Falling petals

Healing Wounds.

"Hey! You were cheating!"
 
"No young one, it is called strategizing. Something your small brain doesn't seem to be able to do."
 
"You-!"
 
"I see that you guys are arguing again."
 
"Little Blaine! I miss you!"
 
Sakura looks at the boy who spoke and smiled warmly at him. The boy was walking toward the group with another boy.
 
Both boys are the adopted sons of Azrael and Uriel. They became a family together when Sakura was close to turning 4. It was a shock to Sakura when it happened.
 
"Hello."
 
"Hey Atlas."
 
The older boy did a light bow of hello and became silent again. Both boys looked almost identical to Azrael that people would suspect they were his illegitimate children. However, she knew both boys are actually Azrael's nephews who became orphaned after their parent accident.
 
At that time Sakura was startled to learn the incident happened years before it was supposed to. She couldn't prevent the accident like she did with others. She felt a bit guilty toward Azrael and the boys because of her knowledge of the parents fates.
 
So she was more tolerant to the kids than she was with the others. Another reason for it is because she liked Azrael a lot so she felt even worse when seeing him cry while holding both boys after the accident.
 
***
"The weather is getting worse by the minute. Seraph, send word that the servants and officials are to stay the night and are not allowed to leave until the weather changes for the better."
 
"Understood."
 
"The same goes for you all. Don't head out in this weather. Just inform your family to stay home and to activate their barriers just incase of any incident."
 
"Understood."
 
The rest of Mihkael's usual group all went out to discuss with their loved ones or servants to watch the house and to watch over themselves because of the weather.
 
Only Mihkael, Raphael, Uriel and Sakura remained in the office beside the throne room that belonged to Mihkael.
 
Mihkael held Sakura in his arms when he looked out the windows. Thunder rumbled out and let out deafening noises each time lightning struck down. The wind howled out there while rain pounded down as if the heavens are crying.
 
Watching this beside her father, Sakura frowned and didn't like the sudden downfall of rain.
 
'I'm still having memories of many Sakuras lives. However none of them displayed such a weather occurring at this time... maybe she was too young to remember all this, but for some reason I just have this feeling of dread.'
 
Taking her eyes away from the window she glances at her father and can see his worry at this sudden weather change.
 
'... The heroine should be born around this time. Rose's mother was 4 months pregnant when she ran away. It has already been around five months since then.'
 
She looked out again and saw a lightning struck down somewhere in the southern area.
 
'... is the heroine finally going to appear in this world again?'
 
"It is just bad weather. Don't worry."
 
"!?"
 
Sakura hadn't noticed that Azrael stood beside her. She didn't hear his footsteps at all.
 
'Well, if I had. Then he would have lost the title of one of the strongest knights of the emperor.'
 
"Aza."
 
"He's right your highness. It is just a bit of lightning and thunder. Do not let it bother you."
 
Uriel was beside Azrael and smiled in reassurance to her. He knew how such weather would normally frighten a child her age. He had seen it so many times at the orphanage he came from so he understood the fear children feel at such sudden and strong weathers.
 
Sakura just nods to his words and turn her eyes to look out again. She was frowning at the thought of the heroines birth. But before she could think anymore of it she heard a screech.
 
Startled, she turn to the sound and witness a pulsing glow from Azrael's side pocket. It was a special signal from a communication crystal that let's out a deafening sound while blinking in quick succession. Indicating an emergency call is being made.
 
"What..?"
 
"Azrael. Answer it."
 
Azrael stood like a statue when he received an emergency call. A foreboding chill rose inside him when that screech began. The only people who are allowed to use the communication crystals emergency system was Uriel, his friends and his brother. He knew where everyone else is at the moment, except his brother.
 
Uriel noticed how he stood frozen and understood Azrael hasn't heard him when he asked him to answer the call. So he went ahead and grabbed the communication crystal and activates it. Only to hear from the other side the sobbing voice of a child.
 
"Uughh."
 
"...Blaine?"
 
The moment everyone heard the boy's weeping, they knew something must have happened to Azrael's brother and sister-in-law.
 
'!! It can't be! It's too soon for it to happen!'
 
That was Sakura's thought when she heard the boys cries. However another weeping voice arrives through the crystal.
 
"What happened?! How is everyone!"
 
"We-we were heading to your house for a surprise visit. I-it started to rain but p-papa th-thought it'll go away soon a-and!"
 
The bot was stuttering and trying to speak through his cries. Uriel didn't hurry him. He didn't want to pressure the child and worsening the situation by growing the anxiety he must be feeling.
 
"Tell me slowly. Right now, me and your uncle are going to use the tracking system installed in the communication crystal to find your location, however we need to know what happened to better know what we need to help you all with."
 
"I-I we-we were h-heading toward you g-guys to sur-surprise uncle A-Azrael f-for his b-b-birthday. It-it started to rain and-and the road- it crumbled."
 
The boys sounded so broken when he finished with those words. Sakura stood still, even when Uriel had already walked out of her sight with Azrael and Raphael followed right behind.
 
Mihkael sent Raphael to help them with anything needed to help with the situation, he gave him authority to use any resources that are necessary.
 
He noticed that the room was too quiet and looked to his daughter. Sakura was just standing there looking at the door with an unexplainable reaction.
 
"Sakura?"
 
He began to worry when it appeared that she couldn't hear him. Her whole expression just darken as if something horrible just happened in front of her.
 
"Sakura?!"
 
Mihkael raised his voice a bit and kneeled in front of her to get her attention, however her gaze was looking straight at him, yet seemed as if she didn't see him at all. Then he heard her mumble something.
 
".... it's not possible.... too soon."
 
"Sakura!"
 
"H-huh!?"
 
As if just noticing her father. She almost screamed in shock at his sudden appearance but she quickly held it in.
 
"A-ah. Papa."
 
"What were you thinking about my small treasure"
 
"... nothing papa. Just twired."
 
The small mumbling and sound of a toddler speaking left her lips. She stretches her arms toward him, indicating for him to carry her.
 
He comply and held her in his arms and soon stood up.
 
"...what was that call papa?"
 
"..."
 
"Papa?"
 
"Hopefully nothing Sakura. Hopefully nothing..."
 
"..."
 
While hearing the hint of worry in her fathers voice. She decided to go quiet and not ask anything else, lest it causes attention to her if it seems she knew something.
 
'Dammit! I wanna know what happened. I just hope it isn't what I think it is. If it is... then something is changing, and not in a good way.'
 
"Let's head to bed for now my jewel. It is already past your bedtime."
 
"....ok."
 
That night she headed to bed early, but she didn't want to argue with her father. However, even if she was in bed, tucked safely in his arms. She knew he would leave her side when she sleeps to ask what the situation is.
 
And just after closing her eyes for 15 minutes, she was right with her guess, the moment he thought she was really sleeping, she felt a shift in the bed and felt him tucking her warmly while telling two of his shadow guards to watch over her while he heads out.
 
Sakura didn't hear a response but knew that when he left the room, it means they stayed to watch her. She kept her eyes closed yet her mind was very much awake.
 
'Could the accident happen before it was supposed to? How?? In recent memory flashes not once did it occur differently from the setting unless Sakura interrupts it. So why did the accident occur so many years sooner than it should have!? Did I make a mistake that changed the course of actions that should have occurred? Or is it the fucking gods trying to mess with me and tell me they can do what the hell they want! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!! No... maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe it was just a small incident and they all lived through the accident since it isn't their time yet. It has to be that...right? But them what is this bad feeling I have... the heroine... I feel like she has something to do with this, just this feeling filled with disgust and loathing is swirling all over my mind. It must indicate something... did the heroine finally show up to the stage and this was a bad omen to indicate her first breath in this world? Ahhhh!! I don't know anymore! It's too much to think about it. I can be forming different questions in my head, but I won't be able to answer the damn things! Seriously, was it going too easy for me that fate decided to throw a curve ball at me!?'
 
Many thoughts swirled around her head and she didn't truly fall asleep until it was passed midnight.
 
'... he didn't come back.'
 
Sakura woke up to see that her father didn't return throughout the night.
 
Getting up, she quickly headed toward the door. But noticed an obstacle in her way.
 
'...I can't reach it.'
 
Stretching her arms as much as she can, she can barely touch the doorknob. She was growing frustrated and still couldn't reach on her tiptoes. She drops her hands by her side after trying for a few minutes.
 
"Shoot.."
 
She was panting from using too much stamina for a regular toddler. She thought of asking help from one of the hidden guards but then thought against it, she didn't want them to noticed that she knew they were around.
 
"Looks like I can only try that."
 
Turning back to the door she goes in position and makes sure she aims right. Just under the doorknob she squats a bit and quickly springs up.
 
She grabs the doorknob in success and uses her left leg to kick at the wall beside the door while she turns the knob and pulls.
 
The door swings open and she loses her balance and falls straight down in her back.
 
'Shit! This is gonna hurt!'
 
She clenches her eyes waiting for the impact but felt a breeze blow on her back. Opening her eyes she quickly noticed wind magic was used and she was gently placed on the grown, then just silence filled the room.
 
"Um... twank you?"
 
She decided to just thank whomever of the guards that helped her and quickly ran out. Not thinking where she was heading to, she stopped right before the main stairs heading down to the entrance and noticed many people in raincoats coming in and out of palace. A desolate look filled the place and she didn't like what it indicated.
 
Not caring one bit about being a princess, she sat on the ground and slid down the stairs with her bottom hitting each step at a time until she reached the bottom and quickly ran out the door before anyone could stop her. Besides, if anything truly dangerous happens, she knows both those hidden guards would do something to protect her.
 
There her worst case scenario was confirmed. Two children were holding on to Azrael. The rain still pouring down on the earth as if it crying from the situation.
 
Azrael was heading toward the entrance while carrying both boys in his arms. Uriel was just behind him, covering his face as if to hide his tearstained face.
 
"Aza..."
 
Without thinking, her voice left her lips, even though it was as low as a whisper and it could have been drowned out by the heavy rain. Azrael heard it loud an clear.
 
Since the moment she saw him, she wasn't able to see his expression because it was downcast. But he flinched and slowly looked up.
 
"Princess...?"
 
Even when the rain was poured over his head, the tears were distinct from the raindrops. Unknowns to Sakura, tears began to fall down her eyes when she saw his devastated and grief-stricken eyes. It held so many emotions, yet was blank as if he was still processing the situation.
 
"Your highness...? Why are you out here?"
 
Sakura's mind was still occupied by bleak look of Azrael and didn't notice Uriel asking her a question.
 
"Where are your shoes!? Why are you walking around with such light clothing, you can catch a cold!"
 
Uriel quickly walked forward when he noticed she was walking in this cold, wet ground with no shoes on and just her nightgown on without even a shawl.
 
"Aza... I'm sorry. I'm sawwy!!"
 
Sakura begins to cry loudly in her hands. She continued to apologize and it soon reached the stage of her slurring and hiccupping her words.
 
"Your highness!? Why are you apologizing! What's wrong!"
 
Uriel quickly held her and covered her with his coat so she now had her head rested in his chest.
 
"Princess..."
 
Sakura heard Azrael and she slowly lifted her head from Uriel's chest.
 
"Aza~ hic."
 
"Don't cry. It's ok. There is no reason for you to apologize."
 
'No!! There is! I would have stopped it, I knew something like this was going to happen, I should have expected for the unexpected!!! I should have made plans just in case something changed from the usual scenario. But I let my overconfident overlook such possibilities and I couldn't change this outcome.'
 
Sakura didn't really care much for Azrael's brother of sister-in-law, not even his nephews, but she felt pain from what happened to them. she couldn't lie to herself, she grew attached to Azrael. And decided if she can, she would change the fate of his brother and sister-in-law. Maybe with that she would get rid of one of her ex-fiancée’s from being in her life, yet fate decided to hurry the process of the boys being placed in her life.
 
And her fist meeting with another capture target is with him being a few years younger and crying in Azrael's arms. With a bit of blood splatter in his clothes while his brother who she would have not even met since he died young was now in front of her too, clutching onto Azrael and letting our loud wails.
 
Through her blurry vision, she made eye contact with Azrael and knew he was trying to make her feel better. But that only made it harder for her to stop crying.
***
 
That day was the day Azrael lost his brother and sister-in-law and began raising their children as his own. It is still a wound that Sakura can tell prickles Azrael every now and then.
 
'I may be a bitch who holds grudges, yet I would wish nothing of such tragedy on anyone, even to Atlas, one of Sakura's ex-fiancée’s.'
 
She smiles warily at the memories and wonders if Azrael will ever ask her of she ever held 'dreams'of his brother's fate. She can lie and say no, but the lies are beginning to tire her out. So she is anxious at the thought of him one day asking and her resolve to lie wavering at that moment.
 
She knew that she began to change her views of them all and is beginning to form a bond she is scared will deepen anymore than it already has.
 
Because she experienced their betrayals through the other Sakura's perspectives and can feel the pain they felt. She is scared to really experience it herself. Because she feels that if she gets betrayed, then there really will be nothing that can fix her broken heart.
 
"Sakura!"
 
"Oh! Yeah?"
 
"Your spacing out again, what's wrong?"
 
"Ah.. nothing, just dazed off a bit haha."
 
She gave a nonchalant laugh and smiled at them so she can hide her inner turmoil.
 
Because of years of hiding her emotions, she was able to easily fool the young ones, however Nolan and Kano noticed something was wrong from her expression.
 
"We should head inside now, it should be close to lunchtime. Her highness skipped breakfast this morning."
 
"You haven't eaten yet Sakura? That's no good! You are still a growing child and it is already close to being one."
 
Nolan looked in disapproval at Sakura that she gulped and looked away in embarrassment.
 
'Can't believe I'm being scolded by a teen. Looks like my laziness to wake up was caught by Kano. Luckily Raphael and papa were busy this morning so I don't have to worry about them.'
 
"Sorry. But can we go inside yet, it looks like my hunger has been activated from the sound of lunch."
 
"Haah~ fine, but don't think I won't have a talk with you about skipping breakfast."
 
"Darn."
 
"What was that?"
 
"Ah- uhhh. Nothing! Just my stomach grumbling!"
 
'What type of excuse was that!?'
 
Sakura blushes a bit however quickly covers her face by moving her head to hide in the shoulder of Kano.
 
She can feel him chuckle and can tell he started to move after she did that.
 
'Darn you Kano! I'll get you for telling brother Nol about skipping breakfast!'
 
That day Sakura had a surprisingly relaxing time with the few capture targets  who showed up to hangout. She didn't have a moment of weakness like she did in the beginning, her mental state grew and she has already learn to mute out feelings that aren't hers, or just from memories of past Sakura's.
 
Bit by bit she feels like the mental wounds she suffered from were healing. She feels like this life really is her own because her judgment isn't being influenced by other emotions. But she knows she will have bias and caution because of the knowledge of what can happen.
 
But she is happy she reached a level where she won't have a feeling of pain or anger when she sees them. That is good enough for her.
 
'Speaking of sudden outbursts and negative emotions when seeing someone. I haven't seen Azazel or his father around, and I'm still iffy in asking those things lest they begin to ask me things again. But well, I can't let it go without knowing, he is someone important to the plot of this game, we need him uncorrupted and safe if we want to deal a heavy blow to the growing number of corruption and their future army. So soon, I really have to ask about him.'
 
While making sure she doesn't back down, she made that resolution to herself to ask where they placed him or what they did to him.
 
Now somewhere far away from her, in another nation. The cries of a child fills a crowded hallway after a scream was heard. Just below the crying child was a long staircase and at the end of those stairs lay a bloody women who seems to have fallen from those stairs.
 
A horrific and traumatizing sight for any child to witness, especially if the women was the mother of the child. A few holy maidens run to the child and remove her from the sight, they held her and gently rubbed her rose pink hair, trying to ease her nerves and trauma from seeing her mother fall down those stairs and die right there.
 
The child cried in her hands so her expression was covered, so none of the people that were beside her saw a smile bloom behind those tears.