I Fell In Love With A Girl Who Died Before I Was Even Born

Natsumi glanced at me and let loose an agitated "Nyaaa!" but I couldn't help it.

Not only did I not want to risk my ankle, my chest suddenly ached like it was full of hot ashes.

My gut twisted like I was going to puke.

Dragon energy, I thought.

Maybe I overdid it.

But no, this was different.

Something burned in me. It was rising up my throat.

Hot. Violent. Wrong.

"NATSUMI, MOVE!" I screamed.

She ducked on instinct and rolled to the side like she was in Dark Souls.

And I let it out.

I opened wide, expecting to see red hot dragon fire. Instead, a long, gross stream of acid spewed out of my mouth.

I sprayed a boiling jet of searing liquid across the Yuki-Onna's chest and shoulder.

Steam rose as the snow hissed, bubbling and melting through her elegant form.

She shrieked, a high, horrible sound like glass breaking.

I hovered above her, stunned.

"Wait, what?!" I asked hoarsely. My throat burned like hell. "That's not fire! Dragons breathe fire! What the hell is WRONG with me?!"

From below, Natsumi doubled over laughing.

"GROSS!" she said, half-coughing. "Way to go, American-jin!"

But the victory was short-lived.

The Yuki-Onna shuddered. Then reformed. Fast. Faster than before. Her jaw clenched. Her eyes glowed blue, like Yuki's, but full of rage.

She raised her hand, pointing a long, slender finger at me, and screamed with a voice that sounded like an evergreen bending in ice-cold wind.

Her mouth opened, and this time the frost breath came for me.

I dodged hard left, barely escaping as the air flash-froze in place where I'd just been. My wing tips skimmed the icy wind.

They felt numb.

If she could survive my boiling hot acid breath, what chance did we have?

I was suddenly hit with the possibility that Natsumi and I might not survive this fight. Hibana could very well find the two of us in the morning, frozen to death. Would we be standing there, like ghosts, beside a grieving Yuki?

The damn thing was, Hibana wouldn't blame us, even though it'd be our fault. She'd blame herself.

That was what hurt the most.

Below me, Natsumi took a deep breath, and prepared to try clawing chunks off the snow-woman again. I had to do something. I couldn't let her be frozen.

"Ryu, STOP!" Yuki's voice rang out like a bell through the storm.

She stepped forward from the edge of the trees, ghostly and glowing.

"Both of you—STOP!"

Natsumi paused. I landed hard beside her. Both of us were breathing hard.

Yuki stood alone between us and the monster.

The Yuki-Onna stopped the moment we did. She stared at Yuki, her eyes black but curious.

Yuki trembled, but she spoke loudly.

"You can't hurt her that way," she said. "She isn't a monster."

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The Yuki-Onna stared back, silent as snowfall.

"She's me," Yuki whispered.

I saw the Yuki Onna. It turned her feminine face towards us.

Whoever she'd been in life, death had turned her monstrous.

Pale barely described her skin. It was more like translucent. An icy mockery of flesh masquerading as skin. Her hair was powdery white, like an old wig. Her eyes though, burned with a cold hatred.

And then I saw Yuki. New blonde hair standing out against her silver strands. Porcelain skin. Bright soul. Her hand clenched mine instinctively, but it passed right through.

Her reflection stood in the snow ahead.

And then the Yuki-Onna turned toward us.

It saw the two of us, Yuki and I, standing together.

Yuki reached for my hand again, and the Yuki Onna saw. It looked like it was studying the two of us.

It's cold, burning eyes flickered and changed. The hatred turned hollow. Deep with absence. Old with grief. And focused entirely on Yuki as her hand passed through mine once more.

Yuki stumbled forward, her voice caught in her throat.

"Stop," Yuki gasped. "Don't attack it."

Natsumi was already baring her claws. I stood ready to charge in an instant.

Yuki let go of my hand and threw herself between us and the creature.

The Yuki-Onna drifted closer.

It took everything in me to stop from bringing my scales out and trying to spray the damn thing with acid again.

But instead I watched as it circled Yuki, snow spiraling around her like a memory unraveling.

"You can't beat a frozen heart by fighting it," Yuki said. Her voice trembled—but she held her ground. "You melt it. With understanding."

She reached out, not to the monster, but to me.

And I did what felt natural.

The two of us reached towards one another.

I felt her hand.

Her palm was cold, soft and real.

In the Yuki-Onna's presence, Yuki's ghostly form began to solidify. Snow melted at her feet.

The creature stopped.

Its eyes widened as it looked—not at me, but at her. And in that moment, I think the Yuki-Onna saw herself. A version of who she once was. A woman who had died cold, alone and forgotten.

And now… she saw Yuki being held.

She saw her own hand.

And she began to cry.

I heard Yuki gasp as the yokai's tears began to fall down her face. Slowly at first.

They fell in delicate, silent streams down her cheeks.

Not snow. Not ice. Water.

Yuki's own tears froze on her cheeks, glinting like crystal. She sobbed—not out of fear, but recognition.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

And the Yuki-Onna's face contorted.

I swear, she tried to smile at the very end.

She didn't speak.

She didn't vanish in a puff of wind.

She just melted.

Right there. Like snow touched by morning sun. She melted into a puddle of petals and frost, and then, nothing.

And then the world felt too quiet.

Just the hum of dying streetlights. The distant static of vending machines.

Natsumi spoke first, her voice hushed.

"We defeated a dangerous yokai," she said. "The park is safer now. We should feel awesome."

Yuki looked down.

She stood barefoot in a small ring of melted snow. The only thing left of the Yuki-Onna were a few wet sakura petals clinging to the grass.

"I don't feel awesome," she said.

Then, even softer, she whispered.

"The park feels less dangerous… but also less magical."

She stared into the dark.

"That's not a win. It's a loss."

Then, without saying anything, Yuki floated away from me and Natsumi, towards the darkness she'd been staring at.

"Yuki?" I asked, concerned.

She didn't turn around.

"I'm fine, Ryu," she muttered. "Really. I am. Give me a minute, okay?"

Then she disappeared into the surrounding shadows.

I could hear the streetlight humming behind me.

"American-jin knows ghost girl is not okay, doesn't he?" Natsumi asked.

She stepped forward on her padded cat-like feet and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I said. "She's not, and I don't know how I'm doing either. You okay, Natsumi?"

She grinned at me, reached into her hoodie pocket, and pulled out her cheap-looking yellow plastic sunglasses. With a dramatic wrist-flick, she put them on and turned to me with a smug grin.

"It'll take more than Frosty's PMS-ing cousin to ruin Natsumi's evening, American-jin. See about your ghost girl, nnnyyyaa."

Then she took a hit from one of her vape pens.

"Maybe, someday, American-jin can be half as cool as Natsumi."

I tried not to let her catch me grinning as I followed after Yuki.

Thankfully, I didn't have to go far. I found her by the park entrance, floating beside the curb.

As I got closer, I saw that she was trembling.

"Is that what I'm going to become someday?"

I sat beside her on the curb, not sure what to say.

"I don't know," I told her. "But you're not her."

She looked down at her hands.

"But what if I'm becoming her anyway?"

Before I could answer her, I felt gentle vibrations coming through the ground from behind me.

I looked up, and I saw Natsumi. She grinned at me and Yuki.

Then she plopped down next to me and started chewing on a gummy.

"Can Natsumi answer ghost girl's question?" she asked.

Yuki looked at me, then she shrugged.

"You're a ghost," Natsumi said. "She's a yokai. Big difference."

Yuki blinked.

"That's… not that comforting."

Natsumi chewed on her gummy for a moment, then she tried explaining in a different way.

"Okay, then here's Natsumi's theory," Natsumi said. "Ghost girl's got a similar name. Yuki Onna, right? So maybe your ghost mojo kinda latched onto yokai's vibe. Ghost girl's got ice powers and a tragic love story. Big deal. Maybe just a remix."

Yuki sniffed. "You really think that's all it is?"

Natsumi shrugged. "Just a guess from a stoner cat. But yeah. I do."

Yuki laughed. It wasn't a loud laugh. But it was real.

"Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," Natsumi replied. "But also, if ghost girl does turn into a rage monster, let Natsumi know so Natsumi can hit it with a stick first."

"Deal," Yuki said, smiling faintly.

We sat there under the broken lights, a ghost, a stoner, and a guy who never quite knows what he's doing.

And for a moment, even with all the cold in the air, I felt something like warmth.