Hello everybody! I think this chapter is now the new longest, and one of my favorites to write. This is emotional and is one of the few backstory chapters that will be in the story. We are going to get a little peek into Heaven in the olden days! Just so you know, I imagine angels to just be clouds of grace, nothing more nothing less. Wings are just the outpouring of grace from their vessels if anyone would wonder after reading that first sentence: "But where are their wings!"
I hope you really enjoy the chapter and Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Read on!
The Mark of Cain: Chapter 6
Angels were not born ready to kill demons and do God's work. Like all living things, they grow into their roles. The oldest do their duties, but also instruct their young to follow in their footsteps, so that when one falls there will be another to take their position.
This story takes place with the newest group in all of Heaven, the most recent group of angels to be created by God. And also the last. This group was his final deed, a good-bye present before he goes away on a little trip. Over ten thousand angels were made under the watchful eyes of God, Michael, and Metatron. Each one crafted for their roles and duties. However, the last one was hand-made, with only God as a witness. The grace he crafted was small, yet still very powerful. It was the purest blue that any angel had ever seen.
God held the tendril of grace in his outstretched palms and said unto both Metatron and Michael:
"This is my final angel. He shall be the Angel of New Changes… of Travel… and of Thursdays. His name… Castiel." God then bestowed the newborn angel into the watchful care of Michael. "He is very special, and will accomplish many great things, so sayeth Me."
And with that… God was gone. He disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the two angels and the fledgling floating in awe.
Over the years, the little fledgling began to grow, and while many angels started to lose faith that God was never returning, Castiel would always respond with: "He will return when He is needed."
It was safe to say that Castiel was not the most popular angel in the garrison.
Being the last of the angels, crafted by God Himself, did not make other angels flock to him. Instead, jealous beings of pure grace shunned the innocent fledgling. Castiel was left all alone, to learn, and to question. As the other angels matured and began to stir for their turn to confront the evils of Lucifer and his horde, Castiel held fast to his innocence. He was the littlest of angels for the longest of times.
It was unhealthy, and soon someone would come to talk to him.
It was his big brother, Gabriel, that decided to take action.
The golden hued grace approached the tiny ball of pure blue, cautiously sending out waves of calm and comfort so as not to startle the younger angel.
"Castiel," Gabriel stated, "I need to discuss something with you."
"What is it Gabriel?" Castiel questioned, voice brimming with curiousity, and the tiniest amount of fear. Other angels only talked to him when it was out of sheer necessity.
Gabriel cut right to the chase, and as gold intermingled with blue, Castiel learned of the worry of the elder angels. How Michael was getting tired of Castiel's insistence of God's resurgence. Raphael's pity over the angel's situation. That there are talks of… fixing him. Changing him… make him into the angel that he should be. Because the angel he is right now is too dangerous. Uriel says he could be the next angel to fall. That rules never mattered to those who were… curious.
Castiel's grace tore away from Gabriel's as the tendril of purest blue ripped through Heaven and away from all the terror it had just witnessed.
'They cannot actually be thinking that?' Castiel thought, 'God created me as I am. They have no right to change His work!'
Castiel flies so fast he doesn't realize where he ended up, and when he stops he realizes that he has flown farther than he has ever gone before, usually staying in sight of the other angels.
'Probably because they thought I was too dangerous…' Castiel sadly thinks.
He decides to investigate, as his incurable curiosity gets the better of him.
It's an abandoned section of Heaven. And it seems there are no angels in sight. However there is a cube built of… darkness. The walls were a pitch black, that it seemed endless in such a small space. Obviously it was built to contain something that the likes of Heaven feared. But to Castiel, fear was the farthest thing from his mind as different possibilities of what could be behind the fortress.
"You know, I could just tell you if you want?"
"Who said that?"
The tendril of grace that was Castiel spread out, searching the surrounding area for the voice that seemed to come from nowhere.
"In here."
Castiel finally checks the fortress, and senses the grace of another angel inside. He sees a small opening, and decides to investigate. So he plucks up all of his courage and squeezes through the tiny hole. Inside, the glowing light of another's grace is the only thing to light the dungeon. Castiel is mystified by the swirling cloud of beautiful colors, so lost in the rainbow of hues that he is startled out of his thoughts by a small chuckle.
"Do you do that with all the angels or am I just special?"
If Castiel had cheeks, they would be glowing red. But the best he could muster is the glow of his grace dimming. He did not know how to respond to this… mystery of an angel.
"Who are you?"
"I would tell you… but then I would have to kill you."
The innocent Castiel took these words for the actual thing, instead of the sarcastic reply they were meant to be, and starts to back away from the beautiful grace.
"Calm down, fledgling, I was only kidding."
This does not fully calm the blue ball of grace, but he slowly gets closer.
"So answer the question… who are you?"
The rainbow-hued grace sighs before answering:
"Gadreel."
The rainbow angel was just waiting for the other to fly off in disgust, so when he noticed that the pure blue grace of Castiel still present, he was definitely shocked.
"So why are you locked up here?"
Gadreel was stupefied. How could a perfectly fit angel not know who he was? He was assured by Dina, the angel of learning, that his name would forever go down in infamy. So as to teach other angels of the downfall of disobedience, striking the fear of God… no, Michael… into them.
"You mean you have not heard of me? Have you not been instructed in the practices of an angel?"
To be a fully-fledged angel, you have to study and learn to complete certain tasks and tests so you can be ready to go on the field. Classes like Blade Wielding, Understanding and Using your Grace, and the class he was known for: Learning from History.
"I have… but it's not like I pay attention. I mean, I want to go down to Earth and help but… I'd rather just learn about humans. I don't see the importance of using a weapon or destroying demons. I want to learn from God's greatest creations!"
The sincerity that was laced within Castiel's words brought a sense of joy into Gadreel's grace that had been missing for over a millennia.
"No wonder you haven't heard of me…"
Castiel soon left his musings, and turned back to the angel in question.
"Is that why you are in here? You didn't pay attention in class? Oh my Father, will I end up in here?"
Near the end of his inquisition, Castiel started to get emotional and irrational. Gadreel did not know what to do… so he reached out with his grace to the other angel and did his best at comfort. Castiel, who was not used to interaction, surprisingly fell into the touch comfortingly, as it felt right and safe for the fledgling. He started to calm down just as Gadreel began speaking again.
"No, young one., what I did was much worse. I am Gadreel: the serpent in the Garden. I was the one who unwittingly turned my head as Eve took of the apple and bit into it. It was only as I turned back did I notice the glint of knowledge in her eye, and by then… it was too late. I tried to warn Adam… but Eve found him first. And… the rest is history. I am Gadreel, and I am the creator of original sin."
Throughout this explanation, Gadreel spiraled deeper into self-loathing. The memories he had been able to repress resurface while explaining to the innocent angel.
Castiel noticed how Gadreel's grace got darker and darker, and decided to return the favor. Instead of cautiously mixing his grace with the other, he threw his in full force and radiated pure comfort. The power and its intestity shocked Gadreel out of disgusting thoughts, and he was left swirling as Castiel started to separate himself from the older grace.
"Was… was that not good?"
The sadness in Castiel's voice brought Gadreel back into reality.
"No, no… it's just that… that was the first time someone touched me that wasn't out of… hatred."
These words hit Castiel with the strength it carried, and before he noticed Castiel was already making a promise to help this sad grace.
"Why would they hate you? God creates what he intends… so if you created original sin it is obvious that you were created for that sole purpose."
Gadreel could feel the waves of honesty flowing through Castiel's grace and into his, and even he started to believe the words spoken by the youngest of all angels.
Castiel did not stop. "Also, I believe humanity would never have evolved to the point it is at without you. Yes, it would have been nice to live in the Garden forever. It would have made every angel's burden easier to bear. But the daily struggles each human has to face day in and day out makes the whole process seem… like it is worth something."
Castiel's grace kept expanding, until not a corner was left untouched by the angel's light. Gadreel could only look on in awe as this little fledgling displayed the power that was very close to that of an arch-angel. With training, he could become the strongest of all the angels, even stronger than Michael the de-facto leader of Heaven.
"I… would like to believe that, too…" Gadreel left the sentence hanging, just realizing that he never asked the little angel what his name was.
Catching on, Castiel tells him his name.
"Castiel."
Gadreel's grace slowly touches Castiel's again, and cradles it softly.
"I think this is the beginning of something beautiful, Castiel."
Castiel, totally in awe of the older angel and having forgotten what he learned from Gabriel, accepted the grace of Gadreel with unbounded happiness.
"I think so too, Gadreel."
The visits to Gadreel's jail grew in frequency. Whenever the watchful eye of an angel dulled, Castiel would slip from his captors and slither his way to the abandoned portion of Heaven. From there, Castiel and Gadreel would spend their time together, whether talking, relaxing, or just being with eachother. It was pure. It was simple. It was innocent.
Some of the angels noticed the usually silent and sullen Castiel has faded and in his place a vibrant, radiant Castiel with an ethereal glow that made others admire and envy the blue that only Castiel could call his own.
They just chalked it up to something weird, which has become synonymous with Castiel. Yet two angels were not satisfied with simply sitting on the sidelines, ignorant to the change within the youngest fledgling.
Balthazar and Gabriel knew something was up. The way Castiel would disappear for hours at a time. How he would come back shining brighter than ever. And the most obvious sign that something was happening:
He was maturing.
His young glow being replaced with an even brighter, more powerful essence. His grace finally climbing to its peak in powers… and judging from the displays he has given so far, is much greater than anyone would have suspected. It is slow… but not unnoticeable.
So one day, they decide to take action. Having reached the peak of their powers earlier on, they have mastered all the abilities that angels were bred to do. They disguised their grace, and followed young Castiel as he wisped himself across the puffy clouds towards the towering, dark prison.
"No…" Balthazar breathed out, "Castiel wouldn't..." But his worse thoughts were confirmed as the tendrils of grace making up Castiel were swept into the dungeon.
"What do we do Gabriel? If Michael or the others found out… what they were originally planning to do would be like child's play!"
Gabriel, the usually outspoken and rebellious angel, has now become quiet and reserved. The decision in front of him was a very hard one to make. Now many people would think that Gabriel, with how he acts, takes nothing seriously. Yet when it comes to those he cares about, all the funny business gets thrown out the window and he gets down to business.
"Gabriel!"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"
Gabriel's mind is racing like a ticking time bomb, and the only conclusion that he can come to is one that will break his little brother's heart… but must be done.
"Alright, so here's what we do…"
As the final traces of Castiel's grace finally leaves Gadreel's prison, the archangel and the regular angel put their plan into action. They take the same route into Gadreel's hideaway as Castiel did, and find the floating mass of grace resting in a small corner. It starts to glow as it notices the newcomers.
"Castiel? Back so so-"
He cuts himself off when he notices it is his brothers Gabriel and Balthazar, and not the angel who has brought such light into his life as of late.
"Sorry, sweetheart, we aren't Castiel," Gabriel replies in his snarky tone.
"However, that is what we are here to talk about…" Balthazar finishes.
"If you wish to talk about Castiel then you should do so with him," Gadreel seethes out, fearful over what the two want. They must know about their connection, because why else would they be here. No one visited him until Castiel. He hasn't done or had a lot of things since Castiel came into his life.
"Yeah, thing is this is about Castiel… and you," Gabriel implies, confirming the worst in Gadreel's mind.
Before Gabriel and Balthazar could even express the nature of their desires, Gadreel interrupts:
"What Castiel and I share is special! So if you even think about doing anything to him I will do whatever it is in my power to protect him. Do you want to know why? Because I love him! He is all that matters to me now. I love him! I love Castiel!"
The little tirade stunned all three angels, as soon Gadreel retreated into his own thoughts.
'I love Castiel…?'
He turns this little idea in his mind for a few seconds before he glows with acceptance. He does love Castiel, and he would do anything for him.
"Listen Gadreel, we don't want to stop you from seeing Castiel…" Gabriel starts. This puts Gadreel at ease. Yet the next words that Gabriel utters send the rainbow grace into a shock, rocking him to his very core.
"We want you to stop Castiel from seeing you."
Seeing how Gadreel has been left reeling from the blow Gabriel just delivered, he powers on.
"Balthazar and I have both seen how wonderful Castiel has become after meeting you. He's happier… he's brighter… he's come out of his shell. And… and he's finally becoming the great angel he's supposed to be. But… there are others who would not take kindly to Castiel as a fully-fledged angel. You know as well as I do that he possesses great power, greater than most of the angels in Heaven. If Michael or Raphael finds out that he has been seeing you… that would be the final straw. Great power and curiosity like Castiel's are a dangerous thing, and Heaven still hasn't recovered from the blow Lucifer dealt all those years ago. If you truly love Castiel like we think you do… like we know you do… can you cast him away? To keep him safe?"
The reflective Gadreel mulls the speech over in his mind, taking the words Gabriel spoke as truth, and lets them swirl in his grace. Obviously Gabriel cared greatly for Castiel; otherwise he would have turned him in instead of trying to save him. But… can he cast out Castiel from his life. Refuse the only salvation God has offered him in his torturous existence? Extinguish the light that has returned to his life?
But… then he imagines what would happen to Castiel if he ever were caught and…
He knows what he must do.
"Alright…" Gadreel relents, "next time he visits… will be the last time he visits."
"I'm sorry it had to end this way Gadreel," Gabriel admits, "but if Heaven was still under our Father's influence, things would be different."
"I understand, but I must go through with this. Thank you for keeping Castiel in your hearts, and please do so when I am no longer."
"We will," Balthazar interjects, "that blue beauty is too adorably innocent to turn away."
This puts what would probably be the final burst of happiness in Gadreel's grace, and soon the other two angels leave the exiled one to his darkness.
However, as the angels are leaving, they forgot to check the area for any other graces. If they did… they would have discovered a third guest to their little stakeout.
One who is not as kind to the littlest fledgling in the garrison.
Castiel is excited for today. He's been mulling this over for a while now, and he has had enough. He knows what he wants, and he's decided to take it. Today would be the day that Gadreel and him would bond. Today would be the day he confesses his love to the Serpent of Eden. His grace sparks with life, as blue electricity courses throughout the cloud that is his grace. He speeds away from the other angels and makes his way back towards the dungeon that oddly… feels like home. His mind races as the route is so rote it takes no conscious effort.
Yet as he approaches Gadreel's prison, he notices something is… off with the entire structure. It seems darker, gloomier, sadder. Like it is an omen that something bad is coming.
Castiel takes no heed of this warning, and continues onwards into his partner's den. When he enters the room, Gadreel is curled in on himself, the rainbow colors of his grace seemingly dimmed.
"Gadreel!" Castiel chirps, hoping to bring him out of his funk, journeys over to the depressed angel. When he sends out a tendril of his grace, the other jumps away, clear to the other side of the room.
"Gadreel, what is wrong?"
Now Castiel is worried. In all the time he and Gadreel have been in each other's company, not once has he flinched from his touch. It hurt, and he needs to know why he would flinch away.
'Was it something I did?'
Gadreel, however, reflects the storm cloud that is his mind in his grace, which is dark and scary. Castiel edges away, not sure of what to come.
"What is wrong Castiel? I'll tell you what is wrong… this is wrong."
If they had hearts, Castiel's would definitely be shattered. You could already sense the dread coming from the young one, and as his mood worsened, his blue grace dimmed until it was unrecognizeable.
"I-I-I thought you liked this? Liked us? Liked… loved me?"
"Love? Do you think a creature as evil as I am can show love?" Gadreel scoffs. "You were just easy pickings Castiel. Available. Something I could have fun with for a little while. But the show's over. You've served your usefulness. I don't need you anymore, so get! Go! Don't come back!"
If Castiel was really paying attention, he could have heard the insincerity in Gadreel's voice. The sheer amount of self-loathing over the words he has to say is worse than the punishment he has had to endure for bringing man to its downfall.
As for Castiel, his sadness ebbed away and was replaced with anger. How dare this… this… snake use him like that! He gave his everything, he even gave his grace to this angel. He risked so much for the love he felt for the other angel.
"You abomination!" Castiel shouts, surprising even himself at the intensity, "I love you! I loved you! And you are willing to throw this all away because this never meant anything to you? Well… then I'll…" he gets quieter, "I'll leave, and never come back. But I hope you spend every waking minute of your life regretting what you did today!"
And with that Castiel takes his leave, Gadreel's grace dimming more and more with each passing second. After Castiel has finally left the dungeon, Gadreel quietly admits:
"I will."
And with that his grace becomes pure black sadness, shadowing him in the darkness he feels he deserves.
As Castiel leaves the man who broke his trust behind, his grace grows brighter. The innocence that was once uniquely Castiel's has been tainted, and can never be recovered. And with this loss of innocence comes the final signs of Castiel's transformation. He entered the dungeon young and lost, but exited the prison mature and powerful.
If only he had the chance to master that power before he was met with other angels. It was Michael, Metatron, Raphael, Uriel, and a few seraphs. Some were holding back Balthazar and Gabriel, while others were advancing towards him.
"No… No… NO!"
Castiel tried to escape, yet he was caged in on all sides. He would fight, but the energy for that was drained from him while in that black hole belonging to Gadreel. He accepted his fate, and allowed the seraphs to enclose upon his grace. Metatron approached.
"Poor, little Castiel. Too curious for your own good. I knew something like this would happen someday, and I am happy that I am right."
Michael then piped up, "Because of this final transgression Castiel, we have no other choice but to recondition you. You will then become part of Uriel's garrison, where he will keep watchful eye over you for the rest of your existence, until you fall in battle."
And with that, Castiel was carried away by the seraphs led by Uriel, while Gabriel screamed for his little brother. He hoped this wouldn't happen. He prayed this wouldn't happen. Yet his worse fears have been confirmed and now the brightest of angels is being dimmed.
"You monsters!" he growls, "do you have any idea what you are doing? Castiel was the best of all of us! And now he's going to become some sheep waiting for the slaughter! God had plans for Castiel! Do you want to go against God!"
Michael just approaches Gabriel and calmly mutters:
"God is dead Gabriel. Respect your new master. Follow the new plan."
And as Michael starts to move away again, Gabriel plucks up the last of his courage:
"No."
Michael stops, "No?"
"No, Michael. You've all lost something, and Heaven is now broken. Too broke to work. And I… I can't stand it anymore! This is the last you are ever seeing of me. And if we cross paths again… you won't like it."
And with that, Gabriel dissipates out of the seraph's hold, journeying towards Earth where he would live out the rest of his immortality.
So Castiel was re-trained to become a dutiful servant of Heaven. His curiosity was drained, only following orders and not questioning his superiors. His once regal blue grace dulled considerably until it was comparable to any other angel's. He finally fit in. He was accepted. Yet… he still wasn't happy. He didn't know why, but something was missing. He would spend most of his time wondering what he could do to fill this empty void. However he didn't have much time alone, as Uriel would be on his tail with new orders for his garrison. The most recent being a journey into Hell to find a lost soul. Special and new, something no angel has done before. But he doesn't know why he's going… it's not like he'll be the one to find the soul. To find… "The Righteous Man".
When Castiel and Sam made it to the room, Dean was already there, staring blankly into space with a small smile. That soon faded as the two entered the room. Castiel sat across from Dean, while Sam sat next to the angel in the hot seat.
And soon Castiel began to weave his web, telling a boiled down version of the events that happened in Heaven, for even he did not know the entire story. He told of his lonliness, of meeting Gadreel, and of the betrayal Gadreel caused that shattered Castiel's fragile, trusting heart.
Sam felt bad for the angel. He was young and didn't know what was wrong or right. Of course he would fall for the first person to offer him any attention.
Dean felt jealous. He thought only he brought that much joy to Castiel. He can't believe that Gadreel tainted his angel before he had a chance. If the drugs weren't in his system, Dean would be throwing the biggest fit that either of them had ever seen. But soon he began to stare at Castiel, and noticed how sad he looked.
Without thinking, the elder hunter shuffled his way to the angel and collapsed on the other side, and gave him a hug.
'Hugs help,' was what rang through his foggy mind.
Castiel was stunned by how Dean reacted to the story. And soon the pressure on his right side was joined by some on his left, as Sam too joined in on the hug. The angel relaxed into the touch as he allowed the feelings he had been smothering for the longest of times finally wash over him and… for the first time in a long time…
He cried for his innocence.
Great chapter right? If I made you guys upset I am sorry, but don't be afraid to tell me in a review! I love reviews more than Castiel loves his pimp-mobile.