Fairytales are Real Part 9: Battlefield Heaven
The foursome made great timing getting to the kingdom. Dean was sure Impala had never raced faster. When they arrived, they could tell the war had already reached the castle gates as they were able to pass inside without resistance. Castiel looked forlornly towards his fallen people, guards, and statesmen he had known quite well. He even knelt beside one, pulling its helmet up to reveal the man that had led them to the king's chambers on their last visit. Castiel shook his head, “Balthazar ... I should have been here to help.” His face suddenly became stony and focused as he stood beside Dean, “Let's go.” He pulled out his own sword, which seemed to materialize from his wrist. It was a short blade made of pure silver, so shiny it was almost white.
They walked straight to the king's chambers which they heard shouting in. When Castiel pushed open the doors using only his mind, they saw the two brothers struggling in a sword fight, Lucifer just barely overpowering his brother. Castiel shouted, “Hey, assbutt!” and the two brothers' heads snapped at attention. Lucifer, whom Dean recognized from their brief encounter, scowled at Castiel, “Castiel, little brother, this is not your fight. Stay out of it.”
Cas' face was made of the clear determination you gain from losing almost everything you hold dear. “It is my fight, for this is my kingdom as well. You two have destroyed it for the last time.” To nearly everyone in the room's shock, Castiel flung himself at Michael, dislodging him from Lucifer's attack.
“Castiel! What is the meaning of this?” Michael demanded.
“You have destroyed my kingdom in your never ending quest to defeat our brother! You've become so singleminded that you've forgotten how your people suffer. They're dying, they're losing everything, and all because you can not face the fact that our brother abandoned you when father left. How he tried to create a place for himself, how he dared to be as strong as you, to question fathers word and order. Well, I've become strong brother, and I will take back the kingdom from you!”
Michael stuttered and quickly used his sword to regain his footing, using the strength of it against Castiel's blade to keep him standing. Lucifer growled, “Castiel! How dare you attack my brother? Only I'm allowed to put a sword to him!”
Lucifer waved his sword menacingly in the direction of Castiel, but Sam's sword was a barrier for Lucifer's weapon when he tried to swing it at Castiel. Lucifer grunted at the sudden impact and his eyes fell to Sam's blade. “Ah, the Colt. So that's your secret weapon, eh? Oh Sammy, Sammy, I was really hoping that by this fight you'd be on my side. You'd shown so much promise with Lilith and Ruby ...”
Sam hissed at him, as their swords clashed, “I would never help you! You're a demon, surely!” Lucifer just laughed at Sam's outburst.
Sam's heavy sword began to demand blood shed as it started stabbing at Lucifer's gut and all Lucifer could do to avoid the jabs was to back up until he was up against the far wall. He held his sword lengthwise in front of him to block Sam's blade's onslaught but his sword was not powerful enough.
Sam huffed out with each exhortation. “Oh Sammy, let's not fight. I've never done anything to harm you before, why must you harm me? You want your own fairytale right? I could get that for you. You want your own kingdom? All the pretty little demon girls you can fuck? I know you liked Ruby ...”
Sam's blade came crashing down onto Lucifer's so hard it shattered in two, shutting Lucifer's pleading up. Sam saw the offers for what they really were- the desperate pleas of a dying man, and he was no longer making deals with shady characters.
Dean and Bobby tried to make their way to Castiel's side to assist him, but their way was suddenly blocked by Lucifer's soldiers, practically raising their worn bodies from the dead. Two of them flung themselves at the seasoned man, whereas one knight brought his sword to meet Dean's. Their blades clashed with a great ring, but Dean didn't have time for this warrior. His angel needed his help. Dean found himself pulsating with fury and the need to get to Castiel's side. With the extra burst of strength he was easily able to throw the soldier off himself, stabbing his sword in the gape between his helmet and chest plate. Blood spurted out as he yanked his sword down, creating a large crease down the length of the soldiers throat. The soldier gurgled something between spurts of blood, but Dean was already moving away. “Bobby? Can you handle those two?”
“Just go you idjit! I've got them covered!” Bobby was facing down two warriors, one at each of his sides. He was careful not to put his back to either and to always dodge back or forward so as not to put himself further into one of their grasps. The two warriors combined were no match for Bobby's intelligence however, as they stumbled dumbly every time Bobby dodged one of their attacks. He laughed gleefully at their teetering. “That all you two got?”
Michael was finally able to tune back into the fight and his sword met Castiel's with great speed and agility. Michael had always been known as an agile fighter, but no warrior held that title like Castiel. The king soon forgot why the reason was that he'd chosen Castiel as his warrior to find the righteous man. No one had the abilities of Castiel with a blade. He could easily take on three angels at the same time, and moved like the wind. “I'm sorry you feel that way Castiel. And perhaps I have become distracted from my peoples needs, but your insolence towards your king can not be forgiven. You must be punished for your trespasses.” Castiel stumbled backward on the pedestal of the throne, he had not even noticed they'd come so close to it. At his distraction the king swiftly brought his sword down onto Castiel's head.
Before the blade could collide Dean slipped into place in front of Castiel, his own blade held high above his head, “Not if I can help it!” Dean shouted as the angel blade collided with his own. Dean's own sword was no match for angel metal and his sword vibrated violently before forcing its way out of Dean's hands and clanging to the ground. Before Dean could retrieve his blade Michael struck again, piercing into Dean's arm and creating violent gashes across it. Dean stared in shock as blood seeped through his open arms and he stumbled back into Castiel's body, gaping at the wounds as he pulled his useless arm closer to his body.
“Dean!” Castiel yelled in distress as he held Dean's prone form to his chest with one arm and brought his blade up in front of them with the other to defend them from Michael's attacks.
The older brother laughed, “This is your righteous man Castiel? He isn't quite useful without arms, now is he?” Castiel grunted before throwing both his own body and Dean's with the movement into his older brother. His blade met with Michael's chest in the sudden motion and Michael was caught by surprise as the blade pierced right through him.
Lucifer cowered into the corner, bringing his arms up to cover his face, “Please Sammy, spare me. You have no need to kill me, I am not your enemy.”
Sam hesitated for a moment, as he was unable to bring down a death strike to a man begging for his life. In that moment Lucifer was able to pull a small blade from his boot and shove it into Sam's gut. Sam only flinched for a moment before his sword acted almost on it's own and swung out a great sweep; beheading Lucifer. Sam's sword did not stop there however, Sam looked on in horror as his own arms moved of their own volition and began to hack up the rest of Lucifer's dismembered body. Blood splashed up to cover Sam's own face and body, and skin and limbs hung by slashed bones, but still Sam's blade would not stop it's onslaught.
Bobby quickly dispatched of one of the soldiers on his side by sweeping his sword in a great arch and knocking both warriors to the ground. He was quickly on one of them before either could right themselves and he stabbed at the warrior's vulnerable neck before the other warrior jumped on his back.
Bobby began flailing back as the warrior on his back tried to bring his sword to damage Bobby. The older man eventually flung him loose and the soldier went flying onto the ground. Bobby flung his sword at him and it lodged itself right into the exposed skin beneath the man's helmet. The soldier's head rolled back and collided with the ground with a loud 'thunk'. Bobby went to retrieve his sword and found it stuck pretty deep. He whistled at his own work, “Nice shot.” He put a foot to the man's chest and used it as leverage to dislodge the blade and whipped it clean on the rug of the throne room before re-sheathing it.
Michael's body slumped to the ground, his head lolling back. Castiel was instantly at his side, knocking the stricken Dean to the ground, cradling Michael's head in his lap. “Brother … forgive me … I have killed you.” A tear dripped down Castiel's nose and landed onto his older brother's blood seeping chest.
Michael smiled up at his little brother serenely. “You're so lucky, brother, to have someone who stands by you so loyally.” Castiel's eyes fell to Dean apologetically, but Dean just nodded, trying to hold his arm to his chest tightly to stunt the blood lose. “I once did too, but I took advantage of him and lost him.” Michael looked warmly at his brother and reached out a hand to caress Cas' cheek. “Forgive me brother, I have done something terrible.” Micheal turned his head to Dean, “Forgive me Dean Winchester.” He squeezed Cas' hand one final time before his head rolled back and his eyes rolled back into it. Tear's poured down Castiel's face as he gently rested his brother to the ground and pressed his eyelids closed with his finger. Castiel then moved to Dean's side.
Castiel crouched beside Dean before putting a gentle hand to Dean's arm and it was instantly healed. Dean felt a bit dizzy but Castiel helped him to sit up. “Cas …” Dean whispered. He embraced Castiel who soaked Dean's shirtsleeve with his tears. “I'm so sorry Cas.” Castiel sniffled a bit before standing and helping Dean to his feet.
“We must go to your brother's aide.”
“Sammy ...” Dean chocked out when his eyes fell to his brother.
Sam tried to fight the blade's pointless destruction. He fought against its path by trying to swing it around and away from the mangled corpse of Lucifer. The blade twisted around easily enough, but then swung out and lodged itself between Sam's ribs. Sam let out a cry before the breath was punctured from his lungs. He could no longer take air in, his lungs tried to grasp at the air they already contained, but Sam passed out onto the floor from the rush.
Dean was instantly at his brother's side. “Sammy!” He cried out, bringing Sam's limp body up to his chest. Dean clung to it tightly, babbling as tears poured over his face. Dean was mumbling things about how he failed him, how he was supposed to protect his brother, how sorry he was.
Castiel put a hand on Dean's shoulder, rubbing it, “Dean ...”
“No! I won't give up on him, Cas! I don't care!” Dean clung to his brother's lifeless form as if Cas was going to try and steal it.
Castiel ran a soothing hand through Dean's hair, “I know Dean. What I was trying to say was; I think I can help.”
Dean finally looked up at Castiel, “You can heal him?”
Cas' jaw was set, “I can try. But I need something first.”
“Whatever you need ...” Before the words were fully out of Dean's mouth, Castiel placed his own lips to Dean's and Dean felt himself melt into him. He was so buzzed he didn't even begin to notice when it started to feel different than a normal kiss. Dean's heart began to clutch, like it was being squeezed by a vice, and then it was suddenly let free and grew to double its size. It beat faster and faster and then it felt something poke at it and it deflated like a popped balloon. Then it felt like it just oozed, like a water balloon loosing the water inside. And then Dean felt like something else was filling the balloon, and he was sure it was Castiel. He didn't know how or what of Castiel was filling him, but it felt good, warm and right. After a long moment, longer than Dean would normally have been able to hold his breath, Castiel finally pulled away, and Dean felt like part of him was gone when they separated. Dean felt so mellow and hollow now on his own. He didn't even notice when Castiel pulled Sam from his own hands and placed a palm to his chest. Dean got the strange feeling as though he was putting his own palm to Sam's chest. And then their warmth (because Dean very vaguely realized that they now shared it) was seeping into Sam. After a few very long moments, Sam opened his eyes and began to cough. Dean threw his arms around Sam in a tight hug, or maybe it was Castiel that hugged Sam, it was hard to tell the difference anymore.
***
Soon after Dean and Castiel began to rebuild the kingdom. Bobby helped them to scout out all the lost townspeople, and as word spread about the new and just regiment (ruled by both an angel and a human) more people flocked to the town. Sam helped them to set up schools and libraries; he even had some books sent over from neighboring towns and his quest to find the greatest knowledge in all the lands had him traveling all over. One day, he found his way back to Lawrence. There, all the townspeople greeted him eagerly, and he left an open invitation to anyone to come to the new Kingdom of Heaven. Missouri came; she became a close council for Dean and Castiel. When she saw Dean again, she winked and said 'I told you he chose well'. Both Dean and Castiel flushed at her scrutiny. Sam also met up with a woman whom he had left in the town as a young girl. They were both of age now and she was more beautiful than ever before. Sam Winchester and Jessica Moore were soon married, and Jessica became a well known educator throughout the Kingdom of Heaven while Sam singlehandedly established their new court system.
Bobby Singer reopened the Roadhouse bar and would invite weary travelers from all over to eat and drink and be merry at his establishment. He would allow particularly weary and broken hunters and knights to stay in his back rooms where he would patch them up himself. Stories of honor, bravery, and wit were always told within the walls of that tavern, and the travelers always left the wiser.
Dean and Castiel were soon wed after the castle was rebuilt. The day they wed Dean's amulet burned brighter than ever before, and Dean knew that he'd finally made it. This was his destiny, and he couldn't be more happy with it. The townspeople were honored to live in a kingdom in which two heroes were their lords, and they enacted policies of both their people to create a kingdom in which both humans and angels could live justly. Dean helped to rebuild many of the lost structures of the land himself, while Castiel singlehandedly tended to the land's many gardens. They would often have elaborate dinner parties in which any townsperson was welcome to attend and Sam and Bobby would sit at seats of honor beside them, where they belonged because they were all family.
In the end they all lived happily ever after.