Midnight Storm (Uncompleted)

Draft

I'm embarrassed I even wrote this but I'm publishing ALL DRAFTS. So...

~

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the nights."

~Sarah Williams

~

The moonless night was dark, only the stars and the lights of Konoha shed light. The humming  of cicadas and the occasional chirp of a cricket set a rhythm, while the sound of skittering creatures and other night life broke through the quiet. It was a normal night, both beautiful and peaceful. Yet there was a baby on the road.

Why the heck was there a baby on the road?

Looking closer, it looked like a rather large bundle of cloth, but there was an obvious mochi face peeking out. The thing, baby, was sleeping and it was nice not having to deal with it crying, but why was there a baby here?

It still had traces of the milky sweetness of a human baby, but the scent of the care-giver had a sharp but fragrant smell that seemd to both warn and draw me in. This was no human scent, but...the baby was obviously human, yet the scent....

The scent of the child was human but the smell of the milk-giver was not, it was rotten and was like the smell of a dead person. Yet it also seemed nonhuman. Was this a case of a yokai or other nonhuman creature caring for a human child? If so, where was the milk-giver? The parents? How did the child eat?

Taking another deep sniff of the bundle, there was also the distinct smell of human. It was fresh but it was drowned out by the newer, stronger and more confusing scent of the care-giver. There was also the smell of milk, but it was milk from something else entirely.

Odd.

Opening the babys mouth, two tiny pearly white teeth seemed to glow in the starlight.

~

Weakly, he patted my head, hand trembling as blood dribbled out of his mouth. Face serene as his red red eyes twisted into little half-moon crescents, wearing a small smile as he looked at me. Voice hoarse and so weak, but calm.

"Hn, little Scarerow. Tell that I'm sorry. 'kay?"

One, gentle hand rubbing my ears as I continued staring in shock. That blade, was meant for me. He had a life, so why? Why would he sacrifice his life for someone like me? He knew my father, he should have hated me but—

My voice was shaky as I asked him,

"Why?"

There was a tenderness in his expression as he gazed at me. Eyes kind and tranquil, without worry and I didn't know. This feeling was so—so different but those eyes were so familiar. I knew this feeling, I knew those eyes but where?

Grinning, he answered back,

"Heh, I could never hate you, wolf-child."

Wolf child?

Brown hair dye dripped down the sink. The smell of chemicals heavy and chocking as I washed away the last traces of 'Sukea.' Standing up, I dried myself off with a dry towel, as I started changing into my pajamas.

Yawning, I pulled a small black cloth out of a drawer.

"Name's Tenshin."

"Liar."

"Huh?"

"You're female, why give me an obviously male's name?"