My Intro chapter to my new story, I hope you can all enjoy!This story just came to me one day and I wanted to see what I can do with it, and so far I am really excited about this one, and pretty proud of myself to^^
I want to thank my very lovely and wonderful lady ILoveKuramaTooMuch, she was my beta for this story, and she is absolutely amazing as always *heart*
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own the series Uraboku, I just burrowed the characters and created my own story.
Under the Blooming Sakura- A New Beginning
Chapter one: (Intro) The Birth of a Lord
Only ten years had passed since Reiga Giou had rejoined with his clan. The war with Cadenza that came shortly after the Dark Lords rejoining ended a year later. Now peace has come to the Giou clan at last, and years went by without an incident. Until one day the peace that everyone had earned and rightfully deserved was crush, when a horde of Duras attacked out of nowhere causing the clan touched by god to take action.
It was a cold musky evening an ominous aura filled the air as the wind blew in the clouds hiding the moon from view making it harder for everyone to see. The sound of battle rang throughout the area around the main residence. The flashes of spells and energy were the only things that lit up the night sky, on this dark eerie evening.
"Where did they all come from?" asked Tooko breathlessly, slashing with Eon and taking out the Duras' that were near her before coming back to back with her brother Tsukumo.
"I don't know." Tsukumo replied as he shot at a low-level Duras that was going after Shusei, "It seems like they were drawn here by something." He said as he shot a few more demons down. "Plus there's another controlling them… A mid-villain, but I can't get a hold of their location…" the Ear of God suddenly gasped when he heard the consciousness of yet another demon, "There's an Opast near and he's watching."
"Are you serious?" Tooko questioned loudly as she continued battling the Duras, "Can we never get a break?"
"Maybe in our next life we will, dear sister." her brother smiled mildly, finishing off the last that were near them then sighed as he looked around "It would appear that someone has a grudge against Reiga-sama." he gave his sister a wary gaze, as if he heard something with his Ear of God ability.
"Are you saying that all of this was nothing more than a trap?" the female Zweilt tried to catch her breath as she asked the inevitable question with a wide eyed look towards her brother.
Reluctantly Tsukumo nodded his head, "It looks like it, and Reiga took the bait."
"Where is he now?" Tooko started to panic, she didn't like the situation one bit, sure she hated Reiga at first but so did everyone else, but now after ten years, she has grown to like him, and wished to keep him safe.
"I am sorry, but I don't know." the male Zweilt spoke in a quiet weak tone, he felt the same as his sister did "I can no longer hear him."
"No!" she rushed off in a hurry, and Tsukumo was forced to follow. "We must tell Takashiro-sama."
Meanwhile Takashiro and the others were taking care of the last of the Duras' near them when the clan leader noticed that Reiga was nowhere to be found. Stepping away from the battle to take a better look around, his breath hitched in his throat, he couldn't help but think something was terribly wrong, he could feel it in his gut. Panicked Takashiro set out in search of his lover.
'I am coming for you my love… wherever you maybe just hang in there until I find you.'
Walking down a long stone path through the bamboo forest, Takashiro knew he was on the right trail when it started getting colder as he went further in. Soon it started to snow, stopping to observe the falling snow the clan leader scanned the surrounding area.
"This snow is created by Reiga's aura," he whispered, holding out his hand to let a falling snowflake land in his palm, it felt heavy, not like a normal snowflake and yet something was off. This was Reiga's aura, that much the brown haired man knew, but it felt different. It had a metallic taste to it… Takashrio could sense blood... and lots of it. Clenching the snowflake in his hand he took off at a dead run, hoping against all hope that he would make it to his beloved in time.
He stopped just short of a clearing, seeing a dark figure stumble out into the opening, the Giou leader gasped at who it was, "Reiga!" he rushed to the man's side and caught him right as he fell to the ground.
**/**
Moments before, Reiga was in the middle of his own battle with a powerful Opast, and was forced to use his true power to defeat the Duras. The earth beneath the Dark Lord started to shake and blue lightning sparked up at his feet as he walked. Holding out a hand, Reiga sent out a powerful spell and hit the opast hard in the chest, but it was not meant to do damage, not yet that is.
The Opast looked down and laughed methodically "What, pray tell, was that supposed to do?" he mocked with an evil grin placed on his lips, "Why Lord Reiga you have been spending far too long with these worthless humans… I do believe you are losing your touch." The Duras swiftly rushed towards the man with black hair, raising his blade to strike.
Reiga barely moved out of the way in time before the man dropped his blade on him, "Heh you think so?" he held up a barrier to block more of the man's attacks. Fighting at full power like this was damaging to Reiga's human body, and the ice Lord could feel it getting weaker the longer he used his power. He didn't let up though he knew if he didn't get rid of this nuisance right then and there, then Takashiro, Yuki, and everyone else he grew to care about over the years would be in danger.
Side stepping yet another incoming attack Reiga said a quick spell to invoke the one he had placed on the others chest, but somewhere along the line the Dark Lord made a slight miscalculation and was caught off guard. The Opast came around from the right side and swung his blade slicing through the man's side and hitting some of his vital organs.
"Gahh" Reiga grabbed his side coughing and spatting out blood the instant he was hit. 'Shit… how did he get through so quickly?' thought the black haired man as he staggered backwards and fell to one knee, 'I am sorry my dear Takashiro, looks like this maybe it for me.' With what strength he had left Reiga whispered under his breath, the last few lines of the invoking spell and watch as the spell stuck to the Opast chest took effect.
The Duras froze in place and his face contorted into a horrified expression as the spell spread throughout his body. Freezing every bone and every organ then shattering them. The Opast turned to dust in a mere instant right before the ice Lords eyes.
Breathing heavily Reiga tried to stand only to find himself falling back to his knees, the unyielding pain in his side from where he got sliced open kept him grounded. "N-ngh." he moved his hand from the gash to get a better look at it but was unable to see it through all of the blood that was pouring out of it. Placing his hand back over it the man looked away, "Damn…"
Reiga could taste blood, he was bleeding internally as well and he knew it. His face twisted into a painful expression, there was still so much for him, so much left undone… unsaid. The life he finally got back was coming to an end and he didn't want to die without seeing the man he loved one last time.
'I will not allow myself to die here… I don't want to be alone, not again.'
Determination filling the man's veins the Dark Lord recited a numbing spell and a layer of frost spread over the wound. It didn't really do much at taking away the pain but it did ease it slightly plus the layer of frost acted like a bandage for a short time just so he wouldn't bleed out on his walk back.
Knowing he didn't have much time the Lord of Darkness fought against the pain and stood up, only to fall backwards into a tree, 'I need to see him… one more time.' With his back against the tree trunk Reiga took a few forced breaths before taking an unsteady step, "Please just let me make it to him… Takashiro, my love… I'm coming."
Using the trees for balance Reiga slowly and painfully made his way back towards the main residence. Leaving a trail of blood behind him the Dark Lord walked in the falling snow that was created by his aura which was caused by the emotional distress he was under.
As he continued down the path he used the last of his power to cast the reincarnation spell on himself, but he was so dizzy and exhausted from the blood loss he couldn't think straight and he had to start over a few times. He tried to manipulate the spell in just away so he could be reborn earlier than two-hundred years, but how early he wasn't sure. Through the blur and hazy Reiga finally was able to cast the spell.
The clouds finally parted to let the moon shine down to light the way for all to see but the Dark Lords vision was failing at a rapid pace and everything was starting to become blurred and foggy, he stumbled and staggered into a clearing. Catching himself on a Sakura tree he held himself up, and winced when the frost on his wound broke open causing the blood to rush out and he quickly put a hand to it.
"Damn it, I'm not going to make am I?" His free hand was clenched into a tight fist against the tree as moisture formed around his eyes, just then like it was coming from a great distance he heard his name being called out and Reiga turned to see a blurry figure coming towards him. Knowing instantly who it was the man with black hair moved from the tree and took an unsteady step, "Takashiro…" he barely whispered as he suddenly blacked out and fell forward.
"Reiga!" Takashiro fell to his knees just in time to catch the falling Lord before he hit the cold snow covered ground. "Reiga… speak to me." he looked the man over noticing the bad shape he was in and he could tell his lover had lost a lot of blood. The clan leader's heart clenched in pain, "Oh god… Reiga, my love… Please wake up." he demanded in a loud tone as he held onto the man, for dear life.
Snapping awake to the man's voice the Dark Lord coughed harshly and spit up blood before he opened his eyes, he could just barely make out the soft worried features of the man that was holding him. "Ta-Taka…" he raised a bloodied shaky hand to graze the softness of the man's skin, leaving a red streak upon his cheek in the process.
Takashiro grabbed his lover's hand and held it tightly as tears filled his golden eyes, "Hush love… I'm going to save you." he said while noticing the light that had once made the silver in the dark Lords eyes shine so beautifully slowly start to fade causing them to dim to a dull dark gray.
"It's… It's too late love." Reiga spoke in a scratchy voice that was just above a whisper.
Not wanting to believe it the clan leader shook his head, his love couldn't die, not now, and he wasn't going to allow it, "Don't you say that… I will take you to Yuki or the doctor if I have to, but you are NOT dying on me I will not allow it."
Clinging tightly to Takashiro, Reiga clenched his teeth as unbearable pain shook his body. "No… nnngh… even if you get Yuki… or anyone else it would be too… late and both you and I know it." he spoke between heavy forced breaths, "I'm in bad shape… I'm sorry, I made a mistake…" he coughed once again spitting out more blood, "I used too much of my power and energy…. And damaged this body…to the point… where it can't be repaired." Reiga winced in pain as he tried to move in his lovers arms, "So even if… you got Yuki to heal my wound… it wouldn't make a difference."
Takashiro did his best to stay strong but failed in his attempts to hold back the tears when they forced their way out and rolled down his cheeks, "No… I refuse to believe it… you can't…."
Reiga had managed to pull himself to a sitting position in the man's lap and now has his head resting comfortably on the clan leader's shoulder, his breath was coming out in sallow puffs of air when he spoke again, "This body has already…. started shutting down… it is only… a matter of time before… just… please… stay… ngh-hh…" he held onto his side as more pain shot through him.
"I am so sorry my love! I should have been by your side fighting with you…" Takashiro held onto the man tighter and looked around before turning his gaze back to his lover "Where is Luze? Why wasn't he here to protect you?"
"There… was… another Opast… Luze… went after him… and I was… left to fight the… strongest of the two." Reiga tried to laugh but cried out in pain instead. "I realized to late…. that this was… all a… trap." This was not what the black haired man wanted to tell Takashiro in his last moments, there was something he needed to tell the man and time was running out.
"Please… I don't have much time left… there is something I want to say." Reiga desperately grabbed at his lover's forearm and tears stung his face as they rolled downward creating a frosted trail down his cheek, "I… I…" he gulped and clung tighter to his lover, "I never once told you… how thankful I am… nnn… for everything you have done for me… for the life… you gave back to me… nghh…" he winced in pain as he spoke his final words, "I didn't think… anyone could… want or love…. someone like me… but you… showed me… differently and I thank you…. AHHHH!" Reiga's head fell back as the pain from his side was becoming worse, and he tightened his grip on the man's arm as he waited for it to subside.
Takashiro wasn't able to take the pain his lover was going through, and he held the man closer kissing the top of his head gently as more tears forced their way down his pale cheeks. "Just lay still my love…" he whispered gently, he then spoke a small spell and watched how Reiga's body started to relax and his breathing became steadier.
"I don't feel anything now… Thank you… Love…" Reiga nuzzled his head into the man's shoulder, the scent of the other flowed into him and he sighed in comfort, as he looked up to the beautiful cherry petals floating like frozen ice crystals on a winters day, shining clearly in the light of the moon. Feeling a bit more at peace the Dark Lord looked to the man that held his heart once again seeing the tears streamed silently down his pale cheeks, and Reiga wasn't able to help his own tears that were already forming around his dark gray eyes. He reached up and took the man's face into his cold shaky hands and claimed the clan leader's lips with his own one last time.
"I love you Takashiro Giou… please… wait for me…" Reiga whispered into the kiss, his voice sounded faded almost distant as he spoke with his last breath and as soon as the kiss happened the clan leader felt his lovers hand slide down his cheek and fall limp to the ground, and his body became heavier in his arms as he felt his lover's spirit faded away. Takashiro tightened his grip around his love and he held his lifeless body closer to him, he buries his face into the man's long black hair as his cries and tears flowed out of him,
"And I love you my Reiga Giou." he whimpered heavily unable to let go of the man that took his heart with him.
At that same moment, in another part of the main residence, Luze was still battling the other Opast, when they both suddenly stopped in their attempts to kill the other. They both could feel it: It was like a tugging at their souls, the contracts that held them both bound faded to the background and Luze gasped, "Faolar…." he whispered in a pained voice as he held a clench hand to his chest.
"Hmmm" the other Opast smiled evilly "My dear Luze, I do believe that my job here is done." The Opast laughed menacingly but then sighed a bit disappointingly: The Duras was hoping to get a little more time with the other. Then the unknown Duras smiled slightly at an idea he had "Now that our Lord is dead…" he said with delight enjoying the sour expression his words gave the other, "Won't you come back with me, your beloved Master is gone there is nothing more for you here amongst these humans…" The Opast offered and reached a hand out to caress the man's pale cheek.
"Will you not join us once again? I promise no one would fault you for following your Faolar so blindly. You were always the more obedient one, the others will understand."
"Tch…" Luze clenched his teeth, the others words leaving a foul taste in his mouth and he swung his blade only to slice through nothing but air. The Opast was gone from sight and only then was a female voice heard laughing in the distance.
"Oh dear me, that hurts my feelings refusing my offer in such a harsh manor." The voice mocked as a beautiful butterfly fluttered out of sight, "I see you are going to be just like your brother… what a pity to I thought I could keep at least one of you." The voice sighed, "Humph, we shall see each other again, my dearest Luze." The colorful butterfly flew right past the man and disappeared.
'Damn it not again!' Thought Luze with irritation as he watched the butterfly fly past and vanish through the trees. This was not the first time the Crosszeria Opast had to deal with this one particular Duras. They used to be colleagues under the rule of Lord Reiga Giou, but Luze was not found of this other Opast and during the battle with Cadenza the other Opast escaped Luze's grasp for the first time.
"This will be the last time you slip past my fingers, wench!… Next we meet… I WILL plunge my blade straight through your beating heart and you will NEVER see it coming!" he vowed into the night his voice coming out as a harsh growl, and the female's mocking laugh was again heard in response echoing through the forest that surrounded the Giou residence.
With his vow being said and the female Duras' laughter still ringing in his ears, Luze vanished in a swirling white tornado only appeared in the same clearing as the two leaders. His breath caught in his throat when he saw that it was true… There lying in Takashiro's shaking arms was his Faolar, not a sign of life could be seen in the man that he called Master. His sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground only to disappear from where it landed.
Hearing the clan leader speak words of promise in a quiet whisper to his beloved, a promise that he would wait for his return, Luze stepped closer and fell to his knees before them. He placed a trembling hand on the ice lord's chest, and in a shaky voice he spoke "I was too late… I have failed." he said quietly, unable to take his eyes off of his Faolar, "I am sorry." He murmured softly to not only to Reiga but to Takashiro as well.
"No!..." Gently placing the Dark Lord on the cold hard ground, Takashiro held his lovers hands tightly to his lifeless chest with his own trembling hands, "You did the best you could… It was I who failed him..."
'This was not meant to happen! None of this was… we were… our lives… What the hell happened?'
The area around the two males suddenly grew hotter and the remaining ice and snow was rapidly melting causing steam to rise up into the open clearing as the hot and cold air mixed together. Luze quickly looked around with wide eyes as he saw the once frozen Sakura petals thaw instantly and turn to ash. The opast gaze turned wary as it fell onto the clan leader, noting the others distressed expression the Duras reached out his hand to the man, "Sir… Sir please… the cherry petals you are burning them." Luze tried his best to calm the man knowing that the Sakura meant something to both of the leaders. The Crosszeria let out a small sigh of relief when he noticed the man's fiery aura die down slightly.
"Reiga said right before he…" Takashiro gulped back the words finding hard to even say them out loud, "He said that this was a trap… Tell me Luze…" he finally glanced up into the others eyes, as he spoke in an almost cold yet painful tone, "Were you able to get the other Opast?"
The Opast's face went hard, cold even, almost emotionless in the instant of the others question, "No." replied Luze through clenched teeth his tone was harsh as he turned his head away. He was unable to look at the other for his failed attempt to get the duras wench. "She got away yet again."
"Again?" The Giou leader questioned, with a raised look to the other, just then his expression changed to one that even made Luze's blood run cold, "Do you mean it was…?" The Opast nodded his head as he brought back up his gaze to look the leader in the eye, "Tch… That damn woman!" Takashiro growled with rage steaming in his voice "I will not let her get away with this."
He looked back down to his lover lying so still in front of him, and he ran a hand lightly over the Dark Lord's cold features as more tears threatened to fall, but Takashiro held them back the best he could, giving Reiga one last kiss goodbye before coming to a stand. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his side and when he looked upon his lover's most trusted friend, the leader's eyes were hidden by a dark shadow.
"We have work to do, Luze… you and I both… We will get that bitch before Reiga is reborn, DO YOU understand?" he spoke in a tone that made it hard for the other to protest... Not that the other was going to but Takashiro did not leave any room for discussion and all Luze was able to do was nodded his response.
As Luze watched the clan leader very carefully, something caught his attention. Narrowing his vision the Opast tried to get a better look. There, around the clan leader's neck was the cross charm that Yuki had made for Takashiro. The Crosszeria Opast glanced down to his Faolar then back up to Takashiro, Luze went to reach a hand out but quickly retracted it when he noticed the brown haired necromancer giving him a strange look."
"What is it, Luze?"
"Well, it is just that I noticed that Reiga is not wearing the charm that Yuki made and well…."
"Well what?" Takashiro took a hard step towards Luze.
"He had it on before we got separated, so that only means… That it somehow got taken off during his fight with the opast." Luze said making a mental note to go out looking for his Master's protection charm.
Takashiro's shoulders slumped forward, "So that means they knew about that as well?" He shook his head.
High above the clearing were the two males stood, the butterfly fluttered in the trees, watching them closely. She watched how the other Zweilts finally showed up and she laughed at everyone's pain. "Oh my, what a precious scene," she snickered with evil delight, then her eyes fell to the motionless body of the dead necromancer, "I will be waiting, my Lord, so I will see you in 200 years." she said with an evil laugh then vanished in a cloud of dark smoke.
**/**
150 years later…
It was evening on the first day of spring, the air was fresh and clean. It carried the scent of the blooming Sakura as it blew in through the open balcony window, cooling the Giou woman's sweaty face as she screamed out in pain. "Just a little more my lady, you are doing great." The midwife said in a light tone as she stood in front of her waiting patiently. "One more good push and it will be over my lady."
Clenching both her teeth and her hands in the bed the woman did as she was told and pushed as hard as she could, "Ahhhhh!" her head went back and soon it was over.
"Here you go my lady." The midwife walked over and gently placed a wrapped little bundle into her arms. "Meet your son," she smiled, "Do you have a name for him yet?"
"A name?" the woman asked out loud as she smiled down at the handsome child resting in her arms. 'Right I guess he needs a name, but I don't know what it should be… I never gave it any thought considering all I thought about was how I got pregnant in the first place. I don't even have much baby stuff.' she sighed and looked up from the child, "No I don't have a name yet, but I will."
"Are you still worried, my lady?"
"About what?"
"You know." The midwife fiddled with her blouse and scuffed her toes on the carpet as she hesitated for a small moment before speaking again, "You can't have kids you know that, there is no way you could have gotten pregnant and yet…"
"I know that, Kimiko." The woman didn't mean to sound so harsh when she cut her off but in her weakened state she wasn't able to help it, "And yes I am a little worried about it…" she said in a more gentle tone, "but does it matter, I have always wanted children and I have cursed myself every day since the accident at the age of nine that took my ovaries but..." she looked down at the baby boy sleeping so peacefully in her arms and she smiled, "I think god answered my prayers. Isn't that something, he gave me something that I have always wanted, so I am not going to let it bug me anymore, alright Kimiko?"
"Yes my lady." Kimiko said with a light bow before leaving the room.
Once her trusted aid had left the woman glanced backed at the child and smiled slightly, she couldn't help but think how this could all be possible and as she continued to stare down at the baby boy she somehow got this uneasy feeling that she couldn't explain but she shook it off telling herself it was nothing. Soon the exhaustion and fatigue overwhelmed the woman and she fell into a deep sleep.
Only a few hours later the woman woke up shivering, she wondered why the room felt colder than it was before she fell asleep but what really had her startled at that moment was the blinding blue light that shined right above her and her baby. She sat frozen staring at the light that slowly faded revealing what looked like a book that slowly floated down to rest gently on top of the boy and soon after the coldness left the room.
With a somewhat trembling hand she reached out and took the book and gasped when she read the title, causing it to slip from her grasp to land on the floor, "So this explains everything then." her voice shook when she made that comment, becoming scared as she didn't know what she was going to do now, the child she had always wanted was…
The woman's fearful eyes fell once again upon the baby boy in her arms, with a shaky hand she moved a strand of black hair from his face and his silvery gray eyes looked back up at her, "You are no ordinary child are you?"
Authors Notes:
I am so sorry if I made any of you cry^^ It was something I needed for my story and it fit well.
Admit it though, even the ones who don't like Reiga very much cried, I know you did don't lie, *she laughs*
Well I am the writer and I cried, though I think that might be do to the fact I am in love with the man but eh who knows, it was and is a really emotional sad scene.
Funny thing is, it was my first death scene, that I wrote^^
Also it may seem that Reiga is OOC but really he is not, this is how his character would be developing in the other story that a friend of mine and I are writing together called Tortured Passion. if you have not read it yet, then you should I think you would really enjoy it :) So again in other words Reiga is in perfect character for how we plan on developing him kay :)
I do hope you all enjoyed it and please please let me know what you all think, by leaving me your reviews, thank you!
Credits to my sister Kazumi for helping me out with certain parts.
