Heavenfall

Saruko laughed softly, but with a warm joy in her tone.

"Now I'm curious of what sort of speech this would be," she said with a bemused tone, one eyebrow raised. "But I don't see how my future hinges on whether or not I have children. Was my future not secure before with the love of my life?"

"Children are the truth path to immortality, they remember your name, they keep it strong even after you have returned to the earth," he said proudly.


Jigutsuji added, "Love that is true can be eternal as well, there is wisdom in both paths."

"Ah, there are many paths of immortality. Children is certainly one way," she mused, understanding Nanzi's train of thought. Though for her, the choice to have children had had nothing to do with immortality.

"But tell me, Nanzi, how many children will be telling the tale of your name in the generations to come? Last I heard you and Doji had been blessed with two wonderful daughters? Are there more on the way?"

"Nanzi has great reserves and she has strong hips, the rest will sort itself out," Nanzi replied.

"You old rascal you. I wish for you two to be blessed with many children," Saruko chuckled warmly and patted her friend on the arm. "One hopes we'll live to the age to argue about grandchildren, like you said. But for now, my children are far too young to think about starting their own families and walking their own paths."

"They grow up faster than you think, or so Nanzi is told," he replied. "We must take what joys we have, from what Nanzi knows of our destination the days will be very dark indeed ahead."

"I hope to be able to keep up the spirits during our dangerous journey, through stories and music," she said, her voice hopeful but also confident. "In dark times, we must look to the light in the world. It is how we will stay strong, and not succumb to despair... for if we, and especially our friend Reiko, falls to despair, then I worry for the brother we are here to rescue."

"Nanzi is many things but sad is not one of them, despair will despair long before Nanzi sheds tears of sadness," he proclaimed.

She chuckled. "That's good to know, my friend, but be mindful of the times ahead." In truth, she was a little concerned that Nanzi would be a little too overconfident in the face of the dangers they would face.

"Jigutsuji-san, I trust you will keep a good eye on my friend, yes?" Saruko asked the young man accompanying Nanzi.

Jigutsuji nodded and said, "It is my top priority, as per Doji-ue."

Nanzi waved it off, "Nanzi is hero not child, danger and adventure are as air and water to him. But, he will use some caution now, for the sake of his family and Clan."

"Some."

"Good," she smiled with relief to the man.

"Oh, not saying you're a child, my friend, but even great heroes in the stories have at times been reckless and gotten themselves in too deep. I'm merely concerned for my bond-brother's safety."

And she hated the idea of having to be a bringer of bad news, or consoling a Sun-Child who had lost their spouse. How did one comfort a god in such grief?

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she focused instead on happier topics. "So how does life find you as a leader and a founder? Getting used to people looking to you for guidance and leadership?"

"Nanzi was prince before and now he is leader again, it is good, Nanzi wants to do good for all the people and make life better for those in need," he said.

"Plus Nanzi look good in blue, but Nanzi always look good."

"They say anything looks good on the beautiful," she agreed with an amused smile. "You've began teaching your followers as well? I know many of us who were there at the Tournament have begun to teach these past years, to pass on their expertise and knowledge."

"Nanzi is good with sword and Nanzi has even learned the ways that Shiba-kami and Togashi-kami used to settle the tournament," he acknowledged.

"My finest student, Nanzi Jongwun, is here and in time will surely surpass Nanzi in mastery of the blade, one day."

"Oh wow." She recalled the moment. It was hard not to considering how it had seemed to be the very focus of the world when they faced eachother, like destiny hanging in the balance.

"Impressive. I'd love to see how well you've learned it someday, though... it struck me as something of a very ceremonial-thing. Not something you just do for fun?"

"It is deadly serious, but it is Honorable and respected by the Heavens and settled the matter with little bloodshed or violence," he said proudly.

"I see... that seems like a good thing to have, as clans grow and bring in more people. There will probably be disagreements and arguments down the line."

A part of her wondered what the world would look like after the Kami were no longer there to watch over the clans and the fledgeling Empire. But that also raised the question of how long the Kami would live.

"I've been practicing a lot of the arts that your lovely wife has talked about and showed me, but teaching it to others is still... odd, when I feel I haven't fully grasped it myself."

"It needs to begin somewhere, the willingness to teach and guide is just as important as being good at the task," he said to her.

"Perhaps," she chuckled. "But I think with some, we just need more time to adapt to a different way of thinking to truly appriciate the beauty of the arts. People who are still set in their old ways and thinking of problems of the old ways aren't yet able to see the wisdom in appriciating beauty."

"Nanzi knows in time all will see the rightness of our truths," he said with a nod.