Clouded Horizons:Maria Hiraki

Maria Ayame Hiraki Shinto Priestess
Maria Hiraki in her normal attire.
Character Profile
DOB:	June 17, 2134
Age:	18
Race:	Hume
Gender:	Female
Profession:	Summoner
Theme:	Sacred Ashes
Artist:	Kureejii Lea, The Joker
Planeswalker Information
Championed By:	Freya Vanadis
Year Endorsed:	2149
Additional Information
Birth Realm:	First Realm

Maria Hiraki is a Planeswalker of the Eighth Realm's Ethereal Plane in the Clouded Horizons series.

Personnel Information

Biography

"Aren't you a little old to be living a fairytale?"

―Maria to Mai Kuroki, upon first meeting the Planeswalker

Maria Hiraki was born in Odaiba, Japan on May 17, 1989 (equivalent to 2134 on Gaia), the second of two children. From an early age, she showed a rebellious streak that became more and more evident as time went on, made even more prominent by the fact that her parents seemed to favor her brother in most things over her. Her parents tried to curb the attitude that they saw her developing, but found no success as she grew older, the reason behind the rebellion going unnoticed to either parent. Eventually, during the summer of 2004, Maria left her home, living on and off the streets of Japan for several weeks until she finally managed to secure a job and a place to stay. Her life for the next few months was rough, but she refused to have any contact with her family, reasoning that she was better off without people who didn't seem to care about her. On October 16, 2004, Maria discovered the existence of other realms of existence as Mai Kuroki traveled to Earth to recruit the young girl as a Planeswalker for the Ethereal Plane. Initially, Maria doubted Mai's story and her reason for coming; Mai decided to give the girl a week to decide, then departed for the Ethereal Plane once again. As the days went by, Maria became intrigued at the idea, thinking more and more about it as she languished in her hard-fought new life. Finally, she decided to accept Mai's offer upon the woman's return, leaving Odaiba behind for the exotic surroundings of the Eighth Realm and the Ethereal Plane.

Her early time in the Ethereal Plane was fraught with trouble as she tried to adapt to an atmosphere unlike any she'd experienced before; her rebellious temperament did not sit well with many members of the plane who attempted to instruct her in the ways of magic, history, and the duties she would be expected to uphold as a Planeswalker. It took months of careful instruction and trust-building, but Maria finally opened up to Freya about her life on Earth, which helped Freya to understand the reasons behind the attitude that the young girl had cultivated. With Odin's help, Maria's personality calmed enough for her instruction and training to go more smoothly, and within a few more months of study, Freya saw her skills and overall personality improving by leaps and bounds. Maria quickly became a trusted member of Freya's chosen, spending much of her time performing simple missions for Freya to the Soul Plane and the mortal plane.

Months passed, and Maria eventually decided to make a return trip to Earth, where she found things much as she had left them. She made the decision to avoid her parents and family, associating only with a close friend or two during her time in Odaiba. Maria spent nearly a month traveling the country using her skills as a Planeswalker, seeing various sights that she had yearned to see as a child, before she found an unlikely interest in the ways of the Shinto religion during a visit to the Meiji Shrine in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo. She found herself gripped by a desire to learn more about the religion, its history, and its ways, and soon became a miko at the shrine, where she stayed for nearly a year. Her duties as a Planeswalker hadn't been forgotten, however, and she occasionally took trips to the Ethereal Plane during that time to keep up with affairs in the plane. With a new-found sense of spirit and inner peace, Maria returned to the Ethereal Plane to continue her duties as a Planeswalker.

Personality

"Look at it this way - that shelf didn't really fit in with the rest of the room anyway."

―Maria to Will, after accidentally collapsing a shelf in the Palace of Creation's library

Maria's personality upon first arriving in the Ethereal Plane was one of a brash, often rude, and stubborn teenage girl. Owing to her life just prior to accepting the offer to become a Planeswalker, Maria felt herself almost incapable of trusting people and quick to snap at others for even the smallest misgivings. After some time and a revealing talk with Freya, Maria opened up a little more and began to respect those who were trying to teach her, though a lot of the stubbornness and impulsiveness still remained. Now, after almost thirty years of being a Planeswalker, Maria has learned to respect most people, though her original brashness still surfaces often, especially when annoyed by someone. She is also still somewhat argumentative, despite the great effort Freya has made to teach her discipline and compromise.

Combat Information

In combat, Maria tends to rely heavily on projectile attacks from a specially-crafted bow, as well as summoning creatures to aid her both offensively and defensively. She excels at mid-range to long-range combat, and takes great joy in taunting her enemies, delighting in using any and every psychological advantage she can find to make her opponents cross and miserable before a fight even starts.