Mitsuki despised the beast. His favorite way to pass the time when they weren't traveling was to imagine all the different ways he could kill this thing. It distracted him from the painful ache of his heart. This monster was the reason he'd been forced to abandon Boruto. Even if that wasn't the case, Mitsuki would kill this thing on principle alone.
They had crossed the lake that first morning in silence except for the rasping of the creature's breath. Mitsuki was certain that the thing had a name but he hadn't bothered to learn it. It was nothing more than a feral beast to him and was unworthy of a name. It was approaching evening when the corpse of the boat they road in finally arrived at the shore. The ground from there was soft and thick green grass grew in clumps from the black mud. As they continued on, the terrain grew more open. The trees fell away gradually to a grassy mud flat and it was here that they stopped for the first night.
Darkness fell but Mitsuki refused to sleep. He was determined not to show any vulnerability while in the presence of the creature. Despite his caution, he awoke suddenly just before dawn with the thing laying next to him. It was staring at him and smiling widely. Mitsuki instantly lashed out, slashing and stabbing at the beast with his claws. The attack narrowly missed its vitals, quite by accident. He had intended to kill it, until he remembered that he needed this beast alive. Dark blood dripped from the wounds but the creature was unperturbed. If anything, its smile grew wider.
Mitsuki was starting to feel deeply troubled. That was the second time he had fallen asleep without remembering doing so. He didn't need to rest like normal living beings. As long as he had food and his stress was low, he could forego sleep all together. Admittedly, his stress levels had been much higher recently. He had collapsed from exhaustion while tending to Boruto at Grandma's farm but even under those conditions, he could go three or four days before he needed to sleep. Now, he had fallen asleep twice in two days and he suspected that the monster was to blame.
As infuriating as the creature was, it did appear that it was leading Mitsuki in the right direction. The little light at the heart of the crystal was steadily gaining strength as they traveled. That and the constant beating of Boruto's heart at the back of his mind, were the only things that kept him from slaughtering the creature like the animal it was.
It was afternoon when the the terrain started to change. The ground was growing more firm and the the grass taller and more frequent. It wasn't long before Mitsuki found himself standing in waist deep grass that seemed to stretch on forever. The most distinctive feature of this part of the Delta Swamps was the smell. It started as just a trace of rotten eggs but as they continued, the smell grew so pungent that Mitsuki felt he could hardly breathe for the stench. When he was sure it would overwhelm him, the smell suddenly disappeared. He was grateful that the smell was finally gone but he immediately became alarmed when he realized he couldn't smell anything at all. The monster noticed his alarm.
"Oh, it's still there, love. That's the nature of the Poisonous Flats. The gas deadens your sense of smell. Not long after, it kills normal creatures. Lucky for us, we aren't normal creatures." The creature moved forward a few paces, then chuckled and spoke again, "And I'd be cautious about your lightning spells, love. One spark and the entire flat will go up!" The glee with which the creature spoke made Mitsuki think it enjoyed the thought of being burned alive.
The strain was growing steadily as they walked on and Mitsuki felt himself nearing the breaking point. The creature had developed a habit of touching his hair at every opportunity and frequently called him "pretty". At each offense, Mitsuki would give the thing another bleeding slash or a swelling bruise but nothing seemed to discourage it. It was as if the thing fed on Mitsuki's cruelty.
The second night, Mitsuki's patience was at its limit. He sat awake, watching the beast well into the night but again he found himself waking just before dawn. The beast was laying next to him and stroking his hair. The feel of the uneven black claws on his scalp sent him into a blind rage. He attacked the beast outright, not caring if the thing perished. His claws ripped and tore at everything he could reach as he hissed his fury. Mitsuki felt his claws scrape bone and lacerate organs as he ripped flesh from the beast in large chunks. Hot blood covered his arms, splattered his face and soaked through his torn clothing but he didn't care.
There were cleaner ways to kill this monster but Mitsuki was enjoying the savage pleasure of ripping apart the thing that had tormented him for days. He didn't need this creature to guide him. He had the necklace. He would find the key on his own and bring it back to Boruto. He would save his Sun, no matter what the cost.
Mitsuki went to slice his deadly claws across the creature's neck. He intended to take his head off or rip out its throat; it didn't matter which as long as the thing died. However, his killing blow met only with air. He stumbled but regained his balance instantly. He whirled around, searching for the beast in the weak light of the dawn, eager to finish it for good.
He heard it before he saw it. A disgusting gurgling sound mixed with heavy wheezing. The gurgling sound quickly quieted as the wheezing gained strength. Mitsuki saw the thing then. It was standing about thirty feet away and it's greenish arms were crossed over its mangled chest. Blood flowed from its many wounds to soak the grass beneath its feet. The remains of its leather shirt hung in ribbons from its shoulders. The creature's back was was heaving as it staggered but then it started to straighten. As the sounds it was making gained in strength, Mitsuki realized with horror that the thing was laughing. He stared as it threw open its arms and flung back its head, laughing until the entire marsh rang with its mirth.
"That's the way, love!" It wheezed out between fits of laughter, "You sure are a spirited one!" It dissolved again into fits of hysterical laughter. Mitsuki couldn't do anything but watch it laugh. He had mangled the beast to the point that it was almost skinless and many bones were broken and exposed. His claws, the ground and grass were caked with the monster's gore and pieces of its flesh littered the trampled grass but even that had only excited the creature. "It's alright, Mitsuki. There's no harm in a little fun." It said lightheartedly, misinterpreting the meaning of Mitsuki's look of disgust and horror.
Despite the wide gashes across its face, the mad smile was back in its usual fixed position. It raised a clawed hand to its face and wiped an irritating trickle of blood but the rest it allowed to flow freely. It turned its back on Mitsuki and began to walk South, continuing its journey as if it had never been interrupted. When Mitsuki did not immediately follow, it overturned its head without turning its body and fixed its mad eyes on him.
"The key is not far now." The thing's head spun back into its proper place with a sick 'snap'. Mitsuki followed but at a cautious distance. He continued to stare as what was left of the thing's skin began to bubble like hot wax. The edges of the larger wounds reached for each other with fat fingers of greenish flesh. The blood slowed its flow then stopped as the fingers joined and hid exposed bones and organs once more. Mitsuki's face twisted with disgust as the thing healed itself. Next time, he's be sure to take off its head.
Mitsuki followed the creature in silence for hours. He checked the crystal at regular intervals, confirming that the little light was still growing brighter. He was starting to have difficulty controlling his impatience. He had vowed to return to Boruto in three days time and now the sun was high on the second. His consciousness reached back once again and gently cradled the heartbeat in his mind. If it weren't for this comfort, we was sure he would have lost his mind by now.
The only positive he could see was the stone was shining brightly now. Wherever the key was, it was very close. Mitsuki mentally prepared for battle. It wouldn't be long before the guardian made itself known.
The persistent peacefulness of the wetland put Mitsuki on edge. The atmosphere was completely silent except for the whisper of the breeze through the tall grass. The gas looked to have killed everything but the sturdy plant life. Soon, large granite boulders began to appear one by one and the sky grew brighter and more blue.
At first, the backs of the silver-grey stones were only just visible over the tips of the swaying grass. They quickly grew larger until their polished surfaces stood high above the sea of grass. The monster approached a cluster of particularly large stones and slipped from view. Mitsuki hurried to follow. As he drew closer, he saw that there was an almost invisible gap in the rocks. He slipped into the opening but proceeded with caution. The guardian still had yet to show itself and the crystal was shining like a tiny sun. Mitsuki reached the end of the crevice and paused while still within the shelter of the rocks. He drew both his daggers then crept forward slowly.
Just past the gap in the boulders, there was a little grassy clearing that was open to the sky. The giant granite boulders formed a high and solid wall around the small meadow and high clouds drifted across the baby blue sky overhead. In the exact center, almost hidden in the tall grass, stood what looked like a small alter made of the same stone as the boulders.
The creature was standing in the meadow in front of the little alter, not bothering to look back. Mitsuki stalked forward. After the beast retrieved the key, he would only have a small opportunity to kill it before he had to face the guardian. Mitsuki watched carefully as the creature placed a clawed hand on the smooth stone surface of the alter. There was a flash of white light and the polished surface split in two. The beast reached inside and removed a small object. Mitsuki could only just make out the sparkle of blue and bronze as the creature's hand passed through a beam of sunlight.
It turned its head and smiled widely at Mitsuki. Its eyes were wider than ever and they appeared more red than brown in the sunlight. As it stared at Mitsuki, its pupils appeared to lengthen into slits. It stepped forward and held out what was unmistakably the water key. It was en exact match to the air key they had collected in the Wastes, with ornamental bronze filigree around a central stone. Except instead of a pearl, this one was set with a rich blue sapphire. But something was wrong. The last key had been within the body of the last guardian. Mitsuki looked again at the crystal and saw that it was still shining brightly. The seal was not broken yet. The guardian still lived but where was it?
Mitsuki put the concern temporarily out of his mind. The time had finally come for him to kill this beast. He went to strike but his body would not move. The beast's smile grew impossibly wider as it took each slow, deliberate step towards Mitsuki. Realization struck him then. This beast was the key guardian. How could he have been so blind? It answered all the questions that had been haunting his mind: How the beast had known so much about them, how it knew about Boruto's curse and their quest to find the keys, everything.
"What's wrong, love?" The monster jeered as it came close enough to touch. It held the key under Mitsuki's face where it glittered in the sunlight. "Isn't this what you came for? Why don't you take it?" Mitsuki's blood boiled with rage. Here was the very thing he had abandoned Boruto to find. All he had to do was take it and kill this monster. Then he would be free to return to his Sun but he couldn't move a muscle. He glared again at the beast. He wanted to slash, stab, use his stare, anything at all that would kill this thing but even his basilisk powers were somehow being repressed.
The guardian stepped closer to Mitsuki, close enough to for its breath to fan over his face. The hand not holding the key lifted to Mitsuki's face and caressed his jaw and chin. Then, it smoothed over the scales on his cheek. Mitsuki wanted to jerk away but the spell held him in place. NO! his mind screamed in protest. No one was allowed to touch him like that, no one but his Sun. Only Boruto could touch him.
He fought the spell with all he had, glaring his deepest loathing at the creature as he did but still the spell held firm. As the claws moved from his face to his hair, he wondered if anything would remove the memories of its clammy hands on his body.
"You are beautiful, Mitsuki." The key guardian hissed while flicking its forked tongue against his cheek, "You belong with me, not with Boruto. He is being consumed by the curse anyway. You know he doesn't have long. Come, stay with me. I know how alike we are. You are a monster, just like me."
No! Mitsuki's mind fought back against the poisonous words. He wasn't like this creature. He was a basilisk but he was more than that. Boruto saw past his heritage and saw him as a person, an equal, a friend. Boruto trusted him! Boruto loved him! He was not going to let him die! It didn't matter what Mitsuki had to do, he was going to save his Sun. His body started to glow with a acid green aura as he felt his power suddenly intensify. His fingers shook as the spell start to weaken.
A sudden emptiness in his mind made his breath hitch and his heart stop. The weakening spell suddenly shattered allowing Mitsuki to stagger backwards and the green glow died. His daggers fell into the grass as his hands flew to hold the sides of his head. It was gone. Boruto's precious heartbeat had suddenly vanished. Mitsuki's breath came in ragged gasps as his blood turned to ice. It couldn't be true. He searched every corner of his mind as he ran his fingers over the back of his head where the beloved beating had been only seconds before. Was Boruto dead? Desperately, he reached out for Sarada's snake but found only nothingness. Something had happened and now Boruto was gone.
Mitsuki's chest exploded with pain as his heart ripped itself to pieces. He staggered then dropped to his knees, overwhelmed by the pain of the loss. It was too much. He couldn't bear it. He pulled his hair and screamed. In the aftermath of his cries, the emptiness in his mind was quickly reflected by his heart .
"What's wrong, love? Did you lose something precious?" Mitsuki's head snapped up. The guardian was mocking him. It knew. Somehow, it knew what had happened and it was responsible. Rage and fury Mitsuki had never felt before took over his mind and body. His green aura returned and intensified until it was almost white. Ghostly, snake-like tendrils made of pure magic energy floated around him and hissed as they circled. The key guardian took a half step back as he took in Mitsuki's new appearance with awe. Then it laughed.
"That's it, Mitsuki! Show me the monster that you are!"