Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8

Chapter 9: The Trail of Vending Machines

(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 woke up in another room as I was up and alert. Even though Reiko returned to our home in Skald Island on Valinor, I was thinking of her as I wanted to see her again. When I sat up, I got out of bed as I was starting to feel more in tune with dealing with what I suffered from. After last night's interlude with Reiko, I felt more relieved than normal as I wasn't as weakened as before. When I got out of my room, I went into the main hall of our bunker in the cave on Tenebrae as I saw the older children there with Osgilia eating their breakfast that consisted of pancakes with maple syrup. I didn't mind them having their breakfast as I noticed Aora and Ghimru eating their own as they were wanting seconds, for I was happy that everyone got their meal for the day.

By the time we finished up, we went into the kitchen as we cleaned up while we washed up our dishes as well. We had to do our part here in this bunker that was crafted on Tenebrae as we later cleaned up the kitchen and put our dishes away. In my own sense, I was improving as I didn't want to stop right now. I had to focus on my health after what I went through in the past two years, but I was also worried about what went on in my absence. Still, one thing started to haunt me as I remembered what happen to Kanna yesterday. I didn't want to repeat my mistake again as I also had to balance both my family's needs and my own, for I wanted to be on top of things. When I went outside of the cave where the bunker was, I went outside as I was staring at the ocean in which I noticed the waves crashing. It was peaceful, but I also had to return to Skald Island on Valinor as I needed to focus on my recovery. It was at that moment that I saw a flight of stairs that lead upwards to a trail surrounded by grass and trees. I never saw Tenebrae's infrastructure to be full of life as I even noticed some strange trees that had vending machines all over them. It was a cavalcade of something that melded in with the trees as I saw the many products that stemmed from beverages to clothing. I expected vending machines to be all over the place, but seeing them growing on Tenebrae? I decided to examine one of them as I was in for a shock when I noticed that there was no change collection where coins and paper money were put into.

"This is new…," I said.

I went to one of the beverage vending machine as I noticed it to be a hybrid of nature and technology in which I decided to punch in a code for a coffee drink to wake me up further. When I did that, I saw one be dispensed as it fell to the bottom where I got it out of there. Picking it up, I saw it to be a Royal Regalia vanilla flavored coffee drink as I knew of it very well. Just as I was about to open it, I heard footsteps approaching as I hid in the bushes. To my surprise, I saw Gyatso as he was looking at the vending machines in which he never saw so many before until now, for this was very new indeed.

"Where's the change collection?" he asked as he had some coins in his hand.

"There isn't any," I said as I noticed a replacement beverage being generated in the machine I got my coffee drink out of. "From what I gather, these vending machines are free, but they quickly grow what gets vended out of it."

"Take a look at these." Gyatso sees all of the beverages in the vending machine that I found. "They have all sorts of drinks like milk tea, coffee drinks, energy drinks, soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, fancy bottled water, and the grown-up drinks that kids can't get."

I saw Gyatso press at a button as he saw an orange juice bottle being dispensed. When he saw it fall to the bottom, he picked it up as he opened it in which tasted the orange juice that looked very great. He never got enough of it as he saw me open up my coffee drink the moment I drank it. I remembered the Royal Regalia brand very well as it was a big name for a company that came from Trainfell on Alecrast. When I finished up my coffee, I spotted some trash bins as I threw away the empty can in the one that was designed for recycling aluminum. I never expected vending machines to be grown as they had an ecosystem of their own, for this was something that my imagination did for the first time in a while. It may have been farfetched, but I had to deal with it as I was also starting to have a little more pep in my step other than being in a wheelchair, for it was refreshing to climb up the stairs for once.

"This is a good day after all," I said.

"I can't wait to tell the others about these things," said Gyatso as he finished up his orange juice.

"If only Reiko were here…"

"What the hell are you doing out and about?!" yelled Seto as she caught me out in the open.

"I was just getting some exercise, Seto."

"You can't be out of your wheelchair just because you have a little 'pep in your step.' You're still weak from what happened when you busted up the Sol-3 two years ago."

"I'm starting to get better and I'm focusing on my health just like you told me."

"Climbing up the stairs isn't focusing on your health. What if you fell down?"

"Are you telling that everything I do isn't good enough? I did what you told me and you're saying that I'm not focusing on my health?"

"I'm saying that you can't do too much exercise in which it can eventually overwhelm you, Sam. As for your discovery here, these vending machines have a lot of things, including medicine."

I didn't want to be dealing with Seto as I saw her go to one of the vending machines and selected some pain medicine the moment it got dispensed. When she got it out of there, she handed it to me as I was looking at it carefully. I didn't want to take any medicine right now as I wanted to be more on my feet instead of being rendered useless. I also noticed Gyatso at the beverage vending machine as he got a bottle of water when it was dispensed. When he gave the bottled water to me, I opened it up as I also broke open the medicine that Seto gave me. It wasn't long until I saw him go downstairs back to the bunker in the cave as I was left alone with Seto, who was wanting me to take whatever she gave me. When I took it while drinking the water to wash it down with, I simple didn't complain as I also felt a little dizzy due to walking up the stairs earlier. I overdid it as I sat down on a tree stump in which I was at the mercy of Seto, for I wasn't about to escape just yet.

"I told you that it wasn't good enough," she said as she saw me just sitting with nothing but a glare on my face. "You can't just say that you're starting to feel better even after Kotori gave you a combo shot just to keep you from getting weaker."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my days being rendered useless right now," I said.

"You're afraid of being left on the sidelines, aren't you?"

"No, but I can't let my family down. After what happened yesterday with Kanna, I can't and won't shirk my duties as someone that is willing to protect the family they love dearly. She nearly died after I found her unwell due to her time of the month. I can't forgive myself for not being there when my family needs me the most. I won't make that mistake again."

"And yet you neglect your health again… Your ward will recover. As for your own needs, you need to focus on them more if you want a full recovery. For the record, I got word that your older wards have been making sure that she's doing a lot better, but she's very cautious with what was going on with her yesterday. I say to you again, don't neglect your health."

It wasn't long until I followed Seto down the stairs as we returned to the bunker in the cave. Even though we were still on Tenebrae, I had my work cut out for me as I also had to maintain balance of what I do, for I was on a short leash when it came to dealing with my health…

Kanna was out of bed as she was in clean clothes after last night's debacle with her unmentionable problem. Even though she was still dealing with it, she was more than glad that there were feminine pads for her to put on as she was going out of her room. After dealing with the usual breakfast in bed, she was wanting to go outside as she saw me go back into the bunker. She was astonished to see me out of my wheelchair as I watched her leave the cave and go up to the stairs where the trail of vending machines were at. She never saw anything like it before as she noticed that one of the vending machines had some noodle cups that came in many flavors. She saw the ones filled with seafood as they were her favorite when she was forced to get some bedrest in which she noticed the collecting slits for coins and paper money weren't there. She wanted to get an instant seafood noodle cup so badly as she pressed on the selection she saw. When she saw the noodle cup fall down to be dispensed, she took it out of the bottom as she saw it up close. It was her lunch so far on the go as she wanted to show everyone the noodle cup in her hands.

"I bet that everyone doesn't know about this," she said as she left the trail of vending machines.

Kanna was ready to go back downstairs to the bunker in the cave as she turned around and saw Aora and Ghimru coming here the moment they were wanting to see what was discovered. What she also didn't expect was that Dirk and Gyatso were coming here as they were also wanting to get some snacks from one of the vending machines, for they wanted to get some just in time for lunch.

"These popped up last night when we ended up here in the downpour," said Dirk as he was standing next to a vending machine that dispensed candy and chips. "Luckily, I got out that noodle cup for you so you could have something while you were resting."

"There's some Pocky in that vending machine," said Aora as he spotted it directly.

"It's been a while since we had some Pocky…"

"I miss having those treats," said Gyatso.

Without warning, Ghimru noticed something rustling in the bushes as he wanted to know who was there. When he walked closer, he saw a familiar face that none of us hadn't seen in years in which he was dressed in such tattered clothing. Dirk rushed in to get Ghimru out of the way as he saw the familiar face get up in which he was in dire need of getting a bath after travelling all over the galaxy in the past two years.

"Dude, you friggin' reek!" he yelled as he covered his nose.

"He really smells like tinkle," said Ghimru.

"That's no way to talk to an archangel, kid," said the familiar face.

"Gabriel?" said Gyatso as he recognized him directly. "How come you're here on Tenebrae?"

"Long story, but is there any place where I can get cleaned up?"

"There's an underground bunker by the beach," said Kanna. "We can bring you there."

Gabriel was elated that he was having some help as he saw the children escorting him from the vending machines and back downstairs to where the bunker in the cave was. He was in dire need of getting cleaned up as he also wanted to get his bearings straight, for he was most likely to be having an audience with me, for he was mainly there to tell me what has happened in the past two years…

I was in the men's bathing area as I was busy cleaning myself in which I heard footsteps approaching. I spotted Gabriel stripped naked as he walked to the wash basin next to me and cleaned himself up in which he smelled more rancid than normal. The soap he used was a mixed scent of Shigan charcoal mixed with ash bergamot and sandalwood as he scrubbed himself to the point that he got rid of the smell that he had on him. He was glad to be clean as he even washed his hair from all the sweat and dirt as he was wanting a bath in a while. By the time we finished up by rinsing ourselves the moment we went to two of the bathtubs while enjoying the warmth of the hot water that was scented with bath salts, for we were most likely to be discussing what was going on in my absence.

"I never expected for you to show up until now," I said.

"It's been two years since you sailed off to your island," said Gabriel.

"I was briefly forced to return to the field, but put back on the sidelines."

"Seto forced you to do it until she got an earful from Reuben. I bet that she changed her tune after all that has happened."

"I miss the field work, but I have to remain focused on my recovery after all that has happened in the past two years. I've been weakened by the battle to destroy Project Amaterasu while I tangled with Sawney Masbath. When I stopped those threats, I ended up being unconscious for six days in which I was having nightmares that scared me in which I had ones that kept berating me for being rendered useless."

"You were afraid of being rendered useless in which you were crying in your sleep when the Medical Corps brought you to the infirmary wing. Your body was damaged from the battle after you overexerted your raw power to stop the Sol-3 in its tracks. Castiel and the other angels, some of them who were Knights of Heaven, healed you from the brink of death, but it was not enough to recover up to full. The higher-ups in the Order were concerned about your health in which they put their feet down in which a leave of absence would do to speed up your recovery."

"And they were right… Still, I pleaded with them to let me resume my field work, but my words fell on deaf ears in which Shion told me that my health and well-being were important. In the past two years, I kept myself filled with helping my family, doing mindful exercises, and even walking on the beach until I saw that I was needed."

"To put it bluntly, you can't force yourself to do the workload or else you'd be dead. As for what happened in the past two years, the war's still going, but as for Milverton, he got his ass handed to him by Abaddon in which she rules Hell with an iron fist. She's running a tight ship, matey, but she's also on the warpath against the renegade demons who have a grudge against her and Hell's former ruler in which they've went into hiding. The leader of those renegades, Gary, has forced the ones you ran into go in a hole so they wouldn't be caught in Abaddon's crosshairs. As for the rest of the news during your absence, the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast has been rebuilt. And as for the bonus round, Crowley, who you thought was dead, had to get rid of his demonic mojo again, not only because he's been a thorn in Abaddon's side, but his mother, Rowena, noticed that the woman he bedded had his kids, both Half-Elves, in which she forced him to either marry her or have him castrated. As for the rest of the situation, Liesel has been on the warpath after the death of her brother and the destruction of the Sol-3, but her lingering thirst for conquest and chaos hasn't ended. She has her eyes set on causing chaos on Valinor and not stopping once she activates the Sol-4 and jumpstart Project Helios. There's always the infamous phrase, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' and Liesel fits the bill."

I never heard so much news coming from an archangel before as I never expected to know a lot more of Milverton's ouster from Hell until now. The news about Crowley being alive and forced to give up his demonic mojo again was something new as I also never expected him to be marrying Valerie of all people. News in my absence travelled slowly as I was starting to feel guilty for not being there when everyone needed me the most, for I had no choice but to have the Order's higher-ups rescind my absence just to return to the field, but I also had a feeling that I would hit a huge snag afterwards…

Seto was in the sitting room as she was concerned about the state of affairs that went on during our stay on Tenebrae. My current state worried her as she felt all the guilt for forcing me to be back on the field. The clamor of the children entering into the bunker with snacks made her get up as she left the sitting room and straight into the dining room where she noticed Osgilia arranging what was got from the vending machines earlier. The sight of Pocky and noodle cups were a feast for the eyes as Seto saw some of them to be various brands stemming from Nissin's Cup Noodles to Maruchan Instant Lunch. There were also some of them that were none other than Rocket Noodles, which is a very popular brand all over Valinor, for they had a lot of meaning like its forebears.

"You got a table that's fit for college kids chowing down on that stuff," she said.

"Noodle cups have been around since the Middle Days," said Osgilia as she got out one of them.

"And I bet that Gabriel would be getting those instead of sucking on candy. He's no stranger into causing tricks in which he even changed the scenery for the Winchesters of Old into a saccharin-filled acid trip of t.v. shows."

"Kanna and the others saw him and he stank like a garbage dump. His clothes are in the laundry room getting washed, but he's gonna tell Sam an earful about what went on in the last two years. He smelled so bad that Kanna had to cover her nose while the boys stripped off his clothes."

"Gabriel had a flamboyant side, but wandering like a homeless guy while smelling like a toilet?"

"Well, he did stink like a garbage can until he went into the bathing area to clean himself up."

It wasn't long until Gabriel came into the dining room with clean clothes on him as he was starting to get hungry. The sight of noodle cups all arranged caught his eye as he grabbed one of Rocket Noodle cup that had seafood in it was a godsend as he grabbed it while going into the kitchen to where a kettle was boiling with hot water. Opening up the noodle cup, he poured some hot water into it as he began to wait for three minutes in which he stood firm while sitting on a stool. By the time when the three minutes were up, he grabbed a fork and the noodle cup as he went towards the dining room table to eat it, for he was wanting something for the first time in a while.

"These are great for college dorm food," he said as he blew on the top of the noodle cup.

"I'm glad you're enjoying them," said Seto.

"You're in a mode, but you're concerned about Sam's health, aren't you, Seto?"

"I should've paid more attention to what he was suffering from in which his predicament reminded me of what his past self went through during the trials back in the Elder Days. I can't and won't make that mistake again when I sent him to Balin to assess the damage of the Zasselian base over there."

"And that Jefferson Starship in Blighter's clothing attacked you, only for Sam to finish it off. His raw power is fine, but he can't overexert it in which he needs to do more than just focus on the healing."

It wasn't long until Seto noticed me leaving out of the bunker as she followed me outside. When she saw me going upstairs to where the vending machines were, she was aware that I was getting something to eat and drink as she noticed a familiar nuisance appeared out of nowhere the moment she spotted the angel standing in my way. It was Miriam as she was not about to let me shirk my duties in which she pulled her rifle at me, for I was screwed when I had my hands up.

"It's been two years since you abandoned your duties, Sam; two years of suffering for all of us in the galaxy!" she yelled as she stood still with her rifle pointed at me. "You and your past self are two sides of a coin and the both of you screw up all the time!"

"It wasn't my fault, Miriam," I said as I still had my hands up. "The Order's higher-ups forced me to take this long four-year furlough in which I had no choice but to recover from the battle I had."

"It is your fault for abandoning your duties! It is your fault for not being there when everyone needed you the most! It is your fault that innocents get caught in the undertow while you're lounging around in your island paradise and for what?! By 'recovering' from your battle while the rest of us suffocate at the hands of the Executive Division?! As of now, you will return to the field against the wishes of the Order's higher-ups, is that understood?! No one else will die for your mistakes in which you will heed the call whether you like it or not!"

"My health comes first, Miriam. There are others who are willing to stay the course to stop Liesel's forces from causing havoc all over."

"Your health is not important, but your duty is. Which is your answer: yes or no?"

I was standing there with tears in my eyes as I was fearing the worst. I had no choice. I couldn't say no to Miriam as she was ready to blow me away with her sniper rifle. I would soon go against the wishes of the Order's higher-ups as I was ready to return to the field. I didn't want to do this. I had to focus on my recovery as I didn't want to let anyone down right now, for I would soon bend the knee to Miriam in her crusade to force me to return to the field soon enough.

"So? Are you ready to say yes?" asked Miriam.

"I won't go back in the field in my weakened condition," I said. "Seto did the same thing until she was reminded of her own mistakes in the Elder Days."

"Sorry, but I won't take no for an answer!" Miriam sees my kimono blowing in the wind as she saw some bruises on my legs. "I'm sorry that you are caught in your so-called 'condition,' but I won't let you shirk your duties again! Your raw power is not just something that you were born with, but it is also the greatest weapon that was ever forged!"

"I am a lot of things, but I am not to be made as a weapon!"

It wasn't long until Miriam rushed towards me as she hit me with the butt of her sniper rifle. The blow of it caused me to fall to my knees as I saw her hitting me with it again. Blow after blow, she was letting me have it as if I felt my body being hit with a kitchen sink. Her anger was more than enough to blind me with her angelic aura until she was stopped by Seto the moment she broke her sniper rifle into pieces. I saw her standing in front of me as she didn't want me getting hurt much longer, for she wasn't about to deal with Miriam's anger right now.

"You can't coddle him forever, Seto!" she cried as she picked up her broken rifle.

"As usual, most angels are the proverbial dicks they tend to be," she said as she stood firm.

"Didn't you see his furlough as a betrayal once?!"

"I did until I remembered what his past self went through while going through the trials in the Elder Days. If you think that forcing Sam to go on the battlefield in his weakened state can give all of us an advantage in this war against the Executive Division, you've betted on the wrong horse, muchacha."

"He is needed whether he likes it or not, Seto! Can't you see that or are you too blind in realizing your own mistakes?"

"I had my fair share of mistakes and I won't make that same mistake into forcing Sam to go on the field again! His health and well-being are far more important than your petty crusade. Putting him on the battlefield is like sending an ailing K-pop idol to perform while he's injured or worse, like an injured racehorse who had too many runs with a short jockey kicking him all over! For the record, stand down and let Sam heal more or else I'll do more than just cripple you, now back off!"

Miriam disappeared without a trace as Seto helped me up to my feet. Anger flooded her as she was ready to tear the meddling angel apart as she eased me to the tree stump to sit on. When she went to the vending machine with the medicine, she got a first aid kit as it was dispensed to the bottom for pickup. When she grabbed it, she was ready to patch me up as she saw the bruises all over me. It wasn't long until I saw Seto lift my kimono down as she saw the bruises and lacerations all over my body. It was more than enough to wring Miriam's neck as she was doing her best to clean the wounds while bandaging them up. When she finished up, she put back up the top part of my kimono as she later noticed the bruises on my legs, for she had a feeling that I was back to square one.

"This isn't good," said Seto.

"Miriam was forcing me to go back on the field in which she refused to take no for an answer," I said as I slowly got up. "I have to go back on the field, Seto. There's no other way."

"Like hell, you are! I want you to go back on the field like the rest of us, but nothing is worth losing you. You may think that you're this messianic Superman, but you can't lift the heavy burden by yourself. You still struggle from what you went through after destroying the Sol-3 and giving the smackdown on Sawney Masbath two years ago, but you have a long way to go, Sam. I won't let you overstrain yourself right now, you got that? And don't say that your life doesn't have any meaning, but it does. You have too many burdens, but you can't carry them alone."

I slowly got up from the tree stump as I felt the sting of Miriam's words engulfing me. I was feeling the pinch of them as I couldn't take the strain of all the stress that was put in front of me. Just as I was about to leave back to the bunker in the cave, I fell to my knees as I was beginning to have a panic attack. I felt a squeezing in my chest as I was starting to hyperventilate the moment I saw Seto rush towards me in order to calm me down, but to no avail.

"Damn it, don't you dare do this!" I heard her say to me as she saw me shaking. "Don't make me sic Dean on your ass right now!"

I continued to hyperventilate as I was overwhelmed by the words that Miriam said to me. I had no other choice but to go back on the field. I had to adhere against the Order's higher-ups as I was backed in a corner. It wasn't long until the images of Skald Island in ruins scared me to death as I didn't want to see myself as a failure to everyone. I couldn't let anyone down for my mistakes as I later fell to the ground. I was losing it as I closed my eyes the moment I fainted, for I was trapped in a cage of my own making, or so I thought…

"It is your fault for abandoning your duties! It is your fault for not being there when everyone needed you the most! It is your fault that innocents get caught in the undertow while you're lounging around in an island paradise and for what?! By 'recovering' from your battle while the rest of us suffocate at the hands of the Executive Division?! As of now, you will return to the field against the wishes of the Order's higher-ups, is that understood?! No one else will die for your mistakes in which you will heed the call whether you like it or not!"

I woke up in the room where I stayed in as I was laying in my bed. The harsh words that I heard from Miriam began to haunt me as I had no other choice but to accept what got thrown in front of me. To my surprise, I saw a tray with food in front of me as I saw a piping hot noodle cup complete with a glass of water and a protein bar. I wasn't hungry right now as the shock of what I went through put a dent in my recovery. I had to return to the field. There was no other way. I had to heed the call as I was about to get up until I heard the door open up to see Kotori coming in here to check up on me, for she was worried about my health like the rest of us.

"You had a panic attack earlier," she said as she saw me sit back and curl up in my bed. "You need to eat something. You can't just go without food after Seto brought you here back to the bunker."

"It's all my fault," I said. "I should've been there for everyone…"

"Don't be like that, Sam. Besides, you need to focus on your physical and mental well-being or else you'll face another panic attack. Your wards made you this so you can get your strength back, so I suggest that you don't dwell on those harsh words that Miriam hurled at you."

I sat up again as I began to eat at the noodle cup with a fork as I tasted how hot it was due to the broth in it. The taste of curry in it made me feel calm as I ate a little more of what was in that noodle cup while I drank the glass of water. When I finished up, I opened up the protein bar as it was a peanut butter one in which I ate it the same. Even though I was full from what was put in front of me, I laid back down as I was feeling guilty for not doing enough for everyone, for I was forced to make a choice eventually, for being on the field was the end goals of those who had the gall to send an injured racehorse on the battlefield.

"I have to return to the field," I said. "There's no other choice."

"If you did that, then Seto would kick your ass all over again," said Kotori.

"Miriam told me that it was my fault for not doing enough for everyone…"

"I've seen people coming in and out of the battlefield in which those who have an imprint of raw power had their fair share of saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business. You have those who carry the burden for you after saving Westeros from the wrath of Project Amaterasu two years ago. You even went up against and defeated Sawney Masbath, who was a proverbial thorn in the sides of his victims and the witches who served in the Vesper Guild. You've accomplished enough accolades that could envy any ruler."

"As long as I'm not rendered useless, the better." I laid back down in my bed as I heard footsteps approaching. "I can't abandon anyone right now, but I also have to—"

"Where the hell is he?!"

I heard Reuben's voice as I noticed him bursting into the room I was in. He saw me to be a wreck as he opened up his medical bag and got out his stethoscope in order to listen to my heart and lungs. He was aware of what happened to me as I saw him place the diaphragm on my chest. He had a gut feeling that I was put through the ringer as he heard the sound of my heart pounding harshly. He was also aware that I was about to be bumped to an extra year of recovery as I was not doing too well, for I was torn between my health and duty.

"This isn't good," I heard him say to me. "The stress you endured is making your heart race too much. I bet that Seto reverted to her old song and dance when she was forcing you to return to field work."

"It wasn't Seto this time," said Kotori.

"If Seto didn't do this, then who did?"

"It was Miriam," she said as she entered into the room. "Of all the people besides me who are forcing Sam to return to field work, there's always an angel bitch who's doing the job I backed off from."

"I know of her. Miriam was one of the sharpshooters in the Terran God's Heavenly Host in which she is known to be shooting her targets. These days, she acts like the zealots before her in which if one dick doesn't get their way, they attack in many ways than one."

"Well, she did beat Sam with the butt end of her sniper rifle." Seto clenches her fist as she was wanting to have a bone to pick with my attacker. "That bitch! That high-and-mighty bitch! She's pushing it in which she'll go to great lengths like some shitty K-pop producer forcing an idol to perform against the wishes of his doctors! Sam's not going out on the field right now and if that bitch with her little pop-gun or anyone else who tries to force him to do so will have their wings clipped! I made that mistake once and I will not do it again!"

Seto made her point clear as she saw Reuben putting away his stethoscope. She was adamant into keeping me on track as she didn't want me to fall under the cracks once again. When she saw me try to get up, she stood in my way as she refused to let me do so, for she didn't want to make the same mistake twice this time.

"Don't even think about getting your gargantuan ass out of bed!" she yelled. "As for the shit that Miriam spouted against your wishes, I'm not about to let you bend the knee to that bitch!"

"You can't get past Miriam," I said cautiously as I was worried for Seto. "She thinks she acts for my best interests by forcing me to go back on the field, but she'll stop at nothing to do so. I just don't want to see you with your eyes melted."

"All angels and demons who act like total dicks are scared of me. I know of this because of the fact that I even nullified the grace from the monsters that the apocalyptic version of Michael injected into during the time of the Elder Days. Hell, I even aided into nullifying the grace that Garth ingested before I saved his ass and returned him to his family."

"You're a greater force to be reckoned with, aren't you?"

"Seto's no stranger to going up against unruly angels and demons that rub her the wrong way," said Kotori. "She's been around since Jack Kline became the King of Heaven. As for the Terran God, he had his powers returned with a limiter as punishment for abusing his powers to cause an endgame, only to see those who vanished reappear at the behest of his father, Pendragon. For the past centuries, he wandered in penitence in which he became a familiar in the form of an Irish terrier."

"I've seen him in that form before, but when he came into his human form, he vanished with only his clothes remaining." I sighed heavily as I laid back down. "He was also right about me being a god of the Ashizoka System, but I have a long way to go so far."

I curled up in my blanket as I began to close my eyes. When I finally fell asleep, I began to weep as I felt Reuben's hand wipe the tears from my face. He was mainly there for me as he couldn't let me fall under the cracks, for I wasn't about to be put through the ringer again…

Later on in the evening, Osgilia was armed with her projector as she was walking to the room I was in. She was doing her best to keep me from being depressed as she noticed me sitting up the moment I was about to be subjected to a short film, but what am I about to watch all of a sudden? When I saw her plug in the projector, it was facing the wall as I saw her sit down in the chair next to me, for I was about to get a crash course in a cheesy informational documentary in the long run.

"Feast your eyes on this, Sam," she said to me as she turned on the projector.

I saw the lights being turned off as I noticed the projector flashing an image on the wall. I saw a large bowl of ramen pop up as I noticed the words, "The Joy of Ramen," in bold yellow letters complete with a red background. The cheesy film I was watching also featured a disco-themed tune as a noodle cup shined all over above the ramen bowl like a glittery disco ball shimmering all over the dance floor.

"Greetings, and welcome to the Joy of Ramen," said a Draaza woman on screen. "As you know, ramen has been around back in the time of the Tokugawa Era in the 1660's. The word, ramen, comes from the Chinese word, lamian, which means 'pulled noodles.' The noodles have been a staple that originated from China on Earth, but three centuries later, the first ramen shop was born back in 1910 in which it opened in up in Tokyo. The art of making and designing ramen consists of a bowl of a piping hot broth, noodles, boiled egg, sliced green onion, menma (which is a fermented bamboo shoot), small sheets of nori (which is seaweed paper), and chashu pork." Aora and Ghimru enter into the room as they sat down next to me. "For years, ramen was a pinnacle of greatness until Japan fell victim to its own glory after losing to the allied forces during World War II. During the postwar period, the country fell on hard times and a crippling rice harvest and food shortage in which the Japanese population fell victim to a food vendor ban and the control of a group of gangsters known as the yakuza. With the American allies promoting bread and proteins for consumption during a food crisis, modern ramen was born and the one who would come to their rescue was none other than the grandfather of noodlemaking, Momofuku Ando."

I saw an image of the man that the Draaza woman spoke of as he was the one who helped to make ramen a greater staple than that of college dorm food. Even Aora and Ghimru were astonished to see the later images of ramen being made as they were wanting to touch at the screen.

"Who is Momofuku Ando, I ask?" said the Draaza woman on screen. "He was originally born in Taiwan before emigrating to Japan. In and out of Japan, he founded the much beloved noodle brand, Nissin Foods, which happens to be the granddaddy of modern ramen itself. Before Nissin was founded, ramen was sold by black market vendors in which it was also a means to survive a food crisis while the infamous yakuza extorted protection money from them. Years later, restrictions for vendors have been lifted in which the ramen itself became more prominent and saving Japan from the ravages of starvation. Ramen was everywhere from restaurants, to food vendors, to college dorms, and in the privacy of your own home. Ramen was the lifeblood of a culinary force to be reckoned with. In 1958, Nissin brought out instant noodles courtesy of the legendary Momofuku Ando. The first instant noodles consisted of the name, 'Chikin Ramen' and in 1971, Cup Noodles was born in which it has been a lifelong staple for everyone young and old. But wait, there's more! Instant noodles have sprung up out of Japan and into other places around the world from Korean ramyun to what is known to a few as the 'slag of snacks.' Ramen is everywhere in which it can be crafted from either instant noodles or the ones in restaurants. With an array of regular ramen noodles, soba, and udon to make such a tempting lunch or dinner, sit back and enjoy your meal. Have a happy ramen bowl!"

I saw the screen turn off as I was happy to hear about the history of how ramen was crafted in the first place. When I saw Aora and Ghimru laying next to me, they were concerned about me as they refused to leave my side. I was happy to see them here as they were also starting to get tired, for they needed to get to bed soon.

"You should be in bed with the others," I said.

"But we're worried about you, Daddy," said Aora.

"I'll be fine… After all I've been through, I have to focus more on my health."

"I don't like it when you're feeling sick," said Ghimru.

"I know…"

"Hey, you need to get better," said Osgilia. "Besides, you brought Tenebrae to life when it came to those vending machines growing. As for my duty as ambassador to this planet, I need to broaden my horizons a little more. Even though my folks on Germanicus are worried, I can't shirk my duty as being a face for looking for things that are all over the place. It wouldn't be cool if I did and my family in the Germanican matriarchy are known to stick to their duties and missions that are thrown at them."

"That is true indeed..."

It wasn't long until I saw Reuben coming into my room as he was ready to collect me. I never expected him to be ready to see me as there was work to be done. Still, I was recovering as I was most likely to be given the worst news coming, for I wasn't too thrilled to hear it just yet.

"We're leaving Tenebrae through the room with the red rubber ball," he said.

"At long last…," I said.

"We may be going back to Valinor, but we're not about to go back to Skald Island just yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"I got word from Akio that you need to be assessed by the Medical Corps as as Medic General, I demand that you come with me."

I reluctantly agreed as I had no other choice but to obey Reuben's orders. Even though it was time to leave Tenebrae, I had work to do as my assessment was the worst news imaginable, for I wasn't too fond of it whatsoever…

To be continued...