The Day of Thunder

The shaman regards him neutrally before closing her eyes and twirling on the surface of the water. Thin waves whorl around her small body to carry her and the jellyfish unnaturally to Goju's vessel, the nezumi stepping carefully onto the boat as the water retreats. The waves grow wild in her absence...

"I b'lieve them're gathered as're gonna be, ma'--beg pardon, but how ought I t' refer to an' address you?" " I'm a girl! " She says with arms spread wide as if that's incredibly obvious. But for all her immaturity, she steers herself back to what she really wants to say. " Will you tell them I'm on...

The nezumi's eyes sparkle a little as she looks up at Yukara, amazed. Humans are so surprising! Chuchu briefly wonders how the kittens at home are doing; by now, they're probably cats, and wandered off to find new homes and new nezumi to love them. It leaves her quiet a moment. " Yukara's a pretty n...

"But it ain't s' bad, really. Th' trees're purty, an' I get t' see flowers in th' spring no sailor's ever sighted. Food's better'n aboard ship, too. An' it's damned hard t' drown on dry land." One of her ears lowers as she regards that -- human beliefs are strange. Life's not meant to be a punishme...

"Makes us not get along s' good." " Oh, " She answers very softly. " That must leave you a little lonely, sometimes... " Chuchu shuffles where she stands, a million billion thoughts racing through her mind, unsure of what to ask, knowing maybe she shouldn't; she's been chastised before for accident...

The choppy waters begin to grow fierce, though the little shaman keeps her space calm as she continues to advance, careful not to step on any of the roiling jellyfish swarming the waters... until... Goju's words give her pause and for a brief, flashing moment, she unleashes a sixth sense in a vain a...

" No! It's a big one! A scary one, " Her voice softens, unsure how to explain it, or, perhaps, hitting upon some unseen barrier only a Dreamwalker understands. " But this one is bad too. Do you want help? I could send you somewhere else, if you'd like, or you could make yourself go. Just don't forge...

"Th' O-Iemoto gave White Moonrise a nemuranai, work of 'is own hands, along th' way to rescue th' Lord Hantei's brother," he says. "An' I'm known as Otomo Akutou," is added, the brim of the hat touched. " Awww! " She throws up her little hands before turning around -- and starting at the sudden cha...

"I like mountains, where the air is clean and fresh, and the ground is solid underfoot." " To the mountains! " She chirps happily. The cloud begins to rise, its constellation of crystals following them, one taking a moment to bounce around Yukara and release playful sparks that fall to dim dusty mo...

"What do you want?" " Are you alright? " A high-pitched voice calls out. Slowly the great shadow on the clouds diminishes until its source is revealed -- a tiny nezumi. A child. Walking on the water, or, rather, skipping, careful not to step on any jellyfish. " There's a big storm on the way, it ju...

"This's a dream?" " Mmhmm! This is your dream. So you can do anything, so long as it's not mean. " She nods as if that's the most important rule. The little nezumi then lets go of him, and, straightening, introduces herself: " I'm Great Number, " which whistles on the wind as Chuchu, " A Nameseeker...

At his crying the wind picks up, something rumbling off in the distance. The shock of the sound propels Chuchu forward. Her body hits his with a thud as arms and tail wrap around the boy. " I won't let it eat you! I won't! Promise! Promisepromisepromise! This will be a nice dream, " She reassures --...

She freezes at the unexpected response. For a good, long moment, the nezumi stares up at him, so still she might not even be breathing.

"I'm sorry," She offers even as she's still stuck in place. "Does the water ... hurt you?"

"Nope!" She chirps confidently before scampering towards the shoreline. There the ratling awaits him, in the liminal space between land and sea.

"I... I do not know. I do not know where else I can go." " Come, now, " She gently coaxes, " This is the world of Dreams. If you can dream it, you can find it. " Her paw moves forward to take Yukara's hand. Their palms against each other offer another glimpse into their difference; the nezumi's han...

Her face scrunches further at his offer; this one is picky in the way only a child who's never gone hungry can be. "I can show you better food!" She chirps. "Fruits and nuts and roots!"

"I do not know. I have no other heart to compare it to." " I understand, " She answers with a soft sincerity. At Yukara's question the ratling sits up straight and proud, " I am a Nameseeker of the Great People! In due time all return from that whence they came, but those who keep the old ways can ...

A soft sigh follows a fresh breeze, and suddenly the boy is not alone. Upwind of the midden a tiny ratling sits, crouched, her face (and in particular her nose) scrunched up as she squints at the dreamer. The colors and patterns of her fur -- all but her face, black and static -- twist and morph slo...

Goju was having a pleasant dream. The sails on his ship bore the symbol of the jellyfish as the did the sails of the boats near him. He had done it. The sea, calm and inviting, cradles his vessels like a mother, gently rocking each in time to his heartbeat; the air is fresh, the sky bright, and eve...

"I am... fine. I am always fine. I have no choice. Who... What are you?" " I am a Great Number, " the words overlaid by the wind-whistley syllables 'Chuchu', " Friend of Humans and Nameseeker of the Great People. " Shyly the nezumi sits up on her knees, her whole face now apparent, and her shoulder...