Agasha Shodai
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Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Nov 17, 2011 21:29:16 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai set the Hina Ningyo of Empress Mitsouko in his beloved's hands. "I need you to hold this doll so that the core of it is hovering over your he~art..."[/b] The Void Master's ears turned slightly pink and his voice wavered slightly as he realized that Mitsouko could have simply tucked the doll into her modest cleavage and call it good, but how would he ever be able to say that with a straight face or putting either of them into a perpetual blush.
Shodai coughed once to regain his composure. "Ahem... Your heart. Then, I need you to close your eyes and focus your mind on an image of yourself as you think of yourself in the place where you feel the happiest. It can be any aspect of yourself: the warrior Mitsouko that fearlessly faced the corrupt Isawa Isshin, the law-giving Family Daimyo Mitsouko, or even the slightly shy Mitsouko that silently rode beside me those many miles from the Chrysanthemum Bride Manor."
"While you hold that self image, I will use my magic to allow me to reach through the essence of the doll..."[/b] He tapped the doll's kimono adorned middle. "...And use my arm as a soul conduit bridging the distance between the doll and your heart..."[/b] Shodai briefly touched Mitsouko's sternum, just above the swell of her breasts to make it very clear that he would not be touching her in a way that would earn him a slap to the face for being forward or a duel for violating the sanctity of her body. "...To carry Saimei's essence back to where it belongs."[/b]
The Void Master took a breath. "When we get to that point, I will appear in your mind's eye, likely with a ghostly-looking Seppun Saimei beside me. At that point, I will cast another spell, one that will draw your truest self out from your self-image."[/b] He paused as he decided how to phrase it. "Speaking as one who has experienced this spell before, as part of learning how to cast it, it will feel strangely wonderful and liberating, albeit slightly embarrassing."
"Once we reach that point, there will be no stopping the reunification of your soul. While it is happening, try to remain as calm as the surface of a still pond. I will be there, in your mind and heart, through the entire process; if it starts to feel like it's too much, push those feelings at me and I will take that burden off your shoulders, Mitsouko-sa. Okay?"[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
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::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Nov 18, 2011 17:22:48 GMT -5
With a heavy breath Mitsouko pressed the Hina against her breath, closing her eyes with fervor. Finding her own sweetest memory was more difficult than she would imagine at first, but finally her heart stopped in her thirteens, a period of her life when she experienced the liberty of dancing by the tutelage of Bayushi Yuna, a close friend of her father. She was able to remember the time when she first met the beautiful Scorpion lady, in the winter court, and how kind she was. Soon they become friends and finally she offered to teach Mitsouko her special dance style. So, Mitsouko’s father agreed for her daughter's pure delight, and Yuna-san moved to their house for a season. Happy times when the perfection of movements was forgotten and Bayushi Yuna taught Mitsouko how to feel her own body, let it express by itself, feeling the sound of drums and rattles, tantalized by themselves… and how they danced on the gardens of the manor! Involuntarily Mitsouko smiled at the memory of her sweet tutor, eyes still closed. She focused in these spring days, avoiding to remember when finally her father found her dance perfect, and his nocturnal companion had to leave the Chrysanthemun Bride Manor forever...
I am ready. She whispered.
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Agasha Shodai
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Nov 23, 2011 21:15:01 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai nodded as Kakita Mitsouko said that she was ready for the reunification to begin. The Void Master took a deep breath and began the incantation, taking great care to get every word and phrase exactly correct. "Soul Manipulation Art, Gogyou Kaiin ~ Five Elements Unsealing."[/b]
As Shodai finished the incantation, ethereal, pale green flames flared to life at the tips of his fingers. Within the flames, the kanji for the five Elements - one on each finger - blazed brighter than the surrounding flames. Keeping his fingers straight, he pulled them closely together in a speartip-like formation and slowly "stabbed" the Hina Ningyo version of Mitsouko.
The Void Master's hand, when it touched the surface of the doll's elegant kimono, slid right through, as if the doll were a reflection in the water. The palm of his hand, however, stopped on the surface of the doll and forced it back to the point where Shodai's long, dexterous fingers - which had emerged from the doll's back - touched the skin of Mitsouko's lower neckline, the sensation likely lost against the silken feel of the Hina Ningyo's kimono...
Then his fingers continued, delving into the Kakita Kenshinzen's essence; painlessly breaking - and yet not breaking - her fine flesh.
"Release!"[/b] Shodai intoned, turning his wrist 90 degrees to the right - like a key turning in a lock - so that his fingers were now parallel with Mitsouko's cleavage.
The Void Master felt a warmth in his fingertips as his essence joined with that of the Kakita Family Daimyo, connecting them together as if they were one person. They were two, yet they were one... His slow, confident heartbeat began to harmonize with her faster, worried one... Shodai could taste the sweetness in the air as he breathed in with Mitsouko's pert nose.
Shodai nodded once to Isawa Tisuke. "This won't take long."[/b]
Another carefully spoken incantation ended with Agasha Shodai whispering, "Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuuin ~ Four Image Seal: Keimon-no-Gazou ~ Image of the Viewing Gate ~ Release!"[/b]
With a stationary *LURCH*, the male shugenja's view of the world shifted as he invoked the release of the first of four barriers that sealed Kakita Mitsouko's inner self from the eyes of everyone... Including herself.
~*~
Agasha Shodai found himself standing outside the gates of the Chrysanthemum Bride Manor that Kakita Mitsouko had constructed within her mind. The gate was unattended, leaving him standing very much alone.
"Seppun Saimei... Come to me."[/b] The Void Master commanded as - in the real world - he pushed through the resistance that had stopped his hand before he'd invoked the Keimon-no-Gazou. Shodai's hand passed completely through the Hina Ningyo doll; transferring the soul fragment of Mitsouko's previous life from the container back into the Kenshinzen's essence.
With a silent *POP*, a woman with Mitsouko's green-gold eyes and fair, light brown hair appeared, head bowed in abject defeat, beside him. She wore a junihitoe - the twelve layer robe - that was identical to the one worn by the "Empress Mitsouko" Hina Ningyo. The only difference between the doll and the woman before him was that her body was tightly bound in chains that held her in place while two paper seals, similar to the ones used in exorcisms of warding an area, covered her lips and held the chains closed.
Shodai was left momentarily surprised by her appearance before he remembered... "Right; the second barrier... I'll have you out of that in a moment, Saimei-san!"[/b] He promised as he began the next incantation.
Seppun Saimai, her eyes dim and her face looking emaciated from her long imprisonment within the doll, slowly rose to look at him. A glimmer of recognition flared to life as she saw him. "Sfokfufin!"[/b] She cried, her voice muffled and extremely distant sounding thanks to the seal. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks and the chains rattled as she tried to move forward, but was held solidly in place. "Phank phuh Phaphi, Phelophed!"[/b] She paused as she realized that Shodai was casting a spell. "Sfokfufin? Phut are..."[/b]
"Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuuin ~ Four Image Seal: Tomon-no-Gazou ~ Image of the Gate of Limits ~ Release!"[/b] The Void Master said before his avatar within Mitsouko's soul, there but not yet within the Kakita Daimyo's conscious awareness, ripped off the seal on Saimei's chains - destroying them from existence as he did so - and then, gingerly, pulling it from Saimei's face.
As the seal on her mouth was removed, the light and vigor returned to Saimei's features. The Miharu lifted her arms, staring at them in disbelief - as if she had secretly feared they would never be removed again. "Shokujin... You... You rescued me!"[/b] More tears sprang from Saimei's eyes as she leapt forward, her dainty hands grabbing Shodai and pulling him close for a longing kiss.
Shodai turned his head to the side, letting Saimei's lips touch his cheek; the only woman he ever wanted to have kiss him was Mitsouko. He pushed her back slightly. "Saimei-san, I'm not Miya Shokujin; not really... I'm his reincarnation, Agasha Shodai. You... You died, Saimei; over two hundred years ago..."[/b]
Seppun Saimei froze, backing away in horror. A soul-rending wail of emotional agony escaped the Miharu's lips as she dropped to her knees and began sobbing as she relived it. The pain of the memory escaping into Mitsouko only to be captured and absorbed by Shodai's mental discipline; he groaned faintly but accepted the hurt and pushed it aside.
The Void Master knelt before Saimei, cupping her cheek in the same calming gesture that both Shokujin and Shodai favored. "You've been reincarnated, remember? You're Kakita Mitsouko now... And Benten has pulled some strings to let us be together again in this life as we were denied in our last life. You and Shokujin are still together, we're still in love; it's just a little bit... different than what we had dreamed of."[/b]
The woman's pain and sadness subsided as Shodai's words broke through. "I..."[/b] She moaned, grabbing her head as the memories began to flow back. She then looked up at him. "I... remember..! I remember EVERYTHING... You, no, my Shokujin realized Kaoruko-sama's betrayal and killed her, avenging my death... Then Kaoruko was reborn before us... so she could come my Mother in THIS life."[/b] Saimei's hands dropped as she remembered the conversation she'd heard while imprisoned within the Hina Ningyo. "You're here to put me... Put Mitsouko back together again."[/b] She beamed a sad, grateful smile at him. "I have prayed and hoped for this day since that horrible, horrible night... Thank you, Sho-san..!"[/b]
Agasha Shodai nodded and helped Seppun Saimei back to her feet. "It is my pleasure, Saimei... I do it because of what you meant to me when I was Shokujin, what Mitsouko-sa means to me now, and the future that she and I shall write together..."[/b] He gestured to the open gates of the manor. "Let's go and find her..."[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
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::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Nov 23, 2011 21:44:16 GMT -5
Bare feet, long furisode and her long dark hair loose, while her teacher, Yuna-san, rhythmically shook rattles sitted in seiza position. Mitsouko stretched her arms slowly, like waves, neck bend to one side, feeling the sun beams caressing her face. Then with a twist of the rhythm her body reacted, the sound conducting the dance, her will loose and fluid, like a leave flying by the will of the wind... She heard steps, but kept her eyes closed, dancing, floating like a dandelion... Slowly, freely... It was her father, he had come to see them. To see her progress... How she loved to please him! With a dramatic pause, she finished her performance, blushing a little, both by a sense of pride and the exercise effort. Under her eyelashes she noticed Shinoburo's stance, always elegant and proud. She knew it was perfect. Even for him. With a gracious bow, she offered a last dance gesture to her father.
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Agasha Shodai
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Nov 28, 2011 23:41:42 GMT -5
The sound of rattles being shook in a recognizable dance rythmn guided Shodai and Saimei through the sizable manor house. The entire estate had been Saimei's wedding present from the Crane Clan Champion, whom Saimei's father had served well before he'd married into the Seppun family, and - though Saimei had died unmarried - because she had died trying to serve her father's old clan during the war that culminated in what was later to be known as "The Night of Falling Stars," the Crane Champion declared that the property was Saimei's and reverted to her family.
For two centuries, Saimei's mansion was passed down through her family - which at some point had married out of the Seppun Family and back into the Crane Clan - until it was finally passed to Mitsouko after her father's death...
Or, rather, his SUPPOSED death. The Void Master knew the Kakita Family Daimyo well enough to know that after their journey was complete, the next challenge she was likely to take on was to prove that Shodai's Heavens-granted divination was false...
And, to be honest, a part of Shodai hoped Mitsouko would be able to do just that. The thought that any parent could have some priority that was so all-consuming they decided it was better their child believed them dead rather than being away was heart wrenching to the Void Master. Having grown up in a loving family environment - and despite knowing that he was the exception as opposed to the rule - his heart ached at the sight of Mitsouko's pain caused by the dysfunctional relationship between her and her Mother.
The thought that her relationship with her father was every bit as dysfunctional - though Mitsouko was convinced otherwise - caused Shodai's blood to boil in outrage.
As Shodai and Saimei rounded a corner, they saw a teenaged Mitsouko dancing on the tatami mat in an elegant furisode performing for a masked Scorpion woman - who was shaking the rattles - and a serious-looking man - undoubtedly Mitsouko's father - who looked about 10 years older that Shodai was now. There was a look of guarded love in his features as he watched his daughter... Which was apparently normal for Kakita Shinoburo as Mitsouko didn't seem put off by it.
Shodai stopped to observe the dance, ignoring Shinoburo and the woman; they were undoubtedly figments that Mitsouko had summoned in harmony with this happy place in her life. The young woman's dance was exceptional; if she'd been born a commoner rather than a samurai, this young Mitsouko showed signs that she would have easily been able to become one of the most amazing dancers in the Empire.
As the young Mitsouko finished her dance, Shodai spontaneously applauded her performance with a very polite clap...
And that's when everything went downhill.
Kakita Shinoburo spun at the sound, surprising the Void Master - the constructs of Mitsouko's memory shouldn't be capable of being aware of his presence. "Who are you?! GUARDS! SEIZE THE INTRUDER!"[/b] Suddenly, two figures wearing dark armor that seemed to absorb the very light around them appeared and grabbed both of Agasha Shodai's arms. Their faces were a swirl of obsure mist and the Void Master could feel his strength being drained by their very touch.
Fortunately, no guards seized Seppun Saimei. Either because they weren't aware of her or because, since she was a part of Mitsouko's soul, she was considered to belong here.
"By the black heart of Jigoku..."[/b] Shodai breathed to the semblance of Mitsouko's prior incarnation as he dropped to one knee with a wince. "This is a self-defense mechanism belong to a spell of some kind... I didn't even think to check for one, given Mitsouko's fear of magic. And now it's draining my power into itself..."[/b]
"She's MINE! You can't HAVE her! I WON'T LET HER GO!!"[/b] Shinoburo - or more accurately the thing disguised in the semblance of Mitsouko's father - yelled, drawing Tsukinai from his hip.
Shodai's face fell. "This is REALLY bad... Saimei; you have to get Mitsouko to stop him! In this place that weapon could injure my soul... If he kills me with it, the real me will die and the sympathetic shockwave because I'm connected to Mitsouko..."[/b] His face blanced. "It could kill her, too! And without completing the reunification what makes you, well, YOU would be damned to wander Ningen-do as something more than a ghost but less than a soul!"[/b]
Saimei's face went stark white and she ran past an unnaturally slow-moving Shinoburo to a very confused looking young Mitsouko. "Mitsouko! You need to focus..."[/b] Saimei said, kneeling beside the young girl in the dancing furisode. "I know that this place feels very real to you at the moment, but you need to focus and remember who he IS..."[/b] She pointed at Shodai. ...and what he MEANS to you! You musn't let your father hurt him; stop him!"[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Nov 30, 2011 19:38:43 GMT -5
So linked to the self image she sought within herself, Mitsouko could not see the difference between her memories and the actual spell. She was indeed just a teenager, in a garden of spring blossoms. What at first she thought was a companion of her father, in fact was an intruder… and in her memories he resembled of someone else… her childhood friend Sojiro, because of the mismatched eyes, but another person, from so far away…
Then, the shock of the realization: the man was an intruder in the reclusive garden. In fact, the man was enemy of her father. Nobody was armed, the guards came, and Kakita Shinoburo , her father, was yelling at the man, saying nonsense things… But something…something was wrong! Why she wasn’t able to see anything else than her father, and the man…? The man that dropped in his knees, without any visible harm.
What..? Who? Dad? She turned to her father, but he reassured her everything was okay:
Mitsu-chan, be calm. the sweet and concerned look at his face were so convincing You see? He is Phoenix. He will leave, abandon you, as your mother did one day. Do not trust him…Don't trust outsiders. Don't forget, never...
...open the garden gates to strangers. she completed, with a smirk born from the counteless repetitions.
Yes, daughter…It’s just you…and me. Always.
This part of Mitsouko’s soul, severed from Saimei’s fragment contact, was so well hidden that only for an accident this day should be recalled by her… She watched the man, trying to despise him as he deserved, but something inside her was whispering, fanning new and bold ideas...slowly, insistently. Her father took her by the hand, ready to take Mitsouko from the garden.
Father, who is him? I... know him...
Yes you know, the voice in her mind whispered. Look at him, save him, Mitsouko! Save him!
Father, he is...my friend. Mitsouko insisted, refusing to leave the garden, looking at he weakened shugenja at the guard's feet. Mitsouko... Shinoburo took her chin and forced Mitsouko to look at his eyes: daughter, you are disappointing me. Dont you believe me anymore? Who is the one that teach you everything? Who is the one that stay by your side, always? The one that didn't treat you like a child, the one that tell you everything? Who knows what is good for you? i don't trust him, so you shouldn't trust him. Will you really let him in? Her lips trembled:
But... he is...Shodai![/b]
Enough! Shinoburo turned from her, seeming a dark giant now. You are my daughter, thus you are free! If you let him invade that deep in our garden... I think I will leave you for good! You don't need me anymore! You need to save Shodai! Don't let your father hurt him! The female voice inside her said, like a mantra now. Please... Don't hurt him... he will die! She started to cry, pulling her father's sleeves, knowing his will would be enough to stop what she wasn't understanding, but implicitly was killing Shodai.
You can stop it. Send him away, Mitsu-chan! it was her father's order. NO! He will stay! Mitsouko, sudden and stubbornly, defied the giant form of her father. Her heart pounded, aching. A thunder crossed the skies and stroke the terrain between Shodai and the Kakita pair. Mitosuko felt her father's hand loosing from hers...
A heavy and strange feeling overwhelmed her. For an instant she realized it was relief, and not anguish. A clarity envolved both, consuming the garden. No guards, Yunna or Shinoburo weren't there as well.
Shodai felt her girly hand stroking his hair: Are you okay?
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Agasha Shodai
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Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Dec 4, 2011 15:16:22 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai looked up into the eyes of a young Kakita Mitsouko as she ran her hands through his white hair; feeling a pang in his heart as he looked at her. 'By the Kami... I love her even as a child...' He thought to himself as he felt the weakness of the spell's guardians fade.
The Void Master smiled at the teenage Mitsouko. "I'll be fine; I just need a few moments to catch my breath..."[/b]
Unfortunately, the unknown spell affecting Mitsouko was not willing to give him that time...
The livid form of Kakita Shinoburo burst into the empty space that had been created by Mitsouko's will. He wore full battle dress, but had this unnatural shadowy aura about him. His wrathful gaze bore down upon Shodai, his eyes a deep inky black; much as Isawa Isshin's had been when Shodai and Mitsouko had fought him in the real world. "Get away from my daughter, Phoenix! I will see you DEAD before I give her up to someone like you!"[/b] He wrenched Tsukinai from its saya on his hip.
Seppun Saimei suddenly appeared, still dressed in the heavy silken Emperess junihitoe, and grabbed at Tsukinai's tsuka. "Your daughter is a woman grown... All children must eventually leave the nest and start living their own lives as adults. Mitsouko loves Sho-san. Their union will also be good for the Crane Clan; forming an unbreakable political bond for their lifetimes. The Heavens themselves arranged for this to give Miya Shokujin and I a chance at the happiness we were denied in life! It is not your PLACE to deny her will nor that of your Clan or the Kami themselves!"[/b]
"SILENCE, HARLOT!"[/color][/b] Mitsouko's father bellowed as he shook the katana hard enough to knock Saimei's hands free. "She is MINE! *I* shall decide her destiny... *I*..! Not the clan that forced that shugenja bitch on me; the one who harmed my beloved daughter while claiming to want to help her! *I*..! Not those selfish entities that altered the very nature of humanity with their self-adulation and superior complexes that gave them the strength to browbeat our entire SPECIES into subservience! Now be silent!"[/b]
Shinoburo then struck Seppun Saimei with the katana. There was a spray of blood as he cut her down, but Shinoburo merely flicked the blade to one side, leaving a crimson arc on the ground.
The essence of Mitsouko's prior incarnation fell back, collapsing at Mitsouko's feet; the junihitoe melting away to reveal the bloody armor with the massive gash in it that Saimei had died in. She smiled up weakly at the younger version of her reincarnation.
"See him for what he really is, Mitsu-chan..."[/b] Saimei coughed up a bubble of blood, which she spat out to one side. "I am the part of you that embodies many of your hopes and dreams and personal strengths. He cuts me down because he seeks to control you for the rest of your life; because he knows that his desires are in the wrong. But as long as you live, I can never completely die... We two are one, Kakita Mitsouko, and no matter how much he hates it, nothing he can do can force you to be EXACTLY what he wants you to be..."[/b] She began to cough violently, more blood exploding from her mouth.
"Shut up and die, harlot!"[/b] Shinoburo bellowed, storming up to Saimei and readying the killing stroke. His gaze bore into Mitsouko. "You are MINE, Mitsouko! Back away and let me kill them; it's them or me, Mitsu-chan!"[/b]
Seppun Saimei spat a bloody, defiant goblet at Kakita Shinoburo's feet. "Weak coward... I've faced Lion samurai-ko more manly than you."[/b] Throwing all of her weight into it, she tripped Shinoburo before falling into a temporary coma.
Agasha Shodai took advantage of the distraction to get the Kakita Family Daimyo's attention. He smiled weakly at her, his feelings for her conveyed in his very gaze. "Mitsouko-sa... I love you with every ounce of my being, no matter what happens. Remember... Your life is your own; rise up and live it on your own terms!"[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Dec 8, 2011 19:14:01 GMT -5
Since her birth, Mitsouko was blessed with the friendship of an Air Kami, always discreet, and even I their liaison wasn’t so visible and strong like it would be if Mitsouko had followed the shugenja path, like her mother wished, her affinity with this spirit made her aware of the illusion, the spell, the trick inside her own heart.
Her wrath was great; Shodai probably would never imagine she was able to be so outraged, or to expect her outrage was able to make he rreat like this.
Wild winds rose from the ground, turning into a twirling turmoil that brought tsukinai from the fake Shinoburo to her hand.
The Kakita daimyo rushed herself between Shodai and what once she believed be her father.
You are not Shinoburo Sama, don’t you dare try to speak like him…ANYMORE!
Her father raised her to discern between lies and truths…and in fact he succeeded in his goal. It wasn’t him, it even didn’t speak like him. And don’t you dare to touch my family’s sword, Tsukinai!
I AM OF MY OWN!
The tempest also revealed an adult Mitsouko, again in her usual black and blue armor, her face twisted in disgust against whatever was trying to control a part of herself that was hidden from her conscious knowledge.
YOU! MONSTER! You. Are. Not. My. FATHER!
Tsukinai wasn’t raised against the creature, but Mitsouko sheathed it to where it belonged. Her saya. Like her own life.
The Spell was too weak now, her will had won. The dark figure of her father fainted like black rotten tore fabric in the tornado around her and Shodai. No guards, nothing else but the dying Seppun at her feet. A sense of realization came to Mitsouko’s now clear mind, able to sense Saimei and her were now independent from each other. But knowing it was part of her past life and not, like when she was a child, part of her future.
Shshsh… Saimei, hold on… Mitsouko knelt at her side.
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Agasha Shodai
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Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Dec 10, 2011 0:28:33 GMT -5
As Kakita Mitsouko's remonstrations towards the figure of her father grew with increasing power of will, Agasha Shodai felt his heart beat a little faster. The Kakita Family Daimyo's rage warmed his body and colored his cheeks in the real world, thanks to the bond linking the two of them together. He felt his strength return as her determination washed away the last of the spell's negative effects.
Lying on the ground, Saimei coughed up a bit of blood, but her seemingly mortal wounds were healing rapidly as Mitsouko emotionally embraced the part of herself that she had feared and loathed for a decade and a half. Saimei grinned weakly at her reincarnation. "About... *Cough* ...time you finally stood up to him."[/b]
Agasha Shodai nodded, placing a hand on Mitsouko's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Well fought, Mitsouko-sa... Now let's take care of what we came to do before that rogue magic recovers and makes another attempt at us... Such self-aware magic adapt quickly; we got lucky in that you never fought it before and it couldn't cope fast enough."[/b]
The Void Master recited the third incantation. "Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuuin ~ Four Image Seal: Kaimon-no-Gazou ~ Image of the Gate of Opening ~ Release!"[/b]
As the Shishou Fuuin materialized within the internal projection of Kakita Mitsouko's consciousness, the armor that both of the duelist's incarnations wore melted away. The identical bodies of the two women emitted a halo of light from the neck down, preserving their modesty, as they became a pair of luminous beings.
The light from Saimei had a slightly bluish tint. As it washed across Shodai's senses, he could feel the loneliness and sadness that had plagued her since her death in the year 960. There was an icy determination in the depths of the Seppun's "nakedest self" that carried a great deal of power behind it; like an avalanche waiting to happen.
From Mitsouko was a warm red energy; it was a fiery, hopeful passion for life. Sitting beside Mitsouko, however, he noticed a dark stain around her wrists and ankles - a set of shackles of some kind. It was likely the manifestation of the spell that Mitsouko had fought off.
"Well, let's take care of that right now..."[/b] Shodai muttered to himself as he reached into the tangible energy that made up Mitsouko's "body."
When he touched the shackle, however, came an image of horrific pain, inflicted by torture - both physical and mental - being performed on the teenaged Mitsouko. The image of Kakita Shinoburo loomed in her face. "You are mine, Mitsouko. Now and always... Instinctively fear and loathe your mother and her kind. And obey, even if it costs you your life, the orders of anyone who says to you..."[/b]
Shodai's hand was suddenly and violently repelled by the spell before he could hear the next words from the mouth of Mitsouko's father. A deep foreboding rose like bile in the back of the Void Master's consciousness. The magic was nauseatingly manipulative; nearly as bad as Maho, but lacking the soul-corrupting nature of the latter. He had heard rumors that there was a collection of powerful people, gathered from every Clan around a common belief of hatred of the Celestial Order and everything it represented that used techniques like this, but Shodai had always believed it to be nothing more than a conspiracy theory.
And here, within the soul of the woman Shodai loved more than life itself, was the proof to the contrary. The "Kolat" was not only real - and, worse, it seemed Shinoburo was an active member of it - but it had sunk its fangs into Kakita Mitsouko and had her in a death grip so powerful that not even Shodai could break it...
Not by himself, anyways.
Fortunately, Kaoruko's attack on the 5 year old Mitsouko, might prove to be a blessing in disguise. Any technique that involves dominating a person's will - no matter how complex it was - revolved around the principal that, once an alteration to the psyche is made, and, barring a substantial change in the subject, it's more or less permanent.
Reuniting the two pieces of Mitsouko's soul would count as "substantial."
Shodai invoked the fourth and final of the Images. "Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuuin ~ Four Image Seal: Kyomon-no-Gazou ~ Image of the Gate of Wonder ~ Release!"[/b]
At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then Shodai saw it...
The tendrils of light eminating from Saimei and Mitsouko began to wrap around each other, like raw silk being spun into threads. Red met Blue and Purple was born... First in small flecks, then large patches and, then, finally, the two women began to fall into each other and the light became so bright Shodai was forced to cover his eyes...
Only Mitsouko would ever know what was happening next.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Dec 13, 2011 16:49:29 GMT -5
Like sinking into a deep lake of freezing waters, Mitsouko floated into herself, into what was lost , drowned and forgotten… Lots of corpses killed by herself, scary details pictured as cloned images of herself, rotten and halfburied in the wreckage of a sunk palace, like hybrids of statues and anemonas. Saimei wasn’t with her. It was all about Mitsouko, complete, her two other obscure facets absolutely synchronized and absorbed by her. She was scared, every of that pale sad paralyzed faces of dead Mitsoukos hold a little secret, a little torture, a little mystery untold. Things she wasn’t able to admit that happened… Still exploring the dark realm of herself a glimpse in the sand of the dirty soil where her clones remained in a waste of bokken, hinas and rotten ribbons of Crane silk. Diving to reach the spot Mitsouko was able to touch the metal… struggled to release the sword, her fingers were cut by the blade but she didn’t care… she pulled it free from the mud. She found herself. Finally, Mitsouko was given something to use to free herself. She found her own will.
Mitsouko opened her eyes.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_red.png)
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Dec 20, 2011 20:51:44 GMT -5
As the blinding, brilliant light faded out, Agasha Shodai blinked tears of pain until the dark spots in his vision finally cleared. Kakita Mitsouko's luminous form now glowed a melange of red and blue, with the odd line of purple mixed in for good measure fusing the two pieces of the Kenshinzen's soul back into one. In time, the two personalities would bleed into each other and mix together until the lines between Saimei and Mitsouko were completely lost.
The Void Master took Mitsouko's hand, lifting it to check the dark stains he'd seen previously. It took him several seconds, but eventually he saw that the effect remained; albeit a grayish stain as opposed to a black one. As he'd hoped, the fusion of Saimei to Mitsouko had reduced the potentcy of the spell. Shodai made another effort to break the spell, but it had apparently gotten enough of a taste of the Phoenix shugenja's power that it protected itself.
"Canny little bastard, aren't you?"[/b] The Agasha said with reluctant admiration for the skill involved. "But if I can't break you, perhaps I can deflect you..."[/b]
The Void Master opened his "inner eye," opening himself to the infinite nature of the Void: the spell manacles glowed the color of all 5 elements. Within the Void, he twisted the sealing magic until he found a series of gaps created by the reintroduction of what Saimei represented into Mitsouko's soul.
Into these gaps, Shodai began to add new elements that subtly altered the effects of the brainwashing technique. After he finished, the Void Master invoked the looming face of Kakita Shinoburo. Now, however, there were moments where his image spoke with Agasha's voice instead. "You are mi--y beloved daughter, Mitsouko. Now and always- -be true to yourself. Do not let another dictate to you who you are or how you should feel about anyone! And obey, but use your own judgement on the iterpretation and surreptuously call for the aid of the ones you entrust your heart to, the orders of anyone who says to you..."[/b] At which point the vision cut off as the spell reached its most carefully protected point.
A grin crossed Shodai's lips as he looked at the now gray and white shackles. "That'll throw a wrench into the plans of anyone that invokes this spell. Now to complete what we set out to do in the first place... Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuujin ~ Four Image Seal: Kyomon-no-Gazou, Kaimon-no-Gazou ~ Gates of Wonder and Opening ~ Seal!"[/b]
Ribbons of the mottled energy began to coalesce into a mixture of Saimei's Seppun Green and Mitsouko's Crane Blue armor with a silken horo - a cloak reserved for high ranking samurai; very similar to the haori vest worn with a kimono - made of the layers of the junihitoe Saimei had worn during her imprisonment.
Mitsouko moaned softly as she began to awaken. Shodai gently brushed the samurai-ko's lush, loosely worn hair from her face as he cradled her with his other arm. Her green-gold eyes opened slightly and the Void Master smiled at her. "How do you feel, Mitsouko-sa?"[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Dec 25, 2011 11:51:24 GMT -5
Better than I ever had before. Thank you. But I am concerned in how do YOU feel… Are you okay? She gave him a weak but sincere smile, after the events she would thankfully gave up from any contact with magic, and for sure, she was exhausted. Mitsouko caressed Shodai’s face, truly concerned.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_red.png)
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Dec 25, 2011 21:00:53 GMT -5
The Void Master smiled tiredly down at the Kakita Family Daimyo. "I'll recover; in time. It might have been a completely different story if you hadn't pushed your mind out of your memories, but I'm fine."[/b] He helped her to her feet. "But I've completed what I set out to do; the reunification of what was divided in your youth has begun, but we won't know what kind of effects it will have on the real you until we leave this place."[/b]
Agasha Shodai clapped his hands together. "Soul Manipulation Art, Shishou Fuuin ~ Four Image Seal: Tomon-no-Gazou, Keimon-no-Gazou ~ Gates of Limits and Viewing ~ Seal!"[/b]
The image of the Chrysanthemum Bride Manor began to ripple since Mitsouko's focus had shifted and the spell that was holding the image to create this illusionary world within the Kenshinzen's own soul was ending. A fissure began to form between the Phoenix shugenja and the Crane samurai-ko. Before it opened too far, Shodai leaned across, giving Mitsouko a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you shortly in the real world, Mitsouko-sa..."[/b]
The Void Master closed his eyes, willing his consciousness back into his own body.
~*~
With a *LURCH* every bit as forceful as the one he'd felt when he performed the soul dive, Agasha Shodai took a reflexively deep breath as he opened the eyes of his mortal body.
"Soul Manipulation Art, Gogyou Fuuin ~ Five Elements Sealing. SEAL!"[/b] The Void Master commanded as he withdrew his hand from within Mitsouko's chest, through the hina ningyo doll - which now had snow-white hair to match Mitsouko since Seppun Saimei was no longer contained within it - freeing it before Mitsouko awoke to feel any kind of embarrassment.
"Mitsouko-sa..."[/b] Shodai whispered, gently caressing her hand. "Awaken, my love..."[/b]
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Dec 26, 2011 17:30:28 GMT -5
With a gasp Mitsouko awoke, feeling as if she had been carrying a decade or more from an abyss up to the surface. She was really tired Why in the Jigoku everything is so difficult, Sho? You always have answers to eveything, please explain me! her remark surely had something of outrage, but also was said in a light mood. She looked at the hina ningyo over her chest. Guy, you are hideous! Mitsouko squeezed Shodai's hand in hers, kissed it. She wasn't in condition of talking too much, nor had the words to thank him for what he had made. But soon she would make him know. Where's Lady Tisuke? she asked, refering to her mother in a rather affectionate way... at least in a way both women thought it was. Something in Mitsouko had changed, Shodai could tell. it was apparent and even her expression was different. But what exactly had changed in her personality?
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_red.png)
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Dec 26, 2011 18:56:32 GMT -5
Shodai chuckled at Mitsouko's comment. "It comes from spending a lot of time in libraries and having the mixed blessing and curse to NEVER be able to forget things... I remember every line of every scroll and every conversation I have ever had, which can be handy at times like this, but at the same time I remember the look in the eyes of every man or woman I have been forced to kill, their final words, the way the field of battle stank with blood and gore... Every single one as fresh in my memory as if I'd done it yesterday instead of a decade ago..."[/b]
He looked melancholy for a moment, but then he shook his head, clearing it when she kissed his hand. "But on the other hand I can re-watch any moment of our time together whenever I wish... And that alone makes it worth the cost."[/b] He smiled at her.
"Where's Lady Tisuke?" Mitsouko asked. Shodai could see a difference in her eyes as she spoke of her mother, which he figured was either from erasing part of the fear-inducing brainwashing that Kakita Shinoburo had inflicted on his own daughter to command her unquestioning loyalty or because Saimei's imperial grace and composure was bleeding into Mitsouko.
"I'm right here, Mitsu-chan..."[/b] Isawa Tisuke breathed heavily. Her forehead was dripping with sweat as if she were in intense pain and struggling to maintain focus. "Is it done, Shodai-dono?"[/b]
The Void Master nodded, holding up the hina ningyo that was now a perfect match for Mitsouko's appearance. The spell binding the doll to the Kakita Daimyo remained, allowing Tisuke to be able to see how she was doing at all times. "The seal is broken and, in time, Saimei and Mitsouko will be one soul once again."[/b]
The water tensai nodded, an exhausted smile upon her face. "Excellent..."[/b] She gasped, tears of relief in her eyes. "Right after you opened the seal, Kaoruko began to try and take control; intending to kill you both while focused in the spell. It has been a very long three hours... Fortunately I was able to keep her busy..."[/b] She gestured to an unstoppered sake jar-like container that was now on the kotatsu.
The Void Master reached out to turn the bottle until he saw the kanji for blue nightshade - the same poison that had been inflicted on Mitsouko that Shodai had treated with the help of the woman who'd poisoned herself. "By the Kami and Fortunes, Tisuke... That's rather reckless of you."[/b] He said disapprovingly.
The older shugenja shook her head. "You needn't worry about me, young master. I am a water Tensai and more than able to negate its effects, but it kept Kaoruko focused on forcing me to heal myself rather than hurting the two of you..."[/b] She frowned as both she and Shodai felt a pulse of magic. "Damn it... She's getting faster."[/b] Tisuke grabbed the poison and drank the remaining contents of the jar before throwing it to one side to join three other identical containers. "That should buy me another twenty minutes of control..."[/b]
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