Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: Soooo this is my first fanfiction, I hope you guys like it. Reviews will greatly be appreciated!
Summary: What happens when you live in a world where your very existence itself is a taboo? How can Sakura live life peacefully when she can't accept who she is?
When Love turns to Ashes
The wind blows gently across the field of tall grass and flowers as two young children play in the fields trying the catch what blows in the wind. The youngest of the two around 7 years old stopped running and looked down at the ground. There hidden by the tall grass the most beautiful flower the young girl has ever laid her eyes upon. Jade eyes sparkle as she gently picks the flower and held it up to the sun's rays to get a better look. There she sees colors of light pink, magenta and along the shape of the petals was a thin white line outlining each petal. She touched the petals of the flower and it felt like velvet and she smiled at her discovery.
"Now isn't that a pretty orchid, it's the same color as your hair Sakura."
A boy around 12 years old with medium long dark brown hair and just like his sister a pair of jade eyes and fair skin commented.
"Do you think mama will like them Cai?" Sakura questioned.
"I think she will love them sis, how about you pick some more so you can make a bouquet for her?" Cai suggested.
Sakura nodded in excitement and went searching the field for more for the beautiful orchid. Sakura really wanted to make her mama happy since it was her birthday today. Sakura giggled at the thought of her mother seeing the wonderful bouquet her and Cai have created. After Sakura collected as many orchids as she can, she looked at them and something seemed missing. Then an idea hit her and she reached behind her head with both hands and untied a red ribbon that neatly held her hair in place. Then she tied the red ribbon around the stems of the orchids and with her brother's help, a neat red bow tie held the flowers together. Both children smiled.
"Perfect, now lets head back before mother scolds us for being late to dinner."
After trekking through the thick forest for about half an hour, the siblings reached their home. A small cottage, with wooden frames and stone walls eroded from weather and time. It was old and a bit run down but the flowers surrounding it made it more alive. Upon arrival both siblings flinched when they heard their mother call out to them in a tone of voice any child would know when their parent is upset with them. A woman came out from the vegetable gardens with a sun hat and a knee length light green sleeveless summer dress with a white gardening apron along with a pair of brown gardening gloves. Reika is beautiful woman with long flowing pastel pink hair, emerald eyes that can make a man melt to his knees and fair skin any woman would be envious of. Reika is a kind and gentle woman but often worry for her children. Their mother took off her gloves and put both hands on her hips.
"I was wondering where my children have run off to" Reika said eyeing her two young ones with suspicion.
"Cai and I weren't out causing trouble mama, we were out playing in the fields and found this! Happy birthday mama!" Sakura showed her mother the bouquet of flowers her and Cai assembled.
Emerald eyes soften at the gift and Reika accepted the flowers and held them up to her face and inhaled the sweet smell of the orchids and smiled.
"They are absolutely beautiful sweetheart. Thank you" she kneeled down to hug her children.
Reika stood back up and looked at her children and thinking how fast they are growing up. Cai is her oldest and growing fast, he has his father's dark brown hair and sharp nose. He has her eyes and skin complexion. Sakura on the other hand is a spitting image of her but for one thing.
"Cai, you have grass in your hair." Sakura pointed out.
"Yeah, Yeah I got it" Cai started to ruffle his hair to get the grass out of his hair revealing the reason why the small family live in the forest. Once Cai got all the grass out of his hair the wind started picking up and blew his hair that was covering the sides of his face back revealing short pointed ears. Sakura stared at her brother in envy and pouted.
"Mama, why don't I have pointy ears like you or Cai?" Sakura expressed in a depressed tone.
"Hey I think you looking fully human is better for your safety sis. Plus you and father can go into town for items we need since mother and I can't go ourselves." Cai explained.
"It's not fair!" Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs with tears forming in her eyes.
"Why do you and mama have to suffer and always stay home while papa and I are able to go out to the towns like regular humans...it's just not fair...I hate seeing you and mama sad." Sakura is fully crying now.
Sakura is sad because she knows about the never ending conflict between humans and elves. How many elves are forced into hiding after the war years ago. How she and her brother are children of an elven mother and a human father. A taboo punishable by death if caught. To Sakura's knowledge children born of an elf and human the child is always born with shorter ears than their elven parent. In Sakura's case she was born with human looking ears just like her father but she inherited her mother's elven beauty. Pink hair is not a common trait in humans, red hair yes but nowhere near pink.
Reika's heart broke at the sight of her daughter crying and started tearing up. Cai went to hug his sister to comfort her. They knew how much Sakura loved them through her tears for them and wanting to share the burden. Once Sakura settled down and wiped her tears away using the sleeve of her shirt she looked up at her mother.
"Why do people hate us mama?" Sakura said in a quiet low tone.
Reika looked at her daughter and thought about on what to say.
"I don't think they truly hate us sweetie, I think they are more scared of us than we are of them."
"Scared of us? But we aren't scary looking mama nor do we try to hurt them.."
"People are afraid of things they don't understand. It will take time but one day I believe that elves and humans can coexist together without conflict and in peace." Reika explained with a smile.
Sakura went to hug her mother in a warm embrace and her mother returned the hug gently caressing her back in reassurance.
"I hope that day comes soon. I want to see you and Cai happy and able to go on trips to town with papa and me. Plus my feet always hurt after the long walk back." Sakura said frowning. They all laughed.
"Sakura, don't forget we have the best of both worlds!" Cai said with a toothy grin.
"Alright you two it's almost time for dinner and you father will be coming back home soon." the two sibling scurried into their home and Reika just before she headed in,looked at the setting sun and smiled, thankful for her little family.
Sakura looked out the window and back at her now semi-cold dinner. It was already starting to get dark outside and her father still hasn't arrived home from work. She glanced at her mother who had a worried look on her face.
"I'm soooo hungry.." Cai complained as his stomach growled. Sakura's stomach was starting to protest too and frowned.
"Cai, Sakura, you can eat your dinner without me, I'm going to wait for your father."
Cai did not hesitate to eat his dinner but Sakura looked down at her plate and ate a little bit.
"Papa is never home late." Sakura thought.
Sakura ate quickly and got up from her chair at the dinner table and to put on her boots.
"Where do you think you are going at this hour?" Reika said with her eyes narrowed.
"Only I can go out and find where papa is, plus I know the way to his workplace." Sakura explained as she was lacing up her boots.
"It's late and dark outside, you can't see a thing." Sakura's mother countered angrily.
Sakura turned to her mother fully dressed with a smirk on her face.
"I have elf night vision thanks to you mama" and with that Sakura ran out the door.
"SAK-" and the door slams before Reika can even say Sakura's name.
"That child of mine..seriously I swear she takes after her father." Reika couldn't help but smile to herself just discovering that Sakura is starting to develop her elven abilities at a young age.
"She will be fine mother, her night vision is better than mine. Also..do you think Sakura will be mad that I ate her slice of the cake?" Cai laughed nervously. Reika just facepalmed and sighed.
"It will be our little secret".
The moon was full that night allowing sakura to see even better in the dark. She is starting to just learn how to use her elven vision to see far away. Just like a hawk in the sky looking for prey, a bird's eye view. Not to mention the night vision is also a new ability she has just grasp a few weeks earlier while looking out the window randomly one night and saw a whole different world out there. Sakura is determined to master her growing abilities so she can protect her brother and mother.
"Now to head to , that's where papa works"
Upon arriving at her father's place of work she spotted a man piling wooden crates on the side of the building and headed towards his direction. The middle aged man spotted her quickly thanks to her pink hair that is now glowing in the light of the moon.
"You must be Sakura, Aiden's kid right?" The man said while scratching his neck.
"Yes, that's my papa. Have you seen him? He hasn't come home yet mister..."
"Just call me Lewis dear and yeah I've seen your dad around. The last I saw him was actually a few hours ago to be exact. I saw him talking to a bunch of soldiers from the capital and boy they did not look friendly." Lewis said with a worried look.
"I hope your father didn't get himself in any trouble, well you should head home Sakura it's pretty dark out, do you need a lamp?"
"I'm fine and thanks!" with that Sakura rushed back home.
"Why would soldiers from the capital go after papa? He used to be the captain of the royal guard." Sakura thought as she was making her way back home. She had this bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and ran home. She ran as fast as her short legs can carry her but it felt as if time was slowing down for her as she got closer and closer. Panting and out of breathe she can only think about her mama, papa and big brother Cai. Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she inched closer to her destination. Then she saw the light of the lamps from her home emitting from behind the trees and a sigh of relief swept over her pace slowed down. "Papa must have just arrived home". Now she was excited to finally celebrate her mother's birthday with her whole family. Sakura was making her way through the last couple of trees and thick bushes and finally stepped out into the open and her smile morphed into the look of pure horror.
Fire.
All she can hear is screaming and yelling. The sound of death. Sakura stood there paralyzed.
"You bastard Claude! You said you would protect my family!"Aiden yelled at his former vice captain.
Aiden who's hands were bound behind him and has sustained many injuries to his face and body was being held back by two soldiers.
The garden was on fire, the flowers were all burning and withering away just like paper. And slowly crept towards the small cottage. A man adorned in mithril armor with a gold, white and red cape walked towards his old captain and spoke.
"I thought you were a man of honor Aiden. I looked up to you when you were the captain of the royal guard. I often wondered why you suddenly resigned after we won the war against those filthy elves, and now I know why. You eloped with one of them!"Claude yelled in his face. "And on top of that...you fucking had children with the elf slut!" Claude punched Aiden's face and Aiden just spat out blood on the ground and looked at Claude.
"You broke the law Aiden, not me and you know the capital punishment for eloping with an elf is punishment by death. Tie him up against that tree right there so he can watch what he threw his life away burn in front of him."
Sakura needed to move and now. She had to go help her mother and brother who were trapped in the house. Just as she was about to make a dash for it a pair of rough hand grabbed her from behind and restrained her and dragged her towards where her father was.
"Sakura..."Aiden looked in horror. Sakura was clawing at the soldier's arms in attempts to get free.
"We caught her trying to sneak away" said the soldier restraining her.
"Let me go!" Sakura screamed. Claude walked over to her and lifted her face up by grabbing a fist full of her pink hair and forcing her to look up at him.
"She's a pretty one isn't she Claude?" One of the men commented in a lustful tone.
"Aye she is, she will grow up to be a beautiful woman..." Claude let out a cruel smile.
"Too bad her blood is tainted. She may not have the ears of an elf but she looks exactly like her mother. Toss her in the house so she can be with her disgusting elven family and block all exits.
"CLAU- ...ugh..." a sword pierced through Aiden's abdomen. His eyes wide open, he coughed out blood.
Claude pulled the sword out of his former captain and swung it to get the blood off, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
"You can watch your mistake burn as you die." Claude said as he rallied his men and horses and left.
Hot...it's so hot...mama I'm scared..
The flames were quickly eating everything in their path, engulfing everything in red and orange spiral of death. Sakura covered her nose and mouth with the sleeve of her shirt and began to walk through what was her home. Debris falling from the ceiling, photos turning to flames. Sakura caught a glimpse of the bouquet her and Cai just got their mother earlier that day withering in the heat. she made it to the kitchen and saw Cai in a pool of his own blood. She was weak at the knees and as she was moving towards him the horror of Claude's handiwork came to light. Cai's ears were cut off and stuffed in his mouth. Dried streaks of blood from where his eyes were. Sakura was shaking with fear and tears flowed. Then she noticed it. In his hand...his heart ripped out of his chest and stabbed through with one of the kitchen knives. She just sat there screaming out her brothers name over and over, hugging his cold body as if he will come back to life. Sakura didn't care anymore. She was going to die here, where she was born and raised all her life.
"Sa-Sakura...is that you..?" a weak voice called out.
"Mama!" Sakura rushed over to her mother who was covered with the wooden frames of the home that the fire has destroyed.
"Mama you need to stand up! we have to get out or else-."
"Sakura I can't move." Reika said while coughing.
The smoke was getting thicker and it was getting hard to breathe. Sakura started to try to move the wooden beam herself to no avail.
"Sakura.."
Sakura froze and slowly turned to her mother. Her legs have been cut off at the knee and suffered multiple stab wounds. She also had her ears cut off. Through all the pain she was suffering Reika held her hand up to her neck and slowly pulled out a silver chain and pendant and gave the chain a quick tug breaking the chain from her neck. She took the pendant and placed it into Sakura's bloodied hands.
"You need to leave me , my precious flower." Reika's breaths were getting shallower.
"No...mama..Please don't leave me.."Sakura cried while holding her mother's hand.
"I will always love you Sakura" Reika used the remaining strength she had, to kiss Sakura's forehead.
"Al..Always remember who...you..are." The grip on Sakura's hand lessened and eventually let go.
Time froze. She was gone. She was all alone now. The fire and smoke didn't affect her anymore, it was actually cold. All she can hear is the chain of the necklace her mother had just given her. Sakura kneeled there, in front of her mother and brother's dead bodies. Her face stained with soot, smeared blood and dried tears. She didn't have anymore tears to shed, as if her body ran out of tears. Sakura looked at the locket and opened it. A picture of her mother and father smiling next to each other on one side and the other a picture of her and her big brother. Then she heard a loud crack. Sakura looked up and the ceiling collapsed on her.