Teruo went down on one knee, his head bowed reverently. For once he was grateful for the etiquette required for he could not bring himself to look Him in the eye-not since they heard of Hisoka's death. Her last cries for mercy still echoed in his ears and haunted his memory. He did not like her-she was one of the cruelest Kumori he had ever encountered. He never imagined a day would come that he would pity her but perhaps it was the sound of her broken before the end that truly disturbed him.
And yet her destroyer stood before him, poised and collected as if nothing had happened. It was as if her very memory had been erased, as if she had never existed. Such callous indifference chilled his soul. And yet this was the Kumori he had sworn undying allegiance too…it was part of their curse. Is that why Akihiro defected? Did he see the hypocrisy in serving a savior who was willing to destroy them in the process? Then again all who were called to serve were not equal in their motivation. By this time Teruo was familiar with The Ebony's goal to restore their former glory-their place as Gods. He recognized how relatively young he was in comparison to his nearly immortal comrades. To this day he didn't understand why Akihiro had converted him. The only reason he gave was, "We are all called to serve a higher purpose. Use your gifts and talents to further our cause." It had been sanctimoniously vague. Even now Teruo struggled to go through the motions. Still he knew that for his own survival, he had to appear completely loyal.
"It is the eve of the Shadowling's Ordeal. It is a special time, is it not?" He gently lifted his chin as He raised him up.
Special? Teruo felt dread, regret, and despair wash over him. It was certainly a defining moment but he wouldn't have called it special. He didn't trust himself to speak so he nodded instead.
"It is a time when one embraces their destiny to serve the greatest good. Do you remember your former life Teruo?"
He frowned uncertainly. "No Master…I don't recall."
"You were a farmer," His lips curled into a sneer. "Toiling day in and day out for a meager living, struggling in hopes to survive one more day. Your life was meaningless."
He lowered his gaze. Funny…I don't remember it being as bleak as that. A fond, encouraging smile from his wife and the giggling and laughter of delighted children…it was true they had been destitute. But there had been happiness as well. If only…he could remember more.
"You were meant for so much more…" His gaze locked onto his, drawing him in. His tone was more than just confident, it was inspirational. "I saved you from that pitiful existence and gave you purpose. I took you from darkness and brought you into the light."
"I am grateful, Master," he murmured absent-mindedly. His almond eyes were so sincere, so earnest, and so honest. Truth was etched in His placid expression. How could he have begun to doubt?
His eyes narrowed shrewdly as His hand rested on his chest. An ominous glow radiated from his palm, connecting with the soul blade within. Teruo flinched but his gaze never wavered, he was powerless to look away. "And all that I ask for in return is that you serve me faithfully."
The light began to seep through, penetrate his shadow and stain his soul. Teruo opened his mouth in a voiceless cry. His chest seized with intense pressure.
His smile was a gentle one, reassuring as it masked the darkness within. "Akihiro has been selfish in keeping his child in darkness, away from the truth. He would damn her to a life without meaning…without light."
The light flared from Teruo's eyes, ebony in its darkest form.
He smiled as He withdrew His hand and loomed overhead. "We must welcome her back into the light."
"Allow me to show her the way, Master," he said resolutely.
He nodded in recognition. "Do not fail me Teruo. Akihiro may have been your mentor, but his treachery runs deep. He is no ally of ours."
"I will kill him should he interfere!" Teruo vowed as his voice rose triumphantly. Never before had he felt such power course through his veins! And yet why did his heart ache ever so slightly?
Isae had no appetite for dinner that evening and the crackling fire did little to warm her spirits. In the previous barriers she felt a measure of protection with a hint of stifling. In this one she could not shake a chill that settled into her bones. She kept rubbing her arms absent-mindedly in some vain effort to warm herself. Shino gently placed a blanket round her shoulders before pulling her back into his arms.
She sighed as she leaned back. "I'm glad you're here," she confessed in a whisper.
"Interesting, considering that you have rejected my attention a majority of our time together."
She cringed as she blushed. "Yeah…sorry about that," she mumbled. "If anything…I wish I figured it out sooner instead of running away from it. Seems like that's all I ever do."
He nuzzled cheek to cheek. "You have been surviving Isae, its time that you start living."
She let out a grim laugh. "Yep, just in time to die tomorrow!"
"Don't say that!" He said severely as his embrace tightened defensively. "You're not going to die."
She went really still in his arms. "You know what transition is right? It's turning into a demon. Life as I've known it will end." Her gaze lowered as she remembered their delight in consuming her mother's freshly-split blood that dripped from their blade. She began to tremble. "I…" her voice wavered. "I don't want to be a monster like them," she said in a haunted tone.
"You won't be," he reassured her…or perhaps it was an effort to reassure himself as well. His encounter with the tracker still bothered him. Please don't let Isae become the same. "I have faith that all will turn out well."
She frowned because she didn't but she knew better than to say it aloud. "Hey, remember that assignment in the academy? The one where we were supposed to write about who we'd spend our last day with if the world were going to end tomorrow?" She giggled softly. "I wanted to spend it with my Dad. Looks like dreams come true after all," she said with mild sarcasm. "Who'd you write?"
"I wrote my future wife." He said softly. "I wish to live a long life with her and to be by her side at the end."
Her smile softened in turn. "That's really sweet."
"Even though you don't believe in matrimony," he countered.
She pulled away and set the blanket aside, she felt plenty warm now. "It's not that I don't believe in it, I just don't think it's right for me. There's a difference. Look, I don't want to go into it," she said firmly as she sensed him about to inquire further.
"Then perhaps you'll answer a different question," he said.
"Depends on the question," she grunted suspiciously.
"You said that last night was the first time you…" he let the sentence hang for a few seconds. "I hope you will explain your meaning."
She sighed as she turned towards him. "It was the first time I feel like I truly opened up to someone else, without holding something back. I keep so much secret that it often feels like I live two different lives. But last night…it was just me." Her smile was slightly exasperated. "That makes sense right?"
"What makes more sense is if you didn't feel the need to be two different people in the first place. It sounds difficult maintaining two personas."
"I'm not saying I was great at it," she mumbled as her cheeks shimmered pink.
He considered her for a moment. She looked so sad, like someone at the end struggling to accept their fate. Despite his young years, he had seen his share of death. The last moments count for so much and even though he was willing to hope for the best, he could see regret etched in her features. The fire that usually burned in her eyes had all but gone out. His heart ached at its loss. He did not want her end to be like this. He reached out and cradled her face in his hands, earning a beautiful wide-eyed blush. "If this is to be your last night, what must I do to make it memorable?"
She blinked in surprise. "But you said-"
He shook his head. "What I say does not matter as much as how you feel. I want you to die with no regrets."
Silence lingered between them though it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she reached up to unclasp his high collar. He tilted his head in turn to match her approaching lips. Last night had been all about release but this time there was no such urgency. They were content to keep it slow. His gentle touch on her lower back drew her in closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss remained tender and subtle in its passion. There was nothing to prove, just being together was enough. In the end she buried her face in his neck as she breathed in his delicious scent once more. "You are amazing," she whispered.
"That's the nicest thing a girl has ever said to me," he said with a hint of a smile.
"And what do they usually say?"
"Get lost bug boy and take those creepy crawlies with you."
"Oh that's terrible!" She protested as she pulled away. "I hope you left them with stinging welts."
He frowned disapprovingly. "That would not have been the Aburame way."
"It would have been the Inuzuka way," she smirked.
"Exactly," he agreed. "Which is why I would never stoop to that level."
"Ouch! Super harsh!" She laughed as she tackled him to the ground. They wrestled about on the grass and she laughed as she tickled his sides. It was a bizarre sensation that made him twitch and thrash uncontrollably. It took him several seconds before he realized that he was laughing along with her. Embarrassed, his voice croaked and died as his face went super red. "Oh, don't be ashamed Shino," she said gently." I like your laugh."
"Just as long as you don't expect it to happen often," he grumbled shamefully.
She sighed melodramatically as she lay on her back beside him. "Yeah, I guess that would be too much to expect from an Aburame." His fingers entwined with hers as they lay side by side, looking up at the stars through the golden screen overhead. She titled her head towards him. "You know, I'm glad that of all my regrets, you did not turn out to be one of them."
"I am glad to hear it," he murmured. "Love did not turn out to be such nonsense after all."
She smirked. "You would have figured that out eventually, even without me."
"But it would not have been nearly as special," he said as he rolled over and pulled her in close to his side.
"You don't know that," she countered coolly. Her sapphire eyes sparkled once more.
"I don't have to," he said as he gently kissed her forehead.
She felt her eyelids grow heavy and she reached out to grab hold of the front of his tunic. "Stay with me…till the end…" she murmured sleepily.
"I will," he promised. His heart swelled as she snuggled in closer. One arm wrapped round him in turn, as her grip trembled ever so slightly still. But he sensed that she was more at ease than before. Her breathing slowed as her heart beat in time with his and she began to fully relax in his arms. As she slept peacefully he allowed himself a smile. This is how I wish my end to be.