The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Huan]

Huan was only 2 days out from his destination... according to his estimations and the information he got from the head of the previous village. His tent was open to the small fire of his camp and he lay, looking up at the wooden shaft keeping it suspended above him. His eyes closed every now and then as he was drifting off... until he heard the noise. Heavy footsteps and a loud thud.

Sitting up and crawling out of the tent, he noticed a massive mountain of a man that was staring directly into the tent while sitting on a log that wasn't there before. Huan said, through a wary squint, "I am guessing you're not here to cause trouble?"

The big man said, "I'm not here at all," pointing behind Huan and into the tent. Huan could see his own sleeping body.

"I'm dreaming? Then who..." he paused as he looked the big man up and down. "No. No, this just doesn't make sense. You can't be him because he's dead and I'm me."

"Why not? Does it even make sense that I could turn into you? You see us. You've heard the stories. We're nothing alike. That makes no sense right?" Taochusu replied.

Huan suddenly felt gripped by terror. "Why? You've never appeared before. Why now? I knew it. This shit's going to kill me isn't it. No. No, no, no. I need to see my mother again. My sister. I'm not ready." Huan was on the verge of tears as he heard his body tossing inside the tent.

Taochusu looked at him and replied, "You think I was ready? You've heard the stories, but you don't know the truth. The stories are embellished... which is kind of my fault. From what I can gather from your memories, those people do what I did and blow things way out of proportion to make everything more legendary and fantastic. I wasn't ready. I had people I wanted to spend time with, get to know better, new friends and a bright future. And that was all cut short. I mean, damn. Some of those women were really pretty and I never had a chance."

Huan replied, "So you didn't sacrifice yourself? You just happened to die?"

Taochusu replied, "No... I sacrificed myself, I gave it my all. But if you think for a second that I didn't want to walk out of that hell alive then you're dumber than I am. And I wasn't super bright... just clever enough to survive, barely."

The Ishiken looks at Taochusu with a surprised look. "You're not nearly what I thought. I figured you'd be all proper and fearless and full of enthusiasm."

"That wouldn't be like us, would it?" Taochusu asked. "We are the same soul after all, no? Which... sorry about that. None of this shit really made much sense to me and I was never trying to be reborn in any special way or anything. Honestly? From our memories of your life... things have kind of sucked for you. I mean, not as bad as me, but it's not really a competition. We both had some crappy lives. And honestly, you didn't deserve it."

Huan nods, "Right? If the heavens are looking out for us, and things are supposed to be better with their guidance, then why in the world does life seem to suck so much? Why do I have to train 10 hours a day? Why didn't I get to play with kids my age or spend my life with my family?"

"You know, I asked the same thing of myself when I met the kami. Why did my family have to die? Why did I have to wander alone and scared for so long? It was total crap. Best answer I came up with? The heavens don't really care... we're just pawns in their games while they fight against different stuff. I'm not going to tell you to run away, because I never did and I don't believe in it. Gotta face reality and deal with what comes at you. But one thing you do that I never did... I never listened to anyone I didn't want to and I never followed orders I didn't believe in. Because of that, I'd say I was pretty happy with my choices, because they were mine. Know what I'm saying? Don't trust them, because they're thinking of themselves... not you," Taochusu smirks at his current incarnation.

Huan's eyes open a bit at the words of wisdom from his previous self. "But... it's the clan, and my tribe, and-"

Taouchusu raises his voice, "They only care about themselves. Do you see them listening to everything someone else says? No. So why are you? Learn from their example. Did Shinsei take orders from anyone?"

Huan starts breathing heavily as the rebellious words of his prior incarnation start to sink in.

The big man continues, "What are you afraid of from them? That they're going to punish you? How many of them are you already stronger than? And all because they basically tortured you into it. Tell them to go eat shit and do it themselves if they want it done. I didn't die so that you could be someone's lap dog. Live and die on your terms, not theirs, not mine, and certainly not the heavens. I didn't die to serve the heavens, I died to protect the people I cared about. I was drawn into a mission because of the companionship I found, not because I cared about Hisomu. That guy could have stayed where he was for all I cared."

Huan looked wide eyed, "This... it's nothing like what I thought you were. They make you out to be heroic, selfless, enormously confident and powerful. None of it matches up. Like it's a lie."

Taochusu shrugs and raises an eyebrow, "You trust them to tell you the truth? Or to tell you what you need to hear to do what they want?"

"I... I don't trust them at all. I do what I'm supposed to so that I can try to get a better life for my family. Kind of like... you were doing what you could so you could help the people you felt close to," Huan said softly looking at the fire.

Taochusu asks, "Or are you doing what they're saying because you think they'll help your family? And doing so without knowing if they're lying about it. Think more for yourself little me. Stop letting others do your thinking for you. And don't trust that they have your best interest at heart. They want a person willing to sacrifice themselves heroically... for their cause. But I fought as hard as I could for my cause. So never take someone at their word when they say they want or need something from you. Don't just trust them without a good reason."

"Don't trust..."

Huan shot up out of bed, sweating and wild. He crawls out of his bed in a flash and sees an empty log. "Don't trust them..." he whispers to himself.