The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

“You seemed very pleased by the news.” She replied.

“I’m not sure on the… let’s call it logic… Nine is a weird number to pull out of the sky.”

[Nanzi Ai]

“Nine clans, makes nine a sacred number, and it did come out of the sky… it fell from the Heavens,” she replied.

“If we had not saved Hisomu-ojisan it would have been eight versus our very kin most likely. So, I see nine as a sacred number, you don’t seem as pleased as I am. You don’t agree with Little Teacher’s assessment?”

[Shiba Kumori]

“The clans’ kami have one more brother.” She simply replied as the earlier mirth seemed to dissipate.

[Nanzi Ai]

“The Emperor and their family are the bridge to Heaven, it will be incumbent upon their servants to defend creation. Are you upset because you feel left out?” she asked.

[Shiba Kumori]

“We’re not allowed to defend that creation in this plan… Not as full participants.” She replied.

“Why be given the position of leadership by the heavens only to be excluded from showing true leadership by those same heavens…” She paused for a second.

“We’re not that soft.”

[Nanzi Ai]

“Because the Nine will need defenders of their own most likely, there will be roles for all of us here. Yume-Jigoku will not fight fair, so your wish of action will not go unheeded. Just because few went into the Pit does not mean there was a place for all involved,” she responded.

[Shiba Kumori]

“And one of the Imperials walked into to pit… No one stopped any of them from doing what best suited them because the colors they wear…”

She shook her head, “And even a Nezumi guided them into the Maw itself… Everything that they had was deployed against the enemy. They didn’t hold back anything they could.”

She let out an obviously irritated grunt, “Ever since Shinsei came to my dad a year ago and told us the stupid plan it hasn’t made any sense. The world has so much more strength in it than what nine people can represent… We should fight with everything we have until there isn’t anyone left to fight. Not gamble it all on some ‘destiny’ that Shinsei doesn’t even know the outcome of.”

[Nanzi Ai]

“Why do you think the Little Teacher invited more than Nine people,” she responded.

“There must be rules at work, and we are but mortals, we don’t always have to understand them. Maybe this is just how it must be. Whatever he is struggling with, and he is obviously struggling; his intentions have ever been to protect this world.”

“Yume-Jigoku probably has us beat when it comes to sheer numbers, this may be a way to even the score.”

[Shiba Kumori]

“There’s a lot of reasons why Shinsei does stuff and not all of them are great…” She replied with a shake of her head.

“I get rules… I don’t get stupid rules.” She turned to look at her cousin.

“What makes the difference between Doji Taro-face and some random person off the street who is objectively better? A powder-blue kimono? If that is the case… then quick… Give me yours. I’ll be the Crane thunder. You and I have more in common with our bloodline than 99% of all the other people running around here. We have more invested. We have more experience… We are better candidates.” She paused.

“If it’s gotta be nine… why not the best nine?”

She raised her finger to point at her cousin’s chest, “How come that conviction you have of your calling is any more legitimate than mine?”

[Nanzi Ai]

“You are welcome to swear fealty any time, Han-Hei-san,” she mused lightly before turning serious, “I don’t have those answers, all the more reason we have a tea party with Shinsei.”

[Shiba Kumori]

“Swear fealty?” She chuckled.

“I know more than a few people who would be real angry at breaking that rule… Your mom not the least of those.”

And most definitely my mom…

She paused and took a deep breath, “Well… at least I got to rant about it to someone. If you can set up that tea party let me know… I don’t expect him to be all that helpful. And yelling at the old sickly man doesn’t seem the most fruitful endeavor… But I’d be there if you wanted.”

[Nanzi Ai]

“Swear fealty?” She chuckled.

“I know more than a few people who would be real angry at breaking that rule… Your mom not the least of those.”

And most definitely my mom…

“And we always did what our Mothers wanted?” she said without mirth.

She paused and took a deep breath, “Well… at least I got to rant about it to someone. If you can set up that tea party let me know… I don’t expect him to be all that helpful. And yelling at the old sickly man doesn’t seem the most fruitful endeavor… But I’d be there if you wanted.”

“Maybe he will reverse the tables and yell at us, hit us with that so-called monk wisdom everyone seems to love so much. The worst that can happen is we learn nothing, at least we tried to gain understanding from the source.”

“Just use some of those good manners before you start ranting,” she chided.

[Shiba Kumori]

“I’ll give it my best shot.” She said with a chuckle.

[Nanzi Ai]

"I am sure you will manage, we will find answers or more riddles but maybe the Little Teacher will satisfy your demands for... what exactly? Martyrdom?" she asked.

[Shiba Kumori]

“It’s not a deathwish Ai… I’m perfectly happy being alive.” She replied.

“But everyday of one’s life there’s one judge…” She paused.

“And I will give everything I have, every day I have, until I don’t have any more days to give… Whether that is now or a hundred years from now.”

She concluded, “And I will repeat… There’s nobody more qualified for this than me.”

[Nanzi Ai]

"And that is because?" she said fishing for a reason.

[Shiba Kumori]

“Because I am the daughter of the Son of Heaven… I am filled with his strength and love this empire and all its people.” She replied.

“I’ve never been the most obedient child. But the promises I make… I keep. And I have promised to protect my family… All of my family… from this enemy. I have spent my life preparing for that fight… I am ready.”

[Nanzi Ai]

"Maybe you protect them best by not being a Thunder? The war with Yume-Jigoku or the Corruption will not end with the Day of Thunder. Someone needs to survive to lead the next generations forward," she responded.

"It's a cycle."

[Shiba Kumori]

“‘You’re too important to do this.’ Is just another way of pushing someone to the side. ‘Let us handle it. Don’t worry your pretty little head’.” She shook her head in disapproval.

“A real leader doesn’t let people others separate them from whatever needs to be done if they are the ones who should do it.”

She shrugged, “And maybe I die before the time comes… or something happens. But I get to make those choices when they come. I am the master of my own destiny. And if my choices impact some future generation, great? But whether it does or not, how I lived and died mattered to the one person that has to take ownership of that life.”

[Nanzi Ai]

"A good leader leads, and they delegate. You can't do it all," she said.

"And remember, your life is not your own."