6/11/06(the date I actually started this story...)

I hope you like it the plot get’s really interesting later on and my sisters LOVE this one bunches. I hope Minavi’s drabbles don’t get annoying. It’s my first good shot at 1st person, I’m also writing 4 others .;

Prologue:

When most people die, they go straight to Heaven or Hell after they're judged by 'Him'. Some even end up in a white endless space called Purgatory. But there was a time when one person got another chance to live. He got that chance from death itself.

-"Hah!, Death didn't give him that chance! Death is only disease, famine, murder, accedent, suicide and so-on. Death only kills, it doesn't give anyone life. Never.

He got that chance from me, Minavi! I'm a Soul Carrier. I bring the souls of the departed to and from Heaven or Hell, purgatory to the afterlife, or to or from great distances on earth so they can complete whatever work is keeping them from the afterlife. There's no 'Stairway to Heaven' or 'Pitfall to Hell', just me -and a few others-, that's my job.

How it happened, I'll tell you.

This guy was more emotional about dying than his widowed wife-but I think they both cried alot even while he was alive-. Oh well, his name was Amura Hanabi---"

Chapter One: Soul Carrier

I, your ever so great death mistress, Minavi, was on my 982,147th job that morning when I found him. His spirit was just floating around in the cemetery, almost as if he couldn't leave his corpse. So I flew over the the worried ghost, almost curious.

"So... how'd you die?" I rested my head on my arms, completely comfortable on my scepter -which resembled a simple oar when not in use; like the ones used with the River Styx, you know the deal-. I use it to travel between the worlds and realms. It's variously sized rings spin like the orbits of an atom when I use it, the little papers hung at the base of the rings look like the crooked talismans on Japanese Shinto shrines. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "If ya' dun wanna tell meh, I'll find out myself." I smirked my awesome copyrighted smirk of coolness.

"Who are you?" he asked, finally facing me. I just hoped he could understand me because I speak my normal given language and it just so happens that it translates in the spirits mind no matter what language they speak; but now I was trying at his language, Japanese, which I think since I've practiced I've gained a Kansai accent.

"The Grim Reaper." I said sarcastically, my eyes half-lidded sadistically. I laughed when he reacted. "I'm not. You're already dead anyways so I wouldn't be able to do anything even if I was." I winked my right eye, "I'm a Soul Carrier."

"What's that?" I think I was confusing him further than that dead guy could get on his own.

"I'm the one who brings spirits to and from the worlds of the dead." I jumped off of my scepter, it becoming translucent without my presence. I walked over to him, and I'll have to admit that I'm pretty short. He may've been floating but even if he wasn't he was still taller either way. Damn i hate being small.

"What a job," he rolled his eyes in sarcasm. Man, do I hate it when people use sarcasm against me, the Lordess of Sarcasm. Damn Bastard...

"So, how'd you die?" I also hate it when people don't answer my questions; another pet peeve of mine.

"I was... killed." He reluctantly told me, and at the time I didn't think he was lying.

"Ooh," I grinned, showing off a fang or two. "I love murder cases! So how'd it happen?" I leaned forward a little, showing my interest.

"No, I wasn't murdered." Shaking his head, he attempted to sit on his gravestone, falling straight through. Ah, another thing I love, a newbie spirit first getting used to the ghostly-ways. Angrily, he got up and attempted to dust himself off. "I died in a car crash." At least he remembered to finish answering.

The curious look disappeared from my b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. face as I hopped back onto my scepter, it suddenly making itself visible again. "Hmph. That's no fun. Your death bores my awesome self to tears!" I said with a tinge of dramaticness.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was a normal person and didn't get assassinated!" Once again he dared to use sarcasm against me. That bastard was gonna get it. Damn 'im ta' Hell if I had that power. "I don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

"I hate ya' already..." And as well I was already thinking of where to cast his corpse, hopefully to watch his soul plummet into Hell. But then again, I was the one that brought them there so that wouldn't work out so well; and those two Dictator Bastards choose where they go. But... I can still toss his lowly body off a few dozen cliffs 'n mountains into some spikes and--- never mind, that's too far. I sighed heavily, "Okay, let's just go get your pathetic, boring soul judged."

"But-" Now he was trying to get out of it, to contradict me? No. I really hate this guy. "I don't want to get judged, I wasn't supposed to die." He wasn't getting outta this. It might cost me my job. Well. not like I get paid for this or anything, but still, that ain't the point.

"What?" Letting go of his arm, I felt my eye twitching, probably soon to be joined by my lip. Nobody stops me from getting them judged, not ever... never ever. "What'd you say?" There it was, meh lip was twitching.

"I don't want to get judged," he repeated, practically trying to stare down. I hated that. Like I said, I'm a hateful person.

His stare was almost burning a hole through me, making me feel really frikin' awkward. "Do you honestly think your choice matters?" Ignored. "-cuz I can just drop ya' straight inta' Hell if that's what ya' want." Ok, ok, so I was lying, but again, that's not the point.

"You wouldn't."

Dammit! He doesn't even know me an' he's frikin' right! But he doesn't know that... I hope. But still, he was exposing the very twisted ethics of my life in a matter of minutes. So for that, damn 'im. "Buuut, pathetic mortal, I would."

"Well... don't."

"Do not tell me what I can and cannot do," I glared, about to bitch-slap him until I remembered that damn rule. I felt like a nerve just died. "Damn bastard." I mumbled aloud. Oops?

"You say something?" he rose a brow to me.

"Just staying I have a very pretty vacuum with your name on it." I grinned widely. I really didn't have one but I was planning at that moment to get one. Ya' know, ta' get rid of a few jerks in the pit. They don't deserve to remain on earth, damn useless-no-scare-the-shit-outta-anybody-ghosts.

He smirked. "You probably don't even know my name, do you?"

"Could ya' tell me, please?" I batted my eyelashes, feigning innocence. And so I was already plotting his horribly tragic frikin' downfall. You couldn't just leave him... alive-ish, right?

"Hanabi Amura," he said that as low as frikin' possible. Good thing I have really good hearing (which I use to eavesdrop on Satan's plans of Heaven domination. I actually plan myself to do that...)

note to self: get vaccuum, write this bastard's name on it

"Okay, Amura, what we're gonna do is go up to the Spirit World to get you put into the system... you follow? And you are gonna be dropped off in that hideously white n' happy place called Heaven, and get judged by Him." I pointed upwards which I think made it alil' clearer. "And you're not gonna do or think anythin' otherwise."

He had that look again... that 'I know something' look. "Aren't spirits only supposed to depart from earth when they don't have any unfinished duties?"

Shit! He figured out another one! If I could, I'd slaughter him with that damn rule book. "You... suck... horribly..."

"I'm right, aren't I?" he smirked. I wanted to rip that damn look right offa' him with a rusty dull butter knife. "Don't you have to follow that?"

I sighed greatly, almost falling off of my scepter. I wish those rules didn't include 'Thou shalt bitch-slap thee'; recently added for me due to my various events last year. I'm not gettin' inta' that. "Yea, your bastard-ass is right." I groaned and turned my head lazily to my left. Then I remembered something else in the book that would I would benefit from. "But, you must be semi-accounted for upstairs before you're allowed to do that."

"Well, I need to do what I have to very soon, seeing as how I wan't supposed to die." What the fuck was his business anyway? He wouldn't tell me that but it sure as hell got me as curious as a frikin' Eskimo on steroids (don't ask). "So can we hurry?"

"Finally!" I beamed. "Is that all it took ya'?" I quickly grabbed him by the wrist and flew upward, but to no avail. A barrier blocked his leaving and he smacked riiight into it. "Ooooh...sorry..."

"What the heck was that for!?" He stammered, getting up.

I laughed and rummaged through my pockets. "I forgot to get rid of that for you," I lied, smiling, “Sorry." I pulled out a talisman written in black ink on old sacred paper. I held it up to the gravestone, it quickly dispersing the barrier into light. '

"What'd you do?" Holding his head from the spiritual pain, he waved his hand to test if it still existed.

"I destroyed the Soul Barrier. It put there to make sure your spirit stays here." I turned back to him, the now black talisman disintegrating in my hand. "Lord Enma doesn't like spirits wandering without permission." Now smiling, I jumped back onto my scepter. Once again I grabbed his hand and flew out again. I hoped at least he knew that spirits can fly and not freak out...

Well, that's what I hoped.

"Oh my god! Don't drop me!" he gasped.

Sadistic thoughts were collecting in my devious mind. "Why not?" my grip loosened. "You'd only splat on some pavement, that's all." He hadn't figured that ghosts wouldn't fall at all. Or they wouldn't splat seeing how they don't have mortal bodies.

"Don't! I beg you!" He grabbed for my scepter so he'd stay up better. "Don't kill me!"

I laughed, raising my left hand to my mouth to emphasize my humor. "And do you actually think you'd die again if I dropped you?" I saw him nod, scared. "You don't have a physical body. No organs, no splat!" I pointed out. .

"You say that like it's a damn motto!" he rolled his eyes.

"It seems like a good one!" I grinned widely, speeding up. Then I decided to let go of him again.

"Hey!" he screamed, grabbing for my staff again with both hands. He kinda just hung there for a bit, glaring at me as I laughed.

I sped up again and flew directly upward. Through the thick clouds it was hard to make anything out, but I was used to it. I loved the skies of northern Honshu, so clean and cold in the early morning; perfect for carrying souls in torturous ways to Lord Enma. The only thing I wanted more was a meatbun or something; I was hungry.

We passed through the sacred barriers and into the spirit world. Now only a high-ranked beauty like me can do this without a problem but no plane, no matter how hard they tried, could enter this place.

Hanabi had somehow managed to drape himself over the back end of my staff, hugging it for the dear life he no longer owned. It was pretty pathetic really. Inside I was laughing, as to not make his urge to kill me any more greatly near my own to kill him. (I'm not saying that everyone hates me enough to kill me, just that everyone wants to rid of me in the most gruesome-as-frikin'-possible way.)

As we reached the spirit world, I was greeted with my usually aimed to none other than me death glares and a few -very very few- bows from those people that are just so sickenly nice to everyone. As I neared the west wing of the main building, I was politely welcomed by the water gate guardian, Mizu. She bowed gracefully, her long blue tresses of hair following her quick and sudden movement.

"Welcome back, Minavi-sama." She smiled to me, her eyes twinkling.

"Hey," I nodded casually, jumping off of my scepter, then shook the former mortal's grasp from it. I smiled back before adding, "Is Lord Enma busy?" which was a stupid question because what lord of the spirit world wouldn't be busy?

Shaking her head she glanced into a glassy ice stone that hung from her neck on a silver chain. She was the type of person that did everything she could, everything she was told n' everything she didn't have to. (She somehow does this undetected and gets everything done. She hasn't taken my job yet but today... would've been great.) She could see that he wasn't as busy as earlier or usual and by 'busy' I mean not in the middle of a problem or inputting a massacre data or yelling at me.

"I'll just go in," I smiled wryly, making my scepter disappear completely. She nodded to me as I cautiously pushed open the door, possibly one to my daily fate. My throat tightened as I swallowed hard. Sure I liked being there, I just didn't like the fear that came with it until I knew it was safe. "Follow me," I whispered, signaling that the mortal should follow.

I poked my head in, "Lord Enma?" I asked, awaiting an answer patiently before completely entering.

He sighed, pulling his attention from his work "Minavi, you're back?"

I nodded, dragging the mortal in with me as we walked in. "I brought one," a grin crept its way across my lips.

"It appears you're not done with this morning's run... he's an earthbound spirit?" His glance quickly scanned Hanabi, making the once-mortal shift with fear.

"Says he's got sumthin' 'important' to take care of." I rolled my eyes so only my lord would see it. "And he'd like to hurry outta' here." 'Not as if that would matter much.' I said telepathically though it was unnecessary when he could see the disappointment in my eyes. Pretty weird how everyone can 'read' me.

Enma nodded. "We should do this as quickly then," his voice wore the same sarcastic tone as mine. Maybe that's where I got it. Oh well, no point in worrying.

"Arigatou," Hanabi bowed once quickly, then made his way to the great desk in the center of the room. I think he was intimidated, Enma's a big guy.

The lord did the usual and entered him into the system with great speed, even with the huge amount of information, and nodded to the spirit. "All finished, but what is the reason you wish to return to earth?"

"I- don't wan't to talk about it," Hanabi turned and headed out the door.

"What the hell!?" I yelled. "He wouldn't tell me either! What the frick is wrong with that poor bastard?"

"He probably has his reasons." My lord had read his thoughts, which I hadn't known at the time, and he said 'probably' so I wouldn't ask. He looked back to his ever-growing work. 'You did'

"Ya' sure we should let 'im do that? Go back I mean." I stared straight at him. I knew he had to and all but after today, I didn't want him getting his way.

"I'm sure," he nodded, "Because you're going to help him."

And that's when the worst day of my 'life' got even worse, past the limit I thought it could.

"Nani!?!" I yelled, loud enough that i could be heard in Hell. And I think I was spending a bit too much time in Japan lately cuz I spoke more Japanese than anything, wore Japanese style clothing and- oops... going off track. But their food is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

"What's wrong, Minavi-chan?" He'd gotten used to calling me that after I forced him to for an entire week. He raised an eyebrow to me, sending a chill through me.

"I-I don't wanna help that bastard!" All my anger, as much as I could've tried, never affected the Spirit King.

"Do it," he sighed, "Consider it a vacation." A sinister smirk appeared across his lips as he pushed me out telekinetically.

"No fair, En-sama!" I pounded on the sealed door with my left fist. "You know of all people that a vacation for me would be getting drunk on Mount Fuji or something!" And once again, my words were unheard by the one that needed to hear them.

Mizu looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "Are you all right, Minavi-sama?"

I didn't even turn to look at her, my head against the cold metal door and my arm pressed above it. "No, Mizu-chan, I'm not." I glanced to my right where I suspected Hanabi to be impatiently waiting. "You..." I snarled.

"What?" I heard fear in his voice as he saw my eyes take on a red hue. He quickly jumped away from the wall he was leaning on and moved back a step.

"You Bastard!" I cried, literally. I this was the time I over-reacted. "You just had to go back, huh?"

"What'd I do?" He was shaking, seeing that I had somehow grown claws.

"He said I have to... help you!? I immediately crashed to the floor and began to cry like a little schoolgirl with a skinned knee or lost puppy. My complaining could've reached Algeria from here. I'm sure, but it probably just sounded like a bunch of storms and lightning crashes.

Not even Mizu, who's seen and created storms, floods and even hurricanes had seen that much of any liquid in one place. -so I'm over exaggerating- She set up a small barrier to halt the path of the salty fluid before it reached her. "Are you going to stop soon, Minavi-sama? Before you flood all of Spirit World?" Her voice sounded startled and unsure.

I soon quieted and settled with slight sobbing as the room drained out. "B-but, En-sama is being unfair! He's making me work with him!" I pointed a now no longer clawed finger to Hanabi who was floating to avoid getting wet.

"And what's wrong with me?" he demanded.

"Everything, I answered calmly, finally standing. "Everything's wrong with you, Bastard." I think that was beginning to become his new nickname at that pinot as dictated by yours truly.

Suddenly it got really uber quiet, which is pretty rare when I'm around.

"So, he assigned you to help me?" Hanabi cautiously lowered to the floor.

I nodded, continuing my glare. "An' I dun' wanna!"

"But," Mizu spoke up innocently, "You must follow Enma-dono's wishes.

Dammit, she was right. I had to help the poor bastard. I stopped glaring and sighed, turning away a bit. "Fine, but one mistake and you're goin' ta' Hell. I mean it."

He actually smiled, even his eyes were trusting. -I regret saying that, forget I said he was 'trusting' at any point in this- "I'll hold you to that." I'm not sure why the bastard used sarcasm there because he knows I can't do that.

I hate him...