Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 3

Chapter 10: The Commander and the Assassin

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Castiel was up after four hours of sleep in which he was up and alert after sleeping in a hotel room. Even though he went up against Elina so harshly after the failed attempt to usher in the Ten Biblical Plagues last night, he was ready to make his next move as he removed his robe and went towards the bathroom. A fresh shower was doing him good as he turned on the hot water in which it wasn't blood this time, for he was getting ready to start the day by tracking down one of the Elect who was fleeing towards her comrades. The soap and hair care kept Castiel soapy as he was starting to feel much better in which he was more than ready to get moving the moment he got done.

When he rinsed himself off, he stepped out of the shower as he dried himself off with a towel and later put it into the hamper. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw fresh clothes on the bed as he put them on in which he was dressed for combat from the light turquoise shirt to his black pants and combat boots. With his sword and hip holster put on for last, he was ready to go as he left the hotel room and was ready to leave until he was spotted by Reina, who was concerned about last night's incident here in the resort.

"You're going after the one you clashed against, aren't you?" she said.

"Lady Reina, I have unfinished business with Elina," answered Castiel.

"You're walking on eggshells the moment you square off against the Elect, but you should also be careful in your crusade against them. They sure have a grudge against you, so I suggest that you watch your back."

"Esau and his followers won't get far towards me because when they see me, they'll focus all their energy on me. They were my responsibility before they sided with Lucifer, but their presence has worn out their welcome here on Alecrast."

"I see what you mean, but you're not alone in this fight, Castiel. Sam and Reiko will vanquish the darkness that they bring and it will be fulfilled, I kid you not."

Reina's words rang into Castiel as he was ready to go after all. Still, he had to face off against his former subordinates as they were causing much trouble and strife here on Alecrast, for it will come to an end the moment the Destiny of Worlds does its part to put them in their place. It was a crucial time to go up against them, but there would soon be backers who support the Elect one slow step of the way...

I woke up in my bed at the inn as I stared at the clock on the wall. It was ten in the morning as I was up and alert. It wasn't long until I noticed Reiko coming in here as she brought our clean clothes here to get into before returning to the resort on the mainland. The interlude we had made us more connected to one another as we were ready to return to our daily familial duties the moment we catch the ferry back to Vanizia. By the time we went downstairs to the lobby, we noticed Dean sprawled on the couch as he was also tired from his long night of fighting off the Elect. I didn't want to bother him as he needed as much sleep as he could get, for he pulled an all-nighter like the rest of us.

By the time Reiko and I gathered our things from our room at the inn, we were ready to pay our bill here as we noticed a short elderly woman appear at the front desk. She was old indeed as she was also wise in her years as well, for she was someone that would be a proven asset to our fight against the Elect soon enough. From what I saw of her, she was someone who was toughened by the rough years of her life, only to see danger come and go along the way.

"We're here to pay our bill," said Reiko as she got out her purse.

"Are you kidding me?" said the old woman. "Your stay is on the house after you pulled off another night of sex-filled passion in those ruins."

"You're Sybil Bonnefoy, aren't you?" I said as I was astonished to see her managing the inn.

"And you're Sam Winchester in the flesh. I've been aware of what you did when Severin planned and planted his little seed into letting out the Elect and I was right about that one."

"You knew of me and Reiko the moment we came here last night."

"Your brother, the typical Neanderthal he is, crashed on the couch instead of one of the rooms here on this island. He's lucky that his wife popped up in the neighborhood to prevent him from dropping without sleep."

"Magda was here?"

"She's in the kitchen making some dim sum for lunch, but there's still the continental breakfast in there as well."

Reiko and I went towards the kitchen as I noticed Magda hard at work cooking dim sum with plenty of rice balls to compliment the meal. To my surprise, I sensed that the load in her belly had gotten bigger as it was protruding from the red dress that she wore. I couldn't wait to tell Dean about her coming here as I even noticed Cynthia, Dirk, and the twins in the kitchen as well. I had a feeling that they would show up here after last night's adventure, for we were all together as a family for the time being.

"It's about time that you woke up," said Cynthia as she was busy cooking some scones in the oven.

"You must've taken the ferry here," I said.

"We would've stayed put at the resort, but it's been on lockdown by the Cross Corps," said Magda as she finished up the dim sum. "It's also great that I took the train out of Sgriccia and made it here with Dean and Kevin before last night's debacle at the resort."

"There's also the fact that the blast of raw power can accelerate things, but

"I see that Kevin's not here, is he?" said Reiko.

"Kevin stood put to wait for Ginryu to come to the resort after last night's trouble over there," said Dirk. "You guys should've seen it when Reina turned on the sink to see that blood come out of it for a brief moment until it became plain water again."

"I hope that a cleanup crew fixes the problem..."

"Reina's been at the resort telling her nephew about what went on there, but as soon as it's okay to return, we'll all sail back to the mainland to get the go-ahead," said Cynthia.

"Don't forget, it's the first day of June," said Dirk. "Summer is already here, but we have five more days to go before we get home to Kanto Village..." He notices Magda clutching at her stomach as she feels her water breaking. "Speaking of go-ahead..."

I saw Magda stoop to her knees as she felt a stabbing pain in her body. She was scared to death as her scream even shook the entire inn in which Dean was up and awake. He heard her crying from the kitchen as he was up on his feet when he came in here to her aid. He had a feeling that she would suffer a miscarriage as he was scared for the safety of both her and the unborn package within her womb.

"Hang in there, Magda," I said as I helped her up to her feet.

"It's not time yet," she said as she was shaking with fear.

"It sucks that there's no staff from the Medical Corps here," said Dean as he was worried about Magda's health. "I really wished that Reuben stuck around with us instead of hanging around the castle."

"Please, don't fret, Brother," said Reiko as she also helped Magda along out of the kitchen. "We'll think of something, just have faith."

We took Magda out of the kitchen as Dean followed us towards a vacant room that wasn't put upstairs this time. We were concerned about Magda as I sensed that something accelerated her pregnancy the moment she came here as I had a bad feeling that help would arrive too late. Even Dean was scared to death for her as he didn't want to leave her side just yet, for he didn't want to lose her after what occurred last night.

"We need hot water and towels," I said as I was opening up the covers of the bed while propping it up with extra pillows. "This isn't the first time I helped deliver a baby and it's not the last, either."

"I have some towels," said Reiko as she set them down on the nightstand.

"Here's the hot water," said Dean as he got a tub of it in his hands.

"We need to remove her undergarments," I said. "But first, we all need to wash our hands before delivering the babies."

I took charge as I went towards the bathroom and washed my hands along with Dean and Reiko. We were ready to deliver what was inside of Magda as we returned to her aid, only to see an Orcress coming in here with a medical bag in her hands. I never saw her before as she had orange hair and blue eyes in which she was dressed in Orkish clothing complete with an apron around her waist. She was there to help deliver Magda's unborn offspring as she removed her bloomers and spread her legs wide open.

"I had a feeling that Mumsy foretold this quick pace in the babies," she said as she put on some latex gloves. "Even I know this feeling since I birthed my own kin, who are up and out of the house."

"Wait, you're Kalindra Bonnefoy," said Magda as she was struggling to push.

"You're lucky that my husband, the hunter with the keen sense he has in him, told me about this bizarre omen in mind."

"We'll help you," said Reiko as she was standing by Magda's side. "I'm no stranger to giving birth since my sons arrived in the world, but I can't let Sister suffer too much."

"You better hurry," I said. "One of them could come out at any minute."

"That's impossible," said Magda. "It can't be too soon!"

I heard her screaming in pain as Dean came to her aid in which he held her hand. With Reiko on hand into consoling her, she sensed that the first baby was coming out just as much as me in which I grabbed the towel and was ready to see the birthing process through. With Kalindra on hand into seeing the head of the baby coming out, I noticed her gently pull it further along in which I saw it to be someone who was a spitting image of Dean, who was watching from the sidelines. When I caught it in the towel, I noticed Kalindra getting out her surgical equipment as she took out her surgical scissors in the nick of time. When she gently cut the cord from the baby and tied it up, I showed it in the towel as it was crying really loudly for everyone to see and hear. Even Dean was stunned to see his future child in front of him as it was someone that he would protect a lot more.

"It's a girl," I said as I set the baby into a sturdy cradle.

"Wait, that's not all!" cried Magda as she was pushing once again.

The other baby was on hand into coming out into the world as Kalindra was ready to deliver it into the world just like the other one. By the time it was pulled out of there very gently, I caught in time as it was crying loudly for all of us to hear. When I showed it to Dean again, he was in for double the pleasure and fun in which he saw the other twin crying after the cord was cut and tied.

"It's another girl," I said.

"Oh, let's hear it for the ladies," said Dean as he had tears in his eyes.

"Thank goodness...," said Reiko as she was comforting Magda after giving birth.

"Looks like the lucky father and relatives helped out this time," said Kalindra as she got out the afterbirth from Magda's body. "I'm surprised that Reuben and his crew haven't shown up yet, but at least we got our work done."

"I can't wait to try out some dim sum," said Magda as she was exhausted from giving birth.

"So, what names have you picked out for our daughters?" asked Dean as he was staring at me.

"That's up to you and Magda to decide, not me," I answered.

"Dahlia and Mizuki," she said as she was getting tired. "Their names will be Dahlia and Mizuki."

"Are those the names that you and Dean decided to pick out?" Magda nods sincerely. "Then let their names suit them for all eternity, for the proud father here's got two of his own this time."

"Very funny..., bitch," said Dean as he smiled.

"Jerk..."

I smiled happily as I was grateful that my nieces were born into this world on this June 1st. We were all happy as we were also on hand into tending ot Dean and Magda's daughters in which we cleaned them up to where they were tended to. The closeness of family brought us together even more as I went towards the bathroom to wash my hands again, only to return to the kitchen to help Cynthia finish up in there with the food that was prepared for our brunch. I was right on the money as I sensed Dean and Magda's twin daughters coming in full force just like Aora and Ghimru after tangling against Severin back on Earendil nearly five months ago. I was grateful that Dahlia and Mizuki were born as they had Dean and Magda's blood in their veins, for they had a future in the Order as well...

Kevin was overseeing the cleanup effort in the resort after several complaints about blood coming from the faucets, fountain, and even the toilets. He never saw the management so upset as they noticed the Cross Corps hard at work looking into what went on last night in which the incident of the Ten Biblical Plagues were averted before anything else happened. It wasn't long until Reina was on hand into making sure that no one drank the blood from the faucets as she noticed Yashamaru here on the scene as well. He was aware of what occurred here last night as he even noticed a trace of angelic dust near the fountain, for one of the Elect had been here before leaving.

"They were banking on the Ten Biblical Plagues to occur," he said.

"After seeing the blood coming from the faucets, everyone's scared to death," said Kevin.

"The renegade angel, Elina was here, wasn't she?"

"She was until she fled the moment she was called back by her superior," said Reina.

"Elina may be dangerous, but she's also the spy and seeker who reports back to the Elect's leader, Esau."

"She may be gone, but she won't revel in the Ten Biblical Plagues any time soon," said Kevin.

"That's not the only reason why she left. She departed due to one of the lanterns that were lit in Shironami Temple in the town of Heinlein, where Totsuka and Charlie now live at. There are four more temple lanterns that need to be lit as well, for they can't fall victim of the Elect's thirst for dominance over the human population here on Alecrast."

"As soon as we find the other four lanterns, the better we have a chance to defeat the Elect and its backers," said Reina hopefully. "It's the least we can do for now."

The pressure to keep further tabs on the Elect had gotten much greater as Yashamaru was aware of their activities the moment they were ready to pounce here in Vanizia. With the crisis of the Ten Biblical Plagues averted, everything was going back to normal as there was plenty of activity that occurred after enduring the Plague of Blood that occurred briefly before the water turned back into its pure clean state. Still, the Elect were still at large as there would also be supporters of their cause that would further champion their purpose to bend the human population to their twisted will, but not now...

Dean was with Magda in a different room as he was sitting in a chair holding one of his twin daughters in his arms. It had been two hours since Dahlia and Mizuki were born as they were dressed up in their little onesies complete with little pink caps on their heads and mittens on their hands. Both of them were put there since Magda got cleaned up and dressed in an nightgown earlier. After seeing me holding Aora and Ghimru most of the time since their birth, Dean was now gearing up for fatherhood like me as he was more than determined to look after his little girls who came out into the world. He loved Dahlia and Mizuki as they were his greatest joy that ever appeared in front of him, for they were the cutest babies he has so far.

"They sure know how to be cute," said Magda as she was busy feeding Mizuki with the breastmilk that she had. "As for this one, she's hungry unlike her sister, who tends to look like her dad."

"Dahlia looks a lot like me, but Mizuki has a lot of you that makes her your own Mini-Me," said Dean as he was sitting there with one of his new daughters in his arms. "She's beautiful and so is her sister."

"By the way..., Sam's been powerful lately the moment he took charge into making sure that I delivered the twins, but he senses things that come to pass as if he's most likely to be in tune with something."

"I was thinking the same thing, Magda. Still, if he's gonna stay on top of his game, then he has to have a lot of that happiness or else the Elect will have the upper hand into throwing this planet under the bus."

"If anything, then we must keep him like that or else all of us would become slaves to those dirtbags."

Magda made her point clear as she didn't want this planet to fall victim to the Elect's evil plans. We all had to pull our weight as we had our work cut out for what plans that were thrown at us so far. It was the least we can do as the Elect wasn't ready to give up the fight against us just yet...

Castiel was on the pursuit as he was most likely to be going after Elina after last night's incident. He was ready to subdue her as he didn't want her comrades coming to her aid just yet. When he resumed the pursuit, he was ready to track her down before going back to her comrades. By the time he finally caught up with her, she was ready to vanish again until she finds that her worst nightmare was true the whole time. She sensed that the lantern in Shironami Temple had been lit as she was doomed in her failure as an assassin and seeker.

"You never learn, do you, Castiel?" she taunted as she drew out her sword to fight to the death against her former commander. "Why can't you just leave us be for once?"

"You're losing focus, Elina," he said as he drew out his own sword. "Once the lantern is lit in Shironami Temple in Heinlein, it's too late for you because there's no going back in order to put out the flames."

"The White Lady and that meddling Shinigami will pay for their support for the Destiny of Worlds! Esau knows this because he told me that Sam still hates himself for all the bad things that happened to him during his years on Gehenna."

"Then Sam will get stronger the moment he achieves such a point into protecting those around him that he deems most precious to him."

"He'll never be able to protect you! He'll never be able to protect his family, either! In the end, he'll fall and the Elect will rull Heaven and Hell the moment we crush his spirit!"

"That's not gonna happen!"

And so, both Castiel and Elina were fighting with their swords clanging loudly. The battlefield was that of an abandoned building that wasn't used in years as both former commander and renegade angel were fighting in a battle to the death. Their clashing was more than enough to put them on opposite sides the moment they fought with their swords. It had been like the old days in Heaven since Castiel sparred against Elina as she was standing her ground while staying true to the views to both the Elect and Lucifer's presence. They were clashing and clanging in such a force that the sound of their swords swishing together was causing a heavy force that was ready to shake Vanizia to its core.

"You're getting a little rusty, Castiel," said Elina. "It appears that you're losing your touch."

"So are you," he said as he was standing his ground. "Esau and the rest of the Elect will fail in their attempt to subjugate the human race here on Alecrast, for it will never come to pass."

BOOM!

Castiel's fight against Elina was violently interrupted as they saw a heavy-set man with brown skin appear out of nowhere. He was a demon as he had the body of a linebacker in which he was also known for his yellow eyes in which he was one of the Children of Azazel as well. Dressed in a business suit, he was there to escort Elina out of harm's way as he vowed to do so since he was put in charge by his handlers so far. With a hint of disgust, Elina was angry with the demon as she didn't want her fight to be postponed as she was still ready to go up against Castiel, who was her former commander in the garrison back in the Ancient Days.

"I don't need your help!" she yelled.

"Sorry, dollface, but Selim told me to pick you up and bring you back to Esau," said the demon.

"You're one of the Children of Azazel, aren't you?" said Castiel. "It is rude to interrupt a fight between clashing warriors."

"I don't need clearance from a nightlight like you! And for starters, my name is Belphegor and I serve Selim and the rest of the Children of Azazel. Also, I've been given clearance to escort Elina out of here, so I suggest that you get the hell out of my way!"

Castiel was aware of Belphegor's might as he saw him charging at him. With sheer luck, he dodged the demon's attack as he was ready to fight against Elina again. Just as Belphegor was about to strike again, he was stopped by Elina as she wanted to resume and finish this fight against her former superior with one fell swoop.

"Let me finish this!" she yelled.

"Sorry, dollface, but this fight is over," said Belphegor.

"A warrior always concludes the fight, even if it results in death to one of us."

"If you end up dead, then I'll go after the victor."

"Don't interrupt me again or else you'll hear from both the Elect and your superiors, is that clear to you?"

Belphegor left without a trace as the fight between Castiel and Elina resumed without delay in mind. Both of them were trained in the garrison in which they were equally matched due to their skills on the battlefield, but they were on opposite sides. With their swords clashing, they were fighting in such a way that became a battle of biblical proportions. With Elina gaining the upper hand, she was pinning Castiel down as she was ready to kill him with her sword in she didn't want him to pull a fast one on her.

"You just don't get it, do you, Castiel?" she said as she pointed her sword to his throat. "The Elect are much stronger and will stop at nothing to cement their status as rulers of all domains."

"If Esau and your fellow comrades rule Heaven and Hell, then you are condemning every single humanoid species that has ever graced the galaxy," he said as he was struggling to get free. "Sam and Reiko will bring light to this darkness and I have their support just as much as their family and friends."

"Speaking of Sam..., he's a man who still hates himself for not only being left out all the time many years ago on Gehenna, but for being alive. You ask him one question: why is he still alive? And all you and your petty little Middle Ground friends will tell him the same thing and that he is loved by many, but he refuses to see it that way. He refuses to see a lot of himself and that is the catalyst that we're hoping for."

"Say what you want, but you will end up dead in the end."

"Keep talking tough, Castiel, but Sam will lose heart in all the joy and happiness he has and it's the tipping point into our plans to submit Alecrast to our will."

"Bite me!"

Castiel was determined to keep me on the right direction and path as his newly renewed confidence propelled him to get Elina off of him. With his sword in his hand, he saw her coming at him until he stuck her in the chest in which she was losing her grace and life as an angel. Electricity and light spewed out of her as she was dying from the wound that Castiel inflicted on her. With one last breath, she was ready to say her final say as she was staggering badly.

"You don't get it, do you, Castiel?" she said as blood came out of her mouth. "Sam will fall, I swear of it and I'll make sure that he does! He may have all the support from his friends and family, but he still has a loathing within himself for being left out all those years ago during his stay on Gehenna. Those days of living in that frozen wasteland sure does things to someone so badly that it even turns one into a person that he or she is forced to live to instead of the true path that was given to them. That's what's happening to Sam and he's never gonna step from that curse of self-hate and self-loathing, even if he meant by reinventing himself in the end... Long live the Elect!"

In her final breath, Elina fell to the ground as Castiel pulled his sword out of her and put it back into its sheath. Even though he won the battle against his former subordinate, he was determined to keep me from falling off the wagon as he was ready to go towards the island off Vanizia's waters. Just as he was about to leave, he was struck down by Belphegor as he was determined to finish off the angel with one fell swoop.

"You killed Elina, pretty boy, and you're gonna die for it!" he yelled as he was ready to pound his fists into Castiel. "My mission was clear to secure her and you took her out! And for that, you're goin' down, sucker!"

"Belphegor, don't be violent," said Selim as he appeared out of nowhere.

"But this mo-fo took out Elina!"

"Elina lived out her purpose, but her death won't be in vain. I'll just tell Esau that she died a warrior."

"We'll be back... for you!" Belphegor was staring at Castiel as he noticed him get up on his feet. "This ain't over, pretty boy! Very soon, we'll be coming for your ass, so don't go celebrating just yet!"

"Belphegor, let's go..." Selim picks up Elina's lifeless body as he was ready to go. "Esau will exact his revenge in the form of hellfire and heavenly lightning, make no mistake about that."

Castiel saw the two Children of Azazel depart as he was aware that he would see them again soon enough. Still, Elina's words of warning burned in his mind as he was most likely to be ready to turn me around with words of hope instead of what she was spouting off earlier. He didn't want me to fall under the cracks as he was ready to bring me to further boost my raw power and status as part of the Destiny of Worlds so far. By the time he left the abandoned building, he saw Yashamaru standing in front of him as he was concerned about the events that would shake Alecrast to its core, for the battle against the Elect was heating up more intensely due to the death of one of them at the hands of her former commander.

"It is done," said Castiel. "Elina is dead by my hand."

"With one of the Elect dead, there are four more," said Yashamaru cautiously.

"I also saw two of the Children of Azazel there as well before disappearing."

"Selim and Belphegor... Their association with the remaining four members of the Elect mirror that of their respected sire who once broke them out of their prison once."

"As for Sam, he still has feelings of self-hate and self-loathing within him in which the Elect and the Children of Azazel will stop at nothing to prevent him from achieving his status as part of the Destiny of Worlds."

"He may have those feelings of those negative emotions that he carted with him over the years while living on Gehenna, but he's afraid to admit to having them burdening him since he was once plucked from this planet. There are hidden arts that he hasn't used his talents on in which he is afraid of them due to what was perceived to be the bad memories within his psyche."

"We can't let him slide or else both the Elect and the Children of Azazel will win this battle."

"With one lantern lit to weaken the power of the Elect, their hold over this planet has loosened due to what Totsuka and Charlie found in Shironami Temple in Heinlein. As for Sam, he must have heart to master the hidden arts that were dormant within him. If this doesn't occur, then Alecrast is doomed. All we need is to have faith in Sam and what he needs to master in order to put the Elect and the Children of Azazel in their place. It's the least he can do in order to save this planet from an impending disaster in the making."

Both Castiel and Yashamaru left the abandoned building as they were on their way towards the hotel resort. Still, their work into convincing me to master my hidden talents was already beginning as they didn't want me to fall under the cracks just yet. The Elect's problems and dangers were simply put into motion the moment they struck an alliance with the Children of Azazel as the combined forces were a threat to be reckoned with, for they were very dangerous indeed...

Esau shrieked in horror as he saw Elina's lifeless body in front of him. After seeing Selim and Belphegor there bringing her towards him, he was itching for a fight against her killer as he was ready to get his vengeance in mind. Elina's death was more than enough to put him in a bitter rage as he was most likely to be on the warpath against the one who killed her, for he knew about his former commander that did the heinous deed from within.

"CASTIEL!" he screamed in anger.

"Don't be vulgar, Esau. It would damage your health," said Selim.

"He did this! I swear that I will kill him when I see him!"

"Don't pin this shit on us, dumb-ass," said Belphegor. "Elina knew how to fight as a warrior."

"And Elina paid with her life! Castiel will pay for her death! We, the Elect, will find him and do away with him!"

"And what about Sam? We all know that he's got all that self-hate and resentment within him in which is perfect to put us on the map."

"Castiel will ruin that one, too, along with that meddling Shinigami, Yashamaru. Both of them are there to stop us by making this one-hit wonder become a much bigger force to be reckoned with!"

"As I recall, our unholy father gave his past self some of his blood in the Elder Days, but he turned on him by going up against the very demonic army he was supposed to command," said Selim. "We all know that this version of Sam will fail into gaining all that happiness because it's in his blood to do so. All we have to do is wait for the right moment to reel him in."

Selim's words brought light for Esau's cause into putting me further into chaos and misery as he wanted to stay on top of the game into controlling the human population here on Alecrast. Still, the Elect's alliance with the Children of Azazel was more than enough to cement their status here and they won't give up without a fight just yet...

The afternoon was coming forth as I was outside seeing the many ferry boats carrying tourists approaching the harbor. It was also time to return to the mainland as I saw Dean and Magda coming out of the inn with their newborn twins in their arms. The sight of them made me feel more comfortable with my status as a member of the Order as I was hopeful that they were most likely to be on the straight and narrow the moment they grew up. I was happy that Dean was in tune with his new daughters as he couldn't get enough of them, for they were checked out and ready to go the moment the Hunter Corps ship approached and landed near the beach where the inn was.

"There's our ride, Sammy," he said as he saw the ship land into the water.

"I bet that you can't wait to show everyone back in Kanto Village of the new arrivals," I said.

"Hey, our girls are very cute, but they're too young for boys right now," said Magda.

"Your daughters will always be part of the Winchester family and I really don't care if they're not boys. We need balance to keep alliances within familial lines and this proper balance of our children will never underscore or tip over."

"You're just happy 'cause of this vacation you have," said Dean.

"And the birth of my nieces is the best thing that ever happened here." I hugged my older brother as he was ready to go back to Kanto Village. "Take care of yourself."

"Stay sharp, Sammy."

I saw Dean and his family walk towards the Hunter Corps ship as they were going back home as planned. When I saw the ship take off towards its destination, I was grateful that there was balance within the future of our family. When I went back inside, I saw Reiko carting the twins in their stroller as they were dressed in their onesies and summer hats. I loved the sight of them as they were mine and Reiko's sons indeed, for they were our own joy that kept us balanced, even if it meant by pulling an all-nighter by tending to them every day and night. We were ready to go back to the mainland as we saw Dirk and Cynthia ready to go as well, for they couldn't wait to return to the resort soon enough.

"Looks like that you two are ready to get back," said Cynthia.

"After spending a night here on this island, we're most likely to be trying a lot more things here in Vanizia," I said.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, but those Cross Corps guys could probably still be there," said Dirk.

"Reina is with them, so there's no need to be worried," said Reiko hopefully. "As for the twins, they have a lot of experiences, but they're not ready to venture too much yet."

"Don't forget their cousins," said Cynthia. "Dahlia is a dead ringer for Dean because she looks like him. As for Mizuki, she's a spitting image of her mother."

"We should get back before the tourists mob us," I said. "At least this vacation is more fun than what it's worth."

We all went towards one of the ferry boats that was earmarked for going to the mainland as we left the inn and towards the harbor. By the time we all got on, we were leaving the island as we saw Sybil and Kalindra coming outside of the inn and bidding us their goodbyes the moment the ferry left. It was a godsend that family and friends were there to help us along, for we need all the support that we needed at our muster...

Shortly after the ferry boat docked towards the harbor in Vanizia, we all got off as we were at the waterfront where the diner stood. It was something that we got used to as we were most likely to be returning to the resort soon enough. With the weather warming up and the fun resuming, it was smooth sailing as we were most likely to be enjoying the sea air complete with going towards the beach afterwards. With me taking the lead by taking the twins in their stroller, I was most likely to be returning to the beach as I wanted to go for a swim before returning home to Kanto Village after that.

By the time I wheeled the stroller over to the beach, Reiko, Dirk, and Cynthia followed me as they were also ready to enjoy the weather in which we were seeing the ocean waves crashing near the shore. We were content with seeing the sight of the ocean as we would soon return to Kanto Village the moment our vacation was over, for it was only for a week after what I've been through. I was happy to spend my vacation here in Vanizia as I was wanting to come back again soon.

"It's beautiful here," I said.

"By the way, didn't we leave all our swim stuff at the hotel?" asked Dirk.

"Oh, dear...," said Reiko.

"I'll get them for you so you don't have to worry," I said.

"It's been ages since you swam in water, Sam," said Cynthia. "I remember the first time you and Dean decided to take Reuben outside to play in the water, but you were the only water baby who didn't want to get out of the swimming pond."

"Those memories are sure to be coming back, I can tell you that..."

I left the beach as I was going back to the resort in which I went back to my hotel room. Getting into my suitcase, I got out my swim trunks as I stripped off my clothes and put them on while I got on my sandals. It wasn't long until I got out Reiko's bikini and the twins' supplies as I didn't want her to go into the water without it. I was ready to go out of my hotel room as I returned to the beach. I even noticed Reiko come over to grab her bikini as she went into one of the changing booths to put it on. I was having a lot of fun until I saw some unwanted attention, only to find that I had company that was expecting me. It was Castiel and Yashamaru that were there as they wanted to speak to me alone for some odd reason. Still, I had to abide by what was thrown at me as I didn't have a say in the matter right now.

"What the hell's going on here?" I asked as I set down the stuff near the twins' stroller.

"We need to talk, Sam," said Castiel.

"It can wait because I don't want the rest of my vacation days interrupted."

"No, it can't, Sam," said Yashamaru. "We all know that you have an inner struggle with what you think about yourself and it's not pretty."

"I'm already improving, aren't I?"

"Not entirely, Sam," said Castiel. "You need to step up to the skills that you put away all those years ago before this planet becomes a living hell in the form of the combined alliance between the Elect and the Children of Azazel."

"I'm already recovering slowly since my surgery, you know."

"By the way, there are now four members of the Elect since Castiel killed Elina," said Yashamaru. "Even though we've won the battle, we haven't won the war against such terror in the form of the Elect and the Children of Azazel. During Castiel's fight with Elina before he slew her, she kept telling him how you still hate yourself all those years the moment you were living on Gehenna. You may deny it all you want, but if you don't overcome it, then you will be unable to use your raw power to go up against the Elect. They are betting on you to wallow in those negative emotions in which they'll gain the upper hand in this battle, so I suggest that you welcome all those joyful ones into you in order to stop them or else this planet will be doomed."

I heard Yashamaru's words clearly as I had a feeling that my happiness would soon be put to the test against the Elect and the Children of Azazel in this grueling battle at hand. When I looked at Reiko coming out of the changing stall, I saw her to be stunning as she was ready to hit the beach and play. As for me, however, I wanted all that joy within me to come forth as I didn't want all that misery to dampen my vacation after all, for I had all that time here before going home anyway...

To be continued...