Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters
Kyouya studied the white feather he found on the ground. It glowed in the darkness, a sign that it held white magic only an angel would process. Why was an angel in the Demon Realm? His father had closed the gates between their worlds centuries ago. Only a powerful angel could pass the gate without detection. Once he returned to the castle, he would have to pen a letter to his father.
With that thought in mind, he urged his horse into a full gallop. Kyouya was concentrating on the feather and didn't notice a boy run into his horse path before it was too late for him to react. He tried to pull on his horse's rein but it was clear that he wouldn't be able to stop his horse in time. With his dark magic, he tried to stop the horse's movement to keep it from trampling the boy.
A white curtain suddenly blocked his vision and he quickly backed his horse away from the blinding light it omitted. He realized that curtain was made of feathers and was now covering the boy. The curtain moved to reveal a tiny woman who held the boy in a caring hold. Despite the boy's tears, it appeared that he wasn't hurt.
The curtain spread gently around the woman and he realized that they were wings. Her wings and its light faded quickly so they once again pitched into darkness save for the soft moonlight around them. She didn't seem to notice his presence as she consoled the boy. A kindness no demon would dare show was reflected in her actions. "You do not need to cry anymore. You're safe now."
An angel.
"That's enough," Kyouya purposely raised his voice to gain their attention. Dismounting, he walked towards the pair and the angel held the boy protectively. Kyouya knew that the boy was likely to be scared so he tried to keep his voice kind. "You know that a boy should not be playing in the road at this hour. If you return to your mother now, I shall not tell the king about this little adventure."
"Thank you, your majesty!" The boy left the angel's arms and bowed low to him. Kyouya only nodded to him since he was accustomed to the gesture. He hated his royal blood but there was nothing he could do. Despite being the dark prince, he tried to be aware of his subjects' needs. While he couldn't care less about who took his father's throne, having the citizen's trust would give him less things to worry about.
Kyouya patted the boy's head and ushered him away. When he saw the boy disappear into the distance, he turned back to the angel who was trying to subtly flee. "And where are you going, my lady?"
Erika froze when she heard him address her. What luck she had to meet the man she was assigned to murder in such a way? It was only the first day of her first mission and everything was unravelling already. It was impossible for him not to notice her wings when she used them to protect the boy. But her body naturally reacted when she saw someone in trouble.
To her surprise, he knelt in front of her and bowed his head. His movements were fluid and graceful but he was surprisingly young to be the king she was assigned to assassinate. "Thank you for protecting my subject when I couldn't."
"Please stand, your highness!" Erika said quickly. From what the other angels had told her, she wouldn't expect the Dark King to bow before her. He was showing her respect and he showed affection to a child. In fact, he looked like an angelic prince. His blond hair was almost the shade of gold and the only feature that hinted at his demonic heritage was his crimson eyes.
Kyouya watched her carefully as she fumbled over her words. It was clear that she was naïve since she wasn't aware of the situation she was in. The tales around him should've warned her to run from the Dark Prince but she kept staring at her feet. He was on his knees before her yet she didn't try to take his head like other angels before her.
The little fool, Kyouya thought to himself as he stood. She was a small woman such that her head barely reached his shoulder. Her hair was brown rather than the golden hue angels usually had. But there was no mistaking the innocence in her bright eyes. Some like her could easily be manipulated and her powers would help him obtain his one wish.
"The boy owes you his life but I will work to repay that debt." Kyouya said in a kind voice while trying to keep himself from laughing. He couldn't remember the last time he had to use his prince persona and it was pathetic to him. Nevertheless, she seemed to be taken by it as she blushed and shook her head. "Allow me to guide you back to the gate before you are found."
"… But why would the Dark King try to help an angel like me?" Erika asked. His behaviour was strange to her and she couldn't stop herself from asking. Should she trust the devil before her? He acted kind but it could only be a trick. Her mission was to kill him and free demons from his reign. But he treated the boy with care.
"I am not the Dark King," Kyouya couldn't help the bitter tone from his voice. Thinking of his father and the fact that his blood ran through his veins angered him. He was trapped in a life he didn't want because of him and the only thing that could free him and his people was the magic of an angel. "The Dark King is my father. I am the Dark Prince, Kyouya."
"Kyouya," Erika repeated. She felt much more comfortable with him but he could see the crease formed between his eyes. He offered her his hand again but she knew she couldn't take it. Her task was to kill his father and he wouldn't look at her again if he knew the truth. It would also be suspicious if she refused to return to the Angel Realm.
"I can't go back." Erika thought of a lie. "I was trying to escape this man and I slipped through a hole in the gates. I'm afraid to go back. I know that if I do, he'll hurt me. I don't have anywhere to go."
Kyouya knew she was lying and wondered what the truth was. The best way to discover her intent was to keep her close. "I have a cottage home away from the castle, you should be safe there. I don't how long I can keep an angel hidden but I can't leave you here to fend for yourself."
"Thank you," Erika took the hand a demon held out to her. "My name's Erika."
Erika looked out the window of the little cottage Kyouya brought her to. It was simple and she could see the castle in the distant. It would be easy for her to sneak to the castle while Kyouya was away and find the kind so she could complete her mission. But was it right for her to kill the Demon King? Her own king told her that she must if she wants her family to continue living in heaven.
When she was brought to the castle, she didn't understand why he was chosen for the mission. She was only an angel in training and most of her spells were focused on healing and protection. How could she kill the Demon King who sounded so powerful in the stories the angels told?
Stealing a glance at Kyouya, she wondered what he thought of his father. A cruel man couldn't have raised a child to be so kind. He was making a fire in the fireplace to keep her warm. She quickly looked away when he turned to her. He pulled out a blanket from a chest and held it out to her. "It gets cold during the nights but this should keep you warm."
"But isn't it night already?" Erika looked out the window and saw that the moon was still in the sky. She looked so confused and lost that he wondered how much training she had. Most of the angels sent to kill him were much more experienced and knowledgeable.
"We don't have nights in the Demon Realm. When my the war between angels and demons started to spill into the human world, my father closed the gates. With those gates closed, they shut out the sun from the Demon Realm and the moon from the Angel Realm." Kyouya heard the clock tower and stood. "I need to get back to the castle."
Erika nodded but then heard a wolf howl. Without thinking, she grabbed Kyouya's arm. She knew that dangerous creatures came out during the night and that made her more afraid to be in the Demon Realm. Her magic wasn't powerful so she couldn't defend herself against them. She knew that she let go of Kyouya but she couldn't bring herself to do so.
Sighing, Kyouya watched the fear pass her face. Not knowing why he was bothering to comfort her, he sat next to her and pulled her into an embrace. He stroked her hair and was surprised that it felt so soft. He was going to use her so why was he trying to comfort her? But something in his heart moved when she asked, "Can you stay with me tonight?"
"Sure," Kyouya took a chair and sat next to her bed. She smiled and lay on the bed but didn't let go of his hand. Usually physical contact would make him uncomfortable but he couldn't bring himself to pull away even after she fell asleep. He took his hand back but stayed seated next to her and watched her sleep.
"Kyouya?" Her voice shocked him since he thought she fell asleep. Her smile was kind when she told him. "Thank you for giving me a place to stay. I know that you might get into a lot of trouble if your father finds out. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you before I return to the Angel Realm."
"So what are you going to do with the little angel in there?" Kyouya's childhood friend asked as they hunted for food in the moonlight. He knew Takeru for years and was glad that he didn't treat him differently despite how different their stations were. Even if they were different, Kyouya trusted Takeru and told him about Erika.
"I'm going to break down that stupid gate and bring back the sun," Kyouya told him as he readied his arrow. Without a thought to the innocent animal, he shot it down. Hunting in the dark was difficult but he adjusted to the darkness. It was the only thing he could do since the Demon Realm was an eternal night. The Angel Realm held an abundance of light so he doubted they would care if he stole some.
"Will you be able to do it? Hurt that angel to bring light into this world, I mean. It'll be nice to see the sun again but I don't want to hurt anyone to get it back. I never met her before but she sounds like a nice girl." Takeru mused. A demon's heart was cold by nature and they both knew a soft heart didn't last long in the Demon Realm. "I'm surprise you're holding out on using the spell."
"She came here for a reason and I'm going to find out what the angels has plan. I'm not going to break down the gates if it means that they'll attack my people." Kyouya knew he had to think over his actions carefully. His father had closed the gates when it became clear that demons and angels weren't meant to be together. He was proof of that fact.
"I know you don't want to be king but I think that you'll make a fine one. You really care about us." Takeru smiled as he continued to sharpen his knife. Kyouya scoffed at his words but Takeru knew that the blunt man actually cared deeply. His thoughts were only confirmed when Kyouya handed Takeru his own knife. "Maybe one day-"
They both stopped when they heard the sound of leaves rustling. From the sounds of the careful steps, it was obvious that it couldn't be an animal. Kyouya nodded to Takeru who took the knife Kyouya held out to him. Notching his arrow, Kyouya aimed at the bush. Trying to stay silent, they waited for the person to reveal themselves before attacking.
"Kyouya!" The person in the bush emerged and brightened when she saw him. Kyouya was surprised to see Erika but was glad that she didn't seem to hear what they were discussing. She continued to smile as she stopped in front of him and held out a basket to him. "I saw that you were out late so I made you lunch. You can't go hunting on an empty stomach."
"So you're the angel that Kyouya told me about." Takeru looked over Erika with curiosity. She looked like a human to him and he wouldn't have guess that she was an angel. Erika quickly hid behind Kyouya. She thought that he was hunting alone so didn't expect someone to be with him. "Hey, don't be scared. I'm a close friend- Kyouya's only friend actually! Name's Takeru."
Erika hesitated to shake his hand until Kyouya nodded to her. "You can trust him."
In the couple of days she spent with Kyouya, she began to trust him more. Erika was still unsure of what to do so she stayed in the cottage thinking of what to do. To be honest, she didn't want to kill someone even if it was a demon.
Takeru found it strange that he could sense a powerful magic in her since she appeared to be a novice angel. Other angels would've been able to sense his presence yet she couldn't. While he tried to concentrate on her magic, something caught his eyes. "That's a pretty necklace, Erika."
"This necklace was given to me by my lord." Erika touched the locket. The locket held great magic and without it she wouldn't be able to travel through the Demon Realm. Without it, the moon would steal her magic until she died. But she was careful to tell a demon about the sacred item and didn't know if she should tell the two about it.
"I made lunch. I know that it's nothing fancy but I hope you like it. I wanted to talk to you about something but if you want to spend time with your friend, I'll go back to the cottage. It was nice to meet you Takeru." Erika handed them the basket before she walked back to the cottage.
As Erika walked away she heard the pair laugh and she looked back to them. She was surprised when she saw Kyouya's smile. It was like the sun had shined on his face. He had never smiled like that before and she wondered what they were talking about. Even if she knew that it was wrong, she strained to hear their conversation. Takeru's voice reached her first. "Do you think that all angels are that nice?"
"If they were, they wouldn't have sent all those assassins to kill me." Kyouya said in a cold voice and Erika felt her heart stop. She knew that angels were often tasked to kill others but the thought that Kyouya was a victim never occurred to her. "Angels are just a bunch of lapdogs. Even if they know it's wrong, they'll follow whatever order given to them."
"There's the Kyouya I know. I think that princely smile is scarier than anything the Dark King can do. I almost feel sorry for Erika. If I didn't know you better, I would fall for that old act of yours too." Takeru stopped laughing and his expression became serious. "I don't sense anything special about her magic that you can use. I'm surprise they even sent an angel like that to kill you."
"If she was sent to kill me, she would've done it a long time ago. Angels can't be trusted so I'll just have to wait to see who makes the first move. Either she's here to gather information or she's here to kill my father. No matter what, the only use I have for her is to complete the spell to open the gates."
"If an angel's magic is all you need, take her necklace." Takeru said and Kyouya raised his brow. Despite what many people thought, Takeru was observant of his surroundings and people. "She's young and there's more magic in that necklace of hers than an average angel would have. Maybe you can sacrifice that necklace instead of her."
As Kyouya thought of a response, he saw an arrow head towards them. Reacting quickly, he tackled Takeru out of the arrow's path. He readied his own arrow and faced their attacker. He was slightly surprised when he saw Erika holding her staff but steeled himself when he saw that she was crying. Unlike a moment ago, it was clear that she heard their conversation.
"You demon!" She spat the word like it was a curse. Erika knew she shouldn't be surprise that a demon would trick her but she was. His eyes were cold and he kept his arrow pointed at her. Biting her lip, she wondered how his hands could be so steady when hers were shaking. "You lied to me. You wanted to use me from the start, didn't you?"
Kyouya didn't answer and his blank eyes made her lower her staff. Turning away from him, she ran into the forest. She told herself that he wasn't worth wasting her magic on but she knew the truth was she didn't want to hurt him. Pushing away branches, she ran deeper into the forest without purpose. She needed to leave before he hurt her.
In the darkness, she couldn't see clearly and fell until she rolled to a stop in front of a cave. Trying to regain her bearings again, she sat up and came face to face with a wolf. It snarled at her but she couldn't make a sound, fear keeping her tongue in place. There were several other wolves around her as well. She reached for her staff but found that she had dropped it during the fall.
Erika wasn't a trained fighter and she was useless without her magic. Taking a risk, she looked behind her and saw that her staff was only a short distant from her. She thought back to her family in heaven and found the courage to fight back. Following her instinct, she kicked the wolf directly in front of her. As it recoiled back, she ran for her staff.
The wolves jumped forward just as she grabbed her magic staff. She turned back to use a spell but was surprised to see that Kyouya ran into the wolves' path. One clawed at his shoulder but he didn't show any reaction as he used his dark powers to push the wolves back. "Find your food elsewhere."
"Kyouya?" Erika ran to his side when the wolves left. Her hand immediately went to the wound on his shoulder. He hissed for a moment but she didn't let him step away. Any anger she had didn't appear on her face as she laced her white magic into his wound to heal him. He should've known that her first instinct would be to heal him.
"Why did you save me?" Erika asked. Did he still intend to use her?
"If you die, it'll only give the Angel Realm a reason to attack us." Kyouya answered after a moment. He followed her but didn't know what he was going to say when he caught up to her. When he saw her fall into the wolf den, he rushed to save her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her necklace. "You dropped this."
"My necklace," Erika hadn't realized it broke off during the fall. Even as she secured it around her neck again, she wondered if Kyouya knew how important it was. Takeru already told him that it held a lot of angelic magic, enough to achieve whatever he was planning. So why did he return it to her?
Taking a risk, she admitted. "You were right. They sent me to murder your father. My king told me that I need to travel to the Demon Realm to kill the Demon King. My family's rather poor so I applied to be an angel to give them a better life. I didn't think that angels would have to kill. But I need to complete this mission to become a full fledge angel. You didn't trust me so why did you help me?"
"At least you're honest about your mission. I'm really not surprised." Kyouya shrugged. His lack of reaction shocked her and she watched his face carefully. No matter how much she studied his eyes there was no emotion in them. Didn't he care about what happened to his father? As if he read her mind, he answered. "I really don't care. My old man is just that to me- an old man."
"But he's your family! Don't you love him?"
Kyouya started to laugh but there was no humour in his eyes or voice. "Demons don't have a heart so we don't feel things like love or sadness. People die because of the cold moon so often we don't let ourselves get attach to anything."
"That's sad," Erika spoke quietly. How could someone not know about love? Her mother had always told her that everyone should know what love felt like.
She fiddled with her necklace and Kyouya thought of something as he watched her. He didn't know why he hadn't used her to open the gates before now but he was glad he didn't. Kyouya would question his hesitation later and focus on bringing back the sun. "How about we make a deal? I'll protect you and your family if you help me open the gates again."
"What do you mean?"
"If I open the gates, our two worlds will be connected again. I can see the sun again and I can offer your family protection in return. I'll find position for your parents in the palace and the three of you can stay in the palace as well." Kyouya explained and she didn't know if she should believe him. But she didn't want to kill the king and if she failed, her family would be in danger.
He must've sensed her hesitation for he took her hands in his. "I won't hurt you. We'll travel to the gates and I'll use the magic in the locket rather than sacrifice you."
"Can you give me a day to answer?" Erika asked hesitantly and Kyouya knew that it was more than he should expect. He didn't want to kill anyone either and using her necklace would be a better option. Taking in her family would be a low price to pay compared to bring back the sun for his people.
This concept was much better in my head. I just couldn't get the pacing right. I was actually conflicted between going through this concept or to write another one. While I really like Kyouya and Erika and think this demon and angel concept fits them, I don't know how well the actually story will portray them.
I also posted the second concept I wanted to write. I'm going to sit on this for a while before I decide on which one I'm going to finish.