Author's Note: So, just to note, but I started working on this a long, long, long time ago and as such it is not canon compliant past... let's say S6, and as such any canon post-S6 (ie things like Naomi and the Intelligence Division or Ishim and that garrison) should be ignored.


glory faded before me


"Remember when Cas was dragged back to Heaven as a prisoner? Balthazar was actually the only friend who stood up for him." — Sera Gamble


"Does anyone have anything to say in Castiel's defense?" Zachariah asked, careful to avoid the ring of holy fire holding Castiel as he walked around the room. "Anyone? Anyone? ...Bueller? Bueller?" He asked the last part with a soft chuckle to himself before continuing on, "Because you know as they say, 'Speak now, or forever hold your peace.'"

At that, the door to Heaven's courtroom opened in a flurry and Balthazar strode in. "Oh, I have quite a bit to say, as a matter of fact."

"Balthazar." Zachariah grinned, the expression tight. "How good of you to join us. You almost missed all the fun."

"Yes, well," Balthazar said dryly, "I'm sure my invitation was just lost in the mail."

Zachariah's eyes narrowed imperceptibly but the grin still stayed plastered on his face. "Just an oversight," he said in an agreeable tone that didn't seem very agreeable at all. "Well, as you know, Castiel, here, has been accused of a very serious crime."

"I've heard. Disobedience, was it?" The idea was completely ludicrous as far as Balthazar was concerned. Anyone who knew Castiel could attest to that.

But as Balthazar chanced a look at the audience gathered for the trial, none of them were. There were infinitesimally brief moments of guilt that flashed across a few of the faces in the crowd as his eyes met theirs, but none spoke up. While Balthazar could understand their position as protesting any aspect of Heaven wasn't something to be taken lightly, he wasn't sure it was one he could forgive. But so be it. If he was the only one who would speak up for Cas, the only one willing to defend him, then he would. It was a position he would take every time.

And so he did.

"No one has been more loyal, a better soldier, a better warrior of God than Castiel. He has obeyed every command. He led the charge into Hell himself and rescued the Righteous Man."

"Which he failed at," Zachariah pointed out.

"Only because the intelligence you provided us caused our delay in seeking him in the first place," Balthazar fired back. "If any so-called 'betrayal' of the Host has taken place, then it must've been in greater service to God's command and his will."

Zachariah paused, absorbing everything Balthazar said and processing it. Eventually, he slowly started nodding to himself until a dark smile broke out on his face. "You know what?" he said, slapping an arm around Balthazar's shoulder, "You're right. We shouldn't let such a fine asset like Castiel, here, go to waste."

And with that and a snap of his fingers, the holy fire holding Castiel extinguished. Balthazar dared to share a look of relief with him.

"Of course," Zachariah continued, hand now squeezing his shoulder so hard that Balthazar knew that if he had been human, the bones surely would've been crushed, "As you so generously pointed out, he did almost betray the Host of Heaven, and, well, we can't just let that slide, now can we?" Balthazar turned his gaze from Cas, whose face had gone from almost hopeful to carefully blank, to Zachariah, whose smile thinned and turned even more dangerous as Balthazar met his eyes. "No."

Zachariah squeezed his shoulder a little harder for effect, then shoved him away and moved closer toward Cas — who was now held between two guards. "How does that phrase go again?" Zachariah asked, finger moving to his chin in mock concentration. "Ah, yes, 'no good deed goes unpunished.'" He chuckled. "And it certainly won't in this case."

Zachariah paused in front of Castiel. "No, I think what Cas needs is just a little... reminder of who it is he truly serves. A refresher. A reeducation, if you will. So..." Zachariah nodded his head to the guards who began dragging Castiel backwards from the courtroom to the horrors that lay beyond in Heaven's prison and torture chamber.

"He deserved a fair trial," Balthazar hissed as he watched the spectacle, helpless to do anything to stop it. "Not this kangaroo court."

Zachariah tutted. "Haven't you heard? All's fair in love and war. And we're at war."

Balthazar went to make a move to leave, disgusted with the situation and knowing that there was unfortunately nothing more in his power that he could do to help Cas, but Zachariah's hand shot out and grabbed him. "Just where do you think you're going?"


"Now," Zachariah asked, "Who is it that you serve?"

"I serve Heaven," Castiel said, staring off into some place that neither Balthazar nor Zachariah could see. "Not man."

"And certainly not Dean Winchester," Zachariah finished for him. "Now, go deal with your vessel and his petulant whining."

The bonds holding Cas released themselves and he disappeared in a flutter of wings.

"What was the point of all this?" Balthazar asked numbly, staring at the chair where he'd been forced to watch as they'd tortured Castiel for not even he knew how long until Cas had broken and had started pleading that he served Heaven over and over and over again...

Zachariah stepped into his line of view and stared at him pointedly. "As I said, dear little Cassie needed to learn the price of disobedience. We wouldn't want to have a repeat performance, would we?"

Balthazar clenched his jaw, gaze flickering toward the chair before going back to Zachariah, clearly understanding what would happen if he spoke out again and what the price of having defended Castiel in the first place had cost both of them. "No."

Zachariah smiled, all shark teeth. "That's what I thought."