Tenten took a deep breath to steady herself. She was sitting on her bed, hands clasped in her lap. She had been in that position for an hour. She jumped as there was a knock on her bedroom door.
"Tenten, are you ready to go?" Neji's muffled voice asked from the other side of the door. Tenten sighed.
"Yes," she replied. She grabbed her coat, hat and mittens and together the two of them set out into the snow. Tenten dug her hands into her pockets and looked up at the sky. A thin layer of clouds veiled the stars, dulling their brilliance but not completely blocking them from view, as they let tiny white flakes fall to the ground around them. Small white clouds of condensation formed each time she breathed. The night was silent except for the soft crunching of their boots as they trudged through the snow.
"Do you have it?" Tenten asked Neji in a quiet voice, looking at her feet. She saw him nodding out of the corner of her eye and closed her eyes.
It had been one year since she'd received the news of her parents' death but time had not dulled the ache of the wounds. Every time she thought about her parents it felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. She tried to hide the pain that for her surrounded this joyful season, plastering a smile on her face, laughing and trying her hardest to be happy. Her unhappiness, however, did not go unnoticed by Neji.
And that was how they had ended up outside on this cold Christmas Eve, walking towards the bridge that overlooked the stream that ran through the village. Neji had said it would be a good way to say goodbye, to let go.
They arrived a few minutes later and to Tenten's surprise, Kiba and Hinata were waiting for them.
"We want to be here for you," Hinata said, squeezing Tenten's hand as Kiba nodded, for once having nothing to say. Tears welled up in Tenten's eyes at her gratitude towards her friends. She vowed to remember that even though things may be lost, there was always someone there to help her back up again.
"Ready?" Neji asked. Tenten nodded. He removed the small lantern from the bag he carried it in. The shade was mostly pure white, to commemorate the purity of life, with swirls of pale red splashed across it to represent love, as well as small sprinklings of green to represent the hope for a new beginning.
Neji held the lantern out as Tenten struck a match and lit the small candle inside. She looked at Neji, the soft glow of the fire dancing in his eyes. He nodded at her and passed her the lantern. The four of them turned and looked out over the river. The clouds had cleared and the night sky was clear above them. Tenten took a deep breath and then, with a soft lift of her arm, raised the lantern into the sky.
It floated up softly, heading in the direction of the river, its muffled glow a pale reflection of light on the water. The four of them watched it dance in the air as it slowly ascended, first rising above the trees, and then the buildings. They watched until it was lost from view, hidden amidst the sea of stars.
Tenten reached for Neji's hand, holding it in hers. A single tear rolling down her cheek as she whispered so softly that no one could hear.
"Goodbye."