The Day of Thunder

The dream experience had been... strange.

Hikaru had returned to his own bed rather late. Or actually, rather early, the sun already up. It had taken him some time to go through his usual morning routine. The fog that seemed to cloud his mind was less unpleasant than some of the fog of the last few days, but it still left him a bit bleary.

Perhaps that is why he decided to have a walk before he had his morning tea. Almost before he knew it, he was on the outskirts of the Crab camp, yet again. A borrowed pot of water, and soon Hikaru was brewing tea. He stood, his expression blank, watching it steep.

Naraku was confused, he paced around the camp still clad in his scouting gear. He had heard some troubling reports and he did not know what to make of them. Noticing Hikaru he moved towards him, greeting him when he got near.

"Is it true?" he asked in a hurried tone.

Hikaru turned as another figure approached. His pale eyes narrowed as he took in the details. The other man seemed to be in a hurry, he was wearing scouting gear... something seemed to be amiss. And also, of course, a question to which there were many possible answers.

Frowning, Hikaru bowed. "I am sorry, Hiruma-sama, I do not know what you mean." The frown deepened. "I am Doji Hikaru. Do you require assistance?" He spoke softly, but firmly.

The Doji's relaxed attitude did wonders for calming the Hiruma, his demeanor visibly relaxing. "Pardon," he says as the man introduces himself. "I am Hiruma Nakaru. I was in a scouting mission to the forest and just arrived."

He motions to a seat across the Doji and in case he offers it takes it. "We were following up on the mine we had discovered yesterday," he sighs as he unties his shoulderpads. "We arrived just now, heard some weird reports. Apparently there was a fight in the village? Some said a monk attacked and others say it was the Little Teacher. It was... too much conflicting information."

Hikaru bowed again as the man introduced himself. "Please." He said, gesturing with open palm to the seat. "Allow me to provide you with some tea. It seems you've already had a bit of a day."

Turning, he checked the teapot... but no, it needed longer to steep. Meanwhile, he warmed the cups, ladling a bit of the water from the large pot onto them.

As Naraku spoke, Hikaru glanced at him with a frown. "Shinsei was in a fight? Who attacked him?" Hikaru suddenly stiffened, his jaw clenching visibly. "It wasn't..." He took a breath, regaining control. "I have heard nothing."

He grimaced. The uncertainty of the event was too daunting; something had happened but nobody seemed to know what it had been.

"I guess we will learn soon enough," he said dispelling any uncertainty. There was no need to be worrying needlessly about gossip that could have simply been exaggerated camp chatter. "You were one of the Doji that hunted monsters together with Ai-san no?"

Naraku's face lightens slightly when he mentions Ai.

Hikaru grimaced as well. At least the two shared some facial expressions.

He took a deep breath as the conversation went on. "From time to time, yes." Hikaru said, inclining his head. "When our paths crossed, or a task required many hands. Lands are wide enough and corruption spread enough that we often had to work alone."

He tilted his head, regarding Naraku with polite inquisitiveness. "I take it you and Ai-sama are acquainted?"

His answer got him an understanding nod from Naraku; he too had spent the most part of the last five years in near isolation. "A thankless job Doji-san," he commented. "I might not be a Crane or a Spider but my last years have been devoted to hunting those that pledge their allegiance to the enemy."

"But it was a foolish errand," he sighs. "To be alone that is. There were many of us hunting as I come to learn. Separate we could only dent the enemy. Separate we walked a path of paranoia and mistrust. But together?" he smiles warmly. "Now together we can do some proper damage."

He blushes slightly when he asks about Ai. "Nanzi-san?" he corrects himself. "Why yes, I know her. Excellent warrior. A pride for your clan."

"Yes." Hikaru said, sighing, the worry lines on his handsome features standing out. "It was sometimes hard to see. I think that many of them had lost themselves. I hope that in their final moments, they were able to find themselves again." He closed his eyes, in brief memory of... too much.

His pale eyes opened. Naraku's smile did not earn a smile back, but Hikaru did nod. "I have begun to think you are correct." He said. "One person cannot do everything. Perhaps even many 'one persons'." He took a deep breath. "I have hopes that this is why we have come here. Why Shinsei brought us here..." Hikaru frowned at that thought.

He shook his head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he studied Naraku. "Indeed." He said neutrally. "She is the third of Lady Doji herself and Lord Nanzi. And yes, she has always been brave. As she's grown, so have her skills. Her virtues." Now a gentle smile did just touch Hikaru's lips. "I am impressed with who she has become."

"Nine thunders," he mused "One for each clan. One human champion to stand against one single champion of Jigoku."

Would Naraku be a Thunder? Hikaru perhaps? Both of them? The thought rushed through his mind before he shook his head. "The storm approaches but now at least we can be confident that we have comrades to stand by our side," he smiles hopefully. "It's weird. If I had said this a few days ago my past self would have probably scoffed."

He eyes the Crane when he talks about Ai before nodding "I only meet her here and I can attest she is exemplary. One feels safe when her sword is by your side."

Hikaru listened, his expression impassive as Naraku spoke. "Yes." He finally said, apparently agreeing with some part of what Naraku had said, although it wasn't entirely clear which.

Instead, he turned his attention to the tea. With proper ceremony, he poured it into the warm cups, one at a time. Then, slowly and carefully, using both hands, he offered one to Naraku. "It sounds as though you have changed in just the last few days. May I ask what has caused this change, if it is not impolite to do so?" Hikaru's words were soft and slow, matching the pace with which he served tea.

Once the tea was accepted, he picked up his own cup; again, using both hands. "I see." He said, this time the corners of his lips just barely turning up. "I gather she has impressed you." His tone was ever so politely neutral. "She is an honorable samurai, and a proud jewel for the Crane. No doubt she will one day find a spouse worth of her stature." Figuratively and literally; she WAS 6'2", after all.

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D4MM Tea Ceremony | 5k4 ⇒ 23 (TN: 15)

He pondered on his words wordlessly. Why had he truly changed? Had he truly changed? Was he perhaps just wanting to change? Or was this Kanna's unseen hand guiding him to the correct path?

"I do not know," he finally spoke unable to give a satisfactory answer to the Crane. "I would like to pinpoint it on one single moment that provided a turning point but... there were so many little ones. The look in the villager's eyes after we rescued their people was certainly one of them. I was unused to that and whilst it feels weird it did grow on me."

His cup almost fell when he talked about marriage. Naraku was tall, standing proud at six feet, but it was true that the Crane princess had the advantage there. "Yes I am certainly she will. It is only natural for such to happen," he said noncommittally as he mentally scanned for a hole in which to hide.

"Indeed. Quite natural." Hikaru said blandly. He took a slow sip of his tea.

Lowering his cup, he frowned. "But yes. In my travels, I often came across those who needed help. So long as the request seemed reasonable, I would do so." His frown deepened. "Even when there was not a request. Sometimes the need was obvious."

A moment passed, and Hikaru shook his head. "It is easy to forget that, as samurai, we have been chosen by the Kami to protect. It is not always that simple, of course. But sometimes it is."

"The Crane have been hunting these monstrosities for the past five years. Up north things are not so simple," he stared at his cup. "How do you explain to a scared villager that their best friend actually had become a monster? That there was no reasoning to be done with it? That you just didn't want them to die?"

"I steeled myself against scorn and did my duty diligently. I wouldn't be loved but at least I would protect those that couldn't," he continued. "Some argued that even if some fringe villages got consumed those were sacrifices that needed to be done until we understood things better," his tone betrays anger. "It is easy to speak about sacrifice when one does not do it."

"So I sacrificed myself or rather how people would perceive me," he smiled. "That is why I felt awkward after being celebrated."

Hikaru listened, his expression unchanging from one of polite interest, as Naraku spoke. It did not change even when Naraku spoke about strange, dark things.

As he finished, Hikaru took a long, slow sip of his tea. "In Bushido," he began, speaking slowly, "-we are taught that we must always be sincere. We cannot present one face to a person, and another face to another person, and pretend that they are entirely the same." He grimaced. "It is a bit more complicated than that, but that is the gist of it."

He took another sip of tea, his pale eyes studying Naraku. "To hear you tell it, I think perhaps you presented a monstrous face when you were not a monster, Hiruma-sama. Perhaps now you are closer to your true self."

"Perhaps," he pondered on the words of the Doji. Had he embraced this face as a defense mechanism. "I would lie if I haven't been rethinking a lot of things that I once held as cannon. Not questioning myself but rather reassessing what I once knew."

He looks at his cup, trying to find his words. "It feels better, you know?" a coy smile. "It feels better to know, despite the trials that are ahead of us, that we will all stand together. That we will fight together. That we will win together."

"But enough about me Doji-san," he looks at the man. "I've monopolized this conversation for too long. What is there to know about Doji Hikaru? Did you ever complete the trials?" he asked remembering the first message in the pole.

That got Hikaru to smile for the first time. "I think you are right, Hiruma-sama. We will win. Together."

"Oh." The shift in conversation made Hikaru blink. He took another slow sip of his tea, savoring it. "My trials have been very much in my thoughts these last few days. I believe I am ready..." He trailed off, his forehead creasing ever so slightly with worry.

His chin tilted upwards. "Tomorrow, we shall see. That is when I present my results, and will be judged worthy or unworthy." In truth, he didn't think it likely that she would judge him unworthy, but, well, Hikaru was the sort to always wonder if he was actually unworthy of things.

"Clear your mind from doubt, least you be surprised by the arrow," he said before he took a sip from his tea. "Wisdom from my father. Thought it might help."

"We might have just met Doji-san," he offers a reassuring smile. "But if being in this village has told me anything is that, no matter what we think, as long as we place trust in others and ourselves we can triumph."

"That being sad... I am still very curious to see what is going to be your answer to the riddles."

"Hmmm." Hikaru frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps it will help. Your father is wise." He said, inclining his head.

The word curiosity got another tiny smile from Hikaru. "No doubt." Hikaru said. Reaching out, he picked up the teapot, refreshing Naraku's cup. "I have had a bit of help with the answers, so there are a few people who may have some clue what my answers will be tomorrow."

Gently, Hikaru shook his head. "But I am afraid that, now, it is between me and Satsuki-sama. It feels wrong of me to share my solutions with any but her." He gave a tiny shrug. "Perhaps she will wish to share them afterwards. That is up to her."

He blinked once, oh. Oh. OH. Of course the riddles were mean to woo the son of the Riddle Master himself. He really should be more perceptive. "Oh Satsuki-san. You are a very lucky man, she is really special," he takes an appraising look. "And you seem like you'd be a good consort for her. I would wish you luck but I am certain everything will go alright."

"It is good that at least love managed to blossom in this time," he smiles at the Doji. "Gives you something to hold. Something to look forward. I recon that will be very important in the coming days."