Into Darkness (Supernatural)

Alternate Ending

Alternate Ending

Food chains exist. Just when you think you're on top, there's someone ready to hunt you. I used believe angels were at the top of the chain.

That is, until I landed myself in Purgatory. Until I remembered what beasts lay in here.

Alona and I have stuck together since finding each other. We exchanged stories, both of them grim. Naturally, she and I fought when the matter of Sam Winchester and Ruby were brought up. I didn't want to discuss the demon who killed me after that.

Alona and I are currently running from nasty beasts called Leviathans. They eat most things, but angels are candy to them. We're considered a delicacy. Never have I wanted to be back on Earth so bad before. Heck, the thought of being human crossed my mind at some point in time.

Anything is better than Purgatory.

We have weapons at our sides, weapons that we hand-made here. We lost ours on Earth, we needed new ones. Especially now, as we can practically feel the Leviathans' breaths on our necks. The bad thing about Purgatory is that there is little cover. The trees aren't abundant, there are no caves or holes in the ground to burrow under. All you can do is keep running and pray that when night falls, you get better cover then.

Alona and I hike up a hill, our legs screaming in pain. The only thing that nulls the pain is the knowledge that Leviathans want us as a meal right now and that they're starving for some angel meat to munch on.

"How long did you say you've been doing this?" I pant to Alona.

"From the moment I landed here," she replies in a huff. "The most of a break I got was when I found you."

"There's no way we can escape them, is there?"

"There is, we just haven't found it yet. Keep going."

At the top of the hill, I feel like stopping. I feel like catching my breath--such a human moment that it's not even funny. But Alona pulls me along. Our feet move faster on the down slope. I'm waiting to trip myself up and take us both rolling down the hill.

Instead, something attacks me in my blind spot, pushing me out of Alona's grip. The body and I go tumbling, a mixture of groans and yelps down the hill. Our bodies get untangled and separated once the momentum slows at the end.

"Vera!" I hear Alona in the distance.

I pick my head up, hair full of grass and dirt. Something strikes through my heart, figuratively, as I see who I knocked into. She's slow to get on her feet, panting. She looks just how she had the day she murdered me, from the clothes to the hair, to those smoldering eyes.

Ruby.

"Heya, feathers," she greets me airily.

Tensing, I get to my feet. I look around. In the tumble, I lost my weapon. It has to be lying on the hill somewhere. "Ruby." I say her name with such disgust I'm practically dripping in it.

"Ouch. Is that any way to greet an old friend slash lover?" She smirks.

"You..." I gulp in air. "How...?"

"My plan came back to bite me in the ass." She looks uncomfortable. "Winchesters."

So they caught onto her plan at last. But was it too late? I inhale deeply. "Sorry, if you're looking for sympathy from me, you're not getting it."

"I don't expect it."

"Vera!" Alona shouts again. She sounds desperate, like she's being attacked. I turn my head to see her swinging her weapon at the Leviathans herding her like a pack of wolves.

"You need a hand?" asks Ruby.

I look at her. "What?"

She starts hiking back up the hill. "We share a common enemy. Better to tackle it as a group instead of by yourself, am I right?"

Confused as to why she's helping, I tail her. Along the way, I retrieve my weapon. Without anything to aid her, Ruby steps in to help Alona first. I come in charging, swinging the weapon wildly at the hissing Leviathans. Though they look human in appearance, they are far from it. They bear ugly heads, slimy tongues, and more teeth than a shark.

I find myself protecting Ruby, because she bears no weapon. Black goo splashes out every time I strike Leviathan skin. When one pins Ruby to the ground, I get a fleeting thought of letting it eat her. But then the warrior in me comes out, and I jump, throwing my blade down across the monster's neck.

Ruby is splattered in black blood, and she spits some out at me. Grudgingly, I help her up.

"Like old times, huh?" she murmurs. I just snort.

"Incoming!" Alona screams at the top of her lungs. In the distance, more Leviathans are running for us. There's way too many for us to even stand a chance in Hell. "We got to move!" Alona starts on ahead. I've got frozen legs, remaining near Ruby.

"I know your pal won't like it, but I'm tailing with you," Ruby says. "We're better as a team."

What team? A team where she picks the perfect chance to kill us? But I look how genuinely afraid she is. She fears Purgatory. She fears Leviathans. I've never seen her truly afraid in such a long time.

Either Ruby has stepped up her acting skills, or this is happening right now.

"Look, things are different now. We've got the same enemy," she says in a hurry. "Unlock those legs and let's haul ass to her!" She grabs my arm. "So help me, V—"

A pain settles in my heart. She used the old nickname that she gave me. One in which she used to make me soft. Made me ripe to kill. I can't fall for this again. I can't let her be the reason Alona and I get killed, again. There must be no third chance after Purgatory. This might be the final stop.

Tears prick in my eyes. I step towards Ruby, and her eyes tell me she's confused, and afraid. She's trembling. She looks small, for once. Not intimidating in the least. It hurts me even more inside.

"Vera!" Alona shouts at me again.

I pull Ruby's chin towards me to kiss her, and I stab her in the shoulder, just missing her heart. She gasps loudly in pain, and it takes all the strength inside of me to move away as she grips onto me like death. Her knees hit the grass, and I slowly back away, towards Alona.

"Vera!" Ruby pleads.

She made me feel safe and then took that away from me. This is what she gets. Now she gets how this feels. "I'm sorry."

Ruby screams my name louder, each time her voice goes up a pitch. I swallow and make sure I don't turn around as I hear her screams become sporadic and hysterical. I cringe as I hear the Leviathan teeth dig into demon flesh. Not exactly an eye for an eye, but it's close enough.

If she hadn't done damage to me, maybe I would have spared her life, much to Alona's dismay.

"I thought I lost you!" Alona says hysterically when she sees me. I look at her sorrowfully, and instead of a look of annoyance from her, I get one that's...empathetic.

"You won't. Never again." I suck in a breath. "Let's keep going."

As Alona and I continue to survive, the growls of the Leviathans have softened, and the cries of the demon Ruby have silenced all together.

**I wanted to give Veruby one last fond farewell...in the most heartbreaking of ways.

Not sure which is worse: the actual fight between them, or this alternate ending.

Hold out on me, you guys. I got a little extra bonus chapter that follows this. After the bonus chapter, the final author's note remains.**