Prompt: Apple
Summary: Sakura as a nymph of the Hesperides. Greek mythology AU.
Karin and Ino had run off earlier to sneak into the feast that was happening now at Mt. Olympus and she would have joined them if not for the stupid magic that prevented her from leaving the Garden of the Hesperides.
Sasuke was very handsome for a demigod, true, but only Ino was daft enough to hand over some of Tsunade's heirloom tomatoes to someone the goddess had expressly forbidden from entering the garden. There was even a sign on the door that read "FRUIT OFF LIMITS TO UCHIHAS" in big bold red letters. Ino, that pig, had pinned the blame on Sakura, and Tsunade was too incensed to be impartial.
Middle children always got the short end of the stick.
Sasuke was most definitely not going to show up today, not with the plethora of ripe tomatoes at the feast, but Tsunade wasn't taking any chances. And so here she was, crosslegged on a golden tree branch, stuck on guard duty while everyone else was off celebrating the summer solstice, with nothing else to do except juggling some apples and staring off into the eternal sunset.
Sakura stared mournfully toward the cloud-wreathed mountain in the distance and then at the mortal world outside the garden. The branch that she sat on poked through the magical barrier, so at certain times when the barrier was weak (like the solstice), she could see the verdant pastures surrounding these stone walls. There was usually nothing to see except miles and miles of grassy hill, but there were a few nanny goats today. One of them was still nursing; a lamb, tired from gamboling with the others, bounded over to its mother and latched onto her teat.
When that got boring, Sakura looked around for things to juggle. She snagged a golden apple from a nearby tree and threw it high up in the air.
Stupid Sasuke.
Stupid tomatoes.
Stupid Ino-pig.
Sakura clenched the apple with a little too much force and the apple slipped out of Sakura's hands and down, down, down into the mortal realm.
She heard a small thunk and a surprised yelp that was followed by a chorus of yips. Crappy mood evaporating, Sakura crawled out a little farther on the tree limb and peered over the wall. "Are you okay?" She called out. She stuck her neck out a little farther and caught a glimpse of white hair.
There was a moment of silence, and then a groan of pain.
"Hello? Sir?" She really didn't want to go down to the Underworld to fill out the paperwork for manslaughter. Her day couldn't get any worse than this.
"Yes?" a voice floated up, and Sakura nearly wept tears of joy.
"YES, hello! Are you alright, sir?"
"...I think so," the voice said a little doubtfully. "But I'm afraid I'm lost on the path of life. Could you help me find my way back?"
He was definitely not okay.