Prologue:
The fact that there are different realms that the one we exist in certainly doesn’t surprise most people anymore. With the presence of ghosts, demons and other mysterious beings dwelling among us it is rather difficult to deny their existence isn’t it? Yet there is one realm where nearly every living being has at least once made contact with. This place is commonly known as the realm of dreams. When a person starts to dream it is said that they enter a state where they produce a powerful connection between their existence and the realm of dreams. When a person their existence reaches the realm of dreams it forms into a being representing their original existence. In that sense a human will always be a human and a animal always a animal, but there are exceptions to that rule. The realm of dreams truly is vast, and at least as large as reality itself but just like the world we live in it is a place filled with conflict. Before we start the tale of the conflict raging in the realm of dreams one has to know that there are two different sort of beings existing in the realm of dreams. Wanderers, people from reality who have entered the plane of dreams during the state that is commonly known as ‘dreaming’. Their existence is as mysterious as that of the plane itself, being capable of staying inside the realm of dreams even when the ‘them’ in reality wakes up yet many believe that when a person goes to sleep they actually become the wanderer, while when they are awake the wanderer is like a background character in a tale, a simple replacement.
Then there are the spirits. They are beings born or created within the realm of dreams. They are the true denizen of the plane of dreams and might be the ‘people’ of this realm. They are often just like us, beings with likes and dislikes, thoughts and feelings, dreams and ambitions. Yet it is because they are like us that conflict also arose amidst them. You see for a long time the spirits believed the plane of dreams was their reality but at one point in their history they discovered the true nature of the wanderers and the existence of a place known as Earth, the true reality. Some of them descended into insanity, paranoid at the possibility they might had not been real, some even went as far as killing themselves amidst their mental chaos, just to be reborn totally unaware of their past life. Yet some had other thoughts. One group of spirits, later known as the Dream Wardens realized the potential danger the imbalance between their world and reality might cause so they carefully observed the actions of their kin and the wanderers among them. Yet not all simply shared that pacified nature…
Some spirits were angered, jealous by the wandering intruders. What was the rule that stated they were a product of reality, and the spirits merely a unreal object. Truly it was confusing but at the same time many agreed that it was unfair that they were considered something that wasn’t real… And it was then the idea came on how they could enter the other world and become real. Many theories had been made that could lead them into reality but one was still the most realistic to obtain. Spirits always had some unnatural abilities while inside their own world and one included their ability to take over the existence of another being. It was out of that ability that the idea came to take over the existence of a wanderer, and in return become ‘them’ in reality. The chaos that their actions would cause alerted the Dream Wardens and soon a large-scale conflict resembling a war happened between the Dream Wardens and those they called ‘Renegades’.
Yet the dream Wardens had also kept a large secret from their kin. That among their own a group of unique beings walked. People from reality yet oddly enough they were not the same as wanderers. They considered themselves Half-Spirits. Humans capable of wandering into the plane of dreams even when conscious and it is with them that our tale begins.
Within a small country a special shinobi clan existed. The Kimura clan while known as shinobi were first and foremost priestesses, maidens of faith serving at a large shrine within one of the smaller villages, likely unmarked on maps because of its lack of tourist spots or a shinobi village. Yet the Kimura clan certainly had a very important purpose. They were each and every one of them born with a unique ability. They possessed the power to divide their presence into two halves, enabling them to enter into another plane where people only went during the moments they were dreaming. Indeed since as long as they could remember the Kimura clan walked both within reality and the realm of dreams. But their ability also caused a great misfortune for they were able to witness the danger it could possess in reality. A long time ago the Kimura ancestors made first contact with the beings that existed within the realm of dreams. Despite the fact those beings looked so much like themselves they were having difficulty accepting if they were real of a fabric of imagination so they decided to call them ‘spirits’.
A long bond of trust and friendship developed between the Kimura clan and the spirits who belonged to the Dream Wardens faction, a group that just like the Kimura clan were concerned about the balance between both realms but when the war broke out inside the realm of dreams they found themselves forced to aid the Dream Wardens in the ongoing conflict. You see, when a spirit devours a person their existence inside the realm of dreams and takes over their existence the person in reality dies, just like a worse version of a possession. It happened irregularly but when it did the Kimura clan used their special ability to track down the renegade spirit and banish them from reality. Yet with every invasion of a renegade spirit into reality the fragile balance between both realms continued to remain threatened and to make things worse the events that unfolded only caused the entire conflict to escalate into an all-out war between both factions, and during that time the tale of two different beings started to weave together…
Chapter 1-A : Maiden of Dreams
A deep sigh escaped the young girl’s lips as she gazed upon the blanket of snow surrounding her family’s mansion. Winters really were beautiful to behold yet sadly her clan rarely had time to enjoy such trivial matters. Most of her siblings were busy meditating in order to strengthen their minds and the servants were busy with preparations for the next meal. Lifting a pale-skinned hand to the sky the girl silently wondered how long it would be until she needed to return her focus onto the other world she wandered in. Even if she tried to distract herself she could hear the sound of screams in the distance despite the fact that in front of her there was nothing but trees and a endless sea of snow.
“Ojou-sama you should stay inside the shrine, we never know when one of ‘them’ tries to escape again.”
Turning to the source of interruption the child found a elderly man clad in a priest’s garb bowing toward her. It was one of the older caretakers of the clan, a over-concerned old man who saw her almost like a granddaughter. Holding back another sigh she mustered the strength to create a fake smile and nodded her head lightly in agreement. She did understand the necessarily of her presence. Her ability to track the ‘Dreamers’ was impressive for a child of such a young age. The term dreamer, as one might guess had a reference to the thing people knew as a dream, but just like a dream had a dark opposite known as a nightmare so did this ‘dreamer’ show a darker side to the word. A dreamer was a spirit from the realm of dreams who killed a person inside their dream and took over their existence, a cruel end-result of what some believed to be the desire to become a product of reality. She herself would never be able to understand such things because she wasn’t a spirit. She was real just like everyone else right? Then what about the people in the realm of dreams? Following the old man back into the mansion she was soon brought back into the spacious halls of the shrine within the building. Everywhere she looked there were large runic seals of complicated design and people praying within them. She could see the looks of concern in the eyes of the young priests watching their seniors from the walls.
She did understood their fear, for they were watching someone temporarily leaving their physical existence just to enter another world to take part in a dangerous battle. Yet for someone like her, a being who walked between both realms with the ease of breathing it was entirely different. There was no fear to be found in something like that, especially in the purpose of her life. Seeing the small collection of pillows that were placed within a circle she turned to the old priest and pouted in response. The man must had been teasing her about the fact she was a sleepyhead most of the time when she didn’t focus, and this was only made worse by her dwelling inside a world of dreams. Whispering a soft prayer she sat down on one of the pillows and as soon as she laid herself down onto the nearby ones she felt her entire vision overlap with another scenery.
She was sitting on a small chair in what appeared to be a large tent. Surrounding her was a small unit of armored people, each one of them nervous for one reason or another. Despite the sudden change in scenery not a speck of surprise was found on the young woman’s expression. In the end she still clearly remembered what had happened moments ago in this place. The Dream Wardens, guardians of the realm of dreams had been occupied with a series of skirmishes by their enemy faction, a large-scale group of renegade spirits and after a decisive battle were forced to retreat into a nearby town because of the unexpected arrival of a powerful enemy who wielded a ancient art known as Ninjutsu in reality. It was now a few hours after they had been pushed back into the city and only a matter of hours until the enemy would appear again, once more threatening to overwhelm the Dream Wardens, at least until reinforcements arrived.
“Warden Commander, what are your orders?”
The girl pondered at the question of the spirit when finally she rose from the chair she had momentarily used, speaking in a confident voice she proceeded to instruct the soldiers to reinforce the defense of the outer squads while she herself would penetrate the enemy’s frontline and seek out their leader alongside a small unit of servants from her clan. Nodding in agreement the soldiers charged out of the tent as she sighed weakly, shaking her head in denial. This was too much… How many spirits had already been destroyed during this conflict? Deciding that it was time for her to take action the young girl started walking toward the tent, just to be stopped by a young woman clothed in the armor that resembled her clan’s crest design.
“Be careful Tsukiko-sama, the enemy this time is on same terms as us. I do pray she isn’t a Half-Spirit, but I guess word would have spread in our world then…”
Nodding silently in agreement the adolescent commander thought that the kunoichi did had a point but first they had to confirm it, just guessing wouldn’t lead them far…
Chapter 1-B: I am Thou and Thou art I
Several years before the conflict that became known as the Dream War peace was still considered a natural something within the Plane of Dreams. It was within this tranquil time that the spirit known as Tsuyuri was born. Tsuyuri’s family was pretty ordinary to be honest, or at least her parents were. Since the Plane of Dreams often resembled reality some of the aspects of their society were similar and her parents had been something akin to merchants. But what made this ordinary family special was not the profession of her parents but rather the potential she and her younger sister Tsubaki possessed.
It was rather amusing to observe the differences between the two sisters. While Tsuyuri appeared to be a more cheerful and carefree individual her sister was a polar opposite in the aspect that she appeared more serious and timid in public. But even with their difference in nature the two siblings were the closest of friends. Tsubaki truly looked up to her sister who had this natural ability for drawing people toward her with that inviting personality of hers. But just like in reality there comes a time a child has to prepare for the journey into adulthood and this was done by gaining a profession. Within the plane of dreams there were three groups that made up most of the professions within the plane of dreams.
The Creation Branch, as the name suggested it was a field of craftsmanship where every possible profession ranging from a regular farmer or butcher to even a specialized merchant belonged to. They were famous for their ability to convert the lingering energy within their world into a physical substance to create the things they desired.
Then there were the Scholars, commonly called the Sages they were those responsible for recording the history of their world and obtain more knowledge from everything around them. Known for their eagerness to learn the Scholar was often both student and teacher as they spend their entire lifetime researching new things.
Finally there were the ‘Warriors’ a group of those with a fondness for the martial arts. They often ended up becoming guards the most famous ones being called the ‘Dream Wardens’. It was tradition that one would join a teaching school or ‘Dojo’ and stay with that one all the way till they graduated from a apprentice into a full-fledged warrior.
Tsuyuri who always had been more lively than most children of her age had obviously chosen to join the local dojo in her village but what surprised everyone was when her sister declared that instead of joining her she would become one of the Scholars. It was like this the two sisters started to wander into two different paths…
‘Discover one’s True Self’ was a sentence the master of the dojo often spoke of during Tsuyuri’s first months within the dojo. Honestly not only was the sentence too confusing for her to grasp but without her sister there was a certain sense of loneliness within her. It appeared that someone noticed this because suddenly a boy she had never met before came up to her and told her the most cliché line she had ever heard before. Saying she looked much cuter when she was smiling Tsuyuri looked up at the boy in confusion before she snickered softly exclaiming that was almost as weird of a line to use as the motto of the dojo. It was just like this she met the other dojo apprentice who would later become her best friend ‘Owain’.
The Dojo was a place of learning and the master often spend time to ensure the apprentices under his care discovered that being a warrior was not just knowing how to fight. Warriors held a philosophy to them, a code of honor each of them followed but most importantly they knew how to accept their true selves, to know both your strengths and weaknesses and turn those into your power. But Tsuyuri… was different.
During her second year as a dojo apprentice when dusk started to arrive and the master told them to go home she was stopped and told to remain. Honestly it was not that unusual for the master to teach someone after the regular training ended but something about his serious expression made her worried. Being summoned to the shrine beneath the dojo the girl looked around in confusion as her master suddenly spoke up from the nearby altar.
“How curious, it’s been at least a thousand generations since a True Spirit was born and here she stands oblivious to her gift.”
The confusion and curiosity literally shown on her face the man laughed softly as he continued his explanation. There was a saying a True Spirit was the most powerful of warriors in existence. Some even said that they rivaled the very creatures people in reality considered deities, so strong was their soul. Of course the body of a true spirit was still normal so while they might had the presence and spiritual strength of a kami or youkai they still were bound by mortal limits. But what made a True Spirit truly special was the fact they were closest to the true nature of a warrior.
“True nature of a warrior?”
Aside from understanding that this True Spirit being was apparently a amazing person it didn’t change the fact she couldn’t understand what it had to do with her. She was just a girl eager to become strong enough to protect those she cared about.
“We masters call it ‘Persona’. It’s a ancient term that symbolized a mask you wear when interacting with others. As you grown into a young woman you must realize now Tsuyuri that sometimes you act differently right? You act toward others in a way you hope that gains a positive reaction. The ‘You’ that you subconsciously create to interact with others is what we call a Persona. Consider it a alter-ego of sorts.”
Act differently? Of course she didn’t! Pausing momentarily in her attempt to deny the statement she suddenly saw flashes of memories going through her mind. When she cheered her sister on as she joined the scholars there was not only happiness but also a sense of grief, it was as if she felt betrayed that her sister didn’t stay at her side… All the days she spend with Owain doing silly and useless things after training… Maybe she shown that ditzy side to her because she was afraid of losing her friend?
“A True Spirit is able to face their other self and after coming to terms with the side of them they unconsciously suppress they are able to call it forth as a ‘Persona’, this is the power unique to a True Spirit. And this shrine is meant to awaken one like you.”
Awaken someone like her?! Could the old man have gone senile?! There was no way she was something special like that merely because she was hiding a few things---
“But isn’t it exciting? Something new~ Something refreshing~ Something to make this boring world more interesting.”
Freezing at the spot at hearing her own voice speak the girl looked forwards to witness a shadowy mist gathering around the altar. Slowly the mist started to shift and take on a humanoid form till at last a darker skinned version of herself was left standing on top of the altar.
“It’s not like that…”
“Really? Ever since Tsubaki left us things been feeling so useless lately~ Every day is just training, training and more training. Worst of all everyone else seem content with such a existence… But not I~”
No, Tsubaki left because she was doing something she enjoyed and therefore her efforts to become a warrior so she could protect her sister were not useless, they weren’t just something to pass away the boredom!
“When master told me I was special I was delighted~ I thought someone like me could make this world more exciting again. Truth to be told we try to hide our loneliness by filling all our time with such boring things to keep us distracted.
“It’s not like that!”
“Don’t deceive yourself, you’re a afraid lonely girl who just acts cute because she doesn’t want to be abandoned.”
“Why are you saying all those things?!”
Screaming in panic as the stranger who looked like her kept hitting at her insecurities the words that followed caused her eyes to widen in shock.
“Because you are me and I’m you~ simple like that.”
“That’s not true! YOU’RE NOT ME! YOU’RE NOTHING LIKE ME!”
Laughing in amusement the dark skinned Tsuyuri suddenly disappeared as a blanket of darkness spread around the shrine. Seemingly alarmed by this the master of the dojo took a combative stance in front of his apprentice as from within the darkness several grotesque figures emerged, each of them lashing out at him. Despite the powerful blows the man his fists delivered to the shadowy creatures more and more kept coming as the man sighed softly.
“I guess it’s too early for you to face your suppressed feelings. Run Tsuyuri! They can’t leave this shrine so you’ll be save outside!”
Run, run and abandon her master who had shown his trust in her? While it was true that outside she would be safe and if she stayed here the risk she would die was almost certain but… Was this truly what she wanted?
“NO! I don’t want to leave! If Master dies the dojo will close, everyone will leave and I’ll be alone again!”
That’s right… Ever since she was born she had depended on her sister. The presence of others gave her strength and happiness so the pain of loneliness was too much to bear… She didn’t want to be alone… She was even terrified to have to lose the friends she made here…
As those thoughts ran through her mind a bright light illuminated the shrine and briefly the wave of monsters backed away as if the light harmed them. Turning around her master shown a knowing smile at what was about to happen… Surrounded by a bright blue aura Tsuyuri found herself gazing upwards as something resembling a tarot card started to lower itself from the sky.
‘Thou art I, and I art thou…
The time has come…
Open thy heart
And call forth was is within’
Hearing a voice within her thoughts Tsuyuri grasped her head as a brief headache ran through her mind when finally it cleared and while opening her eyes her master could see it… the change in her presence… the light blue aura that expanded outwards in a black raging inferno surrounded by a crimson edge.
“Per-so-na!”
Shouting the words as they ringed in her head the card scattered in her hand while the bright flames around her lashed forwards, slowly talking a humanoid form till the same dark-skinned woman from before was standing in front of her
“I am the Yami no Sennin, I’m a bit disappointed my entrance into the fun happens against such boring enemies but no use crying over spilled milk I guess~”
Blinking in confusion Tsuyuri could only watch in disbelief as the Sage of Darkness swept a hand through the air, a torrent of obsidian flames starting to flow around her, making a circle around herself and Tsuyuri who could only feel dread as the obsidian flames turned into a raging inferno.
“Don’t worry Tsu-chan~ I’ll deal with the bad boys right away.”
Humming playfully as she approached the moment the Yami no Sennin reached her, arms playfully spread as she tried to embrace the girl the moment her arms wrapped around her the strange figure disappeared, and instead Tsuyuri found a shadow looming above her. A glance upwards revealed that the one responsible for creating this shadow was in fact a large obsidian colored creature, almost a demon in appearance.
“To think you’d create a Susanoo, the ultimate embodiment of a soul turned into a weapon.”
The Susanoo roared defiantly, reaching forwards and crushing the shadowy fiends into nothingness. With the shadowy monsters finally banished Yami Tsuyuri remerged before her, a grin upon her lips.
“It seems they are gone---“
“Tsu-chan~ I’m about to claim my reward.”
Speaking in a tone flavored with mischief Yami Tsuyuri turned around and walked over to her regular self before suddenly embracing her, trying to snuggle up against the struggling girl.
“W-W-Wait what are you talking about--- Aah~ don’t go touching me!”
“But I got to make sure we are neither bored or lonely~”
Laughing softly at the sight of her apprentice dealing with her awakened persona the master of the dojo hummed softly as he walked out of the shrine.
“I leave you two to your ‘social interactions’”
“Thank you Old Man~ I’ll take G~O~O~D care of your apprentice~”
“M-Master save me!”
Chapter 1-C: Break-Down
It had been ten years since the Kimura clan revealed the existence of ‘Reality’ to the Plane of Dreams. While at first met with confusion that initial phase soon passed into doubt and finally paranoia. If the world the Kimura clan came from was reality then was the Plane of Dreams just a mere form of fiction, fantasy from the minds of those within reality? The doubt about their own identity and the lack of value they felt of their existence had driven many spirits into a case of paranoia. Many lost the will to live and some even committed suicide unaware they would simply be reborn and a cycle waited to be repeated. But not everyone thought like that. Some people searched for the truth, to confirm that what they firmly believed in, that they were real and just as precious as the people within reality. But none could have expected how far the search for truth would drive a certain girl…
After graduating from the dojo Tsuyuri had decided to take up a teaching role alongside her master deciding to use her past experience to let people know the importance of facing your fears, to learn to accept yourself for who you were, both the good and bad aspects. Perhaps it was thanks to the awakening of her Persona that Tsuyuri had opened up to others far more than in the past and her motivated method of teaching often was admired by the apprentices, not to mention that Yami Tsuyuri was one hell of a powerful master to train under. During the winter season when Tsuyuri decided to visit her parents she started to grasp how much her world had changed. Lively streets had turn eerily silent, people kept to themselves and often didn’t even leave their homes. She knew about the revelation and while sometimes she herself had doubts about the knowledge that was provided to her the feeling of friendship she held with various people inside this realm made her feel they were real, not just a form of someone’s fantasy.
But sometimes belief itself is not enough, some people want a solid evidence to grasp and reveal to others and it would appear this desire would shake the society of the spirits in the most horrible way possible. She still remembered that something had been odd about her sister’s behavior. The girl always had the habit to send her one letter after another whenever she was incapable of visiting her in person but the last three months a change happened. Three months ago her sister wrote a letter wanting to discuss the recent chaos among the sages on the subject whenever the plane of dreams was indeed a different realm or just a form of fiction. Two months ago a letter came where Tsubaki clearly sounded upset at the lack of action the scholars had done to prove the truth to everyone. And then one month ago… nothing came.
Gazing up at the clouded sky Tsuyuri couldn’t shake of the feeling of concern that dwelled in her mind. Why was the village so quiet? Why did her sister suddenly stop sending letters? As she arrived near the outskirts of her village the girl breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a group of people heading into her direction. Various familiar faces that would have brought a smile on her face if their expressions weren’t as grim as if someone had just died.
“Tsuyuri! You got to hurry to the village plaza, Tsubaki’s in troubles!”
Suddenly alarm bells ringed through her mind as the warrior ran past the group, heart beating rapidly as she navigated her way through the familiar streets. What could have been happening? Her sister was home but what in heaven’s name could have caused her to be in such troubles that almost the entire village was involved? Arriving at the plaza her eyes widened in shock at the sight of a circle of armored guards surrounding two individuals. The guards clearly were part of the Dream Wardens, the highest authority within the realm but what worried her was the two they surrounded… One was a unfamiliar girl, judging from her appearance and presence just a Dreamer, someone from reality who was asleep right now but the other… Was her sister Tsubaki…
“Tsubaki!”
Shouting her name Tsuyuri was about to run toward the crowd if it wasn’t for the fact that suddenly the guards unsheathed their weapons, lances pointing at her sister while two of the guards blocked her path. Noticing her sister’s presence the younger spirit smiled calmly as if the presence of the armed warriors surrounding her didn’t bother her at all when finally she lifted a hand upwards.
“Halt Tsubaki! If you continue this course of action you be labeled a Renegade Spirit and hunted down for eternity!”
One of the guards shouted firmly at the girl who instead of responding merely kept her gaze fixated on her elder sister when finally she whispered softly
“I’m sorry onee-chan…”
And with those words she thrust her hand into the back of the girl beside her, the sudden motion piercing the back of the stranger but instead of blood only a blue-like mist rose from the wound. At the same time the guards approached her sister Tsuyuri found the strength of her legs give way as she collapsed onto her knees, able to only watch her sister slowly disappear as she melded into the body of her devoured victim. This was a nightmare wasn’t it? No--- This was the harsh reality she was experiencing right now…
“TSUBAKI!!!”
Chapter 2-A: Seekers of Truth
It had been several months since her sister Tsubaki committed the taboo of devouring a Dreamer and disappeared into reality. It was a harsh sentence to label her a Renegade Spirit, the worst possible criminal within the plane of dreams where death was the only sentence they could receive. Yet where others saw her as a criminal Tsuyuri thought her sister’s act must had been one of despair. Since she couldn’t have proved the truth of this world from this side… she ended up going to the other while sacrificing everything she had here. It was such thoughts that made Tsuyuri understand that the Dream Wardens clearly wouldn’t do anything to preserve the peace. They merely were pawns of the Kimura clan so it was up to someone else to show the plane of dreams the truth. Yet nobody had dared to even step up to such a challenge… At least till now…
Within one of the villages a large crowd had gathered around a platform where a tall woman was giving a speech. Her gestures while calm and refined were perfectly accompanied by the passionate tone of her voice.
“People of our realm! Look around you, is this the world you remember? Are empty streets filled with fear what you desire? Is living inside a home where everyone is struck with paranoia what you deserve? I say it isn’t! Even as people continue to fall into despair our ‘guardians’ the Dream Wardens remain ignorant to our suffering and the Kimura clan continues to spread their influence!”
For a moment the crowd nodded in agreement when one of the younger lads in the crowd asked curiously.
“But what can we do if even the sages can’t find a answer?”
Shouting words of agreement to the question the crowd suddenly went silent as they saw the lips of the blue-haired woman curl up into a faint smirk. She had expected this question to arrive and now she would be able to answer it, answer it thanks to Tsubaki’s sacrifice…
“We will find a answer because we will reach beyond where anyone would dare… We will break the barrier between our world and this so called reality!”
Hearing the concerned whispers among the crowd she continued to speak confidently.
“While it is true that such an act will not be well-received by the Kimura clan and their pawns I need you all to ask yourselves, if not us then who else?! We might be labeled traitors for what we are about to do but… They may call me a traitor, label me a villain and sentence me to death… BUT NOT BEFORE I SAVED OUR WORLD BY SHOWING THE TRUTH!”
The truth… Someone who would go that far just to save her people… To the people who had been living in fear with no hope of change this were the words of a savior. As slowly the whispers turned into cheers the warrior made her final comment.
“From today on I call myself a Renegade Spirit… I am not a traitor but a liberator! Who is with me?!”
Loud cheers resounded through the village as the woman slowly walked off the stage toward a cloaked man that had been standing behind it. Slowly removing his hood the man grinned in amusement at her as he greet her with a handshake.
“Nice speech Yuri-chan, guess it will begin now.”
“Yep Owain, the Renegade Spirit Army has been born…”
Chapter 2-b: Rebels
The sound of laughter resounded in the air. Young men and women were cheering as they feasted on drinks and food on the tables surrounding them. They did have a reason to be in such a cheerful mood. They had just won a important skirmish against their arch-nemesis and forced them to retreat like scolded dogs. Yet among them one particular person didn’t share their mood. A young woman wearing a simple black robe was resting with her back against a wall, her obsidian-colored eyes gazing in silence at the people around her. They were such foolish people. What did victory mean, at least in this world? Hearing footsteps approach her a young man rose a wine-glass in front of her, chuckling as she swiped it away in annoyance he spoke.
“Why such a cold face general? Your men are delighted at the victory. We are one step closer to destroying the Wardens once and for all. Isn’t that what you started this conflict with?”
Shaking her head lightly the robed woman motioned toward the nearby exit and soon walked out of the room, arriving outside what appeared to be a fortress that was partly destroyed. Lifting a gloved hand she pointed toward the sky and spoke in a amused voice.
“Their destruction is just a excuse, the obliteration of the border of our world is what I desire the most. If there was such a thing as a being that plays with our fates, then who is he to decide what is reality or fake? If he doesn’t answer us I punch the fool right in his face, but sadly I can’t reach that high so I start with destroying the border of our realm and get into reality myself.”
Hearing her reply the young man burst out in a fit of laughter. It was true, if there was someone as brave or foolish to punch a deity in the face it certainly might had been her. It was odd honestly, despite all the concern about herself being a real being and not a fabric of imagination she could still call forth the sarcasm and amusement in the situation. Turning back to the young man she lowered the hood covering her head and spoke with a smirk.
“Prepare the men, tomorrow at dawn we enter the city…”
With those words said she made her way into the seclusion of the shadows, her mind dwelling into nostalgic memories. When was it that she became a renegade? It likely was when she was only a child. She had seen it way too often, people overthrown with paranoia or insanity at the existence of another world that was defined as reality. Some weren’t able to endure the fear and killed themselves but some sought to make themselves real by taking the existence of a wanderer, a real being. Her family were the type of people satisfied with the way things were, beside her sister that it… She still remembered how her sister used to wonder about the way their world worked. Up until the existence of the other world was revealed people never wondered about the existence of wanderers or what was real or not, but the existence of reality scattered the mind of her sister. Tsubaki, as she was called often tried to learn more about reality by interacting with the wanderers but they never were able to provide her with useful information and slowly her sister became restless, until she made a step that shouldn’t have been made. It was still burned within the gallery of memories that existed within her mind, the scene of her sister piercing a defenseless wanderer with a black sword-shaped object before she suddenly took its shape, like a copy and flickered out of sight, like a torchlight fading away…
As a child she didn’t understand what had happened but now she did… Her sister, like many others killed someone to enter reality. Yet slowly she came to understand the feeling. While killing was a sin the actions of the person watching over this realm had been even more sinful so to make certain that the answer the spirits had been looking for would finally be given she intended to destroy the border that marked one world a reality and the other a place of fiction. Was she a misunderstood heroine or a chaotic villain? It likely depended on who the question was asked to… The next morning she had marched along the soldiers into the city and while the sound of violence filled the air around her she made her way along paved corridors and small alleys toward the headquarters of her enemies. Even if they were her kin she wouldn’t allow them to stop her, she would make certain that her task would succeed at all costs. Lifting her hand the single motion made the few soldiers around her come to a halt as she spoke calmly.
“Remain careful, the Dream Wardens are likely to have their strongest ones up ahead, after we pierce our way into their lines we march to their base.”
Nodding all in approval to her words the soldiers prepared to march onwards when suddenly she noticed something flickering in the small archway ahead when finally her instincts reacted and she lifted the hood of her cloak, her eyes glowing a crimson hue when the man before her started to swirl into nothingness, remerging right behind her.
“It seems the rumors were right, an ordinary spirit would have not even noticed my attack.”
A childish voice resounded in the air when finally the one it belonged to revealed themselves. A young girl with short green-colored hair that reached up into a pair of cat-ears was sitting on the top of the arch covering the alley ahead of them, a metal chain resting in her tiny hands. Despite the immature features of the enemy she could sense the strength of chakra within her, something most spirits didn’t possess… Was this a ally of the Dream Wardens? Before she could even react the girl had already swooped over them, the chain whirling around the floor like a snake as it lashed out toward the nearby spirits, most of them already sliced into bits on the first pass, only some having avoided it, the robed woman obviously among them.
“So the Dream Wardens already took out the big guns…”
Sighing in annoyance the robed woman started to form a series of seals when suddenly the shadows beneath the remaining soldiers formed into large solid hands, grasping at them and tossing them toward safety when finally she took a combative stance. At the same time the young girl readied herself, her chain whirling around her with the agile motions of a serpent when finally the object lashed toward the robed woman. Forming a single seal with her hands she faded from sigh, just to reappear in the shade of a nearby wall while she thrown what appeared to be small daggers toward the girl. She in response evaded them by swiftly twisting her chain to parry the projectiles.
“How annoying… I could be sleeping right now.”
Hearing the complaining words of the child the robed woman laughed softly. It seemed that the girl was as much annoyed by this situation as she herself had been. But it certainly didn’t seem like she would allow her to just walk away and continue her attack… But the strength of this person wasn’t like that of an ordinary spirit, and her presence reminded her of a wanderer somehow. She did start to realize that destroying the border from this side might had been too much of a challenge, but what about the other side? Might that have been a reason why so many spirits tried to enter reality? Not just to become real but to destroy the border from the other side? Deciding that it was worth a try, despite the annoying chore it was the robed woman lifted her hands into the air, muttering some words while slowly the hood of her robe had fallen off, her crimson eyes having turned into small slits like those of a cat.
“I guess play-time is over then…”
The instant those words left her lips a wave of darkness surged outward, slowly covering the scenery like a dome that was being build when suddenly the two of them found themselves within a abyss of darkness. She was going to confirm it, if it was possible to destroy the border from the side of reality… Leaping forwards with all her speed she caused the shadows to wrap around her enemy like stitches when suddenly she muttered another word, causing her hand to be surrounded by a faint black hue that pierced the chest of the girl and in an instant darkness engulfed her own vision…
Chapter 2: Within the den of the enemy
A sharp headache assaulted her as she opened her eyes. Trying to sit up and regain her composure she felt her brain being assaulted by another intense wave of pain when finally it faded away with the speed it suddenly surfaced. Looking around she easily discovered the fact she was no longer on the battlefield and more importantly that she didn’t even recognize the location she was in. People were actively praying within circles surrounding her and a old man was seen instructing them on various things. Where was she? How did she get her? Trying to regain her footing she thought that her body certainly had gotten smaller than before when finally it hit to her, almost like a ignored joke… It had succeeded… She had taken over the existence of the person she was fighting against. The sound of footsteps made her warily turn around as she saw a old priest walk up to her, a look of concern on his face.
“Tsukiko Ojou-sama, are you feeling alright? The priests report a abnormality within the city at the moment, did you get injured during the battle?”
A abnormality within the city area? Did the old man mean the special technique she released during the fight? More importantly why did he even know about the battle? This Tsukiko, did she know about the realm of dreams, or maybe all the people in this place did? Feeling her concern get even stronger she tried not to panic and formulate her next strategy. She had to get out of here soon, people would else soon discover that this Tsukiko had now lost her body to her.
“No I’m fine, just a bit exhausted. It took a lot of energy to avoid being endangered by the abnormality that happened. Can you show me to my chambers?”
The old man, seemingly unaware of her panicking mind nodded quietly and led her out of the spacious halls into a small corridor that housed several small rooms like those that might be found in a inn. After he excused himself the spirit opened the door and as soon as she had closed it sighed deeply. This was messy… Very messy. She had landed in the enemy camp, the worst possible thing that could happen, or second worse as she would later discover. She had to make her way out of this place soon, so far it seemed that this was a large shrine of sorts… Gazing around the room she found not much more information beside some notes that confirmed her earlier thoughts that Tsukiko indeed knew about her world, the world Tsukiko called the realm of dreams. Kimura Tsukiko was the name of the person whose existence she overtook. But even while she was scrambling clues of information she knew that she needed to leave this place before her guise was discovered. So it was a race of time to get enough information about this world before she needed to leave.
Luckily enough she slowly started to get a hang of things. It looked like Tsukiko was the noblewoman type of girl with a mischievous streak in her mannerisms. That itself wasn’t that difficult of a nature to master and the people taking care of her were easy enough to deal with. The first few weeks helped her learn a lot about the world she was in. It seemed that right now she was in a small country nearby a larger one called the Water Country. Also just like her own world this realm was a place of conflict. This place had people with familiar powers like herself called ninjas and their existence often caused conflict between shinobi villages, The villages were a lot like the spirit factions in a sense but it felt just a bit more complicated.
Also the person she possessed was part of the Kimura clan, a group of priests and priestesses who had the unusual ability to wander into the realm of dreams while remaining conscious within reality. Tsukiko was the lone daughter of the current head of the clan and was so gifted in the ability to wander inside the realm of dreams that she was believed to be a half-spirit. This might also explain why her body had changed slightly compared to when she saw her sister possess someone. Unlike her sister she wasn’t a exact copy, for her hair nearly always ended up having some parts resemble cat ears and her eyes had the same dual-colored nature a true spirit like her possessed. Now she thought about her sister she didn’t had much luck on her search. It seemed that renegade spirits regularly were hunted down in reality by the clans but the record of the hunts didn’t show any clues about her sister’s presence. Of course she also felt that her time was running out, it would only be a matter of time before they discovered what happened and send the hounds loose on her.
A quarter of a year had passed when finally she decided it was time to take her leave. She had earlier been informed a festival was taking place in a nearby town so the area would be crowded, a perfect chance for her to slip into the shadows and use her affinity for darkness to escape. Sadly the process itself had been difficult because she barely avoided the patrolling priests yet when she reached the outskirts of the temple she turned to face the building and made a playful wave with her hand.
“At least your cooks were better than your security~”
Grinning in response the young woman slipped into the cover of the night and made her way to safety. But now she had to make some plans shouldn’t she? It was obvious that the border between reality and the plane of dreams wouldn’t manifest simply anywhere.
Yet even while she was traveling Tsuyuri still had her fair share of difficulties to deal with, the most obvious one being Yami Tsuyuri. Yami Tsuyuri was not simply the manifestation of her soul, it was the darkness it embodied and as a result she was often compared to the presence of a Youkai.
It was during her travels, that a misunderstanding would soon throw her into a conflict that she had never imagined. One has to know this took place before the shinobi villages were even formed, and back then there was a peculiar situation involving a group of Kami and Youkai within the country that would later become Tsuchi no Kuni.
The people of this country had long believed in Telos, something comparable to ascension to a greater existence. However, what those poor humans didn’t knew was the fact there was a reason why Telos couldn’t be obtained in their mortal lives. Despite the rumors that Kami are said to love humanity, they actually fear their unpredictable natures and some even feel humanity has to be controlled and led, a role obviously only manageable by the Kami. It was for this reason that Kami tried to keep the humans from reaching Telos, but this caused conflict with certain Youkai who felt that the Kami were taking away the joy of the Youkai playing, or rather messing around with those poor mortals.
It was during that period of tension that Tsuyuri wandered through the region, and stumbling upon a group of lower-rank Kami arguing with a bunch of Youkai about the fate of a group of humans on the verge of reaching Telos had done something, an act whose consequences she had never imagined would be that strong.
Yami Tsuyuri had always been intrigued by exciting stuff, and when she saw the Kami and Youkai arguing she took control of her host’s body and moved over to join the bickering. She still recalled how the Kami shot her scornful looks when she declared the words ‘Total Freedom’ and the Youkai who were usually the type to enjoy a bit of chaos were rather tempted by this idea, some of them even imagining its true meaning: a world where everyone could become what they wanted, free from influence of others.
It was after she had grown bored of the bickering that Yami Tsuyuri finally left the area, just to be followed by a female Youkai who called herself ‘Oni’. Oni was a battle-loving demon who was incredibly fond of a life where the only rules she made were the ones she decided on herself, and Yami Tsuyuri’s words had inspired her to follow such a creed, to create a world of ‘total freedom’. In the end Oni was the first of nine Youkai to join her, in the end forming a group known as the Yami no Taishou whose power had grown so influential that even the Kami were forced to acknowledge them.
In fact, they started to fear the Generals of Darkness, and in the end a campaign was launched to eliminate them, all for the sake of the ‘greater’ good. The first one to fall was Oni, who provoked by the Kami’s initial siege on the weaker Youkai followers of the group had made Oni lash out on her own. It was said the battle between Oni and several powerful Kami lasted for seven days and seven nights before the Kami, realizing they could not kill such a powerful demon instead severed her spirit from her body, sealing the spirit inside an object and hiding the body from those who would try to save her.
Yami Tsuyuri, despite her nature was still a tactician at heart, so when she told the group they wouldn’t retaliate, but instead try to negotiate one of the Yami Generals was enraged, going against her orders and launching a personal vendetta against the Kami. It’s uncertain what happened to that Youkai, but it’s believed she suffered the same fate as Oni.
Of course the negotiations failed, and as one after another Youkai fell to the Kami Yami Tsuyuri’s second in command forced the woman to go into hiding, believing that there would be a time when Kami’s influence would weaken onto the world, and that then the time would be for Yami Tsuyuri to free the captured Yami Generals and finish creation the ideal world they imagined.
The end of this conflict had led Tsuyuri to decide to wander around again, taking on the mantle of a human mercenary. Of course she was rather picky with her assignments, only accepting those whose contents matched her own morals. In the end her efficient way of working, and mysterious way of vanishing right after a mission was done caused rumors of her exploits to travel all over the country, reaching the ears of a certain woman who would become a close friend, and a dramatic influence onto her future.
Kohanokata Mito was the first Tsuchikage, a position that forced her to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. It was during a trip the Daimyou of Tsuchi no Kuni had made to negotiate a peace treaty to settle the hostilities between several communities within her country that the Tsuchikage had been escorting her. Of course the Tsuchikage was a force to behold, but when a group of trained rogue-nin tried to kidnap the Daimyou their superior numbers had her nearly cornered and exhausted.
She still remembered the sight of obsidian flames spreading over the battlefield, an inferno torching the remaining group of rogues, and when the flames died a young woman walked amidst the corpses, cheerfully stating that she disliked seeing such a boring battle.
Mito was truly perplexed by the carefree approach of the woman, who smiled like a child despite the fact she had just murdered several men. A short conversation revealed that Tsuyuri was in fact hired by one of the communities who wished for peace to ensure the Daimyou arrived safely.
During their journey it became clear that Mito and Tsuyuri were destined for friendship, Mito’s brash and direct nature being well-liked by Tsuyuri. In return the woman’s cheerful and easygoing nature helped lift Mito’s spirits. Of course as time passed Mito learned more about Tsuyuri’s unusual existence, and her quest to track down one of the ‘border of reality’ shrines that was said to be concealed within Iwagakure. It was after their mission ended, and Tsuyuri was about to disappear like she always did that Mito made a proposal she couldn’t decline. As the Tsuchikage Mito would give Tsuyuri the permission to destroy the shrine within Iwagakure, but in return she would have to become Mito’s strategist and in a certain way a guardian within the shadows. Of course that was just a pretext to keep a friend at her side, but Tsuyuri’s decision to accept did fill her with joy.
Years passed as Tsuyuri helped keep the Tsuchikage safe from within the shadows, and for a time she might had even considered forgetting her own mission, but it was at some point that Tsuyuri learned something, something dark…
During the time she spend with Mito the young spirit learned that Mito was fairly popular, but the Tsuchikage’s lack of interest in the male species caused conflict amidst the people of Tsuchi no Kuni. Of course when Mito was forced to create an offspring Tsuyuri firmly objected, believing that Mito should follow her own desires rather than submitting to those of others, yet with the rising threat of a civil war Mito was forced to follow the wishes of those who desired to see a heir to her legacy.
It all had been a trap… When on the night that Mito was going to give birth and the sound of fighting outside was happening Tsuyuri knew what their true reason was: Mito’s assassination and to use her children as a puppet leader. Of course Tsuyuri wanted to go outside and fight, but Mito knew that would only spell disaster so when she grasped her friend’s arm the words that followed made the young guardian freeze on the spot.
“It’s alright Tsu-chan… For the sake of my village, this shall be a sacrifice I need to make. But do not let them have my children…”
To be forced to abandon her friend for the sake of her offspring was something that filled Tsuyuri with grief and regret. Still when Mito gave bird to four children it was a decision that Mito would make that drastically changed the future.
“Tsu… I want you to take this girl…”
The spirit’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Mito point as one of the newborn babies.
“The three others will go to the clans that will make the future of Iwagakure… but one of them… I want one of them to be freed from the darkness of human society.”
Tsuyuri nodded her head lightly, listening carefully to Mito’s final request.
“I think… Keiko will be a suitable name for her. Please raise her… as if she was your own daughter. Heh, I guess that means I had a child with another woman, that’s a curious thing to imagine…”
Chuckling weakly Mito closed her eyes, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Now go Tsuyuri, this is my final order as the Tsuchikage… and my last request as your friend…”
Silently wrapping each of the babies in a warm blanket she created three clones, each one given the instructions that Mito had given her.
“Farewell Mito… It’s tragic that the light within humanity finds her ending in such a way…”
Yet as Tsuyuri was about to walk away with Keiko the Tsuchikage’s final words finally brought tears to roll down her cheek.
“I’m sure that light will live on within my daughter…”
And with those words Tsuyuri disappeared into the darkness of the night to deliver the final request of Kohanokata Mito
