The Iriomote myth

Keylee did as Void said. She closed her eyes and imagined the ray of light becoming green. She didn't know why but she just did it. Assuming it had something to do with her power as her vision turned green when she used it.

She breathed out slowly and opened her eyes again. A flash of panic spread through her stomach when she noticed her vision was green again, once again she saw the people who weren't alive anymore. She felt Voids hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

'It's okay.' He murmured. 'They won't hurt you.'

'Isn't that what you said the last time before it hurt?'

'No, I said they wouldn't harm you, which they didn't. You felt their pain. But you are in control of that, remember what I said? Stay calm. Breathe in, breathe out. You are in control of this.'

Keylee shakily breathed in and out She didn't believe him. Why could she be in control all of sudden? She was never in control of it. 'I- I'm scared.'

'That's okay. I'm here.'

'Cause that's so reassuring.' Keylee sarcastically remarked.

'It seems to be. I am working right? You are distracted with me now. They didn't do anything.'

Keylee was ready to say something but shut her mouth as she realized he was right. Void was really helping her with this. Somehow.

'How do I go back to normal?'

'Kitten, this is a way of normal. Have you heard of the Iriomote Spirit?'

'The what?'

Void chuckled. 'I guess that's a no. The Iriomote spirit. It's an ancient spirit of Japanese legends.'

'I wish I could pretend like I have heard of that but I don't, I actually understand so less I can't even pretend I understand a bit.' Keylee turned around to face Void who sighted.

'Alright. Have you heard of the Iriomote cat, or Iriomote island at least?'

Keylee shook her head. 'Not the cat, I do know the island.'

'It's a Japanese cat. According to one of the many myths, the spirit of Iriomote island would protect the people even after death. Her green eyes would lurk in the shadows and she would help those in need by taking their pain. It's often said cats see things we don't see but this one would be able to see the death people and communicate with them. If the death people couldn't pass and became stuck between the living life and the after life because they didn't die peaceful or with a funeral the spirit would take their pain, heal them, and they would be able to safely pass.'

'You are still giving me too much information all at once.'

'Alright then. Let me tell you a story.....

Once upon a time, when the spirits still existed on earth, one of the spirits was the protector of Iriomote Island. The spirit often took the shape of a cat and was soon known as the Iriomote cat. The Iriomote spirit had the power of healing on every front. She could take emotional and physical pain, heal wounds, help the death cross. She protected the island and it's people with everything she could. She loved them with everything she had.

Now, many say spirit's don't really live. And in a certain way, that's true. It doesn't mean you can't destroy them.

As always, there are people who just want more and more and more. One of the people who wanted more asked for help. He asked help from a hell hound. Lying that that the Iriomote spirit was evil. Somehow this man convinced the hell hound and, who now agreed to help, thinking he was doing good by trying to destroy the Iriomote Spirit. The amount of days they have fought isn't sure. Some people say the fight lasted at least three day's non stop. Others say it went on for years but with breaks. No matter what they say, it was horrible.

It was quite literally hell on earth. Crops stopped growing now that no one dared to come out of their house to take care of it. Plants and forests were burned to the ground. The rivers were either poisoned or dried out. And eventually, the Iriomote spirit gave up, not wanting her people to suffer more. She hoped everything would come to it's right if this fight ended. She knew the fight would go on for eternity if she didn't do something. She had to give up to keep her people safe from everything. So she fled. She left earth to return to the spirit world in hopes that this hell on earth would come to an end.

It didn't. The man who once called upon the hell hound took over the island. People lived bad, they missed their spirit and everyone who showed a sing of that was executed. Once the hell hound found out he was lied to he immediately killed the man without hesitation. Filled with guilt and regret for what he unknowingly had done he begged the Iriomote spirit to come back and forgive him.

In return, she answered him that the supernatural would always be used by humans so they had to stay hidden. The hell hound swore that day he would do everything to keep the supernatural hidden. He would erase all the evidence of it so no one would use it like he had been used.

The Iriomote Spirit always kept hidden. Broken for the destruction she had seen. But she always came back without anyone knowing. She would be born as someone new, still having the power to heal and help the death. She would never be able to fully let go of the people, they needed help. Help she could offer them, if they knew, it would end bad. If they didn't knew who she was and what she could do, it would all be alright. At least so she hoped.

The hell hound often tried to find her, chasing every cat, asking help to other dogs, until cats became wary of all dogs. He never found the Iriomote Spirit again.

Till the day of today dogs chase cats and cats are still wary of them. The spirit is reborn every time her physical body dies. There's only one side effect, her past lives will seem like dreams. She might now find out until years, she might remember after just months. And now...

Now it's you. Kitten, you are her.' Void finished the story.

Keylee stared at him with wide eyes. 'You mean, I'm possessed by a ancient old spirit or something?'

'No. I mean, you are a spirit. You just don't quite remember.'

Keylee stumbled up and turned around. This was too much. This couldn't be true. He was tricking her. How could she forget, he was a trickster. It wasn't true! She was just a normal girl who was bitten by a werewolf. That's it. That's all.

'Kitten?'

'Stop! Stop calling me that! stop tricking me and stop lying to me! Just, just go! Let me be. Go far, far away and let me live my life! I'm not a spirit! I'm just a girl. You're lying!'

Keylee wrapped her arms around herself for comfort and started to walk in a random direction until she walked into a wall. Wait, not a wall. Void.

He gently cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. 'I'm not lying.'

Keylee just pushed him away. 'Yes you are! I'm not a spirit. What will Scott think? What will mom think? Is mom even mom?! I'm just a girl Void! You can't just.... walk up to me to tell me my entire life is fake! I'm just a normal girl with a normal life until I got bitten.'

'You're far more then that.'

'Shut up! shut the f*ck up! This-' Keylee spread her arms to point at everything around her- 'Is your fault! If you wouldn't have kidnapped me I would be home now! For god sake, if you wouldn't have even been here I would probably be watching a movie with Allison now!'

Void stared at her blankly. Did he make a mistake by telling her? He had to calm her down somehow, she had to trust him. How could he make her trust him?

... 'I'm sorry.'

It came so unexpected Keylee forgot she was angry for a second.

'W-what?'

Void placed his finger under her chin to make her look at him. He stared in her eyes, they stood sad. 'I'm sorry I put this on you.' He repeated. 'I didn't know it when I kidnapped you Keylee, I did that to get back at your brother but you are right, I shouldn't just drop this on you while you had nothing to do with it.'

Keylee was frozen. Did he just- did he- whoa. She stared deep in his eyes. He looked a bit confused, like he wasn't sure about what he was doing. At least he looked sincere.

Void stared in Keylee's eyes as well and saw them break, she believed him, he could see it. The angry wall she put around herself broke down with just a few words. Sorry really was a magic word. He took a step back and looked a bit unsure of what to do now.

'Do you- do you wanna walk back to the car. We should head back home, the sun is down and it's not safe anymore.'

Keylee looked down. Beacon Hills was really unsafe at night. A lot of things happened at night. Her brother got bitten at night, the alpha pack came at night, she got bitten at night. Void didn't really came at night but there was a lot of time spend at night with running away from him.

Keylee huffed. 'You mean we're going to your home.'

'Yes.'

'Do I even have a choice?'

Void didn't say anything but waited for Keylee to start walking. When she noticed he wasn't gonna answer her she turned around and started to walk back. She honestly didn't know where she was going but Void directed her now and then when she had to go left or right.

They eventually made it to the car. Void let Keylee in first, just to be sure, before he walked to the other side of the car and took place in the drivers seat. He started the car and looked at the girl besides him. She looked broken. Perhaps a bit confused too, like she was in her own world, zoned out of this one. Void just let her be.

Keylee stared in front of her at nothing in particular. She needed to get everything straight. Yet there were so many gasps in her story. Was she really a spirit? Then why did she only changed after the bite. Dr Deaton always told her she was probably like Jackson, her body had rejected the bite and she transformed in something else instead, because that would be her true nature. Well, that part might have been true.

She thought about the flashbacks. Flashbacks of Eichen House, about a tropical forest where she had never been. Flashbacks that didn't belong to her. Was it her... well... previous life? Was that even a thing? And what about taking pain without physical contact. Was that something she could do with this... well, was it a power? Was it a curse? It was all so chaotic and confusing.

Now matter how hard she tried to puzzle all the pieces together, it seemed like there was always one piece missing to connect the others.

Void stared at her as she was zoned of in her own thoughts. Well, he mostly focused on the road but every minute he glanced at her. It was only a matter of time before she could puzzle the pieces together. The real question was, even if she had all the pieces so she could puzzle it together, when would she?

'I'm gonna drop you with the Oni. I got something else to do but I'm pretty sure there is some pizza in the fridge.'

'Huh?'

'Food. You need to eat. You'll starve if you won't eat, if it isn't from hunger you'll starve because you'll be to weak to protect yourself. So when I drop you of, you'll go inside, you're gonna eat something and the Oni will protect you until I'm back.'

Keylee didn't really know what to say. The Oni were the black smoke guys right? Yeah, with the ninja sword and everything. Creepy guys. Glowing eyes. All in black...

Keylee fumbled a bit with her necklace at the though of the Oni. They probably wouldn't hurt her but they had swords for a reason. They made her very uneasy.

'You don't like them.'

'I don't. They are scary. All in black, smoke, glowing eyes, long sharp pointy swords. You say they are gonna keep me safe. I think they are just gonna keep me in the house. Make sure I don't run.'

The corners of Void's mouth pulled up a bit. 'See who's getting smarter.'

'I am smart!' Keylee exclaimed indignantly. 'Just, just a bit confused sometimes, most of the time with you actually.'

Void turned a corner towards the forest and turned his head to look at Keylee again. 'Sure Kitten, whatever you say.'

'I- You know what. I'm smart, I'm not gonna reply on this.'

Void chuckled. 'Whatever. We're here. The door is open so just walk in and stay. When I'm back I'll give you all the answers I know alright?'

'Fine.'

'And Keylee, please promise me you'll still be there when I come back. Then I'll promise to give you the answers you want.'

Keylee nodded slightly. This was the best thing she could do right? If she wasn't gonna get away perhaps she could take the best out of this. 'I promise.'