I'm back with the side story to Forever and A Day! It's recommended that you read the first one, to better understand. Enjoy, and please leave a review!
The room was dim with only the dying flames of the torches hanging from the stone cold walls offering a semblance of warmth and a little light. The soft cracklings of the embers were the only sound inside the wretched enclosure and it rendered his mind completely blank. He absently stared at the dripping ceilings, not even flinching when a drop of water fell down on the tip of his nose, carefully trickling down his skin like the gentle caress of a lover. Amidst the silence, he could vaguely hear the sound of his own heart beating, and against his will, his lips twitched into a bitter smirk.
He was quite surprised that despite all the pain and suffering that he had endured, his heart was still beating. If he was a lesser man, he would have decided to end his life long ago, but not. Killing himself was out of the question. He was an Uchiha. He was cursed, but he was not a coward. Suicide was an act of fear, of escaping reality using the easy way out, by giving into eternal darkness from the hands of oneself.
Sasuke Uchiha was anything but a coward, and fear was not something easily instilled into him. He was born and raised with the mentality that the Uchiha were strong, their ranks high above the heirarchy of royal families in the entire kingdom and every inhabitant of the country was situated in the the palm of their hand. Sasuke could do anything he wanted, and he had the right to do so. He did not need to take heed with his actions, he was the prince, the second son of the king and queen.
He had believed every word spoken to him. Of course, who could deny the knowledge coming from the mouths of his esteemed father with his cold eyes, and his loving mother with the warm smile?
But for some reason, Sasuke would always see the expression of deep sadness in his dark eyes whenever he would catch his older brother staring at him. The lines of stress were prominent on Itachi's face and it made him look older than he should be, and Sasuke was confused. They had everything they could ask for, so what more could Itachi want?
Everything had been perfect. He saw the world as something he owned, until the fateful night that changed everything he believed in.
The sight of his parents' bodies strewn on the floor like battered ragdolls ripped into pieces, the sticky red substance of life covering them like a dark sheet, almost made Sasuke lose his mind. The great hall of the palace was in destructive disarray with his aunts, uncles and cousins scattered about on the ground in the same way as the king and queen in various states of death. The stench of the corpses made him wretch and he fell to his knees to vomit every last morsel of food that he ate. The sound of footsteps echoed and his heart lurched. Someone was still alive!
Sasuke looked up and was met with the blank and empty eyes of the person that he wholeheartedly loved with every fiber of his being, holding a long thin sword dripping with blood.
He couldn't understand. Why would Itachi do such a thing? What prompted him to kill every last one of his family using the blade that their father had given him for his birthday? Horror and betrayal filled his soul. He wanted to lash out, demand answers, and for one terrifying moment, he imagined taking the weapon into his own hands and running it through his older brother's chest in an act of vengeance. He opened his mouth to yell at him, words with such hatred longed to leave his parted lips, but all he could utter was one word depicting his true feelings in a defeated manner.
"Why?"
The doors had burst open upon his question and the sound of multiple feet with the heavy clinking of weapons and armor surrounded him. Sasuke was roughly hoisted up to his own feet by hands under his armpits, and before his vision was blocked by the cloth being tied around his eyes, he saw Itachi lift the sword to his neck and smile. A single tear trailed down his cheek and Sasuke's breath hitched.
Itachi swiftly pressed the blade down and Sasuke heard a scream full of anguish and heartwrenching pain.
He wasn't surprised that it had came from his own mouth.
Sasuke learned that his family was hated by the kingdom for centuries. Their name was equivalent to power-hungry and violent, and fear struck the hearts of many whenever they were mentioned. He heard tales of merciless killing of innocents, raping of women and even children, and he couldn't believe how he had been sheltered from such disgusting happening within his own kingdom.
He was not the son of a just and mighty ruler, but the son of a demon dictator masquerading as a righteous king.
The sadness in his older brother's eyes flickered in his mind and Sasuke understood. Itachi had known everything and took it upon his hands to end the reigh of anarchy at the cost of his own life. Sasuke now knew that his family was in the wrong, and he wanted to change that.
But the people were closeminded, and leniency was far from their minds. Beofre he could show his repentance and ask for pardon for his family's mistakes, he was bound and gagged and was thrown into a tower with no way out. Day and night he was tortured, both with the stinging whips and harsh words that almost broke his body, mind, and spirit. Many a time would he silently beg for his capturers to just kill him, but he knew that was impossible.
Sasuke was the living legacy of the Uchiha, and they would watch him burn.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Dark eyes impassively watched the village as he leaned against the barred windowpane, shifting slightly from his perch into a more comfortable position. The place was duller than ever; dirty children were littering the streets like ants, death was almost a daily occurence with the amount of crimes being carried out, and shouts and yells between the people were normal. It was disgusting, but Sasuke didn't have it in his heart to care anymore.
Why would he, when the kingdom itself was keeping him imprisoned without hearing his side and giving him the chance to plead his innocence?
His lips curled into a snarl and he turned away, clenching his fists. Hate filled the cracks of his broken heart and he longed to just let loose and end it all.
A series of knocks resounded and Sasuke flinched, whirling around to face the direction of the door to his cell. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. For years, no one but a guard had visited him, so why would they start now? And the door was bolted from the outside, so why knock?
The raps against the door continued but Sasuke made no move to answer it. He just stared, waiting for it to open, and he tensed when he heard the sound of the bolt unlatching and the door slowly creaked open. Confusion wrapped around him as a man ntered wearing a dark grey cloak covering him from his neck down to his feet. Half of the man's face was covered in white snake scales with a single yellow eye while the normal half of his face was young, youthful even. His silver hair ended just below his chin and Sasuke noticed the thick chain wrapped around the man's neck. He stood straight as he realized what this man was.
"State your name, wizard, then leave me be." Sasuke growled low, hostility seeping from his form, "I seek no counsel from your kind."
The man smiled widely, and it made him look more inhuman than ever. A forked tongue slid out from his lips and it took all of Sasuke's willpower to refrain from grimacing. Thin pale hands emerged from the sleeves of his cloak, and the man bowed low.
"Little prince, I go by the name of Kabuto, and I am here as your servant," he stated, voice hissing like that of the reptile which he resembled so strongly, "to show you the true reason of your suffering."
Sasuke visibly bristled at the title that he was presented, but his curiosity was piqued with this Kabuto's last words.
"True reason? What foolishness is this?" he snapped and his ire was further stoked when the man chuckled, "I am suffering for the crime committed by my family, and now you are telling me that that is not the case, wizard?"
"Little prince, little prince," the wizard sang to him like he was a child, and his sharp eyes glinted, "not everything is as it seems. You are logical, just like your poor brother."
"Don't dare speak about Itachi!" Sasuke hissed back, then he froze as his eyes narrowed further, "What do you mean?"
Kabuto laughed, "Such curiosity. If only your brother accepted what he saw with his own eyes, then you could have been happy, but alas. Itachi was as righteous as any true king, unlike your fool of a father."
His careless words ended in a choke as Sasuke took hold of Kabuto's neck and started to put pressure to his thumb. His face was contorted in barely concealed fury.
"Enough! Answer me lest you seek to die by my hand."
"Beautiful," Kabuto rasped and Sasuke released him as if burned, reeling from the utter revulsion he felt for the man.
Kabuto smirked and reached into his cloak and Sasuke once again tensed. Was all this some sort of trap and the wizard was sent here to kill him? He was about to spring and break Kabuto's neck when the latter took out a small hand mirror. Sasuke stared.
"Little prince, this is the key to your freedom," the wizard said in glee, and with a single flick of his thin fingers, the mirror grew from the size of his palm to his own height of more than five and a half feet. It was the first time Sasuke encountered magic, and he was slightly ashamed to admit that he was somewhat fascinated.
Seeing his interest, Kabuto gestured toward the mirror with a graceful sweep of his hand, "Heed my words, little prince, and you shall be enlightened."
Amidst his doubts, Sasuke slowly took a step forward and ignored the saner part of his mind that was screaming at him. His steps became two, then it escalated into three, and then he was almost running towards the mirror. He grabbed it from Kabuto with both hands gripping it and peered into the smooth surface.
At first, all he saw was fog, until he could make out movement from behind the mirror. His eyes squinted in an attempt to see more clearly, and when the mist cleared, he thought his heart stopped.
Reflected in the mirror was the most beautiful girl that he ever saw. The maiden was fair, dressed in a pure white gown that spoke of her innocence, with viridian eyes bright with laughter, but what captivated Sasuke the most was the short locks of rose-colored hair framing her angelic face. She looked refreshing, she looked exquisite, and she looked...
Happy.
With difficulty, Sasuke tore his gaze from the wonderful vision before him and glared at the silently waiting wizard standing in the corner of the room.
"What is this? Who is she?"
Kabuto bowed, hiding his gleedul smile from view, "That girl that you see little prince, is the reason for your pain. The girl that lead to your family's demise, and the girl that took your brother's life.|
Sasuke's eyes widened and he turned to look at the girl again. Hate filled his heart once more and he could feel his once coal eyes bleed red. Numerous questions were entering his head but it took to the deepest recessed of his mind as abhorrence took its place. Iin his thoughts, the beautiful girl's smile turned wicked, and the innocence of her eyes narrowed in dark mischief, and all Sasuke wanted was to smash the mirror into pieces and wipe the wench from existence.
"All of my happiness," he whispered darkly, gripping the mirror tightly that his knuckles went white, "was taken away by this girl?"
"The truth is as you see, little prince," Kabuto said, stepping forward once more and curling his fingers over Sasuke's warm hands, "Would you like to forget everything? Would you like to be happy again?"
His heart wavered, still staring at the deceptively pure maiden, until Kabuto continued.
"Happiness... with your family?"
Sasuke pursed his lips.
"With Itachi?"
All semblance of rationality left his mind, and all that he could think about was his mother, his father, Itachi...
Sasuke closed his eyes, and when he opened them, it was hard and decisive, and he jerked his head in a nod.
"Do everything you can, wizard."
Kabuto smiled.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
The room was brightly lit, the rays of the sun streaking through the gently swaying blinds, casting a comforting warmth that brought Sasuke contentment, a feeling that he had never felt since the day his family was killed.
But now, everything changed.
Tthe wizard had given him what he asked for, and he was as happy as could be. After everything, Kabuto had disappeared, taking with him the mirror and with that, the fate of the maide unknown to him, and wished to know no further.
Sasuke's eyes roamed around the room and a soft smile graced his lips at the sight before him. His mother was cheerfully serving his father tea, something that Mikoto enjoyed doing despite Fugaku's insistence that it should be done by the servants. She would laugh it off, and Sasuke would be witness to his father's smile, full of love and affection for the woman beside him. Tearing his eyes away from his parents, Sasuke turned to look at the silent figure staring out the window, watching the bustling villagers below. Sasuke could hear laughter and joyful hollering, and he couldn't help but compare it to the days where everything was cloaked hate and darkness.
Itachi looked up from his thoughts and their eyes met. When the former graced him a nod and smiling eyes, Sasuke placed a hand on top of his chest, where his steadily repairing heart was.
He had everything that he wished for, so why did her feel so hollow?
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
The afternoon was peaceful. The sky was as blue as could be, with wispy clouds slowly moving towards one direction, and the palace was filled with its usual cheer. Amidst the activities, Sasuke opted to stay in his room and spend some time with his thoughts.
His mind strayed to the wizard. Where was Kabuto now? Then a flash of pink passed his mind't eye, and his hairs stood on end. What was the pink-haired maiden doing right now, he wondered.
A series of knocks resounded and he stiffened. Tthe situation resembled the time when... He shook his head and stood up to open the door. Half-expecting to see Kabuto, he blinked in confusion when he was met with an unfamiliar man.
Sasuke studied the man with suspicion. He was wearing an emerald green cloak, not unlike what Kabuto wore albeit in a different color. His hair was also silver, messily spiked to one side. His left eye was closed with a thin scar running through it while his right eye was a soft dark grey, The man smiled.
"Little prince."
Dread filled him as he heard the familiar monicker for him that only Kabuto used. Sasuke tried to hide the fact that he was shaken, and nodded.
"State your purpose, wizard."
"Call me Kakashi," the man cheerfully said. He gave a sweeping bow, "I came to show you the ture reason for your happiness."
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. He knew what the wizard meant. He had always known, but he forced himself to forget about everything and just rejoice with what he acquired, therefore erasing the day that he made the decision to bring back everything he lost. Sasuke wanted to shake his head, to scream at the man to leave and never return, but something stopped him. A need so severe that he had to sate it.
The need to answer questions that has longed since plagued his mind.
Sasuke found himself meeting Kakashi's single eye and resolutely nodded, "Show me."
With a smile, Kakashi produced the very same mirror that Kabuto showed him, and Sasuke leaned in. The same fog, the same mist that prevented him from immediately seeing was present, and he vaguely wished that it wouldn't disperse. But alas, it didn't go his way and the mirror cleared.
Once again, Sasuke was given the chance to see the maiden that had once glowed with happiness, but his chest tightened with guilt with what he now saw.
She was seated on a chair beside a cracked window, hands folded on her lap and head leaning weakly against the wall. Her room was in disarray, and he realized that what was being presented to was the same situation that he himself experience. The girl's eyes were almost dead, and he found that he couldn't bear seeing her without any life.
"The little princess is dying."
Sasuke clenched his fists when Kakashi spoke in a low tone. He gritted his teeth and turned away.
"It does not concern me." he bit out the words with difficulty, and he felt the wizard shift.
"You feel nothing?"
"None."
"Sadness? Pity?"
He shook his head. Kakashi's eye glinted.
"Shame?"
At that, Sasuke whirled around to face him with teeth bared with the intention to attack. He wondered how that single word evoked such a strong reaction from him. Maybe because it was the closest to the truth?
"BEGONE!"
As soon as he yelled out the command, Kakashi burst into a murder of crows, the birds passing him and grazing his skin with their sharp beaks as they did so. Sasuke cursed as he fell to the ground, hearing them scramble to escape his room.
He gathered his bearings and opened his eyes, not realizing that he had closed them when the crows attacked. Sasuke breathed heavily, noticing that the mirror was still there, intact, and Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.
Standing up, he slowly crept towards the mirror. The girl was still reflected in it, unmoving, and Sasuke had had enough. He grabbed the sheets from his bed and threw it on top of the mirror.
He did not need this.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"What is the matter, little brother?"
Sasuke glanced at Itachi and shook his head. The both of them were outside in the gardens, content with just sitting in silence until his brother decided to ask the question.
Itachi also shook his head, as if to chastise him, "Your face reveals that this is not nothing. Tell me."
He felt that he was a child again, that he could afford to lay out his every thought for his older brother to comfort him and to offer him help. Sasuke stared at him, before he relented.
"It is right to take someone's happiness thinking that it is yours?"
"No."
Itachi's response was sure and full of conviction that Sasuke found it difficult to breathe. His next words burrowed straight to his chest, stinging and painful.
"When one is happy, the other shouldn't take it. Despite all hardships and suffering, the other should accept the happiness given, and strive to maintain that," Itachi gave him a soft smile before lightly flicking his forehead, "It is better to give than to receive, Sasuke, remember that."
His eyes widened in understanding, and to his horror, tears started to trail down his cheeks. He let out a strained whimper as he allowed himself to cry. His brother's arms went around him and pressed his head against his chest. He didn't deserve this.
He closed his eyes and told himself that he would let himself drown in this illusion one last time.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Sasuke stared at the mirror. The maiden was staring back at him from her bed.
"Who are you?"
Her voice was raspy, as if she had not used it for a long time, but it was everything that he had imagined. Sweet, melodious, gentle... His heart clenched. Sasuke bowed low, imitating bot Kabuto and Kakashi's introductions to him.
"Your magician."
When she dragged her feet to crawl towards him, he forced himself to watch, making sure that none of his emotions could be seen on his face. She placed her hands on the mirror's surface.
"If you are indeed a magician," she breathed, eyes shining with unshed tears, "please say my name."
After a few moments, he uttered her name, not knowing how he knew it, and he didn't care. She shook her head, telling him that she couldn't hear. Doubt tugged at him, before he placed his palm against hers.
She was warm.
"Sakura."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
She wished for the war to cease.
Sasuke closed his eyes as he clenched the knife tighter in his hands. The image of his brother smiling back at him almost made him stop. He had to do this. This was not his to have.
This would create panic in the palace, suspicion directed towards everyone in the castle, except for him.
Why would they think that little Sasuke would kill his brother, the brother that he placed high on the pedestal?
"Brother," he whispered into the night, lifting up the blade to position it on top of Itachi's heart, "I... I'm sorry."
"Sasuke."
His eyes snapped open and they stared straight at Itachi's soft and understanding ones. His arms trembled. He couldn't do it. He couldn't-
Itachi smiled, "I'm sorry, little brother."
With an anguished cry, he plunged the knife into his most precious person's heart.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
He absently listened as she happily recounted what transpired with her day, his hand loosely connected to hers. The kingdom was at peace, she said. The war was over, and she told him that once again, she could hear joyous laughter.
"I almost forgot what laughter sounds like!" she chirped, and seeing the bright smile on her face, he convinced himself that everything was as it should be.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
She wished for her illness to disappear.
He placed both hands on one leg, sweat pouring from his forehead in large drops. The pain was unbearable, and he wanted to scream, cry, to curse everything, every single thing that had lead to this.
Why, why, why, why-
He growled as he deliberately pushed his hands and screamed when he felt the bone snap into two.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
She was happily bouncing, twirling around as she regained control of her legs. Her laughter was contagious, and despite the fact that Sasuke couldn't walk anymore, he let out a smile. The pain was nothing, as long as she continued to laugh, just like that.
He resisted the want to blame her. Why was she ignoring the fact that at the cost of his own legs, she could use hers?
He quickly buried the notion. She did not know.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
She wished to be a princess once more.
He stayed impassive as the guards seized him in place, his crown and the knife used to kill Itachi thrown on the ground in front of him. His parents' horrified eyes stared at him, before Fugaku closed his own.
"Lock him in his room. Bring him no food nor water." his voice was cold and unforgiving, "My only son is dead."
Sasuke was stripped of his position in the blink of an eye, and he forced himself to block out the sound of his mother's sobs as he was roughly lead back to his room.
This was all for her.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Please never let go of my hand."
Of all her wishes, this was the hardest to grant. It was impossible. This could not be. No matter how much he wanted this to come true, fate would never allow them to be together.
Sasuke had fallen in love with this beautiful girl that took away everything that he cared for. He wished to gather her in his arms, press his lips to her crown of rose tresses, and to live together with their hands perpetually intertwined.
But they could not.
So when she pleaded him to say her name once more, he allowed his pain to appear on his face, his trembling breaths and pale skin. He was almost to his limit, and he wanted to curse fate.
Why was happiness so elusive for him? Was he not meant to have joy in his wretched life?
Sasuke curled his fingers in a weak attempt to clutch her hand through the mirror. He uttered her name with all the love that he felt, praying that she could feel it.
"Sakura."
I love you.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
The day that he decided to say words other than her name, was the day that he crushed his own heart into tiny, glass pieces.
The cracks couldn't hold much longer, and he was ready to let go.
No matter how much he loved her, no matter how much he wanted to be with her, it was all useless. His deep feelings for her were cursed, and their story was doomed from the start.
"I must leave."
He kissed her through the glass, allowing himself to pretend that the hard cold surface was her soft warm lips, and as expected, she broke down when he told her the truth.
I am not a magician. Everything is reversed. When I laugh, you cry. When I'm happy, you are suffering. I don't want that. I love you. I love you. I love you.
"I'm merely returning what you have given me," he whispered, wiping the glass as if he was trying to dry her tears, "Your smiles, your laughter, even your tears, I will never forget."
Then he sighed, "Forget about me."
He backed away from the mirror. He reared back his fist, and a thought made him let out a bitter laugh.
He never told her his name, and he would never hear it from her lips.
The glass surface broke as he striked with all the force he could muster.
The door burst open, and he resigned himself to his fate.
"Sasuke Uchiha, former second prince of the kingdom, you are to be executed for treason."
It would be nice if he could see her again someday.