Takechiyo gratefully accepted the piping hot cup of tea Grandboss handed him. "What is it again you wanted to know?"
Grandboss poured himself some tea and sat down before answering. "I have some inquiries about Goddess Suiren, Takechiyo. You've said she's punished the village before?"
"As small pranks, yes." Takechiyo blew on his tea before tentatively sipping it. The tea scorched his tongue so he set the glass down and would wait a little longer. "They've been small pranks she'd revoke a short while later. Most of the villagers understand that she hasn't matured as much as the other gods and Suiren means no harm with what she does."
"I imagine it's stressful and boring to be the youngest," Grandboss mused.
"And some villagers are angry with that. Surprisingly, it seems like they're more accepting of Kagen's… accidents." Takechiyo paled when he thought back to when Kagen nearly destroyed the village. It had been an accident which Suiren had fixed, but it was a terrifying ordeal nonetheless. Grandboss chuckled.
"How long do her pranks usually go on?"
Takechiyo waved his hand. "It varies. Usually she doesn't take away all of the water supply for so long… It started late at night when a few villagers noticed, but they pegged it to a mistake or small prank. The first to notice it said he hadn't worried as he saw someone leaving an offering for Suiren some time earlier, so he thought all would be well when Suiren found it. It wasn't until this morning some started panicking."
Grandboss nodded. He drank from his now-cooled tea, as did Takechiyo. They sat in thoughtful silence until they both were nearly finished with their tea. Then Grandboss asked, "Was anything else amiss with Suiren's prank?"
"Hmm?" He'd almost forgotten they were talking. "Not with her prank, no. Though I was praying to Master Takushiki and I received the strangest revelation…" He stroked his beard with black, bony fingers. "He suspected there was a disturbance sometime last night. He didn't say anything else but he brushed it off, so I don't believe it was anything to be concerned about."
Grandboss nodded and finished his tea. "I thank you for meeting with me. We must talk again sometime."
Izuna's stomach growled as she dragged herself to the inn. She ran for too long and hadn't noticed the gaping hole that opened in her stomach. She felt starved. If Izuna didn't get food soon she'd die! "So hungry," she whined. And she didn't have money on her so she couldn't buy anything from the lady shopkeeper, who wouldn't fall for Izuna's wiles.
Up ahead of her, a young boy danced around his father. "Papa," he argued, "I wanna stay up! Pleasssssse, can we eat later?" The father laughed and shook his head, much to the dismay of his son who crossed his arms and pouted. "But-but—please! Just one more time around the village?"
"No Take, we have to go home to your mother. Understand?" Take was still with his arms crossed and his head hung. "Take?" Take's father frowned and knelt next to him. "Take? Take, are you okay?" Panic seized him and he shook his unconscious son. "Take?!"
The attention of the surrounding onlookers turned to the father and his boy. Izuna frowned and ran over to them. She had a suspicion of what had happened. When she got near her suspicions were confirmed when the father shouted, "He's asleep and he won't wake up!"
Immediately the whispers began. Some people cried out that the boy was cursed and must've angered the gods—others said it was something else entirely. All, however, thought one thing: Suiren was at it again. Izuna flinched as she heard someone shout, "Who angered the goddess Suiren? Show yourself before she curses us all!" People cried out similar things, threatening to use force against anyone and everyone who might've done it. Izuna wondered what would happen if people formed a mob.
Nothing good, she thought and decided it was best to slip away before things got too ugly. Besides, she heard opposing voices saying it was madness to react this way and as she made her exit she saw people gathering around the village chief who exclaimed that "Master Takushiki and the other gods will not allow us harm! In the case of someone having angered the gods we will all give offerings and atone for whatever has been done."
He kept talking but Izuna didn't hear him as she made it to the inn just as Shino ran out. "Izuna! What's going on? It sounds like a riot's about to happen."
"If the chief doesn't calm 'em down there will be!" Izuna crossed her arms and glared briefly towards Suiren's shrine. "The brat's done it again. This time she knocked out some kid! I hope Takushiki gives her a good whooping for this crap."
Shino shook her head and sighed. "Come on. If things are getting rowdy Takechiyo will need our help."
"But I'm hungryyyyy."
"You can eat l—" Shino yawned. "Later, I meant—" She yawned again. Her eyelids drooped and her head hung.
"Shino-sis?" Izuna rushed forwards and grabbed Shino so she wouldn't fall. "Hey, wake up!" Izuna shook Shino vigorously but to no avail. She, too, was under Suiren's spell. Izuna gritted her teeth and glowered. The brat just made it personal.
Suiren's head screamed at her in agony. It was like someone set fire to her brain. She clutched the sides of her head and leaned against the wall of her cave for balance. She knew she had to get into the water. That was her element; she'd be more at peace there. Something, however, held her back.
Everything inside of her felt diluted. She had no other way to explain it; she felt cut off from some of her powers. Suiren was sure she was using her abilities on some level but she couldn't figure out which ones.
What is this? she thought. It's a headache; I'm fine. I'm fooling myself into believing something is wrong when there is nothing. I was going to speak with Fuuka. That is it. I've worried myself to sickness.
Or have you?
Chills ran down Suiren's spine. That wasn't her voice, was it? That was something else.
"I am fine," she meant to say but instead said; "I have complete power over you."
Suiren's breathing hitched. That wasn't her! It wasn't—it just wasn't! She felt insane. She heard the walls talking, telling her to give in to the impulses racing around her mind. What impulses?
The ones that tell you to abandon your peace-loving regime, of course.
Choking on sobs, Suiren slowly slid to the floor and curled up. She felt like she was dying. Hey, maybe she was. Suiren's body hurt and with each passing breath she felt less and less in control.
Her feelings reflected the situation going on outside.
People were getting rowdy. The village chief tried to calm them, to assure them everything would be fine, and Mitsumoto and Izuna acted as buffers for him so the elderly man wouldn't get squashed by the angry mob. They got between any forming fights and dissolved them. Well, they tried to. It was as if everyone was going crazy. Soon enough Grandboss came out of the inn and yelled:
"Will all of you SHUT UP? The noise you all are causing is killing my ears! I dare anyone to keep up this unbearable racket and see how well I can aim with a kunai."
"Grandboss?!" Izuna cried, but wasn't heard over the roar of the crowd. Off to her right, Mitsumoto and some guy were slugging each other. Others soon joined in—men, women, and even some children! Takechiyo even took to grabbing his staff and whacking anyone who came near. Someone came near Grandboss only to get sliced by a kunai he whipped out. Lucky for them it was merely a flesh wound.
Someone grabbed Izuna from behind. Immediately she elbowed them and whirled around, clasping their head between her hands, and brought the man's head down against her knee. She threw his crumpled body off to the side and spun on the ball of her foot, dropping down and sweep kicking two girls who got too close. When Izuna stopped she readied herself to leap up and attack the man in front of her—he was messing with one of the shopkeepers who was no match for him—when two large hands grabbed her upper arms and dragged her away. She tried to hit him but he held her securely and her kicks didn't cause him any pain.
"Izuna," Shuuchi hissed, "it is me. If you aren't under the spell, stop."
"Shuuchi? 'Bout time one of you gods got here!" Once he pulled her away from the crowd and released her, she turned on him. "Will you tell me what the hell is going on?!"
He shushed her. "In a moment. First, let you see why I pulled you away."
Confused, Izuna looked over to the mob. For several moments, she saw nothing. Then everyone was knocked over and forced against the ground by a strong gust of wind. In the center of the large group was Fuuka, who hadn't been there moments ago. And she looked livid.
"Now, what is THIS?" Izuna slipped behind Shuuchi upon hearing Fuuka's enraged tone. "As the Goddess of human reason, I know none of you have any reason to be beating each other into bloody pulps. I have to say I am immensely ashamed to be a Goddess of this village filled with filthy, disgusting, human mongrels." Some people tried to stand but Fuuka raised her hand and another gust of wind blew, this time stronger, pinning everyone to the ground. "In just a few moments, I will let you all go. But if one more fight breaks out in this village—" The more she spoke the more demonic her voice became. "—I will unleash a wind storm upon this village like none of you have ever seen and will wipe each and every one of you monkeys out. Do you understand?" No one answered. "I SAID do you understand?" Most everyone stammered out an agreement. Then Fuuka smiled; her charming demeanor was back again. "Thank you. Have a lovely night everyone!"
Izuna had never seen such a large group of people clear out so quickly. Grandboss and Takechiyo were the only ones Fuuka helped stand though she ordered both of them to the inn and said something else Izuna couldn't quite hear, but assumed it was a threat. The only two people who hadn't moved were the man and his unconscious son. As Fuuka dealt with them Izuna turned to Shuuchi and muttered, "So that's her temper…"
Shuuchi laughed breathlessly. "Yes. If you ever wondered how Fuuka has so much respect that is why. She didn't even start getting mad, in all honesty." Izuna was ever more thankful that she only knew Fuuka as a super sweet girl. Then Shuuchi cleared his throat and said, "Anyways, you will need to go back to the inn as well."
"What?! No way! The brat cursed Shino-sis; I'm not gonna just sit around and do nothing."
"What's this?" Fuuka asked. She stood directly behind Izuna, her lips curled into the biggest smile. "I thought I told everyone to go inside… or did I forget that part?" She giggled and Shuuchi sighed at how pale Izuna went. "Come now Shuuchi; you get Izuna to the inn and then we have to make sure no one else tries to start a mob… I'd hate to destroy our home!"
Shuuchi didn't have to take Izuna to the inn. She sprinted to the inn, deciding it best not to risk tipping Fuuka's temper. Though part of Izuna burned knowing she wouldn't be able to confront Suiren about cursing people. She wanted to do what she did last time—kick some serious god-butt—to fix this. Little did Izuna know she would get a match with the one cursing the villagers. But it wouldn't be like anything she expected…
"What are we going to do, Master Takushiki?"
Utusho turned to face Takushiki, who was brooding over Suiren's unconscious body. They were in his temple now; not hers.
"I can't tell if her life is fading."
"But I sure can tell her sanity is." Kagen shuddered and stepped away from Suiren. "Her health is too. And to be honest, this isn't something I can easily fix."
Takushiki rubbed his temples. This wasn't something he had seen before. To be honest, he needed more time to think of what to do. "Her powers… Suiren's powers involve peace. I don't understand why they suddenly turned to chaos, but again I felt a disturbance when she used them."
"Master Takushiki, should we execute Suiren?"
Takushiki looked sharply at Utusho. Kagen gaped.
"Are you nuts? If she's gone then the power will be out of balance here. And do you really want to kill her?"
"Kagen, look at it this way: I'm the God of life, yet I can't tell if her life is fading or not. It's ebbing occasionally but something keeps taking its place. She's going insane and she is deteriorating. Although Suiren's powers lie in peace she somehow caused chaos. That will literally kill her. Kagen, can you honestly say executing her wouldn't be the more humane option?"
Kagen was silent. He didn't have an argument.
"My point is made."
"Yes it is, but I don't believe executing Suiren will do any good." Takushiki looked from Suiren, who was barely conscious, to Utusho and Kagen. "She's recovering slowly. Once this 'fit' is over we will have a lengthy discussion with her. We will decide what to do then."
"And if she goes into another fit before recovering enough?"
"Then the rest of us will think of something."
Kagen nodded. Again he found himself at a loss of words as there was no way for him to express how he felt about this. Suiren was dying. She shouldn't be, but she was. He prayed to Takushiki that Suiren would recover. Takushiki heard and nodded. "I will summon you two when we are ready to convene. Good night."
A/N: For those wondering about Suiren being able to die, since she's a God 'n all, then I do have more of an explanation for how they could 'die', which I'll incorporate into the story near the end of this. Hope you enjoyed!