A/N - Terribly sorry for the lateness...my laptop charger is broken w

.::Fallen Feathers::.

Chapter Fourteen – Extra Terrestrial

You're from a whole other world,

a different dimension.

You open my eyes,

and I'm ready to go, lead me into the light.

I clenched my fists on the bed, unable to find my voice.

Sasuke stared at me, wide-eyed and surprised.

"You…do?" he pressed, leaning towards me. I thought he knew who did it to me? Maybe I was wrong after all. I swallowed and nodded, clutching the bed sheets.

"Madara…" I shuddered at the thought of his name.

Sasuke's face contorted into the most beautiful angry expression I'd ever seen.

"What?" he hissed venomously.

I bit my lip, closing my eyes. Yes, it was definitely his face that came to my mind. His voice…yes. It was him, I was sure of it. I didn't reply, because honestly the way he said it, made it sound like a rhetorical question.

"Just forget about it." I murmured. Kami only knows I was trying to. Sasuke shook his head before I even finished my sentence.

"I really can't."

Carefully, I took Sasuke's hand trying to calm him. I wasn't even sure my memory was true. What if I was hallucinating? I didn't know. All I knew was that I was sore.

My eyes froze on his face. "Wait," I whispered slowly, confused. He stared blankly at me. "Didn't you say you had an idea of who did this?"

He nodded. "My idea wasn't right."

I gasped. "So that means there's more than one person here out to get me?" I half shrieked. This place was becoming too dangerous…

Sasuke shook his head. "No, no. I just thought it was a centaur. You know how violent they can become."

I relaxed (a little) and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Sasuke glanced at me and squeezed his hand in mine. I smiled reassuringly. It seemed like the two of us had been to Hell and back, and in some ways we had.

I had reassurance in the fact that his face looked sincere. He wouldn't bullshit me (at least I didn't think so) and I trusted him with my life.

Then a thought came to my mind.

"Sasuke…I have to ask you a question. But I don't want you to get mad at me."

I looked at him bravely, confident. He regarded me carefully, a bit wary of what I could possibly ask. He nodded unsurely.

"What is it…"

The way he said it made it seem like he didn't really want to know. But I had to ask him. So I took a deep breath.

"I need you to take me to Madara."

He paled, but remained still and silent. Finally he murmured, "That wasn't a question."

He was being stubborn. I furrowed my brows, rephrasing my statement. "Can you take me to Madara?" I insisted.

He swallowed. "Why?"

I averted my gaze. "I need to talk to him. Need to figure out why he would do something like this. Also, I'm not really sure if I'm remembering everything correctly. I could have been imagining…" I trailed off, hoping that I was right, but not really believing it.

"I hope so." Was all that he said. Then, reluctantly he stood. "Hurry up before I change my mind."

I stood and gripped his hand. "Will Ami be mad?"

He snorted. "Honestly, I could care less."

I wasn't sure what to expect when we reached the palace. But I knew they weren't expecting to see me. Even still, they had no choice but to allow me in. That was part of the deal they made me when I was younger. That I be allowed in the palace at all times.

As we walked through the halls, I could tell that Sasuke was becoming apprehensive.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. You can't get in trouble." I assured.

He looked down. "I wouldn't be so sure."

But I was fierce with determination, and after all I went through, I wouldn't allow them to put another finger on him. The memory of him being tortured burned in my mind, and I cringed trying to banish the thoughts away.

The first person I ran into was – what a coincidence – Deidara. I so badly wanted to speak to him about my mother, and knew that I would eventually. A thousand questions burned in the back of my mind as I bit back my tongue. Right now I had a more important issue on my mind.

"Sakura-san. I wasn't expecting to see you anytime soon, yeah?"

Every time I looked at him, I saw my mother with him. I blinked, forcing the image away. My mother was with my dad now, and she was damn well happy.

"Likewise," I responded dryly, cutting to the chase, "where's Madara?"

"My, my. A little impatient are we? Wouldn't you like to talk? After all, it's been a while." Deidara averted his gaze to Sasuke, who stubbornly looked down. He was such a coward in front of the Potenes and that always pissed me off. They weren't as high and mighty as they claimed to be.

"I'd love to. But I have things to do. Maybe another time, because there's actually something I would like to discuss with you." I crossed my arms.

His eyebrow raised in question. "Really now? Well, I'll be looking forward to it. Follow me."

I looked at Sasuke, to make sure he was following me. I didn't want anyone grabbing him. I knew he was most vulnerable here.

Deidara led us to a large room – one in which I hadn't seen before. It was like every time I was here, I was discovering new areas. This place was enormous.

"Madara-sama, you have a visitor."

I watched as Madara sat on one of those huge red recliners. Kinda like the ones you see old men sitting in near a fireplace in a huge rich house. Except he wasn't smoking a pipe. But he was reading a book. I had a hunch that he sort of expected me.

"Ah, Sakura. What a pleasant surprise."

I refrained from mumbling a 'yeah, I bet.'

Instead I smiled back just as fake. Deidara left us.

"Sasuke, perhaps you should wait outside." Madara suggested.

"No." I said defiantly.

Madara merely smiled. "Trust me; I think it's in his best interest."

I grit my teeth, but nonetheless agreed. "Fine, but you won't lay a finger on him."

Madara nodded easily. "Sure, sure. Nothing to your precious Sasuke-kun." He grinned.

Oh, fuck him.

Sasuke quietly exited the room.

"Sakura, why don't you take a seat?" he suggested sugary sweet. Sickeningly sweet. I sat, my back straight and ridged.

"Why did you attack me?" I demanded.

He laughed. "Never beat around the bush do you Sakura?" He calmed down and stared at me for a moment before he turned abruptly serious, leaning in close to me and lowering his voice down to a whisper. "Fine, I'll tell you. It's because you're not supposed to be here. You've found a way every single time to break our rules, and I don't like it one bit. You're an outsider that has no respect for this world, just like your mother."

My eyes widened. "You knew about my mother?"

"Of course. I know about everything. The reason I didn't intervene was because I allowed Deidara to handle it as he saw fit."

I clenched my fists. "What did you do?"

He leaned back, more at ease now. "I made a deal with him. If he left your mother, I'd allow him to become one of us. A part of the Potenes. He was all to eager to drop your mother after I offered him something like that."

"You bribed him." I growled.

He shrugged, accepting this. "He really couldn't have loved your mother all that much if he was willing to give her up so easily. Unfortunately, Sasuke's more stubborn than Deidara. He wouldn't accept my offer."

I couldn't swallow. "you…offered him that…to get rid of me…?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, but that stubborn little rat didn't accept. And I couldn't hurt him, since it was part of our," he gestured between us, "agreement. I am a man of my word."

I crossed my arms. "Would you like a round of applause?"

This was too much to handle. Now more than ever I wanted to smack Deidara and ask him, what the hell were you thinking?

And Sasuke…that's what he meant when he had said that Madara talked to him. Madara had offered him a chance to be free, if he just got rid of me. I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes but I refused to let any weakness show in front of this man.

"Please, grant me one question. How, pray tell, were you able to regain your memories?" Madara seemed genuinely curious.

I glanced away. "I had his feather. And my mom knew about him. I took precautions."

He shook his head. "Of course. That's why you shouldn't have known you were going to forget your memories."

I snapped. "You're pissed you plan didn't work right?"

He turned angry suddenly. "You think you're so smart? Just because you figured it out? My dear, this is only the beginning. Don't think you've won just yet."

"Karin was on your side the whole time."

He nodded.

"My, my Sakura, you're much more sneaky than I've given you credit for. I must applaud you."

I glared at him, clenching my fists.

"Go to hell." I spat back.

All I could hear was his maniacal laughter and his piercing red eyes.

"You should think before you speak. Would you really want to go through another round of that?"

I shut my eyes tightly, avoiding his eyes. "You're disgusting."

I heard him step closer to me and grab my chin swiftly, forcing me to look at him. "But Sakura, my dear, Sasuke has the Sharingan as well."

"Liar."

Madara smiled evilly.

"Why don't you ask him for yourself?"

I turned my head to see Sasuke standing there, his eyes not the familiar black that I knew them to be, but spinning the same crimson red that Madara's did.

"Sasuke…when did you…get in here?"

I hadn't even heard him walk in.

He looked possessed. As if it wasn't really him in there.

I shot my gaze back at Madara. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing, my dear. This is all Sasuke. This is a part of who he is."

I shook my head. "No, Sasuke is not like this. He wouldn't act like this."

Madara sat down, as if to watch a show. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." And suddenly, Sasuke lunged for me. I gasped wildly as Sasuke's hands gripped my neck.

"Sasuke…w-what are you doing?" I tried to pry his hand away from me, but to no avail. I could feel the oxygen slowly cutting off, and my heart beat pounded in my ears. I shut my eyes tightly.

"Sasuke, please! Stop this!"

When I opened my eyes to look into his, the blacks of his eyes were spinning madly. He leaned in close and I felt myself losing consciousness.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…please…don't do this..."

I felt his hands squeeze tighter around my neck as everything faded to black.

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me,

Infect me with your love and

fill me with your poison.

I awoke in a sweat. My heart raced. What…happened?

"Did you have fun?"

Madara.

I sat up, my head spinning from attempting to sit up too fast. I held my head tightly, feeling the pounding.

"What…did you do to me?"

He leaned close to my level. "I showed you the sharingan."

I gasped, attempting to level out my breathing. I couldn't formulate words. Luckily, he probably knew this, because he began to speak again.

"I can make you see anything I want. I can make you feel pain when there is none. I can control everything around us. Even time. A second in the real world can be days if I want."

I quivered. "But…h-how?"

"The sharingan, my dear. I keep telling you. You thought that everything was real, didn't you? It's a perfect illusion. You wouldn't even know it was fake, if I didn't tell you. You'd pass a lie detector test, swearing it was real, when it wasn't."

My breathing slowed to a normal pace, and I was able to hear him more clearly over my erratic heartbeat. So Sasuke was okay. He didn't attack me…

Thank God.

Slowly, I lifted my head. I was exhausted.

"You should really ask Sasuke about it sometime. For now though, I think it's best that you leave. I'm still deciding on what to do with you. But be warned, you're not off the hook. You will pay for the crimes you've committed."

"You attacked me. I already paid for that."

I stood, wobbly, leaning against the wall, when I heard his voice. "I didn't attack you. That was the Sharingan as well."

I flinched. "But what about…?" My hand shot to my side where the wound was. He glanced down.

"Well, that part was me. But nothing else that you saw." He looked at me deeply, silently confirming my worst fear. I shivered. So he didn't …rape me. I breathed, calming down. I'd only imagined it.

But, if felt so real. This Sharingan – I could tell – was his ultimate weapon. And the only reason Sasuke hadn't fall subject to it was because he had one of his own. But maybe he did experience it. I wouldn't know.

"Leave." He commanded. I didn't waste any time exiting the room, still feeling dizzy.

Sasuke was waiting outside, a concerned and anxious look spread across his face. When he saw me, he immediately rushed to my side.

"Sakura, are you alright? What happened?"

I smiled weakly at him, allowing him to support my weight. I buried my face in his neck, wrapping my arms around him. I felt a few tears slip out of my eyes, drenching his shirt.

"Sakura?" He was alarmed now. I knew it. I didn't want to worry him, but I couldn't control the sobbing that escaped me at this point.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, in the palace with me crying and him holding me, but eventually we pulled apart.

I looked at him tiredly, my eyes heavy and red. Probably swollen and ugly looking too. But I was too exhausted to care.

"Sasuke," I murmured softly. I wasn't even sure that he heard me, because I couldn't even hear myself.

"Yeah?" he asked softly.

"Let's go home."