Disclaimer: Just to be safe, I don't own it.
Warning: Um… kawaiiness? ^-^' To answer a question posed to me by a reader, I changed my mind. There's nothing yaoi or shonen-ai in this fic. I want to somehow convey…love in it's purity between two individuals. This chapter is generally safe.
Tiny Blog: I want to say doomo arigato gozaimasu to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys are such the best! I really do get the best reviews… You gotta know I truly appreciate it. To quote: 'My girls are good to me. *plap*' - The 300 year old Frog Demon, Inuyasha.
Stay perfectly still.
A dark silhouette, shadowed by the leaves from the bright midday sun, saunters out from behind an oak, running a slender hand over his arm. I force myself to be entirely motionless, although I feel myself trembling with what seems to be fear.
Why am I afraid? They have never harmed me before. But then, I've never actually come across one of human stature-- one that is, interestingly, taller perhaps, even than myself. My eye slowly creeps up, drinking in his unearthly form. He is barefoot, as all of them are, I suppose; some type of animal skin for trousers, a bit ragged around the ankles, wrapping up long, muscled legs; a leather belt slung low on his hips, a clasp of what appears to be moonstone; chest covered with a material colored the deepest black, riddled with dried, brownish leaves and moss; sinewy, tan arms, slightly bathed in sweat, displaying strength in the solid tissue beneath his skin.
And a face, so beautiful it shocks me, soft pink mouth accented with glistening pearl-white fangs, blood ruby eyes rimmed with dark, long lashes; garishly bright orange hair, standing almost on end; large, sleek, pointed ears, appearing sharp at the ends. These fascinate me the most, along with his size. He cannot possibly be a 'faerie', they are quite irked by clothing or anything that confines them.
I do not intend to describe tediously, yet…
What manner of creature…? No, not creature, not thing or it, but lovely, enchanting being. I keep my head lowered, so he will not be aggravated into departure. However, I cannot help staring at his exquisiteness, even as I pretend to be preoccupied with gathering the chamomile from my garden. My hands are shaking violently, clammy in my fright. For all the times I have been overly brave towards these beings, never have I felt such a degree of intense fear as I do now. Perhaps it is because he is human-like.
A soft wind caresses my hair lightly, toying with it. I look up, and immediately look back down again, choking back excitement: he has crouched down beside me, noiselessly, eyes forwardly on my countenance, head cocked to the side in curiosity. Arms dangling on his knees, he peers up into my eye, innocence permeated on his attractive features. I want to… so badly to… touch him…
I lift my head upwards, and he adjusts himself accordingly to meet my gaze. None of them have ever been so direct with me as this one. Thoughts jumbled, confused as to how I should behave, I sit cross-legged, hands tightly entwined, trembling.
Rather casually, he imitates my actions perfectly, never once averting his bizarre red orbs from mine. We stay like this, in this stance for what seems hours.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot look away from something so unbelievably wonderful. So we sit, staring into each other's eyes, until suddenly he stands up, his face contorted in a foreign emotion, and begins to back away.
"Please…" I reach out, and immediately reprove myself for such an audacious move. He would not like this; they by no means did. Grasping my hands as if they were burned, I glance down. I hear nothing, I am too afraid he will have left to look up again. Placing the chamomile within the sleeve of my robe, I swiftly return to my dwelling, not turning about to see the emptiness which I bring, through my fault.
Dusk is heavily blanketing the air, layers of darkness falling upon the wood. The wind whispers endearingly between the branches of the trees, stirring the boughs in a wave of green. Some of the leaves, the ones dry and sapped of life, fly wildly to the ground, air spirits riding them until they make contact with the damp earth below. There are no flowers, now; a vast display of grayish-green rainbows, mingled with the scent of autumn.
I wonder if he will return. If, when I peer outside my window in the coming night, I will recognize the rubies glittering in the silent obscurity.
Questions keep surfacing in my mind. What…what was he? I am aware that not all faeries are small; yet he did not have the same mannerisms, the flightiness and the constant transformation that would have distorted his lovely facial appearance.
I go to my wooden chest, opening up to reveal several thick, dusty books filled with knowledge and legend of the mythical spirits. Searching tirelessly for a name, a description…to fit the magnificent creature I encountered, devouring the thousands, hundreds of thousands of words, running together, handwritten lettering embellished with imaginary demons and bogies, I peruse them deep into the bleakness of night, my candle eaten away by a hungry flame, the flame the very color of his silken tresses…
Words, what are words? Soon, my tired eye sees nothing but gibberish, foolish black splotches on weighty paper. Sleep is coming over me, wrestling from me my clarity; arching my back, I refuse to give up my awareness to dreams and nightmares.
"If I could only…grasp his being. What he means." Chin in my hand, I sigh loudly. The light of the fire grows dim, hazy…
I see an open field, wildflowers stretching out endlessly over the waves of a sea-green ocean. Waist high in soft chamomile grasses, I wade into it deeper, eye indefinitely probing the world around me for his beauty.
"There is nothing in this world…
"Nothing in this world can drag me away from this place…
"I… only see you, all around me…
"Glittering like a bloody rainbow, your eyes…
"Memory…it will not dissipate…"
There, over those hills, a glimpse of a flame, flickering in the breeze, I run to it…
Kneeling, dark black wings like those of some unknown devil… he smiles strangely, tears slipping down his cheeks, blood smattered upon his full lips… holding his arms out to me, I fall into them…
Awaken, soaked in my own dread, gasping for air. It floods my lungs, cool, refreshing. Eye darts around the room in a panic, glaring hard at the shadows dancing in the early morning light. I can't get a grip on my emotions; shaking, I stand up from where I had fallen into sleep, smoothing my neck with quivering hands. Why this feeling?
They are buzzing about the cold hearth, in and out of my earthen pots. Wings flecked with shimmers off the water in the afternoon sunlight, soft yellow and red highlights. Happy to find them within my area again, I smile and avoid perturbing them by leaving my abode promptly. They will still be there when I return; if not, they will have followed me. I have won forgiveness from faeries; if I am capable of this, then perhaps…
I feel dirty, a stain. I should bathe. The water just before autumn remains warm enough to be bearable; in the winter, I am left haplessly shivering for hours after a dip. Now is the ideal time, early morning.
Relaxing against the edge of the bank, I immerse myself in the cool lake water, leaves floating ripple the surface of a mirror. I love water.
Several water fays are gathered around shining, slippery stones at the base of the bank, jumping onto the water lilies, splashing lightly with tinkling laughter. I feel intense joy, sinking lower in the liquid to hide myself from them. Were they less beautiful, I would not be so embarrassed. I shift through the strength of the water, flowing, pushing against my legs as I come to the small waterfall. Stepping out of the lake into the watery veil, I feel it forcefully plunge against me, hold up my hands to catch the glistening drops. It feels so good… the pressure on my skin…
Like hands…
Open my eye, I can't hold back anymore. It's true, I chose this life of solitude; yet I wasn't fully aware of how utterly alone I would be. I thought their company would satiate me…
Tears like the endless stream from the waterfalls, I cover my face with my hands, sit curled up behind the liquid crystal shroud. Why must humans… be so vulnerable…to mental pain…
It is then that I feel his eyes on me, like fire burning through my flesh. I pull my hands away carefully, peek out behind my fingers.
He is leaning near me, his eyes look so…sad. Sad… for me, it is so…peculiar. Eyebrows knitted in concern, lips slightly pulled back to reveal his small fangs. It is… an expression…I have never seen before…
He puts his hands over mine; I gasp inwardly, this doesn't happen, this isn't…real. I stammer, draw back a little, for I am still extremely fearful of this individual.
"H- hello," I rasp, voice catching in my throat. He stares hard at me, standing up. I cry out, "No, please!" then whisper, "Don't leave me here… alone…"
His eyes glow in the semi-darkness of the water cave. A surpassing feeling of relief passes over me as I slump against the wall of the cave. He imitates me yet again, leans his head on my narrow shoulder. My heart is racing, pumping out of my chest.
He parts his lips, emitting a soft, gentle sound, like that of the autumn wind, a song without words. It overwhelms me entirely. He is trying to speak.
He wants to talk to me. I know there are tears on my face, such is this feeling…
This ecstasy.
I'm not alone anymore.
*^-^* Chichiri finally is a happyling!
Chichiri: I think everybody knows who the mysteryling is, no da!
Read on, my fellow authors/readers!