A.N. Yay, chapter two! So once again, if you like it, please take the time to review. I'd really appreciate it. All the flower meanings are from Wikipedia. It is Hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers.

Summary: His growl is feral but maybe if she closes her eyes and breathes in the scent of wildflowers, she can forget that his fingers are stained red with her blood.

Petals in the Breeze

It is a warm, cheery summer day and Yamanaka Ino enjoys herself as she walks through the bustling Konoha streets. People smile and wave and she waves back, her nose filled with the scent of a thousand different luxurious foods. A gentle breeze plays with her hair and she smiles, sighing contentedly. She loves moments like these, when she can just enjoy herself. She blinks and she's standing on the edge of a cliff, wind playing havoc with her hair and nothing but clouds stretch out ahead of her.

She senses someone beside her and turns slowly to see Inuzuka Kiba. She is shocked to him standing there, though she doesn't know why. They aren't friends but this isn't a private cliff, so he has as much right to be here as she does. As she contemplates, he smiles at her and it is soft and gentle and filled with an emotion she can't recognize. He takes a step forward, eyes warm and holds out a hand to her. She stares at in wonder and confusion but something in his smile makes her take it.

His hand is rough and calloused and warm to the touch. And he so gently curls his fingers around her hand. His smile grows infinitesimally.

"Do you trust me?" She is confused but before she can respond, he jumps.

And then he is falling.

And she is falling with him.

Her heart is beating like a jackhammer and the wind is whistling in her ears and clouds are whipping past her and Kiba is still holding her hand. He tugs her gently and she moves through the air until they are face to face and he reaches for her other hand and then they are spinning through the air. She closes her watering eyes and she knows he's still smiling his strange smile and his hands are sending warmth shooting up her arms.

She doesn't know how long they fall for but suddenly her body is righting itself and the sensation of descending stops and her feet lightly touch the ground. Her eyes gently open and the first thing she sees is Kiba's face. He is still holding her hands and she realizes that they are standing in a wide open field. He releases her hands, cold rushing into them, just as she sees someone hurrying towards her from the corner of her eye. Sakura runs towards her, long pink hair fluttering in the breeze, an easy smile flitting across her face. She stops in front of Ino and reaches forward handing her a lovely bluebell. Grateful...Ino takes it tilting her head in confusion but Sakura merely smiles and reaches behind her, pulling Uchiha Sasuke forward. Ino sucks in a gasp and her heart beat starts rapidly. Sasuke's dark eyes twinkle and a tiny smile tugs at his lips and Ino has never seen him look more handsome. He hands her a daffodil and when her fingers brush his, an electric jolt screams up her arm. She gasps again and looks down at the flower in her hand. Respect...

Naruto appears on Sasuke's other side, a wide gleaming grin on his face and he practically shoves a red poppy into her hands. Fun-loving... She mulls over the meanings in her mind before a splash of green enters her vision. Team Guy materializes in front of her, each with a flower in their hands. Lee steps forward first, handing her a verbena with a calm smile adorning his face. Cooperative... Neji is next, a violet in his grasp. She plucks it from his hand. Honesty... Finally, Tenten, a happy glow in her brown eyes, hands her a peony. Bravery... The three of them step back only for Hinata and Shino to take their place. Shino's face is still covered but he sticks out a hand, a magnolia protruding from his fist. Natural... Hinata's eyes sparkle as she places a honeysuckle into Ino's hands. Generous...

Chouji is next and he is positively glowing as she takes the offered white anemone from his outstretched palm. Sincere... When Shikamaru steps forward, his smile is tired but true and she smiles as he offers her a jasmine. Friendly and Graceful... Kiba is the last to approach her, that same smile on his face as he gives her a zinnia. Loyalty...

She stares down at her bouquet, examining each flower and cataloguing it's meaning, all the while wondering why each person gave her that specific flower. An extremely strong gust of wind attacks her and her friends disappear, exploding into petals that twist and turn through the air, while her bouquet itself is picked up and hurled away from her. The field is replaced by only white and for a second she is alone until Shikamaru appears in front of her. His smile is sad and a little lonely and it hurts her heart. He reaches out a hand, silently asking her to come with him. She smiles widely at him and reaches out to take the offered hand but her fingers pass right through him. Her eyes widen and she looks into his eyes and they are so lonely and so very sad. She wants to hug away the pain but he is gone before she can and is instead replaced by Temari. Her arms are folded and eyes narrowed and full of venom.

Ino shrinks from the acid in her gaze before she fades away and Kiba appears once more. That same gentle smile on his face. He reaches out his hand to her and she is furious. She is fed up with his stupid smile and his silence and all of this messed up stuff and she doesn't want to take his hand and-

-And then he takes her and pulls her close to him. She is surprised and his musky, woodsy scent rolls over her and she tries to pull away only for his grip on her wrist to tighten painfully. His nails grow longer and sharper and dig into her skin, piercing it and drawing blood. She squeaks in pain and a frightful laugh echoes from his throat. His other hand claws at her waist, tearing her dress and slicing the skin. His eyes are red and dangerous, pointed fangs extend from a twisted smile and she screams and fights but he only holds on tighter. His teeth sink into her throat and she can feel the blood gush and her world starts spinning and going black and then he's gone. Her dress is still torn but her wounds are scars and the blood has dried.

"Whore." Ino turns to see a furious Temari glaring at her.

"Bitch." Kiba's voice cuts her like a knife.

"Slut." Sakura's word is like a needle straight to her heart.

"Useless." Chouji...He doesn't really think that, does he?

"Brainless." Shikamaru doesn't think of her like that. He couldn't...

"Worthless." She's never heard Hinata sound so cruel.

"Pathetic." Shino barely even knows her.

"Vain." Lee...why?

"Hideous." What has she ever done to Neji?

"Disgrace." Tenten...please stop.

"Scum." Naruto's never been so unkind.

"Annoying." Sasuke...

The words repeat and repeat and repeat, swirling around her and she tries to block them out but can't and her friends continue to hurl abuse at her. She falls to her hands and knees and begs them to stop.

"Please...Please stop! Please..." But they can't hear her. She can barely hear herself over their rising voices. She cries and closes her eyes and prays it will stop. Fingers brush her chin and she snaps her head up and sees Kiba kneeling before her. She scrambles away from him but he smiles kindly and offers her another flower.

Habeneria radiata...

My thoughts will follow you into your dreams...

And then he's that monster again. And he smiles at her and her blood runs cold.

She screams.