Title: go rest high on that mountain

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Vince Gill.

Warnings: future!fic; spoilers for everything aired

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 370

Point of view: third

Prompt: Lucifer and Michael, the final act of the war is one of forgiveness

The battlefield of the last war is scoured clean by fire and blood. The ground sizzles where Michael is bleeding, wings limp and limbs quivering.

Never has the fight been so hard, or Lucifer so powerful. Even when he was Sammael, Michael's elder brother, beloved Star of Morning, his strength was equal to Michael's own.

But now—for so long Lucifer had been locked away. Fought no one, expended no energy. He had been gathering his anger and his hatred for this battle, and Michael—Michael is so tired.

Lucifer's sword is at his neck, eyes golden and green and the color of the first dawn. "What do you have to say now, Michael?" Lucifer hisses, as the world pauses, creation holding its breath. "Now, at the end of things—what sermons do you offer me?"

Michael looks at him, looks past him, to the sun.

"Meet my eyes, God's Sword," Lucifer demands, slamming a fist into Michael's chest. "Meet my gaze and tell me how forgiving our Father is."

Michael does, and he hears Dean Winchester whisper, Let me talk to him.

When he speaks, Dean says, "Heya, Sammy," and Lucifer shudders.

"D-Dean?" Lucifer's eyes blink and are only green when he looks again. "Dean."

"Sammy," Dean says again. "You gotta stop. Seriously, you wanna be alone with someone who burns the world just 'cause he wasn't Daddy's favorite?"

Sam's eyes flare golden and Lucifer is in control again, slicing the sword downward into Dean's neck.

Michael flings a wave of energy out, stopping the sword and throwing Lucifer back. You can't beat him, Dean says. You won't join him. And Sammy's trying his best, but—

Standing, Michael gazes at his brother. Lucifer had been the most glorious of them all, the Light-Bringer. Before the Son and before Man, Lucifer had been their Father's favorite. His crowning achievement. Lucifer had been so beautiful.

"You will never be happy," Michael tells him. "Even when you are alone in the cosmos, the last thing living, you will not be happy." He gracefully falls to his knees, head bowed. "I forgive you, brother," Michael murmurs. "Now do what you must."

Sammy, Dean whispers.

Creation takes a breath and Michael hears Lucifer's sword sing.