Episode IX: Reminiscences.
Aegis
A resounding thunderclap drowned the screams of Mrs. Kim as her labor pains began to set in. The sound of festivities drifted from outside as the villagers danced and feasted around a large campfire. Mrs. Kim, however, was inside their house, about to give birth. Her scream pierced the night and mixed in with all the noise. "Almost there." She huffed and gave one last push. The shrill cry of a newborn baby went resonating inside the room like a million echoes. "I's a girl, Mrs. Kim. What a beautiful baby." But no sign of happiness can be seen in Mrs. Kim's face. She looked at the baby with a blank stare.
"How can she be beautiful? She was born in the Night of the Walpurgis."
***
Two years after she was born, Taeyeon was sent to by her mother to an uncle from her father's side in a small provincial village in Korea. Since her father went away after getting her mother pregnant, Taeyeon's mother felt that it was the patriarchal side's duty to take care of the child. Even if she didn't admit it, her course of action was done partly for revenge -- he ruined her life, and now she was going to ruin his. And so, her uncle took care of her and named her Taeyeon.
Her uncle lavished her with all the love and care that a parent could give. He was a bachelor; his work offered him no opportunity to find romance until, without him noticing, time has passed him by. Thus, all the pent up love that he failed to give to anyone was transferred to Taeyeon and Taeyeon alone. One can only imagine the grief he felt when one day, a six-year old Taeyeon went home to him crying.
"What's wrong, Taeyeon-ah?", he asked, wiping her tears dry with a finger, the opal ring he always wore on it gave slight glint.
"The other kids... They told me... They told me I was a monster! Because... Because I was born during... the Night of the... the Walpurgis.", Taeyeon choked in between sobs.
A certain kind of sadness loomed over her uncle's eyes. The arrival of Taeyeon in his home roused a lot of talk amonst the townspeople. Since it was a small village, rumors started to spread like wildfire; among this was the fact that she was born during the Walpurgisnacht. If there was anything that hurt her uncle the most, it was the instances that Taeyeon went home crying to him as the villagers taunted her with these rumors. Her uncle held her under the armpits as he usually does and sat her on his lap.
"Taeyeon-ah. Don't listen to what others say about you. You're you, Taeyeon-ah. And uncle loves you for that.", her uncle said as he wiped her tears. "Stop crying now, okay? A woman's tears are her jewel. Save it for the most important person you'll meet. ...Ah, I know. I'll take you to a friend of mine. He's a really nice ahjussi -- you'll like him a lot.", her uncle said with a smile.
***
As her uncle had predicted before their first encounter, Taeyeon liked the old man. He was of Japanese descent but circumstances forced him to move out of the country until he finally settled in that small Korean village. He was calm and quiet, and Taeyeon loved watching him meditate. There was something in the old man's serene face that calms her inside. The old man taught her a lot of things, including the special fighting skills she now possess. Taeyeon sat and assumed the lotus position beside the old man, facing the garden. She closed her eyes and felt Nature sifting in and out of her pores.
"Taeyeon-ssi...", it was the old man's voice.
"Yes, Sensei?", Taeyeon used the Japanese honorific for the old man.
"How old are you now?", he asked without turning to her or opening his eyes.
"Fifteen, Sensei."
"Ah. It's been nine years, eh?", the old man chuckled. "Taeyeon-ssi. Would you allow me the privilege of telling you a story?"
"Of course, Sensei.", she answered. Although Taeyeoen loved the old man's stories, it was a rare occurrence for him to tell her one. And when he does, there's usually a profound significance behind it.
"Very well.", the old man began. "There was once a peasant who, upon working in his small farm, dug up a small stone -- a perfectly circular, bluish orb which emanated a soft glow. He did not know what to do with it so he went to the king and asked, 'Your Majesty, I found this stone in my farm but I don't know what to do with it and what it is.' The king took the stone, gave it to his council and asked the peasant to leave, saying that he will be informed once they have figured out what the stone was. And so, the man left.
"The council took the stone to the palace alchemist who, in great awe, took the stone and locked himself up inside his laboratory to discover what it was. After three days, he went out of his room and went to the king. 'This stone... is fated to be used by a chosen individual. Unless we find that person, this stone will be of no use to us.', he said. And so, the king had the peasant recalled and returned the stone. 'Find the man who can use this stone's powers.' were His Majesty's orders. The peasant was bewildered, unsure of how to carry out the king's decree."
"Months later, a war broke out between His Majesty's kingdom and the neighboring territory. Since it was a fairly small kingdom, it was easily invaded by the enemies. The enemy soldiers ransacked and destroyed every single property that was left standing, burning them to the ground, dismantling them and killing the livestock. The village was in utter chaos. A band of enemy infantry went to the peasant's small shack, intending to burn it down. The peasant couldn't do anything but cower in a corner in fear, touching the small blue stone that never left his pocket."
"Suddenly, a blinding blue light emanated from the peasant. It shot up into the sky in a single, steady stream, parting the clouds with its force. Streams of blue light came raining down from the sky, like a meteor shower. The lights went inside every single enemy infantry in the small kingdom, rendering them unconscious. The peasant stood up and crouched beside a fallen soldier. 'He's still alive.', he thought as he felt for the soldier's pulse. Just then a single flash of light radiated from the parted clouds, engulfing the whole town in its warm glow. And as if through some miracle, the town was once again in order -- there were no wreckages, all the structures and houses were back to its original state."
"As for the enemy men, they woke up with no memory of having destroyed the town. They were eventually absorbed by the townspeople and the peasant, on the other hand, was called forth by the king. He was given a mansion and land as a reward for his saving the town. As far as the story went, no war ever happened in that land again."
The story has ended. Taeyeon listened. Everything was quiet.
***
"Taeyeon-ssi was...born in the Night of the Walpurgis, correct?", the old man posed the question, addressing the uncle while Taeyeon was in the adjoining room. Just a little before sunset, after the old man's story, Taeyeon's uncle arrived to have a little chat.
Her uncle raised an inquisitive brow. "Yes." After all these nine years, the old man had never confronted him with Taeyeon's past.
"There is nothing to worry about, my old friend. I intend her no harm. I have grown fond of her and you know that. However, you do know what this...entails, I assume?", he answered with a serious look in his eyes.
"Of course."
***
Taeyeon walked into a small room covered in tatami mats. It only had a table in the middle of the room and a framed calligraphic writing hanging on the wall. Her uncle instructed her to go to the room before he left. "The old man wants to talk to you.", he said. And so she went.
The old man was sitting by the half open door at the other side of the room. The smell of incense was wafting from a small altar in a corner. The old man gestured for her to sit beside him.
"Taeyeon-ssi. I have...something for you.", the old man said quietly. "Give me your hand."
She did. The old man took her outstretched hand and placed it in between his palms. Taeyeon sat quietly while the old man closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Suddenly, the girl felt a searing heat on her palm. Still, she did not make a sound. The old man opened his eyes and slid his hands slowly off of Taeyeon's. The girl took a look at her palm.
"It's a small...parting gift."
She looked at the old man and then to her palm. It was an intricate mark. But Taeyeon would never know what it meant -- The Circle of the Walpurgis.
***
Taeyeon was still looking at the mark on her palm as she walked her way home. Parting gift? What on earth does he mean by that?, she thought as she kicked a pebble off the grass. A shrill scream pierced through her thoughts. The village!
The girl ran as fast her legs could carry her back to the village, only to be mortified by what she saw. Her hometown was burning to the ground. She made a dash to where their home was, hoping to see his uncle there. She ran amidst the crumbling houses and the falling trees. She ran as bodies fell as they were set ablaze. She ran as ash began clouding over the town. She ran oblivious of the thick smoke that almost choked her. She ran to save the last precious thing left in her life.
But his uncle was not there. Instead, he found an arm beneath the rubble. And on its finger was a shining opal ring.
***
The small, bewildered girl found herself running back to the old man's house. Tears and grime streamed down her face as blades of grass cut her legs. Uncle... He's...gone.
"Sensei!", Taeyeon called out. She was greeted by silence. She ran all over the house and opened every door. Nothing. The old man was gone. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from outside. Bandits. Taeyeon stood still in the darkness and closed her eyes. She felt for the Presence about her. Two people? One was drawing close.
In one fast movement, Taeyeon hit him with a shuto strike on the carotid artery, strong enough to make him unconscious but not to kill him. There was a thud as the body fell and the other assailant fired a shot blindly. She crept as closely to the ground as possible, following his Presence. She clenched her hand into a half-fist, gathered her ki, and delivered one damaging strike to the man's solar plexus. The man fell and she ran out of the house.
Just as she thought she was safe, a group of bandits jumped out from the bushes. Taeyeon tried to fight them off but they were too many. She was exhausted and all the smoke she inhaled from earlier were taking a toll on her. Her vision began to blur. One of the men took the opportunity and hit her with his rifle. Taeyeon's knees gave way as her consciousness began to slip. No. I can't...die here. Through her failing vision, she saw a girl about her age emerge from the thicket. She broke a piece of chocolate and offered it to her. "Want some?"
But Taeyeon's mind had slipped away. The last vision she saw was the piece of chocolate and the sounds of gunshots.
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Author's Note: Walpurgisnacht or Night of the Walpurgis is a holiday celebrated in a variety of places in Europe. Although widespread, the method of celebration and its significance for each country vary. For this particular chapter, the German version of the Walpurgisnacht was what I had in mind. Also, if you've watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica, you'll know how particularly bad- the Walpurgisnacht can be. -keke-
Also, 'Sensei' means teacher or master in Japanese. It's usually reserved for the real experts in a specific field. Credit goes to FujinoLover for tellin' me to put some notes about it. ^^
Well, anyways, apologies for the awfully long chapter. I couldn't afford to cut this one in half since my fingers were flying all over the keyboard -- my train of thought might get disrupted. LOL. Feel free to leave your comments on this 'un. ^^
P.S. Help me spread the Aegis love, people. Recommend Agent Taeng to your friends. Hoho~ :3
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