The Day of Thunder

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako fell asleep quickly again, exhausted from the exertion of the day. But the horrors of the attack continued to haunt her; Shizuku’s foot getting mangled, the horrific wounds Yukara had suffered. The young Crab tossed and turned fitfully.

—
D2 EN Horrific Nightmares 1, raw Willpower + Void Point, free raise to fight back against the evil | 5k5 ⇒ 19 (TN: 20) fails; yeah I asked for that, LOL

[Tyrus]

Ayako's eyes snapped open, she was in a massive chamber room full of finely dressed samurai. The room was resplendent, Imperial banners hung on the walls, everything was silent for a moment and the eyes of everyone in the room were on her. She could feel the weight of hundreds of gazes settling on her. It was all so clear, so sharp she could smell the incense in the air, hear the rustling of papers and shuffling of feet and sleeves filling the pregnant silence that filled the chamber.

She recognized some of the faces, Anjing and her husband Hida towards the front, the kami Hantei and Bayushi in the crowd as well. A sprinkling of daimyo and gods dotted the courtiers and generals. All had emotions ranging from expectant to bored annoyance.

And then at the head of the room seated on his majestic throne was the Emperor himself, the kami Shiba looked at her with a face of barely disguised impatience "Well Yoshitsune-san? You were giving your proposal to court? The plan you called a meeting for, we are all here for you, we are waiting, what grave matter have you come to discuss with this emergency meeting of the Imperial Court?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako withered under the cynosure of the court. Why had she summoned the entire Imperial Court? And Emperor Shiba? And Lord Hida?! Ayako tried not to cringe as courtiers began to titter behind their fans. She…she had to say something, and soon! The courtiers… among the courtiers there was a dark shape. Some kind of shadow.

“I, uh … I called you all here to give a warning! LOOK!” Ayako pointed at the shadowy shape - roughly man-shaped, but inky black, like a hole torn in the fabric of her dream. “The darkness, it's here! STOP IT!”

Ayako lunged towards the shadowy figure, but the Imperial bodyguards moved to block her way.

“She’s gone mad!” Ayako heard someone say. No one else seemed to notice the evil figure among the court. And now the courtiers were definitely laughing. At her. In front of the whole court. She struggled to hold back tears.

—
D2 EN Horrific Nightmares 2, raw Willpower + Void Point, free raise to fight back against the evil | 5k5 ⇒ 21 (TN: 25) fails

[Tyrus]

There was an audible ripple through the crowd as many fans snapped open covering faces leaving just leering, jeering eyes. Tittering laughter filled the room as the guards restrained Ayako.

Shiba frowned deeply "I know things have been tense between us but are all your subjects so addled brother?" Shiba asked turning his gaze to the deeply upset looking Kami who stood.

"NO! This one brings shame to all who bear not only her family name but the Crab mon." His tone was disgusted "What else could we have expected? You were never ready for any of this." The large God turned his back on Ayako.

The shadow laughed, mocking her shifting, around the room teasingly.

Her parents were there too, her mother crying behind a fan while her father frowned patting her on her back "How could you shame us this way Ayako?" He sighed with defeat "If only it had been you that disappeared and not your sister. She would have known better. she would never have failed like this."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

They were right, Ayako realized. She had messed everything up, just like always. Chizu would’ve known what to do; she had always been better at talking to lords and courtiers. It would’ve been far, far better if Ayako had died and Chizu had lived.

A sense of resolve filled Ayako at this thought. Death erases all dishonor. She knelt and drew her wakizashi, in preparation for seppuku …. Then abruptly Ayako realized it was not her wakizashi in her hand after all, but merely a pink parasol. The parasol suddenly opened with a fwoomp, revealing the sakura blossoms that decorated its surface. The courtiers laughed even louder. Her parents watched, utterly shamed by their daughter. Lord Hida and Emperor Shiba looked disgusted.

I can’t even commit seppuku right, Ayako realized in despair. She lowered her head as her face burned with humiliation.

—
D2 EN Horrific Nightmares 3, raw Willpower + Void Point; free raise to lower TN, +5 TN from Lost Love | 5k5 ⇒ 26 (TN: 30) failed, lots of bad stuff resulting

[Tyrus]

The court laughter spread, even Hida smiled and Shiba hid a chuckle behind a fan.

Then a hand settled on her shoulder, a familiar hand. Her sister stood there and smiled down at her "Don't worry about them little Ayako You're doing your best." She pulled Ayako up and embraced her then pulled back slightly "it's not your fault." The scene shifted suddenly flashing to a dark destitute room, her sister still smiling but her head bending at an angle entirely unnatural, her skin grey and eyes dulled with death. It was only an instant "It's not your fault you're not good enough." The smile became sharper "No one should expect anything from you." Again that nightmare flashes in, grim darkness the court full of dead bloated corpses. Hida and Anjing's bodies broken on the floor. Shiba impaled by a black spear slumped in his throne. Back to bright laughter.

"I mean you couldn't even save me. What made them think you could save anything..." the voice was now disembodied, her sister's corpse lay on cracked stone floor, limbs at odd angles and skin torn and flayed off "You are no hero..." Shizuku's corpse is not far off, head twisted all the way around arms missing. Her parents swung lightly, speared against the wall as a faint wind whistled through the broken and crumbling palace.

And in this desecrated forum is where Ayako stayed locked, unable to wake up, trapped in a Graveyard of her failures, every thing she loved or cared about destroyed and whispering voices of her departed loved ones tormented her with her failures.