Welcome to Gaia! ::

In an instant, she had been whisked away. From the everyday life that she led – get up, eat, walk around, sleep – to the depressing tones of death, she had been whisked away.

She was in the Land of the Dead.

Before her loomed two large gates, gigantic ones – and beside them, two equally large monsters. Guardians of the gate, she presumed, to keep unwanted spirits from getting in and rebellious ones from getting out. They were fearsome enough – at the very least, good enough to frighten away the unwanted souls that were unlucky enough to stray into the territory that they should not have been in.

Mayu, quite intimidated by the look of these beasts, inched back uneasily. She stared up at the gates, and then at the monsters, and then back. Nothing like something gigantic to remind you of how small you really are.

“May I be allowed entry?” the child voiced timidly, mustering up enough courage to speak after a few minutes of silent staring. Reacting automatically to the Legend’s voice, the stone gates began to creak open, allowing just enough passage to let her pass. The silver-haired girl dashed through the opening quickly, afraid that they would close on her – and upon her going through, the doors shut close again with a large crash. Examining the closed doors with care, she found that they were sealed tightly, leaving no space for a fly – and definitely not a child – to get through. A precaution, in case a wandering spirit decided to attempt an escape.

Mayu gave a frustrated look to the gates before her, wondering if there was another exit out of the barren land. There had to be, or else she wouldn’t be able to get home after she had found her cat... And if she lingered in the land for too long, her family would begin to worry. The child didn’t want anyone, anyone, to worry about her, especially not over a stupid thing she had gone and done. And what if her friends had found out about this as well? She couldn’t bare the thought of never being to see Paestri or any of her other friends ever again. Oh, and Clare; the thought of parting with him forever... No, she had to find a way out of this place somehow.

Looking around her with weary eyes, the Legend child scanned the landscape, wondering where she would go next. She was standing below what seemed to be an entrance to a large Shinto shrine, with paths in all directions branching out in front of and behind it. The shrubbery and trees looked no different from the ones back home, although everything in this land seemed to be washed over in a bland grayish-yellow color. The air was infused with the pungent smell of decaying flesh and sulfur, strong enough to make the girl cough profusely in want of fresh air.

The cobblestone path she stood upon led to two gigantic wooden doors which were flung open in an inviting way (everything seemed to be monstrous in size here), so large in size that it made even the giant beasts which stood guard beside the gates look miniature in size. The open doors of the shrine seemed to emanate a sort of aura, almost as if it was reaching out to her. Calling. Beckoning.

Come to me.

“Who-who said that?” Mayu stuttered, caught by surprise by the sudden voice. Stumbling back against the stone gates, her eyes darted about in a panicked manner as she tried to distinguish just exactly who – or what – was speaking to her.

Enter the shrine, child.

The Legend cried out in surprise as her legs began to move forward by themselves, and she helpless to stop them. The unseen aura pushed her along the cobblestone path until she was at the foot of the shrine, with her looking up in awe.

The doors were even larger in person, and they had already seemed so staggeringly large when she was far away. They weren’t intimidating like the stone doors, however, almost welcoming. Without giving a second thought, the child began to ascend the stairs which led up to the shrine. She was curious as to what was inside.

The little voice beckoned her to pass through the doors as she reached the top of the stairs, and Mayu willingly complied, ignoring the other voice in the back of her mind which cried out for her not to go in. A warm scent filled the room as she entered, cutting through the muted colors of the surroundings and the stench of death which lingered after each and every step she took. It was inviting her in, and she was all too happy to walk through the doors.

The interior of the shrine was painstakingly decorated and swept clean, an impressive task for anyone considering the size of the room. Idly, the girl wondered who kept the place clean, as no shrine maidens seemed to be present throughout the entire building – a mystery not unlike the one of the Legend headquarters. In the center of the room was a large, shining golden bowl propped upon an equally beautiful oak table. The warm aroma which filled the room seemed to originate from this source, and Mayu ran up in curiosity to see what was inside.

Standing up on tiptoes (which was a tad bit hard, she was wearing platform sandals), the Legend peered into the bowl with interest.

The golden bowl was filled with piles and piles of fragrant food, probably an offering to whoever – or whatever – which ruled over the domain. Shivering in fear at the thought of such a large ruler, the child began to shake her head and walk away from the bounty of treats. Yet one part of her just wanted to step back, reach into the bowl... just to take one thing! It couldn’t hurt, the little part of her whispered, there was enough food to last an army for months, perhaps even years! And the wafting aroma was taunting her, teasing her...

Go on.

“I.. I can’t,” Mayu said aloud, though she had no idea who she was answering to. “It’s an offering to someone. I can’t take this, it wouldn’t be right.”

The food was laid out for you. No one’s here, look – just a bite.

“It’s not right,” the child answered, nodding her head thoughtfully, though her grasping hands were hovering tentatively over the contents of the bowl. Yes! No! Yes! No! No!She couldn’t give in to the inner struggle. She had to uphold her morals. And she definately didn’t want to anger the rightful owner of this food if he – or she – happened upon the child as she was pilfering some of the goods.

You’re weakening.

A chill ran down the girl’s spine, and she slowly removed her hand from its hovering position above that bowl. Something had changed about that voice... It had begun to have a slightly malignant tinge in it. She was... afraid. Looking around hesitantly, Mayu turned from her position and began to exit the shrine. There was something about that voice that sent chills down her spine, something evil about it... and she didn’t like it one bit.

You’re not leaving until you eat from that bowl, my dear.

An unseen smile played across the invisible lips of the spirit, sending another round of shivers down the child’s spine. The Legend began to quicken her pace, first to a quick walk, then to a rapid dash of fear. As she was about to step outside of the building, however, a force began to take control of her arms and legs. Standing there, frozen in place, the child began to whimper.

“Please, just let me go. I have something important to take care of..”

Not until you take from that bowl.

And with that, the strange force began to drag her back to the large golden bowl, albeit slowly. The girl struggled to wrest control away from whatever was restraining her, but the grip was too strong for the poor child to break away. Tears began to swell up in the corners of her eyes, and the Legend sniffled quietly as she allowed herself to be moved back to the center of the room. She was getting... annoyed.

“...Let me go!” Mayu shrieked, throwing her arms forward in a fit of rage. And somehow, in that moment of confusion, she managed to break free of the spirit’s grasp for a brief moment of time, allowing her to run toward the door in a mad sprint. However, her dash was not fast enough, and she was apprehended before she could take one step out of those wooden doors.

You have no chance of escaping, girl.

“Do I..?” the child muttered under her breath, head drooping. At that moment, a sweet fragrance began to flow through the room – the scent of cherry blossoms in full bloom. It cut through the alluring scent of the food in the bowl, and somehow, the strong grip of the spirit on her limbs. It was weakened! She could make her escape..!

Seizing the chance, the girl sprinted madly toward the entrance while the force was still under a state of confusion and weakness, bounding over the stone steps that had been trod over by many a lost soul. Looking about her, Mayu did a quick assessment of the branching paths before her. Pick a road, any road...

Without stopping to think, the Legend child pivoted and sprinted down a random path, not slowing until she was well down the winding dirt road. She stopped for a moment to look back, then shook her head silently. No looking back, she told herself, and turned back to the road ahead of her. Just keep on walking ahead.

Back at the temple, the invisible spirit hissed. Another soul lost.. Oh, would its overseer punish it for that. The weaker ones it could handle, but every once in a while a strong one came along.. A strange one, like that girl. She hadn’t taken from the offering plate – that meant her soul wasn’t bound to the realm of the dead.. She could escape. A sigh escaped from the invisible lips of the presence, and it looked up as the stone gates of the boundaries began to creak open...

Just another day’s work.

* * *

[more comes here!]

[hay, this place is cool yo (:

but.. big. s**t.

KITTAY WHERE ARE YOU DXX]

[lol research lolol

..this is boring, i need a drink. -_-]

[no title yet]

Demare curled up a little bit more on his bed, hiding his head underneath his pillow. After Demian left the body, Clare had tried hard to fall asleep, but the adventures they just had into Mordanath's memory still haunted him several hours later. Mentally, he was exhausted; he had no idea about any of the things that had happened, and it was still a wonder to him why the demon had cared about the two so much. Perhaps it was only because of the prophecy... Or maybe, Mordanath was looking for a way to atone for his own sins. Nevertheless, it wasn't easy taking everything in, and it didn't help that his other side was now in such a depressed state that it affected him as well.

Finally sitting up, the halfling began to make his way downstairs. Most everyone was doing their own things, not even knowing the child was home again, but a part of him didn't know if anyone even knew he was gone. It had been two days, but sometimes the house got so busy that people didn't notice if someone went away somewhere and didn't come back until the next day. Stepping over to the computer in the living room, he opened up the messenger service, typed in his screen name and password, and logged in. He hoped Mayu would be online, since she was the only friend he knew of that had the messenger. Unfortunately, she wasn't, so he logged off and thought for a moment. Maybe he'd call... He just needed someone to talk to right now.

Walking over to the phone, he picked up the cordless receiver and checked the list of numbers. It didn't take him long to find, dialing in the numbers on the phone and placing it against his ear. It was ringing... that was a good sign, right? Now it was just a matter of someone picking up on the other end.

Aha, the phone was ringing! The little Jumi looked at the cordless phone for a few moments, pondering whether or not to answer it. Kimiko was off gallivanting somewhere again, she presumed, and Miyu was probably busy sleeping or watching TV. Well, it couldn't hurt, could it?

"Hello, this is the Hinasaki household, you are speaking to Verde right now -- may I help you?" Verde said slowly, trying to recall the proper way to answer a phone call. She supposed she was close enough.

Demare blinked a few times. Verde? Didn't he talk to her online that one time?

"Hello, Verde," he said, smiling slightly. He found it interesting that she was answering the phone. "This is Demare. Is Mayu home?"

"Mayu's not home," Verde replied, "but Kimiko might know where she is." Verde.. had not been properly informed of the Legend's passing. To her, her older sister had simply ran away, and would return in a matter of days. She walked downstairs quickly, hoping to catch sight of her guardian -- the older girl had been seen only once or twice around the house since Mayu had run away.

Kimiko was, luckily, inside the kitchen, fixing a dish to take back down to the basement with her. Seeing the Jumi come up to her with the cordless phone, she took the receiver and held it to her ear. "Hello?" she said, listlessly.

The child frowned a little bit. If Mayu wasn't home, then he'd hoped the conversation would have ended there. He wasn't in the mood to be teased by anyone, much less "talked to" about any past situations that had gone on. Nonetheless, he kept his posture as the older woman came onto the phone.

"Um, hi... This is Demare," he began again, his wings fidgeting behind him. "I'm sorry to bother you... Verde said Mayu wasn't home, and I guess she just gave the phone to you."

"Demare, huh?"

Kimiko clutched the receiver tightly, and descended into the dim lighting of the basement. She placed the dish upon an empty table and looked down at the lifeless corpse in the center of the room. It had been perfectly reconstructed. Now, she had to find a way to bring back her daughter's soul..

"Mayu is right here." she said coolly, pulling aside a stool to sit on.

Demare paused for a moment. That tone in her voice... Something seemed a little different.

"May I..." he started, but stopped again. He rested a hand against the small table the phone normally rested on, placing his weight on that arm while he thought. Something wasn't right... "May I speak with her?"

"You can't, unfortunately." Kimiko paused for a moment to gather up some loose notes that had fallen from the table.

"She's dead."

It felt like his heart just stopped. Did he hear her right? Did Kimiko just say that Mayu was...

"What?" was all he could say. He could keep his hand begin to tremble on the receiver, his grip tightening around it.

"Perhaps you could tell me something about it," Kimiko hissed, "because she was with you the day before she committed suicide?"

"How should I know?" he almost growled, hardly able to believe any of this. Mayu couldn't be gone. She COULDN'T have done this. "She seemed fine when I left, and I haven't been able to talk to her since then."

"You were the last person she had talked to. You must have said something!"

She shuffled aside some papers and picked up a pen, twirling it about her fingers. "I read through her chat log with you a while back," she said, in a calmer voice. She didn't want to cause a ruckus -- no one in the family knew about her lab except for her and her alone.

"You were talking about.. souls."

Demare's flesh seemed to pale at the mention of the conversation. Souls... Did Mayu think she could try to do what he intended to do with himself? Clare mentally began to kick himself. It was his fault... It was HIS fault. She helped him find that book, and after talking to her about how he wanted to separate himself from Demian... It must have triggered a thought.

"I didn't... I never thought that she would..." he tried to get out, his voice wavering. The outer shell around the receiver began to crack in his hand. "That was for me... She was helping me... I never intended for her to..."

"A little misunderstanding can lead to something much bigger, but what's done is done." She sighed, thinking of a proper way to continue. "Have you found anything useful in your research? I'm conducting a small experiment."

She cast a glance to the body on the floor, then back to the notes in front of her.

"No... The book that would have really helped me was destroyed by my other side," he said, closing his eyes as he recalled what had happened. He hadn't even gotten to look at the first page. "If her body is still intact, however... It's possible to get her soul from the land of the dead. I read it in the Book of Souls a while back."

"Demare, is that you?" Neko called from the basement, having heard a voice from upstairs. "If that's you, you have some explaining to do! I told you you're not allowed to go off for days at a time without telling me!"

The halfling didn't seem to hear any of that. "I've read that a seal can be placed on the body to reattach the soul to its original host. It's just a matter of knowing what the seal is, and finding her soul."

A seal? She had read about instances where one had attached a soul to a suit of armor.. with some sort of binding mechanism. That had to be it.

"Thank you. Is there any other information you can give me? Because if not, I have some research to do."

"Only that the soul needs to be found and attached as soon as possible," he explained, the phone cracking again in his hand. "Keep her body preserved... If any part of her is decomposed, then it would be useless to bring her back, as she would just die again soon after. If she did this the day after I saw her, then it's been about four days... Most souls will pass on in within seven days of reaching limbo, but there are several different places to go, so it's possible that it could take longer for Judgment to pass."

"Alright, thank you. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to work." She was already at the bookcase, reading away. She had a lead now! Perhaps the boy was not as useless as she had thought.

Demare didn't hear everything she'd said, the phone finally caving in within his grip, the shell shattering and the parts falling to the small table he was using to support himself. It was everything he could do to not simply break down on the phone, and now he just couldn't take it anymore. Neko walked into the room just in time to see the boy fall to his knees in a mess of tears and sobs, the halfling wanting nothing more than for the world to just vanish forever.

[and then stuff goes here]

[this is the principle of equivalent ********! Got to open the gate!

Open.. OPEN!]

[pet shop, stuff]

The Internet Is For...

Hello, so your name is Paestri? Nice to meet you, I am Mayu. How do you know me?

The Sweetest Thing

[Mayu/Demare PD, placed in this post because we started it ages ago on AIM before knowing a definate date, so I didn't reserve a post for it.]