The Day of Thunder

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

After one of the villagers had mentioned there was a local shrine, Ayako resolved to go find it. It had to be somewhere in the village, right? But the young Crab had searched up one street and down another without finding it so far, and one street looked much like the next in the dense fog.

Ayako wasn’t ready to give up yet. Though, she was starting to think that it might be necessary to ask someone for directions.

[Nozomi]

Unfortunately? The first person that the young crab would happen upon had literally no clue about the directions to the local shrine. She'd just gotten here yesterday herself. A middle-aged monk with short-cropped black hair happened upon her as she was walking, bowing once and offering a rueful smile.

"Good morning, Crab-sama. Good to see a few from your ranks come down from the north," she said. "You seem a soul in search of something?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

A monk! Ayako thought. She's bound to know where the shrine is!

"Good morning, Crab-sama. Good to see a few from your ranks come down from the north," she said. "You seem a soul in search of something?"

"Good morning, sister monk," the Crab woman said, bowing politely. "In fact, I was looking for the local shrine. Maybe you could help? I think you were one of the monks with Shinsei earlier?"

"I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako," she added.

[Nozomi]

"Good morning, sister monk," the Crab woman said, bowing politely. "In fact, I was looking for the local shrine. Maybe you could help? I think you were one of the monks with Shinsei earlier?"

"I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako," she added.

"Nozomi. It's good to meet you." She frowned as she looked around at the edge of the town and where the fog seemed to encroach in the distance, shrouding the whole place in mist. "I was traveling with the teacher, yes. Someone has to follow him to make sure he's not carrying two boulders instead of just the one." She chuckled dryly, as if at some private joke.

"I only arrived yesterday. I don't... think it's in town. With the mist everywhere, maybe it's just outside of town and hard to see?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I was traveling with the teacher, yes. Someone has to follow him to make sure he's not carrying two boulders instead of just the one."

Ayako wrinkled her brow. "What, would he do that?" she wondered. The idea that the revered teacher Shinsei was unable to count to two seemed incredible to her.

"I only arrived yesterday. I don't... think it's in town. With the mist everywhere, maybe it's just outside of town and hard to see?"

"I only got here yesterday, myself," Ayako admitted. "Maybe you're right, I've been up and down these streets and haven't seen it yet. Mostly I was hoping to say a prayer to the spirits and maybe get a blessing for... well, whatever happens next, after Shinsei's big announcement."

"Do you think that'd be a good idea?" she asked.

[Nozomi]

-snip-

"Pffft, the teacher would shoulder the weight of the whole of Ningen-do on his shoulders if you gave him the chance and reason." She managed not to roll her eyes, though she did smile as she said it. "We travel with him to make sure he's not alone." Oh, there were a lot of other reasons in her case, but those didn't need to be gotten into today.

"It never hurts to say a small prayer to the local spirits. You'll probably have a chance as part of the festival." Her smile slipped a little. "I don't want to assume that all these things tie together, but there's never coincidences around the Teacher."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"It never hurts to say a small prayer to the local spirits. You'll probably have a chance as part of the festival." Her smile slipped a little. "I don't want to assume that all these things tie together, but there's never coincidences around the Teacher."

Ayako nodded. "I'll make sure to say a prayer, both at the festival and when I find the shrine," she vowed.

"Speaking of the Teacher, can you give us any hints as to how we can help with the stuff he was talking about?" Ayako asked. "I mean, the main Champions obviously have an important role. But what about the rest of us? Can we do something to make sure the Thunders succeed?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora ambled along the streets taking stock of the village. He spotted Nozomi speaking to some young Crab bushi and opted not to immediately inject himself into the conversation. He was still getting a feel for the place...

[Nozomi]

Sora ambled along the streets taking stock of the village. He spotted Nozomi speaking to some young Crab bushi and opted not to immediately inject himself into the conversation. He was still getting a feel for the place...

She caught sight of Sora and waved him over, giving him a bow. "Old man," she said in way too familiar a fashion for one of his standing. "You've got perfect timing. Ayako here asked a good question."

Ayako nodded. "I'll make sure to say a prayer, both at the festival and when I find the shrine," she vowed.

"Speaking of the Teacher, can you give us any hints as to how we can help with the stuff he was talking about?" Ayako asked. "I mean, the main Champions obviously have an important role. But what about the rest of us? Can we do something to make sure the Thunders succeed?"

She gave her a rueful grin as she returned to the question, folding her arms. "Keep your blade sharp, since it might be needed, but that's obvious. The truth is that the ways we will support them may take a form none of us imagine. This thing's invading our minds and our dreams. Know your fears, even if you think you have none. Know your desires. Master them and steel your soul. Look to the skills you have that you never imagined you might need... and expect the unexpected."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

She caught sight of Sora and waved him over, giving him a bow. "Old man," she said in way too familiar a fashion for one of his standing. "You've got perfect timing. Ayako here asked a good question."

Ayako glanced over at the person introduced as "old man" and gave him a polite nod.

"Keep your blade sharp, since it might be needed, but that's obvious. The truth is that the ways we will support them may take a form none of us imagine. This thing's invading our minds and our dreams. Know your fears, even if you think you have none. Know your desires. Master them and steel your soul. Look to the skills you have that you never imagined you might need... and expect the unexpected."

"Huh," Ayako commented. "That's all very well, but, uh, how do we practice skills we can't imagine? How do we expect the unexpected? I mean, if we aren't expecting it, we won't know what to prepare for ... will we?"

[Jiyo Sora]

She caught sight of Sora and waved him over, giving him a bow. "Old man," she said in way too familiar a fashion for one of his standing. "You've got perfect timing. Ayako here asked a good question."

He responded with a laugh.

"And what am I supposed to do about that, Rock Squirrel?"

"Huh," Ayako commented. "That's all very well, but, uh, how do we practice skills we can't imagine? How do we expect the unexpected? I mean, if we aren't expecting it, we won't know what to prepare for ... will we?"

"Could always try simply stretching your imagination. Think of one impossible thing, then think of how it might become possible..."

[Nozomi]

She nodded to Sora. "Honestly? That's not a bad suggestion. I seem to recall that there were old stories about your and Taochusu's march to the south where the ability of a few to keep our spirits up helped in their own way, and who would ever think that a musician's talents might be useful down there. His stories certainly helped keep spirits strong." She did remember one particular incident though, and that brought a frown to her face. "I will say that your will and your ability to focus, though, those will almost certainly be important in keeping your mind your own. That was always important in times of trial. Do you happen to know much of meditation?"

She thought about it for a moment. You know, she might offer lessons...

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I've had a little practice with music, and a little more with meditation," Ayako admitted. "Do you think those skills might be helpful against ... whatever it is that we'll face?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Hell, can't hurt. Saruko's stories helped keep our spirits up on the march south, and meditation's something I'm pretty bad at myself, but when it works, it works."

[Nozomi]

"Meditation will, without question, be of use. Anything that helps to ensure that a person maintains and keeps their mind focused and clear will help in the face of fear and other threats." She nodded, glad to see that the Crab was well trained in this. "A clear mind resists temptation better. As for music? No guarantee, but I could see a few reasons, so never hurts to play and practice."

She paused and then actually laughed. "Say, do you remember that 'event' I hosted at the Winter Court?" You know, that time when she made all those prim courtiers play a children's game she used to use when Mayumi was being a brat? "I'm thinking of doing that again. We both know that, as good as it is to have the three of us trained, others may not have had the chance." Yeah, she liked teaching people meditation, because it also meant teaching them to be quiet.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Hell, I could do with a refresher course myself, I find it far harder to meditate than I should, given how damn empty my mind is most of the time..."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Meditation will, without question, be of use. Anything that helps to ensure that a person maintains and keeps their mind focused and clear will help in the face of fear and other threats." She nodded, glad to see that the Crab was well trained in this. "A clear mind resists temptation better. As for music? No guarantee, but I could see a few reasons, so never hurts to play and practice."

Ayako nodded solemnly. "If it'll do any good against this Yume-Jigoku thing, I'll be sure to practice them both!" she promised. "Anything to help stop this... thing... that's been happening to us all."

She paused and then actually laughed. "Say, do you remember that 'event' I hosted at the Winter Court?" You know, that time when she made all those prim courtiers play a children's game she used to use when Mayumi was being a brat? "I'm thinking of doing that again. We both know that, as good as it is to have the three of us trained, others may not have had the chance." Yeah, she liked teaching people meditation, because it also meant teaching them to be quiet.

"What kind of event do you mean?" Ayako asked. "I, uh, haven't ever been to formal court."