Third Story (or an attempt in any case)
Okay, I've thought about writing this for a loooooooog while. I....just never did anything about it mostly cause it's not my style, but hey I guess I'll try to branch out. Note that the tragedy IS my style. The love part isn't cause it's hard for me to write. ....GOD DON'T YOU JUST LOVE MY RAMBLINGS!!! I KNOW I DO!!! Okay, anyway, here we go. Flames are not so welcome, but I need them anyway. So have at it. Oh, by the way, this is going to be told from the point of view of an old person. I say person because I don't care if it's a man or woman. You choose whichever you want and be happy.
The Legend of the Sakura Trees
I have heard many a person ask why? What made them that color? Was it the sun or the moon? Was it the heat, the humidity, the chill? Not many are sure what made the Sakura Blossoms bloom in the color of sunrise. As if the very reason they grew on trees was so that they may be able to reach up and join the dawn sky in the celebration of a new day. No one knows....except for me of course. If I didn't know, I wouldn't be sitting here about to tell you this tragedy. Now where shall I begin? Well, your response would be "At the beginning, naturally." Fine, at the beginning it is.
Once upon a time (I know the the saying is old and used, but like it or not I'm old. Deal with it!)there lived a man and a woman (no, this is not Adam and Eve. I know not their names. Once again, deal with it!)who loved each other very much. There love was so intense that they would gladly die for each other if the opportunity presented itself. Or,...so they thought.
One day all of the men from the region were called to war. Though they grieved at the thought at having to leave each other, they both knew that the man must serve his country. The woman said to him before he left "I will wait for you here, until the end and after." He simply smiled knowing that she would do just as she said she would. 'Here' happened to be their special place. Where they first met, under the Tsubasa tree. Named as such because of the pure white blossoms that stretched towards the heavens like an angel's wings.
So, the man left for the shadows of war and thus the man became a warrior. A warrior that fought many a bloody battle. Each one chipping at his mind and heart. So much so that his mind became it's own war between sanity and insanity, while his heart lost it's initial luster and became nothing more than a pump that kept him alive only to face another battle. Battle after battle and yet the war waged on. And so the warrior became a madman.
All this time the woman had kept her promise. Rising early in the morning to eat, walk the long way to the Tsubasa tree, and wait until late past midnight, only to walk home, eat, and sleep until early dawn just to repeat the process. Day after day she waited and day after day her perseverance was rewarded with only grievance and a painful yearning.
Finally, after eight long years, the war ended, taking with it many lives that were cherished and eventually forgotten in order to also forget the pain that lingered. The only one that clung to the pain was the one that wanted it, needed it in order to remember. Remember her promise.
A few months passed and the warrior turned madman returned late one night, to where the fragments of his memories began. The Tsubasa tree. The madman was tired and blinded with fear. He was currently dealing with what every warrior has to deal with. Seeing the faces of perpetual fear, anger, and shock across the faces of his slaughtered comrades and enemies covered in the crimson fluid that was blood along with hearing the screams of pain that rang across the battlefield.
Because of this he was not very focused and was unable to see without first seeing red. Upon his reaching the tree he heard something soft among the screams. A small gasp. The gasp belonged to his lover from long ago. She had heard the shuffling of tired feet on the road and was going to see if anything was wrong and if she could help, when she saw him. Her love had returned at last. She was so happy and relieved that she ran towards him, tears streaming down her face.
This did not sit well with him as what he saw at the moment was another potential enemy. "Leave me alone!" he screamed as he thrust his sword forward with as much strength as he could muster. Feeling the familiar sensation of the blade piercing through flesh and catching on bone, he smiled and in that moment he lost the war of his mind. But then he got a look at the face of his 'enemy' only for his own face to slip into an expression of shock and utter fear upon the realization of what he had just done to his beloved.
There she was against the hilt of his blade, but out if all the other expressions he had seen on the faces of those that died by the blade none was as gentle as this. Her face portrayed that of forgiveness, relief, and the love she felt for him. It told him so much without saying anything.
Gently he removed the blade from her body. As he lowered her to the ground underneath the Tsubasa tree, he watched her calm and loving smile while tears began to appear in eyes long dry. As her blood soaked the ground, she spoke her final words in gasping breaths. "I ....love..y.you" She whispered, stumbling over her words as she lay dying. And with that she expelled her last breath shakily. He finally released his tears.
The only reason he had lived was to be able to see her again. To stay with her. Grow old with her. Out of all the memories he had lost, this he remembered. But now she was gone, vanished right in front of his eyes. There was no more reason for him to live and so he took his sword and plunged it into his heart. Thus he started his journey to the gates of heaven to join his beloved.
As they departed from the world there scarlet life stream soaked into the ground. The tree's roots absorbed the fluid as though it was precious water. The blood that the tree took in tainted the blossoms and the seeds they possessed. The white color of the blossoms and the deep red of the lover's blood mixed together to create the pink of the blossoms you see today. The Tsubasa trees were renamed and became known as the Sakura trees from that day onward. The seeds from that tree spread, overtaking all the others. No one knows what happened to the bodies. Many assume that they were swallowed into the ground along with their blood and it seems that they were right.
So if anyone asks you why the Sakura Trees imitate the dawn sky, tell them this: A corpse lies beneath the roots, tainting the blossoms and seeds.
That is all there is to say of the Sakura trees. Now let an old one rest, for I shall leave this world as well very soon. Perhaps I will be buried underneath the trees and paint them the color of the dawn skies.
END
NOTES: Now I have actually heard a saying about Sakura trees. The saying was "A skeleton lies underneath the Sakura trees." When I heard this I just thought up this story. However, that was years ago, but I was able to remember it for sssoooooo long so I just went ahead and wrote (er...typed) it down. I know it's not too good, (probably really bad) but oh well...So sorry if it was a disappointment. ^_^;
The Legend of the Sakura Trees
I have heard many a person ask why? What made them that color? Was it the sun or the moon? Was it the heat, the humidity, the chill? Not many are sure what made the Sakura Blossoms bloom in the color of sunrise. As if the very reason they grew on trees was so that they may be able to reach up and join the dawn sky in the celebration of a new day. No one knows....except for me of course. If I didn't know, I wouldn't be sitting here about to tell you this tragedy. Now where shall I begin? Well, your response would be "At the beginning, naturally." Fine, at the beginning it is.
Once upon a time (I know the the saying is old and used, but like it or not I'm old. Deal with it!)there lived a man and a woman (no, this is not Adam and Eve. I know not their names. Once again, deal with it!)who loved each other very much. There love was so intense that they would gladly die for each other if the opportunity presented itself. Or,...so they thought.
One day all of the men from the region were called to war. Though they grieved at the thought at having to leave each other, they both knew that the man must serve his country. The woman said to him before he left "I will wait for you here, until the end and after." He simply smiled knowing that she would do just as she said she would. 'Here' happened to be their special place. Where they first met, under the Tsubasa tree. Named as such because of the pure white blossoms that stretched towards the heavens like an angel's wings.
So, the man left for the shadows of war and thus the man became a warrior. A warrior that fought many a bloody battle. Each one chipping at his mind and heart. So much so that his mind became it's own war between sanity and insanity, while his heart lost it's initial luster and became nothing more than a pump that kept him alive only to face another battle. Battle after battle and yet the war waged on. And so the warrior became a madman.
All this time the woman had kept her promise. Rising early in the morning to eat, walk the long way to the Tsubasa tree, and wait until late past midnight, only to walk home, eat, and sleep until early dawn just to repeat the process. Day after day she waited and day after day her perseverance was rewarded with only grievance and a painful yearning.
Finally, after eight long years, the war ended, taking with it many lives that were cherished and eventually forgotten in order to also forget the pain that lingered. The only one that clung to the pain was the one that wanted it, needed it in order to remember. Remember her promise.
A few months passed and the warrior turned madman returned late one night, to where the fragments of his memories began. The Tsubasa tree. The madman was tired and blinded with fear. He was currently dealing with what every warrior has to deal with. Seeing the faces of perpetual fear, anger, and shock across the faces of his slaughtered comrades and enemies covered in the crimson fluid that was blood along with hearing the screams of pain that rang across the battlefield.
Because of this he was not very focused and was unable to see without first seeing red. Upon his reaching the tree he heard something soft among the screams. A small gasp. The gasp belonged to his lover from long ago. She had heard the shuffling of tired feet on the road and was going to see if anything was wrong and if she could help, when she saw him. Her love had returned at last. She was so happy and relieved that she ran towards him, tears streaming down her face.
This did not sit well with him as what he saw at the moment was another potential enemy. "Leave me alone!" he screamed as he thrust his sword forward with as much strength as he could muster. Feeling the familiar sensation of the blade piercing through flesh and catching on bone, he smiled and in that moment he lost the war of his mind. But then he got a look at the face of his 'enemy' only for his own face to slip into an expression of shock and utter fear upon the realization of what he had just done to his beloved.
There she was against the hilt of his blade, but out if all the other expressions he had seen on the faces of those that died by the blade none was as gentle as this. Her face portrayed that of forgiveness, relief, and the love she felt for him. It told him so much without saying anything.
Gently he removed the blade from her body. As he lowered her to the ground underneath the Tsubasa tree, he watched her calm and loving smile while tears began to appear in eyes long dry. As her blood soaked the ground, she spoke her final words in gasping breaths. "I ....love..y.you" She whispered, stumbling over her words as she lay dying. And with that she expelled her last breath shakily. He finally released his tears.
The only reason he had lived was to be able to see her again. To stay with her. Grow old with her. Out of all the memories he had lost, this he remembered. But now she was gone, vanished right in front of his eyes. There was no more reason for him to live and so he took his sword and plunged it into his heart. Thus he started his journey to the gates of heaven to join his beloved.
As they departed from the world there scarlet life stream soaked into the ground. The tree's roots absorbed the fluid as though it was precious water. The blood that the tree took in tainted the blossoms and the seeds they possessed. The white color of the blossoms and the deep red of the lover's blood mixed together to create the pink of the blossoms you see today. The Tsubasa trees were renamed and became known as the Sakura trees from that day onward. The seeds from that tree spread, overtaking all the others. No one knows what happened to the bodies. Many assume that they were swallowed into the ground along with their blood and it seems that they were right.
So if anyone asks you why the Sakura Trees imitate the dawn sky, tell them this: A corpse lies beneath the roots, tainting the blossoms and seeds.
That is all there is to say of the Sakura trees. Now let an old one rest, for I shall leave this world as well very soon. Perhaps I will be buried underneath the trees and paint them the color of the dawn skies.
END
NOTES: Now I have actually heard a saying about Sakura trees. The saying was "A skeleton lies underneath the Sakura trees." When I heard this I just thought up this story. However, that was years ago, but I was able to remember it for sssoooooo long so I just went ahead and wrote (er...typed) it down. I know it's not too good, (probably really bad) but oh well...So sorry if it was a disappointment. ^_^;