Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 33: A Day of Rest
(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.)
Reiko was in bed as she was resting after what happened to her. It had been four days since the miscarriage as she was still thinking about what was foretold by Serena. She was also thinking about the quadruplets I was carrying as they weren't making things easy for me, for I also had to stay in bed after my failed attempt to take care of things. What we also didn't expect was that Gyatso was coming into our room as he was serving breakfast for us that consisted of smoked salmon with cream cheese in bagels complete with orange juice alongside some scrambled eggs. Both of us were hungry as we received our breakfast in which it gave us sustenance while being forced to stay in bed, for we were there to stay put.
"I'm sorry that you got hurt," said Gyatso.
"It couldn't be helped," said Reiko as she took a bite of her bagel.
"Dirk told me about how that meanie kicked you to the point of making you lose your babies. He still wants to kick him in the ding-dong and bells for what he did to you."
"He's in custody, but at least he won't hurt anyone else," I said.
"I miss Dirk, but he's now in the Hunter Corps in which he has his own room."
"He's growing up and has other responsibilities to be part in the Hunter Corps. He's got a future to uphold in which he's mainly learning the basics in training and in the lore of what is put there."
Gyatso was glad that Dirk was doing a lot better as he was hoping for the best for the big brother of the family. When he left the room, he went downstairs to the kitchen as he saw Moro still baking some more bagels with Sigurthur's daughters, Authlin and Frithrun. Both girls loved Moro as she didn't want anything bad happening to them. He also spotted Sura in here as she was helping to make some smoked salmon to top into the bagels, for she had a thing for it.
"You love cooking fish," he said.
"I love fish, but Mommy won't let me eat any other seafood because of my clan's traditions," said Sura. "Once I turn thirteen, I'll have all the smoked salmon for my bat mitzvah."
"You can have it any day," said Moro. "Besides, you've got a lot of your daddy's spirit in him just like your little brother."
"Ippei Jr. keeps getting into the books and I have to pick them up."
"It's because he's a future scholar like your late great-grandfather. Your little brother also has a future in which he'll be worthy enough to protect his family."
Gyatso was happy to see some normalcy as he was also being shown the ropes of what it felt like obtaining the role of a big brother. When he left the kitchen, he went outside as he saw the fresh snow falling onto the ground and in the harbor. What he didn't expect was that he saw a vision of a Draaza girl coming here as she had the same pendant that Zaralia wore in which he wanted to confront her. What he didn't expect was that he noticed an older version of himself coming to the harbor as he was mainly there on business, for he was a medium like he was.
"So, this is where the people who raised you once lived," said the Draaza girl.
"Yeah, but I know that you also have a responsibility to your people once you take the Westerian throne," said Gyatso's older self. "Your mom was lucky that she met Sam when he went to see her at the time. That was when he later overexerted his raw power to get rid of Sawney Masbath and destroy Project Amaterasu at the time."
"I bet that the current occupants would be glad to see me in which Lady Sura would also fight any monster or stray demon with a stick. I also know that Carly and her family are here in which they also have their reasons to protect Skald Island from further calamities. And another thing, I also can't let Granny worry too much about me anyway, right?"
"Princess Reiko!" said one of her attendants. "We should be careful here."
Gyatso was stunned to hear that the Draaza girl in his vision was a princess of the future as he returned to reality. He never saw anything like it before as he went towards the path of the abandoned lighthouse where the stillborn shrine was put. When he went downstairs, he entered into the temple below as he looked at the spirit pool in which he noticed the vision of his older self looking into it, for he was remembering how he went up against Azazel at the time.
"This takes me back," his older self said as he gleamed at the spirit pool.
"Dad! What are you doing down here?" asked the Draaza girl as she caught up to Gyatso's older self. "We know that we can't stay here for too long because Mom and Clarus wants us to return to our homeworld just in time for banh mi for dinner."
"Hold on, Reiko…"
"You're still remembering your old haunts, aren't you?"
"I was mainly the last medium until you and your brother were born. With you being the oldest, your mom and I decided to name you after the woman who helped to care for me all those years ago. She had her own trials and tribulations in which she also endured her fair share of sorrow when she lost two of her babies at the hands of that prick who hurt her after Dirk got accepted into the Hunter Corps. They're reincarnated as twin tigers who live on Gwylthid Island, but their purpose is also to protect not just the family who raised me, but the ones who cared for them."
Gyatso saw a vision of the tigers coming as they were the most majestic of all big cats. He never saw anything like it before as the twin tigers came to greet his older self and the Draaza girl who shared Reiko's namesake. The tigers were orange and white like the sire and dam who procured them as they greeted the two who were in the spirit pool, for they also had jeweled sigils on their forehead.
"Claude and Cornelius," said the Draaza girl. "It's good to see you again."
"I take it that you're still here on business after you came here all the way from Erebor," said Gyatso's older self. "I bet that Sam and Reiko must've wanted you to look out for us."
Gyatso saw everything vanish as he returned to reality once he left the underground temple and was on his way back to the castle. He wanted to tell us everything as there was a future that was set in stone from the beginning, for this was something that he was getting into in which it would soon reach him when the time was right…
Akio was walking towards a holding cell as he was there to decide the fate of Iago, who was put in there in shackles. All the disgraced member of House Arkhelios was reduced to was sitting in a chair as he was slowly seething in anger towards his captor. When Akio reached the door of Iago's holding cell, he was simply staring at the sword that was in a case it was none other than an heirloom that belonged to House Arkhelios. After all that has happened, he wasn't too happy with Iago's presence as he wanted him to rot in jail for his misconduct, for he was in for a much overdue reckoning.
"You're looking smug for a model prisoner," he said.
"How dare you do this to me?!" yelled Iago as he was overwhelmed by his own pride.
"You done this shit to yourself! A few days ago, you went to Skald Island after you had the gall to slit a few throats of innocent bystanders just to take a ferry and to mercilessly kick a pregnant woman to the point of miscarrying! This isn't your first rodeo, cowboy! When the war between the Oranges and the Blues still raged, you savagely beat and raped Emperor Esteban's widow in which you wanted her to deliver your heir. That was also when she was expecting a daughter than your own progeny in which you ended up doing the same thing to her just like you did with Reiko!"
"Her unborn children were a threat and they had to be weeded out!"
Akio sensed the presence of a past as he felt the vision of what happened a few years prior. The setting in the abandoned factory on Earendil was a reminder of what I once went through when I set out to rescue Dean and Reiko from the wrath of Severin at the time. That was when the worst words from the past kept echoing as the memory of Severin with most of the Army of Cain at his command were a mortal reminder of what dark ambitions could do to those who end up slipping from power.
"You and your husband are a threat and I am going to weed it out!"
Akio never forgot the words that Ginryu told him at the time as he also had a grudge against Severin for his part into killing Sylvanus. Still, he had to deal with Iago in his prison cell as he was mainly a loose cannon in all of House Arkhelios, for he was also a threat to those who had close ties with the Alecrian royal family.
"You're still obsessed over taking out the Alecrian royal family after they abandoned their status while being in the Order of Letters, aren't you?" he said.
"After the terrorist attack on the capital, my family, House Arkhelios and the other three Steward Houses have been met with protests all over our planet. Even the Domina and her family in the Kingdom by the River has become the strongest allies against us, especially her consort who has close ties with one of the wayward Alecrian princes! You know who I'm talking about! It's the one with that jeweled sigil on his forehead in which he has been heavily targeted by all who want to covet and abuse the raw power that he has!"
"Sam Winchester is off limits! For the record, he's been through the ringer since day one! His birth ended the First Galvanic Uprising and his ascension towards godhood ended the second one. Now that the war is over and the Zenith Vectors are wanting to be top dog in this mess."
"The Zenith Vectors and their petty wannabe dictator shattered our lawful order in our capital! They shattered the peace between us, the Chieftains, and the rest of our people on Alecrast! And do you know what my family and the rest of the Steward Houses hear? 'Bring back our royal family! Bring back our Emperor!' Protest after protest, we had to quell the crowds in which some of them met their ends at my sword!"
"And you kill innocent bystanders just to hold onto power… The very sin and virtue, pride and humility, are double-edged swords. The sin, pride, can either elevate you to authenticate your true self or abusing your power to no end. The virtue, humility, can either imbue you with kindness or curse you with being subservient against your wishes. You hold onto the very eight sins that you grip like Linus holding his security blanket."
"Don't you dare try to mock me!"
Iago was seething in anger as he was powerless to attack Akio. When he was ready to attack him, he usus his own abilities to bend the blood in his body in order to set him back in the chair he sat in. He wasn't having it as he didn't want him to be lashing out in anger in which most members of House Arkhelios were known for their short tempers. He also had to be careful as Iago was no stranger to going into fits of anger, for he knew of the kill count that he had afterwards.
"For the record, I'm watching your sorry ass," he said.
"My family will come for me! Mark my words!" cried Iago as he was defeated.
"Valinor has a much stricter penal code in which you'll be doing more than just rotting in prison, but you'll be dealing with me!" yelled Florian as he rushed into the dungeon.
"You're just a weak-minded fool just like your father and his predecessor, Esteban!"
"Really? If I'm so weak-minded, then how come I faced my fair share of battles and responsibilities? I even witnessed a demonic possession in which Minara used the Rituale Romanum to exorcise it from the sentry it possessed. As for what you pulled, Iago Arkhelios, I've heard witness accounts how you killed a few passers-by while on your way towards Skald Island just like some of the dissenters you cut down on Alecrast."
"They got in the way!"
"I read about your family and how you ousted Emperor Henry of Alecrast from power. They and the other Steward Houses are slowly going into a vacuum after that terrorist attack. That wasn't just a petty form of mayhem that took lives, it was also a wake-up call in which you and your family did nothing to avert the attack that the Zenith Vectors caused. All you did was live in your tower and let the terrorists come to your capital to destroy your grandeur. I know plenty of what is written in those Chronicles of the Order stories in which you allowed the Zenith Vectors to cause an attack while trying to quell dissent among the growing protests. Your rule over Alecrast is crumbling and neither you, your sister, or any other member of the Four Steward Houses will stop it."
Both Akio and Florian leave the dungeon as Iago was left throwing a tantrum in his holding cell. He was defeated by the words of a fledgeling Emperor of Valinor as he was wanting to lash out, but to no avail, for he was stuck in his cell until his sentencing…
Reiko was in a doctor's room in the infirmary wing as she was laying down on a reclining table. As usual, she was still in her nightgown and robe without anything underneath as she had her legs spread. The sound of a hose sucking up the remainder of stillborn tissue that was left behind was all that she heard as she remained patient despite how uncomfortable it was. With the sight of Kotori and Chiaki helping to collect what was left of what was trapped in her womb, she was also feeling uncomfortable with such an examination as she was later finished with what she was going through. When she sat up, she saw Kotori looking at a sample of the stillborn tissue in a petri dish under a microscope as she looks at it carefully, for she was astonished to find out what was there in it.
"I never seen anything like it before," she said.
"Is something wrong?" asked Reiko.
"This tissue has a residue of raw power all over it."
"Are you sure of this?"
"Reiko, I need to know how you got an imprint of raw power…"
"But I don't have anything other than my Nephilim powers."
"Are you sure?" asked Chiaki as she showed Reiko an image of her body with the raw power within her that merged with her own Nephilim abilities. "These have shown up in which you also bit the bullet a few months ago."
"Wait…; when I was burned in the furnace in the Sol-4, my body was charred in which Sammy was shedding tears over me. Wait! It was one of his tears that revived me in which I returned from the ashes. I… emerged from the soot in which he thought I was gone until he saw me again. He was overjoyed that I was with him again…"
Reiko got up from the table as she was on her feet. Still, she was weakened after suffering from the miscarriage that nearly killed her as she tried to maintain her balance. When she was about to fall over, she felt me catching her as I came to collect her, for I didn't want her to be overwhelmed by the condition that she had.
"I got you," I said.
"What are you doing out of bed?" asked Kotori.
"Sorry, but I also don't want Reiko doing too much."
"What about your own condition, Sam?" said Chiaki. "You know that you're carrying quadruplets, but you can't be out and about like that. If Dean caught you roaming around, he would shackle you to a hospital bed."
"After what happened to Reiko, she nearly lost her life if Dirk and Kivrana hadn't got her to a hospital in time. I worry about her and—"
"—Don't forget, Sammy," she said. "You worry so much about me, but you also have to be careful when it comes to dealing with the four little parcels you have. I'll be fine, Sammy. I know that I have lost what was gone, but that doesn't mean that I can't be able to function. I have faith that the little ones I lost will see us again, for their family will always be there for them."
I clutched at my stomach as I felt the four packages that I had in me. Even though they were the size of blueberries, I couldn't stress out too much as I had no other choice but to stay put in bed until their arrival. Still, Reiko may have lost what she had, that didn't stop her from watching over me as she had her reasons to protect what I had, for the mothers of the ovum gave their lives to protect the Skalvarg Archipelago from the ravages of Bertram Blackthorne's forces.
"I… made a promise to protect the little ones," she said. "Their mothers protected the Skalvarg Archipelago in which their memory and sacrifice will never be forgotten. It's the most I can do because the ones who saved everyone were wanting to have their legacies brought into fruition. I won't abandon them, for their future is already set in stone."
It wasn't long until I rushed out of the doctor's room and into the bathroom as I began to vomit in the toilet again. The constant bout of morning sickness bogged me down further as I was not doing too well. The quadruplets were far more worse than Kazuko and Giles as they were giving me four times the nausea the moment I flushed the toilet and later rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash over the sink. When I got out of the bathroom, I was about to fall over until Kotori and Chiaki caught me and later brought me towards a hospital room in the infirmary wing. When I was put into a hospital bed again, I had no choice but to stay there as I was most likely to be stuck here, for I am the Order's resident guinea pig after all.
"I hate being hospitalized," I said.
"You know that you can't be out and about anyway," said Kotori.
"How's Reiko doing?"
"Ever since she had that miscarriage, she says that the ones she lost will be reincarnated in the form of a pair of tiger cubs," said Chiaki.
"She's hopeful, but not depressed in which most women who miscarry often suffer from depression. Still, she showed bravery in which she believed in the reincarnation of our children we lost, for they have a family who loves them on Gwylthid Island."
"Before you see your reincarnated children, I must warn you that going to Gwylthid Island won't be easy to pull off," said Kotori cautiously. "The place is mainly a sanctuary for endangered animals that stem from calico grand wargs to big cats that have been targeted to the point of extinction like tigers. Before the war between the Orange and the Blues started, various circuses with animals have graced the countrysides of most of the mainlands on Valinor. Several animals stemming from elephants to big cats have been exploited so cruelly that Emperor Rajiv, who was Emperor Esteban's predecessor, issued a ban on circuses with animals in them in which most of them that were taken in captivity have ended up in sanctuaries that were protected on Chatterjee land."
"No animal should ever be in a circus…"
"Even though Valinor has the strictest ban on the use of circus animals, most people go either offworld to show their wares of force other humanoids to perform until they're in wheelchairs. From a standpoint, the Chatterjee Clan is known for a lot of things for being Sindar Elves in which they also have a decent respect for majestic animals like elephants and tigers, but the most beautiful of all of them are phoenixes, which have been endangered to no end."
I now knew of what I expected from the animals who lived on Gwylthid Island as I would soon hear of the presence of the reincarnated souls of the children that Reiko and I lost. I was also hopeful that they will thrive with their chosen family as the place they will be born in was a place made for protecting endangered animals. Still, I had a long wait to see the twin tiger cubs as I later ended up laying down on the bed I was in. What I didn't expect was that there was another bed next to mine as I saw Reiko climbing into it in which she didn't want to lose sight of me right now.
"Looks like you're getting a roommate," said Chiaki as she saw Reiko resting comfortably.
"It's only temporary, but I'm a little sore after the cleaning inside," she said.
"The more the merrier…," I said.
"We're both in the same boat, Sammy. As for me watching over the little ones, I can't and won't fail in which they're very precious right now."
"I know…"
"It's strange that we're in the same room, but we shared it before when we were both incapacitated at the time and that was when I was with child and you were injured. Still, we have faced so much in which it also made us humane to begin with."
I saw Kotori and Chiaki leave the room as it was just us for the moment. After all the mess we've been through, we had the thorniest path when it came to bliss as we also had so much in the form of everything put in front of us. I was also glad that Reiko was okay as she was resting with a smile on her face, for she was safe from the danger that she went through…
The next morning, I woke up as I found out that Reiko wasn't in her bed. What I didn't expect was that there was the clamor of members of the Medical Corps coming and going as I slowly got up to see what was going on. When I left the hospital room, I noticed Reiko being wheeled into the operating room as I had a gut feeling that something was really wrong. I waited patiently as I was worried about Reiko's overall health. Still, I didn't want to be overwhelmed with stress as I had to know Reiko's fate eventually, for this was a matter of life or death in this matter. What I didn't notice was that a surge of raw power lit the room as if a miracle rose up from the ashes, for this was something that I didn't see until now.
WAAAHHHH!
I heard the sound of babies crying as I saw Reuben burst out of the operating room. He was stunned and concerned about what was going on as he was eager to tell me about what happened in there earlier. What I didn't expect was that there was a set of Half-Elven twins in incubators as they had silver hair on their heads. There was a boy and girl in there as they were being wheeled into the nursery, for they were a surprise that happened in broad daylight.
"This is a miracle from the gods," I heard Reuben say to me.
"I thought Reiko had a miscarriage," I said.
"She may have had a miscarriage, but the babies that were hidden showed up the moment they were crowning. It appears that they were conceived a few months prior before the ones who ended up stillborn."
I never knew of Reiko being with child earlier until now as the ones who were stillborn were the real heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect what she truly carried. By the time I saw her being wheeled out of the operating room, she was exhausted from giving birth as I was glad that she was okay. When I followed her into our hospital room, I saw her being prepped in the bed she slept in as she was tired from that ordeal, for this surprise was a true miracle in the making. I crawled in my own hospital bed as I saw Reiko asleep in the other one in which I was happy that she was safe from the storm, for her body produced a pregnancy that she didn't know about until now.
"I'm thankful that you're still alive…," I said as I stared at Reiko in her bed.
"I need to get something off of my chest," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere.
"I know that you sensed the plight that Reiko endured, but—"
"The stillborn children that Lady Reiko lost were a means to protect the ones that were unknown to everyone until now. I may be all-knowing in my position in the Grey Havens, but the miracle that Lady Reiko crafted is a sign of the true protectors of the ones you bear. The only error I had was when I had so much rage against Iago Arkhelios for what he did to her that I didn't think."
"You shouldn't feel ashamed for not knowing the unknown. There's no need to apologize."
"Ippei was right about you worrying too much, but you also have to help protect what you have within you."
I touched at my stomach as I felt the four parcels sleeping. I didn't want to wake them as I also had faith that they would be protected from harm. Staring at Reiko and me, Jack was heavily astonished to see us have mutual love for one another as it was a sign that was put in front of us, for this was a long outstanding miracle that kept us together for a lot of reasons…
Gyatso was in the house as he was there in the dining hall in which Moro was mainly busy serving breakfast for everyone. Even though he forgot to tell us about what he saw yesterday, he vowed to tell us anyway as he was brimming with excitement of the future that appeared in front of him. When he was eating his breakfast that consisted of oatmeal with apples and cinnamon, he was wanting to know where Reiko and I were at in which he was also sitting next to the younger children. Still, he helped with them, but he also had to deal with the constant mischief of Aora and Ghimru, who were wondering what happened to us, for there would be a kernel of truth soon enough.
"Mommy and Daddy are always getting checkups," said Ghimru as he took a bite of his oatmeal.
"From what I heard, Mommy had an accident," said Aora.
"That's not what I heard from Dirk," said Gyatso. "Some meanie went and kicked her for no reason."
"Hey, no grim talk at the table," said Moro. "Such conversation should be discussed with for grown-ups, not kids."
"Sorry… After this, I'll pay my respect again to the shrine by the lighthouse. I'll even give it another diorama with some Thundercats to add with the SuperFriends."
Gyatso finished up his breakfast as he took his bowl and spoon into the kitchen and washed them in the sink. When he placed them in the dish drainer, he left the kitchen as he noticed Kotori wheeling a cart filled with diapers and sleepers. Curiosity got the better of him as he followed Kotori into the infirmary wing in which he later noticed a pair of silver-haired Half-Elven twins dressed in swaddling clothes. He also noticed that they were a boy and girl due to the colors they were sporting. He knew what was what as blue was for the boy and pink for the girl. He also noticed the jeweled sigil on their foreheads as he rushed to where we were laying in. I was laying there after getting an assessment as I was seeing Reiko nurse one of our newborn twins, for she was blessed that they were there and away from further danger.
"I thought you lost the babies," he said.
"The ones I lost protected our new little ones," said Reiko as she was nursing one of the twins.
"But none of us knew you were expecting until that meanie kicked you and caused you to miscarry."
"I never knew of it before until I felt one of the little ones crowning."
"Do they have any names?"
"Their names are Pippa and Raizo," I said. "Raizo was given to the boy after a member of the Mitani Clan who helped to bring the Order of Letters to other worlds after the passing of Torune. As for the ones who sacrificed their lives to protect the newborns, they will be reincarnated, but raised by their chosen family on Gwylthid Island."
"Wait! I saw a future vision of me and another Draaza named Reiko along with two tigers. The other Draaza was a princess and even called me Dad."
Reiko finished feeding one of the newborns as she covered up in which she was concerned about what Gyatso said earlier. She was aware of what the future held as she felt relief that the two tigers would soon be welcomed, for it was a sign that was meant to be there. I also had high hopes for Gyatso as he was more than just a member of our family, for he was a medium and someone who has his future set in stone. When we saw Kivrana burst into the room, she was showing an image from her tablet as it was something that became an omen, for she was there to bring in the news of something bigger.
"You gotta see this!" she yelled as she showed us the image on her tablet.
"It's a surge of raw power," I said.
"Some fishermen saw it blasting from Gwylthid Island. I kid you not! Even some of the people bringing in fresh livestock over there saw it."
"They're here," said Reiko.
"What's here?"
"The children we lost…"
Kivrana turned on the news as she was seeing a broadcast that spoke volumes. The sight of the raw power surge became a wake-up call to see what was going on as it was an omen that would cause a conversation. This was a prophecy set in motion as we were aware of what was about to happen next, for it was just the beginning of what was yet to come.
"A surge of raw power appeared over Gwylthid Island in the Skalvarg Archipelago in which it is mainly a nature preserve for endangered animals," said a newscaster. "Local officials have later noticed that Rika, the Bengal tiger and her mate, Jor-El, welcomed a pair of twin tiger cubs with jeweled sigils on their foreheads. From those who saw the sign of their birth, it is an omen that even goes on par with the raw power that Sam Winchester has…"
"And here we have the proud parents," I said as I saw the two tigers with their newborn cubs.
"According to some of the locals, illegal circuses have been popping up with animals while thumbing their noses at the law that Emperor Rajiv passed so many years ago," said Kivrana.
"And yet so many shady ringmasters still take animals to be in their entertainment."
"From what I looked up, the Chatterjee Clan has a soft spot for protecting endangered tigers. They're also baffled about how a grand warg who appeared out of nowhere up and killed some poachers with the same energy as an angel's. The animals it rescued were brought to Gwylthid Island so that no one else will exploit them in any other circus offworld. The grand warg is so scary that no one, regardless of being humanoid, monster, angel, or demon, could ever see it and live to tell the tale."
"And that's why Sammy will always be afraid of circuses," said Reiko as she began to nurse the other twin. "He was never into them because of the fact that they have clowns. Therefore, he's scared of them like his past self from the Elder Days."
And Reiko was right about that fact… I was never a huge fan of circuses when I was younger as I also had to deal with the presence of clowns coming and going. For the record, I was never a big fan of them because of how traumatizing they were in which the incident about Beppo the Clown in Jomon Village last year was very alarming to me. As for the surge of raw power coming from an animal sanctuary, there would be no end to such omens as I had to know a little more about it. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to remain in bed for the next few months as carrying quadruplets wasn't a walk in the park. When I saw Reiko finish up feeding the other twin, she was staring at me as she didn't want me to go anywhere, for I had no other choice but to have bedrest that would bog me down in the long run.
"I know what you're thinking and you're not going anywhere, Sammy," she said to me.
"Guilty as charged, but I have to stay put because of the four parcels I have," I said.
"Hey, she means that you can't do anything at all," said Kivrana. "Therefore, you should leave the hunting for possible creepy-crawlies to the captain and his unit. Besides, he also goes on missions in that old black car with the plastic army man shoved in the ashtray."
It wasn't long until members of the Medical Corps burst into the room as they took me away in a stretcher. As usual, I was in for another assessment as Gyatso later followed me, only to see more future visions. What he saw was a teenage version of one of our newborns coming to the aid of one of the quadruplets as she didn't want anyone else to go near her, for she was heavily ridiculed all the time. What he also saw were several boys throwing rocks at her as she was left in tears until the silver-haired twin put her foot down.
"Stay away, cuckoo!" said one of the boys.
"Back off!" yelled the silver-haired twin as she wasn't having it. "Just because she doesn't look like the rest of me and my siblings, doesn't mean that she's not related to the sire! I care about her because our mom made a promise to protect her and the siblings that Dad housed."
"So, you're defending that cuckoo?"
"Of course she's defending her and no, she's not a cuckoo!" yelled a teenage boy with teal hair as he was dressed in Norse garb. "You buttheads should back away or else I'll do my best to summon the Alecrian Emperor and he used to be part of the Hunter Corps!"
"Mimir Torgesson… You just had to butt in, didn't you?"
"Let me remind you that my mom was once Mr. Sam's ward and yet you continue to torment Shizuko again?! You should be ashamed of your behavior 'cause my old man acted just like you and your friends! Sooner or later, you'll get your asses handed to you and my mom doesn't tolerate bullies!"
"Mimir, don't be vulgar," said Gyatso's older self as he rushed into the room. "I'll handle this because of the fact that the boys who continue to call Shizuko a cuckoo won't be getting any Christmas presents this year!"
The boys who tormented their target left as everyone rallied around her after getting schooled by Gyatso's older self. He never saw himself to be calm and collected as he also returned to reality once he wanted to tell me after my assessment. Just as he was about to tell me further, he was stopped by Chiaki as she didn't want him to interfere in my assessment, for I was no stranger into being the Order's resident guinea pig after all.
"You can't go in there right now," she said.
"I wanted to tell Sam about the future visions I've been getting," said Gyatso. "I also saw visions of one of Sam's newborns defending one of the quads from a group of bullies. What I also didn't expect was that a kid also did his best to protect the girl. Still, the kid's appearance looks like Carly, but Terran."
"You have a wild imagination, but that's just speculation. As for what you saw, you sure know how to look at things."
"I also saw myself breaking up the fight in which he told the bullies that they wouldn't be getting any Christmas presents. It's pretty weird that my future self comes here in which he looks more regal than me."
"The future can wait. As for you trying to meddle in our assessment on Sam, you're too young to know those things. Besides, you should also focus on your training as a medium just like Dirk focuses on his role as a cadet in the Hunter Corps."
Gyatso later saw me being wheeled out of the assessment room as I would soon be under strict bedrest soon enough. Still, he wanted to tell me a lot more about the future visions that he saw as he was mainly on the level of being a medium. By the time he followed me to my hospital room, he noticed me being set in my bed as I had no other choice but to be bedridden for the next few months, for the quadruplets weren't going easy on me right now. I also noticed Reiko looking at the newborns that were in their bassinet as she was having high hopes for the ones who would protect the quadruplets that I had in me, for they were the future of what was fostered.
"I really don't like being trapped in my bed all the time," I said.
"You're not the only one, Sammy," said Reiko as she got into her own bed. "Besides, I may have had a surprise in me, but that doesn't mean that you can go out and about because of the little ones you have in your body."
"I know…"
"I saw one of the babies in a future vision in which she was all grown up," said Gyatso. "She was defending one of the babies that Sam is carrying from a bunch of bullies."
"Are you talking about Pippa?" asked Reiko.
"Pippa?"
Gyatso saw the newborn twins in their bassinet as he saw the names of the twins on them. He noticed one of them yawning as she was tired after being fed and changed the moment he saw her grasp his finger with her tiny hand. He also saw the other one fidgeting in his bassinet as he started crying. He was no stranger with babies as he held the newborn the moment he stopped, for the little one wanted attention from everyone.
"Raizo looks calm now," said Reiko.
"Is that what you named him?" asked Gyatso.
Gyatso noticed Raizo being calm as he had Reiko's eyes while adorned with the silver hair and jeweled sigil on his forehead. The newborn was mainly blessed with the genetic that Reiko and I had as he was also one of the protectors of the quadruplets I was carrying. When Gyatso put Raizo back in the bassinet, he was staring at me and Reiko as he was more determined to do his part as a medium, for he was also growing up like the rest of our wards.
"They're a handful, but I'll manage with them," he said.
"You're maturing, which is good for you," I said.
"You and Reiko have the most babies, but some of them are definitely becoming curious."
"Aora and Ghimru are good sometimes, but their curiosity gets the better of them," said Reiko.
"I know the future that's already set in stone for me in which I can't shirk my duties anyway. I also have to worry about keeping the peace one step at a time. If Dirk can go in the Hunter Corps, then I'll be in my path of being a medium like my late family. I bet they'll be happy that I'm doing my part, for they're also up there in Heaven watching over me."
"You're not just moving up on the verge of manhood, but you've matured a lot. I'm so proud of you that you're living up to your abilities as a medium in which your presence is a huge blessing in nutshell."
Gyatso was happy to hear my words as he was determined to do his training as a medium. He was growing up as he also cared about everyone around him in which he was also ready to protect them from any further threat, for he had his reasons to do so right now…
To be continued...