When Darkness Turns to Light

Chapter Twenty-three: FAKE

Recappy From the Last Chappy: For a heartless girl, she was rather touched.

She closed her eyes and thought, But the longer I'm with him, the more it seems like I do have a heart. I keep feeling. Is it his power as the Keybearer, like he's unlocked some sort of connection with my heart, wherever it may be? Or is it something else?

She opened her eyes a little and gazed at the tools. It felt like she was receiving a gift for the first time-and in a way, it was. She had never received something like this-especially from an adult-seemingly for no particular reason. The ship was a necessity for her and her fellow travelers, but the tools were not-sheer thoughtfulness.

A Keybearer's connection with my heart, or something else, these emotions seem to grow each day.

Chapter Twenty-three: FAKE

The teen boy watched with a passively inquisitive gaze as tears rolled down his companion's face in her sleep. She had her eyes shut tightly and laid on her side, holding herself tightly. Her long, rounded and twisted locks spilled onto the pillow; her bangs, which arched into her face, stuck to her jaw, chin, and neck due to sweat. Her body was uncovered by sheets, but clad in attire normally worn during the day.

Her arms crossed over the sleeveless mint hoodie that covered down to a little passed her ribcage; a silver circle with a white cloud inside was on her right breast. Black fishnet covered her midriff. Her fingers dug into baggy white arm warmers that had the holes lined with blue; they were worn on her upper arm and the lower end was fastened just passed her elbows. Her dark blue caprice-covered knees crossed over each other and bent up toward her chest. A Konoha headband was wrapped around her left thigh whereas her right had a shuriken holster strapped to it.

"Sasuke. . . . Please, stay with me," she desperately whispered. "N-no . . . please . . . I love you-I need you. . . ." Her voice shook and cracked while her breathing steadily became more accented.

The boy walked around the bed toward her other side. He was dressed in black caprice and a high-collared, sleeveless, grey midriff shirt. A black jacket with one short sleeve, one long sleeve, and red tabs on the shoulders also left his midriff bare. He was donned in full typical ninja attire as well as a one-shouldered backpack and a tipless tanto. A black Konoha headband hardly disturbed his short, ink black hair.

His eyes, too, were like soulless ink markings on a face crafted from porcelain; he was as pale as paper, and his lips were as defined as a Greek statue. When he approached the side of the bed on which the girl slept, he hovered over her with the intention of nudging her awake. The gloves on his hands were missing the thumb and forefinger.

Before he touched her, the girl suddenly sat up and grabbed him, placing her forehead against his chest. "Sasuke-don't go!"

The boy remained still, expressing some surprise. ". . . ."

The girl slowly loosened her grip on him and pulled away a little. Pearlescent byakugan eyes scanned the dark room as their owner drifted from dream to reality. Her visage deepened to a crimson color as she looked up at his face. "Sai."

"Good morning," the boy named Sai responded. He wore a smile that was as fabricated as it was transparent; no one would have trouble seeing that it was fake. "Krystal."

The "smile" was reflected in the irises and hidden pupils of Krystal's widened eyes. A lingering tear stained her cheek past her parted lips; she made no effort to respond. She gazed at his countenance and replaced certain features within her mind. His hairstyle changed to include long bangs and cockatoo-like spikes in the back, and his smile became warmer, more sincere. Very minute changes were made to the actual features of his face.