Mai-HiME
THE BEFORE
CHAPTER 1
"In The Night Sky, A Red Star…"
All around, there was only a world of heat and flame. The bandits who had attacked her small village had done their job all too well. Everywhere her dazed blue eyes fell, there was only fire and death. Thankfully, most of the screams from the villagers as the ruthless brigands murdered them had long since faded. For she did not know how much longer she could stand hearing the final moments of friends and loved ones whom she had known.
Smoke and ash from burning buildings, and bodies alike, stung her lungs with each draw of a breath she took. The tears that fell from her eyes left long, erratic trails down cheeks covered with grime and dirt. Stumbling through the village's – her home's – smoldering ruins blindly, the lavender-haired girl coughed roughly as she opened her mouth again to speak the same weak words she had been ever since discovering her father had been killed. His body had been draped over hers. He had died protecting her. He had died trying to hide her.
"Oniichan, where are you?"
Everything was bathed in a horrible glow of red and orange. The awful crackling and popping of burning wood, which accompanied that ever-present roar from the fire itself, overwhelmed all sound. Including her low voice. Not stopping, she continued on aimlessly. The girl's bare feet dragged absently across the debris-strewn ground while her hands trembled heavily as they grasped the single blanket she had managed to salvage from her home and wrap around her small frame. Where was he? Where was her oniichan? He…he wasn't…dead…? Was…he? A small spike of fear pierced her heart. What…what would she do if he were? She couldn't…she couldn't make it alone… She couldn't live – she didn't want to live – without her oniisan. He was all she had left now.
"There," a hard voice called out from the red-orange gloom. "Search over there! Quickly! We need to hurry!"
The lavender-haired girl paused when she heard the voice, eyes widening with hope. Had someone else besides her survived the bandits' attack? Did they know where her oniichan was? Without considering the consequences, she resumed her walk with hastened steps. Surely they were people of the village who had lived through the bandit attack! They would help her find her oniichan! She wouldn't be alone! She wouldn't be –
A dirty hand wrapping itself around her mouth and a strong arm curving across her middle cut off her thoughts quickly. Not having time to do anything else, the lavender-haired girl screamed out as loud as she could. But the hand only tightened around her mouth, dulling the cries escaping from her throat to where they would never be heard over the roar of the still-burning fires. The girl felt herself being drawn away from the debris-littered main road of the village, pulled into a dark alleyway between the burnt out husks of two houses. Was it one of the bandits?! What was he going to do to her?!
"Be silent," she heard a low, muffled voice begin quietly and – surprisingly – gently once they were wrapped in the red-hued shadows of the house's skeletal remains. "I won't hurt you. But I will not remove my hand until you promise not to scream anymore. Nod once if you understand me."
The girl didn't know what she should do. Could she trust this person who had grabbed her? Or should she scream out anyway, maybe gaining the attention of the voices she had heard from beyond the red-orange haze surrounding what remained of her home. Whoever it was didn't seem like one of the vicious and brutal bandits who had destroyed her village. But how sure could she really be of that? Above her, that muffled voice spoke out again.
"Those men won't help you," it said assuredly. "They are the one's who set the village aflame to begin with. They are…looking for something. Or rather, someone." The voice paused momentarily, as if considering something, and then spoke out again. "I am going to ask you a question. All I want you to do is nod your head 'yes' or shake it 'no' to answer me, understand?"
The individual holding her paused again, waiting for the girl to acknowledge what she had said. The little girl nervously nodded her head, a tenuous motion done more out of fear than anything else. Afterwards, the person's hand seemed to slacken over her mouth as they asked their question.
"Now child, look up into the sky…look up at the moon."
The girl, frightened and uncertain of what the person would do to her if she refused, raised her head as best she could. In her dazed and confused blue eyes, the pale glow of the crescent moon danced somberly within them. And the baleful, angry red speck of light just to the bottom right of it did the same.
"That's a good girl," the voice replied soothingly. "Now, and answer me truthfully, do you see…something shining next to it? A…A red star, perhaps?"
Her eyes widened. A…red…star…? That…that star!? The one she had told her father and brother about! The one they said they could not see! The one that shined in the sky both day and night! The star that no one in the village seemed to be able to see! A star that had appeared not to soon after the new year had begun. Could…could this person… Could this person see it too? Shakily, she lowered and closed her eyes, then nodded her head 'yes'. This person holding her hostage knew about that star – that strange red star which glittered like a fresh drop of blood against the black of the night sky. Did that mean she…that she could trust whoever they were?
"It was as I thought," that muted voice uttered, disgust now edging it. To the child's ears, even over the loud, licking fires still burning around her, the tone coming from the person holding her sounded distinctly female. "That is the reason for the attacks…"
The stifled feminine voice trailed off and the girl found herself quickly spun around, brought to face a hooded woman with only her eyes visible in the flickering, red-hued glow of the burning village; a heavy muffler wrapped securely around the lower half of her countenance. For all the fierceness and intensity that burned within them, the girl could see genuine kindness radiating from them as well. And in that moment, she knew that this person – this woman – would not hurt her. In contrast, the female's eyes softened ever so slightly as she regarded the girl standing beneath them. Kneeling down nimbly, the cloaked woman pulled her hand slowly away from the girl's mouth and, together with the other, placed both firmly upon the child's slim shoulders.
"What is your name," the woman asked briskly after taking a quick look around.
The lavender-haired girl moved her mouth awkwardly.
"K-Koroko," she whispered stiffly.
The female holding her nodded her head and then gave Koroko's shoulders a gentle squeeze of affection.
"It's a beautiful name," she said quietly. "Now Koroko, I want to help you but you are going to have to trust me. Do you understand?"
Koroko nodded her head solemnly. Then a sudden thought stumbled absently into her mind.
"Y-yes, but…but i-if I go w-with you, will you…can you help me f-find…find m-my oniichan?"
The cloaked and hooded woman kneeling in front of her regarded Koroko with stern eyes for a moment then nodded her concealed head.
"Yes," she said quickly. "Yes, I will. But first we must –"
"HEY!"
The crude voice cutting over the roar of the flames stopped the woman's words short of what they were originally intending to say. Hastily rising to her full height, the female draped in the dark hood and cloak gently shoved Koroko behind her, taking a defensive stance as she did.
"Stay behind me," she whispered to Koroko as the first of three men approached the opening of the alley. "I won't let them hurt you. I promise."
Koroko nodded in spite of herself, clutching hold of her ash-stained and charred wood scented blanket in pale, tense little fists. But inside her head, questions danced around in a jumble. Who were those men? More bandits? Wh-what had they done to her oniichan?! And…and why was this woman that she didn't know trying to protect her? What was going on?!
"Give us the girl," a heavy and cruel voice called out, bringing Koroko back to that hellish reality outside her thoughts. "Give us the girl, now!"
In front of her shuddering form, the woman wearing the hooded cloak shifted herself slightly before responding, "And what guarantee do I have that you will not hurt the child…or me for that matter?"
The first man who had entered the alley hefted a bloodstained katana and arrogantly pointed it in her direction. The men hovering behind him slowly raised theirs as well.
"No guarantees," he snorted, taking a step forward. "Give us the girl or we'll cut you both down!"
The hooded female standing before Koroko gave a muffled sigh, crouching down a bit and slowly repositioning a foot, half wrapped with ragged cloth like the other, in front of her; digging bare toes into the soft, ash-covered earth beneath them.
"Fine," she replied calmly, bowing her hooded head and lifting a similarly cloth-wrapped arm up before them to reveal an empty hand. "Your deaths will be meaningless to me then. Remember, blame not your ancestors for what I am about to do. Blame yourselves as you cross the Sanzu River and arrive in Yomi, the Shadowy World of the Dead."
The first man's face twisted into a sneer.
"Kill her!" he screamed, hoisting his katana as he rushed forward. The two men behind him paused for a few seconds, giving their apparent leader enough of a leeway for them to follow, then they too hefted their blades and leapt after him.
Behind the cloaked, hooded woman, Koroko hunched down and closed her eyes tightly; whispering over and over again for her oniichan to come and save her. Above her shuddering form, the female standing defensively before Koroko felt a brutal smile curve those lips concealed under the heavy muffler. The fools were rushing to their deaths! They had no idea what was awaiting them! Focusing her thoughts on nothing but the protection of the lavender-haired girl cowering behind her, the woman readied her body to fight. Not that it would be too difficult for her. Especially with the man's harsh words bouncing around in her head. No guarantees! Give us the girl or we'll cut you both down. Eyes narrowing as the phrase echoed through her mind, she launched herself at the men who had threatened to kill both her and an innocent little girl – the thought of that alone powering her quick movements.
Either the men didn't notice or didn't care about the fact that the woman had decided to rush them. They continued forward, unintelligible screams falling from their open mouths and katanas raised for nothing other than senseless murder. The dark draped female seemed to be faster than any of them, however; reaching the first man before he even made it into the opaque shadows of the alley. Movements seeming to flow faster than water, the tattered cloak shrouded woman pivoted slightly on her foot and launched a swift knee, which caught the first attacker just under the ribcage. There was a faint cracking sound and a heavy gasp as he doubled over in pain. Not wasting a single motion, she raised her left arm, folded it and brought the point of the elbow down hard on the back of the man's exposed neck. He crumpled to the ground with a muffled scream partially escaping his lips. But the woman protecting Koroko didn't hesitate. Regaining her balance without missing a step, she continued forward to meet the remaining two.
Undisturbed by the effortless defeat of their leader, the other men following in his wake took the initiative. The third man behind the lead lessened his steps somewhat, allowing the first more room to attack while he dropped his katana to his side. To the contrary, the one in front of him hefted the curved-bladed sword high above his head and then brought it down in a slightly angled, slashing arc toward the approaching woman. Frayed cloak flowing loosely in the dead, overheated air of the burning village, the hooded woman easily sidestepped the attack with a last-minute dodge to the side. The katana's bloodied blade struck empty air and earth, throwing the man off balance for a few seconds. But those seconds were all that the woman needed. Twirling herself around to where her back was facing the other man with the katana held by his side, she swiftly wrapped her left arm around the back of the attacking man's neck tightly. Giving it a rough squeeze for good measure, the woman abruptly twisted herself even more and brought up her right leg, as she pivoted on the left, to deliver a hard, back sidekick to the approaching man. It caught him on his left arm just above the elbow with her bare heel, forcing a stiff grunt from him as he tried to maintain hold of the blade held with both of his hands. At the same time she was lashing out with the kick, the cloaked woman used it's momentum along with the clutched man's own body weight to propel him headfirst into the half-charred wall of one of the houses to her right that made up the alley. The woman's movements being too quick for him to counter, the second bandit grunted loudly as his head slammed hard into the still solid wooden wall. A soft cracking sound touched the female's ears dully, but she wasn't sure if it was burnt wall or his skull making the sickening noise.
The man becoming limp in her arm seemed to answer that question.
Releasing the bandit's body uncaringly, the cloaked woman returned her attention to the remaining of the three men. He was still standing and, surprisingly, holding his katana loosely with unsteady hands; yet every now and then he flexed the fingers on the hand attached to the arm she had kicked. It seemed as though the limb she had attacked was more injured than she had first believed. It was strange to her, considering that she hadn't intended on lashing out hard enough to injure him, just distract him. Without a doubt, he was definitely weaker than the other two. And being the weakest of the strong usually hid a heart full of fear and cowardice. A light grin played wickedly under the muffler obscuring her features. Standing erect for the first time since she had begun her assault on the three men, the hooded woman gazed coldly at the last one left standing.
"There's no need for you to continue on with such a futile display of bravery when your companions are either dead or unconscious by my hand," she called out in a rough voice that held no hint of compassion. "I give you this one chance to act like the coward I know you are and flee. If you remain, I will kill you. Make no mistake about it. Choose."
The woman could see the man grip his katana even harder in shaky hands as his eyes scanned over his companions nervously. Almost immediately, she knew what his decision would be. She had read him correctly; he was nothing more than a coward at heart. His waraji-sandaled feet shuffled quickly, backpedaling away from the orange-hued scene of carnage wrought by one, cloaked woman as he dropped his katana to the ash-covered ground. Within moments, he was gone; fleeing for his life like a wounded dog. The hooded woman couldn't help but openly smile beneath the thick scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face. Sometimes, she thought out mirthily, intimidation works just as well as violence. Suddenly, she heard a scream erupt from behind her and an icy chill gripped her heart. Quickly returning her attention to the lavender-haired girl, the woman began to move toward her only to stop short when she saw the first of the men that she'd knocked down standing unsteadily between herself and Koroko.
No, she uttered silently in her mind, breaking out into a near-sprint to reach the man before he could bring down his upraised sword on the cowering girl. She had not realized, until now, how far the fighting had taken her from Koroko! And that man! He should be unconscious! Why was he not! The cloaked woman's thoughts raced as she hastened her steps and readied the deadliest attack that she knew. I have to reach him! I cannot allow the girl to be harmed! I have to – N-no…I won't make it to her in time! NOOOO!!!
ooo
"Die you little bitch!" the man sneered as he brought his blood-caked katana down upon Koroko. Dropping her blanket, she threw her tiny hands up over her head in a vain effort to protect herself. Somebody save me, she thought out desperately, closing her eyes tightly to shut away the image of the bandit's sword as it descended toward her. In her mind, a visage of her brother formed and replaced that of the man trying to kill her; his wide face split by a beaming smile as he offered out his hand to her. She could almost feel his touch, hear his voice…
Some…somebody…SAVE ME, the lavender-haired girl screamed out in her mind. ONIICHAN, PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Without warning, everything around Koroko slowed down and all sound that touched her ears seemed dull and muted to a washed out buzzing noise. The bandit's katana was still falling toward her, inch by agonizing inch, but it seemed as though it would never reach her. Like it was traveling through honey. What was happening?! Unnoticed by Koroko, the red star in the sky above her shone brightly as a dim glow pulsed through the thin fabric of her yukata, barely visible to any eyes close or near. Beneath the dark cloth on her back, between her thin shoulder blades, an oddly shaped mark burned dully – color a perfect match for the blood-red star lying next to the moon.
Koroko could feel a strange sensation run through her body and for a moment, she could swore that she saw some sort of large, double-bladed weapon floating in the air before her eyes. There was another sound that accompanied its appearance, but it was lost to her. That blue-eyed gaze was locked on the gray-bladed weapon suspended in front of her. Koroko's breath caught and then she blinked. When her eyes opened again, it was no longer there. They blinked again, this time in confusion. Wh-what was th-that? A-A…sword…? B-but where…where d-did it go? Where…where did it…c-come from? Abruptly, her thoughts were washed away by the crude awareness of sound returning to her ears. Familiar sounds. Deadly sounds.
Suddenly, the world around her was alive again. Fear replaced the curiosity and questions had once assaulted her mind. The bandit was trying to kill her! She had to move! She had to run away! She had to –
A hand grabbed her quickly by the shoulder just as she was turning. Koroko let out a scream as she was pulled into a strong embrace. Her mind was whirling with stark terror. She had to escape! She had to find her oniichan! He would save her! Struggling against the rough squeeze of the arms wrapped around her, Koroko lashed out with her small, balled fist and kicked out with her bare feet. But the bandit would not let her go. He only pulled her closer. Tears of fright and panic began to trace a winding path from her eyes. She was going to die! She would never see her oniichan again!
"Shhh. It's okay Koroko," she heard a familiar voice whisper gently in her ear. "It's okay. You don't have to worry anymore. Shhh. Everything's going to okay. Shhh."
Almost in an instant, Koroko ceased her struggling against the embrace and her screaming. Was it possible? Did she dare to think? Had she been…rescued? Slowly, the girl's head rose and her tear-streaked, blue eyes met with the woman's brown ones.
Kneeling down before her and caressing her lavender hair with a tender hand as she held Koroko close, the cloaked woman regarded her with kind eyes. "I told you that I would protect you and I have," she uttered soothingly, taking the hand from Koroko's head and running it down the side of a tear-streaked cheek. "I took care of the man that was going to hurt you. He will not be hurting anyone ever again."
But the words from the woman holding her fell upon deaf ears. Koroko's blue eyes had widened as they peered over the woman's shoulder…and what lie behind it. On the ground, not but a few feet away from the two of them, lay the bandit who had tried to kill her. A large, darkening spot of blood and a similar smear that led to the ground marked the charred wall of one of the houses that made up the alley. Lying next to it haphazardly, she could see clearly that his neck was twisted at an odd angle; one much too odd for him to still be alive. His cold, unliving eyes were clouded over with the sickening film of death. His face still wore an expression of complete and utter confusion, as if even after dying he was still trying to discern what had happened to him. Beside him, Koroko noticed that he still held onto his katana, hand locked around the blade's hilt in a death grip. But something else caught her eyes, something that she almost could not bring herself to believe. The blade of the katana, it was…it had been…broken. Cleaved cleanly in two about halfway up. The top of the broken blade was embedded in the wall above the drying bloodstain.
But…how? How had that happened? And why was he dead and not her? Was it…was it because of what had happened earlier? When time had seemed to slow down? A brief image of that strange, double-bladed sword flashed through her mind and a slight urge to look up at the glimmering, red star next to the moon ran through her. Eyes rising toward the sky, Koroko felt an odd feeling of apprehension race into her heart along with an unfamiliar, tickling sensation from somewhere between her shoulder blades. But what did it – any of it – mean? Koroko's blue eyes became affixed to the faintly twinkling red star above her, mind whirling with unanswered questions. W-was…was it re-responsible…? D-did that…that happen because…because I could s-see it?
The woman's sudden, now urgent voice shook Koroko away from her thoughts.
"But, it is not safe to remain around here," she stated lowly as she released her embrace on Koroko and rose nimbly to her feet. "There are probably others about who will wish you harm. Or worse. No doubt that coward I let flee earlier has ran back to his fellows and are even now bringing them here. So, do you not think that it is better if we are off and away before they arrive? Hmm?"
Koroko only nodded, mind still trying to grasp hold of not only what just had happened earlier with the bandit, but the entirety of the whole tragedy that had taken place in her once peaceful home. But through all the twisting shards of questioning thoughts, through all the sadness and fear clenching her heart; there was only one thing that she had her mind focused on. One person.
"W-Will…will you t-take me…w-will you take m-me to my…my…"
The woman just nodded her head lightly as she smiled beneath her muffler and offered a hand to Koroko.
"Of course I will," she uttered lightly, a tinge of uncertainty riding the edge of her voice. "I never go back on my word and I can see how…how important he is to you. So, let us be off then."
And for the first time in that horribly long night, the girl named Miama Koroko smiled.
Mai-HiME next step
"What Is Most Important To A Girl"
AUTHOR COMMENTARY: First off, the inevitable disclaimer. I do not own the name Mai-HiME, nor do I claim ownership over the ideas behind the series, the original characters or any of the names (Childs, Orphans, etc.) contained within the setting. I DO NOT seek to challenge those rights – mainly because I'd seriously get my ass handed to me in court by some high-priced attorney and end up serving time in prison with a cellmate named 'Bubba'. That being said, let me begin with a general little note on the setting.
It is the year 1704 and Japan is currently in the middle of the Edo Period's Sakuko Policy, its isolationist phase where almost all contact with foreign countries is not permitted. During this time, a new 'Harvest Festival for Ikusahime Jewels' (now known as the 'Festival/Carnival' in Mai's time), the battle between Ikusahime (the old term for the present day HiME) that Kazahana Mashiro (assumed name taken from a girl who died during an excavation accident an indeterminable number of years back) participated in and won; forcing her to become Suishou no Hime (the Crystal Princess), the guiding gate for the HiME Star (Hime-boshi) for the next 300 years – and later, the Child (Suishou) for her maid, Himeno Fumi, begins. It must be noted that all the characters and names, save for a few, are all made up and not a part of any actual Mai-HiME canon. Also, it should be noted that this 'Festival/Carnival' represents Kagutsuchi's first appearance, making Miama Koroko (Kazahana Mashiro) his first 'controller'. The 'Seal of Sword' on his power is placed there after Koroko defeats the final Ikusahime in the last battle of the Festival/Carnival and, in a rage, challenges the cruel fate her victory brings. I'm sorry if this is a little confusing, but everything will become clearer as you read the story. Suffice it to say, the story of Mai-HiME: The Before focuses on the person Kazahana Mashiro was before she became Suishou no Hime; a little girl named Miama Koroko.
So, with that said, the reason I wrote this story was mainly because of one I read here called, Crystalline Reflections by Black Knightmon. It was a wonderful look into the possible events that took place during Mashiro's Festival/Carnival. And it inspired me to write my own version of those events. So, here it is. The first chapter of Mai-HiME: The Before. I hope you guys and gals like it. I realize that I have my work cut out for me because it doesn't have Shizuru/Natsuki in it (smiles), but please give it a chance. You just might be surprised if you do.
Commentator Note #1 – Speculations About Kazahana Mashiro and Why the Name 'Miama Koroko': One of the bigger mysteries in Mai-HiME is the past of Kazahana Mashiro and her participation in the 'Festival/Carnival' 300 years past. What do we know about her? Not much really. She was just a child when she was forced to fight in the 'Festival/Carnival' (according to all information that I could find online, she was only eleven years old), she was the controller of Kagutsuchi, her brother was apparently the vessel for the Obsidian Lord during that time, her true name isn't 'Kazahana Mashiro', she somehow played a role in 'saving' Himeno Fumi and it seems pretty likely that the current 'Ancients' of Ichibanchi (the First District) don't know who she really is. Going by all this above, there's not much that could really give you a look into Mashiro's hidden past. And, in all honesty, that is going to make it all the more difficult to describe her for the 1704 'Harvest Festival for Ikusahime Jewels'. However, judging by her reactions to the Obsidian Lord choosing Kanzaki (Minagi) Reito as his vessel and 'manipulating' (I use the word loosely as I'm under the belief, due to evidence displayed in the anime, that Mikoto was raised with full knowledge that her brother was going to become the vessel for the Obsidian Lord and that she was trained to act as his protector) his sister into becoming his bodyguard, it's reasonable to assume that she cherished her brother with just as much adoration. So, it can naturally be assumed that Mashiro's (Koroko's) connection to her brother would definitely serve as one of the more dramatic points in this story of her struggles during the 1704 'Festival' as well as being one of the driving forces that helped to transform her from an unsure, co-dependent child into the strong-willed and determined person we see as the Director of Fuuka Academy in Mai-HiME. But her relationship with her brother is only one of the many events that shaped her into the person who would eventually end the suffering caused by the 'Harvest Festival for Ikusahime Jewels'.
As far as why I chose to name her Miama Koroko, well that was a pretty long and interesting road; one that almost ended with her having a different name. Of course, it was a decision that I spent a lot of time trying to make and I went through a lot of different names, none of which seemed to fit. At one point, I even thought about naming her Yukana Nogami (with Nogami being her first name and Yukana being her last), a name reversal of her seiyuu from the series. But I instead went with something I guess I felt would be simpler and a bit easier to remember. So I decided to go with her first used name in the rough draft of Mai-HiME: The Before, Miama Koroko. For some odd reason, Koroko was a name that I could see Mashiro answering to and it seemed like a good fit for her at the time. I actually liked it and pretty much thought I'd keep that until the final draft was written. But, when I was looking up her name in my various Japanese/English books and in online translation sites, I found that I couldn't find a clear definition of what the word meant. And it was while I was looking for that name when I came across 'Kokoro'. It was a name that literally meant 'spirit, heart, mind'. And in truth, it was ultimately a much better fit for her – considering that as Kazahana Mashiro, she actually comes to embody all of these aspects and qualities. So, with a heavy heart, I dropped 'Koroko' and opted to go with 'Kokoro' as I thought it embodied the truth and personality of the character of Kazahana Mashiro during Mai-HiME. Of course, later after I posted this story to Fanfiction, Tremalkinger (who gave me my second review on this story) actually suggested that my original name for Mashiro (Koroko) sounded better. Plus, Tremalkinger ran the name through a translation site/program and found out that 'Koroko' had a rough meaning of 'time child'! I was stunned, to say the least. I had the right name the first time out and DIDN'T listen to my instincts about keeping it! LOL! Sometimes, it's just better stick with the first idea! So, anyway, I would just like to thank Tremalkinger for the suggestion and the the review! Both helped out more that could be imagined! And to end, that is the how and why of her becoming Miama Koroko.
