By Lyra Zwahn

Content Warning: Action, Violence

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An Au Ra child drifted ashore, hungry and thirsty, on a rickety dingy one foggy morning in Kugane. Her ghostly, white hair was of such length that it draped over the edge of the craft as she slept. 

The retired Sekiseigumi Captain, Ku Hai, walked along the shore in quiet reflection. He watched as boats bobbed and rocked on gentle waves, but he noticed something odd: a silky ribbon teasing the water’s surface. Wading into the ocean to get closer, he peered over the side of the boat to discover a child with hauntingly pale, yet beautiful, features sleeping beneath a pirate flag. She was too weak to raise her head when roused from sleep, her throat too dry to make a sound. 

Hai carried her home in his arms. 

He had always wished for a family, but he and his wife, who had died only weeks before, were never able to have children. So, with joy and sadness, he nurtured the child back to health and raised her as his own. He healed his broken heart by teaching her the art of the katana, his legacy. 

He named the child Ku Obake. 

Following the passing of elderly Hai years later, Obake used her skills as a swordswoman to work as a bodyguard for wealthy traders. She felt perfectly at home on the sea, guarding foreign businesspeople on voyages across the waters and into the neighboring islands. One day, when the lord bugyo of Kugane toured the marketplace of the city, several bandits launched a surprise attack and struck the guards down. 

Obake had just stopped for a midday meal when she heard the commotion. She dropped her food and valiantly fought the vagrants away singlehandedly. Upon learning Obake was the adopted daughter of Ku Hai, the lord bugyo personally appointed Obake as Captain of the market district – to the ire of many. 

An orphan had finally found her home in Kugane. 

Years passed, and Ku Obake served the city well. She found a strong purpose in protecting the market and its vendors from harm. However, malicious actors continued to spread rumors about her origin. They called her hurtful things: a vengeful spirit incarnate, an outsider looking to exploit her status, and much more.

Word reached the Sekiseigumi leadership that a Confederate had penetrated their prestigious order, and an elite squad of Samurai were finally dispatched to detain Obake for questioning. Shocked and humiliated, she agreed to leave with the Samurai. But, at that moment, swords were drawn, and a surprise revolt began. 

A group of traitors within the Sekiseigumi revolted against the Kugane bugyo. 

A bloody battle ensued. Obake fought against her own and found herself crossing blades with those she once called allies. She struck down friends and fought on rooftops as buildings burned. Her clogs flung terracotta tiles as she dashed about and vigorously sliced the flesh of those she was once proud to protect. She struggled on as smoke roiled into the blue sky of the late evening, and though the insurgency was defeated, Obake held her head low and wept. The fury, the betrayal, the shame – it was too much to bear. She vanished under the cover of night. 

She cut her hair short with her father’s chipped blade in the moonlight. 

Obake eventually traveled west and discovered new purpose in Eorzea as a Scion of the Seventh Dawn, Storm Captain of the Maelstrom, and Warrior of Light. She has long since regrown her flowing locks in a bid to reclaim her stolen humanity. 

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