As the sun rose, the princess lazily opened her eyes. Besides her laid the raven-haired boy. She looked at him and blushed. She remembered his words.
I am here for you.
She couldn't help but blush again. Sasuke was so compassionate, so caring towards her. He would understand her and help her out. It meant a lot to her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the said guy's movements. He turned around and put an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He snuggled against her, burying his face into her hairs. Sakura blushed again. Slowly, she closed her eyes, thinking about the events that happened in her life.
She looked at Sasuke's face. He looked so innocent while sleeping. She remembered the time they met. The constantly hated each other. Never would she have imagined that one morning they would be entangled in each other's arms. She smiled at her thought. She remembered their conversations in the forest. She had shared all of her dreams, her thoughts with him. She had grown onto him. The past month spent with him was truly amazing. She got to know Sasuke's caring and sweet side. He was there every time she needed him. She felt drawn towards him. It was a weird, strong feeling. Never in her life had she felt like this, for anyone.
'Am I really in love with him?'
The couple was currently walking in the direction of the castle. Both of them were covered head to toe by their cloaks.
As the castle came into view, both of them looked at the beauty of the majestic monument. It was an artistic stone building covered with beautiful sculptures. The beautiful carvings covered the entire castle. It was truly amazing.
As soon as the entrance gates came into view, Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
The guards.
'Why is this place filled with guards?' he thought, irritated. They had to find a way to get past them.
The sun was setting, the last of its golden lights bathing the Cotton Candy Land before the darkness would completely consume it.
"We will wait here. At night, we enter the castle. We will use the rear entrance. There are less guards that side. Here's the plan…' with that, Sasuke explained the entire plan to Sakura.
Sasuke was currently leaning against the castle wall, while Sakura was sitting on a nearby rock. While Sasuke was busy calculating the way to enter the castle, Sakura, on the other hand, was lost deep in her thoughts.
'What happens when we get the Calypso's sword?' she thought.
'He will take The Enchanted Fairy Dust of Epic Magic and leave. I know he doesn't love me back. Maybe it's just me, inventing all this romance. He doesn't even love me. His goal is different. He has somewhere to be. He wouldn't stay here with me. And if I do convince him, I would just be getting in his way of his revenge. He trusted me as a good friend, shared his past with me. I can't just hold him back for my selfishness. I can't tell him I love him.' She wiped her tears she didn't know form in her eyes. She could not become weak. She had to stay strong. She had to fight back her feelings. She wiped her eyes and put on the brave face.
'No, I won't.
I won't tell him about my feelings. I won't make him stay with me. I won't stop him from getting his revenge. I will just spend the time I have left happily.'
"….kura. Sakura." She heard Sasuke whisper. She turned around to see him looking at the gate, while his hands motioned her to follow him. She got up and followed him. She put her thoughts into the dark depths of her memory and decided to forget them forever.
Sasuke's sharingan spun around as he calculated the precise movements and timing of each guard. Finding an opening, he quickly held Sakura's hand and made them enter the castle garden. He pulled her behind a tree as a guard passed by. As soon as the area was clear, he stepped out. Sakura followed him. The followed the same pattern. They would walk a small distance and hide behind the trees every time the guards passed by. They had to be very careful. One mistake and their life would be in danger.
"Hey! You! What are you doing?" they heard someone shout behind them.
Both of them froze.
They slowly turned around to face the guard. They did see him, just to find him stomping towards his fellow guard.
"How dare you sleep again? Get back to work!" he shouted at his sleepy mate.
Sasuke and Sakura let out a sigh of relief. They slowly turned around and continued their job quietly. It took them a lot of time to finally reach the entrance of the castle, but it was worth it.
They were currently at the rear entrance of the castle. This was usually used by the maids and servants, hence there wasn't a single guard there. This was a perfect opportunity for them to enter.
Slowly, they entered the castle. They were currently in the kitchen of the palace. It was pitch-black and any sound of falling vessel could alarm the people. They had to be extra careful. Sasuke guided Sakura using his sharingan and led them both safely out of the place. He found out the stairs leading them down in the dungeon and they climbed down.
The dungeon was a damp, dark place just like Sakura had imagined them to be. She walked close to Sasuke and held his arm tightly. "Sa-Sasuke" she squeaked.
Sasuke looked at her and remembered their time in the forest. He remembered his little fairy being afraid of the darkness. He held her hands into his and entwined their fingers.
'Don't be afraid. I am right here' he assured her.
They kept walking and occasionally hid from the strolling guards. Searching their way, they reached a large room. It was dimly lit by the fire torches on the wall. They could see many different things dumped there. Broken tables, discarded wooden pieces, broken mirrors, and things they couldn't even make out.
"We should start looking for the Calypso's sword. It could be anywhere." Sakura said as she started looking around. Sasuke raised a brow at her but followed suit. Soon, the couple was searching each and every object.
As Sasuke searched, he came across a large flat thing covered by a cloth, close to the wall. Curious, he went ahead and removed the cover. There was a large mirror underneath it. The borders were designed beautifully. Sasuke stood in front of the mirror looking at his image. As he stared, the image blurred and he saw his 10-year-old self in the mirror. Just then, he saw two blurred whitish clouds form over each of his shoulders. His eyes narrowed at the image but quickly widened at the sight before him. He saw his father standing on his right while his mother on his left. He stood wide-eyed at the sight before him. His mother lift her hand and placed it over his shoulder lightly, smiling at him. The 10-year old boy lift his hand and placed his hand on his shoulder, over his mother's hand. Unconsciously, Sasuke did the same. He placed his hand over his shoulders hoping to touch his mother's hand. But as his hand touched his bare shoulder, he quickly looked at it, only to find nothing there. He looked behind expecting to see his mother's face only to find an empty space. He quickly turned back to the mirror, and there they were! His father and mother both smiling back at their little son.
"Sasuke? Did you find anything yet?" he barely heard Sakura whisper. He turned to see Sakura still digging in the old furniture. He looked back at the mirror only to see his reflection in it. He frowned and turned to Sakura.
"Sakura, come here." He called out to her. 'How can this happen? I am pretty sure this is not a genjutsu. Is this thing playing tricks with my mind?' he thought. His trail of thoughts was broken as Sakura came near him. He quickly pulled her and made her stand in front of the mirror.
"Stand here. Tell me what you see." He told her. Sakura was confused at first, but stood there nonetheless. First, she just saw her own reflection staring back at her. A few moments later, the image became wavy, just like ripples in the water. Sakura looked at the mirror confused. As the image cleared, she saw her attire change. Her hair were in small braids from the sides and were tied together behind neatly in a perfect bun. Her dress was altogether different. It was a sky-blue coloured long gown flowing generously onto the ground. On her head was a beautiful shining tiara having light blue diamonds, matching her dress. What surprised her the most was the presence of wings on her back. She had beautiful multicolour translucent butterfly wings on her back. She looked beautiful. She looked like a true fairy. She squealed.
"Oh my God! I look like a real fairy. I have wings, Sasuke! I have wings! Does this mirror show future?" she asked happily.
Sasuke frowned at her reply. Future? He saw his parents and his 10 year old self. That was the past. His tragic past. What exactly was this mirror? He was sure this was not some kind of genjutsu. His Sharingan surely would have detected that.
Just then Sakura turned towards him and pulled him by the arm. "This is amazing, Sasuke. Look at me." She said making him stand beside her. When she turned around, she saw their true reflections staring back at them. She was about to open her mouth when she saw the image ripple again. This time they saw themselves standing beside each other. What surprised them was their attire. Sasuke was looking very handsome in his black tuxedo. His hairs were standing out even more and added to his sexiness. What surprised the couple was Sakura' attire. She wore a white wedding gown. Her beautiful face was covered with a veil and she carried a bouquet of pink flowers in one of her hand. Her other hand was entwined in Sasuke's.
Sakura blushed furiously at the image before her. A pinkish tinge could be seen on Sasuke's face too. They both looked at the image again. Just then, the image rippled and faded away. Sasuke frowned. 'What is the mirror showing us now?' he wondered.
His question was answered when the image appeared again. This time it was different. They saw two people standing beside each other, staring right back at them. The lady looked similar to Sakura. She was tall, thin wearing a long gown. Her waist-length pink hair spread carelessly over her shoulders and she stared right back at Sakura with her honey-colored eyes. The guy, on the other hand was a bit taller than her. He had brown hair and black eyes. Moreover, he had long translucent wings on his back. The black eyes bored onto Sasuke. Sasuke and Sakura both were shocked at the sight.
"Are they…" Sakura started. "Ryan and Layla." Sasuke finished her sentence.
Just then the mirror illuminated with tremendous light emerging out of it. Sasuke and Sakura covered their eyes with their hands. Sakura was about to let go of Sasuke's hand but his grip on her hand tightened as they held hands together.
Sakura opened her eyes first to find them in the hallway of a huge castle. She looked at Sasuke who was confused too and studied the surroundings. Suddenly, they saw a maid emerge from a room. Both of them tensed. They expected her to scream and call the guards. But the maid carried out her work and walked right past them. It was as if she couldn't see them.
Just then, a beautiful maiden entered the grand foyer. Her shiny pink hair flew gracefully over her shoulders and she walked elegantly.
"Layla! A princess is supposed to stay inside the palace. But every day you break this rule! This behaviour is intolerable!" a voice ordered from the balcony above. The said girl turned to look in the direction of the voice. Sasuke and Sakura, too, turned towards the sound of the new voice. Their stood an older lady looking similar to the said princess. Only, she had a darker shade of eyes and wore a crown on her head.
"I don't like to sit here the entire day, mother. Why can't you understand me?" the said girl begged.
"That's enough! I don't want to talk about this. And that is final!" The queen said, turning around and disappearing into her room. The princess also returned to her room. Sasuke and Sakura stood there confused. They were brought back to the past. They decided to look around, but suddenly the place spun around. When the surroundings stabilized, they found themselves in the throne room and saw the King and the Queen sitting on their thrones. Princess Layla was standing in front of them, convincing them.
"Please, Father! Mother! I love him! All I am asking is for your consent for this marriage." She said, sobbing.
"Layla. Your Father and I are working hard to find you a proper suitor. We need a proper prince for you, somebody who will is wealthy enough to match our status." The queen replied arrogantly.
"Yes, my child. Your mother is correct. Just the other day, she told me about the Prince from the Land of Waves, Prince Haku. He seemed eager to accept you as his bride." Her father soothed her.
"But Father. I just want you to know the name of the man I love. He is Prince Ryan. The Prince of the Pink Realm." She ended. The Royal couples' eyes widened. And soon they both smiled at their daughter. They approved her decision and the princess was overjoyed. Sasuke and Sakura were watching the entire scene. Sakura looked at the royal couple intently. Something about the queen ticked her, she couldn't point that out. Princesses were taught to read the underlying intentions of the people. Sakura found that study useful in this case. She told Sasuke about this but he didn't pay attention. So she let the subject slip away.
The room spun around again and they were back to the Grand Foyer of the palace. This time the Royal couple stood near the entrance, welcoming another family. As the family entered, Sasuke and Sakura saw an old couple entering, followed by a tall, lean man with brown hairs and wings on his back. Sasuke and Sakura knew for sure that this was the get-together ceremony for the two families. The families introduced themselves and talked to each other while the Prince and the Princess chose to wander around the palace.
"…and this is the way to our royal garden. We will visit it last. Come, let me show you my room!" the Princess called excitedly as she pulled her lover along with her in her room. The door closed behind them. Sasuke remembered the story and blushed at the memory. He looked at Sakura who was doing the same and turned to look at Sasuke. As soon as their eyes met, their blush increased and they quickly looked away from each other.
The place spun again as they found themselves in a different room. Just then, the queen entered the room. It was her chamber. She paced around briskly muttering things to herself.
"This can't be happening. Prince Haku promised to grant gold equal to the present Royal treasure if I convinced Layla to marry him. This wedding could have been a tremendous profit to the kingdom. But this Prince Ryan stole my daughter from me. He is the main problem. I have to find a way out of this" the Queen talked to herself. Sasuke and Sakura heard everything.
Soon the room spun again and this time they were standing in the forest. It was dark and they hardly could make anything out. Sakura caught Sasuke's hand.
'What were they doing here of all places?' Sasuke thought.
'Why is this forest so dark?' Sakura thought.
Sasuke's question was answered as they saw a cloaked figure walk into the darkness. Sakura further squirmed and held Sasuke's arm tighter. He took her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He made her fit into his arms comfortably and turned her around. Now Sakura was standing in front of him and Sasuke held her by the waist from behind. Sakura blushed, but was happy and comfortable.
They saw Prince Ryan emerge from the other side. He walked ahead towards the cloaked figure. The said person pulled the hood to reveal its identity. In front of Ryan stood the Queen of the Cotton Candy Land.
"I am here to ask you an important thing, Price Ryan." She began. "As the Queen of the Cotton Candy Land, I request you to break off this wedding." She said monotonously. The Prince was shocked at the Queen's demand.
"That is not possible, my lady. I will not break the wedding. Please understand us. I love Layla! I truly love her." the Prince begged before the Queen. "Well, you leave me no choice, then." The Queen said calmly and signalled. "Kill him!" she said.
Sasuke and Sakura just looked at the scene before them as the guards pierced multiple swords in the Prince's body as the Queen looked at him with an evil smile. Sakura could not look at the scene and screamed. Sasuke looked shocked too. Just as the sound escaped her mouth, both of them found themselves being sucked out of the place. They held onto each other as they landed back in the dungeons. The couple stood there speechless.
All this time, the Pink Realm and the Cotton Candy Land fought the war for a wrong reason. It was never about betrayal. The couple loved each other a lot. It was about deception. The Deception of the Queen towards her daughter, towards her Kingdom.
"Sakura." Sasuke called out to his little fairy to make sure she was fine. Sakura looked at him and smiled weakly.
"I know what I have to do. I have to reach my kingdom and summon the Royal families of every Kingdom and tell them the truth. I have to put an end to this, once and for all." She smiled at him, while getting up. "But first, we have to find the sword" she said to him. Sasuke stared at her for a moment before getting up. The girl was pretty excited at the new discovery.
The couple walked through the dungeon maze, pressing their luck in finding the specific sword. There were hardly any guards in the dungeons so they passed pretty easily. Soon, they reached an empty room which had a huge stone in the centre. Halfway in the stone was stuck a long sword. Its handle was golden, spindle shaped and studded with many gems.
"There it is!" Sakura exclaimed as she ran towards it.
"Who is there?!" came a loud voice from behind them. Sakura stiffened. Her voice was loud enough to be heard by one of the guards. The couple heard footsteps and voice of the guard alerting his fellow mates. Surely, they were in trouble.
"Sakura, take the sword. I will stop the guards. Quick!" Sasuke ordered her, pulling her inside the room. Sakura went towards the rock and Sasuke drew out his katana, ready for the attack. Just then, the guards spotted them and charged at them. A fight broke out.
"Sakura! Hurry. I can't hold them on much longer!" Sasuke shouted.
Sakura climbed the rock and held the sword in order to pull it out. She tried with all her strength, but couldn't even budge it. Suddenly, the stone surrounding the sword grew and engulfed her hands, trapping her at the spot. She screamed at Sasuke for help but he could not rescue her at the moment. Her magic was useless without her hands so she just stood there, helpless.
Sasuke had successfully killed almost every guard and seemed to be on the winning side. Just then, he saw a man wearing goggles enter the room. He had many small knives secured over his entire body. The guards immediately bowed down to him. "Killer Bee-Sama." They addressed to him.
The said guy seemed to be a powerful commander of the army. What annoyed Sasuke the most was his way with the words. The said guy rhymed up his lines as he spoke.
What was he? A singer? Tch. Sasuke mentally smirked at him and took his fighting stance. Soon, it was a fight between the Killer Bee and Sasuke himself. They fought with equal force. Killer Bee showed no mercy on Sasuke as he punched him in the stomach. Sasuke recovered from the attack and charged at him. The commander simply dodged his sword and kicked him, sending him to the opposite side of the room. Sasuke got up with difficulty and charged at him again, this time kicking him with full force. Killer Bee just smirked at him and drew all his knives. He charged at Sasuke with an inhuman speed and pierced one of his knife into his stomach.
Then second.
And third.
And he continued the process, hitting every vital spot.
Sasuke just stood there wide eyed, unable to move.
"Sasuke!" he heard Sakura shout behind him. She had witnessed the entire scene before her eyes.
Sasuke kneeled down and coughed blood. All his vitals were shutting down as he lay helpless on the ground.
"No!" Sakura shouted, desperately trying to free herself. She gripped the sword and pulled it with all her might. To everybody's surprise, the stone crumbled into pieces as Sakura drew out the sword. Her entire body started to glow as she was lifted in the air. As the light receded, Sakura's attire changed. She was wearing a long, light blue gown. On her head was a tiara with light blue diamonds studded on it. On her back were beautiful butterfly wings. She looked just the way the mirror had shown her.
She swooped down, still carrying the sword in her hand and reached out for her lover. Sasuke lay helplessly on the ground, his breath ragged and uneven. Tears flew uncontrollably from her eyes as she cried over his body.
"Sasuke! Don't leave me! No!" she begged over his dying body.
"I love you with all my heart!" she sobbed, her tears falling freely over his forehead.
His body lay limp on the ground, showing no signs of vitality. Sakura hugged him tightly and cried. Just then, the fallen tears turned golden and illuminated. She stopped and looked confused. Soon, all his wounds showed a golden illumination as they healed automatically. Sakura looked at the scene, shocked.
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, looking at his lover. He gave her a lazy smile and whispered "I love you too" before Sakura hugged him tightly.
The guards and the Killer Bee bowed before the holder of the Calypso's sword. Sakura stood up and ordered to take them to the King.
Sasuke and Sakura currently stood before the current King and Queen of the Cotton Candy Land. She explained about the mirror-The Mirror of the Past and the Future, as the King told her. The mirror showed either the person's past or his future, randomly. Sakura told them about the truth behind Ryan's murder. The Royal couple understood and were ready to sign a Treaty of peace with the Pink Realm. Sakura was happy, as everything started to fall back in place.
The Queen pointed out to her that she had transformed. She told her the story about how the Queens of the Cotton Candy Land had pink hair, reciting the famous tale of the Queen who saved her husband. "History repeats itself" she said as Sakura blushed and Sasuke smirked at the comment. Soon, they bid farewell to the King and Queen and left.
Sasuke looked at Sakura as he remembered their talk in the forest. She had told him about losing their wings and also the knowledge of magic. Her transformation assured him that she was now a complete fairy and had all the powers in her. Sakura caught him staring and smiled at him.
"Look, Sasuke. I can fly! I have my very own wings!" she said childishly as she flew in the air. Small sparkling dust fell of her wings each time she moved her wings.
"Do you know what this is? This the Enchanted Fairy Dust of Epic Magic!" she said as his eyes widened. All he needed now was to sprinkle this dust over Itachi.
"Sakura. I need that dust to help me complete my goal." He said to her. Sakura just smiled.
"Let's go, Sasuke! Let's not waste more time." Sasuke frowned at her answer. "Wait, are you coming with me?" he asked. "Yes. I want to help you. Isn't that what you do for the man you love?" she smiled genuinely. Sasuke stared at her before smiling widely and pulling her into a passionate kiss.
He then held Sakura's hand and pressed the Teleportation device.
A green light covered both of them as they were transported back to the spaceship.
Itachi, I am coming!
Naruto+Harry Potter+Tangled= A Disaster.
Next chapter is the last.