This story is about a boy introducing himself to a miko (priestess) after she caught him in the middle of the forest speaking to the trees. However, it did not turned out the way I hoped it to be. It’s quite peculiar and strange but I hope you like it.
“Hi! My name is Yuuki. Apparently, you’re thinking that I’m crazy because I’m speaking to myself in a very strange way. If not, I don’t think that you came all the way here to ask if I am okay. “A boy about fifteen spoke in a strange alien accent as though he is not fluent in Japanese.
Rei (miko): Hmmm…. It’s not just about you talking to yourself. The villagers”
“The villagers? You mean the mortals that live outside the woods? Those who came and cut the trees off here? The ones who detest me and called me a bad seed?” He flicked his long green hair out of his eyes. Those eyes have the colour a mixture of murky green and brown. They look innocent, sweet, unknowing of the world outside.
Rei nodded quietly. “Why?”
Yuuki looked at her, his eyes unreadable. “If I tell, can you trust me? If I tell, can you do one favour for me? And if I tell, can you keep it with not a single mortal or living being knowing?”
“I will do all that you ask.” Rei gave her word, a little intrigued by his words. “Isn’t he a little too trusting? Does he know I can kill him if I find that he could be a danger to the villagers? And yet… There’s something about this boy…”
“I trust you. So I should tell you all. The villagers…. They don’t like me because of my appearance. The green hair, the eyes, my pointy ears and the very pale skin are the ones that make them aware of me. My….coverings which is made of leaves and barks seem to be strange to them. To them, I’m an abandoned hanyou. “Serve him right,” I heard some of them say. When I was young, I didn’t know why the villagers treated me so badly. I asked them. They said...”
“Who did you asked?” Rei cut in.
“Them? Oh…. My… how do you call… ah… guardians, the trees.” The green head smiled as he gestured to his surroundings.
“Trees?” The miko looked at him blankly. “Your guardians?”
“Hai!” The boy nodded. “The trees are my guardians. The… um… my… parent. Is the one who gives birth to you called a parent? Yes? My parent’s a tree.”
“Na….Nani?” Rei’s eyes widened “Are you a youkai?”
His smile widened. “Hee hee… I knew you will ask that. But no. I don’t think so. In your terms, I am a plant. Just one that functions like a human being.”
Rei stared into his eyes. No… It was not his imagination or a lie. But it just defied all logic. A “boy” from a tree?
The evening darkens and the day turned into the night. Another surprise awaited the miko.
“You’re a girl!” The miko fell backwards from the log she was sitting on.
“Yes. I’m neither girl nor boy,” Yuuki smiled, her violet hair spouting like the violet flower at the top of her head. The rest just flowed down her shoulders. The body had turned from a broad form to a slender form. The eyes remained the same.
“Usually I am a boy by day and girl by night. But I can change to any gender I like. Trees do not have a gender too. When they bear fruit, they become um… female and after bearing the fruits, they become man. So does the changing of gender make it believable to you that I am a plant?”
Rei did not answer. This was too peculiar and strange.
“Have I answered your question? Is there more? Will you do what I ask now?” she looked down at the ground, blushing a little.
“Yes... For now. I need to think,” The miko nodded, allowing herself a faint smile to show that she would follow her word.
“So you’ll come back here?” Yuuki tilted her head.
“Yes…. So what do you want?”
“Can I… Can I have a hug? I never had one before. I saw the human beings do that to the little human beings.” The violet head flushed
Rei reached over and hug the girl warmly.
“Ar… Arigato!” Yuuki smiled. “It feels nice.”
Rei smiled and as she turned to go.
“Can I have one more when you come back here?”
She saw the girl looking that her with intrigued and hopeful eyes/
“Very well. But you’ll have to tell me more.”
“Hai!” The violet head nodded eagerly.
“Maybe that will explain the strange dead tree that I found in the middle of the forest” Rei thought as she stepped out of the forest and turned towards the village.
