At one time, gods and demons were as one. They were sealed away in the abyss of distant memory. The hearts of humans who feared the Dark brought this about. For the present, let us call these beings Shinma.
Now they have awakened from their slumber, and gathered in the Dark. On the night of that gathering, when Shinma and Humans met again, a young girl strayed into their midst. This is her story. Her name is
Himiko and Jack where sipping their drinks and talking in the café where they had first met. Over the past few months the place had become quite popular and was presently packed. Himiko and Jack found that they had to talk increasingly loudly to hear each other over the crowd.
Jack was talking about something that happened the night before when Himiko was distracted by a woman who had just entered the café. She was tall with long, straight black hair. She wore a bright red knee-length skirt, a matching red blazer over a white blouse. She looked American, but unlike any other she had seen before. Her skin was unusually pale and her eyes seemed dark, but she couldn't tell why from this distance.
The woman looked around briefly before advancing. As soon as her foot hit the ground on her first step the room suddenly went completely silent. Himiko looked around her to see that everyone in the café was staring at the woman, as if hypnotized by her. Himiko heard nothing but the woman's footsteps. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Jack stood up and stepped out of his chair. Before Himiko could see what he was doing the woman sat down in Jack's place and said, in broken Japanese, "I am Vampire-Princess Secila. I want to see Vampire-Princess Miyu."
Secila stood up again, said, "Follow," turned and headed back out of the café. Himiko got up and followed her. She wasn't sure why. She felt it was probably a mixture of curiosity, and some sort of mind control.
When they left the café they did not step out onto the sidewalk but into a strange world similar to Miyu's. It was all shades of black and red, but there where fewer spheres and the ghostly trees where of a different species that she didn't recognize. They looked like giant Christmas Trees. She thought she saw mountains in the distance, but it was too dark to tell.
Secila turned to Himiko and started talking, this time in perfect Japanese, "I am Vampire-Princess Secila, the Shinma-Hunter of the area called British Columbia."
"Another Vampire?"
"Yes, Himiko, there are many around the world. Miyu is the Shinma-Hunter for Japan. We rarely need to interact, but this is an exception. Many years ago I sensed a get disruption in Japan. I have since learned that there was a brief break in the line of Shinma- Hunters here. This was when Miyu refused her destiny. The transferance to the new generation was improper. She did not receive a complete understanding of what it is to be a Vampire-Princess. I have come here to teach her."
"Why have you come to me?"
"You have a deep connection to Miyu. Deeper then you realize. I need you to call her." Secila walked up to Himiko and placed two finger tips on her forehead. Himiko saw a flash of light and found herself suddenly back in the café exactly when she looked up to see the mysterious woman come in, but this time all she saw was the door swinging shut. Jack suddenly laughed as he got to the punch line of the story he was telling. He noticed Himiko wasn't reacting and asked her, "Are you all right?"
Himiko continued staring at the door and whispered, "Secila."
"Now if you subtract five from both sides of the equation x+5=7 it is transformed into x=2..."
Miyu allowed her mind to drift. Over the years she had long since mastered this grade and many ahead of it, but she still usually when to school. It wasn't for the classes, but for the people. In school she could find troubled kids, and get to know them enough to help them. Also, despite Miyu's chronological age she still felt most comfortable around people who where 13 years old.
"OK, class, that was the bell. Have a nice weekend." Everyone in the class picked up their books and headed out. Everyone, except Miyu. For some reason she didn't feel compelled to move at all. The teacher glanced back briefly in surprise that Miyu was still there before she left the room.
As the door was closed the noise from the hallway was muted, Miyu noticed that someone had appeared at the teacher's desk. She didn't recognize the woman but instantly sensed that she was not human, but a Shinma. Miyu stood up and approached her.
The woman spoke first, "Why do you spend so much time among humans? You are so far above them Miyu."
"Who are you?" Miyu asked.
"I am a Vampire-Princess, like you. My name is Secila. I am the Shinma-Hunter of British Columbia."
"British Columbia?"
"In Canada. And I am here to teach you. Not algebra," she pointed to the board, "but about the powers you posses. Your awakening happened before you where ready and your initiation was improperly done. The result is that your mother failed to teach you about your true abilities."
"You know about my mother?"
"Yes, Miyu. I have learned all about you." Secila had now walked up to Miyu and was standing right in front of her. "I sense your need for blood."
Miyu followed her through the dimensions to a near by park where two boys she knew from her school where sitting on a bench discussing a car magazine they had.
"What do you think of them?" Secila asked.
"They don't seem willing..."
"Willing to do what?" Secila interrupted.
"Willing to surrender themselves."
"Miyu, they are merely humans. Do not worry about what they think. Their lives are small and transient. Take them. We protect them from the Shinma, we have earned it to use a few." Secila appeared to glare that the boys who, suddenly, stood up and, leaving their magazine behind, walked towards Secila and Miyu.
Secila whispered to Miyu, "Now we begin the lesson." She looked into Miyu's face and saw her hunger. "You want him don't you? He is quite handsome. Now, what do you want him to do? All you have to do it think of it and it shall be yours."
With out even trying Miyu found herself thinking about him wanting to feel her lips against his throat and her teeth penetrating his veins. He, with out even knowing it, felt he must give his blood to her. He pressed himself up against Miyu and pulled her head against his neck and she merely had to part her mouth and she could feel his life flowing into to her. In seconds he collapsed into a heap around her feet and Miyu just stood there not realizing what had happened.
It wasn't until she heard the thump of the other boy hitting the ground that she looks back to Secila who said, "Are you beginning to understand the power over humans that we have?" Miyu looked down at the pale body of the boy. She did not see someone who would spend his time in a dream but someone whose time had stopped, like her mother, but with no hope of ever waking up again. Then she thought about the taste of his blood and how, for that brief moment, she felt a bit of relief.
"The lesson is over, Miyu. For today."
The woman lay dying. After many doctors had tried and failed to diagnose the problem Himiko had been called in. It was a regular source of jobs. Some doctors, who where more accepting of alternative medicine, periodically referred patients to her when they had exhausted all other possibilities.
The woman, 65, was quite vigorous, until a few weeks ago when she had become extremely fatigued. After only a few days she could barely get out of bed. It had now been a week since she had been conscious. Despite the seriousness of her condition the family had asked that she stay at home, in the house that she had lived her entire life in. The doctors allowed it, mostly because they didn't have anything at the hospital that they thought could help her.
After her consolation with the family, she was shown the door to the room where the woman lay. She ask for privacy and slid open the door to the room. It was mostly bare with only a bed and a few chairs clustered around where the vigil was kept. The shiny metal pull holding up the IV bag contrasted sharply with the ancient wood that the rest of the room was built from.
Himiko, quietly walked up to the woman's bed side and carefully examined her. Her simple observations showed what the doctors had found. She didn't act like she was unconscious but asleep, except for the fact that she could not be awaken. Himiko didn't find any evidence of anything supernatural either. It had started to look like another medical mystery rather then anything she could help with, but she looked up when she thought she saw something at the window.
She walked over to check if someone was out there. Even if there was someone it would have been unlikely that she could have seen them. The sun had set and it was well into twilight. Until she got to the window all she could see was the inky blue of the sky. When she got to the window she leaned on the ledge and looked out into the darkness. She could see some of the green grass near the house, where it was lit up by the light coming out the windows but in the distance all she could see the darkness of the forest. As Himiko took as step back she looked up and suddenly a noticed a solitary bright star in the sky and, simultaneously, felt like she was being watched by someone.
Himiko headed back to talk with the family. Earlier they had offered to let her stay the night, but she had turned them down. Himiko had stayed somewhat longer then she intended to and it was quite late. That and her suspicion she had decided that it might be better if she did stay.
Himiko hadn't checked the clock before she entered the hall, so she didn't know what time it was. She had been woken up by a noise in the house. She had thought nothing of it and tried to go back to sleep. She had just about fallen asleep when she heard another noise. This time she knew it came from the woman's room.
Quietly, as not to disturb the rest of the family, she slid the door to the lady's room open. At first glance everything seemed as it should, but to was quite dark. Himiko moved to the bed side to get a closer look at the lady. She seem to be as she was, but Himiko noticed an odd shadow near the lady's neck. She lent over her and shifted the sheets to see what it was, but it disappeared.
Himiko looked up to see something that had the features of a man standing over her, but with strange pale blue skin and long white hair that seemed to glimmer. Its pointed nose dominated its evil looking face. Himiko took a step back in fright. The being looked up at her and scowled. It said, "Another human here to interfere with my feeding." Its voice, in contrast with the rest of him seemed almost charming.
Instantly Himiko pulled out a tiny bag made of thin paper from her pocket and in one movement split open the bag and through the powdery contents at the monster. The power, which was simple table salt, was somewhat effective at stunning both supernatural creatures, and humans, when it got in their eyes. She used it when she wasn't sure what she was dealing with and always had some at the ready. This time, however, the salt just bounced off the face of the creature and poured onto the floor and the bed.
The creature just laughed in response.
Himiko was a bit worried, but a dash of salt wasn't the only trick she had. She fell to her knees, put her hands together in pryer just in front of her face and began concentrating on exorcising the being from the house. It wasn't long before Himiko felt a hand from behind her grab her shoulder. She ignored it at first, but she suddenly found her concentration had been broken. She found herself standing up. The hands seemed to be pulling her up, but she could feel her legs doing the actual lifting.
Once standing Himiko felt herself freed from the control she was under and she turned around to see who had grabbed her. She expected to see the creature she was attacking, but she saw Secila. In her surprise Himiko blurted out, "You!" and took a step back.
"Hello, Miss Himiko. It seems we meet again. It seems that you not only have a connection with Miyu, but also show up where ever their's any kind of trouble."
"It's my job."
"Yes... and I'm sure you are quite good at it, too. However, your job is finished here. Be gone."
Himiko, realizing that getting in the middle of a battle between a Vampire and a Shinma would not be wise, turned around to see what the creature was doing. Much to her surprise it had return to the dying lady. She glanced back at the Vampire who showed no signs of beginning her attack. Himiko looked at her questioningly. Secila's face became angry and she, in a wave of her hand sent Himiko flying across the room smashing into wall, the wood buckling from the impact.
Himiko did not remember hitting the wall but she did remember seeing, blurry eyed, Secila walk over to the dying lady, bend down and appear the join the creature in drawing the lady's blood.
Himiko felt jarred as the stretcher bumped against the ambulance as she was pushed in. She looked up to see why she was being carried around but as soon as she did the light of the sun seemed to cause a painful jarring in her head like all her blood vessels burst at the same time. A hand came and gently pushed her head back down and she said, "Please lay still, ma'am."
Himiko found she could only whisper, "What happened?"
A familiar voice came at her from the other side. "We heard a great crash and we found you crawling towards Mama's bed. It looked like you hit the wall." Himiko tried to ask about the lady but could only come out with muffled sounds, but he knew what she was asking. "Mama didn't make it."
As the ambulance started off Himiko felt a jarring the sent a wave of pain move up her body.
The ice pellets blown by the unending wind seemed like they could rip through anything, but the rock of the mountain stood stubbornly against it as it had for centuries. The few who had made it to this peak all felt the harsh conditions and the arduous climb was worth it to stand on top of Japan and see the infinite colors of the surrounding mountains and valleys. However, the beings who now claimed this peak did not appreciate the weather, the ascent or the landscape.
Secila praised Miyu, "Your progress has been quick and your control remarkable, but you still do not truly understand. You still have compassion for these humans. You must cut all your ties with them. You must always stay above them or one day a Shinma will use your weakness against you and you will fail. With the Shinma Ranka you allowed yourself to be distracted by Shou, didn't you?"
Miyu looked towards Secila, but the wind blew her bangs, covering her eyes. She said, "I was human... one of them. I am unable to forget that. The pain that they feel effects me too."
"I understand, Miyu. Your life before your awakening was one of a human's, even though you where not one. That was not your failure. You should have spent your time working to prepare to be a Shinma- Hunter, but with that and the consequences of the delay of the acceptance of your role it has been doublally hard for you." Secila took a few steps down from the peak and, then, turned back towards Miyu so she was face to face to her. "I am prepare to help you. I'll allow you to let go of your past and abandon your human roots. You will be free to complete your task with out distraction."
Miyu looked up to the sky above Secila and the shifting wind now blew the hair away from her face. "Please," is all she said.
It took all of Himiko's concentration to fight the pain as she tilted her head to see what was out the window. It was, again, night. Between periods of blurred vision she saw the lights of Tokyo skyscrapers but things where never clear long enough for her to identify any of them.
After a few minutes she found it too much to hold her position so she allowed herself to roll back. As she did this she noticed that someone was standing on the other side of her.
Forgetting her pain she looked to see who it was. The pale blue creature she had seen before smiled down on her. It said, "Hello, again, Miss. It seems you are even more helpless then before." It walked around to the end of the bed as Himiko watched, her jaw wired leaving her unable to respond. It continued, "Unlike my associate, I don't like to leave things half done."
Suddenly Himiko knew there was now some else in the room as well. She looked quickly to the door where she saw Miyu. Miyu giggled as Himiko relized that moving her neck like that should have been impossible in her state. She still felt the pain, but found it didn't effect her.
"Feeling better, Himiko? I have given you a brief reprieve. Think of it as a final gift, for soon I will no longer need to have any dealings with you." Himiko wondered what she meant by that. Normally she would have been glad to hear that Miyu would be out of human affairs, but she had the feeling that, in this case, it wasn't a good thing.
The creature addressed Miyu, "While we shall soon be meeting, my dear Miyu, this is neither the time or the circumstances." It moved towards the window but just before it could take the first step there was a sudden flapping as Larva appeared there, his cloak billowing.
"Shinma," Miyu started, "I choose both the time and the circumstances of our meetings. Your time here has come to an end. You will return to the Dark." Miyu reached out her hand and the familiar flame ignited in her palm.
The creature suddenly seemed to relax, as if it was now even more confident of its victory. Himiko saw why as Secila stepped out from a shadowy corner of the hospital room and walked towards Miyu. She said, with sternness, "Miyu, it is now time for you to join with me. I am prepared. There is no need for you to wait any longer."
"I must return this Shinma to the Dark."
"No, Miyu. It can wait. There'll be plenty of time for that soon." Miyu dropped her hand and the flame disappeared. As Secila smiled, warmly, the creature moved towards Himiko, who, despite the relief she was receiving from Miyu she still could not speak or move from her bed. She looked towards Miyu, with panic in her eyes. Somehow Miyu felt it and looked back towards Himiko. Himiko pleaded and then looked towards Secila and then the creature.
Miyu relit the flame and stared Secila down. Secila, realizing that she had been unmasked, pleaded, "Miyu, I have the ability to release your pain. To do for you what you've done for so many humans. Isn't that what you want? Isn't that why you've been continuing on your quest?"
"Shinma Tirleck, return to the dark!" many red streaks flew out from the flame Miyu held and encircled the blue creature. As the streaks travelled around it they seemed to multiply and expand until it was enclosed in a sphere of red light. The light soon faded out but the Shinma was gone.
Secila looked in horror at this and her fear only increased as Miyu slowly walked up to her with her flame burning, outstretched before her. "Miyu," she begged, "I am your only chance for peace. If you do this you'll have no hope."
Miyu did not waver. Secila seemed petrified as Miyu's hand with the flame disappeared into Secila's torso. Miyu removed her hand leaving the flame inside her. Suddenly Secila whole body burst into flame lighting the whole room up. An horrible scream emanated from Secila, but it was mercifully brief.
As the light from the flames of the last of Secila bounced off Miyu's face Himiko could hear her say, "Do not tempt me, Shinma." At that she walked across to room towards Larva. Just before she entered his arms she glanced back at Himiko to say, "Rest, now, Himiko."
Please send as many comments, compliments, dissection, and criticism as you want to:
Darwin O'Connor <
doconno@gmail.com
>
It only took nearly two years, but this thing is finally done. It's not that it took too long to write, it's just that there where some problems along the way. Back in November of 1995 I accidentally deleted what I had. That was a real bummer. After slow going I caught up to where I was but after that I kinda had writer's block plus I was also kinda too busy. Anyway, after a little prodding from Sheri, a bit of spare time and the fact that hardware problems has made my computer unstable enough that running my editor was just about the only thing I could reliably do, I was able to punch through that to get it done and completed July 7, 1997.
After two years I expect the are a lot of new people around, so if your are one of those, this story is the forth in my series. The previous episodes can be found at my Vampire-Princess Miyu fan-fiction web page at
http://rosa.div8.net/doconnor/miyu.fiction.html
Note that the location has, in the last few months, moved from where it used to be (as has my email address). There are other Miyu stories there by other authors as well, so you really should check it out if you haven't recently.
I'd like to take this opportunity to, once again, thank my reviewer Ken Meredith and the University of Manitoba Japanese Animation Fan Club (UMJAFC) for introducing me to Miyu and the rest of anime. AnimEigo, for doing an excellent sub of an excellent show. Of course, Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshihiro Hirano, for creating the most chillingly charming vampire girl on a page or in a video anywhere.
Keep your ear to your modem for the next episode where Miyu is recognized by a friend from long ago...