Ah, Zetsu, requested by: corruptedmelodiesI have to say he’s a hard one to write… You know, for personality reasons. But I think I did all right. Hope you like it.
Bit of information: Ren means ‘Water Lily’ in Japanese.
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A dark cavern of shadows pooled around her feet, each individual black droplet sliding off the long stands of sallow hair, falling back down into the never ending abyss of sculpted perfection, breaking its masquerade once contact was made, the glasslike beauty rippling in a multitude of rings before setting its mask on once again. It was here the water held its unspoiled magnificence, in the majesties of the midnight hour, with only the shining rays of the moon to bounce off its metallic wonder. It was here, in this darkened time, she would often come up, just for a glimpse of a world she neither understood nor thrived in, yet it was here she was content.
All around her sparkling colors mesmerized her imagination, her mind drinking up the scene like a rare wine, forever engraved in her memory. The darkened shades around her dimmed the beautiful picture she had come to love. No, if nothing else everything had been enhanced, the deep greens of the foliage around her almost black against the sunless forest. Small, glowing orbs of nocturnal life coming from all over at a chance to steal a glance at her.
Ren smiled, turning around in the small pond gracefully, bending down to catch her lithe fingers in the cool liquid. It was times like these she loved being what she was, to be able to bask in the serene peacefulness other would never encounter.
She stared at her reflection in the water, at her true form she would only show at night. Her long, pallid hair flowed down over her shoulders, dipping into the water below, her skin was pale, though not so much that she looked like a child of moon, and then her eyes, the very same color of the pond when the bright lights of the sun shone upon it during the day. She smiled at herself, gently running her hand across the top of the water, closing her eyes as her skin was cooled by the chilled pool.
Critters of the night lulled about, going about their business before the sun made its way up into the sky, she liked to think after so many years, she was one of them now, a nocturnal being just living her life day to day. She had come to terms with the fact, they had accepted her, but what in nature wouldn’t accept her?
People. She thought solemnly, her bright sapphire eyes turning upward to look at the stars that clung to the sky. Humans were cruel creatures, hating what they didn’t know, pushing away things that were different from themselves. She would never be accepted by a person she could never know the whimsy of talking to another civilized being, never share her thoughts with something other than her creations.
She then turned her attention glumly toward the waters edge, there, basking in the moons light was a group of water lilies, each one unique in its own way. Pinks oranges and whites blending together in a beautiful array, her creations were beautiful, and she was only glad to be one of them.
This night wasn’t going as she had planned at all, her mind was not basking in the glow of the moon, she was not enjoying Mother Earth’s bounty like she usually did. So, letting out a defeated sigh she turned and waded over to her garden, gently crouching down and closing her eyes, allowing her body to relax and think of nothing but the water.
A light amethyst Hugh suddenly enveloped her body, and when it dimmed, in her place, next to the water garden of lilies, was a lone violet lily.
* * *
As day broke Zetsu found himself in a clearing, far away from any village ninja or not. He took in the quiet surroundings with a sense of peace, nature the only thing he was able to hear, his eyes closing reverently, trying to make the moment last for as long as he could.
He could hear the small rushing of water, only then realizing how thirsty he had gotten on his end ever, and quickly rushed over to take a drink of delectable nectar that helped sustain his life. He could see it up ahead, and when he reached it he wasted no time in falling to his knees and parting his lips, letting the cool water rush through his mouth and down his throat.
It was then he saw it, as he brought his head up an unusual lilac color caught his eye. Upon further inspection he found a small patch of water lilies, clusters of pinks, ginger, and ruby’s all swimming together in a beautiful portrait. It was the lone amethyst lily that perked his interest, and he leaned down to further inspect the rare sight.
“Such a pretty thing.”
“Yes, and so uncommon.”
“We must have it.”
“Yes, we must.” Quickly the multi-toned man pulled out a jar that he had buried within the confines of his long black and red cloak. Filling it half with water he plunged his hand underwater, feeling for the stem that linked the exquisite blossom to the ponds bottom. Once found, he quickly ripped it up from the bottom, making sure to gather the roots with it and tenderly placed it in the jar.
“Now we shall take it.”
“Ah, take it and plant it. It shall be ours.”
“Ours forever.”
The man quickly shut the lid, returning the jar to its previous resting place before molding into the ground. His body became one with the dirt that had once been under him, his soul now free to go where it pleased, and fast.
He sped through the ground, completely undetectable to any bystanders. His eyes closed, only sensing where he was going. He knew the place well, visiting it many times when he was relieved of missions and his duty to the Akasuki.
As his body detached from the ground, slowly rising up from the mess of fallen branches and leaves, his eyes fell on a beloved sight. The sun shone brightly against the colorful array of the garden he dedicated his free time to, nurturing the only thing that he could truly rely on, the only things he could be completely comfortable with.
Flowers and blossoms of every kind mingled with one another in ever growing plot, only the most unique and fascinating being allowed to flourish there. He traipsed over to the small pond he had dug himself months ago, the only thing allowed to thrive was a series of lily pads, the blooms on the green pads dancing in the sunlight with a blue tint to them.
* * *
Darkness surrounded Ren, all around her, not even an inkling of light could be seen from wherever she now was. She was trapped, that much was for sure, something had taken her, and was now holding her hostage. The only inkling to what was going on where the two voices arguing back and forth.
She could suddenly feel the water below her start to shift rhythmically, tossing her out into the brightly lit sunlight, splashing into another, larger body of water. She could fully see now, and her eyes landed on a two toned man, two large appendages sprouting up from his neck, looking, she thought amusedly, like a human Venus Fly Trap. He was astoundingly gorgeous, with his tall body and leafy attachments that almost shielded his double colored face from view. He wore a dark cloak, which covered most of his body, the bright caricature of red clouds lining the bottom.
He had placed her in the water, grabbing her stem and burring it beneath the ground under the water. She smiled slightly, even in this form she could tell what a nurturing soul this man possessed. She watched as he grinned with triumph, one side of his face showing his pointed canine teeth.
“Now the beauty is all ours.”
“Ours alone.”
“She will be so beautiful.”
“She already is.”
He had visited every night, that man, but she could never find the courage to come out and speak with him. What would she say? What would she do? She hadn’t come in contact with another living thing that could talk back to her in ages. She wasn’t sure she could ever remember how work around them anymore.
Tonight however, he had not come, and she was fully energized to come out in her true form. To bask in the milky light of the moon, to let it touch her skin again. She liked this new garden, it was beauty in its highest form, much more splendid than the small clearing she had lived in for so long. So much rare creations were there, laid out for her to see. It was like a secret domicile, a secret shared between the two of them.
She was so captured in the beauty that she didn’t notice the pair of dark eyes watching her every move.
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Zetsu’s eyes glazed over with anger when he saw the magnificent scene in front of him. She was beautiful yes, the most elegant thing he had ever had the privilege of seeing. A mystery. But, his flower, his beautiful lilac flower was gone, she had lied to him, tricking him like that, and she had to pay for that.
He made his way out of the brush, both his eyes glaring at her turned back as he ambled toward her. Her body went rigid for a moment before she spun around, her silky, soft hair twirling around her in soft waves before settling behind her. She smiled softly at him, her eyes showing happiness.
Truth was she was ecstatic, to finally find someone like her, someone who would never be able to truly belong in society, that would be shunned if not entirely from the people who were so cautious around beings like them. But as she looked over at him she felt an overwhelming sense of fear surge through her, raking her body in a trembling convulsion.
“You dirty little liar.”
“You deserve to die.”
“Yes, deceiving us like that! How dare you!”
“Kill her. We must kill the flower girl!”
“N-no!” She wailed, holding her arms out in front of her, the fear shaking through her body in a more forceful wave. “I d-didn’t dec-deceive you though! You trapped me in that form and brought me here! I had no idea what was going on!” She cried desperately, hoping he would understand. “Please, I didn’t know! I’m so sorry! Please? I’m happy that you took me though, it’s nice to finally find someone else like me.”
“Like you? No.”
“Flower girl does not look like a monster.”
“Deceiver! Leave you wretched creature! Leave our garden!”
“No, please!” She tried again, “I know what its like! Honest I do! To not be able to go into a place where there are people! To be stared at all the time! To feel lonely! I do, please jus-“
“Leave before we eat you!” And so she fled, small tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, her throat constricting as a large pair of iridescent wings sprouted from her back, flapping wildly and lifting her off the ground.
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She had fled back to her home, her shelter, away from any other living, breathing, speaking thing. She was foolish to ever think she could be excepted by anyone. Even someone so much like herself. So foolish to think he’d be kind to her, she had, after all, kept herself hidden. Perhaps is she had shown herself right away…
No. Nothing could have prevented the inevitable. She was doomed to live a life of a desolated life.
Her eyes were overflowing with the salty, wet tears that she had allowed to seep down her cheeks when he had yelled at her, threatened to make her his dinner. How horrible was she that she was forced to be isolated? What had she done?
Could she have been being punished for something her ancestors had did back when they were alive? A curse that would forever live on until her dying day? She prayed, and hoped it wasn’t true, but the deep foreboding feeling within her refused to let the hope leak too far.
* * *
Zetsu’s mind refused to let the image of the beautiful water lily maiden flee from his mind. It was harassing him so much the latest corpses the other members of his organization did not even satisfy. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t keep thinking of her, her beauty had mesmerized him. But she had lied, and that was unforgiving.
“Beautiful though she was, wasn’t she?”
“But a liar! She deserved to die! We should have eaten her.”
“Such a beauty mustn’t be wasted on our stomach.”
“No, such a beauty should be ours.”
“Ours forever.”
“Yes…forever.” And with a sickening grin the leafy appendage man sunk into the ground, his livid body racing off to a familiar clearing. His body slowly detached itself from the ground, and he came to face the back of a withering beauty.
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She could sense something now, right behind her. Her body stiffened, as she turned around, the scenario from a few days previous still fresh in her mind. It all became even more real when she saw him. Standing there in his natured glory, a wonderful spectacle of Mother Nature, a carnivorous plant-man that could kill her in a second.
So why was he so hypnotizing. She looked at him and she could feel it inside her. She understood him and he was too blind to realize it. Or perhaps it was her.
“I am Zetsu.” The two halves said in unison, causing a small smile to light on her lips.
“Ren.”
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Zetsu stood there as Ren walked over to them, her eyes shinning with yearning. Yearning to talk to him, to be with him. He had never experienced such a strong emotion like this toward him. Nothing like this, but he couldn’t deny that he was quickly beginning to grow fond of it.
He grabbed the sides of her face with his hands, noticing how her face was almost completely enveloped in the green hand.
“Now the beauty is all ours.”
“Ours alone.”
“She will be so beautiful.”
“She already is…”
Ah, hope you liked this one… Like I said, this one was difficult to write, but I tried. Tell me what you thought?
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