Shizuki opens her eyes, everything was dark around her, there’s a cherry blossom trees around her. The petals falling across her, she carefully stand up and look around the surroundings, the ground was like a water with white swans swimming around, everything around her was cold but fresh. Her ponytail was waving by the wind across her, she turn around to check if there was cherry blossom trees with pink petals—there were the crimson cherry blossoms.
“It appears like you have reached me…”
The warrior princess turn around behind her, the woman who was supposedly her mother, standing in front of her. Her hair color was like the one she saw her for the first time, her hair was elegantly tied loosely with flower on her strands, her eye shape was slightly rounded--her attire was similar like how she saw her in her dream. Mizuki Kasuga, that was her name, isn’t that right?
“Wait a minute…”
The woman’s expression was softened when she saw her daughter, she was glad that she was able to meet her again after a long time in the dream. “Mother…?” Shizuki asked as she frowned at her, her hands were shaking a little to see her, she feels like she’s been longing to find the truth about her parents being exiled. “Is that you?”she walked towards her with one step, trying to confirm that this is real. “Please tell me this isn’t a dream…”
“Forgive me for not being able to see you, your father and I was exiled for the rest of our lives, that I have to give this Rainbow Jewel to you…”
Mizuki approached her and embraced her, making Shizuki couldn’t help but tearing up at her words, finally she was able to see her mother like this. Her father should be here, she want to meet him too, how long has it been a year to wait until she can meet them? Shizuki carefully embraced her back, sniffing a little when she could feel her warmth, a motherly warmth.
They pulled away when Shizuki wanted to speak, she wanted the truth, she don’t want to stay hidden by lies anymore. “Please tell me, why the Shogun wanted to capture me? What does they want?”
“I’ll show you the truth.”
Everything around her shifted into Imperial Palace, Shizuki realized she was in the memories, it can be said that she’s rather invisible. The warrior princess began to walk towards the upstairs of the palace, her thoughts was to see the Shogun, she wished she didn’t stumble into someone accidentally. “Did you caught her, Ryuusaki?”
“That girl was asleep and we kept the katana, Miyako.”
“Shizuki Kasuga…”
It makes her angry, yet she couldn’t help but to calm herself down, she turn around to face him once again. “That katana was powerful, I didn’t think your favorite concubine would have that and her own daughter has it on her hands,” she growled, glaring at him. “How come you didn’t keeping tabs on her?! We need her power!”
“Listen, I promise I will get her, trust me.”
“Well then, you better go and do it! Get rid of those filthy creatures!”
“You better come with me instead!”
Their arguments could be heard by Akito, while he waits for them to leave the balcony to leave the palace, he turn around and ran away from the hallway, he knew what he’s going to do. Shizuki followed Akito to the hallway, that was when he saw him entering the secret room—the room where her katana was being kept—her eyes widened to see his eyes glowing in bluish color.
Akito was half-yokai, it wasn’t a secret anymore, yet he couldn’t help but to do this when no one is around.
Akito formed his naginata on his hand, now it make sense how did he summon his weapon, she remembered that Akito resembled either a sparrow or a crow, both are part of his attitude he finds annoying. Shizuki watched the aura came out from him, it was thick red and he was anticipating for it, she stepped back when he stood there to face the katana wrapped by the red strings from each sides.
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Shizuki saw him spun his katana and cutting off the strings with his spiritual blade, cutting the whole ties from the katana, Akito was expert with spears, but from how he used his power, it looks like how Tengu fights. But from his power, it mixed with something, “I must give this to her, just like what Mizuki-sama told me,”he said, snatching the katana. “I have to release her first.”
Akito turn around and left the secret room, Shizuki saw everything around her went back to where her mother is. The reality struck her so badly, “Have you figure it out?” Ryoga asked her, her mother wasn’t there—instead of was her father, his appearance was exactly like the one in her dream. It was embarrassing that she saw their moments in that dream, Shizuki laughed nervously, “Oh… you must be my father..”
“What was that?”
“It’s nothing!”
Shizuki rubbed her forehead, embarrassed to see her father standing in front of her, that uniform was similar to Hayate’s attire—but his robe reached his calves--his coat was covering his entire attire. “Oh right, where’s my mother?”
Ryoga crossed his arms, didn’t answer her question, but he gave up in trying to ignore her question. “Your mother is not here, I’m taking over her for a while.”
Ryoga was patiently waiting for her, staring down at her, Shizuki shake her head to brush her dizziness away. “I know the reason why, they wanted the power from my mother, is that right?”she asked him, “What kind of power is it father? I want to know, I don’t want to be hidden by the truth anymore.”
Shizuki wanted answer so much, she don’t want her question being unanswered, yet there’s some things that still unanswered. Ryoga look down at the ground, “The powerful Rainbow Jewel, something that Yuzuki doesn’t have,”she tilted her head, confused of what he’s talking about.“You will figure it out Shizuki, demonstrate that power and you will able to master it, even though you’re not a priestess; you’re a warrior princess.”
Ryoga’s appearance swapped into Mizuki, they merged by her power and were able to switch each other at their own will, Mizuki smiled at her. “It will be alright, believe in Akito and the one you loved,”she said to her, holding her hand and placed the red thick cosmetic cream inside a scallop shell compact, Shizuki stared at the cosmetic, she open it to see a red pearl inside the compact—she look up at them and nodded. “I will.”
Both of them appeared and embraced her together, into a family hug.
Shizuki wanted this moment to last forever—but her power didn’t let her able to reconnect with them realistically. They pulled away from her, before she closed her eyes and fell into the end of her dream and went back to reality.
***
“Hayate! There’s a scroll for you!”
Haruka shouted while standing outside her machiya house, the ex-general sighed softly when he was about to approach her, while on break from his duty. He knew Haruka could be this strict, but at least she give some information and updates despite not being with him, “What is that, a scroll?”he asked her, his childhood friend handed the scroll message from the Sun Palace. Where he used to be assigned there, she smiled at him, “I’ll take care of her, you read that first, okay?”
Hayate nodded as he received the letter from her, then he left out from the tatami room to the outside of her machiya house. Unwrapping the scroll, he figured it came from Mikage, he knitted his eyebrows together; what is he trying to do this time? Firstly that Imperial General never sent a message to him, but he did?T
The ex-general shrugged and began to read the scroll;
“To Hayate Ishikawa
Something hapepned in the Sun Palace, it wasn’t a good news since the feudal lord suddenly got murdered by the suspicious individual, initially we don’t know who it is but it must’ve related to something inhumane, I must warn you and the people in the village, and I will come to the village as soon as possible to meet the High Priestess.
From; General Mikage Suzuki”
Hayate wraps the scroll back, looking back at Haruka, “Something’s happen in Imperial Palace, we gotta check it out,” he informed. Then he looked at his horse, before at his childhood friend, he was indeed concerned about Shizuki, he mumbled while looking back at her. “But… I wonder if Shizuki-san is okay out there…” he didn’t seems concerned about the Dragon, but worried about his childhood friend too.
Haruka was worried when he mention about Shizuki, she hoped she was fine out there, that was until Akito came with his horse. Hayate shouted at him, waving his hand towards him quickly. “Akito! It’s me!”
Akito stopped his horse by pulling the rope, he glanced at Hayate. He hopped off from the horse and approached him, his white cape swayed slightly before looking back at him. “General Ishikawa, what is it?” the strategist asked, resting his hand on his hip. “Did you heard the news from Mikage?”
“What news?” Hayate handed the scroll to him, letting him reading everything what’s in the message, he saw him knitting his eyebrows together. Akito wrapped the scroll back, looking back at both of Shizuki’s childhood friends.
“I will inform this to Munakata-sama.”