random story of a yuki-onna
Story of Syraia, the yuki-onna
She sniffed, burying the tip of her nose into her long white muffler. Today's slightly warmer than normal. Usually, the village of Blanchia would experience light snow in the early morning, being situated in the middle of a snowy mountain. Letting loose a long breath, Syraia watched the white smoke puffs float upwards, quickly dissipating into the chilly air.
"Saia!" She sighed at the abrupt yell from downhill - and her sister was always complaining how the birds always flee from her. Of course they would, with her boisterous attitude and loud voice.
"Kreea." The white-haired girl acknowledged the arrival of her twin sister with a slight nod, which was returned with a wide grin. Sometimes she would catch herself wondering how their personalities can be so different. People said they were like two sides of the coin, and yet reality made them twins. As her eyes drifted across Kreea's face, bits of green caught her attention and she frowned.
"Leaves in your hair?"
Kreea ruffled her black hair absent-mindedly. "Ehehe. I was chasing a deer with Dan and Irie. We went through the bushes."
Syraia sighed. Gently steering Kreea so her back is facing her, her own hand moved smoothly to start picking out the stray leaves. "You should act more like a girl."
Her sister flushed, but didn't retort. After a while, she mumbled. "You know, sis, Irie likes you."
Startled, Syraia paused in her actions. "Really."
"He's been watching you for some time already, and he always bring you up in our conversations-"
"I'm not interested." She cut Kreea off calmly.
Her sister pouted. "You have boys chasing after you but you don't want them."
"You certainly like attention, do you."
Her twin started to stammer out a retort, but Syraia wasn't listening. Her thoughts were somewhere else - recalling memories of the distant day where their mother had pulled her aside and told her secrets which changed her world while rain and storm thundered outside.
She was only 12 then, still a little ignorant little girl who thought nothing except playing with the snow which so frequently visited their village and giggling at snowball fights. She was proud of her beauty then - of her pale, fair skin inherited from her stunningly beautiful mother and of her icy blue eyes, gleaming like crystals in the snow. There were boys following her everywhere, astounded by her mysterious aura. Back then, she thought it's a privilege.
But her world shattered.
When her mother whispered the truth that she wasn't human , and that she inherited the pure bloodline of the snow demon family, she recoiled.
She was confused. "Then...people like me because..."
Mother's eyes were somewhat sad. In a flash of lightning that lit up the room where the leftover embers of the fireplace glowed dimly, she thought there was a wistful look in those faraway eyes, eyes the same as hers.
"Because of your charm as a yuki-onna. Syraia, do you know? Originally, our beauty is meant to lure humans to their deaths."
It wasn't something to be proud of. It's something horrible, something dark and disastrous, meant to bring sorrow to those ensnared by the deceiving purity.
"Then...how about Father?"
"Ah, him. He was different." Loneliness crept into her mother's voice, and for a moment Syraia wished she didn't ask the question. The topic of the missing father was always subtly avoided, and though the villagers had been spreading rumors of an unkind, cold-hearted man who left his wife and two daughters alone, Syraia didn't think that was the truth. "He's a great man. He knew I'm not human, and yet he still came close to me. If he hadn't died because of his illness...
Syraia had never seen her mother cry before, and now she understood why the tears were always held back, no matter the situation. Small, sparkling shards of ice were wept instead of watery tears, and they fell onto the floor as transparent jewels, faint light glimmering off their faceted surfaces.
"Syraia...I only wish for your happiness. I hope you'll find someone who is after your heart, not your appearance."
After knowing about herself, she came to despise men. Shallow men, who are easily enthralled by physical beauty - that's the reason why she started to keep a distance between her and the people in the village. Her sister, however, is a different story. Kind-hearted and considerate, Kreea seemed to glow with a warm light. According to mother, Kreea is purely human, for some strange reason.
UNFINISHED. TO BE CONTINUED.