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 Jul 25, 2011 21:50:56 GMT -5
~Strike Team, +2:37~
Agasha Shodai continued to pull at the ethereal Oni Mark, which began to evaporate like fog before the emerging sun, ripping the mystical tendrils that it had drilled throughout Isawa Isshin's body. The Lost Phoenix shugenja's cries became more shrill and he bucked within the binding spell in complete futility. Between the torturous agony and the fact that his arms and mouth were bound, the creature that had once been Isawa Tetsuro's brother was incapable of invoking even the simplest of spells that could lead to his personal freedom.
The Void Master tensed his muscles and pulled for all that he was worth. "Henceforth, thou shall be called Isawa Kuroyu Isshin wa Ursaki from now until your dying breath!"[/b]
With a final sharp tug, the Oni Mark was ripped free from Isshin's chest and began to melt away into the Void.
~Main Force, +2:38~
As Shodai ripped the Mark off, the creature's body began to fall apart; its destruction accelerated by the attacks of the gathered combined assault force. The oni began to shrink in upon itself as its tie to Ningen-do was completely severed. "NOOOOO[/color]OOOOOOOOOOOOooo!!!" A howl of one thwarted and sentenced to eternal damnation clawed its way out of the Isshin-no-Oni's mouth as it was sucked into itself through a pinprick hole to Jigoku. As the oni vanished, the massive jade chains binding it struck the water, splashing the soldiers closest to where the beast had been with a massive spray of fresh river water.
All fell silent in stunned awe... The monster had been there... And now it wasn't.
On the shore, Daidoji Eiji broke the confusion as he raised his yari. "WE ARE VICTORIOUS!!!"[/b] A cheer arose from the gathered troops in response and Eiji would not be surprised if it could be heard in Kosaten Shiro or Shiro Matsu.
Isawa Tetsuro, laying - chest down - as Asahino Ino used her healing arts to knit his flesh from the wound on his back together, let off a sigh of bitter relief. "Goodbye, Nii-san..."[/b]
~Strike Team, +2:39~
As the Isshin-no-Oni was destroyed, his departure restored the balance of the Void within the Three Sides River region. Shodai and Isshin both let off a gasp of shock like men suddenly doused by gallons of ice cold water.
Shodai felt his fatigue be washed away as the balanced Void began to flow through him once again. "The Oni has been banished!"[/b] He said to Mitsouko and Hirotomo, a slightly giddy smile on his face. "It's over..!"[/b]
Then Isawa Isshin began to laugh. There was a loud *POP* as he banished the gag using the same spell that Shodai had unleashed. A look of shock filled Shodai's eyes - Isshin should NOT have been capable of performing that spell!
"Over?! OVER?! Nn~nyeheheheheh!!!"[/b] Isshin cackled maniacally as his pale white skin began to turn an obsidian black. There were glowing lights beneath the surface of his skin as if he contained the night sky within his body. "Isshin was sucked through a rift into Jigoku. Now Isshin must follow Isshin! And Isshin is taking the world with Isshin!"[/b]
A soul-searing chill ripped through Shodai's being... And suddenly the Void Master knew just what his student's insane brother was planning! It was an act that only someone that had gone truly Void Happy would do... A roar, like the sound of nature being violated in the worst way imaginable began to fill the cave.
He glanced at Mitsouko and Hirotomo; his bi-color gaze assessing the situation. Hirotomo was still wiped out from the rejuvenation spell. If Mitsouko ran, she'd have a chance of making it to safety... But that would entail her abandoning both her cousin and her friend; she'd never do it.
Taking a deep breath, Agasha rushed Isawa whispering the incantation of a very special spell that he had discovered in the City of Tears. As he reached Isshin, Shodai gripped Hirotomo's "Sewing Needle," feeling a brief warmth through the grip as he pulled the blade free. He wiped the tar-like blood from the blade, revealing the faintest hint of jade, desperately clinging to the gaijin steel.
The Void Master ran over to the two of them. "EYES!!!"[/b] He bellowed over the noise, giving the pair the order to close both their eyes. There was only one way that Shodai would be able to get the two of them to safety and he wouldn't be able to follow them... He had one last job to do here and he could not in good conscience allow them to risk their lives.
Especially since Shodai didn't know if he was even capable of stopping what was about to happen.
Agasha Shodai pressed "Sewing Needle" into Mitsouko's hands as he began to mentally encant the one spell that would get the two of them to safety. "Don't come back until its over, Mitsouko-san... I would gladly die a thousand deaths if it meant protecting you..."[/b]
The Void Master kissed the forehead of the Kakita Family Daimyo just beneath her kabuto. Before his eyes, for a brief instant, Shodai saw Miya Shokujin doing the same thing to Seppun Saimei each time she'd gone into battle, filled with regret that he was not a good enough warrior to be able to fight by her side.
"Void Art. Dimensional Slide to mouth of river."[/b] He said, using his foot to tap the other two members of the strike team. And suddenly they disappeared, teleported instantly through the Void to the spot he'd designated half a mile away.
Shodai turned to Isshin as he began to do something that he'd sworn he was never going to do...
The Void Master unlocked every mystical barrier that he'd created within himself over the last 20 years of training. These barriers were designed to deliberately channel the flow of the Void through him; to ensure that he did not need to maintain complete focus to be able to use his five natural senses. A Beru Ganbonme - a master of the fifth and final Ring of the Void, which was when an Ishiken discovered that final secrets of the Void entirely on their own - could sense things happening on the other side of the Empire as if they were occuring right beside them. Shodai had discovered these secrets through the process of Enlightenment and had willfully chosen to limit himself to the outer edges of the power he had found suddenly at his fingertips.
But now, he was going to need it all.
A stunned look filled Isawa Isshin's eyes as the last fragments of sanity realized what the Void Master was doing and forced themselves to the surface. "Thank you, Grand Master Agasha... Tell Onii-sa... Tell Tetsuro that I'm sorry."[/b]
Agasha Shodai nodded as he realized that he couldn't stop the spell Isshin had begun... But he could contain it. "He already knows, Isshin. He already knows."[/b] He replied as he spread his arms wide, splaying his fingers and he reached through the Void to change the nature of the spell.
The last conscious act Shodai was aware of was him whispering a prayer to Emma-O in Meido. The rest of this was in the hands of the Fortune of Death.
~Mouth of the Three Sides River where it empties into the Lake of Sorrows, +2:45~
Kakita Mitsouko and Toku Hirotomo emerged from the Void precisely where Agasha Shodai intended: on the Crane side of the Three Sides River, safely away from the Oni's cave and not conveniently near any boats to take her across. Her green-gold eyes snapped open, relexively looking around for Shodai before she realized that he had not teleported with them.
There was a loud *CRUMP!* as across the lake a sphere of blackness, filled the the lights of the night sky exploded silently into existance. It swallowed half the mountain the Oni's cave had been in as a dimensional rift split the world open for what had to be a circle with a diameter as far as a Tsuruchi archer could shoot. The soundless detonation was filled with a rush of wind as it and the water of the lake tried to fill the hole in reality. The stiff wind knocked the still disoriented Kenshinzen to her knees.
Suddenly in the midst of the opening, the green armored figure of Emma-O appeared. The Fortune of Death reached through the opening into Ningen-do and gripped the edges of the planar rift and began to pull it closed. After an interminable period of time the orb of destruction collapsed in upon itself, disappearing as if the stuff of Yume-do, the Plane of Dreams...
And all was silent.
"Honorable Samurai, are you two okay?!"[/b] A heimin fisherman in a small boat bearing the Crane mon upon it asked, finally breaking the silence. The water rushing into the hole to Meido - thanks to the Void Master's last minute alterations of the spell - had pulled his boat halfway across the lake to be just a few feet away from Mitsouko and Hirotomo. "Is there anything I can do to help the two of you?"[/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 Jul 26, 2011 21:00:30 GMT -5
"Fortunes..." She whispered, open mouth and shocked, witnessing the strange and astonishing event, just swallowing things and existences like a drain to the Void. Mitsouko put on her feet, still trying to absorb and understand the black sphere and everything she had seen from that far distance. Mitsouko had Sewing Needle with her; the kiss Sho-san gave in her forehead burning like a last kiss… She blinked twice, and with a glance to her cousin, she checked that he was okay. But Sho-san wasn’t. How could he be, staying at the center of the massive and supernatural destruction? Of course her heart was shattered. They defeated, banished the hideous Isshin-no-Oni, but… her friend, and the Void Master, perished? She refused to believe. he always refused to believe that death was greater than destiny.
I am sure you can. Take us to that point of the river. She pointed to where once existed the cave, commanding.
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Toku Hirotomo
Monkey Clan
Bushi Paragon of Compassion Clan Champion Toturi's Army
Posts: 793
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Post by Toku Hirotomo on Jul 26, 2011 22:28:01 GMT -5
Hirotomo slowly rose to his feet. Whatever had happened, shook him to his core. He removed his now useless armor and stared at the hole that had, no should have, killed him. Did he really meet Emma-O? Was it the spell or his destiny that refused him passage into the next world? Hirotomo shook his head as he lightly fingered the hole in his kimono. Sho would have found a way out. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly to Mitsouko. "We'll probably find him drinking a cup of tea, admonishing us for our tardiness." The man was not dead, he couldn't be. He had growing suspicions about the pair, and if Emma-O's words rang true, something like an exploding ball of nothing would not kill him. Oh gods. What was he going to do about that? His father would likely not believe it, but his new duties were keeping him away. Perhaps they would go to the Scorpion lands next, after they found Sho. Chiyuki was writing him, glorifying her duties, and she would be sore if she did not get the chance for adventure with him. He would go see Rinko first after this. He needed to see her.
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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 Jul 27, 2011 14:38:57 GMT -5
~The Strike Team, +3:05~
The Heimin fisherman handled his small boat efficiently despite the extra weight of the two armored samurai (well, mostly armored in Hirotomo's case.) After a few minutes, the bottom of the boat scraped up against the rocks at the entrance of what was now a caldera - a bowl of rock. The sides of the rock were smooth from were the silent detonation had cut the rock and the maw to Meido had swallowed it. There was strewn rubble from loose rocks on the mountain the cave had been within that had been pulled down.
Agasha Shodai was nowhere to be seen, but given the debris, it was too early to despair.
There was an almost unholy silence within the caldera; most of the insects and birds within range of the cave had been pulled in by the vacuum. The two samurai and the fisherman began looking around the area trying to find any sign of the Void Master.
A lone cry of a bird finally interrupted the silence. The call was melodic like a songbird, but also had the slightly shrill overtones of a bird of prey. Hirotomo and Mitsouko looked at the other in confusion; neither had heard such an unusual yet beautiful song before.
"Milady samurai, look!"[/b] The Heimin said in absolute awe as he pointed up in the sky over the edge of the bowl.
A small firebird, the totem creature that the Kami Shiba had chosen for the mon of his Clan, rode the air currents with an effortless grace. Its flaming plumage made it look like the disembodied light of a torch as it circled the rock bowl in search of something. The mystical bird apparently found what it was looking for since a few moments later it began to flap its wings to descend to a pile of stones in the middle of the bowl. The small flaming Phoenix looked down behind the stones and let off another flute-like cry. It cocked its head - as if confused by the lack of an expected response - and then began to preen itself.
Kakita Mitsouko ran over to the pile of rubble. Agasha Shodai was covered by rock dust and encircled entirely by rocks large enough to have hidden him from a distance; if not for the small flaming bird - a messenger, given the thumb-sized red scroll canister tied to the bird's right leg - it would have been hours before they found the Void Master. Agasha Shodai's eyes were closed and he didn't seem to be breathing, but with his armor in place there was none of the obvious signs.
"Sho-san!" Mitsouko called, unable to tell if the shugenja was alive or dead at first. She reached down to remove the breastplate of his armor. Her heart froze in her chest for a bit when she didn't see it moving, but then she noticed that it WAS moving, but extremely slow - like it had been when she'd seen him meditating in the garden of the Crysanthemum Bride Manor, only even more slowly.
It was as if he wasn't breathing on his own... Something was doing it for him.
"He is trapped within a spell..."[/i][/b] The Air kami that was her constant - and sometimes unwanted - companion whispered in her ear so that only she could hear. "He must awaken before his own Air spirit companion weakens to the point that it cannot sustain him. Remember the stories of magic your mother told you as a child for they hold the key to saving him..."[/i][/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 Aug 3, 2011 11:19:16 GMT -5
Her eyes filled with tears, when Mitsouko saw her dear Sho half dead, fallen on the debris of the former oni pit. The whisper of the kami just told her what her heart already knew. In a silent prayer, she bent to the Phoenix man, Mitsouko removed her kabuto, approcehad her ear to Shodai's lips, trying to feel or hear some warmth, some sound. Just the barest hint of he was still alive. touching his pale and cold face with a cupped hand.
Above everything else, Sho was a new and dear friend. Despite the difference of age and experiences, they knew how to understand each other. Jinjutsu was kind and compassionate; Sho-san, sweet and compassionate traveler companion and a good tactician, even if sometimes a bit weird; the Phoenix Void Master, Agaha Shodai, wise and professorial. But he destinies of Sho and Mitsouko seemed to . Few days ago, Sho traveled so far to save her life, and then they discovered they shared more than some summers in Firebirds Fall. Her lips parted, with something like a prayer: "Please, help me to wake up Sho. If our destiny is so tightly intertwined, permit me to at least try to share my breath with him." With the touch of their lips, she used her wish...
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Toku Hirotomo
Monkey Clan
Bushi Paragon of Compassion Clan Champion Toturi's Army
Posts: 793
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Post by Toku Hirotomo on Aug 3, 2011 16:38:37 GMT -5
Hirotomo coughed uncomfortably, though it could barely be heard. He walked to the fisherman and spoke some length about his use of netting, and how the fishing was. His mind was shaken. He should have stopped Mitsouko. Sho did not seem alive, and touching dead flesh was horrid. Then if he was still alive, doing what she was doing was highly inappropriate. Scorpion would pay dearly to know this little tidbit, even though he'd never tell anyone else. Sometimes his cousin forgot herself. Hirotomo tried not to think about it. It would only make matters even more confusing.
Hirotomo changed his kimono, the hole in his other one was starting to get to him. He would let his cousin have the time she needed. He took Sewing Needle out and began to clean it of the residual murk still lingering on the blade. He sharpened it, and slid it back into it's scabbard.
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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 Aug 3, 2011 20:49:38 GMT -5
~Strike Team, +3:15~
As Kakita Mitsouko's lips touched those of the unconscious Agasha Shodai, the pleasant yet unusual electric thrill that the Void Master felt when he touched Mitsouko's skin coursed through his body. The surge was stronger than normal thanks to the fact that the destruction of Isawa Isshin - not to mention the heavy duty magic Shodai had unleashed - had excited the local kami and the sensual sensation caused Mitsouko to flinch in surprise for the briefest of instants...
In that instant, Mitsouko saw what Shodai's closed eyes were seeing, the cause for his unconsciousness; the Void Master was mentally trapped in the past... Not his personal past, though; Agasha Shodai was reliving a part of Miya Shokujin's life from two centuries earlier.
Even though the Kenshinzen had no true understanding of magic, a part of her intuitively realized that being right at the maw of Meido had somehow revitalized the source of the shugenja's visions to the point that it did not require Shodai to touch Mitsouko to see them this time. And because of the spell that Shodai had used to protect Hirotomo and herself from the Void, they could both see the memories if they but closed their eyes.
Kakita Mitsouko took a few minutes to focus on breathing through her nose, feeling a slight tickle as the Air kami in Shodai's lungs drew some of the air in through their joined lips to keep the Void Master alive while the magic ran its course. Once she was used to it, the Kakita Duelist closed her eyes and fell into the visions of the past...
~Otosan Uchi, 6th Day of the Horse, 958~
Miya Shokujin smiled to himself as he dressed himself in a lime green and lemon yellow silk kimono bearing the mon of the Miya Family and that of the Miya Heralds. The young samurai - he was twenty or so - looked at himself in the mirror. His shoulder-length hair, currently dyed a pale purple-pink for the Chrysanthemum Festival that - for the first time in his life - the courier would be attending in the very shadow of Seppun Hill, clashed with the robes bearing his Family's colors, but he was still very striking. Even his odd "evil" eyes - one a purplish/black, the other jade green - was unable to detract from his splendor for once.
Mitsouko could see the resemblance to the man in the mirror to her memory of Agasha Shodai from her youth.
There was even a rumor that the Emperor himself might make an appearance to celebrate the 958th anniversary of the arrival of the 8 Kami in Ningen-do.
He knew he'd gotten lucky when his horse's iron shoe had shown signs of cracking when he'd inspected it five day's earlier; reforging a horseshoe to Miya Family specifications was a two-day process that could not be interrupted. While the Chrysanthemum Festival occurred on the 6th day in the month of Akodo - by the noble calendar - it was a custom that no work should be done by anybody in Rokugan society for a period of eight days (one for each of the Kami) around the festival and Shokujin was able to justify delaying his return to Kyuden Miya.
~*~ The vision/dream/memory skipped forward... ~*~
Miya Shokujin began his climb of the final steps to the shrine atop Seppun Hill. The festivities would not start until the sun began to set, but the courier wanted to get the lay of the shrine and the assorted festivities before the crowds arrived. He was lost in his own thoughts that he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and failed to notice a pair of women approaching the stairs to head down from the shrine. The women were equally distracted by their conversation and failed to notice their way was blocked. As the woman on the right began to step down, Shokujin was making his final step up.
"OOF!"[/b] Shokujin was suddenly treated to a face full of well-endowed, perfumed female bosom as he stepped up and into the same space the woman was trying to take.
"EEK! You lecherous bastard!"[/b] The woman let out a cry of dismayed outrage as her companion giggled in cruel amusement. With a swift knee strike, Shokujin experienced a pain that only a man could experience - filling his vision with stars - as he fell backwards down the stairs to the flat tier a dozen or so steps below. Only after her body had finished reacting did the woman realize what she'd done. "Oh, dear! Are you okay?!"[/b] She cried in embarrassed concern as she rushed down the stairs.
The sound of her companion's amusement grew louder as she collapsed in gales of laughter. "''Are you okay?!'"[/b] She repeated, mocking her companion with a sultry, yet dulcet voice. "Planning to join one of the comedy troupes tonight, Mei-chan?"[/b]
The woman that Shokujin had accidentally gotten too close to knelt beside her attacker/victim. "It's not funny, Ruko-sama! I could have killed him if he'd landed wrong! I've only been embarressed; no one deserves to die because of that!"[/b] "Mei-chan" said as she checked for injuries.
As the stars cleared from his eyes, Miya Shokujin found himself looking into the green-gold eyes of Seppun Saimei. "Sho beawtiful..."[/b] The courier slurred, disoriented from the blow he'd taken to the back of the head when he'd landed. "N'er 'shpected to e'er she a Goddessh in my lifuh..."[/b] He drawled before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he passed out.
~*~ The vision/dream/memory skipped forward again... ~*~
Miya Shokujin awoke on a cushioned mattress. "Oh man... What a bizarre dream..."[/b] He moaned, clutching his head as he sat up.
"That's odd, Miya-san. People don't normally dream when they lose consiousness from blunt trauma to the head."[/b]
The courier's eclipse eyes snapped open. A female shugenja - Shokujin guessed from the scroll satchel at her hip - about his own age sat on a bench across from the futon he lay on. The woman was stunningly beautiful thanks to a liberal use of cosmetics and had purple-red hair framing her face. Her kimono bore the crest of the Otomo family, but the school crest of the Hidden Guard.
There was something about her face that looked somehow familiar to Kakita Mitsouko, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The green-gold eyed woman sat beside her, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as he looked at her. The woman whose bosom Shokujin had accidentally stuck his face into was gorgeous - not in the same category of her companion, but her beauty seemed more... genuine for some reason. Her kimono carried the mons of the Seppun Family and the Miharu - the bushi school dedicated as the principal defenders of the Son of Heaven and his family.
This one Mitsouko had no problem identifying - Saimei's face was a dead ringer for her own.
"Not a dream, then... Just feels unreal like one..."[/b] He groaned, getting to his feet and bowing so deeply to the woman with the green-gold eyes that he almost lost his balance. "Gomenasai, Seppun-sama. I should have been paying better attention to what was in front of me. Forgive my inadvertent trespass and permit me to make it up to you in any way you determine to be fair."[/b]
"We are equally at fault, Miya-san."[/b] Seppun Saimei said graciously, even as she flushed in embarrassment. "I, too, should have been paying attention, but Kaoruko-sama and I were focused on our assessment of the readiness of the Shrine for..."[/b]
Otomo Kaoruko's hand came up to cover the Seppun's mouth. "Need to know, Saimei-chan!"[/b] Behind the cover of Kaoruko's hand, Saimei sighed and nodded apologetically. The Otomo looked over at Shokujin, lowering her hand. "And you're only awake now because my yojimbo here asked me to heal your injuries. I think it only fair that you think of something to make it up to both of us."[/b] She paused, her eyes roaming up and down with a look that made Shokujin feel dirty for some reason. "Like, say, treating us both to a good time tonight..."[/b] She gave him a sultry wink that caused both Shokujin and Saimei to blush in embarrassment at her forwardness. "...at the Festival, of course."[/b]
"Hmm... Treat the two most beautiful women in the Empire to a night out on the town?"[/b] Miya Shokujin playfully replied, pretending to think it over as he tried to straighten things out in his mind. The eyebrow over his green eye arched. "You know, if this is supposed to be a punishment, you realize you're only encouraging me to get in more trouble; right?"[/b]
"That's the whole idea, boya."[/b] The Otomo giggled. "I'm Otomo Kaoruko and the one you got to know up close and personal is my yojimbo...[/b]
The Seppun flushed at Karouko's disregard for her embarrassment. "Seppun Saimei."[/b] The woman said, making a slight bow to Shokujin.
The courier's ears turned red. She was so gorgeous! "Miya Shokujin, m'lady..."[/b] He said with another bow. "And I have a feeling this is the start of an odd, but interesting friendship..."[/b] Shokujin said, unable to tear his eyes away from Saimei's face.
"Me too..."[/b] Saimei agreed with a wan smile as the scene faded out.
~Strike Team, +3:25~
Agasha Shodai's eyes fluttered open, then bulged in shock as he realized that his travelling companion's lips were pressed to his. "Mfitsfouko?"[/b] He asked in confusion, his voice perfectly normal save for being smothered by the Kenshinzen's warm, moist lips. The Kakita daimyo's womanly form was pinning him pleasantly in place from above while the rubble covering his arms left him quite unable to disengage.
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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 Aug 3, 2011 22:29:05 GMT -5
Oh please, I don’t!
Mitsouko almost lose her balance when raising her head and hastily removing her lips from where they were moments ago. Her first reaction, of course, was to undo any misunderstanding that would occur. What type of woman abuses from an unconscious and almost dying man?Not the Kakita daimyo! A dual feeling of embarassment and joy (if the Void Master was able to reprehend her that he was surely awake) was sparkling in her mind; a bit childish but, think, everything worked! And well, she liked to think her breath saved Sho! Mitsouko quickly removed pebbles and debris from upon Sho-san, with her bare hands. When it wasn’t enough, she cried for help:
Hirotoooomo-san! Help me here!
Somehow, she realized that, after chasing and defeating and oni, surviving a Void Happy Shugenja trying to devour the world and, well, having an entire past life to explore near in the future; she hadn’t much to shame herself about (almost) kissing Sho. And Sho, she was sure, should have liked the experience, if he was paying attention.
Are you okay? She winked, playfully, at Sho-san. They were alive, afterwards, and that was enough reason to celebrate. The feelings and visions they shared explained her much, but there where much to discover. Unfortunately, her duties to her clan were claiming and she of course would need to delay to think about everything she witnessed, to discuss with Sho later, after Ryoko Owari. Mitsouko, of course, never thought that her next travelling destiny, and the following days in the Empire, would be so hard.
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Toku Hirotomo
Monkey Clan
Bushi Paragon of Compassion Clan Champion Toturi's Army
Posts: 793
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Post by Toku Hirotomo on Aug 3, 2011 23:27:03 GMT -5
Hirotomo ran when his cousin called. He helped her, his mind whirring. When Sho looked at them, Hirotomo laughed. He could not help it, the laughter was almost manic. Wiping his eyes, he looked at his friend. "Apparently I'm not the only one who got stuck in death's throat. We must taste bad."
Once the man was free and walking, Hirotomo fell on his back. It was over. He wanted a bath and to see Rinko. His father might not believe what happened. Hirotomo was unsure if he believed it himself. No man could see a fortune and come back unchanged.
His armor was ruined, the taint of the creature would linger upon it. Hirotomo stored it in a sack. He would hand it over to those who could deal with such things. The Fuzake would know how best to dispose of it.
He looked over to Mitsouko. For some reason he felt the need to be home. Perhaps his father was still there, the Summit was close though, and his father would be there.
"When we get back, I'll be leaving. I have something that needs to be taken care of back home. When I'm finished, I'll ride to the City of Lies. I should not be more than a day or two behind. Hirotomo said quietly to Mitsouko and Sho. His eyes looked dim, a far cry from the black orbs that took glee from attacking the creature. They betrayed his confusion and his weariness. Perhaps Sensei could help. He needed to know more about this scholarly stuff. His sword would only get him so far now.
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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 Aug 3, 2011 23:59:25 GMT -5
As soon as Mitsouko pulled back, emotionally backpedalling at the same time, Shodai felt a tickle in his chest that caused him to cough roughly, like a man spitting up water, as the Air kami that had kept the Void Master alive until the Kakita woman's arrival was expelled. The small, friendly spirit whispered an explanation to him in the language of nature.
Shodai smiled up at Mitsouko. "It looks like you've evened the score, Mitsouko-san."[/b] He nodded toward the spirit that was little more than a dust devil swirling up a cloud. "Zephyr here says I probably wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't taken action. I thank you for preserving my life, my friend."[/b]
On the rock pinning his black hair to the ground, the miniature phoenix tootled a brief melody of thanks. Blinking, Shodai looked up as Mitsouko cleared away the rocks holding down his right arm. "Ignatus? What are you doing here?"[/b]
The shugenja reached down to his hip and pulled out a small tanto, which he used to raggedly cut his hair; freeing him from the rocks that had fallen around him. He sheathed his tanto before he made a low but nasal-sounding series of chirps before reaching for the scroll pouch on the bird's leg. He unwound the scroll, reading the short sequence of numbers that represented several lines of dialogue. Fire Master Agasha Miga was reporting that the recently victorious Shogun had started to hold a series of top secret conferences at Mountain Watch Keep for an unknown purpose and that he was monitoring the situation.
Agasha frowned to himself as he touched the secret message to the phoenix's flaming plumage, quickly reducing it to a meaningless cinder. "Thanks for the update, Ignatus; I'll send Tetsuro home soon to stay on top of things."[/b] He murmured, stroking the firebird under its chin.
"Are you okay?"
The Void Master nodded. "Just an ache that radiates from my soul outwards... It's been a LONG time since I last used this much magic in a single day and it takes a toll on the body."[/b] He looked at the firebird "Can I get a tear before you go, Ignatus?"[/b] The messenger bird nodded, allowing a single mystical drop of the ultimate restorative to fall into the palm of the Void Master's hand before it tootled a farewell and took wing to Kyuden Isawa.
Shodai lifted his hand to let the droplet fall into his mouth. A tingle of mystical energy rippled through his being, healing the cuts and bruises he'd suffered during his nearly fatal effort to contain Isshin's Void Bomb. When it reached his scalp, the Void Master felt his hair grow out until it reached shoulder-length, which is when he got an unexpected surprise...
Aside from the single black bang that hung over his gray left eye and tips that were the hair the shugenja had had left after cutting himself free from the ground, his hair had gone as white as the newly fallen snow.
"Okay... Now THAT'S different..."[/b] He muttered to himself.
Shodai glanced over to Hirotomo, smiling slightly at the now battle-proven samurai's joke about tasting bad. His eyes drifted over to look at the Sewing Needle, hoping that his deperate gambit had worked... From it's sheath, the gaijin's odd hand guard gleamed in a silent wink as the pure soul of Isawa Isshin - freed from the taint of his body - made the previously soulless blade into a nemuranai; an awakened weapon. Hirotomo's kenku master would see the difference immediately and, with time and effort, the Toku family bushi would learn how to command the new abilities of the hybrid half-gaijin, half-Rokugani blade as Isshin became one with the Sewing Needle.
But that would be a discovery for another day...
"We should head back to camp so that we can celebrate our victory and raise a toast to those whom will not be returning home."[/b] Agasha Shodai said softly to his companions.
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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 Aug 10, 2011 8:32:06 GMT -5
“Well, Void Master-sama…†As the mad shugenja had revealed Sho’s real identity, she should show herself surprised; it’s hard to follow etiquette in moments like this, but she had embarrassed him too much for today to ignore it… “Maybe you wish to join us Kakita, I don’t know why, but your hair is white as snow…save by this lock…â€
Mitsouko got her kabuto from the soil, putting it on her head again. Starting to walk, she was hurry to leave that ominous spot forever. Maybe, now, the scouts are able to find Sanjuro. Even if she wasn’t able to marry him (for her champion of course thought the Phoenix Void Master was a better choice for her, if the both parts reached and advantageous accord; also, the destiny has proven that her link to Shodai shouldn’t to be ignored). She was sure Sanjuro would never forgive her for such treason; but she would keep sure that the scouts would check every inch of terrain in Three Sides River in search of the Monkey Champion. Surely we need to celebrate! Now, maybe you can tell us how you did manage to get in place of Asako Jinjutsu-san, Agasha Shodai-sama... I am sure the Daidoji Taisa will be very interested in know what happened with the Shugenja with Mempo. What happened to him? Was him teleported to somewhere else?"
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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 Aug 10, 2011 21:28:25 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai swept his right hand through his hair as they began to move towards the fisherman's boat. "It's a bit of a story, but I'll try to simplify it as best I can... Isshin's trump card - the Void Bomb, a truly devastating spell in that it requires the caster to sacrifice his life force to power it - would have blown a hole in the barriers that seperate Ningen-do from the other 10 Spirit Worlds. In his state of insanity, he was going to breach the barrier to Jigoku and create a SECOND Shadowlands - albeit a bit smaller than the one the Crab defend us from - right here in the heart of the Empire."[/b]
The Void Master stumbled, the phoenix tear had healed his wounds but hadn't restored his stamina and the finale had left him as spent as a Tsuruchi's quiver when defending a castle against an opponent. "After I got you and Hirotomo safely out of the way, I stepped into the epicenter of the pending disaster and forcibly redirected the detonation so that it would breach into Meido instead. When Isshin reached the point of detonation, I threw everything I could to contain the rip as it was forming."[/b] He shook his head. "Reality began to de-stablize faster than I could repair it. I raised my personal defenses as I was physically dumped into the Realm of Waiting, a place no living human is supposed to go."[/b]
"I was succumbing to Meido's apathetic peace when Emma-O, the Fortune of Death, found me. I'd whispered a brief prayer to him when I began to redirect the blast, but I wasn't sure if he'd heard me... Anyways, as he began to seal the breach in Meido, he reached out, grabbing my head - the only thing he could reach - and pulled me to the rift, dumping me out where you found me. Apparently, the Death God's touch has killed the color in my hair wherever he touched my head..."[/b]
Shodai smiled wistfully, knowing that this victory had cost him his favorite fictional identity. "As for Asako Jinjutsu, he's still right here..."[/b] He covered his mouth with one hand and the Asako's voice came from between his fingers. "When you are one of the most powerful people in your Clan, magically and socially speaking, it is important to cultivate a fictional identity so that you can go about without people hounding your every step. Asako Jinjutsu..."[/b] He removed his hand. "Is just a character I pretend to be; much like a kabuki actor does."[/b]
The Void Master bowed to his two companions. "I hope the two of you can find it in your hearts to forgive..." Agasha Shodai's eyes abruptly rolled up into the back of his skull as he collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.
Kakita Mitsouko felt her heart freeze momentarily as she feared a relapse into the spelled slumber she'd needed to kiss him awake from.
And then the Void Master began to snore softly from his rather ignoble state of unconsciousness.
"Do not fear... He merely sleeps; he's pushed himself further and harder than any man has since the Second Day of Thunder. He will awaken on his own..."[/b][/i] The voice Mitsouko's Air kami companion whispered in her ear. "Eventually."[/b][/i]
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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 Aug 10, 2011 22:36:52 GMT -5
Mitsouko sighed, concerned. Hirotomo saved her of the hard work of carrying Sho. “This man thinks he will take the whole world in his back… All he needs now is to rest. As we surely do as well. And, good work, Hirotomo. You killed the monster.†Her cousin was bent under the height of the Phoenix shugenja, breathing heavily. Mitsouko was talkative, right now her spirit was light. “Don’t worry. We are close now of the battle spot and we will find someone to do it. I am sure you can carry him a little bit more...†She teased Hirotomo. “As soon as I have enough time, I will write something about you, cousin. You deserve to be in the history of Rokugan. Well, you and Sho-san...â€
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Toku Hirotomo
Monkey Clan
Bushi Paragon of Compassion Clan Champion Toturi's Army
Posts: 793
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Post by Toku Hirotomo on Aug 10, 2011 23:07:49 GMT -5
Hirotomo's muscles ached. The spell was supposed to revert something or other, something to do with time anyway. He did not really understand what Sho said. Why did he have to push his body so hard in drilling yesterday? He grinned as Mitsouko poked fun of him. "Having a Kakita immortalize one's self, is a great honor." Hirtomo said looking in the direction of the camp. He was searching for a joke, but had a bad taste in his mouth. It may have taken too long to kill the creature. How many men died because he had not acted quick enough? Hirotomo was beginning to feel somber. Death in battle was glorious, but corruption? He had seen what the corruption of Sanjuro-sama's yojimbo did to his father. His father did not speak of it, but he saw his eyes. There had been too much taken by the Shadowlands. The Monkey had suffered enough. Hirotomo was grateful his father did not have his life to add to his father's list of prices paid. They had both suffered enough.
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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 Aug 16, 2011 17:13:24 GMT -5
((OOC: Sorry it took so long for this; I'm a stock broker IRL and the issues with the stock market the last few weeks have left me with very little energy to put towards writing.))
~Main Encampment~
As the sun began to set upon the Crane compound by the shore of the Three Sides River, the samurai whom had fought long and hard this day solemnly gathered before 13 litters and a single funeral pyre assembled by eta over the course of the afternoon.
Isawa Tetsuro stood beside Kakita Mitsouko, standing in for his Master, Agasha Shodai, who was still unconsious after the strenuous activity of the day. The Void Master's principal apprentice walked stiffly; even with the magical healing he'd recieved following his injuries, the wounds would take time to heal. The Void shugenja had been rather out of sorts when the main combat force had returned from the northern battlefield, lost in his thoughts over the loss of his twin brother, but had perked up when he'd seen Hirotomo's Sewing Needle, though he hadn't really explained why to anyone.
Toku Hirotomo was being celebrated for his role in killing such a dangerous foe and even some of the younger Daidoji, recent graduates of the Shiro Daidoji Dojo - Hirotomo's senior classmen that had looked down on the younger bushi because he came from a Minor Clan, were showing the young man greater respect than others out of shame for misjudging the Monkey samurai.
The Daidoji had supplied nearly 500 men and women for the main assault against the Isshin-no-Oni and had suffered the most losses - 12 of the 14 samurai who had fallen. One of the Asahina shugenja had been skewered by a thrown Daidoji yari that had bounced off the Oni's armored hide and the wound had killed her instantly. The eta assigned to the Crane encampment had prepared the bodies of the Crane samurai for transport back to the fallen samurai's families.
The lone pyre was for the body of Asako Inugami, one of the Inquisitors that had come at Void Master Agasha Shodai's request. The Air shugenja with the birthmark of a ghostly-looking wolf on his jaw. Inugami's withering assault on the beast from Jigoku had come to an abrupt end when the Oni had grappled the massive water kami that Asahina Ino had summoned, thrown it into Inugami's air kami, and both coalesced spirits had collapsed on the Asako, who ended up drowning within the water kami.
The pacifistic Ino was beside herself with guilt... She'd been so focused on Isawa Tetsuro's wounds that she hadn't been paying attention to the water elemental she'd conjured; if she had, she could have banished the water kami and saved Inugami. This would be a trial of conscience for the female shugenja in the weeks to come... She and Moshi Kimiko were staying by the Void Master's bedside in the even he came to while the others were at the funeral.
Since Inugami had no living family, his siblings within the order of the Inquisitors - Shiba Ame and Agasha Agito - would perform those duties for the Asako shugenja here, before the men and women whose lives he helped save through his efforts.
As the setting sun touched the tops of the trees, Isawa Tetsuro, Kakita Mitsouko, Daidoji Eiji, and Daidoji Ryo approached a small fire where a set of 13 torches awaited them; one for each pyre. The chosen samurai each lit a torch and walked resolutely towards the Inquisitor's funeral pyre. As one, the torches ignited the wooden stands to initiate the cremation as the two Inquistor shugenja urged the air and fire kami to allow the flames consuming Asako's remains to burn hotter and faster than normal. This complete, the six samurai moved from the conflagration to join the others.
The gathered samurai each bowed their head in silent respect for the effort the fallen had given during the final battle. The gathered shugenja chanted sutras that sang of the hopes that the Fortunes would guide the souls of the fallen to a better incarnation in their next life as a reward for their sacrifices. The ceremony continued until the funeral pyre burned itself out a little over forty minutes later. The gathered samurai filtered back to the main part of the camp while Shiba and Agasha began to collect Inugami's cremains to place them within a Jade urn.
Isawa Tetsuro looked to Ryo and Eiji. "Before we join the others for the victory celebration, I would like to ask a single boon of you..."[/b] He gestured to the 13 Crane whom had lost their lives. "May I please accompany the two of you as you return the fallen to their families so that I may pay respect to them and provide restitution for the losses caused by my crazed brother?"[/b]
The two Daidoji blinked in surprise. Tetsuro would be opening himself up to potential duels and ridicule for doing so... But it was also an honorable gesture. It would be one thing to simply write this off as a hazard that comes from the dangerous world they lived in, but for Tetsuro to accept the consequences of his twin's insane actions would surely touch the hearts of the families of the fallen.
Daidoji Eiji nodded. "I have no objections. You will need the necessary travel papers, of course."[/b]
A wry grin creased Tetsuro's lips. "I'm the primary assistant to Void Master Agasha Shodai; I am legally permitted to write my own papers as long as they are approved by my Master or a daimyo."[/b] He pulled out a writ of authorization and turned to Mitsouko. "Will you approve it, Daimyo Kakita Mitsouko-sama?"[/b]
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