• Chapter 6

    After their encounter with Shinikaketeiru, Axl and Tsuki set out for the kings castle. On the way, they hardly talked at all each having thoughts of what happened outside of the forest. The fog had lifted by early afternoon revealing cloudy skies. Tsuki looks at the sky and thinks to herself, 'The sky is always cloudy. I've not seen a clear one ever since I was sent down. Is it a sign that the world is coming to an end? That the humans and demons will be destroyed, or does this mean that something even worse then the end is coming?'
    "Uhm, Ts-" before he could finish she had already ran into a tree.
    She falls backwards with blood trailing down her head.
    "Yeah, there's a tree there." he sits down beside her and bandages her head, "You should be more careful." he picks her up and begins walking. "I don't see how you could get stabbed and not be phased much yet you hit a tree and your out cold." he laughs, "Your such a weird girl."
    Axl walked along the path for hours until he finally realized night had fallen. He finds a good spot to rest and lays Tsuki down, "Your still out cold? How hard did you hit that tree anyway?" he puts his hand on her forehead. His eye widen, "W-What is this?"
    "So, your Tsuki? My you look a lot different then what I imagined you to be." it laughs, "Looks like Zetsumei and Intonami's daughter will finally die, on this very day you will die! I didn't want to kill you though, you seem like such a sweet girl, it's a shame really."
    "I won't go down so easily!"
    "Oh really?"
    "It takes a lot to get me down!" she growls.
    "Thank you for the info I'll put it to good use." it chants something and in an instant Tsuki had been stabbed in the heart throat and stomach, "Axl will be so disappointed to hear his beloved has been killed by-"
    Axl quickly pulls his hand away from her, "No, No, No, that's not true that...that's not true that won't happen. I must kill him, I must kill him before he can get to her." Axl begins tearing, "She won't, she won't, she won't, she would never die she can't die!" Axl kept telling himself this over and over.
    Tsuki wakes up, "....What's.....wrong....Axl?"
    He looks at her and just picks her up, puts her in his lap, and holds her.
    "Axl? What happened what's wrong?"
    "I....I....saw something...as I touched your forehead, I saw....."
    "What, what did you see?"
    "Your.......death." he looks away, "I didn't get to hear who it was because I pulled my hand away, but I did recognize the face."
    "Who was it that you saw?" it begins to rain hard.
    Axl says who it is, but she can't hear him over the rain, "What!!"
    He says it again, "I can't hear you!!!!" she yells.
    He picks her up and goes looking for a cave to sit in.

    * * *

    "You still haven't yet told me who you saw kill me." she smiles softly, "Are you going to tell me?"
    He doesn't answer, but looks away.
    She forces him to look at her, "Axl, tell me please."
    "I...I can't I just can't. I can't repeat it again."
    She puts her hand on his cheek and looks into his eyes, "Axl if you don't tell me I won't know, and I won't be able to avoid it when it comes."
    "I can't tell you I said, I just can't tell you the name of that person!! His name...his name it angers me everytime I say it or hear it!!"
    She kisses his cheek, "Let's get some sleep shall we?"
    "Yeah....."
    She frowns and fixes her pallet, "Sleep well." she lays down and falls asleep.
    Axl walks up to the entrance of the cave, he looks out at the rain and thinks of what he saw, 'What would make him kill her? What grudge does he have against her? I don't remember my village having any grudges on any demons. Why would he want to kill her why?' he looks at her and smiles, "I'll be back Princess." he walks out into the rain and heads into the forest.
    Axl had return by morning, Tsuki was still asleep, he made his pallet beside hers and fell asleep. It was early afternoon by the time he had woken up, he looked beside him and Tsuki was gone. He jolts up and looks around for her, "Tsuki!?" he gets up and walks around the cave, "Tsuki, where are you!!?" he runs outside and sniffs around for her sent. He follows it to a small creek where Tsuki is bathing below the waterfall, he hides behind a bush and watches her. 'She's so beautiful.'
    A tiny fox comes up beside him, he looks at it, "Well hi there little fella."
    "Mistress Tsuki won't be happy when she hears a man's spying on her while she is bathing."
    "Eh!? Did you just talk!?"
    "Yeah. Mistress Tsuki has foxes patrolling the whole area, to watch out for any attackers."
    "B-B-B-But she knows me." he laughs nervously.
    "We'll see what she says." it lays beside him.
    "Uhm....are you just going to lay there?"
    "Yeah, I must wait till the Mistress is done with her bath."
    "But why tell her I was looking at her bathe?"
    "If I'm correct, your considered a peeping tom."
    "P-P-Peeping t-t-tom!!!"
    Tsuki looks over at the bush, "Hmm?"
    Axl ducks below the bush.
    Tsuki shrugs and continues on with her bath.
    "Phew...that was a close one."
    "She's going to catch you, you know that right."
    "No, she's not I've seen her naked before I'm sure she won't mind."
    "That's what you think."
    "What do you mean?"
    It ignores him and takes a nap.
    "Hey are you listening to me?" he shakes it.
    "You'll see what I mean once she finds you." it laughs.
    "She won't find me." he looks over to where Tsuki should be, "......Uh oh."
    "She's gone?"
    "Yeah." he looks around for her.
    She sneaks up on him, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!"
    "Ahhhhhh!!!!" he jumps and falls back through the bush.
    The fox rolls around on the ground laughing uncontrolably.
    "H-H-H-H-H-Hi Tsuki U-U-Uhm I can explain."
    "You were spying on me weren't you."
    "Well I uh...I just came looking for you and found you here but I sure wasn't stareing at you." he laughs nervously.
    The fox stands up, "That's a lie, he was sitting here watching you for about ten minutes."
    "I was not!"
    "Yes you were I caught you and layed right beside you watching you."
    "You-I-Uhm....."
    A dark aura emises from her as she picks up a boulder.
    "Come on now Tsuki don't be harsh."
    "You little perv." she gets ready to drop the boulder on him.
    "Tsuki now come on don't you think that's a little too harsh!?"
    "Be lucky Axl." she throws the boulder behind him, "I'm going back to the cave if your coming then you better come now."
    "Right." he gets up and walks up to her, "But, I'm not leaving until you give me a reward."
    The fox walks up to him, "Now why would you need a reward?"
    "For being so special." he smiles.
    The dark aura comes back, "Your not getting any reward for nothing."
    "O-O-Okay."
    She begins walking back to the cave. Axl follows and thinks to himself, 'I guess she's still mad at me for spying on her. I hope she doesn't stay mad at me forever." he sighs.
    They reach the cave and Tsuki turns to Axl.
    "Yes, Tsuki?"
    "Why do you spy on me?"
    "Well cause I...well I like seeing you like that."
    "Does pervyness run in your family or something?"
    "Uhm.....no it does not."
    "Then how come your so dang pervy?"
    "Well I just am, I'm just being me."
    "Good enough." she sits down and pats the spot beside her.
    He walks over and sits beside her.
    She leans over and kisses his cheek.
    He looks at her and smiles.
    She smiles back.
    Axl puts a hand on both her cheeks, leans in, and kisses her.
    She kisses him back putting her hands on his shoulders. The kiss lasts for ten minutes. Axl breaks the kiss and whispers in her ear, "I love you Tsuki."
    She smiles and whispers back, "I love you too Axl."
    He wraps his arms around her and holds her.
    A little fox comes running in, "Mistress a pack of wolves are headed this way you must get out of here!"
    "A pack of wolves!?" she looks at the fox, "Are you sure they're wolves?"
    "Yes, I over heard them talking and one said they had found your sent and are on their way here as we speak!"
    A few growls come from the entrance. They look over and there are three wolves standing there, one white, one black, and one grayish blue. The white one transforms into a man with many scars and long white hair a white jacket and pants, only proof he's a wolf demon are his white ears and tail, "Are you Tsuki?" he asks.
    "Y-Yes. Who are you?"
    "My name is Akuma Mu-n. I have been looking for you, the one who will save this land." he bows.
    "I'm sorry but I'm only trying to save my clan not the world."
    "A wise one in our pack predicted a person shall save this world and bring peace back to it."
    "But he didn't say who?"
    "No, he said it'd be a female though."
    "So what makes you think it would be me?"
    "You're the only female who is trying to save something."
    "That doesn't mean I'm destined to save this world, this world is in perish because of my clan and everyone wants me and my clan dead. The world wants us out of here, make us nothing but a lost memory."
    "We wolves do not believe such a thing. I'm sure Axl knows what we're talking about." he looks at Axl.
    Tsuki looks at Axl, "Are you part of the wolf clan?"
    "........Yes, I am. I left there many years ago."
    "Then you believe what he says right?"
    He nods, "You are the savior of this world there is no denying it."
    "So is that why you're following me around? Is that why your being so nice to me?"
    "No, no, no, I'm only following you so I can help you, protect you, and be with you."
    "Sure...."
    "Tsuki I'm serious, I want to be with you, I want to protect you from everything that's out to kill you."
    Akuma continues on with what he was saying, "Anyway, You must have more people to accompany you on your travels."
    "Travels!? I'm only traveling to the humans village and back to my village."
    "The wise wolf said you would be traveling the world to find three men who are out to kill you."
    "Why would I want to look for three men who are trying to kill me!?"
    "That is all the wise wolf said." he bows, transforms back, and takes off running back to his cave with the two other wolves not far behind.
    Tsuki stands up and walks out of the cave to the small creek she was at earlier this morning, 'What could this all mean? Why would I be trying to find three men who are out to kill me? Common sense says that's not a good idea, anybody would say that's not a good idea. So why.....why would I do such a thing or why would such a thing happen?'
    Axl walks up behind her, ".....Tsuki.....is everything okay? Your not angry at me are you?"
    "No, I'm not I'm just thinking."
    "About what he said?"
    "Yeah."
    "He's telling the truth. Our elder wolf said that a female sent from the heavens shall save the land after enduring life and death."
    She smiles a sad smile, "I cannot help this world, I am not strong enough."
    "But, your from the heavens a place where immortals live a place of true beauty."
    "That's only a legend! The heavens I live in is much different then a humans heaven. A humans heaven is peaceful, beautiful, a place of everlasting life. My heaven is a place of destruction, chaos, a giant waste land, a place where not even the soul can live. Demons are not meant to ever go to Heaven they are meant to go to Hell! The heaven of a demon is a heaven of hell! Only a selected few become "Gods" the rest die, their souls devoured by sadness, hatred, sorrow, and soon.....nothing remains."
    "You're one of the selected few, you have to be that's what the elder said. You are the savior of this land the one who can stop this war."
    "The war was something the humans and demons created themselves, I can't help that, they must find out on their own that it is their fault they are at war! If they don't.....the war will continue until both are killed leaving nothing but dust."
    "Tsuki......"
    "This world doesn't need demons, and we know that this world is dying because of us. You should know that too, your a wolf demon!"
    "The world would be dead without demons, demons are keeping this world from being devoured by the humans. The demons who love nature they keep the humans from using to much resources. The sky demons, they keep the winds blowing for storms and cold days. The weather demons, they help keep the weather under control. You see without demons the world would already be dead."
    "The demons that have no special power like that don't need to be here!"
    "Tsuki what's with you all of a sudden!?"
    "Nothing, nothing at all." she laughs manically.
    "Tsuki you're scaring me."
    She looks at Axl with an intent to kill, "Am I now?" she takes a step closer.
    "Tsuki what's wrong with you!?" he takes a step away from her.
    "Come here Axl, Tsuki would like to hold you one last time." she walks towards him slowly.
    He stands his ground, "Your not Tsuki, your someone else!! Who are you? Why are you doing this!?"
    A demon with a black flaming kimono comes up from the ground followed by a black demon dog, "Aww, why'd you take away the fun?" he smiles evilly, "Oh well I have no use for her now." he waves his hand over her face.
    She falls to the ground her eyes soulless.
    Axl looks at her, "What'd you do?"
    "Nothing just..." he hold up her soul, "...took her soul."
    "Axl help me." her soul reaches out to him.
    "Let her go!"
    "Hmm....how do I put this......NO!!" he laughs and disappears.
    "Axl!!" she reaches her hand out to him once more.
    "Tsuki!" he runs and tries to grab her hand but she vanishes. He sniffs around for her scent, "Dang....her scent's disappeared." he closes his eyes and concentrates. A massive burst of energy flies in all directions. 'Seek out her spirit. Seek out her spirit.' he thinks to himself over and over. The massive energy converts itself into one blue misty trail leading to Tsuki. He opens his eyes a looks at where the trail leads, "I can't leave her body just lying here." he looks at her body, "Should I take it with me, or leave it at the cave?"
    A little family of foxes walk up to her body,"We will take care of the mistresses body."
    He nods and takes off after Tsuki, 'Hold on Tsuki I'm on my way.'
    A pack of wolves come running up beside him.
    He looks at them and skids to a stop.
    The wolves stop a little ways in front of him and look back.
    "Why are-"
    "Your not the only one who wants to protect her Axl." Akuma walks up to him and transforms holding his hand out, "I'll help you this once."
    Axl looks at his hand then looks up at him, "I don't need any help." he pushes him aside and begins walking.
    "She's a soul now, Axl you won't be able to help her if you can't fight off The Ruler of Hell and The Ruler of the Underworld. If she gets taken by either of them she will be lost forever." Akuma turns around, "No demon can fight them off, not even the strongest, once a demon is a soul they wander and wait for either Ruler of Hell or Ruler of the Underworld to take them away. Once they are taken....they can not return to this world." he begins to walk off, "Your going to need help Axl, you will die as well if you encounter them, you can't run from them once they have you." he disappears as do the other two.
    "If that's what it takes to rescue her..." he whispers to himself as he takes off again running at full speed.