Chapter 13 To Heaven
"Kougaji-sama, you're back!" Yaone exclaimed delightedly, but stopped when she saw the girl behind him. Kougaji noticed her bewilderment. "She's our guest for tonight. This is Yaone, and Yaone, this is." He was stuck when he remembered that he hadn't asked her name.
"Marilee." She promptly replied and shook hands with Yaone. Yaone beamed happily. "Please come in, Marilee. Kougaji-sama, Lilin is waiting for you."
Ryudell followed Kougaji into the house. By the looks of it, it was perfectly normal, but the little knowledge she had of this world told her that this was a family of youkais.
They sat down at the table, and Kougaji began the conversation. He was actually very curious. If he wasn't wrong, everybody's memory was modified, but why was she, a mere human, asking for somebody who others can't remember their existence?
"I'm not from this world," Marilee said hesitantly. "I was sent by a good friend - to bring back Sanzo at all costs. I assure you I don't mean harm," She said quickly when Yaone looked aghast. "It's just that. it's extremely urgent. I really need to bring him back."
Kougaji listened with great interest. When she had finished, he smiled. "That explains some things. Why you remember them. Now I will tell you our story. Nobody here remembers Sanzo because their memory have been modified with the exception of me and my family. They are now in heaven, and to prevent further damage, the people's minds have been modified so they haven't a clue of what has happened these past years. My family survived because we were honored by the Gods, and it was pure luck that you found me, Miss Marilee."
Marilee frowned. "Heaven? Where is that? How can we get there?"
"We can't." Kougaji sighed. "Unless we encounter a god and obtain permission, there is no way we can get to Heaven."
"Oy, Big Bro," Lirin said after a moment's silence. "I don't really know what's going on, but if it's a question of getting to Heaven, why don't you go to Konzeon's temple?"
"Oh yeah." Dokugaji said through a mouthful of spaghetti. "If you pray hard enough, she's bound to hear you."
"Since when do I need to go to that woman for help?" Kougaji snapped, but inside he had to admit that that was the only possible (not to mention fastest) way to get to Heaven. Even if it meant dealing with that frightening woman.
"What if Sanzo won't come?" Yaone asked. Lirin shook her head. "He won't miss a chance to save a world."
"I will bring him back," Marilee said determinedly. "Those are my orders."
"Well." Yaone mused, "He may be a little sour, but he has a good heart. If he has helped you before, he surely would help you now."
Sarra lay awake, watching the lightning send shadows across the ceiling and hearing the steady heavy downpour outside. There was so much to do - a wedding is such a big event. Luckily she had help, and as she thought about it, Erik's face swam into view. Erik. How she loved him. She couldn't believe it when he proposed a week ago, but she believed it now, what with all the hustle going on in the Citadel. What she didn't understand was why people kept telling her to wake up, and telling her things she didn't remember.
The thing is, she really couldn't remember anything before the battle with those intruders on the southern border. All she remembered was waking up in the Citadel, and then realizing she had lost her memory. But she had gotten on well, hadn't she? Why couldn't people understand? What is so wrong about trying to unite two nations? They'll understand, she thought finally. Once the union is done they will understand.
For some reason the last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was a pair of violet eyes as piercing as the night.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Kanzeon Bosatsu stifled a yawn as she took her seat behind her massive desk. Work, work, work. God never gave her a days rest! She flipped through the stacks of documents on her desk, listening to the birds singing outside her window. Of course, birds in Heaven do nothing but sing, she thought wryly. It was really tiresome after a while, and she understood when Konzen said he was sick of it all. Heck, he's only been here for a year.
"Maybe the Priest in you won't give up." She said aloud. "Still thirsting of adventure. It's a shame really - "
"KANZEON BOSATSU!!!!!!!!!" Jiroushin burst into the room, stammering and pale and truly in panic. "Kanzeon Bo - "
"Calm down, will you?" Kanzeon snapped. "Yelling the house down before gods are even properly awake!"
"Forgive me." He gasped as he held his side, totally flat from running. "I - your - temple!"
"What? Some madman threatening to destroy my temple if I don't fulfill his desire?" She flicked a dust speck off her table in boredom.
Jiroushin turned white. "Close, but not close enough."
CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Er, Lilin, I think that's enough." Kougaji sweat-dropped as Lilin happily tipped a statue of the Goddess over, sending it crashing into a million pieces. Marilee didn't know whether to frown or to laugh. Temple priests were cowering in corners, praying hard. "I can't believe we're doing this." She muttered.
"Well, we prayed, pleaded and cried but she won't come," Lilin ticked off her list. "So I figured she'd want to save her statue."
"Close enough, little brat." A low, threatening voice made her jump. "Aiya!"
Kanzeon Bosatsu stood right behind her, a vein throbbing in her forehead. "Suppose you tell me what's the meaning of this?"
"We brought you someone," Kougaji said, trying to keep his voice level. "She's looking for Sanzo."
Kanzeon stopped her frowning. "Sanzo?" She eyed Marilee and resumed her frown. "Who's she? She's not human."
"I am," Marilee said, slightly cross. "I'm looking for Sanzo. Just let me see him. It's extremely urgent."
Kanzeon regarded her for a while. She had her suspicions, but the naughty side of her whispered that this might be the break Sanzo was looking for. After all, if all went wrong she could always have her beheaded. "Alright." She said at last. "But you," She turned to Lilin, who grinned sheepishly. "You're cleaning my temple up. I assume you, Kougaji, have enough honor to oversee her?"
". alright."
"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands and turned to her temple priests. "Ah, yes. what a miracle it is for you. Well, there's only one thing to do in such situations - you are blessed!' She smiled happily as the temple priests prostrated themselves in front of her. "Let's go," she took Marilee's hand and all the sudden they were in a huge, spacious room with a lily pond in the middle. "Welcome to Heaven!"
She looked around in wonder. It was beautiful. but she quickly shook her head. She needed to find him. she only had tomorrow.
"Jiroushin!" Kanzeon called impatiently. "Where are you?!"
The doors opened and a wizened old man came into the room. "Bosatsu-sama?"
"Find Konzen," She settled into her chair, smiling wickedly. "Tell him it's urgent."
"Kougaji-sama, you're back!" Yaone exclaimed delightedly, but stopped when she saw the girl behind him. Kougaji noticed her bewilderment. "She's our guest for tonight. This is Yaone, and Yaone, this is." He was stuck when he remembered that he hadn't asked her name.
"Marilee." She promptly replied and shook hands with Yaone. Yaone beamed happily. "Please come in, Marilee. Kougaji-sama, Lilin is waiting for you."
Ryudell followed Kougaji into the house. By the looks of it, it was perfectly normal, but the little knowledge she had of this world told her that this was a family of youkais.
They sat down at the table, and Kougaji began the conversation. He was actually very curious. If he wasn't wrong, everybody's memory was modified, but why was she, a mere human, asking for somebody who others can't remember their existence?
"I'm not from this world," Marilee said hesitantly. "I was sent by a good friend - to bring back Sanzo at all costs. I assure you I don't mean harm," She said quickly when Yaone looked aghast. "It's just that. it's extremely urgent. I really need to bring him back."
Kougaji listened with great interest. When she had finished, he smiled. "That explains some things. Why you remember them. Now I will tell you our story. Nobody here remembers Sanzo because their memory have been modified with the exception of me and my family. They are now in heaven, and to prevent further damage, the people's minds have been modified so they haven't a clue of what has happened these past years. My family survived because we were honored by the Gods, and it was pure luck that you found me, Miss Marilee."
Marilee frowned. "Heaven? Where is that? How can we get there?"
"We can't." Kougaji sighed. "Unless we encounter a god and obtain permission, there is no way we can get to Heaven."
"Oy, Big Bro," Lirin said after a moment's silence. "I don't really know what's going on, but if it's a question of getting to Heaven, why don't you go to Konzeon's temple?"
"Oh yeah." Dokugaji said through a mouthful of spaghetti. "If you pray hard enough, she's bound to hear you."
"Since when do I need to go to that woman for help?" Kougaji snapped, but inside he had to admit that that was the only possible (not to mention fastest) way to get to Heaven. Even if it meant dealing with that frightening woman.
"What if Sanzo won't come?" Yaone asked. Lirin shook her head. "He won't miss a chance to save a world."
"I will bring him back," Marilee said determinedly. "Those are my orders."
"Well." Yaone mused, "He may be a little sour, but he has a good heart. If he has helped you before, he surely would help you now."
Sarra lay awake, watching the lightning send shadows across the ceiling and hearing the steady heavy downpour outside. There was so much to do - a wedding is such a big event. Luckily she had help, and as she thought about it, Erik's face swam into view. Erik. How she loved him. She couldn't believe it when he proposed a week ago, but she believed it now, what with all the hustle going on in the Citadel. What she didn't understand was why people kept telling her to wake up, and telling her things she didn't remember.
The thing is, she really couldn't remember anything before the battle with those intruders on the southern border. All she remembered was waking up in the Citadel, and then realizing she had lost her memory. But she had gotten on well, hadn't she? Why couldn't people understand? What is so wrong about trying to unite two nations? They'll understand, she thought finally. Once the union is done they will understand.
For some reason the last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was a pair of violet eyes as piercing as the night.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Kanzeon Bosatsu stifled a yawn as she took her seat behind her massive desk. Work, work, work. God never gave her a days rest! She flipped through the stacks of documents on her desk, listening to the birds singing outside her window. Of course, birds in Heaven do nothing but sing, she thought wryly. It was really tiresome after a while, and she understood when Konzen said he was sick of it all. Heck, he's only been here for a year.
"Maybe the Priest in you won't give up." She said aloud. "Still thirsting of adventure. It's a shame really - "
"KANZEON BOSATSU!!!!!!!!!" Jiroushin burst into the room, stammering and pale and truly in panic. "Kanzeon Bo - "
"Calm down, will you?" Kanzeon snapped. "Yelling the house down before gods are even properly awake!"
"Forgive me." He gasped as he held his side, totally flat from running. "I - your - temple!"
"What? Some madman threatening to destroy my temple if I don't fulfill his desire?" She flicked a dust speck off her table in boredom.
Jiroushin turned white. "Close, but not close enough."
CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Er, Lilin, I think that's enough." Kougaji sweat-dropped as Lilin happily tipped a statue of the Goddess over, sending it crashing into a million pieces. Marilee didn't know whether to frown or to laugh. Temple priests were cowering in corners, praying hard. "I can't believe we're doing this." She muttered.
"Well, we prayed, pleaded and cried but she won't come," Lilin ticked off her list. "So I figured she'd want to save her statue."
"Close enough, little brat." A low, threatening voice made her jump. "Aiya!"
Kanzeon Bosatsu stood right behind her, a vein throbbing in her forehead. "Suppose you tell me what's the meaning of this?"
"We brought you someone," Kougaji said, trying to keep his voice level. "She's looking for Sanzo."
Kanzeon stopped her frowning. "Sanzo?" She eyed Marilee and resumed her frown. "Who's she? She's not human."
"I am," Marilee said, slightly cross. "I'm looking for Sanzo. Just let me see him. It's extremely urgent."
Kanzeon regarded her for a while. She had her suspicions, but the naughty side of her whispered that this might be the break Sanzo was looking for. After all, if all went wrong she could always have her beheaded. "Alright." She said at last. "But you," She turned to Lilin, who grinned sheepishly. "You're cleaning my temple up. I assume you, Kougaji, have enough honor to oversee her?"
". alright."
"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands and turned to her temple priests. "Ah, yes. what a miracle it is for you. Well, there's only one thing to do in such situations - you are blessed!' She smiled happily as the temple priests prostrated themselves in front of her. "Let's go," she took Marilee's hand and all the sudden they were in a huge, spacious room with a lily pond in the middle. "Welcome to Heaven!"
She looked around in wonder. It was beautiful. but she quickly shook her head. She needed to find him. she only had tomorrow.
"Jiroushin!" Kanzeon called impatiently. "Where are you?!"
The doors opened and a wizened old man came into the room. "Bosatsu-sama?"
"Find Konzen," She settled into her chair, smiling wickedly. "Tell him it's urgent."
