Prologue

Long, long ago in ancient times . . . there were beings beyond that of mankind. Mystical and powerful beings . . .

Angels.

With powers of divine healing, strength, agility, minds, and beauty. Their main attributes were their majestic white wings that protruded from their backs. It enabled them to do something that was impossible to normal humans. Fly. To rule the skies above. The angels were kind, gentle, and loved all things. They surrounded themselves with plants and animals, the angels lived in complete harmony with one another, within the light.

But where there is light, there is also darkness. And every living thing has an enemy. Even the angels.

That enemy was demons. They resided in darkness, hating all and consuming anything they could find. They were malicious creatures, brought forth from hatred and anger. And the one thing they loved to devour was light. And wanted nothing more but to see the mighty angels fall in darkness.

Humans began interacting with the angels, and since the angels were so kind, they welcomed them in with open arms.

But some angels grew curious of their world and ventured out, only to find a world of greed and power-hungry individuals. It affected their pure hearts and they could not fight against it. And once an angel falls into the darkness of the world, they become fallen. They lose their gift of light, and are entered into an evil darkness. Their wings of white turn to wings of black and their minds are no longer loving to others as they had been.

Viewing this, the demons preyed instantly on the fallen ones, warping their minds further into their evil.

The angels also housed prophets, and one fateful day one angel had a vision of their grave demise. Their race would be completely destroyed, save for two. Two babies would be born in the midst of war, both bearing the rest of the great angels' powers. One would be of light, and one of darkness. And both would be the purest of all their kind, the most powerful, and would be the only ones able enough to combine both light and darkness—the two most indestructible elements that make up the very fabric of existence itself. The two fated infants would then be carried away by their angel mothers and be sealed away for protection in two separate lands. There, they would be awakened when someone unlocked their sealing when the time came, and then both angels would meet each other when their older and have fought against their own personal demons. Then, they would realize their full potential.

Working together, the fallen ones and demons stormed the angel's sanctuary and a war began. The angels fought back using their abilities, and numbers began distinctly decreasing. While everything was taking place, so was the prophecy. The rebellion of the fallen ones hurt the angels deeply and they quickly began eliminating the demons, the true source of it all.

Soon, the once glorious angel race had been wiped off the face of the Earth. Their weren't many demons left. Save a few, and the Tailed Beasts that quickly went into hiding to heal their wounds.

All that was left was a small number of the fallen ones— whose wings had been cut cleanly off when the angels were destroyed.

But deep down in different parts of the earth lived the last two angels.

The last two, to save a fallen race . . . A fallen world.

Ch. 1: Forever Promises

Running. Always running.

"You little freak! Don't show your face around here again!" Angry voices shouted at her, but she kept running. Head down, pale skin shimmering in the moonlight while long, straight snow white hair whipped behind her.

Something sharp and hard hit her arms and legs and she realized that the angry people behind were throwing rocks at her since they couldn't catch up with her fast, inhuman pace for a child.

She gasped, though it was the same treatment she always got. Always. Especially when she went into a part of the village where they hated her. She didn't know what she did to them, to deserve this kind of torture. It's been like this ever since she can remember.

She turned around after getting hit so many times, but then a rock sharply hit her head, causing her to wince and lose balance. She felt herself hit the ground below with a hard thud, the rock having a more impact than she thought as a small trickle of blood went down her nose from her forehead.

Her mist gray eyes widened in fear as more rocks were coming at her defenseless form on the ground.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow blocked her view of the oncoming rocks. What she saw next, was something she had never seen before in her short-lived life.

There was a young boy in front of her, looking to be the same age as her. And he . . . took the blow for her. Each rock hit him square on but he didn't back down, his rigid posture in an unfamiliar way to the little girl . . . almost . . . protective like.

And that's when everything went black.

Slowly, a set of mist gray eyes opened.

She sat swiftly up and looked around her, barely even noticing that her wounds were now bandaged up.

"So you're finally awake!" She heard a bright and cheerful voice say beside her and her eyes locked with a pair of bright blue eyes that matched his tone of voice. Spiky blond hair stood dominant against the tanned skin of the boy. She also noticed small whisker-like markings adorning his cheeks. He wore a black t-shirt with a red swirl on the front and gray knee-length shorts. His wide grin stunned the girl for a moment before she quickly composed herself.

"Who are you?" she asked in a soft whisper, though a high soprano voice was evident within the girl.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the one who saved you before, remember?" he said in a loud voice that made her spirits lift up slightly. "So who are you?"

She was shocked for a moment—no one has ever asked for her name before . . . everyone just sort of . . . knew. Either Naruto didn't notice her hesitation in shock, or was just waiting for her to recover, he didn't interrupt. "I'm Hikari . . . Hikari Kyoko."

His blue eyes were wide with excitement. "Hikari, huh? That's a nice name!"

"Oh, uh, thank you . . ." she murmured, not use to attention like this so her voice remained low. ". . . And thank you . . . for before."

"Ah, it was nothin'!" he said with a cheeky grin, turning around as he was half-way to his kitchen. "So are you hungry, Hikari?" he asked her in a friendly manner and Hikari observed the messy apartment room. It was similar to hers, though hers was much neater.

"Uh . . . sure?" It came out like a question, solid proof that she wasn't use to contact with people.

But Naruto paid it no mind. "Alright! I hope you like ramen because that's all I've got!" he said with an embarrassed blush creeping to his face as he scratched the back of his head.

"That's fine," she told him honestly. Anything is better than nothing . . . she thought to herself and Naruto got busy making the ramen.

Hikari carefully got out of the bed that must have been his. But this confused her. Why would he let her sleep on his bed? Why was he being open and even nice to her? It just didn't make any sense . . .

Hikari strolled over and sat at a brown round table and waited silently until the food was done.

"One bowl of instant ramen!" Naruto put a steaming instant cup of ramen in front of Hikari and he sat across from her with his.

"Naruto . . . what is ramen?" Hikari couldn't help but question as she observed the noodles in liquid.

Naruto almost choked on his big bite and Hikari grew concerned until he abruptly swallowed the mouthful and looked at her with big eyes.

"WHAT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT RAMEN IS?!!!" he shouted, which made Hikari cringe away as she expected to be hit right there but it never came.

Naruto noticed this and calmed his voice but went into an elaborate explanation of what the food, ramen, was.

At then end of it, Hikari gave a half-smile and began eating her ramen. Once done, Naruto deposited the two empty paper bowls into the trash can.

When Hikari was about to thank him for the food, Naruto interrupted her by saying, "Wow! So you heal fast like me, huh? So do you wanna go to the park and play?"

She was astounded at his offer, his comment causing her to look at her bandages—though she knew that her wounds were already healed.

"Here. I'll go ahead and remove these for ya," he said, surprising Hikari once again as she saw how close he was to her. She watched him unwrap all of the bandages—each one revealing what she knew already; healed-over wounds. "Wow, you heal even faster than I do!" he said, thoroughly impressed.

"Uh, yes," she said, stunned by his kind blue eyes.

He let out a small laugh and said, "Well, let's go to the park!"

The two misunderstood children walked to the nearby park, all the while Hikari studied Naruto as if waiting for him to turn around and have the same cold eyes as everyone else and tell her to go away.

They walked over to the swings and sat beside each other on two middle ones. Naruto began swinging high up while Hikari barely moved on hers. She gazed at him as he laughed childishly.

It was then, that her questions boiled to the surface.

"Hey, Naruto . . ." she looked down, hiding her face with her thick snow white hair.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked with a laugh, looking back at her as he was up in the air briefly.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked him, and his face became serious as he slowed to a stop, coming up beside her in his swing.

"What are ya talking about, Hikari? Why wouldn't I be?" he tried teasing, a big smile on his face, but she didn't look up.

"No one else is . . ." she murmured and Naruto looked down at the dirt below.

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath, preparing for the worst, but she had to know.

"They all . . . the villagers treat me like I'm a bad person." Images from her memories came to her. Images of being chased away from town, of being hit by people. "They say I'm a freak, a monster . . . but I don't know why. I know nothing of my parents, I'm all alone . . ." And that's when she began to cry, the tears just unleashed themselves and she couldn't hold them back.

"You're not alone Hikari."

Hikari looked up as soon as the words were spoken from the boy beside her.

"W-What?" she let out in a soft whisper, tears streaming down her porcelain face.

"I helped you last night because you shouldn't have been treated like that. Not like how they all treat me," Naruto said in a low, serious voice and Hikari's eyes grew wide. "We're the same. Everything you just said—is what happens to me everyday, and I'm always alone . . ." he spoke and then looked up at Hikari with a smile, his blue eyes closed. "We have a lot in common!"

Hikari sat there with her mouth open and her tears slowly stopped. She couldn't believe it. There was someone else like her.

We're the same.

A beaming smile, her first, true smile since she was born graced her face. Her gray eyes closing as well as her and Naruto simply smiled in this moment of time. This moment where two misunderstood children found each other.

Naruto then held out his hand to her and she looked at it with questioning eyes.

"Hikari . . . can you be my friend? I promise I'll protect you from ever getting hurt like you have been, forever." He said in an earnest voice, smiling as his blue eyes shone in the morning sun that was just rising.

Hikari's remaining tears washed away as she smiled, her gray eyes shimmering in the morning light. "Thank you, Naruto. I promise to always be there for you, to always be your friend."

And then she joined her hand with his, the two children finally finding someone who understood them, someone they could count on forever . . .

Each other.

° ◊ ° ◊ ° ◊