Thanks to C.A.M.E.O for putting the idea in my head and reminding me that its Madara's birthday.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the song lyrics used from Dragon Age.
[I feel sun
Through the ashes of the sky]
Uchiha Madara was born in a time where his date of birth only signified what kind of warrior he would be. Most babes born in the winter were expected to either die or if they survived, were sick – useless - children for the rest of their lives.
He wasn't named until the cold had subsided and the beginnings of spring began to show. He wasn't trusted, nor expected to fight until he proved himself at the tender age of three that he could fight. It wasn't until the age of five that his second and third brothers were born – twins – a rare occurrence in the Uchiha clan.
Eiji and Hiro is what led him to believe that there should be no need for children like them to fight. At the age of six, he was considered a genius and his fourth brother Kenshin was born.
It was a couple months later that he unlocked his sharingan when an enemy snuck into his and his brothers rooms and tried to kill them. By the age of seven he already had several kills, and by the age of eight he was expected to lead and follow orders to the letter.
His fifth brother was born at the end of another skirmish with the Hyuga and the woman that had born him perished.
Uchiha Madara didn't know what to feel when he was told that his mother had passed once he returned back to the compound, nor did he know if he cared. Uchiha Kasumi had never had a tender touch for Madara, he had heard her mutterings through the servants, and how she thought he was a cursed child.
Good riddance to her then right? She never wanted to be a mother; it was only her duty as the heads wife that she had born him sons.
With his skill increasing and his father's demands becoming near ridiculous, Madara never had a chance to truly grow and prosper, the only thing that grew was his training and his strength and he was slowly – through trial and error – learning how to become unopposed.
At the age of sixteen, he had lost Kenshin to an ambush. Eiji and Hiro demanded to be let out to avenge their little brother – his father approved of the fire and anger in their hearts, how their matured sharingan whirled wildly.
He had spoken with them before they accepted the mission they had been given, he had made sure to let them know that even if they thought it was righteous what they were doing, to really think what they were about to do.
The twins gave him a half smile, pulling at his hair as they assured they knew exactly what they were doing. The eldest sighed and patted them on their head and wished them well, seeing as there was no way of talking them out of their desire to avenge Kenshin.
When their bodies were brought back by Uchiha scouts Madara kept his calm. Only Izuna noticed how his hands shook as he reached out to the too small, too still bodies ruffling the bloody hair. His fingers traced down the sides of their face, all the while Izuna saw the tears, the hatred, and complete anguish on his big brother's face.
Tajima wasn't in the room to notice how his heir acted, nor was he there to tell off Izuna that showing such emotion was unbecoming. Instead the youngest and now only brother, leaned against his big brother, hands clenching on his robes as they spent their time with the deceased twins.
It was there that Madara decided that he didn't want this fate for anyone, he vowed on his and Izuna's life that he would build a world where children would never have to be forced to fight an adult's battle.
The younger boy never questioned the arms that enveloped him and crushed him against his brother's chest. All he did was bury his face in Madara's neck to hide his own sadness, because now there was no one who would train with him, or play funny pranks on big brother.
"I promise you a better world, Izuna."
"I'll help you, aniki."
The Uchiha brother's used to number five, by Madara's seventeenth winter, there was only two and Madara would be damned if he let anyone harm Izuna.
[What's to come
Is fire and the end of time]
It was spring when he met him, the boy who had lost just as much as him. Who understood and wanted a better world, not for them – they were too bloodied, too dirty to be a part of this new world they wished to bring – but for others, who had no chance, who needed a chance.
Because what was a world without the laughter of children?
[I am the one
Who can recount
What we've lost]
He was twenty-six when he realized that his dream was possible.
He was twenty-eight when he lost everything.
[I am the one
Who will live on]
She was twenty three when she met him. Her eyes were wary as she approached him, so her steps were light. The destruction around them was an odd place for her, the pain of nature was strong, but so was the pain coming from the prone man.
His eyes were wild and untrusting as she neared, so she was gentle and understanding. She threaded her hands through his hair, urging him to relax as she coaxed an answer from him, her other hand discreetly workings it magic as she healed his wounds.
"Do you want to live?"
"Y-yes."
[I have run
Through the fields
Of pains and sighs
I have fought
To see the other side]
Her name was Raja, she lived off the land and was a wondering healer. She had brought him back to the place she called home, where he met her mother and grandmother. They had clucked their tongues at her, but still helped the brown haired woman.
They were a mystery, these three women. They all did something no one had done in years and it made his heartache for when there were four younger boys running around – a time when people actually cared about him, about what he thought.
They had asked him what he wanted.
And he had answered.
[I am the one
Who can recount
What we've lost]
He had spent months with them until he was fully healed and another year had gone by and he was almost twenty nine.
"You are a child of winter?" she asked him a day before his birthday. She had a way of finding him even when he didn't want too. He had left the cottage early in the morning, finding himself in a part of the thick forest that he did not know. So he sat himself down and thought back of the months and years that had gone by, until she had appeared and made herself comfortable at his side.
"Why do you ask?" he was curious how she seemed to know certain things, but he would never ask her methods. He would find out how she did it one day.
"You bear the cold well," she responded, hands reaching to push his hair out of his face, her fingers tracing over his cheek as she did so. "It is in your eyes, Madara and the way you carry yourself. You were born in a time where nothing is supposed to grow and yet here you are," she paused as she gave him a crooked smile, leaning forward and resting her chin on his shoulder. "You are nothing short of a miracle, you know?"
He scoffed, shrugging her off his shoulder, which caused her smile to deepen. The edges of her eyes crinkled and the gold of her eyes seemed much brighter than before. Raja bumped her shoulder against his before she pushed herself up and out of the fairy ring they had sat themselves in.
"You have a very strong pull you know," she said, over her shoulder, waiting for him to get up and follow her. "And there is still time to right any wrongs you have suffered."
"What do you know about suffering?" he didn't mean to sound so angry, even though she unknowingly hit a sore spot in his heart. "You frolic and speak of things you have no clue of," he stalked towards her, hands reaching for her throat, "And make yourself seem so understanding to the loss of others, when you have never experienced any sort of pain."
His eyes flashed red as his hand tightened around her neck and all she did was press a hand against his chest, while the other wrapped around his wrist. Her eyes seemed to glow as she did what not even his greatest enemy would and looked him in the eyes.
"I understand, Madara."
He didn't detect a single lie from her, her pulse remained the same underneath his fingers, her eyes did not stray from his and he came to see what she had to her name.
"I am hope, Madara. I was taught to understand and to help those in need," her touch was soft as she eased his hand from her neck and instead laced her fingers through his. "I will help as long as you are willing, because no one deserves to be alone." 'like you,' went unsaid.
He could feel his throat tighten at her words, his sharingan unactivating as he looked down at the woman in complete wonder. He couldn't help but be reminded of others who had looked through him like that, (four little boys that would actually want to be with him, speak with him).
"It's okay, you know," her lips quirked at the edges as she lifted the hand on his chest to his face, cupping his cheek. "You have to give yourself time, so you can understand." Her thumb wiped a stray tear that fell from his eye. His other hand pushed at shoulder, trying to get her away, but his heart wasn't in it.
"It's alright, Madara," she murmured quietly as she brought him closer to her, guiding his head to rest on her shoulder as the tears fell. The hand that cupped his cheek found its way to his back and rubbed soothing circles.
By the time Madara found himself, the two were on the forest floor, Raja's back propped up against a tree as she held him in her arms. Her chin rested against his head, her arms holding him to her and keeping the two warm as the cold, morning dusk made itself known.
He let out a raspy breath and tried to push himself away from her, but it was halfhearted at best so instead he just settled himself more against her, arms wrapping around her waist as he buried his face against her neck.
He could feel her humming as she once again ran her hands through his hair. For once he welcomed the touch of another, long having forgotten what it was like to have someone else care for him.
"I am twenty nine today," he would tell her later as they sat around the hearth that was in the middle of the cottage, the two nursing warm drinks to stave off the cold they had been around.
She would offer him a knowing smile and reach out for his hand, would gently grasp it and bring it to her mouth, where her lips would brush against his knuckles.
"Long may you run for many years to come."
[I am the one
Who will live on]
AN: CAMEO LOOK WHAT YOU DID!
This was supposed to be happy and intsead its all sad and this is a terrible birthday present for Madara, but here you go. I feel like, really bad for this and maybe the years the count up, but I can see the ages add up a little (seeing as its hard to tell in the Clan Era days, but whatevs). Um, I hope this is adequate, and its sad as hell. You guys better cry, because I almost did (and will do so later). Also any mistakes or weird stuff going on, let me know and I"ll fix it, I'm not the best proofreader so ye.
Names: Eiji (11)i'm interpreting it as "great peace", Hiro (11) as "prosperous", Kenshin (10) as "modest truth" and Kasumi (42) as "mist". His mother died due to complications and it was either save her or save the child and I'm sure the Uchiha head would prefer another son than to keep his wife (Tajima I imagine as cold hearted). But yeah. Uhm, the ages in the parenthesis is the age they died, so you're welcome. I got Raja and I've found multiple meanings for it, but I'm going to go with "hope".
Enjoy?
Sorugao