The Sparrow and the Prince

CHAPTER 1

We fear that which we cannot see.

A young man in a black Shihakusho with bright orange hair with white Kenseiken and violet eyes stared on into the night. A black swallow tailed butterfly fluttered by his side.

"I sense a hollow nearby..." He spoke to himself. "...strange... I sense a lot of high spiritual pressure."

'As the Pendulum swung forward the sword of fate descended once again.'

A young teenage girl with braided black hair with long bangs and green eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses walked down the path alone. A necklace that had a silver cross and red centre dangled around her neck. In her left hand was a bag full of grocers and in her right has her cell phone. She wore a high school uniform.

"So you'll be late coming home, father?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Sumiko." The man on the other line said apologetically.

"That's okay dad." A pale white figure caught her attention. "Looks like I'll be working late tonight as well."

Sumiko hangs up and slowly walks toward the ghostly figure. It was a woman in a pale pink kimono. Her face was in her hands as wept.

"Are you okay?"

'For as long as I can remember; I could see the dearly departed.'

"So you were the wife of a lord but then you fell in love with a peasant?" Sumiko asked.

"Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. My husband was lord of this land. He very cruel both as lord and a person, he would make the villages work till their last breaths and would force me to conceive a child and every time I wouldn't he would beat me." The soul said sadly. "I was always so fearful of him. I always knew he'd be the one who kill me."

The woman started trembling. Sumiko rubbed comforting circles on the spirit's back.

"Tell me about your lover." Sumiko asked. The woman's eyes soften at the thought of her lover.

"Yes, Yuki-kun, he was very sweet, kind and honest. He wasn't the brightest but he would treat me with a respect that my husband would never. We eloped and I was with child, Yuki-kun's child." Her eyes were in a warm daze but then she became fearful again. "But my husband found out! He hurt me so much then captured Yuki-kun and hurt him so! He killed him! He killed him!"

The spirit screamed tears running down her face. Sumiko sighed then spoke to the distressed spirit.

"You know there is a local legend about two lovers destined to be together. The woman was lady with an abusive husband and the man was a humble peasant with no chance of being with her. One day the husband found out and had the peasant killed. The wife was so distraught she killed herself. But it is said that their souls shall meet at the shrine at where they spend their time together." Sumiko recounted the fairy tale. "Let's go, Yuki is waiting isn't he?"

"Thank you, Sumiko-chan." The spirit beamed.

"That's okay, Sakura-sama." Sumiko replied.

'I can hear them, see them and touch them.'

As the pair reached the shrine they saw something that horrified them. Yuki was at the mercy of an orange haired man in a black samurai getup.

"Yuki-Kun!" Sakura screamed.

"Stop!" Sumiko yelled. The samurai payed no attention and lifted his blade. Sumiko ran and tackled the man before he brought the blade down.

"I won't let you hurt Yuki!" Sumiko exclaimed pinning the samurai down.