A/N: I'm very sorry for the long wait, and the length of this chapter. I've already started working on the next one, so I promise it will not take as long as this one.
Thank you all for the reviews, even the one using all caps to tell me to update :) I love recieving your feedback.
Please enjoy!
Natsuki was being lead by the hand. Shizuru was just in front of her but it was to dark to make her out. Natsuki felt the grief well up in her chest. Knowing she was back…her Shizuru was back. The pain she felt when she watched her soul being ripped from her body ingrained into her mind kept replaying. The piercing scream echoing threw her thoughts. Natsuki scrunched her shoulders up, unable to rid herself of the memory.
Shizuru slowed down "we have to swim the rest of the way Natsuki", her fingers holding tighter to the pale one in her grip. She noticed the pained expression on the smaller woman's face. She wanted to lean down and kiss away all of her pain, but she understood that Natuki had changed. She wasn't the new Reaper anymore she'd seen more pain and death then anyone ever should.
"Natsuki?" She spoke softly turning toward her and placing her other hand on the darker woman's shoulder.
Snapping her head up Natsuki saw the glowing red eyes staring back at her "u-uh what did you say?"
"We have to swim the rest of the way…the ground ends."
Natsuki nodded "alright…umm, can we stay in the shallows?"
Shizuru looked at the river that was plunging further down the tunnel. She knew Natsuki couldn't see anything, the way her eyes seemed to be opened as wide as they can go, staring at her own eyes. "The shore and shallows stop completely I'm afraid…"
The fear began to spread across Natskis's face. Shizuru pulled her forward leaning in closer so as took look Natsuki right in the eye "I will make sure you are safe!" She said strongly.
Natsuki nodded. She felt the loss of warmth the minute shizuru stepped back, this time she gripped her elbow and pulled her into the water.
The water didn't feel as cold as when she first plunged in Natsuki noted absentmindedly. The current began tugging at her calves' then her thighs. When she became surer of her footing Shizuru's hand was no longer holding onto her.
Natsuki jerkily stepped further into the water desperately searching for Shizuru. 'Was it all a dream? Did Reito really capture me, I'm I just hallucination? Was Nao's torture too much?
Was seeing Shizuru again all made up. Maybe she'd finally passed out…Maybe she was finally at that point between life and death, so similar to the time right before she became a Reaper.
Natsuki felt tears prick at her eyes. 'How could you come back Shizuru…you died. It was my fault, all my fault. She thought to herself. 'It was my fate, not yours. It was never supposed to be yours' Her legs were growing numb with ever step she took deeper into the freezing water.
The raging river now reached her waist; the strength of the water was causing her legs to struggle to hold her upright. This was the end, whether it be in her mind or not, she was lost.
Natsuki slumped her shoulders, her body relaxing, right before the water swept her downstream she felt a cold scaly arm wrap around her waist, pulling her fully into the icy current.
"Natsuki…you've finally decided to grace me with your presence once again." Shizuru said smiling gently.
"Viola-san" Natsuki said embarrassed.
The cloaked figure stepped further into the great cavern.
The hydra rose gracefully from her sitting position along the waters edge. She walked toward the smaller woman. Shizuru brought her hand to Natsuki's check, before leaning in and kissing the cloaked figure on the forehead under the hood.
"I'm so happy to see you again" she said standing back to her full height. "What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see you " Natsuki spoke quietly, turning her face to the side attempting to hide her pinking cheeks.
Shizuru couldn't help the smile that split across her face 'how cute!' she thought, "I must thank you for coming then, my dear Reaper"
Natsuki turned her head back to the other woman. Shizuru stood there with such a large smile Natsuki couldn't fight the urge to hug the other woman anymore. Stepping forward quickly Natsuki flung her arms around the light haired woman's waist, her hood falling off in the process. She felt warm arms wrap around her in return.
"I missed you…Shizuru" Natsuki said into the other woman's shoulder. The only response was the tightening of the arms around her shoulders.
Retio walked quietly down the tunnel. He had seen Natsuki enter here, though her coming to the caves of the hydra did not make sense. Since no human had tried to kill the beast in years, and since there wasn't death here Natsuki wouldn't need to be there.
He slowed his walk down when he saw the opening in the left of the tunnel. He didn't hear any movement so he continued on. Stopping right before the opening he slowly peered into the great cavern.
He saw two people sitting together, their backs facing toward him. He recognized Natsuki's long dark hair. But the woman next to her is what sparked his interest. Her wavy light coloured hair fell almost to her waist, and even from where he was standing he could tell she was tall. He unintentially stepped toward them his foot scrapping along the ground slightly. The light haired goddess's head snapped around to him. Hard red eyes stared back at him. He sprung back around the corner breathing slightly heavy.
He leaned his head back against the wall, when he heard someone clear there throat near him. Snapping to attention he saw those snake like red eyes staring at him from the entry way to the cavern.
Reito straitened standing to his full height, attempting to look down upon this woman when Natsuki's voice broke him away from his thoughts.
"What's going on?" He heard her say from inside the cave. Sparing one last glance at the beautiful woman before him he smirked slightly before turning and striding off down the passage. He couldn't have that Reaper know he had been spying on her.
Reito growled in frustration. Natsuki had gotten away. 'How dare she!' He paced back and fourth fuming. She ruined everything 'it was her fault!' His love died because of that little brat. He spared her life. He gave her immortality! And this is how she had repaid him. She was selfish!
He dropped onto a chair his head falling into his hands. Why did his red-eyed love jump in front of that meddlesome Reaper? He should have let her husband finish her off! Reito sat up straight. 'Her husband…' "Takeda! Of course" He exclaimed, leaping to his feet and sprinting out of the room.