Okage Densetsu – Lookit The Fancy Japanese

Chapter 14 – Who?

Returning to Madril with Linda in tow, the team found everybody they knew had returned to normal. Nobody remembered a thing about being brainwashed anyhow, so it didn't much matter. They talked and debated for a long time, and all decided it was worth it to check out the sewers. So getting Rin to ask permission from Maggie, they all headed down the Spotted-Cats' manhole. Inside, they found the same room the Sewer Evil King once inhabited.

"Looks the same- wait, look, Ari!" Rosalyn pointed to the wall- a barred gate was messily, halfway opened. "That wasn't open before… was it?"

"…Something about this is off." Ari blinked.

"…" Rin suddenly headed there ahead of everyone, "Come on, Sampson!" She disappeared down the ladder.

"Oh, Rin!" Ari quickly followed.

"This place stinks! Phew!" Linda skipped along, near Marlene who was making sure she didn't get too close to Ari, "Like poopies!"

"It has potential for paranormal life, though!" Kisling grinned, as he always did, "That's always exciting!"

"…" Corona followed along behind Big Bull, dripping drool the entire way. She seemed to waver more than usual, stumbling to the sides unevenly. She managed to head downstairs, following along.

It wound up as a chase-the-Rin game. She playfully led them down two more floors to the very bottom of the sewers, then tiptoed across pipes, making sure they could follow, until she headed to a back room. Everyone stepped in and she cutely gasped, "Dead end!"

"Wait… what's that?" Ari pointed at a magical circle drawn on the floor to the rear.

"Looks like a magic circle," Kisling stared at it, "Clearly not used often."

"Hmph. Human made magic circles are pathetic."

"Ah, but Stan…" Kisling pointed out, "If my theories are correct this should, as the description in my books read, 'Should totally fire up a dude's totally gnarly powers tenfold and totally make them thrashingly tubular.'"

"…Indeed."

"…It looks unsafe." Rosalyn blinked.

"Nah, it looks like fun!" Rin giggled, "Can I go on?"

"Woah, little Sis! Allow Brother to do it first for you! Can't have bad things happen to the Little Sister! No way!"

"…" Corona stared, silent.

"Haha! Then I will stand on it and increase my powers!" Stan laughed loudly.

"Stupid shadow! You can't stand on it- you're in Ari's shadow!"

"…" Stan grumbled a bit at Rosalyn, then looked at Ari, "Come! We will stand on it together!"

"Okay… umm…" Ari slowly stepped onto the object, then turned around. Swallowing hard, he looked at everyone, but his eyes came to rest on Marlene. "…"

"…Well? Where is it?" Stan growled, "Does this thing need a quarter?"

Rin suddenly ran up and gave it a kick. Everyone jumped as a massive burst of light flashed around the portal, everyone calling for Ari to hop off if he could. When the light was gone, he blinked.

"Woah. That was scary."

Everyone looked around.

"Guys?"

"…Well, that bastard's not here." Rosalyn suddenly frowned, "I'll get you yet, Stan!"

"Well, what are you going to do now?" Kisling turned to Big Bull.

"Head to my spa… you know, relax, yeah!"

"…Why am I here again?" Linda blinked…

"Guys?" Ari lost all the color to his face.

Marlene suddenly dropped her music box- it didn't break, but started playing. She bent down and picked it up. "My music box! … It is precious… and I cannot break it… but… I cannot remember why…" She held it close as she left, "My gift…"

"…" Ari watched as everyone continued talking, and then noticed Rin was staring right at him with a HUGE, devilish grin. "Rin!"

"Yes, Ari?"

"Hey! Why can you see me and they- … What did you do?"

"Hehehe… HEHEHE…" She began cackling, "Enjoy yourself! HAHAHAHA! The world won't miss you!"

"RIN!"

She continued to cackle shrilly, and suddenly took off, Sampson in tow, laughing evilly the entire way out. Ari stared in the utmost horror as she ran off, then looked at everyone else. "Hey! Someone! Anyone! Can you hear me?"

"…" Corona suddenly parted from the crowd and stared at Ari.

"Corona!" Ari almost had tears in his eyes, "Can you see me?"

"…Nice guy… don't cry…"

He suddenly stepped off the circle and took her into a hug, mostly trying to get himself to stop shaking. He was both sad and very scared at the same time, as everyone behind the two left. Corona simply wrapped an arm around him, and began rocking slightly back and forth.

"Nice guy… don't cry…" She patted the back of his head, "Don't cry…"

"W…what happened? Why can you s-see me and R-rin… and … everyone else…"

"…" Corona simply kept him in the hug, patting the back of his head.

Ari suddenly noticed a woman standing near the doorway to the room, a woman he had never seen before. She wore a dress- old, gray, bundled up at the bottom with a blue ribbon (it was tied where her ankles should have been, but he couldn't see any feet on her whatsoever) her pale skin in contrast with this outfit. Her warm, brown hair complimented her matching eyes, which looked over Ari silently. Her expression was soft, almost like a portrait's, held in a seemingly warm smile. "…Who…?"

"…Fayth," The woman smiled, "…Her 'imaginary friend'."

All went silent as both Ari and Corona looked at the woman, who simply smiled back with that picture perfect grin. Then, letting go of Corona, Ari stared at the woman, slowly walking to her. "…You are real… but… I've never seen…"

"I know, I am so easy to overlook the whole world seems to spare me their gaze. I was once considered the prettiest woman around, and I was to be the beautiful woman every man wanted his hands on. But my passion was in dancing… and singing… I wished to be in a musical… so I was punished."

"…Why?"

"…It is a long story, not to be discussed here. Corona, it is good you still can see us. However, it appears to me that you… perhaps do not recognize me?"

"…who? Do you have a nametag…?"

"…" Fayth sighed, "I feared this."

"What? The fact her head's so weird?"

"Come, we should first find our place of refuge and then talk. This is no longer a humorous little quest but a meaningful story for you, child, if you dare to come with us. There is a town in the Outside World called Triste… you could have seen the gates before this, but never could go inside. Only we can wander there and through the endless gardens, Chantal, behind it…"

"Chantal! That's where… that's where Corona needs to go!" Ari's eyes suddenly lit up, "Great, Corona, we can get you home and then-"

"…Stanley-chan is gone."

"Hmm?" Ari suddenly looked at his shadow. "…Stan?"

No response, of any sort, came.

"…He IS gone…" Ari suddenly realized what this meant: He was free. No more would his actions and words be penalized. No longer would he be called names. But as he stared at his shadow… he somehow felt it was… empty. "…but where to?"

"Do not ask those things here! If you are heard, that will be the end for us!" Fayth suddenly took his arm in her cold hands, indeed floating just off the floor, "Come, this way."

"…Alright… Come on, Corona. Let's go."

She nodded, picked up her bucket, and then followed the two out.

The walk to Triste was long, heading from the sewers, through the plains to the path to the 'Outside World'. Fayth, silently gliding like the snow itself, led everyone with a ghostly aura about her, over the frosty Pospos fields. As they drew closer to the end of the fields, Ari could see the gates to some place, the view behind it entirely obscured by the hills of snow. Upon reaching it, Fayth came to a rest, then called, "K.T… I have returned…"

"…" For a minute, there was silence, but then a monotone voice called, "Fayth? Alright, come in."

The gate barely slid open enough for them to get through. Slipping in, the gates shut behind them. Ahead was a huge town, complete with a Hero's Club, a bar, an inn, a boutique… yet very few people. All the people here were very, very odd looking, from ghosts to huge-eyed little girls, but a heavy silence hung over the area. It all seemed dead…

"K.T…" Fayth stopped before a black-dressed woman, "This is Corona and Ari. They are now one of us. Please allow them free passage from now own."

"Alright… Just call my name and I will open the gates for you."

"…Uh… thanks. What's with this town?"

"It is reserved for us and only us. The 'normal' people cannot be here. The people who have converted from our state to the 'normal' state should not see us… but some can… as it appears your Corona friend has. Consider bringing her back to the academy."

"Huh?"

Fayth explained, "There is at least one way to return to the normal world… but I highly disapprove. It seems… Corona Hidgeway here-"

"Hidgeway?"

"That is her last name, yes… That she has slipped out of her re-education… and is slowly reverting back to one of us. Too much longer and she would have faded from sight and memory."

Corona remained silent, bucket in hand, looking to be asleep.

"Someone has to tell me… what's happened?"

"There's only one person I know who has the courage to tell you…" Fayth took his hand, "Come, this way…"

As he followed, Corona stumbling along, Ari gazed at the buildings. There were postings here and there, and many had open doors but were entirely empty. The Hero's Club, as they passed, actually had this note posted: 'Those who see this building should regard it as the Hero's Club' but there was nothing else in the building. There were even dance halls with music, but no voices were heard. It all left a haunting impression on his mind- he had to be nudged to be brought back to reality. "Huh?"

"Here he is, Ari…"

"Hey, it's you." The Ringmaster looked Ari over, "I told you to be careful…"

"Hey! Why… You knew this was going to happen?"

"Didn't know for certain, but, well, now here you are!"

"How can I go back? People can see you. I mean, I did."

"Ah, it took a lot of work." The man continued to gaze over Ari, "But you… this is the most advance case I've seen. Nobody can see you because you're shadow has become so thin…"

"What?"

Fayth explained, "Your shadow has thinned out so much that the regular people can no longer see nor hear you. You are there, but the world ignores and overlooks you. Some would describe it as literally being 'overshadowed', so much so that… that you are no longer there. Everyone here is suffering from the same ailment… such as I… and Corona once did."

"…Is… there any way to come back?"

"Oh sure," Ringmaster laughed, "There's one surefire way, then one way I've only done a few times with limited success, but that depended on the patient."

"So… what do I do?"

"Well," The ghostly woman thought, "You could take the route Corona was suppose to take. You see, Chantal is just a butterfly's flight away from here. The re-education capital of this world. They offer a course for those… desperate to return. But… you do not return as you once were, but as someone new."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"…They teach you to be a new person, and erase your mind so you forget the things before. You re-enter the world in that new person… and live that new life without knowledge of anything before. Corona… she seems to have somehow held onto the life behind… as if they couldn't wipe her completely."

Ari suddenly gazed at Corona with a new look at her. No wonder… her mind had been wasted, a smart woman only a shred of what she once was. Though she was asleep, he could imagine her full of life… and could think nothing but how to hate the person who would dare take that away… "Damn it…"

"The other option," The Ringmaster spoke again, "Is to get out and be heard. Though they ignore you now, just keep talking like you need to be heard. Eventually you'll get to a point where I can cast a spell on you so the 'normal' people can see you again."

"…is it…a condition of the victim…" Corona yawned deeply, "…or a condition of the 'inside' world?"

"…I vote for option two, but I have business in Chantal." Ari looked at Corona, then looked at Fayth, "Fayth, I need your help."

"My help? What can I do?"

"…First you can tell me why you're here, personally."

"…" She sighed. "My punishment… I became very interested in the original deviant of this world, I believe his name was… Pollack?"

"Huh? Pollack? Hey! That must be what that bottle was- Dad mispronounced it." Ari laughed uneasily, "I thought he said Pollock… that's a species of fish native to the tropics. Heh… heh… ugh."

"It's spelled… both ways…" Corona sighed, "…to be named after a main course…"

"…Yeah. Anyhow, continue, Fayth."

"…About how… he disapproved with people fitting into niches. Have you ever noticed… how some people are nothing but titles? Like… a next door neighbour, the classic 'blonde' airhead, or… the hero who gives his all to save the world for good. These people… they never think of anything else because of their niches… I believe… 'classification'. If I speak too much of it, however, they may punish you as well."

"Uh… okay then, we'll keep it quiet until we find somewhere safe."

Fayth nodded, "So I was punished because I learned I had a desire not to just be a beautiful woman, a treasure for some already chosen man, but a singer and dancer. I wanted nothing more to be seen for my talents, not my face… so when I tried, they ignored me. As if I wasn't there. I just continued… and finally, it seems someone just up and erased my legs."

"…" Ari blinked, now with a look of horror.

"Then I have been shuffled into the off-category as a 'human-spirit ghost'. There is very little left of me and the more I talk about it the father I deteriorate."

"…That's terrible." Ari shook his head, "That's why I want you to come with me."

"Huh?"

"We're going to Chantal to find out what they did to Corona and make them change it back. Then we're going to fix you, and last we can worry about getting me back. Hell, if I never go back, I don't care, as long as this… this… unbelievably cruel individual has had a damn good talking to!"

"You musn't!" Fayth gasped shrilly, "He will destroy you!"

"Who will?"

"…I musn't say… he is listening…"

"Well, if you won't tell me I'll have to learn. Now are you going to accept being ignored the rest of your life because you didn't do something someone else had planned for you? Are you going to wither away because you accept what that person thinks of you? Or are you going to stand up and help me?" Ari stared hard at the woman, "Are you going to allow countless others go through what you do now? I mean…" He looked to Corona… "…Such wasted personalities… we cannot allow this to happen again."

Corona silently stood there, dripping away as usual.

"Please, Fayth… SOMEBODY needs to fix this place."

"Alright, I will, and I don't care if I disappear right now!" A soft smile parted her lips, "I will again dance and sing."

"And I will be heard… and Corona will be able to live." Ari smiled, then turned to the Ringmaster, "How long can you wait? Mind if we go kick some ass?"

"Heh heh! I'll wait as long as you need me to, just promise you'll come back. And between you and me," the man winked, "I support you two-hundred and ten percent."

"Great. Come on, Fayth, we'll get you your big debut back. Come on, Corona, we'll figure out who broke you."

"Lunch time already…?"

"Eh heh… sure. Let's go!"