Tsubaki Kentanomo

Stay strong, my boy. I know you have what it takes.”

Stay strong... those were the last words he would ever hear from his father, the responsibility, or burden, that his father left for him of being the new emperor on top of his own death all came too soon, do suddenly. Too quick. Feeling overwhelmed, he turned his attention away from a few of the housemaids casting sorrowful glances towards him while he sat in the gardens as they passed by. Everyones normally colorful Kimonos and Yukatas replaced with the blacks and deep blues of the mourning night sky. Even the moon was out fully, as if watching over the palace and lighting the way for his father to make it peacefully to the netherworld. He once again turned his gaze to the various flowers he had planted with his mother, who had also passed long ago. There were Tsubaki of a few different colors, as well as some Kinmokusei bushes. The Sakura trees, in full bloom and petals lacing the water of the small fish pond where the few Koi and goldfish swam about without a care in the world. Tears threatened to spill as the thoughts attempted to consume his mindscape into yet another bout of endless sorrow. Or perhaps it had never even ended in the first place. As the housemaids had moved on from the cleanings of the outside walkways and left him alone in the garden, he looked back at the door that leads to the outside of the walls of the floating palace– one of the few parts of his home that wasn't over water, but land. And outside the garden just lead to forest, forest, and more forest. After the thought finished in his head, he made his decision. It was a childish one, but it always used to work. When he was young, he would go out and run off into the woods– believing the place was magical and going deep enough would strip all his worries away. Hed normally stay there until someone was sent out to find him, and take him back to the palace.

He wasnt planning on going back, this time.

Standing up and making a quick sprint towards the gate, hoping nobody would see him, he unlatched the handle and quickly passed through the door, running out into the forest with the familiar and calming sent of the wildflowers and Sakura blooms. He didnt know how long he was running, just that he kept going deeper and deeper, deeper then he had ever dared too before. He was only pulled from his thoughts when he heard thunder in the distance, and he realized he didnt have much of anything on him aside from the Yukata he wore. But he couldn't just go back, because he had gotten himself lost.

However, after brooding in silence for long enough, the rain had started pouring down over the foliage and he didnt hear the rustling of a cloaked figure, You, stepping from the treeline.