The rain was cold on her skin, but the shivering in her bones was not from the rain. She looked up to the Imperial Palace where only an hour ago her plan for revenge had been crushed like a paper boat on a coral reef. The night wind blew her black hair across her eyes, stinging them shut. All she could hear was the wild wail of the wind, the steady rhythm of the rain and the rapid beat of her frantic heart.
But then, a voice surrounded her, a voice like the thunder that resounded about the Plains of Otosan Uchi. "I told you that it would come to this, Lady," the voice said.
Her eyes flashed open. She knew the voice, remembered it as if she had first heard it in a dream. Its resonance struck deep inside her and she pulled her ruined kimono tight about her body. She heard his form moving above her as lithe as a serpent, but she kept her eyes turned away from him. She did not want anyone to see the fear in her eyes, not now.
"T-to Jigoku with you and your prophecy," she stammered at the voice in the darkness. "Toturi's army is on the march. I will go there and join with the fallen Lion. He will have much to gain from what I have learned tonight."
"No." The voice was steady and calm. "He knows. Toturi knows his part in destiny... as you do, Lady."
She shook her head, the pain in her side growing steadily. "No. No, I cannot. There is nothing left..."
"You know what you must do," the voice interrupted. "You must return to the palace. The Emperor's body is weakened from your poisons. You must continue to keep it so. If you do not, all will be lost. You are needed, Lady. And you are wise enough to know not to try to deny destiny."
She was still for a long time, but then, slowly, she nodded. "I do."
"It is as I told you before. You are to play a greater part in all of this than you know. Perhaps the greatest part. And there are others."
She blinked away the rain in her eyes. "Six others?"
"No," the voice said as she felt the presence fading into the rain. "There are seven. Do not forget that the descendant of Shinsei walks among us as well."
And with that, the voice was gone. Despite what the voice had told her, she did not move, did not dare move. "But I must," she whispered to herself, her voice only barely audible over the wind and thunder. She looked up at the palace one more time, and remembered what she had seen. She shuddered, but then she steadied herself, remembering the reason why she was here at the palace. As delicate as a kiss, a single name passed through her lips as she felt the strength return to her as if it had never left.
She stood in the rain and began the long walk back to the Imperial Palace. The lights burned brightly there, and a maniacal laughter could be heard ringing through the halls. It was the Emperor's voice, but the laughter was not his.
The laughter belonged to something older.
But then, a voice surrounded her, a voice like the thunder that resounded about the Plains of Otosan Uchi. "I told you that it would come to this, Lady," the voice said.
Her eyes flashed open. She knew the voice, remembered it as if she had first heard it in a dream. Its resonance struck deep inside her and she pulled her ruined kimono tight about her body. She heard his form moving above her as lithe as a serpent, but she kept her eyes turned away from him. She did not want anyone to see the fear in her eyes, not now.
"T-to Jigoku with you and your prophecy," she stammered at the voice in the darkness. "Toturi's army is on the march. I will go there and join with the fallen Lion. He will have much to gain from what I have learned tonight."
"No." The voice was steady and calm. "He knows. Toturi knows his part in destiny... as you do, Lady."
She shook her head, the pain in her side growing steadily. "No. No, I cannot. There is nothing left..."
"You know what you must do," the voice interrupted. "You must return to the palace. The Emperor's body is weakened from your poisons. You must continue to keep it so. If you do not, all will be lost. You are needed, Lady. And you are wise enough to know not to try to deny destiny."
She was still for a long time, but then, slowly, she nodded. "I do."
"It is as I told you before. You are to play a greater part in all of this than you know. Perhaps the greatest part. And there are others."
She blinked away the rain in her eyes. "Six others?"
"No," the voice said as she felt the presence fading into the rain. "There are seven. Do not forget that the descendant of Shinsei walks among us as well."
And with that, the voice was gone. Despite what the voice had told her, she did not move, did not dare move. "But I must," she whispered to herself, her voice only barely audible over the wind and thunder. She looked up at the palace one more time, and remembered what she had seen. She shuddered, but then she steadied herself, remembering the reason why she was here at the palace. As delicate as a kiss, a single name passed through her lips as she felt the strength return to her as if it had never left.
She stood in the rain and began the long walk back to the Imperial Palace. The lights burned brightly there, and a maniacal laughter could be heard ringing through the halls. It was the Emperor's voice, but the laughter was not his.
The laughter belonged to something older.
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