The Hearts War: Destiny Ninja

Chapter 39: The long Goodbye

A/N: Emily is such an oddball isn't she?

Sometimes the best thing to offer is your reassuring presence.

If you know anyone who is unusually distant or unreasonably hostile, reach out and offer a friendly hand.

THE LONG GOODBYE
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"OH MY GOODNESS!"

startled at the slight voice and tiny squeak from behind, I turn around and find Sakura pale as a sheet as if she saw a ghost.

"Sakura? Morning. What's wrong?"

She stood there completely still, expression frozen like a statue.

No reply.

I walk over to her and place a hand on her shoulder, her skin is clammy and cold.

"Do you feel sick?" I ask her with a smile

Her face relaxes somewhat and weakly crinkles into a sad smile.

"Oh Emily, you're smiling"

Caught off guard by the remark, I realize she is right as I did not have anything to smile about until recently.

"Yeah. . . I guess I am." I shrug my shoulders

"But your hair! Wh-what happened!?"

Her face goes through an array of expressions before it settles into confusion with her fingers tangling on the ends of my hair and nape of my neck.

"I . . . Needed a change."

"It is so short!"

"Yes, I know."

"So short!!"

"I kind of like it that way"

Quickly Sakura ran her hands through her own very long dark silky locks, the kind that was characteristic of a princess.

"I could never imagine myself with hair that short."

Her voice is shaky and concerned.

"You don't like it?"

Sakura pauses for a moment, as if deciding what to say, then smiles and takes my hand.

"You look different but it is still you, . . . More importantly you are happy again!"

"I don't know about happy. Let's just say I've made my way out of a dark place."

She seems beside herself and walks into my room carrying a small but heavy muslin bag of what I assume are things I don't need on my mission.

"Today you are leaving! I wanted to help you pack for your mission, I bought all these things for you to . . . Emily?"

She turns around and notices I have not re-entered my bedroom.

"Don't you want them?"

"Thank you Sakura, but. . . I don't need to bring so many things. I have all I need."

I raise up from beside me my own little sling bag that I arrived in. I brought all my own things with me and did not feel comfortable with leaving them here.

"You have all your things already?"

"Yeah, I don't really feel comfortable without them on me."

"But, you will come back right?"

"Of course I will, what makes you think I won't?"

Secretly in my own mind I had hoped that as soon as I find the other two regalia I would instantly zap into my own world. But I forget myself and forget that I have other people to worry about before my self.