Where there's fire, there's ash
Part I
"Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty, that killed the beast" - Carl Denham from King Kong (1933)
Shirayuki loved exploring. As soon as she was old enough, she tried to get her grandparents to take her into the mountains on Tanbarun as much as they could.
Eventually, they were too old to travel anywhere and so she would sneak out and make the trip herself, despite their scolding when she returned home every night.
She was only eleven years old, but there's a reason why children should be supervised when traveling so far away from home.
The apple red haired girl looked around her, eyes fascinated with the world and everything in it. The trees were vast, the sounds of nature met her ears and she smiled from ear to ear.
Being a herbalist was her dream and so in her free time she always made a consecutive effort to explore and take samples of new herbs she had not yet encountered. Unfortunately, this meant going further and further up the mountains and into the forest.
Today she had ventured further than she'd ever been but she was glad she had.
"Oh!" exclaimed Shirayuki, clutching her satchel and grabbing another herb and then she spotted another, just after she had taken a sample.
The day seemed to be getting from her because the light was leaving the area, slowly.
The young girl looked up and her eyes widened. "My grandparents are going to be angry," she said to herself with a frown.
She began to make her way back when she turned around to have one last glance. In the distance, a flash of silver caught her attention.
It was too good to pass up, she had to go back now and just get one sample.
Shirayuki ran, carefully trying to dodge roots and bushes as she went, her red locks bouncing behind her with every running step.
She had just finished taking her sample when she noticed how dark it had gotten, just within the few minutes it took her to retrieve the herb she had spotted from afar.
"Oh dang..." she sighed.
Suddenly there was a rustle ahead of her where she was going to head toward, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. The fear crawling up her spine causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end. A taller figure was standing on the ground, just ahead of her. It looked like they had just jumped from a tree. She gasped audibly before realising her mistake and clamped her mouth shut.
But he'd spotted her and his auburn orbs pierced into her own. His eyes widened.
"What are you doing out here, kid?" he asked quietly, dangerously as he began to walk toward her as if he were hunting.
Shirayuki's heart beat against her chest and felt like it was going to break out of her ribs.
"Oh, nothing, I-I'm leaving now," she said with a small smile before quickly moving to dash past him.
He reached out and grabbed her forearm, causing her to turn abruptly and look up into his eyes.
They were an odd colour, almost cat like and also...dangerous. There was a darkness to him; one that she would be afraid to find out about.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Unfortunately, I can't let you," he said with a sigh. "You've seen my face, kid."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
She sat on the floor, looking up at him like prey. It would be so easy to just snuff out her life and it would probably make this easier because he had just finished a job and some people from Tanbarun were after him.
That's why he took her. If Torou were here, she would say she's a liability.
But there was something about her that just drew him to her. It wasn't just her long apple red hair, or her angelic, innocent features. She held true beauty, he saw that from up in the tree he had been hiding in.
He'd watched her cutting off bits of flowers and what ever it is she was doing and she was 'humming'. Who did that? Didn't she know that anyone could just attack her?
"You're pretty dumb, aren't you, kid?"
She looked up at him with a frown. "Am I? You're bleeding by the way Mister."
Flames dazzled around her forest green orbs as the small fire he'd created reflected off them causing him to really take her in. She was young, probably under age, might have been twelve or so. She was slender, small in stature and...weak.
"What's your name, kid?"
"First, let me tend to the cuts," she said, her voice unwavering.
She pulled some herbs out of her satchel (after he had decided everything in it was harmless) and grabbed his arm, gently, so she could examine it properly.
He grasped her offending hand with a dangerous look his eye and squeezed it tightly. She let out a sudden gasp of pain and it was then he could tell she was frightened of him.
"I-I'm trying to help you," she hissed, her forest green orbs furious.
Maybe it was a mistake to let her continue but it seemed she had a way to diffuse his fear.
After he was patched up and noticeably close to him now, on her knees still, she looked up at him.
"Shirayuki," she said softly.
He told her his name but of course it was just another pseudonym. She scrunched up her nose at it and he raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he snapped angrily, his auburn eyes flashing her a warning look.
A small smile formed at her lips. "No, that doesn't suit you at all. I'll call you Obi."
He had planned on killing her - that didn't happen.
He had planned on kidnapping her - that didn't happen either.
How could he touch (let alone kill) someone so pure? So what did he do? He'd let her go back to where ever fairy tale she had come from.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A year had now passed and for some reason, his jobs always brought him back to this forest. He was in hiding again of course.
His body sagged against the tree branch as one of his hands came down to his rib cage. He hisses angrily. His ears pricked up, someone was coming. His eyes scanned the area and widened.
It was that damned girl again. He could spot her red hair a mile away. This time, he chose to quietly observe her a while. His breathing was uneven as he tried to stay conscious but as he tried to focus on the girl below, his vision kept escaping him and his head lulled backward against the trunk.
The last thing he remembered was, pain, then a flash of apple red and forest green before unconsciousness took him.
He awoke to the smell of burning wood and could feel someones presence. He sat up abruptly and then a wave of pain came again, his hand going to his ribs.
"Careful, Obi!" she exclaimed, hands grabbing his shoulder and one on the chest, forcing him back to a lying position.
He flicked her arms off him, not appreciating the physical touch, but laid down facing the fire and not toward...her. Once upon a time he would never turn his back on anyone.
"I see you're just as stupid as when I left you before, kid."
His icy tone cutting through the woods. He noticed their position now, it was in some alcove of the brush but it was still more exposed than he liked.
"Why are you back here Obi?" she asked softly, gently as if they were friends. And they weren't.
"Why are you? Haven't you collected enough plants?" His auburn orbs met hers now as he turned slightly to face her, intrigue on his face now.
She was more defined now, a year had changed her physically. Her hair was longer, probably more than half way down her back and her facial features more defined. His eyes cast downward and then he turned away. Yes, she was beginning to change. A lot.
She giggled, causing his body to stiffen in response. People didn't just giggle in front of him , no, they only feared. So why did this girl think she could laugh at him? Couldn't she tell he was dangerous...a threat even?
"They're not just plants, silly. They're herbs, I use them for medicinal purposes, Obi," she said, watching him carefully, making sure he was okay.
"That's a long word for a little girl to pronounce," he said, trying to be cold toward her but she didn't even seem to notice. "And stop calling me that."
"How do you feel, Obi?" she asked quietly, ignoring his request all together.
He sighed. Who cares, it wasn't his real name anyway. "Fine. Why did you help me? Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be out here? Not that I care."
Shirayuki leaned in closer toward him from her cross legged position and was now on her knees. She was inspecting the bandages when a large hand was in her face.
"Mmmobi," she said through a muffled hand, her green eyes meeting his now amused face. She pulled back and he let go.
"You don't like people getting close to you, do you?" she murmured.
He remained silent. This girl was pushing it. "I've been coming out to see if you would be here but also I collect the herbs for my work at home. I want to be a Herbalist."
And then for hours, she prattled on about her life. He hated it and yet, he didn't stop her.
"I should head back now, but, will you come back Obi?"
He didn't really respond.
"Come back when the new moon comes."
In a month, he would return.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A month later, Shirayuki walked and stopped in the spot that she had been with Obi last time. Small bits of ash remained in the centre which was evidence of their presence.
She smiled thoughtfully. Well, while she was waiting for him she could get some more supplies.
Her forest green eyes scanned the area, the sunlight beginning to disappear, so she had to make the most of it.
She hummed a tune that had been playing in the town square earlier. She wondered if Obi would come, she hoped he would. There was something about him that she really adored and although he looked dangerous and his eyes held a wisdom which most would not wish to learn about, the more she got to know him, the more she realised how good a heart he had.
She frowned though at the thought of him being injured again. He was always hurt when she saw him but this time she had brought plenty of bandages.
She heard a rustle of trees and her eyes widened and lit up. She turned and began to say something. "I thought I'd be waiting a while longer-"
But the figure in front of her wasn't him. He was older, had circles around his eyes. He stood clutching a dagger in his right hand with a sneer on his face. He had long brown unruly and unkept hair, it fell around his face in waves. It looked like he had been running too as his breaths were labored and his chest was heaving in and out.
"Its past your bed time, girly. What's say I put you there?"
Shirayuki gasped. He ran toward her as she turned to run but he yanked her by the hair, pulling her backwards. She squealed for a breath moment before her back hit the ground and her head hit a rock she thought because her vision was spinning for a moment. The man loomed above her menacingly. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up so that she was sitting. Her small slender fingers grasped at his hand, but she was no match.
He was bending down now on one knee, his face smirking in a way that made her sick to the stomach.
"P-please don't-"
Her words were graced with a shrill, evil laugh. "This is perfect. I lost my cargo earlier but you'll do nicely."
Her eyes widened, no she wouldn't go. She had to meet Obi, she wouldn't miss it.
Shirayuki looked around best she could and her hands grasped the rock she'd hit her head on. She brought it up to hit him in the temple. He promptly let go, grabbing his head and then she was off the ground, running further into the forest.
She'd gotten away or so she'd thought.
"No, no, no," he said as he'd grabbed her hair again. "You'll have to pay for that one."
She whimpered, looking at the offending hand of her attacker's which had just began to raise to hit her.
"Obi..." she'd managed to get out, quietly wishing he were here with her eyes tightly shut, afraid of how much it was going to hurt when he hit her.
His hand went down to back hand her across the face but it was grabbed in mid air. The man looked next to him in surprise to see a boy but stood nearly at his own height, grabbing his hand with a gloved one.
And then a knife was lodged in his throat, without warning. The attacker was dead, bleeding out and fell to the floor unceremoniously.
Obi sighed and his auburn eyes pierced hers angrily.
"I told you, stupid. Why would you wander around here?"
Shirayuki watched the man die, it was horrifying and her eyes reflected her fear. But what he could have done to her would have been horrific too.
Obi expected her to fear him and so she should. That's what everyone else thought of him. And this girl hadn't seen the horrors of the world like he had so maybe it was time she learned.
"I-I was waiting for you," she breathed, finally finding her legs to leap into his arms.
Obi's eyes widened in shock as the small girl wrapped her arms around his torso, gripping him tightly for dear life, allowing her eyes to close in relief. His body stiffened at the contact. Why did this girl feel like she could always touch him like this? Just because she was beautiful and innocent didn't mean...well maybe he would allow it today.
Shirayuki sobbed into his shirt and he could only sigh and place a palm on top of her head to comfort her.
"Why?" he asked, looking down at her.
"You're my friend, I wanted to keep our promise," she smiled up at him, eyes wide with relief that he was here.
She looked up at him with genuine happiness. He looked down at her and wondered how long her innocence would last. Shirayuki was twelve now.
When he was that age, he had seen more than his fair share of dark deeds and blood. He was sixteen now and already a deadly weapon.
But not her...she can't ever see those things, he thought absently and his mind thought it before he could push it away.
"Lets have dinner, I brought some meat from the butcher," she smiled, pulling away to walk over and get her satchel, near where the now dead attacker lay.
Obi sighed in annoyance. She pouted over at him with a hand on her hip. "You always seem angry all the time but you always stay."
He looked away from her, clenching his fists at how she always spoke the unbearable truth...it made him angry but she was right. He stayed anyway.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Another two years had passed. Shirayuki and Obi had met quite often in those times, at least once a month and sometimes twice. Unfortunately he had jobs to fulfill, after all, he had to make a living somehow.
He was eighteen now and she was fourteen.
He watched her walk and every time they met he began to notice how much more she was maturing, outwardly. It wouldn't be long and she would become a fine woman, he knew that much. He had an eye for beauty or maybe for the first time in his life, he had finally found true beauty, like he hadn't known what it was to begin with.
She was already developed nicely from behind, too, he noticed. He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. No, no. She's a kid. She's just...someone to pass the time.
With that in mind, he'd purged all thoughts and his mood only got darker.
They had begun to venture further and further into the forest each time and had found a waterfall today.
They probably would have found this place in the forest sooner but previously they had always just stopped, ate and talked for hours on end. But today Shirayuki decided they should explore more.
He watched as Shirayuki's eyes lit up with amazement. It had been raining the last few days so the waterfall was pretty full and gushing and the lake at the bottom was up to the brim too.
"Look," she pointed toward the foliage at the top of the waterfall. "Ooh, can we go up there?"
Obi shrugged. "I guess, don't blame me if you fall off and die though."
Not that he would let her, because, what a beautiful waste that would be.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They sat at the top with Obi sitting, his legs dangling off the end and her head in his lap. She faced toward the view below and then she turned to look up at him.
He looked down at her with a guarded expression because when she opened her mouth you never knew what would come out.
"Do you know why I call you Obi?"
"Kid, if I knew why you said half the stuff you say, I would be a genius."
Shirayuki laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She smiled and moved her hand to touch the side of his cheek.
His eyes widened at the sudden touch but he didn't pull away. He noticed his hand was in her hair, how long had it been there?
"Because, Obi means 'heart'," she said softly, the smile never leaving her face.
Breath hitched in his throat at her revelation. "How do you know I have one, kid?" he snapped, moving his hand from her hair with inward reluctance.
Her hand moved from his face to the right side of his chest; the palm just resting there, like it belonged there.
"I know that you do-"
"I could kill you, you know that, don't you? You know that's what I do, when I'm not here, I'm out there killing people for money. I'm good at it, Shirayuki."
Her eyes widened slightly at her name rolling off his tongue like butter but after a second returned to their normal shape. She moved her hand and found his hand, coiling her own between his fingers.
"I think that if you wanted to, you could stop. I can't judge someone else because of their profession, Obi. And if you wanted to kill me then why haven't you?"
The wind picked up as he looked away from her and his eyes focused on something in the distance, however, he hadn't pulled away. He squeezed her hand for just a moment.
But he didn't respond.
They started to make their way back when it began to rain. They found shelter in a cave nearby.
"When the rain starts to die down, we can move," he said, watching the weather outside from where he sat against the wall. She sat beside him, their legs touching slightly.
Shirayuki nodded in agreement. He looked at her hair and realised what an oddity the colour of it was. It clung slightly to her face due to the rain and sat around her shoulders, still as beautiful as ever.
"Do people say anything? About your hair?"
Her eyes that had been focused on him shifted awkwardly and it was like a sadness she'd been hiding this whole time had come to the surface.
"I-yes...sometimes," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.
He usually didn't start these conversations but now he was curious.
"Do they...like it?"
"Its-it's a subject of talk, yes," she said evenly, trying not to express much more than she was giving him.
Obi didn't like what she was saying.
"The truth is, some people don't really like it, but I can't blame them. I'm an oddball I guess," she said with a smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
It made him annoyed and he didn't know why. He didn't care about her, not really. She was just there to pass the time. Its not like he was gaining anything from her with their meetings and conversations.
Obi had never had friends because friends didn't get you money or a place to stay or feed you - they were pointless. And yet, here he was, angry because he knew that she was saying that people made fun of her because of her hair. They made her sad and he hated that the most.
"Don't say that, kid. Its stupid. Your hair is beautiful but its only one part of you. Why do they dislike it when it has nothing to do with who you are?"
Her eyes widened, staring at him like he was her hero. Anti-hero more like.
And then her lips curved into a knowing smile as she looked up at him.
"That's why I call you Obi."
The rain showed no signs of letting up, so they decided they would have to hold up in the cave for the night.
Shirayuki awoke. She looked out toward the entrance where she could tell that darkness had truly fallen but she couldn't see the stars. It was still raining.
She was so cold and shivering beyond belief. She was lying parallel to Obi who was facing her with his back against the cave wall, his eyes open due to her movements.
Shirayuki silently shuffled over toward him, wrapping an arm around the top side of his chest and rested her head on the ground so her cheek was flush against his chest. Their legs tangled together with her leg between his two longer, leaner ones as though they always did this, like it was natural.
"What are you doing, kid?" his voice echoed around the cave walls.
"I-I'm so cold."
He looked down at her, noticing her face getting closer to him. They stared at each other the whole time until he leaned down, not really noticing he was doing it and their lips touched just barely and their eyes were closed. Their lips made a soft smacking sound and then they moved apart as quickly as they had come together. She rested her head back down near his chest.
"Goodnight, Obi."
"Night, kid."
Before he fell into unconsciousness, he realised, she wasn't just someone to pass the time, but he'd long known that wasn't the case.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Why don't you come visit?" she asked, hopefully.
He remained silent for a minute.
"No. I never go that far into Tanbarun," he said, deadpanned.
Shirayuki looked crestfallen and pouted. "Don't do that, its fake and you know it."
Her lips started to quiver into a small semblance of a sheepish smile. "But-"
"But nothing. And why would I anyway? I've seen where you live-"
Forest green orbs looked up at him from her position by the fire with surprise. "B-how?"
Obi groaned. Well, the cat was out of the bag now.
"Sometimes I follow you back. To make sure you do go back." To make sure you're safe. He didn't meet her gaze, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.
She beamed at him and something in her chest was doing back flips, like they always did when he would say or do sweet things out of the blue. They were rare but she knew he was capable.
Shirayuki was turning fifteen in a few days, she was hoping for a miracle and hoping that he would come. She got up from her position and sat herself down over Obi's legs when he had been comfortably sitting with his back against a large log, elbows resting either side him with his arms dangling down lazily.
His surprise was evident but all the same he wrapped his arm around her back and his hand came to rest on her hip. She placed a hand on his opposite cheek and placed a chaste kiss on his other cheek, closest to her and he groaned.
"I'll think about it, but you can't do this stuff anymore, kid."
Shirayuki frowned at his words, looking up at him with confusion. "Y-you've grown," he said, pointedly looking down at her chest which stuck into him and he could feel everything.
She pulled away a little but still remained in his lap.
That's right, four years had passed since their close friendship had begun. And she wasn't eleven anymore.
Her cheeks were turning red now and she noticed he had turned away, awkwardly.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
He'd said he would meet her at home, but it was now midnight, her grandparents had gone to bed and he was no where to be seen.
Shirayuki stared out the window, looking to the roof tops to see if she could spot him landing anywhere. But she couldn't see anything. She waited another hour.
Suddenly she saw the torches light up which was usually a sign that the soldiers were out and about, probably looking for someone. Her eyes widened at this thought and nothing but dread filled her heart.
She didn't waste another second, grabbed her satchel and headed to the forest. If it was Obi they were looking for, that's where he always fled to. But he was sure he said he did jobs further away from town, usually.
Shirayuki walked as fast as she could in the darkness, trying not to trip but also keeping her ear out in case she could hear his voice or any indication he was here.
By now, she had been searching for hours, she was further into the forest than she liked, given it was dark and the moon didn't provide much light tonight.
He's probably fine, maybe he just fell asleep somewhere, she thought. But then she heard voices.
It was then she noticed just how far she'd gone because the forest also bordered the Tanbarun Royal Castle. In the distance, she could see light from the castle fire torches. If she got caught out here, she would probably be questioned and detained.
Shirayuki looked above her to see a tree with some lower branches. Gathering her knowledge of tree climbing from Obi, she launched herself up the tree as fast as she was able. Finally she got to the tallest branch she could manage but was also out of site from people who may walk under it. She hugged the trunk of the tree as she turned, knelt and then sat on the branch, allowing one leg to dangle off as she watched as some figures below came into view.
"That Nanaki..." said a man's voice.
"Its Obi now," chuckled a woman's voice. "And he's probably dead." The woman sounded almost regretful.
"Its what happens when you take on five at once. It was almost like he was rushing, took a deep slash to the chest and was knocked out at one stage. I came into it at the end but he'd already taken care of them!"
Shirayuki's eyes widened in shock of what she was hearing. Did he...rush because of her? Did she cause this?
"I tried to help him but he refused-shit they're coming. Quick, we'll have to run," said the woman before their voices carried off past the tree and into the distance.
Shirayuki didn't move for a while but then when she believed they were gone, she climbed down. She had to find him.
But she never did and the tears never stopped falling.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Every month since, she came to their spot. Hoping to find him, hoping against hope that he would come out telling her what an idiot she was. And every time all she could do was lay there, crying herself into a stupor.
And every time, she left in the middle of the night, knowing he was never going to come back.
She never got to tell him...
I love you, I'm sorry.