Sakura's on the floor of the playroom, sleeping; she told Sesshomaru that he could sleep on the chair in her room, since the beds were made for children. She stirs in her sleep. Sakura's dreaming about that fateful night, when she lost her mother, a beloved friend, and her home all at once.
She's six or seven years old, playing outside with, five year old, Kaze. Kaze runs behind a tree, while Sakura is covering her face. "… 3…. 2…. 1…. Here I come." She stalks behind one of the trees. "Gotcha!" She jumps in front of her brother.
"No fair, I'm telling." He runs into the palace, and into their chichi's room. "Daddy, Sakura's not being fair." Mitsukai-maru gives a sigh. "I'll show you!" Kaze takes his hand, and leads him to where he and Sakura were playing. She's nowhere to be seen.
"Kaze, quit playing games! I have a lot of work to do…."
"Come on, Otokooya, please plays with us." Sakura jumps out of the tree into her chichi's warm, comforting arms. He puts her down.
"Sakura, take Kaze inside!"
"Why, Otokooya?"
"Just do it! I'll see you inside, now go!" She grabs her brother's hand, and almost drags him inside. They're breathing heavily.
"Sis, what's going on?"
"I don't know, Kaze. I don't know." She embraces her little brother to comfort him. She fights back the tears, hiding her fears and worries.
"Sakura, Kaze come here." A female demon with long blood red hair takes the children's hands. She just as she started to lead them to the kitchen, to get something to eat a few soldiers and servants rush by, weapons in hand.
"Mama… what's going on?" Kaze asks a young human girl, about the age of 18. She brushes a few strands of hair out of his face.
"You have no need to worry, little one." She goes to join the rest of the servants.
"Serena, wait… what's going on," the demon asks.
"Lady Jasmine, the entire village is coming; please go where you three can be safe." Serena runs off towards the doors.
"Okaasan, where is Serena-chan going?"
"I'll tell you once we get to your room, Sakura." Jasmine rushes them out of the hall, towards Sakura and Kaze's room. Before turning the corner, Sakura looks over her shoulder and sees her friend, her brother's haha, got a Katana stuck through her. She coughs up a bit of blood before falling to the ground.
"Serena-chan!"
"Hush child!" Sakura quiets down, after hearing the harshness in her haha's voice.
"Yes, Okaasan." They are just a few feet away from the room, when a few villagers turn the corner.
"Sakura, take your brother and don't look back!"
"But, Okaasan…."
"No buts!" She takes Kaze's hand and bolts into their room. She slams the door behind her. They hide under her bed, hearing everything that happens outside. She embraces her little brother, to comfort him. She fights back the tears forming in her eyes.
They don't know how long they've been in the room, or if everyone's ok. Someone opens the door, and enters the room. A frightened Sakura clings to her brother. The person stops at her bed. He kneels down and looks under the bed. "Otokooya!" The kids scramble out from their hiding spot. They hug their blood drenched chichi.
"Sakura, Kaze, we need to leave this place; right now!" The children don't ask any questions. They each take one of his hands, and he leads them out of the room. Sakura looks down at her mother. She's on the ground; she looks like she was trying to see if they were ok, even with a gaping hole in her back. Sakura buries her face into Mitsuka-maru's arm, trying so hard not to cry.
"Okaasan! Oh not you too," Sakura cries in her sleep, waking Sesshomaru. He just sits there, listening to her cry in her sleep "Otokooya, why didn't you save them? How come you never went inside with us?
Sakura's now about ten; she's practicing her swordsmanship. "Good, Sakura. Now try striking his side!" She does what her chichi instructs. They've been living not too far from the wolf demon tribe. Sakura's welcomed to go there anytime she wants to, to see her family. Her chichi and brother were forebode to step foot within the cave, since Mitsuka-maru failed to protect Jasmine. Kaze watches his sister closely, wanting to be learning and sparing with her.
Sakura feels a presence not to far off. "Otokooya, I think we better stop for today."
"Very well. Get your brother, and start collecting fire wood."
"Yes, otokooya." She puts down the practice sword and grabs her brother's hand.
"Sakura, where are you taking me… it's too early to go get fire wood. We have enough until tonight."
"We're not getting fire wood. Chichi and I, both, felt a strange presence heading towards our camp. He wants to see if it's an enemy or not."
"Ok… now where are we going?"
"To the river; Kouga said if we have nothing to do today, we could meet him there." Kaze stops to a halt. "Kaze, what's wrong?"
"He just asked for you to go, didn't he?" Sakura puts an arm over his shoulder.
"And I told him that I would go if you could come." They reach the river, and a young Kouga's waiting for them. The three of them play for hours, after Kouga's protests. When it was time to go, Sakura and Kaze said good bye to Kouga, and head back to camp. It seems like it took forever to get there, since they stopped to pick up sticks and leaves for kindling. When they arrived in the clearing, they see their chichi lying on the ground. "Kaze stay here." Sakura slowly, cautiously stalks over to his body. The stench of blood hangs in the air. She shakes her chichi. He doesn't stir, or move. She turns him over onto his back. His eyes are glazed over, face covered with blood, and he's paler than usual.
"Otokooya!" Sesshomaru's had enough of her crying. He gets up, and walks to her. He kneels down and wraps his fluff around her waist. She instantly calms down. He lifts her up and carries her to the chair he was just in.
The next mourning, Sakura wakes up, to her surprise, on Sesshomaru's lap. How…. I thought he was pissed…. She gets up and stretches. She walks to the window. The storm's almost passed. Too many bad memories….. She sets herself onto the cill. Sesshomaru gets out of the chair; she doesn't notice what he's doing.
"Let's go." Sakura hears this, but doesn't move a muscle. Sesshomaru walks over to her, soundlessly. "I said let's go. I don't want to repeat myself!" She opens the window and jumps out. She starts to walk away from the palace. He jumps out the window and runs after her. He appears ahead of her. "Where do you think you are going onna?"
"To get my brother. Where else would I be going?"
"You don't know where Naraku has him! It could be a trap!"
"I don't give a damn anymore! I just want Kaze safe!"
Japanese words used:
Onna - Woman
Otokooya - Father (what you call him)
Chichi - Father
Okaasan - Mother (what you call her)
