Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Stuffy

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"So... she's your mother..." Mina began in a very hesitant tone as they walked towards the gate of the shrine. It was a lovely day, the trees swaying with a gentle breeze, the sky had a few clouds, the sun was warm and bright. Yoko was here and they were going to have a mani pedi day, with shopping and yet somehow just seeing Yoko's mother put a big black rain cloud over the day.

"Yep, that is Mother Belnades, the member of my clan that was there the day the Castle was sealed," Yoko answered. Her voice was a slide from ruefulness into regret that spoke some of the relationship between mother and daughter. She walked along in a steady clip rather than a leisurely stroll as though wanting to get away from something without it being, too, obvious.

"Ahh I was thinking more of 'firm and possibly hard' wasn't really thinking about the whole Castle aspect." Mina pointed out apologetically, ducking her head down a bit as though expecting a possible out burst. Hopeful for the typical light nudge as a sign that Yoko wasn't feeling down about that whole experience. Yet the blond was silent, not even a smile on her lips as she stared straight ahead and kept walking. "Yoko?"

"Hmm?" Yoko turned to look at her with a blank look that quickly became alarmed. "Oh! I'm sorry, just well, mom." She plastered a fake smile on her face, bright and full of sunshine that she clearly wasn't feeling.

Which only made Mina more concerned. "Yoko? If you don't feel up to this anymore we don't have to go," she offered.

"No, I'm fine really. I refuse to let her presence here ruin our day out!" Yoko argued, shaking her head as though shaking unnecessary thoughts out of her head. "Its not really the fact that she's here that bothers me, we're not really close to the main clan and well... For her to show up means that something is going on back in Spain."

Their stroll never made it to the stairway leading off the grounds, instead the pair stood on the stone walkway. Mina stood there unsure of what was going on, since Yoko never bothered to tell her that her mother was coming. Though for Mina everything was new to her, over a year later and she still felt she needed to get adjusted to what had happened. She always knew the importance of these people in the vague sense that they 'were' important and ultra secret in that.

"Its about Soma isn't it?" she hazarded as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and back again. She watched as Yoko gave a small grimace as though a nerve had been hit and nodded quietly. "Is there a problem? Has he relapsed?"

Yoko blinked in surprise before giving a small smile and a shake of the head, "no. Nothing as dramatic as that, or we'd all see the Castle again. But, it does involve him only I don't know the details. I'm not in the loop with the rest of the family, and Julius has been rather busy reconnecting with his clan so as of right now. Mother is my own source of intel and well, when she just shows up..." Yoko gave a weak shrug and smile. Then she shook her head and her smile became more positive, "but this is our hang out day. Just you, me, the mall, Tips and Toes, a nice place to eat everything to make us feel like humans not like the last bastion to protect humanity from destruction!"

"... No pressure or anything Yoko." Mina replied with a straight face and a slight nod. Seeing visitors to the shrine passing the gates she walked off the direct path and towards one of the several side paths. Yoko following dutifully behind because she could just feel the concern, not really but yeah, girlfriend vibes off of Mina and knew she was about to be grilled about Soma. "Ok, so what did he do?"

Yoko looked up at the tops of the waving trees and bright blue sky before she gave a restrained, "so what do you know he's been up to?"

Mina folded her arms tilting her head to the side in thought before giving a simple, "he said he's ok."

"Umm wow... Well, he cut off D'arsits' hand but no one at the church cares because he's a jerk anyway..." Yoko began trying to remember that far back when a disbelieving voice grabbed her attention.

"What?!"

Yoko looked back at Mina realizing maybe she should have thought on the topic more before she had spoken. The poor priestess in training had lost all color in her face, which made her light auburn hair and ribbons stand out more. Even the cream colored empire waisted shirt she was wearing was darker than the girl. "So yeah. Um Soma was a bad boy and has to wear a ring that stops him from using his powers and he's been chillin like a villain at Arikado's place."

A couple of fallen leaves drifted off behind her, nearby a bird decided it wanted to start singing, and Yoko kept waiting while Mina tried very hard to process this. Because Soma never equated as a guy who would cut someone else's hand off, at least before the first trip through the Castle. She didn't have an exact understanding of what had happened.

"One of the Cardinals over stepped their authority and did something that Soma didn't approve of. Granted Soma may not have been well enough to deal with the visit in the first place, and well, he reacted poorly. Also we're standing here talking instead of enjoying ourselves and I didn't come all this way so we could wallow in self pity or worry!" Yoko explained, her tone hurried as she hustled behind Mina and began gently pushing the girl back towards the gates towards the outside world. "Let's just have fun!"

"But Yoko!"

"No, 'buts', seriously! If we spent every day worrying about things we'd die of old age before we were born!" Yoko stated firmly as they walked towards the gate, shutting out all the reasons that her mother could have come from Spain for.

"I guess you have a point. Still, Soma's not the type of person to do such a thing! I can't wrap my mind around the fact that he did." Mina admitted as she watched the laid stones underfoot as she walked. Stones she had swept for as long as she could hold a broom, that led her towards home or out into the world. Stones, stability, grounding, Soma was a lot like that for her, stable and always so calm and in control. The notion that he could be driven so easily into rage worried her immensely even as she walked.

She knew that he lived on borrowed time, after Fortner it was made clear that Soma couldn't do it. He couldn't fight and win against the darkness in his own soul without help and even then the very help could ultimately cause him to lose. But worrying over it wasn't going to help, because it would make Soma feel guilty about how things turned out. Sometimes guilt was a good way to motivate someone to change, but not Soma. He would regress, returning back to the way he was before the Castle, keeping everyone an arm length away from him.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" She finally asked. Yoko had a gift for knowing a good person from a bad person just from the first meeting. Her skill was impeccable, and always spot on which meant if Yoko gave up on Soma eventually Mina would have to as well.

Yoko apparently recognized the pressure being put on her, as her expression became more thoughtful and her eyes more focused on the ground as they took to the long staircase down. All the times she had seen Soma since Fortner's stunt had been with him being in states of exhaustion. Constantly kept pushed to the limit of his emotions or deprived of the only one who understood his powers and could help keep them subdued. She couldn't say Soma was doing well even when well rested when Alucards' absence clearly bothered him to distraction.

"In a perfect world I would say that Soma will be fine. He wasn't raised to be aware of his dark powers nor was he raised to accept that darkness does not mean evil. But he would be fine with the powers of darkness he has, I think that the Chaos is what messes him up. However; this is not a perfect world, there are people who want to get a hold of him and have him revert to the state none of us want. So long as those people are around, Soma is locked in a cage, he can't leave Arikado's sanctuary as its the only place people can't get to him. Even the Church can't be trusted because there will be people there who think he's evil by default and want him dealt with."

Yoko kept walking, even as she felt Mina get more and more despondent by her words, but Mina asked for an honest assessment. "There are things going on that concern Soma, I think that if we can get them dealt with he might be ok. But that's a big 'if', its not as though we can hunt down every single person involved and lock them away forever after all."

"But there is hope," Mina asked tentatively, grasping at what she could. "Humanity isn't purely evil, sure there are bad people but..." she left her words drifting on the breeze as she watched the sidewalk get closer to the pair.

"Yeah, there's always hope." Yoko agreed readily.

\\\\Skipping all the parts that make shopping so much FUN! Soma thanked me for that.\\\\

"Well I know you thought I forgot, but here we are! Time to make you a stuffy!" Yoko announced, waving Mina into a particular shop. Yoko could still remember when she was a tiny girl walking with her mother and passing by the Spanish branch of this store. Followed by a double take and a b line straight inside, because who needed to listen to their parents about not wandering off? It was also one of those rare places that her mother 'would' actually allow them to stop at and buy something for Yoko.

Mina didn't need to be told twice as she eagerly walked into the shop lined with bears, dogs, cats, magical ponies and other bodies. The walls had completed stuffed toys, while colorful bins were lined up below with the unstuffed bodies. Free standing racks held accessories to make each toy unique to the recipient. There was a overly simple yet dramatic 'machine' for stuffing toys and children eager to bring their 'new friend' to life.

Yoko had promised Mina a stuffed friend like Snuggywuggy ever since the Castle, and now Mina was eagerly going through each bin. Picking up and putting down all manners of stuffed toys while searching for something she could love forever and would be her emotional back up in the same way that Snuggy was to Yoko. She had spent the couple of years planning her perfect stuffy from the soft fake fur to the accessories, yet oddly enough here she was. Standing in the shop and suddenly those designs didn't seem enough.

The teddy bear with a heart wasn't enough anymore, the cute dress and bow for the ear was sub par. So she dipped into each bin, seeking out a shell that called to her more. It took longer than she wanted when she finally found a bin with something that pulled at her. Bins full of bears, bunnies, cats, and dogs did nothing for her. Until...

"Excuse me? Do you need any help?" a sales associative asked politely as Mina stood holding a multicolored cat in one hand and a bear in another.

"Ah... I'm sorry, no we're ok..." Mina answered embarrassed by her indecision.

The young woman looked about to start a possible pre designed sales pitch when a small child rushed over and voiced a question. For which Mina was most grateful since she wasn't sure how she would be able to explain her indecision. Who went into a store for building your own bear and 'not' have an idea what they were going for?

So Mina moved more slowly down the selection of bins, trying to find something that would speak to her. It was as she moved along that she saw a single tan shell paw sticking out amid the brightly colored tiger shells that got her attention. Curious as to what it could be, she pulled out the shell of a lion that can with a similar big glassy eyed, thread sewn mouth and soft tan mane. It had the typical lion tail with the tuft of fur at the tip and some how it felt perfect.

Yoko watched as Mina perked up at the lion in her hands and went about the store with renewed interest, collecting a voice box for it and going to the stuffing machine. Which pleased her, the store was nice, but it had a limited selection and she had sensed Mina's growing distress. She couldn't understand what was so upsetting about the whole affair, but perhaps for Mina. Stuffed toys with limited sentience was serious business.

She watched Mina go through the whole process, holding her new stuffed toy with a surprisingly deep focus. Before she nearly bounded like some happy puppy towards Yoko with the crib like box in her arms. She was so adorable like this with her bright happy emotions and it was that constant earnest nature that made Yoko adore her so much.

"Here he is! I named him 'Leon'!" Mina announced proudly.

Which in and of itself was like her brother Kazuaki brand of weird. Because, like her brother, Mina's main language was Japanese. But she didn't name it the Japanese way, rather the Greek way, despite not having an 'L' in the Japanese language. All the same though, there was tan fake furred lion with amber color mane that Yoko would enchant the way she had created Snuggywuggy, for Mina. Of all the things Mina had said she wanted as payment for not being told about the whole Castle thing, she wanted a stuffy.

"Ok! So lets go get that mani pedi!" Yoko replied with a cheerful nod. She picked up her bags while Mina tucked Leon into a bag and followed suit. Which meant getting in the car and driving towards the spa, which meant more girl talk that would have bored any red blooded human male mad...

"So... do you hear from Soma regularly?" Mina broached the subject nervously, Leon on her lap. Then again neither openly said they were dating, they were just friends who were overly concerned for one another. Right.

Sure.

HA!

"Yeah, why?" Yoko asked, as she joined the traffic towards the city.

"Well, I've tried calling and the phone just rings forever and then picks up. I hear Soma saying 'hello', but its like he doesn't hear me because he hangs up! When I text him I don't get replies for weeks at a time." Mina explained, a frown on her face as she looked down at her little Leon puzzling why she would be interested in a lion. He wasn't cute or serene, but as she examined him she had to admit there was 'some' cute to him. That big friendly grin, those silly large paws, the puff tipped tail, the longer she looked the more her mind settled that, yes, this 'was' a cute stuffy.

"Oh, well yeah that's not your fault. Its where Soma is at the moment. Arikado keeps his place like that so it has that effect on reaching him or anyone there. If your phone isn't set up to get through it literally takes weeks to reach him." Yoko explained casually. But as she drove in the corner of her vision she could see Mina look down dejectedly at the top of Leon's head. "Mina, get my purse will you?"

Mina looked at Yoko before she leaned behind the seat and dug out Yoko's purse. She watched as Yoko dug around in the purse for a moment before she pulled out her phone and began unlocking it. Perking Mina up as it was handed to her with the instruction to find Soma's number and give him a ring. Yet despite the casual instruction Mina found herself with butterflies in her stomach. What if Yoko was wrong? Arikado had done something to her phone when they had escaped the Castle the first time. The 'what if' scenarios began to play through her mind when the phone clicked...

"Hi Yoko, if you're calling now to see if I'm a homicidal maniac vampire lord I'm sorry to report no. I'm still me. Though realistically I am Dracula, just without the bloodlust."

"Soma!" Mina squeaked out, a mixture of surprise and relief in her voice as she heard him speak. She sank into the seat with a relieved sigh and a vice grip on the phone as though if she let it go she would lose him forever.

"I've been calling your phone, kept getting your grandpa," Soma remarked, with a surprising clarity given that it was apparently an enchanted cellphone.

"Grandfather Maso?" Mina began frowning as she tried to understand why he would get the call when her number was transferred to her new phone.

"Arikado made me swear never to get rid of this phone once he enchanted it... Uh did you give Grandpa your phone?" Soma asked, causing Mina to realize the universe was face palming.

"Yeah, I did, he couldn't handle these newer models... I'll have to get it back, I'm so sorry Soma!" She apologized while trying 'not' to shove her face into Leon's head.

"Its ok, I'm not the one who's going to get the eternal straight faced frown from that spoiled aristocrat," Soma said in a casual, yet soothing voice.

"'Spoiled aristocrat'?" Mina asked, seeking clarity where 'that' one came from.

Only to have Yoko burst out laughing as she drove, because one could only do so much to avoid listening in on another persons' conversation.

"You mean Mr. Arikado?"

"Yeah, Yoko clearly see's the reason," Soma chuckled softly on his end of the phone. "So what's been going on? I haven't seen you since last period what with the drama of my life kicking in."

"Oh well-"

Yoko could only grin, she knew that there would be times when Dracula's memories would perk up and influence Soma in some way or another. But making him consider Alucard a spoiled aristocrat? Well that was a new one. Mina was engrossed in a conversation with Soma, freeing Yoko to go over the the spell to bring Leon to life. She'd be able to get the spell done, then go to her brothers' for his birthday tomorrow.