'In the southern region of Italy, on the outskirt of a large opulent city, lies a slum consisting of mostly small poor families. Those who lived there would pass their time envying the life of the rich and powerful. Fathers who hope to improve their family's fortune as well as their own gambled in the city, only to lose their money or their lives. When grieving over their lost hope, mothers were either losing their minds or do anything to escape their unhappy life. Children become orphans, turning to stealing to try to still alive, even for just one more day. It was until a young woman enters the slum, changes took place. She reminded everyone what was truly important and to live life to the fullest. Under her guidance, the town started improving, food becomes plentiful and bonds were strengthened. Families were closer than ever and neighbors become more cheerful and accepting of one another. While not everything was perfect, everyone was happy and content with their new lives. All thanks to the angel that guided us.'
"And that is the story of how your mother change the slums to more better place." said an old grandfather as he looked a young girl around 7 years old with long black hair and jade green eyes. She was dressed in a black oversized sweater and red plaid skirt with a tan newsboy cap on her head.
"What do you think about the story, Himiko?" he asked.
"Honestly, the way you told the story was too flowery and some of the parts were clearly fiction." she replied bluntly.
"Beside Mother is still alive, so what is up with the past tenses?"
"Bah, my story is wasted on you, her own daughter!" he commented. She stood up from the wooden barrel that she was sitting on and dusted off her skirt.
"You know, your mother is quite the beauty. Men in this place have lost their hearts to her." he said, stroking his long white beard.
"Until they found out that she was pregnant with me and had their hearts broke because of it." she added. The old grandfather chuckled.
"You know, you are too smart for your own good, Himiko. A girl your age should be focusing on having fun, instead of reading books and understanding complex words."
"Reading and learning is fun!"
"Bah, you can read all you want, but won't it won't replace street smarts. Ah, this remind of a time that I-"
"Oh, I think I hear my mother calling me." Himiko said, pretending to hear something. She quickly left the spot as the old grandfather was calling out after her. As she was running down the alley, a number of residents were waving and greeting her.
"Hi, Himiko!"
"Hey, Himiko!"
"Lovely day, isn't it, Himiko?"
"Say hi to your mother for us, Himiko!" After taking a few moments to answer them back, she soon reaches to a shabby looking apartment at the end of the house row.
"Mother, I am back!" Himiko shouted, closing the front door behind her. She rushed into the kitchen to saw her mother, in an apron splatted with flour. Her mother's brown hair was tied up into a loose ponytail as her purple eyes widen in surprise.
"Himiko!" her mother exclaimed as Himiko hugged her.
"What are you doing home so early?"
"I wanted to taste the apple pie you were making." Himko answered happily. Her mother raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
"How did you know I was making apple pie?"
"That's easy, you brought a lot of apples home yesterday and I saw the frozen pie crust in the fridge when I was making breakfast." Her mother smiled at her and begins ruffling her hair.
"You are such clever girl, Himiko." Her mother sighed.
"What am I going to do with a smart daughter like you?" she questioned.
"Send me off to college early and have me win a Nobel peace prize for being so smart." Himiko joked. Both of them laughed when the timer went off.
"Oh, the pie is ready!"
"Hooray!" After the pie taken out of the oven and cooled down, Himiko was sitting at the kitchen table and enjoying a slice of her mother's homemade pie.
"How is it?" her mother asked, sitting across from her.
"It's delicious!" Himiko said, joyfully.
"Your pies are the best, Mommy!" Her mother smiled at her.
"That's good to hear."
"Mommy, I have a question."
"What is it, little one?"
"How come I have a japanese name when everyone else has an italian names?"
"It's actually an interesting story." her mother stated.
"When I was in Japan, I heard about a certain shaman queen that once ruled as Empress of Japan. Now she was benevolent ruler who cared about her people, but yet fair and just in her decisions. She made the land thrive and prosperous and her people were very happy, but she soon disappeared from the throne and the history books afterwards. This queen's name was Himiko."
"So I was named after a queen?"
"Yes, my dear sweet child."
"That's so cool! But why did she disappear?"
"That's a story for another time. After you are done, can you go to the general store and pick up some milk?"
"Okay!" After finishing off her pie, Himiko headed out the door and run down the street. As her mother finished washing the dishes, a strong wave of dizziness came over her.
"No, not now!" she thought as she blacked out. Her body collapsed onto the ground and remained motionless. At the same exact moment, Himiko returned with a carton of milk.
"Mommy, I got-" She stopped when she heard a large thump coming from the kitchen.
"Mommy!" she shouted rushing to the kitchen as her eyes widen at the sight she saw. Her mother remains motionless on the floor. Dropping the milk on the floor, she rushed over to her mother's side and cradling her head in her arms.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" When she touched her mother's forehead, it was burning against her cold palm.
"Somebody, anybody Help!" she shouted frantically. Himiko's screams didn't go unheard, for it didn't take long for her cries to reach the ears of the whole neighborhood as a flood of people came rushing towards the small apartment. After some of the neighbors placed her mother in a spare bed, some of the housewives stated that she was suffering from a high fever of an unknown illness. Summoning a doctor was impossible for the people living there, for there was only one doctor that was even close enough to the slums. This doctor however was a selfish rich person who only attended to high paying clients. He doesn't care about the lowly people who were living in the slums. Most of the men tried to convince the doctor to see Himiko's mother, only to be turned away or arrested by police for trespassing.
*One week later*
Unable to hire a doctor or afford medicine, the task of earning money fell on Himiko as she run small errands for the people in the city. Neighbors took turns looking after her mother when she runs errands, but she spends most of her time looking after her mother who was battling the fever. It has been a week since her mother succumbed to a mysterious illness. Himiko was looking after her mother, unaware of the thunderstorm that was rolling in. Lightning and thunder crashed down from the sky, sounding off a powerful boom. Upon hearing the sound, it startled Himiko who let out a small yelp.
"Huh, a thunderstorm?" she thought, turning to see the stormy clouds outside the window.
"Himiko..." She looked back at her mother who finally opens her eyes.
"Mother!" she shouted, grabbing her mother's hand tightly.
"I am sorry...Himiko. I left you...with the heavy burden...of taking care...of me." her mother said in a soft voice.
"No, I will do anything to make you feel better!" Her mother smiled at her.
"Himiko, open that drawer..." she hinted at the small nightstand next to the bed. Puzzled, Himiko let go of her mother's hand and open the drawer of the nightstand. Inside was a long velvet jewelry box, which she took and held in her hands.
"Open it." Reluctantly, she opens the box and let out a small grasp. Inside the box was a platinum ornate hairpin with the largest orange diamond Himiko has ever seen, shining brightly against the stormy darkness.
"Mother, this is-" she remarked. Her mother stares at the hairpin with sad eyes.
"Your father was the one...who give that hairpin." Himiko's eyes widen in shock, for this is the first time her mother ever mention anything about her father.
"Your father give it to me before you were born...He said it was a family heirloom pass down to the daughter of the family...Your grandfather only had sons….so he gave the hairpin to your father to give to me…his bride."
"Then what happened, Mother? What happened to Father?" Tears started flowing down from her mother's eyes.
"He was killed before the wedding…I never had the chance to tell him that….he was going to be a father." This news came as a bombshell for Himiko, her mother often avoid the subject about her father when she asked. She imagined different scenarios of what happened between her mother and father based on what she heard from the rich ladies she run errands for, from cheating husbands to runaway lovers. But death was the last choice she considered; actually it wasn't a choice that even crossed her mind.
"I don't understand...why are you-?" Himiko said, until she came into a sudden realization as a second lightning strike flashed across the sky.
"This heirloom has been passed….down from one daughter…to the next." her mother continued.
"I am giving it to you…Himiko. This is…my last gift...to you."
"No, don't say that!" cried Himiko as fear gripped her heart. Her voice started to tumbling.
"You will get better. The doctor is coming tomorrow..." she lied. Tears were falling down from her jade green eyes as she held her mother's hand tightly, enclosing the hairpin in her grasp.
"Please don't leave me alone!" Watching her daughter weeping, more tears flow down from her purple eyes.
"I am sorry, Himiko...I left you with the heaviest burden of all. The dreams I saw of a chaotic future and the "power" you inherited from your father's bloodline...I pray your heart will remain strong and pure until that event comes."
"Himiko..." she whispered. Releasing her mother's hand, Himiko wiped away her tears and looked at her mother.
"Mommy..."
"Promise me that no matter...what happens...you will remain strong...and never lose your kind...and caring heart."
"I promise, Mommy."
"And also never...lose your smile."
"I promise that too..." Her mother places a hand on her daughter's cheek.
"I'm so glad that you are my daughter...Know that you are the child your father and I...has always wanted and would always love." With one last long breath, her mother closed her eyes as her soul passed on to the next life. Himiko felt her mother's hand slipping from her face and dropping on the bed.
"Mommy..." Himiko said, but her call was only met with silence.
"Mommy, wake up..." Her mother remained still as she let out a piercing scream.
"MOMMY!" Her scream echoed in the town, blending in with the sound of rolling thunder high above.
A sample of the story. Please review and tell me what you think. By the way, this story is a prologue taking place before the original series.