Now if you remember, I said I made a promise to the nice man with the familiar voice. He said I could stay if I promised to never speak to the living. I took that promise. What I haven't said is that there was also a woman present. She was debating taking my voice, but he cursed before she could decide. I like it this way I'm happy he did that even when she wasn't all too happy about it. They more or less forced me to try out the curse. My voice was capable of sending people into a deep nightmare. It was scary. But that, as a result, was an inspiration to never talk again.
That conversation was also a conversation I remember clearly.
The woman of the pair had knocked on my door around three before she entered the door unauthorized and without much warning, moments later. Pushing through incredibly annoyed. She sent a chill down my back, something inside her felt... hostile almost.
Her grey eyes made immediate contact with my green ones. Walking over to me, she pushed a smile onto her face. Kneeling to my level she broke eye contact for a second to glance at the door then calmly returned her gaze to me asking,
"Are you Luanne Dion Trainer?" Her light tan face dusted with freckles made her appearance oddly welcoming. Her smile wide and genuine. I knew better by now, shimmying away slightly, a stranger is a stranger whether they know me or not. I was even going to say it, but I decided to stay quiet and shuffled further away.
After staring at her a few seconds more. She finally took the hint and something I never saw coming.
She stood up straight and started to glow a bright white only where her veins were. Her heart being the only thing ominously glowing black at the moment. When the glowing came to a stop and my eyes readjusted to the room, my gaze immediately glued itself to the huge downy white wings that hung on her back. As she turned to gaze at the door again I caught a glimpse of the only black feather on both of her wings. She was distracted by something near the door.
What are you looking for? What are you looking at?
It was like finding a grey on someone's head. It felt so natural but so out of place. It was almost mystifying. But my gaze was torn from the feathers and amazing wings to watch a male step through the locked door. Yes through the closed solid locked door. The fact that he could faze through things too hit me a little hard.
Cool
The woman's orbs were narrowed and glued to the man as he strutted in.
"Just in time. Woo!"
"Just in time? You're literally ten minutes late! But you're early, right... OKAY."
Immediately pushing the rest of the way through the door he paused realizing what form she was in. I started to cower away further. The male noticed this. He walked straight to me taking a seat to just barely reach face level ending up just shorter than me. Shooting me a sorry smile which confused me deeply.
His veins dimly started to glow a dark blue. Before I saw two horns grow out of his forehead and blue markings showing up in spiraling designs, his pupil growing bigger and his iris's turning a bright blue.
His smile still apologetic hints of his fangs glinting slightly.
The woman tried again.
"Are you the one they call Luanne?" I ignored her, mystified by the man and his markings. I instinctively reached up for his horns. Of course, I couldn't reach when he pulled his face away habitually so I proceeded to make grabby hands until he placed me in his lap and let me touch his horns.
"Uh... hi." His voice was rough and calming. Almost like he just woke up.
My eyes met his and stayed that way. Staring at his blue eyes showed me all of my fears and then proceeded to take them all away. He finally broke the stare and my attention returned to his horns. Lightly grabbing both of them. I tugged on them.
He let out a little gasp in response. The woman saw I had no interest in her and sunk into the background.
The man tried this time.
"My name is Ignius little one." Ignius let me free and shifted around in his crisscross seated position he looked at me with a worried look before pulling his alluring gaze away from me somehow it kind of made me sad.
"What's your name?"
It took me a minute to realize he was talking to me, his markings taking up most of my thoughts, as I clumsily responded.
"Ludo... er... I mean... Luanne Dion Trainer." Remembering he said hi, I waved.
"Hi, Ignius." I frowned to myself knowing fully what this meant.
"What's wrong little one?" His voice was almost a purr, which made my mind go blank for a second.
"I'm dead aren't I?" You could hear the sadness in my voice.
"yes. I'm afraid so." His heavy hand came to lightly stroke my hair.
"I'm going to hell? Mama always said that if you did something bad in life, that's where you would be sent." His eyes illuminated a bright electric blue. Shock clear on his face.
"What!?! so I'm right !?!" I just continued to spiral falling deeper and deeper into my panic.
"Mama always said try to do the right thing even if it's hard, even when you don't want to because go-"
"Child." his eyes were still electric blue. his face clearly showing distress and confusion.
"I'm not here to take you to hell. You've had no time to do anything wrong."
"But what about the candy-" he closed his eyes and smiled when he opened them he revealed that his eyes were back to normal.
"Child I'm well aware of your store incident... But it was once and you were four... you knew no better Ludo is it? Listen you're fine you won't go to hell you'll go to the blue veil with Lenny... My apologies for scaring you young one."
"I wasn't scared... you look cool." His eyes widened as they darted away from mine.
"No... thank you, child."
"I have a name Ignius." I stomped my size three skechers.
"Ah yes. my apologies Mrs. Ludo."
"You're forgiven... for now." I giggled sending Ignius a wide smile. Ignius just stared, he seemed to be forming a question in his head.
"How old are you Ludo?" His blue eyes explored my room, his attention being pulled to underneath my bed.
"Seven," I answered proudly, his attention still towards my bed. He called his partner who, might I add, I forgot was even there.
"Lenny. her recall point is under there." The woman with the pretty wings bent down and spotted what he meant.
"It's a blue bracelet."
"What?" I screamed almost too excited. I ran over to the bed.
"Who gave you the bracelet Ludo?"
"My mama." I said as I kneeled down reaching my small arms under the bed my hands phasing through it over and over.
"I... I can't... ugh. I can't touch it." my effort to reach the jewelry continuously flailing my eyes starting to burn and water the frustration welling up and overwhelming me.
Out of all the items that I can't touch or interact with why was this one of them?
"Here allow me." Ignius reached out his hand but made no effort to reach under the bed for it. Instead, he turned and reached for me. He poked the center of my forehead, his eyes started glowing the same as earlier. This only lasted a few moments. When he was finished he opened his other hand that was a tight fist behind his back and presented me with its contents.
"I can't give you the real one but I can give you this one... It's a copy from your memories. You can wear this one and it won't ever fade away or disappear." I jumped into his arms, tears blurring my vision. My tiny arms squeezed around his neck.
"Thank you... thank you... thank you so much." I repeated into his shoulder my voice muffled but clear enough to understand all the same.
"You're welcome, child." I softly pulled away and lightly tapped my fist against his jaw. pushing his face away more than attacking it. his stubble felt weird against my soft skin. Ignius remained confused about the point of my attack. I chose to clarify my reasons.
"I have a name Ignius."
"Sorry... I meant Ludo, not child..." he chuckled softly to himself before continuing on
"... You remind me of someone... someone very dear to me. will you allow me to see?" Now it was my turn to be confused.
"See? See what?" I cocked my head to the side waiting for his answer.
"I know this is going to be hard to understand. But... I wouldn't say she was a queen... more like a princess... where I come from..." his explanation was getting nowhere and I was still utterly confused.
"...She had equal amounts of light and dark in her soul and they never went out of balance. A trait only seen in the queen of death reaper of souls. Immediately placing her among the esteems. She would be reincarnated into someone new, and every time she died she would go right back to her body in blue veil..." I don't think he noticed how confused I was. His angel friend just took a seat on his opposite side. I looked at him and did the same, paying him as much attention as possible.
"I fell in love with that woman. We arrived at the blue veil on the same day, hour, minute, down to the exact second, we took our first breath of blue veil together in the same room the gate dubbing us soulmates and placing us together forever to both our amazement. Rumor has it we even died in the same building... that's unimportant the point is I was blessed with my esteem tile the same time she received hers... both of us meeting at the dark guardian gate for our first assignment." His smile was reminiscent.
"Uh..."
"Have I lost you?" I shook my head and Ignius leaned back against my bed patting the floor beside him. The angel sat on the other side of me. I shook my head.
"Ask away." His voice... rattled my soul.
"Okay... hmm princess of what?"
"Princess of souls," He stated simply. I shook my head for some reason I understand that answer
"Ok... light and dark."
"The two regulated sides of good and bad." He paused noticing that he used a fairly large word.
"Understand...?" I didn't even blink before I answered.
"Yep."
"Ok... next, I suppose."
"What is re... re-in-car-late... rein... whatever mean?"
"So you understand regulate but not reincarnate" he raised his eyebrows in confusion. I shrugged and smiled.
"I'm only 7 what can I say I've attended fourth grade but I never heard that word yet... we can't all be geniuses."
"Touché"
"Well?" I look Ignius in the eye and waited expectantly for an answer. He stared back, seeming to be searching for something in my gaze. As soon as he found what he was looking for he smiled bigger than I've ever seen so far. I looked over at Lenny, who seemed to be listening but not... paying attention. Part of me felt bad for not paying her any mind.
"Reincarnation in short means to come back to life after a long period of time as someone new."
"Hmm. how?"
"I'm not sure just yet. maybe the king of life wants to see what she can do with a new life in a new time with new challenges."
"Speaking of... princess of souls?"
"It's not a formal title that you get crowned for, it's more like a nickname due to abilities. Like the king of life an-"
"And queen of death." Ignius paused and smiled again Lenny opened her eyes, looked at me then closed them again.
"Yes exactly... My title is just as informal. can you guess it?"
"Prince of the lost."
"..." He looked at me with a quizzical gaze.
"Why?"
"Because every time it's time for her to return to the dark guardian gate. I'm there ready to go find her."
"The dark guardian?"
"It's one of the two entrances to the blue veil." Ignius read my confusion and raced to explain.
"The blue veil is the visible layer that separates the earth from space. So cleverly named the blue veil is one of the layers that separate the living from the dead. The two gates have been nicknamed by the living as hell and heaven which is the light and dark guardian gates respectively."
"Wouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Not quite. The angel and demon concept doesn't quite hit the right chords with the living."
"Ah ok."
"Yep."
"Okay... so if both door -"
"Gates."
"Gates... lead to the same spot then what do you mean saved?"
"Simply put the queen of death can't MAKE anyone come to the blue veil that's why you have all the wandering souls who choose to stay in limbo in fear that "heaven" and "hell" won't accept them."
"Alright then... what's her name? Your princess... you never said."
"Aiden."
"That's a pretty name."
"Yes, that's why I believe it fits her."
"You think she's pretty."
"Yes. Very much so." He stared straight ahead, his cheeks turning red. His electric blue eyes glowing brightly in the dimly lit room.
"This is nice and all but was any of that have to do with me?"
He then readjusted himself into a kneeling position in front of me as if bowing to royalty... I suddenly got the hint.
"I'm here to take you home, Aiden."
"What!?" I stood up faster than I meant to and tripped over my own feet stumbling backward a bit, and continued to scream.
"I can't leave my mama!"
"She'll be coming too..." he looked up at me, no longer bowing his head.
"She has seven more days."
"What?!" I covered my mouth in shock, my whole body shuddering in response to the news.
"Yes A-"
"Don't call me that! My name is not Aiden, it's Ludo!"
"Ai-"
"Enough Ignius." Lenny's eyes were now open. her hazel eyes calm but serious and her voice resonating off the walls deep and clear. she was about to speak again but I beat her to it.
"Aren't angels supposed to fight demons?" Lenny's eyes flashed with anger.
"I. Never. Wanted. To be. An angel." venom dripped from her words, I just watched as her single black feathers corrupted the other feather turning them all black in what looked like a wave. my eyes then scanned her face as her jaw twitched before she stood up and walked away.
"Number one... don't call me an angel, that title doesn't mean what you think, and Number two... we don't fight with demons... we are the demons... I don't keep him in check, it's the other way around." With that she fazed through the bedroom door angry and brooding.
Ignius stared at the ground while I stared after her.
What just happened?
I started to feel super bad. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, her words echoing over and over in my head.
"We don't fight demons... we are the demons..." I don't know if that was the truth and that's what bothered me because deep in my soul I felt like those words were the truth. I never meant to make her angry. I should have been more careful.