Chapter 13: Revelation
Revelation
Castiel.
Castiel looked down at the swords sticking out from his chest with a bewildered expression. He looked around him and saw nothing recognisable. He looked down at his chest again and thought he might as well try to pull out the swords. This took some awkward manoeuvring but eventually he removed all three blades. To his surprise the wounds didn’t heal instantly but bled freely. This did not cause him to panic. There was no pain to be felt. There was nothing. This thought unsettled him more than the wound and he wondered if he wasn’t back in Corrections.
“You should be. Although, frankly, they wouldn’t succeed any better than I, and I’m your father,” a voice claimed.
“My father’s dead,” Castiel said without thinking. He looked around but saw nobody.
“What makes you say that Castiel?” the same voice asked.
“Because he is. If he isn’t then he gave up caring about us a long time ago,” Castiel said bringing his hands up to his chest. The wounds were still bleeding and he wondered how much blood a body had to lose before it ceased to exist.
“I cannot always hold your hand Castiel. I have watched you grow and develop your entire life and I love you Castiel. Especially for all that you have tried to do for mankind and your fellow angels,” the voice said kindly.
Castiel looked around but still saw nothing. The emptiness of his surrounds matched the desolation, despair and confusion within him. “Why did you abandon us? We did everything expected of us and you left us alone without explanation. We cried out for guidance, for help and you did NOTHING. Heaven went to Hell. Michael. Uriel. Gabriel. Raphael. All my brothers and sisters lost and for what? SWEET FUCK ALL.”
The nothingness darkened around him as Castiel’s eyes closed and he passed out. His last conscious thought was the surprise to find there was ground.
“That was disappointing. Considering all the carnage this particular son of yours has caused in such a short period of time I was expecting a more flamboyant surrender,” Death remarked drolly, looking down at Castiel.
“Castiel is, Castiel. Besides, I would think rebelling against ‘The Word’, upsetting the order of Heaven, retrieving a second soul from Hell, starting a second celestial civil war, plotting with the King of Hell to seize Purgatory, double-crossing said King of Hell, swallowing the souls of Purgatory and declaring oneself “God” accounts for being flamboyant,” God said kneeling beside Castiel. God healed the wounds to Castiel’s chest then looked around the fallen angel until spying the discarded swords.
“I would prefer you didn’t do what I think you are going to do,” Death said watching as God remade one sword into a horn. “Gabriel is the bane of my existence.”
God smiled and blew into the horn. A single note echoed around the nothingness surrounding God, Death, and Castiel.
A gentle breeze came into being and clouds whisked into existence. The breeze turned into a wind, which turned into a wild storm, which turned into a hurricane. Unaffected by the weather God, Death, and Castiel remained as they were until the hurricane blew itself out. Death looked down at the figure now lying next to Castiel.
“I believe you will regret this,” he said to God as Gabriel awoke.
Gabriel stood up to face them. “Father?” he said, unsure of his reality. He knelt down beside the body of Castiel. He brushed away the hair from his little brother’s face, “What has happened to Castiel?”
“Really? You are going to play innocent Gabriel? Shame on you. This particular trick played out as the Trickster would have wanted. Heaven is purged of its dissenters. Purgatory now has a queen to lead it. Hell is razed and its power diminished. Loki’s children have had their own Ragnarok and you are reborn,” God said and held his son’s gaze until the Archangel began to sweat.
“Forgive me Father. I’m sorry I let you down. I just couldn’t stand the arguing anymore. Lucifer, Michael, they wouldn’t listen to me and I got tired of trying to make them see reason.” Gabriel fell to his knees.
“Oh, will you get up. I may not approve your methods however under the circumstances, perhaps a little more ‘Loki’ and a little less ‘Gabriel’ was needed. Besides, your rebirth will be punishment enough,” God said.
“How can my being alive be punishment?” Gabriel wondered without realising he’d spoken aloud.
“You are now my General, charged with healing the wounds of heaven and returning it to the haven of peace it is supposed to be. You speak now with the authority once held by your brother Michael,” God said. Death felt a measure of satisfaction as Gabriel lost all colour and was speechless with shock.
“How? There is so much to do and why me?” Gabriel managed to stammer.
“Because you did what you were told to do, for once. Now, do so a second time and deliver the news of my return,” God said with a smile.
“Are you really coming back?” Gabriel asked.
“When you have restored heaven, yes, I shall return. Balthazar and Samandriel will help you. They know I shall return,” God replied.
“Can you forgive Castiel? You forgave me,” Gabriel asked a note of hope in his voice.
“Possibly. For the time being Castiel must abide by the deal he made with Hel,” God said with slight irritation and Gabriel took the hint and left.
“You assume too much at times, old friend. You will return to heaven,” Death monotoned, unimpressed with the rebirth of Gabriel and the prospect of having Castiel in his care, albeit as an imprisoned guest of Hel.
“Yes, although not until Castiel has been released from Hel’s keep. That satisfy you, old friend?” God said with a touch of humour. Death glared at him, nodded and left.
God turned his attention to Castiel. He summoned Hel. The goddess arrived and they looked at each other in silence before Hel spoke. “Death says I am to claim Castiel. Is this what you wish?”
“That was the price agreed for your help defeating Raphael was it not?” God replied. He had always liked the bluntness of Loki’s daughter.
“It was,” Hel said. “He will be treated as Balder was, as a guest.”
“Would you offer the same deal for his release as you did for Balder?” God asked.
“Yes. Not all would weep for my little cousin, not yet at least,” Hel replied.
“Agreed, not all would weep for him just yet,” God said and with that knelt beside Castiel. He touched the angel’s forehead and Castiel vanished. Hel turned and knelt before God, then she too vanished.
God smiled and returned to Earth. He disguised himself as an old man and sat down on a park bench to watch the world go by.
part 2