The Day of Thunder

"Dream, huh." She gazed thoughtfully at the water's surface, and then muttered, "Well, that certainly sounds right... but it might have been my imagination." After a moment, she dipped a little deeper, blew some bubbles, and then flopped back against the side of the pool, letting the steam continue ...

Yukara tried to keep the darkness out, but ultimately she felt herself slipping further and further - the Chi beginning to grow sluggish, her body aching with the exertion, sweat beading all over her as she felt searing pain behind her eyes. With a scream of frustration and fury, she tried one last ...

"Hmmm."

She stretched, the jade talons on each finger dripping water, and then she opened her eyes and they vanished.

"Do you know if an individual has any... say? If it can be brought out - or if it can appear later in life, perhaps?"

Turning into a sleeps soon.

"Ah."

She considered that.

"Well... do you know if any of their... spirit... or power... lingers in humans if they, perhaps had children? And how many generations those might last?"

What an oddly specific question.

"I am glad to hear it."

She closed her eyes again, resting with her head and hands above the water. Again, they... changed.

"Do you know much about Bakeneko?"

"Hmmm."

She considered for a while, and then inquired, "Then I shall use one of them."

Taking a slow breath, she continued, "Do you know much about spirits?"

"I did not hear about it. I am glad you are all well."

She sighed, and then opened her eyes, and once more her hands reverted to normal.

Looking over at Sora, she inquired, "So tell me, rather than me inflicting some form of punishment, can I instead ask you for a favor?"

She listened quietly, but finally reacted to the last line. "Zombie? What brought that on?" A pause, "Did I miss another demon?" Waving one hand, talons tracing a lazy pattern as she continued to rest with her eyes shut, she added, "If so, I assume it has been dealt with, as I have not seen any zomb...

Ah, yes, that dredged up a sore spot. Yukara frowned, but did not comment for a moment, flicking through mental options. Finally she rolled her eyes back up to the ceiling so she could state, simply, "I believe you, I suppose. It does not make it any less unpleasant to discover you are functionally ...

Yukara almost didn't respond, her arms floating on the surface of the water as she meditated... the tips of each finger ending in glistening jade talons. Then she twitched, seeming to realize she had been spoken to, and opened her eyes, sitting up a little to see who was speaking to her. Ah, Oji-san...

Do NoT tURn iNtO dEmoNs.

Listen, sometimes you need some tough love from auntie Anjing.

Yukara grimaced, the force of will now a growing strain on her body, the chi expenditure becoming an ongoing battle - not something she had expected, but she wasn't about to give up now. Pushing the chakra out, she tried to form the shield on her skin as she had before, in case the transformation fu...

"I suppose this is true, so long as you are young and hale."

She chuckled. "Try not to get into too much trouble - at least, not without your friends there to help you."

I messed up the formatting. I have now fixed it.

Yukara sat down, and while she was fairly sure she understood the issue at hand, she wasn't entirely positive. Still, she put brush to parchment and scrabbled out, in heinous script that would embarrass a child: hELlo, pEoPle oF thiS lOVeYy vILlAge. You arE cuRrEnTly liVinG oN ThE dOorwAy to hELl. T...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcLYKAQexA

Reached this one a little sooner than expected.

"That might be amusing. I could see you creating pictures to amuse and poke at the pretensions of the arrogant."

She chuckled, "Provided you did so carefully, to keep from making too much trouble."

"Considering how many have told me that I will possess talents beyond carving apart the mad with Yume-Kiri - I will assume the same is true of you. If my hands can wash clean, anyone's can." Yukara sounded slightly stern. "You cannot hide behind your current skills any more than I can, if we choose ...