endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-01-21 10:54 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-01-21 10:54 pm
In the Light of the Dawn, Part 1
Title: In the Light of the Dawn, Part 1
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Uzumaki Naruto, OC: Sarutobi Mei; brief mentions of Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato, Inuzuka Tsume, Tenten
Pairing(s): Implied Minato/Kushina, implied Shirou/Mei
Warning(s): Lots. Of. Angst.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Part one of what I intend to be a three-shot depicting the last hours of one Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina as seen through the eyes of their close friend, Sarutobi Mei. Set in the same universe as the 'Pieces of the Past' drabble collection, respectively, with Tenten being the Sandaime's granddaughter. Mostly written while listening to 'C. S. Lewis Song' by Brooke Fraser (because really, it helped inspired me to write the fic out).
Dedicated to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
malinear and her Kushina muse. Happy Birthday~! Hime-chan loves you both. ♥
Darkness. It was, perhaps, the only clear image that stood out most prominently that day. Others talked about the fires and chaos caused by the battle with the Kyuubi spirit. The destruction that still littered the streets of the village. But when Mei had regained any sense of consciousness in the early hours of the morning, she only remembered the darkness that surrounded her. Covered her in the comforting oblivion of ignorance. Even after the smoke cleared and dust settled, there was only that. A place where all other senses were devoid of importance or clarity. And for the longest time, it seemed as if she would never return to a state of normalcy ever again. Then came the impossible weight pressing against her back, light at first but rapidly growing more heavy with each passing second until it became an undeniable truth. And with that burden bearing down on her bruised and battered body, reality and the world outside of Mei's conscious slowly came trickling back.
There... had been a battle. An impossible battle that they had little hope of winning. Imagines of the casualties flashed through the kunoichi's mind as the memories returned one by one. It... had been the Kyuuibi. The most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts in existence. The reasons behind it had been vague even then, she recalled, but not completely unexpected. Still, they were no match against such a demon. And that was when desperation became the driving force to their actions. To protect the Hidden Leaf Village with their last dying breath if necessary.
And from there on was where the details became sketchy, at best. A giant blur of half-truths and fully realized nightmares. All that could register was the burning ache erupting in the young woman's chest. It felt like the weight of the earth clenched at her lungs, filling them up with liquid fire until each breath did only harm instead of good. With such numbing pain, there was nothing Mei wanted more than to simply give up and slip back into the realm of dreams. Away from the pain. Away from the destruction. But with a small cry, her mind snapped back into focus, bringing with it the unbreakable promise she had made.
With as much effort and strength that could be mustered, she ignored her body's overwhelming need for rest and pushed up against the heavy debris until it crumbled under the strain. And as a cloud of dirt kicked up from the rubble, Mei immediately went into action. Or, at least, as best as she could in her condition, coughing out the aftermath of tragedy that threatened to choke the very air from the young woman's lungs. Because there was no time to stop for a breath, No time to wait until she could recover more of her strength. He needed her. Was crying out to her, a poor substitute for the one he truly wanted, And she would be there for him... if only Mei could find him.
Frantic with fear and untold panic, she pushed aside the ruined remains of the once proud building, digging through the dirt and rocks for the child. Following his muffled cries as if it were her lifeline. Because, surely, Mei would give in to death and eternal night if she lost him to the demons of the Underworld.
Keep crying, the kunoichi pleaded, fingers bloodied and torn from her relentless effort, Keep crying so I can find you.
Bit by bit, like chipping away at a block of stone, Mei cleared away the debris and inched her way closer to the sound of his small shrieks of loneliness. Of desperation. She was beyond exhausted, but somehow found strength to continue on. To keep moving forward. For the sake of the village and its future -- for the sake of all those who sacrificed their lives to ensure Konoha would survive this tragedy -- she had to find that child.
And then, as if the clouds of heaven opened up to shine down upon them -- as if the spirits of her friends were still watching over and guiding the kunoichi -- she found him. Protected under the tempered and clothed steel of an ANBU chest plate, Mei found him. Sighing in relief, she could never be more glad to hear the high-pitched screech and wail of a baby than at that moment. Forceful and strong, his cries were a good indicator of a healthy baby. But though she had spent a great deal of her younger days volunteering at the village hospital, Mei was not a trained medic. And she could not be certain of the child's condition until he was taken to the hospital and given a thorough examination.
"She's over here!"
The voice was distant, almost as if she had only imagined it in her mind. As if her fatigue and chakra drain had finally resulted in insanity as all attention was devoted to the fussing baby. In picking him up from his earthly crib and cradling the child gently in the kunoichi's arms. Only when the warmth of his body pressed up against hers -- only when his cries died down to helpless whimpers -- did Mei turn to face the phantom demons of her broken psyche. But when the young woman raised her head, it was not some figment ghost that stood before her, but Tsume. Battle-worn and looking no better than any of them, the Inuzuka could only manage to flash a brief smile in greeting and relief before giving in to weighted grief. And from just that, Mei knew.
Their companion had not survived either.
But as much as the kunoichi wanted to cry at the loss -- as much as Mei's heart broke at the revelation -- she could not. Was not allowed to do so. Because at that instance when all pain and sorrow culminated together into one giant wave of emotion, the life in her arms cried out once more. Louder. Piercingly devastating in the morning stillness. Reaching out for comfort as all young babies were prone to do. But there would be no moahter to come and calm him. There was only her.
"There, there," Mei murmured softly, doing her best to gently rock away the boy's agitation, "Shh, it's ok, I'm here."
And for an instant, she flashed back to a similar moment not too long ago. An afternoon where nothing else in the world could settle Tenten down save or the faint hum of her voice. And that saddening thought was what finally cracked the last of Mei's restraint, allowing a single tear to break free and stream down her cheek. Splash lightly on the baby's forehead.
"I promise... I won't let anything happen to you, Naruto..."
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Uzumaki Naruto, OC: Sarutobi Mei; brief mentions of Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato, Inuzuka Tsume, Tenten
Pairing(s): Implied Minato/Kushina, implied Shirou/Mei
Warning(s): Lots. Of. Angst.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Part one of what I intend to be a three-shot depicting the last hours of one Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina as seen through the eyes of their close friend, Sarutobi Mei. Set in the same universe as the 'Pieces of the Past' drabble collection, respectively, with Tenten being the Sandaime's granddaughter. Mostly written while listening to 'C. S. Lewis Song' by Brooke Fraser (because really, it helped inspired me to write the fic out).
Dedicated to:
malinear and her Kushina muse. Happy Birthday~! Hime-chan loves you both. ♥Darkness. It was, perhaps, the only clear image that stood out most prominently that day. Others talked about the fires and chaos caused by the battle with the Kyuubi spirit. The destruction that still littered the streets of the village. But when Mei had regained any sense of consciousness in the early hours of the morning, she only remembered the darkness that surrounded her. Covered her in the comforting oblivion of ignorance. Even after the smoke cleared and dust settled, there was only that. A place where all other senses were devoid of importance or clarity. And for the longest time, it seemed as if she would never return to a state of normalcy ever again. Then came the impossible weight pressing against her back, light at first but rapidly growing more heavy with each passing second until it became an undeniable truth. And with that burden bearing down on her bruised and battered body, reality and the world outside of Mei's conscious slowly came trickling back.
There... had been a battle. An impossible battle that they had little hope of winning. Imagines of the casualties flashed through the kunoichi's mind as the memories returned one by one. It... had been the Kyuuibi. The most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts in existence. The reasons behind it had been vague even then, she recalled, but not completely unexpected. Still, they were no match against such a demon. And that was when desperation became the driving force to their actions. To protect the Hidden Leaf Village with their last dying breath if necessary.
And from there on was where the details became sketchy, at best. A giant blur of half-truths and fully realized nightmares. All that could register was the burning ache erupting in the young woman's chest. It felt like the weight of the earth clenched at her lungs, filling them up with liquid fire until each breath did only harm instead of good. With such numbing pain, there was nothing Mei wanted more than to simply give up and slip back into the realm of dreams. Away from the pain. Away from the destruction. But with a small cry, her mind snapped back into focus, bringing with it the unbreakable promise she had made.
With as much effort and strength that could be mustered, she ignored her body's overwhelming need for rest and pushed up against the heavy debris until it crumbled under the strain. And as a cloud of dirt kicked up from the rubble, Mei immediately went into action. Or, at least, as best as she could in her condition, coughing out the aftermath of tragedy that threatened to choke the very air from the young woman's lungs. Because there was no time to stop for a breath, No time to wait until she could recover more of her strength. He needed her. Was crying out to her, a poor substitute for the one he truly wanted, And she would be there for him... if only Mei could find him.
Frantic with fear and untold panic, she pushed aside the ruined remains of the once proud building, digging through the dirt and rocks for the child. Following his muffled cries as if it were her lifeline. Because, surely, Mei would give in to death and eternal night if she lost him to the demons of the Underworld.
Keep crying, the kunoichi pleaded, fingers bloodied and torn from her relentless effort, Keep crying so I can find you.
Bit by bit, like chipping away at a block of stone, Mei cleared away the debris and inched her way closer to the sound of his small shrieks of loneliness. Of desperation. She was beyond exhausted, but somehow found strength to continue on. To keep moving forward. For the sake of the village and its future -- for the sake of all those who sacrificed their lives to ensure Konoha would survive this tragedy -- she had to find that child.
And then, as if the clouds of heaven opened up to shine down upon them -- as if the spirits of her friends were still watching over and guiding the kunoichi -- she found him. Protected under the tempered and clothed steel of an ANBU chest plate, Mei found him. Sighing in relief, she could never be more glad to hear the high-pitched screech and wail of a baby than at that moment. Forceful and strong, his cries were a good indicator of a healthy baby. But though she had spent a great deal of her younger days volunteering at the village hospital, Mei was not a trained medic. And she could not be certain of the child's condition until he was taken to the hospital and given a thorough examination.
"She's over here!"
The voice was distant, almost as if she had only imagined it in her mind. As if her fatigue and chakra drain had finally resulted in insanity as all attention was devoted to the fussing baby. In picking him up from his earthly crib and cradling the child gently in the kunoichi's arms. Only when the warmth of his body pressed up against hers -- only when his cries died down to helpless whimpers -- did Mei turn to face the phantom demons of her broken psyche. But when the young woman raised her head, it was not some figment ghost that stood before her, but Tsume. Battle-worn and looking no better than any of them, the Inuzuka could only manage to flash a brief smile in greeting and relief before giving in to weighted grief. And from just that, Mei knew.
Their companion had not survived either.
But as much as the kunoichi wanted to cry at the loss -- as much as Mei's heart broke at the revelation -- she could not. Was not allowed to do so. Because at that instance when all pain and sorrow culminated together into one giant wave of emotion, the life in her arms cried out once more. Louder. Piercingly devastating in the morning stillness. Reaching out for comfort as all young babies were prone to do. But there would be no moahter to come and calm him. There was only her.
"There, there," Mei murmured softly, doing her best to gently rock away the boy's agitation, "Shh, it's ok, I'm here."
And for an instant, she flashed back to a similar moment not too long ago. An afternoon where nothing else in the world could settle Tenten down save or the faint hum of her voice. And that saddening thought was what finally cracked the last of Mei's restraint, allowing a single tear to break free and stream down her cheek. Splash lightly on the baby's forehead.
"I promise... I won't let anything happen to you, Naruto..."