STANDARD DISCLAIMER:
The following is a character file to go along with my fanfic, "Fushigi
Yuugi - The Fabulous Adventure", which is a crossover with a ton of
CLAMP's stories. I decided to create character files since many people
said they liked FY or CLAMP, but didn't necessarily know all of the
characters in my fanfiction. Hopefully the character files will allow
you a "feel" for the character's background, their possible motives,
etc. I believe this will help you in getting a more accurate picture of
the fanfiction story as a whole.
My character files are seperated into three parts:
1. The first part contains the original CLAMP version of the character
& their background (***WARNING***: There are MAJOR spoilers to the
original CLAMP manga in here. If you haven't read the manga that
corresponds to the character yet, you are forewarned of the spoilers).
This section is concise (to save space & time), and is basically a
small synopsis. Many events/aspects are left out, but I think I nailed
the most important ones.
2. The second part are my fanfiction character statistics (keeping true
_wherever possible_ to the original CLAMP's stats for the character).
Age, date of birth, blood type, etc. are all a part of it.
3. The third part is the actual background of the character in my
fanfiction before PART 1. I invented the backgrounds, taking large
portions of the CLAMP's original concepts and adapting them to fit into
my world. Call it creative licensing.
I hope you enjoy these. Let me know what you think. Look for more to
follow, as well as part 3 to come soon!
- Jennifer Mondazzi (Rena/Maigrey)
CHARACTER FILE: YASHA
1. CLAMP BACKGROUND:
In RG Veda, Yasha was originally the God-King of the Yasha Clan, and
once a Bushoshin (War-Chief God) in the Northern Realm of the Heavens
(or Ten-Kai). He is 500 years old, but appears no older than a man in
his mid-twenties.
Kuyoh's prophecy led him to his destiny as one of the 'Six Stars', who
would bring about the downfall of the Ten-Kai, and because he freed
Ashura from Taishaku-ten's eternal slumber, the man vented his wrath
upon the Yasha Clan, slaughtering them all, except for Yasha, including
his mother and father, and his younger brother, Rasetsu, and Rasetsu's
family. After the massacre, Yasha took Ashura into hiding with him, and
lovingly took care of her, even knowing that Kuyoh's prophecy said that
the child would one day turn on him and kill him. Strong in temper, he
tends to act before thinking., however, caring for Ashura has helped to
curve most of his impulsive, destructive traits.
His weapon is the mystical sword Yama-Toh, which can only be wielded
by the leader of the Yasha Clan. It is the opposite of Ashura's sword,
Shura-toh, and the two resonate when near each other.
When Ashura banished herself to eternal slumber for the second time,
Yasha sat by her side, protecting her for hundreds of years, as he
promised he would. After she reawakened, thanks to Kujaku's sacrifice
of his life, Yasha was there to comfort his love.
2. FANFICTION CHARACTER STATISTICS:
Seishi Name: Yasha
Real Name: Yama
Age: 25
Servant to: Byakko
Seishi Identifier: Protector of Byakko's Second Miko
Seishi Symbol: BAN ("to guard")
Symbol Location: Center of forehead
Skills/Powers: Incredible stamina and endurance
Weapons: Mystical sword, Yama-Toh
Birthday: April 24th
Sign: Taurus
Blood Type: O
Likes/Hobbies: Ashura; Horseback riding; his younger brother, Rasetsu
Dislikes: What's happening to Ashura; Taishaku-ten
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Black, long, straight
Body Peculiarities/Scars/Markings: Small, 1/2" scar above his left
eyebrow
3. FANFICTION BACKGROUND:
Yasha is the Protector of the second Byakko Miko.
Born in Sairou Country's desert area to the Shuyo (Main Chief) of the
Yasha Clan, he was named Yama, after his deceased grandfather on his
mother's side.
On the day of his birth, his Seishi symbol appeared in brilliant white
upon his forehead, and the village elder proclaimed him a Shiseishi of
the God Byakko - the greatest honor would could obtain to their way of
thinking. The Yasha Clan was highly devout to their God, and because of
this, the young boy was often treated with even more respect than his
parents, for he would someday serve the Tiger God directly.
Breaking their matriarchal tradition, his mother and father ruled
their Clan jointly, with wisdom as their guide, and were highly
respected by the people. Of all the Clans of the West, the Yasha Clan
was considered the actual 'royalty', and as such, it was their duty to
make and present the decisions about the welfare of the entire Clan
Nation to the Emperor of Sairou Country. Because the Clans merely
resided within Sairou's borders, but were considered a separate Nation
altogether, their prosperity was entirely in their own hands - the
Imperial family took a "hands-off" approach to them in most matters.
However, the Emperor did expect them to obey the articles of the treaty
that they had signed after the end of the First Miko War, hundreds of
years before, so annually, Yama's parents traveled to the capital city
and presented themselves before the Emperor to attend the War Council
Meetings. This kept each side talking, and avoided a similar disaster
that had occurred in the past.
From the time he could ride a horse, Yama accompanied the band on
these trips, and was typically bored out of his skull throughout the
week-long discussions. However, being the first born son, it was Yama's
responsibility to carry on in his parent's footsteps and rule over his
Clan someday, so he was forced to understand politics and life at
Court.
Four years after him, his mother bore his younger brother, Rasetsu,
and Yama doted on his sibling terribly from day one.
When he was just eight years old, a troop of soldiers from across the
Hokkan border entered their domain and attacked them mercilessly. The
courageous Clansmen and women stood their ground, but quickly fell
under the onslaught, having been unprepared and outnumbered greatly.
Knowing their doom was eminent, Yama's mother and father appeared to
the two children as they lay in their beds.
It wasn't until much later that Yasha remembered the events of that
night more clearly...
His mother gathered him to her, as his father took Rasetsu away into
the night, without looking back once. Yama screamed for his brother,
and he struggled against the steel-like grip that held him fast. He
didn't want Rasetsu to go away from him; he wanted to protect his
little brother. His mother smacked him across the face hard enough to
stun him, reminding him of his duty to his Clan, reminding him that he
must live for his people's sake. Outside, he heard the screams and
shouts as his people fell under the arrows, swords and lances of the
well-armed invaders, and he solidified his will, choking back his
sobs.
He was led to his mother's pao, and there, she produced the hidden,
secret treasure of his Clan, passed down from the great Seiryuu
Protector, Arashi, to the leader of the Yasha Clan during the First
Miko War as a tribute to the woman's bravery - Yama-toh, the Lightning
Blade. As he beheld it's beauty, Yama was mesmerized, and something
within his soul clicked into place. Yama's mother held the sword out to
him, incanted a strange spell in a language he did not recognize, and
the blade entered his chest of its own free will, sinking into his
heart. At first, he thought he was dying, the pain was so terrible, but
then, a feminine voice spoke to him - soft and strong - willing him to
take up Yama-toh in righteous cause. Unconscious of his own movements,
he grasp the hilt from his mother's hand, and thrust the blade deeper
into himself, until finally, only the hilt was visible. His blood
spewed everywhere, and he choked on it.
At some point during that horrible ordeal, he had passed out.
When he came to on the cold floor of the pao, the sword has
disappeared, as had his mother. Making his way out, he stumbled across
two dead bodies, which lay in his way. Looking down, he saw one of them
was his mother, and the other his father. They lay close to each other,
their hands held fast in the other's grip. Obviously, they had been
protecting him.
Guilt-ridden, sad and filled with a need for revenge, Yama made his
way across the compound, choking on the smoke from the burning paos
around him. He searched for almost an hour for his brother, but had
been unable to find the boy's body anywhere. Holding little hope that
Rasetsu had escaped, he continued looking anyway.
That was when he met Raijin.
The Busho (War-Chief) seemed to walk straight out of the fire towards
him. Yama stood his ground, recognizing the insignia of a High General.
Enraged at the bloodied smirk upon the man's face, Yama's anger
erupted. Into the palm of his hand, Yama-toh appeared, seeming to grow
out of his flesh itself, and his Seishi symbol ignited in a blinding
white aura about him.
Stunned, Raijin stopped his advanced, then, he withdrew his own sword
and bade the boy come at him. Yama charged, but his skill was pitiful,
and Raijin easily overpowered him, knocking him to the ground. Again
and again, Yama stood to face the man, blood streaming into his eyes
from the many small lacerations he had received upon his brow. Finally,
Raijin lowered his weapon, and struck Yama across the face, knocking
him unconscious. Yama-toh disappeared back into his body almost
magically.
When he came to, Yama was strapped over Raijin's saddle, his feet and
hands tied. He discovered that he was being taken back to Hokkan
Country to be put into training in Raijin's personal service.
The trip to the north was cold and horrible for Yama, but he endured,
keeping his mother's last words to him firmly in mind. When they
arrived, weeks later, at the Hokkan Imperial Palace, Yama was made
presentable and taken to stand in front of Ashura-Oh to be presented as
Raijin's servant. He refused to bow to the Hokkan Emperor, which
enraged and embarrassed Raijin. Physically made to kneel by Raijin's
strength, Yama met Ashura-Oh's stare, unafraid. The beautiful,
dark-haired Emperor was obviously impressed by the bold display of
courage, because instead of killing him for defiance, he welcomed Yama
into Raijin's service. Disgusted by the apparent lack of remorse over
the killing of his people, he sneered, but remained silent.
A flitting movement from behind and to the left of Ashura-Oh caught
Yama's attention, and when he made a closer inspection, he found a
young, female child staring back at him. When their eyes met, Yama felt
a painful constriction within his heart, and that sense of rightness
came over him again, as it had with Yama-toh. He was unable to pull his
eyes away from the girl with the long, black hair.
Time stood still.
It was only when Raijin grabbed the back of his collar and stood him
up that Yama regained his wits. Marched out of the throne room, the
last impression he had was of the young girl's strange golden eyes
following him. After that, he was taken to the military barracks, and
put into training, forced to a regimental-type existence. The only
thing that made his existence at all bearable was the occasional
unnoticed glimpse he caught of the young Princess, whose name he
learned was Ashura, as she played about the palace grounds with her
imaginary friends. Her loneliness touched him deep inside, and for that
reason, he risked punishment many times to sneak away and simply watch
her as she frolicked about the gardens without a care in the world.
For years, she had been his only link to the childhood he had lost.
When Yama was fourteen, Raijin led a coup against his brother, and
took the throne of Hokkan for himself, killing Ashura-Oh and renaming
himself Taishaku-ten. Having escaped the emptied barracks during the
fighting, Yama scurried through the palace, looking for his ten-year
old Princess desperately. He found her cowering in a corner of her
room, which was a charred mess, crying. All around her were dead,
melted people, and the room smelled of burnt flesh. Her eyes were
filled with terror and guilt, and Yama felt his heart go out to her all
the more. Hugging her tightly to him, he tried to soothe her, and for
the space of several heartbeats, he was content to remain that way with
her forever.
However, the sound of approaching soldiers reawakened him to their
danger. Desperately afraid of the punishment Ashura would receive if
she were found, Yama dragged her with him to safety. She didn't fight
him as they ran; in fact, she seemed to trust him implicitly as he led
her through back, twisting ways out of the palace, and for that he was
grateful. He took her to the top level of the stables - a place he knew
was rarely ever used - and there he hid her. Throughout that first
night, they clung to each other as the screams of the dying echoed from
the palace halls out to them.
During the next four days together, Yama took care of Ashura, making
sure she had nourishment by stealing what he needed from the kitchens.
At night, he rocked her back to sleep when she awakened from her
nightmares, and it was during this time, he realized later, that their
bond had cemented.
By the end of the fourth day, they were discovered by Taishaku-ten's
guards, and dragged back to him. Yama was proud of the way Ashura held
herself upright during the audience, despite her mother's terrible
denouncement. Yama knew how hurt Ashura was inside - he simply felt her
pain radiate around him - but she said nothing, too proud to cry. For
her, Yama felt the anger, sadness and betrayal, and they were each like
a physically blow to him. Understanding Taishaku-ten's lack of mercy,
he knew what Ashura's sentence would be as surely as she did, and yet,
she did not cower or beg it off. She stood tall beside him, a faint
smile on her lips, noble to the last. It was in that moment that Yama
realized that he loved her. Even though she was only ten years old, he
loved her with all his being; he had for many years. The rightness of
it clicked again, and something in him burst, causing his heart to
ache.
Ashura was his soulmate.
Unafraid of his own punishment, he knelt humbly before Taishaku-ten -
something he had never done up to that point - and willingly offered
his life in exchange for hers.
To everyone's surprise, the new Emperor allowed Ashura to live, and
sentenced her to exist exclusively within the walls of the Hokkan
Palace; she was never again to see the world outside. Relieved that
Ashura would be safe, Yasha allowed himself to be taken away for his
own sentencing - ten light whips and halved rations. He resumed his
training, vowing to one day be strong enough to take Ashura away from
the evil of the palace.
When Ten was born to Taishaku-ten and Shashi nine months later, Yama
feared the worst for Ashura's position. He was in attendance when
Taishaku-ten declared the boy his legitimate heir, and watched as
amazed as the others when the boy suddenly grew to the proportions of a
man within a matter of seconds, right before their eyes. Taking it as a
sign of Genbu's grace upon the boy, the Court "boot-lickers" accepted
Ten as the rightful heir as well. Yama was amazed to see Ashura's face
remain completely calm and detached outwardly, while beneath the
surface, he could clearly feel her bubbling, smoldering rage. She had
turned her back on the boy-now-man, refusing to acknowledge him.
Taishaku-ten was not pleased with her outward rebellious attitude, but
in Yama knew the man would not be foolish enough to call attention to
it in front of the whole assemblage.
Inwardly, Yama's sympathy flowed towards the girl he loved, however,
whether she received it or not remained a mystery to him, as she showed
no outward signs of her awareness of their bond. Patiently, he waited,
hoping that someday, she would know him as he knew her.
On her thirteenth birthday, when he was seventeen, the opportunity
presented itself.
Ashura was allowed to wander about the gardens free of an escort, for
once. Yama waited for her, knowing where she would go; she had her
favorite spots, and he knew them all. When she appeared around the
bend, he was amazed to realize just how much she had changed within
such a short time. Already, she showed signs of being ravishingly
beautiful, and he was taken by the sight of her. Unable to help
himself, he stepped out onto the path to greet her, careful to assure
that no one else was around to see them. Luckily, the thickening trees
hid them from most casual observers; only a person walking about the
path would know they were there alone.
When their eyes met, there was no need for words. Silently, Ashura
came to him, and he wrapped his arms about her body, pulling her close.
Instantly, his youthful body reacted to her presence, and he was hard
pressed to keep his excitement from scaring her away. She seemed so
fragile and vulnerable in that moment, and Yama was moved by her quite,
poignant touches upon his back. Pulling away slightly, he stared into
her golden depths for long minutes, and finally bent his head to kiss
her. It was a first for both of them, he knew, and it was absolutely
right at that moment.
Over the years, he and Ashura, who had bloomed into a gorgeous, albeit
aloof, young woman by the age of sixteen, occasionally exchanged rare
glances or even rarer moments of conversation. Of course, he was aware
that Taishaku-ten had grown suspicious of his feelings for his
'property', but he could have cared less - such was the invulnerability
of youth.
When Yasha was eighteen, he had won the title of being the best
swordsman in the country during the annual tourneys, and was promoted
to Captain of a small, but important garrison - much to Taishaku-ten's
chagrin, and by the time he was nineteen, he had real battle experience
under his belt, since he was frequently sent out to oversee the border
skirmishes. Just, forthright and compassionate, he quickly became an
idol to the people, a hero at court, and an incredible attraction to
women everywhere.
However, even then, he knew Taishaku-ten's jealousy ran deep of his
popularity.
During one of his stints home, when he was barely twenty-one, he went
to see Ashura. Sneaking up to her window, he made it appear by chance
that they met at that moment. Originally, he had gone there only to see
his lady love, but when she looked down at him with eyes filled with
tears, Yama could not help himself. He entered her room and held her to
him, comforting her with his presence. Eventually, one thing led to
another, and the next thing he knew, they were tearing each others'
clothes off and heading for the bed.
That night, Ashura became his in body, if not in spirit; she still had
not acknowledged their bond, much to his disappointment. A part of her
remained unobtainable, distant, deniable, and it frustrated Yama.
Over the next few months, in between his duties, he tried to help
Ashura deal with her feelings of her past, knowing that these were the
reason for the breach between them, but each time, she pulled away, and
the distance grew. When they each discovered the other's unique
birthright, instead of being excited about having something in common,
Ashura withdrew further. Yama was at a loss as to what to do. One day,
she confronted him about his duty to Byakko versus his love for her.
The topic had never been discussed by either of them previously. Unsure
of how to respond to Ashura's jealous accusations, Yasha remained
silent, considering the situation to its entirety. Ashura took this as
a confirmation of his betrayal to their sole commitment to each other,
and stormed out. He had sat alone for a while after that, thinking. He
concluded that no matter what, he would never stop protecting and
loving her, and went to tell her his revelation. However, he entered
her empty apartment, and stopped, stunned. It appeared as if she had
made a hasty retreat from the place, and Yama felt a sinking deep in
his stomach, knowing that she had run away.
At first, he thought about waiting for her to return, but he
understood his Ashura well - she would not be coming back until the
time she was strong enough to kill Taishaku-ten herself. So, gathering
his things, he quietly slipped out of the palace to find her,
understanding that he would be branded AWOL, and a traitor. He would
lose his status at court, and would probably have a bounty placed upon
his head by Taishaku-ten as well. Which meant, he'd be hunted to the
ends of the continent by hunters. None of that mattered to him,
however. He only wanted his Ashura back.
Things proceeding exactly as he assumed they would, and he learned
through the rumor-mill weeks later that he had been officially declared
a deserter, traitor and coward by Taishaku-ten. The Court accepted the
proclamation, and soon afterwards, Yama's name was stricken from every
record in disgrace. As a result, he adopted his Seishi identification
while traveling, forever giving up his real name.
Yasha traversed the whole of the continent to find Ashura, but not a
trace could be found of her.
Years passed, and he eventually ended up back in Sairou Country. He
visited the site where his clan's village once sat, and it was there
that he came across a young, blind woman sitting in the middle of the
land, all alone. Chivalrous to the core, he went to see if he could
help her, but when he approached, she greeted him as if she had known
he would be coming. She introduced herself as Kuyoh, ancestor of the
famous dreamseer, Hinoto - one of Suzaku's first Seishi - and bade him
help her walk back to her encampment. Along the way, she told him that
she had waited weeks for his arrival, having foreseen it, and she spoke
of his destiny as the Protector to the second Byakko Miko. That
evening, when they sat in front of her campfire, she told him about the
fate that she had foreseen for him - mainly, his death at Ashura's
hands.
The next morning, guided by Kuyoh's wisdom, Yasha left the encampment,
and started off for Sairou's Imperial Palace. According to the seeress,
he would meet up with two other Byakko Shiseishi there, and then his
real journey would begin.
When he arrived at the capital, Yasha presented himself to the
Emperor. His status as a Byakko Seishi was proved by the symbol that
appeared on his forehead, and after that, no one questioned his comings
and goings. He was given his own apartments within the palace, and
treated as if he were royalty. In fact, the Emperor, himself, bowed to
the younger man out of respect for his position to their God.
The Emperor was the same that had been on the throne years previously
when Yasha had visited the court with his parents, and he elder man
recognized the dark-haired Seishi for who he really was - the son of
the Yasha Clan Chieftain, who had somehow survived the massacre of his
people.
Yasha also met two of his fellow Seishi at the palace: the Emperor's
own son, Prince Ferio, and the only surviving member of the Zenti Clan,
Sohma. With their help, he discovered Ashura's location and caught a
glimmer of her plans - she had begun gathering the other Genbu
Shiseishi to her. On the side, she had also begun stirring up trouble
all along Konan's, Kutou's and Sairou's borders, attempting to put the
four countries at odds with each other. He guessed that she was hoping
for an all-out war to destroy Taishaku-ten's reign. Generally, ruling
during hostilities was always exhausting, and the Emperor of Hokkan
would quickly deplete his strength fighting off three countries. He
would be left open and vulnerable, and when the time came, she would
strike the killing blow. Revenge would be hers finally.
Yasha understood, more than any, just how dangerous a game Ashura was
playing. The tensions since the First Miko War had never completely
been eased, and as a result, each country continued to cling onto
certain prejudicisms regarding their neighbors. Coupling that with the
recent outbreak of trouble, and there was sure to be war like the land
had never seen before.
Recalling Kuyoh's words, Yasha realized that he had little choice left
- he would have to stop Ashura, whatever the cost, even that of his own
life. He wouldn't do it just for the people of this world, or for his
Miko, or even for his God - he would do it to save Ashura from herself,
because he loved her...