Short little Single-shot.

Based loosely on newer chapters. Yes, minor spoilers involved.

Once upon a lonely time,

There lived a Knight, valiant and fine,

Who made a promise to his Princess divine,

He said, "Only you and you only, will touch these lips of mine."

Once Upon a Fairytale

(It ain't - just – a fairytale. It's love.)

It was once upon a time twelve years ago, when she closed her roughly-bounded leather book filled with enchantments, witches, dragons, magic carpets, princesses, genies, fairies, and handsome princes.

Tucking the precious book under her arms, she skipped her way back towards her preschool for it was time to start class again. She smiled brightly, placing the book back inside her purple cubby, and pulled out a large sheet of white paper and a set of assorted paint. It was a Friday afternoon. Which meant only one thing: it was painting time – her favourite.

She bit her lips gently out of habit as she stuck her brush into the gooey paint and pressed it expertly onto the paper making a satisfying swish, swish sound. Finishing the last touches, she gazed admiringly at her masterpiece and concluded it was the best painting she had ever done.

"Teacher! Look! Sakura's at it again!"

Sakura snapped her head around and sure enough, it was her red-head arch nemesis – Karin. She stood there pointing a snotty index finger at her painting in an insulting manner and smirked. Sakura however, just raised an eyebrow and clutched her painting close.

The teacher came their way as Karin rushed quickly to her side, tugging on the hem of her dress. "Look! Look!"

She did look and smiled in response much to Karin's dismay. "Why it's a princess and her knight!"

"But it's always a princess and a knight. Tell her to draw something else." Karin pouted and glared at her pink-haired classmate who just shrugged carelessly.

"Now now Karin-chan, Sakura-chan can draw whatever she wants. Why, I always see you drawing Sasuke-kun and never once did I see her complaining about it." The teacher laughed gently and led the fuming red-head back to her own painting. "Come along now; let's see how your portrait is coming along."

Sakura grinned toothily at her teacher and Karin's back and went outside to the playground with her painting. Setting herself comfortably on an old tire swing that hung on an aging oak, she swayed back and forth dreamily as she looked up at the sky. She didn't care about what her other classmates thought…they didn't understand anyway, always mocking her for drawing such trivial stuff when she should really be drawing little bunnies, flowers, and butterflies.

"I wonder when I'll get my own knight." She murmured sleepily and enjoyed the feeling of the warm sun hitting its light on her fair baby skin.

"What's that?"

"Eh?" She jumped out of her daydream and saw a dark-haired boy, hardly older than her. Sakura smiled as soon as she realized it was only Sasuke-kun with his drawing in hand as well. She always liked Sasuke-kun. He never made fun of her drawings nor did he pull her on braids like Karin and her friends.

"What did you just say?" He asked curiously and sat down in front of her.

"I said, I wonder when I'll get my own knight." She repeated, still gently rocking her swing, but just enough so that she wouldn't collide against Sasuke in front of her.

"Why do you want a knight so much?"

"Because!" Sakura rolled her eyes as if the answer was so obvious that he needn't need to ask. "I want someone to save me if I ever get into trouble."

"Oh."

"What did you draw?" She asked, eyeing the paper in his hands.

Sasuke flashed her a cocky grin and held up his painting. "Like it?"

However it only made her yelp and cover her eyes with her hands. "That, is a horrible thing to draw!"

Sasuke looked at the fierce fire-breathing dragon he just drew and crossed his arms. "I think it looks fine."

"But it's a dragon." She persisted. "Dragons are evil!"

"Not really. Some dragons are good too. But if you ever meet a bad dragon, I'll save you." He volunteered not really knowing what kind of situation he had just gotten himself in.

"Really? You'll be my knight?" She looked at him with astonishment.

"Yup, I'll be your knight." He nodded and grinned.

A pure genuine smile slowly formed on her lips and without warning, she dashed into the classroom leaving Sasuke behind.

"Hey! Where're you going!"

She didn't answer and a few minutes later, she came back out of the classroom again with her book in hand. "C'mon, let's dig a hole."

"A what?" He looked at her in confusion.

"A hole! It's like this big space under the ground."

"I know what a hole is stupid. But why are we digging one?"

"Because!" She rolled her eyes again and started digging her hands into the soft soil under the tire. "We're going to bury this book."

Sasuke stared at her in amazement, "I thought you loved that book."

"I do." She replied. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow and slowly got onto his knees to help the girl dig a stupid hole. The girl sure was weird. "Why are we burying it?"

"Because!" She rolled her eyes yet again. "I don't need it now that I have a knight."

"Oh."

"You'll be my knight right?"

"Yeah."

"Pinky swear?" Sakura held out her finger.

This time, Sasuke rolled his own eyes, and stuck out his finger. Why do girls even bother with these stuffs? He watched as their pinkies intertwined and a satisfied look came upon the girl's face.

"So…does that make you my princess?" He asked.

"I guess so." She shrugged. "It said so in the book that the person the knight protects will be his princess."

"What if the person the knight protects is a boy?"

Sakura just stared at him innocently with wide round eyes. "…That will never happen. The knight always protects a girl!"

"So then I'm the knight and you're the princess then, and I'll protect you till I die." He smirked. This game sounded really fun and challenging.

"Yup." Sakura nodded happily and shrieked as she noticed something in the soil.

"What? What?" Sasuke said in alarm as Sakura hid behind him.

"Look, it's a worm." She squirmed and pointed at the fat slimy worm amidst the rich brown soil.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

(No, no, no...An apple? A glass slipper? A kiss? – None - of that matters. It's you.)

It was once upon a time on Monday when Sasuke ran to his preschool breathing hard. He couldn't wait to see Sakura and find out what his adventure will be next. His epic battle with the earthworm had been pretty fun but the teacher stopped him before he could kill it.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun." The teacher greeted.

"Has Sakura arrived yet?" He asked, catching his breath.

"No, her mother called today and told me Sakura had a fever. Do you want to draw her a get-well-soon card though?" She looked apologetically at the boy and smiled a little. It was sure cute seeing little kids getting so attached to each other.

"Maybe." He said in disappointment and placed his backpack slowly inside his blue cubby. The classroom seemed emptier than usual, now that a certain cheerful pinkish presence was gone.

The next day, he walked to school wondering if Sakura had gotten better and decided to finally come back to school again. But the teacher gave him that same apologetic smile and shook her head. Sakura never once came to school the next day or the next. Until finally, Friday came and he saw that familiar cotton-candy hair and lively green eyes once again.

"Hi Sasuke-kun!" She replied cheerfully as always through her white mask that covered her nose and mouth since her illness might still be contagious.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked. A sick princess won't do him no good.

"Yup! By the way, do you know where I put my book? I can't find it anywhere."

"Which book?"

"You know! That fairytale book I always read. The one with princesses, dragons, and handsome knights!"

Sasuke looked at her in confusion and wondered if she had gone crazy. "We…buried it."

"Buried it!" Sakura flailed wildly. "Whatever for? Where is it now?"

Sasuke just stared at her blankly as something clicked inside his intelligent mind. His father had once told him about how some fevers were capable of wiping out pieces of memories inside the victim's mind.

"...I can't remember." He replied darkly and stalked away.

(It not happily – ever - after. It's forever.)

It was once upon a time in the present day when Sakura, happily seventeen, gazed peacefully at Sasuke who was under an oak tree that he had always rested by for as long as she could remember. Lying flat on her belly, she propped herself up with her two elbows and half closed her eyes as a soothing summer breeze swept by.

"Stop staring at me."

"Why? Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" She smirked at her childhood friend.

Sasuke frowned and shot her a glare. "No."

She just laughed however and lightly poked his bandaged stomach that had been injured in his fight with Itachi causing him to flinch and growl.

"That's for leaving me." She stuck out her tongue and sighed a little. She still can't believe it but Itachi was finally dead. Sasuke had been shortly rescued after by their team. His team had been brought back inconveniently as well.

"So how's Karin?" She asked, looking at him lazily and silently enjoyed their alone time. It was hard getting some private time with Sasuke since he was always preoccupied with his duties for the hokage as a punishment for betraying Konoha. It was either that or whenever she found the chance to talk to him, Karin would always appear out of no where and rudely butt in.

She was really surprised when she saw Karin and never once thought her classmate from preschool would end up working with Orochimaru.

"She's fine. A little bit clingy though." He replied coolly. "Why? Jealous?"

"A little bit." She admitted casually. She didn't blush nor did her heart pump faster. By now, she knew Sasuke knew everything and there wasn't really anything to hide from him.

Sasuke felt a little smirk on his lips as he observed his ex-teammate through his peripheral vision. My, had his ex-teammate grown. Her body was showing signs of development and her face had grown more mature yet it still had traces of playfulness on it. She was getting stronger and stronger too which oddly made him feel attracted. He was mighty glad she didn't distance herself like the others and always stuck with him whenever she had the chance.

"Sakura, do you still love me?" He asked curiously, watching as the half-asleep girl snap into reality and looking bewilderedly at him.

"...of course." She replied slowly. So much for him knowing everything...

He felt somewhat relieved at hearing her answer and leaned back on the great oak tree. "You're annoying…" he felt himself grin.

"Psh…" She rolled her eyes which reminded Sasuke of old times and decided to change the subject. "Anyways…why do you always rest here anyway? What's so great about this tree? I'd always see you here since preschool!"

Sasuke just stared at her silently. But his stare was so penetrating that it made her fidget and feel uncomfortable.

"What?"

"You're annoying you know that?"

"So I've been told."

"I'm waiting."

"Huh?" She looked at him in surprise and wondered what on Earth was he saying.

"I'm waiting for someone." He explained tiredly with his eyes closed.

Someone? A girl? Sakura immediately felt her heart beat with worry and a million questions flooding into her mind. "W-Who?"

She saw Sasuke opened his eyes again and looked at her playfully. "A princess." He grinned. Jealous Sakura?...

But before she could say anything, he got up and left without another word.

A-A princess! Another girl! When? It couldn't be Karin could it? She panicked. She always thought Sasuke acknowledging her feelings was enough but…to see Sasuke interested in another girl much less called her a princess was not something an Uchiha would do everyday.

It hurts…damnit...I'm jealous...

(Princess, Princess, let down your hair, so - I -, your knight, may climb the stair.)

It was once upon a time the next few days when Sakura walked glumly on the streets of Konoha with only one thought in mind. Who the heck was this princess that Sasuke was referring to?

Earlier that day, she had tried to seek some audience with Sasuke but he would just brush her aside or ignore her as if he was avoiding her. The little hope within her that Sasuke might someday return her feelings painstakingly diminished bit by bit.

Is Karin his princess?

"Why it's Sakura."

Sakura scrunched up her brows at the bitchy voice and raised her head up to look at the source. She began to retort a response but immediately stopped as soon as she saw Sasuke standing beside her. Her heart gave a lurch and the hope dwindled at the sight of the two.

Why is Sasuke walking with her? At such close distances too...

"What's up?" She replied, ignoring Sasuke completely, and kept a straight face at Karin.

"Nothing much…just taking a stroll with Sasuke-kun." She said casually as if they had been walking together since the age when dinosaurs roamed.

"Oh."

"You know, Sasuke-kun and I-"

She stared at her with fear burning on the inside. No…don't say it, don't say it. She pleaded in her mind as she watched in shock as Karin suddenly threw her arms around Sasuke's neck. Karin can't be the princess...I don't want her to be the princess...

"Sakura-"

His voice sounded so full of concern... He's acknowledging their relationship…but why! What does Karin have that I don't? She's no princess! Why her-

- Boink! -

"Owww!" She yelped as a soccer ball flew from nowhere and hit her straight on the head. "What the hell!"

Sakura searched angrily at whoever was stupid enough to kick it at her and saw that it was a group of kids. To make the situation worse, Karin's piercing laughter filled the background.

"You idiot!" A kid shouted.

"T-That's- Y-You just hit Haruno-sama…" A girl quivered. Everyone knows Haruno-sama. Not only was she the hokage's top apprentice, she was also Konoha's notorious temper.

"M-Miss…" A scared-looking boy stammered and shook violently as he timidly walked up towards her. "A-Are you a-alright? I'm v-very sorry. P-Please don't hit me."

"Here, take it."

"E-Eh?"

"Do you want the ball or not?" She said calmly, surprising everyone.

"Thank you?"

"Hm." She grunted and darted off leaving everyone in a daze.

Sakura ran at full speed, escaping from it all,and pretty soon, arrived at the tree where Sasuke always rested. Panting hard, she got onto her knees and started digging like mad. Half of her thought she was crazy but the other needed to know if it was true or not.

After being hit by a soccer ball, a lost memory in the corner of her brain suddenly resurfaced. It was a nice memory but it seemed too good to be true.

"...But it is true?…" She whispered in awe as the tip of her hand touched something hard. Working quickly, she uncovered a binding and pretty soon a whole book. Even though the pages had turned yellow and there were tiny bite marks made by bugs, she recognized it. It was her book. Her book of fairytales.

So…I'm the princess he's been waiting for? She asked herself doubtfully, turning the pages of her book until she reached the story of Sleeping Beauty. Sakura looked at the paintings of a beautiful woman sleeping peacefully amongst the reddest of roses waiting for her knight to come.

– Drop – A tear fell on top of the woman's face, making it blurry. She, Sakura, the infamous Sakura was crying again like a little girl?!

It's too late…it's too late…I made him wait all this time…She suddenly found herself sobbing silently, squeezing the bindings of her book hard. If only and only she had found out earlier…

"What's that?"

Sakura slowly looked up and saw Sasuke standing before her with an amused expression on his face.

"You know…" He sat down cross-legged in front of her and propped his face up with a hand. "There used to be an old tire swing here."

"...Y-Yeah…" She nodded and quickly wiped the shameful tears away. She wondered why he was telling her all these stuff... it probably isn't even important to him anymore.

"So you remember."

She stared at his unchanging grin and expression in surprise and nodded slowly, not knowing what to say. It's not like it was going to change anything anyway. Thanks to Karin, she had already made it clear enough that they were going out. Although that little voice inside her was still stupidly clinging on to that last strands of hope.

"Just so you know, I'm still waiting."

"Waiting?" she echoed blankly. So wait...he's waiting? For the princess? Then that means..."B-But Karin…I thought you…"

Sasuke just scowled and gently poked her forehead. "Karin was just being stupid. I thought you could tell with that brain behind that large forehead of yours."

"Heyy…" She tried to pout but a slow smile began to replace it as the burden on her heart lifted in realization. "So…"

"So…"

"So…I'm the princess?" She smiled widely.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Sasuke smirked and playfully pulled her into a kiss which sent her into the heavens. She never experienced anything like it and her body felt light. Who would've knew he was such a good kisser? Does this mean that he had practice before?...She'll find out later.

"So, you're my knight then." Sakura said happily, liking the sound of it. Sasuke's my knight. My knight in shining armor...

"No, I'm the dragon." He replied sarcastically.

"But dragons are evil."

"Not really. Some dragons are good too. But if you ever meet a bad dragon, I'll save you." He smirked although feeling a little stupid for saying such a corny line. Sakura didn't mind though and hugged him hard to the point it made Sasuke blush slightly.

"Saku-"

"Eek!" She suddenly shrieked and pulled away from him.

"What? What?" Sasuke said in alarm, frantically looking around.

"Look…it's a worm." She whispered and pointed at the fat slimy worm amidst the rich brown soil.

"...Heh, don't worry…" He smirked, holding her close by the waist. "I'll protect you."

(Thus, it was -once- upon a fairytale yet again…)

Fin

Once upon a lonely time,

I met this Knight, valiant and fine,

Who made a promise that made me shine,

He told me, "Only you and you only, will touch these lips of mine."

He, was a Knight to Remember.

Lol, it turned out longer and more OOC than I thought. Originally, I wanted to write a chaptered fic based on medieval times (you know, the prince and slaves cliché plot). But I figured I would get into a major writer's block and won't get enough unique original twists for it so…I resorted to a One-Shot. And yes, I made up those poems. xD

And yes...this is a happy bubbly fic. So for those who like dark fics, I'm sorry if this oneshot blinded you. xD

A little bit too happy but, this is my birthday fic to the world! Hope you like it. Ciao for now. DAK out!

April, 28th. 2008.