Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 3: Dirk's Sense of Manhood
(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 in a lounge room as I was cleaned and dressed after my bath in the hot spring earlier. With Kazuo also dressed up, he was under the microscope of Meizo as he couldn't get out of the predicament he was in. Still, we had to deal with plenty of kinks in our troubles as we had no other choice but to hear out what Meizo had to tell us, for it was more important than ever to do so. Even though seeing her here was embarrassing for me, but I also had to hear her out as she was not only wanting to chastize Kazuo for his behavior, but for telling me about the uncertainty that is coming forth, for the future of the Destiny of Worlds was hanging by a thread so far.
"We need to talk, Sam," I heard her say.
"I never expected to see you here, but your timing is bad, Meizo," I said.
"You've changed so much from a small little boy with a boisterous personality to someone who is more stern-faced than my husband."
"Don't try to rub it in, Meizo," said Kazuo.
"Well, he's gotten an icy demeanor that ends up clashing with the kindness that he has, but he can't just let it take over."
"I don't have an icy demeanor, but I always try to remain much more stern just to be stronger without blowing it out of proportion," I said.
"You may act like a new deity in training, but you lack the mental capacity that you've been trying to suppress. Still, you act more like a robot than a humanoid being. Even your past self had a greater sense of humor than you did, but you stick to too much work by taking care of people, including your family. That results in what most Terrans call karoshi or death by overworking."
"Is that what you were trying to tell me?"
"You can't put it off, Sam," said Kazuo. "You can't just sweep it under thr rug and say that you're fine, but you should also be considerate for yourself just as much as the rest of us. Therefore, I suggest that you take the day off before you drop."
I watched Kazuo and Meizo leave the lounge room as I was alone without any further delay. With the night still going, I walked towards the window as I saw the rain continuing to pour heavily from outside. It was a dreary evening as I wasn't about to let my whole days go to waste, for I had an idea of formulating a tradition that was mainly kept for those who turned thirteen. I thought about Dirk heavily as I wanted him to observe and be a part of his greater purpose, for it was something that couldn't be ignored right now...
The next morning, Dirk was in one of the rooms of the tower as he was getting up the moment he saw the sun shining from out the window. After enduring his night of being in the failed camping trip, he was happy to be in the tower that was forged quickly as he decided to leave towards the bathroom to take a shower just in time to start the day. For a Cat Sidhe to do so, he was now thirteen and on the verge of manhood the moment he stripped off his clothes and stepped in the stall the moment he turned on the water. After being around the other children while taking baths, he was most likely to be looking at the rest of himself as he had grown a few inches. Even though he was cleaning himself off, he couldn't help but wonder about the lower nest on his person as he was still enduring puberty with a vengeance.
By the time he rinsed himself off and turned off the shower faucet, he stepped out of there as he wrapped himself in a towel and went towards the sink where the mirror was at. He couldn't help but notice the impact that he was getting as he wanted to do more for himself. To his shock, he heard the door open as he turned around and saw Sachiko standing there in front of him in which she never expected him to blush before, for he was still growing after thriving with the family that he has now.
"You could've knocked, you know!" he yelled.
"You grew just like that?" asked Sachiko.
"Yeah, but could you at least let me get dressed first?!"
"Sam told me that you turned thirteen two weeks ago, but has it ever occurred to you that it's that time to be in what is called a bar mitzvah?"
"A bar mitzvah? Isn't that reserved for Jewish people?"
"If you're gonna marry me in the future, then you should at least consider taking up the traditions that were inherent in what the Bass Family preached."
"I may be on the cusp of manhood, but I'm still too young to show it."
"Well, you better get dressed because there's going to be a party later on due to what we're getting you into."
"Isn't a typical bar or bat mitzvah reserved for Jewish people?"
"You're a member of the Order, aren't you? I bet that the Torah could give you some guidance on how to be better adjusted at manhood."
"I'm already adjusted…, well, I still have a long way to go so far..."
Dirk was blushing a lot worse as he couldn't help but stare at Sachiko in which she has gotten more mature in her line of work as a member of the Judah Initiative. Still, he was young, but basking in the glory of being thirteen had both its perks and downsides as well. Anyway, he had to be aware of the looming bar mitzvah festivities that were being planned under his nose, for this was something that he hasn't gotten used to yet…
I was up and alert as I had a good reason to start the day in which I was hard at work tending to the younger twins after they had their breakfast earlier. Both boys were not only in the "terrible twos" stage, but they were also getting much more sturdier due to their growth spurts. Both boys were dirty after getting themselves all messy in which I took them towards the bathroom to clean them up. Stripping off their clothes and pull-ups, I took the towards the wash basin and gently scrubbed them with soap and warm water in which they were more active than normal. One of them, Aora, was calm in which he was curious with a lot of things while Ghimru had a boisterous personality that was a dead ringer to my own at that time. By the time I finished cleaning them up, I dried them off with a towel and dressed them in clean clothes with pull-ups as they were ready to be with the other children. Escorting them out of the bathroom, I noticed Dirk in the hallway as he was a bit puzzled about his pondering about manhood and other responsibilities, for this was something that I couldn't ignore right now.
"You got the twins cleaned up," he said.
"You're concerned about something, aren't you?" I said.
"Yeah, but I'm not ready for this typical bar mitzvah stuff 'cause I'm not Jewish."
"I've read some stuff from the Torah in which there are passages that will bring you closer to the verge of manhood. The bar or bat mitzvah is held on the Shabbat, or seventh day, but Sachiko insists that you celebrate your coming of age ceremony as soon as possible."
"We're here on Erebor in a tower that came out of nowhere, but all we have to eat are those matsutake mushrooms. I miss eating those potato latkes when I first met Sachiko, but there are no potatoes to make them with."
"Mr. Sam!"
We noticed Carly running towards us as she was hiding behind me. I also noticed that she was shaking with fear as I had to know what was going on. As usual, I had to calm her down as I had to hear her out, for she wanted to tell me about it.
"You gotta come quick, Mr. Sam!" I heard her yelling as she still hid from behind me. "It's happening all over with the vines and roots and all sorts of things! It's scary and it's all over my room again!"
"Okay, fusspot," I said. "I'll go and see what the problem is..."
I followed Carly to where her room was as I noticed it to be filled with creeping vines that had a medley of potatoes on it in which this phenomenon was very odd indeed. I never saw such a variety of potatoes in the form of russets, reds, yellow finns, and Yukon Golds. Normally, they would grow underground in the dirt, but seeing them grow all over Carly's room was unusual in which I also noticed some black potatoes that were mixed in the cornucopia of colored ones.
"You just noticed a bumper crop of potatoes just now, fusspot," I said.
"What's with the black ones in with the russets, reds, and yellows?" asked Carly.
"The black potatoes are called petty varmints and they're native to Shiganshina. You've tried them before in which you even wanted seconds once."
"Petty varmints? Oh, yeah; Reiko gathered some up once when we got settled at our home in the Dabb Mountains. There weren't any regular potatoes there anyway."
"Then we'll gather some of them to make latkes just in time for the upcoming bar mitzvah for Dirk."
"But Dirk isn't Jewish."
"He's not, but Sachiko is because of the fact that they were made for one another due to their reasons to fight as both members of the Order and the Judah Initiative. Besides, there's always room for those who are very likely to come of age so far."
It wasn't long until I picked some of the black potatoes that grew all over Carly's room as I was ready to go towards the kitchen to wash and peel them. When I went to the kitchen, I saw it to be a rustic one as it even had an oven that was similar to the one in the smelter room during my stay in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. To my curiosity, I saw the oven to be equipped with the electric components that were similar to any other oven that we came across. Still, I had plenty of work to do as I later noticed Meizo entering in which she was most likely to tell me something, for she had to do so in this time of crisis.
"I see that you're hard at work into peeling some petty varmints that you found," she said to me.
"Carly was the one who found them," I said.
"Sam, I want you to do something for me."
"Last night, you wanted me to focus more on myself, but you've got something that you wanted to tell me, don't you?"
"I want you to officiate my grandson and his future bride. Kazuo still doesn't want it to happen, but I do. Our legacy in Kazuo's branch from Takeo has been choked long enough and it's about time that Anaira needs to settle down with Dvora soon enough."
"He still has a stranglehold over his grandchildren, but I can't rub him the wrong way on that matter."
"He's doing this because of what happened to Takeo..."
"Takeo?"
"He was our younger son and a prodigy that pleased Kazuo, but when he married a member of the Shironami tribe, which lives on Alecrast's frigid arctic lands in the north and south, things really got out of hand against my husband's wishes. Even though Kazuo forbade the union, he was not too thrilled to see our son being wed to Princess Rana, as selected by the Rakuen Priesthood. Takeo agreed to marry the young princess and produce four heirs to the Mitani Clan, but when they died, Kazuo was heartbroken, but he imposed a decree on the four children, including Anaira, that no one will take a spouse for the rest of their lives or else face swift punishment. And another thing, Sam, do you know about the Brandings of God?"
"I've seen the marks all over Kazuo's body in which he has been punished for not accepting his role as one of God's prophets."
"Kazuo wasn't just punished by the Brandings of God for not accepting his future role as prophet, but for keeping a stranglehold on Takeo's children by forcing them to be celibate for no reason at all in which those marks in Enochian are slowly killing him. The Mitani Clan may be on the robust side of things, but the children that Takeo produced have been held on a tight leash for far too long now. It's also a miracle that Shichiji, our older son, rebelled and got married in which he now lives in a ranch in the region of Austros on Essos. Therefore, I want Anaira and the rest of his siblings to marry or else they, too, will also suffer from the Brandings of God as well."
I heard some clarity in Meizo's words as I was most likely to officiate the wedding between Anaira and Dvora before it was too late. Still, I had my work cut out for me until I saw a familiar face rushing in from the back in which she was huffing from her journey. It was Dvora herself as she was tired from running ragged, for she had a bone to pick with me so far.
"Where the hell have you been?!" she yelled.
"I've been here in this tower just to get out of the rain," I said.
"Dean's been looking for your ass and he's pissed that you weren't home. He thought that you were there on Benezia, but he's been running ragged into looking for you!"
"Dean's got other problems on his plate. He doesn't need to add fuel to the fire by having me kept on a short leash."
It wasn't long until I spotted Anaira rushing in as he was also spotting Dvora with a roaring passion to marry her and defy Kazuo's strict edict over him. Still, he was staring at her as he was more than likely to be wanting more of her after the wedding, for he vowed to make her his in the end of this strange argument.
"It's about time that I caught up to you," he said.
"Pervert!" yelled Dvora.
"That's no way to talk to your groom-to-be," said Meizo.
"Well, he's the one who started it!"
"All of you, this isn't a time to be arguing in the kitchen," I said. Besides, I'm ready to prepare some food for the upcoming bar mitzvah just for Dirk, who is already thirteen, but hadn't had the time to celebrate what was there for him."
"But Dirk isn't Jewish..."
"But Sachiko is. Even though they have a three-year age gap, that doesn't mean that they can't be together so far. Even someone older will always give you guidance when the chips are down. And another thing, I should have full access to the kitchen, so I suggest that you give me some room to work with."
I got the last word as I saw Meizo, Anaira, and Dvora leaving the kitchen. With a flash of insight, I was busy washing my hands with some handsoap that was there over the sink. With the potatoes later put in the other part of it, I began to wash the dirt off of them as they became more edible despite their color. Searching for a cutting board, I was in luck as I found one near the knife set the moment I set it down and was ready to get to work. With a knife to peel the potatoes with, I was peeling off the skin delicately as I even noticed them to be very delectable due to its grey insides just in time to make latkes with. Still, I had a long way to go as I stopped what I was doing and searched the cupboards for a possible colander and frying pan to work with in which I spotted them in the top part just in time to cook with. I was lucky to be in this kitchen that appeared out of nowhere as I noticed some oils and spices that I was ready to use in which I brought out the olive oil and drizzled the pan with it. Luckily, I noticed a stove top near another oven as I turned on one of the burners and placed the pan on it. Even though I was busy peeling the potatoes down to their bareness, I placed them on the cutting board as I was saw a grater that was new just in time for shredding them.
I was hard at work into shredding the potatoes as I found a new mixing bowl and put them into it while adding some spices to them. To my surprise, I noticed something germinating within the cracks of the tower walls as I went towards the crevice and peeked to where the mess was coming from. Noticing a large crack in the wall, I went inside as I saw bunches of fresh herbs that were in quickly growing like weeds, only to be made for cooking. Gathering up some shallots, an onion, and some parsely, I made my way back to my workspace as I resumed my making of the latkes that were set to be eaten at Dirk's upcoming bar mitzvah. Still, my mind was creating the needs and wants of this tower as I saw Kanna entering into the kitchen in which she was busy inspecting the area, for it was far different than our homes on we stayed at.
"Sachiko's been talking about how one's passage towards adulthood starts at age thirteen, but it actually begins at twenty-one," she said.
"Her culture ensures most children going towards adulthood in the respected bar or bat mitzvah," I said. "Jewish tradition also states that one from its faith can be entitled to read from the Torah in which their passage into their teenage years goes with plenty of promise."
"And you're making potato latkes with petty varmints. Those things were once abundant all over Shiganshina until they went extinct, but they showed up here for a reason."
"Petty varmints are known for their delectable flavor once they're cooked to make latkes. I saw a bumper crop growing in the slug roe home that we all stayed in after the Gale Canyon incident. It's been said that the petty varmints were grown by divine intervention, but it seems that my raw power had a reason to grow them out like weeds."
"In the early days, those potatoes were a gourmet thing, but you decided to make them more delectable than what they once were. I may have been in stasis before demons destroyed my ship, but I was once told about the abundance of those rare black potatoes. Therefore, they'll make great ingredients for the latkes I'm making."
I resumed my work as I was busy cutting up the reserved vegetables that were there to add into the potato latkes that are ready to be in Dirk's bar mitzvah. Still, I had plenty of work to do as I also pondered about the situation that was kept going so far. It had been a year since the Second Galvanic Uprising started as the Executive Division started this war against the Order of Letters in which their wrath has went beyond Alecrast's borders. In a common thought, I decided not to think about this turn of events for one day as I had to focus on Dirk's passage to manhood, for it would be a possible celebration for him nonetheless…
Gyatso was on his way to the kitchen to help out with Dirk's bar mitzvah as he was returning with another basket full of matsutake mushrooms with the twins in tow. His trip to the stone areas in the tower were more of a treasure hunt for vegetables than other things as he was no stranger to seeing strange food pop up out of nowhere so far. Even though he didn't have a problem with dealing with the older set of twins following him, they were already walking as they were also more than likely to be put in the party like the rest of us in which they all noticed a bushel of various potatoes in front of them. In a longshot, Gyatso noticed the petty varmints embedded with the potatoes that were there as he remembered them well due to their black color and their pungent scent for gourmet uses, for he was eager to taste one of them again.
"Sam's got his hands full with those things," he said.
"My 'tato!" yelled Ghimru as he grabbed one of the petty varmints.
"Ghimru, you can't take that. Your daddy has to cut them up and make latkes out of them first."
"'Tato, 'tato, 'tato," said Aora as he picked one of the smaller ones.
"My parents once told me about a potato shortage that lead to a terrible famine in Ireland once, but with potatoes like these, there's no need to be worrying about going hungry. We can make use out of those things just in time for Dirk's passage to manhood."
"'Tato!"
Gyatso saw Ghimru run off towards a different bushel of potatoes in which he recognized them very well. They were a gaggle of sweet potatoes that were often used for savory dishes and desserts in which he grabbed one of them and was most likely to be wanting me to make a pie out of it. The memory of such a sweet potato was vivid to him as he was also remembering the many sweet potato pies that were baked until he was later put in stasis for centuries, for it was something that he wanted to savor. Even Aora was looking into the sweet potatoes as he even spotted some different ones that were also used for main dishes as well. Gyatso knew of them to be Korean sweet potatoes due to their golden texture on the inside. Just as all three were about to explore more of the potatoes, they spotted me in front of them as I was more than likely to be bringing them back in the tower's amin infrastructure. Luckily, we were safe in dry spaces as we saw the rain still pouring from outside, for the downpour was shaping Erebor from a barren wasteland to a thriving planet in less than two days now.
"You found some more potatoes, I take it," I said.
"We didn't find just petty varmints, Sam," said Gyatso. "We found some sweet potatoes just in time to make pie."
"We may have sweet potatoes, but we don't have any ingredients to make sweet potato pie with."
"We can always go back home and get what Reiko has in the pantry. Besides, it's been a while since I saw sweet potato pie being made and I got some orange and gold ones to make them with."
"The ones with the gold texture are known as gogoma in which I've seen James Farragut cook with them since I was little. Still, we can make anything out of sweet potatoes, even glass noodles."
It wasn't long until Gyatso spotted a crate filled with more ingredients that were made for other things. I knew them to be the usuals in which I noticed some eggs, flour, sugar, other sweet spices, a few cans of evaporated and condensed milk, butter, and a bottle of vanilla extract. I had a gut feeling that Reiko sent them as I saw a note with her handwriting on it, for she wanted me to make what was there for Dirk's bar mitzvah nonetheless.
"There's still hope yet," I said.
"Are we making some sweet potato pie?" asked Gyatso as he was happy.
"We'll make it for Dirk just in time for his passage to manhood."
"Alright! I just hope that Dirk likes it. Sweet potato pie was a Sunday dinner staple centuries ago, but I hope that it turns out okay..."
"Then we'll make it special, for we can't let those potatoes go to waste right now."
I was brimming with hope as I was more than likely to be busy in the kitchen with all the trimmings. As for this upcoming bar mitzvah for Dirk, it was going very well as it was his time to be ushered towards manhood soon enough, for he was more than ready to be a member of the Order in this time of crisis…
Later on in the afternoon, Dirk was in another lounge room of the tower as he was staring at the rain that recently came down from outside earlier. He never liked it to be ruining his day of manhood as he also wanted to make a light subject of the weather that's been everywhere on Erebor. He was also hoping to celebrate his upcoming bar mitzvah as he was also smitten for Sachiko due to her Jewish heritage that she inherited from the Bass Family. He was eager to see her the moment he saw her entering into the room, for she was more than glad to see him as well.
"So, you may be three years older than me, but that doesn't stop me from being smitten for you," he said. "Sometimes, we all gotta take charge of what's in front of us, regardless of the fate that's put in front of us."
"Sam's in the kitchen preparing some latkes for the bar mitzvah, but he's using petty varmints that were once overharvested to the brink of extinction," said Sachiko.
"He made latkes out of them a few times when we were staying at that derelict Draaza ship on Shiganshina in which Carly even demanded seconds over those things."
"It's a long shot, but there's more than just eating latkes and reading the Torah in which it involves more food, dancing, and being with the one that's ordained to be with you."
"I never read the Torah before, but I might give it a shot."
"We can celebrate this bar mitzvah, but there's no Torah around to do it. Still, we do it by celebrating the deeds that we did, even when it came down by caging up the Nazgul that were briefly let loose at the time. Your passage to manhood has been proven more than just being dressed up in Jewish clothes and reciting the words of the Torah. It's also about the heroic deeds you had."
Without warning, Dirk and Sachiko heard something climbing up the tower wall as they noticed a pair of hands clamping on the open window. To their shock, they noticed Kevin climbing inside as he was exhausted from his scaling upward to the tower, for he was looking for me in which he was carrying a letter in his hand.
"Nailed it," he said as he was out of breath.
"Kevin?" said Dirk. "What the hell are you doing here? Does Dean know that you're not there with him?"
"Actually, I've been looking for Sam at the behest of Reiko. She said that I had to deliver this letter to him because of the fact that Shion's wanting an audience with him on Westeros."
"Is it serious?" asked Sachiko.
Dirk snatched the letter out of Kevin's hand as he ripped open the envelope and took out the paper that was inside. Unfolding it, he saw the urgent message coming from Shion as the Executive Division was up to no good, for they were staking their claim by making their factories elsewhere on other planets in that area of the Ashizoka System. Anger fumed within him as he was wanting to join the fight against the Executive Division in which he was no stranger to dealing with battle since his involvement into stopping Darbus Toller last year.
"Those asshats!" he yelled. "They're gonna be causing panic in that part of the Ashizoka System since Darbus Toller's power trip last year!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Sachiko.
"Have you heard of the Executive Division? They're the scumbags that started the Second Galvanic Uprising in the first place in which a few of their hardliners got nailed starting with that asshat who had a sick obsession into stealing Sam to power up Project Apollo!"
"It doesn't end there," said Kevin gravely. "With General Wetzel and Julilla dead, there's a set of twins who want Sam and Reiko wiped off the galactic map."
"I'm a little vague on the details since I once lost my scroll to summon my Golem, but I need to know about this sooner or later."
"Therefore, this isn't Alecrast, but it's one planet that I've never been on before."
"We're on Erebor, Kevin," I said as I entered into the room. "Dirk, you shouldn't be opening other people's mail like that." I see him hand over the letter as I looked at it briefly. "Shion's not too thrilled with seeing Lorne and Liesel causing havoc on Stohess."
I looked at the letter carefully as the news about the twins causing mayhem had already hit the planet hard in which I had no other choice but to comply. I had a gut feeling that the bad news would go further as I also had to look into the matter once I returned home. Still, I didn't want to worry about it right now as I couldn't let this news bring me down so far.
"Dean's been looking for you," said Kevin.
"He's got too much on his plate right now," I said.
"Recently, he has taken the Kurokage all the way to Shiganshina and established a joint military base with his squad and members of the Shigan Army."
"He's probably somewhere in some safari due to Shiganshina being a planet with lots of jungles teeming with cat-like races," said Sachiko.
"Dean could probably be hunting for edible game for his troops to feed in some bizarre savannah while over there," I said. "He could also be looking for the basic creepy crawlies that go bump in the night, but he also has his duty to uphold like the rest of us.
"Actually, the base that Dean's squad has made is a very familiar one where we picked you and your family up at the time and it's located in the Dabb Mountains. He's even training some of the locals there in which they're most likely to defend the place from invaders."
"That's good enough, but is he really capable of keeping some of those asshats from the Executive Division at bay?" said Dirk. "Dean's making himself at home in our old place in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, but we should help him on the spot."
"Dean's more than capable than ever to train his squad and those he comes across. As the oldest in the Winchester family, he's been trained as a soldier in much harsher conditions. As for your own predicament, you are not just on the cusp of manhood, but you're also more of the usual 'big brother' architype that will always stick together for those in need. You're not alone here, Dirk, for you are always constantly loved by those who are considered to be called family.
My words rang true for Dirk as he was brimming with the confidence that he needed in this time of crisis. As for his bar mitzvah ceremony, he was looking forward to it as he left the lounge room and went towards the elevator. When he saw it open up, he noticed Dean emerging as he wanted to talk to me in person after all that time trying to look for me. Still, he was a squad leader, but he also had to make sure that I was safe from harm as the Executive Division was still out there waiting to either abuse my raw power or to strike me down without warning. To Dirk's shock, he saw Dean munching on one of the potato latkes that I made as he was hungry after that search for me, for he was most likely to having a bone to pick with me sooner or later.
"Where's Sam?" he asked.
"He's in the lounge room, and you gor into the latkes!" answered Dirk.
"What? It's the first time trying s shred of some of the petty varmints that went into those things."
"They were supposed to be for my bar mitzvah! Don't you have any decency into laying off the party food other than miniature sausages and quiches?!"
It wasn't long until Dean and Dirk saw me rush out into the hall as I was met with an unsavory gaze from my older brother. Still, he was not too thrilled with me for wandering off to Erebor in the first place as I was in the doghouse against my wishes, for I was backed in a corner indeed.
"It's about friggin' time that I found you here, Sammy!" he yelled.
"You were supposed to be on Shiganshina, Dean," I said.
"Dvora was also looking for you in which we once assumed you to be on Benezia, but here of all places?"
"Erebor is the third planet in the central part of the Ashizoka System and the planetary seat here. Still, it's bare without any people, but the vegetation spread around like wildfire in which it will be a future for those who have fled from danger."
"And you brought that change here just like on Benezia. You and Reiko have a long way to go just to go and do your unmentionable thing in some form of ruins, but the twins in the Executive Division have been busy building those Ketch robots like you wouldn't believe. They're not like General Wets-His-Pants or Julilla in which they are itching to shoot you dead and not care about the consequences."
"In that broad sense, they're a lot like Severin and Sylvana who killed their father, but more lethal in their methods to subjugate this galaxy to their will."
Without warning we heard the sound of a dinner bell ringing as we went towards the elevator that was ready to go down to the main floor. With Kevin and Sachiko on their way towards us, we all stepped in as the elevator closed and was on its way down to the main floor. By the time we all got out of there, we were in the main hall as it was decorated with numerous Jewish symbols, but there was no Torah around anywhere. Still, we were there as we had our reasons to celebrate Dirk's sense of manhood with what was there during our adventures, for they stuck onto us like any other religious text for the longest time now. It wasn't long until Sachiko got out a yarmulke and placed it on Dirk's head between his cat ears, for he was more than ready to recite what we had over the times that were there.
"There's no Torah, but our trials and tribulations will do," she said to him.
"We're stuck in a gospel according to what the Winchesters of old once got themselves into," said Dirk. "Time flew even when that Chuck guy started writing about them up until Swan Song. After that, Nathan Hofstra continued what the guy started in which the ones that are brought in have been preserved in the Universal Library on Essos."
"My oldest ancestor once helped with the Winchester of old back in the day in which they had to protect a red ledger from the infamous Thule Society in the Elder Days. Still, this day is made for you and it's going to be a blast doing it."
"Okay, let's get this started… Dear God, if you're still in the Grey Havens dressed in Your robe and pajamas, I thank You for bringing out the trials and tribulations that we all shared and what I stuck to the most is the concept of family. Even though my parents are up there with You, I know that I'm not alone here. I've got Sam and Reiko, their children, and I even have three other kids that look up to me as the big brother in the group. I have my reasons to stay strong, for I will live up to my potential as a member of the order with an older Jewish girl who is related to the Bass Family..." Dirk picks up a potato latke as he raises it up in good faith. "Mazel tov and good luck to our family!"
The festivities of the bar mitzvah was a success as Dirk was having the time of his life. I watched him dance with Sachiko as I also marveled at what he would do next. He was already thirteen and ready to take on the galaxy, but not without proper guidance, for it was a godsend that he had it made so far…
Nighttime settled in as Dirk was in his room watching the sky clear up after all that rain that came down all day. As usual, he had his own prayer and such as he was also smitten for Sachiko in which he didn't mind the age gap, for he would soon marry her once he came of further age. Laying on the bed after he got a shower earlier, he saw Gyatso coming in as he brought out an unspoiled pie that was baked during the bar mitzvah. It was a large sweet potato pie that was there for the taking as they were ready to dig in. With a butter knife and spatula, they cut it up into eight pieces as they were ready to go for it, for they had it all for themselves on this occasion.
"It's a miracle that I hid this sweet potato pie," said Gyatso as he got out slice and put it on the plate he was carrying. "I couldn't let this go to pot anyway, but at least it's there for your passage to manhood."
"I was gonna try a hand at some of the sweet potato pies that you and Sam made, but Dean got a hold of most of them with the rest."
"You can at least try a slice of this, but I just hope that Dean doesn't get the rest."
Dirk grabbed a slice of the sweet potato pie as he tasted it very well. He knew that I had a hand into baking the pie after Gyatso's suggestion into doing so as he tasted the blend of sweet potatoes, sweet spices, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk that were put in there with such care. It was the best kind of pie that he tasted as he ate his whole slice that he had in which he was glad to have it. Getting out another slice, he was more than happy to taste it again as he was grateful that his passage to manhood was well worth it so far.
"I'm blessed that I'm with Sam and his family," he said.
"You're not the only one," said Gyatso. "You and Sam found me in stasis when you guys stayed in that derelict ship on Shiganshina at the time."
"We may have had our fun, but Dean's taken it over for a while as a temporary base to tackle the Executive Division."
"When we all left Shiganshina, there were those strange people in gold armor attacking the town below, but were all gone after that."
"When we all reach true adulthood, then we'll help Sam and the others nip the Executive Division in the bud once and for all. It's the most we can do right now, but we're not alone with this. We're thriving and living because if we didn't have Sam in our lives and taking us in, then we would be truly alone without any proper guidance whatsoever."
"Sam reminds me of Superman sometimes, but with a Batman complex."
"It's Dean with the Batman complex, but he acts more with a blend of humor and hope. As for what we went through, we may not have any religious texts, guidance books, or common etiquette, but the true concept will always be that of family. It's what we are and that's what we do in our time of crisis right now. I'm more than thankful that I'm here with Sam and his family because of the fact that I have a stake in what I have, for family doesn't end with blood. It starts with those who show respect towards one another ant that's what it truly means."
Dirk proved his point as he finished up his second slice of pie. What he didn't expect was that I was watching in the distance as I was proud to have my young ward showing more responsibilities than what was worth. By the time I was going towards my own room, I stopped as I felt my head throbbing for no reason. The stabbing pain was a sign of a vision as I saw a different alien woman fleeing for her life while dressed in a spacesuit, for there was something wrong indeed.
"HELP ME!"
The scream jolted me back to reality as I had a gut feeling that my work wasn't just about dealing with the Executive Division, for there was something wrong indeed. Going towards the bathroom, I looked into the mirror as I saw the blood trickling down my nose in which I grabbed a tissue and wiped it from my face. Turning around and throwing away the spent tissue in the wastebasket, I saw Dvora standing there as she was most likely to be tagging along in my next adventure, for she was on bodyguard duty so far.
"There's been a distress call," she said.
"I know, for there's trouble on the horizon," I said.
To be continued...