The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Nao]

Ryoshun Nao's body was lying in her tent, with San curled up beside her. The Bat's spirit, however, was traveling to Yume Do once again. She was looking for someone specific, this time, an adorable little nezumi. She wondered what kind of dream she'd find Chuchu in

[Chuchu]

The barrier is thicker around the nezumi's dream -- but only a touch from Nao and she's embraced as part of it, pulled forward into a beautiful, comforting darkness.

Massive bonfires light the concentric circles of dancers whose pure black bodies shine with patterns in a rainbow of colors. Only Chu, who dances with them, retains a form and shape that looks real to a human eye -- though the edges of the patterns she's painted with glimmer strangely as she moves in time with the circle dance. The stars in the black sky above wink and shimmer as they watch the congregated; their heavy gaze, and the bright eyes of the nezumi gathered, turn to the shugenja as she's borne towards them.

Chu's tail straightens up as she cheers Nao's arrival!

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao raises her hands and waves.

"That's a beautiful dance."

[Chuchu]

"That's a beautiful dance."

"Thank you!" She cheeps back. "I'll be-right-back," Chuchu tells the two shaman whose hands she was holding before letting go to skip-hop over to Nao. Those left behind regard the shugenja a moment before reaching out to take each other's hands and start the dance again.

"Do you wanna learn? There's always room for more!"

[Ryoshun Nao]

She nodded and smiled. "Please. There's much I would like to learn."

[Chuchu]

She nodded and smiled. "Please. There's much I would like to learn."

Chu breaks off from the dance to lead Nao a ways away, poking little fireflies into existence playfully for some light for the both of them. When they've got the room, the shaman stands side-by-side to the shugenja. Slowly she starts to show her the steps -- making spirals with her heels and sweeping the dark sand underfoot with her tail. "Iffin you don't have a tail," She adds helpfully, "You can use a staff or a whip for this part."

As she shows off the full movement a second time, she asks, "Do you dance for your magic?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

She followed the nezumi as well as she could.

"Not really. Maybe for the air spirits. They like to be entertained." she explained. "Do you dance for all of your magic?"

[Chuchu]

"Not really. Maybe for the air spirits. They like to be entertained." she explained. "Do you dance for all of your magic?"

"Next time you dance with an air spirit, tell them I like their summer breezes!" Chu giggles.

"For some things, and not for others," She chirps back, showing Nao again, a little slower this time. "Alone, we dance to express Names and shift the mind spirit heart. Together, we dance to express our place in the universe universe and affirm our connecting connections to that what exists and each other. It's hard to forget everything is connecting connected when you dance together." Her dark eyes turn to the gathered as she regards them warmly. She's never alone. Nao's arm gets a squeeze and, with a little laugh, Chu twirls the both of them around!

"Tell me bout your magic magic!"

[Ryoshun Nao]

She laughed as they spun around.

"Air likes games and tricks. Fire is always hungry. Earth sleeps a lot, but theur pretty reliable. And, water's always a little different."

[Chuchu]

"Air likes games and tricks. Fire is always hungry. Earth sleeps a lot, but theur pretty reliable. And, water's always a little different."

The shaman giggles along, finding this to make much sense. She's seen the joy with which the wind will pick up the sand she lays down, after all! And maybe the earth naps with her when she gets so tired she can't help but sleep..? That's a lovely thought!

"Which do you like best, which do you like best?" She cheeps, leading Nao back into the dance, slow and steady to get her feet used to the movement.

[Ryoshun Nao]

She shrugged. "I like all of them, really. My sister taught me how each element connects to the others, even with how different they are. However, Fire responds to me quickly and more naturally than the others."

[Chuchu]

She shrugged. "I like all of them, really. My sister taught me how each element connects to the others, even with how different they are. However, Fire responds to me quickly and more naturally than the others."

"Ooooh..." Chu nods as if she understands something. "Is fire a good good element for humans? Favored pup Satsuki has fire in her Name, too!"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"It represents invention and destruction." she answered. "It's dangerous, but important to us. It keeps us warm, helps us build, and can protect us."

[Chuchu]

"It represents invention and destruction." she answered. "It's dangerous, but important to us. It keeps us warm, helps us build, and can protect us."

"I know," She pouts a little as she says it. Nezumi use fire, too! Still... there's something missing... "...you don't see it as part of your spirit?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"It's important to all of us." she nodded. "All elements are within us, mixing and changing, making us who we are. I don't feel that fire is more important to me, any more than I feel that water is less important. My connection to them is just balanced differently."

[Chuchu]

"It's important to all of us." she nodded. "All elements are within us, mixing and changing, making us who we are. I don't feel that fire is more important to me, any more than I feel that water is less important. My connection to them is just balanced differently."

But what of their Name...? Her ears lower as she considers this, and in her distraction Chu trips over her own tail, squeaking as she catches herself from falling totally onto Nao.

Shyly she cheeps an apology before straightening herself up. It's hard to look dignified when you're tiny, you're fluffy, you're chubby and you just tripped over yourself.

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao helped her up, offering a hug as she did. "I do that too, sometimes.."

With a grin, she stepped back and danced.