Prolog: Decision
A shrill screech echoed through the night right before the world fell into a dead silence. A fiery blade glittering in the dark had slashed through a shadowy disembodied head, and the man that had destroyed the creature now looked down at the sword and sheath in his tan hands. The golden markings that covered his body shimmered and faded. His tall masculine form seemed to shrink a little and become slightly more feminine as his skin became pale like porcelain, and the fabrics he wore, which resembled the blazing sun, changed to a longer sleeved kimono that, despite the several more common colors, appeared to be far more eccentric. Golden irises in a sea of black slowly closed as long beautiful snow white hair turned grayish with natural waves. A few locks fell around his face while a large chunk on the left side was held together with blue string, but even still the majority of it was hidden beneath the purple fabric of the scarf that now adorned his head.
There was a soft click of the sheath closing over the blade and it was at that moment that the pale man's face suddenly gained a unique form of color. A purple smirk formed on his upper lip and a streak of red ran down his nose. There was also a bold outline of red around both his eyes and three small lines that ended in small circles high on his cheeks. A decorative line on his back suddenly took the appearance of a golden eye opening and the pale man turned his own gaze toward the collapsing ceiling.
He stared at the sky with bright blue irises for a long moment before turning around and walking past the corpse of a man that had been the source of the Mononoke's regret. It had been a rather unfortunate turn of events, since the man had refused to divulge the necessary information until he was near death, but that seemed to be the psychological workings of nearly all humans that helped to give birth to such misery . Without even looking back, the man picked up a large apothecary, with strength he didn't seem likely to posses, and he left the crumbling temple to head back toward the village where the sun was lazily rising over the horizon.
He already had another destination in mind at the current moment and it was a rather lengthy travel from his present location. It was because of this that the blue eyed man had no intention of stopping in town, so when a withered old woman's shadow began to move along the street beside his he couldn't help the small downward pull of his lips.
"Excuse me young man." A voice worn with age called out from close to his right flank. The man paused in his walk but didn't bother to turn around.
"I have no more medicine to sell at the moment." He lied then resumed his forward motion.
"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." The old croon informed in a knowing manner. Again the medicine seller paused, but this time he turned to regard the withered old face of the woman dressed in black behind him. His head cocked slightly to the right as he took in the sight of the old witch.
"Then what is it you would like to say?" He asked the smirk returning as he felt the unusual presence she exuded.
"I wanted to tell you that if you continue toward your destination... you will die."
His smile again faded, but after a pregnant pause a single brow arched.
"Oh?" The smirk returned. "And I suppose there is something you want me to buy from you that will remedy such a fate."
"No." She shook her head solemnly, "There is nothing I can do that will save you. If you continue on this path you will die... However,"
He continued to smile awaiting her next words to undoubtedly send him to a friend of hers.
"If you want to live there is one thing that can change your fate."
"And what might that be?" He questioned in a manner that sounded both uninterested and disbelieving.
"Kusuriuri, you must travel to the town that is half a day's walk North-east from here, and there you will find what you need."
The medicine seller looked off to the direction she had stated, the way he had just come from, and then shook his head.
"I have no need to meet your friend." He stated simply as he started to turn.
"I have no friend for you to meet." She informed dryly then added. "If you do not head toward the town I've mentioned then you will die before you reach Minakuchi."
Again the medicine seller paused, but this time his eyes widened with surprise as he regarded the old woman. His destination was a long distance away and there was no way that anyone would have known exactly where he was headed, so how had she known?
"Head toward Shibata. It's there you will find the one that will keep you alive. A sparrow with the wings of a butterfly is what you seek, but be careful because a blood hungry wolf hides within."
After the last statement the old woman walked away leaving the medicine seller to decide his own fate. The man stared down the road that would eventually take him to Minakuchi for several minutes as he thought over the conversation. It was impossible for anyone aside from himself to have known his desired destination, and since he had stated that he was out of supplies, it would have been a better guess to say his goal was Kyoto, since he would have to go in this direction to reach there as well. Blue eyes blink and then his head turned toward the road that would take him the way he had come. A brief moment later Kusuriuri's mouth began to move, though no sound came out, and after a few seconds the rest of his body made the final half turn. A small smile formed as he began his journey to Shibata.
"I wonder what a sparrow with butterfly wings looks like." He mused.
A soft cool breeze rustled the sheer violet curtains that hung from a partially opened window and the light of the full moon filtered in, casting small shadows around the second story bedroom. The dark oak desk with wooden chair was only a few feet from the white door frame and set in the far right corner. It held a row of books with gargoyle shaped bookends, a lamp, a journal, and a digital alarm clock with glowing green numbers. However, the time telling device was the only thing that seemed misplaced, since it was angled in a manner that kept it facing a twin size bed which was placed across from the single window. At the foot of that bed, sat a pink and purple back-pack, and a few folded clothes, ready to wear for the next day, while, wrapped within a tangled mass of blankets that seemed to be falling from above, a young woman slept.
Her breathing was even and she wiggled slightly to try and continue to remove some of the overly warm blankets; yet this time she paused in the middle of her ministrations. Her arched brows furrowed slightly and she rolled from her back to her side as her sweat matted, gold and black chunked, hair clung to her face and neck. A shaky breath escaped her vermilion lips to become a small puff of mist, and the room itself suddenly seemed to grow dark in that moment as if it was quickly being submerged in an ebony void. The pale moonlight no longer reached the window, and the clock's bright glow slowly faded and then died. It was at this time the girl's eyes snapped open and a quick inhale filled her lungs with air so cold it felt as if an intensely burning fire had just entered her chest. However, despite the unexpected pain, the woman remained in place, unmoving as her emerald eyes stared out at the expansive blackness that had once been her room.
Panic filled her and her heart began to race as her eyes widened. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as a ghostly touch brushed her cheek and the desire to scream tore at her throat, but nothing came out. Her body even seemed to ignore the need for fresh air while she remained paralyzed in fear of what was lurking in the icy darkness surrounding her.
"Hello again my dear sweet Suzume- chan." A malicious voice hummed into the girl's ear as a sudden weight sank down onto her rigid form. The shadows peeled back around her bed and the form of a tall slender, but well toned man emerged. His golden cat like eyes stared at her face and his shoulder length black hair brushed against her pale skin.
"I want to hear your answer..." His lips lightly touched her earlobe as he whispered in an icy tone. The girl however remained paralyzed by the suffocating darkness and like a statue she was unable to either look up into his fire-like gaze or shrink back fear; after a pregnant pause, a chuckle from above ripped through the maddening silence and caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand completely on end.
"I see... this is too much for the current you." He chided before grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to turn onto her back underneath his own frame, but again all she could do was watch in growing horror as his violet lips curled to large toothy grin. A single row of sharp pointed teeth flashed at her in the blackness and her body trembled slightly.
"Isn't it Suzume?" A hand with long black claw-like nails moved to sweep the girl's hair from her forehead before tracing her jaw line and running a finger across her lips. It was there the black haired man paused momentarily, a hellish gaze staring at her partially open mouth, before cocking his head slightly to the left then beginning again.
"I want your innocence." The hand moved again this time slowly stroking up and down the side of her neck, and as he continued to speak his glowing eyes averted from her face to watch the affects his icy fingers where having on the flesh it traced. "I want to claim that purity of yours that remains unsoiled no matter how much sin drenches your soul, but most importantly..."
The grin grew wider and wider until it threatened to literally slit the man's face in two and a strangled noise finally managed to escape her.
"Most importantly I want your rare power. If I have you, the girl who can see and destroy all spirits, by my side... then I will be able to rule not only the world of Mononoke, but I will also be able to command the Ayakashi." He leaned in closer to her as he finished his sentence and the heavy atmosphere lightened a little.
"Well my little sparrow, what is your answer?" He added the question in a nonchalant fashion as the impossibly large grin starting to grow even more. An audible gulp cut through the following silence and her breath returned again.
"I-" She started in a shaky voice that was barely a whisper, and the grinning Cheshire of a man leaned in closer to make sure he heard her words of submission.
"I-In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti..." She cried out with growing courage. "Evil be gone!"
A bright light filled the room and then everything returned to the way it had been before the black haired man's appearance. Suzume, though still trembling in fear, quickly threw off the blankets and clamored out of bed. The tall young woman moved as swiftly as possible on unsteady legs, toward the light switch, intending to completely dispel the shadows in the room. However, before she could reach the small panel beside the white door frame, the darkness closed in around her and the feeling of being forced down engulfed her, but this time something was slightly different. This time, the hardness of the floor beneath her bare feet vanished.
Hello everyone this is my first attempt at a mononoke fanfic... ((Sorry the prolog is so short!!)) I hope the story is ok and able to keep your interest ((this plot is somewhat based on a strange dream I had...)) anyway... I also hope I'm not making the characters ooc... please R&R since feedback is nice and constructive criticism is helpful. Thank you very much!