The Legendary Red String of Fate

~~The Legendary: Red String of Fate~~V: Eternal Sakura:

Authors Note: (There will be some historical references, without any accurate history behind it. Power of fan fiction!) After introducing the four main relationship scenarios, it is time to trace these individual's past. Yao Wang, Lovino Vargas, Leon Kirkland, and Alfred F. Jones, all have their own ancestry linage that predicted their current relationships and friendships. Now, lets start the true story of "The Legendary Red String of Fate!"

~~

In Kyoto, Japan, the only son of the Emperor of Japan, watched the cherry blossoms bloom in front of his window. The year is 1864, and the prince is extremely excited to marry his chosen bride.

Originally, Prince Kuroh was suppose to marry a wealthy girl, hand chosen by his parents since his birth. However, young Kuroh was a spoiled prince, since he was the only heir, he argued that he wanted to choose a young man his age, to be his wife. It wasn't until he first met that boy, that he claimed his heart has been stolen. His father, Emperor Honda agreed to allow his heir to marry the eldest son of the Emperor of the Qing dynasty of China, who his son greatly admired.

In the spring of 1864, prince Kuroh and his bride are twelve years old and preparing to be married that day. Kuroh, truly excited and feeling love's true blissful high, ordered everything to be perfect.

It's been four years after the second Opium War, and the Emperor of China agreed to allow the wedding between his eldest son and Kuroh. Hoping this to improve relations between his kingdom and the kingdom of Japan.

In a different room getting ready for the ceremony, a twelve year old male bride, writes a letter to send back home. The bride's tears stained the piece of paper with the ink smudging a bit. He writes, 'Today I will be married to prince Honda Kuroh, as a token of peace between our kingdoms. I wish xiao mei and xiao xiongdi could of came to see me. I miss you both and baba very much. I heard the Empress is trying to conceive us a younger sibling, I hope for the best. Sincerely, Wang Tao.'
A knock hits the door before opening, Tao stands up quickly wiping away any shame off of his face. "It's time for your wedding." Tao nodded and followed the servant.

~~Follow the Silk Road~~

Time has passed, when the young lovers have matured to be nineteen and their love has now become one-sided. Tao recently received a letter from back home in China, requesting him to return home at once, before the Emperor passes away. Tao is truly devastated to hear about his father catching a rare virus, and told Kuroh he must return home quickly.

"We will both return to China together. I'll make sure a boat is ready for us." Kuroh nodded, but Tao stopped him.

"Wait, I," Tao didn't know how to tell him, but he must, "I would like to return home alone."

"Osoreirimasu?" Kuroh would never allow Tao go anywhere without him. Tao has written to his sister, Mei for seven years, describing Kuroh as a 'over protective', 'over obsessive', and a 'leech'. Truthfully, Tao couldn't take his husband anymore. No matter, how much love Kuroh had for him, he just couldn't return the feeling. It was time to go back home, and be present as the heir to the Chinese Emperor.

"I would like if you could trust me, and not follow me home." Those words were perfectly selected to open Kuroh's eyes.

"I do trust you, it's the world I don't trust. If anything ever happened to you, I would be lost. My love for you is never ending and eternal. Just like how you are my beautiful eternal sakura. You will always bloom inside my heart, I cannot allow the cold winters and scorching summer heat to effect my delicate spring flower. Please, allow me to escort you personally, or don't return to China at all." Kuroh pleaded, gently tilting Tao's chin upwards to stare at his precious wife's eyes. It cant be this way, it's time for me to break away from him.

"You don't trust me, I can sense that you are lying. A few years ago, my stepmother has given birth to a son, and if I cant go back to seize the throne, a five year old will be Emperor of China! Would you think that's a good thing?!" Tao shouted. Kuroh could see the pain in his eyes, he never wanted his sakura to ever be unhappy. "Kuroh, I am trapped. I am a trapped bird. Is that what you wanted for me? You wanted me to feel caged in? I want to fly, fly back home! Please release this tragic bird's life back to his freedom."

At that moment, those perfect selected words have set himself free.

~~ Sakura, Sakura,
noyama mo sato mo
mi-watasu kagiri.
kasumi ka kumo ka?
asahi ni niou. ~~

As Tao was on a boat back to China, Kuroh approached his father, the Emperor. "Osoreirimasu, chichi. I do believe you have conspired with Tao to leave me. Why did you help him to convince me to allow him to travel back to China without me?" Kuroh had a feeling those words belonged to his father, but Tao played the puppet.

"You really did keep him here as your pet. Is it so wrong to set the man free?" Emperor Honda asked, "You don't have to answer, because I already know how you would answer. It was true love, Oto-san, Tao was my everything. It's time to find a new everything." He clapped his hands, as a way to signal someone to approach.

A young beautiful lady stepped towards the two, "Konnichiwa, Kuroh-san." She smiled.

Kuroh gritted his teeth as he recognized his former arranged bride.

~~ Sakura, Sakura,
hana zakari. ~~

Once Tao returned home, his coronation was as soon as he arrived. He was too late to see his father, but was welcomed by a very excited prince. Prince Wang Xiang enjoyed Tao's company from day one, while he couldn't stand his other older siblings. In fact, the prince had a tantrum within the first week, for the fact that Tao wasn't comfortable of Xiang crawling into his bed, and asked him kindly to leave.

By the time the Emperor Wang Tao was twenty, Xiang requested more than once that the Emperor would make him his wife. It was an odd request that many people in the palace frowned upon, but Tao agreed until Xiang was old enough physically to wed, that he'd marry him. Once Xiang heard that the Emperor agreed, he excitedly asked the palace servants to teach him how to cook and sew, in order for him to feed and make clothes for his husband.

"That child is very odd." Said Min, the Emperor's chief adviser and younger brother. Min was only five years old when Tao married Kuroh, also Mei, their sister was eight years old. Tao just giggled, "If it makes the child happy, I don't mind. Hopefully, once he is sixteen, he would probably gotten over this fantasy and changed his mind by then." Who knew that in ten years, Xiang would never give up on his silly dream.

~~ Sakura, Sakura,
yayoi no sora wa,
mi-watasu kagiri.
kasumi ka kumo ka? ~~

The next day would be the wedding of the Emperor to his male Empress, and Tao is sneaking around the palace. Tao is now thirty years old, and Xiang is sixteen. When Xiang turned twelve he requested to be known as the Emperor's protector, and was taking lessons on martial arts and fighting with weapons to improve on protecting his husband's life.

Xiang's over obsessed affection has changed him in a short amount of time. From bride to body guard, and body guard to bride, the young prince wanted to be perfect for his husband. However, Tao wanted Xiang to give this up, but couldn't break the young prince's heart. It's been nine months and Tao has already had a secret lover hidden. A young wealthy Russian man, has been kept hidden in a different part of the palace, away from Xiang's jealous like vengeance.

The man was twenty eight, and worked for the Emperor on teaching him modern western ideas on military, technology, and medicine. All considered bad from breaking from traditions, however, Tao was enchanted by the young stud. If Tao wasn't keeping a promise to Xiang, he would of chosen the Russian as his male bride, they have been intimate after all.

Once Tao reached to the Russian's bed chambers, he knocked softly to see the door open slightly. Tao walked in grinning, knowing quite well his lover was the only one awake for the night.

---

The next day, the whole palace was panicking, the Emperor was missing.

---

Emperor Honda Kuroh sat down staring at a wedding invitation in his hand. Apparently, he just received it today, an invite to his once beloved's wedding. Kuroh's body may have moved on from Tao, but his heart has not. A crying baby could be heard from outside his room, he thought again, 'I know that's not my child! If Tao isn't his mother, then he isn't my responsibility.' His mind also has not moved on.

---

Xiang sat down in front of a British man who deals with paranormal beliefs and legends, hoping he knew where his husband has disappeared to. The British man, Oliver Kirkland, was part of a Chinese mail order bride service over seas, and was stopped by officials and brought to the palace.

"I was told that you could identify paranormal things. I need you to help me locate my missing husband! Our wedding is tonight." Xiang showed no emotion but his tone was upset. Oliver blinked a few seconds, "Wait, i'm not arrested?" Xiang sighed, "If you could help me find my husband, I promise I wont arrest you." Oliver nodded.

"What do you know about the red string of fate?" Xiang asked.

"It depends, why would you need to know that to locate your husband?" Oliver asked confused. Xiang lifted his left hand and gently wrapped his right hand's fingers over the left hand's ring finger.
"Because, we are soul mates. Could you see my red string?" Oliver could see it, however the news didn't look good for Xiang.

"Legend has it, that my red string is connected to my soul mate. Follow the string, and you will find my husband." Oliver shook his head.

"I'm sorry, love. Your red string is broken." Xiang jumped up slamming his fists on the table.

"What do you mean, it's broken?!?" Xiang's emotions were starting to appear in forms of tears and shock.

"As I said, it seems that your string isn't attached to anything. It has fallen to the floor, signaling your soul mate is no longer alive. If your husband is truly your soul mate, it means he has died. I could help you locate his remains, but our deal has to still be on the table." Xiang nodded before sobbing violently.

Is Tao dead?

---

On a ship towards America, a country for freedom of speech, press, and religion, Sergei Braginsky is reading a letter that his beloved has written to him.

"I was once a caged bird waiting to be free.
Once, I was set free from my cage, a bigger cage has trapped me.
Until I have met you, and your promises to set me free, I am truly happy to have you beside me.
Set us free together, as we wed to be.
Freedom awaits us and more opportunities.
Wang Tao and Sergei Braginsky. We are finally free, to be happy! -Tao" He giggled at the sweetness, "Tao, did we do right thing?" Sergei asked.

"Honestly, to everyone else, we have not. However, I believe we did." Tao didn't want to lie, its true. He abandoned his family, his home, his people, and even Xiang. Sergei abandoned his family, his home, his people, and his wife, prior before meeting Tao.

"I am finally happy, Sergei."

"Me too, Tao."

What they didn't know, a Japanese man watched them closely. Studied the two, while ripping up a wedding invitation in a pail and lighting it up on fire.

---

~~Modern times~~

"Lao shi?" Leon Kirkland placed a plate of shrimp in lobster sauce in front of his crush, Yao Wang, at the Chinese takeout restaurant he works at. "Hmm?"

"What are you reading?" Leon sat down across from Yao. Yao had a puzzled look upon his face.

"My brother back in China, is getting married. Also, he discovered the long lost burial place of an Emperor of China, that we are descended from." Yao said like it wasn't interesting.

"What? Really, Like, that's so cool!" Leon said interested over the news.

"It's about time he settled down."

"Not that, Lao shi! You are related to an Emperor of China?"

"Yeah, Emperor Wang Tao and his successor Wang Xiang. Why?"

"It's just cool is all!" Leon was interrupted when a customer walked in, "Crap, back to work." Leon got up to walk by the cash register, the customer recognized Yao.

"Wang-san, Good afternoon." Kiku smiled. Yao gestured him to sit down.

"Nice to see you again, Kiku. How's Misaki and Sakura doing?" Kiku felt something at first but smiled nonetheless, "They are well. How about your family?"

"They are good too." Leon approached Kiku with a menu, "Like, is this dine in or take out?" Leon felt a ping of jealousy.

"Dine in, if that is okay with you, Yao? I would like to join you today for lunch." Yao nodded, "Of course, please make your self comfortable."

Leon growled, "I wouldn't think Mrs. Wang would appreciate you eating lunch alone with a man." Yao and Kiku both looked up confused.

"What are you talking about?!? This is work! Kiku is a married man, and a father to my student!" Kiku's heart shook.

"oh, my apologies." Leon said and walked away.

"I'm sorry about that Kiku, I just found out from my son that Leon may have a silly crush on me. Please do ignore that little outburst." Kiku nodded, so another competitor has shown up to love Yao, unforgivable.

"Aiyah, kids these days, hehe" Yao giggled.

"Yeah." Kiku would never admit it, it could be thousands of years, and his heart will still belong to his precious sakura.

---

"Tao? Tao? Dorogoy????" Sergei couldn't believe it, his beloved lover was dead. Someone slashed his back with a sharp object and left him to bleed to death. "No...Please, don't leave me! I don't want you to..wo ai ni, Tao...." He silently sobbed, cradling his lover in his arms, crying into the night.

His killer was already in a life boat rowing back to the nearest dock. The killer wanted to attack the Russian but couldn't see in the darkest part of the ship for stowaways, and accidentally slashed his beloved Sakura with his katana sword. Once he gets home, he'll commit seppuku for dishonor.

---

~~ nioi zo izuru.
izaya, izaya,
mini yukan! ~~

~FIN~

To Be Continued......