Rituals
Flesh torn asunder, hair utterly frayed and cut, Asuka hobbled slowly in search of the girl. The training had started, never had Asuka felt so thoroughly drained. Of course, Asuka had not expected immediate results, but she had underestimated the effect Aki's powers would have on her. Orange flares hovered around her form like tiny willow wisps. A deep cold well washed over her as the flesh wounds healed themselves. Aki ran off during meditation again. The girl did not seem fond of peace or rather she did not know how to attain it yet.
The girl reacted violently to fire. Asuka took every precaution. She made renovations to the castle. They had electric stoves now, and they no longer had fire places. Heaters worked just as well, even if Edo complained about the cost of further electrical wiring. Asuka would reintroduce her to it at her leisure. For, she must see it again at some point in her life, and Asuka tailored her deck for this purpose. She also had a pure aversion to anyone that said the word monster. Not just to her, the word itself dragged her back to that singular trauma where she had burned her dear father.
Which brought Asuka back to the mess she had created when she said Judai was her adoptive father. Aki had told everyone. The reactions had been mixed. Rei showed concern, pulling her aside and asking a number of things. Mostly, Asuka shook her head in response, she remained unconvinced when she finally let Asuka be. Edo said nothing, but the unbearably large smirk told her enough. A similar sort of scorn mixed with pity had been of Ryo's face. If she ever needed someone to talk to, he told her before retreating to his room. She both appreciated and hated the insinuation. She really didn't have any delusions. She remembered Judai's reaction to her crisply. She had hope, and here, it was a weakness. Jun had been furious. He threw things. He recounted what she said to him. He asked her why she changed her mind. She told him what she knew for sometime. She loved him. He ignored his cry afterwards, even when the spider mark burned its signature onto the living room floor. Fubuki had been thrilled. He took out all the old albums to show the kids. No more hiding things. At least, she should be glad he believed Judai alive. She had heard the whispers otherwise. Jim simply nodded in acceptance. Whenever Aki asked, he would tell her simple things about him like his love of shrimp and the color red, sometimes more, like the few moments he shared with him. His favorite, how he had not feared, his recently departed Karen, and how he easily fed her and befriended her without a trace of fear. Asuka wasn't sure if she welcomed their compliance or not. She had no guarantee Judai would react well to the changed situation. She did not want them to get attached to the man. The stories spread of course. Crow served as the official story teller among the siblings, chronicling the events as he heard them while adding a few embellishments of his own.
She could hear giggling close by, in Rei's room. She didn't care. Wasn't it natural for a kid to show favor to their dear aunt? The one who did not really need to discipline them at all. She silently looked through the crack. Vivid colors blurred together to tell a story, Asuka alone in a splendid pink gown, shedding a single tear. Rei waved her arms around, staring deeply into smoky shadows.
"And he left, not to be seen for the next few months," Rei finished, dispelling the image of a figure with a knapsack. Aki grabbed the hem of Rei's skirt. She looked down at the girl as she fixed her hair.
"Yes Aki?" she said as she took the broach out of her mouth. She pinned the white flower neatly to the side. It refracted all sorts of colors in the sunshine.
Yusei sat there as well, equally amazed, but he soon searched for the machine that did it. Rei put him back in his seat when he roamed too far. Asuka had not noticed the stacks of potions and bits of paper with cryptic writing when she last entered Rei's chambers. She ignored it. Considering Rei's dealings with spirits, she found it understandable for her to take an interest in magic far above anyone else in the group.
"Those things aren't for playing Yusei," she chided him. He still looked back at the potions and herbs with lingering interest. He did not dare to try again while Rei watched him by the looks of it. Aki pulled her skirt again.
"Well, say something Aki," Rei said. Aki fiddled with her dress, a plain one that Asuka made her wear during training. Asuka always pictured her as a tiny milk maid on such occasions and had considered getting her a bonnet. For all the pain she caused, Asuka still found her quite precious.
"Why did he leave?" she asked. Rei smoothed her skirt and put on a diplomatic countenance
"To go adventuring and help people as near as anyone one of us can tell," she explained. Aki shook her head.
"I mean the last time when he didn't come back," she said. Asuka almost went in so Rei could avoid answering the question, but part of her wanted to hear what Rei would say. Rei looked at her before speaking. Asuka wondered, how exactly this blindness of hers supposedly worked.
"Boys are clueless Aki. If you don't make them stay, they will leave you," Rei said. Aki immediately tackled Yusei down when he got up.
"But Aki, I'm hungry," he complained. She stood but took hold of his hand.
"Okay, let's go," Aki said. She started to lead, but she hadn't been in the castle very long.
"Yusei, which way is the kitchen?" she asked. They noticed their mother at the doorway. Yusei waved hello before pointing to the left.
"That way, I think," he said. Aki hid behind him. Asuka's face resembled a gargoyle in its stony linear annoyance.
"Hi, mamma," she said. There wasn't any sign of discord to Aki's appearance at all. The dark signer decided to let her go. The point of meditation was to calm her, no?
"Go ahead," she said. Aki ran to the left, pulling Yusei behind her.
"Thank you, mamma," she said on her way out. Asuka watched them leave. She could hear Rei shuffling papers as well as the clinking of beakers.
"When she isn't provoked, the girl is quite darling," Rei assured her. Asuka turned around. Rei measured out bits of each substance.
"What are you doing Rei?" Asuka decided to ask. The amount she used seemed rather much for a small incantation.
" Today, happens to be an opportune time for a particular spell I want to try," Rei said, anticipation evident from her starlit eyes that ever so subtly cast their attention to the hexagram below.
"I trust you know what you're doing," Asuka said. Rei nodded, shuffling her cards. She took a particular one out, Rainbow Dragon. Asuka doubts grew when she saw the card, but if it happened to be something Cusillu wanted, she shouldn't interfere. She decided to leave her chambers instead of provoking a battle she wasn't prepared for.
When Asuka reached the doorway she warned her, "Remember Rei, you are free to do what you wish so long as it does not affect my children," she waited for Rei's confirmation.
"Believe me, they are not on my mind, at all," Rei said as she mixed the two powders together. They formed a deep red smoke that curled together into a heart.
What could the sign possibly mean? Perhaps, Ryo will take a sudden interest to her, more than a kind gesture or two that she was usually offered. Or perhaps, the group itself will not be able to say or do anything that harmed the other. The possibilities riled her. A real witch was a concern. They could do anything, even with simple words.
"I also advise you revise what you say to them," she finished curtly. When she closed the door, Asuka heard Rei laugh. It left a vile taste in her mouth. She could be completely impossible.
As she walked away, she tried not to look at the room she gave away, on Edo's insistence. It's an unhealthy attachment if you let them sleep with you, he said. Jack simply would not give up the room. All four had rooms adjacent to each other so they could easily find each other in the maze like castle. Aki and Yusei's interconnected, another thing that worried Edo but she chose to let them stay together. They are just children after all, and they seemed to get along naturally. She was across the hall from them now. Jun had even offered to have the room enlarged or he had before their little spat. He'll get over it. He always does. She refused the offer, anyway. Jack would probably want it afterwards.
She went to the kitchen. Jim was cooking as he fell into the habit of doing since the children arrived. Crow was helping him cook again. He loved wearing the little chef hat. He put the vegetables in. Jim nodded in approval. Crow gave him a cocky grin. The boy had a knack for domestic duty. Edo even informed her that Rei was teaching him to sew in a very dispproving tone. She had no problem with it. It's useful. She found Edo much too old fashioned about these things. She had grown weary of his reminders that he knew more about children than her, no matter if his experience was dated by a hundred years or so.
"Okay, now serve the guests," Jim told him. Crow climbed down the little step ladder that he was under, carefully. He walked two steps at a time, moving a few inches with every step. Aki and Jack grew impatient and took their plates. Yusei waited. Crow put the tray down and handed him his soup when he got there. Crow smiled. Yusei nodded. The other two looked away uneasily, stirring their soups so they would cool. The children each ate at different paces with Crow being the most ravenous. Their safety assured; Asuka planned to leave. Jim realized that she'd been spying. He showed no outward sign of recognizing her presence until he put the ladle down.
"I think he will be a great cook one day. He does like coming to the kitchen," Jim told her finally. She tried some of it. It's delicious, but it had been a long time since she has had anything to compare it to.
"Really? I think what he actually likes is hanging out with you," she said.
"Nah, look at me, I have a cowboy hat and an eye patch. That's not cool," Jim said with a wave of his hand. She laughed. He took his hat off and poured a bowl for himself.
"I'm thinking of taking him camping if you don't mind. I'm sure he'd like to come," Jim said. There were no forests nearby. He was suggesting a long trip. Her instincts told her to expect a dead body in the forest, but he never did anything for her to suspect such things.
"Just him?" she asked.
"Yeah, " he said. He poured her a bowl. She had never eaten with her children before. She took it.
"How long?" she asked. He led her to the table.
"A week," he said. They all started talking to her at once. She caught all of it, even if before it had blended together. Jack had painted the gray stones in his room with crowns and swords. He made Ryo help. Aki and Yusei repeated what she had already heard. What Rei said had made an impact, Aki held Yusei's hand firmly with her free hand. Asuka would try straightening her out later. No matter if she lacked credibility without Judai by her side.
"If anything happens," she said. She hasn't bonded as easily with Crow as with the others. His carefree nature made it hard. The past always broke through the surface when she tried.
"I'll tell you right away," Jim said. She nodded, deciding to give her consent. She can hear Crow whisper yes in the background. She smiled at him. He turned red instantly, almost as fast as one would see in old fashioned cartoons. Jack mutters some snide remark, and just like that, a fight breaks out.
"Boys," Jim said before she could intervene. They stopped. The rest of the dinner was quiet. It's enough peace for Asuka, and she doesn't return to meditation.
Ryo entered Rei's room, and found her chanting on the floor. She indeed planned to go through with the ritual. He would rather it didn't happen. The painted tiles glowed yellow. He might be too late. The bright yellow light combined with her clouded iris made her look freakish as if she belonged in a haunted house. He shook her. A sudden numbness overcame him. He fell to the ground.
If she truly wishes for spirits to trouble her, it's best you don't get involved. He didn't know what to say. Ccarayhua usually did not disturb him. At most, he found her irritating with her catty snide remarks. Never had she really interfered. The chanting grew softer. Rei helped him up, but she didn't stop chanting. Should she stop, the moment would be over. The spirit she wanted to see would not come.
She is about to unleash hell tonight, and you are at its center. Leave now, Ccarayhua warned. The numbness left as if his body had only fallen asleep momentarily. He moved his fingers experimentally. Rei looked at him and to the door meaningfully. She didn't want him to stay either. He thought to topple the candles, and end it. It's madness.
Unless there are people you do want to see right now, Ccarayhua finished. He had grieved, and he didn't wish to reopen those wounds as Rei was determined to. Another part knew what his brother would say. He didn't want those feelings expressed out loud.
He grabbed her by the shoulders and whispered his regret. Her eyes expressed a sort of stout recognition as they grew huge. She cannot answer. Ryo knew this. He turned around, using long strides so he did not have to run. If he did, he would ruin his exit. She hasn't stopped chanting, but she has begun to shake. Rei held her arm as the mark pulsed. She had tapped too much of Cusillu's power into her spell. She pulled away from the center which stopped glowing upon her exit. The candles burned out. Nothing visibly changed. Ryo closed the door without looking back. He decided to leave to a bar tonight. He knew better than to assume the spell did not take hold.
"What will happen?" he finally thought to ask. The details of the ordeal were unknown to him. She told him in passing as if she planned to attend a carnival in the afternoon. It laughed like a banshee strangling its own neck.
People turn to Spirit when their foundations are shaking, only to discover that it is Spirit that is shaking them, Ccarayhua quoted. He raised his voice. However, fruitless it might be.
"Give me a straight answer," Ryo insisted. Ccarayhua clucked dismissively.
How much truth can a spirit bear, how much truth can a spirit dare? Ccarayhua told him. He can't get his car to start. He knew who to blame.
"What does any of that mean?" he tried again. An alien energy surrounded him. A thrill he felt once before when he withstood electric shocks. She enjoyed the attention. One, he rarely gave her.
Only, that your friend will be fine, she has not realized the fundamental truth of the ritual, the others I wouldn't be so sure of. Ccarayhua finally relented. He gets out of the car.
What are you doing? You have good reason to stay away. There is someone there who wishes to see you. Ccarayhua told him. He didn't go past the first few steps. He can sense it.
And the others? He can feel the lizard crawling in his psyche like a centipede along the skin. He ignored the urge to pick at his face.
What have they done for you lately? They care only for their own power and happiness. If you were not so kind to her, Rei would be the same. Ryo disliked the accusation. He's known only her sorrow and laughter. What would an evil god know of good?
Shut up, he told her. He has grown more comfortable with speaking with her in the last few minutes. The god urged him to continue. The thing feeds on him. She slurped the energy away. He rested next to the car and gave up on leaving. He was far enough away. Besides, he wouldn't be good company right now.
Why else would she want to see her past lover? She crooned and rolled her r's mockingly. He hated her for it. Vibrations of goodwill washed over him. It's never really affected him much. He has spent most of his later life enjoying such things. Surely, he needed something more now, something that lasted for more than a few seconds.
Rei has always searched for sweet things in her life. It made sense that she continued to chase the one that remained sweet, Ryo argued reasonably. It moved far too much for his liking. The scaly underbelly dragged in his consciousness, enough so he can think of nothing else in those few seconds.
Oh, did you wish you were sweeter? Ccarayhua taunted him. Ryo turned on the radio and crawled into the back seat. He tried hard not to think of such things. It's not like he's wanted such an encounter before. He didn't really trust anything he did that he wouldn't have done before his death. Otherwise, the god might as well have inserted it. She had been known to make alliances before.
Do you not want her? Ccarayhua did not push the subject hard. Her voice fell to an echo. She was losing interest quickly. He had no real reason to answer.
He did, however, come inside. A muffled voice followed him, only an imprint of before. A weak apparition, a lingering doubt, Sho must not haunt this world. Ryo sighed in slight disappointment. Truly, he, at least, had expected things to smash against the walls, and his brother to curse him. Instead, he heard familiar things.
I want to be a duelist like you.
Let's open a pro league.
This trip will be so much fun.
The room it's . . .
He opened Rei's doors. He didn't hear anymore. She kneeled inside the hexagram. Wailing and muttering in vain, her hands on her head, she turned to him, frail like a splinter of wood.
"Why didn't he come?" she asked. He walked over and hugged her. He cared, at least.
Because he doesn't want to see you, Cusillu answered. Rei held onto Ryo tightly. With all the spiritual energy released, she saw things more clearly than she ever had. Except, the one thing she wanted to see.
Why?
Only, spirits that still have business here crossover, child, Cusillu explained.
Why didn't you warn me? You should have known this would happen. She hissed. Not even the seven spirits in her deck stirred in their imprisonment. They still hated her. He must hate her now. Why else would he not come? His death had not been peaceful. They had caused it. Why wouldn't he come?
It is their choice. Not even I control that, Cusillu answered. Recurring growls followed, the simian wasn't up for more talking. She couldn't accept it. How she wished she had succeeded in turning him, he had been breaths away, then, from staying with her always. He would not even show for one lousy night now.
Perhaps, it is time for you to turn to other matters. Ccarayhua and I have been talking. With the annihilation of the spirit world, he mentioned the last part with a reserved disdain. The god had not been thrilled by the empty terrain. It no longer served his initial purpose. He had congratulated her all the same.
You are free to court. The ape finished. She let Ryo go instantly. The man asked her something. She remained too preoccupied to comment.
With him? She had not truly thought of him that way since her youth. However, they were as close to the same age as they were going to get. She didn't completely reject the idea.
Does he not suit you? Cusillu asked. She chose the most noncommittal words she could.
He doesn't un-suit me. Rei said as she finally noticed that Ryo had taken her from the floor. They were heading to her room. It mattered little. He would not come, whether she stayed at the epicenter or curled up defeated on her bed.
There is no rush. Cusillu said as he retreated into the recesses of her mind.
"Rei? Did you accidentally kill yourself or something? Rei?" Ryo persisted as he shook her. She coughed and groaned under her stiff sore body.
"Ye, of little faith," she mumbled. He slapped her. She touched the stinging area. After her earlier set back, she really couldn't have this, especially from the one person who always seemed to have a sympathetic ear. For him to abandon her now . . . she hated the world.
"Don't be such an idiot," Ryo said. She shoved him. He fell. She grinned as his mouth hung open in shock.
"Don't be such a jerk," she said. He almost said something else, but she wasn't in the mood to court as her god had oh, so handily called it.
"Get out," she said, throwing her shoe at him. He glowered and made a slow escape as his robes got in the way.
"I don't know why he didn't come. You have such excellent manners," he said curtly, before shutting the doors.
Screaming out in frustration, she let herself drop violently down on the mattress. She wormed into the mass of covers. The words stung, and she wished she could expel them from her body. It added to the cancer growing there. For in her room, she saw no lights, and for once, her entire world was black.