's I'm most worried about right now," Jack explained and pointed to the locations of their bases on a world map. "They have the most believers, so they have the closest ties to the kids. I think the first thing we should do is check on them, make sure they're ok. Sandy's the oldest and more deeply seated in their subconscious, so he should be fine for now. I'm not sure what would happen to him if he lost all his believers, probably just sink back into some kind of abstract realm of the subconscious or-"
"Jack, focus."
"Sorry."
"So let's split up," Cas suggested, "see if they're ok and if they know anything about what's going on. Sam and I can visit the fairy and you and Dean check Father Christmas."
"Maybe I should go with Jack..." Sam said carefully.
"Probably best," agreed Jack, and sent a tentative glance at Dean, who still seemed pretty uncomfortable with the spirit.
"Fine. And we'll meet at the Rabbit's pad?" Dean couldn't really get over the fact that they were talking about Santa and the Easter Bunny. The others nodded.
About 30 minutes later, after what was without a doubt the most frightening experience of Sam's life (which was saying just a bit of something) Sam and Jack touched down at the North Pole.
"Never," gasped Sam, "Never again. Never do that to me. Ever, ever again."
Jack laughed, "It was only a little flight. I didn't even go that fast. You've got ice in you hair by the way."
"NO SHIT."
Sam had expected some sort of teleportation when Jack had held out his recently recovered staff and told him to, "hold on tight!"
He had not expected to be lifted off the ground by the wind and hurtled northwards, a couple miles above the ground with zero control over where he was going.
They stared up at the massive workshop. Almost every window was dark, all but a few on the lower level. From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Jack pull something out of his sweatshirt pocket. He stuck an end in his mouth and lit the other with a familiar looking lighter.
"You smoke?" Sam asked, more than a little surprised. The tip glowed in the dark, snowy landscape and was a strange contrast to Jack's icy, pale features.
"Used to. A long time ago. Only started up again recently. Keeps the freezing people thing in check. Actually keeps the freezing, wind, chaotic goddamn blizzard thing in check as a whole. Stole one of your lighters by the way. There was a bunch in your car with the salt and gasoline so I took one. Oh, and please never shoot me with that combination again, or I will fly you to the south pole and back in 5 minutes and see how you feel then." Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and strode towards the ominously quiet workshop.
Sam followed. He hadn't failed to notice that Jack seemed to have given up on his lighthearted facade. For a kid, the Guardian of fun no doubt, he sure seemed tired.
###
Dean and Cas craned their necks to stare at the palace that hung from the massive overhanging rock formation that rose out of a seemingly endless jungle. They were somewhere in Asia, Dean guessed. The rock formations looked like the ones on the National Geographic calendar he had as a kid.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so," Dean searched for a word to describe the glittering inverted structure, "pink." They could hear a distant sort of humming sound, like insects. Dean hoped he would have to deal with any bugs. He really hated bugs.
Cas grabbed Dean's shoulder and in an instant they were standing in the bizarre palace on an open structure which wrapped around the interior building. The humming was louder now. Dean made for a door leading inside and was startled by the loud, musical BONG his step made. The humming stopped.
"Shit," he groaned.
Hundreds of hummingbird-like fairies swarmed out of the building. They surrounded Cas and Dean, who covered any bare spot of skin they could. Those beaks looked sharp. The fairies tugged on their clothes generally assaulted the strangers until Cas cried, "Stop! Stop, we're here to help. We're friends of Jack!"
The fairies paused and drew back, their expectant faces inviting Cas to continue.
"I know we shouldn't be here, especially me, but something's very much amiss and we wanted to check on Tooth to make sure she's ok."
At the mention of Tooth's name, the little creatures became silent, their faces solemn.
"Well," Dean said nervously, "that's not a good sign,"
One of them gestured to the door and led them inside. The interior was lined floor to ceiling with thousands upon thousands of tiny, golden vaults, each with a face painted on the front, but what caught Dean's eye was a raised platform on the far side of the room. A figure was laid on the bed, covered in layers of silks. Cas walked over to the feathered woman and placed a hand on her forehead.
"She's ok," he assured, "unconscious, but stable. I imagine there's very little we can do now besides stop the demons."
Dean nodded, "to the Warren then?"
"To the Warren," Cas answered.