A red-haired young man the colour of flames in a black hooded coat lay on his back on the ground of the strange realm of swirling red and blue signs. A teenage boy in a black and blue outfit kneeled by him yet still on his large black and gold shoes. Wisps of liquid-black rose off of the man, disappearing into the swirling purple ceiling, a far-off look hazed into his brilliant green eyes. The blue-eyed teen seemed top be sad or horrified with a tinge of sadness and he yelled at the man, gesturing him to stand up. The boy's voice began to quiet down. One could almost see an invisible tear falling down the upside-down tattooed tear below each of his fading vibrant eyes. The handsome man muttered, "I just wanted to see—."
"Hoshi-kun!" the two girls cried. Their male comrade had fallen to he ground as if he were a marionette with its strings cut. His right hand clutched at the white clothing to the center of his chest as it trembled and his pale left had had fallen near his forehead where it now twitched and shook, trying to hold at his temple. A drop of salty water fell to the dirt path beneath his face. His ice-blue eyes were only half closed like what one does when trying not to fall asleep but on the verge to. Rei frowned, curiosity, wonder, and recognition forming in her red eyes "Water, from your eyes…?"
"Hoshi-kun?" Sennyo nervously said, crouching down to her knees. She summoned Noa's ability to see things from people's dreams or past from Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala and lightly touch his quivering hand. Flashes of red-hair and a familiar realm swept into her mind at random. A boy about the same age as Hoshi was almost on his knees, speaking to the blurry face with red hair. Raspy laughter as clear as a morning's bell and bright-green eyes closed. "Axel?!" she gasped in a whimper. Her knees suddenly felt very heavy as she sat on the ground in shock, her palms on her forehead and fingers run through her dark-brown-black hair. The pilot looked at the two worryingly. "Hoshi-kun, d-did you ever meet Xigbar or Saix?"
The fifteen-year old was regaining consciousness, his blue yes were alert and looked up to her, horrified. "Yeah, you mean…Sora is going to take them down as well?" His hands stopped shaking and he pushed his upper body up into an awkward sitting position, although his elbows seemed likely to give away. Sennyo set down her hands and looked away from him, her eyes near empty of emotion. She muttered,
"Yes…"
"What is this emotion?" Rei suddenly said, more to herself than her team. A flicker of a memory from Rei III whipped through her mind, then gone. A word began to form onto her pale pink lips but it disappeared as quickly as had the memory.
"Sadness: the emotion of disappointment or sorrow, Rei-chan." Sennyo answered her almost dourly. Her crimson eyes gazed at the setting sun over the tree tops to her left, the light flickering in her eyes.
"Why?" the pilot asked, her eyes unwavering from the sun.
"A heart, a person connected with me and Hoshi's chain-of-memories has…" Sennyo voice faltered. What, died? Passed away? None of these words can work out, not for him at least… "Ceased to exist." Both her comrades noticed her hesitation in words.
"What was he?"
"A Nobody, like Hoshi-kun but belonging in one world. Why do you ask, out of curiosity?" the Touch inquired. The said-of boy looked at the two quickly, surprised to be brought into the conversation.
"If he never did actually since he is nothing but the strength and will of one's heart, a Nobody, how can you say that he has even ceased to exist? Every one is connected, no matter how fragile or small the ties…" Rei's voice began to get louder, "he could show up—!"
"I already know the ending to that story!" the younger girl practically yelled. The boy looked to her, concerned with her outbreak of emotion. " Sora and the Light vanquish the darkness that we're familiar with right now, only to start on a new adventure in the end that no one seems to know of as of yet. The King will know in the end. I really doubt his story will continue…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Please forgive me." Hoshi collected himself and stood up, he offered a hand to Sennyo: she took it and helped her up. "Rei-chan," Sennyo said, "how would you react, or feel if Shinji or Gendo were to die?" The blue-haired girl's face awoke in an expression of recognition and sorrow, of memories that weren't hers. She went silent for a moment.
"I feel—would feel empty…right here. Like shallow breath coming through swollen lungs." She deadpanned, her hand grasping around the center of her chest to about where her heart was or should be. Hoshi glanced at the setting red sun, then at the long shadows it cast.
"We should get going. Dark will set in about an hour from now." he said. The girls nodded and so the group walked down the lazily sloping hill on the dirt path of medium length with golden tipped grass as it reflected the warm light of the sun setting before them. Sennyo, being the naïve thirteen-year old she was, summoned a handful of stardust in her hand, and stayed sure that her expression did not change. Hoshi looked to her suspiciously but disregarded it as some sort of weird female hormone. She quickly dashed it onto her friends. The Nobody sneezed.
"If you think about it," Sennyo said aloud, " the time we've had together has not been long, so we should make the best of it…right?" The last part of it was more to herself than to her team, Sennyo now glided above the ground by an inch or so. Hearing not even faint sounds of breathing behind her, she turned around to face a familiar face.
"Good evening, Sennyo-chan." the Sannin said with his smooth voice, his sharp white teeth rinned at her.
"Aren't you supposed to be killing a Kazekage right about now?" she asked him. "Where are my teammates? You realize a battle between two immortals isn't a very good idea, Orochimaru-san." He snorted and replied,
"Nothing of a sort. The killing's done already done with I'm afraid, it wasn't very fun just to let you know. Rather boring actually. I'm just trying to make a bargain with you. Your comrades' freedom n exchange for your service in assisting me invade Konoha to kill the Third. Nothing to it really, it should come by easy with skills like yours and ine combined, not to mention your team's as well." Sennyo driftes her left hand unsuspiously to her left thigh holster, summoning and activating the third stage of the Sharingan.
"My comrades are to be the bargaining chip?" she asked him, she smirked, "I'd like to help you with your plans, I really would. But I can't, sorry. Xemnas should know and I'n sure has told you. So, please, release them or I'll activate the Mangekyou Sharingan." His smile didn't falter from his young face.
"You actualy think I have them now? Don't be rash. They were gone at the speed of sound the moment you turne your back on them, they should be at my vilage right about now."
Dammit, doing anything with Orochimaru-san could make Rei-chan, Hoshi-kun, or myself change the storyline. I can't allow myself to meddle that far. Memories of Goofy confusing the words muddle and meddle came into her mind. Hmph, but I don't have a choice. Even if I were to refuse and activted the Mangekyou Sharingan, it could harm Orochimaru-san even if I were to be able to go to his hideout and rescue those two. Or if I should flee from here right now, Orochimaru-san could still use Hoshi-kun and Rei-chan's power to destroy Konoha. Damn it all… Sennyo sighed and deactivated the Sharingan. "Please lead the way, Orochimaru-san." she said. The old man smirked, turned around, andleapt into the forest to the right of the path, Sennyo following with caution behind.
The two flew through the trees, branch to branch in silence for a while. She spoke up, "Where's Kabuto-san? He's usually with you isn't he?"
"You know of Kabuto? He's back at the base with your friends. Sennyo-chan, you seem to like the dark types. Why is that?" Orochimaru said in his polite yet threatening voice.
"What do you mean?" she looked at him oddly.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Sabaku no Gaara, your teammates, Hatake Kakashi, …myself, and who knows who else from the outside worlds." Sennyo green eyes first became hard that soft like Rei's or Chi's from Chobits.
"Beings like you," she explained nonchalantly, "just know the hardships and darkness of life. Uchiha Sasuke: his older brother killed all his family leaving only Sasuke-kun alive because he was too weak. Now he seeks revenge. Gaara-kun..has lived his whole like in darkness and alone. He will love only himself since there were none to give him love. Rei-chan and Hoshi-kun, they're…they're beings born of someone's misery and pain, yet also the strength and will of that someone. A teammate, a friend died for Kakashi and his father Sakumo commited suicide," she paused and took a shallow breath, " and you, Orochimaru-san, you're amazing I must admit. You wanted more than what a simple, boring village life could offer. Power and ever-lasting life. In ways, you and I are the same."
"Heh," Orochimaru chuckled, thinking the girl young and naïve, "whatever you say, Sennyo-chan." The remainder of the journey was silent an only the cries of birds and loud whispers of the wind sounded around them. A stone building almost completely emersed into the ground with a slow-sloping path leading into it came into view.
