A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed! Sorry for the long wait, but you know. Life. There are only a few more chapters left after this, so we're coming to a close.
For this episode, get the tissues.
Chapter Fifteen
Castiel shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously in the courtyard. Crowley had delivered the messages yesterday. Michael and Lucifer would come today, to the castle, to the Grand Council.
Dean paced behind him, wearing a line into the manicured grass.
"What time is it?" he growled. Castiel knew that his aggression was just anxiety, and it wasn't really directed at him.
"Almost three," Castiel murmured, glancing behind him again. The castle residents seemed to know that something was going on. Their king and prince, resident angel, and half the Grand Council stood waiting just inside the gate like chess pieces. Faces poked out of every window, and Castiel thought he saw a few kitchen boys on the roof.
"Which one is that?" Dean squinted into the distance. Castiel strained his eyes up at the sky, a hint of gold catching on the angel's wings.
"Michael," Castiel said. Two others appeared behind the Commander, and Castiel's pulse picked up. "And friends."
Michael ignored the castle gate and touched down gracefully on the road. He had Uriel and Raphael behind him on either side, flanking him like an extension of his wings.
With a huge breath, Castiel stepped forward and bowed. "Welcome to Castle Winchester," he said. After a second, Dean inclined his head.
"Yes," Michael said with an air of boredom. He looked around, inspecting the towering castle and its inhabitants. With a glance back, Castiel saw the members of the Grand Council all but cowering in fear. That was a very bad sign. It would show Michael weakness.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?" the golden-winged angel said, moving forward with Uriel and Raphael close behind.
"Lucifer isn't here yet," Dean said, voice firm. "We will wait."
"Shame," Michael inspected his nails. "We'll be waiting all day."
"Commander?" Castiel asked.
Sharp evergreen eyes turned on him. "My brother cannot be trusted to be a part of this alliance. If you value your kingdom, turn him away."
There it was.
"We want a representation of the whole Garrison," Dean said calmly, though his jaw twitched. "We want the accords to encompass a species. I understand you represent about a third."
Michael's jaw clenched, his eyes darting to Crowley for just a moment. "Soon enough," he growled, "it will be more."
"My brother's conviction almost makes you believe it." A gust of wind ruffled both Dean and Castiel's hair as Lucifer touched down, alone. His eyes glinted with mischief. "Hello, Michael."
Michael's sneer dropped immediately, replaced by a contemptuous smile. "Brother."
Dean clapped his hands together to break the tension. "Shall we move to the council room? The Grand Council is—"
"I hoped that you would've given up your unfounded claim to my title," Michael cut Dean off as if he didn't exist.
The humans were all silent.
"I suppose you want the Garrison all to yourself?" Lucifer stepped around Michael, and the other angel matched his step. They were circling each other, and nothing good could ever come of that.
Michael smiled. "Twenty years and you still don't remember the promise I made you."
"Commanders," Castiel stepped towards them. This needed to break up, fast. "Please, these accords are for peace."
"Peace is a fairy tale, Castiel," Lucifer said, not taking his eyes off Michael.
"Shit," Dean muttered. He and Castiel made eye contact, and understanding passed between them.
"Commanders, please, I know you are both civil." That's it, appeal to their pride. Dean quietly began to usher everyone inside the castle as Castiel approached the circling angels. "We have a solid structure to build an alliance on."
Both commanders finally turned to him. "You think this is about an alliance?" Michael actually looked surprised.
"You humans are adorable," Lucifer chuckled. "This is just a game. And whoever takes your kingdom is the winner."
It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Castiel.
There was never going to be an alliance or an accord. They were using him to get to the Kingdom Winchester and, looking at the fire in their eyes, they were going to see who won today.
Suddenly, Lucifer's wings flared up and his eyes turned a brilliant blue. "Back!" Castiel screamed, tripping over himself as he ran back to the castle. "Get back! He—"
Something exploded. Part of the wall was crumbling away, smoldering as if the stone itself was made of fire. Castiel hit the ground and rolled, just in time to see Michael's own hands light with fire.
"Go, go, go!" Dean was yelling, shepherding everyone back inside the castle. Sam was frantically shutting windows, and Gabriel had disappeared somewhere. Guards were lining what remained of the castle gates, swords drawn, though they all knew those would do nothing against Michael and Lucifer's wrath.
The two were floating now, large wings beating just enough to hover. Michael's eyes flashed as he threw a huge ball of fire at Lucifer. The sandy-haired angel dodged it and it hit the side of the castle, breaking through stone and brick and causing the stories above to sway.
Castiel's eyes widened as Michael grinned.
"Everybody out!" Castiel yelled, ripping open the barricaded doors like they were paper.
"To the stables, now!" Dean yelled, he and Sam working seamlessly to protect the terrified staff members as they stepped through the rubble.
The noises were loud, explosions rocking the ground every few seconds. Another hole was blown in the castle wall, and Castiel cringed as he heard the screams of people under the rocks.
Did he go help? Did he try to fight Michael and Lucifer? No matter what generation he was, he had nothing on them.
The raven-haired angel turned, relieved to see Dean and Adam digging through the rubble and helping people out. Some of the bodies weren't moving, though.
Mustering up all the bravery he could, Castiel flew up to the fighting angels and held his hands up, willing something to happen. No fire came out, but a wave of energy blew the two apart from each other.
"This is your fight, not ours!" he yelled over the crackling of flames. "If you want no alliance, fine! But leave our kingdom out of it!"
"Fly away, child," Michael rolled his wings. "You can have a place in my new kingdom, if you live."
Lucifer yelled something in Enochian, Castiel couldn't tell what, and tackled Michael to the ground. Where they rolled, fire licked at the yellowed grass. The flames were blue, so hot that Castiel could feel them from feet away.
Panic was flooding Castiel's senses. He could hear the distant human screams and smell the clouds of smoke rising. What did he do?
He turned back to the castle. The beautiful stonework was singed and crumbling, as if the stones were melting. Almost everyone was out, it looked like, with several people throwing buckets of water on the flaming castle in vain.
Castiel searched the scrambling crowds for one burgundy-winged angel, but Crowley was nowhere in sight. Figures. They were on their own.
Michael suddenly flew past him, hitting the ground hard. Lucifer grinned as he pushed himself up, and Castiel realized that he was in between the two.
"Is there anything that will make you two stop this?" Castiel yelled. The crackling was getting louder.
Both commanders looked at him and laughed.
Anger washed over Castiel in boiling waves. He would not let these two destroy the kingdom, the castle, the life he'd built for himself.
So when they took off into the air, Castiel took off with them.
He threw a massive wave of energy at them, which seemed to be all he could do. The energy sent them spinning, but was otherwise useless. They turned, Lucifer grinning and Michael looking rather annoyed, and blasted him together.
A burning, tearing sensation filled him and he hit the ground again. He heard more than felt his bones break. Even worse, their blast had truly set a brush fire in motion.
"Cas!" Dean appeared in Castiel's field of vision. "Cas, talk to me, what's hurt?"
Castiel sat with a grunt. "Wings," he muttered, "and head." Dean looked so singularly focused on him that Castiel actually smiled. "I'm fine. Is everyone out of the castle?"
"Mostly, yeah," he said, glancing up at the fighting angels.
"Dean!" Sam and Adam rushed over, breathing heavy.
"What?" Dean was alert again.
Sam clutched at his shoulder. "There are people trapped on the third story. The ballroom doors caved. We—"
"Crowley got them," Gabe said, running up. "Castle's clear."
Sam squeezed the shorter man's hand. "We need to leave, they're not going to—"
"Guys," Adam's voice was monotone. "Look."
Fire was everywhere. The flames ate every blade of dry grass they touched. The fire had breached the gates and was traveling out into the fields and, Castiel would guess, towards the rest of the kingdom.
"And up there," he said again.
Thick black clouds swirled overhead, coming closer and closer to the flaming ground. It looked like the kingdom had descended into hell.
"The blackened blanket 'cross the soil," Sam breathed. "It's here."
There was one beat, and then Adam's voice, sounding more like a child than ever. "Golden blood, right?"
Before anyone could say another word, he took off like a shot, sprinting into the burning fields.
"No!" Dean yelled, following him before Castiel could even hold out a hand. The fire closed in front of them like a door, barring the two from the rest of the group.
"Dean!" Sam tried to take off directly into the flames, but Gabe hauled him back by the collar.
"Don't you dare!" Gabe yelled, holding Sam down with his ridiculous strength.
None of that really registered with Castiel, whose only thoughts were Save Dean right now. He tried to beat his wings, but pain ripped through him. They were broken by the battle that Michael and Lucifer were still fighting.
Everything was on fire.
The curse was reaching its end.
Dean was going to die.
Castiel's brain snapped and he dug his nails into the dirt, crawling forward on his stomach. Dean was not going to die. And if he did, Castiel wasn't going to be far behind.
"No you don't," Gabe grabbed Castiel's ankle and yanked him back from the flames.
Sam was crying and clutching onto Gabe, and Castiel could feel water on his face too. The fire was too high, he couldn't fly or run through it. Dean was gone. Michael and Lucifer were still fighting and Dean was gone. The kingdom was going to be destroyed and Dean was gone.
"Cassie, shh Cassie, look at me," Gabe's voice sounded like it was underwater. "Come on, we need to get out of here."
Castiel's throat was tight or on fire or both. "Dean," he choked.
"We can't," Gabe's voice was gentle. "We have to go now, c'mon."
Castiel fought back, but Gabe wasn't the injured one. He pulled Castiel and pushed Sam towards the stables. Thunder boomed through the air and lightening struck, renewing the flames around them. It was chaos, and Castiel had never felt more helpless.
"Oy!" a familiar British voice cut through the noise. Even Michael and Lucifer stopped their fighting, hovering below the roof Crowley was standing on. He was holding a simple bucket and looked all too calm for this mess.
"What's that old expression?" Everyone stared at him blankly, and he grinned. "If you want something done right, blah blah." He flung the bucket at the warring commanders and a clear substance splashed on them. They seemed to realize what is was a split second before Crowley blasted them with flames.
They screamed as they burned. Angels screams were different, at least like this. It was like a high-pitched ringing, but a thousand times more painful. Castiel clapped his hands over his ears. The screaming stopped when the commanders hit the grass.
Another clap of thunder rocked the air around them, but instead of more fire, rain fell.
"The stables won't hold against a flood," Sam said, voice too high. Castiel could tell that these weren't flooding rains, though.
"Look," Gabe pointed out. Castiel was right, the flames were slowly dying down. The water was washing them away, and he could see that the grass underneath was still green and healthy-looking as ever. Which meant—
"Dean," he muttered, shoving himself up. The third trial must have been completed. Either Dean was dead or Adam was, if that would even work. But no, Castiel would have felt it, right?
He couldn't feel much more of anything, what with his broken wings and pounding head. Everything ached, but no, Dean was alive. He had to be.
"Dean!" he called, stumbling through the smoldering grass. "Dean!"
Gabe let go of Sam, who rushed after Castiel. Gabe joined them, and soon enough, a whole group of soldiers were helping. They combed through the grounds and out into the fields, calling for Dean and Adam.
With every step, Castiel felt heavier. Tears leaked from his eyes as he called the king's name over and over again. Dean needed to come out now. He was fine, maybe a little singed, but he had to be fine. Castiel just needed to find him and everything would be okay.
A sob came from somewhere to his left. It was Sam, kneeling next to a large pile of ash.
Something clenched tightly in Castiel's chest as he ran towards Sam. The pile was vaguely rectangular shaped, almost six feet long and a few feet wide. "That could be anything," Castiel's voice cracked.
Sam was swiping at his face, trying to get himself under control. The light rain was soaking into the ground and the ash, blending the green of life with the gray of death. Castiel could deny it until he was blue in the face, but that's what it was: death.
"Maybe it's Adam," he whispered, sinking to the ground. He stared at the pile, as if he could see the difference. Guilt shadowed him for hoping that Adam was dead instead of Dean, but it was fleeting.
"That looks like it could be enough ash for two," a guard behind him offered sadly.
Castiel stared at the gray as Sam stood. "Gather the guards," he ordered. "I want three of you to report to Crowley to look for Michael and Lucifer and ten to the castle to assess the damage. The rest to the stables to get the injured stabilized until we know what shape the infirmary is in. Then start combing the grounds. Just in case." His voice wavered but he sounded like a leader. A king.
The soldiers left and the rain slowed. Sam stood with him, silent. Gabe must have come up at some point in time because Castiel could hear vague whispers and soft footfalls fade into the distance.
"Cassie," Gabe said quietly after a few minutes. Castiel didn't answer. He was still staring at the ash. Gabe's form knelt next to him and made a dent in the healthy grass. "Cassie, we need to go."
"But Dean," Castiel mumbled.
Gabe put a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Dean's gone."
Castiel was quiet again. Everything was happening so fast, and yet he felt used to it all, numb to the violence and terror and fear and pain. He picked up a little handful of damp ash, the gray flakes clumping in his palms.
"I thought that after the Grand Council meeting everything would be over and Dean and I could be alone," he said, monotone. "All I wanted to do was hold him." He closed his fists around the bit of ash, and his voice cracked. "Just not like this."
And with that, Castiel turned and sobbed quietly into Gabe's shirt, ash still clutched in his shaking hands.
A/N: Review your feels.