Even Sakuras Bloom In The Dark
The nine-year-old girl slowly made her way up front and bowed. Regaining her posture, she smiled. "Hello, I'm Sarada Uchiha."
Her teacher smiled at her. "Hello Sarada, is there any story you'd like to share with the class?"
Sarada nodded before beginning. "You may know it as the Myth of Hades and Persephone, but in my version, it's called Even Sakuras Bloom In The Dark."
Some of her classmates stare at her in wonder, others weirdly.
Her teacher offers her a small smile to go on.
Sarada begins.
"The most classical version we've all heard is how Hades fell instantly in love with Persephone as she picked up flowers one day. Hades turned to Zeus for help to abduct her, and so they came up with a plan. One day she saw beautiful yellow flowers and decided to get them. She pulled the flowers with all her powers, and the flowers finally came out after all her effort. That's when her abduction happened. A tiny hole had drawn out from the flower shaft, and it began to grow until it resembled a mighty chasm. Hades had caused the ground to split underneath her, and she slipped into the underworld. Her mother, Demeter, had begun causing chaos trying to find her daughter, and Zeus pleaded to Hades to let Persephone go. Rejecting his plea, they came up with a compromise to share her time between the Earth and the underworld. Hades placed a pomegranate seed, confirming that Persephone would return to him for four months every year."
Sarada smiled.
"My version is different. By a huge chunk."
Clearing her throat, she began, her eyes now soft. As if she was replaying a memory, a beautiful memory.
"Mama..."
The pink-haired woman stopped reading her novel and gazed at her small daughter. Two dark soothing eyes stared back at her in curiosity.
Knowing she caught her mother's attention, the girl tentatively asked, "How did you win Papa over?"
The woman softly smiled, her eyes now tenderly looking at her daughter's flustered expression.
Setting her book down, the woman picked up her daughter and put her on her lap.
Expecting her mother just softly to tap her forehead and reply, "I'll tell you next time." to Sarada's utter shock, she didn't. Her mother began to caress her dark hair. Humming gently, she asked, "Have I ever told you the story called Even Sakuras Bloom In The Dark?"
Sarada shook her head.
Her mother's cheeks were now blushing, but her soft eyes were directly shining brightly.
"Long, long time ago, there was this divinely beautiful goddess. Her name was of this flower that only bloomed during the spring of the Kanto region. Nature bowed at her feet, flowers bloomed for her, and life thrived wherever she went. She wished to help people, especially the ones who were hurting. She set up many healing stations everywhere she went."
Her mother paused. A lovesick smile now painted on her face as she continued. "One day, out in the Kanto region, she was picking up some herbal and medical plants when she saw him. A tall, dark, and intimidating man with a farmer and his small child. From afar, the goddess saw how the brooding man helped the farmer and his son get their wagon out of a hole in the dirt path and give them directions as they were lost. The farmer and his son thanked the man and asked him for his name. The goddess saw how his shoulders slouched as if he was hesitant to answer their question. And when he revealed his name to them, they began shouting all kinds of horrid names and throwing rocks at him. The farmer accused him of giving them the wrong directions so they could die. However, the man pleaded that he wasn't lying to them and that if they went the path he didn't tell them to, they would die. Regardless of his pleas and warning, the farmer seethed in hatred on how he could ever trust a man like him, and off they went. The path was leading them into the misty mountains."
Sarada frowned. The man was just trying to help them, and instead, he got treated like dirt in return. Her mother sensed her daughter's sad demeanor and smiled secretly.
"The goddess walked towards the man, but unlike the soft person he displayed for the farmer and his son, he glared at her with no emotion in his soulless black eyes. He coldly demanded what she wanted from him, but her only reply was to say that she was sorry to witness such behavior for his kind act. The man, however, seemed to act like it didn't hurt him and ordered her to leave him alone. Yet the goddess could see that he was lying. He was alone and hurting. Vowing to heal him, the goddess did the opposite but left him alone. Every day after their meeting, she would visit him. Of course, he cursed at her, told her to leave, and acted rudely. However, the goddess didn't mind. All she wanted to be was his friend."
Sarada smiled. The goddess was so nice. Now, why couldn't the man be nice as well?
"Soon, three years had passed from their first meeting. The man even had a nickname for her. It was an "annoying woman." Yet after three years, the goddess noticed something. The man had never once aged like a normal human being. He still looked just as young, annoyed, and handsome as the first day she met him."
Sarada's eyes widened.
"Keeping the observation to herself, the goddess didn't confront him. Her sole purpose was to befriend him and help him heal. She didn't wish to pressure him into anything." Her mother stopped talking. Her eyes were now far away. As if she was gazing at a pleasant distant memory.
"The man slowly began to open up himself to the goddess. She would always come back, every day. Regardless of the mean things he would say, his chilling demeanor, she would come to him with a bright smile. At first, he began to reveal small things about himself to her. Like how his favorite food was tomatoes. How the color blue held a special meaning to him or how he used to have this bastard white, old fool as a sensei."
Sarada laughed.
"It wasn't part of the plan. The goddess just wished to befriend him. But destiny had different plans for them. Slowly but surely, the goddess fell in love with him. Behind the masked man, he was the most beautiful soul she had ever met. She was captivated by him. One day, however, instead of finding him standing in his usual spot, she found him unconscious on the ground."
Sarada stiffened in fear. What happened to him? Was he alright?
"The goddess thought he had some kind of cold due to his shivering body and burning temperature. Leaving him in a soft grass bed she quickly made, the goddess desperately began to search for chamomile flowers or herbs. The goddess didn't come until the sun was rising. To her horror, the man wasn't breathing nor moving."
Sarada controlled her tears. What did this tragic story have to do with her parents?
"Declaring him as dead, the goddess went to go pick up higanbana flowers as a sign of respect. The goddess came across a field full of higanbana flowers. She began to try to pull some out, but they wouldn't budge. With all her strength, she pulled it one last time, and the flower came out. That's when she noticed a small hole had appeared where the flower's shaft used to be. Soon the whole began to grow, and the ground split into half underneath her. The goddess fell into the pit of darkness, the ground closing on her. Daylight disappeared, replaced by pure darkness."
"Mama, don't go on." Sarada pleaded. Her mother gave her a slight pout. "Aw, why not love?"
"I don't want to hear about her death," Sarada replied with a small whimper. The woman laughed softly at her daughter's reaction.
"I promise you, Sarada, the story has a happy ending. Do you trust me?"
Sarada nodded.
Her mother continued.
"Expecting to continue falling in the pit of emptiness, the goddess felt herself get wrapped up in someone's arms, and the man's face appeared. He was not happy to find her in this dark world. Carrying her, he led her towards a purple light, and to the goddess's shock, it was a whole dark kingdom. The sky was dark purple with hints of dark blue. Grabbing her hand, he led her throughout the town and into the iron gates of the castle. Instead of entering the castle, they entered the castle's greenhouse. Finally, the man lowered her down and asked her why she pulled the higanbana up on the surface."
"The goddess replied that she thought he had died from a cold. The man chuckled at her innocent theory. He had asked if she found out anything odd about him. The goddess paused. Should she confront him? Based on his aura, he was finding the situation interesting. Finally, the goddess confronted him that he was not human. She had known for a long time. He asked her why she never confronted him, why she would come back, and why she never ran away. Many people had thrown rocks at him throughout the years, spat ugly words, and attacked him. Surely, no good person would ever face that kind of treatment. If she knew he was a bad person, why would she still come to him? Especially someone as pure as her."
Sarada stared at her mother, perplexed and dying to know what the goddess's reply was.
"The goddess replied, "Because I know this heart. You may appear cruel, dark, and scary to the world, but I know you. You're nothing like that. You're the most beautiful person I know." The man just stared at her. He was not expecting that answer. He lowered his gaze, and his shoulders slumped. Now it was the goddess who asked the question. "What is your name?" The man shook his head. "If I tell you, you'll hate me. Like everyone does." The goddess almost cried at how weak the once intimating man looked. He reminded her like a small lost child. Instead of pressing him to say his name, she hugged him. He stiffened at her touch, but slowly he began to hug her back. They hugged inside the empty greenhouse for what seemed an eternity before she heard him faintly whisper his name. "I'm the god of death…."
Sarada gasped. What a turn of events! A goddess of life had fallen for the god of death!
"The goddess had heard the story of his past. It was a tragic story. However, instead of being repulsed and disgusted, she was puzzled. How could this man, who she had never seen hurt another living creature, have been the antagonist of the story she heard? The god of death noticed the goddess's confused demeanor, and he began to tell his tale. About a small boy who adored his family. Especially his older brother. A small boy came back home, only to find everyone in his clan murdered ruthlessly. His world ended when he found out his brother betrayed them—a small boy, who's new motive was to confront his brother with only one objective in mind, to kill him. However, when he confronted his brother, he learned the unbearable truth of his motive. His brother wasn't the monster. The world was. Yet, it was too late. His brother departed in his arms, and when people found out about the murders of his clan, he took the blame for his brother. His brother would never have to be seen as a monster ever again."
Her mother paused and looked down at her. Sarada nudged her to continue. With a chuckle, she went on.
"The King of gods had never met such a despicable human in his life. As punishment for murdering his clan, the King of the gods punished him. The King of gods placed him under an enchantment spell; the boy now cursed as a new god, the god of death. He had to witness his family move on into the afterlife. Yet the boy couldn't join them, as the King cursed him to a monster for all eternity. Mortals would fear him as the monster he truly was. He would try to save them by telling them to take a different route, but they would not obey. They would walk into their death, and he couldn't do anything about it. He was alone, unloved, and hurt for so long."
Sarada didn't fight the tear sliding down her right cheek. Her mother chuckled before wiping it away.
"The goddess let the god of death apologize. He asked for forgiveness for his foolish behavior towards her. The only thing she could offer to him was her shoulder to lean on. She was finally beginning to heal him. Some time passed; however, in the underworld, time was different. Months passed on the surface, but in the underworld, time didn't exist. The god of death showed her everything he had to offer. He took her to visit the place where his clan used to reside. He opened up to her completely, and so did she. But time was up, and the surface needed the goddess back. When the god of death urged the goddess to return home, she denied it. She didn't want to leave him; she knew that she loved him, and he knew, he loved her too. Someone loved him and accepted him, despite his flaws and the sins of his past. But the god of death knew the surface couldn't live long without her. She couldn't stay in the underworld with him. Yet, the goddess pleaded to stay with him. As much as it broke him, he knew what was better for her. But it pained him seeing her so distraught at knowing she wouldn't be by his side. So he made a compromise for her."
Softly her mother hummed, a nostalgic smile appearing on her face.
"The god of death proposed to her. He prepared a tea of wisteria for her, and when she accepted her vows, she drank the tea. The wisteria flower symbolizes immortality, love, and long life. For she had now drunk the tea, she was bound to him for half the year. Thus why now we have seasons. Half a year, the flowers bloom, and the trees are green, and half a year, we have nothing but cold and snow. The goddess was now Queen of Underworld, who ruled beside the man she loved. The man behind the mask. She loved him for who he was. The once empty greenhouse of the palace now was filled with sakura flowers, symbolizing that life and purity could thrive even in the dark."
Her mother now smiled cheekily at her daughter before asking, "So, how did I win your Papa over, you ask?"
Before they could say anything, her father entered the room. He had a small smile.
"Because we have you, Sarada." he gently spoke before looking at his wife, who gave him a tender smile.
It didn't take more than a minute before Sarada put the pieces together.
"Mama... Papa, those people in the story. They're you guys, aren't they?"
Her mother chuckled. Meanwhile, her father kissed her forehead tenderly.
"Are they?" Sarada pressed again.
Her father smiled at her, a spark of mischievousness in his eyes before he tapped her forehead.
"I'll tell you next time." is all her father replied.
Sarada wanted answers now! She wanted to know why her mother found him unconscious or why they weren't gods anymore! Or why the Earth swallowed her mother! Or this time, ask her father what he saw in her mother!
Yet, she couldn't do anything. Her father's word was final. She nodded with a slight blush.
"Bedtime love," her mother's soothing voice said, and soon, just like the goddess in the story, the darkness consumed Sarada.
"That's the story of Even Sakuras Bloom In The Dark. Thank you." Sarada ended with a bow, and her classmates began to clap.
Not to her knowledge, the parents had arrived early. They had heard her entire story and fell in love with it, much to her mother's embarrassment and amusement.
With a slight blush on her face, the pink-haired woman chuckled, "Oh, Sarada."
FIN