"Do you so seek your own destruction that you're willing to destroy the whole world in the process?" I can tell she's no longer speaking to me, but I keep my mouth shut. "Is mutually assured destruction your only thought? Must you destroy all that you can't possess? Even at the expense of your own life, you're willing to die for some abstract sense of duty or some future profit. What do you have to gain from controlling this forest? Why must you seek to control that which we all rely on for survival? The forest continues because we all fulfill the roles given to us. The entire circle of life exists on a tenuous balance, and you come in and break it; for what?"
The earth groans beneath my feet, and the wind whips across my face. The storm brewing within Inari shakes the massive trees of the forest.
"And even at the very end, even when you know you've lost, when there's nothing left to gain, you still choose destruction. You can't even die with some respect for life. Your whole species is a pathogen destined to wipe out all life on our planet. All the thousands of years of growth and evolution will fall to your petty whims. And what am I to do about it?"
"Aren't you also fighting a battle you know you can't win?" I ask.
"Ha, don't compare the death of a predator to the last gasps of their prey. We are not the same, you and I." The wind dies down, and the trees calm as Inari regains herself. "Also, we won't be losing this war; it's just that I won't be surviving it."
My heart drops as she declares her own demise. All the fairies in the village look down in sorrow.
"You plan to go down fighting," I mumble.
"I'll fight fire with fire, even if I burn down the whole world." She looks at me with her bright red eyes. I can feel the heat of her emotions boiling just behind them.
"I really hope you're wrong."
"Drop your petty hopes. Reality is set in stone."
"I'm not going to argue if you've made up your mind, but things change. In fact, that's the only thing we can be certain of, that things will change." I sigh.
"I envy your stubbornness." Inari scoffs.
"It's still an insult even if you wrap it up like a compliment." She chuckles at my response which eases the tension around us. The hundreds of eyes focusing on our position slowly turn back to their work. "Is there anything else I can help with?"
"No, you've done plenty enough already, and thank you for hearing out my complaints."
"Of course, what else are friends for?"
"Friends, huh? Is that how you see me?" Inari raises an eyebrow as she questions me.
"What? Yeah, what else would you call our relationship?" I'm shocked at her response and run back my words in my head to make sure I didn't say anything weird.
"No, it's very sweet. Thank you."
"You're really dragging out this dying thing, aren't you."
"It's important to give closure to those you care about." I feel a pang in my heart and the edges of my eyes moisten.
"Don't go saying things like that. The war hasn't even started yet."
"Very well, Would you like me to guide you back to town?"
"Sure." I hop back over the wall and follow closely behind the fairy leader. We walk between the trees without saying anything, each of us wading through our thoughts. I feel the need to say something, but nothing comes to mind. After an hour or so, we arrive at the edge of the woods. I look up at Inari to say goodbye, but no words come out of my mouth. She silently watches me, waiting for me to collect myself.
"Please don't die?" I ask hesitantly. I know this isn't what I should be saying, but it's all I can think about at the moment. She searches my face with a look of calm contemplation. "I'll miss you."
Her mouth twitches at my unexpected words.
"Because we're friends?"
"Yes. I don't like losing friends. I take my relationships very seriously, and I hate losing a connection that I've invested so much of my time into."
"So, it'd be inconvenient if I died. You would have wasted all that time?"
"No. It wouldn't have been a waste, but it will hurt. It will hurt a lot." I stare directly into her eyes as I speak. She holds my gaze for several seconds before looking away.
"You humans are so selfish. You won't even let me die on my own terms."
"I don't care," I shoot back.
"You're much too weak to save me."
"I'll get stronger."
Inari responds from over her shoulder as she flies away into the canopy. "I know you will. I just hope you're strong enough to save the next person in peril. You'll be a force to be reckoned with in a few years. Try to stay out of trouble until then."
"I won't." Only silence responds to my cry. "I'll fuck everything up! I'll be super annoying and get on everyone's nerves! I'll get yelled at for being stupid!"
"…"
"I won't know what to do," I whisper to myself. The blows softly as if to mock my prayer.
I watch the trees where she disappeared and wonder if this was the last time I'll ever see her. My chest aches at the thought. She may have been abrasive, but she was one of the kindest people I've ever met. From the very beginning, she was watching over me like a guardian angel. Everything I've achieved up to this point has been due to her assistance. I don't know why she chose to help me, but I'll be forever grateful. I stand in place as tears stream freely down my face. The world will be a much darker place without her.