Zerial backed up a bit as a Lupora burst out of the trees. 'Well I guess that's where the bark came from...' It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. "Huh? Oh! Uh. Hello, there. I guess ghosts are pretty common nowadays if there's people going around and greeting each other as such. My name's Zerial." He greeted the Lupora. There was no reason for him to be wary, as she didn't attack him or show any aggression. And to be honest, he was quite happy to be able to speak to someone again.

(I don't know how being dead works here, so for all I know he might've been in some kind of 'ghost world' with other ghosts and maybe the poltergeists too, or if being dead is just ceasing to exist, in which case it would seem as though no time had passed. There's also the option of being dead consisting of just your consciousness in an endless empty void.)

Alala smiled a doggy grin, before licking her lips and fixing a gaze on the ghost Sylesti.
"Zerial is a nice name. I'm Alala." She replied. The Lupora looked around, sniffing at the air again. "It seems a living Sylesti has been around here recently. Underneath your ghost smell, you smell quite like her, actually. We should probably find her. It's not as safe in the forest as it used to be." She closed her wings and put her nose to the ground, inhaling the scent. "You can follow me if you like, Zerial. In fact, I recommend you should." She closed her eyes, concentrating on the scent, before starting to follow the trail.

(Ah, I should probably put what the death is like in the master post. I imagined like you remember every moment exactly up to your death, and then you blink and it's like no time has passed.)

Zerial nodded and told Alala, "It's my sister, she still lives in that house there. I don't know how she'd react to seeing me all of a sudden, and looking so different, which is why I haven't gone inside yet." He followed her for a bit before asking, "Why wouldn't the forest be safe? Even with ghosts and such about, not many people knew about us living out here."

(Alright. So we'll just ignore Zerial being happy about being back after so long and just pretend it's just because he's happy in general, which he is anyway)

Alala paused, and turned toward Zerial. "Wanna know how I got these scars?" she said, her bright green eyes fixated on him yet somehow far away. "Well, they're proof that not every spirit resurrected by the disease is as benevolent as you." Several moments passed without speaking before she wagged her tail and added, "But the past is in the past. All we can do now is protect ourselves from those with impure intentions. And if your sister is really deserving of your love, I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to see you've been given another chance in this world." She paused at the edge of the house's yard, wondering if she or Zerial should knock on the door.

Zerial was a bit worried by Alala's explanation. He continued to the door and used the same knock he always did when coming home. Two quick knocks, three quick knocks, then one quick knock. It was reflex for him to knock this way because it's how his father taught him to, just in case anyone else came to the house. After that, he waited.


Vilas thought she was still dreaming when she heard the distinctive knock on the door. 'It couldn't be... There's no way it's him. Snap out of it Vilas!' She thought to herself while folding the blanket. She sighed and gave in to the tiny sliver of hope that never left her heart. Opening the door just a crack, she saw a Luffox and a Lupora. But the Luffox looked nothing like her brother, and she was instantly suspicious. "Who... Who are you? How did you get here?" She asked cautiously, not daring to open the door any further.

"I'm Alala, and I got here by walking and flying," the Lupora replied with a grin. She gestured a wing to the Luffox beside her. "And this is your brother, Vilas, resurrected from the dead due to the nature of the disease that killed him. If you'd like proof, I'm sure he could tell you things only the two of you know, or just phase through a wall to prove his...heheheh...spirituality." She knew the speech would shock the Luffox, but it was nothing but the truth. No sense in dancing around it or making up some story, Alala figured. Although she half-expected a door to get slammed in her face, she was already forming a Plan B in case that happened.

"You're right. I don't believe you. But if you feel the need to try and prove it to me, then go ahead." Vilas said quietly. 'As much as I think it's impossible, how else could they have known about this place? If it's just by mere chance, then they would've just said who they are instead of this story... And he does seem so much like Zerial even though he looks so different.'


Zerial was surprised by how calm she was, and how listless she had been since opening the door. The Vilas he knew would've greeting anyone with a hearty 'Hi! What's your name?' How long had he been gone? "Vilas, it's true! It's me, Zerial! Yeah, so what, I look different. Dying apparently does that. What about those times when you were really little and there was a thunderstorm and you had to sleep cuddled up next to me? Or that day you fell in the lake and got a really bad cold but wouldn't let me leave to go get medicine? And that note I wrote you right before I went. The one I wrote in one of those hallucinations? It just said "Mom and dad would be proud of you, I know I am. But I'll be gone soon, and it'll just be you. Never forget that I love you, Vilas, and never forget that mom and dad do, too.'" When he finished talking about the note, that was when Vilas fully opened the door, walked out, and hugged him without saying a word.

(Are the ghosts tangible or are they like holograms? Cause if it's the latter, I'll edit this to fit.)

(The ghosts are tangible to other sylestis, ghosts, and poltergeists, because each contains a spirit. However, they aren't tangible to the environment unless they concentrate on it, such as opening a door. That's why Vilas didn't make footprints in the mud earlier. I should probably add that to the master post, too.)

The Lupora grinned again at the happy reunion, wagging her tail. She waited for the siblings to have their moment before breaking the silence and speaking, "I can, and probably should, tell you both about the circumstances of the spirits and the disease. But can we do it while walking back to town? It's because of aforementioned circumstances that this forest is quite dangerous. Of course, if you'd rather, you can stay here. I'm not due back to town until sunrise tomorrow."

(Sorry it took me a bit to respond. More people are joining soon :D)

(It's fine, I'm doin other things while waiting for responses so I might temporarily forget about this. If I take a while, that's why. Also, yay, more characters!)


"Dangerous? Well, I guess some spirits would be violent... If the town is safer I'd rather be there. Will there be time when the forest is safe again? It doesn't feel right leaving my home for good." Vilas was still processing that Zerial was back, and was nuzzling him every other minute or so to reassure herself that he was really there.


Zerial nodded in agreement and added, "Our family's always lived here, starting quite a few generations back. Not sure why, but it's a tradition." He mostly ignored the affection from Vilas, since he himself had a hard time believing it, and his death only felt like a few hours ago to him.