Chapter seventeen;
The six comrades waited another three days, but to no avail. Ivanna's tribe never showed. Which was odd. Ivanna always kept her tribe on a strict migration so they couldn't be caught by bandits, other tribes, or Hanzo's men. Not that they really had to worry about Hanzo's men. Hanzo didn't like to worry himself with gypsy tribes or bandits. No, he was strictly after the rebels. So, why hadn't Ivanna's tribe come through yet?
"We'll have to head into the woods." Evelynn stated as she stood up. "We're not going to accomplish anything just sitting here."
"I agree." Shoto said as she got up from her spot on a branch that had fallen to the ground. "Even if Hanzo isn't after them, his men will raid their tribe for gold and goods. No doubt she might be keeping to the trees to keep them safe."
"So w-we're heading out now?" Mira asked.
"We might as well. Besides, I'm getting sick of sitting here." Evelynn replied.
With nods and murmurs of agreement the six took off into the trees. They had all been getting impatient. It's not like they could wait a month for the full moon, and faerie trees didn't produce sap this time of year. They had to find Ivanna, and they had to find a new way to remove the seals.
-Time skip!-
For six hours they hiked through the fallen branches, roots, and bushes. Finally, near the middle of the woods, they could see the flickering flames of a fire. Cautiously, they made their way towards the blazing light. Nostalgia washed over Evelynn, and she looked to Sasori. Like last time, Ivanna was sitting on the other side of the fire. The light danced upon her honey coloured skin giving her an elegant look. Draped in her silken clothes, and her gold and jewels shone from the fire. Evelynn felt her jaw clench as she stepped from their hiding spot, and stood across from the fire. Across from Ivanna.
"We need a favour." Evelynn stated.
"You never come to me for anything else." Ivanna drawled. As the other five stepped from the trunks Ivanna's eyes narrowed on Sasori. A seductive smirk danced across her lips. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Ivanna stood, and walked around the fire to them. She stopped in front of Sasori. Like last time, he felt goosebumps dance up and down his skin. What was it with this woman? Heh, gypsy witch indeed.
"We got pulled back to our world, but in order to be sent back here we had the same chakra seals placed on us." He stated bluntly. "We need a new way to remove them."
"I know another way, but you know the price." Ivanna purred as she gently touched Sasori's cheek.
Mira, Itachi, and Deidara frowned as the affectionate gesture. Evelynn felt her teeth grind together in frustration. Sasori and Shoto both tensed up. Shoto knew how Evelynn felt, even if her friend denied it at the moment. If Sasori agreed to go to bed with Ivanna again Shoto would kill him. Plain and simple.
"Well, if Sasori's okay.." Evelynn was cut off.
"Ask for something else. None of us are for sale." Sasori stated dryly as he grabbed Ivanna's wrist, and pushed her hand away. Evelynn blinked in surprised, and looked at him curiously.
"Interesting." Ivanna muttered. "Very well, I will give you a new way. I will not ask for payment, just this once."
"You always ask for payment." Shoto stated as she eyed Ivanna suspiciously. "Why not this time?"
"You're the only ones who can save Cadonia." Ivanna replied, then gestured for them to follow.
They did, and Ivanna led them into her tent. She pulled out three silk bags, and handed one to each girl.
"This is the only other way I can think of to remove the seals." Ivanna explained. "It's the dust of faerie wings. Make a star with it, and inside the star you must take the love of someone's who is pure. Someone who loves you, and would do anything for you. When you do, the seals will fade."
"W-what does that mean?" Mira asked.
"Hell no." Shoto frowned as she picked up on what Ivanna was saying.
"What, un?" Deidara inquired as he looked at Shoto.
"If I'm guessing correctly." Itachi said slowly. "We have to take the virginity of someone who loves us."
"That is correct." Ivanna confirmed.
"Is that a fucking joke?" Evelynn asked in bewilderment.
"Indeed not. It's the only other way. Unless you want to wait for the faerie tree sap." Ivanna replied.
"Let's head back. We can discuss this later and decide." Evelynn frowned. "Thank you, Ivanna."
"Of course."
The six made to leave, but Ivanna held Sasori back. He looked at her curiously.
"What is it?" He asked bluntly.
"Take care of her." Ivanna said. A serious tone to her voice. "She's carrying a burden you couldn't even imagine."
"Why would you care?" Sasori inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Even if she'd rather kill me at times." Ivanna let out a soft chuckle. "I'm rather fond of our little vixen."
"I'll take care of her." Sasori promised. Damn, he sure was promising that to a lot of people.
"Let's go, Sasori!" They heard Evelynn shout. Sasori rolled his eyes, bid Ivanna goodnight, and went to join his comrades.
As they made their was back to the great spirits domains Sasori studied the three women. In fact, all three men were studying them. Poor Mira was ghost white. Moritified by the way the seals had to be removed. Evelynn and Shoto both seemed conflicted. They cared for their comrades, and Shoto knew she was in love with Itachi. Even so, was with worth it? Were they worth the girls losing their innocence? They would have to talk to Ryuu, Hebi, and Tau about it. Until then, they pushed the thoughts from their minds.
-Time skip!-
It took them two weeks to reach the mountain of the great spirits domains. They had run into fifty of Hanzo's men. Again, they killed all but one, and sent him back to Hanzo with the message, 'The Great Spirits reign'. The man had been mortified, but Evelynn promised that if Hanzo didn't get that message she would find out. When she did she would torture him in ways even the sadistic Hanzo couldn't imagine. The soldier had scurried away towards Hanzo's land, yelling that he would tell him.
Now, the six were back at the mountain. The men took off to the hot spring, and the girls each split up to find their spirit guardian. As Mira approached Tau he could instantly tell something was wrong. He picked his head up, and patiently waited for her to speak.
"We visited Ivanna to ask her a new way to remove the seals." Mira explained.
"What did she tell you?" Tau asked. Mira sat in front of him lotus style and sighed.
"The boys have to make love to someone who's pure, and loves them more than anything." Mira frowned.
"Isn't that a bit drastic?" Tau frowned.
"I agree, but she said there isn't any other way." Mira looked like she might cry. "Tau, what do I do?"
"What do you want to do?" Tau replied. "You and Deidara are engaged, after all."
"Yes, but I don't know if I love him more than anything." Mira sighed. "What if I love Cadonia more than him? The ritual might not work."
"Mira." Tau smiled slightly and lowered his head to meet her eyes. "It's not a ritual. It's more than that. It's the bonding of two humans. Two lovers. Deidara and the others fight for you, not for Cadonia. So you know he loves you more than anything. Even himself. Tell me, if Cadonia and Deidara were to both be destroyed, what would you miss more?"
Mira paused as thought about it. Cadonia was her home. The very thing she was fighting for, wasn't she? No, the land wasn't what she fought for. It was the people. Their freedom is what she fought for. If Cadonia would to disappear, she would be sad. Indeed she would, but they could always find a new home. New land. Land was replaceable. Deidara, he wasn't. No, Deidara was her one and only. If it came to saving Cadonia, or saving him, she would chose him. Always. Mira looked up at Tau and smiled.
"Deidara." Was all she said. Tau nodded in approval, and laid his head down again. Mira rubbed his mane, and went to go study some more in her medical scrolls. She had made her choice.
-Hebi and Shoto-
Hebi was basking in the sun on a large boulder when Shoto approached him. He looked up briefly, nodded to her, and laid his head back down.
"I need some advice." Shoto muttered.
"Oh?" This was new. Shoto rarely asked for advice from anyone. "About what?"
"We went to visit that witch a couple weeks ago." Shoto ran her hand through her hair, and sat below the boulder, her back resting against it. "She said she had a way to remove the seals, but of course there's a price."
"What's that?" Hebi inquired. He frowned at seeing his human so upset.
"Virginity." Shoto stated bluntly. Hebi hissed.
"What?!" He snapped.
"The shinobi have to take the virginity of someone who loves them more then anything else." Shoto explained.
"Oh, is that all?" Hebi chuckled and relaxed again.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Shoto frowned as she titled her head back to look up at him. He peered back down at her with an amused expression.
"Well, it's not an unknown fact that you're in love with Itachi. You'd end up making love to him sooner or later." Hebi stated matter of factly.
"Tch, yeah, but she said to whoever loves them more than anything." Shoto retorted. "Everyone knows I love Cadonia more than anything. The ritual won't work if I don't love him more then anything. That's the problem."
"You love Cadonia more than him?" Hebi snorted. "What is Cadonia anyways? Just a piece of land. Tell me, would you leave Itachi behind for that?"
Shoto furrowed her brow as she fell into deep thought. It was true, that Cadonia was just land. Still, it was her home. It was the very place she was fighting to protect, wasn't it? Perhaps not. Really, it was the freedom for the people of Cadonia she fought for. She knew that. Still.. Shoto blinked as realization dawned on her. Never before had she felt so lost when Itachi had been gone, back in his world. She had lost the will to do much of anything, and it was really Evelynn who pushed them to continue with their missions. When Itachi had vanished, in a way, so had Shoto. At the moment, she wanted to kick herself for even second guessing it.
"Damn." Shoto sighed.
"So, you made your choice?" Hebi chuckled.
"Yes." Shoto replied as she leaned her back against the boulder once more.
-Evelynn and Ryuu-
"She said they have to take the virginity of the person who loves them more than anything!" Evelynn finished explained. "No one fucking loves Sasori that much! He doesn't let anyone love him like that!"
"Except you." Ryuu chuckled. They were in Ryuu's cavern. Evelynn had been pacing back and forth while she explained the ritual Ivanna told them about.
"Like hell. I don't love him. I only put up with him, because he's my comrade." Evelynn snapped as she sat down on a rock.
"You're usually not keen on lying, Evelynn." Ryuu remarked.
"I'm not lying." Evelynn replied stubbornly. "I love Cadonia, and I love Mira and Shoto. Sasori could go to hell. For all I care."
"Right." Ryuu rolled his eyes. "I could tell that by the way you acted when he left."
"I was fine when he left!" Evelynn argued. She knew she was lying. She had been a wreck when he was gone. So much so, that she had allowed herself to be caught by Hanzo's men.
"Well, maybe he'll find someone else." Ryuu shrugged nonchalantly.
"Like hell he will!" Evelynn jumped up, and started pacing again.
"That's right, you won't let him." Ryuu pushed her to speak what she was really feeling.
"He can have whoever he wants!" Evelynn frantically ran her fingers through her hair. "I.. I don't care."
"Then let him." Ryuu shrugged.
"No!" Evelynn wailed. "I can't!"
"Because you're in love with him." Ryuu looked at her expectantly. Evelynn looked back, a scared expression on her face.
"I've never been in love before. What do I do, Ryuu?" Evelynn asked desperately.
"Exactly that." Ryuu smiled gently. "Love him."
Evelynn frowned for a moment, then sighed. She patted Ryuu's side.
"Yeah, I'll do that."
Though, if she were honest with herself, she still wasn't quite sure. Which was the first time in a long time that she honestly had no idea what move to make.
-Hot spring-
"What do you think, hm?" Deidara asked his comrades as they relaxed the hot water.
"It's up to the girls." Itachi shrugged.
"At least you two know they love you." Sasori scowled.
"Still having problems with Evelynn?" Itachi asked in an amused tone.
"She's a comrade." Sasori frowned.
"A comrade you want to have as your own, yeah." Deidara corrected him.
"Like hell." Sasori glared at him. Deidara just shrugged.
"Whatever you think, hm." He remarked.
The shinobi fell into silence. Sasori knew he loved Evelynn, sure. He wouldn't keep making promises about protecting her if he didn't. It was odd for him, really. Never before had he loved anyone. Simply sleep with a woman, and then get rid of her. It was easier that way. So how the hell Evelynn managed to get him wrapped around her finger he didn't know. He only knew he did, in fact, want her. All to himself, and he would be damned if another man ever so much as touched her.
-Hanzo-
The wounded soldier tumbled into Hanzo's battle chamber. Hanzo looked at him in disgust. The man was dirty, and bleeding heavily. Not that he cared. He only knew that it would take a lot of scrubbing to get the blood out of the floor.
"What is it?!" Hanzo snapped in agitation.
"A.. A message." The soldier stuttered.
"What message?" Hanzo growled.
"The G-Great Spirits Reign." The soldier gasped out.
Then he fell forward with a loud thud. he was dead. Hanzo growled and stood up. It was the second message like that he had received, and he knew damn well what it meant. The great spirits were alive. The girls had them as their spirits guardians. It meant they would attack soon.
It meant war.
A/N; Ha, I didn't forget you guys.! Like I said, I've been really busy. I start my new job Monday, and I have to find a new place to live next month. So, the updates are slow, but I have not forgotten the story.! I'm hoping to get another chapter up today. Hopefully. Oh, the next three chapters are going to be lemons. So, yeah.. Review.! have a great day/night.!