Matsuri Shihou

FANDOM: Sola
TIMELINE PERIOD: Post-Series

BACKGROUND: A Calamity of The Night is a creature who is the embodiment of human pain and agony. They are the great misfortunes and disasters that can never see the sun. They were once human – but when they died, another Woe ‘revived’ them to become another Calamity of The Night. Should one venture into the sun, their skin begins to burn and disintegrate. However, they heal quickly in the darkness, unless their exposure to the sun was for too long. The smallest bit of skin touched by the sun is enough to cause a Calamity pain. Aside from this one detail, they are immortal.

Matsuri Shihou is a three-hundred and fifty year old Woe, and her origin is unknown. For as long as she can remember, she has lived in the darkness – she has never stood underneath the sun and enjoyed a bright blue sky even though to be able to do so is her greatest desire. She has the same abilities as most other Calamities – she can heal rapidly, enhanced abilities, turn others into Calamities… but she also has her own, special, unique ability – Matsuri can decay anything with a simple touch.

Centuries ago, she inhabited a cave with Aono and Yorito; two human, sibling, companions of hers. It was Aono and Yorito’s goal to show Matsuri the sky.

A tragic accident then occurs. Yorito is killed when a home collapses on top of him – leaving Aono and Matsuri to frantically try to dig him out to no avail. Back at Matsuri’s cave, Aono slits her throat with the claim that she cannot live without Yorito. Lonely, and despite her obvious bond with Yorito, she did not want to be left by herself again – which was how Aono became a Calamity of The Night, just as Matsuri was. However, the company did not last very long, as Aono grew very angry at Matsuri for what she had done. Not only was she a Calamity like Matsuri, but Yorito was still dead. However, before Aono disappears, she recreated Yorito with her new-found special ability: controlling paper. She then implanted memories in ‘Yorito’s’ mind.

Flash forward centuries of Matsuri’s ‘life’ that are spent wandering through the night, avoiding hunters who were out to kill her for what she is. A man named Takeshi, whom has a Calamity companion in the body of a little girl, has found Matsuri and is intent on killing her because of a tale that to bring one Calamity back to life, another Calamity must sacrifice its own. Takeshi is hell-bent on making Mayuko human once more.

One night, however, Matsuri encounters Yorito once more – however, he has no memories of her, or his past. As far as Yorito seems to be concerned, he is just a teenaged boy who is obsessed with taking pictures of the sky. Through a series of events, Yorito finds out Matsuri’s secret and takes her into his home to ‘protect’ her from Takeshi.

Her bond with Yorito begins to manifest once more, beginning when he promises her to show her the sky, and to stand under it with her. Yorito is so determined, that he even leaves the bedsheets and blankets outside in the sun so when he brings them in, they will ‘smell like the sky’.

However, Matsuri soon disappears after claiming that “A Calamity of the Night is the embodiment of Human agony and pain. We are always meant to be alone.”

She soon confronts Aono, however – who tells Matsuri to stay away from her Yorito. The same Yorito she created with paper centuries ago. After their confrontation, they part ways – until Matsuri finds her once more and challenges her to one more fight over Yorito. Despite Aono being his sister, Yorito sides with Matsuri. They fight in an abandoned theatre.

Matsuri carries the sword Takeshi had carried; the sword that can revive a Calamity in exchange for the life of another. While standing on the Theatres stage, Matsuri stabs herself just as the projector starts shooting a film of the sky at the stage. On Matsuri.

The fight continues outside and Yorito takes a blow for Matsuri, and ends up turning back to what he was – paper. As Matsuri comforts Aono for the loss of Yorito, she gains the upper hand and stabs Aono as the sun rises. In the end, Yorito succeeded in showing her the sky – but in exchange, Matsuri lost her life to make Aono human.