Two swords. Each forged with the birth of the heirs of the Shiro and Natsuke families. The princess, from the dynasty of light and the prince, from the dynasty of eternal darkness. The empires witnessed the collision of the Angels of Light and the Demons of eternal darkness each trying to outdo the other. Enraged with this breach of etiquette, the goddess of thunder Kaminari appeared and pronounced a prophecy: Eternal light and darkness shall cease to exist separately and they shall merge and become one.
The swords were made by Japan's finest craftsman. The one made for Oriana the princess of light was engraved with a sheaf of cherry blossoms. This venerable weapon came to be called by the beautiful name of 'Birds' Song'. The sword forged for Ryuu, the prince of darkness was engraved with the symbol of death and so very artfully the sword was called 'Whisper of Death'.
Yet Fate did not want the heirs to receive their destinies so easily. She wanted eternal light and eternal darkness to meet and merge. She had special plans for them and wanted to comply with the prophecy of Kaminari for she had not yet forgiven the angels and demons for leaving their worlds and coming to the middle world (earth) for a war. Yet she was gentle and merciful enough to realize that the baby prince and princess were not the cause of the war. She wanted both the worlds to realize their own worth and not to identify and stereotype each other as good and evil. She wanted them to understand that shadows exist wherever there is light.
The swapping of the sword remains unexplained to this day for Sanako-sama very carefully and with great reverence had wrapped the swords and put it in their covers before delivering it to the emperors. It was still more mysterious how no one noticed the switch. The truth was that Fate had bound illusions to the swords making the demon symbol seem like the sheaf of cherry blossoms and vice versa to all but the user.
Thus, passed sixteen years. Years full of bewilderment foe the young heirs on account of their swords.
Both were extremely well trained in Kenjutsu and their Katana techniques. Oriana was constantly surrounded by radiance in the Palace of Light where there was eternal spring. Yet the young princess was more serious than her elders and was tomboyish and very unladylike according to her mother. She had accomplished herself in the art of sword fighting much to the chagrin of her parents. She loved to indulge in rough games and often went out riding all by herself worrying the members of the Royal Household.
