Hey guys! This is a copy of my submission to the prompt "Feather". I am in the club, NejiTenPlz, on DeviantART. Please tell me if you like it, and you may comment here, or on the original. Look up my username on DeviantART. ^^
Anyway, if you don't understand something please feel free to contact me by message, review, or e-mail.
Tenten was in the middle of one of her, as she calls it, fabulous gaming sessions. Because, you know, playing Mario kart on the Nintendo for the ump-teenth time is just fabulous. Hinata was over at the time, challenging her to a race. They've been great friends ever since Neji's birthday party a year or so back. Yeah, they had fun, but not Neji…yeah…poor Neji. Anyway, about fifteen minutes into the game assemblage, the girls heard a single knock on the cedar door. They waited a second, just to see if another knock would occur, but there was only a vacant silence.
Now, knowing Tenten's attitude, she insisted that it was nothing and that the game was just a tad more important at the moment, but Hinata ignored her method and got up to check anyway. Tenten started the game with what seemed to Hinata like an evil giggle, as she opened the door. There, sitting on the porch, was a small, but long box.
"Tenten, you got a package!" She looked over her shoulder at the zombie in front of the television, and tried a different approach, "It's a LOVE letter!"
You almost would have thought that Tenten flying across the room was some kind of Hollywood original. She had gotten to the door quicker than Naruto on steroids chasing some kind of ramen thief. Her expression was priceless when she saw the little box in Hinata's hand. Tenten gave Hinata a hard poke.
"You do that a lot missy." Although, she couldn't be mad or anything at Hinata, it's been a game between the two lately.
"Well, here's your…whatever it is." Hinata handed her chocolate eyed friend the box before returning to her spot on the couch, reaching for the controller.
Tenten eyeballed the gift like it was some sort of new species, and eventually opened the blisters on the left side. Inside was a small feather, about the length of a card, and a tiny booklet beneath it.
"So what's in it?" Hinata glanced up at Tenten from the TV.
"A feather." Tenten didn't look back; she was instead occupied by the small booklet. Setting the box with the feather still inside down, she flipped through the book and landed on a page with a list of colors.
"A feather? What kinda crap are you ordering these days…?"
Tenten ignored that question, and began to read a little. Each color had an emotion next to it, which struck her curiosity. Flipping to the first page, she read "The Rainbow Feather" in bold print. She glanced at the feather again, and narrowed her eyes slightly. It was just a plain white feather; it looked nothing like a rainbow. Ignoring that, she flipped to the next page and read the text out loud.
"Congratulations! You were chosen along with fifty others in Japan to receive the limited edition Rainbow Feather! This feather reads the emotion of whomever you point the tip bristle of the feather at. Have fun finding out how your friends really feel!"
Hinata giggled a little, "Sounds like the mood ring just got kicked outta business."
Tenten looked back at the page with the colors on it, and a smile cracked on her face.
"Let's find out if it works." She gave Hinata devious grin, walking up to her with the feather pointed straight at her, "Do you have a crush on anyone?"
Hinata blushed deeply, and almost didn't notice the feather change to a light shade of red. Or pink, however you want to put it. Tenten presented a bright smile now. She knew already that this feather was going to give her a fun time.
"You don't have to tell me, I was just checking if it worked."
Hinata let out the air she hadn't realized she was holding in, and grinned.
"So, what's white mean?"
Tenten looked back at the book, and read the first line.
"Uh…it says that 'white-no emotion detected'."
"Oh, so if you held that up to Neji, it would stay white huh?"
Tenten pressed her lips together, with a clear sign of her holding in a laugh. Hah, like that worked. They both cracked up laughing. Tenten almost squished the feather holding her sides.
"Hey, do you think I should try it on him?" Tenten tried to bring her cackle down a notch and Hinata nodded.
"Yeah, who knows? Maybe it will stay white!" Hinata took a deep breath and attempted to stop giggling.
"Alright. I'll go get him, I'm pretty sure I know where he is." Tenten headed for the door, feather in hand.
"I'm gonna stay here and beat your high score!"
"You wish!" Tenten yelled back and ran out the door.
About five minutes after she left, Tenten had made it to the training grounds. He was always there, normally just meditating his life away, but still, he was always around. She continued running until she spotted him leaning against a sakura tree. He glanced up at her, and watched as she got within maybe 6 feet of him. Tenten was about to say hey to him, but ended up tripping on an unearthed tree root. She crashed into him and they ended up falling to the grassy field beneath them. The feather had blown out of her hands, and onto the ground right beside them.
Tenten opened her eyes that she had closed earlier for impact, and locked gazes with Neji. They were so close to each other that they could feel the other's breath against their faces. Ever heard of "a train wreck"? Tenten wanted to turn away, to loose the constriction Neji's stare gave her, but she couldn't pull her eyes from his ivory orbs.
The feather, that was white when she arrived, had now given off the bright, reddish color from before. Tenten glanced at the feather, glad that Neji didn't know what it meant, and attempted to get up off of the Hyuga. Her arms suddenly felt weak, and gave way. She was afraid she was going to fall into him again, but instead she felt two strong arms hold her up from her stomach. Neji smirked, the usual look from him, and helped her up.
Once they were standing, Tenten smiled nervously, thinking about what just happened, until she noticed the feather. She almost cried.
The feather was still pink, but it wasn't pointed at her.