The darkened cavern was cool, a far cry from the relentless heat of the surface of the diamond sea. It had been a refuge for those of the darker persuasions, a place where they could conduct their rituals without the interference of those who did not understand their purpose.
Many scholars had tried to delve into the understanding of why people would follow deities that cared little for them, or indeed caused them suffering. Some they claimed were mad, others greedy for power. But in a world where the benign goods of ‘good’ did little to aid mankind, the darker powers held an allure. For some like his nephew Yong, the Goddess of the Deep granted him powers unimaginable, and promises of glory that spoke to his soul. In her own way she cared for him, akin to a mother, and to his daughter Kiko. For such a malevolent being, she was far kinder to her chosen than the other creatures of darkness. Migoya had witnessed her first hand aiding in his efforts to transfer Kiko’s soul into a new body, and had felt both her power and her… respect?
Truth be told Migoya’s overprotective nature for his clan almost caused him to cast Yong out years ago due to the possible conflict of interest, but he had been reassured that there would be no conflict. Perhaps he should have been more picky when allying with Akkuma, that treacherous fool.
Migoya’s knuckles grew paler as it grasped a nearby stone statue, his anger rising at the thought of how he had been used. He hoped, for his own sake as well as Akkuma’s and Sunagakure in general, that this was one of Akkuma’s ‘plans’, but only time would tell. For now, he would do what he always did and remain in the shadows, waiting to strike. Kiko had disappeared, Yong was in Fire country, Doku still was missing, and the rest of the clan was in Yamigakure, conducting their business as normal.
For now, he was alone. Well… not totally. A small figure had emerged from his knapsack to sit on his shoulder, resting a small wooden hand on his ear.
Well that was a pointless trip to Suna. I mean, the place is a dump. Last time we were there at least you had a garden and a…
Mikki stopped as if having made a grave error.
Migoya looked sideways at the puppet, his face showing a rare expression of shock.
Nevermind… I was just making up a story.
“Mikki… tell me what you know! I keep having flashbacks to a time where we lived there… where Kirin was there! What… what happened!”
I… I can’t tell you! I was made to promise! I wish I could Migo-kun, but my boss told me that…
“Mikki - we have always been honest with each other. Why cant you tell me this one thing!” Migoya’s eyes were wide, both with shock and a large measure of hurt. Mikki was his… well… everything.
I can’t tell you that either! If I do, I… we… can’t.
In a rare show of anger, Migoya grabbed Mikki, holding him aloft in front of his now raging crimson eyes. Mikki had seen Migoya angry before, but never… NEVER at him. He grew scared.
Migo-kun… you are scaring me!
“Good. Miksurendo - I compel thee by the contract we formed to divulge all the information you are hiding from me! All that you know that I do not about my life!” The agreement had been made decades previously, binding the two souls together and with Migoya calling upon Mikkis ‘true’ name, he was compelling him for the first time against his will.
Mikki wiggled as if in agony, failing to break Migoya’s vice-like grip.
I… I can’t.
“WHERE IS KIRIN!” Migoya roared. Migoya’s wife, lover and friend had been missing for many, many years.
No.. no longer.. Please Migoya… let me go!
Waves of cursed chakra started to dance around the room, the ancient statutes somehow taking on more menacing tones. Chakra that was now causing the little tsukumogami pain. Whatever rage had taken hold of Migoya kept him grasping onto the squirming puppet, his eyes maddened at the thought that all this time Mikki knew… knew why he was going crazy, reliving lives where he had a family, had fought with the weapon Godsbane against Secondus on the whim of Primus to rebirth a city. Had ridden Sandworms, spoken with Mother Suna. How he had lived in fallen Kirigakure.
Had been important and respected. He had thought them dreams, guiding him to possibilities, but they had been real.
All gone now, into the void. And Mikki had kept this information from him.
“Mikki - why, why did you do this to me! Why!”
Migoya felt the crunch of broken wood in his hand, the small blank ‘face’ of the puppet staring at him.
If… I told you… we could not be… together…
Pain… unfathomable pain wracked Migoya’s soul as he realized the torture he was putting his loving companion through. What was he doing to the one companion that had always stood by his side. The cursed chakra retreated, and Migoya gently put the broken puppet on the ground. Tears unabashedly started to fall from crimson eyes.
“Mikki… I…”
You are… just doing what you always do Migo-kun. Thinking of yourself…
A pale hand went to rest on Mikki, but the broken puppet started to pull away. “Look - I got upset. Let me fix you up and we can go… go blow up some ducks”.
A cracking sound could be heard as Mikki turned to look at the robed man. No. I don't think we can. You.. you will always hate that I can't tell you everything, and I will hate that I can't cause if I do… well… we can't be together. It's part of the arrangement. The small print.
Migoya looked to the side and up, clearly trying to fathom the words his friend had spoken. The contract he had signed with the leader of the Tsukumogami had stated that knowledge of the contract realms or other cosmic circumstances only known to them was something that the contract creature could not divulge. Was the ‘blank’ or ‘world reboot’ something Mikki could not talk about? Why was Migoya getting the strange memories then?
“So… you cant talk about it because it will break your Tsukumogami contract with me, right?” Migoya’s mind started to whirl. “The agreement that you, as a Tsukumogami, are bound by, right?”
Repeating it just makes you sound stupid Migo-kun.
“Well then, the answer to our little dilemma is simple, isnt it?”
Mikki fell onto his back, clearly both confused and in pain.
This is the part where you state some stupid scheme to manage to wrangle out of a cosmic contract.
Migoya’ through his tears, chuckled.
“Yes - this is the part”.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The boy had been a victim of a faulty aortic valve, something that a simple transplant could have helped with, but the backwards medical facilities driven by ‘faith’ in Tsukigakure had simply been unable to treat. Migoya’s arrangement with the facility, money in exchange for the corpses of the unworthy (aka poor) had enabled him to obtain, and preserve, a number of otherwise healthy corpses… if there were such a thing!
He had already mastered the soul-transfer process, testing it on his own niece and far less important volunteers. To do it to Mikki though… this would be a very trying process indeed.
For yes, he intended to transfer the spirit of a Tsukumogami into the body of a child. Why? Because a real boy would not be bound by the constraints of a cosmic contract. It would be a simple work-around. Migoya would get his information, and Mikki could both stay with him and give the information freely. Once that was done, perhaps Migoya could find a way to put him back into the same position he was previously.
Mikki now sat on the chest of his new vessel, a young boy of about 7-8 with wild brown hair, and deep brown eyes. A hint of mischievousness lingered about the boy even though he had been dead some time. It was as if it had been planned, if Migoya believed in such things.
You know that by doing this the contract with the boss will be broken. She aint going to be pleased.
“Let me deal with her. Its only a temporary thing anyways, and how could she stay mad at you!”
Its not me she will be mad at. Mikki ‘said’ slowly.
“We can worry about that later. I’m not interested in inequitable contracts. Now - I need to concentrate, so please lay down over there”. The boy barely reached half the size of the ancient altar, still smelling of sea water from Kikos transference. Mikki lay down at the child’s feet, still sore from the cursed chakras damage to his wooden form.
Conjuring chakra threads, similar to those he mastered as a puppeteer many decades ago, he attached the small puppet to the corpse of the young boy at various chakra points. Unlike with Kiko, Mikki had no blood to transfer which made it difficult. Migoya had substituted the boys for his own powerful Chikogai blood, manipulated via Migoya’s medical and Dark Sage mastery to act as if it were a perfect match of the boys own. It would suffice. That paired with the mechanical heart Migoya had placed into the boys chest to replace the one damaged would ensure that Mikki had a strong vessel to reside for the time being.
Still, the transference still needed to take place and despite his calculations, such a thing had not been done before by anyone. What immortal spirit would want such a thing after all… perhaps a Kami? Hmm. In any event his total focus must be on this moment.
You do not know your place, insignificant one.
The voice seemed to come from… nowhere, and resonated with his very being. What? Where did that voice come from, Migoya wondered. It was his own voice it seemed, calling out his own insecurities. Foolishness indeed.
“Ok Mikki - I can’t lie and say this might not hurt, but be brave”, Migoya said, refocusing his efforts to the task at hand and ignoring the weird voice.
Pfft. Shut up and do it already.
“Are you.. Are you sure about this Mikki?”. A note of trepidation found its way to the normally stoic albino.
Yeah yeah. Whatever. Blah blah - get it over with!
Migoya knew that Mikki was somewhat afraid, trying to mask this with an overinflated act of bravado.
“Very well. See you on the other side, meatbag.”
Migoya gave a small smile as he said this. This should be relatively simple.
Calling upon his dark chakra, he summoned several powerful minions to stand in the two furthest points of the altars corners, himself facing the boy’s corpse and Mikki underneath the gaze of the statue of Oorochi.
He took an unnecessary breath in, focusing his thoughts on the soul transference. First, he needed to rip Mikki’s soul from his puppet body - a simple task. Dark power enveloped him now, tendrils of darkness joining with his edo tensi to form a triangle. He reached a pale hand forward towards the puppet.
Anata no honshitsu o hikidashite kudasai. Watashi wa anata no tamashī o shibarimasu. Watashi wa anata no tamashī o karitorimasu. Anata no tamashī wa watashi no monodesu!
Migoya could feel the power rising, his hand outstretched to pull Mikki’s soul into his waiting grasp ready to transfer it. The puppet arched its back, the cracking of wood discernable amongst the screams of Mikki. Migoya’s heart would break at this sound, but he continued to focus - there could be no mistakes. The triarch reached a zenith, the dark chakra palpable as a silver of black shadow reached into the heart of the puppet, pulling out what appeared to be a bright, green light reminiscent of a will-o-wisp. The soul of a tsukumogami, Migoya mused, beckoning it towards his outstretched hand in order to place it into the boy.
A little green ball of light, floating towards him.
…………………………………………………..
“Listen Migo-kun, you might need to know how to do this one day.”
Migoya blinked, somewhat confused with the very sudden change of scenery. He looked around at what appeared to be a backstreet of Konoha, the smells and the damp of unclean bodies and wretched conditions bringing back childhood memories. As well as that voice.
“What… you deaf as well as ugly?” The boy laughed, a laugh Migoya had forgotten but now pained him.
“Yong? What… whats happening?”, Migoya said awkwardly, his voice higher-pitched than normal.
“Im kicking your arse at kunai throwing - thats whats happening!”, Yong snickered as he threw another grouping of kunai perfectly into the make-shift target attached to a nearby wall.
Migoya stood up, looking down at the off-white rags he was wearing and grasped the small kunai he had stolen sometime before from the academy stores.
“No - really. Whats going on?”, Migoya muttered looking at his long-dead brother as he threw the kunai without looking, Yongs gasp indicating that it had found its mark perfectly.
“Hey you could never do that before!” His face… so perfect, so like his brother… but something was off.
“That was before. Now - tell me who you are and what the hell is going on”. Although his voice was that of a small child, the tone was ALL Migoya.
‘Yong’ grinned, a wider grin than his face could contain.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The little green light grew closer to his outstretched hand.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“And this is where you punch to get the bone to break”.
Yet another familiar voice drifted into his mind as he looked around at what now appeared to be a classroom… but one that had various medical diagrams. It was the old byoin, the training ground he was at when he was a m.i.t.
“I love when Daichi teaches us how to fight using medical knowledge!”, the voice was familiar. Nara Hibiki - his once best-friend turned adversary. Migoya stared at him, remembering the small smile that played in his eyes when he got new knowledge. He turned to gaze on his sensei, the famed Nakata Daichi.
The boy’s hand raised.
“Daichi-sensei. Not all of us are blessed with Hyuuga genes. How do we develop the ability to strike exact points like that?”. It had been the question he had posed many years previously.
Daichi stared into Migoya’s eyes.
“Practice until your hands bleed, then keep going. Practice until it doesn't hurt anymore. Practice until it becomes second nature.”
The same response… Migoya had often wondered what happened to his sensei after their last encounter where he had left both Daichi and Hibiki alive in the Fire temple after a vicious battle. He could never find it in himself to kill these two… no matter the cost it had taken on his development.
“You are far too kind, Yushi Migoya”. Migoya looked up at the sensei, his grin wider than his face.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------
The green ball was almost there
—------------------------------------------------------------------
Now it was a far more familiar place, one of recent history. He stood looking over the still pools named after his lost brother, Yong, in the village he had founded - the four had founded.
Yamigakure. The village hidden in darkness.
He remembered that this was the time that he had received reports of two of his brothers, Yong and Hisao, entering into Konohagakure. And not returning.
The loss had been more painful than he thought he could bear. Doku had been missing in Wind country for some time, so he had been the only one left to bear the responsibility of running their new village. It had been the lowest he had been in his entire miserable life.
He felt the comforting sound of a small wooden puppet clambering onto his shoulder. Mikki would always be there for him, to comfort him and to raise his spirits when he needed him most.
Clan? Legacy? Those things will mean nothing when they are gone. No-one cares for you, nor anything you create.
Migoya turned to look at his companion, raising a white eyebrow. “I didnt ask for your opinion”.
And yet I give it, insignificant one. You think you are intelligent and powerful, but you know nothing of the extent of these things.
“Enlighten me then. Who are you and why are you pulling me back through old memories. Trying to make me falter? I have had worse.”
Still you struggle? To what end? If all is pointless and shall fall, why not embrace the inevitable?
Mikki’s voice changed, as if speaking from underwater.
“And what is the inevitable?” Migoya queried, hoping to get a hint as to who he was talking with.
Migoya smirked as he watched ‘Mikki’ jump from his shoulder to stand next to him, looking into the pond.
Oblivion.
“Oblivion you say. There are many that would suggest that there cannot be an end, for if it were so all would be devoured”.
Yes.
“Yes to what?”
Beyond darkness, beyond light, beyond death, there is only… the void. Even the Gods will fall one day into nothingness, their works… meaningless. All must end.
“Well thats very interesting. Now, I would know who you are and why you speak of oblivion. If you wish to throw threats around I have more important things to focus on.”
I am here for you.
“Really? To destroy me? Sure, go ahead - or perhaps we could come to some arrangement, Mr?”
You seek to bargain when you have nothing we want. You are nothing.
“Yet you came to me.”
Say goodbye to all of… this. And hello to oblivion!
Migoya let out a puff of air, turning away from Mikki. “Really - this is pointless. Explain who you are and leave me be. I am in the middle of something.”
We know.
“We?”
We who watch. We who know.
“Well… We..”
Migoya looked over towards the fake Mikki.
“I have no time for this.”
Migoya, using his phenomenal willpower, started to summon chakra to use in a cancel jutsu, wholeheartedly believing that this madness was simply a genjutsu.
Time. Time is what you will have, and more. You seek to break that which should not be broken. Time. Time is your punishment.
A gurgling laughter erupted from the puppet. Migoya’s justu exposed no genjutsu, and so he started to form more deadly jutsu handsigns, ready to strike back.
“Time is my punishment? For trying to find out my own history?”
No. For seeking more than what you should. You will find knowledge, Myakashi Migoya, and you will find power. But you will never find that which you seek most.
Flames lashed out from Migoya’s hands to envelope the false Mikki. The gurgling laugh continued as the flames did nothing to the puppet.
“I have done nothing wrong… We. Release me.”
But We have yet to provide our gift. Nothing is to become something.
“Gift? I want nothing from those I do not know.”
You will know. Look.
Mikki pointed towards the pool. Migoya, frustrated but knowing that whatever was happening would only finish if he continued playing along, looked into the pool.
It was black. The darkness was… comforting. The darkness did not end. The darkness called.
And Myakashi Migoya embraced it.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The little green ball of light brushed his fingertips, Migoya feeling the soul's energy before he motioned it towards the corpse of the boy. Whatever had just happened to him made him feel less… powerful, as if someone had drained all the dark chakra from him. Certainly, he had enough reserves of his own to complete the ritual but… what had happened?
He looked over to watch his zombie souls, chosen specifically for their vast powers, start to fade away. The triangle was failing. His chakra was failing… and Mikki’s soul was still apart from its host.
His soul for your service. Accept the gift given.
The voice returned, Migoya looking around desperately for its source.
Anything. Save my friend.
Say the words.
Migoya gulped, hating the fact that he was pressured into this deal with an unknown person.
I accept.
Strange purple energy now covered the little green ball, plunging it into the chest of the small boy. Shadows, tendrils of darkness and gibbering voices all called out in the darkness, purple flames covering both the boy and Migoya’s outstretched hands. He felt the burning sensation of absolute cold, of nothingness pulling at existence itself. His gaze rested on the boy for a second, watching as it took its first breath in. As it called out a name.
“Migo-kun?”
[WC: 3333]
Many scholars had tried to delve into the understanding of why people would follow deities that cared little for them, or indeed caused them suffering. Some they claimed were mad, others greedy for power. But in a world where the benign goods of ‘good’ did little to aid mankind, the darker powers held an allure. For some like his nephew Yong, the Goddess of the Deep granted him powers unimaginable, and promises of glory that spoke to his soul. In her own way she cared for him, akin to a mother, and to his daughter Kiko. For such a malevolent being, she was far kinder to her chosen than the other creatures of darkness. Migoya had witnessed her first hand aiding in his efforts to transfer Kiko’s soul into a new body, and had felt both her power and her… respect?
Truth be told Migoya’s overprotective nature for his clan almost caused him to cast Yong out years ago due to the possible conflict of interest, but he had been reassured that there would be no conflict. Perhaps he should have been more picky when allying with Akkuma, that treacherous fool.
Migoya’s knuckles grew paler as it grasped a nearby stone statue, his anger rising at the thought of how he had been used. He hoped, for his own sake as well as Akkuma’s and Sunagakure in general, that this was one of Akkuma’s ‘plans’, but only time would tell. For now, he would do what he always did and remain in the shadows, waiting to strike. Kiko had disappeared, Yong was in Fire country, Doku still was missing, and the rest of the clan was in Yamigakure, conducting their business as normal.
For now, he was alone. Well… not totally. A small figure had emerged from his knapsack to sit on his shoulder, resting a small wooden hand on his ear.
Well that was a pointless trip to Suna. I mean, the place is a dump. Last time we were there at least you had a garden and a…
Mikki stopped as if having made a grave error.
Migoya looked sideways at the puppet, his face showing a rare expression of shock.
Nevermind… I was just making up a story.
“Mikki… tell me what you know! I keep having flashbacks to a time where we lived there… where Kirin was there! What… what happened!”
I… I can’t tell you! I was made to promise! I wish I could Migo-kun, but my boss told me that…
“Mikki - we have always been honest with each other. Why cant you tell me this one thing!” Migoya’s eyes were wide, both with shock and a large measure of hurt. Mikki was his… well… everything.
I can’t tell you that either! If I do, I… we… can’t.
In a rare show of anger, Migoya grabbed Mikki, holding him aloft in front of his now raging crimson eyes. Mikki had seen Migoya angry before, but never… NEVER at him. He grew scared.
Migo-kun… you are scaring me!
“Good. Miksurendo - I compel thee by the contract we formed to divulge all the information you are hiding from me! All that you know that I do not about my life!” The agreement had been made decades previously, binding the two souls together and with Migoya calling upon Mikkis ‘true’ name, he was compelling him for the first time against his will.
Mikki wiggled as if in agony, failing to break Migoya’s vice-like grip.
I… I can’t.
“WHERE IS KIRIN!” Migoya roared. Migoya’s wife, lover and friend had been missing for many, many years.
No.. no longer.. Please Migoya… let me go!
Waves of cursed chakra started to dance around the room, the ancient statutes somehow taking on more menacing tones. Chakra that was now causing the little tsukumogami pain. Whatever rage had taken hold of Migoya kept him grasping onto the squirming puppet, his eyes maddened at the thought that all this time Mikki knew… knew why he was going crazy, reliving lives where he had a family, had fought with the weapon Godsbane against Secondus on the whim of Primus to rebirth a city. Had ridden Sandworms, spoken with Mother Suna. How he had lived in fallen Kirigakure.
Had been important and respected. He had thought them dreams, guiding him to possibilities, but they had been real.
All gone now, into the void. And Mikki had kept this information from him.
“Mikki - why, why did you do this to me! Why!”
Migoya felt the crunch of broken wood in his hand, the small blank ‘face’ of the puppet staring at him.
If… I told you… we could not be… together…
Pain… unfathomable pain wracked Migoya’s soul as he realized the torture he was putting his loving companion through. What was he doing to the one companion that had always stood by his side. The cursed chakra retreated, and Migoya gently put the broken puppet on the ground. Tears unabashedly started to fall from crimson eyes.
“Mikki… I…”
You are… just doing what you always do Migo-kun. Thinking of yourself…
A pale hand went to rest on Mikki, but the broken puppet started to pull away. “Look - I got upset. Let me fix you up and we can go… go blow up some ducks”.
A cracking sound could be heard as Mikki turned to look at the robed man. No. I don't think we can. You.. you will always hate that I can't tell you everything, and I will hate that I can't cause if I do… well… we can't be together. It's part of the arrangement. The small print.
Migoya looked to the side and up, clearly trying to fathom the words his friend had spoken. The contract he had signed with the leader of the Tsukumogami had stated that knowledge of the contract realms or other cosmic circumstances only known to them was something that the contract creature could not divulge. Was the ‘blank’ or ‘world reboot’ something Mikki could not talk about? Why was Migoya getting the strange memories then?
“So… you cant talk about it because it will break your Tsukumogami contract with me, right?” Migoya’s mind started to whirl. “The agreement that you, as a Tsukumogami, are bound by, right?”
Repeating it just makes you sound stupid Migo-kun.
“Well then, the answer to our little dilemma is simple, isnt it?”
Mikki fell onto his back, clearly both confused and in pain.
This is the part where you state some stupid scheme to manage to wrangle out of a cosmic contract.
Migoya’ through his tears, chuckled.
“Yes - this is the part”.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The boy had been a victim of a faulty aortic valve, something that a simple transplant could have helped with, but the backwards medical facilities driven by ‘faith’ in Tsukigakure had simply been unable to treat. Migoya’s arrangement with the facility, money in exchange for the corpses of the unworthy (aka poor) had enabled him to obtain, and preserve, a number of otherwise healthy corpses… if there were such a thing!
He had already mastered the soul-transfer process, testing it on his own niece and far less important volunteers. To do it to Mikki though… this would be a very trying process indeed.
For yes, he intended to transfer the spirit of a Tsukumogami into the body of a child. Why? Because a real boy would not be bound by the constraints of a cosmic contract. It would be a simple work-around. Migoya would get his information, and Mikki could both stay with him and give the information freely. Once that was done, perhaps Migoya could find a way to put him back into the same position he was previously.
Mikki now sat on the chest of his new vessel, a young boy of about 7-8 with wild brown hair, and deep brown eyes. A hint of mischievousness lingered about the boy even though he had been dead some time. It was as if it had been planned, if Migoya believed in such things.
You know that by doing this the contract with the boss will be broken. She aint going to be pleased.
“Let me deal with her. Its only a temporary thing anyways, and how could she stay mad at you!”
Its not me she will be mad at. Mikki ‘said’ slowly.
“We can worry about that later. I’m not interested in inequitable contracts. Now - I need to concentrate, so please lay down over there”. The boy barely reached half the size of the ancient altar, still smelling of sea water from Kikos transference. Mikki lay down at the child’s feet, still sore from the cursed chakras damage to his wooden form.
Conjuring chakra threads, similar to those he mastered as a puppeteer many decades ago, he attached the small puppet to the corpse of the young boy at various chakra points. Unlike with Kiko, Mikki had no blood to transfer which made it difficult. Migoya had substituted the boys for his own powerful Chikogai blood, manipulated via Migoya’s medical and Dark Sage mastery to act as if it were a perfect match of the boys own. It would suffice. That paired with the mechanical heart Migoya had placed into the boys chest to replace the one damaged would ensure that Mikki had a strong vessel to reside for the time being.
Still, the transference still needed to take place and despite his calculations, such a thing had not been done before by anyone. What immortal spirit would want such a thing after all… perhaps a Kami? Hmm. In any event his total focus must be on this moment.
You do not know your place, insignificant one.
The voice seemed to come from… nowhere, and resonated with his very being. What? Where did that voice come from, Migoya wondered. It was his own voice it seemed, calling out his own insecurities. Foolishness indeed.
“Ok Mikki - I can’t lie and say this might not hurt, but be brave”, Migoya said, refocusing his efforts to the task at hand and ignoring the weird voice.
Pfft. Shut up and do it already.
“Are you.. Are you sure about this Mikki?”. A note of trepidation found its way to the normally stoic albino.
Yeah yeah. Whatever. Blah blah - get it over with!
Migoya knew that Mikki was somewhat afraid, trying to mask this with an overinflated act of bravado.
“Very well. See you on the other side, meatbag.”
Migoya gave a small smile as he said this. This should be relatively simple.
Calling upon his dark chakra, he summoned several powerful minions to stand in the two furthest points of the altars corners, himself facing the boy’s corpse and Mikki underneath the gaze of the statue of Oorochi.
He took an unnecessary breath in, focusing his thoughts on the soul transference. First, he needed to rip Mikki’s soul from his puppet body - a simple task. Dark power enveloped him now, tendrils of darkness joining with his edo tensi to form a triangle. He reached a pale hand forward towards the puppet.
Anata no honshitsu o hikidashite kudasai. Watashi wa anata no tamashī o shibarimasu. Watashi wa anata no tamashī o karitorimasu. Anata no tamashī wa watashi no monodesu!
Migoya could feel the power rising, his hand outstretched to pull Mikki’s soul into his waiting grasp ready to transfer it. The puppet arched its back, the cracking of wood discernable amongst the screams of Mikki. Migoya’s heart would break at this sound, but he continued to focus - there could be no mistakes. The triarch reached a zenith, the dark chakra palpable as a silver of black shadow reached into the heart of the puppet, pulling out what appeared to be a bright, green light reminiscent of a will-o-wisp. The soul of a tsukumogami, Migoya mused, beckoning it towards his outstretched hand in order to place it into the boy.
A little green ball of light, floating towards him.
…………………………………………………..
“Listen Migo-kun, you might need to know how to do this one day.”
Migoya blinked, somewhat confused with the very sudden change of scenery. He looked around at what appeared to be a backstreet of Konoha, the smells and the damp of unclean bodies and wretched conditions bringing back childhood memories. As well as that voice.
“What… you deaf as well as ugly?” The boy laughed, a laugh Migoya had forgotten but now pained him.
“Yong? What… whats happening?”, Migoya said awkwardly, his voice higher-pitched than normal.
“Im kicking your arse at kunai throwing - thats whats happening!”, Yong snickered as he threw another grouping of kunai perfectly into the make-shift target attached to a nearby wall.
Migoya stood up, looking down at the off-white rags he was wearing and grasped the small kunai he had stolen sometime before from the academy stores.
“No - really. Whats going on?”, Migoya muttered looking at his long-dead brother as he threw the kunai without looking, Yongs gasp indicating that it had found its mark perfectly.
“Hey you could never do that before!” His face… so perfect, so like his brother… but something was off.
“That was before. Now - tell me who you are and what the hell is going on”. Although his voice was that of a small child, the tone was ALL Migoya.
‘Yong’ grinned, a wider grin than his face could contain.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The little green light grew closer to his outstretched hand.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“And this is where you punch to get the bone to break”.
Yet another familiar voice drifted into his mind as he looked around at what now appeared to be a classroom… but one that had various medical diagrams. It was the old byoin, the training ground he was at when he was a m.i.t.
“I love when Daichi teaches us how to fight using medical knowledge!”, the voice was familiar. Nara Hibiki - his once best-friend turned adversary. Migoya stared at him, remembering the small smile that played in his eyes when he got new knowledge. He turned to gaze on his sensei, the famed Nakata Daichi.
The boy’s hand raised.
“Daichi-sensei. Not all of us are blessed with Hyuuga genes. How do we develop the ability to strike exact points like that?”. It had been the question he had posed many years previously.
Daichi stared into Migoya’s eyes.
“Practice until your hands bleed, then keep going. Practice until it doesn't hurt anymore. Practice until it becomes second nature.”
The same response… Migoya had often wondered what happened to his sensei after their last encounter where he had left both Daichi and Hibiki alive in the Fire temple after a vicious battle. He could never find it in himself to kill these two… no matter the cost it had taken on his development.
“You are far too kind, Yushi Migoya”. Migoya looked up at the sensei, his grin wider than his face.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------
The green ball was almost there
—------------------------------------------------------------------
Now it was a far more familiar place, one of recent history. He stood looking over the still pools named after his lost brother, Yong, in the village he had founded - the four had founded.
Yamigakure. The village hidden in darkness.
He remembered that this was the time that he had received reports of two of his brothers, Yong and Hisao, entering into Konohagakure. And not returning.
The loss had been more painful than he thought he could bear. Doku had been missing in Wind country for some time, so he had been the only one left to bear the responsibility of running their new village. It had been the lowest he had been in his entire miserable life.
He felt the comforting sound of a small wooden puppet clambering onto his shoulder. Mikki would always be there for him, to comfort him and to raise his spirits when he needed him most.
Clan? Legacy? Those things will mean nothing when they are gone. No-one cares for you, nor anything you create.
Migoya turned to look at his companion, raising a white eyebrow. “I didnt ask for your opinion”.
And yet I give it, insignificant one. You think you are intelligent and powerful, but you know nothing of the extent of these things.
“Enlighten me then. Who are you and why are you pulling me back through old memories. Trying to make me falter? I have had worse.”
Still you struggle? To what end? If all is pointless and shall fall, why not embrace the inevitable?
Mikki’s voice changed, as if speaking from underwater.
“And what is the inevitable?” Migoya queried, hoping to get a hint as to who he was talking with.
Migoya smirked as he watched ‘Mikki’ jump from his shoulder to stand next to him, looking into the pond.
Oblivion.
“Oblivion you say. There are many that would suggest that there cannot be an end, for if it were so all would be devoured”.
Yes.
“Yes to what?”
Beyond darkness, beyond light, beyond death, there is only… the void. Even the Gods will fall one day into nothingness, their works… meaningless. All must end.
“Well thats very interesting. Now, I would know who you are and why you speak of oblivion. If you wish to throw threats around I have more important things to focus on.”
I am here for you.
“Really? To destroy me? Sure, go ahead - or perhaps we could come to some arrangement, Mr?”
You seek to bargain when you have nothing we want. You are nothing.
“Yet you came to me.”
Say goodbye to all of… this. And hello to oblivion!
Migoya let out a puff of air, turning away from Mikki. “Really - this is pointless. Explain who you are and leave me be. I am in the middle of something.”
We know.
“We?”
We who watch. We who know.
“Well… We..”
Migoya looked over towards the fake Mikki.
“I have no time for this.”
Migoya, using his phenomenal willpower, started to summon chakra to use in a cancel jutsu, wholeheartedly believing that this madness was simply a genjutsu.
Time. Time is what you will have, and more. You seek to break that which should not be broken. Time. Time is your punishment.
A gurgling laughter erupted from the puppet. Migoya’s justu exposed no genjutsu, and so he started to form more deadly jutsu handsigns, ready to strike back.
“Time is my punishment? For trying to find out my own history?”
No. For seeking more than what you should. You will find knowledge, Myakashi Migoya, and you will find power. But you will never find that which you seek most.
Flames lashed out from Migoya’s hands to envelope the false Mikki. The gurgling laugh continued as the flames did nothing to the puppet.
“I have done nothing wrong… We. Release me.”
But We have yet to provide our gift. Nothing is to become something.
“Gift? I want nothing from those I do not know.”
You will know. Look.
Mikki pointed towards the pool. Migoya, frustrated but knowing that whatever was happening would only finish if he continued playing along, looked into the pool.
It was black. The darkness was… comforting. The darkness did not end. The darkness called.
And Myakashi Migoya embraced it.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The little green ball of light brushed his fingertips, Migoya feeling the soul's energy before he motioned it towards the corpse of the boy. Whatever had just happened to him made him feel less… powerful, as if someone had drained all the dark chakra from him. Certainly, he had enough reserves of his own to complete the ritual but… what had happened?
He looked over to watch his zombie souls, chosen specifically for their vast powers, start to fade away. The triangle was failing. His chakra was failing… and Mikki’s soul was still apart from its host.
His soul for your service. Accept the gift given.
The voice returned, Migoya looking around desperately for its source.
Anything. Save my friend.
Say the words.
Migoya gulped, hating the fact that he was pressured into this deal with an unknown person.
I accept.
Strange purple energy now covered the little green ball, plunging it into the chest of the small boy. Shadows, tendrils of darkness and gibbering voices all called out in the darkness, purple flames covering both the boy and Migoya’s outstretched hands. He felt the burning sensation of absolute cold, of nothingness pulling at existence itself. His gaze rested on the boy for a second, watching as it took its first breath in. As it called out a name.
“Migo-kun?”
[WC: 3333]
