Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6

Chapter 22: One Night in Hell

(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.)

Two thousand years into the past…

Totsuka was up and alert as he was still dealing with what he had in his infinite stash full of money that he collected over the years. After seeing the Winchesters and Bobby go into hiding, he was most likely to be dipping into his rainy day stash again as he was no stranger into seeing the Leviathan threat go global. Hiding out in the Middle Ground's catacombs, he was waiting for Sam and Dean to get there until he spotted them arriving after their attempt to expose the Leviathan threat backfired after the arrival of Dick Roman, for he was on board like the rest of those who were aware of what the monsters with black ooze are capable of doing.

"Looks like you got hit by a truck or something," he said.

"We've been busy, but still no Dick," said Dean.

"Yeah, but the guy's on a much grander corporate level since the old man got shafted by him."

"We know," said Sam as he was shaking while staring at his hand where he cut it.

"Dude, if you're thinking about Lucifer in this place, his voice is on mute."

Totsuka looked at the hallucination of the disheveled man as he was busy yelling at his lungs without any form of sound coming out of them. Even though there was a reprieve from the "other problem," that didn't stop Sam from worrying as he was staring at his id who was trying his hardest to provoke him, for his actions were on deaf ears for now.

"This place has The Addams Family and The Munsters written all over it," said Dean.

"These catacombs are the perfect hiding place and my personal piggy bank when the chips are down," said Totsuka. "For the record, the funds that were collected are great for good use 'cause it's better than having Dick and his card-reading cronies spying on you since that incident where your two dopplegangers brought havoc into the towns you visited a few months back."

"At least we're safe here for now," said Sam as he was staring at a pool in the middle of the main room. "We can't lose anyone else now after Castiel disappeared into the water supply and let out the Leviathans."

"Don't forget about the old man. Well, he did see Dr. Gaines eat himself to death before he got killed… As for the pool here, it's only made for wishes in which once you place a drop of blood into it, your wish will come true, plain and simple."

"Have you made any wishes in that thing?" asked Dean.

"I did, but I'm not telling right now. It's a geek thing, but I can't bring you the rest of the details yet."

It wasn't long until Sam got out the Demon Killer from his pocket as he cut his other hand in which blood seeped into the pool in front of him. At that moment, the water in the pool glowed as it answered Sam's wish, for it was something that would be figured out in the future so far…

Present Day…

I was up and alert as I was still staring at the mirror after getting up early. The sight of that bruise on my face was alarming as I was desperate to find something to cover it up. When I noticed that Reiko was awake and coming into the room, I turned around as she was getting dressed after tending to the younger twins earlier. It wasn't long until she was shocked to see the blackened bruise on my left eye as she was concerned about what was going on with me, for this was about to get out of hand very quick.

"Sammy, what happened to you?" she asked as she put on her clothes.

"I fell off the bed," I answered.

"It's more than that when a black eye is seen after falling off the bed. You can't hide that from me here, you know."

"Last night, I had a vision in which I noticed my past self still emaciated and chained in his prison, but when I was about to set him free, I saw Soulless Sam there. He was menacing in which he kept telling me to stop loving myself or else he'll cause damage to everyone I know and love, including you. I can't let that happen after what I went through and-"

"Sammy, nothing will ever happen to me because I heard Yashamaru saying that you need to focus more on yourself or else that personal id you talked about will get more stronger by the day."

"After that, Soulless Sam punched me where you see the impact on my face… I know this because of the fact that he'll do all he can to sabotage me."

"That's not gonna happen, Sam," said Yashamaru as he entered into the room. "Soulless Sam may get the upper hand, but he won't stop until he controls you completely."

"And the only way I'll confront him is by entering into the spirit pool near this castle. It's our best bet, but we can't hold it off forever."

I made it clear as I was most likely to go up against Soulless Sam in the spirit pool sooner or later in which I couldn't back out of it. I was going to challenge my personal id as I had no other choice but to face him in a game of wits and wisdom. I had to be ready or else I would end up losing both my status and sanity. It was a challenge that I had to undertake as I couldn't let Soulless Sam get the better of me, for it was my personal problem that I had to resolve before it was too late…

Charlie was back in her ship as she noticed Totsuka approaching with a stroller of their triplets in tow. Both of them were there to stay until they return to Alecrast as they also had business of their own when it came to dealing with the personal id that kept me from savoring a little more. When they were ready to go towards the castle, they noticed Sybil entering with a sour look on her face as she wasn't too happy with that was going on in Anzu Village.

"That son-of-a-bitch!" they heard her say as she was fuming with anger. "Who does that dickbag think he is?!"

"Is Sam giving you a hard time right now?" asked Totsuka as he was tending to the triplets.

"It's not Sam this time. The spirit pool near the castle has to have a fee or else we won't get access to it."

"Well, the neighboring region of Tovar was busy taxing the neighbors beyond its borders," said Charlie. "For the record, the Chieftain over there kept cutting taxes to his own people just to fatten the wealthy while the towns beyond the border keep getting shafted by that douchebag."

"Randall Derwent is a misogynist, xenophobic, rotten, piss-poor, homophobic, religiophobic, dickbag chump! A few months back, he won by vote-rigging over his just and honorable rival in which he got help from the Executive Division just to pull it off. Even his own people despise him while his loyalists stand by him with a corrupt hand and inflated ego. The guy's also a traitor to his region and he's even felt the ire from Ryosuke of all people. The guy even cut off health care for the needy just to add to the swollen pockets of his friends in which that move is rotten to the core."

"That reminds me of a certain demented Cheeto with an ego as big as his hair," said Totsuka as he was looking at an old picture of Charlie who was still carrying the triplets at the time. "The guy you talk about sure sounds like him, but according to some of the people who predicted his win in his region, they've also predicted his impeachment on the horizon."

"Seriously, Totsuka, do you have to look at that picture of me with my baby bump hanging out while wearing a trucker hat?" said Charlie as she caught him on the spot. "I was also in the emergency room in our temple at the time..."

"You can worry about that later," said Sybil. "Right now, we have to find a way to get around the pool tax here or else we end losing the only hope since the days of Star Wars. That Derwent prick thinks he can cut funding for the poor in his region and tax this village to death, but he'll get another thing coming soon enough."

And so, Totsuka and Charlie followed Sybil with their triplets in tow as they left the Miyazaki and ventured outside where they saw the snow melting from the trees. When they reached the castle and spotted the entrance to the spirit pool, they noticed the guards that were blocking the entrance ended up being knocked out and tied up in which they also noticed Castiel standing firm while holding his crutches. He was aware of the taxes here as he didn't have time to deal with the Chieftain of Tovar's constant meddling by squeezing Anzu Village dry, for there was anger permeating against a tyrant with an inflated ego on the side.

"It's about damn time that you gave Rainbow Randall the middle finger," said Sybil.

"The townsfolk here have been suffering from a tax burden coming from the Chieftain of Tovar so far," answered Castiel. "Therefore, I had to knock out the guards that were blocking the entrance of the spirit pool."

"I bet that Sam's gonna have to be prepared for this crap anytime soon," said Totsuka.

"It's the only way to get him to see the error of his psyche before he turns entirely to Jell-O," said Sybil. "All we need to do now is to fetch the star of the hour before it's too late 'cause Randall Derwent's loyalists will end up snitching on us if we don't do this carefully."

And so, Sybil made her point as she wasn't about to back down into a corner anytime soon. As for what would happen next, the next stage into bringing me out towards the spirit pool was just the beginning of my worries, for I was facing a feeling of uncertainty in the wings…

I was making my way into the kitchen as I was most likely to be going somewhere today. After all the bustle and breakfast earlier, I noticed a doorway that was opened up as I found it to resemble a basement. When I went downstairs, I followed the trail below as I found myself going towards an area that resembled a bathhouse. I never expected to be there before as I noticed the bathhouse area to be different than what was used in our old home near Kanto Village on Alecrast. The mix of Korean and Chinese architecture decorated the walls and tiles as I saw two of Sybil's attendants waiting for me. This wasn't the first time that I had to be tended to, but I had no further say as I had my clothes stripped off in which I was ushered towards one of the wash basins.

At that moment, I was getting scrubbed thoroughly as I even had my long silver hair washed in which I was soapy all over. All the same, the body had to be cleaned in order to enter into the spirit pool as the time to go there and clarify a personal matter was weighing heavily on me. Still, I couldn't put it off as I finished rinsing myself off and dried myself with a towel before tossing it into the hamper. When I was dressed in a white robe, I was escorted by the two attendants as we all entered into the room where the spirit pool was waiting for me. It wasn't long until I spotted Sybil standing near the shore of the pool as she was waiting to have me enter into the spirit world, for I was most likely to be confronting my past self that was chained up in his own prison.

"It seems that you're about to come to terms with what's been going on with you," she said to me.

"I only hope that I reach what's at the end of the tunnel there," I said.

"You should also be warned, Sam. Your soulless counterpart is also waiting where your past self is still dangled up in the meathooks and chains he has been imprisoned with."

"I'll try to be careful in this mess. Therefore, I can't just allow my past self to suffer in his own form of torment that is similar to that of being in Lucifer's cage."

"Well, you better come back in one piece or else I'll you'll end up having your ass kicked by your brother." I began to lay down in the pool as Sybil began the incantation to bring me towards the spirit world. "Breath of life, beat the drum; movement of bones, voice of hum…" The pool began to glow as I closed my eyes. "Spirit of the past, guide this gateway well. Protect his life, protect him well."

At that moment, I was going towards the spirit world as I was also ready to clarify what I had experienced for a long time now. Still, I had to do so as I was ready to go into further territory, for this was a personal matter that needed to be resolved soon enough…

Dean was at the main headquarters on Drakonus as he was getting a briefing about the past dangers that the Executive Division had unearthed in their ongoing struggle for power. He was no stranger into dealing with what the Toller Family gave to Julilla and her allies, but he was not too happy with what the latter was doing. With a group of members coming from the Hunter Corps and the Drakonar Army, Dean had his hands full as he was ready to take his next mission to another level, for he was briefed into overthrowing the Chieftain of Tovar due to his ego and megalomania that blended with the Executive Division itself.

"Listen up," he said. "Randall Derwent has taxed his region in which the Emperor and this planet's army has gotten fed up with his cronyism towards the Executive Division and their allies. So far, that egotistical asshat with the hairdo has been taxing his own people just to add to his rich coffers for him and his buddies over there."

"I grew up there in Tovar," said Daorani as she was sitting at the end of the table. "For the record, it used to be a haven for arts and protecting the environment until Randall Derwent rushed in and took over by cutting everything that is progressive and making it fit for the corrupt bigwigs over there."

"I heard from Ryosuke that Rainbow Randall is known ot intimidate his critics and opponents in which he even caused a journalist to hang himself. And do you know what that idiot with a hairdo calls such news outlets that report directly and broadcast at the Drakonar Emperor's expense? He calls all of them 'fake news' and baits his critics with what he has by using his Chirp feed as his bully pulpit."

"Then it's settled," said Ryosuke as he entered into the conference hall with Dean and the allied forces sitting at the table. "The Emperor calls upon the deposition of Randall Derwent in which the calls for impeachment rang on the deaf ears to his subordinates. He even told me about how that egotistical bastard kept taxing the towns that are further away from his region, including Anzu Village. For the record, we're not backing down because of the fact that Randall Derwent won in his region with the help of the Executive Division, but his reality is slowly imploding on him."

"That's good enough to hear right now..."

The good news about raining on the parade of Tovar's chieftain was a great sign as Dean was ready to liberate that region from the oppression it suffered from. As for what would happen next, there would soon be a revolution that is in the making as we weren't about to bow down to the pressure of our enemies, for they were ready to get their due soon enough…

I was in the spirit world as I found myself in a room that was swirled with green and black all over the place. It was something out of a funhouse as I was trying to navigate my way in and out of the traps that were laid out in front of me. I was trying to get through the room with swirls and spirals until I heard a cry for help booming all over. Sprinting to where the cry came from, I saw a door in front of me glowing as I opened it up in which I spotted the same white room in my ongoing dream. At that moment, I saw my past self in the same way I saw him as he was still being attached to the same meathooks and chains from the ceiling. I also noticed him to be emaciated as he was in dire need of what help came his way. When I was about to release him from his prison, I heard a gunshot firing as I turned around and saw Soulless Sam standing in my way once again. He was itching to deter me as he was most likely to be giving me the worst guilt trip imaginable, for there would be no end of it in sight.

"So, you finally found the Cracker Jack prize that you've been looking for in a long time," he said as he pointed his gun at me. "Sorry to tell you, but the prize in front of you is better off where he is."

"Get out of this room!" I yelled.

"I won't listen to you because the more you loathe your every fiber being…," I see Soulless Sam fire another gunshot in the air. "The more I become stronger in this ongoing power trip. For the record, I literally own your actions in which I will never let go until you bow down and insert your dick into Julilla's aching temple."

"I won't bow to Julilla just to have me calm the ongoing itch that she has! I know how she works and I won't fall for it, either! There's already retaliation that the ice queen did when she killed Minara's wife and father-in-law and now he vows revenge against her."

"If you don't embrace the self-loathing and self-hatred you have in yourself, then there will be consequences for your actions."

At that moment I saw Soulless Sam snap his fingers as he transported us towards an image of the past from long ago in the Elder Days. It was different as I noticed it to be part of the Middle Ground's catacombs in which I saw Totsuka sprinting for his life. What I didn't expect was that he was being pursued by a familiar Knight of Hell as she was storming her way towards the room where the well was waiting. I never expected to see this before as I saw Soulless Sam smiling with the worst grin on his face. He was enjoying the reaction that I displayed as he was ready to show more of what happened in the time of the Elder Days.

"You see this, Sammy?" he said as he was smiling wickedly. "This is your past self screwing up all the time and it's been getting old."

"This is a long time ago," I said. "It's like I've heard before: past stays past."

"If you thing that the past is to be left alone, then take a good look at this juicy detail. It was when your past self and Totsuka were busy shutting down Abaddon's soul harvesting factories until she got wind of what they were doing."

I found myself and Soulless Sam in the catacombs as we noticed Totsuka making it towards the room with the well in which he got out a key and inserted it into a stone crevice. With the power rising, it was doing so to release the misery that the leftover souls were going through until he felt a hand impale him from behind. It wasn't long until I saw my past self running to Totsuka's aid as he was slumped to the floor with Abaddon standing in front of him with her hand bloodied. Even though she tried to remove the key from its slot, the power from it burned her as she was unable to take it out, for she was screaming with rage.

"You dare to release what I had accomplished just to put Crowley in his place!" she screamed.

"After what you were doing, it's high time that you get your due," said Totsuka as he was coughing up blood. "As for what Metatron is doing, he'll get it coming when some of his trusted subordinates turn on him..."

"I'll be back, but this isn't the last that you heard from me yet!"

"You won't do anything, Abaddon," my past self said to her as he stood up and cradled Totsuka in his arms. "Whatever you're doing, it's stopping as of now."

It wasn't long until Abaddon began to make a call in the pool of blood that was on the floor. She was aware that Crowley was contacting her in their battle for Hell's Throne. It wasn't long until she left the catacombs as I saw my past self still cradling Totsuka after what happened earlier.

"Stay with me, Totsuka," I heard him say as he was trying to keep him alive.

"Dude, don't try to waste your effort," he said as he was coughing up more blood. "At least we shut down what's left of those soul factories in the making..."

"I can't lose you!" I see Dean's past self running towards the site of the carnage as I noticed the Mark of Cain glowing on his right arm. "You're the best weaponmaker that we got right now!"

"You should look out for not only Metatron or those two bickering demons fighting for Hell's throne, but Dean himself due to the Mark of Cain that he has. For the record, you two need to put aside your differences like Kevin said… And remember the last time we were here when Dick Roman sent those Bottom Feeders after us while I told you about my wish. It's high time that you hear it 'cause in two thousand years or so, you'll be reincarnated into a much higher purpose than what you got gypped over so many times. You may have had so many past faults and guilt, but don't let them all define you in your time of need… You have to… keep going… and never give up, or else you'll end up getting your ass kicked in real time… Don't forget… Always… keep… fighting..."

"Totsuka!" My past self's tears ran down his face as he was grieving over the loss of the one who died in his arms. "TOTSUKA!"

I watched my past self cart Totsuka's lifeless body as he dropped him into the well in which his body began to dissolve. What he found afterwards was the set of dog tags that were on the floor that Totsuka wore as he picked them up and put them into his pocket. When I spotted Dean's past self seething with anger as he vowed to kill Abaddon next time. He was banking on doing away with the red-haired demoness who chased their paternal grandfather out of a closet once as he was ready to get rid of her the moment he obtained the First Blade once again.

"ABADDON!"

The sound of his voice echoed the room as I also heard it with such anguish and rage all at the same time. With Soulless Sam smiling at the sight of death, he was exuberant into showing me a lot more as he wasn't done with this psychological field trip just yet.

"We all know what happens next in which the Dean of old lets loose on Totsuka's killer," he said to me. "After that, he was ready to get rid of Metatron until that angelic cuck killed him, but in the end of it all, he became a demon due to the Mark of Cain that he had once."

"We all know what the Mark of Cain is," I said. "It was a prison for the Darkness in which her father, Pendragon, placed it on her as punishment for her actions. It was also her confinement in which Lucifer once bore that Mark before he passed it onto Cain later on."

"I heard all about it, but if you thought that seeing your friend die in the Elder Days was bad, this one's worse!"

It wasn't long until I was brought towards another image from the Elder Days as it was none other than a motel with a parking lot on the side. I never saw anything like it before as I rushed inside of one of the motel room to see two men with knives breaking down the door to the bathroom. It wasn't long until I saw Charlie in there as she finished sending a code to the Winchesters of old before her fate was sealed. The two suspicious men were ready to do so as they were not too thrilled with Charlie having the Book of the Damned in her possession in the first place.

"Give it up, red," said one of the men. "You won't flee anytime soon."

"I'm in this just to see the Mark of Cain removed just like the rest of us," said Charlie. "In the end, I won't betray my friends this way because we fight for what we believe in!"

"Then let the Styne family's honor be restored with your death instead," said the other man.

I saw the two men stab Charlie to death as there was no escape for her in which I saw it to be a very sad tragedy from the Elder Days. The more I saw them stab her, the more I felt unhinged as I couldn't take the sight of her being killed in such a tragic moment like that. By the time I saw them leave, they left Charlie's body in the bathtub with nothing but stab wounds all over her body. I was appalled at what I saw until I saw my past self and Dean's bursting into the motel room to see Charlie's body in such a terrible shape, for it was her last wish to help to get rid of the Mark of Cain at the time.

"Charlie!" I heard him yell as he cradled her in his arms.

"Why did this happen in the first place? You could've left well enough alone, Sam!" I heard Dean's past self yelling as he was angered at the outcome of what happened to Charlie. "It's all your fault because of this crap! It should've been you that died instead of her! It's all your fault Sam! If Charlie would've lived-"

"Charlie wanted the Mark off of you just as much as I did, Dean. I did my part ust to try and save you, but-"

"And what about those asshats who were after the Book of the Damned?! As soon as I get to them, they'll get it coming!"

I saw my past self and Dean's cart away Charlie's body from the motel room as they were most likely to be taking her to grant a funeral pyre in the end. When I left the motel room, I saw Soulless Sam standing in front of me as he was ready to show me more of the terrible mistakes that my past self made. I was ready put my foot down as I didn't want to deal with any more of the mistakes that I noticed from the Elder Days, for they were the past after all. The scenery of the motel reverted back into the same white room where my past self was still chained to his prison. I was ready to talk to him until I was blocked by Soulless Sam the moment he showed me another setting from the Elder Days.

"Here's another screw-up that your past self did, Sammy," he said as he showed me an image of a corporate office building all covered in black ooze. "Oh, look; there's you until something happened..."

I noticed a dart prick at my past self's neck as he fell to the floor. I never expected to see that before as I noticed two Draaza dressed in business uniforms coming and taking him away. It was unexpected until I noticed a sharp bone on the floor where Dick Roman's lifeless body was next to until I was whisked away into the image of a Draaza ship where I saw my past self naked and strapped down onto an examination table where he had a catheter inserted between his legs with a box-like contraption covering his extra parts.

"Well, Sammy, this is where your screw-up of a past self has been since his brother and your BFF, Cass, got whisked into Purgatory after Dick Roman got boned," said Soulless Sam. "After that, when those Draaza scientists reached the maximum quota of collecting that joy juice, they brought him back down in which they wanted to hide him by allowing a dog to get hit by a car and get with a veterinarian before they broke it off. Therefore, he should've looked for his brother and Cass in Purgatory instead of basking in the normal life and that's his Achilles' heel that haunted him and allowed no forgiveness for that sin."

"I heard all about it because I read it, but having him in a Draaza ship to have his semen harvested after the fall of Dick Roman?" I said.

"They kept their large lab rat fed for over a month just to keep his cock lubricated and his balls well functioning before they tossed him on his ass. And do you know what this ship was? It was an ark for the Draaza before it crashed into the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, but their stash they collected from their subject was kept in one of their collective towers they deposited in other places before the crew bit the dust. As for your past self's predicament, he continued to keep that baggage all over him-"

"Until something got him to admit it..."

I put my foot down as I changed the scenery to that of the Men of Letters bunker. In that scenario, I saw my past self feeling the guilt about not going after his brother and Castiel during their exile in Purgatory as he refused to forgive himself for that. I wanted to reach out to him, but I was invisible as I saw him enter into his room and locking the door behind him. I could tell that he was shaken up after being trapped in Lucifer's cage as he refused to come out of his room after what has happened. I wanted to know more as I found myself going through the locked door and seeing my past self curled up onto the floor while having tears in his eyes. I saw the guilt and remorse in his eyes as he still refused to let things go after all the damage he did. Just as I was about to console the latter that was sulking in the floor, I saw Soulless Sam entering into the room as he was grinning at the dismal sight of my past self still feeling guilty about not looking for his brother and Castiel in Purgatory for a while.

"Now that's a sight for the record books," he said as he smiled.

"He's been through enough torment already," I said.

"Even though his brother forgave him, that sin still hangs over him the moment he still stays there in that prison with all the meathooks and chains to keep him company."

"I know now how and why he suffers so. He refuses to forgive himself for his past sins in which they will weigh heavily on him, only to have him sacrifice himself for the greater good."

"'Greater good,' you say? He's nothing but trash. Just look at him just sulking there like a dog that's tethered up to a fencepost. Still, I prefer this sight over what you try to tell him, for that's his shame that will forever hang over his head for all eternity."

I heard footsteps approaching as I left the room in which I spotted Dean's past self walking down the hall with a beer bottle in his hand. From the looks of it, I had a gut feeling that he would go and coax my past self into coming out of his room as the burden he bore refused to be lighter. When I spotted Dean's past self coming towards me, he stopped as he dropped his beer bottle the moment it shattered onto the floor. He was stunned to see me like this, silver hair and all, as I wanted to tell him something that would change him soon enough.

"What the hell?!" I heard him say as he was shocked to see me standing in front of him.

"Don't be alarmed, for I'm from the future," I said.

"I've been to many futures, including the one where Lucifer ruled the roost while wearing my brother as a prom dress. It's not fun, but at least Satan's not wearing him this time 'cause he's back with me and I won't let him suffer from that asshat."

"I've read about the records on it, but I see that something's troubling you, isn't there?"

"Yeah, but it's been five days since Cass and I busted my brother out of the cage in which he still rambles about not being there when we were stuck in Purgatory and he refuses to forgive himself for that. I've forgiven him plenty of times, but he still didn't see it. He still says that this sin will forever haunt him for the rest of his life, even when he's old and popping in some Viagra like candy."

"Then I suggest that you do the right thing and tell him how you feel or else he will never be able to move on. I may not know more about how your brother works, but I know that he'll accept what you tell him."

"And I'll tell him straight away 'cause he can't just sulk in his room after the head trip that Lucifer gave him during his brief stint in the cage. He's gonna have to accept that self-forgiveness or else I'll kick his ass in real time."

"Please see that he does accept it, for it's also a virtue to do so."

I left the hall as I disappeared into the same white room where my past self was chained up in. I was ready to free him until I saw Soulless Sam standing in front of me, for he was not about to give up on weighing me down anytime soon…

Sybil was watching over me as I was still in a deep sleep in the spirit pool. Even though she sensed the meddling of Soulless Sam, she had a gut feeling that he would get the upper hand of me in his stranglehold as she saw the pool aura turn a bright red. It was a sign of danger as she also noticed bruises on my body the moment I was wracked with pain. When Charlie came towards Sybil to see what was going on, she was alarmed about the outcome of what I was going through, for she saw it to raise red flags so far.

"Son-of-a-bitch," said Sybil. "Soulless Sam's kicking his ass and he's trying to get out of it in this spirit dream."

"This isn't good," said Charlie. "I've heard of Soulless Sam before from Totsuka, but having him jerk Sam around like that?"

"Sam's trying to gain the upper hand here, but the fight for his mental state is taking a toll on him."

SPLOOSH!

"You gotta be kidding me! You're really pushing it, Bobby!"

Sybil spotted the furry housecat in the pool as he swam towards me. The old cat was ready to intervene at the last minute as he couldn't stand seeing me suffer under the personal id that I was dealing with, for he wasn't about to let me fall anytime soon…

I felt Soulless Sam's fist punching me all over as I was on the ground on my knees. The blows he landed on me were that of a stronger fighter as I felt his fists giving me more pain than normal. I was at the mercy at my personal id as I was on the receiving end, for he was not about to let me win this fight while on the floor. At that moment, I remembered the constant beatings and torture that I endured as I also accepted them due to my reason to be resilient while not harming others. I was eager to take what I endured and used it as a weapon as I got up onto my feet and punched Soulless Sam in the stomach the moment he fell onto the floor. Spitting out blood, he quickly got up as he was about to land another blow towards me in which he grabbed me by the long hair and yanked me towards my past self, who was still chained up. Getting out an angel blade, he tossed it over to me as he was itching to see me do away with my past self in such a gruesome manner indeed.

"You think that you can accept all the self-love and self-forgiveness you can muster, but think again, Sammy!" I heard him say as he kicked me in the ribs. "Just look at that sad sac over there with his meathooks and chains on display! He's not about to leave 'cause it's his punishment and pain that is keeping him there in the first place!"

"I know all about it now," I said as I was wincing in pain. "He suffers that way because he refused to offer himself forgiveness for his sins!"

"And what about your own?! You left when Darbus Toller took over and ran away to Shiganshina with your tail between your legs! No, I want you to embrace all the self-loathing you can muster 'cause you don't deserve to love yourself for what and who you are!" I see Soulless Sam give me the angel blade as he was ready to see me commit a cold deed. "Now, I want you to do the honor and kill that sad sack that's been chained up, for it will make me more stronger than you'll ever imagined!"

I got up to my feet as I was staggering towards my past self with the angel blade in my hands. When I got towards him, I was ready to kill him head-on as I had no other choice but to do what Soulless Sam said for me to do.

"Do it, Sammy!" I heard him say with a wicked tone in his voice. "Kill that piece of shit before it's too late! He's weighing you down, so I suggest that you lift that burden!"

I was ready to carry out the deed as I saw my past self's sad face with tears in his eyes. The sight of his emaciated body was a helpless one as I was conflicted into either saving him of killing him. With the glare of Soulless Sam hanging over me, I was ready to fulfill his wishes to kill my past self until I was stopped at the last minute the moment I felt strong hands holding me back with the angel blade in my hands. Whoever was doing that, he wasn't letting me do it as he had his reasons not to let me commit the unholy act on the sly, for my past self was a part of me as a whole anyway.

"If you do that crap, you'll be regretting in the long run, ya idjit!"

I heard that voice very well as I turned around to see Bobby's human form in which he was determined to stop me from killing my past self in cold blood. He was serious about doing the right thing as he didn't want me to carry on that unholy deed. Just as he was about to steer me away from killing my past self, I saw Soulless Sam coming towards us as he yanked Bobby and threw him against a wall. I saw my own personal id stalking the familiar as he was ready to do away with him on the spot, for he was itching to do so in such a grave manner indeed.

"Well, well; if it isn't the town drunk…, or perhaps the family pet?" he said as he pointed his gun on Bobby. "I should've killed you in the closet a long time ago, but you ended up dead at the hands of some Bottom Feeders on the sly."

"You're strong for someone who worked out soulless," he said as he got up on his feet. "Still, you're causing a ruckus here, so I suggest that you pack up and leave."

"And what would you do to the invalid that's been backed up in a corner a few times? Coddle him to see that he's fine?" Bobby spots me with the angel blade as he noticed me getting ready to kill my past self once again. "That's a good boy, Sammy." Soulless Sam looked back st me as he gave the thumbs-up. "Make me proud and be a man!"

I was ready to carry out the unholy deed as I decided to do the impossible instead. With the angel blade in my hands, I used it with the raw power that I had as I destroyed the chains that kept my past self prisoner. At that moment, I gently removed the meathooks from his back as I saw him to be in a much more graver shape than normal. He was crying tears as I wiped him away from his face in which he had been through enough torture in a lifetime, for he was free from his shackles at last.

"I thought you were going to kill me again," he said to me.

"I didn't want to sink down to Soulless Sam's level in which I had to set you free," I said. "Even though I have faced him, he's a part of me, but I can't and won't allow him to dictate my actions in the process. I also know about your past mistakes in which you refused to forgive yourself for the past sins you committed. Therefore, you should move on and be free, for you will never suffer from your shackles again."

"Back away, Sammy!" said Soulless Sam as he fired a gunshot in the air. "You think that you've freed him, but think again! You think that freeing that sad sack from his chains can give you closure, but what about your own self-loathing? You still hold onto it like a cripple holding onto his crutches."

"Don't listen to him, Sam!" yelled Bobby as he jumped onto Soulless Sam and took the gun out of his hands. "He's messing with you, but you should also look into the real matter of puppeteering in front of you!"

"No, Sam! I own you and I'll make damn sure that you don't love yourself anymore. It's the way things are and the way things are supposed to be!"

I watched Soulless Sam yank Bobby off of him as he picked up his gun and was ready to shoot at him directly. I was concerned about the familiar as I got in the way the moment I saw Soulless Sam's gun go off. The loud gunshot pierced me in the abdomen as I took the bullet out and began to bleed out slowly. With Soulless Sam exuberant into subjugating me into his own personal puppet, I also began to realize Bobby's words as I took the angel blade in my hands and lunged at my own personal id the moment I stabbed him in the gut. Even though he took that stab wound, he was still standing as he was most likely to be taunting me before he dropped over.

"You think that this is over?!" I heard him yell as he was coughing up blood. "Think again! For the record, you're nothing but a weakling, Sam! Unlike you, I was better off without my soul until it got crammed back in! For the record, souls are weak! They're also a liability just to hold your emotions together! All you are is the same sniveling milksop that-"

"You listen to me, you sick prick!" I yelled back. "I may be saddled with a soul, but I won't stoop to your level! I have problems, yes; but I can manage them carefully unlike you! And for the record, not all souls are meant to be weak nor can they be a liability that you can mock! I have a family, friends, and even a certain stern-faced intimidator who is in the Medical Corps that I rely on, but you of all people only rely on yourself for the wrong reasons. Yes, I keep hating myself for being in the bad situations, but I was once told that the more one suffers, the closer to God he gets."

"If you think I'm bad, then-"

"I've already met the one who was shackled and he's free from all the misery he's been suffering from. It's a hard process for me to indulge into my own self-love and self-worth, but I also have a family to take care of!" I felt my raw power building up as I used it to take it out Soulless Sam in one shot the moment he screamed in pain. "It's what I have and that's all that matters now! I'm more than enough to stay firm even if it meant by stopping the negative thought process I have! In the end, I will continue to keep fighting, no matter what!"

I saw what was left of Soulless Sam vanishing as he wasn't done with me due to the strong aura that he still had within him. Even though I was still wounded, I was about to fall until Bobby came and steered me towards a bench by the window. He was concerned about my injuries as he was making sure that I was alright before returning back to reality, for this was something that would either keep me going or break me till the end.

"You sure did show Soulless Sam that you didn't want to be messed with, but his stranglehold over you isn't over yet," he said to me.

"I know that he still goads me in the wrong reasons, but I won't stoop to the same lows as he had," I said as I was still clutching where the gunshot wound was at. "I couldn't let hi get to me this time, but when he showed me that slide show of my past self's sins and how Totsuka and Charlie once died in the Elder Days, I feel mixed emotions about this right now."

"There's no need to be worried, Sam," said my past self as he was now healthy and dressed in his usual hunter attire. "You've got a long way to go, but you should also focus on having all the self-love and self-worth that you truly deserve. I've seen you once before, but when I got a glimpse of you again, you had that same silver hair that you did when Dean saw you in the hallway at that time. You told him that I needed to forgive myself for not looking for him and Castiel in Purgatory in which he said to me afterwards to shut up and drink a beer."

I began to chuckle at that sentiment as I was beginning to slowly come out of my hard shell.

"That's a first," said Bobby.

"I know how it goes, but I can't let this misery be the footnote of what I had on me forever," I said as I was still adding pressure to the wound I sustained. "I have a long way to go, but I should also be aware of the problems of both the Executive Division and the wrath of Soulless Sam on the horizon."

"And I thought dealing with Lucifer in Snuffleupagus clothing was bad, but Soulless Sam is a lot worse."

"He is, but you can't let him get to you," said my past self as he was ready to cross into the Grey Havens. "I'm a part of you, for I won't let you suffer even further in the future..."

I saw my past self going towards a door where I saw a harbor from outside. In that moment, I saw him going towards a white ship as it was getting ready to set sail in the waters beyond. When I saw him leave on the white ship, it sailed away as it was gone further without any turning back whatsoever, for I freed him to be at peace at last. When my business with what I had from within was concluded, I found myself being yanked back towards reality as I was surrounded by members of the Medical Corps in which a familiar face was put in the crowd. Placed in a stretcher, I was getting being carted out of the cave with the spirit pool as I was most likely to be mended up, for I sustained the wounds that I had during my trip to the spirit world so far…

I woke up as I was in my new lodging's infirmary wing as I felt at where I was shot at in which I noticed some bandages all over my body. I never expected to be injured while in the spirit world, but I was incapacitated once again as I had no other choice but to stay in bed for a while. Staring at the window, I noticed a tree next to the castle near Anzu Village from a distance as it had some blossoms on it in which spring was coming. Even though most of the snow melted, I wanted to soak in all the wisdom that I was given until I heard the door open up in which there was Reuben coming in here with a tray of food that was deemed soft and mushy, but palatable for my tastes so far.

"I had a feeling that you would come to scold me," I said.

"After our efforts to cauterize the gunshot wound and fix you up, you nearly flatlined until that raw power intervened at the last minute," said Reuben as he handed the tray of food over to me.

"How long was I out?"

"You were out for four days in which you also sustained a broken rib that we had to fix, along with what you had in the majority of the danger you put yourself in."

"I'm not worried about it, but I can't let Soulless Sam get the better of me right now."

"Old Lady Sybil told me about him in which he was also goading you into surrendering to the Executive Division just to become their weapon for Project Ra. She's seen the damage that you sustained during your trip to the spirit world, but you can't just put it off forever."

"I know, but I saw my past self shackled and emaciated there in which Soulless Sam kept goading me to kill him. I was being egged on to do so, but I decided to free the one who was shackled in which he now had closure the moment he went into the Grey Havens. Still, after we get a brief stint of staying here, we should also take a trip to Shiganshina."

"You're in no condition to be going anywhere right now, Sam. We all know that a derelict Draaza ship is embedded into the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, but-"

"That ship was the same one that my past self was kept as a guinea pig to have his livelihood harvested after the fall of Dick Roman in the Elder Days. After that, he was released and back on Earth in which he ended up hitting a dog and not looking for-"

"That's enough. You've had too much worry and if that happens in the long run, it'll cause pressure on the wounds you carry. Still, you nearly died, but your raw power protected you from the further dangers and complications that you had when we brought you into emergency surgery. By the way, the food that I brought for you is mainly mashed potatoes with gravy and some asparagus complete with a tender piece of steak to go with it. For dessert, you have some peach cobbler, so I suggest that you quit worrying and eat what's in front of you, are we good?"

I reluctantly agreed as I began to take a bite of my steak and asparagus as I found them to be tasty due to how they were seasoned. With the mashed potatoes and gravy, I found them to be a lot better than the meat and vegetables as they were more delectable than what I had so far. I wasn't worrying a bit as I even noticed Bobby coming into the room as he skittered towards a rocking chair near the table, for he was happy that I lived through the ordeal I endured.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asked.

"I've been out for four days, but I'll live," I said.

"I just got word from Totsuka and Charlie that your brother and his squad are in the neighboring region of Tovar on this planet. They even got clearance from the Drakonar Emperor of all people in which he was getting fed up with Rainbow Randall and his inflated ego over there."

"Let's hope that he succeeds..."

"And another thing, the real reason why Soulless Sam got a Hulk boost is because Julilla was using dark magic to get you to come towards the Executive Division, which is dark side territory for you. Her spell over you may be broken, but the rest of Soulless Sam's not about to give up on making you feel guilty, either. So far, she knows what makes her victims tick, but in the end of it all, she will end up getting the short end of the stick for her crimes."

"I know, but we'll challenge her allies another day..."

I didn't worry too much as I continued to eat my food the moment I refused to have too much stress getting the better of me. As for the ongoing war between us and the Executive Division, we weren't out of the woods yet as the worst was waiting in the wings in this battle so far…

To be continued...