The Moon and Serenity

[Leaf Village gate]


Coming through the gate of the Leaf Village for the first time. Looking around and taking in the sights. The famous Hokage stone faces the ramen shop and Hokage's mansion easily in sight though far away and the liveliness of the village. Seeing all this peacefulness and the beauty of the surrounding forests. Nagano couldn't help but feel relaxed. "In the famed Leaf Village for the first time. Just being here seeing it makes me feel like the world itself is peaceful." Fuuga, Nagano's wolf walked up next to Nagano. "Let's find somewhere nice to relax." Nagano walked forward followed by Fuuga. They found a flat grass covered ground to rest on. Fuuga lay back allowing Nagano to use him as a pillow as he lay down and looked at the sky. "Wish I could live here. The Mist Village is good but this place has more of the peaceful feeling. At least I'll get to see the sky turn dark while I'm here."

Ame walked around, followed by her beloved kitten Kuro. She hummed an old tune to herself to be entertained. Her movements were fluid and lively. Her nature peaceful and calm. Blue sky, warm sun. Nothing could really ruin such a day as this. Kuro moved her posistion to beside Ame and stopped walking. She looked up at her master with interest. Ame paused a few steps later, and turned around to see her. Kuro ran up and pounced on her, clinging to her white outfit. She let out a giggle of suprise and patted the cat's head affectionately. She stroked the one awkward batwing that was on her back, kissing the small nose and tugging on one of the white-tipped ears teasingly.

"I like being an emissary, I get to see such cool things. The Kage said report back late at night. So I have all day and the evening to run around here."

Having fallen asleep Fuuga sits awaiting Nagano to wake up from his nap. However Fuuga didn't feel like waiting so he moved out from under Nagano's head allowing it to fall onto the ground but the grass kept it from hurting him so Fuuga simply barked in his ear causing him to jump awake. "Gah. Geez Fuuga do you always have to do that?" Nagano stood up "*Sigh* "Well if I slept too long I could have missed seeing the sky after the sun set." Nagano stood up then looked down at Fuuga looking back at him. "We traveled quite a while to get here. How can you not be asleep? You always have more energy than me you know." Nagano looked around to find the Hokage's mansion but could not see it as it was obstructed by buildings So instead looked up at the hokage stone faces. "............... Come Fuuga I wanna look at them from up close." Fuuga lets out a short whine before following Nagano who was focused on the well carved stone faces.

Ame leaped onto the roof with her kitten, landing on the shingled shop. She sat down looking at the carved stones in the shape of Kage's past. She smiled to herself and relaxed for a moment. She set down Kuro, who quickly raced off. "Oh no! Come back!" She immediately stood and chased after the cat.

Kuro flew over the large gap between the roof.

"That's not fair." She whined. She backed up and jumped across, grasping the wall and lifting hersself up. She walked along the roof's edge, balancing herself carefully. The cat continued to move on, much to her chargrin. She let out a slew of curses as she continued her case.

She noticed the head of the Kage's grow bigger and bigger. Where the heck was the cat headed? She kept her eyes on the cat. "I can't use gravity on a single target, so I'll have to play her silly game..." She chased on for all of five more minutes. A gentle smack into the rocks caused her to fall onto her back. Dizzy, she looked at her location, trying to focus. The cat had escaped her, she reached to grab Kuro only to grab nothing but air. The cat hovered purring and looking satisfied.

Nagano got close to the stone faces which now looked almost twice as big up close. "Wow wonder how experienced the men who carved these were. Or whoever carved them." Nagano stared at the faces however Fuuga was not as interested and looked around to notice nearby someone on their back trying to grab a cat floating just above her. Fuuga nudged Nagano's leg getting his attention then bringing it to the girl and the cat. Nagano's eyes were first focused on the flying cat. "Is that a wing? Odd. And the cat is flying also odd." Nagano then brought his gaze to the girl on the ground. "..............." It then hits Nagano that this girl was Ame from his childhood. Nagano reached for the lycoris flower he had kept in the safest spot he could think of. On Fuuga's head even though Fuuga tried hard to keep the flower off him Nagano was persistent and so Fuuga simply hid it behind his ear as much as possible. "This flower is her favorite." Nagano looked over at Ame. "It's been so long. Maybe she won't recognize me and I can give her the flower." Nagano wondered how Ame had felt after he left and worried much about what would happen if they ever met again.

Ame sat up, rubbing the front of her face to get the debris off. "Damn you Kuro." She looked at the hovering cat. The cat turned facing away from her, hissing and extending a paw. She looked in the direction of a man with a wolf beside him.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy and held her head to focus. "You don't see wolves everday." She put her hands on her lips with interest. "Calm down Kuro...it's just a wolf." She grabbed the cat as she hissed again, cradling Kuro affectionately.
'
"HEY YOU!" Ame shouted out in the mysterious man's direction. "You are scaring my kitten."

Nagano heard Ame's voice directed at him and Fuuga. He looks at Ame. " That flying cat is afraid of Fuuga?" Nagano thought to himself. Usually he would be annoyed to know how cats are afraid of Fuuga but he didn't care he simply had Fuuga walk out of site and wait for him. Nagano held the flower close and approached Ame.

"What is...?" Ame stared at the flower in his hand. Her eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me, how did you get this flower?" She stepped closer to him, the gap between them growing smaller. "This is my favorite flower..." She muttered in a low voice of suprise and awe. She completely forgot about Kuro, who was restless in her arms. She lessened her grip on the cat, who jumped out of her embrace and ran off after Fuuga.

Nagano stopped when the two were in front of each other. "I-I happen to like this flower very much as well." Nagano holds out the lycoris between them. "Here I want you to have it." Nagano couldn't but feel a little embarrassed looking at Ame who had grown quite beautiful in their time apart.

"Thank you." Ame whispered to him in awe. She took the lycoris from his hand and held it gingerly in her hands. A memory came back to her, and she spaced out.

'I want you to have this Nagano...it's a present. It'll live forever.' I stared at him with joy. 'That's a weird flower...'

He muttered looking at her.

'It sure is. It blooms in fall and dies in spring. But this one was blessed with the Ikui, so it can live forever..'

She looked up from the flower at Nagano. Her hands trembled with nervousness. She tugged at one of the flower petals and it didn't budge. She pulled even harder at it, to try and force it off. She recognized the very flower. It was ingrained on her mind. She moved her lips, but no words came from her mouth.

Nagano saw Ame's hands trembling. Nagano was sure Ame had just remembered him. His eyes met hers he could see they looked different from just a second ago. He simply stared into her eyes. Not knowing what to say to her after disappearing and finding her again after 11 years. He forgot about everything else only thinking of this moment. "A-ame." Came out as but a whisper the name he would always call her.

"N-Nag..." Ame met his eyes, finally able to speak a single word out from her mouth. Her heart fluttered, racing quickly. She took a back in fear of him. "It can't b-be you-u!" She stuttered her words with nervousness. She held out the flower in her hand, and it turned into a crystaline form, before disentigrating into crystals and blowing into a light wind.

Her eyes looked emotionless. She didn't want to remember, she didn't want to forget either. Emotions of confliction wreaked havoc on her. He was surely standing here before her. 11 years after the fact. It was too much...even a flower that could live forever will eventually die.

Nagano watched her suddenly shocked by seeing him again. He looked into her that came void of emotion. Seeing her like this made his heart ache. "It is me, Ame." He spoke unsure he used the right words. He looked at her. After 11 years he couldn't just apologize for disappearing all of a sudden. He wasn't sure what he could do.

"N-Nag..." Ame repeated to herself. His voice seemed to echo in her ears as she spoke. Impulse got to her, and she found herself throwing her arms around him possively. She didn't want to let go of him. She just wanted to hold him in her embrace. She didn't want him to leave. He looked so much older now, adult-like and mature. She averted his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest.What have I just done? Tossing my arms around him like a moron. But I don't want him to leave...not again...we were too young. He was my only friend...' Thoughts raced through her mind rapidly and overwhelmed her.

Ame's arms wrapped around him. Nag had been worried about her reaction seeing him and now she had him in her arms. He put his arms around her feeling relieved. He was happy to be here now. He had hurt her by leaving. He thought to himself that he would never leave her again.

Ame noticed Nagano's returned embrace. She felt her heart steadily slow down. She hesitated, losening her grip on him. Muttering a few inaudible words, she let go of him and backed away. She stood about ten feet from him. He smelled like a wolf, but at the same time had a woodsy odor to him. It caused tingles to run down her spine.

"Nagano, I am sorry. But you have to prove yourself...it's been eleven long ears. You broke my trust, my heart, and my happiness for the longest time. My wounds are still open, my happiness did return, but my trust is low. Redeem yourself...I hope you truly can do it." She murmmered, "Shikatsu." And her scythe appeared. She pointed at Nagano with a tinge of angst and edge on her voice. "If you break my trust, I'll break you." Her threat was made, and she hoped she wouldn't have to harm him in anyway. After him leaving her for so long, shock was still on her face. She hid it underneath an inflated ego, so he wouldn't notice her weekness.

He was a little shocked when she pulled away from him. For a second he felt hurt. But after hearing her tell him to prove himself then pulled her scythe to him. He was calm. She would sometimes do this before to him. He drew out Teikiatsu from it's sheath from upon his back and held the sword at his side. "Ok then." He brought the sword to rest upon his shoulder. "If I must. But I do regret what I did. Leaving you without a word." His eyes gave off sadness as if he was on the verge of crying.

She brought back her scythe to her side. "I regret not being able to say goodbye." She gripped the handle of her scythe, tears brimming on her eyes. She turned her head to hide the clear droplets that fell from her cheeks. "I never thought I'd see you again. I hardly remember anything from them, and now it all seems to come back to me. Bit by bit. It's overflowing..." Her voice retreated into a faint mummble.

She stroke a strand of her pure white hair as she sniffled to calm herself. She ran her fingers through her hair reapeatedly. She did it sometimes when she was needing to have inner peace. She could feel the Tamagushi inside the messenger back around her shoulder quiver as it collected a new memory for the tree near the Shinto. She sighed, "You know, I could have acessed that tree anytime to find you, see why and how you left. But that day when you didn't come out to play, I was so panic stricken. I didn't want to look, didn't want to see anything. I was afraid to." She let go of the piece of hair she had taken, and it fell against her face.

The tears that fell from her chin hovered just above the ground, as if they stood still. She didn't want to lose control of gravity, but the droplets seemed to turn against her. She looked up at him, grief stricken. "Nagano!!!" She cried out in a loud groan of absolute confusion. "You leave and suddenly pop up..." Her knees felt weak in an instant, and she slumped to the ground, kneeling. She dropped her scythe carelessly, and it hit the ground with a tap.

"If only I could have said goodbye to you as well." He released his hold on his sword letting fall down his back and land upright in the ground. He got down to his knees right in front of her. "I was worried about what happened to you when I left. I was afraid, thinking of how hurt you were." He showed his sadness in his eyes as he looked at her.

Ame looked up from the ground, confusion still on her face. "Hurt can't even describe what happened...I was just a child." She leaned against him, pressing her forehead into his shoulder to hide her tears. "After that I had no more friends. I trained my butt off, and serve the Mist Kage. I am to report back by tomorrow morning...can you come along? I want to hear of what happened to you all those years ago." She explained with strength in her voice. Her tears stopped hovering and fell to droplets on the ground. She touched his cheek with her hand, outlining his chin. He felt real. His voice had grown more masucline, but his skin was soft, his eyes were lively though saddened. She couldn't deny his existence any further. Somewhere in her heart she knew she wanted her best friend back. Her cat had been the only company. Loneliness was otherwise a common thing for her. But now she had a long lost friend.

"I would love to come with you." His arms wrapped around her once again. Her tears fell to his shoulder. He let out a few tears of his own now. He wondered though. If he could tell her about how he feels about her. Unsure how soon he would be able to. He'd wait though.

"Good." Was the only word she could say. There was so much she didn't know. Her feelings were backwards, upside down, and twisted. She was unsure of how she should feel. Happy that he was back? Sad that he left so long ago? Angry? Her arms hung loosely around him. She had destroyed the flower she'd given him. She wanted to give him one again, maybe sometime soon. Insecurity flooded her, she held it down with her sobs. He was there, he was real, he was breathing. Not dead like she had assumed. Not evil like she guessed. Still kindness on his face. He had emotions.

[Later that night]

Later that night just when the sun had set over the horizon. Nagano and Fuuga met up with Ame and Kuro. He looked deep into Ame's beautiful blue eyes. "Are you ready to leave now?"

"Yes. My home hasn't changed much at all." Ame grabbed his hand in her own. She had to make sure he wouldn't run off, or leave her site. She felt like aiding a child, but it kept her feeling more safe around him. Kuro was on the far side, away from Fuuga. She noticed how long his hair had become, and was suprised to find it neat and orderly.

Nagano grabbed Ame's hand that had grabbed his. "Alright." He started walking with Ame towards the village gate. Fuuga had noticed Kuro had stayed away from him. However Fuuga loves cats even though he is a wolf and so tries approaching Kuro.