-*Isolation:
The World You Left Behind
Sleep is sudden, swift. She thinks she dreams of that darkness, if she dreams at all.
She opens her eyes to black- it is their eyes trained onto her own, awaiting her awakening. For a moment- how eerily similar it seemed to her, mirroring that time when their words had called her from the darkness. She sat up slowly with a smothered yawn, rubbing at her eyes sleepily with the back of her hand.
"We trust our Lady Hinata is well this morning."
They greeted her with their customary bow, and she paused at the words, considering them carefully. Questions from a sleepless night are rising to the surface- the 'Who am I?' and 'Where am I?' becoming something far more profound- 'What...am I? If I am anything at all?' Surely this was some place beyond human comprehension or understanding, where animals walked in the flesh of men. She could not decide if a ten year's slumber had rendered her incapable of rational thought or if she had never been capable of much. Somehow understanding this woman that was herself was proving difficult- how could she understand a woman she did not know? But all of that rose and fell beneath their watchful gazes, and she hurried to reply in kind.
"Y-Y-Yes...t-thank you. A-And I c-cannot t-thank you e-enough for l-last night."
After her horrific meeting with her Lord, dinner had been a somber affair. It had truly been a shame- to be unable to appreciate such delight- such bounty they had brought her! Such strange and exotic food! Trays upon trays they had brought out for her, so that for a moment she had checked them, assuring them it was all too much- until she had broken her chopsticks and taken the first bite. Even now she could recall the way the flavors had burst on her tongue, such magnificence- and to her utter embarrassment what followed was a complete breach of good table etiquette. As if a decade's worth of hunger suddenly struck her in one moment, she feasted on the food like a starving man. Although she had sincerely apologized for her behavior, they had assured her that it was to be expected...after all, she had been denied much for a very long time. Afterwards they had led her back to her chamber, where she had fallen immediately into a deep sleep. She did not remember if she had dreamed- and she was glad for it. It certainly would have been a nightmare, filled with flame and laughter.
"My Lady is too kind." They stated in the same matter of fact tone she was growing familiar with, "We are merely fulfilling our duty."
"R-Regardless...t-thank you. F-For everything. " She murmured honestly, smiling at the confused look they spared one another. She was slowly gathering, from studying the surprise in those normally impassive faces that they were not used to such treatment. Somehow, recalling the Master...she knew why. 'Ichi and Ni,' she thought carefully, remembering her earlier thoughts about the strange women children. 'One and Two.' As if their mother had named them with blatant disinterest...but she understood now, remembering that laughter. She shivered, waving it away.
She stares at them as they await her orders, uncertain how to even begin articulating the thoughts swirling in her mind. For clarity, for comfort she finds her gaze drawing upwards to the opening overhead, shaped like the moon. The colors of an early morning sky greets her, clearing her mind. Formulating the chaos of her thoughts proves challenging, but she knows that if she has the strength for nothing else this day, she must have the strength for this. There are many things she wants to know, has to know before passing through those doors- before accepting...this. 'How have I come to be here? How has he come to know me? What is that...voice I hear, ringing in my head? Is that me? Or is it...something else?' But she fumbles over all of them instead, remembering his words. 'You will never want for anything, you have only to ask and it will be given to you...There are but three rules you must follow..."'
Now she knew with absolute certainty why he had refrained from presenting himself to her upon her awakening- to even think of it, to be faced with that immense pressure, that wordless horror, while still trapped in that hazy and dreamlike state- the very thought made a shudder race down her spine. She surely...would not have been able to survive it...had that been a kindness? No- she remembered again with a brief tremor, the dark laughing in her head. 'Kind! The little bird thinks you are kind!' Had it been a mercy? No..."Disobey me and I will snap you up in my jaws and grind your bones to dust-" Another shudder of horror. To sleep ten years and awaken to meet such a gruesome fate, such a cruel end? Then why keep her at all if she was so disposable, if she was so easy to cast aside? Why...keep her at all? She did not...could not...understand. There was still too much she did not know. And for the sake of her sanity, her seemingly fragile psyche- she knew the only option available to her was to bide her time, in the hopes that with time, surely...one day she would know. But for now, all she could think for a moment was that he had not...'...been the Blue-Eyed Man...'
She drew in a calming breath, attempting to center herself and regain some control of her wayward thoughts. By the time she lowered her eyes again to the matching pairs of Ichi and Ni, she knew what it was she needed to ask.
"H-He-" -she checked herself for this slight immediately-"L-Lord Kyuubi...I...w-what manner of b-being is he?" Because she would not forget it- such a blatant display of power, of might- that black hand dragging her forward. That pressure- such suffocating pressure, as if she were drowning at the bottom of a black ocean- and that voice- that voice! 'No-' she shuddered, trying to wave it away, feeling her temples begin to ache, trembling as if struck by a sudden chill. She...already knew the answer to that, to both of those questions- she just needed confirmation, validation, even though she knew. Weakness- she would always remember her weakness, his power had burned it into her memory. The feeling-butthey are staring at her with those strange black eyes, dark like coal.
"Does My Lady truly not know? Surely you felt him?" Who is asking her, who is speaking? "My Lady...you know the answer. You must only accept it." No she- she did not, could not- pale eyes fall to her hands, trembling in her lap- they are white as snow- smooth- she realizes with acute horror that they are not her hands- what...what is she thinking? What does she mean by that? "My Lady Hinata?" But he called her Hanahime, little bird- "My Lady-?" He called her 'dearest', his 'reason for life' he said- "My Lady Hinata-?" They sound away, far away- he said 'I am the one who loves you, in this life or the next' and he- 'always smiled for me,' there are tears running down her cheeks. 'He always smiled for me.'
"My Lady Hinata!" Suddenly their voices are clear again, focused. She blinks harshly, hastily wiping away her tears. They are staring at her- and this time she knows Ichi, she recognizes her- because again there is a look in her eyes- that same strange look from last night, tight and painful.
"H-He's a demon." She murmurs softly, not sure if she is speaking to them any longer, or if she is saying the words for herself, to herself. Saying them made them real, articulating the feeling- that dark, waking nightmare. Ichi says nothing- but when Ni turns to assess her twin that look in her eyes is gone- it is a moment- before she speaks.
"The term is a little inaccurate but...That is correct My Lady. Our Master is the Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox. A being of unparalleled power. And My Lady is-" 'Weak.' She could feel the smirk, the black grin made of fangs. 'But therein lies the charm.' "-Mortal."
"A-And the t-two of you are-" White foxes in the mirror, white as snow?
"We are merely his servants, an extension of his will." Ichi states calmly, her face clear, voice passive and level. "And now we are My Lady's to carry out your will."
An extension of his will- said as if- they themselves had no will of their own. No freedom.
"I-Is he...a c-cruel Master?"
Her eyes find Ichi's, staring back at her impassively, but it is Ni who answers her. "He does what he must My Lady. My Lady will surely come to understand this- there are times where you may think him cruel, you may think him unmerciful- but this realm is different from the world of mortals. And My Lady must not forget that. This is a realm of illusions, ruled by strength and tempered by fate- regardless of what My Lady may come to think, we are certain everything Master does is for your sake."
She feels her gaze tighten as she stares at her hands. 'For my sake?' How could she be expected to believe those words, to put in faith in them? Such an action- was it not foolish? Was it naive? If that were true then...the reality was that she had no choice but to believe them- what other options did she have? Who else could she believe in, have faith in? There were none. "C-Can I...t-trust the both of you?"
"My Lady we are incapable of deceit, Master has made it so. We can neither refuse you nor betray you."
"T-Thank you." She whispered quietly in earnest-still not knowing if she should- or could take comfort in the words. But Ichi said them with such conviction, that she felt could not refuse it.
"Now come My Lady- we have drawn a bath for you in the inner chamber. Today we will show you your estate."
She nodded silently, drawing the sheets from her body with a still trembling hand. 'I just hope...I am not wrong. There is much...I still do not know. Or maybe it is there I only have too...' "Can you bear it?" 'No...' she thought with a weary finality. 'As I am now...I cannot. But one day...someday...I will.' It would be while she mediated in the scented bath that she would first realize that perhaps acknowledging one's weakness was the first step towards strength.
And why...had she been so struck by her hands? She remembered it now- there had been a thin white ribbon, a thread, hinged with lace, wrapped around her ring finger- but it was...gone. Perhaps that too- had only been a dream.
The estate, when viewed in the glow of morning had a much different air- even the silence of the empty halls seemed hesitant, a strange trepidation lingering in the air and down the elongated passageways. As if for as much as she was wary of this place- of the marble halls, of the high arches and ceilings- it was just as wary of her. The estate is impossibly large- she can feel the size, the weight of it- but even the pristine marble gleaming below her feet feels ancient, weary. Some of the halls, the ceilings- tell a story she cannot follow- a tale of men and the gods that ruled them. There are fantastic creatures beautifully detailed in the walls, a tale she does not know. There is a dragon racing through the clouds, it's long serpentine body sprawling across many feet, winding up the base of a stone column, leering down at her with eyes like envy- there is a phoenix with wings of fire, flying overhead and leaving a trail of smoke and flame- there is a horse with folded wings, dashing through a forest, disappearing down the length of the hall- and more she cannot place nor name.
"W-What...are all of t-these creatures?" She wondered curiously, pausing to run pale hands along the length of a winged serpent, devouring its own tail. She feels them draw to a stop behind her, their eyes following the path her hand makes, fingertips delicately tracing the rough stone scales of the serpent's skin.
"Mythical beings, My Lady. We believe it is common knowledge in the world of the mortals that a ten tailed beast created their world- however it is common knowledge among our kind that a ten winged beast created ours."
'Our kind,' she notes significantly, hands feeling the bite of the serpent's fangs. 'Not mine.'
"C-Can...you tell me more?" She asked curiously, taking a few slow steps forward, eyes still tracing the figures etched into the wall- here there seemed to be a war that spanned many panels-centuries?- there, a time of peace and prosperity. It truly did feel as if- the stories being told here were as old as time. As she drifted further down the hall she listened to their words carefully, with noted interest.
"It is a long story My Lady. Centuries and eons before your time and ours, these two creatures combined their power to create the worlds. The realm of mortals, the underworld, and the realm of ascension- the realm of the gods. For centuries mankind flourished and blossomed beneath their power- and they taught mankind about chakra, the essence of life. However one day, Ten Tails was suddenly struck by a powerful madness."
She paused at this, hands straying on the marble. There is a figure beneath her hand- of a single man in the dark shadow of a formless beast. "A madness?" She asked aloud, thinking acutely of his laughter, echoing in that dark room.
"Yes My Lady...it is the curse of our kind. With immortality and power often comes a strange affliction which leads to a frightening madness. Ten Tails began to spite mankind, and in its madness sought to the end the world. He fought the ten winged beast- and the outcome of that battle, which raged for years- was that ten wings was defeated, its wings scattered across the skies. Now with no one to contain its might, the ten tailed beast sought to end the world and send it into darkness."
"...h-how did the world survive?" She turned back towards them anxiously, hands leaving the figure to give them her full attention, uncertain how the story was going to end.
"There arose a certain man in the mortal realm, a being born once in a thousand years-who was powerful enough to capture the ten tailed beast. Using his own unprecedented power, and a technique he had developed himself, he split the ten tailed beast by its tails and sealed them away in the world. Thus scattered, peace returned, and mankind regained control of their own fate. The mythical beasts faded away into the undercurrent of history, and mortal legend- there is more to their story here on these walls should My Lady desire to know."
'The curse of immortality...' the words whispered painfully, mournfully in her head. Did she...know this story? No...she did not...this was a story she was certain none of flesh and blood had ever been told. And it seemed like such a...sad story, to be granted an eternity...only to fall prey to madness. Even immortal beings it seemed, were not infallible.
"T-Then this r-realm...belongs to t-these mythical b-beings?" She asked hesitantly for clarification, and was rewarded by a slight bow of their heads.
"Yes that is correct My Lady."
"This is a realm for those with power that could not be contained in yours- or rather it is safer to say that here reside beings condemned- because combined they have the power to alter the fate of the world and change the tide of destiny. Since that time all those millennia ago, it was foreseen that never again would the fate of mankind be given to the hands of beasts. Since then mankind has taken control of its own history and fate- and these beasts have a duty to maintain that balance, to ensure the future of all realms."
"I see." She murmured quietly, the story a sobering tale of power. Had it been worth it in the end...if such gift came with such burden?
"W-What happened to the ten w-winged creatures?"
"They gathered in this realm my lady, and here they have remained, sworn to never again descend to the world."
"And...the t-ten tailed creatures?"
"Still sealed away on the earth. Their fates...are unknown to us. But our Master-"
A wordless conviction she could feel, without proof or merit. They did not need to finish the statement- she already knew how it would end. 'He knows.' "Y-You...say that L-Lord Kurama is the nine t-tailed fox. I-if...that is true, then h-how did Lord Kurama e-escape that f-fate?"
She watches their eyes- for even sign of moment, of hesitancy. If they are aware of the intensity of her scrutiny, they do not show it, faces empty as the void. "That My Lady...we do not know. We are..."-did she imagine the strange flicker in black eyes? "-forbidden from desiring or speaking of it."
"W-Why?"
She asked pointedly, lavender eyes not once fleeing from their faces. They grow…hesitant at this. For the first time she can recall, they do not meet her eyes. "We...cannot say." Are they lying? No- they had already admitted that they could not refuse her, and could not deceive her. That could only mean their words were true- they truly...did not know. 'There is much he is hiding…' she thought, mulling carefully over the words. It seemed the man kept many secrets, and not just from her.
"Ah...I s-see."
"Come My Lady, let us proceed to the outside."
They guide her towards an open archway that leads out into the bright of the morning, but she finds her eyes wandering along the wall a moment longer. She finds that her gaze is assaulted by the sight of a creature- a massive beast of darkness and shadow, breathing fire onto a burning village. The beast has breathe of black and flame, and the ground beneath its feet seems to tremble from its rage. She shudders suddenly at the image, but she does not know what about it is unsettling. For a moment she imagines she can smell the scent of ashes- but it is only a moment before the wind reaches her, carrying the scent away.
Outside the estate is like a dream- beyond the archway they descend down stone steps overshadowed by the arch of trees bent overhead- she recognizes them immediately, their heavy branches in full bloom, petals of pink raining down on the steps, alighting in her hair- she catches one in her palm.
"C-Cherry blossoms...t-these are...cherry blossoms." She states clearly, with no small amount of wonder. She remembered these...she thought looking up through their curved branches, catching glimpses of the sky overhead, wanting to close her eyes as she listened to the wind, softly carrying the petals hither and there. "These are..." she whispered, clutching the petal in her hand, and it feels like silk in her palm.
"You loved these My Lady."
"Y-Yes...I did." She murmured anew, slowly parting her eyes- somehow, she was overcome by a sudden ache in her chest. She tastes it again, on her tongue, something old and forgotten. Is it regret? Bitterness? Or...sadness?
They lead her down the stone steps and she treads carefully as Ni is not far behind, carrying the train of her kimono and mirroring her steps so that she would not falter. At the base of the stone steps- is a garden- she is en swamped, surrounded by a thousand blooming flowers- sprouting from the moss and grass beneath her feet- winding up the bark of the trees overhead- on leafy boughs shadowing the path, petals all the colors of the rainbow floating down on the wind, coating the path beneath her feet. The air is heavy with the scent of their perfume is a pleasant scent of earth and beauty. It is a comfort- she breathes deeply, filling her lungs with the intoxicating scent- and immediately she feels calmer. Hearing the sound of the wind in the leaves, whistling through her ears- brings her peace. Whatever it is that has been plaguing her- seems as if it too has been taken by the wind. What had she been feeling, merely a moment ago? She can no longer recall...the wind has blown a long lock of the inky dark strands across her face- she moves it shyly, smoothing her bangs with a stray hand. Something- there is a murmur of something-
"Come My Lady- we will show you the end."
She is in a daze she feels- a strange hazy contentment, a groundless peace making her calm. She nods her consent and follows Ichi through the garden, her steps silent on the petal laden path- flowers whisper against her kimono as she passes by, as if they would tell her a secret- and the wind in the trees sounds like the laughter of children. Large plants with glossy green leaves as large as her body fan the path, blocking and shadowing it as if they are guarding the way. As Ichi walks she almost imagines that a path clears- that large leaves draw back with a murmur, that flowers turn their heads- but she feels sleepy, drunk- as if this is only a dream. She walks through the shadows of the path, the light of morning peeking between the thick cover of branches over head, illuminated the shadow with soft rays of light gracing the forest floor. She does not know how long they follow the path- has it only been minutes? Or hours?- all she knows is that she does not tire, unconscious of time.
Ichi comes to a stop at the end of the shadowed path, still ringed with the tangled cover of plant and bush-but behind her, bursting between them is a bright light, peeking from between the leaves, illuminating her form so that for a moment she seems to glows, with a halo of day around her. She bows, moving out of the way and motioning for her to look for herself. Her path is blocked by the thick tangled wall of foliage- is it a wall of bush and flower?- but when she gently raises her hand- it bows before her and to her surprise moves out of the way- and she is blinded-
She is blinded by a light so intense that she must raise a silken sleeve, her vision assaulted by the intensity of it- it is a long moment before her gaze can focus, before her sight adjusts- and what she finds makes her heart clench in her chest. She is truly standing on the edge of the world- and like a vast ocean the sky is spread out before her, a sprawling, endless stretch of blue and cloud. It is infinite- overwhelming- she feels as if she is flying, floating on wings- sky overhead, below- everywhere her eyes can see is the pink and orange of morning, before her- the sun rising from the depths of the world below as if she could touch it- her hand is reaching- as if she could-
A cold hand wraps itself around her waist and stops her- she breaks out of the strange trance that has transfixed her, and blearily she tears her eyes from the otherworldly beauty spread out before her- Ichi is to one side of her- Ni- the other- and together in the light- the sun is reflected in the depths of those black pits so that for a moment they seem warm.
"You must be careful My Lady. This...is the end."
"The end..?" She repeated, still feeling as if none of this is real, as if this is all some strange fantastic dream- is this real? Is any of this real? She places a hand on the cold arms around her waist, holding her back- the sudden chill of their skin against her palm frightens her, the starkness of the comparison jarring. Abruptly she feels sick. 'Don't look down.' She thinks suddenly, feeling her heart, her stomach, lurch into her throat. 'Think- if all you see before you is sky- then what is below-?'
She blinks for a moment, blinded anew by the beauty of the dawn before her as if she could touch it- as if she is floating- but wait- her brows are knitting together- the heavy scent of the flowers, intensifying- she can't focus, the heavy scent of the perfume making her head groggy, her thoughts unclear. She-"What is down there below us?" The words sound away- far away- she is transfixed by the sun, her thoughts are being carried away by the wind- cold skin lies beneath her palms-
"The world." Who is that speaking again? She feels disjointed, disconnected- as if she is falling through the sky- "The world that you left behind." Who?- she turns- and the blue eyed man is beside her- an image in white- blue eyes- how beautifully they shine in the light- and he- is reaching for the sun as if-
"My Lady?"
She blinks- but no one is there- were blue eyes ever there? She blinks again hastily, wearily- nothing is there- Ichi and Ni are staring at her again, black eyes bright in the sunlight. She shivers- even though she is standing in the warmth of the sun- she can no longer feel it. Suddenly- the sweet, coaxing scent of the flowers sickens her.
"C-Can we...go back i-inside?"
"If that is what My Lady wishes."
She nods and steps back, watching in amazing as the flower and bush right themselves, growing and tangling once more to form a wall of foliage, sealing off her view of the end, and cloaking the path once more in shadow. She follows them back along the path, feeling faint every step of the way. There is a moment when her eyes feverishly search through the trees and flower surrounding her- and she almost imagines there is a figure standing there. A porcelain mask- narrow, curved black slits for eyes- a grinning red mouth- it is the face of a fox, laughing at her, watching her from the shadows of the trees. She blinks hastily- more waking dreams? More nightmares?- but when she looks again, it is gone.
The place in which she finds herself, this massive estate- is on what seems to be an island in the sky, among the clouds. This is the realm Ichi and Ni had spoke of, the gilded prison to which their master had sentenced her. Although the journey to the end had seemed brief, Ichi and Ni assured her that was only because here there was no conception of 'time'- here it was fleeting- hours could pass in what seemed like minutes, weeks in what seemed like days- months in moments- and years- it made her wonder- had it been ten years then? What was time to beings that were eternal? Nothing- a ten year's sleep had surely been nothing.
The estate they assured her, acted in the same way- one could be lost for days in its winding halls, be gone for weeks scouring the history of the world etched into its marble walls- although they assured her that time was of no consequence, it was with a grave word that Ichi spoke to her.
"Of course that is not to say that My Lady will not age. Time is of no consequence to us as we are not of the realm that is bound by it. However My Lady...will still age as all mortals must."
"I-Is that s-so?" She murmured that night, sprawled out on silken pillows before the paintings etched into her walls, scouring the mountains for the village hidden in the leaves.
"Yes. When My Lady was brought here, you were but a girl."
"W-What? I-I-I...I w-was?" She stated in abrupt shock, her normally low murmur quickly escalating into a near yell of disbelief. She turned her head around so violently that she nearly broke her neck, shocked at this admittance, her heart sputtering in her chest. Immediately she floundered, wanting to apologize for raising her voice but Ichi seemed to have played the slight no mind, continuing unfazed.
"Yes. You had lived twelve summers before Master brought you here- and you have slept for a mortal decade- so physically My Lady appears to be twenty summers."
She blanched- a girl! She had been a young girl! That changed things significantly, altered the strange history that was her own in a way so strange and starling she was uncertain how to begin considering it. It was one matter to think- all of the accounts of herself she had gained thus far made her inclined to believe that she had come of here of her own free will- 'the world you left behind-' - but to have made the decision so young? This admittance, however slight, she kept in her memory and coveted. Any tales of the past- her past- seemed precious now, more so to her than they probably had been when she had been in full possession of them. Although she found asking Ichi and Ni questions about her past directly could prove unfruitful- there was much about her they did not know themselves- often some comment of her own would allow for them to drop precious details of her life from before.
Surely thus far she had been faced with no great displeasure- she was fed, well looked after, provided for- clothed daily in fine kimonos that surely were worth their weight in gold. Since her meeting with the Master she had not seen him since- and were it not for the company of Ichi and Ni she would have had no one to sate her loneliness. But to think- sometime in the distant past- a young girl of twelve summers had allowed herself to be spirited away to a strange land. Were such things...common in her time? Did such things happen? Did young girls willingly give themselves to demons? Was her surprise even justified? Or was this all common place? For a moment she was stunned, so locked in this new and sudden thought that she could find nothing to say. Surely a young girl- would have been missed? Had she no family to mourn her? No friends to wonder about her? Or had she simply been alone, ripe for the taking?
"I-I do not u-understand...if it is as you s-say- what would such a powerful d-demon w-want with a young g-girl? W-Why did he-"
But she pauses mid sentence as Ichi slowly shook her head in dismissal.
"That we do not know My Lady, the origin of Master's ascension- and yours- is known only to our Lord. There is not much we know about My Lady's past- we were created and tasked with My Lady's safekeeping after you had entered your slumber."
The reality of it is striking- she turns back towards the painted scenery, gathering her thoughts. The reality of the time she had slept- ten years- now carried with it an anxious foreboding like it never had before. And what had passed over her in ten years? What had she forgotten? She knew with certainty that she could not allow herself to forget the words murmured in that dark room- "Are you not satisfied? This is what you asked of me-" As if a child would have known! How could she have known what she was asking for, begging for? Did a young girl of twelve summers- truly know anything?
There is a story here- and it is on this day that she promises to herself- no matter how improbable it would be given her current power- to find out what it was.
A few notes: Thank you again to everyone who read, Favorited reviewed= even the reviewer who told me this wasn't interesting enough and left me ;_; It's cool I feel you, this probably isn't moving fast enough for a majority of folk, naruto fans particularly who are probably used to a lot more action ^^;; I'm a fan of the build myself, and as a reader I like having things to think about and trying to guess where a story is going so if even if it seems slow I would like to think it's going to be worth it, (if I know what I'm doing that is) Since I'm pretty much just writing the type of a story i felt like reading ;3;
And to the reviewer he pmed asking me why this wasn't marked as AU...if you've been keeping up with some of the mythos of the naruto-verse then this chap should ring a bell. If not, half of the creation of the world story is true in the naruto-verse, the other half I can't say since I made it up-cough cough- and will have much to do with the following chapters. So the next few chapters should make more sense and less- if that even makes sense-
also to those of you wondering if Hinata's going to stay weak and confused forever fear not she'll get her legs soon. Anywho thanks for sticking with me thus far, see you guys next week ^^