Queen of Air and Darkness

xx. that oceans could lie between them

With a shaking hand, she brushed her thumb over Kakashi's eye and closed it the rest of the way. Reaching over, Sakura took off his eye patch, closing the other eye and protecting his secrets. She did not touch his mask—even in death Kakashi would never have abided being so exposed.

Sakura had been offered true power once. A beautiful boy with red hair and long dark lashes had extended his hand and offered her a place amongst his number.

She had said refused.

Sakura had been so bold in those days. What need did she have for devil's bargains? She was young, and her power rose in her veins like the morning sun. In her heart, she could never imagine a time when that would not be enough.

Looking down at Kakashi's prone form, Sakura knew she would bargain a thousand times over to undo this. She was frozen in place, unable to tear her eyes away from his face. Her fingertips burned to brush against his cheek, as she had stroked his cheek when they had shared a bedroll in the forest.

But she was too afraid that if she reached over, she would feel his skin cold, and lifeless, and she would know then, that this was real.

The enchantment's thirst for blood now quenched, it had released her from its hold. There were no illusions, the room had once more become a windowless stone chamber, covered in runes. No more did the magic hold her in place, manipulating her.

But something else rooted her to Kakashi's side.

She did not cry.

She could not cry.

The tears would not come. If they did, it would be surrender. Mourning Kakashi would make this real, would make his senseless, meaningless death final.

Even the sound of footsteps behind her could not make her move. She had no doubt that it was Danzo, come to collect on her fate.

She tried to come up with some clever strategy, some way to turn her fates around, to win. But her thoughts kept circling back to the body before her. Any coherence in the thread of her thoughts faded away as she thought of Kakashi-

Kakashi-

The next words skipped in her mind, as she failed to accept the world before her.

"Seize her." The damnation in Danzo's voice was an old friend. She did not bother to turn her head, to give him the respect of a glance. In return, he did not condescend to sound surprised to find her here.

Dark boots entered her view, part of the uniform of Danzo's private army. Strong arms wrenched her to her feet, and Sakura did not struggle. She didn't do anything but stare at Kakashi's form on the floor.

This wasn't an illusion, but some selfish part of her begged and bargained for the illusion to start once again. To show her Kakashi standing up, breathing, alive.

But Danzo's trap denied her that final reprieve.

Rough ropes wound around her wrist, as Danzo's men restrained her.

How quaint! How droll! That they think they can hold me like this. The thought sounded suspiciously like that other Sakura, the older Sakura who had known the shape of the entire world.

"Murder," Danzo purred, stepping into view. "I will add that to the writ for your arrest. I look forward to seeing you beg for the king's favor when he learns what you've done." He cast Kakashi's body a disparaging look before nudging it with his toe. "I imagine even he will have a hard time forgiving you this." He gave Kakashi another nudge with his boot, this time to his jaw.