{Authors' Note} so this is chapter 2 actually MUCH longer then I though it would be, and thank you everyone that favorited/story alerted it! I am super happy you all like it.
DISCLIAMOR: not now or ever with own naruto.
Chapter 2
Things A Daughter Does
This time the scent did not engross him, the flowers held no appeal, they were as the ones by his home- plain. He set forth through the bushes and was not tempted to smell or pluck, but simply to return home. –crunch- the leaves behind him went. He turned and just as before he saw the beast, its pearls still fixed on him.
"You again" he said as he stepped towards the bird. It turned its' head to the right and began to talk. "You, Dairare, are the man who so dared to step in this, my domain. As if this were not a crime in itself you had even dared to take from me a rose from the garden." His tongue was small and black and hid within its absideon beak. "I take it you are protecting this for your master fair beast, I ask you, who is it that owns such a palace? A king? A duke?" he asked taken back by the creature before him. "Fool, did you not hear me? I AM the owner, the ruler, the king of this palace. The only master I have is myself. And the price for your crimes is your life." It pecked him lightly in the chest and pulled at his shirt. Dairares' face grew solemn as he got down on his knees and bowed. "I am sorry for my crimes, I did not know I was commiting any, I promi-" he was cut off by the beast "That matters not to me, I need a life to make up for this crime!" its eyes narrowed and for an instant it seemed as though they flashed red. "I beg you, please great beast, allow me the final glance of my daughters, allow me to say goodbye. Surly a bird of your calibur can allow a bit of mercy?" the crow thought for a moment then spoke. "Daughters?" the man stared blankley at the creature 'what is it thinking?' "Yes I have three." The crow seemed to smile at himself when he heard this. "I see, well Dairare, I will make you a deal." Dairare felt uneasy and realized he should not have mentioned them. "If one of them were to switch places with you, your debt would be paid." His face turned from solemn to pure rage. "You expect me to be so cold hearted as to trade you one of my daughters for me? You want me to send them to their grave to save my own tail? How can you expect me to do such a thing?" The crow puffed out his chest and rose high above Dairare. "I do not expect you to do such a thing, I expect you to visit them for a day and return here to die, if not I will go and hunt you down and kill you myself, if you run I will fly after you and pull your limbs apart, if you hide I will find you and eat you whole." Its' pearly black eyes grew wide at the thought.
"However, you must promise me three things if I allow you to see your daughters." The mans' heart began to race. "Yes?" the crow smiled "You must promise to return within a day, you must tell your daughters exactly everything that you saw and witnessed including this promise we are making, and if one of your daughters offers to take your place…" Dairare almost cried at the thought of the next few words. "you must allow them to." It finished with a wide smile and a shine filled it eyes. Its feathers seemed to gain a luster when he tourchered the poor man before him with the choice of his life or one of his daughters. "Fine… I accept. Now how do I get home? I do not know the way" the bird flew up into the air about twenty feet and cawed three times.
Seconds later a large white horse with ivory hooves and silken white mane came running to the very spot under which the crow flew. It landed and looked upon the horse, its glassy blue eyes sparkled and the red velvet sadle on its back shown with a burning intensity that almost blinded the man. His white body was bright and gleaming and was spotted with small silver specks. "This is Malificent the horse of the gods, and my pet. He will take you to your home." The man climbed atop Malificent and held the golden reigns in his hands. "How will he take me if he does not know my home?" the beast laughed " He is a horse for the gods, he need not be familiar with were he is going, simply tell him; take me were I need to go Malificent, go, go, go." The man looked upon the horse in disbelief and whispered in his ear "Take me were I need to go Malificent go, go, go" and off went the horse with amazing speed. It ran with such a fast passed stride that it hooves never once set foot on the ground. The air whipped around them and Malificent seemed to warp the world around them. The trees blurred the sky was a mess of blue and everything seemed to freeze. Then ever so slowly it came back into movement. The trees turned to homes and he saw his, with the small stable on the left and the stained glass windows calling to him to return inside.
Dairare got off Malificent and walked inside as the horse walk into the stable. Before he pushed open the paint chipped door, he heard light, frantic crying. "W-what could have happened….?" A velvety sweet voice said through course sobbs. "It's all your fault!" another voice yelled harshly "If father didn't go out to give Itachi your letter he would still be here!" she hissed. "If only you weren't so selfish Sakura, he might still be here!" a third more tearful voice said. "Oh father… what have I done…" Sakura sobbed into her palms. Dairare grabbed the brass handle and pushed it inward to view his daughters.
They looked up at the man, standing there at the doorframe. Light engulfing his figure, blinding their view from his facial features, unable to tell just who it was before them. Tears still soaked the young rossettes face as the two others were red in the cheeks with anger. One with red hair, the other with blonde, both standing over the girl with hate in their eyes. Each in a soft palleted, cotton gown with white corset, strings pulled tightly into bows on their backs. Short, faint brown boots on their feet with a pointed toe face the girl hunched on the floor, her eyes still glistening with guilt and remorse. The man stepped forward and shut the door behind him and the girls- they were amazed. The man before them was their father- Dairare. "What are you doing? I am lost for a few days and you blame your sister? The youngest? The most sincer? Why? What kind of father have I been if you as are stand and torture the one amoungst you who is the deepest concerned!" he scolded the two before him. The youngest- Sakura stood and ran to him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled her face deep into their embrace. "Father! I beg you not, to scold them, they are right, I should not have made you carry out my errand I was to blame." She cried in his chest. He looked upon her with pride and patted her head. "You are the one who holds not only virtue over your siblings but kindness as well." He said happily. The two girls looked at each other with disguist and forced tears to their eyes. "Father!" they cried in unision, as they too, approached him and attempted an imbrace. "We missed you, are you safe?" they asked in an attempt to win his calm deminer back. "I am and must tell you of my travels as I cannot stay long." He said solemnly as he realesed them and sat at his chair by a riverstone laden fireplace. "I have trespassed onto a place where a beast does thrive, its feathers are black and its eyes like pearls. His garden is filled with roses that disarm your guard and his palace filled with wonders that are not of this world." As he spoke their eyes widened and fear struck Sakura. The riches that must lay there were the only things to concern her sisters. "I had picked a rose, from this garden for you my dearest Sakura, but I had commited a crime. The beast came to me and told me that both trespass and plucking of that flower so did cost my life. I begged and pleaded with the creature to redeam myself but to no avail. He had only granted me my wish to return for a day, on one condtion, that I tell you of my travels and our promise. He said I must return in a day to give him my life, or…" his voice trailed off and fear sunk in "if one of you were to offer to go in my place I must allow it." He cried softly to himself as the three girls looked at each other.
The room grew silent and no one knew what to say, what to do, so they sat and waited for someone- anyone to speak. Then it was broken "Father" Sakura said sternly "It is my fault, I got you lost- to which your first crime was done, and it was I whom you had plucked that flower for, I am the real soul to blame. This is my punishment not yours." She said looking him in the eyes, he shook his head and said nothing, he simply reached into his pocket and removed the rose. It had died and when he held it, it filled the room with the smell of rotting meat, but, when Sakura retrieved it from his grasp its petals had perked, its stem had returned to its color, and it smelled of sweetness. She smiled and glanced at her father, as her sisters were come over with disguist. "Father" the red head asked "Did you bring me a rose as well?" she spoke with words coated in sugar and laced with lies. "Or me father?" the blonde asked. He looked at them with anger "No Karin, no Ino, for you do not like roses, only riches." The two frowned, "It isn't fair that Sakura gets a gift…" they said coldly. She looked at the flower in her palms and lifted it out towards them "Here, you two may have it." She said with a smile. Quickly, Karin snatched in away, and just as fast as it had bloomed, it had decayed in her hands. "This is a trick!" she yelled at Sakura. Ino snatched it away from Karin with a smile, "Only young beauties can have such a thing" she said, hoping it would bloom in her hand, though it never did. "What kind of trick it this?" she cried and through it to the floor. Sakura reached down with her thin porcelin fingers and wrapped them around the stem, it bloomed again in her hand. Her sisters looked at her with anger "Tricks Sakura? Is that what you resort to?" they said, she looked at the rose and held it to Karins' face. "If you cannot hold it then perhaps you may enjoy its smell?" she said softly. Karin leant in to smell and a thorn pricked her face.
That night, when the stars filled the blackness of the sky and the crickets sang to one another Sakura made her escape. After the rose incident her father had finished telling her of the horse of the gods, Malificent. She crept to the stable and their she saw it, a silvery-white stallion with golden reigns and ruby saddle. It walked to her and aloud her on, she felt his soft flowing hair, and could hear his lights breaths. She bent down to his ear and whispered lovingly "Take me…where I need to go Malificent…go…go…go" and off they rode, with nothing left behind but crystal tears in the wind, and a memory of who she was.
{Author's Note} so that was chapter 2! Yeah still fun to write just a little time consuming. I didn't feel this was as detailed as the last…. Hmmmm. Oh well I like it. Can anyone guess what the letter to Itachi was about? I think people might know… okay well until next chapter see ya!