FALL SEVEN TIMES

by Ulquiorra9000

Chapter 11

"...in short, I believe that these terms will ensure your swift return to the Kirinji clan's employment," Ayano was saying, three days after leaving daimyo Kirinji's castle and trekking across the forested hills. "My father is most gracious, yes?"

Mizuki stood with Azrael behind Ayano's back, watching tensely as the noble lady negotiated a mercenary band's re-hiring to her father. The trio was in yet another town, and like many of those towns, it had a mercenary and assassin recruitment building. There was no end to demand for sell-sword ronin (masterless samurai), rat ninjas, rogue wizards, and war beast trainers. The Kami War had created the demand, and even after that war's conclusion, Kamigawa's feudal lords and bandit kings quickly resumed their time-honored ways of battling over land, resources, and honor.

Typical.

The mercenary commander, a samurai with a grizzled brown beard and the character for "steel" tattooed over his left eye, cracked a crooked grin. He turned to his fellows, and his red and yellow armor creaked. "Hear that, fellas? 25% extra! And first claim on war booty!"

The others cheered and raised their drinking gourds to the generous new terms.

"Well bargained and done," Ayano said, bowing politely.

The commander bowed his head. "Lookin' forward to it, little lady. If you'll pardon me, I've gotta get my drink on..." He lumbered off and joined his comrades at one of several round tables in the building's lantern-lit hall, and he hailed one of the kitsune waitresses for a large order.

Ayano's face was like a mask as she motioned for her fellows to join her. With a swish of her green travel robes, she stalked out of the recruitment hall and into the town's cool twilight air.

"Well done," Azrael said as he and Mizuki followed Ayano down the dirt road, past wandering merchants, monks, and horse-drawn wagons. "I believe that is the fourth ronin band that you've rallied to our cause?"

Ayano broke into a wide smile. "It certainly is, Azrael. Shinga's Bladehunters is a small group, but tough. They've endured trials that have wiped out larger bands. They helped my father fight off kami intruders from the Sokenzan Mountains, and they'll do so against the Phyrexian threat."

Mizuki nodded silently. It was great to see those tough-as-nails samurai pledge themself to daimyo Hiroshi Kirinji, but the Phyrexians were spreading by the hour, and Mizuki kept thinking of the increasing number of refugee camps her party had passed during their trek. Scarred survivors, mute with terror and incomprehension at the Phyrexian menace... they had huddled around campfires outside their patchy tents, staring at Ayano as though she were their personal savior.

Well, Ayano could rally men to the cause, but everyone would suffer in the meantime. It couldn't be helped, after all. More towns and villages were falling to the Phyrexians, and soon, the major cities, too. Bands of compleat cyborgs roamed the landscape, often blocking Mizuki's path, forcing her, Azrael, and Ayano to hide like rats while oil flowed in every river and stream -

"Mizuki," Ayano said gently. "Are you all right?"

Mizuki jumped and forced a smile. "Sure, sure..."

Ayano tossed her hair. "Good, because this place should make for good lodgings tonight. Come."

She led Azrael and Mizuki into a typical ryokan, and she paid for two rooms. Mizuki settled into her and Ayano's shared room and prepared to tuck herself into her futon bed, but Ayano had other ideas.

Within moments, the noble lady had brought Azrael into her room and seated him at the table.

Well.

"Is something the matter?" Azrael asked politely.

Ayano sat opposite him at the table, all smiles. She folded her hands in her lap. "We haven't had much time to talk since we started this voyage, have we?"

Azrael shook his head.

Ayano hummed to herself and poured two cups of jasmine tea while Mizuki watched with amusement from her futon. "I propose we change that, my good sir." She took a tip of hot tea.

"If you like." Azrael took a drink, too. He looked around the room. "Kamigawa hospitality continues to impress. When I first arrived here, Mizuki brought me to a ryokan like this in Juka-no-Nadachi. A pleasant place."

Ayano eyed Azrael over the lip of her teacup, and she went pink. "Yes, speaking of which... I'm positively eager to hear about your other travels, Azrael. I can hardly contain myself! You really hail from another world? Besides utsushiyo, or kakuriyo?"

Mizuki cracked a grin. This was Morrel all over again...

"I come from Dominaria," Azrael said, "and the island nation of Ezig Natum. It is no more, but I remember it fondly."

Ayano was seated like a proper Kamigawa lady, but she was positively bouncing in place with excitement. "Yes? Do tell more! What is this world, Dominaria?"

"It... fell to the Phyrexians. It's a dying wasteland," Azrael said bitterly. Then he brightened. "But before that, it flourished with wonders. Tolaria Academy taught artifice and time magic to the brightest minds, the volcanic island of Shiv had wild beauty and dragon overlords watching its skies, the noble druids of the Krosan Forest... I once visited the Benalish kingdom and witnessed its vast army. The people lived in peace as those battalions watched over them."

Ayano sighed with delight and tok another sip of tea. "Living in peace... I have never known that. The people of utsushiyo feuded endlessly, and then the kami invaded, and now the so-called Phyrexians... what I wouldn't give to see what that peaceful world was like."

Azrael smiled easily. "There are sanctuaries of peace and community across the other worlds, you see. The kingdom of Thune on a plane named Shandalar ensures security to its citizens thanks to its many noble knights, and the kingdoms of Bant thrive on order and honor above all else."

Ayano made a delighted noise. "And you have the power to visit all these places?"

"I am a planeswalker, like Mizuki," Azrael said, puffing out his chest. "A rare gift that lets me see the entire Multiverse and all its peoples and wonders."

Ayano held her face in her hands. "Such beauty existed all this time... and I didn't know!"

"It's understandable," Azrael said gently. "It's also a burden, knowing all that..."

"I don't think I would mind at all," Ayano said. "If only I could travel to these planes with you..."

Mizuki groaned. Get a room, she thought, then realized that they already had one. Whoops.

Ayano turned. "Mizuki, are you all right?"

"S-sure." Mizuki made a face. "But believe me, us planeswalkers can't take along guests."

"You took that Morrel boy with you," Azrael reminded her.

"Well... that was different," Mizuki said slowly.

Ayano perked up. "Who is that?"

"A battlemage boy my age from Bant," Mizuki said fondly. She felt her face warm at the thought of him, his noble strength, his easy smile, how he would hold her close... "Nothin' special."

"I can tell otherwise," Ayano said slyly. "Tell me more!"

Mizuki glanced at Azrael, who gave her a quick nod. She sat upright in her futon. "Okay, princess, sit back and listen to this..."

And she laid it all out: the curse of Haijin-no-Imari, Mizuki's trek to Bant to find refuge, meeting Morrel in that burning town, her encounter with Azrael in Haijin-no-Imari's castle, meeting Zoira and Veldor, Lorwyn, Innistrad, Tarkir, Esper... and the horror of Nihil and his cunning mission to steal the Sphaera Vitae and donate its power to his Phyrexian overlords on a distant plane.

Ayano stood transfixed as Mizuki finished the story. "Incredible," she breathed. "Enemies becoming allies, once they see the true evil..." She shuddered. "These Phyrexians... I can see why you both are so driven to stop them. Even you, Azrael, who's not native to my world."

"If not us, who?" Mizuki said simply.

Ayano ran her hands through her silky hair. "And Morrel and that Zoira lady cannot help us?"

"Morrel ain't a planeswalker, so he can't come here," Mizuki said bitterly. "And without Haijin-no-Imari's curse, my Spark isn't mutated and can't carry a passenger like I used to do. And Zoira is fightin' different enemies on her world of Zendikar. But she might join us later. Hard to say."

Ayano nodded. "They sound like wonderful people." Then a sly smile crossed her face. "This Morrel boy is precious to you, isn't he, Mizuki?"

"Wh-what -" Mizuki felt her face go red and she sputtered. "How d'you -"

"It's so easy to read," Ayano said with a broad smile. "I wish I could meet him. You're a strong and impressive girl, Mizuki. No ordinary boy could capture your heart like that."

Mizuki felt her heart race, and she relented. She cracked an awkward smile. "Yeah, you got me there. I love him. He'd done more for me than anyone would. We've saved each other's lives, y'know. I wouldn't let anyone ever hurt him."

Ayano tossed her hair. "It's our job to find such noble strength on Kamigawa and turn it against our foes. In time, it shall be done."

"I concur." Azrael raised his tea mug. "We shall not falter or lose our way."

With that, Azrael got up, bid the two girls goodnight, and explained that he wanted time to meditate and think over "several matters" in the privacy of his room, so he did just that. As soon as he left Mizuki and Ayano's room, Ayano shut the room's sliding door and turned to Mizuki, her face pink.

"Your friend Azrael..." she started.

Mizuki tensed. "Yeah? What about him?"

Ayano smiled again. "I don't meet enough men like him..."

"Oh, honey." Mizuki groaned again and ran her hands down her face in exasperation. "Trust me, he ain't lookin' for a girlfriend right now. Not with all he's gone through, and what's goin' on now."

"I understand." Ayano hung her head, her face downcast.

Mizuki relented. "But I don't blame you," she said with a sly grin. "He's easy on the eyes, huh? And it doesn't hurt that he's got some serious abs."

Ayano chuckled behind her hand. "Oh, my."

Mizuki settled back down in her futon as Ayano unrolled her own bedding. "Y'know," Mizuki said idly, resting her head on her hands and staring at the ceiling, "you're a pretty great gal yourself. Got a bunch of suitors?"

"So many." Ayano settled into her bed. "Inter-clan politics are a complicated and delicate affair where pre-planned marriages have far-reaching effects that -"

"Point taken." Mizuki snorted. "In my village, if you like a boy, you just go up and tell him. Doesn't hurt to make him a nice dinner and play coy, either." She grinned; she and her sister Hana had been on that adventure a few times.

Ayano chuckled again. "Country life seems refreshingly rustic and practical. Having wealth and power comes with many burdens."

"Hey, I knew a lot of people who'd make that trade."

Ayano gasped. "I didn't mean to complain...!"

"Don't worry, I know what you mean. Relax."

Mizuki flexed her toes under her covers, her mind restless. "Growing up, I used to resent the feuding nobles and their rich-as-hell families. I hated the thought of noble kids growing up with all that stuff! But you know what, I like you. You ain't got your head up your arse like some aristocrats do."

Ayano recoiled. "What a vulgar -"

Mizuki smiled again. "Never heard that before?"

"N-no." Ayano shook her head. "What, does it mean to hide your eyes from the world's troubles by reaching your head into... your..."

"You catch on quick, Ayano."

"I was never encouraged to be ignorant," Ayano said forcefully. "I visited every acre of my father's holdings, met the people, saw their lives... and whatever hardships they faced. Especially near other clans' borders, or along bandit-frequented trade routes. And the Kami War brought in refugees every day from all over. I personally -"

"Fed and nurtured the survivors of kami attacks?" Mizuki said gently.

"Mmmmm. Yes. I'm not an expert healer like the kitsune clerics, but my green-white mana can manifest in other ways than my defensive spells." Ayano's eyes spat fire. "Being a daimyo's daughter means being responsible for lives, not just taxin them."

Mizuki giggled. "I get it, I get it! You're a nice gal. Really, I mean that. You'd love Bant."

Ayano toyed with a strand of her hair. "Bant... that's the home world of your boyfriend?"

"Sure is. I met him there." Mizuki narrowed her eyes in thought. "Morrel lives in the Akrasa kingdom, but there were others, like Eos and Valeron. They were fighting for their lives against the Grixis and Jund invaders."

"Are those like the kami?"

Mizuki laughed. "No way, sugar. Ever seen a giant zombie mutant eat someone alive? Or a dragon roast a whole village in one pass? That's the kind of bullshit that Morrel and his friends had to deal with. He never wavered, especially not when I helped him."

Mizuki humphed. "Enough about that. Morrel told me stories... Bantians hold tournaments of skill and bravado, defending one's honor and nation against another nation's champion. Those guys would earn sigils for their deeds and stuff. Morrel never got one, but he told me how he'd revere people who did get them, like his big brother Raphael."

"A sigil? A medallion of honor and accomplishment?" Ayano asked. She smiled. "That's wonderful, a society that rewards such things."

"As far as I knew, Morrel had never even shoplifted," Mizuki added. "Crazy, huh? He'd never hurt a fly... unless it insulted his honor!"

Both girls laughed.

"As the daimyo's daughter, I exist outside the Kirinji clan's system of ranks, promotions, and combat decorations," Ayano explained. "It would be redundant anyway, because I'd award them to myself! Honoring my father's warriors is one of my duties. Why, just last year, the tai-cho of the fourth combat platoon led his men to victory against a ronin force twice their size, and in unfamiliar territory! He saved hundreds of lives by driving the ronin out. For that, I gave him the Rising Moon medal." She smiled. "I remember him in his dress robes, bowing his head as I slipped it over his neck. He didn't say it, but I'm sure he was thinking to himself 'I'd do it again for my lady Ayano Hatsumoto Kirinji'. It made me so happy to think about."

"Nice story," Mizuki said, then she made an annoyed noise. "Wow, that's your full name? What a mouthful."

"What of it?" Ayano said primly. "Did you expect any different?"

"Well... no." Mizuki huffed. "Makes my own name sound so dull. Mizuki. Like, peasant Mizuki. Little Mizuki."

"Nonsense. I think it's a beautiful name. Isn't it written as 'beautiful moon'?"

"Sure it is." Mizuki had certainly learned how to write the characters for her own name. She traced them on the foor next to her with her finger.

"It's a lovely name," Ayano insisted. "Aren't you proud of it?"

Mizuki couldn't help a grin. "Sure, I guess. How's your name written?"

"The characters can be written as 'possessing color', among other variations. My middle name is sometimes written has 'sparkling stream', or 'clear creek'."

"Mmmmm. Fancy."

Mizuki decided not to remind Ayano that the Phyrexians were using Kamigawa's water systems to spread their noxious oil.

"And what of Azrael?" Ayano asked.

"Huh?"

"His name, his family name, all of that."

"I... dunno." Mizuki tried to recall her idle chats with Azrael across Kamigawa. "He didn't say much about it. His home culture is, was different than ours. And by what he's told me, different nations and species lived on Dominaria, all with different ways of life. I couldn't tell you what 'Azrael' means. It could mean... uh... 'bearer of manure' for all I know!"

Ayano burst out laughing, and the next door neighbor knocked on the wall to shut her up. "I certainly hope that's not so," she chuckled. "I imagine something more stately. 'Defender of hope' or something to that effect."

"Well, that's what he's tryin' to be, against the Phyrexians," Mizuki commented.

"Indeed. A noble man."

Ayano blew out her lantern and the room fell into darkness. Crickets chirped outside and Mizuki heard someone walking through the ryokan's hallways on heavy feet.

"Mizuki?" came Ayano's voice a moment later.

Mizuki grunted and rolled over to find a more comfy position.

"Are we... friends?"

Mizuki grinned. "Sure, hon. Good friends."

"I'm glad."

Especially since Ayano was one hell of a fighter for a noble gal...