He glowerd at the mass of papers on his desk. Now more than ever, he was intisically awair that there was something wrong. It would hit him at arbitrary times. That there was something he was lacking. Something on the inside. That feeling of being less than a whole person.
He felt a presance. Speaking of missing things, the report he was currently reading was incomplete. Perhaps the rest of it was on his desk undernieth some other paper. Since when did his desk become such a conglomerate of disaray? It was more than anoying, just as that person standing in front of his desk.
"Excuse me?" It was female and she sounded very confused. Insed of just dismissing her he looked up. She was dressed in a rather odd manner, her hair spireled around itself in seperate locks and for a moment he caught himself counting the locks. He'd stopped at four on each side, then realised he was doing it...
"IM bussey." he declared. What the hell was this girl doing here anyway? She looked utterly shocked at him, and then looked around, but when she met his eye an erie feeling crept over him, nearly suffocated him.
And she was gone.
He sat for a moment staring at the space infront of his desk that she had previously occupied. Then back at his papers. Perhaps he was working to hard.
The Next Week
"and he said whaaaaullluaaaaaaaaawwwwwaaaaaaa."
He looked at the man talking to him, making certain that he kept a look of polite interest on his face. He nodded when appropriat, but he wished very much for this man to stop talking and go about his business. The man reminded himself of that empty missing spot as usually the man had nothing of substance to say. It was distinctly disconcerting.
Finnally the boaring, and quite transparent of personality man laughed at one of his own jokes and strode confidantly elsewhere. His eyes caught the door... for a brief moment, he was sure they were being watched.
The loby was filled with people, it could have been so, but it sent an odd shiver through his spine as if something unearthy was there. He attempted to shrug it off whial exiting the building.
He took the right as per usual down the bussy, bustleing street, attempting to avoid contact with others as they seemed to not care whom they jostled in thier attempt to go to where ever...
Something dragged his eyes fowerward... as if a string were attatched forcing him to look. She was standing there. At the crosswalk. He stooped. She hadnt looked at him yet. He had to be mistaken, that girl from last week... the one who vanished in front of his eyes, the could NOT have been real. But she was there.... she began to turn and his mind flashed immages of her eather being .. someone... anyone else... to her mutating into an imposible monsterous creature.
She looked the same. Four locks of hair in the back, four on eather side. Her skin was pale, her eyes not too round, but not slanted either exsuded a type of violet blue he'd never seen. She was dressed differantly today, in many shades of red... swirling about eachother, the way the locks of her hair swirled about itself.
She too, looked a bit surprised that he was there. Then she was gone. Someone bumped into him, muttering thier appologies. He faught the urge to rub his eyes.
Three days later
The water decided it was now cold. There was no forewarning for this, as usual durring the showering process. He swore under his breath, groaped around for a towel. Their was still steem in his bathroom. He was still attempting to recover from that dream he'd always had. Oh he had several dreams, but non disterbed him on quite the same level.
Meifumado, he was certain of it. It could be no other place. In his dream he was dressed in full samurai regailia. He also knew, beyond doupt that was where he belonged and deserved to be. he would wake up, exhausted, as if he'd really been there, body aching, still knowing.. that was where he should be.
He leaned against the glass door to the bath,,, looked up , and stopped breathing.
"OH... Im reaaaaaaaaaaaaaly sorry !!!!" She said. She seemed to be just as suprised as he.... she wore black, making her pale skin almost glow.
And she was gone.
He remained where he was for a moment. Recovering. He then patroled around his house,,,, to see how she could have gotten in. He knew there was absolutely now way she could have... she didnt exsist...
That Night
He felt as if there were someone sitting on his chest.
It was pullling him out of his sleep.
"HEY ! I'm trying to talk to you !!!"
Poke, Poke,,,, she was poking him.
His eyes flew open, and for amoment he could not breath or move.
"Oh good you'r awake... I just wanted to ask."
He sat bolt upright, grabbing her arms "BEGONE SUCCUBI"
For an instant she just looked at him, stunned. Then she faded away and it looked as if she were laughing.
Two Weeks Later
The monk looked at him over the swirl of incense. He rang his singing bowl.
He was suprised he was going to these leingths. However, he needed insight to these dreams and that.... that... girl. He felt as if he were going mad. Not just the dreams of Meifumado, but dreams so simalar, as if he were in a war... on the loosing side.... or the memories... of that case.
It wasnt just seeing her. This wasnt the first time he'd ever seen that girl. It had been 12 years ago... he had been investigating a series of ritual murders.... He'd seen her then. No one else on his investigation teem did. But she had been there, she spoke to him... and he was the only who had survived.
Was this going to happen again? Was everyone but him about to be anihalated by the same or even a differant group of occultists bend on slaughtering the innocent. Was she thier herald? Or was she a good spirit that saved him... but for what reason did she save him??
who or what was she...??
and why had she been in his dreams of Meifumado ?
He had been in his normal place.
The monk began to chant as he remembered.
He was sitting seiza by a large bolder. It was dark,,,, it is always dark there. Unlike the real world there were no night time noises, but he always knew when it was time... to go into the trees. He was meditating, preparing himself.
He felt her then, but as always in this place he was... himself and not who he was when waking. So her presance surprised him certainly, but it did not make him nervious. She stood on the large rock for a moment, then jumped down, falling flat on her face.
His only thought was what was she doing there? As he had never see another human in his time in this place. She stood up and brushed herself off, then sat seiza beside him. She was wearing a rediculous blue flowered dress.
"Sooooooooooooooo where are we?" she had asked him
That surprised him as well, how could she not know where she was? It took him a moment to find the speaking voice he had not used in so long. "In hell." he answered.
She took the time too look around. "Its ... kinda dark here... well... at least I can see."
It was time. He stood up. She remained. He could not allow her to remain here, to be perpetually killed by the demons. "Come with me." he ordered her.
"Hmmm??? Where are we going?" she asked, a bit to cheerfully... perhaps she was insane.
He grabbed her by her arm and dragged her to his perffered spot in the trees. He was a bit late ... so he shoved her out of the way of the on comming demons. He was never sure how long he fough.... but always untill every last one was annyhalated.
To his horror he saw one advancing on the girl. She showed no fear and was speaking to it. He slew it imediately from behind.
"What did you do that for?" she demanded of him. "I was trying to talk to it!?!?!?!"
He stood fast to look at her. She was being serious. He grabbed her arm and lead her back to the waiting spot.
She left then, but returned after a time. For a few minuts she sat quietly beside him, in seiza, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
"you know.... that ... my warrior freinds used to tell me that they could rest after they died..... and this." she gestered to the imediate aria. "doesnt exactally seem to restfull."
He had no reply for her.
"why do you stay here?" she asked, she had turned her body so that she could look straight at him.
"I deserve to be here." he told her.
She seemed to fade away as she thought about this.
She returned.... again... he had no way of time keeping. There were no days or night here.
"are you SURE you should... still be here? don't you think you have been here long enough?" she asked after sitting next to him.
He again had no reply.
She stood up and held her hand out to him.... "Come on."
His vision blurred, but later.... the dreams.... now they happened when he was awake as well. Memories of a past life... filled with bloodshed ... of who and what he was. It was not difficult to figure out now... the uniform, the time period, the people..... the places.
At times these memories overwhelmed him when he was in a particular aria that had changed or remained the same. There were times he was hit with a nestalgia so harsh he felt as if he would fall. The memories assaulted him relentlessly.
And the dreams of Meifumado, they changed drastically. He was no longer the stoic man who had faced this place with imparitality. Now he was constantly affraid... constantly longing for company. Even though he knew if he did not GO, that the demons would come to him... this time, he lost.... he felt every rip and tear, every hit.
His waking personality seemed to take a turn as well, he acted more like his past self.... and he was perferring it that way.
Something was happening in the room, as the Monk's chanting seemed to be causing as much vibration in the air as the singing bowl. The incense had taken over, making the room look as unearlthy as could be.... the guardian statuary lookes as if it were blinking and moving.
He watched as her form slowely took shape and mass, or as much mass as it ever did for a ... what ever she really was.
The Monk himself seemed quite surprised, and startled then he began reciting the heart sutra. Something in the back of his mind told him to expect ... something.... unexpected. He braced himself.
"oh WAIT !! STOP!!!" she said quite clearly,,, starteling the monk agian....he stopped.
"Oh I know this... but I have to start at the beginning you see."
The Monks mouth dangled open as she began to sing, in a lovely voice...
"arya-avalokitesvaro bodhisattvo gambhiram prajnaparamitacaryam caramano vyavalokayati sma: panca-skandhas tams ca svabhavasunyan pasyati sma.
iha sariputra rupam sunyata sunyataiva rupam, rupan na prithak sunyata sunyataya na prithag rupam, yad rupam sa sunyata ya sunyata tad rupam; evam eva vedana-samjna-samskara-vijnanam.
iha sariputra sarva-dharmah sunyata-laksala, anutpanna aniruddha, amala avimala, anuna aparipurnah.
tasmac chariputra sunyatayam na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskarah na vijnanam. na caksuh-srotra-ghrana-jihva-kaya-manamsi. na rupa-sabda-gandha-rasa-sprastavya-dharmah. na caksur-dhatur yavan na manovijnana-dhatuh. na-avidya na-avidya-ksayo yavan na jaramaranam na jara-marana-ksayo. na duhkha-samudaya-nirodha-marga. na jnanam, na praptir na-apraptih.
tasmac chariputra apraptitvad bodhisattvasya prajnaparamitam asritya vibaraty acittavaranah. cittavarana-nastitvad atrasto viparyasa-ati-kranto nistha-nirvana-praptah.
tryadhva-vyavasthitah sarva-buddhah prajnaparamitam asritya-anut-taram samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhah.
tasmaj jnatavyam: prajnaparamita maha-mantro mahavidya-mantro 'nuttara-mantro samasama-mantrah, sarva-duhkha-prasamanah, satyam amithyatvat. prajnaparamitayam ukto mantrah. tadyatha: gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. iti prajnaparamita-hridayam sa-maptam.
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha!"
Both he and the Monk could do nothing but stare at her.... she looked so solid.
"Now that we got that out of the way..... " she spun to face him... so damned familiar... "YOU..... yes YOU.....I am awwwwwwwwwwwwwwfully flattered that you not only think Im a succubus but rate and entire flock of them...but No... Im not." She turned back to the Monk "Nor am I a demon or hostile spirit either... as is obviously apparent by my singing of the heart sutra." She took a moment to look them both over. "I am here because HE is having sould fragment issues. And I thought that was cleared up." She again turned to him. "And just how MANY times to I have to drag you out of that place:???? Quit w/the feeling as if you deserve to be there crap !! Its tedious and taking precious minuts off my life !!! I could be doing some constructive ... sleeping ! So, if you don't mind... work with me here!!?!" She stomped her foot at him. He could do nothing but nodd at her.
"Good." She was gone.
He threw himself down on his bed. The monk could not explane the apperition of her... or what she was... but the Monk was certain that watever the case, she was a benevalant entity... bent on helping... but why was she helping him?
He was afraid.... the quiet made him uneasy....
"Damnit... there you are." He jumped up sword at the ready.
"I dont think so... you are comming with me..." she stood infront of him now... another flowing dress in the middle of a hell full of demons...
"who...are you?" he heard himself ask. She stopped glaring at him and rewarded him with a look of sympathy. "I am the one who is going to take you away from here." She then took his hand...
There was an odd thunking noise and he heard a voice say it was affraid. He squinted his eyes... .and saw a thin, sickley looking samurai... on the floor, as if he had been thrown against the dresser.
"OH for the sake of ALLLLLLLLLLLL that is holy!" she was there. "That is YOU."
The samurai cowered on the floor. She grabbed him and threw ....
Something inside of him snapped together in a comfortable and reasuring way.
"You... keep yourself together... the NEXT time I go there,,,, you had better not be there do you understand me????" she stood at the edge of his bed, glaring at him... he nodded at her...
"why do you care so much?" he managed to ask her.
that seemed to suprise her... "oh.. well... all I wanted to do was appologise for offending you... but you were in two places at once.. and I didnt really like that.... or something... but I am really sorry for disrespecting you and all that."
he shook his head... what was she talking about?? But it was too late and she was gone.
Two days Later
"you said what?" Ryana asked her former student.
"I am being follllllowed, by a spriit.. cant seem to shake it."
Ryanna looked at Sita for a moment surpressing the illusion that she was no more than a teen age gilr.... the woman never seemed to age... shamen...
"how ? You are shamen trained and a Preistess... why can you not shake this 'spirit'?" Ryana asked in vexation. Sita coudl be utterly exasperating.
Sita just looked up at her, the way a child would when caught steeling cookies....
"What did you do Sita?"
"ohhhh wellllllllllllllllllllll....uhmm."
Ryana tapped her foot on the floor.
"oh well I acted shamefully and insulted an ancestorial spirit and then went to go appologise and I found it in hell, but he was reincarnet too so ... I kinda... put him back together... or so I though... but I keep seeing him..... how can he not be together !!!" Sita demanded in frustration.
"have you not asked him?"
"he isnt exactally forthcomming with information. Can't you talk to him.... shouldnt he bee... I dunno... back with himSELF???? or something???" On occasions like this it was hard to believe that Sita was in her mid thirties.
Ryana sighed...."Give me just a minut."
Ryana shifted her perception, sure enough.. there was a man in the room with them. He was dressed like a Japanese man... from long ago.... they shared a gaze... "why do you haunt Sita?" she asked..... his facial expression did not much change, but she was hit with the idea that he was quite amused....
"well???? what did he say?" Sita asked whial bounding up and down like a highschool girl...Ryana had to take a deep breath so as not to laugh at the woman.
"It seems that you retreaved his soul from hell?" she asked
"oh yeah... that... welll.... he was there long enough."
Ryana stopped herself from laughing. "Sita, because of this he is now one of your Guardians." Ryana attempted to explain.
"but...I have ... enough don't I?" she asked looking around the room as if she could see all the guardian spirits that were around her at any given time, and knowing Sita, she could see them.
"yes, but it is now his duity to do this."
"that... is just rediculous !!! I mean I ... was supposed to be fixing his soul... not seperating it further... he needs to go back to himself !!!!" she declaired.
Again, Ryana had to prevent herself from laughing. "He can not as he is now bound by honor...if you are to send him away..."
"damn samurai and thier honor... if I send him away he will have to go rt back .... " she turned to where he was leaning against the wall, glared at him and stuck out her tongue. "all of that work for nothing... I swear..... next time I just wont bother...." and she stomped away with the odd assortment of beings of which she had prevented from awful fates of suffering....in one form of another.
And people wonder why shamen trained mutter to themselves all the time.....
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