Linger

silverdiadems

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It's appreciated. 3

Chapter 2: the beauty of loneliness

She had fallen asleep again.

She rose from the ground. It was still dark, she noticed, and with dark came cold. She wrapped her arms around her knees, shivering silently into the night.

The moon had almost disappeared, meaning the sun would rise soon. It was fourth, fifth hour?

She clambered up from her bed of snow, and stood. Sakura furrowed her eyes at the darkness. The glowing mist provided some light source, and she could see her surroundings at the very least.

To her right, she saw a dark clump, which she assumed was the forest. She walked slowly, tentatively, scared of what the dark held- or hid.

She walked aimlessly in her dream-like state. Her fingers felt stiff- she could barely move them, and if she had a mirror she was certain her lips would have been blue. Her eyes remained open wide, frozen in that position. She shuddered.

"Hello…?" She shut her mouth in surprise when she could see her breath. Was it really that cold?

"Someone, please," she said, louder this time.

Anyone? Answer me!

"Hello?"

She collapsed yet again, the cold was draining her strength. A flower, stuck in the embrace of the winter could not live. She did not belong here.

Her eyes closed with tiredness and exhaustion for the cold had nibbled away any warmth she had left. Any reminder that she had come from the Land of Warmth had gone.

Her body froze, and her mind stopped thinking, stopped worrying in the phase of sleep. She grew still, as the warmth left her body, and she embraced the very thing eating her alive.

It was dark. And in the darkness, Sakura embraced the cold.

Sasuke hadn't been awake for long.

And yet, he was already walking through the Snow forests. He wondered it Sakura had heard the news yet.

The border was closed. He had heard it from one of the elders of the village, who had told him in passing this morning.

How would one close the border? The idea was absurd to Sasuke's mind. Or maybe he just didn't want to believe it.

If the border was closed, there was no way for Sakura or him to speak to one another. But, it was already forbidden for one to cross the border, so how would closing it make any difference?

Ah. It wasn't meant to make a difference. The barrier was simply to reinforce the border, and Sasuke knew from experience that the border hadn't stopped him and Sakura meeting. The closed borders were to stop any interaction at all between people of different
lands of origin.

So. Someone had seen them. Someone had reported them to their 'god' of sorts, the man who had created this world and set the laws and the people.

He was named 'The Masked One' by the people, and he was rarely seen about- for he was usually minding his own business, running and changing the laws of this world. The closing of the borders would have been his doing.

Sasuke knew little about him, as did everybody else in their land. He only appeared once a year to address the citizens of each world- with the same speech. He was the only one who was legally allowed to cross the border, even though many others had done
so and dies for their deeds.

He continued through the Snow Forests on his morning walk. Sasuke was a simple man, and took pleasure in the little things- whether it be the early snow fall that happened at around sixth hour, or taking early morning walks like these.

Somehow, walking through the forest seemed to give him more energy rather than taking it away. The walks seemed to sharpen and rejuvenate his mind, a meditation of sorts.

The forests began to disperse, like they always did when the border came into his line of sight. Maybe something about the magical barrier stopped forms of plant life from growing too close. Sakura had told him the same had happened on the other side,
in Attakai.

The barrier was only a meter away now, and he watched it in fascination, as the mist swirled and sparkled under his gaze. It was beautiful, really, even though such a simple and exquisite thing did wonders to keep lands apart.

He could see it now. The wall of ice underneath the folds of the mist. So it was true. The borders had been closed.

"Sasuke!"

He turned as her heard the beginning of his name, looking through the dense forest, and his eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw a familiar face on a familiar background.

"Sakura," he breathed, running towards her. She lay on the ground, her lips cold and blue, her face an unhealthy shade of white.

Her lips turned upwards as she saw him. "Hey," she said softly, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She touched his arm tentatively, and her grip was ice cold.

If it had been any other person, Sasuke would have pulled away. But this was Sakura, his friend Sakura, and he would never pull away from her. He kneeled in front of her, holding her hand.

"How are you here? Sakura, what on earth-"

"…accident," she said, her voice hoarse and soft. "Something took me here…"

She chuckled dryly, shaking the snow from her hair. "It really is beautiful here," she whispered, her voice dying with every word. "Just like you said." Her gaze turned to meet his, as she slumped backward, motionless.

Sasuke felt her neck for a pulse. So she had just fainted. He pulled her into his arms, and she stirred slightly before falling asleep. She was frighteningly light, either from dehydration or just her small stature.

He could only hope he didn't run into anyone on his way back. He needed to get Sakura back as soon as he could, then he'd have to find some Fireroot for her throat.

"Sasuke…"

He looked down into her eyes that had opened ever so slightly. Her hand crept upwards to his face, caressing it with her cold touch. She smiled ever so slightly, tracing his features lightly with her fingertips, her touch like snow. Soft, light and cold.

"It's really you," she murmured. "All these years and this is the first time I've ever really seen you…"

Now that she put it that way, Sasuke realised this was the first time he had seen her without a barrier of mist and snow between them. He hadn't truly seen her vibrant hair or her emerald eyes until now.

He stiffened, and when her hand finally fell back into her lap, he held her tightly to his chest.

He couldn't keep her warm. He wasn't born from sunlight and warmth, but from wind and snow.

Sakura's question from the past floated into his mind. 'Hey Sasuke,' she had said. 'Do you think we'll ever meet?'

'I don't know,' he had answered then. 'I hope so.'

She had giggled. 'I hope so too.'

Now he knew the answer.

"Yes, we will," he said aloud, answering the question from so long ago. We will meet. We have.

He looked down at Sakura, still in his arms sleeping.

"Come one," he said softly, to her, even though he knew she wouldn't answer. "Let's take you home."

Come forth shadows and night

For the time is nigh

Midnight shall purge

The sun shall not emerge

For with our non-light

We bring forth our night.

Sasuke had layed her down in his bed, the only bed in his house.

He gathered all the blankets he could find in his house- and pilled them in a lump for Sakura to use if she were to get cold.

He was on his way out the door to buy food for the two of them (he couldn't let his guests starve, after all) when he passed by the door of his bedroom.

It was wide open, and he glimpsed her sleeping figure in his bed. The colour had returned to her cheeks, and for that Sasuke was glad. He smiled slightly, and was bout to head out when he heard her voice.

"Where you watching me sleep?"

Sasuke turned so sharply that he heard his neck crack. He winced at the ungodly sound.

"That's only slightly creepy," Sakura remarked snarkily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Sasuke's neck flushed red slightly. "I wasn't watching you sleep," he retorted, much to Sakura's amusement. "I was just walking by."

Sakura snorted, and Sasuke struggled to figure out the loophole in his sentence.

"And people walk by standing and not moving, do they?"

Sasuke glared.

a/n: Huh. Well, I hope this was up to your standards. I chucked a little of my dry humour into the ending. Hehe.

Thanks to all who reviewed! I tried to get this out earlier for you guys :) Honestly, if you've ever written and fanfic you KNOW how much we (authors) appreciate reviews. Honestly, they're the fuel to our fire. :D

Please, just drop by a word or two to give me some feedback. I'd love to receive any suggestions or what you think will happen later on in the story. Even if you want more writing in Sasuke's perspective or something- just tell me! And if you notice some
errors I won't know if I'm doing something wrong until one of you guys tell me XD Just don't ask for what's going to happen further on in the story.

Note: I've been trying to plan ahead with this story like a 'professional author' so I don't have as many loopholes in the plot. So far, I'm planning for there to be a sequel once the first arc is done, because there's a
bit of a break between this arc (the 'sakura is in korudo' arc) and the second arc (which will be revealed later once certain events happen)

Wow, this was a long Author's Note. Ttyl, everyone. Hoped you enjoyed the chapter.

Review y'all! Please? ;D

Tourmaline Sword