Opening Night

Long, sweeping branches of trees with centuries to their names cast shadows on the ground below Judai's feet. There were always shadows here. Something that at times made Judai feel completely at peace. Other times, it unnerved him how time slipped by so easily, deep in the rainforest. Judai had not seen the sky for months. To be sure, he did see glimpses of it if he were to look up, and the light shone teasingly from the cracks of the canopy. The warmth made him very lazy and it took many jibes from Yubel before he would even turn his head in his humble treetop hideaway. Judai had indeed traveled and saved countless people, but when circumstances led him here, he had settled in, still helpful as always. Judai found that he loved climbing the gargantuan trees until reaching their tops or sometimes until he hit a small crevice. It was simple if exhausting in the beginning. He had complete control over how far and how fast he climbed. Judai rarely had so much control over what he did anymore though temporarily he hid in the forest. He knew that eventually he'd branch back out to help the entire world, but today Judai just wanted to climb a tree. When Yubel had asked him why he insisted on doing so daily, Judai had simply smiled and kept on climbing. She knew he was sure. She had the liberty to delve anywhere into his mind if she so wished.

Yubel, who had originally advocated taking on such an ambitious project as saving souls around the world in the first place, had not protested once since they had arrived here. Judai had asked why after a while, and she promptly responded that it was quiet. Life was thriving and sounds from the wild life could be heard everywhere. Still, Judai understood perfectly how appealing this was compared to the sounds of traffic, busy markets and the vast other collections of sounds that they encountered in their brief trip around the world. Yubel intently watched him climb slowly to his destination. Pharaoh next to her and munched on especially prepared jerky, softened for his aging gums. The villagers who lived two days trek from here gratefully offered him any supplies he needed. Judai did prove a useful free labor and willingly volunteered with anything that troubled them. Judai finally reached his wanted destination laying in the grove of the tree sighing with utmost tranquility. Pharaoh was put down across from Judai where he looked up at him and returned to his previous activity. Yubel sat on his other side hunched, giving him a side ways glance with a small tight smile. She tapped her fingers above his head and murmured.

"Was it worth your time?" Already becoming drowsy, he nodded absently petting Pharaoh. He was forgetting something. He was slowly putting himself in a trance like state. Then, Yubel's clawed hand clenched ripping off pieces of wood that scattered on Judai's red tattered jacket. She hissed and Judai stared at the forked tongue. He marveled at how he could have possibly missed that. Her back was arched and her wings jerked in a way that alarmed Judai.

"What's wrong?" He received no reply as a violent unnatural wind surrounded him. He felt a chill and his body went lax. He sank back down into the groove the tree and began to try to jerk away himself as he was drifting past the tree. His body did not want to move, and he could not sense Yubel causing a panic similar to when a child finds himself alone for the first time. He was propelling further, and he called out to her desperately in his mind for his lips where the equivalent of a dead fish at the moment. He slipped out of this vile purgatory into the cold hard floor face first. The sting made him grimace for a moment followed by relief as he felt the familiar encompassing presence of Yubel.

There was no comprehension of his surroundings as he was still adjusting to what Judai considered intensely bright lights. To top it all, his head was vibrating and he really could not afford to have his head warped more than it already was. He reached to examine it feeling a rather plump and soft Pharaoh making himself at home. Well, at least, they weren't separated. Making company with the surrounding foliage in the rain forest, his surroundings seemed so alien. He was in front of a grandiose hall furnished with several sparkling chandeliers that he was desperately avoiding contact with. The floors were disorienting, patterned in a chaotic theme of red and gold. A carpeted red velvet staircase led to several elaborate doors each identical to the other. To his sides however, there was nothing put fanciful wallpaper with black and gold trimmings which at least was less hurtful to look at than the floors. The lavish area concerned him as he was sure none of those doors were exits. Still at closer inspection, his strained eyesight and unfamiliar surroundings were the least of his worries as he looked above him. Amber eyes were deciphering him like a puzzle, not taking his eyes off him.

"Yuki Judai." She spoke softly with recognition and uncertainty. She shifted away uncomfortably as if catching sight of something disturbing. Judai thought to himself she acts as if I've been dead for months. It dawned on him how his aloofness must have appeared. He scrambled up about to apologize for not calling or making contact for . . . Six months. Yubel finished unwilling or unable to manifest. He frowned realizing their communication was limited. They would be unable to access each others thoughts unless they intentionally sought communication. Should danger arise this would prove a disadvantage.

He shifted his attention back to the dignified formally dressed blonde in front of him. There was an air of authority to her that differed from whom he had previously known to be calm and unassuming unless angered. He was very uncomfortable with the fact that he had the urge to go to the corner and think about what he did. His mouth was dry, and he knew that he should say something but anything he thought of burned away in an instant. The uncomfortable silence lasted longer than Judai would have liked but what interrupted it wasn't much better.

"Where have you been?" Multiple indignant voices reprimanded him, and he looked past her to realize that they were all there, all his friends that he hadn't seen in . . . Six months. I remembered, he snapped at her more out of nervousness than anger. Trapped, surrounded, and not one of the stares he saw were particularly friendly ranging from angry to disappointed. He had a lot of explaining to do. He might as well break the ice.

"Asuka Tenjoin." Yubel scoffed, The mind of a poet.