The Day of Thunder

[Doji Hikaru]

Sleep had almost become something to be feared lately. However, this time, as Hikaru laid down to bed, his spirits were higher than usual. And so, when he laid down, he dared to hope that he might find a measure of peace in his sleep...

[Doji Hikaru]

It's years from now. Somehow, Hikaru knows that. Maybe it's a few gray hairs he can see among the black. Maybe it's his freedom from the worries that had plagued him for years. But it was the future.

He was sitting in the gardens of Kyuden Doji, a quiet moment amid the perfect beauty that only Doji could create. Both of his hands were touching something warm, and something warm was resting on his knees. Looking down, he found a young girl curled up next to him on the bench. She was dressed in pale blue, and her long hair streamed out behind her over the smooth wood slats. Akane, his brain provided. This was Doji Akane. His daughter, asleep in the warm afternoon sun.

Looking to his side, to the other warmth he was feeling, was overwhelming. Doji was there, her hand in his, smiling down at the young girl with that soft, gentle expression on her face. Her clothes were simple but beautiful, her hair only loosely held, letting it flow like the sparkling blackness of the night sky.

"She's adorable," she said softly, not waking the girl.

Hikaru found himself saying, "Just like her mother," and then... their lips met.

It didn't feel like a dream. It felt so close, within reach. It felt like the future. But yet, it was so distant. Would it be possible as he was?

[Doji Hikaru]

Sometimes with age came worry, or pain. For Hikaru, it seemed to bring peace. And while a few of the worry lines he always wore seemed to linger, they made him look happy now. Which made sense.

He was happy.

Smiling gently, Hikaru looked down at his daughter. Akane, he thought, and he knew it was true. Carefully, he stroked her head, a gentle gesture, letting her know she was safe. Yes. His daughter. Doji Akane.

Wait. Doji Akane? Why did that feel wrong? For just an instant, Hikaru felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But then the moment passed.

Turning to his side, Hikaru felt his heart skip a beat, as it did every time he saw his Lady, every time he heard her voice, as he did now. It was more than just that impossible beauty that took his breath away, or the elegance of every motion. It was the kindness; not everyone saw it, but Hikaru had been seeing it his entire life, and he loved her for it.

Yes, he loved her...

"Just like her mother," Hikaru said, his own voice soft. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, savoring that exquisite perfection. In his deepest darkest secrets, he'd dreamed of what her lips felt like, tasted like. He'd pushed away the thought every time he had it, so quickly he'd forget it had every happened. But now, all those moments came flooding back. It was better than he ever imagined. He and Lady Doji, with no cursed Nanzi. Just the two of them, together, forever.

Together... the memory of vibrant green eyes suddenly came to him. He'd sworn they would be together forever. And he'd meant it.

Hikaru pulled back, closing his eyes. "This is not the future I choose." He said. "One day, I might have thought it could never be. Even if I wanted it." There was a wistful note in his voice. "I never let on, not to you, not to anyone." He took a deep breath. "But even if it were possible... no. The price is too high."

[Doji Hikaru]

Doji looked at him, giving him a sad smile as she touched his face. "Then in Yume-do I shall remain." The dream garden fades away as she looked down, smiling sadly. "I did love you, deep down. I hoped to see your face in Ningen-do again, if you had been willing to save me. But... I understand. Your choice is made."

She rose, looking out into a horrifying maelstrom of darkness, with black sludge pouring off barren, rocky floating islands. Lightning crackles across the sky.

[Doji Hikaru]

Hikaru closed his eyes. "I know." He said softly. "But not like this." In truth, what he wanted, secretly wanted, he didn't believe in enough. Some things were impossible even in dreams.

As Lady Doji rose, so did Hikaru. "This is not the future I choose either." He said, his voice soft yet serious as he looked out with... no, this could not be the real Lady Doji. Not even her dream projection. "We will save her." He said.

[Doji Hikaru]

"You will fail."

The voice is Doji's, but there is a disturbing undertone to it.

The dream ends, leaving him unsettled upon waking.