"In every heart rests a soul.

A resting soul for a soul.

A resting soul for only one."

"?mmh. There. I think that?s everything,? Mayu states to Melissa, the only two presently gathered in the wide living room. It?d been several months since she?s stopped by the old remodeled inn that Fiora got for them. It was the only place large enough and adequately equipped to situate the many different residents of Shamanista into one area. They never complained, never caused a problem; most didn?t even know they existed. It was perfect for them.

?Huh. Are you sure that?s going to be enough supplies?? Melissa asked without drawing her attention away from the clipboard in one hand. Reluctant to mark a check next to the labeling ?Traveling Supplies?, she taps a pencil next to the words. ?There?s only four boxes.?

There was. One flimsy cardboard box had the word ?clothes? scrawled across the top, and was a shoddy piece of transportation. It was holding together by several conveniently arranged strips of duct tape. Those were not doing their job, the box itself waterlogged beyond its years. Flecked with mites of mold, Melissa was stuck wondering if that particular box was going to survive the trip.

The other three boxes were an assortment of supplies: one specifically for Sophia?s magic tools, another for Emma?s tea necessities, and a third that didn?t come with a label at all.

Mayu didn?t pay the concern any mind, stabbing her own pen at the box that wobbled any time she breathed. ?Don?t worry. Once we get there, we?ll unload. Helen?s way of travel is extremely fast, isn?t it??

The maid?s warp powers were fascinatingly simple and efficacious. The few times the miko opted to use it to get back and forth between the two worlds, she hadn?t time to blink before it was all over with.

Melissa resigned with a sigh, ?Yes, she?s very efficient. Just try to remember? her abilities do not support moldy boxes of supplies. If we lose anything, we?re going to be without something to wear.?

The miko could think of worse things than walking around in dirty attire. She waved off Melissa?s persistent concern with a melodious laugh. ?All right, all right. I?ll personally make us new stuff to wear if that happens!?

God help them all.

?Oioioioioioi!? a voice bled from the hallway flight of stairs, ?Ya gonna get ?em dirty!?

Another followed in nanoseconds, ?Shut the f*ck up, already! It?s not my first time putting clothes in a crate!?

Melissa?s glance to the hall came with another sigh, quickly approaching exasperated. ?I don?t know how we?re going to get back to Shamanista without the entire world hearing us. Sophia and Ria haven?t stopped bickering since they?ve come together.?

Mayu?s own gaze at the stairs was interrupted with a look over a shoulder to the blonde puppeteer. ?Huh? They?ve been fighting all this time? There hasn?t been any progress??

At first, it seemed Melissa was putting considerable thought into Mayu?s inquiry. In fact, she smiled broadly as a particular fond response came to mind. It was short-lived, crumbling apart at the seams with a dejected shake of her head that send all her blonde curls flapping about. ?They don?t blow holes in the walls any more, if that?s what you?d consider progress. The two of them?? she lifted from the couch, swiping her feet bundled in a pair of cotton socks across the varnished hardwood, ?They?ve had a rough history, if you remember. Ria was aligned with Flora while she remained in power as the Shrine Maiden of Dreams. When we went to fight her, Sophia kept telling me that she wouldn?t stop until Ria was obliterated by her magic. Even if it meant having to die, she would stop Ria from using her powers as the shrine maiden.?

The small miko?s brows creased when they collapsed together. To think that those two hadn?t had any progress of becoming friends, even allies, troubled her greatly. ?What happened in that fight? I remember reading some of Emma?s recounts of the fight, but it got vague the more I read.? She had to assume that it was due to Emma?s own manipulation.

Melissa hugged the clipboard close to her chest, her head continuing to tick from side to side in a shake that saw no end. She was crestfallen to believe that the events had happened without resolution in the end. Flora still wound up taking over Shamanista with an extremely iron-clad grip, and they were without a place of residence. The world had fallen into a state of disrepair with no sign of resolution in sight. ?The Shrine Maiden of Dreams encompasses all the power in the world, so naturally, Ria held the major advantage. Because of my recent addition to the world, I didn?t carry the correct abilities to properly fight her. I was forced to the sidelines.

?Sophia and Ria?s fight was nothing more than an exchange of blows. Ria would attack with some spell card and Sophia would counter with an impressive magic sign. Ria would one up it, and Sophia answered. It continued for some time until Sophia found a gap in the way Ria conjured her abilities.?

Mayu?s head tilted. Throughout her years as the Shrine Maiden of Dreams, she hadn?t encountered a particular flaw in the way the power worked. It surprised her how simplistic the tactics came to her; the way she could lift a finger and alter the shape of the world itself without even a struggle. At the time, even Flora deemed her a particularly exceptional case and stated how none before her had even lit a candle to her abilities. Chalking it up to senseless blubber to gain the girl?s trust, she often ignored Flora?s incessant need to compliment her power. ?A gap in her abilities? I didn?t know there were any.?

The bickering above them had died out to some degree, but it was only a matter of time before it started again. A door?s slam resonated throughout the home, followed shortly by another holler. Something vulgar about cats and mice and how they don?t reproduce? neither of the girls down stairs knew precisely what that line meant. ?It?s true, the shrine maiden?s powers are absolute. When one becomes the Maiden, they instantly are grafted with the world?s power. How one is able to utilize its abilities, however, is another story. Ria struggled unlike the other three that have taken the mantle. The second was exceptional but lacked a certain resolve while the first was so exquisite in her execution that it was deadly. You? you show signs of the first?s abilities, and I would like to say that you and she relate very well together.?

The first Shrine Maiden of Dreams? she felt the heat rush to her face before she could shake it off, hands up to smother the color and remain that pale alabaster shade she?s renown for. ?A-Ah? I do-don?t know. I didn?t get much an opportunity to do anything??

A smile bloomed, a pure sign of victory. Melissa continued before the moment was lost on her, ?Ria required a considerable wind-up time when it came to her most powerful attacks. Sophia, however, does not. Her abilities are also top-notch as a magician, able to read the way powers are constructed simply by watching its formulation. When Ria put together her largest attack, Sophia already had disassembled it and put together something that could instantly counteract its strengths, effectively nullifying it. Ria was defeated before she even managed to put all of the world?s energies into an attack.?

It was a lot to consider. Sophia could dissect power by looking at it? That almost resembled the way her Soul Perception works; able to dissect a soul and examine its strengths and weaknesses like one would read a book to gain knowledge. The Asian dipped her head, ??that?s how she earned her title, wasn?t it? ?She Who Fights Forbiddingly???

Melissa could only nod in response, a grim dip of her head like an axe chopping wood.

It was derogatory by Shamanista?s standards, especially for somebody who was considered bound by honor and a supreme sense of justice. Since then, Sophia had never earned the chance to gain a new title; forever settled as an outcast of retribution.

Mayu cleared her throat and glanced back to the boxes, motioning to the one that had clothes stuffed in it. ?I will carry this one. Can you see that the others are taken to Helen?s room? She mentioned that she needed time to construct a warp portal that even Manami wouldn?t be able to track for all of us.?

Translucent cables imperceptible to the naked eye whirred and disrupted the natural flow of air as Melissa wiggled several fingers. From the hall, a small army of dolls around a foot in height marched into the room and began picking up the boxes one by one. ?Boxes, boxes, boxes,? they lilt in unison, ?Give us some boxes. We got what you?re wantin?, we got what you?re needin?, give us your boxes!?

Mayu hopped away with a startled gasp, knees creaking beneath the strain of her motions and took residence at Melissa?s side. Even the one box Mayu offered to take for them was lifted in tiny arms. Like rows of ants, the packages were passed from one set of arms to another and disappeared down the hall toward the stairs. The dolls chased after them, joints clacking and feet stomping as they climbed up the flight of stairs, still singing.

?OIOIOIOIOI. WE?RE BEIN? INVADED! CALL THA? POLICE!? a voice billowed from above.

?Oh my god, are you f*cking stupid? Those are our own god damn people. Besides, aren?t you the f*cking police, anyway?? another answered.

The girl blinks once. She blinks twice. She goes so far as to blink a third time. ?I? I?m not going to ask what that was??

Melissa nods, understanding entirely. ?I will be upstairs and make the final preparations. Make sure you?ve got everything you need. I do not think we will be returning.?

Mayu glanced aside to Melissa as she passed by and started toward the hall. She waited for the blonde puppeteer to disappear before letting out her own quiet sigh. ??yeah, I know??

If came the hour, if came the day
If came the year, when you went away
How could I live, I'd surely die
What would I be if you say goodbye

I think I'm going to be leaving.

I mean... going.

There's something that's come up with that requires all of my attention.

No, you can't. What it involves won't be fixed just because you want to help.

I'm losing my power to keep them here.

I need to go.

He felt like he'd been walking forever. The soles of his feet were numb. His legs were stiff from too much repeated motion, but they still churned at the same steady pace. It had been dark when he'd started, he remembered, and it was dark again now.

A sudden thought was followed by a chill that felt like ice water thrown against his back. Did he really lose that much time? Just needlessly wandering around? It took no time for Helen to open portals to Shamanista. What if he was too late? What if he'd missed them?

His body didn't know how to respond to his sudden surge of icy fear. He took only one moment to spin in place, to find street signs, landmarks, anything to tell him where he was and how to get out of there.

And then he broke into a run.

His bare feet slapped the ground rapidly, he felt the jarring impact over and over again in his ankles. What few people he came across wisely darted out of his way when they saw he wouldn't slow down. The sound of his heartbeat thundered right alongside every single thought in his head while he ran.

Did it even matter what he thought about any of this? What he felt? one voice asked. What kind of a selfish dick are you? countered another.

He hooked his hand around a lamppost and swung himself into a left turn.

The only thing that was important was that this was what May believed she had to do. He didn't think any of the Crew would lie to her about their condition and force her to go back. She was their Queen, they probably couldn't lie. And they might have been bound to her wishes like they were to her power. He knew they had poked and prodded and hinted at going back to take care of Flora a few times, but barely anything came out of it.

For this to be happening now, so long after their initial run-in with her, it had to be real. And serious.

I have to see for myself, said a small voice from the very back of his mind. It hadn't been the first time he'd heard that thought but each time it repeated it got louder, until it drowned out all others. He had to see for himself. He had to talk to someone in the Manor. Melissa, Helen. Hell, even Ria or Sophia would work.

May had tried to convince them that this wouldn't take long. That she would be back in a few days. That was so many years in Shamanista's time. So much had to have happened there already. Flora was in charge. There was no way she would be back so soon.

It wouldn't be easy. The strain on her face told him as much. She had been holding something else back.

He bit his lip as he ran, leaping clear over a collection of trash bins when he made a quick hairpin turn.

And her. He had to see her. Even if it was just one last time.

Last time. Those two words broke is concentration like a brick through a stained glass window. His toes caught on an uneven stone and the rest of his body pitched forward without him. He threw his hands down to catch himself, the fall rattling his arms. He stayed there on his hands and knees, his mouth open to let him breathe. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and the back of his neck. They made him feel warmer than he really was.

Was this really the last time he was going to see her? Was that night at the inn really the last? He couldn't believe that. He couldn't. He had to say goodbye first. A real goodbye. One that wasn't interrupted by anyone. One that was just the two of them.

Where he would get a chance to talk.

He blinked. What would he tell her?

His lip hurt from where he was gnawing on it.

There was nothing for it. Not now. What was he holding himself back for now? Who was he really trying to protect? Her, or himself?

He had to tell her. He had to tell her everything.

He swallowed, his tongue sticking to the roof of his dry mouth. And he looked up.

It couldn't have been a coincidence that he'd fallen here of all places. The Villa loomed in the northwest corner of the block like a chunky shadow. And it was quiet. The air was still. It felt like he was the only one out here.

"They couldn't have left yet--" he muttered, forcing himself to his feet. His knees throbbed with each forward step. He curled his fingers around the iron key he had dug from his pocket. It had his skinned palm sting even further.

He put his foot down on the lowest step and paused.

...The door was ajar. That same deadly still air now smelled thick and wet, like it would after it rained but much more metallic.

Like copper.

He rushed inside.

He hadn't been expecting much from his declaration, but he didn't plan for the weak shove to his leg either. His knee bent outward and with Flora's vines still quivering underfoot, it was a fight not to stagger.

"I told you that I would handle this on my own," May said, her airy voice stern. "I said that this wasn't going to be fixed just because you wanted to protect me!"

Flora threw back her head, her mouth wide open like she was trying to catch raindrops on her tongue and cackled. Each subsequent reverberation echoed louder and louder until it had filled the living room, spilled out into the entryway and climbed all the way to the second level. The entire Villa quaked under the force of too much power. Dust sprinkled from the corners of the ceiling, the floor shook under him. The blue bell flowers writhed and dripped too much goopy acid, pops and crackles still sounding in the wake of Flora's laughter.

"You think you will fare better than that crumpled Witch back there?" Flora touched the corners of her eyes with one pale knuckle. Her smile would have been cheerful if it wasn't for the manic gleam in her pink petal eyes.

He looked halfway over his shoulder. It wasn't smart to look away from an enemy for too long. Even if the only thing he wanted, ached, to do was draw May into the circle of his arms and hold on tight. Maybe too tightly so she wouldn't be able to leave.

That wasn't going to happen now, he realized. After this, if they survived this, she was going to disappear. None of this changed their reality. Everyone would die if she didn't go. His throat suddenly felt like it was closing in on itself. He bit the inside of his cheek to distract himself from the burning at the corners of his eyes.

"It doesn't matter what I think, that's just how it's going to be." His voice came out harsh, rough like two rocks striking each other. He was grateful his words hadn't broken.

"You are such an idiot--"

"Who the hell else do you have right now, May?" he snapped, still facing Flora. His hands balled into tight fists, muscles standing out on his outstretched arms. "You know more about what's going on right now better than I do. You were the one that came to tell me about it in the first place. If you could have done something about any of this, you would have done it already."

He couldn't see her face, but he could imagine her expression: her eyebrows drawn over swirling silver eyes, her pouty mouth forced into a thin, flat line. If she could set him on fire by just looking at him, he knew she would have. "Melissa's passed out in the hallway, and Sophia's almost passed out. I don't know where everyone else is, but I swear I saw holes and blood all over the stairs. You might not want it this way, but this is the way it is."

Flora suddenly raised her chin and the collection of serpentine vines rippled beneat his feet. They latched onto his ankles and wrists, and whipped his body sideways like he weighed little more than a feather. His stomach felt like it was floating around inside of him and he choked down a bark of surprise when his back met the wall on the other side of the room. A piece of bloody silk was near his left foot, torn free from a dress the same color as Ria's.

"Ahh." Flora's smile stretched broadly on her mouth. The same vines that secured him to the wall brought her to stand before him. "Now I remember your face." Her breath smelled like honeysuckle, sickly sweet and thick. "You were present for my Coronation. Seems you've grown the rest of your cranium back." She closed her parasol with one hand and swatted him in the head just above his right eye.

His fists were clenched so tightly, his knuckles were burning. His fingernails bit into his palms and ached. The more he tried to pry himself free from the vines that kept him in place, the more they strangled his limbs with renewed strength, singeing his skin where they touched him.

"Do you really, honestly, truly--" She leaned in close and blew a steady breath straight into his face. "--think that you will fare any better this time around?"

It was fresh, and warm, like a Summer morning breeze. The scents of too many flowers chased themselves around in his nose; roses, daisies, sunflowers, wildflowers. He felt it spread throughout him, down his throat and into his stomach. It filled his longs, worked its way into his heart, leaked into his veins. His blood tingled, he felt it in the tips of his fingers and toes. Fine hairs all over his body stood on end, goosebumps rose firm on his skin.

He hadn't known it, but the back of his head met the wall with a loud thunk. When he was able to get his eyes to roll the same direction, everything was hazy. Flora's green hair bled into the darkness of the living room.

And she cackled.

"Look at you. Barely able to pay attention. Eyes all a-google into what's left of your brain."

Shadows had been looping and rippling around each other this whole time, and now they had finally reached the glowing corner where May was. A black hole the size of a large cupboard yawned in the only part of the wall that wasn't overtaken with vines.

He swallowed, his throat sticking uncomfortably. Fighting the urge to gag, he squeezed his eyes closed and peeled them open again. A lick of long ocean green hair and a foot were the last things he saw disappearing into the wide black hole. The corner was empty. Without Emma there to power them, the crystals that had formed their barrier winked out and dropped to the ground where they immediately turned into dust. Icy fear lanced through him.

But Flora didn't seem to notice what was going on. Was that just an act? She couldn't have trapped him for that, could she? He shook his arms, feeling sweat on his palms and at the small of his back.

He had drawn her focus for nothing. He should have known she would have more tricks up her sleeve than it looked. She ruled Shamanista, she had more power than any of them. He'd walked right into this. And now--

A dark head popped out of the gaping nothingness. Her white maid's headband stood out as bright as her diamond eyes. Helen's gaze found his, held it, then she nodded. When her head disappeared, so did the wide hole. Nothing was left behind. Flora's vines rushed to fill the space that he figured Emma's crystals had maintained.

He didn't even know how he felt. He should be grateful that they'd gotten away, but the nagging thought that that had been the last time he would ever see May again began to make his blood boil.

How was he going to get out of this?

This..this woman. She used May, right from the very beginning. Everything that had happened to her in Shamanista was Flora's fault. And what had she done it for? Just to get power? How was that any different from right now?

None of the people she had screwed around with had done anything to her. Except Sophia and Melissa but that was only because they had to.

He didn't know when his eyes had begun to turn gold, or how long his entire body had been chilled with that bone deep freeze. The insides of his elbows ached from the length of time spent pulling at his bindings. Deep behind their network, the walls holding them in place began to crack.

"You."

This had been the last time he would see May. For a very long time, if ever. And he hadn't even seen her face. He hadn't been able to tell her good-bye. He hadn't been able to tell her anything.

"What are you rambling about?"

He hadn't known he'd been speaking out loud until she'd said something. Flora's face was stiff with annoyance. She looked him up and down, from head to toe, like she would find the answer someplace.

"You're the reason." His throat strained around the grumble of his own voice. He hated the sight of her face. She mocked them by merely existing. How could she stand there and live with what she'd done? "You're the reason. You made her do all of this." He lurched forward. His spine arched away from the wall, but her vines held firm. He hated the sight of her wrinkled brow. Her distaste was disgusting.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!!"

The words ripped out of his mouth like his right arm ripped from the wall. Bits of vine and chunks of wood and plaster sprayed into the air. He brought his curled hand down in a diagonal swipe, four sickle claws shredding the air to get to her face.

Shamanista. The Land of Spirits. A place that I have not seen in over one year and six months. In Shamanista?s time scheme, it has been over two thousand years since anybody has seen or heard from me, their Queen and the Shrine Maiden of Dreams: the title granted to the one that is the incarnation of the realm?s existence and power. ?in other words, I am the realm. To me, it?s like yesterday. I can still taste the air on my nose and the way the spiritual energies consumed my body to give me an essence best known as a youkai. It is my manifestation in these worlds. The way I can travel from one place on earth to another. Because of my physical body, which was recovered in thanks to both my sister, Katt, and one of my best friends, Marjorie, I can continue to thrive in this world as though nothing at all has happened to me.

That? is not the case. I?m already dead. A spirit that has passed on to the next world in order to begin anew.

Because I?m already deceased, my time amongst the living is limited. My ability to live is negligible. I cannot see the world like you can. I cannot breathe the air like you can. The food is ash in my mouth, and the only reason I require it is for this body I claimed, the very one I was born in and grew up in.

I always knew the day would come when I would be required to return home to Shamanista. Without its power coursing through my veins, I? am dying. A youkai such as myself cannot thrive in the world of the living. Not without something substantial to keep myself grounded and empowered.

However, those of the living cannot function in the realm of the dead. Not in Shamanista. In time, this body will deteriorate and I will lose it along with my ability to return. The past will be lost.

Everything? will be gone.

My goal is to reclaim the throne of Shamanista, claimed by Flora Calla, a Celestial that used the power of manipulation to take over my Shrine Maiden energy and murder the previous leader of this land. With no clear successor, it was she that was able to claim the throne; having already been a supernal being. Now everything?s in turmoil. The balance is disturbed?

To those that remain in the world, they know of no other leader than she. There is nothing mightier than her.

I only hope that we can do something to liberate a freedom for those that deserve it. If we don?t? we may never hear of a future worth living. The corrupted atmosphere will herald in an age nobody will be able to survive. ?I only hope things aren?t as awful as I am thinking?

Garden Manor, the home of Flora Calla. At first, we thought maybe we?d done ourselves in and were ready to accept our fate. Judging by the way it?s in a state of disrepair on both the outside and in, Helen, Emma and I have assumed that Flora abandoned it some time after she gained control of the realm.

Thankfully.

Although I?m a little skeptical of it, Emma has felt it necessary we use it to our advantage. The last place Flora would be thinking to check is her own home. Or? so Emma seems to think. Helen wasn?t against the idea, either, which means majority wins this round.

Flora?s ability to see and hear in Shamanista has always been through her flowers. When I first arrived in Shamanista, my thoughts and feelings were that she was a cute, little old lady that liked to tend to her gardens every morning and evening. I didn?t realize until a little later that her gardens stretch for thousands of miles. Sophia told me that each and every bulb that is seeded in the earth is tied to all of Flora?s senses. She can hear and see everything that goes on. She can feel when somebody brushes a petal or walks over a string of roots. I? guess that means she can taste the rain water and smell?? I don?t know, anymore.

With her flowers growing across Shamanista, the entire realm is under her watch. If we?re going to get anywhere, we need to come up with an alternative way of travel. Helen?s ability to warp around requires a recharge, not to mention it can?t be relied on, and Emma?s flying isn?t going to work if there?s three to six of us all on a book together?

There must be another way!

?I still can?t believe you. Whoops?? Emma scoffed as the three women trekked a dilapidated hall. There were no signs of occupation. There were no clues that the large estate was presently in use. The occasional dust bunny tumbled from one corner to another, setting Helen?s eyebrows in perpetual motion and her fingers to wrap ten.

She quieted her compulsions to clean by snorting at Emma?s remark. ?It worked out, didn?t it??

?T-That? remains to be seen,? Mayu interjected as she stopped at the end of the hall. The hall made a ninety degree turn to the left, extending another three hundred yards and remarkably leaving the three with little urgings to continue onward. ?I could use a break from all this wandering around. I don?t know how Flora managed to walk around this place??

A small pocket of air beside Emma rippled to life like tranquil water disturbed by a pebble. The witch?s hand disappeared as she reached into it, procuring a book from its confines. ?I do not believe she walked around the grounds at all. Garden Manor was never a location for residency,? she explained, throwing open the book with a wave of one hand lit a faded violet shade.

?You mean she didn?t live here?? Mayu asked, already intrigued by what Emma said. It was difficult to imagine why such a mansion would exist if it wasn?t used to eat and sleep in.

?Correct. Garden Manor is Flora?s home, but as far as Flora living in it?? Emma shook her head. ?This home was constructed for something other than using it as a refuge.?

Helen piped in with a clearing of her throat. ?What do you mean??

With both women at Emma?s mercy, she tossed another few pages aside, paper crinkling in audible bursts as she fanned them aside. Many of the pages that Emma skimmed through involved the manor?s interior layout, construction procedure which included early blueprints, and even a specification as to each and every species of flora that the gardens houses. When did she get all this information, Mayu wondered.

?Let?s see?? Emma absently said aloud between two pages. ??that?s strange. I had a few pages written out specifically concerning the purpose to Garden Manor?s existence. They?re not here.?

Mayu and Helen tossed their heads opposing directions simultaneously. ?You mean you?re missing some of your notes?? they asked in unison.

?Precisely,? Emma confirmed with a sharp nod of her head. ?It seems my notes have been tampered with. The only way that could have happened is if??

?Hah!? something squeaked behind them all. ?I thought I heard a bunch of rats sniffing around here! I guess my rabbit senses are better than Mistress gives them credit!"

Mayu?s eyes shot wide as she turned around faster than a merry-go-round set to max. Her eyes were drawn to two stubby, fuzzy protrusions that jutted from chocolate brown hair cropped short at a pair of shoulders more diminutive than her own. Fazed, she strained to gain some sense of composure. Her throat was squeezing itself shut, making the first sound that came out of it sound like she was choking on a large, foreign object. They?d been discovered, and so soon after arriving. ?You?re that? rabbit thing.?

??Rabbit thing?? Jeez! You forgot me after all these years?? the rabbit chortled, lifting onto bare toes and doing a single, graceful spin to showcase herself before the three women. ?Very well! Allow me to reintroduce myself for you!? She came to a sudden stop, balancing herself on the fattest pair of toes that were bunched up against the royal red carpet squished beneath them. ?I am Etsuko, General of the Rabbit Army here at Garden Manor. After Mistress took to living at the Palace, she gave me this place all to myself! Which means! You?re trespassing!!?

Helen glanced at Emma, who glanced at Mayu, who shrugged at the both of them. Eyes forward, she took notice of a bawdy star-shaped pin fastened to the pink dress fashioned out of some large flower petal. She couldn?t make out the writing, but the large ?G? that sat at the center was the focal point. She assumed it was supposed to refer to ?General? and make it official. ?We didn?t know that somebody was living here, Etsuko. We just stopped by a little while ago??

?Shush!? Etsuko barked, prompting the three to wince and step back in prepared, practiced defense. ?What are you doing here? You?re not supposed to be here. We ran you all out over two thousand years ago!?

Two thousand years. Had it really been that long to everybody here? At first, Mayu had thought it was some over exaggeration on her part. Now?

?We?re here in order to put a stop to your stupid games!? Emma retaliated before Mayu had a chance to even realize what was transpiring. She quickly jumped beside the witch and clamped her hand over her mouth, which happened to still be moving and making all kinds of muffled sounds. Unable to speak, she resorted to gesticulating. Vulgarly.

?Stupid games?? the small rabbit questioned, her eyebrows shooting high atop her head, ears straightening. ?You mean you?re here to put an end to Flora?s command? Hah. HAH!? The rabbit laughed, more squeaking than chortling and giggling. ?That?s rich! Nobody can stop Flora while she runs the Palace! You might as well just let me deal with you now!?

?Deal with us? Etsuko, you don?t need to resort to dealing with anybody? We?re not trying to force anything on anybody?? Mayu?s hand tightened around Emma?s mouth, feeling something slick and warm running laps against the flat of her palm. ?G-Ghn? s-stop licking me,? was muttered to the witch, fingers splaying for an instant to shake off the assault. Eyeing Etsuko, she continued, ?The balance of this world has shifted in a way it wasn?t supposed to.?

The squeaking rabbit sobered up with a lift of two fingers at them. ?Two thousand years! Everything?s been just fine for two thousand years! Suddenly I?m supposed to think that everything?s made a turn for the worse?? She tilted her head, realizing something. ?You know, you?re right. Something is wrong around here. ?YOU! You?re not supposed to be here, outcasts!?

Mayu?s brow crinkled. If Etsuko considered attacking them in their present state, she would come out the victor in an instant, even considering she?s not an offensive spirit with any known attacks worth salt. If she decided not to and run off to tell Flora, things could go from just terrifyingly bad to extremely bat-shit-awful.

Disbanding the approach Emma wanted to take, she vied for another.

?No, Etsuko, I?m not saying that you?re supposed to think something is wrong. Flora could be doing a marvelous job at keeping everybody happy. Clearly, she?s done that much, seeing how the world is still intact,? the miko stated plainly, her grip on Emma?s mouth remaining tight. She could feel the line of teeth beneath her lips and along the outside of her cheek. ?What Emma was getting at was that she thought you were a little too brazen in your sneaking up on us without any warning.? It wasn?t enough for the maiden to finish with, her vows against lying kicking in and forcing her to spit out, ?I think, anyway,? seconds afterward.

Etsuko leered at them, her exceptionally tiny hands folding at her hips and extending her elbows out long. Considering her short height, it accentuated an image of her being twelve years old and being told they?re not going to the candy store. ?All it would take is for me to whistle or clap or snap or cough or sneeze or stomp or yell or anything and the entire rabbit force would be here in two seconds flat! So, if I were you, I?d get the heck out of here before I decide to actually go ahead and do that!?

?G-Get?? Mayu?s hold on Emma loosened, but the witch wasn?t willing to say anything greater than she already had. She was more intent on getting her jaw to work again and the taste of hand off of her tongue.

?Blehgha??

Etsuko jabbed a finger to her tiptoeing feet. ?Out! I?m not going to sit here and let you just live in my home! I paid good money for this place!?

?You said Flora gave it to you?? the shrine maiden offered back, lips jutting out in a mock pout before flat lining again.

??yeah! I was given it free of charge!? the rabbit threw back, her toes bunching up as she collapsed to the soles of her feet. ?Completely and utterly free!?

Helen slipped past the rabbit to start back down the hall, aware that Sophia and Melissa were in no condition to be left entirely alone if somebody like Etsuko was on the scene. Through the vaguely heated discussion, she got away without trouble.

?Does Flora know you?re using her place as a base of some kind, Etsuko? Maybe we should all go there together and talk to her about this?? Mayu countered with a sly curve of her lips, catching on to yet another of the rabbit?s lies. The one hundred years they spent together, although brief in the overall scheme of things, was enough to teach the maiden a thing or two on how the trickster maneuvered.

?What? Yes! Yes, of course! She? She knows that? I? No! We can?t tell her that I?m living here! She?ll hit me with that book of hers and call me an idiot and make me cry again! I don?t want to do that any more!? Etsuko was on the verge of tears, her lips wobbly and her large coffee bean eyes saturated to the brim. The Rabbit General was already one step away from pleading to keep her actions a secret.

?Hmm. I suppose I could be convinced not to go to her and rat you out. ?you need to do me a favor if that?s the case?? Mayu calmly stated with a rap-tap-tap of several fingers to her chin.

?Anything!? Etsuko gushed, her hands lifting to her cheeks to swipe away the spilling of tears that spawned straight out of apparent fear.

?You see, if you don?t want us living here, we need a way to get out. If we walk out the front door, though, Flora is going to see us. Seeing us means she?ll know you?re here,? Mayu explained, stepping away from the witch who was holding her gut in hopes she wouldn?t spill out all that pent-up laughter. The maiden stopped short of the small rabbit and lowered to her knees, mimicking a grown sister speaking to her baby sibling. ?Do you know where we can leave so we won?t be bothering you anymore, Etsuko??

??where you can leave??? the tiny General mirrored, smearing water across undefined cheekbones and rubbing them in at the place where her jaw sloped and became the chin. ?Well? underneath the basement level is the route that connects to the Subterranean. Flora sometimes uses it to grow cave flowers and mushrooms. I know there are all kinds of routes that you could use there??

?The? Subterranean?? Mayu asked, immediately shooting a look back to Emma for her knowledgeable input.

Not requiring a request, the witch dipped her hand into another pocket of rippling air, withdrawing a new tome that was shaded a deep turquoise and much thicker than the last. She tossed the cover open and flipped through the heavy tome with ease. ?The Subterranean is an underground network that is just as old as Shamanista is. It?s connected to nearly every portion of the world, carved out by the Oni of legend.?

?The Oni? So, Akiko?s people? They live underground?? Mayu asked with a lift of her head.

?They do. After the birth of the world, the Oni were amongst the first to take residence in this land. Unfortunately, there were a few issues with their ability to live on the surface and the Ruler cast them underground.? Emma tossed several more pages aside, concluding her sentence with a light shrug.

Mayu took the inside of her lower lip between her teeth and snapped off a chunk of flesh, glancing back to Etsuko with a quick nod of her head. ?Will you show us where we can find the underground entrance? If you do that, we won?t tell Flora that we saw you living here. You can?t tell her you saw us, either. Is that a deal??

The small rabbit nodded frantically. ?Oh! Yes! You have yourself a deal even a trickster like me is unwilling to break!?

?I hope so,? Mayu happily lilted as she lifted. ?Emma, would you join me? If these tunnels are still in existence, I?m going to need your books to figure out how to navigate them.?

?Me?? Emma asked innocently. ?Are you sure you want to go down there? The Oni don?t take well to surface dwellers like us. Your status isn?t going to help you down there. They live by their own governed rules.?

?We won?t know until we try, right?? Maybe if we talk to them a little and offer them something, they?d be willing to help us in our own needs.? She smiled and faced Etsuko, motioning for her to take the lead. ?All right, Rabbit General! It?s time we go!?

Midori, the leader of the Oni. Being the oldest of the demons that remain alive today, she?s considered their leader, their mother, their protector. She was there when The Ruler cast them under the soil of Shamanista, although back then she was only a child. Looking her in the eye, I can see the sorrow that burns in her heart. I can see the way she aches all over when she opens her mouth and spits hellfire at me for coming underground to speak with her.

I can see her pain? and there?s nothing I can do to alleviate it.

There?s a quote I remember Grandma always told me? ?Can I see another?s woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another?s grief, and not seek for kind relief?? ?I know the answer to that, today, looking at Midori as I am, now. Even if she were to tear me apart and feast on my bones, I will not stop. Whatever happened in her past to make her act out with this kind of aggression today? I will come to understand it, come to respect it, and show her that one person cannot define us all.

Midori, I?m sorry for what happened, whatever it may be. I want to make it right. I want to help put an end to this old burden you?ve taken up yourself. Your people should have a place among us all, and when I can properly alter the course of events in this realm, yours will be the first that I correct?

Please, believe in me?

Mayu lifted two fingers, directing them to the back of Emma's head. "Don't do what you did back in Rhydin. If either of us winds up injured from any conflict, we're going to be severely limited in our ability to function." She didn't want to see anybody hurt, and the more aggression they showed, the more likely these negotiations were going to fail. Straightening, the miko returned her gaze to the front, backpedalling. "I am not here to cause you or your people any trouble! I'm here just to talk to you!"

Larger scale earthquakes had made less noise than the Giantess as she advances, each gravity ridden footfall emitting thunderous sound waves that echo into the spacious cavern. Like a broad sword she draws her bludgeon, smacking a fat, boneless expanse of its club end into her waiting mitt of a palm. "And you've done that. I really hope this talk's been enlightening!" With a wild sweep of her arm, her first drawn weapon lumber back through the air toward her only to be swung outward by its coil of rope, tree trunk thickness and bony protrusions all on a crash course for the two puny women before her.

A surge of crystals materalized around Emma like a twister born in the midwest plateaus, two splitting into a quad that glimmered the shades of the rainbow in surplus. "I do not believe we possess the time or energy to consider our options, Queen!" Emma hollered as she swung open hands forward, palms flat and aimed at the Oni. Rather than conjure something offensive in her arsensal, she invoked the energy of the crystals before the two of them, encasing their fronts in a glamorous bubble that sparkled with the pristine quality of cleaned chinaware. "Hold on!"

To what!? is the only thought that entered Mayu's mind as the shielding encompassed them, trapping them in a bubble with a wide girth. She clenched her hands into tiny, unthreatening balls. "Please! Stop for one second and allow me the chance to explain myself! We'll leave if you're not interested!"

"Tch!" The Giantess did not alter her pace, nor did she compensate for the barrier that was suddenly erected around the pair. Her first weapon continues on its course, its trajectory slow enough not to disturb the air, but the mere strength of the blow shatters the barrier that the Witch called forth with ease. Unhindered, the club zooms on into the curve of Emma's waist, between ribcage and hipbone, the entire attack done with little more effort than a simple dismissive backhand. "What makes you think I was even gonna listen in the first place? Are your ears clogged from too much fresh air and sunlight? I can't sympathize!"

The bubble popped and shattered beneath the weight of the Oni's powerful blow, backlashing into Emma's hands and kicking her off of the ground with a forceful kinetic burst. It launched her back with the same velocity the thrown club exhibited. She was nothing than a streaking purple beam of light before she made contact with the wall and slumped over without any manner of resistance that conscious beings might possess.

"EMMA!" Mayu shouted, organic lungs ballooning as she unleashed a scream. Roiling mercury contorted and solidified two shades darker than foreboding storm clouds as she leveled them on the Oni. "I'm not here to ask for your sympathy. I'm here to talk to you about doing something about this living arrangement with you! Your people should not be under the ground! I want to fix it!"

"Too little, too late. 'Bout four millenia too late, give or take some centuries!" A single jerk of the Giantess' thick arm brings her first weapon easily back into range. She whirls it above her head like a crude, blunt ended, bone splintered lasso. All the while, her forward advance has not slowed. Tremors shake the ground from every single step, drowning out the sounds of bats overhead. "Who do you think you are anyway, some little arrogant emissary from the Ruler?" The end of the bludgeon in her other hand begins to glow a fierce red, its core whiter than the high noon sun that has not been seen by the eyes of its wielder for too long, waves of heat rising into the air. Its humming screech vibrates through the entire weapon, but the Giantess' grip remains firm.

Stormy eyes follow the trajectory of the club's spiral, weaving this way and that to never once lose sight of its motion. Their distance guaranteed a small window of comfort, but her throwing aim seemed truer than her strength, which said a lot. This was no ordinary creature of legend. She loosened the tightness in her fingers, shaking out the creaks and cracks of bone warped by Shamanista's energy flow. "My name is Mayu Tsuzuki, Shrine Maiden of Dreams and Queen of Shamanista. Your people have been under the earth for all this time, and I'm here to negotiate terms and conditions to put a stop to that. If you would help me see to the end of the currently ruler of this realm, Flora Calla."

Briefly, for the swiftest instant, the Giantess' features register disbelief. One final loop throught the air later, her first bludgeon lands firmly within her palm, meaty digits wrapping about its hilt like pliable sausages and she lowers it to her side. "Was only kidding." The silence was only broken by the steady thudding footfalls of her advance. The tiny creature before her was not growing any larger. A deceptively easy smile sprawls over her mouth, lips stretching too far across a ferocious visage. Each and every tooth's point gleams wet and sharp.

"I find it hard to believe that a little twerp like you is even Queen. Flower Flora's no better, but she doesn't f*ck with us like you have. Learn this well, true authority doesn't overstep its bounds. The last one to do so was the Ruler himself." Reaffirming her grip upon her second, glowing bludgeon, she tilts her head. The pointed tip of her ear pauses mere inches from a live, flickering flame.

"Far as I'm concerned, you signed your own second damn death warrant by setting foot in here. And by the way," extends the flaming bludgeon in the so-called Queen's direction. The crimson of the Giantess' gaze glitters wickedly. "I couldn't give a f*ck who you are." Wave upon wave of egg shaped wads of blinding energy are expelled from the bludgeon's burning end. They travel with the velocity of a meteor in a thick, horizontal pillar, their course direct and unquestionable: Shamanista's Queen.

Every line spoken by the Oni hit the girl in the way bricks did when thrown really hard. One after another, she felt her determination in the matter be crushed and fade, nothing more than granules of sand slipping through the fingers. Her lips pulled apart and she bared her teeth in preparations to continue her words, but the bulky woman's advance said it best: these talks were over. Without the use of the tunnels or the ability to gain powerful allies in the form of ancient beings of legend, their army was becoming more target practice for the Celestial than a force worth even mentioning.

The lift and brandish of a club was momentarily disregarded by the girl's fazed state of being, snapping to only when the haze and frightful glow of energy congealed at the flat tip and swelled like flame to gas. Danmaku? Here? Shamanista's only true form of combat threw the miko for a loop, ducking back into the tunnel Emma and she traveled, air light under her feet to the point she wasn't feeling the grit of stone encumber her. One, two... there were too many to count. Incapable of countering with something of her own, she threw herself low, knees buckling against the abrupt shift, and slid underneath the row of powerful energy. A hit from something like that in her present state would be more than critical.

The Giantess holds her ground, the thick, corded muscles of her arm tense as she keeps rigid control over the bludgeon in her hand. Its flaming tip vomits round after round of pulsating energy. It sprays the tunnel system like water, each impact like a miniature bomb of sound, building on the one that came before it until the Subterranean's trademark silence is awash with a cacophony of erupting stone. Slowly, she guides her arm in an arc, making sure to leave no area in front of her intact. It was still a great distance back into the tunnel system leading to their underground city and whilst the so-called Queen was in fact small, she was no quicker than her partner had been. A simple rotation of her wrist coaxes the energy's path into a wide spiral, their intention to leave nowhere for the girl to run and at the same time take out enough bodily chunks to make fleeing impossible.

The amount of strength composed in a single ball that soared over her head was enough to make the hair on her neck stand on end and the bones in her flesh to vibrate, her teeth chattering and her eyes tremoring. The seismic energy settled in the earth was overwhelming, leaving her drooped figure without the friction or framework to muster the ability to pull herself back to her feet.

The spiritual bombardment was relenting, leaving her with little option besides rolling to the left to avoid the rock rupturing from one impact, only to rinse and repeat by rolling to the right to avoid another. Her arms lifted and crossed at her chest and drew her knees close to her stomach as another avalanche of stone closed in on her from above, tumbling to her stomach and shoving off of the ground. Her rise was inevitable to avoid being crushed, and when she felt the solid, tremoring ground beneath her feet, whirled around to face the Oni.

The girl's teeth clenched to slow the chattering vibrations, and pulled her arms apart to coax the flow of spiritual energy all around her. A vortex of blues and reds kicked up at the tips of her toes, coiling with the sinuous curve of snakes about her ankles and climbed high to the base of her hips. Her focus, her presence, everything she knew was focused on those powers--the only thing she could rely on when all else seemed to fail. She could feel the rage of Shamanista as the power wriggled through her stomach and latched to her youkai being.

Focus... Focus... Another crackling ball streaked past her right side, twice the size of her figure and claiming over half the available remaining space in the tunnel, forcing her to the left once again. Then another. As she ducked further away to the left, her shoulder met the roughened skin of the underworld so quickly, she stumbled away from it with a gasp. She was barred, out of available wiggle room. Straight ahead, another ball was licking the heels of one moments before it, blocking an available route that could be used to evade it. Two high above it, and one seemingly underneath it. They encroached on her faster than she could blink her eyes, feeling the initial ball connect with her straight in the chest and rupture, letting loose a destructive burst of energy that sent shockwaves throughout her human body. She could feel the bones in her chest turn to dust and the surface flesh burn.

Without a chance to scream, another ball followed after it, intensifying the original explosion that drowned her in so much light and so much pain that the world itself dipped to a color darker than black. She could feel the way her right shoulder dislodged from its socket and the way the entire limb, against its own will, came apart from the rest of her. It tore with the weakness of wet paper and dissolved into the blast; gone. The impact threw her clear off of her feet and knocked her like a single standing pin on the bowling alley straight to the ground. One leg shot high and crossed over the other, twisting at the knee, ripping apart ligaments with the sound of paper that was deafened by the crumbling of rock and the supersonic bursts of spiritual energy, and twisted a full 180? the opposite direction. Her hips functioned in a similar matter, just barely held together by threads of flesh and a very unsuitable prayer.

The Giantess was not the eldest of the Sacrosanct by longevity alone. Nor was it merely a measure of her desire and devotion to protect what were left of their once mighty race. It was a combination of both points and of the sheer force of the power she commanded. With no sign of fatigue, she had reduced the entirety of the Subterranean's entryway into little more than gouged out craters, shattered natural rock formations and created an atmosphere so thick with rock dust and debris, drawing breath was futile even were it necessary. She had little to no trouble navigating the pockmarked landscape, each thunderous footfall now causing streams of rock to fall in showers in every direction. "Tch. Queen. Overshot your own abilities there, did you?" She pays little to no mind to the carnage that she had wraught, such being her intention the entire time anyway. Easily picking her way over her target's broken and awkwardly bent form, she plants the sole of her foot into Mayu's soggy chest and applies pressure. The flaming bludgeon is lowered to rest mere centimeters from the tip of her pert nose. From such a short distance, it felt like holding a torch against one's own skin.

"Won't say it a third time. Die."

I never expected to see Mayu return to our world. When I last saw her, she was transfigured into the bestial form of the Shrine Maiden--a terrible power when it is invoked as an ultimate security measure. We?ve seen this bestial wrath once before, back when Flora and Ria Diabulus attempted to overthrow The Ruler. It makes the Maiden look like some kind of devil, with the grotesque wings like a bat, the razor talon fingernails, the rows of shark teeth?

It?s supposed to be beautiful, as exquisite as a moon bathed in a fire of gold. That?s how we always were told the powers of the Maiden were produced.

When she left, I didn?t feel remorse for her. I didn?t feel anything but relief that they could get her away. She?s our Queen, the one that is our hope and our future. Flora?s sworn enemy? So long as she exists, the Celestial cannot fully consume our world and turn it into her Garden of Eden.

The Shrine Maiden of Dreams isn?t just some seeker of justice. She?s like? a key. A key that can unlock terrible control over the entire spiritual plane. She exists for that reason.

Now that she?s here, there?s nothing stopping the Celestial from being able to obtain everything she could possibly want. She was never told these things. No Shrine Maiden ever is. They are aware of their power to wield the realm as a weapon and to bless beings into becoming youkai when they first arrive, but that?s it. They?re never? taught what they are.

Mayu? our Queen? she must learn of this? of everything.

She was horribly trounced by Midori, my sister and my leader. Midori might be powerful, but she is an insignificant power compared to Flora and always has been. If the Maiden cannot stand up to my sister, how can she even consider fighting Flora?

?After we see the hermit and repair Mayu, we must return her to the realm of the living. She cannot stay here. It?s cowardly to ask her to run away from something she feels responsible for? I should be standing up to Flora with the rest of them?

We don?t have a choice. A fight with the Celestial leader of Shamanista will spell doom for everyone.

Akiko slammed on the proverbial brakes to her gourd the moment she breached the earth to the surface. Humidity steamed her face and made her skin crawl. Ever since Flora obtained the ability to alter the weather, she made things unbearably hot so necessary moisture could be produced for the endless fields of flowers. It was just one of the many reasons why Akiko preferred the underworld today. Oni had adapted to the dank caverns where sunshine couldn?t reach and cool shadows stretched for miles.

She already felt itchy in all the places demons like her preferred not to scratch in public.

She breached the surface in a field of tall violet lilacs whose petals were trimmed in marshmallow white. They swayed in a high breeze that the few on the ground could not feel, gracing their ears with hushed snake hisses as though they were whispering sweet, terrible nothings to them about being spotted. Akiko ignored it for the small thatched tent slapped together by bleached burlap and linen. Even the hermit woman was no exception to Flora?s sea of flowery blossoms.

It was the first time she ever personally set foot on the Hermit?s turf. It seemed unexceptional at a glance, typical of hermits. For some reason, she thought it?d be slightly more glamorous. Maybe with an altar of a golden goose or a wild array of chickens running rampant. Crazies owned chickens, she swore.

?Heeeeeeeeeeyo,? Akiko called as she dismounted from the hovering gourd, carefully tending to the gory remains of Mayu still passed out and splattered in thick globs of wet, ceaseless red. Emma was much better off, conscious and showing awareness to her surroundings.

?This area is? unfamiliar to me,? Emma commented as she rubbed pained grogginess from her eyes. ?Flora?s taint is widespread for even me to not recognize anything.?

?Mm,? Akiko answered noncommittally. ?I do not see the surface world often. I can say with certainty, though, that even our underground network has been vastly altered because of the many roots that have taken shape. Nothing has been for the better. And things will only get worse as time goes??

Even though Oni were incredibly strong beings, Akiko maintained her struggle with Mayu as she pulled her down from the gourd and into both arms. Carrying her bridal-style was the least supportive method she could consider, given the blood and complete absence of an arm. Slinging the one remaining arm over the expanse of her shoulders, she hugged the girl close and started toward the hut. She fumbled every step she took, unable to guide herself flawlessly past the tangled weave of weeds and ground cover steeped in greens.

?Damned? surface? world?? she hissed with a hint of fang, ??with your flowers and your greens and blues and sun? Sucks.?

The air grew dense the closer she got, restricting her movement and making her feel like she was wading through mud. As though this specific pocket of the world was being squeezed all around her by an unseen hand. Without the requirement to breathe, Akiko was still surprised at how taut her chest became. It was silent sign, a warning that her existence was being twisted and squandered right out from under her. She didn?t care about her own power, though. It was the girl?s that she held close, the petite, pathetic chirrups of ache spilling from her the same as vital blood did. Whatever was in the air, it was affecting them both.

?Sh*t? they didn?t mention anything about a defense barrier being here?? She quickly retraced her steps and returned to the outside edge of thick air. As expected, it became easier to function as a whole. Whatever power it was, it was incredibly strong to stop even an Oni from trespassing.

Emma?s sleepy delirium didn?t impede her awareness of the situation, observing from the gourd with one eye of amethyst. ?Defense barrier? You mentioned us coming to see a hermit woman,? she drawled, slumping low on the gourd to lay down. ?From what I remember, there were no hermit youkai that could fashion defensive barriers. Potent ones, at that.?

Potent defense barriers were a rarity in Shamanista. Manami was considered one of the only capable youkai because of her ability to expel nearly any resident without any prior preparation. To restrict the natural flow of motion and crush the power of existence inside of a youkai?

Unheard of.

?This? field is something else,? Emma interjected, breaking the brief layer of silence that filled the air. ?It?s strong, definitely? too strong to be a??

?Damn it,? Akiko uttered under her breath, flicking a finger at the air. ?No problem! The oni always have a way to get something accomplished when it seems all hope is lost.? Facing the hut, she sucked in a tremendous amount of air until her chest was ready to burst like a balloon and hollered, ?RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN! COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY!?

Emma?s lips flattened. ??that?s your grand scheme??? she asked sarcastically, a little hopeful but mainly in disbelief that an oni?s failsafe was screaming at the top of her lungs.

However, Emma?s lack of faith came sooner than it should have. A worn section of burlap on the hut, likely the shambled door, flapped. A large parasol was jabbed through the loose fabric and promptly snapped open. Its nylon canopy was a brilliant pink, lined with frill that belonged on a French-style day dress; much too luxurious for a poor woman out in the middle of nowhere. It shielded perspective of the one which wielded it: a woman with wonderfully long golden hair that dazzled in the sunlight as though it was absolutely glowing like a million neon bulbs all wound together. Her face was obscured by a bonnet laced in thin red ribbon, it as pearly white as the multi-tiered dress that covered her from the puffy shoulder pads softer in appearance than clouds all the way down to her bare feet. She was a sizable woman, well endowed with height. She easily towered over the three women that came to interrupt her tranquil hideaway.

?Neh?? the woman groaned, her voice gravelly as she just came from slumber. ?What?s all this shouting for??

Akiko couldn?t contain her excitement. ?Rin! I thought the crazy garden woman had gotten to you!?

?What? Who?s this Rin you?re speaking of? Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain,? she answered with, flaring the parasol even wider to blanket her from their eyes.

Emma needed a moment to question if the umbrella-equipped woman was actually hiding behind a curtain. ??it looks like just an umbrella,? she finally resorted to saying when she convinced herself.

?Nonsense, nonsense. This is a curtain. You?re trespassing.? She wasn?t missing a beat. ?And what do you mean ?The crazy garden woman had gotten to you?? She might?ve pissed all over my hut with her seeds and flowers, but I?m sure as hell not going anywhere!?

Seeds and flowers. Akiko didn?t even want to think about that too deeply. ??gross. Yeah, listen Rin. We have a problem.?

---

?I see?? Rin stated gloomily when Akiko and Emma explained the situation to her in detail. ?This girl is the heir to The Ruler?s reign here and sought the oni for help. She must be ignorant.?

Akiko waved the comment off. ?Lady Emma has expressed that her blood is capable of regenerating her body. Shamanista?s energy is too strong, though. Without help, she?ll continue to unravel and be torn apart from my sister?s attacks.?

If there was anything the old hermit woman knew best, it was how Shamanista worked. Despite what she was being told, though, she made no sudden attempt to further her understanding of the situation. ?We?ve been friends for a long time, Akiko. How long has it been now? You were just a wee little runt demon when I first met you. I don?t deal with the politics. You know this. If this girl got herself all smashed up, that?s her ordeal to contend with.?

Akiko gasped in protest. ?You--! You can?t be serious! You?re the only person on the surface world that I know who can repair broken youkai! I?m not asking you to join this fight any more than I?m asking my sister to! But we can?t just leave her like this! She?ll die!?

?Then she?ll be doing us all a favor. If she is the heir to the throne, then she is the present Shrine Maiden of Dreams, correct? We have not had somebody with that status present here in a very long time.? There was no sudden protest from either of the girls, encouraging Rin to continue. ?The reason why Flora isn?t in control everything right this second is because she?s lacking the power of the Shrine Maiden. Without it, she cannot open the realm to its full potential.?

?Full? potential?? Emma asked, begrudgingly. ??How do you know of something like that? I have absolutely no record of there being some ?full potential? of the realm.?

?Then your knowledge fails you, ?Witch of Intense Knowledge,?? Rin stated coldly. ?Or you were so heavily caught up by what The Ruler?s told you that you don?t know any different. Either way, it doesn?t matter to me. I know.?

Emma grit her teeth but didn?t have something ready to counter with. Any such volley of insults would only deter her from understanding what Rin was willingly sharing with them. Akiko rolled a hand, insisting she pace herself. The clock was running in the proverbial world of eternity, and each passing second meant less of a likelihood Mayu would see the following morning.

?Ah, you want the short version? very well, then.? The tall woman didn?t collapse her parasol as she took a seat on a rotted out tree stump. Many a teacup had stained its surface over the years and that did not give exception to her using it as a chair when feeling the need to relax. ?The Ruler possessed restrictions to the way his power worked and was maintained. The all-powerful, almighty bravado he toted around like some kind of crown was a fabrication of how he handled himself. Consider him a God without actually owning all of a God?s powers.?

Neither of the girls knew any better. They didn?t know what Rin was trying to suggest or if she was even making sense. ?So he? wasn?t a God?? they asked, almost simultaneously.

?Creator of Shamanista and all that mumbo? Well, that?s left for the history books, isn?t it, Witch?? Rin snapped a well-timed, ill-advised grin that only canary eating cats were known for. ?His powers were always split in half, right down the middle. Part of that power rested inside of him--the power to establish rule and command the world as it needed to be commanded. That?s what made him the leader and what gave him his? control. We never could dispute that fact, could we? That was his Hougu.?

?Hou?gu?? Akiko repeated, a little fuzzily. Midori mentioned the word several times throughout their childhood--a thing most surface dwellers always ran around wanting to get their hands on. It made them ?special?, able to do things most other youkai of Shamanista did not.

?It?s a kind of treasure that sits inside of certain youkai. There aren?t many left, today. As far as I know, The Ruler is--well, was--the last remaining ?Opes? of our time. ?Treasure-bearer,? she quickly added, just to set the record straight.

Emma materialized a book from her Grand Library and set to writing down the information that Rin was sharing with them. She could quickly compare her notes to things that she?d researched over the years. She was skeptical, uncertain that anything Rin had to say was to be set as fact. Akiko, on the other hand, knew Rin better than she. She wasn?t liable to think the crazed hermit woman was as deaf to knowledge as many were.

?So,? the oni said after a moment of digestion, ?The Ruler came into possession of some kind of? treasure? That gave him the ability to control things? And he used it to help fashion our world? You mentioned something about splitting, though?? A tidbit she wasn?t sure she understood.

?Straight down the middle. Thus was the creation of what we know as, ?The Shrine Maiden of Dreams,? the one who is bestowed the other half of the Hougu?s immense power. ?Ball-and-Chain? I liked to affectionately call it.? She chuckled at her own plucking of nostalgia, a sentiment the others weren?t quick to join. ?It was required to be placed inside another individual, to keep the Opes from being allowed to do too much. Quite the trick, if you ask me.?

?That seems like an awfully strange rule for this? Hougu,? Emma commented with a harsh, toxic bite to her words.

?Hm. Indeed. Unfortunately, the Hougu?s purposes aren?t for us to decide. They were created well before I ever became aware. Some say they were created when two people united with similar desires to fashion such a device. It would explain why there are two requirements to this particular tool.? Rin twirled the crook of her parasol, spinning the nylon canopy around and around to her own merry amusement.

?How did he come into possession of it?? Emma asked further, eager to find some kind of inconsistency she could snap at. The irritation was apparent on her face, her unbridled loathing for another?s intense knowledge on a subject that rivaled her own taking effect.

?Hougu aren?t something you just pick up. You possess them when the previous Opes is killed. I imagine the Celestial knew this fact when she decided upon the young Queen over there to stab our dear leader in the head. Pity, too? he always had a fabulous head?? Rin?s pout was alluring, like all things of hers when she was being over dramatic.

?Then the Hougu is inside of her?? Akiko was hopeful. With the possibility of something being controlled, they could find a means of ripping it out of Flora and put a stop to a potential fight that would otherwise tear their entire world apart.

Rin?s grin didn?t falter. ?Hm. Perhaps. Perhaps she only thinks she?s in possession. Unfortunately, you can?t tell just by a glance if somebody is bearing a particular Hougu. Not even the Opes itself.?

Emma snapped shut the cover of the large tome she was writing in. She stood despite her various injuries, quick like a rabbit on the run from an incredibly persistent fox. ?Impossible. If Flora is the leader of this world and has altered things this much, she must be in possession of this Hougu or whatever the hell it is!?

Rin chuckled, dipping the parasol in front of her to hide. ?My, such anger. Don?t be upset that I happen to know something of particular interest that you do not, Emma Exire. In time, it?ll be you that?ll have to share this information with those that require it. Just sit, and drink.?

Akiko reached to take Emma by the hand. ?Stop? we won?t understand if we get all riled up and start shouting.?

Emma sat, scoffing.

?What does the other half do?? Akiko continued. ?I take it the Shrine Maiden of Dreams is given something of equal power, but??

?You already know that fact, ?Charming Forgathering Pandemonium,?? Rin stated as she lifted the pink nylon device back over her head, covering herself in much needed shade. Her hair, however, never lost that phosphorescent glow. In fact, when veiled in shadow, it enhanced the luminescence that made her seem like she was bathed in the fire of the sun. ?She wields the world as a weapon. She embodies the entire plane of existence. Without her, Shamanista itself would buckle and collapse.?

?And that?s what Flora wants? Or is that what she?s missing?? Emma once again snapped, still with that toxic bite.

?As I said, it?s tough to tell if she?s the Opes of that particular Hougu. No matter the case, if this particular Shrine Maiden of Dreams is destroyed, she will not have the potential of unleashing everything that has been kept contained for longer than all of our lives combined.? The umbrella?s cyclone came to a stop and, when it did, Rin rose back to her feet. ?My, my. The time?s grown late. I do believe I should be seeing to my sleep schedule better than I?ve been.?

?Wait?? Akiko said hurriedly, rising after her. ?Even if what you say is true, we don?t need to see that her life ends this way! She?s done so much for us!?

Rin paused in her retreat to her hut, glancing over a shoulder cloud at her oni friend. ?Hm. You?re right. It is sensible that we do not leave her as she is now.? She turned, gracing the two with a smile. ?I will personally destroy her existence so she will not be left to suffer.?

The two women exchanged looks, horror trickling into their faces. ?You ca--!?

?I can,? Rin interrupted, sternly. She stepped forward to where the young girl was strewn out. Her glistening green hair was inky black in spots where blood had clumped and clotted; her face frozen in pain and paler than the tusk of a royal elephant. Rin could tell that her existence was already nearing its end. The internal fire that made her soul burn was waning, and fast. Even without her interference, she wouldn?t last for very long.

?If she were to leave this realm, nothing would stop Flora from chasing her. She has the scent, she knows where to look. She will always be a danger to all of us if she were to remain.?

?Stop it!? Akiko demanded, the second time she found herself standing up to the odds. She couldn?t even get near Rin?s hut earlier. It made no sense to her why she felt the inclination to risk her own safety. Still, she pumped her powerful legs, stampeding in front of Mayu and stopping Rin from progressing. Emma was still grievously wounded and unable to help. She knew it was up to her. ?If what you were saying is true, about the Shrine Maiden owning the power of the world, you would be killing all of us and our home just to stop a single person from doing some unspeakable thing! Some unspeakable thing that you won?t even tell us about!?

?Hm,? Rin chuckled after a moment of thought. ?You would be correct, Akiko. I am saying just that.?

It was enough to shatter the oni?s resolve. If somebody was so cold and willing to shatter an entire realm like they were snapping their fingers? Her arms slumped to her sides, the only visible sign that she was taking an emotional beat down that rivaled Mayu?s physical trouncing. ??that?s? that?s heartless of you. There is nothing so terrible that it demands the destruction of an entire universe, Rin. ?and if you?re planning on doing that, I don?t care who you are?

??I?ll murder you with my own two han--!!?

She felt her voice break in her throat, but she wasn?t sure if it occurred before or after she felt her stomach twist around like it had become a small tornado. Her feet were dislodged from the earth as she was jettisoned from Rin?s path. The tall blonde woman hadn?t even considered lifting a finger to signal the implication of attack, requiring only the use of her eyes to guide trajectory and strength to strike with. Solid air coalesced behind the oni in the form of a translucent wall of impenetrable mass, crashing into it with enough force that made her neck snap back and the rear of her skull to collide with it. The wall mutated along her arms and her legs, grappling her in a hold that kept her suspended and out of the way. She slumped, knocked cold and unable to move of her own accord.

The nearby witch felt her jaw unhinge when she yelled, ?Destroying her and this world isn?t going to change anything from what Flora?s already doing! Knock it off!?

Rin ignored Emma?s shouting, angling the parasol low and snapping it shut with a resounding click. Without the pink curtain around her face, it was the first time her beryl blue eyes peeked out from behind the thickness of her bangs. Pure like Shamanista?s sky, they examined Mayu?s body when she grew incredibly near, extending a hand out to catch the girl by a gaunt cheek and give it a soft, caressing pat of affection. Long fingers curled at the knuckle and pressed, nudging her face away from her. She didn?t need to see the girl?s expression as she ended her life.

?Vaut mieux pr?venir que gu?rir.?

As Rin?s fingers pressed more firmly into her head, they bled a radiant blue flame, licking at the air like wood in a hearth. It was so sudden, so unexpected, the control she possessed over the wall that clutched Akiko dematerialized and dropped her to the ground in a heap. The woman retracted her touch in an instant. ??dear god?? she uttered under her breath. Both surprise and awe filled her eyes when she glanced up to the oni, then over to Emma. ??we should get her inside. Immediately. Before too much of her existence has been consumed by this world.?

Emma quirked a brow, unsure if she was supposed to be finding Rin?s comment a really piss-poor joke. ??I?m sorry, what? If you don?t remember, you just eye-shot the crap out of our heavy lifter. What?s going on??

??yes, of course. I should?? Rin whispered to her own set of ears, her head low to Mayu?s strewn out body. She collected the girl by the underneath of her knees and her neck, gently lifting her into her arms. ??Elisa Clarke? just what are you doing back here??