S:5 EP:4 - The End
I wrote this immediately after the last chapter and couldn't wait to upload it :3
Dean knew that Sam would pop in on him if he stayed in Colorado, so the first thing he did was put a State between them by driving nonstop for almost 10 hours to Kansas City, Missouri to check into the Century Hotel. With them being so close to their hometown, Dean knew that Sam's first thought was that he might've stopped in Lebanon, Kansas so he had some time before he had to get moving again. Due the Enochian sigils carved into his ribs, he knew that Cas was blind as to where he was unless he prayed to the Angel.
The next thing Dean had to do was get a new cell phone because there were currently 20 missed calls and 15 unanswered texts on the device. Half were from Sam and the other half were from Castiel. He was surprised that he didn't hear Aziza's ringtone before he put the phone on vibrate, but he regrettably thought that she was crying her eyes out over his departure. The only good part about that thought was that she'd be too distraught to think about performing a locating spell to find him.
Dean sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his phone's screen. His finger hovered over the 'Call back' option for Sam's missed calls, but he tossed the phone on the night stand instead. With a sigh, he fell back on the bed and heard the springs squeak under him. He already hated this motel. After living with Aziza and becoming accustomed to those memory foam mattresses, this bed felt like a sack of rocks and chicken feathers.
"What is it with you Winchesters and these cheap motels?"
Without thinking, Dean pulled his pistol from the waistband of his jeans, got on his feet and had a steady aim on the source of the voice. He groaned when he saw the Angel leaning on the wall next to the window.
"I'm not in the mood for your shit, Zachariah. Go away." He grumbled, plopping down on the uncomfortable mattress.
"Always so polite." The Angel smiled. "Up and at 'em, champ!"
Suddenly, Dean's bed was being raised. He gripped the mattress as tight as he could, but the bedframe continued lifting up until Dean slid off it and onto his feet. Right in front of a smiling Zachariah.
"For the sake of your attention span, I'll cut to the chase." Zachariah suddenly lost his smirk and looked grim, almost like he was attending a funeral. Dean tried to move, to get away from the divine being or just slug him in the jaw, even thought he knew it would be like punching concrete, but his body refused to obey the commands his brain was sending to them. "I want you to see something, Dean. I need to show you exactly what's going to happen if you think this whole…separating from the pack thing is going to work, what will happen if you don't embrace your destiny."
Zachariah reached out to touch Dean and two of his fingers tapped the Hunter on his forehead.
SN*SN*SN*SN
Dean was leaning on a crate in Camp Chitaqua's headquarters, watching. Future Dean had rallied Chuck, Castiel and Risa to announce that the raid he just got back from was bountiful. After five years of searching, he finally found the Colt and he was going to kill the Devil with it.
"So, that's it? That's the Colt?" Risa asked as Future Dean held the gun up for everyone in the room to see. Someone would have to pry it from his dead hands before he let it go.
Future Dean nodded, admiring the very weapon that could end this godforsaken Apocalypse. "If anything can kill Lucifer, this is it."
"Wait, where's Zia?" Dean questioned his future-self. He watched as Future Castiel shook his head, almost warning him not to open that can of worms, but Dean had just noticed the blonde was missing and had to know what happened to her. "She and Gabriel can help you…me…us, whatever."
Everyone in the room looked to Future Dean for a response, Future Cas being the only other person who knew the answer to that question. Future Dean was staring at his past-self with a coldness glazing his inexorable eyes. He understood that Zachariah had flung his past-self into the future so that he could see what the world was like and make the right decisions, but he was not prepared to preach about all the bullshit that's happened since Lucifer started the end of the world.
"When Cas found me and decided he was sticking around, Aziza stayed with her boyfriend. Considering none of the Three Musketeers are with us now, I think you can fill in the blanks on what happened to them." Future Dean kept things short and sweet. There was no need to go into detail about history because unless his past-self made some different choices, nobody could change it.
Dean didn't accept that answer and he shook his head. "That's a steaming pile of bullshit and you know it."
"If it is, then why isn't she here? Why the hell hasn't she popped up to help within the three years this shitstorm's been brewing?" Future Dean insensitively countered, almost sneering at how ignorant to the truth his past-self was. "She's probably locked up in that fantasy land she made so she doesn't have to watch the world die. And Gabriel's dead, really dead."
"Maybe she's not here because Sam's still alive and they're protecting each other!" Dean snapped, making everyone in the room flinch at the venom coating his words. "Maybe she's out there with Gabriel and they're looking for another Vessel for Michael to use to kick Lucifer's ass back to Hell! Maybe if you'd have stopped being such a stubborn jackass for five goddamn minutes, you would've went home where you belong!"
"Sam made his choice and I made mine! That's why I'm still here to save the world and he's not!" Future Dean's bark was just as hostile and chilling. It was like watching a pair of dogs viciously snarl at each other over a piece of meat.
"You left Sam and Aziza, your baby brother and kid fucking sister, to fend for themselves with the goddamn Devil luring around topside! You abandoned them!"
The room was rendered silent after that scream, only the faint echo of furious words left behind. Dean knew what he just said cut his future-self deep because they stung coming out of his own mouth. He already saw the error of one of his decisions and he knew that when he got back to his own year, he was going home to his family. He shouldn't have ever left them.
"Back to the plan…" Risa was the first to speak and the heated glare between the identical men was severed when Future Dean looked at her. "We've got the Colt and it can kill the Devil. That's great, but do we have anything that can find him?"
"We don't have to find Lucifer. I know where he is. The Demon we caught last week, he was one of the big guy's entourage. He knew."
Risa raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by the source of Future Dean's intel. "A Demon tells you where Satan's gonna be and you just believe it?"
A sinister smirk pulled at Future Dean's lips. "Oh, trust me, he wasn't lying."
"Our fearless leader, I'm afraid, is all too well schooled in the art of getting to the truth." Future Cas informed Risa and for a moment, surprise was clear on her face, but she reverted to her impassive outlook.
Word spread around camp like a forest fire and everyone knew that when Future Dean got his hands on someone or something that had information he needed, he could make them scream for mercy in a matter of minutes. Risa's never witnessed one of his torture sessions, but she's been around to hear the desperate pleas and cries of his victims, of Demons wailing for death.
Future Dean tapped a spot on the map spread on the table before him. "Lucifer is here. I know the block and I know the building-"
"Is right in the middle of a hot-zone." Future Cas interrupted upon seeing where the Morning Star was currently located. For once, Future Dean didn't look majorly pissed off as the blue-eyed man took a spot next to him to examine the map. "Are you saying we walk straight up driveway, past all the Demons and the Croats, knock on the door and shoot the Devil? Not to mention that we also have to get past the copious amount of Hellhounds that'll be lurking around the place, which is going to be problematic considering I can't see them anymore."
"You finished?" Future Dean calmly asked, the faintest hint of sarcasm in his tone, and Cas nodded. "That's exactly what I think we should do."
"We'll title this: Operation Insouciant."
Future Dean rolled his eyes. "Are you coming or not?"
"Of course." Future Cas agreed with a sigh as he moved towards the door with Risa and Future Chuck. "I'll go get the grunts moving."
"You're coming with us." Future Dean tossed an M4A1 carbine to his past-self. "I want you to see our brother."
SN*SN*SN*SN
Just moments ago, Dean had regained consciousness after his future-self clocked him. And he just watched a man dressed in a white suit crush his future-self's neck under his shoe. When the brunet turned, Dean couldn't believe his eyes.
"…Sammy?" Dean called as he stepped closer, tears threatening to fill his eyes at the sight of his baby brother in one piece. His brother's eyes gleamed red and Dean immediately rooted in place, relief being replaced with rage that burned and bubbled in his veins. "Lucifer."
"Imagine my surprise when two Deans showed up. As if one wasn't more than enough." Lucifer smiled. He could sense that this Dean was from the past and figured the Angels were trying to get him to consent to Michael's possession by showing him this future. Dean scowled in response and Lucifer nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. It must be painful, speaking to me in this form. I had no say in who my true Vessel would be, Dean. It had to be your brother. It was destined."
"Destiny can go fuck itself into a coma." The Hunter growled.
"Well, that's one way to think." Lucifer chuckled. He took a step towards Dean and the man took two back. The Archangel furrowed his brows. "You don't have to be afraid of me, Dean. What do you think I'm going to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe deep-fry the planet?" Dean snarked.
"Why would I want to destroy this stunning thing? Beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God." Lucifer motioned to the garden they were currently standing in. Dean's only been to the Cleveland Botanical Garden in Ohio on a school field trip, but this garden epically outranked what he saw that day. "You ever hear the story of how I fell from grace?"
"Oh, good God. You're not gonna tell me a bedtime story, are you? My stomach's almost out of bile." Dean groaned. He was not about to have a sympathy-for-the-Devil conversation with the Devil himself.
"You Humans call me your Devil, but which of us have committed the worst sins?" Lucifer calmly disputed. "You destroy your own planet, bring species to extinction and wage wars against one another in my Father's name. You rape and murder and discriminate and steal and dictate, yet I'm the monster simply because I didn't want to bow down to inferior beings?"
Dean wasn't fooled by that hunk of crap. Lucifer was the same brand of cockroach he's been squashing his whole life. He was an ugly, evil, belly-to-the-ground, supernatural piece of crap and the only difference between the monsters he's killed and the Archangel was the size of the divine being's ego.
"Father?"
Dean saw those red eyes again and he'll admit, seeing them, especially on his sweet little brother, gave him chills. It was like when Azazel had possessed John all those years ago and Dean feared he would have to kill his father. He remembered the day that John died and what he whispered to him before he went, that he might have to kill Sammy to save him one day.
Dean knew that he wouldn't have been able to do it then and he knew that he couldn't do it now. His future-self, no matter how heartless he seemed, obviously couldn't do it either. He could exorcise hordes of Demons and hack the heads off countless Vampires, but he was never going to be able to kill his brother.
Lucifer hated when his Demons called him that. He was not their Father and he would never claim them as his children. They were nothing more than cannon fodder to him, henchmen. He exhaled through his nose and his red eyes dimmed to Sam's hazel-green ones. He slowly turned around to the Demon that wanted his attention like a lion about to pounce on a zebra.
"I asked not to be disturbed." He said lightly, though his tone held oceans of malevolence. "And you know you're not supposed to be anywhere near this sacred place."
"F-Forgive me for trespassing, but we think She's here with another Angel, one who still has its power."
For a split second, Lucifer lost his growing malice at the mention of his valentine. "Are you certain it's her?"
"There's no other explanation, patriarch. There are soldiers marching down the street." Lucifer narrowed his eyes in annoyed perplexity, impatiently waiting for the Demon to elucidate. "G.I. Joe soldiers…um, they're action figures. And dinosaurs, giant robots and another creature called an Incredible Hulk. It's doing the most damage. They're clearing a path to the building."
A smile tugged at Lucifer's lips. She was here, he knew she was. He remembered her animating toys to entertain children in one of her past lives and that memory reminded him of her maternalism, her instinct to nurture and love things. She was going to be a perfect mother.
Lucifer was still smiling as he raised his hand and twisted it, effortlessly making the Demon's neck snap.
"You're in for it now." At Dean's remark, Lucifer turned to the Hunter with a slightly confused expression. "Zia's gonna kick your ass. And it sounds like someone from the God Squad's juiced up and helping her? Oh, yeah. You're going down, you destructive bag of dicks."
"I doubt my Soulmate will want to hurt me. After all, she is my Bride-to-be." Lucifer paused when he heard an explosion. It wasn't very far away and he detected it was a car exploding. He also felt the masses of enchantment getting closer to the building. She was coming. He smiled as he began walking through the garden, Dean following from a safe distance. "Before my brother and I were to battle, one of us was supposed to bond with her. In one of her previous lives, she overlooked her love for me, attached to Michael and convinced him to lock me in the Cage." Lucifer stopped at a shrub. This one displayed blooming pink Azaleas and he remembered that his mate liked them because it almost sounded like her name, but she favored the symbolism of the flower too: femininity and softness. Next to them was a Snowball Bush. Lucifer trailed his finger over one of the soft petals. He didn't know if Aziza liked the flower, but he had a feeling she would. "This time around, I think the odds are in my favor."
"She hates you." Dean commented and Lucifer turned to him with an expectant smile.
"If there's so much hatred towards me, she could've seriously injured me the day she saved Gabriel from dying by forcing me across the world. She could've easily torn me out of Nick." He knew of his mate's ability to extract Souls from bodies. She's done so to Michael.
When Aziza originally arrived on Earth, Lucifer felt her presence and the need to find the source of it was maddening. Unknown to him, the same thing was happening to Michael in Heaven. He couldn't even remember which of them found her first, but they weren't trying to murder each other because they were too focused on figuring out why she made them feel the way she did. Lucifer couldn't go back to Heaven, so Aziza made a life with him on Earth and Michael would always find his way to them. With the brothers being in each other's presences, they were constantly bickering.
They'd been arguing again and Michael started to get physical, but similar to Gabriel's restraint, Lucifer didn't engage. He didn't want to fight his brother at the time, he was getting tired of it. Aziza had stepped in and tore Michael out of his Vessel as if she were plucking a flower from the ground, sealed him in a jar and dropped him off at the entrance to Heaven. It was that life that gave Lucifer hope that she'd bond with him now. He knew she cared about him, but the influence she's been under was why she couldn't feel or remember the love they shared.
"Now that Michael's out of the way, we can be happy again and she can fulfill her true purpose." Dean blinked out of his thoughts when Lucifer spoke again. He was trying to process that bit of information, but he scowled in confusion at the Archangel. "Aziza and I will be the new Adam and Eve of the most superior species of divine beings ever created."
Lucifer smiled at the thought of a future with his valentine and their children. That was the reason why he was doing all this. Sure, this was an Apocalypse for the Human race and all of Heaven's creations, but he was simply cleansing the planet of all its vermin to make it perfect for his future family. The Humans were a filthy disgrace and the Angels would try to kill his children, so he had to get rid of them both. His children would be his greatest creations and Lucifer would never make them bow to anything lesser than themselves. His children would love nothing more than their mother and father, as any child should. Lucifer was going to prove that he could easily be a better father and God than his own was.
The Fallen Archangel turned to the Japanese Camellia bush and gently plucked a frilly, white flower from the shrub. Dean was frozen in shock and horror now that he knew the purpose behind the end of the world. He hated himself for feeling a tiny pang of understanding towards Lucifer. The Archangel wanted to make a family with the one woman he loved and he was going to the most extreme lengths to get it.
"Come with me. I want you to see this, Dean." With a wave of his hand, Lucifer had Dean involuntarily following behind him as he entered the building.
The first hallway they walked down was eerily quiet and not a single Demon was in sight. When they reached the end and made a left, there was a trail of bodies leading down either end like some kind of grisly crumb-trail. The floors were littered with life-sized action figures and Demons, both bloody. Lucifer didn't seem to care that his henchmen were dead because he was stepping around or over the bodies without a care. He seemed more concerned about ensuring the flower wouldn't get damaged.
When Dean tore his eyes from the ground, after stepping over the fourth Kamakura action-figure, he tried to flinch back upon seeing Lucifer trying to touch him, but it was too late. A pair of Lucifer's fingers tapped Dean's forehead, then the Archangel turned to a window and watched. Dean, curious, peered out of the window too.
Another swarm of brought-to-life G.I. Joe soldiers were trying to fend off the Demons or Croats and they looked like they were winning. Dean couldn't stop the boyish smirk that pulled at his lips upon seeing the Incredible Hulk in all his green glory. The beast was using a car to bat away the Hellhounds attacking him, but some of those demonic pit-bulls were latched onto his green skin.
Dean's brows furrowed in confusion when he realized that he could see the Hellhounds because he was positive that he hasn't sold his Soul lately, not that any Crossroads Demon would take it, but he remembered Lucifer's touch. He did say that he wanted Dean to see what was going on.
With another swing, the car the Hulk was using as a bat was flung from his hands, hurling through a few buildings like a meteor, and he began ripping the Hellhounds from his body while subsequently stomping on the Croats and Demons at his gigantic feet, not once stepping on a soldier. With every Hellhound that he tore off of his enlarged body, an ample amount of basil-green plasma began leaking from each new wound.
The Hellhounds were relentless in their attacks, pouncing and gnawing and clawing at the protective monster. The Hulk fell to one knee and that was the end of it. More Demons abandoned their fight with the soldiers to joining in on the attack as they crowded around and jumped on him, taking the Hulk down until Dean couldn't spot a single shade of green.
Then, he saw red.
A red laser-beam.
Vintage tin robots from the 80's, that had to be half the height of a skyscraper, came to the Hulk's aid, discharging searing beams of red from their eyes and burning the demonic creatures to a crisp. In the distance, Dean heard the ferocious roar of a T-Rex stomping closer to aid in the battle. He was actually anxious to see how that epic fight would end, but his legs began moving against his will again and he was being led away from the window to continue down the hall with Lucifer.
After another moment or so, they stopped before tall, taupe double doors with baroque and ancient-looking etching carved into the metal-rimmed wood. Lucifer stood before the doors, just staring at them as if he were the new guy at a big corporation and this was his first meeting with the boss. Dean thought it was outrageous that the goddamn Devil had the nerve to be nervous about anything.
Lucifer took in a breath through his nose, then he pushed the doors opened to reveal what looked like an imitation of a throne room. Most of the space was empty, but there were tables scattered around and a marble arch over a throne. The body of the throne looked to be made of solid gold and the sunlight pouring in from the high windows on the ceiling made the top trio of arches on the throne take on a lighter, almost vanilla hue. All kinds of regal motifs were engraved into every inch of the throne, faces of growling lions were carved into the armrests and maroon, rayon upholstery made the padded covering of the seat and splat.
But none of those details were as important as the person lounging on the throne, legs casually dangling over the right armrest.
It was Aziza.
"You look perfect sitting there, my Queen." Was the first thing Lucifer said and Dean could envision the loving smile on his face to match the doting tone in his voice. She didn't say anything. Lucifer began walking towards her, but Dean's legs did not follow. "I've been waiting for you to come to me."
Lucifer was only a few inches away from standing directly in front of her and he extended the flower to her as a gift. Aziza finally moved when she gracefully swing her legs off the armrest and stood, but Dean noticed movement from behind the throne.
Suddenly, there were two of her. Another Aziza stepped from behind the throne to stand next to the first one and not even twins could look as identical as the pair did; a mirror would envy the faultless replica of the blonde. Dean didn't know what the hell was going on. Had there been a Soulmate for both Lucifer and Michael, they'd have clashed long ago, the Apocalypse would've been over and done with eternities ago.
Neither of the Azizas said anything and Lucifer's posture had straightened since the second girl appeared. He was intently scanning the pair before him and even with his angelic abilities, he couldn't decipher which of the blondes was his mate and which was the counterfeit.
He thought for another moment, then a vexed sigh fell from his lips as the only sensible reason appeared to him. "Gabriel."
"Is it me?" One Aziza asked, her voice exactly like the real one's.
Both girls began to move behind Lucifer and he followed their movements, but by the time he turned around, one Aziza had morphed into the golden-winged Archangel. Lucifer's heated glare was fixed on Gabriel and he looked like he wanted to smite his little brother.
"Or is this the real me?" Another voice asked and Lucifer glanced to the side where the last Aziza was. Yet another Gabriel stood there. He lazily strode next to the first Gabriel and was bluntly checking him out, nodding in approval. "Hello, handsome. Looking good."
The other Gabriel smirked back. "Right back at you, sweet stuff."
"That's always been one of your faults, Gabriel." Lucifer spoke and his 'brothers' began moving again until they were on either side of him, both within running distance. Dean was still trying to figure out which one of them was the real Aziza. Lucifer looked to his left, then his right, and he scowled at the immaturity of his younger brother. He had to give him praise for pulling such a convincing trick, but his annoyance was increasing by the second. "You always run away and hide from your problems like a child. You never grew up."
"You're right. I always ran and I always hid." Lucifer's attention went to the 'Gabriel' on his right as he spoke and he began a slow stroll, morphing into Aziza after a few steps. Lucifer looked to his left and 'Gabriel' was still there, mimicking the circling 'Aziza' was doing, playing mind games with the older Archangel. "Maybe he was running so he wouldn't turn out like his big brothers did."
"You can't fool me. I taught you all your tricks, little brother." Even as Lucifer declared this with confidence in his tone, his eyes were indecisively darting between the pair.
"Then you should know which is which." 'Aziza' taunted and as Lucifer's eyes followed her, 'Gabriel' transformed into the blonde.
"Who I am." The new 'Aziza' caught Lucifer's attention, making him turn his back on the other blonde and giving her the opportunity to change into 'Gabriel'. By now, Dean had given up on trying to spot a difference between them. "Or who I should be."
"Michael is dead, Aziza. You have to be with me. It is your destiny There's no other option." Lucifer tried a different approach, figuring that if he couldn't intimidate his brother, he'd try to reason with his mate.
He didn't want to hurt Aziza at all, but he was going to strangle Gabriel when he figured out which one he really was.
All this time that he's been eliminating the Humans, conquering the Earth, he always thought about his mate and that motivated him to create the magnificent garden full of her favorite flowers as one of the welcome gifts he prepared for her. He made a nest for her in his bedroom as well and trained his loyal Ramsey to serve as her guardian. Of course, he gave the demonic animal the ability to pose as a Šarplaninac dog when she wasn't in a hostile mood because he didn't want his mate to be frightened. He knew Aziza liked soft, cuddly things…such as an Angel's wings.
Lucifer wanted to be prepared for the day Aziza came to him and he wanted her to be happy when she did. He wouldn't have forced her to be with him, but with his further conquest of the planet, he was beginning a more intense search for her. From Sam's memories, he had a rough estimate of where her last location was. He knew she was still protected by Gabriel's warding, but he would've found her eventually.
"There's always another option." One of the Azizas declared and Lucifer looked to her. They'd stopped their circling and were on either side of him now, one behind him and one in front. "An Archangel once said, 'Destiny's a bitch, but we don't have to be her bitch.' He was right."
"She decides what she wants to be." The Aziza on the opposite side spoke, making Lucifer snap his head to her just as she morphed into Gabriel. "Or is it my choice?"
"Enough!" Lucifer screamed and his discharged anger made the building tremble. He was completely fed up with these childish games. He felt like he was teetering on the verge on insanity. "Another millennia passes and you still haven't matured! I've had enough of your games, Gabriel! They end today!"
Lucifer manifested an Angel Blade and gripped the weapon in his hand so tight, he was close to snapping it. He turned to the only Gabriel currently present and began stalking towards his little brother.
"Lucifer, don't!" The remaining 'Aziza' warned, a plea heavy in her tone.
But it was too late. Lucifer had grabbed 'Gabriel' and stabbed his little brother in the stomach with the Angel Blade. He thought back to the day when those pagan gods had summoned him and how he should've ended Gabriel's life then.
Whiskey eyes were filled to the brim with tears, but Lucifer held no sympathy for Gabriel. He cruelly yanked the Angel Blade from his little brother's body and the silver was now smeared with blood. Lucifer wanted to watch the life leave Gabriel's eyes for all his shenanigans, but he began see those brown eyes lighten…to azure.
Pained regret instantly filled Lucifer as he dropped the Angel Blade and watched, horrified, as who he thought was Gabriel morphed into Aziza. It was the real her too, he could see it in her dulling eyes.
"No…no, please…it was a mistake…" Lucifer begged as he cradled his mate in his arms. Tears were staining her cheeks now and Lucifer shed remorseful tears of his own as he gently cupped her cheek. He was using all his Grace to heal her because he couldn't lose her, not like this. "You're my star, a stargazer too."
Lucifer desperately waited for her to respond, to give him some hope that she was going to survive. She was supposed to finish the quote by saying, 'And I wish that I were Heaven with a billion eyes to look at you' because that's what they did in her past lives, recited little pieces of their favorite love-inspired quotes from Greek philosophers or poems to one another. He remembered the first day he began reading poetry to her and the way she smiled was something he'd never forget.
But Aziza didn't finish the quote like she should've and it hurt Lucifer a million times more because that one was her favorite. After he read it to her, the Morning Star recalled his mate saying that they were both bodies of stars gazing at one another while dancing to the Song of the Stars throughout the galaxies. He thought that her words could outrank those of any poet.
Aziza couldn't get a single world out because she was dying and Lucifer could feel her slipping away. His attempts to heal her were in vain because she was fading away from him. She's never died like this, in his arms and by his hand. This was the worst mistake he's ever made. Her death was cruel and it shouldn't have happened…but it wasn't his fault.
Lucifer felt an immense sense of rage, unadulterated fury, boiling inside of him. He hasn't felt this kind of ancient anger since after his mate was created, when he and Michael would start arguing and Aziza, being the peacemaker that she was, would get in the middle of their heated words and she would die trying to calm them down. Lucifer always thought he wasn't responsible for her deaths, that Michael was because he'd always initiate their disputes.
"Look what you did!" Lucifer snarled.
With immeasurable delicacy, he laid Aziza's lifeless body on the ground, placed the frilly flower under her hands and stood. He turned to the real Gabriel, but he didn't see the terrified look on his little brother's face. He didn't see his brother at all. All Lucifer could see was blazing red and his target was simply another Archangel, not his family. He began stalking towards the gilded-winged Archangel, his damaged wings flared behind him, and Gabriel was scampering away until he tripped over his own feet.
Unknown to Lucifer, his eyes were scolding red, but the veins on his face had heated as well. It looked like lava cracking through the Earth's surface, only adding to the horrifying appearance of the Devil because the Morning Star had died moments ago with his mate. "She's dead because you're a coward! You stole her from me! And you're going to suffer for it!"
SN*SN*SN*SN
"Dean, what have we learned about destiny?" Zachariah asked from his spot in an armchair where he was reading a newspaper, having pulled the Hunter out of that possible future.
It took a minute for Dean to realize that he was back in his respective year and that he wasn't just about to watch Lucifer slaughter Gabriel. He could feel the tears streaming down his face due to seeing Aziza die like she did and he wiped them away. He looked out the window just to ensure the world wasn't a wasteland in the making, then to the Angel waiting for an answer.
Dean didn't say a word to Zachariah, which just made the Angel smile, as he went to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. He quickly dialed Sam's number and was praying his brother would answer up until he heard the line click.
"Sammy?"
"Nope, still me." Dean groaned as Zachariah's voice filled his ear. He almost threw his phone at the wall, but he hung up and turned around to glare at the Angel.
"Bug off, you feathered dick. You showed me what you wanted."
"Yet, the question remains unanswered. What have you learned?" Zachariah reiterated.
"That you're an asshole!" Dean barked and the Angel sighed.
"Everyone you love is going to die, Dean." Zachariah bluntly stated as he folded the newspaper and stood, smoothed out his gray suit jacket. Dean looked like he was about to charge across the room and hurl the Angel through a wall, so Zachariah forced the Hunter to stay where he was. He thought that showing Dean what could happen if he didn't play his part would convince him to get his ass in gear, but it seemed like he had to step his game up. "Sam is going to consent to Lucifer and in your eyes, that's worse than death. You're going to lead Castiel to his death, poor Gabriel's going to endure lifetimes of agonizing suffering that outranks anything Alistair could've ever done before Lucifer finally kills him. And the rest of the world, all those infected by the C-Virus? They're going to be deep-fried extra crispy because Lucifer is beyond pissed off. Words cannot begin to describe how incensed he is."
Zachariah wanted to dryly laugh at the thought that came to mind. Dean thought the future he just saw was Lucifer throwing a tantrum, but he would quiver at the sight of what the Morning Star would do to the world if his Soulmate died by his hand. It was hellish.
"Even so, there is still hope." The Angel continued, hoping that Dean would weigh the pros and cons of how his consent shaped the fate of the future. "You're the key to Humanity's survival, Dean. All you have to do is say one little word. Think about it, yours and Sam's lives in exchange for protecting the lives of billions. Actually, Sam doesn't even have to consent to Lucifer. You give Michael the green light to ride your meat-suit and he'll kill Lucifer in that pitiful Vessel he's inhabiting, it'll be done and over with before anyone notices what happened."
"Why didn't you show me what would happen if I did consent to Michael? That's supposed to be the sunny side of things, right?" Dean countered. He wasn't listening to a word Zachariah was saying because he knew it was just a phony sale's pitch to get him on Heaven's side. He saw right through the Angel's ruse and Zachariah's silence only proved that he was right. "I'll tell you why you didn't show me. Either way, whether I consent and Sam doesn't or the other way around, the world gets destroyed and too many innocent people die in the crossfire."
"You and the Soulmate must be getting along swimmingly." Zachariah casually said, changing the subject, and Dean was thrown into silence. "Sam's taken an interest in her too, hasn't he? And I'll bet Castiel is just her angelic lapdog."
"She's-"
"Cloaked from an Angel's eye? Yes, I know. But do you really think Heaven didn't know about the Human the Demons claim to be their Queen?" Zachariah easily filled in the blanks. He was one of the very few Angels that Michael had informed about his Soulmate. The Archangel made it clear that Aziza could not fall into Lucifer's clutches or his Apocalypse would start sooner than expected and Heaven would be destroyed. That thought made him think of another possible future. "I want you to see something else."
The Hunter was already struggling to get out of the Angel's divine hold, but his efforts were ineffective."I have to put things into perspective for you, Dean. It's the only way you seem to learn." Zachariah placed two fingers on Dean's forehead and threw him into yet another potential future.
Hope everyone's still enjoying the story. I hope I threw you guys a curve ball with these last two chapters :3
I couldn't individually thank those who reviewed without making the last batch of chapters longer than they were, so I'll do so now.
To SilverD15, thanks for reading! This story's main pairing is Sam/OC & Lucifer/OC, but I do ship Diestel. Chapter 14: You Know You Make My World Light Up is dedicated to my shipping of the pair, but there won't be any romantic Dean/Castiel scenes if that's what you were worried about. I love them together, but I have zero confidence in my writing abilities to do justice to a male pairing, haha. I felt like Hymn For The Weekend was their theme song too.
Demona Evernight, in regards to what Aziza will do...you'll just have to wait and see, hehehe.
LoverofArchangels, in that chapter, I wanted to show a new side of Aziza. She felt betrayed by Michael because she thought he was a friend that was ignorant to her destiny, Archangels and the Apocalypse with an unbiased opinion and genuine care for her. She thought she could confide in him, only to realize he was trying to win her over so he could bond with her. She hates the idea of simply being used like a toy, but she was so upset that she couldn't even realize she and Lucifer want the same things. But hey, that's what happens when you're angry, you don't think straight. And Aziza is not used to being so aggravated, so her rational thinking was drinking tea on Pluto when she confronted Michael, haha.
And my mysterious Guest reviewer, I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying the story :3
I know everyone's been asking for Lucifer and Aziza to get some alone time and I assure you, in these upcoming chapters, they will. It won't be in Aziza's dreams either. They'll be face-to-face :3
❤️Thanks for sticking with this story. All those Faves and Follow make my heart sing. Words cannot express how excited I am to hear your reactions to later chapters!❤️