Yui floated above her body, confused. She looked down at it, the piece of flesh she'd once inhabited broken and bloody. She remembered her name, her life, everything. She floated towards Touma, who was hiding in the closet. Mom was nowhere to be seen. 

Yui watched Touma's body shudder as tears streamed down his face, the only sounds he emitted being her name. She honestly felt touched. She'd known Touma had determination to save her, but this honestly wasn't his fault. She tried to comfort him, but he didn't acknowledge her. She was a ghost, and she realized that, against reason, she was perfectly ok with being a ghost. 

Not because she was dead. Oh no. Yui had wanted to live as long as possible. But being able to stay here on Earth instead of passing on was great. She could watch over Touma like a guardian spirit.

And so, for the next 7 months, she watched over Touma.

*****************

It was night when it happened. Yui watched curiously as a woman with long blonde hair, violet eyes, a kick butt outfit, and a lion walked by. She seemed to be carefree, albeit a bit on guard, as if that was normal. Yui was just drifting about, knowing Touma was already in bed.

Yui laughed, not knowing why. Maybe it was because she knew she would never be able to walk the same as this woman, with her feet touching the ground, or maybe it was just the pent up emotions from the strange 7 months she'd spent as a ghost.

Anyways, the woman stopped walking once Yui was done laughing. Yui looked at her curiously. Who was she? The woman stepped backwards a few times, and stared at Yui, right in the eyes.

"Oh...it's a young one this time...Kazuma, I'm gonna adopt her...."

The woman spoke to herself, and seemed to have communication device of some sort in her ear. Once the woman was done, she looked at Yui again, squarely in the eye.

"My name is Bishamonten. Bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here. With this name, I make thee my servant. With this name and its alternate, I use my life to make thee a Divine Instrument! Thou art Mariha! As a divine instrument, Keppaku! Come, Paku!"

Yui looked down at the tickling sensation that had wrapped around her torso and screamed. A band of golden light was wrapped around her, and it burned the characters 真梨 on her left shoulder blade. 

She fell to her knees, as the world faded into darkness. The same darkness from when she died.

*************************

15 years later...

(play song now)

Mariha walked through the gilt hallways, serving platter in hand. Ebisu-san would be visiting today, and Bishamon wanted everything to look perfect. That meant every regalia needed to be one their best behavior. 

She quickly made it to the conference room and served tea as the gods discussed their plans for the future. Mariha hummed a simple tune as she poured the tea. Everything was good, perfect even.

She excused herself silently and made it back to her room. There she collapsed happily, glad she'd finished her chores for the day. She curled up on the bed, and flipped through a mortal magazine she'd picked up while with Bishamon one day. She read for a while, but soon, she fell asleep. 

When she awoke, all she heard was sobbing and endless hitting, cracking, and screaming.

It took her a few minutes to realize she was safe. But something was different. Her mind was filled with memories she'd never seen before.

Where did I get all these memories?I feel there's something I should be remembering. Though I can't seem to recall it, I have a strange feeling that I just can't forget. 

She closed her eyes and browsed through the memories. Most of them were of a boy with wild blonde hair and golden eyes running, hiding, and playing with her. She didn't recognize him, but her heart felt a pang every time he looked at her. She felt...lonely.

Failed again, I've given up chase. But when I close my eyes I see your nameless face. There must've been something about you, but I just can't recall and I don't know what to do. 

Memories of the boy flowed into her like tea flowed from a kettle. The boy skateboarding through old alleyways as she chased behind him, them shopping for clothing together, and them running and hiding under bridges, lampposts, and inside parks.

Let's get a ribbon and measure the world, then let's run circle around the sun before we char and burn. But we don't need a map or road, we'll chase the blackness of the night that's somehow filled with hope. 

Tears came to her eyes unconsciously as she saw the boy being hit constantly by an older man as she watched from inside a closet.

Failed again, I've given up chase, but when I close my eyes I see your nameless face. As the dew drops settles in my eyes, I still can't hear your gentle voice piercing through the night. 

She saw him smiling at her as they curled up on their futon together, him holding her close and telling her he was fine everything was going to be alright.

I don't know, anything, I just don't know anymore. You want me to stay here, is that too much to ask for? And it hurts, hurts my head. I can't sleep restless in bed, but if you knew all this, you'd laugh and break my  heart in two.

 Let's count these simple feelings, let's list them all out. And yet I forgot that warm feeling, the one I'd get when you're next to me. Bye-bye my dear brother, we won't meet again. 

She realized, with a shock, that this person was someone from her past life. All regalia had a past life, but they should never be able to remember. Why her?

And yet I'm stuck here in this here limbo, in this state that I can't emote. I don't know what to do, and only laughter escapes my throat.  

She thought to herself that she needed to find out more.

I'm like a donut with a hole, so full but so empty and will never quite be whole. And now I'm wondering if you were here or just a fragment of my memory that's now unclear. 

Days passed, and memories came to Mariha endlessly. She cried, laughed, and smiled as they came to her. But in all of them, not one name was said.

Failed again, I've given up chase, but all I see is your nameless face. Yet another night with restless sleep, I struggle without you here wedged between the sheets. 

She remembered her death. The cruelty of the man who beat her to death. She remembered not wanting to die. She felt sadness overwhelm her as she realized she was alone on this. No one else knew the feeling of dying.

No, I don't want to die. Want to know what it feels like? It won't bring peace or piece together, all that you have is lost. Time has passed, we don't last. My memories turn to glass. I am the donut hole, the unwanted, without a soul. 

Can't count these complex feelings, can't list them all out. This new life of mine without hearing your voice, forgetting how it sounds. Bye-bye my dear brother, we won't meet again. And yet I'm stuck in this here limbo, in this state that I can't emote. I don't know what to do, and all my tears flow until I choke. 

She looked out into the heavens. She realized that she'd never see her brother again. He was still on Earth, and she'd never be able to see him without Bishamon.

A gaping hole has opened, right up in my chest. And in this emptiness I'm lonely. It's the only proof that you're here. Come back my dear brother, oh-come back again. My heart in ribbons falls to the floor, and there's nothing that I can do. 

She smiled sadly at the girl staring back at her in the mirror. She was still lucky to remember her brother. She opened her notebook, and wrote about him. as she wrote, she closed her eyes, trying to remember his name. 

Let's count these simple feelings, let's list them all out. And yet I forgot that warm feeling, the one I'd get when you're next to me. Bye-bye my dear brother, we won't meet again...And in the end I start to feel complete. With a word that I remembered, I take a deep breath, and I open my eyes to confess. I have opened my eyes. I have opened my eyes. I remembered your name was-  

It was at that moment when Mariha forgot about everything. Bishamon tapped her lightly on the head, and the young regalia fell asleep. Bishamon watched the girl. It wasn't fair that her Regalia had to forget their old lives, but if they remembered their name, the real one, their soul would turn to dust or become a creature of the far shore. Bishamon did it for their own safety.

She picked up the notebook Mariha had been writing in. At the bottom, 5 letters were written.

 大好き,  刀満.

I love you, Touma.

Bishamon teared up before taking the notebook with her. She locked in her safe, where hundreds of regalia's memories were stored. 

Every single one of her regalias all went through this. They all remembered their past. Bishamon had the burden of taken their past and burying it for them. If she didn't they'd become creatures of the far shore. 

This was all for their own good. 

Wasn't it?