saviors [challenge | gift-fic]
AU meme response for smakn
title: saviors
prompt: "This is the song that never ends", flying, pokemon
pairing: SasuSaku
au: demonslaying!Sakura + normal!Sasuke
notes: i'm so sorry for the lateness. and..and forgive me if i couldn't fully accomplish the prompt/finish the story, but i hope this is okay. you've done so much for me and i feel so inadequate with this fic ;A;
i. start
Sasuke knows Sakura.
he knows of:
her timid insecurities | her clever mind | her weak facade | her painful right hook | her teeny boppy attitude | her happy, complete family | her spoiled, only-daughter status | her caring fragile heart
- her blessed perfect life -
that will end after fourteen months.
he knows what lies in the future for her, but he is only a familiar, brooding boy from the neighborhood. the dark-haired adolescent who sat a seat between uzumaki (on his right) and haruno (on his left) the second-best son from an affluent clan of this country.
he adores tomatoes | he listen to acoustic rhythms on late night radios | he befriends blonde idiots and pink-haired crying girls | he excels in everything | he misses his family | he secretly wishes that he did not have these eyes
- he is normal -
as normal as an eleven-year old seer can be.
no matter how she giggles like a carefree child, he knows that this scene will not come easily in the next years to come.
the creatures in the monitor kept on retaliating each other with elemental attacks. naruto kept on groaning about his defeat and bragging that he was taking it all easy, sakura-chan! because i am a gentleman as the dumb idiot kept on nearly destroying the analogue.
pokemon! she huffs, affronted. she discards the controller to the side and sits up as she reaches for a green-tea pocky. we're living in a time where there are real creatures outside the city gates waiting to devour us and we are playing these! you are so absurd, naruto!
but sakura-chan! i-i-i! he stutters like a certain girl she knew, that spent a lot of time with the idiot for quite some time now.i thought they were cute and look at them and you defeated me using a jigglypuff!
unknowingly, as naruto flailed, the lanky tanned arm knocks off her mug of lukewarm chocolate.
two pairs of irises, gray and green, blink in a second.
the sole drop of hazelnut disappears beneath their long shadow stains on the lifeless white rug.
sasuke catches the handle, and stares at the pale pink nails stark against the dark ceramic.
sakura catches the base, and opens her mouth to exclaim her surprise on this astonishing reflex.
but naruto catches himself, and says a litany of apologies to her, breaking the tense little moment where the pads of her fingers brushes faintly on his taut, pale knuckles.
sasuke says nothing, but makes sure that the cup is secured on her palm before he allows to let her vent out about hyperactive moronic half-brothers.
ii. triangle
now:
- when the pale crimson moon shines, it is only once after twenty nine days.
- there are no starry lights strong enough to cut through the heavy swirls of smoke that enveloped the cities.
- in the capital, he sees human-like desmodus that sprawled the alleys and scaly winged diaemus that flocked over horizons.
- uchiha-keibu is tasked to keep this dying city alive.
it was already five years since he had seen his hometown, where he spent evenings with the burning red leaves and the starry skies, listening to her old songs that came from a forgotten time, as they gathered around the makeshift bonfire on a long stretch of sands. the wind would be a welcoming cold embrace on that unforgettable last day of summer.
He Opens His Eyes And Realizes He Is Dreaming
sasuke rapidly turned his neck to his now open window, greeting his sudden intruder with the tip of his revolver.
sakura draws the blinds shut, before her wet form collapses on the couch.
(her arms are clear of any scars and her face is still so young. he almost believes that she's still human. but the delicate hands, that are wrapped in blood-crusted velcro, now holds the familiar old blade.
that weapon once lived quietly on the shirasaya of his former grand home back in kyoto. )
then she asks:
are you alright?
and he answers:
are you?
her brows frown in irritation, and she hisses an almost curse. the sound of it was gone by the crackle of the fireplace that warmed their backs.
when sakura lies on her back, and blankly gaze at the plaques of honor and the gleaming name plate of commissioner on his oak desk, her voice now full and strong, says uchiha
to him, she does not smell of blood and tears. she is rainwater and incense, devoid of salty tears and mortal scent.
sasuke had always known, and this is the first time that she finally approached him with this.
can you still remember the old days?
(i don't understand why you have to leave, sasuke-kun.)
naruto used to she says with her head turning to the ceiling, only the soft curves of her right cheek prominent on the shadows. play these rpgs. and there was this one, where you have to kill the man-eaters. naruto was so frustrated that he had to use cheat codes.
(I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE DON'T LEAVE ME)
but she begins lightly, with a smile on her face that almost twisted her trembling irises, deep and darker than any greens he had ever seen. when you're already playing the game seriously. you can't really cheat.
sasuke wants to say thankyou/sorry/i'mhere. but this time tonight, as she shudders clutching his kusanagi desperately, he knows he created this sakura, a stranger.
you never let strangers in, no matter how familiar they are.
iii. square
taka, taka they called him (kzzt.) ...all of...them...evacuated and on the hangar...hordes of those monsters are...
it is already a second too late before he finally turns the dial to a close. the static rouses her as he watches her lids flutter awake from a wistful dream, revealing green mirrors that reflect not the endless evening, but a faux starry sky. they are now above the dimming city lights, they lie on beneath the shade of an enormous fire tree, with its branches gnarled and waiting for its crimson tears to fall.
silence enshrouds them and the wind is quiet, no longer cold, but humid and scorching on his skin.
her fingers link to his, chaining them to her.
her own hands are cold, yet it warmed his skin. some unnamed heat radiated from that simple touch, when her thumb traced a line on his palm. the dead grass on his back prickled, but he paid no attention as she shifted closer, her body curled against him.
she should have been down there, sakura will probably protest or complain after she realizes that she is not wrapped safely with the cocoons of his silk sheets from his office/only home that she had. she will be insisting to defend a city that she had no responsibility to save.
because of this, her weapon was not strapped on her waist this time, as it was clutched tightly on his left hand, preventing her to reach for it.
why after a long minute, the words were spoken beneath the shelter of his shoulder. why did you bring me here?
"People are gathering on the North bridge." he easily slid his hands beneath her knees, and pressed her to his torso as he stood up in one fluid movement. he starts to walk to the abandoned, dilapidated hut near the border with a grim resolve.
"I have to-"
He tried to be soothing, but the assuring words are almost faded on her ears.
"The city will burn, after a minute."
tired and exhausted, she finally slept for the first time as flames danced beneath the stirrings of an old nightmare
iv. cross
sasuke had seen sakura kill, so watching it again silently made his hackles rise--
(once upon a night, sasuke picked up his sword.
and gone was naruto, of his blue eyes and bright smile. in front of them was a damned boy with glowing crimson eyes and elongated fangs that snarled and almost ripped the throat of their classmates in that small classroom.
sasuke had to kill him, but he froze in the last minute as the images of his mother/father/brother/brother...every single fucking member of his family/friend/loved ones die before his eyes, in flashes of endless memories, from one lifetime to another. his hands and oh gods why does he have to do this again for all eternity.
sakura yanks the hiltless blade and strikes naruto's heart.)
--as her hair flamed like a bleeding pink sunrise and her eyes were filled with determination.
he had watched how expertly she flipped the head, the decapitated piece flying in a wide arc. its body skidded for a few meters before it splattered on the dead trunk. the half of its vertebrae came with it, with its splinters gleaming like dark seeds on the stained cement.
when a demon had escaped past her, and saw him behind a crumbling statue (an angel with its one wing cut off and its face was in tears and agony), the creature stretched its scaly wings, reached with its long unfolding claws and gaped its jaw wide, ready to devour him.
But its greatest mistake was to meet his blood red eyes.
In an instant, the graveyard experienced its first ash fall.
sakura:
she straightens her spine
proud, and a little worn as the ground became white
but the ground on her feet darkens
she lets out a sigh on her lips
and (hidden tears) acceptance on her eyes.
sasuke:
he merely stands.
gun not drawn, face indifferent
lips straight
his eyes, his eyes dark dark dark
when it should be as red as her form.
and the fading gray (turning crimson) on her feet.
she walks to him, flicks the blood away from the edges and slides it easily on the scabbard. her footsteps hollow and bows her head to him.
thank you. she says, awkward. her face stained from the blood of corpses and her mortified flush.
("You should have been me."
Sakura will never tell that to him. She will never blame him. She might one day whisper to his ear, her hatred, her anguish and her darkness, but she will never, ever blame the hell she is experiencing. She will writhe and collapse on him one cold hour, and surrender to the insanity that plagued at the edges of her mind. Her nails will always be stained crimson as she picks up his burden, and there will always be a pleading, heart-breaking smile on her lips.
But in the end, Sakura will always take up his sword because even if Sasuke had seen her future, she had seen his.
He would never kill again. Not his family again. And he is selfish to let the world suffer.
This is what he hated her the most. She can sacrifice her own heart for him.)
"Thank you."
These two words were spoken three times:
- naruto's last breath. (she stuck the blade to his heart)
- sasuke's farewell. (he tried to delay her by stealing the sword.)
- sakura's greeting. (she finally understood.)
She disappears that night, away to the place where the meadows and leaves turn ruby red and yellow gold.
He doesn't follow. Because she'll come back to him.
v. circle
Sakura listens to the strumming of an old guitar, as She sings softly the old lyrics from a forgotten decade if i could soar i would try, to take these wings and fly.
it is already summer again, and She drowns Her eight o clock evenings on lemonades till the secondhand strikes six. he wishes for rainy days where the sky would clear the heavy smog and let them see the stars.
thus, as She stands
Her back to him,
and cleaning Her hands on the sink,
sasuke does his single act of kindness.
he takes his blade. waits as She turns and held it against Her throat.
this is what he can only do for Her.
But She relaxes and shakes Her head. She raises her clear eyes, trusting and accepting. She exhales and Her breath is warm against his cheek, sweet against his lips.
i have seen your future, sakura.
he finally starts. he is resolute to finish this.
"I don't want it."
She wraps her hand around his wrist, and takes it away an inch.
you shall wander and be less of a human, more of a demon. he trembles as Her hand is warm,warm and forever warm now. but he can't allow Her to suffer anymore.
"It's okay."
and you will destroy yourself. he nearly shouts the last, the last statement to convince himself Her that for once in his life, he was doing the right thing. you stupid girl, let me protect you!
And Sakura does the unthinkable:
Her hands forms a knot around his nape.
She cradles him on her arms.
The rose-like moonshine creeps in and wraps around them.
And Sakura says the words that breaks his resolve:
"You don't have to do this anymore."
there will be nothing after this.
he desperately needs to regret this.
many things were at risk: Her life, Her new found peace and million others who will die of their selfish choice.
but when She takes a step forward, he forgets the visions of Her broken body and his crushed heart and their bleak tomorrow.
Instead, he sees the present.
"So be it."
The sword clatters to the ground.
vi. game over
And Both Of Them Lived, Even If The World Didn't.
reedited: 08|02|2010 1931PM
title: saviors
prompt: "This is the song that never ends", flying, pokemon
pairing: SasuSaku
au: demonslaying!Sakura + normal!Sasuke
notes: i'm so sorry for the lateness. and..and forgive me if i couldn't fully accomplish the prompt/finish the story, but i hope this is okay. you've done so much for me and i feel so inadequate with this fic ;A;
i. start
Sasuke knows Sakura.
he knows of:
her timid insecurities | her clever mind | her weak facade | her painful right hook | her teeny boppy attitude | her happy, complete family | her spoiled, only-daughter status | her caring fragile heart
- her blessed perfect life -
that will end after fourteen months.
he knows what lies in the future for her, but he is only a familiar, brooding boy from the neighborhood. the dark-haired adolescent who sat a seat between uzumaki (on his right) and haruno (on his left) the second-best son from an affluent clan of this country.
he adores tomatoes | he listen to acoustic rhythms on late night radios | he befriends blonde idiots and pink-haired crying girls | he excels in everything | he misses his family | he secretly wishes that he did not have these eyes
- he is normal -
as normal as an eleven-year old seer can be.
no matter how she giggles like a carefree child, he knows that this scene will not come easily in the next years to come.
the creatures in the monitor kept on retaliating each other with elemental attacks. naruto kept on groaning about his defeat and bragging that he was taking it all easy, sakura-chan! because i am a gentleman as the dumb idiot kept on nearly destroying the analogue.
pokemon! she huffs, affronted. she discards the controller to the side and sits up as she reaches for a green-tea pocky. we're living in a time where there are real creatures outside the city gates waiting to devour us and we are playing these! you are so absurd, naruto!
but sakura-chan! i-i-i! he stutters like a certain girl she knew, that spent a lot of time with the idiot for quite some time now.i thought they were cute and look at them and you defeated me using a jigglypuff!
unknowingly, as naruto flailed, the lanky tanned arm knocks off her mug of lukewarm chocolate.
two pairs of irises, gray and green, blink in a second.
the sole drop of hazelnut disappears beneath their long shadow stains on the lifeless white rug.
sasuke catches the handle, and stares at the pale pink nails stark against the dark ceramic.
sakura catches the base, and opens her mouth to exclaim her surprise on this astonishing reflex.
but naruto catches himself, and says a litany of apologies to her, breaking the tense little moment where the pads of her fingers brushes faintly on his taut, pale knuckles.
sasuke says nothing, but makes sure that the cup is secured on her palm before he allows to let her vent out about hyperactive moronic half-brothers.
ii. triangle
now:
- when the pale crimson moon shines, it is only once after twenty nine days.
- there are no starry lights strong enough to cut through the heavy swirls of smoke that enveloped the cities.
- in the capital, he sees human-like desmodus that sprawled the alleys and scaly winged diaemus that flocked over horizons.
- uchiha-keibu is tasked to keep this dying city alive.
it was already five years since he had seen his hometown, where he spent evenings with the burning red leaves and the starry skies, listening to her old songs that came from a forgotten time, as they gathered around the makeshift bonfire on a long stretch of sands. the wind would be a welcoming cold embrace on that unforgettable last day of summer.
He Opens His Eyes And Realizes He Is Dreaming
sasuke rapidly turned his neck to his now open window, greeting his sudden intruder with the tip of his revolver.
sakura draws the blinds shut, before her wet form collapses on the couch.
(her arms are clear of any scars and her face is still so young. he almost believes that she's still human. but the delicate hands, that are wrapped in blood-crusted velcro, now holds the familiar old blade.
that weapon once lived quietly on the shirasaya of his former grand home back in kyoto. )
then she asks:
are you alright?
and he answers:
are you?
her brows frown in irritation, and she hisses an almost curse. the sound of it was gone by the crackle of the fireplace that warmed their backs.
when sakura lies on her back, and blankly gaze at the plaques of honor and the gleaming name plate of commissioner on his oak desk, her voice now full and strong, says uchiha
to him, she does not smell of blood and tears. she is rainwater and incense, devoid of salty tears and mortal scent.
sasuke had always known, and this is the first time that she finally approached him with this.
can you still remember the old days?
(i don't understand why you have to leave, sasuke-kun.)
naruto used to she says with her head turning to the ceiling, only the soft curves of her right cheek prominent on the shadows. play these rpgs. and there was this one, where you have to kill the man-eaters. naruto was so frustrated that he had to use cheat codes.
(I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE DON'T LEAVE ME)
but she begins lightly, with a smile on her face that almost twisted her trembling irises, deep and darker than any greens he had ever seen. when you're already playing the game seriously. you can't really cheat.
sasuke wants to say thankyou/sorry/i'mhere. but this time tonight, as she shudders clutching his kusanagi desperately, he knows he created this sakura, a stranger.
you never let strangers in, no matter how familiar they are.
iii. square
taka, taka they called him (kzzt.) ...all of...them...evacuated and on the hangar...hordes of those monsters are...
it is already a second too late before he finally turns the dial to a close. the static rouses her as he watches her lids flutter awake from a wistful dream, revealing green mirrors that reflect not the endless evening, but a faux starry sky. they are now above the dimming city lights, they lie on beneath the shade of an enormous fire tree, with its branches gnarled and waiting for its crimson tears to fall.
silence enshrouds them and the wind is quiet, no longer cold, but humid and scorching on his skin.
her fingers link to his, chaining them to her.
her own hands are cold, yet it warmed his skin. some unnamed heat radiated from that simple touch, when her thumb traced a line on his palm. the dead grass on his back prickled, but he paid no attention as she shifted closer, her body curled against him.
she should have been down there, sakura will probably protest or complain after she realizes that she is not wrapped safely with the cocoons of his silk sheets from his office/only home that she had. she will be insisting to defend a city that she had no responsibility to save.
because of this, her weapon was not strapped on her waist this time, as it was clutched tightly on his left hand, preventing her to reach for it.
why after a long minute, the words were spoken beneath the shelter of his shoulder. why did you bring me here?
"People are gathering on the North bridge." he easily slid his hands beneath her knees, and pressed her to his torso as he stood up in one fluid movement. he starts to walk to the abandoned, dilapidated hut near the border with a grim resolve.
"I have to-"
He tried to be soothing, but the assuring words are almost faded on her ears.
"The city will burn, after a minute."
tired and exhausted, she finally slept for the first time as flames danced beneath the stirrings of an old nightmare
iv. cross
sasuke had seen sakura kill, so watching it again silently made his hackles rise--
(once upon a night, sasuke picked up his sword.
and gone was naruto, of his blue eyes and bright smile. in front of them was a damned boy with glowing crimson eyes and elongated fangs that snarled and almost ripped the throat of their classmates in that small classroom.
sasuke had to kill him, but he froze in the last minute as the images of his mother/father/brother/brother...every single fucking member of his family/friend/loved ones die before his eyes, in flashes of endless memories, from one lifetime to another. his hands and oh gods why does he have to do this again for all eternity.
sakura yanks the hiltless blade and strikes naruto's heart.)
--as her hair flamed like a bleeding pink sunrise and her eyes were filled with determination.
he had watched how expertly she flipped the head, the decapitated piece flying in a wide arc. its body skidded for a few meters before it splattered on the dead trunk. the half of its vertebrae came with it, with its splinters gleaming like dark seeds on the stained cement.
when a demon had escaped past her, and saw him behind a crumbling statue (an angel with its one wing cut off and its face was in tears and agony), the creature stretched its scaly wings, reached with its long unfolding claws and gaped its jaw wide, ready to devour him.
But its greatest mistake was to meet his blood red eyes.
In an instant, the graveyard experienced its first ash fall.
sakura:
she straightens her spine
proud, and a little worn as the ground became white
but the ground on her feet darkens
she lets out a sigh on her lips
and (hidden tears) acceptance on her eyes.
sasuke:
he merely stands.
gun not drawn, face indifferent
lips straight
his eyes, his eyes dark dark dark
when it should be as red as her form.
and the fading gray (turning crimson) on her feet.
she walks to him, flicks the blood away from the edges and slides it easily on the scabbard. her footsteps hollow and bows her head to him.
thank you. she says, awkward. her face stained from the blood of corpses and her mortified flush.
("You should have been me."
Sakura will never tell that to him. She will never blame him. She might one day whisper to his ear, her hatred, her anguish and her darkness, but she will never, ever blame the hell she is experiencing. She will writhe and collapse on him one cold hour, and surrender to the insanity that plagued at the edges of her mind. Her nails will always be stained crimson as she picks up his burden, and there will always be a pleading, heart-breaking smile on her lips.
But in the end, Sakura will always take up his sword because even if Sasuke had seen her future, she had seen his.
He would never kill again. Not his family again. And he is selfish to let the world suffer.
This is what he hated her the most. She can sacrifice her own heart for him.)
"Thank you."
These two words were spoken three times:
- naruto's last breath. (she stuck the blade to his heart)
- sasuke's farewell. (he tried to delay her by stealing the sword.)
- sakura's greeting. (she finally understood.)
She disappears that night, away to the place where the meadows and leaves turn ruby red and yellow gold.
He doesn't follow. Because she'll come back to him.
v. circle
Sakura listens to the strumming of an old guitar, as She sings softly the old lyrics from a forgotten decade if i could soar i would try, to take these wings and fly.
it is already summer again, and She drowns Her eight o clock evenings on lemonades till the secondhand strikes six. he wishes for rainy days where the sky would clear the heavy smog and let them see the stars.
thus, as She stands
Her back to him,
and cleaning Her hands on the sink,
sasuke does his single act of kindness.
he takes his blade. waits as She turns and held it against Her throat.
this is what he can only do for Her.
But She relaxes and shakes Her head. She raises her clear eyes, trusting and accepting. She exhales and Her breath is warm against his cheek, sweet against his lips.
i have seen your future, sakura.
he finally starts. he is resolute to finish this.
"I don't want it."
She wraps her hand around his wrist, and takes it away an inch.
you shall wander and be less of a human, more of a demon. he trembles as Her hand is warm,warm and forever warm now. but he can't allow Her to suffer anymore.
"It's okay."
and you will destroy yourself. he nearly shouts the last, the last statement to convince himself Her that for once in his life, he was doing the right thing. you stupid girl, let me protect you!
And Sakura does the unthinkable:
Her hands forms a knot around his nape.
She cradles him on her arms.
The rose-like moonshine creeps in and wraps around them.
And Sakura says the words that breaks his resolve:
"You don't have to do this anymore."
there will be nothing after this.
he desperately needs to regret this.
many things were at risk: Her life, Her new found peace and million others who will die of their selfish choice.
but when She takes a step forward, he forgets the visions of Her broken body and his crushed heart and their bleak tomorrow.
Instead, he sees the present.
"So be it."
The sword clatters to the ground.
vi. game over
And Both Of Them Lived, Even If The World Didn't.
reedited: 08|02|2010 1931PM