Pompeii
Chapter 15
VesperChan
The sun was close enough to smell as the air became supercharged with the promise of a breaking light over the horizon. Being in the valley, they had the benefit of a little extra time before sunlike broke through the gloom of another night.
Sakura couldn't help but stare up at the sky as it began to bleed an assortment of colors. She adjusted the ceremonial breastplate and tilted her head back. It was if the sky was slashed open and all the juice of a new day was spilling out across heaven's surface.
"You fine there, princess?" Kisame asked, pretending to be gruff even though it was impossible to hide the concern on his face.
His gills twitched when he thought she wasn't focused or nodding off. Sakura said she was only tired, but Kisame watched her oddly. Something about the way he found her in the forest put him on edge and he hadn't left her side since setting her down and walking her back to their group. Zabuza ribbed his friend about it, but when Kisame shook his head and said nothing else, not even to blush, Zabuza dropped his joking and let them be.
Still, Sakura could feel Zabuza check in on her from time to time as well.
When Sakura realized she hadn't responded she let out a yawn and shook her head. "I'm about to fall over. I'm bushed."
His smile was chilling to anyone but her when he grinned at her excuse. "Fall as much as you want once this ceremony is done, I'll carry you back."
"Don't think I won't. Now I know why so many people brought extra blankets. Ino said she wasn't even planning on going home after this, they're all just going to pass out on the grass under the tents."
"It's what the tents are for," Zabuza explained, adjusting the ceremonial gauntlets on his wrists.
The gauntlets were polished to shine like bronze, the same as Sakura's breastplate. Kisame got off easy with a belt and sword in a sheath. Suigetsu had to wear a helmet that made his shoulders look tiny. More than one person laughed at him for it.
Sakura looked back over to where the long gold and red colored tents decorated in a variety of vibrant patterns were pitched. Ino had saved them spots in a 17th century Ottoman inspired tent.
"When do we get to sleep?" Sakura asked, hating how tired she felt.
It was more than just a need for sleep. She felt tired in her bones. Her body had a new weight to it that made her brain fuzzy and soft. She wanted to curl up and didn't doubt she would need to if things didn't progress with the ceremony soon. The four of them were standing around waiting for Haku to be led out.
"After the ceremony," Zabuza quipped.
Kisame edged closer to her and leaned over. "What's going to happen is the first act. The elders unleash Pompeii's memories and we have to just withstand them. It might feel overwhelming at first, but it's a huge honor to have to swim through the memories. Once we get to the other side we toss Haku into the Bone Well to represent how the maiden gave up herself to the heart of the land. We don't do it at the actual volcano summit anymore."
"It's not the same though," Suigetsu hummed, picking at his teeth with his pinky's fingernail. "We used to get…reactions from Pompeii. Like…stuff would happen."
"You're too young to remember that," Zabuza barked, glaring. "And location has nothing to do with it."
"Reactions?" Sakura echoed, wanting to also ask about the memories but not wanting to sound too ignorant all at once. Kisame looked ready to explain, but Zabuza cut in first.
"Yeah, like a reaction from the land. One year it was a crazy upchuck of water, geysers everywhere and it was sweet, sweet water that filled our streams to swelling. Another year there were new animals that came out of the earth, another year there were crystals growing out of the trees. It's rarely ever the same."
"But always rare and always a treat," Kisame added. "It hasn't happened in a long time, though."
Sakura glanced over her shoulder, seeing the procession around Haku advance. They walked slowly, the way a bride would walk down to her groom on her wedding day. There were two elders in front of Haku and two behind him, so Sakura couldn't see his dress.
"Do you think it will react this year?" Suigetsu asked.
Zabuza snorted. "Not for Haku it won't. You know it was a political stunt when they chose him. He needs to mature and that's how they're doing it. The maidens haven't meant much in a while."
"I want to see a reaction though," Suigetsu huffed, looking dejected as his shoulders dropped.
Kisame slapped the younger male on the back and grinned. "Look alive kid, we gotta brace soon."
Sakura stepped back as Haku and the elders came up and passed them by. Sakura saw that in addition to the dress that looked like it was spun from spiders dizzy with love for lace and pattern, there was a white cloth that hid Haku's face. All the maidens wore it, because no matter how lovely or pretty they were when chosen, they were not identical to the original maiden and no one wanted to offend her memory, so the face was always covered with a white cloth.
"Here we go," Kisame whispered, turning towards the Bone Well and taking a solid stance with his knees bent and feet buried. Sakura mimicked the action and missed how Kisame's lips quirked at the move.
The elders left Haku and went to the four corners of the well. Each one grabbed a rope from their corner and pulled just as light crested over the cusp of the mountains and into the valley.
Sakura was hit with memories just like Kisame said she would be, and it was odd to realize how right he had been. Gone was her sense of self as the ghost of a man in armor like her's found her in the stream of warped noise and running color. Sakura felt him enter her and then the chaos around her dulled and came into focus. She saw a scene not unlike the one depicted in the stories told.
Sakura turned and saw Kisame, but he was actually a woman with short blond hair and harsh eyes, holding her sword aloft. Zabuza was a different person as well, and Suigetsu had also transformed into one of the old heroes.
'We have to stop it.'
'This wasn't supposed to happen.'
'You said...we..it.'
Some of the voices faded in and out. There was shouting and struggling. The heroes were trying to get to the maiden, to keep her from her sacrifice. They're all hurt, but Kisame got to Haku, or his ghost self got to the maiden. Sakura saw both realities and it was almost too much for her brain to process. It's too much. Too much.
'Bring her back!'
But Kisame lifted Haku and lowered her into the well. Sakura watched as the blond warrior woman threw the maiden that had been her best friend into the mouth of the volcano. Sakura felt the sacrifice of that action and it near paralyzed her. She could feel a lot of things. She felt the feelings of the blond warrior that Kisame was-how she loved the maiden and wanted to respect her best friend's choices and decisions. Sakura also felt the heart of the warrior who's breastplate she wore. He was suffering. His heart was so heavy and it was dragging her down. Sakura thought she would be sick from how she suffered at the thought of the maiden truly leaving their side forever. Did he love her? Maybe. But he didn't know that at the time, so neither did Sakura.
There was fire and ash and the others were screaming. Sakura was screaming, but Kisame's ghost trusted her friend-her best friend, and the deed was done. They're still screaming and Sakura wanted to see what happened next, but there was something tugging her back, a limit to her that tell her she can go no further.
Not yet.
The the stream of memories was over and Sakura was falling onto her hands and knees, head spinning, ears ringing as the crowd around them yelled and cheered for the heroes, all of them. Sakura wanted to spill herself on the grass, but she held it all down, too proud to show that side of her.
Suigetsu also looked sick, but stayed standing. Sakura breathed deep and pushed herself back up.
Kisame was helping Haku out of the well and the younger boy was whining about something or other. That's not new. Sakura just wanted to sit and rest, but the elders were speaking and someone was talking back and the rest were cheering as more lights and sparklers go off.
Someone reached for her breastplate and Sakura saw one of the elders there, undressing her and relieving her of the ceremonial garb with care. Sakura thought his name was Danzo, but her memory was foggy. Everything was a little foggy. He watched her with a weary eye, likely noticing her state of unease. He didn't comment on it, though, just took her armor and left.
"You did amazing!" Ino cheered, launching herself at Sakura. It was enough of an excuse to fall onto the grass and pretend it was all Ino's fault. "What did you see? What did you see? You were in there so long, you looked like you saw something!"
"Of course I saw something, wasn't that the whole point?" Sakura huffed, closing her eyes and leaning back into the grass. She breathed deep and let the breath hang in her lungs before letting it go. "What did you see?"
"Only the champions can see the memories, silly. That's why it's such a big deal. Ah, but most of the time the memories are a mess. Yeah, when Sasuke and Naruto were in there all they could see were geometric you able to see any details?"
Sakura saw well enough, but more than that she felt the memories. Thinking back to how she felt to watch one friend lift another to certain death was…
Sakura turned in the grass to see the others, Kisame, Zabuza, and Suigetsu stumble about looking almost as dazed as her. They hid it better, but Sakura was searching for signs of the same distress they were feeling. Zabuza's eyes were the ones that caught her looking and they narrowed dangerously. Sakura felt his glare but didn't flinch.
He started to take a step towards her as Suigetsu sought out Kisame in excitement, but Haku called out to his mentor and Zabuza had to stop. He glanced between Sakura and Haku, debating, and then finally turned away from her.
For now.
"Ino, I'm tired," Sakura whispered.
The blond leaned back and looked over her friend with a pout. "Yeah, I guess you are. That's been a full night for you. Founder's Day is an ordeal even if you aren't a champion and the winner of our lamb game, and this was your first one."
"You really know how to show a girl a good time," Sakura chuckled.
Her heart was heavy and her eyes wanted to close so badly. She needed to sleep, she needed to lay down and be fixed. Something was wild inside of her and her brain needed to sort it all through. She suspected she was not meant for such adventures.
"Someone need a lift?"
Sakura looked up and saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Menma coming up. Naruto was hovering over her first, followed by his best friend and then his grumpy twin. Sakura blinked as Karin shoved her way into the ring as well.
"Sakura," Karin purred. "You and Ino can sleep under our tent with us, it's the prettiest and it's also the one where most of the rookies crash."
"Rookies?" Sakura felt slow on the uptake, but she was sure she hadn't heard of the rookies before.
"Ah, that's what the younger generation is called," Naruto chirped. "I'm a rookie and so is Sasuke and Kiba and Shino and Ino and all the others. We're like the babies."
"Shut up," Sasuke hissed. "We are not babies."
"You're the same age group as me, bastard," Naruto growled back.
Karin rolled her eyes at the boys. "The kids are spoiled around here, so yeah, we have the best tent. You coming?"
Sakura didn't feel like moving but she laughed and said she would.
She didn't have to move. Ino was quick to help her up and Naruto was quicker to steal her away into his arms and run with her between him and Menma to the tents alongside Sasuke. She was so tired she didn't even complain.
Sakura saw which tent was theirs and knew what it was before the boys ever pointed it out. It was in the center of the fields and protected and surrounded on all sides by other, clan tents. Rookies like Sasuke and Naruto had the option of using the community tent or staying in their family tents. Most years it was a toss up, depending on how they felt about each other, but there were a fair number of friendly faces gathered together inside.
Naruto kept her in his arms as they passed under the main flap and stepped up onto plush Persian rugs. All the shoes were left on the deck outside and bare feet abound. It smelled earthy and lovely. There were spices burning in the high parts of the tent, where the poles held the fabric up.
Down on the ground the corners were all build up with pillows and cushions and day beds and mattresses that made it less of a tent and more of a…well, Sakura didn't know what to call it, but it didn't feel like what she thought a tent should feel like.
"It's lovely," Sakura giggled, feeling light headed. There were slits in the sides of the tent for ventilation and light. Glass colored in all shades of the rainbow caught the light and bounced it all around. It was like something out of a fairytale. "I've never seen anything so pretty."
"You haven't seen much, then," said Menma.
Menma snorted just as Sasuke dropped the flap behind them. The others were coming through behind them.
"Come on," Naruto cheered before remembering to keep his voice down. There were already a few bodies laid down to sleep. "We have the best corner."
Sakura heard the others behind her coming in as Naruto led her to a plot not too far and not too close to the centermost pole. There was a hammock high up between the poles that Sasuke leapt for, shiny black feathers lifting him higher before he landed. Sakura watched as his wings folded away and he settled himself into the hammock, turning so he could watch her as Naruto and his twin made a place for her between them.
"Perverts," Karin hissed, coming up behind Menma and kicking him in the knee. The darker haired twin hissed and glared at her, teeth bared. She glared back, baring her own fangs. There was a growl deep in his throat but he backed off a bit, giving her the space he once occupied.
"No!" Naruto whined, hugging Sakura to him as he fell to the mattresses on the ground under him. "You have no right to say that. What with being a kettle calling others black-oh wait, how does that saying go now?"
"Move over," Karin complained as she knelt down and pulled pillows up to where they intended to lay. Menma watched them wearily but didn't leave. Instead, he pulled himself closer so that Sakura and he would almost share the same pillow, facing out in opposite directions. Naruto was to her left and Karin to her right. Ino came up later and lay down close to Sakura's knees.
Naruto wiggled a little closer and reached for one of her hands. Sakura didn't have the energy to push him away, and when his tails flared out and wrapped around them she really didn't think she had the heart to either.
Naruto exhaled out and there was a rustle as orange bloomed all around her. Sakura kept her eyes open long enough to see the nine fluffed tails move free. A few fell over her waist and curled up around her stomach. They were warm like the heat from a burning log. He smelled like woodsmoke too.
Sakura reached for one without thinking much of it and settled down onto the mattress, keeping it close to her face and inhaling. It smelled like home, even though that made no sense.
There were sounds above her and around her, hushed whispers, sharp hisses, and maybe a scuffle or two, but Sakura drifted past it all into sleep, feeling like she needed it more than she ever needed it.
Only once in the day of sleep did she wake. She heard talking and stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes. Someone was holding onto her legs and Naruto's tails were still around her, smelling like woodsmoke. Karin's back kept her back safe and Menma's stray arm had reached up over his head to settle on the pillow they shared. Some of her hair was caught between his fingers.
"I saw it," the voice hissed.
"Shut up you little shit. She's sleeping." Sasuke, his voice was coming from overhead.
"She's out, man, if she saw half as much as I did I wouldn't be surprised she stays knocked out for days. Kisame was so ready to walk into a wall." The voice was Suigetsu. She remembered him from earlier.
"I don't care what Kisame was ready to walk into. You said this was important. You couldn't tell me and Karin later? Where is Juugo?"
"I-I needed to tell you first, you know why."
Sasuke hissed and Sakura heard the rustle of his feathers. "What did you see? You saw a memory we all know from stories. There can be nothing in them that would make it worth my time."
"But I saw something Kisame and Zabuza didn't, and I bet Sakura didn't see it either, that has to mean something. I saw the crest of the volcano and I recognized it. I know where the original site is now!"
Sasuke hissed. "Any of the elders could tell you that if it wasn't forbidden. It's not something worth bragging about. It's protected for a reason."
"But I know where it is! What if we went there? There might be something worth exploring."
Sasuke's sound was dismissive. "I have better things to do. Take Karin or Juugo." There was a pause and then Sasuke was speaking again. "Why are there pink flowers in your hair?"
"Dude, it was crazy. There were a bunch of trees that just started blooming cherry blossom petals for no reason. It lasted for like, twelve minutes and then the flowers were all gone. But the trees weren't even cherry trees, they just…mutated for twelve minutes."
"Go back to your corner Suigetsu, and keep Zabuza away from Sakura. I don't want him sticking his nose where it doesn't fit."
Suigetsu chuckled and Sakura fell back asleep.
In the morning she remembered nothing of what she heard between her fits of sleep, not even the dreams of what happened when the heroes dragged the maiden from the mouth of the volcano, or what was spoken after her sacrifice. That part wasn't supposed to be a part of the memories and it was never a part of the ceremony, but somehow the memory lived somewhere inside of her brain.
There was no time to think of such things.
"Shizune, what does this one make?" Sakura sighed, holding the door to her room open for another patient with stomach pains to take a seat.
Shizune just chuckled. "This is worse than last year, but every day after Founder's Day there are always a number of folks who wake up regretting their choices from the day before."
"It was such good food," the male fawn sighed before holding his stomach.
Sakura shook her head and then squared her shoulders. "Alright, time for my job."