Mana: Before The Rise 7 Sakura In The Shadows 4

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Soul Fragmentation at 5%

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Due to Soul Fragmentation being at 5%, System features are now available.

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System features [Hearts Library] and [Prediction] is now Active.

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Due to corrupted Data [Hearts Library] is being Reset.

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Recalibrating

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Mission: Escape from Sakamoto Jimbe

Rachel spat out water and felt herself s.h.i.+vering from being wet. Her eyes holding Tear in them as she moved Ise hand with her own mind. Indicating that Ina Ise consciousness is gone and that she is now the owner of this body.

Her Kimono was heavy due to being soaked in water. She saw the flash of red on her left hand before noticing that a hand was clamped down on her shoulder like an iron vise. While another hand was on her Kimono, it was a very warm and familiar hand.

Rachel warmed at her own thoughts 'why was this so familiar'

Rachel looked down at her rescuer, his arm around her waist and his heart racing against her shoulder blades. Chest heaving with shallow gasps like her own.

"I see, after I fell. He must of dove in the water and climbed back up with his own strength.' Rachel thought half-coconscious with her nerves in enough shock, bringing her to a near faint. 'Carrying me princess style, huh?'

Rachel held up her dazed head and looked into the fine features of the dark-skinned foreigner. His hair was dark and his eyes where the color of mulberry leaves. He smelled like ca.s.sia….Rachel couldn't help but smile 'Kevin also smelled like Ca.s.sia'

"Are you hurt?" he asked his voice husky and soft just like a whisper.

'Goodness, he even sounds like him to.' Rachel thought making her somber to her current situation. "No, I am alright" Rachel said before suggesting to tell him, to let her down.

"It was my pleasure" His sudden smile made Rachel lose a bit of her focus as she flushed and then turned away after he let her down.

"Thank the Moon, Thank the Moon that you were alright" Jimbe said with a concerned smile that was easily seen through by both Rachel and the boy. Jimbe put his arms around Rachel making her stiffen.

Jimbe's awkward embrace was over.

"Ise are you well, Are you alright"

"I'm am very well" Rachel said with Ise's voice and smile as if nothing ever happened in the first place.

"I owe you a debt which I can never repay, honored guest. I do not know your name, but please, you must allow me to thank you properly" Jimbe said to the her rescuer, holding out his hand.

Rachel stared into the boy's eyes for a moment 'Sure enough he must have seen it'. The boys eyes where cold as he spoke with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Your daughter has already thanked me. I require nothing more"

Jimbe rocked back slightly and dropped his hand to his side. It flexed convulsively, the knuckles turning red , yellow-white, red, over and over again.

Rachel closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself.

A high-pitched shriek was heard grabbing her attention as she saw the azure bird glide down and land on her rescuers extended forearm.

"A falcon" Rachel couldn't help but whisper softly looking at this bird of prey's beautiful color that was foreign to her modern world. When her rescuer turned back to her, she smiled and mouthed 'thank you' one last time.

"You should take your daughter below decks. I think she is not well."

"Yes, of course. But first-"

Her rescuer turned abruptly and walked away without listening to Jimbes protest. Jimbe could only watch as he swore softly and viciously.

-Some Time Later-

Ise's mother had scolded Rachel for rus.h.i.+ng out like she did but then afterword they where calmly sitting down. Not long after the women began to dose off, sleepily.

As quietly as possible, Rachel s.h.i.+fted her kimono and began to stand before she could get any further Ise's mother stirred.

"Where are you Going?"

"I was going to step out to let you have some rest in peace" Rachel said. "Are you feeling better."

"No, Its alright though, Ise. I was once told the more illness the mother suffers, the better the baby will grow."

"…" Rachel was lost in though. Ise's mother looked at her daughter it seemed to have made her own conclusion about what her daughter was thinking.

"When you have a baby of your own, you will realize that a mother is willing to put up with anything for a healthy child. Anything at all. It is that what we are made for, to carry children. A woman cannot be happy doing anything else."

Rachel looked at Ise's mother her eyes where deep in thought as she looked at this woman. Who glowed with happiness at Jimbe's affection but s.h.i.+ed away from Ise's father when things got rough?

"You know I loved your father, don't you?"

Rachel looked back up at Ise mother and felt strange.

"You are old enough to hear of such things now, Ise, and I might not have another chance before you leave us. Let me speak this once, and then we will not talk about it again. Agreed? You will not tell this to Jimbe either"

"Very well" Rachel said.

"I came from a good family, though not a wealthy one- and I was beautiful, as 'beautiful' as you are. I had many suiters. Jimbe was one of them, my parents wished me to marry him at the time. But I was only looking at Keijo, he wasn't like any one my suiters including Jimbe. He did not try to impress me or brag to his friends about me. HE wrote me poetry and talked to me. He seemed to truly seen me, to love me. And I loved him in return.

After Months of begging my family caved in and allowed me to merry him. We married and we had you, we were so happy….

But the labor was so difficult, and I bled so much that afterword the midwife told your father that to have another child may kill me. It was wicked of her and it was not her business to interfere.

Your father listened and I had agreed with him. But as I grew older and stronger, I began to realize what a terrible thing we had agreed to. It was not natural the way we lived. I longed for babies, I longed to feel close to your father, as I once had. We argued about it again and again, and then he began to hide from me in his papers

All he would say is that you where enough for him. He couldn't understand that---" She finally cut herself off, paused and then finished. "That one child was not really a proper family."

"….." Rachel was still silent, but she felt a very strong intent to hurt this woman before he. But, kept it in as she was still talking

"---Jimbe gave me another chance, he waited for me, he never married, he never looked at another woman. And I needed him, he was there. He has forgiven me for choosing his friend for him for all these years ago, and now I am able to have the children I always wanted. I am so happy, Ise."

'Only because his arrogance couldn't stand the idea of not obtaining you'

Ise's mother wasn't looking at Rachel but if she did, she might have been frozen out of fear.

-Next Few Day-

Ise's mother has been sick these past few days, Rachel stayed to nurse her, in her heart as much as she wanted revenge for Ise she could not hurt the innocent. The baby is innocent.

It was a bright day when Ise's mothers color came and she was able to walk around again.

"Our daughter is an excellent little nurse, isn't she, my dear" Jimbe said as he patted Rachel lightly on the head. He continued to say things like how pretty she was and how good a husband she would get. Trying to make her believe that he really cared for her like a father.

"You must look after me, too, Ise, if ever I am ill" he added suddenly.

"Is my care not enough for you, Jimbe" Ise's mother said her voice grave as he eyes avoided Rachels'.

A memory not hers popped up in Rachels head about when Ise' father praised her. Rachel wanted to grit her teeth and….

'Oh no, what am I thinking.' Rachel realized that she had felt herself wanting to really kill someone and not figuratively but literally. She may hate these people but she doesn't want to kill them.

"I will be Ill now, if you promise to nurse me" he said after going to Ise's mother and taking her hand. She smiled but didn't look at her daughter. Who was turning to leave the room very quietly, Ise's mother didn't even make a single notion to stop her.

-Capital of Brightened Lands, City of the Moon-

The City of the Moon was a place where all the important people worked, all the greatest Artist and poets worked, where the Moon Prince's palace was located at. It had been the center of civilization in this world for thousands of years or more, ever since the faraway empire that had granted the prince's family their t.i.tle had fallen.

The city was embraced by the curved arms of the headland, so that the horseshoe-shaped bay was nearly its heart. Countless docks and piers jutted out into the water, and s.h.i.+ps milled into it. The many rivers through it had enough it had also become part of the city, crisscrossed by dozens of bridges made of wood, rope, and intricately carved stone.

-Sakamoto Household, Far East of Moon City-

A baby wailed, its tiny voice lifting in a piercing shriek that shattered the unnatural stillness of the winter evening.

Rachel taps her fingers in impatient, after more then twelve hours had pa.s.sed, waiting, alone except for the servants. Jimbe had long left because of Ise mother's shrieks of pain, claiming that he couldn't 'bare' it anymore. Which was a load of Bull to Rachel.

'What Kind of man goes hunting while his child is being born.' Rachel thought.

Rachels maidservant rushed in cheerfully "Twins , both boys" she said like a child who still believed saint was bringing presents.

"Okay, I will visit them. Please send word of my leaving "

As she reached the room her siblings that had been sobbing their eyes out stop. She heard the hiccups and whimpers. The inner screen to the sleeping area was pushed shut.

"Mother may I come in?"

The screen slid open; her mother's maid bowed as she entered. Ise's mother frail lay softly in the center of her futon, propped up on a mountain of pillows, with a sheet carefully smoothed over her. She wore a clean robe in a flattering shade of pink. But her hair was damp and frizzy around her forehead, with her eyes closed.

Rachel looked to the two lumps of swaddling cloth, not even as long as her forearm lay next to Ise's mother, one on each side.

All that could be seen of them was a scrunched-up oval that held eyes, nose, and mouth.

"What do you think?" Ise's Mothers said in a tired whisper.

"They are very….purple" Rachel said, this too was the first time she had seen a newly born baby and two of them at that. Ise's mothers laughed weak with relief. Despite her exhaustion, she was not in her angry mood, then again, Jimbe was not here.

"Come sit by me, and you shall hold them." Rachel quickly sat down as she watched her mother gently lifted one of the babies. "This is the younger one. His brother has just gone to sleep." She leaned toward me, and before she knew it, the bundle was tucked into her arms.

Rachel paused as a strange image invaded her thoughts. She watched as the strange women touch something in a crib with a solemn expression that soon turned into a gentle and loving smile. Rachel felt her heart grow unsettled as she watched the ethereal beauty, who eyes constantly changed color.

Her body trembled somewhat; she knew this person but at the same time couldn't recognize her. The ethereal women looked up at Rachel her expression turning back into a solemn one. As she mouthed something.

"Ise?" Ise's mother called her bringing Rachel back, her heartbeat was unsettled.

'What was that?' she thought.

"Ise? Are you Alright"?

"I'm alright. Just a moment I was afraid I might drop him" Rachel handed the baby back to Ise's mother. Shaken for some reason, she heaved a have breath.

"They spoke truth…." Jimbe said appearing out of nowhere. Rachel stood up abruptly and backed away from Ise's mother, who had on an aborting smile.

Something flashed through her mind it was a horrifying image, worst of all it felt like a few moments in the future. It was of Jimbe stabbing her and laughing manically.

"Two, and both boys. The moon herself blesses my house. Leave Us" Jimbe said.

Rachel happily obligated and followed the maidservant out. But, with suspicion in her heart she looked back on Ise memories to that one conversation.

-Two Years Ago-

"Don't say any more" Ise's mother said her voice choked with tears "How do you expect me to react, Jimbe? How am I supposed to feel? Oh, can't look at you!"

"Why not? Both our fondest wishes have come true. Don't hurt me by feigning ignorance now, my love. You knew. You knew when you took my hand that day, with Keijo 's blood not yet dry."

Ise clenched her fist as she listens using her powers to make her invisible, but she dared to yet to make a sound.

"Your wrong" Ise's mother sobbed "I…I didn't. I told myself it was obscene to even think it. I though it was a nightmare, nothing more than a sick fancy brought on by grief. I never really believed-"

'Your lying to yourself as well as me. You did not grieve for him. Does a grieving wife share the bed of her husbands' friend just days after she is widowed? You loved me, not him. You wanted me."

"Of course, I did" Ise's mother said fiercely "I loved you for years, hopelessly, faithfully But, that does not mean I did not care for 'him' . I would never betray him."

"I know that. I know, my love. You could never have hurt him. That was why it fell to me. I could not see you suffer anymore. I could not suffer myself. We would both have been miserable all our live."

"Rather that than…..than what you did. And what of Ise? She nearly died. My child, Jimbe!"

"I never meant to put her in danger. I swear to you. I had no idea that my information to the moon prince would warrant such an extreme response. I only thought to arrest him, and when he was gone, you could obtain a divorce. You know they give the wives of traitors that option-if the wives themselves are not implicated. I took care to stress your innocence and that of the rest of the household. I never meant 'death' "

-Present Day-

Rachel looked out at the garden her gaze sharp as she stood by the door of where Jimbe and Ise's mother is currently having another selective conversation. It didn't matter if their daughter her listening, Jimbe had killing intent for her.
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He wasn't going to let her live the night.