Chapter 6
The Flower Maiden
Thanks for reading this far I hope you enjoy! This is the last chapter I love you all for reading it and yea, I hope you enjoy it! Coming soon is a black butler fan fiction! So if you are interested subscribe to my profile and I will try and have it out as soon as possible!
Emi stared confused and scared at Erin. So if I am someone special then what is she planning to do with me? Emi thought edging away from Erin as far as her boundaries would allow.
"Do you see Emi?" Erin asked, eyeing Emi like a toy or tool. "You see dear, you are the key to what I want, the key to paradise, the reincarnation of Cheza." Emi watched Erin speechlessly, as she stood from her chair and walked to the door, turning to Emi before she left. "Cheer up Emi, you are what I want, therefore I don't need to kill you, so don't look so scared." She finished amusement dripping from her voice, an evil smile spreading across her face as she finished. Erin turned and left Emi lone again and with nothing else to do, Emi curled back up into her ball and thought. She is lying there is reason to be afraid. There are things worse than death, and she knows it, but which one is she planning to put me through?
Toboe paced frantically back and forth in front of the pack.
"Emi has been captured." He said, the information sinking in. I can't believe it, he thought, I thought we were done with all of this Nobel stuff. "We have to get her back." Toboe said again.
"We know," Kiba said simply, impatiently.
"And how do you expect to do that? " Tsume asked. "Barge into the castle? Last time we fought a noble it didn't go so well." He tapped his foot in aggravation, his voice deep like a growl.
We have to do something." Toboe argued. "She was a member of the pack…IS…is a member…"
"Toboe is right." Blue said.
"We have to save the runt." Hige said his voice cracking. Toboe looked around at his friends, no his family, and it wasn't the same without his little Emi.
"It's my fault she was taken." Blue said sad determination in her voice and eyes. "If I had been more careful…if I had kept fighting, maybe…" Blue trailed off.
"No," Kiba said stubbornly. "It's not your fault, it's no one's fault. We will save Emiko." Everyone stood up and stared back at the town, the noble castle visible in the back. Each of them tensed for a moment, taking a deep breath before they dashed as one to the castle, Toboe in the lead. When they finally arrived at the castle they managed to sneak inside through the vent system and after 5 minutes of Tsume pushing Hige through the small tunnel they found themselves in a deserted hallway. Kiba opened his mouth to give instructions but was cut off when a high pitch scream echoed through the hallways, causing each of them to freeze. They all exchanged pained looks before dashing down the hallway. They searched at least half of the building but saw no one, until finally, a lone figure stood to greet them. Erin stood alone, her back turned to them. The pack stopped about 10feet away from her, growling.
"I have been expecting you." Erin said as she turned to face them, her green eyes glistening with excitement. The pack growled but Erin raised her hand to silence them. "Nah, ah, we wouldn't want anything to happen to poor little Emi now would we?" the pack tensed but remained silent. Erin grinned. "You what is your name?"
"Kiba," He said through clenched teeth. Erin smiled again.
"Well Kiba, come with me." Erin turned away, the entire pack stepped forward, unwilling to be separated. "Just Kiba." They hesitated but Kiba stepped forward, they all exchanged worried glances before Kiba followed Erin out of sight down the hallway.
It felt like forever before someone finally came for her, Emi only looked up when she heard the door open. Erin stepped inside two soldiers on either side of her. Emi rose to her feet, trembling as she stood. Erin jerked her head and the two soldiers hurried over to the cage, pulling the levers and pushing. A loud squeal rang out causing Emi to cover her sensitive ears. The door rose up, leaving the cage open the two guards waited for her to step out but she was paralyzed with fear and confusion and after a moment one of the impatient guards reached over and pulled her out of the safety of her box.
Emi stumbled before regaining her balance. Emi took small timid steps towards Erin, keeping her hands folded in front of her, and her head down. Erin gingerly placed her hand under Emi's chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes. Emi cringed and Erin smiled, before turning and leading the way out of the doorway and down a series of hallways, until finally they came to a lab. As soon as the door opened the strong scent of flowers overwhelmed her, causing her to gag. There was a control panel on the opposite wall. Screens frizzed, scanners beeped and Then Emi saw what it was connected to.
Two large tanks filled with the smelly flower nectar. The scent was sweet but overwhelmingly powerful. Emi cringed when she saw the equipment she took a step back but the door swiped shut and her back hit the wall, the metal cold against her back. Her body tensed and her senses heightened as one of the guards pushed her forcing her to follow Erin deeper into the room. Emi shifted her weight nervously foot to foot.
"What are these for?" she asked knowing the answer.
"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to. Besides," Erin added with a grin that sent a shiver down Emi's spine, "You will find out soon enough." One of the guards lunged at Emi from behind. Her eyes widened as she dived out of the way the man only grasping air. The other man charged at her but she ducked under his arms and spun, striking him on his right temple. He groaned but remained standing. The two came back to her, Emi tried to evade them but the man managed to grab her wrist and pull her into his arms, both of them wrapping their arms around her small fragile body to hold her down. Emi's arms flailed as she struggled but to no avail. She kicked out but only wounded air. Erin walked up to her, a large syringe in her hand. Erin smiled.
"Don't fret Emi; you are not going to die." Erin said softly. And without warning she plunged the needle into Emi's arm. Emi screamed as the needle dug its way through her skin into her veins. The sweet scented nectar flowed into her, strange and foreign inside her body. It burned as it coursed through her blood stream like fire on oil causing Emi to throw back her head and scream. Tears stung her eyes but she blinked them back.
Strong, I have to be strong! She thought as she clenched her teeth, her eyes snapped shut and she tensed waiting for the pain to recede. She imagined the pack; Emi clenched her teeth tighter against the pain. Erin brought over more things, IVs, tubes, etc. Emi took deep calming breaths and clenched her hands into fists as Erin injected the first IV. Emi's nails dug into her palm causing deep marks ready to break skin. Erin's hand ran over Emi's causing Emi to open her eyes and look into Erin's excited gaze.
"We can't have you injuring yourself." She said with a smile, unraveling Emi's hand and placing it on the guards arm before she continued injecting all the equipment., when she was finally done Emi had IVs, tubes and wires poking out from her forehead, legs, wrists and heart. The monitor's internal beeping had stopped, replaced by the steady drum of Emi's heartbeat. Emi suddenly felt very tired, her entire body felt as if she were going to collapse. She began to reply on the guards to hold her up. One of the guards left her side and opened the lid on top of the tank the smell unnoticeably now, though it should have been stronger... the guard guided her up the small steps and easily picked up her slender body and slid her into the nectar. Emi gasped for breath but found she had no trouble breathing through the nectar... Emi knew she should panic, but her mind was so sluggish she just wanted to sleep.
It's quite nice in here. Emi thought, it is warm and comfortable, and ….sweet. . Her mind felt sluggish, every sound was muffled, and everything was blurred. She looked around but saw that she was alone in the room. Her head moved slowly, her mind drifted aimlessly, and her eyes closing.
Erin led Kiba through a series of hallways finally leading him to the laboratory. When the doors opened a familiar sweet scent invaded him, and he took in deep breaths, reveling in the aroma sacred to wolves.
Lunar flowers, He thought feeling at peace, in bliss. Once inside he saw the tanks and Emi saw her floating there asleep. She floated aimlessly, without a care in the world. He grew worried and opened his mouth to speak but Erin beat him to it.
"She is still alive." She said watching Kiba carefully. "Isn't she beautiful? The next flower maiden," Kiba gasped but knew better to question it. He took another deep breath and allowed the scent to wash over him...
"Let her go." He demanded clenching his hands into fists.
"I can do that." Erin said simply, teasingly. "But this girl can open the gates to paradise. Do you really want me to release her?" Kiba clenched his teeth.
"Let her go." He replied simply his voice soft.
"Alright, on one condition," Kiba eyed her distrustfully. "You need to fill this tank." She said patting the empty container. Kiba didn't respond, what choice did he have? Erin picked up wires, tubes, IVs and syringes. Just as she had done for Emi only not injecting flower nectar, she began to attach all of the wires to him as Emi watched helplessly.
No, she thought. Something is wrong, who am I? Where am I? She watched Kiba for a moment her mind wondering. Ki - Kiba? Kiba…Uncle Kiba NO! Emi tried to scream but was only greeted by a mouth full of the thick honey-like liquid, the liquid around her bubbled, causing both Kiba and Erin to spin to her worriedly. Her body jolted the tubes and wires ripping from her skin as she let out her silent scream. Her mouth, her eyes, her entire being began to become one with the nectar. The glass began to crack and the tank began to leak, the honey spilling out onto the floor. Kiba's eyes widened as he watched baby Emi scream and writhe within the tank. The nectar began to move, and it almost seemed to breathe.
IT"S ALIVE! Kiba thought surprised as it grew and twisted as it reached for Erin. She screamed but the nectar covered and silenced her, hardening until she was frozen in an amber prison. Emi's tank burst and Emi spilled out across the floor. Kiba gathered her in his arms ripping the Equipment from both of them; she was light as a leaf and was trembling. The rest of the pack burst through the door urgently.
"Emi!" Toboe cried out as he rushed to her side. Emi smiled faintly. She was on the brim of consciousness.
"I told you I am not a pup anymore…" She trailed off and the rest of the pack smiled, giving her gentle hugs. "I'm ok…really." She said "I am just….tired."
"Everything is alright now." Toboe said.
"How did you guys find us?" Kiba asked
"When the door opened we smelled the lunar flowers and we heard screaming. So we followed it." Tsume explained watching Emi carefully. "Hey…you did good kid."
"I am not a kid." Emi said trying to gather enough strength to sound convincing though it was no more than a whisper. Hige smiled gently.
"Sorry runt, you'll always be out pup."
"But I am human." Emi said and the pack froze, their faces grave.
"You are still our pup Emiko," Blue confirmed, causing Emi to smile, before she closed her eyes.
"EMI!" Toboe cried out.
"She is alright, she just fell asleep." Kiba said. Toboe nodded.
Crack
They all spun to face Erin, and watched as a crack raced across the amber. Erin blinked and chips broke off of the prison.
"Let's get out of here." Hige said as Tsume lifted Emi holding her like a baby in his arms. (While as a wolf she was really thrown across his back.) They fled the room as the ember shattered leaving Erin screaming in rage... She ran after the pack unable to keep up. The pack raced through the castle before hitting a dead end. Tsume slid Emi to the ground as Erin barged in. the pack stood around Emi protectively while they growled at the noble. Kiba was the first to attack her, quickly followed by the others in a fury of teeth and claws. As Erin swung her slender sword around gracefully, but was only able to plant small cuts on them until Toboe managed to bite her in the leg forcing her to let out a blood curtailing scream. Causing Emi to move, stirred by the pain filled cry.
What is going on? She thought, watching them all fight. Why am I here? Emi tried to clear her mind, to think clearly, but she couldn't break through the haze that clouded her thoughts. Something is wrong. She thought trying to sort out her thoughts. She watched them fight a moment unable to move until a cry broke out over her. One of the wolves whimpered and she looked up in time to see Toboe thrown to the ground, Erin poised over him, her Katana at the ready, about to deliver the final strike... Emi was on her feet before she knew what was happening. Almost like a leaf blown by the wind she crossed the rom in a flash and was between Toboe and Erin shielding him with her body. The sword came down on her; the blade bore into her skin forming a deep gash, oozing an amber colored, sweet smelling liquid. All of the wolves dove at Erin at once from all angles and Erin was no match. She let out another blood curling scream before falling to the floor a pool of blood forming around her. Emi sat there her hand to her shoulder as she stared at the liquid curiously. The wolves waited for her to move but when she didn't they carefully pulled her away from Erin's body.
"Are you alright?" Kiba asked worried as they all crowded around her. Emi looked slowly up at them.
"I'm tired." She stated as if she were no more than a child ready for nap time.
"Emi hold on," Blue said urgently. "Don't go to sleep." Emi didn't respond, her eyes slowly closing.
Emi!
Emi!
EMI!
They each screamed as her eyes closed and her body collapsed against the cold tile floor. Toboe curled up around her, nudging her, but she didn't respond. Tears formed in his eyes and he threw his head back and let out a long sorrowful howl, the others joining in. the chorus of howls echoing through the empty castle.
The end
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