The Day of Thunder

[Sugri]

Sugri sighs and runs a hand through windswept hair.

Ominous shrine of impenetrable darkness even as the sun approaches her zenith....

"Yeah, that tracks." He mutters to himself.

[Nozomi]

Nozomi didn't come towards the shrine often. The mists made her nervous, and she had every reason to believe that whatever was making this entire situation so very impenetrable would make it likely that something might come out to play with their minds. Still, for whatever reason she found herself venturing out along the edges of town on a personal patrol, when the monk saw Sugri there.

Approaching, she cleared her throat and gave him a quick nod. "Not exactly the most safe place to be standing alone, -sama. Are you well?"

[Sugri]

He offers a short bow, hands clasped in front of him, though his eyes do not depart from the gate to the shrine as he does so.

"Dangerous indeed. But I am not fool enough to face a wounded beast within its likely lair... especially when the lair is... that." He gestures as the unnatural darkness.

[Nozomi]

He offers a short bow, hands clasped in front of him, though his eyes do not depart from the gate to the shrine as he does so.

"Dangerous indeed. But I am not fool enough to face a wounded beast within its likely lair... especially when the lair is... that." He gestures as the unnatural darkness.

Her eyebrow raised and she looked towards the darkness before nodding. "Do not enter the darkness until the time has come. That's clear enough if you ask me." But something about what he said... Her eyes narrowed and she stared towards the darkness. "What do you mean wounded beast? Has there been another monster attack in town?"

[Sugri]

Her eyebrow raised and she looked towards the darkness before nodding. "Do not enter the darkness until the time has come. That's clear enough if you ask me." But something about what he said... Her eyes narrowed and she stared towards the darkness. "What do you mean wounded beast? Has there been another monster attack in town?"

He nods, "I suppose word has not yet spread. Shinsei has fallen. I do not know if it is madness, curse, or possession though I suspect the latter. He seemed to still be there, in part, fighting against whatever has taken his mind and body. He attempted to slay one of the monks, and would have succeeded if not for the Dragon Satsuki, and bitterly fought those of us who tried to stop him. None perished, thankfully, though there were grave injuries. Eventually he fled in this direction... I can only assume this was the destination."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

Shinsei has fallen...

That was the only thing that she heard. The color drained in her face. She staggered for a second, like someone had struck a very real blow. She was having flashbacks to the time when a fake Shinsei had returned, had almost killed Matsu. Whatever skill she had at controlling herself was, in that moment, lost. She lunged forward and practically shrieked.

"WHAT?!? What happened, exactly?!?" Nozomi said. The calm of a monk was lost in that moment. There was a terrified woman there in front of Sugri, trying to grab for his kimono, to demand answers.

[Sugri]

On the plus side Sugri had no future-Rokugani compunctions against emotion, closeness, or touch to find such behavior uncouth.

He noted the woman's ascetic garb, she must have been one of his followers. He pondered trying to calm her but he suspected that was likely moot until the story was told.

"Last night a demon or demons moved among the people. This morning another of the monks was distressed as Shinsei would not wake from where he slept in the garden. He seemed quite familiar with Shinsei... and aggrieved. As some of us gathered at his concern Shinsei awoke... or at least something awoke. He strangled the monk, sending him nearly to his end in just a split second, then struck at those of us who were near. One of the Spider..." It takes him a moment, he had not known her name prior to the battle, "Matsu, I believe, led the charge. Though she was inspirational she also was quickly rendered unconscious as he focused his attacks on her first. Satsuki attended to the wounded monk then fought with magical flame, I lent my bow to the cause, and the Crab Ayako defended us both. She, too, eventually fell but not before holding him back long enough for Satsuki and I to put him to flight. I noted his path and, once the wounded were seen to, set out to find where he had fled before things could become even more confused than they already are. His speed was so swift that I only had rough direction but I feel it must have been to here. I have seen no sign of him since I arrived, however."

He considers her distress for a moment as the story finishes, "During the fight it seemed that at times he was held back in his intention and at others argued with himself. Plus the words he said were those of someone exploring something new. Finding pleasure and joy in what they were capable of that would make no sense for one who had trained to be at that point. That is why I believe possession may be at play. If he was your mentor, or your friend, I do not think it was truly him that struck at us. At least take that to heart."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

Her eyes hardened when he started to speak. She didn't shift her position, listening to his every word. One nod, and then another. She knew the monk, or guessed that she did. He was alive, good. She needed to find that old bird. She needed to be sure. At least he wasn't dea...

Of course he went for Matsu first. "She's potentially the Thunder of the Spider. Of course that thing would try to take her down first." It came out in a nasty, venomous spit. Jigoku had tried to claim her once before, tried to claim her father. Of course it tried. She was shaking, quivering and breathing hard by the end. Stepping back, she looked at her hands and saw dots of tears forming in her palms, her teeth clenching.

Your attachments will be your undoing, mother...

Her head whipped and she shrieked towards the darkness. "You hack brained fool of a man! I told you that you can't do this alone!" Her voice was a roar and she let Sugri go, fingers clenching. She didn't doubt the man. She had too much reason to believe him. It took her aa moment to calm, or at least reach the point where she was ready to speak to him again. "No... there is no peace. If he fought against it, it means that he is being possessed by that thing. Anyone else would have fallen already. That means it is not some fake wearing his face."

[Sugri]

He nods once more.

"He was still within himself. Still fighting. At least the last I saw of him."

He looks to the darkness once more, "You were close, then, I take it?"

[Nozomi]

-snip-

Close? Am I close to my husband? Her face was a war of emotions before her eyes took on a hooded look. "I am close enough to demand one of the family heads adopt me so that I may plunge myself into hell to beat the ever loving shit out of him for this. Does that answer your question?" She breathed slowly. "He is the Teacher, and I am the first of his students. Neither of these things matter. Status does not matter on the path. I'm just some girl he saved from herself at the mouth of hell, who started over on a new path. Nothing more. But I will not let that... thing undo everything we worked to create in this world."

"He would never forgive me."

[Sugri]

-snip-

Close? Am I close to my husband? Her face was a war of emotions before her eyes took on a hooded look. "I am close enough to demand one of the family heads adopt me so that I may plunge myself into hell to beat the ever loving shit out of him for this. Does that answer your question?" She breathed slowly. "He is the Teacher, and I am the first of his students. Neither of these things matter. Status does not matter on the path. I'm just some girl he saved from herself at the mouth of hell, who started over on a new path. Nothing more. But I will not let that... thing undo everything we worked to create in this world."

"He would never forgive me."

From what he had seen of these people a hug was likely not the right answer here.

"Status does not matter but connections do. The people on our path are important to us and can be more dear than the self. The teaching of disconnection is from worldly things and petty matters. If we knew he was gone, yes, I would counsel on releasing those ties so they do not drag you with him. But if he can be saved it is not a failing of the path to fight for him, and for his cause, still." Despite all that has happened he offers a warm smile though he still resists the urge to rest a hand on her shoulder, "So fight. Just do not let anger blind you. They will use that, and all else you feel for him, against you. Do not let them triumph."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

There was a moment where she flashed him a look that could have murdered someone. And then, she sighed and deflated a little. "You sound a little like my daughter. She's a much wiser woman than I am." Her lips thinned and she sighed, shaking her head. "My connections to this world may yet be the end of me. But I would see him saved, and if he cannot be saved? Saved from himself. I have people I am going to need to speak to."

Gods, but ... this was not going to be easy.

"Tell me. Do you believe in destiny?"

[Sugri]

There was a moment where she flashed him a look that could have murdered someone. And then, she sighed and deflated a little. "You sound a little like my daughter. She's a much wiser woman than I am." Her lips thinned and she sighed, shaking her head. "My connections to this world may yet be the end of me. But I would see him saved, and if he cannot be saved? Saved from himself. I have people I am going to need to speak to."

Gods, but ... this was not going to be easy.

"Tell me. Do you believe in destiny?"

He finally couldn't help but release his own tension and broke out laughing, loud and long, before finally stopping and catching his breath.

"Sorry. Sorry. It has been a day, and a lifetime, and many lifetimes. Yes, I believe in destiny."

[Nozomi]

He finally couldn't help but release his own tension and broke out laughing, loud and long, before finally stopping and catching his breath.

"Sorry. Sorry. It has been a day, and a lifetime, and many lifetimes. Yes, I believe in destiny."

"You're forgiven. You were nearly killed by one of the most powerful mortal men that lives, the living embodiment of enlightenment and the advisor of the Emperor. I think you're allowed to laugh in the face of the impossible if I'm allowed to scream at it." She laughed once, hollowly, mirthlessly. If Sugri had ever known her, it would have sounded like the laugh of a girl long ago.

"What do you believe about Destiny?"

[Sugri]

"You're forgiven. You were nearly killed by one of the most powerful mortal men that lives, the living embodiment of enlightenment and the advisor of the Emperor. I think you're allowed to laugh in the face of the impossible if I'm allowed to scream at it." She laughed once, hollowly, mirthlessly. If Sugri had ever known her, it would have sounded like the laugh of a girl long ago.

"What do you believe about Destiny?"

Another nod, "It was a mixed blessing. My own methods draw upon the balance not just within myself but within those I face. I honestly have not been more powerful, in this lifetime, than when I faced him."

"As for destiny..." He considers how to put it in words, "The lives we have lived before shape the lives that we now live as they shape the lives we will live again if we do not transcend. Those past lives also influence the obstacles, challenges, and rewards we will face. The path itself is not fixed, it can be altered by the way in which we walk it, but some of the..." He reaches for a word within the analogy, "...landmarks... along the way are too large to simply be avoided and must be faced. One can go around a hill, perhaps even around a mountain, but the sea will always be the sea."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

"An interesting way to look at it. Reasonable even," she said, considering. "As you said, though. The path is not set. We may be forced to take hold of it for ourselves, to claim the destiny that is before us and demand it take the shape that we require."

Her lips turned in a frown. "I fear that we may have been too reliant upon one man to choose for us." And that this might have helped kill him. That made her feel like ice inside.

[Sugri]

"An interesting way to look at it. Reasonable even," she said, considering. "As you said, though. The path is not set. We may be forced to take hold of it for ourselves, to claim the destiny that is before us and demand it take the shape that we require."

Her lips turned in a frown. "I fear that we may have been too reliant upon one man to choose for us." And that this might have helped kill him. That made her feel like ice inside.

"If fortune favors the mortal man then do not make that man a legend before the task is done." He sighs a little and strokes his chin, "Over reliance can breed weakness but adversity can breed strength. We can only hope..." He stops himself and shakes his head, "No, not hope, we will see to it that this is the latter. Heroes were proven this day. They may not be the ones he spoke of, or perhaps they are, but strength has been found and further strength will be found still."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

"Our options are to do, or to die trying. It is that simple." She breathed in slowly and exhaled, clearly calming, containing her reactions. "We have to wrestle destiny back and force it to conform. I wonder if this is how it has been done many times in the past. Coerced and badgered into place, hammered like the forging of a tool."

[Sugri]

"Our options are to do, or to die trying. It is that simple." She breathed in slowly and exhaled, clearly calming, containing her reactions. "We have to wrestle destiny back and force it to conform. I wonder if this is how it has been done many times in the past. Coerced and badgered into place, hammered like the forging of a tool."

He's not sure if conformity was the word he would choose but now wasn't the time to quibble over philosophical differences.

"Every lifetime is a struggle to forge ourselves and the world around us. Some just have higher stakes than others."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

On the blade of semantics, the world turned. "The stakes remain just as high as before this time. I am afraid that this may have just gotten that much harder. I can only imagine how hard fighting him, even with internal struggles, would have been. I have seen him fight." Many times. She knew all too well.