Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dean & Ruth
Mustang - Freedom, independence, strong-willed. The mustang is a symbol of hardy survival and a strong, fighting spirit. Mustang people are often born travelers and are very opinionated.

Some people when they see Dean's daemon they laugh and call him a coward, after all what do a horse do but chew grass and run away from danger. But they don't see her when she's defending her herd, or her foals as she affectionally calls them sometimes. In those times you can see the wild mustang that kick and stomp with her hooves with enormous power. Otherwise Ruth enjoys teasing Dean to take him down a peg or two when needed but is also always there when he feels useless or not able to save anything. She's like a mirror to Dean's soul and whenever he can't show his feelings Ruth can't help but act out the frustrations they both feel. When you see the Impala, you can be sure to see the horse trailer follow it. Sometimes Dean even say that second to the Impala the mustang isn't so bad. After that he's usually knocked over by a not amused Ruth. (She is the best, period.)

Sam & Zoe
Crow - Intelligence, adaptability, survival skills. Crow people often find a harmonious balance in their lives between cities and wild places, though they often stay tied to city life through want or need. Crow represents change, whether it be through growth or destruction.

When Zoe changed her shape for the last time Sam almost recoiled when he realized that this was the shape she was going to have forever. Zoe knew though, Sam could see that she was ashamed when she told him that's was it. Sam couldn't help but wonder why that shape, a crow that is known to be a dark creature and even pictured with death. Did it show who he really was inside his soul? But John took one look at her and nodded approvingly. A crow, he said, is a very clever animal that survives almost everything. Next when he told Dean he took a look at his Ruth and then at Zoe, and told him that they were going to look badass with a black mustang and black crow. That was it, and his stupid big brother made him immediately feel better.
But when he found out that he was supposed to be Lucifer's vessel the dark thoughts returned. Zoe didn't approve of those thoughts anymore though and pecked him when he started to brood.

Castiel
Caribou - Caribou is one of the strongest symbols of a personal, spiritual journey. The caribou spirit is a guide, carrying and leading people to the spirit world and back. Caribou people are often very sensitive to the energy around them and spend their lives walking between two worlds.

Castiel looked down to the caribou next to him. It was a strange feeling to have something follow you like your shadow. He had been using vessels before but he never got used to the feeling of having a part of his soul cut off when entering a vessel. And then see it next to him wandering in a shape that was supposed to emblematize his soul. His vessels had been of different shapes but the shape next to him always stayed the same. She didn't speak much, and he remembered how perplexed she had been when he or someone else spoke to her in the beginning. At first, he didn't think it was strange as he himself didn't speak unnecessarily but the more he was around the Winchester brothers he noticed their daemons. He started to observe them and saw that they spoke up whenever they wanted to and didn't care if the brothers got annoyed or ignored them. They could also walk away from their humans if needed to though they preferred to stay close. Castiel's daemon never did such things but always quietly stayed close to him. One day he asked her why and she blinked in surprise but didn't speak up immediately. Castiel appreciated that about her, she was always thoughtful and thought carefully about her words before she spoke them. She then explained that she wasn't used to be able to speak up, she had always been a part of him and suddenly every now and then she was supposed to be her own person. It was like being in a bubble of warm safety but with no power to do anything, like in a mother's womb, and then sometimes be in a world so full of colors.

"I guess ... I'm scared that if I get used to it, I won't want to get back to us being one again."

She continued explaining that she didn't want that feeling, as they were one and were each other's souls. It would have been like feeling contempt for one self. Castiel was more struck than what he wanted to admit by that. Right there and then he promised her that he would ask her before he left a vessel. Soon after that he noticed that she started to speak up what she thought of their plans, they were all surprised at first but soon Ruth, Dean's daemon, snorted shaking her head looking very amused and said that she should have a name.

Gabriel
Kitsune - The kitsune is a shapeshifting Japanese fox spirit. Extremely intelligent, long lived, and magical, the kitsune is often portrayed as a trickster. The number of tails a kitsune bears is said to be relative to its age and wisdom. Kitsune people can teach us cunning, control, patience, observation, and the ability to manipulate our environments and selves to suit our needs.

When Castiel met Gabriel again he immediately noticed his daemon. A fox with nine tails, it had always fit him so well. She grinned at him and even winked before she disappeared in a puff, a trick from his brother. She had always been like that already from the beginning, which wasn't very strange knowing whose soul she came from. Born ready to start chaos and trickery. All the archangels seemed to have something special, as Gabriel after the first time on earth had kept his daemon by his side ever since. Castiel hadn't understood why, as it seemed troublesome to have someone always follow you around. But now after the time with the Winchesters and his own daemon growing more comfortable he started to understand. It was a comfort to have someone by your side, always there.

Lucifer
Western dragon - The dragon is a strong and ancient symbol, appearing in almost all cultures in some form. The western dragon is strongly tied to the energy of the earth — representing a powerful and sometimes terrifying master of the elements. Dragon people tend to be wise, passionate, independent, and sometimes egotistical.

The western dragon had never had a good reputation among humans. An enemy to the humanity and burning everything down. There was a good reason for that - Lucifer, and his daemon.

Michael
Eastern dragon - The eastern dragon is a symbol of power, courage, and nobility. They lord over the water, sky, and earth alike, combining these elements into strong celestial powers. He is a vigilant, divine protector. This benevolent dragon heralds blessings, kindness, and greatness. Dragon people tend to be energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelligent and ambitious.

With Michael's daemon the eastern dragon grew to be believed to bring prosperity and good luck. She brought rain and so people built temples for prayers of rain and weather for their harvests.

Lucifer's daemon was so similar to his brother's daemon but yet so different. His sprayed fire while Michael's brought rain. His had dark scales with spikes along the back like a lizard while Michael's were bright smooth scales like a golden carp. His had large leathery wings while Michael's had none but was able to fly anyway. So different and their daemons had loved each other like brothers. Lucifer and his daemon had been able to separate and join into one whenever they wanted in heaven. Having both the comfort of always having someone to talk to or feel like one whole being whenever needed. But then their father threw them out, and now it had been so many decades, thousands of years, since the last time they had been able to become one. They lived with feeling the hole inside of them, never quite whole while remembering the feeling from becoming one. Now only anger and hate remained in Lucifer's daemon, whoever walked close to her did it on their risk.

Chapter Text

“What about her?” Ruth asked curiously towards the daemon behind, the apparently frickin angel, Castiel. The reindeer in question slowly turned its head to look straight into Dean’s eyes … it made him uncomfortable. It didn’t even blink.

“It’s a reindeer”, Dean pointed out, he had never seen a reindeer daemon before.

“Caribou”, Castiel spoke.

“What? What kind of name is that?” Dean frowned.

“No, she is a caribou”, Castiel corrected slightly tilting his head.

“It’s a kind of reindeer Dean”, Ruth poked into Dean’s back with her muzzle, Dean frowned and was about to say that he knew that when Ruth continued, “I meant, what is her name?”

Castiel tilted his head now the other way like he was trying to see through them.

“Castiel”, he said with his voice that was so hoarse that it didn’t sound like he had used it for long while.

“That’s your name we get that”, Dean was starting to get annoyed. “Ruth asked about your rein-..”

“Caribou”, Ruth corrected and poked him in the back with her muzzle again.

“Caribou!” Dean threw a glare over his shoulder at Ruth who looked like she was having way too much fun. “Your caribou’s name.”

“It is Castiel”, Castiel said again and glanced over to the rein-.. caribou like he was unused to seeing her there, the caribou glanced back at him in the exact same moment. “We are one and same being, so we were given only one name.”

“What?” Dean said at the same time Ruth also spoke but to the caribou - “That’s weird! Don’t you want your own name?”

The caribou stared at them and were quiet for a long moment before she seemed to realize that she could speak.

“My name is Castiel”, she finally said also with a surprisingly hoarse voice for a female.

“… We aren’t getting anywhere with this”, Dean muttered rolling his eyes as he turned away. But when he turned around Ruth was standing right in front of him and if a mustang could smirk she just did at him.