The Ghost Town

Lasan nodded. He got the impression that they'd be stuck here a while longer if he started asking what heaven or God was.

Looking Hero over, Aegeas grit his teeth. He was too familiar with people who tortured others, but Hero had never shown any sign of cruelty so far. It didn't help that the ghost girl and Charlotte gave completely contradictory explanations. Aegeas hated not being able to form opinions about people, but he couldn't. Not until he knew Hero better.

"She knows you," Aegeas said, tilting his head in the direction of the ghost girl. "Do you know her?"

Herobrine shook his head.

"Oh, thank God," the eldest of the two ghosts said - Dean once again had to refrain from making a pun. "I'd be worried if Herobrine knew who I was."

"I just said-" Charlotte started, then let out a heavy sigh. She had likely come to the realization that no amount of arguing would convince the two ghosts that Herobrine was as good as she said he was.

"Herobrine's from a story," Kartiel helpfully interjected. "So it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for him to know who that ghost is. At least, people thought he was from a story - that story's actually very, very real, and the actions of the people who write it directly impact the world it's set in." He thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. "I think that's the best way to explain it to someone who doesn't know what a video game is."

"So they're like authors?" Lasan said, cocking his head to the side. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to have that kind of power. I'm not sure I could do any good with it, though."

"But the characters don't just leap from the page," Aegeas snapped. "The author doesn't create an actual world, and that world doesn't do anything. I don't think that story adds up, Kartiel." Ugh, he hated saying that name, even if he wasn't talking to the same Kartiel he was too familiar with.

"It's not a perfect comparison," Kartiel admitted. "But it's not like you guys know what a video game is, so I doubt I'd be able to explain it well. A video game's a more...immersive experience, and Minecraft in particular lets you build things, fight monsters called mobs and essentially take over this world - just none of the players realize it. They all see it as a fun game where they can create stuff. Don't ask me how, because I honestly have no idea how it works, but Minecraft's a very, very real place, and it somehow gets linked to our world through the game."

"I still don't get it," Aegeas said, shaking his head. "There's no way that could've happened accidentally. There's too much power and magic involved - I don't even know how much. I haven't heard of anything like that before."

Kartiel shrugged. "Hey, I'm just telling it how it is. I'm just as confused as you are, and I've lived in both places before." He thought for a moment, folding his arms and resting one hand under his chin. "Apparently the connection made between the two worlds has been breaking reality, so I guess it really is too powerful - rifts keep popping up that let people go from Minecraftia to Earth and vice versa."

"This is crazy," the eldest ghost girl muttered under her breath. Dean wanted to point out that she was a ghost, he had just convinced her he was an angel, and Herobrine was definitely real, but he decided that wouldn't exactly help the mood that had settled on their group.

"It is crazy," Aegeas said, nodding. "But sure. Whatever. I guess whoever'd be strong enough to make that connection wouldn't tell anyone about it. So, what are we going to do now?"

No longer needing to be used as a shield by the two ghosts, Dean promptly hopped onto the bed and leaned up against the wall it was pressed against. "I think some names and introductions are in order," he commented, making himself comfortable. They likely wouldn't be here for long, but having one person appear like they weren't worried could do wonders for the rest. "My name is Dean Summers." He raised a finger and started pointing at the other people he had spent his time here with. "That's Kartiel, Herobrine (you already know him), Charlotte, Zalio, Cornyx, Lasan and Aegeas."

He turned and looked over at the two girls. "What about you two? What are your names?"

"I'm Piper!" the little girl eagerly informing him, betraying her cousin by darting over to the bed and joining him on it. She gave an excited little grin as she pointed at her cousin. "And that's Vi-Vi!"

"My name's Violet," the eldest ghost corrected, though she did have a momentary look of affection on her face before she narrowed her eyes at Dean. "Dean's the name of one of the brothers in Supernatural, and Summers is Buffy the Vampire Slayer's last name."

"So?" Dean asked.

"It's obviously a fake name," Violet accused him.

"That's what I said," Kartiel agreed, "but he completely avoided addressing it. Is it because you're an angel, Dean?"

He shrugged. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But I'm definitely not telling you my name when you're giving me an attitude like that, Kartiel." He gave him a smirk and resisted the childish urge to stick his tongue out - he had needed someone to mess with for awhile, and Kartiel looked like he was eagerly stepping up to the plate.

"Now what do we do, Dean?" Piper asked, scooting closer to him and farther from Violet. "Are you going to do angel things? Are you going to show us your wings?"

"I'm sorry," Dean answered, glancing down at the little ghost, "but I can't-"

"But you're an angel," Kartiel argued. "Are you avoiding it because you're a fake-"

He turned and gave him a look. He did have an explanation prepared for that, but he was growing just a little annoyed with how eager Kartiel was to call him out. "For one thing, I can't show my wings when I'm in a body like this. For another, I'm telling the truth. You just can't feel how holy I am because you're not Christian."

He cleared his throat.

"Anyways, to answer your question, Piper: we were originally going to set up a base of operations in another house, which we'll probably head back to soon, and try to figure out how we were all brought here." He gave the little girl a big grin. "But now that you're here, you can come along with us."

"Sounds good!" Lasan said, looking around him and grimacing. "I want to get out of this place as soon as possible, and then we can keep an eye on you guys." He gestured to Vivi and Piper.

"And then we can talk about fake names and whatever these "angel" things are," Aegeas said, glaring at Dean. He had a good amount of respect for everything that Dean had done so far, but he couldn't quite tolerate lies, especially concerning someone so strong and so mysterious. Aegeas had dealt with that type a bit too much for his liking.

Kartiel took this as a sign to grab onto all of the other people present in the room. He obviously tried to grab onto the ghosts, but that didn't get him that far. He was only able to grab onto Dean, which meant he had to possibly incur Violet's wrath by holding her and her cousin close. Unsurprisingly, Violet was far than pleased by this prospect, but she didn't argue too much.

There was a flurry of purple particles, and suddenly everyone was standing back in the base of operations.

"Is that holy water?" Violet asked, pointing at the barrel. She looked slightly disorientated, but seemed to quickly regain her composure.

"Not yet," Dean said. He approached said holy water. "But it will be once I'm done with it."

Violet was silent for a moment. "You better not let that get anywhere me or Piper," she informed him, "or else you'll regret it."

"Wasn't planning on it," Dean answered. He wasted no time in uttering the words necessary to make it holy. Most people required a little more to the process than that, but he wasn't most people. He turned back to the ghosts. "Besides, it probably wouldn't affect you guys. You're not malicious, are you?"

Piper nodded in agreement. "We're not!"

"And then the salt's to block off all the routes of an entry for a ghost," Violet continued, following Dean as he went to do exactly what she said. "Just like in Supernatural."

"Just like in Supernatural," he confirmed.

"Will that one affect us?"

"Yup," Dean said, popping the "p". "That's a catch all for all ghosts. Everyone should be safe in here from all the evil ghosts wandering around, but you and Piper can leave as long as one of you breaks the line-"

"It won't work on all of them."

He blinked. "What?"

"It won't work on all of them," Violet said. She crossed her arms and looked out the window. "I tried it, too, right after Piper and I...you know..." She didn't finish her sentence. "It worked on most of the ghosts. The more dangerous ones stayed away. But then she was able to cross the line, and Piper and I had to run away before she could catch us."

"That's impossible," Dean argued. He had been doing this for years, and he knew ghosts better than anyone. It was impossible for a ghost to cross the line without even disturbing it!

"I'm not a liar!" Violet protested.

"Maybe you saw something and misinterpreted it!"

She groaned in frustration. "I didn't. I know what I saw. Piper was asleep then. We were just waiting for daybreak inside of a house when she showed up. I felt safe until she stepped through the rotting doorway and over the salt lines." Violet plopped herself down on the floor near what what had once been a roaring fire. Dean joined her over there once he had finished placing all the salt. "She definitely was like the other ghosts. She kept flickering, and she wasn't all there - I tried talking to her before then, but she completely ignored me."

Oh, right, there was someone in the group who could apparently teleport them places. Aegeas didn't like thinking about that - the idea of going through walls and floors made him nauseous.

So, while Lasan immediately huddled in front of the fireplace, Aegeas listened in on the conversation. Which he quickly realized was a mistake.

"She's - she's gone, right?" Aegeas said, staring around him. "Or, she isn't anywhere near here?" What little confidence he'd had in the water and salt had vanished, leaving him with a sinking feeling.

"I think she is," Violet said, her voice quiet.

Piper shook her head. "Nuh-uh!" she argued, clamoring around her cousin's legs. "I saw her earlier! Back out in the town!"

Dean's eyes widened as understanding dawned on him. "We saw another ghost before you two showed up," he recalled, looking at the others in the room as he spoke. "Was she the ghost you're talking about?"

Piper gave a confident nod.

Aegeas quietly walked over to the fireplace and sat down next to Lasan, nudging the lizard.

Lasan set his arms behind his back and twisted so he could look at the others. "Aegeas is trying to keep himself calm," Lasan said, trying to mask the panic that was settling inside of him before it showed in his eyes. "So I guess it's up to me to ask things. What does she want? Why is she going after us?"

Violet shook her head. "I don't know," she said, shaking her head. She went over to where Lasan and Aegeas were sitting - Piper in tow - and plopped down on the ground beside Lasan. Hero, Charlotte, Kartiel and Zalio quickly joined them, but Dean kept his eyes on the visible area outside of the window. He had to stay alert if he wanted to fend off the mysterious and likely dangerous ghost.

"If she's a partial, chances are she wants revenge," Dean said, peering outside. "Or something else that's probably also on the violent side."

"Whatever it is," Aegeas snapped, "Can she go somewhere else? We've got nothing to do with her."