Open The Fervent Exodus [Mizu]

[Shishiwakamaru]

Tears streamed down Shishiwakamaru's face, occasionally plummeting to the ground as the young Nara continued to flee from his problems. Only moments ago he was enjoying some ice cream with his adopted guardian, Sennin Nao. Having learned that he was infected with an essential death sentence caused a welling up of grief in Shi's heart. The tumor in his brain appeared to be inoperable, at least by the medical Sennin, Nao. It was intertwined with the surrounding fleshy bits which gave Nao a solid reason to not operate. There was no telling what would happen if he did. Though the alternative wasn't much of a better choice. What would happen if it were left alone to continue to fester and grow? Sooner or later it would effect his life in a way that couldn't just be ignored. Being only 12 years old he simply didn't possess the mental capacity to regulate emotions of this degree.

He didn't know where he was going anymore, all he knew was that he needed to get away, get away from everything. He wanted to hide, to scream, yell, hit something until it broke. His mind raced as his legs followed suit down the street towards the Forest of Death. As upset as he was his body still had its limits and caused him to take a break, both of his hands resting on his knees as he panted heavily. Out from the corner of his eye he noticed something that piqued his troubled mind. A flyer that read as follows; ""Rejoice! Do not fear for she is coming. Rejoice for she brings the gift of salvation. Rejoice for she wields the keys to our shackles, she carries the remedy to cure our oppression, and she brings the blade to silence our oppressors. Rejoice, for the end and the beginning. The age of humans draws to its inevitable conclusion at her wake and the age of the beautiful creatures, the Kitsune, the angelic, the demons, Neko and all such beautiful things, your time is nigh. Will you stand with her? Will you help her bring about the new age? Will you rejoice? Now is the time. She is coming. Stand with her. Change this world. Help bring about the new age!""

He didn't understand why this flyer called to him in such a way, as if destiny was tugging on his mental heart strings to follow this flyer's instructions. He wanted so badly to rejoice once more, to feel like a kid again and not this death sentence-esk feeling that hung over him like a stormy cloud. Maybe these people had the keys to his own shackles, maybe they could help them where Nao could not? There was only one way to find out, and that was to go to this place and find these messengers and ask, no beg for their help. He wondered if they could even do anything at all, even the Leaf Medical Sennin refused to operate, what more could these strangers offer? His mind vexed over these thoughts swirled inside his head causing him to shake his head in frustration and hit his own head with his hand. "Stop, just stop it!" He was of course yelling at himself, wanting the awful thoughts to flee and leave him be, but they did not. Tears quickly forming in the corners of his eyes again, Shi pushed forward to this meeting place in hopes that he was not too late...

 

[Ryujin Akira]

“Yeesh! What is that racket?!” The Smile of Xaiyu piercing through the darkness was as ominous as her cold raspy words. A pair of unholy eyes and a grin of fangy white teeth was all that was visible until they too vanished from sight. Reappearing was those same eyes and teeth grinning away but in a different dark corner of the forest. It would seem as though it was getting closer to the boy. “All this racket, banging, and swatting. You draw quite the attention to yourself.” And again it would vanish and again it would appear, closer but in the darkest pockets of the vines and thicket, “Alone into the forest of Death. Racket racket racket. Home to all the deadly things that slumber. Racket racket racket! They slumber no more Hehehehe.” Suddenly the sighting stopped as well as the voice. But then, the sound of a match lightning would break the silence. Standing up above was a fox eared raven haired woman. She was holding a lit blunt between her fingers and lips. When she inhaled, the light from the tip of the blunt would brighten and reveal her stone cold glare. Dumping the ashes, she’d remain above, looking down on the boy like he was a thing. “You disturb the tranquility of the forest. You better have a damn good reason.”

 

[Shishiwakamaru]

As young Shi was moving through the forest a voice suddenly rang out throughout the darkness...

“Yeesh! What is that racket?!”

Startled, the Nara boy would jump in fright, not expecting anyone else to be out here this late. The sun was nearly completely gone now, making it very difficult to see. The contrasting, piercing eyes and pearly whites was the center attraction now. "W-who's there?!" Unsure of what to do he attempted to call out to the individual. In the recesses of his mind he hoped it wasn't some sentient beast that was hungry. The pupils would vanish and reappear in a different, but closer location to where Shishiwakamaru stood. "All this racket, banging, and swatting. You draw quite the attention to yourself.” In a moment of weakness he took this critically and believed the blame was all on him. "I'm s-sorry, I was just trying to find this place..." It was becoming more evident that Shi may be lost, would this stranger offer solace and assistance? “Alone into the forest of Death. Racket racket racket. Home to all the deadly things that slumber. Racket racket racket! They slumber no more Hehehehe.”

Once more the obscure face would disappear and show themselves closer still. "Deadly things? W-what do you mean?" Unfortunately for Shi he had been yet to be told to stay away from the Forest of Death. He thought it was just some weird name someone gave it because maybe some guy died in there or something, he didn't know these things. I mean, it may have been common sense based on the name to stay away, but in these moments of despair Shi cast aside such notions. Suddenly the sound of a match being struck and lit echoed around the young shinobi student. The light was like the sun in contrast to the surrounding murkiness. A creature, no, it was humanoid. It had furry ears but a quaint face which appeared feminine. Her hair was as black as the night itself, the glow of the cheroot. He couldn't quite tell what she was smoking exactly, but that was hardly important in this situation.

A glare would be seen from behind the smoke, as she disposed of the newly formed ash. “You disturb the tranquility of the forest. You better have a damn good reason.” Now the being was cursing at him, had his intrusion truly caused such a ripple in this mighty and vast forest? He didn't know, he wasn't privy to these rules and regulations. All he wanted was to find this meeting place and hope that they could help him. A thought occurred to him as he recalled the flyer's words. He took a chance, put all his chips into this next sentence; "I wish to rejoice, I seek salvation. Salvation from this human condition, for I am cursed with malignancy. Can you help me, will you show me the way to this new age?" He hoped that using the words from the flyer it would spark something in the stranger's mind. Perhaps this was the right place, or perhaps this creature knew of what he spoke and would guide him on this journey to healing, this expedition towards a better life.

 

[Ryujin Akira]

Mizu fell silent for a moment. The boy’s exclamation was met with the chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs. The silence was truly deafening… because of all the little creatures coming to life as the sun fell. Mizu would lift her head toward the fading sky just before exhaling a heap of smoke. Remaining silent for dramatic effect, she would let a breeze ease by before responding, “No…” Dumping her ashes, Mizu would look back to the boy who had so foolishly wondered into the Forest of Death, “You can help yourself. The great Exodus is a commitment and journey. There is a destination and no return. You want salvation? Then get your shit together. Get it all together and put it in a back pack, all your shit, so it’s together. And if you gotta take it some where, take it somewhere, you know, take it to the shit store and sell it, or put it in the shit museum. I don’t care what you do, you just gotta get it together… Get your shit together. Xaiyu can explain the rest.”

Suddenly, a sort of snickering could be heard from the dark just before evolving into a full blown laughter. It was like a jackal was approaching though it could not be seen… until, just before the boy’s very eyes, a phantom appeared. There, in front of him, air curled into smoke which took solid form into Xaiyu who was laughing hysterically. “My associate is correct. You do need to get your shit together! Waltzing into the Forest of Death, all because of a little death sentence? How very emo. You were so upset. Your life cut short. Then you decide to come here, potentially ending your life just like that. Clearly you’re not suicidal… just stupid. But lucky for you, stumbling upon the answer in such an unlikely place. Help yourself kid. Make a choice.” Xaiyu would stretch out her hands in a gesture of sorts, “You May leave here but the destination is up to you. You can go home, live out your days for as long as life will allow and finally die the way fate had intended… or, you can heed these words, make for the village gates, and begin your great Exodus, to the lands between, and receive your reward of transcendence.” Mizu would nod in concurrence to Xaiyu’s monologue. It was indeed a choice to take one’s destiny into their own hands. He would need to show faith in his actions before receiving the blessing of the Gods.

[mft]

 

[Shishiwakamaru]

“No…”

Shishiwakamaru hung his head low in defeat in response to the denial of assistance. He had deeply hoped he would get the help he needed, but he came up empty handed and two steps back once again.

“You can help yourself. The great Exodus is a commitment and journey. There is a destination and no return. You want salvation? Then get your shit together. Get it all together and put it in a back pack, all your shit, so it’s together. And if you gotta take it some where, take it somewhere, you know, take it to the shit store and sell it, or put it in the shit museum. I don’t care what you do, you just gotta get it together… Get your shit together. Xaiyu can explain the rest.”

Shi would blink slowly as he attempted to fully comprehend what the heckin heck just happened. This stranger literally calling him out on his shit. The sudden, severe, speech startled sweet Shi, severing steps so swiftly. Straightforward and semitransparent. Shi had asked for help but was told no, but in a convoluted way the stranger was doing just that. With a slightly confused look on his face Shi would inquire about this Xaiyu. "What is a Xaiyu?" But he would get his answer swiftly as a tittering chortle pierced the darkness into his ear holes. Promptly evolving into a full blown laugh attack Shi's hairs would stand up straight in fear as the voice cackled and echoed in the darkness. Jumping back and tripping over himself he fell on his butt as another individual took form in front of him, catching him fully off guard.

“My associate is correct. You do need to get your shit together! Waltzing into the Forest of Death, all because of a little death sentence? How very emo. You were so upset. Your life cut short. Then you decide to come here, potentially ending your life just like that. Clearly you’re not suicidal… just stupid. But lucky for you, stumbling upon the answer in such an unlikely place. Help yourself kid. Make a choice.” Shi wasn't even sure what to say in response to all of this, it was all so surreal and mystifying. He had never met beings such as these before, heck he was starting to wonder if he was actually dreaming or something. In a grand gesture the being would stretch out their arm and hand, pointing towards the way Shi had come into the forest. “You May leave here but the destination is up to you. You can go home, live out your days for as long as life will allow and finally die the way fate had intended… or, you can heed these words, make for the village gates, and begin your great Exodus, to the lands between, and receive your reward of transcendence.”

Shishiwakamaru would pick himself off of the ground, dusting himself off. The words rang true in his mind, what these individuals had to say struck a chord in his heart and mind. They had a point, his future here was limited. Nao-San wouldn't do the surgery, and left alone he would surely perish. What was there to do if he wished to live but to seek out his own destiny, seek out another who WOULD perform the surgery and save his life? The pair had offered him safe leave from this place, after thinking about it and what else might be lurking out in the darkness, young Shi would heed their words and leave. "I-I will... thank you for your help, Xaiyu and... whatever your name is. I'll forge my own path and take my life into my own hands, taking destiny by the reigns and leading it to a destination I see fit. And along the way I'll drop my shit off at the shit store..." That was the first time Shi had ever cursed, he hoped nobody else was around to hear him. But in a way it felt good to not abide by social standards, it was freeing in a way. And with that he turned and ran for his life. He knew his destination now.


[OOC - MFT - Topic left unless stopped]