The weeping cherry tree danced with the wind and its falling petals fluttered as if they're one being. The moonlight shone showing the silhouette of a tall young woman of about her twenties standing beside the tree with a hand pressed against the trunk. She's wearing a kimono with two layers with the upper layer's left sleeve dangling from her waist and her lower kimono reaches her ankles in contrast to her upper kimono which reaches only up to the middle of her leg, her obi is tied on her right side leaving the rest of the sash dangling up to her knee. The upper kimono is intricately embroidered with sakura flowers against a red background with its petals sprawled about the whole material and her lower kimono is as blue as the night time sky and the kimono is embroidered with the clan's crest, signifying that she's a member of the main family.
Her long black hair is gathered in a bun on the left side of her head but some are left dangling and reaches her shoulder. One of her hands is hidden in her kimono and tucked in her obi are two fancy fans with long red threads decorated with white and black stones one on each fan with tassels on each end of the red threads and behind her also tucked in her obi is a short sword, a kodachi. Her small purple eyes are welling up as she stares up at the dancing branches of the tree. Her pinkish lips smiling slightly at the sight.
'Onii-sama…Rihan niisama!' she thought gritting her teeth and her tears falling from her eyes.
'Kagura basama!' a young boy, dressed in black kimono shouted running to the young woman. His hair is brown on the top and black at the bottom. His eyes are brown but despite this, his appearance has a striking resemblance to the young woman.
'Ara, Rikuo-kun…' the woman he called Kagura said as she smiled looking at him.
'Kagura-sama…' another woman clad in mourning, her brown hair is gathered in a bun behind her head, her gentle eyes are red from crying and her appearance is much frail than Kagura's. The young woman's eyes lowered at the young boy.
'My deepest sympathies, Wakana-san.' Kagura said bowing to the woman in black, but the other woman took a step closer to her so she could take her hands.
心よりお悔やみ申し上げます, 若菜さん
'I'm the one who should be saying that.' The other woman answered and broke down crying.
'You're his wife, Wakana-san.' Kagura answered smiling sadly; she kneeled and embraced the young boy. 'I'm sorry I haven't been around, Rikuo.'
'Kagura basama?'
'Onii-sama…forgive me!' She thought tightening her embrace.
'So it took you that long to get rid of that?' an old man asked Kagura while they're sitting on the porch. The old man's head protrudes to the back of his head and is bald. His eyes are as small as Kagura's and is also wearing black kimono with a hakama and haori bearing the crest of their clan.
'I'm sorry, Otou-sama. Had I been around this…' Kagura answered. 'Rihan Niisama wouldn't….'
'Stop putting the blame on yourself, all of us never anticipated this would happen.' He answered and breathed out smoke from his pipe. 'Rihan is strong, and is not one who needs looking after.'
'But Otou-sama…' she answered back but she wasn't able to finish what she's going to say.
'Foolish daughter, you shouldn't show tears to anyone.' The old man said patting the young woman's head gently. 'Go, I'm sure your brother would like to see you.' Kagura managed to nod slightly.
After that, she changed her clothes to those like the other woman's but with five crests on her kimono with the positions just the same as what she's previously wearing with the exception of two crests on the middle of the back of her kimono's sleeves. She came into the room where her brother's remains are being kept. She stood at the entrance, not wanting to go in she shut her eyes closed as she mustered all her might to step forward. Both humans and youkai alike looked back at the person who just came in.
'Kagura-sama!' one of the youkai exclaimed standing from where he's sitting. 'You came back…'
'Who's that?' a human asked.
'Rihan's younger sister…' another answered as Kagura proceeded in front to the casket and looked at her brother's monochromatic portrait. She kneeled and lowered her head clenching her fists that rested on her lap.
'I'm home, Rihan niisama.' She choked under her breath.
ただいま、故伴兄様
A young girl dressed in the same manner looked from behind Kagura covered her lips and is on the brink of crying.
'Kagura-sama, you've finally returned but Rihan-sama is…' the girl thought but a huge man placed a hand on her shoulder she looked over to him as he shook his head.
俯くな、神楽!
'Don't hang your head, Kagura!' Kagura heard her brother's voice in her head as she looked back at the casket where her brother is lying.
'Onii-sama…?' Kagura murmured. 'You're right, Onii-sama, I shouldn't be like this! Because I am Nura Kagura, the second daughter of Nurarihyon.'
私は奴良神楽、ぬらりひょんの二女。
風と踊る妖