[Day 7 -- Juri of Amber vision : Undecided -- I need something good!! (perhaps for sheer mind-bending, be a moment of Juri -in- Cathuria, needing to do something? But I can't think of anything that'd work as a decision point for her there. Beats me, suggestions needed, once again look at branch.day0.txt for what's already planned so far from Juri and JuriAv's lives. Or, another option -- some event in Juri of Amber/Hiko's lives while in the Isles of Avalon -- since Corrine/Kanna knows very little, if anything, about what happened there. Doesn't need to be a hyper-critical decision juncture (hell, Shizumaru's last vision was him in bed with Yumi discussing the succession), but something hinging on Juri having become a mother and helping Hiko heal from her prior ordeals.] [Transition] [...] There was a sudden jerking sensation around my neck, and intense agony flooded through my body once more. I blinked. This... was not what I had expected. I had not returned to the tree, like I had done before in all the prior visions. I could still feel what seemed to be the noose around my neck, but a moment's touch with my right hand revealed that no such restraint was there. I could breathe freely, but my neck still ached, feeling constricted even though there was no resistance to my movements as I looked around. I was standing at a crossroads on a dark plain. Three doors were visible to me: one on my right, one on my left, and a door in front of me. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed another door behind me. Four in all, each one bearing some symbol on its upper half. "Well, cute," I muttered to myself. "Looks like I've reached the symbolic, multiple-choice section of this little venture." I raised my voice and asked the empty air, "Hello?" There was no response, not that I was expecting one. I turned around, and studied the doors more closely, regarding each of the emblems on them in turn. The leftmost door bore a large hourglass, its bulbs filled halfway with sand as it poured from top to bottom. The door that had been in front of me bore the visage of a slim-faced, straight haired woman, whom I didn't immediately recognize but seemed maddeningly familiar to me. The right door bore a large, stylized question mark, carved into the wood. And the door behind me... I sucked in a quick breath. The door behind me had Juri's face carved into it. I turned around quickly, to look at the other door that had been similarly enscribed, and suddenly realized that the first face had to represent my long-deceased Aunt Eowyn. Her resemblance to Castle Ember's commander of the palace guard was indeed striking. So, what did they mean? I walked around in a circle, studying the four doors as I absently scratched my cheek. I had come here to Yig, to find a way to bring Aunt Juri back. Clearly, the door with Juri's face upon it would be connected to this goal. But the other doors... the hourglass with its sands of time, flowing and marking the passage of the time of one's life... Time... life... lifetime. It dawned on me that the door with the hourglass likely represented a possible revelation about my future life. A tempting prospect, to say the least. The image of Eowyn on the door that had been in front of me probably would lead me to information about my dead aunt. After all, it was a mystery to many as to why a person claiming to be Eowyn had appeared before the Second Day of Darkness, trying to wrest the throne of Harad from Amber by gun-point. Another mystery that I had pondered trying to solve in the past, given my family ties, but that revelation was more relevant to someone like Nausicaa, who had much closer bonds to the eldest of Haruka's children than I. The question mark.. I wasn't sure what it could mean. Quite possibly a random-choice grab-bag. Not at all what I was looking for. I looked at the four doors once more, and the emblems emblazoned upon them -- Eowyn, Juri, the Hourglass, the Question Mark -- and made my choice. With no more hesitation in my steps or gestures, I strode for the door with the green-eyed, tangerine-haired woman upon it. My right hand firmly grasped the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door on its hinges. Without a glance back at the what-might-have-beens of other revelations, I stepped through the opened door. I stepped through the opened door, and into a maritime hell. Spread out before me was a ship's deck, its crew frantically trying to stabilize the rigging against a raging storm, the sea frothed with whitecaps. I blinked and bit back a curse, shielding my eyes as the wind and rain suddenly hit me, letting go of the doorknob in the process. I could barely hear the door close behind me, but I had much more desperate concerns on my mind, like figuring out where the hell I was, and how I would save this crew. Of course, keeping myself from getting tossed overboard would also be a good thing. I was not such a landlubber that I couldn't keep my bearings in the face of a storm, so I rapidly searched the deck for shelter and handholds I could grab. I found a place between several lashed crates near the mainmast, with lines thick enough that I had no fear of them cutting loose at an inopportune moment. I grasped the hemp ropes with my hands, and held on tight as I tried to puzzle where exactly we were. It took me several moments of thought before my artist's eye realized that we were on one of the larger ships in Amber's fleet; its general layout was the same as those I had seen at the Shalomar naval base, and the crew was decked out in naval wear of an Amber cut. The ship and its crew had clearly seen better days, the mizzenmast having been sheared off, and various bits of flotsam and jetsam forming as parcels and supplies fell off the deck. Or did it? I could barely see for the life of me the state of the ocean around the ship. The entire world was a grey and blue frothing miasma from horizon to horizon, the sky choked with roiling storm clouds, the sea a vast rippling tempest swirling around a central point, plunging into infinity. On the far edge of that yawning aquatic void, I could barely see flashes of white and brown, quite possibly another fleet. Oh good Pyricorn. My eyes widened as it dawned on me where I was. I had never seen it in person (for none could venture too close less they risk their deaths), but I now knew exactly where I was. The vortex. The fucking Rebma VORTEX. Needless to say, the thought didn't comfort me any. I held on tight, rapidly considering my options. Trying to aid the crew was my first instinct, but the situation already appeared to be a lost cause, the ship slowly making its inexorable way towards the ravening maw of the Vortex. Some sailors were praying, others were still going about their duties in a desperate attempt to save themselves. Where was the captain? I glanced about, but I couldn't see any sign of anybody significantly in charge among the chaos. It could be quite possible he was still in his quarters at the stern, pondering the inevitable death of his crew, or up top at the wheel, trying to desperately free his ship. I couldn't tell, the rain was still obscuring my vision, forcing me to squint to make out details. I could barely see a light in the windows of the aft cabin wall... Perhaps I could try trumping them out, but I couldn't open my trump case and pull out a card safely with my free hand, given the winds and my need to keep myself on deck. I rapped at my manifestation badge, but was not surprised when there was no response. I had heard tales of those dark days when the Vortex had appeared, and how trumps from the vicinity of Rebma had become excessively dangerous to receive. Even if Gabrielle's manifestation worked in this time and place, she would be extremely leery of accepting a connection, not willing to risk a Water Shadow Storm in her systems. Dammit! I hated feeling helpless! There had to be some point to this; my eyes rapidly scanned the men around me, still desperately working at their tasks. Perhaps I could reach the shelter of the quarterdeck cabins; they seemed to be within reach, and that was about where I had entered. I continued to study the aft quarter of the ship, and my brows furrowed as the lamplight behind one of the windows guttered out. What was going on? The rear door opened, and a flash of white and coral pink grabbed my attention. I stared in shock as a woman strode out, her left arm in a sling but still beautiful despite the blood and other damage that stained her uniform. She walked purposefully, grimly, along the beam, sheltering something from the storm within her arms, and didn't appear to notice me. I stood rooted to the spot near the closed hold that I had claimed, paralyzed with indecision. There, walking before me was the woman whom I had only seen before in trump cards, my mother's paintings, and more recently mirrors of myself. She was Juri of Amber. My aunt. And this was the deck of the [ship name here -- 'Intrepid', perhaps? Nice ironic naming to it], on the same day she had vanished before the Second Day of Darkness. The wind and rain battered at her, trying to knock her off balance, but Aunt Juri kept her ground as she headed forward, the storm whipping her tangerine hair around her head, her trademarked sausage curls having already partially unravelled. She continued towards the front of the ship, her face obscured to me now as I watched her from behind. She did something with her burden that I couldn't see, and then there was a flash of brilliant flame in front of her, a spreading of fiery wings and a keening avian cry. Juri's body was limmed with the glow of the flaming bird that burned in front of her, perched on her free hand as she said something to it, and lifted her hand. I sucked in a breath. The Phoenix! Which meant that... oh no... With another cry, the Phoenix took flight into the stormy sky like a rocket. Its blazing trail cut across the roiling clouds like a signal flare, briefly lighting the ship and ocean around me. I stared, watching its passage as it shot out of sight, no doubt on its way to Ember where mom and the rest of her friends would soon receive it. I drew my attention back towards the figure at the fore of the ship. Aunt Juri continued to stand there, having watched the Phoenix take flight. Her body seemed to sag for a moment, and then straightened as she [something here to get the attention of Cathuria for the pledge -- info, John?]. And then she spoke, the first time I had truly heard her voice with my own ears, not distorted through skull and flesh as my prior visions living her life had been. [Juri's pledge begins...] My body, already tense with having needed to brace myself against the raging storm, and my mind, already in shock with realization at what I was witnessing, suddenly shifted into high gear, both parts synchronizing into a unified whole. I abruptly launched myself away from the temporary shelter I had found, my body shifting into a run as I launched myself across the deck, ignoring the startled cries of the crew. Did they notice me? Did they even SEE me? I didn't know, and I didn't care wether they did or not. Aunt Juri was there, at the forecastle, her uninjured arm still raised in supplication as she called out her pledge to the swirling winds. I could still make the distance, I HAD to -- [Juri's pledge continues.] -- -- -- I sprinted across the slick deck, battering rolling barrels and sliding crates aside as if they were tenpins, my lungs drawing in breath to try and interrupt as I lunged across the distance -- [Juri's pledge finishes.] -- I screamed out her name as a slashing crack of lightning from the storm shot across my vision. My eyes went temporarily blind due to the flash, and something happened in that instant. Even now I don't know what. But when my sight cleared a second later, there was no more ship, no more crew, no more Juri... just myself, and the great whirling expanse of water below me, rushing up to tear me apart upon impact as I tumbled backwards, my vision already blurring with a mix of sea-spray, raindrops, and tears. My right arm was still stretched out in front of me as I fell, grasping at whom I had seen but briefly as I cried out Juri's name in a desperate plea. * * * * "*JURI!!!*" Kanna screamed, her body jerking as she abruptly sat up from where she lay, her blue eyes snapping open, wide with fright and panic. She startled the two women who had been standing next to her as her right arm snapped forward, grasping at something only she could see. Gabrielle jumped at the unexpected, sudden action. "GAH! Sis! Get a hold of yourself!" She immediately fell into a crouch beside her younger sister, wrapping her arms around her to try to get her to stay still. "Juri's not here! You're hallucinating, Kanna!" The construct's words fell on deaf ears as Kanna continued to strain against her sister's embrace, her pulse hammering in her ears as she tried to reach the vision of her aunt that she had seen. Finally, the larger woman's body slowly began to untense, sagging in Gabrielle's arms as she broke down into incoherent sobbing, wrapping her arms around her legs as she rocked in place. Sumire hovered beside the two, unsure of what to do. She knew full well that she could never restrain Kanna, given the latter's great strength, so she stood there with her naginata slung on her back, her expression grim. The situation would make itself known soon enough. "shhh, shhh, you're okay, we're here... sis and sumire're here..." Gabrielle continued to try and console her distraught sister, running a hand through Kanna's hair while the other rubbed her tense back, trying to calm her still-twitching muscles. "What's wrong, Kanna? What did you see?" "... i saw... saw..." Kanna managed to say through choked sobs, before twisting in her older sister's arms, burying her face against the other's shoulder as she cried. "... couldn't... couldn't save her, sis... dammit... -dammit!-" her voice warbled, muffled by the 'cloth' of Gabrielle's projection. "Um... right." Gabrielle blinked down at her sister, and then looked up at Sumire, who shrugged as if to say : "Don't look at me, I don't have any ideas". Gabrielle sighed, and continued to rock her younger sister in her arms, waiting patiently for the storm of her grief to abate. Slowly, gradually, it did so, and Kanna straightened in Gabrielle's embrace. She tilted her head upwards, blinking away the tears that still gathered at the corner of her blue eyes. Gabrielle smiled softly, and reached up with her hand to brush away the salty water, smoothing them away and working some color into Kanna's pale cheeks. "Feel better, sis?" Gabrielle murmured, loosening her grip on her sister. "Mmff," Kanna replied coherently, and slowly turned her head to try and figure out where they were. "... how th' hell d'd I get down -here-?" she asked, her voice still somewhat raw from her earlier crying jag. Sumire spoke up, and Kanna's head jerked up and over to focus on the aristocratic woman. "The Forestals took you down from the tree several hours ago, Kanna. We followed them down; well, all right, Gabrielle trumped me down. I still don't understand how they managed to carry your bulk down the side of Yig." Sumire shook her head, and glanced up at the towering boughs of the World-tree. "But, despite that... it would appear that you've succeeded, Kanna. Congratulations. You are now one of the few to have survived a unique masochistic experience, unparalleled in Reality. You should feel honored." Kanna blinked at this, and raised her right hand to rub at her neck. There was no vine noose there anymore, but if she caressed her skin in just the right fashion, she could barely feel a subtle crease, otherwise unnoticeable to casual observers. "oh," she replied intelligently. "... everything's still a bit fuzzy." "Well, you've just spend a week hanging by your neck from the tallest tree in existence without even a chance to shower or go to the bathroom. I'd hardly expect you to be at your peak." "... Love you too, Sumire," Kanna replied, but there was no sarcasm in her tone. If anything, there was a measure of unmasked fondness in Kanna's voice. Sumire blinked, momentarily taken aback. "... 'n you, sis. Just felt I had to get it out," Kanna continued, despite the embarrassed blush forming on Gabrielle's cheeks. "Eheheheh... right. You sure you're getting enough oxygen, sis?" Kanna mutely nodded. "Okay, just making sure." Gabrielle took a deep breath and finally released her sister, standing up and looking around at the shadow around them. "So, now what? No seed, no handy scroll with instructions, not even a little certificate you can hang on your wall or a commemorative T-shirt. What a gyp! You got -GYPPED-, sis!" The construct crossed her arms. "I -told- you I didn't like this idea, Kanna, I -told- you it was a waste of time --" Kanna's brow furrowed with confusion, and then she made a quiet "oh" of astonishment, unnoticed by Gabrielle as the older woman continued her tirade. "...sis..." "-- Seven days when we could've been doing much better and practical things, like perhaps going to the Shadow Theatre --" "...yo, sis..." "-- Or perhaps you finally seeing some sense and walking my Pattern to send you to allies who could help you get back Aunt Juri --" Kanna pursed her lips, and whistled sharply, startling both Sumire and Gabrielle. "Yo, SIS! Cut it OUT!" "Eep!" the wavy-haired redhead looked down at her sister. "What?" "... I wasn't gypped, Gabrielle," Kanna continued, quiet and thoughtful. "I got what I came for, and... more, I suppose." "Oh?" Sumire arched one slim eyebrow. "So, where is it? Are the Forestals going to haul it out on a cart now that you've recovered?" "No... no..." Kanna shook her head abruptly. "It's... it's in -here-." Kanna tapped her forehead. "It's in my head." Gabrielle blinked. "... ohhh-kay." "So... what -is- it?" Sumire asked. "It's..." Kanna let out a breath. "... perhaps I better say it. It'll make more sense then... I hope." "All right..." Kanna took another deep breath, and sat up straighter in the grass, resting her hands on her knees. She closed her eyes, and then began to speak so only the other two women could hear her: "Once the gods made war / light and dark / good and evil / order and chaos / peace and love / war and hate / destiny and fate / mingled together / without distinction / creating distinction / seperating / splitting / opposing / for some dreamed of light / and others of darkness / and some simply were. "And so tools were forged / weapons were made / powers were raised / to aid the gods / in their wars." {Gabrielle stared at her sister as she began to recite what she had learned from Yig. She made a quick gesture, and a clipboard with notepad appeared in her hands, along with a pencil that the shorter redhead used to rapidly write what she was hearing. Sumire just watched Kanna, worrying as her companion continued to sit on the patch of grass, her voice a quiet monotone, audible to only the three of them.} "Wayland Smith took up his task / to forge the powers that be / into instruments of creation, consumption, destruction / binding Conjuration, Sorcery, Power Words / to battle Order and Chaos, / to open another way. "Spoon brings forth Order from Chaos, / To blind those who fail to see wisdom / To show that words really can hurt you. / Let the Serpent Beware." "Knife slices the barriers between the worlds, / To slay those who shatter balance, / To re-enchant the world made grey. / Let the Outsiders Beware. "Fork infuses Chaos into Order, / To shatter all certainties, / To make dreams into reality. / Let the Unicorn Beware." {"....hooo boy," Gabrielle muttered, her own complexion now paling at what she was transcribing. She tried to not think too hard on it, and continued writing on the clipboard.} "Crusader bears the Spoon into the Pit / For its light to shine against the darkness / It is beyond your reach / And beyond your concerns. "Seek the Knife / Beyond the Cold Waste / In the City of the Gods / If you are worthy. "Fork has gone to live with Phoenix / In the City of Dreams / The perfect shining place / Ever Dying, Ever Reborn." "Once the gods made war / light and dark / good and evil / order and chaos / peace and love / war and hate / destiny and fate / mingled together / without distinction / creating distinction / seperating / splitting / opposing / for some dreamed of light / and others of darkness / and some simply were. "And so heroes were forged / tools were made / powers were raised / to aid the gods / in their wars. "On the rampart of the worlds / The Phoenix Fleet sails / Commanded by a captain / With flames upon her brow." {Sumire blinked as Kanna continued her recitation. She tapped a finger against her chin, letting her friend's words flow through her as she thought about what they could mean. Kanna didn't notice any of this.} "Her sword is swift / Her words are wise / Her oath is given / She must fulfill it. "Its captain awaits / A final battle / Against the dead / To save the living. "Let Phoenix be your guide to find her / You must ride with the wings of a dragon / That the child of a dream / Might show you the way. "To slice the bonds and end her service / You will need the sun at noon, / Which waits for the ever-burning brand / To draw it forth and bear it to battle. "Once the gods made war / light and dark / good and evil / order and chaos / peace and love / war and hate / destiny and fate / mingled together / without distinction / creating distinction / seperating / splitting / opposing / for some dreamed of light / and others of darkness / and some simply were. "Elder gods, / Animal gods, / Outer gods, / Inner gods, / Elemental gods, / Outer Gods triumphed. "So walls were built, / Barriers were raised, / Icons were drawn, / Trees were grown, / Portals were shut." {Gabrielle frowned at this, but said nothing.} "Shark rules the tides / Shark rules an army / Shark has lost its home. "Shark seeks the lost fish / Whose father hid one eye / And devoured another "Shark will aid him, / Shark will use him, / Shark will cast him aside. "For she will stop at nothing, / She will cross any line, / And her will / Is not her own. "The Unicorn's Heir seeks knowledge / The Lion's Cub seeks power / The Lion's Heir seeks excitement / Which will find what they seek? "One would reject the lore / One would embrace the lore / One would use it for kicks / Who the user and who the used? "One is what you see / One is what you don't / One is both at once / Which is real and which is mask?" {Sumire glanced at Gabrielle, who shrugged back at her.} "Too dangerous to use / Too dangerous to throw away / Too dangerous to keep / Too dangerous to destroy "The Hand of Melkor / Has Nine Fingers / Has Nine Servants / Has Nine Eidoleons / And rests in the palm / Of the Key and the Gate." {Gabrielle frowned darkly, and her hand gripped her clipboard a little tighter. But she made no sound, instead continuing to write.} "Flame is frozen in stone / Lightning rests by its side / A great lover holds great passions / Old one eye commands the winds / An old evil reborn sees far / Dreams are but shadows on the wall of the cave of life / The great mutator brings changes / Tides shift for she who dwells beneath the waves yet is no fish / Storms can be found under the blue light "Lover of Life / The Walking Man / Six of One, half a dozen of another / One sided loop / Keeper of the Keys / Last child of a fallen crown / Beauty and the Beast / The White Queen / The Black King "The Black Goat has taken a lover / The Blind Ape of Truth has a son / The Invisible Hand moves its pawn / The Black Pharoah escapes his tomb / The Dark Prophet crucifies a Prince / The Sea King snares a daughter / The Key and the Gate shares his crown / The Walker in the Wastes buries the land in snow / The Second Sun shines on endless war." Kanna finally opened her eyes, and looked up at the two women, her expression haunted. "And... I think that's it. That's all that's there," she murmured in a harsh whisper, not saying anything more. Gabrielle just stared for several moments at what she had written on her clipboard. Finally, she licked her lips, and spoke. "Sis? I hate to say this, but this thing ... seriously freaks me out. And I'm a Pattern." Sumire pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps, Gabrielle. Some of the information in this is obvious, confirming rumors and suspicions Kanna already had about her aunt. But I do admit, it is disquieting." Kanna made a noncommittal sound, her head lowering as she watched a blade of grass sway in the breeze. Memories flitted within her brain, of the places and people she had met, of the lives she had lived, of the things she had learned. She closed her eyes and raised one hand to her chest, slowly curling her fingers around where a locket might have rested in another person's life, and a slight, sad smile crossed Kanna's lips. "So... what now, sis?" Gabrielle asked, looking down at her sister's actions, her expression puzzled, even though the latter couldn't see it. Kanna took another deep breath, and unclenched her fingers, opening her eyes as she lifted her head again to look at her companions. "We head home, guys. We head home, get some food, rest, take a vacation or whatever, and then... we start figuring this stuff out." Sumire nodded. "At least the Forestals were kind enough to tend to our horses while we were up in the tree," she replied, gesturing towards where Kanna and Sumire's mounts were tethered to one of Yig's smaller roots, happily munching on the grass that spread about them. Kanna smiled slightly. "Good." She looked down at her lap, and back up at the two other women. "Um... could you two help me up?" Gabrielle chuckled, and smiled indulgently. "Sure thing, sis." She reached down to grab her sister's offered hand. "Oh, very well, Kanna," Sumire replied with a toss of her head, and reached down as well to grab the redhead's other hand. Together, Gabrielle and Sumire hauled Kanna to her feet, who swayed slightly as she was pulled upright. Kanna looked down at the shorter women, and then without preamble, pulled them into a group hug. "Glrk!" Gabrielle blurted out as she was pulled close, while Sumire winced, reminded of Kanna's great strength by a rather too-close demonstration of the same. "Good Pyricorn, what's -this- for, you overbuilt gorilla?" Sumire managed to get out. "Thanks, you two," Kanna murmured quietly so only they could hear, her voice quiet and soft, without its usual brashness. "Huh?" the two other ladies chorused. "For what?" Gabrielle finally managed to say. "For being here. For being yourselves. For... I dunno, really, but it felt good to say, 'n I mean it." "Ah. Well... all right... but could you let go of us now, Kanna?" Sumire asked. Kanna chuckled, and let go of the two. "Sorry 'bout that." She smiled, and stretched as the two women stepped out of arm's reach. "-Man-, it feels good to be able to move again after a week's hanging." "You say that as if you felt this was going to become a common occurance," Sumire dryly commented. Kanna grinned. "No, not planning on it. -You- could go and try, though, Sumire! I garuntee it's an eye-opener..." "-No- thank you, Kanna," Sumire bluntly replied. "I have better things to do than to attempt to increase my height by neck-stretching." "Suit yourself." Kanna shrugged, and made her way back to the tethered horses, stretching out her legs as she walked. She still felt slightly stiff, but the sensation was already leaving her body, which was a good sign. She unsecured the reins of her horse, checked the tack and saddlebags, and then pulled herself up by the stirrups into the saddle while Sumire did much the same with her own mount. Kanna urged her horse into a walk, leading them away from the World-tree. Before she started shifting Shadow, Kanna turned at the waist, looking back at Yig and its high branches, the Hanged Man slightly swaying in the winds. As she had pointed out to Gabrielle and Sumire, Kanna -had- gotten what she had come for, if not entirely the way she had expected. But the Prophesy of Yig gave her renewed hope; there -was- a way to get to Aunt Juri and return her to the family, even if she didn't understand the details quite yet. This was something that would need to be researched, but Kanna had the time. There had been other benefits as well, Kanna quietly mused. Ones that had been unasked for, that she could not voice to the others, but she didn't intend to do so, either. They were private revelations, little nuggets of wisdom and insight into her family, her aunts, and herself, that she would treasure for a long time to come, forever changing how she looked at them and the universe. With utter certainty Kanna could say that she was not the same woman who had arrived here to hang from a tree branch to learn how to recover her lost aunt. The knowledge she had gained made Kanna more aware of who she was and what she was capable of, no matter whose life she was re-living. Hanging from Yig had been an ordeal, but one whose benefits had been well worth it in Kanna's estimation, and perhaps she had grown a little wiser in the process. And wasn't that the point of the entire venture? Chuckling to herself, with a smile on her lips, Kanna turned around on her saddle and spurred her horse forward, leading Sumire and Gabrielle back home to Ember. FIN