A Memory of a Lost Life. (closed)

Catlin walked toward the rubbled ash for the 12th time since the fire had happened. A fire that seperated the only people with the answers to the Zavaski Clan "curse" as she often called it. Every one in the clan had either a tail or cat ears, detecting them easily as different. A trait she would have to live through forever, one that would never be able to go away anytime soon. A crocodile burned branch lay at her feet as she examined the ashes once more, looking, searching even for the last fragment of a memory. Anything that would lead her in any direction to her family.

She could not think of the worst case sinerio as her fellow villagers did. They ARE alive she told herself as she removed yet another peice of wood, reveiling the reviving ground below. "They are alive" she told herself once more as she gently picked up a t-shirt that once belonged to her neighbor's son. As she turned to return to Konoha, she felt the branch slightly tug at the hem of her pants, as if the forest didn't want her to leave just then.

Catlin walked over to where her old home was now a pile of ash and soot. She enjoyed the sun beating down on her skin, and the clear air all around her. "Maybe I can actully think here?" she asked herself before closing her eyes to the world around her. The sounds of the birds in the distance caught her attention with a strange beconing that only came a few times a year. I am not going to folllow you, I know where it's going to take me and I don't want to go there again. she thought, bringing back the harsh memories of the fire that separated her village and family. She swolled hard and held back the tears as she stood from the meadow and walked over to a clear spot on the ground. "No sense in sitting there crying over nothing." she told herself, trying to break away from the last regment of the memory.

The forest of death.It was just a huge,dark and depressing and Rei remembered it from The chuunin exam.He hated it.It was so dark in there that even in broad day light it was almost impossible for rei to gather any light chakra.However now that rei was a Chuunin the forest of death or Forty-fourth Training Ground as it was more technically known was a perfect place for Rei to train whenever he wasn't working.

Rei had just finished a horribly intense training session and decided to take a walk down memory lane and explore the forest that tormented all the genin of his year so much during their chuunin exams.After about a half hour of walking Rei came upon something that he'd never seen before.Ruins.Rei had come across what resembled a town that had been burned down in a horrible fire.some of the building were actually still half standing but were so burned that if they were even touched the whole structure"wonder how long these have been here...."Rei thought as he grabbed a burnt beam and broke half of it off with ease.

Rei then saw something he really didn't expect,it was a girl walking through the ruins.When the Chuunin exams weren't taking place finding another person who wasn't in a large group was like dying and coming back to life.You had to be really lucky for it to happen.The girl looked like she had been walking through the ash for awhile as her clothes were dirty and she had what looked like cat ears "Cat ears? That's certainly different."

Intrigued Rei at finding another person in the forest and Genuinely suprised at seeing a girl with cat ears rei decided to go up to the girl and say"Excuse me miss,my name's Rei,might i ask what your doing here?"

(OOC:Sorry if it's not all that great,rushed this down alot)

"well, Hello Rei." Catlin replied before turning back to the ruins. "This used to be part of my home." Catlin looked at him, something about him seemed to chase the rest of the ruin's scents back into the ground. She glanced around and swollwed back another sad memory before challenging herself to speak again. "It's really a long story, and I really don't want to bother you with the details." She took one look at his sword and took a step back and grasped her dual blades.

"And, for your information. I'm here looking for someone." she told him, not dareing to take her eyes off of his shoulders in case he attempted to attack. "Rei, would that be Rei from the Kimura Clan?"

The girl looked quite young although he was definitely younger than her.she was maybe twenty at oldest and maybe fiteen or sixteen at least acknowledged Rei and turned back to stare at the black burnt ruins before turning back and answering Rei's question.She told him that these ruins had once been part of her home,she didn't however give him any details as to what happened saying "It's really a long story,and i don't want to bother you with the details."Rei could see that even recalling the details of the story of the demise of the girls home was an emotionally painful task for her and decided to stifle his curiosity and not pursue the subject any further.Although the girl did end up saying that she was looking for someone.When she said that Rei did a mental check of that day's schedule and found that he still had some time until he had to leave the forest and he decided that he might be able to help her so he offered his services."well....i still have some time in here so i could help you.If you want that is. "

"It's a little bit more complicated than it looks. I don't even know where to begin." Catlin replied. "Well, for starters, My name's Catlin Zavaski." She sat down in a patch of dead grass. "I don't know if you could help me, seeing as though I barely know if what I'm looking for is still here."

Zavaski huh?Rei said to himselfI had heard stories of a town that had been burned down with barely and of the residents surviving but I never would've imagined that the town was in the middle of the forest of death.The nickname given to the forty-fourth training ground seeming all the more fitting now.

It was starting to get dark,well, darker than it usually was anyway so Rei decided to make some light,and since he was kind of a human firefly it wouldn't be that hard.Rei simply concentrated slightly and his body began to glow like a dim light bulb,providing enough light for Catlin to see properly as he could still see perfectly without the light he had created."Well,considering that you're looking for a person i'd like to think that they wouldn't have stayed here all this time.Were there any places that the person preferred to go when they weren't in the town? "

"well, like I said, it's a little bit more complicated than that." catlin told him before looking around once more. "The fire destroyed our home, and there wasn't anywhere else but Kohona to go to." A small memory came flooding back to her of a time when she shared her ramen with her sister. "I'm looking for a girl named Tai. I've been trying to examine the ruins for anything that might have been left behind to tell me where she might have gone. She's the last one of my family members. The rest of the Clan is up north from Kohona."

"I see"was what Rei said absentmindedly,Taking in the information she gave him but not really paying attention to her.His mind focused on the mystery set before him.He though of quite a few theories as to what could have happened but most seemed highly impossible so he discarded them.The only remaining theory being that the girl escaped to somewhere other than konoha.This could be anywhere though as the ruins didn't seem like they could provide anymore assistance than they already had.

"It seems to me,that there are only two plausible scenarios.The worst case being that she died and the best case being that she escaped the fire to somewhere other than konoha. The problem however is that these ruins are far too damaged now to provide and useful help to you.That being the case.Are there any places that she could have gone besides konoha;other villages,secret clan halls or refuges that sort of thing? "

"well, since I don't believe in the worst case being true...The only place that our village had ever gone to was the memorial stone. That and the cemetary whenever one of our clan members died." Catlin sat look mournfully at the ruins, the neighbor's shirt still in her hands. "Sometimes, I just wish that I could go back and save this place. It used to be so beautiful. I mean, I know that I can't change the past, but I wish there was something I could do to see where my family went."

Catlin looked at the branch that tugged at the hem earlier and picked up the branch. "If only there was some kind of clue as to what exactly happened just before the fire. You know??"

"yea,I know what you mean."Was Rei's Reply to Catlin."Well your best bet would probably be to check the places you told me about,and any others you can think of.Also,it might do you good to ask around your clan and maybe the village for information;put up posters,offer a reward,whatever you think will help."

Rei then checked the time by peering through the canopy of the forest to check the position of the sun.It was about a half hour before sunset,which for Rei translated into:need to leave,now.His evening prayer session was fast approaching and religion was something he didn't play around with.Although he could have prayed right there Rei preferred to pray at the shrine in his appartment so he stood up to make his leave.

"As much as I would like to stay and Help you out,I have a important event which I simply cannot be late for and i need to leave now to make it on time. " "I hope you find something that will help you.I'll be sure to contact you if i find out something useful. " Rei then turned to leave waving his hand before he used warp to increase his speed,the image he left behind being distorted with a light breeze that blew through the area.

[[EXIT]]

Catlin nodded to Rei as he left and began to search once more through what was her home. She overturned a peice of the house to find a small, red feather laying on top of all the destruction. Being as curious as she usually was, Catlin picked up the feather, only to find that it began to catch on fire right there in her hand. "Why is this so special?" Catlin asked herself, her hand refusing to let go of the now torched feather. Something about that feather seemed to draw to her soul, daring her to continue her search for her sister. "Tai's alive, I know she is. I just hope that I can find her."

Catlin let the feather drop to the ground and turned around, "ZavaskiShape Revision" she said, turning into her cat form and slowly walking mournfully out of the forest.

Spoiler:

[[EXIT]]

[[TOPIC CLOSED]]