SPN Fic: The Apostate, 2/?
Title: The Apostate, 2/?
Fandom: Supernatural
Author: reading_is_in
Characters: Ruby, Lilith
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All recognized characters from ‘Supernatural’ are property of Eric Kripke/CW. This fan fiction is not for profit.
Summary: 'If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them' - Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD
Warnings: Christian blasphemy (though not more than Show)
Lilith liked to talk about her history. The first female human, as she claimed, she was punished for refusing to become subservient to Adam - quite reasonably, Ruby thought, though the part that usually came next, about mating with an archangel, seemed more dubious. Ruby couldn’t picture any angels as the mating sort, leave alone the arch- type. Other demons spoke of Lilith as the Great Seductress, and she bought the image, reveled in it, expanded and brooded upon it in her endless mire of stories.
In the beginning, though never quite sane, she had been a kind enough as a mistress. She constantly assured Ruby and the other contractees that they had done the right thing in signing over their souls:
“One day, my loves,” she used to say dreamily, “The earth will pay for every wrong inflicted upon us,” - and that made Ruby uneasy, but she didn’t yet fear her. Lilith used to give Ruby freedom - letting her go into the world, experience parts of the centuries turning, before calling her back, implacable, but not cruelly. Then one day, long after days had stopped meaning the passage of time, there was a sound like air rushing and all the pillars of Hell trembled:
“Jake Talley is born,” said Lilith, raising the impression of her large, liquid eyes: “The End begins.”
* * *
After that, Lilith kept her servants close to her. Ruby was not allowed up to Earth. She nursed her resentment deep in what she still considered her chest.
“Getting predictable, Ruby,” Alistair sneered at her methods as they worked. Unlike him, she did not enjoy torturing souls. Oh, she’d do it: it was preferable to being tortured oneself, after all. But she made no pleasure and no art of it, and now that she had no escape to Earth her distaste for it built and festered. “Perhaps you require a little….refresher course?” Alistair offered. He projected the impression of teeth, large and lupine. Ruby returned the sneer.
There were rumours. The vessels of the Last Battle lived on Earth - and of course, a series of prophets came. Azazel, ambitious and brilliant, went to Earth and bled into the mouths of nine babies. Talley was one of them.
“Unnecessary,” Lilith scoffed. “Talley is the one your master will choose as his vessel. As though limiting himself to one of them were any way to conduct a war.” She laughed.
“I do not listen to heretics” said Azazel serenely.
Ruby watched the children grow, as best she could discern them through the veil of blood and fire. She learned their names and powers; she watched as they began to crack and fissure. Jake Talley was a strong one, disciplined and not averse to necessary violence. She watched with distant approval as, aged twelve, Jake shot dead an intruder in their small home, who threatened him and his sister. Max Miller was a suicide waiting to happen. Lily was deep, introspective; her power was slow to manifest, but Ruby had the sense it would be terrible. Ava Wilson was quite the opposite: bubbly, cheerful, extrovert: there was no telling how that one would react to the manifestation. The non-identical twins were an interesting case: Andy, she guessed, lacked the strength to be what was needed; Ansem was unbalanced. Needy.
Then there was the Winchester boy, the one whose father had glimpsed the demon, and taken him as his crusade. That had not been Azazel’s intention. Sam sought the other children purposefully, going so far as to interrupt the feeding of the ninth child. Ruby watched him hard. He was willful, determined, and killed even younger than Jake had: a werewolf, with silver, on his eleventh birthday.
“Let me go to earth,” Ruby said to Lilith.
“Why, my love?” Lilith asked.
“I would know our adversaries,” Ruby projected innocence.
Lilith smiled beneficently. “Do not fear. When the war comes, I will obliterate them all.”
“But,” said Ruby, “Would it not be best for me to learn of the form that he is going to take?” Then we can learn best how to destroy him.” Then I can teach it, nurture it properly. Grow it up to destroy you.
Lilith scowled and sent a jolt of agony through Ruby, projecting distaste as pain curled and flared and briefly consumed her.
“You nasty little bitch whore,” Lilith said sweetly. “You belong to me. You’re not allowed to play with anyone else.”
“I am doing this for you!” Ruby choked out, hating how pathetic she sounded. “Once he is inside, he will be limited by it’s humanity. Let me learn how to break it.” No logic: even had she been able to rationalize through Lilith’s inflicted agony, there was no reason for Ruby to think such would be the case. Indeed, if Lucifer was choosing to take on a human vessel for the Battle, she could only assume that would make him his strongest, most beautiful incarnation. But then Lilith had never been one for logic.
“Yes, I suppose you are,” Lilith changed her mind abruptly. “Off you go then.” She released Ruby.
“What?” Ruby’s essence stuttered. The pain vanished completely, abruptly, from unbearable to nothing in less than an instant, and that itself was a kind of horror.
“Bring me tactical reports,” Lilith flapped the impression of her hands. “Go to Jake Talley.”
“And Sam Winchester,” Ruby persuaded: “He is strange and strong.”
“Yes, that one, if you like,” Lilith shrugged indifferently. “Now, give me a kiss goodbye, my darling.”
Ruby did, feeling nauseous, and Lilith sent a second sharp spurt of fire through her essence.
“Just don’t forget you belong to me, you silly girl,” she purred. “Sometimes I think you’re my favourite.”
And sometimes I think you are batshit insane, Ruby responded mentally. Wait, make that all the time.
Lilith sent her will towards the boundary, and a small, shimmering gap appeared. “Quick now,” Lilith chirped, strained. Even for a demon of her rare and extraordinary power, breaching the threshold was difficult. Ruby hesitated, steeling herself for the horrors of the passage a moment. Then, in a quick, darting motion, she shot towards the opening as a black cloud, breached the boundary, and streamed for the upper world.
Part Three
Fandom: Supernatural
Author: reading_is_in
Characters: Ruby, Lilith
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All recognized characters from ‘Supernatural’ are property of Eric Kripke/CW. This fan fiction is not for profit.
Summary: 'If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them' - Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD
Warnings: Christian blasphemy (though not more than Show)
Lilith liked to talk about her history. The first female human, as she claimed, she was punished for refusing to become subservient to Adam - quite reasonably, Ruby thought, though the part that usually came next, about mating with an archangel, seemed more dubious. Ruby couldn’t picture any angels as the mating sort, leave alone the arch- type. Other demons spoke of Lilith as the Great Seductress, and she bought the image, reveled in it, expanded and brooded upon it in her endless mire of stories.
In the beginning, though never quite sane, she had been a kind enough as a mistress. She constantly assured Ruby and the other contractees that they had done the right thing in signing over their souls:
“One day, my loves,” she used to say dreamily, “The earth will pay for every wrong inflicted upon us,” - and that made Ruby uneasy, but she didn’t yet fear her. Lilith used to give Ruby freedom - letting her go into the world, experience parts of the centuries turning, before calling her back, implacable, but not cruelly. Then one day, long after days had stopped meaning the passage of time, there was a sound like air rushing and all the pillars of Hell trembled:
“Jake Talley is born,” said Lilith, raising the impression of her large, liquid eyes: “The End begins.”
* * *
After that, Lilith kept her servants close to her. Ruby was not allowed up to Earth. She nursed her resentment deep in what she still considered her chest.
“Getting predictable, Ruby,” Alistair sneered at her methods as they worked. Unlike him, she did not enjoy torturing souls. Oh, she’d do it: it was preferable to being tortured oneself, after all. But she made no pleasure and no art of it, and now that she had no escape to Earth her distaste for it built and festered. “Perhaps you require a little….refresher course?” Alistair offered. He projected the impression of teeth, large and lupine. Ruby returned the sneer.
There were rumours. The vessels of the Last Battle lived on Earth - and of course, a series of prophets came. Azazel, ambitious and brilliant, went to Earth and bled into the mouths of nine babies. Talley was one of them.
“Unnecessary,” Lilith scoffed. “Talley is the one your master will choose as his vessel. As though limiting himself to one of them were any way to conduct a war.” She laughed.
“I do not listen to heretics” said Azazel serenely.
Ruby watched the children grow, as best she could discern them through the veil of blood and fire. She learned their names and powers; she watched as they began to crack and fissure. Jake Talley was a strong one, disciplined and not averse to necessary violence. She watched with distant approval as, aged twelve, Jake shot dead an intruder in their small home, who threatened him and his sister. Max Miller was a suicide waiting to happen. Lily was deep, introspective; her power was slow to manifest, but Ruby had the sense it would be terrible. Ava Wilson was quite the opposite: bubbly, cheerful, extrovert: there was no telling how that one would react to the manifestation. The non-identical twins were an interesting case: Andy, she guessed, lacked the strength to be what was needed; Ansem was unbalanced. Needy.
Then there was the Winchester boy, the one whose father had glimpsed the demon, and taken him as his crusade. That had not been Azazel’s intention. Sam sought the other children purposefully, going so far as to interrupt the feeding of the ninth child. Ruby watched him hard. He was willful, determined, and killed even younger than Jake had: a werewolf, with silver, on his eleventh birthday.
“Let me go to earth,” Ruby said to Lilith.
“Why, my love?” Lilith asked.
“I would know our adversaries,” Ruby projected innocence.
Lilith smiled beneficently. “Do not fear. When the war comes, I will obliterate them all.”
“But,” said Ruby, “Would it not be best for me to learn of the form that he is going to take?” Then we can learn best how to destroy him.” Then I can teach it, nurture it properly. Grow it up to destroy you.
Lilith scowled and sent a jolt of agony through Ruby, projecting distaste as pain curled and flared and briefly consumed her.
“You nasty little bitch whore,” Lilith said sweetly. “You belong to me. You’re not allowed to play with anyone else.”
“I am doing this for you!” Ruby choked out, hating how pathetic she sounded. “Once he is inside, he will be limited by it’s humanity. Let me learn how to break it.” No logic: even had she been able to rationalize through Lilith’s inflicted agony, there was no reason for Ruby to think such would be the case. Indeed, if Lucifer was choosing to take on a human vessel for the Battle, she could only assume that would make him his strongest, most beautiful incarnation. But then Lilith had never been one for logic.
“Yes, I suppose you are,” Lilith changed her mind abruptly. “Off you go then.” She released Ruby.
“What?” Ruby’s essence stuttered. The pain vanished completely, abruptly, from unbearable to nothing in less than an instant, and that itself was a kind of horror.
“Bring me tactical reports,” Lilith flapped the impression of her hands. “Go to Jake Talley.”
“And Sam Winchester,” Ruby persuaded: “He is strange and strong.”
“Yes, that one, if you like,” Lilith shrugged indifferently. “Now, give me a kiss goodbye, my darling.”
Ruby did, feeling nauseous, and Lilith sent a second sharp spurt of fire through her essence.
“Just don’t forget you belong to me, you silly girl,” she purred. “Sometimes I think you’re my favourite.”
And sometimes I think you are batshit insane, Ruby responded mentally. Wait, make that all the time.
Lilith sent her will towards the boundary, and a small, shimmering gap appeared. “Quick now,” Lilith chirped, strained. Even for a demon of her rare and extraordinary power, breaching the threshold was difficult. Ruby hesitated, steeling herself for the horrors of the passage a moment. Then, in a quick, darting motion, she shot towards the opening as a black cloud, breached the boundary, and streamed for the upper world.
Part Three