Crypt Keepers [Kouri, Mirage]

[Fubuki Kouri]

The slightly taller ghost girl just let herself be pulled by the smaller - but no less powerful - ghost girl, giggling happily all the while. Due to their similar ethereal state, Kouri had no problem keeping up with Mia, in fact, she did no visible effort to move herself unlike Anna who was burdened by the forces of gravity. "Weeeee~" Her high-pitched gleeful voice echoed within the caverns. They went at a slower pace than before, but Kouri didn't mind. Anna would be dragged on the ground if it was any faster. Oh my~ The ghost girl snickered, being a ghost might not be so bad at all. Her human self wouldn't even last long, let alone ran in this kind of speed. She had been reluctant to admit she was no longer a human in the past, but no longer, she was an ethereal being now. Kouri may be a little girl in both appearance and mentality, but if anyone dared to scoff her as a mere child, her serrated serpentine tendrils and freezing deadly touch would make them think otherwise. At that moment, she was also more confident in her ability to possess both the living and undead, it was still subpar compared to her other powers, but at least she would not struggle even just to get inside a willing host. At Mia's abrupt stop, Kouri deliberately let herself continue forward and glomped her, hugging the ghost girl tight and burying her beneath her flowing dress. "Ehehehe~ Mia Mia~ That was fun!" All signs of caution and hostility she had been showing to the ghost were all but gone. "Madame Annana~ Ooooh~ You're tired?" She teased the sorceress as she tilted her head. Fully aware of the living's limited ability in stamina and endurance. Anna said she was her friend, best friends teased each other regularly right? Kouri didn't see her little teast to be hostile in any way. She turned her attention back to Mia, her expression surprised the taller ghost a little. Mia was visibly afraid, like a little girl facing a looming monster. Kouri looked to where Mia was looking, not familiar with the place whatsoever. "Mia, what's wro-...?!" She didn't get to finish her sentence as a sudden fear gripped her ethereal body. Even with her cold soulmist body, Kouri strangely felt uncomfortably chilled. Something was there, unseen to the naked eye, but definitely there. She instinctively hugged Mia to ease her fear even though she was afraid herself. Kouri assumed it must be one of those evil spirits that lay ahead, but Anna wasn't able to detect it. Perhaps only ghosts and spirits could sense its presence. "Madame Anna..." She tried to sound brave, but her voice was slightly trembling. "Something is there, you may not be able to sense it, but me and Mia can so... what should we do? We can always come back later." If Mia, a powerful childishly insane ghost, was afraid of whatever lay ahead then Kouri wasn't confident she could handle it. Anna tried to ease the fearful atmosphere by lighting the way with her beautiful purple frame, but Kouri saw no difference. Light or dark, the being was still there, it made no difference to the realm of ghosts. "Madame Annana, I will follow you if you want to go, but... remember that I will run with Mia if that thing is too powerful. I'm sorry, but best I tell you now." It would be foolish for all three of them to perish just because Anna insisted on going forward. "Let's go, Mia, it's okay. Big Sis will protect you." As she said that Kouri's tendril-snakes slithered to Mia's face and they lovingly nuzzled her cheek. "See? I'm strong, you are strong, Madame Anna is strong too! We can kill whatever is ahead, we'll make it fear us instead!" Whether Mia accepted or not, Kouri would still carefully follow the sorceress, her serrated ethereal cobras ever vigilant.

[Mirage]

The light pierced the darkness, and as expected nothing would be revealed. No hideous beast, not terrible spirit. Just bare walls and shadows that flickered in the fire light. Mia, though, was unconvinced. She turned and wrapped her arms around Fubuki, burring her face in her skirts, "N-no we can't r-right now. Th-they h-have claimed their play area..." She pulled on Kouri, pulling her back the way they came, looking up desperately, "P-please, we can play somewhere else and c-come back when they are done." she looked pleadingly at Annalisa, her eyes almost begging for her to reconsider.

The closer Annalisa walked to the shadows, an odd feeling began to creep in her chest. Her mind would start to turn to more depressing thoughts, her failures of late, her suspicions. Her mind would begin to mull over what had transpired between Fubuki and herself, and a bitter taste would coat her tongue.

She should disappear... The thought crossed her mind rather suddenly, tying well into the feelings that were growing in her chest, She's too dangerous to control, we should cut our losses. We should get rid of her soon.

The sound of distant laughter reached Anna's ears, and only hers. It was more of a wild cackled, filled with insane mirth, yet somehow it seemed to be coming from inside her own mind, and not the corridor itself.

Anna would get a sudden urge to look back at the ghosts behind her, and if she did words, or perhaps thoughts, would blossom in her head spoken in her own tongue, It would be so easy. Surround them with Res, create a vortex and set it afire. They will be consumed. Ghosts can be hurt my magical fire, and we would be safe...

Mia's eyes would widen if Anna looked back, something in the woman's eyes striking fear in her ghostly soul and she would redouble her efforts to pull Kouri back, tugging with such desperation as she pleaded, "Big sister, big sister we have to go, have to go now!"

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna had expected something horrible to dwell in the shadows beyond her sight, a monster perhaps or perhaps Daren himself. Her flickering purple flames revealed nothing though, nothing powerful of frightening just a bare passageway. She released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, stepping forward more confidently and spreading her arms wide.

"You see? Nothing to be-" Anna's words caught in her throat as an odd feeling rose in her chest.

Her failures as of late sprung unbidden to her mind, her fight against Maelstrom, being unable to kill that prisoner, revealing too much to Celeste. They were her mistakes, things that should never have happened but did anyway. Celeste would betray her eventually, probably silently laughing at her weakness. Amaryllis was simply using her, likely whatever she had planned was not good for Anna. Daren was waiting around the next corner, just waiting to wipe her mind clean and finish her off. It was all so very hopeless.

Then there was Kouri. Petching ghost child, stupid and overly confident in her own abilities to disable a wizard. The thought crossed her mind, Anna didn't question it for it was mirroring her current thoughts. Kouri was a threat, too unstable to be useful. Certainly she was amusing but she seemed to forget who had the power here, whom the one who could destroy the other really was. She had dared to threaten her?

Distant laughter sounded in her ears, something reverberated within her very skull, wild and insane. She looked back to the spirits behind her, eyes alight with a curious chaotic gleam. They certainly were not friendly eyes, nor did the calculating in them denote good thoughts towards the spirits.

The voice came in her own tongue, confirming her suspicions and giving her method of disposing the inconvenience. Yes, all she would need to do is trap them, make those precious tendrils of theirs powerless in a vortex of fire and destruction. They wouldn't last long before being destroyed, then Kouri would understand who her better was. Then she would realize why she should fear a wizard, why her pathetic defenses were powerless before her might.

She sneered at Mia's desperation, drinking deeply of her fear. Gods it felt sooo petching good. Celeste was wrong, this was her natural state as a harbinger of destruction and fear. It came to her so easily and elicited emotions so amazing as to be euphoric. So what if she hadn't killed some helpless prisoner? It proved nothing. She was a Chaon and she would prove it in this moment.

The purple flames coating the outer layer of the ball of res vanished, shrouding Anna in further shadows. She willed the liquid res to evaporate, forming a small purple cloud of res. As quickly as she was able she willed the air to attract itself to the gas, sighing as the drain upon her Djed filled he with the familiar euphoria. The attracted air would be sped towards the ghosts, the intent being to catch them off guard. From there willed it to mercilessly form into a small cyclone, the intent being to draw them in and trap them. It would only take one small gesture and the flames-.

Wait. Voices. Voices in her head. Why was she doing this again? No... it couldn't be.

Abruptly the wind would stop and the res would simply stall in the air, stagnant and unmoving. Anna for her part was clutching her head, desperately trying to remember something important about voices in her head. Not to listen to them. Maelstrom's mad cackling came unbidden from her memories, he spoke of voices as well. Voices. Voices. Voices. No. No! She couldn't give in, no!

The woman fell to her knees, clawing at her skull. She wasn't just in danger but a danger to others, more immediately the ghostly children. It was instinct rather than thought that ripped the next words from her mouth, which were shaky and near to levels of panic.

"Kouri! You have to listen to Mia! Get the petch out of here, now! The voices, I don't know if I can resist them again. I'll try to catch up if I can! Go to Master Witsle, find out whatever the petch he has to say and don't look back!" She cried out, stumbling out of the shadows clumsily.

She needed to get out of here, fast. Away from the voices and preferable away from Kouri and Mia. Maelstrom had information she needed but that wouldn't matter much if she was completely insane. Kouri learning whatever Witsle knew was the best bet for now, the pair of ghost could travel faster than her and Anna likely wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. It pained her to admit it but at the moment she was the compromised party.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Mia's fear was beginning to take its toll on Kouri. The taller ghost girl was determined at first to keep moving forward, but with how Mia was acting, speaking about 'they', who was this 'they'? Were they the rumored spirits thay prey upon living and dead alike? Kouri's eyes became rather empty as her mind wracked with dilemma. Go or turn back? Both choices carried their own consequences and these complicated consequences were too much for the ghost's child-like mind. Her ethereal body slowly drifted as Mia pulled her, but she was half-anchoring herself in place. Come on! Snap out of it! She shook her head, her very long white locks swayed the air. Kouri then floated down to Mia's level and hugged her tight, whispering to her, but loud enough for Anna to hear. "Mia, tell Big Sis and Madame Annana about this, all of it. Who are them? What are they planning to do if we go forward? Please... tell me." She was desperate, her time in Sahova turned out to be one road trip to the dark abyss. Her mother would faint if she saw her mother mingling in a place like this, completely unsuited for a little Vantha girl. "Big sister, big sister we have to go, have to go now!" Mia was acting more and more desperate, completely unlike her. Kouri's curiosity ruled over her fear for the moment and she looked where Mia was looking, to Anna. "!?" The ghost girl's large eyes widened for a tick as she saw the clear look of manic glee and insanity on the sorceress' face. The ghost's first assumption was something controlled the wizard, something... possessed her. After all, Anna wouldn't look at them both with such animosity unless she wanted to fight two powerful ghosts who could slice off her flesh in less than a tick. "Madame... Anna?" The ghost girl shielded Mia and questioned the wizard. Though she looked caring, more and more serrated black snakes appeared from her back, all hissing and opening their jaws at the wizard. They all represented Kouri's instinct of self-preservation. "No, don't give us that look, please..." As the suspicious purple cloud which Kouri identified as Anna's 'res', she learned the term from Cyrus and Anna herself. She even manipulated it once in their possession session in the past. "NO!" Kouri launched her one of her snake-tendrils, it whizzed through the air, cutting through the wind, and barely brushed pass Anna's hair, cutting a few strands. "Stay back! You're not yourself!" She really didn't want to kill the sorceress, but if Anna continued with her hostile act, she would be forced to. Fortunately, Anna regained control of her own body. She was clutching her head in pain, seemingly in a battle against a foreign presence inside her mind. Kouri could do nothing but watch, hugging Mia tight, her tendrils still at the ready. "...." Now Anna was reconsidering her decision by telling them all to retreat. Something was torturing the woman, perhaps she could... yes there was one way to get it out of her head. "Madame Anna! No! Let's go together! Let me possess you! Then... Mia can lead us, right?" She looked warily to the smaller girl. If Anna couldn't handle whatever was torturing her mind, then she could take control of her body for the moment, allowing Anna to completely focus in winning the battle. If Anna accepted, Kouri immediately blink to the sorceress then began the process of possession, it would be noticeably faster and stronger than in the past, she had grown in that particular aspect of her power. If the possession succeeded, she would command Anna's body in heading to Master Witsle's lab. If Anna declined or the possession failed then Kouri would pull Mia to get the petch out of the place, asking the smaller girl to lead her to Witsle's location.

[Annalisa Marin]

Why was Kouri still there? She needed to get the patch out of here and away from her! Anna's grey eyes lacked their previous insanity, instead possessing a kind of desperation only described as pleading. The apprentice didn't want to be the reason the child ended up getting hurt. Petch Celeste for making her actions be called into question, the change was not something she needed at the moment. She needed to be ruthless and willing to do anything.

Kouri offered possession, a reprieve in all honesty that Anna dearly wanted to accept. She wanted to focus on getting her thoughts in order, but what if the voices simply jumped from her mind into the child's? It was a prominent fear borne from illogical lines of thinking, however a memory from the mad Master of Reimancy seemed to discount that fear. Insanity, the voices liked a sane mind, Kouri's unstable mind might just be immune to their influence. It was either that or being left to fight alone in the darkness, Dira's embrace seeming as though it could arrive at any time.

"If your going to do it Kouri than do it fast!" The apprentice said.

It was in these brief few moments, fighting against the insanity, that Anna actually had an honest moment's reflection on what she had been facing up to this point. Death really had stalked her steps since first she had entered the Citadel. That was what she had been perceiving at least, that Dira was the enemy here and someone to fight against with every last breath. As she was drawing closer towards the end of this whole thing, her mind on the brink of fraying she found she had reached a different conclusion.

Dira had always been there, waiting from the moment she or anyone else had been born. She wasn't trying to rush the end, the end and whatever laid beyond would come due to her own actions. Anna had chosen to step off of that boat and enter Sahova. She had chosen to use her own blood in making a scroll. She had chosen to take Daren's help. All of these points led her here, to this very moment in time. Death was always there, it was the choices she had made that had brought her so close to this end.

As Kouri prepared her possession Anna idly wondered if death was so terrible, compared to this burden of living. Her choices in life thus far had hardly been ones many would call the right choices, many might be considered the wrong choices. She still had to live with them though, it was a fact that hurt really. The apprentice had once pondered eternal life, the undeath offered by the Nuit. Was it strength or weakness that bid them to accept? Fear of the unknown, it was a potent motivator. What about being afraid of living with one's self?

It was probably the insanity talking, the voices trying to detract her mind but somehow the questions seemed valid ones for self reflection. Later though, when the boundary separating her from the living and those simply living on borrowed time was closed. It was the action of Kouri actually entering her body that brought her back to reality, away from her own mind and back into the harsh truth of what her choices had wrought.

The ghostly child seemed much more comfortable with possession, far more than she had previously. The wrongness she felt in her body was still there, but the soreness had not come upon her yet. It felt much more smooth, a lot like her Mother's possession had been. That was good, hopefully it meant she could retain control for the whole way to Master Witsle. Anna wanted to know what laid inside of the Elements Sanctum, but for now there was no choice but to retreat.

[Fubuki Kouri]

With her heightened proficiency and a willing host, the possession would definitely succeed unless some other presence prevented her from doing so. Fortunately, she could feel her hold on Anna's astral body do not falter, nothing was obstructing her attempt. This also scared her, if some kind of malevolent being was actually inside Anna's mind, then it was a very good possessor to be completely undetectable by the ghost girl. The ghost girl completely focused herself in beginning the possession, the first few ticks were very crucial. Anna's body would go limp for a tick before Kouri took control and fumbled to prevent the wizard from falling face-first to the hard floor. She was confident in her possession to the point where she could do fast motions such as running, she could still feel her control slipping every now and then but it was minor and unless Anna actively try to kick her out of her body, the ghost girl could do this for a bell at worst, a few bells at best. She could still feel the unnatural fear gripping her heart even when she was inside Anna's body, Mia was right all along. Continuing forward would only result in their doom. Insane and twisted Mia was, Kouri couldn't help but feel very grateful she decided to ask the white-eyed girl to tag along. Kouri had never been caught up in such a plot where she couldn't even predict what would happen next, all of her previous fights and struggles had been rather straightforward; killing some bandits, killing some pirates, and yet more killing evil men such as slavers. She would rather face some spiritists or mages such as Azcadelia right now, at least in fighting them, she knew what she was facing against. Unlike Sahova, no, in this island, even a seemingly normal dog could talk and transformed into a girl named Celeste who told her she was not a Kelvic and a mage with expertise in a magic called 'morphing'. Who knows, even a seemingly harmless rabbit could turn into a fire-breathing giant eagle for all she knew. "Alright, Mia. It's me, Big Sis." She commanded Anna's body to nod at the smaller ghost girl before trying to take her hand, but it just phased through her. "Tch..." So used to being a ghost who rarely used her possession ability, Kouri forgot the corporeal couldn't touch the ethereal without some kind of ability, the ghost girl then remembered from Kriemhild that spiritists could create soulmist that allow her to touch ghosts, but... unfortunately, she didn't know how exactly to create it. Anna was likely no better than the maid in terms of spiritism so it would be up to Mia to guide her. "Mia, please take my hand! Let us go to Master Wistle!" If Mia decided to depart, Kouri would do all in her power to move Anna's legs away from this petched up place. As she couldn't feel pain or other sensations that would normally be limiting humans from destroying their own body, the ghost girl would need Anna's warnings should she start to push her body to far. Madame Annana, if you're getting tired, please tell me, okay?

[Mirage]

The possession went smoothly, without a hitch really, and as Fubuki entered Anna's body the voices quickly dissipated from the woman's mind. The shadows around them seemed to depart slightly, yet despite all of this the unease and fear within Fubuki continued to grow. Across the threshold in the light, Mia looked on with her doll clutched firmly to her chest. As Fubuki made to reach for her hand Mia would back slowly away, shaking her head as tears began to stream down her face.

"No..." She clenched her eyes shut as her hair whipped wildly about, stretching and forming tendrils thin as thread that lashed out violently, "Stay away from me!" Her hair flailed about, striking deep gouges into the stone itself, and even cutting a clean slice up Anna's forearm. The ghost girl was sobbing now, doubling over as the onslaught continued, keeping Anna's body well away from her.

Within Anna Fubuki would hear the sounds of whispering, and something brushing by her astral body, but only just barely noticeable. Finally the girl's hair would still, and she would look into Anna's eyes, into Fubuki's eyes, but she stared based those and into something that lay deep within, "P-Please... l-let them go. Let me go!"

An eruption of shouting voices filled Anna's mind, cursing wildly with obscenities and bitterness to the point that she could no longer stand on her feet. Fubuki could hear it all as well, the shouting, the voices filled her soul, when all of a sudden she was spun within Anna's body so that she no longer could see out of the Wizard's eyes. In the darkness Fubuki would meet a pair of smoldering eyes, and the reflection of sharp teeth as she was held fast by an unseen force. The thing's jaws opened, and a voice filled the darknes, "She is ours now... You do not belong here." The voice echoed like it was speaking in an empty cave, full and somehow ancient sounding.

A cackling laugh broke across the darkness as another pair of eyes lit beside the first, "She's ours now, ours now! GET OUT GET OUT!!" More cackling laughter as another pair of invisible hands latched onto Fubuki's soulmist, the pressure starting to press the ghost to the edges of her possession. Yet another pair of eyes appeared on the opposite side, and another set of hands gripped her tightly, "Run... Run so we can chase you. Run so we can have some fun before we devour your soul." This time the grin seemed to widen in the darkness as large teeth were bared for Fubuki to see.

The perssure was mounting and Fubuki was getting closer and closer to the edge, her grip starting to loosen on Anna's Astral body. These three were trying to toss her from the body, to completely claim Anna as their own, And Anna was fully aware of this. She could hear the entire conversation, could feel the presences like never before. Now that they had manifested they were like a weight burdening her chest, like a heavy heart filled with sorrow and despair. They radiated the worst of emotions, the most terrible thoughts, and within Anna they were growing stronger and stronger. If something was not done Fubuki would be tossed from Anna's body, but how can you fight such malevolent spirits?

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna felt that Kouri's control was stronger than before, more potent and allowing for greater control. At first she was grateful for this, hopefully it would mean she wasn't going to lose control. Unfortunately Mia didn't seem to keen on the idea of letting them near her, as evidenced by her attack. The apprentice would have hissed in pain at the gash the ghostly child sliced up her fore arm, only she didn't possess control of her vocal cords at the moment. Anger welled up in her at the attack, only halting at the sight of the child stopping. Her words were rather confusing if the apprentice were being honest with herself.

She didn't have time to properly reflect on them though as her attention was drawn inwards, to the growing instability in her head. Anna could feel the darkness inside of her growing steadily, her deepest and most hopeless emotions welling up from the depths. She could feel them, these voices that were spoken of for so long and warned against time and again. It was only now that she was realizing just how outmatched she was, even with Kouri here she felt overwhelmed. Something was going to give and she was afraid it was going to be her.

She heard every word spoken against Kouri, and as the voices spoke she felt she was falling further and further into the rather depressing thoughts she had harbored earlier. At the same time they seemed to prey on her deepest depravities and sins as well, bringing them to her mind against her. Perhaps before she would have simply laughed at such attempts but after that day in the Dungeon her own actions were met with regret. Everything that was negative and horrific about her was being brought to light, to be honest it was hard to even fight something like this.

She held on to one strand of hope though, Kouri hadn't been tossed out yet. The girl was still inside of her, but if she didn't do something quickly than that wasn't going to last. Then there wouldn't be anything between her and the voices. It would all be over, there wouldn't be any fighting against it any more.

So the apprentice took hold of that thread, using it to try and cut through the haze of awful and terrifying thoughts and emotions. She needed something to give her some hint, a means to push these creatures out. The manic voice of Maelstrom gave her an answer, however the woman wasn't sure that she liked it. It was the same reason that she had suspected Kouri could survive the voices, insanity.

What was the difference though? If she gave into the voices then she'd be insane, no doubt about it. If she tipped herself into insanity then there was no telling what she might do, the fact of the matter was that she might not be able to return. If she released her hold on sanity what would be there to help her? Could she ever rise from that dark abyss? She'd lose everything that she was essentially.

No. There was someone else here in her mind. Kouri. She was her lifeline, she could pull her back if she fell to much. As unstable as the girl was she still cared enough about her not to just abandon her when Anna had told her to. She could pull her out of the darkness, at the moment it was really her only hope. So she reached out to the child mentally through the waves of despair and fear.

Kouri! You need to listen to me! I might have a method to fight back against these creatures but you have to do exactly as I tell you. I'm going to slip into a rather dark place, I need you to hold on to me and pull me out if I slip in too far. Its the only way to fight these things. Anna projected to the ghost, trying to convey how very important it was that the child heed her words.

A tick after that she was delving through the crushing and heavy feelings towards the things that tempted her even now. The promise of chaos, the freedom that Rhysol's blessing could grant her. She focused upon that divine presence within her very being, once she did she simply dropped all pretense of control over it and allowed it to wash over her mind.

It felt glorious. She felt free, of everything, nothing seemed to matter anymore really except for this petching wonderful feeling. Anna allowed every care and every single shred of coherent thought to just slip away, surrendering herself fully to the freedom of the chaotic insanity. She didn't want to think, she just wanted to feel and do. She was letting her darkest desires rule her and it felt so very good.

From there she turned her attention to the voices, deciding to display for them how deep madness could run within her. She was a Chaon, a person born anew in the baptism of Rhysol's blood. Chaos was her master, with it ruling her she fought back. Not because of desperation, not because of fear or pain or anger but simply for the thrill, the sheer amazing feeling of doing whatever she petching wanted to without really caring about the consequences or morality. She never wanted to go back, she just wanted to kill, to destroy, and to laugh and laugh and laugh.

Hahaha. Hahahaha! Gahahahaha! I think I want to play now. I really, really do.

[Fubuki Kouri]

When she finally planted her control firmly, Kouri felt there was nothing, no other presence trying to disturb her. It was as if the fearful atmosphere lifted itself. She sighed in relief, but she couldn't help but to notice the unnatural fear clutching her heart and mind didn't leave with the shadows, only grew thicker by each second. We have to get out of here! She moved herself closer to Mia, trying to appear as calm and sisterly as possible, but the smaller ghost girl bursts into tears instead. "M-mia?" Mia's reaction genuinely freaked her out, what horrible abominations could drive even the hundreds years old powerful manic ghost girl into tears?

"No?" Kouri tilted Anna's head "W-why no, Mia? I-it's me! Big Sis! I'm inside Madame Annana's body, surely you remembe- WOAH?!!" Anna's body jolted in surprise when Mia used her version of soulmist projection, her very long midnight black hair whipped the air similar to Kouri's own, only that she actually used the hair as her tendrils. The damages to the stone ravaged by Mia's tendrils screamed 'danger' to the ghost girl, she knew well of this situation as she had done it herself in the past, a childish tantrum driven by fear and combined by phantom powers. "Miaaa! Aaah!" Even though she couldn't feel pain, she knew it would be excruciating for Anna by how deep the gash looked. Madame Anna! Are you alright?! All traces of hostility and suspicion towards the sorceress disappeared entirely, replaced by genuine concern as fellow comrades in facing the unknown abominations.

"Mia! Who are you talking to? Tell me! P-please..." This was similar to how Wanda looked at Kriemhild's body, the master spiritist didn't look at the Nuit Maid but straight to Kouri who was possessing her. In this particular case, Mia was looking pass Anna, even looking pass her, Kouri assumed she was talking to whatever or whoever was hiding behind the shadows evident by the malevolent whispers she heard in her head. W-who are you?!! Show yourself! This was absurd, absolutely absurd. Kouri's fear began to be replaced by anger and rage at these beings who toyed with other's mind. The Vantha ghost felt disgusted for it reminded her of herself, but the difference being Kouri was fond in torturing evil men such as bandits or slavers physically.

"?!" She felt her vision, Anna's vision, suddenly dimmed down. She was not ejected from Anna's body yet, but her control over the sorceress' body was lost. It was like riding on an immovable boat. "Ha... ha..." She gasped for breath as the ghost girl found herself to be in the blackness of the void. All alone in an all encompassing empty space, filled with nothing but herself. "Ki... aaaah!" She tried to concentrate and take control, but she felt a foreign looming presence as a pair of ghastly eyes accompanied by white vicious teeth appeared before her. The monster opened its jaw as if wanting to devour the girl. "W-who are you?! BASTARD BAAAAASTARD!!!" She screamed back at the monster with curses in Vani, her crimson eyes turning reptilian. The monster dared to command her to leave? Dared to torture Anna's mind? She would kill all of them until there was nothing left of their remains. "NO! You do not belong here, abomination!! Go away! Or I'll kill you! I promise to Morwen that I will kill you!!!

"Hi?!" Apparently, the monster was not alone. It had comrades, the new cackling laugh with a new pair of those same ghastly eyes. If she was an ordinary little Vantha girl, Kouri would be curling up and frozen in fear, but no... she was a phantom, powerful enough to drive the Syliran Knights to place a bounty on her. She would be not intimidated by these unknown beings. They were inside Anna's mind, the sorceress would sure take her side and drive these abominations out of her mind. "Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up!!! She didn't care if they understood Vani or not.

"Aaaah! Let me go!" As the pair of hands grabbed her, Kouri thrashed around, launching her serrated serpentine tendrils everywhere. In her angered state, she couldn't know if it was effective to be using it in this mind battle or against these beings, but she would be glad to find out. "Ki..." Kouri could feel the hands corroding her hold on Anna's astral with every passing tick. Kouri fell down to all fours as more hands grabbed her body. "H-how about... I... eat you instead!!" She tried to appear brave and fearless, but without any help, she would be forced out whether she liked it or not.

Kouri!

Anna's voice was like a sword of light shedding through the darkness. The ghost girl lifted her head despite the pressure, the sorceress came to her rescue! She listened intently to what Anna said, ignoring the three monsters for a while. There was a way to fight these beings, but it looked risky. Anna requested her to snap her out of whatever she planned to do if she went too far. "Got it, Madame Anna!" She forgot to translate her words into Common, but it didn't matter, she just assumed the sorceress could guess that she basically said 'yes'.

"Ku... ha..." Another presence made itself known in the darkness of Anna's mind. It was a burning sensation that filled the ghost's mind with... pleasure. "Ha... hahahaha..." The pleasure brought upon by pure, unadulterated, insanity. Kouri felt giggles, very similar to her past self, coming to her. If Wanda repressed the chaos inside her mind, while Mia nurtured it back to life, then Anna doused it in oil to let the flames of fearless insanity burned to life once more. "HYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AHAHAHAHA!!" The chaotic power washed over the ghost in full force, she held her head with one hand as the little girl stood up, a wide toothy grin on her face. Like Anna, she felt so free and powerful, like nothing could stop her. All traces of fear disappeared from her. "Come on... Madame Anna, let's play with them... Ehehehehe!"

[Mirage]

Something cracked within Annalisa's mind, something small, perhaps insignificant, but something within her was not quite the same any longer. Chaos and disorder ruled her, filled her mind, her soul, making it unstable and shake violently so that even Kouri would find it hard to hang on. The red eyes blinked away, screaming filling Anna's mind once more as she felt clawed hands tearing at her flesh, pulling at her hair and clothing.

Petching stupid stupid! Stop it stop it! The laughing voice was no longer laughing, its voice closer to a whining cry than anything else. It screamed, calling STOP IT STOP IT over and over in the darkness, but the voice slowly began to fade from Annalisa's mind.

"Stupid bitch! We will tear you assunder, eat your soul and leave you a husk! You can't escape, you won't escape!" The threats poured in, but like the first it too began to fade from the darkness of Annalisa's consciousness.

The presences faded to nearly nothing, leaving an empty feeling as the depressing sensations that had dwindled within Annalisa slowly trickled away to nothing. Everything seemed at peace for a few ticks, but then that feeling of fear, of utter dread and desperation, and all other dark feelings welled within Annalisa once more, slicing through her madness as she was completely filled with a powerful presence. Fubuki would feel it even more, the darkness pressing in upon her, as what can only be described as jagged claws hooked into her soulmist, binding her in place unable to move, or speak. That face appeared before Fubuki once more, but this time in much greater detail. Two burning read eyes, rows of jagged hooked fangs within a snarling mouth. Annalisa and Fubuki would both hear it speak, the thrum of power ancient and terrible.

Your voices are not strong enough, your insanity not great enough to drive us away. We are the darkness of the world, the deepest terrors in the souls of men. We are older than the world itself. Pathetic is your kind, and you shall suffer. You will see us in ever shadow, behind every closed door. When you sleep we will haunt your dreams. When you wake we will exist at the edges of your visions. You are ours Annalisa Marin. You belong to US!" These last words reverberated through Anna's mind and body, shaking her at the core and would have thrown Fubuki out had the creature not held fast to her soulmist. Those eyes burning red fell now on Kouri, and its maw opened wide, snapping shut and tearing off a large portion of the ghost girl's soulmist before releasing her, I will devour you personaly, but not yet. Run. Run far, run fast. We will chase you, and you will be lost to this world forever.

The presence suddenly faded completely, leaving only Kouri barely able to hold onto Anna's Astral body in her weakened state. The darkness around Anna shifted, swirling like smoke before shooting down the corridor in the direction they had come, passing by Mia who stood completely still, eyes locked forward as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

The lights flickered back into existence, lighting the tunnel as it normal would. Annalisa would find long scratch marks running down her back and arms, bits of her clothing ripped and torn in places where the creatures had become violent. They were gone, though, and not even the slightest bit of their presence remained. In Annalisa's mind, however, something had been lost forever. Nothing noticeable, but a nagging feeling that would linger at the back of her mind.