Chapter 36: Birth X Beauty
A Few Days Later…
The doorbell of Sindbad's private suit rang.
It was noon and he remained in bed, with a white robe comfortably wrapped around himself. He paused his favorite local program, a soap opera. He was in the middle of the third season's climax where the male friend of the bride was going to rush to call off the wedding and pronounce his love for her. Sinbad had his doubts of this working but they were childhood friends and anything could happen in the name of love.
Angered that he had to pause his show, Sinbad squirmed out of bed. His feet knocked aside the accumulated trash by his bedside and dirty clothes he left on the floor as he exited the bedroom to get the door.
Since becoming a Floor Master, Sinbad hasn't left his private suite. Still devastated by Hisoka's immature decision to spoil his priced treasure like someone spoiling the end of his favorite program.
He reached the door and opened it, without a care in the world of his current appearance. Waiting for him on the other side of the door was Machi, wearing her pink hair in a low pony tail as most of her hair was free and flowing down the sides of her face, and similar kuniochi styled attire. Around her neck was the same purple scarf, the one she threw on herself in disguise at the shopping store.
Sinbad's eyes widened in absolute shock and joy, since Sinbad's depression sent him into becoming a shut-in, ice cream addicted and soap opera connoisseur, he didn't need his constant En on. After unlocking his transformation, Sinbad's understanding of Nen and himself deepened, so he turned it off.
So, Machi's sudden appearance completely shocked him.
"He–" Machi began to speak before Sinbad slammed the door on her face. He vanished into his room and returned to open the door. In three seconds, Sinbad managed to clean himself, do his hair and put on his golden hoops, change into his usual attire, and then apply cologne.
Sinbad reopened the door. "Sorry about my previous rudeness, I am still in the state of waking up."
Machi kept an indifferent expression, interested in how he managed to change his appearance so quickly. She leaned to get a glimpse into Sinbad's suite but he leaned over to block the mess inside. "No problem… Is everything okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Sinbad asked back. He then didn't wait for her to respond and quickly followed it up. "I am doing much better now since my eyes are blessed with your beauty. Speaking of which, why are you here?"
Machi took a step backward, understanding the implication of her sudden appearance at his private suite. Especially since this information wasn't given to her by Sinbad. She rested a hand on her chest and closed her eyes, unable to look at the man in his golden irises. "I am here to uphold my end of the promise. I thought you would have bumped into me by now and demanded to know my name."
An invisible arrow struck Sinbad's heart, remembering the truth. It hurt knowing the name but he didn't have the truth of confirming it with her, it was well within Hisoka's nature to give a false name.
'Wait, did I just kill a man prematurely because they gave a false name?' Sinbad quickly thought and then dismissed the idea. A more interesting idea came to mind.
"So you missed me so much that you went into stalker mode and figured out my suite?" Sinbad said in a teasing manner, leaning closer to her.
"No!" Machi shouted. "I just asked around and someone told me."
"Really? You just asked around?"
Machi nodded. "Those girls in the Alliance are really scary."
"Thankfully, they don't have access to the floors above two hundred," Sinbad sighed, swiping the imaginary sweat off his forehead. "And you're not a part of my fan alliance?"
"Of course not," answered Machi, forming an 'X' with her arms.
Sinbad smiled at her cute expressions and mannerisms.
Unable to handle his glare, Machi pouted and mumbled. "So, do you want to know my name or not?"
He hung his head in defeat. "Sure."
Machi's facial expression lightened as her whole body filled with delight. A bright and giddy smile stretched on her face, the type of smile that women concealed from the man to hide their true feelings. A look that Sinbad would kill for but he missed it since he hung his head.
After calming herself down, gently she lifted Sinbad's chin. And she looked deep into his eyes. "Did Hisoka already tell you my name?"
Still wanting to deny it, Sinbad shook his head. "Unless your name is Machillina?"
Playfully, Machi karate chopped Sinbad's head. "No."
"I know, that sounds ridiculous," he said, standing back up to full height. Looking down at Machi, he noticed that her hands were fidgeting with her scarf and her legs were shifting back and forth. She was nervous but this behavior far exceeded the normal for Sinbad's understanding of her.
Then she lifted the scarf to cover her lips and cheeks. "Machi isn't technically the correct spelling and pronunciation of my birth name."
Sinbad's eyes widened as his lips parted into a beaming smile.
Her eyes rolled upward, looking up at Sinbad. "It's 'Ma' 'Tiy'. Matiy but because of its awkward spelling and pronunciation, it was easier to go by Machi."
In the end, this was Sinbad's victory.
This is what he fought so hard for, to learn this truth from her. Of course, killing Hisoka was rather easy and didn't come with much danger but this was the story Sinbad would tell himself and anyone else who wished to listen to the story.
Sinbad dropped onto one knee, heart exploding with pleasure. He placed his right hand onto his heart and offered the other toward her.
"I will cherish it till the day I die."
Machi reached out and grabbed Sinbad's other hand. Unable to contain herself, she laughed. The kind of laughter that was lost due to the hardships she went through growing up in Meteor City, the kind of laugh that made her feel free and invincible.
"You're so dramatic," Machi said. "But it is only fair that I cherish something as well."
Sinbad rose to his feet and quickly came up with an answer. "Cherish that laugh. The one you just did."
Machi shook her head, her pink hair swaying back and forth. "Something of yours."
"Me?" Sinbad asked and she nodded. He thought for a second and then pulled out his purple Magi Kingdom insignia and flicked it toward Machi.
With open hands, the Magi Kingdom insignia landed in her palms. Sinbad's claim to the throne, his right to be King of Magi.
Machi's eyes dilated the instant she recognized the insignia. She would never forget the symbol associated with that kingdom. It was because of King David of the Magi Kingdom and that cursed Rose Bomb that nuked the once thriving and magnificent metropolis of Meteor City.
"This is…" her voice trailed off. Machi's emotions stormed in conflict, her growing intimate feelings for Sinbad and the pain his family caused that gave birth to the Phantom Troupe.
"My proof of lineage, the next King of Magi," Sinbad said, running a hand through his hair. Deciding to speak now and interrupt her train of thought, because of course, the cunning and observant Sinbad noticed her reaction to seeing the insignia. "Well, I still need to be crowned King and beat my brother but that's unimportant right now. But that tiny insignia means everything to me."
Machi's gaze finally left the insignia in her hands and looked up at him. Her gaze lingered inside of the golden sea of his eyes. The thumping beat of her heart screamed at her to stash and cherish the insignia in her pocket while her analytical and instinctual mind told her to shove it back into his face, to never speak to him again.
To her, Sinbad was alluring, magnificent, confident, and beautiful.
But he was also dangerous, conniving, ruthless, and manipulative.
"Will you cherish it for me? Hold it dear in your heart?" Sinbad asked, holding her captive with his seductive eyes and charming voice.
Machi listened to the pounding tune of her heart for the first time in her life.
"I will cherish it till the day I die."
Sinbad sighed, resting a hand on his heart. "Are you doing anything today?"
She didn't have anything but she paused, giving it time to make it seem as if she wasn't eager for Sinbad's eventual proposal. "I have time."
"Let me take you to the roof," Sinbad said, walking away from Machi so she could follow, which she did. She noticed that he walked taller and appeared more mature as if the lines of his face deepened and grew wise. His voice dipped on a lower octane as it did before. "Let's see what being a Floor Master is all about."
Floor Masters of Heavens Arena got private access to the second highest floor in the building, of course the absolute highest floor was reserved for the winner of the Battle of Olympia, there was a gorgeous view of the city, a fancy restaurant and other arrangements that cycle throughout the year for entertainment.
Sinbad and Machi spent the rest of the day together. They ate a luxurious sea food five course meal, a buttery surf and turf was the main course and they opted on ordering the famous world renown ice cream from the 211th Floor.
For entertainment, they watched a captivating play. A true heartbreaking love story between two separate hearts pulled apart by rivaling factions, but their love transcended the blood spilled by their families' wars. A love which sparked from the most mundane of meetings flourished into a blazing display of love as the two lovers abandoned everything to remain together.
The touching end of this play brought Sinbad to tears and up on his feet, applauding and giving his finest compliments to the male and female lovers. Machi enjoyed the play but couldn't personally connect with the characters or story.
After the play, the sun said its goodbyes as the black and starry sky shined from above. Here, underneath the blinking stars, Sinbad and Machi opened up to one another. He opened up with a story from back home about the vast stars, pointing to the pictures painted on the overhead black canvas.
Constellations.
Using Machi's own finger, he pointed to all of the different constellations in the sky. Baal, Furfur, Crocell, Beleth, Shax, Astorath, and Phenex. But he emphasized his favorite constellation, Phenex, a tiny and beautiful bird. The colorful stars that made up the bird had multiple colors of red, green, and even purple.
"Why is that one your favorite?" Machi asked. Then she chuckled. "Except for it being the prettiest one."
Sinbad's gaze fixated on the tiny colorful dots. "I used to beg my mom every night as a little boy to tell me the folklore legends about the seventy-two Great Deities that form the constellations. One night we finally got to Phenex's story and she was the weakest Deity by far, constantly being bullied by the other Deities so she grew wings and learned how to fly to flee from harm.
"But her brothers and sisters were much stronger and bigger Deities, so at first, it didn't matter where she flew nor how far. They would always reach her and they would harm her."
Machi tilted her face and body to look at Sinbad. "Why do they constantly wish to harm her?"
"Because she was beautiful," Sinbad answered, keeping his gaze onto Phenex. "Her gorgeous feathers hummed and illuminated with an iridescent color, those who wore her feathers were gifted with beauty and healing. Those who didn't wear Phenex's feathers burned with jealousy and demanded feathers of their own, becoming aware of this Phenex promised them feathers if they went and punished her brothers and sisters that harmed her."
Machi's gaze returned to the Phenex. "I'm guessing they did."
Sinbad smiled. "They would have been killed if it wasn't for Phenex's mercy, bringing them back to life with her healing. Her brothers and sisters became devoted protectors and benefactors for Phenex, swearing their lives to her. Ever since then, Phenex was never harmed again.
"During times of conflict and war, her feathers blessed the battlefield with healing being able to bring the Deities back to life and during times of comfort and peace, they begged for an ounce of her beauty.
"Phenex was cunning, merciful, and irreplaceable. A tale of the tiniest and weakest Deity soaring to become the most loved and feared."
Growing up in the hellhole that is Meteor City, Machi sympathized with the Phenex's tale. Her childhood of constantly looking at the ground, shifting through garbage and dead bodies to find any source of food or something valuable to sell, having to keep her attention to her feet to not earn the unwanted attention from the horrors of man, and the berating looks from above casting their judgement down onto her because of her birthplace.
For all of its faults, she still loves her home. This is how the Phantom Troupe came to be, bringing fear to the outside world of Meteor City, stopping people from entering and damaging their home while protecting the defenseless inside it.
Machi leaned her back into Sinbad's chest, keeping her gaze up on the colorful constellation. "Phenex's tale is beautiful."