Fated

For two weeks, Temari traveled to different parts of Konoha. She returns to Icha beach looking for peace and found it through the village's sea breeze and salty waves. She stayed at the beach for a week, trying to forget everything, to forget him, and to repent for what she has done.

The following week, she stayed near the mythical forest and Konoha library. Still bothered about why the music and scars suddenly stopped, all of the manifestations she experienced before suddenly stopped. One morning, she decided to go up to the mythical forest, to the boulder that she touched before. When she reached it there was an old man glaring at the mineral boulder, he saw Temari and smiled at her.

“What brought you here young lady?”

Temari was startled “Uhm, I just want to see the cursed boulder”

“The one with the soulmate curse?” the old man said

“Soulmate curse?” She was now curious, it was her first time hearing about the soulmate curse.

The old man sits on the bench that was near the boulder and placed his cane beside him “Yeah, soulmate curse. It’s rare and the only one in the world. Do you want me to tell you a story?”

Temari walked closer and sit beside him.

“My parents were both witches and I have the blood of being a witch too” The old man looked at her “Are you frightened?”

“No, there are more frightening things in the world than discovering witches” she responds

“Clever girl” he closed his eyes and felt the wind. Temari just watched him, waiting for his next words “You see, if I touched something curse, I could see the person who placed them and that boulder had two people responsible for its curse”

“Two people huh? Did you see their faces?” she asked

“Yes, the lady who’s beautiful and strong as you and the man, her lover who was tough and bright were so in love that they promised to love each other in every universe” He laughed “and I think they did”

“Wow” She expressed

“Have you heard the story of lovers of the war? The princess and the Lord?”

“Ah yeah, the lovers from the Nara clan? The lovers who were cast by the death curse?”

“Indeed, that curse is one of a kind and the most powerful. The lovers were very unfortunate to have that but you know, they also created a curse. They placed that curse on that boulder because of the passionate love they have for each other” the old man pointed to the mineral boulder in front of them.

She smiled at him “So they cast a spell on that boulder because they love each other?”

“Correct. You know young lady a lot of people feared the dark curses but little did they know the most powerful curse in the world is love. Having two people unified by their body, soul, and mind can defeat any strong curse in the world. You just have to believe it, feel it”

“And they’re soulmates? I remember you said it was a soulmate curse”

“Yes, and whenever their souls traveled to this world the red string of fate became much stronger, tighter, pulling closer to each other. Whatever they do, whenever they go, they always find one another. That’s the soulmate curse”

“Are their soul travels this current time?” She’s curious that he might saw it since he’s a witch and probably knows it by now.

“I firmly believe, yes. All they need to do is find each other again, the other one is waiting while the other one is still confused, trying to break the red string” He grabbed her finger and pinch it “but she didn’t know the string tightens whenever she tried to break it”

Temari felt a cold sensation wrapping around her body, it felt like the message was for her but she tried to shrug it off. She removed her pinky from his hand and clears her throat.

“Right, uhm, I hope they find each other. Whoever they were”

“They will. As I said, whatever they do, whenever they go, they always find one each other” He smiled and stood up from his seat “I have to go, nice meeting you Temari”

She was surprised that the old man knows her name. Her heart starts beating faster, was it fear that she was feeling? Fear, that she might have the soulmate curse? A lot of questions starts running through her mind, she wanted to go to the mansion in the Nara Forest but feared the chance of seeing Shikamaru there. So, she immediately went to the library to seek more answers.

When she arrived, the lady assists her and lead her to the room that they went before. Temari didn’t know where to start so she asked the lady.

“Uhm, do you have more files about the lovers of the war? The one from the Naras?” she asked

“Oh, about that one. We only have few, the Nara clan were very strict when it comes to their ancestor’s possession” the old lady said

“Oh, right. Uhm I might look in some old newspaper in here….about them” Temari was disappointed after hearing it.

“But you know, I have a secret” She smiled and winked at her “The library was able to get the Princess’ Kimonos and other jewelry she had way back in the Heian period. It’s our possession now, you’re lucky today I could tour you there”

Temari can’t help but smile, she was excited to see the Princess' Kimonos and other stuff. There might be something in there that could gain her some information.

They went to the second floor and walked to the long aisle of the library, when they reached the end, the lady opened a door that has two locks in it. When it opened, the room smelled of lavender, cinnamon, and jasmine. She glanced at the room, there was a lot of Kimono hanging inside a glass cabinet, pieces of jewelry were displayed on the other side, and a lot of books sitting on the shelves.

“Come here” the old lady opened the glass cabinet

“Oh wait, are we allowed to open this one?” Temari was worried that the Kimono might damage after opening the cabinet

“Of course! They’re amazing, right? We will restore these to one of the experts in Konoha next week so they will be good as new again”

“They still looked new, like they were made yesterday” Temari was mesmerized by the beauty of it, the floral pattern and the materials used, silk that costs a lot for sure. She walked and observed each one of them, there’s this one Kimono that caught her attention the most. It has a cut but an old thread with a familiar pattern sewed in it.

Temari touched the pattern and suddenly a bizarre thing just happened to her. She had a vision and it was the clearest vision she ever had.

In her vision, her hands were moving like they were sewing and it was the same kimono that she had seen in the cabinet. A man just walked in front of her and kneeled where she was sitting. A familiar face vividly appeared, he looked so much like Shikamaru, only wearing traditional clothes.

Her thumb runs to his cheeks where the tears were falling and her mouth suddenly speaks.

“What’s wrong? Huh? Crybaby?”

The man in front of her answered “Nothing, I’m just tired”

His voice made her heart beat faster, it was just like Shikamaru.

The vision then moved to the lover’s wedding, saying each other’s vows, her eyes focused on him saying his vow. The feeling that she had before just emerged from her heart, when Shikamaru was spilling these exact vows inside the mansion, in the middle of the deer forest.

Tears start falling from her cheeks, then when they kissed a warm feeling starts traveling from her chest to her face, she palpitates and gasps for air. She realized it was the death curse.

She woke up and saw the lady was worried about her. Gasping for air, tears on her cheeks, and her face was all red. The lady grabs her shaking hands and tried to calm her. Temari sits on the chair and wipes all the sweat that was now forming in her temple.

After she calmed down, Temari thanked the lady and drove her way back to the hotel. That night, she keeps on thinking about what happened, the old man in the forest, the kimono she touched, and Shikamaru.

Was it the Lord? The lord that they were talking about?

Why does he look exactly like Shikamaru? Right, he was his ancestor, ofcourse!

I’m trying to move on here! Hello? Kami-sama, spare me!

Her mind reminisces the vision of the wedding, she realized how she wanted to marry him. Seeing his face saying his vow is what her heart and soul truly desire. She lifted her phone and searched for his number but her thumb was unable to push because of the cowardness that she was feeling.

What if he didn’t want me back?

He was angry, right? He left angry because of me. I deserve it.

Pull yourself together Temari

The next day, she clicked her map application from her phone and locate the mansion. Temari decided to go there again, since it was a weekday and Shikamaru was probably at his work she’ll go there quickly. She parked her car in the same space she parked it last time and walked her way to the mansion. When she reached it, her heart was so satisfied seeing it again, her home.

Her feet lead her to the old garden of the mansion, where the lord and princess married. The grass floor was filled with flowers that fell from the trees, it was already autumn season and the view becomes more reddish-orange and vibrant. She touched the fence of the mansion’s porch when a familiar voice called her from behind.

“Temari?”

She turns around and saw Shikamaru. He immediately runs towards her and embraces her tightly, afraid to lose her again.

“I’ve been looking for you” he said without breaking his embrace “Don’t leave me again, please don’t do that”

“I thought you were at work?” Temari said

“I’m on vacation, they gave me one week vacation and went to stay in here”

She gently pushed his chest and looked into his eyes “They did?”

“Yeah, and you! You gave me so much headache woman! Where did you go?”

Temari smiled and seeing his face again warms her heart “I’m sorry I left, I feel that I have to because of what I did and it was wrong. I’m sorry I used you for my revenge”

Shikamaru released a heavy sigh and rubbed her shoulders “I’m sorry too, I should have pulled a lot of courage and been a man, to ask you about our relationship. I really don’t know how to start back then, I’m afraid of what you’ll answer once I asked and I just hold to the fact that we were together only because we were having a fake relationship”

Temari chuckled at him

“Why?” he asked

“Nothing, we both looked stupid doing these crazy things. Only to find out we both know what we really want”

Shikamaru released a gentle laugh and kissed her hands “Say it, say that you love me. Please say it”

Temari wrap her hand around his neck, pulled his face closer, and kiss him “You talk too much” she said after kissing him.

Shikamaru smiled at her after the kiss, his heart was full of joy, felt relieved knowing that Temari loved him “Do you want to marry me here again?”

She was surprised about what he just said “Wait? So you knew?”

“Yeah, I dreamed of you last night, vividly. We are marrying each other here in this mansion. I already knew about the curse and I had my own research. That’s why I drove here this morning”

“Isn’t it too fast? We only know each other for two months”

“My soul has known you for a thousand years, I cannot waste every minute not being with you and I’m sure that it’s you I want to marry”

 “So, that’s why you found me here?” Temari said while raising her brow

“I told you that I’ll forever find you, in every lifetime”

“And you already did” She smiled at him and Shikamaru embraced her again and whispered in her ear

“I love you Temari”

“I love you too, Shikamaru”

END