(no subject)

[hyuuga-hime.livejournal.com]

When; Christmas Eve (can we say BACKDATED much?)
Rating; PG
Characters; Hyuuga Hinata [hyuuga_hime], Hyuuga Neji [cagedbirdflying], Tomoe Hotaru [silence_bringer]
Summary; After watching and waiting for weeks, Neji finally comes home and Hinata has the chance to give him a very special Christmas present.
Log;

A sigh. And then another. She stared out the window at the falling snow, fingers brushing slightly over the variegated green wool of the scarf in her lap. Glancing down at the coiled length of striped green, she bit her lip slightly. She'd worked so hard on it, now all she could hope for was that he'd return from wherever he had gone in time for her to give it to him. But...would he even want it? Hinata knew Neji cared, on some level. But...she just didn't know what that level constituted. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she recommenced staring out the window. She was worried about him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. She did. And she knew that of all the people who could have gone off by themselves, Neji was probably the least likely to get into any sort of real trouble. Folding her fingers over her knees, she winced slightly, pulling up one hand to study her fingertips. Marred by numerous cuts and splits, the thin bandages hid the wounds but didn't dull the pain. However, it was the pain that reminded her. Of what else she had worked so hard on. And now...she finally had what she had strived so hard for. Now the only thing that she needed, was for Neji to come home.

Snow. Softly falling all around, coating everything in a blanket of pure white. To one observing, it would seem like a peaceful sight of beauty and wonder. But to one trudging through it, it was anything but wondrous. A pair of feet left a trail in the ivory landscape, leading a path from a place far away and unknown. If one looked closely, they would notice a reddish outline to some of these footfalls--crimson droplets that stained the blizzard-ridden drag, like rose petals from a forgotten winter festival. The trek continued onward, but the farther it went, the ruddier the snow became.
The one who wandered this solemn road took a small breath.

It may not be long for him.

And he knows this well.

He would have allowed himself to die in obscurity, blanketed by the Winter's will. It was a good fate for one such as he.

But fate had dealt another hand, another card to he who she held in thrall.

A voice had beckoned him, and brought him hence. Once again to the City of Dreams.

From the moment he had re-entered this place, once again dazzled by its lights, and artificiality which painted a plasticine picture of something akin to sinful innocence, something had stirred within his heart. The voice that had been speaking, calling and reaching for so long had finally revealed itself. It was a sense of validity, of an honesty unborn from human conjecture, but rather, undoubtedly supernatural in nature. A feeling of truth. Something spurred him onward, wishing and wanting for him to speak his peace, and allow all to know the sincerest workings of his soul.

Maybe it was Death whispering in his ear. Maybe it was the sense of being aware that one's time was undoubtedly growing shorter by the moment.

Maybe it was a curse.


He did not know, but what he did know was he had to do it. Soon. Or he may lose his chance.

A frigid wind blew up, and the boy pulled in his arms about himself, agitating the wounds underneath. Biting his lip, he allowed a sigh to escape his lips. The snowfall was anything but lovely and pleasant. If anything, it was a deathknell.



As eyes the same shade as the snow gazed out across the frigid landscape that the stark angles and edges of the metallic world gave rise to, those same eyes narrowed slightly as a flicker of something brushed the senses of their owner. Something...no. Someone. Someone familiar.

Neji...?

Shifting on the windowsill, palms flattened themselves against the frosted panes of glass as she blew on the surface. Wiping a hand across it to clear the view for alabaster irises, she narrowed her eyes and strained to see through the increasingly thick curtain of white crystals that rained down from the heavens. A moment. Then another. And nothing. But then...the barest flicker of movement. Teeth bit down on a lip already bruised from numerous other impacts with smooth and unyielding enamel as hands flew together rapidly into a familiar seal.

Byakugan

As the veins pressed outward at the corners of her eyes and the kekkei genkai activated, she cast her vision out across the frozen landscape, searching. And then...There! A shape, dark against the pale opacity of the snow, staggering slightly as it made it's way across the distance.

Neji!

And with that, everything was put aside. Scarf, bloodied fingers, everything. Stumbling in her hurry, she scrambled for the door, throwing it open and darting outside. Heading towards the one place she most wanted to be.


The bleak breath of the ruthless midwinter was upon him, the frozen goddess slowing his every step to a nil march. All was beginning to blur together into a tapestry of white, blinding his eyes of the same hue to the very brink of sight. His lack of strength was preventing his abilities to be called forth, so the Byakugan was all but worthless. The loss of the blood was beginning to become more than a nuisance as well. His muscles numbing, he tried one last time vainly to shut out the cold and go on.

His legs failed him, halting this advance at once.

Closing his now useless eyes, he gave into himself at long last.

A whisper escaped his windblown lips, quiet and lost upon the banshee's cry that echoed all around him.

Hinata-sama, I'm sorry...



Falling, tripping over her feet as she ran, stumbling footsteps bringing her, oh so slowly it seemed, towards the shape in the snow. Her eyes widened as she saw his form falter, tumbling into the soft whiteness, and she pushed herself forward. Faster, feeling the muscles in her legs begin to burn. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, nothing but him.

No...Neji, don't let it be too late..

Heedless of the biting cold, she skidded to a stop, falling to her knees beside him and dragging his limp form into her lap. Rocking back and forth on her knees, she wrapped arms around his torso, hugging him to her as tears she had been holding back spilled over and onto her cheeks, their wet trails freezing to strips of frozen cold on her face as she shook him gently, patting his cheek with one hand as she desperately tried to rouse him.

"Neji. NEJI! Wake up, please wake up! It's me. Hinata"

Mentally, she cursed herself for having lacked the forsight to even grab a blanket from the warmth of the apartment. He was cold, too cold. And the trail of crimson that peppered the snow around him couldn't possibly be a good sign. But now wasn't the time to be checking his body for injuries. No, that would do no good if he froze to death in the cold. Shifting slightly, she pulled one of his limp arms across her shoulders. Gritting her teeth, she pulled, staggering under the weight of his larger frame. Hinata knew very well she couldn't hope to carry Neji all the way back to the apartment. But...maybe if she could just manage to support him enough to drag the two of them back..

"Neji....I..won't let...you..die here! I've...I've waited too...too long..."

It took a long while, such a long while it seemed, for her to reach the safety of the apartment. Neji was heavy, his larger form solid with muscle and weighted down by unconsciousness. Hinata found herself mentally wishing that Chouji, Kiba, anyone was around who could have helped her half-carry and half-drag the limp weight of her cousin up to their apartment. Reaching the door, she shifted and let Neji's form slide off of her shoulder. Propping him up against the wall, she gasped for breath as she pushed open the door. Frowning, she slipped her hands under his shoulders, straining as she stepped around him to drag him into the apartment. While she would have rather gotten him into bed, she only made it to the carpeted part of the floor. Clawing her way over to the couch, her fingers wrapped around the corner of the woolen blanket that hung over the back of the piece of furniture. With a desperate yank, she pulled the heavy coverlet off of the couch. Dragging it over, she threw it over his cold form, tucking it around him as she pushed herself to her feet. A run to the kitchen, and drawers were yanked open, tossed across the polished tile floor and ransacked in search of the first-aid kit she had insisted that they needed.

No, you can't die. You have to be ok, I won't LET you die!

Stumbling to the floor beside him, she pulled the blanket back and started tugging at the fasteners on his shirt. Despite the fact that her cheeks would have normally been on fire at the thought of practically ripping Neji's clothes off, fear, worry, and several years of medical training were foremost on her mind. Stripping off the stiffened cloth, frozen with the moisture of the snow, she tossed it aside, stifling a gasp at the ugly wounds that traversed his body. But the wounds themselves weren't the worst thing. No, the worse thing was the ghastly pallor of his skin, and the bluish tinge of his lips. Hands flying at speeds that belied their trembling, she hurridly wrapped bandages around the deep rents and lacerations that still weeped crimson onto the carpet before placing her hands over his chest. Concentrating, she gathered her chakra and focused it on the ruined flesh beneath her palms, willing the torn skin and muscle to knit and the slow ebb of blood to slow.

Please. Please. Please. Please....

Tears marred her face as it twisted in frustration. It wasn't working. No, it couldn't fail. It didn't matter that the City would bring him back to life, that wasn't good enough. No, she had to save him. Had to ensure that when they found a way back home, that he would come with them. But...it wasn't working. The wounds themselves had closed over, but his chakra was still tremulous, his lifeforce weak. And that ghostly white cast that clung mercilessly to his face. She shook her head, tears increasing as she bit her lip.

"No, no, no, NO, NO! No, you have to wake UP, you can't leave me, you promised!"

Through the haze of fear and panic, her frantic mind searched blindly for an answer, a spark of hope. Something, anything, that would save him. It didn't matter what the cost, didn't matter what she had to give, to sacrifice. All that mattered, the only thing that was worthwhile in her life right now was him. He was the star in her sky, the light in her darkness. Regardless of how Neji may have felt for her, to Hinata, he was the center of her world. And she'd be damned if she let him die. Shoulders shaking, she leaned over his bandaged torso as the tears dripped down her nose to splash onto his skin, begging him, God, anyone who would listen for an answer that would save the person she held most dear. And then...a flash. A face, bringing with it the answer she sought.

Hotaru-san!

Scrambling to her feet, she barely took the time to rewrap the blanket around Neji's prone form before she was out the door and into the snow. Running blindly, she rebounded off of doors and walls, fists pounding frantically as she searched for the one person who perhaps could give her a miracle. The one person she knew who could heal the unhealable.

No, which door, which door?



A frantic, almost frenzied battering on her door in the middle of the night drew her from sleep. Gliding across the floor, Hotaru tucked a strand of midnight-hued hair behind one ear. Glancing over her shoulder to where Archer loomed in the doorway to her bedroom, she sighed slightly. Though his often-overprotective nature could be frustrating at times, it was moments like this when she was grateful for it. Reaching out and turning the knob, she pulled open the door. And was almost tackled by the sobbing and snow-covered form of Hinata. Hotaru reeled backwards from the door in startlement as the other girl collapsed into her arms, blubbering something about injuries and help and someone called "Neji". It only took the timid senshi a few moments to figure out the important things. That someone was badly injured. And that they needed her help now. Looking back at Archer, she darted past him and grabbed her coat.

"Hinata-san, take me to him."



With a tearful nod, Hinata grabbed the smaller girl's arm and half-dragged her along after her. Within moments, they were at the apartment, Hotaru kneeling over the still shape of Neji where he lay on the floor. She bit back a grimace at the man's appearance. He didn't look good. The external wounds seemed to be healed, but his colour and the ragged way he was breathing meant only one thing. There was damage internally. Damage that a healer from his world, like Hinata, couldn't fix.

He's...one of Itachi-sama's enemies. But...he's precious to Hinata-san. And...he's badly hurt. He'll die if I don't heal him. I've got to try.

Violet eyes narrowing in determination, Hotaru placed her hands over the center of his chest, concentrating her energy into the form that would heal the massive damage. Her palms began to glow, the soft light spreading as it intensified to suffuse his torso. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated, intensifying the focus, feeling the energy twine with his own energy to nudge his body into repair. As the seconds ticked by, indeterminably slow, she could see the colour beginning to return to his cheeks, his breathing growing easier. Lowering her hands, she wobbled, sagging against Archer as the tall man immediately appeared to catch her and cradle her to him. Shakily, she reached out and placed a small hand on top of Hinata's.

"He...he'll be alright, Hinata-san. Don't worry."

Glancing up to meet Archer's eyes, she nodded at him. Scooping her up into his arms, he stood and bowed to Hinata before heading out the door with Hotaru.


Words couldn't express the feeling that coursed through her as she saw his colour stabilize and his breathing slip into an easier rhythm. Choking back tears, all she could do was nod tearfully as Hotaru smiled at her and proclaimed him healed. As the door closed, she finally gave in and let go of her control. Sobbing, she laid her head down on his chest, fingers fisting into the blanket as she murmured his name into the stiff wool.

"Neji...Neji...you're ok. You're ok, everything's alright, I'm here now...You're ok..."

Sitting up, she pulled his head into her lap, slender fingers brushing stray strands of chocolate-hued hair out of his face as she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Wake up, please wake up. Please. Just wake up and look at me, please?"


Sound began to filter back to his ears, a rhythm so close to him echoing through, dissonant and deafening.

It took him only a moment to realize this was his own breathing.

And the breathing burned. The workings of his lungs were almost a new sensation, like being born again. He hefted his chest, teaching himself what his brain should have already known. Though the autonomy was in place...it felt as if he ceased in his conscious thoughts about breathing, that he would cease to draw breath once more.

Was this purgatory? Did you still breathe in Purgatory? Or did Lady Fate once again step in, and pull him back from the brink of death, as she had a few memorable times before. Lids fluttering, he prepared to open his orbs of vision to whatever they may see...darkness, light, or something inbetween.


She caught her breath at the barest flutter of long lashes, as though if she herself breathed, it might prove to have been merely a figment of her imagination. Stroking fingertips lightly across his face, she allowed them to linger over the bandages that covered the veridian lines marking his forehead. Sliding the tips of her digits underneath the linen, she slid it up and pulled the bandaging off. Casting it to the side, she softly traced the lines that caged the Hyuuga genius, barring and constricting his potential and limiting the skies to those inside his cage.

But not anymore. I promise, Neji-kun. I'm going to set you free, once and for all.

Leaning over, she shifted slightly, trying to move his head to what would hopefully be a more comfortable position. Reaching down over his head, she snagged the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to tuck the fleecy warmth tighter around his shoulders.

"Neji-kun? Can you hear me? It's Hinata.."


The light was something painful. His eyes felt as if he had slept for many a year, burning and throbbing with a sensation unprecendented as the lumination began to filter to his retinas, making him squint. He heaved a breath, which was also cumbersome, as he struggled to heft himself from the cold surface he laid upon (his nerves were just now beginning to register the chill) and sit upright. As his muscles strained to work, he let out a small sigh. This may not happen, at least not yet.

It was then that he heard the soft voice, its words finally striking a sense of comprehension with in him.

A raspy sound came from his lips, quite detachedly, and it make Neji blink to even hear the words uttered. "Hinata-sama.."


Biting her lip, she forced back the tears that threatened to spill over her eyelids at the sound of his voice. Raspy though it was, the sound was like the sweetest music to her ears. Tucking a strand of indigo hair behind one ear, she slid one small pale hand down his cheek and over his chest to press him back down.

"No, don't try to get up yet. You're not strong enough yet, you need to rest. Just stay here for a moment."

Sliding gently out from underneath him, she laid his head softly back onto the carpet as she got to her feet and stepped into the kitchen. Hands shaking, she rummaged in the cabinets, pulling out a packet of cider. Dropping the drink mix onto the polished marble of the countertop, Hinata pulled open a drawer and yanked out several other packets of powder.

Thank you, Shika-kun...

The indigo-haired girl reminded herself to hug the lanky shadow-walker the next time she saw him for his thoughtful present of medicinal herbs. Ripping open several of the packets with her teeth, she dumped them into a mug and followed them with the powdered apple and cinnamon mixture. Jerking the pot of water she had been boiling for cocoa off of the stove, she poured the steaming liquid into the mug, stirring the brew slowly to mix it all. Scooping up the mug, she plopped back down next to Neji and set the mug on the floor. Pulling his head back into her lap, she lifted it as much as she could, placing the edge of the cup to his lips.

"Drink this, it'll help."


All he could taste was a bitterness. It pervaded his senses like a venom, bleeding into everything and making it painful, and yet hazily alert. Alert? Poison didn't have the tendency of doing that. Groggily, Neji made a small noise, trying to sit up, but finding his body would not let him. He sighed, coughing a little bit, as air filled his lungs, which were still stinging from the cold. He didn't really know where he was, or what was going on, but...he knew one thing. He hadn't died...or if he had, where he was still allowed him to feel pain. And from what he had heard about the nether-realms, it was that you weren't truly supposed to feel pain unless in hell. But, maybe those people were wrong. Maybe death was just another world, another plane to live on. Another place where life went on as usual.

He himself could not say, nor did he know. But, whatever it was, he would find out soon enough what was plaguing him. His body was beginning to rise from the depths, and into the shallows of whatever reality he was currently inhabiting. He only hoped it was somewhere he knew...but if it wasn't...then that was fate's hand as well. Fate had dealt him here, and it would be by Fate's hand he came from it.

"Shhh......"

Gently, ever so gently, she stroked his cheek with soft fingertips. It was almost dream-like, in a way. Afterall, with the exception of a few instances where they'd both been cursed, it wasn't as though Neji would let her be this close, allow her the simple familiarity of the intimate contact. A dream, a mirage. A phantom that would disperse as soon as those pale eyes, identical to her own, opened and realized where he lay. Then he would be up, gone, pulling the curtains of stoicism and apathy around himself again. But for now...she could be close to him. She could hold him, and love him, and care for him.

"You shouldn't try to get up yet. Let it take effect. Hotaru-san healed you, but your muscles are still stiff from the cold and the injuries. The tea will warm them. Just...stay here."

With me.. was really what she wanted to say, but she didn't want to break this perfect moment, stolen though it was. Leaning down to press lips gently against the seal on his forehead, she whispered to him.

"I love you."

Now would work. It would be the perfect time, before he awoke and pushed her away. But...she had to be sure, had to make certain that if something happened to her, that he would be alright. So she simply sat, and waited. There was time. As much time as it had taken to train, to learn, to ready herself, she could spare a little more.

Neji struggled, the heavy binds of unconsciousness not wishing to budge, no matter how much he resisted against them. Every so often a small murmur would escape from his lips, as his breathing would deepen..and then become shallow again, almost like the ocean tide. Sweat beaded upon his brow, and his eyes were clinched shut, as he tried to fight the imaginary water that held him under, wanting to make him drown it its swarthy realm of ink, and disappear forever.

Delicate brows furrowing slightly, she carefully traced fingertips over his forehead as she frowned at the lines of struggle painted onto his visage. Concentrating, she let the chakra seep out of her hand, feeling it mingling with his own, bolstering his reserves and healing away some degree of the fatigue and wear his body had suffered. Hotaru had healed the damage itself, but the smaller girl couldn't take away the toll said damage had left on him. But I can....at least a little bit. It was selfish, perhaps. The Hyuuga scion knew perfectly well that once he woke up, her chances to follow-through on her plan would be dashed. But....she wanted to talk to him, to see his eyes, even if she had to wait and bide her time for this.

All at once, the water began to clear from his lungs. Feeling the weight lifted, Neji yanked solidly one more time at the chains that bound himself...and they immediately broke, as if they had been rusted over. Pushing off from this point, Neji swam forth, onward and upward to the light that glittered dimly on the surface of the ink he'd been submerged in. After what seemed like a small eternity, he felt his hands break the surface, and he felt the cool wind of life kiss his face once more. Coughing and sputtering, Neji returned to consciousness, having been trapped beneath its surface for so long.

His sudden motion startled her, as did the fit of coughing. The medic-nin in her responded in cool and collected mental voice that it was perfectly normal, that after that much trauma and internal bleeding, of course he would have some lingering blood in his lungs and said blood would thereby cause coughing. But the other part of her, the part that still fluttered with nervousness at how close he'd come to death, beat wildly against her as her eyes widened and she tightened her hold on him with a startled bleat.
"Neji-" Chewing her lower lip, she tugged, pulling him further onto her lap and leaning the back of his head against her stomach. At least with his head more upright, then he'd be able to breathe better.

Neji moaned a little, his eyes beginning to flutter, and the white irises underneath beginning to show. Reality was bright and painful--his eyes so accustomed to the calignous world, any light felt like knives being driven deep into them. The glow was sharp, but he, taking in deep breaths, finally worked to get his eyes open. The first sight he saw, in his heart, was a relief. A great one.

"Hinata-sama..."

She bit her lip to hold back the tears the still threatened to spill over quivering eyelids. He was here, he was safe, he knew who she was. Arms tightened around his head, trembling with the relief at seeing those pale orbs finally open. With a slight sniffle, she managed a weak smile. "Neji-kun. How do you feel?"

A hand came up to his forehead, as another small groan escaped his lips. He was tired, no doubt about that..and he was groggy. And his body felt a slight bit of pain from fatigue, but other than that, he was fine.

"..Much better, Hinata-sama.....thank you." He allowed a smile to paint across his face, as he regarded his cousin. She looked quite worried, and he was more than sure that she had been the one to find him, and to bring him out of his comatose state. She had probably run herself ragged doing so, as well. "...And...thank you for saving me."

Shaking her head, short indigo hair rustling around her, she felt her heart lurch at the sight of his smile. He had....smiled at her. Without a curse, of his own volition. Of all the things anyone could have given her, his smile was the one thing she would cherish the most. "You...don't have to thank me, Neji-kun....I didn't do it for your thanks. I did it because...." She broke off, rational mind kicking romantic notions into the corner. No, she couldn't say that. Couldn't tell him the reasons that he likely already knew. Not because they weren't true, but because it would hurt too much to have them pushed gently aside again. So instead, she bit back the momentary sting and smiled at him again.

His smile deepened, and became warmer, as he continued to watch her face. He knew what she was thinking....and in his heart, he felt that to be fine.

"Hinata-sama....you don't have to say anything. I know. And...I am glad." He closed his eyes a little, as the fatigue began to overtake him. "I would like to go home. Back to where we live here....I've been gone for too long."

Surprise painted it's way across her face, alabaster eyes widening at his words. "You....you're glad? I don't...understand...." Pushing back the abrupt flutter of wings that was her heart, she inwardly calmed herself. He probably just meant that he was glad for her care. Afterall, who wouldn't be glad for the care of a healer who had saved them? And it...it wasn't good to hope. To let herself believe too much. For as much as she wanted to, hoping just seemed to end in pain. Scrambling for a different subject, she latched onto his other statement with a smile and a nod. "You are home, Neji-kun. I...carried you here when you fell in the snow."

Neji nodded, the image in his eyes finally becoming completely clear, and him finally being able to see the outline of the small apartment that she and he shared with other Konoha ninja. He nodded once, trying to push himself up up to a sitting position, but with no luck.

"I'd like to go lay down..Hinata-sama. Could you help me to the couch?" His eyes once more meeting hers, he noticed the expressions on her face--and the reflections of her heart.

Nodding, she slipped away and pulled one of his arms around her shoulders. Gritting her teeth slightly, she hauled him up, staggering a bit under the weight of his taller and heavier form. Turning them towards the couch, she took a few hesitant steps, carefully placing her feet so as to not topple over under their combined weight.

Neji hobbled a bit on his own, finally reaching the edge of the comfortable surface. With a small sigh, he heaved himself down to the cushions, eventually pouring himself out upon the couch. But, in another motion, he reached his hand up, wrapping it about his cousin's waist, bringing her down to the couch with himself, holding her hence.

With a yelp of surprise, she froze as his embrace pulled her down to nestle against his chest. Crimson blossomed across her cheeks and she stammered slightly at the sudden display of intimacy. "N..N..Neji-kun, what are-"

"Shh. "He leaned back into the couch more, allowing her room, and giving way for her to stretch out against him. Constricting his arms around her, he kept her against his chest, eyes closing once more. "Let's just rest. Just like this....and enjoy the time we're given....Hinata-sama..." With this, his smile spead, and became more of a contented expression, as he drifted away to sleep--a controlled sleep that he himself began.


Her breath seemed to leave her as his arms tightened around her, pulling her close against him. She simply watched as the lines on his face softened, relaxing away into sleep. Confident that his consciousness was safely tucked away in the recesses of his mind, she wriggled slightly out of his embrace to shift upward slightly. Resting her arms gently on his chest, she reached up to trace the Juuin once more before bringing her index finger up to her lips. Eyes narrowing, she grimaced slightly as pearly white teeth bit into skin, drawing crimson. Slowly, so carefully and precisely, she moved her fingertip in a complex pattern across the green seal. When she drew the digit back, an intricate vermilian rune remained in it's place, bright colour contrasting with the cool green.

Now.....there's no turning back. If this fails....

She shook her head, eyebrows drawing together in determination. No, it wouldn't fail. She'd make sure of it. Holding one hand in front of her, she carefully and deliberately formed the seals, mind repeating the sequence to her, the same sequence she had practiced so many times. As she neared the final few seals, the rune began to glow, the soft light intensifying as the final seal fell into place. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and placed two fingers against the rune as she channeled the chakra. Gritting her teeth against the strain, she concentrated as she struggled to transmute the energy into the form she needed.

Almost enough..almost there....

Sweat beaded on her forehead as the rune blazed, the lines of the juuin beginning to blur, the boundaries of the green lines fading slowly. She could feel her strength ebbing as the final lines faded off of his pale forehead and the rune melted into the skin.

I...I did it.....

With a weak smile, she stared for a moment at the smooth, unmarred skin. Free of the green brand, free of the curse. Free of the cage that her father had placed him in. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his forehead before her smaller body slumped over his as she passed out.