Rebirth (Open)

Where am I?

That was the first thought that flowed through the body’s mind as it rested quite still on stretch of beach that was empty of any others at the moment. Above the body was the night sky illumated by the strange green star that had hung over the islands ever since the Event two years ago had occurred. Back then the person who rested on the beach had taken a rather dangerous path…a path that had watched him fall and be broken and yet by some miracle, he existed. Existed in a world that was neither here or there. One where the only true danger were the hostile spirits he documented daily.

He had fallen asleep in that realm multiple times. Knew its presence by heart…so why? Why did this space seem to be different than before? What had changed? He wanted to know and yet his body was refusing to cooperate why?

“Hi..wak..p..”

A far off voice was speaking to him, but who was it and what were they saying? He tried to focus his mind on it.

“ro..Wake up! Wake up!”

The voice sliced through the fog like a well cared for blade finally jolting the mind into action and with it the body began to move. It started with a twitch and then slowly, but surely bright blue eyes would open.

With a few blinks and a grunt, the man known as Hiro would push himself up from his position on the sandy ground. Groggily, he would blink as he reached up with one hand to brush sand off of his cheek.

“Oh thank goodness! You’re up!” the small familiar voice said in relieved tones as small figure with wings appeared before him.

“…Aria... Sorry to worry you. Where are we?” he would ask still half sleep as he stood up and brushed himself off.

“I have no idea. That’s why I was trying to get you up. This place is unlike any I have ever seen before,” the little demon responded as she moved to hover over his left shoulder.

An unknown place? What was she….?

The thought would halt as blue eyes focused and glanced around taking note of the surroundings and the energy of the area…this was….?

“Standasen Island…but why…?” Hiro muttered as his mind whirled with questions. Why was he back in this place again? Had he not vanished from these islands last time? Wasn’t his journey here done? So why? Why did he come back?

“Standasen?” Aria’s voice would break his thoughts as she moved before him tilting her head.

“Yeah…It is one the islands of the Arozes Region I was telling you about a few days back, remember?” he responded back .

“I remember that! But wait that puts us in the Realm of Reality instead of spirits? I thought you said you were through in this realm, so why did you come back here?” the demon asked her voice mirroring his own confusion.

Hiro was quiet for a moment as his eyes drifted over the landscape and then up to the strange star in the sky. It was still here, so did his arrival mean the world was about to change again? The man would frown not pleased where that train of thoughts was going.

“I didn't choose to come here. I was pulled back, but something as for why that is well I am not sure,” he muttered and then taking his eyes off the star, he refocus on the area. “But we are most certainly going to find out,” he said as he began to walk in searching for someone or something that could give him a clue as to what was going on.
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Note:

The crunch of sand under his boots was soft as he made his way across the beach, keeping an eye out for trouble. While he wasn’t completely in the loop of what was occurring around the islands there were two things he did know. 1) This particular island was not the most pleasant to be on and always had some form of trouble lurking. 2) While it was night time now, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the strange stars above was a sign of something more. The energy of the area practically shivered with more anticipation than usual. The feeling was unappealing. He did not want to be back on the islands much less get into a fight and yet if the conclusions he was drawing could be trusted that was exactly what was going to happen.

The last time something like this happened…he had made an error to put it lightly, so what was Fate thinking by bringing him back to the islands at a time like this? Was it punishing him for what he done before? Or was this something else?

The man didn’t have a clue and the more he thought about it, the more displeased he became. Aria who was floating near him would watch her friend with a light frown. While she did know that Hiro could get upset occasionally, she had never seen him like this before. What was it that bothered him so? She wanted to know, but before she could ask, Hiro was stopping.

A bit confused she looked at him taking note that he was looking at something on the path ahead of them. Turning to follow his gaze, she found herself becoming tense as she saw a strange figure on the beach. One that appeared tobe human in form, but had some odd features about him that made her wonder exactly what he was. He didn’t smell like her kind…so what was this? A little intimidated, she’d move slightly behind Hiro to hide. She didn’t know what or who that person was, but she hoped that it didn’t mean trouble.

Hiro on the other hand was a lot calmer than his companion as he stared back at the man who stared at him. The figure was tall and odd to say the least, definitely nothing he had seen on the islands and yet…

Blue eyes would narrow slightly as they took in the features more carefully. That odd complextion…and those strange eyes...

An image of another time and place would go across his mind. A stage and people gathered…this man was there and had spoken… This same man was also there when the red head had passed. The one that wouldn't let him bury the kid. Yes. He remembered who this was now even if he had changed a bit over time.

Being within talking range, but out of the reaching range of the other, Hiro would frown slightly at the other not sure what to make of the meeting just yet.

“You’re pretty eyes from two years ago. Sharaku, correct?” he would say before pausing to let the other speak if he wished. After a short period of time, he would continue as he kept a careful eye on the man. “Why are you here?”

Hiro would stay his ground in the face of the towering man before him. Sure there were some changes to the other, but he seemed as calm as the first time they had met, so he suppose it was alright to let this encounter occur. As long as the other wasn't hostile, the Hiro would remain chilled.

The smallest of smirks would brush against Hiro's lips as he shook his head and looked at the sea for the moment in thought.

"It does seem like the least hospitable of the islands...and yet somehow people find their way here anyway and some choose to stay," the man would say before blue eyes drifted back over to the other a bit curious. "So you a drifter then?" he would ask before falling quiet for a moment to let him answer. As he waited, he took note the other seemed to stare at something off to side of him. Without looking, the man already knew what the other was eyeing as Aria cautiously moved to his shoulder staying as close to his neck as possible as she eyed the odd and strange man she could not figure out quite yet. Was he staring at her? That...that was impossible unless...

"What is it?" Hiro would ask Sharaku after some time had passed. The question was calm, but had a light bite to it suggesting that perhaps Hiro did not like the staring. Maybe it was making him uncomfortable or maybe he found the action plain rude. Whatever the case was one thing was certain, Hiro would prefer one to just simply ask questions if they were curious about something. Granted, he understood he couldn't force such things upon others, so the question wasn't hostile despite the light bite. It was more of a sign that he did not trust this man before him moreso than anything else.

"Must be nice," was the quiet response that the man would get when he said he went where he pleased. Such freedom. It was something Hiro envied a little considering he was never quite free to go where he wanted. Sure, he walk the spiritual realm and even here freely enough, but just to be somewhere without Fate planning it? Heh. He was not so lucky in that boat.

"Nothing?"  Hiro would repeat as he kept a steady eye on the other for a moment, reading discomfort and perhaps confusion from the other air. Heh. He would shaking his head lightly before he would smile slightly. "Gomennasai. I don't mean to be so tense. Let me try again. Are curious about something? I ask because I notice staring earlier," he would say his tone a bit gentler than before.

He wasn't trying to start a fight or confuse...to be honest the man simply didn't know how to interact with others at times and so caused issues when he did something wrong. Luckily, he was a quick learner, so maybe nothing bad would happen here.

Aria, on the other hand, would remain quiet as she slipped into a sitting position on Hiro's shoulder to observe the exchange.

“I see. Still, I rather be free than to feel like a puppet all the time,” Hiro would say as he watched the ocean quietly with an unreadable gaze. In the beginning, he had really come to create havoc on the island, but in the end that purpose drove him to the deepest of darkness…and since then? Well, he had never stopped being a puppet of the forces that ruled the world, now had he? The silence would stretch on for only a few seconds before Hiro’s blue eyes would turn back to the other.

“Someone like you? What do you mean by that?” he would ask curious about why the man made a distinction between himself and others that would do the same. Did he expect an answer? Not really. While it was true they had met twice in the past, this man did not know him and held no obligations to answer anything if he didn’t want to. Still, the broken yokai could appreciate cooperative folk. They were much better than…other company.

“Ah,” Hiro would begin in response to the second part of the conversation. With a nod of understanding he would move his hand towards his shoulder.

Aria who was sitting on Hiro’s shoulder focusing much more on the other than Hiro would find herself being suddenly grabbed in a gentle grasp. A bit startled, she would only hold on as she was moved out into the open a bit. Hiro (who had grabbed her) would keep the small creature close to him as he moved his hand in a fashion that caused the small woman to shift about so she was sitting in the palm of his hand.

Settling easily enough, she would look up at Hiro with a light pout for startling her, but then realizing what had been said earlier, her little eyes would widen a bit before she slowly looked back at the strange man. He…he could see her, but how? A bit baffled she would observe the stranger in a new light.

“This is my friend and traveling companion. We have been traveling a long time together, so I never considered that her presence would cause trouble. Tell me, has the ordinary had their eyes open to the supernatural? Or is the board as it was before where only the selected are connected to it?”

The question was odd, but being away for two years the man had to know. Even if it was from a stranger. At least from what he gathered or did not gather he could make a guess about what should or should not be done in this ever changing world.

“Freedom is being able to make a choice. To change your path in life and go down another instead of being steered relentlessly down paths that are already chosen for you,” Hiro would look over at the other with a small smile. “Sure, humans and Fate play together in odd ways, but at least you get to choose. For me, choosing is not an option. Fate does not let me wander where I please like you can. It places me exactly where it wants to be and does not let me leave until I’ve completed whatever twisted game it has created for me. I guess you can say I am jealous of your ability to choose so freely. Even if it is all one big illusion at least you can pretend the choice you make matters. That’s better than being boxed in….” Hiro would trail off as he frowned slightly at his lot in life.

Maybe Fate was cruel to him for his past sins or maybe it just didn’t like him, but it seemed to him that everything that happened to him was already planned with all doors and other options closed off to him. This form of life was agitating to bear, but then again that was the only one he knew how to live. Maybe for some there was no other purpose for them except being just that…a puppet.

Gloomy thoughts aside, Hiro would pull himself out of the black hole he was falling into as the other answered another question with both words and demonstration.
“So I see, but why are people hunting you? Are you a demon that has been causing trouble? Or are you something else?” he would ask as he observed the other with a curious eyes. The man’s traits while odd mimicked the descriptions of various demons, so he could see why he’d stick out. But even so, why would a demon slayer go out of its way for this one? He seemed docile enough....

Hiro would keep up his light study for a while longer as he waited to see if he would be answered or not. Whether he received an answer or not, the subject would eventually move from the man to the presence of Aria and the trouble she may bring to him. When Hiro had moved her to his hand, the man took note of how the other eyed her.

The smaller demon would blush and turn away unable to match such an intense stare; however, Hiro did not react to this as he instead focused on Sharaku.

“Can I safely assume this is your first encounter with a demon?” he would ask after a few moments of careful observation. He would continue to observe the way the other reacted as he waited to see what the other would say to his question. His study would last as long as they remained in a conversation about the subject, but blue eyes would eventually look down when the subject turned to how others may react to Aria’s presence. As he listened, he would mull over the facts.

“Two years of nothing supernatural and yet the world remains on edge thanks to the previous events….” he would mumble to himself thinking for a moment. After a few seconds had passed, he would look back at the other and nod. “Mm. We’ll try to be more careful then. The last thing I want is to start something unpleasant by simply trying to walk around with my friend here. Thanks for the information,” he said with an expression that clearly said he doubted his own words. Him and trouble? They might as well have been married with the way it followed him around and brought about some unpleasant things his way. Even when he was away from the islands trouble had been one of his closest companions. He hardly thought his relationship with trouble would change now that he was out again. In fact, he expected the insanity to increase. Lovely….

Meanwhile, Aria would slowly look back at the tall man her small eyes gazing at the odd details on him. While he could certainly pass as a demon, there was something about him that told her that she and he weren’t the same. Still if he was some form of beast how was he was so darn handsome? Could a beast outside of a demon have such luck and be blessed with good genes? She continued to ponder this as she watched him from under her bangs, the faint blush still on her face.

Hiro would hear the words and close his eyes with a light sigh.

“It’s kind of hard to tell when you lived as a puppet so long. I would like to think this conversation was just a chance, but…that is kind of hard to believe now a days," he would say as his eyes reopened to observe the other again. His eyebrows would rise slightly at the next set of words. “Huh. You make the path seem so simple,” he would before his expression softened slightly as a small smile appeared on his face as he considered what was being said. “However, perhaps by mimicking you humans I can finally be free of the chains laid upon me. Tell me how long did it take for you to discover this? Find your purpose? Meaning?” he would ask truly curious.

After all, unlike the one before him he was far from human and to be frank the last time around he didn’t spend much time trying to understand the creatures that lived on this side. Maybe if he had spent more time observing and learning, this idea wouldn’t be so strange to him. Still, he supposed it was not too late to learn, right?

Speaking of learning, it appeared the other was giving him a different sort of lesson. One that involved Shadows and binding people to them? Wait what?

Hiro eyebrows would furrow as he tried to understand what was being said, the perplex looked only deepened when he could’ve sworn there were two different beings using the same body to speak. Okay…that was different. Typically demons didn’t do that unless something was seriously wrong them upstairs. The situation was odd to say the least, but Hiro didn’t shy away from the oddness as he continued to listen. He would wait until the other stopped talking to respond.

“So…you are a creature made by man? Bound to another that shares your body…Hmmm…Interesting, even it is confusing. I’ve heard of shadows, but this is the first I’ve heard of what you speak of. So you were being hunted by your creators…and yet you don’t fear them now due to your own strength and not caring? Are you being overly confident? Or are your creators really that weak?” the demon collector would ask finding the conversation fascinating; however, if the man were to put up a wall due to him digging too much then, he’d back off. For now, he’d assume that information was fair game as long as he or the other resisted the exchange.

“Hmph!” an amused smirk would cross the man’s face. “Touché; however, demons set themselves apart quite well from the average beast. I don’t think one would quickly forget a run in with one. Unless of course one hits his head to hard or is forgetful,” he would say his tone amused as he shifted slightly in his spot, his weight going to his right leg for now.

His amusement would end as he heard the state of the world.

“Hmmm..I can see your point,” the man said as he took into consideration just how carefully he needed to tread in the world. The first round of supernatural in this world had ruffled the people up really good. Now with it gone, what would happen if he accidentally reminded them of what had occurred? With Aria, there was a high chance of upsetting the masses again….and who knew maybe he wouldn’t survive this time if he did stir the pot.

“Aye,” he would agree as he looked off the side with a frown. The masses were quite powerful weren’t they? “Hopefully, I won’t have to cross that bridge if I am careful,” he would say in soft tones before being jolted slightly off track as the man seemed to give Aria attention. He had been paying attention to the conversation more so than her; however, when he noticed the way she suddenly straightened and tried to pretend she was not staring, a light smirk appeared on his face.

“Well aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” he would ask her. She would look up at him with wide eyes and shake her head violently. “Then do you want me to?” he would ask relatively amused at her behavior. Her jaw dropped a bit and then letting out a light “hmph” she would flap her wings taking to the air once more.

“I am a big girl! I can do this myself!” she would say as she moved slightly away before facing the pretty eyed one again. Automatically, she began to blush and wring her hands nervously. “Um..umm. H….hi,” she would say in a small voice before dashing behind Hiro blushing furiously. Apparently, she was either scared of him or liked him. It was hard to say and being no expert on the matter, Hiro would look over at the other with a light shrug. It wasn’t like he was going to be able to help with this matter. He suppose the pair could figure it out on their own.

“Try…?” Hiro would say the word before pondering what was being said. Now that he thought about it, he never did try believing in any other way. He had just settled with this was the way life was and there was not much he could do about it. No one had ever told him he could change that by simply trying and believing in a different way. Then again…he was never around people much to begin with. Always alone….Hmmm..

“Try…I would like to try then. Even if I don’t know where I am going,” Hiro would say in thoughtful tones.

Prehaps…he could find a way out of his current purgatory and duty as puppet. Maybe if he could just walk forward he could find a way to be forgiven for his sins at last. Try. Right. Well at least that gave him a bit of direction in this confusing awakening. He could appreciate that well enough. Perhaps if he could make it to the end of this madness, he could thank the guy for the advice, but for now he would just store the thanks for later.

“No. I never was to begin with,” he would respond easily enough to the other before he would give the other a light smile as he took in the words said. “As for becoming human, I don’t think I could become one even with all the trying in the world. We are simply not of the same material. All I could hope for is to copy perfectly; however, your challenge is a bit more interesting than that goal, so I’ll what you said into consideration as I walk this strange path,” Hiro would say feeling a little bit better with some hope back in his life. Who would’ve thought a stranger could help him like that.

Fateful meeting or not, he was glad he met this one regardless. As for the next set of words, Hiro would chuckle gently at the words as he looked back out at the sea.

“25, huh? I don’t think I can remember well what I was doing at that age, but I know for a fact I was not as wise as you seem to be. 25 years your time seems to teach a lot for such a small amount of time. I think my kind would be far older to gain that sort of insight…still I can relate to being lost as far purpose go. It seems even if you have eternity, you end being a lost pup at times,” he would tell the other, a gentle smile running across his lips. Geez. When was the last time he actually felt his real age fall on him? Heh. Perhaps it didn’t matter. The feeling was welcomed nonetheless.

The smile would fade a few moments later and turn to a bit of confusion as he tried to wrap his head around what the other was saying about himself. He would take in the words and have a brief moment of hesitation as he heard that other voice. He’d have to get use to that. Anyway…

“Experiments…I see. Well that explains some things, but leaves the floor open to more questions,” he would say with a sheepish grin. “Don’t know if my brain is ready for that sort of lecture,” he'd give the slightest of winks to the other a sign that while curious he was going to be respectful of the others space. He wasn’t going to dive unnecessarily into the other’s background. It didn’t matter in the end. What mattered was the present and going on from there. “In any case, you seem to be strong in a different fashion if you are willing to face the truth rather than flee from it. I don’t see many do that now a days. Seems the other you agrees with that path too. Impressive,” he would say as he looked over at the other with a thoughtful gaze for a moment.

“Heh. True, it doesn’t seem to matter much in survival situations; however, demons are more like people than your ordinary beast. You get the mindless ones, the aggressive, but at times you get ones that are kind too. I can’t speak for shadows though. Never really encountered those on my path. Just heard rumors of them until I met you,” he would say his tone light and laid back.

“Mmm. Perhaps. I will just have to see where the path carries us and just pray for the best,” he would say with a chuckle wondering deep down if he could actually avoid getting in trouble.

In any case, the thought would be pushed aside as Aria decided to attempt to speak with the stranger…and failed miserably at it. As she hid behind Hiro, the man would remain laid back unsure of what the deal was. Maybe it was a woman thing he just didn’t get, but for now he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it since he was not the type to mock people for no reason.

Meanwhile, Aria would continue to hide. She heard the hi and felt a small shiver of nerves go down her back.

“Man. Why does he have to be so pretty?” she would say…accidentally out loud. As soon as the words, she covered her mouth. OMG. Why? Why did this have to happen?
Oblivious Hiro didn’t help matters either.

“Hm? Yes, he is pretty, but what that have to do with anything?” he asked clearly unphased that he was addressing a guy as pretty. He honestly didn’t get what looks had to do with anything. Nor did he get the following reaction as Aria moved before him quite panicked.

“Shh! You’re not suppose to say anything about this!” she would say and then becoming even more flustered,she would look back at the guy. “I mean. It’s not that you not not pretty. It’s just…I…ummm…” she began as she waved her arms in front of herself as if to ward off something, her face was beet red and it seemed the demon was at a lost as to what to do with herself.

Huh. What had gotten into her? Perplexed and a bit amused, Hiro stayed quiet as he let the demon handle the situation. Unless she needed true rescuing he was going to simply watch since she was putting on such a good show at the moment. Mischievous? Perhaps, but what could he say? He liked entertainment.