Final Part: When Gods Rise!
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When Hanabi and Sakura took their way across Konoha's deserted streets, dawn was beginning to blossom across sky's ever-expanding landscape; all was bright and lovely—flowers bloomed from soil, smiling.
Women who rose from bed looked out from the second floors upon them and the yellows bleeding into streamlets on Leaf's stone-road. Street vendors began to set-up shops to sell food and other merchandise: this made the streets narrower as the sprawling shops spilt into the streets.
The two women did not stop, walking swiftly towards the gate that lay wide-open. Four guards stood by the gate and night's vanishing presence; and when their eyes fell upon them, they did not make any movements to stop them. They had suffered many losses, too many. The old man who stood dignified had buried his only child, a youth of one and seven that had come into this world after many tireless prayers and tearful pleas, three days ago—and for what? This village was doomed: God was coming! It was no use denying it prayers. He had his heart made—many had overnight.
And they would bow before this God when He would rise beautiful and immaculate upon hawk wings—up, straight up, till He met the domain of sun and became sun for all; with wings folding and unfolding, long and luminous over peaks of old. His temple, a sacred house of Lord, would welcome them, its sturdy and welcoming gates wide-open, illuminated by glancing morning-lights eternal.
Monks would speak in voices divine for all ears; and air would ring, flowers sing, hearts bring unto them His whispers hallowed—for God resided in all realms, and he was closer to hearts than jugular veins that throbbed fully with blood. There was no love deeper than God's—no mountain higher than His might! Man would submit, love, perish in His shadow that would envelop this world in its power for eternity!
They passed through the gate that stood as a visible partition between the forest beyond and the rising village; and as soon as they stepped foot on the land that possessed encroaching elements from the Divine, they felt the draw of Carmilla today—and it was strong and soul-consuming and fragrant; air, singing!
Hanabi closed her eyes and felt the divine air hit into her body, breach her soul, going in deep to touch her more tenderly than a lover ever could. What was this . . . feeling? She could not say, but she felt it deeply than ever. Strong fragrances carved themselves into the air's rolling waves. He was coming—God was rising!
She leant her head back, black hair flowing thickly from her head in autumn's breeze which was greater and sweeter than spring's, thinking: she had fallen deeply in love! When she opened her eyes, chakra became visible as dispersed crystals in air, blinking and glimpsing to the music of the lands beyond—Carmilla called them all to its threshold now! Oh, love, all love she had in her bosom—all anger in her soul; she would love him and she would kill him and she would miss Him—in tears . . .
And she glided away from the village's side, running with all her might, weeping with all her heart, hating with all her spirit. Love—love—love! God had called to her, His whispers going, like dancers flowing, from the sky's yellow-end to its brighter end!
The shores where villagers fished for small fish on slowing evening tides lay deserted, their waves quiet and veiled by lights. All joys lay elsewhere. What was left here but to gaze upon dirt and sand? Ah, yes, to cast the love-filling eye upon God was its own reward, and eternal the love from His bosom! And they would perish by His feet, with reds as gifts of souls shivering from spirits' poverty, with eyes sighing like tongues in raptures of Divinity! Amen! Amen! Amen!
Hanabi did not hear the beat of feet behind her back, heart crazed, mad with love. His coming aroused in her what she had never felt: he was what he was, eternity behind the veil crossing bright between skies that lived on forever and ever, a love most divine and lovely; and she would end it all by His feet, eyes weeping like they had never wept before!
Ah, Lord, hear my love—hear me, my love! she prayed and hoped and wished he had heard before He came from the womb's shell that was holier than the holiest conception of this world's start; and this, too, was a new start, new love, new divinity for all!
Hanabi squeezed her eyes, not caring of the tears that came without end. Soon, when her tears turned to dusts, she would cry red, her unfathomed heart unknowing; but that was love! And she had loved him, always; and she ran and she kept running and kept weeping without rest, wishing for His mercy. The world around her squeezed away into balls of colours forgotten; yet her heart existed in Carmilla before eternity was made to live out here—all over again.
Hanabi did not know when she had arrived into the valley. Had it moved? She did not understand; and her heart was bursting to see Him now. He would know of her love, or she would perish praying:
O', love me—kiss me, my Lord! Make my soul sing songs for you—just you—only you! O', let me love you, for my love longs to match yours—fathomless its domain! Is this your heaven? Let me in—let me live—let me love! Forgive my sins—be mine . . .
She ran through groves that spread out as a burst of colours as far as her eyes could see—a continuous land for love. Flowers grew inside shades of tender trees and regal Reapers: they stood silent, heads bowed, eyes open and black; their hearts dreamt of days to come.
Sakura ran ahead, her feet steadier than hers. In her hand was the scroll meant to thwart His coming. Deep inside the heart, Hanabi did not want it to work, for the haze of His loving love had blinded her senses. Just a little piece of her protested now, and she felt debased that it existed in her. Filth—what would the Lord say? Surely, He was forgiving, endlessly loving? And she smiled like she had never smiled before, eyes shining brighter than sun!
Monks prostrated across the sun-soaked fields—minstrels of love and song, singing of divinity for too long. They sat bowed by the stairs that glowed with a magnificence that dimmed the sun. And she saw nothing but the purple, white, and yellow that issued forth from the temple: God had eaten well from this land; its thirst, quenched; hunger, sated!
"Sasuke-Kun!" Sakura screamed, running up the stairs—Hanabi was at her heels, her sword out and held aloft. It was instinct that made her draw her weapon; she did not want to displease her God; she did not!
At last, they both stopped when the loves which filled their veins up burnt brighter at His coming; and He came at last from a tearing womb and bursting light—each droplet brighter than moon, more precious than love, more hallow than shrine. Oh, and he was beautiful—beautiful than moon, than sun, than all that was gone and to come! And at His ardour-accumulated sight, they crumpled to their knees, with bodies which trembled in agonies of pain and desire.
Hanabi's hand dropped the sword; she interlaced her fingers in prayers; she wept red this time, watched as monks fell down one by one, drained of life and blood; she feared and loved Him in equal measures. By her side, Sakura took out the scroll and spread it on the ground.
"S-Sasuke—Sasuke-Kun—stop!" Sakura screamed again. Then she bled her thumb and spread it across the scroll—but nothing happened. With eyes harbouring terror, Sakura saw the inks relinquish the chakra, drop by drop, till they became words on the scroll—just words without essence.
"It—it's not working—" she stopped and looked at Hanabi, "—it's not working!" Hanabi did not reply and returned her eyes to the God that grew taller and mightier whilst he freed himself from the womb inside the vivid life-bloods of His monks: they had come to lay down their lives to feed him—one last time.
And it hit Sakura, at last: this was never going to work! Fool, what a fool she had been. He had tricked her! "You tricked me! Fuck you!" she snarled, but The Lord did not cast a loving eye upon her whilst she screamed harrowing screams in terror; and from him came a burst of empurpled feathers, softer than down, keener than sword; and they tore through her heart without a hint of Man's mercy; and right before Hanabi's eyes, Sakura crumbled away into morning dust . . .
His wings spread wider and wider till the temple walls could not contain them. Two feathers that unfurled crossed Hanabi's throat and cut it deep. Gushing passion, she fell onto her side, and the whole world spun in a circle, her tongue still moving with the last breath too sweet to let go: "I-I—love—l-love you . . . " And a noise of crashing stones was in her ears, dying a dying death.
Hanabi's eyes kept watching when He burst through the temple's roof amidst songs and sons—His wings, broken moon and sun; shy and envious the luminaries that they ceased to exist in the lights that dripped from His body; and everywhere lights fell, bright as stars in night skies.
The marriage of this valley with God's love had made a temple of it—hallowed be His name! And He sat upon the cliff and looked up at the Heaven that wept in His absence, with a Ringed-Sharingan in his brow—mark of Gods!
And even as she lay dying in blood, she loved him; His wings that swept skies and eyes; His hairs amidst which stars crossed like vines; His eyes that opened and closed with love in His face that was loveliest even in her death . . .
Dearest, love thyself: Love the Lord more.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
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