Peering Into The Water
(Naruto Fanfic)
Pairing: OC x ?
h - o - u - z - u - k - i
Thump Thump
The sound of several drums reverberated throughout the whole of Houzuki no Sato, as in, the Demon Lantern Village. Bright lanterns were lit and let go to float upwards into the sky. Almost all of the villagers were present to watch the huge procession that was taking place right in the middle of the village. There were dancers performing in front as the sound of flute music joined in with the steady beat of drums. Right behind them was a mikoshi (divine palanquin) where their precious ohime-sama was seated inside.
The villagers gazed in awe upon the appearance of their new princess who was seated in a seiza position. She looked around the age of seven or so but that did not deter any of their awe and respect for her. She was wearing a multi-layered kimono dyed with chosen colors of white, cherry blossom pink and dark purple respectively. She donned a pale purple haori around her shoulders and a dark purple obi was wrapped around her waist. A coronet of peonies was crowned upon her head and she also wore a white deer-horn porcelain mask. Long red hair spilled along the sides of her small body.
She looked simply divine.
Unbeknownst to the people, a pair of shackles were tied around her ankles to prevent her escape.
The procession continued until they reached the mountaintop where a huge clear lake was seen. Once they were near the large torii that led to the said lake, the dancers stopped performing and moved to the side where they made way for the mikoshi. The palanquin bearers stopped right at the entrance and gently brought down the palanquin to the ground.
Two ladies-in-waiting immediately moved to open the silk curtains that blocked their princess' way from getting out while another laid down a pair of geta onto the ground where their princess would slip her foot inside. It was a tedious process, considering the fact that the princess was very young and wore a multi-layered kimono that would more than likely get in her way. However, nothing amiss had happened and the villagers simply watched in silence - the beat of the drums and the sound of the flutes slowly dying down.
The princess took her first step and then another, until she reached the lake. There, she took off her geta and took a bare step onto the surface of the lake. Miraculously, she did not fall in due to the mystifying energy called chakra that existed within their bodies. Her chakra control was astounding as she walked across the lake with her long kimono trailing after her (which too did not get wet).
And then she slowly settled into a seiza position once more in the middle of the lake. She took a deep breath under the mask. With her head hung high; her eyes looking up at the full moon in the sky with reverence, she took a deep bow - a dogeza - before she stood up.
And then she began her dance.
In the fog, in the night fog, the very thick darkness.
A lost child wounded by brambles.
She spun around with the sound of bells accompanying her.
A mirror of water still and rusty.
It reflects, sometimes, it reflects the truth.
Freedom is loneliness.
I turn to the sky, I turn to the night sky:
"Help me, help me!"
She flicked open her fan and did a slow waving motion.
Oh sweet rays between the clouds (oh sweet rays),
my guiding way.
Oh Mother moon. Full (moon) moon.
(Full moon, oh Mother full moon.)
A day away, just you, a day away,
you gave us birth, you gave us birth.
She flittered to one surface to another as she continued her dance, creating hundreds of ripples under feet.
Ah, you who enlightens everything,
to everything you give serenity in equal measure.
Here I go back into your lap (into your lap),
wrapped up in the soft light of your venter.
And sleep, and dream.
(Wrapped up in the soft light and dream.)
Her movements soon slowed down as she went into a kneeling position.
You are the moon, (compassionate Mother. You are)
Compassionate Mother, (the moon, you are the moon.)
Compassionate Mother, (you are the moon.)
Compassionate Mother, Mother full moon.
-Luna Piena (Akiko Shikata)-
Thus her dance ended.
There were no flashing lights nor any special effects but it seemed like the air within the mountaintop became cleaner and fresher. The beat of the drums and the sound of flutes revived just as the princess returned to her palanquin. The palanquin bearers returned to their duty of carrying her back to her shrine - the place that only she was allowed to stay in.
Once their precious ohime-sama arrived back at her shrine, the villagers dispersed in order to enjoy the rest of the festival. The princess was left with nothing else to do but retreat into her quarters. She turned around and entered, but not before taking a sad parting glance at the closed gates.
Her duty as the princess of Houzuki no Sato during the Mangetsu (Full Moon) Festival had finally ended.
ooo
The princess of Houzuki no Sato was more than often regarded as a deity in mortal form. It was said that there was only one princess per generation, otherwise, a curse would be casted and both would die. There was no bloodline involved, only those who had been given the gift of Seeing were selected to become the next Houzuki princess.
The gift of Seeing was no ordinary ability.
It was said that those who had been born with it would have the ability to see images and hear sounds of events happening right at the moment. The Houzuki princesses were very often called omnipotent with their ability of being all-knowing. Nothing was hidden from them - not unless their medium of viewing was not present.
For this generation's princess, her medium was said to be water. Her gift was regarded as the strongest from amongst the other previous generations due to the element of water present almost everywhere within the Elemental Nations.
Her name was Yuuko.
While the princesses were treated with utmost respect, they were more than often not given any chance to interact with anybody from the outside, even with the people from the village. They were revered as gods - or almost how close one could be compared to a god. It would seem to be alright in the outside but in actual reality, their freedom as a human being was stripped away.
The village leader and the councilmen thought of them as nothing but decorations; only to be brought out and used during special occasions such as the Mangetsu Festival where they danced and worshipped the said god to have blessed them with the gift.
Yuuko was only seven years old yet she already understood what she was.
A decoration.
She looked at the beautifully crafted shackle around her ankles.
Yes, she was a chained decoration for the village.
She may have been given the education she wanted and the most beautiful kimonos and accessories that most could not afford, but that was it. Even living in a huge estate with many servants was something she could not bear to care for. In truth, her education was nothing but a sham to which she had to only learn how a noble lady should act and what to do during festivals; she was given many kimonos and accessories but she had no access to them unless it was a festival; she had a huge estate but was only restricted to her quarters where she could nothing but read, sleep or stare out into the windows; even her servants were not allowed to talk to her.
Her ability did nothing to help her either, she was only given enough water to alleviate her thirst and nothing more.
But, there were times that if she begged enough, a servant would willingly give her enough water to use her ability. She would use it to view the outside world to which she was banned from by the village leader and its elders. It was a beautiful thing, she learned more things than from the books she had received. However, when someone else aside from the servants would come, she had no choice but to throw away the water lest she would no longer have the secret privilege of using it.
Her life could only be considered as something pitiful to others while to the rest who knew nothing, it was considered something fortunate.
Yuuko despised this life. She desperately wished and prayed for someone to take her away from this place. But it was all for naught anyhow, she knew by now that no one would come but she could not help but still pray.
Please. She had begged fervently.
A/N: And that's a wrap for the first chapter! What do you guys think? I hope you liked it. I actually rewrote this many times and wondered if I should make this one of those "oh-crap!-I-got-reincarnated!" type of stories. So...should I?
Please review! I want to know what you think!
UzuSphere