Author's note: Simply enjoy the chapter, nothing to say.
Sohma: hope you are still around? Well, this is basically a flashback chapter explaining a little of Shizuru's past. I know there's too much characters –I kind of hate it but don't really have much choice. You are not the only one who wants to kill Takeda you know? xD well hmm about Nagi siring Natsuki there is some explaining at chapter 1? Check that chapter, its at the beginning not much information I know but its does give some explanation. Thank you for reviewing Sohma and I hope you are still around and not forgotten of this fic.
Disclaimer: ugh I don't own Mai-otome/hime too bad BUT HEY! Nyx, Sayuri are mine hear me SUNRISE!? THEY ARE MINE, PURELY MINE –evil laugh- cough
Birth of Kiyohime
A chestnut-haired girl sniffed pathetically. She looked around the dark cell and tried to break the chains around her feet with a rock to no avail. She sighed unhappily and hugged her knees to her chest, her arms resting atop her knees. A single tear dropped from her young, pale face. But that face lit up when she heard someone coming. A lovely smile adorned her face when she saw who it was.
"Mommy!" she greeted happily, but she fell as soon as she tried to reach for the other woman. "Ouch."
"How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that, Kiyo?" the blonde haired woman scolded playfully with a warm smile. "Don't force yourself, I don't mind being the one going to you." She said softly when "Kiyo" had fallen.
The little girl simply stared up at her mother figure, delighted; she then noticed a little basket being carried carefully by the other. The woman noticed the stares at her basket and chuckled. She closed the cell door and sat next to the little girl.
"You want to know what I have brought for you today, Kiyo?" not waiting for an answer, the woman opened the basket and took a piece of bread out of it. "I noticed how much you liked it when I brought you some last time."
Kiyo began eating it happily as soon as it was in her reach. She squealed, savoring the chicken-like taste of it.
"Thank you, Mommy!"
"Is…oh forget it." The woman shook her head and looked at the child in enjoyment.
Once Kiyo finished her lunch, she rested her head on her "Mommy's" lap. The older woman stroked her hair from time to time.
"Is mommy thinking of something?" Kiyo asked timidly when she noticed the distant look in her mother figure's eyes.
"Kiyo…" the woman was astonished, but she suppressed it and chose to say something else. "No matter what they tell you, Kiyo. Remember, what matters is this" she said pointing to the kid's heart. "and no one can take it away from you without your consent. You are real, human and very special, remember that, my sweet child."
The chestnut-haired girl simply nodded, not truly understand the meaning of the words.
"You are a Hime, Kiyo. Never forget that."
Later at night, while humming happily the woman was caught off guard by Himerus staring at her suspiciously.
"Do not take for granted all that I have allowed you, Maria." The Master vampire warned, walking away.
"Yes, Mistress." Although her tone was submissive, her eyes showed restrained wrath.
--
It wasn't until midnight that Maria had finally decided to escape, taking Kiyo along with her. She hastily ran to the dungeons, where the girl was held.
"Mommy?" Kiyo wondered aloud when she heard rapid footsteps. "Mommy are you okay?" she asked, seeing Maria panting and distressed. "Mommy what's the matter?"
The woman simply whispered quiet, inaudible words, releasing the little girl from the chain around her sore ankles.
"We run, Kiyo." She said, taking the girl by her hand as they began their escape.
However, as they made their way through the dungeons, a figure marched out from the darkness. Himerus smirked; five vampires behind her snarling and ready to follow the pair.
"My, my Maria you dare to defy me?" the mad vampire snapped her fingers, signaling her minions to go after them. "So much for trying to be nice; well at least I have an excuse to kill them now." She laughed madly, trailing along after the others.
--
Kiyo wondered what was happening, her mother figure looked afraid, and even more so when she heard a snarling sound behind them. She was now being carried on Maria's back. She firmed her hold around the woman's neck when the other began running faster. However a river soon stopped them in their tracks.
"Dead end, my dear Maria."
Maria's head spun around when she heard Himerus voice. The Master vampire smirked while her minions growled and hissed. The blonde-haired woman looked behind her and knew the river's current was too strong for them, the width was too great as well, but what truly worried her was the cascade just visible at the end of the river. She felt Kiyo tremble behind her and stopped, her mind was made up.
"Goodbye, Mistress." Maria mocked as she and the young girl jumped into the river and were rapidly swept away by the current.
"Goodbye, indeed." Himerus had stopped her vampires, convince of her former captives' deaths. After all what chance was there for survival falling into that cascading river? She smelled moisture and soon it began to rain. Himerus chose to retreat, unhappy to no longer have her prisoners. But at least they were dead, or so she chose to believe.
If she had stayed only a few minutes more she would have sensed the immense presence or a bright, dark violet light coming from the cascade.
Kiyo and Maria didn't fall to their deaths, for as soon as they were out of Himerus's view a dark, giant serpent's head appeared from out of the cascading river, impeding their fall as they landed on top of it. The woman then noticed how Kiyo's stomach section was glowing intensely.
"Kiyo?" she asked, uncertain of what was happening.
"It's okay mommy, Kiyohime won't harm us." She said with one of her sweet, charming smiles.
Slowly, the serpent descended them until they were safe on the ground. Maria found herself dumbfounded watching the little girl petting the now fading serpent.
"Thank you, Kiyohime."
"Kiyo, what was that?" Maria asked once again.
However this time a sudden hoarse yell, startled them and they were face to face with yet another new stranger.
--
"What did Chie find this time?" Nyx asked and then choose to tease her lover. "Besides making it pretty clear she would be having an interesting night with Aoi tonight... I hope they do use a silence spell, I do not want to hear them again."
"The ultimate piece of the puzzle." Sayuri informed with a faint blush, finding herself reminded of those embarrassing first nights. She gazed seriously at Nyx.
"The Violas are indeed in reality the Fujino's."
--
Omake:
Rainee-chan: ok…how twisted is the idea of Miss Maria being Shizuru's mother figure?
Nao and Natsuki: -shudder- I don't think Shizuru's childhood was even a little pleasant.
Miss Maria: Miss Zhang, Gakuenchou why will you say that? –evil aura around her-
Nao and Natsuki: WE MUST RUN MISS MARIA! FAREWELL! –runs away-
Rainee-chan: -looks around nervously-
Shizuru: Ara, ara –blinks-
--
Any comment or critics will do fine. If you wish, you could always go and vote at poll.