The Day of Thunder

[Saru Shang]

"Historians is one thing, to remember history as it happened for the sake of records and all," she stretched a bit, as it seemed the purpose of the meeting was concluded. At this point, she didn't know where she'd fit into all this, but she was certain that it would be revealed in time to her. "But storytellers and artists remember history in a way that will inspire us for generations to come, I think. Like, imagine if someone made an epic painting of when Hisomu was rescued? It would be a lot more awesome than just hearing that so-and-so was there and did the rescue."

The less said about a certain play, the better though. Poor Matsu had been rather hurt that night.

"I didn't think until now that what happens here will go down in history though. Feels kind of daunting, don't you think?"

"I find myself doubting that history itself doesn't find itself excused from at least a little embellishment when it's passed from word of mouth. Told by one person to another, the exciting parts are exaggerated. Then again, I'm told that the erected libraries are supposed to standardize history for all of the Empire? But you are right when it comes to art, to experience and feel it is going to be wholly different than merely hearing about it."

She took a moment to look at the others around them. There was a lot of obvious excitement as people also talked about being potential Champions and other strategizing practical plans to ensure success. "It does but the burden might only be heavy on your shoulders if you stop to consider it than trudging forward. If it is truly destiny then I'm sure it will either come to be on its own and make itself seem natural, much like whatever forces brought us all here. There's no avoiding it and probably no need to think twice. Well, at least until the hardships make themselves obvious and take front and centre."

[Ryoshun Huan]

Shinsei looks amused. "It's a comfortable seat."

Huan opens his eyes with the words of Shinsei and listens to his words carefully. When he has an opportunity himself, he speaks up at the man on the stone, "Shinsei-sensei, the corrupt spirits are already here and working. Last evening Haka Soju and myself were in the graveyard, both of us having an interest of protecting the people from the restless dead, in our different ways and capacities. The spirit or spirits we encountered were able to see into our hearts and know things that would be individually concerning that we had not spoken of aloud. It is moving against us actively and currently. We must have a better understanding about how to resist and protect ourselves against this threat, because even as a spirit guide that understands how to contact and put spirits to rest I have a woeful lack of understanding of the practical means our enemy will use against us."

[Hisomu Reo]

She considered a moment before frowning. "You know... if I were to guess? A dangerous guess at that, but perhaps finding something that can slice in two without cutting? Somehow I feel like this is a threat that will be beaten as much with the impossible and mystical as the normal." After all, it was invading their dreams...

"If Jigoku has made the realm of dreams its staging ground, it might not be the worst to prepare that as a front." Reo pauses. "I have had some thoughts about how"

[Ukyou]

Yet he smirked at the monk.

"Ha good luck, you'll fucking need it."

Ukyou winked at him and grinned. "It's okay, Hoto-hori-chan. You don't have to be jealous. I'll always have time for you."

[Makime]

Snip

"I am glad to see Shinsei's disciples take things as serious as he." Makime tried to sound dry, but her ended up practically dripping venom.

"My home lies south of here. The first major settlement on the road to the capital. I had hoped the Stormcrow had a plan. A folly to think such, as always. Expect nebulous destiny and nine heroes to save us, always the reduction to some great individual or handful of the same. Will the forces arrayed against also limit themselves in such a manner?"

[Shinsei]

Finally her voice came softly, meant for herself, "Destiny has no hold on me little man. I was not summoned."

"As you say," Shinsei acknowledged. "If you are willing to support the Champions of Ningen-do and fight the evil of Yume-Jigoku, and I have no doubt that you are, then whether it was destiny or not is immaterial. Your presence is welcome and an honor."

He bowed. "I apologize that I was not able to give more detail before now."

The Crane Bushi approached and said, “Little Teacher, those that stand before you many of us are prepared to give our lives for the Empire, for Ningen-do, but what of those that are here by happenstance, or the villagers; surely they are in danger as well. Can they be evacuated or moved to a safer location or has the die been cast and they too must endure what is to come.”

She knew in her heart that whatever chance these people had of fleeing had perhaps passed but he was said to have greater wisdom than most so why not ask.

Shinsei was silent for a long time, seeming to concentrate on a point far away from any of them. "They have their own roles to play. The world did not forget them. They must do what they are doing in the coming week, just as we must."

Huan opens his eyes with the words of Shinsei and listens to his words carefully. When he has an opportunity himself, he speaks up at the man on the stone, "Shinsei-sensei, the corrupt spirits are already here and working. Last evening Haka Soju and myself were in the graveyard, both of us having an interest of protecting the people from the restless dead, in our different ways and capacities. The spirit or spirits we encountered were able to see into our hearts and know things that would be individually concerning that we had not spoken of aloud. It is moving against us actively and currently. We must have a better understanding about how to resist and protect ourselves against this threat, because even as a spirit guide that understands how to contact and put spirits to rest I have a woeful lack of understanding of the practical means our enemy will use against us."

He paused again to gather his thoughts. "Mmm... Ryoshun-san, if one were to sleep in a graveyard, what sort of dreams do you suppose they would have?"

[Ukyou]

"I am glad to see Shinsei's disciples take things as serious as he." Makime tried to sound dry, but her ended up practically dripping venom.

"My home lies south of here. The first major settlement on the road to the capital. I had hoped the Stormcrow had a plan. A folly to think such, as always. Expect nebulous destiny and nine heroes to save us, always the reduction to some great individual or handful of the same. Will the forces arrayed against also limit themselves in such a manner?"

"There are some things I'm serious about and others I'm not. A bit of levity is protective," he responded with a shrug, overall unconcerned. "It needs to be nine. Three threes, a matter of luck important in the minds of many. As Kaijarisuigyo-san pointed out, we are fighting with dream logic. Symbols and legends are important."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai bowed respectfully and departed.

She had all she needed.

/exit

[Otomo Akutou]

Looking on, Akutou thinks What's Shinsei need t' be here f'r, if'n it's fate as's brought all o' us t'gether? Makes a body wonder.

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"As always, a story can only be answered with a story.

Once upon a time there was a mighty tiger, renowned for their great strength and courage. As well as their immense pride and limited acuity that had been their downfall in many occasions.

For all their flaws, they were the dutiful protector of the land alongside the three others Great Guardians: the Tortoise, the Phoenix, the Dragon.

And then the darkness came.

It dragged the Tortoise deep into the sea, in the place there is no light, and from which they never returned. The sky turned into pure blackness, engulfing the Dragon and the Phoenix in an obscurity from which they've never emerged since.

The other animals were likewise disposed. The Ox and the Horse fell first, for the darkness needed foul beasts to propel its cart. The Pig and the Boat became their food. The faithful Dog has a new master. And the clever Monkey, who thought they could trick the power of pure evil, instead got tricked into becoming its lieutenant. Seeing that, the Spider ran on all eight of their legs and might or might note have run fast enough, far enough.

And the Tiger? They fought. They lost. Their fangs were broken. Their claws ripped. Their fur skinned. Their tail torn. Now a shadow of themselves, they forsake the last thing they had by imitating the Spider and taking flight.

Except this is not the end. Just the first chapters. For the Tiger, having survived, licked their wounds. Learned to walk on two legs so they could use claws of steel instead of the ones they had lost. Learned to ride a horse so they could retrieve their lost speed. Put on clothes to be warm again even without fur. And so on, rebuilding themselves, piece after piece, until they could take up the fight again.

Is Tiger even still Tiger by this point, when they're playing human, and also playing Spider, weaving tales to propel themselves forward? Maybe. Maybe not. What's important is that the story is still ongoing, even if the protagonist had to change, was changed.

The darkness thwarts stories. It breaks them. It takes what is, what has been, what should have been, and rip it to shred. What it destroys is lost, forever, and that loss we will never forget.

However, as long as we draw a breath, the story is not over, the conclusion not yet written."

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

Naraku listens to Kai silently. He is surprised at how much interest he is having about their topic. "The Tiger is alive at least. They can prepare themselves. They can bide their time and plan on how to overcome the darkness."

He sighs "So you mean the shadow should perhaps heed more to the words of the bright star? Perhaps his story needs not to be written on before hand?"

[Makime]

Snip

"I am a daimyo, Lord of thousands. They look to me for leadership as the world turns to madness." Makime's frown deepened. "They have built and worked and fought and trained. To protect their homes, their families, their clan, their honor, and their future. And this." She stabs a finger at Shinsei, "Is what you offer them? Nine people must triumph or all is lost? What am I to tell my people?!"

She took a breath and calmed herself. "What am I to tell them if they fail Stormcrow? All is lost?" The Lioness locked eyes with Shinsei.

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

Ukyou winked at him and grinned. "It's okay, Hoto-hori-chan. You don't have to be jealous. I'll always have time for you."

He fixed the monk with a baleful glare.

"Stay . . . away . . . from . . . my . . . stuff."

The do . . . . . . Shinsei then slightly distracted him.

"Ningen-do this, Ningen-do fucking that . . . always fucking Ningen-do. There are other Realms at risk and they won't be sitting on their fucking hands . . . . gah. What do you see in him, Ukyou?"

[Shinsei]

"I am a daimyo, Lord of thousands. They look to me for leadership as the world turns to madness." Makime's frown deepened. "They have built and worked and fought and trained. To protect their homes, their families, their clan, their honor, and their future. And this." She stabs a finger at Shinsei, "Is what you offer them? Nine people must triumph or all is lost? What am I to tell my people?!"

She took a breath and calmed herself. "What am I to tell them if they fail Stormcrow? All is lost?" The Lioness locked eyes with Shinsei.

"This is the only way they will survive," he said, his eyes piercing. "This is not a threat you can bring armies against, as the last five years have demonstrated, Makime-sama."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out through his mouth. "I doubt you would tell your soldiers that all hope is lost, even if they lost a battle with dire consequences. Tomorrow is another day, and another battle, even if we fail here. This is a battle of dream logic and emotion. A world that follows a failure here will be one also based on those; even more so. Surely a tactician such as yourself can find a weakness in the enemy in such a situation."

[Kaijarisuigyo]

snip

"My story is mine. Your story is yours. Of each other we can learn. But in the end, only you decide how your story will go. A geas is both a blessing and a curse, always at the same time."

Picking some bits of the other conversation around:

"Seems like ‘I've said my piece; now it's on you to make something of it.’ fits the mood of this meeting. Can't say I like to be told what to do so I'm very much fine with that approach."

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

He laughs at their words. "Me neither, I've always enjoying trailblazing my own path. I guess in that sense we are similar. Yet..." he smiled at her with some degree of warmth. "I really enjoy talking with you."

[Ukyou]

He fixed the monk with a baleful glare.

"Stay . . . away . . . from . . . my . . . stuff."

The do . . . . . . Shinsei then slightly distracted him.

"Ningen-do this, Ningen-do fucking that . . . always fucking Ningen-do. There are other Realms at risk and they won't be sitting on their fucking hands . . . . gah. What do you see in him, Ukyou?"

"I'll think about it," he responds with a blithe smile. "To be fair, Ningen-do is the one that has for fight Jigoku every thousand years. I doubt they're happy about it either. As to what I see in him... Well, it's sort of like how most people love their kids, even when they make choices they might not agree with."

[Yuzuru Hoto-Hori]

"I'll think about it," he responds with a blithe smile. "To be fair, Ningen-do is the one that has for fight Jigoku every thousand years. I doubt they're happy about it either. As to what I see in him... Well, it's sort of like how most people love their kids, even when they make choices they might not agree with."

He rolled his eyes.

"Right . . . kids . . . so glad I never bothered with those."

To be fair he barely looked old enough to be worried about kids.

[Shiba Kumori]

The strange interaction between the monk and the Yuzuru that was very near to her was the only thing that drew Han-Hei’s attention from her own brooding internal monologue.

She thought of what Sora had said the day before about the Yuzuru… And the odd closeness of the Ukyo to Shinsei…

A fox and a crow…

[Makime]

Snip

Makime had calmed since her outburst. "I don't tell my people pretty lies and false platitudes to soothe the pain of reality. No matter the chance of victory."

"And I trust them to fight their hardest even if it was futile. Better to die in defiance of fate and standing then live cowering on your knees."

She takes another breath. "I'll do what I must to ensure we win here, little man. Destiny or not. But you better choose your heroes well."