Under the Cherry Blossom Tree (Rewritten in Seasons of Time)

As the leaves fall to the ground Will you sing me a song?

LISTEN TO SONG ON THE SIDE

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Autumn is the time when

leaves breathe their last breath

And fall gracefully to the ground

And die a death before winter comes.

So then why are we happy during autumn when there is death all around?

It is because autumn is the time when leaves

Show their true colors and show their beauty

Before they return to the earth

From whence they came

"Fall is so beautiful!" I exclaimed as I ran through the tunnel of trees. There leaves the color of red, green, orange,
copper and gold. I held out my hand as a gold-red leaf lands on it. I hold it close to my heart so I can hear its words.

"Brehem vitam, sed bene mihi erat." It whispered. I smiled and opened my hands, the chilly autumn breeze captured it, and made the leaf dance to a tuneless symphony as it slowly falls tot the ground.

"Return to the earth my friend, become part of it and nourish the new." I said. Suddenly out of nowhere, something grabbed me and lifted me up into the air. I was startled. Unable to speak, until my captor started laughing that is.

I was so angry at him.

"Ryuu! Put me down right know!" I yelled. He laughed again as he set me onto the ground. I turned around, I was fuming with anger. But I couldn't stay mad at him for long with that smile plastered onto his face. I sighed, two warm arms suddenly encased me in an endearing embrace. He rests his head onto mine and murmurs softly into my wind blown hair.

"Who were you speaking to aisubeki?"

I raise my head causing him to lift his up as well. My eyebrows were raised, did he not know? I watched Ryuu get confused by my expression, he clearly didn't know what I was doing. I better tell him.

"I was talking to the leaves silly, didn't you know?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. Ryuu frowned at my response, his eyes still dyed with curiosity.

That's when it hit me.

Ryuu didn't have a clue on what I really was. I smirked in my mind, well this is surprising. I thought Ryuu already knew that I was a spirit. I guess I was wrong.

"Tell me Chiharu. What do you mean by talking to leaves?" He said in a demanding voice.

"I can speak to nature, for I am a spirit of the sakura tree where we first met." I explained, "I was dormant inside the tree until I was 17 springs old. The day I met you was the day I first came to the outside world."

Ryuu's eyes widened and his mouth agape as I continued my explanation.

"Normally when spirits first come into the world we don't have solidified forms. But it was different for me because of Chieko-hime and Tsuyoshi-sama. Thei-"

I was cut off when Ryuu put a finger and pressed it onto my lips. His onyx eyes looked serious. "Who's Chieko and Tsuyoshi?" He asked.

I groaned. "First of all it's Chieko-Hime and Tsuyoshi-sama, show some respect!And two; Chieko-hime and Tsuyoshi-sama were the two lovers in the legend of the stars. And as I was saying earlier, my sakura tree was there when they plunged the knife into both their hearts, their blood flowed and seeped into my roots. Thus I gained both of their memories and this physical form that you see here."

"Wow Chiharu! I knew you were special before bit I didn't know you were this special!" He exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. "So it's like your there child right?" He asked.

I cocked my head to the side confused. What does he mean that I was like their child. He scratches his cheek with his right index finger. It seems like he's trying to figure out what he's going to say.

"Well um... It's because that... Both of their blood is flowing inside you right? So they are your blood and that means you are part of there family and..... Um, you're like their child because of that." He stammered.

I giggled at his attempt to explain. But it did are sense though.... Kind of. I hear him exhale loudly before falling limp onto me. I forcefully crouched down to hold his weight. Telling him over and over again to get off. But all he does is murmur something into the sleeve of my kimono.

Then he lifts his head slightly to whisper into my ear "Chiharu I want to hear you sing. Can you sing a song for me love."
I blushed a light pink at the nickname. And then nodded at his request. Ryuu then picked himself up and sat down at the base of an oak tree. I turned to face him, my eyes closed and my stretched my arms out. I took a deep breath and began.

'Lacrimosa dies illa

Qua resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus

Huic ergo parce, Deus,

Pie Jesu Domine

I paused and hummed the melody. Then I took another breath and sang once again.

'Judicandus homo reus

Huic ergo parce, Deus,

Pie Jesu Domine'

I slowly put my arms down, ending the song. Opening my eyes, I heard clapping from Ryuu. He smiles and continues to clap. He syptands and walks over to me. He pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear, suddenly he lifts my face up and kisses me tenderly. He slowly pulls away revealing my face, dyed crimson with embarrassment. I hear him chuckle softly as he rubs my back.

"That was beautiful Chiharu!" Ryuu exclaimed. He beamed at me with his handsome smile, i smiled at him as well.
He leans toward me, and I realized again at how tall he was. He was a bout a head and a quarter taller than me at best.
I felt our foreheads touch, and I could smell his breath -which was a minty smell- and asks me a question.

"What language were you singing in? It's not Japanese that's one thing."

"It's a language called Latin, it is used sometimes in the countries of the west." I answered.

"How did you learn the song? And how to speak Latin?" Ryuu asked again.

I replied in a calm voice. "One; the language of nature is mostly Latin. Two; everything in the world is connected by something, for us tree spirits we can connect with others using our Life Tree's roots."

Ryuu's black orbs clouded with confusion when I told him the word Life Tree. I softly groaned and explained.

"A Life Tree is the tree we were born from. In my case it's the sakura tree we first met at. It is called a life tree because our life force is connected to that specific tree. So whatever happens to that certain tree -positive or negative- it will affect us as well."

I saw Ryuu mouth an 'oh' and kept silent. He entwined his hands across my waist and pulled me into him from behind. We lean back onto the oak tree -that I swear was farther a little while ago- and he rests his head onto my shoulder. We stay like this for I don't know how long. Seconds? Minutes? Hours maybe? I couldn't tell, but I wanted it to always be like this; calm and peaceful. But I know deep in my heart that this peace will not last forever.

Ryuu will be taken away from me, He will leave me alone. And that moment is approaching quickly, winter is almost here. Only a couple months left, and this peace will be gone.

As they say, it is merely the calm before the storm

Definitions...

Aisubeki - darling, love, etc.

Note: the song is translated in the video, or you can simply search "Lala's lullaby" on YouTube.