Chapter 6

"You cannot cross the mountains like this, Ren. You're sick." She scolded the hoarse, sniffling man that normally carried her on his back.

He scowled a little in irritation. "I am not sick."

"Here you go, Ren." Yukihito handed him a warm mug of herbal concoction that he'd just brewed. "This should help warm you up." Well, at least he hoped so. It had worked for him. The fever was gone and his throat was no longer scratchy.

Ren groaned a bit irritably. "How many times do I have to tell you two… I am not sick." He insisted.

"Fine, fine… You aren't sick and I'm not cursed." She groused. "You go and run your fever and look as though you've just stepped out of a grave and I'll take a nap. Wake me when reality hits." She commented sarcastically in a sweet voice, sending a shiver up his spine.

Ren closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He held out his hand. "Hand it here." He finally conceded.

Yukihito nodded. "You should feel better by dawn. Just get some rest. I'll keep watch."

Deep into the cloudy, moonless night, Yukihito was alerted by the most beautiful apparition he'd ever been witness to. Long, silky raven hair, eyes like twin golden suns, and ruby red lips against porcelain white skin. "Wh-who goes there?" He asked the shimmering apparition.

She glanced over at him in shock, then composed herself. "Yukihito… I can't help him. I can't touch him. He's too hot. He needs snow to cool him. Please…" She begged.

"K-Kyoko? H-how?" He asked in disbelief.

She shook her head. "I don't know, but he really needs your help right now. Please… the snow."

"Right… Let me cover you… Just in case someone comes along." He suggested.

She shook her head. "It's not necessary. I can take care of anyone or thing that comes." She assured him.

He nodded stiffly, not sure he wanted to know what she would do to a passerby that intended harm. "Got it. I'll be back shortly." He told her, sprinting off toward the snowy area they had camped outside of.

Ren groaned and mumbled in his sleep. "I'm so sorry I lied to you… You aren't alone, Kyoko."

She furrowed her brow. What could he have possibly lied about? I know I'm not alone. He and Yukihito were traveling with her. "Sh…sh… There, there… I know."

She glanced over when she'd heard the rustling of leaves and the footfalls of more than one. She knew for a fact that it wasn't Yukihito. He wouldn't be so loud.

"Well, well… What do we have here, Reino?" A roguish blond asked his companion. "A ghost? An Angel? Judging from her wings… Maybe a fallen angel?" He pondered a bit too loudly to the silver-haired male next to him.

Reino put out his hand, stopping his companion and shook his head. "Careful Miroku, she isn't what she seems." Reino warned.

"All I care about is what her man has on him. He doesn't look to well. It would be easy enough to rob them." Miroku announced just a bit too loudly.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the pair. "Come closer if you would enjoy the comfortable silence of the Void." She warned. She stood from her spot next to Ren. "Or would you prefer to eternally decorate this forest with your frozen bodies?" She smirked.

"Interesting…" Reino commented. "Are you a demon?"

She smiled. "At this point, does it matter? The results of you coming any closer will be the same." She said sweetly as she opened a pitch black void, that began sucking leaves and twigs in, before her. "Understand?"

Miroku nodded nervously and Reino smiled. "I suppose we'll just have to have this conversation some other time." He turned to his companion. "Let's go, Miroku. We'll talk to her some other time." Very interesting. He shot her a wide smile and the pair left.

She let out a sigh of relief and closed the void space she'd created, then glanced down at her ailing charge. "Too close." She murmured with her delicate hand hovering above his forehead.

He gasped and sat up with eyes wide open. "Rick! Watch out! The dragon!" He exclaimed, the lay back down in a dead sleep.

She furrowed her brow at his actions. Dragon? As a human, what was he doing near a dragon? Usually only fairies knew where they were and dealt with them. They were just too dangerous for humans to even go near. A human's scent was too strong to get near them, and fairies and elves were usually the only beings that had strong enough magic to deal with them properly. I wonder what happened?

"I've got the snow!" Yukihito announced quietly as he stealthily approached. "What should I do with it?" He asked almost clueless and worriedly.

She nodded at him. "Wrap it in your kerchief and place it on his forehead." She instructed. "It should bring down his fever quickly." She told him as she faded out and returned to the sword.

He glanced at the sword after doing as she said. "So… I didn't know you could show yourself." He commented after relaxing a bit.

She giggled a little sheepishly. "I honestly didn't know I could do that either." She told him frankly. "It's never happened before." She confessed.

"Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing?" He asked a little worried about his new little friend.

She sighed. "Does it really matter? There's really not anything I could actually do about it if it were a bad thing. All I can do is accept it and take advantage of the situation." She paused. "Just don't tell Sir Ren. I don't want for him to read too much into it. It might be just a new ability, due to my affinity with the two of you." She hypothesized.

Yukihito sighed in resignation. "I suppose you're right." He glanced over at her. "I promise I won't tell, but if a situation arises where such an ability is needed…" He warned.

"I know, I know… Only then." She conceded. "Get some rest." She commanded. "I'll keep watch. I don't want both of you sick."

"You sure? I mean, I can still handle it." He questioned.

She smiled inwardly. "I'm sure, now get some rest. We're crossing the mountain tomorrow."

"You sure you want to leave her there, Reino?" Miroku asked a little curiously. "It's been awhile since you've been interested in anything or, anyone for that matter."

"We'll meet again soon enough." He gave a mysterious smile. "They're going in our direction anyway."

Miroku nodded. "So what was she? Angel, demon, ghost?"

Reino laughed. "None of the above. A cursed fairy." He answered.

"Cursed fairy? How could you tell?" Miroku asked.

"The beautiful dark aura and the tattered wings. It would seem she's been that way for quite some time. I'll probably need to do a little research before capturing her." He pondered.

Miroku nodded. "Do you need me to ask around about her."

Reino shook his head. "I doubt you'll be able to get anything on her. I can sense that she's involved in something unusual and she's more like a living ghost at the moment."