Messenger

-Months Later

"Really, Sam," she chided, crossing her arms as she surveyed the display of raw power pulsating around him. "Do you honestly believe you can wrestle control from the ether with merely your thoughts?"

Sam, seated on the carpet of the living room, has been trying to for a while now, harness magic in its rawest form.

To channel it and bend the world through only his thoughts without the use of symbols, runes, spells, or any other type of medium.

"For what I am setting out to do, teacher, I can not constantly depend on a spell of it existing. Somethings need to happen just because I want it to be so." the Hunter stated as he held his hands together, attempting to call upon the magic through sheer will alone.

"And you really think that such a thing is possible?" Rowena questioned skeptically.

"W- Why not?" Sam began with gritted teeth, as sweat ran down his brows, "Since when do those who choose to reshape the world with their own hands - wielders of magic - believe in what can be conceptualized to be impossible?" 

Rowena sighed, "You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" She stated as she got off her chair and got seated before him. 

"What are you doing?" Sam asked confused as she grabbed his wrists, causing him to open his hands, with her taking them into her own.

"I may not fully think its possible, since thinking of magic as a servant to be ordered around by wishful thoughts, sounds quite absurd to me for It has like anything follows its logic, its own rules that one simply can't ignore.

But like you yourself stated, giving in, is not my style. So, what was the saying again? Ah yes, two minds being better than one or in this case, two wills. Now tell me, child what are you visualizing so powerfully?"

In Sam's mind flashed a bright white light the size of worlds with bright burning pools of red for eyes, "I'm trying to create light. A bright white light," he murmered.

"Light? Why light? Isn't that the antithesis of what you essentially are?" Rowena questioned confused.

It would make so much more sense to choose something dark, his connection to shadows being evidence enough for her.

Sam could only laugh. Light? His antithesis?

Nonsense.

He could see his soul. 

Though it generated a abyss like smoke, surrounding itself with it, at its core, it was a light he instinctively knew to brighter than anything in Creation save his other half - even the other archangels.

He until now simply chose to focus more on the dark aspects of his soul, as he needed power swiftly and they came more easily to hand.

"What's so funny my boy? You know I don't like being left out of a good joke." Rowena states, her tone interested yet as well playful and pointed.

"Rowena, if I... Tell me, do you want to know why I am trying so hard to gain strength?" Sam suddenly asked.

The red-head's brow furrowed at his words, "What kind of question is that child, why else do I teach-"

"Rowena," Sam interrupted, his expression completely serious. "Do you truly want to know?"

Rowena turned silent. She did not easily show it, but if one truly looked they could see the tenseness permeating through her body.

Once she may have said yes, but now, after having worked along this brilliant boy for so long, having witnessed his ingenuity, his wisdom, his intelligence and his very strength, she could not fathom what could have him so terrified that he still roars with nightmares into the waking world.

She bit the inside of her cheek, but in the end, nodded, slowly.

Sam took in a deep breath, and let out a powerful sigh as he pulled away and rose, "Then I suppose there is no point in delaying it any longer. Come with me."

Rowena though wary rose, and followed him downstairs to the magic chambers, his next to her own, inaccesible even to her, for it was locked with magic fashioned with imprints of the soul and body, something that to be bypassed would take far more effort than its worth.

As he began to open its doors he said: "You gave me this room as a birthday gift for me to work on my... own projects. I think... I need your help to give the final touches one."

Rowena interested followed along.

As Sam turned on the light, one could see a red circle in the center, fashioned from what Rowena immediately realised to be Sam's own blood.

She could practically taste the containment power emanating from it. 

But that was not all, for it was what caught her attention first, but surrounding the circle, filling the walls, the cealing and floor were countless symbols. 

Enochian, Celtic, Greek, Norse and Egyptian to name a few.

All were ones that strengthened the barriers for containment and banished what was to be in it, if not capable of being contained.

Yet, even though Rowena was seeing it with her own eyes, she could not fathom would could possibly need so much power to contain and to even have a way of banishing for if it was actually unable to contained.

Sam went and picked up a jar and began pouring what looked like... oil?

He poured it perfectly around the containment circle.

"What are you planning Sam?" Rowena questioned warily.

Sam without saying anything approaches the circle, cuts his finger with a swipe of his nail and drips a drop of blood on the blood ring.

He takes in a deep breath and speaks: 

"By blood and flame, by stone and might,

I call forth Loki on this fated night.

Trickster of Fate, master of disguise,

From shadowed depths, now arise.

I renounce convention, shatter old decree,

Let raw will flow, wild and free.

Through ancient sigils, etched in light,

Open the portals to hidden sight.

Loki, I summon thee - by will alone,

Manifest now - beyond the known.

Across the veils of time and space,

Come forth and lend your mischievous grace."

For a moment there is nothing but silence,

"Well, what do we have here," A voice suddenly rings as a man with brown hair, golden tinted eyes, and a playful smirk appears.

"A witch and her junoir summoning little old me-"

Before he continues, Sam lights the oil and a ring of fire forms around the being.

"What is the meaning of this?" Loki questions, his tone now serious, filled with severity.

"I'm not in the mood for games - Gabriel," Sam murmers.

"Gabriel?" Rowena questions confused. The summoning chant was most definitely Loki's, the magic that permeats the atmosphere is most definitely Norse, specifically, the god of mischief kind.

What does the boy mean?

Loki's golden eyes flickered dangerously, his smirk twitching at the edges. For a heartbeat, the Trickster's usual aura of mischief wavered, something ancient and unreadable flashing beneath the act.

"Well now, that's an interesting thing to say." He cocked his head, the playful lilt of his voice still present but tempered with something sharper. "You must have hit your head one too many times if you think I'm anybody but myself, kid."

Sam didn't blink. His gaze remained locked onto Gabriel - Loki - whatever he wanted to call himself.

The fire cast flickering shadows against the sigils, illuminating the sheer weight of power stitched into every inch of the chamber. This wasn't just a containment spell - it was a statement.

Sam knew exactly what he had called.

"Drop the act," Sam said, voice firm, unwavering. "You're not just Loki. You never were."

Rowena glanced between the two, suspicion knitting her brows. She had lived long enough, studied magic deep enough, to sense when things weren't adding up. But this? She wasn't sure if Sam had gone mad or if he had truly glimpsed something others hadn't.

Gabriel's eyes darkened, the gold in them molten now. The shadows in the room grew longer, stretching unnaturally as an invisible pressure settled over them.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Sammy," the Trickster murmured, voice quiet but carrying weight.

He took a step forward, but the flames roared higher, forcing him back within the circle. His jaw tightened, the usual ease in his posture replaced by something tenser, something calculating.

"So you figured it out."

Rowena's breath hitched.

Figured what out?

Sam exhaled through his nose, slow and measured, before speaking.

"You've been hiding."

Gabriel's silence was telling.

"You're an Archangel," Sam continued, voice steady. "The Messenger. The Trickster. The runaway. And you've been playing pretend for so long, you almost believe your own lie."

Rowena stiffened. A what?

Gabriel's expression didn't shift for a long moment. Then - he laughed.

A short, sharp bark of amusement, followed by a slow, mocking clap.

"Well, damn, kid. That's a hell of a leap, and wouldn't you know it? You stuck the landing."

Sam didn't flinch. "You didn't even try to deny it."

Gabriel smirked, but there was something hollow in it. "Why bother? You're not wrong - but that doesn't mean I like being dragged out of my little vacation." He waved a hand, but the fire refused to budge. His gaze flicked to Sam, something assessing there.

"Why now, huh? What's got you poking the hornet's nest? You can't have found out recently. Getting the holy oil would take time after all."

Sam stepped closer, just beyond the flames. His expression was unreadable.

"Because I need your help."

Gabriel arched a brow. "Well, that's new. People don't usually go through all this trouble just to ask me nicely."

Sam's jaw clenched. "Because what's coming - what's already moving - I can't fight it alone."

Gabriel studied him for a long moment, the humor in his face dimming into something quieter, something dangerously close to recognition.

"And what, pray tell, do you think is coming?"

Sam met his gaze, and for the first time, he spoke the words out loud.

"Lucifer."

The fire crackled.

Rowena sucked in a sharp breath, her spine going rigid.

Gabriel? He didn't move.

For the first time since stepping into the circle, something unreadable passed over his face. It wasn't shock. It wasn't surprise.

It was understanding.

"How long?" Gabriel suddenly questioned.

Sam tilted his head in bewilderment. "How long what?"

"How long since you know?" the archangel clarified.

Sam remained silent for a moment, Rowena herself tongue-tied, not knowing what to say anymore, still processing what she heard.

"Since I was six months old," Sam answered, seeing no point in lying, since he would be found out immediately. It would as well not be a good start, as for what he plans, they need to have a foundation of trust.

Gabriel took in a harsh breath, "That's impossible,"

Sam shrugged, "It isn't. I've lived it after all."

"How..." He began, trailing off, his eons old mind racing.

"This has to be one of Dad's handyworks..." The Messenger began with a murmer.

"But if it is, then he wanted you to summon me. He may actually not be gone..." The archangel continued, speaking more to himself then the ones present.

"Fine kid," Gabriel began as he raised his head, "Before I decide anything, tell me this plan of yours, that's spanning over a decade." he stated as he crossed his arms.

"Your only role at this moment in time is just protecting mine and my family's minds. Making sure our memories, emotions and the like aren't messed with." Sam explained, causing the archangel to blink twice in surprise.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Are you hearing this?" Gabriel stated, turning towards Rowena, his arm stretched out, palm upward towards the Hunter.

Rowena herself still way out of loop, shrugged.

"Kid, don't you know what I am? Hellllllo," Gabriel began pointing towards himself, "Archangel here. Phenomenal cosmic power, can reshape reality, as old as-"

"Enough," Sam interrupted sternly, "I know exactly what you are," the boy stated, remembering the being of light in the cage, larger than worlds, hundreds of wings, thousand faces, always reaching out towards him.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the young hunter. "Then why waste my talents on something so... small?""Because I don't need a warrior," Sam stated, his voice calm but firm. "Not yet. I need a shield. Not until, he rises, since it is quite literally inevitable.""Are you planning on asking me to kill him when the time comes?" Gabriel questioned coldly.Sam blinked twice in response - this time, he himself caught by surprise.The boy burst into mirthless laughter."Kill him? Besides the fact that you could never truly bring yourself to kill your brother as much as I can't bring myself to kill Dean, no, I don't want you to kill him.""You don't? Why not?" Gabriel questioned confused.Sam's eyes were flashed with sorrow, hate, love, self-loathing, and finally, acceptance. "Because... Because I can't want him dead. Its like wanting myself dead. No one truly wants to die, they only do so to escape something, seeing it as necessary.And he and I... I hate to admit it, we're two halves of a whole. I hate his actions, I hate his will, but... But I can't help but feel love for him too, the same love, I've felt him send me since the very moment I was born...It's- It's not exactly like my love for Dean, but it still feels like the love one has for a brother. I suppose that is fitting, we are basically twins, who simply were born eons apart."

Gabriel was silent. 

Not the playful, measured silence of a Trickster weighing his next jest. Not the cunning quiet of a predator setting the stage. No, this was something else entirely. 

His gaze flickered, the molten gold dimming ever so slightly as something ancient, something deeply worn, cracked beneath the surface. 

For all his posturing, for all his centuries of hiding, of running, of pretending - Gabriel understood. 

Better than anyone. 

Because hadn't he once looked at his own brothers and felt the same? The weight of love tangled with resentment, sorrow braided with duty? Hadn't he fled because he could not bear to choose? 

And yet here was Sam Winchester, burdened with a fate heavier than his own, staring him down with an honesty Gabriel had spent lifetimes avoiding. 

He inhaled sharply through his nose, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling as if searching for patience among the countless sigils glowing in the firelight. 

"Well, shit," he muttered. 

Rowena, still reeling from everything she'd just heard, crossed her arms. "Not quite the reaction I was expecting from an Archangel," she noted dryly, her tone carefully masking the unease coiling in her chest. 

Gabriel shot her a smirk, but it lacked its usual arrogance. "Lady, you don't even know the half of it." 

His focus snapped back to Sam, sharp as a knife's edge. "Alright, kid. Let's say I go along with this. Let's say I agree to play your guardian angel for a bit-" 

"I never said guardian angel," Sam interjected. 

Gabriel waved him off. "Semantics. My point is - if I do this, if I shield your minds, if I keep the big bad from whispering sweet nothings in your ear - what's your endgame?" 

Sam's lips pressed together. "That depends." 

Gabriel arched a brow. "On?" 

Sam exhaled through his nose, shoulders squared, voice steady. "On whether or not I can save him." 

The fire crackled. 

Rowena's eyes widened. 

Gabriel's expression twisted into something unreadable. 

Then, without warning - he laughed. 

Not a chuckle. Not a dry, sardonic quip. No, this was laughter, full-bodied and raw, shaking through him as if he'd just heard the universe's cruelest joke. 

Sam waited. 

Rowena waited. 

And after what felt like an eternity, Gabriel wiped a hand down his face, something weary - something unbearably old - settling into his features. 

"You really are something else, Sammy." 

Sam didn't flinch. "So?" 

Gabriel rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers before sighing dramatically. "Fine. You win. I'll play along." 

With a snap of his fingers, the flames extinguished - having weakened enough. The weight of his grace rippled through the room, brushing against the wards but never quite pressing against them. 

He took a step forward, meeting Sam's gaze head-on. "But don't say I didn't warn you," he murmured. "Because trying to save Lucifer? That's the kind of thing that gets you killed." 

Sam's lips quirked upward, just slightly. 

"Then I guess I better make sure if it came to it, we both die."

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

I hope this didn't feel like coming out of nowhere. I've been dropping hints with the whole "made for each other" thing, and the feelings of emptiness and all.

Sam has been till now denying it, fighting it, but well, these last months, he finally confronted it, and realised the truth of what he felt.

I have after all been putting emphasis on being vessels, since the beginning. Its really the main point of this fanfic, which is exploring such a concept, since I felt it so wasted.

Being literally made for each other, platonic soulmates, that isn't something that can just be ignored and pulled under the rug.

So yeah, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter,

Do please comment and review if you haven't and I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)