Author's Note: Sorry for no update last week. I was sick and unable to write anything. But I'll get back to the regular schedule of every Monday. :)

Chapter Thirteen

Traveling via angel wasn't the most comfortable, but Mark had had even weirder modes of transportation. So angel travel wasn't all that bad. And in fact, it was much quicker than any other way. He had nothing to complain about there.

As long as he got to Dark.

Castiel had said that Dark had left a trail. Mark didn't know what kind of trail, but he figured Castiel knew what he was doing. Mark didn't recognize the place they arrived at other than the fact that it was in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't tell if they were outside Los Angeles or not.

It was a pretty big area for a pretty big showdown if Dark was expecting one.

Good thing Mark had an angel on his side.

"Are you sure he left a trail to him and this isn't just a wild goose chase?" Mark asked, turning to Castiel. He noticed that Cas had either silenced his phone or turned it off. Mark didn't say anything about it as Castiel put the phone away.

"It wouldn't make sense for him to make a show of killing Amy and then lead us to nothing," Castiel said.

"Unless he wanted me out of the way," Mark said. "Maybe he has something planned for Amy -"

"No, he's here," Castiel said, sounding way too sure about it. An angel blade was in his hand as he looked around.

Mark eyed the blade then took a few steps away from the angel. Castiel didn't seem to notice or else chose to say nothing.

"How can you be sure?" Mark asked, but didn't need an answer. Dark was now standing there, a few feet away. Mark wished he was back in the World Between Worlds. At least there he had had a fighting chance against Dark's powers. He felt powerless now even with Castiel there.

Judging by the smirk on Dark's face, he had noticed the angel blade. "There's no sneaking up on me this time," he said. "Are you prepared for the straight forward fight?"

"Why did you do it?" Mark asked. "It was me you wanted! Amy -"

"I have my reasons," Dark said, glaring at Mark. He looked at Castiel and his smirk became more menacing and amused. "Castiel knows, but didn't tell you."

Mark glanced at Castiel once. "Tell me what?"

"If you tell him that, you'd have to tell him why you called me here," Dark said. He looked at Mark. "I wasn't the one who left a trail."

"Cas?"

"Don't believe him," Castiel said. And any other time, Mark wouldn't have believed Dark. But there was something nagging him about Castiel.

"Careful," Dark said. "Wouldn't want to make him suspicious." It sounded like that was what he wanted to happen.

Mark stumbled back when Dark suddenly appeared inches away from him. Dark lifted his hand, sending Castiel flying a few feet away. Castiel landed on the ground hard, causing a small dust cloud. Mark started to run, but then Dark grabbed him, clamping a hand around Mark's throat.

"He had good intentions for not telling you," Dark said. "He thinks he can make up for what he did to you."

The memory of Castiel stabbing Mark resurfaced. Dark had made everyone believe that that had been his plan all along. To trap Mark in the World Between Worlds with Celine. She had even mentioned that Dark had done the same to several alternate versions of Mark. But Mark was starting to think that Castiel stabbing him had just been a convenient way for Dark to get rid of Mark.

Because he was pulling the exact same stunt now.

Mark could see Castiel getting to his feet, readying the blade. Mark was hardly able to breathe, let alone cry out in warning. He could easily picture Dark turning at the last second to present Mark's back to Castiel. He struggled against Dark's grip, hoping that Castiel would hold back.

They all stopped at the flash of light.

Sam had everything set up and ready when the ghost of Celine appeared. Sam looked down at everything in front of him, but didn't have to point out that it had been a waste of time gathering it all.

"I've been dead for most of the time you've known me, Sam," Celine said. "I know my way around. And, no, I'm not a vengeful spirit but I do have unfinished business."

"And you think we'd trust you?" Dean asked. They both knew what was at stake. They had no other choice but to trust her. And she was just a ghost now. They could handle that.

"You're the ones that wanted to contact me," Celine said, gesturing to the assortment of things in front of Sam. "You should ask yourselves that because it looks like you already trust me. To a certain extent, at least."

Sam looked at Dean then back at Celine. "Mark and Cas went after Dark," he said. "Could you tell us where Dark is?"

"No," Celine said then continued before either brother could say something else. "But Amy can."

"Amy?" Dean said.

"She's in the World Between Worlds," Sam said, remembering the mirror. "But we can't talk to her unless we're asleep."

"I don't have to be asleep," Celine said, her tone reminding him that she was dead. "I can talk to her, get her to find them, then I'll be back."

"Wait," Dean said, lifting one hand to halt her even though it wouldn't have done any good. "I still don't -"

"There's bigger things happening here," Celine said. "Trust is the last thing you should be worried about." And then she was gone.

"Great," Dean muttered. "More of the waiting game." He turned and left the room.

Sam sighed then sat down to wait.

~World Between Worlds~

Amy sat cross-legged on the floor. She knew she should wait for Mark to come to his senses or for Sam and Dean to find a way to contact her again, but she couldn't just sit here and do nothing. She was literally sitting on a power source.

And since this Mark would offer no help, there was nothing else she could do.

Her Mark was in trouble.

As she focused her mind, not knowing how else to focus, she focused on her home. She knew this place could show her whatever she wanted to see, but she wasn't prepared to see her own body laying lifeless on a bed.

She didn't have to search for answers to know that Dark had done something. He had killed Celine, but to everyone else, it would have appeared that he had killed Amy.

"Oh, Mark..." she murmured under her breath. She could imagine what he was going through right now. She had almost gone through the same thing with him.

Her worries for Mark turned into more anger toward Dark. The dark power that surrounded this plane of existence reacted strongly to her anger. It was stronger than anything she had felt before. It felt like something had woken up.

Something powerful and dark.

"...a dark power surfaced..."

"...locked it away in another world..."

Sam, Dean, and Castiel were worried that that power had meant Dark...but it wasn't. It had still been locked away.

"Until you freed It," the Mark from the other world said. He was sitting in front of her now.

Amy tried to escape the dark power that was now crawling Its way inside her. She felt a heavy force against her chest. "You lied..." she managed to choke out.

"You should blame your friends for giving me the idea," he said. "Having them think It's Dark works to my advantage."

"But...you said..."

"A bullshit story to get you to do what I wanted," he said. "Dark's nothing compared to the power that's been buried here for thousands of years. But I do have to thank him. His presence here got Its attention." He said 'it' like it was a name of reverence.

Amy tried to resist, but it was too strong. She felt the power consume her and then It took control.

Her eyes turned a solid black with flickers of flame.

This dark power wasn't planning on giving this Mark anything he wanted. Instead, It reached out her hand and obliterated him with a simple touch. He hadn't felt a thing.

It stood and opened a portal then entered Amy's body.