The Way of the World

What an absolutely gorgeous child.

Perfection.

A blessing for her to have.

One she didn’t deserve.

Sakura gazed down at the girl beside her who held so tightly onto her hand, swinging it merrily back and forth, humming a lovely tune. She was such a precious thing, always so cheerful and sweet. She brought so much joy to the demon, a feeling that had been lost for quite some time until the girl found and returned it to her in spades.

Ivy stopped in front of a wide, storefront window, her eyes shining at the sight of the jewelry that was on display— chains and rings of gold and silver, colorful gems cut and placed expertly, reflecting the light that shone against them. “Can I have a necklace?” She looked up at the fox, beaming and hopeful.

Sakura snorted at the audacity. “No! We don’t have coin for that.”

“What about a bracelet?” The girl tried again.

“No.”

“A ring?”

“Don’t count on it.”

“A hair pin? Just a little one?”

“It’s not gonna happen, Ivy,” the demon’s tone settled, no more room for argument. “Come on, we gotta go into the next shop and get you some hair oil.” She may not have been willing to spend what little coin they had on extravagances to enhance the girl’s already overwhelming beauty, but she would for things meant to maintain it. Her amethyst waves had begun to dry out from the elements that constantly beat down on it: the sun, wind, and dirt that she was always exposed to on the road. Sakura may not be able to give her all the things she wanted or even deserved, but she would do her best to give her what she could. And even though she didn’t understand the girl’s desire for the prettier things in life, she refused to allow the pretty things about her to suffer. So, if that meant that the demon would eat a little less for a few days so that Ivy’s hair wouldn’t go without, so be it.

It really was beautiful hair: dark and lustrous, each wave placed just so as if intentionally done by diligent and precise hands. The woman loved to care for it, the process more a privilege than a chore. It was nothing like her own hair, wild and messy and never knowing what it wanted to do. Sometimes straight or wavy or curly, no strand ever the same on any given day. Always undecided on whether to lay down or flip out. Always out of control.

How fitting.

Ivy stared at her pouting reflection before dewy violet eyes peered up at the demon. “Could I stay here and just look?”

Sakura shrugged, not seeing the harm. “I guess. Just don’t wander off. It should only take a few minutes.” The girl had been with her for nearly a year and was around thirteen, give or take. At that age, the fox was going into the village on her own to work in the shop and exterminating pests for others. There was no reason why Ivy couldn’t stand outside on her own for a little bit. On top of that, the girl had been in a sort of unsettled mood the last few days. She was still her normal, adorable self, but something just seemed… off. Like she wasn’t as bubbly and perky as she usually was. Perhaps she wasn’t sleeping well or possibly coming down with a cold. Either way, it would make her happy to window shop for a little longer before they had to head out of the city.

“I won’t! I’ll stay right here,” Ivy threw herself around the woman and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Ma…” A finger pressed to her lips, silencing her.

“Don’t,” Sakura reprimanded gently. “You’ve been doing so well lately. Let’s try that again.”

The girl nodded. “Thank you...” She paused. “Sakura.”

“Very good.” The vixen kissed her forehead and gently peeled herself from the girl’s embrace. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“I will!” Ivy smiled and turned her attention back to all the luxuries they couldn’t afford. She could see the demon walk to the shop next door and enter from the corner of her eye.

The girl sighed. Everything in the window was so wonderful, so unattainable. It would be so nice to just have one little piece, even if it was the cheapest in the shop. Ivy wanted something sparkly to wear. She looked at everything she couldn’t have and at the reflection of all the people passing by behind her. Cities were always so crowded, but they really did have the best things to offer.

She noticed but didn’t pay any mind to the reflection that stopped to stand next to her. They were probably admiring the same things she was. She wondered if they could afford it. If they had similar pieces to the ones on display at home.

“Do you like those?” the voice asked, and Ivy looked up at the brunette-haired man who stared at her with a casual upturn to his lips. He was quite a bit older than her and Sakura, but she wouldn’t consider him old by any means.

The girl smiled sweetly. “I do! They’re so pretty. I just wish they weren’t so expensive.”

“They can be expensive,” he agreed, the curve raising a little more. “What one is your favorite?”

She turned back to the window, her lips scrunching in consideration. “That one.” She pointed to a silver necklace with gems of every color that would sit high on the neck and cascade with bejeweled flowers and leaves down towards the chest. It was magnificent, and she wouldn’t be surprised if it was the most expensive piece on display.

He nodded, watching her expression and not where she pointed. “It’s nice. I can get it for you if you want.”

She gasped as her eyes went wide with excitement and she beamed up at the man. “Really?! You can do that?” What a nice thing for him to offer, the girl couldn’t believe it. And to think that Sakura didn’t like the cities. What a shame when there were such kind people in them.

“Really. We can make a trade for it.”

Her smile fell, disappointed. “I don’t have anything to trade though.” All the girl had was the dress on her back and some food, a book, and some needed supplies in her bag. Nothing worth much at all. Certainly not enough for a fair trade.

His eyes roamed over her as his pleased expression grew. “That’s not true.” His hand found the small of her back. “You have plenty to trade.”

Ivy was confused of why he would think that, but just as she was about to ask his hand left her back and he cried out in pain.

“Who the fuck do you think your touching?” The snarl came from behind the girl and she whipped around to Sakura, emeralds burning and fangs exposed. The man didn’t even have time to answer before her hand jerked and his wrist bent with a sickening crack, the bone puncturing out through the skin and blood trickled down his arm. Her other hand grabbed the top of the man’s head while he screamed out in pain and brought it down promptly onto her raised knee, his face bursting with blood that splattered onto her leg and the road. She tossed him to the ground in the middle of passerby’s who scurried out of the way and stomped her foot to his throat, slowly applying more pressure as he clawed at her boot. “Touch her again!” she growled with a vicious sneer before she began to shriek. “Touch her! Get up and touch her again!”

Sakura could feel herself spiraling— a descent that had begun the moment she stepped out of the shop and saw the man’s hand on Ivy— further and further from everything around her, her focus on the man’s frantic eyes. Eyes that had just been filled with desire, wanting to take from the girl the light and purity that radiated from her.

She wouldn’t allow it.

The girl was hers.

No one would take her.

She would kill him.

She would kill him.

She would fucking kill him!

But a thin body wrapped around her arm and brought her back.

“Sakura! No!” Ivy cried, tears spilling around her, trying with all her might to pull the demon away to no avail. “Please don’t!”

Everything around her began to come back: the buildings, the people, their whispers. She looked at the man, drawing ever closer to the end.

How fantastic.

Just what he deserved.

But she heard the girl’s pleas.

Her lovely voice shrill and frantic.

And it broke the woman’s heart.

She couldn’t do this to her.

She couldn’t make the girl suffer for her actions.

Even if he deserved it.

Sakura removed her foot from the man’s throat and stalked off, pulling Ivy along with her. She took the first corner they came up to and then the next and the next, weaving through the city and away from where they had just been until they passed the last building and made it out into the open and towards the next town. The fox didn’t speak, she just listened to the girl as she sobbed and clung to her arm, her feeble grip having never loosened.

Sakura finally pulled off of the path miles from the city and led the girl to a cluster of trees where they would camp for the night. She built a fire and began preparing supper. Only after the meal was finished cooking did she take a deep breath and look up at the girl. “I’m sorry.” But she was only sorry she didn’t kill the man.

“Why did you do that?” Ivy sniffled, having mostly calmed down. “That man was so nice. He was going to buy me a necklace, and you almost killed him.”

The woman glanced away, trying to find a way to make the girl view the world for what it was.

Raz had always told them that if they were old enough to ask, they were old enough to know, and Ivy was well past the point where she needed to know and understand the unfortunate truth.

“There are people who want to hurt others,” the fox explained. “There are men who want to hurt women. Not all of them, but some. You need to be aware of that. Some are nice, and that’s who they are. Some seem nice, but that’s not who they are. That man may have seemed nice, but that wasn’t who he was. He wanted to hurt you.”

Ivy’s lip quivered. She had never considered that he was anything less than kind and though it was hard to believe, she trusted the woman more than anyone. “Hurt me how?”

Sakura shook her head. “I don’t know exactly, but I know that a man that age talking to and touching a girl your age like that doesn’t lead to anything good. You remember what breeding is?”

“I do.” She had recently read about it in her last book about the different mammals in the western region and the woman had explained the process to her when she had asked about it.

“Well, some men want to take what they have and force it into what you have without you wanting it. It’s a terrible thing for them to do and a terrible thing to have to live with. I don’t want you to fear all men, but I do want you to pay attention and be weary of those who pretend to be nice. That includes those who have no business touching or talking to you in the first place like that man. Do you understand?”

Ivy nodded as she looked at her lap with her arms across her stomach. “I do. I’m sorry.”

Sakura crawled over to the girl and took her face in her hands, kissing her forehead. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. It’s his. You did nothing wrong. Tomorrow we’ll head towards Keton. It’ll take a few days to get there, but you’ll finally be able to see the ocean.” The demon observed the girl, her cheeks slightly pale, and noticed a scent that was just barely there.

Blood.

Well, that would explain the girl’s recent off behavior.

“Are you okay?”

“My stomach hurts.”

Sakura sighed. Ivy was that age now. It was only a matter of time, and it looked like that time was now. She stood, went to her bag, and shuffled through it, grabbing what the girl would need before going to her and offering her hand. “Come on. Looks like we need to have another talk.”