AUTHORS NOTE: This is entirely a fanfic based off of the amazing Magi and all rights belong to the original author. Shirin and a few other characters are my own characters, but otherwise everything is based off of the plot of Magi and go at around the same place and pace. THANKS FOR READING (and please review!) (UPDATED)
Walking down the gleaming hallways of the Kou palace was something Shirin had never expected to be able to do again. She hadn't expected much and she never did. However, that was her current situation. After being bought and sold sold so many times, it was nothing less of seer luck and coincidence that brought her to the place she was today, in front of the vault where the Kou Empire had locked away all her belonging, her past and everything that remained.
"Excuse me, but could you please unlock the door? I've been ordered to clean the vault" Shirin asks with a sickly sweet smile in place, the accumulation of years working as a slave the only things stopping her from cringing over her own actions.
"Are you sure?" one of the guards asks quizzically, worried that they may get in trouble no matter what they did. The vault was one of Prince Kouha's sacred places, and not following orders and following orders could both end with death.
"Pleaseeee, the first prince asked me to do it" she pleads.
"Fine" the other guard says, choosing to be protected by the first prince instead of the third. At least the first had more authority in matters like these, so he would retain his life longer.
"Finally, everything will come back to me" Shirin mutters, the complacent facade slowly slipping off as she steps through the doors, entering a room that made it seem like the Kou Empire had ripped out her room from her old palace and stuck it into their own.
Oh well, at least my stuff is all here, everything including my metal vessels and my clothing.
Shirin rummages through the closets and brings out a pair of clothing that she had prepared before the war in advance, one that had been meant far more important occasions, but now, was all she had to wear of her old country. She changes into the soft clothing and puts on her metal vessels, their cold weight a comforting presence she had long given up on. The purple military jacket with all its finery to remember the fallen with fits snuggly over the mint training dress while the sandals lace up nicely with the small uneven wings attached on the back.
Without a moment of hesitation, she swings open the doors, calmly facing the guards who were ready to attack her. She had waited too long for her chance and her anger was getting excited ; it hadn't been let loose in quite a while.
"Is there anyone who would like to say anything before I blast them to pieces" she says with a gleam in her eye as she pulls out a thin sword from it's scabbard.
"Oh Spirit of War and Pride, I summon thee with my magoi and an offering of blood, Come Forth Amdusias!" and with that she Dijn Equips, her ombre red hair growing into shaggy strips as metal cuffs with iron work designs covered her arms and legs. A half buttoned shirt was covered by a military cape jacket and poofy layers peeked from underneath. Long boots with tassels hanging off matched the looped chain choker around her neck completed the equip.
A small smile flits across her face, the rush of magic and adrenaline after so long a strange feeling. With a small sigh, she closes her eyes and raises her sword in front of her face as she steps forward and says "Dawlir Bararaq" and in turn electrocutes everyone with the currents dancing around her and in the air.
When she opens her eyes, she notices a familiar figure in front of her, blocking her way and transporting her electricity to gods knows where.
"Mei" she says, disappointed that she couldn't have caused more bloodshed yet knowing the nickname would bug him, especially coming from her.
"Shirin" he spits back as he walks towards her. In an instant, the two of them are fighting, Koumei's fan clashing with Shirin's sword.
With one swift move, Shirin grabs the fan, the soft feathers tickling her fingers. "I really have no intention to fight you, I only came to say hi and thanks for the job. By the way, where's En?" Shirin asks as she twirls the fan, knowing that every word would bother Koumei just as much as the half truths would. .
"Un-equip and I'll take you to where First Prince Kouen is" he says, stressing the importance of his older brother's title.
With a wave of her hand, Shirin unequips and waits for Koumei to show her the way.
Miffed, Koumei starts leading her, walking as fast as he can to ignore her. Through the maze of corridors, they reach Kouen's study and Koumei knocks softly on the door.
"Come in" a muffled voice says, a distracted tone laced into the words.
Koumei opens the door and Shirin walks into the room. "It's nice to see you again, En" she says, an innocent smile on her face.
"Rin?" Kouen says, slightly alarmed as he stops reading his scroll and turns away from it.
"So you still remember me" she says with a small laugh that did nothing for the mood.
"What is she doing here" Kouen says icily towards Koumei.
"Seems like she was bought as one of the new slaves earlier this week. I found her after she broke into Kouha's vault and stole back her Metal Vessels. She had transformed in the hallway and was about to kill the guards" Koumei responds with a slight sigh that never escaped.
"It's actually a funny story. I was stolen from home while waiting for you guys to bring the battle to my doorsteps, but instead I was kidnapped and forced into slavery. Guess sending all the soldiers and guards to the battlefield wasn't the best idea. I've been a slave for the past seven years, since that pointless battle ended" Shirin says with a glare. "By sheer fortune, after seventeen years of living, I finally found the luck I was looking for. Ending up here was truly a blessing of Solomon" she says, forgetting that Koumei and Kouen had no clue who Solomon is and in her opinion, should never know because of what they could do with that information.
Thankfully, Kouen and Koumei brush it off. "And what do you want to do about this" Kouen asks, his eye calculating her actions.
"I don't know, if there's really nothing else, I guess I should destroy your whole palace, maybe the whole empire. But at the same time, you guys did buy me, so I'm still technically your property. So the question is, what do you want to do with me" she says, her eyes meeting Kouen's as she speaks.
"Koumei, should we trust her?" Kouen asks as he gazes at Shirin, who after speaking was now absorbed with looking around the study and poking at the scrolls.
"We have nothing to lose. It's not mystery, from us at least. We've seen her fight, we know how she works, and with all that, it is without a doubt that we will suffer if we let her loose or force her into another cage. Giving her a position in court may be the only way to satisfy all the conditions without harming others" Koumei says after pondering the question, reluctantly telling Kouen the truth.
"Then I guess that's the final decision" Kouen said, thinking deeply as he rested his intertwined fingers in front of his face.
"Shirin" Koumei calls out, trying to get her attention.
"Yes" she says, an aura of calmness around her. If they hadn't known her better, they would have never felt the emotions boiling underneath the surface.
"How would you like to be a general in the Kou Empire" Kouen asks, turning his chair to face her.
"You guys made the right decision! Of course I'll become a general. But I do have some requests. " Shirin says as she walks up to Kouen and stops in front of his desk.
"What do you want' Kouen says, tensing up, knowing from experience that bargaining with the enemy is never easy.
"Well, I would like to become the governor of my country, though it's probably in ruins now, or you did you guys never get to knocking it down like you do to every other country you conquer?" Shirin asks, insulting their tactics to unite the world.
"For your information, we did not do that to Samarkand. Actually, the land wouldn't let us and Kouha got mad every time we tried" Koumei says and then stops himself, realizing that he had said too much.
"Nice, so it works" Shirin mutters to herself.
"Is that your only request?" Kouen asks as he starts getting irritated.
"Oh, I also want … about a three month break before I start, yeah that should be long enough. By the way, where are my household members?" Shirin starts as she stares off in the corner, trying to remember all of her demands before turning back to Kouen and holding his gaze.
"THREE MONTHS! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Kouen thunders as he stands up.. "On top of that, why should I know where your household members are".
Shirin walks past the desk and right up to Kouen. As she glares at him, she yanks the collar of his robe and brings his face closer to hers and says in a calm voice "Then three months should be enough for you to find them, you owe me that much after everything I've been through, If you decide to ignore the demands, I'll take the other route out of this scenario".
Kouen slaps her hand away from his collar and Shirin flinches. She had hoped they would remember that they were friends before this, that they had cared for each other. But the simple action proved Shirin wrong, and even if she had prepared herself for the chance of it happening, it was still a shock.
Before Shirin could respond to the slap, the door slams open and a flurry of light red hair enters the room.
"KOUEN WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VAULT!" Kouha roars as he stands in front of Kouen.
"Kouha, I would like you to meet our new general and also the cause of your issues" Kouen says warily as he gestures to Shirin.
"Hi, nice to see you too Kouha" Shirin says with an innocent wave and smile. It was better to just forget what had just happened and move on to the next incident.
"Shirin? Are you kidding me … WHAT IS GOING ON!" Kouha yells, his level of irritation growing with every second.
"We'll …. Let's see .. So first" Shirin starts saying, remembering all the details that had happened right before she broke into the vault up to the current situation and told Kouha.
Kouha just stares at Shirin, not believing she was actually there and that the movement was actually happening, but most of all, very irritated with the issue. No one had bothered giving him a heads up and now his vault was ruined until who knows when.
"Not bothering to listen? Oh well, you have a while for it to sink in while I'm gone for the next few months" Shirin says, not sure why Kouha continues to stare at her.
"Koumei, can you set a transportation circle to the Great Rift for me, I want to make the most of my three months" Shirin says as her gaze breaks away from Kouha.
As Shirin steps through the circle, Kouha unconsciously reaches out his hand, the shock still not settling, only to have Shirin disappear once again.