They tried. They really did try to make contact with the ghosts.
Death Mask even connected the Ouija board with the underworld, and Aioros let his spirit drift from his body to listen more clearly to the ghosts. But even after all their tries, they still couldn't put together any form of communication with the ghosts.
Aioria rubbed at his temple and stood up. "That's enough for me," he said, walking towards the door. "You keep that going, I'm-, Oh, hey Camus."
Aioros looked up to see Camus on the other side of the door. His eyes went from Death Mask to Aioros with a barely contained grimace.
"What on earth are you guys doing?" asked Camus.
Aioria shrugged. "You'd think as gold saints we would have better ways of dealing with ghosts, but..."
"These are different, ok? They've been dead a while!" cried Death Mask.
"You want to try it Camus?" asked Aioros with a nonchalant smile in his face. "It's actually kind of fun."
Camus' face turned paler than usual. "No, thank you," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I was actually looking for the kitchen."
"It's over here, come," said Aioria, closing the door behind him, sinking Death Mask and Aioros back into the shadows of the room.
Aioros fiddled with the glass they were using on the Ouija board. It felt cold to his touch. "I don't think we're gonna make it," he said. "They're too far gone. They're just holding on to what's left of this house, but that's not much."
"You spent damn near twenty years holding on to an armor," said Death Mask, stretching.
"And Shura and Aioria," said Aioros, feeling like the temperature in the room and dropped. He wondered if that had been Camus. It sent a shiver down his back.
"Oh, right. Them too. And why only them and not us too?"
Aioros scoffed. "You guys barely even thought of me after you killed me!" he said, pushing down the bubbling resentment rising in his stomach.
"Ah, yeah, that too. I don't think I've said it before, but, uhm…I'm sorry…It was a mistake?"
Aioros flipped the glass upwards. He was tired of this too. He was tired of all this nonsense. "It's ok, I'm not dead anymore," he muttered. He could do with a drink, but the last time he had tried alcohol it had felt like pouring acid down his throat and he had spent the rest of the day and a full night in bed, feeling like his insides were on fire.
"That's good! That's very good," said Death Mask.
They sat in silence. Outside, some boring music still played. Suddenly, Aioros wanted to be everywhere but there. Why wasn't Aioria back? Maybe he should go look for Shura. He could feel his energy around the front of the house, among the cold of the spirits drifting around them. If he let his soul drift just a little more, he might be able to get a clearer image, but…
"Man, no offense, but I get why everyone's spooked by you. Hell, even I'm kinda weirded out" said Death Mask, leaning back into his chair.
"You are? Why?"
"Come on man!"
Aioros gave an exasperated sigh. Here they go again. "Is it because I'm different now?" he growled. "Gods, I'm sorry but I can't live up to everyone's thoughts of who I'm supposed to be. I never actually got to be anything!"
"No, no, it's just- You're just weird. I dunno if it's the being-dead thing or what, but you're just…off. Like, it's weird to be sitting here next to a fully grown, flesh eating, fourteen year old who just spent twenty years in hell."
Aioros flipped the table away and punched him in the face.
Shura opened the door. "What's going on in here?!" he yelled, and Aioros realized what he had done. He growled, wanting to keep fighting but he couldn't stand to have Shura see him like that. He stomped out of the room and towards the entrance.
"Wait! Aioros, where are you going?" asked Shura, chasing after him.
"Away! Anywhere! Anywhere else!" yelled Aioros.
Aioria came rushing out of the kitchen and saw Aioros, then he turned to see Death Mask stumbling out of the hallway with a bruise on the side of his face.
"What happened?! What did Death Mask did to you?" asked Shura, pulling at Aioros' arm.
Aioria turned towards Death Mask "What did you do to my brother?!" he yelled and punched him so hard he sent him cashing into a wall.
Aphrodite rushed to hold him in an armlock. "Have you both gone insane?!" he cried, pushing Aioria down on the floor.
"You let him go!" yelled Aioros, stomping towards him. Shura jumped in front of him, trying to stop him.
Mu tried to step in. "You all need to calm down!" he said, pondering if he would actually have to use his crystal wall to stop this.
Shaka stepped forth. "They need exorcisms to purge the darkness in them."
Mu facepalmed. "Shaka this is really not the time for that!"
"I'm serious, they have been possessed. Especially Aioros. He's surrounded by furious spirits."
Death Mask climbed out of the debris of the collapsed wall and shook his head. "Possessed? Let me see that," he said, touching at his temple. His blue hair turned white and his eyes glowed red. "Wow, he's right. I thought I'd just been a jerk but he really is possessed. Fuck, it must have been the Ouija board. His soul is not fully in his body so the ghosts must be trying to gain control of him."
Aldebaran finally decided that it was enough and he grabbed Aioros from behind, lifting him off his feet. Aioros roared in rage.
"Great, now ghosts are ruining my party. Fucking ghosts," complained Aphrodite.
Aioria got his footing back and threw him off his back, sending him flying to crash into the table. Then he stepped past Mu and tackled Aldebaran to the ground to free Aioros. Death Mask grabbed at his legs and pulled dragged him back away from them but got a kick to the stomach for his effort. Aioria kept kicking at him until Aphrodite heaved him over his head and threw him towards the foyer, making him crash through a column.
"What are you doing?!" yelled Mu. "Bring him back, we need to exorcise him!"
"He's out of control!" cried Aphrodite, whipping his hair back away from his face. Then he cried as Aioria rushed back into the living room and tackled him too.
In the corner, Shaka started reciting the Great Compassion sutra until Aioros grabbed a snack bowl and threw it at his head. Aldebaran used the moment to catch him into a bear hug and immovilize him.
"Shaka, keep the exorcism going!" yelled Aldebaran, struggling to contain Aioros as he struggled and roared in his arms like a wild animal. He trashed so hard, Aldebaran lost his footing and he fell to the floor, but he didn't let go of him.
"Stop! Please, listen to me. Aioros please, can you hear me?" yelled Shura. "If you could listen to me in death, then listen to me now!"
Aioros looked at him and seemed to recognize him. On the corner, Shaka's voice reciting sutras filled the room with a soft glow and Aioria finally ran out of energy and stopped struggling against Aphrodite and Death Mask, collapsing in a heap on the floor.
Aioros closed his eyes, and fell unconscious.