1. upon death comes rebirth

Sala's eyes opened as she looked around, The building she was in was nothing that she saw before, it was enormous, clean and everything was different. The building was a Shiro, a giant fortress, at first she thought that she was sold off, however, she looked down and saw she wore a beautiful red and black kimono, that have red maple leaves pattern. Despite never seeing any of these things, she knew what it was.

Sala can feel the familiar chilly air that is to warn people that winter is on its way, Sala moves to the shoji and when she opens it she saw that it leads to the balcony, and her eyes widen what she saw. A whole forest of red maple trees, and in the distance she saw a mountain. She heard the door to her room slide open behind her, and she turns to see an elderly woman bow before her.

"Lady Akizuki, Lord Akizuki demands your presence." The elder woman said to her; however, before Sala could think she felt her mouth begin to move.

"So Father is back?"

"Yes, my Lady he's in his Dojo."

Sala couldn't believe the voice that came out of her mouth, it sounded so pure, so angelic. Sala walks back into her room and shut the door to her balcony as she follows the elder woman after the woman slides her door shut.

Sala follows the elderly lady down the hall, although she just realizes that despite having all of Aya's memories, she doesn't know how Aya looks, or how she, herself looked; until she walks past a mirror in the hall and what she saw out of the corner of her eyes made her stop and quickly whip around to look at herself in the mirror, and she was shocked by what she saw. Her left hand reaches up and softly touches her soft white cheek.

Her fingers traced her beautiful ruby-red thin lips; her eyes look at her beautiful small nose. She notices her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, and she looks deep into her eyes, the eyes are the only thing Sala recognizes, Aya's eyes were hers. Her eyes color is light blue and around the iris is the color of fire. Her eyes look to see that Aya's hair was black, smooth, and long and it was put up in a top knot, looking back at Sala is a seven-year-old girl whose beauty can not be described.

"Young Mistress is something wrong?" The elderly woman was watching her with a quizzical expression. The elderly woman's voice woke Sala from the trance of looking at Aya...or more to say her own face.

"N...no, let's continue." Aya replied, and they continue on. After walking down the stairs, Sala could feel the intense anxiety from Aya, the closer to her Father's dojo; the anxiety was uncomfortable for Sala, and it feel like she was suffocating.

"Calm down girl." Sala said inside her head.

"You do not know how Akizuki Koga is, so do not tell me to calm down." The angelic voice replied, however, the reply had a touch of venom, and Sala was taken aback, not by the snippy remark but because Aya actually talking to her, as she wasn't expecting a reply.

"Your Anxiety is all over the place it's stifling." Sala told her, however she was met with silence again.

They finally reach her father's dojo. The dojo was in a separate building, that is next to a red maple tree

and a small pond. The Elderly woman bowed before the door, however before she announce themselves to force Aya to bow as well and gave her a stern look, The old woman may be their servant; but she does not allow any disrespect to the Lord, however, Aya looked to be a bit annoyed.

"Lord Akizuki, Lady Aya is here." The old woman said.

"Let her in and leave us." Koga replied, and with that, the door slid open; after Aya took off her geta, she stepped inside and the elderly woman shut the door behind Aya.

The Dojo walls have the Katanas each of her ancestors used, and each Kantana was famous, However only one was extremely famous, and it was the sword that Aya had dreamed of being her one day, and it was the only sword that caught her eyes. The Sword rested above her Father's armor.

The katana scabbard is snow white, it was said that it was made from a powerful demon bone, the cord was black and white and it was made from the same demon hair. The blade was made to be nearly indestructible, The guard is black as night and designed in a shape of a snowflake in a circle. The braid on the sword handle is black and white, The handle was said to come from a yew tree, that was over a thousand years old, The kashira had a snowflake imprinted on it. The Katana name is Fuyu. Legend said that whoever wields the sword will be unstoppable, and be granted unimaginable power.

"Stop looking at it, It will never be yours." Her father said and it caused her to look at him. Aya was annoyed by his comment however, she bow before her father before she sit in seiza fashion in front of her Father.

Koga Akizuki was described by his enemies to tower over his foes and he was as strong as a bear. His brown eyes looked at his daughter.

"I decided that the best way to put an end to your delusional is to marry you off to Lord Asukai Aritoshi." Koga said to her, and Aya looked at him with disbelief.

"Father, with all due respect, I don't want to marry an old man. I want to become a Kazaha." Aya said to her Father as he looked at her angrily.

"Stop this foolishness. You can not be a Kazaha, and you will not have Fuyu!" Koga said sternly as his voice slightly rise.

"But Father--"

"NO, THIS IS THE END OF IT, AND I FORBID YOU TO ASK MY KAZAHA TO TRAIN YOU!" Koga roared out, and anybody else would've been scared, but Aya inherited his courage, nerves of steel, and stubbornness.

"Why can't I become a Kazaha?" Aya asked him angrily.

" Because you are a woman, and women are not strong enough to become Kazaha." Koga said to her, and they just glare at each other, However, Aya didn't wait to be dismissed; She stood up and left, and on her way out she slam the door shut. Aya stormed off to her Mother's garden. She sits under her mother's cherry blossom tree.