The next day Stephanie went to go find Suzuki. In one of the empty classrooms she saw him sitting alone, fighting to stay awake. Most the students went out to eat for lunch. He stayed behind with a small home-made lunch, and some vending machine coffees. He looked rather sickly.
"Hey.." She said sitting down next to him.
He lifted his weary head at her, then falling into her arms.
"Please help me.." He said beginning to cry.
"I promise, I will.Come to my house tonight. You need to take some time off school, so go to reception today with an excuse, and I'll see you after work."
He agreed, and packed up. He had a look of relief on his face as he walked away.
"You are taking a week off!?" An angry voice came screaming out the school's reception office.
Suzuki was terrified of the receptionist. She was very strict, and it wasn't easy getting out of school.
"I'm sorry, my grandma is sick, and I need to care for her until my mother is able to come down to Tokyo."
The receptionist sat there with squinted eyes. She didn't buy his story at all. Looking at him though, she could see he looked very unwell. Maybe it was a good idea for him to get some rest from school.
"Alright, but you still need to do all your projects!"
"Yes, Stephanie offered to help me."
"Stephanie?" She squinted some more.
"Well you better do something nice for her, since she is working harder to help you!"
"I will, thank you!" He slowly started backing out of the room, ready to run at any moment.
"Alright get some rest, and see you soon!" She said with an unimpressed look about her.
He turned the corner, and ran home. He spent the day preparing for his week's disappearance.
Later that night Suzuki arrived at Stephanies house. She explained what he would have to do, and he agreed. Even though he didn't want to go. He couldn't go on how he was any longer. It had become unbearable being torn between the two worlds. losing sleep, and track of time. Being lost,and without food.
"Are you ready to go?" She looked at him, but he didn't hesitate.
"Yes let's go."
Stephanie took his hands and they sat facing eachother with the necklace Hades had given her in the center. She prayed to Hades asking him to take them. No answer.
Back in Hades mansion. Hades paced up and down the hallway.
"But Master, you suggested it. It's the only way. If we don't bring him here they boy will surely commit suicide."
Hades paced some more.
"How could I not forsee this brat being unable to handle a simple possession!"
Hades threw a vase at the wall.
"Master, Stephanie would not be happy with you if any ill were to befall the boy."
Hades shot a glare at her, fire burning all around him. He screamed as he shot a fireball at the wall next to Mara. Mara yelped and hid behind a wall.
"Fine, I'll help him." Hades said gathering his composure.
Flames swirled all around Stephanie and Suzuki. She could see he was starting to panic, so she wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay."
He closed his eyes, and when he felt her loosen her grip, he opened them to see Hades looking down on them. Hades couldn't hide how displeased he was to see Stephanie holding Suzuki.
Suzuki stood up and bowed.
"Thank you for offering to help me."
"Don't thank me just yet." Hades said placing his hand on his cheek. He couldn't help and notice just how much his looks have changed since he possesed him. His condition had deteriorated quite rapidly. He lost a lot of weight,and had dark circles under his eyes still, his pitiful state made it easier to feel affection towards him. The type of affection you feel towards an injured animal, or a crying child.
"Mara, show our guest to his room, and get him cleaned up, and rested. We will start tomorrow."
"Suzuki, you can sleep without interuptions in this realm. Tomorrow we start training you, you will need to work on meditation, and your physical strength if you are going to force the part of me that's in you out."
Suzuki, and Stephanie said their goodbyes then, he left with Mara.
"You can come stay here on the weekend, and see his progress." Hades said.
"Thank you. " She said hugging him.
Hades heart raced. He didn't tell anyone, even though to Mara, it was obvious that, not a moment went by without missing her. He was tempted constantly to see her, but he knew he wouldn't earn her love by interfering in her life just yet, so he witheld himself as she returned back to her mortal life.
The next day Suzuki met Hades in the garden. The sight of Hades excited him. It felt like a large butterfly was fluttering inside his chest.
"Alright shall we begin?"
Hades hovered over him. Standing close, he placed his had on Suzuki's chest. Suzuki cringed in pain. He felt winded, as his chest had sharp bouts of pain. What felt like a butterfly, now felt like a bird banging against a window, desperately trying to escape.
"There's a piece of me inside of you,constantly searching, dying to return to it's owner. It keeps bringing you here. The only way for it to stop is for us to give it an escape path. You need to be stronger if you want to survive the process."
Taking his hand away he looked at him with a smirk. "You will meditate, and exercise daily. I have things to tend to, so Pisces will tend to your training for now. I will help you with your nightly training."
Hades walked away. Daily, and nightly training seemed difficult, but he was sure he would rather do that, than allow it to consume him.Suzuki waited for Pices to arrive. He could see what looked like the darkness of night moving. A dark cloud made it's way in the lantern light. With eyes filled with blue flames, shimmering scales that were dark with glimmering specs of white, and colours like the cosmos. The cloud took a shape of a koi fish floating above him, it was large, and intimidating, but it's beauty set Suzuki in a trance. He could hear a voice in his head as he looked into it's eyes facing him head on.
"I am Pisces. Suzuki, your body harbours a fragment of anothers spirit. You cannot go on like this, for even the fragment is stronger than your spirit."Suzuki listened obediently.
"We will begin with your meditation training. You need to start with the basics. First, you need to learn to clear your mind, and focus."
Pisces moved whipping his tail in a swift motion. Air moved like water, and then a small flame hovered infront of Suzuki's face.
"Stare at the flame, not blinking for ten seconds."
Suzuki followed his instruction.
"Now close your eyes, you will see the flame in the darkness. Keep it centered, whilst thinking of nothing else!"
Suzuki tried, but failed swearing under his breath.
"It takes time to master even the simplest meditation, frustration only gets in the way. Now again!"
The training went on until lunch. Back in Tokyo Stephanie was in school. At the end of class the teacher handed her a note to report to reception after school. After school she went to visit the receptionist. Stephanie wasn't scared of her. She found her rather funny, and she could be nice at times. Misses Yamamoto cared about the students, which she showed by trying to help them reach their full potential through a strictness that didn't earn her much followers, but indeed helped them stay in line. Most wouldn't dare skip school or slack at the threat of a scolding from her.
"Ah Stephanie, can we talk for a moment? It is about Suzuki."
"Good afternoon, yes he is away looking after his grandmother." Her voice went up in pitch towards the end of the sentence, and the receptionist glared at her, starting to frown.
"Yeah, sorry. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately due to some personal issues.He just needed some time to sort it all out" Stephanie said while feeling incredibly awkward. She didn't want to have lied, however she didn't want to sell out Suzuki either.
"Oh, is that what it is? Oh good! I thought he was on drugs!" Misses Yamamoto said laughing quite loudly.