The First Meeting

The rust colored bandages slipped over his skin, still slightly warm to the touch from lying against his flesh. They coiled around his feet as they fell, tangling slightly, but not enough to bind him as he let fall the shredded shirt as well. Shattered arrows and spears were still scattered along the path he had taken, he knew it was only a matter of time before more men came to hunt him down; he knew neither pain nor fear, just the driving need to finish this hunt once and for all.

The ever-grey sky overhead let out a deep rumble as the clouds tried futility to rain. There was never rain anymore, no water, no grass, nor trees; nothing good lived in this dessert world anymore, not since he came. The very image of evil, the black Ayame Prince was only a puppet used to suck this land dry of whatever nutrients were left, but he'd stop him, it was his only purpose in life, the only reason he lived. The Prince's beautiful face and sweet words were a mask that he showed to the common people, but he knew better, he could see the darkness tying the Prince to the earth, sucking its life away. Being who and what he was, he had to stop him from killing this world...he had to.

The fine grains of golden sand shifted as he trudged up the slope. His mind was blank except for the overwhelming drive that this was it. This would be the last chance he had before he too faded from memory and existence. There were only a few seeds left in his gun and he'd felt the evil presence of the smaller life-sucking Ayame flittering at the edge of his consciousness for a few miles now. The small, black chameleon looking demons weren't a threat in themselves, but a large enough group could make him waste the last of his stores of ammunition very quickly.

Finally, he buried his feet deeper into the shifting sands to get a better position as the Ayame slunk around the edges of the hill, he had to be quick about this...there wasn't anymore time to waste. He slowly focused and unfocused his eyes until they stared to zoom in on the capital. More! Just a bit more! There he is! Damn demon, I will kill you this time! He raised the gun to his chin and for a second hesitated, but only a second. The bullet hit true...but the Prince had other plans.

As the seed vines scattered across the surface of the wall, he could see the shadowy arms move around the Prince, protecting him from the bullet, but it was too late; the air swirled around him, warping in upon itself and tearing apart all at once. He could feel the cold of nothing, that space in between there and here, he could feel the piercing nails of the Ayame gathered at his feet, the bandages once again wrapping about his chest and hands. It was over, there was nothing left that he could do...he'd failed and now the world would die because of his failure. If only...if only he could as well...death would be welcomed now, he didn't want to see the end of his world, see the Prince win...anything but that...

He first noticed the warmth, then the softness and light; the tentative voice coming from slightly off to his right and behind him. Slowly his eyes fluttered open. Colors...blue, green, white, where was he, what was this place? The voice, whose?

"Umm, excuse me?"

The Prince! He didn't wait, didn't hesitate to jump the boy and forcibly throw him to the ground, gun in his face and finger on the trigger. This time he didn't hesitate to pull it, but he'd forgotten about the bullets, namely, that there were none.

He wasn't sure what his next course of action would be without a weapon, but he didn't have the time to think about it either. In all the confusion he'd almost missed the boy's frightened expression as he feebly attempted to defend against the attack. His fingers lightly brushed the barrel of the gun and in that instant there was a slight flash of light, and then a miracle.

It grew?! What! Who is this guy? Wait, no it can't be, "You're a Sanome?"

His face, it's the same as the Prince, how can he be a sanome then, but it really grew, the weapon that should have been dying!

"Hey you! Oi! Anyhow get off. I don't want the flowers to get ruined."

Flowers? Oh, there are flowers, so soft and pale white. How long has it been since I've seen flowers growing? Flowers. Trees. Leaves. Grass...

"...go on, have a drink."

Water. Where in the world am I?

This...this boy that looks like the Prince, but isn't, he's a Sanome! I've finally found him! The one that can save us all!

Endorphins flood the brain and he's swept away with the giddy happiness flowing through his body. He reaches out and clutches the smaller boy, almost crushing him in the process. Holding him, the world feels calmer, safer, he's found the one he's been looking for, he will protect him.

A stiffening of shoulders, tensing of muscles and short, hurried breathing tells him he's not alone. One of them followed from the other world, its slinking movements defiling the pure ground of flowers and grass, making him angry just by its presence. Quickly he spun the sanome around until the boy was standing in front of him, pressed closely against his chest he could feel the boy's pounding heart and the slight shiver that ran down his back. He grabbed a fruit off the newly planted tree, and cupping the boy's hands in his own told him to be calm and grab the fruit.

The rifle grew quickly, and still holding the boy he aimed and fired. The seed broke apart on impact, vines swirled around the Ayame, keeping it held captive, slowly rolling in upon itself until a small ball of vines slightly twitching on the ground was all that was left. His lips curved into a small smile. How long had it been since he'd smiled? But because of this boy, he could fight again, he could live again.

"What the hell's going on here?!"

The boy's face was mixed with disgust, fear, and confusion as he pushed back against me. He was shaking so hard that my first reaction was to wrap my arms around him, to pull him as close as I could and try to comfort him as much as possible. In this moment it didn't matter that he looked like the Prince, he was cold and shaking in fear, and I wanted to make the fear go away.

"It's ok. It's dead, it won't hurt you, I promise."

I tried to make my voice as calm as possible for him, memories flitted around the sides of my mind and I acted without thinking, slowly rubbing my hands against his arms and whispering that he was safe, that I'd protect him, over and over again into his ear, my face buried in his golden hair.

Eventually the shaking subsided and his breathing eased to a normal in and out rhythm. As he pulled away from me, face flushed a slight rosy pink, hand held against his lips and refusing to meet my eyes, he lead me into the house, mumbling a soft thank you as I followed behind him. I couldn't help but think that no matter what happened I would always protect him.