Disclaimer: Nope. Not yet.
Original Notes: All right. Here we go again. Sorry for the terribly long wait for this to be posted, but between drama club, homework, school, babysitting, and the occasional writer's block, I have found this very difficult to complete. Following causeiambetta's advice, I tried to make the ending a little more suspenseful, but you guys have to bear with me! This is my first actual "story", and don't worry, we WILL get to the action, you guys just have to wait! Anyway, thank you SO much for taking your time to read this. And PLEASE review! It really helps. :)
Secondary Notes: 9/7/08: Did some revamping and such and fixed some parts. Intend on doing it with everything else I have up here. So if you've already been reading this before, be sure to look through it again just so you know what's been changed!!
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Preservation
Chapter 1:The Golden Box
-o-
Once in a far away kingdom, there lived a girl who always found herself in some sort of mischief. She loved to talk about other's faults, spread rumors, and stick her self in other's problems. She was a curious thing, and adored knowing everything, and one day, it became her downfall.
-o-
The driver of the sleek black car, an aging man in a black suit, pulled effortlessly into the stone driveway and parked in front of the large house. Hinata had to admit, he was very good at his job; he hadn't said a word the entire time. The man unlocked the car's doors and slid out of the car, ignoring the heavy rain that pounding the area. He moved around the back of the car at a leisurely pace and opened the trunk while Hinata watched the blurry scene through the tinted window in mild fascination; he seemed perfectly at ease with the weather.
After getting their luggage (which wasn't much) he walked to the side of the car that faced the dark form of the house and opened the vehicle's door. The man then handed Hanabi her small suitcase and escorted her to the doorway of the mansion. She nodded her thanks and stood with her lifeless eyes open, but seeing nothing. Hinata once again felt a sharp tremble run down her spine. Why must Hanabi act like that? Why was she acting so old when she was so young? It unnerved her…
"Ahem? Will you be getting out of the car or not, mistress Hyuga?"
Hinata's attention snapped back towards the middle-aged driver. Hinata flushed bright red furiously and lowered her eyes, muttering sorry numerous times as she stumbled out of the car. She grabbed her brown suitcase from his wrinkled hands swiftly and nearly sprinted to the large decorated doors. She heard him muttering under his breath.
When she reached the large, sheltered marble platform that led to the doorway, she turned around just in time to see the glossy black automobile pull effortlessly out of the driveway once again.
-o-
There lived a wizard just outside of town, and nobody spoke to him. They said he could conjure up demons and nightmares, and that he had a taste for young children, especially girls. The girl's mother warned her about this wizard, and told her never to go near him or his old cottage. Naturally, however, the girl's curiosity got the better of her.
-o-
An overwhelming sense of dread consumed Hinata then. She could have stayed in that car… She had money in her pocket; she could have paid that man to take her back to Konoha. Ms. Yuhi would have definitely taken her in, and then Hinata would be able to be with all of her precious friends again. Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Naruto…
"No," She whispered to herself. She would never go back, she couldn't go back. She was now stuck in hell, and hell was a one way street without her mother.
"Well, Hinata, we should be going inside now. Father is probably waiting," Hanabi said and turned to knock on the large, decorated, mahogany door.
Yeah right, Hinata thought nastily. Like he would ever be waiting for us.
She turned her attention back towards the door as a clear, piercing knock resonated from the door to the surrounding trees. Hanabi knocked several times, each pound like a clock, counting down to the moment when that door would open, and Hinata's life would spiral downwards. This she knew.
She waited, for once envying her sister's ability to look unnaturally cool and calm. Instead she fidgeted; messing with her pale fingers, the hem of her gray sweater, and the leather strap of her suitcase. It reminded her of a horror movie; the unsuspecting victims waiting in front of the house that held their doom. They would walk inside, and never come out. Exactly like a horror film. She choked back another sob that threatened to overtake her.
Then, the massive door opened. Hinata lifted her head up sharply, with the vague hope that her father would be there, and he would welcome them with open arms and explain how sorry he was that their mother had died and how happy he was that they were going to live with him. Her hopes were foolish, she knew that, and she pushed down the urge to feel disappointed when she saw it wasn't her father, but rather the old housekeeper, Midori.
-o-
The girl went to the wizard's home, and peered through his windows and the cracks in the wall. When she realized he was out, she decided to enter his home, and see what she could find.
-o-
Midori was an extremely old woman, with more lines on her face than the leaves on the trees. She was blind in her left eye and hard of hearing, and had been serving Hinata's father as long as Hinata could remember.
"Hmmm? I'm sorry children, but you have the wrong house. Please try somewhere else." She spoke in a barely audible voice that sounded aged and rasped. She turned away, preparing to shut the door, when Hanabi said:
"Actually, Miss Midori, we are Hiashi Hyuga's daughters. I am Hanabi, and this is my sister, Hinata."
"Oh!" Midori cried, obviously flustered as she tugged on the silver knot of hair that sat atop her head. "Oh! Please forgive me, Mistress Hanabi, Mistress Hinata! I didn't see it was you! Please, please, come inside! It's freezing outside!" She flung the door open and beckoned for them to come in.
Hinata followed after Midori and Hanabi inside the large house. Midori began chattering happily at how pleased she was that they were there as she took there dripping coats from there backs. Hinata looked around as she spoke, not really hearing what the old woman was saying.
The house hadn't changed at all. All the elaborate furniture that had been imported from all over the world were in their same places from when Hinata had lived here before. The tables, rugs, everything; nearly everything had stayed the same.
Everything except for the feel of the house.
The place was bathed in shadows. And the rain that poured from the sky and rhythmically hit the residence only added to Hinata's unnerved feeling. It felt so much darker than it had before; as if there were lethal secrets that hid in the roaming gloom. It felt as if there were eyes that watched from the impassive faces of the portraits of her ancestors. She shivered unwillingly.
-o-
While rooting through his many things, many baubles and shining things caught her eye, and one in particular. It was a small gold box, decorated with images of fauns and fairies, set with emeralds and rubies and all sorts of precious stones. The box easily fit inside her palm, and the girl decided it wouldn't hurt if she took this one small thing. So she slipped it in her pocket, and walked home.
-o-
"Hinata, are you alright dear? You look as if you've seen a ghost!" Midori said, folding their dripping jackets over her frail arm.
Hinata flushed and spoke quickly, keeping her eyes on her muddy leather shoes. "I-I am f-f-fine."
Midori looked unconvinced but did not voice her opinion; servants were not supposed probe into their host's lives. "Well then, I suppose I should take you to your father. By the way, does he know you were coming?"
"We sent him a letter about our situation a month ago. But it is possible that he didn't receive it," Hanabi said walking after Midori, with Hinata stumbling after them.
"Ah," was Midori's soft reply. The walked in silence for a little while, as Hinata struggled to inconspicuously hide the fact that she was attempting to remember where all the hallways and doors were. It would be embarrassing if she were to get lost.
Hinata remembered that her father's office was in the very back of the mansion. He was always a reclusive man, and when she had lived her before, he had always been in that office. He rarely ever came out, and on the rare occasions he did, it was normally to greet business associates and prominent guests. He would then lead them to his office where they would be for hours talking in low voices that would mix with the thud of the rain that often fell here. Hiashi Hyuga never let his family in there. He rarely spoke to them, and when he did, it was to tell them how they should "straighten up" and "quit embarrassing him" in front of his guests.
Hinata remembered how he would sometimes glance at Hanabi with something close to hope—hope that Hanabi would turn out better, stronger than his wife had and Hinata could. Burning envy would always erupt in Hinata when he would do that, and she found that the memory brought up the same feeling, too. She quickly bit her lip, not enough to draw blood, but enough to sidetrack her from the recollections.
-o-
Later that night, when all was quite in the house, the girl's curiosity finally became so hard to control, that she decided she simply had to open the box. So she took it to her room, sat on her sheets and opened it.
-o-
Midori was growing uncomfortable with the silence, just as she had when they had made their home here before, and so she decided to make small talk with them. And, against her better judgment, voiced a question that had been tugging at her since she recognized them at the door.
"So…why are you here exactly?" She inquired, turning her wrinkled face towards them.
Hanabi stiffened and stopped walking. Hinata lowered her head and gripped the leather handle of the suitcase even tighter.
Oops. Wrong question.
-o-
Suddenly, the wizard appeared, and before the girl could do anything, he ate her whole.
-o-
End Notes: So? You like it? You strongly dislike it? Tell me what you think and review!