The Day of Thunder

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

Naraku also moved to help the headwoman. He noticed Satsuki and Sora next to her so assumed that she probably had also seen the vision. He filled a cup with water.

"Breathe," he spoke in a remarkable gentle tone as he offered her the cup.

He looked towards the other villagers to see if any else had been affected.

"What was that?" he though still confused. Had it been something in the food?

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou's attention has long since turned towards the focus of conversation.

How's she know 'bout that? he thinks. 'Course, she did say she traveled, an' he does, too.

[Bayushi Norikage]

Norikage wiped his hands clean, then leaned against the wall. This hearth room was crowded. He didn't like that too much. The villagers were confused, but seemed unaffected. Chouri on the other hand was recovering like everyone else in the room was when he entered.

He wondered what that meant. Did Ji-chan spare them or...could they just not experience it for a different reason? Likely the same reason they didn't have nightmares, he guessed.

[Canary]

Norikage wiped his hands clean, then leaned against the wall. This hearth room was crowded. He didn't like that too much. The villagers were confused, but seemed unaffected. Chouri on the other hand was recovering like everyone else in the room was when he entered.

He wondered what that meant. Did Ji-chan spare them or...could they just not experience it for a different reason? Likely the same reason they didn't have nightmares, he guessed.

Norikage does notice that one or two of the villagers near Sora are shaking their heads as if trying to shake something off. Most of them were in different areas, talking with their own groups, though. They were likely just too far away.

[Wu Dai Lu]

“No… no they’re not… They are linking one prophecy to another… Though I am not sure we should be so eager to jump to conclusions…”

She looked over to Sora.

“Sora-sama’s visions are not always the clearest…”

"Ah... I see," she said, nodding in understanding. "Such things are rarely clear. Waking visions aren't so different from prophetic dreams, it seems..."

snip

She accepts the water, smiling appreciatively and taking a drink. "Thank you... That's much better."

[Bayushi Norikage]

Norikage does notice that one or two of the villagers near Sora are shaking their heads as if trying to shake something off. Most of them were in different areas, talking with their own groups, though. They were likely just too far away.

Well fine, reality, go ahead and throw my wackjob theories out the door.

He had missed the show, after all. He supposed a lot of other people did too.

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Ah... I see," she said, nodding in understanding. "Such things are rarely clear. Waking visions aren't so different from prophetic dreams, it seems..."

Satsuki gave a thankful nod to Naraku for giving Chouri some water.

"... is Lady Chouri familiar with prophetic dreams? It almost sounds like you speak from experience?" she inquired gently.

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Ah... I see," she said, nodding in understanding. "Such things are rarely clear. Waking visions aren't so different from prophetic dreams, it seems..."

"Do you perhaps use the trinket you gifted us to aid you in such dreams?" he complemented Satsuki's question, his tone still reassuring.

[Wu Dai Lu]

Satsuki gave a thankful nod to Naraku for giving Chouri some water.

"... is Lady Chouri familiar with prophetic dreams? It almost sounds like you speak from experience?" she inquired gently.

"Do you perhaps use the trinket you gifted us to aid you in such dreams?" he complemented Satsuki's question, his tone still reassuring.

She nodded a little. "They're why I came here in the first place... Seeking out a place where they'd been seen before to try and help people..." She shook her head. "This one... I didn't understand at all."

[Shiba Kumori]

After hearing her response and looking around the room and seeing the mix of affected and not-affected people, Han-Hei paused for a good second to take in the situation.

She then raised her voice a bit so it could be heard widely even as she addressed Chouri.

“Whether or not that vision is what my friends here hope it to be… I would encourage you to set the people’s minds at ease.” She started.

“There are among us visitors… certain people with a special calling… A calling to fight and defeat monsters like the wolves you saw yesterday… and things much worse. We are here to protect not just this village… but all of humanity.”

She looked around the room very briefly, “The heavens are with us. Things will get dark… There will be storm and thunder.. We all will be tried… But we will protect you, your families, and all of the families on earth with our lives, destinies, and the power of the heavens.”

She paused for a second, looking briefly at Sora…

“As the daughter of the Son of Heaven, Shiba Kumori… I promise you all… That we will do this… and fight for you.”

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou's mouth falls open.

Did she say she's...and I said...oh, shit.

Even he, hick that he is, knows to bow, and bow low.

And so he does.

[Wu Dai Lu]

snip

Chouri listened to Han-Hei, smiling a little. "Shiba-sama... thank you."

She looked around at them. "That... explains a lot. The visit from your daimyo Makime-sama the other day, and the worries people have had. We will do our best to prepare, and support you however we can."

"I'll do my best to reassure everyone. Some of them are worried about the Empire coming to try and rule here, so I appreciate knowing more of the why of our guests coming."

[Hiruma Naraku]

She nodded a little. "They're why I came here in the first place... Seeking out a place where they'd been seen before to try and help people..." She shook her head. "This one... I didn't understand at all."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Don't worry, just musings," his voice was still reassuring. "I was just wondering the nature of what you gifted me yesterday after the ritual of purity."

“As the daughter of the Son of Heaven, Shiba Kumori… I promise you all… That we will do this… and fight for you.”

His questions get interrupted when Han-Hei makes her reveal, his eyes widening in surprise as she outs herself as the daughter of the Emperor.

"Deceitful Canary was the daughter of the Emperor?"

He then turned back to Chouri. "But do not worry Chouri-san. Thunders or otherwise we will offer your people protection. It is the least we can do after you extended your hospitality."

[Shiba Kumori]

Chouri listened to Han-Hei, smiling a little. "Shiba-sama... thank you."

She looked around at them. "That... explains a lot. The visit from your daimyo Makime-sama the other day, and the worries people have had. We will do our best to prepare, and support you however we can."

"I'll do my best to reassure everyone. Some of them are worried about the Empire coming to try and rule here, so I appreciate knowing more of the why of our guests coming."

She nodded, “We do not mean to lord over you and command you through force… Were it not for the conditions we find ourselves in, there would not be so many of us here.”

She looked around again, “Please allow us to protect you… and assist us in this important calling.”

She then bowed her head deeply in respect to all the members of the community in this room.

[Doji Hikaru]

Having received at least a few minutes of advance warning, Hikaru was able to keep his reaction to a respectable level. He bowed in return, as was appropriate to give to an Imperial Princess.

[Wu Dai Lu]

She nodded, “We do not mean to lord over you and command you through force… Were it not for the conditions we find ourselves in, there would not be so many of us here.”

She looked around again, “Please allow us to protect you… and assist us in this important calling.”

She then bowed her head deeply in respect to all the members of the community in this room.

She bowed deeply, and every villager in the room followed in turn. When she straightened, she nodded firmly. "I understand."

She turned to the villagers and bowed to them. "I know that you have been worried, but I believe them. Please do your best to assist these people however you can. As you know, Shiba-sama helped save more than one of your own, so you can trust her words."

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao moved to stand beside Kumori. "The children of the Kami are mortals, as our parents were. That's why we are here. We were drawn here, along with many others, to protect everyone and to face the enemy that has been using our dreams to attack the mortal world. We are all in this together."

[Otomo Akutou]

From where he kneels, Akutou listens.

I don't belong here, he thinks. I'm just some jackass. I ain't worthy o' this shit, can't add to it.

[Shiba Kumori]

Seeing the one man kneeling Kumori stepped over to him and gently grabbed him by the shoulder… guiding him up on his feet.

“Like my cousin said…” He looked Akutou in the eyes for a moment.

“In this together. Shoulder to shoulder… not boot to head.”

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki was silent, but nodded in agreement with Nao's words.