Naru/Saku/Sasu. AU. Inspired by Peter Pan
A/N: Peter Pan has always been one of my favourite novels. I disclaim Peter Pan, and Naruto.
Chapter summary: As soon as I open my eyes, it's all gone. There is only dead silence. I think— I might be going mad.
When the Sky Falls
.
Sometimes at night, I leave my window open.
Then I hear the noises.
Laughter. Voices.
The soft tinkling of bells.
.
She thinks summer is coming early this year. Outside her classroom window, she sees it. All that bloomed in the spring, shrivelling under the sunrays. The smell of withered grass and heat. Exhaust, smoke— fire. Sakura Haruno hides her smile, staring down at her hands resting on her lap.
Her fingers are pale and long, her palms smooth to the touch. She has never known labour, never needed to lift a finger in her life.
But lately she's awfully tired. Her eyes are dry and ringed with shadows. Sleepless, somehow, but that doesn't make sense at all. Especially because lately, she's been having wonderful dreams. And you can't dream unless you're asleep and she dreams the whole night. And the dreams leave her sighing.
She sees mermaids and dancing. A land full of vibrant, colourful flowers and trees. She sees herself drifting through clouds, soaring through the sky—
"Sakura."
Her dad's voice is clipped.
She looks up and meets his concerned gaze. "Yes?"
"Your teacher asked you a question. Twice."
She looks to her teacher. "Yes?"
"Your dad mentioned you had trouble sleeping lately. We're just wondering if you've been having trouble in school… I understand you've only recently moved to Sand and you might be finding that adjusting to life here is— difficult, but we've very concerned. You always seem very distracted in class, and your grades are— slipping. Is there anything we can do for you, to help you in any way at all?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
They look unimpressed. Her dad prompts, "You've been having nightmares."
"Oh, no," Sakura says, eyes widening. "Just dreams. Beautiful dreams."
"And they occupy your thoughts?" her teacher says, and when she nods, he continues. "Why don't you tell us about them."
It isn't a question, so she nods hastily. "There's this place. It's called… the Land of Fire—"
"Which doesn't exist," her dad cuts in with a disapproving curl of his lip.
"No, it does," Sakura says, barely hiding her flinch at the accusation. "And it's beautiful. There are mountains and trees and little boys. And… I always see these two boys, about my age. One of them has blond hair and blue eyes— and he flies, dad—"
"Nonsense."
"But he does!" she insists. "And the other has dark hair and— red eyes—"
"Suppose he can fly too?" he sounds mocking. Sakura isn't sure whether she is hurt or offended.
"No," she says. "It's just the blond boy. And I see them in my dreams. All the time— in that place, the Land of Fire—"
"And you get there by falling asleep?"
"No," Sakura says, her brow furrowing. "There's something. Something about a star that would lead you there—"
But they've heard enough. They cut her off, and she shuts her mouth.
.
But as soon as I open my eyes,
it's all gone.
There is only dead silence.
.
Her dad grabs hold of her arm and shoves her into the car. Sakura barely stops herself from stumbling. She hears the car door slam twice and cringed each time, because she knows that she's going to get it now. Her dad doesn't believe in nonsense. You don't speak nonsense when he's around.
But Sakura is so sure of what she sees each night. They always seem so real, and she can always smell the air, taste it. But none of it matters today, or at all, really. And it is so unfair that what her dad can't experience should therefore not exist. But fair or not, she really shouldn't have forgotten that golden rule.
"Stop speaking nonsense," her dad barks.
And scared, she nods, biting her tongue.
.
Dear diary, I think I'm going mad.
.
Still, the dreams come anyway.
"Hey Sakura-chan!" the blond boy says jovially. He is balancing, crouched, on the post at the foot of her bed. She stretches awake and her eyes dart to the open window, then to her bedroom door. It's open just a crack, but beyond it is purely dark. Smiling, Sakura slips out of the covers and crawls to his waiting arms.
"Ready to go?"
He asks her this every night.
It's dark in her room but his eyes are bright and twinkling like fire, and he looks so warm that she can easily swear that he is real.
And dreaming or not, she thinks so already.
A/N: Just testing the waters with this prologue. Tell me what you think.
Review, please.