Animals
“Sammy?” Dean Winchester asked
as he woke up. “Are you there?” All he saw was darkness.
“Dean?” Sam Winchester called out through his own darkness. “Where are you?”
“Follow my voice. Do you know what this place is?” Dean tried to stand, but something stopped him.
“Last thing I saw was the Morrigan. And… light.” Sam started to blink, trying to see through shadows.
“Me too.” Dean tried to walk again. “What did you say she was the god of?”
“Crows… Wolves…. I’m not sure what else.”
“Why not?” Dean moved, but couldn’t stand yet. He looked through the shadows and as he saw Sam, he remembered when he started to walk. Holding Sam’s hands as his legs worked as fast as he could. “Sammy…”
“What’s wrong?” Sam fell silent as he looked at Dean.
“I’ll kill her.” Dean growled. “She turned us into animals.”
Sam jumped forward with practice ease, his wings spreading. “I can tell. Is this easy for you?” He asked as he grew close.
“Uh, no.” Dean picked up his paws and looked at the white fur. “Maybe.”
“Let’s get out of here Dean.” Sam hopped away, his wings flapping as he tried to keep his balance. His black feathers shone silently in the darkness.
Dean growled as he followed his brother. This… Morrigan would die.
“We’ll get her soon Dean. Let’s just get out of here first, okay?” Sam looked up as he spoke, his beak twitching.
“Fine.” Seconds of silence passed before light bathed over the crow and wolf once again.
When Dean opened his eyes after covering them with his paw on instinct, he was in a field. Sam was next to him, gratefully. His bead black eyes were spotted with red.
“How did you get me tied up in your hunts?!” A familiar voice rang out over the large field with a few trees to the left. The sky was blue, with no clouds, but somehow Dean could smell a storm.
“Cas? Is that you?” Dean asked as he looked at the tall horse in front of the brothers.
“Dean stop laughing.” He said, tossing his head. In the sunlight, his copper coat shone bright, but on his back there was white. His hooves all had tall white markings, including the blaze over half his face. A blue eye and a brown one was the most unique thing about him, other than the fact he was an angel turned animal. He mumbled to himself so the rolling Dean couldn’t hear him. “I hope Jimmy isn’t mad.”
“Cas, do you know how this happened?” Sam caught Cas’ attention when he spoke.
“A crow?” Cas turned his head to look closer at Dean. Their souls still shone as bright, but their skins were so much different. A pure white wolf with blackish ears and auburn legs stood next to a pure black raven with almost red eyes. “Who did this?” He demanded suddenly.
“The Morrigan. A goddess from Ireland. I read that she represented wolves, crows, and horses.” Sam responded instantly. “We were so close.”
“We just have to find her Sammy.” Dean smiled a wolf smile. “Then we’ll get back to normal.”
“I’ll go.” Cas said, forgetting about his nonexistent wings. He stood there for a few seconds, his head in the air, before lowering it to sniff at the grass, disappointed. “I can’t fly.”
“I don’t know if I can either.” Sam whispered, his wings spreading, as Dean spoke.
“You’re a horse, Cas.” Dean snickered then broke out laughing again, falling on his chest while trying to keep his balance. “Oof.” He scowled, as best as a wolf can. “Wait.” He stood, his tail pointing back. “Where’s Baby?!”
“You can’t drive Dean.” Sam glanced over at him.
Dean put his ears back in embarrassment. “So?”
Sam sighed and looked over at Cas, who had started to eat the grass. He moved his legs slowly, pulling the grass up and chewing it. “Dean… Maybe we should get something to eat.”
“How?” Dean sniffed at the ground, then started to dig. Dirt flew, some landing on Sam.
Sam shrugged and brushed the dirt off his head with his foot, glancing at Dean with a small amount of annoyance.
“Hunters can never do anything right. Killing mindlessly, never showing any respect.” A woman’s voice came from the shadowy forest.
Cas raised his head, then jumped over to Dean, hiding behind nothing.
Dean stepped closer to Sam as he looked around for the goddess.
“Now, now, be careful. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.” The Morrigan snickered.
Dean put his ears back, his tail twitching. Nothing else happened.
Sam dived behind the Appaloosa horse just as the Morrigan switched her sights over to Sam. He started to twitch, but something stopped her again, something that filtered through the air, scaring the ancient goddess.
Castiel bucked again and neighed. “Leave!”
The mist that had begun to creep over the grass disappeared in sparks.
“Son of a bit.h. Let’s go find out where we are.” Dean stalked off into the forest, but ran into something. He looked up, confused.
“The Morrigan did a number on you guys, didn’t she?” I crossed my arms as I spoke, looking over at the animals. I moved my glasses up my nose from where they had fallen.
Dean scrambled back and pretended to be a human for a few seconds, reaching for a non-existent gun. He froze, then growled, jumping towards me.
The flapping of wings resounded and I was gone, right beside Castiel. Dean looked around, his teeth bared.
“Brother.” I whispered before disappearing again. I kneeled next to Sam, an angel blade in my hand. “I wouldn’t do that Dean Winchester. He can’t fly just yet.”
“Sam!” Dean yelled, stepping forward. He crouched and growled as I lowered the knife closer to his brother.
The large crow jumped to the side in worry.
I smirked. They had been right. “Well, no matter.” I flip the blade against my arm and it disappears. “The Leviathan are dead, the Queen still has to come. The prophets live.” I tilt my head to the right. “And your souls still have time to be tainted.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dean asked, creeping closer to Sam.
“Your future and your past of course. I’ve seen the hidden archives. They praise the Winchesters of both sides and tell of your triumphs and falls. You two haven’t died enough, not even close.” I sat on the ground beneath the sunlight, smiling at the animals.
Cas just stared. He’d been thrown off guard by my familiarity. “Jak… How are you alive?”
“So you do remember me Castiel. Don’t worry, I’m not here for you. Even for the Morrigan. Or these brothers. The vessels of Michael and Lucifer. The resemblance is so easily seen it’s stupid.” I sat back as I spoke.
“Cas, who is this?” Dean asked, glancing over at him. His white ears flicked around in his own private panic. No weapons. His thoughts were so plainly seen… No angel blades. Nothing to attack her, me, with.
“You guys are so easily read.” I smile and glance over at Dean. He stares back, creeping over towards Sam.
“Jak is… was an angel. She ran away when she was going to be imprisoned.” Cas walked carefully over.
“Ooh, just like Gadreel.” I looked over at the brothers, leaning forward. “Oh he’s going to be fun.”
“He escapes?!” Cas whipped his head around, his body twisted. “How?!”
I put my finger on my lips and shook my head. “You’ll try to kill someone else first if you find out. Then Father’s plans will be disrupted, and you know how He is about meddling children.” I pause. “He hasn’t gotten rid of you yet though. Maybe she did it for Him.”
Dean growled. “Why can’t you speak properly?!”
“Because it’s more fun to speak in riddles!” I retorted, crossing my arms. “Hints for the future! The Archives are full of so much information!” I smile.
“Just show them…” Cas grumbles, trying to walk easier. “Then we can get this over with.”
“Ooh that’s no fun Castiel! Already killed? I’ve been to Purgatory, it’s not fun. I met Benny by the way.” I looked over at Dean. “I didn’t kill him. We actually became friends.” I smiled.
Dean just closed his eyes and growled. “I will get my knife and I will stab you.”
Sam shook his head from beside Dean. “Why won’t you show us whatever it is Jak?”
I sighed and stared at Dean. When he finally met my eyes, I winked, sending one of my eyes into pure darkness. As we sat there, I remembered one of the files. Dean as a demon, his eyes pure black. Castiel’s eyes blue with his stolen grace.
“How is it only one eye?” Sam asked carefully, his curiosity overwhelming the danger.
“She mixed her blood with the blood of a demon and of a vampire.” Castiel said, walking over. “The vampire keeps the two sides from eating her alive, but she still could die at any time. It’s her version of what you would call Russian roulette.”
“Why?” Dean asked, mystified.
I sat back and blinked, getting rid of the black. “I was bored. I left right after Father did. He had some bigger plan, so I tried to follow Him. I only got so far before He returned to His Creation and I lost Him.” I looked off into the distance, remembering the files. Was it really Him? My Father? Could it be anyone else?
“Who do you think it is?” Sam asked, his tail twitching. I would be anxious too. All what they hunt wrapped into one cohesive person.
“Where do you think Morrigan ran off to Cas?” I steal Dean’s nickname for my brother and smirk at his uncomfortable stance. Changing the subject startled Dean, and as I met his eyes his eyes still sked the question. “No I will not tell you who my Father is now. His privacy is to be kept until he chooses to destroy it.” I rolled my eyes as I spoke.
Sam jumped into the air finally and ended up landing on my head. “Can we get back to normal please?”
“Oh that would be easy. But it’s not my spell. We have to find the Morrigan before I can do anything.” I stand, Sam’s claws digging into my almost pure white hair. “But I’ve been a hunter for a long time.” I turned towards the forest and closed my eyes as Dean stood, still wary of my presence. He knew I could kill them all without their special weapons and I let him fear that single fact.
The goddess’ presence came as a wave through me, but I couldn’t fend her off. My mind blurred with her power until I let go of my somewhat human form. My angel and demon side merged, angel grace filling one eye and the darkness of my soul taking the other. My vampire teeth bared and I growled.
“This is not your home.” I warn.
“It will be. Then I will rule all of you.” The Morrigan whispered in my ear. “My power is stronger than all of yours combined. “You fear the Winchesters. That’s why you made them be animals. What would you be if they were human?” Like this, I could transform them back, but not for long.
“You fear them too. They would kill you without blinking.” The goddess’ voice was still riddled with fear.
“Of course they would. Who wouldn’t? But that doesn’t matter.” I open my back to my wings, startling Castiel. He didn’t know of my physical wings. Sam’s wings fluttered from on top of my head and Dean told him to get down. “What matters is that as this, you are a bug.” I waited till Sam was on the ground before changing them all back.
I fell on my knees, my wings vaporized, and my soul was split once again. Any time longer and I would’ve exploded.
Dean shook his head, recovering, before grabbing his gun and pointing it at me.
Sam slowly stood and stumbled towards Dean.
Castiel appeared before me and reached for my head to smite me.
I looked up at my brother. “Let me live just a little longer, Castiel. Please. You know how to kill me, so how am I a danger?”
His eyes glowed with angel grace, just a warning. “You merge yourself again, I’ll let Dean take care of you.”
I nodded, swallowing, and fell on my side. I pulled my legs to my chest in relief. “Thank you Castiel. Thank you.”
“Come on, let’s get back to Baby.” Dean steadied Sam, his gun still pointed at me. “You okay Sammy?”
“I’m fine Dean.” Sam leaned more onto Dean’s shoulder.
Dean smiled a little and looked over at Cas. “A little help?”
I sat up and picked out a crow’s feather from my head. “You’ll need this for the Morrigan. Dip this in a demon’s blood and put it on an arrow. It’ll be over.”
Dean glanced over at Sam as he nodded. “Fine.” Dean stepped forward and carefully took the feather from me.
“Then you’ll be back to normal. My spell won’t last long. Good luck on your hunt.” I smile before flying away. Angels would come soon to find me with that big of a beacon.
I ended up in a motel room. I pinned a picture from my pocket onto the board and stepped back.
I smiled. All the pictures were of Dean and Sam. From when they were children to now. Of their parents, of their grandparents, of Adam, of all the people they’ve met or ever would. On the outside was all the pictures of the deaths they had seen.
And in the middle…
Was them as animals. A beautiful horse, a large crow with red eyes, and a snow-white wolf. They would find it one day, but for now it was mine.
Everything about their lives were mine.
