Makaria

Persephone breathed heavily. It was finally over. The crying of her new child was proof. Being a goddess didn't make giving birth easy. She did her best to sit up in the bed, the pain of childbirth still in her abdomen.

"Here is your daughter your majesty," The servant nymph who handled the delivery carefully handed the newborn goddess to the queen. Persephone took her new daughter into her arms and held her gently. She was a mother now, as the goddess of spring, Persephone was a goddess of life and fertility. Many couples prayed to her, asking for a child. Never had she had one of her own.

She looked down at the baby. She had calmed down enough to stop crying. Although she was still whimpering. Persephone was tired, but she couldn't help but smile, as she gave her child her name, "Makaria."

Sakura walked through the university hospital halls, feeling grim. This wasn't going to be a fun day of training. That day, they were taking someone off life support. That day, they were going to let someone die. An old man in his eighties, he could no longer breathe on his own anymore. The doctors did everything, they could, but the old man's body could no longer function as intended. So, his family as well as the old man, gave their consent, to take him off life support and… end it…

Sakura knew the body had limits. She knew there were times the doctors couldn't save everyone. She knew that when it's truly time to die, you have to accept it. But that didn't make it any easier. They were going to take him off life support and let him suffocate… Doctors took an oath to never cause harm. It would probably be more merciful to give him something that would kill him quickly, but that went against their vows. They were doctors, not executioners.

Sakura's hand clenched the coat she wore when the room came into view. God, this was going to be so hard.

As she approached the door, her hand reached out towards the knob trembling.

Only for it to turn on it's own. Sakura looked to see who opened the door. It was Shizune, the doctor Sakura was learning from.

"Sakura," Shizune said, "Sorry you need to move back."

Without protest Sakura took a step back as Shizune moved into the hall, behind her someone was wheeling a table past them, with a drap, clearly over a dead body. Sakura knew immediately it was the elderly patient.

"You did it without me?" Sakura felt partially relieved, but also mad. She had to witness this, to try and get experience.

"No," Shizune said, "He passed away in his sleep last night."

Sakura looked at her surprised, "Really?"

Shizune nodded. "Apparently, it really was his time. At least this way was painless," Shizune began to walk away, "Almost like someone took pity on him."

As Sakura watched Shizune walk away, she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, moving in the room. It must had been one of the relatives. Sakura turned to face them completely, to give her condolences… but the room was empty.

She had heard stories of doctors seeing ghosts right after a patient died, but she didn't have time to think about ghost stories, maybe someone just left a window open and the curtain moved. So, Sakura went off, to do her training.

Unaware, someone walked out of the room that was just empty.

Sakura spent most of her day at the hospital, then she went back to the campus for some classes. Sakura didn't know why, but she felt like someone was watching her. The whole day, while she was studying, eating lunch, or taking notes in class. Sakura felt like someone was watching her.

No matter how much she tried to shake it, she felt like someone was following her. It put her a little on edge. She didn't even feel safe to go to the bathroom. She only went when she knew there were other women in other stalls.

She tried to make herself relax. She was meeting up again with Sasuke. She didn't want to look paranoid.

Sakura was washing her hands in a public bathroom. As she lathered the soap onto her hand, she noticed a new figure in the mirror. Another girl, about her age, was standing behind her. Her hair was black, and she was wearing red glasses. She was staring at Sakura. It made her a little uncomfortable.

Sakura started to rinse the soap off, "You know, there are other sinks, I'm not hogging the only one."

The girl didn't respond verbally. Instead she went to the sink next to Sakura and started to wash her own hands. Sakura tore out a few paper towels. She dried her hands as she walked and threw them away, quickly forgetting the strange girl with glasses.

Finally, the last class ended. Sakura smiled as she went to the park. They agreed to meet up there that day. It was a change from the coffee house.

She walked down the gravel road, surrounded by trees and grassy fields. Sometimes on her days off she would got to the park and enjoy the sunshine, maybe a picnic… maybe Sasuke would like that, maybe that could be their next date.

She saw Sasuke sitting on a bench, waiting for her. She hoped she didn't make him wait too long. She slightly quickened her pace to get to him, "Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up to see Sakura, "Sakura." He stood up to meet her.

"You won't believe the day I had," Sakura decided to break the ice. However, Sasuke suddenly looked behind Sakura. Confused, Sakura turned to see… nothing. There was nothing behind her, "Is something wrong?"

"Sakura, can you wait here for a few minutes?" Sasuke asked.

"I guess," Sakura said still confused.

"Sorry, I need to check something," Sasuke walked past her and went into the tree line. Sakura decided to sit on the bench Sasuke just sat on and pulled out a textbook. Might as well get a little reading done, while she waited.

Sakura read the assigned chapter, but when she finished her chapter, she realized that Sasuke was gone for more than a few minutes. She put her book back and decided to go look for him. He didn't ditch her, did he?

Sakura went into the tree line. In the direction Sasuke went. As she walked, she noticed some of the trees didn't have leaves. That was odd, it was summer. It was almost as if they were dead.

"… It's not fair!" A voice shouted in the distance, startling Sakura.

"I told you I'd handle it," the second voice, she recognized as Sasuke. Sakura went in the direction of the two voices.

"So, you're the only one who gets to see her, I can't?"

"It's not like that and you know it!" Sasuke's voice was stern, on the verge of yelling. Sakura turned a tree and found the source of the voices.

"Then what is it like? I haven't seen her in-…"

"Sakura!" Sasuke quickly said noticing the rosette, the other person flinched and turned around. It was the girl from the bathroom, the one with the glasses. She looked surprised to see Sakura.

"You're the girl I saw in the bathroom," Sakura said, before turning to Sasuke, "Sasuke, who is this?"

"This is Sarada," Sasuke introduced, "She's my sister."

That quickly squashed the fledging thought that Sasuke had another girlfriend. Sakura looked at the girl, she did look similar to Sasuke. Sakura smiled and held out her hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you."

Sarada just frowned and looked away. Sasuke sighed, he pulled Sakura away for a moment. Sakura felt a little rejected, "Did I do something?" She didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with Sasuke's sister.

"It's not like that," Sasuke sighed, "Sarada's a little overprotective sometimes."

She would imagine, Sasuke was handsome, Sarada probably didn't want a girl who was only interested in her looks, "Well, I'd like to talk to her, maybe I can get her to like me."

"I have to take her home," Sasuke sighed, "She's not supposed to be here."

"Alright," Sakura nodded.

"I'll buy us lunch next time," Sasuke offered to make up for what happened.

"Okay, thanks," Sakura said. So Sasuke left to take Sarada home. So, Sakura went home as well. The feeling of being watched was gone. It must had been Sarada, spying on her brother's new girlfriend. Trying to make sure she was worthy. She really hoped Sarada was just a little overprotective and not some crazy stalker.

As she thought more about her, she thought about the girl's family resemblance to Sasuke. Same black hair, same black eyes, although the eyes were hidden behind a pair of red glasses.

Sakura passed one of the mirrors she had hung in her apartment. She took notice of her cat shaped eyes… Now that she thought of it, weren't Sarada's eyes shaped like that too?

Sasuke drove the car, carrying him and Sarada home. The ride was quiet, awkward. Sarada hadn't spoken since they left.

Sasuke sighed, it was hard, sometimes, dealing with her, "I told you she wouldn't remember."

"I know…" Sarada said.

"I'll… I'll make her remember again somehow," Sasuke promised. Sarada didn't speak at first.

"I was doing my job, I happened to see her at the hospital," Sarada explained, "It had been so long… I just wanted to see her again."

Sasuke pulled the car to the side of the road and put it in park. He then reached over and pulled the girl into a hug.

"I understand," Sasuke said, "Makaria."

Hades was not famous for having as many kids a Zeus. That didn't mean he didn't have any. He had a few, the most famous (I think) and most suitable for Sarada was Makaria. Makaria was a goddess of death. Along with Thanatos she granted mortals death, but she granted merciful deaths. Painless starts into the afterlife, like passing away in ones sleep.

I based this chapter off my own grandfathers death. He couldn't breath on his own anymore, so he gave his consensus to be taken off life support and finally end his life. But God was merciful and let him pass in his sleep the night before. RIP grandpa.