Castiel made his way through a playground, a sandbox lay in the middle. Weirdly, that sandbox was the entrance to Heaven. This playground looked like any normal playground expect it was in the middle of no where.
Two little girls swung back and fourth on the swing. While they looked like regular kids, they were actually angels inhabiting children's bodies.
They're were two of them. They stopped swinging when they saw Castiel. Their eyes were filled with warmth and excitement.
"Hi Cas." one of them greeted as a little female bounded over to him.
"Hello." he replied with his deep husky voice, dipping his head.
"How are you?" the other little girl asked, her blue eyes shining like the deep sea.
"I'm well." Castiel replied casually. "And you?"
"We are well."
"That's good Gabriella." Castiel replied, stroking the girl's long dark brown hair.
"So Cas, how are the Winchesters?" the other angel asked, her mid length red hair whisking I'm the wind.
"They are well, Arielle."
"You need to stop spending so much time with the Winchesters." Gabriella mumbled darkly, her eyes sorrowful. Castiel seemed to see the worry and darkness clouding her gaze.
"Why?" he asked, shifting his feet.
Arielle stepped forward and looked up at Cas.
"We know they are housing the Cambion. Are you helping them protect her Castiel?"
Her gaze seemed to harden and Castiel had to force himself not to swallow the nervous lump that was in his throat.
"N-no. She is in handcuffs, demonic handcuffs as we speak. She can't hurt anyone."
"But she will." Arielle pointed out.
"Are you sure?" Castiel scratched his head. "She is just like any other normal kid except for her powers and maybe a few emotional problems."
Arielle's gaze narrowed and Gabriella padded closer, her voice growing hard.
"Has she hurt you yet or the Winchesters?"
Castiel felt uncomfortable. He wanted to protect this girl. She may be half demon but she showed more human qualities than he'd expected before he met her. She had a few issues that could be fixed within time. He had hurt him just a few nights ago but Castiel knew she was just upset and acted out due to her emotions. With his and the Winchesters teachings to her that they had started recently, it had seemed to help slightly but the process was slow. They were teaching her how to become a better person or more like one. They were helping her learn right from wrong, how to respond in certain situations. It all seemed silly but it seemed to have been helping.
"She has, hasn't she?"Gabriella pressed. Castiel couldn't lie to his fellow angels.
"Y-yes." he replied nervously. "But she was having a bad day. She wanted some attention and probably wanted a reaction. She is getting better."
"You're teaching her?" Arielle snorted. "Foolish. She isn't yours, Castiel. She isn't yours, she isn't the Winchester's. Dump her out somewhere."
Castiel shifted uneasily. "I can't do that."
"Why?" Arielle questioned.
Cas began to feel his heart ache. She was just a child, like Jack used to be, a Nephilim who was Lucifer's son and was now the new God. He had been struggling for a while early on when they knew him but he had grown up to be good. It took effort but it was all worth it in the end. Castiel wanted to do the same for Venus.
"I thought you were loyal!" Gabriella scolded, her eyes glinting.
Castiel flinched. "I am."
Gabriella turned away, her back to him. "You were." her voice was merely more than a whisper.
"You need to tell those Winchesters to get rid of her Cas. She's bad news. Heaven and Hell are fighting to get to her. It's only a matter of time before there is war." Arielle murmured sadly.
"War?" this is the first Cas had heard of any war.
Gabriella turned back around. "If you spent more time in Heaven, you'd know things are chaotic. That girl will be the death of millions, perhaps more. You need to kill her or we will. Know where your loyalties lie Castiel. We wouldn't want to report you to all the other angels. You'd hate to be cast out or even killed."
This couldn't be true. War? Over a Cambion? This wasn't okay. Castiel wanted to be loyal to his fellow angels but at the same time, be loyal to Venus and the Winchesters. They were his family. Castiel had always vastly preferred the Winchesters, humans over angels. If it were long ago, maybe hundreds of years ago or the days before he met Sam and Dean, he'd of killed the girl with no problem, followed his orders, his duty as an angel no matter who got hurt. But he was different now. Humans had changed him and all for the better. Even though it hurt and was dangerous, he had to choose the Winchesters. But would that mean fighting against his own kind in battle?
Castiel sighed and stared down at the two angels.
"I'll kill her. For you. But it won't be easy. I'll have to get through the Winchesters." he lied.
They nodded in approval. "Good. Thanks Cas. We always knew you'd choose your real family over those pesky humans and just another monster."
Just another monster? Was that all Venus was? No. He could change her. The Winchesters are his real family. Venus could be a Winchester.
If there was battle, Castiel would be ready. But between his loyalties to Heaven and loyalties to Sam, Dean, and Venus, which would be the side he really chose?
How could one Cambion, one girl be the cause of a battle, a war? Was she really worth fighting for?
Either way, it sent unease rippling through his body. So much so, Castiel had to hide the chill that went down his spine as the two angels gave him a last glance before resuming their duties and Castiel decided to fade away into the breaking dusk as dark scarlet glittered across the evening sky. He needed some time alone, to think.
With one little flap, he whisked into the wind as the scarlet sky soon would turn into a rainy night, thunder rumbling, with little moonlight filtering through the dark clouds.
This gloomy night would be his and his alone as he shaded beneath his shadow in deep thought of next steps. Castiel's decision of where his loyalties lie would shape what his future held, if he had one or if it wasn't to late before the days would turn dark and bloodshed would be among the wasteland of battle scarred earth.
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The moon had since risen hours ago and late night starlight glittered in the sky, shining on the Bunker below, turning it silver.
The Bunker was quiet. Snoozing in the occupied rooms.
Castiel sat in a chair in the library in the darkness. He would wait until dawn for the Winchesters to wake as he always did for he didn't sleep. But he eventually pulled out a book and begun reading, not a regular mythology book or a book used for research. It was a romantic book about a young couple: A woman meets a disabled man as the woman goes through her own emotional struggles and forms a bond with the man until they go out for dinner, then movies, then get married years later and have a family of their own.
Castiel smiled while reading the story and waited patiently for the night to pass by...
Meanwhile night was slow for Venus as she was in a state of terror, terrorized by vivid nightmares.
Gray clouds roamed the sky, fog whisking along the surface of blood stained wasteland. Bodies splayed out, eyes wide with terror, the air reeking of death and blood.
The sound of fighting was decreasing now as most of Heaven and Hell's soldiers lay dead among the battlefield. Necks were broken, slashes scored across corpses, plunge wounds in the chests of the fallen, scarlet pooling around their bodies, eyes glazed over, mouth open in terror or defeat.
Thunder was rumbling above and Venus scanned the land around her, eyes wide with terror.
She looked for any signs of life but the last of it was cut off quickly as the last of the soldiers died, slaughtered by their rivals.
"Sam, Dean, Castiel!" Venus called.
Her voice was answered by a grunt.
Venus glanced around until she saw Castiel laying in a pool of crimson.
"Cas!" she cried as she raced over to him, crouching beside his battered body.
"Cas!" she called, slapping his face to get his attention.
His eyes darted over to her and his pupils constricted.
"Venus." he whispered.
"Castiel, what... What happened?"
"W-w-ar." he replied, voice hoarse.
"War?" Venus gasped, bewildered.
Castiel managed a weak nod before grabbing her shoulder softly.
"I chose the Winchesters, I chose you... Over... Over the angels.. I paid for that."
I frowned. "Why.. Why did you choose us?"
Castiel closed his eyes. "Because you're my real family. I had hope for your Venus.. But we lost."
"Lost?" she was confused. What was happening?
She rose to her feet and saw the familiar figures of Sam and Dean. They lay limp in the dirt.
She then let her gaze turn back to Cas but was taken by surprise when she saw he was no more than a lifeless heap in the dirt, his wings splayed behind him, scorching the earth. She swallowed back grief and headed over to the Winchester brothers.
Dean still fidgeted. His eyes darted up to Venus and his mouth slightly opened as if trying to speak but nothing came out until he swallowed a mouthful trying to gain what energy he had left.
"You... You caused a war." he murmured, eyes narrowed, voice raspy and weak.
She crouched down beside him.
"Dean." she mumbled, edging herself closer to him. "I'm sorry."
"Are you though? Now that you caused a war?"
Venus blinked, stunned. "How is this my fault?"
Dean pushed her away harshly with great strength Venus had no idea he would have considering his current wounded state.
Venus grunted.
"I don't know, kid." Dean replied with a weak sigh. "It isn't... We vowed to protect you but.. we paid the price."
Venus felt a lump get stuck in her throat. "I'm sorry." she repeated, her voice sorrowful and full of resentment.
"It doesn't matter." he replied ruefully. "We were going to lose anyway. This wasn't even our battle, it was for the angels and demons but I guess when it comes to protecting family, you gotta fight for them too." his eyes shone, glistening like stars. But even within his bright eyes, there was dying light. His eyes showed regret, sorrow, joy, and admiration. He was proud of her. The blame couldn't be put on her. It wasn't her fault that she was born and Heaven and Hell wanted to get their dirty hands on her.
Before Dean's eyes died and faded away into nothing, he spoke one last sentence to the young girl who sat beside him: "prevent this, Venus. Prevent this battle from happening."
"How?" she responded, voice merely more than a low whisper.
But her question was never answered for Dean's eyes glazed and the bright glimmer in his eyes faded into death, pure oblivion. All the while, his words rang in Venus's ears with a dying echo.
"Prevent this, Venus. Prevent this battle from happening."
I woke up with a jolt, heart beating fast. I glanced around my room. Shadows filled every side. The alarm clock read 4:50am. It was still nighttime though dawn would be approaching soon. I considered staying awake for a while to avoid strange dreams and nightmares but I couldn't find myself to stay awake. With a sigh, I shifted my hands, as I was now free of my handcuffs. I laid my head back on my pillow and closed my eyes back into a disturbing doze.