Nezushi House Spirit

Ethereal

The day went about as well as Nezumi had planned. The creatures in the forest really trusted Shion. They came out whenever he walked the path.

Things Nezumi had never seen before would move along with the spirit. It was obvious he wasn't a part of this world. Nezumi sat on the outskirts looking inside. This was some magical place.

Nezumi sat back, one leg hooked over a fallen tree as he watched the pale house spirit. Shion mended the leg of a wounded beast creature. He washed blood from a scrape on a pixie. He gave some herbs to a mother with children hanging all about her. He instructed her on the right way to heal the sick baby in her arms.

"You truly are from another world." Nezumi whispered as the house spirit made his way back to him.

Shion gave him a small smile. "This is the only world I have ever known. I was born here upon this isle. I have never left." The pale boy picked up his walking stick. He didn't wait for Nezumi to join him.

As Shion walked away, Nezumi watched. Those he helped keep an eye on the kind hearted creature that came by to assist them. They ambled off on their way, but Shion was kept somewhere in the center of them. Nezumi hurried to catch up to the spirit of the inn.

They completed a circuit of the island. The light was beginning to fade. Nezumi was growing hungry, lunch had been so long ago. He opened his mouth to call to Shion. He thought it was more than time to head back to the inn. Before a single word could slip from his lips, Shion vanished.

"Shion?" Nezumi cried out.

It wasn't like when the house pulled him back. Shion had some time to warn Nezumi then. This was as if he stepped into a world Nezumi could not see nor enter. He rushed forward. The place where he last saw the slightly glowing paleness of the spirit. Nezumi held one hand before him while he gripped the walking stick tightly in the other.

His reaching hand touched some hanging vines. Oh, maybe Shion just ducked behind these. Nezumi brushed them back he was stunned to see nothing but darkness on the other side. He let go of the trailing vines. As his hand was searching for anything that could exists in the opaque darkness, disembodied fingers curled around his wrist.

With a cry of shock, Nezumi was pulled forward. He fell into the darkness. The brief moment as his body passed from one world to the next, had him closing his eyes. He didn't see the transition. There was a gentle laugh nearby. A soft hand touched his cheek.

"Open your eyes, silly." Shion's voice floated around him.

Nezumi smirked. There was something very intimate being here with his eyes closed. Shion was so near. He tugged the hand those slim fingers still hung onto. Shion let out a surprised squeak as he lost his balance. Nezumi had already planted his feet to catch the added weight.

"Why should I open my eyes, when to kiss you I need to close them anyway?" he teased.

"You can't kiss me here." Shion insisted.

He fought a bit to pull back away from Nezumi. That was when the dark haired human opened his eyes. It was as if he were truly in a different world. Long strands of purple vines hung down around them. It cut out the island they had been on. Twinkling lights dotted the vines adding a glowing white blueness to the space.

Nezumi turned slowly. There was a large tree behind him. One of his feet were sat against a root poking up from the dirt. Before him sat two fairly large stones. One was a deep red color as if the earth vomited up a hair ball. It nearly flamed hot just by looking at it. The other was a soft white with tiny sparkles of something glistening through it. Behind them was what looked like a ruin of some building.