Chapter Text
Butterflies are pretty things. Their lives short yet filled with so much. Starting in one state and working hard to get to the next. They take flight to find a mate and a place to nest.
Some can still eat as a butterfly while others cannot.
Then there were Hell Butterflies.
These anomalies that flit through the realms on dark wings. Few could sense their presence. They exist and Shinigami have found uses for them. Guides for spirits between worlds, couriers to deliver papers and small objects, and aids traveling the Dangai. Reality seemed to bend just a little as these creatures flap their wings.
They were filled with an energy only found in a single realm… Hell. Those who know of this energy call it Phosphoplasm.
Niyoko knew none of this.
No all she knew was that she loved these strange creatures. Sensing their energy so akin to that which she held. Energy that reminded her of the world before this one. The Runes radiated from these butterflies in ways she and her family once cultivated so long ago. Cultivate the land, and Runes will swell. It was a simple cycle.
Yet here…
Something was wrong with the plants of this world. Or rather… With how people grow them.
She could sense it in the Fruit and Vegetables she would get for their groceries. They had absolutely no raw Runes. No energy that the body could convert into their own. It was so bizarre…
Something welled in her soul as she thought about it. That yearning her mother always described. Seeing barren land that should be filled with Runes. It was weak, just an itching in her chest. Every time she picked up any crops it would well up… That need to fill the land with Runes…
Pushing energy into already grown crops is a useless endeavor. Like coating carrots in honey thinking the sweetness would sink into the flesh all the way to the core.
While she couldn’t do it to the land?
These butterflies?
They were ravenous.
Small black butterflies radiating a small pulse of Runes. Flitting about, drawing close to her whenever she was near.
It took a while before she decided to do something about it.
Standing at the edge of the river. She took a seat on the little pier. Looking around she saw several butterflies flutter away from the flowers they sat on to come close.
She held a finger out, waiting to see if…
It didn’t even hesitate. The smallest of the butterflies landed on her finger. Its wings slowly flapped once, twice, then went up to rest. Its little Antennae perked up as it looked up at her. Crawling a little further up from the tip of her finger to the middle.
“Hello little one,” she muttered softly, “you feel a lot like me… Are you from the same world as me too?”
Hope, just a little hope, sparked in her soul.
It didn’t respond to her question… she didn’t expect it to either really. It was a Butterfly after all…
Both antennae twitched some before it crouched down on her finger. A little Proboscis unfurled from its face. She felt a pinprick of pain as it sucked at her. Its proboscis didn’t touch her finger, hovering just a little away. Seeming to be sucking at the energy from her soul instead of anything physical.
It was a miniscule drain, like filling a single seed before it was planted. In the past she could fill hundreds before feeling any real drain.
Based on how much its sipping she’d estimate a few dozen could sip at her energy safely.
Looking to the other butterflies patiently waiting, she lifted her hand palm up. “Its alright. I don’t mind feeding all of you.”
The others were quick to land on her hand and have their own sips. Each one took about the same amount of energy… Slow drain but still a consistent amount. Once full they took off. Only the first one stayed with her… Fluttering up to land on her hair. It settled into her hair, gripping tightly so even if she was jerked around it wouldn’t be moved.
Once she got home with the little cutie it fluttered away from her hair. Settling in the corner of the room. It settled onto the ceiling, its wings curling up into a near Chrysalis-like shape.
The chrysalis was mostly black with little red lines where the wings merged. It remained completely still where it remained. She couldn’t see through it to see if it had that liquid most Butterflies are supposed to have…
Based on the books she read… it didn’t seem like Butterflies were supposed to go back into a chrysalis form either…
Over the next few days more Butterflies flocked to her. As if the first set spread the word letting others know where they could find food. Most flew away while a few remained with her.
They flew up to the same corner as the first to make those strange Chrysalis shapes.
A week after their weird… Little thing…
She saw one of the Chrysalis opening up slowly. From within grew a green stalk. At the end of it was a closed bud of some sort, white petals curled up tightly. The other Chrysalis soon followed. Each one a tightly closed bud…
“Creepy flowers…” Niyoko muttered as she stared at the strange blooms. Wondering if she should stop feeding them her energy and get them out of the house… or to keep it up to see what will happen…
Trying to feel out for her partner for his opinion but… found nothing like usual. That weird barrier separating them kept her from contacting him in any way…
Sighing softly she shook her head…
“May as well keep it up…”
Weeks passed as the flowers slowly opened. About Three weeks after they formed the blooms had fully opened.
It took a lot of asking around for her to find out what kind of flowers these were… White Chrysanthemum.
As the Blooms reached their peak, hell butterflies came fluttering in frequently. They took no energy from Niyoko, instead focusing on the flowers. Taking the pollen and spread it around. Seeming to be determined in this task…
Their determination to pollenate the Flowers made her try something…
Growing a little flower box in the old way. Filling the Seeds and water she fed the growing plants with her Runes. Mostly flowers but she also grew a couple tomatoes and a patch of Basil.
About three, maybe four weeks after the pollination frenzy, there was another change. Seeds dropped from the flowers. Each one dropped onto the ground and bounded a little. Soon they simply lay on the ground.
It was odd…
She didn’t want to let them just… Lay there…
Checking her closet she found an old cloth butterfly habitat. It was from last year. Every child was given a little box of Silk Moth eggs to raise. The local Silk Worm Farm set it up for them. Something they did every year really… Once the moths were grown they were taken to the farm to let them breed the next generation of worms.
She (and most of her class) got to keep the Butterfly Habitat after it all happened since it was cheep and easy to throw out.
It was this cage she gently put the weird seeds into. Noting how the seeds felt cold to the touch. Just like that stranger, the Butterflies and Akari…
Weird…
A few days later, less than a week?
The seeds opened up to reveal tiny red caterpillars with black eye spots along their lengths. Dozens, if not a hundred or more of them crawled all over the Butterfly Habitat. It was rather cute.
After a bit of Fenagling, she managed to put a Tomato plant in the habitat. Glad the little Caterpillars took to eating the leaves greedily.
A month later the Caterpillars started to form their Chrysalis. She put in a lot of sticks after the first couple used the tomato plant… Worried too many of them would fall off the tomato’s weak stem as it leaned too far to one side.
Not minding as the adult Butterflies seem to swarm her more often at this stage. Many of them sipped greedily at her energy. It seemed even they were waiting to see if the caterpillars would grow. Their wings fluttered more rapidly of late…
Sitting on the edge of the old pier she looked across the rapidly flowing water. Just enjoying the warm summer air. A Sketch book lay in her lap filled with pictures of the Butterflies and those strange monsters. A Plum tree provided the perfect shade for her.
Rustling fabric met her ear as someone sat close by.
Glancing up she noticed the stranger…
“Stalker,” she deadpanned. Huffing in annoyance at his presence.
“Hmmm? Ah… you noticed?” he mused idly.
She looked down to her Sketch book, “it was… kinda obvious… The monsters I see keep vanishing not long after I notice them… Not always but often…”
“I see… you are very observant for a child. Why is that?” he asked idly. Attention drawn to the sketch she was working on. It depicted one of the monsters she mentioned. A rather small reptilian one that was at the park just yesterday.
“I don’t know you,” she huffed. Why was he so interested in her? It was… odd… She looked to him out of the corner of her eye. Curious yet warry.
“That is fair. How about… A question for a question?” he proposed, holding a hand out to her. A small smile on his lips as he stared her in the eye.
She looked between him and his hand, “promise? You can’t break a promise you make to me,” she warned. Even if she was only part Yokai that was still enough for their magic to flow through her… Deals? Yokai thrived on making them. Any deal made would be kept on threat of well… it depends on how strong it is.
He chuckled, amused at her claim. “Alright. I promise to answer any question you ask of me to the fullest extent of my ability for this little game of ours. And you in turn will answer any question I might have for our little game?”
“And more of these… games… if we have them in the future,” Niyoko said firmly, giving him a fierce little pout.
“Yes. If we have more of these exchanges, we will both keep a vow of truth,” he agreed.
Niyoko took one long moment to look at him before nodding. Shaking his hand firmly. Surprised at how neutral it felt. Neither cold nor hot just… Comfortable…
Runes swirled around their hands. Black bubbles of varying sizes bloomed into existence before sinking into both their wrists.
“Now then… Do you have a question to start?” he mused, tilting his head with that little smirk. His hand dropped from hers to rest in his lap with the other hand.
Blinking a moment, Niyoko considered that… there was a lot she could ask honestly… But what to start with… “Can you… no… Will you please tell me about those Monsters?” she asked.
“A good question to start with. Assessing threats to your safety and that of those you hold dear I assume… Let me see…
To start with, they are called Hollows. You may consider them to be Evil Spirits in a way. Souls left to linger in the World of The Living so long they corrupt. A mask forms as they change. The hole represents the Heart they lost in the changes. The mask hides their face from the world as they resort to a state of pure instincts. They are insatiable. Hungering for souls to fill the void within them. These beings grow stronger as they devour souls and other Hollows.
Is that Adequate information or do you desire to know more about them?” he asked.
“I… I think that’s enough… for now…” Niyoko offered softly.
“Then it is my turn… Do you know what you are child?” he asked, pointing at her chest where her heart lay.
“What… I am?” she asked softly. Earth Mate came to mind first, an Earth Dancer is what her homeland called her kind. “I… I don’t know if you would know even if I told you…” she admitted.
“Then I would not mind an explanation as well,” he nodded softly, eyes closing briefly. Looking to her, expecting her answer in turn.
“An Earth Dancer,” she started. His eyes held no light of familiarity, “We are… Deeply connected to the Energy of the world… Runes. It’s a lot different from the energy I feel in the air and from you… like… something was added to the runes to change them… not the Elements I knew before… something different… I don’t know how to put it… don’t have anything to help me understand and manipulate Runes like before… Purifying Runes and helping them thrive is the purpose every Earth Dancer holds deep in their soul… Usually Earth Dancers will farm crops to develop the Runes in the earth… those crops are eaten and develop the strength of people, Monsters and Animals. When they use abilities or die those runes are released into the air. Then it cycles through again. Without earthmates the world stagnates… n then the land is reset by Dragons like Mihoshi Habaki. I don’t know why they reset it all… they just do if Earth Mates and Earth Dancers fail their purpose.” Reset… it was the only way the world could have changed so much from when she was alive before… Resets of not just her land but the whole world… maybe worlds? The Realm of Demons has changed immensely, grown so large! No longer a land of refugees warped by the strange Runes… it had become something truly special…
She hadn’t seen what the World of Illusions is like yet…
Hasn’t visited Mihoshi Habaki…
Gods…
“I see… Could I ask you to demonstrate these abilities? Authenticity can be proven with action,” he proposed.
“Is that your question?” she asked, raising a brow.
He raised a brow, looking amused by her retort. Letting out a sigh as if exasperated… “Yes yes. I will let this be my question.”
Niyoko nodded, setting her art supplies in her little school backpack before standing up. Stretching a little bit to limber up. It had been a while since she performed this ritual…
Looking to the plum tree she broke off a branch that looked just right… “My… My mentor used a branch when she first started out. I always learned to use a fan for this,” she admitted before stepping away from him. Mentor… heh… When did she stop calling her previous mother well… Mother?
Masaki though…
Masaki was far more present in her life… Active and truly loving… Never too busy for her…
She moved her foot in a half crescent as she flowed Runes into the Branch. Letting her energy flow into the area around her. The air itself seemed to dance with flickers of firefly lights.
“I offer these humble words… Great Power that dwells within this Spirit… May your Divine Glory shine forth and bless us all forevermore!” She chanted. The words were simple. Merely a conduit for her will. Her desire made manifest.
Red petals and treen energy swirled around the branch. Gold firefly like glimmers flitted around her form.
The Butterflies fluttered away from her as she chanted. Flying around her energy with careful bats of their wings. Each settled somewhere out of her range. Watching the first Earth Dancer Ritual in far… far too long.
Reality seemed to breath.
Micro cracks in the fabric of reality opened up showing scenes of Hueco Mundo, Hell and Seireitei all seen through these tiny tears. Then they closed with a high pitched, almost Zipping sound.
The Spirit’s eyes went wide as the energy flowed through him. Clutching his chest as a dark energy was forced out of him. Filling him with a different lighter energy he had never experienced before. It was…
The rapid change of energies in his body made him bleed. Thick rivulets of blood flowed from his eyes. He coughed, splattering blood across his hand and the grass before him.
The Stranger took two deep breaths before he fell unconscious…