Growth and Malady

24 - Rui/Douma

Here, take a wholesome filler chapter (that totally isn't meant to distract you while I write more serious stuff)

Credit for the idea of this chapter goes to chaotickaza

TW: su*c*de

(Also, it's still nighttime when this chapter starts in Rui's POV)

I raced through the forest, using my webs to slice open obstacles in my way. I had to be somewhere, I felt it. But where?

I skidded to a stop, turning in a full circle to get my bearings. Nothing about the trees around me felt familiar. It was cold and dark, nothing moved in the still woods. Not a sound or scent could be found. I narrowed my eyes, breaking into a run once more.

The foliage flew by as I passed it, my haori tossed about in the air.

Where am I? Where am I supposed to go?

I spun on my heel, turning sharply to the left and continuing to run.

Just keep looking.

Just a moment later, a giant, fuzzy spider dropped from a tree in front of me. It's twisted limbs reached out in unnatural angles, making a sickening cracking sound as it hit the ground. I froze, staring at the creature in surprise. A sad chitter-whine came from it's head.

I was horrified to see it's pure white fluff turning red. My gaze dropped to the dirt, and I realized the red was blood. The poor thing had fell on a branch, splitting it's back open. It looked at me with it's eight eyes, an almost pleading expression crossing it.

Understanding what the arachnid wanted, I walked over to its head while stretching a web between my two index fingers. Moving almost automatically, I beheaded the thing, pitting it out of it's misery.

At the same time, I felt a sharp flash of pain in my own neck, like I was the one to have my head cut off.

I gasped, holding one hand to my throat as the pain passed.

Raising my eyes to look at my surroundings, I realized I was back where I started.

What? I set off walking in the opposite direction, periodically sniffing the air to see if I could scent anything.

In about half the time I spent running the first time, a cracking noise sounded above me. I jumped back just in time to avoid being crushed by another falling spider. It looked exactly the same as the previous one, except now it's black eyes were blue.

My heart dropped as I heard the same snapping noise, and blood began to pool around the spider.

"No no no, not again," I hissed, rushing to it's head, webs in hand. Right before I could do the same to this one, I hesitated.

I don't want to feel that pain again.

I got rid of the webs, instead sitting next to the spider and stroking one of it's legs.

"It'll be over soon, big guy." I told it, trying to sound comforting.

Why I thought it could understand me, I didn't know.

When it shuddered and fell still, I felt a shock in the center of my spine. It was like something had punched my back open, and ripped my spine apart in the process. Tears pricked my eyes, and the forest changed again.

I was back in the tiny clearing I had started in.

"NO!!" I shouted as my senses cleared. Staying where I was, I buried my head in my hands. "If I don't move, nothing will happen."

The moon slowly set, making way for the sun to rise above the trees. In the time it took, three more spiders died at my hands, with my webs. Each time, I tried to make their deaths as painless as possible, but it only got worse and worse. Finally, when the last one was dead, I waited. No oversized arachnids fell from the canopy, no deaths for my webs to be responsible for.

Without warning, I was teleported high into the air.

Panic set in as my stomach dropped, and I hit the ground. The same noise reached my ears, and a piercing yelp left me as I felt a sharp jab in my lower back, followed by terrible pain.

I tried to move, but it soon dawned on me that I couldn't move. Only my arms and hands were capable of moving. Realizing what I could do, I spun a strong web, holding one end in each hand. Taking a deep breath, I brought it down in my neck.

I awoke with a jolt.

Slowly, I brought my knees up to my chest, resting my head in my arms. At first, only a couple tears fell. A minute later, they were streaming down my cheeks like waterfalls.

A soft knock sounded from my door. After a moment of no response, it slid open.

"Rui?" Douma rushed to sit next to me and wrapped his arms around me comfortingly. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, not in the mood to share. "Nightmare."

"Aw, I'm sorry." He pulled me closer to him, petting my hair in the way he knew I liked.

My adoptive father began to hum a sweet lullaby, one that he clearly didn't know very well. When we got to a bit where he know the words, he sang.

"Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird," he started, "and if that mockingbird don't sing, he'll buy you a diamond ring..."

"And if the ring turns to brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass," this went on for a minute, Akaza miraculously not waking to the sound of Douma singing. Halfway through the song I began to calm down, quickly settling and listening.

"Lalalalalala, hush little boy don't you cry..."

Switch to Douma's POV

When I finished my song, Rui was fast asleep against my side. I smiled down at the little demon, laying him down gently in bed. I exited the room as quietly as I could, brushing a few strands of my blonde hair out of my face as I returned to Akaza-dono and I's room.

Sliding the door shut behind me, I climbed back into bed beside Akaza, hugging his sleeping form close to me once again. The shorter grunted in annoyance, batting half heartedly at me in his sleep.

Chuckling in amusement, I grabbed his wrist and held it over his stomach, pressing my face into his short hair.

"I love you, Akaza-dono~" I muttered sleepily.

"Mmmmm... luv you too..."

Drifting off to sleep, I sighed silently, ruffling Akaza's hair.

I wonder what Rui's nightmare was about, I wondered.

I hope it wasn't too awful.

Okay- I might have lied a tiny bit at the start, but... still kinda fluffy, right?

...

Right?

...

No?

...

Just wait til the end of the book, it's super fluffy!