Dancing with the Dead
Chapter Three
A/N: I normally don't update this fast, so please don't get used to it. Hope you enjoy!
After my mother's funeral, I never saw Li again. I tried mentioning him to Touya and my father, but neither of them paid me much attention that day, and somehow, I knew it was best if I kept the whole experience to myself. Part of me felt secretly pleased to have something to call my own. I was only five, and after being enclosed in so much heavy sadness, whenever I held on to my locket, I felt as though arms were encircling me, protecting me from harm. I felt safe, and for someone who was in bed with her dead mother, that was what I needed.
The closest who came to knowing the truth was Tomoyo-chan, my cousin and best friend. She and I were friends since birth—our own mothers were thick as thieves. She knew me better than anyone, even better than Touya-nii. In all our years, she never changed. She was always beautiful with dark, raven hair and bright amethyst eyes. I felt there was something magical about Tomoyo. She was my guide, always, no matter where we were. She was my light, who would never lead or leave me astray.
When she asked about the locket, she didn't believe me when I was casual about its origins.
"Someone gave this to you. Someone we don't know, right?" she asked, her smile was always so kind, but looked as if she was keeping a secret to herself.
"Yes." It was impossible to lie to her.
"Was this person kind?"
"I think so." I smiled at her, fond at the memory of waking up Kero. I thought about his small smiles and gentle voice. I remembered his hands, scarred and calloused that picked me up so gently.
"Do you like this person?"
I pondered about this for a few seconds. Despite the strange nature of our meeting, and even though he did not wake my mother up, he was still the most fascinating person I knew.
"I do."
Tomoyo-chan remained silent, her eyes flashing as though they contained vast knowledge that could never be mine.
"No matter what happens then, with the person who gave you that locket, I will protect you always, Sakura-chan."
"Pluto was god of the Underworld, where the dead go. Proserpina was the woman he chose. I am this world's Pluto, and I chose you back when I met you at your mother's funeral."
"I'm sorry, but I still don't understand why I am here."
"That means I chose you as my wife. You must stay here with me. Forever."
I stared at him, jaw dropped in shock, and unable to form any coherent thought. My lips moved, but no sound came out. There was no way he was serious. There was no possible way I was dead and condemned to live here for eternity. Even though my heart was racing in a dangerous way, I knew that it was impossible to do what he asked.
"Um, I am so sorry, but, um, no," I replied to him meekly.
While I was rendered speechless, Li had looked at with concern, but after hearing my response, it scrunched up to mild anger and confusion.
"No?" he asked, his voice low.
"No," I confirmed, my voice still barely above a whisper. However, aside from Kero, Li and I were the only ones in the room, which meant he would be able to hear me without any problems. He stood up, and I was struck dumb at how tall and domineering he was, and I hated to admit it to myself since I was so frightened, but he was so masculine that I couldn't help but feel my attraction grow.
"It's just, it's been a long day, and I have to go. So thank you for giving me your coat, earlier, that was very kind of you. And thank you for all your help, but I really must be going now." I stood up shakily, feeling my knees hit it each other clumsily so. I bowed to him out of respect, but Li now only looked at me with such incredible concern once more.
"You're in shock. " He spoke. His eyes continued to study me.
"No, I am just…it's just..."I turned away from his eyes, even more anxious over the power of his gaze. I felt that I would soon cry, and I had done that plenty already. Unfortunately, Li noticed this, unable to hide anything from him.
"Please, don't cry!" he pleaded. Without warning, he pulled me in close, tight in an embrace. Being this close to him was not helping me with my resolve. The scent that reminded me of walking in the forest after a storm washed me over in small waves. I felt the tightness is his muscles, those on his arm, abs, and back. I didn't need reminding, but it was very clear that Li was very much a man, and even though I was so young and inexperienced, I was drawn to him like any woman would.
"I promise you, I will provide for you, and you will be happy here. If you can give it a chance, I know you will." He began to rub my head as he hugged me. I was glad that he could not see my face. I was incredibly flustered and flushed.
"But it's…I'm only fifteen!" I cried out, hoping that he would understand. "And we're not even married!"
He let go of me suddenly, but kept a firm hold of my shoulder. He crouched down so that we would be eye level, and so I was able to see the excitement on his face.
"We could be married. As soon as tonight!" he exclaimed, so jubilant, it made my heart flutter faster than a hummingbird's wings. "I need to sort out the dead soon, but when I am done for today, we can be married. This world, my world, is hardly different from yours. We have a temple or a chapel, if you'd prefer. And there are staff members here, they can help set up the ceremony. We can make it a festival, if you'd like. "
"I…this…I just still don't understand. I don't really know you." I looked down away from him so he wouldn't see how dizzy I felt from all he was telling me. The talks of marriage and of this world were becoming too much. I felt ready to collapse under the weight of such words.
"I know you. I know you're kind and beautiful, and full of life," he spoke with such tenderness, though the irony of the last compliment was not lost on me. He smiled as he tucked a few stray strands of my hair behind my ear. "You calm me, and make me feel alive again. You allow me to feel compassion. I know you, and I will protect you for the rest of eternity."
"I…marriage is very serious…and I do like you, I think, but it's still a big step for me to take."
"I love you, Sakura. And you were meant for me, as I was meant for you. I waited five hundred years for you, and I won't wait any longer."
I didn't have a response to that. How could I? I didn't know how old he was, but he was over five hundred, if what he said was true. His sureness in me being meant for him and vice versa sounded romantic in the deep corners of my heart, but it still was too much for me to agree to it. There was so much I didn't understand, and he didn't seem ready enough to explain it to me. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to ask. A chorus of bells rang, each note echoing after each other. The melody was soft and melancholy. Li didn't seem to find it as beautiful as I did. His face scrunched up in boyish annoyance.
"Those are the soul bells. I have to go. Stay here and I won't be gone long." He had his coat on again, and he kissed my cheek gently. I had to sit on the bed before I collapsed into his arms. His amber eyes stared deep into my own.
"I am sorry for the circumstances that led you here," he told me. "But I am glad to be spending eternity with you."
He left in the blink of an eye, leaving me alone. Without his intense presence, I felt lightheaded on my own. Kero meowed close by, purring and rubbing himself against my leg. I smiled at him, despite the situation. I didn't know what to do. I knew that I couldn't stay here. No matter how alluring he was, I couldn't stay with Li. I needed to be home.
"Kero, what do I do?" I asked, knowing there was no way I would receive an answer. Kero jumped from my arms and perched himself by the window. The sky peering in was clear with colors waving around like an aurora borealis. I walked to the window and pried it open, feeling the freshness of the wind.
"At least it's lovely to look at," I commented. My hand reached for my locket, hoping to relieve some of my restlessness.
It didn't burn like it did before I died. Instead, it was warm, and soothing, like a massage. I opened it up again, the Pearl alternating between purple and peach, a light radiating from it and pulsing frantically. I never opened it prior to the moment before I died, but it never reacted this way before.
"Sakura!"
I froze.
The voice was easily recognizable, but I wondered how it was possible. My brother kept calling for me, his voice sounded panicked after each time. It was an echo, and I didn't know where to look for him.
"Touya-nii! Onii-chan!" I cried back. The sky changed again, the purple and peach colors taking over. I closed both hands over my locket, focusing on my brother's voice.
"Sakura!" my brother sounded louder.
"Just a little more, she's nearly here!" Tomoyo-chan's voice joined in as well. Her voice was as clear and melodic as ever. "Sakura-chan, just a little more!"
"Sakura! Wake up, please!" my brother sounded so desperate, it brought me pain.
Please, take me to my brother, I prayed. The pearl was still so warm under my touch.
The doors burst open. Li looked stricken and ran to me. I thought he would embrace me and pull me away from the window; only it was no longer possible. His hands went through me completely, as though I was not there.
"No!" Li fell to his knees, looking devastated. "No, please, don't take her away! I waited so long for her! Please, don't take away my Proserpina! I beg of you, I waited so long!"
I didn't understand his words, but his pain resonated with me so strongly that it wounded me. I tried to reach out to him. I wanted to console him to soothe and take away his pain. This man, who was so intimidating and powerful, looked so lost and meek. He saw me reach, and did the same. For a moment, I felt my fingers brush across his. The hope lit up in his eyes that warmed me deep in my soul.
But then I was gone. And the look of grief was the last thing I saw.
It started with a deep breath.
I felt it rush into my lungs, and my blood coursed like rivers in my veins, quickly and mercilessly. It all rushed to my head, making me dizzier than ever. I felt cold and wet, and everything was in pain. When I finally focused, I noticed my brother holding my hand desperately, and Tomoyo-chan's hands holding to the other. Everything was noises, and if I wasn't too weak, I would have covered my ears. The air in my lungs was becoming too much, and I coughed to relieve myself.
"What happened?" I asked my voice hoarse.
"You're alive," my brother whispered. I noticed he was also wet and covered in my blood. It did not take me long to realize it was mine.
Tomoyo-chan pulled on my fingers gently. "Welcome back, Sakura-chan."
The nurses rushed and pulled them both away. Everyone was fretting over me, muttering about impossibilities and miracles. Now that I was fully awake, I realized the amount of pain I was in. The male nurses left with my brother and Tomoyo-chan, and two female ones were stripping me of school clothes and into a hospital gown. They explained to me that I had a lot of internal bleeding, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, which they needed to rectify quickly. It was all done in a blur. I went under a dreamless sleep. When I woke up, the fluorescent lighting of the room took getting used to. My father, brother, and Tomoyo-chan were all there looking haggard, but relieved.
"Hey there, kaijuu," Touya-nii greeted me. He looked so worn out. I wanted to reach out to him, but my arms felt heavy.
"Hello," I responded with a smile instead.
"Oh, Sakura," my father cried out, embracing me. Even though it hurt, I kept it to myself. The same fear on his face returned from the days of my mother's illness. I knew it would take time before he didn't worry about me again. "We were so worried! I thought that you would…that you were…"
"It's fine, otou-san. I am here," I told him. My voice was still raspy, but I hopes he sensed the sincerity of my words.
Touya-nii had suggested that my father grab food, now that I was awake. He left only after my brother promised to go with him, and that Tomoyo-chan would still be here, looking after me. Before either of them left, they took a glance at me, as though making sure I was still there. I felt guilty at the pain and suffering I must have put them through when I was temporarily dead. Only Tomoyo-chan looked relatively normal, despite her exhaustion. I was glad for her calmness.
"What happened?" I asked her. I didn't need to specify. She knew what I meant.
"You never met with me at school. I texted your brother and he said you'd be late. But when nearly a half hour passed, we were worried. We rushed back and met up in the middle. That's when we found you. It was the worst. You were on the ground, covered in snow and blood. There were people around you, and someone had called the paramedics. They'd said you'd be dead for nearly twenty minutes from internal bleeding. We rode an ambulance together, and held your hand the entire time. There were moments when you came back, but it lasted seconds. We were desperate. Touya-san did CPR on you forever. They even used a defibrillator. But nothing was happening. We never let go of you. And then you woke up."
I shivered after she finished telling me. There was only one thing left that I wanted to know.
"Tomoyo-chan, how long was I dead?"
She didn't smile, but she took my hand and squeezed it tight.
"You were gone for one whole hour. Exactly sixty minutes."
I slept sporadically that day. Dying for an hour seemed to have worn me out, so I napped while my brother and father took turns to watch over me. I needed to be in the hospital for another day for observation. Tomoyo-chan left, but promised to come back after school the next day. When I woke from what seemed to be my tenth nap, both my father and Touya-nii were slumped down on the small sofa that was in my room. It was the first time they looked relaxed since I came back. For my part, I felt considerably better, considering I had died earlier in the day. As I rubbed Kero's ears, I thanked the heavens that I was here and safe.
Wait…Kero?
The room didn't change, but the silence was no calming peaceful. Someone was in the room with me, and I knew very well who was watching me.
"Li?" I asked into the darkness.
He moved so quietly that I didn't even notice him sitting on the foot of my hospital bed. Kero mewed softly in greeting to his master before curling up by me to sleep. The room was too dark to tell his expression, but his stance told me he was not pleased with the turn of events. I didn't want to be the first to say anything. Part of me was scared that he was angry with me for being alive and not in the Underworld with him. The rest of me was scared of easily agreeing to him if he asked me to go back.
"You look better. I saw your body before they stitched you. I didn't realize your death was that gruesome. I am sorry," he spoke. His voice was low, but it was easy to hear him. Somehow, I didn't worry about my family waking up, despite my father and brother sleeping so close by.
I didn't expect him to sound so calm. "You're not mad with me?"
My question surprised him. I saw his eyebrow rise. "Why would I be angry with you?"
"Because I am alive," my voice was quieter than his. Li sighed heavily, looking as worn as my brother looked when I woke up.
"No, I am not angry that you are alive. The circumstances…I should have seen them coming. I should have known the others would awaken around you once I chose you as my Proserpina." Again, he said so much that I didn't understand. He glanced at my brother and glared, but not in a hateful manner. Rather, Li looked annoyed, as though he was dealing with a huge inconvenience.
"I'm sorry. I don't understand what you mean."
"That's alright. That will settle on its own, I came here for another reason."
"But I would like to know everything you're saying!" I argued. My voice was louder now, but my family didn't even stir from their slumber. I should have been more careful, but after the day I had, my patience was running thin. I didn't appreciate feeling so useless and ignorant. "This all involves me somehow. I would like to know."
At my small outburst, Li chuckled lightly. The sound was like music to me. I tried not to blush, but even the rare laughter from him made me feel more drawn to his being. "I forgot how feisty you can get."
"I'm not feisty!" I retorted, rather embarrassed. At school, I was always told I had great compassion and patience.
"Yes, you are. You rush into things. That's how you met Kero, remember?" He pointed to the golden cat, napping carefree by me.
"I…what did you mean when you said others would awaken around me?" I shifted the conversation back to where I wanted.
Li sighed and decided to move next to me. He lied down with ease, and I felt my skin burn up already. My heartbeat rushed ever so slightly, which was made more humiliating since the machine I was connected to displayed it. I calmed down while he had no problem relaxing, placing both hands under his head. I was rather surprised he fit, considering he was so tall and rather muscular, and the bed was not made for two people.
"When I gave you that necklace, it set things in motion. I chose you as my wife, my queen, and so you were named Proserpina."
I nodded at him, my face slightly less red. "Right."
"Well, when I did that, the Fates had decided to keep the balance. So, in order to keep the stories as is, they needed to bring the other deities, with the exception of the ones who are already reborn."
Despite his trying to explain, I didn't fully comprehend much. However, I didn't want to sound stupid to him, so I kept my confusion to myself. "Deities?"
Li smiled at me, gently grabbing my hand. "Yes, for instance, you and I are deities now. When I died and was given my job and powers, I became a deity, the one of the dead. I am my underworld's Pluto."
"Are there more than one?" The thought was ludicrous.
Li smiled at that, seeming to be always be amused by my questions. "Of course. I only manage the Underworld that corresponds to Japan, since it was the country I died in."
That was more information than I anticipated, but I tried to shake off the overwhelming feel of it. "And you said I am a deity? How?"
"That's because of me. I gave this you." He touched my locket, his hand far too close to the skin of my neck. Though the air was cold, I felt too warm under his touch. "When I gave this to you, it meant I chose you, marked you. And when you died, it more or less activated that decision. Do you remember Ruby talking about a symbol by your name?"
The memory of the beautiful and bright Ruby Moon would be hard to forget. "Yes, she said she never saw it before."
"That symbol was one of a deity. It made you official. But you had the powers of a deity latent inside you since you've had the locket. Since you're Proserpina, you have an attraction to all life. You went on about some garden in school. It's because you're good at vegetation, right? And all living creatures, animals, love to be around you, yes?" His eyes twinkled at me. I turned away, suddenly feeling very insecure.
"So you and I are the Pluto and Proserpina of this world, but that means that Ceres and Trivia are around, too." He went on. After noticing my confused expression, he continued. "Ceres was Proserpina's mother. She and Trivia, goddess of crossroads, went to look for her when Pluto took her, and they retrieved her. They're the ones who brought you back here. Can you guess who?"
I thought about what he had said. I didn't see anyone or had anyone grab me from the Underworld. I only looked out the window and heard…
"Touya-nii and Tomoyo-chan!" I exclaimed in hushed excitement. Li nodded at me.
"You brother and friend are Ceres and Trivia respectively. When you officially became a deity, their powers awakened, which allowed them to take you back." He sounded a bit bitter about this. "I don't know who else has been awakened, but I came here to ask you about something else."
"But Ceres was a mother...Touya-nii is a man..."
He understood where I was going with this. "Gender has nothing to do with it. Your brother is your devoted guardian and protector, much like how Ceres was to Proserpina."
He sat up suddenly, his brow furrowed with his eyes darkening for a reason I couldn't figure out. To me, he looked ready for a powerful battle. "Li, what's wrong?"
"I told you, I came here for something more grave. Sakura, before you died, did the pearl inside the locket change colors?" he asked, his eyes scanning me.
When he mentioned it, I suddenly remembered, surprised that I had forgotten about it in the first place. My hand enclosed the locket. "Yes…there was a cat on the street. It was about to be hit by the truck that killed me…but before that, my locket burned like it was on fire. I never opened it before, but I did at that moment. The pearl turned black."
What I said did not surprise him. At my words, he stood up again, looking out the window of the room, studying the night sky. Everything looked so peaceful, but the air around us had changed. The space the Li vacated felt cold and empty.
"I have to take care of things. Kero will be with you. When your pearl turns black, run away until it changes. Don't stick around."
"Why?" I suddenly felt anxious. Li didn't look scared, but he was far too on edge. "What's wrong?"
"Your death was not an accident. Someone made sure you died to set things in motion."
"But what about my locket?"
"When the pearl turns black, that means there is evil near you. When that happens, run away from it.
And then he was gone.
Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah: So, I start school in roughly two weeks again, so I am trying to crank out what I can before my updates become less frequent. But hopefully, things start to make more sense after some time. Please review, tell me your thoughts, questions, opinions, or what you had for dinner! Thanks for reading!