Hello there, readers and fans! Welcome to another chapter of this. Honestly, this story is turning more towards having plot than lemons, but yes, it still has lemons every chapter!

Now, for the climax of their teenager years before we move onto the present day Zerys and Shen.

Enjoy.

~ Wings

Shadow Caresses

Chapter 3

Zerys had a high fever on the next day as she lay weak and unmoving on her front in her own bed in her room, her back completely bandaged up. Shen would stop by her room to sit with her any chance he got. She wasn't able to say much, but she didn't need to. She would look at him as he entered and walked to her, to sit down next to her bed, and she would give him a weak smile, reaching her hand out towards him. He would take her hand and hold it in his own and, just like that, they would stay, in a silence that stretched for hours, yet was comfortable for the both of them.

One day, Shen went into her room to find her standing with her back towards the door, facing away from him as she stared out at the orange-bled sky of sunset.

"Zerys?" Shen asked tentatively, closing the door behind him as he took a step inside.

Zerys didn't reply, staring out at the sky. Her hair was unbound, falling down to the small of her back. She was wearing a long white yukata.

"They took my bandages off today." Zerys said in a quiet voice as Shen stood, regret bleeding onto his face. "Zerys… I cannot tell you how mu-"
"Shen… I don't blame you for it." Zerys said calmly as she lowered her head. "You should just… leave me alone." She said as Shen had to blink a couple of times to register what she said.

Frowing in surprise, he asked, "Why?"

Zerys stayed silent for a couple more moments before she reached up with her hand. She gathered up all her black hair and brought it over one shoulder to her front, before she reached forward and pulled upon the two criss-crossing parts of the robe on her chest, pulling it apart and baring her top half. The belt at her waist held it in place as the top of her yukata fell, revealing her back to Shen, who had to narrow his eyes and clench his teeth in remorse.

Her back, once as smooth as satin and as flawless as porcelain, was now marred with uncountable crisscrossing scars, although Shen and Zerys knew exactly how many strikes she had suffered. but the scars seemed to have each formed their own little line instead of joining together in one large scar.

"I'm not worthy of you, Shen… And I do not wish to cause you more trouble." Zerys said as she pulled her Yukata back up, her head lowering again. She heard footsteps rapidly approaching her as she raised her head a bit in surprise. Before she could turn around, she felt his hands grab onto her shoulders and turn her around. Almost instantly his lips were on hers as her eyes went wide with surprise, her whole body going rigid for a split second before she slowly melted in his grasp, going lax as their kiss deepened. She could taste the unique taste that tasted like nothing else, the taste of Shen. She could smell his scent, the smell that she had begun to love ever since it had washed over her and seeped into her skin.

Their tongues fought and danced within their connections, Zerys uttering a low moan into his mouth as Shen's grip was the only thing supporting her on her feet. They had to break the kiss apart due to the lack of the air in both of their burning lungs, yet they parted ever so slowly, a trail of saliva bridging the slowly increasing distance between their lips. Zerys opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them as she looked up at Shen in surprise. This was one of the first times Shen had suddenly taken an initiative like that.

"That is my answer for you, Zerys." Shen said as he caressed her cheek with one hand. "I don't care how many scars you receive… I don't care what father says. I love you." He said as Zerys bit her lip, tears coming into her eyes as she shook her head, then nodded, not knowing what to do. And he brought her close, her head resting upon his chest as she took comfort in his warmth, his life. Shen…

…

A month had passed and, but Shen and Zerys had not resumed any of their more… sexual activities. They had been kept occupied as their master had tripled their amount of training. But throughout this month, Zerys had become more and more resentful. Mainly because she had never forgiven her master for that punishment, not because she had been made to suffer it, but more because he had made Shen be the one to inflict it. Even now, she could see the pools of regret in Shen's eyes everytime he looked at her.

Another reason was now, She was not as strong as Shen. In their spars, when they were spectated by the master, Shen would purposely hold back to end the match in a draw rather than beating her directly. Although he meant well, it really bruised Zerys' ego and pride. She felt weak. And she felt neglected, as her master would also step forward to praise Shen, while having nothing but words of harshness for her. "Train harder." He would say. "Become stronger." He would say. But no matter what she did, she could not…

As she was fuming in her thoughts, Zerys didn't notice which way she was walking until she found herself stepping into the Temple of Twilight. She frowned, wondering what she was doing here. She felt something… A tug. Deep within her, she felt a tug at her gut, pulling her forward. She walked, going to the very end of the temple, where she had once sat down to receive her hundred lashes not more than a month ago.

She stared at the statue, the large statue of the faceless ninja with his eyes of golden topaz staring at nothing in particular. She felt another tug as she stepped forward, touching the statue's leg. Looking behind it, she felt another tug, towards the wall. She stepped around it, having to push herself against the wall behind it because of the tiny space. She edged her way to the side, going directly behind the statue. The wall she was pressed against suddenly gave way and Zerys found herself suddenly tumbling head over heels down a staircase. Her pained yelps and cries were cut off everytime she hit another step, and after what seemed like ages, she finally slammed into the flat floor, her body aching and bruised. She pushed herself up, groaning as she looked around. She seemed to be at the entrance of another temple, identical to the one she had just been in, except for some key differences…

For one thing, this temple was built of black marble and dark red runes seemed to glow from the walls and pillars. The room was lit up dimly, although Zerys couldn't see any light source. She walked farther into the temple, gazing at the end of the temple, where a statue similar to the one in the temple she had come from stood. But this statue was different… The armor was different. More aggressive. The eyes glew a blazing red from rubies instead of golden. And infront of the statue, was a set of armor and a chest, open, revealing numerous scrolls…

It was late at night when Shen heard footsteps outside his room. He couldn't sleep, so he had been sitting infront of his desk, practicing his calligraphy. He looked at the door just as it slid open, revealing a shadowy figure, who entered quickly and shut the door, Turning around, the familiar features of Zerys became visible to Shen. Her face seemed paler than usual and her eyes… They seemed to almost glow red in the darkness. But Shen simply put it off as a trick of the light.

"Zerys? What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice dying in his throat when Zerys shrugged out of the loose robe she was wearing, dropping it to the floor with a peculiar thud as she bared herself completely. But that wasn't what held Shen's attention, obviously, as he stared dumbfounded as Zerys walked briskly over to him, her pale skin almost alabaster in the moonlight that bled into the room through the window. At some point in time, all the candles in his room had gone out, leaving them in the moonlight, but Shen had not noticed and he did not care.

Zerys descended upon him as he turned, straddling him and capturing his mouth with hers, their tongues instantly meeting as they kissed deeply. One of her hands found it's way around his neck, the fingers running through his brown hair as her other hand hooked into the collar of his robe, pulling it open, Shen happily obliging as he shrugged out of it, baring his top half. As they broke apart for the kiss, Zerys looked almost desperate, her eyes holding a pleading look in them, as if she was afraid or longing for something.

"Zerys? What's wrong?" Shen asked as Zerys put a finger onto Shen's lips, silencing him as she grabbed his other hand and pulled it up to her chest. She didn't guide him to cup her small breasts, but placed his hand over her left one, right over her heart. "Do you feel it?" She asked as Shen frowned mildly, feeling her heart beating in her chest.

She left his hand there, reaching to his chest with her own hand, feeling his heartbeat. "Our hearts. They beat as one." She whispered, her red eyes wide, Shen's own eyes widening. He had never seen Zerys so vulnerable looking before… Right now, she looked like the 17 year old girl that she was instead of a kunoichi in training. Their hearts were, indeed, synced completely, each beat happening simultaneously. It reached such a point that the pulse coming into Shen's hand from her chest as well as the pulse going from his chest into her hand seemed to merge together, so they were both just one large beating pulse.

"Make love to me Shen… Please… One last time." Zerys said, her voice a pleading whisper.

"One last time… What do you m-" Zerys silenced him again, this time, with a soft kiss, her supple lips closing onto his like two melodies intertwining. The kiss ended as she broke off after a few seconds, her eyes opening slowly. "No words… Just actions…" She said and the desperation inside her eyes made Shen decide as he swallowed. He leaned forward this time, capturing Zerys' mouth in a kiss of passion. All restraints seemed to vanish as their hands began groping at each other, feeling every single inch of each other's bodies as they meshed together, like two candle fires held close together until they began to dance into one.

Their lips separated as Shen's lips travelled lower, kissing and sucking at Zerys' throats as she let out a low moan, her hands reaching up and around his shoulder as she held him closer, telling him without words to go on as he caressed her collarbone with his lips, his hands running up and down her midriff, feeling the smooth curve of her sides, feeling the flat of her stomach, feeling the dip of her hipbones. Her fingers curled, her nails digging into his back as she moaned again, inflicting a small stinging pain to him as Shen groaned, moving down to her mounds.

He wasted no time, attacking the very peak of one breast with his mouth, sucking it and pulling on it while his hand began to squeeze it, as if he was trying to milk her as she opened her mouth in a silent scream of pleasure, choked noises coming out of her. His other hand was on her other breast, cupping it, feeling it, pinching and pulling at the small pink peak, which were already erect from the pleasure being inflicted.

Growing impatient, Zerys suddenly put her hands onto Shen's chest and pushed him down onto the floor. She was already on his lap, so she needed to only raise herself on her knees so she could undo his sash and pull the robe completely off, his erect manhood already standing straight, pointing up at her entrance. Shen only managed to see the pink petals for a second, already glistening with fluids, before Zerys lowered herself onto him, taking his entire length into herself in one go, her mouth open in an 'O' shape at the pleasure, a silent moan escaping in the form of air. Shen twitched at the pleasure, bucking his hips up as he grit his teeth and closed his eyes, groaning in pleasure as her wet, warmth surrounded him, pressing down on him with their tightness, feeling like a molten hot cavern of warmth and pleasure.

Zerys got right into it, deciding to forego all the slowness as she began almost bouncing up and down on him, riding him as Shen had to grit his teeth again to prevent himself from screaming in pleasure, a groan escaping him instead. Zerys was making pitiful mewls everytime Shen hit the deepest part of her, biting her lips, her erratic breaths making her breasts heave more as they jiggled from every impact. Shen began unconsciously bucking his hips up at her everytime she descended, the force of their mating multiplying as the sound of flesh smacking on flesh filled the room, accented by Shen's heavy breaths and Zerys' whimpers and muffled moans.

At the high speed they were going, Shen was having a highly difficult time holding himself back, but then Zerys suddenly began rolling her hips, undulating like a snake in a wave like pattern, making Shen feel every bump and ridge inside of her, his fingers clawing at the floor under him as he felt the heat demanding to burst from their confines inside of him. Zerys clawed at Shen's shoulders as she held on, her sounds becoming higher and higher in pitch, as if she was going to sneeze. She felt like thin ice on a lake's surface, a single drop of rain falling from the sky into the center of the lake, sending cracks rippling through the surface of the entire lake, spiderwebs of silvery fault lines spreading completely yet not breaking. She began to make short screams of pleasure as some part of Shen's mind warned him that they would be heard. But right now, he was nothing but a moth, entranced by the burning corona of light that was Zerys.

Zerys threw her head back, letting out a loud scream as she climaxed, feeling the lake of ice not only shatter, but shoot up into the air in billions of glimmering fragments and shards. Her body spasmed and convulsed, her fingernails digging into Shen's shoulders hard enough to break skin as Shen bucked his hips, arching his hips as he felt her convulsing around him, moving in a motion similar to peristalsis, almost pumping him. He lost his grip, groaning again as he released himself into the deepest parts of her body, filling her womb with his warm seed as Zerys sat on top of him, with him buried completely inside her, moaning again at the feel of his warmth filling her.

She bent forward, panting and gasping as the aftershocks washed over them both, releasing Shen's shoulders, her nails coming loose as 8 beads of blood bloomed from the 8 cuts she had inflicted. Shen looked up at Zerys closing in, wanting to ask her for the answers now for what she had said before they began, to voice his concerns that they had been heard. But Zerys kissed him, a sweet kiss full of love and affection, tasting like nectar… It was sweet… Zerys tasted oddly sweet.

Shen opened his eyes as they broke the kiss, suddenly feeling his vision swim as his body wouldn't react to his commands. Zerys looked down at him sadly as she said, "I love you, Shen. Now and forever."

Shen tried to respond, tried to say something, anything, but he only managed to make a choked sound before exhaling, his body relaxing as he passed out. The last thing he saw was Zerys' red eyes… They were glowing.

In the morning, Shen saw no sign of Zerys. Guards, however, waited for him outside, confirming what he suspected. They had been summoned to the temple. It took him some time to clean up and make himself presentable before he went to the temple. His father looked at him disapprovingly, his eyes cold and sharp. Guards lined the walls, standing still as Shen gave them all an uneasy once-over. They waited for maybe ten more minutes before the doors opened, Shen turning around to look. His eyes widened.

Zerys was wearing a peculiar kind of armor, silver metal gleaming over a black body-suit. Red also decorated parts of her armor, notably in the form of a red scarf wrapped around her shoulders. Her long black hair was tied back in a ponytail and her red eyes were blazing red.

"Zerys!? What is the meaning of this!?" His father said in shock as Zerys strode into the room, tension escalating in the room. "Where did you find that armor?"

"I found it." Zerys said simply, defiantly. "I have come here not to accept your punishment, but to tell you that you are wrong, Father." Zerys said, emphasising on the last word, one she had rarely used.

"Am I?" The master said in a low, dark voice.
"Yes. You are… You try to keep me and Shen apart, but I say you are wrong to do that." Zerys said, coming up to stand next to Shen as she clasped her hand to his, entwining their fingers. Shen looked down at her hand and gripped down on her hand as well, gentle yet firm. "We love each other. And nothing can change that." She said.

"So you say… But I say I am indeed correct and you deserve punishment for your actions in trying to defile my son!" The master said loudly. "And wearing that armor in my presence! This time, there will be no mercy. Daughter or no, I shall not allow this kind of disobedience and disrespect in my order!" He said sternly. "Guards, seize her!" He shouted as the ninjas all over the room suddenly descended, flashing towards Zerys. Shen felt her hand slip out of his, and then, all of a sudden, there was vicious sounds of movement, blackness moving in every direction as the shadows themselves seemed to flash towards each of the ninjas attacking her. They all fell, incapacitated, groaning in pain or staring at her in surprise and fear as Zerys landed back in the center of the carnage, straightening up to look at the master.

Shen turned around as well, to see his father looking as surprised as he had ever seen him.

"You… Where did you learn those techniques…" Their master said as Zerys turned around. "I have accomplished something no one else in this temple has ever done! I have mastered the shadow techniques, master! Do you see how strong I am now!?" She shouted, a triumphant grin on her face.

"You… What have you done… You do not know what you have unleashed…" The master muttered as he clenched his fists and lowered his face, as if in pain. "Zerys… You are hereby banished from the Order."

Those words seemed to echo in the room and though they were not as loud as the shouts their father had made, it seemed infinitely louder. The smile dropped off of Zerys' face, replaced by disbelief as Shen gaped at his father.

"Father! What are you saying!" He shouted.

"Shen, do you not see? She is using the forbidden shadow techniques… The same techniques that killed your mother." The father said quietly as Shen felt his heart stop for a second. Flashes of memories best left forgotten came into his mind, as well as a woman's scream. His face paled as a bleak expression came onto his face, the emotional trauma he faced as a child surfacing at this as he looked at Zerys as if he didn't know her. She looked back at him in shock, her lips parted in surprise. "Shen… I didn't know…" She said in sincere surprise, regretting her actions. She had only wanted to show the master that she was strong; that she would not bow down, that she was fit to lead and love as she pleased. She didn't want this…

The guards closed in on her as she was occupied, grabbing her arms and dragging her back as she struggled against them, but she couldn't break free. "SHEN!" She screamed, an arm tearing free from the hold of a guard as she reached out for him. Yet, Shen only stood and watched, frozen as he stared into her red, glowing eyes… The eyes of a killer.

Tears escaped Zerys eyes as her expression tightened, tearing free from the other guards. "Father… You would truly banish me for this!?" Zerys shouted, the guards grabbing her again as the master simply turned away from her. "Do not call me that… You are no daughter of mine." He said, as Zerys' sorrow simply melted away into emptiness, absolute disbelief painting her face as she was pulled out of the temple. Shen stared at doors after she had left, frozen with fear and shock, the memory of his mother's death playing over and over again in his head.

Zerys' voice screaming his name reached him, but it was far too late as he broke out of it, looking around to see himself alone in the temple, with the master.

"Zerys… Where…" Shen muttered as the master looked sadly at Shen. "She's gone, Shen… Zerys is dead… That girl you saw was nothing but a shadow."

As always, please leave a review if you liked it, and/or follow-favourite it. All the support you guys can give me is helpful ^^

~ Wings