The Legend of the Chikara Crown

The Love and Betrayal of Leiko:

A sorceress by the name of Leiko once fell in love with a powerful demon by the name of Hideaki. While Hideaki found the priestess appealing, he saw her as nothing more than a passing fancy. Something to be enjoyed in passing only. When he finally grew bored, he journeyed to the south in search of new amusements, quickly forgetting about the beautiful woman who had given her heart to him naively.

While Hideaki was roaming the southern woods one morning, he happened upon a beautiful Miko. She warned him away from the nearby village and promised retribution if he dared to harm any of the villagers or their property. Intrigued by her spirited bravery, the demon agreed to stay within the woods farthest from the village, but only if the Miko agreed to walk there often. Recognizing immediately that there was no guarantee she could defeat the powerful demon in battle, she reluctantly agreed. The Miko was initially leery of the demon's quiet and harmless presence as he followed her on her walks at a distance. Occasionally he would ask her a question, his curiosity about her growing with time.

Since he continued to honor their agreement and not attack her village, she reconciled herself to remain vigilant and ready for confrontation. As the months passed, the Miko and Hideaki developed a friendship that ultimately blossomed into unexpected but honest love. Though Hideaki often tried to persuade the Miko to leave the village and commit herself to him, she was loyal to the duties and village she loved.

In the north, Leiko had been searching for Hideaki for months when she heard rumors that there was a powerful demon in love with a Miko in a southern village. Leiko refused to believe this was a story of her beloved, but made her way into the South when he still could not be found. When she came across the two embracing in the forest, she became furious. Mindless and heartbroken, she attacked the pair, intent on killing the woman who stole the heart of the one she loved. Hideaki, only interested in protecting the Miko, wounded the dark priestess before she was able to inflict any damage.

Leiko fled before Hideaki could kill her, but not before vowing revenge against the pair.

The forging of the black and white stones:

Leiko turned her hate and despair into vengeance. With a heart soon overwhelmed by darkness, her thirst for retaliation consumed her mind night and day. She devised a plan that would see both Hideaki and the Miko pay the ultimate price for her pain. Two stones were born of an evil spell and her withering heart. She fashioned a necklace within which she placed a stone that was black as midnight. This stone was the embodiment of the hate and betrayal of her broken heart. The second stone, sparkling with flawless white light, was placed in a simple golden crown. This stone was born of the pure love and devotion she had once felt for Hideaki.

Leiko slipped the necklace around her neck and carried the crown with her to the village of the Miko.

There are two types of energy in this world, light and dark. Since the dawn of time, light and dark have been battling for supremacy of the Earth. Additionally, there are three categories of creatures whom embody this epic battle for power. Demons with their youkai power that is the manifestation of dark energy, Mikos with holy powers comprised of the pure essence of Light, and mortal humans who contain both light and dark within their beings. The two passion-based emotions, love and hate, mingle within the heart so closely, it is often difficult to discern between the two. When one becomes dominant, the delicate balance the world sits upon is in danger of tipping. The stones were created to harness the energy that comprises these emotions.

Darkness has the power to consume all it comes in contact with, and the black stone is also able to absorb and contain the power of a demon's youkai. Since a Miko's powers are born of love and a need to care for earth's creatures, the white stone contains within it all that is good and compassionate. The white stone controls white energy, or in other words, the holy powers of a priestess.

When the two stones are bonded with a Chikara Spell, one stone is able to control and imprison the powers of the other. Unless the binding spell is broken, the stones will ultimately absorb the power of the one under control.

A Perfect Revenge:

Disguised as a traveler, Leiko faked an illness to get near the Miko. Through deception and cunning, she was able to place the crown upon the Miko's head and bind the stones with a spell. In control of the young woman, Leiko sent her into the forest to meet with Hideaki. At a distance under the cover of trees, Leiko was able to turn the holy powers of the Miko against the unsuspecting daiyoukai. The Miko screamed in agony as her body absorbed Hideaki's energy and transferred it to the black stone located at the dark priestess's neck. The purity of the Miko's soul made the absorption of Hideaki's youkai extremely painful and dangerous, as the dark energy clashed against the light within her.

With the absorption of his youkai powers, Hideaki was forced to watch the destruction of his love as nothing more than a vulnerable, mortal man.

Through the spell that bound the two jewels together, Leiko invaded the mind of the Miko. The priestess was forced to watch as her own flesh and spiritual powers were used to destroy and murder the villagers she had known and cared for since birth. The Miko's holy powers were then absorbed into the white jewel, turning it a faint pink. Hideaki's anguished scream was heard throughout the countryside as her lifeless body fell at his feet.

The dark priestess then killed the once powerful demon as he lay weeping over the body of his miko.

Leiko's hatred did not die that day. Instead, her anger and lust for power grew, warping into a dark monster that demanded constant appeasement. She used the stones in a plan to rid the land of all mikos, feeling it was her duty to expel the world of their kind. Unfortunately, the nature of the stones demanded that one remain stronger than the other at all times. The dark power had to be greater than that of the Light in order to maintain control, as well as sustain the binding spell. As a result, she had to absorb the dark power of demons, before she could attack and absorb the Light of a Miko, turning her heart blacker with every passing day.

Destruction of the Dark Priestess Leiko:

Leiko continued in this vein for years until she came across an exceptionally powerful priestess who was determined to stop Leiko's murderous reign. In order to control and absorb this priestess's immense power, she needed to strengthen the dark stone substantially. Fleeing the forest where the other sorceress was tracking her, Leiko sought out the demon Goshinki whom was rumored to be very powerful. She believed it was within her capacity to defeat this great dragon. During the battle, she over-estimated her abilities and was unable to absorb the demon's powers.

Instead, he was able break the chain at her neck with one powerful stroke. As soon as the chain was broken, the binding spell weakened until it was crushed under the weight of the strain connecting the two powers together. Her control of the power within the white stone ceased immediately, taking away her advantage. Without the use of the stones, she was no match for the demon. Goshinki killed the dark priestess and the whereabouts of the stones have remained unknown ever since.

There is a rumor that the reason they were never found was that a band of ruthless thieves came across the battlefield shortly thereafter, making away with the crown and stones.