Pixie Dust

Forty- Seven hours later.

Bobby slammed the book he was reading closed and rubbed his sore eyes. He’d been scanning and reading and skimming through texts older then him, and still hadn’t found anything. It had even gotten to the stage where his already-read-stack was bigger then his still-to-read pile. They hadn’t gotten anywhere. Dean walked into the room, food bag in one hand and another large bouquet of flowers, Tulips this time as apposed to the roses he’d had the last time. He placed the bag on the table and smiled at Bobby.

“How’s it going?”

“As good as it was yesterday. I can’t find anything. But you know, it would be a hell of a lot easier if you let me call your damn brother.”

“Sorry Bobby, no can do.” When Dean had first returned with the roses, he’d made excuses to leave the room to eat them, now he didn’t much care, and so picked the petals off one by one, eating each with a pleased smile.

“You know, that can’t be a good sign.” Bobby watched wearily as Dean devoured the flowers one at a time, until all he was left with were the stems.

“Aw damn.” Dean sighed and threw the packet over his shoulder before going for the bag and ripping it open. “Man, I can’t stop eating, I’m so hungry.”

“Nothing’s changed there, then.” At this, Dean deadpanned. Bobby shook his head and went to the fridge for two beers before sitting back down, passing one to Dean and popping the top off his own bottle. “What I don’t get is why you feel the need to eat flowers all of a sudden. I saw you eying that woman’s garden over the street.”

“I don’t know man, they just,” he paused and thought about it before nodding and taking a bite out of his burger. “They keep things quiet. I swear; nixies do not know how to shut up.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nixies. You know, Melusine? Or Melunsina. They’re female water spirits, kind of like a mermaid only different.”

“I know what a damn Nixie is. Why would you need them to shut up?” Bobby frowned into his beer.

“Because they keep yammering in my damn ears, I can’t even sleep.” Dean smirked before eating more of his burger then stuffing fries in his mouth, not leaving any room.

“You hear Nixies?” Bobby grimaced before chugging his beer.

“Yeah. And everything else. I’m like; picking up on all nature based supernatural frequencies. Man, it’s so weird.” Dean swallowed before chasing the food down with a mouthful of beer. “The wood elves are pretty cool though.”

“The wood elves? It’s getting worse. But at least you still look the same. Wings excluded.” Bobby shook his head and sighed, Dean’s wings fluttering wide behind him as if to scream, ’we’re still here.’

“I’m starting to think I’ll get through this, it’s not so bad.” As if on que to prove Dean’s optimism wrong, Dean’s ribcage seemed to crack, the bones bending out as if he was in some freak Alien movie. He choked; his back arching as blood spat up his throat and coated his lips and chin. Bobby was out of his seat in a second, grabbing Dean’s shoulder and holding him down. The pain grew ten fold, Dean gripping the hem of his shirt and pulling it up just in time to see his ribcage shift and burst open, blood spraying the table as Bobby started into his chest and watched his heart pumping a mile a minute.

“Dean!” Bobby called out gruffly, his hands frantic as he ran for a wet towel to drape over Dean’s exposed torso. Dean was gulping in air, air that drowned and bubbled back up in blood.

“Sam!” Dean was gasping in air, his fingers clawing at his chest as he shot up in bed, the sheets soaked through with sweat and fear. The room was dark save for three strips of moonlight that shone through the windows. Dean looked over to the other bed to find Bobby still fast asleep. He breathed deep, his throat dry and sore before he slowly got out of bed and made for the bathroom. He slapped the light on, all but diving into the shower, the cold spray hitting his skin like needles of relieving fire. Once his body was almost blue he turned the handle around to warm and leaned against his forearm, the water tumbling down his back between his wings.

What seemed like hours passed before Dean shut the water off and grabbed one of the dodgy towels to pat his face dry before wrapping it around his hips. He shook his head as he grabbed his tooth brush, slathered it in toothpaste before shutting the cabinet mirror, the tooth brush now shoved in his mouth. He was leaning on the sink; power brushing before he even thought of looking at himself in the mirror. But when he did, the brushing stopped, his eyes grew large and he stumbled back before double taking and all but jumping at the mirror.

“What the,” his eyes were no longer their normal darkish green, but a vibrant, bright emerald that was not at all natural. Instead of having irises and pupils surrounded in white, he had the one shade of emerald across the whole of his eyes; exactly like the Fae Queens. He moved his head, looking at his eyes at different angles when he noticed his ears. No longer the norm either, but pointed and dare he say it, elegant. “Oh crap, I’m something out of Lord of the Rings!”

He quickly parted his lips, thankful his teeth remained straight, before he checked over the rest of his body. He still had the damn wings, though they no longer resembled crumpled leaves, but strong, able wings that might actually be able to lift him off the ground. They didn’t look faded or brittle, no longer like leaves in autumn. But they were now more like something you’d see on a hallmark card depicting an Angel, only minus the feathers.

“They’re kind of cool.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Dean jumped, slipping on the wet ground and landing back in the shower with a groan. He frowned when he looked up to see the Fae Queen perched on the window ledge, back to her child like size only this time, she seemed happy to see him.

“Where the hell did you come from?”

“Dreams and well wishes.” She smiled in good humour as she watched Dean get up slowly. “They are quiet beautiful.”

“Yeah, don’t say beautiful.”

“Well what would you call them?”

“Well,” he paused and thought it over. “Well not beautiful. Powerful, we’ll go with powerful. Powerful and regal.”

“I like that.” She grinned wide, her eyes bright with joy. “I’m so pleased Dean.”

“Why?” Dean asked as he rolled his shoulders to try and ebb the pain.

“Playing dumb. You know why.” She tapped her nose and actually giggled. “You’re becoming a Fae knight. And such a handsome one.”

“A what? I thought you said I’d be a toad?”

“Yes, but you’ve accepted your fate, made peace with your demons.”

“I have?” Dean raised an eyebrow before frowning. “I have.”

“Yes. You may not have even thought of it, but accepting this, what you will become has changed you within. It also helps that you’re not so stressed about being this way, you’ve embraced it. You even like the flowers.” Her fond smile actually warmed his heart, a heart that was still racing from his nightmare.

“I have a question.” He placed his hands on either side of the sink and sighed.

“What is it?”

“Will I be like you?”

“You mean my true form? I can smell the nightmare on you Dean. It’s what brought me here, your distress. I hurt.” She was at his side a moment later, a hand on his shoulder as she looked under his arm and up at him. “You’ve not to fret; you will not be as I am exactly. Be as the Fae Knight are.”

“And how are they?” Dean asked, looking back at her.

“Strong, proud, everlasting.”

“Everlasting?”

“Well unless you get killed in battle or of the sort.” She chuckled. “But I’m sure with your training as a hunter, you’ll do fine.”

“I couldn’t still be a hunter?”

“It’s not possible. Not for a Fae Knight. It’s against the rules.”

“Rules are meant to be broken.” Dean smirked.

“Not these rules. Breaking these will see your death. I do not even have control of these, and I’m the Queen! There is order, all over. Even for the Supernatural Dean. Once you become Fae, there is no going back; you could not possibly be as you are now.”

“And Sam?” Dean looked down at his hands, his body feeling heavy with numbness.

“I am sorry.” She sighed and moved away from him, moving to the window to stare up at the moon. “He could not see you again. Not openly.”

“Openly?”

“There are those who have tried to live a life of secret. Tried to be with their heart in secret. But the trees have eyes Dean. All sees. You would not be with Sam for long before you would both be ended.”

“Be with Sam?” Dean rounded and stared wide eyed. “I just want to be able to see my brother.”

“It can not be so.” She looked down, her tiny arms held tight over her slight body. “Not safely if not being with him is your goal.”

“What are you saying? No cryptic crap, please.” Dean rubbed his eyes before he dropped the lid of the toilet and dropped down onto it.

“You do not wish to be with him. This I can see. No to ‘be’ with him, is your wish?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Dean frowned. “Yeah.”

“You have doubt yet?”

“No. I can’t be with Sam that way, even if both of us did want it.”

“Then you could not be with him as just a brother. Not when you become Fae. It would not be safe for either of you. Or fair.”

“I get that, but why?”

“Because you would want to be with him.” She turned and sat on the floor, her pink eyes glowing up at Dean with sadness.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Fae are of love. When one loves us, we feel strongly back. If you were to be near Sam, wanting to or not, you would love him.”

“I love him now, he’s my brother.” Dean’s eyebrows pinched in the middle as he leaned forward and pressed his palms together.

“You would want him,” she paused, her eyes calculating whether or not Dean could take it or not. Deeming he could she tilted her head and finished. “You would want him for a mate.”

“What?” Dean shot up straight, his eyes wide. He’d heard exactly what she’d said, known exactly what she meant and knew she did mean it. “That’s crazy.”

“It is truth. You could not see Sam. It would destroy both of you. He loves you and so is hurting. You would feel his pain and hurt also. You would grow needing, wanting. You would not be strong enough to stay from him. You would seek him out; you would become dark with desperation. You would love him.”

“Say I did, say I did love him just that little bit too much. What would happen?”

“You would love him.” She stated simply, her shoulder shrugging just as simply.

“I get that, but what would happen?” Dean grew frustrated and so threaded his fingers through his hair.

“I tell you. You would ’love’ him.” She over exaggerated the word ‘love’, putting emphasis on it. “Or he you, which would be completely worse.”

“You mean,” Dean let it sink in before he went pale and sat back, his head spinning. “Me and Sammy? Like, in bed?”

“Be as lovers, yes.”

“No. Oh god no. That’s just wrong.” His head spun causing him to reel forward and swallow, his throat having gone dry. Her words played over in his head, over and over, making him dizzy. “Completely worse? What do you mean?”

“I’ve nymphs calling. I can not stay.” She was on her feet in a split second, a hand on Dean’s cheek as she stared into his eyes carefully.

“Wait, what the hell do you mean? Can’t I stop this?” Though his head spun, Dean got to his feet and towered over the Queen. “I can stop this, right?”

“It is almost completely too late. The new moon is of distant morrow, closing. You would not be able to stop this. It is your fate now, Dean. You’ve made peace with being Fae. Would you taint that?”

“I want to know what you mean.”

“Drink the blood of the orchid; it will give you greater control of your changing body. You would not wish to be stuck in this room until full change. You will need great amounts of food Dean. Roses will aid in silence, Petunias will stop the pain in your wings as they grow.”

“Wait, grow? They’re going to get bigger!”

“Yes. Some fate has dealt your hand. It is clear what you will be among the Fae.”

“I thought you said I’d be a Knight.”

“Yes. The order. But each order needs an Arch.”

“What?”

“Search your books Dean. Heaven is not the only one in need of high power. Roses for silence, Petunias for the pain in your wings, Dandelions will aid those who see you, to see you as normal. Snapdragons will keep the nightmares at bay, sunflowers for insight, Azalea to aid in growth and Carnations for your heart. Foxglove will help you be truthful; Yellow Hyacinth will help you with your jealousy while Purple Hyacinth will help keep at bay your sorrow. Holly for defense, you will need it! Sage for wisdom, Wallflower for faithfulness and Magenta Zinnia for affections. Each you’ll need if you wish to get through this ordeal with as minimum pain as possible.”

“Shit, let me get some paper to write this down.” Dean quickly searched for a pen and some paper, but when he came back into the bathroom, the Queen was gone, and all he could smell was woods. He quickly wrote down what he could remember, sighing when the list consisted of no more then three flowers. He dropped the pad and pen onto the counter and stared at himself in the mirror.

”Hurry up young one, some of these need to be found at night in order to work well. We are at our most alive when the moon is brightest.” Hearing her words in his head, Dean quickly dressed, grabbed his jacket, the keys to the Impala and left Bobby sleeping in the motel room before speeding off in search of the blooms that he did know.