Chapter 8: The Book of Castiel - part 5
A day passed before there was any sort of change in Castiel. By this time, the world’s weird weather patterns had returned to normal, leaving behind debris to clean up. There would be a strain on some countries already stretched resources, but it was all humanly manageable. Wen didn’t object when Sam and Dean dropped by the garage and ‘demon’ proofed it. They’d returned to their motel to do, whatever it was they did, and it was just Wen and Castiel alone in the cabin.
Wen was sleeping soundly on the sofa, when Castiel sat up in the bed. He looked around the cabin with a vague idea that something important had happened. A noise, similar to a carillon, echoed in his head and his senses seemed unfocused, or perhaps more focused, he couldn’t decide which. There was movement to his right and he turned towards it.
“Hello, brother.” Lucifer said.
“Lucifer, you’re not real.” Castiel said.
“Of course I’m real. You got all noble and took ‘Crazy Sam’ aboard. I could look like this if you preferred.” Lucifer said morphing into a simile of Castiel as God. Castiel shivered uncontrollably and shrank back into the corner of the cabin, trying to hide from the twistedly cruel visage of himself, Lucifer laughed bitterly.
“Yes, this is definitely a more preferable look. What a peculiar thing you are. I have to admit I admire you to a certain extent. You are an excellent strategist, perhaps the best heaven has seen since I, myself, lived there.”
Castiel watched in horror as the corrupted image of himself crept over the bed towards him, malice oozing from its lesions, its skin straining with the hands and heads of a million monster souls seeking freedom. The voice of Lucifer spoke again through the lips of his own corrupt manifestation.
“Heaven, Hell and Earth at your command and you threw it all away, for a human! They gather now, your enemies, like vultures around carrion and you let them, because you would rather Dean Winchester think well of you, than do what is right for Heaven and therefore, your, precious Earth and it’s pathetic humans.”
“Dean and Sam Winchester, they have shown me the true value of mankind, its ability to continue against impossible odds and succeed. They are my greatest strength, brother.” Castiel whispered the reply to his corrupted image. It raised its eyebrow sardonically and morphed back into Lucifer.
“Oh please, they showed you the Winchester value of mankind and people believed me prideful, selfish and vain” Lucifer mocked him.
“You are.” Castiel answered, his voice more certain now the hallucination was again his brother. Lucifer looked at him and morphed back into the corrupted Castiel. Cas crawled further into the corner and tried to evade the mental image Lucifer used to torment him.
“Your loyalty is truly something Castiel. It is misplaced though. The Winchesters won’t come to your defence when you stand trial. They will move on and forget you, because the only ones in their ‘family’ they forgive are each other. Unless you have something to offer, in which case there is pretence of family until you prove superfluous to their needs.” Lucifer pointed out, cleaning his nails in a study of boredom.
“The value of mankind is in their constant attempts to do the right thing, even though it often means losing what you most love for the betterment of mankind.” Castiel returned.
“Oh! Brother. Do you have that wrong! Look at this world you treasure so much Castiel. Do you know what makes ‘mankind’ attempt to do the ‘right thing’? ME. Every advancement they make is a result of trying to kill themselves and destroy the planet. I am called all manner of Evil, but the truth is that all I do is provide the encouragement for mankind’s destructive desires. I loved God enough to try and open his eyes to the follies and faults of these mud-monkeys. He chose to believe in them and look what they have done to his treasured Earth.” Lucifer hissed the last few words. He morphed back into the image of Nick Browning.
“All that you say might be true. It probably is true. It does not change the fact that God loves humanity and it is our job to guide them towards their best, not to encourage their self-destruction.” Castiel met his brother’s gaze.
“Rubbish. The sooner they self-destruct the better. That’s why Hell won’t move against the Leviathan. We can only grow stronger as the slothful and gluttonous souls of Leviathan mealtime descend into hell. I will be stronger than ever and my return will be uninhibited.” Lucifer cooed, caught up in his own visions of grandeur.
“Good luck with that.” Castiel thought sarcastically and turned his attention back to the cabin wall.
***
Meanwhile, in heaven, Ariel had finally brought an uneasy order back into the ranks of the angelic host. It had required a certain amount of bullying on her part, which didn’t rest comfortably upon her shoulders. However, God had instructed her that this trial was necessary to heal, both those in heaven and Castiel, himself.
Ariel had no wish to bring undue attention to Wednesday by breaking the protective boundary Castiel had placed around the cabin. It could be done, but there was a simpler and better way. She appeared to Wen as she slept and asked her to accept her vessel into her home and leave with Castiel. She intimated that it was better Castiel didn’t resist.
Wen woke up with a start and it took a second or two for her to realise she was home and safe. Castiel sat up in the bed and she thought he looked more or less alert. She came to stand in front of him.
“Ariel is sending her vessel to take you to heaven. I guess she doesn’t want to cross the protective boundary you made by force. She will do if you resist. She made that pretty clear. She scared me.” Wen said.
Castiel didn’t reply. Lucifer laughed softly from where he stood behind Wen. “Looks like I’m going to heaven…wonders never cease…”
Sam and Dean arrived just as Cas and an unknown woman were walking up the driveway towards the garage. Wen was following them. They parked the car and got out. The five of them stood just outside the protective boundary Cas had made around the cabin. “Who’s your friend Wen?” Dean asked. Both he and Sam had a pretty good idea. It was just neither wished to acknowledge it.
“Her name is Azra, she’s Ariel’s vessel.” Wen said it looked like she’d been crying.
“Can we do anything?” Sam asked, knowing there wasn’t.
“No. The rest is up to Castiel and the angels.” Wen said.
“We’re screwed.” Sam and Dean said together.
There was a gruff bark from Castiel. Bright light shone down over he and Azra and when it went, so had they.
“I suppose you want the rest of the journals?” Wen asked staring heavenward.
“How? ... Yes, we do.” Sam said, “Prophets, never get used to them, or clowns.” Sam thought randomly to himself.
“Then bring the car down, you can take the chest. Ariel says I don’t need it anymore and that it will help you find the weapon that can kill the Leviathan.” Wen said and headed back towards the cabin.
They placed the chest in the trunk of the car and turned to say goodbye to Wen. “What happens now? For you, I mean.” Sam asked genuinely curious.
“I don’t know. I suppose I just keep working at the garage. I would like that. I like my life here. Good luck finding a weapon.” Wen said looking anywhere but at the two men.
Sam gave her his cell number and told her to call if anything was needed. Wen thanked him and put it in her pocket. She figured that meant if she dreamed of Castiel again, rather than concern for her wellbeing. That was okay by her.
“You think Cas will be alright?” Sam asked riding shotgun as they drove back to Rufus’ cabin.
“No.” Dean said, “Then again, he is like the little engine that could. Maybe he will.”
Dean hoped Cas would survive. Some part of him needed Cas to survive.
Chapter 9