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Chapter 58: The ending is near
The morning had barely begun for Sakura when her office door was almost kicked down by a very distressed-looking Vittel, holding dozens of documents wrapped in his hands. It made her wonder how he walked without tripping, given that his vision appeared blocked.
Setting her quill down, Sakura leaned back in her chair. "Vittel…..what's the problem?"
Taking a few steps to stand in front of her, Vittel turned to the side to face Sakura. "I'm in trouble; Ja'far is going to kill me!"
"Vittel," Sakura paused, "That doesn't explain anything because lately Ja'far's been trying to 'kill' everyone."
"I was supposed to have these accounts finished literally yesterday and hand them into Ja'far."
"But you didn't," Sakura concluded.
Vittel nodded, "The work's a bit more than I was expecting, and I accidentally fell asleep yesterday at my desk, and I still have today's work to finish, so I was wondering if you aren't too busy-I mean, I know you are; it's just-
Without needing further explanation, Sakura lifted her hand and gestured for Vittel to set the documents on her desk. "I'll take care of it, Vittel. Leave the documents there and go and do today's work."
Vittel let out a breath, slacking slightly forward. "Thank you, Sakura. You can call on me anytime if you need help over here."
Sakura waved her hand, smiling softly. "Don't worry about it. Just go to work and tell Ja'far that he'll find the completed accounting documents with me."
With several 'thank yous' until he reached the door, Vittel left Sakura's department. She put aside her work to take a look at the accounts that were meant to be done 'yesterday'.
Two hours, and Sakura had completed all of the accounts in what was her record time, mainly thanks to her shadow clone. After that, she was able to resume her own work. Having had enough working behind a desk and writing, Sakura started on her research for new products. Standing at her separate desk of herbs and equipment, Sakura went to crush some herbs together in a shallow bowl, grinding them until they were nearly a powder before throwing them into another bowl of boiling water. Watching as it merged together with the liquid, as its contents softened, breaking into the smallest particles.
While she was stirring, she heard a sound that she couldn't make out; her head whipped to the other side of the room at the window. Her eyes widened as she saw Masrur crouching down on the windowsill with Sharrkan on his back, holding onto the Fanalis boy's shoulders and looking ready to regurgitate his lunch.
"What are you boys doing here?" Sakura asked, stepping over to the window. The hand she placed on her hip was still holding onto the stirring stick.
Sharrkan quickly jumped off of Masrur's back, swaying a bit to get his sense of gravity. "We-we just came to see you."
Leaning forward, Sakura held Sharrkan in place until his dizzy spell passed. Her office was on the top floor of the building, and it wasn't a way that someone could simply climb. Of course, she knew that it was Masrur who had taken the initiative of getting the two up to her office window.
"Well, next time use the front door; it's not that hard to walk here."
Sharrkan rubbed the back of his head, looking down at his feet. "Um, we couldn't really do that."
Sakura raised her eyebrow, sensing that something was amiss now because Sharrkan and Masrur together usually resulted in some form of mischief. "Why is that?"
Masrur interjected, his face still. "We're hiding."
It sank in instantly. At this time of day, Masrur had to attend Rurumu's lessons with the other children and because he had been having a bit of a hard time getting along with everyone, Sharrkan was told to attend the lessons as well to associate with the other children in the company but Masrur was not a quick study and Sharrkan was still timid when it came to dealing with children his own age.
Slapping her forehead, Sakura sighed. "You're cutting class again?"
"Yes." The boys replied.
"Ja'far knows all of our old hiding places, so we came here," Sharrkan muttered, puffing his cheeks slightly.
"The two of you can't keep ditching classes because you don't feel comfortable." Sakura's face softened as she gazed at the two boys who were looking at her with wide eyes. "If you want to make friends, you're going to have to interact with the other kids."
Masrur and Sharrkan stood silently, staring at Sakura until she smiled at them. "Well, that's for another day. You guys can hide out in here, but be careful-I'm still working."
What Sakura found out about having two young boys in a confined space was that it triggered a new degree of irritability. Sharrkan-who had been restricted most of his life, and Masrur-who had little discipline given his nature, along with Sakura's office, made for the worst concoction. It had barely taken more than half an hour before Masrur and Sharrkan were chasing each other around, attempting to drag one another to the ground.
Sakura didn't know who it was that lost patience first, but it had resulted in this: Sharrkan chasing Masrur around with his sword and then Masrur making a turn around to chase after Sharrkan-no weapons required.
For a while, Sakura had attempted to ignore their raving, but eventually Sakura lost her composure when Masrur and Sharrkan accidentally knocked into her desk, and her hand slipped while writing, in which she ended up ruining her parchment's contents and would now require a rewrite.
"Okay, that's enough!"
Sliding abruptly out of her chair, its legs scraping against the floor and probably leaving marks. Sakura marched over to Masrur and Sharrkan. Picking them up at the back of their clothes and lifting them in the air, she spread her arms wide apart to keep the distance between them both.
"You two need to settle down right now."
"But-
Sakura looked at both of them sharply, which seemed to be the key to silencing the two. "If you keep this up, I'm going to call the spooky big brother and tell him where you are. Do you want that?"
'Spooky big brother' was the title Ja'far had been labeled with on account of Sinbad. Of course, Ja'far was only ever referred to by that name in his absence.
"No…"
"No, Sakura," Sharrkan swallowed.
Feeling Masrur and Sharrkan go slack in the air, she set them back on the floor. "Alright, now no more fighting. Isn't there something else you want to do?"
"When can we train again?" Masrur asked, although there was a tinge of wanting in his voice.
Sharrkan held up his fingers. "Masrur! You're not supposed to ask her that! Sakura's busy with work."
Sakura's eyes softened. With everything happening in the Company, Sakura had to put a lot of her own agenda on hold, which included training with Sharrkan and Masrur.
"I'm sorry." Sakura knelt down, throwing her arms over the two and embracing them. "I know we haven't trained in a while, but things are extremely demanding at the company right now."
"We know," Sharrkan said, looking back up at Sakura. "But it's not really the training that we care about…."
"Then what is it?" Sakura asked, tilting her head sideways.
"You," Masrur replied blankly, causing Sharrkan and Sakura to turn their heads to him in surprise. "We don't see you anymore."
Breathing out her soft laughter, Sakura stood up straight. "Well, I think that we can take a little break."
While Sakura couldn't leave the office in case there were any incidents like yesterday, she called in Aisha and told her that she needed to have an extra-large lunch brought to her office, with some sweets. A good way to keep someone immobilized was to talk and tell them what they craved to hear. This was what Sakura did for Masrur and Sharrkan. She told them a story.
Knowing that their backgrounds and previous childhood experiences wouldn't allow their minds to fall victim to fairy tales and happily ever afters. Sakura opted for something a little different.
"Okay, once there were two boys; one was of Light and the other of Dark. Light and Dark were complete opposites of each other and would fight whenever they met. Although the two hated each other, they had something in common-they were always alone. See, both Light and Dark's parents were gone, and they had no friends. Light had a demon sealed inside of him, and everyone feared him because of it. Dark had a problem with his eyes; part of his sight was stolen, and he couldn't see the good in anything anymore. One day, Light and Dark were placed to work together, and although they hated each other, they could work together perfectly, in sync and without needing to say a word. Like they rehearsed it." Sakura paused; she rubbed her eyes before continuing. "After a while, Light and Dark became friends."
"I don't understand." Sharrkan chided. Leaning into Sakura's side, his eyelids beginning to grow heavy. "If they hated one another, how did they become friends?"
Sakura smiled, "You see, there was a girl who had to work with them, and she was in love with Dark, but he didn't love her back; while Light did, but she thought he was always getting in her way. Meanwhile, she was the one always getting in their way. When they had to work or fight, the girl always stood back because she couldn't do anything. Dark always called her up on it, and Light would always come in to defend her, so the two would end up fighting. Then…one day, the girl just disappeared. No one knew where she went, but after she left, the two boys were able to become friends again."
"Why did the girl disappear?" asked Masrur.
Sakura shrugged, rolling her lips together before replying. "See, that girl didn't understand the boys the way they understood each other. She was always standing in the way of their friendship. So the world decided to throw her out and sent her far away where she wouldn't be able to bother the friends again."
"So…..she was the bad person in the story?" asked Sharrkan.
Sakura could feel her heart contracting painfully, but she responded. "I guess she was."
A few minutes later, Masrur and Sharrkan had fallen asleep on the couch, and Sakura resumed her work. Although Sakura was only partially present as she sorted through the paperwork. She continued to go back to her story. Something she had made up, yet thinly based on her own life, and it made her think back to times she wasn't supposed to remember.
'You let all that go.' She told herself, looking out the window, viewing half a view of the setting sun on the horizon.
A sharp knock on the door, along with Ja'far entering, woke Sakura from her unwanted train of thought as the weary-looking boy stepped in.
"Hey Sakura, Vittel said you had the account documents."
Pointing to the neat pile on the right-hand corner of her desk, Sakura watched Ja'far sigh with relief. He must have been anxious about what happened to the documents if they weren't with their accountant.
"Thanks, Sakura. I know you're working hard here. I'll talk to Vittel about these favors."
Snickering, Sakura shook her head. "It's fine. He needed help."
The white-haired boy muttered something under his breath, probably nothing good about Vittel. As he was about to reach for the scrolls, he heard the soft snoring and turned around, making a small noise in surprise when he saw Masrur and Sharrkan sleeping on Sakura's couch.
"So they were here! We've been looking for them all day!"
Sakura put her finger to her lips, making the sign for silence. Then she told Ja'far about how they decided to skip their classes and hide out in her office for the afternoon.
"I'll deal with them when they wake up. I've got to get this work done." Ja'far exhaled; he started rubbing his temples, feeling a headache ready to come along. He had been looking for them for nearly three hours all over the building, checking their regular hiding places with no luck, and he had gotten extremely worried. So for it to turn out that they were lounging in Sakura's office did not set him off well.
No amount of assassin training or experience was enough to help him handle what was the pit of disaster known as his friends-not to mention their reckless leader.
"Ja'far," Sakura called. She waited for him to turn back to her before she beckoned him towards her. He walked around the desk without any questions aside from signing with a curious expression. Sakura reached out with both arms, her hands on Ja'far's face before she pinched his cheeks and tugged lightly, making the boy squirm.
"W-What-are you doing?"
Sakura's serious expression contrasted with her actions as she started rubbing Ja'far's cheeks in circular motions, causing the boy to make odd faces that wouldn't be possible consciously. "Stop worrying."
"Huh?" Ja'far grumbled, attempting to pry Sakura's hands away.
"It's not healthy. I haven't heard of someone your age getting a heart attack, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. Plus, if that doesn't happen, your hair is going to fall out-never mind going gray because it's obviously too late for that."
Ja'far frowned, although his expression failed to portray his feelings since Sakura was twisting it manually. Laughing, Sakura released Ja'far's face, sitting silently as the boy rubbed his cheeks now tinged red.
"You know, Ja'far, if you are having trouble, you can always come to me." Sakura leaned back into her chair and turned her head to the window. "I'm here."
Ja'far shook his head. "It's just that I need to sort out the budget and work out another invoice for building materials, and it has to be done quickly."
"Well then," Sakura clapped her hands together, causing Masrur and Sharrkan to shift in their sleep in reaction, but they did not wake. "How does tonight sound?"
Ja'far knew that it wasn't a question Sakura was asking-it was a statement.
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Ja'far had a simple room to suit his tastes with white painted walls, a closet, bed, and nightstand beside it. He didn't have many items aside from his weapons, and with the workload he got that constantly piled on his desk, he preferred it if his room remained uncluttered and free of any distracting ornamental objects, so that he had one place where he could keep peace of mind. He and Sakura were sitting on his bed, with an oil lamp burning on top of the nightstand, going over several scrolls.
"So you've had to increase the palace's expense budget three times already?" Sakura squinted her eyes as she looked down at the scroll. They had been working through the budget for the island's renovation for nearly four hours, and the constant sight of numbers was beginning to take its toll on the two.
Ja'far nodded, sitting cross-legged and leaning on his hand. "The palace is literally being built from the ground up, so it's expected. It's just that Sinbad keeps adding to or changing his ideas for design and building materials, so the costs keep shifting. He's fickle about this."
Sakura fell silent, staring blankly at the sheet of paper, but looking straight through it, the words and numbers unable to reach her mind through her eyes. The palace was being partially built on the plot cleared of the military research facility. The thought caused a bitter taste to creep into Sakura's mouth. Her mind took her to the darkest parts of her memory of the island and the research facility, the shrill cries for help blocking her sense of reality in that moment.
Ja'far stared at Sakura. Over the months, they were all so busy there was hardly a moment to breathe, let alone get together and calmly embrace each other's company like they used to. It was all for the sake of building their country; everyone knew that.
When Ja'far looked at Sakura now, he was really able to look at her and not just catch a glimpse while she was handing him papers, unloading cargo, or giving brief greetings while they rushed through the hallways, passed each other. A trickle of worry set in at what he saw.
"Sakura, are you alright?"
The kunoichi appeared taken aback by the question, her pink eyebrows knitted together. As an assassin, you were trained to lie and deceive as well as detect lies and deceit, and when it came down to the final decision, it was all about trusting your natural instincts. However, despite the years Ja'far had known Sakura, he still couldn't understand her. She was different, in the simplest sense. The only time he really knew her was when she was with Sinbad because the two operated together, spoke in a pattern, and even breathed in sync. Although individually, she was still a mystery.
Sakura smiled back at Ja'far, her hair falling over the side of her face, hiding most of it.
"Of course, Ja'far. I'm fine."
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While Sakura was already occupied with her new department, and helping with the paperwork. She still did manual labor, which included retrieving and delivering stock with Hinahoho, Drakon, and Masrur. They operated on a system for the week, two would unload and take the stock back to the company, and the other two would deliver the stock to the ships that were leaving Balbadd. It was Drakon and Sakura's turn to retrieve the goods. There were carriages that went into the harbor to collect the merchandise, but it spared a trip; this time, they went along.
People stared when they saw a large, cloaked figure with a tower of bags being carried on his back and a petite girl carrying several large bags over her head.
"We've got to hurry up," Sakura said. "Everyone's going to be waiting to restock."
Drakon nodded. Their recent shipment had been late on account of the annual storms, which made for rough seas. So the company had fallen behind on sales and delivery.
"It's the third time in almost two months," Sakura grumbled. "We can't even use our air routes because of the change in weather."
"All storms will pass eventually."
"I hope for our sake it's soon."
As the two continued along the cobblestone roads, Sakura heard some snickering as they passed a group of four men, loitering near a store with bottles in their hands, faces red and barely keeping their balance. Their eyes trailed the two and Drakon, and Sakura could hear their footsteps trailing after them.
"What do you think of this broad, boys? Pretty strong, huh?"
Another laughed, "She can pick me up any time."
"Pretty nice ass too."
"Hey, little strong lady; care to have a drink with us?"
Drakon growled softly, turning to Sakura, who just kept her eyes straight ahead and kept walking.
She whispered to Drakon. "Just ignore them."
"That is no way for them to be talking to a lady. They are disrespectful."
Since Drakon had devoted himself to Sinbad, he had gained a new respect, not only for Sinbad but for her as well, and although she had told him she wanted to just be addressed as Sakura-as everyone else did- Drakon tended to slip from time to time, calling her 'Lady Sakura,' and Sakura would always tell him the same thing.
Sakura laughed softly, smiling, "I'm no Lady Drakon. They're drunk; I doubt it'll be long before they're dry heaving."
However, what Drakon heard next snapped his thread of anger.
"I got a load I'd like her to carry."
Dropping the stock, Drakon turned around, stomping straight towards the men, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He towered over the drunk men, who were watching him with hazy eyes, hardly able to comprehend the danger they were truly in.
"Listen here you-
"Drakon!" Sakura set the bags down and walked towards her friend, pulling on his cloak from behind. "Calm down. These men haven't done anything but throw around words."
Still growling, Drakon turned back to Sakura, asking permission to take action, but he could see the stern look in her eyes would not allow him, and he was not foolish. He had seen her strength, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of it. However, his temper was hard to rein in after he was ready to throw it out.
Sakura looked back at the men, putting a hand on her hip. "Pardon my friend; I hope you can forgive him."
The men appeared pleased with Sakura's interjection, leering at her; she heard their indiscreet muttering to one another as they looked at her, as if they were examining the quality of meat in a butcher. She heard 'kinda' small' and 'doable'.
"It's no problem at all."
"Some people just don't have manners."
One of the men approached her; he put his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Don't worry *hic* about it little lady. He's forgiven."
Sakura continued to smile. "Good."
Then in a flash, the man touching her was lying on the ground, face down, his one arm held in a painfully powerful grip, twisting towards his back, causing his muscles to strain. Sakura was standing with her feet apart, holding the man's wrist in a vice grip. She tilted her head to the side, lifting her chin, her eyes slightly narrowed with a threatening expression.
"Of course; I couldn't care less if you forgave me," Sakura began, looking back at the three men who had taken several steps away from the pinkette while staring down at their friend. The fear Sakura injected into them seemed to assist in sobering them up a bit.
Sakura forced the man to stand, dragging him up by his wrist and then pushing him harshly towards the rest of his group. "Leave now; unlike you boys, we actually have somewhere to be."
With that, Sakura took Drakon's large hand and pulled him towards their stock.
The man that Sakura had pinned to the ground seconds ago had taken his mix of anger and humiliation, which turned towards Sakura. He picked up a stone lying on the ground, pulling his arm back before launching it forward, releasing the stone.
"You crazy bitch!"
The rock didn't reach Sakura before she could catch it, because a large, green-scaled claw caught the rock, then crushed it into dust.
"Do not throw rocks at a lady."
Drakon had moved so fast that the hood of his cloak fell off, which had earned a lot of horrified stares from onlookers; some became paralyzed by fear, while others ran away, including the drunk men.
"AAAAHHH"
"W-WHAT IS THAT THING?"
"IT'S-IT'S A DRAGON"
"M-MONSTER!"
The entire block around the harbor had been cleared completely; the only sound was the ocean waves and the breeze that bumped the boats against the bridges and rattled the old wooden planks on roofs.
Holding out his hand, Drakon stared at it silently. Then he began to see it, the images he had planted into his mind from a third person's standpoint, of when he had fled Parthevia with Serendine, after he had transformed, how they had struggled to make it through the nights and days that seemed endless in exile. How he had nearly lost control of himself when they were attacked in the forest and how he almost lost his humanity. Hearing people cry monster reminded him of that and only that. It erased all other moments from his mind. The time he was human. The time he had spent in Parthevia as a devoted soldier. All of it was gone just like that.
"Drakon."
Then, a smaller hand fell over his own, and he had to search for the person it belonged to, meeting emerald green eyes. Although Drakon already knew it was Sakura, he was surprised. Because when he looked at the girl standing in front of him, holding her hand on top of his, he did not see what he expected. He expected either fear or pity, but instead he was met with a smile.
"Drakon, are you just going to stand here all day? Come on, everyone's waiting for us."
Sakura pulled away, going back towards the stock they had dropped for a second time. She picked them up and turned back to him as he still had not moved.
"Let's go."
Drakon walked quietly over to the bags and picked up his share, and they once again resumed their walk. After he began to settle into the silence, when he had relaxed, Sakura chose to break from it.
"Not a lady."
Drakon turned his head down. "What?"
"I've said this before: I'm not a lady any more than you are a monster. So stop calling me that," Sakura stated, keeping her eyes ahead.
Eyes widening, Drakon shook his head. "But you are-
Sakura cut Drakon off with a stern expression. It was comical considering how they would have been perceived by strangers. "I am a girl with the strength to destroy landscapes, pick up giant boulders and create rock slides; I do not inherit anything-including a name for the title 'lady'." Sakura inhaled deeply, her voice calm but just as quick and steady. "You are a noble of Parthevia, who remained loyal to your country's monarchy even after their undoing. You remained loyal to your friends. You are far more refined, behaved, and skilled than most men, and you actually have common sense. Therefore, you are not a monster-and I am not a lady, do you understand?"
Sakura then added, with a bitter smile. "I'm actually more of a monster than you."
Drakon opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again when he was able to find the courage to speak. "Sakura, you shouldn't say such things about yourself. You've done more than enough to be called a lady. That includes everything you do for the person you love. As for me…before coming here, I have done things that-
"You are not a monster, Drakon," Sakura stated again, equally firm. As she knew, he was going to bring up past events. "I know that because I believe it. I believe that you are not a monster, and so does everyone else at the company-your friends don't think you're a monster either. Take the opinions of strangers over your friends, and you are going to breed unhappiness for the rest of your life. A friend will always see the light in you, but more than that, they will also see the dark and accept you. Sinbad has done that-with all of us."
Drakon kept silent, although he was now thinking of the purple-haired boy.
"All our paths now lead to Sinbad." Sakura swallowed, blinking rapidly before clearing her throat. "So have some pride, keep your chin up, because real monsters-they're the ones who work hard to look human and by the time people realize what they truly are, it's too late."
Sakura stopped walking, turning up to Drakon. "And one more thing…"
Holding up her hand, Sakura leaned forward slightly, making a come-hither motion with her hands. Drakon leaned down, assuming that what Sakura was about to say she didn't want anyone else to hear, even though they were the only ones in the area. When Drakon had leaned down to Sakura's height, she drew her index finger to rest at the tip of her thumb, placed it at Drakon's forehead, added a bit of chakra, and flicked it forward.
Drakon touched his forehead with his free hand, actually feeling a sharp sting when she made contact with his hard skin. Sakura laughed wholeheartedly.
"Stop with that serious expression-you'll give yourself wrinkles."
Serendine stood in front of him; she came forward as he continued to kneel in respect. He had been assigned to lead the group that was tasked with capturing the dungeon, and he promised to succeed, to ensure that the princess's name would remain untarnished.
Drakon's serious expression and determined eyes were wiped away with a simple flick on his forehead, delivered by the princess herself. She let out a soft laugh as he touched his head.
"Don't be so serious. Your forehead will get wrinkled."
The breeze was blowing Sakura's hair to one side, her face being overshadowed by her pink locks, with her closed eyes and smile in place, Drakon felt an overwhelming wave of nostalgia and spoke.
"Princess Serendine."
That wave, like most, was quick and passing, and Drakon made to quickly fix what he thought was a fatal error. "My apologies, Sakura, for a moment, you reminded me of-
"Serendine." Sakura nodded, holding up her hand. "It's flattering that I remind you of someone like her…Thank you, Drakon."
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Orias's unique colored eyes did not leave the kunoichi's form since she stepped into the djinn's treasury. Resting her elbow on a pile of rubble and leaning on her hand, Orias continued to scrutinize the intriguing girl.
"My king, you say?"
"Yes." Sakura stood, meeting the djinn's eyes.
Orias smiled while scoffing, "What makes you think that I have accepted such a declaration? That I have accepted you as my king?"
"I made it through your dungeon; that qualifies me as the conqueror of it," Sakura stated, holding out her hands at her side.
"You destroyed my dungeon." Orias gestured to the continuously crumbling walls of her palace.
Sakura shrugged, her hair falling over her shoulder when she tilted her head to the side. "There's more than one way to reach a goal. To each their own, and what would be the use of having four metal vessels already if I couldn't utilize them to get me my fifth?"
"A little arrogant, aren't you?" Orias commented but smirked still.
"I'm aware of my own capabilities."
Snickering, Orias held out a long finger, jabbing the top of Sakura's head, but the girl remained indifferent. This was despite the fact that with a little added weight to her finger, Orias could snap Sakura's head to the back and break her neck.
"You're very interesting."
Shaking her head, she moved her hand back; her form began growing smaller, from as tall as the high palace walls to Sakura's height. Meeting the kunoichi's stature, Orias crossed her arms and started to circle Sakura.
Orias rubbed her chin as she continued to circle Sakura, like she was a display. Then, after three more turns, Orias pulled back. "And it's obvious you have impressive power. However, I know what you really want. I will accept you as my king if you answer me this one question, and I am satisfied with your answer."
Sakura didn't blink when she spoke. "Ask me then."
"What are you going to do once you conquer my dungeon?"
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It should've been cold.
The sky was completely grey, and the entire ground was covered with mist without a single beam of sunlight or promise of blue from above, so it should've been cold-but it wasn't. She couldn't feel it. The moisture that settled on your skin when the mist came into contact, the breeze that brushed against your skin and made you shiver because of the moisture. Nothing.
Sakura could feel nothing.
She could see grass beneath her feet when she looked down through the thickness of the mist as she walked, but that was it. She didn't know where she was going; she just kept walking. She couldn't bring herself to stop. And her thoughts couldn't seem to form and coincide with her body to pause and think about what she was doing.
Her head, which was lowered, had the urge then to look up, and then she saw it. Three silhouettes out in the distance, the mist obscuring them, but it looked like people (judging from their statues), each waving at her.
She kept walking towards them, her feet moving soundlessly against the grass. Although she was nearing, the figures didn't seem to be growing, but they didn't seem inaccurate either.
"Sakura."
She heard it.
The unmistakable voices.
The first one was laced with a pitched edge that could hide nothing.
"Sakura."
The second was low, with a kind gruffness which came with age.
"Sakura…"
She stopped at the third voice. The calm tone, balanced, telling you that it was unable to waver and incapable of stuttering and incapable of much expression, as if it had been drained, but it still made her feel warm.
It was as if the realization and clarity of her mind were materializing via the misty atmosphere as it began to thin out, fading until it was like the wind-invisible. And she saw them.
She saw them. Standing on a hill at the clearing of a forest, behind them were three cut trunks acting as posts. And there were her teammates. All as she remembered them from when she was twelve. Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke. They were there. Calling to her.
"Come on, Sakura!" Naruto beamed, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Naruto…"
"We're going to be late," Kakashi called, although half of his face was covered by his mask and headband, showing only one eye; that was all she needed to see to know that he was smiling.
"Kakashi sensei…"
And then her eyes fell on him. He stood there, eyes closed, arms crossed, with that passive look on his face that she admired so greatly, but when he opened his eyes, those dark coal-like eyes, she felt so light.
"Sasuke…"
"Come on, what are you waiting for?"
She couldn't respond; she was completely incapable of speech as the overwhelming yet nostalgic wave of warmth swept over her. Just as it always did when Sasuke looked at her.
When she moved forward, her arm extended and her hand outstretched, anxious to make contact. Then the arm that was hanging limply at her side, of no interest to Sakura currently, was grabbed and forced her body to jerk and stop.
Turning her head viciously behind her, with her face already molded into the perfect frown, pinched in anger and drizzled with impatience, ready to completely devour whoever had stopped her moment. Only to freeze as she entered into another.
Sinbad stood behind her, his hand tightly holding her wrist and rendering the rest of her body incapable of movement.
"Sinbad…"
His powerful, golden eyes stared at her with overwhelming strength that crumpled her own, and Sakura felt as if she couldn't breathe anymore.
"Will you deny me, Sakura?"
Sakura looked back at her teammates and saw that they were still looking at her, but they were looking at her differently; their eyes had widened, the smiles were gone, and the nostalgia had left the atmosphere. Then she saw the hand she had outstretched towards them, streaked with crimson red that didn't fade as it dripped down her skin.
"It's too late."
Red and orange engulfed her vision, but the heat of the flames was nonexistent. The entire world around her morphed into another, dominated by darkness and flames. Shrill screams filled the air, and bodies of different statues lay around, hiding most of the ground.
Amongst the chaos, Sakura saw Kil lying at her feet, lifeless but still bleeding out from the wound. The bodies of all the children, whose faces Sakura could place as former slaves to Madaura, were all painted carelessly in red on the ground, helpless, lifeless.
Sinbad's voice echoed behind her, and although he was standing in such close proximity, Sakura could not feel his presence. "Our hands are already dirty."
Roaring, hisses, inhuman screeches, scratching, and rattling metal caught her ears, and she turned to find the trail of sounds. Bars with darkness behind them, standing out of place from the rest of the scene and yet fitting. There were the beasts that Sinbad and Sakura had abandoned that night in the research facility. There was the one who had spoken with her and Sinbad, the one who came from Sinbad's village of Tison.
"HELP US…HELP US, HELP US, HELP US…..
Sakura felt terror swell in her belly; the vile sensation to retch was strong, but nothing would come. She did not see the other figure appear behind her and Sinbad, but when she heard his familiar voice, she turned around in complete horror.
"You broke your promise."
Naruto stood, his shoulders slumped forward, barely visible in his heavy orange jacket, his eyes hidden by his bangs and his hands clenched beside him.
"You told me to wait for you," Naruto said. "You made me make a promise of a lifetime, but you've forgotten us. You let us go. Why Sakura? Why?"
Sakura wanted to tell herself that none of this was real, but she couldn't bring herself to wake from this obvious nightmare.
"Because she can't come back." Another familiar voice chimed in, too familiar-her own.
Sakura looked behind her and saw a twelve-year-old girl with wide emerald green eyes and pink hair that reached her mid-back, in a red dress fitting loosely on her, with a headband holding her hair back.
"We can't." The younger Sakura stated. She raised her arm straight, pointing to the present Sakura and the pinkette looked down; what was her reflection in the pool of blood in front of her was as clear as it would be in any mirror but what Sakura saw, it wasn't her.
Her eyes remained the same, but her sclera was black, her pink hair stood out sharply, wild, her skin was near snow white, and her fingernails were black in contrast. Sakura stared in horror at her own reflection.
"We're not here anymore."
Emerald green eyes opened as Sakura awakened with a jolt, her breathing shallow. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She hadn't even realized when she had fallen asleep, but it had still been during the afternoon; now it was completely dark out. Sakura searched the room; when she couldn't find Sinbad, she was certain he was still dealing with their last-minute travel plans.
Even though she was alone in the room, she felt suffocated. She ran towards the door, flinging it open with a loud rattle and rushing out.
She took another breath. The physical nausea that had overcome Sakura from her nightmare was soothed, but internally, she could still feel herself churning. She stood barefoot at the end of a bridge at the harbor. Overlooking the sea through the darkness that was pushed back by the moonlight. She lost track of how many nights those dreams occurred, but it was always the same, and she was always hoping it would pass like the others.
It never did.
The wind blowing against Sakura cooled her sweaty skin and calmed her nerves. She took another breath with her eyes closed.
"We always seem to meet like this, don't we, Sakura?"
Gasping, Sakura turned her head to the voice, surprised-despite knowing exactly who that neutral voice belonged to.
"Yunan."
..
..
..
That day, there was something in the air. The excitement, the anxiety, the overwhelming waves of feelings that could not be placed and kept. During their departure from Balbadd, where King Rashid himself came to see off Sinbad and his companion, on their way to the island in Parthevia, arriving and receiving an official greeting from Barbarossa and his party members, boats nearly filled the entire harbor. Then things escalated when the group reached Sindria's palace. It had gone well into the evening by the time they had arrived, yet no one was the least bit tired; all were only eager.
Sinbad did not spare any expense when it came to building the palace for their country. The optics were grand, inside and out. The palace stood on the tallest point of the island, where it could be seen all the way from the harbor.
The palace was preceded by a courtyard of exceptional grandeur with columns of marble, granite, and porphyry. There was a number of minarets standing at different heights, symmetrical to their opposite sides, with the main dome in the center of it all. There was a great number of verandas, reaching to the upper part of the structure; lined with red carpet to quiet footsteps and held by pillars. The interior wasn't subtle either; the designs and patterns on the walls, lined in bright colors, suited Sinbad's flashy taste. The white marble and woodwork have simple designs in ivory.
In celebration of their first day on the island, there was a huge banquet, in which everyone partook in the dining hall. Everyone sat at a long, sleek table that was covered in silk and decorated with a variety of foods from all over. Several chandeliers hang above and light the room brightly to take in the decor. While they ate and chatted, of their plans, of the opening ceremony, of their joys, Sakura was nothing other than silent throughout most of it. Answering questions as subtly as possible and playing along, as everyone stood from their seats and gave a toast to Sinbad.
"Here's to finally making it-to changing the world-to Sinbad."
"TO SINBAD"
Sakura took a sip of her wine quietly. She didn't feel the exciting atmosphere; it did not grasp her as it did the others. When she ate, she tasted nothing; when she drank the wine, the bitter taste did not make her cringe. Although she wanted to keep her gravity on her present, on the celebration, on everyone, because she did not want to think, because if she did, she would go back. And she wouldn't be able to keep face if she did.
"I couldn't have done it without all of you, standing with me every step," Sinbad said, smiling back at all his friends. Sakura could feel Sinbad's gaze fall on her and looked back at him. "And now that we're here, let me say-welcome home, everyone."
..
..
Later that night, when everyone had finally decided to turn in. Sakura and Sinbad went back together to their new chambers. It was twice as large as the one they had back in Balbadd; the decor made a strong statement with the assortment of patterns; the furniture consisted of three too many chaises, a table set, a dressing table, shelves with ornaments, and a large bed with five too many pillows.
Sakura was sitting up, leaning against the headrest. The sheets pulled all the way up to cover her bare form, she glanced around at Sinbad and her own discarded clothes that lay on the floor, a few feet from the bed.
Carefully, silently, Sakura climbed out of bed. After wrapping herself in a white robe, Sakura went towards a trunk. It had everything that Sakura owned in it; while it might not have been much, it was enough for her. She shuffled through the layers of fabric on top, reaching deeper in while taking timed glances behind her at Sinbad. She always stopped whenever she heard him make any noise aside from snoring, and when he made any movement like tossing, his arm throwing itself over on her side of the bed. All this time of sleeping in the same bed, it became as if Sinbad searched for body heat in his sleep.
After reaching the bottom of the trunk, in the far corner, Sakura pulled out a small wooden box. It had no design, was completely dull, and if you didn't look carefully, you would assume it was just a block of wood.
Sakura's breathing grew softer as she eyed the box, holding one hand under while placing the other on top to remove the lid. It made a small popping sound from the release of air it retained, and Sakura looked back at the bed once more. Sinbad did not stir.
Sighing, Sakura placed two fingers inside the box. She used it to keep Hakuyuu's ring. There was a spectacle the last time Sakura had decided to wear Hakuyuu's ring in public; she had placed it on a thin chain to go around her neck and was able to wear it for days, but the moment Sinbad saw her, he had told her to take it off. Although Sakura attempted to protest, pointing out that this ring wasn't doing any harm, Sinbad already knew the symbolism of the ring and what it was for: Hakuyuu-hope.
"I don't want you wearing that ring around your neck anymore," Sinbad said as he ran a hand through his hair, staring down at one of the open scrolls on his desk.
"Hakuyuu gave me this ring to keep for him. He wants me to return it when he becomes emperor. That's all."
Sinbad scoffed, looking up at Sakura standing on the other side of his desk, "Either in your hand or on your finger, right? That's what he told you."
"Yes," Sakura sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. "But it's not as if-
"It's not as if what!?" Sinbad exclaimed, pushing himself up from his desk, the chair scraping against the wood, nearly falling over.
"It's not as if this is an engagement ring!" Sakura threw her arms out.
"That's where we disagree." Sinbad walked up to Sakura, standing head to head with her. Sakura was shaking, but she felt a pang, and it urged her to surrender. "He fell for you, he wants you, and because you took that ring, he thinks he can still get you. He wants what he cannot have; so he gave you that ring."
"Sinbad-
"No, Sakura," Sinbad cut her off, "It's you and me only. I don't want to argue about this; just put it away."
Sakura breathed in deeply but softly, reaching behind her neck, she undid the chain link, holding the ring tightly in a fist. She felt this tightening pain in her chest, her throat was going dry, and her eyes were starting to burn. Sakura pushed back the tears. It was like this giant wave washed over, knocking Sakura off her feet and disrupting the balance of her emotions because she did not know why she was on the verge of crying.
Sinbad stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the pinkette's waist. He nuzzled the side of her head, stroking the back of her neck, but that was only another wave that pushed Sakura back. The tears started falling, and her shoulders were shaking while Sinbad kept her in place, comforting her.
"It's you and me, right?" Sinbad asked again.
And she accepted.
"Yeah, you and me."
As Sakura twirled the ring between her fingers, she thought back to that day. Sakura hadn't been able to figure out what made her cry. She and Hakuyuu may have stood on different landscapes with their relationship, but Sakura had already come to terms with that, and it wasn't anything that made her want to cry. That had been months ago, but while going back on it now, the only other factor to consider was Sinbad, but all he did was argue with her. It was on a topic Sakura found ridiculous, and it wasn't the first time they had these sorts of arguments, but something felt different.
"….Eventually you're going to become nothing more than his shadow, following after him and having no free will of your own."
Sakura shook her head lightly, feeling the ends of her hair hit the sides of her face every time she turned her head. She put the ring back before reaching in again and taking something else out. Holding up by a chain, Sakura watched the moonlight bounce off of the item, reflecting off onto another part of the room, except in one part where the light went straight through.
The Looking Glass.
"Yunan…what are you-why-what the-
Yunan chuckled at the pinkettes flustered response to his appearance; Sakura blinked rapidly with her eyes as wide as they could go, the wind cooling her tongue as her mouth continued to hang open, waiting for her mind to form words.
"It's nice to see you again."
Sakura jostled slightly before straightening her posture. "What are you doing here, Yunan?"
"Waiting for you." The magi stated, keeping an empty smile on his face. "How have you been?"
"Fine…" Sakura replied, raising her eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
In Yunan's soft-toned voice, Sakura sensed that he already knew the real answer to his own question, but he wanted her to answer it.
Folding her arms, Sakura let out a heavy breath. "What do you want, Yunan?"
"Sakura, do you remember when you found the Looking Glass? What did you do?"
That was yet another memory that Sakura hadn't brought to the front in a while. Before, she used to think of it all the time, every single day, at the beginning of her journey. To her, it was what she considered the worst mistake she would ever make in her lifetime because if she hadn't touched the Looking Glass, she wouldn't have ended up in this world, she wouldn't have had to risk her life conquering dungeons, and she wouldn't have had to experience the loneliness of being somewhere you just didn't belong.
"Yes, I touched the mirror, and it drew me in before shattering."
Yunan nodded again, his staff held firmly on his side. "The Looking Glass is meant to take you between worlds, creating a bridge for the spaces to cross over into. It takes a significant amount of magoi and the rukh's assistance. But you somehow used the Looking Glass, and in response it shattered."
Sakura bit her bottom lip. "So I activated it on my own?"
"Perhaps, but something else on the other side had to have helped you."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm not certain myself," Yunan admitted.
"I just can't figure out why you would keep the mirror hidden in the Hokage Mountain?"
Yunan chuckled softly, holding his hand over his mouth. "Actually, I did that because your world was the only one I visited, so I kept the window open by leaving the mirror there and connected to a place in my world. Then when you came along, the window closed, and I knew someone had found my mirror."
Sakura nodded in understanding. Yunan really hadn't planned for Sakura or anyone else to find that mirror at all; it was sheer chance. "There must be so many different worlds; why stay grounded to mine?"
"Sakura, I know a lot more about your world than you think. I know about you, about Naruto and Sasuke."
Sakura gasped, stumbling a little. "What?"
Yunan sat down on the pier, crossing his legs and resting his staff over his legs. Sakura decided to sit across from him, her legs folded underneath her and hands in her lap as she waited for Yunan to explain his story.
"Your world Sakura, it's an amazing place but from the moment I arrived, I knew from what I saw and what I heard, that it was also a cruel one." Yunan's voice grew softer, "Full of war, suffering, endless fighting. There was a constant battle for power; I thought that this world would destroy itself. There were so many seeking change, at the same time that there were clashes. Then your village was created, The village Hidden in the Leaves. No matter how many wars or battles that its people endured, the village stood through it all."
Sakura looked down at her pale hands; the village was something else she hadn't thought about in a while. It brought back memories of her past life, everything she once had, everything she thought she couldn't go back to, and everything she had let go of.
"And you said you know, about me and Naruto and Sasuke too?"
Yunan nodded, "Sakura, there are so many things that all of you don't know. Things that Naruto and Sasuke don't know, even though it's linked to them."
Sakura stopped, standing up. "No; don't tell me."
"Sakura-
"No!" Sakura exclaimed, and she clutched the side of her head. "I don't want to hear it-I can't hear it! I've already let go of this past; I can't go back! Telling me isn't going to do anything!"
"What if you could go back?" Yunan countered calmly. He reached into his top and held out his fist in front of Sakura, loosening it slightly to release the chain and the item it was attached to. Sakura's eyes widened, and she stepped back in disbelief.
"The Looking Glass…."
Yunan was holding the Looking Glass right in front of her, and when Sakura had overcome her shock of seeing the object, something else caused her to fall into a shocked state of paralysis. The mirror, the shards; it was almost entirely intact.
"There's just one more shard left." Yunan stated, "It takes some time to draw in all the shards again, and I wasn't sure if I should give it back to you."
Sakura continued to stare at the item in Yunan's hand with continuous incredulity. "What does this mean, Yunan?"
Yunan didn't blink when he responded, "It means you can go home, Sakura."
Sakura shook her head, her breath coming out shallow. "This can't be true."
"It is."
"IT CAN'T," Sakura yelled, disregarding the idea that someone might hear her. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? DO YOU REALLY KNOW!? YOU'RE SAYING I HAVE A CHANCE TO GO BACK? I CAN'T JUST GO BACK. I HAVE DONE TOO MUCH HERE."
"I know about what you have done, Sakura," Yunan stated, closing his eyes. "I know."
Sakura breathed heavily, her chest heaving up and down with her knuckles turning white at her sides. "I can't go back. I can't do it. I have attachments to this world. I am anchored to this world."
"Yes, the rules are still the same: attachments anchor you, and in order to leave, you have to let them go," Yunan said, keeping his eyes on the pinkette. His expression remained calm.
Sakura ran her hand over her face, muttering under her breath. "Let them go…let them go…." Sakura snickered dryly, her voice gruff. "I have already let go. I've let go of my world; I already chose this one. I already sacrificed for this world. There is nothing left for me over there."
"You're wrong, Sakura. There is more waiting for you than you realize."
Sakura laughed humorlessly again, "Four years, Yunan. I've been gone for almost four years now. Everyone probably thinks I'm dead."
"No, they don't. No one thinks you're dead; no one even knows you're not there anymore."
Sakura drew in another big gulp of air and held it. "What?"
Yunan kept quiet for a few seconds longer, building Sakura's anxiety and anticipation for an explanation. "The Looking Glass holds a power similar to that of the dungeons. Time is distorted between dungeons and the outside world."
"Wait." Sakura held up her hand. "You're saying that time is distorted between my world and this one?" Oh my god." Sakura gripped her hair tightly, feeling her scalp pulling in protest to the pain she was inflicting on herself. "No way… and what about me?" Sakura put her hand on top of her chest, desperate to end this. "I'm not the same age anymore! I can't go back there looking like this!"
"Sakura; the Looking Glass....it has magic that will convert you back to your original physical appearance. Externally, you'll return to what you were when you left."
Sakura slapped her hands over her face, shaking her head again, grumbling about how convenient this all sounded. The fact that she could just go back home now, collect one more shard, and leave meant she would be able to return to that exact moment when she had left. It was all so convenient that it filled her bitterly. Finally, after several minutes of muttering to herself, Sakura turned to face Yunan directly again and then stated firmly.
"I'm not going back."
Yunan's eyes softened, "Sakura…"
"I'm not doing it, Yunan. I already chose Sinbad. That world will be fine without me."
Yunan went silent again, for several moments longer, his head bowed slightly, and his eyes closed as if he was contemplating something very taxing, and Sakura had assumed this because when he opened his eyes, they held a new gravitas.
Yunan raised his staff, holding it above Sakura's head. "I told you before that there were things in your world that you and your friends didn't know…."
"Yes," Sakura said, raising her head slightly to look at the staff.
Yunan swallowed hard, "I think, before you make this choice…you should know a few things at least."
..
..
..
There were soft brushes fluttering across her face, soft pressure every time there was a pause, and she relished the feeling. Sakura's mind was still wrapped in the blanket of sleep; then she felt something trailing from her shoulder, down her arm, jumping to her waist, getting lower, and her eyes shot open. Sakura gasped loudly, grasping what had been travelling across her body with quick reflexes, and she heard a groan of pain. Turning her head to the side, she saw Sinbad grimacing in pain as Sakura continued to grasp his hand in a vice-like grip.
"Good morning to you too."
Sakura loosened her grip, rubbing circles around Sinbad's more tanned hand. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's alright, you didn't break it this time." Sinbad gave her a brief kiss; he pulled back, moving his hand to brush a few strands out of Sakura's face, behind her ear. "What was it?"
"Huh?" Sakura asked, covering her mouth to yawn.
"Your dream," Sinbad kissed her forehead, his hand falling over her back, rubbing it soothingly. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."
Sakura stiffened, and Sinbad could feel it under his ministrations, so he pulled back to look at the pinkette's face, but when their eyes met, she pushed forward. Hiding her face in his chest. She recollected. For a month now, this had been her dream; it was either the one where she saw her teammates, or it was a replay of the conversation Sakura had with Yunan that night before they left for Parthevia. Both were gut-retching and haunting.
"It's nothing."
Sinbad didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"
She smiled blankly, easily. "Yes."
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