Chapter 7: Revival

Kyo, looking at Jenny's body sadly, sat down and opened the book Arteas gave to him. It was awfully thick, and around 10,000 pages long. Kyo looked at the table of contents, which started with Ch. 1: Basics and ended with Ch. 700: Forbidden Arts. Kyo opened to Ch. 1 and began reading.

About 3 hours later, Kyo found that it was already 11 o'clock. Kyo had started with the first chapter and had already advanced to the tenth, learning all of the basics of being Death. He had practiced growing his wings, which were his new source of flight, and had accidentally made seven trees wither and die before he learned how to control the deathly energies in his right hand. Anything organic that he touched would die immediately unless he concentrated the energy somewhere else in his body other than his right arm. However, the energy didn't affect inorganic substances, such as metal or something like that, so if Kyo brought Jenny back, he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally killing her. He practiced harnessing the energy, soul releases (on several small and dying woodland animals), and everything he read about in Ch. 1-10 until he perfected his skills.

Kyo also learned how to create a clone of himself that was fully capable of remembering and performing every task he assigned it. After practice, Kyo planned out how his days would work. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., he would collect souls, sending some to the afterlife and keeping some for the revival of Jenny. From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., he would watch over Jenny's body and care for it, washing it in a nearby hot spring and watching it for six hours, then spent the rest of the time studying the book. The clone would work for the time he did this. He was completely oblivious to the world's problems, and paid attention solely to his own.

However, this wasn't as easy as he expected. Kyo found himself constantly having to dodge humans that entered the forest. Due to his further enhanced hearing, he was able to detect even the slightest footstep heading towards his direction. At this, he would immediately take Jenny's body with him to a safer location, and waited until the immediate danger was gone. This proved to be a tiresome task each day, but he couldn't let his girlfriend down.

Five years later, Kyo had finally reached the final chapter of his book. After learning every single spell, ability, and basic function of Death and mastering it, he would learn the forbidden art of revival. Before he began reading, he decided to travel to Ephemera and explore, so that he could take Jenny with him there...when she came back. Having learned the art of teleportation, he simply warped to Ephemera and flew above the planet's landscapes. The endless seas, the lush, green grasslands, the confusing, exotic jungles, even the tranquility of the forests made him realize that even though the inhabitants were highly advanced, they could still manage their futuristic society while keeping their planet beautiful at the same time. This was paradise. This was where he wanted to spend the rest of his days with his beloved Jennifer.

After coming back from Ephemera, Kyo decided that he wanted to give something to Jenny when she was revived. After having heard about the different exotic flora that grew on the planet one day during his rounds, he found a rare species of roses. The flowers were beautiful, even more so than the ones that you would find in bouquets at flower shops. However, Kyo thought that if Jenny saw just the rose in its purest form, she would think he just bought it. So, concentrating his power and mind on the rose, he transferred some of his power into the flower, making the petals turn black. He remembered that the book stated specifically, "If the one who is Death desires a mate, he or she must transfer some of their mind and energy into something that would show affection, and have that person accept it. Only then will the desired mate become the wife or husband of Death and share the same powers and responsibilities."

Kyo had read from the book in the chapter about revival that a large Deko circle drawn only in blood could be used to concentrate the energies needed to bring the dead back. Kyo figured that this "Deko circle" was the pattern he had seen in the room of his transformation and on the book's cover. So, chopping off his left hand, Kyo spilled the black, thick, vital fluid upon the ground and drew the circle on the stone that he had produced after condensing the soil that was there. He immediately reattached his hand with a quick healing spell, so as to avoid death by blood loss. 1 million souls were required for the revival, and fortunately for Kyo, he had gathered 3 million, 2 million of which he let go. Everything was set. The circle, the souls, and his power. Kyo's 5 years of loneliness were coming to an end. Now, he would get his wish.

Kyo rubbed his hands together, concentrating his energy into his heart.

"Jen, I told you I would bring you back…and now, I'm fulfilling that promise. I made a vow to never go back on my oaths that day, and I have kept it. We'll finally be together…forever."

Placing his hands on the drawing, he began shouting an incantation; "O lords of Ephemera, grant me the power to bring the life back to a lost soul! O dearly departed souls, share your energy with the body of my fallen angel! Please, unite your powers and become one! Bring back…my beloved Jenny!" The sky was thundering, lightning cracked, and the wind blew. Jenny's body in the middle of the circle began to slowly rise and glow brilliantly, so that it was enough to make any ordinary person experience a seizure. It floated a few feet above the ground, and began to glow even brighter. Tiny orbs of light flew into her body, while lightning bolts struck it. 1…2…4…8…32…, a steadily increasing number of the souls flew into her limp corpse faster and faster until no more were left. One final bolt struck the body, and it gave off a wondrous glow. A glow that seemed to bend the very essence of time and space. Suddenly, the thunder no longer boomed, the lightning no longer struck, the wind no longer blew furiously, and Jenny slowly descended to the Deko circle, where she lay stiff and unmoving. The holes where damage to her glorious being and figure could be seen were now gone, and sealed up.

"Jenny, please come back…" Kyo said as he walked over to her body and sat down, looking over it. "Please come back…"

She didn't move.

"Please."

Still no movement.

"Please. I love you. It's driving me mad. I can't go on without you."

He picked her up and kneeled on the ground. Kyo quietly began to cry. The tears that flowed like rivers of lifelong sadness down his face fell onto her stiff body. Suddenly, Kyo felt a leg twitch. He prayed that she would keep stirring. A hand opened slightly, and he laid her upon the ground, sitting, watching.

"…" No sound came from Jenny. Absolute silence followed.

"Jenny…come back to me," Kyo said softly with a melancholy heart as he watched her twitch.

At last, her eyes opened slowly. She looked at him for a few seconds, wearily, and then finally said, "...K...Kyo..."

"Hey Jen," Kyo said softly, smiling, no longer shedding tears. "Welcome back."