The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao had returned to the shrine. There was little resemblance to its appearance the night before. It wasn't what it was. It wasn't what it might once have been. Those stories should not be forgotten. But, beneath her grandmother's light, a new story was begining.

The shrine needed to be prepared.

Nao set her things aside and picked up the broom she had borrowed. First the cleansing rites.

[Jiyo Sora]

[OOC: Not sure if this is open or not, and will delete if asked]

Nobody would ever confuse Sora with being casually devout.

But nevertheless, he approached the shrine with the air of a man who hasn't slept at all.

Indeed, it would be safe to say that his being awake was a major achievement.

He blinked at the young Bat Thunder, then bowed. Low.

"Ryoshun-san. If there is another broom, I can make myself useful."

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Jiyo-sama." She stopped and bowed.

"You can use this one, if you wish." Nao handed him the broom. "I can begin the purification rites."

She smiled, but her movements and the the visible bruises suggested that she hadn't fully healed yet.

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora took the broom and got to work with it

"You would think, after helping save the world, you might get a day off."

[Ryoshun Nao]

"And yet, here you are." She grinned. "The fight is over, but there's still much to be done. I have no doubt that the village will be secured and other priests will come to investigate and tend to any lingering corruption. My sisters will be among them, I'm certain. But, someone needed to start the process."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Bah, all I did was smack some scarecrows around. Still."

He glanced about the small building.


"Be nice to get this place in order."

[Canary]

"And yet, here you are." She grinned. "The fight is over, but there's still much to be done. I have no doubt that the village will be secured and other priests will come to investigate and tend to any lingering corruption. My sisters will be among them, I'm certain. But, someone needed to start the process."

Something catches her eye in the corner of the room. A glint off metal.

[Ryoshun Nao]

She didn't respond to Sora at first, quietly moving towards the metal.

"Jiyo-sama." Nao finally spoke up. "Over here."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Hm?"

He joined the young Bat, broom in hand.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"We had to leave quickly in the aftermath of the battle." She explained as she cleared away debris. "I was worried they might not be here."

[Jiyo Sora]

"What is it?"

[Canary]

"We had to leave quickly in the aftermath of the battle." She explained as she cleared away debris. "I was worried they might not be here."

Peeking out of the debris is the metal rod of a scroll. Soon, three more are revealed, all new-looking and tightly tied closed. The ties are green and slightly shiny, as though they'd been somehow infused with jade.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"The Four Scrolls." She sighed in relief. "Used to seal the Dream of Jigoku. They need to be separated, secured, and hidden away."

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora nodded.

Thanks to his perusal of Satsuki's notes and his conversations with Wu Dai Lu, he had a bit of insight into the matter.

"I can help with that. Got friends all over the Empire. More importantly, many of them know how to keep a secret. Including from me. Did you have any destinations in mind?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

She shook her head. "It's probably best that I not know, really. But, they should be scattered to the four winds."

[Jiyo Sora]

"That can be arranged."

He frowned, doing some mental arithmetic.

"I'll need to hand at least three off to people where I won't even have particularly strong suspicions about where they might keep them...

Jin. The Jade Sect. White Moonrise. He'll understand the gravity of it better than most...

[Ryoshun Nao]

She nodded and began separating and wrapping the scrolls. "Satsuki led much of the work on these. She could provide further insight on how they should be handled and hidden. They are heavily warded and protected. But, we cannot be too cautious."

[Jiyo Sora]

"To put it mildly. These... still have a role to play."

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Yeah." she nodded. "Hopefully, we won't be a part of whatever that will be. I really don't want to go through any of that again."

[Jiyo Sora]

"I sincerely hope not. We've won this round, and the cycle has its timer, but things have been.... somewhat fluid. Our rescue of your Uncle Hisomu forced our enemy to adapt. It will adapt again."