Unexpected Destinies Chapter 110
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,918
Summary: The creation of a seal.
PAST
The ease with which he was able to access his full power while within Dean never failed to amaze Michael and together with how wonderful it felt to have the Righteous Man's amazing and unique soul nestled within his Grace, made him never want to leave his friend for Deirdre Winchester's body ever again though he knew that he had to. While she was enough of a vessel for him that she was at least able to take him without being instantly burned up from within, she was still ill fitting at best. Not to mention the fact that it felt far too quiet and dark inside her without Dean's brilliant presence. It made him wonder how his brothers and sisters could stand being in their vessels without an awake and active soul inside of them. Raphael and Castiel worried him most of all as they didn't even have a soul cradled deep within them, fast asleep; they were like him within Deirdre and that made him ache for what they were missing even if they didn't realize it.
Well, actually that might not be entirely true, Michael mused. Castiel of all angels might well be aware of precisely what it was that he was missing, given his brother's previous experience and having held Dean's soul close to his own Grace while pulling the Righteous Man from Perdition. The thought comforted him at first but then made him pause as he wondered if that perhaps didn't make it worse for Castiel, to have knowledge of exactly what it was that he was missing. Without that knowledge, the darkness and emptiness within his vessel might not seem as bad as his brother would only ever have known what it felt like to have a deeply hibernating soul within him from before the death of his vessel. It was a depressing thought and not something that should be occupying his attention at present.
Instead, Michael returned his thoughts to the ease with which his full powers responded to his commands. He'd expected more resistance than this even in his one true vessel. This was almost as if he wasn't even in a vessel, not that he was complaining, it was merely unexpected. His surprise made it take a little longer than normal for him to realize Dean's reaction to the power that now ran through their shared body. The awe and incredulity that he'd felt at Stull Cemetery when his vessel had first realized the true power of an archangel was back in full force, but so too was the fear.
The fact that he'd once desired precisely this type of reaction from Dean for both who and what he was made the fact that his vessel was now feeling it all the worse for Michael. Dean had become very important and precious to him and he could now understand why Castiel had done all that he had for this human and so the last thing he wanted now was for his friend to fear him or any part of him. Nor did he want Dean to draw his soul back like he did now, essentially pulling himself into as small a ball as possible.
"It is okay, Little One," Michael soothed, releasing some of the power so he could touch the precious soul as normal. "It will not harm you."
"You sure?" Dean questioned, relaxing fractionally.
"Yes. You are my true vessel and therefore it will not consume you as it would another. Do you not wish to experience the power of an archangel first hand?"
"I don't think that I'm meant for that kind of power."
"That type of self-awareness and respect for it is precisely why I do not hesitate to let you feel it. You would not abuse it."
That provoked a snort from his vessel and Michael was pleased that Dean was slowly relaxing, his soul unfurling so its light and warmth caressed his Grace once more. Carefully, so as not to startle his little human, he reached out and coiled himself around Dean as before.
"There, now are you ready this time?"
"Yeah, I'm good," Dean replied though there was a slight waver to his voice.
The emotions coming from his friend clarified it as being due to a mix of nervousness and excitement, so Michael felt confident enough to proceed, calling for his true, unrestrained power once more. It instantly rose within him, easily flowing into Dean's body and pouring effortlessly along the soul ensconced within him. Dean drew in a sharp breath as the power reached him but he still felt no fear this time and so he didn't draw back. The awe had returned along with a strong sense of disbelief and wonder as if his vessel couldn't believe what he was experiencing. To his surprise he found that his power seemed to surge as it touched Dean's soul and it took him a moment to realize that instead of merely weaving through the essence of his vessel's soul, it was actually interacting with it on some level. The shock was so great that it took him longer still to realize that it was actually being enhanced by the contact, as if Dean's soul was somehow boosting his own power.
"Mike?" Dean asked, sensing something was happening. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Little One, merely surprising," Michael reassured before speaking aloud. "Castiel, have you ever heard of an angel's power being enhanced by the soul of their vessel?"
"No, this is happening?" Castiel asked, frowning as he turned to give them his full attention.
"Yes."
"Wait, I'm enhancing it?" Dean demanded, incredulous.
"Yes, Dean."
"This could be most advantageous," Castiel mused. "It isn't harming Dean, is it?"
"No, Brother, your mate is fine."
"How?" Dean inquired.
"This I do not know, but it is something to look into when we have the time," Michael responded.
"Great, that's just what we needed, something else to look up. You know, I'm beginning to feel less like we're in the middle of a war than some massive study session for a test."
Even as his vessel said the words, Michael caught the regret coming from Dean as they both took in the extensive chaos and destruction all around them that was all that was left of what had once been three separate islands. He let the comment slide as he knew that out of all of them, Dean was the most aware of the very real cost that had been paid here and how serious the situation was. If his vessel needed to vent his anger and frustration aloud, then he was more than willing to be a convenient outlet for that. Instead he merely tightened his Grace briefly around Dean's soul.
"Sorry."
"There is no need to be, Little One."
"Are you still able to control everything?" Castiel questioned.
"Yes," Michael stated confidently. "It simply caught me off-guard."
"It is unexpected."
"He's got a knack for understatements, doesn't he?" Dean commented dryly.
"Indeed he does," Michael agreed. "Are you ready?"
"What? To play the energizer bunny, sure, why not if it helps."
"You are no leporid, Little One."
"Lepo-what's it?" Dean questioned confused. "Huh?"
"You said you were ready to play a leporid."
Confusion rolled off of Dean for a second before his vessel seemed to figure something out. "Wait, that some fancy way of saying bunny?"
"Yes."
"Then why the hell don't you just say bunny? And it was a reference anyway."
"I see."
Dean snorted. "No, you really don't, but it's not relevant now anyway."
"Indeed."
Human were such strange creatures.
Michael put the sentiment out of his mind and focused instead on channeling his power through himself and his vessel once more. This time when it surged upon touching Dean's soul, he was prepared for it and used the advantage it gave him to turn more of his attention to other matters. Focusing upon the gateway, he studied it for a moment, seeing what he had to work with. Lucifer had, unfortunately, been quite thorough in completely eliminating anything that had been left of the original seal, but perhaps he could use that to his advantage now. All of the seals had been created by the archangels just after his brother's rebellion and the creation of Perdition. As such while foreign in the sense that neither Lucifer nor Simiel had worked on them, the seals would have been familiar to them on some level as they and his remaining brother archangels were alike in many ways. That was what had allowed Lucifer to completely obliterate this seal once it had been breached with the key.
Originally Michael had seen no other option than to simply recreate the seal and hope that it would be enough. Now, however, with what he had just discovered that he had at his disposal, he wondered if perhaps he couldn't make things a little more complicated than that. Due to his arrogance and sense of superiority, Lucifer had never bothered to learn very much about humanity, a weakness he had only recently discovered that he shared with his brother to an alarming extent. Not anymore, though, and that was enough for him to now see the potential that this new discovery presented them with.
"Dean, when I ask you for it later, I want you to think of the best and most unique or creative ways of protecting something," Michael said.
"What? Why?"
The latter seemed to be a question his vessel loved to come back around to. "Because I want to make this seal different, human if you will."
"I don't understand."
"Seals are, at their essence, a manifestation of an angel's Will and Intent. As such they can be understood and broken by other angels. Normally this is not an issue, but with anything pertaining to the Apocalypse, of course, it is."
"Okay, following you so far. And?"
"And I wish to make this one a blend of angel and human Intent if not Will."
The way Dean's soul sparked told Michael that his vessel had gotten exactly what he was saying.
"You think that'll work?"
"Yes."
Dean seemed to think that over for a moment before giving his Grace a gentle tug. "Does it have to all be purely defensive then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this seal is to stand against demons, Lucifer and Simiel, right? So then wouldn't it be best to use something that they wouldn't understand at all? Like love."
"Love?" Michael repeated, not understanding where his friend was going with this.
Unfortunately Dean's inability to convey exactly what he meant in words meant that he couldn't quite figure out what his vessel intended either. Michael was trying to think of another way to grasp what his friend meant when Dean shoved a memory at him. He carefully submerged himself in it and was immediately assaulted by a veritable maelstrom of dark emotions: anger, anguish, agony and terror. But there were also other things mixed up in there that took him a little longer to see, drenched as they were by the first set of emotions: determination, love and resolution. The emotions were so much more than he'd ever felt from a human that they threw him at first, the strength and odd combination overwhelming, but then he realized that the memory was set shortly after Sam Winchester's death in Cold Oak and it all started to make sense. The knowledge of how powerful a moment this had been in his vessel's life had him threading very carefully as he sought that which Dean wanted him to learn. It wasn't until he saw the part of his friend coming to the decision to sell his very soul that he finally got it.
Michael drew in a sharp breath as comprehension finally dawned and he understood the beauty and power of what Dean was suggesting. This type of emotion and sacrifice would be totally alien to the demons and Lucifer as it was completely antithetic to everything that they were and believed in. Just as it was still nearly incomprehensible to himself despite how well he'd come to know his vessel and that made it perfect. If he only had a bare grasp on it, then there was no way for his brother and Simiel to understand it enough to easily be able to break a seal steeped in it.
"That is perfect, Little One, do it," Michael praised.
The sheer emotion such a simple statement could evoke within Dean still angered Michael even though he had come to expect it, but he forced himself to ignore it for now. Instead he planned where best to anchor the seal physically, already knowing what metaphysical anchor he would use. Then he decided on the most efficient way to weave the base of the seal to ensure that the least amount of demons got out in the time between the garrison's withdrawal and their ability to cover the gateway with the first layer of their Intent and his Will.
"Dean?" Michael queried when he was ready.
"Yeah?"
"Reach out for Castiel as you did the last time we were together."
"Why?" Dean asked but he could already feel his vessel doing as requested.
"Your connection with him will allow him to feel what I am doing and to see it better than he would be able to without it. It will make things easier than if I were simply to try and explain what I am doing to him."
"Dean? Michael?" Castiel questioned.
"Use the bond to watch what I am doing," Michael instructed. Once he was sure that his brother could see what he needed to, he began. "The first part of creating a seal like this is all about focusing your Will and Intent. The power that Father has blessed us with can deter many, but the more powerful demons could potentially overcome a low level dose of our power, so we need to build up a concentration of it."
As he worked, Michael was aware of Dean shifting within him. His vessel was slowly expanding his soul further so that it became the looser, more active soul that it normally was. Although his friend had unfurled somewhat from Dean's tightly wound and dimmed ball from before, it had still been far more compact and contained than normal. He was pretty sure that Dean's normal state of fluid movement and the way his soul shone and reached out to things was part of why he had such a hard time going back to Deirdre Winchester's soulless body but he wouldn't give it up despite that. There was a vitality about Dean Winchester that drew him in and finally allowed him to see for himself what it was that Father had seen in humanity when He'd created them all of those countless millennia ago.
The other reason that Michael was so pleased to see and feel Dean reaching out once more was because he'd found that his vessel drew intense satisfaction from it as well. His brother had been frighteningly correct when Castiel had said that Dean couldn't see his own worth and uniqueness, which meant that his vessel was constantly surprised and delighted whenever Dean experienced any of his feelings for him. Something which couldn't happen when Dean had his soul pulled into a tight little ball. So he wished for his friend to fully unfurl himself so that Dean could feel as much of his affection and love for him as possible. Already he was able to see changes in his vessel since their first joining and while he knew that most of it was due to Castiel's care and attention, he liked to think that he'd played a part in it all as well.
Due to all of his previous experience creating seals, Michael was able to easily attach the beginnings of the new one to its physical anchor while still making it clear how he was doing it. The few questions Castiel posed proved that his brother was following what he was doing, so he moved on to the next step quickly, beginning to weave together his Will and Intent as he normally would.
"Now, Little One, do it now."
The Intent that Dean spun out as the power washed through his soul pulsed bright and warm much as his vessel's soul did and Michael could clearly see which strands his friend had created as he wove them together into an impenetrable meshwork and he used Dean's strands to attach the new seal to its metaphysical anchor. Whether it was due to his own substantial knowledge of Dean or something else, his brother caught on even faster than normal once he started using the strands with Dean's Intent and Castiel was able to step in and help him when it came time for the garrison to withdraw and the gateway was briefly left open once more. Castiel's own power was quickly absorbed into the seal, effortlessly meshing with the strands of Dean's Intent and quite easily integrating with his own as well.
When it was done, the new seal pulsed and shone with more strength, power and Light than any Michael had ever seen before. Which, naturally, brought with it its own problems.
"We are going to have to find some way to disguise that from supernatural view or it will shine like a beacon calling forth every demon that would wish to destroy it."
Chapter 110
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,918
Summary: The creation of a seal.
PAST
The ease with which he was able to access his full power while within Dean never failed to amaze Michael and together with how wonderful it felt to have the Righteous Man's amazing and unique soul nestled within his Grace, made him never want to leave his friend for Deirdre Winchester's body ever again though he knew that he had to. While she was enough of a vessel for him that she was at least able to take him without being instantly burned up from within, she was still ill fitting at best. Not to mention the fact that it felt far too quiet and dark inside her without Dean's brilliant presence. It made him wonder how his brothers and sisters could stand being in their vessels without an awake and active soul inside of them. Raphael and Castiel worried him most of all as they didn't even have a soul cradled deep within them, fast asleep; they were like him within Deirdre and that made him ache for what they were missing even if they didn't realize it.
Well, actually that might not be entirely true, Michael mused. Castiel of all angels might well be aware of precisely what it was that he was missing, given his brother's previous experience and having held Dean's soul close to his own Grace while pulling the Righteous Man from Perdition. The thought comforted him at first but then made him pause as he wondered if that perhaps didn't make it worse for Castiel, to have knowledge of exactly what it was that he was missing. Without that knowledge, the darkness and emptiness within his vessel might not seem as bad as his brother would only ever have known what it felt like to have a deeply hibernating soul within him from before the death of his vessel. It was a depressing thought and not something that should be occupying his attention at present.
Instead, Michael returned his thoughts to the ease with which his full powers responded to his commands. He'd expected more resistance than this even in his one true vessel. This was almost as if he wasn't even in a vessel, not that he was complaining, it was merely unexpected. His surprise made it take a little longer than normal for him to realize Dean's reaction to the power that now ran through their shared body. The awe and incredulity that he'd felt at Stull Cemetery when his vessel had first realized the true power of an archangel was back in full force, but so too was the fear.
The fact that he'd once desired precisely this type of reaction from Dean for both who and what he was made the fact that his vessel was now feeling it all the worse for Michael. Dean had become very important and precious to him and he could now understand why Castiel had done all that he had for this human and so the last thing he wanted now was for his friend to fear him or any part of him. Nor did he want Dean to draw his soul back like he did now, essentially pulling himself into as small a ball as possible.
"It is okay, Little One," Michael soothed, releasing some of the power so he could touch the precious soul as normal. "It will not harm you."
"You sure?" Dean questioned, relaxing fractionally.
"Yes. You are my true vessel and therefore it will not consume you as it would another. Do you not wish to experience the power of an archangel first hand?"
"I don't think that I'm meant for that kind of power."
"That type of self-awareness and respect for it is precisely why I do not hesitate to let you feel it. You would not abuse it."
That provoked a snort from his vessel and Michael was pleased that Dean was slowly relaxing, his soul unfurling so its light and warmth caressed his Grace once more. Carefully, so as not to startle his little human, he reached out and coiled himself around Dean as before.
"There, now are you ready this time?"
"Yeah, I'm good," Dean replied though there was a slight waver to his voice.
The emotions coming from his friend clarified it as being due to a mix of nervousness and excitement, so Michael felt confident enough to proceed, calling for his true, unrestrained power once more. It instantly rose within him, easily flowing into Dean's body and pouring effortlessly along the soul ensconced within him. Dean drew in a sharp breath as the power reached him but he still felt no fear this time and so he didn't draw back. The awe had returned along with a strong sense of disbelief and wonder as if his vessel couldn't believe what he was experiencing. To his surprise he found that his power seemed to surge as it touched Dean's soul and it took him a moment to realize that instead of merely weaving through the essence of his vessel's soul, it was actually interacting with it on some level. The shock was so great that it took him longer still to realize that it was actually being enhanced by the contact, as if Dean's soul was somehow boosting his own power.
"Mike?" Dean asked, sensing something was happening. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Little One, merely surprising," Michael reassured before speaking aloud. "Castiel, have you ever heard of an angel's power being enhanced by the soul of their vessel?"
"No, this is happening?" Castiel asked, frowning as he turned to give them his full attention.
"Yes."
"Wait, I'm enhancing it?" Dean demanded, incredulous.
"Yes, Dean."
"This could be most advantageous," Castiel mused. "It isn't harming Dean, is it?"
"No, Brother, your mate is fine."
"How?" Dean inquired.
"This I do not know, but it is something to look into when we have the time," Michael responded.
"Great, that's just what we needed, something else to look up. You know, I'm beginning to feel less like we're in the middle of a war than some massive study session for a test."
Even as his vessel said the words, Michael caught the regret coming from Dean as they both took in the extensive chaos and destruction all around them that was all that was left of what had once been three separate islands. He let the comment slide as he knew that out of all of them, Dean was the most aware of the very real cost that had been paid here and how serious the situation was. If his vessel needed to vent his anger and frustration aloud, then he was more than willing to be a convenient outlet for that. Instead he merely tightened his Grace briefly around Dean's soul.
"Sorry."
"There is no need to be, Little One."
"Are you still able to control everything?" Castiel questioned.
"Yes," Michael stated confidently. "It simply caught me off-guard."
"It is unexpected."
"He's got a knack for understatements, doesn't he?" Dean commented dryly.
"Indeed he does," Michael agreed. "Are you ready?"
"What? To play the energizer bunny, sure, why not if it helps."
"You are no leporid, Little One."
"Lepo-what's it?" Dean questioned confused. "Huh?"
"You said you were ready to play a leporid."
Confusion rolled off of Dean for a second before his vessel seemed to figure something out. "Wait, that some fancy way of saying bunny?"
"Yes."
"Then why the hell don't you just say bunny? And it was a reference anyway."
"I see."
Dean snorted. "No, you really don't, but it's not relevant now anyway."
"Indeed."
Human were such strange creatures.
Michael put the sentiment out of his mind and focused instead on channeling his power through himself and his vessel once more. This time when it surged upon touching Dean's soul, he was prepared for it and used the advantage it gave him to turn more of his attention to other matters. Focusing upon the gateway, he studied it for a moment, seeing what he had to work with. Lucifer had, unfortunately, been quite thorough in completely eliminating anything that had been left of the original seal, but perhaps he could use that to his advantage now. All of the seals had been created by the archangels just after his brother's rebellion and the creation of Perdition. As such while foreign in the sense that neither Lucifer nor Simiel had worked on them, the seals would have been familiar to them on some level as they and his remaining brother archangels were alike in many ways. That was what had allowed Lucifer to completely obliterate this seal once it had been breached with the key.
Originally Michael had seen no other option than to simply recreate the seal and hope that it would be enough. Now, however, with what he had just discovered that he had at his disposal, he wondered if perhaps he couldn't make things a little more complicated than that. Due to his arrogance and sense of superiority, Lucifer had never bothered to learn very much about humanity, a weakness he had only recently discovered that he shared with his brother to an alarming extent. Not anymore, though, and that was enough for him to now see the potential that this new discovery presented them with.
"Dean, when I ask you for it later, I want you to think of the best and most unique or creative ways of protecting something," Michael said.
"What? Why?"
The latter seemed to be a question his vessel loved to come back around to. "Because I want to make this seal different, human if you will."
"I don't understand."
"Seals are, at their essence, a manifestation of an angel's Will and Intent. As such they can be understood and broken by other angels. Normally this is not an issue, but with anything pertaining to the Apocalypse, of course, it is."
"Okay, following you so far. And?"
"And I wish to make this one a blend of angel and human Intent if not Will."
The way Dean's soul sparked told Michael that his vessel had gotten exactly what he was saying.
"You think that'll work?"
"Yes."
Dean seemed to think that over for a moment before giving his Grace a gentle tug. "Does it have to all be purely defensive then?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this seal is to stand against demons, Lucifer and Simiel, right? So then wouldn't it be best to use something that they wouldn't understand at all? Like love."
"Love?" Michael repeated, not understanding where his friend was going with this.
Unfortunately Dean's inability to convey exactly what he meant in words meant that he couldn't quite figure out what his vessel intended either. Michael was trying to think of another way to grasp what his friend meant when Dean shoved a memory at him. He carefully submerged himself in it and was immediately assaulted by a veritable maelstrom of dark emotions: anger, anguish, agony and terror. But there were also other things mixed up in there that took him a little longer to see, drenched as they were by the first set of emotions: determination, love and resolution. The emotions were so much more than he'd ever felt from a human that they threw him at first, the strength and odd combination overwhelming, but then he realized that the memory was set shortly after Sam Winchester's death in Cold Oak and it all started to make sense. The knowledge of how powerful a moment this had been in his vessel's life had him threading very carefully as he sought that which Dean wanted him to learn. It wasn't until he saw the part of his friend coming to the decision to sell his very soul that he finally got it.
Michael drew in a sharp breath as comprehension finally dawned and he understood the beauty and power of what Dean was suggesting. This type of emotion and sacrifice would be totally alien to the demons and Lucifer as it was completely antithetic to everything that they were and believed in. Just as it was still nearly incomprehensible to himself despite how well he'd come to know his vessel and that made it perfect. If he only had a bare grasp on it, then there was no way for his brother and Simiel to understand it enough to easily be able to break a seal steeped in it.
"That is perfect, Little One, do it," Michael praised.
The sheer emotion such a simple statement could evoke within Dean still angered Michael even though he had come to expect it, but he forced himself to ignore it for now. Instead he planned where best to anchor the seal physically, already knowing what metaphysical anchor he would use. Then he decided on the most efficient way to weave the base of the seal to ensure that the least amount of demons got out in the time between the garrison's withdrawal and their ability to cover the gateway with the first layer of their Intent and his Will.
"Dean?" Michael queried when he was ready.
"Yeah?"
"Reach out for Castiel as you did the last time we were together."
"Why?" Dean asked but he could already feel his vessel doing as requested.
"Your connection with him will allow him to feel what I am doing and to see it better than he would be able to without it. It will make things easier than if I were simply to try and explain what I am doing to him."
"Dean? Michael?" Castiel questioned.
"Use the bond to watch what I am doing," Michael instructed. Once he was sure that his brother could see what he needed to, he began. "The first part of creating a seal like this is all about focusing your Will and Intent. The power that Father has blessed us with can deter many, but the more powerful demons could potentially overcome a low level dose of our power, so we need to build up a concentration of it."
As he worked, Michael was aware of Dean shifting within him. His vessel was slowly expanding his soul further so that it became the looser, more active soul that it normally was. Although his friend had unfurled somewhat from Dean's tightly wound and dimmed ball from before, it had still been far more compact and contained than normal. He was pretty sure that Dean's normal state of fluid movement and the way his soul shone and reached out to things was part of why he had such a hard time going back to Deirdre Winchester's soulless body but he wouldn't give it up despite that. There was a vitality about Dean Winchester that drew him in and finally allowed him to see for himself what it was that Father had seen in humanity when He'd created them all of those countless millennia ago.
The other reason that Michael was so pleased to see and feel Dean reaching out once more was because he'd found that his vessel drew intense satisfaction from it as well. His brother had been frighteningly correct when Castiel had said that Dean couldn't see his own worth and uniqueness, which meant that his vessel was constantly surprised and delighted whenever Dean experienced any of his feelings for him. Something which couldn't happen when Dean had his soul pulled into a tight little ball. So he wished for his friend to fully unfurl himself so that Dean could feel as much of his affection and love for him as possible. Already he was able to see changes in his vessel since their first joining and while he knew that most of it was due to Castiel's care and attention, he liked to think that he'd played a part in it all as well.
Due to all of his previous experience creating seals, Michael was able to easily attach the beginnings of the new one to its physical anchor while still making it clear how he was doing it. The few questions Castiel posed proved that his brother was following what he was doing, so he moved on to the next step quickly, beginning to weave together his Will and Intent as he normally would.
"Now, Little One, do it now."
The Intent that Dean spun out as the power washed through his soul pulsed bright and warm much as his vessel's soul did and Michael could clearly see which strands his friend had created as he wove them together into an impenetrable meshwork and he used Dean's strands to attach the new seal to its metaphysical anchor. Whether it was due to his own substantial knowledge of Dean or something else, his brother caught on even faster than normal once he started using the strands with Dean's Intent and Castiel was able to step in and help him when it came time for the garrison to withdraw and the gateway was briefly left open once more. Castiel's own power was quickly absorbed into the seal, effortlessly meshing with the strands of Dean's Intent and quite easily integrating with his own as well.
When it was done, the new seal pulsed and shone with more strength, power and Light than any Michael had ever seen before. Which, naturally, brought with it its own problems.
"We are going to have to find some way to disguise that from supernatural view or it will shine like a beacon calling forth every demon that would wish to destroy it."
Chapter 110