Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari or any of the characters thereof.
For those who are not familiar with Saiunkoku Monogatari there is a concise storyline and character profiles in Wikipedia.
;o) dwX
".." speech
'..' thoughts
Rose Legacy
Chapter 1: Lineage of the Rose Princess
(Present time: Modern Day Tokyo)
Seiren.
Seiren.
'Not again. Go away.'
She shut her eyes tight trying in vain to ignore the voice echoing in her mind. Groaning under her breath the teenage girl lurched forward submerging her head in a basin full of icy water her reddish black hair fanning in the frigid waters around her face. The crisp coldness of the water chilled her face to the bone the effect felt like a harsh slap but it proved potent in silencing the eerie voice.
Sluggishly she opened one eye then the other after a moment of hesitation. She straightened herself unsteadily- her vision misting and blurring as a steady trickle of water crept rather leisurely down the smooth plane of her face.
A lapse of sanity you ask?
If only.
The girl shuddered lips still partially blue with cold.
Truth be told she does feel as though reality as she knows it is slowly slipping away. The last few days had been a blur of conflicting emotions and unnatural visions that it often drove her to pointless conversations with herself.
A spiraling descent into madness?
She did have an aunt who said she heard voices speaking to her-some with high pitched tones that oscillate in your inner ear even after an hour. Well that was according to her of course.
Then again, the said aunt was a distant relative and she had only met her once in her entire life. She had been her only remaining blood relative. Now, she was the last remnant of the Hagi family. She couldn't even remember the face of her mother or father; she was told they had perished in plane crash near the Inari Shrine in the prefecture of Ise.
Out of 157 passengers she alone survived it was nothing short of a miracle, at least that's what the local press had dubbed the incident. Most of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition dental records and other items not consumed by the raging fire were the only means to identify the charred remains. Her parents were only recognized by the distinct hard metal seat frame of the first class section which they had sat in. Another was the blood red stone pendant that her mother had owned. After a torrid investigation which lasted several months the detective kindly gave the treasured heirloom to her.
Blinking back tears the girl gingerly picked up the ornament now gleaming a devilish scarlet colour against the creamy white paleness of her chest. It looked antique, the single red gem was framed by a thick gold band incised with reliefs of roses and a pair of phoenix fixed at opposite ends, each with a fiery red gem for eyes that transfixed all that look into it. A wash of rich vibrant colours blue, purple, red, yellow, green, browns, black untouched by time and the plane tragedy glittered under the fluorescent light. Behind the pendant were a series of inscriptions some form of archaic Chinese scripts. No one could decipher it, it was a mystery and befuddled all who try to interpret its meaning.
But she knew.
No one told her but deep inside she knew its hidden meaning.
Even now as she ran her fingertips over the indentions that make up each glyph the words seem to jump into her mind forming the words.
Gasping she wrenched her hand away allowing the bewitching stone pendant to fall limply against her chest once again.
Wrinkling her nose in disgust she clutched her head. She was insane! Thinking that only she could decode the pendant's scripts. The others had laughed as well they called her troubled and generally stayed away from her. She had no friends no family. She was surrounded by strangers. Oh why could she not have died with her parents? It would have been easier like that. She could have been free of this never ending nightmare of being ostracized to those around her. People pretended to care but she knew better. She knew the lies behind the smiles. Their contempt behind their well wishes.
She hated it!
A sudden overwhelming feeling of not belonging radiated from her inner being, tense muscles cramping to an uncomfortable intensity she had barely managed to stay upright. Gritting her teeth together she braced both hands on either side of the wall mirror. The girl paused with each breath, critically eyeing her reflection. The sad eyes, the pale forlorn face, the limp red-black tresses that stayed adhered to her skin, still wet with water.
Isolation… doesn't belong here….
She clicked her tongue noisily in irritation. She did not want to deal with 'this' issue right now. A soft sigh escapes her tightly drawn lips. This was how it always progresses.
The totally lame dreams, the sense of not being wanted, complete isolation from everyone else who loved her, then the critical analysis of herself. Yes, that was the usual routine. She shook herself vigorously slapping her cheeks repeatedly in order to awaken her senses and bring her back to reality.
Taking a lungful of air, the girl once again plunged her face into the freezing waters. She detested the frigid coldness assaulting the skin of her face but it alleviated a lot of the numbness and detachment she felt toward 'this world'.
God, did she just say that? Detachment?
No. It felt more complicated than that. Like there was a lot more to her story. A thin frown spreads across her mouth still submerged in the water.
Roughly she pulled out of the water again scrutinizing herself in the mirror.
A pale faced girl with sad eyes stared back at her, narrow streams of icy water still rolling down the proud bearing of her face collecting in stagnant pools near the palms of her hands.
'Damn that dream!' she huffed inwardly cursing the nightly vision that have been increasing in frequency the past few weeks.
It came again last night, that horrible recurring dream of running through a narrow gauntlet of never ending shadows. It was terrifying. It was as if something was encroaching on her from all sides pushing her to run toward a sliver of light seen demurely in the distance with no where else run except forward.
Always forward.
The girl gasped minutely trembling from the recollection, she placed her hands on her chest as she focused on her heart.
Ta-thump, ta-thump.
She could still feel the rush of adrenalin charged blood instilling her heart to pump faster. The dream was constantly accompanied by a strong urge to bolt ahead. She wanted to return to something, but the door always melted away into nothingness.
"Se-chan? Are you ok?" the miko's sage-like tone penetrated through the newly varnished wooden door.
Momentarily distracted, the young girl shook her head strongly dismissing the dream from her still cloudy mind. "Be right there obaa-chan!" she shouted. (obaa-chan : old lady/granny)
A shrine took her in after several foster parents refused her. Only an old miko in tiny insignificant shrine in the minuscule prefecture of Takeyama took her in. She doubted however that it was anything more than charity.
"Get a grip on yourself Seiren, don't let the stupid dream win… Yosh! I'm off!"
Fully composed the girl brushed her hair and briskly dressed for the day ahead. She was turning 15 in tomorrow and she was determined that the nightmares will not ruin this important event. Grabbing her shinai (bamboo practice sword) she bolted out of the door.
Nearing the shrine's central gate she doubled back to a small sacred enclosure whispering a prayer she touched the rough bark of the sacred tree.
"Please make me belong. I want to belong."
(Kyo : Saiunkoku Capital)
A hunched figure steeped to hip level stood in the sacred spring.
"She lives, the child lives!" a rasping cackle disturbs the stagnant clarity of the water sending ripples of gentle waves to radiate outward in circular crests.
"Michiko-sama! Please remove yourself from there!" a shrill tone cuts through the torpid air like a knife.
"Ahhh! The image!" cried the old priestess peering despondently over the water. The picture in the water swayed in abrupt ripples until finally dissipating into the watery depths.
"Michiko-sama! It would not bode well with you if you stay too long in the sacred waters. At your age surely you understand this." Reproached an elaborately dressed girl in her late teens, the old woman grumbled but begrudgingly moves toward the stone rim enclosure of the sacred spring. Her curved frame shaking with indignation, pointing an accusing finger at the lavishly attired youth, she let loose a barrage of curses.
"Foolish imp-girl! Offspring of a cross-eyed swamp toad! Do not presume to think that you know all about me! I have my reasons why I consult the sacred waters of this spring you swine of a maid! How is it that a beetle exhibits more intelligence than you?"
"!!?" The girl flinched back but held her tongue, her haughty eyes narrowed to shrewd slits, her upper lip jutting to a contemptuous curl.
"You are an irritating boil on the monkey god's behind! Slow witted and impetuous! "Continued the old priestess shaking a tight fist in the air in utter outrage.
"Say no more you old hag! I…"
"Kiyo! Michiko-sama! What are you both arguing about now?" Another lady clad in fine silk brocade and shimmering gossamer thin sash walked towards the bickering duo. Her steps were soft and light, the rich skirts of her dress rustling softly against the gravel pathway that led to the sacred pool. She had brown-bronze hair with autumn streaks that mirrored the sunset sky. It was pulled into an elaborate bun fixed at strategic points by jeweled hair pins, some with metal flowers fixed at the ends. She was middle aged in appearance with milky flawless skin and an amorous glint in her eyes.
She was usually friendly and easy going today however, the graceful lady could not contain her displeasure, her face was scowling darkly at the sight before her.
"Ah! Sayori! Good, good, at last a sensible companion!" remarked the old priestess theatrically.
"Hmp!" fumed Kiyo pouting.
"Michiko-sama, please do not vent your anger on young Kiyo. She requires your patience as well instruction in the sacred arts." Appealed Sayori. "Now what is this whole commotion about?"
Old Michiko beamed a wily smile, creases of wrinkles framing her sparkling eyes piquing the interest of the still sulking maid and the lady Sayori.
"The eldest Kou princess lives!" she cried in jubilation. "Make haste, prepare my robes, ready my palanquin and send a runner to announce my visit to his majesty and Shouka-sama."
"Both are in the palace right now. Can your visit not wait until tomorrow?" complained Kiyo.
Sayori nudged the cheeky girl in the ribs before presenting a pristine white robe to the old priestess.
"Tch! You try my patience you wart girl!" snapped priestess Michiko snatching the crisp dry robes her maid Sayori offered. "The message I carry determines the future of this land! Away with you and do as I have ordered before my staff finds your backside!"
With her feeble hands the aged wise woman swung at the stupefied girl in a wide arch. Kiyo let out a horrified shriek as she ran haphazardly into the house.
"That was most unwise and childish Michiko-sama." Reproved Sayori.
"Ahh, true, true, but you must admit it ceased her tiresome prattling and she did what I asked of her." The old priestess replied with a mischievous wink.
The lady lifted one silk covered hand close to her lips hiding smile.
