"YURI!"

Drops of water fall onto his face and he opens his eyes. The sword is resting right above Yuri's neck. A pair of bright blue eyes stare back at him, overflowing with tears but her hair is still black.

"I'm so sorry Yuri." Kana's voice is her normal pitch but is caked with remorse. "I thought I had more time before she took over. I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I'm so sorry." She gets up and backs up to the fountain. "I'm afraid this might be the last time I see you. As long as she wants you dead, I can't be near you. I'm not strong enough to keep her silent." She steps up onto the fountain. The walls of water fall back into the ground and everyone protectivly gathers around Yuri. Kana's eyes turn black again. "It looks like you escape with your life for now but I'll be back."

Ken calls to her, "Why do you want to kill the Maou," he pauses. "Sanne?"

She becomes furious and yells in rage, "That name died the day I did. You may be the Wise One, but you never knew what was happening right in front of you. I will be back." With that, she steps back into the fountain and disappears into the water.

"What just happened? Who was she?"

"Her name is Sanne. She was a very good friend of mine and Shinou." Everyone is silent in shock. "Let's go back into the castle and I'll tell you everything I know about her."

Once they are situated in a private room, Ken continues with his recollection. "I met Sanne shortly after I met Shinou. She was a childhood friend of his and wanted to help in the upcoming war. She came from a blacksmith family and was extremely gifted with a sword, just like her brother Carl. Her brother also fought in the war. It was actually her family that forged Morgif. She also possessed strong maryoku and could control the wind. No one believed her skill until the first battle. She was then given the nickname 'The Flower of War' because it was said she looked like an elegant flower right before she killed you. She quickly became a valued member in the war along with her brother. Both Sanne and Carl fought in the Great War and came out victorious. After the war was over and Shin Makoku was established, Carl went back home while Sanne stayed with Shinou. She doesn't think I noticed that she and Shinou had a deeper relationship then just friends. Shinou wanted to propose to her but due to my interference, he never did. It was soon after that that Shinou and I sent Sanne away. He didn't want Sanne to see what was becoming of him. She left after many choice words by Shinou and me. We only wanted what was best for her and we had to do anything to get her to leave even though we never saw what came next.

"About six months later, Carl came. He was furious with Shinou. He informed us that Sanne had died. We never found out how or where. Shinou was just as upset as Carl and was angry with himself. He did the only thing he could think of. He offered a portion of Shin Makoku to Carl in memory of Sanne. Carl accepted only so he could create a land that his sister would be proud of. You know what happened to Shinou after that.

"After today, many questions from back then have been answered. Today, Sanne was not a reincarnation like I am but it was her actual soul. There is only one way that that could happen. What I believe is that at the time Shinou and I sent Sanne away, she was pregnant with his child. After Shinou's coldness to her, she never told him about his child. Six months later in child birth, she attached her soul to her child so it appeared as if she died. Since then, Sanne has been transferring her soul from generation to generation until now."

Yuri stammers, "So, Kana is really the direct descendent of Shinou and Sanne?"

Ken nods, "When Kana first came to Shin Makoku, I thought she might have been from a branch of one of Lady Celi's family but upon further investigation there is no possible way Kana could be a member of Celi's family. The comment Conrad had brought up about her eyes turning dark when they were fighting didn't make much sense to me until I went to watch for myself. The technique was so familiar but I couldn't remember where I had seen it before. It was later on that I remembered that before the Great War started, Lord Lawrence Weller, Conrad's ancestor, use to practice with Carl and Sanne. Once I remembered Sanne it all came to me but it was too late and she had already awakened."

Wolfram yells out in frustration, "So Sanne is inside Kana's body and wants to kill Yuri because she was heartbroken?!"

"No, she does deserve her revenge." Everyone looks appalled by Ken's words. "Everyone here cares deeply for Yuri and would do anything for him. Now imagine that all of you started telling him the cruelest things you could ever say to him. These thoughts would never cross you mind, ever, but you say them anyway. That is just what Shinou and I did to Sanne, only one degree worse."

"How worse could it be?"

"That same day that we said all of that to her was, I'm guessing, the day she found out she was pregnant and was going to tell Shinou. We destroyed her that day. Her final words to us were, 'I will keep my promise I made to you at the start of the war. I will follow you where ever you go, forever. But now I have a new reason to follow you because I will never forget this day'. I finally realize what she meant." Ken looks at Yuri. "I know what you're thinking but this is not the sort of thing you can just talk to her about, especially you Yuri. I don't know if there is anyone she would really listen to."

"Is she going to be coming back soon?"

Ken shakes his head, "I don't think so. Kana would have taken her far away. Also, Sanne is not as powerful as she once was but she will regain her strength. Until that time, it's safe to say Kana is in control and will keep her distance to make sure of Yuri's safety."

The room is quiet and everyone slowly leaves for the night.

A week passes and as Ken said, there is no sign of Kana or Sanne. As the second week passes, things return to normal but with more security. Yuri starts to go back into town but with more guards, against his protests. On the way back to the castle, Conrad stops after he walks past a street where he notices a woman with long blonde hair. Yuri notices Conrad and asks what's wrong.

"Wolfram, take Yuri back to the Castle. There's something I need to check out." Wolfram nods and Yuri reluctantly lets Conrad go. Conrad goes back down the street to where he saw the woman. She is still there but slowly moving away. There are children all around her playing. She finally stops and says good bye and Conrad confirms the woman as Kana. Kana leaves the children and walks out of town into the hills. Conrad follows her at a safe distance until she gets to a small shack in the middle of the woods. Once she has entered and closed the door, Conrad sneaks up to the house by the only window. He waits and listens.

"I know you followed me. Come in before it gets cold." Conrad sighs and does that. Kana is sitting in one of the only two chairs in the room; both are situated next to a roaring fire. "Have a seat." Kana motions to the chair next to hers. Once Conrad is seated, she continues. "What are your true intentions for following me? Curiosity or are you here to arrest me?"

"I haven't come to arrest you and I don't think that Yuri would like it if I did."

Kana looks down at her folded hands. "How is Yuri?"

"He's good but he is worried about you."

"I thought so. I'm the same way. No matter what, I couldn't keep myself that far from him even though I know what Sanne wants to do. I'm sure Ken told you about the past?" Conrad nods. "I also heard, or rather saw, what happened to Sanne. I couldn't stop crying. I understand her pain but I can't let her take her revenge on Yuri, no matter what."

"I know you would never hurt Yuri on purpose. Is there anything you can do to change her mind?"

"I tried but she isn't listening right now. You should get back to Yuri. I'm not going anywhere near the castle and I try to keep away from town when he comes into town. Take care of him for me."

Conrad nods and decides to leave. Kana watches him leave out of sight before her eyes and hair turn black. "Come out here now, Sage!" she growls.

Ken steps out of the bushes and laughs. "So you knew I was there all along." She glares at him. "I realize how much we hurt you but we did it for your own safety." She snorts as if he had said a bad joke. "If you don't believe me, ask Shinou himself. He would gladly speak to you no matter what. If you still don't believe him, talk to Yuri. He is different from all the other Maous. He reminds me a lot like Shinou, the Shinou that you fell in love with and would follow to the ends of the earth to protect. Just talk with them, please." Ken bows and then leaves. Sanne stands there expressionless.