Aisling, Mari and Kaki had just entered the school when everything went black.
“Wha—“Aisling stopped and looked around the darkness. Mari and Kaki were no where to be seen. “Mari? Kaki?” Aisling called out to them her voice seemed to echo in where ever she was. She wasn’t sure she was in the school anymore and there was that same dark and twisted feeling around that made her shiver. Aisling took a deep breath and moved forward quickly while calling out for her friends. “Mari ? Kaki? Where are you?”
Her only reply was an eerie silence and then she heard the sound of crying. Aisling's eyes squinted and she saw a figure crouching down. She hesitated and step forward. “Are you alright?” The crying stopped and the person turned its head to face her. The face was bleeding and twisted and the eyes were gorged out. It opened its mouth and black and red mass oozed out and rise like smoke. Aisling screamed and tried to run away but something grabbed her ankle and she fell.
Aisling looked up and saw the dark mass looming over her and tiny claws emerged from the smoke and reached out towards her. “Help me!” Aisling cried out.
Something bright and silver flashed in Aisling’s vision. The demon screamed and was reduced to ashes. Aisling moved into a sitting position and looked up at her savior. When she saw who it was she recoiled in shock and horror. There standing over her, clad in black darker than the darkness around her and wielding a scythe was the Grim Reaper. The white skull gazed down at her, in each dark abyss of its sockets was a tiny bright light like fireflies which acted as its eyes. Aisling tried to get away but the scythe’s blade came swooping down and stopped near her face and barely brushed against her cheek. She looked back up at the skull and it the leering mouth opened and the entity spoke.
“Do not run away,” The Grim Reaper said. “I am not here to harm you.” Aisling glanced at the blade near her face and could see her reflection staring back at her. She looked back at the Grim Reaper.
“I-If you really mean no harm then move your weapon away from me.” Aisling’s voice was mostly steady but her heart was pounding painfully against her rib cage.
“You are not in position to order me,” The Grim Reaper said darkly and Aisling gulped. He reminded her of Nino only much worse. “Not yet anyway.” He said in more of an afterthought. Aisling blinked and stared at him, “What?”
“Hm, you don’t remember me? I think I should find that upsetting.” The Grim Reaper said mordantly.
Aisling stared at them and then her eyes moved back to look at the scythe’s blade and she could make out the Celtic knot designs etched on the blade. “You’re the spirit of the Death card.” Aisling murmured. The realization that he was one of the card spirits didn’t comforted her at all, this spirit was different from Brant or Puck. For one thing Aisling could tell that he was very powerful, so powerful that his spirit aura was almost suffocating. And the way he looked at her was cold, calculating and maybe distain.
“Yes that is correct but it does not appear you remember that we know each other personally.” He moved his scythe away from her and Aisling was able to relax a little. “Though it does make since, it has been many years since we last saw each other…”
“Why…why are you out?” Aisling asked. The cold and burning eyes stare down at her and Aisling gulped her dry throat.
“To warn you,” the Grim Reaper replied after a moment. “You will be facing very strong dark forces. In order to face the challenges and come out alive you must figure out the Major Arcana’s* true names.”
Aisling blinked, “I have to figure it out?”
“You already know our names it’s buried deep in your subconscious.” Said the Grim Reaper. “We the Major Arcana are the strongest of the card spirits. In order to summon us you must call out our true names.”
The Grim Reaper reached out his bony hand and in a gesture for Aisling to take it. Hesitantly Aisling took his hand and tried not to cringe when the hard bones grasped around her dainty hand. It was surprisingly warm but Aisling shuddered anyway. She was swiftly pulled to her feet and when she was standing up straight Aisling asked, “Why was it you to inform me this and not Puck?”
“The Page of Wands does not know.” The Grim Reaper stated, “And I am not here to not only warn you but to remind you about the divination.”
Aisling felt a chill down her spine as she remembered.
“Someone will have bad luck and they must be cautious or else they will face defeat or loss.” The Grim Reaper said darkly. “You must figure out who is this message is for before it’s too late.” And with that he disappeared and Aisling was left alone in the school hallway.
Aisling inhaled and exhaled sharply. She stood there, contemplating on what she had learned and then someone ran into her. Aisling turned and faced Mari and Kaki. “Mari! Where were you?” Aisling looked at them and saw they were panting from running and both looked as if they saw something horrible.
“I don’t know,” Mari said panting, “You disappeared and everything turned dark.” Mari took a deep breath and continued. “I saw some of the ghosts who are…were my friends. Some how they changed I don’t understand.” Mari looked shaken and Kaki squeezed her hand comfortingly.
Aisling said nothing as she pondered on what Mari said, “The same thing happened to me too, sort of. Something happened to the ghosts here and I think the demons have something to do with it.”
Mari stared and her eyes harden with anger, “They’re going to pay for this.” She said through gritted teeth and Kaki looked at with concern.
“We should go and find Emiko,” Aisling said, “Our base is down this hall.”
Aisling led them down the hall and stopped in front of the door that was already opened. She looked inside and saw it was empty. “Well I guess Emiko and Ryuu must be somewhere in the school.” Aisling said. They went down the empty hall way in silence. Aisling kept thinking back to what the Death card spirit said to her and the divination last night. Who could it be for? Was it one of her friends? The first warning was bad luck, and it seemed like all of them were facing back luck lately so it didn’t help narrow it down to who it was. Aisling wanted to check the time and she pulled out her cell phone. She looked at the time and today’s date and remember it was Ryuu’s birthday.
I didn’t think to get him a present, she thought guiltily. I wonder what he would like. They turned the corner and almost run into a girl who looked like a student and a little ghost boy. Aisling remember meeting them last night.
“Uh hi,” Aisling said, “You’re Hazel and Charleston right?”
Hazel looked at them in surprise. “Huh?” she looked at Aisling then at Mari and Kaki. Then back at Aisling. “Oh yeah I remember you guys from last night. Where's that knight and that little…fairy thing?”
“In my pocket,” Aisling said and almost laughed at the looked Hazel made. Well they really were in her pocket.
“Have you seen any demons?” Mari asked Hazel and Charleston seriously. The girl and ghost boy looked at each other and then back at Mari. “No but I’m pretty sure they’re around.” Hazel said, “This place is filled with demonic aura it’s even effecting the students here.”
“And the ghosts,” the little boy Charleston mumbled fearfully.
“I know,” Aisling said grimly. “We ran into some of them.” Then Aisling asked them, “Have you seen Emiko and Ryuu? You met them last night. Emiko’s the one with red hair and Ryuu has slate colored hair and he was posing as a student here.”
Hazel paused as if she were trying to remember and said, “I think I saw Ryuu during school but I didn’t saw your friend Emiko. I remember seeing those two older guys…I think their names were Nino and Matsu.”
“The jerk,” Mari muttered, obviously referring to Nino.
Aisling saw how Charleston was looking at Kaki with a puzzling and slightly nervous look. She remembered that Hazel and Charleston had only met Kaki when he was a baby. “Um,” Aisling said, “This is Kaki,” she motioned her hand towards Kaki. “You guys met him before…” She looked at Mari wondering if it was alright to tell him that he was the baby or not. Mari looked back at Aisling and shrugged and Aisling took that as an okay.
“We have?” Hazel said looking at Kaki blankly. Kaki moved closer to Mari and held her hand. “Is he your boyfriend?” Hazel asked Mari. Aisling bit her lip to hold a laugh as Mari turned bright red and shook her head. Aisling had a feeling that almost everyone was going to asked that question because of their proximity.
“No,” said Mari after she stop shaking her head. “He was the baby from last night.” Hazel and Charleston stared at her in bewilderment. “Long story…” Mari said, it really wasn’t that long but Aisling guessed Mari didn’t want to go into details on what had happened at the moment.
Then they heard the sound of gun shots that rang out loudly in the quiet school. They jumped and Aisling turned her head to where she had sensed a shift in spiritual pressure. “Was that Nino?” she said out loud. But something inside her told her it wasn’t. Something was off. Aisling ran towards the direction where thought she heard the gun shots and heard the others following her lead. After running down several hallways and then Aisling saw Nino, Matsu and two girls and only recognized one of them. Aisling stared as she saw Matsu pointing his gun at the two girls one of them looked frighten and the other girl, Valerie, looked pained and Aisling realized she had been shot. Did Matsu shot her? Why did he do that? Nino also had his gun out but from this angle Aisling wasn’t sure if he was aiming at Matsu or at the two girls.
“Nino,” Matsu was saying in a voiced that sounded like he was pleading. “I’ve never asked you for anything…Just help me…I won’t be able to do this…you’re stronger than me…I need help…”
Aisling looked Matsu something was defiantly off about the white haired man. She heard Nino’s gun clicked. “What’s going on?!” Aisling shouted. She stared at Nino and then back at Matsu.
“Stop!” Aisling heard a familiar voice yelled and she turned her head to see Emiko running down the hall with Elliana following close behind. “What’s going on?!” the red head demanded.
“Well this is certainly becoming a mad tea party,” Matsu said in that light tone of his, “Nin-kun…” He started to say to Nino.
Then Nino’s gun was fired and the bullet hit Matsu’s heart. Aisling gasped as Matsu fell forward and put a hand to his chest where red blood was leaking out. Matsu stared at Nino.
“You sick bastard,” Nino said as he glared at face of the white haired man, “Take your true form now, or I will send you straight to hell.” Aisling stared as she heard what Nino said, what? Then she sensed the dark demonic aura clearly.
Matsu’s bent backwards and his form changed before their eyes and a cold shiver went through Aisling as she watched the being changed “Hahahhahaha how did you know it was me, Nin-kun?” a voice laughed and then the being had taken the form of Nino. The demon stood up straight and had a grin plastered across his face. Seeing a Nino look a like grin some how seemed wrong to Aisling.
“What is a demon lord’s servant doing here, Loki?” Nino said as he glared darkly at his double ganger.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you even know my name little Nin-kun!” The demon’s smile widen as he put his hands together before him. “I fell honored, I really do…. Not many know the great demon lord servants that well…. It makes me sad…” The demon mimicked the dark look that Nino was giving him and then his eerie smile returned. Aisling preferred the demon smiled, it made it easier to tell them apart. “And just what are you all doing here? I wasn’t invited to any tea party….” The demon put his hands on his hips and shook his head as if he was disappointed, “So many ghost seers, and I wasn’t invited…. You’re mean. You truly are.”
What did this demon want? Aisling thought, and where was the real Matsu?
“Wait, so where is the real Matsu?” Emiko demanded at the shape shifter. "If you have hurt him, you will pay dearly!"
The demon looked impassively at Emiko, “Answer my question!”
“I don’t know,” the demon Loki said dryly.
“You better not be lying,” Nino said threaten darkly his gun still aiming directly at Loki who looked uninterrupted and only smiled.
They heard footsteps approaching and Aisling turned to see Ryuu and Matsu coming over to them. The demon turned his head at them and Aisling saw his pupils turned into slits. He sprang at them before Aisling could cry out a warning. Matsu formed a spirit gun in his hand but Loki knocked him against the wall.
“Matsu!” Ryuu shouted and the demon grabbed him by the throat.
“Any of you even attempt to come near me and I’ll snap this kid’s neck.” The demon sneered. Aisling breathed sharply and looked at the others. Nino had his gun raised at the demon’s direction but it appeared he was hesitating. Emiko clenched her hands and glared at the demon. No one made any movements to save Ryuu and Aisling’s head was buzzing with worry and anticipation.
Aisling heard the faint buzzing sound coming from Ryuu. “What is that obnoxious noise?” The demon Loki snapped at Ryuu.
“My… cell phone,” Ryuu chocked out.
“Then shut it up.” Loki demanded harshly.
“Then…let go,” Ryuu said and the demon let go of throat and Ryuu fell to the floor coughing. He pulled out his cellular and opened it. Then the demon grabbed him again and tossed the device at Matsu as he slammed Ryuu into the wall.
“Happy 17th Birthday Ryuu.” Matsu read aloud from the cell phone.
“So you’re Ryuu that M’lord has told me so much about. I thought he was joking when he said his son was human.” Loki snickered and tighten his grip around Ryuu’s throat.
What do I do? Aisling thought frantically.
“Nino…shot,” Ryuu chocked out before he went limp and Aisling let out a cry.
“THANATOS!!”
Aisling saw the demon jumped when she cried out the name and then in a bright flash the Death card spirit appeared before her.
There were cries of exclamation and surprise when the spirit being stood in the hall way. Loki turned around sharply and let go of Ryuu as he stared in disbelieve at the dark hooded figure. “Impossible…” the demon said staring at Thanatos.
“Hello Loki,” Thanatos said and he swung his scythe at the demon. The demon raised his arms to shield himself and Thanatos cut off his right hand. Loki screeched in pain and the hand dissolved into ashes before it could hit the floor.
“YOU WITCH!” Loki hissed at Aisling and she tensed when the demon’s burning eyes glared at her with loathing. Then his face twisted into a sick smile and the form changed from Nino to an elderly woman with gray white hair and green eyes. “How could you do that to your nana dear heart?” He spoke in an Irish accent.
Aisling stared at the form of her grandmother and let out a strangled giggled. Then the giggled turned into laughter. She noticed how everyone was staring at her like she had gone mad and even the demon had the same look. “What’s so funny?” Her grandmother’s face frowned at her in confusion.
“Nana doesn’t look like that.” Aisling said smiling despite the situation. Thanatos glanced at her and then glanced back at the confused look of the demon. “What?” The demon said staring at her and glowered. “This is what your grandmother looked like. This is how she looked when she died….” The demon trailed off and then his eyes widen as he realized, “Oh…”
“Forgot didn’t you Loki?” Thanatos said and the demon snapped his head around to look at the spirit being. “So what brings you here?”
Loki in the form of Aisling’s grandmother leered. “You’ll all find out soon enough.” And then he took the form of a raven. The dark bird flew down the hall cawing. Nino fired several times at the bird but never made its mark and the demon turned the corner and was gone. As Aisling watched the demon flee she felt her strength fading away from her. Her legs grew weak and she stumbled forward. She fell into someone’s arms and she weakly raised her head to look up at the face of Thanatos. “Please…help Ryuu…” Aisling said before she lost consciousness.
~*~
Thanatos grunted to himself displeased. “Why do I have such a weak master?” He said to himself. He glanced up and saw the other ghost seers staring at him. The look on their faces was clear that they were wondering if he was really the Grim Reaper. Thanatos sighed in irritation. “Don’t worry,” He said to them. “I am not the actually Angel of Death I am on the spirit cards that belong to this mortal here.” Some of them looked like they understood him but still gave him a wary looks and the others were looking at him unsure of whether they should prepare to fight him or run away.
Thanatos grunted and set Aisling down on the floor gently. “You weren’t ready to call me out.” He said to as she lay down on her back. The girl gave no response and Thanatos stood up and turned to face the boy that he assumed but be Ryuu. He reeks of devils, Thanatos thought, but that doesn’t matter to me. She ordered me to save him and that I shall.
He walked over to the comatose boy and someone said sharply. “What are you doing?” Thanatos glowing eyes turned to meet the blue eyes of the woman called Emiko. “Following my masters orders,” he said impassively he turned his gaze away from her and looked at Ryuu. He raised his hand and hover it above the boy’s head. “It is not your time, come back from the dark.” The boy stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
He looked up and his eyes widen as he stared up at Thanatos. “Aw hell…” Ryuu said and it was evident what was going through his head. “Oh don’t fret mortal I’m not the true Grim Reaper.” Thanatos sighed. “You're alive and you have my master to thank.” He nodded towards Aisling’s form lying on the floor. “When she wakes up make sure she eats something to replenish her.” He said not carrying to who he was talking to. And so he disappeared and went back into the card case.
***
Um that’s it. I wanted to write this and couldn’t wait to post this. I hope it’s alright and hope I didn’t screw up your plans for the next post.
=X Thanatos scares me! When I first wrote this it was late at night and the wind was howling and then the door of my bedroom creaked open and I nearly jumped out of my skin lol :P
*Major Arcana-there are two groups of cards in the Tarot deck. One of them is the Major Arcana which includes the cards of; Death, Chariot, Tower, Wheel of Fortune, Fool, Emperor, Empress, High Priestess, Hierophant, Lovers, Strength, Hermit, Justice, Temperance, Devil, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgment and World. Puck and Brant are in the Minor Arcana group which consists of the Suits; wands, swords, rings, and pentacles.
Well I hope it was good enough :)
