Assassins

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, unfortunately.

Hey, it's Nyte Skye. I hope you enjoy my very first fanfic.

My life was never meant to be this way. I was not meant to, nor taught, to fight or kill. I was never meant to go from job to job, city to city, from one death to another. No, my life should've never been this way, but by some strange twist of fate here I am, standing before you as the person I am now, not, who I was. Actually, quite the contrary to who I was raised to be. In fact, I was raised to be nobility, royalty, everything that the common man, woman, or child saw to behold glory, wealth, and above all, power. I was once everything mentioned here, I was once the daughter of a king.

From the time I was four, I was taught to read and write three languages of different origin. I was taught court etiquette, horse riding and table manners at the age of six; these lessons, on top of many others, were to be my life until I was at the age of twelve. The age in which my training to be a wife and possible queen, took their place.

My teachers, and there were many, were strange men and women that seemed like happiness and life was drained from their bodies and that a smile or a word of kindness would render them lifeless. I didn't like them; I'm sure they didn't like me either. They controlled my time and life practically destroying my childhood, my life, and even further yet, my humanity. Yet they were the only ones that I knew, that I saw for everything else I had known, was gone. My father had died when I was six; I was to young to know what death was at the time let alone comprehend it. As for my mother, I don't even remember her, for she died when I was barely past my first year. So my teachers became everything to which I knew and remembered. My life was not the model life for a child.

It was then that I realized that my life was laid out before me. Everything that I was to do or learn was already planned for me; from my lessons to my betrothal, from my marriage to my death. My life was on a set schedule with no room for change and no time for interference or interruptions. My life was not my own. I was merely a puppet to my teachers, whom I realized later on in life were the councilmen and women of my father's court. Corrupt men and women that thought nothing for the welfare of the common man, but only for themselves. Since my father had left an heir, if only a girl, an heir, they were unable to even touch the throne. So they used me. They pulled my strings in the directions that they saw fit as they used me to rule the kingdom.

When I was nine I tried to think of a way to get out of that horrible and miserable life, but being nine one is not as intelligent or creative as one would hope to be. So when I realized that my attempted escape would only lead to a fair whipping, for I had plenty of those growing up, I gave up on the idea and was about ready to give into my of nothingness.

What I didn't know at the time was, was that enemies from the north and east had known of the unstable government and military of our country, they knew of the unrest and the vulnerability. So they bided their time for four years as they planned the take over, and on my tenth birthday everything that I knew was destroyed before my eyes. As I heard the screams of my people, watched my city burn, yet not a single tear escaped. My eyes were dry. Why should I feel sorrow for those that I did not love or even know? They do not deserve my tears.

That day was the massacre of my people, the destruction of my city and my deliverance from my hell.

I ran to the south, just hoping to get away from everything that I knew, hoping that the vast desert would clear my memories and my past. I wished that my memories of that hell had been destroyed along with the city, but unfortunately for me, they stayed. My memories of that place still haunt my dreams, they gnaw at the back of my conscience making me relive those dreadful times once again in my slumber. I fear that I shall never escape them.

I wandered throughout that desert in a continual straight line hoping that I'd eventually find a city or town, some place that I could come to love as my own. Some place that would rescue me. I wandered alone for three days. Water was scarce, the only food I ate were plants and grasses. I figured I could keep going for a few more days but what I didn't take into account was that my ten year old body wasn't strong enough to keep me going that long.

I soon passed out.

The next thing I knew, I was in a bed of silk and the most luxurious blankets and pillows surrounded me. When I opened my eyes I saw the ceiling of a tent, the color of the sun, ruffling because of a gentle breeze. I heard children playing outside the tent, horses neighing and whinnying to one another, men laughing, women talking; I tried to swallow but I found it quite painful to do so and let out a moan. Instantly women were beside me, two or three or four, I don't know it was difficult to focus. They put a hard object against my lips and tilted my head back, cool water poured into my mouth and down my parched throat, washing away the dryness and sandy feeling. I coughed most of it up and fell back into the pillows, the women were stilling fussing over me as darkness overcame me for a second time.

From what little I remember, there were four women that, if not all of them, then at least one was always by my side till I got better. They were kind and very loving to someone that they had just met; it was an odd feeling for me. They nursed me back to health and soon I found myself adopted into a family. The Kinomoto family to be correct. Fujitaka, the head of the family, had only one son who had lived eighteen summers to my ten; it seemed that the Kinimoto's had lost their daughter three years ago and they were thrilled to have another daughter. They also changed my name;

"What is your name child?"

Fujitaka stared into my eyes, a kind expression was on his face. I then realized that he was asking my name, not demanding it. In a meek voice I answered; "Sana".

"Hm." Fujitaka looked pensive for a moment and then said, "Well Sana is a beautiful name, but it isn't from our lands. We don't others to harm you because of your western heritage for many despise the west in the land. Though I'm not sure what to call you?"

He continued to think for several minutes until he concluded with himself that he would need the assistance of his wife. "Nadeshiko!"

Fujitaka waited for his wife's reply. "Yes dear?"

"Would you come here for a moment?"

"Coming Fujitaka." In a matter of moments Nadeshiko was standing in the entrance to the tent. "you called?"

"Um yes, well we need a new name for Sana. One that isn't so western sounding."

Now it was Nadeshiko's turn to look pensive. A look of concentration overcame her beautiful features as she pondered her husbands request. After a few moments of silence and deliberation, Nadeshiko's face lit up with, what seemed to be a great idea. "I know! How about the name 'Sakura' ?"

"Wonderful! That'll suit our Sakura just fine."

And from that day on, I was known as Sakura.

When I was twelve I learned what the village I had stumbled upon really was. It was the traveling city of the Shadows. They were all trained from birth the deadly art of assassination; they used magic as well. It was said that know one was able to escape death when a hit was placed on your head and if the assassin was a Shadow. I had always watched as training took place. It was incredible. I watched as my new found friends Tomoyo, Mei lin, Chiharu, and many more practiced their daily routines; it seemed like they were in some dance that was beautiful in it's own way and it was customized because each girl had a different personality, but one thing always was the same, the dances they were performing always would result in the death of their target. Though none of them had ever had a target yet, they were stilling training for the day they would have one.

You can imagine my surprise when one day I was invited to learn and practice with my friends; I was glad, because at that moment I found something that I could love and devote my time to because I wanted to, not because someone else wanted me to.

And so for eight years I learned and trained. I was always told that my skills seemed to be exceeding my friends and that it was unusual that I possessed magic yet I was not born of this particular race. Life seemed to be easier for me despite the confusion of my gifts, but I was happy. It seemed to be the life I always wanted.

Maybe.

Well, the prolouge is over with and I hope you liked. Please review!

Nyte Skye