"You know I can hear you…" she said, rolling her eyes, listening to the jungle.
"Whatever do you mean?" Aya spoke, looking over her shoulder. She giggled. The others just shook their heads.
"She is very pretty," Nya said with a nod. "Such beautiful golden eyes."
"So is…" Mikoto tried not to blush, remembered the little one making its way through the longhouse, and crawled into bed next to Nya last night.
"But mine is the prettiest? Of course." Aya spoke. Mikoto could hear the smile in her voice. "I can't believe you'd even compare yours to Gullah. " she puffed her cheeks. Gullah sighed, shaking her head, listening to the jungle, not the conversation.
"She's not mine," Mikoto answered. "She can't be…I mean." feeling the anxiety building.
She had felt it since she'd seen her. Golden eyes, the color of her hair, and the small scales over her body. She couldn't be hers. It had only been a very short while. But knowing what she'd been told about the reproductive ways of this world. Chewed into her like a snake swallowing prey. What would Anastasia think? What would she say? Had she been unfaithful?
"she wouldn't care? As long as you are fine, then that's all that counts" little misaka whispered." And besides. She grinned, "ours is definitely prettier"
Mikoto groaned.
"She's yours," Aya whispered. "They are never wrong." She answered pointedly. Her eyes were narrowed and sharp, like a bird of prey. Her knuckles were white as she gripped her spear.
"No…" Mikoto whispered, trying to bury what she felt was true. To convince herself. "she's not… she can't be…. I don't want to have anything tying me down. When it's time to leave. I won't be staying." Biting her lip hard, blood trickled from her mouth.
"Time with them is precious and quick. So don't think of it …just do it." Aya said, "One full cycle, and then they are gone." Slowing, and kneeled to the ground. "One full cycle, and then they are gone. "Echoing inside her.
"What is a full cycle?" Mikoto raised her head, eyes staring. She quickly sniffed, and the smell of death was near and pungent. "Is it a raider?" She asked, moving to pass Kea.
Kea reached out and took her wrist, shaking her head, not saying a word. But her expression bore remorse and sadness. Mikoto swallowed, feeling the emotions rolling in her grip. She had had another dream the night before. An intense and short one. It left her breathing heavy, skin flush and shocked, and feeling warm wetness between her legs. And the one making her this way was holding her by the wrist. Worry and fear flooded and overwhelmed her. Quickly pulling her arm away, "Kea! Don't!" Holding her own wrist with her other hand and glared. And just as quickly, her eyes soften, cheeks a soft pink. "I just…. I'm sorry."
"It's not her fault" little misaka sighed with her answer. "Right now, I can't find anyone sneaking inside. So just take it easy."
She moved to the front and looked over Aya's shoulder. Nya and Gullah closed their eyes and sighed.
"What? It's just a little one..." she said, frowning. "What? Wrong?" looking over at them. seeing the sadness.
It was smaller than the ones that visited last night, its colors faded and translucent, eyes fixed and dull. She smelled and knew.
"Why? Is?"
Aya gently touched its face and belly. Her eyes watering. She sighed softly. "She couldn't find a strong one, so it has passed." She said, wiping her eyes.
"Passed?" Mikoto felt a lump in her throat, a pinch in her chest. "Passed?" It was so casual. So unemotional.
"You mean it's dead," Mikoto spoke. They nodded.
"But… they just come out of nowhere, touch you and run? You're telling me it couldn't…."
A faint chirp, her ears pricked, a pinch in her chest, and Mikoto stepped off the path, quickly pushing aside a heavy bush. Another was curled into a ball, eyes glimmering, mouth moving slowly. "It's a runt… that's what you're saying. It wasn't fast enough, daring enough, and now it just dies! Can't you just… touch it?" it's pleading dark eyes rolled over, a faint smile on its thin mouth. Mikoto gritted her teeth. Looked over her shoulder, "Kea! Come over here, and…" she pointed.
Kea walked over, kneeled next to her, and shook her head." What do you mean?" shocked, she grabbed her wrist and put her hand on the little one's belly. "Come on!" Frantically holding Kea's hand in place. Then let go and gently touched its cheek with her trembling hand over and over. "This isn't right," a softer chirp and its eyes rolled and met hers. And it smiled, and its heart stopped. Tears welled in her eyes, fist clenched as she stood and growled. "This is not right!" Squeezing her eyes, "they are born to die if they…" biting her lip, she stood straight, head bowed, tears running down her cheeks.
"I take in runts all the time. What's the problem!" she screamed inside her head. Little misaka covered her ears. Mikoto clenched her jaws. Her black nail dug into her palms, bleeding, and healing. The blood reabsorbed. The deeper the wound, the tighter her fist got.
"It is how it has always been," Aya said.
She was on the path, looking over. "It is the way the gods and goddesses have made us."
"Fuck them…" her eyes turning crimson. "I don't care… you just create something like this on purpose. I mean…" taking a breath, she raised her head, stared up with eyes welling with tears to the treetops, watching patches of blue moving with the winds. They were coming soon.
"We should bury them then…." Mikoto closed her eyes, exhaling to calm herself. "There is no need." She heard Aya say. "What?" Mikoto's eyes opened thin as a razor, her voice devoid of remorse. "Look?" Aya spoke, moving her head for Mikoto to look at the one by the path. "Its body loses its form like water then disappears into the dirt." She said, watching the process take place.
"Like it never existed." Little misaka said coldly. "Quite efficient, if you ask me."
"I didn't ask you!" She growled.
She felt her intent before she did it. Kea wanted to hold her hand. Seeing her struggling. "Don't! Touch me!" Striking out, her nail turned black, eyes cold and crimson.
She slammed her hand across the tree, a thunderous explosion tearing through it like nothing. Splinters and chunks flew out into the jungle. The tree shimmied and swayed and leaned towards them, she tapped it with her finger, and it fell away and crashed to the ground. Not even watching the devastation, she growled at the little one at her feet.
"I don't care!" She dropped to her knees and gently picked up the little one, feeling death all over it." I will not forget you. " And leaped high into the jungle and disappeared.
"Is this what it will be like for me? To die here and be forgotten? Is that your plan?"
"No," she answered.
They were standing over a small mound of dirt. A little stone as a marker. She had her hand over her mouth and nose, her eyes red and swelled. The lines of tears slowly glimmer and fade. The young, plain-looking woman by her side, eyes warm, dark, serene, and forgiving, had her hand on Mikoto's shoulder. Mikoto glared from the corner of her eye. The young woman's smile curled. "It is not your time for me to take you."
Mikoto huffed." I will kick your ass. If you think I will go quietly."
"I would expect no less than that from you."
"Why do you let this happen? To be born and to die alone and unknown?"
"It is not the way of things." She said," this is what they do."
"Who?"
"The gods and goddesses of this world." She said." I'm sure Gem,"
Mikoto interrupted. "How do you know her name? I haven't even…."
"They all have names." She spoke. "a name is given from the moment they are born." She smiled." I whispered yours to your mother when she cursed your father for getting her this way and not being there. BASTARD!?" The young woman clenched her fist and yelled.
"That sounds like something mom would do…"
"It was. I was there."
"Eh?"
"I was passing by," she shrugged, "and felt you coming and thought I'd say hi. " she cocked her head, took her hand off her shoulder, and finger waved. "Hi, Mikoto"
She waved her hand over the mound, and a soft light rose from the earth, hovering as she cupped it in her palm. Light shined through her closed fingers and disappeared.
Mikoto thinned her eyes. "Did you just eat a soul?"
"No," the young woman smiled crookedly. "I'm sending it on its path. "
"Am I going to die here?" She asked. "I don't want to die alone, turn to dust and blow away in this world." Pinching her nose, burying the tears. Her stomach twisted, and something heavy gripped her heart.
"Is that your problem?" she asked. "miss tree destroyer."
"Pretty fucking big problem!"
"Nice language." She said with a smile, "what would you do if I could tell you that? If I said yes, would you just run and hide in the jungle or those near-perfect springs? If I said no, would you take unnecessary risks, saying to hell with everything because I will not die?" She laughed and turned, leaned closer, and sniffed.
"You will not be dead in the next ten minutes," she said, putting her finger to her mouth. "Maybe?" She shrugged. "You've got company." Slowly fading into the ether.
"Wait!" Mikoto quickly asked, "do you know anything about these dreams I have?"
"Dreams?!" the young woman reappeared behind and leaned over her shoulder. "What kind of dreams?" Her warm, dark eyes sparkled.
"The kind that…" she mumbled and blushed.
The young woman blushed, cupped her cheeks, then thinned her eyes seductively. "You will have to tell every single perverted detail…" she laughed and disappeared.
Kea walked silently through the jungle. And stopped with her head tilted, ears pricked tight she listened until the plain-looking woman faded. Her green eyes flickered in the mix of shadows and light. A worried look on her face. Mikoto took a breath and smelled her. "She could be an assassin?" Little misaka said. "You can come out now, kea," Mikoto said, reaching down and picking up the small stone. she carved the name GEM in Japanese. Kea, by her side, looked into her eyes, asking without saying a word. Asking why?
She held her tears in check, running her tongue slowly over her lips, swallowing the fear growing inside. She kneeled, gently place the stone on the mound, closed her eyes, and cupped her hands in reverence. "Because she deserved something rare and special."
Taking a breath, wiping away something that had gotten in her eye. Kea, without hesitation, took Mikoto's hand and held it. Mikoto looked down at that young girl, becoming more adult each day. She squeezed her hand. Nodded, closed her eyes, "I'm fine." She lied.