Ruin

And so it was said, on the fifth day the lord shall return to his roots. Who was it said by? Fuck knows, probably some random drunk. The plains were overgrown, grass and weeds had grown rampant without humans to keep it in check. Takeo had trouble even remembering the route back. It had been so long. Why was he even returning, the young man didn't know. What did he expect to gain from all of this? Maybe he would learn something about himself? Find his grounding in the world once more. Or perhaps he would find nothing, just an empty shell that once housed the beacon of light for many within the country. "Over the hill." He mumbled to himself, making his way through the grass that now stood at his lower thighs. A few more steps and he would set his eyes on the village for the first time in...

Takeo paused. How long had it been? Maybe a year, maybe more. Perhaps less. The young man felt slightly out of it. Whatever, it didn't matter he told himself. What mattered was reaching the village. There no was no turning back now. He took a deep breath, and made his way up the incline. He closed his eyes, he felt strange. Was he scared? This feeling was strange. Why was he scared? He didn't want to see the village in it's state. Was that it? It seemed likely, though why would that affect him. Maybe he had gone soft. It was true that time spent in Hoshigakure had altered him, whether for the good or not was yet to be seen. "Fuck you." He hoped the words would reach the person the curse was aimed towards. That damn woman. Even now, she was still messing with him.

Fuck this.

Takeo crossed the remaining distance to move over the hill quickly. His eyes opened, and he steeled his gaze at the village before him. Takeo remembered it well, the village that had been his home for many years. The grand skyscrapers that had once dominated the skyline. The lights and the technological masterpieces that were scattered around Tengakure. He remembered the noise of the villagers going about their lives in blissful happiness. The smell. That of the various foods from the stores scattered around the village street corners. Takeo smiled, the memory of the village forced him to. There it was, the grand city of Tengakure. Standing there in all it's glory, untouched by the elements and time.

The village stood tall...for the briefest of moments. Then Takeo's vision distorted. The village was engulfed in fire. Skyscrapers crumpled, explosions went off in the distance. Takeo's face fell, his eyes widening at the sight. The destruction of Tengakure, so this was what it had looked like from the outside. The outside..that's right. Takeo had been inside it all, the one who had destroyed the village. Another skyscraper fell, Takeo had done that. An explosion went off, that had also been him. Takeo collapsed to the floor. He covered his eyes with his hands and curled up. Tengakure was still burning. Why was it burning?

Time passed. Takeo had no idea how long he remained frozen in this position. It would take quite awhile for him to stir. His body finally moving out from the defensive position it had taken. His limbs stretched out and his eyes opened carefully. The village was no longer burning. Though it was no longer standing either. The hallucination, the vision, whatever it had been had vanished. Takeo saw the true form of the village for the first time.

Ruins. The village lay there in pieces. What once was the village of Tengakure was now nothing more than rubble. The plains had advanced, grass and weeds grown in the ruin. Takeo felt hollow. He moved forward. The plan was to inspect the village. For what purpose? Takeo had no idea. To finally lay things to rest perhaps. That was most likely it. To finally bury the past, so he could move on to the future. Wherever that led. The young man crossed the plains, and stepped through the destroyed gateway that he had toppled long ago.

After all this time, he was finally home.

[Closed]