Chapter Two:

The Feather

(The theme song for this chapter is "Are You The One?" by Sharon den Adel feat. Timo Tolkki)


A century or so later...

Sasuke stomped on his short cigarette, extinguishing the once burning flame to nothing more than charred dust.

If you were to ask him why he accepted the stick in the first place from the stranger beside him, he would have said it's because he wondered why humans liked it. Was it for the relaxation, flavor, or maybe even cancer? After all, humans could be that stupid sometimes.

To him, the stick of tobacco was none of those things. The taste of tar passed over his tongue as though he never smoked it; sliding down his lungs and disappearing quickly. His body had a way of doing that with things.

The stranger guffawed. "Damn, that was fast! You must have lungs of steel!"

Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."

The seedy looking man reached into his pocket. "If you smoked it that fast, you must need another. Here, my treat."

He procured another cig and handed it to Sasuke. "Lean over and I'll give ya a light."

Sasuke nodded, stuck the cigarette in his mouth, and leaned. "Thanks, man," he mumbled, the cigarette bouncing in his mouth.

As Sasuke began to puff absent mindedly on the white stick, he couldn't help but wonder if the human giving him cigarettes had any clue what Sasuke was, or that he was hanging outside a bar for non-humans.

Things had gotten a little heated inside of Steve's Tavern, and Sasuke had taken it upon himself to step out for some fresh, tobacco-ridden air.

Being the young vampire he was, he had not yet developed the skills needed to identify Loreans right away; but he had a fantastic sense of smell, and he could smell the delicious, human blood flowing through the grungy man's veins. He could hear his heart beating, pumping his blood to every nook and cranny of his body. As Sasuke smoked, his eyes caught sight of the man's pulse on his neck.

Maybe Sasuke had a weak moment. Maybe Sasuke, who was still on a high from what he heard in the bar, couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Grunge would be missed by anyone. Maybe he was in the mood to drink something to the quick, to kill, to destroy. Maybe he had forgotten how fresh blood tasted on his tongue, and wondered if Mr. Grunge would satisfy that craving.

But these thoughts were fleeting. They were stupid and illogical, and Sasuke didn't give time to those types of things.

Swallowing one last bout of air from the cigarette, he tossed it on the concrete and ground it into dust with his foot.

"Thanks for the smokes." He nodded towards the grungy man, who smiled widely in return, revealing teeth yellowed from years of smoking.

"No problem!"

Sasuke smirked to himself. If he was going to break the Lore Law and drink blood from an unwilling human, it would be a delectably delicious female, not some guy he met in a dank alley.

The man appeared baffled as Sasuke disappeared into a dark corner of the apparently plane stone wall. He scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and lit another cigarette.


As Sasuke walked back inside the tavern, many eyes turned to face him again as they did earlier; however, he continued to stare straight ahead, his glance never wavering from his allies sitting on stools together at the bar. He had hoped the way he was dressed was intimidating: he wore black pants and shoes that matched his hair. He boldy wore the Uchiha clan's signature style of shirt on top. It was white, close to the color of his near - translucent skin, and featured a high collar with his family's flag symbol on his back. He was proud of his heritage.

He half noted the old, wooden walls of the place; covered in the most random antique memorabilia from human cultures: old movie posters, ads, newspapers, and the like. Apparently, these things fascinated those of the Lore.

Sasuke did not bother to regard the twenty or so people in the dark bar. Most of them sat at tables, possibly choosing to avoid the forgotten young vampire and his motley crew at the counter.

Were-creatures, witches, demons... He could sense their powers, feel the tension they created in the room as if he could cut it with a knife. Yes, ignoring them was best. He needed them to understand that he was back; but they also needed to grasp that he wanted no enemies like his family had in the past.

Only a few minutes ago, the tavern had been alive with chitter chatter and gossip. Sasuke, the last surviving member of the fallen Uchiha clan, had returned.

Along with the general gossip came the lies.

The lies that Sasuke had helped kill his family, though he was only a young child during the genocide attack. The lies that he was weak and not developing fast enough for his age; the lies that he would never recover the former-glory of his clan.

It was enough to piss a man off and make him want to kill someone.

But Kakashi, Sasuke's father-figure and mentor, advised Sasuke to stay silent. He didn't need to bring attention to himself by killing others of the Lore. Not only that, but depending on whom he attacked, he could make himself a new set of foes very quickly.

That would go against everything Sasuke had been working for since his clan was decimated over a century before.

Shrugging the anger off and reminding himself of a higher goal, he once again sat between his best friend and Kakashi. He gave a curt nod to the demon bartender, Steve; a beast of a man at 7 feet tall, with tan skin and a dark, short beard. Steve nodded just as curtly in response, keeping his focus on serving the drinks behind his bar.

Kakashi greeted him with his characteristic "Yo" as the younger of the two sighed. "Teme, I was worried you had taken off." Naruto, a blonde, whisker-cheeked werefox had been Sasuke's best friend for some time. Naruto had actually sought Sasuke out after hearing of his whereabouts back when they were young teenagers and still aging. Naruto, family-less and outcasted, thought he could find a friend in the lone Uchiha. He found a friend, alright; but he also found his fiercest competitor.

"Tch. I've got an agenda, dobe." Sasuke sat down as his mentor passed him a tall drink filled with dark liquid.

"It sucks. No, not in the vampire sense. This blood really sucks." Kakashi smiled under his black mask that covered half his face. He had a head full of vibrantly silver hair; a black bandana hid the left side of his face, keeping one of his greatest secrets safe, leaving only his nose and right eye to be seen by those around him.

"Kakashi, that is a terrible, terrible joke... And anyways, how would you know? You haven't even tasted it yet!" Naruto slowly slurped his drink, which appeared to be some sort of milkshake. After a moment of drinking in silence, Naruto turned back to Kakashi. "You know, we can never afford drinks like this. You aren't even going to drink with us?"

Kakashi shook his head, his eye crinkling. "Nah, I'll take mine to go."

Naruto frowned. It was a secret game between Sasuke and Naruto to try to convince Kakashi to take off his mask.

Sasuke swallowed a large gulp of his blood and smirked. There was always a sense of mystery surrounding his mentor, who had also come to Sasuke many years ago. A "turned" vampire, Kakashi had been close to the Uchiha family and had known Sasuke since he was a child. Kakashi also hid for some time after the massacre, keeping a low profile before searching for the rumoured last Uchiha.

As the taste of the blood settled on his tongue, Sasuke withheld a scowl. The blood was unpleasant; it lacked freshness and life, everything that made blood delicious.

But Sasuke was a beggar, and beggars couldn't be choosers. He had saved his money in order to restore the Uchiha village, which was going to be a daunting task.

Naruto had suggested they have a drink together this night. Sasuke, still young for a vampire, could not trace yet; tracing was the fast way to travel as a vampire, where one could travel to nearly anywhere they wished, so long as they had been there before. Unfortunately, it was developed with age and maturity. Unable to trace, and Kakashi unable to trace three people at once, they separated often. Kakashi would work on the Uchiha compound while Naruto took up odd jobs in the night-world, trying to earn what little he could to help his brother-in-spirit.

Sasuke, however, had been weak. He was a liability, always in danger. He had to stay hidden, because many in the underworld would love to be the one to eliminate the last of the Uchiha clan. He spent many nights feeling useless, learning random skills while he was locked up, waiting for strength.

Sasuke would never admit it, but he hated what they had been doing for several decades. He was raised in a powerful family surrounded by equally powerful people. He despised relying on Kakashi and Naruto to help him, even if they were his only friends and allies; even if they were the only family he had left...

When they decided as a group it was safe for him to go public, Sasuke felt more than ready... Or was he?

Naruto sighed, staring at the clock on the wall; he eagerly slurped the rest of his milkshake. Unlike Sasuke and Kakashi, he needed food much more often. His metabolism was insanely fast, and he was constantly hungry. His need for food could be a burden on the group, who were already strapped for cash; when Sasuke's clan was decimated, the clan bank accounts were emptied as well.

Naruto absentmindedly watched the clock for a few moments before announcing, "It's going to be daylight in a few hours and we have a long walk; we better leave soon, Teme."

Kakashi, who had been reading a strange little orange book, nodded in agreement. Placing the book back in the pocket of his black jeans, he motioned for Steve.

The imposing man approached them, throwing the towel he was holding over his shoulder. "Yah?"

Kakashi, ever the polite one, crinkled his eyes. "Can I get some blood to go? Just a small cup, please... Hold the ice!"

Steve grimaced, apparently disgusted by the request. "Yah... Youra lucky, you two. Justa 'bout outta blood. Don't stock it often; don't get many vamps through this part these days. But I guess thata going to change, right?" He looked towards Sasuke expectantly.

Sasuke's innate arrogance filled him, ready to boil over and spill from his mouth. But he took a moment and chose his words carefully. "Yes. I am reclaiming my village and land."

Steve looked skeptical. "Youra young. Ain't even got a heartbeat yet. But if you bring more customers this way... Sounds good." He smiled slightly.

Sasuke swallowed the response he wanted to give to the man's insult. He didn't need a damn heartbeat to get anything done. He had spent years in the underbelly of the night, training, preparing, readying himself for these moments when he would take back what was rightfully his. He didn't need a fallen demon to tell him he was disadvantaged; he would prove him wrong.

He would prove them all wrong.

Sensing the tension flowing from Sasuke, Kakashi calmed his companion by slamming him on the back playfully, knocking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

"Oi. Yes. We are going to become regulars. Please keep the place stocked for us! Especially that one over there, in the orange. He eats so much, I sometimes fear I'll wake up and be missing an arm..."

Naruto grit his teeth and hissed at Kakashi, exposing his canines. Kakashi quickly threw his hands up in a surrendered gesture, laughing Naruto's reaction off. He turned to Steve. "Don't mind him; he's usually on a leash, but we thought we'd let him have fun for tonight."

Knowing what was coming in an instant, Sasuke leaned back and crossed his arms.

Naruto jumped up from his seat, his mouth open and a growl boiling deep in his chest. He leaned over Sasuke, claws extended, and took a swipe at Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly traced to Naruto's other side; in a show of strength, he grabbed the werefox by the neck of his orange jacket. Naruto turned around to swipe at Kakashi again. "Take that back asshole! Take it back!"

Steve shook his head. "Youra young are gettin' restless..."

"Oh yeah! Which is why we were just leaving..." He dropped Naruto on his feet and gave him a stern look, hoping the blonde would get the message. "Calm down."

Sasuke echoed Kakashi. "Give it a rest. You can kill him tomorrow." He slid from his stool, leaving a tip for Steve underneath his empty glass.

Kakashi also planted his bill on the bar as Steve handed him a paper cup. "Wanna straw?"

Kakashi shook his head in reply. "No, thank you. Have a good night." He gave his signature wave as he began to usher his brood out the door.

Just before Kakashi could push them through the double wooden doors, a woman called out Sasuke's name.

"Young Lord Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked around, confused, as did his companions. He was surprised when he saw the origin of the light, feminine voice.

In a nearly empty corner of the bar sat a young woman. She wore a azure cloak with its hood down, covering her neck and most of her body. However, she had a striking appearance. Her eyes were a pale jade that was nearly white; her platinum blonde hair tumbled in waves down her back, and was tamed only by a single white feather clip she wore to keep the strands out of her eyes.

Her appearance intrigued Sasuke immediately. He knew she wasn't human, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what this woman was. He kept his face straight and emotionless as he walked towards her, Kakashi and Naruto following his lead.

"Ah, young Lord Sasuke, you are so kind." The woman's voice was airy and fresh. She had jumped from her seat and curtsied for them quickly, not bothering to wait for a returned bow before sitting again. "Tell me, would you like me to tell you your fortune?"

"Hn. I don't believe in that sort of thing." Sasuke's mind was made up as he turned to leave.

Naruto stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. "Teme! Do it! Then I can have my fortune told next by the pretty lady!"

Sasuke scowled. "You're an idiot."

Kakashi leaned towards Sasuke's ear. "Good PR for the weird ones, Sasuke. Do it."

A silent sigh escaped Sasuke's lips. He slowly turned around and sat down at the table with the strange, yet stunning, woman.

"How much is this going to cost, 'mam?"

The pretty blonde shook her head. "Ahhh don't call me that, please. I'm too young for that. I'm Jelique!" She clasped her hands in front of her. Her small digits were covered in white lace, with each nail topped in a light blue coat of polish.

"Hn. Okay, Jelique. How much for a fortune?" Sasuke reached into his pocket and felt the measly few dollars he still possessed. He wondered if the amount of money this woman would want was worth the PR Kakashi was so worried about.

Jelique smiled sweetly. "A fortune for a fortune, could cost a fortune, young Lord Sasuke. But all I ask is... As you come into power, don't forget me... Or what I am about to tell you." Her smile wavered slightly, as if she were biting her lips from inside her mouth.

Sasuke locked his fingers as well, resting his elbows on the table so he could lean against his hands. "Very well. I will remember this night."

She nodded eagerly, her smile returning. She flashed her bright teeth at Sasuke as she procured a bag of white feathers from beside her.

"What the?" Naruto said, confused. "That's weird. What is Sasuke going to do? Make a pillow?"

Jelique giggled. "No, silly! He has to pick a feather out." She eagerly leaned towards Sasuke, her hands holding either side of the clear bag. "Go ahead! But be careful. Don't pick the wrong feather." She winked teasingly at him.

Right away, after sitting down, Sasuke had felt ridiculous and silly. He had no time for childish games and fortunes, for wishes and hopes. However, he now felt a cold chill across his neck as he leaned towards the woman and her bag of magic feathers. He mentally shrugged, noting that this was just a game. It meant nothing.

He felt the cold chill once more as his hand made contact with the soft material. He felt around for a moment, before a feather seemed to catch on his hand. Not wanting to overthink the situation, he pulled the feather out.

Jelique nodded eagerly towards him. "Ah! That looks perfect. Here, let me look at it for you." She opened her palms toward Sasuke, gesturing for him to give her the feather.

Still feeling silly and unsure, Sasuke placed the feather gently into her hands. Jelique gave Sasuke one last reassuring look before she began to exam the feather.

The three men watched intently as Jelique gently caressed the feather, turning it over once or twice, and counting the grooves between each root. A minute passed with total silence before she looked up at Sasuke, her smile somehow brighter than before.

"I have wonderful news," she whispered. "It's not for all to know, though. Please lean closer."

Sasuke cautiously leaned towards the woman, as close as he could comfortably be without violating her space or his. "Ah... they can hear, too," he said, looking over his shoulder to his companions.

Jelique shook her head in agreement; Kakashi and Naruto leaned closer to her as well.

Jelique spoke softly, her light voice barely above a whisper. "Lord Sasuke, you have suffered much."

She paused momentarily, as if waiting for a reaction from Sasuke. When he remained stoic, she continued.

"You have seen and experienced terrible things. But if you remain on the pure path, you will be rewarded." She smiled eagerly again, as if she was bursting to share her find with Sasuke. She turned the feather over again in her hands, her fingers playing with its softness.

Her eyes were bright as she continued. "You're going to meet your future soon. Her skin will be of the sun; her eyes as bright as the grass on a spring day. And on her head, she will wear a crown of cherry blossoms. She'll grow to stand tall over you, her branches protecting you, keeping you safe in her shade."

Sasuke hoped that he was able to hide his surprise. He swallowed a breath, waiting for her to continue.

"But listen closely: there are... others. Others who wish to take her from you. Others who took everything from you once, and as she will become your everything... They will not hesitate to try to take everything again." Her smile had faded, and she looked concerned as well as serious as she relayed this information to Sasuke.

Sasuke released the breath he had been holding, hoping like hell his mentor and the dobe didn't hear him.

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Of course, Naruto just had to butt in. Sasuke wasn't even sure if the fortune teller was finished. "He'll meet his "future?" What? You mean... HIS BRIDE?!" Naruto's face became a mile long as his mouth fell open. "But he's-! He's young! And stuff. And are you pulling his leg? Don't do that. It's rude." He crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

Jelique nodded. "Yes, his Bride. Like a fresh spring shower, she'll come when you least expect it. Here, Sasuke. This feather is yours. Keep it to remind you that a good day will come. The sun will shine eventually. It can't rain forever."

Sasuke chuckled bitterly. "That day will never come for me, unless I decide I am ready to die. I assume you know vampires can't go out during the day? The sun is the bane of my existence." He gently took the feather from her.

As there fingers met, Jelique held onto his hand for a moment and stared right into his eyes. "Oh, ye of little faith... When the time comes, do not be afraid. Not even the sun can kill a love like you will have."

Sasuke's eyes went wide. He wasn't sure if he liked this woman and her pretty stories or not. They made him nervous... they made him think. Wonder. And hope... which was not how he was used to behaving.

Tucking the feather into his side bag carefully, he stood and bowed towards the woman, who also rose curtsied back. "Thank you for your time, Jelique. I will remember your gift."

As Sasuke turned to leave, Naruto slammed down into the chair Sasuke had sat in. "I WANT MY FORTUNE, DAMMIT! TELL ME ABOUT MY FUTURE WIFE, TOO!"

Jelique sat back down again. "Ah, why not? This is fun! Sir Naruto, the last of the revered red-tail clan. You wish to know your future as well?"

Even Kakashi was surprised by the way the woman addressed the loud man in orange. "Whoa!" Naruto balked. "My reputation precedes me? Huh. Making a name for myself already? Good, good." He smiled arrogantly as he ran a hand through his hair.

Jelique giggled as she picked up her bag of feathers once more. "Please, sir Naruto!"

Naruto confidently stuck his hand in the bag, pulling out a very short feather. He quickly handed it to Jelique with the patience of a small child. "What does it say!? Tell me!"

Jelique turned it over in her hand once. "Hm." She hummed to herself before she placed the feather back into Naruto's hand. She grinned. "You are going to find a beautiful woman, and you're going to be very happy!"

"Huh?" Naruto voiced his disappointment. "Wait a minute. You gave Sasuke like 5 paragraphs, and you give me a sentence?!"

Jelique shrugged. "You're simpler than he is. He needed something complex, something to mull over. Your fortune is straight and to the point, just for you, since you tend to be impatient."

After thinking it over, Naruto nodded in agreement before scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Ha! I can't disagree with that! Good, then. I want to be happy."

As Naruto got up from his seat, ignorant of the woman's curtsy towards him, he shoved the feather in his pocket haphazardly.

Jelique looked eagerly towards Kakashi. "Would you like your fortune told, Kakashi?"

Kakashi bowed respectfully and declined. "No thank you, my lady. I like not knowing what is going to happen. The mystery of it all keeps it interesting."

She bobbed back to him. "Yes, not knowing is good, too. But sometimes... Sometimes, we need to know." She looked towards Sasuke, who was eager to leave. "Lord Sasuke... Protect your future with your life."

Sasuke nodded once more and thanked the woman again. He looked sternly at his companions. "We need to leave. The sun will threaten us soon and I'm tired of making camp in the trees."

Naruto and Kakashi called out their thanks once more to Jelique as they shuffled out the door.

Sasuke got a head start against the other two. His pace was quick. He wanted to get out of this town and make it to his village before sunrise. And the woman had made him feel uneasy with her cryptic messages and promises of true love.

Naruto hurried to catch up with him, Kakashi tracing ahead of Sasuke in order to lead. "Sasuke," Naruto began, avoiding his playful nickname as he was feeling quite serious. "Do you believe anything the pretty woman said? Like, about your bride? And the sun and stuff?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I doubt I will meet my bride anytime soon. That would be wishful thinking. I need to focus on the here and now. One thing at a time."

Naruto grunted in agreement. "But what about the sun?"

Sasuke laughed bitterly again. He may have had sour blood this night. "I will never see that damn ball of light. I would rather die an honorable death than by default because of the daylight."

"Yeah yeah. I don't know. The things she said... It was weird." Naruto played with his feather in his hands as they walked. "I'm going to keep this forever, just in case. What about you?"

"Tch. I was just keeping it so I wouldn't hurt the woman's feelings. I'll toss it when we get to my village."

As Naruto grew quiet with him and walked ahead to bother Kakashi, Sasuke carefully checked his bag's pocket. He let out a small sigh of relief when his fingers touched the soft material of the feather, like silk against his skin.


Author's note:

WOW! Long chapter is long! Hm, I wonder what adventure(s) await our beloved boys? ;)

Reviews help with the creative process, as does constructive criticism! Thank you for reading!