Everything in the world has a beginning, even history… so, as the recorder of History, everything to me has a beginning. Whether it is happening as I write it down with my brush or when it happened a few days ago, everything has a beginning…
Treasuring our meeting, our beginning and the little coincidence that brought us together is all I can do.
..
..
..
Original Concept: Shanghai Alice
Creator: ZUN
..
..
..
Presented by: wrathie
..
..
An original Fanfic
..
..
Finding History with your Flame
..
..
..
[?]
It was a simple encounter, something I had not expected from the moment I woken up on that fateful day. Everything has a beginning so perhaps I had already turned the wheels of fate by getting up early and deciding to visit the children earlier to check on their homework.
Perhaps if I had not gotten up slightly earlier, those precious minutes that I would normally laze around in bed to avoid greeting the sun that rose from the hills, I would never have met you…
..
..
That said, I, Kamishirasawa Keine am happy to have done something out of the norm for once, leaving home a little earlier and walking the long way around to the village's school where I taught history and other subjects to the children of the human village.
For those that know me, they will know that I am a Half-beast, half youkai and half human. My ability as a human is to hide history, hide all traces of history of anything that I desire and when my half-beast's powers are fully awakened, I can change history and create history with my strength.
All this however is hidden from the village who has a great dislike of Youkai, friendly or not and they would chase me out of the village if my secret was ever leaked up.
..
..
The villagers accept me as the only remaining member of the Kamishirasawa house, never guessing that my family is in charge of taking down history in conjunction with the Hieda house or that we will live hundreds if not thousand of years by rewriting history of my life-span.
..
..I am the newest and youngest ever Kamishirasawa House Member to take over the position and this is my 4th human generation in the village.
From the passing of the previous Child of Miare to the newest generation of the Head of the Hieda House, I had seen great change happening in the village. The growing strength of humans, the growing gap between youkai and most importantly, the lost of respect of youkai as mystical beings and instead the growing fear and anger towards them.
I had failed in my duty to educate the young on the knowledge of youkai and by the time I realized it, it was too late for me to change their mindset.
..
..
[…]
Walking slowly and casually on my way to the village, I suddenly spied someone emerging from the forest and I stopped, confused.
The villagers will never get up this early and definitely not enter the forest under the absence of strong sunlight.
[…?]
Walking forward, I was about to call out to her when my foot stepped on a branch and it snapped with a loud 'crack'.
[!!]
Hearing the sound, she startled and bolted back into the forest like she was being pursued by a ferocious beast.
[wait!!]
..
..
I could not even react quick enough to give chase when she had disappeared into the forest. The only thing that the person had left behind was a small red and white amulet that had tore off her hair. Taking it, I smelt it for a moment and was surprised to smell something akin to carbon, traces of fire was deeply embedded in the amulet and I was unable to distinguish who from the village it was.
Fortunately thou, from the distance I could see that she had long flowing hair and when she bolted, I could see that she definitely was a girl.
[… …who could you be?]
Wondering to myself, I tilted my head to one side before I returned back to the path, certain that my answer will be answered after class that very day.
..
..
[No way…]
Clutching my own arm unhappily as I attended the Monthly Village Meeting, I was sorely disappointed when I did not see anyone that resembled that person that I had saw in the forest that very morning.
I was sad to report too that she had been on my mind the whole day and more than once the children had caught me grinning to myself and I blushed to know that I had been spacing out when thinking about her.
[Is everyone here?]
..
..
Hearing the village elder call out to the people, he nodded to himself and started the meeting, my heart dropping even lower in the process.
[…]
Sitting in the middle of the crowd, I did not feel like I was part with the group, some of still treated me with caution and they shot me dirty looks to see that I was part of the meeting and I was invited to it in the first place.
[Miss Keine!!]
The children however, welcomed me warmly and I felt a little better when they crowded around me suddenly and tried to pull me from my seat.
[Let's play! Let's play!]
[Children… the meeting is going on… we'll play in a while… alright?]
Shushing them, I patted their little heads and slowly coaxed them to sit down behind the adults when I heard the elder clearing his throat and singling me out.
[Kamishirasawa, I will fill you in the details of the meeting in a later date, you should play with the children.]
Stroking his beard, the elderly gentleman who I once knew as a rash and impulsive child had grown up within the span of 70 years, resulting in a wise old man that was beyond his years in both thinking and with regards to his body. Years of drinking has finally caught up with him and it would not be soon for him to leave this world.
[If you say so, Elder…]
..
..
Bowing respectfully to him, I smiled and shook my head when the children cheered happily and ran up to the elder to thank him, repeatedly tugging at his clothes as they did so.
[Thank you, Thank you!]
[Run along now, children… don't injure yourselves.]
Nodding to them, he dismissed them and me with a wave of his hand and all of us left the village to the outskirts of the human village.
[Let's play Hide and Seek!!]
..
..
..
The next few weeks passed by with no incident what so ever, I continued with my routine, waking up at the same time and walking to school like nothing has happened.
The world won't change with a small change, history is proof of that but once again, it took just a simple thing for my monotone life to change.
[! Ah!]
Covering my mouth in surprise when I stepped out of the school after deciding to stay and finish my marking earlier, I quickly hid myself when I saw the same girl peeping at the village from the forests. Her eyes, a deep red looked worried but more than not, she looked afraid of the village and whenever she raised enough courage to step one foot out of the forest, she would quickly retreat one step further back.
..
..
It was like taking a step forward and a step backwards at the same time and she was likely to not get anywhere if she kept repeating that.
Hiding in the school, I peeped at her from a gap between the doors and mentally screamed words of encouragement to her as she finally managed to leave the forest and was now slowly but hesitatingly walking towards the village.
She was trembling and I could see that she was not used to doing this as she froze and took a tiny step back whenever she something moved in the vicinity.
[…]
..
..
She was very beautiful and at the same time, very handsome. She was not very chubby nor was she very thin, she was just in the middle, having a body that hid a small figure if one would look long and hard enough. She wasn't too short but neither was she tall either, she would not stand out in the crowd with her features but her eyes were unique.
..
..
They spoke of living through many storms, many hardships and it just sent a shiver up my spine. Her long blue and silver-ish hair that glittered in the light of the setting sun and it mesmerized me and for a moment, I wished that she would look at in my direction and smile at me when I realized that I had opened the door without noticing.
[AH!]
Noticing me, she startled and darted back to the forest, leaving me standing there dumbly in front of the school with a hand outstretched.
[… Ah… I messed up big time…]
When I came to my senses again, I mentally kicked myself for being so foolish and I internally regretted what I did.
However, what's done is done and it is no use brooding over it. History has proven that as well and I decided that I would try to find her again, no matter what it takes.
..
..
[… no luck…]
Lying on my futon, I sadly covered myself in my blankets as I rued my failure over the last two weeks in finding the girl again.
After that last encounter at the school, I had never seen her even a trace of the girl in my daily walks to the village. Waking up early and hiding myself in the bushes did not let me catch a glimpse of her and neither did staying back late to mark the papers. Nothing seemed to work and even when I decided to investigate the forest to try and find her, I came up with nothing.
Perhaps history is right. A small change would not result in a big change after all… at least, not in the short term. But however, History has proven that in the right situation and in the right circumstances with the right determination, even a small change can rock the world.
..
..
[… But tonight is the night…]
Rolling over, I sighed as I stood up and silently left my house, leaving the door locked and a sign saying that I was leaving tonight and returning tomorrow.
I had a perfectly good reason for doing that and the reason is that it is the night of the full moon.
[…]
Silently I walked towards the forests but it is not to search out for the elusive girl, rather it is to hide myself from the prying eyes of the people.
Unlike the others of the Kamishirasawa clan, my powers are much stronger but at the same time, it came at a price.
Every full moon, my powers will awaken and I would cease to be half-youkai and be full youkai, my powers being able to create and change history with the changing of my human form.
My eyes, normally blue in color would change to a dazzling crimson and my hair would lengthen to touch the ground while horns would grow from my head, signifying myself as a beast youkai.
[…]
..
..
Knowing that since I was young, I had to take care never to be seen in this crucial period and I moved away from my well-to-do family and insisted on living alone, relying on myself and no one else at the edge of the village, leaving the running of the Kamishirasawa clan to others in the village.
[… it's beautiful but very… harsh at the same time…]
Commenting on the moon, I approached the clearing that I had spent all my full-moon nights in and sat down at the tranquil site on the patch of grass that I had specially grown and kept tidy when I realized something was amiss.
[hey… has the children been playing here?]
Tilting my head in confusion, I accidentally knocked my horns against a tree and I winced in pain before crouching down to examine the oddity in the forest.
..
..
The trees and grasses smelt and looked liked they have been burnt and upon smelling some of the decomposing leaves, I am more certain that a fire has broken out in the vicinity near the area but just as weird as the appearance is to me was the fact that it was only contained in a small circle away from the patch of grass.
[… weird…]
Ignoring it, I walked to my usual spot and lay down on my back to watch the night sky above me. It is a beautiful night and I felt a little lonely lying alone in the grass on my own but it would never do to have someone with me…
Unlike the rainy nights, this is a pleasant change as when it was raining, I had to lock the door and cover all the windows and pray to god that no one will find me or just rough it out in the forests, hiding under the branches of the tree and hope that lightning did not strike me.
Yes, the loneliness is nothing compare to the physical pain and suffering I had suffered on the rainy and stormy nights.
[!?]
..
..
Suddenly hearing scuffling of feet, I turned around and was promptly happy and surprised that I saw the girl that I was looking for staring at me from between the gaps of the forests. Her eyes, crimson like mine stared at me and I stared back at her as well, wanting desperately to speak but holding back in case I would scare her away.
[… I'd never seen you before…]
It was her who first spoke up and she stepped out of the forests confidently, totally unlike how she was when she was trying to enter the human village. Instead, she seemed at ease in the forest and at ease with youkai as she stopped for a second to ask me.
..
..
[Are you… new here?]
[… No, I've always been here… always will be… maybe even before you…]
[… really…]
Smiling back at her, I found my tongue and I could hardly contain my excitement as she walked beside me and sat down. She was in plain sight of me and I could for the first time see her fully. She was wearing a wrinkled brown blouse that smelt of fire and wearing a large pair of overalls that loosely hugged her tiny waist but magically, it did not drop.
Wearing ribbons of the same amulet that I had picked up, she said nothing but sat beside me and looked at the moon shining down on me.
..
..
[…]
The excitement of her being near me faded and changed into a sense of never-ending curiosity as every now and then I would peep at her and wonders at what she was thinking.
…
[It would be nice… if I can be friends with her…]
…
..
..
The same thoughts never stopped haunting me even when she stood up and left, leaving me sitting there in the patch of grass alone. My shoulders and head dropped and I felt a sense of disappointment like nothing I had ever seen before.
I had the chance, the chance to know her better and I just blew it… blew it again…
History should never repeat itself in a recorder of history but I had made that mistake twice and in a row, never learning from my mistakes and capitalizing from them.
..
..
[Hey…]
[?]
[Will you be here again…?]
[!!]
Her voice suddenly floated by from the forest and I drew in a sharp intake of breath as I mentally ran through the possibilities of her words before stammering out.
[… I… I don't know…]
[… the humans… eh?]
Hearing her scoff, I felt anger coming from my heart but sadness too as she had struck the nail right on the head at the heart of the problem. It was… indeed the truth and not the truth at the same time…
..
..
[…]
[… I'll be here… tomorrow… the next day… the day after next… the next month…]
[I'll be here next month!]
Before I realized, I had blurted it out and I blushed when I realized that I had stood up and shouted that out to her in my desperation to keep her attention on me as long as I could.
[… Heh…]
..
..
Realizing that she was laughing at me softly, I blushed even more and I held my own hands in embarrassment and nervousness at messing up another golden opportunity yet again.
She must think I am weirdo now…
[Okay…]
[Eh!]
[I'll see you… next month…]
Turning her back at me, she called a goodbye before disappearing into the forest, leaving me alone but not lonely as I could not contain my joy and happiness at meeting her.
What made me so happy, I did not know… but it hardly matter to me…
[… mm… next month!]
It was something that I could look forward to… someone who would share the most loneliest period of my life with…
..
..
Life passed on as normal, me leaving for school at the exact same proven time that has became my normal routine and I would return home to mark the papers to prepare for the next day.
It was the same thing everyday but sometimes I would break that deadlock and head for school earlier or leave school just a bit later to try and catch even a glimpse of her.
It started as a chance encounter but it had grown to be a routine by itself and before I had realized, every three days I would wake up just a bit earlier and mark the papers at school…
..
..
But never again did I see her… till the night of the next full moon, an agonizing 30 days away.
Sneaking away earlier than usual, I waited at the spot for her arrival and during the time period, I smiled and sung a small song to myself to keep myself occupied.
''
[That is a nice song…]
Appearing suddenly like what she did the last time, the blue haired girl stepped out of the forest's shadows and she managed a small smile as she sat by me again.
Nervously, I nodded my head and slowly inched closer to her till we were a hand's width apart before I stopped, not wishing to spook her by being so intimate by the second meeting.
..
..
[…]
The scent of burning was stronger than ever and to my horror, I saw that her clothes bore the mark of several burns and I winced in imagining what could have happened.
[…]
Silent as always, we spent the next hour or two staring at the stars and although they were beautiful as always, I felt that she was much worthy of my attention.
[… you came tonight… liked you promised.]
..
..
Suddenly, her face was right in front of me and I gave a big yelp before scooting away when I realized I had spaced out while staring at her. Blushing crimson, I felt clouds of smoke emerge from my ears when my mind processed the thought of how close I was to her.
[… heh…]
Laughing softly again, she chuckled and dug her hands into her overalls, ignoring me like nothing had happened while I just pouted, puffing my cheeks at her, a little angry and happy that she had been teasing in me.
[… I did… I promised to come back…]
[that's good… I came by everyday… everynight…]
[Did you miss me?]
..
..
Mentally, I slapped my head and wanted to drown myself for saying such a thing and I looked away when I saw her turning her surprised face in my general direction.
[not really… but… it wouldn't be so bad to see someone every now and then… even if it is a youkai…]
Bitterly, she grabbed a rock from beside me and tossed it into the air before bursting it into tiny fragments with a tiny fireball.
[!!]
[…are you afraid of my power?]
[…]
..
..
Looking at me, she seemed a little afraid and apprehensive at her own actions and I realized that she too, could not gauge my expression and feelings and I relaxed a little before shaking my head.
[No… of course not…]
[… hmph…]
Scoffing, she turned away and I saw that she too was a little red in the face and that made me more comfortable too. At the very least, we weren't alone in being lonely… at least, now I know that she is like me…
[… what kind of youkai are you…]
Surprising me with a question, I blinked momentarily before I could manage a reply.
[I am a beast-youkai… what about you??]
[… immortal human… that is who I am…]
..
..
Not showing her face or her expression, I could see that it is a touchy subject as she sounded very worried saying that to me, as if I would run away from that sentence alone.
Silence was all I could hear till I saw her standing up, her back faced to me and when she spoke, she sounded very bitter and disappointed.
[are you unhappy? That I am human? …]
[Of course not!!]
[?]
Realizing that I had stood up and had grabbed her hand to emphasize myself, I released my hand and looked away, embarrassed at my stupid brash act.
[I mean… I don't care whether you are a human!]
[…]
..
..
Looking surprised, she looked away for a second and when she returned my gaze, the confident girl had returned and she smiled slightly at me, her lips barely moving as she whispered to me.
[… okay…]
But, she still left and when she did, I could not resist but ask her.
[hey! What is your name!]
[… does an immortal human need a name… I would outlive you… and that goes for you too… a youkai does not need a name…]
..
..
Her answer, as soft as the wind could barely be heard and before I could give chase, she had disappeared in the forest, leaving me this time with more questions than answers.
[…]
Telling me she was immortal and she is human, like me… that made me happier than I had ever been, knowing that we had something in common with one another.
[…I would like, just to know your name now…]
..
..
Lowering my head, I looked up at the brilliant full moon and sighed, mustering my powers to hide the moon for a moment to eclipse my mood. It was selfish of me but I hoped that at least, the small change would catch her interest as I took to the air and spent the rest of the night in the night sky, covered by the clouds, far from anyone's view.
..
..
Life really does not change after a small change and it did not change for me. Meeting up with her, promising to meet again the next full moon, life did not change. There was no change in the people's attitude towards me, I did not see her the next day even when I tried to wake up earlier.
Nothing changed, there was no sudden spurt of height or level up fanfare… I did not suddenly become more popular or beautiful…
Life remained the same…
[…eh?]
Being called out of class suddenly, I was not sure what I was expecting when I saw the Elder and his young son with him. The Elder has always taken care of me and I was grateful for his hospitality but in this occasion, it was my first experience being a little uncomfortable as I saw his young son staring incessantly at me.
..
..
[Is there something you need to talk to me about, Elder?]
Showing my discomfort by inching away from them, I placed a hand on my chest as I struggled to excuse myself and take my leave.
[There is something that I would like to talk to you about… tonight…]
Stroking his beard, his eyes twinkled but I did not feel comfortable at all even with his reassuring smile.
[T-Tonight… is it something that can't be discussed now??]
[I wise it would be so easily settled, Kamishirasawa… as it is, I'd rather you able to think about this for a longer period of time. I know of your preference in to remain solitude… so I hoped to catch you while you are in the village.]
[Ah…]
[Please, visit my home after your lesson.]
[Yes, of course…]
..
..
Nodding and bowing to him, I accepted his invitation and as soon as his back was turned, I hurriedly rushed back to the school and closed the door desperately.
[…]
Whenever I saw the young man staring at me, I could not describe the amount of repulsiveness I had felt for him. He is a fine young man but when he is staring at me I felt as if he is the predator and I am the prey being targeted by him. I felt vulnerable and I wanted to get out of his sight as soon as I can.
[… what could he want to talk to me about?]