The Spiritual Realm

A story written by Zakary Kadusumori Dellarobia

Chapter 1: Re-birthday

I woke up feeling sluggish. I looked around and saw the Mana Tree. It must be close to dusk, everything was a setting blue. I looked around and didn't see my friends. No one. I called out:

"Hey, Shade, you there?" I got no answer. I have never gotten no answer from my spirits. I summoned my swords. Still there. So i can still defend myself. I looked around, everything was in a huge mess. I saw blood over at the entrance. I saw rocks uplifted. It looked like an utter chaos erupted here, and i was sleeping through it all? I spread my wings, which hurt so badly, and took aloft.

After a few hours of flight, I found my way to Topple. The city of the Ancients. The place was busy with people. I saw lots of little kids running around at a nursery. Thats kind of cool. Although, their teacher, or the one watching them at least, looked farmiliar. Almost like my friend, she can't be though, she looks to be twenty years older. Is that possible? I walked up to one of the kids.

"Hey, do you mind telling me the name of the one watching you guys?" I asked in that child-like tone. I got no answer, he didn't even look at me. Another kid ran up.

"Hey Damian, wanna go play tag?" She asked.

"Sure, i am not 'It' though." Damian replied. Do they even know i am here? I asked the kid, maybe they're just rude little kids. I walked up to the teacher herself.

"Hey, i know i am a little random seeming, but whats your name?" I asked her. She looked down at her cat that just walked up. The cat pawed at her.

"Sarah, what is it?" The woman asked. Sarah... THATS THE NAME OF COAL'S CAT! Is this really Coal? That can't be possible. Coal is my age, and i am still the same... I saw a small dragon fly out now. This is Makenna, there is no misaking it. This is Coal. But, how is it that she is this old? Does that fact that she is a mutant make her age faster? I will blame that. I still think it's unrealistic though. Or, more unrealistic than a boy gafted with wings from an alternate world. I looked at Sarah, and got down to her level.

"Sarah, you can see me right?" I asked the cat. Now i made this more weird. Sarah nodded at me.

"Sarah, do you see a ghost? How can you see it, if i can't?" She looked right where i was, but had that far away look. She can't see me.

"Coal, whats up?" I heard an all-to-farmiliar voice. It brought tears to my eyes hearing it. Heliena.

"Well, Sarah seems to see a spirit, or for say, a ghost. I can't see it though." Coal said. She seemed really lost.

"Could just be a rejected human soul." She said nonchalantly.

"But, i can see those. I can't see this one. And Sarah can." Coal said, voice raising.

"So, a special ghost. Reminds me of that fight. One soul lost."

"I still wish he didn't have to die. I think he would've loved the new world." Coal said, saddened.

"Then bring me to life Coal!" I shouted. Both Liena and Coal looked up. (By the way, incase you didn't read the first story, Imagination, Is Greater Than What You Thought, you need to know Liena is Heliena.) They must've heard me.

"Heliena, did you hear-"

"Zakary." Liena finished for her. Liena looked good for a 35 year old. I guess it was just my absence.

"It can't be, we saw no remnant of him after Chaos erupted from him!" Coal shouted. Chaos? Like, the god of evil and discord, that Chaos?!

"Start a ritual. If he is here, he might hear us and come back!" Liena said quick.

"Kids, inside. I need to do something with Ms. Heliena." Coal said, and all the kids ran inside their little building. "Okay, so i need Frog Tounge, and Beat Grass, also, we will need the sword. That still has his DNA on it. Thats, if we want him human." Coal told Liena.

"Alright, you have the grass right? I have the tounge, and the sword. I will be right back." Liena took off. She runs fast too. She must've gotten faster. I stood there, not even 2 minutes. Coal set up fast, grounding the grass and tounge together, then sprinkled it on the ground. She stuck the sword dead in the center.

"Zakary, if you are here, please grab the sword." Coal asked, starting to cry. I walked up and grabbed the sword.

"Zakary, please be here. 20 years with you not here have been hell. But i am going to beat you when you get back. Just for making me wait so long." Liena managed. She was crying too. WTH? Was i that important to them?

"Oh great Mana Goddess. I call on you, this day, to revive a soul, lost to Chaos. This boy has done great deeds to save you in his life, and has suffered in the real beyond for twenty years. Please, bring back Zakary Kadusumori Dellarobia!" Coal chanted. The sword gave a faint glow. I felt a little different. I looked down at myself. I looked material.

"Z- Zakary?" Liena asked.

"Can you hear me?" I asked. They both freaked out.

"Zakary, why aren't you alive?" Coal asked.

"I don't know. I only remember killing Julius, turning around to leave, then i don't remember." I explained with confusion.

"Well, i will explain it later. I think the goddess wants you to do something in the Spirit Realm before she will revive you completely. I don't know what, but as a spirit, you should be able to see her and talk to her." Coal said, wiping her eyes. I turned to Liena.

"Well, can you wait a little longer for me to come home?" I asked her.

"You just don't want to get beat up yet." She said, a laugh escaping her.

"Maybe that too. I will try to make it back and make up 20 birthdays i missed." I laughed at that one, the girls chuckled. Good. So, i looked up.

"Um... how exactly do i get to the goddess?" I asked, stupidly.

"Well, go back to the Mana Tree. Thats as good a place as ever." Coal told me.

"Alright. See you both as a human soon." I said, taking off. My wings still hurt. I flew, all the way back to where i woke up. So, an hour or so of flying. I saw a spirit there. Odd. No one was there earlier. Well, two hours make a difference. I flew down and saw, it was a girl. Why is it i am always getting around to girls? she probably can't see me anyway. I landed, and saw she turned and looked surprised.

"Um. Sorry. I didn't know you'd see me." I managed.

"Well. What are you here for?" She asked in an evil term.

"Well, i am here for re-birth. What about you?"

"I am the spiritual guide. I am here to help the one called to be reborn. You are Zakary huh? Carolyn here. Don't ware it out. I have a friend who'll be here soon." Carolyn told me.

Carolyn looked completely human, nothing special. long, brown hair, and my age, thank the goddess. I am not with people 20 years older now.

"So, you got a weapon, or something worth while? To, ya'know, protect yourself?"

"Yeah, i have a bow. Being a spirit protector, i can materialize them. Like how you can with your swords." She said. She seems very straight to the point. Bo-ring.

"So, who is this other person?" I asked.

"Douglas. He might be more, favorable to you." She said, still refusing to be more friendly.

"Okay." I said. I looked around. I saw a man walk up. He was walking up with a belt in his hand, and a huge sword on his back.

"Zakary. You are the one that is to be revived. I am Douglas. I can tell by how you look, you are going to be a great ally. This belt is what it takes for you to be reborn. You must collect 7 gems to have the power of life given back to you."

"Alright. So, to the spirit world." I said as a great joke.

"Okay, so, seven gems are: Diamond, Emerald, Lapiz Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, Amethest. Alright?"

"Easy." I said with a chuckle.

"Well, you will enter one of the portals that open. We will go with you. We will help you. And, if you are successful, we might get to be revived with you." Carolyn said. Still no happyness in her talk. 7 Portals opened. They were all colored. White, Green, blue and white, gold/brown, rainbow, red, and purple. I like how easy this seems.