The Day of Thunder

[Jiyo Sora]

Aww. There's a LITTLE disappointment from the ratling -- but not too much. She just thought Shirayuki was older! "You can hold Sooty if you want," She offers the teenager as if it's some consolation.

At seventeen, Shirayuki was an adult by the standards of every single Tribe before the Empire, and almost everyone IN it.

But she still went ga-ga over Sooty. "Oh fortunes, look at his little face!"

Soon Chuchu's settled with Sora and Kinyoubi, her tail curled around herself for comfort. "You really know the Chief-of-Chiefs?" She finally asks in hope of a story.

"Yep. Met him back when he was Black Moonset, before the Pit was sealed and his Name changed."

He chuckled.

"He didn't like humans very much. Pretty sure he still doesn't really trust us, but... he and I got along. The first time we met, I asked him about the Five Ancient Races. He was the second Nezumi I ever spoke to, and I'd studied up a little bit."

Sora shook his head.

"All things being equal, we sort of hit it off right away. I mean, we weren't friends right off the bat, but we dealt with each other honestly. He asked what the hell humanity could for the Nezumi, I said I didn't know but we'd work something out. He said our plan was stupid- I was sort of flattered he thought we HAD a plan. But we ended that first conversation at least with... respect. Friendship came later, on the same road."

[Chuchu]

"All things being equal, we sort of hit it off right away. I mean, we weren't friends right off the bat, but we dealt with each other honestly. He asked what the hell humanity could for the Nezumi, I said I didn't know but we'd work something out. He said our plan was stupid- I was sort of flattered he thought we HAD a plan. But we ended that first conversation at least with... respect. Friendship came later, on the same road."

Chuchu giggles as Sooty paws at Shirayuki's fingers. She'll be ready for a human-baby soon enough! But kitten-babies are good substitutes until then. Especially the cutest kitten-babies. The memory of kittens at home makes her sigh softly -- her kittens are all grown up now.

Yes, she knows their past with humans was fraught. Being a shaman the past means little to her; it is only the path behind her, something to look back on to orient or amuse oneself. The future is what concerns her... though the future can wait. Her eyes again grow wide as she scoots closer. "How did his Name change? Can you tell me the story of it?" Every adult's change of Name came with a story, after all -- for good or ill -- and this human was there.

[Jiyo Sora]

"How did his Name change? Can you tell me the story of it?" Every adult's change of Name came with a story, after all -- for good or ill -- and this human was there.

"It came after we rescued Hisomu and the Pit was sealed. He went with us- it was him, me, Old Man Yamadono, Seppun Dawei, and the Kami Hantei. We went into the Realm of Evil, and as we escaped, Hisomu lent his Name to the Nezumi shamans. A Kami's Name is a powerful one, and it let them close the Pit."

Sora thought back to all of the bickering over that part of the plan and stifled a sigh.

"There had been some resistance to the idea, but Hisomu was more than willing to strike back at Jigoku any way he could. But anyway, that's getting away from how Black Moonset became White Moonrise. As the Pit sealed, as a mighty demon from Jigoku fought Shinjo and my friend Koyama, her mate, we knew we'd won. And our Nezumi friend's fur... had been black. It turned white as the pit sealed, as the blight in the heart of the Nezumi Empire was contained. His deed in helping save both of our peoples changed his Name."

He gave a fresh chuckle.

"Meanwhile, I just felt so unbelievably tired I barely noticed. I was just so happy to be alive."

[Chuchu]

"Meanwhile, I just felt so unbelievably tired I barely noticed. I was just so happy to be alive."

Chuchu nods, rapt with the image in her mind of a great nezumi changing white like the rising of the moon. A dim memory worms its way through her mind of the sun going dark; perhaps it was like that, a stone door moved to reveal the true face of the celestine.

"What's a Kami? Did anyone else change? Who all had babies? Did you see a shaman with fur like mine?" She'd never considered it before, but perhaps one of her own kin had been there that day. It's a strange thought -- her mother, or one of her aunts, or her grandmother, or maybe her strange uncle. This part of history had seemed so distant but in the presence of Sora, it's much more real.

[Jiyo Sora]

"What's a Kami? Did anyone else change? Who all had babies? Did you see a shaman with fur like mine?" She'd never considered it before, but perhaps one of her own kin had been there that day. It's a strange thought -- her mother, or one of her aunts, or her grandmother, or maybe her strange uncle. This part of history had seemed so distant but in the presence of Sora, it's much more real.

Sora chuckled.

"Lots of questions there, but going in order... the Kami were once deities in Tengoku. Things went wrong there, and ten of them fell from Tengoku to Ningen-Do. They're responsible for the humans of Rokugan uniting into an Empire, instead of collections of tribes. As for anyone else changing... my friend who had been Kozan and then Shinjo Koyama turned into a dragon to fight a monster, and Lady Shinjo- she's one of the Kami- turned into a Ki-Rin to do the same. But most of us changed more slowly, and Koyama and Shinjo can both change back if they like. Far as babies go.... no one right then, at least not in our group, although Old Man Yamadono already had a daughter, and lots of us had children later."
He paused.

"And as far as fur like yours? Every shaman the Nezumi could muster was there. I saw a few of them with fur like yours."

[Chuchu]

"And as far as fur like yours? Every shaman the Nezumi could muster was there. I saw a few of them with fur like yours."

Oooooooh. Her eyes sparkle as she scoots closer to Shirayuki to pet Sooty again. A flutter of a thoughts and images fly across her immediate attention; these deities sound like great dreams -- perhaps humans dreamed them into existence, like the nezumi dreamed themselves into existence? Perhaps the last shaman to have her Name was there, too? Does that mean she, in some way, was there?

Why did her mother never tell her about that day?

The ratling considers these and more, quiet for a time as she focuses on Sooty's soft fur and gentle breathing. Then -- "Was it scary scary?"

[Jiyo Sora]

The ratling considers these and more, quiet for a time as she focuses on Sooty's soft fur and gentle breathing. Then -- "Was it scary scary?"

"Absolutely terrifying, but we didn't really have time to think about that. Yo9u can't be too thoughtful if you're doing something utterly insane."

A short distance off, Phi was lauhghing as the younger twins did something complicated involving flowers, while Soryu and the dogs continued romping.

Kinyoubi spoke up next.

"And what about you? I know you're coming to help, but... why you in particular?"

[Chuchu]

"And what about you? I know you're coming to help, but... why you in particular?"

Chuchu looks to the other children, wondering how to explain. It's a good question; Chuchu's no prophet nor prodigy. But how do you explain something sacred? There are many taboos among the nezumi -- those secrets known only to shamans, such as their Names, kept carefully hidden to all but the closest of kin and kind.

"My Name is very old," She answers honestly. "Carried from generation to generation for as long as we Remember. The Dreaming is the inheritance of all my people, but very few can be called its Daughters. I felt it. The coming storm -- it brought me here. The others will follow, in time, stronger and wiser shamans than I, better suited to this work than I, but I felt it first and answered the call."

[Jiyo Sora]

"My Name is very old," She answers honestly. "Carried from generation to generation for as long as we Remember. The Dreaming is the inheritance of all my people, but very few can be called its Daughters. I felt it. The coming storm -- it brought me here. The others will follow, in time, stronger and wiser shamans than I, better suited to this work than I, but I felt it first and answered the call."

"Ah." Kinyoubi elbowed Sora in the ribs. "So you're like this one, then..."

"Hey now-"

"Oh don't start, Sora, you might not believe in Destiny, but you hear it call and off you run." She didn't sound upset. More... fondly amused.

[Chuchu]

"Ah." Kinyoubi elbowed Sora in the ribs. "So you're like this one, then..."

"Hey now-"

"Oh don't start, Sora, you might not believe in Destiny, but you hear it call and off you run." She didn't sound upset. More... fondly amused.

Chuchu between the two, head tilting. "Your Name is very old, too?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Chuchu between the two, head tilting. "Your Name is very old, too?"

Sora shrugged.

"If it is, I wouldn't know. In our language, my name means 'sky,' but it wasn't assigned with any particular thought or meaning."

[Chuchu]

"If it is, I wouldn't know. In our language, my name means 'sky,' but it wasn't assigned with any particular thought or meaning."

"There are names," She softly corrects, "And there are Names. Sora is what your people call you, but your Name lies far beyond it." Chuchu's head tilts. "Did any of the shamans tell you your Name?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"There are names," She softly corrects, "And there are Names. Sora is what your people call you, but your Name lies far beyond it." Chuchu's head tilts. "Did any of the shamans tell you your Name?"

"Never asked. I spent more time talking to Rememberers than Shamans, being honest."

[Chuchu]

"Never asked. I spent more time talking to Rememberers than Shamans, being honest."

Chuchu nods; the older shamans still speak uneasily about humans and their rise in the world. It saddens her, though -- a human who counts the chief-of-chiefs among his friends, whose son learns from the Remembers, surely he should know his own Name as a friend of the People. "Would you like to know?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Chuchu nods; the older shamans still speak uneasily about humans and their rise in the world. It saddens her, though -- a human who counts the chief-of-chiefs among his friends, whose son learns from the Remembers, surely he should know his own Name as a friend of the People. "Would you like to know?"

That got a blink.

"Sure. Be handy to introduce myself with when Soryu gets home..."

[Chuchu]

"Sure. Be handy to introduce myself with when Soryu gets home..."

The little nezumi nods, her dark eyes shining as she pulls the dagger from her girdle. One sharp cut later Chuchu tilts her head, ears rising, eyes widening -- oh!

"You're like me!" She chirps. "Your Name -- Chasing Tomorrow -- you're like me!" There's so much joy in her voice as she pounces Sora for a hug. "I'm someone chasing Tomorrow too!"

(Not rolling spell due to how far late this is lol...)

[Jiyo Sora]

"You're like me!" She chirps. "Your Name -- Chasing Tomorrow -- you're like me!" There's so much joy in her voice as she pounces Sora for a hug. "I'm someone chasing Tomorrow too!"

Sora blinked, but accepted- and returned the hug.

"Glad you like it, kid. But isn't Tomorrow.... don't you guys use it to refer to death?"

[Chuchu]

"Glad you like it, kid. But isn't Tomorrow.... don't you guys use it to refer to death?"

She tilts her head, one ear down, one ear up. "Some did," Chuchu answers. "Some do, still. Those who thought we might not survive the horrors that fell from the Heavens felt the future held only death. But Tomorrow is much more! Tomorrow is your vision of what the world can be -- Tomorrow is the world you leave your children, and your children's children, and your children's children's children. For those without hope, Tomorrow is an empty country, a graveyard -- but not to me." She smiles. "Tomorrow is the dream I'm gonna make real."

[Jiyo Sora]

She tilts her head, one ear down, one ear up. "Some did," Chuchu answers. "Some do, still. Those who thought we might not survive the horrors that fell from the Heavens felt the future held only death. But Tomorrow is much more! Tomorrow is your vision of what the world can be -- Tomorrow is the world you leave your children, and your children's children, and your children's children's children. For those without hope, Tomorrow is an empty country, a graveyard -- but not to me." She smiles. "Tomorrow is the dream I'm gonna make real."

Sora smiled at the little Nezumi.

"We ever meet in the waking world, kiddo, you've got an ally. Just saying."

[Chuchu]

"We ever meet in the waking world, kiddo, you've got an ally. Just saying."

She settles back into the hug with a warm sigh, her tail wrapping around Sora, too. "We're alike..." It really is a comfort, knowing there are humans like nezumi, too.