Hiyee!!! Reia-chan’s back!!! And here’s the first epie! Hope minasan will enjoy this! Also, thanks to my first two reviewers –– blue raindrop and aznistic. Ok, the show’s about to start!

Note: This is a revised one. I made it a lot better with someone’s help to suit everyone’s taste. (hopefully)

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Title: Sakura’s Cross

By: Reia-chan

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Episode 1: De Integro

“Sugoi, Seirei!!!” a male student cried as he was eagerly taking shots of a girl who was practicing her gymnastic skills.

The girl ended the dance with a high back flip, and as her final position, her feet landed safely on the matted ground and her arms were stretched diagonally upward. After a few moments, she walked and stopped the CD player from playing the next music. The boy came rushing towards her ready to indulge her.

“You’re really awesome, Seirei! Good thing I could always bring my handy dandy camera with me!” he said with enthusiasm pointing at his mini camera, which was hanging around his neck all the time.

As the gymnast’s reply, she smilingly nodded and said, “Arigato, Sakamoto-kun.”

Perspiring, she wiped the towel on her face then took a sip from her thermos cup, which was prepared for her by Nagi. She then sat exhaustedly on the chair trying to have a break when Nagi started a conversation.

“To tell you the truth…” seriously, he paused and sat beside her.

Seirei turned to him and asked curiously, “Nani ka, Sakamoto-kun?”

Nagi continued, “… Your hair before, I liked it better… Why did you suddenly trim it that much?”

Seirei silently looked down for a moment then turned away, afraid of giving the answer. Even though he’s her closest friend, she can’t assure that he’ll understand it. But then, she turned back to face her best friend but with a smile hanging on her face, “At least for a change. I just want to try it out!”

A voice suddenly yelled out of nowhere, “Miyakage-san!!!”

The two spun around to follow the voice finding two students near the side door of the gym. A girl was cheerily waving while the boy was standing silently beside her turning his glance somewhere else.

Nagi’s eyes squinted odiously turning his gaze away, “Oh, the brat,” plainly said. But Seirei, still wearing the smile, stood and friendly waved back.

The cheerful girl raced up to them dragging the boy with her.

“News, news!” the hyper girl yelled running.

Nagi murmured crossing his arms, “Brat…”

“Hey, I heard that,” she eyed him as she thrust her hands to her waist.

“What is it, Taniko-chan?” the gymnast politely asked.

Turning to her and nodding, she shifted her arm to the boy next to her and replied, “Our junior detective here, Hidaka Kaoru, had caught the suspect of a group of elite thieves!” She then turned to Nagi with a death glare and yelled, “Did you know that, eh Nagi?!…”

Irritated, Nagi yelled back beating her eardrums, “Of course, you brat!!! I’m in the newspaper club damn it!…” turned away.

“Who are you calling a ‘brat’?!?” she asked furiously.

“Who else, brat?!” Nagi talked back.

As the two were arguing totally forgetting that there are two other people with them, Seirei started to talk to Kaoru who was staring somewhere and whose hands were inserted in his pockets.

She softly smiled saying, “Omedeto, Hidaka-kun.”

“Uh???” surprised, he suddenly turned to her. He caught up her gaze making him blush and turn on the ground to hide it. “Uhm…”

Seirei also turned on the ground but not with the same reason as he had but because of thinking deeply about something. She lightly shivered for the moment not making it obvious for the others to see. Then silence filled the atmosphere for the moment until…

“Your hair…” Kaoru paused.

“Nani? Is there something wrong with my hair?” she asked feeling conscious of her looks including what Nagi had just said.

He continued softly, “Iie, with that hair, you just reminds me of someone. Demo… suki yo…” the last phrase was a lot softer to be heard by her making her want to repeat what he just said. But she didn’t mind it anymore.

Being unable to say something else, Kaoru changed back the conversation to what Taniko was saying, “The suspect got arrested… but he bailed out as soon as the primary investigation was over.”

Serei frowned as soon as she heard what Kaoru had said.

Taniko stopped from arguing with Nagi, “It gets worse. My mother is the attorney against the suspect but…”

“Your mum can’t come to the trial? Is that it?” Nagi asked raising an eyebrow.

Kaoru answered him explaining, “Not only that Taniko’s mother was been injured but also because the papers went missing.”

“Missing???” Seirei was curious into hearing about it.

Taniko nodded again, “Hai. And I bet it was that thief last night…”

“Thief??? Last night???” Seirei was even more curious.

“Hai, hai! Our house was been raided by a thief. I bet it’s a member of a group that the suspect has a connection with and he wants to help their comrade who is the suspect that will be at the trial tomorrow morning!” Taniko was really pissed off by just thinking off it.

“Thief… So ka…” Seirei murmured to herself. She then told them picking up her sports bag, “Wait for me. I’ll just change back.”

Nagi nodded, “All right. But make sure you’ll be back by five minutes.”

“Yokay!” she made a peace sign as she walked away.

*~*~*~*~*

The pedestrian light turned green making the passers cross the street.

“You sure about this, Seirei? Well, take care then. Be careful,” Nagi worriedly reminded her.

Seirei smilingly nodded to not make her best friend worried, “I will. The same goes for you.”

“Ja ne!” Nagi waved and softly smiled back to her as she started to cross the street.

By that time, Seirei was walking alone. She thought deeply of things she didn’t expect to come out so soon –– thinking deeply of the thief Taniko told them back at their school.

She thought to herself as she walked staring on the ground, “Not only that they steal but also… they physically injure their victims. How dreadful could they be?!”

Images started to flood her mind impairing the wounding thoughts of the past ––––– of her female best friend being murdered, and of her lover, Ren… Not only that it ached her head but also… her heart. Losing someone precious is the hardest things to accept, especially if the person had occupied ¾ of your heart.

She held her chest as if she was holding the cross pendant then whispered inside, “No one can occupy the slot that you’ve left me… no one…”

She stopped standing in front of Petaldrops Flower Shop. She then started to walk towards some potted flowers on the rack in front of the shop and summoned up her past again feeling a bit nostalgic. She still remembered that Ren was working in that shop, and was bringing flowers for her every time they meet before he passed away. And still, she remembered the flower petals that he always gave her ––– Sakura petals with a sweet scent.

A voice from behind suddenly interrupted her nostalgia, “Excuse me, but we’re already closed. You could come back tomorrow if you need anything.”

Recognizing it, she surprisingly turned, “Takiko-san!”

“Oh, Seirei! Good thing you came at the right timing. Let’s discuss things inside,” the middle-aged lady told her. “We don’t want it to be heard in public, right?”

Seirei agreed nodding and followed Takiko inside until they went down the basement.

“Sorry that I didn’t recognize you. I’m used to your beautiful long hair,” Takiko said as they walked down the newel. “But that hair also looks pretty on you… fitting for Sakura.”

“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The basement was very dark and silent. When Takiko finally switched on the lights, Seirei found things laid prepared on a bed. Takiko approached beside it and said, “Here they are, the things and clothes that Sakura used. I kept them for Ren.”

Seirei followed her and picked up the chestnut coat, “I really can’t believe that I’ll be wearing this, using the well-known thief’s things…”

“Not only use them but also be him… be Sakura…” the lady said as she shifted her glasses and shove back her loosely tied, waist-leveled, black hair.

“Be Sakura… be…” she paused embracing it close to her chest. “… him…”

Takiko watched her for a few moments understanding what a girl like her would feel. But then, she suddenly clapped getting Seirei’s attention, “All right. Let’s get on to what we’re supposed to.”

“Hai!” Seirei jolted up turning all ears and eyes to Takiko.

Picking up a black belt choker, Takiko started, “As you can see, this is a choker. But it’s not just an ordinary choker. I’ve install a device that could change your voice into Ren’s as you wear this, so that no one would suspect that the Sakura right now is not the Sakura before… Then…”

“Ano… Takiko-san…”

“Listen first before you speak… Then… This coat. I’ve fixed it to fit your size. Don’t worry! Your height is just about two inches away from Ren’s… then…”

*~*~ After two hours ~*~*

Seirei really wanted for Takiko to stop so that she could tell her side. And good thing, Takiko was finished with her lecture.

“… There! Any questions?” Takiko asked confidently.

Seirei finally got the chance to speak, “Ano… Takiko-san… I want to ask something…”

“Nan desu ka, Seirei?”

“Onegai, let this night be Sakura’s,” she insisted.

Takiko contentedly smiled and said, “I know what you mean… The papers for the trial tomorrow morning were stolen and you want to retrieve them, right?”

Seirei nodded approvingly knowing that it’s what she wanted. But then she also wondered, “How come you know???”

Takiko chuckled, “I know everything. I have a lot of connections… All right, fine with me. And here is the information that I have…”

She handed to Seirei the paper with the address of the person who’ll be at the trial.

“I guess that’s about it!” Taniko suddenly spoke again, “Wait! Before anything else, why don’t you try the suit first?”

“Oh… Okay…”

*~*~*~*~*

Darkness came. The stars hanging on the sky gave light to those who searches for their way. And on the way, Sakura silently flitted from one roof to another. Her chestnut coat flowed with the wind as her half mask, which was wearing a huge smile, and the black silk cloth that covered her lower face like a ninja’s hid her identity. Inside her coat, she wears a black turtleneck with its zipper fixed above her chest, and black pants paired with shiny ebony leather boots.

Sakura thought as she held her flat chest sighing, “I really don’t feel comfortable… What a night…”

After a few turns and jumps, Sakura bent down on the roof of a house in front of a small residence, the house that the paper was referring to.

“This is it…”

From the main door, a man went out of the house and walked away.

“I wonder where he’s going…” Sakura curiously thought with a tricky grin on her face. So she followed the man examining him and wanting to know if her hunches were right. But not from a far, a figure was hiding at a dark corner and was on his motorbike. He started following them without any notice.

*~*~*~*~*

The man stopped at a park and sat on a bench beside the light as he shifted down his hat lowering it and shadowing his eyes. Sakura stood behind a nearby tree still waiting for the outcome. And finally, it did. She sharpened her eyes as a new figure in cloak came into view. The man stood and went towards it.

He asked, “Do you have the papers?”

“Of course, it’s here,” the cloaked person answered.

Sakura’s eyes widened upon hearing it then slowly narrowed. She tightened her fist in rage. “So he’s the one held responsible for injuring Tachibana-san!”

As he was about to hand a small black briefcase, he whispered, “Someone’s been following you…”

“What?!?”.

As soon as the other man turned, Sakura threw her black ribbon taking the case from the black-cloaked person. But then, he who’s holding it jumped back.

“Who are you?!” he yelled.

Sakura gave a silent reply and made her chance for first attack. As she leaped, leaves with sharp blades cast out from her sleeve and approached the enemy with the blink of an eye. The enemy then revealed a blade weapon on his right arm from his cloak and used it to protect himself sending the leaves to different directions. As Sakura landed, she threw again her ribbon and it held tight to the man’s wrist, where the weapon is.

“Nobody move!” a voice suddenly yelled. All eyes turned to it.

“Hidaka-kun???” Sakura wondered silently.

Kaoru was holding a gun with one hand and was pointing it at them.

“What a waste of time!” with the other hand, the cloaked man threw the briefcase towards Kaoru making him fall back and drop his gun.

Sakura turned to him, “Hidak––!!!” Having the chance, the man threw his cloak to her using it as a cover then slashed her making her loosen her grab on the ribbon. Luckily, she was just slashed at the side of her upper arm.

The man then stabbed his companion as he freely escaped. The suspect lied dead and blood spilled out. As for Sakura, she quickly tore a part of the cape to tie it at her wounded arm. Doing it made her notice a badge that was pinned on it. Pulling it off, she stood up and covered the dead body with the cape the man had left. She was about to walk away when…

“Hisashiburi da ne, Sakura,” still holding the gun, Kaoru approached her. “You think I’ll let you get away? Place your hands up and turn around!” Sakura obediently did so. “Good…” Kaoru said as he pulled out some handcuffs with his free hand, still holding the gun directly on her.

Sakura suddenly smirked, Kaoru not noticing it. Kaoru was about to put it around her arm when a thick scented white smoke suddenly engulfed her.

“What the-!?!” Kaoru waved the smoke away and found no sight of Sakura. He only found sakura petals fluttering down and on the ground laid an origami ––– a paper sakura flower…

*~*~*~*~*

At the flower shop, Takiko found Seirei injured, “Seirei, you have a wound.”

“Don’t mind it, Takiko-san,” Seirei said as she removed the mask and the cloth on her face. She then started removing her blue contact lens revealing her green ones

“So, where are the papers?” she asked wondering where they were.

“They’re in safe hands. But as for the suspect, he was being slain by his companion, a thief,” Seirei told her as she laid her coat on the bed. She then remembered something and pulled it out of her pocket, “By the way, I found this on the cloak that the thief had left.”

“A badge?” Takiko took it. “This is-!!!” It was a metal skull with a cross at its left hollow eye. The metal cross had an amethyst embedded on it. She continued, “This badge is a group which they called themselves as Pallida Obitum…”

“Pallida Obitum???” Seirei was bewildered. Strands of brown hair appeared as she slowly wipes off the blonde color on her hair with a wet cloth.

*~*~*~*~*

“Gomen nasai!” a man said kneeling before someone. “If only those ‘two’ didn’t showed up…”

“Two??? Do you know who they are?” the other person asked.

“One seemed to be a detective while the other… I don’t know,” he replied. “But he wears a mask, and has short blonde hair… plus, he’s blue-eyed.”

“Wears a mask and has short blonde hair?!? Plus, blue-eyed?!?” the figure seemed shock to here about it. “It can’t be-!?!”

“Is there something wrong, sir?” he asked.

“Iie, betsuni.”