Chapter 7: The Eclipse

Hanabi didn't realize she was already crying when she regained consciousness after Lunox let her see her past life, and the life Hanzo has been living until now. She remembers everything now. Who she was, what she had wished for, and why she was here.

"Do you understand what you must do now, Hanabi?" Lunox asked, emphasizing the weight of the responsibility she's asking her friend to fulfill.

Hanabi wiped off her tears and smiled at Lunox. "Don't worry, Lunox. It all ends here."

She looked at Hanzo's hideous state with love, longing, and sadness one last time before picking up the Higanbana that fell off her grip earlier. Kagura and Hayabusa were now severely wounded, unable to fend off the Akuma ninja on their own. Hanabi has to end it fast for her friends to survive.

As the Scarlet ninja held the Higanbana firmly, the demon blade started devouring her body, but not her mind and soul. Unlike the Ame no Habakiri, the Higanbana didn't need a demon's soul to dwell on it for it to be dark and powerful.

Hanabi's hair turned Scarlet. Her eyes glowed a similar shade of emerald green like Hanzo's demon form. Black horns grew from her head, and her clothes turned white, with a fiery rage in the edges. She had only turned into a demon once even in her previous life, but even so, she was still in full control of her consciousness.

"Higanbana." Hanabi called upon the demon blade's name, as it's powerful binding spell latches on to Hanzo's body. The Akuma ninja turned his head towards her, still unable to contain himself. Hanabi smiled in pain as she took steady steps towards him. As soon as she got near him, she hugged the Akuma ninja tight as tears fell from her eyes. Hanzo's body loosened from Hanabi's actions, but he still wasn't fully himself. The Scarlet pulled away, looking deep into the Shadow's eyes and smiled. Hanzo was still in an unexplainable trance. With both of her hands, Hanabi cupped his face and kissed him, still feeling a throbbing pain in her chest for what she's about to do. Hanzo snapped out of his reverie because of this and stared back into Hanabi's beautiful eyes.

"Ha… na…ko?" he muttered as he slowly regained consciousness. The Shadow felt like crying, seeing his only love holding him like this.

"I missed you…" he let tears fall from his eyes. Hanabi nodded, her face still wet from tears as she secretly grips the Higanbana tight.

"...I'm sorry…"

In one swift motion, Hanabi thrust the blade of the Higanbana from Hanzo's back into his heart. The Shadow grunted as he vomited blood into the Scarlet's sleeves, holding onto her to keep himself from falling. He looked at Hanabi and smiled, blood still flowing out from his mouth.

"It's okay… You did the right thing," he assured her.

Hanabi wept as she held Hanzo tighter. "I'll follow you soon", she whispered in his ear, finding it hard to breathe as she sobbed in pain.

"What do you—??"

Before Hanzo could finish, he was stopped when Hanabi pushed the blade further in. "No— Hanabi… Stop— or you'll—!!" Hanzo tried protesting despite the pain it caused him.

Hanabi coughed up blood as she felt the cold blade stab her chest, holding onto Hanzo for dear life.

"No!! N-Not… Again—!!" Hanzo cried in protest, but it was too late.

The two fell on the ground as Hayabusa and Kagura stared at the scene in horror. Lunox could only look away as she saw her friend take her own life.

In their dying breath, Hanzo and Hanabi held each other. They didn't have the energy to talk anymore but their eyes were enough to reach for each other's hearts and thoughts. Finally, they were together at last.

As the current Shadow, Hayabusa brought back Hanabi and Hanzo's bodies back to the Scarlet Shadow. They made a temple at the place where they buried Hanabi's remains and enshrined the Higanbana there. And though there was much opposition, a temple was made where Hanzo rested as well, enshrining the Ame no Habakiri. The two temples faced each other from opposite directions. Hanabi's shrine faced the west, while Hanzo's faced the east.

Hayabusa regularly visited his childhood friend's shrine. Sometimes he'd fall asleep there after getting drunk. But most of the time, like tonight, he would just sit there, stare at the moon, and tell her stories all night long.

"Say, Hanabi…" he said, pretending as if the Scarlet was still there. "Had I treasured you more and told you what I felt, do you think things would've changed?" the young Shadow wiped off the single tear that threatened to fall from his eyes and laughed at how silly he looked like.

"Damn, Hanzo might just rise up from the dead and kill me." he joked. After taking one last look at the moon, he stood up, dusted his clothes off and walked into the night.

"See you tomorrow, Hanabi."