66 Volume 3: Building a New World (2/2)

For a long time now, when she asked him for help, he'd just tell her to do it herself. Every time she'd been able to do it, whatever it was, much to her annoyance. She wanted to complain, but since it'd all worked out in the end, she never quite felt right about kicking up a fuss.

”Why do you sound surprised? I've been helping you this whole time, haven't I?”

She wrinkled her nose.

”I've been doing all the work myself for ages!”

”Self-reliance in a world where you control everything is a given.”

”It still would have been nice if you'd pitched in! You say you're a guest I invited but you're just a lazy moocher!”

His whole body stiffened at her words.

”You… how could you think… of all the ungrateful…!” He sputtered angrily for several minutes and then raised a hand to massage his smooth forehead. Even though his face remained tranquil as ever, it was clear he was upset. ”Never mind, never mind… no use arguing… like a child at this point anyway…”

”Excuse me!?”

He lowered his hand and sighed in resignation.

”Let's just let bygones be bygones about the past, shall we? Let's focus on the now and that I'm going to help you.”

She glared at him, cheeks expanding with air. His lips twitched slightly at the sight of her pouting.

He cleared his throat and bowed at the waist.

”My apologies for appearing like a 'moocher'. I'm willing to help now though, if you'd allow me to.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose triumphantly.

”Since you know your wrongs, it's fine!” She announced magnanimously, causing the light's lips to twitch again.

”…thank you for your generosity.”

”Anyway, let's go to the beach.”

”I can't get into the water, if that's what you're planning.”

”No, no… I've got another idea!”

With that, they proceeded to the beach. When she had first arrived on the island, it felt enormous. But as time passed, she'd realized the island was actually quite small. When she mentioned this to the light, he'd observed, ”You were weak and slow when you came. This place felt big because it took you a long time to get anywhere.”

Now, however, she could easily get from one end of the island to the other.

They walked right up to the water before they stopped. She stuck her hand out to the light. When he just stared at it stupidly, she rolled her eyes.

”What are you doing? Hold my hand!”

He hesitated for a moment and then very slowly reached his hand out. Annoyed at how long he was taking, she reached out and grabbed it.

The moment she touched him, she felt her hand sear and her brow broke out in a sweat. It was only then that she realized he'd never once touched her since they'd met and then remembered that he'd always been extremely hot up close. Touching him was like sticking her hand in fire, it hurts.

Seeing that she was in pain, the light tried to pull his hand away.

”Ah!” She exclaimed, grabbing his hand again and gripping tightly before he could distance himself. ”Don't run away!”

”But—”

”It's fine, it's fine! I can handle it.” She gritted her teeth from the scorching sensation. ”You said this was my world and I make the rules, didn't you? Then you can't really for real hurt me and—”

She took a few steps forward and knelt down, putting her free hand in the ocean. As she did, she thought to herself:

A flame can boil water, the boiling water can push back the piercing cold. Make the sea boil until there's nothing left but warmth and light!

Even as she thought this, the ocean boiled. Steamed filled the air, almost choking her, but she didn't stop. The water was only hot on the surface, it must go deeper, so much deeper.

The sea level dropped steadily as it boiled away and steam filled the air. When the steam became too much of a hindrance, she forced it farther up. Rolling clouds began appearing far above and, for the first time, there were clouds in the sky and rain fell.

As the sandy bottom of the ocean showed itself, she pulled the light by his scalding hand and followed the receding shore line. Valleys, hills, and even distant mountains began to show themselves as the waterline lowered.

Strange, she remembered the ocean floor being flat, but seeing it like this; she thought it'd look like a beautiful landscape, if there was foliage to cover it.

This had been only a passing thought, a slight desire, but even as she thought about it, the craggy ocean bottom began to blossom with greenery. A breathtaking vista formed around her as she chased the ever disappearing sea.

There was a lot of water, a lot of steam, and it took quite some time for her to get to the deepest valley. When the water level finally dropped to that point, she discovered that the frigid cold was not simply icy water as she'd assumed. It was black, bubbling sludge.

”What IS this?” She asked, looking across a lake of toxic black muck.

”Poison.” Came the light's quiet answer.

”Poison? Has it been here this whole time?”

”Yes.”

”Why didn't you say so before?! This stuff is dangerous!”

”Even if I had told you before, what could you have done about it? You couldn't even make a proper house when we first met.”

”Oh.” That was true.

”I don't recommend sticking your hand in this as you've been doing.”

”Will it hurt?”

”That too, but you may die.”

”Eh?!”

”It's just that deadly. I never wanted you to deal with this to begin with… but what could I do? If I tried to remove it, I would only spread it further and that really would kill you. So I don't dare.”

”Y-yikes.” She stared at the poisonous lake. ”…and it's been in the ocean this whole time, huh? I can't believe I thought it was safe to be in the water! No wonder you wanted me out!”

He simply nodded his head.

”But I can't touch it, right?”

The light nodded again, firmly.

”I can't touch it… hm… how to get it out…” She closed her eyes, thinking deeply. If she could just siphon it out somehow… If she surrounded the poison with water and forced it out, would that work? But if it didn't work, would the poison spread? On the other hand, the light had stated numerous times this was her world, she made the rules.

Thinking that it was still better to be cautious, she decided to move a little poison at a time as a test. Even if something went wrong, if she did it in small increments, then the damage could be reduced.

When she opened her eyes, there was already a clear stream of water floating over her head heading towards the poisoned lake. Raising a hand, she touched the water. The light's heat was transferred into the floating water, causing it to shimmer gold. The warmed water dipped into the black sludge and ”scooped” out a small portion, then surrounded the poison in a water-y solid cage. It hung above the poison lake, suspended in the air.

A little nervous, she squeezed the light's hand (ignoring the burning sensation it caused).

”Poison,” She pointed at the entrapped muck and tried to sound confident and authoritative, ”You don't belong here. Get out.”

The gold water shimmered brightly, followed by a hissing sizzling sound. Inside the water, the poison rolled and broiled, as if fighting the water entrapping it. Her forehead broke out, she could almost feel the poison rebelling against her command. All her concentration and energy focused on forcing the poison to obey, to leave.

The stand off lasted a seeming eternity. And then, with a jarring suddenness, it was over. The poison and it's watery cage disappeared in a bang and a puff.

She stumbled and fell down, shaking profusely.

Looking up at the light, she said wearily, ”That was exhausting.”

”But you succeeded.”

”Yeah.”

”Well done.”

”Thanks…” Her stomach growled in outrage and she patted it in exasperation. ”My hunger is back…”

”En. It was no small thing you did. You need to eat.”

”I don't think I have the energy to go home.”

”If you like, I will take you there.”

She stared up at him, feeling cautious. If just his hand was this hot, what would the rest of him be like? She might really get toasted!

He could almost read what she was thinking.

”I can fly you there. Just hold my hand tightly like you've been doing and don't let go.”

”Oh!” She nodded. ”That's alright then.”

Without further discussion, he took a leap straight up, dragging her with him, and floated in the sky like a real sun. She was returned to her home with its pure stream and apple tree, awkwardly hanging from the light's grip.

When she finally landed, she had to refrain from kissing the ground, that guy was scary-fast! If she could avoid traveling that way in the future she definitely would.

Before eating or drinking she stuck her now burnt hand in the water; in no time at all the damage from the light was gone.