Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10

Chapter 31: To the Child That Died...

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Two thousand years into the past…

It was a hot summer night in Reno, Nevada, as everyone was mainly living it up in the city complete with their parties and barbecues. At a bar, everyone was looking at the front pages about the creepy monster in the woods lurking as they were also busy eating diner food and drinking their beer just in time for happy hour. What everyone didn't expect was that a mysterious visitor entered into the bar as it was dressed in biker gear complete with a helmet over their head. What the bartender noticed that the figure in biker gear was armed with weapons that were meant for killing monsters the moment he saw a burly man approach them and with an air of suspicion, for he had to know who was under the helmet.

"Aren't you a little young to be waltzing in a place like this?" he said.

"Aren't you a little bold in not staying in your pack?" said the figure as they drew out a sword.

It wasn't long until the burly man bore his teeth as he was a werewolf who was mainly frequenting at the bar the moment the figure used their sword and stabbed him in the heart. When the burly man ended up dead on the floor, several other people were glaring at the figure in biker gear as they bore out their teeth in which they were ready to kill them until they, too, ended up dead the same way, but with silver bullets from a gun. The bartender didn't know what to think as he was shocked to see some of his customers to be werewolves in which he saw the figure in biker gear remove their helmet to reveal a young Draaza woman who was busy hunting the pack that was frequenting all over Nevada and parts of California, for her work was done for now.

"Holy shit!" yelled the bartender. "I've heard stories about some dudes dressed up as feds using rockstar aliases, but to have E.T. saving the day?"

"At least there won't be any more werewolf attacks on the sly," said the Draaza woman as she put away her weapons. "For a while, some of the werewolf packs have been going off the rails since that incident in Chicago, but at least there won't be any more feeding frenzies here in Reno."

"Ma'am…" the bartender gets out a box as he gives it to the Draaza woman. "This is for clearing out the monsters in my bar." The Draaza woman opens the box up as she sees some money in it. "You Veiled Ones have been the unsung heroes in which I bet that Bobby is smiling up there in Heaven."

"Take care of yourself, for there will be more on the way…"

The Draaza woman put back on her helmet as she left the bar in which she was on her way towards the city vicinity. What she didn't expect was that she heard screams in the distance as she rushed to see what was going on. By the time she got there, she saw a young woman clawed up to shreds as she later heard a loud gurgling sound in the bushes, for she knew of it carefully when she saw it before it fled. In sheer horror, there was a botchling lurking around Reno as it also had to be stopped, for this was just the beginning of what was about to happen next…

Present day…

It had been three days since I stopped the botchling near the Stauber Clan homestead as I was on my way to the main house of it. By the time I entered inside, I noticed Melphani in her wheelchair greeting me as she was also holding her usual tin box in which she wanted to tell me of what happened, for she wasn't feeling all too great despite her old age. The very appearance of her was care-worn, but wise beyond her years as she was brimming with an old story that she wanted to share with me before she passes, for this was a meeting that would soon cement everything that my past self left behind.

"Good morning, Matriarch Melphani," I said.

"You seem optimistic since justice was served against the Clergy three days ago," she said.

"It seems that you have a story to tell, don't you?"

"The botchling that you and Younhee killed reminded me of what happened on Earth in the Elder Days."

"What are you talking about?"

"Centuries ago, your past self helped into taking down a monster that was threatening anyone who came and went in Reno, Nevada. I remember that day before I left Earth for parts unknown, but my encounter with the man who saved me proved to be fruitful."

Melphani showed me the tin that she opened up as she had the usual mix discs that she had with her for a long time. When I picked up the "Road Music" disc, I saw the Winchester Sigil drawn on it as it became a reminder of what was shared in the time of the Elder Days, for it was something that I had to deal with in order to listen what this aging Matriarch had to tell me.

"This was something that I burned off a library terminal once," she said to me.

"You must've had a thing for classic rock," I said.

"My time on Earth was more than just burning classic music to discs and hunting monsters. It was an encounter with your past self in the Elder Days. As for the creature we hunted, it had a tragic story, but it was also a reminder of the pain that occurred next."

I saw Melphani go into the sitting room as she went towards a music player. When she inserted the "Road Music" disc into it, she felt elated to hear what came out of it as she was no stranger with dealing the nostalgia she collected. The sound of "Slow Ride" by Foghat filled the room as I entered to where she was in which she never looked back, for I saw her to be a woman of courage who endured so much over the centuries.

"We'll always have Reno," she said as she smiled.

I noticed Melphani holding onto the empty tin as she never forgot about the adventure that she had in the Elder Days. Still, I had to know more about her story as she was someone who had to tell her tale before she passes on, for this was a right time to do so in the end…

Two thousand years in the past…, again!

Sam was up and alert after enduring another round of physical therapy in which he was feeling the pressure of his shoulder still adjusting after sustaining an injury a few weeks ago. With the long drive to Reno rough on his arm, he was still worrying about Dean as he was under the influence of the Mark of Cain despite the fact that he cured him in the bunker a few days prior. When he went towards the bar, which was known as Spanky's Bar and Grill, he saw several law enforcement officers standing in front of a chalk outline on the pavement as if someone was mauled by something, for this was something that had to be solved before it was too late.

"You must be agent Page," said the coroner as he was looking at what happened.

"I just rolled into town just now," said Sam as he was staring at what leaked from the chalk outline.

"A few nights ago, someone killed a few people at Spanky's Bar and Grill in which they were bearing teeth…, I mean literally bearing teeth…"

"Where is the perp?"

"No one knows, but from what I heard, the person dressed up like that dullahan from Durarara! in which they kicked ass and take names at the people who tried to attack them. As for our perp, it killed the victim, Alexis Ferngrove, in which she had claw marks on her body as if a cougar or bear did this."

Sam felt his cellphone vibrating as he looked at it the moment he saw a text message on it. He assumed that it was Dean contacting him at first, but he saw the message to be from a burner line in which it had the words, "You're dealing with a monster," in digital text. When he later arrived in the morgue, he saw the victim on a slab as she was a complete mess the moment she had claw marks all over her body, for it wasn't an animal attack at all, but something else.

"Poor Alexis," said the coroner as he was putting on some plastic gloves. "She was a nurse, but ended up getting taken out for no reason."

"She must've fought back," said Sam as he was putting on plastic gloves while examining what was in the victim's fingers. "Is that dead skin?"

"I take it that our perp isn't a wild animal after all…"

"As soon as I find it, I'll let you know…"

At that moment, Sam left the building as he was on his way to the library to know more about what killed the victim near Spanky's Bar and Grill. The dead skin was something that was mainly in the lore as he later stepped into the library and looked into whatever killed the victim in which there was something more than the usual vampires and werewolves that every hunter encounters. When he was mainly looking into possible monsters that fit the mold between werewolf and skinwalker, he later noticed the Draaza woman in biker gear arriving into the library as she sat down next to one of the computer terminals looking at what was happening on the internet. Much to his surprise, he saw the figure place a compact disc into the rom drive as she began the process of burning music onto it. By the time she was finished, she took out the disc as she placed it into a plastic case while writing the contents onto it, for she would soon be on her way, but not without seeing Sam first.

"You're looking into what happened next to Spanky's Bar and Grill, aren't you?" she said.

"It's a solo effort, but I have to get back after all the mess that happened," said Sam.

"The creature that killed that woman isn't a werewolf or skinwalker. It's something different in which it attacks angrily at random."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're dealing with a botchling. I thought that dealing with that werewolf pack at Spanky's Bar and Grill was the last effort, but I've got another hunt to deal with."

"It's the botchling, isn't it?"

"Botchlings come from miscarriages and stillbirths in which their remains weren't properly buried and I know that what I'm going after wasn't buried on consecrated ground."

Sam looked further into what the Draaza woman in biker gear was talking about as he was skimming away on his laptop the moment he finally hit pay dirt. He ended up stumbling on an old news article about a stillbirth that happened back in 1984, which was thirty years ago. The news about a couple mourning the loss of their child was heartbreaking, but unfeeling when the father decided to bury it away from consecrated ground to avoid scandal. It was something that was unheard of before, but Sam had to track down the botchling before it claimed another victim.

"You found something, didn't you?" said the Draaza woman.

"The victim who suffered from a miscarriage didn't do it on purpose, for she was kicked by her own husband," said Sam as he was skimming through the archived headlines. "The victim, Cathy Pomeroy, was rushed to the hospital with bleeding in which she nor her unborn child didn't survive. After that, the police were called when her husband, Mark Pomeroy, was still angry at her for carrying a daughter instead of a son in which he was desperate for an heir."

"Most men believe in such mindsets when their seed determines the gender that they don't want…"

"That's the kicker… When Mark Pomeroy buried the miscarried baby somewhere, he was later arrested for not only assault, but for two counts of murder to the point of being handed a life sentence. It's been thirty years since that incident happened and the repercussions have now taken root that took the life of its victim near Spanky's Bar and Grill."

"We need to find where the botchling is buried before another innocent falls victim to its string of death. It's the only way to find closure."

"And according to the lore, botchlings are weak against holy oil and fire. As soon as we can find it, the better everyone can rest easy…"

Both Sam and the Draaza woman continued to delve into the lore as they had to find and destroy the botchling that was terrorizing Reno. Still, it was a complicated hunt, but both of them had to deal with the aftermath that followed, for this wasn't easy in the slightest…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

I was still in the sitting room of the main house in the Stauber Clan's homestead as I was looking at a ledger that detailed what happened during the Elder Days. The details of old newspaper headlines about the Pomeroy stillbirth lingered over the years as I read about how a jealous husband had the gall to kick his pregnant wife after learning that he would be having a girl, only to kill it afterwards. The police reports and the arrest was something that became unsettling as I had no respect for those who vainly believe in the preference of boys over girls. Still, I believed in equal footing as I wanted to instill it in the children I raised, for they would soon grow up and lead their own lives someday. By the time I read further into the ledger, I noticed Melphani enter into the sitting room as she was aware of the ledger she had over the centuries, for it was something that her people kept before leaving Earth ages ago.

"You're reading up on the Pomeroy incident, aren't you?" she said to me.

"I never expected a man like Mark Pomeroy to be brutal towards his wife when he kicked her mercilessly," I said. "Still, the damage was done, but the botchling lingered all over the place by causing terror in Reno."

"The botchling I tracked down hunted its victims every five years before going into hibernation in which it was something that I had to help put down. Before meeting with your past self, I was sent there by my superiors to stop the botchling in which it killed several victims the moment that the local law enforcement compared them to animal attacks from bears, wolves, or cougars. A botchling's claws are sharper than a cougar's and stronger than a bear's."

"And the only way to find and kill it is by holy oil and fire. We all know what a botchling is afraid of, for it retaliates with such a deadly way in mind."

"There you are!"

I noticed Yokose entering into the sitting room as she was eager to collect Melphani in which she had a soft spot for the aging Matriarch. When she wheeled her out of the sitting room, I followed them as I was led into a courtyard that had a garden filled to the brim with berries and vegetables that have been planted a few weeks prior. I also saw a shelf filled mainly with honeycombs as I noticed the bees doing their work collecting pollen for other uses. I even noticed some of the gardeners pulling up some of the weeds except for the yellow dandelion plants in which the bees often collect the pollen from them, for this was work at its finest.

"This garden is one of the best that I've noticed so far," I said.

"This garden has been in the Stauber Clan for generations, Sam," said Yokose. "It's also a cavalcade of what was once collected on Earth before being planted here on Valinor."

"This garden was a beacon that soothed me when my late husband brought me here," said Melphani as she was looking at the bees circling around one of the yellow dandelion plants. "Klaus and Helmut were my only children in which they also have close ties to Stohess. As for their abilities to be diplomatic, they also believed in a sense of justice by protecting the innocent and hunt any form of threat, both humanoid and monster. It was also my own way of surviving without looking back, for this was a land of renewal for me after I left Earth."

I saw Melphani beginning to shed tears as she was also saddened by the losses she endured over the centuries. She also saw me to be a sense of comfort as this was our first and last time that we would share the stories that came and went, for she was on the verge of going to the Grey Havens soon enough. When I saw her being wheeled back into the main house, she was placed into the sitting room as I joined her the moment she was looking at the empty tin that she had, for she remembered all that nostalgia that she found on Earth before she left it.

"It's been centuries since I had this tin," she said.

"'Cherrybelle Chocolates,'" I said as I read the tin. "'Reno's finest chocolates that are better than gambling.' That tin must've been sentimental to you, hasn't it?"

"That tin had the best chocolates that even put the likes of Hershey to shame. When I ate the chocolates that were in that tin, I used it to house my mix discs that I've burned in which most hunters from the Elder Days often play the classic rock while looking for threats on a more creepy endeavor."

"And you endured a monster that is similar to that of a vampire or werewolf."

"It was a hunt that even scared me to the core, for your past self aided and abetted in stopping what was terrorizing Reno back in the day…"

Melphani continued to remember what happened in the Elder Days as she also marveled on how her encounter with my past self would soon turn the tide in the hunt for the botchling. Still, I was pleased that she lived through the centuries as this was also her final time living due to the fact that she was at the very end of her life as a Draaza. Even Yokose was protective of the oldest Matriarch as she also wanted her to pass away peacefully instead of suffering the worst, for she had to prepare for the end-of-life care that followed.

"You've outlived everything, including the Elder Days," she said.

"I've had my fair share of doing what was done at that time," said Melphani. "It's mainly the usual mantra of saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business. That's what the hunter's lifestyle was back in the day, for there was no time to have a normal life back then."

"And you had your reasons to give us all your wisdom," I said. "You may be old, but even the elderly need respect like the rest of us."

My words gave Melphani such optimism as she was still remembering the last hunt before leaving Earth in which it was also her first encounter with my past self. Still, she was brave for an elderly Draaza, for she had plenty of wisdom to give us in her twilight years. When I saw her return to the main house, Yokose followed her as she didn't want her to stray far due to her old age. I also followed them as I saw them enter into the tea room where they were enjoying their usual lunch, for it consisted of small sandwiches and some cookies that were made after that.

"It's sad that you're spending your twilight years without anyone listening to your stories," said Yokose. "You went through so much over the centuries in which Klaus once told me of your days as a hunter."

"I've lived through so much, Yokose," said Melphani. "I was a hunter once, but I know for a fact that there will be ears that will listen what I tell them."

"And you happen to be a courageous hunter," I said.

I saw Melphani smile brightly as she was aware of my presence. Still, I wanted to hear more about her story as she had a tale that must be brought to its conclusion, for it was a story that occurred in the Elder Days...

Two thousand years into the past…, again!

Sam returned to the slug roe home next to a convenience store as he was eager to find out where the botchling would stake out its next victim. What he didn't expect was that the Draaza woman in biker gear enter into the slug roe home as she was eager to remove her helmet to reveal her true identity to him. He was shocked to see her like that as she was also cautious in which she had to keep her biker gear with her, for she was a hunter who had a job to do.

"You're not human, are you?" he said.

"No, but I'm a Draaza in which I've been sent here to take out a botchling before leaving Earth," she said. "You know how to answer with curiosity, don't you, Sam Winchester?"

"How do you know me?"

"I heard about how you had one of my people's weapons that ended in the collection of the Duval Family in Chicago and sustained an injury while doing it."

"That's very comforting…"

"By the way, my name's Melphani Echezar and I've been eager to find and kill the botchling that has been terrorizing Reno for a while."

"And in the lore, the only way to kill it is by holy oil and fire. The only problem is where the botchling is buried."

Sam noticed his new friend fish out a sphere as it revealed the resting place where the botchling would be. The burial site near an abandoned house on the outskirts was nothing new as both he and Melphani would soon be on their way to prevent another attack, for the botchling had to be taken out before it began to hibernate again. Still, he was on another solo hunt as he was also reeling from the shoulder injury he sustained a few weeks back, but he had to hold it together, for he had a job to do before going back to the Men of Letters bunker afterwards.

"It's the old Pomeroy house before it was condemned," she said as she turned off the sphere.

"Where could it be?" asked Sam.

"It's on the same block where Spanky's Bar and Grill is, but further." Melphani breaks out a jug of holy oil as she was also armed with some empty glass bottles and rags. "A traditional molotov cocktail is the only way to go if we're about to find and stop the botchling."

"And I've got some lighters to light them with."

Sam and Melphani began to craft some molotov cocktails as they were carefully pouring the holy oil into the glass bottles and placed them in a paper carrier that was tailor-made for carrying six-packs of beer with. When they left the slug roe home, they were ready to track down the botchling as they had to do it before the evening was over, for they also had to act quickly…

Dusk settled in as the abandoned Pomeroy house stood firm in its condemned atmosphere all over the place. With everyone enjoying happy hour at some of the casinos, one jogger was busy catching a little night exercise as she later heard the sound of a baby gurgling in the distance. Stopping in front of the Pomeroy house, she heard the gurgling louder as she sprinted further away in which she saw the botchling emerging out of the bushes and jumped in front of her. Just as she was about to have her life being ripped to shreds, she heard the sound of a car pulling up in the distance as the botchling scurried away to the Pomeroy house the moment it rushed inside.

It wasn't long until Sam and Melphani got out of the car as they made their way inside of the Pomeroy house in which they saw everything in disarray complete with old nostalgia strewn everywhere. The sight of the chalk outline on the floor was more like a crime scene as Sam later noticed a picture of a bride and groom next to it while the glass was broken in front. Picking it up, he saw the Pomeroys in happier times as he lamented what happened the moment they drifted apart in their wedded bliss. When Melphani entered into one of the rooms, it was turned into a future nursery as it had pink décor strewn all over the walls and crib. Even Sam noticed the fate that caused the fetus to become a botchling as he later heard it entering into the house, for he had to help Melphani take it out before it was too late.

"This was where the baby was supposed to live out its years before starting school," he said gravely.

"It's a shame that the husband did that to his wife," said Melphani.

"And yet, the baby that was stillborn became a botchling all because Mark Pomeroy had the gall to have the same outdated mindset of having an heir instead of a girl."

Without warning. Sam and Melphani heard the loud gurgling getting closer as they were armed with their molotov cocktails. Even though they were in the house, they had to prepare as they later saw the botchling burst into the nursery like the Kool-Aid Man crashing into a brick wall. The creature itself was gurgling angrily as it glared at Melphani in which it lunged at her the moment she got out her gun to shoot at its limbs. Sam, on the other hand, got out one of the molotov cocktails as he got out a lighter and lit the wick the moment he threw it at the botchling in which it was bursting into flames. Helping Melphani up, he led her out of the nursery as they rushed out into the living room, but the botchling was quick to spot them with its body burning from the first molotov cocktail attack.

Melphani got out her own molotov cocktail as she lit the wick and was ready to throw it, but the botchling knocked her out first while the bottle rolled towards the curtains and set them ablaze. Sam had to deal with the botchling as he saw it crying while displaying its claws in which he was armed with another molotov cocktail while lighting the wick and throwing it at the target in front of him. When he saw the botchling wailing, it was covered in flames as it was writhing in agony while the rest of the house was starting to catch fire. When the botchling was finally dead and in ashes, Sam was relieved while his shoulder began to ache further, but not without getting Melphani out of the burning home.

By the time he got her to safety, he saw the house catching on fire even worse as they got into the car and got away before the fire department arrived. With the threat averted, they made their way back to the slug roe home as they would soon part ways after this, for this was something that they had to stop before things escalated.

"You saved my life," said Melphani.

"At least I protected an alien from a monster," said Sam as he was driving back to the slug roe home.

"The fire department will have a field day after what happened in the old Pomeroy house…"

"It's a shame that Dean's not here to see this, but—" Sam hears his cellphone vibrating as he took it out of his pocket with his injured arm. "Speak of the Devil… Looks like he'll be here shortly."

It wasn't long until Sam and Melphani made it back to the slug roe home as they got out of the car and went inside to see several more Draaza welcoming them. Even though they were mainly here to collect Melphani, they would soon leave Earth as they were prepared to take their leave, for their mission was done until next time.

"You did well, but did you have to burn down the house?" said one of the Draaza.

"At least we stopped the botchling," said Melphani.

"You must be Sam Winchester." The Draaza man looked at him briefly. "I'm grateful that you helped my sister stop the botchling before it went into hibernation in which the threat is averted and the people here are breathing a sigh of relief just in time for happy hour."

"It's much obliged, but at least there won't be another threat like that again," he said.

It wasn't long until the Draaza man fished out some money as he gave it to Sam in which he later gave him a tin of Cherrybelle Chocolates while Melphani received the same. Even though their time was short, Sam was eager to say goodbye to Melphani and her people as they left the slug roe home and onwards to their ship, for he never forgot about them when they left Earth.

"I take my leave, Sam," said Melphani as she gathered up her mix discs and put them in the tin of chocolates. "Until we meet again…"

"At least we stopped the botchling," he said. "After what happened, no one should harm a child in vain or jealousy in which we also stopped something that would even put vampires and werewolves to shame."

"You have so much to do in which you can't give up on what's put in front of you. In the end of this adventure, we'll always have Reno."

It wasn't long until Melphani and her people entered into the ship as it took off into the sky. As for the adventure that he had, he would soon write it in the ledgers back in the Men of Letters bunker, for it was an encounter that he could never forget…

The next morning, Sam woke up as he heard the sound of a car engine approaching. Getting out of bed, he got dressed as he rushed outside to see the Impala pulling up in which he spotted Dean getting out of the driver's side. Even though he wasn't too happy with him going solo, he had to do his best not to get too furious as he still had the Mark of Cain on his arm. Still, he wanted to aid Sam on the next hunt, but he wanted a bit of a sabbatical after being off the map, for he wasn't about to let him drive with one arm due to the injury he sustained weeks ago.

"You left without me again," he said.

"You nearly killed me while curing you of being a demon," said Sam.

"C'mon, Sam; you gotta live a little 'cause we need a vacation after all the crap that went down."

"We can go to Lake Tahoe for a bit of swimming after all that has happened."

"I heard about what happened at the Pomeroy house last night."

"Well, the botchling came crashing into it like the Kool-Aid Man."

"Any idea of breakfast?"

"There's a diner we'll peruse. Besides, we both need a sabbatical…"

Sam didn't mind Dean's company as he got in on the passenger's side of the Impala. With Dean starting up the engine while on the driver's side, he was ready to go for breakfast as both brothers were ready to hit the road on a sabbatical before going back to hunting, for the road ahead wasn't an easy one so far…

Meanwhile, back in the present…, right frickin' now!

Dean made his way to the Stauber Clan's homestead as he was busy looking for me. Even though I was there on business, he wasn't about to let me off the hook as he later noticed me outside with Melphani and Yokose in tow. Still, I had to report in as I would soon be there to comfort the oldest Matriarch, for it was something that I mostly did when it came to dealing with the elderly.

"You were supposed to be with your unit on Skald Island," I said.

"And you were supposed to be at home in the villa," said Dean.

"Sorry, but I got a little sidetracked. As for what I heard from Melphani, she told me of a story from the Elder Days in which she helped my past self deal with a botchling."

"Don't forget the one that lurked in Haruko's grave," said Yokose.

"You must've been busy dealing with monsters, but next time, you should have backup," said Dean as he was concerned about my safety. "Our past selves had a knack for kicking ass and taking names, but they also had each other's backs 'cause that's what family does for all eternity. It's a tough pill to swallow, but there's no way in hell that we're going solo when it comes to hunting whatever lurks either in the shadows or in broad daylight."

Without warning, I saw Melphani fall out of her wheelchair as Yokose rushed to her aid. When she placed her back in her wheelchair, she noticed her not breathing as she had a gut feeling that her time was starting to creep towards her. It wasn't long until the Medical Corps arrived as they carted Melphani away in which it was an emergency, for we never saw this coming until now…

I rushed into the hospital as I was on my way to see Melphani in which she was located in hospice care. When I went towards her room, she was stabilized as she was cared for after the latest emergency that occurred. The sight of her was saddening to me as I had to do my best to comfort her in her twilight years, for she was already dying due to her age almost up. I had to deliver last rites as Melphani was on the verge of death, for she was also in good hands when it came to hospice care.

"You came here to say goodbye to me, didn't you, Sam?" she said to me.

"After telling me about how my past self helped you stop a botchling, I'm more than glad that I met you," I said. "You've been through too much in which you also lived your best life here with your family."

"After I was in stasis, I emerged from the ship I was in, but I met my beloved Franz in which our wedding night was the best that I had with him while playing 'Slow Ride' after the reception. As for the rest of my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, they know how to hunt and protect those in need in which they also had to deal with the wrath of both Bertram Blackthorne's forces and the Second Galvanic Uprising."

"I had a few adventures of my own in which I was often targeted due to the raw power that I had in me. I went through the ringer, but I also had to bear so much in mind."

"It's been said that your children are the cornerstone of your hearth in which you adopted what was put into you against your wishes."

"It was hard to accept them at first, but the instigator who did this is serving jail time for not only doing that to me, but to Minara as well. We both endured bearing children, but there won't be a third time doing it, which is more than enough for me."

I saw Melphani sit up as she was eager to see me one last time. She had plenty of courage back in the day as she was more than likely to be on her way to the Grey Havens soon enough. By the time I left her hospital room, I saw Yokose standing in front of me as she was concerned about what was about to happen to Melphani, for she was mainly part of the Stauber Clan after all.

"How is she doing?" she asked.

"She's stable, but she had so many tales to tell," I said.

"Melphani had it rough in which she was one of the lucky ones when her ship was hijacked by the Red Inquisition on Stohess. Even though she disobeyed her new overlords, she found solace in the Elf who took her as his bride the moment he rounded up what was left of the Draaza that were left behind after the Yock Island incident. When Melphani married Franz and lived at the Stauber Clan's homestead, he vowed to never abandon her once she bore his children and thrived. She's lost so much and yet gained a family in return. She even outlived those who lost their lives during the war between the Oranges and the Blues and the Second Galvanic Uprising."

"War can cause misery, but shows no prejudice. It's also a reminder of how one can survive by losing all and gaining all in return. As for her adventures in the Elder Days, she displayed a lot of courage when it came to hunting monsters. It was also a time for seeing the Winchesters of Old in their prime as well."

"It's been said that Melphani was often spinning tall tales, but she also displayed her love for classic rock and trouncing monsters before she left Earth. Even the gods and Matriarch have praised her for having plenty of courage in which she survived so much trauma back in the day. I also had praise for Melphani in which she went through hell, but lived to move forward in which she and her brother were the only ones who didn't make the cut of being taken away by the Red Inquisition, for Franz saved their lives when he took them with him. He didn't want them to suffer the fate that was in store for them in which we all knew what happened on that ship."

I remembered the incident on the Doohan as it was a grim reminder of how the Red Inquisition had such a twisted sense of culling the Draaza to such tragic circumstances. I had a severe loathing for the group after the Spillway incident on Shiganshina as I never forgot the barbaric practices of depriving them of their mating and breeding urges to the point of them being turned into Askradi, which was a tragic fate. Still, I had to show decency and respect for all races throughout the Ashizoka System as I had a strong admiration for the Draaza, for they went through too much once they came everywhere on their ships.

"I heard about the Spillway incident, Sam," said Yokose. "Luckily, you trounced the Red Inquisition after you gunked up their operation in which the Draaza are thankful that they are thriving in Zavrath on Shiganshina. It's the most you could do when it came to protecting the vulnerable."

"The Red Inquisition is a dangerous organization," I said. "They don't give a damn about the Draaza in which they viewed their existence as a threat to their ideals. Their other ulterior motive is to find and force me to become Lucifer's vessel, which is off the table because of the fact that the latter can't possess me. It's mainly a winner take all preference in which I nearly dodged a bullet during the Spillway incident."

"You ought to tell Melphani about what you endured in which she happens to be a very brave soul till the end. Still, she was also the bravest of all after what she went through, for she endured the very worst that came and went."

"Hey! You shouldn't be eating Lady Melphani's funeral food!"

I rushed towards the cafeteria with Yokose following me. What I didn't expect was that Dean was there eating a slice of pie as he was sitting at a table. Still, I knew for a fact that my brother couldn't resist a pie if his life depended on it as I was more than likely to chastise him afterwards, for the very dessert was also his weakness after all.

"This is good pie," he said.

"It's a grave sin to eat food for a funeral," I said.

"C'mon, Sam; it's pie! It's no big deal."

Without warning, I heard a scream as I rushed out of the cafeteria in which I went towards Melphani's room in which I saw the Medical Corps wheeling a body bag in a stretcher. When I went towards the room in question, I saw Melphani's bed cleanly made as I had a gut feeling that the elderly Draaza succumbed to old age. When I left the room, I saw Yokose standing there as she had tears in her eyes, for she never saw it coming when it came to protecting the elderly Draaza Matriarch.

"She's gone, Sam…," she said.

"At least she told me her story before she passed on," I said.

It wasn't long until Dean rushed towards us as he had a gut feeling that something was a little off at present. Still, we had a funeral to attend to as this was just the beginning of what was about to happen next, for we also had to pay our respects afterwards…

To be continued...