Mana: Before The Rise 12 Sakura In The Shadows 9

It was a bright and beautiful day.

A beautiful woman lays lazily with a young boy sleeping on her chest. Enormous, Catlike eyes blinked dazedly out of a heart-shaped face. Her eyes still an unusual pale amber was so astonis.h.i.+ngly lovely that for a moment you couldn't help but be captured.

She was now 21 years old. Rachel rubbed the little boy's soft hair dark brown hair that was similar to her own.

Sanjou Riyo, was the name of the person. she had saved five years ago. Let's just say the women was a real smooth-talking, she was able to convince Rachel to stay.

New Name, New Ident.i.ty, New Goal. Her shadow-weaving started evolving and changing

"Akiyo" Rachel lightly called to walk the little boy up. "Akiyo" she sung again, this time the boy moved and rubbed his eyes before going back to sleep on her chest. Rachel sat up while holding his sleeping frame.

He didn't struggle when she put him to bed nor woke up when she tucked him in.

She walked back out to the garden and folded her arms at the pond.

"Nikki" Riyo said from behind here a joyful smile on her face but…. Rachel frowns again at the Riyo if she didn't know her for this past year. She would have thought that the she was a she and clearly not a trap.

A Very beautiful Trap, who enjoys cross dressing.

This was Rachels very first experience with this type a thing. Where a man could look this good in female clothing. Sanjou Riyo, wasn't an unknown name in fact she was famous in this country history.

The Moon ball is held for every Moon prince to meet all the most eligible women in the country, this night is who he would choose a bride. Riyo was once chosen as the Moon Bride, the person who would become the Moon Princes most favored companion.

Although technically the Moon Bride was nothing more than the most prominent of the prince's lovers, her social status was only second to the Moon Princess, the prince's legal wife.

Well, anyways this 'trap' here actually became one. I mean how scary is that.

It had been known for a child of the Moon Bride to become heir to the Crown if the Moon Princess was barren. In all this time after ten years the old Moon Prince had never given this person up. Riyo had been his 'Moon Bride' until the old Moon Prince died Only a few years before Rachel had meet Riyo.

Rachel is not sure what to make of the Situation in the bedroom nor if the old Moon prince new. All she could draw was a comedic or Awkward scene in the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Riyo said because of Rachel odd stare.

"I always thought that this would be an insensitive question but, after five years, I have a enough courage to ask...Did you love the former Moon Prince?"

"….." Riyo paused at the question but didn't drop her smile. It became sad and somewhat nostalgic.

"Neverminded you don't have to say anything. Your expression just now was enough for me to understand" Rachel said "But, do you believe that you will meet again? In another life"

"…." Again Riyo said nothing for a while "I do believe"

"Then, I surely hope so as well" Rachel said sadly "Come, Ill play a song for you"

"Ohh" Riyo smiled delightfully. Rachel lead Riyo to a clear room empty all sake for a Qin, which took her a long time to craft with perfection.

The Qin is a seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the Zither Family. In the brightened land this instrument was rare and hardly seen.

Ise's hand, Ise's voice, and Ise's emotion. Rachel would never forget that, Ise was gone and never coming back, but that hatred the pain still lingered and merged with Rachel.
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The Qin was an instrument better than the shamisen (j.a.panese Banjo), I was just as lovely as a violin or flute. Playing a beautiful melody playing.

The moment you heard her play you hear the familiar song knew in the modern world as 'See you again'

It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

We've come a long way from where we began

Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

When I see you again

So let the light guide your way hold every memory

As you go and every road you take will always lead you home

It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

We've come a long way from where we began

Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

When I see you again"

Rachel lifted her face at the tearful Riyo who was lost in her own memories.

"As always its perfect" Riyo said who she broke out of her trance and wiped her eyes. "But, you know for the Moon Ball, you'll have to dance instead...…Nikki, do you really-"

"I do"

"I want to help you take revenge….I thought helping you would set you free. I was wrong, I feel as if Im making just another prison for you."

"You worry to much"

"Akiyo is going to miss you"

"….." Rachels gaze went back to the strings on the Qin "All the more reason, he has become far to attached to me. He'll become strong when I'm gone"

Riyo gave the saddest expression as she looked at Rachel who was still staring deeply lost in thoughts all alone.

-A Few Days Later-

Rachel walked behind Riyo in an eloquent and lady-like manner as they where being ushered into the Lord Goto Munesue, the right hand of the Moon Prince.

Riyo had fun choosing her outfit. Three layers the outer one is of a deep, bamboo green embroidered with white Lilly.

Rachel has come here to impress this man and gain approval from him to enter the Moon Ball as a partic.i.p.ant to become the Moon ride. Her gaze became mystified by the magnificent garden, the narrow, winding paths of the tea garden.

It was a bright and chilly day, so Rachel slid her hands into her sleeves as they where somewhat cold. She noted that the path was meant to keep nosy guest in line. The carefully maintained shrubs, ferns, and trees that closed in around to block any view of the rest of the garden. How Sneaky

As the path came to and end, they reached a beautiful wooden pavilion. Her heart raced somewhat fast a familiar scent came to her. Doubting she ignored it until she saw the person himself.

Her breath paused and then returned to normal as she prepared herself. She never expected to see him again. But, the features of Tsyiy and his father stood out.

Tsiyi he had grown taller than his father and more refined. The string, straight back stiffened, and the head tilted as if listening for some faint, familiar sound.

Rachel paused her breath. 'His sense would of course have gotten sharper Afterall these years' She put on a straight poker face not revealing anything readable. There is no doubt he would recognize her because he to is a shadow-weaver.

He turned to her; it was a stare at first then. His eyes held a moment of disbelief and hope as he stepped forward wanting to reach out to her.

Rachel took a step back and put one of her sleeves to her mouth. "I am sorry." She said coldly, "I do not believe we have met before." She said suppressing everything inside.

"Do you not recognize me?" His arms reaching back down to his sides.

"…" Her eyebrows twitched at his heartbroken expression "I have not met you before, Sir."

His expression became blank.

"Perhaps you have mistaken my sister for someone else?" Riyo said smoothly, edging the s.p.a.ce between Rachel and Tsiyi. "I am sure we would remember if you had been introduced to us before." She bowed to him politely, Rachel copied her, before turning her eyes away from him.

A conversation between Riyo and Tsiyi's father began.

But Rachel couldn't concentrate on it as Tsiyi silent but probing stare at her was making her endlessly nervous inside but she kept her poker face.

There was a sharp rattle, and they all turned to see a short, plump man putting back the pierced screen of the inner gate of the tea garden. This must be Lord Goto.

"Tsk" Rachel couldn't help but break out silently. Tsiyi turned to her once again, before he was pulled away and began to follow Lord Goto. Rachel turned her head once again so she could ignore his eyes. At the last moment she saw them.

Sadness, pain, longing, and Betrayal.

She saw before the screen slid shut behind him.

"We should get going" Riyo said, her eyes full of questions. But, ones in which Rachel had no intension to answer.

Pa.s.sing through the inner gate, Riyo had arranged for them to be far away from Tsiyi. Neither her nor Tsiyi looked at each other.

'This was good, wasn't it' Rachel thought as a sharp pain inside started to wedge.

It was a short ceremony, and Rachel was glad it was over. Things like these have always been a waste of time. Riyo left to go discuss some things to Goto, leaving Rachel all alone.

Looking at the soft petals from the Sakura trees drift slowly down, brought her mind to Ise's innocent childhood memories. Making, Rachel want to cry even more.

So many things she didn't understand and no one who could answer her questions. She has the memories of the lives of two other people in her other than Ise. None, of them deserved their deaths. Alicia was an innocent girl who loved animals, Joey was just a solider drafted into the army never to fulfill his dream or see his family and now Ise, she had disappeared and yet did not.

All these years contemplating and still nothing. She doesn't even know if after this body dies will she move on to another world like the protagonist and continued this farce of living despite knowing she should be dead.

Just what is she supposed to do?

"Ray"

Rachel reflexively turned before cursing herself, she was to be lost in her own thoughts. Tsiyi was standing behind her, with a grim look of triumph on his face. Not meaning to but knowing she had given herself away.

"Why were you trying to scare me?" she said softly turning her face back to the tree when he stepped closer. "Don't-"

"Don't what? There is no point in this pretense. Look at me."

"No" Rachel said trembling "Leave me alone."

"Not until you look at me"

"…." Rachel closed her eyes as she panicked, stepping away from him. Trying to back away, but, he caught her wrist.

"What happened to you?" He whispered "What went wrong? I looked for you for so long. Where did you go?"

She still refused to look at him. His soft voice was overlapping with someone else.

"Ray" he released her arm and took her face. As he gently lifted it to his forcing her to meet his eyes.

'Ahh, they are overlapping.' She thought trapped by the ocean blue eyes of someone else.

"Please, don not deny me. I cannot bear it." He leaned her against the Sakura tree, Rachel felt her power collapsing, the aura the made her ethereal dispelled. He embraced her in a tight hug to calm her down.

"This is not the place for this. Tomorrow" he said his voice against her check, his breath against her hear. "Meet me tomorrow on the Moon bride. You know it?"

"No…I cannot. You don't understand I c"

He pulled back from her to se her face as he gave her a little shake. "You can, and you will. Do not argue unless you want me to hound you until your is a burden. I will do it. Tomorrow at noon, you are going to meet me and tell me everything."

"No" Rachel finally caught herself as she pushed back and shadow-weaved away to a safe place. She knew she couldn't continue to keep running away. But, at the same time she felt the need to. She couldn't forget to put Ise' s last wish to rest, Tsiyi made her remember.

Ise's revenge cannot be forgotten.