Title: in the dying of the year
Fandom: "Supernatural"
Disclaimer: not my characters; just for fun.
Warnings: spoilers for 4.2
Pairings: none
Rating: PGish
Wordcount: 666
Point of view: third
Notes: forsmilla02

Castiel.

He flinches.

Little brother, the voice croons, caressing and frightening in turns. I thank you... but what are you doing?

As the Lord commanded, he replies, turning in place, searching.

She fades into view before him, dark wings flared above her. I think not, Castiel, she says. I think you wish to pay your debt, and my son is your tool in that quest.

I do owe you a deep debt, he says, holding his hands out in supplication. You saved me from the Pit, from... Lucifer. The Lord commanded me to retrieve one pure soul, a martyr. He left the choice to me.

She steps forward, wings lowering to fold over her shoulders. She cants her head, clearly assessing his words. You were a good boy, Castiel. Her voice is soft, ancient. She was among the first, one of Lucifer's own sisters, back at the very beginning. You were young. Every child should be given a chance to fail without consequence.

He waits.

I thank you, she repeats. I understand that there is a plan I cannot yet fathom. I have not been one of your kind in millennia, long since lost from His grace. Her gaze sharpens; he straightens to his full height, knowing again why she is still among the most feared. My sons are part of this plan, Castiel. I do not approve, and I will have words with Him. You rescued Dean, when even I could not. You Raised him.

She touches his cheek with one calloused palm; he lowers his head for her gentle kiss. Into his mouth, she murmurs, You will have to choose again, Castiel. He who shines Above... or He who reigns Below.

Castiel pulls back, meeting her gaze. I cannot speak of such things! he hisses in shock. I am Arch.

Yes. Her voice is gentle again, old and full of knowledge. Full of regret. The time will come, little brother. Every angel will be offered a choice when the final Seal is broken.

You know, he says. About...

She smiles. I have always known, from the moment he first kicked in my womb. He is not a bane or a curse, Castiel. All things have their purpose.

He shakes his head, backing away, out of her reach. Do not speak to me of this. I owed you a debt; I have paid. We are finished.

For all your bravado and surety, you are still very young. You still think your Father and Creator has all the answers, that His plan is... what is that term? Ineffable. Her laughter makes him shiver. My sons are the future, Castiel.

She nods to him serenely and smiles again. You will choose. All must choose. She vanishes as quickly as she came, one last sentence dangling on the air around him. Castiel... I do thank you.

He shivers, wishing with all his will that the Lord had not heard their conversation. Her words border on insurrection, and the Lord is not as forgiving of such a deed as He once was.

Castiel chose Dean because the Lord needed a pure soul. He chose Dean to repay a debt.

He hopes that choosing Dean will not prove to be a mistake, and that Dean can return his brother to the proper path.

If he cannot... the final Seal will be broken and the Beast walk free once more. The Beast, Lucifer, he who was once the most beautiful and beloved of all angels. The Beast, who tempted Castiel and nearly caused his Fall.

The Beast, locked away inside that human boy, Samuel, Dean's baby brother.

Ah, Mariel, he whispers. What have you done?

Her laughter echoes in his memory, vibrant and knowing. Plans within plans, twining and intricate, impossible to follow back to the beginning. How long has she had it in the works? He will probably never know.

He will have to choose, before the final Seal is broken and Lucifer erupts in Samuel.

He's already chosen Dean.