When the Dust Settles

It was late at night.

The hustle and bustle of the Black Market had begun to slow down and the Elder of the Shinkou, The Demon Hunter found himself alone in his room. Not truly alone as he saw the wisps of black and blue dancing around the room, but alone enough to where he could recount his thoughts and sort them out. The days had brought many tribulations, but had also brought forth a kindred spirit that had also been of his own clan. Being in the world once more caused the white haired male to reminisce on the past. His days within Iwa. His days with those he had cared about the most. There was once a time where he had a someone he loved, friends he would fight for and a leader he would go to the depths of hell for. None of that existed anymore. Their bodies were gone like the foundation of the village. All that remained was the memories he had of each one of them. The headband he had once wore proudly. Taking in a deep breathe he would slowly look down at the headband with fondness as he chuckled to himself, surprised he still had such earthly attachments. When he became a monk for the Shinkou and later an Elder, he removed those things that kept him tethered to this world. Yet here he was with a memento cherishing it fondly. He never truly found another home after the events that lead to the destruction of Iwa. Takigakure was soon to be his home, but as he began his pilgrimage to the new village it too became rubble upon the world. His leader had disappeared in the initial battle in Kumo from what he had remembered or heard and soon he found himself wandering aimlessly. As he did he lost touch with Jashin, the one he thought would never forsake him. He had became mortal once more and through the loss of his power he became hopeless for the first time. Then the great wandering began until he had been found by the one who had changed his life.

He had remembered that day fondly.

The former Elder had happened upon the almost lifeless form of Rokuro as he sat in the desert area of the Land of Wind, waiting for death to claim him. Nothing to his name, no home and nothing to fight for. The Elder, Ritsuko, passed by the dying Rokuro thrice before stopping and offering him a skin of water. The muddied eyes looked up to the seemingly older gentleman and then to water for a moment trying to decide on if he had wanted to drink or perish. Something...called to him however. Reaching up slowly he would take the water and drink from it hungrily until nothing remained of it. His thirst slowly began to be comforted but not before the male offered a hand to Rokuro.

"My child, you seem to be waiting for death but something....someone has more for you. Take my hand. Come with me. I shall show you a purpose that will allow you to be whole once more...forevermore."

It was hard to resist. The allure of the males voice was one that rivaled the words of his old leader. He felt it. The feeling of wanting to belong. To want more. Whatever was keeping him alive was probably doing it for this reason but he could not be sure. He needed to see. Taking the hand his mind would flash to what had happened next. The pilgrimage lead him back to the Land of Shadows, where the Abyss dwelled in its full strength. As they crossed the threshold he could feel it. Something had been watching him. Following their every move. Whatever it was, Ritsuko could see it and he smiled as he continued in the carriage. He had remarked that something within the Shadows, the Abyss, had taken favor of Rokuro and he should be honored that it found him acceptable. He did not understand what that had meant at the moment but once they had reached the center of the Land of Shadows to the Temple of the Shinkou, would he truly understand. Walking in, it had looked like something straight out of a monk's dream. There had been those in dark robes, people praying and conversing. Most of all there had been many staring at Rokuro as if they had been expecting him. His eyes could not pin down the feeling but something had occurred to him- there was not a way he could leave now.

Rokuro was brought to the center of the temple, a large pool wider than he could calculate and deeper than he could fathom. The one thing that made him question if he was alive or not was the swirling mass he could identify as water, but the depth and darkness of it. What was it? Something had caught his eye inside of it and he could have sworn he had either seen a face or a pair of eyes staring at him from within the depths of the mass. He had blinked a few times before looking at the others who were now staring at him almost expectedly. The one who had brought him here, Ritsuko, had begun to explain that in this room all would be laid bare and a choice would have to be made. He was chosen by the Yuumei, whatever that had been, to be given a new purpose. A new life. It could feel that he yearned for a purpose, for a life. He yearned to have more. All he had to do was lay it bare and become anew. To leave the old him in the past. None of it made sense to the still delirious Rokuro who had been staring in the mass of darkness, searching for the eyes that were just looking at him. He continued to find them at random spots of the room, never staying in one place for long periods of time. But as he looked for them more, the room began to murmur.

"He can see."

What did that mean Rokuro thought to himself as he came to the realization he was not dreaming. Where he could look the others were already staring at the form that he been evading him. He could only see the eyes, but for them the mass had been there as if a person had. Ritsuko's arm would outstretch to the dark pool as he invited Rokuro to step into it, moving himself to stand on top of the mass. From what Rokuro could see and even tell he was not using chakra to stand upon it. A sigh left Rokuro's lips as he contemplated leaving and could see no entrance not even where he had came in from. He was trapped. Stuck in a place where he may very well spend his entire life. The eyes continued to dance and move around the room before suddenly appearing behind the Elder as if they were beckoning for the male to join them. The entire time, the Elder's hand remained outstretched as if it was waiting for the male to join them. Chanting and humming began to pickup silent at first until they were fully audible. Rokuro began to look around hesitantly, trying to call whatever reserve strength he had been keeping but nothing had came. Resigning to his fate, he figured if he was here for a reason he would find out what it had been. Stepping forward he would slowly walk toward the pool and before he knew it he was stood on the black surface. It felt like water but also nothing at the same time. It was almost as if he was floating in the air, but he knew he was not.

The elder would smile as he moved his hands behind him and nodded for Rokuro to look down. The male would begin to inform Rokuro that what happened next would shape the new life that he wanted. All he had to do was fall into the abyss and crawl out on his own. Confused by the words, Rokuro began to look toward Ritsuko but before he could make eye contact he found himself falling into the waters of the abyss. His first instinct was to flail and thrash out to get away, but he found that there was nothing he could flail against. The murky substance was not like water nor anything he had experienced before. Before he knew it his body had surrendered and he found himself going with it. As his eyes closed he could make out a shape, those eyes coming closer and closer to him and before he passed out he heard a voice.

"At last my vessel has come home. Let us palavar and make anew."

What...who was that?

Opening his eyes, Rokuro would find himself in the present and face to face with whom he had palavar'd with in the past. Gagaku Kairo. His Yuumei. His Partner. From whom he was dubbed the "Demon Hunter". A small played on the mix of feminine and masculine features as the manifestation sat in front of the Shinkou and crossed their legs. The two had parallel each other in looks. While Rokuro had hair as white as snow, Kairo had hair as dark as the night sky with tints of silver and white. The Yuumei manifestation had a genderfluid body with a lean muscular build, but upon first glance could not tell if they were truly male or female. The voice slowly began to fill the room as the manifestation of its own will began to speak to his partner," Why the long face Rokuro? If i did not know better you were reminiscing again...Diving into the past can be a bad thing if you were to get stuck...Or is something troubling the Elder?," the mixed voice often teased and prodded at its partner, but there was a keen hint of concern as they tried to figure out where Rokuro's mind truly was. All he could do was shake his head as as he took in a deep breath and began to dive back into his memories. At that point when he had awakened he found himself in a massive library. The rows of books and shelves stretched for miles into a central circle where a single table had been situated. On both sides had been pillows and at the table facing Rokuro had been a singular entity..

At first he resigned himself to get closer but something had beckoned him to move closer and thus he did. With each step he could look at the books. Some had titles where most did not. Some had been locked behind lock and chains while some had been free. As he got near the table, a meter at least, he almost found himself grabbing one of the books until the voice had called out to him," I would not if I were you...Not until we speak at least. Come. Sit." the voice sounded as if it had been switching between male and female, but he could finally pick up on it. It had been a keen mix of the two. Rokuro came to the table and sat down, looking around once more before looking to the entity who had been reading a book. As they turned one more page, the book would be sat down and the two would exchange a glance. Rokuro himself blinked twice before realizing these were the eyes that he had been following," How can I see you fully now where you were but eyes dancing upon flames earlier??," he questioned the entity who had only responded with a laugh.

"You merely saw what you could due to you not accepting. The moment you sunk into the abyss was the moment you could truly perceive me. I am Gagaku Kairo. Kairo if you will. I am what you call a manifestation of the Abyss, or Yuumei. What you sunk into allowed up to finally connect. You and I are now connected in both mind, body, and spirit. An inseparable duo for the end of time and when it is finally time for you to perish from this coil we shall return here, to the source."

It was a little absurd at first, but even he could not say he did not feel different...powerful...but even more so complete. Whatever he had thought he was missing in his life it had returned. A new purpose. The two sat and conversed getting to know one another, Rokuro told them his story from start to finish. Each word was listened to with absolute scrutiny, but when it ended, Kairo only smiled. It was as if he was being told a fable, a tale as old as time, but when Kairo had begun their story Rokuro only listened. A tale as old as time, Kairo went through their beginning as a cog in the wheel of the hivemind that was the Yuumei. Not everyone could have their own individuality and for most they were only pieces of the hive. The select few that did however had specific roles. Kairo's had always been the role of the Hunter. Hunting those that had strayed too far from the principals of the Shinkou and became monsters. It felt as if they had talked for hours, but as fate would have it their interaction only lasted minutes in the waking world. Around the library the darkness would begin to creep in and Kairo smiled as they picked up their book and began reading," Looks like our time is up, but we will speak more....the ceremony is complete and you are now one with the Yuumei. Go forth and unlock your path, and when it is your time to obtain Satori, your true awakening, we will meet again my child," and just like that he was back looking at the ceiling of the temple.

Back to the present he had taken another breathe as he looked up to Kairo, their eyes meeting as the manifestation had a book in its hands, not of the waking world but of its own as it hummed," Looks like you have came back from your trip down memory lane...what did you find in the temple again?," the curious voice would muse as a page turned. The monk would stand up as he dusted off his pants and went to open the window of their room and stared out of it, resting his chin on his right fist. For a moment silence would fill the area before looking back toward Kairo for a moment before looking out into the abyss of the sky," I found myself once more and am reminded that I am not alone. The world may has passed me by, but i shall be complacent no more...whatever home is out there for us I will find it... And restore ourselves to the power we once had," a curt chuckle came from his counterpart as he felt them to his side. They stood close, looking out of the window as they hummed a hymn from Rokuro's past.


"As the dust settles, a new man shall stand and the old shall fall."

The last sound that Rokuro had made was a simple chuckle as he continued to stare into the abyss of the sky contemplating on their next move in this world, and more importantly what they would allow this new chapter to be in their book. Whatever the case had been Rokuro had been thankful for the past...and eager for the future.

WC: 2,615

[Claims:]
26 Stats
Singularity 1500 WC
Imitation Black Hole 1115/1750