"I heard they brought in a new one."
"Male or female?"
"Don't know. Haven't seen them yet."
These kind of conversations were the only ones that reached Masrur's ears the past few days. Word of the newcomer had spread like wildfire among the Gladiators of the Reim Colosseum as it usually did. It had little to do with who the newbie actually was and much more to do with the bets that followed each new arrival on how long they would last in the Arena. The teenage Fanalis was used to it and hardly ever paid it any more mind than a fleeting glance in the direction of those talking about it. Money wasn't something he had to spare and he was not willing to give up his food by betting it on any new arrival. After all, most newcomers didn't last very long. Chances were that this one wouldn't be any different. It had been a while since the last time someone had survived more than a month.
He sat in his cell silently, sharpening his sword with a whetstone after completing yet another battle. His sword was his only real friend since his arrival in this human dump and had kept him alive. Yeah, his sword was as close to a loyal partner as it could get. Fortunately, there weren't any fights scheduled for him the next day. It was his reward for reaching a certain number of victorious battles along with a small loaf of bread that surprisingly wasn't as hard as stone. And though he should be grateful that he had a day to regain his strength-it had always been about regaining his strength- he knew for a fact that these breaks were the calm before the storm. Worse battles would follow…..
He sighed, the sound of the whetstone dragging across his blade calming him slightly. Perhaps he should get some sleep. In the Colosseum of Reim sleeping was a luxury but his body ached and he couldn't really bring himself to care about the dangers of resting without one eye open at all times. The other Gladiators-at least those close enough to pose a threat-knew not to bother him. He was one of the youngest-if not the youngest-among them but they knew who he was so they stayed out of his way….most of the time. There always was the unsuspecting fool that tried to bite more than he could chew.
Setting the whetstone aside, he headed to his bed that was nothing more than a mattress made of straw, and laid down, his sword resting beside his head like a faithful friend. It didn't take long for his eyelids to grow heavy and he was on the verge of surrendering himself to the blissful darkness of sleep, when the sound of footsteps and the door of the cell next to his opening made him sit up in alarm. His ears picked up the unmistakable sound of something being thrown inside the cell followed by the slamming of a metal door and a lock turning. He kept his breathing even and waited until he was sure that the guard had left before he stood up and headed to the door of his own cell, pushing his face against the metal bars, trying to get a better look at his new neighbor.
The sound of someone crawling reached his ears and he didn't have to wait long until a dirty hand with torn knuckles followed closely by second one curled around the rusty metal bars. 'This must be the new arrival…' He heard a hiss as the person tried to stand up and supported their weight on the cell bars. Masrur's eyes widened slightly when the face of the person became illuminated by the torches burning along the walls.
'This is the newcomer? But…But she's a girl…..'
Suddenly, she turned towards him and their gazes clashed. A girl with pink hair and emerald eyes…..
XxxOxOxOxxX
"What's your name?"
His head snapped up from sharpening his sword and his red eyes shifted towards the direction of his cell's door, unsure of whether he should answer or not. Almost half-a-month had passed since the arrival of the girl and during that time she hadn't talked to him-or anyone else-even once. He had heard her muttering to herself during the first few nights, even sobbing after waking up from nightmares, but she had long since stopped that. He guessed that she liked to walk since he often heard her pacing around her cell, probably out of boredom-there wasn't much to do in those pits, anyway. Not that he cared, really. He preferred to stay silent and he had never been a person of words but even he would admit that her out-of-the-blue question was surprising.
"Oi! I'm talking to you!" he heard her say, this time a little louder but not loud enough to alarm the guards doing their rounds. Deciding that he'd rather acknowledge her that have to put up with a Colosseum guard's rage, he stood up from his bed and walked to his cell's door, pressing his body as much as he could up against the bars in an attempt to get a better look at her.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice coming out in a gruff whisper. The light from the torches was enough for his sharp eyes to make out her features. She appeared to be around his age, probably early teens if he was correct. She was small in size and she looked rather fragile but his trained eye could tell that her arms were pretty strong for her age and gender and she was sure-footed and straight of back. He saw big emerald eyes looking up at him curiously and her pink hair barely reached past her chin, chopped unevenly at some places and covered in dust and grime. Despite the rugged appearance, her presence was completely in contrast to their surroundings. He couldn't even fathom why they had brought her here in the first place.
"What's your name?" she repeated her earlier question and stared up at him expectantly.
"What's yours?" he shot back defensively.
She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly but answered nonetheless. "I'm Sakura."
"Masrur." he grunted and he intended to leave it at that but his curiosity got the better of him as he looked at her. "Why did they bring you here?"
"At the Colosseum?"
"Yeah. This isn't the right place for a girl." he reasoned. Really, who in their right mind would bring a young girl to a place like this?
"I asked to come here."
He couldn't keep his eyes from widening at her answer. "What? Are you crazy? Why would you want to come to a place like this?"
She puffed her cheeks. "I'm a street rat. What do you think slave traders do with us? They either sell us off as slaves to anyone who pays enough or send us here. I'd rather be here than live my life as some fat noble's maid."
"But you'd have a roof over your head and a plate of normal food to eat….." He really couldn't understand her. Why would she chose a life of blood and pain and death when she could make her life easier? Granted, she wouldn't have her freedom-not that she had it in her current situation-but she would live. One way or another, she would live. Perhaps even manage to escape at some point. There was no escape from the Colosseum of Reim…..
"I'd be a slave." she said.
"You still are." he retorted.
He noticed her fists clenching around the metal bar. "I'd rather fight for my life than beg for it."
That was the first ever conversation he had with her and he had to admit that a spark of respect for the strange girl flared inside him….
XxxOxOxOxxX
They didn't take her to the Arena very often and for the first couple of months they kept her at a maximum of half a dozen fights per week. A wise decision, if you asked him. Despite knowing that she could survive-seeing as she had made it so far-he still thought she didn't quite fit in. She was talkative and bright most of the time despite her situation and he couldn't remember hearing her complain about her wounds and bruises. She healed unreasonably fast, anyway. It kind of made him wonder what kind of life she had led previous to her arrival if the hardships of the Colosseum weren't enough to bring her down.
The sound of her cell's door being opened reached his ears and he guessed that they had brought her back from the Arena, seeing as they had taken her a couple of hours ago. He waited for the guard's footsteps to fade before approaching his own door.
"Sakura?" he called lowly. "Are you alright?" It had become a kind of ritual between them after two months and a half of living side by side. They would always ask the other if they were alright after returning from a fight.
"Ouch." she hissed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Ow! Damn cat!"
"Oi! Don't lie to me! I can hear you're in pain!" he said sternly with a touch of concern.
"It's nothing. Just a scratch….." she defended herself but still refused to approach her door.
He narrowed his eyes. "Come closer so I can see you."
"There is no need for that. I told you, I'm fine."
"I said come closer before I make you." he commanded, throwing in an empty threat-they both knew that if she didn't want to be seen, there was nothing he could really do about it- and heard her sigh before dragging her feet to her cell's door. That wasn't a good sign. She only dragged her feet when she was being stubborn or something was causing her pain….His eyes widened when he saw the stains on her dress and the rusty smell of blood reached his nose. He pushed himself harder against the metal bars, trying to get as close to her as he could so he could asses her situation a bit better. He almost gasped when he saw the three long slashes running across her back, still oozing blood.
"What the…..How the hell did this happen, Sakura?" he hissed. What kind of beast had they put her up against this time?
"It's that damn cat's fault!" she whined, flinching slightly. "I swear, I would have made a nice pelt out of her skin right then and there if they hadn't taken me away!" she growled angrily.
"What cat, Sakura?" he asked impatiently. "What kind of beast did you fight this time?"
"Desert Sabertooth." she said before tearing a strip of her dress with her teeth.
Masrur's eyes widened. "What? They put you up against a Desert Sabertooth Tiger?" he asked incredulously. Were those people out of their minds? He was aware that they hadn't put her up against a Gladiator yet-which was a relief, since he was almost sure that she wouldn't have lasted five minutes against one-and her fights were death matches against all kinds of dangerous animals but forcing a young girl to face a Desert Sabertooth Tiger was simply insane. He knew that she could take care of herself-she had made it this far, after all. She had strong arms and her life as a kid of the slums had made her witty and opportunistic. She was quick on her feet and an incredibly fast thinker and frankly, that was the secret of her success-a.k.a not being torn apart by her opponents. But a Desert Sabertooth Tiger? Those animals had the size of a horse and were among the most deadly predators nature had to offer. Who the hell had the oh-so-ingenious idea to choose a beast like that as Sakura's opponent? 'Just wait until I get my hands on the bastard that thought it would be a good idea to put her up against that Tiger….' But then again, wasn't that the purpose of the Arena? Bloody death matches to please the crowd….
"Oi, Mas-kun! Stop spacing out and hold this for me, will you?" she said, handing him the strip of fabric she had torn before turning around and lifting her dress up. He averted his gaze, feeling his face heat up. A soft buzz and a soft green glow in the corner of his eye told him that she was healing herself. He felt her fingers grab the cloth in his hand and he immediately released it, guessing that she was going to use it to wipe the blood on her back. He waited a little while longer to make sure that she had fixed her clothes before turning to face her once more.
"You should know better than to use your healing abilities so carelessly. Someone might see you. And you know what's going to happen if they find out about your gift." he reprimanded her. When had he started worrying about her like that, really?
"Yeah, yeah, I know. They are going to sell me to some rich idiot." She shrugged it off and smiled at him. "No one saw me, right? No harm done." Suddenly her eyes lit up and she sprinted deeper inside her cell, returning a second later with a beaming smile on her face. "Look, Mas-kun!"
"Don't call me that!" he retorted, annoyed at the nickname she had taken up to calling him a couple of weeks after their first conversation but glanced curiously at the objet in her hands. "What is that?"
"It's half of the Tiger's tooth. It broke sometime during our fight when the cat tried to sink this thing in my throat. I picked it up once the fight was over. Guess what? They allowed me to keep it since I won the match!" Her smile was wide as she looked up at him and it left him staring at her strangely since not a minute ago she was sporting three scratches that could have cost her life had she not had the gift of healing.
"Oh! They also gave me this as a reward!" She disappeared deeper inside her cell once more and was back a couple of seconds later, holding a small loaf of bread. She broke it in two and stretched her hand through the bars, offering him half of it. At first he was unsure of what to do, his gaze shifting between the offered bread and the girl's eyes that were watching him expectantly. He really couldn't understand why she was doing it. She was the one who needed nutrition after sustaining such an injury despite having healed it. She was physically weaker and much less used to such harsh conditions, therefore she shouldn't waste the only means of regaining her strength on him.
"Come on, Mas! Eat it. My arm is starting to hurt." she urged him with a pout.
"No." he answered, shaking his head. "You eat it. You are hurt and need it more than I do."
Sakura huffed. "First, I was hurt. Not anymore. Second, just take the damn thing and eat it before I shove it down your throat!" she threatened, though the smile on her lips ruined any intimidating effect it could have had on him. With a shake of his head and a heavy sigh, he accepted the offered bread and took a bite, making her beam at him through the metal bars separating them.
"Thanks." he said quietly, inwardly grateful for the food. He had a fight tomorrow and he needed to be as rested and well-fed as he could.
Her smile widened. "Don't mention it! We're friends, right?"
His eyes widened at her words and his head snapped up to look at her. 'Friends?' He…..He had never had any friends and the only life he had ever known was the one of the Reim Colosseum. But then she appeared and the cells didn't seem so dark anymore and he no longer resented going back to his so much because he knew that she would be there to smile and ask him if he was alright. He no longer felt so alone.
"Yes….Yes we are." he answered and a rare small smile appeared on his lips.
Sakura beamed before giggling. "You are cute when you smile, Mas-kun!"
Masrur blushed. "I said don't call me that!"
XxxOxOxOxxX
That night he returned to his cell bleeding and more bruised than usual. His feet felt heavy and the usually comforting weight of his sword felt strangely burdening on his back. Blood was still oozing from slashes and wounds on various parts of his body and he was sure that at least two of his ribs were broken. He tried to support most of his weight on his right side to avoid stressing his broken bones but he couldn't help the occasional winces and stabs of pain. The right side of his face was coated in blood from a nasty slash above his eyebrow and there was a large slash wound running across his thigh. His sensitive ears caught the sound of a breath hitching as he passed a familiar cell but he made no move to acknowledge her. The guard was still walking a couple of feet behind him and knowing the girl living beside him, he was sure that she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth closed and would end up getting in trouble.
He walked silently inside his cell, trying to appear as unfazed as he could not only to preserve his dignity in front of the guard but to keep his neighbor from breaking down the wall separating them in order to reach him. The moment the guard left, he immediately took off his armor, wincing in pain. It was also the moment he heard the sound of feet hitting the ground.
"Masrur? Masrur! Are you alright? Talk to me!" Sakura's voice was frantic as she threw her body against the metal bars separating them, trying to get as close to him as she could.
"I'm fine, Sakura." he answered through clenched teeth, though he highly doubted that she believed him.
"No, you're not!" she shot back. "Can you walk over here?"
He didn't answer and only stood up from his bed, walking towards her slowly and trying to appear in better condition than he was.
"Dear Solomon!" she gasped once she saw him. "What the hell happened? Who did this to you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does! I need to know which bastard's stupid face I'm going to bash in!" she answered angrily, her eyes passing over every single visible wound on his body.
"You swear too much for a girl." he said, trying to appease her anger as much as he could and change the subject. Triggering her explosive temper was something he didn't want because really-her temper was one of the reasons she could fight in the Arena and stay alive.
"To hell with that!" she retorted before looking up at him, her emerald eyes overflowing with worry. "How…How did this happen, Masrur?"
He gritted his teeth. "Nothing I shouldn't have been prepared for. This time the Gladiators I had to face were greater in number than usual. That's all." he said, trying to make it sound less significant than it was, though he doubted that she'd actually buy it.
"That's all?" she shrieked, not caring about being heard. "You come back to me dead on your feet and that's all you have to say?"
"Don't exaggerate. I'm fine." he answered with a roll of his eyes, though he had to admit that it felt nice knowing that someone cared about him enough to worry so much.
"Fine my ass. Get over here, you idiot!" she commanded and perhaps it was the way her eyes were burning holes in his chest that made him comply and approach her. For a while she simply made him shift from right to left, turn around and bend so she could get a better look at his wounds-as much as she could through their cells' doors. She threw a glance over her shoulder before reaching out to him, her hand coming alive with green light.
"What the hell are you doing?" hissed Masrur. "Stop that! Someone might see you!"
"One, nobody's gonna see me. Two, there is no way in hell I'm leaving you bleed like that. Three, shut up and let me do my thing."
Masrur gritted his teeth. "How am I going to explain this? You might have made them believe that you just heal fast but they know I don't. If they find out…"
Her eyes snapped up and she glared at him. "I know that. I'm going to stop the bleeding and heal your major wounds but I'll leave the smaller slashes and the bruises as they are." she explained and resumed passing her healing hands over the parts of his body that she could reach through the bars. "Stupid, reckless males and their egos….." she mumbled under her breath as she stretched her fingers to stop the bleeding above his eyebrow.
Masrur rolled his eyes. "I can hear you, you know."
"That's exactly the point!"
He said nothing after that and neither did she. For a while the only sound disturbing the silence was the soft buzz of the green light around her hands. Every now and then, he would glance over her shoulder to make sure that no one was watching them but fortunately, there were no disturbances.
"You know, a couple of years back I lost a friend dear to me." she whispered, not glancing up at him. "We were running around the slums when she suddenly collapsed. We took her to a man of the slums who knew a couple of things about treating illnesses but even he couldn't tell us what she had. That night I took her to my home and once I was sure that no one was around, I tried to heal her. You know what? I failed. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get her to open her eyes. She was dead the next morning." Was it him or were her shoulders shaking slightly? "I made a promise that day." She looked up at him and he found himself staring in glazed emerald eyes.
"One day I'll get out of here. I'll get away from this hellhole and I'll travel around the world. Knowledge…..That's what I want. I'll travel around the world and learn whatever there is to know about medicine and healing. Who knows? Perhaps I'll find someone else who has the same gift as me. But I will. I swear to God, I will so that I won't have to see another person I care about die. That is the promise of a lifetime."
Masrur stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes as she spoke before a rare small smile touched his lips and he ruffled the girl's hair, earning a curious glance from her.
"I know you will, Sakura. I know you will…"
XxxOxOxOxxX
How… How was he going to tell her?
That was the one question that echoed in Masrur's mind as he slowly made his way back to his cell. He had never really paid any mind to the walls of the corridor leading to the cells-they were just stone walls and lit torches-but suddenly the narrow passageway seemed darker than usual and the air fell thick and heavy. Suffocating…. He walked with his eyes raised up ahead but the only thing he could see was the end of the corridor and two cells that he knew very well, one of them being painfully empty. For once, there was no guard trailing behind him nor the sound of jingling keys that were supposed to lock him inside.
How…..How was he going to tell her that he was…..free? How was he going to tell her that he had been defeated and the man, Sinbad, had given him freedom instead of the sharp edge of his sword? He knew that she would be happy for him; that he finally had the much desired freedom that they had spent so many nights talking about. He would finally leave the Colosseum, he would no longer have to fight for his life every day. He would be free to do as he pleased, free to roam the world and live his life the way he wanted to. But…..That meant that he would leave her alone. She hated being alone…
The walk to their cells felt painfully short and for a couple of minutes he just stood there unsure of what to do. Realizing that there was no easy way to do this, he took a deep breath and walked towards her cell.
"Sakura? Are you there?" The sound of a body rising from the ground reached his ears and soon he was gazing upon the face of the girl.
"Masrur? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked immediately, her eyes quickly roaming his body for any sign of injury. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that other than a few slashes and bruises, there was nothing serious that needed her attention.
"No. I'm fine, don't worry." he said, running a hand through his short red hair. "Listen, there is something I must tell you…." He paused. Damn it! Why did it have to be so difficult?
"You are leaving, aren't you?" he heard her say softly and his eyes widened.
"H-How…..?"
She lowered her head and chuckled but it sounded worryingly weak. "I might be reckless and annoying at times, but I am not a fool. You come down here with no guard behind you, you are standing on the other side of the bars and you have something to tell me. If it had been anything else, they wouldn't have allowed you to leave the Arena alive. I can put two and two together, you know."
"I….I'm sorry….." he said, suddenly feeling the need to apologize. For leaving her alone, for taking away the only friend she had in this dreadful place. Perhaps, he was apologizing to himself as well. Apologizing for having to leave the only friend he ever had behind, knowing that he probably would never see her again, knowing that he couldn't risk attempting to break her out because that'd mean both their deaths if someone caught them.
"Don't be." she said, looking up. And even though her eyes were wet, the smile on her face was genuine. "I'm really happy for you, Masrur. I really am." She raised her hand to wipe her eyes though the wetness persisted. "You finally did it. You are free now. You can live your life the way you dreamed of."
"Yeah…" he answered, not knowing what else to say. 'But….What about you? What is going to happen to you?'
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she said with a smile, though her voice sounded chocked. "Get out of this pit! Travel around! See the world!" She wanted to appear unfazed but he knew her better than that. He could tell that she was hurting inside and it would be a lie to say that he wasn't either.
"But…..What about you?" he asked lowly, voicing his thoughts from a moment ago.
She smiled and waved his question off. "Don't worry about me. This…..This is your chance! You know the ugly side of life. Go out there and discover the beautiful one! I'll be fine. I'm a survivor, remember?" She smiled at him encouragingly and took his hand in hers. For the first time since meeting her, there was only one row of metal bars separating them. "Can you promise me something, Masrur?"
"Anything…" he answered immediately, wanting more than anything to do one last thing for her before leaving the Colosseum of Reim behind. Before leaving her behind….
"I'm pretty sure that you are going to see all sorts of amazing things and places. If you have the chance, please write our names wherever you can. Carve them on trees, scratch them on rocks, even write them on sand and let the waves wash them off. That way, it will be as if I was there with you, right? Even though I'll be here, to us it will be as if we saw all those incredible places together, right?" Tears were running freely down her cheeks but he had never seen a more genuine smile on another human's face. "Can you do that for me?"
'Why…..Why are you doing this to me? Scream at me, curse me for leaving you alone…..Even now, why do you have to be so selfless?' "I will, Sakura. I promise. It is the promise of a lifetime."
She giggled as he repeated the words she had spoken to him not too long ago. "This is it then. Goodbye, Mas-kun. I'll miss you."
"Goodbye, Sakura. I….I'll miss you too." He squeezed her hand one last time.
XxxOxOxOxxX
7 years later…..
They were in trouble.
Even though the Dark Magi was currently nothing but a heap of broken bones lying on that floating carpet, the Kou Princess was proving to be quite a challenge. She was a Dungeon Capturer after all, not to mention a strong one at that. Aladdin was obviously having a hard time, Masrur noticed in the corner of his eye though he was more focused on the Monster Warriors the Imperial Princess had with her. His sharp red eyes focused on the elephant warrior that charged at him and he readied himself for the impact. He raised his muscular arms in defense and the huge body of the Monster Warrior crushed against them. Masrur gritted his teeth as the beast put more and more pressure on his arms, inwardly surprised that the monster was actually proving to be a challenge. He couldn't remember the last time someone outside the Fanalis tribe had managed to keep up with him in strength. He doubted there even had been one such time.
Jafar was working together with Morgiana against the smallest of the Monster Warriors and Alibaba was currently fighting the swordsman, though he appeared to be having a hard time as well.
Masrur rooted his feet to the ground, making sure that he had enough support and pushed harder making the elephant warrior slide back though it wasn't nearly enough. Despite his towering height and muscular build, the beast was much larger than Masrur and it would be difficult to untangle himself from their match without endangering himself or the others around them. He also couldn't activate his Household Vessel-not with so many innocent people around-and their surroundings were far too narrow for him to unleash Baal's power and be done with the huge beast once and for all.
Masrur growled lowly in his throat. He had to find a way to end this with as little collateral damage as possible. Brute force would lead them nowhere as they both seemed to be on equal ground as far as strength was concerned. His feet began sinking in the ground from the pressure put on his arms by his opponent, the stone cracking under their weight and creating noticeable craters.
'I need to find a way to-'
It was then that the most unexpected of things happened.
Even in the middle of battle, Masrur's heightened senses quickly picked up the change in the air long before any of the others did. At first it was nothing but a small spark but it quickly grew stronger until the unmistakable feeling of another presence became notable around them. Someone was watching them and they were either brave or stupid enough to leave their presence unmasked. He was probably being paranoid and the adrenaline from the fight was getting to his head, but Masrur could swear that the feeling of that presence was familiar though he couldn't quite link it to anything or anyone he had ever encountered in his life. It was familiar and at the same time, he was pretty sure that he had never felt anything similar in his life.
His red eyes flashed when the sound of something slicing through the air reached his ears and in the corner of his eye he caught the glint of metal as something sailed past the side of his head at an uncomfortably close distance and logged itself between the eyes of his opponent, making the huge elephant warrior roar in pain. Masrur caught sight of a strange looking dagger as he jumped back, finally untangling himself from the elephant warrior who was trashing around, trying to get rid of the blade sunk in his head. It certainly wasn't enough to pierce the thick layers of the beast's skin and kill it but it was definitely painful and more than a little enraging.
Masrur's eyes quickly searched the surrounding area, though he had no luck discovering who exactly had thrown that knife. Sinbad sent him a look, probably already having figured out that something was amiss, but Masrur immediately pushed the incident to the back of his mind as the fight continued around him.
It took a great deal of struggle and Sinbad's timely innervation for the battle to stop, though the Fanalis didn't relax even after their opponents had disappeared in the distance on their floating carpet. They had caused a great deal of damage and there was a large number of people in need of immediate medical attention. Sinbad immediately started passing out orders, organizing those present at the scene and offering instructions on the medical attendance of those needing it. Masrur was quick to carry out the orders given to him by his King and for a while things were going smoothly, with Sinbad and Jafar running the place to the best of their ability with what little they had to use. That was until a particular figure gained the attention of his purple-haired King.
"Hey you!" called Sinbad as he approached the hooded figure that was crouched over a middle-aged man, bandaging his wounded arm. "Who are you?" asked Sinbad carefully, keeping his calculating eyes focused on the figure. A sideways glance from Jafar told Masrur everything he had to know. Silently, the Fanalis warrior dropped the blankets he had in his arms and took careful steps towards Sinbad and the cloaked person, coming to stand beside his King with his fists clenched at his sides, ready to strike should the situation call for it.
The hooded figure rose from their crouching position and stood up straight, the long faded cloak covering them from head to toe making it impossible to decipher whether they were male or female.
"About time. I was beginning to wonder when you were going to notice my presence." said the figure and the voice that reached their ears was mirthful and definitely female.
"What business do you have here?" asked Sinbad with a serious expression on his face, watching the stranger carefully.
"Helping the injured, obviously." answered the woman and rested a slender hand on her waist, pushing part of her cloak aside.
"Take off your hood so we can gaze upon your face." said Jafar calmly, though there was a touch of command in his voice.
"Oh, how rude of me!" the woman said. "And in front of a King nonetheless…." she added.
"You know me, yet I do not believe that we have ever met before." noted Sinbad with a thoughtful expression.
The woman laughed lightly, the sound coming out muffled by the faded fabric of the cloak. "Your reputation precedes you, King Sinbad. I've heard stories about your wondrous adventures across the Seven Seas. It's an honor to meet you." she said truthfully and bowed, a long silver chain sliding through her cloak, the object hanging from it dangling right and left.
Masrur's eyes immediately went to the chain around her neck and it wasn't hard to realize what it was that was hanging from it. It was a tooth and even though it wasn't whole, the length and width of it suggested that it had been taken from a very large predator. Strange…..It had been a while since the last time he had seen one such tooth-7 years, was it? Memories from his time at the Colosseum of Reim flashed through his mind; memories of harsh battles and bloody wounds and soft small hands alight with green light…..
His red eyes widened slightly and he took an involuntary step forward, his fisted hands unclenching. 'No….It can't be….' His uncharacteristic reaction didn't go unnoticed by Jafar who glanced at him strangely. The woman took a few steps forward, approaching the three males. Strange….She appeared to be walking towards Masrur even though they hadn't exchanged a single word. The white-haired man shifted his eyes between them. Was it possible that the Fanalis was familiar with her? His reaction was a bit out of character. Masrur wasn't one to be caught unaware but one glance at the red-haired male told Jafar that something had caused him great surprise, even a bit of disbelief.
The woman giggled lightly, the sound coming out mirthful and mischievous. "So, you finally noticed it, you dork." she said and there was no denying that she was talking to the Fanalis warrior.
Masrur took a few of steps forward, approaching the woman so that no more than 10 feet separated them. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice as leveled as usual, though inside him the fear of disappointment only grew as the seconds ticked by.
"It hasn't been that long, has it?" she wondered and slender fingers reached for the hood covering her face. "Don't tell me that you forgot about me…" The faded black fabric was taken off, long pink hair falling around a beautiful young face as scintillating green that he associated with the best memories of his teenage years stared at him under thick lashes, full lips curled up in a genuine smile of happiness. "Ne, Mas-kun?"
Masrur's eyes widened. 'It's her…It really is her….' "S-Sakura!" He couldn't control his surprise. After all, he had always thought that he would never get to see her again. He couldn't help the happiness that welled up inside him at having her at arm's reach once more after 7 years of being apart, not knowing if the other was alive or not.
Her grin widened and she covered the distance separating them in two long strides, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in a tight hug. "I missed you, Mas-kun! I really did."
For a few seconds Masrur was at a loss of what to do but he soon brought his own arms around her, a rare genuine smile forming on his lips. "Ah, I missed you too, Sakura. I missed you too….." And for once, the old nickname she gave him all those years ago didn't seem so annoying…..
THE END
MasrurXSakura! Yay! So, this will remain a one-shot for now. I'm not sure if I am going to add more-even if do, it won't go beyond one or two more chapters-but they do say "never say never." This isn't really romance-for now, at least. I don't know what's gonna happen if I do decide to add more chapters-but everybody loves a dose of childhood friendship. XD
As far as "When Worlds Collide" is concerned, a reviewer told me that there is a similar SasuSaku story. Lol I had no idea. Haven't read SasuSaku in ages! I'll check it out when I have the time. But I'm telling you, what happened in "When Worlds Collide" is real-life experience! Heck, part of the conversation between Sakura and Ino is exactly how the conversation went between my friend and I. We were hanging out at a local park one day, and I see this guy and I tell my friend that I think he's cute. She actually got up all giggles and winks at me and went and called him over to sit with us. Just like that! We never really ended up together but we are really good friends now! XD
Anyway, enough with my rambling! I hope you liked this one-shot. It was a really interesting thing to write. Masrur might seem just a bit OOC, especially at the end, but hey! This is crossover fiction! XD Soon I'll be posting another MasrurXSakura where they'll get a bit more…intimate. Until then…READ AND REVIEW!
Lots of love!