(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com) Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach.
I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's
why I'm poor, okay?
"This is so stupid," Sakura muttered as she rolled out one of her scrolls.
She and Minoru were currently in the house of the village elder, waiting
for him to come. "I can't believe... I mean, I sort of don't blame them
for being afraid of Potamos but — it's so stupid!"
"They're extra careful around Frida village," Minoru sighed. "Especially
now with the Tree of Life dying."
"Whatever," Sakura growled. "Once this tree business is done and we
pack supplies, I say we go. I don't want to sleep in an inn while Potamos
is camping outside with guards watching her every move."
"I'll try talking to the village elder about it," the elf said. 'Although
I highly doubt that it would work,' his inner voice scoffed.
Minoru pondered a little, deciding what could possibly convince the
elves to let Potamos in. He began to snicker softly. "Who knows? If I camp
outside with you two ladies, it might make the village elder embarrassed
to leave a former resident out in the cold."
"But you've not been here for... nearly fifty years," Sakura mumbled.
"You're not a resident anymore."
"They know fully well who I am, believe me," Minoru said with a tiny
smirk.
Sakura frowned. "You joined a gang. You never told me abut THAT, Minoru-san."
The elf tilted his head back. "That decision in my life was sort of
an impulse. The group had more honorable endeavors than other bandits,
which convinced me to join them. They took a mission on themselves that
even the elves refused to participate in. In my opinion, that lot of outcasts
actually did something useful in the Rifts." Minoru sighed, thinking back
to the memories.
'So that's why he knows how to fight with knives,' Sakura pondered.
Normally, elves did not battle with daggers, as they usually specialized
in the bow and arrow. "What happened with the group, anyway? Did you just
leave it?"
"Mmmm... When we finally banished a psychopathic sorcerer, it disbanded.
I went off to Minerva, and decided to make it my home," Minoru answered
casually.
"You left your family for nearly FIFTY YEARS," the kunoichi stated.
"Minoru-san... how could you do that?" she sadly asked.
"The village gave me a forty-year banishment after I was first sighted
with the group of thieves," Minoru explained. "Even when we succeeded in
defeating a menace, Frida Village was ashamed that I helped out a group
of runaway humans. So the ban continued. The only reason they want to 'generously'
welcome me back now is because of my satisfactory level in plant magic."
Sakura stared at Minoru. Saying that his powers in plant magic was at
a 'satisfactory level' was something of an understatement.
The elf's voice began to shake as he went on. "Those forty years, I
was not allowed to see my family. Any contact at all was limited to letters
and mirror communication. I did not mind when I was with the gang — they
were like a second family to me. We disbanded in a good nature. But when
I was able to freely talk with my brothers again... I could not stand the
looks of disappointment in their faces."
He paused to breathe, realizing that he was losing his composure. "I
practiced medicinal alchemy in Minerva, and worked with the healers there.
I met Momoko and Yousuke later. I earned enough to get my own secluded
house. You could say that forced myself to forget my family — and it worked."
Sakura did not know what to say. 'That's terrible,' she thought. According
to the numbers, Minoru's exile ended six years ago — and he still avoided
to call or visit them. 'He still loves his family, and they him. It was
too obvious with his brother's passionate outburst. But all of them are
too proud...'
A maid walked into the room. "The head elder shall welcome you now,"
she said with a smile.
"Thank you," Minoru answered curtly. His voice held a tinge of bitterness.
'Calm down,' he thought, 'showing anger doesn't help in diplomacy...'
Scarlett massaged the sides of her temple. There was a threat growing
near the Tree of Life. She had just contacted Frida Village, and found
out that Minoru's party had just arrived. And just escaped — what was it
called again? — oh, a Necromancer's Pomegranate. Sakura was definitely
the smart girl, focusing on wind-magic and gentle exorcism.
The angel bit her pink lips in nervousness. Although Sakura was advancing,
she was still limited in terms of experience, and knowledge. There was
always the possibility that she would die by a simple flesh-wound on this
trip through the Rifts. The hardest part of the journey would be Shadow.
Even though Shadow was not considered evil per se — just like Death was
not evil — entering and leaving it safely required a highly-skilled guide.
Indeed, if it were not for that attack in the Ninja Mansion, Scarlett
would have recommended Sakura to wait four years until the wormhole opened
to the Ninja World. The gods of that dimension were having some problems,
and Sakura just might prove to be of assistance.
'They said something about a previous Fourth Hokage who died...' Scarlett
thought to herself. 'And a Priestess of Heart. I wonder if Sakura is going
to make rivals or friends with whatever warriors they have...'
Scarlett then realized that she was letting her thoughts wander only
to Sakura's potential. That potential meant nothing if she turned out dead.
This unexpected turn of events in the Rifts might prove too much for the
young kunoichi. The angel shook her head, and looked at where the nearest
portal near Frida Village would open.
She frowned at the screen of the computer monitor. 'I'll need Angel
Linton, with two assistants,' Scarlett calculated. 'One of them should
be... Amano Takuji.' The love-angel bit her lip. 'I'd better brace myself
for Hinagiku: she'll freak out when I ask her to let her son carry out
a mission in the Rifts. I just don't know whether she'd want to hug me
or kill me.'
As an afterthought, she pondered to herself: 'Why do I give nearly-impossible
challenges to my teammates' offspring? People must think I'm a sadist.
Then again, no pain, no gain.'
A group of guards were whispering with each other. "Is she allowed to
do that?"
"Well, no blood-lust so far..."
"Get your weapons ready, even if the other isn't a villager."
Potamos stepped up to a young girl, looking about fifteen years of age.
"Okay, I bow, and you curtsy," the water-demon ordered. She took the
girl's hand.
The soldiers tensed up.
Amazingly — at least, to the guards — Potamos began instructing the
wood-nymph how to dance. "And... one, two, three. One, two, three. Sweet!"
It was so strange to see the purple-haired girl helping a peaceful nymph
to waltz. A water-demon, of all dance instructors. Moreover, why did the
nymph want to dance? The numbers of her kind were dwindling, ever since
the Tree of Life began to show signs of wilting. They had no reason to
be happy — this was the basic logic among some of the guards. The more
experienced soldiers knew better: that one had to find something good,
even in hopeless cases.
The brown-haired nymph stepped on Potamos' toe. "Owie!" the water-demon
exclaimed.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the nymph squeaked.
Potamos giggled. "Aw, don't worry! I don't kill over things like that.
Try again."
"Why are you dancing?" one guard asked in a rather shaky tone. His loud
voice startled the wood-nymph, who was nervous enough with taking dancing
lessons from a water-demon. Indeed, the shy nymph had not noticed that
the guards were living beings — she initially thought they were statues.
Afterall, they were still for most of the time.
Potamos, meanwhile, simply grinned. "C'mon, you dance — because it's
just FUN!" She turned back to her student. "Okay, now the Tango! Since
it's night an' all."
"I was asking the nymph — not you, demon spawn!" he exclaimed. "...Hey,
aren't you listening?"
Potamos paid no heed to the guard. She was singing 'The Masochism Tango'
— a capella, solo, into the night.
"I ache for the touch of your lips, dear,
But much more for the touch of your whips, dear,
You can raise welts
Like nobody else,
As we dance to the Masochism Tango."
The wood-nymph was a little grossed out at first, but she began to sweetly
giggle at the morbid humor of the lyrics.
Potamos looked back at the guards, who were now becoming extremely uncomfortable.
"Oh, come on, you guys have NO sense of humor," she snorted. She let go
of the wood-nymph, and walked over to one of the men, smiling sweetly.
"Why don'cha join us? Don't worry, I won't bite — unless, of course, you
want me to." She lowered down, showing more of the cleavage nestling in
her red fairy dress.
The human guard drew out his sword, and pointed it at her face. "Don't
come near me, wench," the man hissed, his face incredibly red. To his amazement,
she did not flinch. He saw that her eyes were yellow with cat-like pupils.
His grasp of the weapon turned shaky and hesitant.
Potamos licked her lips, sensing his mixture of fear and arousal. She
turned around, and calmly walked away. He wasn't worth fussing over. Besides,
the elfin guards could shoot her anytime — she could not do anything too
risqué, and bring about trouble.
"Oh, one more point," Potamos said quietly to the wood-nymph sitting
on the ground. "When you find a guy who likes you — take a hold of 'm,
and HOLD ON."
The wood-nymph raised her eyebrows. "Take a hold?" she asked innocently.
An evil grin spread on Potamos' face. "When he's within your grasp,
you can make him do ANYTHING YOU WANT..." She giggled, while the brown-haired
nymph pondered what that exactly meant.
"Okay, that's not 'demon-evil'," one guard commented through his teeth.
"That's just... pure... evil."
"Oh, come on," his elfin friend said, passing him, "it is completely
obvious that you like to observe them — in conversation, and picture."
His voice went down into a hush. "To be more precise, you fancy that darling
nymph, don't you? You WANT the water-demon to nudge her out of her innocence,
and you just finish the push..."
"SHUT-UP!!!"
Potamos and the wood-nymph looked up with a startled expression, only
to see the guards snickering to themselves, with one embarrassed man turned
away.
Minoru's brother let his forehead collapse into his hands as he watched
the scene. 'Brother, I commend you for putting up with such a demon.'
"Naoharu-san, good evening," a voice greeted from behind him. Haruno
Sakura. Naoharu turned his head, and nodded quietly to acknowledge her
presence. "Is Potamos okay?" the pink-haired girl asked.
"Greetings," the blond elf said simply. "You've tamed that thing well."
A vein pulsed strongly in Sakura's neck. "Potamos is not a 'thing',"
she said in a low tone. 'This guy's name is supposed to mean 'shining spring'?!
My ass.'
Naoharu noticed the amount of anger Sakura repressed within her. "Please
do not misunderstand," he said soothingly. "It was an impulse: elves have
a habit of addressing any race as things. It's our culture to acknowledge
Nature and the great powers higher than individual beings."
Sakura said nothing in return as she walked past Naoharu. He noticed
that she had her backpack of supplies with her. "What are you doing with
that bag?" the elf asked.
"It's our tent," she answered back. He cocked an eyebrow as she walked
toward the forest — and then the full meaning of her words registered to
him. She was going to camp outside a village.
"Our house is open to you," Naoharu said, catching up with the quickly-walking
Sakura. "We cannot allow a guest of ours to stay outside the gates! Especially
a friend of Minoru —"
"What about Potamos?" Sakura casually challenged, not turning around.
"By village law, no demons or undead creatures are allowed within your
gates. Therefore, I shall stay with her tonight. Minoru will sleep in your
father's house."
Naoharu looked baffled. "The water-demon needs no protection," he stated.
"Even when she's not in a battle-mood, her ki level is so high. She's perfectly
fine on her own. You do not have to —"
"Minoru-san personally asks you to keep watch over our tent tonight,"
Sakura said calmly. "Forgive us for being an extra burden to your normal
duties. I promise to cause you no trouble."
Sakura turned her head, and her green eyes showed an oddly-familiar
stubbornness to Naoharu. Something clicked in his mind. 'So this is what
Minoru saw in her. Now that I see her personality... her resemblance to
Emerald is nearly surreal.' The elf nervously brushed a loose stray of
his white-blond hair away from his face. 'Minoru, I hope you're not doing
anything ridiculous for her sake. Then again, you already are; you're accompanying
her through the Rifts.'
"To the right," he said behind her.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"The grass over to the right is better to pitch a tent on," Naoharu
explained. "Avoid the forest — the monsters there are for us to deal with."
Sakura gave him a suspicious glance. He sighed. "Oh, for heaven's sake...
I cannot change the village law for you, and I cannot change your will
— but the least I can do is to protect you!"
"Oh... thank you," Sakura quietly said, understanding his position.
She gave a wry smile. "Although, Potamos and I can help if you can't handle
a monster coming this way."
"I am very sure you will, if it ever comes to that," Naoharu said. He
gave a fond smile to the kunoichi, and then helped her set up the tent.
"So... Sakura-san," he said, striking up conversation, "Do you receive
any good dreams from Minoru?" Sakura brushed some dirt off her hands, and
looked at Naoharu in puzzlement. The elf sighed. "Oh, I see," Naoharu said.
"Of course, most dreams are forgotten... But they do impact on how you
sleep and digest information from the previous day."
"Wait, wait," Sakura said. "What do you mean, 'dreams from Minoru'?"
"My brothers and I — we all have a slight touch of faun blood from our
mother's side. Within our family, Minoru is probably is the most faun-like.
A sharp wit, tricks, leaving his home to play a wannabe Robin Hood... But
most of all, his twisted sixth sense."
'So he DOES have a sixth sense after all!!' Sakura thought with a cheer.
"It is well-known that elves are good at sensing danger," Naoharu said.
"Some of the strongest elves are even telepathic. But it appears to be
that Minoru got some faun abilities mixed together with his elfin sixth
sense."
"I remember reading about fauns..." Sakura said. "What are they again?"
"They are woodland creatures with the legs, ears, and tail of a deer,
and the face and body of a handsome youth. They can be quite cheerful at
times." Naoharu twitched. "In other words: complete imbeciles."
The kunoichi grinned; Naoharu talked about fauns in the same attitude
Sasuke had towards Naruto. 'Well, used to, anyway...'
"The darker side of them," Naoharu continued, "is that if they hold
a grudge on someone, they can cause nightmares."
The girl paled slightly. "Nightmares?"
"Do not fret," Naoharu laughed. "Minoru has tact, even though his definition
of tact is rather blurry at times. Ever since he was little, he sometimes
bribed us with good-dream potions to get out of a pinch, or forgive him
for some moronic deed of his. The mixtures worked, actually; our head elder
even confirmed it. Right now, Minoru is probably advanced enough to do
it without medicinal alchemy."
"So... he only gives good dreams," the kunoichi said slowly. "...Right?"
"He's not the type to give nightmares," Naoharu mused. "He tried it
a few times when we were young, but he immediately quit when one of us
woke up crying. Minoru doesn't like to inflict pain to those who are close
to him."
Sakura gave a weak smile. "Now that I think back... I think that last
night, I dreamed of being home again." Sakura hugged her knees to her chest.
"Minoru-san is a wonderful older brother. He's doing so much for me."
Naoharu pondered on these words. "Did Minoru tell you that?" he asked
Sakura.
"Yes. He told me this morning... that I was his little sister from now
on." A tiny pang went through the young lady's chest. 'He ONLY thinks of
me as his sister,' she sadly thought.
The elf straightened his bow, and got up from the ground. "The night
grows dark. It is time for you to rest: I shall call the water-demon forth,
and will watch over both of you."
Notes:
"The Masochism Tango" - song written and sung by Tom Lehrer. The full
lyrics can be found on the Internet.
I seemed to have forgotten to give the full definitions of names! Here
they are:
"Minoru" - 'fruit' or 'kernel'. The verb 'minoru' means 'to bear fruit'.
I just thought that it was a good name for an elf with plant magic. It
is an actual guy's name, by the way.
"Potamos" - Greek for 'river'.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please tell me! If
I suck, by all means tell me. In an intelligent manner.
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