The Fallen Swan

Act IV

The characters from "Naruto" belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

It should have started like any normal day. It should have started with a phone call from Lee telling her to get ready for practice. She should have been getting up and getting ready for practice at the studio. It should have started that way, but sadly it was not one of those mornings.

The other end of the receiver was a sound of death whispering in her ear, "I have another client for you." The receiver went dead in her hand, before she slowly slipped out of bed. She quickly grabbed two hair ties and placed them in her hair for a quick messy bun. Placing on her leotard underneath her clothing for a quick escape to the studio after her 'client.' She placed on a pair of dark skinny jeans, with a simple black shirt and black sun glasses.

She quickly ran downstairs and opened her door to see the envelope that was pushed in between her door and the wall. Grabbing it she opened it up and scanned over the contents before taking out what she needed and leaving the rest inside. "Here we go again.." She whispered to herself before grabbing her black dance bag and a dark jacket as she made her way outside.

The place of destination was not too far, only a few blocks away from her own home. She was thankful for that at least, because she was not alone with her thoughts for too long. She had often tried to not do his bidding and yet he had made her life a living hell if she did not comply.

The Gods had funny ways of dealing with humans, and yet humans had forgotten they had existed. Although here she was dealing with Hades himself, she just believed at first there was just Hades and God. No, she had meet the Lord of the seas as well and he was entirely different from Hades. She wondered on who else she might meet in the time she would work for Hades.

Her heart started to slowly race as she neared the building knowing what was about to take place, she turned to the apartment building clutching the envelope in her hand. Each step up the stairs seemed as though death was teasing her as she neared the door, apartment 231. She slowly came to a stop in front of it as she reached up and knocked on the door, only a few moments later a boy came to the door smiling up at her.

"Um..Hi! Who are you?" Said the little child with chestnut hair and ocean blue eyes, she wanted to turn and run. To say she had the wrong house and just leave but with the envelope in her hands she had a cruel reminder of why she was there. "Can I speak to your father little man? I have to give this to him." The boy nodded and ran off to get his father and not long after a man, she tried not to remember his appearance came and took the envelope saying his thanks.

She smiled and quickly turned and ran down the stairs as he closed the door. She wanted to get away she knew of what was to happen and yet she couldn't stop it. That envelope was the last piece of mail he would ever receive and she just handed it to him. She stepped off the last step and turned to her right as she leaned against the building wanting nothing more but to cry.

If only they knew, if only the people she visited knew what would befall them. She was deaths messenger and she couldn't even warn them. It was against her contract her deal with Hades, for which she wasn't aware of until she continued with the job she was given. She had to continue, no matter how much she hated it. Until she herself died she had to go on, dying was not an option right now she would not give up on life.

"Daddy! Are we going to see the animals today?" Her head snapped over to look at the direction of the little boy she had just scene moments before, the father holding his sons hand as they stepped onto the sidewalk. They walked over and waited to cross the street as she felt her heart sink, knowing what would happen. He had a son, he had a family and so much left to live for. Why was fate so cruel?

Car horns blazed, tires screeched, and soon Sakura found herself on the other side of the road clutching the little boy in her arms with his father to the right of her. People got out of their cars to look at the scene before them. It had all happened so fast, the father and son were crossing a street when a car had ran a red light.

What was suppose to happen. The father upon reaction was suppose to push his son out of the way to safety so he just had a few scraps, while the father took the direct hit, collided with another vehicle and die instantly.

What did happen. Sakura knew it was against the rules, she knew what was suppose to take place. Yet, she wanted to save them both. She started walking towards them when they started walking across the street and when the car accelerated she pushed them both out of the way and clutched the boy in her arms. Both of them were saved.

The boy slowly opened his eyes to look up at the woman who saved his life and upon doing so he couldn't help but gasp, "Lady you saved me! Thank you!" Sakura looked around at the car that collided, the people coming closer to see if they were alright, the father looked at her and went to thank her as well. She started to feel the effects of saving them, and what that entitled she quickly got up and mumbled about leaving before she turned and ran down the street.

She tried to drown them out, there was no time she had to get to the studio. Her only safe house away from him, away from all of this. She was almost there before a hand shot out and pulled her into an alleyway she struggled at first before she felt his cold hands on her skin. "Madara, what do you want? I delivered the envelope, let me go I'm late."

"Tell me Sakura, how did you get blood on your shoulder right here? Did you fall during dance?" Sakura hadn't even noticed she was bleeding until he said something, she moved her shoulder and tried to get out of his grip. "Let me go Madara, I told you I am late." He raised his other hand and pushed her bad shoulder to the wall and she hissed in pain as his face neared hers and he whispered into her ear, "You saved him this time Sakura, but the world has a funny way of correcting itself. We have talked about this, that man will die. Not now you have seen to that, but maybe tonight he could slip and fall down the stairs and crack his head open. He could simply be at the wrong place at the wrong time and get shot by a drive by shooting, or maybe have a delayed reaction to the fall you gave him when you pushed him out of the way..."

Her eyes widened at his words before she felt something cold and wet on her shoulder, and she couldn't help but shiver as she tried to push him off of her. "I always enjoyed your blood Sakura, too bad you had it spill for a lowly human." He whispered in disgust as he licked at her shoulder wound before it cleared up as if it never existed. She felt utterly disgusted with the man before her and herself, before she slapped his hand away and pushed him off of her. This time it was easier because he let her before he grinned, "Sakura don't beat yourself up about it, your going against a God and I always win."

Sakura turned to look at him as her eyes narrowed, "Even if that is true, I won't give up on fighting you until my last breath." She then turned out of the alleyway and headed straight for practice. "That's what I like about you my dear Sakura.." Madara grinned as he turned and disappeared into the shadows.

"6..7..Sakura!" Sakura looked over at Lee across the room and then at herself on the opposite end and she couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks. "I am so sorry Lee, my head is just in the clouds today. We can do that part over again." Lee smiled at her before he walked over to her and placed his hand gently on her shoulder, "I think you need to clear your head, lets just put on some music and let you dance by yourself for a minute alright? I am going to get some water, hopefully you will be alright when I get back ok?"

Sakura nodded and smiled at her dear friend and dance partner before he turned and left, she walked over to the stereo and started the cd once more. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she let the music feel the room, counting the beats in her head before she began to dance to the beat.

1, 2, 3..1, 2, 3.. She thought to herself as she started slow, her hands lifted above her as she fell into a graceful split slowly. Her arms falling down to either side of her as she drifted to the floor, she brought her legs together before rolling into a ball on her side on the floor.

She wanted to escape to feel free in her dance, she had to focus or Lee would find a new partner or suggest she take some time away from the performances. Soon she felt a hand intertwined with her own as they began to lift her from the ground. She slowly stood up as her eyes opened and looked into a pair of deep coal eyes before her. It was the man she had meet a few days before, she swore he had blue eyes then. Her eyes widened in surprised before he brought her close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.

His hand slowly went in different directions on her back, one going up her back and the other going down as she followed his movements she felt herself going under his hand as she turned around in his hold. He pulled her close once more to his chest, her back now facing him and her head went back to lay on his shoulder as she glanced at him. "Your him aren't you?" He only grinned at her before his right hand traveled down her leg and began to guide her to lift her leg up. She complied and as soon as it was up, he guided her once more and in a swift motion her leg had turned outwards and she had gone underneath it and now faced him.

She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair as she gripped it and looked into his eyes, "Tell me." As her leg slowly came down to rest on the ground once more he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "What do you think Sakura?" Sakura was about to speak up before the door flew up and Lee walked in.

"Sakura you should have told me he was coming by! It is so nice to see you sir, but I think Sakura is back on track now, we must get back to our practice if you please." The man with blonde hair smiled with a nod, "Of course please forgive me, I will leave you two to your work." He then quickly turned and left as Lee turned to her to compliment her dancing she ran passed him without a second thought, only hearing him say her name in the back of her mind.

She raced down the stairs trying to catch up with the man she couldn't believe had returned, it had to have been him. The way he touched her and guided her and their bodies molded together it was too perfect, it couldn't be true. She was about to step out of the studio before a hand caught her wrist and pulled her back against the wall. "Say it Sakura, just say my name."

"Get off of me, I don't even know you." She hissed at him before she pushed him away and went to turn and walk away thinking this was a foolish idea before he utter those words. That froze her entire body, "How do you feel about Hades?"

It took her a few moments to process what had just happened, the man she had speculated could be him. Had just talked about Hades to her, how dare he. He knew nothing. She turned around and without a second thought, she raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek. The look on his face said it all for her, how could Sakura slap him? The Sakura he once knew would never do such a thing, she praised the very ground he walked on and now she was slapping him?

"You know nothing about me anymore, and don't you dare talk to me about him." She almost spat out at him before she began to back away from him shaking. She tried not to show her whole body shaking before him, but once he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her against the wall he could feel her body underneath him. "Don't.." She almost pleaded as he looked down at her, his fragile ballerina. He reached up with his free hand and ran his fingers through his hair as he whispered, "I was wrong to leave you, but I have come back for you."

She felt herself shiver before she looked into his coal eyes she used to love long ago, it seemed like such a distant memory now. She had to get away from him, she wouldn't be that girl anymore. To follow him wherever he went and wanted to go, if he wanted her. He had to prove it to her, and himself. Her eyes softened before she pushed him away and started to walk up the stairs, "You won't have me Sasuke, I am bound to Hades."

It was the first time she said his name out loud, but she had no doubt in her mind that it was him. Running her fingers through his hair and putting a little pull on it assured her of such things during their dance. She left the man Sasuke with a slightly twisted wig on in the hallway, a few stray pieces of jet black hair peeked out underneath his wig as he smiled to himself.

"Those three witches were right, I have come back Sakura. To save you from Hades."

Please R&R as always love to hear your thoughts.

Made this one a little longer hope you like it, also if no one caught on..the three witches

think of hercules they predict past, present, and future ;)

until next time

-Krisy