Ever After
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a farmer and his wife. They were simple people, as poor people often are, but they were very, very happy together, as poor people often are not. One quiet winter's night, as the snow fell in great drifts all around them, a thin, clear wail rang out from their small thatched cottage. The sound swept through the crisp night air and through the snow dusted trees, clung to the blanketed earth and resonated within the hanging icicles with perfect harmony. A child had been born to the happy couple. He was a beautiful little creature, a dark swirl of hair crowning his pale head. His small infant lips were pink, his cheeks a healthy rose, and he won his father over with a glance. His mother, however, looked a little too strained for it to be only exhaustion. She could barely manage a half-hearted smile as she folded her son into her arms.
"What shall we name him?" her husband asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes turned thoughtfully out the window.
"Haku," she whispered, "May he be as clean and pure as the newly fallen snow." The prayer echoed differently in her head. 'May his blood be as clean and pure as the newly fallen snow.'
She was hiding something from her husband, a dark secret she intended to take to her grave. She carried tainted, cursed blood that was deeply hated by their country and equally deeply feared. All her life, she had buried this secret deep within herself and prayed to be allowed a life of peaceful happiness. This child threatened everything. If he had inherited her abominable powers and gave them both away before he learned to control them, it meant death for them both. That night, pressing her pale lips against her infant's pink forehead, she hoped feverishly that her gifts had not passed on to him.
Fate had other plans.
The years flew by, and, gradually, the farmer's wife released the breath she had been holding. It appeared that her prayers had been answered. Life had fallen into a blissful routine of housework and leisure time with her small family. All was well until an ordinary day not long after Haku turned five.
It had been a day like most others, though the weather outside was beautiful, which was a rarity. The normally overcast skies were clear, and a refreshing breeze drifted in from the north. Haku's mother had decided it was a perfect day for laundry, and so, basket propped on one hip and her son's hand gripped tightly in her own, the two of them set out for the river.
The frigid waters of their frozen country never bothered her hands. No matter how bitter the heart of winter became, she never felt the cold. As a girl, she learned to pretend to shiver, to pretend that she was no different from anyone else. Still, while her husband was tilling the fields, she did not hesitate to take her laundry and wash it directly in the stream, without hauling water back to heat.
"Let me help, Mommy!" Haku announced, seizing one of his own shirts from the pile, toddling for the river.
"Oh, no, Haku- The water's col-"
Her eyes widened as her breath caught in her throat. She watched on in shocked silence as her little son submerged the shirt in the sluggish waters of the stream, oblivious to the cold. Proud of himself, he grinned over his shoulder at her.
"Am I doin' good?"
"H-haku, give that to me," she stammered, moving for him. Denials were already rushing through her mind. Perhaps he had not yet noticed the cold, or perhaps he did not understand how to complain about it. Perhaps he was merely too stubborn to complain because she was not complaining. Startled or distracted or perhaps both, the young boy's hands loosened on the shirt and it began to drift away.
"Oh no!" he cried, wading into the water after it. His mother's body went rigid and she stopped again, transfixed with horror. She watched helplessly as her little boy caught up with the runaway shirt as it snagged on a rock. Clutching the sopping cloth in his arms, he turned back toward her, smiling brightly. Unaffected by the cold.
"Stop it!" she screamed, all at once losing her composure. She rushed forward, snatching both of his wrists in her thin hands. "Don't do that!"
"M-mommy!" he cried in return, trying to pull away, "Mommy, I'm sorry! What did I do, Mommy?" He looked up, frantically, to see tears streaking down his mother's cheeks. This only alarmed him further.
"Mommy, I'm sorry!" he sobbed as she shook him, still yelling for him to stop, "I didn't mean to make you hurt- Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Terrified now, he screeched her name, trying to get through to her. In response, she struck him sharply across the cheek. Both of them froze.
"Ohhhh, Haku," she moaned slowly after a seemingly long silence, slowly slipping to her knees. The river diverted its flow to slip around her, small pieces of broken ice catching in her skirts. Her hands left his wrists to clutch at his thin shirt tightly. She bowed her head, sobbing openly into her son's chest.
"Haku, Haku," she whimpered through her tears, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Forgive me, Haku.Mommy's sorry. Please, I'm sorry!"
They left the clothes at the river bank when they finally did leave.
That night, during dinner, Haku's mother sent him to bed early. He was a smart boy despite his age and went dutifully, laying quietly in bed until he was certain that they were certain that he was asleep. Then, he slipped back into the hall to listen to his parents speak.
"Honey," it was his mother's voice, "This year is going to be especially difficult for us."
"Aa, the fields are almost barren this year," his father agreed wearily, "but... we'll make it through. We always find a way. I'll work for the woodcutter or the fisherman or the carpenter. We'll make enough."
"Haku's a growing boy," his mother continued in a cautious tone, "It is going to get harder and harder to feed him."
"What are you suggesting?"
"We could take him far out into the forest, near a well traveled path, and leave him with some food. Surely someone will pass by and take pity on him."
"He's our son!" his father exclaimed, "How can we leave him out in the wilderness like that?"
"He's young and useful to the world -- someone out there will want and need him! Who will take pity on us when we're starving?" his mother cried right back, "Is that what you want? For our entire family to die together?"
"Lower your voice!" he heard his father hiss, "You'll wake him!" There was a short silence or perhaps a long silence before his father continued. The length of silence was relative in moments of such intensity.
"Fine," his father sighed even more tiredly than before, "Tomorrow. If the weather is willing, we will take him out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow night," his mother supplied, "so that he will be unable to find his way back. He is a smart boy. We raised him so. We'll take him out just before dusk."
"Who will find him after dark?" his father protested, though his voice clearly read that he was defeated.
"Kami-sama has eyes. He will watch over our son," was all his mother answered in return. Her voiced was forced and held an undertone of tears.
Haku stepped away from the kitchen door and shuffled back to bed, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand to keep himself from sniffling. As he passed his bedroom window, he considered filling his pockets with pebbles to make a path back no matter where they lead him. Then, remembering his mother's tear-filled eyes, he simply climbed into bed and resigned to his fate. He had done something wrong, and his mother no longer wanted him. His father agreed with his mother. No one wanted him. He was of no use to anyone.
Small hand gripping his nightshirt, over the place where his heart was, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Something there deeply ached and made his eyes burn. He drew his knees up, trying to hide within himself, trying to expel whatever it was within him that hurt so badly. Then, abruptly, his entire body went lax and he let go of his shirt, eyes snapping open. In a single moment of revelation, he came to realize why he could not get rid of the cause of his pain.
It was because there was nothing there.
All his life, he had been sustained by the love of his parents.
And now it was gone.
For most of the next day, his mother avoided him by busying herself with housework and his father was out on the fields until just after dusk. Haku spent his time lying quietly in bed. His mother passed by once or twice. Normally, his mother would have come in with soup, asking him whether or not he was ill. Not today. Today, he only heard her footsteps falter outside his door for a moment before moving on.
They came for him as the sun was beginning to set, complete with awkward smiles and falsely cheerful voices. His father had him climb onto his back for the first time in many months. As they began to head out, his mother pointed in the opposite direction of the river.
"Let's go that way."
The walked for a long, long time. The sun was cradled low in the horizon before they finally reached a crossroad and stopped.
"Oh my," his mother exclaimed, "Which way to we go?" She glanced at his father who set Haku down before he responded.
"Well, we can go ahead and see. Haku, will you be a good boy and stay here and wait for us?"
Haku only stared back blankly and nodded slowly.
They left him there, as expected, and never came back, as expected. Neither fact bothered Haku. He simply curled up on the side of the road and closed his eyes, waiting for whatever fate had in store of him.
Haku lost all sense of time. There was a blur of light and dark, snow and whipping wind and rain. His next solid memory was of the crunching of snow as heavy footfalls stopped before him. His eyes opened half unwillingly, squinting against the bright midday sun.
"Hey, kid," a gruff voice called, "An unwanted little runt like you... you'd die there, and no one would ever miss you." At these harsh words, Haku sat up to get a better look at the unmannered stranger.
Before him stood a powerful looking demon, tall with short, shaggy black hair and tanned, ashen skin. The bandages over his face made it hard for Haku to make out the shape of it, but the boy decided he was handsome enough. Then there were his eyes, dark, glittering irises with narrowed pupils that made for a distinctly deadly gaze. There was something familiar in that expression and Haku could not help the boyish smile that lit his features.
"You... you have the same eyes as me," he piped. The stranger's expression seemed to register shock.
"Heh," smiled the demon, "Do you want to come with me? Would you surrender everything to me and serve me alone? To exist for me and me alone? Are you okay with that?" Almost without hesitation, Haku nodded and stood, staggering toward his new master's side. Having gone so long without food and water, he swayed and nearly fell. Grunting lightly, the demon scooped the boy into his arms.
"Tch. You'll take some work before you're of any use to me," he sighed, though it was difficult to say whether or not he was speaking teasingly.
"I'm sorry, Mister," Haku whispered in return.
"Hmmph. Zabuza. That's Zabuza-sama to you."
"Aah," smiled Haku, closing his eyes as he curled closer to Zabuza's chest. "Zabuza-sama."
The two spent their successive years as traveling companions, both growing used to each other's company. Haku quickly came to adore his new master, always smiling and eager to please. As a result, somewhere deep within Zabuza, there was equally strong devotion and affection for his charge. Of course, since Zabuza was rather simple-minded, as demons were inclined to be, his thoughts seldom ran so deep so he never quite came to realize this. On the other hand, Haku, who did think deeply and excessively, came to know this fact better than Zabuza possibly ever would.
The years passed quickly, as they tend to when life is peaceful and bright with possibilities, and as the seasons changed, they both grew. Haku's body matured to match his infinitely wise mind and Zabuza's heart thawed to compliment his handsome looks. And he was, indeed, quite handsome, though few would agree, for he was a demon and demons were not widely considered attractive. His eyes were sharper than his pointed teeth and his skin was the tone of the stones that nested at the bottom of the lake, so far down that the sun never touched them. His manner was brusque, and, when challenged or engaged in battle, he truly had the face of a monster. But Haku had seen the peacefully sleeping form of his master and knew how soft Zabuza's expression could be.
Occasionally, Haku would catch Zabuza's thoughts wandering over dinner or just before sleep and they would share a glance. Zabuza noticed how Haku would smile at him as though the boy was in on a secret that he could not hope to fathom. It irritated him.
Zabuza opened up to Haku, over time, hinting here or there that he had once been one of nine princes of a kingdom that overlooked the sea. He had planned to have the king assassinated and then undermine his brothers so that he would come to rule. However, before he had the chance, he and his brothers were betrayed simultaneously. Seven of them were killed, and he and his remaining brother escaped into exile. The story always ended with Zabuza swearing to take his country back.
"Do you miss your brother?" Haku had once asked.
"We never got along," shrugged Zabuza. He then cast Haku a vaguely quizzical look, "Do you miss your family?"
"You are my family."
Nearly a decade after Zabuza first come upon the little stray that was to become his Haku, he came to notice the gazes that followed his companion whenever they entered town. It made him take a long, good look at Haku for the first time since they met. It was only then that he realized exactly how much the scraggly runt he had met ten years ago had grown. Would anyone believe him if he told them that those flowing, raven locks on the boy's head had once been short, filthy, and scruffy? That those glimmering eyes had once been dull and lifeless? The change was all due to what they shared. And now, strangers were watching his boy with hungry eyes. It inspired an irrational possessiveness within him.
The next day, they traveled east.
"Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked, glancing at their surroundings with alarm, "Where are we going? Isn't this the way back to your country?" Zabuza only nodded, eyes fixed ahead, leading them into the increasingly dense mist.
By the end of the next day, they arrived before a grand tower with a single window at the very top. Zabuza let them in through a small door, which he locked behind them and proceeded to destroy the key.
"Zabuza-sama, what are you-" began Haku, only to fall silent when his master shook his head.
"Up," Zabuza prompted, pointing to the spiral staircase that wound upward. There was a door at the top of the stairs that opened into a small, sparsely furnished room. There was a small but soft looking bed, a simple, table-like desk, an empty oil lamp, a few chairs, and a wicker chest.
"You will be staying here from now on," announced Zabuza, gesturing, "I will visit you every day and bring you food, clothing, books -- whatever else you need." This news took a moment to settle in Haku's mind, but when it did, he only quietly smiled with understanding and nodded.
"How will you come and go?" was his only voiced concern, "The key..."
"There is a scarf in the chest," Zabuza gestured to the wicker chest, "and there's a hook just outside the window."
"I see," Haku nodded. Zabuza grinned.
"Only the people you want to see will be allowed in," Zabuza added as an afterthought.
"I know," smiled Haku in return. It was plain to him that Zabuza meant to protect him and he found his master's possessiveness endearing.
"I will always be here, waiting for you."
Zabuza visited him every day, as promised, bearing rich foods, precious baubles, and books that the merchants suggested to him. (He was not nearly cultured enough to select the books himself.) Haku always accepted these gifts gratefully, but what he enjoyed the most was Zabuza's undivided attention.
They would spend entire afternoons together, sharing the food Zabuza brought while Haku read a story aloud. They would talk the hours away, Haku prying at this and that while Zabuza muttered an occasional comment. Some nights Zabuza would stay, lying down stiffly beside Haku on the small bed. Then, deep into the night, when Zabuza felt absolutely certain that Haku was asleep, he would fold his strong arms around the slight form of the boy and draw him close. Haku never had the heart to let his proud master know that, because he spent the night savoring the sound of Zabuza breathing, he was always awake when Zabuza embraced him. Zabuza was always gone long before the sun rose.
One morning in late spring after one such night, Haku awoke to find Zabuza still beside him. He sat up quickly, wondering what was wrong.
"Zabuza-sama," he began, reaching out to touch his master's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Haku, but I'm leaving this country for a little while," Zabuza sighed, staring intently at the window. For once, he did not try to pull away from Haku.
"Let me come with you," requested Haku at once, sliding his hand into Zabuza's, "Did I not swear to be yours completely?" Zabuza smiled in that grim way of his at Haku's response.
"Not this time, Haku. I'm sorry," Zabuza shook his head, reaching up to ruffle Haku's hair, "But I'll come back in a few months. The brothers will bring you food at the end of every week."
"Where are you going, Zabuza-sama?" whispered Haku quietly, expression mournful. Zabuza said nothing, but stood and moved for the window. He lingered there momentarily, half turning to cast Haku a glance. The expression on Zabuza's face was unreadable.
"Trust me," he shrugged, and then he was gone.
Haku grew extremely lonely in the following months, with only the weekly visits from the brothers that delivered the food to sustain him. He read his books until he had them committed to memory, and then sat in the chair by the window to gaze out and daydream of his master's return. The time slipped by agonizingly slowly.
Unbeknownst to him, a prince from a distant kingdom had gotten himself lost in the dense mists of Zabuza's country and had been watching Haku stare longingly out the window for some time. Curiosity quickly overcoming what little sense the prince possessed, he left the cover of the trees to stand in the clearing just below the window. With an impressively resonate voice he called out.
"Hey, Sis!"
Haku blinked with surprise, both at the strange, unexpected voice as well as having his gender mistaken. It had been a common enough occurrence during his nomadic days, but those times seemed like a distant past.
"Who's there?" he called back, leaning out of the window to look down at the diminutive figure below.
"Glad you asked!" the stranger grinned, holding his fist aloft at Haku in a 'thumbs-up' gesture, "I'm PRINCE NARUTO and I'm going to be the king of the fire country someday! ...who're you?" Haku was completely charmed by the bold, outspoken little prince all at once and smiled kindly back.
"My name is Haku," he offered, reaching for his scarf, "Would you like to come up for a bit?"
Naruto squinted around, crossing his arms over his chest. Amused, Haku watched him for a moment before asking what on earth the little prince was doing.
"Sure I'd like to keep you company, Sis, but how am I supposed to get up there? I don't see a door," grumbled Naruto, folding his hands behind his head. Haku touched his fingertips to his lips and laughed quietly. It was true that vines had grown over the door, but it was a far cry from being completely hidden. Haku did not point this out, though. Naruto was simply too cute for words.
"With this," replied Haku, fastening the scarf to the hook before throwing the other end down to his guest.
"Awesome," Naruto grinned, climbing up the scarf swiftly in a distinctly fox-like manner.
"Geez, you live here?" he commented upon seeing the inside of the tower, looking around at the mostly barren room. "It doesn't really seem to suit you. Hey, are you a prisoner here or what?"
"Not really," shrugged Haku, offering Naruto a chair, "It's a long story. Um... did you say you were a prince of the fire country? How did you get all the way out here?" Hearing that, Naruto grinned sheepishly, plopping himself down into the chair as he scratched the back of his head.
"That's a long story too," he laughed nervously.
"We have plenty of time," coaxed Haku, and that was the start of an evening full of light conversation and friendly banter.
Naruto left just before dusk that day, but promised to return the next day. They met almost every day after that and were soon talking like old friends. Naruto confided his dreams and fears in Haku, and, in return, Haku told Naruto of his past and his relationship with Zabuza. The conversation soured from that point on.
"So he's keeping you prisoner here," scowled Naruto, crossing his arms sternly over his chest.
"That's not it," protested Haku, "He does it to protect me."
"From what?" Naruto demanded, "And who's he to decide that you need protecting? Leaving you alone in a tower for months while he's out doing whatever--that's abuse!"
Haku continued to try to defend his master's actions, but Naruto, despite being seemingly shallow on the surface, was a surprisingly convincing speaker. The young prince's words corroded Haku's faint memory of his master until Haku found himself believing Naruto. It did not take much longer for Naruto to convince Haku to run away with him. He promised to return the next day with a pair of horses so that they could head back to the fire country as soon as possible. Standing by the window, he winked at Haku with a lopsided grin.
"Maybe when I'm king we'll get married and you can be the queen of the fire country. Won't that be funny? An ice mage as the queen of the fire country?" he joked. Though Haku was mildly troubled by his decision to betray his master, he still could not help but smile at this.
"Mm," he agreed, shaking his head slightly, "I don't know how well the country will take to that, Naruto."
"What, you being an ice mage? I was just jo-" began Naruto, but Haku cut him off by laughing quietly, shaking his head.
"No, no, I was thinking more the fact that I'm a boy," he responded slyly. Naruto nearly toppled out the window.
"What!" he demanded, eyes wide, "But- You- You're- I-..." His mouth opened and closed several times soundlessly before his expression fixed with seriousness.
"Whatever. Doesn't matter," he dismissed, "You're still you, right? But this two kings thing hurts my head. I'll ask my mentor about it after we get out of here. Noon tomorrow, okay, Haku? See you then." Haku watched him go with an expression of faint awe. Naruto truly, truly was an amazing person. Smiling glowingly, Haku slowly made his way to the window to bring the scarf back in. No sooner had he touched the scarf's fringe did a powerful hand snap tightly around his wrist. Gasping, Haku tried to step back and pull away, finding himself staring into a face he had not seen in months.
"Zabuza-sama," he whispered, voice suddenly hoarse.
"Haku," hissed his master in response, tone severe and unforgiving. Without allowing Haku to respond, Zabuza pushed past him and began to throw Haku's things into an empty sack.
"Zabuza-sama, what are you-"
"Helping you pack," Zabuza snapped back, shoving the sack into Haku's arms near violently. His expression was shadowed by his dark fury. "I would hate for you to be late meeting your beloved prince.
"Zabuza-sama!" protested Haku, clutching the sack tightly to his chest, "Please, I didn't mean to"
"I was a fool to think that a demon like myself could ever raise anything but a heartless monster."
Zabuza's cruel words hurt Haku so deeply that it felt like a physical blow. He swayed where he stood, expression blank.
"Zabuza-sama," Haku whispered after a moment of silence, desperation in his gestures and tone, "Please, Zabuza-sama! I'm sorry! I was alone, I was weak, I failed you- Please, Zabuza-san, just one more chance! I want to stay with you!"
Zabuza stepped forward and gripped Haku's jaw tightly, pulling his face upward.
"A pretty little boy like you should be with a cute little prince like that," Zabuza's voice sounded vaguely mocking, though it was hard to say exactly who he was insulting, "You have no place by a demon like me." His grip momentarily tightened, and, gazing deeply into Haku's wide eyes, his resolve seemed to waver before he released his hold. He turned his back on Haku then, shaking his head.
"Get out," he ordered, "I never want to see you again."
Haku took a half step forward, intending to protest further, when a soft noise caught his attention. It was like a quiet tap against the wood floors, indistinct enough for Haku to think that perhaps, in his distressed state, he was imagining things. Then he heard it again, and his gaze darted to the floor beneath Zabuza. He was dismayed to find two dark circles near Zabuza's feet. Soon, a third dark stain splashed to the ground. Haku felt his breath catch and he staggered back.
"Zabuza-sama," he whispered, then squeezed his eyes shut upon seeing a slight tremor pass through Zabuza's shoulders.
He left the tower in a daze, stumbling through the trees, unthinkingly moving in the general direction Naruto always left in. His mind was as clouded as the mists surrounding him. He knew that he had hurt his master deeply, and because of that pain, his master had lashed out. Zabuza's temper was unparalleled when ignited, but always settled by morning. The few times they had quarreled before, Haku would return meekly the day after and Zabuza would simply cuff him on the shoulder, telling him they had a long journey ahead. Zabuza would seem to forget it ever happened, and Haku would remind himself of his error day after day, swearing to never do it again.
This time was different, though. Zabuza had never wept before, for anything. Haku used to doubt his master's capacity to cry. Now he knew. And when he stopped at the edge of the forest to turn and look back at the tower, all he saw was a thick wall of mist. The mist had rolled in and consumed his path completely. There would be no returning to apologize in the morning.
Haku collapsed where he stood, sobbing out his regret until the world slipped away from him. It was there Naruto found him the next day. He asked no questions as he quietly shook Haku awake and helped him to his feet.
"Naruto," whispered Haku, sounding desperate to explain himself, somehow.
"Yeah?" Naruto asked quietly in return, sobered by his friend's distress.
"Please don't think I leave today because I want to," Haku began, pausing now and again to bite back his tears, "I leave because I no longer have any right to stay."
Naruto waited, sensing that Haku still had more to say and only needed time to find a way to say it.
"I hurt him, Naruto," whimpered Haku, choking on his words, "I hurt him more than I had any right to. You were wrong. About everything. I was the demon. Do you see, Naruto? I was the monster." Naruto looked pained and pressed a hand against his own stomach, guilt settling heavily there. He felt responsible and knew that on many levels, he was.
Feeling that anything he might try to say would only come out wrong, Naruto merely smiled in a way that was a near grimace and gently brushed the back of his hand against Haku's damp cheeks.
The sun was beginning to set by the time they left for Naruto's castle.
It was difficult for a demon to earn money. Demons were only good at so many things, most of which involved someone or something bleeding, so job opportunities were limited. Not to mention how few people were willing to hire demons due to their general bad reputation. Those that were willing were usually the unsavory types that had to be squeezed right around the temples to make them pay up half the time.
It cost a lot of money to fund a revolution. Zabuza's kingdom was not a large one, but it prided itself in its strong military. It took an especially large sum of money to fund a revolution against a nation with a strong army. Money was what Zabuza and Haku had been painstakingly saving for the past decade, intending to one day have enough to fulfill Zabuza's dream.
Nearly a quarter of that money was gone now, all of that gold and silver melted into a little brass key that Zabuza held in his tightly clenched fist now. He let it clatter to the floor to bury his face in his hands.
It was even harder for a demon to buy something with his ill obtained money. Finding someone willing to sell to a demon was difficult and finding someone willing to sell to a demon at an even vaguely reasonable price was even harder. It could take days, or weeks, or even months to find someone willing to part with what the demon sought in exchange for blood stained money.
Sitting in the chair by the window, up in his great fortress of a tower, Zabuza hid his face in his hands as his strong shoulders shuddered. Demons did not cry, you see. But demons did not have hearts either.
Time continued to pass, as time will, for it is blind to misery and joy alike. It only continues to flow, pushing forth the eager and pulling along the unwilling. The short seasons spun by, marking the years.
Naruto's kingdom had welcomed his beautiful guest with open arms, many mistaking him for a princess from some exotic land. Once the misunderstanding had been cleared up, there were still those who insisted that he must be a princess from some exotic land, but in the grand scheme of things, all seemed well and good.
Life was quiet in the country of fire, though Haku spent most of his time sitting in a lonely tower overlooking a nearby forest, searching for the distant misty mountains. The king did not find this healthy, but Naruto assured everyone it was okay.
After the first few years, Naruto began to ask Haku to marry him every few months and was politely, though distractedly, turned down every time. One year, Naruto informed Haku that he was engaged to the son of a noble family and wondered if he would attend the wedding. Haku responded that if Naruto held the ceremony in the clearing below the tower, he would watch and bless them from where he was. And though Naruto had hoped Haku would be his best man, he nodded and told him that it would be so.
The wedding was a beautiful, elaborate ordeal, though most of those who attended were baffled as to why it was being held in a wild clearing nowhere near the main facilities of the castle. Haku could see the happy couple clearly from where he was seated. It made him smile to see how nervous Naruto was, the chipper blonde holding his stomach now and again with a close-eyed frown. With such a good view of the ceremonies, Haku also saw the battered, bloody man that stumbled onto the grounds just before the vows were to be said, sending a majority of the guests into a panic. He recognized that man.
He stood and fled the tower room, rushing down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him. He burst out into the clearing just in time to see the man collapse. Rushing through the crowd, which parted for him the way it might have parted for a ghost, he fell to his knees at one of the brothers' side.
"Meizu?" he asked softly as he threaded his fingers through the younger twin's hair, "What happened to you...?"
"Ha-kun," came Meizu's half wheezed response as he slowly reached up to gently rest a taloned hand on Haku's cheek, a faint smile visible through his cracked mask, "You've gotten bigger. 'n prettier." He spoke in the voice of a dying man who had held stubbornly onto life in order to finish a task he did not think he could complete, relief bubbling in his voice. The smile faded, leaving Meizu's face looking hollow and haunted. The gauntness of his cheekbones became more apparent.
"Zabuza's gotten himself in a mess. Bad mess. Think 'niisan's dead," he mumbled, looking around in distress. Haku's gentle face contorted with pain. He tenderly pulled off Meizu's headband to press a pale hand against his slick forehead.
"Shhh," he soothed, "It's okay, Meizu. You don't have to speak." It was the kind thing to say, though his heart seared with wanting to know what had become of his former master.
"Been drinking since you went," Meizu continued, "I need to tell you before I go. He gave everything up and didn't want anything anymore. Sent us here and there to make sure they were treating you right. Always had this key. Then we heard about a wedding and we were sure it was gonna be you an' the prince and then he decided he was going to take back his kingdom with what he had. They crushed us. They crushed us before we got to the bridge, 'fore we even got to the crossroads. We tried as hard as we could but it was suicide and we all knew it. Zabuza fought like a god. Nothin' could take him down. But he was in a bad way when I left him. I came as soon as 'niisan went down. Knew it was suicide but didn't really think we were gonna die. Then 'niisan went down and I knew, knew we were gonna be killed. But you've no right to let Zabuza die alone, you know? No right. You gotta get him out of there. He's been missin' you. You jes'... jes'... gotta-"
"Shh, Meizu," Haku whispered, pressing a finger against the delirious man's lips, "I understand. You take a little rest now. I'll go get Zabuza-sama and Gouzu too, okay? You rest a little while and we'll all be together again when you wake up." A tear splashed against Meizu's exposed cheek. The younger twin nodded, exhaled softly, and closed his eyes. Haku stood.
"Naruto," he called without looking away from Meizu's body, "I'm sorry about your wedding. I'll make it up to you sometime."
"Don't worry about it," Naruto shrugged, "Do what you have to do."
"Thank you," Haku flashed Naruto a genuine smile. The blonde grinned back the way he smiled when he felt the situation needed a brighter side, hands folded behind his back and eyes tightly shut. He felt a soft breeze on his cheek, and when he opened his eyes again, Haku was gone.
Even though Zabuza was quite a bit away from where Meizu had mentioned, Haku had no trouble finding him. It was instinctive, and he had never allowed himself to forget. When he arrived, he had only a moment to soak in the situation before he had to act.
Zabuza had run short on luck with one arm disabled while bleeding profusely from a gash on his leg. Imperial soldiers had surrounded him, and he was at a disadvantage because he could not wield his sword and still hold onto the rail of the bridge for support. The soldiers were moving in together, taking no risks against a cornered demon. They barely heard the quiet crackle of ice above before death descended upon them, slivers of ice impaling them through vital organs.
They all crumpled, save for one, who held one hand against his bleeding eye--the ice must not have driven deep enough--and used the other to drive a sword through Zabuza's stomach.
Or, at least, what would have been Zabuza's stomach if Haku had not stepped in the way.
Wrapping one hand around the blade of the sword now buried deep in his chest, Haku pulled the weilder closer, uncaring that he was making his wound worse.
"No one touches my Zabuza-sama," he hissed in the soldier's face before he pulled the needle of ice out of the wounded eye and drove it into the soldier's neck.
"Haku," a deep, rumbling voice that Haku had ached to hear called behind him and he turned, wrenching the blade from his chest as he did so.
"Zabuza-sama," he smiled, mindless of the blood that bubbled at his lips as he spoke. They both stopped and looked in the direction of the castle at the sound of many quickly approaching footsteps. Zabuza leaned against the railing as he placed his good hand on Haku's head, ruffling his hair lightly.
"Haku, we've got a long way to go ahead," he mused aloud. Haku smiled despite himself and gripped the sword that had struck him with both hands.
"Hai, Zabuza-sama."
They stood together on the bridge, fearlessly awaiting the troops that sought them, their backs against the setting sun and their eyes upon their bright future.
And they lived happily ever after.
Not in this world, but the next.
The End.