Extra: Dream
Koku was not in her darkness.
Or the lake.
Koku was in a large, open hallway with large arches and glowing lights that levitated off the ground, lighting her path forward. She walked slowly until she reached a brightly light ballroom. There were fancy decorations of linens and flowers hanging on the walls and the small orchestra played a lovely, lively tune, and Koku watch tall ghostly figures twirl around the dance floor. Her Master appeared next to her, as though he just rounded the corner. He was dressed in dressed in fine clothes, her insignia on his chest. He glanced at Koku, unsure, but she only stared back. This was not her dream, or his.
Then, she saw the other one. Tall and lanky dressed in a grey tunic with bright yellow eyes and spiked purple hair. Her crimson eyes met with his and she knew the Song they were meant to sing. For them. Together.
Open my chest and color my spine
I'm giving you all
I'm giving you all
Swallow my breath
And take what is mine
I'm giving you all
I'm giving you all
I'll be the blood
If you'll be the bones
I'm giving you all
I'm giving you all
So lift up my body
And lose all control
I'm giving you all
I'm giving you all
She entered the dance floor, excited for the music, dancing, and the inevitable line of suitors waiting for a chance to spin her across the floor. She was dressed in a a beautiful, elaborate golden gown, and she looked stunning with the gold ribbons intertwined in her long white hair. She walked up to a pair of elves, laughing, but they did not seem to notice her. Hurt, she went to another, and another, but no one saw her. She wandered around the dance floor, panicked, but the elves were like ghosts as they ignored her and passed through her, cold and ignoring. The scene began to darken, the vibrant colors turning dull and grey and the music souring as the scene dissolved. This was her night, her time, her right! But no one was here. No one cared.
She turned to run away but he was suddenly in her path, his pointed red eyes staring up at her, his hand extended to her. This wasn't right, he wasn't supposed to be here, her Demon King. But he was, standing patiently, waiting. Hesitantly, she took his hand. Instantly the ballroom returned to life; the warm glow of the candles in the room, the orchestra's lively tune, and the colorful decorations. But there was only him, as he guided her along the dance floor. This was how she always wanted this day to be, with him by her side.
You hover like a hummingbird
Haunt me in my sleep
You're sailing from another world
Sinking in my sea, oh
You're feeding on my energy
I'm letting go of it
She wants it
The ballroom disappeared and she was kneeling on the cold stone floor stared at her hands, covered with sticky red. Fear seized her and a mangled scream left her throat as she stared into Sigmundr's glossy blue eyes. She reached for him, but the sight of dark red blood running down his chin, staining his brown, scruffy beard and white nightgown choked her with terror. A baby cried loudly in her ears and behind her there was a gurgling noise, Elanor choking to death on her own blood. She turned to the doorway to see Rodynar looking down on her in disgust, terror, and shame. She turned back to Sigmundr's sickly pale face and cold blue eyes as they screamed at her, "YOU DID THIS!" She knew, she knew. She could not love him enough, no matter how much she tried, how much she wanted. She covered her face in her bloody hands and the baby screamed.
But then warm, sturdy hands gripped hers and ripped them from her face. She stared into his red, wide eyes. Then his arms were around her, crushing her face into his chest. He held her tightly even as she tried to push him away. She didn't deserve his arms, after what she did. But he held her anyway, unwaveringly, and she finally stopped fighting him. She let her arms fall to her sides in defeat. Elanor quieted and the baby stopped crying.
And I run from wolves, ooh
Breathing heavily
At my feet
And I run from wolves, ooh
Tearing into me
Without teeth
She ran. She marked one corner, then the next, and another as the ran amongst the tall green hedges. She should know where to go, how to find her way out. How many times had she run through the palace's garden labyrinth as a child? Right, left, left, right. She was back where she started. Right, left, right, straight, left. Back where she started. Panic began to set in. How would she find her way? People relied on her, needed her to find the path. But she had no path, no plan, no future in sight. Left, left, right, straight, left. Back where she started. The hedges began to swirl in on her and she covered her head with her arms, as they swallowed her whole.
Suddenly there was an explosion and the hedges went up in flames before disappearing into dust. She looked around and saw that the labyrinth was gone, along with the path. There was nowhere to go. But then she turned and saw him, his body green and purple eyes wide open on his chest as his black and green energy cackled around him. She felt rooted in place staring into his red eyes, afraid but unable to look away. He walked up to her and took hand, and, without looking away, she let him lead her away from the labyrinth, away from the garden, and into darkness.
I can see through you
We are the same
It's perfectly strange
You run in my veins
How can I keep you
Inside my lungs
I breathe what is yours
You breathe what is mine
He felt small as he stood, staring into the empty abyss. There was nothing, only pitch black darkness. He tried blink once, then twice but his vision was no better. He tried to see with his Jagan but it was to no avail. He closed his eyes and tried to listen around him but all he could hear was a faint whisper reaching out to him that faded in and out. He could not grasp onto the whisper and it faded until he could hear it no longer. He was in a void of nothingness and he was alone.
"Hiei!" He spun around, the gentle voice breaking through clearly. She was standing behind him, her face soft and gentle as her lavender eyes sparkled. She wasn't supposed to be here; he was alone. But there she was, standing in front of him like a beacon. She held her hand up, palm out. Slowly he brought his hand to hers, aligning his hand with hers. Her hand was larger, but slender, where his was short but thick and stubby. She smiled down at him, and her fingers intertwined with his, locking their hands together. He was not alone.
You hover like a hummingbird
Haunt me in my sleep
You're sailing from another world
Sinking in my sea, oh
You're feeding on my energy
I'm letting go of it
He wants it
Suddenly, all around him burst into flame. He began to sweat from the intense heat as the flames violently danced around him and the stench of blood and smoke filled his nostrils. The fire was closing in on him and fear took hold as he began to run, avoiding falling stone and wood. He could out run the flames! He was faster than the wind itself! But the flames were hot on his heels and they seemed to reach towards him like hands, waiting to pull him under. A lick of fire wrapped around his heel and he screamed as he burned and fell to the ground.
A rain drop fell on his cheek, than another, and another. Then, he was in a downpour, drenched to the bone. The fire twisted and flared in protest, but then hissed and receded in defeat. He felt hands on his shoulders and arms, pulling him up. He stood and turned to see her slender lavender eyes and pursed pink lips. He looked down at her hands and saw that they were charred and bleeding, black pockmarks and bright red spots covering her hands and forearms. He reached for her, but she recoiled, pulling her arms back. He held his hands out to her in offering, patient, and she stared at him determinedly before placing her burned hands into his.
And I run from wolves, ooh
Breathing heavily
At my feet
And I run from wolves, ooh
Tearing into me
Without teeth
Suddenly, he clutched himself as he shivered violently, now standing on the edge of a cliff. The dark abyss waited below and above was only grey. The wind mixed with ice whipped around him harshly and he had to squint to see. Afraid of falling over, he took a step backwards but ran into something. He turned around and looked up to see an old woman in a black kimono glaring down at him. His eyes went wide as she snarled at him with disgust and raised her right leg. He screamed as she brought her foot down to kicked him over the edge.
But someone appeared in front of him and took hold of the foot, and pushed the old woman back. The woman tumbled away, a far away black mark against the white snow. His rescuer turned to face him. Her white hair blended with the snow, almost hard to see as it whipped wildly around her face, but he was locked into her lavender eyes that shone brightly with defiance and pride. She peered over the edge and then glanced at him. Her face broke into a mad grin, and he was entranced by exciting glint in her eye. She held out her hand to him and he took it. Looking over the edge of the cliff again, she gave him one last grin. Then, they jumped. Down, down, down…
And you can follow
You can follow me
You can follow
You can follow me
Then, he felt something warm beneath him and the cold went away. He was no longer falling and everything around him felt warm and bright. He opened his eyes to see he was on the ground in a grassy area by a lake. Koku smiled at him as he sat up and she continued singing and strumming her guitar, kicking her legs in the water. Her Master sat down next to her and she smiled at him. He gave her a smile smile in return but then turned, noticing something was different.
You hover like a hummingbird
Haunt me in my sleep
You're sailing from another world
Sinking in my sea, oh
You're feeding on my energy
I'm letting go of it
She wants it
Beyond the tree there was a lush garden, full of flowers of all colors and sizes. Further behind the flower beds looked like an entrance to a labyrinth, the tall green hedges outlining the horizon amid the darkness. Her Master then saw her, the Queen, sitting on a bench in the garden, dressed in her elaborate golden gown. A book was sitting in her lap, as the lanky purple haired one lazily leaned against her, thumping a small drum as he sang with Koku. But the Queen and her Master did not pay attention to them, absorbed in the other's presence.
And I run from wolves, ooh
Breathing heavily
At my feet
And I run from wolves, ooh
Tearing into me
Without teeth
The Queen rose with a wide grin, and ran towards the dock in a sprint. The fabric of her dress melted and warped as she ran, streaming behind her as the fabric unraveled around her body. Her Master took a step back, confused, but the laughing Queen grabbed his wrist as she ran by and with a leap, pulled them both into the water. She surfaced, her skin exposed, laughing as the Master sputtered to the surface, furious. But the Queen just kept laughing and she splashed the Master playfully. He splashed her back and soon he was laughing with her.
When they tired of the water, they went back to the dock and the Queen led him to the gardens. Now she wore a lovely green gown and he was in a fine black tunic with a red sash cinched at his waist. They walked along the garden, hand in hand, when he stopped and plucked a red rose and tucked it behind her ear. They embraced and the Queen led him to the tree. She sat at the base of the trunk and the Master leaned against her, nestling himself in her bosom. The Queen resumed her book as the Master drifted off into a light slumber.
And you can follow
You can follow me and
You can follow
You can follow me and
And you can follow
You can follow me
You can follow
You can follow me
Koku smiled as she finished their Song with the other one, happy for her Master. After so long of pain and longing, her Master deserved to find joy and peace within his dreams.
So this extra was definitely fun to write, but interesting since it's technically from Koku's point of view, but also repeats Hiei's fears while adding Mîra's. I also went back and forth for a long time, years really, on which song should be their song, but once I heard Wolves Without Teeth I knew this was the one.
Hiei and Mîras' Song: Wolves Without Teeth, by Of Monsters and Men