REVIVAL
"When the world goes to hell, the people who stand beside you without flinching — they are your family."
Jim Butcher
Chapter VII: Crossroads
"Your hair's red this time, huh?" Hari says, as she takes a large gulp of water.
The teashop across her apartment complex is small but offered a lot of privacy, the two of them settled on the corner table far from any prying eyes.
Tenshi still refuses to meet his eyes. "Oh? Yeah, it is."
"Well," he reaches out a hand over hers, making her stare at them, "it looks really pretty. But you've always been beautiful, Ten-chan." That nickname. His nickname.
The view of the familiar overworked hand atop hers starts to waver, tears start to brim in her eyes. She begins to sob, chin still low.
Hari stays silent as he watches her, his thumb drawing comforting circles on the back of her hand.
"I-I'm so sorry, Hari. I really, really am. I don't need you to forgive me-"
"No, I understand, Tenshi," his voice cracks, "I understand and I'll wait, okay? You keep doing what you're doing but I'm still here. I'll always be here."
Tenshi pulls her hand back from his, this time she looks at him in the eyes. "No, I don't want you to wait for me. What if I never return? What if I couldn't bring myself to return?"
"Then I'll just wait a little longer."
"No, I won't let that happen."
"Listen to me, Tenshi. I will wait. I've loved you since we were kids and I can wait a little longer if it comes down to it. This is my choice."
"That's the problem," she says, brows furrowed, "You're always making all these plans about how we're going to be. Hari, have you ever considered that there is a life where we're not together? A life outside of the Group? A home, a stable life, friends?"
The question soured his expression answering her. "Have you really thought that far already, Tenshi? So far that you're leaving everything we had…behind?" His voice cracks at the last word, breaking her heart even more.
"Hari, I-I don't know what I want," she cries, "but life here. I have a job, my own job that I'm really good at. I made friends, really good friends. We've been all around the place but I've never realized how big, how extraordinary life can be. Maybe, just maybe, I'm meant to live here. Or somewhere."
Cupping his face with his hands, Hari wipes his eyes. "I can't believe you're throwing it all away, Tenshi. You're throwing us away."
"I just-I need time, Hari. And I need you to respect that," she sighs, "There's so much to experience, Hari. And we're so young. We have a lot of growing up to do. And we won't grow if we're always relying on each other."
The man across her stares at the table, his long lashes wet from the tears as he digests her words. "You're right," a bitter chuckle leaves his lips, "I hate that you're right."
"Don't you feel it, too? We're holding on to everything we know so much, it's starting to hurt us." This time, she rests her hand atop his, looking into his eyes with a weak smile. He smiles back at her.
"I don't know why. Out of all of us, you were always the one Kenji-sama had a hard time controlling. It always seemed like you were destined for bigger things and it bothered him. Especially since you're his daughter," he says, "I love being in the Group. Soon, I want to make my own, as well."
"And you're going to do great things, Hari. You're the Golden Boy for a reason," she says, "I just…I have to do this."
"And you'll do great things as well. I know you will."
The pair finish their meals in comfortable peace, updating each other with their whereabouts. Hari tells her that her adoptive parents have been tight-lipped about her disappearance, refusing to talk about it with anyone else in the Group.
Growing up, her parents and she have always been close. In fact, Kaa-san taught her everything to know about Counseling, being one of the best in the field of all time. But that didn't mean their relationship didn't come with its challenges. Hari was always the one who would listen as she'd cry about the intense pressure she experiences being the child of the not one, but two of the best Medical Ninjas of all-time.
Nighttime rolls around, the village awakening at with music and vendors line up on the sidewalks. The entire place is bustling and lively. But they take their time walking beside each other.
"It's a beautiful village," Hari comments, "A little too loud but I can see it growing on you."
"I was like that at first, too," she says, "But yeah, it does."
"How was work today?"
A shiver runs up her spine at the memory of Gato-san, their conversation clouding her mind, making her heart race. Tenshi tells him about it, detailing the unexplainable surge of emotions during their session. His face laces into concern. "Why do you think you've been feeling that way?"
She shrugs, the cold breeze hits them making her quiver a little. By habit, Hari removes his dark blue jacket and puts it around her shoulders, the scent of mint and something woody filling her with nostalgia. But Tenshi tries to ignore the sentimentality stuck in her throat. "I have no idea. It's weird, isn't it?"
"Well, there has to be a reason why you're feeling that way," he says, "Knowing you, I bet you're itching to get to the bottom of it."
A 'you-caught-me' smile etches on her face as she looks up at him, the two sharing a moment until a feminine voice calls out her name. They break their eye contact, both searching for the source of said voice.
"Kurenai, hi!"
The ladies hug each other in warm greeting, Hari scratching the back of his neck. Once they pull away, Kurenai's crimson eyes immediately travel up to the gorgeous specimen standing next to her. Hari always had a delicateness balanced with rugged good looks. His face was long and balanced, high nose, sharp cheekbones, and lips supple enough forming a little heart shape in the middle. Tenshi used to call his Elf as kids because of his looks.
Flushed, she says, "H-hi."
"How are you doing, Kurenai-san," he gives a casual bow, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Hari."
Her eyes dart between the two of them and she just laughs. A laugh that Tenshi knows will have questions ready once she gets her alone. "Good to meet you, too, Hari-san."
An awkward silence hangs between the three of them as they all chorus sheepish chuckles. Shortly after, a man with brown spiky hair and a cigarette between his lips walks up to them. "This is Asuma, my…colleague," Kurenai says, looking immediately self-conscious.
The man looks them up and down, especially Hari. The four of them engage in small talk before Tenshi pulls Hari away after giving Kurenai a signal. The kunoichi nods, a mischievous smile on her face.
Making it to the gate, Kotetsu and Izumo, the two guards in charge watch them in curiosity. After a quick wave and greeting, they not-so-subtly whisper to each other like gossiping grandmas.
"You've sure made a lot of friends, haven't ya?" Hari laughs.
"I needed to because you're just such a goshdarn good one," she teases, "Several people had to fill the void." Whether she meant it as a joke, she's not sure.
He shrugs, bottom lip sticking out, "That's true. But so are you, Tenshi. Surprise abandonment aside."
"I like to keep you on your toes."
"These toes are more than happy to," Hari says, eyes serious this time, "So is everything else about me." Both his hands reach out to hers, they watch as they dangle their hands between them.
Tears prick her eyes once again, threatening to trail down her cheeks. She's speechless.
"You'll always have a home with me, Ten-chan," he whispers as if the words are just for her, "When things start to feel cold and lonely, you can always come back with me."
She nods. I don't deserve you.
Something small and hard makes its way into her hands. A small black box. With wide eyes she looks at him, lips a straight line. Hari chuckles as he wipes a teardrop resting on the corner of her eye with a thumb. "Do what you want with it, it was only for you anyway."
Tenshi shakes her head, giving it back to him, "Elf, come on."
"Can't you just let me win for once, Ten-chan?"
She sighs then nods.
"Good," Hari says, "Look, I'll be honest, I saved it for the future. It doesn't have to mean anything. I just wanted you to have it."
"Thank you, Hari."
Hari chuckles, shaking his head at her, eyes full of mirth. "Wow, I can't believe how easy that was. I'll say hi to the folks for you."
Tenshi runs up to him and pulls him into a tight hug, burying her face into his chest relishing the man in front of her. Who knows when she gets to see him next?
Hari holds on to her just as tight.
Five minutes or so probably passed as they both just stood there in silence, arms wrapped around each other. Tenshi was the first to pull away. "Well, I'll see you around."
"I'll see you around."
Before she could say something clever, Hari pecks her on the cheek and disappears leaving her with widened eyes and parted lips.
Her eyes trail back to the small box in her hand. She smiles.
Morning comes like a cruel reminder that last night did in fact happen and that all the tears she shed on her bed were real. Tenshi, you better know what the hell you're doing.
Earlier that day, she left a note on Aoi's desk that she won't be coming into the clinic today. Something has been clouding her mind the entire evening that she wanted to look into.
KONOHA PUBLIC LIBRARY
The large pink building sits in the middle of Central Konoha. Large wooden shelves line up in neat rows, long tables positioned in accessible areas with drop lights hanging overhead. Tenshi makes her way to the History section, fingers scanning over the books, eyes on a mission.
Konohagakure in Perspective: The Hidden Leaf Village's History. The Land of Fire. A Dummy's Guide to Konohagakure's Hokages.
"It's not here," she mumbles to herself, biting on her lower lip in deep concentration. Bending over and tiptoeing all over the whole shelf, still nothing. Resting her hands on her waist, Tenshi looks around for any signs. Her eyes light up.
Rushing up to the small shelf, she grins as she pull the small thin book out. Must be around a hundred pages of less, she thought, But I'll take it anyway.
The Land of Prism: History of the Powerhouse that Disappeared
Taking a seat on a nearby table, Tenshi opens the book. It's obviously old, the pages yellowed but barely touched.
The Land of Prism
Small but proud, the Land of Prism is a country holding some of the largest reserves of natural resources in the world. Founded by Lord Riku, a former Konohagakure jounin, the country holds a unique source of power that could run a country the size of the Land of Fire five times over for an entire year with just a single power stone.
Lord Riku was an expert negotiator, often called as the Lord of Hearts for his exceptional ability to converse and make even the worst of enemies at ease. For that, the Land of Prism had strong alliances with the most powerful military-heavy countries.
The country's power stones had a multitude of uses. These palm-sized stones were often used to bring dead soils back to life, electricity, and even medicinal uses. The economy was booming for the Land of Prism, easily making it one of the richest nations of her time.
Tenshi stares at the illustration of said power stone. It looks like a simple marble. Her brain starts to run a mile a minute. Nope, doesn't ring a bell. She continues to scan through the book until something catches her attention.
The Land of Prism's Royal Lineage
Her eyes glaze over the names. Everything was unfamiliar to her and just when she decided to put the book down, a name pops out at her.
Princess Kairi, youngest of 4, deceased
The book falls off her grip and bangs against the wooden table, earning her a few glances from the people around. She smiles sheepishly at them and utters a quick sorry.
An image of a woman, probably around her late thirties, with her hands on her waist appears. Her lips move but the words coming out of her lips are inaudible. Tenshi whips out a pocket-sized red notebook, scribbling down the image. I have to find out who this woman is.
She borrows the book and walks home with a renewed sense purpose. Everyone has to start from somewhere, everyone has to have parents, and she's going to find hers.
It's too late now, she thought, marching straight into the rabbit hole.
Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the chapters I've been putting out so far. This story has been in my mind for quite some time now and I hope I can continue to at least offer you something easy to pass the time with through this pandemic. Hope you're staying safe! Please favorite, follow, and leave me a review! I'd love to reply and interact with you guys as much as possible. :)