>You are Byakuren Hijiri, 18 years old, resident of the city of Mayoiga, caretaker (owner) of Rin Kaenbyou, resident of the Moonside apartments, and third year student of Mayoiga High. A few days ago, you were the most popular girl in school, one of the most well-known and liked girls around town. And then you touched a strange doll, and saw a world not your own. That was the day that everything changed, and you became Magical Lotus, the Hero of the Heart.
>With possibly one or two exceptions, yesterday was the most trying day of your life. On four seperate occastions were you forced to risk your life in confrontations with dark and dangerous forces, including your teacher Keine Kamishirasawa who had been corrupted by a malign power, a pitched battle with the demonic Champion of Ice overseen by her companion champion, Fire. You met the Air Champion once again and fought its latest youma, this one much more powerful than the ones you fought before. And to top it all off, when you went to the White Tiger shrine to snoop about for information about the elder miko Satori, you inadventantly unleashed some kind of Deathbringer creature, a titanic aberration that existed only to snuff out life. With the expected help of the mikos of the shrine, and the extremely unexpected help of the Champions of Ice and Fire, you destroyed this evil creature, leaving Satori to face the judgement of her fellow mikos for what she had done while under the death creatures' influence. The situation there may be resolved, but there will be fallout still to come.
>Between those battles, you had a chance to visit the Champion you were able to defeat, the Water demon, and had a long and informative conversation with her. Her name was Louise, and she and her kind hail from a world called Makai. But they do live there by choice. They are prisoners on that world, trapped there by beings Louise called Celestials. And Makai is alive, and is actively trying to massacre the Children, as Louise called her own people. The lives of the Children are filled with nothing but unrelenting horror, consumed by the struggle to survive. Louise, imprisoned though she was, claimed that it was the only time in her life she had ever felt truly safe, since she knew you would not kill her, nor would you let Kiku kill her. The six Champions, empowered such by their creator whom she called only Mother, managed to pierce the barrier between Makai and Earth to try and gather the energy they need to destroy that barrier, leading their people into your world to save them. But while you insist that the demons relocation does not have to come at the expense of the people of Earth, Louise did not, or simply could not, agree. Nevertheless, you remain wholeheartedly committed to saving both her people and yours. Somehow.
>But the night ended in a way that honestly made you forget all those struggles, all that tragedy, all the pain you and those you encountered experienced. Driven by the emotions of that day, Rin became more than your friend, and you ended the day in each others' arms. You discovered a passion and intensity in your Kasha that surprised you considerably. In diplomatic terms, while you initiated the experience, she took over very quickly, and proved to be, in her own way, as physically taxing as fighting a youma. Never, though, have you been as happy to be taxed.
>That said, however, when your eyes flutter open into wakefulness this morning, you do not meet the day with your usual get-up-and-go. Based on the sounds of boiling water coming from the kitchen, and the level of light poking its way through your drawn curtains, Rin started with the day, but the idea of staying right where you are is a very tempting one. Then again, you're also very hungry, and knowing Rin, the dear heart will be preparing a fine meal to help her mistress 're-energize' after her exertions yesterday. Especially, perhaps, the exertions she herself caused.
