http://silence-bringer.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
silence-bringer.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tampered2006-12-16 08:36 pm
silence-bringer.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2006-12-16 08:36 pm
Log: Complete
When; December 15 (wing-curse day)
Rating; PG
Characters; Tomoe Hotaru![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silence_bringer, Uchiha Itachicrimsonmangekyo
Summary; A chance encounter in the lush florals of Xanadu leads to an unexpected alliance as Hotaru meets someone who seems to truly understand and accept her inner darkness. But is he really what he seems? Itachi, happening by, finds something that piques his interest.
Log; She sighed as she stretched out one small hand to place her palm against the rough bark of the sakura tree. Gazing upwards into the network of branches that traversed the space between her violet eyes and the heavens, she studied the angles and shapes of the strips of wood, irises tracing their paths as they grew and bent and diverted around each other. It was beautiful, in a way. Like a maze of thick tendrils, a veritable labyrinthine work of art that spread upwards and outwards, shedding tiny flakes of a pale pastel pink. Pink, like Chibiusa's hair. Thoughts of her absent friend caused her to bite her lip and lower her eyes from the puzzled majesty of the tree. There was no point in thinking so hard about that. Afterall, she had killed her friend. As she had killed them all. Despite the fact that Usagi had been in the City for awhile, it didn't change the facts. Tomoe Hotaru was dead. Everyone was dead. And all because of her. Because of her awakening as the Soldier of Ruin. She had awakened and brought down her glaive and all around her had been slaughtered by the destructive beauty of the Saturn power. She turned around and leaned against the thick trunck, frowning slightly as she had to adjust her position to accomodate the pair of black wings that she had woken up with this morning. As if that wasn't irony in it's purest form. She fidgeted, the wings twitching slightly in response, a few downy-soft black feathers floating softly to the ground around her as she sank down onto her knees in front of the tree and wept.
No one understands...Not Kagura-san, not Glinda-san, not anyone. None of them destroyed their world. None of them killed their friends. They don't know what it's like to be told that you have no right to exist. That you should simply sleep and never awaken...But it's not as though I WANT them to know. If they knew...I don't think they would see me the same way. Even if they smiled, even if they looked at me the way that Usagi-chan and Chibiusa-chan used to look at me, it wouldn't be real. Even if they didn't judge me, they still wouldn't understand.
She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her tear-stained face on her arms and hiding her face. No, she really was alone. Even if she had friends, even if she went out and interacted with them, it was the same as before. Always on the outside, looking in. Seperated from those she cared for by a pane of black glass that hid her true nature from her loved ones. But, just once, the dark-haired girl wanted to find someone who would see the person behind the glass. Who would look at her the way she truly was, the avatar of ruin and destruction, and who wouldn't turn away from that. Her attention was drawn by a small queaking noise to her left. Raising her head, she wiped her tears and frowned slightly as amethyst orbs scanned the nearby ground. It only took a moment to find the source of the sound. A baby bird, a fledgling. On the ground, flapping piteously as it tried to move a shattered wing.
"Poor thing..."
The tiny girl knelt down in front of the helpless baby and gently scooped it up in her hands. The bird righted itself and stared up at her, crying softly. Craning her head upwards, she followed it's gaze to the sight of a nest high in a branch. She nodded sadly.
"You must have fallen, when you were learning to fly. Don't worry. I'll help you."
He was moving. Moving quickly. Not due to pursuit, no. It would be some time before he engaged Arashi in combat. No, this was not the time for combat. But Uchiha Itachi knew that. This was the time for gathering his cards and preparing. As he sprung from one tree to the next, he mentally cursed the layout of the sprawling gardens. Beautiful they might be, there were not enough trees in some places and too many trees in others. Either way, it made crossing the infernal place a rather bothersome ordeal. And the wings weren't making things any easier. As his sandaled foot alighted on a branch, he caught a glimpse of a slight figure standing underneath the massive sakura tree that crowned the center of the gardens. A simple girl, dark-haired, clothed in black and sporting black wings on her back as well. Not something that would have normally concerned the Akatsuki. And in truth, it didn't. What DID pique his interest was the unusual energy signature that was building around her. Silently dropping to a crouch on one of the tree-limbs above her, he suppressed his chakra and simply watched.
Hotaru allowed her eyes to fall closed as she felt the energy begin to build within her. It was so alike and yet unlike the Saturn power that strained behind the confines of her mental prison. While the same sort of fire burned down her veins at a slow simmering pace, the healing energy never seemed as though it wanted to consume her as the Saturn power did. Rather, it felt as though it was merely an extension of herself rather then the alien thing that dwelt in the dark recesses of her soul. She mentally concentrated, focusing the power into her hands and willing it to reconstruct broken bone, torn flesh. To make new what was once damaged. As she healed the bird, the sigil of Saturn began to glow with a soft purple light on her forehead.
Itachi watched in rapt interest as the girls' hands began to glow with a strange pale light that gave off a unique warmth. It felt almost like chakra, but had a subtly different signature and feel to it, something that he assumed was more her then anything else. Under his gaze, the bird in her hands stirred slightly, the broken wing twitching as he watched bones realign themselves and the wounded flesh close over.
Interesting. Some sort of healing ability, it seems. But it's different from a medical jutsu. No medic-nin can heal an injury of that type with such ease, in such short time. This girl may prove useful to me. If her abilities are indeed of this caliber, she would be a valuable asset to Akatsuki.
He noted the marking on her forehead with some degree of interest, crimson irises studying it intently.
A seal of some kind, perhaps? It wasn't there at first, so it must be reacting to her power.
Violet eyes slid open slowly to peer down at the bird in her hand. A warm smile broke across the pale face as the fledgling creature shook it's head and stretched both wings before floundering into the air and soaring unsteadily back across the gardens. She drew her hands up to her chest with a small laugh of happiness. She loved healing, it always filled her with such a joy. With a sigh, she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.
"That was quite impressive, for a child such as you."
With a startled gasp, her eyes shot open and she glanced around wildly for the source of the voice. Spotting a flash of black and crimson out of the corner of her eye, she looked up just in time to see a tall man wearing a black and red cloak leap out of the tree over her head. With a smalll squeal, she covered her head as if to shield herself from what she was sure was an impending attack. But none came. Opening her eyes tentatively and peering through her crossed arms, she was surprised to find the man simply standing several feet away, studying her. He certainly didn't look like anyone she had ever seen before. Hotaru studied him, taking in his long black hair that was held in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, the black cloak with it's emblazoned cloud pattern in scarlet and white, the purple paint on his fingernails, and the six large black wings that rested half-furled around his shoulders. But what held her attention the most were his eyes. Red as blood, and marked by three tomoe that seemed to spin lazily like the wheels of a bicycle. She blushed slightly. He was quite handsome to look at, despite the sense of subtle dread that she got from him. Whoever he was, this was not someone to be taken lightly. But...if he was an enemy, then why wasn't he attacking?
The Uchiha watched the girl with a calm manner as she first cowered, then shielded, then hesitantly began to study him. She reminded him slightly of his brother, the same black hair and pale skin. But unlike Sasuke, this girl's skin was nearly translucent, and her eyes were pools of amethyst that stared dark and haunted out of her face. She was a tiny thing, waifish and frail-looking, and he had to assume that perhaps fate's trade-off for her power was her own body's robustness. Dressed entirely in black, the dark wings on her back made her look much like an angel of night, especially with the ghostly pallor of her skin. She was an attractive girl, he supposed. If you were into the type, that is. Either way, she was young. Itachi knew perfectly well that she was likely a bit older then she appeared, closer to 14 or 15, but that was still young. And young meant malleable. Afterall, this wasn't like twisting the kyuubi-brat to his demands. A healer could do as much damage as good, were their intentions not true. For her to be of use to him, she would have to trust him. And that meant only one thing. The Uchiha needed to find out what the one thing she needed most was, and see to it that he provided it. As it was, he cocked his head to the side with a neutral expression.
"Are you alright, girl?"
She swallowed, lowering her arms and straightening up. Well, he wasn't attacking her. Nor did he seem that sinister. In fact, with his wings, he seemed almost like a dark seraph; an avatar of the night like her. She mentally pushed back a spark of hope that perhaps he would understand her. No, it didn't matter. She didn't know who he was, and he'd been there in the tree for an undetermined amount of time. She swallowed again, glancing around her before she leveled her violet gaze on him.
"Who are you?"
He allowed the faintest hint of a smile to ghost across his lips for a moment before bowing to her in a rather gentlemanly-like manner.
"My name is Itachi. Uchiha Itachi. And yours, little healer?"
She backed up a step, but held her ground. Something about him was unnerving, but at the same time intriguing.
"Hotaru. Tomoe Hotaru."
The dark-haired man nodded.
"Hotaru. A fitting name, little firefly. I must say, you are quite the interesting one. I don't believe I've ever seen someone with healing abilities quite like yours. Are they a natural gift, or something that you trained to acquire and develop?"
She cocked her head to one side, confused. Was he serious? Normally people reacted unfavourably to her power. With the exception of Chibiusa, no one had ever thought it anything other then weird, strange, or unnatural. And now this man was actually interested in them?
"I...it's something that I've always been able to do. Since I was a little girl."
He nodded. So, an innate ability, then. He assumed it was similar to Yakushii Kabuto's regeneration abilities. Itachi tried to remain as unthreatening as possible, threading a slight genjutsu around the girl to quell any fears she might be harboring towards him. This would only make it easier.
"So..it's a natural ability, then. How interesting. I must say that I envy you. I imagine as a healer, you are a much-admired person. Unlike myself."
Her eyes widened. Admired? He actually thought that she was someone to be admired? Her flare of hope diminished at the realization that, like everyone else, he didn't know who she really was. What she was really created for. Of course he'd think that. But...
"I...I'm not really like that. I..I'm not a good person like that. I..there's a lot of darkness inside me..."
Itachi listened, a spark going off in her head. So, the girl thought badly of herself? This might prove to be the leverage he would need. He composed a smile and cocked his head at her.
"What do you mean? I don't see how a person like you could be bad. Certainly, you have a darkness about you, but what's wrong with that? We all have a darkness within us. In fact, how is light to exist without darkness? The darkness has a place in this world. It isn't something to be feared or hated. Rather, it should be embraced as a beautiful part of life, the way the light is."
The girl felt something catch in her throat at his words, words she had wanted to hear for so long from someone. It was alright? A beautiful part of life? She was a beautiful part of life? She took a step towards the man, eyes tearing up.
"You..you really mean that? I..no one's ever said anything like that. I...I destroyed my world. Killed all of my friends..not because I wanted to, but because it's what I was born to do..."
She hung her head, unsure why she felt she could talk to this man who had appeared in front of her like a dark angel of redemption. But for some reason, her uneasiness had vanished when he'd smiled at her. Perhaps it was the ease with which he spoke to her, despite what she'd just told him. Either way, she assumed that he would soon be leaving. Afterall, who could understand?
"Of course. You did what you were meant to do, there should be no shame in that. Sadness, certainly. But you can't help what you were made to do, what you were born to do. Besides, destruction only serves as a pathway to rebirth and renewel. In that way, rather then being a bearer of ruin, you are in fact a bringer of salvation in the form of paving the way for renewel of the world."
Something sang inside her as she listened. He DID understand. He had heard the truth, what she'd done. And he hadn't judged her, hadn't seen her differently. But beyond that, he had understood. She stood, staring dumbfounded at the man as he bowed to her.
"I'm afraid that I must be off, Hotaru-san. However, it has been a pleasure to meet you. One that I hope will not end today.
As he bowed, Itachi let the brim of his hat hide the grin on his face. This had been too easy. A few coy words and the girl had fallen right into his lap. And, because her healing was of a different nature then that which his fellow shinobi performed, it would be a valuable asset in his fight against Arashi. He walked towards the girl, passing beside her with a faint jingle of the bell on his hat, to vanish into the gardens.
Hotaru spun around and watched him go, hands clasped in front of her as the cherry blossoms drifted down, a look of wonder in her eyes. She smiled, dropping her head and closing her eyes. It felt good to finally find someone who understood...
Rating; PG
Characters; Tomoe Hotaru
silence_bringer, Uchiha Itachicrimsonmangekyo Summary; A chance encounter in the lush florals of Xanadu leads to an unexpected alliance as Hotaru meets someone who seems to truly understand and accept her inner darkness. But is he really what he seems? Itachi, happening by, finds something that piques his interest.
Log; She sighed as she stretched out one small hand to place her palm against the rough bark of the sakura tree. Gazing upwards into the network of branches that traversed the space between her violet eyes and the heavens, she studied the angles and shapes of the strips of wood, irises tracing their paths as they grew and bent and diverted around each other. It was beautiful, in a way. Like a maze of thick tendrils, a veritable labyrinthine work of art that spread upwards and outwards, shedding tiny flakes of a pale pastel pink. Pink, like Chibiusa's hair. Thoughts of her absent friend caused her to bite her lip and lower her eyes from the puzzled majesty of the tree. There was no point in thinking so hard about that. Afterall, she had killed her friend. As she had killed them all. Despite the fact that Usagi had been in the City for awhile, it didn't change the facts. Tomoe Hotaru was dead. Everyone was dead. And all because of her. Because of her awakening as the Soldier of Ruin. She had awakened and brought down her glaive and all around her had been slaughtered by the destructive beauty of the Saturn power. She turned around and leaned against the thick trunck, frowning slightly as she had to adjust her position to accomodate the pair of black wings that she had woken up with this morning. As if that wasn't irony in it's purest form. She fidgeted, the wings twitching slightly in response, a few downy-soft black feathers floating softly to the ground around her as she sank down onto her knees in front of the tree and wept.
No one understands...Not Kagura-san, not Glinda-san, not anyone. None of them destroyed their world. None of them killed their friends. They don't know what it's like to be told that you have no right to exist. That you should simply sleep and never awaken...But it's not as though I WANT them to know. If they knew...I don't think they would see me the same way. Even if they smiled, even if they looked at me the way that Usagi-chan and Chibiusa-chan used to look at me, it wouldn't be real. Even if they didn't judge me, they still wouldn't understand.
She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her tear-stained face on her arms and hiding her face. No, she really was alone. Even if she had friends, even if she went out and interacted with them, it was the same as before. Always on the outside, looking in. Seperated from those she cared for by a pane of black glass that hid her true nature from her loved ones. But, just once, the dark-haired girl wanted to find someone who would see the person behind the glass. Who would look at her the way she truly was, the avatar of ruin and destruction, and who wouldn't turn away from that. Her attention was drawn by a small queaking noise to her left. Raising her head, she wiped her tears and frowned slightly as amethyst orbs scanned the nearby ground. It only took a moment to find the source of the sound. A baby bird, a fledgling. On the ground, flapping piteously as it tried to move a shattered wing.
"Poor thing..."
The tiny girl knelt down in front of the helpless baby and gently scooped it up in her hands. The bird righted itself and stared up at her, crying softly. Craning her head upwards, she followed it's gaze to the sight of a nest high in a branch. She nodded sadly.
"You must have fallen, when you were learning to fly. Don't worry. I'll help you."
He was moving. Moving quickly. Not due to pursuit, no. It would be some time before he engaged Arashi in combat. No, this was not the time for combat. But Uchiha Itachi knew that. This was the time for gathering his cards and preparing. As he sprung from one tree to the next, he mentally cursed the layout of the sprawling gardens. Beautiful they might be, there were not enough trees in some places and too many trees in others. Either way, it made crossing the infernal place a rather bothersome ordeal. And the wings weren't making things any easier. As his sandaled foot alighted on a branch, he caught a glimpse of a slight figure standing underneath the massive sakura tree that crowned the center of the gardens. A simple girl, dark-haired, clothed in black and sporting black wings on her back as well. Not something that would have normally concerned the Akatsuki. And in truth, it didn't. What DID pique his interest was the unusual energy signature that was building around her. Silently dropping to a crouch on one of the tree-limbs above her, he suppressed his chakra and simply watched.
Hotaru allowed her eyes to fall closed as she felt the energy begin to build within her. It was so alike and yet unlike the Saturn power that strained behind the confines of her mental prison. While the same sort of fire burned down her veins at a slow simmering pace, the healing energy never seemed as though it wanted to consume her as the Saturn power did. Rather, it felt as though it was merely an extension of herself rather then the alien thing that dwelt in the dark recesses of her soul. She mentally concentrated, focusing the power into her hands and willing it to reconstruct broken bone, torn flesh. To make new what was once damaged. As she healed the bird, the sigil of Saturn began to glow with a soft purple light on her forehead.
Itachi watched in rapt interest as the girls' hands began to glow with a strange pale light that gave off a unique warmth. It felt almost like chakra, but had a subtly different signature and feel to it, something that he assumed was more her then anything else. Under his gaze, the bird in her hands stirred slightly, the broken wing twitching as he watched bones realign themselves and the wounded flesh close over.
Interesting. Some sort of healing ability, it seems. But it's different from a medical jutsu. No medic-nin can heal an injury of that type with such ease, in such short time. This girl may prove useful to me. If her abilities are indeed of this caliber, she would be a valuable asset to Akatsuki.
He noted the marking on her forehead with some degree of interest, crimson irises studying it intently.
A seal of some kind, perhaps? It wasn't there at first, so it must be reacting to her power.
Violet eyes slid open slowly to peer down at the bird in her hand. A warm smile broke across the pale face as the fledgling creature shook it's head and stretched both wings before floundering into the air and soaring unsteadily back across the gardens. She drew her hands up to her chest with a small laugh of happiness. She loved healing, it always filled her with such a joy. With a sigh, she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.
"That was quite impressive, for a child such as you."
With a startled gasp, her eyes shot open and she glanced around wildly for the source of the voice. Spotting a flash of black and crimson out of the corner of her eye, she looked up just in time to see a tall man wearing a black and red cloak leap out of the tree over her head. With a smalll squeal, she covered her head as if to shield herself from what she was sure was an impending attack. But none came. Opening her eyes tentatively and peering through her crossed arms, she was surprised to find the man simply standing several feet away, studying her. He certainly didn't look like anyone she had ever seen before. Hotaru studied him, taking in his long black hair that was held in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, the black cloak with it's emblazoned cloud pattern in scarlet and white, the purple paint on his fingernails, and the six large black wings that rested half-furled around his shoulders. But what held her attention the most were his eyes. Red as blood, and marked by three tomoe that seemed to spin lazily like the wheels of a bicycle. She blushed slightly. He was quite handsome to look at, despite the sense of subtle dread that she got from him. Whoever he was, this was not someone to be taken lightly. But...if he was an enemy, then why wasn't he attacking?
The Uchiha watched the girl with a calm manner as she first cowered, then shielded, then hesitantly began to study him. She reminded him slightly of his brother, the same black hair and pale skin. But unlike Sasuke, this girl's skin was nearly translucent, and her eyes were pools of amethyst that stared dark and haunted out of her face. She was a tiny thing, waifish and frail-looking, and he had to assume that perhaps fate's trade-off for her power was her own body's robustness. Dressed entirely in black, the dark wings on her back made her look much like an angel of night, especially with the ghostly pallor of her skin. She was an attractive girl, he supposed. If you were into the type, that is. Either way, she was young. Itachi knew perfectly well that she was likely a bit older then she appeared, closer to 14 or 15, but that was still young. And young meant malleable. Afterall, this wasn't like twisting the kyuubi-brat to his demands. A healer could do as much damage as good, were their intentions not true. For her to be of use to him, she would have to trust him. And that meant only one thing. The Uchiha needed to find out what the one thing she needed most was, and see to it that he provided it. As it was, he cocked his head to the side with a neutral expression.
"Are you alright, girl?"
She swallowed, lowering her arms and straightening up. Well, he wasn't attacking her. Nor did he seem that sinister. In fact, with his wings, he seemed almost like a dark seraph; an avatar of the night like her. She mentally pushed back a spark of hope that perhaps he would understand her. No, it didn't matter. She didn't know who he was, and he'd been there in the tree for an undetermined amount of time. She swallowed again, glancing around her before she leveled her violet gaze on him.
"Who are you?"
He allowed the faintest hint of a smile to ghost across his lips for a moment before bowing to her in a rather gentlemanly-like manner.
"My name is Itachi. Uchiha Itachi. And yours, little healer?"
She backed up a step, but held her ground. Something about him was unnerving, but at the same time intriguing.
"Hotaru. Tomoe Hotaru."
The dark-haired man nodded.
"Hotaru. A fitting name, little firefly. I must say, you are quite the interesting one. I don't believe I've ever seen someone with healing abilities quite like yours. Are they a natural gift, or something that you trained to acquire and develop?"
She cocked her head to one side, confused. Was he serious? Normally people reacted unfavourably to her power. With the exception of Chibiusa, no one had ever thought it anything other then weird, strange, or unnatural. And now this man was actually interested in them?
"I...it's something that I've always been able to do. Since I was a little girl."
He nodded. So, an innate ability, then. He assumed it was similar to Yakushii Kabuto's regeneration abilities. Itachi tried to remain as unthreatening as possible, threading a slight genjutsu around the girl to quell any fears she might be harboring towards him. This would only make it easier.
"So..it's a natural ability, then. How interesting. I must say that I envy you. I imagine as a healer, you are a much-admired person. Unlike myself."
Her eyes widened. Admired? He actually thought that she was someone to be admired? Her flare of hope diminished at the realization that, like everyone else, he didn't know who she really was. What she was really created for. Of course he'd think that. But...
"I...I'm not really like that. I..I'm not a good person like that. I..there's a lot of darkness inside me..."
Itachi listened, a spark going off in her head. So, the girl thought badly of herself? This might prove to be the leverage he would need. He composed a smile and cocked his head at her.
"What do you mean? I don't see how a person like you could be bad. Certainly, you have a darkness about you, but what's wrong with that? We all have a darkness within us. In fact, how is light to exist without darkness? The darkness has a place in this world. It isn't something to be feared or hated. Rather, it should be embraced as a beautiful part of life, the way the light is."
The girl felt something catch in her throat at his words, words she had wanted to hear for so long from someone. It was alright? A beautiful part of life? She was a beautiful part of life? She took a step towards the man, eyes tearing up.
"You..you really mean that? I..no one's ever said anything like that. I...I destroyed my world. Killed all of my friends..not because I wanted to, but because it's what I was born to do..."
She hung her head, unsure why she felt she could talk to this man who had appeared in front of her like a dark angel of redemption. But for some reason, her uneasiness had vanished when he'd smiled at her. Perhaps it was the ease with which he spoke to her, despite what she'd just told him. Either way, she assumed that he would soon be leaving. Afterall, who could understand?
"Of course. You did what you were meant to do, there should be no shame in that. Sadness, certainly. But you can't help what you were made to do, what you were born to do. Besides, destruction only serves as a pathway to rebirth and renewel. In that way, rather then being a bearer of ruin, you are in fact a bringer of salvation in the form of paving the way for renewel of the world."
Something sang inside her as she listened. He DID understand. He had heard the truth, what she'd done. And he hadn't judged her, hadn't seen her differently. But beyond that, he had understood. She stood, staring dumbfounded at the man as he bowed to her.
"I'm afraid that I must be off, Hotaru-san. However, it has been a pleasure to meet you. One that I hope will not end today.
As he bowed, Itachi let the brim of his hat hide the grin on his face. This had been too easy. A few coy words and the girl had fallen right into his lap. And, because her healing was of a different nature then that which his fellow shinobi performed, it would be a valuable asset in his fight against Arashi. He walked towards the girl, passing beside her with a faint jingle of the bell on his hat, to vanish into the gardens.
Hotaru spun around and watched him go, hands clasped in front of her as the cherry blossoms drifted down, a look of wonder in her eyes. She smiled, dropping her head and closing her eyes. It felt good to finally find someone who understood...