Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 4
Chapter 28: The White Shroud
(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.)
Dean was on pins and needles as he was concerned about my health. The fact of me relinquishing my talents and joy to save Castiel and destroy the factory was more than enough to keep him on edge as he was worried to the extreme. When he was about to go towards the infirmary wing of Kishtazi Keep, he noticed Yashamaru approaching as he was also concerned about my health as well. The sudden appearance of the White Shroud was a sign of hopelessness as the light withn me was fading away fast.
"There's no hope for him, is there?" said Dean.
"I did what I could to keep him alive, but all I saw was a frail shell of himself," said Yashamaru.
"Well, don't try to sugarcoat it."
"His relinquishing of his talents and joy caused him to gradually lose the light within him after he used all that raw power to turn the factory generator into a bomb that blew it up. After what has happened, there is one hope left in the form of a relic that was written into memory."
"What hope? Sam's on the brink of death and you say that there is hope in some relic?"
"There is the Holy Grail that came to Alecrast and was discovered by Torune Mitani many centuries ago. Back then, he feared the presence of those who tended to abuse the Grail's power in which he sealed it in a chamber with a powerful Elven magic that kept most thieves out."
"Where did he put it at?"
"The chamber of the Grail is in the waterfall near the palace where the Kingdom by the River is. It's also a place where most people refuse to go there due to his powerful presence."
"Then we won't salt and burn his remains after all… As for Sam…, if he dies, then Darbus wins and that son-of-a-bitch will be encroaching on all of our lives put together if we don't pull through to save my little brother."
Dean walked towards the room where I was resting in as he couldn't bear to see me in such a shocking state. Still, he wasn't about to let me fall under the cracks yet as he believed in hope that was about to spring through in the end. By the time he got to his room, he noticed Magda with the girls as she was putting them down for a nap. Even though he was with his own family, he wasn't about to leave me on the back burner for far too long as my life was hanging by a thread.
"So, is he gonna be okay?" asked Magda.
"He's been like this ever since he turned the factory generator into a bomb to blow it up," said Dean.
"When I went in to check up on Sam, I noticed Reiko in there and she hasn't left the room."
"She's very concerned about him just like the rest of us. As for the good part, our hosts brought a report to Shion in which the influence of Darbus is out of the picture for now."
"All we have to worry about is the rest of the Ashizoka System being put through the ringer after what went on in the past seven months."
"The sooner we get back home, the better we wring Darbus' neck for his crimes. As for Sam, we all want him to live, but the faint glimmer of hope is still not out yet."
Dean's concern for me was more than enough to not give up the hope he had into putting a stop to Darbus' plans. In the end, it would soon come to light as my fate was hanging by a thread the moment I was trapped in my own shell...
Shigeru was outside in the courtyard as he was dressed up in his winter clothes while getting ready to go on his private quest. The omens of me in a shocking state raised plenty of red flags indeed as the time to unseal Torune's chamber to bring forth the Holy Grail was crucial to reach me before I faded away for good. Just as he was about to venture off to where he needed to go, he turned around and saw a familiar nuisance standing in the snow as he was most likely to be goading him to abandon his crusade for the Holy Grail altogether. As usual, Shigeru ignored him as he didn't have time to play around with such trivial matters in the least.
"So, you're going off on a trip, aren't you?" he said.
"You're not going with me, Lucifer," said Shigeru. "Besides, Sam's life is at stake and the omens coming from Torune are more than enough to unseal his chamber to get out the Holy Grail."
"Hey, I got first dibs on that Stanley Cup to drink out of, not Sam, comprende? In the long run, everyone knows that I was wanting to get the Holy Grail more than anyone, not the monkeys in the crowd."
"You don't get shit! Besides, I heard about your deceit from Gramps and his friends the moment you helped into creating the Father of Murder and sending Sam's past self mixed messages in the form of your Dad. As for Torune, he wasn't fooled by you because he saw you what you truly were in the form of the first King of Hell before you got caged."
"Torune, Schmorune! He had his chance to get with me until he blew it when he put that cup in a chamber so that no one will get it, not even you. And for the rest of the way, I'm winging it and you won't stop me!"
"I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not about to be stopped in my quest for the Holy Grail 'cause this mission is something that I have to fulfill in order to save Sam."
Lucifer disappeared as Shigeru was making his point clearer in which his quest to bring the Holy Grail to me was more than enough to get him motivated. In hindsight, his mission was crucial as he was ready to carry on such a task like that. He was motivated in such a quest like this as he wasn't about to be Lucifer's plaything or let me to suffer from more despair. In the end, he had his reasons to respond to the omen he saw as the time to rescue me from the brink was already beginning as we speak…
Kevin stayed in the Kishtazi Clan's infirmary wing as he was concerned about my condition after the destruction of the third factory. It had been two days since our victory as he entered into my room in which he saw Reiko sitting by my bedside. The sight of me worried him as he was wondering if I was about to regain consciousness soon, but all I became was a sad shell of myself since I destroyed the third factory and saved Castiel's life in the process. Still, the factor of my life hanging by a thread was more than enough for all of us to pray for me as I was the most vital in my role in the Destiny of Worlds. The sight of my frail frame became depressing as Kevin vowed to pray for a miracle to save me, for I wasn't about to last much longer after my battle with General Truax two days prior.
"So, how's he doing?" he asked.
"He's been like this since he gave up all his joy and talents to destroy the factory," said Reiko.
"I just wished that Dean would talk him out of it, but he went with it anyway."
"Sammy..." Tears streamed down Reiko's cheeks as she was holding my hand tightly. "Please, don't let the Terran God take you yet..."
"It can't end like this..." Kevin was worried to the extreme as he didn't want me to fade away so easily. "We can't lose you, Sam. We can't bow down to Darbus' whim forever while you were forced to relinquish the good qualities you once possessed. I know that you can't fall into the fray forever because we need you on this… If you buy the farm, then Darbus wins. We can't let that happen to us, not this time because we all need you to be there for us..."
"Sammy, please don't leave us like this..."
The sight of me was more than enough to bring anyone to tears as Reiko didn't leave my side. She was concerned for my health along with Kevin as they stood by my bedside vigil. The sight of me was in shambles as I was nothing but a useless shell of myself after saving Castiel's life and destroying the third factory two days ago. Still I closed my eyes as I began to dream of an uncertain future that would unnerve me for many years to come…
The sound of a train whooshed through as I found myself in a subway system all dressed in a nightgown and navy robe with patches all over. I was a wreck as I felt the shock of my whitened hair fly in my face the moment I was up on my feet. When I noticed a man dressed in neon colors, he found me to be without anything as he fished out his wallet and got out a hundred dollar bill to give to me. When I saw him leave with another man while catching the train, I simply stared at the scenery of the nightmare I was in as I saw a newspaper flying in my face. By the time I caught in my hands, I looked at the front page as I saw the words, "The New York Times" in bold calligraphic letters as I noticed a picture of what in called the White House from the time of the Elder Days. When I looked at the date, I noticed the year, 2016, printed on the left as I wasn't in my timeline. Wherever I was, I was struggling to get by as I was none other than a homeless vagrant scraping for scraps just to get by in such times like this.
By the time I walked upstairs to the surface, I saw the bright lights all over the city as the plethora of broadway plays and musicals blended in with the advertisements that flashed on the Empire State Building. I even noticed the fresh snow falling from the sky as the temperature outside was below freezing. I shivered with the chill of the weather as I walked towards a diner as I sat down and warmed up right away. The place itself was something of an establishment as I still had the hundred dollar bill in my hand. My stomach growled as I was given a menu by a waitress who smelled like cigarettes and cheap perfume. Her attitude towards me was terrible as she didn't want any other vagrants like me to be crawling in this diner in the first place.
"You smell like piss," she said to me as she was itching to have me thrown out on the spot on a wintry night like this. "Well, are you gonna order up or do I have to show you the door like any other homeless idiot on the street?"
"I'll have a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll," I said.
"Cinnamon rolls are for breakfast. As for the coffee, it's open all day."
"I'll pay the bill with what money I have." I show the waitress the hundred dollar bill in my hand.
"We don't take Ben Franklins here. We can deal with a couple of Hamiltons and Jacksons on hand."
"But this is all I have… Why can't you take it?"
"You got a problem with me, you dumb shit?!" The waitress was getting testy as she was ready to throw me out on the spot without my usual coffee. "Get the hell out of here before I call the manager to hurl you in front of Jay-Z's limo! As for that chump change in your hand, you can go to Walmart and get yourself some snacks with that dough!"
I got up from my table as I left the diner the moment two people from the Elder Days walked in to get their meal. Once again, I was out in the snow as I was left in the clothes I had on me. The slippers on my feet were wearing thin as I wanted to go to another place warm. I was trapped in the past as I walked towards a department store that sold fancy brands for less. When I bolted towards the men's shoe section, I saw a pair of boots that caught my eye as they were on sale for nearly forty dollars. I walked over there as I grabbed them and tried them on in which they were my size after all. By the time I took them off and put them back into their box, I walked over to the cash register and paid for them as I got some change back afterwards. It wasn't long until I put on the boots after walking out of the department store as I had no trouble at all walking all over the snowy city.
By the time I was ready to go to the subway, I sat down in front of a deli as my stomach growled due to the hunger I had. When I spotted a limousine driving towards the deli, I saw a heavy-set black man dressed up in fancy clothes get out as he looked at me with such concern. As a rich man, he gave me five hundred dollars as he placed it in my hand so I wouldn't go hungry for a while. When I saw him go back into the limousine, he rolled down the window as he was ready to tell me something very important, for he was someone who mainly paid his taxes like the rest of the people in this city.
"You get out of the cold, you hear me?" he said. "God works in mysterious ways sometimes, but leaving the homeless out isn't part of His plan."
By the time I saw him roll up his window and take off in the limo, I was alone again as I shoved the money into my robe pocket and went straight towards the same diner with the rude waitress. When I delved into my pocket, I got out some of the change from buying the boots as I was ready to order something to eat. When I noticed a different waitress appear, she was much kinder as she was also patient for tolerating me in the first place.
"Hey, are you ready for your order?" she asked me.
"I'll have a steak with salad, plus the mushroom swiss burger and a glass of water."
"The water is free, but all what you're ordering is right on the money for the amount in your hand," said the waitress. "If you want, you can order some fish and chips with what you got so you have it made."
I watched the waitress take my menu as I waited patiently for my food. For a few minutes, I waited until I had it brought to me just to eat. I quelled the hunger as I started on the steak and salad first. I was so hungry as I felt a hint of satisfaction that kept me from going off the deep end for now. When I finished with the first course, I started on the burger as I wasn't slowing down for one second. By the time I ate the fish the last, I was full as I saw the bill that came up to the amount I was about to give to the waitress. When I placed the money on the table, complete with the tip, I left the diner again as I was full from my meal. When I was about to make my next move in the snowy city, I stopped as I heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Turning around, I saw a familiar nuisance that I thought I could never see again as he was ready to shoot at me at any time. It was Soulless Sam as he was itching to peg me off the moment he caught up to me.
"Howdy, Sammy," he said to me. "It's been a while."
I didn't say a word as I felt fear creeping up on me.
"You're in the past, but you're trapped in your own head and that means…," I see him getting ready to pull the trigger as he smirked with such a malevolent exuberance. "...You're jello, pal!"
"Just stay the hell away from me…," I said breathlessly as I was itching to get out of the way.
I saw Soulless Sam coming towards me as he struck me in the jaw the moment I fell onto the snowy sidewalk. He was itching to kill me as he wasn't about to be shafted anytime soon. I was powerless to flee as I saw Soulless Sam getting reasy to shoot me at any time. In a brief moment, I saw a sign on the wall as it said the words, "Come to the theater," in bold green letters. I took my chance as I had a glimmer of hope guiding me to wherever the subliminal sign told me to get to.
"You're not going anywhere, Sam!" I heard Soulless Sam yelling as he was ready to fire at close range. "You're mine and you'll never get rid of me that easily!"
I ran without hesitation as I heard gunshots firing at random objects. I was sprinting for my life as I ran towards a broadway theater and purchased a random ticket for half price. When I went inside of the theater, I saw the curtain pull open as it revealed a living room with a ghostly sheet flying in the air with the help of fishing line and a stick. I noticed a woman dressed in a school uniform as she was scared out of her mind until two men arrived to save the day and stopped the flying sheet when it fell to the floor.
"You saved me," I heard her say.
"Don't mind us," said one of the actors. "We're just doing our job in saving people, hunting things, and the family business."
I saw the actors leave the stage as I noticed another scene being built in the form of Winchester Castle in Kanto Village. It wasn't long until I noticed one of the actors from earlier dressed up in my usual clothes before I left for Shiganshina. The setting of this play was something different as I also noticed the same actress from earlier dressed up like Reiko with her Elven ears. Both of them were acting out a part of something out of the ordinary as they were mainly part of the play itself.
"It's strange that we're about to marry, Sammy," said the actress. "In the end, we have each other in which it's vague to understand."
"It's the same way for me," said the actor. "It's as if I was drawn to you somehow..."
"Sammy…, you're blushing..."
BAM! BAM!
Shots rang out as everyone was scared in the theater the moment they feared for their lives. When I saw Soulless Sam standing in front of the main doors, he was itching to kill me until I noticed a hand grab my arm and ready to take me out of the terror in this place. When I saw the person next to me, he was a familiar man with dark blue hair and hazel eyes as he was dressed in Elven garb and weapons complete with a strand of beads that dangled. He was someone who died a long time ago as he was ready to take me out of this place of horror before anything else happened.
"Come with me if you want to live," he said. "I just had to say that line."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"You may not know me, but I know you, Sam. You don't have much time left, so bear with me if you plan on living out your golden years."
"You're Shizuo Mitani, aren't you?"
"Damn right, but I was a virile one with fourteen kids in tow. Still, Dad told me to get your ass to the old cathedral, so I suggest that you be careful when you go against your soulless counterpart."
"Is it Soulless Sam?"
"He's trying to do away with the rest of your psyche the moment you renounced your talents and joys to save your friends and destroy that factory. All you need to do is hope that Shigeru finds the Holy Grail in time."
Several more shots were being fired as Soulless Sam was closing in on me while gunning down a few patrons in his way. By the time I followed Shizuo out the door by using the emergency exit, we were home free as we saw the cathedral in front of us. When we made it to the front doors, we entered inside as we saw a glowing cross on the wall when it hung above the altar and pew. We were safe for now as we were waiting for Shigeru to get to the Holy Grail before it was too late. For now, I was protected as I was also scared for my life in a long time, but I also had a feeling that it would never last forever. Even if I was still the White Shroud, I was alone in this cathedral, but not without Shizuo as he stood firm to make sure that I didn't crack under the surface.
"The place is drafty, but it's better than what you crawled into," I heard Shizuo say.
"I hope that Soulless Sam doesn't come here…," I said as I shivered.
Shigeru was walking towards the dock in front of the waterfall as he noticed it to be both frigid and watery at the same time. When he leaped beyond the waterfall, he landed onto a pathway as it led to a set of doors that could lead to the prize he sought. It was bizarre that the doors were painted with the same Elven seal that Torune placed on as it boggled Shigeru until he saw light permeating from the one in the middle. When he went towards it, he felt the cold air coming out of there as he touched the door, only to see the seal being undone for the first time since Torune put it there centuries before. When he saw the door opening up, he saw a room that was filled with warmth instead of the chill that came from it earlier. He saw the springtime permeating everywhere as he noticed flowers blooming and grass growing. It was a work of nature as Shigeru never seen anything like it before.
When he saw a pathway of stones in front of him, he walked on them as he was following the trail that was leading to the Holy Grail in question. By the time he saw it sitting on a pedestal on top of stones, he was ready to take it until he heard a booming voice above the chamber. His quest is at an end for now as he was ready to take it to me before it was too late.
"You have come to take the grail, Shigeru Mitani," it said.
"I need it to save a friend of mine," he said.
"You came a long way to be part of a bigger destiny in mind, for you must save the one who has forsaken his joys and talents the moment he saved his friends."
"And I will do it, but Sam's far away."
Shigeru walked towards the Grail as he picked it up carefully. The shining goblet was a very powerful one as he went towards a fountain and filled it up with water to take to me. He was ready to set me straight until he saw Lucifer standing in front of him again. This time, he wasn't about to disappear anytime soon as he wasn't about to let Shigeru leave with the Grail in his hand.
"So, this is the holy cup that got hidden away after all those centuries," he said.
"I said to you again, you're not taking the Grail!" yelled Shigeru.
"Say what you want, but I've got dibs on that cup since I made Adam and Eve chow down on Dad's apples. In the end, the Grail belongs to me, not some king who strides along the countryside while his servant bangs two coconut halves right behind him."
In that moment, Lucifer was ready to do his primal worst as he was ready to snap Shigeru's neck and take the Grail for himself. Just as he was about to do so, he saw the ghost of Torune appear as he stood in front of Shigeru while protecting him from further harm. Lucifer was afraid of the legendary High Elf as his spirit shook his dark angelic core. Even though he was scared of Torune, he wasn't about to back down just yet as he was ready to steal the Grail from Shigeru's hands.
"I want that cup!" he yelled. "Everyone knows that the Grail was mine to begin with, not Dad's or that king's!"
"Your powers as an imprint are useless here, Lucifer," said Torune. "You will go no further."
"You pulled that one on me when you banished me to become what I am today, you and that Arrancar with the potty-mouth."
"You're powerless, Lucifer. You've been a leach to my family and others since your days in and out of your cage. You will go no further, for I will send you back to your cage for the rest of your days."
"You'll regret this Torune Mitani!"
In that moment, Lucifer was being shoved back into his cage as he wasn't there to bother anyone ever again for now. As for Shigeru's predicament, he was staring at Torune as he was wanting him to take the Grail to me immediately. It was something that was tasked to him as he didn't want to let anyone down so far, for time was running out.
"It's time for you to go to Maugrim," said Torune.
"But it takes a portal and spaceship to get there," said Shigeru.
"Your mother, Pomelia, was the daughter of an angel and an Elf. You have her powers to get there in order to reach Sam, for his light is about to go out soon."
"And I'll do it. I owe this to him since he helped stop the Elect back in Gale Canyon seven months back. In the end, there's no way in hell that we're bowing down to kiss Darbus' ass after what he did to Gramps. I won't let this hope fade away 'cause it's all we got for now."
Shigeru held the Grail as he was ready to fulfill his duty to bring it to me as planned. Still, he had to hurry before my light went out as he noticed the leaves on the trees slowly withering. It was a sign of dread as he had to get to Maugrim immediately, for he wasn't about to lose me just yet…
I was safe with Shizuo in the cathedral as we saw the light of the cross beginning to fade. It was a sign of dread for me as my light was about to go out. Even though I was out of Soulless Sam's radar, I wasn't out of the woods just yet as I felt the fear of uncertainty creeping up on me. In other words, my internal alarm had every right to go off as I was staring at the doors that were closed earlier, for I feared the worst coming from Soulless Sam imaginable.
"It's hell outside, but it's better than sleeping in the subway," said Shizuo as he sat down in one of the cloisters. "Still, you have your reasons to wake up, but your soulless doppleganger won't allow it, not even once."
"If this place is the past, then why are you here to exist?" I asked.
"This place is part of your imagination that dwells on the sadness you endured over the years, that's what Dad told me."
"But there's no joy left in me since I sacrificed all I had to save Castiel and the others."
"Sam, you can't just let yourself dwell in the cold sadness you built up over the years. It's unclean and unhealthy for you to do so. As for Soulless Sam, he's a part of you that had been summoned by the same imprint that taunted Dad during his mission to New Capua on Claudius. Lucifer himself is known to cause panic to his victims and that included causing the biblical events that occurred long before we were born. He made Adam and Eve eat the fruit of knowledge and he even seduced Abel to believe that it was God Himself that he heard. In the end, that notion forced Cain to do away with his brother and bear the Darkness' prison as a result of it. When the Winchesters of old finally died off, the Terrans of Earth departed with their plant seeds, livestock, and scattered knowledge in which they entered all over the Ashizoka System. Little did all of us know was that Lucifer's influence wasn't about to fade away just yet, but he was destroyed at the hands of my ancestor, Torune Mitani, who showed no fear with the help of the Arrancar, Nimi. He may have been gone, but his imprint lingered on to torment his victims and that included both my father and my son. I also know that he even influenced General Truax to cause you to lose all your talents and joy within you in which you turned that power into use by making the generator into a bomb in that factory."
"General Truax was gonna kill Castiel with that sword of his. I couldn't let him do it or else he would've been lost to me."
"Sam, you may have many times to save people you care about, but you should also save yourself from the brink of despair. In the end, hope collides with the faith you have in both yourself and others because of what is in your heart. And another-"
BAM!
The doors were busted open as we saw Soulless Sam standing at the entrance. He was ready to fire at me as I was scared to death of the one who was a part of me. I was stunned as I felt the same fear creeping up on me in which I stared at Soulless Sam without moving an inch. Even Shizuo noticed him as he drew out his sword in defense. He was aware of the deadly id of mine coming here to finish me off as he wasn't about to slow down in his search to do so. Like a snake getting ready to devour its prey, my evil id was ready to pull the trigger and shoot at me as the time to do so was about to commence in this old cathedral.
"So, you're holding out on me, aren't you, Sammy?" I heard Soulless Sam as he had his gun pointed at me. "I told you time and time again that I'm a part of you and you refused to listen to me. Still, you're not wriggling out of this anytime soon because your joy, sensitivity, and kind energy will be a thing of the past 'cause you're nothing but yesterday's news, last year's model, and a lost cause."
"He's not a lost cause," said Shizuo. "He's a hero and he is willing to put the lives of his friends and family first before his own. In the end, he'll see through to what is called the Destiny of Worlds and he'll be willing to do so."
"Everyone knows that his life is in shambles because of the fact that he was often the kicking dog of Sylvanus during his years on Gehenna. As for what he accomplished, it's a sad waste because he'll be dead and gone and I'll live on within him the moment he wakes up from his vegetative state."
"You planned this, didn't you?" Shizuo leaps towards Soulless Sam as he was quick to knock the gun out of his hand while cutting his face. "You were either trying to kill Sam or betting on him to kill himself. In the end, you'll lose."
"Wrong; in the end, I'll win and no one will stop me. Still, everyone knows that I'm the much preferred model instead of the broken down car in front of me." Soulless Sam kicks the gun in front of me. "Just look at him! He's a mess that came out of some stinky dumpster and we all know what most people do to the homeless when it comes to bum fights and beatdowns." He stares at me as he was smirking evilly. "Well, Sammy, are you ready to bid a farewell yet 'cause I wanna see you kill yourself more than anything."
"You want back in the spotlight since you came into your own during the Elder Days, aren't you? Still..." Shizuo uses his sword to slash Soulless Sam even further as he saw him bleeding from his wounds. "I hate to break it to you, but hope will return to him in the form of my son, Shigeru, who will bring the Holy Grail to Sam in the nick of time."
"You'll fail miserably 'cause Sam will not have much hope left after he offs himself and I'll be top dog forever." Soulless Sam stares at me as he is cackling painfully. "Well, aren't you gonna bring out the party favors? Everyone knows that you're just a pile of dust swept under the rug 'cause you won't live with all that excess baggage full of happiness anytime soon. Anyway, are you ready to die 'cause I'm willing to see you take that gun and blow your head off right now."
I picked the gun up as I pointed it to my head jittery. I was a mess after all as I was about to end my life. Even Soulless Sam was giving the thumbs-up as I saw the blood trickling from the wound on his face. He was ready to call it a day as he was itching to emerge out in the open without any further complications in mind. I closed my eyes as I was remembering the joy and liveliness I once had, but it was gone from me after what happened to me two days ago. Just as I was about to end my life, I felt a hand take away the gun as I opened up my eyes to see the one who intervened at the last minute. It was none other than Dad as he threw the gun against the wall, for he was disappointed in me for caving in to such sadness and despair.
"What the hell were you thinking, Sam?" I heard him say as he was staring at me. "Are you trying to end your life so readily.
"Dad..." I said as I had tears in my eyes. "I'm unworthy of what I am to you."
"Nonsense… I heard about how you renounced your joy and talents in order to save your friends from the wrath of General Truax. Still, you must keep moving forward or else you'll fade away forever."
"It's too late anyway."
"It's never too late," said Shizuo. "As long as there is still hope, there is still courage that binds us all. Remember that, Sam..."
I became more confident as I wasn't about to give up from my hope yet. With Dad and Shizuo standing in front of me, they noticed Soulless Sam getting up as he wasn't about to throw in the towel after being slashed all over. In that moment, they helped me up to my feet as I began to feel the surge of raw power resonating in me again. Our combined efforts vanquished Soulless Sam as I noticed the two guardian angels disappearing towards Heaven for another day. I wanted them to be with me, but I had more work to do the moment I felt the tears still coming down my cheeks. I continued to shed more tears than normal as I woke up in my bed. I was still the same white shroud as I had no hope left until a familiar face appeared out of nowhere. It was Shigeru as he had the Holy Grail in his hands. He wasn't about to let me fade away as he walked towards me with the fabled cup in his hands filled with water. When he noticed me as the white shroud, he wasn't about to let me fall as he was ready to fulfill his mission to bring me back from the brink of despair.
"Dude, you look like crap," he said.
"Shigeru..." I said as my voice choked out a saddening sob. "I'm so sorry for leaving home..."
"Hey, you shouldn't cry like that 'cause all that sadness can kill you if you're not careful."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm only here briefly to pull your ass out of the fire, so I suggest that you drink up."
"What made you come here?"
"I went to Torune's chamber and got this thing out of there. It's the Holy Grail and it's not being guarded by a couple of strange people who chuck dead animal carcasses at everybody."
"But I'm beyond hope. Why do you come here when it is all gone?"
"C'mon, you need to drink from this cup." He presses the cup to my lips as I began to drink the water from it. "No one is beyond hope. We all have courage that can surpass ourselves the most."
I finished from the Holy Grail as I noticed the white hair changing back to my original color. I was starting to retain the color in my pallor as I felt more sensitive in such a long time. When I stared at Shigeru, I was grateful that he came through as he was the hope that came through in the darkness of misery. I was also happy that I was saved at the last minute as I wasn't losing the joy again, for I had all that hope being restored to me again.
"Don't ever renounce your talents and happiness again, you got that?" said Shigeru as he had a smile on his face. "If you did that, then I'll have Dean go in and kick your ass in real time."
"Shigeru…," I said. "Thank you..."
I saw him disappear with the Holy Grail while giving the thumbs-up as he was gone without a trace. In that moment, I sat up as I saw Reiko dozing off while sleeping in the other bed next to mine. When I stood up, I touched her hand as I saw her open her eyes to see me there back to normal without any difficulty at all. She noticed me to be full of life as I was grateful that I was saved from the sadness of my own making at the last minute.
"Sammy..." she said. "You've came back to me..."
"Shigeru was here, but he left back to Alecrast," I said.
"Brother was worried sick about you and so was Kevin and everyone else. As for the Orcs here, they offered us to stay for dinner before going home."
"I had a dream about the hopelessness I suffered from, but I wasn't alone. I saw your father there with me when he cut down Soulless Sam in the old cathedral. He told me to have hope and to never fade and I won't let this despair be the death of me yet."
I noticed Reiko wiping the tears from my face as she hugged me warmly. I was returning from the brink, but I had to rebuild my psyche if I was about to return home to face off against Darbus. Just as I was about to go out of the room, I noticed Tauzer entering into my room as he was grateful that I was back to normal once again, for he viewed me to be the savior that emerged from the dark tunnel.
"It's about time that you got up, Sam Winchester," he said. "From the looks of it, you gave all of us a scare when you became that white shroud after you blew up the factory."
"I take it that we're here for another night here," I said.
"You stopped Darbus' influence from taking root and all you need to do now is to go to the other places and do the same."
"I had a feeling that I would be in for far more worse things at hand..."
"According to Toula, there are twelve factories and four of them had been blown to bits: one on Trost, one on Nedegratys, one over here, and one on Gethos at the hands of a bunch of Arrancar saboteurs who loathe Darbus Toller. As for the further information, General Truax has been doing dirty things other than pledging his loyalty to his master."
"What are you talking about?"
"After you blew up the factory on Cordo Island, we saw a crater that had a compartment in which our platoon discovered something wrong. The prisoners that were put to the furnace weren't killed for no reason. They were killed for the harvesting of their souls just to sell to the Army of Cain and their demoness queen, Abaddon."
"General Truax is playing with fire when it comes to having souls being mined. Still, he may be mining those innocent souls, but there's a price to pay when it comes to dealing with demons."
"My father, Lord Raukor, is no stranger to such trouble when he sent the platoon to release those souls up to Heaven where they go. As for Darbus' machinations to enact the Hitlerian Code, he will get a swift form of justice the moment he is cut down."
Tauzer's point about going up against Darbus like the rest of us unnerved me as the talk about soul mining was back in our agenda so far. Still, I had work to do as I also had to stop Darbus and his supporters before it was too late. As for the predicament that I was in, I wasn't about to leave my room yet as I was still weak from being incapacitated two days ago. The appearance of me was still in shambles as I sat down on my bed. Even though I was saved from the brink of despair, I wasn't out of the woods yet as I was still tired from my experience of sadness and misery. It wasn't long until I saw Tauzer grab me out of bed as he left the room with Reiko following him. We were all being led into the dining hall as I noticed Dean and Kevin sitting at the table with the rest of our crew and the entire Kishtazi Clan. I never expected everyone to be here as I was put down at the chair at the end of the table. With their glasses raised, they were ready to praise me as I was the one who destroyed the last point of Darbus' control in the western part of the Ashizoka System.
"It's about time you showed up to the table, Sammy," said Dean. "You sure gave us a scare there."
"It's good to be back…," I said in a weak voice.
"Why the sad face? You should be happy for once."
I saw one of the Orc servants give me a plate of food as I began to take a bite of a roll. The taste of it was like the cooking from the Thrunvaar Clan as I felt a little hungry after being in bed for too long. As for everyone else, they were grateful that I was feeling better one slow step at a time as I also had to stick to my task into returning home to Alecrast, for I wasn't about to let Darbus continue his reign of terror all over the galaxy anytime soon…
Shigeru returned to the chamber as he placed the Holy Grail back on its pedestal. He was confident that he got me back in the right direction as he was also happy that I was coming back from the shell I was kept in. When he came out of the chamber, he used the same Elven magic to seal it up once again as he didn't want anyone to steal it ever again. When he saw Torune's spirit standing in front of him, he had a feeling that something would go wrong as he didn't have time to deal with it right now.
"You're returning the Grail to my chamber?" he said.
"It's yours to keep in there," said Shigeru. "If I had that thing out into the open, it would get stolen by any thief who wants to abuse its powers."
"You may have brought back the Grail to the chamber, but the one who drank from it must realize his true potential in the Destiny of Worlds."
"Yeah, and I told him not to renounce his talents or joy again or else I would send Dean in there to kick his ass. As for Lucifer, you banished him, right?"
"Lucifer's power will never work in the chamber because it is the most ancient of all Elven magic. In the end, no one will ever abuse the powers of the Grail because it is a holy symbol of life itself."
Shigeru saw Torune's spirit vanish as he noticed flowers slowly blooming from the ground. It was a sign of renewal as the time to bring me back home was resuming, for I had to return in order to face off against Darbus in hindsight...
To be continued...
