Angels and Demons ch. 2

“You know that they won’t pay a ransom of any kind for me.”

He looked up at her coldly.  “I know.”

They were in a dark room, much like a cave, the only lights came from Ino and a small fire that spat flames at them sinisterly.  Ino sat, back to the fire, with her legs still tied looking at the leader of her captures who was sitting on a poorly made chair, reading a book that looked like it had gone to war.

“Then why take me?  Were you just saving me for a time when you wouldn’t have to share me?”  She spat at him.  He winced as though her words had truly hurt him.

“There were other hunters around.”

“So?”

“You’re so troublesome.”  He sighed heavily.  “One:  not all demons are pure evil you know.  We were just thinking the wrong thing as we died or something like that.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Don’t interrupt or I won’t speak to you.  But yes that is.  I was thinking of killing the bastard who got me for killing my best friend.”

Ino opened her mouth but snapped it shut when he glared at her.

“Two:  along the lines of we aren’t all that evil we need to sustain ourselves in a way if we aren’t in hell, which if you haven’t noticed isn’t pleasant.  Killing is like feeding so we have to if we want to get away.  So we normally try to kill people who are suicidal or something, but other hunters are pure evil and a few were nearby and we –not being pure evil- didn’t want to have you eaten.”

“But the one-“

“I thought I told you not to interrupt?  But yes Neji said ‘should we eat’ to throw the others off and to motion you were ours.”

Ino stared at him for awhile, waiting for him to continue.  “I’m you know.”  She smiled and opened her mouth to finally ask her questions.

“Were you and your friend separated?”  She asked cautiously.

He looked down, sorrow holding in his face.  “Yes.  I know he’s in heaven…with you I suppose…he never had a bad thought in him.”

“But you were simply thinking of revenge surely that isn’t evil!  You only wanted to avenge your friend!”  Ino cried.

“It doesn’t work that way.  I was thinking of murder…killing him.  That’s viewed as evil and so I ended up here.”  He shrugged.

“It’s not fair.”  He smiled a little.

“Taking pity on a demon huh?  Never heard of that happening before.”

Ino frowned.  “I can feel sorrow too ya know.”

“Oh yes I’m sure you can.  Off in heaven with every hearts desire, your body’s pain leaving instantly instead of lingering for as long as it took you to pass your pain on to another by killing him.  I’m sure you cry everyday.”

Ino glared at him, hate boiling in her.  “You can’t assume those things.”

“No, but I can hear it from your conversations.”

“Not all angels are as blissful as you think.”

“No?  And tell me why?”  He challenged, leaning back in his seat.

“You wouldn’t understand!”

“I can understand a lot being from a place of pain.  And I especially understand matters of the heart.”

Ino pouted.  “So you would understand love then?”

“A little.”

Ino turned to face the fire, unwanted tears falling into her hands.  “He loves her.”

“Who is she?”  He asked softly.

“My best friend.”  

“He knows you love him?”  He asked, standing up and sitting beside her.

“Yes.  We’ve both loved him since…oh forever.  But he chose her.”  Ino’s shrug became a shudder and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably.  He looked at her sadly, afraid to touch or comfort her.

“What’s your name angel?”  

Ino sniffled and took a deep breath.  “Ino.  What about you?”

“Shikamaru.  Can I…can I ask how you died?”

“Drunk driver.  Sprained my ankle trying to get away then both Sakura and Sasuke died trying to save me…pathetic I know.”

“No…I don’t think it’s pathetic.  Maybe you were tripped or your ankle was snapped by a hunter.”

“I…I never thought of that.”  Ino said looking at him for a second.  “What about you?”

“Me?”  Shikamaru looked at the cave ceiling.  “In the wrong place at the wrong time.  Some guys were robbing a mini-mart my friend and I went to a lot.  Chouji’s mom had just called to ask him to pick something up.  The robbers thought we were calling the police on them and shot him.  I got shot after a little while as well.”

He turned to her with sad eyes.  “I’m sorry.”

“Why?  You didn’t shoot me or stick me in this place.”  He looked at her questioningly.  An angel was asking about him and feeling for him.  That was something odd.

Ino looked up.  “Can I show you something?”

“Do we have to leave?”

“Well yes…but...I won’t run…or at least not until after I show you.  Don’t worry it’s nice.”

He scowled.  “It’s a bother to get up.”  Ino’s face set into a determined frown.  Her wings flapped lightly and she went over to where he sat.  She put hands on his upper arms and began to carry him with her.  But then a sharp pain in her wings caused her to fall.

She looked back.  A small bug was gnawing at her wing bone with sharp teeth that were doing a lot of damage.  “Sorry.”  Shikamaru said and he plucked it off.  “Funny little bugs…they live down here.  Can you still fly?”

Ino tried to open her wing and screamed.  “Ok, ok, ok, don’t push yourself.  Man…this is so troublesome.”  He said as he bent down and picked Ino up bridal style.  They flew like that, Ino directing him to a small wood.  Through the middle a happy stream ran with little waterfalls.  Flowers in white, purple, blue, and pink surrounded them and butterflies roamed free.

Shikamaru set Ino down carefully before lying down.  “Isn’t it lovely?”  Ino asked sitting next to him.  He looked at her.  In the sun she was dazzling to look at.  

“You’re so strange Ino.”

“And why is that?”

“You took pity on a devil, you took that devil to the most beautiful place on earth, and…you’re not running.”  He finished with a grin.

Ino blinked and looked down.  “Devil or not we’re still alike right?”

“I guess.”

“And I think everyone should see this place.  As for running…I don’t want to go back to seeing them…besides I like being here with you.”

“You do?”

“You’re nice.  And you’re nice to me.”

“What the hell?”  Both of them looked up to see a tall girl with a good body and deep blonde hair in four bushy pigtails.  She glared at Ino.

“Temari?  What do you want?”    

“I saw you leave with an angel…and here I find you sitting with her.”

“Temari…not all angels are like the one you met.”

“There’s only way to tell that.”  In a flash Temari was behind Ino with a sickly smelling, blood crusted dagger.  “Did you ever dare to take a demon?”

“Temari stop it!”  Shikamaru said in a low, dangerous voice.

“No!  HAVE YOU!”  Ino could feel the demon blade on her.  One of the only things an angel or demon can be hurt with is a weapon held by another one of them so as Temari cut, a juice like liquid light began to trickle down Ino’s neck.

“TEMARI! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!”  Temari gave Shikamaru a look of pure loathing before she disappeared.

Ino was kneeling on the ground holding her throat and panting.  Shikamaru rushed over to look at the cut.  “Don’t worry you’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

“How?  You can’t see the cut.”  Shikamaru said lying back again.

“I know I’ll be ok since you’re here Shikamaru.”  She said it honestly.  It was the only loving word he’d heard from any creature, angel or demon, since his death.

Shikamaru reached up and pulled Ino down so that she was lying with her head on his chest.  She slipped her arms around his neck and he put his around her waist.  They stayed there talking in soft whispers of life for a long time.

At one point Ino looked up at him, propping herself up on her elbows.  “You know what Shikamaru?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t care about Sasuke and Sakura anymore.”

“Oh?”  Shikamaru said lifting his head a bit and opening one eye.

“Nope.  Not anymore.  Thank-you Shikamaru.”  She said.  

She lowered her head, pressing her soft, warm lips to his cold, hard ones.  But his lips softened and his mouth invited her in…and she obliged.  They stayed like that for a time, before going back into their former position.  

They probably would have stayed like that forever had a great horn, a series of shouts, and the sounds of wings and moving trees and bushes not gone off behind them, alerting them both that Temari was back…and she had brought friends…both demons…and angels.