A/N; He always saw the world in a bleak, colorless palette of dark colors. When a gentleman of the forest stumbles upon a child lost in the forest, he does not hesitate to offer his assistance to the child. From that day on the child comes back and is shown the beauty of nature and that world is full of colors.
His Secret Guardian; Chapter 1: Child in the Bushes
In a clearly of in a prosperous valley that was surrounded by tall tree tops and vibrant flowers that bathed in the warm glow from above.
"Ah such a lovely day" a voice breathed with a calm exhale, "The sky is so clear today, not a cloud in the sky" the thought as they rested against the cool grass. The voice belonged to an individual. His skin was light tan complexion with a forest green hair held in a high ponytail. A male with deep green eyes with a gentle vibrance. Wearing a long flower oriented kimono. With beautiful green fabric and floral patterns sewn into the material.
"I guess I should get started before it get's too late" standing he took up his basket and began back into the forest. On the path each side was filled with an array of vegetation and plants.
"Here we are" stepping to one of the plants he eyed the berries that grew from the branches, carefully he began to pluck the small blue and red berries from the branches before carefully placing them in the basket to add to the others he had been picking throughout the day. The forest was bountiful with herbs, plants, and flowers. Stretching way into the valley and the mountains.
"If only all days were this calm and re...huh?" he stopped, looking back and forth, "What was that?" suddenly standing from his squatting position he began feeling a presence from the forest. Not the usual animals or other creatures that dwelled inside, no this was different.
"Over there" he concluded feeling a strong pull coming from the pointed direction and without a moment to loss he picked up his staff before dashing off towards the forest. And hoped he wasn't to late.
Moving through the forest, with each step of his feet grass and vegetation grew from the once empty dirt leaving a trail of green in his wake. Passing through the maze of tree's, over rocks and small cliffs. The feeling grew more and more as foreboding filled the creature and he quickened his pace through the dense forest.
From a high peak, green eyes scanned below trying to see if there was something out of order. Seeing nothing he was prepared to move on when suddenly a noise caught his attention. The cry resonated as the earth seemed to shake and tremble with each wail.
"What was that?" looking down the noise seemed to coming from below, with a good jump the male vaulted from one ridge to the next, leaving a small patch of new green grass and vegetation, until he was safely on the ground. Once back on solid earth he looked around to find the source of the sound and after a quick search he came upon some bushes resting just before the forest entrance.
Carefully walking forward the crying got louder as he grew close. With caution and wariness the male stuck his hands into the large bushes, combing through the thick brush before his eyes fell on something he wasn't expecting.
"A...child?" resting in the middle of the shrubbery laid the body of a small child. It's small body was shivering and clothes were shredded and dirty. Surprisingly the child looked to be trembling as a long, thick green tail like a lizards wrapped around it's body as they wept in large green clawed hands, but what upset the male most was the obvious cuts and bruises that marred it's flesh.
"Oh my goodness!" with great care he removed the shrubbery to get closer, the sound turned the child's attention to the male. His face was just as bad. His right eye looked swollen, bruised and nearly shut. His face was covered in scratches that were red and fresh and more bruises covered his pale flesh with a line of blood dripping from his nose. As blue eyes met green, he could see the tears still present proof that he had been crying.
"Are you okay? What happened?" as the male came forward the child seem to shrink back, his eyes present with fear as he covered his face with his large green hands and wrapped his tail around himself in protection from the creature in front of him.
'Poor things afraid. No doubt from whoever or whatever did that to him. Who would even?' he wondered with great distress, unable to fathom why anyone would just abandon a child battered and bruised in the middle of the forest. Many creatures of various types and species lived in the forest and would have jumped at a chance at the easy meal. This further saddened and distressed individual, even if the child wasn't of human nature, he was still a living being.
"To leave a small child on his own, such heartlessness is unforgivable!" he leered, by the small whining and sniffling returned his attention to issue at hand.
"You poor thing" he frowned seeing the wounded child who continued to shield himself on the ground, "Please don't be sad, the forest weeps when bitter water falls on the soil" it broke his heart seeing the child in such a state.
"Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you, please don't be afraid" leaning down, he carefully brought his hand up, gently resting it on the green locks. The hand remained still, showing the small one he wasn't of any harm. He continued to slowly and gently stroke the head of green, trying to soothe the crying. At first the green haired child pulled back wary of the sudden touch, after a couple more tries the child seemed to calm, feeling the gentle touch of the foreign creature on his head.
Peeking out from his arms, blue eyes peeked out to see the deer, noting his features his eyes becoming calmer, but still wary.
"There now, no more tears" he whispered softly, "I'm sorry if I startled you" he apologized to the child, "I heard crying in the forest and was surprised to find a child in the bushes" he added gently.
"Please little one, what happened to you?" he asked as the child continued to look at him. The small creature just stared at the other, shrinking back slightly. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything" he said with a soft voice drawing the child's gaze. "We should first get your wounds cleaned so they don't get infected" he said as he looked around a thought came to mind. Suddenly his ears twitch and with swift reflexes the male ducked as something zoomed passed him. The child gave a gasp falling back onto the ground to again hide in his ball.
"What was that!?" looking up he noticed something black fly overhead, landing on the top of the previous that looked over the forest. The creature on top was tall and dressed in deep black dress. Long black claws and tallon like feet.
"Who are you? What reason have you to attack us?" the male asked calmly as the creature gave a smirk from its red lips.
"Oh my businesses isn't with you, little human" they spoke with a sweet voice that almost made the deer shake in uneasiness, "But I'm afraid you've seen too much and I can't have any witnesses" she said showing her claws.
'Witness?' he thought with confusion, the creature wasted no time to take advantage wings flapping before jumping from the peak to attack. This was bad, it was one thing if it was just him but...turning back he saw the child again in his protective ball.
'I have to protect his child' surely he could calm the female creature down. Taking a few steps he stood between the child and the creature.
"I only needed to finish the weak brat, oh well you should be easy enough!" she cackled with sharp teeth flashing, "Humans are so weak and fragile. Ripping you part will be fun!"
It was then it hit him, slowly turning to peer down at the child who had begun crying and again another tremor happened lasting a few moments before dying down.
"You..." there was a sudden tenseness, the calm and gentle air sharpening as realization hit him. This woman, no this monster was trying to kill this child. A small child!
"You..." he lowered his head, green hair falling against his face to shield his expression.
"Giving up all ready? Good this will make it all the more quick for me!" she beamed nearing her prey, "Now die!"
As soon as she got into proximity there was a sudden flash of light the demon let out a scream as she touched the light that surged like electricity burning her skin. With a jolt the woman was pushed back falling to the ground and the circular field fading but still present as the deer's eyes flashed. Blue eyes peeked out hearing the commotion, his gaze stuck on the blue energy surrounded them like a protective dome as the creature outside screamed in pain.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" he said with a distasteful look towards the female who had fallen to the ground twitching, "Trying to take the life of a poor child. An innocent being!" he watched as the woman stood, holding her right arm which had been seriously burned and damaged.
"You bastard!" she hissed a trail of blood trailing from her lip, "How dare you...do this to me!" she glared.
"Leave this forest, now!" with a stomp of his foot there was an echoing in the forest, vines and roots emerged from the earth and the tree's as the woman looked with much shock at the sight.
"What are you...!" moving back she dodged a sudden attack from the one of the vines, "Stop it you little..." soon the others began to attack snapping at her like a wipe repeatedly forcing her back trying to dodge.
"Someone as heartless as you, never return to these lands again!" the vines attacked and with a sneer the female flew up and over the forest, eyes looking down coldly at the deer and then the child who watched from his spot on the forest floor. She wanted to rip them both apart, but with that damn shield up and those vines it seemed almost pointless.
"Fine you want the little beast so badly, he's all yours!" she gave a dark laugh as the green haired male stared up at her, but then there was a snap followed by a loud yelp. One of the vines had managed to wipe her across the back, the short thorns leaving a rather deep impression on her pale skin.
"You little...! Ah!" she growled before flying off.
One her presence disappeared the other seemed to calm, the barrier faded away and with a bow the vines returned to their former positions of slumber.
"That was close" he sighed, his gentle aura seeming to have returned, turning back to at the child who was still on the ground, but now out of his make-shift position. Though he should be relieved they were both safe, he couldn't help feel sadness in his heart. This child was nearly killed by that...that she-creature, luckily he was able to fend her off. Hopefully she wouldn't return.
"It is my duty to protect all creatures of the forest, including the earth itself" he stated out loud, before walking back to the child who watched him with curiosity, "That was a close one" he said now standing a small feet away from the child.
"We still need to get you cleaned up" he smiled giving one more stroke of the green tuff of hair that reminded him of grass, carefully to avoid the three horns. There was a flinch, but nothing more as the child now sat up on his knees, his left arm holding his right obviously in pain from the gash on the side.
"I have a home not to far from here, can you walk?" he asked, the child remained silent and tried to raise himself. His bruised knees trembled as if struggling to hold his small weight. Before he could even hold himself up his knees gave out in a chilling snap of if a bone had broken sending the body towards the ground. As if anticipating for the pain, the boy closed his eyes, but it never came. Opening those blue orbs he saw the roots holding him up and bringing him upwards, "I guess I have no choice then" with a small tap of his foot the child was carefully lifted by the vines and roots to sit in the man's arms. The child seemed surprised feeling the warm energy emitting from the other as he was held.
"Please hold on, I'll make sure you're safe" he said with a reassuring smile receiving as small nod as he and the his mysterious savior walked off and began to walk forward.
"It'll be okay, no more need to fear" he said with a reassuring look, "No one will ever harm you again" with that the two disappeared back towards the forest. The child held warily onto the creatures frame, although he wanted to leave his body ached to the point he couldn't even hold his own body up. But the creature had been so kind to him, it was so foreign to him this gentleness.
As they came down the path, there was a light up ahead. The child had to squint his eyes, or the eye that wasn't swollen. He had never seen such a light before, so bright and warm. After stepping through the glow, the child felt a tingling warmth across his skin. Slowly his eyes opened and widened.
'It's so...' he couldn't explain it, nor could he fathom what he was seeing now. They had stepped into something glorious. It was a large field filled with some of the brightest colors he had ever seen in his years of life. As he looked out trying to take in such vast colors that shimmered into his cyan eyes.
"This is it" the creature said as they walked across the sea of endless color and vibrancy. All around them were colors he didn't even know existed in such light. Once they reached a spot in the field, the child watched as the creature stopped, curiosity in his one good eye.
"Lilian's are you home?" he spoke with a gentle voice, "I require your assistance, please come out" what was the creature doing? Who was he calling into the large space. Suddenly there was a noise coming from around them, it was small and unknown to the child who carefully looked around trying to find the source.
The littles moved and trembled, not by the breeze, the source soon popped, literally. Cyan eyes watched as some of the flowers had popped and transformed. Becoming little plant creatures dressed in various colors like the flowers they had just been.
The small creatures floated around them, hovering and making a noise that sounded like giggling and cooing.
"I'm glad to see you all too" the deer said as the the flower beings giggled, "Sorry to bother you, but...I have a child here whose wounded" he motioned to the boy on his back. The little creatures looked up, many floated to look at the boy, there opal eyes staring at him and his appendages. The child seemed nervous with all the little creatures around, flinching back when one of them got too close, especially when one got near his tail flicked sensing others around it.
"Don't be frightened young one" the he said sensing the others dismay, "These are the Lilian's, they live and take care of the flower fields" he explained, "They're harmless, just curious" he reassured the child who seemed to understand, giving a nod of his head.
"Please be careful, the child has some wounded that need to be tended too" the deer said with urgency in his voice, "Will you please help?" he asked.
Not even a second later the little plants nodded giving a mix of tiny sounds as they flew about.
"Thank you" with that the little Lilian's went off, each gathering different items from the forest and the field. After a few moments they returned each bringing something they had picked up, petals and leaves and other items. The child watched as the creatures again invaded his space, all hovering around. Soon all the creatures seemed to form a circle around the child, moving around slowly.
It was soft. The sounds released by the Lilian's filled the boys ears. It was like a gentle song that filled the field creating a somber air. The child watch the small beings in curiosity, hearing and seeing the small creatures floating around him.
A glow of vibrant colors filled the fields, brilliant hues surrounding the small child who felt a feeling stirring in their chest. Something he had never felt before. It scared him having such a feeling.
Looking down at himself he saw the warmth touching his skin, closing his eyes he began to relax into the warm glow. Feeling the pain from earlier seemed to melt away.
It was strange having such small creatures healing him, like nothing he could imagine. And when it was all done and the music stopped it was still present. Eyes opened, freshly recovered, and saw that his wounds and injuries were gone. Disappeared, not even a scare. Moving his limbs he found that even his tail had recovered as it wag with a anxious feel of new energy.
"Feeling better, that's great!" he said and the Lilian's appeared happy too as they cheered and floated about in no specific way. The child hopped down with ease from the others arms and into the sea of flowers. The feel was so nice on his bare feet, it almost tickled.
"I see you enjoy the flowers" the deer noted seeing the child looking at the colorful plants.
"F-Flowers?" the child spoke, the first since he had been found, which surprised the male, but smiled all the same at the way the child spoke.
"Yes, flowers" he said wondering if it was the childs first time seeing them, "Many flowers bloom and grow around the valley. This place is the Valley of the Lilian's" there were so many flowers of every shade and contrast in bloom. Reds and blues, purples and greens, colors that the child had never seen before in such depth.
"Flowers" he repeated, "I...I like flowers!" he said rather loudly surprising the other, but happy the child seemed happier and was now healed. Suddenly the child felt a pull on him, the little flower people were pulling on his clothing and some in his hair.
"What are they doing?" he asked out loud
"I think they want you to play with them" he smiled, "They love when they see new things. Their rather...persistent and easily excited" the child blinked a couple of times looking at the small creatures who wanted to play with him. No one ever wanted to play with him.
"Play?" he repeated as a goofy grin came onto his lips, "Let's play!" and with that the boy was off, he was fast for such a small creature. The male watched from his spot, nothing was greater than a child at play. Though there were times when he had to stifle a giggle when the child tripped over his tail. Though the child didn't seem to mind as he got back up and returned to playing with the small creatures.
With a small exhale the male sat with a watchful eyes over the child and the Lilian's. As they laughed and played in the peaceful flower field.
'If only all days were this peaceful'
"It's getting late" the green haired male noted seeing the sun beginning to drift over the horizon. Tiny yawns escaped the creatures of the field and soon returned to their places as flowers and became silent. The child was now alone with the creature again, watching as they suddenly stood giving a stretch of their legs.
The boy was bewildered, confused mostly. All the stories he heard were that demons were monsters and feared. And as a demon he was damned and meant to be despised. Yet the creature did not seem afraid of him, nor did he seem to move away from him because of his appearance. He wandered was it because the creature was a demon or because of the gentle nature that carried around him. It felt odd when the other comforted him and held him.
"Alright little one it's getting late, we should be getting you back home" the male said earning a sad look from the child.
"Don't be sad little one, but the forest is no place for a child especially at night" they said, but the child still seemed unhappy of having to leave.
"I want to stay with the flowers and play with the small creatures" he said looking as though he was about to cry.
"You can always see the flowers, but it's nighttime and the Lilian's sleep during this time" he said gently not wanting to upset the child.
"But..." he frowned, "The flowers are so pretty, where I live there are no pretty flowers like this" what place didn't have flowers. There were only so many places flowers couldn't grow, but there was still some kinds of foliage that had adapted to places and thrived.
"What most fail to see is there is beauty in all things" he said, "Everything is special and a light inside. If nurtured just right that light will shine brighter than any star" with his words he lifted his hands to cup together, something sprouted seemed to sprout out from a light that appeared, it grew and spread open becoming a flower. The demon looked at the flower noting it's beautiful mix of colors.
Blue eyes watched as he held the flower who walked over to the child before placing it in the childs large shirt. Blue eyes looked down and saw the object resting on his chest.
"All plants begin as seeds" the male said, "From those seeds grow to become beautiful flowers, just like you" the child looked up at the other. He wouldn't become a flower or beautiful, he would always be a demon. Weak and worthless like everyone said.
"Think of it as a gift of friendship" he said noting the twinkle in the child's eyes.
"F-Friendship..." the word was foriegn on his lips, he never heard such a word back home.
He nodded, "It means that you're a special person to me. Though you might not see it yet, I can see something very 'unique' in you" he said
"It might take a while, but with enough love and nurturing it will bloom into something truly beautiful" he said letting lifting his hand to stroke the boy on the head. Though the boy felt strange of the unusual gentleness, but seemed not to question it.
"Um...if it's alright with you, I need to go home" he said suddenly
"I see" he was wary and nervous, the child was a demon, he figured, different territory completely from his jurisdiction and the last thing he wanted was a misunderstanding.
"I see, well I can't stop you if that is your choice" even though every part of him screamed to keep the child and protect him.
"But I hope you'll come back to visit" he said with a hopeful look in his eyes, "I know the Lilian's would love to play again"
"I'm sure, I want to go home" the child said, "Father will be mad at me if I don't return" though by now they already knew he was missing.
"Let's go, together" reaching out he took the boys hand as a sign of assurance
"Okay" he nodded with a slight blush on his face, though rather nervous around the others gentle and overly cheery mood. He found it better then being back in his 'home' with his family. Although he did 'care' for his family, he guessed, in a way, but in truth he knew he didn't belong there.
"Can we go now?" the child asked calmly
"Of course" he nodded,
"I...can you carry me like before" he had never been allowed to be carried so gently before, no one attempted to offer him. He had learned the hard way of asking for something in Gehenna, even if you are a demon.
"Of course you can!" he agreed, squatting down to allow the child to climb into his arms, careful of his tail and horns as he was lifted into the olders arms "Now hold on tight" and with that the two were off. As they walked down the path, the male was careful not to go to fast for the child in his arms. As they left the flower valley, the child frowned already missing the endless colors.
Knowing soon would have to return to the dark colors he knew was waiting for him.
...To Be Continued...