Chapter 13
"We hope you didn't mind the wait" Rickie said upon their arrival "it took some time, but I think we found what you came here for. This book contains all the knowledge our ancestors gathered about the baltunph."
"And this is the weapon forged by all our people over the centuries. The only thing in our library that we think can take down the baltunph." Coco added and carefully placed the valuable sword on the coffee table. 'And the last thing our mother handed to us to take with us when we fled from Altis' she thought to herself.
"Are you sure you have the right sword? This doesn't look so special" Dean noticed disappointed. No carvings on the blade, no decoration on the hilt. Just a simple sword. It actually looked very misplaced when he thought of all the really fancy things surrounding them in the library.
"It's like nothing I have ever seen before" Castiel said impressed. He got a step closer and let his hand hover above it.
"We are looking at the same thing, are we?" Dee asked him unbelievingly. What was he talking about? It was a simple sword.
"The energy it radiates is immense, yet so calm and almost peaceful." Castiel explained fascinated.
"Well observed, angel" Rickie said "it holds the energy of thousands of years." She motioned for them to sit down at the coffee table again while telekinetically moving the armchairs closer to it. Then she opened the old book in her hands and placed it on the table next to the sword so everyone was able to look at it.
"The pictures look a little like medieval tapestry" Sam and Samantha determined immediately in unison.
"Right, now I see it to. Does it mean this dates back to the 11th century? That's old but not beginning of time old" Dean observed and earned confused looks that said 'you are right, wait how do you know when the Middle ages were?'. So he explained "Remember that girl in Santa Fe? She was obsessed with medieval stuff… and the Kama Sutra."
"I really don't want to know" Coco interrupted Dean's dirty memories "but you are right. Our people passed down the legend of the baltunph from generation to generation. Only in the 11th century they had the idea of writing it down. And here is the problem: We can't tell how much of it is story and how much it is the truth. But what we can do is tell you everything our ancestors told us."
"A solid maybe is more than we have most of the time. So go ahead" Sam answered with a sight.
"Very well then" Coco answered and started reciting the legend she had heard so often when she had been a child "before the beginning of time there were three siblings. Two sisters and one brother who formed a perfect harmony. They loved each other, complemented each other. Darkness was raw power and destruction, Light was thought and creation and Nature was matter and energy. For billions of years they coexisted as family relying and trusting."
Rickie turned the page and instead of the previous three representations of Light, Darkness and Nature there now was a picture of a garden flooded with light. "One day though something changed. Light felt like there had to be something more than the three of them. He asked Nature for a piece of her so he could create something out of her. And because she loved and adored her brother for his ideas she gave him a bit of matter and energy. And as his light brushed over and enlightened it the garden of everything emerged. Light had created a beautiful home for them. Solely Darkness couldn't bring herself to love this place like her siblings did."
"Of course she wouldn't like a fancy garden like that" Dee interrupted.
"It wasn't the garden per se she didn't like as she regarded her brothers creation as beautiful. It was more the absence of anything of her that made her wary. And jealous of what the two other sibling seemed to share. I think she felt left out and as if she didn't belong" Rickie explained.
"Which Nature realized, so she asked her sister for a piece of her which they unified into five creatures that patrolled the gate to the garden, destroying everything that came too close to it. And for many millennia peace between them was once again restored" Coco jumped in and turned the page again. It showed a painting of planets thriving with life but it was overshadowed by darkness. "And over the years they just took it for granted. Nature didn't realize just how fragile the peace was, so she didn't think twice when Light came to her once more and asked for another piece of her. She willingly gave it. And she loved what he created out of it. She loved the deep blue seas and the strong winds. She loved the plants and she loved the animals, seeing herself in every of them. It's no wonder people still often refer to her as Mother Nature as like a mother she was loving, caring, her calm energy in the sunrays that brushed over the morning grass and her wild energy in the whispers of the storms. And Light is what gave all of it life."
"But for Darkness old feelings came back up again. And seeing her sister loving Light's creation made it worse. She burned with anger and with it Light's creation burned." Rickie continued. She turned the page again and in the picture Light was fighting Darkness with the four archangels. "Nature was devastated. She loved the creation like a mother and she loved her sister with everything she had. She tried to reach out to her sister, but Darkness never answered. So she just sat in the garden of everything, hoped and waited torn between the love to her sister and the creation. Grieving the loss of so many. When almost everything of the creation was destroyed, Light approached Nature. He asked her one final time for a piece of her, so he could create something to protect the rest of creation. Nature only complied when he promised her that he'd use it to bring their sister back so all three of them could solve the issue without anyone dying anymore. With this final gift of Nature he created the four archangels and together they protected what was left of creation. Darkness was locked away."
"Nature felt something wasn't the way it should be", Coco said turning the page again. It showed Light and Nature in the garden a storm raging around them. It showed the brother killing his sister. "When Light came back Nature was suddenly overcome by realization. 'You turned her against us on purpose, didn't you? What did you tell her? How could you?' she screamed at him. 'I did what I had to for MY creation. And I do what I have to for my creation now too' he answered and before Nature realized what he meant Light killed her and started absorbing her power. With her final breath she pushed him out of the garden and sealed it to keep the rest of her power save from him. As her essence faded into nothing she gave the rest of it into the creatures patrolling the gates of the garden, screaming at them to stop her brother."
Coco turned to the next page. It showed five hound like creatures draining a planet of life. "And from there on the baltunph were on their mission. Trying to find Light and destroying every sign of him they can find. They travel from planet to planet, from universe to universe and leave only destruction behind. I think this never was Natures intention."
Rickie now turned to the last page. It showed the people of Altis sitting crossed legged around a sword. "I think this is why her echo blessed the people of Altis with visions about the baltunph. We always understood ourselves as children of Nature, using and being guided by her energy. Whenever the baltunph are about to infest a new planet she lets us feel it. She showed our ancestors in visions how to transfer energy into a weapon to create one strong enough when the time comes. She also warned them that the baltunph can only be found when they arrive on a planet, because once they are there they nest under the surface near the planet core and no one is able to get to them again. And she showed them the signs of an impending infestation which are just the signs you described appeared in Greenville."
Coco and Rickie raised their heads from the book and looked expectantly at the Winchesters. They were met by looks of confusion and thoughtfulness.
"So you are saying that god is a power hungry asshole who locked away one sister and betrayed and killed the other one?" Sam asked unbelievingly.
"This is the legend we were told" Rickie answered cautious "we don't know what about it is true. We just know that there are always as many truths as individuals are involved. And never forget, we tell this story as people of Altis. We understand ourselves as close to Nature."
"I understand what you mean" Sam said and secretly admired her for her reflectiveness. It still gave him material to think about, because Chuck was a decent guy… wasn't he?
"This is the first question you have? Really?" Dee asked a little angry "How about we first ask if I got it correct: You can give us a weapon, but it is useless, because there is no way to get to the monster before our whole planet is toast?"
"Basically yes" Coco answered.
"Just awesome" Dee snarled.
"But we are one step further" Castiel observed "you have a weapon now. Yes there is a new obstacle. But it never stopped you before."
"You are right" Samantha smiled at Castiel.
"Then we shall lay in your hands our most powerful weapon and give you our blessing for you shall be chosen to defeat the ancient threat" Rickie said ceremonial and placed the sword in Samantha's hand.
"Ahm, thank you?" Samantha said momentarily overwhelmed. Dee snickered a little. Those two ladies were kind of strange. But they had to admit, they were helpful.
"Before we go, can you take a look at this for a second?" Samantha suddenly asked and pulled out a paper.
Coco took it and looked at her questioningly. The paper was Sam's drawing of the sigil that brought the brothers there.
"Right, I almost forgot about that" Sam said.
"And what is that supposed to be?" Rickie asked and raised an eyebrow as she stepped closer to her sister and looked at the paper. She was secretly impressed that Sam remembered all the details.
"I don't know how to put that. See Dean and I don't really belong here…" Sam started to explain, but Rickie raised his hand to stop his explanation.
"We know, we can feel you are not from this dimension, but that still leaves the question: What does this paper have to do with it?" she asked.
"This sigil kind of brought us here" Dean answered.
"Okay…" Coco said faked unbelievingly "this sigil?" She started to paint it to the wall of the library and then stood in front of it. Her sister and the Winchesters joined her.
"So you say this brought you here… Are you sure this isn't a joke?" Coco asked.
"Trust me, I am as confused as you are. The combination of the runes just doesn't make any sense." Sam shrugged.
"And how exactly should this have worked?" Rickie asked skeptical.
"I simply touched this" Dean started and touched the same spot on the sigil.
"Dean wait!" Sam's warning came a little too late. Dean's fingertip already brushed the lines and suddenly they were enclosed by the bright cold light again. And a second later the Winchester brothers disappeared from the pocket dimension.
With the disappearance of the Winchesters life left Deana, Samantha and Castiel.
"They were incredible work" Coco remarked.
"A real team effort" Rickie returned the praise. With a snapping of her fingers the shapes of the characters they had manifested and controlled for the last few hours vanished. She then walked over to the motionless shape of the dragon.
"I miss you Aylana" she whispered quietly and with a tear in her eyes she snapped her fingers again.
Coco couldn't bring herself to look at it, even though she knew it wasn't really her beloved dragon, just a mere illusion. Instead she grabbed the sword and muttered a spell to bring this only real object in the room to the place it should be. With a silent pop it vanished just to reappear at its destination.
"It's in their hands now" Rickie remarked, stepping closer to her sister who stood somewhat lost without the sword in her hands anymore. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "We should go now. We prolonged our stay here anyway."
"Just give me a few more seconds" Coco pleaded quietly.
Rickie nodded at her sister. "Just don't take too long and don't forget to clean everything up. Oh and Coco: don't forget there are a few handsome Italians waiting for you on the other side. Meet you in Rome, Sis."
With a snap of her fingers Rickie disappeared out of the pocket dimension.
Coco stayed behind and for the first time this day she allowed herself crumble to the floor and cry. When she got up again her tears had dried and a small seed of anger had replaced some of the grief in her heart.
"One day" she promised herself "one day I will bring the real Altis back. One day Rickie and I will be there and happy again."
With a last look at everything she snapped her fingers and the pocket dimension around her crumbled into nothing. The next second she was gone.
When the light around the Winchesters finally lost its intensity and disappeared completely only moments later they weren't surprised to find themselves back at the empty storage hall.
"You know Dean, you are like the child that touches the hot stove over and over again." Sam said shaking his head.
"Shut up Sam. Better explain what the hell just happened." Dean said. The sigil on the wall was gone. Like nothing of the last day ever happened.
"You touched the boob-looking rune before we were able to finish the conversation with the two ladies of Altis and brought us back" Sam mocked.
"You are doing it on purpose now." Dean remarked "But isn't all of this fucking strange to you? A perfect case we never reach, because we got sucked into another universe. A strange monster, strange people who help and we got sucked back here before we have a chance to help defeat it?"
"Stranger things happened to us." Sam tried to assure Dean "Though I have to admit it feels like there is something that isn't right here. The passage into the other universe and back here didn't feel real. More like entering one of Gabriel's games. But he is dead right? And what would he gain from it. It makes no sense."
Dean just nodded, it felt fishy, but he didn't think there was something they could do about it. Not if the monster/ witch or whatever creature that had sent them there (wherever there was) revealed itself to them.
Slowly and cautiously the brothers made their way out of the storage hall. But nothing happened. No black smoke or anything else popped up. And much to Dean's relieve Baby still stood there.
"Do you think Dee and Samantha, if they were real and no dream or something, find a way to fight the baltunph?" Dean asked while he got in. Wait, the bench was not in the right place, he never sits so close to the steering wheel…
"I don't kno…" Sam began to answer before Deans angry voice interrupted him.
"What the hell, who sat in my car? I am gonna kill them!"
Sam turned around instinctively checking if someone was trying to attack them from behind.
"Maybe the same one who put this there" he answered as he picked up the sword of the people of Altis from the backseat.
"What the hell?" Dean just asked.
Sam shrugged "I have no idea. Let us better get out of here before more crazy things happen. We can try to figure it out later." Dean happily complied. He turned his key in the ignition and the Impala roared to life. With one cautious look back he speeded away passing the storage hall (and a few miles later a very satisfied looking Detective Steven Reynolds and candy shop employee.) A few miles in Sam turned on the radio and they listened to the radio announcer as he talked about the latest news.
"…and here is something for all the X-Files lovers. People from all over Greenville, Illinois are reporting weird occurrences. And we are talking about Thunderstorms and weird bubbles in which the time freezes… So if you are interested in strange stuff pack your bag…"
Thunderstruck Dean and Sam looked at each other. Without another word Dean turned the car to the Interstate in the direction to Illinois.
"Does that mean Samantha and Dee didn't succeed?" Dean asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Maybe. But who gave us the sword than? Maybe this whole thing was just a weird whatever to tell us what we have to do."
"Who is crazy enough to go through all this trouble just to give us a hint and a sword?"
"I don't know, but if we are dealing with the baltunph what matters now is that we get to Greenville fast enough."
"And that we will."
TBC
Author's note: Thanks for reading, the next Chapter will be about the fight against the baltunph and if my plan works it will be the last. Till then have a good time and stay healthy 😊