Normal

"Speech"

Thought

Kyuubi

Warnings: I do not own Naruto (I cry when I think about it). Rated "M" for language and adult situations

Chapter 46: Enter the Ethereal

Sakura had conveniently brought a deck of cards, so choosing the watch order was very simple. He, or she, who had the highest card went first. Moegi was chosen to shuffle and deal the cards. It was a short game of poker to see who had the highest card. All at once the four flipped over the cards.

Naruto took the first two hour watch with the Jack of Spade. Rai took the next two hours with Four of Diamonds. Sakura sighed heavily with the Deuce of Hearts. And Myra reveled with the fact that she would get to sleep for all six hours uninterrupted with the Ace of Spades.

Sakura and Myra had finished making sure the kids were tucked away in their sleeping bags. Sakura had already crawled into her sleeping bag and was beginning to slow her breathing. Myra had rolled her sleeping bag out over the ground next to Sakura and was tucking herself in. A sly smirk crossed face. She stretched, yawned, and slipped down between the blankets. Myra closed her eyes and was about to settle when warms lips brushed her cheek.

"You want me to wake you up in two hours?' Naruto whispered softly.

"Whether I say yes or no, you will anyway." She opened one eye and smiled.

"I won't if you don't want me too." He pouted.

"Just crawl in when you're ready." She sighed.

Naruto kissed her cheek again. "Sleep well Rabbit."

"Oh, I will…" And she closed her eyes. Myra felt Naruto's foot falls move away from her. She heard the light snoring of the girl next to her. Myra just hoped she wouldn't have to wait too long for the third person she needed to be asleep. The Ravenheart girl took a deep breath and started concentrating on her sleep.

Her heart rate slowed, her breath nearly stopped, and it wasn't long before Myra was falling through the rainbow colors to the Ethereal. The dreamscape Myra built in her mind was a simple grassy meadow, with the sun shining overhead. The cool breeze was causing the tall grass to dance at her feet.

She looked around the landscape that she created. It felt safe and warm. She took another deep breath. "Sasuke…" she called softly.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Rai stood over Myra's sleeping figure and felt the chakra pulsate. The elder Ravenheart glanced up to the trees. "How long as this been going on?"

"Since the boy has been close enough. Her range is a few miles, but only with him." Edgar's red eyes shown out of the trees.

"I see." Rai frowned down at his sleeping daughter.

The soft glow of Poe's blue eyes became apparent next to the pair of red glowing eyes. "She keeps this secret because she made a promise to the boy. He is not ready to be found. There is still the old one."

Rai looked up at the birds confused. "The old one?"

"The old one is the source of the shadow the boy chases. The old one is the evil behind everything." Edgar tilted his head.

"Only in the Light can one see a shadow of Darkness. Only in Darkness can one see the Light. As she has said already, she is not the light, but she is the one that must flip the switch. The boy can not see the shadow because he is in darkness and shadows dwell in darkness." Poe cooed.

"You speak in riddles Poe… Make sense please." Rai shook his head.

"The Spirit of Rhyme and Wisdom am I. It is mine to speak in riddles and song. I know no other way."

Rai sighed. "How long should I allow this to continue?"

"Until the Uchiha boy can see the light of course." Edgar chided. "He is a stubborn one that Sasuke. He is just as stubborn as Myra, but a little more hard headed. He could help Myra in her training for the match. He has sharingan talents Kakashi does not and he could teach her to use them to her advantage. She will need that advantage if she hopes to keep her freedom."

Rai looked at his daughter's sleeping face. "I hope you're right Edgar. I hope you're right."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Sasuke…" Myra called out into the Ethereal. She stood waiting in the grass while it tickled her feet. She spread her arms and just fell back into the soft earth. She was enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. Myra closed her eyes and just waited. Soon a shadow cast over her form and Myra felt the cold shiver of night. She opened her eyes and looked up.

The sun had faded to a brilliant pale moon, the wind was still gently rustling through the trees, but the grassy meadow had changed. She was in the empty streets of Konoha at night, lying under an overly pink, blossoming cherry tree. Just over the hill, just out of sight was the bench that had been in Sasuke's recent thoughts.

"Wow, you sure know how to cheer things up." Myra said sarcastically and sat up on her elbows.

"What do you want?" Sasuke grumbled.

"I don't want anything. It's what you wanted, or have you forgotten your request from the other day?" Myra sat up and waved her hand. Instantly a large TV screen appeared and hovered in mid air. The static on the screen vanished and it replayed the scene for him.

On the tv screen:

Sasuke stood a few feet from Myra in a forest glade. "Oi, Crazy Bitch… How did you shrug off my Chidori?" He glared at her.

"Part of that family history lesson I promised. My dad started to throw lightening bolts at me when I was nine. Ravenheart family element is Lightening, so I am intimately familiar with what lightening can and can not do. My hand is still extremely numb by the way. It may have looked cool as hell, but it hurt just as much." Myra showed Sasuke the burn mark on the palm of her right hand. Myra sighed. "I need to get going." She started to walk away.

Sasuke watched her take a few steps. Then he did something despite himself, he grabbed her wrist. She turned back to him. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Is there a way that, maybe I can see Sakura?

Myra smiled at him. I will see what I can do. I can't promise anything, but I am sure I can come up with something. There isn't a way I can convince you to just come back with me is there?

Sasuke let go of her hand and returned to his cold emotionless expression. "I can't go back." Not yet anyway.

"What ever… See ya round Fucktard." Myra started to head towards the Gates of Konoha.

OFF

The TV screen blipped off and vanished.

"And this is what you came up with?" He glared.

Myra chuckled. "Look Fucktard, you're two freakin' miles away. You wanna see her that fucking badly, walk your sorry ass over here and say hello. Or I could just tell her where you are, point, get some popcorn and watch the pretty fireworks." She smirked.

"Hn." He wanted to tell the crazy bitch that he didn't want to see Sakura, that he had changed his mind, but his lips could not and would not form the words.

Myra shook her head. "Sasuke," Myra got up and dusted herself off. "I am trying to be nice about this." She got up very close to him. "I don't have to be. I am only doing this because YOU," she poked him in the chest for emphasis. "asked me to. If you want to go back to sulking in your tree, FINE, don't ask me to do anything else for you." She was reaching back to hit him.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to see her." Sasuke said before he could stop himself.

Myra relaxed her hand. "Well, if you've got any better ideas, hot shot, I'm all ears."

"I don't."

Myra crossed her arms. "Then what's it to be? Should I pull her in? Or should I just smack you and let you go back to your tree? Personally, I opt for smacking you, but that is just a personal preference." She grinned.

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked at her annoyed. "I don't think anyone, but the dobe, talks to me the way you do."

"Ahh… I'm touched. You really know how to flatter a girl." She giggled.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "You are more annoying than Sakura." The wind rustled the blossoms of the cherry tree and seemed to glow for a moment.

Myra raised an inquisitive eyebrow, smirking wide. Either she truly was more annoying than Pinky in his mind, or he didn't find Sakura annoying at all. "How DO you feel about Sakura?"

Sasuke had to bit his lip to keep from answering. He was compelled to answer the question. He turned his head defiantly. "Hn." And he started to walk away towards the bench.

Myra followed. "That isn't an answer."

"Hn." He continued to walk to the bench.

"Self centered egotistical FUCKTARD!" Myra yelled at him.

"Are you going to pull her in or not?" He stood in the shadows out of sight of the bench.

Myra walked up beside him and took a good look at the man standing in front of her. He was different somehow. There was so much of the cold darkness that surrounded him, but there was a glimmer. It was faint, very faint, but it was there. Myra lifted her hand to place it on his shoulder, hesitated, and then placed her hand gently on his shoulder. What she felt, moved her to tears.