Chapter 8

It was quiet in the castle around 11:00 A.M on November 1. Pepita had left a few hours ago, but before she did leave, the little girl had shown everyone else her Shuten doll. Mia and Mercedes' five housemates cringed at the doll, but Cale and Sekhmet almost had a panic attack. When Pepita left, via her Monarch Butterfly, she gave Dais her Shuten doll. Dais accepted the doll, and quickly shot death glares at anyone who wanted to make fun of him holding a little girl's doll.

After Pepita left, Mercedes explained why she was the first to visit and not their friend. "Pepita is an "angelitos" or little angel," she explained. "Every Day of the Dead, the little angels come before the faithful departed, or, in other words, the adults."

"The…faithful…departed…" Dais sighed.

Mercedes looked at the Warrior of Summer, "Are you okay?"

Dais shook his head, "Do you really believe that Anubis will come and visit us?"

"I don't see why not," Mercedes shrugged. "You made him an "ofrenda" or as you would call it, an altar, you cooked his favorite foods, you allowed me to place a path of Cempazuchitl Marigolds to his altar, you lit the four candles on top of his altar to guide him back home, and you left a bottle of Sake out for him. I don't see why he wouldn't come back to visit you eight and remember all the good times you had together."

"We never had any "good times" together," Cale smirked. "Mia and your five housemates were once our enemies."

"Will you cut it out," Rowen snapped, "he made his choice. He said he wasn't going to go back and you three should've respected his wishes."

"And if it were your friend, Strata," Sekhmet shot back, "would you have just let your friend walk away?"

"Okay!" Mercedes replied sharply, cutting the two groups of armor bearers off, "I don't care if you hate each others guts, all I ask is that when your friend is here, you act civil and try not kill each other. I have no desire to explain to your friend your rude behavior or make any spur-of-the-moment altars because some got killed."

Everyone glared at Mercedes, who muttered something unrecognizable in Spanish, and walked away.

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Mia sighed as she walked into Commons Room. Mercedes had told her that the Day of the Dead festival was a time when friends and family came together to remember his or her deceased loved ones, but Mia wondered if the small argument the Ronins and the Warlords almost started would've spoiled the festival. That brief spat had unconsciously brought back memories of that day in the park when Anubis had been viciously attacked and knocked unconscious. The Warlords had wanted to take Anubis back to Talpa, but the Ronins had told them no. Mia had seen the Warlords angry, but the way they looked at the Ronins when they refused to hand over Anubis, well, those glares were enough to scare anyone to death. 'It doesn't matter,' Mia thought, "Mercedes is right, the past is gone, and all we can do is look towards the future."

Mia sat on one of the couches and opened up the book she had brought to read. Not paying attention, Mia's watch struck 12:00 P.M. and a Monarch Butterfly flew into the Commons Room through one of the castle's windows. Mia was still reading when someone gently tapped her on her shoulder. "Do you want any Sake?" A male voice asked.

"Actually, I don't…" Mia began, until she looked at the person who had made the offer.

Mia eyes went wide; he had come, just like Mercedes said he would. "YOU GUYS!" Mia yelled, "YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET IN HERE!"

"Why?" Cale yelled back in response.

"BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS DECIDED TO PAY US A VISIT!" Mia yelled, finishing the conversation.

With that, everyone came barreling towards the Commons Room. When everyone finally skidded in, the person who had offered Mia a drink looked at everyone and smiled. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Anubis," Sekhmet whispered.