Memo: In case you haven't read the prologue yet, please do. But if you have, kioko isn't going to be in this chapter yet. Neither will any of the Inuyasha characters. But they will soon. So please bare with me and enjoy (lol).

Dragon In the RainA Feudal TalePart 1Blossoms of the Past

"…And nights like these we treasure away…

…Singing songs to and from the rain…

…And sodden in the lights of the moon…

…Song paints the air where fireflies lay…

…Jaded eyes of dragons begin to bloom…"

The girl halted for a moment. As the sweet evening breeze picked up, she caught one of the cherry blossoms in her palm and tucked it behind her ear. As always, she looked majestic with her lush, firey red hair, emerald green eyes, and golden skin. That lavender silk kimono didn't hurt either! It was a gift to her, no doubt the best one she'd ever received! It was the finest lavender silk in all feudal Japan! It had a bright magenta yukata, and magenta and purple flower embroideries on the ends of the sleeves and skirt, which trailed behind her a good few inches. Absolutely breathe taking! And as she sat there on the garden bench, she continued to pass time with her song…

"GOOOOONNG!" The tower in the distance struck seven o' clock. The girl grew even more anxious. Yes! The invitation said eight. Yes! She was early. Yes! She was excited. And NO! She didn't care. After all, the poor girl had been waiting all day for this! Ever since nine in the morning when she found the note left on her end table along with a jade rose she's been eager! To pass more time, she uncovered the piece of paper out of her pocket and reread it for the hundreth time…

Dearest Lady, (she was flattered enough at the thought of somebody ever calling her "Lady!")

I've tried hard waiting for the right moment. I must confess it was most difficult. However, I do believe it's finally arrived. The time is now. There is much to be said and done. All too vital to put into a letter. Please do me the honor of meeting me in the Corting-Rose Garden at eight.

Face burried in the letter, the elegant girl still questioned at the fact that it had no siginature. Abruptly, she peeked up from the paper and looked around the garden, as if searching to see if anyone had arrived yet. The garden was truly an amazing place. And it was the perfect time of day to be there. Everywhere fresh sakura trees lit up with paper lanterns. Vibrant flowers and shrubs populated the lawn along with the calming vibe of beautifully crafted fountains. Dainty cherry blossoms danced in the night wind as fireflies began to creep out from sleep and dot the sky. It was all bined together with the gentle music of one of the servants playing a koto in the distance. Waking from the beautiful scenery, she grew anxious again. "It's been too long…"

"Much too long!" came a voice from behind a sakura. This startled the girl at first until the person came out of the shadows. It was a man, well, a wolf demon to be exact. He was quite tall, with warm, purple eyes and Jet black hair that cascaded over his gray and black robes. This was indeed the Wolf lord, Sankoto, of the Southern lands.

The girls eyes lit up at the sight of the lord. "SANKY!" she shouted, not wasting any time as she ran into his open arms. A tear of joy escaped her left eye.

"Mira! I've missed you so much!" Sankoto exclaimed, taking in her charming sent. "I have something I must say."

Hearing this, Mira became silent and looked up thoughtfully at the man she adored. She could see that his eyes were full of the same emotions as hers and waited patiently for him to speak. (Me: Oh! Now she's patient!)

"Mira…" Sankoto began, "We've known eachother for about two years now, ever since I took you in as my servant from your father on that winter night…."

Mira glanced down at the stone porch for a minute. The fact that her father gave her to the lord as a servant for her to have a "better life" had always been a touchy subject for her.

"Anyway…." Sankoto continued, " Whenever we spent time together I felt us become closer and closer. For the first time in years I had smiled. For the first time in a long time I felt….well..happy…….and…for the first time ever….I felt…….love……..love…for you…"

Mira's head shot up at this. Her eyes full of confusion and joy, all at the same time. The wolf lord had fallen in love with her, and, to put it straight, she had fallen for him too. The girl couldn't have been happier!

Sankoto began to smile at Mira's reaction but soon became serious again. "But…there's one more thing…." Without time to spare, the lord got down on one knee, and uncovered a small box. Opening it up, shown inside resting ever so nicely was a gorgious green diamond ring! All this while Mira was silent in shock. "Mirasaki Shita, will you marry me?"

It was silent for a split second as the girl's eyes widened and she took all of this in, but she was thrilled and she was ready. "YES! OF COARSE I'LL MARRY YOU!"

Sankoto beemed, slipping the ring on her finger and taking her into his embrace once again. They could have stayed like this forever!