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Castiel blocked her swing with his right hand and pushed her back hard with his left. She stumbled back but immediately pressed forward again. Her brown bangs bounced as she dropped to the ground, her foot sweeping against Castiel’s legs making him tumble backwards.
“Stop!” he ordered raising his blade in defence. She blinked in confusion but continued her assault.
“I’m here for you, Castiel,” she whispered, raising her angle blade overhead.
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Two young angels, graces glowing two bright shades of blue, raced along the surface of the ocean. They were chasing dolphins and the playful mammals took turns breaching the surface and clicking encouragements to the fledglings. Hannah caught up to a large male and laughed as it jumped up and over her grace, cold sea water sizzled away as it dripped onto her bright form as it passed over.
Castiel was right behind, his darker blue just touching the tail she trailed. He sailed past her, looped in the air and dove into the sea. Hannah paused and waited for him to resurface, his color pulsing below the water. As the moments ticked by and he failed to move, she grew impatient and then concerned, finally swirling up over the waves to dive down to recover him.
But Castiel finally broke the surface and when he did he brought a whale with him, the large beast pushing up and out of the water. With Castiel tugging it upwards with him, the cow sailed up and over in an arc that, had she need for air, would have taken Hannah’s breath away. She watched in awe as Castiel and the giant neared the surface again, and pulsed in horror when she realized that Castiel now struggling to control the descent.
“Stop!” he yelled at the whale but the animal kept falling. Moving as quickly as she could, she pressed her grace against his, pushing him out from beneath the whale as she crashed back into the ocean.
“I’m here for you, Castiel,” she murmured, letting the heat from her grace soothe him.
“I thought I had it,” Castiel whispered back, embarrassed but glad to have her to steady him.
“Your pride will get you in trouble one day,” she laughed, tugging him behind her, away from the waves and back towards heaven.
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Lucifer’s newest creations, black smoke animated with hatred and anger, demons he called them, swarmed back and forth, waiting for the call to attack.
Castiel, heavy with armor and sword, stood at the head of the garrison, Hannah, his mate, by his side, waiting as well. Lucifer had forsaken God and brought his army to take heaven. Every angel was poised to stand against him and protect their home, their father and his creations. This would not end well.
When the trumpet sounded, the hissing and screaming of the demons echoed across heaven and down to Earth. The battle cry of the angels matched the ferocity of the oncoming army and they moved forward to lay waste to the evil, swords at the ready.
The battle raged for hours but Castiel kept Hannah at his side. Working together, they moved forward each taking a turn at point, hacking at the black creatures, their cries of agony a song of victory. As they neared the edge of the battlefield, Lucifer’s camp in sight, two fallen angels landed before the pair ready to defend their master. They were twisted with the evil that infected them now, beautiful wings rotting with grace turned black.
Hannah took the first swing, ducking the counter and hit her target in the chest. Castiel stepped in as well, blocking the oncoming blow and landing one of his own across his fallen brother’s neck. It staggered back and Castiel spared a glance to Hannah. She was taking a step back which pulled her opponent off balance allowing her to swing up hard and slice off its head, black grace flashing blindingly from the creature.
Castiel looked away and to his combatant, now running at him sword held high for its attack. It was on him before he could react and he was forced to take the defense, taking a few steps back to make space. The fallen followed close and left no room for a proper swing, Castiel’s strength waning from the force of the blows. It hit him hard in the chest and he fell onto his back in the mud.
“Stop!” he cried out, using all of his strength to push the thing back his his feet before jumping back up. He ran forward plunging his sword into its belly as Hannah sliced her weapon and its head tipped and fell.
“I’m here for you, Castiel,” she gasped as he fell to the ground exhausted. She kneeled next to him and wrapped him in her grace, warmth filling him instantly.
“Thank you,” he whispered, holding her hand a moment before standing to face the next enemy.
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The garrison moved swiftly through the dark corridors, the rot and stink of Hell wrapping her claws around them as they traveled. In this dark kingdom, they searched for The Sword of Michael, The Righteous Man, The Vessel.
Castiel slipped into a shadow, Hannah, his mate, close on his heels. They had passed through eight circles and had yet to find him. As they passed into the ninth and felt the cold embedding itself with them, they knew this was the one. Lucifer, the Lightbearer, wasn’t a creature of warmth but of the cold snow of treachery.
The group halted when they spotted him, The Righteous Man, leaning into a damned soul with gusto, his flesh impervious to the cold. Perhaps they were too late and he had already been turned. Castiel and Hannah leaned in closer to each other to discuss the ramifications if this were true.
“He is still surrounded by guards,” Hannah began, “if he is not trusted to work alone then he may still be human.”
“Indeed,” Castiel agreed, “but I want to see his eyes before we take him. If he has turned, then the journey will have been wasted.”
Hannah nodded and turned to the rest of the party. They would circle the area, check The Righteous Man for signs of humanity then attack if needed.
The angels fanned out forming a loose circle around the area where The Righteous Man worked. The giants shifted and murmured sensing the presence of something but sure of what that something may be. The Righteous Man dropped his tool on the workbench and ran his hand across his forehead to wipe sweat, the work making him hot despite the cold.
He looked out past the giants, into the frozen trees surrounding his torture chamber, and saw them. He could see the flicker of blue light, almost indistinguishable from the blue of the frost but brilliant all the same. He straighten his back before turning back to the soul on his rack. Something was here and he was sure it was for him. He prayed it was coming to kill him.
Castiel saw what he needed, the human eyes staring at him from outside of the frozen trees. There was still humanity in the The Righteous Man so he was able to be saved. He nodded to Hannah who gave the word and charged with his garrison against the giants. The stupid, lumbering creatures were no match for the swift and coordinated angels but one stomped into the chamber, grabbed The Righteous Man like a toy and ran for the gate to the previous circle.
The angels gave chase, demons suddenly oozing from every hole in the circle. The numbers were against them but they fought hard, compact angel blades replacing bulky swords, making deeps cuts to throats and hearts, the demons evaporating like black water. One angel was lost leaving the ninth circle and two more as they crossed the eighth. They were almost on the giant when four more were taken down, their cries echoing in Castiel’s heart.
Hannah reached the giant first, jumped up and onto its back pulling its head back to slice its neck. Castiel jumped up and grabbed The Righteous Man but the shoulder, his grip tight and soared up through the center for the circles. Hannah joined him immediately followed by the surviving members of his garrison. He smiled to her, another mission completed together.
They could see the gates and pushed their wings harder, dodging gargoyles, harpies and demons as they moved. A harpie flew in close and grabbed The Righteous Man by his foot, tugging down as Castiel pulled up.
He growled as his progress was slowed and bellowed down to the creature, “Stop,” his grace burning her away. Hannah swung over and down, taking Castiel’s hand to help pull him faster.
“I’m here for you, Castiel,” she cried down to him as they broke through the gate, The Righteous Man’s soul now anchored to his body.
When they reached heaven, Rit Zien rushed to the soldiers, healing the wounded and easing their suffering. Castiel and Hannah watched quietly for a moment as they worked, no need for aid themselves, before moving on to find a heaven that was peaceful and quiet. The eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953 was their favorite. The park was full of flowers and the endless joy of the man flying the kite reminded them of the purpose for the mission - peace on Earth.
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“Stop!” he ordered raising his blade in defence. She blinked in confusion but continued her assault.
“I’m here for you, Castiel,” she whispered, raising her angle blade overhead.
The two warring angels paused, Hannah stepping back as Castiel rose to his feet.. The heat of battle was fresh, the hearts of their vessels pounding but the ring of familiarity stayed both hands.
Hannah tried to step forward again, part of her mind calling for blood, his blood, but her grace pulsed against it. Castiel felt it too, the need to defend himself strong but the sense of fellowship was stronger. He opened his mouth the speak but that’s when the static hit.
Both angels doubled over in pain as the rising static sent vibrations through their vessels and clawed at their graces. Each heard a different message in the noise that beat against an intimacy that was sprouting like a vine between them.
“Kill him,” a voice hissed to Hannah.
“You never knew her,” another assured Castiel.
The shrill and condemning voices filled the static and shook the building where they stood for battle. Each placed hands over their ears as if that would block out the sound but it still echoed as a growing crescendo pressing down against their graces.
“Stop!” Castiel screamed again, this time to the phantom voices demanding submission.
It was Hannah who broke through first, Castiel’s agonized cry bringing with it undeniable recognition. She felt her own scream being pushed out as she fell back to sit on the floor, fighting against the thing that tore at her mind, her grace and her memory - Raphael.
She crawled across the floor and pulled Castiel to her, taking his face in her hands and letting her grace pour over him. She let her pleas for remembrance pass to him along with as much strength as she was able to give. He needed to fight against the thing that Raphael had done to them.
They rebelled against the corruption in heaven to stand with the Winchesters and the idea of Free Will. In the thousands of years since God created them, Castiel and Hannah, together since the beginning of time, believed that this was the most important mission they had ever endeavored. Raphael would not part them now.
“I am here for you, Castiel,” her loving words whispered again as they had been so many times over the centuries. “Please.”
She waited, his vessel writhing in agony as he fought the damage Raphael had done. And then he stilled, a deep sigh coming from his body. Hannah held her breath, not really needing to breath, the gesture staving off her grief as she waited.
Slowly, Castiel opened his eyes, the deep blue of his vessel matching the azure of his grace. They focused slowly on her and he smiled, small and fragile but still filled with a tender revery. He brought his hands up to cup her face, imitating her soft caress.
“Thank you,” he whispered, leaning forward. And then Castiel did a very human thing. He kissed her.
He kissed her gently, breathing in the scent of her vessel and heat of her skin. Then he let his grace wash over her as she had done for him, each bundled now in the heavenly embrace of the other.
“I love you, Hannah,” Castiel murmured.
“I love you too, Castiel,” she murmured back.