"Man, I'm jealous." Kisame whined from his seat on the cave floor. Just outside was the body of the newly awoken, water dragon. Itachi was currently keeping the beast under a very slow Tsukuyomi, for the dragon was too powerful for a normal genjutsu.
But the strain was exhausting and painful.
"Why'd she kiss you and not me?!" Frustrated, the blue man grumbled in indignation. Itachi ignored his outbursts, knowing good and well why she had.
He was highly shocked and confused at first, but once her magic had run through his veins, he realized her true intentions. The magic surprisingly seemed to speak within him; however, no words were ever formed. He simply knew what to do.
So after having moved themselves and her unconscious body into the nearest cave, he commenced his duties. Silently, he siphoned a bit of her magic to call forth an accoutrement of sorts. Once it had materialized in his hand, he realized it was a satchel.
"What the hell?!" Kisame, having been watching curiously, scrambled from his spot and toward Itachi. "How'd you do that?" He inquired, shifting his weight into a sitting position and folding his legs accordingly. His demeanor was like that of an eager schoolboy.
Itachi cut his crimson eyes at the male before curtly speaking, "her magic is guiding my actions." And with that, he continued his task, moving his weakening eyes back over to her satchel. He wasn't about to waste his voice explaining every little detail to his partner. Hopefully, the man would figure it out.
From her satchel, he retrieved a scarlet vial. But before he could open it, two, folded pieces of paper fell from the opened bag. Curiously, he retrieved them, unfolding the first one carefully. Once he had finished reading it, he folded it exactly how it had been and made sure to place it in the same spot it'd fallen from. He didn't even read the second one and instead, replaced it in the bag beside the other.
"What was that about?" His partner's beady eyes glistened in anticipation, his smile widening a fraction.
"Couldn't read it." Calm was his voice but steady was its rhythm. A lie should have never been told without truth in the tone.
Itachi retrieved the vial and unscrewed the cap, holding it out and tipping the vial over it. With steady hands and focused eyes, the man watched as only one drop fell from the lips of the glass and onto the metal of the cap with a clink. Immediately, he pulled the vial into an upright position so as to avoid anymore of the fiery liquid falling forth.
There could only be one drop; at least, that's what he felt to be true.
"Open her mouth." Itachi instructed of his partner as the blue man sat uselessly to the side. Kisame rose a brow in question but did as asked nonetheless, using a hand to pull down her chin. The elf's skin was pallid, her breathing weak. Kisame could barely feel her breath as her chest heaved up and down at a slow, methodical pace.
Itachi brought the cap of odd liquid over the elf's mouth and tipped the tiny drop between her lips. Quickly, Kisame shut the woman's mouth and pinched her nostrils together with his other hand. When she finally swallowed in her unconscious state, he removed his hands, and him and his partner watched in awe as the woman's injuries instantly healed. Sizzling sounds came from each cut as it closed, and stems of steam vanished as quickly as they appeared from the torn flesh wounds as they instantly bonded together. Her skin color resumed a healthier, warmer glow, and her usual flush returned to her cheeks. Subsequently, her eyes shot open, and her body jolted up in a flash.
The two men stood in haste as the woman collected her surroundings. She was dazed but after a few seconds, no longer confused. Her eyes snapped toward Itachi's, and in her gaze lied determined gratitude.
No words were needed.
"Good. I didn't want you to have to hold the creature for too long." The elf stood to her feet and pushed her satchel aside, watching the slumbering dragon intently. "Wait for my word, Itachi. Then, release the beast." She instructed before grabbing something from her satchel.
She folded her hands around the object, focusing her energy into the palms of her hands. Through the cracks in her fingers, webs of ethereal light stemmed out and grew hot before diminishing in glow. She then placed the small, glowing stone in her hands to Itachi. The male studied it questioningly before noticing it had a chain connected to it.
"Wear it. With the help of the temporary magic I implanted within it, you will be able to breathe under water, like Kisame." She instructed, glancing back at Kisame who had been silently watching. "I'm afraid this cave will not stay surfaced for much too longer, so let's move to the outside while we still can." Uttering those last words, Elvinia replaced her present garb with that of a pure white kimono she had fished off the hands of a merchant weeks ago. She felt as if appearing like that of someone from this land would do better with appeasing the dragon's mindset.
It was only the first step in many.
Taking a deep breath, Elvinia quickly reviewed the process in her head as the group moved outside of the cave. Analyze the creature's most dominant qualities. Use them to discern the missing and desired emotions. Manifest those emotions into chains of melodies in order to ensnare the dragon's soul. Weave the magic within the deepest crevices of the creature's spirit, leaving with it the result of a tamed beast.
With determination set deeply into her eyes, the elf turned toward the sleeping dragon, nodding her head at Itachi. Suddenly, thick, crimson liquid seeped from his tear ducts, oozing down the troughs of the lines beneath his eyes. Elvinia let lose a small gasp in surprise.
"Are you all right?" She questioned worriedly. Had she known it was that dangerous to use his eyes, she wouldn't have suggested it. How was the man not blind?
Itachi only stared blankly at her, weariness etched all over his face. She could only feel guilty for a moment, however, for the grunt of an awakening dragon interrupted her thoughts.
"Well," she braced herself, "this is it. Be ready to defend yourselves. Under no circumstances will you harm the creature. Understood?" She eyed her two companions sternly, waiting until they each nodded to focus all of her attention on the shifting dragon.
Gradually, its massive, whiskered chin rose, dark purple scales gleaming with an iridescent shine. Like lightning, its eyelids separated to reveal a massive, cyan blue orb of an eye. Its edged, slit pupil darted back and forth over the group full of unknown anticipation. Elvinina searched the eye, studying its magnificent hues and attempting to connect with the beast in some way as she climbed the steeping rocks behind her. After all, she had to find out what emotions the dragon had been deprived of through the years and which instrument to use to accurately create them in a melody.
Kisame and Itachi subconsciously took steps backward as the creature rose to its full height - at least twenty feet - in front of the mountainous rock formation that had housed their cave. Suddenly, rumbles bubbled from its slender chest, and pummels of breath puffed from its bared mouth as it growled in a warning sense.
"Get ready." Elvinia cautioned knowingly. That growl meant only one thing: it didn't like them. And she was right, for in less than a few seconds, a gush of crisp, cold water was rushing over her partners, threatening to crush them against the rocks of the surrounding formations. Thankfully, the dragon wasn't at its full power, for she feared the water was meant to be incredibly more hot. So hot that the meat on their bones would be gone.
As the power of the onslaught lessened, Elvinia commenced her observation of the creature as her partners distracted it.
It was so foreign. And old - she sensed incredibly ancient scars permeating the creature's existence. Sadness. It was sad - sad it had been forgotten and left to fade. But no anger. No anger at all. There was no resentment in its aura. But that wasn't the missing emotion. No. It was definitely capable of anger without her assistance.
She peeked open her eyes to check on her partners. Itachi was slower than usual. It was hard to spot, but she could catch his weariness. It was her fault, too. However, Kisame's impulsiveness and loud taunts were enough to make up for Itachi's slight flaw. She could only pray they'd hold out as the slender dragon dragged its massive, clawed paws at them, tearing the gushy mud up from the earth and raking across the rock formations.
Capable of anger and sadness. Fear. Fearful it may be forgotten once more. Fearful of fading. Wanting to remain bound to the earth forever. Closing her eyes once more, she continued to use her magic to search the aura surrounding the dragon, hoping to eventually find the confines of his soul. Compassion. It had held compassion at some point in its long life. Compassion for something, someone. Regardless, the emotion was barely there - old and hardly utilized.
Elvinia had to admit, reading Linksys and the demon fox had been a walk in the park compared to reading this creature's soul. The dragon was ancient. And with longevity came experience. With the wounds of time came a rainbow of emotions. Elvinia wondered just how a being could be happy with such an existence. Who would want to live forever in this world?
And that was when she understood.
Happiness. The beast had never known joy. The closest it'd come to joy was the fleeting sensation of satisfaction. But no true joy colored this painting of a soul. Well, she wasn't happy to confine this poor creature to the vile demon that wanted its power, but she was somewhat satisfied in showing it a bit of what true joy felt like.
Now, what to use to convey that joy, she wondered. Going into a sort of trance, she pierced the dragon with her gaze, piecing together what she could from its soul's wavelength. Like the ocean, it seemed to enjoy a certain calmness but would easily jostle along the chaos of a roaring rage if angered properly. His soul was easily pushed along, like a wave by the breeze. But beneath the surface, his inner presence was covered in darkness and almost impossible to find.
Rather certain of herself, Elvinia woke from her trance, pulling her invasive magic from the dragon's aura. Using that same magic, she procured what she felt to be closest to the instrument she needed. Whatever instrument the dragon truly required was not in Elvinia's reservoir. It was foreign, and she couldn't recognize it. However, she did have a possible substitute, and as she sat on a damp rock, she delicately folded her fingers over the strings of the harp. Only time would tell if she was correct in her choice.
And by checking in on her partners, she hoped she was.
↭
As she sat on her perch atop the dragon's snout, she blissfully reminisced the beautiful melody that had assisted her in taming the beast. While it consisted of its somber undertones, there was a sense of blissful peace that wove its way into the mix of the already present emotions within the beast to create a warm stew of happiness.
Elvinia hadn't thought such an ancient beast could be capable of that enchanting display of bliss. Aggressive attacks ceasing and melting into a sense of complacency, eyes of turquoise softening with a glow of caressing warmth, breath fanning out like a wave after a long-awaited sigh of weariness - she was truly thankful to have been able to act as a beacon of light amidst all this chaotic darkness. At least, the beast was allowed one last wave of kindness before evil descended.
Itachi and Kisame sat below, resting their bones for a few hours before they had to transport the dragon back to the hideout. Elvinia felt guilty beyond measure for everything the men had to do since the very beginning, even if it had been their choice to take part in the organization. Even if they were criminals. It mattered not to her. Their pain and exhaustion had been caused by her, and that was in no way forgivable or excusable.
Sighing, Elvinia willed her satchel to appear. Maybe, she'd have something to appease even an ounce of their discomfort. However, as she dug through various herbs and retrieved ingredients she'd likely end up using, her hands found a peculiar item.
A folded piece of paper.
The only paper that should have been in her satchel was the letter she'd received from Hatake and the letter she'd written to Hatake, but either those papers had split themselves, or they had multiplied. Shaking in what she had to guess was either fear or excitement, Elvinia retrieved the note, keeping her companions in view.
Elvinia, it seems I'm going to have to be frank with you. You're not 'dealing with this yourself', as you say. I'm not a sappy writer, and I can never say what I truly mean, it seems. However, I'm writing this based on how I believe you should be treated as a member of Konoha.
1) We do not forget our comrades. Naruto and I will stop at nothing to find you.
2) You're a member of my team, so giving up is not an option. I will not accept it.
3) A very boisterous companion of yours has entered our ranks, and I promised him that I would bring you back. After all, I fear he may spear me with an antler if I don't.
4) Whether she admits it or not, Tsunade hasn't stopped searching for you. She is concerned about your well-being. (And all of Konoha's, of course).
5) I could never live with myself if you died. Please grace me with your rather moody presence once more, even if you hate me.
-Kakashi
As much as she pushed herself to hate him - his utter impudence - she. . . couldn't. And releasing a frustration she hadn't realized she'd been penning up, she let out a long, shallow breath, unfurling the fist that had so mercilessly crushed the paper. Oh, these humans' tenacity and utter stupidity ate at her nerves, but for some odd reason, she couldn't hate them. If her life depended on the sole fact of hating them, she'd surely be dead.
She was confused. Why not just give up on her? She'd even asked them to, which should have made the decision that much more easy. She didn't deserve their efforts. If only they knew what she was - a demon, a murderer. A killer. Merciless and hateful.
And this supposed companion - Hatake had mentioned antlers. That could only point to one such creature. A satyr. Thiavar. That rat, she thought. He'd followed the trail of her magic, even though she'd been careful to mask her traces. He was good, she'd have to admit. It took him a while, but he'd found her.
A little late, though.
As she folded the paper, ready to stuff it in a secret pocket of her satchel, her eyes met with a crimson stare. Itachi. Immediately, her heart skipped a beat in apprehension. Was he aware of the letter's contents? She had known the consequences of sharing her magic with him. However, the situation had called for drastic measures. Had he seen all three letters whilst retrieving her medicine? If so, would he speak of them? Had he already informed his organization?
Without breaking eye contact, she stuffed the pieces into her bag, a subtle trance encasing her mind. Her magic lied within him. If she could use her magic that flowed within him to sense his emotions, maybe she could at least guess of his intentions.
Like a serpent, her senses traveled through the tunnels of magic within Itachi, searching for one negative result. With every passing second, her muscles gradually loosened, and she forgot her apprehension.
Nothing. There were no malicious intentions within his gaze. Astounding, she thought. She could trust him. . . for now. Elvinia was definitely thankful for their connection. It was proving to be a possible fail-safe.
As Elvinia prepared what she'd been planning to create, a certain, damp heaviness filled the air. Gradually, the light around them dulled, and a small rumble could be heard in the distance. The dragon below her shifted his snout, becoming restless at the change in atmosphere.
She'd have to be quick.
So with a dash here and a pint there, her mixtures were complete. Hopefully, her efforts would count as something. She wasn't as complacent with Kisame as she was Itachi, if you could even call it comfort. But she wouldn't leave him out of her thoughts. After all, she was doing this to make up for her discrepancies in battle.
"For you." She'd descended from the dragon's snout, approaching her companions casually. They had been resting soundlessly.
"Huh?" Kisame regarded her with suspicion, raising a brow in slight confusion. Rolling her eyes, she jiggled the hand holding the salve. Hesitantly, he took it from her outstretched palm. "What is it, and why are you giving it to me?" He spoke with an aggression that she didn't appreciate but understood nonetheless.
"It's salve, genius. For your muscles?" She nodded her head slowly as the man's face gradually brightened in recognition.
"Oh! To ease the ache, I'm guessing?" A smile as wide as a crescent moon dominated his features - whether consciously or subconsciously, it didn't seem to matter - as he observed the container of smooth creme in his hands. It was small, but he only needed a dab to do the job.
"Precisely." Elvinia nodded as the male inspected the gift, sniffing it and shaking it every which way. She wasn't exactly sure on his reasons, but she didn't question. "And as an apology, I guess." The elf shrugged her shoulders as she placed the glass vial in Itachi's hands.
It was about sixty milliliters, and she'd chosen a clear vial so as not to seem suspicious. The liquid had turned out to be the perfect shade of green-tinted translucency. It was her best batch yet - a perfect remedy. Apparently working under duress was a factor in producing better results for her.
"For your eyes, of course, since those seem to be your more overworked muscles," Elvinia said calmly, "you put a drop or two on your finger and rub it around the areas that hurt the most. But try not to get it exactly in your eyes because it will burn." She explained thoroughly, hoping the man would accept her apology. Slowly, Itachi raised a hand to retrieve the vial before stuffing it in a pocket under his coat. No words.
But his acceptance of the gift was all Elvinia needed.
Suddenly, a wet coldness hit her shoulder, and she looked up to see the hazy grayness of the sky glaring back at her. One after another, and it had quickly begun to sprinkle - thunder grumbling a little closer than last time. Kisame mumbled a heavy curse before trotting underneath the shelter of the nearby cave. Hearing a rather windy sigh, Elvinia turned her attention to the creature beside them. It had risen its slender, purple neck and captured her in a lovely turquoise gaze.
As she made a smile in response, an acute, phantom pain hit her like a bolt, almost crippling her stance. It was at the base of her neck, and it screamed only one thing: Orochimaru was dead. This had to be the case, Elvinia thought, for the pain had immediately resided after she'd slapped a hand to what was left of the wound the criminal's bite had given her all those weeks ago.
It was gone.
Elvinia lifted her head up in silent victory, relishing in the fall of the rain as it increased to a downpour. The heavy droplets rushed down her face in a mad dash for the inevitable ground, but her smile could not be hidden from the others.
"Are you insane?" Kisame bellowed from his place under the cave's lip, raising his voice over the onslaught.
"Kisame, listen to the rain. It speaks." Elvinia instructed joyously, her smile widening if only for a second. His silence only instructed her of his absolute misunderstanding. But she didn't care because amidst all this chaos and utter melancholy, a small victory had presented itself, and Elvinia relished in the joys the cold, refreshing rain continuously pattered her with.
She hoped Naruto had finally vanquished the evil man and reclaimed a friendship lost.
Maybe she'd live to see it.
↭