Chapter 4: Out of my League

Chapter 4: Out of my League: Being Human
A/N: If anyone has any questions as to who Reiku actually is and what his abilities really are, I'll be glad to enlighten you.

I squirmed about on the snow as I felt a burning sensation on my chest. Strangely enough, there was no particular damage, only a slight tinge of pain from where she had struck me. I got up and saw that she was glaring at me, with her arms around her as she faced away from me defensively. I thought that it was quite humorous.

"What are you doing?" I asked her as I dusted off the snow from my clothes. I felt the cold seep into my sleeves so I shook it off as I waited for her reply.

"Just stay away from me," she replied and still glared at me. "I don't know what you're planning or how you brought me here but I'm warning you, don't you dare come near me."

"Hold on," I was confused. I scratched my head in confusion. "You are Ahri, right? I had the thought that you weren't one of the conservative types. Also, I'm just as confused as you are. I have no clue what just happened."

It seemed that she was offended by what I said and crossed her arms. I was mesmerized at how her tails would move around her, almost as if it was alluring. She seemed to have noticed and launched a smaller orb. I barely had enough time to react to dodge.

"Hey, watch where you're throwing those things!" I crouched and grabbed a handful of snow. I packed it up into a ball and retaliated with my amazing prowess of frozen fury, the snowball. It hit her in the face and I laughed as she was wiping the snow off her face. I was about to pick up another but when she looked at me, I froze. This is bad. She was wiping some white stuff off her face while looking at me with eyes that seem to say 'that hurt' and convey sadness.

"Ngh," I looked away and crossed my arms. "That's not fair, looking at me like that."

"You're horrible," she groaned and got up. "You pelt me with snow and then act like it's my fault?"

"Hey, you started it," I turned to her and replied.

"My fault?!" She growled and was already charging another orb. "You brought me into god knows where and molested me and you're saying it's my fault?"

"Well," I was defeated. I did touch her but it was by accident. Besides, she was acting completely different from what I have heard about her. Without thinking, I blurted out, "stop talking like you're such a conservative, you vulpine temptress."

That took it a bit too far. I was about to apologize but she had already walked up to me and slapped me, hard. I deserved that, I guess.

"Temptress?!" She growled at me. "Don't talk like you know me. You have no idea who I am so you have no right to judge me!"

I...could not respond. I could only place a hand on my cheek as we stared at each other in this huge patch of snow. It soon turned awkward and she looked away. I should probably apologize.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I did not intend to say that. It's just that I've heard the things about you and about your previous victims. I was quite surprised that you weren't...well, you're different."

For a moment, she looked at me but she pouted and crossed her arms before she turned her back towards me.

"Look," I walked towards her as I spoke. "We can either stay here and procure as much hate as we can, or we can start finding a way out of here. I feel that it's about to get real messy soon." I could see that the clouds were darkening. Wherever we were, night was approaching. We would not survive the cold if we were to stay out all night.

"Fine," she looked down and resigned to my suggestion. She did not say anything else but I simply smiled.

"How about we start over?" I asked and extended my hand. "I'm Reiku. I'm fairly new to the league so...yeah."

"O-okay," she hesitated but she took my hand anyway. "I'm Ahri. I've gotten a fair amount of...unfavorable nicknames amongst summoners but...well..."

She was cut short when a strong gale blew upon us. It was pelting us with the cold snow and it would bury us at this rate. I have to do something but I might end up breaking the limit placed on me by the League yet again. But at this rate, it would be better than freezing to death.

"I'm going to cast something so stay close," I told her. I can barely see her because of the raging winds but I can still feel her hand. Without thinking, I pulled her close to me as I muttered some incantations that would hopefully save us from being buffeted by the snow storm. I only heard a soft moan in response but it was soon drowned with the sound of metal clashing against metal. She probably couldn't see what it was but it would be better this way. From my back sprouted metallic wire that were razor sharp. On each end, the metal swelled and flattened into a dagger, almost resembling a silver feather. The process repeated itself until a pair of massive silver wings were on by back. It was painful. Each wire that sprouted was like sinew being torn from the inside. I did not notice that my arms were around Ahri and that I had involuntarily clutched her clothing. I barely paid any attention as I was still focusing on the wings. The wings soon spread and started to reform into what was more of a protective dome to shield us from the snow. To hide the wires, I had them dig from under me so they would not be noticeable.

Only after it was completed was I able to relax. The only light source was her orb and I could barely get a glimpse of her face. I was tired. I didn't realize it would cost me that much to pull off this kind of trick. These limits were harder to go around that I had thought. I found my self letting her go and falling back on the blanket of snow. It was warmer to say the least and I could take a few moments to catch my breath.

"What...did you just do?" I heard her voice but I couldn't quite see her yet. I opened my hand and an orb of light burst forth and illuminated the dome. We were safe, for now. "Just what are you?"

"That's a pretty hard thing to explain," I laughed as I sat up, careful not to move much so she won't see the wires from my back that went underground. "At least we're safe from the cold, for now. What were you saying before the wind picked up?"

"Oh...it was...nothing really," she sat down from across me and looked away. I can tell that it was troubling her.

"If it troubles you, then don't tell me," I chuckled and pointed towards the area in between us. A spark flew from the orb on my other hand and traversed towards the area and conjured up a fire to keep us warm. "But if you feel that telling someone will help, then I'm willing to listen."

"It's all true," she said after a moment's hesitation. "Well, almost all of it."

"What's all true?" I asked her.

"Those things you heard about me," she scooted uncomfortably near the fire. "I did seduce men but I only did it to take their life essences. That was all I did but people tend to...distort the truth. I was doing it to try and become human. But when I started to get feelings of guilt, I decided to stop and seek the help of the League instead."

"I see," I nodded. "So, you're saying that you want to be human?"

She nodded in response.

"Why would you want to be...such a troublesome creature?" I asked her and looked up. "Humans are strange, that is true. But it's ironic that often times, it is the humans who tend to lose sight of their humanity."

"What do you mean?" She asked me, out of curiosity.

"You felt regret and guilt, yes?" I looked at her and smiled. "You're already more human most of us. You want to achieve something and strive for it, whilst others stay content with their lives but complaining each and every day, wanting change. You're more human that most of these people that call themselves humans."

"I don't...understand," she looked at me with eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

"I don't understand it either," I simply laughed and brushed my hair up. "After all, I'm a fake human...to say the least."

"Fake?" Her ears perked up a bit. Maybe it was fairly new to her? I'm not sure.

"Yes, fake," I nodded. "My 'father' lost his son and in his depression, he created me out of his son's image. It was the taboo of playing god. He used science and magic and what resulted was me...an artificial human. I think the term is homunculus."

"So...why did you join the league?" She scooted closer. I found it adorable how curious she has gotten. She seemed so innocent and so...pure. I hated the thought of that purity being tainted simply because she wished to be human. Then again, is anyone safe from the taint of humanity? "Did you want to become a real human as well?"

"Perhaps," I shrugged my shoulders. "I once desperately wished for it but it would never come true. I mostly wish for a place to belong but if I were given a chance to become a normal human, I might take it only to do one thing."

"One thing? What is it?" She asked. "I heard that most people say that to be human is to be able to love. Is that what you wish for? To be able to love?"

My goodness. Ahri is so adorable that I could not face her when I answered her question. "No. I am capable of love. I am capable of pain, pleasure, grief and bliss. If I were to become human, it is simply to become susceptible to death."

"Death? You mean dying?" She inched even closer that if she was as she acted a while ago, she'd call me a pervert and slap me again. "Why would you want to die?"

"Because I can't," I told her and smiled softly. "I've experienced death countless times, or at least, the pain of it. But I never grow old, I never die. It is painful to watch people get old and wither away, don't you think? I never thought of immortality to be a gift, but rather a wretched curse."

"I don't get it," she groaned and drew circles on the snow. "You want to be human so you can die. That sounds like a confusing wish."

"Well," I leaned closer to her and smiled. "Why do you wish to become human?"

"I...don't know," she looked down, confused, as if in a sudden revelation. "I remember wanting to be human before just out of curiosity before but...I don't know anymore."

"Trust me," I reached out and patted her on the head. "You're fine the way you are now. You can be humane, and still not be human. Being human is too mainstream, anyway."

"What's mainstream?" She looked up at me as I was petting her. This was a bit addictive.

"Never mind," I just smiled and nodded. "It's just something I picked up in another world I got thrown in."

"I see," she looked down and fidgeted with her fingers. She then looked up at me and grabbed the hand that was ruffling her hair. It seemed as she was examining my fingers slowly before she twined her fingers on mine.

"Ahri...?"

"Hey," she smiled and suddenly pulled me towards her. "Will you help me find out how it means to be human?"

"I'm not sure I can promise anything but--"

She did not let me finish and suddenly kissed me. This is bad. No, actually, she was good. I involuntarily reciprocated the kissed before I realized what was happening. She pulled away and giggled. I was going to say something but she placed a finger on my lips to stop me from talking.

"Thank you, Reiku," she had a mischievous smile on her face. "What was it that they say? You're going to take responsibility, right?"

"That's not exactly the right thing to say now," was the only thing I could replied before my brain started to process again.

It seems I have gotten myself in another pot of boiling water.