Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5

Chapter 9: That Which Was Stolen

(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.)

Many years ago…

I was running around in the vast summer palace in Trainfell as I was filled with a boisterous energy that kept everyone focused on spotting me everywhere I went. The sight of Trainfell's crown jewel was a sight to see as I was looking at the vast texture of the paintings and drawings that were on the walls. By the time I returned to my room, I noticed Dean sitting there reading a book as he couldn't take his eyes off of it. I wanted to read a book of my own, but there weren't any decent ones around until I noticed a stack of them on the bookshelf. When I took one of them off, I opened it up as I was delving into the writing that was written in Japanese, but I didn't mind it. The book itself was a volume of lore as I was staring at the pages where the pictures showed various monsters from the Elder Days. I was floored to see them as I also viewed Dad to be one of the best in the Hunter Corps, for he would soon return and pick us up to go back home to Kanto Village soon.

With the idea of stopping the monsters sprouting in my mind, I was ready to draw a picture of the lore until I noticed that I ran out of paper, but my markers were there intact. When I saw a wall that was bare, I decided to draw on it as I was drawing the image of monsters being hunted down by Dad and others in the Hunter Corps. I was hard at work until I got caught by Dad, who wasn't too happy with me for drawing on the wall. He was itching to let me have it as he took away the markers and put them up high on top of the shelf out of my reach.

"You're itching to cause trouble here by defacing the walls of this place, aren't you?" he said to me.

"But I ran out of paper," I said.

"This place isn't like our castle back home in Kanto Village, Sam. This place is a treasure that existed longer before any of us were born and you draw on the walls to damage it?"

"I'm sorry..." Tears flowed down my cheeks as I was sulking in shame. "I'll clean it up, Dad, I promise..."

WAAAAHHH!

The sound of a baby crying filled the halls of the summer palace as Dad ran out of the room and went towards the Chieftain's room where his wife has given birth to a healthy baby boy not too long ago. The sound of the newborn wailing his lungs out was a godsend that he was alive and ready to live in this world and beyond. When the attendants saw my Dad spotting the newborn son sporting the tattoo of the Clavell Valley royal family, he was aware that the newest arrival would soon have a purpose like the rest of us, for this was an omen in the making.

"I never thought that the newest arrival would come out crying early," said the Chieftain's wife as she was holding her newborn son in her arms. "We'll call him Yasuchika and he will be the best of all in our family."

"You did good," said Dad. "Besides, you and your husband have an early arrival after all."

"Actually, my wife and I weren't expecting the new arrival until next month. Whatever caused him to come out was more than enough to be an omen in the making," said the Chieftain.

"I had a dream that a boy would draw a heroic picture in which it will be a sign to protect our boy," said the Chieftain's wife. "The picture drawn in marker was an omen that brought little Yasuchika into the world and I am grateful that it is there to protect us."

Dad left the room as he went back into the one that Dean and I were staying at. When he noticed me trying to get the marker drawing off from the wall, he stopped me as I was trying to clean it up in the first place. I was looking at him as I still felt guilty for drawing on the wall in the first place, but I wasn't about to stop right now. I was fully determined to clean the wall as I didn't want to get into trouble again, for the drawing did damage to a very old palace that stood longer before we were born.

"That's enough, Sam," I heard Dad say.

"But I damaged a treasure," I said.

"Hey, if you didn't ask for more paper to draw on, none of this would've happened," said Dean as he put away his book. "You know that this place is a crown jewel in Trainfell and you draw on the walls for no reason."

"Dean, he had his reasons," said Dad. "Recently, that drawing he worked on caused the wife of the Chieftain to give birth to a baby boy not too long ago. As for the cleanup, it's not about to happen after what was witnessed earlier."

"But you said that the wall needed to be cleaned after what I did," I said.

"Sam, that picture you drew will never go away because the drawing itself is infused with the raw power that you put into. You have a genius level that is yet to be tapped out, but for your six years of being alive, it's worth it."

"You got off easy," said Dean as he was ready to throw a book at me.

"Dean, lay off your brother, alright? His abilities and talents are a godsend and I'm very happy that he's here with all of us. Besides, he's still a kid, so he's better off being like that until he reaches his teenage years."

"I bet that the girls will be going after him if he gets older..."

I wasn't in trouble after all as I dodged a bullet in my mischief. Still, I had so much potential in my small but growing cranium as it would soon be put to good use in the future…

Present Day

I was in a different hotel after being escorted by Kazuo out of the hospital yesterday. Even though the place was a far cry from the other one with the hotel pods, I was in my own room as I was standing in front of Kazuo, who was most likely to be on my case about my well-being. I was in the doghouse after the suicide bombing as I was moved here against my wishes. The place I was in now had been expensive, but I had to deal with it as I found it to be depressing than that of the pods. All the same, I had to face off against Kazuo's judgment on me as I was standing on the edge after hearing General Arbogast's words haunting me.

"You should've put me in a better hotel than this one," I said.

"The last time you were in that cheap hotel with the pods, you were suffering from a bout of claustrophobia while trying to adjust in one of those things," said Kazuo.

"You assessed that, didn't you?"

"Kevin told me everything about how you kept having nightmares about being shoved out of the airlock into space. He even wanted you to have more space than that of the pods."

"And what about your job as Medic General of the Medical Corps? Isn't it your job to focus on the people who were injured in that suicide attack yesterday?"

"He's well aware of it, Sam," said General Thorndike as he came into the room. "Right now, the Chieftain of Clavell Valley has issued aid from the surrounding areas and that includes Shilla, who now have a marriage contract with the young prince and princess who nearly got eliminated under the orders of that demon that killed a nest of vampires."

"General Thorndike…, it's an honor to see you rather than a certain blowhard."

"That 'blowhard' kept up to his self-deprivation tactics ever since he saw the carnage in Kabizashi. He knows that we're all over it, but he refuses to leave you alone after you came back to see Kanto Village be trashed by Reinhardt Toller and Darbus' leftovers. And he says that the people come first after seeing the rest of the Order's four soldier corps groups busting their asses just to help them in their time of need. Every time we do our part for the people, we get pulled towards the bottom by neglecting our own self-needs. Now, if you don't mind, the Gathering Festival is ongoing, but there had been a memorial service to those who lost their lives in the blast by that suicide bomber. After all this, there will be plenty of funerals with a side order of getting pissed off at those who view Darbus as a god even after his death."

"That's both healthy and unnerving at the same time.."

"I heard about how Percy kept bullying you just to pay attention to the so-called 'little guy' when you have no time for yourself. You spend so much on protecting your loved ones, friends, and even the townsfolk in your home, but what about you of all people? You came back when the chips are down in which your pet who followed you home bit off Reinhardt's arm in the end."

"General Thorndike, when I used my raw to blast at Reinhardt, he wasn't shaken by my attack in which he knew about what I would do next. He even berated me for not coming to terms with not spending the rest of my childhood in happier days. He showed no emotion after sustaining the blast he suffered from, but he wasn't about to give up until Barca tore off his arm. Even though he is serving prison time, his words still haunt me after what happened in Kanto Village. When I looked at him, he showed no remorse or concern in which he was expecting me to blast him. He also showed no sympathy or empathy as if he was someone who wasn't walking around with no soul in him."

"That angel, Gadreel, did a soul exam on Reinhardt and he does have one, but he prefers to suppress his emotions in his reasons to protect the first branch of the Toller Family. Even though he is serving a life sentence in Angmar Prison, his son has found the leftovers that Darbus had in secret compartments, only to be used to be weapons of terror like what was demonstrated yesterday. We have our reasons to stay on top of things, for you don't have to worry too much about what is going on so far. As for your own predicament, you should focus on what you have lost the moment you and your older brother were taken to Gehenna after your father's funeral all those years ago."

I felt the General's calm words of advice sink into my fibers of my own well-being as I was at ease for a while. Still, I may have came to terms to telling about the battle in Kanto Village, but I was still put under the microscope as I heard my vidphone go off. When I fished it out of my pocket, I saw General Arbogast's name again as I began to answer it directly. I was dreading this moment of hearing the blowhard's voice over the phone as I felt beads of sweat glistening on my forehead. I never expected this to happen so far as I was fearing the worst with my heart pounding in full panic mode.

"So, you still shit on the little guy again, Sam," he said over the phone. "You know that the people come first more than ourselves and I'm making damn sure that you stick to your guns on this."

"The Order and the Alecrian Army are on point into securing the needs of the people, General," I said. "This time, General Thorndike is telling me not to worry too much about the damage that Darbus and his Master Race caused ten months ago."

"Don't try to be defiant towards me, Sam! Every step you tend to take it easy, another person in some backwater alley is starving for food. Are you taking food away from the mouths of the needy right now, Sam?! Well, you better consider the needs of the people before you begin to show love and pleasure for yourself. They are much important right now and I won't stand for it. After yesterday's debacle in the bathroom, I decided to take the bullet train here to Trainfell and I'll be watching your every move. And furthermore, who comes first before us?"

"The people..."

"That's good enough to hear. Besides, after what has happened in those towns ravaged by Darbus Toller and his Master Race, we all need to pull our weight instead of focusing on ourselves right now. As for your piss-poor reasons to love yourself first, you'll drown the same way if you don't pay attention to the little guy. If you don't, I'll use force on your ass and that includes exposing your worst fears in boxed places."

"You'll do no such thing to him!" yelled Kazuo as he snatched the vidphone out of my hands. "Sam has a lot more dignity in which he puts others first before his own needs, but he should also show himself the time to have more fun like the rest of us!"

"And what gives you the right to stand just to coddle him?! He should get off his ass and do his part for looking after the people, not sit in a hotel room and munch on bon-bons."

"You better listen to me firmly, General Arbogast. I know that you took the bullet train here to Trainfell just to cause Sam more misery, but he can't have the whole thing on his shoulders like Charles Atlas holding the entire globe over him. It's not healthy for him to neglect himself while he does his part into helping those who suffered the full brunt of Reinhardt's attack in Kanto Village last month. With what he's going through so far, you shouldn't be adding fuel to the fire in this predicament, so I suggest that you leave him alone or else I'll have no other choice but to report you to your superiors."

"You don't scare me, Kazuo Mitani. When I get here to Trainfell, I'm gonna be raining on Sam's parade in which he's gonna be pulling his weight into helping the people like everyone. I don't give a rat's ass what the Order and General Thorndike think 'cause Sam's not about to get away from me the moment I reach this town! Furthermore, the people come first and as for the self-love that you talk about constantly, only idiots go for that! Sooner or later, God will smile on us when he sees us putting the people first in their hours of need, but those who indulge in self-love will not be granted access into Heaven!"

I took the phone out of Kazuo's hand as I hung up on General Arbogast completely. I was getting to the point that I was about to lose it as I felt guilty about not being there for those who suffered from the yoke and wrath of Darbus Toller and his artificial creations. When I was walking towards the bathroom, I closed the door behind me as I flipped up the toilet seat and began to vomit into it. The nausea caused by the stress made me feel sick to the gills as I just wanted to end it all before the blowhard general got here just to berate me out in the open. By the time I was finishing up, I flushed the toilet as I went towards the sink to rinse my mouth out with some mouthwash. The phone call from General Arbogast was the worst so far as I couldn't take it anymore. When I got out of the bathroom, I still noticed Kazuo and General Thorndike standing there as they were concerned for my health and mental state.

"You had another bout of Percy's crap, didn't you, Sam?" said General Thorndike.

"I can't deal with him anymore," I said.

"Percy was always a blowhard just to get his way into forcing people to put themselves on the back burner just to help others..."

"He keeps saying that the people come first, but what about me? Don't I get a say into what I do for both myself and others? Better yet, he's right about the self-love debacle because only idiots go for it."

"No one should be called an idiot who believes in self-love, Sam," said Kazuo. "Even though we take the time to help and care for those in need, we should also take care of ourselves in general. That's how it is and that's how it works." I see him and General Thorndike getting ready to leave my hotel room. "By the way, Bunta is wanting you to pay a visit to his ramen restaurant, so you don't have to worry about General Arbogast raining on your parade all the live long."

"You might consider getting a few things for yourself while being in Trainfell," said General Thorndike. "It's not fair that you get the short end of the stick all the time and it hurts not only you, but everyone else in particular. In the end, no one wants to be a doormat for the rest of their lives, so I suggest that you don't worry too much on everybody."

I watched them leave as I was alone for the time being. When I went towards the table by the window, I wrote in my journal briefly as I was most likely to be put into a bigger pickle than normal. Even though the weather was starting to heat up, I wasn't ready to enjoy it too much as the words coming from General Arbogast continued to haunt me in every single fiber of my well-being. They were the words that no one should ever hear as I put away my journal and began to leave my hotel room to get some air. Going outside, I was looking at the clothing store with discount prices as I entered inside and saw what was on display. It was something that I never expected to see as I even noticed some new kimonos for men on sale in vibrant colors. I was no stranger into wearing kimonos as I gravitated towards them and was looking for possible teal and greenish pastels I could find. By the time I found the nicer ones, I noticed a familiar face entering into the discount clothing store as it was General Arbogast who was on the prowl into berating me for not sticking up for the people during my absence.

I was hiding behind the men's shoes as I saw him dogging me to the extreme. I had to leave as I took the risk into sprinting out of the store and going towards Bunta's ramen restaurant. It was a reprieve as I entered inside to see him hard at work with Nash helping out with the broth for the noodle dish. The smell of ramen cooking kept me at ease as I was most likely to be having more time to myself just to take a breather. Even though it has changed, the atmosphere of the ramen restaurant was a godsend that kept the customers happy and full, for it was something that stood here in Trainfell and beyond.

"Looks like you're here to sample the ramen after being gone for too long," said Nash as he was busy seasoning the beef broth that was cooking. "It's been a while since you once helped out here, but when you fled, we had to deal with Darbus and his artificial creations all the live long. Luckily, he's sleeping with the asteroids, but his supporters are keeping his leftovers to use in their own advantages."

"It's hell since I came back, but I can manage," I said as I was shaking with fear.

"Are you alright?"

"It's complicated..."

"By the way, how's Reiko doing?"

"She's doing fine, but like everyone around me, she's concerned about my health after getting bogged down by General Arbogast who says that I should be putting people first before my own needs."

"That son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Bunta as he put up his recently kneaded dough. "I've heard all about that blowhard trying to encourage others to deprive themselves of their own self-needs just to make sure that the people come first before anything!"

Too late! I saw General Arbogast standing behind me as he grabbed me by the long hair and pulled me out of the ramen restaurant and towed me into a secluded area. Anger fueled him as he was wanting to put a dent into my psyche the moment I kept trying to improve my own self-worth. He was on the offensive as he wasn't about to let me live my moment of joy for myself so far.

"You still refuse to give the little guy leverage again!" he yelled as he pushed me to the ground. "I have tried to be civil to you, but your actions into indulging into self-love and self-worth has crossed the line. Have you ever heard the proverb, 'the more one suffers, the closer to God they get?' Well, you haven't been closer to God because you're better off in Hell being tethered to the many meathooks and chains imaginable."

"Leave me alone, General," I said as I was shaking with more fear. "I won't let you bog me down."

"What? You gonna tattle to Kazuo? He's got other things to do, but everyone who is in the effort into helping others shouldn't be indulging right now after what happened yesterday. You did see the suicide bomber go off, didn't you and hadn't lifted a finger to stop it."

"The Medical Corps and the local authorities are on top of it right now, General. As for me, I want to have more time to myself for once!"

Without warning, I felt General Arbogast punch me as I was knocked out unconscious from such a blow. He was on top of things as he wasn't ready to let me slide, for he believed in helping the people over tending to one's own needs anytime…

I woke up as I found myself in a box that was similar to a coffin. Where was I? What was going to happen to me? I was scared to death as I wanted to get out of there and see what was going on before anything else happened. From the outside, I heard footsteps as I had a feeling that General Arbogast would gloat over me while being trapped in a coffin without a mean to escape my fate directly. I was trapped as I was worrying about what would happen to Reiko and the children. They would be lonely and worried as I was trying to get out of the coffin in which it was locked from the outside.

"You crossed the line, Sam!" I heard General Arbogast yell from outside. "You should've paid more attention to those in need other than yourself. It's the only way to do things after what has happened during your absence. The atrocities that Darbus and his cronies committed in Kabizashi was more than enough to get me to see things, for I won't allow anyone else to be selfish at this time of need!"

"Damn it, General!" I cried as I was banging on the coffin lid. "It's not me who crossed the line, it's you! I don't need this right now!"

"Oh, but you do because it's for your own good to see what is in front of you!"

"I'm filing a complaint to your superiors about this!" I heard the sound of a conveyor belt moving the coffin as I sensed that I was about to be boxed in even further when I heard the sound of a furnace lighting up. "You're gonna burn me, aren't you?! I won't let you do this!" Tears ran down my cheeks as I was banging on the coffin lid. "I can't let you do this! I can't let you go and burn me!"

"You had it coming when you tossed shit nuggets at the little guy, Sam! Now, it's time to see you on the extra crispy side!"

"Let me out! I can't take it in this coffin! Please, let me out!"

The pleading made my voice hoarse as I was feeling the pinch of death coming towards me. It was all over. I was doomed from the start until I felt the coffin being moved back out of the furnace. When I heard of it unlocking, I noticed the lid opening up as I saw Kevin staring at me with a full mode of concern on his face. I also noticed my surroundings to be in a shrine as it was in the funeral room where most remains are burned in order to contain the vengeful spirits at bay. By the time I got up, I saw General Thorndike rushing here as he had the local authorities with him. When I was finally out of my coffin, I saw General Arbogast getting ready to attack me until he was subdued by two officers who were under the orders of the Chieftain himself.

"You selfish bastard!" he shrieked as he was glaring at me. "You'll pay for this! You'll never go to Heaven this time because of your self-needs trumping over the people!"

"Don't talk to him like that," said Kevin as he was standing by my side. "Sam's a lot of things, but he is never selfish! He even puts the needs of others first over his own just to let us get by and this is the way you treat him?! At least he did a favor by coming home to stop Reinhardt Toller and his army from doing further damage! And you say that he's selfish after saving our asses countless times? How dare you?! If Master Colchuvar saw you do this to him, he'd be doing more than turning in his grave!"

"This isn't over, Sam! There are more people who are in need than you! We all have to put ourselves on the bottom just to function in our purpose!"

"That's enough crap, Percy!" cried General Thorndike. "We've busted our asses just like Sam and you berate him for not being there for the people? Yes, there are people who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses, and even the necessities, but you can't just force one to pay full attention to everything and everyone. It's not healthy and it won't work. As for your reasons why the people come first, that's our job and that of the Order's four Soldier Corps groups and that includes the Medical Corps."

"I have higher standards than that of a certain crying invalid who refuses to pay attention to the little guy!"

"If you have higher standards, then why did you try to kill him?" said Kevin.

"Perceval Arbogast, you are under house arrest for not only bullying and harrassment, but for attempted murder as well," said General Thorndike. "You may have had your own edict to tell those who are starving for their own self-needs to pay attention to the little guy, but trapping Sam in a coffin and trying to kill him has definitely crossed the line. No wonder your superiors tried to tell you to back off in your agenda to force Sam into a life of self-deprivation and misery just to put the people first. As for the accusations of him being selfish, it's you who is the same way, but worse by allowing bullying and scare tactics on him and I've recorded every little conversation that you had with him over the phone. As for your career in the Alecrian Army, it's suspended until further notice, is that clear?"

General Arbogast was hauled away by the local authorities as I watched him depart away for the time being. The sight of him going away was a sigh of relief for me as I was grateful that General Thorndike took action into stopping him in his tracks before anything else happened. Even though I survived being boxed in, the stress was too much for me as I felt my knees buckle to the pressure of what I went through. I was cracking under the pressure of what General Arbogast kept telling me as it was all too much for me, for this wasn't the very end of it anytime soon…

Dean arrived in Trainfell as he was itching to rip a new one in General Arbogast after fleeing the castle. Even though he was on the warpath, he was ready to punch him until he noticed the local authorities hauling the blowhard general out into the paddy wagon. He never expected to see something like this happen before, but he was happy to see the intrusive blowhard get it coming after the numerous phone calls he overheard since yesterday. By the time he noticed the Medical Corps arriving on the scene, they were carting me in a stretcher as I was in bad shape indeed. When he noticed Kazuo coming here, he noticed the Medic General of the Medical Corps bursting in on the scene as he wasn't too happy with what went on here earlier.

"What's with all the ruckus?" asked Dean. "What the hell happened to Sam?"

"General Arbogast attacked one of my staff and went against my orders not to harrass your brother," said Kazuo. "He even tried to kill him in Kawajiri Shrine while he was placed in a casket not too long ago all because he wanted him to pay attention to the so-called 'little guy.'"

"That son-of-a-bitch! Oh, he's gonna get it coming when it comes to Ginryu and the Order's higher-ups going after his ass!"

"General Thorndike was the one who hacked into your brother's phone to hear the conversations between him and General Arbogast. It's a godsend that Kevin rushed in to stop the blowhard from burning Sam to a crisp, but the repercussions to his mental health have taken a huge toll on him."

"Sam's no stranger to getting the short end of the stick, even when Sylvanus forced him to veer away from the vital part of what he missed out on."

"No, it's not the point here, Dean. Ever since John Winchester was killed, his promises to keep you and your brother on Alecrast were met on deaf ears the moment Sylvanus came and took the both of you away to Gehenna. From what I accessed in Sam's medical records, he suffered the worst of it while you remained unscathed."

"That's something that came out of the woodwork..."

"Sam's entire childhood was stolen from him the moment he arrived on Gehenna with you in tow. His years of being there in that frozen wasteland caused him to suffer the worst in which he took the full brunt while he even protected you from Sylvanus' wrath."

"It's like he got slipped the worst mickey ever and realizing that he woke up and burnt the city down."

"Sam took the full brunt of what he suffered from under Sylvanus while he was also protecting you at the same time. After what happened to him, he's in dire need of healing after what he went through, especially when it came to what happened to him. He may not undo the damage that was done to him, but he can find renewal within himself with plenty of support along the way."

"And I'll guide him every slow step of the way. Besides, we owe it to him after he drove out Reinhardt and his army out of Kanto Village with our help and that includes the oversized Fido who tore off the bastard's arm. As for what happened to him, I hope that he doesn't turn into Jell-o after what Arbogast tried to do to him. It's a rough process, but I'm hoping that he pulls through for us and for himself in mind."

Dean was following the Medical Corps into the hospital with Kazuo in tow as they were seeing me put into a sterile room that was calm, but it had plenty of paintings on the wall. When Dean spotted me, he saw me in bad shape as I was shaking with the worst fear imaginable. I was suffering from the trauma I went through as I couldn't shake the feeling of being boxed into a casket and nearly burned alive in the furnace. When I stared back, I had a feeling that I would soon be in trouble as I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn't want Dean to see me like this, but he did anyway as he was concerned for both my health and well-being in this matter of errors. I was in a mess as I just wanted to go back home and stay in my own bed for the rest of my days, but it wasn't about to happen in the long run.

"You look as if you got gypped again," said Dean.

"I nearly died in that casket," I said.

"From what I heard, Kevin rushed in to get your ass out of there before you became the extra crispy special."

"I just want to go home, Dean… I can't take being out in the open while General Arbogast makes his rounds into harrassing me for not paying attention to those in need."

"And miss out on the fun in Trainfell after its comeback? I don't think so. Besides, when was the last time you bought something for yourself?" I didn't say another word as I was stunned to hear that coming from my older brother. "I bet that the clothes back in the castle have become hand-me-downs right now, but you need a fresh set of things to get you out of the funk you're in."

"It won't be easy for me, Dean… I heard the general continuing to berate me while I was in that coffin until General Thorndike intervened at the last minute with Kevin getting me out." I felt the tears gushing as I was about to lose it entirely. "It never stops for me! There's no end of my misery! Every time I excel, I get thrown back down in the hole of my own making!"

"Hold on there! General Arbogast is in custody after what was going on earlier, but it's a huge reprieve for you, so I suggest that you quit worrying and show some backbone for yourself. You need to have a healthy sense of self, Sam. You can't be bogged down by bad memories and other problems. As for the little guy's needs, that's the job for both the Order and the Alecrian Army to handle 'cause you can't have all that at once at your disposal. There's too much at stake and I can't let you do all of this alone, you know."

"It never ends, Dean! I'm always getting the short end of the stick and I always get tossed down to the bottom! It won't stop until I peter out of existence altogether! General Arbogast was right when the people came first before ourselves, but what about the needs we have that makes us whole?! In the end, only idiots revel in self-love and-"

"That's enough! The only idiot who revels in self-deprivation nearly killed you and you're becoming like him! Still, that's all gonna change 'cause you need to have yourself restored or else you'll end up in Helgaard Citadel on Efrafa! Sometimes, you equate self-love with narcissism and Dad often told us that we need to balance our self-worth with the concerns of others, but the other latter is a much more arrogant approach. That's twice that you got boxed in just to get nearly killed, but you can't let that trauma hang over your head forever. You have a life to live for and you have your family and friends to look after, but you can't just allow yourself to be put on the bottom just because others want you to sacrifice your self-love just to appease those who are in need on a selfish scale. And furthermore, there's a ramen restaurant that is aiming to please, so get up and get going and try to forget about what went on, are we good?"

I nodded reluctantly as I got up from my hospital bed and followed Dean out of there. In that moment, we were outside of the hospital as we were going towards Bunta's ramen restaurant just to get something to eat. In a simple twist of fate, I was led further into the summer palace where the royal family stayed at as Dean led the way with such ease. The place itself hadn't changed much as I saw it to be in good condition over the years. By the time Dean led me to the room we once stayed at, I saw it to be newly renovated and in good shape as I noticed a familiar drawing that was untouched. It was the picture I drew on the wall as I saw it to be unchanged without complaint. I never expected to get here so suddenly as I felt the nostalgia coming to me once again. The scribbling of the drawings had a child's touch as I noticed it to be an omen that never went away.

"Well, Sammy, what do you think?" asked Dean.

"It's been years, but my memory is vague on this detail until now," I answered.

"We were here when Dad was called to stop a werewolf from terrorizing this town. Basically, you had a thing for drawing on paper until you decided to draw on the wall against the wishes of our hosts."

"And Dad scolded me for it until he saw this drawing to be a sign and omen after the birth of a baby boy… At first, I got in trouble for it, but it slid due to the fact that this drawing by marker must have had raw power infused into it."

I touched at the drawing I made as I felt my raw power beginning to surge from such a strange energy that radiated from it. The memories of my childhood before going to Gehenna were slowly starting to return as I was absorbing the energy of the drawing on the wall. The increase was too much for me as I felt my body becoming more illuminated by something that was touched by a higher power. I was feeling more secure of what I made as it was a reminder not to forget about myself in general. Even Dean noticed me to be more powerful as I was soaking up the self-love that I deprived myself for so long. Just as we were about to leave, we saw the doors of the room close as we noticed a familiar spirit standing in front of us. It was Ippei as he was there for a reason due to what I was suffering from for so long. He was even noticing me to be slowly regaining what I lost as I was beginning to show balance within myself, for it was needed to keep me from going under in such hard times at hand.

"Looks like you found something that you neglected to see for so long, Sam," he said. "It seems that your Picasso piece was one of many omens that you need to find in your quest for regaining the lost childhood that was taken away from you."

"Ippei…," I said as I was staring at him without running away.

"It seems that my killer has bit the dust in a swift form of justice in space, but his followers continue his legacy by churning out his Master Race in secrecy."

"I heard about Gottfried Toller continuing the legacy that his cousin made even after his father was incarcerated and thrown into prison for his crimes on Kanto Village."

"Sam, I heard news about the upcoming battle between Cain and Ailnoth, but you should also watch your back against not only Gottfried Toller, but a group of warhawks in the Alecrian Army that have been branded too extreme and that includes General Arbogast."

"Warhawks?" asked Dean. "There's already too much at stake and the Alecrian Army has its hands full with the restoration efforts in the four towns affected by Darbus' wrath."

"The warhawks that I'm telling you about are known as the Executive Division, which is led by General Tobias Wetzel, who is known for his rhetoric on keeping gifted people put in their ranks instead of that in the Order of Letters."

"That asshat sure has a bug in his pants, but those with special cases are better off in the Order of Letters in general."

"General Wetzel is the worst in the Alecrian Army in which the Marshal Guard even branded him too extreme for galactic politics. He was even interested in putting Sam to such extremes just to make him docile enough to be convinced to put his gifts to the use of the Executive Division. Those people are dangerous and the higher-ups in the Alecrian Army aren't about to let Sam get shafted by their own agendas in mind."

"Are you telling us that those warhawks were trying to use Sam as a weapon for their own devices?!" Dean stares at me briefly as he was concerned about my safety in general. "That's just wrong, even with our long stay on Gehenna!"

"Ginryu and the rest of the Order aren't the only ones who were against Sam being used as a weapon. Head Marshal Timothy Calvert and General Thorndike are also against it because he is someone who should never be used as a pawn or political football to the likes of the Executive Division. In other terms, one is his or her own person who belongs to no one except for the friends and family he or she has. Still, so much has passed by since I lost my life, but I can't allow Sam to be used like a pawn in this twisted chess game. His past self was once used like a pawn at the hands of not only Azazel, but to Kurotowa who enticed three of the superior archangels to bankroll the Apocalypse and even made Ruby to lead him astray just to kill the last seal and start it up afterwards. Even though both the yellow-eyed demon and the renagade Shinigami are long gone, their legacy of manipulation is far from over when it comes to the ultimate prize and that is Sam Winchester himself. In the Grey Havens and beyond, I heard stories about Kurotowa having the gall to entice the big three archangels and the higher-ups in Hell just to have their huge prizefight, only to have it end with a sacrifice to stop it in Stutt Cemetery. Even though Sam's past self rose up without a soul, Kurotowa had plans to keep it in torment during the long stay in Lucifer's cage. I read documents about this in which even Nimi despises him due to his ties to the current King of Hell after Crowley's ouster."

"So, I'm used like a pawn to one's own desires," I said.

"You are part of the Destiny of Worlds, Sam. You have the power to bring yourself to new hights and overcome your fears and hindrances. It's something that is meant to be done or else you will never rise up to your true potential. You have plenty to master and a lot to overcome, but never lose the light that makes you whole."

"Ippei, don't go!"

I saw him depart as I noticed the doors opening again. The warning about what was yet to come was something that couldn't be taken lightly as this was an omen that would soon come to pass if I wasn't careful…

To be continued...