Vocabulary:
Miko: This is a term that is used to describe shrine maiden's in Japan. In Mai-Hime anime, there was an episode where Mai went to help out at the shrine as a "Miko" for a wedding.
Sama: this is an honorific term used to in addressing people of higher social status than you, it is a sign of respect.
San: This is also another honorific term used to address people.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mai hime/Mai Otome, or any of the characters.
Chapter one
By S
There were rumours, that said the Miko of Windbloom Shrine, Viola-sama lived a very long life, possibly since civilisation. There were also rumours suggesting that her old age caused her to have no sense of empathy. Rumours also said she could bring people back from the dead, or grant them an early death. However, these were only rumours, and considering the nature of a rumour, nobody knew if it was true or not.
There was continuous knocking on the shrine's wooden doors, accompanying the thunder claps and loud pouring rain.
The old Miko was expecting a visitor, an old friend. She refused to get up from her comfortable chair and called her maid to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, the guest wasted no time and pushed past the maid, and kneeled before Viola.
"Save her, Viola sama!" the woman cried, her hair wet from the rainstorm, eyes wide with panic. In her arms carried a small body, clothes visibly soaked in dark red, face barely recognisable under the blood. Her muddy shoes and wet clothes formed a small puddle on the wooden floor.
The elderly woman winced, she only had the floors cleaned and polished yesterday.
"Please Miko! Viola-sama! Please save her!" she begged to the wrinkled woman sitting before her."I know you can save her..."
Viola eyed worriedly at the blood covering the child's dark locks. Kneeling down slowly, she placed two shrivelled fingers on the child's wrist.
"Her pulse is faint," she grimaced, "this child does not have long to live. I suggest you give up and go home." She leaned on her crane for support and stood up angrily, "You should not believe what others tell you, Saeko-san! I cannot bring back the dead! You should have gone straight to the hospital!"
Viola knew this would happen eventually, but she didn't think Saeko was stupid enough to visit the shrine instead of going to a hospital. For the past few weeks, the poor lady had been visiting the shrine quite periodically. The other Mikos' noticed that she was often covered by large, poorly disguised bruises under thick layers of clothes. Viola suggested calling the police, but the woman was adamant on praying for some supernatural force to help her husband 'see the light'. It was evident that she finally had the courage to suggest a divorce, with the consequences placed upon her daughter.
Saeko sobbed uncontrollably onto her daughter's body. "N–Natsuki... my poor child, how could he do this to you? To his own daughter!" she cried and held her daughter's head delicately between her hands, tears dripping onto the child's face.
Viola eyed the blood dripping onto her once polished floor, annoyed that it probably will take ages to wash off. She was also aware that her stupid friend with the daughter probably won't go home anytime soon.
She pondered if she was feeling sympathy for her friend, or her wooden floor.
Living for so long had a toll on Viola, it was rumoured that she is cold hearted due to the large amount of heart break in her life. But then again, they were only rumours.
"Saeko-san," the Miko sighed, "I can probably save her..." She grimaced at the glimmer of hope on Saeko's face, "but there is a big price to pay and a large gamble at stake."
Viola reasoned it would be fair if she helped her. Saeko proved to be a nice acquaintance to talk to, and she always brought expensive tea leaves during her visits. Despite being begged to, Viola absolutely despises being used. However nobody could have predicted this to happen to her daughter. Viola could only hope that Saeko will be different from the rest.
Perhaps this is a test from fate, the Miko mused to herself.
Saeko's eyes widened with hope, "I will pay any amount! Please do your magic."
The miko peered wryly, slightly regretting her impulsive offer.
She sighed. "Then let us hurry."
She gestured to her maid, who quickly went to the back room, returning with a large tin pot covered in strips of yellow paper. Viola walked up the picture of Kami and lit an incense stick. She muttered a prayer to the picture and inserted the stick into the large tin pot. The pot started to glow an eerily shade of blood red, evoking thick fumes to smoke and consume the entire room.
Saeko stared wide eyed, holding tightly to her daughter, not quite believing what she is seeing.
Viola looked at the woman with a solemn expression. "I will need an equal exchange, if your child dies tonight before I cast my 'magic', you will die, and your soul will be cast beyond return. As I have told you, I cannot bring back the dead." Viola said grimly, aware that there might not be any more expensive tea leaves in the future. She raised her walking stick, dipped the end into the blood on the floor, and started circling the two, drawing symbols while dragging the blood around mother and daughter.
"I am willing to do anything for my child..." Saeko replied, holding tenderly onto her child, her gentle hands brushing the long strands of hair behind her daughter's ear. "Natsuki... my poor child... I'm so sorry."
"If your child lives, you will also live." Viola beckoned her maid to close the shrine doors. The maid quickly left the room and closed the doors. The symbols drawn on the ground began to emit bright rays of light, reaching to the ends of the room and outside the windows into the thunderstorm.
"Saeko-san, one part of the price is the gamble of your soul and her life," Viola said, still hoping that the younger woman will change her mind.
Saeko closed her eyes and nodded. "I accept." She held her child closer to her, grimly accepting the chance of death.
"Fine," Viola sighed in resignation.
A rush of wind was produced from the walking stick as she muttered more incantations. The wind surrounded them in bright light and scorching red flames.
The woman on the ground gasped in fright, expecting the fire to burn her child. To her surprise, the fire was slowly being absorbed into her daughter. While the wind and fire slowly dissipated, Saeko noticed that the injuries on her daughter were also disappearing.
The daughter's eyes snapped open, wide and alert. She had stopped bleeding, the blood on her clothes disappeared, and the injury on her head was gone without a scar. Bright emerald eyes glanced up and looked at her tearful mother.
"Natsuki!" Saeko cried while thanking the Gods, her fingers held tightly to her daughter's clothes. Natsuki looked bewildered at the sight of her mother crying. She gently wrapped her small arms around, offering comfort to the crying woman.
The storm outside magically cleared, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. Bright rays of sunlight entered the shrine, emphasizing the dark red drawn on the ground by the Miko.
The maid came back into the room, gave a look of annoyance at the floor before walking back out again.
Viola sighed, feeling sympathy for the maid; she will have to ask her to clean the wooden floors again.
At least nobody died this time, she mused. She walked back to her chair while Saeko continued to cry.
"V-Viola sama, thank you," Saeko hiccupped between her tears.
A grim thought occurred to Saeko, what was the other payment the Miko wanted? What was paid during the equal exchange? Was it really just a gamble?
"Hmm?" Viola replied absentmindedly, still eyeing the dirty floor with contempt.
"What was part of the other payment?" Saeko asked anxiously.
"Oh yes, Saeko-san, there is one thing you must understand," Viola pinched the bridge of her nose, to calm an oncoming headache. "Your daughter's life: I have connected it to her red string of fate. She will live as long as her predestined other half lives."
The woman on the ground paled, realising that she might lose her daughter even after all the trouble. What if Natsuki's predestined other half dies tomorrow? The child is only four years old! How can anybody know their own soul mate at such a young age? Most people spend half of their lives looking for their other half! This is absurd, she thought to herself. She had already gambled her soul for her daughter's life!
This was hardly an equal exchange!
"B -but who is her predestined other half? Do you even know? How can I protect my child if I do not know who he is? Or where he is at?! Viola-sama! You promised you would save her!" Saeko screamed hysterically at the Miko. The maid heard the noise and quickly rushed back into the room.
Viola sighed, and signalled her maid to escort the screaming woman out of her shrine.
This was why she hated helping people, humans are always so selfish. She had hoped that Saeko would react differently to the previous people that came for help. They were always 'wanting this' and 'wanting that', never appreciating the things that are already there.
This was why it was always just rumours that surrounded the Miko Viola. Many claim that the Miko never did any magic, only tricks, and the wounded will miraculously come back to health unscathed. This was why the rumours always claim for her to be lacking empathy, as nobody ever properly thanked her for helping.
Unfortunately, just as Viola had predicted, there will no longer be any more expensive tea from Saeko.
In fact, if Saeko ever came back to the shrine, she will find that the Miko never existed. Even if she looked in public and private records, she will never find anything.
After all, the Miko was just a rumour.