The Pony Who Would Be King {Supernatural x MLP}by AppleCinnamonCandlesChaptersPrologueHiding and LyingFriends and FoesStraining FriendshipHeaven’s Fall“Cass Is Our Friend”PrologueA pony stalked through the garden. Wings once bright as snow were now the color of night and folded neatly at his sides. His mane hid something he was glad could be contained. His cutie mark was covered by the trench coat he wore. The stallion walked to the bench, empty and secluded. Not like anypony else was here. No, this was his paradise. He climbed up onto the bench and sat down, releasing a sigh. He shuffled his wings, easing his discomfort. The pony gazed at his hooves for a little while, then looked up at the sky. He drew in a breath, then spoke. “Mother?” You know better than anypony else just how long I’ve been alive for. I remember it all. Or, at least, most of it. I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, "don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish." I hadn’t planned on hurting the thing, of course. I was young, but old enough to understand that hurting things was wrong. I remember the Tower of Babel. All 37 feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. Ponies worked on it for ages. And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. But come on - dried dung can only be stacked so high. I remember Cain and Abel...David and Goliath...Sodom and Gomorrah. And, of course, I remember the most remarkable event - remarkable because it never came to pass. It was the largest event in history. It risked our lives, every single last one of us. And it was averted because of two ponies. One is a unicorn, got the genes from his mother, and the other an earth pony. I’m sure you already guessed he got that from daddy. Saying they’re ordinary ponies would be untrue, and it’s a sin to lie. Not that sinning makes much of a difference to me anymore. I stretched the laws of Heaven, found loophole after loophole until I could no longer. And that’s when I broke free. I went against my home, against my family. I learned the meaning of freedom. I risked my all for those stallions. For my friends. But that’s not the grand story. No, that story is much larger. An event prevented by two brothers, an alcoholic earth pony, and a fallen angel. We ripped up the ending and the rules. And destiny... leaving nothing but freedom and choice. Which is all well and good, except... Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know? I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a story to tell. You need to understand in order to give me guidance. Let me tell you my story. Let me tell you everything. Hiding and LyingNopony is more similar to Bobby than Ellsworth. Even if he is a demon. He’s a pretty damn close counterpart. A dark red pony sat at a desk, his head in his hoof. Bowls of blood sat before him along with phones. “No, listen to me,” he growled. “No, I don’t care. I want you to get down to New Mexico and bag me that Wendigo!“ One of the phones rang, and Ellsworth’s eyes switched from the black of a demon to the regular eyes of a pony. “Equestrian Investigations. Thomas speaking. Absolutely, I sent them.” Ellsworth looked up and noticed two demons standing at the door of his cabin. A bag was held between them. Ellsworth let out a silent groan. “Thank you for calling to check. You too. Have a nice day, now. Bye-bye.” Ellsworth slammed down the phone, glaring at his assistants. “No! Not in here, you friggin' Yeti. Out back!” The demons exchanged looks, then nodded and backed away. Ellsworth groaned and dropped his head onto the desk. The sound of cries drew Ellsworth attention, making him raise his head again. A pale colored pony with dark wings stood in the doorway. Ellsworth’s two assistants were on the ground, dead. “Oh, hell.” Ellsworth gathered his strength, then made an attempt to leave his vessel. Castiel lunged forward, moving at an alarmingly fast rate. He shoved Ellsworth back into his vessel. A burst of unnatural magic wrapped around the demon, draining his life. Castiel had him gone in a matter of seconds. Once Ellsworth was gone, Cass sighed and lowered his hoof. Those demons would’ve led my friends straight to Crowley. I had no choice. It was that, or Crowley tore their hearts out. I could never risk the lives of my friends, especially if they’re ponies I hold as close as I hold them. I had to protect them. Or myself. I don’t know anymore. Dean followed Bobby into the house. Sam was already inside, scoping out the area. “Clear from the back,” Sam announced. Dean’s eyes wandered around the house. It was as clean as a house being prepared to be sold. “Demons get tipped and bug out?” Dean said. “Or did you whip up some magical cleaning spell?” “Not even I could pull this off in such a short amount of time,” Sam responded. “Even if my magic is strong.” He looked around. “Maybe they run from us now. Isn’t that a nice thought?” Bobby snorted. “Yeah, if that’s what happened.” Hiding. Lying. Sweeping away evidence. And my motives used to be so pure. After supposedly "saving" Sam, I finally returned to heaven. Friends and FoesDean gazed out the train window, his head propped on his hoof. A saddlebag sat beside him, filled to the brim on both sides. The weight it put on his back made him wish he was a unicorn like his brother. But he had always been cursed to be more like his father. At least fate had given Sam a chance. “Hello Dean.” Dean jumped and turned to face the pony that was now across from him. The pale brown color of his fur was a heavy contrast from the black of his wings. A trench coat hung around his body. Dean sighed and put his hoof to his chest, waiting for his heart to slow. “Cass.” Castiel tilted his head curiously to the side. “Are you alright?” Dean cleared his throat and let his hoof rest again. “Yeah, I’m… I’m fine. What about you?” “I just wanted to check in,” Cass replied. Dean nodded, looking out the window again. “So, any news on Nightmare Moon Jr?” Castiel looked down uneasily. “I’m looking, believe me.” He turned his gaze to the window, and Dean heard the slight shuffle of his wings. “I just don’t understand how Crowley could’ve tricked me.” “Well, he’s a tricky son of a bitch.” Dean looked back at his friend. He could sense the tension and Cass’s discomfort. Dean could diagnose it as nothing more than guilt and disappointment. Castiel was an angel, he was bound to have a drop in his ego after such a mistake. Dean knew a lot about that. “Doesn't matter,” he continued, reaching out for his friend. “But if he is up and kicking, then what does matter is finding him, ripping his head off, and shoving it up his ass.” Cass looked down as Dean’s hoof touched his foreleg, then looked up at Dean. Dean offered a smile. Cass didn’t return it. “What about you? Have you found anything?” Dean pulled his hoof away and sighed, his smile fading. “No, not yet.” Cass scanned the train. Dean was the only pony on, aside from a mare sleeping in the back of the train. “Where’s Sam?” “He’s keeping busy,” Dean replied, reaching for his saddlebag and pulling out a journal. “He’s hunting a Djinn in Canterlot as we speak. I’m on my way to meet him.” Castiel looked at the journal in Dean’s hooves. A spark of dark blue magic came from his head, and Cass winced in pain. Dean frowned. Cass rubbed his head, ruffling his mane just enough to be able to see the tip of his broken horn. “I often forget I no longer have my horn,” he admitted. “I know it’s been gone for a long time but…” “Hey, you’re older than any of us,” Dean said comfortingly. “Habits are bound to be harder to break for you.” Dean held out the journal for Cass to grab. “I’m trying to retrain my magic,” Castiel said as he took the journal. “If Luna could do it-“ “Luna was training with dark magic long before her horn was broken,” Dean reminded Cass. “That magic isn’t hers.” Cass opened the journal and flipped through the pages. He stopped on a page with a drawing of a pony-like creature. Castiel eyed the picture for a while, running his hoof over it. “Well, I hope you have silver and lamb’s blood ready,” he said at last, closing the journal and passing it back to Dean. Dean took it and stuck it back into his saddlebag. “You can bet your ass I do.” Cass returned his gaze to the window, his eyes following the passing trees and structures. “I’d come if I could.” “Yeah, no, I-I get it,” Dean reassured him. “No worries. But, Cass, you'll call, right? If you get into real trouble?” Cass looked at Dean, and then there was the ruffle of wings. In an instant, the angel was gone. Dean perked up, his eyes scanning the area for his friend. “Cass?” He glanced back and met the eyes of the mare, who was now awake and staring at him with a brow raised. Dean’s ears fell back against his skull. “I, uh- I wasn’t talking to myself. I’m not crazy.” The mare shook her head. “You need a therapist, dude.” The pony looked away, and Dean spit out one last quiet, “I’m not crazy.” A dark pony with bat-like wings was leaning over a metal table, inspecting a body. Another pony was tied up, thrashing furiously. Castiel warily approached the pony. “Howdy partner,” Crowley said without looking up. Cass leaned over Crowley’s shoulder. The body of a light yellow unicorn mare with a contrasting dark mane lay on the table, laying on her back. Her stomach was cut open for Crowley’s inspection, along with her scalp being removed. “What have you found?” “I’ve found a lot of things,” Crowley replied, propping his hooves up on the table. “For example, Eve’s brain? Dead as a tinned kipper. And yet…” Crowley reached into the cut in Eve’s stomach, digging into her insides. When his hoof came out, he was holding a pile of eggs. “For some reason, she keeps laying eggs. And watch this.” Crowley dropped the eggs back into Eve’s stomach. He grabbed a poker from nearby and placed it onto the dead pony’s brain. An electric jolt was sent into the brain. The tied up pony seized violently. Castiel watched curiously as Crowley chuckled. “Batula here feels every tickle,” Crowley announced, tossing the poker aside. “What does that mean?” Cass pressed. Crowley shrugged dismissively. “I have a few theories, but none of them are good until I do some more work.” Castiel sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You said Eve could open the door to Purgatory.” “Correct. I did. And I’m confident that she could.” Crowley turned on Cass, his wings flaring and gaze narrowed. “If she were still alive!” Cass wiped the spit that had flown from Crowley’s mouth off of his face as the demon began to circle him. “Our single best chance to get over the rainbow, and the Winchesters killed her!” “It was unavoidable,” Cass said calmly. Crowley laughed bitterly and stopped in front of him. “You screwed up, Cass,” he snarled. “You let your little hounds mangle our dove, and now my wings are bound.” Castiel met Crowley’s accusing gaze. “What is your point?” he asked lowly. “My point is; you’re distracted. And that worries me.” Crowley fluttered his wings and lashed his tail. Castiel hissed in frustration. “I’m holding up my end,” he argued. “Are you?” Crowley shot back. “Are you, Castiel? The stench of the train is all over you. I thought we agreed - no more nights out with the boys.” Cass flared his wings. “I had to speak to Dean,” he snapped. “I had to find out what they know.” “About what?” Crowley shouted. “About me? Cause I happen to have it on good authority that your two little pets are currently trying to hunt me down!“ Crowley let out a breath, rubbing his head. The tension in his body eased. “Forgive me, but you seem to have a conflict of interest here.” “And so what if I do?” Castiel hissed. “The Winchesters are my friends. They taught me how to stand up and what to do it for. They taught me how freedom feels. What friendship is. We beat Armageddon together. They’ve done a lot for me. So do forgive me if my interests are conflicted.” Crowley snorted. “Friendship. You’re going soft, Cass. Those boys have done something to you.” “I’m not soft,” Castiel argued, turning away from Crowley. “I just have ponies who mean a lot to me. Ponies I’d do anything for.” “Including risking our cause?” Crowley took a step closer to Cass. “You’re not their guardian, Castiel. And haven’t you done enough for them? You went to Hell to free Sam from Nightmare Moon’s cage. You rose him.” “Not all of him,” Cass pointed out, refusing to turn back and face the pony he was addressing. “You raised a whole damn lot of him.” “No,” Castiel responded. “Only his body. That’s not what makes him Sam.” Castiel could hear Crowley scoff behind him. “So he was a tougher version. Not a bad upgrade if you ask me.” “Sam was hurting people without his soul!” Castiel growled, finally turning back to Crowley. “He was willing to let his brother die. And Bobby.” Crowley smiled smugly. “But your little puppet fixed it all, didn’t he?” Castiel bristled again. “Dean isn’t my puppet!” Crowley held a hoof up innocently. “My point is, you’ve given a lot for those stallions already. It’s time to face the facts.” “And what are the facts?” Castiel snarled, baring his teeth. “I think it’s pretty obvious, Castiel,” Crowley said, glancing at the tied up pony. “Kill the Winchesters.” “No,” Cass shot back instantly. “Then I’ll do it.” “If you kill them, then I’ll just bring them back.” “No you won’t. Not where I’ll put ‘em.” Crowley’s narrow gaze met Castiel’s. There was so mischief or hint of smugness, only truth. “Trust me.” Castiel let out a sigh, shuffling his wings. “I said... no. Don't worry about them.” “Don't worry about-“ Crowley began, his baffled tone quickly shifting to anger. “What, like Nightmare Moon didn't worry? Or Michael? Or Lilith or Alastair or Azazel didn't worry?” He leaned close enough to Cass that their noses were touching. Castiel could see his anger as plain as the sun in the sky. “Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?!” Castiel gently pushed Crowley away from him, seemingly unfazed by Crowley’s outburst. “Just find Purgatory. If you don't, we will both die again and again.” His expression hardened. “Until the end of time. The Winchesters won’t get to you.” Castiel turned to exit the lab, not bothering to acknowledge Crowley as the demon shouted after him one last time. “Let them get to me! I’ll tear their friggin’ hearts out!” Straining FriendshipThe living room of the earth pony’s house carried the reek of alcohol. A demon trap was painted in the ceiling above the pony being held captive. The small pony holding him captive chuckled lowly, standing close to a tall unicorn. “I got to tell you, Red... for a filthy, lower-than-snake-spit Hellspawn, you seem to have turned yourself into a damn fine hunter,” Bobby cooed. “I don’t know whether to kill you or kiss you.” Red stuck out his tongue in disgust and made a blegh sound. “Oh, please,” he said with a shudder. “Kill me.” Bobby raised a brow. “That was you that dug out that nest of vamps back in Swan Valley, wasn't it?” The unicorn tilted his head. “That was nice work.” “Eight of 'em in one go,” Red replied smugly. “Roped and tied.” “And then you brought them to Crowley, right?” Bobby pressed. Red barked a laugh. “Oh, read the papers, redneck. The king is dead.” Bobby scoffed and turned away. A smile remained plastered on Red’s face. Sam raised a brow at his certainty. Suddenly, Bobby whirled around. A bottle of holy water was clamped between his jaws. The water flew out of the bottle and landed on the demon. Red shrieked in agony. “Crowley’s alive,” Bobby snarled, dropping the now empty bottle of holy water. “You prove it just by being, you poor, dumb jackass. His nets are still out. Except now he's using you schmucks to hunt his monsters.” “Up yours,” Red spat. Bobby turned to Sam. He held out a hoof, and Sam nodded. Using his magic, he placed a knife into his hoof. The sound of a door drew Sam’s attention away from the captive. His brother entered the room and nodded his head. Sam looked at Bobby. The small pony nodded as Sam signaled toward the kitchen with his head. The unicorn started after his brother while Bobby turned back to the captive. “Wanna speak yet?” Red didn’t respond. Bobby shrugged. “Here, hold onto this for a bit,” he said, digging the knife into Red’s shoulder. Red screeched in pain. Bobby trotted after the boys quickly. In the kitchen, the Winchester brothers were speaking in hushed voices. “So what’d you tell him?” Sam asked. “Nothing,” Dean replied. “Just relax.” “What’s the hubbub?” Bobby asked as he approached. Dean shook his head. “I saw Cass. He popped in about two hours back when I was on the train.” “What’d you tell him?” Bobby asked. “Nothing, alright?” Dean snapped. “Told him we were on some crap monster hunt. He doesn't know that we're getting close to Crowley.” Dean shook his head again. “You know, he's our friend. And we are lying to him through our teeth.” Sam put his hoof on his brother’s shoulder. “Dean-“ “So he burned the wrong bones,” Dean went on, shrugging Sam off. “So Crowley tricked him.” “Did he?” Bobby pressed. “Cass is an angel.” “He is the Balki Bartokomous of Heaven!” Dean spat angrily. “He can make a mistake!” Bobby shook his head. “Nobody’s saying anything yet…” “You think Cass is in with Crowley,” Dean observed. “Crowley?” “It’s possible,” Bobby murmured. “Look, I hate myself for thinking it, I do. I just don’t know.” “Look, Dean, he's our friend, too, okay?” Sam reminded his brother. “And I’d die for him. It’s just… I just pray we’re wrong.” “But if we ain’t,” Bobby continued. “If there's a snowball of a snowball's chance here...that means we're dealing with a Masked Matterhorn who's gone dark side. Which means we have to be cautious and smart.” Dean stepped back and turned away, letting out an exasperated breath. “I can’t believe this,” he breathed. Bobby exchanged a look with Sam. “Look, one problem at a time here. We got to find Crowley now, before the damn fool cracks open Purgatory.” Bobby led the way back to the living room, Dean taking up the rear. All three ponies were unaware of the invisible presence. So they suspected. What pained me the most was that Dean was trying to stay loyal. It warmed my soul to hear him defend me so strongly. Yet it shattered me to know he was defending the wrong pony. The three gathered in front of Red, who fixed them with a furious gaze. “So, where’s Crowley?” Bobby asked again. “Up. Yours,” Red snarled through his pants. Sam’s horn lit up. The knife in Red’s shoulder was soon encased in the green aura and twisted. Red screamed in pain, thrashing. “I don’t know where Crowley is!” he cried. Bobby raised a brow. “Are you sure? Cause we can twist all the way to next summer.” Sam twisted the knife again. Red let out another cry of pain. “Oh, Celestia! I’ve never even met him!” Sam released his magical grip on the knife. Red panted, seemingly trying to recollect himself. “What do you mean?” Sam asked. “I don’t deal with Crowley directly,” Red replied breathily. “Well, who do you deal with?” Bobby asked, getting closer to Red. “The dispatcher,” Red told him. “A demon named Ellsworth.” Bobby turned to the boys. “Well, get your saddlebags ready, boys. We got a trip to make.” “One more thing,” Red said as they returned to leave. “If you want a chance at defeating Crowley, you might wanna get your friend there in check.” Bobby and Sam looked at Dean. The earth pony clearly wasn’t paying much attention, just mindlessly following them. Sam gently nudged Dean’s shoulder with his hoof. Dean jumped and turned to him. He just nodded at his brother. Sam nodded back, then looked at Red. He used his magic to twist the knife once again. His screams followed the three stallions out of the house. Heaven’s FallEverypony who’s ever seen Heaven knows that it isn’t just one place. It’s many. Everypony has their own version of heaven. Each soul generates its own paradise. I seem to favor the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic pony who drowned in a bathtub in 1953. It may not be everyone’s paradise, but it’s mine. Castiel looked around at his surroundings. It was odd to be back here after so long. This paradise - he wasn’t sure he even had one anymore. It was sort of comforting. “You’re alive.” Cass turned to see a white mare. Her mane was a chocolate brown. She was flanked by several other angels. She carried the mark of Celestia on her flank, and a horn that Cass envied was planted on her head. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he missed his horn, he was just ashamed to admit that he hated his fellow angels for still having theirs. “Yes,” Castiel said at last. Rachel squinted and tilted her head. “Castiel, we saw Nightmare Moon destroy you.” “Well, I came back,” Castiel said, stretching his wings as emphasis. “But Nightmare Moon?” Rachel went on. “Michael?” “They’re gone.” “It was Celestia, wasn’t it?” “No,” Castiel replied firmly. “It was the Winchesters. They stopped the apocalypse.” “But our mother brought you back,” Rachel pressed. “That must mean something. She wants you to lead us, Castiel.” “No,” Cass repeated. “Nopony leads us anymore. We’re all free to make our own choices now. We no longer have to follow orders.” Rachel’s ears fell back. The thought seemed to bring her discomfort. “What does Celestia want?” “Celestia wants you to have freedom,” Cass replied confidently. Rachel and the other angels looked at each other uncertainly, several shifting from hoof-to-hoof. “But what does she want us to do with it?” It was hard to give her an answer. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve said, “Freedom is a rope. Celestia wants you to hang yourself with it.” The first few weeks I was back in Heaven were difficult. I can’t say I was surprised. I had been deemed a traitor. Of course ponies would be hesitant to rely on me again. I didn’t understand why I was allowed back, why I was brought back at all. Yes, it had been my brother who had broken my horn and rebranded my flank, covering the mark of Celestia all angels have and replacing it with the mark of Nightmare Moon. But he said it had been the will of Mother. Perhaps I was a fool to believe that. Explaining freedom to angels is like teaching fish poetry. I may as well have ripped them out of the sea and left them to flop around on the deck. It would have been just as effective. And then there was Raphael… Castiel looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. “You came,” said a taunting voice. “I appreciate the courage that takes.” A golden-crisp stallion stood before Cass. Cass narrowed his gaze. His brother still carried his horn, his mark, and his wings were still like clouds. All things he had robbed Castiel of. “Whose Heaven is this?” “Sonata’s. I’m borrowing it.” “I still question her admittance here.” “Yeah, well, you don’t make the choices around here.” Castiel’s ears fell back against his skull. “What do you want?” he demanded. Raphael raised his head, determination plastered across his face. “I've called for a full assembly of the Holy Host. You'll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag, understood?” “And what flag is that?” “Me, Castiel. Pledge allegiance to me.” Castiel bristled. “Are you joking?” “Do I look like I’m joking?” Raphael shot back. Castiel paced around his brother, circling him like a predator. “Pledging my allegiance to you would go against everything I stand for.” “And what do you stand for, Castiel?” Raphael taunted. “The Winchesters?” “I stand for freedom,” Cass growled, slowing and stopping beside his brother. “And I will not give mine up to bow before you.” “You rebelled,” his brother reminded him. “Against Celestia, Heaven, and me. Now you can atone. We'll start by freeing Nightmare Moon and Michael from their cage. And then we'll get our show back on the road.” Castiel stared at his brother in horror. He took a step back, his eyes widening. “Raphael… no. The Apocalypse doesn't have to be fought!” “Of course it does,” Raphael said calmly. “It's Celestia’s will.” “How can you say that?!” Castiel cried. “Because it’s what I want.” Castiel shook his head. “Well the other angels won’t let you.” “Only make statements you can back up, brother,” Raphael said, his voice strong. “You know better than anypony. They're soldiers. They weren't built for freedom. They were built to follow.” “I wasn’t,” Cass snarled. “I will stop you myself.” Raphael raised a brow, seemingly amused. “Really? You?” Raphael’s horn began to glow. A bright light blinded Cass. As he winced and turned away from the light, a strong blast of magic struck him. Castiel weakly pushed himself up. He was back in his Heaven, but he wasn’t unharmed here. He could feel blood running down his face. He tentatively reached up to his face. When he pulled a shaky hoof away, he saw the blood. “You bow tomorrow, Castiel.” Cass turned his head to see his brother. He towered over him, his shadow covering Cass. “Or you and anyone else you know will die.” I can’t say my brother’s actions surprised me. But they certainly threw me into quite the situation. I was not about to give up my freedom, not after centuries of not knowing it. And I certainly wasn’t going to let my brother bring on the apocalypse. Not after my friends did everything to stop it. I didn’t care that he had taken my horn. I didn’t care that he had changed my mark. He could’ve taken my wings, and I still would’ve defied him. The apocalypse would kill everypony. If no other angels were going to do anything, then I had to. I was Equestria’s only hope. Though I often can’t tell if my choices were truly made for Equestria, or the Winchesters, or myself. “Cass Is Our Friend”Sam looked around Ellsworth’s place, his eyes inspecting every corner. “This place is clean.” “Yeah, like Mr Clean clean,” Bobby observed. “A little OCD for your average demon.” The small pony rubbed his temple with a hoof. Sam looked over at him. “So what do we do now?” “We’d call Cass,” Dean replied instantly. Sam and Bobby exchanged a look. “Dean,” Bobby started, “we talked about this.” “No,” Dean spat, his frustration visibly growing. “You talked, I listened. This is Cass, guys. When no one was there and we were stuck, like really stuck, he was there. He broke ranks and betrayed Heaven. He has gone to the mat cut and bleeding for us so many freakin' times.“ Dean let out a distressed sigh, looking desperate. “Cass is our friend. Don’t we owe him the benefit of the doubt?” Sam sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. “Uh, Castiel. This is really important, okay? We really need to talk to you.” There was no response, so Dean decided to pitch in. “Castiel, come in.” I didn’t go to them. I knew they would have questions that I couldn’t answer. And to be honest, that scared me. “Cass is busy,” Bobby observed when the fallen angel didn’t arrive. Sam shifted uncertainly. “That’s fine,” he murmured. “So are we.” “Back to square one,” Bobby huffed, heading for the back door. “Wonderful,” Dean grumbled. “So what do we do now?” “We’ve caught a hunter demon before,” Bobby replied. “We can do it again.” Sam’s ears suddenly perked up. He whirled around, his eyes widening in horror. “Dean!” Dean barely had a moment to think. As he made an attempt to turn and see what had startled his brother, he was tackled to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sam and Bobby get attacked as well. Dean’s attacker put all their weight onto him, making him hit the floor with a hard and painful thud. A dark pony with black eyes flared his wings with a vicious smile. “Crowley says hi.” Dean attempted to fight back to no avail. The pony attacking him had him pinned, and he wasn’t intending to release him. Crowley sent his very best. I was caught as much by surprise as the rest of them. And it left me with yet another choice. I could reveal myself and smite the demons. Of course Crowley wouldn't like it. But on the other hoof, they were my friends. They mean more to me than anypony else. So my choice was made. And for a brief moment, I was me again. Dean thrashed weakly. The demon cackled and lifted a hoof. Before any further actions could be made, a burst of electrical magic shot through the pony. The corpse collapsed onto the floor. Dean drew in a breath, unable to hide his shock. Cass was standing several hoofsteps away. The spot where his horn would be was lit up with magic, not the usual color of angel magic. Castiel’s magic was dark purple instead of blue. Castiel’s. Magic. “Your horn!” Dean cried, no longer able to bite his tongue. Castiel didn’t reply. He whipped his head toward Sam. A blast of magic came from his broken horn, striking the demon and smiting it. Cass did the same to the demon on Bobby. Bobby and Sam had the same shocked expressions as Dean, but no pony’s face remained the same for long. Once Castiel’s shattered horn stopped glowing, he collapsed. Dean was the first to react. He charged forward, helping Cass get back up. “It’s good to see you,” Dean said softly. Cass weakly looked at him. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Yeah, we’re okay,” Sam replied, trotting over to his side. “Perfect timing, Cass.” “How did you retrain your magic?” Dean pressed. Cass winced. “I didn’t,” he admitted. “I don’t know what that was. I saw you guys in trouble and… I don’t know.” Finally, some truth. I was just as surprised as the boys were that my magic had seemingly returned. I hadn’t spent any time trying to retrain it, not at that time. I’d been too busy with everything else. It felt nice to not need to lie about something for once. “Well, nice to know the magic of friendship tuned you back in,” Bobby commented sarcastically. Dean stayed close to Cass’s side, and the angel pressed against his friend for support. “I’m glad I found you,” Cass said shakily. “I have news.” “Yeah? What?” Dean urged. “I firmly believe Crowley is alive,” Castiel announced. “You think, Daring Do?” Dean commented. The earth pony looked at his adoptive father and his brother. “Well guys, what do you think about Cass saving our asses?” His gaze narrowed as he added, “Again.” Bobby sighed. “I think… we owe you an apology.” Cass pushed himself off of Dean and titled his head. “For what?” Sam’s ears fell back against his skull. “We’ve been hunting Crowley this whole time. And keeping it from you.” “We… we thought you were working with him,” Bobby confessed. “You thought what?” Cass responded, his voice sounding more alive than it had since his magic had returned. “I know,” Dean chuckled. “Crazy, right?” “It’s just that you torched the wrong bones,” Bobby stammered, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We were wrong.” Cass looked down at his hooves, then back at Bobby. “You know… you could’ve just asked me.” “And we should’ve,” Dean replied instantly. “We never should have doubted you. We hope you can forgive us.” Cass was quiet, then nodded. “It’s forgotten.” Dean let out a breath. “Thanks.” “Yeah, thanks Cass,” Sam added. “It’s a little absurd, though,” Castiel put in. Bobby looked away in shame. “I know, I know.” “Masked Matterhorn going to the dark side,” Castiel continued with a snort. “I’m still just Castiel.” Dean stepped away from Cass. The three mortal stallions exchanged looks, and the room fell quiet for several heartbeats. “Yeah,” Dean said at last. “Guess we don’t need to watch our tails so closely anymore.” “Exactly,” Castiel replied. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. But it was all over. Right then - just like that.
PrologueA pony stalked through the garden. Wings once bright as snow were now the color of night and folded neatly at his sides. His mane hid something he was glad could be contained. His cutie mark was covered by the trench coat he wore. The stallion walked to the bench, empty and secluded. Not like anypony else was here. No, this was his paradise. He climbed up onto the bench and sat down, releasing a sigh. He shuffled his wings, easing his discomfort. The pony gazed at his hooves for a little while, then looked up at the sky. He drew in a breath, then spoke. “Mother?” You know better than anypony else just how long I’ve been alive for. I remember it all. Or, at least, most of it. I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, "don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish." I hadn’t planned on hurting the thing, of course. I was young, but old enough to understand that hurting things was wrong. I remember the Tower of Babel. All 37 feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. Ponies worked on it for ages. And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. But come on - dried dung can only be stacked so high. I remember Cain and Abel...David and Goliath...Sodom and Gomorrah. And, of course, I remember the most remarkable event - remarkable because it never came to pass. It was the largest event in history. It risked our lives, every single last one of us. And it was averted because of two ponies. One is a unicorn, got the genes from his mother, and the other an earth pony. I’m sure you already guessed he got that from daddy. Saying they’re ordinary ponies would be untrue, and it’s a sin to lie. Not that sinning makes much of a difference to me anymore. I stretched the laws of Heaven, found loophole after loophole until I could no longer. And that’s when I broke free. I went against my home, against my family. I learned the meaning of freedom. I risked my all for those stallions. For my friends. But that’s not the grand story. No, that story is much larger. An event prevented by two brothers, an alcoholic earth pony, and a fallen angel. We ripped up the ending and the rules. And destiny... leaving nothing but freedom and choice. Which is all well and good, except... Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know? I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a story to tell. You need to understand in order to give me guidance. Let me tell you my story. Let me tell you everything.
Hiding and LyingNopony is more similar to Bobby than Ellsworth. Even if he is a demon. He’s a pretty damn close counterpart. A dark red pony sat at a desk, his head in his hoof. Bowls of blood sat before him along with phones. “No, listen to me,” he growled. “No, I don’t care. I want you to get down to New Mexico and bag me that Wendigo!“ One of the phones rang, and Ellsworth’s eyes switched from the black of a demon to the regular eyes of a pony. “Equestrian Investigations. Thomas speaking. Absolutely, I sent them.” Ellsworth looked up and noticed two demons standing at the door of his cabin. A bag was held between them. Ellsworth let out a silent groan. “Thank you for calling to check. You too. Have a nice day, now. Bye-bye.” Ellsworth slammed down the phone, glaring at his assistants. “No! Not in here, you friggin' Yeti. Out back!” The demons exchanged looks, then nodded and backed away. Ellsworth groaned and dropped his head onto the desk. The sound of cries drew Ellsworth attention, making him raise his head again. A pale colored pony with dark wings stood in the doorway. Ellsworth’s two assistants were on the ground, dead. “Oh, hell.” Ellsworth gathered his strength, then made an attempt to leave his vessel. Castiel lunged forward, moving at an alarmingly fast rate. He shoved Ellsworth back into his vessel. A burst of unnatural magic wrapped around the demon, draining his life. Castiel had him gone in a matter of seconds. Once Ellsworth was gone, Cass sighed and lowered his hoof. Those demons would’ve led my friends straight to Crowley. I had no choice. It was that, or Crowley tore their hearts out. I could never risk the lives of my friends, especially if they’re ponies I hold as close as I hold them. I had to protect them. Or myself. I don’t know anymore. Dean followed Bobby into the house. Sam was already inside, scoping out the area. “Clear from the back,” Sam announced. Dean’s eyes wandered around the house. It was as clean as a house being prepared to be sold. “Demons get tipped and bug out?” Dean said. “Or did you whip up some magical cleaning spell?” “Not even I could pull this off in such a short amount of time,” Sam responded. “Even if my magic is strong.” He looked around. “Maybe they run from us now. Isn’t that a nice thought?” Bobby snorted. “Yeah, if that’s what happened.” Hiding. Lying. Sweeping away evidence. And my motives used to be so pure. After supposedly "saving" Sam, I finally returned to heaven.
Friends and FoesDean gazed out the train window, his head propped on his hoof. A saddlebag sat beside him, filled to the brim on both sides. The weight it put on his back made him wish he was a unicorn like his brother. But he had always been cursed to be more like his father. At least fate had given Sam a chance. “Hello Dean.” Dean jumped and turned to face the pony that was now across from him. The pale brown color of his fur was a heavy contrast from the black of his wings. A trench coat hung around his body. Dean sighed and put his hoof to his chest, waiting for his heart to slow. “Cass.” Castiel tilted his head curiously to the side. “Are you alright?” Dean cleared his throat and let his hoof rest again. “Yeah, I’m… I’m fine. What about you?” “I just wanted to check in,” Cass replied. Dean nodded, looking out the window again. “So, any news on Nightmare Moon Jr?” Castiel looked down uneasily. “I’m looking, believe me.” He turned his gaze to the window, and Dean heard the slight shuffle of his wings. “I just don’t understand how Crowley could’ve tricked me.” “Well, he’s a tricky son of a bitch.” Dean looked back at his friend. He could sense the tension and Cass’s discomfort. Dean could diagnose it as nothing more than guilt and disappointment. Castiel was an angel, he was bound to have a drop in his ego after such a mistake. Dean knew a lot about that. “Doesn't matter,” he continued, reaching out for his friend. “But if he is up and kicking, then what does matter is finding him, ripping his head off, and shoving it up his ass.” Cass looked down as Dean’s hoof touched his foreleg, then looked up at Dean. Dean offered a smile. Cass didn’t return it. “What about you? Have you found anything?” Dean pulled his hoof away and sighed, his smile fading. “No, not yet.” Cass scanned the train. Dean was the only pony on, aside from a mare sleeping in the back of the train. “Where’s Sam?” “He’s keeping busy,” Dean replied, reaching for his saddlebag and pulling out a journal. “He’s hunting a Djinn in Canterlot as we speak. I’m on my way to meet him.” Castiel looked at the journal in Dean’s hooves. A spark of dark blue magic came from his head, and Cass winced in pain. Dean frowned. Cass rubbed his head, ruffling his mane just enough to be able to see the tip of his broken horn. “I often forget I no longer have my horn,” he admitted. “I know it’s been gone for a long time but…” “Hey, you’re older than any of us,” Dean said comfortingly. “Habits are bound to be harder to break for you.” Dean held out the journal for Cass to grab. “I’m trying to retrain my magic,” Castiel said as he took the journal. “If Luna could do it-“ “Luna was training with dark magic long before her horn was broken,” Dean reminded Cass. “That magic isn’t hers.” Cass opened the journal and flipped through the pages. He stopped on a page with a drawing of a pony-like creature. Castiel eyed the picture for a while, running his hoof over it. “Well, I hope you have silver and lamb’s blood ready,” he said at last, closing the journal and passing it back to Dean. Dean took it and stuck it back into his saddlebag. “You can bet your ass I do.” Cass returned his gaze to the window, his eyes following the passing trees and structures. “I’d come if I could.” “Yeah, no, I-I get it,” Dean reassured him. “No worries. But, Cass, you'll call, right? If you get into real trouble?” Cass looked at Dean, and then there was the ruffle of wings. In an instant, the angel was gone. Dean perked up, his eyes scanning the area for his friend. “Cass?” He glanced back and met the eyes of the mare, who was now awake and staring at him with a brow raised. Dean’s ears fell back against his skull. “I, uh- I wasn’t talking to myself. I’m not crazy.” The mare shook her head. “You need a therapist, dude.” The pony looked away, and Dean spit out one last quiet, “I’m not crazy.” A dark pony with bat-like wings was leaning over a metal table, inspecting a body. Another pony was tied up, thrashing furiously. Castiel warily approached the pony. “Howdy partner,” Crowley said without looking up. Cass leaned over Crowley’s shoulder. The body of a light yellow unicorn mare with a contrasting dark mane lay on the table, laying on her back. Her stomach was cut open for Crowley’s inspection, along with her scalp being removed. “What have you found?” “I’ve found a lot of things,” Crowley replied, propping his hooves up on the table. “For example, Eve’s brain? Dead as a tinned kipper. And yet…” Crowley reached into the cut in Eve’s stomach, digging into her insides. When his hoof came out, he was holding a pile of eggs. “For some reason, she keeps laying eggs. And watch this.” Crowley dropped the eggs back into Eve’s stomach. He grabbed a poker from nearby and placed it onto the dead pony’s brain. An electric jolt was sent into the brain. The tied up pony seized violently. Castiel watched curiously as Crowley chuckled. “Batula here feels every tickle,” Crowley announced, tossing the poker aside. “What does that mean?” Cass pressed. Crowley shrugged dismissively. “I have a few theories, but none of them are good until I do some more work.” Castiel sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You said Eve could open the door to Purgatory.” “Correct. I did. And I’m confident that she could.” Crowley turned on Cass, his wings flaring and gaze narrowed. “If she were still alive!” Cass wiped the spit that had flown from Crowley’s mouth off of his face as the demon began to circle him. “Our single best chance to get over the rainbow, and the Winchesters killed her!” “It was unavoidable,” Cass said calmly. Crowley laughed bitterly and stopped in front of him. “You screwed up, Cass,” he snarled. “You let your little hounds mangle our dove, and now my wings are bound.” Castiel met Crowley’s accusing gaze. “What is your point?” he asked lowly. “My point is; you’re distracted. And that worries me.” Crowley fluttered his wings and lashed his tail. Castiel hissed in frustration. “I’m holding up my end,” he argued. “Are you?” Crowley shot back. “Are you, Castiel? The stench of the train is all over you. I thought we agreed - no more nights out with the boys.” Cass flared his wings. “I had to speak to Dean,” he snapped. “I had to find out what they know.” “About what?” Crowley shouted. “About me? Cause I happen to have it on good authority that your two little pets are currently trying to hunt me down!“ Crowley let out a breath, rubbing his head. The tension in his body eased. “Forgive me, but you seem to have a conflict of interest here.” “And so what if I do?” Castiel hissed. “The Winchesters are my friends. They taught me how to stand up and what to do it for. They taught me how freedom feels. What friendship is. We beat Armageddon together. They’ve done a lot for me. So do forgive me if my interests are conflicted.” Crowley snorted. “Friendship. You’re going soft, Cass. Those boys have done something to you.” “I’m not soft,” Castiel argued, turning away from Crowley. “I just have ponies who mean a lot to me. Ponies I’d do anything for.” “Including risking our cause?” Crowley took a step closer to Cass. “You’re not their guardian, Castiel. And haven’t you done enough for them? You went to Hell to free Sam from Nightmare Moon’s cage. You rose him.” “Not all of him,” Cass pointed out, refusing to turn back and face the pony he was addressing. “You raised a whole damn lot of him.” “No,” Castiel responded. “Only his body. That’s not what makes him Sam.” Castiel could hear Crowley scoff behind him. “So he was a tougher version. Not a bad upgrade if you ask me.” “Sam was hurting people without his soul!” Castiel growled, finally turning back to Crowley. “He was willing to let his brother die. And Bobby.” Crowley smiled smugly. “But your little puppet fixed it all, didn’t he?” Castiel bristled again. “Dean isn’t my puppet!” Crowley held a hoof up innocently. “My point is, you’ve given a lot for those stallions already. It’s time to face the facts.” “And what are the facts?” Castiel snarled, baring his teeth. “I think it’s pretty obvious, Castiel,” Crowley said, glancing at the tied up pony. “Kill the Winchesters.” “No,” Cass shot back instantly. “Then I’ll do it.” “If you kill them, then I’ll just bring them back.” “No you won’t. Not where I’ll put ‘em.” Crowley’s narrow gaze met Castiel’s. There was so mischief or hint of smugness, only truth. “Trust me.” Castiel let out a sigh, shuffling his wings. “I said... no. Don't worry about them.” “Don't worry about-“ Crowley began, his baffled tone quickly shifting to anger. “What, like Nightmare Moon didn't worry? Or Michael? Or Lilith or Alastair or Azazel didn't worry?” He leaned close enough to Cass that their noses were touching. Castiel could see his anger as plain as the sun in the sky. “Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?!” Castiel gently pushed Crowley away from him, seemingly unfazed by Crowley’s outburst. “Just find Purgatory. If you don't, we will both die again and again.” His expression hardened. “Until the end of time. The Winchesters won’t get to you.” Castiel turned to exit the lab, not bothering to acknowledge Crowley as the demon shouted after him one last time. “Let them get to me! I’ll tear their friggin’ hearts out!”
Straining FriendshipThe living room of the earth pony’s house carried the reek of alcohol. A demon trap was painted in the ceiling above the pony being held captive. The small pony holding him captive chuckled lowly, standing close to a tall unicorn. “I got to tell you, Red... for a filthy, lower-than-snake-spit Hellspawn, you seem to have turned yourself into a damn fine hunter,” Bobby cooed. “I don’t know whether to kill you or kiss you.” Red stuck out his tongue in disgust and made a blegh sound. “Oh, please,” he said with a shudder. “Kill me.” Bobby raised a brow. “That was you that dug out that nest of vamps back in Swan Valley, wasn't it?” The unicorn tilted his head. “That was nice work.” “Eight of 'em in one go,” Red replied smugly. “Roped and tied.” “And then you brought them to Crowley, right?” Bobby pressed. Red barked a laugh. “Oh, read the papers, redneck. The king is dead.” Bobby scoffed and turned away. A smile remained plastered on Red’s face. Sam raised a brow at his certainty. Suddenly, Bobby whirled around. A bottle of holy water was clamped between his jaws. The water flew out of the bottle and landed on the demon. Red shrieked in agony. “Crowley’s alive,” Bobby snarled, dropping the now empty bottle of holy water. “You prove it just by being, you poor, dumb jackass. His nets are still out. Except now he's using you schmucks to hunt his monsters.” “Up yours,” Red spat. Bobby turned to Sam. He held out a hoof, and Sam nodded. Using his magic, he placed a knife into his hoof. The sound of a door drew Sam’s attention away from the captive. His brother entered the room and nodded his head. Sam looked at Bobby. The small pony nodded as Sam signaled toward the kitchen with his head. The unicorn started after his brother while Bobby turned back to the captive. “Wanna speak yet?” Red didn’t respond. Bobby shrugged. “Here, hold onto this for a bit,” he said, digging the knife into Red’s shoulder. Red screeched in pain. Bobby trotted after the boys quickly. In the kitchen, the Winchester brothers were speaking in hushed voices. “So what’d you tell him?” Sam asked. “Nothing,” Dean replied. “Just relax.” “What’s the hubbub?” Bobby asked as he approached. Dean shook his head. “I saw Cass. He popped in about two hours back when I was on the train.” “What’d you tell him?” Bobby asked. “Nothing, alright?” Dean snapped. “Told him we were on some crap monster hunt. He doesn't know that we're getting close to Crowley.” Dean shook his head again. “You know, he's our friend. And we are lying to him through our teeth.” Sam put his hoof on his brother’s shoulder. “Dean-“ “So he burned the wrong bones,” Dean went on, shrugging Sam off. “So Crowley tricked him.” “Did he?” Bobby pressed. “Cass is an angel.” “He is the Balki Bartokomous of Heaven!” Dean spat angrily. “He can make a mistake!” Bobby shook his head. “Nobody’s saying anything yet…” “You think Cass is in with Crowley,” Dean observed. “Crowley?” “It’s possible,” Bobby murmured. “Look, I hate myself for thinking it, I do. I just don’t know.” “Look, Dean, he's our friend, too, okay?” Sam reminded his brother. “And I’d die for him. It’s just… I just pray we’re wrong.” “But if we ain’t,” Bobby continued. “If there's a snowball of a snowball's chance here...that means we're dealing with a Masked Matterhorn who's gone dark side. Which means we have to be cautious and smart.” Dean stepped back and turned away, letting out an exasperated breath. “I can’t believe this,” he breathed. Bobby exchanged a look with Sam. “Look, one problem at a time here. We got to find Crowley now, before the damn fool cracks open Purgatory.” Bobby led the way back to the living room, Dean taking up the rear. All three ponies were unaware of the invisible presence. So they suspected. What pained me the most was that Dean was trying to stay loyal. It warmed my soul to hear him defend me so strongly. Yet it shattered me to know he was defending the wrong pony. The three gathered in front of Red, who fixed them with a furious gaze. “So, where’s Crowley?” Bobby asked again. “Up. Yours,” Red snarled through his pants. Sam’s horn lit up. The knife in Red’s shoulder was soon encased in the green aura and twisted. Red screamed in pain, thrashing. “I don’t know where Crowley is!” he cried. Bobby raised a brow. “Are you sure? Cause we can twist all the way to next summer.” Sam twisted the knife again. Red let out another cry of pain. “Oh, Celestia! I’ve never even met him!” Sam released his magical grip on the knife. Red panted, seemingly trying to recollect himself. “What do you mean?” Sam asked. “I don’t deal with Crowley directly,” Red replied breathily. “Well, who do you deal with?” Bobby asked, getting closer to Red. “The dispatcher,” Red told him. “A demon named Ellsworth.” Bobby turned to the boys. “Well, get your saddlebags ready, boys. We got a trip to make.” “One more thing,” Red said as they returned to leave. “If you want a chance at defeating Crowley, you might wanna get your friend there in check.” Bobby and Sam looked at Dean. The earth pony clearly wasn’t paying much attention, just mindlessly following them. Sam gently nudged Dean’s shoulder with his hoof. Dean jumped and turned to him. He just nodded at his brother. Sam nodded back, then looked at Red. He used his magic to twist the knife once again. His screams followed the three stallions out of the house.
Heaven’s FallEverypony who’s ever seen Heaven knows that it isn’t just one place. It’s many. Everypony has their own version of heaven. Each soul generates its own paradise. I seem to favor the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic pony who drowned in a bathtub in 1953. It may not be everyone’s paradise, but it’s mine. Castiel looked around at his surroundings. It was odd to be back here after so long. This paradise - he wasn’t sure he even had one anymore. It was sort of comforting. “You’re alive.” Cass turned to see a white mare. Her mane was a chocolate brown. She was flanked by several other angels. She carried the mark of Celestia on her flank, and a horn that Cass envied was planted on her head. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he missed his horn, he was just ashamed to admit that he hated his fellow angels for still having theirs. “Yes,” Castiel said at last. Rachel squinted and tilted her head. “Castiel, we saw Nightmare Moon destroy you.” “Well, I came back,” Castiel said, stretching his wings as emphasis. “But Nightmare Moon?” Rachel went on. “Michael?” “They’re gone.” “It was Celestia, wasn’t it?” “No,” Castiel replied firmly. “It was the Winchesters. They stopped the apocalypse.” “But our mother brought you back,” Rachel pressed. “That must mean something. She wants you to lead us, Castiel.” “No,” Cass repeated. “Nopony leads us anymore. We’re all free to make our own choices now. We no longer have to follow orders.” Rachel’s ears fell back. The thought seemed to bring her discomfort. “What does Celestia want?” “Celestia wants you to have freedom,” Cass replied confidently. Rachel and the other angels looked at each other uncertainly, several shifting from hoof-to-hoof. “But what does she want us to do with it?” It was hard to give her an answer. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve said, “Freedom is a rope. Celestia wants you to hang yourself with it.” The first few weeks I was back in Heaven were difficult. I can’t say I was surprised. I had been deemed a traitor. Of course ponies would be hesitant to rely on me again. I didn’t understand why I was allowed back, why I was brought back at all. Yes, it had been my brother who had broken my horn and rebranded my flank, covering the mark of Celestia all angels have and replacing it with the mark of Nightmare Moon. But he said it had been the will of Mother. Perhaps I was a fool to believe that. Explaining freedom to angels is like teaching fish poetry. I may as well have ripped them out of the sea and left them to flop around on the deck. It would have been just as effective. And then there was Raphael… Castiel looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. “You came,” said a taunting voice. “I appreciate the courage that takes.” A golden-crisp stallion stood before Cass. Cass narrowed his gaze. His brother still carried his horn, his mark, and his wings were still like clouds. All things he had robbed Castiel of. “Whose Heaven is this?” “Sonata’s. I’m borrowing it.” “I still question her admittance here.” “Yeah, well, you don’t make the choices around here.” Castiel’s ears fell back against his skull. “What do you want?” he demanded. Raphael raised his head, determination plastered across his face. “I've called for a full assembly of the Holy Host. You'll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag, understood?” “And what flag is that?” “Me, Castiel. Pledge allegiance to me.” Castiel bristled. “Are you joking?” “Do I look like I’m joking?” Raphael shot back. Castiel paced around his brother, circling him like a predator. “Pledging my allegiance to you would go against everything I stand for.” “And what do you stand for, Castiel?” Raphael taunted. “The Winchesters?” “I stand for freedom,” Cass growled, slowing and stopping beside his brother. “And I will not give mine up to bow before you.” “You rebelled,” his brother reminded him. “Against Celestia, Heaven, and me. Now you can atone. We'll start by freeing Nightmare Moon and Michael from their cage. And then we'll get our show back on the road.” Castiel stared at his brother in horror. He took a step back, his eyes widening. “Raphael… no. The Apocalypse doesn't have to be fought!” “Of course it does,” Raphael said calmly. “It's Celestia’s will.” “How can you say that?!” Castiel cried. “Because it’s what I want.” Castiel shook his head. “Well the other angels won’t let you.” “Only make statements you can back up, brother,” Raphael said, his voice strong. “You know better than anypony. They're soldiers. They weren't built for freedom. They were built to follow.” “I wasn’t,” Cass snarled. “I will stop you myself.” Raphael raised a brow, seemingly amused. “Really? You?” Raphael’s horn began to glow. A bright light blinded Cass. As he winced and turned away from the light, a strong blast of magic struck him. Castiel weakly pushed himself up. He was back in his Heaven, but he wasn’t unharmed here. He could feel blood running down his face. He tentatively reached up to his face. When he pulled a shaky hoof away, he saw the blood. “You bow tomorrow, Castiel.” Cass turned his head to see his brother. He towered over him, his shadow covering Cass. “Or you and anyone else you know will die.” I can’t say my brother’s actions surprised me. But they certainly threw me into quite the situation. I was not about to give up my freedom, not after centuries of not knowing it. And I certainly wasn’t going to let my brother bring on the apocalypse. Not after my friends did everything to stop it. I didn’t care that he had taken my horn. I didn’t care that he had changed my mark. He could’ve taken my wings, and I still would’ve defied him. The apocalypse would kill everypony. If no other angels were going to do anything, then I had to. I was Equestria’s only hope. Though I often can’t tell if my choices were truly made for Equestria, or the Winchesters, or myself.
“Cass Is Our Friend”Sam looked around Ellsworth’s place, his eyes inspecting every corner. “This place is clean.” “Yeah, like Mr Clean clean,” Bobby observed. “A little OCD for your average demon.” The small pony rubbed his temple with a hoof. Sam looked over at him. “So what do we do now?” “We’d call Cass,” Dean replied instantly. Sam and Bobby exchanged a look. “Dean,” Bobby started, “we talked about this.” “No,” Dean spat, his frustration visibly growing. “You talked, I listened. This is Cass, guys. When no one was there and we were stuck, like really stuck, he was there. He broke ranks and betrayed Heaven. He has gone to the mat cut and bleeding for us so many freakin' times.“ Dean let out a distressed sigh, looking desperate. “Cass is our friend. Don’t we owe him the benefit of the doubt?” Sam sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. “Uh, Castiel. This is really important, okay? We really need to talk to you.” There was no response, so Dean decided to pitch in. “Castiel, come in.” I didn’t go to them. I knew they would have questions that I couldn’t answer. And to be honest, that scared me. “Cass is busy,” Bobby observed when the fallen angel didn’t arrive. Sam shifted uncertainly. “That’s fine,” he murmured. “So are we.” “Back to square one,” Bobby huffed, heading for the back door. “Wonderful,” Dean grumbled. “So what do we do now?” “We’ve caught a hunter demon before,” Bobby replied. “We can do it again.” Sam’s ears suddenly perked up. He whirled around, his eyes widening in horror. “Dean!” Dean barely had a moment to think. As he made an attempt to turn and see what had startled his brother, he was tackled to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sam and Bobby get attacked as well. Dean’s attacker put all their weight onto him, making him hit the floor with a hard and painful thud. A dark pony with black eyes flared his wings with a vicious smile. “Crowley says hi.” Dean attempted to fight back to no avail. The pony attacking him had him pinned, and he wasn’t intending to release him. Crowley sent his very best. I was caught as much by surprise as the rest of them. And it left me with yet another choice. I could reveal myself and smite the demons. Of course Crowley wouldn't like it. But on the other hoof, they were my friends. They mean more to me than anypony else. So my choice was made. And for a brief moment, I was me again. Dean thrashed weakly. The demon cackled and lifted a hoof. Before any further actions could be made, a burst of electrical magic shot through the pony. The corpse collapsed onto the floor. Dean drew in a breath, unable to hide his shock. Cass was standing several hoofsteps away. The spot where his horn would be was lit up with magic, not the usual color of angel magic. Castiel’s magic was dark purple instead of blue. Castiel’s. Magic. “Your horn!” Dean cried, no longer able to bite his tongue. Castiel didn’t reply. He whipped his head toward Sam. A blast of magic came from his broken horn, striking the demon and smiting it. Cass did the same to the demon on Bobby. Bobby and Sam had the same shocked expressions as Dean, but no pony’s face remained the same for long. Once Castiel’s shattered horn stopped glowing, he collapsed. Dean was the first to react. He charged forward, helping Cass get back up. “It’s good to see you,” Dean said softly. Cass weakly looked at him. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Yeah, we’re okay,” Sam replied, trotting over to his side. “Perfect timing, Cass.” “How did you retrain your magic?” Dean pressed. Cass winced. “I didn’t,” he admitted. “I don’t know what that was. I saw you guys in trouble and… I don’t know.” Finally, some truth. I was just as surprised as the boys were that my magic had seemingly returned. I hadn’t spent any time trying to retrain it, not at that time. I’d been too busy with everything else. It felt nice to not need to lie about something for once. “Well, nice to know the magic of friendship tuned you back in,” Bobby commented sarcastically. Dean stayed close to Cass’s side, and the angel pressed against his friend for support. “I’m glad I found you,” Cass said shakily. “I have news.” “Yeah? What?” Dean urged. “I firmly believe Crowley is alive,” Castiel announced. “You think, Daring Do?” Dean commented. The earth pony looked at his adoptive father and his brother. “Well guys, what do you think about Cass saving our asses?” His gaze narrowed as he added, “Again.” Bobby sighed. “I think… we owe you an apology.” Cass pushed himself off of Dean and titled his head. “For what?” Sam’s ears fell back against his skull. “We’ve been hunting Crowley this whole time. And keeping it from you.” “We… we thought you were working with him,” Bobby confessed. “You thought what?” Cass responded, his voice sounding more alive than it had since his magic had returned. “I know,” Dean chuckled. “Crazy, right?” “It’s just that you torched the wrong bones,” Bobby stammered, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We were wrong.” Cass looked down at his hooves, then back at Bobby. “You know… you could’ve just asked me.” “And we should’ve,” Dean replied instantly. “We never should have doubted you. We hope you can forgive us.” Cass was quiet, then nodded. “It’s forgotten.” Dean let out a breath. “Thanks.” “Yeah, thanks Cass,” Sam added. “It’s a little absurd, though,” Castiel put in. Bobby looked away in shame. “I know, I know.” “Masked Matterhorn going to the dark side,” Castiel continued with a snort. “I’m still just Castiel.” Dean stepped away from Cass. The three mortal stallions exchanged looks, and the room fell quiet for several heartbeats. “Yeah,” Dean said at last. “Guess we don’t need to watch our tails so closely anymore.” “Exactly,” Castiel replied. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. But it was all over. Right then - just like that.
