Heavenfall

It had been a while since she had had the chance to sit down and speak to her friend, and all the times she had thought about doing it, there had been other people milling around the little wise man's tent. As she hadn't wanted to intrude too much on his time, she had waited until it seemed like things had eased up some.

"Friend Shinsei? Karasu?" Saruko called out as she approached his tent, carrying a small parcel of dried and sweetened fruit in one hand as she looked around for signs of Karasu.

The crow dove into the pile of fruit in mere moments, and the loud commotion it caused brought a curious Shinsei from within the tent. His expression at first seemed rather weary, but brightened considerably when he saw Saruko's face.

"Ah, friend Shirayuki! It has been too long! I have spent so much time in council with the others here I'd begun wondering if we'd ever have time to converse. How is the morning finding you?"

"Goodness, you weren't planning on sharing, were you, Karasu?" Saruko chuckled as the avian companion already begun its feast. She, of course, knew the answer.

"It's so good to see you again, friend Shinsei! And the morning finds me well enough, if hot. I've noticed you've been extremly popular of late, I didn't want to bring too much trouble to your doorstep on top of that." She smiled brightly. "How are you? Not too overworked with questions and curious visitors?"

Karasu would have belched if it didn't mean taking a break from his feast.

Shinsei gave a thin but genuine smile. "I have been asked multiple variations of the same question numerous times now. It is a bit tiresome, but such is the way for those with knowledge, yes?" Stepping more fully out of his tent, Shinsei stretched and yawned slightly. "Hasn't been all bad though, I've been able to give sound advice and lessons, and at least one other person has treated me as more than a walking repository of knowledge."

"It sounds like you've had the chance to meet lots of new people at least. Did you learn anything exciting from them?" She wondered if it was Sora who had been the one to regard Shinsei more as a person and not just a fountain of knowledge.

"Some, yes. One in particular, Phi, actually reversed roles on me at one point, requesting that I ask her something instead of the other way around. People have a funny way of surprising you at times." Shinsei chuckled softly. "What I have learned mostly is what I learn the most: how to stop and listen for more clarity of mind and purpose. The never ending story of my life, perhaps."

"Learning to stop and listen is a valuable lesson," she nodded in agreement. It was a lesson she held dear to her heart. "But not only listen, but also think about what is being said. I'm still not very good at that last part yet myself. Phi seems to be good at that though."

Saruko stood calmly in place to let Karasu finish his feasting.

"I hope you don't mind that I come with questions myself today? Though I can gladly let it wait a while longer until my hands are free again."

"Friends are allowed any questions they wish whenever they wish, do not feel as if you must temper yourself for my sake. Ask what you will and I shall answer as I'm able." He paused for a beat, then, "and yes, Phi is rather good at that. I find it refreshing."

"Ok, hmmm..." she thought hard on exactly how she could ask her question. Or questions?

"You know that marker stone we passed some days ago, in the forest? That its some marker of the ancient Five Races from long-long ago?" For a moment there, the Nezumi speech-pattern snuck in after having spent much time around Nezumi since they came to the North-North-Mountain City.

"I was speaking with Sora about it, and he said that the Five, along with Ogres, had fought Jigoku in the past too. That it was... some sort of cycle?" she looked at Shinsei, not sure if she was understanding it right, but she figured he maybe knew?

Shinsei sighed, but nodded gravely. "Yes, apparently it is. From what I understand of it, there is a terrible war between Jigoku and the forces of Ningen-do once every thousand years. Jigoku chooses a champion, mortals choose theirs, and a battle is fought for control over the mortal realm. We are, according to these prophecies and histories going to see the war within our lifetime." Circumspect though he might be around others, Shinsei would not lie to his friend, or deny her the truth.

"I see..."

She sighed, feeling that she could see more of the picture now. And some of the pieces that had been there for a long time without her realising it until recently.

"Togashi told me that many things happen for a reason. When I asked him, long ago, about what lead to him and his siblings falling into our world, it seemed because it was meant to happen, and that they were meant to come here. I worry that Fu Leng... that it was his fate to fall there. To Jigoku." To become Jigoku's champion. What would be a greater champion than a god?

It wasn't often the Dragon's wife looked worried, but she did now. "We have the power to change destiny, but... I'm concerned."

"You aren't alone in that concern. I would not be here seeking to rescue the fallen one if I did not believe in our power to change the course that is seemingly laid out before us. It may prove a monumental task, and we may not all walk free from the endeavor, but I do believe we can accomplish something great here."

"I believe so too... I do. It's why I'm here too. But, thinking about this, I'm starting to wonder - at what cost? What will we lose?"

She didn't really want to think if it would be worth it. Saving a Sun-Child from Jigoku would certainly be worth it, yes, but if it came at the cost of one of the others...?

"That I cannot say. I can only hope that we are as prepared as we can be for the end of this journey. I know many would be willing to lay down their lives, but I would not eagerly see them do so..."

Shinsei's voice was perhaps a bit more raw during that thought than Saruko was familiar with. The man was not often privy to melancholy.

"I hope so too, my friend," she offered in a soothing tone. "And no, I don't want them to have to lay down their lives either. It's probably naive to hope we can accomplish this without loss of life, but I don't think that this is something we can accomplish by being eager to throw lives away. Or own or others."

"We must be firm in our resolve, and fight harder than we've ever fought. I have faith, but also fear. There's simply too much weighing itself against our souls. I pray that we are able to rise to the task." The concern in Shinsei's voice was very unlike him.

Saruko shook her hands a bit to make Karasu fly off with the last of the food, so she could offer her friend a hug.

"I have faith in you, and all of us, Shinsei." She spoke firmly, and confidently. "The moment we lose hope, though, is when we lose faith in eachother and ourselves. And when that happens, we have lost..."

Shinsei nodded, returning the hug gently. "I maintain my hope, worry not about that." He sighed briefly, breaking the hug a moment later. "It is hard not to be consumed by worry when the reason for such is so great."

"I understand, my friend." Well, maybe not fully, but she could understand why it troubled him so. The more one knew and understood, the greater ones worries could become.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up to bring you so much concern and worry."

"Worry not, Shirayuki, you've not added anything that was not already upon my mind in some regard. But perhaps it would do us both some good to place our minds elsewhere for a time."