Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5
Chapter 36: The Times That Changed Us All…, Part 3
(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.)
I was up in the middle of the night as I was staring at the rain that poured heavily. Still, it reminded me of dread and sadness as it was also a time to reflect on what was lost. Just as I was about to go back to bed, I heard the door open as I noticed Reiko approaching. She was concerned for my health as she had a sinking feeling that something was wrong so far. Still, bad news was the norm in times of war as we couldn't ignore it, regardless of what we go through in this time of dread.
"You shouldn't be out of bed right now, Sammy," she said to me. "You know that Brother and Uncle Kazuo would put you right back into it if they caught you up."
"Minara was here a few hours ago…," I said. "Sadly, there's some bad news, I'm afraid."
"Is something wrong?"
"Lentulus and Penelope are dead at the hands of the Executive Division..." Reiko gasps in shock as she had tears in her eyes. "Julilla did it to them in which I saw Minara breaking down crying and vowing revenge for their deaths." I heard my wife sobbing as I gently wiped away the tears from her face. "There will be a time when Julilla will pay for her crimes, but it won't be us doing this. Earlier, I saw Lentulus' ghost appearing in front of me in which he told me that I shouldn't be resorting to revenge, but justice."
"And Minara…, he's so sad right now..."
"Minara will soon have a wife again in which the Rakuen Priesthood will intervene in such times of crisis. This isn't the first time it happened and it won't be the last, either."
Both of us were both saddened and concerned about the tragic situation that occurred during the assault on the town as the war that the Executive Division started had hit a very dangerous nerve indeed. With the war itself going into its first month since it was started up in the first place, the deaths of Lentulus Varus and Penelope Mitani were considered to be the last straw as Ryosuke declared vengeance against the aggressors who brought it further. It was hell on the battlefield as the time to put down the Executive Division was the wake-up call that was needed to get the lead out to other planets that were getting fed up with them in their scare tactics as well…
Two days earlier…
Minara was busy tending to some of the townsfolk that arrived in the infirmary wing in Lentulus' home. He didn't mind being out and about as he was making sure that his patients were well-cared for in this time of crisis. By the time he went towards his office, he saw Penelope arriving as she brought their two children, six-year-old Kunio and four-year-old Poppea, in there for their checkup. He was happy to see them here as they were the spitting image of both High Elf and human traits, but they were also a handful when it came to their exams in order to make sure that they were both healthy.
"Poppea didn't want to get out of bed when I told her that she needed to get a checkup," said Penelope. "She can get a little stubborn at times."
"I don't wanna get a checkup, Papa," she cried. "They're scary as they are!"
"Not entirely," said Minara. "Having a checkup determines how healthy you are and it shows, alright, little one?"
"I'm ready for one," said Kunio. "Besides, when I grow up, I want to be in the Medical Corps like Papa, so I can help people."
"You're definitely your father's son," said Penelope. "You're also a spitting image of him with his hair and silver tips on your ears. Those are what makes you handsome just like your papa."
Minara was blessed to see his wife and two children here as they were together as a family. The children themselves were High Elves that had human traits as both of them had different hair: Kunio had the same hair and eyes like his father as Poppea had pink hair with her mother's blue eyes. Everyone was happy here until they heard the sound of soldiers breaking into the house. Dread filled Minara as he spotted Janus approaching the moment he feared the worst.
"What the hell's going on, here?" he asked.
"There are soldiers with blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin approaching with a woman commanding them to ransack our father's house," said Janus. "They're doing it for no reason and it goes against the edicts that both the Order and the Claudian Army stand for."
"Janus, take the children over to the underground tunnels. Get them as far away as you can."
"Be careful, Minara. May the gods watch out for you."
It wasn't long until Janus gathered up Kunio and Poppea as they left the infirmary wing of the house altogether through a passage downstairs. Hiding their tracks, Minara and Penelope were fearing for the worst as they heard several sets of footsteps coming closer. At that moment, Minara saw his worst fear coming to life as several of the invading soldiers burst in and took Penelope away for no reason. Just as he was about to go after them, he was stopped by a familiar nuisance as she was dressed in battle armor that was too risque for anyone to wear. It was Julilla herself as she was more inclined to cause trouble for Minara altogether, for he loathed her presence one slow step at a time. He despised her for all the right reasons as he wanted to get out of her way at once, for he wanted Penelope unharmed before the day was over.
"It's been a long time, Minara," she said to him in an icy voice. "Doesn't it occur that you want me to fulfill your desires when this day was over?"
"Let me through, bitch!" he yelled. "I want my wife back!"
"And miss out on your own fulfillment of your sexual desires towards me? Not a chance!"
"Give Penelope back!"
"If you don't do what I tell you, then she dies and so will her father."
"You've taken Lentulus, too?! You bitch!"
"What'll it be? Your cock inside me or your wife's death?"
"What are you playing at? A fool?! I'm not your puppet, Julilla!"
"You have until morning to think about your decision. If you bed me, then your wife lives. If you refuse, then I'll kill her and that louse of an Elder!"
At that moment, Minara was left with an impossible choice as he saw Julilla leaving the house with her soldiers. Still, he hated the fact that he would be proven unfaithful to Penelope as he also heard of the lore of the white woman killing cheaters who weren't faithful to their significant others. Still, he had no other choice but to answer to Julilla and risk being killed by such a spirit as the one draped in white, for he was stuck with something that he didn't agree upon…
Minara was up at five in the morning as he was ready to give his decision to cave into Julilla's demands. Getting out of his bed, he did his usual daily thing by grabbing a shower and brushing his teeth before starting the day as he had to think about doing the unthinkable on that fateful day. By the time he was dressed and out the door, he saw a scaffolding in the square as he noticed dozens of angry onlookers protesting for the release of who was taken yesterday. The bleak setting for a public execution became an outcry in the making as Minara saw several of the same soulless dolls coming forth with Lentulus and Penelope dressed in robes and shackles. He wanted to release them as he was concerned for their safety, but he was barred by two members of the Executive Division who held them down to his knees. It wasn't long until he spotted Julilla dressed in a navy blue evening gown as she was ready to give out the order of execution in front of an angry mob.
"Don't be angry with me just yet," she said as she directed the soldiers to bring the two prisoners forward. "It's high time that I got my limelight at last once and for all!"
"Release them!" said one bystander.
"They've done nothing wrong here!" yelled another one.
"Silence!" yelled Julilla. "As we have here, two people who wronged me for no reason in which it grieves me the most!" She sees Lentulus and Penelope being taken towards the stage where a set of nooses were waiting for them. "For far too long, they refused to invite me into their inner circle and they even committed crimes against both the Order and the Claudian Army, but they'll get it coming in the form of death by hanging! Therefore, after this, I'll be on my way towards Essos and claim my prize from that zoo full of circus animals and I will return him to General Wetzel and my other subordinates to activate Project Apollo to destroy Alecrast with!"
"You're a coward, Julilla!" yelled Lentulus. "You think that Sam can bow down to the likes of you? Think again!"
"Well, his past self bowed down to Ruby, didn't he?! It was swell in the Elder Days, but this time, Sam will be goaded into being my brood stallion and sire my children in which he'll never return to that bitch of an Elf wife ever again! It is the will of the Executive Division to bring him to such a path than that of the so-called Destiny of Worlds, for we will rule everything in our wake in this Second Galvanic Uprising!"
"I would rather die than see Sam Winchester become your puppet!"
At that dreadful moment, Minara watched while being pinned down by his captors as he watched Lentulus and Penelope be strung from the gallows. By the time he broke free, he saw Julilla open up the hatch as she used her sword to cut the ropes to bring her prisoners down onto the cobblestone ground. When he got there, it was too late as he saw Penelope dead with her neck broken, along with Lentulus himself. Staring from the hatch above him, he saw Julilla smiling as she was exuberant in her role as the dominant ice queen in this tragedy. Even the onlookers and other townsfolk saw the dead Elder and daughter on the ground as they broke out in protest against the woman who later fled from sight. Distraught from seeing them dead in front of him, Minara let out a scream that pierced the heavens in which he cradled his wife's head in his arms.
"DAMN YOU, JULILLA! ONE DAY, YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!"
It wasn't long until Ryosuke arrived too late as he saw Minara sobbing over his wife and father-in-law who lost their lives in such a mockery of an execution. The damage was already done as Meg also arrived at the scene of such misery that was caused by the Executive Division. It was a time for revenge as the arrival of the Executive Division onto Claudius and executing an Elder was the last straw that became a rallying cry to stop them in their tracks. Every bystander began to push back against the remainder of the Executive Division as it was also a riot that brought everyone together to bring them out of Meros after what was witnessed earlier. With members of the Cross Corps arriving to collect the dead bodies that were wrongly killed for no reason, Ryosuke was ready to lay down the law as he was getting fed up with what he saw in the form of an unruly protest.
"Death to the icy whore!" yelled one bystander.
"Murderer!" yelled another.
"You killed our beloved Lentulus and his daughter, you cold bitch!" cried an elderly woman. "You took them away because they did nothing wrong to you!"
"Enough of your rioting for once!" yelled Ryosuke. "What you saw today was a mockery of both us and your army on this planet! As for the deaths of Lentulus Varus and Penelope Mitani, they will be both avenged and given justice for their honor and memory."
"We demand vengeance against that cold-hearted whore who killed our beloved folk! We demand action against her for what she's done to even Minara of all people by taking his loved ones away from him!"
"I hate to burst your bubble, but Julilla's not the type that can be reasoned easily," said Meg cautiously. "We all know that her arrogance is a lot worse than a certain ex-King of Hell who hasn't been seen in months, but General Wetzel and his cronies will suffer for what they've done to Lentulus and Penelope."
"There will be vengeance, mark my words…, Julilla…," said Minara as he was filled with both anguish and rage. "When I find her, I will make her suffer and break every bone in her body for her crimes. She killed Lentulus and Penelope and she will suffer dearly for taking them away from me!"
"Easy there, tiger; don't get so worked up about it."
"What do you know about all of this?! In the Elder Days, you possessed an innocent woman to spy on the Winchesters of old and even killing some of their allies in their tracks!"
"Hey, I paid for my mistakes, alright?! As for Julilla, she's gonna get what's coming to her when Ryosuke gives the word to take her down. As for losing Daddy Dearest, there's a hefty mode of consequences coming because taking a life of an Elder is a serious offense tht leads to death. As for your wife, she was close to you, but she will also be avenged in the form of justice by the rest of us, you got that, Minara?"
Minara left without further incident as he was heartbroken after his failure to save Penelope and Lentulus from a gruesome fate. As for what was yet to come, he swore to avenge the closest people he loved dearly as his target was the ice queen who took them away from him without reason or remorse whatsoever. With the time for action in the centerpiece of this ongoing war, it was the last straw as it was also a motive to put an end to the Executive Division and their growing list of cronies and supporters for good, for this war wasn't about to end quietly soon enough...
Meanwhile, back in the present…
I was in the dining room of the house as I was having breakfast with my family for the first time in a while. I was glad that I was having a meal with my family as I was starting to feel a little bit better after being in bed for too long. After the rain died down, we were happy to have some normalcy in the house as the smell of pancakes with sausage links and eggs filled the entire kitchen. Still, we all ate as a family as we didn't want any unsettling conversation to disturb our meal right now. After being in bed for two days, I was alert as I was most likely to be getting things done in which I spotted Dirk with the other children. He was the first to finish his food as he was also most likely to be helping out with the dishes after breakfast. By the time he was about to do so, he saw Dean in the kitchen as he was busy doing the dishes after getting his fix of food. Still, he wanted to help out, but he was no match for my older brother as he was doing his part into helping out in the kitchen like everyone else here in this house.
"Hey, you can't just take over the sink like that," he said.
"Sorry, but I got dibs on dishes," said Dean.
"At least the rain stopped just in time to repair the damage to the town..."
"Well, it sucks that the Executive Division just rained on Ryosuke's parade by causing death in the streets in Meros on Claudius."
"What actually happened over there?"
"Lentulus is dead." Dirk gasps in shock as he heard the bad news in front of him. "The ice queen of the Executive Division made a mockery of an execution in which she killed him and later fled after that dastardly deed she pulled. And what worse, she even killed Penelope as well in which Minara vows revenge against her."
"No… Does Nerva know about it? Those are his dad and sister, after all..."
"This isn't a time to talk to you about it anyway..."
"Of course it is, Dean! I know how that ice queen works 'cause if she doesn't get her way, she retaliates by violence and even death if we're all not careful about it! This isn't the first time that she was itching to get into Sam's pants and those before him and I've heard of her seducing her victims into getting what she truly wants in which even Deejatra doesn't like her that much. Julilla is nothing more than a toxic poison and she'll stop at nothing just to get into Sam's pants against Reiko's wishes without warning. She's capable of causing dread to her victims and it turns her on so bad that she even destroys their reputation in the end. And the creepy thing about it is that she goes after married men just to screw her way to the top."
"Hey, that's a little risque, even for someone who's on the cusp of puberty there. As for Sam, however, he's gonna have to watch his back towards Julilla if he's not careful. She already did further damage to Minara two days ago. We all know that he'll gut her up for what she did do to his wife and father-in-law and he'll kill her when he gets the chance. It's not fun, but we can't let him fall victim to the Executive Division at all costs, alright?"
"Wait, you can't just barge in here like that!" yelled Magda as she entered into the kitchen in which Ryosuke was here to brief all of us in this latest turn of events. "It's too early to be in here and you can't just charge in here like a bull, you know."
We were caught off guard by the leader of the Order's outer planetary branch as he was most likely to be going up against the Executive Division like the rest of us. He was like all of us at this time as he was determined to put an end to that group once and for all, for his reasons were the same level as all of us at this time. Still, he swore revenge against the group that we were fighting as this latest battle had gotten personal for him, for he would soon find and do away with Julilla for her crimes soon enough.
"We need to talk," he said.
"Your timing is bad, Ryosuke," I said as I came into the kitchen.
"I just got back from attending two funerals not too long ago and the succession of Lentulus' position is getting much worse."
"According to what I looked up, his son, Hector, is poised to take on that position, but his oldest one, Janus, is out of the running due to his status as a soldier in the Cross Corps," said Magda.
"Hector is inexperienced in his duties of becoming an Elder! He knows nothing about being an Elder of the Order after seeing his father and sister hung and later cut down onto the ground with their necks broken afterwards. The only best bet is Minara and he's selected to fill his father-in-law's shoes."
"Minara is still a member of the Medical Corps," I said. "Like most soldiers in the four Corps soldier groups, he is forbidden to inherit titles or land."
"Well, I've made an exception because he's also the grandson of Ippei Mitani. He's come and went all over the place in which he's also committed to his duties in the Order like the rest of us."
"You can't bend the rules, Ryosuke. Minara is out of the running of succeeding Lentulus as an Elder of the Order, for the only one to do so is Hector himself. You may call him inexperienced, but he'll learn what truly matters in the end."
"My edict still stands, Sam. Effective immediately, Minara will resign his post as a member of the Medical Corps as of now. He is more in tune with what is put around him on Claudius more than anything. And do you know why Minara was chosen to succeed Lentulus? It's because of the new status that was revealed in which he's a Nephilim like your wife and the Domina's consort in the Kingdom by the River. Their mother, Pomelia, was a Half-Elf, but her own mother was Elven and also a member of the prominent Vallon family. I have faith in Minara to succeed and so should you. He's been handpicked by the members in his family by marriage in which he'll be a much formidable one indeed."
It wasn't long until we saw Minara arriving as he was shocked to hear the news about the succession that stunned him to the core. When he fled the kitchen, he went towards the hall as he heard footsteps coming after him. He may had lost his wife and father-in-law, but succeeding in the Order as the next Elder stunned him as he didn't want it that much. He was still a member of the Medical Corps as he vowed to keep it that way, for soldiers like him will always be forbidden to inherit titles or land to call their own. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't about to surrender to the big leagues as he was still tied down to his duty as a soldier to the Medical Corps, for it would never leave him hanging. Turning around, he saw Ryosuke on his heels as he was serious about the decision that he was making, but he wasn't about to concede defeat just yet. He never wanted to take over Lentulus' job as an Elder of the Order as he was still shackled to the duty that was given to him since birth, for it would end up changing in a much higher favor than much anticipated.
"Minara Mitani," said Ryosuke. "As of now, you are no longer a member of the Medical Corps, starting today."
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Is it about the position that you're about to give to me against the rules?"
"Lentulus entrusted you to succeed him the moment he was cut down. It would be a huge godsend to honor his memory that way."
"I'm a member of the Order and I'm still a part of the Medical Corps, Ryosuke! I was bound to my duties the moment I came out of my mother's womb and you're telling me that I must be an Elder of the Order against the rules of the four soldier corps groups? This is madness and you know it!"
"You are heavily qualified for it because a certain someone wanted you to do so."
"I'm not qualified for anything but to follow orders and help the sick and injured. If you want a successor for Lentulus, then you should seek out Hector for it. He's Lentulus' second son and a member of the Order like the rest of us in which he even studied lore from the Elder Days. You said yourself that he is next in line to succeed his father, didn't you? Didn't you say that he was next to fill the late latter's shoes?"
"I did, until he was drafted into the Claudian Army to fight against the Executive Division on his home planet."
"Well, send him back here! He's the true successor, not me! I was married into the Varus family until my beloved Penelope was cut down along with her father. Therefore, you can't bend the rules, Ryosuke! You can't just magically pluck me from the duty I was stuck with and place me into another one that I'm not capable of."
"I say that you're qualified as a true successor, Minara," said Chuck as he appeared in his human form. "You may say that you're not the man as your father-in-law was, but you have plenty of support from your in-laws along the way. Yeah, Hector got drafted into the Claudian Army, but that doesn't mean that Lentulus' seat gets vacated while it collects dust for the next few years or so."
"I stand by one thing alone, fool, for I will always be in the Medical Corps until my final breath."
"Didn't you see Man of Steel? Jor-El wanted to bend the rules on who is put in the same department over and over again, but you sound like General Zod by staying in the status quo all the live long by clinging to your role that was given to you since birth with a side order of giving the council a revolt with a middle finger. If I were you, I'd rather pull a Jor-El and don't be a Zod 'cause bending the rules isn't that bad when it comes to a hopeful solution. Sooner or later, the Rakuen Priesthood will find you another wife to replace Penelope and fill the hole in your heart, but your new position as Elder will bring you much more than you imagined. I'm saying this because it is My will alone to take a stand against the Executive Division for what they've done. They've even mocked Me as being some nitwit who is similar to Jabba the Hutt sitting on his ass, which was a joke that got pinned on Me since I sat on the sidelines in the time of the Apocalypse. I know that you feel like the kid in school that gets picked on because you're perceived to fail in life by a bunch of high school bullies, but I'm telling you not to become that kid on the sidelines. I want you to be the kid who can overcome the typical high school bullies and get to the positon that you were meant to be in."
Minara was stunned to hear Chuck's words as he had a feeling that he was being thrown into Lentulus' shoes against his wishes despite his fierce loyalty and servitude to the Medical Corps. He never wanted to be Elder in the first place as it was meant for those who were related to Lentulus by blood. Just as he was about to storm out again, he spotted some of our allied faction arriving as they were carrying in a young woman who was badly injured as she was fighting for her life. Minara never saw her before until I rushed forward to see what was going on. The woman that was carted in here suffered from burns on her body as I had no other choice but to play matchmaker to bring Minara to further terms in his new position before it was too late. Even though he lost his wife at the hands of the Executive Division, I couldn't let him pass up on seeing someone who beautiful as she had black hair and blue eyes that were the most gorgeous of all beneath the burns and dirt on her body.
"Where's the Medical Corps?" asked one of the soldiers from the Hunter Corps.
"I'm one of them right now," said Minara as he saw the woman laying in a stretcher.
"She was hiding in one of the buildings in which it caught fire after the enemy forces came here to destroy it," said a soldier from the Drakonar Army. "A relief crew found her beneath the rubble, but she's in dire need of medical attention."
"There's an infirmary wing in this house," I said. "We'll have the Medical Corps tend to the patient's wounds as soon as possible." I briefly stared at Minara as I was starting to have a change of heart to accepting his role as an Elder of the Order. "Perhaps bending the rules will bring us good in this ongoing war after all..."
Still, this intervention for Minara to take the reins of power to replace Lentulus was a game changer as the shift from soldier to Elder was something that was far more different than the typical status quo over the years. It was a calling to the recently former member of the Medical Corps to answer, but he had unfinished business to take care of first as he was most likely to tend to the woman who was brought here in the first place, for it was the start of what would be a happy union in the making…
The woman who was brought here was dreaming as she saw the building she was in catch on fire after a blast from the large vehicle she saw earlier. She was fleeing the flames as she felt them touch at her skin in which she screamed for her life until she woke up in a hospital room. She found herself in a hospital bed as she was covered in bandages while being cleaned and dressed up in fresh nightclothes to wear. She never expected herself to be here as she heard the door open to find Minara coming into the room to check up on her well-being. Still, she was in a new place as she noticed him to be a calm man for someone who was concerned for her overall health, for she could be someone that could also fill the hole in his heart for the rest of his life after all.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I feel as if I was saved from the flames," said the woman.
"My superior said that you will make a full recovery after what happened to you. If the rain hadn't came, you would've been burned to death on the spot, but I'm happy that you'll live."
"I came to Essos to work at a factory, but it's all gone now when I saw that large vehicle come and destroy part of the town here. Sadly, I have no family since they were killed when I was small, but I managed to work and read on my own while earning my keep to cover my expenses."
"Well, I just lost my position in the Medical Corps, only to fill the vacated position as one of the Elders of the Order after I saw my wife and father-in-law die at the hands of Julilla Paxton, who is the Executive Division's second-in-command and General Wetzel's right-hand woman in this dangerous war. I also have two children from my beloved, who are with their relatives for safety reasons, but I swear that I'll end that ice queen's life for taking my wife and father-in-law away from me."
"My name is Mizuwa Elkins… I lost my family when I was little, but I knew how to manage on my own, thanks to my mother, who was a Draaza that married my father, who was human. They're up there with the Matriarch, but it was said that my ancestors made weapons in the Elder Days. I never made weapons, but only pastries and treats for everyone."
"My own mother taught me how to cook, so there's plenty of reasons to keep everyone happy, but right now, my situation is complicated since I lost my wife and father-in-law. As for my situation with coping with their deaths, I vow to never marry again for as long as I live. It's better this way because it honors the woman I loved dearly. I won't dishonor Penelope that way, for it wouldn't be right on her part."
"You have a kind heart and soul, but don't your children need a mother to look after them?"
"Even if they did need a mother, I can't give it to them, nor could I bring her back, either. It's just the way things are, I suppose..."
Mizuwa stared at Minara as she sat up in her hospital bed in which she sensed all sadness in him after enduring such a devastating loss. Little did they know was that I was watching in the distance as I couldn't allow Minara to suffer the same way, for this memory of loss was a much familiar one indeed…
Many years ago…
The sound of the bell from Kripke Shrine rang loudly as Dad was dressed in a black kimono the moment he had Dean and me with him. It had been four days since Mom was killed as several onlookers paid their last respects to her. It was terrible for our Dad as he had tears running down his cheeks the moment he saw Mom pinned to the ceiling in which the cabin we all stayed at caught fire on that night in the Winterlands. Still, he was distraught as he had me and Dean to comfort us, but someone else was also both sad and angry about what happened on that tragic night. It was Cynthia herself who paid her respects to our Mom as she wanted to wring Sawney Masbath's neck for his involvement into her death. By the time the funeral commenced, everyone went into Kripke Shrine as they saw Mom's casket put on display. For Dad, it was too much to bear as the sight of her charred body made him weep even more, for he felt empty after that.
With several members of the Kai royal family and the Order laying flowers near our Mom's casket, Dad was the last one to lay his red rose as he saw it being put into the furnace. The sight of it being put in there was a stark reminder that he vowed to be true to her until he spotted the Rakuen Priesthood coming into the shrine to intervene against his wishes. With their pot full of names to select a suitor, they were ready to give him the smackdown into remarrying as they weren't about to let him slip away quietly, for they were stirring the pot to select a suitor for him after this.
"What's the meaning of this?" he said as he saw the Rakuen Priesthood taking out a piece of paper from the selection pot. "Can't you blockheads see that you're at a funeral right now?"
"We know what is at stake, John," said one of the members. "Mary didn't die in vain, but her father still covers her death at the expense for his bastard son, Sawney."
"You have no right to be here!"
"We have every single right to be here, John," said another member. "A suitor has been selected for you and it is none other than Cynthia MacVicker of the MacVicker Clan. You know that you can't back down on this selection now because of the fact that she'll be beneficial to both you and your sons in the long run."
"Don't even try to piss me off, you got that?! Mary was killed by demons two days ago and you believe that giving me another wife will fill the hole in my heart?! No! I'm officially done with marrying another spouse after what I saw when my wife was pinned to the ceiling! As of now, I will never marry again, you hear me?!"
"You can't fight the duty of maintaining balance in your family forever, John. Sooner or later, you'll connect with what is given to you in which you'll learn how to have faith again."
"You think it's easy to put me with another spouse after Mary was killed? It's not! It's never gonna be that way because I'm better off without another wife in my life!"
"And what about your sons? What will they say if they see you now without a mother to tend to them? You fear the wicked step-parent syndrome in which what you get can cause harm to your boys, but you're wrong! You feel as if nothing good will come out of it, but we'll see to it that you bring it into fruition."
"I can raise them without a mother, for Mary will always be important to me in the end!"
"It happened with your past self before in the Elder Days and look what it turned out to be when one of those boys wanted to steer clear to have a normal life while the other stuck to hunting," said the first member. "It can't go on forever because of the fact that you need stability for both you and your sons. If you don't comply and marry the woman that is chosen for you, then we have no other choice but to take your sons away from you, is that clear?"
Dad stared at both me and Dean as we were being tended to by others in the funeral procession. After what he witnessed, he stormed outside as he saw the falling snow coming down onto the ground. He didn't want anything to do with the marriage concept after he lost Mom in which he wasn't taking her death too lightly. He wanted her to live again as he was aching to hold her in his arms, but he was barred on doing so due to the Order's strict restrictions on bringing loved ones back to life. When he saw the priests from the shrine bringing out Mom's remains, they were made for burial as he spotted Acamas standing next to the graves of the fallen. As a close friend of his, the Rendilian was no stranger to death as he was also paying his final respects to Mom like everyone here in this funeral at Kripke Shrine.
"I see that you've suffered the worst of Mary's death, didn't you, John?" he said.
"Mary was more important to me than anything, but it's all too much for me…," he answered.
"The Rakuen Priesthood sure has you by the balls, don't they? Still, you cannot go against their decision in which you have no other choice to have a replacement for a wife before your sons end up being put into foster care."
"Dean and Sam will never be taken away from me, I swear of it! They are my flesh and blood…- no!- they also have royal blood from the Kai Emperor and their mother as well, but they'll always be a part of that union, no matter what anyone else says."
"Even though you try to go against what is put in front of you, you can't stray away from it or else you'll fall into a much darker chasm than expected. Ever since Mary died, you fell into this alarming state of depression and it hurts everyone around you, not just yourself. Therefore, even though one spouse dies and the widowed marry another, the familial ties with that deceased loved one will be forever, no matter what is said."
Dad reluctantly agreed as he decided to stick to his guns and seek out the Elven bride that the Rakuen Priesthood had selected for him. When he spotted her standing near Mom's grave, she prayed hard to look after us as she couldn't allow him to sink into his further state of depression than he already had. Before he met Mom, both she and Cynthia mainly vied for his affections as they were also upping the ante to see who got him first, but not this time. It was a somber time to reflect as the lone female of the MacVicker Clan was determined to save Dad from what he suffered from so far.
"I thought you were at your keep in the Southern Stride," he said to her.
"Sorry, but I just had to get away before Clovis got pissed off," answered Cynthia.
"Mary's gone..."
"I heard all about it when the Farragut Clan in the Winterlands saw the cabin catch on fire. By the time I got here, I also got word that Clovis was executed by the Rakuen Priesthood for trying to bar me from coming to you. Well, here I am and I will always be there for both you and your boys."
"I guess that I have no choice here, do I?"
"Those boys may have both yours and Mary's blood, but they can't go without a mother or else they'll end up getting out of control in their youth. Mary and I may have battled for your affections, but her death is on the hands of Sawney Masbath himself. I even tried to tell Emperor Sarno about his involvement into her death, but all he did was to silence me further. And when I saw him at the Kai Embassy returning, he didn't mourn for Mary, but he literally celebrated it by guzzling down Shigan champagne and simply reveling in her death after all those times she brushed him off."
"On the week before Halloween, he attacked her for no reason other than to hurt her for spurning him before she married me. I even threw him out and told him not to come back, but those words of his came true… He said to me, 'You'll regret this, John Winchester… One day, I'll make you pay for stealing what was mine… You'll pay dearly for this, mark my words...'" Dad broke down crying as he couldn't contain himself this time. "This isn't fair for me! Mary didn't deserve to suffer like this and now I'm paying for it! Sawney got his wish when he told me those words on that day, but-"
"That's enough, John! You can't go on like this forever, you know! I want Sawney to get kicked in the balls so badly that he'll be singing soprano for the rest of his life. I also want that son-of-a-bitch to pay as much as you do, but nothing is worth losing you right now. Mary would've wanted you to be happy and she would be sad if she saw you like this. Still, there is hope and I'll look after your boys, even if it means by bringing them some extra siblings to play with. I'm no stranger to looking after things, but it's the last best chance that I'll do for Mary."
Dad stared at Cynthia as he had plenty of reasons to allow her into his life as she was a primal asset to us in the future. In this fresh hope from uncertainty, he was grateful that the Rakuen Priesthood intervened to bring her to him as he had to move forward in life, for a much further destiny was coming in a time of restoration…
Meanwhile, back in the present… again!
I was outside on the beach as I saw the waves crashing near the shore. With the warm weather returning for the rest of the summer, I was most likely to be resuming my duties until I spotted Minara approaching. Even though he was still mourning, he was not ready to take another wife yet as he stared at the ocean while it continued to blow towards the sand. I sensed that he still wanted vengeance against Julilla for killing his wife and father-in-law as he swore to put her down after what he witnessed in front of a crowd of people jeering at the ice queen for her deplorable actions.
"I know what you're going to say, Sam, but I won't marry again," he told me.
"And the woman who was brought to us earlier, is she feeling alright?" I asked.
"Mizuwa is recovering from the burns on her body, but according to Kazuo, the woman herself is none other than a Cetra."
"I know what they are because they are a hybrid species like Half-Elves and Nephilim. It's also said that the Cetra are created in the form of a human father and Draaza mother, but their lifespan is similar to the longevity of Elves, but greater. As for your further lineage, you're like Shigeru and Reiko in which you are considered to be a Nephilim yourself."
"I hate to tell you this, but I don't use any travelling portals whatsoever. My abilities as a Nephilim awakened a lot longer than expected, but I came and went for a reason to be a part of the Medical Corps. It's strange to see it that way, but I don't use my powers to heal all the way due to the scrutiny that I could face."
"Therefore, you do everything by the book, but when you get a chance to succeed Lentulus, you will have more than just medical experience on your side. Still, I was skeptical until I realized something in the end. Even though Ryosuke stuck to his decision to remove you from the Medical Corps, he had good reason to in which God Himself chose to intervene on his behalf."
"The Terran who changes into that Irish terrier may have high hopes for me to take over Lentulus' job as an Elder, but all I want in return is to see Julilla suffer the same way that my loved ones did. If you had loved ones who died from those who killed them, would you avenge them in the end?"
"I would, but there's always karma intervening in slow steps. I was reminded by the ghost of Lentulus in which if I took the path of vengeance, then I would end up digging a grave for myself if I did. As for the Cetra that was found in the rubble, she'll be a true mate for you when it comes to being there for both yourself and your children as well. We're all connected, but with many threads that are in constant stride with what we have and that will never change."
Minara turned around as he saw Reiko and Magda wheeling Mizuwa in a wheelchair towards the beach. Even though he was trying to fight off the factor of marriage, he couldn't get enough of her as she was healing slowly from her injuries. She was more beautiful than what was perceived to be as she also had a gentle soul that made her more humble than the rest of us. Minara couldn't help but stare at her as she was still on the mend, for she would soon become his wife in this time of war. Just as he was about to go towards her, he heard his vidphone ringing as he answered it. What he was about to hear was most likely to be unpleasant as he also had a gut feeling that the caller was there to stalk him for no reason.
"I know what you're trying to do and you won't get what you want," he said.
"It's a sad shame that Penelope fell to her death, but sooner or later, I'll have my way with you like I longed for during your time abroad," said Julilla over the phone in an icy voice. "I also see that you've found someone new and it makes me cross to see you being with her. She's a Cetra, isn't she? Does she spread her legs just to allow you to pour your seed into her just to spite me?"
"She's been injured, but she's on the mend right now. As for what you've done, you have incited a canker that can be alleviated by the soldiers who swore vengeance against you for killing Lentulus and my beloved Penelope. I haven't forgotten about that because of the fact that you will get it coming whether I get to you or not."
"You won't get to me, but I'll surely get to you, my dear Minara Mitani. You were one of the few who resisted me, but it made me angry in which you told me about how you were awaiting the birth of your first child. Now that your wife's dead, there's nothing you can do about it, for I will win this battle from the inside out. You know that you can never resist me and you never will."
"Keep your icy tongue beneath your teeth, you cold bitch! When I saw my wife and father-in-law dead after you hung them and caused them to fall to their deaths, I swore to you that I'll never marry again in which I will have my revenge for what you've done to them!"
"I set you free from your burden and this is the thanks I get? It's shameful to hear you talk of vengeance while you begin to stroke your cock just to think about me."
"You shut your mouth! You took my wife away from me! You took my father-in-law away from me! You also know that taking the life of an Elder is a serious crime, but you keep coming up roses after what you've done! Sooner or later, I'll make your sorry life miserable for you the same way you did mine! In the end, I will have my vengeance whether it's in this life or the next one, mark my words!"
"If you do this, then you put your Cetra patient at risk. As soon as you comply to my actions, then I'll leave you be. If you don't, then the Cetra that is in your care dies in front of you… just… like...Penelope!"
"Go to hell, you icy bitch!"
Minara put away his phone as he wanted to get rid of Julilla once and for all for what she did to him in this ongoing war. When he stared at Mizuwa in her wheelchair, he was concerned for her safety as he didn't want any further harm towards her. Even though he was still distraught over the deaths of his beloved wife and father-in-law, he vowed to stay in this war to fight against the Executive Division, for they had gone too far this time.
"You look pissed," said Magda as she saw Minara not too happy with what he heard.
"It was Julilla…," he said as he clenched his fists. "She now knows about Mizuwa being here, but she wants me to be her sex toy just to get what she wants."
"Minara," I said. "Julilla uses this tactic to cause harm to you in which it refers to stalking altogether."
"She'll come here to hurt Mizuwa just to spite me and she'll stop at nothing to do so. She harrasses me just to be aroused and she's reveling in it."
"You're not the only victim here, Minara. During my stay in Trainfell, Julilla did the same to me in which her desires to steal me from Reiko became the final straw to do something about it until she got free from her cage. She stalked me in which she left some harrassing messages on my phone in which she was wanting to throw acid on Reiko as well. I know what harrassment and stalking do because it brings the victim down to its roots."
"Is this true?" asked Mizuwa.
"That woman said that in which she wanted to hurt me and take Sammy away," said Reiko. "Julilla knows nothing about real love and how it binds us in which this will never be broken."
"Are you sure about this?"
"It's true because Dean told it to me once," said Magda. "We all saw the damage in Sam's hotel room back in Trainfell in which Julilla made a mess in there just like what she did to Minara. We all know that she's dangerous and we all know that she'll use any form of scare tactic on any vulnerable man just to get what she wants. You're not alone on this fight and we'll take this battle against the Executive Division and their cronies, for this is a war that can't be ignored so far."
Minara briefly stared at all of us as he was concerned for those around him. Still, he kept staring at Mizuwa the most as she was more than just a patient that was on the mend. She would soon be his new wife as it was also an obstacle for Julilla to get past. By the time we left the beach, Minara stood behind as he grabbed a stick and wrote a proverb in Latin on the wet sand. With the words, "Nemo me impune lacessit," scrawled before they were washed away by the ocean waves, he stood by that saying as he vowed to avenge his fallen loved ones and fight for those he cherished dearly. He even swore to protect the remainder of his loved ones in this ongoing fight, for it was his reason to go into battle after all…
To be continued...