Stay With Me

The Past begins

[Present]

I loved her. Her smile shown brighter then the light that slipped through the cracks in my walls of insecurity. I loved her spirit. The way she fought in battle, with glory and passion in those dark pools of her eyes that reminded me of the muddy battlefields she fought bravely on. The mud that her body lay on.
I loved her so much, it hurt to see her die in my arms. To see her look at me with regret and longing.So much longing and simply one regret. To hear her final words spoken out of still soft yet bloody lips.
"I wish I could've kissed you more.",
She whispered quietly for me and just for me.

Feeling her once warm hands on my tear stained cheek, I felt as if I were break into a million pieces under her touch.
It hurt to have her soul in my cold hands but slightly comforting to bask in the fading warmth.
Her brilliant and lively soul.
I still love her.

[Past]

In an era of war and constant death for whatever reason, my visits thrived commonly. I visited to guide the lost souls of the living world to safely deliver them to the afterlife.
Dead bodies and little orbs of light were normalcy to me. I had my duty after all so to be surprised by this is nearly nothing for me to worry about.

I stood in front of one of the orbs, scythe in hand. I held it in my palm. It's warmth enveloped my freezing hand. This is what I liked about my job, to know how it feels to be alive just by holding that orb. To know how pure this person must've been when they were still breathing.

Now their body is cold and dead but their soul is entirely different from their vessel. It feels nice.

Then I hear the soft clang of metal hitting against metal. I look up from the orb in my hand. It's a woman, one of the warriors who was involved in this battle. Her spiky ponytail is slightly messy and her body carries dirt and dry blood form her enemies and probably from her wounds. She's covered in scratches and there's a gash on her stomach but she isn't fazed by it which is strange.

She kneels down to her fellow warrior and she winces as she lowers herself to the ground. The gash must still hurt. I stare at her, curious of her actions. I've never been this close to a living, breathing human.

After all my years of collecting souls and dwelling in the living world, I've never interacted with one of these creatures. I've seen what they do to the things they don't understand. It frightens me to show myself, not of dying by their hands but of the people of this world rejecting me for who I am and what I associate with.

I am death. People don't fancy me very much. They think I'm cruel and ugly, I would agree but sometimes I know I can be beautiful. If they'd give me a chance. If they would notice me and what I stand for. I only offer protection to the souls so that they may travel to a better place. To heal the scars that have been inflicted by time.

She rips a large piece of her skirt and drapes the cloth onto the dead warrior's face.
"Rest in peace.I hope that you travel safely to the next world my friend."
She speaks as she leans her head down in respect. After she is done, she stands and she stares right at me, but she can't see me unless I want to be seen. To her she is only staring at empty air while I stare at her magnificent face.

I am breathless for a moment. Her eyes do not look like one of a warrior. They are too kind and caring. Soft and gentle with a pinch of sadness. Traits that can get you killed on the battlefield. I wonder how she's survived this far.

"Lady Yaoyorozu, shall we burry the bodies?",
A soldier questions. She stares at me a bit longer. Her bark colored pools dull for a minute. I wonder how many wars she's seen in those eyes. How many good friends and soldiers she's lost in battle. How many years must go by when she ends up making the wrong move that will eventually end her. When it's her turn for her soul to sit in my deathly palms.

"Yes.",
She replied with a tired smile. She stands, marches away with her back straight and chest puffing out like a true leader.
My curious gaze follows her walking form. The emotion I sensed the most was grief and she was swarming with it. She must be exhausted with all this useless fighting.

I look down at the soul in my hands. Is she as warm as this or possibly, even warmer? How would her eyes react if they looked at me? How would her skin feel under my finger tips. What would be her reaction if she knew what I was?

Would she be the first to judge me or would she not be fazed just like she wasn't fazed with her wound. I want to know. I want to feel her touch. I want to feel her eyes on me again.

[•••]

Day after day, after that encounter with that woman, my mind was infested with thoughts of her. So I did the unthinkable. I lingered during ongoing battles while in my fleshy human form. I was vulnerable and I knew I should know better but I couldn't help myself. I didn't linger as long as I would like to because of my vulnerability but that didn't stop me from pursuing her.

She was a warrior. The only way to find a warrior is on the battlefield where they belong. I searched for her in the crowd of clashing swords and war cries of soldiers. None of them were her.

I have lingered in so many battle fields hoping that she was standing there, wounds littering her body, catching her breath. Alive. Alive and safe but no such luck. She was never to be seen and it left a disappointing feeling in my chest. I was eager to meet her but never found her. I wondered if she had finally died on the battlefield but then I would've reaped her soul by now so she must still be alive.

I was bored and tired from searching as the days passed by. I stood at the line where the forest ended and where the battle was ongoing. I settled on the grassy floor, fiddling with my fingers for a while. I didn't dare look at the soldiers fighting, it was painful to look. I could barely handle the cries of wounded men and screams of the ones that are not willing to die so easily.

After a few moments, I softly sighed and stood up and begun to walk away without looking back. I heard a rustling in the bushes when I was a few feet away from the battlefield but paid no mind to it until I felt the cold metal of a blade touching my throat.
I heard footfalls and a shout, then I was face to face with those eyes I have longed to see again.

Hello! So the setting in the beginning paragraphs takes place in the present but the rest of the story will take place in the past when Jirou and Momo first met, etc. Most of the story will be in Jiro's point of view and she's a Goddess of Death and Momo is a warrior. If some parts don't make sense or if you don't understand, ask me so I can explain/edit.
Hope you enjoyed! ❤️