Hello hello all and welcome to my first fanfic for this account. I used to have one about ten years ago and decided to come back into it, absolutely missing writing for this site. So thus, here I am.
This is a rated M for a Mature story, so adult and sexual themes, along with a few touchy subjects are gonna be in here. If any of that makes you uncomfortable, please continue to move passed this fic. I'm going to try and keep the characters as true to their original forms as best I can, but its not gonna be entirely possible due to the setting and the circumstances of the plot. But criticism and any fact checks you wanna throw my way would be well appreciated. I'm doing this without a beta to see how I do so hopefully y'all will enjoy it.
Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Just the plot.
Chapter I
From The Beginning
...
No one can save us but ourselves.
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path.
- Gautama Buddha
...
Darkness was all she knew for God knows how long.
It had seemed like an eternity since she was cursed and doomed to dwell in the shadows, only allowed light when her tormentors would return. So thus it had become a comfort. An escape from the light that would come to her whenever that dungeon door screamed open. An escape from the ones who wished to harm her. An escape from her hell that she had been forced to pay since she was born...never knowing what was beyond the hatred and anger that she seemed to forever experience in this place that she was to call home.
A burning sensation hit her as she allowed her arms to relax for the first time in what seemed like hours. She let her knees to unbend from her grasp as her bare feet slowly slid on the stone floor, stretching out her legs. A build up of dirt and grime was pushed to the side as her skin touched the floor.
Her muscles cried in pain from being in the same position for a long time, finally circulating the blood in them and bringing a painful prickling feeling with it. The back of her knees touch the cold ground below her, giving her the opportunity to stretch out her toes. She curled and uncurled them until the tingling started to subside. It felt like a hundred needles probing her sore legs as she tried to relieve her stiff body and force it to be mobile once again.
She was a frequent prisoner in her own castle, constantly being thrown from her bed into this everlasting darkness and hate. If she was to be honest though, she could say that what laid beyond this prison wasn't too much different from where she was now. The only difference was that instead of a shackle around her neck and limbs that left nasty bruises to keep her in her place, she had her people to do that. To leave bruises and to keep her from acting anyway that wasn't 'proper' behavior, or at least, that was the excuse they gave her to justify their actions. But the truth was that they wished she was dead. Most of the people in her kingdom did. Most, except the man that kept her alive for this own selfish reasons.
Her hand tentatively came up to the thick metal that held onto her so neck tightly, it's rough surface locked onto her skin until her eventual release. Whenever that would be.. Oh how she could not wait for the lock to be undone. To breathe easier and to move around freekly. And yet that would mean this darkness would not hide her. A release only mean torment, but yet the contradictory need to be free was great.
Her hands fell back onto her lap, laying on her tattered night gown. It was once white. Once beautiful. Silk, sleeveless with thin straps and fell just passed her knees, she wore it the night she was taken from her bed and thrown in here.
She knew they would come for her that night. Of course they would. She had made a mistake.
'God forbid..'
She gave into her most primal of urges. It was something that she didn't need as crucial as someone like her mother would of, but it was still a need all the same.
So thus she had waited for her tormentors.
'Sloppy..'
She wasn't thinking clearly. She had kept herself tame for the most part and forced herself to stray from blood as best as she could. Days went on and with each passing hour, she could feel her energy draining away like water in a current. It was a routine for her. Even the humans around her could tell when she was forcing herself to not feed. She would go on as best as she could until eventually her survival counted on it. But due to how long it took for her stubbornness to crumble, her senses were at their lowest. She was at her weakest, and all she wanted, was a small taste of beautiful, coppery blood to calm her body once again. All she had to do was to sneak a small animal and hide, and hopefully no one would notice.
Fate, unfortunately, had other plans. A servant girl had spotted her and she had noticed too late, when she was long gone and already running.
Sure enough, when the moon was starting to fall from its peak was when her personal guards yanked her from her covers, and dragged her unceremoniously down the corridor until they made their way to the dungeon that laid below the castle. Every flight of stairs and every turn that was taken, they made sure to inflict damage. Small enough for it to be allowed and as often as they could.
She was being punished for surviving. Maybe they wished she would starve to death. Maybe her tormentor would force her to drink blood if he saw that she would willingly starve to death, and then punish her for doing so. It seemed that he'd rather her only to die by his hand eventually. Either way, all of this was too much of a commonality. It always has been. How could it not be? She was born an outcast; a hated entity that was doomed as soon as she was brought into this cold world.
Of course it would be her fate to be born of two different kinds. Of course it would be her fate that she would hold her mother's face. That the lavender tint in her mother's eyes would also grace hers. That everything about her kept her from blending in with her people. And of course, her father was the Lord of said people. The advisor to the Crown, and Lord of the Hyuga and the people, whether of his descent or not, of his kingdom resided.
The loud, awful creek of the metal door sounded to her ears, causing the young woman to cringe subconsciously. Light flooded into the cell, bringing to life the filthy room that she resided in.
Hinata quietly sighed, her eyes looking up slightly from her fallen hands.
She didn't turn her head to see who it was. She didn't need to. A strong heart beat sounded in her ears. The familiar flow of blood almost sounded like a raging river.. Ever consistent. Ever flowing. Her mouth salivated slightly as her mouth yearned for the taste of the liquid she could hear clear as day. His pulse was thumping rapidly as he stood at the doorway, looking down at her. It quickened as his footsteps started up once the dungeon door was full opened. His breathing was calm and steady, a complete contradiction to the rushing sound of blood as his veins pumped harder than normal. She knew his exterior would be the epitome of stoicism. But she knew better. His schooled features and calm expressions might fool everyone else into thinking that his emotions were tamed, but she could see passed it. How could she not? She knew his heart beat better than anyone else. The small slip ups of the body betrayed him.
He was anything but calm. He felt emotion as strong one would feel a storm. He was a master when it came to lying, even to himself.
Being a half breed had so many downsides in this world, but the one positive it brought her was truth of others. A calm body doesn't have a rapid heart beat, veins thick with blood coursing rapidly through their system. She could even hear him forcefully keeping his breathing calm, straining muscles that would normally wouldn't require conscious focus. She wondered internally for how long had he mastered this skill.
'For a long time no doubt..'
The elongated footsteps stopped a couple feet away from her body. Close enough to interact, but not close enough to touch.
She supposed he was awaiting her to acknowledge him, as any proper daughter should do in the presence of her father. It was something she would of done as a child, when she was desperate for this man's love above all else.
"G-Good morning...um, I mean, g-good afternoon f-father.. A-At least, I-I t-think it's midday.."
She looked up into his eyes, her own reflecting a small sense of hope that her father finally came to let her free of these chains. She wasn't sure what she did wrong this time.. She hadn't touched a drop of blood in three days before she was dragged out of bed, which was something she was really proud of herself for doing. It wasn't easy...
Hinata didn't receive an answer.
Her King stood above her small form, his towering presence emitting a hostile exterior. She tried to keep eye contact with him as best she could, the intensity of his white pupils piercing through her own.
She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze for a long moment as he continued to look down upon her, taking in her small, petite form. But she held steady aside from the slight shake of her body from the lack of food. She had been thrown in here for a few weeks time, with little water and only enough bread to keep her from starving to death. Despite her circumstances though, she greeted him with a polite welcome and a bow of her head every time he walked in.
But even as she showed him respect, she could not see a change in his demeanor. Neither a tinge of love nor compassion fleeted through him. Only anger. Only hatred.. How she longed for her father's affection instead of his resentment..
"..Your sentence will be revoked today.. I presume that you have learned your lesson."
Confusion was written all over her face, her eyes widening with each passing word. She had nothing to respond with. Not a thing.
"B-But I-I don't know w-what I d-did wrong!"
His eyes narrowed at her words. Hinata started hear his heart beat harder and faster. His body went rigid as he took a few steps forward and bent down, his eyes becoming level with hers. Hinata casted her eyes down from the close proximity but he snatched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. They were cold and hard.
"There will never be a day in your life where you are innocent. You have demon blood residing in your veins, and share the face of a woman who will forever burn in hell."
His words tore through her like a knife to her heart. Each moment caused her body to shake as tears started to fall from her eyes and onto his hand that held her firmly in place.
"You are a bastard. You will only ever be a bastard. And one day, you will die like your mother did.." His gripped tightened on her, causing the girl to speak in pain. "And tell me...how exactly did your mother die Hinata?"
The venom in his voice caused bile to form in the back of her throat.
"In f-flames..."
But she had no such respect for the man who had tormented her for her entire life. So she sat there, waiting for him to either continue his punishment that she was to suffer every time he walk in, or to release her. She had to give him credit though, he knew how to keep her weak. Strength in any form was a risk for him.. It didn't used to be though..
It was a petty stand off, but one that Lord Hiashi could not find himself to win today. His patience was not there at this moment.
"I see the only thing your punishment had accomplished was to strip you of your manners."
It was a laughable statement. Really it was. Was she supposed to learn anything but fake submissiveness when being waterboarded in blood?
Hinata found herself looking up at him, unable to resist. She was always quiet in nature, but yet her actions would always land her in here. It was always her fault, he would say. She was the reason he hurt her. He had to. How else could he control her and her apparent 'animalistic' behaviors?
How else could he control a half breed vampire?
How else would she pay for the death of her mother, and the torment that knowledge gave her father? He would never admit it, but he had to have loved her to some degree. He would of never kept her alive if that wasn't the case.
Her lavender tinted eyes looked into the pale, white iris's that stood above her. His crown reflected the light behind him, hurting her eyes slightly. It's small yet thick style laid on his head proud. Traditionally, it was a beautiful symbol of lordship that her father had been bestowed with when his father's rein of their people was at an end. Not every Lord wore a crown, but the Hyuga were a proud clan of people, and spared no expense. A Lord, and one with high status with the Crown, showcased their power in non too subtle ways. Their wardrobe, their weapons... Even their horses were of pure breed decent.
Lord Hiashi's pale skin blended in with his white tunic, glowing against the gold and ruby jewels that covered his body. Small crested rubies and emeralds, with gold threaded designs flooded his attire, making evident his status. They lined in intricate designs along his tunic and pants, making the expensive material shimmer in the light.
As if he were the angel of death.
Hinata supposed that thought wasn't entirely off from her reality.
"I am freeing you from your punishment on this day. Your month sentence has been paid." As he spoke, the guards who threw in here came from behind him to undo her chains.
The two guards crouched before her. Both bore a symbol upon their foreheads, a marking every Hyuga born of lower status shouldered. Their Kingdom had, of course, more than just Hyuga people within their walls, but their clan was a vast one, making up people born of high class, to soldiers, to blacksmiths. Even bastards of the clan were marked. It was an allegiance to their Lord, the Crown and their people. All who bore it swore an oath before they could even swing a sword. Any who would go against this oath would either become a slave to their own people, or were executed.
It was their tradition. Their culture.
To Hinata, it was blind following.
The pressure that she now knew had lasted for a month, was finally lifted from her skin. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips when the man to her side removed her shackle. She didn't need her senses to know how tender her neck was, nor need it to know that it was probably a disgusting purple and yellow tint. Years of going through this cycle already told her that.
She reached up to touch her neck, but before the tips of her finger could brush her skin, she was yanked up by her arm and forced to stand on her feet. Her knees buckled underneath her, numb and useless from the lack of use. The guard roughly yanked her back up, forcing her to try and use her legs once again. They wobbled and shook from the sudden weight on them. She grabbed hold of the guard's arm to steady herself. He yanked his arms away from her after she held onto him and allowed her to fall back onto hard ground.
She landed ungracefully on her side, earning a groan to fall from her lips. Her eyes shut tight at the welcome of unwanted pain. She was weak, due to haven't been fed much of anything besides dried old bread since being stuck in here. This is not even counting the lack of blood she was allowed, nor did that include the pigs blood they forced her head under.
'And to think... All of this because I fed on a squirrel. Maybe I should have taken one of my people instead...'
The dark thought ran threw her head before she could stop it. Of course she would not want to kill her own people, no matter how much they feared and hated her. She could never find herself to do it. Not even her father. Maybe she was weak for it, but the one thing she refused to do was to become the monster they all thought she was. She didn't kill because she loved the ones around her, save the very few in her life. She knew she wouldn't survive the onslaught even if she tried, but that wasn't even a reason for her refusal. And she refused to end her own life. No. She would silently endure her torture until the opportunity offered itself.. And the latter was a promise that her mother made her swear to her before her passing...
She considered the thought that maybe that was one of the reasons he hated her so much. Because she never did try to fight him back.
Before she could even try and roll over, the guard once again yanked her up. Her arm protested from the abuse, but she ignored it. Pain was all she knew, and she would never give them the satisfaction of knowing how much their abuse truly hurt her. This time around she forced her legs to keep her somewhat upright, trying to steady herself before she ended up being dropped on the ground again.
"Take her to her chamber, and do so quickly. I don't need her to be late for the gala that is to transpire on this day." Her eyes watched him turn on his heel leave, but before he walked fully from her chamber of horrors, he paused for a moment, his back to her but his face turned slightly. She noted the slight skip of his heart beat and they way she knew he composed himself quickly before delivering a blow.
"It is your birthday after all."
XXXXxxxxXXXX
Pain was something he was accustomed to. It was something he lived on, breathed on, and kept close to his heart until the day it would eventually break him. He experienced it so much it was almost comforting. When his parents were killed in front of him at the tender age of eight, before he could even hit his coming of age, he was left with only his brother, the man who he loved more dearly than any other mortal or non-mortal this world could possibly give. His brother and him were the last Uchihas standing on this cold world, with only each other to trust and defend. He no longer had cousins, and aunts and uncles. His few acquaintances he had made as a child had all been killed with rest of his people. They were truly alone. A fact he knew from the day we wore his mother's blood on his clothes.
War held strong in their world. It was something his father had made sure he would understand. He would teach him in his young years of how war took away those that you loved, no matter if you won or lost. It was a vile game that was necessary to rule their lands, and was also apart of their history long before he was born.
He wasn't sure if his father knew their demise was sure to come, or if he had confidence he would live long after all of this, but ether way it went, he did not live passed his mid years as a vampire, nor ever get to experience times of 'peace.'
'Peace..'
Sasuke scoffed at the idiotic term. Peace.. There was never any peace, only the promise of temporary suspense. The only reason both sides decided to pause the war was due to too much blood shed. Men and vampires alike were dying too quickly. By the time the war would of ended naturally, no one would of been left to stand to take the ultimate throne. After many clans and Lords have been slaughtered, only so many stood tall.
His brother was crowned King of the Vampires after their entire family was slaughtered, and their Kingdom in shambles after the damning onslaught. Their clan amongst every kingdom was their upmost stronghold and held one of the most powerful blood lines amongst the vampire world. His older brother was to be next in line regardless. They waited until he was at his coming of age, when his bodily figure would stop aging and his strength would continue to increase. Most of the Akatsuki, the Council of his Kingdom, survived the war and raised the teenage boy into a man of power.
He had always considered Itachi a natural ruler, someone with a calm reserve and tactful mind. His older brother was a natural. A genius was what their father called him. If it were up to him though, every man, woman and child would suffer at their hands for tearing their family apart. His hatred for humans seared so deeply that he felt as if his blood would literally boil at times. This was why he had always enjoyed being apart of whatever army and scouting party his brother would enlist to handle in cutting down their enemies. He enjoyed it. Thoroughly.
Humans were the reason he had no parents. They were the reason why most of his people were dead. They held the problem with a vampire's existence in the first place, and if he had his way, they all would be eliminated from this fucking earth.
"Brother, are you ready to leave?"
But unfortunately, he was not in any type of position to do so. His brother saw peace as a way out of this war and he took it without a second thought. The majority of the kingdoms throughout the Five Great Nations, both vampire and human, agreed upon a treaty that would end their great war and grant peace to an extent..
He didn't want peace.
He wanted them to suffer.
He wanted them all to suffer.
Sasuke looked up from his wine glass to glance at his older brother standing before him. Itachi stood in his black tunic and pants, with red swirling designs upon it. Dragon like patterns were sewed on with red rubies snaked across the red stitching, adding to the look of blood it presented. His crown sat atop of the half bun on his head, the gold fixated with more rubies and intricate designs swirling around it.
"Hn."
Itachi shook his head and walked away from him towards the giant balcony that lay before them. They both stood before the doors in his brother's chamber that led towards the magnificent entry way towards the morning sky. He stepped out onto the stone floor and stopped at the thick rails. He touched the cool rock before his fingers. The sun of the day struck light rays against the cold snow that trickled down. Itachi briefly wondered if he would have enjoyed the winter as much as he did now if his body didn't reduce the pain of the cold to almost nothing. He remembered hearing how so many humans hated the winter because of how cold it could get it.. But he never understood, even now, how this time of the year could bring about such a negative reaction.
'December snow was always the most beautiful...'
Itachi's fingers trailed the stone rail for a moment longer before addressing his younger brother.
"We are to visit the Hyuga Kingdom today."
Sasuke snorted in response. He was considered foolish by Itachi many of times, but with this... To him, Itachi was the foolish one. He was the smartest man he has ever known. Wiser beyond his years and deadlier than any warrior he has ever encountered. He wasn't naive to the hells of war, nor ignorant to whims of his people. He was calculated and precise.. Which was why this whole ordeal was ridiculous in the first place.
"You really expect Lord Hiashi and his arrogantly shrewd council to cooperate easily with no idle threats?"
Really, sometimes he questioned his brother. Out of every human he had ever came across, the Hyuga were the worse to him. They reeked of privilege and false authority. Within the human realm, they were one of the main strongholds to reside in the Land of Konoha and work alongside the crown. But in their realm, they were their biggest threat. It was the Hyuga that helped lead the invasion of his home and slaughter all of his people when he was just a boy. The Hyuga were deceitful rats and murderous hypocrites. He remembered the false talks of 'peace' during times of war before they came charging into their kingdom, slaughtering innocent lives as they went.
The blood stain of vampires was at its highest within the Hyuga walls and his brother wasn't going there to help him exact revenge. No, they were going to walk into those treacherous walls for something much idiotic in his mind.
"I do. As strong as they may pretend to be, they are weaker than they were before. Cooperation is expected."
"Hn, and so is a blood bath."
Itachi turned his head towards his younger brother. It wasn't as if the thought hadn't crossed over his mind many, many times before. Revenge for his people, and himself no less, was at the fore front of his thoughts ever since the day his mother and father were slaughtered in his home. War is a messy and unforgiving thing . Many lives were taken in the strive for dominance, and in all honesty, Itachi was tired of it. They were on the brink of bringing the humans down a few pegs, but the longer they fought, the more he realized the cost of winning. That didn't take away his own reserve though, not even a little bit.
Itachi fully turned away from the morning sky, his gaze fully on the man before him.
"My brother, we had shed blood so deep that were able to wade."
He took steps towards him until he could reach out his hand place it upon his younger brother's shoulder. Black onyx eyes met their match, a calculation in each of them towards the other.
"It was never enough."
"My foolish little brother..." His hand squeezed Sasuke's shoulder. "It will never be enough..."
XXXXxxxxXXXX
"You hair has gotten so long."
Hinata watched her younger sister through the mirror as she brushed her long her. She had insisted in helping her prepare for the special event that was to take place tonight. Insisted, as in she really didn't give Hinata much of a choice.
Pale hands worked through her hair precisely and without thought, brought on by years of helping her older sister with her hair since she did not have her own personal maid. Hanabi's white eyes trailed her tresses as she took out every knot that resided due to going a month without brushing it. Washing the blood and dirt out of it had taken some time to get through, making the brushing an easier task. Her long golden sleeves from the long dress that she wore were pushed up to her elbows so her hands could work freely. Hinata's eyes trailed from her hands up to her face.
'Hanabi...'
Small prickles of tears started to surface as she stared at the girl who touched her without disgust and apprehension. A small clenching of her heart caused some of the tears to flow over onto her cheeks.
Her body fell hard onto the floor as the guards threw her into her own chamber, the cold feeling of stone contrasted with the burning in her cheeks.
Embarrassed and irritated, tears fell from her eyes freely at the laughter that followed her fall. She brought her hands on either side of her body to push herself up and off the ground until the weight of a foot slammed her right back down.
Their body weight pressed hard on her back.
The laughing picked up as she tried to push herself back up despite the larger man that loomed over her.
"You know..."
The man above her crouched down, foot still to her back, to lower himself so she could here him speak. All humor left his voice.
"What I would give...to see your blood spilling from your neck."
She felt his hand touch the back of her neck and slide slowly down to her bare shoulder. A repulsive shiver shot through her. Tears fell harder as she gritted her teeth. She could not react the way they wanted her to. She knew that's what they want. They wanted to see her mess up, to give them a reason to convince her father she was better off disposing of then keeping like a pet.
It took every ounce of control to try not to bite the man's hand off while it was so close to her face.
"My family was killed by your people..." The pressure worsened with each word as the pain started to contort through her back. Her eyes looked up as best as they could to look into the man's eyes through the locks of hair surrounding her face. He saw her attempt and leaned down a little more, his hand coming back up to her neck to grab it slightly. A whisper fell from his lips.
"Maybe I can help you join your mother in hell."
Anger flared inside of her before she could even begin to try and control it. Her blood quickened its speed as it raced through her veins, pumping so hard she would swear she could see red.
A low growl ripped through her lungs and as soon as his hand had released itself from her and came into her view, her body reacted.
A high pitched scream emitted from the man's lungs as he clutched his hand to his chest, blood pooling from his deformity, and threw himself backwards away from her.
Hinata slowly picked herself up, thick veins sprouting from her eyes all the way onto the side of her face. Blood covered her mouth and dripped down her chin onto the ground. Her eyes never left the pained man as she stood fully, barely catching the horrid look on the other guard's face.
The man's dismembered thumb rested in between her teeth, her small fangs closing into the skin as blood steadily trickled from the stolen limb.
"YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!" His trembling form before her shook as he grabbed his sword from its sheath with his good hand. Hinata stared at the blood coming from his wound.
She wanted more. She wanted him to bleed so much more.
Before either guard could take a step, a voice rang through the air and caused everything to stop in motion.
"Enough."
Hinata looked up. She stood firm and unmoving, her golden dress flowing gracefully passed her feet. A white silk shaw was wrapped around her small shoulders, allowing only a small bit of cleavage in the front to be revealed. Her long brown hair flowed down just above her waist, shaping her face and figure.
Both guards froze in place, stuttering incoherently.
"L-Lady Hanabi! We were-"
"Harassing my sister, no doubt." She walked passed them, incredibly not a single drop of blood touched her as she glided over the mess. She stepped over towards Hinata, her protruding veins slowly coming back into her face. She casted her eyes down, all anger and fury dying out like a candle light only to be shrouded with shame to be seen in such a manner in front of her younger sister.
Her chin was lifted up by a finger. She looked up, expecting to see disgust and irritation coming from her sister, but all she saw was soft eyes. Hanabi reached for the thumb held between her sister's teeth, easily taking it from her mouth. She turned back to the stunned guard that held his hand close and tossed the member back to him.
"Here, you might be able to have it sewed back on before it becomes to late."
"B-but L-Lady-"
"Have someone clean this mess and leave my sight or I'll see to it that your thumb won't be the only thing missing."
The promise that echoed in the air held strong, and the two guards didn't need to be told a second time to leave.
Hanabi didn't wait for the door to fully close before she turned back to her sister. She cocked her head to the side.
"So... does coward taste good?"
A small smirk played on their lips as Hinata licked hers.
"Not at all."
"Hinata?"
Hinata snapped her head up at the sound of her name, realizing that she had drifted off. She looked into the mirror to see the concern on her sister's face.
"Yes Hanabi?"
The younger sister put the brush down on the vanity and touched her sister's cheek. Hinata felt the warm touch of her hand, and also the wetness that was flowing down from her eyes.
Shocked, she put her own hand on her other cheek. She was crying.
"You never did like showing your weakness in front of me." Hanabi started wiping the tears from her face with her thumb, erasing the evidence of her slip up. Dried, she grabbed a nearby wooden chair and sat down next to Hinata, grabbing both of her hands into hers.
'They are always so cold.' Hanabi thought as she rubbed small circles against the skin of her hands. She guessed that it was fitting that her sister was born on one of the most coldest, and beautiful months of the year. She looked up into her older sister's eyes and sighed.
Hinata was doomed from the start and it broke her heart. Everyone would judge and hate her based on the blood that coursed through her veins. She never asked to be who she was. Her sister was born a bastard; a mistake to the human race and a misfit that would never find a place. Her looks were enough to stand out, and by human standards, she was gorgeous. Long, navy blue hair that went to her waist and always seemed to flow beautifully behind her, even if it was blood stained.
Eyes tinted lavender and skin that glowed in the night sky, Hinata was a creature that was too beautiful for this world. Inside and out.
A sigh escaped her lips.
"I want you to promise me something Hinata."
Hanabi stared into the eyes that held too much good for this condemned castle. Her eldest sister stared back in confusion, awaiting her request. She would do anything to make her happy... And Hanabi knew that. She knew that before anything else. Fully human, she was never subjected to the torture and agony her sister went through.. But no how matter awful it was, she looked after her. She raised her as if she was her mother herself. Hell, her actual mother was more of a power figure than a mother. But Hinata wasn't just beautiful, she was merciful. She was sweet. But most importantly, she never became the monster they all wanted her to be.
She felt her own eyes water in thought.
She was too innocent to be here dammit.
"Whatever it is, I will do my best." Hinata gave a small smile, reassuring Hanabi that she could handle whatever task that needed to be done.
'Selfless as always...'
"I want you to leave this place." She heard her voice crack, her eyes burning from the statement.
Surprise, concern, and then hurt all ran threw Hinata. Was she ashamed? Did she no longer want her as a sister? Did their father finally influence her into hating her? She couldn't blame her. Everyone else did. To them she was an enemy, a demon who was amongst their kind that posed a threat to their very existence. She held no place in this kingdom, and yet her father kept her. She wasn't the heir to the Lordship of one of the few standing human strongholds after the war. She was the bastard of a King who made sure to remind her of who she was every day. She was a mistake.
"I understand." It was barely a whisper.
Hanabi immediately saw the change in her sister's eyes. Her own narrowed as both of her hands grabbed hold of Hinata's face on either side and forced her to look into her own eyes. Startled by the sudden fierce contact, Hinata's eyes widened at the firmness that was splayed across Hanabi's face.
'You look like father...'
"You listen to me Hinata..." Hanabi started, not continuing until she made sure she had Hinata's attention so that she could hear every word she uttered. "I love you. Do you hear me? You have raised me as if you were my own mother. You have given me strength when you yourself had none, and if you had to, I know you would bleed for me as well."
Hanabi's grip tightened slightly as the intensity of her words settled around them.
"Do not ever think that I do not want you in my life.. But I also know that you are not safe here."
Hinata gently removed Hanabi's hands from her face and placed them in her own lap, understanding what her sister was now saying. She couldn't help but feel a warmth spread across her face in embarrassment at her assumption. Shaking her head, she squeezed her hands.
"Hanabi... I will never be safe." It was true. She never would. She will never know what it will feel like to never be harmed. She will never know true happiness. But her small moments of peace, moments like these, were times she lived for.
But Hanabi was to hear none of it. An angry tear fell from the young woman's face.
"Hinata, but-"
"It's nothing to worry about. I can handle myself."
"But-"
"Eventually father will go back to ignoring me and-"
"Do you not realize what today is?!" Tears now flowed freely down her face as she yelled at her sister. Hinata froze in place. She said nothing as she slowly took her hands away from their conjoined form and stood to her bare feet. The fresh silk gown that clung to her body moved with each step. In the corner of the chambers stood a trey with cheeses, fruit and wine. Normally every chamber in this castle had placements like these to accommodate the residents dwelling there, but she was forgotten most of the time. For God's sake, she empties her own chamber pot. But whenever Hanabi was around, she made sure she received proper treatment any other daughter of a Lord was given. But no matter how much she tried, her little sister could never give her normalcy. There would always be abuse. She was treated worse than many of slaves, the only luxury being her chamber itself.
But Hinata always appreciated the effort.
She reached out to grab a cup and poured herself a healthy glass of wine. She then turned to look at her sister, who hadn't moved a muscle. Hinata eyed her for a moment before responding, a heavy silence flow lying between them.
"Yes... I do know what day today is..."
Her eyes peered down at the liquid in her hand before pressing the cup to her lips, downing the wine until there was none left. Licking her lips and turned and poured herself another.
Hinata looked at her sister once more.
"It's my birthday."
And she downed her second cup.
Boom. Hope you all enjoyed. Please review 3