Garden of Faye
The slow trickle of water dripping softly and nearly soundlessly into the pond below it was what woke me. The sound of footsteps walking towards me was what sent signals throughout my body like an inferno.
"Who's there?" I sat up, my pale green hair that was placed in a sloppy bun released bits of it from the sudden movement. By now, I was as awake as a wolf that was disturbed from its slumber. And just as alert.
The footsteps had stopped when I spoke, which caused me to wonder who it was. My senses on edge, I stood slowly with caution and walked the same way. My feet moved at a swift yet graceful way past beds of flowers until I stood at the very edge of the last red roses. I looked around with only my eyes and there was no one that I was able to see or smell at the moment.
"I warn you, if you do not appear soon, I will have no choice but to draw you out myself." My eyes searched the forest once more for any sign of the person. I was confident enough to know that they weren't going to keep me waiting that much longer because most of the others came out after that threat. And, as expected, the person didn't take long to appear. I stared at them with a frown because they looked like a teenager of sorts. A teenager, but still a demon.
My nose could smell the fox scent that immediately made its way towards me from the wind, yet I couldn't see who the demon was. As if the demon knew, they stepped closer until the afternoon daylight welcomed them in its heated rays.
I took every inch of the demon and committed it to memory incase they'd appear again. The demon was a boy, which was an obvious thing for me to notice. He had long silver hair with gold eyes that seemed to penetrate even the darkest of souls and make them tell him everything he wanted to know. He wore a white yukata by the looks of it, but I could have been wrong because I wasn't that well known for fashion. I was taken aback by the way he looked though, for no demon I knew was like this one before me. He even had a tail, but I couldn't tell what kind of animal he was because it was hidden behind his back. His ears didn't help much either, they reminded me of a dog or a fox.
I watched him smirk in a way that reminded me of a fox's mischievous grin and I eyed the demon wearily. That smirk all on its own had told me that he was a fox demon. I almost didn't notice his feet stepping closer to me until I realized he was almost within my attacking distance.
A smirk that was hard to hide appeared on my softly pale lips as my ruby red eyes continued to stare at the fox. He stared calmly back at me while slowing his steps down a little. He expected something from me, I could tell because there seemed to be a look of amusement underneath that calm gaze he held. I didn't do anything as eager excitement coursed through my body like a faucet left on full blast. I was going to wait until he took one more step, just one more step until I could slit his throat…
But it never came. He just wouldn't take that final step towards me.
"Now that you show yourself, you won't take a single step closer? Pathetic for a fox. I thought they all were tricks and thievery," I jeered, trying to coax the demon even closer like he was a scared pup.
It would have worked too, I know it. Had I known that the fox demon already knew that ploy, I would have done a different tactic. He smiled nonchalantly at me like he was casually meeting a friend out on the street.
"Feisty vixen, but not a wise question for being a demon as old as you." I didn't say a word on that insult, though an unconscious smirk fell on my lips.
This demon obviously knew who I was, but he must have gotten the wrong information about me. He did know of me, so why did he come all the way here? I was fairly young in appearance, but the last I remember, I was at least one-hundred and ninety years old. That had been…thirty years? Forty? I was never good at remembering someone's age, or even mine for that matter.
"And who do you think you are? Treating me as such. I think you only know my name, demon." I hissed while glaring my red eyes at him, trying to see even deeper into his eyes for a glimmer of faultiness in them.
I watched a mocking scowl appear on the demon's pale face and it reflected in his eyes. Not even ten seconds later, he disappeared when I took the moment to blink. I was actually stunned until an ice cold hand cupped my chin tightly. As it began to raise my head, I took the only action that I could think of doing: Attacking.
I reached for a dagger that was hiding in my dark green short pants and when I held the hilt tightly, I swung upwards with the intensity of a rubber band being snapped. I would have cut the demon's cheek if he hadn't caught my wrist in time. There was amusement in his eyes this time and I knew that he had expected me to do that. I dropped the dagger because there was no more use of it for me and I waited for whatever the demon was going to say since I knew there was no way for me to get free at the moment.
"I know more about you than you think," he whispered in my ear and I tried to pull away from him. He only held my wrist tighter and I could feel my cheeks burning and my heart pounding. "You are bound to this garden thanks to an ancient spell. You kill anyone who comes here. And you trust no one." He said to me in a matter-of-fact tone.
At this moment, I had the strongest temptation to make a snappy retort. My mouth was beginning to open when I stopped myself and thought about what he had just said. Most of it was true, but not all were correct. I was not bound to the garden, and I did not kill everyone.
My wrist was released and I almost didn't realize it as I took several quick steps back while never stepping on a flower even once. The demon watched in surprise as I stopped beside the pond with a hand clenched into a fist. I stole a glance down at the water and I saw what I was wearing today. A kimono as black as a shadow concealed my pale flesh and it only covered my breasts because I had tucked it inward since it was very hot today.
"You came to this garden for a reason did you not? What is it?" I turned my head to face the fox demon once more and he was smirking with all the answers hidden deep in his eyes.
"What is that look for, demon?" I didn't like the face one bit. That was what I was secretly saying. A frown circled my face when he laughed at me. I didn't understand what he was doing as he moved towards me. I noticed that he stepped on a few flowers and anger surged through my being like an untamed fire. I didn't get to tell him off because he stopped walking in front of me.
I stayed quiet for the longest time because it was obvious this demon could overcome me if I did something he didn't like. I almost gasped out loud when he leaned down and inhaled deeply where the veins in my neck were.
"Ah, now I understand," he muttered and I slowly took out another dagger from the other side of my pants. "You are a wolf demon. I couldn't tell with all these flowers." The demon remarked.
I let my lips curl back as a wolfish snarl came out of my mouth. It took the fox by surprise and I used it to my advantage. The dagger swung upwards like the last one and he didn't get the chance to move away or grab my wrist like last time. I managed to cut his cheek before my wrist was actually grabbed this time and I smirked wryly at him.
"I am no mere wolf demon. Leave this garden before I choose to kill you myself." I threatened with a gleam of the murderous intent in my eyes. He knew I would do what I said and he said nothing after that. He did flick my nose though. I flinched a little while rubbing my nose and he stayed where he was with no sign of leaving any time soon.
"What is your name? I am called Yoko." I growled again. Information almost never reached me so I had no idea of knowing that this was the legendary thief Yoko Kurama. Sucks for me, right? But anyway, back to the real problem. He had changed the subject on me! What right did this fox have to do that to me? I could tell he wasn't going to leave me alone so I decided to answer.
"Faye."
"A pretty name for a demon. Tell me, why did you kill all that came here?"
I had to smile in a sadistic way at the question, even though my face was turning red from the compliment I had received. I side-stepped Yoko and he watched me with all the intensity of a fox as I stopped at the edge of the garden.
"Simple answer: They bored me," I chuckled at the fox's surprise before continuing. "They sought me out to learn the garden's secret and they were going to kill me for it. I killed before I was." I looked at Yoko once more before glancing down at the flowers beside me.
They were blue, kind of like the sky when there were no clouds out. I bent down to pluck one and I turned it over and over in my hand, watching it intensely. The scent of the flower enveloped my nose and it reminded me of someone I used to know that had died long ago. The scent was full of honey and a hint of wine. The perfect smell for an innocent girl.
"Tell me this: Why have you come to this garden? I smell no malice from you." I stated while putting the flower where it had been. It quickly reattached itself to be reunited with its kin and my eyes rushed over to Yoko. He knew I expected an answer after that.
He smiled a little too pleasantly for my tastes and I kept it to myself with a sigh. Nothing was going my way today, it seemed. First, I had tried to kill this demon. Second, he somehow got me to talk with him. Lastly, I don't think I would ever be able to kill him now that I got myself interested in him.
"Rumor had it that the reason no one ever came back from the garden was because a beautiful vixen lived here and slaughtered whoever came," he looked at the forest before his eyes turned to me with a calm look in them. "I came to see if it was true." I tried to hide my pride at that because that meant he didn't truly know who I was, he had been bluffing this entire time.
I was about to say something a little on the rude side when the water stopped dripping into the pond from the mini rock wall, making my hearing nearly deaf from surprise. My heart nearly stopped beating and I twitched one of the ears. Something was wrong, my senses screamed.
Something very wrong.
Yoko watched me turn towards the wind that was still blowing and I inhaled deeply. A scent full of destructive malice hit me and I also caught the stench of fire. My lips raised in a snarl because the scent told me that it was a fire demon coming towards me. Nothing good was going to come out of this; nothing good at all. I turned back to Yoko and took out another dagger from my kimono shirt while sneaking a glimpse at my black as night wolf tail as it twitched slightly.
"Hide your demonic energy and yourself," I growled while twitching an ear in the direction that the fire demon was coming in. "I don't care how you do it as long as you hide. I will not allow someone to discover you here." Yoko nodded with that insanely annoying smirk on his face as I turned around. I then took out another dagger after that. Hey, you can never go wrong with too many concealed weapons. You'd be surprised how many I have hiding in my kimono.
The fire demon appeared quickly from the western side of the forest and we locked eyes almost instantly. He smirked with lust forming in his eyes as he looked me over. I rolled my eyes a little at that. This demon was just another one of those that were tempted by the body of a female. Luckily Yoko wasn't like him, or else that fox would have died on the spot. Of course, the fox demon was better looking than this demon; even I had to admit that.
"You are as beautiful as they rumored. Tragic that you won't leave this garden alive."
I growled while baring my fangs at the demon. My nails dug deeply into the hilts of the daggers in my hands and my ears laid flat on the top of my head. No one was going to mock me like that and get away with it.
"I do not appreciate you saying those things to me, demon. Why have you come here?" As if that wasn't obvious enough, the demon's eyes stared uncaringly at my body once more. He would kill me if I let him do what he wanted, I knew that well. Too bad he was just another demon that wasn't going to get his death wish granted.
The demon noticed the flowers at my feet and I stared at him with slits for eyes like a snake. He then created fire in the palm of his hand and I stood rigid with fear tucked inside my eyes. The malice in this demon's scent was still there as he walked towards me. I didn't understand what he was doing because I had thought he was going to throw the fire at me from the distance he had been at. Relief began to flood inside me and I let out a slow breath with a smirk.
Until he threw the fire straight at the red roses beside me.
"No!" I gasped before reaching for the heated ball of flame. Searing pain coursed through my body from my hand and even though I wanted to pull my burning flesh away, I wasn't going to. I managed to throw the fire back at the demon and he caught it with ease, being the fire demon he was. I threw one of the daggers at him and then I grasped my charred hand in pain.
The demon never moved away in time before my weapon embedded itself from his head. It killed him instantly and he dropped to the ground like a puppet. I never noticed as I looked at my twitching hand that still bore the crisped flesh. The pain was still there, but I wasn't incapacitated because of it.
"Another fire demon…" I muttered while licking my hand a little, flinching at the pain it caused.
"You killed that demon with no hesitation. Why did you not do the same to me?" Yoko asked as he stepped out of hiding.
I turned my head while grunting a little at the pain throbbing in my hand. I watched him fold his arms over his chest and look me square in the face with an emotion in his eyes I couldn't decipher. Worry, may be? Impatience? Or maybe even amazement? Any of those would work for him.
I twitched an ear in confusion before walking away from the flower beds with a mission in my eyes. Yoko watched with no words, waiting for my answer it seemed.
"Another simple answer: You amuse me," I walked past the fox demon so I never noticed the look of surprise cross his face. "I don't understand it myself. I've always been alone, even before I came to the garden. I guess you just happened to be someone I can't kill now." I smirked to myself at that.
Yoko continued to watch as I placed my burned hand deeply into the pond while the slow dripping of water echoed all around us once more. As if by a sudden burst of newfound healing abilities, the remains of the burn disappeared from my hand with no pain involved. Yoko seemed mildly curious about the pond now as I got back on my feet. I turned my head towards him once more and we stared at the other for a long time. I don't know what he was doing, but I was trying to figure out why he had really come here. If he had truly wanted to know who was killing all of these demons, he would have left a long time ago to tell everyone. So why wasn't he leaving yet? A knowing smirk fell on my face after that question.
"If you wish to leave, go ahead. I will not kill you as long as you keep this garden's secret to yourself." I said before sitting down next to some gardenias. My eyes closed wearily and Yoko continued to stare at me, causing my eyes to open back up. The question was easily seen in them when I looked at the demon and he got on his knees next to me.
"I see no secret in this garden," he began and I knew he wasn't bluffing. "It looks like a normal garden."
"That's where you are wrong."
He stared at me with newfound confusion and I stood up tiredly. I took a blood red rose from its bush and my eyes glanced down at Yoko. He didn't seem to understand what I was doing until I touched the thorns on the stem. Blood popped up on my finger like an open pimple and I let Yoko see it before I sat down beside the pond.
"I came here after receiving a fatal injury and I collapsed in the water. It healed me without so much as any trouble that I thought death had taken me," I touched the water with my bloody finger and it healed within the blink of an eye. "That was around one hundred years ago…I think? I barely remember how I got here in the first place. I've kept this secret to myself until now because the demons who come will tell others. They'd destroy the garden without thinking because of its powers," I stated.
Yoko grinned a little before he stood beside me and I didn't let my eyes waver away from him. When he walked away from me I knew he was leaving for good. The second he looked away though, I stood up and poked him lightly in the back of the head where his brain was.
"Just in case though, I'll have you forget how you came here until you desperately need the garden's help and I." I said before prying into his mind. I didn't like doing this all the time, but I knew that there was no choice for me. If I wanted to keep the secret a secret, this was the only way to do it. When I found the path that led here, I destroyed it without a second thought. I was pretty surprised when Yoko fell to the ground in an unconscious state. That usually never happened.
I stared down at him in confusion before sighing in an unconcerned way. To keep him from waking here, I knew I had to take him and the dead demon to a nearby town. Sighing once more, I let the flower in my hands fall to the bed before I walked out of the boundary of the garden. When I stepped out of the garden, I immediately felt naked and vulnerable.
I was about to go back to the garden when I heard the fox demon starting to wake up. Apparently the unconscious state was caused from the shock of someone else entering his mind. He must have never had that happen to him before. Growling softly, I ran back to Yoko and picked him up.
"I did not plan my day to go anything like this," I quickly got on my knees when I realized that Yoko was heavier than I had thought. When my knees touched the ground I poured all of my concentration on nothing but black fur. "Then again…the same goes for doing this transformation…" Not to mention a certain silver haired fox demon. My concentration began to slip as thoughts of Yoko broke through them.
With a final shake of my head and a growl, I forced myself to concentrate on the black fur. Soon, actual black fur appeared on my body and my tail quivered in anticipation. Bones began snapping inside me and they began moving around painfully. I flinched but kept thinking only about black fur…lean body…keen senses…everything that a wolf should have. My head soon grew smaller and my face became more wolf-like before my eyesight sharpened along with my nose. I knew that the transformation was complete after that.
I turned towards the fox demon and opened my jaws to their widest. When they were there, I carefully bit down on Yoko's arm and made sure not to make any marks on him. I managed to toss him into the air without too much trouble and he landed on my back with a heavy thump. My paws almost couldn't support me enough and I snarled deeply because of it.
"This fox is heavy…It'll be hard to carry both demons in my wolf form." I growled while making my way towards the fire demon. I reached him and got the scent of someone else on his clothes. It told me what was going on and my hackles began to rise. The scent reeked of dirty blood and fish, a combination that told me I was going to be in trouble very soon.
My hackles still on end, I bit into the corpse's neck no matter how disgusting it was. Think of biting into a pile of sand and finding out you had just bit into a frog or worm, that's how disgusting it was. I struggled to keep from gagging as I prepared myself for a long run. It didn't matter if this demon had holes in his body, he was already dead. No one would care anyway.
I finally ran off towards the closest area that was populated. It didn't take me long to find the place. I stopped as close as I could because my will wasn't going to let me go any farther than the wooded entrance. I dropped the now bloody and dead demon with no compassion in my eyes and I turned my head to look at Yoko. He looked so peaceful sleeping on my back that I didn't want to leave him here, but I had to do it. I gently placed him on the grass a little away from the dead demon and when I was about to leave when I paused with one paw raised, staring forlornly at the fox.
Like before, amusement and curiosity compelled me to do something else out of the ordinary. My bones snapped and moved back into place so my normal form was able to come back. I got on my knees in front of the fox and brushed Yoko's silver hair out of his close eyes.
There was something about this fox that no other demon was capable of doing to me, and I couldn't figure out why that was. I stared at the sleeping fox while leaning closer to his face to take in his scent. It surprised me when I found out what he smelled like. Someone suddenly yelled at me and my body jumped back quickly while staring at the source. He looked to be an ice demon as he frowned at me.
"Who are you? And what are you doing to those demons?" He questioned.
I stood up and backed into the shadows without uttering a single word. The darkness of the trees shrouded me from sigh but you could see my silhouette lingering where I stood as the demon ran towards the two others. When he realized that one was dead, he glared at me with an intensity no one had ever given me. Everything inside me was screaming to run away with my tail between my legs, but I didn't understand why. So I ignored it. As the ice demon glared at me I mimicked him, which probably was not the smartest idea ever.
"I curse you for doing this to these weak demons! May your most treasured belonging you know be destroyed with the ashes of the dead!" He pointed directly at me.
I only scoffed loudly and the guy seemed to have a heart attack at my insult. I turned away from him with no more sounds or words. There was nothing left in my life that I treasured; everything that I had was either dead or turned to ashes. The curse would wear off in a few hours, even if it was not properly done. The demon glared at me as I ran back to the garden, howling like the wolf I was.
How I wished that I had listened to my instincts to run long before he had ever placed that curse on my body.
But like I said…nothing that day was going to go my way.
Rage.
It consumes all and their entirety until there is nothing left. So imagine, if you will, what happens when we see nothing but the redness of blood.
That blood red rage was the only thing that kept me going. Nothing else mattered to me anymore. I was hell-bent on attacking any demon, or human, that I found. No one was able to stop me no matter how hard they fought.
A howl that told every demon around the area that I was here erupted out of my mouth in the angriest tone possible. A moment later, the first of a million challengers appeared before me. My ears perked up as the demon ran at my wolf body without stopping or even thinking about what I could do.
I stayed where I was until the demon was close enough for me to attack. I tore out its throat with my fangs as easily as picking up snow. Mostly because I was in a fit of rage. The demon's blood filled my lungs and the scent rushed through my body and up my nostrils. It intoxicated me as my eyes closed to show I was in heaven at the moment. It didn't last long as more demons circled me, thinking I wasn't paying attention. My anger rose as they chuckled and nipped at my flesh as my eyes opened once more.
"Come and get me, fools! I'll slaughter all of you!" I roared into the sky and the demons around me.
They eagerly jumped at me and I howled in laughter. In my blind and nearly senseless rage I destroyed all of them. I was searching for more demons to fight when my nose caught the scents of four different people. One scent seemed familiar to me; though I didn't take notice. I howled once more as the said four appeared from the forest.
I turned my entire body towards them from the mound of demons I stood on and the only person that caught my eye was a beautiful red head with piercing emerald green eyes that seemed to be looking deeply into my soul. Those eyes must have known who I was because I could see the face of recognition staring at me. I growled lowly as my hackles rose a bit.
"Are you here to fight me as well?" I barked while keeping my eyes on the red head. Something about him was agonizingly familiar to me, it was driving me insane. Then again, my blind rage made it hard for me to remember. I could hardly take in and know the four scents from the rage.
The shortest one of them all drew out a katana and I kept my ruby red eyes on him angrily. I was able to find out which scent he had and a crazed smirk fell on my face. My mind knew who he was, but it wasn't going to tell me because I wasn't even thinking rationally. Normally I'd be at the garden, but that was not an option anymore.
"This is just a wolf. I don't see all the fuss about it." The short one said out loud and I snarled at him.
"I am no wolf! I am a wolf demon and I'll kill all of you!" I felt my body shift back into my demonic form on its own and I took out two daggers.
Three of the four were about to attack me when they halted. I noticed it was because the red head was saying something to them. I watched in pure agony because my body wanted to fight until I literally dropped to the ground dead. That wouldn't be much longer, I knew it. A strong scent that I couldn't figure out filled my nose and I blinked a few times before realizing that something sharp was grabbing and digging into my arms.
Before I could move whatever was holding me down yanked my arms to the ground. I wasn't able to pull myself away so I settled for crashing into the earth. When I hit the grass, where I had been pulled to, it knocked the wind out of me. Looking up, I saw that what had pulled me down were thorny vines that dug deeply into my flesh. The problem was there were neither roses nor the bushes that they lived on around here.
I struggled to raise my head and by the time I was able to, a new demon appeared on the mound of corpses I had. They chuckled at me and my ears twitched as my tail curled in anticipation. The vines slackened on me and I felt them releasing me a little. My body reverted back to the wolf form when I was able to get on my knees.
"You are still alive after what? Two hundred years? Maybe even three hundred?" The newcomer asked.
I snarled while standing on my four paws and my eyes immediately found the ice demon from way back when I met Yoko. Those memories came flooding back to me like a waterfall and I growled, letting everyone hear my rage.
"I'll be damned if I let you insult me that way! You were the one that sent that fire demon to his death!" I barked before running full speed at the ice demon.
I would have attacked and killed the demon after jumping through the air above the corpses, but those stupid rose vines stopped me. They appeared right in front of me and that only angered me further because they had stopped me from attacking my prey. No one dared to stop me from killing any that was claimed as my prey or else I'd kill the one that did stop me. This demon should have known that, especially the one that was controlling the red rose vines.
"Don't be such a child," the ice demon chided me. "I was not the one that burned down that place you called a garden."
I suddenly howled in fury at that. Something in my guts told me that it was the ice demon's fault for the garden, but my blind rage was still going so it blocked out my screaming guts. I was going to try and attack the demon one more time when a whip made entirely of vines took the demon's head. My eyes widened in shock as his head was torn off of his neck without pausing.
I turned back to the four demons with slits for eyes and my fury was beginning to subside, allowing me to feel the pain from all the wounds I had sustained. My paws almost gave out when I took back my demon form. I struggled to stay standing as one of my hands held a deep wound to my side that I had received hours ago.
As I looked down at the wound, I knew that most the others were going to kill me. My eyes looked up as the sound of footsteps approached me carefully. I saw that it was the same red head from before and I took a step back, even though my body wanted to drop dead right now. It was agonizing to stay standing like I was, but I managed.
"Stay away from me…" I tried to growl, but all that came out was a hoarse, tired whisper.
The teenager obeyed and I saw the hurt reflecting at me from his eyes. My heart made a sudden dive to the ground at that look and it absently made my body relax a little. The red head noticed and took another slow step towards me. When he realized I wasn't going to bark at him again, he took several more steps until he was in front of me. I could smell fox on his breath and I thought nothing of it.
"All those years apart have not been kind to you, have they?" The fox boy chuckled.
I lowered my ears so I could smack the guy and when my hand was raised to do just that, he caught my wrist. I was mildly surprised and, before I knew what was happening, my eyes were staring at the field behind me. I knew nothing was wrong with me and my ears began flicking themselves back and forth irritably. I soon found out that it was because of a warm breath tickling them and the top of my head.
"You do not remember me, do you Faye?"
I growled in a tone that answered the red head and I turned back around. My nose caught the foxes scent once more and this time, I was acutely aware of something that was insanely familiar about him. I couldn't exactly pin point what it was and that annoyed me to the point where I couldn't stand it. My ruby red eyes searched the emerald ones in front of me because deep down, I knew that I knew this boy. Yet I couldn't conjure up the memory that was drifting lazily out of my reach.
"…I don't know any red headed fox demon," I said slowly after we had stared at each other long enough. "The only fox that I know is one by the name of Yoko, and we met a long time ago."
A glimmer of excitement spread from the demon's eyes and I knew something was on the verge of my remembering. I was almost able to remember when the red head leaned into my neck, causing all my thoughts to evaporate like water. He breathed in my scent and a blush began forming on my cheeks.
"You are a wolf demon. I couldn't tell with all the blood and flowers." He whispered in my ear.
As soon as that first sentence came out of his mouth, I felt all the memories that I had been subconsciously blocking rush outwards at me like a tidal wave. I nearly got lost in all the memories from when I met Yoko, getting cursed, and leaving him at the village. More memories flooded into me and I remembered more than I should have. The stench of fire…the screams of anguish…the smell of blood…and the one thing that made me start to cry:
My intent to murder everyone I met.
My legs collapsed underneath me like jelly and I felt the red head catch my elbows gently but firmly. The tears fell like a baby raincloud before I looked up at the teenager. He stared into my eyes forlornly as I tried to stutter out words through the tears. He patiently waited for me and I finally managed to get the words out.
"Th-They burned…everything to ashes…They destroyed all of the flowers!" I was barely heard by the fox, but he seemed to hear me plenty enough.
I felt my body beginning to go numb from the amount of blood that I already lost and I didn't care. In my fit of rage more than a hundred demons and humans had died, but they had done damage to me as well. I was going to die in a matter of minutes, possibly an hour if I could survive. I wasn't scared though, living as long as made people tend to embrace death with open arms.
"Is that what drove you to kill?" He asked me.
I nodded slowly before looking into his emerald green eyes once more. They seemed to captivate me and my heart began to pound vigorously. I remembered a certain demon that made me feel the same way long ago, and it made a smirk appear on my face. The only time I spoke kindly to anyone was when I met Yoko, so there was no way this demon could be anyone else.
"You are Yoko…aren't you?" I asked while reaching my hands up to touch his face.
The skin under my touch felt warm and I knew that this demon was Yoko even before he nodded. So when he did nod, I had to smile a little to express the relief I was feeling. The smile suddenly went away before I slapped him across the face. His friends, who had been staying back patiently, heard the slap and they came running to see what had happened.
"I don't believe you! How could you appear before me now, Yoko? You could have come back before all of this, idiot!" I snarled while hitting the demon with both fists weakly, even though I wasn't truly angry. He knew it and let me continue hitting his chest until I stopped.
My shoulders didn't cease their trembles because I had begun to cry once more. A soothing hand touched my head and I looked up to see it was the red head once again. He smiled apologetically at me and I barely saw it because of my blurry vision.
"I could not find my way back no matter how much I tried. I decided to take my home inside a pregnant human, my mother now, when I suffered a grave wound. That was when I gave up looking for you," he explained and I growled.
"That's no excuse to forget about me! You were the first demon I met after starting a life on that garden. I thought you'd come back within a month!"
We stared at each other for a long time after that, one of us full of excitement and the other full of tender kindness. You could easily guess whose was who's at the moment. Yoko's friends continued to watch until they noticed the pool of blood underneath my feet as the grass swallowed that blood ravenously. I still had one hand covering the deepest wound but I released it slowly. There was no point in trying to seal it closed anymore when I knew that I was going to die.
"You need that healed." The greased-back black haired friend told me.
I didn't take my eyes off of Yoko as more blood crawled down my legs before I sighed. No one seemed to know why I wasn't seeking help to close the bleeding wound and I wanted it kept that way. I did decide to answer them though.
"There is no point in covering the wound now. I'll die from this in a few minutes, possibly an hour if I'm lucky." I whispered.
That didn't seem to go well for Yoko or his friends; I could see it in their eyes. Scoffing, I made my numb legs carry me to a large rock to sit on. None took their eyes off of me and I sat down stiffly. It was a slow process, but relief washed over me when I finally sat down. My eyes swam over the red head and his friends while a smirk of contentment touched my lips.
"You smell like Yoko and know his life, but I don't think you have much of his power." It took all of my being to keep from looking afraid.
I don't want to die…but I will accept Death if he comes knocking…
That was all that seemed to be able to scare me enough to cause my body to shake vigorously.
"When the garden was burned to the ground I couldn't take it- all the grief, I mean. My anger got the best of me and I went on a killing spree," I had to chuckle at that. "You and your friends were lucky. If I had moved on, I would have died from these wounds."
A spark of hope flitted across the demon's eyes and I chuckled hollowly. I knew what he had just thought, and it hurt me to say what came next.
"No good. The healing water was affected by all those flowers. They were strong spirits of demons and humans that put all their essence into the garden. I was watching them when a highly spiritual human noticed me. They tied me to the garden and cast a spell on me, creating who I am now. I was never sealed to the garden, I stayed because it was my home," I let my head fall back and my eyes stared at the afternoon daylight. "Ah, it was around this time I met Yoko and those spirits. How time flies." I softly said, already feeling my body giving into death.
Should he who knocks on my door is Death or Life, please grant my wish…
The group knew my body was giving in to death and the red haired demon took both of my hands into his. I looked back down at him while one of my ears slightly twitched. I didn't understand as he pulled me to my feet and he turned to his friends.
"Doesn't mean we can't try…Right?" The friend with orange hair asked, but the others ignored him. Then, before I could move, my body was picked up and carried by Yoko. My eyes widened in surprise as he walked into the forest with his friends.
I didn't fight it because there was no point, struggling would only make me die quicker, and I doubted any of these people would like that. I kept quiet until we appeared in a clearing from the forest. They asked if this was it and I said no.
"When we get to the garden, you'll know. It feels as if you are lifted into the air and will never come down," all of them looked down at me like I had just said that I was an eight-legged monster, which made me laugh. "I'm kidding! The garden itself casts a green light like one you'd see fairies inhabit."
They continued walking and at every clearing they stopped to look for the garden. I hardly spoke during the final hair of life, but just when I was about to give in, someone began screaming at me. I opened my eyes and turned my tired head to the side. I was completely shocked to see the garden still glowing green, even though the flowers that once bloomed around it no longer existed. I had to smile weakly before closing my eyes.
Grant my wish to this beautiful world, so all may see…
"This is it…the Garden of the Fae. It still glows…how funny…" I muttered.
"Will it heal you?" Yoko asked, causing me to chuckle.
"I don't know…My body is already dying…It might be too late…" The determination pushed past all other emotions on his face and he walked straight to the pond. I felt the fear of dying grasp my heart before it began to suffocate me.
Let everyone hear my heart as it says, This is it…
"I'm dying…" My voice was barely heard as I opened my eyes to stare at the sky. My heart was slowly stopping and my blood seemed to run cold even though it was a warm day.
No one seemed to pay my warning any attention and I was inches from the pond when Yoko stopped. I never took my eyes off of the sky, even as Yoko set me down on my feet. When he released me, I fell to my knees before falling to the blackened earth.
Someone began to pick me up when I growled in a way that made them stop. I knew that they thought I had died as I forced my shaking hands to push my body up. It took what felt like an hour in agony for me to get on my knees and by the time I was able to stay on my knees, one of my flesh wounds began to bleed again. The only way to know if the water still held the healing properties was to put a wound in it.
Let everyone hear my voice as I say, Can I…?
I was about to do just that when my heart stopped beating all together. A fog clouded my eyes before I fell back down and my out-stretched hand fell into the water. My crimson red eyes dulled to the color of a worn-out red book and the glow from the garden seemed to vanish.
"Faye…" Yoko whispered, earning a chuckle from me.
"Take away the Y and it becomes…another word for fairies…How pretty of a name for me to have…" That was all I was able to say before the last breath of life escaped me.
They knew it as my eyes glazed over and my demonic energy went out just like with the garden glow. A few minutes passed in solemn silence before Yoko seemed to realize something. He turned to his friends and they continued to watch my body, hoping it would spring to life.
"Kurama, what is it?" The short one asked.
"Remember a story that Koenma told us? He was saying that a fairy once lived in a garden that had healing properties. They were linked together until someone created a demon body made from a wolf and human and sealed the fairy inside." No one seemed to remember a story like that.
"What are you getting at?" The greased-back one asked.
"I'm saying that- You'll see in a minute." He told his friends before pushing the dead body of mine into the pond. A rush of crystal clear water splashed Yoko in his face as his friends rushed forward.
Death or Life…will you listen when I ask if I can…
"Kurama! What the hell do you-?" Everyone fell silent as sprout lings began pushing themselves up and out of the ground. A few had droplets of blood on them and soon, flower buds were growing. It was happening so fast that no one was paying attention to the glowing green haze around the garden as a black paw reached out of the pond. Another paw followed and soon a muzzle appeared.
No one noticed that either as the body pulled itself up and out of the pond until a female voice said, "Well wasn't that fun? I thought I'd be dead longer."
Everyone looked at the black wolf in plain shock as a giggle came out. The green light seemed to be glowing from an unknown spot on the wolf and everyone crowded around the black animal. They stared at each other for a few seconds until the wolf finally took the form of my body, soaking wet with the clothes sticking to myself.
If I can stay longer? Even if that is not my wish…?
"Too bad this body won't let me die so easily." I looked myself over to make sure there were no wounds still before I even started moving. I stood with ease while flicking both ears and rubbing my tail to get the dripping water out.
"Y-Y-You're a…" I heard the orange haired teenager stutter. I smirked while stretching my arms. Why was it that this always came as a shock to people?
"My name is Faye. I am no mere wolf demon. I was born in the garden and recreated by the bodies of a wolf and a human girl. I've protected this place for thousands of years with no help from anyone."
"You're a fairy?" Yoko asked.
"Of sorts. The ancient ones captured me and took away my wings before putting me into this body." I replied.
His eyes seemed to glow with relief while he stood up beside me. I had to smirk at the expression before sighing forlornly. I knew what was going to happen to him and his friends before my eyes stared into Yoko's emerald ones. He stared in confusion before I turned away from him.
"This is the last time you'll see me, ya know." I said to everyone.
My real wish…I will scream it to the world after Death or Life takes me…
They stared at me in shock as I gazed into the pond. My reflection was cast in the clear water and I could see my real body in the water. A soft green glow encircled me like a light and a pair of translucent wings came down from my shoulder blades and stopped at my kneecaps. In size, I was actually only as tall as a finger, but I was stronger than what met the eye.
"I was told by the ancients that if I met someone two times, the garden and myself would be transported to a new location." I told Yoko.
"That's why you continuously erase the path?" I nodded at the question.
"Most don't remember that they came here because I wiped it and the path clean." I stared solemnly at the water below me. I wished it would never take me away so that I wouldn't have to suffer by my lonesome ever again.
I felt someone grab my hand and they squeezed it comfortingly. My head turned to see it was Yoko and I smiled a little. He did the same and I could feel something pulling me, gnawing at me to do something. Before I could figure out what it was, I noticed Yoko leaning into my face ever so slowly. A blush glowed on my face before his soft lips touched mine.
My heart began to pound, but I shut the sound off from my ears and I felt my tail curl in delight. I closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss as well. I knew this was the last time I'd see Yoko and his friends; so when I pulled away, one of my hands reached down and plucked a red rose from its companions.
"Take it as a memento from me. You won't see me again for a long time." I told Yoko while giving him the rose.
Everyone was watching but I didn't care; the garden was beginning to sizzle in radiance because it was getting ready to leave. Yoko knew it and accepted the rose. I smiled a little and turned to stare at the pond. The air around the garden from the edge to the middle began to crackle and I knew what was happening.
There is a light at the edge of my vision…Is it Life? Have I been spared?
"Now leave before you're stuck with me." I turned and placed a gentle hand on Yoko's chest to push him out of the garden, but he caught my wrist.
The air began to intensify once more and the ground below me was shaking violently. It was almost like being in a sauna while an earthquake happened. Before I could protest to whatever the fox demon was doing, he pulled me out of the garden entirely. The second I was pulled away, the garden and its healing properties disappeared.
I stared in shock for a long time until my mind finally registered what had just happened. The garden had left me all by itself! Never in my entire life did I expect that to happen to me at all. I slowly turned to Yoko to see that he was as shocked as I had been. He didn't expect it to actually work! I knew it from the look in his eyes. Instead of thinking about it, I just grinned in relief.
It is Life…I have been graced with another chance…Now…my real wish is…
"Looks like I'm stuck with you guys." I said loudly.
"Care to explain why?" Yoko asked.
"Fairies have the ability to transport themselves if their supply is nearby," I began explaining. "The garden is my power supply, and I am its. If you think about it, you'd be able to tell that the pond had healing properties of its own…But I increased those properties by leagues. Without me, you'd only be able to heal a broken bone or two."
I turned my head to Yoko and his friends with a child's smile. The only ones that knew I was going to do something mischievously were the humans. That was only because my eyes were beginning to twinkle, and because they knew that fairies, no matter what they looked like, were mischievous like foxes.
My real wish is to be with my newfound friends…and to…
"So let's go on an adventure!" I cried out.
"An adventure? Like with swords and shields and magic?" The orange haired one asked.
"After all this, you still think an adventure is like a video game, Kuwabara?" The greased one asked the orange one.
They scuffled with each other and the short one stayed where he was, glaring at the boys for their stupidity.
"Finding my garden, looking for love, then destroying the garden and its curse…Fill in the blanks however you like; I don't care." I grinned.
"Then we better start that long journey. You up for it, Hiei?"
"Oh please, Urameshi! Hamster-legs probably thinks that it'll be like baby-sitting again!"
Hiei, the short one with the spiked black hair, closed his eyes and I knew it was because he was trying not to kill his two friends. If that was what he considered them.
"Detective, get your idiotic friend away from me." He growled.
I began to laugh as the two humans started teasing Hiei even more. Yoko patted my head gently and I looked at him to see that he was growing a blush on his cheeks.
"We may have a long time for that journey, Faye." He told me and I nodded.
And to live with the one that I cherish…the same one that never left my thoughts…the same one that gave me hope…
That is my ultimate wish…Please grant it for me, Life…
"As long as I'm with you and your friends, nothing will stop me from laughing like this." I told him.
Yoko only chuckled and I stood on my tiptoes to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.
For wherever I shall go…I will be in good company forever more…