mbsilvana@yahoo.com
standard Disclaimers
Author's Notes: Lyrics for Prelude translated by ChichiriDA and Kaori Sakai;
Used with permission.
Thanks for everyone who's helped me thus far... it's going to be a long,
crazy ride- sit down and buckle up, folks!
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Prelude
I wonder where the clouds go as they do, lead by immeasurable will
Clearly it withers as willpower guides you through the trial
Your here, I'm here, everyone is here
We'll live together with the universe beginning to move
-Tasuki and Chichiri,
Aoi Jyuu, Shiroi Nozomi (Blue Freedom, White Wish)
And together they were four.... had always been four, would always be four.
The last of their servants, the mikos, had been summoned, and soon it would
be time for their lands to undergo yet another change along their paths
to destiny. This time there was only had their seishi left to protect
the people, the seishi who were the perpetual Guardians of the Four Quadrants.
The one who ruled the East and War looked upon his brothers. Together,
they transcended the boundaries of age, gender and time, and together they
knew everything and had learned the greatest wisdom of all- the fact that
they really understood nothing at all. "Is it time?" the one
who wore the form of the serpent asked his companions, who were other aspects
of his divinity.
The one gifted with flight, the gentlest and most loving of the four aspects,
tossed aside his feathers as he replied to his former adversary. "It has
been ordained. The Guardians are in place; it is time for the
world to learn the truth.... the four directions are no more...."
The slowest one, and many would say the coldest and most fearsome, agreed.
"The world is to be split asunder. The mikos have come, and
now it is time for each of the realms to form an identity of its own, free
of the others. The countries are children no longer- they do
not need each other to lean on."
"And what of Taiitsukun?" asked the serpent.
This time the white tiger, Ruler of the West and Keeper of the Balance,
answered. "She has agreed. She has known this was
coming- the time of her Guardianship has passed- the new Guardians, the
eternal souls, are to rise to take her place. She is, quite frankly,
relieved that it has happened at last. We asked too much
of her. One person should not bear
the weight of the world, no matter how competent they are."
The fearsome turtle of the North shrugged. "That is not our
concern, ototochan."
"Indeed," agreed the peacock. "She will have the peace she
has long desired- only the Nyan Nyans will remain to guard the treasures
she leaves behind."
"The Nyan Nyans?" the tiger said incredulously. "Why not simply hand
the artifacts over to the reincarnated Nakago? You'd
be safer," the tiger said with what sounded like a sense of humor.
"Nakago is better this time around!" the serpent snapped defensively.
"Without him, the heavens would be unbalanced." Then he paused, anger
draining away from him. "Have you two decided what to do about your
missing seishi?"
The tiger and the peacock looked at one another with perfect accord.
Of all the aspects, they were the brighter ones, the ones that understood
hope and love best.. "We had to select replacements- new souls
that will bear the powers that were stripped from the original Tamahome
and Tatara," said the peacock of the South.
"I do not like this," the turtle said. "The souls were supposed to
be seasoned by a trial with a miko before they were to assume the Guardianships."
Again, the tiger and peacock looked at the other. "It is something
that could not be helped- even deities make mistakes.
The souls we chose were not ones that were meant to be forever recycled
here, in this land. They belong to the World of Iron
now, and I wish them the best of luck in their next circle," the tiger
said softly. "We did not fare too badly; out of the twenty-eight
seishi, we only lost two."
"I would have preferred losing none," the turtle said grumpily.
"We had no choice, ototochan," the serpent said with resignation.
"But we are agreed?"
"Agreed," Byakko said, the mountain winds echoing in his voice.
"Agreed," Suzako said, the sunlight glittering off his rich red feathers.
"Agreed," Genbu said, his voice as dark and grim as the earth itself.
"Agreed," Seiryuu said, his slippery tones echoing in the room.
"Let the sundering begin!" the four commanded, in a unique and frightening
harmony.
END PRELUDE