Chapter 1: The Past ~Prologue~

A woman in her mid 20s stood in the middle of the crowded airport terminal. She stood in front of the arrivals gate looking for her old friend from college. As she waited, she thought back to the last 3 months leading up to the very situation that she was now in.

~3 months earlier~

"Mei, you need to do this for the family. To keep our blood line strong." Mei's mother said. At 40, her mother stood strong and proud, her face still looked like she was still in her early thirties; the only thing showing her true age was the wrinkles on the corner of her brown eyes and mouth. Her father sat at his mahogany desk, his eyes staring at the wall behind her and not at her, his chin resting on interlocking fingers. Throughout her life, her father was the only one to give her the freedoms of the modern age. Whether that means owning a laptop to dating the boys that showed an interest in her, he always gave her a warm smile and the knowledge that he trusted her to make the right decision. Now, he just sat there, saying nothing.

"Papa?" I asked while I was silently asking him to defend me like he always had. He sighed and said, "Mei, you know I love you dearly, but as the last Ming you need to carry on the blood line. You know this would be different if you had a brother, but as it stands we cannot afford to delay the contract marriage to the Ting family. Their son is getting quite anxious and in order to appease him, they threatened to back out of the merger."He paused to judge my reaction, "they did, however, agree to let you finish college in Japan after the wedding." He said as he sat back in his high back chair. Her mother huffed at this and with arms across her chest and with a sharp gaze said. "No need, we do not need her to butt heads with her soon to be husband and cause discord in the household." I jerked my head to look at the wall to the right. My eyes fell on the portrait of my grandmother and me, and then suddenly I remembered what she said to me before she had passed on. Her voice flowed into my head and said, 'Mei, do not do anything that you will regret, but do the things that you know in your heart to be true and in terms of love; follow your heart and always believe in yourself and the one you love.' I stood there, staring at the portrait allowing the warm presence of my grandmother flowing around and through me. I closed my eyes to bask in her presence not really knowing how much time had passed. "Mei!" my mother snapped. I turned my head to her with a jerk and that's when I made a snap decision. I took a deep breath and with my shoulders straight I looked her in the eyes. All my life I had to follow her restrictions, her rules in order to become the perfect wife to the Ting family and I was tired of it. I wanted to live freely and to love freely. With those thoughts in my mind and heart, I said calmly, "No mother. I refuse to marry into a family who does not understand the Ming family background and origins, but most importantly I will not marry a man whom I do not love. I am an adult and I will live my life how I see fit." The tension in the room was palpable, my mother stood still like a statue and my father was watching my mother closely, waiting to see what she would do or say. I just stood there waiting with baited breath. After five more minutes, I had enough of the tension and the heated glare from my mother. I turned my gaze to my father and I was shocked when I saw the warmth and the affection that was in his eyes. With a sigh he said, "Do what you need to do Mei, just know whatever you do I will support you every step of the way." My eyes widened with the realization that my father wanted me to do this all along and with a smile and a bow, I turned to leave.

"Mei, if you leave this room you will no longer be a Ming and that is final," she paused to make sure I was listening, "and whatever the Ting family does will no longer concern me or your father." She added coldly. I straightened my shoulders and without a backward glance, I left my father's warm office and walked to my bedroom.

Luckily my bags were not unpacked so all I needed to do was call a taxi and board the plane back to Japan. I grabbed my bags and a few photo albums, the big ledger containing my family history and the family heir-looms that my grandmother left me and with a last glance around my bedroom, I shut the door. I walked down the familiar hallways and passed the many rooms that lead to the main staircase. When I reached the top of the staircase, I cast a last glance around and said a silent goodbye to the many memories that the two story mansion held and with a sigh I started to descend the winding stairs. When I reached the bottom, I walked quickly to the entrance hoping that my mother was not behind me. As I reached for the door knob, the sound of my mother's heels echoed in the main entrance hall. Without looking back, I jerked the door opened and walked outside without a goodbye. I shut the door behind me and before I walked to the waiting taxi, I took a few shuddering breaths and renewed my resolve of leaving my family home for good. With a final goodbye, I walked to the taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go and with a last glance, I felt a sudden foreboding that I will never see the home I grew up in ever again. I continued to watch as the mansion disappeared from sight and I turned around thinking of what to do for the next two days.

~Present~

When I left home, I had thought that would be that. Who knew that the Ting family would be outraged when they found out I would not be marring there uptight eldest son. I sighed when I thought back on those last few months running and hiding from there hired "thugs". I almost gave up, when a few days ago; my friend from college called and gave me a lifeline. He had offered me a place to stay and a new start, which I had readily agreed. Of course he didn't know about the new death threat I had received from the head the Ting family, which I wanted to stay a secret. Now with a new name and a new citizenship, I was ready to start a new. As I continued to watch the people walk around, I heard a voice calling me, "Sakura!" I looked over and saw a slightly tall man with jet black hair with light brown eyes waving at me. I smiled, waved back, and fast walked over to him.

"Kei, it's good to see you again and thank you again for the offer. I can't tell you enough how this means to me." I said. He gave me his classic goofy grin and waved his hand while shaking his head.

"No need, you are always welcome in my parents' home." He said. He grabbed my bags, took my left hand and started to walk towards the exit. 'Follow your heart…' I widened my eyes as my grandmothers voice echoed in my head. 'So, this is what she meant 'I thought. I looked at Keis' back as he led the way and then I suddenly realized that he was my future. My gaze shifted to the hand he was holding and a wave of pure happiness filled my heart and with a smile I let him lead the way out of the Tokyo airport and to his beat up car. When we reached his car, he walked around it and popped the trunk. With quick movements, he put my bags in the trunk and with a grunt he slammed the hood shut. When he made sure the hood of the trunk would stay shut, he walked over to me and gave me a warm hug.

"Finally." He whispered in my hair. His tightened his arms around me and I hugged him back.

"I missed you." I whispered back. I felt him grin in my hair and we stayed like that for a few more minutes. Finally, he pulled back and gave me a long look.

"So, are you staying for good or are you leaving again in another couple of months?" He asked. I shook my head and answered, "For good this time. I'm tired of the life my mother wanted me to have and to marry a man that I did not know pushed me too far." When I said this, his gaze grew soft and said, "Good, you gave me a scare when you left," He pulled me into a hug again and continued, "I'll never let you leave me again Mei." My heart skipped a beat when he said my name and my smile grew as my heart filled with happiness. "Kei, I think we should leave now. Don't want your parents waiting for too long." I said. I felt him sigh and he reluctantly let me go. He opened the passenger side door for me and walked around and got in himself. He gave me another goofy grin and started his car and we headed to his parents.

In the back of the parking lot, there was a figure standing in the shadows taking pictures of the car that just left.

"Yes sir, she just left with a young man by the name of Taniyama Kei," he paused "Yes sir, I will follow them and wait for your next orders." He hung up and walked over to his car. With a last look in the direction of where the car disappeared to he got in and started to head in the same direction. In the distance one could hear the sounds of the crows.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep." The scenery faded to black as the same sound over took my senses.

I moaned into my pillow as I reached over and slammed my hand on the alarm clock, when it didn't stop, I lifted my head and reached over and pounded on it. I sat up and stared at the red numbers that was staring back at me, 7:30AM. I groaned. It was far too early for me to get up. I then jumped when my cell buzzed with a text message. I reached over and flipped it open

Yasu ~Good mourning sleepy head! Don't forget U have exams today! ~

My eyes widened at the text. How could I have forgotten, I jumped out of bed and stumbled my way to the shower. Five minutes later and with two stubbed toes I was ready to go. With a piece of toast in my hand and my bag in the other, I yelled a good bye to my mom and dad's shrine that was in the living room. I made sure my apartment door was locked and ran full sprint to my school to take my final mid terms for that semester.

It's been 2 years since Naru aka Kazuya Shibuya aka Oliver Davis and his assistant Lin Koujo left for England to bury his twin brother and in those 2 years my abilities has pretty much stayed the same with the occasional death dream of a passing spirit. Nothing has really changed, except for Ayako and Bou-san's wedding then that would be it. Brown-san had taken over a local church, Masako is busy as ever with the shooting of her TV show and Yasuhara is busy in college study to be a high priced lawyer. I was entering my final year in high school and these exams were mandatory if I wanted to go to college. As I reached my school, I could hear the bell toll signaling that it was eight o'clock. I gritted my teeth and made a mad dash through the school gates before they could close. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the class room that they would hold the exams in. I opened the door and as I walked in I stopped short. The class room was empty and then I noticed the clock on the wall. 7:00AM. I gritted my teeth when I thought back to the night before. Yasuhara needed to barrow my cell to call his girlfriend and I had stupidly agreed and not only that he had gone into my bedroom for the call!

"He is sooo dead!" I growled. With my hands clenched, I walked to the front of the school and sat down on one of the benches. Now that I notice the gates hadn't closed at all. I shook my head and breathed in the mourning air. As I sat there watching the leaves of the sakura trees swaying in the soft breeze, I thought 'today could not get any worse.'

If only I knew how that statement was wrong.