The sun was bright, the leaves around me a light green. I twirled the red string around and braided it. I made three small braids then braided them all together. I placed the metal charm on the front for Tet. With a black band for Yodh. I tried to fit it around his neck, but I made it to small.

"I'm sorry, I messed it up."

Deri put his book down. "Messed what up?"

"Its to small." I frowned, putting the handmade collar on the table.

He placed a hand over the collar. "Try it now."

I wrapped it around Tet's neck, and it expanded. It fit perfectly. Big brother was so amazing, he could use all the magic in the world. One day I hope I can get better and do all the amazing things he can. I made similar ones for Zayin and Chet, Deri charming them for me.

"You are better at naming than I am."

"Tell me the story, how did you get him."

"Well, I scoured the mountain sides day and night. Through hunger and perilous cold temperatures. I fought monsters and other demons. When I found him, I challenged him to a duel. We fought for days, an even match between us.

I managed to gain the upper hand and I defeated him. Sparing his life only if he became my familiar. All so I could have a beast that was worthy of protecting you when I go to school next year. Now you will be well taken care of while I am gone. Now he is soul bound to you for eternity."

"That seems unfair."

"It is fair, he should protect you."

I laid my head on the table. "I feel so tired."

"Rest some, it is fine to take midday naps." He picked me up, cradling me in his arms, and placed me in the bed.

I grabbed his finger. "Stay?"

"I can't today."

"Please, I need you. Just until I fall asleep. I beg of you."

"You really know how to get me to stay." He lay on the bed, and I curled up next to him. His arm came around me, and I held on to his shirt. He started moving away, the room growing dark. I held tighter.

"Get off of me."

He was leaving me; tears filled my eyes. "Deri. Stay, please."

He stopped moving and patted my head. My nose itched, and I went to scratch it. My arm was nudged, the scent of sandalwood filling my nose. A heartbeat below cheek, I flinched. Getting up and moving away to my side of the bed. Deri was gone; I glared at Narnia.

He sat up, holding his head. "Awake at last."

"Get out." I pointed at the door.

"I can leave now? No 'Please, stay?"

"Get out." I threw a pillow, and he blocked it.

"Who is Deri?"

"Figure it out, it is not hard."

His nose flared. "The tea you made last night was strong, what was it exactly?"

"A flower in your garden around the white gazebo. I made it that strong to put me to sleep. You wanted some so I shared. It is an old medicine most have forgotten." I stood and summoned Yodh, he stood as tall as I. "Leave, or I will have him chase you out."

He put his hands up. "No need to be so angry, you were the one who drugged me and then laid on me."

"That's enough." I shouted.

Yodh growling behind me. "Naberius, go."

"It's Narnia, and I am going. So hostile when I have been helping."

I turned from him, petting Yodh. "Do not think you are not using me too."

"Dance lessons are after breakfast." He walked out.

"Yodh, Tet, Chet, and Zayin. I named you, didn't I? In the past life, your soul is bound to me. Is that true?" They all nodded. "Why not tell me?"

"We were waiting for you to remember us."

I hugged around Tet's neck. "So, all the memories I have of Derkila and Somya. Is it all true?"

"Yes. You were very sick; I have waited over a thousand years to have you back."

I really had lived in a past life. The summoning ritual was an old summon. The power I had was like the power I had long ago but stronger. They wondered why my power was different, what if it was tied to my soul. The Blood in my veins changed over time, was it the crown doing it? It would explain the increase of power if it was purifying my blood.

I phoned Balam. "Viola, how is everything?"

"It's good, um. Have you tested the blood yet?"

"I am in the process right now. It is different, the genes are strong. When I compare it to other samples of demons it is thicker and more concentrated."

"Keep me updated, I what to know every time you find something. I must go."

"I can do that, talk to you later."

I ate alone and went to the ballroom. Narnia waited, reading a book, a flash of Derkila and I jumped.

Yodh rubbed up against me. "Do not let him scare you. I can protect you from him."

"It was not that, I saw Deri for a moment. My memories are bleeding into this life."

"You made it, and you brought your familiar."

"Let us continue from yesterday." Cuffs on my wrists and ankles, he guided me around the ballroom. It bored me, my expression falling further with every dip and spin.

"Now we can attempt with out these." The cuffs fell off.

Around we went and I managed not to step on his feet. I was seven days away from seeing Eli. That was if I were successful. My mind wondered, picturing what it might look like at this Deviculum I planned to skip out on. Others danced with us, my eyes on them, Narnia's gaze on me.

He dipped me down, his face close to me. "Do I bore you?"

"Yes. You do not speak; you move the steps to the song and I'm tired of it."

He tipped me up. "I suppose you learned enough; my feet are intact."

I gave a thumbs up. "Devi-cool. Are we done then?"

"Yes, could you show me what you were doing yesterday and today. What was that?"

"My ability is only limited to my imagination. If I think about it, I can create it. Music helps creativity flow from my bones."

"Let us do that today, no controlling me."

I smiled lightly, war ship drums sounding in my mind. "Valhalla is calling."

"Oh, no."

I grabbed his arm. "Come on, I won't do what I did yesterday. Please." I shook my head, letting go; I sounded just like her. "I'm sorry, I do not know who I am anymore. Her, me, its bleeding."

Yodh nuzzled his face on mine. 'Shh, it's okay. I am sure it is not easy to have a child's memories bleeding in. She was only seven when she passed. She yearned for fun to, I can play all day. As much as you want.'

"Vi, we can do whatever you want. I am sure it has been a long time since you did something other than survive."

It had been so long since I had done anything fun, when it was Eli and I, I would take him to do everything. It was us against the world. Parks, museums, play places, I was there with him doing it all with him. I was a kid again in those moments.

"Whatever I want?"

Narnia's face was solemn as he nodded. "No controlling my actions, which is all I ask."

"Is that Valley still empty?"

He nodded. "There might be weapons and crates left over but as for occupancy it is clear, why?"

"I want to show you how I see and create. I can do so much more than anyone realizes, it's not just dancing, or pretty scenes. Let me change the world around you. Transport you without ever leaving the netherworld."

I changed my dress to a Viking armored skirt and chest plate. I braided my hair back, summing hair cuffs. I summoned armor of Yodh to wear, a helm for each head with their symbol adorning the front. He had plated armor down his back and on his flanks. He turned, his feet tapping the ground.

"We're going to war?"

I nodded. "Play fight, yes. Are you sure you wish to proceed, Narnia?" His nose crinkled, but he nodded. I transfigured his clothes and changed his hair. His mouth gaped as he took in the change. Loose leg pants and shirt. Armor platting his chest down into a skirt. His hair pulled back in a similar fashion to mine.

My lips curled. "It looks good on you; you have the hair for it."

I called Grandpa. "Yes, my most precious granddaughter?"

"Are you busy?"

"I can drop everything right now and come by."

I made a giddy excited noise. "Eee. Okay. Okay. Come play with me, You, Iruma and Opera vs Narnia, Yodh and I in a Viking battleship fight. Meet us in the valley where I stopped the war."

"Iruma can not make it, but I have someone in front of me who will be there." He hung up.

"Let's go." I hooked an arm in his and a hand on Yodh, teleporting us to the Valley. Narnia's weary face was looking all around. It was empty, not a body insight.

Grandpa showed up and I ran up and hugged him. "You made it."

"Of course, anything you want. I brought the replacement, Kalego." I looked behind him, he had his arms folded looking away.

"How fun, bother against brother." I changed all their attire.

"Kalego!" He turned his head to Narnia. "I do not plan to lose."

"In your dreams."

"Everything I create will be useable, cannons and harpoons and even arrows. Use what you have, not your powers. First to sink the others ship wins."

"You might destroy the world around you, that is not wise."

"Narnia, I know. I have a barrier like magic. I can contain it, I will say if I get knocked out everything will fall, that is the price for Valhalla. What that means is the apparitions will fall and fade."

I played warmup drums, calling all to battle. Manifesting a ships from under our feet, raising us up towards the skies. Water rushed around the hulls, swaying us. The sky darkened, rain, wind, and thunder forming over us. It beat down on us, getting us wet.

The music deepened. "GO!" I shouted across the bubbled dome. I dropped the sails. "Yodh, man the ship. Port is left, bow its straight, and starboard is right." Yodh shifted and his armor changed accordingly. "Rise and reign for the thrill of plunder." I called out, then chuckled.

"Just how do we do this?"

"How we want, it's a fun game of war at sea." I grabbed his hand, pulling him to the side. "Bow to Port." I shouted, the ship turned left, curving around the straight standoff. "Cannon balls are in the boxes." I loaded one into each cannon. "Port to Bow." The ship straightened out.

"Were about to pass them."

"Get ready, three, two, one. FIRE!" The cannons on our side started firing, hitting there ship. Opera caught one and flung it back. "Duck." I dropped. Narnia had caught it and aimed it at the hull of their ship.

I patted him on the shoulder. "You did great, just like that. Bow to starboard." The ship jerked hard; Narnia caught my fall. "Thanks, get ready for round two." I giggled as I prepared to fight again, filling the cannons, I ran to the back of the ship, preparing the harpoon.

A full turn and we were coming up on each other. I dropped the sails to pick up pace. I aimed for the middle sail of there ship. Cannons fired; I shot my harpoon as soon as we were about to pass. It went through the railing, embedding itself into the ship's deck. That should have been a little higher. The rope was letting out.

I snatched it, tying it around the anchor. It slipped slightly. "NARI, HELP!" He was behind me in a heartbeat, holding the rope with me. It jerked there ship sideways rocking them to a tilt. Our ship turned from the tension. Kalego cut the rope, I fell back on Narnia.

"That little." I looked up. "Bow to port. Starboard has taken too much damage."

I helped Narnia up. "I know how to make Greek fire. There are pots full of grease. Dip the arrow, light it and shoot. Water makes it spread. You no not have to be a good at aiming but aim for the sails." I giggled as I ran to adjust the sails once we were fully turned.

Narnia picked up a bow, he put all his arrows in one pot, and lit the torch next to it on the railing. He loaded four arrows and lit them all. As we went by, I fired the cannons, and he shot arrows. I took a bow and shot at them too. Kalego had already figured it out and was shooting back. Fire spread on both ships.

Opera was throwing cannon balls by hand that were lit on fire. A hole was sunk into our deck, a fire starting with in. "The barrels are filled with sand." I dumped the barrel down the hole, snuffing the flames. We hit there sails, the rain helping it spread. They won't be able to use the sand on that, I smirked.

Another round, there ship had slowed the sails with burning holes. I raised ours up, cannons fired. Arrows flew. This was the most fun I had ever had in my whole life. Being a demon no longer had all the down sides.

I was grabbed from behind and pulled back and into a dip. Narnia's eyes met mine. A cannon ball landed at my feet. My heart skipped a beat, he set me back up and lifted his bow. He aimed all his arrows at Kalego. He maneuvered and shot back. The brothers danced to see who the better archer was.

I jumped on the Harpoon again, firing at the front of the ship. I tied it down faster and better this time. As the rope snapped tight, ripping the ship front. A crackle and snap, there ship busted and crumpled. They abandoned ship, flying outside. Grandpa carrying Opera. He dropped him and he landed like a cat on my ship. Their ship sinking and fading to nothing.

"We won!" I jumped up and down, then hugged Narnia. "We did it. We won, wasn't this fun?"

"It was, I mean it. Growing up it was always a serious affair. This, this must be the most fun I have had in my life."

The water receded, clear skies, and my ship lowered us to the ground. "Grandpa." I hugged him. "This was great, you stirred the ship well."

"Thank you, but I thank a congratulations is for you. You have come so far in mastering your power and used it for something other than destruction."

I titled my head. "We battled ships."

"Look around you, not a pebble was displaced. I hope one day others can learn this and stop all the brutal fighting."

"Take me home, I humored this." I hugged Kalego next.

"You did great, your archer skills are superb."

"Right, they were. I know, I am amazing." He took my hand off. "I hate to admit it, but it was fun. Change me back." I snapped my fingers. "Right, this was a nice two hours of my life spent." Opera's ears twitched.

I nodded. "Opera. You have one hell of an arm on you, a toe-to-toe fight with you is something I never want to do." I hugged him too.

Grandpa put a hand on Opera's and Kalego's shoulder. They vanished.

"Well, does this make me not so boring?"

I smirked. "Definitely. Yodh, who's a good boy." He had changed back, rolling around. I rubbed his belly. "Yodh's a good boy. The bestiest boy."

'Yes, bestiest boy, more belly rubs.'

I teleported us back to his castle. "That was great, so is dinner around the corner? I worked up an appetite." Narnia smiled, and then he chuckled a little under his breath. "Did I say something funny?"

"No, your face." He raised a wet washcloth.

"I wasn't crying."

"No, you have dirt all over your face." A flash of Deri smiling as he did the same thing. He cupped my chin, gently wiping my face clean. I heard snickering around the corner, I tried to look but Narnia held my chin. "You are so interesting."

I withdrawal from his touch. "Yeah, um. Thanks for humoring me."

I kept seeing him, in the little things he did. Was it because of the hair or how he treated me? I let him talk during dinner, too tired to talk back I nodded, losing myself to sleep. I had expended so much mana it was hard to do regular functions.

I woke up in my bed, I had fallen asleep at dinner. The next few days we did an array of things. Showing him the culture, we had. I would manifest it as apparitions during dinner or conversation. He invested all his time in me; he was not so bad to be around.

made a little home in the music room, I created a new song and displayed the beautiful scene that when with it. From his encouragement and kind words to his advice on how I should handle the situation thereafter. it was getting easier to fake liking him.