Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 17, 2011 4:25:13 GMT -5
Mitsouko fet the bitter taste of truth, realizing the many little things in her own mother's behavior that were so alike of that Kaoruko woman. The untamed pride and the often veiled scorn for Mitsouko. While not all was clear to her right now, if not for Sho, she would have felt alone in this world. Something inside her was struggling to get released minute to minute, and shewas feeling it in her own body. Being exposed to that vision was clearly causing the sealed part of her soul to rebel once again, and it seemed to try to tear her head apart. Mitsouko wasn’t able to totally hate her mother, though. She knew she wasn’t. She was sharing of Sho's feelings and experiences, and his pain and his strong frustration were expected, but hurtful… Then Saimei’s piece of soul inside her head was, too, trying to go unleashed and strong, feed by the visions, pain and hate; and it caused Mitsouko some ill. But as Shodai promised, not even compared with the one she experienced when she was a child, though. The Kakita woman, though, was mature enough to understand was becoming dangerous again. Mitsouko experienced the disgrace of Shokujin and the brutal Kaoruko's death, and while her impetus was to prevent that tragedy to happen, her hands were tied because it was a show of events that happened centuries ago. Her tingling and pinching flesh, the sick feeling of having something trying to break through the levees of her “Mitsouko†persona to be something else, make her skip the reality for a moment, when the vision ended. She saw Sho lips moving, she saw his face in deep sadness and pain, but heard not his words. She strived to keep the control. She was not wishing to give up of herself. When Mitsouko finally succeeded in calm down the tempest into her soul for a moment, she saw no sign of the Phoenix Void Master, but a strange rip in the weave of reality.
She was afraid for him. And getting completely rid of fear for her own safety, she went behind him, not knowing what to expect on the other side.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 17, 2011 15:26:41 GMT -5
White.
The world was white.
White ground. White sky.
It was a empty, barren place that stretched out for eternity in every direction, save for the portal that lead back to the real world. There were no natural landmarks to use to reference bearing, the only objects visible in the white-on-white world was the emotionally battered body of Agasha Shodai - sitting on his knees, head bowed in exhaustion from venting his feelings along with his magic - along with the Void master's armor, his specialty katanas, and a small collection of scrolls and jade.
Time moved faster here than in Ningen-do: a living person could spend a month here and only an hour would pass back in Rokugan. It was a place for contemplative solitude when events the world could not spare the services of the shugenja/medic/Void Master. Only Shodai, with the dimensional key that had been forged in his soul when he'd brought this place into existence from the heart of the Void, could enter it.
And Kakita Mitsouko; thanks to the temporary soul bond.
The air was thick and heavy with the scent of ozone from the mystical discharge as Kakita Mitsouko entered the space between spaces. Though she had only been a few moments behind Shodai in entering the pocket dimension, the Void Master had spent the better part of an hour staring blankly into the infinite white, numbly trying to wrap his mind and heart around the new truth he'd discovered.
If he was aware that Mitsouko had entered the empty world, Shodai gave no visible sign.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 17, 2011 18:34:50 GMT -5
Mitsouko entered, cautious and ready, but has encountered the secret chamber of a samurai, where his precious things were keep and treasured. All that milkiness and isolation from the created world was too much for her to understand; she focused instead on her dear Sho, so quiet and retracted on himself, sitting as if he has no will of leaving that place for the future: She knelt by his side, caressing his hair with a smooth touch of her hand: Sho… Mitsouko whispered in his ear, bringing Shodai to her arms, embracing him in a comforting hug. It is in the past, dear.... Please… Do not let that tragedy condemn the man you are today…
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 17, 2011 21:56:35 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai was lost his his efforts to reconcile his beliefs with his past and his present. The Void Master had come to certain understandings of the nature and reality of the human soul during his quest for Enlightenment as he'd honed his connections to the Divine Wheel.
Specifically, there were certain characteristics of the soul that were fundamentally unmutable within the eternal cycle of rebirth.
For example: if your first incarnation, the moment your body and soul was created when Lord Onnotangu's obsidian blood fell upon Lady Amaterasu's jade tears at the dawn of Man, was male, you would be reborn male every time. Whether it was some cosmic effort to maintain a balance of genders or something else, he had yet to be granted that insight, but in all of recorded history, there were no definitive instances where a soul changed genders upon reincarnation.
For another, because each soul was a melange of the pure and the corrupt, there were certain impulses that could transcend each lifetime and could appear at the most unlikely of moments... When someone did something that was considered "out of character" for themselves and, afterwards, they could not explain WHY they'd done it was typically an example of one of these instinctual impulses.
In this most recent memory/vision of Shokujin's life, he had struck a woman and then, granting neither quarter nor mercy, had summarily executed her in a particularly gruesome fashion. These were actions that could have been attributed to a moment of intense - and justified - anger, but at the same time were utterly out of character for him.
Could it be, beneath his kind exterior and the veneer of wise compassion, deep in his soul existed a merciless killer? Had his time when he'd savored the thrill of combat and had killed more than his fair share of opponents in honorable combat exercised the darkness that existed within his soul? Or would the day come when his inner darkness would take him down the same path as had befallen Tadaka-kun?
For a man who had spent his lifetime learning who he was and what he was capable of, to have to question himself on these matters - and, worse, to be unable to answer them - was utterly demoralizing.
He felt Mitsouko's gentle hand caress his shoulder-length white hair. At first he thought it was his imagination; a stray sensation through the soul bond. Mitsouko didn't have the ability to see the portal, let alone be able to use it... And even if she could, her fear of magic would never allow her to take that leap into the unknown.
"Sho..." Mitsouko whispered as her arms wrapped around his chest, gently pulling him into a hug that shattered the mental ice that had been clogging his ability to think for what had felt like a brief eternity. "It is in the past, dear.... Please, do not let that tragedy condemn the man you are today..."
"Mitsouko-sa..."[/b] Shodai breathed in disbelief, his voice a hoarse croak from screaming until his throat was raw before the ennui of the Meido had come over him, as one of his hands rose to cup hers against his chest. "Here..? How..? You came... for me?"[/b]
As the realization that his beloved Mitsouko had pushed her fears aside to follow him into a subsection of the Void itself finally struck home, the white-on-white world shifted in response the Void Master's feelings. Suddenly, Shodai and Mitsouko were sitting on a hillside, surrounded by sakura trees that were in full bloom, overlooking a pristine white sand beach with crystal clear water a shade of blue-green. The sky was clear, save for a dozen-odd clouds that were a fluffy white.
It was as if they were caught in a moment of time from a single perfect day.
The Void Master felt the uncertain tension leave his body as he melted into her embrace, savoring the feelings, and the sound her heartbeat in his ears. It was a simple joy that he had not experienced since he'd entered the Isawa Shugenja school when he was 7; his gifts had robbed him of a "normal" childhood... It had been something he'd dimly regretted when he'd entered his teens, but had dutifully accepted.
Shodai let his head recline to rest on the shoulder of the Kakita Family Daimyo, allowing him to look at her without breaking the wonderful hug and slipping his other arm around her waist in a one-armed hug. "Arigato, Mitsouko-sa... Koishii Mitsouko-sa..."[/b]
OOC: Koishii = Beloved/Darling
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 21, 2011 18:00:00 GMT -5
In times to come, Mitsouko would remember with a feel of melancholy that experience, the most unique she had ever experienced . That was the day she won her very fear, the fear of magic. It happened when she forgot to think about herself. She never knew how many time they stayed there, silent, meditative and enjoying each other’s company. Seemed less than ideal, and still, perfect.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 21, 2011 22:50:35 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai sighed with contentment as he felt the pain, misery and self-loathing he'd felt after witnessing Miya Shokujin's act of bloody vengeance melt away before the warmth of Mitsouko's love, courage, and compassion. There were so many rules of decorum the two of them were breaking in that perfect moment in that perfect place, a location that combined bits of natural beauty that he'd witnessed in different locations around the Empire. It was a place that existed nowhere save for the Void Master's mind unless called forth as something more than illusion but less than real in this place where Shodai's will possessed dominion.
"Nokiko-san? Did you see what just happened?"[/color] The faint voice of Miya Toshiro came through the exit from their little slice of paradise.
This time, Shodai's sigh contained regret: regret that his and Mitsouko's perfect moment had to end. The two of them had spent too much time unsupervised than was permissible, though - fortunately - no one but them would ever know it.
"Well, now we know what happened to Saimei and Shokujin..."[/b] The Void Master finally said, giving the Kakita Family daimyo a gentle squeeze at her waist. "We succeed in our mission, Mitsouko-sa; though it took us far longer than we expected and has taken rather unexpected turns along the way..."[/b] An understatement of massive proportions, to be sure. "But I fear our journey doesn't end here... We've discovered Shokujin's onus that keeps him tethered to me: he needs his honor restored; until then, he will remain a part of me. Just as..."[/b] Shodai coughed, his throat still sore. "Just as Saimei remains a part of you; though she is currently held as a silent prisoner by your mother's spell...[/b]
His voice trailed off as he suddenly realized the ramifications of what his epiphany was leading them to.
"We need to go see Tisuke... Unless we reverse that spell she used, we cannot discover Saimei's onus that keeps her bound to your soul, Mitsouko-sa."[/b] He opened the soul bond to let his confidence flow over to her; concerned that the determination that had allowed her to enter his sanctuary would not stand up to the childhood fears that had tormented her - in the form of her fear of magic - for so long. "But don't worry: if she gives me the vessel that she forced the lion's share of Saimei's essence into, I can reverse the spell in a way that should be painless for you; I promise you that on my..."[/b] A smile crossed his lips; as if he couldn't get enough in saying it aloud. "On my love for you, Mitsouko-sa."[/b]
Shodai closed his eyes, picturing the Empire in his mind with a phoenix-eye view as he charted the course. "We'll need to get fresh horses and provisions... If we take the Iuchi Pass north through the Seikitsu sano Yama no Oi and cut across the Iuchi Plains, we should be able to reach where the Drowned Merchant River and the Firefly River feed into the Three Sides River in about a week. From there, we can sail up the River of the Drowned Merchant to the Valley of Two Generals and Firebird Falls, where your mother should be teaching. If we're lucky, we'll be there before the end of the month..."[/b]
'And hopefully by then, Kaneka's madness will have been dealt with before it spawns a civil war unlike any seen since the Clan War of Ojiisan Agasha's day. Hopefully, the Empire will be able to spare us the time to deal with the souls of Shokujin and Saimei...' He thought silently to himself.
"Agasha-sama..? Kakita-sama..? Where... Where did you two go?"[/color][/b] The librarian's assistant called out, his voice sounding closer than before.
The Void Master looked at the entrance over Mitsouko's shoulder. "I guess we should go back... Before we give Toshiro-san and Nokiko-san collective apoplexy."[/b] Shodai said with a sad smile on his face as he slipped from Mitsouko's arms and offered his hands to help her to her feet.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 23, 2011 14:56:29 GMT -5
One month… It’s too much time to be far from my duties to my clan, Sho… My family and my champion will lose the trust they put in me… I cannot delay this long to return… Mitsouko accepted his help to be at her feet, realizing the need of confront her mother and finally put an end in this tale of tragedy her past life was could not overlap the weight of her new position to Crane clan. Even more in the verge of a war. About the route, you are right, but I am afraid I wouldn’t do it now, dear, I need to be with my family as soon as possible… For a little moment Mitsouko stood silent, as she felt inside herself the strenght of Saimei building up behind thick walls... If something wrong happens in the future because she ignored the call of the woman who died long ago defending Crane... And then, she needed to be present to mediate the confront of Shodai and her mother, an echo of Kaoruko... She didn't know what to expect from this meeting new meeting, Shodai knowing her plots. If we had a faster way to do it... she murmured.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 24, 2011 15:28:01 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai was silent for a few moments. There WAS a faster way to Firebird Falls... The only question was would Mitsouko be willing to take it.
"There is another way to make the journey, Mitsouko-sa."[/b] The Void Master said matter-of-factly. "One that will get us there before the sun sets this evening... But it will test your courage in the face of your personal demons."[/b] He frowned to himself. "Hmm... That came out a lot more ominous than I meant it to; let me try to explain it another way..."[/b]
Shodai gestured to the beautiful vista around them. "This place - my personal sanctuary, if you will - is a place that exists in the space between spaces. It is connected to Ningen-do, the living world, but everything here is formed by the raw material of the five Elements: you and I are the only people to ever set foot here. The faster way is a variation of the spell that crafted this place from the essence of the Void: it creates a temporary road that can connect any two places that I - or anyone that travels with me - am familiar with.
"Tisuke and I used it that morning when you and I met again to travel the 600 miles from Kyuden Isawa to the Chrysanthemum Bride Manor over the course of an hour and a half so that we could save you from the poisoning you'd suffered."[/b] There was a look of silent fury in his eyes at the thought of the still unsolved mystery assassination attempt on Mitsouko's life.
"Walking on the Void path is fundamentally no different that being here, but with one exception: the world around the path will reflect your unconscious thoughts and fears. But these are mere images that cannot harm you unless you try to interact with them by leaving the trail. But, even then, the worst danger they can pose is that you will fall out of the Voidwalking state and end up somewhere other than where you intended. As long as we stay together, though, it shouldn't be an issue."[/b]
The Void Master gave the Kakita Family Daimyo a gentle, confident smile. "What do you think, Mitsouko-sa? Will you trust yourself to my magic a third time in a single day?"[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 25, 2011 16:57:05 GMT -5
Interact? No thanks. Mitsouko, as always, tried to hide her anxiety with a light remark. I trust you, Sho. She gave a confident and radiant smile. She cannot remember of trusting in someone this way before, besides her father. I think we must talk with Naetaru-san then, so he can make his way back home as soon as possible.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 26, 2011 16:29:59 GMT -5
Void Master Agasha Shodai nodded, a slight smile at her attempt at humor to cover her feelings. "Yes, I suppose it WOULD be rather unkind of us to simply leave Doji-san sitting here wondering how long we're going to be in the Archives when we're on the other side of the Empire..."[/b] He said with a light-hearted chuckle as they walked to the exit to Ningen-do.
"What is going on here..?" Miya Shokujin's voice came again. The man's shadow visible through the portal even though his body wasn't.
"I'll deal with the two librarians while you see to Naetaru-san; I have a feeling he'll be more open to listening to you than me, Mitsouko-sa."[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Oct 28, 2011 13:34:44 GMT -5
Yes, I am sure he will understand. Also, he is an essential person to my clan, I will not spent his time more than necessary. He will be very useful to my clan returning Kyuden Doji as soon as possible. Mitsouko accompanied Agasha Shodai through the gap between realities, with an itchy sensation through the body, but not disagreeable at all. Mitsouko wondered that she should be able to adapt to it soon, and filled her chest with her, thrilled in expectation with the future by Sho's side.
By the time of the noon, she was able to experience her first teleport travel ever.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 31, 2011 23:41:19 GMT -5
It took the Phoenix shugenja the better part of an hour to settle Miya Toshiro's and Miya Nokiko's rattled nerves as well as finish reading the scroll that he - Miya Shokujin - had left for his future self - Agasha Shodai; just to be sure that there was nothing that the numerous memory/visions had failed to reveal.
There wasn't much... Just a few things that weren't very important in the grand scheme of things; nothing that spurred any new visions. Somehow, deep inside him, Shodai knew that he had seen the last of his past life through his eyes. Shokujin had shown him everything that he needed to know to discover the truth of what had happened those centuries long gone.
Going forward, the only visions that Mitsouko and Shodai should encounter would be the ones they made together...
That thought brought a wide smile to his face; one larger than the one that came from what he he did next.
It's purpose served, Agasha turned the scroll back over to Miya Roshi to let the man destroy it... But while the man had endeavored to get a proper fire prepared, a Miya shuenja that owed the Void Master a favor - or three - who'd been given a report of the archivist's wildly inappropriate behavior towards the Family's high-ranking guests and attempt to destroy a document without express permission from the current Imperial Herald.
It would take time to sort out, but in all likelihood Roshi would be given an honorable - and total - retirement.
Miya Roshi had shot him a dirty look as he'd left the Archives for the last time.
~*~
Agasha Shodai stood beside Kakita Mitsouko at the entrance of Kyuden Miya, facing in the general direction of Firebird Falls, located at the northern end of the Valley of Two Generals. The two samurai were now carrying the few items of importance to them that had made the long journey across the Empire and the few momentos they'd picked up during the lighter moments in their journey.
The Void Master performed a brief kata that he'd incorporated into the operation of the spell of Voidwalking he'd developed. Unlike most spells, where a shugenja's prayer must reach the ears of the local elemental spirits, Ishiken-do relied on a finessed brute-force approach where the caster's will interacted with the chaotic order of the Void to alter the nature of things to one's will.
Before the two reincarnated lovers, a doorway appeared in mid-air; sliding open to reveal a non-descript dirt path wide enough to walk two abreast.
"Once we cross the threshhold and walk for a short distance, the introspective aspect of the Voidwalk Path will begin to materialize. The road and its surroundings will alter themselves to reflect anything on the back of our minds. Remember, only the roadway is real; everything else will be a simple illusion, Mitsouko-sa."[/b] He reached down to take her delicate hand in his. "And we'll be togther all the way; I promise."[/b]
And with that, the two of them started upon the Voidwalk Path... As they stepped through, the door slid shut behind them and melted away as if it had never been.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Oct 31, 2011 23:42:01 GMT -5
This concludes "Aftermath and Restoration." We hope you have enjoyed the story. The next leg in the Threads of Destiny story will take place in the Kyuden Isawa forum and will be titled "A Mother's Love; A Daughter's Pain." We look forward to seeing you there.
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