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There is a strange beast in these woods.
That much is clear from the beginning. The lumbering thing starts hollowing out a cave in the hillside with plans to stay, brown hair thinner than Castiel would think would be normal at this time of year; winter is drawing ever closer, and with it come winter coats for all the forest inhabitants. Except, it seems, for this one.
There were no normal animals like this beast, but Castiel was used to the supernatural, especially in a magical forest. The beast's face is broad and flattened, with a wide, powerful jaw that hangs low and drools heavily. Its eyes are small and beady, set deep within its skull, and they glint with a fierce, predatory gleam. Its nostrils flare as it sniffs the air, catching the scent of prey. The creature's body is massive and muscular, with a broad chest and powerful limbs that end in sharp claws. Its fur is unkempt and matted, with patches of bare skin showing through in places. The beast's hind legs are longer than its front, giving it a hunched, sloping posture. As it moves, it lopes heavily, dragging its knuckles along the ground. Its limbs are thick and heavily muscled, with bulging veins visible just beneath the surface of its skin. The beast's claws are long and curved, sharp enough to tear through flesh and bone with ease.
When the beast starts to hunt, things get messy. It’s not a skilled hunter; not clean and precise, leaving scraps for the carrion birds. It’s loud and conspicuous and has a penchant for a low, menacing growl on every exhale. It lumbers its way through the woods with bloody paw prints, dragging huge deer and elk carcasses in its wake. Then there are foxes and mountain lions. Once, there was even a large dog that likely wandered away from home. The thing is insatiable, and before long, people in the nearest town are going to notice. Luckily, the beast hasn’t seemed to pay much attention to what flies above its head yet, but that won’t last forever, so Castiel maintains his position. He watches, and waits.
A week after the monster sets up shop, the first stranger arrives.
He’s tall, maybe the tallest man Castiel has ever seen. He doesn’t need to be a particularly good tracker to have come this far, but he certainly seems to be. His steps are light, his head on a swivel. He sticks to the shadows at a distance, trying to understand the beast’s patterns. After a few days, he leaves the beast to its hunting and takes the opportunity to explore the abandoned cave. What he finds either traps him or fascinates him, because he is still inside when the beast returns, and Castiel never sees him exit the cave.
A few days later, the second stranger arrives.
He’s not quite as tall and his hair is not quite as long, but he has the same edge to his gaze and set to his jaw as the first. They are brothers, if not by blood than by rearing; those shared expressions only grow out of a common home. Castiel would know.
Castiel knows that this man’s quest is a pointless one; the beast has already bested the man’s brother. But still, he doesn’t give up. He stalks the beast, following the thing’s track across the forest and back. He’s still hoping that the other man will show up, Castiel can see it in his eyes. That maybe there’s a tree just big enough for his family to hide behind, if only he can find it. But finding nothing, he follows the beast. Which would be fine, if the other stranger hadn’t come along first. Now, the thing has scented humans. Has even had a taste of one of them, and now it wants more.
The stranger doesn’t know it yet, but he is about to go from the hunter to the hunted.
Castiel isn’t even sure why he cares so much; it’s not like he’s ever been close enough to the realm of humans to care about them. It’s always been about protecting their secrets, staying dutifully separated. The fae know what would become of them if humans discovered their secrets, so it should make no difference to Castiel if the thing decides to eat him or not.
But then the stranger stumbles on a fallen log. At first, Castiel cannot understand what brought the man to stop and investigate the unassuming landmark. But after a moment, Castiel can hear it- the little whimpers of an animal. Slowly and carefully, the stranger begins to work at the open edge of the log, which seems to have become trapped among a pile of fallen rocks from the hillside. Eventually, he gets enough momentum that he is able to roll the large rock away from the entrance of the log, and a tentative red/brown nose pokes its way out into the open air before scurrying off. It’s a baby fox, running to the wails of its anxious mother. The stranger smiles, setting his hands on his hips and admiring the job he did, before arranging the rocks to surround the log entirely to prevent another animal from getting trapped.
Now, all Cas can see is that the beast in his woods is hunting a good man. A caring man, looking for his brother but not losing sight of the world around him. And this beast with a taste for human blood is coming for him.
Castiel has to do something.
-----
Normally, Castiel would be one for a bit more subtlety, but time is not on his side here. He doesn’t want to kill anything, but he also wants the stranger to know that this beast is more dangerous than he gives him credit for. He enchants the beast's footprints to be larger and closer to the stranger’s camp. The blood littering the ground is brighter, deeper. The stench of its hunts is stronger, its growls louder.
Castiel watches from his perch high in a nearby tree as the stranger comes upon the enchanted footprints and blood. He can see the fear and urgency in the stranger's movements as he assesses the evidence, his eyes darting back and forth between the tracks and the surrounding woods. His hand hovers near his weapon in case of danger. Castiel can feel his own heart pounding in his chest as he watches, hoping that his plan doesn't backfire and lead the man into danger. But if anything, this just makes the stranger more interested and determined to follow the thing. It would be aggravating if it wasn’t also endearing. The more dangerous the creature appears, the more desperate he seems to be to find his brother. Despite the obvious danger, Castiel can't help but feel a swell of admiration for the hunter's bravery and determination. He's seen many humans in his long life, but few with the courage and skill of this one.
That’s when the stranger’s tactics change, and he starts actively trying to trap the beast. He tries pit traps and scent traps, but nothing works. The beast cannot be tempted. It seems to be learning from the stranger; hunting more stealthily, taking measures to cover its tracks. Once, on a very notable occasion, even sending the hunter down a false trail. If the beast can learn to adapt that quickly, Castiel wonders just how long the hunter will survive against it here in the woods all alone. He wishes the stranger would just return to town, but somehow Castiel knows that he won’t leave these woods without knowing what happened to his brother. Part of him wonders if the beast would even follow him back into town just to have a chance to taste more human blood.
When the first snow falls, the tides change between man and beast.
It’s a cold morning, and even with a thinner coat, the beast is better suited to the bitter wind than the human. His movements are hindered and stiff, slow enough that even the beast’s great size isn’t a hindrance to its mobility. Castiel had been perched high in a nearby tree, keeping watch over the stranger as he slept in his tent below. Castiel can see the worst of it coming before it even happens. The beast has stumbled upon the sleeping man, and is practically on top of him before the stranger even knows what’s happening. Somewhere to his right, a twig snaps with a hollow crack and the stranger wakes with a start to see the beast hovering over him with a snarl. One swipe of the beast’s mighty paw is enough to shred the man’s fabric tent, leaving him completely exposed. Even the frame of the tent was now chopped up like firewood. A fragile human wouldn’t stand a chance against those claws. The stranger barely even has time to reach for his gun before the beast is rearing to strike again.
Castiel knows what will happen here. He should let it happen. But he can’t.
Castiel knew he had to act fast. With a flick of his wrist, he blasted the beast with a gust of wind. It was enough to startle it and give the stranger the precious seconds he needed to grab his gun and try to defend himself.Castiel watched in awe as the stranger sprang into action, his movements quick and precise as he fired shot after shot at the beast. But the beast barely seemed to even notice the bullets bouncing off of it. The weapon was completely useless. Another swipe of the beast’s paws nearly killed the man, who only just barely managed to dodge in time. The only way to save the stranger was to get him far away from the beast, and fast.
He has never cast this spell before, but he’s seen it done in times of need. A blue shimmering light bursts from his hands and envelopes the stranger in a blinding flash. When the light fades, and Castiel sees that it worked, the stranger is now only a fraction of his former size, small enough to be considered fae-sized. Confused, the beast roars and starts relentlessly searching for him, tearing apart the remains of his tent in a fit of rage. Without hesitation, Castiel dives into the fray. He spots the stranger before the beast does - hiding behind the stump of a broken tent pole. Dodging the beasts claws, Castiel flies straight for the man and grabs him by the upper arm.
Castiel zig-zags his flight pattern to avoid the beast as he flies the stranger to safety. The man struggles at first, but Castiel just grips him tighter. The beast loses sight of them in moments, but Castiel keeps flying until he can no longer hear its frustrated roars. Finally, Castiel stops in a small clearing, sheltered by trees and surrounded by rocks, hidden from view. He sets the man down on a mossy rock and looks at him with concern.
Turning to face the stranger panting on the ground beneath him, Castiel is finally able to get a good look at his features, and is stunned by the image. He’s seen this man before, he’s certain. He knows that sandy hair, those green eyes, those freckles. Part of him always thought that Gabriel’s insistence in prophetic dreams was just a bunch of stories, and he doesn’t even want to think about the “I told you so” coming his way, because the dreams he had years ago are staring back up at him with a familiar glint to their eyes.
Castiel reaches down a hand to help the man up, to try to even begin to explain, but the other man seems frozen. He takes one look at Castiel’s hand, and then back at his face, before tilting his head to the side.
“Cas?”
-----
“Cas?” The other man repeats when he doesn’t respond right away. In fact, Castiel might be frozen in this exact place and time forever, and nothing could move him.
“I know you,” he finally says, mystified. “You were in my dreams all those years ago. With the-”
“-River and the apple tree, yeah. And I taught you how to skip rocks. I knew it was real. I knew you were real.” He stands, then, and holds a hand out for Castiel to shake. “My name is Dean.”
“Dean,” Castiel repeats. It’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. He’s certainly the most beautiful person Castiel has ever met, and with his face lit up in wonder, it makes his heart want to burst from his chest. His wings flutter without conscious thought, and it draws Dean’s eyes away from his face.
“You’re a fae, aren’t you?” He looks like a kid in a candy store, like his wish has finally come true.
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry for bringing you here so suddenly, but I couldn’t let the beast hurt you, so I shrank you with magic and brought you home to my kingdom.”
“Wait, does that mean I have wings, too?!” He starts trying to get a look at his back, spinning in circles. It makes Castiel laugh.
“I’m afraid not. There’s no spell that exists that transforms a human into a fae. I merely made you fae-sized. But don’t worry, you’re not the first here to not have wings. We have ladders and lifts and bees to help those who cannot fly to get around in the village.”
“You mean there are fae who can’t fly?”
“Well, yes. Some are born without wings, or broken wings, or have been injured and cannot safely use their wings to get around. The ladders and such are also helpful to those who can fly but cannot see, to prevent them from flying into anything and getting hurt.”
“Cool. All of this is really cool, seriously, Cas, but I do have a question. Well, about a dozen, really.”
Castiel huffs another laugh. “Maybe start with the first.”
“Right. So, uh, what’s the deal with that beast? Were you watching it, too? Is that how you knew to come after me?”
Castiel sighs. “Yes. Unfortunately, I was watching the beast for over a week and have yet to learn a way to subdue it, and I’m afraid with its ever-growing intelligence, taking care of it will be more challenging than we anticipated or prepared for.”
Dean seems to mull this over for a moment, until his face is overtaken by surprise. “Wait, a week? You’ve been watching that thing for over a week?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see what happened to Sam?”
So this must be the first stranger. Castiel describes the first man he saw in the forest, as well as his exploration into the cave. He wishes he could tell Dean that he saw Sam leave the cave under his own power, but he’s never been known for his proficiency in deception.
Dean nods solemnly, clearly trying to keep his emotions in check. “I still need to know what happened. I need to get to that cave. You said there are bees, right? That I can ride? Do you think we could grab one and go check it out?”
Castiel sighs, reluctant to let Dean rush off so soon. Though he does seem intent to keep Castiel with him, and had included him in his plan. And if what Dean needs is closure to start moving on again with his life, then perhaps this is a mercy he can grant the other man.
“Of course, Dean,” Castiel relents, “I will take you to the cave where I last saw Sam, but you must be careful. The beast may still be lurking about, and we don’t know what it’s capable of.”
Dean nods, determination set in his eyes. “I’m ready. Let’s go.” He eyes Castiel's wings with a lot less enthusiasm than he had a few moments ago, like he's not looking forward to flying again. But he lets Castiel carry him again.
They fly low to the ground to avoid drawing attention to themselves. They move swiftly through the forest, staying hidden as best they can. Eventually, they arrive at the cave, which is eerily empty except for the stench of death and decay. Dean rushes inside, searching for any sign of his brother, but there’s nothing. Castiel hovers near the entrance, keeping watch in case the beast returns. As Dean searches the cave, the unease in Castiel's gut grows. It's too quiet. They had expected the beast to be around, but the cave is silent.
Suddenly, there's a loud rumbling outside the cave, and the ground beneath them shakes. Castiel quickly hides Dean behind a large boulder, and they both watch in horror as the beast enters the cave, its eyes scanning the area as if it can sense something. Castiel readies himself to fight, but the beast doesn't seem to notice them.
It begins playing with small stones and arranges them in a circular pattern on the ground, grunting and murmuring in a way that almost sounded like speech. As they watch, the beast suddenly recoils, snarling viciously as it backs away from a small iron knife it had accidentally touched. Dean's eyes widen, and Castiel sees him silently mouth his brother's name. Perhaps Sam had dropped the knife here? But there was no other sign of Sam. The beast hits to knife towards the entrance of the cave with a big rock, then goes back to playing with the small stones.
After the beast grows bored, it finally curls up and falls asleep. Dean and Castiel silently look at each other and nod. It's time to make their escape. Castiel picks Dean up again, and they fly back through the cave. They both breathe a sigh of relief when they get back to the forest, but Castiel isn't about to stop until they reach the safety of the fae village.
-----
They land beneath a mossy overlook next to where the transport bees live. Castiel's arms ache from carrying Dean so far, and Dean seems relieved to be back on the ground too. Castiel starts leading them towards the village square. Castiel is explaining that the beehive where the transport bees live is in the canopy at the southern edge of the village when out of nowhere an unfamiliar voice bellows “DEAN!” and a blur of black and yellow zooms past Castiel, practically tackling his new companion.
“Sam! Oh my god, you’re okay!” Dean says, looking up slightly at his little brother with so much relief that it makes Cas’ chest ache. Dean pulls Sam into a crushing hug, holding him for a few moments before pulling back, patting him gently on the shoulder. “How did you make it out of there? Cas said he didn’t see you leave the cave. We thought the beast got you.”
“It almost did,” he acquiesces. “Wait, who’s Cas?”
“That would be me,” Castiel says, pulling himself towards the brotherly reunion. He extends a hand to Sam, who takes it readily. “Castiel Novak, Patrol Scout. At least, for the time being. It looks like we were both tracking the same beast. How did you manage to escape?”
“That would be me,” a familiar voice calls, sauntering out from behind the bee. He turns to Dean, giving him a flourish and a bow. “Gabriel Novak, rescuer extraordinaire.”
Dean isn’t quite sure how to react to that. He awkwardly tries to bow back. “Umm, nice to meet you, Gabriel. My name is Dean. Thank you for looking out for my brother.”
Gabriel gives Sam a knowing look. “Oh, hardly. It’s Eileen you should be thanking.”
Dean’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline when he sees the beet-red look on his brother’s face. “Is that right?” He asks conspiratorially.
Sam shakes his head. “Nope. This is not happening. I am not having you two gang up on me this early. Come on Dean, I’ll show you to my place. I have a spare room. We can meet with Gabriel and Castiel later.”
Dean and Gabriel exchange a look that says we’ll continue this later before waving a goodbye to Castiel and following his brother through the village.
-----
“So,” Dean asks a while later, after they’ve spent some time working up a sweat climbing up ladders to Sam’s new apartment. It’s apparently in a block of little wooden huts circling a central tree that the fae keep aside for refugees such as the brothers. There are ladders and ropes with pulleys connecting every tree Dean can see, and fae flying between everyone and everything around them. The sunlight is pouring in through the red and orange canopy, and Dean can’t help but wonder what it would be like to feel a warm summer breeze and the sunrise on his face when the new leaves come in the spring. He finds himself imagining a life here, and it startles him to think of how right it feels. But, not quite ready to explore why that might be just yet, he turns to a tried and true defense mechanism: teasing Sam.
“Tell me about Eileen.”
“We’re not doing this,” his little brother sing-songs, as if that will get Dean off his back.
“Come on, Sam, tell me about her. You’ve only been here a week, and you’re already seeing someone?”
“I never said I was seeing her!” There’s that blush again. Dean smirks.
“But you want to be.”
“Dean, this is hardly the time to be thinking about that. We have that monster to deal with. Besides, we’re here,” he says, guiding Dean to a decent-sized hut at the end of the row. Even shrunk down to fae-size, Sam is still ridiculously tall, so Dean has to stifle a laugh when he nearly forgets to duck upon entry.
Dean is both surprised and not when he sees the apartment Sam has created for himself, even in his short time here. There is a small collection of books on the shelf of one wall, a small kitchenette reminiscent of the ones Dean would cook in for them as children, a sitting area with throw pillows and blankets, and four doors: one to the wash-room, and one to each of the bedrooms on the opposite sides of the living room.
“Where does that door lead?” Dean asks, pointing to the door that, if he didn’t know any better, would lead to nothing but the exterior trunk of the tree.
Sam smiles. “Oh, this part is awesome.” He gestures for Dean to open the door, and the older brother is astounded at what he finds.
Inside the door, he sees an internal network of lifts and stairs and passageways leading from the base of the tree to the canopy. Just the thought of the engineering and planning that had to go into creating this makes Dean’s head spin.
“Woah.”
“I know, right?! I guess it’s not safe to fly in the rain or something and they want to make sure everyone can always make it home, so they created this. I haven’t been to other trees to check, but I would think that it’s all over the village.”
Dean sighs, pulling them both back into the apartment, sitting heavily on the couch. Before he knows it, Sam is handing him a pot of steaming tea.
“How did you do that?” Dean asks.
His brother shrugs. “It’s an enchanted pot, since I don’t have magic.”
“Man, they really thought of everything here, didn’t they?”
Sam doesn’t say anything for a long time. Dean can tell his little brother is working through something, so he just tries to sip his tea quietly and let Sam figure out whatever is going on in his head.
“Dean, I really like it here,” he says eventually.
Dean leans forward, trying to catch Sam’s eye. “I do too, Sam. What’s the problem?”
“Dean, I- I don’t think I want to go back to the village. I think I want to stay here. We wouldn’t need to be hunters anymore. We could do whatever we wanted. That is, if you want to stay here, too. It’s okay if you don’t, I’m sure Cas can reverse the enchantment if you want to go back after we defeat the beast, I just thought--”
“Sammy, I love you, but shut up. Of course I’m going to stay here. This place is amazing; we’ve already made friends, have a place to live, and it’s not exactly like there was much for us back in that village besides each other anyway. A chance for a new adventure and figuring out what exactly I want to do with my life? It’s no contest, Sam.”
Sam lets out a deep sigh, his shoulders collapsing comically. “I’m glad you said that, Dean. I don’t know what I would have done here without you.”
Dean reaches over and puts a comforting hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Well, you won’t have to find that out now, will you?”
“True, but even if we aren’t leaving, that beast could still cause trouble for people here. We should help them figure out how to take care of it.”
Dean nods. “I was thinking about that actually, when you mentioned Cas being able to reverse the enchantments to make me full-sized again. Cas and I went back to the beast's cave looking for you, and we watched it for awhile there. Normally it was this frenzied, wild thing, until it was calmer and started making circular patterns out of small stones and talking to itself. It also has an aversion to iron like fae do. It was almost like a person who has been enchanted and disoriented in their new form.”
“Wait, you think the beast is just a person who’s been enchanted? Why would it try to attack you, then?”
“Think about it, Sam. Enchantments play tricks on the mind; it’s entirely possible that the spell caused the person to not only take on the physical form of a beast, but also the mind. So while it may have the intellect and cognitive capacity of a human, the hindbrain of the beast could be running the show.”
“That…actually makes a lot of sense. It would definitely explain the beast’s behavior.” After a moment, it’s like a lightbulb has gone off in Sam’s brain. “And why the beast has stayed so close to the village here. Dean, I bet that the beast is actually a villager, and is staying close to a part of the forest that feels familiar.”
Dean hadn’t even thought of that. “We should tell someone. Is there someone here who would know about a villager trying to enchant themselves into a monster.”
Sam thinks for a moment. “Not that I know of, but we could definitely ask Chuck at dinner tonight. He’s one of the rulers here, I bet he would know.” Then, after glancing at a candle on the mantle, “Actually, dinner will be starting before long. We should get going if we don’t want to be late.”
“Won’t it take us too long to get there?” Dean asks, thinking of how long it took them to get from the center of the village up to the apartment.
Just then, there’s a knock at the door. When Sam opens it, a nervous looking Castiel is peering up at him.
“Hello, Sam. I, well, Gabriel and I, really, were wondering if you and Dean would like a ride to dinner tonight? Gabriel is currently wrangling the bees. I don’t believe it’s going very well.”
Sam laughs. “Probably not, given how rowdy Kali is. Well, Dean, it looks like our chariots await.”
-----
Riding on the back of a bumble bee with a fae, weaving in and out of ladders and shoots and other fae through an enchanted forest village shouldn’t make Dean feel like he’s riding on the back of a dragon, but it does. If Sam ever asked him about it, he would deny it until his dying breath, but if he lets out a little whoop of excitement when his brother and Gabriel have flown far enough ahead of him, well, the only person close enough to hear it is Cas.
Cas, who looks over his shoulder at Dean with this tender smile on his face and this light in his beautiful blue eyes that makes Dean’s chest tight. Dean doesn’t question it, but maybe he holds Cas a little closer. Maybe Cas covers one of Dean’s hands with his own.
Maybe Dean makes a mental note to stop teasing Sam so much about this mysterious Eileen.
Before Dean can think too much about it, he and Cas pull next to Sam and Gabriel at the edge of what looks to be the largest mushroom cap Dean has ever seen. It’s wide and flat, and big enough to fit the entire village at a series of long dining tables. At the far edge of the platform, raised as if on a stage, is a smaller table arranged perpendicular to the rest, where there sit a small collection of fae, just beginning to sit down to eat.
“Let me guess,” Dean says sarcastically, Cas already pulling him ahead by the sleeve. Sam and Gabriel are not too far behind them. “This is who we have to talk to?” Sam and Dean had filled them in on their thoughts behind the monster’s identity on their way over here, and the fae brothers agreed that they should all talk to Chuck and the rest of the council to figure out their next steps.
“Yes.”
“And you’re sure he won’t mind us interrupting his dinner.”
Another yes, and an insistent tug on his hand. Dean lets Cas pull him along. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean spots a pretty brown haired girl smile shyly at Sam. Sam blushes and quickly turns his eyes back to the head of the table. Dean suspects that she's Sam's new girlfriend, but doesn't have time now to tease Sam about her.
When they approach the head table, the leader, Chuck, notices them immediately, his whole face lit up in excitement, and curiosity pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Castiel, Gabriel, how nice to see you. And these must be our new guests,” he nods to Sam and Dean.
“Yes, Father, this is Sam and Dean Winchester. Their lives were endangered by the beast in the forest, so Gabriel and I brought them here.”
“Father?!” Sam and Dean practically shout. Well, that would explain why they were so certain that Chuck wouldn’t mind them interrupting.
“Oh yes, well I’m glad you two were there to help look out for them. That beast certainly is causing quite a problem.”
“Actually, sir, that’s what we wanted to talk to you about,” Dean says, finally collecting himself. “Sam and I have a theory. We think we know what’s going on with the beast.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, sir, we think that it’s possible the beast is actually one of your very villagers who perhaps got themself mixed up with a transfiguration charm.” Sam goes on to explain the rest of their theory. Chuck and the rest of the council consider this, and some even start nodding their heads.
“You know, Chuck, that would make a lot of sense. Why else would a strange beast stay so close to this part of the forest? There’s nothing much around here for prey. Why hunt so far from a den?” One of the councilors says.
If the look on his face is anything to go by, Chuck seems to agree. “Your idea certainly does seem plausible. But for a transfiguration spell to go on this long, it would require specific ingredients, certain additional charms. The only person in the village who tracks those things closely is the shopkeeper Crowley. He would be the person to ask about who had procured those items recently. He may be able to tell us who we are looking for.”
“Have you not noticed anyone missing in the last week?” Dean asks.
“Our people are quite nomadic, Dean. Some more than others. And traveling to and from the village isn’t exactly something that we have to run past the council, so an exact head-count of the villagers is a bit difficult to pull off.” Castiel tells him.
Sam nods. “It looks like we better go talk to Crowley, then.”
Dean shakes his head. “No, someone should keep an eye on the beast, make sure it stays out of trouble. You and Gabriel should go scout, Cas and I will talk to Crowley.”
-----
When they walk in, Crowley doesn’t seem all that surprised to see them. His shop and office are tucked in the back of the village, down a corner street that people don’t wander down accidentally on a stroll. Every surface in the shop is covered with a glass jar or vial of some sort, and there are herbs drying on every cabinet hook Dean can see. Crowley himself stands behind a glass counter display case, nodding at the pair as if he had been expecting them all along. He’s wearing all-black and his dark eyes make Dean want to cower down behind something, but Castiel doesn’t seem phased in the least.
“Ah, Castiel. Good to see you again.” He says, nodding to him. “And I see you’ve brought a new guest with you. Name’s Crowley, but I’m sure you knew that already. You are?”
Dean swallows. “I’m Dean. Look, Cas and I have a feeling we know what’s going on with that beast on the edge of town.”
“And you think I might be able to help?” He sounds skeptical of Dean’s optimism.
“Yes,” Cas steps in. His tone leaves no room for arguments. “We think that the beast is actually a villager under some kind of transfiguration charm gone awry. Last I checked, you keep tabs on all things transfiguration in the village. Can you think of anyone who recently showed interest in a charm like that? Maybe someone you haven’t seen in a while?”
All at once, it’s like a lightbulb goes off in Crowley’s head. His expression goes from understanding to fury almost as quickly. “So that’s where she’s been. I knew she had been stealing from me.”
“Who, Crowley?”
He sighs. “My assistant, Meg Masters. She has been talking about wanting to try out transfiguration for a while, but I told her it was too dangerous for someone who hasn’t spent a great deal of time training with it. She took off a few weeks ago and I haven’t seen her since - she has family in another village, so I just figured she went there to cool down; I never considered that she might be behind this. Now that you mention it, though, some of the ingredients for my transfiguration charm are missing. So it looks like your theory was spot-on.”
“Okay, great. We know who the beast is,” Dean says. “But how do we stop her? How do we revert a misfired transfiguration charm?”
Crowley cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulders before turning to his various drawers and cabinets.
“Leave that to me.”
-----
The following day finds them back in the clearing by the monster’s keep, armed with Crowley, Sam, and Gabriel. After they left, Crowley had spent the better part of the day blending together some kind of healing potion to reverse the effects of Meg’s charm. One good whiff and she would be good as new.
Luckily, even with her combined intelligence and senses, getting the potion to Meg was relatively easy. Crowley seemed to be able to slip in and out of shadows without a trace, which allowed him to get right up under her nose as she was waking from a deep slumber. In a flash of enchanted dust, a dirty and disheveled winged woman is blinking up at Crowley, giving him the biggest eye roll Dean has ever seen.
“Seriously, Crowley? A girl can’t even have a little fun anymore?”
Crowley shakes his head, grabbing her deftly under her arm. “Not when that fun endangers the safety of our entire village. You want to learn transfiguration, you come to me, got it? I’ll teach you how to do it safely, so you don’t end up with a mind melded to a beast next time!”
Together they flit off up into the trees, leaving the four men in the clearing, gaping up behind them.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Castiel says, a bit stunned.
“What do we do now?” Sam asks.
Gabriel looks over them all with a shit-eating grin.
“I have just the idea.”
-----
As it turns out, returning the village to a state of peace without fanfare is a great time to throw a party. Especially when said peaceful return coincides with the 200th anniversary of the monarch’s rule over the village.
“Seriously, Cas, how long do you guys live?” Dean asks, peering over the town square. Every inch is covered in twinkling lights and couples dancing. There’s endless trays of food and drink, and even a live band keeping spirits high. Off to the side, Dean sees Sam signing with a beautiful brown-haired woman. Eileen. Dean will leave his little brother to his fun for the night, but he fully intends to interrogate him in the morning.
When he feels a tap on his shoulder, he turns to see Cas extending a hand out. Dean takes it, and before he knows it, he has been swept into a slow dance in the middle of the dance floor. Cas holds him close, and Dean can smell the sweet honey scent of the other man. He takes it all in, and for a long moment, it feels like Dean and Cas are the only two people in the entire world. Like this night and these lights and this song exist only for them.
“Well you know, Dean, since you live here, the village’s magic is almost certainly going to affect you now. So it looks like you’ll just have to find out.”
And so Dean dances the night away, content in this new life, excited to see where this adventure will take him.