FALL SEVEN TIMES
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 12
Mizuki, having grown up in a small town in the Jukai Forest, was always used to the towering trees over her and the scent of tree sap, rotting logs, and damp soil. But she wasn't used to seeing kami dancing and swirling through the air!
"What a remarkable place," Azrael said lightly as the trio hiked into the forest's edge and into the sylvan realm. He looked everywhere, his brown eyes wide with curiosity.
"I've never seen anything like this," Mizuki admitted. She hoisted her backpack a little higher up, hanging onto the leather straps. She wasn't used to carrying this many provisions on her back.
Ayano tossed her silky hair. "I've heard stories of this from decades past, but the kami war interrupted the cycles."
"Cycles of what?" Azrael asked gently.
Ayano smiled. "The cycles of the kami's lessons to mortals, told in song and dance." She spread her arms wide. "It's called Bukodan Utsu Miyago, or the 'dance of mortal lessons'. The monks of the Jukai Forest worship the lesser kami, who in return spread enlightenment to mortals in the forest and beyond. It used to be such a wonderful thing before the kami war. And now, it returns!"
The combined singing voices of the small kami seemed to swell in an ethereal chorus as Mizuki hiked deeper into the forest. Everywhere, like schools of glowing fish, the kami raced through the tree branches and soared near the forest canopy, some in clusters, others in streams like colorful water. All the while, they sang, giggled, and instructed. And just as many forest denizens were out and about, arms held wide as though to touch the kami, faces in awe.
The largest forest kami in the scene, over five feet wide, hovered over a village up ahead, and its single, blue eye looked down at Mizuki's party as the three humans approached. [Well, look what we have here. Travelers!] the kami said, its wide mouth barely moving as it spoke.
Children in the village shrieked and laughed as they chased each other and the kami teachers around the village, and their parents merely smiled and waved, or else knelt in prayer, asking for the kami's enlightenment. Everyone: tanners, hunters, jewelers, woodworkers, and even the town guards were equally reverent, all humbled.
Ayano held up a hand to halt Mizuki and Azrael in the village's center, near the hovering kami. "Blessed kami, infinite is your wisdom," Ayano intoned. She clapped her hands together and bowed her head. "We bask in the dance cycle today, and ask only one thing of you."
Mizuki hastily imitated Ayano's prayer. It had been years since she had prayed to the kami; the kami war had still been in full effect during her childhood. Only a few forest kami had been friendly to the mortal races then. Now, they all were!
The kami, a spherical creature with skin like woven straw, chuckled. It had random, many-jointed arms with glowing green skin, and several blue orbs of mana hovered around it like worshipers. The kami's huge blue eye studied Mizuki's party carefully. [You are not native to this area, are you?] it asked.
Ayano bowed her head deeper. "No, lord kami. I am Ayano Hatsumoto Kirinji, scion of the Kirinji clan. I represent a growing coalition that opposes the foul invaders. I humbly ask for your guid -"
Mizuki jumped in alarm as the many tiny kami scattered in terror, screeching in fright. The collective noise was like fingers on a chalkboard multiplied by a thousand!
Azrael clapped his hands over his ears. "Should we leave?" he cried. "We seem to have upset them."
Ayano shook her head, wincing at the ruckus. "No! We need this! Stay where you are, please."
Meanwhile, the large, spherical kami bobbed in the air, its arms pulsing with shades of red, its hovering blue mana orbs fizzling in anger. [The invaders!] the kami roared. [Damn them! Metal thralls of oil and greed and waste! I have seen them... felt them! Everywhere! They desecrate the forests even as we speak!]
Mizuki jumped back when the kami's skin split into hundreds of tendrils that pierced random trees and spots on the ground. Nearby, the villagers fled into their huts and tents.
"What is it doing?" Azrael asked tentatively.
"Feeling the world," Ayano explained. She grinned sheepishly. "At least, I believe that's what it's doing."
The kami rumbled in its throat and quickly retracted its straw-like tendrils, which re-folded themselves over its skin. [This was a place of merriment,] it scolded Ayano. It hovered closer, its huge blue eye cose to her face. [And you speak of the invaders!]
"I know that you know there're at work," Ayano said, drawing herself to her full height. She didn't back down from the kami, even if it pressed itself dangerously close to her. "I mean no disrespect to your performance of Bukodan Utsu Miyago. But I need the aid of the kami and their mortal followers. In which direction may I find it?" Tears welled in her eyes. "Please. I have nearly lost people I love to those invaders. All of Kamigawa will suffer soon."
Mizuki held her breath as the kami studied her, its arms flexing, the fingers twitching on its humanoid hands. As it pondered this, some of the smaller kami gathered around it, speaking to it in tiny, squeaky voices.
[I live only for the dance, and the lessons it brings,] the straw-skinned kami finally said. It floated back to a safe distance. [I fight no wars, shed no blood. And I am no patron of warriors. But in the face of adversity, wisdom and patience have their place. And humility. For the sake of finding these things, I will guide you. But for no other reason.]
"Thank you, lord kami!" Ayano fell to her hands and knees in a deep bow. "I ask no more than that."
The straw-skinned kami waved a hand, and half of the tiny kami zoomed into position, forming a glowing trail out of town and deeper into the forest. Their voices chattered encouragement to Ayano and the others.
Mizuki broke into a huge smile. "Whoa! That's a neat trick!"
She gasped when a tiny, dragonfly-like kami swatted her on the nose. [It's no trick!] the kami said defensively. [It's our guidance to you!]
"Uh..." Mizuki blurted.
Azrael held his hands in prayer. "Thank you, all of you, for this aid. We will be on our way."
Ayano sprang to her feet and led her fellows down the glowing path. She was almost jogging in her haste to follow the divine guidance.
"Mizuki," Azrael said as they jogged down the path, "the kami did not seem to appreciate you that much..."
Mizuki made a face. "Whatever! They're temperamental, okay? You never know what they're gonna take offense to."
"Don't worry about it," Ayano told them both. "I shall speak on my father's behalf. All right?"
Mizuki shrugged. "Lead the way, then."
Ayano didn't stop until the path of kami led up a hill, and the three of them climbed wide stone steps and past stone lanterns that stood by the staircase. The air felt... denser, somehow.
"Where are we?" Azrael asked, panting for breath.
Mizuki smiled. "Oh, this should be good..."
The three of them passed under a large torii gate painted red, and the stone path led right to a large shrine. The stone and wood building could easily hold a hundred people in its halls, but Mizuki knew better than to try and go inside right now. The budoka monks had to allow you in first.
And they'd kick your ass pretty hard if you tried to force your way in!
Behind her, Mizuki watched as the glowing kami scattered and dissolved the path. Meanwhile, different kami caught Mizuki's attention. Some where shaped like deer or bears, but their spiritual nature was given away by colorful fur, extra limbs, or the divine spheres of mana hovering around them. One such bear spirit lumbered forth and sniffed Azrael's arm. The man jumped back.
"Relax, Azrael," Mizuki told him with a grin. "It ain't gonna bite your face off. It just wants to say hi."
"Oh?" Azrael stopped and held out an open hand as though to feed the spirit bear. The kami licked his palm once, blinked, and turned and lumbered away.
Azrael resumed walking with the girls. "What did that mean?"
"It meant," Mizuki said, "that you're welcome."
The monks said much the same.
Mizuki had heard stories of the budoka monks, but she'd never seen one before. All men, they shaved their heads bald except a long, braided black ponytail. Most of them were slender men in fancy red and orange robes, but a few were shirtless and massive, built like brawlers and with curly black tattoos along one half of their bodies. All of them carried wooden staves, each with a large gold ring at one end. Eight smaller rings hung from each large ring.
"I am brother Katsu," one massive monk said, his voice oddly high-pitched and soft as he blocked Ayano's way with his bulk. Really, he was like a wall of muscle. He clapped his hands together, and green mana pulsed faintly between his fingers.
Ayano returned the gesture. "I am Ayano Hatsumoto Kirinji, scion of -"
"No need," Katsu said kindly, lowering his hands. "Namabuntai told me."
"Who?" Mizuki blurted.
Katsu smiled. "The conductor of this region's dance troupe. You met him at that village, remember? He was generous enough to show you the way here to our temple."
"Oh," was all Mizuki could say.
More monks gathered around. "I am the senior monk here," Katsu explained. "I lead the prayers to keep Namabuntai's dance troup in our region of the Jukai Forest so they may enlighten everyone here. It seems that you agitated him by reminding him of the invaders' conquest."
Well, it ain't doing any good to ignore the problem! Mizuki thought hotly, but she kept her yapper shut. Better to let Ayano handle things. Azrael was similarly silent.
Brother Katsu rubbed his chin. "I can see a look in your eyes, lady Kirinji. This is no small favor you ask, is it?"
Ayano shook her head.
Katsu sat cross-legged and motioned for everyone else to do the same. "Tell me more."
So Ayano told him everything. Azrael hailed from another world entirely to aid the people of Kamigawa, Ayano explained, and although Mizuki could flee to another world in peace, she chose to stay and fight for her homeland. Kamigawa was not the only world in existence; the agents of New Phyrexia were on the march, and had crossed the blind eternities to claim Kamigawa as their own. Why this world, no one could explain. But the Phyrexians were here. And they wouldn't listen to pleas for mercy.
It felt odd to Mizuki, repeatedly exposing the truth of the Multiverse and planeswalking and the Phyrexians to everyone. But how else to convey the gravity of the situation? Some other planewalkers she'd met had told her about the unofficial rule to not go around blabbing these truths to ordinary people on the planes. But to hell with that!
Katsu and the other budoka monks listened silently, not even giving any thoughts away on their faces as Ayano laid it all down. At the end of her speech, Ayano nervously fiddled with her robe. "I... I can ask no more or less than your aid against the Phyrexians," she said at last. "Based on my party's observations, they cannot taint or take control of the kami. Therefore, the kami will be essential to our defense. Please..." She leaned forward, still seated before the massive Katsu. "I need you."
Mizuki waited with bated breath for the monks' response. Nearby, a breeze rustled the trees and a spirit bear sat down, scratching an itch on its head. Birds chirped unseen in the tree branches.
"No," Katsu said.
Mizuki bolted to her feet, her heart racing in fury. "Now, what the hell -!" she started.
One of the slender monks pointed his staff, and its rings glowed with green mana. Leafy vines emerged from between the stones in the pathway and bound themselves to Mizuki's arms and legs. The bindings forced her back to a sitting position.
Dammit! Mizuki tugged against her restraints, but they didn't yield. She froze. What to do? Would the monks attack her and drive her party from the temple's grounds?
The bindings released her.
"No anger," the monk said, lowering his staff. "No arguing. No wrath."
Mizuki stared. These monks were even more strict than she'd imagined!
Katsu cleared his throat. "Lady Ayano, the spirits do not think like you and I do. And what is more, they are concerned with only the purposes they were born to carry out. Namabuntai leads his dance troupe to educate the people of the Jukai Forest. Many other kami have specific roles as well, often only blessing various artisans or scholars or poets in their work. They will not fight the Phyrexian invaders."
Ayano opened and closed her mouth. "Brother Katsu, the war kami are dangerous and unpredictable! I can't ask them for help. At least, not alone. The kami of the forest are wise and connected to all of utsushiyo. With their help, my coalition could have a fundamental advantage. We could create a communication network that spans the very earth! And all of nature would aid the warriors fighting for my father. And their wisdom..."
Katsu shook his head. "What you describe would require a war-like mind among the forest kami, which does not exist." He cracked a grin. "At least, not most of them."
Azrael cocked his head. "Should we ask the forest's defenders for help? These bears maybe?"
"Now you understand," Katsu said. "Lady Kirinji, you can't force a kami to behave outside of his role. But as your extra-planar friend realized, the forest does have some defenders who may join your cause. But you would have to convince them."
"How?" Mizuki asked before she could stop herself.
"I can take you to them," Katsu said. "Speak to them. You'll have to appeal to their single-minded role of defending the forest, however. Remember that kami do not easily change careers, like mortals. Mortals like us choose and train for roles in society; kami are literally made for them. A sword cannot suddenly be used as a paintbrush."
Ayano bowed her head. "I understand completely."
Katsu beamed. "There is a large trade town near the north-eastern edge of the forest. It is called Yamai-no-Zenju. Some of the forest's defenders frequent the area, as do many mortal mercenaries and sell-swords of various repute. I give you my blessing on your quest."
Ayano gasped. "Thank you... thank you so much!"
She stood, as did Mizuki and Azrael. "Let's get ready," she told her fellows. "It may take hours to get there, so -"
"No, no." Katsu stood up and prepared green-blue mana. "There's a river near here, and its patron kami have taught the brothers of this temple many new spells. Such as this." He intensified his green-blue mana and clapped his hands together, hard.
Mizuki couldn't even cry out as she felt herself warped through a tunnel of mana. Colors and noise rushed past -
"Whoa!" Mizuki stumbled as she re-appeared, and nearby, Azrael materialized, and then Ayano joined them. She nearly fell over and waved her arms for balance.
"Hang on." Mizuki took Ayano's hand and stabilized her.
"Thank you." Ayano glanced around at the town street where they stood. "Odd... where is everyone?"
Indeed, the street was empty except for the three of them. And there was a huge shadow over the street... where was it coming from? What was blocking the sun?
Mizuki whirled around and felt her heart sink. "Uh... guys?"
A massive, obsidian-skinned demon towered over the wooden buildings, its four eyes glowing red on its muzzle-like face. Patches of its skin were missing, revealing silver machinery inside, as well as thick tubes of oil. Hundreds of cyborg creatures hung onto its body like cicadas on a grotesque tree trunk.
Ayano and Azrael turned, too. "Oh. This could be a problem," Azrael said, oddly calm.
"Indeed," Ayano said faintly, going pale. "That's Akuta-Ne, the Iron Skin. And the Phyrexians got their hands on him. We only have one option now."
"What is that?" Azrael asked.
Ayano swallowed. "Run."