Red on the Horizon

Mynce

Disclaim: I do not own Naruto in anyway, I own my own characters - you will know who they are.

Rated: M for gore, angst, horror, sex and lots of other awesome story details.

Part One

Red on the horizon is all I saw as I raced back towards my village. I could smell the coppery metallic blood that had been spilt, smoke bellowed into the sky. This invasion, this treason; I already knew what was happening, knew it would for months but had done nothing to intervene. I knew now that the death of my people would stain my hands until the day I died. I raced past the gates which were shimmering with scorching red fire, pulling the bandana I kept around my neck over my mouth. The smoke was brutal, it burned at my lungs as I tried not to breath.

People lay dead in the streets, the ground black with blood; a mother holding her child in her arms was sat like a broken doll against the charred wall of a shop. I stopped, hunched over and proceeded to dry heave, tears stinging my eyes. I took a few more steps and than slipped in the blood, falling to the ground; the blood seeped into the thread of my clothing as I pushed back to my feet. I could see the castle in the distance, it's great structure becoming clearer and clearer.

But where was the enemy? Where was the powerful army that broke through the gates and slaughtered innocents, burning away everything we had worked so hard to build. Goosebumps covered my arms as I halted at the iron gates to the palace, the pathway that lead to the doors was littered with corpses. The once beautiful flowers that blossomed around the palace burned away to nothing but ash. I could hear voices, many voice - hundreds of them from inside the palace, they were screaming and cheering. I dodged forward, keeping in the shadows until I could press my body against the stone of the castle.

I remember that I use to think this palace was gorgeous, amazing and breathtaking. My little girl fantasy was shattered at an early age, as soon as my father; the great Lord Kimmo started to train me in the ways of the ninja. The training had been horrid, I broke more bones than I would ever care to admit, my father was tough - so tough in fact that he had nearly killed me one training session.

I gripped the edge of a cold stone and hoisted myself up, taking one stone at a time until I had reached the window that would allow me to see the Great Hall. Placing my hands gently against the window, I pressed my face in already knowing what I would see.

He was pacing backwards and forwards, dragging a blade along the cement ground. He was cloaked in black billowing robes and his black hair was tied back in a pony tail. He had coal black eyes, eyes that would send fear into the most fearless of men. His mouth was set in a scowl, a large scar ran down his left eye. All around him were his army, men dressed in red steel; screaming and hooting - shaking their weapons in the air like barbarians.

And in front of him, on his knees is where my father was located. His grey hair hung around him, his eyes screamed the pain he felt at the loss of his people. He wore brown rags now, his white plate armour was sizzling on a fire that had been created near the throne. I had never seen my father look so old, so hopeless and it scared me. I turned my head to the side and pressed my ear against the glass, straining to catch a word.

"Yes, men of hate see what we have done!" the cheering was astounding, even rattling the glass I leaned against, "the great Lord Kimmo is on his knees, broken and destroyed! His village lay in ruins, his people dead and slaughtered at the tip of our blade!"

The chanting of his name started "Ryou! Ryou! Ryou!"

I knew him, had known him for my whole life. Ryou Taki; his parents had been killed on a mission when he was eight, I remember that day. He started training aggressively, and than he became powerful and eventually made his way up to my fathers very advisor. And I was by his side through it all, Ryou Taki; my best friend, or was my best friend. The signs had been so obvious, he has become withdrawn from me, shutting himself away in his room for days. I discovered documents once, it had been a list of names - names of all the criminals in our prison and a good hearty description of what they had done and what they were capable of.

Than letters started coming, these letters from far places, and strategy plans started coming to light. Than yesterday night he approached me, his face grim.

"Tai…." he has asked me to join him, join him in the destruction of my own people. He said we could make a better world for everyone, said that my father did not disserve what he had, said he was an unworthy leader. I didn't believe what he said, so I laughed; laughed and than punched him playfully in the arm. I knew it had been true though, deep down inside I knew what he had planned to do. Instead of doing anything I chose to pretend that everything was alright, I wandered off into the forest to do some meditation this morning, rather than warn my father.

Than the skies turned red.

My heart clenched painfully, I was scared - what was I suppose to do? I was one ninja against how many? Not to mention Ryou had always surpassed me in technique, strength, power and chakra. I saw him raise his sword above my father, heard myself scream, felt as the glass gave way beneath me, and than shut my eyes as I plummeted to the ground, right in the center of the commotion.

I hit the ground with a painful thump, my arm cracked and I felt the progress of my bone splitting. Silence fell over the crowed as the men quickly scurried away from me, forming a semi circle around me. I felt tears sting my eyes for the billionth time that day as I attempted not to scream at the pain in my arm. I crawled to my knees and let my head jerk up, so that I could meet his eyes. They bore into me, an expression of surprise graced his features.

"Tai! No Tai, damnit you should've run, GODAMNIT TAI!"

My fathers words barely registered with me as a shiver ran down my spine. I struggled to my feet and stumbled a bit, almost falling over. My head was pounding so I raised my hand to it and felt a sticky substance on my fingers. I didn't need to look, knowing already that I had given myself a good bump. I smiled breezily and started to laugh, my voice echoing around the palace. I felt like a crazy person, a crazy person in an asylum.

"Wow Ryou, you really fucking suck!" I stated, my voice coming out shaky.

He smiled and started to briskly walk towards me, I stepped back involuntarily not wanting him near me. My father tried to lunge at his legs, but got Ryou's boot in his face. I cringed at the sound of my fathers nose breaking and looked away, clenching my jaw. He stopped about a foot away from me; I felt the coolness of his hand against my burning hot cheek and almost jumped out of my skin. I used my good arm to slap away his hand and brought my leg up, intending to knee him in the balls - if he had any.

He caught my leg, which caused me to almost fall - he used the opportunity to spin me around and trap my against him, his arms tightly wrapped around mine. This was causing unbearable pain to my broken arm and I heard my self hiss in agony. I struggled against him in earnest, but his arms were like steel bars; they would not give. He chuckled his hot breath brushing past my exposed shoulder.

"Kill the old man!!!"

What happened next must've been what really fucked me up, about ten men swooped down on my father, their weapons brandished. I preyed that something would happen, that someone would save him as I struggled and screamed violently. Blood spilled out onto the floor as the men started to stab and beat my father, it poured out of his mouth and his empty eye socket as one of the psycho paths ripped his eyeball out with his bare hand. Skin peeled off and veins exploded well bone protruded from his now amputated leg. I fought as hard as I could, throwing my body weight against him I even bit him, so hard that my teeth carved through his silk clothing to his arm where it cut through his skin like butter. Blood spilled into my mouth as he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, than threw me to the ground. I tried using my broken arm to stop my fall for some brilliant reason and was greeted with the white hot flash of pain that I was starting to become accustomed to.

Than his foot connected with my ribcage, I felt the air get knocked out of me as I rolled a few feet. He repeated this action, kicking me over and over until I was ready to go to sleep. The blackness lolled around me, I kept my eyes open staring at the torn corpse of my father, the once great Lord Kimmo.

"You fucking bitch! Whore!! You goddamn slut I should kill you."

It was the last thing I heard, the edges of my lips turned up into a smile as I realize that I did not once beg for mercy.

"I win fucker."

---

I remember my mother, she disappeared when I was five years old. I remember her golden curls, they had framed her perfect heart shaped face. She had these amazingly vivid blue eyes and this perfectly white skin. I also remember that she sang like an angel; she would wrap me up in her arms and rock me back and forwards singing away. I had once seen my father hit her, her face was shocked heartbroken, and his was twisted in anguish. He never hit her again I don't think, he truly loved her I believe.

Her name was Luna, my father called her his Moon Queen. I once asked my father how I got my name and he replied that he had always wanted a boy, and that was the name he chose for his child despite what sex they were. I sometime wondered if that's why he was so hard on me in training - was he upset that I was a girl? My father had whores of course, but he never remarried when she vanished and never had another child. When my mother left he became strangely distant and I found that I was shoved off on nannies and sensei's. Had I been a painful reminded of my mom?

I don't think so, I was never as beautiful as my mom that's for sure. I had her blonde hair, except mine was pencil straight. I had my fathers green olive shaped eyes and I'll admit I am a tad, A TAD pudgy for a ninja, I definitely didn't have my moms creamy skin. My skin was tanned extremely dark, thanks to my father and all the sunny missions he sent me on. I figured that I was some freak accident child where they threw together a bunch of body parts and called it a persons.

I noticed a weird throbbing coming from my body, it grew stronger and stronger to the point where it became painful. My mind was white, flashes of my whole life coming and going. I was confused, not sure what was going on, my lips were parched and my head pounded.

"Mom…"

I don't know why I asked for my mom, she'd been gone for so long. However oddly enough I almost felt relief from my pain, it was still there but it was as though my body had finally reached its pain tolerance max and numbed it out.

"Be strong, my beautiful dove."

I swore I just heard my mother.

---

When I awoke I was thankful it wasn't to a blinding light. It was to darkness, although I could make out a small window in the corner and a door facing the small bed I had woken up on. It smelled like something had been rotting down here and I could hear the steady drop of water. The first thing I noticed was my arm, it was bent at an odd angle - I could feel bone protruding from my skin somewhere near my ribs but I was to scared to look. There was a small pool of blood around me, it must've formed well I was passed out.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

My voice echoed as I trained my eyes further more, trying to figure out where I was. There were white bandages wrapped around my whole upper body, I wore no shirt and only underwear. I felt my skin crawl at the idea of some stranger undressing me than dressing me. My arm hadn't been fixed up, so I pressed it close to my body and sat up, swinging my legs around so that they hung off the bed. I almost passed out again as more pain shot through every fiber of my being.

"Hello?"

I called out and was shocked when I was greeted with a "I see your awake" and than a hacking giggle of a laugh. Staring through the bars of the cell, I could make out the outline of a lumpy man, he smelled like sewage waist I decided.

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, frowning.

"The guard, bitch."

I growled angrily "where the fuck is Ryou?"

He was silent, I could feel him staring at me. I got to my feet and wobbly walked over to where he was standing, only bars separating us.

"Where's Ryou..?"

He smiled and I saw the outline of his tongue sliding itself along his lips.

"Don't worry bitch, you will see him soon enough" and than he laughed, going silent once more.

So I returned to my bed and sat there, the chill of the walls seeping into my bones. I continued to relive the memory of my father being massacred and wondered how I could be so goddamn stupid. It could have all been avoided, all of it; I felt lost as though someone had shut the blinds on my very soul. My body was weak, I couldn't feel any of my chakra - it had abandoned me. What was left out there for me? What destiny did I have, should someone as evil as me even exist? What if I just offed myself now?

I scanned the cell for a few seconds before realizing that there were no weapons in sight, nothing that I could plunge into my heart and be done with it. Of course not, Ryou wouldn't be retarded enough to leave something like a weapon in here with me. Why had he even kept me alive?

I was examining the bed pole, wondering if there was any way I could dislodge it from the bed when I heard "the guard" talking to a man. It was Ryou, they were whispering to each other, I didn't even bother trying to listen. My saga was done anyways, my chapter in the great book of life had been closed and I would just need to accept that. Let Ryou do what he wanted with my corpse, because my soul was no longer present - let him torture nothing but a shell of a human.

The guard left and I vaguely registered the sound of the door being unlocked, than closed. I knew he was in the cell with me but I didn't care, I just continued to stare absent minded at the pole.

"Would you kill yourself than Tai?"

He asked me this before coming to stand in front of me, I could almost smell the ill intent on him. He had plans for me, that was obvious; but I didn't care because I was no longer present, I had ascended from my body, lost in the abyss of drowned souls. What happened next was like a crappy black and white movie with the glitches in it, I couldn't tell you for sure what was going on but I knew enough to know that he raped me. He than beat me, throwing me around and cutting me with this gorgeous blue knife. I think he must've broken every bone in my body, he left than; tossing a glittering object beside me on the ground.

"Do what you want Tai."

After he left I managed to gather enough energy to roll on my side so that I could see the object. It was the blue knife, I realized that he was giving me mercy, allowing me the chance to dim the light in my body. My soul was gone so what would it matter, I wouldn't even feel it - I didn't feel anything else. I reached out my hand and slowly wrapped it around the hilt of the knife and wondered for a second if I even had the strength to kill myself.

I grunted and used all of my energy to raise the knife above me, aiming it for my heart. If I pierced myself correctly, it would be over in a matter of seconds. I could feel sweat sliding off my forehead as the knife shook in my grip. I was not afraid to die, I was already dead. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes, than I brought the knife down with precise speed.

"I'm sorry mom.."

Cliff-hanger on the first chapter =)