A/N: Well it is official. I need surgery. The date is not yet set, but its going to be soon and a lot sooner than I'd like. At the moment I'm recovering from the flu an dreading my inevitable return to work today while I replay Fable 2. And as I was playing, another thought occurred to me...

...what if Rose lived?

"Heroes are not always born. Sometimes...they are made."

~Theresa.

Rose Amongst Thorns

Winters in Bowerstone were harsh.

Its people, harsher still.

They do not care for their fellow man; nor do they show kindness unless it benefits them. Crime and poverty fill this town, corrupted by the void left behind by the abscence of heroes. Harsh times have fallen upon the people of Albion. Its people are in need of heroes once more. But not all heroes are born, though many are. Sometimes they are forged. Whether through choice or perhaps events beyond their control, they find power and strength and skill and sometimes, even will. No, not all heroes are born.

Sometimes...

...they are made.

(Bowerstone Old Town)

Two children stood before a burning barrel: furtively trying to warm their hands and themselves as they were; wrapped in wrags that offered precious little warmth. Winter had come once more to Albion and it returned with a vengeance. Snow blanketed the ground, mingling with begrudging townsfolk as they bustled too and fro; a throng of cold, miserable villagers, eager to complete their errands and return home. But these children had no home to which they might return; no place to call their own amongst the cold, dreary streets of Old Town.

They were alone. Well, not quite.

The shorter of the two jerked upright as something struck her from above. Cautiously, with a small frown, she reached up to feel the top of her head. It didn't take long to realize what had struck her. This was wet, and when the child looked at her hand, she beheld a whitish-brown substance. She hazarded a glance at the cloudy sky just in time to catch a sparrow sitting atop a chimney, flitting away sheepishly thereafter. She put two and two together and hurriedly wiped it off her head. As if she wasn't dirty enough!

"Eww, yuck," said the older of the two, half-laughing. "Well, I hear that's luckily, like finding a four-leaf-clover. All though I think I'd prefer the clover!" Her name was Rose. And lucky for her, she hadn't been the one to get spattered by sparrow droppings. Her little sister sulked a moment longer, a small smile stealing across her face beneath her elder sister's laughter. Rose and Sparrow. Sisters, and orphans both, left to fend for them selves after the untimely death of their parents. In the dead of winter this was near impossible, but Rose mantained her indefatigable optimisim nonethelss.

"Oh look, Little Sparrow." Rose continued wistfully, gazing. "Castle Fairfax looks so nice in the snow. Imagine the grand dining hall. I bet Lord Lucien's having roast duck this time of year." A look of sorrow crossed her features. "But he must be lonely since his wife and his little girl died. In that big castle, all by himself…if only we could live there!" she sighed, gazing longingly at the castle. "Hmm? What is going on over there?" Rose wondered aloud as the chattering of an excited crowd reached their ears. 'Come with me, Sis,' she added as she ran off to see what was happening.

After a quick, longing glance at the fire, which was beginning to die down, Sparrow quickly ran after Rose. She didn't have to wait long; she nearly ran smack into her sibling, caught up with her down a street talking to the creep, Arfur.

"Hello there young Rose," he began. 'You look hungry. Have you recognised my offer?'

Sparrow shivered. Even she young as she was she knew what he meant by "offer". Even though the guards always failed to find them, criminals, prostitutes and perverts were everywhere in Old Town and unfortunately Arfur was one of them. She's don't know how many times now he has asked Rose to become his, with food and shelter for the both of rhem in return, but Rose always gave him the same answer…thankfully. And, today she gave him the same one.

"We'll never be that hungry!' her sister replied stubbornly, with a hint of anger. 'The answer is "no"!'

Arfur sneered.

'You'll be back, and I'll be waiting for you!' he snarled confidently, turning to walk away.

He never made it.

Scarce had he taken a single step than the business end of a hammer carromed off his head, the mighty blow rendering him insensate; just before the second smacked down against him and split his skull. The owner of the mighty maul planted a booted foot upon the pervert's back and pulled, freeing the weapon from the man's bloodied skull, as though it weighed no more than a feather. They gave it another percursory swing, before slinging it across their back. A long, drawn out sight wafted through the air between the three of them, emerging as a cloud of steam in the frigid air.

"That'll teach ya to put yer hands on my girls, ya bloody pervert." they drawled, smug with satisfaction. Rose drew back in fear. Anyone who could fell a man with a single swing of their hammer, was certainly someone to be feared. She ushered Sparrow behind her, but in the end, there was no need. At that very moment, the stranger raised their head, the hood falling back from their face, exposing it to the dull afternoon skies. Rose nearly doubled over, such was her surprise. She felt a tightness in her chest and thought of him. The boy she hadn't seen for almost two years now. But he would never have come down to old town. Not in this weather not while there was work to be done. Wishful thinking that was all. She was a dreamer...

"Are you going to stand there gaping like a fish all day, or are you going to come over here and give me a hug?"

"Naruto?"

At sixteen years of age, Naruto was not much taller than Rose, though one would never have thought otherwise to stand them together. He served as a stonecutter's apprentice in the upper echelons of the city and she could tell he'd only just returned from work; because his face was still smudged with soot and dirt. His trousers and tunic likewise; his whiskered cheeks beet red with cold. He raised a hand and dabbed it on a pant leg, cleaning it of blood just in time to manage a weak wave in recompense for his earlier temerity.

"Yo." He grinned, hugely. "Been awhile, hasn't it?"

And then she, Rose, was running, feet scudding, oblivious to the danger of falling on loose cobbletones, not caring, knowing only that it was he, that he had come. That he had come back. He vaulted off the corpse, ran towards her, grabbed her up in his arms and whirled her around, saying her name over and over as if he wanted to hear them forever.

A moment.

The run of a sandglass.

A sliver of time. How long? She could not have said. But when she emerged from that coccoon of safety where nothing mattered but that she was safe and loved within the circle of arms, her sibling was standing there, arms crossed before her chest. Indeed, little Sparrow's silence spoke chapters; her wide, doe-brown eyes, entire volumes. Naruto chuckled sheepishly.

"Oooh, I could never forget you, little Sparrow." He chortled softly. "As a matter of fact, I believe I have something here for you...

He dipped a hand into the roughshod pack at his waist and came up with something that sent Rose's usually silent sister shrieking with glee. A teddy bear! She snatched it out of his hands and held it close to her chest, and just like that, all was forgiven in her eyes. Rose couldn't help but smile at the sight. It had been a painfully long time since she'd last seen her sister smile.

"You always did like to spoil her." she remarked wistfully, stealing a glance at the blond. Naruto was an orphan just like them. The only difference being he'd found work-be it through luck or skill-in the upper levels two years prior. Two years it had been. Two years since they'd seen him last. Twenty-four agonizing months of pain and loneliness. And now he was back.

And just like that, Naruto was besotted with her again.

"Ah, Rose!" He exclaimed aloud, sweeping her into his arms anew. "I missed you!" Rose squealed in delighted surprise, hopping he'd attribute the rosy flush of her cheeks to the cold. She liked Naruto. She liked him a lot. As much as was possible for a reenage street urchin scarcely past her fifteenth birthday, struggling to provide for both herself and her little sister. She was much too young to be thinking such things! And yet... he was so very nice to her. More than nice. He gave her nice things, called her pretty, showered her with praise. Not at all like that creep, Arfur. Not that he mattered, bleeding out beneath their feet as he was. Try as she might Rose just couldn't bring herself to feel any pity for him. Good riddance to the bloody bloke!

"So what brings you here?" she asked, reeling as he set her down.

"What, can't I come see my best friend?" He feigned a pained expression.

"Oh, shove off!" Rose pushed him away, but there was no rancour in her words. "It's not like I missed you...or anything!"

"You totally missed me." Naruto poked her in the stomach.

This time there could be no mistaking it; t'was not the cold that made Rose flush.

"I did not!"

Naruto danced away from her, laughing.

"Oooh, you jerk! Where were you?" Rose remained on the verge of tears. "You were gone for two years and we never heard from you! Why!"

"We were off travelling the world, my master and I." Naruto answered. "Plying his wares to anyone willing ta buy. Oh Rose, I wish you and Sparrow could've come! We went to all sorts of places! Brightwood, Rookridge, Westcliff, Aurora...it was amazing! Did you know there are countries across the sea? Like Samarkand?" He held that glazed, starry-eyed look, in his eyes again when he spoke. Rose couldn't blame him. After all, it t'was the very same reason she'd fallen in love with him to begin with. Naruto was a dreamer, just like her. The only difference being, he'd found a way out of his own hell. They hadn't.

Before she could press him further, he cocked an ear.

"Say, do you hear that?"

Rose blinked.

"The commotion in the square?"

"Hmm?"

"Might was well see what its allabout...

Moments later they discovered just what all the commotion was about. "Oh, it's just a trader." Rose sighed, her words rife with disappointment. "But I can't see anything past this lot!" she added in annoyance, jumping up and down trying to see what was happening, while Naruto just stood there listening to what the trader was saying.

"A-ladies and a-gentlemen," began the trader, a man by the name of Murgo. "I have travelled the land accumulating wondrous and mysterious objects which I now offer to you for the modest price of five gold. Consider this…this is truly a magical mirror, for as long as you look at it, it will make you beautiful."

"I'll take it!" called a man from the crowd.

"Very wise! Now just remember, the magic only works if you look at it in complete darkness. Now this is truly a marvel," he continued as Naruto hoisted little Sparrow onto his shoulders to see the item in question. That item, turned out to be a music box. As if sensing their interest, the trader continued on: "This small, unassuming box is actually a device created by the ancients, as used by the Old Kingdom rulers themselves. Turn the handle three times and you will be granted a single wish."

"A wish...

"Hmm?" Naruto blinked up at his charge. "Did you say something, little Sparrow?"

The child flushed horribly and shook her head.

Whatever Murgo said next, they did not know, for Rose had begun talking again.

'There's no such thing as magic!' she declared stubbornly.

"Nonsense!" Naruto sputtered in vehemence. "My master is a Will-user! There most certainly is such a thing as magic!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

At these words, the woman standing beside them turned and began to speak. Garbed in an ivory maroon dress, she was indeed a bewitching figure, but what stood out the most was her eyes. They were not normal. No not at all. Her eyes glowed white, gazing down at the three children from her cowled face.

"We live in grim times indeed with the young are to world-weary to believe in magic." said the strange woman, her words meant for Rose. "Most children your age believe eagerly."

"Look, I can see that your eyes are bad, but I'm telling you, that music box is rubbish!" said Rose.

"That's what the seller thinks. He has no idea what he has stumbled upon, but you have an inkling, don't you? Some part of you wants to believe that it's magic," the strange lady smiled, her gaze slipping to Naruto and Sparrow the latter of whom had yet to disembark from the former's shoulders. "And it just might be." She turned and began walking away.

"Wh-what? Y-You really think it could be?" Rose asked, now uncertain.

The strange lady stopped in her tracks, her cowled face slowly appearing over her shoulder as she curiously regarded the unlikely trio behind her. A look of subtle amusement crossed her sightless eyes, as she regarded the doubtful girls and hopeful boy standing behind her. So young, full of so much potential. But these thoughts were her own, and she was careful to keep them hidden. Instead, she offered cryptically:

"For five gold coins you could have your answer."

"For five gold coins, we could eat for a week!" exclaimed Rose.

"Listen to me, Rose. At the end of that week you and your Little Sparrow would be no closer to your dream. No closer to the inside of that beautiful castle." The strange lady said as she walked away. "Without that wish, you will never be able to truly realize the feelings of the one that's most important to you."

Rose watched her go curiously. How did she know their names and about their dreams? Shrugging, she brushed it out of her mind and looked down at Sparrow, her sister having clamored down from Naruto's shoulders in the midst of their debate. She wore a thoughtful, almost hopeful look on her face.

"What if it is real?" Rose said, finally, looking down at her. "I bet we could get five gold pieces and maybe this could be a way out of here after all. What is there to lose, Little Sparrow?" Little did she know that there was much she would loose from going on this little quest. "Come on, there must be someone around here to pay us gold to do…something." Rose said, looking around as if she was looking for a sign saying where we should start. Inevitably, her gaze drifted back to Naruto.

"Have any ideas?"

The blond flushed.

"What?" Rose asked. "What is it?"

"Five gold coins, eh?" Despite all attempts to the contrary, the boy remained abashed. "I'd give you some but...well, I already spent my allowance." He pushed his foot into an upturned cobblestone, as though he could somehow bury his embarassment there, hide it away from prying eyes. "I spent it on something important."

"On what?" Rose asked, curious to know what it was.

Naruto's reconcilatory grin was positively beatific. Once more he dipped a hand into the burlap sack slung to his back, once more he emerged with a valuable item. Sunlight glittered against gold, and lo and behold, he emerged with a dazzling sight. A necklace. But not just any necklace; it was a gold lace necklace bearing a series of shiny stones. Rubies. He proffered it to her, and she accepted it with trembling hands. His words felt like warm sunshine on her face when he spoke; confirming her greatest hope/worst fear.

"On this."

Rose gasped.

"Are...Are those gems?" She sputtered her surprise, frozen as she beheld the majesty of the jewels. "Real gems?!"

Naruto grinned.

"Cut 'em m'self."

Rose gawped at him. She didn't deserve such a gift! She wasn't worthy of it! She stood there, rooted as he reached around her neck, his forehead brushing against hers for the briefest instant. So close. Too close! Rose wanted to kick and sputter and scream but instead she found herself frozen as he slid the clasp around her neck and fastened it tight.

"There." He smiled, satisfied with his work. "They look great on you." He made no mention of her ratty clothes, unkempt hair, or anything else.

"B-But what if someone takes them?"

Naruto's grin grew.

"My master put a spell on them."

"W-What kind of spell?"

He reached forward-

-and jerked back with an appreciative yelp.

"Ouch!" He winced. "See? If anyone tries to take them without your permission they'll get a nasty shock! And it doesn't even hurt you!" He held up a second finger. "And what's more I used a special stone for the focus, but that'll be a surprise for later."

"L-Later?" Rose sputtered. What was he on about? In the end she never knew; because they heard Derrick the Guard call out to them:

"Oi kids! C'mere a minute!"

They quickly ran over to him.

"Hello Derrick"' greeted Rose. "Lose something?"

"My arrest warrant blew right out of my hands." The constable bemoaned. "They could be in all corners of Bowerstone by now and I can't leave my post. Hey, why don't you find them for me? You could be like, ah, little constables! Sounds fun, right?"

Naruto snickered.

"Some constable you are...

"What?! Now see here you little-

"How much does little constables get paid?" asked Rose, getting down to business. Normally they would have done it for free, but seeing as they needed the money…

"Paid? Listen kid, these are the five most wanted criminals in Bowerstone!" cried Derrick.

"Yeah? Well how badly do you want 'em?" pushed Rose.

"Fine, one gold for all five warrants," Derrick said in defeat.

Naruto opened his mouth to protest; to say that they deserved at least one gold for each warrant, but Rose sussed him out. Before he could so much as think to open his mouth and form words she was there; clamping her hand over his lips. Naruto uttered a muffled squawk of surprise. Sparrow raised a finger to her lips

'Deal!' her sister said, smiling.

Yep, I was right. He was desperate.

"The warrants blew off in that direction, through that alley, by that bloke with the picture box." Derrick added helpfully.

"So, we'll look out for those warrants, but for now let's find some more money.:"said Rose as they headed towards the guy with the picture box, whatever that was. They hadn't long to wonder about it. Scarce had they neared the alley than they found the man with the picture box in question.

"Hello children," said Barnum, the guy with the picture box, when we stood in front of him. "Ah, and hello to you, Naruto! Haven't seen you around these parts in awhile. Quite the shindig of a hammer you got there. A regular piece of mechaniacal machinerizim!"

"Barnum." Naruto nodded. A tiny smile broke out on his chiseled face, like a crack etching along a stone surface. "Taking pictures again, I see?"

"Oh, quite!"

"Pictures?" blinked Rose. "What's that?" she added, nodding towards the strange contraption he was standing next to.

"This? Why it's only the most amazing device conceived. It grabs your very likeness and transfiddles it onto a magic piece of paper. It's gonna make me rich! If only I could find someone to modellify for it." he added as softly as he could, looking around for any volunteers. What luck!

"We'll do it!'"Rose said quickly. Barnum looked at her happily, until she said, 'For a gold piece.'

"Gmm…I only have one gold left." He stood there thinking. Naruto was about to tell Rose that they ought to do it for free and find another way to get the money, but Barnum beat him to it, well he beat him to talking to her. "You're right! I should investalise in my new venture. Deal!" He bid them stand in front of a screen that had one of Bowerstone's streets painted upon it.

"A gold piece just to stand there…sounds alright doesn't it?" Rose whispered to Sparrow as they took their positions. Her sister nodded slowly.

"Now all you have to do is strike a pose for my little device. You'd be positively betwazzled by the result!' Barnum said enthusiastically.

'B-what?' Rose said, voicing everyone's thoughts. She had never heard of such a word, but that wasn't saying much.

"Ah yes. I've been improving my vocubularium with a wonderful book, bought from Mungo the Trader: a Thesaurus!' Barnum said cheerfully as he was fiddling with his picture box.

Rose looked over at Naruto.

"He's a bit silly,' she whispered, voicing his thoughts again, 'but this could be fun!"

She then turned back to the picture box and attempted a pose. Naruto wasn't having any of it. When she tried to give a thumbs up he slung an arm around her waist and pulled her close, much to her dismay/delight. A moments consideration later and he did the same to Sparrow, slinging a considerate hand over her shoulder. For a moment, just a moment, they were one big happy family. It must've been quiite the pose and Barnum must've been extraordinarily pleased with the outcome for a flash from the box went off and he cried "Wondrous!" in barely constrained delight.

"This things going to be more popular than the pox!" Barnum said, handing Rose a single gold piece. "Now, I just have to wait three months for the picture to develify and I can start showing it around! Oh, I can almost smell the gold!"

"Ha ha, three months he says!" laughed Ross, one of the citizens of Old Town, who was standing nearby with a group of other men. "Told you it was a swindle!' he added to his friends."

Barnum ignored them and started to do something to his picture box.

"Easy money for us!" Rose said brightly, before lowering her voice so Barnum wouldn't hear. "He's a bit scatty though…hope he's alright."

"He'll be fine." Naruto assauged her. "After all, he's a good person at heart...

After saying a quick goodbye to Barnum, they headed towards an alley.

"This must be the alley the warrants blew down." muttered Rose. "We should take a look."

"Ladies first." Naruto waved them on.

"Oh, my hero." Rose stuck out her tongue as he brushed past her childhood crush. By the gods how she'd missed him! His laughter, his jokes, his charming, ever so glorious smile...stop! Stop stop stop! She musn't be thinking such things! She fingered her new necklace absently, trailing a dirty finger over the flaweless gems. She'd never received such a priceless gift before. If they sold it, they'd be set for life! No. Rose simply hadn't the heart to sell the necklace. It was a gift...one as near and dear to her heart as the blond at her elbow. He caught her staring and offered a foxy grin. Rose sputtered and tore her gaze away. Fire and damnation.! She had to do something about this! But in the end the words refused to come, and their little family trudged down the alley in silence, until they heard someone yell,

"Stupid dog!"

"That sounded like, Rex!" Sparrow murmurred, looking up at Rose.

'You're right, it did sound…' She broke off when a new voice yelled, "Look! Rex caught a dog and he's gonna kick the crap out of it!"

The moment Rose heard that, she ran out of the alley towards the commotion.

"Aww, what's the matter poochie, does it hurt?" Rex said nastily.

Rex was one of the biggest bullies in Old Town. He thought that he was tough and he could do no wrong. He bashed children, animals and anything that stood still longer than a second. He was practically a younger version of Arfur. And by the look in Naruto's eyes, he was about to meet his mentor's fate. The blond stonecutter unslung his hammer, the burnished edge suddenly limmed in crimson energy. Sparrow balked. Such power...and it felt wrong. Sick. Tainted. Twisted. And then she heard them. Voices.

Yessssss...kill the boy. They seethed, malevolent in their delight. Kill him...make him ssssssuffer...

Naruto subtly raised a hand, the veins in his skin crawling, writhing like something alive-

'Hey! What the hell you doing?' yelled Rose, storming over to him before either Sparrow or Naruto had a chance to intervene. Naruto jerked back as if he'd been burned, and the dark power in his hammer shattered like so much glass. Only Sparrow remained aware of the horrow she'd just witnessed. But she, young as she was, had no way of knowing what it was.

"Having a bit of fun, what's it to you?" Rex said before he headbutted Rose, knocking her to the ground.

Sparrow slowly reached for her wooden, toy sword. Nobody hurt her sister and got away with it!

"He hit a girl!" exclaimed one of the onlooking kids.

'Yeah, and now I'm gonna hit another one!' said Rex, turning to face Sparrow. Naruto blanced. He must have seen her get the toy sword out of the corner of his eye.

He stalkd over to Sparrow with an air of confidence, believing that an eight-year-old girl, like herself, would be easily taken care of…how wrong he was. As though it was in slow motion, Naruto watched as his toy sword came towards her and was blocked it easily. A series of brutal combos later and he was running away, bawling like a babe, crying, 'Ahh! Stop it! Lemme alone, you nutter!'

The children that had been watching began to talk about the fight they had just witnessed. Some even congratulated Sparrow; praising her, telling her that she'd fought like the Heroes you'd hear about in legends. She ignored then and quickly went to help Rose. She didn't want to think about what she'd just seen from the her foster brother. It...It frightened her. Naruto was a nice person. To see him so; angry, so vicsious, was much too soon for her little mind to bear.

"Ow, did you see that? That lunatic socked me right in the head! Thanks for your help. I could have taken him, though.' Rose said. She hated it when someone had to protected her. In her eyes, she should always be the one protecting Sparrow. After all, she was the big sister.

Rose turned her attention to the dog that Rex had been tormenting, and slowly walked over to him. "Poor thing. You've had a horrible time. Don't be scared! I won't hurt you!" Rose added when the dog whimpered pathetically. "What you need is someone nice to look after you."

The dog gave a bark and whine as if to say, 'What about you?'

"Oh, we can't keep you. We don't have enough food for ourselves!" Rose said sadly. "And I don't think Naruto is all that fond of dogs."

"Master would kill me if I brought a dog home." Naruto seconded.

Another whine.

"Well I'm sorry, but we can't." Rose said firmly. "Now you just rest. Come on Little Sparrow,let's go,' she added, looking over at her sister. she hadn't approached the dog for fear she we would scare it even more if she approached. Reluctantly they left the dog and headed down the street, fully aware that the poor pooch was watching them, at least, Sparrow was. She wanted to badly to bring the doggy back with them, but there was simply no way; with another mouth to feed they'd surely starve. As they headed down the street around rounded the next bend, we saw a piece of paper lying on the ground.

"Aha! There's one!Naruto said excitedly, pouncing on it before the wind could blow it away. Over to pick it up. It turned out that it was a warrant. A warrant for arson. "Well, we have our first warrant.: Rose announced happily, before she cried out, 'That's one there!'

Before I could say or do anything, she was already running over to a bunch of huge containers…at least that's what I think they are.

'Yes, another warrant!' Rose said when I arrived at the containers. She was busy reading what the warrant was for. 'Hmm, I don't think they'll miss this Leroy if they see him!'

I was about to ask her why when the voice of Balthazar, the owner of the big warehouse in Old Town, reached our ears.

It wasn't all that long before they had the money...before they bought the music box...

...before everything changed.

Rose backpedalled, but too late. Much too late. How had this happened? They'd made their wish, but the box had dissappeared. Then Lucien's men had come. Naruto had been there. There had been the seal, that eerie light, and then He'd been shot. Then-

There was no more time to remember.

Rose had a glimpse of the black whisp of the bullet whipping through the air toward her as she flung herself aside, followed immediately by the shock of a blow slamming into her shoulder and neck. Icey pain pervaded every inch of her. She tried to maintain her grip on the wall, tried to stand, but the force of a second shot ripped her from her feet and hurtled her through the window.

Jagged pain, hear-stopping panic, all encased in the certain knowledge that there was nothing she could do to halt the calamity that was about to happen...

She released her hold on the air as she struck a nearby rooftop, and all breath was driven from her body. But her fall was not yet finished. Even as she struggled to comprehend the pain in her neck and collarbone, she slipped from the snow-covered tiles, plummeting to the cold, uncaring streets below. Her last coherent thought was that if this was dying, then it was sun-blasted agony.

Rose remained blissfully unaware of the necklace, pulsating softly...

Afterwards, fevered dreams consumed her every moment.

Let usssssss have her.

"No." A quavering voice-Naruto?-hissed out from somewhere above. "Y-You can have the rest. Not this one. Not Sparrow, either, wherever she is. They belong to me."

There was a silence, punctuated by demented laughter.

Assssss you sssssay.

Blackness subsumed her...

Pain. So much pain. She couldn't be dead. Anyone who was dead wouldn't feel all this, surely. She couldn't decide which was worse: the splitting, throbbing headache or the appalling pain in the front of her shoulder. And that was just the start. Her whole body was shrieking for her attention. Her stomach was telling her to throw up. The agony in her shoulder radiated into her neck with every step. Or maybe the stabbing jabs into her neck were something separate?

Steps.

Not steps. Someone was carrying her, but for a moment she couldn't think of who it might be or even what had happened. She wanted to open her eyes, but couldn't seem to part the eyelids. Pain was blocking out coherent thought. Think Rose, think. What happened?

Sliver by sliver she began to collect her last memories. She'd been shot. Fallen through the glass and out a window. Another shard had slashed her across the neck with the serrated edge. Ah, that explains the neck. She'd fallen. And that explained the pain just about everywhere else. She'd be one big bruise, after a tumble like that. The shoulder: she couldn't move her arm without terrible pain. She hazarded a guess: a broken clavicle. Anything else?

And then it all came rushing back. Lucien. Sparrow. Oh, poor little Sparrow. Her eyes flew open. Someone was carrying her, but it was not the mayor of Bowerstone; nor the lord of castle Fairfax castle. It was still dark and she was looking up at the under side of his chin. A wave of awful dizziness drowned her. She moved her head slightly and vomitted.

"Welcome back," they said.

And then he was ducking his head to enter a small hovel and lay her down on the central carpet. Her shack.

Sparrow!

She looked around. ignoring the agony every move caused her. The hovel was lit with the oil lamp and the first thing she didn't see was the dog. The loyal mongrel, the newest addition to their strange little family, was nowhere to be seen. They'd left him here to go to the castle. The castle...the bullet! If she hadn't thrown herself in front of her little sister the last instant, she'd most certainly have taken the bullet straight to the heart but her sister...her sister...

Oh dear lord.

Sparrow.

Her panic was total, yet every movement she made was deliberate, considered. She couldn't afford to feel dizzy again. She needed to think. She turned her head the other way and beheld the face of her rescuer for the very first time. Her heart nearly leapt from her chest.

Moonlight shone through the ragged whisps of his hair as he moved to sit beside her. Rose's shock was complete and total. Naruto?! No, that wasn't possible. She'd watched him take a bullet between the eyes. Nothing and no one could survive that. Yet he stood before her now, complete and unharmed. Whole. The panic subsided a notch, allowing her to think, to drink every inch of him in. It was then that she realized she was wrong that he was not as uninjured as she'd thought. He bore a terrible wound in his forehead, an irate slash of crimson leapt out across the skin at her, condeming her for her naivete. A slash of blackness lurked in those eye for the longest moment, a tide of something so foul she physically shrank back in fear. A pained sob tore past her lips from the effort.

"Naruto?" Rose gasped out his name, hoping, praying that her sight was true. "Is...is that you?" He blinked, and the darkness was gone. He smiled, then, tenderly touching a hand to her head. A weary grin pulled at his lips, twisting his mouth painfully upward. For the second time that day, he whispered her name softly, ever so sweetly.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Rose." He smiled and rose once more, packing what little she owned into a travel bag.

"W-What're you...

"My master will take you in, tend to your wounds." Naruto reassured, still working at his task. "He'll take us away from here, away from Bowerstone. If he doesn't...well, then I quit." A rueful chuckled leaked through in and between them. "He's getting on in age, and he needs me, after all...

"Sparrow..." Rose whimpered abruptly,. She had to know if her sister survived!

"Rose, I'm sorry." Naruto apologized, looking forlorn. "I couldn't find her body. I think someone might've taken her." He smiled again, and it was full of warmth and reassurance. "Don't worry. We'll find her. Together. I promise. Just as soon as your wounds heal. I swear it."

Rose's last sight was that winning, indefatigable smile, promising her the world...

...before she plunged into the blessed blackness of unconcsiousness.

A/N: Pairing is NarutoxRosexSparrow! This story follows that of what happens in Fable 2 but there will be a major divergence with Naruto's appearance in the story. Does Naruto have anything to do with the darkness? Well, as he said, he has been to Aurorar, so there's a high likelihood he was infected at some point, though not completely. I tried my best to keep in character while keeping him from becoming too OOC, but he's a bit more mature in this story. ROSE LIVES! When she and Naruto will meet Sparrow again remains to be seen. The event of what happened in Castle Fairfax will also be revealed down the road. Sadly, with that I am off to work once more.

So, in the immortal words of Atlas...

...would you kindly review?

R&R! =D