Akemi is my Name ~ Akatsuki no Yona Fanfic

Chapter 1: Hello

Her vision was flipped sideways. Why was she laying down on the floor?

She blinked once, twice, three times. Grass wet with midnight dew. The little droplets of water reflected the white glow of the moon, appearing as little crystals. She pushed herself off the ground, absorbing her surroundings.

It was a forest. At least she was in a nice clear opening. And, judging by the sound of rushing water to her left, she knew she would at least have water. It was a cool night, a swift breeze tousling her hair to and fro. What color was her hair, even?

The girl was surprised to feel her fingers run all the way down her back until she caught the ends of her hair. It was so long! And not to mention smooth. Holding it up to her nose, she inhaled the scent of her brown locks; it smelt like pomegranates.

Placing her hands in her lap, her fingers ran over the silky material of her skirt. Or was it a dress? She stood up, looking down at her feet to see they were nearly covered by the hem of her red . Why was she dressed so fancily? And then she brought up her hands to her face.

Her fingernails were finely manicured, though maybe a little scar here or there. She didn't remember the stories behind those white patches of skin, however. As she looked down at her palms, that were remarkably soft, she felt pieces of her hair brush against her forehead; bangs? She brushed them aside as she lifted her head, turning left and right.

She was all alone.

Aside from the animals, she was probably the only one inhabiting this forest. Alone...was she completely alone? Did she have a family? A brother? A sister? A husband? Why couldn't she remember anything? Her mind was at a complete blank. Her cheeks began to burn, heartbeat increasing. Why couldn't she remember anything?

All right, All right, calm down -

Her name.

Why couldn't she remember her name?

Her eyes shot open in fear. She brought her hands up to her head, tightly fisting the hair atop her crown. Where am I? Where am I going? Am I looking for something? Someone? Am I looking for my family? Do I have a family? Is someone looking for me? Am I important enough to be looked for? I must be, considering this kimono. But am I really? I don't know, I don't know!

Her knees trembled, causing her to fall back down. She hunched over, sweat forming at the hairline. Gasping for breath, she snapped her head up once she heard the nearby stream's rush. Water, she needed water.

She ran over, nearly tripping on her kimono. She didn't care if it was sullied, she needed something to cool her down. Cupping her hands, she tipped her head back and downed the refreshing drink. She wondered for a second why it tasted so fresh, but quickly shook it off; she had bigger issues to worry about.

After a few more handfuls of water, she splashed herself to cool down. Why was she feeling so hot? It was a relatively cold night, but not that it bothered her. But yet, here she was, sweating buckets. With shaky hands, she fumbled with the silk tie around her waist and quickly tugged it off. She felt the dress loosen and tore it off her body immediately. The wind caressed her naked body and she instantly felt relieved. But still, there was something burning. Something on her back.

It kept burning and burning, heating up and sweltering. She clawed at her back, crying out in pain. It felt like she was being branded, like someone was stamping a hot piece of iron to her back. Tears flooded in her eyes, pouring down her face. As she squeezed them shut, she did not realize the glowing gold light emanating from her backside.

"Help!"

Suddenly, the pain subsided. It was quiet once more.

Exhausted, the girl fell to her side. Chest heaving up and down, she fisted the grass beneath her and limply tossed her long hair to the side. Hearing something sizzle and inhaling the scent of ash, she turned her head to the side and widened her eyes at the sight.