guardian of the storm | ✓

Chapter Fifty ~ An Address

~Chapter Fifty~

The first thing that she grew aware of was the light. It flashed against her eyelids making them a peach color with veins standing out, the light warm and soothing as it washed over her tattered soul. When she built up the courage to open her eyes she found everything to be in stunning detail... and that there wasn't a black space on her right eye.

She wasn't half blind anymore.

The sudden realization left her stunned as she slowly came to the rest of her surroundings. Black and white polaroid pictures are plastered across the ceiling in a tasteful manner, a playful breeze climbed through the large, double windows that were opened. Navy blue drapes billow, the breeze filling them with gusts of air. Chimes sound out through the air, a pure and beautiful sound.

To Winter's surprise, Hell seemed rather peaceful.

A white feather drifts down, landing on her stomach, and it is then that Winter realizes that she's not alone. The chakra is so achingly familiar, casting a terrible spell on her heart that makes it drown in sorrow. She finds it within herself to push herself up into a sitting position, finding that there was no pain to plague her body.

She hesitates for a moment, uncertainty clouding her thoughts, but she had to know if that chakra that reminded her of starlit nights and secret excursions to go play in the woods belonged to the person that had been missing from her life for a long time.

Her bare feet touch the smooth, wooden floor, and she stands up, her long black hair hanging down to her hips. And then she turns around, her breath catching in her throat as she takes in the slouched form of her brother. His hair has grown a tad bit longer, his eyes still the same clear turquoise they'd always been, and that happy-go-lucky grin that had been at the source of so many amazing childhood memories was clearly visible on his face.

Winter didn't hesitate, quickly sprinting against the short distance that separated her from her big brother, and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. It didn't take her long to start crying as he wrapped his arms around her, his head resting on top of hers securely.

For the first time in a long while, Winter felt completely and utterly safe.

Aiden held his little sister while she let out all her tears, stroking her hair down like he used to when they were children. It took her a while to be reduced to mere sniffles and she happily used his shirt as a tissue to wipe off her tears. Once he was certain that she was calm again he promptly smacked the side of her head gently. "Idiot. I didn't want to see you until you were old and wrinkled and had dozens of little grandchildren running around making your hair turn gray."

"Sorry to disappoint." She mumbles into the fabric of his shirt.

"You should be sorry, I wanted to see who your husband was going to be so I could visit him in his dreams and scare the shit out of him."

A weak laugh bubbles out of her throat. "You poor baby." They're both quiet for a moment, just enjoying the company of the other. Finally, she draws back slightly so she can see him, a small smile on her face. He raises an eyebrow at her which makes her tilt her head slightly. "What?"

"I can tell you have questions, why don't you ask them?"

Winter drops her arms, confliction flashing across her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to hear the answers." She says honestly, starting to move around the apartment. It's sparsely decorated and very open, mountains visible in the distance. She sits down on the plush bed, smoothing out the sheets. The bed dips slightly as Aiden sits next to her.

"How about I start explaining and then if you have any questions left you can ask them?"

She rests her head on his shoulder. "That sounds good."

Aiden clears his throat, gathering his thoughts swiftly. "First of all, you're in Heaven, not Hell. I know about the deal you made with Hakai, which was incredibly stupid by the way, but since you've done quite a bit for the shinobi world I was able to pull some strings and save you before you completed the descension into Hell. Secondly, you've been unconscious for a day which is equivalent to a week in the real world."

Winter felt her stomach drop, she'd already been dead for a week? Was the war still going on? Was it finished? Who won?

Aiden continues on, "The Fourth Great Shinobi war has come to an end, the Allied Shinobi forces winning," Winter felt a wave of relief crash over her, "and you're currently in my apartment where I live in Heaven."

She absorbs the information and lets it sink in before looking at her brother. "So I really am dead then."

He looks at her with eyes full of emotions. "Technically, yes..."

"But?" She asks tentatively, sensings the unsaid words that he had yet to speak.

"But I did something that you might either love me for or hate me with a fiery passion." He rubs the back of his neck, casting his gaze out towards the mountains. "When you died you went through the Fall, however, your heart still tried to beat, there just wasn't anyone in the living world to help it continue to beat there. Technically, your heart stopped beating, but you never stopped thinking." He holds up a hand to stop her from spewing out question after question, "You still had a flicker of desire to live and grow, and you had died before your actual death day. Therefore... therefore I made it possible for you to go on the Path of Redemption. The Path of Redemption isn't for the faint of heart, but I promise it isn't super scary. And, it's your ticket back to the living."

"I... I could go back?"

"Yes. It has some risks, of course, rather big ones."

"What doesn't?" She mutters, although a tiny spring of hope had flared up within her.

"If you'd like to have life breathed back into you, you'll need to complete a series of similar tasks. Really it can all be boiled down to one thing." His voice is soft as he looks down at his dear little sister, the one person he'd sacrifice everything for, the one person he wished to keep breathing and fighting and living.

"Which is?"

"You'll have to journey around Heaven and make peace with your past. Only then can you receive your future back, however, you'll have to be judged by Kami and a few other Gods... but that's the last step."

She pales slightly at the mention of the last step, but all of her unspoken words, the dreams she'd had for the future, they could be given back to her. "How would I make peace with my past?" She finally asks, her hands curled into loose fists on her lap.

"With your past, it might take awhile, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it and be able to do it in no time." He smiles encouragingly at her as he stands up, walking over to his desk and grabbing a small piece of paper. He picks up a pen and writes something down on it in a looping scrawl. He walks back over and offers it to her. She takes it and examines it, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"This is an address?"

"Mmhmm, go there to start your journey, he'll help you start everything. I wish you the best of luck, little sister." He leans down and kisses her forehead before standing up and walking out of the apartment. She takes a moment to collect herself before standing up. She catches her reflection in a mirror, her clothes simple and plain, her cheeks pale with no flush of life, and yet her eyes sparkled with determination.

With her heart light and her mind full of conviction, Winter left the apartment, beginning her search for the mysterious man her brother had mentioned.

omg we made it to chapter fifty!!!!!! i'm so happy :) i don't think this book will reach a hundred chapter but i'm happy that there are so many chapters. i figured since this is a pretty big milestone i'd give you guys a few peeks into future chapters.

She was scared, no, she was terrified. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, each beat resonating throughout her entire body, a miniature earthquake wrecking havoc within her. Still, she moved forward, that small cabin getting closer and closer with each shaky step.

War had hardened his heart and drowned his dreams. Without a single shred of remorse, Eien turned his back on them, walking away with his silent refusal hanging in the air.

"You belong with me... with us..."

QotC: Who do you think Aiden gave her the address of?