Hayabusa looked up at the beast, after hearing all of his words. With his final words, Hayabusa watched as the beast illuminated into chakra, allowing Hayabusa to absorb the chakra of his own life force, as it became Hayabusa’s to now wield. He could feel the white aura blazing around him. He outstretched his hands with awe, as he looked at the brightness. Looking down he could see the symbols of the five elements around his neck. Once it flashed brightly, Hayabusa closed his Rinnegan eyes, then reopened them to see he had been behind the waterfall sitting in meditation it seemed.
The form of the beast appeared on his shoulder. Hayabusa put his hand up, allowing the miniature wolf to stand on his hand.
“This form is acceptable… however…” Hayabusa put him down and stood, willing the beast to illuminate and grow into a more acceptable size, much like the size of a direwolf, with all five tails waving. Not necessarily actual matter, the wolf was almost transparent, like a ghost. You could faintly see through it. Hayabusa rested his hand on his head.
“Much better.”
“This does seemingly seem more intimidating.” The wolf said, observing his own body in the reflection of the water. Hayabusa turned with the phantom beast by his side, looking at the waterfall from the inside.
Meanwhile, Kokoro had just entered the village at the heart of the island. She had just arrived not too long ago to the Port City, wearing her Akatsuki Gesshoku garb. She grabbed the attention of a lot of people during her travel due to the cloak, however, not as much as she did upon entering the city. It seemed as though the indigenous people here paused at her sight. And it wasn’t a pause of fear or concern, but almost of respect and awe. Some slightly bowed and made way as she walked. A child no older than 3 crossed her path, and there has been a few gasps. The child came right up to her and looked up at her, stopping her in her tracks. The breath of many seemed to have ceased. She bent down low to the child’s level.
“Well, hello there, lovely…” she said, cheerfully. The young child opened her hand, reveal ripped pieces of paper. Kokoro smiled, as she cupped the hand of the young girl in her own, palm up, then placed her right hand on top. After four seconds, Kokoro removed her hand and the once ripped and crumpled paper had been turned into an origami yellow bird that fluttered it’s wings. The child’s face lit up with a glow that had been unexplainable. The bird flew away, very low and slow, allowing the child to play with it by chasing it. A lot of people awed and some giggled, even exclaiming the joy Kokoro has brought. She continued to walk, not knowing exactly where to go or who to look for, until a man in a highly decorated garb found himself coming her way, with another man who looked like a merchant from the mainlands. The decorated man with his painted face bowed to her. And said a word in a foreign language.
“My Queen…” the merchant translated, as he saw the confusion in Kokoro’s face.
“Queen?” she asked.
“Of course. You are Akatsuki Gesshoku’s Phoenix, correct? The Angel?”
“Angel?” she said, slightly blushing.
“Lord Hayabusa’s significant other, yes?”
“Yes… I am actually here in search of him. I was told he’d be at the waterfall of truth?” she said. The merchant translated his words. The decorated man nodded, and turned, beckoning her to follow, and she did. As they walked, the translator fell back a little bit so that he could speak with her.
“Lord Kokoro… were you not told of your royalty here on this island?”
“I suppose… that I had been. But, I didn’t know that it was so extensive… so many followers. So many people here staring at me.”
“Well, the believe the two of you to be saviors… Hayabusa brought resources and protection to these otherwise rarely thriving lands. You brought new life… though the technology and resources here far exceeds that of today’s era…”
“Does it? That is oddly surprising…” she said as she looked around and saw the way that they lived seemed far behind that of the way they lived in the mainlands.
“Trust me… this is just a front, milady. This is only but the surface…” he said with a grin, as they walked into what seemed to be a sacred temple of some sort. They walked up to a throne room. Looking around this stone palace with an interestingly dark crystal embedded in the walls, she put her hand on the crystal. The decorated advocate for the tribal people spoke in his native tongue The merchant translated.
“The term they give it translates loosely to Moon Stone… a gem that only reveals itself elsewhere during the full moon with a glorious glow. Especially in this throne room…” he pointed to a void in the ceiling, opening to the sunlight. “The moonlight comes through these openings at many angles and it gleams something wonderful. It sure is a sight to see…” he explained, almost in awe. He stared off for a moment as he had been overthinking. He turned to the crescent moon shaped wall that housed many thrones. Two of them were at the center. One engraved with a dragon, while the other engraved with a silhouette of an angle.
“That would be yours of course.” He said. She approached it and touched it. The advocate spoke. “Sit…” the man said. And so she did. “This is as far as I go…”
“What?” she exclaimed. She thought this was the end. The advocate sat in his own throne, and the stone before them lifted from the ground, concealing them. The thrones turned, revealing an inner piece of the cliff side. It was hollow with its own world within it.
“Beautiful…” she said, as she stood up. The advocate stood, and beckoned her to come.
She followed him through forests, and through rivers, coming to a lake with a waterfall. She looked up to see the sky. This place we very well hidden. He stopped walking and stared at the waterfall. She stopped as well, and there was a moment of silence.
“What’s going on?” she asked, knowing he didn’t understand. He said nothing. After a minute she became impatient, but the scenery held her at bay. Another minute passed, and there had been a parting in the waterfall. The man kneeled on his knee. From within, the five tailed wolf, slightly bigger than a normal wolf, made its appearance.
A second later, another void appeared, as Hayabusa with his Rinnegan eyes came out of the waterfall. Kokoro’s face lit up as she laid eyes on him. He smiled. But then he thought about what he had to soon tell her… the union of he and his other half.
“Kokoro…” he said, as she approached. She grasped him, before planting a kiss on his lips passionately. She removed from the embrace and looked at the wolf. She crouched low to his level. She cautiously went to pat his head.
“How… is this possible…” she said, knowing exactly what she had been looking at due to the five tails and the five elements displayed on the tails.
“It’s a long story…” he said. He waved off the advocate, and took Kokoro by the hand. He looked at Houkou and nodded. Then, wind lifted them from the bottom to the top, as they looked on to a mystical training ground.
They sat in the middle of it, updating each other on what has been going on. He told her about the war across seas. She told him about Shizou meeting Fugaku, and how she began to train to be one of the Seven Swordmen, but she had not been strong enough.
“I suppose you then came here for my help in training?”
“Yes…”
“Ok… well… before that…” he sighed. “My dark side and light side are now one…” he said. There had been a pause.
“There is something different about you… I suppose that is what it is.”
“I hope that doesn’t ruin us…” he said.
“Hayabusa, my love…” she put her hand on his face. “We’ve spent a lifetime together. Him included. I love you… I have always loved you… even before you became two different entities…” she said. He looked in shock, but then smiled.
“Great…” he stood up. “This is the best place to train… let us start by me teaching you of the gates…” he said. And thus, training commenced, as he allowed her to use training gear, the special grounds, and taught her of the first five gates. When they concluded, they had a decent dinner, passionate moments, then he used Hiraishin no Jutsu to quickly return her to the Hidden Mist. They said their goodbyes, then Hayabusa disappeared once more…”
[1503 Words]
[Putting all to Kokoro]
[Gates 1 -5 Unlocked]
