Megumi walked along a strange dirt path within the forest populated by nothing but trees. It felt eerie and empty, as if life had yet to exist. She reached into her jacket pocket, grabbing the core belonging to cider. She examined it for a little before her mind drifted off once more as questions arose.
Thoughts of the darker copy of herself and the Reaper's proposal ran through her mind. Then the thoughts of Cider who the Reaper had killed much earlier came up. She still wasn't sure if the Reaper spoke the truth that he would revive.
Her thoughts then finally shifted back to Eric. some that she held dearly in her heart.
"Is something on your mind?"
Megumi looked back up seeing the Reaper was glancing back at her. She looked back at the core a little unsure.
"So there's no other way, is there…"
A silence enveloped the two as she awaited his response.
"No." He finally spoke. "While there's no real way for you to reunite with your friend here in purgatory, I do know of one way you can see him…"
The Reaper looked back towards their path. "Like I said before, It'll take a lot of effort on your part. Of course, That is if you truly wish to see him…"
"O-of course I do!" Megumi proclaimed. She ran up to the Reaper, putting the core back in her pocket.
"I'll do anything it takes to see him again! Even if I have to-"
"Yes I know." The Reaper interrupted. "You're much too eager and determined for a woman so sensitive."
"So what!? I'm serious about seeing him again. No matter what!" she retorted, her eyes now filled with determination.
The Reaper sighed. "I'm sure you are… But before you go jumping down any cliffs, you should really think this over carefully… After all, you still have a chance to live a normal life in purgatory."
"I…I know that… But… If I don't do this, I know I'll regret never telling Eric that I love him." Megumi became flush and averted her eyes from the Reaper, rubbing her own arm from embarrassment.
"Oh… If that's the case, I won't pry any further."
Megumi became even more flushed and her mind dizzied from his comments. "Th… Thank you."
"I can't believe I said it!!" Her mind began to race a million miles an hour.
"Do you still have that core by chance?" the Reaper asked, Bringing Megumi out of her stupor.
"H-huh?"
"The core of that kid demon."
"O-o-oh yeah…" Megumi pulled it from pocket, still a little disoriented. "And his name was Cider! Here."
The Reaper glances at it briefly. "Good. By the look of things he might return sooner than I expected. So make sure to keep it close to you."
Megumi put the core back into her pocket once more.
"There are other Demons that might take the chance to devour him in that state… That is if they're stupid enough to do so…"
"Yeah. Sure. But I'm still not sure if I believe that this ball thing is supposed to be him."
"You'll see in due time…"
Unknown to Megumi, They were being watched from afar by a pale woman. Her eyes were coal black, and black long hair. She also had a black mark that streaked down from her eyes on her face like a knife. She grabbed the edge of the tree, breaking chunks of it off as she glared at the two of them.
Megumi glanced back, hearing the noise, but found nothing of note. She continued to scan until she was called by the Reaper. She gave another glance back before retreating back to the Reaper.
The Women watching this could only growl as she watched them enter further into the forest. "Cider belongs to me!"
The Women receded from the tree with her robe cloaking most of her body. "How dare they-" She stopped herself.
"What are you waiting for?" a gremlin voice asked.
Right above the women a grotesquely shaped beast crawled down. Its features were extremely similar to that of a human, but as if by some strange evolution its body was contorted. What should've been the top of the person's head, held the fangs of a monster with the eyes separating further as if trying to look beyond itself.
"Lets just eat her! And get that kid!"
The eyes fixed itself like a chameleon straight at the women.
The Women snarled, revealing her teeth to also be fang like a demon. She refused to look at the ugly creature.
"No. There's a reaper among her… I'm sure of it!"
"Coward!" The monster said. What would a Reaper want with a girl like her!? She looks weak. Not to mention that sweet~ smells she's giving." The monster began to drool. "It's so irresistible, I can barely hold myself back now."
"If you want the girl so bad, why don't you try it yourself. There's nothing for you to lose if you get her."
The demon cackled hearing her remark. It lunged forth to the next tree to chase after Megumi. "You don't have to ask me twice!"
It lunged from tree to tree, eventually landing on the ground and making a mad dash towards Megumi. "I can't wait to savor her taste!"
With the distance close it pounced!
To his shock however, he spotted a skeleton reaper, appearing to his side. "Oh."
In that instant his head was decapitated with the swift motion from the Reaper's bone tentacle.
It didn't take long from the demon to crumble into ash, salting the earth as if he'd never existed.
Megumi turned around confused. "When did you get behind me?"
The Reaper walked past her, leaving her befuddled. "Don't worry about it, let's go. We should be close to the rift."
"Okay?" Megumi continued to follow behind as the Demon women continued to watch.
"I won't let them take you away from me so easily." she growled. "I'll just use that man to get him back." The Women slinks back into the darkness as many white cat-like pupils of other demons peer out, all scattered around like black pepper.
********
Soon after traveling further into the forest, Megumi and the Reaper finally arrived at their destination. Megumi was in awe as a white-bluish light glowed faintly.
Before them was what looked like a bolt of lightning that ripped through the sky, standing still as if stuck in time. Its many sparks protruded out, shaping to that of a tree. Approaching it and getting a better look, Megumi could tell that it was just as thick too.
"Whoa… It looks like a grand tree…" Megumi glanced back, a little nervous. "S-so we just walk through it?"
"Yes." The Reaper didn't hesitate to begin walking through it. "Now follow me."
Megumi took a gulp, readying herself for the worse. "O-okay… For Eric…"
She closed her eyes and with the little courage she had she walked though, feeling the sensation of something pushing down at her, lightly. opening them back up, she became even more shocked than before.
Before her stood a vast land of gray dunes. In the far distance, even more of the strange lightning bolts were spread throughout the land. Some, more visible than others. She looked around, finding what looked to be gray sand that surrounded them, but they were much softer than that.
"What… Is this?"
Looking behind that same lighting bolt that passed through, and looking beyond it she jumped. Within a nearby rock formation was a person's actual face with an expression of agony written on it., stumbling back into the reaper. Fear now etched in her face.
"What you see before you are the remains of the defeated."
"I-I thought you said no one could die in Purgatory." Megumi said.
"I said it's harder to die. Not that you couldn't. But the ash you see and the rocks you see, are those who are in deep slumber. Some of them are demons. Others are the ancestors of old that were defeated way past their prime."
The Reaper turned Megumi to look in a certain direction, he then pointed. "You see that city over there?"
Megumi's eyes widened, surprised she missed something so obvious within the gray desert. The city looked to be elevated on a strange rock formation the poof up like a mushroom. Its walls were rough and rocky and chaotic with a gate that looked much more pristine. It had another towering building similar to something she's seen in some of the residential area's she's once visited.
"Is that arc?"
"No. That city is Gondola, Otherwise known as the 'the city that walks'..."
"The city that walks?"
"Yes. and it'll bring us to Arc within a few days." The reaper wasted little time pressing on. Megumi then came to the realization that they still had a ways to go. She quickly changed her attitude, pumping herself up. She raced by the Reaper's side, remaining quiet. Seeing all the strange human shaped rock formations throughout the dunes made her unnerved.
Wanting to shift her mind she attempted to talk to the Reaper. "Hey Reaper, c-can you just tell me how that city's going to bring us to Arc."
"I don't think you're ready for that kind of conversation just yet."
"Try me! I'm really good at listening."
The Reaper sighed, giving in easily. He proceeds to give an in depth explanation. But as he continued Each of Megumi's brain cells slowly started burning away one by one as she tried to remain composed. Her mouth twitched as she watched the Reaper continue until the very last sentence.
"...So you could say that Purgatory itself is moving, and not the city." The Reaper glanced back at Megumi. "Did you get that?"
Megumi continued to smile, a little more awkwardly. "So it moved like a plane?"
The Reaper stared for a moment. "Yes… It moved like a plane."
Megumi laughed and rubbed the back of her head, feeling a little awkward. "Purgatory is a little more complicated than I expected. Eheheheh."
"In due time you'll understand more about this world, but for now just take it one thing at a time. Besides, you were born into this world not even a week ago."
"A-alright." she squeaked.
"Halt."
Megumi looked back, seeing that they'd already made it to the city gate. "Oh…"
The Reaper walked in front, flashing the pendant coupling his robe together. "She's with me," he said.
"Very well, go on ahead." The guard moved aside allowing them to pass through.
Megumi noticed that the guards looked to be offly laxed. Each of them minding their own business.
The huge wooden gate in front of them began to open, slowly revealing a bustling market of shops and stands, all decorated with a variety of colors. People were haggling and exchanging something that looked to be ethereal from their bodies in exchange for goods or some service.
"What are you waiting for?" The Reaper said.
Megumi realized that she just spaced about looking at all the people going about their day.
"A…Are you sure."
"Yes. As long as you're with me, You'll be safe. Besides, Gondola is a sanctuary for all people."
With her confidence renewed, she rejoined the Reaper. She looked around in awe, amazed by how liveley the city actually was. It was just as big as her small town but much busier overall.
Eventually after a while, she noticed some demons lurking about and also shopping around. Some were pale skinned while others had pale green skin. all had a differently shaped black mark riddle somewhere on their bodies. There were a few however, that either carried extra human limbs or extra eyes and mouths on them. She found them unnerving to look at.
"H-hey…"
The reaper understood the source of her troubles immediately. He spoke much more quietly so only she heard him, "Like I said. Gondola is a sanctuary for all. Demons like I said are the most unpredictable beings here in Purgatory. But at the end of the day, they were all once human like you and I"
"Huh?" Megumi looked at the Reaper a little confused. "You're a human!? No way!!" her Doubt was made clear.
The Reaper, seeing this, burst out into laughter, finding her sudden outburst comical. Megumi stared back at the Reaper indignantly, almost offended. "What's so funny?"
Suddenly, a demon with many eyes and an opened collared shirt bumped into Megumi hard, knocking her back. "Ow!"
"Hey!" she yelled.
The Demon turned back fast, bowing. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm in a rush!" The demon turned and continued on forth, not stopping for a moment.
"That was rude…what was that about…?" Megumi questioned. Looking back at the demon.
"Pay them no mind, C'mon I know a place where we can rest for the night. I'm sure you'll find it cozy."
Megumi turned back, to follow the Reaper to their upcoming destination. Unknown to either of them however, The demon with many eyes opened a pouch, dropping a black core in with a mixture of white and gray cores.
The demon smiled to himself. "Hehehe… It's not often you see someone with a core on them, she made it too easy."
That very black core began to pulse and glow. The same core that Megumi just lost.