❛ CHAPTER TEN ━━ GUARDIAN BOOTCAMP ❜
𖤐¸𓍢 ━━ ❪ ACT ONE OF SOULBOUND ❫ ˖ ୧ 。
◟ ✦ LIGHT OR DARKNESS? ❞

     IF THERE WAS ONE THING OLIVE WAS BAD AT ━━. it was keeping secrets, espcially ones from her favorite person in the world. Olive told Dean everything, and she means everything. From the random thoughts that pop in her brain to the most complex feels she didn't know how to properly express. He knew it all. 

Lying didn't come easy to her. In fact, if you told her to lie right now, she'd probably get so red in the face and stutter out the most unbelievable sentence she could muster. 

Olive spoke on the phone with Dean every night at 9pm without fail, but it was getting harder and harder to lie to him about her whereabouts with Ben and Toula.

There had even been times during the phone call where Dean would ask her simple questions, like what she ate for lunch. But considering Olive had eaten cucumber sandwiches at Toula's house, she ended up stuttering out a response and now Dean thinks Lisa allows Olive to eat bagels on the roof.

"You two have been spending a lot of time at the park," Lisa said in thought, pouring herself a glass of water. 

Ben and Olive freeze, spoons of cereal halfway into their mouths as they gave each other looks of panic.

"Um, yeah." Ben says, "I've been teaching Olive how to cross the monkey bars." He lied.

In reality, for the last day or so, Ben and Olive had been sneaking into Toula's backyard, where she would teach Olive how to use her powers. They both decided it was best not to tell Lisa, the last thing they wanted was her worry.

Especially when she was a firm believer that Olive shouldn't use her powers and live a normal life.

Now that Dean was across states, and Olive was forced to stay a full week with Lisa, it was the perfect opportunity to figure out what she was really capable of.

Olive says nothing, shoving as much cereal into her mouth to avoid any questions.

"Maybe I can come watch! Give encouragement." Lisa smiles hopefully.

"No!" They say at the same time, glancing at each other. "You shouldn't." Ben states, trying to find something to say. "Olive gets nervous when people watch, it throws her off balance."

Lisa's eyebrows knit in confusion. "She did a whole play as a main character in front of a crowd of people." She says slowly, looking towards Olive.

Ben also turns to Olive, who starts to panic. "Yeah but, this is different because if she messes up then she'll fall and get hurt." He says.

There Ben went, always quick to jump in whenever Olive was clearly overwhelmed.

"Besides, I was nervous at the play." Olive mumbles.

Lisa deflates. "Right." It seemed that her plans to spend more time with Olive were shut down.

She noticed that Olive was more attached to Dean and Ben on a whole different level that Lisa could never compete in. 

Sure, Lisa and Olive would have their moments, but it wasn't the same relationship she had with Dean. Honestly, for the past few months, Olive seemed reluctant to spend time with Lisa.

Which wasn't the case at all.

At least not completely. What Lisa didn't seem to realize was that tomorrow was May 3rd, the day Dean had saved Olive from the demon in the woods, but also the day that she lost her first mother figure since she was left alone at a train station—The day Sophia Parker lost her life.

It was a touchy subject, which was why Olive didn't want to talk about it to anyone. Especially Lisa. Not when Olive still felt guilt, like she was replacing Sophia.

Which will never be the case.

"We should go." Olive slides off of the stool, putting her empty bowl in the sink. "We'll see you later, Lisa."

The woman forces a smile. "Okay, love you."

"We love you too." Ben answers, grabbing his bike and running through the back door where Olive was already waiting.

Lisa frowned at her glass of water, dumping it in the sink.

"You need to lie better, Livvy," Ben sighs, taking her sparkle backpack and helping her climb into his basket.

Olive frowns, kicking her legs back and forth, "I should," She agrees, "If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Dad."

He mirrors her frowns, "And us," He corrects, "Besides, you're not a hunter, you don't have to lie like Dean. Just little stuff, like a normal kid."

She looks back at him, "I'm not a normal kid," She reminds.  

━━・ ✦ ₊ 🌻 ⊹ ° . ❫ ━

     "TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN. THEN OUT," ━━. the three are standing on mats in Toula's backyard, which gave the real illusion of an extending garden. She told them it was simple magic.

The Witch is in a downward facing dog, calm as can be as she breathed in and out. Ben's arms wobbled as he felt the blood rush to his face, feeling the need to hold his breath.

Olive's arms are violently shaking. Then, she crashes on her mat, "Oh come on!" She says in frustration, "This is stupid!"

"This is balance," Toula corrects, "Quite literally."

"You can do it, Liv," Ben reassures, crashing on his own mat seconds later.

"What does balancing have to do with the fact that I can do this!" Olive throws her hand outward.

A wave of energy escapes her body in a bright, golden haze, slamming into a garden gnome and causing it to shatter. Then, the golden streams come back to Olive's body like a yo-yo.

Just like it always did.

Olive smiles in triumph. Toula raised her eyebrow, not phased by Olive's show of power, unlike Ben, who's mouth hung open. 

"You even have the ego of your father," Toula teased a little, "This isn't about what you can do, it's about who you are."

"I'm awesome," Olive says, "Case closed."

"Hear her, Olive," Ben rolls his eyes.

"A Soul is worth more than you can imagine." Toula says. "It fuels Heaven and Hell. It flows through you and I, in the same way water flows through a creek. Energy flows through our bodies. And our energy comes from. .?" She trails, giving her a look to continue.

Olive panics, not expecting to be called on. "Oh, uh, I-Ikea?"

"No." She deadpans. "Were you even listening? It comes from our souls." She sighs, continuing on. "Souls radiate different forms of energy that can be both useful and destructive. This is why there is a barrier between living and lost souls. We can't see them, they can't see us but they're all powerful in their own way."

Living and lost souls was just a PG way of saying dead and alive, Olive knew it. Was she saying that Olive can conjure dead souls? Project herself towards the living?

Toula circles her, hands behind her back and Cora's journal between her fingertips. Ben rolls up his mat and sits on the patio, picking up one of Toula's 'magic 101' books.

"The First Generation of Guardians valued mind over matter. They used their wit and their core to control the energy that radiates from a soul. Apparently, The Guardians don't have souls of their own."

That explains her mother's behavior. Olive shouldn't have smiled at her own intrusive thought, she sounded like Dean when she talked like that but it was the truth. Her mother was hardly the loving type.

"When can I blow things up again?" Olive asked, giving a jump of excitement.

She remembers yesterday when Toula taught her how to do a 'Soul Swipe' as Ben had called it. Where Olive spending hours conjuring a crescent-shaped energy wave out of her own soul—, which she used to cut the plates Ben and Toula threw at her.

Toula grins, "Before you continue with the physical stuff, you need to master the mental stuff too. The way of the First Generation is important, they were the first ones." Olive groans, throwing her head back into the grass, "When was the last time you used your powers, Olive?"

She thinks, "This morning I was floating upside down to brush my teeth." She says proudly. "But the toothpaste got in my nose."

"Using energy around you to levitate is lower class. Even at Six." Toula says instantly, making Olive deflate. "I'm talking about the last time you used your true power. When was the last time you felt your bones rattle, your soul jolt?"

Olive thinks again, "When Cas was getting hurt by that other angel. He was hitting him and making him bleed." She frowns at the memory, "That's daddy's best friend, and he already lost him once. I wanted the Angel to stop, so I made him stop breathing for a second." She explains slowly, horrified. 

Ben frowns, worried. The way she spoke about it, made him feel like he was there too, and the thoughts allowed were scary for him. He wondered how she must've felt.

"He was scared of me. .and I think Cas was too but for a second. .I didn't care if I killed Raphael, I just wanted Cas to be okay." She looks up to Toula. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Toula frowns, deep in thought. "It seems your powers are tied to your emotions, there's no control, no balance." She sighs, "That's probably why the elders didn't want someone like you born. They lived without souls and emotions for this reason. It's easy to have a tether, but balancing is harder. You have to do that."

"So, because Livvy was born with a human soul, she can't control her inhuman powers, and if she can't find a balance between both, she'll lash out," Ben concludes, writing words down in his notepad. 

Toula nods, "That's a good way of putting it."

"I'm six," Olive quickly reminds, "I get upset when Dad changes the channel, or I can't have milkshakes every morning," She admits.

"That's also another problem," She sighs, "You're far too young to be doing this but because you have no one else in your spieces, you will never have the time to properly grow with your training, not without hurting people. We need to contain you as quickly as possible before. . ." She hesitates, looking down.

"Before the Angels get me," Olive guessed, "Or the monsters, and the hunters. I don't want to hurt anyone, Toula. I want to save people, like my dad."

"We know, Olly," Ben says instantly, "You never will, you're too good. You're a good person!" 

She smiles.

Toula grabs her hand, "Forgive yourself, find your balance before you bring balance to others. You aren't a bad person. You're still young."

Olive bows her head. "So in other words I'm almost a bad person, I just got to wait a little.."

"That's why we are doing this." She says softly. "So that you can be better. That you won't end up like your mother."

"I don't want Dean to be scared of me." Olive says suddenly. "I don't want anyone to be scared of me. .so I'll do whatever it takes. I wanna be a good person, that does good things." She stands straighter, more determined.

Toula grins. "Then let's get started."

The next thing Olive knew, she was sitting cross-legged on the grass, blindfolded. Ben stood on the sidelines, taking a break from reading to watch Toula, who sat across from Olive—reading from the journal. Toula read through touch, grazing her fingers against the words and picturing it in her mind.

"Your mother wrote about a lot of things. This journal is more like a tracker, keeping her progress of her time in the Sanctum where she trained to be a Soul Warrior against Lucifer's upcoming rebellion." Toula explains. "She jots down her experience with the First Generation and records her progress in their arts of meditation and mental strategies. You will follow in her footsteps."

Olive lifts up the corner of the blindfold, looking at Toula with one eye. "No offense, Ma'am, but the last thing I want to do is become my mother."

Toula laughs. "You are far from your mother, trust me."

"You've mentioned her a couple times," Olive says, "Did you know her?"

"God no, but I heard the stories, she was a real piece of work." Toula grins. "Kinda like you, but from the sound of it, you're bearable." She settles in her seat, "Now, put back on the blindfold."

Olive huffs, looking to Ben who shrugs before placing the blindfold over her eyes.

"You need to understand the Soul before you can use its power, you might be the only person who can weld it, but that doesn't mean it's yours. Make sense?"

Olive shakes her head. "Nope."

"Just breathe. Focus on the energy that runs through you, from the ground, from the universe. . ." Toula says, "God himself, created something like you, to control the one thing that makes the world his favorite creation."

Olive lets out a deep breath, her legs crossed together, as he body slowly unraveled. She calmed herself, focused on her own heartbeat, at every vessel in her body. Suddenly, she can feel the nips of the wind, hear it as they shook the trees.

Her fingers curled into the earth, it vibrates under her finger tips, which she pushed through deeper and deeper until she can practically feel the universe at the palm of her hand.

Olive can compare the feeling to the buzz she felt after the massage chair in the mall, or the absolute bliss of colors that flashes around you at a carnival and fills you with euphoria. That was the feeling in her veins made her let out a series of giggles.

"What's so funny?" Ben asked, confused.

"I can feel them." She laughs. "I can feel all of them."

Toula smiles. "Lock onto it Olive."

Ben watched as Olive began to sway, his eyes widening when the tall flowers and grass began to sway with her movements, following her. His eyes flashed with natural fear at the unknown, but when Olive let out another series of giggles he couldn't help but smile.

"You're already a natural, Olive," Toula calls through the breeze.

Olive gives a proud grin. The second she removes the blindfold the wind stops and the tall grass settles, "I want to learn more."

"Then you'll learn more," She agrees.

━━・ ✦ ₊ 🌻 ⊹ ° . ❫ ━

     THE WALK BACK TO THEIR HOUSE WAS SLOW AND QUIET BETWEEN THE SIBLINGS ━━. Ben walks with his bike at his side, Olive on the other and she hops and skips with her backpack, little flowers breaking off their stems and floating beside her. He feels a swarm of anger in his chest. 

"You shouldn't do that when we're outside someone could see you," He says firmly, keeping his eyes forward fown the street.

The flowers drop on the ground instantly, and Olive slows to a walk beside him, clutching her backpack, "I'm just excited. I never thought I could do this stuff."

"How does any of this teach you how to help Dean, like you wanted to?" Ben asked. Like we wanted to, is what he wanted to say. He wanted to help too, but he couldn't. 

Olive shrugs, "You know what Toula said, she won't teach me if I use my powers for violence," She recalls.

"It's not violence if you're protecting people," Ben firms, stopping his steps, hands still clenched on his bike, "You have actual superpowers, Olive. You can actually fly, and help people like superman or thor," He says breathlessly, "If I could do that, I'd be helping everyone."

"But. . .Toula says I have to help myself first," Olive mutters, eyes watering, "I wanna help everyone. I wanna help Dad, and Cas. I wanna be like Thor, but I'm just a kid, I'm only six. I gotta go slow."

Ben's anger deflates, a guilty frown on his face, "Sorry, I-I know, I just. . .I want to help too, and I don't know how. I just wish I can be like you or Dean."

She smiles, "You do help, Ben. You make us happy, and we need you and Lisa. If we never met you, I think we'd all be very sad."

He smiles lightly, "Thanks Olive," He bumps her shoulder, "Wanna get on the bike? I'll run wtih it back to the house."

She grins, jumping on the seat and gripping the bars as Ben ran down the street, the two laughing all the way back home.

That night, when everyone was asleep, Lisa woke up to a presence in her bedroom. She sits up at the sihouette, a tall figure in the corner. 

She sighs in relief when she sees Dean's features reflecting back, "Dean, hey, I wasn't expecting you for a couple days," She smiles, turning on the lamp. He winced.

"Yeah, Yeah I wanted to see you." He replies, sitting at the edge of the bed.

She noticed his pained expression. "What's up?" He wouldn't make eye contact, which concerned her. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Listen. It doesn't matter. .but I need you to know something." He forced out. "You and Ben. Just. .thanks. Okay? For everything." His vision goes out of focus, making him wince.

"Dean. You're scaring me." She leaned forward. Dean can suddenly hear the sound of her heartbeat, almost like it was mocking him, reminding him that he was almost out of time.

He stands up. "I gotta go. I gotta get Olive. . ." He says, disorientated, reaching for her handle, "Olive!" He shouts.

Lisa stands up, shouting in a whisper, "No. You can't just show up like this and then—"

"I wish it was different." He says.

"Stop." She states firmly. "And explain to me what's going on out there."

"Leese, I can't bring this crap home to you," Dean says.

"You're talking about your work..?"

"I'm talking about my life." Dean never sounded more defeated. "It's ugly and it's violent. . .and I'm gonna die, soon. Which is why I have to get to Olive—"

Lisa seems torn, "Just. .tell me what the hell is going on." She seemed afraid. 

Of him, for him, Dean didn't know, but when Lisa grabbed onto his arm he couldn't control himself. Her heartbeat sped up when he pushes her roughly against the wall. She was afraid. She didn't show it but he knew.

Unknown to either of them, Olive sat awake down the hallway, looking up at the moon and completely oblivious to the problems about to surface.

"Dear God. I'm not sure how to pray. ." Olive whispers, kneeling on the ground with her hands locked together as she stared up at the moon. "It's two am, around the time that Dean and I met over a year ago—which I'm still very thankful for, Sir. ." She hesitates. "But tonight was also the night that my first real mommy, Sophia passed away." She looks around behind leaning forward. "I miss her so so much and I was hoping that you can pass on a message for me. .I know you're probably busy but I really wanted Sophia to know that I miss her and that Dean kept his promise! Also, can I have one of your planets? Dean said no but I really really want one! Okay, that's it—oh I almost forgot! Amen."

The sound of the thump startled Olive. She jumps up from the floor and closes her window, thinking Lisa was up doing her nightly rounds. She frowns when voices were heard down the hallway, and she couldn't help but freeze when Lisa's lights flickered on.

Olive runs forward and swings open the door, just as Ben opens his across the room. They look at each other, confused. With Ben half asleep and Olive suddenly paranoid. Dean's rampant pace down the hall catches their attention and a wide, toothy grin Olive steps into the hall.

"Dad!"

Her grin drops when she gets a better look at him. He seemed pale, unbalanced. The glow around him—that only Olive ever saw was faint, flickering in a different shade of light that had only been seen on the Vampires in the Motel room a year ago. 

"Dad?"

"O," he stands in from of her, breathless, trying his hardest to smile, "I love you, okay? I had to come here and see you." He suddenly winces at the lights from the bedroom, letting her go in angonizing pain. 

"Daddy, what's wrong?!" She sobs in a panic, grabbing onto his sleeve, hyperventilating, "What's wrong?!" 

"Stay back." Dean groans, pushing away, "I-I have to go."

Ben steps forward innocently. "I thought I heard—"

"I said stay back!" Dean throws Ben into the wall. Olive to gasp, pressing her back into her door. He looks down at her and for a moment Olive panicked. This wasn't Dean, not her Dean. Someone was wrong and she had no idea how to act.

He steps back, looking hopeless with tears, "I-I'm sorry, I have to go." Dean runs down the hall, not giving the child a second glance or explanation as he disappears down the hall.

 Lisa fearfully runs forward, grabbing onto Ben, "Olive, come on!" She ushers them into her bedroom but Olive slips under her arm and chases after Dean. "Olive!"

She skids across the kitchen, following after his messy trail which leads to the back door of the house, "Dad!" She screams after him, running through the backyard with bare feet, "Wait up! What happening?! Take me with you!"

She stops abruptly when Dean does, watching as he turned to face her. He looked pained. They were a yard apart from each other but Olive can see clearly that he was trying not to break down.

"I just want to help.." She said softly. "What can I do? Take me with you," She says in desperation, "Don't leave me!"

"I can't come back," He says softly, "I have to go, I'm sorry. I can't drag you into this."

"No," She shakes her head, but this time she doesn't chase after Dean as he continued to run. She was too frozen in time, unable to move, "No! No. Dad! Don't go!"

Don't go.

PUBLISHED, at this point, I'll never know!
EDITED, 1/11/2023!
WORDS, 3748!