Hello! This story has been partly inspired by Kuroshitsuji's demon folklore. Hope you enjoy it! Also, I do not own any characters from Fushigiboshi no Futagohime.
My greatest mistake was meeting her.
Chapter 1
The fields were golden in Sunny Village. It was afternoon in autumn, and the villagers were harvesting their year's efforts. Bent over amongst the waves of wheat, they heaved and grunted and tugged and swerved. It was almost rhythmic: the whistle and the crunch of grass as the villagers walked on them, and the rustle of the crops, like sighing into a harmonica. The tree branches were all laden with fruit, and two girls, on the way to the river, danced beneath them. One of them, with flaming red hair, jumped up to grab the lowest fruit. She bit on it its tender flesh, and immediately its juice poured down her hand, her arm, and the brim of her soft, guileless mouth. She jumped again, grabbed another, and gave it to her sister. The branch recoiled at the absence of her touch, and the leaves bounced, frightening the swallows perched nearby.
"Another one, another one!" her sister cheered on, and the redhead grinned. She couldn't be older than eight, but already she was taller than most boys her age in the village, as well as her twin sister. Rather than comply with her twin, she leaped and grasped onto a branch, wrapped her legs around it.
"Look, Rein!" And then, she let go of her hands, allowing her torso to swing in mid air, relying on only her legs to keep herself attached to the tree.
Rein clapped her hands with glee. The redhead had been climbing trees since she was four, and has always astounded her sister with her dexterity and nimbleness. The nastier boys would liken her to a monkey, to which she argued with such ferocity that it took several of her friends to calm her down. Yet there hasn't been a single tree in the village that she hadn't climbed, save the oak tree at the furthest end of the village, and she swore that once she was old enough and strong enough, she would mount the oak tree and declare herself the champion of tree climbers.
"Fine! Come here!" Rein dragged her sister towards the river. It was barely wider than a stream, but under the sunlight, it glinted and glimmered like a jewel. The twins rushed into it, and Fine, being headstrong and reckless as ever, started to somersault under water. Rein splashed at her sister's bobbing head, and in response, Fine tackled her into the river. Her ruby eyes glinted with mischief, and her skin glistened like marble. Her red hair, now heavy with water and mud, hung limply below her shoulders. Rein soon got tired of swimming, and lay on the grass revelling in the sunlight. Fine ignored her sister, and continued swimming downstream, away from the fields and her blue-haired twin. Her strong, graceful strokes differed so much from her usual bumbling manner, but the grin that dangled upon her lips betrayed the truth.
Her lips. I always end up with her lips. I could write a thousand words describing them, how they resembled the blooming rose, or the folds of her skirt, or how they would stretch and bend to beguile or devastate. How her smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and how until long after her death, they were as red as the dying sun.
I try to relive those moments as often as possible. Of the days before I was formerly introduced to her. I only had a fleeting glimpse of her then, and the description I had gathered were mainly from the other villagers' accounts, and this small pendant of hers that I still keep. It had convinced me that she had always been beautiful. Beautiful on her wedding day, beautiful when I met her, and beautiful before I had murdered her entire family.
"I want them dead!" cried Omendo. He was an old man most of the village ignored. When he summoned me, he was sitting alone in his hut, and dust had alighted on his sullen skin.
I never ask why. Some of us do, some don't. I don't find it necessary, since I'm only there for one thing.
"And in exchange for that, would you be willing to give up your soul?"
Omendo shuddered. He bowed further so that his head was touching his knees, and at length, he replied. "I'm an old man. I can't do this on my own. I need your help."
I frowned. "I did not ask about that."
He tried to lift himself up from his seat. Omendo grabbed the table by his side, and by leaning upon it, struggled as he stood. Then, his hands shook, and he crashed back into his chair.
The smell of apples wafted over from the neighbouring house.
When he replied, his voice was weary. "Yes."
Fine Soleil had lived next to Omendo. She told me, years later, how she had knocked on his door one day. She had kicked her football into his yard, and after discussing with Rein about the solution, she was coerced into, and bribed by cake, to ask for the ball back.
"Please, sir…" her voice squeaked in fear. Omendo's curved back meant that the old man's face jutted forward, an inch away from her's. Along with his droopy eyes and his crooked teeth, the murky interior of the hut frightened her into stepping backwards. Broken branches and boulders poked out from beneath the ground of his barren front yard, and before she had set off, Fine had devised an escape route just in case. Now, faced with the surly old man, her mind turned blank, and her trembling, shapely legs seemed to have forgotten how to walk.
"Rein…" she looked back at her friends for help. Hiding behind the fence, they scurried once they heard the defeat in Fine's voice. No one liked the old man from the hut, and everyone was terrified of seeing him face to face.
His dazed eyes focused gradually upon Fine. He traced the silhouette of her red hair and the structure of her jaw. "Elsa? El…no, it can't be Elsa."
"Sir, I'm Fine Soleil. Can I come in to get my ball back?"
The word 'Soleil' registered. The old man recoiled, as though bitten by a snake, and stared at Fine with such disgust and rage that Fine was half compelled to dash away from his porch and ask her parents to buy a new football instead.
"I'm…I'm sorry if…if I…" she stammered. She stepped backwards once more, but accidentally tread upon the gravel scattered in front of his door, and slipped. Fine landed on the ground, and with Omendo looming above her, she crawled backwards in terror.
"Soleil, huh?" he spoke through gritted teeth. "That's right, leave. Go away, and tell your rat of a father not to meddle with my business ever again."
Scrambling to her feet, Fine sped away from his front yard, and tumbled back into her house, where Rein and the others were awaiting the news.
"No?" asked Rein.
"…no."
That was all she knew about Omendo. None of the other villagers were able to tell me much more either. I guess that's what happens when you become a recluse: your thoughts are tucked away so securely that no one could understand your actions anymore.
The smell of apples still permeated Fine's house, even after I had killed her parents. Half an apple rolled about on the chopping board, and the pot of apple juice was still boiling. Her parents, Truth and Elsa, if I remember correctly, were slumped over the table, the portrait of a quaint family dinner. If you looked closer, you would notice a thin red line dripping on both their necks, but from afar, nothing seemed to be out of order.
I allowed the fire to continue burning, and explored the rest of the house. I knew from the family pictures on the mantel that the Soleils had two daughters. Both of them should have returned to the house by now. In the fields, the crops have lost their lustre along with sunset, and they seem to be clustered together, in their dull brown coats, to defend themselves from the cold.
"Not in the house, eh?" I muttered to myself. There were tons of hiding spots for a young girl in the house, but none of them contained either of their daughters. I left the house, and surveyed the fields. It's astonishing how easily the scenery changes with the time of day. In the morning, the village had been dazzling, glamorous even, the perfect representation of the rustic countryside. At night, however, desolation and despair seem to have befallen the village. The muddy roads froze in fear, and silhouetted against the moon, the trees and the chimneys were caricatures of monsters, their laden branches were witches' claws.
There was sudden movements in the fields, and in an instant, I found her.
Rein was grovelling at the feet of the crops. One swipe, I thought. One swift move, a stab, a twist of her neck, and it would be all over.
And it was.
She didn't even feel it happen.
She didn't even have time to cry out.
Rein died with her sister's name frozen on her lips. Perhaps she was crying for help, or more likely, she was warning Fine from danger. Either way, she failed to do so.
One more, I thought. One more person, and my job was done. I scrutinised the fields around me. Where would Fine go in this situation? I thought. Being the more athletic between the twins, she would've been able to escape faster than her sister here. No, she had told Rein to hide in the fields, hoping that the crops would be enough to protect her. What about Fine herself, then? Is she somewhere out here as well, biding her time? Or has she dashed across to her nearest neighbour asking for help?
Her nearest neighbour…I eyed the half-collapsed hut about a hundred yards away from the Soleil's house. If Fine had went to find help, I conjectured, Omendo would have been of the closest assistance. Yet would she have overcome her fear of the old man?
However…if she was with Omendo, then I need not worry. I strolled amongst the fields, wiping the blood of my hands with the strands of wheat around me. Dragging my wings on the fertile soil, I sighed softly. It was rare for my missions to have brought me to somewhere so delectable. Having dwelt in the cities, I had grown accustomed to the dirt and the smog that pervaded through every pore of their faces. That was where the filth of mankind gathered, I reflected. Those were the people more willing to make a pact with the devil.
Ten more meters…five more…now seven steps more…I grinned with anticipation. No matter how dull my missions are, how often I groaned about the drudgery that was my job, I could never avoid looking forward to its completion. I suppose this is how humans feel, when their heart pulsates rapidly or when their tremble with excitement. A push of the front door, I thought, my teeth baring with uncontrollable joy, and then…
I spotted her immediately. Hovering over the bedside cabinet, she was shaking and muttering to someone, pleading, almost, for a miracle to happen. My hand enclosed her throat from behind, and she gave off a squeak. She was a mouse of a girl, really. All that gracefulness and bravado from this afternoon had drained by night. I contemplated upon telling her about her sister's untimely death, partly to let her die knowing the truth, partly because, yes, I admit, I do have a sadistic streak towards my victims. Yet before I could provoke her with the news, I let my eyes wander towards the bed that she was facing.
To this day, I still couldn't decide whether or not I regret doing so. Of course, as a demon, I should understands the ramifications of doing so. Of being distracted from my job. Of sympathy.
And yet, without it, without her…think of all the things I could have missed.
So my eyes wandered towards the bed, and I was met with an unpleasant surprise.
Omendo was sprawled on his blanket, dead. His body was cold, and on the back of his hand, the contract was fading.
I still had my grasp around Fine's neck. "What happened?" I hissed.
Fine spasmed, and tried to escape from the room, but I held her in place. "I…I don't know…I just came here, and, and then he…"
Omendo must have died whilst I was murdering Rein. Seeing his mangled body, my appetite for my mission disappeared altogether. There didn't seem to be a point in continuing. The contract between Omendo and I was over, and I was free to consume his soul, despite not having quite completed my task.
I stroked the pendant that hung around Fine's neck. Should I? The old man wouldn't realise whether she had died or not, but did I have a sense of responsibility that compelled me to finish her off? Or maybe just a manic lust for bloodshed?
Slowly, I loosened my grasp from her neck. Maybe not. Gazing at the whimpering child in front of me, the thrill of the chase wore off. She was just a young girl, I thought, insignificant, unassuming, and would probably die without my intervention. Killing her would just be a waste of my efforts.
Assuming my human form as she turned around, I spoke menacingly, "Go away, and never return."
"What…what happened to him?" said Fine. Snot and tears were mingled on her face, and her hair was still coated with dirt from the river bed. Her clothes were drenched with sweat that was accumulated throughout the day, and she looked like a doll that recently washed up the shore.
"He's dead. Now, go," I ordered.
Fine jumped at my voice. "But…but where?"
"I don't care."
Groping her way towards the door, she turned to look at me one last time. Silhouetted against the moon, she looked like a fairy, poised on her toes, ready to alight. A spirit, free to soar among the clouds. And then, she was gone.
She ran towards the fields, where I had left Rein. What a shock she would receive once she gets there. But for now…
I extended my wings, until they filled the cramped room. Scales popped up on my skin, and my teeth enlarged until they resembled wolf fangs. Omendo's soul had been floating above his body, still in a daze from his recent death.
"A deal's a deal," I said. And closed in on him.
It took me ten years to find Fine again, and on that occasion, she was the murderer.
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