The crystal rose has bloomed...

She walked towards the forest. Her hands clasped together as she attentively looked at her surroundings.

"Haku..." came her soft silent voice. She stopped on a clearing and approached a flower that stood alone on the ground, its petals shining as the rays of the sun touched its crystal surface. She knelt down and looked at it. Too many memories are kept here in this little flower. At last, she chose to pick it and held it to her chest.

"Aya-chan..." she heard a silent voice said from behind her. His soft, soothing voice became melancholy and sentimental. She softly looked at him. The mask was on his endearing face. She stood up as her face became pale.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her heart beating fastly. Something was wrong. She felt it. Sadness filled her heart. Why? Why was she feeling like this? She felt uncertain for some reason. Her tears gracefully fell down to her cheeks. Haku approached her and raised his hand to wipe her tears.

"I have to go, Aya-chan. Nakanaide. It'll only make me sad." he whispered soothingly but she didn't stop. She looked at him and slowly placed her hand on his mask and removed it from his face, revealing his beautiful face. His eyes were glittering in sadness. She felt his cheek and he touched her soft hand that was on his cheek.

"Aya-chan, aishiteru," he said reassuringly. She cried even more and engulfed him into a hug. His hands slowly sliding at her back as he returned the hug.

"Ikanaide...onegai" she pleaded to him.

"Stay with me..."

He stayed quiet and slowly pulled her away.

"Zabuza-san needs me. I have to help him,"

he reasoned instead. He picked the flower from her hands and puts it behind her ear. This made him smile. A bitter smile.

"Doushite? Doushite? Is he more important to you than me?"

He didn't answer and instead held her hands.

"I love you with all my heart. And I'll always be there to protect you," he leaned forward and their lips met. She automatically stopped crying and slowly closed her eyes as she felt the feeling.

After a while, he pulled away and wore his mask back to his face.

"Sayonara, watashi itooshii Aya." he said before walking away.

And there it was again. She felt scared again. While watching him walk away, she felt as if he was leaving her. Leaving from her life...

Stop him,

A distance voice tells her but she didn't make any move to stop him. His long black hair flew with the wind.

"Haku..." came his name from her lips.

She ran towards him and tried to reach him.

"Haku! Matte! Kimi wo- Kimi wo-!"

Suddenly, the wind blew everywhere as it surrounded him, almost knocking her off her feet. And when everything has calmed down, she looked at the place he was standing at before. But he wasn't there anymore. She held her chest and prayed for his safety. Then looking at the sky, she continued the sentence that she failed to complete.

"Aishiteru,"

The crystal rose has shattered into pieces. But one petal survived. Two lives must be sacrificed.

Aya stayed at the forest as she waited for Haku. The wind felt cold and the clouds were dark. Her heart was still pounding very fast. She felt terribly scared and worried for him. She looked at the precious rose that she treasured most. From Haku...

That memory played in her mind. Their little figures wore happy smiles as they played together.

The flower that she held was a crystal flower. It was supposed to be a normal rose but Haku did something to it that not even her knew how. And that caused it to appear like this. It grew slowly and for 8 years, it had grown into what it is now.

Then her eyes widened when she saw a vision.

The sound of a mask falling to the ground. Then drops of blood...

"Haku..." was the only thing she could say.

Then she quickly jumped as a kunai knife hit the stone she was sitting on before. She looked at the direction it came from and her eyes widened.

"So this is the girl who's with that shinobi of Zabuza's. She's very pretty but too bad she has to die,"

She quickly ran as kunai knives were thrown at her. She tried to avoid all of it but some actually hit her. Why were they after her? Was it because of Haku? They did mention shinobi of Zabuza's...

She jumped to one branch to another. She was only a genin. Nothing more. She never wanted to be a ninja because she has to take one's life so she quit studying and lived as a normal 15-year-old girl.

But right now, she regretted what she chose. She should've continued, if she did, she could protect herself now. Haku wasn't here to protect her. He wasn't any anymore. Not any longer.

A kunai knife hits her cheek and then towards the tree in front of her. Blood started to trickle down her cheek and she quickly pulled out a kunai blade then threw it at the enemy. The enemy blocked it easily with a kunai knife in his hand.

She noticed that there wasn't only one enemy. Another slashed a sword towards her but she evaded it. Luckily, only her left sleeve was cut. She ran again. She knew she may not keep up with this situation.

"Haku!" she called in her head, hoping he will hear her call. Then another vision appeared disturbing her thoughts.

A man with spiky white hair was about to hit Zabuza. His arm was glowing and seemed so powerful. He hit Zabuza but hit someone else instead.

She gasped in terror when she saw who it was.

'No Haku!!!'

SLASH

She held her breath as she felt something pierce through her chest.

Flash backs came running through her mind.

"Haku-kun, promise me, you'll always be there for me, ne?"

Little Haku smiled at her and they crossed their pinky fingers.

"Yakusoku daiyo. And I'll always protect you with all my heart." they shared a smile as Haku showed a seed. Haku did something she can't even predict, the seed had changed into a crystal seed.

"This seed will always be a special gift for you. Just wait till my gift has completely bloomed." she nodded and they planted it to the dirty soil. She vowed to take good care of it because Haku gave it to her.

Now that his gift has grown to its extent beauty, she finally realized why he gave it to her. Tears blurred her eyes again. Haku...he knew this all along...

The ninja who held the sword that was buried in her chest pulled it harshly. She felt blood dripping from her mouth and chest as her body shook in pain. She dropped the crystal rose to the ground unintentionally.

"Gomen nasai, Aya-chan..."

She fell from the tree and her body met with the hard ground. It even made her suffer in pain.

"Mission complete," she heard a voice say followed by footsteps that walked away from her body. She looked for the rose and saw it shattered into pieces but one petal remained unharmed and unbroken. She reached for it with difficulty and hugged it through her chest.

Every passing minute, her body felt cold and numb. Her vision blurring every minute. Her breathing slowing down.

Snow suddenly started to fall from the sky. Winter is not yet close yet it was snowing already. Then she saw a transparent image of Haku. He walked towards her and reached for her hand.

"Ikuyo, Aya-chan," he invited with a smile, his warm smile that she was yearning so much.

Her lips curved into a smile and her eyes felt heavy.

"Hai..."

Their memories are kept there. Their souls reached eternal bliss and they'll be always together.

My first FanFiction. I'm new here so be kind with me. I don't need flames but reviews will be greatly appreciated. And, I hope you like it. .

Translations

Nakanaide- Don't cry
Aishiteru/Kimi wo aishiteru- I love you
Ikanaide- Don't go
Onegai- Please
Doushite?- Why?
Matte- Wait
"Sayonara, watashi itooshii Aya"- "Farewell, my beloved Aya"
Yakusoku daiyo- I promise
Gomen nasai- I'm sorry
Ikuyo- Let's go
Hai- Yes