The Past is Prologue: Chapter 4
Ash in the Spirit Realm
Sometimes we celebrate our dead; sometimes we celebrate that they are dead. – Pablo Agama, member of the Avaloran resistance group known as the Night Singers. A People's History of the Reign of Queen Shuriki, compiled by Professor Catalina de Torres.
"So, Ash, the Grand Macaw began uncomfortably. If anything, he looked sheepish, no easy feat for a giant immortal bird who ruled the dark side of the spirit realm.
"Yes?" the malvaga asked severely. This is not sound good.
"The thing is – Alacazar and I were playing cards, and…I kind of lost…"
"And you are telling me this because…"
"My stake against Alacazar was that Tecolote could visit the Dark Side again."
"No," Ash groaned. "You didn't go back on your word…"
"She can only come for an hour a day," Grand Macaw said in a placating manner. "And you don't have to speak to her…"
"So I may leave the Spirit Realm, then?"
"Not this again. This is your home now. Why would you want to leave? This is the most happening place in existence. Just enjoy it like the other spirits."
"I am not a spirit," Ash reminded him.
"And that's why you still have a chanul, and why we're even having this conversation. So really, Ash, it's your fault for being alive."
The malvaga bit back the reply she wanted to make. Ash might be the Grand Macaw's most sarcastic and disrespectful minion (which amused him to no end), but his minion she was nonetheless, and she could not allow herself to forget that. There were only three roles here: minion, subject (or as the Grand Macaw liked to call them, partiers), or prisoner, and only the giant bird's assistants could wield even a modicum of power. And so after several fruitless attempts at escape from this hellish party to which she'd been confined after winning (winning!) her olaball match with that accursed princess, Ash had set about making herself useful to the ruler of the dark side of the Spirit Realm. His charge, the living woman had discovered to her surprise, was not to punish the spirits of the wicked but simply to keep them contained and unable to make trouble for either the living or for other parts of the Spirit Realm. The Grand Macaw had long ago alighted on the notion of creating an eternal celebration so no one would wish to leave. Oddly enough, for most dark spirits, it worked. The majority of the dead here were content – no, ecstatic – to spend eternity in a never-ending party. For those few who were not, who were able to slip the confines of this merry prison, there were the huts. The Grand Macaw had shown Ash where the malcontents of the dark side of the Spirit Realm were kept after she had gotten a bit too close to an avenue of escape. Each hut was a dark, grim, and cramped space of total isolation. They were worse than any dungeon Ash had ever seen, and thanks to her wastrel husband she had seen many. "This is where you would confine me?" Ash had whispered, appalled.
"I should be very sorry to do so. You have a rare spark, and I would mourn if I were forced to extinguish it." It was the unexpected honesty in the eternal jester's voice that had most frightened Ash. He truly wished her no harm, and even respected her in his own inimitable way. But he would do what he thought he must to prevent her from bedeviling the realm of the living again. And so Ash had gotten far more discrete in her efforts to escape. But she had not given up, not truly. She had scores to settle and a daughter to protect. Granted, Carla wanted nothing to do with her, but Ash's love for her child could not so easily be put aside.
Back to the matter at hand. "How am I to avoid talking to that blasted Chanul if I cannot leave the Spirit Realm?"
"Well," the Grand Macaw started helpfully, "you could put your fingers in your ears and sing very loudly. That would be entertaining…"
"Really? Is that all you've got?"
"It's an idea," the bird responded defensively.
Ash began to stalk off, until she remembered to sketch a desultory bow. The Grand Macaw waived her off, looking relieved. No doubt he'd been expecting more of a tongue-lashing than he'd received. But Ash was learning – reluctantly – to play the courtesy game.
Thanks to Alacazar's meddling, Ash would have to face Tecolote again. Her first meeting had not been…pleasant. Ash had not realized that Chanuls were anything more than a children's tale, but when hers had learned she was alive and yet trapped in the Dark Side of the Spirit Realm the owl spirit had flown over immediately and proceeded to give Ash a piece of her mind, tearing into her about what Tecolote termed, "over 50 years of terrible decisions and wicked deeds." This was done in front of the entire assembly, to their great and vocal amusement. Ash had been reduced to tears when she desperately needed to project strength.
But when Tecolote had returned the next day, saying, "Now that I've gotten that out of my system, we can get down to work," Ash had turned the tables on her. She'd run down all the times she'd received no protection from her spirit guide, starting with being orphaned at a very young age, to never having a stable home again and living on charity as a small child (receiving the detested name Ash because she could earn a few coins by cleaning villagers' fireplaces), having only small woodland animals as friends (who were then killed in front of her), and so on and so forth. This time the crowd cheered her and jeered Tecolote until the Chanul had fled. The Grand Macaw had cheerfully pointed out that he thought that was the first time a human had made her Chanul cry.
Tecolote had proven persistent, though. She had returned again and again to try to get Ash to "work on herself," whatever that meant. Finally Ash had gone to the Grand Macaw to ask him to bar her Chanul from the Dark Side of the Spirit Realm. Pleased that the wizard had finally asked him something that didn't involve her leaving, the ruler of the Dark Side had granted her request. Besides, he'd said, Tecolote was a "serious buzz kill" and not much fun.
And now Alacazar's meddling had undone that. Ash had been stunned to learn that her master's old enemy was now a close personal friend of the Grand Macaw, and could come and go as he pleased. And he didn't seem to hold his murder by Zopilote against Zopilote's former apprentice. On the contrary, he almost treated Ash as if she were a fellow victim. Completely ridiculous, of course. Zopilote, before his death at the hands of Alacazar's grandson, had been one of the most powerful dark wizards who had ever lived. He'd taken Ash in when she was still a child and taught her everything she knew about dark magic. Zopilote had made her strong, ruthless, and cunning, and she owed everything to him. It pained her that his spirit had wanted nothing more to do with her. Ironically, his enemy now claimed to want to "save" her – but not actually help her escape.
She had confronted the former Royal Wizard of Avalor about his friendliness to her, suspecting he wanted revenge for his murder. She'd been shocked when Alacazar told her they'd met once before.
"It was during the three-way 'war' between Zopilote, Fiero, and me. I'd tracked the old buzzard to his lair and meant to bring it down upon his head when a semi-feral child ran out and threw rocks at me."
"I remember that," Ash had replied, stunned. "That was you?"
"I didn't know what to make of you, or understand why a child was with Zopilote in the first place. I only knew I could not go through with my plan since it would destroy an innocent. So I owe you, my dear."
Ash had shrugged. "As I recall, you stayed your hand. You showed me pity. I don't see what you could possibly owe me."
"I left you with him. I should have taken you with me. Your life would have been better if I had."
The malvaga had scoffed at that. "I could have asked for no better teacher – or guardian – than Zopilote. I have no regrets."
"Do you not?"
"I regret being trapped in the Spirit Realm as a living woman. But I do not regret becoming the wizard I am now, nor the path I took to get there."
"That is a shame," Alacazar had replied with such sorrow in his voice that Ash almost reconsidered. Almost. Regret was a weakness, and Ash would not be weak. "Still, you might come to see things differently. After all, you are still alive, and where there is life there is hope."
The living woman had assumed the spirit had given up on her. A miscalculation on her part, obviously. The former Royal Wizard genuinely seemed to feel remorse for not intervening on behalf of the child she had once been. Ash could not fathom why. Zopilote had never harmed her. On the contrary. He had taught her how the world truly was and how to survive in it. She would always be grateful.
Ash was startled from her musings by the sudden appearance of Troyo, lightening coyote and lapdog to the Grand Macaw. And her only friend here, after a fashion. Once she had gotten the lay of the land here and realized the only power to be had was to serve the Grand Macaw, she knew she had to make herself useful. She began by offering her aid to her erstwhile teammate Troyo, and made it clear she did not want his job. She wasn't truly his friend, of course, nor he hers, but each found the other useful.
"GM wants to see you before your Chanul," and here Troyo snickered, "arrives."
She scowled at him. "Too bad you don't have one."
Troyo laughed at that. "Nah, they're just nuisances and I'm glad I don't have one. Say, are you going to make yours cry again? Because that was awesome!"
"We'll see. What does the boss want now?"
"He has a gift for you. I think he wants to make up for the whole Tecolote thing."
"I can't imagine what gift would make up for that." But she turned to follow Troyo to the Grand Macaw's throne.
The ruler of the dark side of the Spirit Realm beckoned her forward. "I have something for you, Ash." He handed her the bauble, a red and white bracelet made of some sort of hard material, stone or clay or bone, she could not say.
"And what am I supposed to do with this?" The wizard turned the object mistrustfully in her hands. She could sense the thing's magic, but did not know what it could do.
"It's a bracelet. You wear it on your wrist," the Grand Macaw said unhelpfully. Then he sighed and said, "Walk with me. Troyo, the party is yours. Keep things flowing."
"You got it, boss." The coyote jumped onto the throne.
Quiet was a rare commodity on this side of the Spirit Realm. But the Grand Macaw had paths in his kingdom that were for him alone… and his favored guests. Here one could hear oneself think and not have to listen to that endless infernal music. He led her along one of these paths.
"This is your home, Ash," the Grand Macaw told her. "I know you haven't given up on trying to leave the greatest party of all time," he held up a hand to forestall her denials, "and while I hope you decide to stay, should you find a way back to Dullsville, this bracelet can return you here when you realize your mistake. Come back willingly, and I will welcome you with open arms. I need you in my operation."
"You're letting me return to the land of the living?" the malvaga asked, astonished.
"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. But if anyone is clever enough to find a way past all my safeguards, it would be you. And so I give you this bracelet as a precaution. Turn it like this, and it will bring you back, as well as anyone you're touching at the time. You can bring back a friend, or an enemy, or one of each. The more the merrier. Best of all, you'll come back as a proper spirit – none of this 'living woman trapped in the Spirit Realm' nonsense."
"You mean I'll be dead," Ash observed wryly.
"Sure. That's another way of putting it. Or you can accept your fate and stay here, helping me to keep the more unruly spirits in line."
He turned to go back to his never-ending party, gesturing that she should accompany him. "Would you mind if I stayed a while longer? I have much to consider," Ash said. "Especially since I have to speak with Tecolote again."
"Sure, sure," the Grand Macaw was already getting bored of this conversation, Ash could tell. "You already know the borders of my domain. Just don't try to go beyond them."
"Of course not," the woman replied acidly. Then, reluctantly, she added, "Thank you for the gift." And Ash meant it, too. She had not been wanted anywhere through most of her life, and was oddly touched that this giant blue bird found her valuable enough to make sure she had a way to return if she ever did escape. Not that she had any intention of using it, of course.
The Grand Macaw beamed at her, and off he went. Ash turned to stalk the path in the opposite direction. She did know the limits of the dark region of the Spirit Realm quite well by now. She had tested almost every inch for weaknesses, and had found none.
"There you are," a voice hooted. Tecolote. Ash scowled but did not acknowledge her Chanul. She kept walking.
"You know I'm not going anywhere. You might as well talk to me." The malvaga continued to ignore the owl spirit. Tecolote flew in front of her, but Ash simply walked through the diaphanous spirit.
"Why do you fear me so?" Tecolote continued. Ash bit her tongue. She would not be provoked into an argument. "I am your Chanul. I only want what's best for you. You're angry about being trapped here? All right, let's figure out how your choices and your actions led to this predicament." When it was clear that the wizard continued to ignore her, the Chanul snapped, "Say something, Angélica!"
"Don't you dare call me that! My name is Ash!" The living woman spun about in rage to confront her Chanul.
"Your mother named you Angélica. Her little angel. Your mother Carla named you that." The owl spirit looked inordinately pleased with herself to have finally forced a reaction from Ash.
"Carla is my daughter, not my mother," Ash snarled. "I don't remember my mother."
"But you named your daughter after her, Angélica."
"My name is Ash. If you wish to keep speaking to me, call me that."
"Very well, Ash," the Chanul replied in a mild tone. "Why don't we start at the beginning, with your mother?"
"I had no mother growing up," Ash snarled.
"She didn't abandon you, Ash. She died. It was not her fault."
"I was still left alone. No one took me in. I had to raise myself until I found Zopilote." The malvaga shook her head. She had no use for all this talk of the past. What mattered was the present. She resumed her walk. Tecolote flew along beside her.
"Zopilote, yes. That is where you truly lost your path. Let's …"
"You are my Chanul, are you not?" Ash interrupted. "Does that not mean you are supposed to help me?"
Tecolote sighed. "That's what I'm trying to do. You just can't see it."
"If you really want to help me, a living person, your charge, then why do you not help me to get back to the world of the living? I am alive, so that is where I should be, no?"
"You released the Shadows of the Night upon the living world," the Chanul pointed out wryly. "There is no one, human or spirit, in the Everrealm or in this one, who thinks it would be wise to set you loose to create more havoc."
"Then I promise not to summon the Shadows of the Night again. Problem solved."
"I don't believe you."
"That is the first intelligent thing you've said, since, well…ever." Ash smiled mockingly.
Tecolote was obviously beginning to lose patience with Ash. "I don't have to be doing this, you know. Zuzo believes you're beyond redemption, that you're evil to the core."
"Who or what is Zuzo?"
"A Chanul friend of mine."
"You should listen to your friend."
"I just might," snapped the owl spirit. "And then where would you be?"
"Where am I?" Ash asked wonderingly as she looked about. She hadn't been paying attention to where she was walking.
"You're where your own decisions…oh," Tecolote's voice trailed off when she realized Ash was speaking literally, not metaphorically.
"This…this is where I first came to in the Spirit Realm." Ash hadn't been back to this spot since that first horrifying day.
"I don't think we should be here," the Chanul said in a small voice. "Let's go back…"
Suddenly, Ash screamed! She was falling! Falling down? Falling up? She couldn't tell. She could hear Tecolote's voice calling her name from a distance. What was happening?
She landed with a thump on damp sand and took a deep breath. Her first, she realized with shock, in a long time. She was back in the land of the living. But how?
Then she realized she was not alone.
AN: A story cannot contain a song, of course. But if you would like one, imagine this. A tango electronico sung by Alacazar and Zuzo, debating whether or not Ash can be redeemed. Alacazar believes yes, Zuzo believes no. Tecolote sings the chorus, and she remains undecided.