Flowers Bloom, Hearts Shatter
By: Li
Summary: 'She wasn't trained as a ninja, wasn't even supposed to be here. So why was she?' Auron was sent from her mystic home by a miscast spell and to a misty construction site. After helping move the injured and burying the dead, Auron met the Chikichi family, who kindly took her in as a paid servant. Now the hero/neighbor Inari(-kun) is yelling in excitement that someone is coming. But who?
A/N: Chapter Two, as promised. I'll have to take a break for a week. Gomen.
IMPORTANT NOTE! The first five chapters are about Auron and her guard's (to be told who below) travels. In chapter six, she finally arrives in Konoha and meets up with Naruto yet again, turning the Hidden Village upside down. She only changes minor events, such as a new gennin team will be in the finals. (No spoilers, maybe I'll tell you in later chapters, or wait until chapter 11, when it's supposed to be.)
Warning: maybe hinted shojo-ai/shounen-ai, no yaoi or yuri; disruptive OC
(1) means to see the ending notes or glossary
"Foreign language."
Spirits and Gods
Flashback is like this.
--mind speach--
Chapter Two: Time's Illusions (on the road)
"They're coming!" Inari shouted, running down the seashore land and past Clan Chikichi's home. "They're here!" Who? Auron wondered to herself.
He was so excited, Inari didn't notice the weird, new servant at his working friend's family's house visably tense. Nor did he realize, running full-speed-ahead, the girl who barely talked whisper something under her breath, something he wouldn't have understood even if he had. (Is it them again?)
But he was hyper, despite his hunger, at the new merchant's now crossing the Great Naruto Bridge, the first one to venture across the sturdy structure. They had guards from a Hidden Village (he only knew from the flash of sunlight on their hitai-ate, but not the origin of their town) and the salesman most likely brought food and other necessities to sell or trade at a lower price than normal, seeing as their economics were still so low.
Said girl, called Airan in the village as they'd tried to pronouce her foreign name Auron, stood up from the fishing net she'd been repairing (or trying to) for the last week and stepped into the house of the Chikichi family (the old couple and their grandchild kind enough to let her stay).
Thankful as she was, the girl made herself as useful as possible, even if she didn't know how to do anything they asked very well. And though curious, the kind family didn't push the subject of her origin before then or her odd behavior, taking the girl's lapses of silence as amnesia or something similar. 'An old servant of Gatou's who'd seen too much and wanted to forget,' the old grandmother had silently guessed along with her ancient husband?
Pushing the curtain into the house's shop aside, Auron silently reached for the empty basket near the door, nodding in acknowledgement to the young boy gutting a fish in a corner behind the counter. Jingi, the older man of the elderly Chikichi couple, smiled at her, overlooking the child's work. He knew she would go into the forest and collect herbs and edible plants, not coming back until well after dark to give them some of her treasures. He accepted her eccentricism and continued to encourage it even if his wife, Natsume, seemed a bit wary at her oddity.
Returning the man's infectious smile, she pulled the curtain back and headed towards the forest, wanting to check on her patient as soon as possible.
Leaning over the beautiously peaceful body of her patient, smiing at the bright, pure soul that should have occupied it reminded the girl of when Shunhi-kun() had visited and the first time she'd met the boy named Haku. (Spirit, rather, she mused.)
...Flashback Sequence (engaged)...
Auron, no matter where she was or what had happened, enjoyed sleeping despite her insomnia. But the waking up part, she hated that with a passion. Especially rude awakenings by hyper gods. That just plain sucked, and annoyed her so much Skuien didn't even have to take over to express the girl's anger or irritation.
"Up! Up! I need your help, lazy human!"
Auron jolted herself awake, grabbing the prancing pretty-boy by his short pony tail and pulled. The pacing figure ceased to rant and instead fell to the ground beside her as she lay back down, attempting to go back to sleep.
An irritated dark man prevented her from doing as she pleased.
"Seriously, Auron-san! This is an emergency! the god stated, shaking the girl by a blue yukata-clad shoulder.
Sighing in defeat, Auron rolled over lazily, cracking one eyes open. "What is it this time, Shunhi-san? Athne-chan's birthday isn't for another moon." If it was possible to talk casually to a god of death as if it happened all the time (which it did), think of all the other unusual things 'Airan' could do.
The deadly-gorgeous face inches from her own was twisted with stress and desperation, by no means obscurring his pale beauty. Dark eyes stared back into her own ice blue, full of panic and helplessness, two emotions never should appear on a death collector's face at any time.
Auron blinked both eyes open and yawned, stretching tense arm muscles. Cracking irritating bones back in place, the light girl play with the dark man's midnight-blue hair, seemingly bored despite her friend's obvious worry.
"What is it you need this time, Shun-kun? More advice?" Last time he had come, Athne() and his own anniversary (too many years to count) was drawing near and he hadn't known what to get her. Seeing as she was his only female (mortal) friend and knew his consort well, Auron was the only one who could have helped in any way.
Shunhi relaxed, though still nervous, and explained in a rather calm voice, "You remember the battle on the bridge and the two Mist nin who died? Auron nodded, now knowing it had something to do with their souls. "The young boy can't rest in peace too troubled and the man is still being weighed.
Auron raised and eyebrow in surprise, too deep in thought to show any other sign of emotion. A troubled spirit would turn into a vengeful spirit, and a fate such as that wouldn't fit such a pure boy. As for the man he had so many crimes in his name, wouldn't his next life result of it? Or would he go to Hell? Said something for Kamiland's legal system, if nothing else.
"How so?" she asked after an eternity of pondering, which had only resulted in the God's tensing yet again."The boy, Haku, worries for his important person and won't rest in peace until he knows the final decision, he explained, voice calm as always but body rigid. Auron just nodded for him to continue. "Zabuza, the man, had reasons for doing what he did, and in the end, found pure love, even if he only admitted it to himself before death.
Auron just nodded in understanding. After much thought, she'd come to a conclusion that would result in peace for both spirits and help in self in the process.
"Summon Haku, Zabuza, and their release forms, would ya?"
In dense confusion, Shunhi nodded and snapped slim, detailed-too-perfect fingers together in silent summoning.
There stood two transparent beings before the laying pair, one tensed and troubled, the other without a care in the world. One at peace for deciding his own fate, the other in turmoil because of it; their roles and attitudes had been switched in death, it seemed.
The dark beauty god stood, straight and tall, to address his current charges, "The High Lady Lopeona Talance -Fifth Heir of Main House, 20th Heir to Wing House, and Sixty-seventh Heiress to Horn House- of the Floridina Plains wishes to address former Demon of the Mist Zabuza and his accomplice Haku in the sentencing of their souls, the man stated formally.
Both spirits blinked in confusion and surprise as Auron just sighed in slight annoyance, stood and stretched again. Both transparent beings sized her up, but only one dared comment."-That's- your High Lady, someone who decides peoples' afterlives? More like a brat or living ragdoll, if you ask me. Zabuza folded his arms after his snapped comment, tranquil air that had been about him gone far away.
Shunhi didn't even flinch, leaving his friend to handle this one. If she'd needed his assistance, she would have signaled so by now.
Said girl just yawned, hand over mouth, not jumping at the bait like she normally would have. There was a successfully way to handle this, and exchanging insults (at least with others starting the argument) wasn't in it.
Cracking a drousy eye open, Auron glanced at the tall dark haired man as she leaned her back against the tree she'd been laying under. "Your Zabuza, right? Called a demon?"
The one she addressed tensed, then nodded warily (What is it with people and discretion here?). He seemed to expect something from her, waiting for ther girl to say the words he so dreaded yet anticipated at the same time, "Sweet Hell fire for you." or something along those lines.
"Insulting." Both souls tensed, though neither spoke. "Demons aren't all murderers and evil entities. Geeze! You'd think human kind would wise up a bit in that area. But noooo! Still closeminded fools. Need to grow up, they do."
"And you're not? Haku, politely asking. Who would've thought someone raised by a so called 'demon' could have manners.
Auron stopped midyawn, open eye glancing at the boy who'd just spoken. Dropping her hand to her side, the Lady just smiled enigmaticly.
"Not entirely."
Shunhi took this as his cue to enter again, pulling shimmering papers out of thin air and handing them to Auron. The spirits watched in exchange silently, not daring to hope against the decision they so clung to.
With a sigh, Auron bit her thumb, much to the ghost's surprise, and signed the pages with her thrice blood, licking the wound when she was done.
"Ah, good. All's in order, then. Zabuza-san, if you would please come with me. haku-san, Auron-san will explain,the god stated, demeaner having relaxed once he'd realized what was happening. You could always count on Auron for unexpected but efficent solutions, he decided.
The former assasinwent rigid, and his once-tool didn't know whether to grip his hand tightly in reassurance or ask the dreaded question. He settled for both
Where to? Auron just smiled.
"A peaceful place called Flordina Plains. You'll find a new life there as a reincarnation, Zabuza-san. You won't remember them either."
Haku was slightly confused, though hid it well under his outward mask, as the man beside him relaxed as if something weighing tons had just been lifted out of his life and taken by another.
Zabuza squeezed the pureheart's hand in reassurence one final time before ruffling Haku's long, transparent hair, turning to leave. The snow-like one didn't want his most precious person to go, but a force was holding his mouth shut and keeping him were he was.
As soon as the God and former called-demon were gone, so was the paralasis. Haku whirled on the relaxed girl, wanting to take out his fury on someone someone who to blame for his now useless stature
"Why? he asked coldly. "Why? you took away my meaning to exist!He wanted to physically make her tell him, but he knew spirits shouldn't touch normal humans. But she wasn't normal, so maybe?...
She held up a hand in the standard 'stop' position. "No, don't." The tone was wary, tired, warning."Why shouldn't I?" Haku asked suspiciously.
"You'll only hurt yourself if you do so. Now, please, let me explain."
A moment of tense silence later, Haku nodded reluctantly.
"Zabuza-san needs a peaceful place with no conflict; a place to start over. Flordina, my home, is the only such place I know of that exists. Now, don't worry. He won't forget you. How could someone you loved forget such a beautius person such as yourself?"
Auron smirked as Haku blushed, forgetting his anger and rage for a moment. She could understand, having someone so important to you taken away, and not being able to spot it from happening in the least.
"When you die, you'll be able to join him. Maybe be together again, eh?" She said the last part suggestively, causing another, even darker, red to appear on the boy's pale cheeks. His eyes lit up in confusion as his mind registered the first part, though.
"But I'm already dead, came the startled protest. Auron just grinned manically.
"Oh no you're not. You'll be alive and packing a punch in double 5 sun sets if I can help it! You'd better gather as much recent information you can while still a spirit. Never know what could come in handy, knowing."
"How?" Still confused? I thought it was quite obvious, really.
"I'll heal your body, you protect me with it. Fair enough deal, right? I get the guard I need, you get a second chance at life. Bet you want to fight Kitsubi-sama again, ne? The one and only Uzumaki Naruto?"
But Haku wasn't listening. Her words were echoing in his spirit mind, still unable to find a place to draw in...Second chance at life...
Auron had just smiled and begun to dig up his fresh grave. Thankfully Shunhi-kun had proserved their bodies with his power in case she'd require them
...Flashback Sequence (disengaged)...
And today Haku returned to his now-healed body for good; the day Auron played the rule of shinigami instead of her good friend Shunhi. She just hoped the pureheart had thought about his knew information; his old identity was classified as deceased, and he needed a new name.
But the part she hated most of playing god was the transferal of energy; she had to give the patient some of her own life eccense for them to be bound to her and live as long as the player did. Depending on how much she gave would deside how strong the bound, and since she wanted one that would allow them to transfer thoughts, she knew she'd have to give a lot. No powerful spells for a few weeks, then.
Grumbling to herself, Auron took a speceil blade she used for ritual perposed only, and cut open her neck artery, bypassing the protective spells easily. Instead of blood, a gray-silver misty flowed from the cut in waves and into the still body's mouth, causing said body to jerk as the energy entered it's chakra system, restoring lost life.
Her body went numb, it was painless so far, but Auron had done this a few times before. This was only the start; things would get a lot worse and it would hurt like Hell. She was right, and screamed silently all the more for it.
Haku's new mistess, on their way to the place she lived at the moment, had told him to called her Airan after verually twitching every time he tried to pronouce her foreing name 'Rohpiena-sama'. The name was just too hard for him to say, and calling the mysterious girl that name which sounded like some sort of disagreeable food wasn't helping. And why did she dislike her birth name so much to ignore him when he called?
Sighing to himself, the pale boy stared at his new master's back, still trying to get used to being in a body again. He never knew it could be so constricting! As a spirit, you could fly, which to his own surprised was fulfilling in a way he never knew. Nothing was solid, either; he could walk on the tree tops with his feet drifting through the fresh leaves.
Now he had trouble walking, how could he fight!
Haku remembered the conditions of his second chance at life: protect the enigmic girl called a High Lady of some country he'd never heard of and maybe get a vacation now and then. The last part had been insistted on by a goddess called Athne, the one who'd come with his shinigami Shunhi-sama, when both had come after the girl had joined Haku's body and soul once again.
'Her power,' the death god had said to him, 'is something not to be taken lightly. The Heiress needs to be protected, mainly by you, for now.,'
The snow-like one wondered what he had meant by that when the mistress he was to call both Airan and cousin (their make-beleive past) stopped her walking. The girl, a few years younger then himself he was sure, turned to smile at him and announced, "Welcome to our temporary home! It's not much, but I'm not complaining." She then procedded to drag him into a peaceful clearing, the run-down shack in the middle hardly what he'd expected.
A thick grove of trees surrounded the clearing on three sides, well-worn path accross the feild. The wodden struture that could bearly passed as a hermit's shelter stood in the middle, a good ten kilometers between the forest edges and building on all the greenery sides, the space filled with all sorts of plant life. Haku's face lit up in a smile. There were plenty of herbs to experiment with!
On the fourth side, to his right and aproxomently fifty meters or so away, a cut in the forest line overlooked tree tops. As the boy slowly walked along the cliff to it's drop-point, the ground slowly rising a few cm every step, Haku's breathe caught in his through. A few miles of green streched out before him, then some brown rooves and tan sand, then the endless ocean caught his gaze. It reflected all that happened in the sky, and to him this moment was most beautiful.
The sun was setting.
The little-boy Haku had always watched them with his mother and father when he was younger, but stopped after his own insident. But when Zabuza had taken him in, the pale boy had acctionally stared at the sky as he rose from slumber, but not as often as before.
The eternal water reflexed pleasent colors that calmed the soul and could make a heart melt; red, orange, yellow, molten gold -the words didn't due the sight justice. "It's so beautiful," Haku whispered in awe.
Giggle, turn, smile: "Yes, it truely is. But you'll see more; count on me to show you." Airan took his hand, staring the her guard with warm icy eyes. "I trust you; my life is in your hands. Make your preciese person proud, alright?"
Haku just nodded, awed by the sight before him and the girl's words. What had happened to the lazy, protesting Lady the had revived him? Who -no, what- exacly was she?
He felt a slight pain in his hand, and stood paralized in place as his new mistress carved something on the under side of his wrist with a knife-like object he didn't recognize. It was shaped similair to a scapple, but the metal was far stronger and the blade longer than a regular one. The handle curver against the girl's fingers as if it was made to fit, the shining blade reflecting the sunset's light on an eerily near-transparent blade.
The symbles dark blood poored out of began to heal as soon as she pulled away, the dripping liquid only a reminder of the pain he'd just felt, which was slowly begin to fade. He didn't know what the girl had carved into him, the lines where twisted and oddly shaped like nothing he knew of, and he didn't think he wanted to.
Pulling the blade away (there was surprisingly no blood on said object), Airan expalined, "I just gave you the gift of telepathy with anyone who knows about mind channeling, rapid healing similar to the boy you fought, and automatic language translation."
Haku was confused. "What would I need to know other speach for?"
"To talk to me, of course," she said with a smile.
"To talk-" He then realized what she'd said wasn't in his native thounge, but rather a harsher-sounding speach that didn't roll off the thounge quite like his nartural language did.
Auron just sighed and smiled wanly at him. "We'll sleep here for the night, then I'll introduce you to my temporarily employers."
"Hai, Airan-sama," Haku said obediently and nodded.
The girl who'd started walking stopped and turned to him, wearing a surprisingly stern look. "That's Kandai Shurina-san to you! It's my temporary name, as yours is Shinsetsu Kohaina. Call me Ai-chan, if you want, too. I don't mind." The newly named boy just stopped dead, eyes wide and mouth agape, as the smiling girl continued to walk.
He snapped out of his stutter soon enough to see his mistress's figure walk into the shack and shouted, "Wait, please!" This was the begining of a beautiful partnership. (sarcasism)
The Chikichis just stared as their payed servent walked in with one of the most perfect looking effefimine figures they'd ever seen, face like a carved angel and aditute modestly exceptible. Jingi, the old man, was blocking a nose bleed while his anceint wife almost fainted, the 'girl' reminding her of herself at that age. The grandchild was blushing, hiding behind Natsume's wide yukata shyly.
Auron just smiled and inwardly chuckled sadisticly. Wait until they were infatuated with him being a her and then break the news! She couldn't wait to see their shocked faces.
Outwardly, the girl was as happy and helpful-looking as ever, with only Haku knowing her thoughts via telecomunication. "This is my cousin, Shinsetsu Kohaina," Auron set a hand of her 'cousin's' shoulder. "He came all the way from my home to travel with me! Isn't that nice?"
The old man's face looked crushed he'd been fantisizing about another male!as Natsume just stopped herself from squeeling like a fangirl -she'd always wanted to meet a bishounen besides her huspand. The young boy was confused at first, then smiled up at the other male and grabbing his hand, earning the guard's attention.
"Will you play with me and Ai-'nee-san, Ko-'nii-san?" he asked cutely, staring up with eyes full of hope.
Auron just snickered inwardly as Haku blushed and nodded, likely not used to children wanting to play. Smiling and patting the boy on the head, then ruffling his hair affectionately, the girl said cheerfully, "What shall me play, oh young master? Walking-on-water again?"
The boy's face lit up and he beamed at the girl, unaware of his grandparent's -one chuckled, the other seethed- expressions as he let out a loud, "Yeah!"
Auron grabbed Haku's arm and smiled reassuringly as the boy, Kurori, dragged them out the door and toward the surf.
'It'll be fine,' she mind-whispered, trying to make his fears unfounded.
He surely hoped so.
Kurori had the bad luck to litterally run into a caravan merchent as he dragged his older friends toward the ocean. The man toppled over to his side, the boy falling on his behind only to be helped up by a concerned Auron. Haku reached out a hand to help the man, who upon seeing the angel (as he called the boy) standing above him, dove in for an unwanted kiss.
His face met the sole of a wooden shoe, Auron's to be presise.
Wilting from the blow (his lust-driven force recoiled back at him) and drifting to the ground in a puddle of sorrow, his gray eyes met firey ice-blue orbs flaring with supressed anger. "No one touches my cousin without my premission."
'I'm your property?' Haku asked her silently.
'Of course not. I'm just being the overprotective relative keeping the lovely one from getting attacked by perverts,' was the laughing reply.
'I can take care of myself, you know,' the boy shot back.
Auron just mentally laughed. 'Yes, yes, I know. I'll protect us both from these types of things if you handle combat, alright? Besides, this is fun, and though I do find it quite troublesome, the chance to belittle someone such as him is too good to pass up.'
Haku just sighed and silently agreed, knowing he didn't have a real choise in the matter. Auron just flashed him a quick smiled, then turned back to the rising man.
"Your cousin?" he asked, glaring at the one who'd prevented him a glorious kiss on those red lip he'd fallen for.
Auron just smiled coldly, and to Haku it looked almost real. To the rest, it made them either shiver or tense. "Of course. My dearest cousin, whom is in my charge until we get home."
"Then I, Mitaku Funno, subordinate of the caravan master," he pointed to himself and puffed out his chest, hoping to impress his angel, "challenge you," meaning Auron, "to a battle of wits!" Haku just gave him a blank look and turned away, causing the man to Rock-Lee-melt (when the Leaf gennin gets rejected by Sakura) and mushroom-sigh.
The challenged teen just blinked in confusions. "Over what?"
The man inmeaditately perked up. "For this lovely one's hand, of course!" Funno attempted to grab Haku's hand, but was batted away with a sick from the nasiated boy. He didn't seem to like all this attention from other males, wishing he still had his hunter-nin mask. Atleast then he'd inspired fear to all, not unwanted lust in most men and some strange women.
"I have no intention of marrying my cousin," Auron said in a flat tone, turning away.
The man looked thoughtful, "That's understandable..." He trailed off, hand under chin and eyes swuinted, only realizing he'd been tricked. "What?"
Auron just turned nonchalantly, staring coolly at the man about to follow. "Besides, don't you have a boyfriend already? You hang out with all those men in the caravan." Haku just sweatdropped and began to back away, the man looking confused.
"What do you mean? I like women!" He was furious. Who was this girl to deprive him of his angel?
"Then why are you going after Shinsetsu-san?" Funno still looked refused, and Auron just sighed. Subtality was lost to guys like him, so she'd have to spell it out. "He's a guy, you dolt!"
Haku and his mistress walked away without a backward glance at the shocked man in a coma-like state, fallen in the road. The next day one of the man's friends saw him mummbling something to himself about wonders of the world and look him back to the caravan's camp, unaware that a chestnut haired stranger was laughing all the while.
"I've desided to join the caravan, Jingi-san," Auron annouced during dinner two days later. The family stopped mid-mouthful, staring at the announcer with curious gazes (in Natsume's case, gaping mouth) as she calmly took a bite of the fish broth. Smiling, the girl commented, "This is as wonderful as ever, Natsume-san. I'll miss your cooking greatly."
"WHAT?" shouted the outraged old woman, slamming wrinkled fists on the table. The young boy she'd grown found of, this youth -Kurori- who reminded her of someone she'd known so long ago, looked as if he'd cry. The grandmother just continued to rant, unaware of her grandchild's state.
"You're leaving? After we took you, a charity case, in! Gave you a place to stay, highered you as a servent even though you didn't know a thing about anything, and fed you so you wouldn't starve? As your employer, I refuse to let you go!" Through all this Haku had kept a tense silence, about ready to snap at the old hag who dare threaten his mistress. But a voice in his head stopped him from taking action.
'You stepping in will not help, aite(partner). Please, trust me to handle this. If I am ever in serious danger, I will look to you, aibou(partner).' Auron's mental words helped relaxe his tense form some what, but refering to him as partner in his native tounge did it more so. In all his year will Zabuza, he'd always been a tool. How things had changed!
Auron, on the other hand, just sighed and stopped the old woman's rantings with a raised hand and calm voice. "Please calm yourself, touji-san(mistress/housekeeper). Berate me all you like, but another time please. Your grandson is on the verge of tears because of it."
"Wha-?" screached the woman, glancing at her precies daughter's only son. Surely enough, the servent was right; his cheeks were tear stained and he tried his best to surpress is desire to sob.
Craddling the youth in her ancient but strong arms, Natsume turned to the girl with a dirty look. "Don't do anything; stay where you are until I come back." The elder's tone was sharp, bordering on hurting, but Auron hadn't lived with an overlystrict grandmother without learning a few tricks on how to push these types' buttons. Nodding in understand, the girl smiled in a pleasent way that you knew would irriate the woman to no end.
Turning that irritation to anger, Natsume's eyes said all. But not daring to take action and continue their yelling fit, the older female stomped off, trying in vain not to gar the sobbing boy's body too much.
When they were out of sight and hearing range, Jingi turned to the kneeling two. "I'm sorry for Nat-chan," he apologized, calling his wife a name originating from their youth. "She's a little rough to people who reminding her of...the man she was supposed to marry, and those who threaten our family..." He traled off, squinted eyes lost in age old memories.
Auron smiled genuinely, "But you married her, didn't you? I congraduate you early for your fiftith anerversary, Jingi-san. You must love this 'rough woman' of your's quite a lot, to put up with her that long."
The elderly fisherman blushed, rubbing the back of his head. The youthes before him just laughed, Auron nodding in confermation then turned serious.
"You know why I have to go, don't you?" she questioned, hands on folded knees.
Jingi just nodded once, his old face crinkled with worry. He glanced at the door, then said softly, "You know, Kuro-kun has gotten rather fonder of you then you might think. It would be a shame for him to get depressed because of you." The old man looked up, the air full of tension, and continued with a smile at the end, "Come back alive, and with your memory, alright? Feel free to visit anytime."
Auron smiled in return (You just can't help but smile around someone like him, she thought.), glancing at Haku. "I'll be sure to bring friends next time, too," she replied, sighing mentally. It may be a lie, or turn out to be the truth.
The old man nodded, misinterpretting her words. "When do you leave?" he asked suddenly.
"Ten AM tommarrow."
"We'll see you off, then."
"Thank you."
The old man grinned. "No need. You helped us enough to deserve that, especially since you're my grandson's only pretty female friend." His eyes twinkled with hidden mirth and indication, causing Haku to blush but Auron to laugh merrily.
"I'll see you there."
And see them off they did. Inari-kun stood next to his grandfather and friend Kurori, knowing that the boy was fond of the girl now leaving. He knew how it felt, to see a friend leave; Naruto hand gone with a wave and a smile while he'd sobbed. His friend was holding the hand of his old grandmother, Tazuna's first cousin, and clutching his own tightly.
Natsume was instructing the leaving girl in everything she found important, from dayly stops to what to do if one of the men gropped her ("Slap 'em good, glare, then grab the nearest long wooden object and beat 'em. Works every time.)
Jingi stood behind his wife, carrying a heavily-wrapped package with both arms, waiting for Auron to arrive. She and her cousin had disappeared sometime earily that morning, along with their things, and had to reach departing area.
Noticing the growing crouch, the caravan driver asked them, "W'as goin' on 'ere? Come ti' see oos off? V'ry kind ah yeh, if yeh did." His accent was funny, and to the arriving duo sounded forced, which made some of the younger gathered laugh.
"No," snapped Natsume in reply. "We're here to see that no-good servent of mine off. Where is that girl, anyway?" Kurori glared at his grandmother for calling his friend a no-good servent, but was ignored as someone called, "Right here, Natsume-san. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting long!"
The grandchild jumped for joy, running towards his departing pal only to be caught in her arms and be swung around repeatedly. Settling the child on her hip, smiling at the croud. Her clothes had changed; instead of the loose-fitting yukata borrowed from Chikichis (now in the pack Haku was carrying) she wore the underclothes to her original outfit. The white clothes was unsoled and reminded those ignorant enough of a ninja uniform, only without the vest, bandages, and weapon's case.
The caravan driver stared at the girl, then chuckled ruefully to himself, hiding a secretive smile. So this was the girl who his subbordinate had challenged to a battle of wits and lost to. What an interesting young lady... Could be she a missing-nin, maybe? He watched her movements as she trotted to the old woman who'd had the nerve to snap at him, and desided against his previous idea. She didn't move like a fighter, or seem to think like a killer either. But there was something strange, about herself and the older girl next to her... He'd have to watch and find out. Good thing they were in the same caravan...
Down below the man's perch atop the lead wagon, Auron was chatting nervously with a pissed-off Natsume who was lecturing the poor girl deaf about the values of being early, not late. Her huspand interupted her.
"Leave the girl be, Nat-chan. She's going away, and hasn't even opened her present yet," chidded the elderly man, who just smiled as Auron perched up. She'd never gotten a present from a human friend before. What could it be?
"Here you are." Without even waiting for him to finish, the girl grabbing the present and all but wripped the paper off it. A cloak similair to the now-tattered one she'd worn there fell loose in her arms, a matching white outfit underneith. It was almost exacly the same as her old outer clothes, complete with the Heiress of Three symble.
Glowing in joy, the girl pounced and almost knocked the man over (she set Kurori down, of course) with her thank you glomp/hug. The old man just laughed, making a jibe about pretty girls and real gift thank yous. Despite his kindness, man could be quite perverted. Haku held his 'cousin's' new clothes in wonder, not knowing what they so much resembled.
"Put them on! Put them on!" the youth Kurori prompted, wanting to see the outfit his grandparents worked so hard on not go to waste. He also wanted to see the girl in something other than that work yukata and odd foreign clothes she now wore.
Sweatdropping as the crowed watched intently as she took the outer clothes one by one and put them on with ease. For as complicated as they were, she was used to the loose white clothe covering most of her body in three (one thick, two thin) layers. The cloak was last, and she finally noticed what was embriodered hugely on the back's middle: the same sign on her old, torn one; the OL symble for Peace.
Clasping the marble lock in place (to hold the cloak around her neck), Auron whirled around, the clothes flowing around her, and hugged Natsume. The old woman stuttered and blushed, returning the hug with much hesitation. The girl just pulled the woman in for a final queeze before releasing the stunned woman and turning to the cueing audience.
After all fare wells were said, Auron sighed then smiled warmly, eyes holding a touch of regret. She felt more at home here than she'd ever felt in the Flordina Plains, which was a place of responsibiliy with no family feeling besides her Obaba-sama's accational moods, which was rarer than any priceless gem.
Turning to the sniffing Kurori and hugging him close, she whispered to the boy beside him, "You are a hero, Inari-san, in more than just name. Ask your grandfather what I mean, as the Inari-sama I know shall be proud for you two to carry the same calling."
Leaving a confused boy and comforted friend, Auron turned to Haku. "Time to go, Shinsetsu-san."
"Hai, Airan-sama." Auron just sighed; the boy had gone back and began calling her Lady again after she'd won the battle of wits and pulled him out of the caravan man's clutches. For some reason, he was incrediably grateful that she'd helped him and not left the other teen to handle it on his own.
"Let's go, then." With a final wave to the gathered villagers, the girl walked calmly to the wagon she'd share with two men and another girl her own again, seemingly unaware of the caravan driver's eyes on her form.
With a whistle and flick of many reins, the caravan was off.
Owari Chapter Two
E/N: there's Chapter Two! I'll have to take a week or so off. Sorry! I have personal moving arrangements,like stay up for over 14 hours andhaving a bad case of ear-popping...so...
Next Chapter: Three: Shadow's Dreaming (on a moonless night) (Traveling with a carvan now...Next stop: Village of the Hidden Mist. Will Haku be recognized?)
1- ...Back to Life: Ritual...
For the spell caster to play god and reanimate a person and join their soul to the body, they must give some of their life essence in turn. A ritual object of some kind is required to cut the neck or other vital artery so s/he's essence may poor out. Usually a dager or short sword of some sort, blessed by a powerful figure or handed down through generations of a spiritual family, is used for this reason.
Depending on how much life energy you put into the corpse, the stronger the bond and the longer the person will stay alive. There are speciel ways to add something to the body super-human strength or rapid-healing abilities, for examplebut the cost is much higher and are usually enforced by carved symbles somewhere on the body. Some spell casters in the past have used sacraifces -human and animal- to do this same ritual, but only got a zombie-like result.
Later readers (I know I have one, somwhere out there!),
Li