[TWWM] Those Connected by Fate

Location: India

The cold wind whipped along the ground, tossing broken twigs and leaves at their legs. It was icy cold today, but no snow had fallen in a while, leaving the ground bare and hard. They had trekked down the hills and away from the forest, on their way into town. After months of sacrificing his health and happiness to stay with Sauvi, she had finally convinced him to return home for a time, worried that he was in pain and weakened from his long stay in the forest. He argued that her happiness was more important, because she was tormented so by her emotions and fears, but she couldn't stand to see him longing. She set aside her fears for the day and followed Kaito along, watching in awe as they'd crossed over the invisible edge of their biomes. As the familiar feeling of the forest faded from her, she'd felt her grapes and leaves fade away, leaving her feeling very hollow...she felt light and thin... in a bad way. She felt as if the wind could snuff her out, like a candle. She pushed her feelings away and reminded herself to focus on Kaito today.

Kaito was nervous, he was afraid of the effect this might have on Sauvi, but also he was worried to see his home after all this time. What would it be like now? They had visited his home once before, and tidied up a bit, but with Sauvi's spirit and mood declining lately, he was so worried to return. When they had crossed into the developed biome, his branches had unfurled, revealing themselves to Sauvi again, once again reminding her of everything that Kaito was giving up to be with her in the forest was a reality check for Sauvi. She felt her deep guilt churning again. It was a struggle to remain positive, but she shook her head. "Focus on Kaito, today is about Kaito feeling better." she told herself, "Why am I so selfish...why do I keep thinking about myself only..." 

Kaito's voice entering her mind jarred her out of her thoughts. He was walking a short distance ahead of her, and had neared a road. "Look, its just up there on the hill!" the excitement and happiness in his spirit right now made everything feel alright, and Sauvi noticed a warm light begin pouring out of the fountain on his back. A peaceful calm swept over her, it felt like a warm hug.
"Oh? Where?" she said, trying to feel better. She scampered up beside him and squinted at the hills before them.
"See how the road winds up the side of this hill? There, up at the top!"
"Oh! Yes I remember now! I see it!"


They climbed the hill with a slow and steady purpose, and as they neared the top, the Japanese style mansion came into view. Its architecture and colors were completely different from the buildings down the hill in town. Kaito led her to one end, where a smooth white wall curved away from them. Grass was grown up alongside it, and ivy hid most of the edges. "

"It looks like no one has been here to trim back the overgrowth again..." he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.
"Aw... its still pretty though!" she said, peering ahead.
He padded slowly along the wall, and came to a arched opening. "Come, I'll show you my favorite place in here," he said, leading the way. 

It was cold and icy, but the wind couldn't reach them in here, so it felt a bit warmer. The edges of everything seemed a bit soft, a layer of lichen and moss having crept along and tried to reclaim the human places. Kaito led her to a little pond in the corner. It was frozen. He brushed his paw along the ice, clearing the fog and peering in. "At least they took the fish out before the freeze...that would of broken my heart."
"Fish?"
"Yes, there used to be several large beautiful Koi fish in here. My father's men must of taken them out and returned to Japan when I... disappeared."
"Oh..."
It was quiet for a moment, Sauvi thought it was an awkward silence, and felt bad about it, until Kaito broke the silence. "Its wonderful isn't it?
"Oh? What is?"
"The quiet..."
She looked, seeing him with his eyes squinted nearly shut, snout aimed at the sky, just...absorbing the silence. She mimicked his pose and tried to feel it.
She heard the breeze hissing through cracks in the wall, and a bird in the distance. It was nice, but not exactly silent. "Its nice, yes."
"Here! Let me show you my absolute favorite spot here." he stood, turning away from the pond and walking along the hard frozen sand.
"This sand is usually so soft and warm. I've never been here in the winter, its a summer home sort of. A vacation spot."
"Ahh." she nodded in understanding.
He led her across the sand and towards the farthest corner of the garden. The mossy ground was carved against the sandy area in a soft curve, it was obviously by human design, but also seemed to feel fluid. It was a sand path, it led around a tree in the corner. Following him, she saw that the path led to the back-side of the tree, which was suprisingly completely open. It was a hollow trunk! She backpedaled for a moment and looked again at the front of the tree. It looked fine, completely whole. But it wasn't, it was completely hollow. She returned, peering inside. It was quite large, large enough for a small bench-shaped stool to be propped inside. There were some small stacks of stones balanced nearby, and the inside of the tree had hundreds of intricate carvings. Animals and lettering and swirls. It was beautiful. 

"I would spend hours out here, listening to nature, writing, studying, carving..."
"Its...beautiful Kaito."
"Its my favorite place on earth. I am grateful that my spirit holds on so tightly to this place."
"We should come here more often." she said, trying to hide the pain she was in, it didn't work.
"No. We won't come again."
"Why?"
"Because you are more important to me, and though you try to hide it, I can tell how much it hurts you to be so far from the forest."
"I don't want to feel this way though. I want you to be happy too Kaito!" she exclamed, frustrated that she was so easy to read.
"Its alright. Yes, this place is incredibly dear to me... but that should show you just how much I love you Sauvi." He said, his voice carrying only truth. 

She couldn't stop the tears by now, and one slunk down her cheek guiltily. "I don't want to take this from you though..."
"We can make our own garden, in the forest."
"We can?"
"Oh sure, why not? It has moss and trees and water too, and it will be even more dear to me because we'd have made it together. 

The fact that she could tell he wasn't lying was a comfort to her, even as her spirit screamed to return to the forest. She felt as if her form was paper thin, hollow, shaking as if by a quake. Was her words trembling as she spoke? She was nearly afraid to continue for fear of upsetting him.
"Don't worry. We'll return in just a moment."
Quietly he walked into the hollow tree and reached up, and using a small stone he'd picked up off the ground, he carved his name and hers into the tree.
"There. Now you are a part of my home too."

It was incredibly touching, but Sauvi was lost to it for the moment. She trembled and winced, this was all in her head, she tried to tell herself. As they walked back across the garden, she looked at her reflection in the ice. She looked solid enough, so why did she feel as if she was about to shatter into a million pieces. She began to lose consciousness, and found herself gasping a bit. "I don't even need to breathe, why am I gasping?" she asked herself, furious that she'd ruined their trip to the garden. 

Kaito didn't care though, he'd kept her away quite long enough, and nosing her along gently, he led her down the hill and back towards the forest.
"I won't ever make you hurt like this again. I'm so selfish, i never should of let you convince me to go." he thought to himself.