What makes a families bond stronger? Oppression, being threatened...


Giari looked down as a shadowy figure approached her.

?: Young one. Why do you have fear?

Giari: Huh?

She looked up at the shadow, to see it holding her shoulders, it had long hair, split down the back and a kind face, even though no physical features could be seen.

Giari: Who are you?

?: I am a ghost of the far future I am here to help you and your family.

Giari: How?

?: By giving you all, one goal, you nine, sacred souls.

Giari: What do you mean?

?: It will become apparent in time, go back to your family Giari, you have pleased Celestia enough.

The figure faded and Giari stood up, her Pure teal hair blowing in an unknown breeze.


Giari sprinted back to the house, now less roudy, for half of her sisters had returned to bed, or were gone on errands.

Giari: Big sister!

Mas: Who now!? What Giari?

Mas was the girl Giari frequently refered to as "big sister" but called everyone else their names.

Giari: Something amazing happened!

Mei: Uh oh...

Kodo: Our little girl better not be becoming an uber-religious girl...

Giari: N-no! That's not it!

Firudo: Well than what is it?

Giari: I met a shadow person! They called themselves a ghost of the far future!

Mas: Really..?

Mei: Right.

Kodo: We've heard enough of your daydreams, Giari, you're just loopy since you didn't have breakfast.

Giari: No really! She's real!

Firudo: Real like "The Infragible Krunk"?

Mas: Or "Super-Bike"?

Kodo: And you just can't forget "Doctor Who".

Giari: No! I promise you what I saw was real!

Kodo: Right, just grab some soup from lunch and head back to bed, Giari.

Mas: Then you'll stop talking nonsense.

Giari: I- Uh... Sh-

Firudo: Here.

Firudo handed Giari a bowl of soup and she ate it.


Giari put a bowl of soup onto the table, she had matured to 11, her birthday was three days ago, four months after the temple visit. She sat alone with Raito and Daku.

Raito: Tell us the story again Giari!

Daku: Come on! Tell us!

Giari: No, you two, I've told you that little dream several times.

Giari had begun to believe that it really WAS a daydream. Meiosei and Utaimasu had successfully convinced her the day before her birthday.

Daku: But, you said it really happened!

Giari: Yeah, but I was wrong.

Raito: Awwww!

Meiosei walked in, it would be her turn to visit to the temple but she turned fourteen a month before.

Mei: Hey! It looks like it's you two's turn to visit the temple.

Raito: Really?

Daku: Aww! Man!

Giari: Really?

Mei: Go on, the quicker you go, the quicker you can eat.

She said with a slightly devious smirk.

Giari: Stop being so mean Mei.

Mei had gotten a bit violent lately, perhaps it was puberty, or maybe she was just crazy.

Mei: Right, because I must accept the all-powerful word of "little sister".

Giari and Mei continued arguing as Daku and Raito left.


Daku and Raito walked inside the temple and kneeled down in front of the same statue as Giari had.

Daku: Ready?

Raito: Always.

They began reciting the prayer but were interrupted half way through by an odd glow coming from the statue.

Daku: What the heck is that?

They stood and walked towards it, they put their hands on where the glow came from.

Raito: Whoa!

They pulled their hands back to see them chained together, a gauntlet each around Daku's right hand, and Raito's left hand.

raito: What the!?

Raito started pulling on it.

Daku: Whoa! That isn't gonna work Raito!

She grabbed Raito's right hand and held it in place.

Raito: That... Really hurts!

Daku pulled away and noticed a bruise on Raito's hand.

Daku: What the?

She grabbed a small bronze bell and actually crushed it, making it bend and snap.

Raito: How are you doing that?

Daku: I don't know...

They ran quickly out of the temple to tell the others but the gauntlets vanished. And they once again only saw their normal matching bracelets.

Raito: Phew...

Daku: That was almost bad. Let's go.

Daku jumped ahead slightly, but was pulled back, the two were still chained together, but the gauntlets were invisible.

Raito: Oh no...

Daku: Let's go tell the others!

They ran back to the house and saw Firudo and Kodo talking.

Daku: Guys! Something crazy happened!

Kodo: You mean Giari ending up giving Mei stitches?

Firudo: Mei also gave Giari some.

Kodo: Whatever.

Raito: No! We got chained together!

Firudo: Another one of you two's games?

Daku: No! We aren't playing a game!

Kodo: Right right, where is the "key"?

Raito: We don't know! How do we fix this!?

They pulled apart but ended up falling over.

Raito: Ow...

Firudo: You two have much more determination about this don't you?

Kodo: Seriously, you two are almost 10 years old, can't you stop playing these games?

Daku: Ergh! Come on Raito! Clearly these two won't listen.

Raito: Okay...


Later that day Giari went into her bedroom, which she shared with Raito, Daku, and Tansu. And she saw Daku and Raito laying oddly close together.

Giari: You two okay?

Daku: No one will listen to us.

Raito: We got chained together at the temple today.

Giari: Who did this to you?

Daku: No one, we don't know.

Giari: Another game... These two are still kids, might as well humor them.

Giari: Okay...

Daku: Dammit! She doesn't believe us either!

Daku said jumping up out of bed strongly enough to pull Raito jerkily.

Giari: Daku! A girl your age shouldn't be yelling words lik-

Giari was intterupted by Daku punching the wall with immense force and actually blowing a hole in the wall.

Giari: Whoa!

Raito: Calm down Daku!

Daku: Ugh...

Giai: Okay... If you really want me too, I'll believe you.

Daku: We're going to the temple!

Raito: Yeah... Let's go there.


Unbeknownst to the town, threatening lava had begun rising underneath the temple...