Hello everyone! I was recently greatly inspired to write a SasuSaku AU set in the Nightmare before Christmas universe, and when I say inspired I mean I watched it on Netflix and got the idea and just began writing. Starring Sakura as the lonely rag doll Sally and Sasuke as the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington. The rest of the cast is full of Naruto characters, but I won't give away who is who: )

Akumu is the Japanese word for Nightmare, I found that it was extremely fitting as the title for this story!

Please enjoy and let me know if you like it in reviews as well as my private messages. Keep in mind this is only set in the movie's universe, and does not necessarily possess the same plot. I have changed the main storyline greatly but in a good way of course. I love the movie so much and all rights go respectively to Tim Burton and Kishi-sensei. Enjoy!

"My dearest friend, if you don't mind..I'd like to join you by your side. Where we can gaze into the stars and sit together. Now and forever. For it is plain for anyone to see, that you and I were simply meant to be."

Chapter 1- the beginning

In the dark depths of the utmost mysterious and unconquered forest found in your most lucid of dreams, lay a clearing, and in this clearing there is a circle of large grotesque grand trees. The great circle is far more than it seems. You see, these trees are much more than Mother Nature's gifts. They are more than bark and wood, they are portals. Doors, if you will. With each tree, there lay nestled a different town. All the towns so different from one another they couldn't possibly exist in the same dimension, therefore they were separated by these great trees. One in particular, is where our story begins. This tree, more grotesque than the others, stands tall and limp with the shape of a menacing orange pumpkin carved onto its wooden flesh. By a twist of the jack-o-lantern's onyx nose, the door opens. And plunges those who dare, into a city. A city commonly known as the Town of Halloween.

"Here yee! Here yee! The great mayor is beginning to speak!" the lowly demon squealed into the bull horn. The mayor's lackies mimicked the looks of a set of gremlins. Their green scaly wet skin could make even the greatest of the vampires and wolves of the moon squeamish. The mayor, a grand prospect of man, approached the platform before his people.

"I am pleased to announce the return of the most terrifying of us. A man I look up to myself, someone of the darkest and most evil. Sasuke Skellington, OUR PUMPKIN KING!" The joyous mayor flashed his crowd a beautiful grin, wrinkling his whiskers. His yellow hair bouncing as he waved towards the guest of honor.

Sasuke immediately sent chills down the females of the crowd's spine. But not from fear, but of lust. He was inhumanely beautiful. He was the only human left out of the citizens of Halloween Town, the rest of the humans had become far too questionable and expressed a want for all the hidden cities to unite as one. They were eventually cast out into exile, the outer world. Sasuke possessed the most handsome of faces, the darkest black of hair, and eyes an onyx the night would be envious of. He walked carefully onto the large stage towards the blond mayor, a look of boredom plastered over his face. His beauty caught the eye of all the crowd, even a few males commented on his presence. But one amongst them audibly gasped and clutched her chest like her heart was about to burst from her.

Sakura Finklestein, after her creator's name, stood in the back of the large crowd leaning against a tree for support. She was just as beautiful as Sasuke, with her long pink hair and striking emerald eyes. Well, she would be as beautiful if it wasn't for her stiches. Her 'creator' Dr. Finklestein, had experimented on and brought back to life the lonesome human, changing her into a live doll. She had been found dead and in pieces outside the courtyard of his large castle of a lab. He decided her beauty was going to go to a great waste, and that it was up to him to save it.

Sakura clutched her chest in awe, not in lust like the others. She had seen Sasuke before, before her new doll-like form. When she was just a human child.

The crowd began roaring with cheers, something that had turned into background music as she caught sight of him.

"Tonight, we feast!" Mayor Naruto was also a childhood friend of hers. She casted him off as nothing more than a brother-figure and he soon developed feelings for a silent ghost named Hinata. Hinata was Sakura's best and closest friend, she hadn't been able to see her much since Naruto accepted his mayor ship. Sasuke could have been her closest friend instead..if he had not went on a journey to the neighboring dimension; Mount Christmas, a snowy and mountainous city full of cheer and delight when he was just a child of 13. She detested it. They all did. But Sasuke was sent as a representative of their horror town, attempting to file a treaty with the elves of Christmas. Sakura didn't see the need, she hadn't been to Mount Christmas, but had heard the stories of eerily happy elves that would kill a citizen of Halloween town in their sleep after faking kindness to them. Afterwards, they would feed the remains and sometimes live captives to their red-nosed and red-eyed reindeer.

He had been gone for so long, she wondered if he had found a girl there..if that's what kept him from returning home. She felt a twinge in her stomach. Thinking of him with a girl romantically like that..it was enough to make her want to vomit. Her love for him had spawned from pure admiration. As a child she watched him train his body and speak kindly but coolly with his superiors. Before she knew it, she had fallen in love with him. A love so deep, that even four years of distance couldn't make it dissipate.

Now at 19, Sasuke had finally returned. He obviously out-grew his old blue t'shirt and white shorts she remembered him in. He now possessed the body of a man, an extremely well-endowed and toned man. His tight black sleeveless shirt and matching black pants mimicked the same deep color of his hair and eyes. The only speck of color on his uniform was a mask strapped over his head, the face of it was moved to the side of his own where his true looks were displayed in full view. The mask was a bright white one with the face of a skull screaming. It was terrifying, it made him all the more incredible.

Sasuke's bored expression didn't change the entire evening. Even when a group of vampires asked to sample his blood with their dinner. He casually denied their request. Sakura watched him all night, sneaking behind trees and shrubs, forgetting to eat herself. When he had enough of the party, he slipped off into the night. Sakura followed.

She lost track of him at the Gate of Fate, their esteemed graveyard for those who had left this world to move on to whatever awaits beyond the trees. A band of misfits were playing ratchet instruments horribly out of tune outside the closed gate, looking a little dismantled. Sasuke has been here alright, he's scared the hell out of them to let him through.

Sakura waited for them to finish their horrific song, hurting her ears in the process, and slipped through the bars while they put up their equipment.

She found him easily, the dark foggy graveyard had no trees. But was littered with gravestones and statues, as well as curved hills that moved and shifted on their own will.

Sasuke was standing quietly in front of two conjoining gravestones. She ducked behind a larger stone, wanting to get closer and read the names he stared so solemnly at. She dared to go closer, taking care with every step.

Here lies Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, last of the humans. A prize to their race, and to our town.

Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha..Uchiha..I've heard that name before. I can't put my finger on it..

"Come out. You've been shadowing me all night, it's time to inform me as to why."

Sasuke barked at her without looking up from the gravestones. She jumped up in surprise. She forgot how incredibly powerful a warrior he was, of course he knew she was following him.

"I…I'm sorry" She bowed, he still not turning.

He tilted his head towards her, showing her his incredible profile and jaw line.

"Who are you?"

She perked her head up a fraction. "Sakura Finklestein, my King" she bowed her head once again. He doesn't remember me..of course he doesn't. After being chosen to represent the entire Halloween town and their various races of demons, he had been bestowed with the title of Pumpkin King. He was practically royalty to them, with far more power over their city than maybe even the Mayor.

"Sakura..That's impossible." He turned fully around this time, watching her. "Lift up your head." He barked the order.

She obeyed. His eyes widened, "Sakura Haruno? Is it really you?"

"Yes! I was afraid you had forgotten my lord!"

He shook his head "Stop with the honorifics, I'm a friend."

She blushed and looked away "Oh uh..okay, if that's what you wish"

"What happened to you? Why the change of name?'

"I..Dr. Finklestein found me..I was in pretty bad shape..he saved me." She couldn't meet his eyes. She doesn't like talking about what happened that night. To anyone, especially not Sasuke.

"Bad shape?" he wasn't going to take that as a proper answer.

"It's a long story..I"

"My King, the Wolves of the Moon have requested your appearance at their conference at once. Master Naruto has highly advised me to ask you to attend." In a puff of grey smoke during Sakura's struggle for words, one of the Mayor's green minions appeared with orders.

Sasuke immediately looked annoyed "Fine." He huffed

The gremlin smiled, or what seemed to be a smile, and bowed his head before disappearing in another greyish puff of smoke. Sasuke started walking towards the gates to exit the graveyard, and stopped shoulder to shoulder with her. "We'll meet again soon" and then he was gone.

Sakura's heart was pumping at an alarmingly rapid rate. She couldn't breathe. He had been so close she could smell his scent. He had even been so close that he only needed to whisper and she could hear him easily. The raspy deep whisper he had used sent a tightening to her stomach. She ran home, a wild red blush playing at her cheeks.

"Father, I'm back" Sakura called when she entered her home. It was everything but homey. The grey windowless walls made a prison look more like home. The only windows in the entire laboratory was at the very top, which her 'father' had called the Loft. She loved taking the long spiral staircase to the Loft and looking out over the town. She could see the sunset perfectly in the circular room, covered in nothing but glass. Her parents had been killed in the Great War with the werewolves. Humans were not looked up to by the wolves. They despised them, they even eventually rounded up enough followers to get the entire race of humans in the town to be exiled. At least, the ones they hadn't already murdered. Sakura grew up alone, she was content like that. She had made friends easily and enjoyed life. But it was nice to finally call someone a parent.

She heard footsteps coming from the blank cement staircase leading to the residential side of the lab. She tensed, waiting to be reprimanded for returning so late. "Ah, Sakura. About time you showed up." Her creator's physical appearance was not what one would expect a mad scientist to look like. Not in the slightest. He even could be quite handsome, if not for the blue mask he wore over his mouth and nose. Sakura was surprised, "You're not angry Father?"

He smiled through his mask, which she could tell through the brightness in his eyes. He was extremely moody, when he was doing well with his work he was extremely happy and bright. But if he became frustrated, he was cold and indifferent towards her.

She sighed a sigh of pure relief.

"Today is a special occasion, I just hate I had to miss it. How does he look now? The Lord Sasuke?"

At the sound of his name, her face began threatening to turn bright red. She tried to hide it, and failed.

"Ye-yeah I know you missed a good time, Father. He has grown into a very handsome young man." She avoided his questioning stare.

"Hmm? Why the blush?"

"What?! He's just more handsome than I remember is all" she attempted to laugh it off. If he didn't buy it, he didn't show it.

"Don't ever go after someone just because their looks, my daughter. You never know what could be lying beneath the surface." He sat down at his desk on the wall opposite the door. The only light in the main foyer came from a shaggy desk lamp with a dim green glow. It made him look menacing.

"I know Father. It's pretty late, I'm going to go off to bed. Have a good night" she smiled at him even with his back to her before traveling up the stairs. He simply nodded and waved up to her.

She finally made it up the stairs and down the dark hall to her room. The room was the opposite of the rest of the building. It was bright and warm, just like her. Her room was painted in a beautiful pastel pink color, with a small twin bed and a raggedy white vanity on the opposite wall. The vanity possessed one rectangle mirror and a few various hair brushes and powders, as well as her sewing kit for any necessary stitching on her body. She slumped down into the small bed, and dreamt of Sasuke's whisper.

The next morning, Sakura decided to do her Father's shopping. He needed various ingredients for a new love potion for a young girl that had stopped by earlier that same morning. She looked intoxicated with the thought of her upcoming new love, and offered a great amount of tokens for his work. Sakura had recognized the young woman from the mist of fangirls at the event the night before. She was one of the clowns. Sakura despised the clowns. They were made up of mostly seductive young women that lured men of all races to their homes to eventually show their true colors and devour them. This one didn't seem like she wanted a man to fall in love with her so she can have a nice lunch, she seemed to truly want him. Sakura thought it was obviously Sasuke, of course it was, who could resist him? Sakura decided she would purposely purchase the wrong ingredients for the clown girl's potion.

On her way to the market, she looked up at the grey-black sky. It was always so dark and terrible here. She wondered if it was like this everywhere.

"Hey"

Sakura snapped her head down and in the direction of the voice speaking to her. It was Sasuke standing before her, an army of fangirls were obnoxiously hiding behind certain merchants' tents.

"My lord" She quickly bowed, hoping it would hide the small blush under her eyes.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I said quit it with that." He sounded annoyed

She popped back up "I'm sorry..What brings you to market?"

"I haven't been home in a while and needed a few things."

"I was here for a couple of things as well, care to join me?" she was getting bold. Maybe a little too bold, he looked surprised at her request.

"No thanks, I've already gotten everything. The owner of Howl's is delivering it to my home."

"Oh..Well, it was nice seeing you" Sakura attempted to hide her embarrassment with a fake smile, and walked away forcing herself not to look back. Sasuke watched her go.

She walked into one of the small shops looking for one of her ingredients. One of which was fox fang, she decided to look for a bear's fang instead. That should keep that stupid clown at bay.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a small tug at her stitched dress around her lower backside. She fumed, and turned to meet the eyes of a werewolf. He grinned his wide grin and flashed his burnt yellow sharp teeth. "Hi there, I haven't seen you around much. That old doctor keeps locking you up all for himself. It's about time he shared.." As he spoke those last few words, he attempted to bury his claws in her buttocks. She squealed in pain. "Ah stop you pig!"

"Awh c'mon missy you know you like it." The poor bastard never got to finish whatever else he was about to say, he finished his perverted speech with a loud piercing scream. The hand that was once grabbing her private lower backside was now twisted into a horrific angle. He stared at his twisted and broken right claw. Sasuke stood before Sakura's shocked form, and lifted up his hand to back hand the dog in the nose. "I thought I warned you last night about something like this." He said, venom in his voice. Where did he come from? Was he following me? Sakura had left Sasuke far behind at the market's entrance. The store she was in now was at least a ten minute walk from there, and he was even heading out of the market. So how did he find her?

"Argh what are you talking about?! You said we weren't allowed to kill anyone not that I can't flirt with some random broad-AHHH!" at the end of the beast's sentence, Sasuke had grabbed his broken hand and shattered it with his palm. The wolf screamed in pain and lashed out at Sasuke. His onyx eyes narrowed and caught the arm of the wolf's good hand with barely any effort. "I warned you not to get on my bad side. And you just did the trick." With that, he snapped the animal's arm in two. It swayed limply in the wind. "You're crazy! Kiba will hear about this! Sasuke!" The werewolf fled, holding his broken hand and arm close to his chest.

"Sasuke..how did you-"

"Are you hurt?" he butted in, his expression unreadable.

"No..at least I don't think I am." She looked all over her body, she didn't feel any pain. So she must not have gotten hurt.

Sasuke's eyes travelled around her body, she couldn't fight back her blush. He reached for her shoulder and spun her around. He searched again, this time touching her. His large hand palmed the right side of her buttocks, where the werewolf's once unbroken claw had been. He slowly pulled up her dress, revealing her underwear. She squealed and attempted to turn around. He tightened his grip on her shoulder, forcing her to keep her back to him.

"Stop squirming."

"But-"

His hand removed itself from her bare area, and reached for his pocket. He revealed some bandages and began unwrapping it, cutting if off with his teeth. He placed the bandage on her bottom, the beast's claws had dug into her soft flesh making her bleed.

"There, you should be fine now."

"Oh..Thank you. And thank you..for saving me."

"You should really watch where you go by yourself. I don't know how you've gotten this far while I was gone."

"What!? I can get by just fine alone!"

Sasuke snickered "Yeah, right."

She scowled, "You can be a real ass sometimes Sasuke." That was her. That was the Sakura he remembered. She had reverted back to her old self during their argument. And she had spoken his name. It gave him an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sakura could've sworn she saw a soft pink color play at his cheeks. She brushed it off as just her imagination.

"You okay?" she was concerned. More concerned that he hadn't reacted at all to her words. He wasn't even being emotionless as usual, he was incredibly opposite.

He composed himself, and suddenly leaned close to her ear "Now that's the Sakura I know."

His breath was hitting her neck and making her hair stand up. Her stomach was in knots and her breathing stopped. Even after he was finished speaking, he still had not backed off. Everyone in the shop were now staring, wondering what the young King was wanting with a lowly rag doll.

"S-Sasuke"

He smiled, a growl escaped his throat. "Say that again."

"What?"

"My name. Say my name" there was something different in his voice.

"S-S-Sasuke.."

He made another growling noise and dared to come closer to her, lips inches from her neck.

He's lonely. He's been gone for so long and the poor guy doesn't even have a family to come back to. He's using her, she thought. He just wants some compassion, a human's touch. That's all he'd ever want from her. And she wasn't going to give in. She limply pushed him away from her, and spoke a little too loudly "I have to go now!" and ran off towards the only home she's ever known.