Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters
"Have you made your decision yet?" It was the only greeting Kyouya would give Erika when he entered his old cottage. The question was the only conversation he bothered to have with her since he would leave the moment she shook her head. Only a few days had passed since he proposed that she help him destroy the gates in exchange for protection.
Kyouya sighed when she didn't say a word and placed a basket on that table, instructing her to eat. He needed her to agree to the plan before the angel's king started to question her absence. He also doubted he could keep her hidden from his father and his men for much longer. Deciding he needed to force her into action, he took a cloak and threw it over her head.
"We're going to the market," he told her and she wanted to snap back at his commanding tone but didn't know if she could. Kyouya knelt in front of her and Erika instinctively closed her eyes, thinking that he would strike her. Instead, he tied the cloak in place with gentle hands. She accidentally let herself look into his eyes and she was surprised that they were so sharp.
Those eyes were of a demon, unlike the kind eyes he showed her in the past. Erika repeated that fact in her mind, not wanting to fall for another lie. Kyouya took her hand and pulled her out of the cabin and she resisted slightly before she remembered that she shouldn't anger him. As much as she hated to, she had to follow him until she had the chance to run.
Kyouya felt her hand relaxed in his and he tightened his grip before she could change her mind. She had lived with the sun so he thought she couldn't understand what it was like for him and his people to live without it. The only hope he had was to play with her gullible heart and convince her that his people deserved to see the sun as well.
Looking up at the sky, Kyouya watched the moon turn a misty blue. The slight change in the moon was the only indication of the change between day and night. Whistling softly, he called his horse to them and it came to him quickly. He quickly mounted and held out his hand to her to help her onto the horse. "Get on. We're going to the market."
"But why?" Erika asked innocently and he sighed. As a prince, most would simply follow his orders without questioning her. He didn't know if he should admire her or think her the fool. Instead of answering her, he leaned down and pulled her onto his lap. She was light and she let out a small sound as he lifted her. She fell against his chest and quickly wrapped her arm around his neck.
Before she could push herself away from him, Kyouya urged his stead forward. Erika knew that she couldn't let go of Kyouya without falling from the horse so kept her arms around his neck. Riding a horse was different from running and she hid her face against his shoulder. "Please slow down, Kyouya. I won't let go so you don't need to ride so fast."
"Who's the one in control right now?" He scowled but Kyouya found himself slowing his horse to a slow trot. Her body relaxed and it surprised him that her small frame fit perfectly in his arms. Shaking the thought from his mind, he said. "Whatever. We're close to the village, anyways,"
Erika lifted her face from Kyouya's shoulder and saw that there was a small town in the distance. He was careful not to drop her as he lifted her again and dismounted. He placed her on her feet but he kept his hand on her shoulder. She breathed in sharply when his hand moved to her neck. "Stay still. I won't hurt you but I need to do this."
Erika didn't understand what he was doing when he touched her locket. She back from him quickly and placed her hand over the locket so he couldn't take it from her. While she wanted to trust him, she knew the consequences of losing the locket. He followed her steps until she was backed against his horse. His hand fell to his side before she could push him away.
"There," she looked down at her locket and saw that he tucked it beneath a lace choker. "That should hide the white magic of your locket. Going to the market would be useless to bring you show you the village if they discover you're an angel. You might be an angel but I'm going to protect you. Also, if anyone asks you who you are, tell them you're my Cerberus."
"You're what?" She felt her heart beat faster but it stopped when she heard his last statement. Erika thought she misheard him but his eyes didn't weaver as he repeated himself. She knew that Cerberus was a demonic dog but didn't know why he wanted her to claim she was a dog. "Why can't you just tell them that I'm a normal girl?"
"The dark prince can't fall in love and it would be strange for me to have a woman at my side." Kyouya told her. "Cerberuses has served my family for years and they've been known to also take human form. My subjects won't question why I have you by my side. The collar I gave you will convince them that you're a Cerberus."
"This is a collar?" Erika tried to pull off the choker but found that she couldn't. Kyouya sighed as he watched her and he wondered if they could keep her identity a secret. Watching her, he could honestly say that he never met another woman like her. At least he could say that she was amusing. Erika leaned against his horse and sighed.
"Stop pouting, I'll take it off once we leave the village." Kyouya told her and ruffled her hair when she pouted at him. She knew that it was best to choose her battle when she was in the Demon Realm. When he saw the fight leave her, he took her hand and led her into the village. "Just try not to draw too much attention to yourself."
"I can't believe I'm agreeing to be your demon dog." Erika muttered to herself as she followed behind him. Once they entered the village, the children ran to him and she remembered how the boy looked up at to Kyouya when they first met. He greeted each one by name and she wondered if he truly cared about them or if he was only acting kind because of his act.
He walked down the street, greeting some of the merchants and she wondered what his intentions were. He brought her to the village but he never explained why he did so. Kyouya took her hand and pointed to a small group of children playing. "It's difficult for them to play when all we have is moonlight. I might not want to be a prince but I'm not going to ignore my people like my father is."
"It's admirable for you to want to bring the sun back for your people." Erika looked up to him and he wondered how she could so easily take his word. While he did want to bring the sun back for his people, there was also a selfish reason he wanted to open the gate. When a ball rolled towards them, Erika took it and handed it back to the child. "Here you go."
He watched her smiled kindly to the boy and Kyouya wondered how she could make that smile so easily. Was it because she grew up in the light? Could his people smile easily like that if he opened the gates? Could he? He almost laughed at the thought and took Erika's arm once the boy left. "I thought I told you not to draw attention to yourself."
"I was just helping a boy, there's nothing wrong with that." Erika told him. Kyouya didn't look down at her but could feel her eyes on him. It was clear to him that they were different people and their differences went deeper than light and darkness. She couldn't stop her kind nature while he was forced to suppress his knowing that it was pointless.
"You can help him by helping me open the gates. You can help these farmers by giving us back the sun. Many of the people forgot the days before the gate but I still remember. I can't forget no matter how much I try. You can't say these people don't deserve it any more than you angels." Kyouya whispered the words so the town folk wouldn't hear them.
Erika started to touch the necklace but was reminded that he was the dark prince when she touched the collar. He could easily betray her and she couldn't be sure that he was telling her the truth. She was born after the gates closed and didn't know the consequences of opening them again. Would the war between demons and angels continue if she helped open it?
"I've given more than enough time to answer me and I'm not going to wait longer. Give me your answer," Kyouya demanded. Erika slipped her hand from his and wished she could give him an answer. If she knew him better, if she could trust him, she would quickly agree but she didn't. Kyouya knew that she was still conflicted and hated that his goal depended on her.
Why couldn't he kill her? It was a simple task that he had done before but he didn't understand his own hesitation. Would he be hesitating if it had been another angel sent to kill him? He considered sending her back through the gate but she said that her king would hurt her family if she failed her mission. "Hopefully, my people will have a better chance convincing you than I do."
"What was it like before the gates closed?" Erika asked suddenly and he raised a brow at her. While they spoke briefly, he was careful not to speak about his past. She never asked him either and he thought that she would continue to do so. "I'm not asking about your people but you. It's admirable that you're doing this for your people but there should be something in it for you as well."
So she does understand me a little, Kyouya thought to himself. Before, her eyes would waver but now they were sharp as she waited for his answer. For the first time, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes and lie so he turned away from her. "It's none of your business. Don't think that you're any better than I since you did come here to kill me."
The verbal jab struck Erika's heart and she looked down at her feet in shame. It was true that she was sent to kill him but she had no intention of doing so. Even now, she was confused on why she was chosen to assassinate him. He clicked his tongue at her and began to walk away from her. "If you're not going to help me, I'll leave you to do whatever you want."
"Wait, Kyouya!" Erika ran after him but a black shadow quickly draped around him and made him disappear into the night. For a moment, Erika stood staring at the spot Kyouya disappeared before the weight of her situation settled on her. She was alone in the Demon Realm. Returning home wasn't an option and she knew she couldn't survive alone.
Fear made her stomach drop and she wondered how she could survive alone. She couldn't use her magic without other demons discovering that she was an angel. The only demons she knew were Kyouya and Takeru and she didn't know if she could ask either for help. Erika looked back to where Kyouya disappeared and whispered to herself. "What am I going to do now?"
As if a greater being heard her, an answer came to her in the form of a little apple. An apple rolled towards her and she picked it up before it could become bruised further. A boy ran towards her and she could tell from his clothes that he was poor. Before he said a word, she gave the boy the apple. "Here you go. You must be hungry."
"What kind of idiot are you? It was pointless for you to act all nice and giving it to me since that apple's mine. Don't think you can trick me into thinking you're nice." The boy snarled and his tone shocked Erika. He tilted a distrusting glare at her that was unlike the other children she met earlier. She continued to watch him as he went back to a stall and placed the apple back on its place.
"Are you watching this stand for your parents?" Erika approached him and asked when she saw that none of the adults were watching him. He threw her a glare so quickly she knew that it could strike her dead if that was his intent. "You're a really good boy if you're able to take care of this stand for them."
"My parents are dead. They died in the war." He yelled and Erika instantly felt guilty. As strong and angry as expression was, the grief spoke to Erika more. "I don't think a stupid adult like you would understand. I saw you with the prince and it pisses me off. He always comes here but he doesn't do anything for us. I bet he doesn't even care."
"He does care!" Erika found herself defending him. While she could name many faults in him, neglect of his people wasn't one of them. The boy's glare told her that he didn't agree. There was so much hate and distrust in his eyes and she was reminded of Kyouya. "How are you able to grow all these apples all by yourself? Don't you have someone to take care of you?"
"I didn't steal these if that's what you're saying. I'm not a thief like you were trying to steal my apple. I have a garden and I sell things I've grown by myself. I don't need help from adults." Erika knelt down so she could look into the boy's eyes more clearly. She hated the thought of the boy having to face the world alone so smiled to him.
"You're very mature. I don't have any money to give you but I want to help you with this garden. Maybe we can help each other." Erika offered and the boy gave her a conflicted look. Erika held out her hand to him and he took it after a moment.
Kyouya watched their exchange from a distance and knew that the boy must've been confused by her actions. It wasn't often that a demon would offer to help another and it was even less often that a demon would accept that offer. When he sensed someone behind him, he turned his head slightly to see Takeru watching him. "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you haven't done anything to anger Erika. You're my best friend but we both know that you're not the best with people." Takeru laughed and Kyouya clicked his tongue. "So what are you going to do now? I saw you two argue. Are you really going to leave her here alone? Not even you would turn your back on someone."
"I don't care what she does now. If she tries to kill my father, I'll deal with her but we have nothing to do with each other from this point on. She was just wasting my time like every other woman in my life." Kyouya turned away and ignored Takeru.
"Is this enough water?" Erika asked the boy, who she discovered was named Lime. She also found that gardening in the Demon Realm was much different than in the Angel Realm. The garden was rather small but it was in a better condition than the hut the boy called his home. Erika wished that she could give the boy more but she didn't have the money to.
"You're going to kill the plants if you give it too much water!" The boy took the bucket from her and she apologized quickly. Lime muttered something beneath his breath and she had to laugh that his name reflected his attitude. "Why did I even agree to let you help me when you only give me more trouble? You adults think you know everything and look down on me."
"Offering help isn't the same as looking down on someone," Erika told him. The boy turned away from her just as a large golden dog entered the garden. At first, Erika was worried that it would dig up the vegetables in the garden but the boy didn't seem to be afraid of it. It stopped in front of them and placed a small bag on the ground before running back into the village. "Was that your dog?"
"I don't know who that mutt belongs to." The boy answered as he took the bag. Looking inside, Erika saw that it was filled with seeds and food. "It'll come visit me every once in a while and give me things. Dogs are really strange, aren't they? That one just comes and goes and you won't leave me alone. Shouldn't you go back to that prince of yours?"
Erika was about to correct him but stopped him. It would be better for him to think that she was a Cerberus than for him to know the truth. When he mentioned Kyouya, she wondered if she would see him again. He did visit the village often and she wondered how he would act if they did meet again. Even with that, she was beginning to think that she could live happily in the Demon Realm.
"What is that prince like?" The boy asked and Erika was surprised by his question since he often spoke about Kyouya with disdain. "He comes to village often but the king never visits unless it's for taxes. Everyone thinks that he's nice because of that but I can tell that it's all an act. When he thinks we're not looking, he frowns. You're his Cerberus so you should know what he's really like."
Erika considered how she should answer Lime's question. She didn't know enough to answer him but she wanted to try for his sake. "Kyouya is as his title suggests- a dark prince. He's able to pretend to be someone else easily just so he could use them. But he only does what is best for his people because he truly cares for them. He always talks about bringing back the sun for his people."
"As if even he could do that," Lime rolled his eyes. Then he looked up at the moon. "I've never seen the sun before but I've heard that it's warm. Gardening would be easier with it, I'm sure."
Erika touched her necklace as she watched Lime continue to garden. The Angel Realm was an eternal day so she couldn't understand what it was like growing up without it. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was watching her before she whispered to the boy. "What if I told you that I can show the sun? It'll just be a small though."
"No one in the Demon Realm has the ability to make a sun." The boy told her and she grinned at the challenge. She wasn't a fighter but she had her own talents. Erika cupped her hands over the plants and gathered the light from around them. Focusing on the magic, she forced it into the shape of a sphere. Traces of her light magic fell onto the plants and they began to grow taller.
Erika watched the boy's eyes widened from the corner of her eyes. She felt something nudge her and looked down to see that the large dog had returned. Both the dog and the boy were watching the sun she created like it was something fascinating and foreign to them. Erika knew that she couldn't risk anyone else seeing the light so quickly closed her hand over the sun.
"You're not really a Cerberus, are you?" The boy asked quietly without looking up at her. Erika's back stiffened and she wondered if she had made a mistake. Erika let a quiet tension fall around them and waited for him to go on. "No demon can control light like you did. The best we can do is control fire. So what are you?"
"I-" Erika tried to think of a lie quickly but found that she couldn't.
"We would like to know how you're able to create that light as well." Erika's heart sank when she heard the voice behind them. Stiffly, she turned to see a group of knights staring at her. The man at the center wore similar clothes to Kyouya and she wondered if he was the king. "I was traveling to the village to collect the taxes when I saw that light. Who are you?"
"I'm just a Cerberus!" Erika said quickly and stood in front of Lime so she could protect him if the men did attack her. The man in the center began to laugh and she discretely summoned her staff. Lime held onto her skirt and she placed a hand over his head to keep him calm. "What you saw was fire. We'll pay our taxes but please don't hurt the boy or his garden."
"Do you think you can lie to the Demon King? I recognize light magic when I see it." Erika's heart dropped. This was the man she was assigned to kill. His mere presence made her stiff with fear and she knew that she would lose if she tried to fight him. "What is an angel doing in the Demon Realm? I thought that your king finally learned that he can't kill me no matter how many angels he sends."
The Demon King pulled his sword from its scabbard and she raised her staff in defense. She knew that her priority was to protect Lime but she didn't know if she could defend them against four knights and the Demon King. Thinking over her options, Erika took Lime into her arms and ran. The trees restricted her flight and hoped that they could reach a clearing so she could fly away.
"Erika!" Lime called her name and she tried to reassure him the best she could. With her staff, she coated the ground behind her with ice in a fable attempt to slow them.
Lime called her name again and Erika realized that he was trying to warn her about the knight that was quickly approaching them. She tried to dodge his sword by running into the forest but her legs became tangled in the bush and she fell. Rolling away from the knight's sword, she landed against a tree roughly. She was barely able to sit up before she felt a sword rest against her shoulder in a silent warning.
"Kill the angel and the boy for harboring the wrench." The King ordered the knight and Erika brought up her staff to block the man's sword. She knew that it was pointless but she wanted to save the boy at least so begged.
"Please, don't hurt the boy! He didn't know I was an angel and-" Erika's words were interrupted by a dog's growl. The pressure of the knight's sword lifted from her staff when the golden dog knocked the knight off his horse. The knight couldn't fight back before the dog bit his shoulder. With the attack, the knight became shadow and dispersed into the night.
Before another knight could attack Erika, the dog placed itself between them. A shadow began to circle around the dog and Erika gasped when she saw the dog transform into Kyouya. He didn't look back to her, keeping his glare on his father instead. "Call off your knights. If any of them hurt her or the boy, I won't hesitate to kill them and then you."
The kind dismounted and stride towards Kyouya until they were glaring at each other. Kyouya didn't break his glare even when his father punched him. He only staggered back a moment. They didn't say a word for a moment before the king asked. "What are they to you?"
"The boy is my subject and," Kyouya looked back to Erika. What he said next shocked them both. "And I love the angel. I'll protect them both so call off your knight."
"You're so much like your mother that it makes me sick." The king laughed at Kyouya's answer. Their eyes were so cold towards each other that Erika couldn't believe that they were related. His father took his sword and ran it through another knight. She couldn't understand his heartless action and covered the boy's eyes so he wouldn't watch the blood being spilled.
"Now no one knows about you or your angel now. You can do whatever you want." The king left Kyouya with those words. Kyouya didn't bother to watch his father leave and turned away from his father.
"I'm not even your son anyways."
Kyouya knelt in front of Erika and reached out his hand to her. She thought he meant to give her a comforting gesture but he flicked her forehead instead. "See all the trouble you gave me? I just can't leave you alone. C'mon, we're going back. I'll carry the boy for you, I doubt he can walk with the shock he has today."
Kyouya took Lime before she could argue. To be honest, she was still in shock as well. She thought that Kyouya had abandoned her when she didn't answer him. She still didn't know why he came to save her. His interaction with his father played in her mind and she looked up at him. "You said you loved me."
"I lied. My father would've killed you otherwise." He said in an emotionless voice and she couldn't understand the disappointment she felt. They reached Lime's hut and Kyouya placed the boy down.
"And you," Kyouya started in a commanding tone. "I let you be independent and helped you secretly up until now but it's time you learn to accept my help. If you stay here, my father could come back and I won't always be able to save you. You're going to go to my friend, Takeru, and ask for a job. You can do whatever you want as long as you're under his protect. This is a command, not a request."
Kyouya handed the boy a piece of paper before taking Erika's hand and pulling her away. She looked back to the boy who was looking at the card intently. Even though he was rather crude, she knew that the only intent behind his words was to protect the boy. She looked up at Kyouya, even more confused about him. Without thinking, she tightened her hand around Kyouya.
He stopped so he could stare at her and his gaze made her nervous. She leaned her head against his back to avoid his gaze. "If opening the gates would benefit people like that boy, I'll help you. But I want you to promise not to lie to me or trick me anymore."
Erika moved her arms around him and held out her pinky to him. It was a childish gesture but it was something small that could ease her worry. She kept her face pressed to her back so he couldn't see her expression. Sighing, Kyouya found himself wrapping his pinky around hers. "I promise."
Even with finals over, I still have a lot on my plate XD I'm still trying to decide how to balance writing this and The Last Dragon. I also have three mep parts left to do. But then again I love creating all of these so it's a good kind of stress I'm under.
