Stare into the Abyss
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit horror.
Author's Note: I rewrote Yukio's last scene. I wanted him to backslide a bit, but ended up taking him back more than I should have. The scene really just didn't elicit the reaction I was aiming for. Hopefully the new version works better.
Chapter Twelve: Communing with Nature
Shura poked a wire into the lock on her bathroom door and let herself in. She spent a minute looking over the miserable huddle on the floor that was Yukio then went to the kitchen and came back with a warm, sugar-saturated cup of tea. "Drink this," she ordered thrusting the cup into Yukio's hands.
Yukio took an automatic sip then shuddered. "That's disgusting," he said. Shura waited. After a few moments he took another sip. Gradually, as he finished the drink, his face regained a little color.
"Ready to move to the couch?" Shura asked.
"I don't deserve any assistance," Yukio stated.
Shura grabbed him under the arm and levered him off the floor. "I don't care," she said. "I've already call in sick for you. You're staying here today and so am I." She dumped Yukio on the couch. "Stay," she ordered. "I started heating some okayu before I broke into the bathroom.
When Shura came back with a steaming dish of rice porridge Yukio tried to protest again. "Eat," Shura ordered, her tone broke no defiance.
After a few bites Yukio's eyelids started to droop. "Just a few more bites," Shura prodded.
"You drugged me," Yukio accused. He tried to muster the energy to scowl at her.
"The tea," Shura confirmed. "If you get some food in your stomach you might absorb a bit of it before it hits your bloodstream."
"Evil," Yukio muttered shoving a large spoonful into his mouth. "How much do you know?"
"We'll talk about it later," Shura told him. "Once you've slept and your blood sugar's normal."
Yukio managed to finish about half the bowl before Shura had to save him from face-planting in the remains.
She laid him back on the couch and threw a blanket over him. "Probably also good if you get that beer out of your system, scaredy-cat," she murmured. "I don't have any problems using alcohol as a truth serum, but as your friend I'd rather this was just you talking."
"Welcome to the Pantanal, Ms. Moriyama," Neuhaus said gruffly as the pickup bumped to a stop.
"I know you want to hurry to Rio, Shiemi" Michelle said. "But you need to release some of Gaia's power before it overwhelms you." She gestured to the vast wetlands stretching out before them. "No one should even notice an excess of Earth Energies here."
Amaimon hopped out of the truck-bed and laughed. "If Egyn tries anything here, the fight will go differently," he declared as the native energies of the land seeped into him.
Shima snorted. "Take a closer look before you get cocky. This place is as much water as it is land."
"Even footing," Amaimon stated. "He's older, but Earth is strong against Water and I'm just better than that egotistical jerk."
Neuhaus chuckled at Amaimon claiming that he was better than Egyn and that the other Hell King had an over-sized ego in the same breath.
Michelle offered Shiemi her hand. "Come, let your connection to the Earth flow freely. You won't do any harm here. I know you must be exhausted from holding back Gaia's power for so long."
Tentatively Shiemi took Michelle's hand and let the older woman help her to the ground. The grass around Shiemi's feet became greener and more lush but the landscape was otherwise unchanged. Shiemi felt the immense reserves of Earth Energy stirring beneath her like a sleeping dragon. She could feel Gaia's power blending seamlessly with the energy native to the marshes.
Sheimi took a few careful steps away from the truck then curled her toes in the rich loam. She giggled and spun around then dashed across the clearing, reveling in her freedom.
"Now let go," Michelle instructed. "You're still holding back."
Shiemi stopped and turned back to them. She nodded and let her eyes fall closed. As she breathed out a pulse of power spread from her to the land. As before the plant-life around her became more vibrate. This time the effect was visible for meters around Shiemi.
With each exhalation the pulses grew stronger and traveled further. When Sheimi inhaled the energy of the land swept into her. After a few minutes Shima saw distant flock of birds take flight as the pulse passed over them.
Amaimon and Michelle's eyes fell closed as well. They turned toward Shiemi like flowers turning toward the sun. "Better than candy," Amaimon murmured.
"Help me set up camp," Neuhaus ordered.
Shima started to reach for Amaimon, planning to demand that the demon do his share of the work.
Neuhaus stopped him. "No point when they're communing with nature that deeply."
"So does that mean we can kick back while they pack-up tomorrow morning?" Shima asked.
"If you want to try bossing a Hell King around, be my guest," Neuhaus replied
Shima smirked. "I'll get Shiemi-chan to do the bossing," he said.
As the sun began to sink behind the mountains Michelle shook off the trance she'd fallen into to. "Better?" she asked Shiemi.
Shiemi blinked then nodded. "I don't feel like a water balloon about to burst anymore."
"Even given your compatibility Gaia's power is too much to contain in a human body," Michelle said. "The Earth itself is one of Gaia's aspects. Trying to break that connection is like trying to hold back the tide… But she's a little hard on cities."
That surprised a burst of laughter from Shiemi.
"My day of rest starts with sunset," Michelle said changing the subject. "I need to get positioned or we won't be able to move again until the next sunset." She turned back and climbed into the truck, then carefully belted herself in. Neuhaus followed after her and double checked that she was secured.
Michelle neatly arranged her limbs, bracing her legs against the floorboards and crossing her arms over her chest then she tucked her chin down. Neuhaus crouched on the running board and leaned in to kiss her forehead as the last ray of light vanished. "Goodnight sweetheart," he said quietly. The color vanished from Michelle's features leaving her hair and skin a uniform grey. Her flesh transformed to unyielding clay. Neuhaus tucked a blanket around her, then walked back to the others. "Dinner's almost ready," he said.
Shima glanced back Michelle. "You're okay with that?" he asked Neuhaus. "I kinda thought you hated demons."
"I hate Satan," Neuhaus corrected. "But I'm not so stubborn that I can't learn. Hating Satan's son was a mistake. And I could never hate Michelle, no matter what form she takes. It hurt to see her as a Revenant; my gently Michelle, consumed by vengeance. This? The housing for her soul has changed but Michelle hasn't. This is a gift."
Once they'd eaten Shiemi wandered back out toward the edge of camp.
"Careful," Neuhaus cautioned her. "Not all the ground's solid out there."
"I'll be okay Sensei," Shiemi assured him. Even as she said it she realized just how true it was. Even if there'd been no moon or stars, in pitch blackness she knew she'd never misstep. She could sense the Earth beneath her feet and stepping on solid ground would be as instinctual as clasping her own two hands together. If she wanted to walk across the swampy areas she could summon plants and earth to bare her weight, all she had to do was wish it.
She smiled and waved off their concern, then wandered out into the night letting her awareness of the land lead her through the marsh.
Shiemi had known since she was a small child that she and her grandmother shared a connection with plants that her mother lacked. She remembered being five years old and trying to explain to her mother how the Glechoma in her office wasn't happy. Her mother had brushed her off as a silly, over-imaginative child with too few real friends. Later that day Shiemi's grandmother had pulled her aside and explained that normal people didn't hear the flowers' songs. Her grandmother explained that with normal people one talked about soil conditions, water requirements and sun exposure, you didn't tell them what the trees whispered or about an unhappy turn of leaf on a shrub. With normal people you had to call the plants by the names humans assigned them rather than by the names they introduced themselves by.
Since inviting Gaia in, Shiemi found her sensitivity increased a hundredfold. She could hear the murmured dreams of the seeds lying dormant in the ground. And they heard her too, they heard her, woke and rushed to bask in the vital power pouring off her.
Once the Earth itself, not this earth but an earlier one, had been her body. "Gaia's not mine," Shiemi whispered. The soil her flesh, the rocks her bones, the magma her life's blood. But the small beings of this new Assiah had wrapped the Earth in vast bands of asphalt and concrete like a straight-jacket confining her. She wanted to reach out and shake this new incarnation of her body free of it's bindings.
"No, you can't do that!" the small being she'd cloaked herself in protested. "I won't do that," Shiemi's voice became stronger. "People would be hurt if I let you do that."
Shiemi felt the vast consciousness that was Gaia begin to overwhelm her again, swamp her in Gaia's awareness of the planet as an extension of herself.
"I am the tender of the garden, not the garden," Shiemi murmured remembering her Grandmother's teachings. "I am Moriyama Shiemi, granddaughter of Moriyama Misaki, daughter of Moriyama Takara. Friend and classmate of Okumura Rin, Paku Noriko, Kamiki Izumo, Suguro Ryuji and Miwa Konekomaru. Student of Mephisto Pheles, Shima Tsuzo and Father Nagatomo. Partner to Shima Renzo, Tamer to his Aria as he is Knight to my Doctor." Shiemi stumbled for a moment, her cheeks coloring at the thought of naming herself Amaimon's wife and she changed what she'd intended to say. "Priestess to Amaimon, King of Earth. I am the tender of the garden, the listener of flower songs. I am not the garden." Shiemi remembered some of what Mephisto had told them in their class and decided, in addition to re-establishing boundaries by naming herself, to restate the terms of the deal. "I am Moriyama Shiemi, who allows Gaia the use of her body to rescue Gaia's precious daughter Echidna. I am NOT Gaia."
Shiemi dropped to her knees, panting as if she'd just ran a marathon, but she felt Gaia's consciousness retreat. "I'm Shiemi," she repeated on last time. Then slowly she picked herself up and started walking back to the camp.
Through her connection to the Earth she felt Amaimon stir, felt the wordless inquiry he sent her way.
/I'm okay,/ Shiemi thought back. /I think Gaia and I are back in balance, at least for the moment./
/Good./ Amaimon replied.
The next morning Shiemi woke up to find a dragon curled up in front of their fire-pit. She glanced back inside the tent and saw Amaimon standing up. "Think I kept her waiting long enough?" he muttered as he slipped past Shiemi.
The dragon bowed her head slightly to Amaimon, then more deeply to Shiemi. "Earth Lord, Most Honored Elder Sister, your presence in the lands of my creation is welcomed."
"This place is beautiful," Shiemi said impulsively.
"More beautiful for your replenishment," the dragon replied, her green scales gleaming in the early morning sun.
"Pachamama," Amaimon greeted the dragon. Shiemi noticed the wary caution between the two of them.
"You follow your mother's path now, my lord?" the dragon asked.
Amaimon nodded. Pachamama smiled, her wings relaxed.
"We're here to deal with the Rio branch of the Order. They've gotten out of hand, I've no quarrel with how you manage your fief," Amaimon clarified.
Pachamama sat back on her haunches. "Lord Samuel needs to keep a better hold of his playthings," she said with fastidious disdain. "They're becoming dangerous."
Amaimon shrugged. "Big Brother likes dangerous minions. Even cannon fodder needs to be able to do some damage."
"At least with Lord Lucifer's toys you know they're acting at his direction." Pachamama replied tartly.
"I've met some of Lucifer's pets before," Amaimon said, wrinkling his nose. "The way they fawn over him would make Samuel-ni vomit."
"Samuel acts like his humans are Gehennan," Pachamama sounded highly disapproving.
"He might be right," Amaimon replied. He gave Shiemi a proud look. "My priestess decided when Mother had punished Egyn enough. A toy could not stand firm against Gaia."
"As you say, my lord," Pachamama said. She spread her wings. "Fare thee well in your endeavors."
Shiemi watched her fly away. "Gehennans don't think much of us do they?" she said remembering how Egyn had referred to her as merely a vessel for Gaia.
Amaimon shrugged. "Big brother does and Mother's at least curious about you."
"What about you?" Shiemi asked.
Amaimon gave her his toothily, ill-practiced smile. "You're my priestess. I'm not sure about other humans, but you are no one's toy."
"Thank you," Shiemi said quietly.
Amaimon frowned at the ground for a moment, then he said. "But you have to be careful about opposing Mother. Right now, the way she's merging with you, it's like Big Brother prefers to merge with his hosts. You'll live out your life, sharing your body with Mother, showing her the world through your eyes. And when your life is done, you'll become one with her soul. You will be a part of her, forever. But she could possess you instead. Suppress your soul and take your body for herself. You don't want her to choose that."
"What if I just want to be me?" Sheimi asked. "Will Gaia leave once Echidna's been rescued if I ask her to?"
Amaimon had no answer.
Yukio groaned lethargically. His body was telling him to just roll over and go back to sleep but a nagging in the back of his head made him resist the temptation. He squinted and groped for his glasses then realized he was sleeping on Shura's couch.
"She drugged me," Yukio muttered disbelievingly. He grabbed his phone then held it close to his face. "Damnit!" he exclaimed when he saw the date. "Shura! Where did you hide my glasses!" he shouted.
Shura stumbled out of her bedroom, yawning. "It's too early to be waking up," she complained. Then stretched up to retrieve Yukio's glasses from the top of her bookshelf.
Yukio snatched them out of her hand. "I've got ten days left to make the kids human before they kill Meda. Because of you I've lost a whole day!" he exclaimed. "I won't even be able to start the procedure on Felix until after Saul goes home tonight. If all else fails I can't let him know that the inked seal are removable."
Shura's expression sharpened. "If you can't start until tonight anyway then you've got plenty of time to talk."
"What's there to talk about?" Yukio demanded. "I fucked up. I know that."
Shura let Yukio rant.
"Do you want me to say that all the time I told myself I was only doing what I had to to protect Rin I was just torturing him? Consider it said! I can't keep Rin alive by taking away his life and say it's for his benefit. I realize that now."
"But this time I'm right. I'm going to make him human again. I'm going to do what Dad and Mephisto Pheles should have done in the first place. I'm going to seal away the demon in Rin, in all of them, so it can't ever get out." Yukio's shoulders slumped. He dropped back on the couch. "Then if he still want to be an exorcist so be it. I'll get out of his way. It's Rin's choice what he wants to do with his life, even if it gets him killed."
"Maybe having a demon's powers could help him do what he wants," Shura suggested. "Isn't that his choice too?"
Yukio shook his head. "I'm right. Rene and the kids, as humans they can have a life, as demons they can't, it's that simple. If I can't make them human the Facility will start torturing them to death as soon as they turn six. If we find enough evidence to call in the Grigori and shut this place down, chances are they'll put all the test subjects down. Maybe they'll be humane about it but the kids will still be dead. The test subjects can't make a deal like Rin's. Most of them are feral. They can't even talk to try to convince the Order that they're more than monsters to be destroyed. And there are so many of them. Maybe we could find a few people like Dad who'd see them, at least the youngest ones, as kids instead of monsters, but there are nearly a thousand test subjects in the Facility. Some of them are in their teens and they've been abused their whole lives, if they don't hate humans…" Yukio shook his head. "They should hate us after what they've been through. No one's going to be willing to go to the effort it would take to fix them while they remain demons, but if they were human it would be different."
Then he bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment. "As for Rin… Mephisto's got the Grigori looking at Rin as a potential weapon to use against Satan as well as a potential threat. He couldn't make them see Rin as a person. As long as Rin's a demon, that's always going to be hanging over his head. He's a demon, the son of Satan, wherever he goes people are going to want him dead because of that fact. The only reason the Grigori is holding off is because they want to use him before they kill him. Everyone thinks they can use Rin's powers for their own ends… He inherited those powers from Satan, nothing good can come from them."
"If Rin wants to stay a demon and use his powers against Satan, he's an idiot or being influenced by the blue flames to think that way. I won't let him throw away his humanity like that." Yukio declared. "Rin was supposed to stay human. I refuse to accept anything else... If we're done here, I have classes and a missed day of work to make-up for thanks to you."