Author's Note: This is just an extra chapter and I made this AFTER the 14th chapter is finished but BEFORE I upload it, thus my wonderful proof reader, Shiranui The Brave, didn't proof read this one. (I want to keep it as original as I can… and even the grammar errors are also original. ;p GOMEN!!!) Gomen for the lack of grammar (as usual) since it only needed a couple of hours to make it complete (mostly because I was brainstorming). ;p And uh... my right hand is injured now, and it is getting worse... so sorry if there are some typing mistakes since... my wrist refuse to cooperate.
This chapter, just like its name, is all about Tenten's past. Why? I am a very huge Tenten fan and this idea inevitably appeared in my head and I can't let it out. Since Beasts of Souls are going to advance in a very rapid speed from now on, I won't be able to put it into the story directly as a flashback (and also the fact that this is overly long for a flashback). So I made this chapter.
And… I have the song that accompanied me while I'm writing this ready to be downloaded in my LJ. I'm suggesting you STRONGLY to hear it while reading this one. Just let it keeps repeating while you read. And lastly, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tenten or anything from Naruto. Blame Kishi for not creating Tenten's past. ( hahahaha. Kidding! LOLZ
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Extra Chapter 1
Memories of the Dragon
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"You will find hope within despair
one who does not experience sorrow
cannot appreciate joy
Good luck, Me!"
Chrono Cross: Poetry from a girl in Arni Village
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The sound of evening breeze blowing through the trees filled the quiet room. A brown haired woman was sleeping; her breath was steady and calm. A huge bluish dragon suddenly appeared in front of her—yellow eyes watching her as she drifted in the land of dreams.
Dreams.
Perhaps there… she wouldn't need to suffer anymore. The dragon took the cover and gently enveloped its Container. It touched her cheek gently, eyes softening when it heard her murmured in her sleep. The sound was endearing… The dragon had long since watching her in her sleep like this. Because only in her dream… she would ever find her peace.
Sometimes… life was unfair. Too unfair.
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Tenten's Past
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She was a daughter of a Tenkai blacksmith. Her birth brought the death of her mother, resulting of her living solely with her father. She was five that time and enjoying a peaceful life with the rest of the Tenkai and her father. Just like any other girl.
"Daddy!!"
"Tennie!"
Her father was a brown haired sturdy man, with the eyes of the woods. He was a loving and responsible man, a wonderful father and a wonderful blacksmith. He smiled happily as his daughter ran to him, jumping right into his arms. She squealed with laughter when the man lifted her to the air, swinging her. She was a princess in his eyes. And he… was her world.
But still…
The life of the Tenkai was harsh. As a blacksmithing clan, they had contacts with dozens of other clans and providing them with weapons. As war broke out, it was the Tenkai who provided weapons for the surrounding country. The war worsened… and the Tenkai provided weapons to ANY country, regardless of the sides. But Tenten's father didn't agree with this at all. They were blacksmiths. Their job was to make weapons… but not to make war.
The other Tenkai didn't even bother to listen to him and he refused to make the weapons that many countries ordered. To make things worse, her father was a wonderful blacksmith. Many kings wanted him to be their blacksmith but he refused. He swore he wouldn't make weapons for war anymore. In the end, The Tenkai secluded her and her father from the society.
These days of agitation were hard for little Tenten. Whenever she went out to play, the other children would point at her and call her 'the traitor's daughter.' She couldn't play at all… She could only watch as other children ran further away and leaved her alone. She once asked her Dad about it and he could only hug her and apologize. Apologizing for everything. For making her alone. She never saw her Dad looked that wounded before so she never asked him again. She played alone now, spending her time with the fire and hammer.
But it didn't end there. Almost every night other Tenkai barged into their house, shouting and cursing to her father. Sometimes there were fights, but mostly they would shout at each other—smashing things in her living room. She would watch from the second story, looking at how her father tried to defend himself. After all cacophony ended, she would walk to her dad and hug him… and one day…
"Daddy… why were they coming like that?" She looked at her father with her innocent brown eyes and her father hugged her close, trying to calm the little girl down. "Why were they scolding you, Daddy? What is Daddy's fault?"
"They just don't understand, Honey," Her father kissed her forehead. He smiled. "But they will eventually. Now go to sleep. Daddy will tidy this up. Or you would rather help Daddy?"
She showed him her teethless grin and said, "Help Daddy!!"
They tidied the living room as if the fight never happened. They survived. They lived. And her father never once thinking about changing his choice.
Chief didn't like his decision, saying that it may bring calamities to their clan. Her father said it was their fault from the first place, creating powerful weapons without even thinking about the results in the end. Their past decision of giving weapons to every clan would end up in disaster… and he was right.
A country wanted to claim the Tenkai as hers. That country wouldn't let any other country to have the Tenkai's wondrous weapons. The country from the harsh Land of The Sound. The Idion Country.
Surprisingly, it was the Chief who refused. Tenkai was a neutral clan, and that was why they gave any country their weapons. Tenkai could not be own. Tenkai was a clan with freedom. They had no connection with the outer worlds except for providing them with weapons. Weapons are their life. It was not about sides. They could not be own and that was final. Since the very beginning, The Tenkai was a prideful clan. They were descendants of Heaven on the Earth. They held the Power of Nature in their Spear and Nature could not be owned by ANYONE.
This decision angered Orochimaru. The Tenkai would be his… if they refused, they should perish. In the end, a war broke out in between the Tenkai and the Idion.
It was horrifying. When she was six, Tenten already saw how war really was. She watched as people went home, wounded and almost lost their lives. She saw people who lost their hand… their sight… losing their everything. She wanted to help. She wanted to be able to stop those groans… those whimper… those cry… those horrible sound that she heard everyday, every night, whenever she wanted to sleep. People were suffering… and her father always said when people need help, they got to help them. To help them, she learned curative magic… but…
"Get away from here!!" a woman shoved her. "You're not needed, traitor! Get away from my husband!"
"But… But I…"
"GET AWAY!!"
She then stepped back and walked away, carrying her medical kit in her arms. She looked for other wounded man by the alley… and it really wasn't a difficult job. The alleys of the Tianlong Town—The Tenkai's town near the Ryoku Lake—were filled with wounded man. Some already dead… but more of them still live. She wanted to help but the same thing happened each time she approached. Nobody wanted her help. Nobody wanted her to be around. She was a traitor, the nuisance… She was not wanted. So she walked away, still clutching the medical kit in her hands and still searching for people who need help. She didn't understand why people accused her. But she remembered what her father said. They just didn't understand. They would eventually…
"It's her!!!"
She quickly turned around and saw a bunch of other children. She tried to flash her smile and answered, "Yes?"
One of the children was crying. He pointed at her and shouted, "You're the traitor, right?! You're the one who make this all happen!!! GIVE ME BACK MY DAD!!!"
"What?" She stepped back. "W-What do you mean?"
"TRAITOR!! You make the war!!!!"
"He's right!!! If she didn't exist, this won't happen!!! YOU TRAITOR!!"
"GIVE HIM BACK!!! RETURN MY DAD!"
A rock was thrown at her, landing right on her temple. She screamed a little, feeling how blood ran down her head to her cheek. Other children beside the boy took more rocks and they began to throw it at her, shouting curses and blaming her for everything. She tried to ask them what happened but they just didn't care anymore. She was the traitor. She made this. She was the one at fault! Bruised all over, she had no choice but to take her medical kit and run away, feeling hot tears ran down her cheek along with the blood… She didn't understand at all. What was her fault? She didn't do anything, right? Why did people accuse her for everything? She cried and cried as she ran… and she finally saw her home… the place where she could find the warmth of her father…
"Daddy?"
Her father was by the living room, clutching his Tenkai spear as he tried to breathe. He was heavily wounded and blood drenched his body. She quickly ran to his side, opening her little medical kit and taking out bandages for her father. Her father looked at her with his warm eyes and suddenly reached out to stop her hand. He let his spear disappeared and cupped her little face with both of his hands. He examined her multiple bruises and cuts caused by the children's rock and asked gently, "Why are you wounded, sweetie? What happened?"
Despite all the wounds, she was his first priority… and although blurred by the tears, she saw her father's figure that night—wounded, but still with the same affection and attention to his little daughter. That day she was once unwanted… and when she came home, she was the princess. She was loved… and somehow, the other children's hatred meant nothing to her now. Her father loved her. Tears now streamed down her face and she hugged her father, asking why this should happen… why there must be war… why people shoved her away…
Her father looked at her for a while… then he smiled.
"They just… don't know you well enough to see how beautiful you are, Honey…"
She opened her eyes… and looked into the brown eyes of her father.
"Now, Honey… Don't cry…" Her father gently brushed away her tears, a gentle grin on his face. He hugged her soothingly. "They just don't know you. They're unlucky guys. Smile, Sweetie. Smile… A princess shouldn't cry. Don't cry anymore. Promise me, alright?"
She eventually stopped crying, trying to change her sob into smile… It was for Daddy. She would do anything to make Daddy happy…
"I promise."
She then put her little hands on her father's bleeding wound and said, "CURE!"
She cured her father's wounds all night, applying her chakra on his wound and closed them. She was an intelligent girl from the beginning and her father knew that. He trusted her with his life and he was more than happy to see his little girl saved him. That day she promised not to cry anymore. Her father loved her. She didn't care whether people would seclude her. As long as her father was here, nothing mattered.
Then… a year later… an invasion happened, worse than ever. Orochimaru's army managed to break through and invaded the city on a surprise attack. She was sitting on the balcony at time when she heard a loud sound from the main gate. The main gate crumbled to the ground and the force of Idion army came into the village, rampaging. She ran to street, brown eyes watching as the army flooded the main alley of Tianlong. She was right there on the scene when she saw the army slaughtered every Tenkai that they saw. They murdered everyone around them—scream and groan echoing in the night sky. She saw blood… body parts... only remnants of once living souls that were left… She was drenched by the blood of other people around her, and she could do… nothing.
A body of a woman with no head fell to her side… and she saw the blood as it drenched her body… as it rendered her wet.
Death. There was only death… death… DEATH.
KILL.
And she screamed as power exploded from her body. Thunder showered the hill as a loud roar of a dragon echoing in the night. She didn't remember anything else. All she saw was flashes of blood and horrified faces… All she heard was that one voice that kept on chanting in her head. A voice saying, kill kill kill kill kill…
She didn't rampaging for so long since suddenly she saw something between all the corpses. Something so familiar… something…
"Reside, SEAL!!"
Power blasted from her body when she fell to her father's arms. Her father was wet from blood and shock filled his eyes. So… she was also…
"Never use your power for malice, Tenten," his statement shocked her. He was trembling as he hugged her. Was he… was he so afraid? So terrified? "Never… Not for evil deeds… Even… Even… don't ever use it again, Hon. Don't… Please don't…"
And what she saw over his shoulder was terrifying. She had killed one third of Orochimaru's army… and she didn't simply 'kill' them. She slaughtered them, cutting them to pieces… and all that was left was a blood drenched alley and corpses. It was the very first time the dragon awakened within her. And the view wasn't something she would get happy about.
The Tenkai was afraid of her and build a small house by the peak of the hill, away from their main village. They secluded her and her father and completely cut off their contact. Her father didn't say anything about that incident and instead of lecturing her, he tried to comfort her. He spent his time by teaching her how to make weapons, teaching her how to fight, playing with her, anything to keep her away from loneliness. But she knew how people despised her so. Whenever her father went away, some kids would sneak from the bush and started to throw her rocks again. She usually ignored them, standing still as rocks showered her. She didn't say or do anything and nor did she tell her father. She just stayed there, bleeding, as the kids mocked her. One day, a kid threw her a sake bottle that smashed her temple. And that time… her Beast suddenly emerged.
KILL HIM!
Her body burnt with power and she roared to the sky, starting to change into her Beast Form. But as the kids shrieked in fright and started to run… Running away from her… leaving her alone… Alone and… and…
RESIDE!
Her heart screamed. She crouched as she battled with herself from attacking them. The Beast growled even louder in her heart, roaring,
KILL THEM!
No!
They hurt you… Let them feel what you feel! Show them who you are!
I am… who I am… AND I'M NOT YOU!
YOU FOOL! KILL THEM!!!!
I AM WHO SHAPE YOU AND I ORDER YOU… TO RESIDE!
You…
OBEY ME!
BLAST! The Beast resided… and acknowledged her. She was panting from exhaustion but her eyes showed something more. Depth. She was a strong girl… and she conquered the Beast by her own power… Just so she wouldn't see her father like that night of invasion. She wouldn't let her father disappointed in her again… She wouldn't let her father suffered because of her again… She wouldn't let her father hurt again… trembled again…
"Heh! She was just acting!!" The kids came back again, laughing. "LOSER!!!"
And she received the rock once more… but she didn't do anything. They just didn't understand… They would… eventually. She believed… they would someday. Just like what her father said… Then… then after a while… probably… just probably… they would be her friends. She wouldn't be alone…
She healed herself before her father came home. She wouldn't let her father know this. It was just a minor injury. She would be alright. There was no need for her father to know.
Then one day… the war between the Tenkai and the Idion worsened. The Chief himself went to their house, asking for help. Her father found out that the possibility of their clan's survival was zero. The children were taken to the secret shelter along with the women. The men would fight. Tenkai wouldn't surrender to anyone. It was their pride as a clan. They would fight.
Her father said yes without thinking anymore. She watched from behind as he said it. She was a little girl but she understood everything very well. After the Chief left, her father turned to look at her, a genuine smile formed on his lips. He bent down to look right into her eyes and said softly,
"Daddy loves you, Sweetie."
She didn't even blink. She knew what it meant and cupped his cheek with her little hands. They had said it numerous times to each other but they would do it again. As if to remind themselves of their existence…
"I love you too, Daddy."
He brought her into his arms and took her to her room. Unlike usual, after he covered her with the blanket, he didn't sat and sang her a lullaby… instead, he lied down beside her and hugged her closed. After a few silent minutes, she was the first to begin their conversation.
"Daddy… Why do people fight?"
"Ah… everyone has their own reason, Sweetie. You have to choose your own someday."
"Then… why does Daddy fight?"
Her father smiled at her. He patted her gently and said…
"Because I have my little Princess to protect. Right?"
He kissed her forehead and cuddled her. She nuzzled to her father's chest and hugged him close. They both listened to the singing of the crickets… the sound of the night… Just the two of them…
"I want to protect Daddy too."
He laughed then rubbed her back soothingly.
"Well… you have to grow stronger then, Sweetie," he said gently… then took a deep breath. "Maybe… you won't have the chance to protect Daddy… but you can protect someone… someday in the future. When you've grown to be a wonderful woman."
She hugged him tighter.
"I want Daddy to see me doing it that time."
He closed his eyes. A gentle smile crept up his face.
"I will, Sweetie… don't worry," he cuddled her again. "Don't worry. I will."
She smiled, completely satisfied by what her father told her. After that she fell asleep, a deep sleep in her father's arms.
The next morning, her father was ready in his battle suit. She looked at him, admiring how he looked that day. Her father eventually bent down towards her.
"Listen, sweetie…" he began, trailed off until she looked at him with full attention. "This war… might be our clan's last war…"
"I want to fight with you, Daddy!" She grabbed her father's arm. "I want to fight with Daddy! I… I can be a weapon too! I…"
"Sweetie…" her father bent down and put his hand on her head. He smiled. "If there is only one Tenkai left after today… if there is someone who can be the only Tenkai remaining in this world… then let it be you. This is Daddy's order, Sweetie. Live. Live and achieve your dream. That is all."
She finally nodded and hugged her father. She had a bad feeling about this… and she wasn't going to let him leave so soon. Her father hugged her back, burying his head in her hair. After a while he let her go then put his hand on her left chest. He muttered an incantation… then suddenly light covered her. Her father opened her little hand and a blue spear formed on her hand. It was cold but soft… a strange feeling on her hand… as if she hold… emotion.
"This is my Spear, Sweetie, The Rain Spear," said her father gently. "It will protect you… as strongly as how I want to protect you, Honey. Now hide. Hide and survive. I will come back. You wait for me, ok, Honey?"
She nodded obediently just like how she always did. Her father smiled and hugged her close, kissing her cheek gently. She hugged his neck and said, again, "I love you, Daddy."
His smile was gentle and his eyes were warm.
"I love you too, Sweetie."
He let her go and finally walked away, summoning a daisho as he ran to the main village. That was the last time she ever saw her father… running down the hill to fulfill his duty. His job as a member of the Tenkai.
The whole night was horrible. She hid right underneath her blanket, pushing pillow above her head as the sound of thunder, rain and other four elements of Nature which are the Tenkai's signature Spear thundering the night sky. The sound of incantation was heard among the scream and the roaring of the summons as if emphasizing the grief and desperation on that once peaceful land. Sometimes the sound drew so close that she was afraid they would spot her home but it would went away as fast as how it came, leaving a deadly silence that appeared in only a few seconds since the sound of the war would come again like a wave. She closed her eyes. She just couldn't imagine that her father was there, in the battlefield, fighting fiercely among all the soldiers and dead men… without his Spear.
When the night was over, so were the sounds. What it leaved was a deadly silence, a suffocating emptiness. She crawled from her bed, fully awake from her only two hours of uneasy sleep. It was dawn break… but the light that usually indicated calm and happiness now felt like the torch of death. She grabbed her little medical kit and ran outside of her home. But right when she opened the door… her brown eyes widened in fear.
The plain of the Ryoku hill… the once green plain filled with flowers… was now red with blood… Uncountable corpses lied here and there, some could not be recognize as human anymore. As soon as she stepped by her lawn, she quickly saw bloodstain on her flower patch… and a piece of bloodied hand. Other human parts were scattered all over her lawn… as if the man was blown up right in front of her home… She clutched her medical kit tighter, closing her eyes so as not to let her tears fall. It was… terrifying… terrible scenery… No one could survive in this battle… Idion wiped out her entire village. It was clear that now… Tenkai Clan or Tianlong Town was no longer exists… No longer…
There is someone there still breathing. Miraculously.
She opened her eyes as the dragon's growling voice rose from her heart. The once homicidal dragon showed her its true nature. Something warm wriggled in her heart. Something calm and wise… soothing her from the fright.
I can show you the way. I'll follow his aura.
Please do.
And she walked, following the sound of her heart. She didn't know how, but suddenly something in her heart guided her to walk among the bodies and scattered weapons. Her leather shoes quickly turned crimson and the smell of steel blood filled the air… along with aura of bereavement… of insecurity. She wanted to close her eyes as she walked but she couldn't. This was death… but this was life for her. This was the world. The world as it was now. Only death and war and grief and greed and… and… emptiness…
"Is… s-some… one… there…? H-help… me…"
She quickly snapped back to the reality. There was a sound, coming from the cliff. She quickly ran to the source of the sound, running between the body parts and weapons. The voice was still calling desperately for help… Still… alive. It was coming from the cliff… and she could see a pair of leg weighted by a huge rock, crushed. There was only blood there… and the leg was almost cut off from the body by the weight of the huge rock. She was horrified when she realized… that she could see the bones of the man… sticking dangerously from his broken legs… but he… he was still… alive…
"I… I'll help you!" Her trembling hands touched the rock. Her voice wavered but she tried to be strong. It was too much for her but she would hold on… "Hold on a little longer! I'll help you!"
A hand reaching from gap between the rock and the cliff and the sound was once again can be heard.
"Wa… ter… Give… me… wa… ter…"
Tears threatening from falling to her cheek but she didn't cry. She had promised her father she wouldn't… that she… she would…
Help me break this!
Use my power. Channel it to you hands. All you need is concentration. You can do it, Girl.
She closed her eyes, concentrating… but…
"Wa… ter… Must… drink… water…"
A sob broke out of her mouth but no tears falling from her eyes. Her hand trembled… but she… she just… couldn't let herself cry…
"Get… away!!"
She lifted the rock and pushed it out of the way. She then gasped.
The man in front of her was her previous neighbor… but what made her gasped was his condition. Half of his face was burnt and he lost his right arm. Both of his legs were crushed by the rock and his body was drenched with his own blood. He had a long and deep cut by his stomach… but he was… he was alive…
His brown eyes widened slightly the moment he saw that it was her who rescued him. He shook from nausea but whispered, "You… are… that… mon… ster…"
"D-Don't say anything!" She crouched in front of him, putting her medical kit beside her. "You'll open your wounds if you do! I… I'll cure you!"
He didn't have the power to move so he could only watch as she pushed her hands on his bleeding wounds and healed him. Her hands trembled without her knowing why and her vision blurred because of the tears. Please, God. Please save him… please save this man… Save this man!
He won't survive here. We need to get him to your house!
But… there maybe others that…
Unfortunately… he is the only survivor here. There is no other living force. They are all…
Don't say it!
But…
I said, don't say it!!!!
"Darn!!!" She cursed. She never cursed before but now she did. Her hands trembled even more as she tried her hardest not to cry. The man before her watched her with his hazy brown eyes, his emotion was unfathomable. "I… I will get you to my house. There, you can be save! I… You… You'll be alive! J-Just like my father!"
"Him…?" He narrowed his eyes. A weak smile was formed on his face. "Silly… There… is no way… anyone could… survive… Not even… that father of yours…"
She gritted her teeth. She couldn't even… imagine it to happen and… and… The Spear…
"But his Tenkai Spear is with me!" She looked up to see the man. She was looking for hope… for… for anything… "It's still… It's still intact! It means he's alive, isn't he? Isn't he?!"
The man coughed and closed his eyes.
"If… that so then…" He took a deep breath… and blood spurred out of his cut shoulder. "Then… They took him… and everyone else… to Mune…"
So her father was still…
"Mu… Mune?"
His lips curved into an empty smile and a low snort escaped his throat.
"They will never… come back…" He said slowly. "None of them will… Not… after they're in… Mune…"
"But Daddy said he will!" She shouted, trying to convince him but more to herself. "He said… He said he will come back!!!"
The man laughed quietly. He shook his head slowly and said, "Huh… Giving hope… to you… He won't… come back… No matter how he tries… Perhaps… he said it… just… to make you stay… That… was… foolish…"
The man coughed, shivering from lack of blood.
He won't survive this way! Heal him faster!
"H-Hold on!!!" Tenten applied more chakra, trying to heal him faster. "Hold on a little longer!! I'll get you water, I promise! You… You will survive!! You… will… survive…"
She was trembling. Her tears now were on the verge of falling. The man looked at her… eyeing her as she struggled to keep herself together as well as to cure him… Seeing the whole scene… he narrowed his eyes.
"Why… do you try… this… hard… to help me?" He asked. She froze. "Why...? What… are those tears… in your eyes for? I… I used… to… to ignore you… and your father… I used to… tell my son… not… to play… with you… But… why…"
She bit her bottom lips… then tried to smile. It was broken… but… but it was honest… She smiled to him from the bottom of her heart.
"Daddy… always said…" she grinned wider. "…No matter what happened… No matter how far we are from each other… We are… one family… Family will be there for each other. I… I'm not angry to whatever things you did to me. It's… It's alright. It's… It's just… a misunderstanding… None of you is at fault so… it… it is fine, Sir… It's alright. It's alright…"
His eyes softened and a gentle smile curved on his lips. He raised his left arm… and put it gently on her head. Her eyes widened and she looked at the man questioningly.
"S-Sir?"
"So… we have been wrong… all along…" His voice was soft… and it was the first time somebody ever talked to her that way beside her father. The very first time… "Your father… was right… always… right… We are… foolish… Foolish… You are… You are… a good girl… a very good girl… We shouldn't have done it to you… We… shouldn't have…"
And next second, she was shocked to see tears streamed down the man's face. He dragged her closer and hugged her gently on his chest… kissing her forehead…
"I'm sorry, sweetheart…" he said softly between his sob. Her eyes widened. "I'm sorry… You must've felt so lonely all this time… I'm… sorry… I'm sorry…"
She sobbed… but tears still didn't fell from her eyes. She hugged the man despite all the blood. She could feel the love in his touch… the acceptance. They were family… family. She was loved… She was… accepted… She… was…
"S-Sir?" She jerked back when she realized he wasn't moving anymore. She grabbed his wet clothes and shook him gently. His eyes were closed… and… "Sir? SIR!! W-Wake up!! Sir!! SIR!!!!"
There was no heartbeat. He was…
"No! NO!!! SIR!!" She shook him. "Don't leave me alone!! Please, Sir! Don't leave me alone!! NO! SIR! SIR!!!!"
But there was no answer. And there was no other survivor. She was alone there… on the hill of Ryoku, amongst the dead soldier that fought for their clan's pride… But at least… in there, she had found a flick of hope… That man… brought her that little light by a simple statement.
She buried the man right by the cliff with a sword nearby as his tombstone. She went back to her house, hollow eyes watching the bloodied battlefield stretched in front of her. She collected all the scattered human bodies by her lawn and put them on the plain with the other bodies. She didn't even feel anything as she collected the gruesome body parts. She had no emotion left in her heart. She had none left… Nothing.
"So… now it's only the two of us…" She said slowly to the air. "Right, dragon?"
A growl was heard.
I guess… My Child.
"I… I want to bury them all…" She looked at the plain with void eyes. "They are… my clan after all… I wonder if you will help me?"
A low growl so akin to an empty chuckle rose from her heart.
Of course, My Dear. Just put your palms on the ground… and I'll bury them for you.
She did what the dragon said… and the plain cracked open. The ground swallowed all the bodies… all grief… all sorrow and death… buried them deep inside the Mother Nature—the Power they were once hold in their life. The burnt down town was also swallowed by the earth—vanishing the only memento of the clan of the Heaven. What was left from the Ryoku hill was a barren, forgotten land… stretching right out side her lawn. Now she could see the lake—blue and calm… but empty. She closed her eyes as grief suddenly took her in its arms, whispering sorrow and loneliness. She was the only Tenkai remained there in that hill of Ryoku… the only one…
This plain will be full of flowers just like how it always been…
She opened her eyes.
Yes… full of flowers… for remembering those who fought… as a change for their blood stained on this plain.
She widened when a bluish dragon formed beside her—big, majestic, and grand. Its eyes were yellow… with the depth of wisdom that she couldn't explain. She didn't feel scared of its huge size. Instead, she felt so familiar with it as it flew beside her and bent its beautiful head towards her.
You are… a wonderful girl… Your strength made me acknowledge you… I am your Beast, My Lady… I am a part of your heart.
It growled a little. His beautiful eyes shimmered.
My name… is Tatsu.
Tatsu.
It was a calling to her heart. She felt like being called by that one, very simple but deep name… It was its name… but also hers. She reached to its snout and touched it gently… and as a wonderful sensation flowing through her fingertips, the once barren land of Ryoku slowly flourished once again. Grasses grew in rapid speed… and flowers bloomed again… The plain that was once a battlefield and a forgotten land… was now filled with flowers just like how it always been before. A lonely oak tree stood by the peek… One tree. Only one… Sturdy but lonely… A symbol… a symbol of strength… and loneliness.
She was alone now… but she had her heart. She knew the name of her heart. It appeared that knowing a Beast's name wasn't because the Container knew the Beast for a long time. It didn't depend on time. It depended on their trust. Their bond. With only a few moments, the Beast acknowledged her power… It symbolized the depth of their bond. Right after that day of war. She was alone… but she moved on.
She went back into her house and washed everything away. She wanted to search Mune, but she also… couldn't bring herself to believe that her father wouldn't come back home. She was clinging to the mark by her left chest… The Spear… She waited and waited by the balcony, almost couldn't bring herself to eat at all. But then in one chilly night, immense pain hit her left chest. She quickly looked at the Rain mark of her chest and was surprised to see it vanishing slowly. She summoned the Rain Spear but the second it was visible, it shattered to pieces. She watched as the final piece of the Rain Spear evaporated, not knowing how to act… as an understanding crept into the very deep side of her brain.
He was dead.
Dead.
Now… she was… alone.
Completely alone.
My Lady…
The dragon appeared beside her bed. Its wonderful eyes examined her face as she sat there motionless… It understood everything very well. This young girl before it… had…
"Let's… explore the world, Tatsu," her voice suddenly rose. Her eyes were blank and distant but her voice was firm. "Let's… Let's find… other people."
The dragon closed its eyes.
As you wish, Lady…
The next day she was off on a little journey. She explored places around the hill and soon found out that a small village was located on the other side of the lake. She went there, wanting to know the village better… but it appeared that the villagers weren't friendly. Threatened by the fact that there was war nearby, they wouldn't even contact with strangers—even if the stranger was a little girl. She faced rejection once again. Once more, the only thing she could do in a society was to watch—watching as children played… watching as people laughed… only watched. She sat on the bench of a small park, looking as people passed her by, as people enjoyed the life that differed with hers. She went back home after a few days in one sunny afternoon… She didn't speak anything to the dragon in heart. She didn't. Not until they stepped on the lawn… where she suddenly said, "Tatsu."
The dragon materialized itself in front of her obediently.
Yes, Master?
She choked and trembled… but then she looked up and flashed her broken smile.
"Play with me!"
Eh?
The dragon was a little astounded to hear that unusual order.
My lady?
"P-Play with me, Tatsu!!!" She grinned… but the dragon could see those hidden tears in her eyes. "Play with me!!! L-Let's play tag, Tatsu! Let's play tag!! Ma… Maybe… hide and seek? Anything!!"
My lady…
She was a girl, after all… A nine years old little girl. Living alone in a house full of memories… Watching as people having fun while she was forgotten… Couldn't play like any other child, neglected when she needed love the most… There was just no way she could survive from the inevitable pain. From that inevitable loneliness. She wanted to play. Just to play…
The dragon growled and curled around her.
Have you ever been to the sky? Do you want to fly, Lady?
It asked gently. She smiled and answered, "Of course!!"
Then jump on my back. I'll take you there.
She jumped to its back, burying her face to its warm and soft fur. Tatsu moved around for a bit then blasted to the sky. His movement was gentle and flowing, just like swimming… swimming in the air, amongst the cloud. His magic protected the little girl on her back from cold and wind as he flew. She never knew that cloud was that beautiful when we able to get on them. She touched the skin of her dragon and said, "This is… the cloud, right, Tatsu? Can we really get on it and sleep there?"
A low growl similar to a chuckle was heard.
Of course not, Dear. Cloud is a group of condensed steam. It cannot hold your body.
She seemed to think a little.
"But… But isn't someone who already deceased live in a place filled with clouds?"
The dragon stayed quiet for a while.
The Afterworld… No one knows how the Afterworld looks like. People just imagine things as they look up at they sky. They just imagine how will does it feel like to live on the clouds. People always look higher than they should have. When they reach something, they aim for something greater… That is how it continues… and people will never feel satisfied in their life.
She stayed quiet then buried her face on its fur once again.
"So we're just imagining things?"
… Sometimes.
"So things will never come true then?"
Well… that… That is depending on what you imagine. If you wish for something and work hard for it… maybe it will come true.
She closed her eyes. There were a few silent minutes… and finally Tatsu spoke again.
What is your wish, Lady?
Her eyes turned fragile. She rubbed Tatsu's scaled skin.
"I… I want Daddy…"
The dragon didn't answer. It was very obvious… and they both knew what it meant.
"It will never come true, eh, Tatsu?"
Silence dawned over them again. She buried her face on it fur.
"I just… I just don't want to be alone, Tatsu."
The dragon growled but it didn't answer.
"I want to have someone…"
A Beast was originally an unemotional creature. They were there to annihilate and to give power. But this once, Tatsu hated that understanding a lot.
My Lady…
"Mmm?"
How does your father usually call you?
She raised her eyebrows. She smiled a little.
"Princess."
Princess…
Now that she said it… she realized… that the nickname was a lot more valuable that it seemed to be. That calling made her feel… special… made her feel like someone needs her… that she was valuable, that… that she was loved…
So… it will be alright… if I call you Hime, won't it?
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Tatsu?"
It means the same… and it sounds nice to me. You are my Master after all… It suits you good.
Maybe its sentences sounded a little emotionless but she sensed that flick of… affection. She grinned and hugged it tenderly.
"Of course, Tatsu! Of course!"
The dragon growled. If it could smile, it would.
Let's go home. It's getting dark.
They went home… and after they arrived, Tatsu disappeared. She quickly got on the bed and sleep. She wanted to savor the moments in her dreams… so every time she slept, she could be a princess, even for a while.
A week later, she decided to go on a journey across the world. Tatsu obeyed her as usual… and they finally departed. She journeyed for a year and half… stopping on various countries and cities… She met various clans… and she also got some friends—although yes, there were only a few of them but at least she acquired some friends. She saw life in different perspective than other girls in her age. She had been through a lot… and she matured faster than any other girls. Once she stopped by in The Land of Fire, right in the city of the Uchiha Clan, Akahi City. She was welcomed there by the Chief… and was encouraged to make swords again. There, she made her first sword after her father's death. That sword reflected her heart… and The Chief was very happy to receive such magnificent sword.
"Give it to someone that it chose," she said, smiling. "That person… That person will be the only one who can touch the hilt."
The Chief obeyed her… and she went again. She wanted to go home. She missed her home… Missed it very much… More to the memories and the familiar scent of… of her father. She would be alone there… but maybe… maybe…
It was an empty hope… but she just couldn't help herself. She just… couldn't accept…
Hime.
She opened her eyes. All she needs to do was to walk to the other side of the lake to get to her home… but something was happening inside the storming rain. She felt it, just like how Tatsu felt it.
"I can't feel it clearly… but it's there, right, Tatsu?"
I'll guide you. Let's go.
She went into the rain, allocating the power of something… The power of a Beast. Her brown eyes swept the plain… and she smelt something so familiar to her.
Blood.
She walked… slowly but surely… to the source of power. She felt the wind that carried a suffocating killing intent. She felt it… and she saw him.
His wings were extending at the time when she saw him there. Blood stained his white robe and his whole body… and pieces of human flesh scattered all around him. When the wings disappeared, he fell to the ground, right on top of the blood. The rain was still falling… and as she watched him… she recognized something more from him.
Loneliness.
Rejection.
They were the same…
And her feet took her to his side without her knowing since when it moved. She looked at the long brown hair of the boy and her voice rose.
"You have it too, don't you?"
He moved… and raised his moon colored eyes… that reflected the color of translucent rain.
"The Beast."
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It never agreed to bring that boy home… but it was its Master's choice. It felt a bad feeling the moment it saw the cursed seal. That boy wouldn't survive for a long time. Whoever put that seal on him would have him eventually.
But… but it couldn't let itself said it to her. She found a friend. She found a company… and she… she was never… that happy before. Days with him always filled with warmth… and one day… she even laughed. That laughter… that laughter was… it just couldn't let itself take that laughter away from her. She was herself back before she faced the war and seclusion. She was… content.
And Tatsu realized a few years later that since the very beginning, Tenten knew that seal. She knew the meaning of that seal… but she just couldn't help herself. Being alone for years was just too much. She… She wanted someone.
It was so unfair to realize that… someone who brought her the greatest happiness she could ever afford to have… also inflicted the most unbearable pain. The promise she had made with him… That promise shattered her heart but she never rejected him. Since the very beginning, she was a good girl… and she just couldn't let herself be selfish to anyone. Although it would hurt her a lot, more than what he expected or even SHE expected, just for his sake… she promised him.
She promised to kill him.
It was too much… the dragon thought. She had suffered too much. Why couldn't the world give her something less painful… or even painless? She deserved it. She was a good girl… she deserved happiness…
Tatsu touched her cheek again and curled around her. They were a Container and her Beast. But somehow… Tatsu knew they were more than that. A lot more. Since the once emotionless Beast… now felt… emotion.
Perhaps…
"Tatsu…"
She shifted, opening her warm brown eyes. She was still half awake but she raised her hard and touched its snout gently. The dragon growled gently.
"What's wrong, Tatsu?"
It always loved how she spoke with her high-pitched voice. It loved the way she called it gently… It loved that woman, that once lonely little girl… It wanted to make her happy… even if it meant it must defy many law… It wanted to protect her… from wounds… or loss.
The dragon growled once again, brushing its skin gently to her face.
Nothing, Hime… nothing is matter. Just sleep again.
She smiled sleepily then closed her eyes again, shifting for a better sleeping position. As her breath steadied… as she drifted to her dreams once again… Tatsu continued to look at her.
Years ago… when she was asleep… she cried. It never told her anything… but only in her sleep she could be honest. She was broken… by every tears that rolled down her cheek at night.
She slept peacefully tonight… and Tatsu wouldn't let her had those tears streamed down her face again. For its Princess… it would do anything.
It wrapped her tighter and touched her cheek again. With a gentle growl, it began to vanish. And its word drifted gently… as if to dive right into her dreams.
Sweet dream, Hime.
Only in dreams… she would ever find her true peace.
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OWARI
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Author's Note: Gomen again for lack of grammar. And thanks for reading. Before you proceed to read the next chapter, I would like to warn you all. The next chapter is AWFULLY long… UNGODLY long. So I suggest you to take a break… let your eyes rest… then proceed. ;p I don't want you all get some sore eyes just because of this story. Thanks, Minna. Have a nice reading. All comments are welcome. XDDDDDD
I want to rest my right hand… for now…