Faery Tale by Child of the Faeries
Some kind of weird inspiration I got one day..... a fairy tale about a girl running for her life, the servant boy who loves her, and seven Samurai that befriend the frightened girl.
"Ancient Japan was very different, my child," an old lady whispered, her skin wrinkled and faded. A young girl, about seven years old, peered at her grandmother in wonder.
"What you do mean?"
"This Buddhist temple that we sit in was not always a temple," the old lady said. "Many, many years ago, it was used for something very different."
"What was it used for?" the girl asked solemnly.
"It was the home of seven samurai.....and a beautiful peasant girl."
Far away from here, there was a large house where a daimyo, a rich land-owner, lived. He was married to a beautiful lady by the name of Hikari. Wallace, the daimyo, and his wife lived a very happy life, but they had no children to share their happiness with. Although they had tried for many years to have children, every attempt was unsuccessful.
Finally, one blessed day, Hikari announced to her husband that she was pregnant. They were delighted and prepared the house for the arrival of their first child.
Soon came the time for the baby to be born. It was a baby girl, beautiful and graceful. Her mother named her Mimi, and held her close to her heart.
There were some complications in the baby's birth. No doctors arrived to help Hikari stop the bleeding. She cried out in anguish, blood pouring from her at an ungodly rate. She screamed to the gods for help, but there was no reply. She died a day later.
Wallace was crushed. He ordered all of the servants away, keeping only a young child, Yamato, to watch over the baby.
The years passed, and slowly the wound that Hikari had made started to heal in Wallace's heart. His daughter, Mimi, was his only ray of sunlight, and he cherished her above anything else in his household. But as his daughter grew, Wallace began to realize that his daughter needed something more than just a father. She also needed a mother to help her grew in honor and dignity.
He left for a several weeks and when he returned, he brought a widow by the name of Miyako. "This is your new mother, Mimi-chan!" Wallace said, engulfing his daughter in a huge hug. "Do you like her?"
The young child looked up at the stern widow. Her hair was a dark purple, wound tightly against her head. Dark eyes peered back at the girl with pursed lips. "I think she is very pretty, father," Mimi replied truthfully, and the widow sighed.
"It is very nice to meet you to, child," Miyako said coldly. "Wallace has told me so much about you."
"Father loves me," the girl said bashfully, bowing her head. "He loves me more than anyone else in the world."
It soon became apparent that Miyako was jealous. Wallace spent most of his time with his daughter, teaching her the ways of his religion and nature. "She doesn't need to know that," Miyako said at dinner one night. "All she needs to know is how to cook, clean, and be silent."
"Did your mother forget to teach you that?" Wallace said with a smile. Mimi giggled. Miyako did not.
"I agreed to marry you because you needed a mother for your daughter. Yet all I see here is a son." She bowed her head, angry, and exited the room.
"What did she mean, father?" Mimi asked sadly.
"She thinks you need to learn things that are useful for little girls. I spend too much time teaching you things that boys need to know, not little girls. Finish your rice and then brush your hair three hundred times before going to bed. Good-night, my princess."
Sighing, Wallace left the table and headed outside to clear his head.
"Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie," Miyako said softly in her room, rubbing a red stone. It started to glimmer, and a face appeared.
"I am Sora of the Stone. I come to show- the most beautiful in the land is Miyako." The widow smiled at the girl in the stone.
"Thank you," she said, dropping the stone back into it's magical bag. A present from her mother, the girl in the stone could answer any question Miyako would ask.
"Wretched girl," she lamented. "I would be happy here if it was not for her..... how I wish she was dead." A slow smile silently crept onto the angry widow's face.
The years passed, and the widow grew more angry. She felt that Wallace utterly ignored her and only loved his precious daughter. One day, Miyako announced to her husband that she was pregnant.
He appeared happy, until she mentioned that if she gave birth to a son, her son would get the inheritance instead of Mimi. His face grew tired and he sent Mimi to bed, angry at his wife for saying such a cruel thing.
She gave birth to a son, and Wallace loved it dearly. But not, she noted, as dearly as he loved his daughter Mimi.
One day, Miyako took out her magic stone. "Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie."
"I am Sora of the Stone," a girl in the stone said softly. "The truth is all I see- the most beautiful in the land is your daughter Mimi."
With that said, the widow threw the stone to the ground, cursing it. "That wretched girl! I will have her killed if I have to do it myself!" She walked out of her room and approached the servant Yamato.
"Take your knife," she instructed him, "and the girl into the woods. When you get far enough away, cut away her heart and bring it back to me. I am the mistress of this house, you must obey me." Yamato looked at his knife and then at Miyako.
"My lady-"
"Do as I decree!" she shrieked, her eyes filled with hatred. Yamato jumped back, frightened.
"Yes, my lady." Yamato put down his work and approached the young girl playing in the woods. "Mimi, my lady, you must take a walk with me." She looked confused, but took his hand and they walked deeper into the woods.
"What are we doing, Yamato?" Mimi asked, noting his knife.
"Your mother has ordered me to do something," Yamato said softly. They walked in silence. "How old are you now, Mimi? Fourteen?"
"Fourteen? Dear Yamato, I have turned sixteen years last month!" Mimi exclaimed with a laugh. "Soon I will have to marry and have children of my own, won't I?"
Yamato nodded in agreement, and they continued. "Where are we going?" Mimi said a bit later. "It's getting dark, Yamato, and if we don't turn back soon we will not find our way back home."
"We will not need to find our way back home," Yamato said, pulling the girl close to him. "Listen to me, Mimi-chan. Miyako ordered me to bring you out here and killed you." Mimi's eyes opened in fright. "But I love you, and I cannot do that. You must run, Mimi. Run deeper through the trees and on until you can see the ocean. And you must never return to your home. Never tell anyone who you are."
"Yamato.......I....don't know what to say."
"Run, Mimi. And never get caught." He gave her a hug, kissing her cheek. "I will see you again, someday."
He turned away and disappeared into the woods, leaving Mimi alone. "Never have I been so afraid," Mimi whispered softly. She had never been anywhere alone before. Always Father had been with, or Yamato. Now the world appeared so large and frightening.
As darkness fell, she climbed up a tall tree and nestled herself in the boughs, just as her father had taught her. "Watch over Father, Mother, my brother Michael..... and Yamato," she prayed as she slipped into sleep.
The next day it rain, drowning the world in it's sorrow. Mimi wandered aimlessly through the shrouded trees, trying desperately to find the ocean. Then she would be safe.
It continued to rain, and her clothing became soaked. She cried because her feet were tired and her head hurt. She wanted to be back home with her father and little brother.
"When will I find sanctuary?" she whispered as her weary body protested. She hadn't eaten anything in days.
Stumbling blindly through the trees, she smashed into a shrubbery and cried out in pain as a cut opened in her arm, blood oozing out. "Who's there?" a harsh voice asked, a sword pricking her back. "Don't move fast, my pretty, or I will cut your head off."
Trembling, she turned around, facing a tall man with long brown hair and friendly, but troubled brown eyes. "Who are you, girl, and why have you traveled here?"
"I am no one," Mimi said sadly, her body shaking. "I am no one from nowhere. No one cares about me. I have no home, no place to go. Kill me now, Samurai, or let Fate takes it's course."
"Surely you must have a family that cares for you, or a husband and children. Such a pretty girl would not wandering in the woods around here."
"If I return home, my mother will kill me."
The man regarded her. "You are cold and tired," the man observed. "Come my home, and meet my fellow Samurai. We will give you food and a warm bed." Mimi looked frightened, but she followed the strong man.
"You are a Samurai, then?" she asked as they drudged through the mud.
"Can't you tell by the two swords on my back? Of course I am a Samurai." They walked further, and finally the woods broke.
"It's the ocean!" Mimi said, her heart lifting. She had gotten away. She was free.
"This way, my lady," the man said, ushering her to a large house. "This is our humble home."
He opened the door and allowed her inside the huge house. Her weary footsteps echoed in the hollow chasm. "I should introduce myself," the man said with a small smile. "I am Taichi, the Samurai of Courage." He looked at her, awaiting her name.
"My.....my name is Sakura," she said slowly.
"That is a pretty name," Taichi said, taking hold of a torch. "Follow me, Sakura." Down the hallway they walked until they entered a large dining area where several other man were eating.
"What took you so long, Taichi?" a short man with reddish hair asked, looking up from his plate of food. "We thought you got lost or something."
"No, Brother Koushiro. I have brought us a guest. Brothers, this is Sakura," he said, pulling her forward. "Sakura, my brothers."
"You're so pretty!" a tall man said, running his hand through his hair. "I am Jyou, the Samurai of Reliability."
"I'm sure we will be good friends!" a short man said, running between them. "I am Daisuke, the Samurai of Friendship."
"Welcome to our home, Sakura. I am the Samurai of Knowledge, Koushiro," the red-headed man said from the table.
"I hope you enjoy your stay with us," one of the youngest piped up. "I'm Takeru, the Samurai of Hope." Mimi had to blink- he was the splitting image of her friend Yamato.
"It is a great privilege to meet you," the smallest and youngest of them all said as he bowed. "My name is Iori, the Samurai of Honor."
A voice spoke out of the darkness. "I am Ken, the Samurai of Kindness." Mimi turned but saw no one.
"You are welcome to stay here as long as you want," Taichi said, his eyes glittering in the firelight.
Many years passed, and everything started to fade. First she forgot faces of her family, then the names started to leave her. It all seemed like such a distant dream.
Sometimes she hear a voice and remember her father- the way he had taught her to read so many years before. She often had flashbacks of her beautiful mother, and the deceitful widow Miyako. Sometimes, she would awake at night with a vision of a blond-haired boy who had loved her.
"What are you thinking about, Sakura?" Koushiro said, sitting beside her. Mimi looked up from the flowers she had been picking.
"It is nothing, Samurai," she replied, addressing him with honor. He blushed, and took hold of her hand.
"What troubles you, child? I thought we were friends. Will you not share the secrets of your heart with a friend?"
"I was just thinking of the past, Koushiro. Nothing more."
"Do you miss your past, Sakura-chan? Do you wish that you had never met us before?"
"How could I choose?" Mimi whispered, watching the flower petals dance across the sky.
"Sometimes I wish I had never become a Samurai. I wish....that I could be free."
"Koushiro-kun...."
"But then I would have never met you," he whispered softly. "We will protect you, Sakura. From whatever made you run away, and hide here, forgotten on the edge of the sea. We will not let you get hurt."
He kissed the tips of her fingers gently and stood. "I have a meeting with Jyou. Peace, Sakura-chan. From whatever demons are chasing your soul."
When Mimi returned to the house, only Daisuke, Iori, and Takeru sat in the open area. "Hello, Samurai," she said respectfully, bowing her head. They nodded in welcome.
"I hope all is well with you?" Takeru said softly. "Koushiro said you were worried."
"It is nothing, Takeru."
"Are you sure? We are your friends, Sakura. We can help you," Daisuke said, bending to his knees in front of her.
"No, Daisuke. There are some things I must bear alone, that you must never know."
"Why?"
"My life would be in danger," she said softly, picking up a rag and scrubbing the floor.
"Sakura, my child, why do you wash the floor again? Is this place not clean enough already?" Taichi laughed as he entered the room, placing his swords on his back.
"With the seven of you, this place is always a horrible mess," she said with a grin, thankful for the change in atmosphere. She did not want her dear friends digging into her past.
"My fellow Samurai, I have bad news," Jyou said, his tone light as he approached the others. "About a days walk from here, a vagrant was caught. The town does not want him- he has already escaped from his prison twice. They wish for us to bring him here and contain him."
"What was his crime?" Mimi asked, standing up. Jyou looked mildly surprised that she was interested.
"He is a thief. Nothing more than a homeless man without food or money. But he killed a man when attacked, and the woman-folk of the town are scared to death that he will kill another."
"And you want to bring him here? I do not think that is wise, with Sakura around. He may escape and injure her," Daisuke said.
"We would not be doing our duty, as Samurai, if we did not contain him. We have made an oath to protect the people," Jyou said with reverence. "If we do not follow that oath, we will not longer be true Samurai."
"Please, I do not want to be a burden. You must do want your laws command," Mimi said. "I will not be harmed from this criminal."
"I have pledged my life to your protection," Koushiro said, his eyes dark. "As have the others. Bringing a criminal here would endanger you, my child. You are only twenty-two years of age, not old enough to understand-"
"Not old enough to understand? That is not fair to Sakura," Iori said, stepping in. "If she believes all will be fine, then I say bring the man here. We will bring Justice upon him." His wise eyes fell on his friends.
"Do we agree, then?" Jyou said, and the seven samurai looked at each other.
"Yes."
Four of the Samurai left the next morning, heading north. Daisuke, Koushiro, and Ken were left behind. When the others returned, they had a dirty blond haired man with them, about twenty eight years of age. "This is the criminal?" Ken said with contempt, brandishing his swords.
"Put those away, you fool," the criminal snarled, and Ken brought the edge of his sword down the side of the criminal's face, drawing blood.
"Never insult a Samurai."
Mimi stepped forward, trying to get a closer look at the criminal. She gasped when she saw his bleeding face, and Ken pulled her away. "Leave him in his misery."
"No," Mimi whispered, taking the end of her dress and wiping the man's face gently. "He is a living person, just like you and I." The criminal looked up and met Mimi's steadfast eyes.
"Mimi?" he whispered softly, and Mimi dropped the edge of her dress.
"Wh...what?"
"Is it really you, Mimi-chan?" the man asked again, and Mimi walked away slowly, her eyes filled with fright.
"Who are you?" she whispered softly before running out of the room.
Taichi slapped the stranger. "What did you do to her?" he asked, his eyes dark. "Her name is Sakura, and you will not speak to her, or I will personally cut your tongue out of our mouth." The two men's eyes met, and held in a cruel stare. "Jyou, find Sakura."
Jyou turned and strode outside, and the stranger was dragged to a dark cavern in the forest behind the huge house. "This will be your prison," Iori said, pulling the man in by his long dirty hair. "If you try and escape, we will kill you."
"You Samurai aren't very friendly, are you?" the stranger jested, and Iori peered at him with calm, alluring eyes.
"We did not earn the title Samurai by being friendly."
"Sakura! Sakura, where are you?" Jyou called out, walking cautiously through the woods. "Sakura, please come to me. It's not safe out here."
He cleared the woods and stood on the sandy beach. Down by the water he saw Mimi, the waves lapping at her feet. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" the older man asked, his gentle eyes troubled.
She looked at his with tear-stained eyes. "I wish to be alone, Samurai."
"No, child. You look like you need a friend," Jyou said, sitting beside her. "What troubles you?"
"It's nothing," she said crossly, her eyes flashing. "Nothing I can tell you, at least."
"Don't you trust me, Sakura?" Jyou whispered, tugging gently on the tips of her hair.
"My name is not Sakura!" Mimi shrieked, jumping up. " I just want to go home!"
"Where is home, my child?"
Mimi started to cry again. "Far, far away."
"Then go to your home and be happy."
Mimi's face was filled with grief. "I cannot. I promised my best friend that I would never return, and I will keep that promise."
Jyou watched as she headed back to the house, conflicting feelings overcoming him.
The others noticed Mimi's tearstained face, but didn't comment, and she started cleaning the floors again. Jyou sat beside Ken, his face haunted.
When she had finished scrubbing the floors, Mimi sat before the fire and watched the flames dance late into the night.
When she awoke, it was late at night. All of the Samurai at fallen asleep, and only the burnt ashes remained. From behind the house Mimi could hear someone softly singing. Curious, she stood up and pulled on a blanket for warmth. She hesitated at the door, unsure, but plunged outside into the darkness.
The voice was beautiful.....unlike anything she had ever heard. The Samurai, although wonderful friends, did not have any talent for music, and she hadn't heard a song in years.
Mingling with the wonderful freedom of the wind, the song called her on, bringing her to the small cell of the stranger. He stopped abruptly and looked up at her, puzzled.
"I'm sorry if my singing woke you," he mumbled, turning away.
"It....it was wonderful," Mimi breathed. "Could you.......sing some more?" Their eyes met, and Mimi felt herself shiver in his gaze.
"You're not allowed to be here," the stranger said coldly. "If your friends find you here, they will kill me."
"They wouldn't do that!" Mimi exclaimed, compassion in her voice.
"Leave me," the stranger rasped, hiding in the shadows. "I wish to be alone, Mimi-chan."
Mimi stiffened, and turned away, frightened. How did he know her name? Fear in her heart, she turned towards the house.
No, she couldn't go there. This stranger would still be here....and he knew who she was. Perhaps he was sent to kill her, send from the widow. All coherent thoughts fled from her mind and one thought seized her- run. Run away from here and never return.
But her friends. She couldn't abandon them. They needed her.
No. They would survive without her. Run.
Run.
Blindly she turned and started to disappear into the trees, hiding in the black cloak of night.
Her feet protested as she stumbled over roots and mud-puddles, soiling her dress. Branches caught in her hair, trapping her. A few times some small creatures darted in front of her, and she stifled a scream.
Suddenly there was a large crack from behind her, and she felt a knife pressed against her skin.
"Don't move," a harsh voice whispered," or I will kill you."
The widow smiled as she let her grey-streaked hair down. Outside she could hear her husband Wallace and their son Michael having a serious conversation.
Brushing her tired hair, she reached down and picked up the old magic stone. Worn from the years, it shone amber in the dull light of the fire. "Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie," she whispered, already knowing the answer. It was always the same, the girl in the stone would decree that Miyako was the prettiest around.
The girl appeared, her eyes filled with surprise. "For many years she disappeared, a shrouded kind of mystery, but now she's found and beauty untold, belongs to your daughter Mimi." Miyako's eyes flew open in rage. Mimi was dead. The servant boy Yamato had killed her years before, and then killed himself. Wallace had found enough blood to account for both of them, although neither bodies had ever been recovered.
"Where is the girl?" Miyako shrieked, full of fury.
"Far away, in the hands of her friends. Up the watery shore to where the island bends."
Miyako cursed her ancestors and threw the stone to the ground. Mimi was alive.
"Ken.......let me go!" Mimi demanded, twisting around. "It's just me! Mim- Sakura!" Ken looked startled and he lowered his swords.
"What are you doing out here, Sakura?" the Samurai of Kindness asked, his eyes dark. "It is late, and the woods are not safe for children. The moon bear will eat you up on a night like this."
"I am not a child," Mimi said, stinging from the rebuke. "And I am leaving our home." Ken's eyes couldn't hid his surprise. "That vagrant you brought today- he knows my past. He knows my real name. I cannot say here anymore."
"Why must you flee? Stay. We Samurai can protect you," Ken said softly, and Mimi shook her head.
"No. I will be killed if I stay." Her eyes glimmered in the moonlight as she told Ken about her mother's death, and Miyako sending Yamato to kill her. "I promised Yamato I would live," Mimi said sadly. "This man...... knows my real name." Her eyes looked childish and she felt a tear run down her face. "For six years I have lived in happiness with you Samurai. You became my family. And now I must leave you."
"Sakura- we can protect you," Ken said desperately. " We can kill the vagrant and-"
"No Ken, Samurai of Kindness. I must leave. It is my destiny." She smiled, and kissed his forehead gently. "Tell the others how much I love them, and wish I could stay with them forever. Someday we will be reunited."
"Will you tell me your real name, so I may call you it once, my child?" Ken whispered, giving Mimi a hug.
"I am a grown woman. You Samurai must learn that someday," Mimi whispered, her voice choked with tears. "My name is Mimi."
"Good-bye Mimi. May the ancestors protect you always and bring you safely back to us," Ken uttered softly as Mimi disappeared into the night.
The next day Taichi awoke first and pulled the prisoner from his cave. "Come along, you must wash before we lock you up again." He pulled the stranger into the house, allowing him to eat a small about of food Takeru had provided.
"Where is Mimi?" the stranger asked. Taichi looked around.
"I don't know. Jyou, Koushiro, Iori........... Where is Sakura?" They all shook their heads, not knowing where she was. "Ken?"
"She had left. It was for her own safety."
"No it wasn't!" the stranger yelled, causing Daisuke to wake from his dreams. "She is safe here. Why would you let her leave?"
"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Out there Miyako can get her! Here she was safe!"
"How do you know this?" Ken asked, his face grave. The stranger's face turned red and he ducked his head.
"I be Yamato, the servant boy who loved her."
Mimi traveled for half of a day when she came upon a small, broken down cottage. An elderly woman was inside, leaning over a cauldron of simmering stew. "Hello my pet!" the old lady rasped, leaning out her window. "Could to spare a moment to share a bit our your happiness with an old lady like myself?" Mimi bit her lip, indecisive, but decided that it couldn't hurt to make someone happy.
The house was horrific. The roof was caving in and everywhere odd bits of material and bird's nests were scattered. "Don't mind the mess, child. Make yourself at home." The elderly woman pulled out a chair and Mimi sat down carefully, mindful that everything was ancient. A dirty bowl was placed before her with steaming vegetables inside. "Well, eat up, dearie." Mimi sniffed the food and her stomach growled hungrily. Taking a bit, she found that the food was delicious.
Mimi ate quickly while the old woman smiled and knitted, laughing every now and then. When the whole bowl of stew was gone, Mimi rubbed her stomach in pain. "I don't.....feel so good......." she moaned, falling out of the rickety chair.
"My child, you are far too trusting," Miyako murmured, pulling the fallen Mimi over to the fireplace. "Poison was placed in that stew that you so quickly ate. Now Death awaits."
Cackling, Miyako walked out of the old cottage she had stumbled across when searching for Mimi. No one would find the girl now, and even if they did, it was too late. She would be dead by the time they found her. Miyako smiled to herself as she started to walk down the winding road.
For the next few days, the seven Samurai combed the forest, trying desperately to find their dear friend. But it was to no avail. "Why did I let her go?" Ken yelled at himself. "If only I had forced her to stay...."
"Don't blame yourself, Samurai of Kindness. It was your nature," Takeru said as they continued to search the woods. "I just hope we find her in time."
Before them lay the ruins of a cottage. No one had lived there in years. "Shall we search there or over yonder?" Takeru asked, looking to the ocean. "I think she would follow the sea."
"No.... there is something about that cottage that is drawing me to it," Ken murmured, and he quickly walked towards the place. Trudging inside, he stopping in horror at the sight that he saw. "Mimi-chan.....Sakura......" he whispered, picking up the lifeless girl. "You cannot be dead." Takeru joined his side, breathless.
Ken laid her body gently in the center of their house. The seven Samurai formed a circle around her dead body, tears glistening from several of their eyes. "We promised to protect her," Koushiro whispered. "We failed."
Together the Samurai bent forward, their swords drawn. "Our friend Sakura lies dead...... It is our fault," Taichi said solemnly.
"May I see her?" a shaking voice asked out of the shadows. They all turned and saw the slim shadow of the stranger. They all moved aside as Yamato approached Mimi slowly. He rubbed her hands softly, and tears fell from his eyes.
"I promised eternal love to you," he whispered. "That means I'll love you forever." Leaning down, he let his lips brush hers gently. "That is for all of the kisses we never got to share."
The tears came down harder now, and his frail body shook. "I love you, Mimi-chan. Even beyond death."
He kissed her one last time, resting his forehead on hers. His anguished cries mingled with the stifled tears from the Samurai.
Suddenly Mimi's eyes darted opened, and she took a breath. "Mimi-chan!" Yamato yelled, sweeping her into his arms. She gasped and choked, but sat up.
"Where.......where am I? Where is Yamato?" she cried out, clinging to the hands that held her.
"I'm here, Mimi-chan.....now and forever. I promise." Their eyes met, and she kissed him, never wanting to let go.
"Yamato's love even beyond death brought his Mimi back to him," the grandmother said softly. "Not even death could separate them."
"But what about the evil stepmother? And the seven Samurai? Did they ever fall in love? Or did they live in this temple their entire lives?"
"This wasn't a temple back then, dear. Of course the widow got what she was due, and the Samurai had many other adventures. But that is enough stories for today, my grandchild. It appears your mother is ready to leave."
"I liked that story, grandmother," the girl said as they walked down the stairs. "Did Yamato and Mimi live happily ever after?"
"Of course they did, Mimi. Come along now, child. Your mother looks angered." The two of them hurried down the stair, colliding with a man and his younger son.
"Are you all right, Yamato?" the man asked, pulling his son to his feet. "I'm sorry we ran into you," he apologized, and Mimi caught the boy's eyes and smiled.
His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
Some kind of weird inspiration I got one day..... a fairy tale about a girl running for her life, the servant boy who loves her, and seven Samurai that befriend the frightened girl.
"Ancient Japan was very different, my child," an old lady whispered, her skin wrinkled and faded. A young girl, about seven years old, peered at her grandmother in wonder.
"What you do mean?"
"This Buddhist temple that we sit in was not always a temple," the old lady said. "Many, many years ago, it was used for something very different."
"What was it used for?" the girl asked solemnly.
"It was the home of seven samurai.....and a beautiful peasant girl."
Far away from here, there was a large house where a daimyo, a rich land-owner, lived. He was married to a beautiful lady by the name of Hikari. Wallace, the daimyo, and his wife lived a very happy life, but they had no children to share their happiness with. Although they had tried for many years to have children, every attempt was unsuccessful.
Finally, one blessed day, Hikari announced to her husband that she was pregnant. They were delighted and prepared the house for the arrival of their first child.
Soon came the time for the baby to be born. It was a baby girl, beautiful and graceful. Her mother named her Mimi, and held her close to her heart.
There were some complications in the baby's birth. No doctors arrived to help Hikari stop the bleeding. She cried out in anguish, blood pouring from her at an ungodly rate. She screamed to the gods for help, but there was no reply. She died a day later.
Wallace was crushed. He ordered all of the servants away, keeping only a young child, Yamato, to watch over the baby.
The years passed, and slowly the wound that Hikari had made started to heal in Wallace's heart. His daughter, Mimi, was his only ray of sunlight, and he cherished her above anything else in his household. But as his daughter grew, Wallace began to realize that his daughter needed something more than just a father. She also needed a mother to help her grew in honor and dignity.
He left for a several weeks and when he returned, he brought a widow by the name of Miyako. "This is your new mother, Mimi-chan!" Wallace said, engulfing his daughter in a huge hug. "Do you like her?"
The young child looked up at the stern widow. Her hair was a dark purple, wound tightly against her head. Dark eyes peered back at the girl with pursed lips. "I think she is very pretty, father," Mimi replied truthfully, and the widow sighed.
"It is very nice to meet you to, child," Miyako said coldly. "Wallace has told me so much about you."
"Father loves me," the girl said bashfully, bowing her head. "He loves me more than anyone else in the world."
It soon became apparent that Miyako was jealous. Wallace spent most of his time with his daughter, teaching her the ways of his religion and nature. "She doesn't need to know that," Miyako said at dinner one night. "All she needs to know is how to cook, clean, and be silent."
"Did your mother forget to teach you that?" Wallace said with a smile. Mimi giggled. Miyako did not.
"I agreed to marry you because you needed a mother for your daughter. Yet all I see here is a son." She bowed her head, angry, and exited the room.
"What did she mean, father?" Mimi asked sadly.
"She thinks you need to learn things that are useful for little girls. I spend too much time teaching you things that boys need to know, not little girls. Finish your rice and then brush your hair three hundred times before going to bed. Good-night, my princess."
Sighing, Wallace left the table and headed outside to clear his head.
"Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie," Miyako said softly in her room, rubbing a red stone. It started to glimmer, and a face appeared.
"I am Sora of the Stone. I come to show- the most beautiful in the land is Miyako." The widow smiled at the girl in the stone.
"Thank you," she said, dropping the stone back into it's magical bag. A present from her mother, the girl in the stone could answer any question Miyako would ask.
"Wretched girl," she lamented. "I would be happy here if it was not for her..... how I wish she was dead." A slow smile silently crept onto the angry widow's face.
The years passed, and the widow grew more angry. She felt that Wallace utterly ignored her and only loved his precious daughter. One day, Miyako announced to her husband that she was pregnant.
He appeared happy, until she mentioned that if she gave birth to a son, her son would get the inheritance instead of Mimi. His face grew tired and he sent Mimi to bed, angry at his wife for saying such a cruel thing.
She gave birth to a son, and Wallace loved it dearly. But not, she noted, as dearly as he loved his daughter Mimi.
One day, Miyako took out her magic stone. "Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie."
"I am Sora of the Stone," a girl in the stone said softly. "The truth is all I see- the most beautiful in the land is your daughter Mimi."
With that said, the widow threw the stone to the ground, cursing it. "That wretched girl! I will have her killed if I have to do it myself!" She walked out of her room and approached the servant Yamato.
"Take your knife," she instructed him, "and the girl into the woods. When you get far enough away, cut away her heart and bring it back to me. I am the mistress of this house, you must obey me." Yamato looked at his knife and then at Miyako.
"My lady-"
"Do as I decree!" she shrieked, her eyes filled with hatred. Yamato jumped back, frightened.
"Yes, my lady." Yamato put down his work and approached the young girl playing in the woods. "Mimi, my lady, you must take a walk with me." She looked confused, but took his hand and they walked deeper into the woods.
"What are we doing, Yamato?" Mimi asked, noting his knife.
"Your mother has ordered me to do something," Yamato said softly. They walked in silence. "How old are you now, Mimi? Fourteen?"
"Fourteen? Dear Yamato, I have turned sixteen years last month!" Mimi exclaimed with a laugh. "Soon I will have to marry and have children of my own, won't I?"
Yamato nodded in agreement, and they continued. "Where are we going?" Mimi said a bit later. "It's getting dark, Yamato, and if we don't turn back soon we will not find our way back home."
"We will not need to find our way back home," Yamato said, pulling the girl close to him. "Listen to me, Mimi-chan. Miyako ordered me to bring you out here and killed you." Mimi's eyes opened in fright. "But I love you, and I cannot do that. You must run, Mimi. Run deeper through the trees and on until you can see the ocean. And you must never return to your home. Never tell anyone who you are."
"Yamato.......I....don't know what to say."
"Run, Mimi. And never get caught." He gave her a hug, kissing her cheek. "I will see you again, someday."
He turned away and disappeared into the woods, leaving Mimi alone. "Never have I been so afraid," Mimi whispered softly. She had never been anywhere alone before. Always Father had been with, or Yamato. Now the world appeared so large and frightening.
As darkness fell, she climbed up a tall tree and nestled herself in the boughs, just as her father had taught her. "Watch over Father, Mother, my brother Michael..... and Yamato," she prayed as she slipped into sleep.
The next day it rain, drowning the world in it's sorrow. Mimi wandered aimlessly through the shrouded trees, trying desperately to find the ocean. Then she would be safe.
It continued to rain, and her clothing became soaked. She cried because her feet were tired and her head hurt. She wanted to be back home with her father and little brother.
"When will I find sanctuary?" she whispered as her weary body protested. She hadn't eaten anything in days.
Stumbling blindly through the trees, she smashed into a shrubbery and cried out in pain as a cut opened in her arm, blood oozing out. "Who's there?" a harsh voice asked, a sword pricking her back. "Don't move fast, my pretty, or I will cut your head off."
Trembling, she turned around, facing a tall man with long brown hair and friendly, but troubled brown eyes. "Who are you, girl, and why have you traveled here?"
"I am no one," Mimi said sadly, her body shaking. "I am no one from nowhere. No one cares about me. I have no home, no place to go. Kill me now, Samurai, or let Fate takes it's course."
"Surely you must have a family that cares for you, or a husband and children. Such a pretty girl would not wandering in the woods around here."
"If I return home, my mother will kill me."
The man regarded her. "You are cold and tired," the man observed. "Come my home, and meet my fellow Samurai. We will give you food and a warm bed." Mimi looked frightened, but she followed the strong man.
"You are a Samurai, then?" she asked as they drudged through the mud.
"Can't you tell by the two swords on my back? Of course I am a Samurai." They walked further, and finally the woods broke.
"It's the ocean!" Mimi said, her heart lifting. She had gotten away. She was free.
"This way, my lady," the man said, ushering her to a large house. "This is our humble home."
He opened the door and allowed her inside the huge house. Her weary footsteps echoed in the hollow chasm. "I should introduce myself," the man said with a small smile. "I am Taichi, the Samurai of Courage." He looked at her, awaiting her name.
"My.....my name is Sakura," she said slowly.
"That is a pretty name," Taichi said, taking hold of a torch. "Follow me, Sakura." Down the hallway they walked until they entered a large dining area where several other man were eating.
"What took you so long, Taichi?" a short man with reddish hair asked, looking up from his plate of food. "We thought you got lost or something."
"No, Brother Koushiro. I have brought us a guest. Brothers, this is Sakura," he said, pulling her forward. "Sakura, my brothers."
"You're so pretty!" a tall man said, running his hand through his hair. "I am Jyou, the Samurai of Reliability."
"I'm sure we will be good friends!" a short man said, running between them. "I am Daisuke, the Samurai of Friendship."
"Welcome to our home, Sakura. I am the Samurai of Knowledge, Koushiro," the red-headed man said from the table.
"I hope you enjoy your stay with us," one of the youngest piped up. "I'm Takeru, the Samurai of Hope." Mimi had to blink- he was the splitting image of her friend Yamato.
"It is a great privilege to meet you," the smallest and youngest of them all said as he bowed. "My name is Iori, the Samurai of Honor."
A voice spoke out of the darkness. "I am Ken, the Samurai of Kindness." Mimi turned but saw no one.
"You are welcome to stay here as long as you want," Taichi said, his eyes glittering in the firelight.
Many years passed, and everything started to fade. First she forgot faces of her family, then the names started to leave her. It all seemed like such a distant dream.
Sometimes she hear a voice and remember her father- the way he had taught her to read so many years before. She often had flashbacks of her beautiful mother, and the deceitful widow Miyako. Sometimes, she would awake at night with a vision of a blond-haired boy who had loved her.
"What are you thinking about, Sakura?" Koushiro said, sitting beside her. Mimi looked up from the flowers she had been picking.
"It is nothing, Samurai," she replied, addressing him with honor. He blushed, and took hold of her hand.
"What troubles you, child? I thought we were friends. Will you not share the secrets of your heart with a friend?"
"I was just thinking of the past, Koushiro. Nothing more."
"Do you miss your past, Sakura-chan? Do you wish that you had never met us before?"
"How could I choose?" Mimi whispered, watching the flower petals dance across the sky.
"Sometimes I wish I had never become a Samurai. I wish....that I could be free."
"Koushiro-kun...."
"But then I would have never met you," he whispered softly. "We will protect you, Sakura. From whatever made you run away, and hide here, forgotten on the edge of the sea. We will not let you get hurt."
He kissed the tips of her fingers gently and stood. "I have a meeting with Jyou. Peace, Sakura-chan. From whatever demons are chasing your soul."
When Mimi returned to the house, only Daisuke, Iori, and Takeru sat in the open area. "Hello, Samurai," she said respectfully, bowing her head. They nodded in welcome.
"I hope all is well with you?" Takeru said softly. "Koushiro said you were worried."
"It is nothing, Takeru."
"Are you sure? We are your friends, Sakura. We can help you," Daisuke said, bending to his knees in front of her.
"No, Daisuke. There are some things I must bear alone, that you must never know."
"Why?"
"My life would be in danger," she said softly, picking up a rag and scrubbing the floor.
"Sakura, my child, why do you wash the floor again? Is this place not clean enough already?" Taichi laughed as he entered the room, placing his swords on his back.
"With the seven of you, this place is always a horrible mess," she said with a grin, thankful for the change in atmosphere. She did not want her dear friends digging into her past.
"My fellow Samurai, I have bad news," Jyou said, his tone light as he approached the others. "About a days walk from here, a vagrant was caught. The town does not want him- he has already escaped from his prison twice. They wish for us to bring him here and contain him."
"What was his crime?" Mimi asked, standing up. Jyou looked mildly surprised that she was interested.
"He is a thief. Nothing more than a homeless man without food or money. But he killed a man when attacked, and the woman-folk of the town are scared to death that he will kill another."
"And you want to bring him here? I do not think that is wise, with Sakura around. He may escape and injure her," Daisuke said.
"We would not be doing our duty, as Samurai, if we did not contain him. We have made an oath to protect the people," Jyou said with reverence. "If we do not follow that oath, we will not longer be true Samurai."
"Please, I do not want to be a burden. You must do want your laws command," Mimi said. "I will not be harmed from this criminal."
"I have pledged my life to your protection," Koushiro said, his eyes dark. "As have the others. Bringing a criminal here would endanger you, my child. You are only twenty-two years of age, not old enough to understand-"
"Not old enough to understand? That is not fair to Sakura," Iori said, stepping in. "If she believes all will be fine, then I say bring the man here. We will bring Justice upon him." His wise eyes fell on his friends.
"Do we agree, then?" Jyou said, and the seven samurai looked at each other.
"Yes."
Four of the Samurai left the next morning, heading north. Daisuke, Koushiro, and Ken were left behind. When the others returned, they had a dirty blond haired man with them, about twenty eight years of age. "This is the criminal?" Ken said with contempt, brandishing his swords.
"Put those away, you fool," the criminal snarled, and Ken brought the edge of his sword down the side of the criminal's face, drawing blood.
"Never insult a Samurai."
Mimi stepped forward, trying to get a closer look at the criminal. She gasped when she saw his bleeding face, and Ken pulled her away. "Leave him in his misery."
"No," Mimi whispered, taking the end of her dress and wiping the man's face gently. "He is a living person, just like you and I." The criminal looked up and met Mimi's steadfast eyes.
"Mimi?" he whispered softly, and Mimi dropped the edge of her dress.
"Wh...what?"
"Is it really you, Mimi-chan?" the man asked again, and Mimi walked away slowly, her eyes filled with fright.
"Who are you?" she whispered softly before running out of the room.
Taichi slapped the stranger. "What did you do to her?" he asked, his eyes dark. "Her name is Sakura, and you will not speak to her, or I will personally cut your tongue out of our mouth." The two men's eyes met, and held in a cruel stare. "Jyou, find Sakura."
Jyou turned and strode outside, and the stranger was dragged to a dark cavern in the forest behind the huge house. "This will be your prison," Iori said, pulling the man in by his long dirty hair. "If you try and escape, we will kill you."
"You Samurai aren't very friendly, are you?" the stranger jested, and Iori peered at him with calm, alluring eyes.
"We did not earn the title Samurai by being friendly."
"Sakura! Sakura, where are you?" Jyou called out, walking cautiously through the woods. "Sakura, please come to me. It's not safe out here."
He cleared the woods and stood on the sandy beach. Down by the water he saw Mimi, the waves lapping at her feet. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" the older man asked, his gentle eyes troubled.
She looked at his with tear-stained eyes. "I wish to be alone, Samurai."
"No, child. You look like you need a friend," Jyou said, sitting beside her. "What troubles you?"
"It's nothing," she said crossly, her eyes flashing. "Nothing I can tell you, at least."
"Don't you trust me, Sakura?" Jyou whispered, tugging gently on the tips of her hair.
"My name is not Sakura!" Mimi shrieked, jumping up. " I just want to go home!"
"Where is home, my child?"
Mimi started to cry again. "Far, far away."
"Then go to your home and be happy."
Mimi's face was filled with grief. "I cannot. I promised my best friend that I would never return, and I will keep that promise."
Jyou watched as she headed back to the house, conflicting feelings overcoming him.
The others noticed Mimi's tearstained face, but didn't comment, and she started cleaning the floors again. Jyou sat beside Ken, his face haunted.
When she had finished scrubbing the floors, Mimi sat before the fire and watched the flames dance late into the night.
When she awoke, it was late at night. All of the Samurai at fallen asleep, and only the burnt ashes remained. From behind the house Mimi could hear someone softly singing. Curious, she stood up and pulled on a blanket for warmth. She hesitated at the door, unsure, but plunged outside into the darkness.
The voice was beautiful.....unlike anything she had ever heard. The Samurai, although wonderful friends, did not have any talent for music, and she hadn't heard a song in years.
Mingling with the wonderful freedom of the wind, the song called her on, bringing her to the small cell of the stranger. He stopped abruptly and looked up at her, puzzled.
"I'm sorry if my singing woke you," he mumbled, turning away.
"It....it was wonderful," Mimi breathed. "Could you.......sing some more?" Their eyes met, and Mimi felt herself shiver in his gaze.
"You're not allowed to be here," the stranger said coldly. "If your friends find you here, they will kill me."
"They wouldn't do that!" Mimi exclaimed, compassion in her voice.
"Leave me," the stranger rasped, hiding in the shadows. "I wish to be alone, Mimi-chan."
Mimi stiffened, and turned away, frightened. How did he know her name? Fear in her heart, she turned towards the house.
No, she couldn't go there. This stranger would still be here....and he knew who she was. Perhaps he was sent to kill her, send from the widow. All coherent thoughts fled from her mind and one thought seized her- run. Run away from here and never return.
But her friends. She couldn't abandon them. They needed her.
No. They would survive without her. Run.
Run.
Blindly she turned and started to disappear into the trees, hiding in the black cloak of night.
Her feet protested as she stumbled over roots and mud-puddles, soiling her dress. Branches caught in her hair, trapping her. A few times some small creatures darted in front of her, and she stifled a scream.
Suddenly there was a large crack from behind her, and she felt a knife pressed against her skin.
"Don't move," a harsh voice whispered," or I will kill you."
The widow smiled as she let her grey-streaked hair down. Outside she could hear her husband Wallace and their son Michael having a serious conversation.
Brushing her tired hair, she reached down and picked up the old magic stone. Worn from the years, it shone amber in the dull light of the fire. "Stone, stone, hear my cry, show me the most beautiful, tell no lie," she whispered, already knowing the answer. It was always the same, the girl in the stone would decree that Miyako was the prettiest around.
The girl appeared, her eyes filled with surprise. "For many years she disappeared, a shrouded kind of mystery, but now she's found and beauty untold, belongs to your daughter Mimi." Miyako's eyes flew open in rage. Mimi was dead. The servant boy Yamato had killed her years before, and then killed himself. Wallace had found enough blood to account for both of them, although neither bodies had ever been recovered.
"Where is the girl?" Miyako shrieked, full of fury.
"Far away, in the hands of her friends. Up the watery shore to where the island bends."
Miyako cursed her ancestors and threw the stone to the ground. Mimi was alive.
"Ken.......let me go!" Mimi demanded, twisting around. "It's just me! Mim- Sakura!" Ken looked startled and he lowered his swords.
"What are you doing out here, Sakura?" the Samurai of Kindness asked, his eyes dark. "It is late, and the woods are not safe for children. The moon bear will eat you up on a night like this."
"I am not a child," Mimi said, stinging from the rebuke. "And I am leaving our home." Ken's eyes couldn't hid his surprise. "That vagrant you brought today- he knows my past. He knows my real name. I cannot say here anymore."
"Why must you flee? Stay. We Samurai can protect you," Ken said softly, and Mimi shook her head.
"No. I will be killed if I stay." Her eyes glimmered in the moonlight as she told Ken about her mother's death, and Miyako sending Yamato to kill her. "I promised Yamato I would live," Mimi said sadly. "This man...... knows my real name." Her eyes looked childish and she felt a tear run down her face. "For six years I have lived in happiness with you Samurai. You became my family. And now I must leave you."
"Sakura- we can protect you," Ken said desperately. " We can kill the vagrant and-"
"No Ken, Samurai of Kindness. I must leave. It is my destiny." She smiled, and kissed his forehead gently. "Tell the others how much I love them, and wish I could stay with them forever. Someday we will be reunited."
"Will you tell me your real name, so I may call you it once, my child?" Ken whispered, giving Mimi a hug.
"I am a grown woman. You Samurai must learn that someday," Mimi whispered, her voice choked with tears. "My name is Mimi."
"Good-bye Mimi. May the ancestors protect you always and bring you safely back to us," Ken uttered softly as Mimi disappeared into the night.
The next day Taichi awoke first and pulled the prisoner from his cave. "Come along, you must wash before we lock you up again." He pulled the stranger into the house, allowing him to eat a small about of food Takeru had provided.
"Where is Mimi?" the stranger asked. Taichi looked around.
"I don't know. Jyou, Koushiro, Iori........... Where is Sakura?" They all shook their heads, not knowing where she was. "Ken?"
"She had left. It was for her own safety."
"No it wasn't!" the stranger yelled, causing Daisuke to wake from his dreams. "She is safe here. Why would you let her leave?"
"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Out there Miyako can get her! Here she was safe!"
"How do you know this?" Ken asked, his face grave. The stranger's face turned red and he ducked his head.
"I be Yamato, the servant boy who loved her."
Mimi traveled for half of a day when she came upon a small, broken down cottage. An elderly woman was inside, leaning over a cauldron of simmering stew. "Hello my pet!" the old lady rasped, leaning out her window. "Could to spare a moment to share a bit our your happiness with an old lady like myself?" Mimi bit her lip, indecisive, but decided that it couldn't hurt to make someone happy.
The house was horrific. The roof was caving in and everywhere odd bits of material and bird's nests were scattered. "Don't mind the mess, child. Make yourself at home." The elderly woman pulled out a chair and Mimi sat down carefully, mindful that everything was ancient. A dirty bowl was placed before her with steaming vegetables inside. "Well, eat up, dearie." Mimi sniffed the food and her stomach growled hungrily. Taking a bit, she found that the food was delicious.
Mimi ate quickly while the old woman smiled and knitted, laughing every now and then. When the whole bowl of stew was gone, Mimi rubbed her stomach in pain. "I don't.....feel so good......." she moaned, falling out of the rickety chair.
"My child, you are far too trusting," Miyako murmured, pulling the fallen Mimi over to the fireplace. "Poison was placed in that stew that you so quickly ate. Now Death awaits."
Cackling, Miyako walked out of the old cottage she had stumbled across when searching for Mimi. No one would find the girl now, and even if they did, it was too late. She would be dead by the time they found her. Miyako smiled to herself as she started to walk down the winding road.
For the next few days, the seven Samurai combed the forest, trying desperately to find their dear friend. But it was to no avail. "Why did I let her go?" Ken yelled at himself. "If only I had forced her to stay...."
"Don't blame yourself, Samurai of Kindness. It was your nature," Takeru said as they continued to search the woods. "I just hope we find her in time."
Before them lay the ruins of a cottage. No one had lived there in years. "Shall we search there or over yonder?" Takeru asked, looking to the ocean. "I think she would follow the sea."
"No.... there is something about that cottage that is drawing me to it," Ken murmured, and he quickly walked towards the place. Trudging inside, he stopping in horror at the sight that he saw. "Mimi-chan.....Sakura......" he whispered, picking up the lifeless girl. "You cannot be dead." Takeru joined his side, breathless.
Ken laid her body gently in the center of their house. The seven Samurai formed a circle around her dead body, tears glistening from several of their eyes. "We promised to protect her," Koushiro whispered. "We failed."
Together the Samurai bent forward, their swords drawn. "Our friend Sakura lies dead...... It is our fault," Taichi said solemnly.
"May I see her?" a shaking voice asked out of the shadows. They all turned and saw the slim shadow of the stranger. They all moved aside as Yamato approached Mimi slowly. He rubbed her hands softly, and tears fell from his eyes.
"I promised eternal love to you," he whispered. "That means I'll love you forever." Leaning down, he let his lips brush hers gently. "That is for all of the kisses we never got to share."
The tears came down harder now, and his frail body shook. "I love you, Mimi-chan. Even beyond death."
He kissed her one last time, resting his forehead on hers. His anguished cries mingled with the stifled tears from the Samurai.
Suddenly Mimi's eyes darted opened, and she took a breath. "Mimi-chan!" Yamato yelled, sweeping her into his arms. She gasped and choked, but sat up.
"Where.......where am I? Where is Yamato?" she cried out, clinging to the hands that held her.
"I'm here, Mimi-chan.....now and forever. I promise." Their eyes met, and she kissed him, never wanting to let go.
"Yamato's love even beyond death brought his Mimi back to him," the grandmother said softly. "Not even death could separate them."
"But what about the evil stepmother? And the seven Samurai? Did they ever fall in love? Or did they live in this temple their entire lives?"
"This wasn't a temple back then, dear. Of course the widow got what she was due, and the Samurai had many other adventures. But that is enough stories for today, my grandchild. It appears your mother is ready to leave."
"I liked that story, grandmother," the girl said as they walked down the stairs. "Did Yamato and Mimi live happily ever after?"
"Of course they did, Mimi. Come along now, child. Your mother looks angered." The two of them hurried down the stair, colliding with a man and his younger son.
"Are you all right, Yamato?" the man asked, pulling his son to his feet. "I'm sorry we ran into you," he apologized, and Mimi caught the boy's eyes and smiled.
His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.