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A forest had no business smelling like this.
Zed perched in a tree, his shadow double on a branch above him. A familiar scent wafted through the foliage, one he hadn't smelled in quite some time; it was a specific type of Ionian leaf, commonly burned in pipes or used in cooking. He recalled it to be quite popular with those foolish Kinkou.
Like a whisper in the dark, Zed was off, leaping through the trees toward the source of the smell. He barely even disturbed the leaves as he moved. Pausing on the tip of a branch he should not have been light enough to balance on, the ninja had found his target, sitting peacefully against a fallen log below him. It shocked him slightly when he realized who it was, but the blue shōzoku and twin ninjatō propped against the log were a dead giveaway. 'Dead' being the operative word here, as he soon would be.
Shen sat with his back to the tree Zed watched him from. The small clearing the Eye had come to relax in appeared to be a favored spot, judging by the trampled earth and blade marks in the log, both old and new. The shadows clawed at the edges of Zed's mind and his mission was clear: eliminate him.
There was no sound as he launched from his branch, his feet hitting the ground just behind Shen. Both of his blades were ready to meet in a glorious clash of metal and flesh, but it seemed his former rival's senses had not been dulled as he thought they had. A single ninjatō pressed threateningly into his stomach as he loomed over his target, grabbed in the split second before he'd landed. The bastard hadn't even bothered to set his pipe down.
“Zed.”
There was a heavy inclination to the other ninja's voice, though heavy with what was up for debate. “Shen,” came the curt reply. Neither of them wanted to drop their weapons for fear that the other would act. A moment or two passed by in complete silence as they stood in a standstill.
“...Put your weapons away, and I'll withdraw mine,” Shen proposed.
The shadow user scoffed. “You know I was always the faster one, Shen. I'll behead you before you ever get the chance to drive that blade in.” As if to make his point, Zed spawned one of his dark doubles, and brought his blades down.
A loud clang of metal rang out as Shen deflected the attack, rolling to the side to avoid the double. Its limited lifespan up, it vanished completely. The Eye remained sitting where he'd rolled to, still holding onto his pipe, which hadn't spilled a single leaf. Now facing one another, Zed could get a better look at him; the lower part of his mask had been pulled down to smoke, and a long scar ran over his lips to his chin. Actually, Zed was fairly certain he'd been the one to give Shen that scar.
“I have no desire to fight you, Zed,” Shen said calmly, taking another puff from his pipe. Everything he said was spoken in that same maddeningly calm way, as if nothing ever fazed him. “I won't hesitate to defend myself, but... there really is no reason for us to fight.”
No reason for them to fight? “You really are a fool.” Another cloud of smoke escaping those torn lips, another sharp scent from the leaves themselves. “Sitting out here and dampening your mind with such petty vices, while your clan is dying and the shadows grow ever closer. Tell me, do Kennen and Akali know you do this? That the Eye of Twilight-”
“Even the Eye needs to relax.” Shen moved to lean back against the log, apparently confident in the fact that Zed would not attack him again. “Balance in all things. It helps me to meditate and reflect, and calms me down when I stress. And yes, Zed, I am capable of stress.”
That was... new. Perhaps the leaf made his tongue looser. An awkward silence befell the two of them as Zed tried to wrap his head around why Shen would not fight him, broken by the sound of the other ninja softly patting the ground beside him. Was he being invited to sit down? He was being invited to sit down. “Why?”
Shen shrugged lightly. “We haven't spoken in quite some time.”
“For a reason. We haven't seen each other since that day.”
“Has it been so long? All the more reason to sit and chat a while.”
This was mind-boggling. Even more so was the fact that Zed actually sat down beside him. He even accepted the pipe when it was handed over, sticking the mouthpiece between the grooves of his mask. A deep inhale brought the familiar taste to his tongue. It had been far too long since he actually took the time to enjoy something like this.
The Eye's expression was difficult to read, even with his mouth exposed. “I've been growing this myself,” he said quietly, gesturing to a pouch on his hip. “With some help from Kennen. It helps to have a small taste of home now and then.”
“I haven't had this in a while,” Zed responded, letting the relaxing effects take hold of him. There was no harm in indulging a bit before killing his mark, was there? “It's good... a nice blend.” Handing the pipe back, Zed watched him rest the stem against his lips. “Do you think of home a lot? Do you think of the old days?”
This gave the other man pause, though only momentarily. “I think of it sometimes, yes.” He avoided looking toward Zed as he spoke. “Not often. It's not something I like to dwell on. There's no use in living in the past when there's nothing you can do to change it.” After making a few idle smoke rings, the pipe was passed to Zed again, Shen finally turning his head to look at him.
The shadow user almost didn't take it, but decided a bit more couldn't hurt. Smoke leaked out from behind his mask, moving unnaturally through the air to form a ring, as if just to prove he could do it, too. “You sound as if you've given up. Does your father's death really mean so little to you?”
Silence. Shen's lips twitched, pulling back into a small frown. “I don't... know.” It was a simple, if unexpected, answer. “I never questioned why you killed him, to be honest. I think I knew, somewhere deep down, that you would be the death of him someday. Perhaps I was just prepared for it. Initially I felt something, but over time it faded, and now...? Now I only wonder why you had to drive us from our home, instead of speak with me.”
“Your idiot father would have killed me,” Zed spat, “If he'd had the skill. There was no talking, Shen! He cast me out for having the guts to-”
“To disobey!” The Eye's voice raised slightly. “You always questioned the rules but were never satisfied with the answers... our Master forgave you for countless infractions and yet you betrayed his trust all the same.”
Zed bristled, snapping the stem of the pipe. He tossed it aside, turning fully to face his old comrade. “Even now you don't refer to him as your father! The Eye of Twilight, the center of all balance, and you don't hold any remorse for your dead parents. Is that how you made it through the ceremony? Tell me, Shen, did you refuse to kill me then and there because I did you a favor?”
An unbearable stillness came over the clearing. The two were quiet, staring each other in the eyes. Shen was the one who finally moved, reaching to pull his mask over his mouth once more. “I didn't kill you, Zed, because I'm not my father.” His voice was low, his eyes turned away. “He would have killed you, that's probably true. But I'm not him. I can see your place in the world... I can see where you fit into the balance. There's a place for you, Zed!”
“A place with you?” He meant it tauntingly, but was surprised to see Shen stiffen, as if hitting a nerve. “What, is that what this is about? You want me to abandon my Order and rejoin the joke of a clan you now head?”
It had probably been years since Shen showed this much emotion, slight as it was. The ninja's gaze was aimed directly at the ground, his fingers curling. “I want you to open your eyes and see that we do not need to be enemies. Think about it, Zed... you and I, fighting to uphold balance as equals! As... friends.” His earnest tone fell on deaf ears as the shadow user simply laughed.
The Eye's guard was down. It was time to make a move. Suddenly, Zed grabbed him by the shoulders, slamming him back against the log and pinning him there with his full weight. One blade pressed dangerously against his throat, pressing harder when Shen's hand went for his ninjatō. “We never were equals, and we never will be. Friends, once, maybe- but now? Do you think you could still call me 'friend' after all I've done to you?” Shifting to press his knee into Shen's stomach, he lessened the pressure on his throat. “Your sentiment will be your undoing.”
“And yet you haven't cut my throat yet.” Shen met his gaze with fierce eyes of his own. “You think me a fool, and maybe I am, but I am nothing if not also forgiving, Zed. The others would come to accept you again, I could- uff!” He wheezed as Zed sharply forced his knee against his stomach. “Why do you hesitate to kill me? Do you want to make it slow?” Despite the blade at his neck, Shen raised one hand slowly, moving to place it on the other man's wrist. His grip was firm and confident. “Kill me, if you can.”
This was unexpected. The shadows hissed in the back of Zed's mind, urging him to finish this. He knew that he should; so why did he hesitate so? “...Why kill you here, in private, when I could slaughter you in front of your whole clan?” Unseen, his lips curled back into a smirk. “Imagine, stringing up the Eye of Twilight where everyone can see your precious balance crumble. My followers grow in number and yours dwindle. It's only a matter of time.”
Shen roughly pushed Zed's arm out of the way, removing the threat of the blade. Keeping a hold on that wrist, he quickly used his other hand to grab one ninjatō and aim it at Zed's chest. “You won't get the chance,” he said, that eerie calmness returning to his voice. “I've offered you pardon, and yet still you refuse.”
Even his mask couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes when Zed moved closer to the blade, until the tip poked through the fabric of his clothes. He chuckled lightly, grabbing the Eye's blade with one hand, as one of his shadow doubles materialized behind him. “You can't kill me. You won't.” The double blindsided Shen, throwing him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Taking his opportunity, Zed stood over his downed opponent. He grabbed the front of Shen's shirt and pulled him to his feet, ignoring the way he struggled in his grip. “I see right through you. The reason you won't kill me... the reason you didn't kill me back then... you think you hide your emotions so well, but that leaf you love so much makes you an open book.”
Zed laughed again, then reached with one hand to slowly pull his helmet off. He figured it out. “I never would have thought, of all people, you'd want me.” The face underneath his mask was deceptively handsome. Dark skin free of the scars that marred Shen's body and a strong jaw framed with short, white hair. Even without his helmet, his red eyes glowed faintly. “How long? Since we were children? If Akali found out, she'd kill you herself and save me the trouble. The precious Eye of Twilight can't kill the biggest threat to balance because he lo-”
“Bullshit.”
“What?”
Though he balked slightly in Zed's grasp, Shen reached out to grab the scarf around his neck. “Akali would get over it.” He pulled Zed closer, until mere inches separated them. “I am not without emotion, Zed. I'm simply trained to hide and control it. My... feelings... toward you, whatever you think they may be, change nothing. Don't test the limits of my patience.”
“Big words.” The shadow user sneered. “So you admit that you feel for me?”
Shen's grip tightened. “...And you don't feel for me?”
That brought a frown to Zed's face. How dare he suggest something like that! But, even worse, why did it bring him such pause? This encounter was being turned around on him, and Zed didn't like feeling like he'd been backed into a corner. He had to leave. “Enough!” he snapped, quickly trying to regain control of the situation. Unfortunately, Shen had other plans.
Their speed, in most things, was evenly matched. Before he could further protest, Shen pulled his own mask down and pressed their lips together in a kiss. Zed's eyes widened in surprise and he pulled back almost immediately. The two of them stared each other down, their breathing the only sound, until the shadow user tentatively moved. He placed one gloved hand on Shen's cheek and led him into another, much softer kiss. The other's lips were rough and unskilled – had he even done this before? It didn't last long, as Zed's thumb tried to push the rest of Shen's mask off, and the Eye stopped him.
“Leave,” he said quietly, “I know what you'll do. All I ask is that you give us a head start before you retrieve your students and come hunting for us.”
Zed considered it, letting go of Shen. He pulled his helmet back on and turned away.
“You have a day at most.”
Nothing more needed to be said. Zed launched into the trees, and Shen replaced his mask with trembling fingers.