hime guide
HiME
Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment
The Tamayura Festival is based on the local legend of the Ikusahime. About the maidens who fought for the ones they were affectionate of, and lived their momentary lives as they withered away. The charm at the academy's crystal arena began with Ikusahimes tying their hairbands onto the tree which used to stand there. Tying it before they went off to the last battle, wishing to meet their loved ones upon return.
HiME go by many names in the world of Mai-HiME (MY-HiME): HiME, Ikusahime, Valkyrie, Princess. As stated above the term HiME is an acronym for "Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment", also making it a backronym for the Japanese term of "princess". In canon the girls are described to have "explosive power". This explosive power is the ability to materialize weapons from thin air, they do this by manipulating photons. Two stages of power exist that the HiME can reach: Element and Child.
An Element is the name of the weapon the HiME is able to create. Each weapon created is unique to the girl who summons it. Mikoto has a two-handed sword, Natsuki guns, and Akira a double-edged blade. However, there are times that these weapons are noncombatant such as Yukino's mirrors which are used for survelliance. It's noted that Elements can be recreated if destroyed, but it takes a deal of energy from the HiME, and possibly the "most important person". The HiME's Elements have no more magical powers than a regular version of their original forms if a weapon. However, things like Yukino's mirrors and Mai's arm and cuff lits have their own powers (Mai's allows her to fly and appears aflame without harming her).
A HiME is able to summon their Child at any point after accepting it. A HiMEs Child is essentially their protector. While tame and listening to their mistress' accordance there are times that, when the HiME is in danger or highly emotional, it will act against orders to protect their Hime. A Child is connected to the Elemental power of the girl's Element as well as a mythological beast or deity. At the same time each have biomechanical appearances, Akira's Gennai looks like a giant robotic-toad and even Mai's Kagutsuchi takes on a roughly dragonic-airplane like appearance at one point.
There are certain things about the HiMEs that go along with their abilities and in the following sections they will be covered.
The HiME Festival, or the time that HiMEs gather once more, happens only once every few hundred years. At this time the HiME Star slowly begins approaching closer to Earth. The mark of the star actually appears on each HiMEs body astrologically (this symbol can be seen at the top of the page). The HiME Star is what gives the girls their power, but at the same time it's approach means disaster to the world. As the Star approaches so does the gathering of the HiME and, almost inevitably, a possible destruction of the world.
HiMEs are told they must fight each other and whoever is the most powerful and winds will have the power to destroy the Star. This, however, goes untested if plausible as the true approaching of the Star and the fights the HiME has brings about the awakening of the Obsidian Prince.
"The more tears the HiME shed the happier the Obsidian Prince becomes."