9 months prior, before the beast…
The room was engulfed in the darkness of the night, occasionally pierced by the neon lights of the city outside. It was a humid night. This fit well with the deep passion that was going on in Kei's room. The sheets rumbled with care and love, the two recently met lovers enjoying their company. The attention of the two were on each other, not the sudden insurrection of light from the maid at the door. At first, the light could not fit into the chemical equation, but stopping in his tracks, Geoffrey looked up. The unsuspecting maid gasped in disbelief leaving as the unknown commotion came to an end. The realisation soon set in for Geoffrey, he rose from the clutches of the princess, Kei relaxed, laying on her back.
"Where do you think you are going, Geoff?" Kei questioned in passion as a reaction to Geoffrey's sudden departure.
"Someone saw us. A maid or something. I need to go." Geoffrey responded, panicking, pulling up his leggings.
"Kuso." She exclaimed, "My father will be on his way."
Down the corridor, her father stomped his way to his daughter. He was very tall, with his hair tied into a small ponytail at the back of his head. His grey eyes were diseased with anger, how dare she do such a thing. Emperor Kaito Hayashi pushed through the palace, alongside two Palace Guards, drawing his katana at his side. He was furious, ready to kill. The emperor did not knock, not in his fury, kicking down the door that his daughter resided behind. Kei jumped at the noise of the door opening, grabbing her covers to cover her body. Geoffrey looks up swiftly, running out onto the balcony. The emperor's left arm rose, pointing in the direction of Geoffrey, his two guards pursuing him. The emperor approached his only daughter, it reminded him of his wife the day she left him, they looked just like each other, but his anger corrupted his expressionless face. The guards came back inside, informing the emperor that he had escaped from the balcony, into the darkness of the Imperial City.
His attention then turned to his daughter. The enthusiastic warmth had now turned into a stern chill for the princess. The world around her seemingly tuned into a dark plane with only her and her father. He seemed slightly calmer than before.
"You do realise that he will be hunted down, he is not the one for you," The Emperor stated.
"Who says you decide who I love?" Kei questioned, slightly annoyed.
"I get to decide. You should know that the traditional laws state that I chose the prince to be the one you love, not some street rat that you find when you sneak out!" He shouted.
"I thought you hated the ways of the traditional people. I do not understand why you have to dictate my life!" She shouted back.
"I am allowed to agree with what I want. I am the leader of this empire, I am your father, you listen to me."
"You get to agree with what you want, but when it comes to me, your daughter, a member of royalty, I cannot? If mother were still here, she would listen to me. Perhaps, accept what has just happened!"
Her father stopped. He was no longer plastered with a face of anger, but instead an emotionless face. He spoke no more, rage built inside of him, and left her room to his privacy. Kei felt a mixture of emotions. The swelling of deep anger over her father's dictating behaviour, the loss of her newfound lover escaping her and going on the run, but also the sorrow she felt for lashing out at her father over her mother.
Days went by from that night, and every day the guilt would consume her, she wanted to apologise for her actions. She attempted to speak to her father, day after day, but she was constantly denied entry into wherever her father was. She would return to her room every time and cry for hours wishing to fix everything. Every emotion swelled inside her, constantly lashing out at her possessions. First, she started punching her mirror, fracturing it repeatedly. Then, she started slamming her fists into tables, leaving long-lasting imprints. At the time, she finished by destroying the possessions that reminded her of that night. She was vastly seeking forgiveness, but never got the opportunity to receive it.
* * *
A week had gone by, but for Kei, it felt like months. She watched every morning as her father commanded his men to do their daily palace duties, wishing to speak to him. She was done asking for permission, she was struggling. The city was beginning to question where the princess had gone, usually, she made an appearance every week. She had been refusing the help of her maids, leaving herself to herself. She watched as the Palace Guards bowed to their leader and began their duty, her father returning to the main hall. She arose in her decaying clothes and through the palace.
She approached the hall doors, being stopped by the two palace guards standing in front. One of the guards looked at the princess, and let her pass through, the other one a bit uncertain since they were told not to let her in. She ran inside, her father sitting on his throne. He looked at her in anger, he did not want her there.
"Father, please," She began, crying, "why do you withdraw yourself from me?"
"You should not be here…" He stated grimly.
"I want your forgiveness; I am sorry for what I did and what I said. I cannot stand any more meals on my own, I cannot stand the silence that I have caused. Forgive me, father!"
"No." He remarked.
"What?"
"I have no desire to return to see you. You think that because you can say sorry to me is enough for me to care?"
"No, what should be enough for you to care is that I am your daughter!" Kei screamed.
"My daughter would understand my followings, my family rules. How dare you beg for forgiveness after you compare me to that foul excuse of a mother! Not only that, but you reject all the people I present as potential husbands and then you satisfy yourself with a scoundrel. You are just like your mother, mentally ill, distressed and a waste of space. Get out of my hall, now!"
Kei's aggression faltered at his last few words and the chilling sting that was depression set itself inside her soul. She did not need to be told twice to leave. On her way out, all she felt was shame and the bone-crushing stare of her fathers. She left out the way she came, the guards at the door were now only one, and she thanked him. She walked down the bleak and barren corridors, crying once again. She was so fragile, so weakened.
An hour had gone by, her mirror was even more fractured and her knuckles slightly bloody. The world outside was so much more content than the palace. People were merry and full of happiness strolling around their streets, enjoying their lives—the wonders of what tomorrow brought on them. Kei would never understand that, as far as she could see. So, she decided to end the torment. Why live in a home where no one wants you? She had had enough. Spending time around the warriors of the Imperial Army, she had learned how to cause death without experiencing much pain. She walked over to her shattered mirror, see chose a sizable shard, collapsing onto her knees. No note, no goodbyes.
She held the shard close to her wrists ready to strike, her mind set on other things. She was so convinced on doing it that she never noticed the guard slip into her room. He saw what she was about to do and grabbed the shard from her hands. He threw it aside and sat next to her. She did not move or speak; she just began to cry once again. The guard did not move, nor did he speak. He just wanted to let her get her emotions out. She looked at the guard, realising that he had entered her room.
"Why have you come here?" She questioned, sobbing.
"I came to check up on you and to see if what I did was worth it," The guard stated.
"I am fine. What do you mean worth it?"
"I was under the strict rule to not let you inside the emperor's hall, but you needed to see him, to fix things. I see that perhaps it did not go that way."
"No. He just reprimanded me. Made me worthless,"
"Your father is stubborn, but this is not the way to fix it. I am here for you, princess, just go down to the barracks and ask for Takahir. They will tell you where I am."
"Thank you, Takahir. What happened to you after you let me through?"
"My accomplice turned me over to an advisor of your father and I was severely scolded, your father saw to me and has posted me as a General of the Imperial Army."
"You lost your position because of me?"
"It was worth it, in my opinion. It is all led to this, plus being a general is more practical than standing around the palace all day!" Takahir laughed.
"Perhaps, thank you for everything, Takahir."
He picked up her shard, placed it into his pocket and then removed her deteriorating mirror from her room. He gave one last smile and left to go to his new post. Kei felt reassurance from her new friend, she felt happy. However, she felt quite alone, she missed Geoffrey.
* * *
Three months had now gone by, Kei saw Takahir most of the time throughout the months, the joy of watching him command and train warriors was enticing. This ignited a spark within the fragile woman, a spark to lead, a spark to help those in need. She spent countless days and countless nights training with General Takahir to become a Royal General. She spent weeks studying the ways of a katana and how to intimidate her opponents. Her passion to learn and determination to lead were laughed at by warriors below her, who ever said a woman could not lead?
When her eventual training was complete, she learned that the past five generations did the same. They led their battalion of warriors before they took over the role of leader, even her father had his own. This inspired her into believing that if she could present her skills and the skills of a battalion of warriors to her father, perhaps he would care for her again. Her team was only small, consisting of her and four other people.
They were all well-skilled, which was really why Kei chose them. No one denied her offer because who would deny a request from royalty? The four other members consisted of; Takahir Yukimura, second in command; Haru Nakamura, the bow master; Daiki Chiba and Akio Nishitani, the samurais. To follow the trend of previous ancestors' task forces, Kei dedicated the 6th Royal Battalion to their name. Now it was a matter of presenting this elite squad to her father and getting the recognition she deserved.
When she was happy with how the squad was composed, she went to the main hall. She had tied her hair into a bun, out of her eyes, and wore a grey set of armour to go alongside what the other Generals wore. She entered the palace, no longer being able to be stopped due to her new title, Royal General Kei Hayashi. She pushed her way through the doors and stood before the emperor.
"What brings you here, general?" The emperor started.
"I have come to propose my task force to be used as a leading group for the Imperial Army," Kei exclaimed.
"Please, do inform me about this task force,"
"The 6th Royal Battalion is a task force of five, including me, trained under elite circumstances. We range from strong leadership skills to strong ranged combat and strong samurai warriors. We request recognition for being a part of the army and that we are reserved for intense missions."
"I see, is this your way of getting my forgiveness for your insolence?" The emperor beckoned.
"No, this is a way of keeping up with an ancestral tradition and doing something important for my people." Kei contradicted.
"If that is what you believe. I recognise your task force of men as a part of the military; however, I will not be setting you on intense missions for your safety. Guard duty will do you well!"
"What? Guard duty? Are you serious?"
"Yes, nothing more!"
"Why do you not recognise that I am trying to help you? I am your daughter, why do you not let me help you?"
"I do not want you hurting yourself! You matter too much,"
"The only thing you want me for is to provide you with a male heir who can accept your place once you die! I mean nothing to you!"
Kei left, not angry or sad. She was just annoyed that even when she can prove herself to her father, she still does not get what she deserves, love. Her father once again rejected the constant attempts to keep his daughter in a safe place. However, truly all he wanted was for her to be safe.
* * *
A couple more months passed. Things had changed. Rumour had spread that a village high within the Ebisuan land had been desecrated by an unknown force. People began to panic. No formal explanation was given about the rumours, so society just panicked. The pressure built up increasingly for the royals to make an announcement, but nothing got said.
However, the Emperor did summon a meeting with all the Generals of the Imperial Army. He was not entirely sure what to do about this new threat, so a second opinion was much needed. Word around the palace about this meeting spread like a passive disease, eventually meeting Kei. Kei had skipped all of her guard duties and had instead chilled inside the Generals Barracks. No one could stop her from skipping anything, her royal title was essentially a get-out-of-guard duty pass. Kei was determined to get into the meeting whether her father liked it or not.
The guards were told to meet within the palace consultation chamber when the gong was struck as the sun goes down. She knew that she would probably get stopped by any authority outside the room, so she went substantially early. She sat waiting and slowly more and more generals showed up, the last of them being Takahir. They sat next to each other and held a brief conversation.
"How on Fauxwood did you manage to get in here?" Takahir questioned.
"I came early; I could not miss this. This is something of foremost importance." Kei responded, and then her father entered the meeting room.
He looked very tired than the last time Kei had seen him. His face had grown old, and it seemed like he had a lot greyer hair. He sat down at his chair at the end of the table, glancing around at every general. He stopped at Kei for a little while and continued. He placed his arms on the table and began his consultation.
"As you all may have heard, there is a rumour about a beast decimating a village within our nation. I sent my warrior, Akenesia, to seek out any danger and she came back with valiant information." He paused, "The village, Matsumoto, has been scorched by a creature of intense power. I regret to inform you that this creature is the deceased creature, the Firecracker. Akenesia was destroyed by said beast whilst surveying the area, but the footage that she gathered was compelling enough to show its might."
The room stayed silent, no one knew what to say.
"What do you suggest we do, sir?" A General spoke out.
"This stays between us. As far as the public is aware, the beast is only a rumour. I am working on how to stop the beast, but keep the peace within the city, no one needs to know. Anyone who arrives from Matsumoto as a survivor is to be ignored, they are just pretenders."
The emperor arose from his chair, bowed, and then left. All the other Generals shortly followed him, except Takahir and Kei. Kei sat there in deep thought, questioning what to do, Takahir staying to make sure she was all right.
"I do not understand, why are we not mobilizing warriors? Surely, we should be striking now so it does not become a more serious matter!" Kei inserted.
"People will only worry; we also do not know how dangerous the creature is. It might be a new breed from the old Firecrackers, we need more knowledge."
"The public should know; they are only going to spread rumours and scare themselves."
"We will just be following orders, nothing more."
The two got up and left to return to their evening duties. Kei was becoming anxious about the future of Ebisu. What if it moved to the Imperial City? Millions would die because of her father's orders, but that was not to dwell on.
* * *
Four months later, present-day…
"So, quite the tumultuous time," Geoffrey stated.
"That is one way to put it," Kei responded, placing her hand on Geoffrey's right cheek, "But now that you are here, things must be getting better."
"Perhaps they will, I am sorry that I caused so much pain for you," Geoffrey said, looking out at the city below.
"The worst part of it all was losing you. The constant arrangements for me to spend time with rich princes to marry was awful."
"Bet that did not make you feel any better,"
"Nope, the arguing that followed was not pleasing at all. As the days went by, I just kept becoming a ghost. Almost forgotten. No one has seen me leave the palace in months."
Geoffrey was feeling very guilty for abandoning Kei all of them months ago. He continued staring at the vibrant lights in the distance, questioning how their society differed from that of Basdon. Then he turned back to Kei, the beautiful woman he had fallen in love with, staring at her smile. He could not resist her beauty, much like 9 months prior.
"Geoffrey?" Kei questioned.
"What is it?" He responded.
"I want you to do one thing for me," She began, "I want you to take me with you on your mission against the beast!"
"Kei, it will be dangerous. I do not want to risk losing you!"
"Seriously? I have been stuck in these walls for months trying to help with the fight against this beast and you will not even give me that!"
"No, it is not like that. I just do not want you to get-" He started.
"Just like my father…" She interrupted, smiling as she said it.
"Hey, are you trying to guilt me? Fine, I will take you with me. Just be as safe as possible, I cannot lose you!"
Kei giggled and smiled, her freedom finally in sight. Geoffrey smiled at her as well. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. They both said goodnight and left back to their rooms. Geoffrey returned, took off his armour and lay there. He smiled to himself, happy to be spending the next couple of days with Kei and knowing that she was happy to see him. He hoped that she still loved him but did not want to throw anything between them currently. He soon dosed off, happy.
However, the fight was just beginning…