Farewells of the Heart

Goodbye

The end of the war meant so much to people. And not just the people of Sindria, but to people around the world. Whether or not it changed their lives for the better, it had an explosive impact on everyone in the world. Two of the Sinbad's generals were not unaffected either. 

Sharrkan had grown up in a war-torn country. As the prince of Heliohapt, he didn't see a world that could be fixed or saved. However, Sinbad may have been the one to save him. He took the young boy with him, sailing around the world and seeing what it had to offer. He was no longer a prince as he saw it, and instead felt like he could do much more as Sinbad's general -- that he could truly make a difference in the world. Over the years, he truly did do those things, and he believed in his king with all he had, but... there was a bump along the way.

Ever since he had join Sinbad, he had also joined forced with a girl who he continuously butted heads with. They argued over this and that, and truly it was chaos for all the other generals. They never got along. Their habits and competitive natures even translated into adulthood, and yet, despite their arguments and bickering, they had a deep and profound respect for one another. 

Sharrkan had honestly found himself being attracted to her in some strange way. He didn't know what it was about her. Was it her stubbornness? Her pride? Or perhaps was it the way that she was brave? That she was unforgiving? That she was intelligent? He honestly didn't know. This girl named Yamuraiha was truly an enigma to him. She left him speechless with her wit, piqued his curiosity, and interested him. The swordsman was truly desperate when it came to her.

Once the war was over, he had a moment to breathe from all the conflict. The man spent a few weeks thinking. Now that there was no fighting, what could he do? Once he spent time thinking about it, he realized how much he missed his home. It had been years since he was in Heliohapt, and when his brother, the king, had passed, the people of his old nation came calling to him. They begged for him to return, for he was the last one of the royal lineage. There was nothing he could do besides return him, and look after the people he had missed for so long. 

That just meant one thing... leaving her. And Sharrkan didn't think he would be able to do that.

He'd tried to leave before Yamuraiha knew, but somehow she always knew anyways. When the boat for Heliohapt had come for him, the generals still remaining in Sindria had come to him to say farewell. That meant the girl he had spent so many years alongside with as well. Everyone said their own personal goodbyes, and Yamuraiha was last to go. She'd approached him, and he couldn't help but gaze deep into those eyes who reminded him of the ocean around the island nation. For some reason, when he saw them up close, his heart squeezed painfully. It was almost hard to breathe, and he suddenly felt a wave of regret. However, he waited for her to speak, and she did.

"So, King Sharrkan, huh?" The woman quirked an eyebrow at him, and tilted her head to the side. She was just a little teasing with the whole thing, but just one look into her eyes and he could tell she was feeling something different. The swordsman didn't quite know what that different was though.

"Pfft. It's just Sharrkan to you." He chuckles, a hand on his hip, and a bag tugged over his shoulder. "Maybe I've surpassed you now, Yamuraiha?"

"In your dreams, Sharrkan."

That made him smile a little wider, and he glanced away from her, off to the coastline around them. He thinks for a moment, wondering how just one person made his life go topsy-turvy, and made his heart do backflips. Still, it was hard to pinpoint the reasoning though. They were close, but never that close. It wasn't like she was his best friend or anything.

"You know," the magician starts. He glances back at her out of the corner of his eye. "We've been through a lot. It's kinda hard not to imagine you bickering with me everyday. I suppose I'll have to get used to that." She shrugs, and takes off her hat. She fiddles with the brim of it, looking away from him A smile laces her lips, but it's not completely... there. Like it's broken, and she put the fragments together, but it didn't come out quite the same. He feels his throat tighten, but he forces out a small laugh.

"Yeah, you're right. Good riddance." Yamuraiha opened her mouth to bark in an insult at him, but his hand raised and rested on her head. The man ruffles her hair gently, and her eyes are wide as she stares at him. "...Take care of yourself, Yamuraiha." He wanted to say her names as many times as he could before he was gone. He knew this would be the last time in a while he would be able to say it and feel whole.

And so, with one last smile, he waves goodbye to his former gang of friends, and boards the ship. As the ship leaves the harbor, he releases a sigh, and it's as though he's leaving a part of himself on that island. That magician that has changed his life in more ways than he can count was the one he left behind, seeking a new future for himself, and it was like a punch to the stomach. Still, he takes in a shaky breath, and allows himself to try and get some control. However, it's then that a crewmember on the ship is shouting, and he glances up to see Yamuraiha on her staff, approaching quickly, but is still a bit far off when she stops. 

The man's eyes are wide, and he can vaguely make out the clear smile on her face and the tears on her cheeks. She stands on her staff, and cups her hands around her mouth. She takes in a deep breath, and yells out back to him so he can hear. "GOOD RIDDANCE!!"

After that, he hadn't seen her ever again.