Ah Bolivia... For this chapter, I strongly advise people to read the notes at the end.
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh GX isn't mine.
Part I: America
Chapter 2: Bolivia, Potosí
When he stepped out of the Darkness, it was dark.
Juudai chuckled briefly at that thought, and checked that he'd really arrived at his next destination. He had; he could feel rocks under his feet and he smelled something vaguely unpleasant. Yubel appeared next to him and inspected the place they'd arrived in.
"It's rock," she concluded. "I think we're in a mine."
Juudai felt his sight change, and he suddenly saw the world as clearly as if he'd been standing in full daylight. The tunnel they were standing in was narrow, and he could see pieces of rock jutting out of the ceiling. He'd have to be careful while walking.
He wasn't sure where the exit was, but he had a hunch, and he'd learned that his hunches were usually correct. Yubel followed after him, warning him when he was about to hit his head, even though he could see perfectly well himself. One of the perks of being the embodiment of Gentle Darkness.
Like Juudai had suspected, they reached the exit a little while later. He had to blink furiously as his eyes immediately adjusted to real daylight again. It had been night when they'd left New York, but apparently they'd spent more time in the darkness than they'd realised. It was early morning now. It took Juudai a minute before he could see well enough again to take in his surroundings. The mountain they'd emerged from had probably once been very tall, but now it was only a fraction of its original size. The mining had had a huge impact on the environment.
And then there was the city...
At the foot of the mountain, a large city had been built. It wasn't nearly as large as New York, but Juudai suspected he'd get lost in it within minutes. The houses were mostly of a uniform brown color, but here and there there were patches of white and green. Juudai walked a bit further down the mountain, trying to get a clearer view. He didn't know where he was, and he intended to find out as soon as possible. But he needed to find people for that. Juudai sighed, feeling a slight headache coming up.
"Oi, you! What do you think you're doing here? Bloody tourists, always running off thinking they know better..."
Well, speak of the devil...
A man came running towards Juudai, gesticulating and swearing angrily, clearly thinking that Juudai couldn't understand him. He came to a halt in front of Juudai and opened his mouth to speak again, but Juudai cut him off.
"I am terribly sorry, sir! I was curious, and now I've lost my group. Do you think it would be possible to lead me back to the city?"
The man stared, clearly taken aback at Juudai speaking his language. He scratched his head.
"Well, okay, if you really don't know where to go, just follow me. I suppose this tour guide thing can't be too hard."
He turned around and started walking, not waiting for Juudai to catch up. Juudai stumbled slightly as he went down the mountain, and Yubel sent him a worried look.
What's wrong?
Just a bit dizzy, it's okay.
Juudai caught up with the man and looked at him from behind. He wasn't very tall, but he looked strong and his looks suggested Indian ancestry. They were probably in Latin America.
"Sir, do you live in the city?" Juudai asked.
"Don't you 'sir' me, the name's Hernán," the man said gruffly, but not unkindly. "And me, live in the city? We're mining folk, kid. We live next to the city."
Juudai stumbled again and Hernán sent him a worried look. "Don't tell me, you're dizzy? Having a headache?"
Juudai nodded and Hernán sighed. "Altitude sickness. You foreigners aren't used to anything, are you?" he took out a bag from under his clothes and handed a few small green leaves to Juudai. "Here, chew on that, it'll help."
"What is it?" Juudai asked. He hesitantly looked at the leaves, before popping one into his mouth and chewing on it.
"It's coca," Hernán said. "And before you give me that look, it's not cocaine, you're not gonna get addicted to anything. Stupid Americans..."
Juudai didn't mention he wasn't American; he had the feeling the comment hadn't been directed at him anyway. Instead he continued chewing on the coca. It was bitter, but not overly so, and the taste distracted him from the dizziness he was feeling.
"... There's so many of it, and we can't even export it," Hernán was still saying. "Country's poor as the dogs, and the Cerro Rico isn't gonna make Bolivia rich anymore. It's only gonna get us killed."
So they were in Bolivia. Juudai only knew it was a country in Latin America, as he'd suspected. What was he supposed to do here? He squinted at the mountain.
"What's the Cerro Rico?" he asked belatedly.
"You're staring at it," Hernán said. "Made Potosí rich, that one. Of course, it also killed its inhabitants."
So a town called Potosí and a mountain called Cerro Rico. It cleared up quite a few things.
Only...
"Yubel, can you see that?" he whispered.
"See what?"
"The mountain. There's... Some sort of smoke, I can't really describe it." Juudai said, trying to get a better view. The weather was clear, and the sky was cloudless, but the mountain seemed to be surrounded by whirling smoke. It wasn't white or black. In fact, the longer Juudai stared, the less he was able to decide on a color. The longer he looked at it, the faster it changed.
"Hey, last time I checked, altitude sickness didn't include talking to imaginary friends. Are you gonna come or what?"
Hernán had walked a little further and was now tapping his foot impatiently. Juudai quickly ran to catch up with him. He followed Hernán down the mountain and into a small village at the outskirts of the city. The place was all but deserted. Here and there a few small children were running around, and some women and older children were sorting through what looked like plain rocks. Juudai's face fell. This village looked incredibly poor.
"What are they doing?" he asked, gesturing at the women sorting through the rocks.
Hernán huffed. "Of course they wouldn't have told you that in their pretty tours. They look for rocks containing ore, they sell it, they get money. That's how they live."
Juudai started to reply, but loud barking drew both their attention. A dog shot out of a small alleyway, growling and running straight at them. It was surrounded by the same smoke Juudai had seen around the Cerro Rico.
"Back!" Juudai called before the dog could come any closer. The effect was stunning. The dog stopped, and the smoke surrounding it started whirling faster and faster, some lashing out at Juudai, some shifting away from the dog.
"Go back!" he shouted again, and the dog whined loudly before turning around and running away. Juudai relaxed.
"Not bad," Hernán said, impressed. Juudai only now noticed the rock the man had picked up. "Most tourists would've run away."
"Does he always do that?"
"Who, the dog? Now you mention it, he used to be fine until a few months ago. Then he just randomly started lashing out. How did you know?"
Juudai didn't reply, but Hernán wasn't dissuaded.
"You're not a tourist at all, are you? Strange foreign kid showing up out of nowhere..." he deduced. He didn't seem angry, though, and Juudai grinned embarrassedly.
"Ah, not really, no. I'm here to-" he began, but he was cut off.
"Spare it, I don't want to know," Hernán patted him on the back. "Well, if you need some help, you'd better go see the Padre." he pointed at a small white church a few miles away. "You'll find him there."
"The Padre?"
"Yep, he'll help you. Go on then!" Hernán gave him a slight push in the right direction. "Oh, here. Before you go, you could use some more of these." he pushed a few more small coca leaves in Juudai's hand. Juudai carefully put them in his jeans pocket.
"Thank you!" he grinned. He shook Hernán's hand and took off towards the small church.
"Good luck, kid!" Hernán called after him. "Don't get in over your head!"
"I won't!" Juudai called back, waving at him. "Don't worry!"
After all, he had Yubel, and Neos and his entire deck. What did he have to worry about?
0o0o0
Juudai made a small detour into the city before heading towards the church. He found food for himself and cat food for Pharaoh, and bought a small bag in a shop he'd found and liked. He took out the coca leaves Hernán had given him and carefully placed them inside the bag, then tied it next to his deck holder.
He purposefully avoided the Cerro Rico when he headed back. The sight of the smoke somehow made him feel worse. Luckily he quickly reached the church, however, and sighed in relief as he stepped in.
It was a small church. A few people were praying in corners, but apart from them, no one was present. Juudai hesitated in the doorway.
"Is there anything you need help with, my son?"
Juudai turned around to face the man who'd entered after him. He was taller than Juudai himself, and wore old but comfortable clothes. His face was kind and open.
"I'm looking for the Padre," Juudai replied quickly, and the man chuckled.
"You've found him," he held out a hand for Juudai to shake. "I'm Padre Carlos."
"Juudai," Juudai shook the offered hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise. Is there anything I can help you with, son?"
"Ah, yes," Juudai looked at the other people in the church, who were now listening intently to the conversation. Padre Carlos noticed as well. He gestured at the other side of the church.
"Let's talk in private."
He led Juudai through the church and into a small chamber on the side. There were two chairs and Padre Carlos pointed Juudai at one of them, before bending down and taking a bottle from a small cabinet.
"Do you want anything to drink?"" he asked. "I can only offer you water, I'm afraid, but isn't water the best drink anyway?"
Juudai accepted the offered glass and drank deeply. The water helped wash away the aftertaste of the coca. Padre Carlos poured a glass for himself and sat down on the second chair.
"What troubles you, Juudai?"
Juudai stared at his glass of water. "I only just arrived here," he began. "But I don't know, there's something strange. There was this dog…" Juudai decided not to mention the smoke he'd seen just yet. "There was this dog who attacked me out of nowhere. That's not normal dog behavior, is it? Don't they usually only attack when they feel threatened?"
"Indeed," Padre Carlos nodded. "But there's something else too, isn't there?"
The Padre was perceptive. Juudai looked straight at him.
"The Cerro Rico-"
"Ah, the Cerro Rico," Padre Carlos interrupted sadly. "Let me tell you something an old friend of mine used to say. She said: 'With all the silver from the Cerro Rico, one can build a bridge from Potosí to Madrid. But one can build that same bridge, and a second one next to it, with the bones of all the people who died in the mines.' The Cerro Rico has a long history of death, my son."
Juudai nodded, not really surprised. Hernán had told him something similar.
"What did you see?" Padre Carlos asked suddenly. Juudai stared.
"Don't be so surprised," the Padre laughed. "The people in this country believe in God, Our Lord, and in la Pachamama, Mother Earth. God gave us life, and la Pachamama gave us a place to live and gifted us the coca. You have heard of coca, right?"
Juudai took the small bag he'd bought and took out a few leaves. "It's this, right? Someone I met gave it to me."
"Who gave it to you?" Padre Carlos asked.
"He was called Hernán," Juudai replied, and Padre Carlos chuckled.
"You couldn't have run into a better person," he said. "Hernán may act cold and gruff, but he's a kind man, who'll always try to help. Keep that coca close, my son. It's sacred for our people, but above all, it was a gift."
Juudai nodded solemnly and pocketed the coca leaves again. He looked at the window and stared at the spotless sky.
"There was smoke around the mountain," he said slowly. "Around the dog as well."
Padre Carlos didn't seem surprised at all, which in turn surprised Juudai.
"You are not the first person who told me this," the priest said. "A few months ago, there was a little boy, maybe seven or eight years old. He said the very same thing. 'There is smoke everywhere,' he told me, and 'the spirits are scared.'"
"What happened to him?"
"He died," the Padre bowed his head and made a quick cross sign. "Two months ago. There was no warning. One second he was healthy, and the next moment he just fell over."
Yubel?
Do you think the smoke killed him, Juudai?
Do you?
… Maybe. Everything's possible. We don't know what they are.
Padre Carlos was looking at him carefully when he looked back up. He smiled.
"It seems like you can see and hear quite a bit as well, my son."
Juudai nodded. "I have many friends here. They help me."
The Padre nodded. "That's good. A person needs friends," he drunk again and placed his glass on a small table. Juudai followed his example.
"Padre, you seem used to this."
Padre Carlos smiled once more. "Like I said before, it's not the first time I hear this. And God's ways are hard to understand for us mortals.
"Ah, I'm not-"
"Christian?" Padre Carlos did not stop smiling. "What do you believe in, Juudai?"
"I believe in the good of people and spirits," Juudai said immediately. "I believe that we have to help each other and I believe we can accomplish a lot together."
"Then isn't that enough?" the Padre reached over to pat him on the shoulder. "You are a good person, my son. You don't need to be a Christian for that."
Yubel gave him a mental pat. Juudai smiled softly and got up.
"Thank you, Padre, I appreciate it very much. Would you mind if I go look for the dog again?"
"Not at all," Padre Carlos got up as well and put the glasses away. " Do you want some company? I have some time, and I would very much like to help."
"That would be great," Juudai grinned.
"Let's go then," Padre Carlos said. He headed for the exit. "I must admit that you have made me quite curious."
0o0o0
The dog wasn't where Juudai had last seen him.
That honestly didn't surprise him. He and Padre Carlos had walked fast (the man was surprisingly fit for his age), but the Padre had insisted on stopping several times to talk to the villagers, and ask after their health and families. He had introduced Juudai to several of them, and once they'd gotten over their initial distrust, they'd received him warmly. Juudai had asked after the dog, but after it had run off, no one had seen it again.
"Couldn't one of your friends look for it?" Padre Carlos suggested.
"I'd prefer to keep them close," Juudai said, "We've had some trouble in the previous city we went to, I wouldn't like a repeat."
"Potosí is an easy place to get lost in," Padre Carlos agreed. He turned a corner and walked through a narrow street. They hadn't really gone into the real city yet, but here and there Juudai saw small shops. He let Pharaoh out of his bag and rummaged for his duel disk. He hadn't needed it in New York, but here he wanted to keep it close. He'd kept his deck in his deck holder, of course. No need to put it further away than necessary.
"You're a duelist?" Padre Carlos asked, watching Juudai put on his duel disk and close the clasp. He didn't activate it yet. There was no need.
"Yeah, I just graduated from Duel Academia," Juudai replied. He smiled wistfully. He loved traveling, and he knew he couldn't stay in one place for too long, but he did miss the Academia. He'd spent some of the best years of his life there, and he had the best friends anyone could wish for.
"Juudai!" Yubel warned. He didn't need the warning. The air was suddenly filled with loud barking and growling, and Juudai immediately started running towards the source of the sound, Padre Carlos right behind him.
They found the dog in a deserted alleyway. Juudai came to a stop near the entrance, panting for breath. He definitely wasn't used to this height.
From this close, Juudai could clearly see what was bothering the dog. He was seemingly barking and biting at empty space, but in Juudai's eyes, he was surrounded by the same smoke that clouded the Cerro Rico. The animal needed help. Juudai activated his duel disk.
"Padre Carlos, can you keep a secret?" he asked, placing Neos onto the disk. He didn't wait for an answer. A quick display of his powers later, Elemental Hero Neos flew towards the dog, pinning it down and keeping its mouth closed as Juudai walked nearer, ignoring the shocked look Padre Carlos was giving him.
The dog tried to bite him as he walked nearer, but Neos kept him immobilized. It had probably been a beautiful dog, Juudai thought. Its fur was a nice honey brown, but it had lost most of is shine. The dog probably hadn't really eaten in several months; its ribs were clearly visible. Its eyes were sunken and the animal looked half mad.
"Poor thing..." Yubel whispered. Juudai crouched down and held out one hand for the dog to smell. It was a risk, but he relied on Neos and his own reflexes.
"What's happened to you?" he whispered, slowly moving his hand to the top of the animal's head and petting it. The smoke reluctantly moved away and the dog seemed to calm down a bit.
"That's something extraordinary you did there," Padre Carlos said. He crouched down next to Juudai, but kept away from the dog.
Juudai nodded vaguely, ignoring the Padre in favor of the dog. He slowly ran his hand over its back, using a bit of his powers to drive away the smoke. It clung stubbornly, but eventually had to let go. The dog slowly relaxed and Neos shifted his grip.
"There's a sort of smoke surrounding it," Juudai told Padre Carlos. "I can drive it away, but I'm afraid it'll come back when I leave."
"Is it darkness?"
Juudai shook his head. "I know darkness. This isn't it."
The Padre looked more confused than ever, and Juudai laughed. "Padre, darkness is not something to be feared. It isn't evil or bad, it's just dark."
"You are very sure," Padre Carlos said, looking faintly disbelieving.
Juudai debated for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Do you want to know another secret? The reason I can see these spirits, and the reason why I can summon them..." he paused dramatically, but the effect was slightly spoiled by Yubel snickering at the back of his mind. "I am the Herald of Gentle Darkness."
"Conceited," Yubel whispered. Juudai huffed petulantly and looked once again at the dog. It had closed its eyes and now pushed its nose against his arm, looking for more attention. Neos had almost let it go.
"You mean to say darkness is good?" Padre Carlos asked.
"Well, not exactly," Juudai replied. "My Darkness is good. But I've fought an evil form of it." he paused, suddenly thinking of something. If there were two forms of Darkness, why weren't there two of Light?
He'd have time to think about that later. Right now, he still had to help this dog. And after that he might pay another visit to the Cerro Rico.
"Can you help my dog?" a new voice asked. Juudai, startled, lost his balance and had to let go of the dog. The smoke immediately closed in again and the dog started barking and biting almost at once. Neos had to scramble to get a good grip on it.
Juudai looked up from where he'd fallen. A small boy was standing next to him, looking sadly at the dog. Padre Carlos didn't seem to have noticed anything, but was looking at him and the dog strangely.
"Can you help him?" the boy repeated, and suddenly Juudai understood. The boy was dead, like Betty, but he looked much more solid than the American girl. That's why he hadn't noticed at first.
"There's all these spirits around him, and he's so sad... Please, you'll help him, right?"
Juudai nodded, and slowly went back to the dog. It seemed to recognize him, because it calmed down when he came near and let itself be petted again.
"You have to chase them away," the boy said, trying to pet the dog as well. He didn't succeed, but the animal seemed to notice he was there, because it cried softly and tried to move in the direction of the child. Juudai put his second hand on the dog's flank, chasing away more of the smoke. It stayed close, though. Juudai could see it hovering just out of reach, waiting to come back the moment he left. What had the dog done to attract such attention?
"It's my fault," the child said. "He's my dog and it can't hurt me now so it hurts him. You have to do something, I know you can!"
Wait... Was this child?
"You can see the smoke?" Juudai asked, and the child nodded. "Did it kill you?"
"Yeah..." the boy looked sadly at the dog. "But it didn't hurt! I saw them coming and the next moment I was just... dead. They can't hurt me now. As long as I don't go to the mountain they can't hurt me."
Juudai heard the unspoken 'but they try,' very clearly, especially when part of the smoke moved away from the dog and attacked the boy. He lifted one hand from the dog and held it in front of the little boy. The smoke dispelled immediately and regrouped near the dog.
"Padre Carlos, can you help me for a second?" Juudai called. The Padre, who had been looking at Juudai and the dog with a faintly shocked look all this time, slowly came nearer.
"There's a boy here," Juudai explained. "I think it's the boy you told me about earlier, and he's asking me to help the dog."
"Really?" Padre Carlos squinted, but evidently could not see the child. "Is he doing well?"
Juudai smiled reassuringly. "He says the smoke can't hurt him anymore. He just wants us to help the dog."
Behind them, Pharaoh slowly walked over. He took one look at the dog, then plopped down onto the ground and yawned widely. The familiar ball of light representing Daitokuji-sensei flew out of his mouth and circled around Juudai and the dog, before taking on human form. Juudai's former teacher scrutinized the dog, walking around it a few times before sitting down next to where the little child was standing.
"It ought to be a simple procedure," he told Juudai. "Simply a question of dispelling the smoke and giving the dog adequate protection. But you have to believe you can do it."
"How do I do it?" Juudai was alternating between protecting the boy and protecting the dog, and he was slowly growing tired. He directed a bit more of his powers at the smoke and watched with satisfaction as it recoiled further.
"Focus. Feel where they are anchored to the dog and sever that link," Daitokuji-sensei said, "I cannot help you with this, but you really need to believe you can do it."
"Believe?"
Padre Carlos was still listening to what must've seemed like a one-sided conversation, but now interfered. "Belief is a powerful force, my son. It can heal the ill and rescue those in need, if only they believe and have someone who believes in them. And for what it's worth, I do believe you can help this dog."
Juudai smiled softly and reached out in his mind.
Yubel?
What, do you really think I won't believe in you?
It was enough. Juudai closed his eyes and lifted his hands slightly. The smoke immediately came back, but Juudai was ready. He could see the dog in his mind's eye, and he could see the place the smoke was focusing on. It was a small spot on the dog's chest, which he never would've found without the combined focus of the people and spirits around him. He felt them too, more clearly than ever. Yubel was omnipresent, as always, but he also felt Neos, Hane Kuriboh, and all his other monsters. A bit further away he felt Daitokuji-sensei's spirit and the presence of Padre Carlos. And the little boy next to him had inched closer to the dog and was now comforting it to the best of his ability.
Juudai gathered the power inside him, then, without warning, sent it all through the small spot where the smoke was anchored. The dog stiffened, and the smoke went haywire, trying to regain its hold on the animal, but Juudai's power was too strong. It shot towards Juudai, who easily deflected it, then towards the boy and finally straight towards the Cerro Rico.
"It's gone to the mountain," Juudai told Padre Carlos, who only nodded sadly. The dog, meanwhile, slumped down onto the ground, exhausted but looking better than before. The spot where Juudai had focused his powers on had turned black.
"Congratulations," Yubel laughed. "You've exorcised your first spirit."
Juudai just nodded, suddenly too tired to speak, and sat down next to the dog. Pharaoh came over and jumped onto his lap, eyeing Daitokuji-sensei's spirit.
"If you'll allow me, I will take care of the dog," Padre Carlos said. He reached out a hand and helped Juudai to pull himself up. "I'll make sure he'll recover."
"That would be great," Juudai said gratefully. "The boy's spirit is here too. Will you take care of him as well?"
"I will do so to the very best of my abilities."
The Padre meant it, Juudai knew. Even though he couldn't see the boy's spirit, he would do everything he could to help both dog and child.
"I'll go back to the Cerro Rico," he announced. "I want to know more about what's going on here."
Padre Carlos came closer and put one hand on his forehead. "Then may God be with you, my son. I'm sure you will do whatever you can. You are an extraordinary young man, and I believe you to have an extraordinary destiny."
Juudai was genuinely touched. He helped the Padre lift the dog and bade them goodbye, then turned back towards the Cerro Rico. The smoke seemed to have intensified. Neos patted him on the shoulder reassuringly before disappearing again, and Juudai sighed and set off towards the mountain again.
0o0o0
"See, what I don't get is this smoke," Juudai told Yubel. "It's not Darkness doing this, I definitely would've known. But it's not Light either. So what is it?"
Yubel shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen this before either."
She sighed and followed Juudai up the mountain. They'd taken a detour to avoid the village. Juudai had quickly noticed that some of the smoke was following them from a distance and he didn't want to endanger the villagers anymore.
"it does prove that it's sentient," Yubel remarked as Juudai sent a quick blast of power to drive the smoke away. "Or at least that the entity controlling it is sentient."
Juudai hadn't yet considered the possibility of another supernatural enemy, but he wasn't as shocked as he probably should've been. He sighed as well. Asking why it always happened to him would probably be pointless.
"Probably," Yubel agreed. They were so closely linked that they often replied to each other's thoughts without noticing. Juudai took out another coca leaf and started chewing on it. He was still feeling the effects of the height, and he'd have to be ready for whatever was surrounding the Cerro Rico. The bitter taste filled his mouth, strangely familiar now. He and Yubel walked further. The smoke was almost right in front of him and it parted like curtains when they passed. Juudai let his eyes change color. His eyes were getting obscured by the smoke and becoming almost useless, and Yubel's sight gave him a better way to focus his powers. They still had a long way to go to the top, but the smoke had already obscured everything but the small space they were walking in.
"Not good," Yubel murmured. "They're coming closer."
Juudai drew on his powers once again, but the effect on the smoke wasn't nearly as drastic as it had been before. It only very reluctantly moved away.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Juudai asked.
"I usually am," Yubel replied drily. "But indeed, it's hiding something. Mind materializing me?"
Juudai did as asked, and Yubel took on solid form next to him. They were up so high that anyone seeing her would think they were imagining things, and Yubel's presence gave Juudai much-needed support. He was struggling already. Not only was the smoke closing in, the oxygen levels were also decreasing, and the taste of the coca had become unpleasantly bitter in his mouth. He spat it out.
"Juudai!" Yubel cried in alarm. As if triggered by something, the smoke suddenly rushed towards him. Juudai threw up an arm and channeled the majority of his powers through his eyes. It stopped the smoke, but didn't make it move away. Pharaoh meowed pitifully and buried himself deeper into Juudai's bag, while Yubel threw her wings over him.
"What did you do?" Yubel shouted. "What made them react like this?"
"I don't know! Just… The coca leaves…" Juudai trailed off. He'd remembered.
Yubel evidently had as well. "Coca is sacred for these people! It was giving you extra protection!"
Juudai quickly took another leaf and sighed in relief as the presence of the smoke subsided. Yubel let go of him, but didn't fold her wings.
Herald!
"What? Who's there?" Juudai looked around, but saw nothing but Yubel next to him and the smoke surrounding them both.
Herald, help us!
Please help us!
"Where are you?" he shouted.
Here, come quickly! Just a little bit further!
Juudai walked forward, forcefully chasing away the smoke. It was more reluctant to leave than ever, but eventually he could see a space free of smoke.
Free of smoke and full of spirits.
Juudai gaped. There must've been hundreds of spirits, trapped by the smoke. Men, women and children, all huddled together and looking at him hopefully.
"The dead of the Cerro Rico," Yubel whispered, then suddenly grabbed Juudai's arm and pointed. "Look!"
The smoke had targeted the spirit of a women, and she screamed wordlessly, before suddenly disappearing. Juudai could only stare in shock.
"Is this what has been happening to the spirits?" he whispered. He thought back to Betty and Margaret in New York. They'd told him the spirits were disappearing. Was this the cause?
Herald, please! You have to help us!
"But what can I do…" Juudai said. He had been able to help the dog by just focusing his powers, but he didn't have the raw power to dispel all this smoke. And dueling wasn't an option here. He could only watch as yet another spirit was picked off, a little girl who reminded him uncomfortably of Betty. She didn't scream, but looked straight at him until she disappeared.
Herald, we just need an opening. We just need to reach the sky!
"The sky?" Juudai repeated. He could do that. If he could just focus enough of his powers… But using them all for the spirits would leave himself, and more importantly, his travelling companions, open for an attack. He swallowed. Could he take such a risk?
"Do it, Juudai." Yubel said, spreading her wings to cover him. "I still have my own powers, I can protect you."
It wasn't the solution he would've liked, but it was the best they could do. He focused on where he thought the smoke was least concentrated and felt Yubel gather her own, subtly different powers. This would require some timing.
He waited until Yubel had gathered all of her strength, then drew back all the power he'd been using to protect them. The smoke immediately rushed towards them, but he relied on Yubel and the coca to protect them and focused everything on one spot. Suddenly there was blue sky, and the spirits nearest to the opening didn't waste the opportunity.
But there were hundreds of them, and the smoke had split up, one half trying to close the hole Juudai was desperately trying to keep open, and the other half attacking Yubel mercilessly. He felt her powers decrease, but had to use all of his own strength to let the spirits escape.
"Yubel!"
"Keep going!" she shouted. He felt her draw on a new source, subtly different from her usual power, but didn't stop to wonder about it. Instead he used more and more of his power to help the spirits. Almost half of them had left now, but it still wasn't enough. The coca had turned impossibly bitter, but he didn't dare to spit it out.
"Juudai!"
Yubel's strength was failing her, he could feel it more clearly than ever. But the spirits…
Juudai swallowed hard and pressed his eyes closed. He couldn't… But if Yubel…
Yubel fell down on top of him. Juudai made his decision.
The next moment, the hole closed again. The remaining spirits were trapped. And where Juudai and Yubel had been standing, there was only an empty spot that was quickly filled by the ever-changing smoke.
Notes:
1. On coca: I consciously chose for a positive portrayal of the coca leaf for a few reasons. First of all: coca is not cocaine. It is a great remedy for altitude sickness, but also for hunger pangs, tiredness, jetlag, and many other things. Coca is to cocaine as coffee beans are to caffeine. It does contain cocaine, but in very small amounts, and just chewing coca leaves won't be enough to feel the effects commonly associated with cocaine. Also, Coca-Cola? Yep, it uses coca, as the name says. I hope no one is offended by this, but I stand by my viewpoint. Coca, in itself, is definitely not bad.
On a small related note, coca is used in rituals to decide whether the spirits are content or not. If the coca tastes sweet, they're happy. If it tastes bitter, they're not.
2. The Cerro Rico: Literally means 'Rich Mountain', but hasn't been rich for a long time. It used to contain a lot of silver, and the economy of Potosí largely depended on it. I have no idea how true the 'bridge' quote is, but there's no doubt that many, many people died in the mines or as a consequence of mining.
3. La Pachamama: Very much a part of religion in Bolivia. She has been included in the form of Christianity practiced in Bolivia and is most commonly identified with the Virgin Mary. Also, on the topic of religion, I must once again stress that none of the opinions expressed are mine.
Concrit, advice, suggestions and questions all very welcome!
