Chapter 12
As Anubis and Mercedes continued to walk on the path that wound around the Castle Gardens, the Spanish girl became tense. She knew that if she ratted out on the three Warlords and they would find out…well…from what she had heard from Mia and her five housemates, when Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet were still working for their ex-boss, they would have had no problem shutting her up permanently. 'I don't believe they'll kill me,' Mercedes thought, 'but considering how close they once were, I don't know if I should risk it.'
As the deceased Warlord and the Exchange Student kept walking around the pathway, Mercedes decided that if she were going to rat, then now would be the time. "Anubis, do you believe that your friends are going to let you go back to Mictlan when this is all over?"
"If it wouldn't get them into trouble," Anubis sighed, "then I believe they would try to keep me here."
"You say that as if you expect them to stop you," Mercedes responded.
"I've lived with Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet for 400 years," the Deceased Warrior of Spring smiled, "you tend to learn a lot about people in that time frame."
"Impossible!" Mercedes answered as her eyes bulged, "No human being can live for 400 years!"
"Talpa's magic allowed us to live for 400 years," Anubis laughed, "but that gift came at a price."
"Doesn't everything?" Mercedes grumbled.
Anubis nodded.
"So," Mercedes asked as she cleared her throat, "what makes you believe that your friends would want to keep you here?"
"For 400 years," Anubis sighed, making eye contact with the Exchange Student, "it was just the four of us. We lived together, laughed together, and did all the things "normal" people do. We're a family, and everyone of us, including Dais, didn't want our inclusive group to fall apart."
"But isn't that being…selfish?" Mercedes asked.
"I know you love your little sister Mercedes," Anubis smiled, "and I think she is a wonderful little girl, but if it wouldn't get you in trouble, would you have kept Pepita here?"
Mercedes looked shocked, no one had ever asked her that question. "Well…I…uh…um…" Mercedes stammered until she gave up and sighed. "If it wouldn't get me into trouble," the girl answered, "then…yes…I would keep her here."
"And how is that any different than what my friends want?" Anubis challenged.
"Because it's a false scenario," Mercedes countered, "If it wouldn't get me into trouble, then I would keep my little sister here. But preventing the dead from returning to Mictlan is wrong, and the both of us know that. We may not want it that way, but that is how the world works."
"And if it weren't wrong," Anubis looked at her, "then you would have the same restraints as you do now?"
Mercedes could only look back at Anubis.
"My friends are like that." Anubis continued, "they don't hesitate because what is deemed "wrong" by the mortals is often ignored by my friends. Because of where they live and the effects of time on their bodies and minds, they don't have or obey the same mortal restraints that you, Mia, or the Ronin Warriors obey."
"So," Mercedes concluded, "if your friends were "really" trying to keep you here, then you would be angry with them, but you would understand why they would do something like that?"
"Yes," Anubis answered, "I would understand. I know that it is wrong to prevent the dead from returning to Mictlan, but they are not as easily swayed by the "mortal" restraint that you and the others are bound by."
"They must be very protective of you," Mercedes pondered.
"I learned that anyone who tried to take my place was either defeated and/or killed by the Ronin Warriors." Anubis replied as he shook his head, "Some, if not all of those who tried to take my place, were personally set up by Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet."
"And someone like me…?" Mercedes continued.
"Back then, in their eyes, you would have been nothing more than a nuisance that needed to be eliminated," Anubis responded in a flat tone-of-voice.
Looking at her watch, Mercedes realized that it was 3:00 in the afternoon. "By our Lady of Guadalupe!" the Spanish girl replied in alarm, "I have to go to the kitchen to make the food, get the flowers, and get the candles for our 6:00 picnic at your grave! I cannot believe I almost forgot!"
As Mercedes ran off, Anubis looked at the girl and sadly shook his head. 'Thank you for warning me,' the deceased ex-warlord of Cruelty thought, 'but now you must choose. Will you follow through to prevent my friends for keeping me here? Or will you sit back idly and do nothing?'
Anubis knew he could hold his own in a fight against his friends, if it came down to that point, but the deceased Warrior of Spring didn't know how Mercedes would do in a fight. But if she pushed Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet's buttons hard enough…well…then there was no guarantee that Mercedes would go back home to Mexico alive. He didn't think they would kill her, but considering how many replacements they had set up to be killed by the Ronin Warriors, he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to do anything.
As Anubis and Mercedes continued to walk on the path that wound around the Castle Gardens, the Spanish girl became tense. She knew that if she ratted out on the three Warlords and they would find out…well…from what she had heard from Mia and her five housemates, when Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet were still working for their ex-boss, they would have had no problem shutting her up permanently. 'I don't believe they'll kill me,' Mercedes thought, 'but considering how close they once were, I don't know if I should risk it.'
As the deceased Warlord and the Exchange Student kept walking around the pathway, Mercedes decided that if she were going to rat, then now would be the time. "Anubis, do you believe that your friends are going to let you go back to Mictlan when this is all over?"
"If it wouldn't get them into trouble," Anubis sighed, "then I believe they would try to keep me here."
"You say that as if you expect them to stop you," Mercedes responded.
"I've lived with Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet for 400 years," the Deceased Warrior of Spring smiled, "you tend to learn a lot about people in that time frame."
"Impossible!" Mercedes answered as her eyes bulged, "No human being can live for 400 years!"
"Talpa's magic allowed us to live for 400 years," Anubis laughed, "but that gift came at a price."
"Doesn't everything?" Mercedes grumbled.
Anubis nodded.
"So," Mercedes asked as she cleared her throat, "what makes you believe that your friends would want to keep you here?"
"For 400 years," Anubis sighed, making eye contact with the Exchange Student, "it was just the four of us. We lived together, laughed together, and did all the things "normal" people do. We're a family, and everyone of us, including Dais, didn't want our inclusive group to fall apart."
"But isn't that being…selfish?" Mercedes asked.
"I know you love your little sister Mercedes," Anubis smiled, "and I think she is a wonderful little girl, but if it wouldn't get you in trouble, would you have kept Pepita here?"
Mercedes looked shocked, no one had ever asked her that question. "Well…I…uh…um…" Mercedes stammered until she gave up and sighed. "If it wouldn't get me into trouble," the girl answered, "then…yes…I would keep her here."
"And how is that any different than what my friends want?" Anubis challenged.
"Because it's a false scenario," Mercedes countered, "If it wouldn't get me into trouble, then I would keep my little sister here. But preventing the dead from returning to Mictlan is wrong, and the both of us know that. We may not want it that way, but that is how the world works."
"And if it weren't wrong," Anubis looked at her, "then you would have the same restraints as you do now?"
Mercedes could only look back at Anubis.
"My friends are like that." Anubis continued, "they don't hesitate because what is deemed "wrong" by the mortals is often ignored by my friends. Because of where they live and the effects of time on their bodies and minds, they don't have or obey the same mortal restraints that you, Mia, or the Ronin Warriors obey."
"So," Mercedes concluded, "if your friends were "really" trying to keep you here, then you would be angry with them, but you would understand why they would do something like that?"
"Yes," Anubis answered, "I would understand. I know that it is wrong to prevent the dead from returning to Mictlan, but they are not as easily swayed by the "mortal" restraint that you and the others are bound by."
"They must be very protective of you," Mercedes pondered.
"I learned that anyone who tried to take my place was either defeated and/or killed by the Ronin Warriors." Anubis replied as he shook his head, "Some, if not all of those who tried to take my place, were personally set up by Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet."
"And someone like me…?" Mercedes continued.
"Back then, in their eyes, you would have been nothing more than a nuisance that needed to be eliminated," Anubis responded in a flat tone-of-voice.
Looking at her watch, Mercedes realized that it was 3:00 in the afternoon. "By our Lady of Guadalupe!" the Spanish girl replied in alarm, "I have to go to the kitchen to make the food, get the flowers, and get the candles for our 6:00 picnic at your grave! I cannot believe I almost forgot!"
As Mercedes ran off, Anubis looked at the girl and sadly shook his head. 'Thank you for warning me,' the deceased ex-warlord of Cruelty thought, 'but now you must choose. Will you follow through to prevent my friends for keeping me here? Or will you sit back idly and do nothing?'
Anubis knew he could hold his own in a fight against his friends, if it came down to that point, but the deceased Warrior of Spring didn't know how Mercedes would do in a fight. But if she pushed Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet's buttons hard enough…well…then there was no guarantee that Mercedes would go back home to Mexico alive. He didn't think they would kill her, but considering how many replacements they had set up to be killed by the Ronin Warriors, he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to do anything.
