"Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?!" My voice was hoarse and raw from my screaming over the wind. The flames of destruction sucked into my lungs, creating a permanent engraving on my body. It didn't matter which way I looked, everywhere I looked there was blood and death. Tears froze to my cheeks as I looked for any sign of my parents. The snow crunched under my bare feet, I couldn't feel the pain anymore from the icy burns. I made my way to our house, hoping that somehow they had survived the attack.
The house was in ruins, outside I saw the remains of my brother, Haku.
"Haku..." I blubbered out and collapsed next to his side. I reached for his hand, he had always been better at everything but he was always there for me when I needed him. His hand was cold, no warmth filled me like it used to. He was gone...
I looked up at the house but no one emerged. I knew then that they were all gone, not one person in my village had survived.
~
I opened my eyes slowly. The dreams were always the same, the end of my childhood. I never cried anymore about it, what happened all those years ago, crying wasn't going to bring anyone back.
How did you sleep, Mia?
Apollo padded over to me and sat down beside me.
"The same as always." He turned his head towards me, his blue eyes digging into mine to see what was truly inside. "You know you don't have to do that, I'll tell you anything you want to know." I muttered and looked down at the ground. It was strange to see leaves and not snow, it had been six months since I had left my familiar territory.
Apollo, leave her alone. She's still not used to being away from the village.
Artemis barked from her place at my feet.
"Its okay, Artemis. I know why he's worried. But I'll be okay." I pushed myself to my feet. "We should probably get going, we've spent a long time here." I pushed away from the tree I was using as my bed when I sensed someone nearby. "You can come out now." I stated louder. I heard a chuckle as the bushes nearby rustled.
"So you can sense me, you've grown a lot stronger since the last time we met, Mia." I sighed as his annoying voice sounded.
"Its been a while since we last met. I appreciate everything you did to help me after my village was destroyed." He stepped over, his whole appearance before me. Might Guy, a Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
"Don't sweat it, but what are you doing here?" He asked surprised to see me standing before him.
"I couldn't hide forever, now could I? I had to find a place I could call home. But..." I muttered and looked down.
"But what?"
"I haven't found one yet." Another chuckle. "What's so funny?" I demanded, glaring at him.
"Why don't you come with me and I'm sure we can find you a place in our village." I was surprised now.
"Why would you do that?"
"Mia, after what happened to your village...I'm sure you're not quick to trust people and I want to help you understand that not everyone is bad." I sighed.
"I'm not some stupid kid anymore, I know that better than anyone." Apollo and Artemis came to my side and I rested a hand on both of their backs.
"I see you've grown into quite the ninja, even have the headband of the Village Hidden in the Snow. You wear it well." I gave a small smile.
"Thank you." He turned to walk away.
"You coming?" He asked when he noticed I wasn't following.
"Right..." We followed more slowly but I knew I could trust Guy. After all he was the one who saved me that day.
~
I never even remembered passing out but when I started coming to I heard voices from all around.
"See if there are any survivors!" A male voice demanded. I opened my eyes slowly feeling groggy. My vision was blurry but I could see the familiar clothing of the Shinobi. I pushed myself to my feet though I could tell there was something seriously wrong with my body. I took a step towards the closest person, but immediately collapsed in a puff of snow. It was enough though, cause the man turned.He was actually younger than I thought.
"Are you alright?" He asked bending down to help me up.
"M...mm...my...yy...fam...ily..." I choked out as I felt myself losing consciousness again. When I had woken up again I had been taken into a town nearby that called the ninjas. I was in bad shape but from the state of my village they were all surprised I was still alive to begin with. Guy never left my side when I was recovering. I think he felt responsible for what happened to me as the last survivor.
~
Guy was a good person, he had done more than enough to earn my trust.
"You're still the quiet type?" Guy stated as we approached the gates.
"I don't have to explain myself to you." I muttered, this earned another chuckle that turned into a full blown laugh.
"You haven't changed a bit, that's good." I stopped as he halted in front of me.
"What do you mean?"
"Because the girl I met when I arrived in your village, she was a fighter, she was going to survive no matter what happened. Its good to see you still keeping that will strong and proud."
"Guy..." I started, but I couldn't say anything.
"You don't have to say anything to me, I know you better than anyone. I won't let you be alone anymore, Mia." I felt a lump in my throat that I hadn't felt in years. It was the emotions that I felt and spent so long to suppress. I looked down and nodded, not trusting myself to speak. We continued walking through the village, earning stares from everyone we passed.
She's not from here.
Where did she come from?
Is she an enemy?
What about those wolves, they don't look friendly to me.
I felt the edge coming as more and more people started making similar comments.
"Guy, who is this?" I heard another male voice. I looked up and saw a man with silver hair, his headband covering his left eye.
"She's a friend."
"A friend? I didn't know you liked younger girls?" I felt my annoyance rising.
"You're being really annoying for someone who has to hide their strength from their enemies." I stated and looked at him. "Isn't that right, Kakashi Hatake or should I say the Copy Ninja?" I stated and he froze. Guy did as well, he had never told me anything about him. "I know more than you think for being a young girl." He looked at me, his eye staring me down as if to scare me.
"You're the only survivor of the Village Hidden in the..."
"Kakashi!" Guy cut him off and I noticed him looking around nervously.
"Is it forbidden to say where I'm from?" I questioned and looked down.
"Mia, it's..."
"No, it's not. But people here think its bad luck to bring someone from a forgotten village here." Kakashi explained. I sighed.
"So I won't be accepted here either..." I turned on my heels and started to go back towards the village entrance.
"Mia, please!" Guy called out.
"Do you really care if people accept you?" Kakashi asked.
"I don't." I stopped. "I have never cared what anyone thought about me." A lie.
"You're lying."
"How would you know?" I glared at him.
"Based on your face. You might try to hide how you feel, but your heart can't." He appeared in front of me and wiped a tear from my cheek. I stepped back.
"What do you care?" I sharpened my shell.
"Because I know what it's like to lose everything you care about." I froze. "Whether you want to hide it or not, there is darkness in your heart from the events of the past. Acceptance, someone was better than you and you wanted their approval." I swallowed hard.
My brother...
"Fear, everything you lost, will it happen again if you trust people? Sacrifice, how far would you be willing to go to avenge those that were killed?" I felt my head start to throb as I remembered everyone who I had lost that day. The people I wanted back more than my own life, the pain and hatred I had for who took everything from me. I dropped down to my knees, the memories so painful, so vivid and real that I felt as if I reached out I could save them. Apollo and Artemis jumped in front of me and growled at Kakashi.
"Apollo...Artemis...its okay..." I muttered even though I couldn't take my eyes off the ground.
But you're...
"Enough!" I yelled at them. I finally was able to move my gaze from the ground to his. The one eye that stared at me held something in it like remorse. But I couldn't be sure because it vanished within a second. "You think you know everything about me, huh?" I started taking my edge back, but I knew nothing I said would phase him. He could see so deep into me and I didn't even really know him.
"You're determined I see. A good quality for a Shinobi." I didn't let anything show. I had already shown enough to this man.
"We should head out, I can tell everyone is on edge around here." Guy muttered as I got to my feet. I followed him, Kakashi following us as well. Artemis and Apollo were still on edge being around Kakashi. I knew they didn't like seeing me like that. Like I was when they found me.
~
Hearing the voices from the room over I knew the conversation was about me. The hush tones, trying to make sure I didn't hear. But I heard everything.
"How is that possible? Three days, in the snow, no clothing to protect her from the elements...it just doesn't seem possible."
So I had been unconscious for three days? How had I not died?
"She didn't even have any frostbite, something is strange with this girl. She's not normal."
Was anyone really normal?
"I think we should just leave her here and see if there's something we can do for the towns around here. Without the main Shinobi village, they're going to be vulnerable to attacks." I heard a collective agreement as I pulled the covers over my head.
How was I alive? What am I?