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maguro13-2 · 3 months

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The Dark Beginnings ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Chapter 0 Pt.17 ~

"Somewhere in the land of Nevada..."

[Residential Block (S02) - Norihiko Hibino]

DWMA Soldier A : (via radio) Commander, Sid. This is Delta.I'm picking up some high level kishin signals. There are some multiple threats to the heartless that are located in Las Vegas.

Sid Barrett : Good. It looks normal for a state that haves all this technology, a place that people like to gamble. So any threats from the witches or the heartless? Any objections?

DWMA Soldier B : (via radio) : Negative. But we don't know what the heartless are planning to do with the witches, but it's good that were ready to make our moves and...Hey I think I see one and it looks like a scorpion witch named Shaula and...hey that's not a witch, w-what is thing!? (Monster roaring through the radio) OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!

Sid Barrett : Delta! What happened!? Come in, Delta!

DWMA Soldier A : (via radio) OH JESUS! WHAT IS THAT CREATURE!?! THAT'S NOT SHAULA GORGON AT ALL! A GIANT SCORPION WITH EYES IS ATTACKING US! OUR BULLETS ISN'T STOPPING! THE POISON SPEAR IS INFECTING US! OH MY GOD! WHAT THE F*CK ARE WE THINKING!?! COMMANDER SID! HELP! THIS THING'S GONNA IMPALE ME WITH IT'S POISON SPEAR!

Sid Barrett : Curtis! What happened!? Curtis! Did you get Shaula Gorgon!?

(soldiers screams in death)

Sid Barrett : Curtis! Eight Ball! Damn! The DWMA soldiers are worthless to go against...*BOOM!* A giant monster? [behind him is the Sand Scorpion from Sonic and the Secret Rings] Huh? (Looks both was, then to the viewers) He's right behind me, is there? (turns to the see monster)

(Monster shrieks)

Sid Barrett : Oh no! You were disguising yourself as a witch!? We...We thought you were Shaula Gorgon! You're not the one who are we looking for! That stupid Genie of the lamp set us up! Hello! Shinigami! This is bad! The witch you were looking for was actually a disguise form of a giant monster! And it's really, really, an emergency here! State of Nevada is being attacked by a giant scorpion monster with eyes on it's body!

Shinigami : (via radio) What seems to be the problem, Sid? What do you mean Nevada's being attacked by a giant monster?

Sid Barrett : Shinigami, I told you this before, sir! It's an emergency! The witch that we've been hunting is actually a disguise form of a giant creature and has been using people as puppets to destroy the Kusakabe Legacy and I finally realized what's going on! You were hiding something from us, didn't you! Why couldn't let us see the truth from us!?

Shinigami : Oh, really?! Then what's your excuse that I'm hiding something from you don't understand?

Sid Barrett :(via phone) Shinigami, or Lord Death! This is all fake news to think that Shaula Gorgon attacked your city in this stupid state! My lord, the hunting for the witches, We were set up by...Oh God! No! Stay back! Get away from me, you poison spear Freak! Someone stop That thing! Why can't our bullets work on it! Our power to the Kusakabe is... No! no! (screams in horror)

*SWISH+STAB!*

(Radio buzzing)

Shinigami/Shotaro : Sid Barrett! Sid Barrett! No! No! Not again! (throws radio on the floor) Blast! Once again, someone has been foiling my long achieving dream of protecting my creator's legacy! And now monster are here in Nevada to put the blame on us! I cannot believe this! This is really messed whether my conflicts for the witches have gone wrong! I've protected the Kuskabe's Legacy for 1000 years and this is what I get for being the protection of Mankind's safety?! *SLAM!* Curse you, Sega! You will pay for this! That is why I promise to destroy all heartless on earth!

"Meanwhile..."

[Iron Jungle - Jun Senoue]

Kimial Diehl : Ummm...Why did he have to pick South America?

Ashley : To find the nest of the spider demon Jorogumo, who was created from the heart of Arachne Gorgon, the leader of a Terrorist organization called Arachnophobia. Penny picked up some readings and have intel to inform that the jungle of South America is being colonized by the Heartless and they're using the rainforest as a base. I wond what that Jorogumo faker is planning a threat to destroy the Kusakabe legacy.

Kimial Diehl : Be my guess. Let's just say that she wanted to get her hands Asura Kusakabe's heartless, in which the original created a duplicate of himself. We have to prevent Shinra's man-made or the DWMA from going near that monster.

Ashley : Correct. This is a covert mission from the force, did anyone tell what HQ said.

*flashback*

Chief : Orders from the Majo Detective Force executive office. 42 hours ago, Intel informs us that our client, Baba from Dragon Ball, has received a request to destroy a castle deep within the Amazon River Basin, the castle is run by heartless called Neoshadows that are plotting to destroy the Kusakabe Legacy and will ruin Baba's repution in the Dragon Ball Franchise. Since Goku couldn't does not know about the Ohkuboverse, we can't let anyone tell the truth Shinigami's enemy is secretly a heartless monster in disguise and eventually realzing that he uses the heartless's attention to destroy the Kusakabe Legacy. I want you two to head into the Amazon Rive basin covertly and uncover the secrets of Arachnophobia's plotting diversion of destroying the Kusakabe Legacy. We don't know why Arachne's heartless wanted to destroy the Kusakabe's life and legacy and would start an impending doom. Their demanding that the DWMA turned over on the reincarnation of Shinra Kusakabe. So I want you to stop Arachne's heartless and save Baba's reputation to all of Witchkind.

Ashley : But what happens if we doom the mission?

Chief : They say that if the Heartless aren't meeting demands within the next 24 hourse, they'll start an attack on Nevada and will wipe the earth clean with heartless conquering the galaxy. So do your best and do not fail the mission. Failure is not an option. Understand, detectives

Ashley & Kimial : Yes, sir!

Chief : Good! Detectives are...GO! (the word "Go" is echoed)

(transits back to the jungle)

Ashley : So now you see, this is our chance to stop a major from these criminal activities. We must go into stealth and secret into killing one of Arachne's forces. So best be on guard and watch out for traps.

(various scenes of Ashley and Kimial passing the heartles by being stealthy and breaking the heartless's necks)

Ashley : Alright, it's working! This covert mission should be a piece of cake.

Kimial Diehl : I feel like this is some Metal Gear stuff if you know what I'm mean. I mean typically not a Kojima fan, but hey! Especially we're doing some stealthy stuff. We need disguises if we wanted to get into the building. We should mark into enemy headquarters. But first we need a costume.

Arachnephobia Member : Well, I sure hope do like some mentos to give me that sweet kiss for my lovely wi-! (gets captured by Ashley and Kimial behind a tree) Woah, woah! Who are you, kiddies!? Are you some kind of Solid Snake guy or something from Metal Gear--Woah, woah! What the f*ck are you doi-(gags) *NECK SNAP!*

(Ashley and Kimial comes out of the tree, now disguised as one of the members of Arachnophobia)

Ashley : Okay! We're in the comforting zone. We are now stealthy in disguise. You'll be the legs and I'll be the body.

Kimial Diehl : Okay...Loud and clear!

(cuts to a line of Arachnophobia members waiting to pass by two Darksides as Guards while to check their IDs)

Darkside : ID, please? Go on ahead. ID, please? Go right on ahead.

Kimial Diehl : [To Ashley] Get a load of this. Those guards are two Pureblood heartless called the Darkside and they must be the main security. Well guess, all the security members of Arachnophobia are heartless as well. So we need an ID to get pass by. Did the guy's ID?

Ashley : Check indeed. Once we enter Baba Yoga's castle covertly. We can finally discover what Jorogumo is planning. Once we enter inside the castle, we will definitely make an surprise attack and destroy the nest.

Kimial Diehl : How are we gonna do that?

Ashley : Simple. We burn the entire nest with fire and then the castle will be crumbling down to it's very foundation.

Kimial Diehl : Like burning it down to the ground? Are you sure that is a good idea? But burning down the castle would damage the entire ecosystem. But I gotta say it to ya, you know what's gonna if this whole castle will just implode any minute. Because I decided to put the implosives on the castle so that DWMA and the organization would suspect Demon Vibe's intentions.

Ashley : Uhh, what?

Kimial Diehl : I meant something to implode the bodies.

Ashley : You just had to put the Implosives to the castle, didn't you? And by the way, It's "Explosives", not "Implosives".

Kimial Diehl : Explosives. When I did forget that I put the Explosives for implosions, Oh yes, I did not forget something that I, a famous detective, will be using a TNT device from Super Mario World, Mario uses this device to destroy castles. It'll be a piece of cake!

Ashley : Alright. You have my word.

Darkside : ID Please. Go right on ahead. ID Please...Nice try, buddy! I know who you are and you're from a place called Jersey.

Random Guy : Hey, man. I haven't done nothing! And no, I'm not from a place called Lakewood New Jersey! I I'm from Arizona!

Darkside : ....Guys? Get me the Lizard. (the heartless lizard captures the man as screams in horror)

*BLOOD+FLESH TEARING*

Darkside : Next! You must be the new member to enter at Baba Yaga Castle.

Ashley : (mocks as a male) Sure thing, sir. I just came all the away from...Alexandria! Yep, I'm from Alexndanria!

Darkside : Alexandria? And what part of it is that in?

Ashley : (mocks as a male) Uhhh...I believe that Alexandria is a from place called Virginia.

Darkside : Virginia you say....?

Ashley : (mocks as a male) Yep! Good ol' Alexandria, Virginia!

Kimial Diehl : (mocks as a male) And is a good place to walk around in the Old Town district near the Potomac River of the border between DC and Maryland.

Darkside : Hmm...Seems fine to me. Okay, then. You can may enter the castle.

Ashley : (mocks as a male) Oh goodie! Thank you for kind, fellow hearts. [To Kimial, Normally] Heh! I told you that was superstious, even though this is still part of the missions, the DWMA forces have no rights for to be in their way of putting operation Baba Yaga would be a stinking success. Can you believe that?

Kimial Diehl : [To Ashley, Normally] Easy as pie! This is like taking candy from a baby and which is fine by me! Now then, let's head into Baba Yaga covertly.

Ashley : Understood! Gorgon Sisters...your days of reigning chaos will be far from over! Just wonder what's your deal with the heartless has no concern of mine. This time, you are going to pay for what you've done!

~ Prologue 17 : Operation Jorogumo Pt.1 ~

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theshatteredrose · 3 years

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Relic Keepers: Awakening of the Red Lily (Chapter 13) - Original Fiction

AN: Kinda depressing just how long it took me to write this chapter. I’m sorta, kinda coming off of hiatus, but I have no idea when I’ll return to weekly updates. The main point is that I am enjoying writing and planning this project, and I am essentially writing this for me. If anyone takes issue with anything I’ve written, that’s not my problem. I’m just here to indulge in my own interests.

Anyway, enough of that. If you do read, I hope you enjoy. If not, then I hope you move along and have a nice day <3

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FictionPress

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 13:

The morning air was cool and crisp as Eishirou stepped out of the helicopter and onto the dew-laden grass. The rising sun cast the Flutterlight Forest in a golden glow. Draping the greenery in an almost ethereal light. Inviting the unwary into letting their guard down.

Eishirou had to remind himself to stay vigilant. The lush green leaves, golden bark, and small colourful flowers shifting in the light breeze hid dark and dangerous ShadowDwellers. And those ShadowDwellers were not averse to destroying the environment around them to engage in battle.

He had to admit he was both excited and nervous about the expedition.

Heading out into the field with just Team 3 was a little bit daunting without Jacob there. But he got along extremely well with Zayne. Rinka was good company, too. And it wasn’t like they would just leave him out in the middle of nowhere. Jacob would never place him with a team he didn’t himself find trustworthy.

While it was essentially Eishirou’s personal assignment, Jacob did have one request of him during this expedition. And that was the map as much of the area as possible. A reasonable request.

He was also rather curious whether that centipede ShadowDweller created new paths for them to use. And whether its reckless freight-train like tendencies opened the way for new locations or ruins to discover.

Still, he hoped not to run into another.

Eishirou glanced around the landing area in mild curiosity as the Elite team gathered their previsions and equipment. His attention was soon drawn to the small pockets of red and blue flowers. There was a small patch of flowers close to him, so he knelt down and got out his tablet to take a photo. He then cross referenced that photo through the database of already discovered plants and flowers.

He wasn’t surprised when he got a match.

Felicia mauve cloud. Ah, blue daisies. Of course.

And the red flowers were…Ixora coccinea, or Flames of the Woods. Fascinating. He wondered if these flowers had any medicinal use. He’d have to talk to Neriah about it sometime.

“Well, shall we begin this assignment?” Ernesta stated more so than asked as she took the commanding role. “Zayne, you are the one who will see to Eishirou’s safety.”

“Got it,” Zayne replied without any hesitation.

“Eishirou, feel free to concentrate fully on your research. We’ll ensure that ShadowDwellers do not interrupt this expedition.”

Eishirou nodded. “I’ll try not to get in the way.”

Ernesta gave him a placid smile. “How would you like to begin this expedition?”

He didn’t answer immediately as he needed a moment to consider his options. It was his first solo expedition, after all. He didn’t want to be frivolous. “Our best bet is to head for the clearing and work our way around from there. I’m curious to see if that Centipede ShadowDweller unearthed new ruins or possibly another entrance to the mine tunnels below.”

“Very well. Zayne shall take the lead with your guidance, while the rest of us will concentrate on security and protection,” Ernesta commanded.

After securing his bag across his chest, Eishirou pulled out his tablet and the map function. With Jacob’s map overlaying his, he was confident that he could lead the team to the clearing. And ultimately back to that underground chamber with the mosaic. That was his ultimate destination in all honesty.

He was curious to know if his dream from the previous night was just a figment of his imagination filling in the blanks.

With Zayne right next to him, Eishirou took the lead through Flutterlight Forest. The name was quite accurate. Other than a few broken branches here or there, and thick shrubbery having been pushed to the side for a make-shift path, there was little change to the surroundings.

The birds were chittering and the insects were chirping noisy. The air fresh with only a slight morning chill. The wind was still for the most part, with only a tender gust every now and again.

Their trek to the clearing was a thankfully uneventful one.

The clearing where they first discovered the runestone and hidden wooden chest had seen better days, though.

“That ShadowDweller torn up this area more than I thought,” Zayne commented as he glanced around warily.

Eishirou nodded. It really did. Broken branches and heavily damaged trees. Torn up patches of grass and soil. There were even a few depressions that weren’t there the other day. It was highly likely that there was a partial collapse of a mine shaft just below the surface. And it was likelier still that there were numerous tunnels crisscrossing the entire area.

They had better be careful were they stepped.

That Centipede ShadowDweller had also opened up some new paths, rendering his map from back then out-of-date. But only slightly. So, it wasn’t anything to be overly concerned about.

Eishirou felt the distinct feeling of having dropped a few inches. It wasn’t overly dramatic, but it did startle him. Enough for his heart to skip a beat.

Before he could react, however, Zayne did. He swiftly scooped Eishirou up into his arms and jumped back a couple of feet. As he landed in a crouched position, his mana wings flickered into existence and one shifted toward Eishirou in an attempt to shield him.

Just as the ground where Eishirou had stood open up.

And a scorpion ShadowDweller crashed into view.

“I’ve got it!” Leon announced.

The ShadowDweller was still half-in the hole it had created when Leon used his mana-claws to effortlessly cut through the ShadowDweller’s large claws, rending it incapable of attacking him in return.

As the two dismembered claws fell to the ground and dissipated into that mysterious dark mist that seemed to make up the entirety of ShadowDwellers, Leon moved in to finish the creature off for good.

Zayne stood to his full height before he placed Eishirou back onto his own feet. But he kept his hand on his shoulder and pulled him close toward him in a protective stance.

Eishirou stared as mist rose from the corpse of the ShadowDweller, flittering it out of existence. The whole thing happened so quickly that he honestly didn’t even have time to feel frightened or even nervous. Startled, yes. Afraid? No. It was an odd feeling. He felt detached, in a way.

Yet, somehow comfortable.

It was likely because he had seen Zayne in action before. He had protected him numerous times before. So, there wasn’t like he had anything to fear, really.

Still, he was grateful that Zayne had been there. And reacted so quickly. He didn’t fancy another tumble down a hole into utter darkness below.

“Ambush predators, yet recklessly confrontational,” Ernesta mused aloud, both oddly curious and yet dismissive of the previous event. “We best practice extra caution.”

Eishirou returned his attention to his tablet and added a few notes of caution. The mines below made the area ideal for ShadowDwellers to ambush unsuspecting victims, be them Elites or Passive.

“We should move on from here. The ground is clearly unstable.”

The location of where that ShadowDweller appeared from indicated to him that the mining tunnels reached further than previously thought. Also, narrow paths may be more stable thanks to the tree roots and thick shrubbery keeping the ground compact. Though it did lead to the problem of a smaller battle area.

From what he had seen, Zayne and the others didn’t find the scorpion ShadowDwellers exactly difficult to battle. Their reflexes and level-headedness were quite astounding.

But that was what Elites did. They battled expertly against ShadowDwellers. They were truly amazing at what they did.

“Let’s move on to that underground chamber,” Eishirou suggested. “I need to give that a proper inspection.”

Once more, Eishirou took the lead with Zayne close to his side, taking his role of bodyguard seriously. Which Eishirou was honestly grateful for. As the path before them caused him to feel a sense of trepidation.

Broken limbs and felled fully grown trees littered the path. Broken into splinters. Thrown aside with ease. Telling indentations marred the soil. Created by hundreds of black, insect-shaped legs scuttering at an abnormal speed.

“Is this where that ShadowDweller chased you?” Leon asked nonchalantly as they walked cautiously down the path.

“Came barrelling through like a freight-train,” Zayne replied. “Able to hear it coming a mile away, though.”

Well, unlike the scorpion ShadowDwellers that liked to burst in from underground, the Centipede at least gave them a warning. A terrifying warning of breaking trees and thundering feet. But it was better than no warning.

The recently forged path might be a blessing in disguise. From what he could tell from his map, a new path to the underground chamber had opened up. Allowing them to reach it sooner.

They moved through the forest in silence. The birds and insects continued to make their noise, unconcerned by their presence. Other than a few fallen trees that they needed to climb over, there were no other obstacles to slow them down.

Minutes later, they finally reached the entrance that led to the underground chamber.

Eishirou pulled to a stop just outside the entrance, however. He felt the urge to inspect his surroundings once more. Lush foliage, thick shrubbery, flowers of red and blue in small patches.

Huh…the area around the entrance wasn’t damaged. No broken trees or torn up earth. Nothing to indicate that that centipede ShadowDweller emerged underground from here. So, it emerged from somewhere else, obviously. But where?

He…couldn’t see any place it could have appeared from. The area around the entrance looked untouched. Not a shrub disturbed. Not a twig broken. Nothing.

That would be something he would investigate later. He was more interested in inspecting the mosaic and underground chamber.

The stone doors that once barred the way had remained opened. Eishirou wasn’t all too concerned about them, even if they closed behind them. He knew how to reopen them. If they worked once, they were sure to work again. But if push came to shove, he was sure one of the Elites would just blast their way out.

“Hm,” Ernesta murmured as they moved to the centre of the chamber, her gaze forward. “So, this is the mosaic that Professor Chryses was referring to.”

Eishirou turned to look at the mosaic, too. Unmarred and in the same condition he had left it. Which was a relief. “That’s it.” He then pointed toward a small opening to the left of the room. “That leads to the underground tunnels. And they’re connected to mining tunnels.”

“And where we first encountered that centipede,” Zayne added.

Ernesta glanced over toward the tunnels and a frown soon spread across her face. “Hm. I am not comfortable with exploring those tunnels. Especially not with the possibility of encountering other ShadowDwellers in such a restricted environment.”

Especially that large centipede ShadowDweller.

“Unfortunately, if we’re to map the area fully, we’ll need to,” Eishirou explained as he pulled out his tablet. “Though, I’m reluctant, too. I’d feel better if there was a way to get in and out of the mines should we encounter trouble.”

“Blasting through the roof not an option?”

Zayne’s sarcastic quip caused a laugh to escape Eishirou’s lips. “I guess. I mean, if the situation was that serious.”

In all seriousness, though, he hoped they wouldn’t need to resort to such drastic measures. If only they could find a way to monitor ShadowDwellers from a distance or at least discover how far and deep the tunnels actually go.

Eishirou glanced down at his tablet screen. He just remembered how his map had alerted him to that centipede ShadowDweller a couple of days ago. A red dot that moved across the screen. He had honestly forgotten about it due to everything else that occurred. He could only assume that the map function had registered the presence of the ShadowDweller and added it to the data also.

Did that mean that if he encountered a ShadowDweller that didn’t immediately attack them (or is immediately destroyed), it will be registered to the map?

“Eishirou?”

Ernesta’s voice pulled Eishirou from his thoughts and he snapped his head up. “Yes?”

“Professor Chryses mentioned that you are able to see recordings from objects containing mana. Are you able to control what information is given to you?” she queried.

Eishirou was momentarily startled by the question. “Ah, well, it depends.” His gaze flickered over to the mosaic once more as a thought occurred to him. There was an abundant amount of mana contained within. “I could give it a try. Maybe if I try to receive a recording from the mosaic, I might learn just how far these tunnels reach.”

He slipped the tablet into his carry bag as he walked toward the mosaic. He ascended the stairs to the altar. The painting upon the wall was exactly the same. That shouldn’t be a surprise to him. Elites wouldn’t be interested in the chamber or the mosaic on the wall. Their first concern was ShadowDwellers.

But he was somewhat startled to note that his dream of the painting was the same. The rainbow-coloured hair, the flawless face. There was only one minor little difference; the eyes were open in his dreams. The painting before him had the eyes close.

…It was probably nothing.

Pushing his musings aside, Eishirou raised his hands and placed them upon the painting once more. He closed his eyes and attempted to use his own mana abilities to draw out the mana residing within the cave wall. And the mosaic itself.

Just like before a series of still images appeared in his mind. Quick flashes of moments in time so long ago. There was��there was a story attached to the images.

Men dressed in blacken overalls. A partially collapsed wall. Miners moving through the narrow tunnels. Torches illuminating shadowy creatures. Miners running in panic.

An entrance high on a hill side. Framed with wooden beams. With steel and wooden planks hastily baring the entrance.

The recording came to an abrupt end and Eishirou found himself taking a stumbling step backwards. Only to fall back against someone and an arm wrapped around his shoulders firmly.

Eishirou didn’t need to open his eyes to look at the one holding him upright. It was Zayne.

“You all right?”

Eishirou clutched his forehead as he nodded his head. “Yeah. I think it worked. There’s another opening. One…of the ancient tunnel. Connected to a mine shaft not far from here. But…the first appears only accessible from underground.”

Those other images; they told a story of how miners broke through into the ancient tunnels. They inspected the tunnels, curious and amazed. Until they encountered tall shadowy beings. Humanoids of the darkest of black. They ran, terrified. What happened to those miners was up to speculation. But the boarded-up entrance to the mines indicated that the mines were closed.

Was that a fraction of the history of these tunnels?

Were…ShadowDwellers around back then, too?

“Ernesta.” Tatsu’s terse voice prompted Eishirou to open his eyes and return to the task at hand.

“Hm?” Ernesta turned to regard Tatsu with a curious expression. But that soon changed in confused one when the other Elite handed her something. “That’s-?”

“It seems to be a badge from one of the Elite teams,” Tatsu informed briskly. “They must have inspected this chamber, too.”

A deep frown marred Ernesta’s face. “And dropped their badge.”

Zayne kept a secure arm around Eishirou’s shoulders as he guided him down the stairs and back to where the rest of the team gathered. He could see their puzzlement and concern easily. Which he understood. An Elite’s badge was a symbol of their superiority. A badge of honour, so to speak.

…If he was able to see images from an ancient mosaic, could he receive a recording from a badge? Though, that likely depended on the intent of the owner of said badge.

“Can I try something?” Eishirou asked as he reached for the badge.

Zayne frowned slightly. “Another recording?”

“Hm. Maybe there’s enough mana here for me to see what occurred to lead to this being dropped.”

He wrapped his hands around the badge and closed his eyes.

The images didn’t hit him as suddenly or as profoundly as the ones of the mosaic did. He saw an animated recording; one he hadn’t experienced before. It was from the point of view of the fallen badge.

A group of Elites walked through the chamber and headed straight for the side path. Like they had known it was there. The group seemed to be…huddled together. He could only see four members. Yet, Elite teams were made of five.

There was a sense of…uncertainty and fear from the badge. From the owner of said badge. They were confused. Startled…betrayed?

But then…a dark shadow appeared from somewhere behind the badge. It…scurried across the ground. Four limbs. Yet, it appeared human like.

…Just like those shadowy beings he saw from the mosaic.

The recording ended abruptly and Eishirou shook his head. Once again, thankful for the strong arm wrapped around his shoulders. He couldn’t help but feel threatened. And that the life of the Elite which the badge belonged to might be in danger.

“What’s wrong?”

“They entered the tunnels,” Eishirou explained, his voice surprisingly shaky thanks to the remnants of the recording. “But there was something following them. A ShadowDweller, I think. But…I can’t be too sure. They definitely headed deeper in, though. I do know that much.”

“I see.” Ernesta frowned as her eyes flickered toward the side path once more. “We…may need to follow, if nothing more than to sedate our curiosity.”

#original fiction #scifi fantasy #young adult #relic keepers: awakening of the red lily #relic keepers

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medics-secret-shipfic-folder · 5 years

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A Little Confession

A SniperxDemo oneshot

“Hey, Demo, could you bring this to Sniper?” Engineer asked, handing a plate of food to Demo, “He should be outside,”

Engineer returned to the table after the exchange, making everyone’s plates for dinner that night. The smell of southern cooking was strong, stronger than most of the other dinners that the mercenaries prepared when it was their turn to cook. Everyone was already seated at the table, mindless chatter filling the kitchen up with noise. Sniper was the only one not present for the meal. Adjusting his grip on the plate to not burn himself, Demo ambled outside.

Sniper preferred to be alone, that much was true. Although he seemed to get antsy when people chocked that up to some kind of shyness, as if being alone in and of itself was some kind of issue that needed correcting. But Sniper didn’t have issues regarding shyness. For God’s sake, a cocky man such as himself had no shame. If walking out in front of the rest of his team completely naked was any indicator. Sniper was just an introvert, simple as. Sure, he did have anxieties, but he’d mostly dealt with them and learned how to handle the stress when it did arise. Sniper could handle himself.

Demo squinted into the night, only the light of the full moon giving him any kind of aid. Sighing, he carefully walked down the steps and sauntered over to what he guessed to be the silhouette of Snipers van. It was relatively warm out, and crickets sang their annoying song somewhere wherever there were patches of grass.

“Demo! Ya left the door open!” Scout called from the base, followed by a slam. Demo rolled his eye and walked around to the back of the van and knocked. No answer. Demo tried again. No answer yet again.

“Sniper! It’s time to eat!”

“Just bring it up mate,” Sniper said from somewhere above. Demo took a step back from the van and peered up. He couldn’t see Sniper, but he was up there. Demo grumbled and felt for the ladder next to the door, balancing the plate on the tips of his fingers as he clambered up.

“Engineer cooking tonight?” Sniper asked, thumping sounding from the top of the van as Sniper moved.

“Yep,” Demo grunted.

“I can tell. I smell gravy,” Sniper said jokingly. Demo snickered, taking another step and slipping, giving a loud yelp when he nearly fell. He wedged himself against the bars of the ladder and frantically tried to keep the plate balanced. Sniper laughed from above.

“Need some help?” He snickered.

“Yeah, help me up,” he strained. Sniper popped his head out from over the roof of the van and extended a hand down, helping Demo haul himself up. Demo slid the plate onto the roof and scooted himself to where he could sit down. Sniper plopped down in front of him and took the plate, pulling it into his lap and shaking his head, laughing.

“Is there anything that Engineer cooks that isn’t swimming in gravy?” he chuckled, “I mean, I ain’t complaining,”

“I’ll take Engie’s cooking over Pyro’s any day,” Demo said, scratching at his beard.

“What was Pyro even trying to make last night?”

“I think Engie said it was supposed to be pancakes,”

“More like burnt hockey discs,” Sniper laughed, “I love Pyro, but they cannot cook. Then again I ain’t much better,”

“You burned everybody’s mouths off the last time you cooked!”

“Yeah. It didn’t occur to me that maybe not everyone liked jalapeños,”

“Oh you didn’t add just jalapeños! You sent Heavy to the infirmary!”

“Ok I might have added some Ghost Peppers…And some California Reapers, and a few Trinidad Scorpions…” He said sheepishly, “Which are…some of the spiciest peppers in the world,” He mumbled.

“Oh my God, Sniper,” Demo said, pressing his hand to his forehead, “You’re not allowed to cook anymore,”

“Fair enough,” Sniper shrugged, inspecting his food, “Chicken, biscuits, and macaroni tonight? Nice,” He said. He scooped up a biscuit and went to take a bite, but the moment it hit his mouth he pulled back with a shout, fanning his mouth with his hand.

“Ah! That’s hot!” Demo threw his head back and laughed.

“Yeah that’s what ye get!” He chortled. Sniper dropped the biscuit back onto the plate and grumbled. He set the plate aside.

“I’m just gonna…Let that cool down,” He said. Demo chuckled and shook his head.

“Why are you out here anyway lad?” He asked, leaning back. Sniper jabbed a thumb upwards.

“Stargazing,” he answered bluntly. Demo squinted upwards.

“It’s too foggy to see anything,” He sighed.

“Foggy?” Sniper quizzed, turning his gaze upward, “Huh, that’s weird, the sky was clear just a moment ago. Ah, nevermind,” He shrugged.

“Do you like to stargaze?”

“‘Like?’ Heh, it was the only thing I ever did back home!” He laughed, “I’d get up on my dad’s chicken coup every night and watch the sky. Well, at least until my mum yelled at me to get down before I broke my neck,” “Did ye ever fall off?”

“Once,”

“So she was right in tellin’ ya to stay on the ground!”

“Ah, no! I didn’t break my neck!”

Demo cocked an eyebrow.

“But I…Did break my arm…” Demo snickered. Sniper shook his head and laughed with him. Sniper reached over and felt his food. It had cooled down enough for him to eat, he judged. He pulled the plate back into his lap and lifted the biscuit to try to eat again.

“You really like Engie’s cooking,” Demo observed.

“It reminds me of home,” Sniper mumbled through a mouthful of bread, “Is there a napkin I can use?”

“Under the plate,”

“Thanks,” Sniper muffled, wiping his mouth. Sniper went to scoop up another biscuit when he felt something wet land on his head. He ruffled his hair and looked up. Another droplet fell on his nose. Demo glanced up with him and extended a hand out. A few droplets fell on his hand.

“Wha-”

A crack of lightning and a loud, booming clap of thunder interrupted him, making them both jolt upright in terror. Immediately after, it started pouring down raining. Within seconds they were both soaked to the bone. A sudden gale wind rocked the van, sending the two scrambling down to get inside. The rain had created a thick veil that made it impossible to see more than a few feet in any direction. Another clap of thunder sounded, even louder this time. Sniper violently pried open the back door and threw himself into the van, Demo falling after him. Sniper rolled over and forced the door shut against fierce winds, everything becoming eerily quiet when he shut out the elements. Sniper heaved for breath and leaned against the door, Demo sprawled out on the floor.

“Well that was certainly something,” Sniper huffed, shakily getting up, the cold already beginning to set in. Demo rolled over and stared wide eyed at the ceiling.

“There wasn’t supposed to be a storm today!” He shouted, sitting up. The van rocked again, and a gust of wind whistled by.

“Mother Nature doesn’t give a shit about what is and isn’t supposed to happen” Sniper said, exasperated, wiping his face, “And clearly didn’t give a shit about my dinner,” He muttered.

“Sorry about that,” Demo apologized, rubbing his neck.

“It’s alright. I have food in the fridge,” he said, gesturing to a small fridge lodged underneath a massive row of terrariums filled with a whole assortment of insects and other small animals. Sniper sighed and picked at his clothes.

“I need to change,” he said, talking to himself. He ambled over to what appeared to be a dresser and unfolded a handful of clothes from it. He set them aside on top of the dresser and began to undress. Demo awkwardly turned around to give him some privacy, even if Sniper didn’t mind being seen naked. He turned around and watched the insects instead. He stood there awkwardly for several minutes, listening as Sniper removed his clothes. His grumbling at the squelching fabric was admittedly fun to listen to.

Demo leaned down and tapped the glass case of a strange, spider-like insect just as Sniper finished slipping into his new clothes. There was a plop when he dumped the wet clothes into a nearby laundry basket. He walked up beside Demo.

“What the Hell is that thing?” He asked, pointing at the creature. Sniper squinted down at what he was pointing at.

“Tailless Whip Scorpion,” he said. The insect turned to Demo, raising up it’s claw like arms at him. Demo shuddered, feeling goosebumps crawl up his arms and legs.

“It’s fucking creepy is what it is,”

“Aw, please. These things are harmless,” He laughed. The scorpion was still for a moment, and then jumped at the glass, making a tink noise. Demo just about fell over when he jumped back. Sniper laughed at his panic. Demo ran his hands up and down his arms, now beginning to feel things crawling over him.

“Those are the spawns of Satan!” Sniper laughed again.

“Then i’m the shepard!” Demo shuddered again. Sniper shook his head and reached into a terrarium away from the insects.

“Here, I don’t think this fella will scare ya,” He said, rummaging around some sand before pulling out a small round frog with stumpy legs and a noticeable grumpy face. It looked at Demo and made a tiny squeaking noise, somehow making an even grumpier face.

“It’s a Desert Rain Frog! Although Medic likes to call ‘em the Grump Frog,” Sniper laughed. He took the frog and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, giving it a light squeeze. The frog made another squeaking noise, grabbing at Snipers fingers. Sniper giggled.

“They’re my favorite, if ya can’t tell,” Sniper said, palming the creature. Demo squinted at the animal and grinned when it waved its stumpy arms at him.

“Hehe, your a cute thing alright,” He giggled, gently rubbing its head. Sniper curled his fingers around the animal and gently placed it back in the terrarium, taking a spray bottle and spritzing the sand with enough moisture for the tiny amphibian. Demo gazed over the rest of the glass cases, once again getting a jittery feeling from the abundance of nightmarish insects. He went rigid when he looked up.

A giant, yellow tarantula was pressed against the glass, it’s massive fangs hanging down and poised to strike. The skeleton of a bird was curled up in the corner. Demo could hear the spider hissing, and he felt his mouth go dry.

“I-Isn’t that the same spider that tried to eat Medics doves?” He croaked, stepping back.

“Hm?” Sniper hummed. He looked up to where Demo was pointing, “Oh. Yeah Medic had me come it and get it out of the Infirmary. I’ve kept it since. Isn’t that right Goliath?”

“You named it?”

“You named your sword,”

Demo went silent for a second.

“Eh, fair enough. Just keep that thing away from me,” Sniper shrugged and picked up a semi-small container under the terrariums and began feeding his collection. Demo looked around the rest of the van. A ladder led up to Snipers bed, and there was a gap in the wall underneath it, a gap that looked like it held a second bed. A stove was sat directly across from the terrariums, and a small table jutting out from the wall stood beside it, granted with a small counter in between. There were small baskets and boxes piling up with different trinkets and clutter that were shoved into corners and any shelves and cabinets that were open. A few pillows were stuffed against the wall underneath the gap where the second bed was hidden.

Demo walked over to the bed and climbed halfway up the ladder, peering over onto the bed. It was generally bare, save for a few pillows, blankets and a few stuffed animals, surprisingly. A large stuffed frog was resting beside the pillow. It’s green color appeared to have been bleached out from long exposure to the sun, and it didn’t look all that comfortable to cuddle with, as the fabric appeared rough and coarse.

“‘Ey, where’d ya get this?”

“My mum gave it to me when I was little,” Sniper said, tossing a few dead crickets in with his frogs. Demo reached over to touch it. Yep, just as coarse as it looked.

“You sleep with it?”

“Yeah. Slept with it so much that it stopped being fluffy. Heh, I took that thing everywhere with me.”

“Is that why it’s so pale?”

“Yeah. I had it out in the sun almost every day. Took on a toll on the fella,” Demo grabbed the arm of the frog and pulled it forward to get a better look. Turning it over, he saw that a name was written in Sharpie on the back. ‘Hoppi’, it read.

“You named this thing Hoppi?”

“It meant a lot to me,” Sniper said, finishing up with the feeding, “And it still does,”

Demo looked down at the frog and put it back. He stepped down off the ladder just as Sniper was putting away the container. Demo reached into one of the packs on his belt for a flask, but his hand found nothing.

“Aw Hell,”

“What?”

“I don’t have my flask with me,”

“There’s beers in the fridge,” Sniper said, pointing back to the tiny fridge. He walked over to the stove and turned it on while Demo searched for a drink.

He came back up with a beer and plopped down on the pillows under the bed and watched Sniper as he began to cook.

He placed a wok on the burner and went back to the fridge and took out packets of chicken and vegetables, cheekily taking several peppers out with them, some Demo recognized as the peppers that sent Heavy to the infirmary the last time Sniper cooked.

“I don’t know how you eat those,”

“After almost 30 years of sitting under the sun back in Australia, a pepper that turns your mouth into molten lava is nothing, “ Sniper chuckled, setting the chicken on the counter and chopping it up. Demo took a swig of his beer when he felt his stomach roll, reminding him that he hadn’t even eaten anything since breakfast.

“I can make you some of this if ya want,” Sniper offered, jabbing the chicken with the knife.

“What is it?”

“Stir Fry. Dads recipe,”

Demo pondered the offer.

“Make it without peppers and i’ll take ya up on yer offer,” He agreed, grinning. Sniper laughed and tossed the chicken into the wok, now starting on the vegetables.

Demo sat back as he waited, the smell of the food quickly filling the van. He’d never had stir fry, but his mouth was already watering for it. Sniper set out two plates and began pouring Demos food out, stirring it up a bit with a fork before handing it to him. Then he started on his plate. He put on a pair of gloves and started chopping up the peppers. As Demo ate, he felt his eyes begin to water. The chemicals that were being released from the peppers as Sniper cut them were so pungent and strong that Demo had to cover his mouth and eye until Sniper dropped them into the wok.

“Jesus, that’s strong,” Demo coughed, now feeling a sting at the back of his throat.

“Why do ya think I have the gloves?” Sniper said, his own eyes watering, “These things have killed people,”

“Then why are ya eatin’ them!?”

“Hasn’t killed me yet,” Sniper said, a snarky grin spreading across his face. Demo rolled his eye and continued eating.

He poured out his food and sat next to Demo to eat. A few raw jalapeños were on the edge of his plate and he ate with gusto while Demo once again felt a stinging at the back of his throat from the smell of the peppers alone.

As they ate, loud tinks started to be heard from the ceiling. Sniper furrowed his brow and looked up. The sound got louder. Demo looked to the window above the sink and saw white pellets smacking against the glass.

“Hail,” Sniper groaned.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Demo moaned, sharing in Snipers disdain.

“Well we’re not leaving anytime soon,” Sniper sighed.

The two finished their plates and put them away in the sink. Now full, the two of them started lounging around, trying to pass the time with whatever they could. Sniper bounced around from sharpening his knife, watching his insects, and playing with his frogs, and Demo switched around from drinking, messing with books, and screwing together and taking apart pieces of a deactivated bomb he was carrying around. They both tried to simply nap through the storm at several points, but it was clear after several claps of thunder and bouts of strong hail that Mother Nature wasn’t too keen on letting them sleep. After several hours of extreme storms, Sniper eventually gave up and just decided that the best thing to do would be to hang halfway off his bed with a frog on his face with Demo laying face down in the pillows.

“This is ridiculous,” Sniper groaned, the frog on his face licking his glasses.

“I agree,” Demo said, his voice muffled.

“What do ya think the rest of the team is doing?”

“Probably wondering where the fuck we are. Either that or sleeping,”

Sniper rolled over and nearly fell off his bed. He clung to the ladder for support, the frog none too bothered and continuing to lick his glasses. Sniper groaned and sat up, the frog now leaping down onto his chest and clinging to his shirt. Demo propped his elbow up on the pillows and rested his head in his hand.

“Do ya have any games we can play?”

“Nadda,” Sniper sighed. Demo huffed and fell back into the pillows. He stared up at the ceiling when he realized something.

“Wait, do ya hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Exactly. The hail stopped,” Demo said, sitting up. Sniper chewed the inside of his cheek.

“It’s still raining,”

“True,” Demo got up and went to the window and looked outside. He could see nothing but the thick veil the rain was making, “Yeah we’re still not leaving,” He sighed. He looked up and saw Sniper putting away the frog and climbing back up onto his bed, fixing the blankets and sheets.

“Then I guess we’re sleeping together,” Sniper said, “That bed pulls out, you can sleep there,” Sniper pointed down at the gap underneath his bed. Demo went over and grabbed the metal bar that was sticking out and pried the bed out. Sniper handed Demo a blanket and a few pillows for the night.

The two managed to drift off for an hour or so, the rain providing just enough white noise for the two to sleep. After the hour, a clap of thunder woke Demo up. He groaned after the thunder had sounded off. The hail was back. Great. Demo rolled over and sighed. He couldn’t sleep like this. He couldn’t imagine that Sniper was sleeping soundly either. Demo shifted the pillow under his head and tried to get comfortable again.

“Demo, you awake?” Sniper asked from above.

“Yeah. Thunder woke me up,” Demo said, rolling back over.

“Same here,”

Demo couldn’t see Sniper, but he could hear the man above him roll over.

“What kind of storm even is this?”

“The kind that doesn’t want us to leave,”

Sniper softly chuckled. The two went silent again, nothing but the storm raging outside to stop things from going deafeningly silent. Demo looked around.

“How do you even sleep? You don’t have a fan or anything to make some noise,” Demo asked. Pretty much everyone he knew couldn’t sleep without some kind of white noise going on in the background. He looked back up and saw Sniper pointing at the terrariums.

“They make all the noise I need,”

Demo leaned over and listened closely to the insects and amphibians. Sure enough, he could faintly hear chirps and croaks from behind the glass.

“Ah,” He said softly. There was rustling from above again, and the two went silent.

Demo lightly tapped the edge of the bed, trying to bore himself into sleep. He rolled over again to face the wall.

“Hey, Demo?”

“Mhm?”

“…Thanks for spending time with me,”

Demo raised his head up to Snipers bed and chewed his lip. It’s not like he had much of a choice. The storm had forced him into the van. But he had to admit, he did enjoy hanging around Sniper.

“It’s no bother to me,” He said. There was more shuffling, and then a loud sigh.

“Demo, you know how I say ‘I’m alone, not lonely?’”

“Yes, you say it every time someone asks why you live in this van,”

“Well…I…I am lonely…” Sniper said. Demo sat up, his brow furrowing in concern. Sniper didn’t say things like this often, so Demo felt as though he shouldn’t take this lightly. He saw Sniper sit up as well.

“I’ve started getting really intolerant of being alone,” He started, looking Demo straight in the eye, “I like being around the team, I like being around you. Sure I prefer being alone but that’s only for so long. I feel like being around nothing but insects and frogs all day is starting to drive me a little crazy,” He shook his head, “I’m starting to feel like Medic,”

Demo chuckled lightly at the comparison. Sniper snickered.

“We’ll have to start calling you the Insect Man,” Demo joked.

“But…I don’t know. I feel like spending all my time either in here or alone in the battlements is starting to take a toll. So what I’m trying to say is; Thank you for staying. I guess I didn’t realize just how starved I was for interaction beyond just going out on contracts,”

Demo chewed the inside of his cheek and climbed up the ladder to be by Snipers side. Attention starvation can certainly do strange things to a person psyche, and being alone was absolutely a way to facilitate it. Sniper laid back down and faced Demo.

“I’m here for ya lad,” He whispered. Sniper sighed.

“Thank you. It means a lot,”

Sniper and Demo were extremely close now, their faces only inches apart. Demo could feel Snipers breath on his lips, a surge in his chest. In spite of it being so dark, he could see Snipers eyes in detail. Bright blue, flecked with silver and ringed with purple. Demo swallowed hard.

“Demo?”

“Yes?”

“…I love you,”

Demo inhaled quietly, not breaking eye contact. He leaned closer, closer than he’d ever gotten to the Australian. He bit his lip and let his eye drift shut when he felt Snipers hand brush against his cheek. He raised his hand to touch Snipers and found himself lightly kissing Snipers palm. Sniper propped himself up and leaned their heads together, grabbing Demos head. Demo took a step up the ladder to get a better angle and put his arms around Sniper. Being so close Demo could feel every breath and twitch from Sniper. Sniper slid his arms around Demos neck and shoulders, letting himself lean against Demos larger frame. They were so close now, their lips barely an inch apart. Demo could hardly stand it.

Sniper was the one who finally moved in, brushing their lips together. Demo shuddered at the contact, pressing into the kiss. He climbed up into the bed with Sniper and moved his hands down to his sides. He soon had Sniper moaning into the kiss, gripping the back of his head.

After several minutes of amorous exchanges, the two of them finally pulled back to catch their breath. Snipers face was red, his pupils blown. Demo pulled Sniper into a strong embrace, burying his face into the crook between Snipers head and shoulder, placing light kisses on his neck.

“Yer bloody handsome,” Demo breathed, his voice muffled. Sniper returned the embrace, softly smiling. Demo moved himself to sit crossed legged in the center of the bed and pulled Sniper into his lap, laying him out and cradling him, kissing him again while Sniper giggled and blushed even harder.

Demo pulled back from drowning Sniper in affection and leaned their heads together to look into his eyes. Sniper nuzzled against Demo and threw his arms around his shoulders.

“I could stay like this all night,” He purred. Demo brushed his hand over Snipers cheek, cupping his face.

“I second that love,” He breathed, kissing over Snipers eyes.

They stayed like that all night, exchanging kisses and gentle touches all through the storm, and eventually falling asleep in each others arms just as the sun finally began to rise.

#team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 sniper #tf2 demo #demoxsniper #tf2 fanfic

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some-cookie-crumbz · 6 years

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Aquamarine

Aquamarine Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Kidge Summary:Continuation of [this] fic; warning for a lot blood! With time running out, Keith is now face-to-face with the Almighty Jufaruta to determine if he is worthy of the elixir that could save Pidge’s life. Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more. AN: Not much to say except that I hope you all enjoy Day 6 here!

The inside of the temple was dank, smelling of stale water and damp dirt, and the chamber he walked into was a deep, rich violet color. There were bright yellow tapestries depicting the same creature as the statues fighting off various other creatures to protect the denizens of the planet. There was another small staircase across the room from him, leading to the next chamber, but settled on the top of the steps was a large beast similar to the statures outside. They were the size of a horse, with a thick coat of sandy colors with a white muzzle and black tufts on its ears and in intricate swirls along its shoulders and paws. The two upper sets of eyes were closed and the lower set were just barely cracked open. It’s tail swayed and twisted behind it, the mace-like object seeming to be made of soft, fur-like material. “Are you the Jufaruta guarding this elixir?” He asked cautiously.

The Jufaruta turned, walking toward the open passage to the next area without a sound, and a small platform raised in the center of the room. There was a small golden jar on the top.

“Wait, what am I supposed to do? Can’t you give me a hint?” He called out, frantic.

It looked back at him over it’s shoulder, standing just past the threshold of the next chamber, before it’s third set of eyes closed and the door slammed shut behind it.

“Okay, so I’m on my own?” He grumbled angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, a conversation from a long time ago.

“These things never make any sense,” He grumbled, his head tilted as they watched the protagonist of the film jump past a pit of spikes.

“What do you mean?” Pidge asked, lifting her head from his shoulder to gaze up at him curiously. She reached into the bowl of psuedo-popcorn they had brought out with them for the film, grabbed a handful, and tossed a piece into his mouth. They had decided to marathon a few action flicks since they had the free time and, being on to the third film, he’d noticed a trend developing in regards to Gaduratu’s most recent exploration of some extinct-cultures ancient artifacts.

“These ancient temples always have super-complicated secrets to figure out in order to get through them,” He said, indicating the latest chamber that was filled with marked stones and a floor of lava.

“They aren’t super-complicated,” She explained with a small snort, “if you’re good with riddles. That’s all they really are at their core, after all; riddles that you have to solve in order to get through. They’re not too terribly difficult if you concentrate. Just think of it like the trials from when you were joining the Blade.”

He took a deep breathe and slowly approached the jar in the center and eyed it curiously. “What did that plaque say, again? Something about tasting without consuming, sensing without seeing, trusting without knowing and speaking without hearing, I think? So I guess this would be that first one then,” He mumbled twisting off the top of the jar. Underneath what looked to be a long, slim needle of some sort. There was a small liquid dripping from the jagged tip; either a poison or some kind of drug, he reasoned.

With a nervous gulp, he reached forward and prodded the tip of his index finger against it. The tip was as sharp as he expected, leaving a small cut. He then pressed the cut into the liquid, forcing himself to hold steady despite the sting until he was sure a decent amount had gotten into the wound. A rumbling noise echoed in the chamber and the door lifted again. “So I guess that was the right approach. Thanks for the tip, Pidge,” He mumbled, glancing from the cut to the open entrance. He paused long enough to use a small bandage to cover the little mark and then rushed forward.

The Jufaruta was settled beside a large glowing orb in the center of the room, which seemed to be suspended by an electric current running through it via two plates on the ceiling and floor respectively, cleaning it’s paw with long strokes of its pale blue tongue. The walls of the room were a bright and welcoming yellow hue. There were more tapestries hanging from the walls, identical to the ones in the previous room, but were actually a smoky grey color this time around. The Jufaruta’s lowest set of eyes were open now, a luminous and glowing orange color with lime green pupils that looked like a diamond as opposed to a circle, and the second set up were cracked just a bit now. It perked up and licked it’s chops at the sight of him, almost seeming to be grinning. It carefully hoped down from the orb and took a few steps closer, it’s nose twitching as it sniffed around.

It got close enough that Keith could have touched it, gently tapping its cold nose against the very tip of his covered finger, before letting a soft purr-like sound that he took as satisfaction. It then retreated back towards the orb, tail flicking back and forth in an almost amused fashion. Keith noticed in specific that the little orb at the end seemed to be more solid and firm now as well. It hopped up in one long jump, and skid it the edge of it’s tail along the plate keeping the orb in place, seeming to flick some kind of switch. It wobbled and teetered, barely kept in place by the lower current, and it began to get darker, the top half of the orb flickering off. The rumbling continued and that was when Keith realized that it wasn’t only the orb wobbling, but the whole room itself. The orb maintained both the lighting of the room but also the gravitational pull of it.

He received another purr as his only warning before the Jufaruta dragged it’s tail along the lower plate and sent the room into darkness and orbit.

Keith growled and pulled out his blade, digging it into the ground below him as everything flipped upside down around him. He heard the orb crash into what had previously been the ceiling and roll about as the room slowly rocked back and forth. “Okay, the second part… Sense without seeing… Which I assume means that I need to get that orb back in place and turn those switches back on again,” He grumbled to himself before there was a whooshing noise in his ear, something loud slamming into the stone just past his head, landing in beside his sword. A skittering noise that reminded him of insect sounds started to creep closer and he growled. “Of course there had to more to this than that!” He snapped, yanking his sword free and curling into himself as he headed towards the ground, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Sense without seeing, huh? Well, good thing they’d had that training exercise with the Lions.

He forced himself to find his center and suddenly a strange tingling sensation crept up from the small cut in his finger, up his arm and settled all throughout his body. When he opened his eyes, it felt as if he wasn’t actually seeing, but instead reading the energy. The room was still pure black, but the walls were outlined in a low dim white hue while the orb was a near-blinding gold. It was also rolling its way to be beneath him. He reached his arms out and pushed on it once he got close enough, pushing it back and managing to get his feet settled on it. It swayed from side to side and he had to keep moving, but he had a decent handle on it. He stole a glance up to see the creature that had attacked him, which was outlined with bright red energy, hissed and dropped down to join him.

Through what the energy revealed, it was like a giant three-tailed scorpion with horns akin to that of a bull. It dropped and narrowly missed landing on him, pushed back by his block with his sword. He growled as it’s jagged back legs jabbed into the orb, cracking it a bit and creating a makeshift foothold for itself. It swung at him with all three tails, trying to impale him, but he shifted and blocked. He stole a quick glance around then smirked, shifting to push the orb to the left.

When he did, the creature hissed in distress as it was dragged along in the wide circle.

It was hard keeping his balance as he ran atop the sphere, managing to flip from the original ceiling to one side of the room, but he managed it somehow. And as long as he kept moving, the creature seemed unable to dislodge it’s limbs from where they’d stuck them in. He grinned and looked at the wall opposite him, trying to track down the first platform that needed to be reactivated. Once it was locked partly back into place it was just a matter of using his jet pack to reach the upper switch. The creature hissed again and one of it’s tails swung at him blindly, narrowing missing his cheek. He stumbled back, rolling the orb, then growled. He ran across the orb until where the creature was pinned was underneath the orb and then charged forward.

He flinched at the loud crunch of the creature underneath the weight of the glorified pinball but quickly focused again.

From where he was positioned, he would be able to reach the switch if he jumped for it. He walked along the wall until he was face to face with it. He only knew where it was because, strangely enough, it was the only portion of the room that wasn’t lit up with some kind of energy. He felt around and smirked at what felt like a slim, narrow piece jutting out from a part of it. A quick flick up and sudden;y the room rumbled again, the orb starting to float beneath his feet.

He jumped free of it and activated his jet pack, making his way towards the top as the light slowly began to creep back into the room. He used his blade to nudge the other switch back in to place, worried that the current might zap him or something. The whole room was briefly enveloped in light so bright he had to shut his eyes, and when he opened them again his vision had returned to normal. A quick glance around the room revealed that any damage that may have been done by the orb crashing and rolling around was gone, as well as the nick in the stone from where he’d lodged his blade. There also seemed to be no evidence of the strange scorpion beast that had attacked him.

But the Jufaruta was also gone. Meaning it had probably snuck out once the room turned into a carnival ride.

He headed through the next passageway, using his jet pack still in hopes of spending the process along. This room was a smoky grey while the tapestries were an almost teal color this time. The center of the room, however, was a bit strange. Unlike being the same color as the ceilings or walls as the other two rooms had been, the floor seemed to be make of soil here. He scoffed a bit and focused on the open passageway ahead of him, assuming that this room was just a small rest spot before the last two trials. The minute he passed to about the halfway point of the room his jet pack suddenly cut out and he was plummeting downwards. The surface he fell into was not soil, but more akin to something like the bed of a swamp, and he ended up only being in up to his waist. “Damnit!” He cursed, trying to push his way through it. The more he squirmed, though, the farther in he sunk towards the center.

It was something like quick sand, he realized with a small snarl. It didn’t take long until one of his arms was completely submerged and the other was only loose because he had the foresight to lift it above his head. “Why are you doing this, Keith?” A tired voice asked in front of him.

His head shot up and he gasped at the figure squatting down in front of him. “Pidge,” He breathed.

She looked like her but also unlike her, as odd as it sounded. She wasn’t clad in her Paladin armor any longer, but was still wearing her flight suit and she still have bits of dried blood and grime on her. He knew she wasn’t physically with him; both because it was a logical impossibility but also because she cast no shadow and she seemed to be hovering less than a centimeter above the strange molasses-like substance. She leaned her elbows on her bent knees and flashed him a small, sad smile. “Were you expecting Santa Claus?”

“How are you here?” He asked, his struggling halting completely. If he didn’t move, he noticed in the back of his mind, it seemed like the substance stopped pulling on him so much.

“Astral projection,” She explained with a small shrug. She then looked back at how deep he’d sunken in and sighed. “Keith, this isn’t going to help anything, you know.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll figure a way out of this,” He said, glaring down at the dark brown liquid.

“You know that isn’t what I meant,” She said. His head snapped up to focus in on her, a heavy weight made of dread starting to weigh down on his stomach. “You need to stop this. This whole mission… It’s ridiculous. You’re just wasting time and resources.”

“No, I’m not!”

“A long time ago, you told me that the lives of two people weren’t more important than the rest of the universe,” She said calmly. He tensed up and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from arguing. “I have accepted that I won’t be making it out of this alive, and now you need to. I have enough strength to pull you out of there and get you back to the ledge before I have to return to my body and wait for the final moment. This is the way it has to be, Keith.” She offered one hand to him and he stared between it and her, feeling his heart start to ache. A flicker of movement behind her caught his attention suddenly.

It was the Jufaruta. The second set of eyes were now open – lime green irises with bright pink pupils – and the third set was cracked. Trust without knowing.

He took a breath and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him. She let out a small startled noise and he only stopped tugging when their foreheads were nearly touching. He tilted his head and gently pressed his cheek against her hand, surprised that it felt real but disappointed at how cold it was, and held her gaze steady with his own. “I will save you, Pidge. I promise,” He vowed before taking another deep breath, releasing her, and willingly diving underneath the surface of whatever he was trapped in.

“Keith!” She cried just as he disappeared, but then everything went silent. He tried flapping one of his hands near his ear, expecting to hear the slight jostle of water, but no sounds came from it. He shifted and started to swim in the direction he’d been getting pulled towards. The closer he got, the easier moving got, until he reached a point where he simply let whatever current it was drag him along. He tried to remain calm the longer he was under, but as he got closer to running out, he became fearful that he had chosen the wrong path. His mouth opened, letting what little air he had left out, and he grabbed at his throat.

And suddenly he was falling again.

He landed on a soft, blush surface that slowly slid apart and pushed him down, kind of like some strange automated slide. He forced his eyes open and took in a heaving breath, looking up at the dimly glowing ceiling of what he could only call an underground cavern. There were stalactites hanging from the ceiling, little flickering stones of various colors decorating them, and for a moment he just laid there pliant and trying to catch back up. There was a dull ache in his head, so he pressed his thumbs up against the tops of his eyes to try and get it to subside, at least temporarily. He then smirked and flipped the bird at the ceiling. “I was right,” He said before lifting his head and starting to push up.

As he did, the material he was leaning back against shifted to help push him upright. The whole area that he was in was lit solely by the stones in the stalactites, creating a pathway towards a large, glowing room a few feet away. Still a bit unsteady on his feet, he moved at a regular walking space along the path, wondering what the next trial the Jufaruta had for him would entail. The only virtue left was speaking without hearing, but he wasn’t exactly sure how that worked.

The cavern he walked into was a gorgeous underground lake.

The room was filled to the brim with pastel colored stone, with a narrow path leading to a circular sitting area in the dead center of the lake, and bore a pleasant aroma that made him think of milk and honey. There were two small benches there, with Pidge settled at one and the Jufaruta seated beside her. The Jufaruta was sitting behind the bench with it’s fore paws resting on the empty space beside Pidge, all three eyes open and watching Keith with what he could only call amusement. Despite how far away from it he was, it’s eyes were glowing so bright he could still make out the colors; bright pink for the irises with pupils that were the bright orange of the lowest sets irises. He stole a quick glance at the waters of the lake, where he was certain the smell was coming from. It was the same color as the tapestries in the other room and he now recognized the color as being aquamarine.

He looked ahead and walked along the path towards the Jufaruta, his headache becoming more aggressive with each step.

“Please, take a seat, traveler,” Pidge said once he got within earshot, her lips turning up a small grin and one hand gesturing with an elegant wave. Keith scowled and then gasped when he looked at her eyes.

They were not the usual warm honey tint he was used to, but had become three rings of orange, green and pink. “So you created a figment of Pidge to try and trick me,” He growled lowly, but moved to do as he was told. Once he was seated, he crossed his arms and let one leg bounce, rage rushing through him. But how had the creature figured out what Pidge looked and sounded like? Or know about her at all?

Pidge giggled and covered her mouth with one hand, an act far too demure for his liking. “Heavens me, you think so loud! But to answer your question simply, no, this is not an illusion or a trick. I was able to call forward this young woman’s astral self by using your memories to put together what was motivating you through my trials!” She said calmly. As she spoke the Jufaruta purred, low and pleased, along with her. “Which, I must say, I am impressed. It has been many a century since last a warrior came to seek my fortunes and even more so since they made it this far. Tell me, what brings you here?”

“I have come to get the elixir, so that I can save her – Pidge – from dying,” He said, looking first at the Jufaruta itself and then to Pidge when he specified her name. His gaze softened on her astral form seated there. “She shouldn’t be dying like this, not right now.”

Pidge heaved a small sigh and rolled her eyes. “Is that all? You are not the first come for the elixir with such a reason. Playing God under the false pretense of saving a loved one seems to be a favorite of the selfish that have come here before you,” She said, seeming bored now.

“She isn’t meant to die now or like this,” He said, forcing himself to remain calm despite the rage slowly brewing inside of him.

“You do not know that; you are simply deciding that for yourself,” She scoffed. It got under his skin, how this thing was using her voice and her mouth to tell him lies. “The truth tends to be difficult for baser life forms such as yourself to hear, but I won’t censor myself. Now, either explain to me why your desire deserves to be fulfilled before I eviscerate you for wasting my time.”

“That’s the thing; it doesn’t necessarily deserve to be fulfilled,” Keith admitted, causing the Jufaruta to perk up. All six eyes blinked in unison and it said nothing, so he continued on. “The fact is that everyone’s morality is different, and all requests are selfish in some way, shape or form. There’s nothing I can say or do to truly convince you that my reason for wanting this elixir is any better than anyone else. All I can do is be genuine in saying that I love Pidge and I am afraid of losing her. And I would rather rush off to take a shot in the dark to save her than simply accept that there’s nothing I can do to change this.” The Jufaruta stared at him for a moment before it grinned again, Pidge’s expressions mirroring it, and both their eyes began glowing with the same white lights the statutes had emanated outside.

When he was able to see again, he was in the first room all over again, the golden jar sealed before him. The Jufaruta was seated at the top of the stairs again, but he noticed there was no longer a passageway behind him. Astral Pidge was gone, as well. He looked from the Jufaruta to the jar before cautiously twisting off the lid.

Instead of the needle and dripping drug, the jar was hollowed out and filled near to the brim with the aquamarine liquid from the underground cavern. He stared at his reflection in the small surface before slowly lifting his head to stare at the amused creature watching him. The tingling sensation from before surged through him, and his mouth opened without his urging. “I see with eyes that are unclouded, baser life form. By speaking to me on my terms and rejecting to hear the logic of the world you hail from, I chose to fill your request,” When his mouth closed, the sensation was gone and he shook his head in surprise.

“Thank you, Almighty Jufaruta, He said, quick but sincere, and bowed to it before snatching up the jar and making a beeline out of the temple. According to the time, he’d be able to make it fifteen minutes before Pidge’s time was up if he was fast.

…………………………………………………………

In the end, he made it even sooner. He had apparently impressed the Jufaruta quite a bit because his ship had been sitting right outside of the temple when he stepped out, which saved him a full thirty minutes of hiking. The minute he was out of the thicket and able to open the comms, he called up the Castle Ship and told them what he’d acquired. Shiro had been stunned but also clearly thrilled, turning around and starting to bark orders to the rest of the team about getting everything set up in preparation for whatever the procedure could entail. Allura had flashed him a proud smile before telling him that she’d get in touch with Matt to let him know that Pidge should be healed and safe once he arrived.

Keith had flown reckless and fast before but never as much so as he did making it back to the Team.

Coran greeted him the minute he disembarked and the two walked as quick and in step toward the medical wing as they could. “How much did it give you?”

“The jar is completely full,” He said, looking from door to door in search of the one Pidge was in.

“How much do we need to give her to heal her?” He asked as they rounded a corner. The rest of the team was standing outside of the door, watching them with anxious and red-rimmed eyes.

“Dunno. Gonna give her a bit, see how much it does, and give her more as I need to,” He said bluntly as they headed into the room. Lance and Coran were right behind him while Hunk, Shiro and Allura watched through the large window into the room. The curtains had been drawn earlier but they were wide open now, leaving them to gaze at his back as he came to her side. The shrapnel was still in her, but it had been shaved down some. “We’re gonna have to remove that first, or else the injury might try to heal around it.” He pointed out.

“I’ll get a fresh blood bag ready,” Lance said, darting over to the cooling unit that they were kept in. Keith had never been more grateful that Lance had taken an additional interest in the healing and medical technology of Altean’s as he was in that moment. Once it was all hooked up and situated, Lance headed over to another drawer and started shifting through until he returned with a syringe. “We can put the elixir in this to make it easier. If we wake her up to have her drink it after we move that metal out of her, she might go into shock and choke on it. If we inject it straight into her heart it should spread fast enough before she can bleed out.” He nodded and opened the jar, watching as Lance filled it up. He made a small noise of surprise at the color and then set it on the small supply table beside Pidge’s bed.

“You might want to step back for this,” Coran advised. Keith did as he was told, moving to stand in the space above Pidge’s head so Lance could take his spot and leaving the closed jar on the supply table in case they needed more of it. Between Lance and Coran, they shifted Pidge slowly and carefully to her good side so they could remove the shrapnel. An egregious amount of blood gushed out from both ends of the wound and for a moment Keith felt panicked that she’d be dead before anything more could be done. Her chest had been rising and falling slowly as it was, but with the severity of the hemorrhaging it started to slow even more. With a small, determined growl, Lance seized up the syringe, jammed it down in the center of her heart, and pushed down on the syringe plunger steadily until it was empty.

A quiet thump sounded from outside the room and Hunk’s face disappeared from the viewing. Keith felt a pang of sympathy; if not for his adrenaline pumping so hard he would have fainted, too.

The three watched, holding their breath, as slowly little flickers of light began to bloom from Pidge’s injuries. They glimmered and gleamed like the stones in the cavern, appearing over where her skin had been sliced and diced, and then fading out to the same soft peach color as her skin. Her chest began to heave more and more, breathing steady and normal, and slowly she cracked her eyes, whining a bit at the bright lights around her. “Katie?” Keith breathed uneasily, shaky hands coming up to hover just above her face.

They opened about halfway and shifted to fix on him, tired but also the breathtaking brown hue he’d become enamored by. She flashed him a tired smile, licking her lips a bit in preparation for speaking. “Let Kolivan know I’m kicking his ass next time I see him,” She croaked out, trying to be playful.

A hiccuping sob of relief bubbled out of him and he pressed his forehead against her, hands finally resting against her cheeks to trace with his thumbs. “I’ll hold him while you hit,”

#Voltron legendary defender #Keidge #Kidge #Peith #Kidgemas #keidgemonth2k18 #kidgemonth2k18 #Pidge Gunderson #Keith Kogane #my fics #I watched the Teen Titans episode where Robin goes to train with the master #with my nephew while I was writing this #so if you notice some similarities to that #there is a reason #tw: blood

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jouissezduprintemps · 7 years

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Something to Prove, Chapter Three: Who Invited Him

Rating: T Warnings: Swearing Words: 3105 Fandom: Naruto Summary: As Suna prepares for its first independently-held chunin exam since Gaara became kazekage, the sand siblings must make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.

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Ino sat down on the edge of the spring, letting her feet dangle into the hot water. Her pale skin made her overheat more easily, and she’d learned her lesson the hard way several years ago. She secured her towel around her torso before placing her hands on the ground on either side of her hips, leaning back into the sun. When Shikamaru had invited her, she was surprised, and even more so when she heard that it was Temari’s idea. The sand kunoichi had always seemed annoyed by her. Sure, Ino knew she was rather feminine. She liked talking about boys and arranging flowers in her family shop. But Temari was… intense. Not intense in the way Naruto was, but in a serious way. Maybe that’s what happened to women in a kage bloodline; Lady Tsunade could be the same.

Well, there were certainly a few perks to spending time with royalty. When the kazekage introduced himself to the owner of the springs, they’d been given the rest of the day to themselves, at her insistence. It was clear that Gaara was uncomfortable with the treatment, but Naruto’s elation had drowned him out. Ino took a moment to appreciate the quiet; it looked like the guys weren’t done showering. She was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

Sakura had waded into the water until it reached mid-calf. She leaned against the edge of the spring, close enough to talk to Ino. “This is nice,” she commented, referring both to the spring and their solitude.

“Yeah, it is.” Ino agreed. “Must be great to have these perks, huh, Temari?”

She was interrupted by shouting from the other side of the fence. So much for the serenity.

Temari turned to look at her new friend, puzzled. “No, this doesn’t happen too often,” she admitted. “I’m treated much better here than at home. I think that goes for all three of us.”

“Huh,” Sakura mused. “That’s surprising.”

“Not really. When your brother is a jinchuuriki, things can be pretty biased.” Temari stripped herself of her towel unabashedly and waded waist-deep.

Difference in villages, Ino mused, surprised at how comfortable the sand ninja seemed to be. She caught herself staring at Temari, having noticed a long scar that ran down her left side, from just below her breast to her natural waistline.

Temari knew what Ino had been looking at. She’d had it so long that she forgot it was there. She lifted her left arm slightly, taking a glance at the discolored stripe of skin.

Ino received a sharp elbow to the ribs from Sakura, who glared at her before turning to Temari, ashamed. “Sorry about her. She didn’t mean anything by it, really.”

Ino was about to retort that she didn’t need Sakura to apologize for her, but Temari spoke first.

“It’s fine. I know it’s hard to miss.” Temari waved her hand dismissively, refusing to take it personally.

“Do you… mind if I ask?” Sakura questioned. “It’s just that I’m training to be a medical ninja, and-”

“You don’t need a reason. When my brothers and I were still genin, before we met all of you, we were training for the chunin exams in the demon desert. I ended up on the wrong side of a giant scorpion.”

“A scorpion did that?” Sakura asked in surprise.

“What? No.” Temari turned a quarter rotation, baring her right shoulder. A faint mark lingered on her skin. “It caught me here. Really nasty poison, though.”

Both Sakura and Ino nodded, recalling the creatures from their brief time in Suna’s wilderness.

“No, this,” Temari gestured at her side, “was Gaara.”

Ino was taken aback. Everyone in the Leaf knew that the kazekage was the one tails’ jinchuuriki, after what had happened at the chunin exam several years ago. “Gaara?”

“He couldn’t stop the one tails. He flew into one of his rages. I’m almost positive he was trying to protect me. But I got caught in the crossfire… The poison was bad enough, but I almost bled out in the desert. Thankfully, Baki knew better than to leave us unsupervised.” Temari hesitated. “I don’t mention it to Gaara. Our father was furious. That… was not a good night.”

Ino and Sakura looked at her in silence, unsure of how to respond. Temari’s life experiences were so different from their own. Sakura felt immensely guilty for asking. “Temari, I-”

“It’s fine,” she insisted. “That was a long time ago, before he learned how to control the demon. Besides,” she glanced at the fence that separated the springs, “he’s still my baby brother.”

Gaara sank down into the hot water, enjoying how it helped loosen the tight muscles in his back and neck. His insomnia had gone on for so long that it was easy to forget what it was like not to be in pain.

“Yaaaaaaa-hooooo!”

Gaara’s arms flew up to cover his face as Naruto threw himself into the water, creating a splash large enough to hit everyone in the spring.

“Damn it, Naruto,” Shikamaru complained, wringing out his now-damp towel.

“Calm down,” Kankuro scolded, narrowing his eyes at the knuckleheaded ninja. “We’re here to relax, remember?”

“Aww, you’re no fun.” Naruto complained as he resurfaced.

“You call that a splash?!” Lee called from the doorway.

“No!” Shikamaru shouted, whipping around and pointing at Lee.

His fellow ninja seemed crestfallen, but he did as he was told and simply walked into the spring. Shikamaru let out a breath, and he heard Kankuro chuckling to himself. “Why did you two have to tag along?” he groaned, looking at Naruto and Lee. With those two, he never had to worry about coming across as rude.

“Why would I miss a day with good friends?” Lee countered. He’d bounced back quickly, in the way that only he could manage.

“Right!” Naruto agreed. “And besides,” he grinned evilly. “Sakura’s on the other side of the fence.”

“You’re one creepy kid, you know that?” Kankuro eyed Naruto warily. “And don’t even try it. My sister’s over there, and I will kick your ass.”

“Who’re you calling creepy, puppet boy?” Naruto challenged, stepping up to a fight that he wasn’t prepared for.

“Naruto,” Gaara rasped, breaking his friend’s attention away from his older brother.

“Yeah, yeah.” Naruto grumbled, allowing himself to sink down into the water. He glanced mischievously at the hole in the fence, tempted. Damn it, why wasn’t there anyone here who would back him up on this? He was stuck with a group of losers and goodie-two-shoes.

As Shikamaru expected, Naruto and Lee stuck close enough to Gaara to be his shadows. It was funny to watch, if only because he wasn’t a part of it. The kazekage didn’t seem to mind, but Shikamaru didn’t know if that was patience or a complete lack of understanding. At the very least, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Shikamaru sat down in the water, using an outcropping in the rock as a seat. He looked over at Kankuro, who was leaning against the wall and looking up at the sky. “You know, you look a lot different without your face paint.”

“And you look a lot different with your hair down.”

“Fair enough.” Shikamaru followed Kankuro’s gaze upward, and the two watched the sky in silence.

Meanwhile, Lee was talking to – or rather, at – Gaara, speaking enough for the both of them. To his benefit, Gaara seemed interested in the one-sided conversation, nodding along as Lee prattled on about his newest jutsu.

And no one, in their musings, had remembered to keep an eye on Naruto.

His face was pressed against the fence, as close as he could physically position himself. His hands braced himself on either side of his head against the wood. “Whoa, Temari’s scar is huge!”

Shikamaru’s head snapped so fast that he almost gave himself whiplash. Scar? What scar? He’d never noticed a scar.

“Naruto!” Lee scolded, standing up in the water.

Kankuro was the quickest to move. He grabbed the ninja by his shaggy, blonde hair and forced him down into the water. Unceremoniously, he yanked him back up. “You little brat!” he began to shout, but he chose instead to dunk Naruto back under the water. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Naruto gasped for air, but Kankuro shoved him down once more before he could respond. “You know what? I don’t wanna hear it!”

“Kankuro!” Gaara snapped as he gripped his much larger brother’s arm. With Lee’s help, the two managed to free Naruto.

“I told him I’d kick his ass!”

“I think near-drowning counts,” Shikamaru commented, although he kept his distance. When Kankuro rounded on him, he held up his hands, palms-out. “Hey, I’m with you on this one.”

“It’s not like I was trying to spy on her!” Naruto attempted to defend himself. “She was standing in the way! There’s no way I could have missed it!”

Gaara closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His friend was an idiot. He let go of his brother, earning a confused look from Lee, who followed his lead and did the same. Even he knew better than to get into the middle of this.

“I’m going to kill that little pervert!” Sakura bellowed, clenching her fist in anger. She had jumped to her feet, and she looked as though she was considering going over the fence to make good on her word.

“Great…” Temari murmured, gritting her teeth as she wrapped herself in her towel. This was the last thing she needed. She wondered if Sakura could hit him hard enough to erase her nakedness from Naruto’s short-term memory. Otherwise, this would certainly stick around to haunt her.

“We’re so sorry, Temari. We should have known.” Ino apologized, seething in her own anger but trying to de-escalate the situation.

Temari could hear her brother shouting, unable to make out his exact words. “It’ll be fine. That’s what Kankuro and Gaara are for. And that’s before we get our say.” Her voice was dark and threatening. Ino wondered if Temari actually planned on killing him.

Temari was mostly concerned about Gaara finding out about her scar. She had done her best to keep him in the dark about it. He’d feel guilty, and Temari felt that he had enough guilt in his life already. “Well, so much for that,” she mused bitterly, wishing that she and Shikamaru had kept the excursion between the two of them. Still, she had no one to blame but herself.

It didn’t take long for the three kunoichi to clothe themselves and leave the bath, but there was no sign of their male companions. At Sakura’s suggestion, they sat down at one of the wooden tables out front. The sun was beginning to set and the air was becoming cool. Still, Temari absentmindedly fanned herself with the small, folding fan she kept on her person. She generously allowed Sakura and Ino to pass it around as well.

“So,” Ino broke the silence, “is everything ready for the chunin exam?”

“On our end, at least.” Temari confirmed. “Mine and Shikamaru’s, I mean. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Gaara or Kankuro about the rest.”

“Shikamaru?” Sakura asked.

“He’s helping proctor the first, written exam portion,” Temari explained. In a slightly annoyed tone, she added, “He refuses to show me the questions he’s made up.”

Ino arched an eyebrow. “Aaaand you’re okay with this?”

“Should I not be?”

“He kinda forgot you at the gate…”

Sakura looked at Ino in surprise; Ino signaled that she would explain later.

“I trust him,” Temari declared. She was caught off guard by the way her fellow kunoichi looked at her when she said it, and she suddenly became rather self-conscious. Her cheeks tinged a light pink in embarrassment at being examined so intensely.

Much to her relief, she caught sight of Gaara and the others. Kankuro stalked angrily over to his sister, making himself appear as large as possible in front of Naruto. Everyone else, for the most part, had seemed to calm down. Shikamaru’s face was unreadable. Naruto, on the other hand, was trying to conceal a very conspicuous black eye and bloody nose.

“Serves you right,” Sakura declared before grabbing her teammate by the ear. She dragged him off, and Naruto’s voice broke in between protests and pleads for mercy.

Lee grimaced in pity, torn because he knew it was deserved, but it was still harsh. He took it upon himself to lighten the mood. “Would anyone like to get dinner? We could go to the new curry restaurant.”

Gaara nodded. “I could eat.”

“Same.” Kankuro felt his stomach growl.

“We could stop by Choji’s and invite him. He’s been wanting to try that place,” Ino suggested.

“I think I’m going to skip tonight,” Temari declined. No one tried to press her. She’d had enough for the day.

“I’ll walk you home,” Shikamaru offered.

“Should we save you a seat?” Ino asked her teammate.

“Nah. I’ll go some other time.”

The group parted ways, and Lee was lost in conversation with Gaara and Ino, thinking of who they could invite to join them.

Temari took a moment to close her eyes, and she felt her body relax. Finally, she was alone. Well, not exactly. Wordlessly, she started off down the road, in the opposite direction of her brothers. Shikamaru kept pace beside her.

Eventually, Temari asked, “Who hit him?”

“I did,” Shikamaru admitted. He looked over at her, and she was staring at him, wide-eyed. That was a first.

“Not Kankuro?”

“No, your brother just about drowned him, though.”

“You’re telling me that you actually punched Naruto in the face. You.”

“He pissed me off. Why’s that so hard to believe?”

“Hm.” Temari shrugged her shoulders and looked ahead once more. She tried, and failed, to keep a satisfied smile from showing on her face. Well, I’ll be damned.

The two climbed up the stairs to her usual room, neither bothering to break the silence between them. Temari inserted her key into the lock and opened the front door to the small apartment. She didn’t bother to close it behind her, a signal that Shikamaru could follow her inside. He did just that and closed the door before taking off his shoes.

“What do you want to eat?” Temari asked, pulling out a stack of menus from local restaurants.

“I thought you weren’t hungry.”

“I wasn’t hungry enough to eat with my brothers,” she corrected. “If you don’t want to stay, that’s fine. I was going to buy your dinner to say thanks for sucker-punching a junchuuriki on my behalf…”

He chuckled, appreciative of the gesture. If he was honest with himself, he was happier to eat with only Temari than with a large group. Her behavior changed greatly when they had company other than themselves, even when it was her brothers. He had yet to figure that one out. “I’ll stay,” he told her, realizing only after he said it that she never doubted he would.

“Here.” Temari shoved the thick stack of menus into his hands. “You pick. I don’t care what we eat.”

Shikamaru threw himself down on the couch, making himself comfortable. He glanced at the names on each menu, trying to find something that sounded appetizing. “Ichiraku delivers,” he suggested, glancing over his shoulder.

“That’s fine,” Temari called from the next room. When she reappeared, she had changed into loose-fitting pants, much like Tenten’s. Her shirt appeared to be one of the long-sleeved ones issued with the Suna ninja gear.

“That’s new,” Shikamaru commented.

“I don’t plan on leaving,” she explained, although she knew she didn’t have to. She sat on the other end of the couch and took the menu from him, looking over her options. Her attention was pulled away when she noticed Shikamaru looking at her. It didn’t seem like he knew what he was doing. He had a puzzled look on his face, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. She waited a moment to see if he would snap out of it. “Can I help you?”

“Oh,” Shikamaru realized what he was doing and immediately shifted his gaze out the window. “Sorry.”

“No, what?” she pried, surprised by his unusual behavior.

Uncomfortable, Shikamaru coughed into his hand. “Naruto might have mentioned you have a scar.” He mentally berated himself for saying so. How rude could he possibly be?

“You want to see it.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“Well, no, I-”

Temari smirked, entertained that she had made him flustered. Shikamaru wasn’t an easy man to shake. If she was honest with herself, she enjoyed it more than she could admit. She also knew that, if they were going to get past this particular hangup any time soon, it was best to just satisfy his curiosity. She used her hands to gather the fabric at the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up, exposing her abdomen.

Shikamaru’s eyes locked onto the scar, well aware that whatever caused it was probably enough to almost kill her. To his relief, the mark wasn’t anywhere inappropriate. It occurred to him that he’d simply never seen so much of Temari’s skin before. If she dressed like Ino, it would have been obvious. He had the urge to reach out and touch it, but he had far more self-control than that.

“Now you know.” Temari straightened her shirt as she pulled it back down.

“I was rude,” Shikamaru admitted, suddenly embarrassed by how bold he had been.

“It’s not like I go out of my way to hide it.” Temari paused before shifting in her seat to face Shikamaru head-on. “Just do me a favor. Don’t mention it to Gaara.”

“Right.”

Temari noticed that his eyes were still fixed on her side. He was a genius; it wouldn’t take long for him to figure out where the scar had come from. In an attempt to lighten the mood, she leaned forward and smacked his forehead with the menu. “Now quit being a perv long enough to order our dinner.”

Shikamaru stammered, much to her amusement. Her laugh assured him that she was only joking, but he was embarrassed nonetheless. To his shame, she wasn’t too far from the truth when it came to his wandering mind at that moment. Trying to save face, he stood and walked to the telephone, which hung on the wall.

“Pork ramen for me!” Temari called, earning a wave of the menu from Shikamaru, whose back was turned to her. Damn it, she was way too troublesome.

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