The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Nao]

"What do you pray?"

[Wu Dai Lu]

"What do you pray?"

Chouri looks a little confused at the question. "What... do we pray? Could you clarify a little, please?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"I mean, is there a common prayer? One that may be unique to this shrine?" she clarified. "If the shrine is as old as the village, that could provide some further insight into its history."

[Wu Dai Lu]

Chouri bows. "I apologize... I know it will only cause more problems, but because it's part of a closed ceremony, I can't say."

[Shiba Kumori]

She nodded slowly and let out a breath through her nostrils even more slowly.

“Is there any reason to believe that the power behind the shrine could want to harm those of us who hold connections to the Empire and the Heavens?”

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao frowned. "We know the enemy is here. I spoke with the Harbinger in Yume Do. Shinsei was possessed by something this morning. They will almost certainly attempt to interrupt or corrupt the ceremony, if they haven't already. Please, Chouri-san, there must be something more you can tell us."

[Wu Dai Lu]

Chouri stares at them for a moment, and for just a moment, they can hear her teeth grinding audibly. Her knuckles are white where she has her hands folded in her lap.

Her shoulder twitches. She looks to Kumori and shakily nods.

The the tension seems to release and she loses consciousness, falling over like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

https://sakkaku.org/r/11749 - 35
https://sakkaku.org/r/11750 - 38

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori jumps forward to catch the woman as she loses consciousness…

She then looks over to Nao in surprise.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Well fuck."

Nao moved over to check on the woman.

"She's alive, at least."

[Canary]

When Nao checks on her, she can feel how fast her heart is beating.

[Shiba Kumori]

“This is… concerning…” She states the obvious as she tries to think about what to do next.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Her heart is beating rapidly. She's not at rest." Nao looked very concerned. "I think she's having a nightmare."

"Do you want to go in?"

[Shiba Kumori]

She looked at Nao and then to the headwoman.

“If it will help… Yes.”

[Ryoshun Nao]

"I don't know. I don't even know if we can." she shook her head. "But, we said we would protect them."

She pressed one hand against Chouri's temple and extended the other to Kumori. If her cousin took it, she would try to bring them both into Yume Do, to Chouri.

[Shiba Kumori]

“And we keep our promises.” She said to her cousin as she emphatically placed her hand in Nao’s.

[Canary]

They enter Yume-do to find a young teenage girl in a futon, pale and coughing. Her cheeks are thin, gaunt, and the bags under her eyes are dark. She looks half asleep. She looks a little like Chouri, under the ravages of whatever her body was going through.

A shadow, the vague, feminine figure in a kimono, approaches her bed. It wasn't a pleasant-feeling figure. Something about it seemed mildly amused at the young girl's suffering.

[Shiba Kumori]

Kumori’s natural instincts pushed her forward towards the bed where the girl was.

She watched the sadistic visage carefully as she drew near.

[Canary]

The young girl's eyes flutter open, first landing on the shadowy figure... then moving to Kumori. She looks up at her with unfocused, deep brown eyes.

"Ah... You're so beautiful. Like the giants." She breaks into a coughing fit and grabs a cloth. There's blood when she finally pulls it away. "Did you come from the Heavens, too? Is..." Her expression went from tired to anxious. "Is it finally time?"

[Shiba Kumori]

“We’re here to help you… Just like the giants.” She said with confidence.

“Come with us. It is time.”

[Wu Dai Lu]

The girl suddenly burst into tears, interspersed with coughing. "No, please...! I don't want to go!" Her coughing got worse. "I-I want to live! I hate this..." She's now doubled over, gasping.