Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9

Chapter 39: The Other Reiko

(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.)

Gyatso was busy training at the underground temple underneath the abandoned lighthouse as he was watching the spirit pool carefully. He was mainly doing his part as a medium as he was also the last of a family who sensed all forms of evil in which he was trying his best to live up to the expectations that were put in front of him. The images of the past, present, and future overwhelmed him to the point of feeling tired as he called it a day. When he left the underground temple, he went back to the castle as he was on his way to the infirmary wing to visit me. When he got to my room, he saw me in my usual hospital bed as I was mainly knitting to pass the time. Even though I was carrying quadruplets, I had no choice but to remain on bedrest as I also didn't have a problem with visitors, for I needed the comfort instead of staring at the ceiling all day.

"You look exhausted," I said.

"Being a medium is tough," said Gyatso.

"Give it time and you'll get the hang of it. Besides, you're more courageous than you think because of the fact that you helped me repel Azazel from the interstice."

"It's not fair that you're stuck in bed."

"I know… After what I went through on Halloween night, I've been put through the ringer a lot after what Neville and his accomplice...—no, this talk isn't fit enough for you to hear."

"I'm used to it because I saw an image of me all grown up with one of the babies you have and do you know what she gets called all the time? A cuckoo!"

"Gyatso! It's time for lunch!"

Reiko entered into the room as she had a tray full of onigiri on it. Gyatso was happy to see it as he grabbed one of them and ate into it. The taste of the rice, seaweed, and tuna made with mayonnaise and soy sauce was a godsend as Gyatso finished it off after training in the underground temple. I was also starting to get a little hungry as I noticed Reiko give me one of the onigiri that she made earlier in which I tasted something other than the usual canned fish I was used to. It was beef that was marinated and cooked in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and mirin as I was happy to get the protein I needed. By the time I finished it, I returned to my knitting as I was also making sure that my little ones were fed, for they needed all the nutrients they siphoned off of me.

"How are you feeling?" asked Reiko.

"I'm still held up in bed," I said.

"It's best that you stay there in which our little ones won't be stressed out all the time. Even Taraniel wanted you to protect what you have in your body in which they are also part of our family."

I was happy to have Reiko with me as she wasn't about to let anything terrible happen to what I had in me. She was a mother who cared about and protected our children and wards as she had her reasons to do so. When she left the hospital room, she heard footsteps leaving as she followed them into one of the storage rooms. When she found who was there, she was in for a shock as she spotted the same Draaza girl from Gyatso's visions as she was trying to find a way back to her own timeline, for she was there to see the past before returning.

"Stop right there," she said.

"I am so busted right now," said the Draaza girl as she turned around.

"Whoever you are, you're not from around here, are you?"

"My name is Princess Reiko of Westeros, daughter of Empress Zaralia and High Consort Gyatso. I came here to the past to see the layout of how the Skalvarg Archipelago was before it became a continent again. It's on my test in which I can't fail it. I'm also training to become a medium like Dad in which I have to do better if I want to ascend the throne."

"But I'm Reiko…"

"You must be the one that Dad told me about. Mom also told me about you in which she reveres you as the gentle goddess. She even told me how Sam saved my homeworld after he destroyed Project Amaterasu. As for my namesake, I was named after you to honor your memory."

"I see…" Reiko sees the pendant around her namesake's neck as it was the same one that Zaralia wore. "Your mother gave that to you, didn't she?"

"She did because Westeros has a matriarchy. She also has a lot of experience due to my late grandfather, Emperor Theodore, coming and going as a hunter. She also has a thing for banh mi every once in a while, too."

It wasn't long until Reiko saw a rolled piece of parchment fall onto the storage room floor as she examined it carefully. It was a time mandala as she unrolled it in which the other Reiko was astonished to see something like it before. Both Reikos were seeing the time mandala carefully as it started glowing. With a cautious look on her face, Reiko started to roll it up until she and the namesake were transported back in the time of the Elder Days. Their surroundings were different as they were on Earth in which they also saw the various junk cars strewn all over the place. They were in Bobby's junkyard as they had to be aware of what was going on, for they had to tread carefully before they get caught. When they hid in one of the junkers, they were out of sight as they had to be careful during this timeline, for it was something that shouldn't be changed at all.

"This place is familiar just like in those Supernatural books," said the other Reiko.

"It belonged to Bobby when he was still human in the Elder Days," said Reiko.

"Oh, I remember Dad telling me about those books that were in the castle at the time. He said that the Winchesters of Old dealt with personal problems just as much as they went up against the 'monsters of the week.'"

"We should be careful here…" Reiko sees an old man leaving as he was looking around. "The man who just left Bobby's house is the Horseman of Death. From what I know, he is known to reap the downtrodden and have them go towards the Grey Havens."

The old man stopped where he was as he was staring at the pile of cars that the two Reikos were hiding in. The other Reiko was shaking in fear as she noticed the old man walking closer in which he used his powers to shift the heavy junkers away. When he found them, he didn't attack them as he knew that they were already here, for they were about to get involved in preventing a future attack in the making.

"I mean you no harm…, Lady Reiko," he said.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"I know all in which I can also see in the future."

"We found a time mandala in which we got whisked here to the Elder Days," said the other Reiko.

"I was expecting that in which I had recently placed Sam's soul back in his body not too long ago. I came and went to check on things, but there's a threat on the horizon in which a group of demons led by Milverton will come and steal Sam's soul away. I may be neutral, but I have a loathing for Milverton in which he is a Crossroads demon who prefers gladiatorial dens than the usual fire and brimstone that permeates Hell's walls."

"But we can't interrupt with time too much," said Reiko cautiously. "Doing so will cause it to rip apart.

"Milverton is far much worse than Crowley. He knows no shame or boundary in which he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. For the record, Lady Reiko, you must succeed to prevent Milverton from coming to steal Sam's soul, for it is the will of Pendragon himself."

The two Reikos saw Death leave without a trace as they had to interfere with the time of the Elder Days only this once. It wasn't long until they saw Milverton approaching as they had to hide out of sight in which he was leading a group of demons like Death said. They were there for a reason as they also had to prevent Milverton from going towards Bobby's house, for it had to be done before it was too late…

I woke up from a long nap as I was starting to worry about Reiko. I sensed her going into a time loop as I also had a gut feeling that something was wrong as I was trying to get up out of bed. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Castiel appear out of nowhere as he didn't want me to go anywhere. Like Dean, he was also concerned about my overall health as I had no other choice but to get strict bedrest while carrying the quadruplets in my body, for this wasn't fun at all.

"You shouldn't be up right now," he said to me.

"Reiko is in danger," I said. "I can't sit by and let her be in harm's way."

"Lady Reiko is a lot braver than you think. She may be a lot of things, but she's no damsel in distress. She's also not alone in which a Draaza girl, who is also named Reiko, is from the future in which her father is the medium you found in the meat locker."

"Gyatso… Where is he?"

"He's in his room…" Castiel sees him coming into the room with the time mandala in his hands as he sets it down on the floor. "...Or perhaps was in his room…"

Gyatso was busy trying to make contact with the time mandala from the storage room as he was trying to bring back Reiko with it. Even though he was a novice, he had to try his best as he was also worried about what was going on in the time of the Elder Days. With a bit of training as a medium, he saw an image in the time mandala as it was none other than Milverton and his army coming into Bobby's junkyard. He also saw Reiko and the other one as they were hiding in a stack of cars in which they were more than likely to be facing off against a demon horde, for this was a battle that Castiel remembered before.

"This was when the Sam of Old got his soul back," he said.

"And Reiko is there, too," said Gyatso.

"She's not alone. The future Westerian princess is also there with her, but the demon horde that is coming to steal the Sam of Old's soul weren't relenting in their crusade back in the day."

"She's in danger already," I said as I was starting to worry. "I can't just sit in bed all day while she's fighting for her life in the past!"

"I'll take care of this," said Gyatso. "Besides, didn't Reiko tell you to stay in bed?"

I didn't say another word as I also didn't want to cause any stress on the little ones I carried in me. It wasn't fun for me to worry right now as I also had to have faith in what everyone was doing. Still, I wanted to worry, but was barred from doing so due to the fact that I couldn't have too much stress on me and the quadruplets I carried. All I had to have was the patience to make sure that I didn't fly off the handle, for I also had to have faith in what Reiko was doing right now…

Reiko and her namesake were still hiding in one of the junker cars as they spotted the army of demons that Milverton was leading. They were different than the usual run-of-the-mill demons as they were dressed in cloaks instead of their usual business suits. The other Reiko knew of them very well as she was no stranger in looking into the further lore at the behest of her father, for it was more than just a hobby on her part. Still, they also had to hide from further danger as they also had to know a little more about what was going on, for it was vital to do so after all.

"There's so many demons with Milverton," said Reiko.

"Those demons are known as Dark Reavers," said the other Reiko. "In the time before the Elder Days, they were Lilith's servants in which they guarded her round the clock. When she lost her life and Lucifer was out of his cage and later stuffed back in, they lost their meaning in which they followed Milverton in which they were later taken out by an angelic surge that wiped them out before they had a chance to steal Sam's soul out of him. Centuries later, Milverton was ousted by Abaddon, but that didn't stop him from scheming to be top dog of Hell. These days, he's been scheming behind the scenes just to get back at his enemies."

"And he's here…"

The two Reikos spotted Milverton standing in front of Bobby's house as he would stop at nothing to steal my past self's soul after being put back in. He and his group were ready to do battle as he was more than likely to take what didn't belong to them, for they would stop at nothing to do so. By the time Bobby rushed out of his house, he saw Milverton and his group standing there with staffs in their hands, for they were also there to enact a ritual to yank my past self's soul out of his body once again.

"Whoever you are, your friend's not here," he said.

"Bobby Singer," said Milverton. "It's been ages since I crawled in your wife's skin, only to kill her while I was exorcised back in the pit."

"Milverton… You shouldn't be here after the hell that I went through!"

"Are you talking about Sam acting like the guy from American Psycho wanting to scar his vessel? Well, my friends and I are here to yank his soul out of him after that puckered old fart placed it back in. For the record, his soul belongs to Lucifer and Michael in which the latter who uses Adam Milligan as his prom dress gets butt-fucked by Kurotowa on a daily basis and he has to have his needs met!"

"This place is warded, but you're not going after Sam nor taking his soul out of his body."

"Really? You see? My friends here have other plans to take back to what's rightfully a property of Hell and we're not leaving until we get it! Once my friends bang their sticks thirteen times, they will scar Sam's vessel permanently and his soul returns back to the cage!"

The two Reikos saw the Dark Reavers bang their staffs onto the ground as they had to do something. Both of them had to think of a plan to stop them until one of them accidentally knocked over a stack of junkers the moment they fell onto the ground. Milverton and his group stopped what they were doing as they saw the mess of junkers that fell like pieces of a Jenga puzzle. He was wanting to know if there was someone here as he couldn't sense the whereabouts of the two Reikos. What he also didn't expect was that Totsuka was approaching as he got off of his motorcycle and removed his helmet. He was aware of Milverton as he was mainly a bad apple in Hell's tree. He also saw the Dark Reavers here as they resumed their clanging of their staffs until he fired a warning shot from his custom gun.

"You're not coming further," he said.

"Totsuka…," said Milverton. "You know what I'm here for and I won't take no for an answer!"

"If you're wanting to steal Sam's soul out of him again, you're not coming here further."

"My reavers have banged six times. Nine more and Sam's soul is out of his body for good!"

"Old man! Cover your eyes! The Dark Reavers will kill you with your stare!"

"What about you?" asked Bobby as he did what Totsuka said.

"I'm a shinigami and I'm practically immune to those jokers even after they lost their girl boss."

Totsuka shot at some of the Dark Reavers as they were still clanging their staffs to the ground. There were seven clangs met as six more would follow in which Milverton lunged at Totsuka and Bobby in which he incapacitated them. He wasn't leaving until he got what was rightfully Hell's property as he wasn't backing down, for he was a demon who was the most unhinged in his thirst for power.

"You'll never stop me from taking what belongs in Lucifer's cage!" he yelled. "Five more clangs and Sam's vessel will never have a soul again!"

"You don't know the full extent of what he did when he ran around soulless 'cause he was mainly acting like a dick," said Totsuka.

"And yet you morons still pine over the old model than the typical new and improved! What a shame because with four more clangs, his soul will be back in Lucifer's cage and his vessel will be back to his cold, sharp self in no time!"

Reiko was horrified at what she was seeing as she had to do something before it was too late. The other Reiko fished out a hex bag as it was an explosive one with salt in which it temporarily stopped the Dark Reavers for now. Reiko, on the other hand, had to do something as she couldn't let Milverton and his group get their way by stealing my past self soul and scar his vessel in the process. In this crucial moment, she had to protect everyone here as she didn't want the Dark Reavers to steal my past self's soul the moment she unleashed her angelic aura. The other Reiko saw her on display as she was also displaying a tinge of the imprint of raw power that she had in her. Milverton was stunned to see his group being eliminated one after another in which their eyes were being melted out of their skulls. The other Reiko was astonished to see her namesake not backing down as she used her heavily powered Nephilim abilities to destroy the Dark Reavers once and for all, for this was a crucial event that saved my past self from having his vessel scarred in the process.

What Totsuka and Bobby saw was the end of the Dark Reavers as their savior stopped them from taking away my past self's soul. Still, Milverton was defeated, but not down for the count as he was fuming with anger in which his failed attempt went up in smoke. Turning around, he saw the junkers still toppled over as he was ready to find the two Reikos the moment he was willing to get rid of them, for they also had to get back to their timelines as soon as possible. Just as he was about to track them down, he was stopped by Death as he wasn't about to let him pursue them, for he held sway with those who came and went in the flow of time immemorial.

"Get out of my way!" he yelled.

"You shall not pass," said Death as he was armed with his scythe.

"I want the two pests who gummed up my plans!"

"You won't do that because they have already went back home."

"I came here to take back what you stole and I won't take no for—"

Death used an incantation to banish Milverton as he wasn't having it. As for Reiko's meddling to prevent further disaster, he was hopeful that the Winchester Gospel would continue as he also wasn't too fond with Milverton and his tactics as he viewed his rhetoric to be a threat in the shadows, for this was a way and mean to keep him from causing havoc.

"Not today, thank you…," he said to himself as he left without a trace.

I was starting to worry even further as I wanted to help rescue Reiko from her predicament. The mere thought of me not being the proverbial "knight in shining armor" plagued me to no end as I wanted to use my raw power to rescue her like I did before during the Second Galvanic Uprising. Still, I was trapped in my bed as I was also feeling at the four little parcels that I had in me. When I saw Castiel and Gyatso still trying to activate the time mandala, they were in luck as they pinpointed the location of where Reiko was. I was overjoyed as I wanted to help out, but I couldn't do so as I had no choice but to remain on bedrest, for I had to do so in order to limit the stress that I had.

"Where are you, Reiko?" I asked.

"You shouldn't worry too much," said Castiel sternly. "Stress is very bad for what you bear in your body right now."

"I just hope that she's okay…"

"I see her," said Gyatso. "And there's the other Reiko with her."

"Thank the gods..."

The image of the two Reikos showed up on the time mandala as they were in the panic room after dealing with the Dark Reavers earlier. Gyatso was glad that they were alright as they would be on their way home in which the worst was over for now. When he touched the time mandala, he saw a burst of energy fill the room as he would soon guide the two Reikos home, for they had to go back anyway. As for what I saw, I was elated that Reiko was safe from harm as she had a long day after dealing with time travel, for she needed to have a day off after this...

The two Reikos found themselves in the panic room as my past self was still comatose, but alive in which his soul was back in his body again. The two of them were more than likely to be going back to their timeline as they also had to make sure to say their goodbyes before leaving. After repelling the attack, Reiko was slightly exhausted as the other one was worried about her in which she needed to return home, for using her Nephilim abilities along with the raw power infused in it took a lot out of her.

"I never had such power before until now," she said.

"You did put the kibosh on the Dark Reavers," said the other Reiko.

"And Sammy's past self is safe from Milverton's grasp…"

"We should get going before we overstay our welcome. Besides, Mom and Dad would be worried about me if I did that."

Reiko approached my past self as he was still in a coma. She never saw him to be suffering for his sins as she held his hand in which she didn't want him to fall under further despair. What she didn't expect was that her Nephilim abilities healed him as his soul is now tethered to his body, but with a fragile wall to keep the bad memories in Lucifer's cage at bay. She would soon return to her own timeline before being discovered, for she would find and protect me when she got home.

"I know that you suffered so much in which you even laid down your life to stop the Apocalypse back then," she said. "Even though you paid for your sins, you can't let it define you. I know that you'll end up making more mistakes, but you mustn't let yourself fall under. I know of this because nothing is worth losing you. You will do better someday, for you matter the most."

Reiko saw a tear fall from my past self's closed eye as she was ready to go home the moment she returned to her timeline. With the other Reiko returning to her own timeline, everything was safe for now as the panic room was empty with only my past self still comatose. By the time Totsuka entered into the panic room, he had some medical supplies that he brought with him as he placed an intravenous drip on my past self's arm to keep him hydrated. When he saw the footprints that the two Reikos behind, he was aware that the future had a hand in averting Milverton's attack in which it was a game changer. When Bobby showed up, he was still shocked and concerned about the incident that showed up on his doorstep, for he was aware of what took out the Dark Reavers before they tried to steal my past self's soul and scar his vessel in the process.

"This is weird indeed," said Totsuka. "All this reminds me of a Doctor Who episode."

"I don't know if I want to kick his ass or give him a hug," said Bobby as he was looking at my past self that was still comatose. "As for what Milverton tried to pull, the bastard never saw it coming when one of Castiel's buddies came and saved the day."

"The Dark Reavers are mainly immune to normal angelic attacks, but whoever took them out, must've gotten a booster shot for their troubles. Therefore, our mystery angel went in and saved our asses from Milverton's tactics, which kept his ass from having access to the panic room."

"I've tangled with monsters, demons, ghosts, and even dick angels, but those Dark Reavers wanted to take Sam's soul out of him so he can act like T-1000 hoping he doesn't open fire on bystanders."

"From what I know in the Isoldati Files, Dark Reavers were once bodyguards to Lilith until she was taken out. They kill their targets with their stare, but the bulk of them ended up getting wiped out by our mystery savior."

"If that mystery savior was here, I'd shake his hand."

Bobby was glad that the worst was over as he was also assuming what would happen next. When he left the panic room, he went back into his house with Totsuka following him as they saw a newspaper on the floor the moment one of them picked it up. The sight of a plane disappearing in midflight was nothing new as it was a story for another day, for this would soon unfold after that. When they went back outside, they saw Castiel surveying the damage that destroyed the Dark Reavers as he had a feeling that this was no ordinary attack. Still, he was shocked to see the worst demons get fried to a crisp as the level of it was that of an archangels, for this was very new to him.

"We had a couple of party crashers," said Totsuka.

"For the record, Dark Reavers have been unbeatable over the centuries in which even I was overpowered by them," said Castiel. "This was no ordinary attack that Milverton instigated in which he was there to take Sam's soul out of him while the Dark Reavers clanged their staffs thirteen times to the point of scarring his vessel."

"They tried it, but ended up being extra crispy in the process," said Bobby.

Castiel picks up a piece of the hex bag that was used earlier as it came from the future. Looking up in the sky, he had a feeling that those who travelled from the future had a hand in stopping a powerful force of demons like the Dark Reavers, for this wasn't the first time that help from beyond intervened in the favor of the Winchesters...

Gyatso was still focusing on bringing Reiko back home as he was trying hard to focus on the time mandala at hand. With Castiel helping out, he noticed an image from the Elder Days appear as he noticed the Dark Reavers being wiped out the moment Milverton was banished from Bobby's property. He had a gut feeling that the blast that destroyed the most feared demons came from an unknown source until he noticed Reiko returning to her timeline with the other one in tow. I was also glad that my beloved was home as she was also exhausted from using her Nephilim abilities, for I wanted to switch places with her so she could rest up.

"She'll be fine," said the other Reiko. "Oh, you should've seen her use her stuff to get rid of those demons!"

"I'm home, Sammy," said Reiko.

"I'll be on the floor so that you can have the bed," I said as I saw her to be tired.

"You better not! I can sit down in the rocking chair in which you also have to stay in bed."

"You went back in time to obliterate a group of demons in the Elder Days. I can't let you go running on empty."

"She won't be running on empty," said Gyatso's older self as he appeared out of the time mandala.

Gyatso noticed his older self as he was dressed in Westerian noble clothing while he had a Superman pin adorning his lapel. We were also astonished to see him collect the other Reiko as they were ready to take their leave back in their own timeline, for they have known a lot about what went on in the past, present, and the future.

"Hey, Sam," said Gyatso's future self. "I hope that Reiko wasn't making any trouble for you."

"But she wasn't," she said.

"It's been ages since I last saw you before I grew up to adulthood… I was also blessed that Zaralia and I named our daughter after you in which she honors your namesake very well."

"Nice outfit," said Gyatso.

"You must be me as a kid. It also seems that you're still starting to get the hang of being a medium. As for you, young lady," Gyatso's older self looks at the other Reiko as he later fishes out the piece of hex bag that was thought to have been lost for ages. "You did good in helping your namesake fend off those demons or else Milverton would've won."

"Those demons were creepy, Dad. At least the Sam of Old is safe…"

"Come on; your mom's waiting for us back home just in time for some banh mi and pho."

Both Gyatso's older self and the other Reiko left for their own timeline as everything was saved from further danger. With the time mandala rolled up, Gyatso was ready to put it away as he left the room with it. I was also glad that Reiko was safe at home as she was also exhausted from using her Nephilim abilities to destroy the Dark Reavers in the time of the Elder Days, for she was more than just a wife and mother after all.

"It was you who destroyed the Dark Reavers," said Castiel.

"They were threatening to steal the soul from Sammy's past self and scar his vessel," said Reiko.

"I salute you…" Castiel bows in reverence as he was grateful that Reiko was there in the past.

"There's no need for you to do that."

"Let him do it," I said. "You stopped a threat in the past from causing hell in the Elder Days in which I'm blessed that you destroyed a threat that nearly tampered with my own biological structure in mind. I read about the Dark Reavers in which they kill anyone who looks at them. They also happened to be Lilith's bodyguards until her demise in which they blindly followed Milverton to no end until you stopped them. I am so grateful that you protected what was vital in which you even stopped a group of demons that were even feared by the others who live in Hell. You're a lot more braver than me in that aspect and I am blessed that I have you with me."

I slowly got up from my bed as I held Reiko's hand in which I was thankful that she was there with me. She had her fair share of danger just as much as I had as I was also trying my best to lend her my support. Speaking of support…, I was put back into bed as Castiel had his reasons to add extra blankets to my hospital bed, for he was also wanting me to get all the bedrest I could get.

"You're not going anywhere right now," he said. "I know what you bear and I suggest that you get all the bedrest for your unborn children you have in your body."

"He's right about that, Sammy," said Reiko. "Just because you worry about me, doesn't mean that you can be out and about to find me. I know of this because you also wanted me to get some bedrest when I bore children a few times."

"And I believe that the little parcels I have in me just woke up," I said as I felt at my stomach.

I noticed Reiko feeling at my stomach as she was more than blessed that I was on bedrest. Still, she had her reasons to protect me and the past as she was more than just the usual wife and mother. She was more than just a goddess, for she was also a hero who displayed a lot more than just courage…

Later on in the evening, Gyatso was in his room as he was thinking about the future that he saw. Even though he was exhausted from training as a medium, he was optimistic about what he saw earlier in which he got up and looked out the window. The sight of the moon with a cluster of stars on a clear night was a boon, but the weather was getting colder due to the premature winter that occurred during Halloween at the time. When Gyatso got out of his room, he went out in the hall as he entered into the dining hall where the sitting room was. When he went in there, he sat down in the chair as he turned on the Superman leg lamp and looked into the plethora of Supernatural books that were stacked neatly in the shelf. Even though he wasn't old enough to read them, he understood the stories and lore that we told him as he was also starting to get a little bolder for his age.

"I may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but I'm fast at training to be a medium," he said to himself. "Let's hope to the gods and Matriarch that I do my best."

It wasn't long until Reiko entered into the room as she was feeling a little better after getting a bath earlier. Dressed in her nightclothes, she was about to get to bed until she spotted Gyatso sitting there staring at the books that were on the shelf. With the clock reaching towards ten in the evening, she had to have him go to bed as it was also time for school in the morning, for she didn't want him to miss a day of it.

"It's getting late," she said.

"I know…," said Gyatso. "It's just that I see visions of the future in which that Draaza girl who has your name looks a lot like me, but she really has Empress Zaralia's appetite when it comes to banh mi."

"You're admiring her more and more, I take it…"

"I'm too young for looking into girls, but I know who I'll marry in the future."

"Empress Zaralia isn't just the ruler of Westeros, but she's also a Cetra. Don't forget; the two of you have a long way to go in which I know that your future is secure."

"I wonder how Sam's doing…"

"He's fine, but he can't be out of bed right now. Strict bedrest is needed for him in which he is also carrying quadruplets in his body. Besides, he can't do all the work and worry too much at the same time."

"I agree…" Gyatso sees the clock reaching towards ten-thirty in the evening. "It's time to go to bed anyway. Besides, I have school tomorrow."

And so, Reiko and Gyatso leave the sitting room as they were going to bed. As for the future that was neither set in stone nor put willingly, it was thriving as the will of destiny was already set in motion, for it was a catalyst of what was yet to come so far…

I was up the next morning as I was in the examination room while laying down on the scanner table. When Dunya arrived, she was looking at the images of the quadruplets on screen as they were growing slowly, but safe from the stress. I was also elated that my little ones were thriving instead of growing like weeds as I also had to return to my room while being on bedrest, for it was necessary to do so.

"They're looking fine," I heard Dunya say to me.

"That's good to hear," I said.

"They're nearly two months along and already away from the stress."

"I get it; stress is bad for the baby."

"At least your other vitals are normal, but you should also do something with your stress levels."

"I was afraid of that…"

I got up as I was more than likely to be going back to my room after being scanned. When I got there, I laid back down in my hospital bed as I crawled in the clean sheets and blankets that were put onto it. It was a long day for me as I was thinking about the events from yesterday in which this wasn't the first time that the future meddled with the past to protect and preserve the time flow. As usual, I was staring at the ceiling as I was also touching at my stomach where my four little parcels were nestling in. I just simply laid there as I had no choice but to stay on bedrest. I continued to stare at the ceiling until I sat up and noticed Pendragon standing in front of me, for he was there for a reason.

"Good morning, Sam," he said to me. "It seems that Reiko stopped a threat in the past to preserve the flow of time."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your past self needed to be protected from Milverton and his scheme to steal his soul and scar his vessel. Thankfully, I had a way to bring a time mandala to bring Reiko to the past and avert the threat before it was too late."

"Are you talking about the Dark Reavers?"

"The Dark Reavers were the oldest of all demons in which they were also servants of Lilith at the time. They even kill people with a single stare in which the denizens of the Middle Ground were unaffected by them. As for sending Reiko back in the past to avert the threat, the Dark Reavers are no more, but their master remains at large and in hiding ever since he was ousted from power."

"Milverton…"

"You know of Milverton to be a Crossroads demon, but the real threat comes from that of my oldest child, the Arbiter. For years, my wife and I raised her to be commanding, but in our hubris, she ended up getting spoiled and angry if she didn't get her way. If you believed that my youngest children were in control of creation and chaos, the Arbiter was the true mastermind of crafting what was put into motion. Her role of keeping things in place blinded her so much that she even resorted in sowing the chaos that helped to jumpstart the Apocalypse in the Elder Days. How did she do it? She saw the one of main archangels, Uriel, feeling sympathetic towards Lucifer, who was in his cage at the time."

"I never heard of that until now…"

"The Arbiter enticed Uriel to cause a chain reaction by enacting the Sixty-Six Seals to be broken the moment she even recruited other demons like Lilith's right-hand man, Alistair. Her plan in motion to start the Apocalypse was realized after Lilith's death and Lucifer's ascension in which she was waiting for the prizefight in Stutt Cemetery. In the end, your past self sacrificed his life to end it, but the Arbiter wasn't done with everything yet. She hated the Winchesters for meddling in her plans in which she was the invisible thorn in their side. She even dispatched Milverton and the Dark Reavers to steal your past self's soul in which I had to send Reiko to avert the threat and preserve the flow of time. Even though she is banished to Earth, which is now a wasteland of its former glory, my Son was fearing the worst in which he doesn't want her influence to return to the Ashizoka System. I also didn't want him to do what he did to you and Minara in which he fears her presence more than anything. With the damage done, I now know why my Boy did what he did in which the Arbiter believes in both the Law of Nature and the Law of Balance. Seeing you and Minara with child will give an edge for her not to come back, but you should also be careful of the threat that will stop at nothing to propel their own agendas."

"The Zenith Vectors…"

"They are a threat who steals from old Draaza and Va'Kihri technology in which their acts of terrorism are the tip of the iceberg. They want the ultimate prize, but they won't get it because of the fact that my protective fog and the servants of the god and goddess of the Ashizoka System are here to protect you from the threat. They won't come here, but they won't give up in which their eyes and ears from their collaborators are watching, but won't get very far. You are safe from harm, Sam, for you have the whole future in your hands."

I saw Pendragon vanish without a trace as I later looked out the window to see Reiko standing near the harbor. I was blessed to have her as she was the light who guided me the most, for she was a lot more braver than I anticipated and I loved her for it. She was a woman who became more than just a wife and a mother, for she was filled with more courage than I ever imagined…

To be continued...