((Author's Note: At last I am rounding the final corner. To those who've stuck around, thank you. If it seems rushed, it's not. I never really intended for a training sequence. It's wrapping up. Not long now))
River could feel time flow around her. And she focused on flat out stopping it, across the world. The power burned in her blood, power a human should never have, she had to stay focused. She climbed out of the tub, observing the leering Demon.
"I watch you die the second time. At the hands of a whore."
Every non-second counted as she untied her allies. Jo, who would pay for her meddling. Dean, who could go home soon. Crowley, who'd see her again, though she suspected she would never see again. Castiel, who'd catch on eventually. Bobby, who was very damn confused. Vera, who would Protect Mud again. River smiled sadly and gave each a long hug, hoping they'd feel it when time unfroze. Somewhere Ruby was frozen too. Lucifer was not. They would have to battle. River would brace herself for it. As she walked toward the door, she pauses, looking back.
"Thank you, everyone, for believing in me. I won' t let you down." She began to walk out and paused again. "Sick 'em, Grim!"
When River finally reached the apartment in Stanford she knew she had to unfreeze time or die. Her body ached and screamed, and he was waiting inside. Lucifer, within Sam's body' wearing that sinister white suit. He stood in the doorway as she let go of the time stream, collapsing onto her knees.
"Well that's the saddest thing I've ever seen." He scoffed. "You froze time across the universe to stop me from conssumating with my bride, and fall ten yards away?"
"Fall, perhaps..." River looked up, breathing hard. "But I didn't fail."
"Ruby is just inside." He scoffed. "Awaiting me. And now I can actually join with her."
"No," River heaved, "She isn't."
"Your friends can't have showed. You just unfroze them."
"Lucifer..." River exhaled. "I only froze the present."
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"It means Friends from the future won't fail me."
A scream rang suddenly and the Devil flipped around. Wash had appeared, a sword aimed at Ruby's throat. She was as she had died: wearing a leather jacket with black hair. Behind Lucifer was Book, shaking his head, his eyes black.
"Here is the Deal." Book spoke clearly. "Ruby will not be harmed, though she deserves it, unless she tried to get in the way. This is between you amd River now. Be a man and fight your opponent."
"A burned out brat from another time?" Lucifer snarled. "Are you mad?"
"If that's the case," Wash commented, "What are you worried about? You can finish your foe so easily? Do it!"
"Do you want her dead that much?" Lucifer flipped around to growl at Wash.
"No," Book spoke. "Just unlike you, we don't underestimate River."
Ruby was frantic, well aware the Angel's sword could kill her. Raziel's powers were not supposed to awaken. It was supposed to end tonight, once and for all. Then they'd decimate the world. Now the brat had back up from the distant future and-she gasped.
"Look out!"
"I'm sorry, Sam!"
Lucifer flipped around to find River on her feet, Gabriel's lost sword in her hands as she thrust it into his body. He gasped, Ruby's screams blending with River's sobs as the girl from the future fell to her knees. Both were distant as the first Angel to Fall fell onto the bed. He knew what was next. His life force began to flicker. And then he ceased to be.