1Chapter 1: A price to pay.
A deceptively young-looking women, wearing a red dress trimmed with white fur, was gliding along the convoluted street of Makai, singing a joyful little song. Her eyes were closed in pure bliss of the moment. Usually, when someone moves around with its eyes closed, they are bound to walk, or bump into something eventually. But not her, for she had built this place microns by microns after she had been cast out of haven for her hubris, so she knew this place like the bottom of her infinite pockets. Pockets that she had also build.
The reason for Shinki's great joy was simple: Makai was still safe even after a geyser had erupted trough it. Better yet, the great column of boiling water had freed some youkai that had been unjustly sealed. She didn't knew them that much, for they where a religious bunch, and so had stayed away from the 'Evil' fallen angel. But what she did know was that they had been patiently waiting for their freedom to help liberate a 'saint' that was sealed even deeper within her realm.
she would have liked to helped them, but the minister of right and wrong had forbidden her for offering her help to those that didn't belong to Pandemonium.
And even if she could, her help wouldn't have been enough, for those who had sealed the virtuous monk did so using seals that hid the magician's presences to all, even her.
Her stroll was cut short when she felt the said seal break. Meaning only one thing: Hiriji Byakuren had expire before her follower even had the chance to free her.
' Now this won't do at all. They have waited for so long just to free you, I won't let their effort and dedication go to waste Just because you decided to give up.'
Shinki promptly teleported about a meter away from the unfortunate women. The last thing she wanted would be to appear into the targeted subject. And promptly gasped at what she saw.
Kneeling In the middle of a complex seal array, bind in ofuda covered chains, was Hijiri Byakuren's mummified looking remains, giving the impression that she had died a 100 years ago instead of just a few minute. her limp and dried out hand still held the sorcerer Sūtra scroll, her will power made solid. the magical construct provided the only source of light in the cave like expense of Hokkai. Still glowing with power, for her body might have died, but her spirit remained strong.
Shinki knelled before the prostrate figure, bringing her hand to the deceased monk's dried and sunken cheek. She could still feel the fire of her soul burning brightly within her corps, like a beacon of hope in a realm where all life get's consume by the miasma. In the end, the monk of the white lotus didn't gave up, like Shinki first belied. She was still fighting, still surviving. Byakuren might have followed the precept of Buddhism, but her resilience was pure youkai in nature. so much that even after 1000 years in...well hell. Her soul still lives on, refusing to fade, even after the death of her physical vessel.
She could bring her back. Very easily too since her soul technically belonged to Her. The only problem was that the magician had an abysmal level of karma, which would be reflected upon her appearance for as long as her Karmic debt was unpayed. And, unfortunately, a 1000 years in Hokkai does not count, for you can't commit good deeds when imprison. But to leave such a good and bright soul here would be committing the worst sin in all existence, the sin of fearful none-action.
Her choice made, Shiki conjured her great black and red, wicked looking sextuplets wings. She rosed from the ground, her power already distorting the reality around her.
And with a voice befitting the deity she was, Shinki declared her spell of both angelic and demonic nature.
'' MAKAI'S GOD'S FORGIVENESS: KARMIC RESURRECTION''
She just hope Sariel would forgive her.
-_( UFO)_-
The first thing she heard was a heart beat, strong and steady.
then she realized it was her own, her own heart was still beating when it should be silent. The Miasma had poisoned her so much that even her heart had grown week and had eventually stopped.
She then also realized that the pain in her legs was gone. They had broken under her own weight a long time ago, causing her an untold amount of agony.
Actually, her whole body felt a bit different, changed. Like some pieces where, not quite missing, but altered and ultimately painless.
And then she heard a voice, the first voice that wasn't her own in 1000 years. It was a voice filled with love and caring, like one would expect from a mother. The voice was telling her something, but after a 1000 of near perfect silence had rendered her mind unaccustom to human speech. After a few moment, she finally managed to grasp what she was told.
'' Come now, Byakuren. Open your eyes.''
Byakuren...that's her name, Hijiri Byakuren. It was the name she had taken when she became a wandering monk, just like her younger brother did.
She opened her eye's to see who could possibly be in Hokkai speaking to her, dearly wishing it was not another hallucination caused by the vile air and her isolation.
'' Ah! There you go, Welcome back to the world of the living, Byakuren.''
There was a person in front of her, a women with pure white hair tied in a side pony tail, dressed in a red dress. Her snow-white eyes were filled with warmth and a bit of regrets, the same with her smile, a kind smile Byakuren never thought she would see again: a caring smile. Upon her back was six wicked looking wings made out of the purest of darkness, hellish red writing decorated those nightmarish looking appendage. Awe worthy power was flowing from her small frame, making her a goddess. Power, in both divine and demonic nature.
But Byakuren could also feel infinite love and goodness within the great soul that was in front of her, it was warm and soothing. She raised her right hand, absently noting that the chains binding her arms where now gone, to reach the godly being. She had to make sure it was not a cruel dream.
And then froze when she saw a hand of the purest black in place of her own, her normal digit replaced by three wicked looking claws. Those where not the hand of a human.
The goddess spoke again, this time her voice was filled with regrets.
'' I'm sorry dear, but this was the price you had to pay for your resurrection. '' She conjured a large winged mirror in front of Byakuren, showing off how much she had been altered.
What peered back at her from her reflection was a creature that was even more wraith like then a ghost, hovering above the ground. her outfit now seemed to be an integral part of her body. Her upper arms where thinner then her lower arms, which seemed to include her ha...claws. Her legs where now nothing more than a pair of black ribbon like appendages wrapped with the same white band that where once used to be tied around her booths and sleeves. on her back, carried by an invisible breeze was her tattered red cape, the same unnatural wind was also blowing into her long and gradient hair. Her shoulder where now broad with black feather like protrusion coming from the top, and her chest area was also wider, making her waist look even thinner then when she was starved. But what had changed the most dramatically was her face... The only feature left was her golden violet eyes, the rest was just darkness. And when she tried to utter a word, silence was the only noise she could produce.
She wasn't that surprise by her new appearance, nor by her silent state, to tell the truth. she had gained her demonic power out of vanity and had used her silver tongue to secure said power. to her, loosing both was more than a fair price for her continued existence. At least she could still pray silently for peace and happiness for both youkai and human. Sealed or not, it was her duty as a nun...false or other wise.
The white-haired goddess banished the mirror with a wave of her hand and floated closer to Byakuren.
'' I can see that you have accepted your new look quite easily. But by the looks of it, you believe that you will stay in Hokkai.''
She put Her hands on her shoulder, they radiated a warmth that seeped into her soul and heart. A bright smile, brighter than the last, illuminated her jovial face.
'' Well dear, you couldn't be more wrong. You see, a few days ago, a great geyser erupted trough my realm. this unnatural phenomena freed a small group of very peculiar youkai consisting of a ghost, a Katawaguruma and her nyuudou partner, a mouse youkai and a tiger youkai that where sealed with in a great treasure ship. They are peculiar in the fact that they followed the path of Buddha.
'' As we speak, they are now working to break the final seal that hold you captive. They didn't forgot about you, Byakuren, nor do they resent you. You do not belong to Makai for your soul is still full of light, a light that is needed by many, that is why I have resurrected you. Your new appearance is just the price you had to pay, nothing more. Don't let it prevent you from living.''
Suddenly, the goddess froze and turned her head towards the back wall, as if she had heard something in the distance.
''Well dear, I believe it is time for me to leave you. It seem that your followers had 'help' and now the 'help' will probably want a spell card duel. And with the new rules in place, I am afraid it would be impossible for you to 'play' for you need to 'declare' your spell cards... which is now impossible. But do not fret dear, for Shinki-sama will fight in your steed. It will also give me a chance to warn them all of your new appearance. But before I forget...''
The Goddess of Makai put her warm hands on Byakuren's now featureless face and gave her a tender kiss on her forehead, infusing her with knowledge and protection.
''There! You have now been blessed!''
And with that, the perky Goddess of Makai, Shinki, turned around and floated a few paced away from the altered magician and threw her arms wide. Releasing a huge wave of power.
the world that had kept her captive for so long shattered away, revealing an infinite horizon of the deepest shade of red, a great orb of light hang in the distance serving as the sun. The 'ground' consisting of nothing more than eldrich line of light in a multitude of color and hue overlapping with one and other. The air, still filled with miasma, now seemed to fill her with untold amount of mana, unlike the one she had been subject to within Hokkai which consumed all life and magic.
Off in the distance, coming from a portal of light was a ship she knew all to well. A ship she had made so a ghost wouldn't have to fade to oblivion, for whom she had sacrifice the life of four Buddhist monk in order to retain her masquerade. She didn't even noticed that Shinki had flown to meet up with three flying figure, for her emotion now overwhelmed her.
The voice pf the goddess echoed within her mind.
The world of Dharma is filled with light, it is now time for you to take your place amongst them. Let you inner light shine trought, Hijiri Byakuren, for many will need it.
