The following list is a brief synopsis of Hitomi's 27 day journey along with some observations on how it relates to the story line:
Deep in the heart of the Dragon mountains, the lady stirs. Her black hand glistens as she lifts her head to hear the song of the heavens. The time has come, the moon is dead, and all of Rokugan is covered by a blackness forged not by sun or moon but by man.
"Farewell, my children," she bids them, bowing reverently to the line of tattooed men and women that stand at her side. "You have served me well, and I will carry your honor to the heavens. Always remember that you are my favored people, and that my blood will forever be in your veins."
Beside her, two men step forward to follow. "No, honored ones," she whispers with a voice as sheer as glass. "On this final journey, I must walk alone . . . ."
Summary: Hitomi begins her journey at the Dragon Clan mountain stronghold of Kyuden Togashi. She had recently defeated the moon (Onnotangu) and the night sky is moonless. Tattooed men and women line up to pay their respects to their departing champion. In her upcoming ascent to the heavens, she must do so alone.
Commentary: A story has to start somewhere so it makes sense for her to start at home. She's saying her final farewell as a mortal to her people and thanking them for their sacrifice. As a result of her tattoos, there will be a direct link between the current generation of Ise Zumi (mortal) and the moon (immortal). There is potential for this and future generations of Ise Zumi to trace their lineage directly to the Heavens (Hitomi), thus opening up the possibility for a Emperor from the Dragon Clan to claim divine origins.
How does this work? The Obsidian Hand came from Lord Moon/Onnotangu so the wearer is of the same generation as the Gods/Heavens. When Hitomi ascends to the heavens she becomes immortal and would be at the same status as Lord Moon was. Any tattooed people would be first generation - her "children", making the recipient the rough equivalent to the kami. Subsequent generations would have less "divine blood" but only a trace amount is needed to claim kinship and descent from the Heavens. The "favored people" statement may be referring to two items.
One is that the Ise Zumi are related to her by blood and thus have a greater claim to the emperor's throne. Two is that this may be a left handed remark that the Dragon Clan has gotten more breaks in both storyline and cards than other clans. The last point is debatable without end - "get ready to rumble" keep your arguments above the belt and be polite. ;)
The child's tiny hand, chubby and warm, reaches out to clutch a finger of black glass. Cooing softly, the child neither shirks from nor cries at the cold touch of obsidian. The mother smiles, her silent lips curling softly. The Mirumoto watch, unsure if Hitomi's journey would be to summon one of them forth . . . to call for death at her hands, as so many had died before.
For her quest, the Dragon had already sacrificed so much.
Did they dare to give more?
Hitomi smiles, the soft light of her golden eye illuminating the chamber of the Dragon Throne. "Be well, small one, for you bear a name that is larger than the world." Drawing her hand back, she is surprised by the child's tenacity and strength.
The infant kicks faintly, refusing to let go.
"Not simply Togashi, but Satsu as well," she smiles. The echoed rumble resounds through Hitomi's words, filled with the force of destiny. "If I have given the Dragon something, then let them remember me in this new life . . . this new beginning."
In an empty sky, the stars shine between the darkness of fate. Her first steps taken, Hitomi does not look back.
Summary: Her next stop is at Shiro Mirumoto where she visits with a mother and her child. The Mirumoto still are wary of Hitomi, for they have sacrificed much in support of her. A mention is made of the child's name which "... is larger than the world." She states that she hopes that her clan will remember her for the new beginning that she has given them, a chance to live life without the eternal oppression of the Shadows. This is the last time that she will be in Dragon lands.
Commentary: The baby represents new life and renewal for the Dragon Clan. She is giving her blessing to the baby "..for you bear a name that is larger than the world.". It's currently not clear why the name is larger than the world. The quote "Not simply Togashi but Satsu as well..." may represent Hitomi's wish for both the Togashi and the Mirumoto clans to prosper. The Agasha of course are not mentioned because they did not have the faith to stay with Hitomi.
Releasing the golden bridle, she watches as the colt leaps and kicks, free to the air and the wind. "Find them," Hitomi whispers. "Bring them home."
The cold frost littering the ground burns away at the touch of the Ki-Rin's tiny hooves. Behind her, Hitomi hears a soft sound. A man kneels at the edge of the clearing, his skin chilled from the touch of the long night's passing."I beg a question, honored traveler," he says.
"Speak."
"How can a samurai regain what has been lost?" The enigma stands between them, and Hitomi looks back at the ronin's covered eye. His horse stands in the nearby woodlands, weary from long journeys and wasted days of revenge.
"By claiming the death that is his right," she says. "Either his own, or that of the one who has wronged him." The ancient words of bushido come easily to mind as the golden colt leaps toward the high heavens. Yakamo . . .
Dairya looks up, images of the Crane who took his eye passing quickly through his mind. He nods. "My quest has been for this. His words exiled the Scorpion; his blade took my eye."
Hitomi turns away and leaves his thoughts behind. For ten years, hers had been the path of revenge. Now she lives for her clan, and for the Empire.
Let another walk those dark shores.
Summary: The baby Ki-Rin is released by Hitomi to "...bring them home." Dairya asks asks her how to " ... regain what has been lost?" She answers by saying "By claiming the death that is his right ... Either his own, or that of the one who has wronged him." Toshimoko exiled the Scorpion Clan instead of having them put to death. He also blinded Dairya in a duel long ago. Now Dairya seeks revenge for what he feels are past injustices. Hitomi sees that Dairya is much like she was during the last 10 years - walking the dark path of revenge.
Commentary: Hitomi has sent the baby Ki-Rin to find the dragons that have left Rokugan since the end of the Clan Wars / Time of the Void. Dairya is seeking revenge on Toshimoko for his lost eye. He doesn't yet understand that Toshimoko spared the Scorpion clan from the unjust accusation that they kidnapped Emperor Toturi. Instead of putting the Scorpion clan to death he exiled them, giving them at least the chance of clearing their name.
The name of the samurai that took Dairya's eye is now known but the circumstances are still clouded in mystery. Why take revenge now? There has certainly been enough opportunity in the past. Perhaps Bayushi Kachiko has something to do with Dairya's current actions?
4. Shiro Aojiroi (Pale Oak Castle)
Battered, the Phoenix gather in their palaces, far behind the lines of the Mantis. Shiba Tsukune stands on her balcony, looking down at the shugenja who carve glowing paths through air and water, claiming fragile victories over the legions of the Alliance.
"Here." A voice whispers behind her. "Here, in your lands, the battle will end and begin."
Tsukune spins, hand on her sword, but the words that escape her lips are not her own. "You come, at last, to complete your duty." Shiba's strength wells within her, and the Champion of the Phoenix once again feels dwarfed by the power of her soul.
The woman stands in the shadows, her obsidian hand sparkling with the light of a thousand stars. A golden eye gleams.
Tsukune speaks again, feeling Shiba's words. "Do you have the strength?"
"Behold the Kami, who must wonder at the power of mortal man." Hitomi's voice echoes faintly.
"The Age of Man ends in war and in death." Tsukune remembers Norikazu's parting words.
"A final death, but not mine," Hitomi says. "Mine will lift the heavens once more, and bring light where shadow falls. But I cannot take those steps alone. Let me see your eyes, and you will understand."
Tsukune moves forward in shadow and soon is lost in a golden stare.
4. Shiro Aojiroi (Pale Oak Castle)
Summary: The next stop is at Shiro Aojiroi (Pale Oak Castle). Shiba Tsukune is told by Hitomi that "Here, in your lands, the battle will end and begin." Norikazu's final prophecy was that "The Age of Man ends in war and in death." Hitomi asks for help in fighting the shadows and explains the situation to Tsukune.
Commentary: Throughout the conversation we are left wondering who is talking - the Kami Shiba and Togashi or the mortals Hitomi and Tsukune. Part of Hitomi's plan for defeating the shadow involves becoming the new moon and bringing light to areas where shadows rule. The reference to "A final death, but not mine... " is unclear at this time.
Deep in the mountains above Otosan Uchi, she pauses and watches the red glow of a sunless sky fade into night. The cliffs around her turn red with blood, deepening into crimson as the darkness takes them.
"Amaterasu, where are you?" Hitomi asks, knowing the answer.
The mother has fled. Jigai, the traditional seppuku of the noble samurai lady, has taken her. Each star is a blade in the tanto that has been plunged into the throat of Amaterasu, torn open by her husband's treachery.
Did the Sun Goddess rest in Jigoku with her husband, or is there another land where immortal spirits go? Closing her eyes, Hitomi thinks of the dark land where the Shadow spins its lies. Everywhere, its power chokes the honor of the Jade Empire, drowning the Emperor and his court in blood and darkness.
Fire and Shadow. She cannot go there. Even the light of a new moon cannot penetrate the fire of dawning.
There will have to be another.
Summary: Above the mountains of Otosan Uchi, Hitomi wonders about the departure of Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Do immortals go to Jigoku or to another place upon their death? The sun is gone due to seppuku (Jigai - performed by samurai ladies of noble birth after the death of their husband). Even immortals have limits, as Hitomi will not be able to "... penetrate the fire of dawning." Allies are needed to fight in the place of "Fire and Shadow."
Commentary: Hitomi thinks of the allies that she would need to fight the shadows in Jigoku. Do these allies need to be living or can she call upon the honorably dead? As Lord Moon found out, even a god has limits to what can accomplish without help from mortals.
6. Shiro Yogasha (Palace of the Emerald Champion)
Twelve men ride to the edge of their land, waiting with lifted banners for the traveler they know will arrive. Her journey, sped by destiny, carries her through the Empire even as word of her passing spreads through the land.
At their head, Seppun Toshiken, servant of Toturi and the Emerald Champion of Rokugan, rides a black steed. He waits until she has come within a few paces of his mount, and then bows slowly from the saddle. His men await her command, wondering if they will be called to follow her footsteps, but she is silent and her eyes are quiet.
She returns his bow from the road.
The men wait until she has stepped through them, and then form an honor guard behind.
Their proud black banners wave, their mon displaying Toturi's colors. For a day they march through the lands of the Seppun, the heimin and samurai coming out of their houses to watch the lady pass. Through the land, their voices are silent, heads bowed in respect for her deeds.
As they reach the far border of the Emerald Champion's lands, Toshiken can be silent no more. "They say you know the future, as your Kami did before you. Tell me, how will I die, lady of the Dragon?" he says, haunted by the things he has seen in the eyes of his Emperor.
"With honor, Toshiken-sama." she replies. "Always by the side of honor."
He nods, and faint relief spreads across his stoic features. Then she speaks again.
"But first, Champion of the Emperor, you will have to atone for your sins with the blood of your family."
"I will follow my duty," he says.
"Then remember: a son's duty is not the same as one's duty to one's lord. One is a matter of honor, and the other, a matter of the soul. You must understand the cost of another person's honor." Her golden eye glows, and the serpents on her skin move faintly in the bloody light of the sunless sky. "Perhaps it will be enough to save your own."
6. Shiro Yogasha (Palace of the Emerald Champion)
Summary: Seppun Toshiken, knowing that she has the ability to see into the future, asks Hitomi how he will die. She states that he will die "With honor, Toshiken-sama." she replies. "Always by the side of honor." But first he must atone for his sins by shedding his family's blood (Kakita Toshimoko?). She also tells him "... a son's duty is not the same as one's duty to one's lord. One is a matter of honor, and the other, a matter of the soul. You must understand the cost of another person's honor."
Commentary: Toshiken has gained notoriety for killing the Imperial Court on orders from Emperor Toturi. Because of his deeds, he is concerned about how this will affect his honor. A contrast is made between Kakita Toshimoko and Seppun Toshiken. Both were asked to kill innocent people on orders from their superiors.
Kakita Toshimoko disobeyed his orders to kill the Scorpion, thereby shaming himself but preserving the lives of innocents. He tried to atone for his disobedience by resigning his post, faking his death by seppuku. In essence, he traded his honor for the lives of others.
Seppun Toshiken obeyed his orders to slaughter the Imperial Court. It was the "honorable" thing to do (obeying his lord, right or wrong) but it's now weighing heavily on his soul because he knows that innocents died because of his actions. He kept his honor but the cost was people's lives.
7. Otosan Uchi
The Emperor's city spreads before her, Unicorn banners waving from the guard posts of the broken towers. It is enough to see it once more. Hitomi does not look to the side as she steps through the suddenly silent streets. The bustling peasants scurry to fall at her feet.
Here, Shinsei has called them.
Her feet tread upon the dust of the ground, over the bustling river's wide banks, and through the great gates of the inner city. The armies of the Emperor, those who had turned to the side of the Empire before the Shadow could take their name, look at her as she passes. Their eyes are empty. Courage has not been enough to save their companions, their brothers-at-arms, their Lord. Perhaps one of them will be worthy to lift his or her eyes to the heavens . . . and understand. The city spreads wide around them, enfolding them in ancient arms.
Here, Togashi Yokuni has led them.
The empty throne of Jade rests upon its tall dais, covered with a sheet of gold and green. Her black hand shivers as she lifts the flag and draws it from the throne, letting the jade shine in the faint light of the morning. Even mighty Shinjo stands to one side, watching as the woman stands half in one world and half in another.
And here, he has died.
Hantai.
Fu Leng.
. . . Toturi. Where has the Shadow taken you?
"The soul of the Empire rests in one man's heart." Hitomi turns in sorrow, and is gone.
7. Otosan Uchi
Summary: Hitomi visits the throne at Otosan Uchi and thinks about the deaths of both Hantai and Fu Leng. She wonders about Toturi and where his true allegiance lies: with the Shadows (Ninja) or with Hantai. She feels sorrow that 2 kami (Hantai and Fu Leng) along with a mortal (Toturi) have met misfortune while sitting on the Jade throne.
Commentary: Is the sorrow Hitomi's or is it Togashi's?
8. Kyuden Doji
With stone faces, Kuwanan's men stand guard over the seaside castle, their pikes lifted in iron hands. She does not see them. Hitomi sees only the pot of tea, and two cups, that rest in the road where their Champion kneels. He moves his pale hand, seemingly awkward without a sword or armor, and gently pours the cups full.
Behind these stone walls lives pain, but it is a pain that abates with each season, turning once more into the unity of respect and alliance.
A brother's hand. A cousin's blade.
Now their war is done.
Hitomi smiles, returning Kuwanan's bow as he offers her a pale cup of tea. He has learned the lessons of harsh war. His clan is safe . . . and their strength will be needed if the Shadow is to be destroyed. While others battle for victory, the Crane no longer see their role in the Empire as a death of vanity, or of pride.
It has become the rebirth of honor.
The tea is bittersweet and warm on her tongue.
If one of the Crane is chosen to serve beside her, it will be to bring peace in the heavens. That much she understands, but their strength has yet to be tested. Kuwanan smiles, and both bow once more as she rises to go. Hitomi bows, unwilling to break the silence of the simple tea ceremony. No words are needed.
8. Kyuden Doji
Summary: Kuwanan take tea with Hitomi, the Crane civil war having recently ended.
Commentary: Kuwanan understands the lessens of war and it's price. Both Hitomi and Kuwanan have been through war so no words are needed. Recent acts by prominent samurai have been without honor, hence the low personal honor of many of the recent main characters. Now an important Crane tries to revive honor, but more than words are needed.
"Hail, Lady of the Dragon!" The sailors cheer from their wide-masted kobune as the sea spray mists her face with salt tears. "Ho, Hitomi-sama!" On the pier, a troop of Mantis guards stands, forming an aisle of steel and green-lacquered plate. The banner of the Mantis snaps above high-towered cliffs where the ocean tears at stone as it has for countless years.
She is so small, Yoritomo thinks, watching the woman step from the deck of the small traveling ship. So small . . . and yet something towers within her soul, the like of which no samurai has ever seen before. If it could be turned to war . . .
"Hitomi-sama," he says, bowing curtly. "What is your business here? We have no time for pleasantries. My men sail to reinforce the northern territories of the Mantis." With a waved hand, he points along the Phoenix coast. "And there is little time to make alliances."
"The allies you need are not the ones I bring you, Yoritomo-san," the lady of the Dragon says, her obsidian hand focused into a fist. "But there is something you must know, before I leave this land. Walk alone with me."
"And I should trust you?"
"You trust yourself. Is there any other in the land who can say as much?"
He laughs, and the sound is rich and full. For an hour, the two walk along the beach of the Mantis isles. No one knows what words are said, but when she leaves those lands, Yoritomo dismisses his samurai and stands alone on the beach for a night.
Just the Lord of the Mantis and the thunder of a coming storm.
No man's pawn.
Summary: Yoritomo is visited by Hitomi. She wants to tells him facts that are important to the Mantis. He initially is suspicious, but she allays his concerns by reminding him "You trust yourself. Is there any other in the land who can say as much?" After a 2 hour stroll on the beach, she departs. Yoritomo then spends the night by himself, contemplating her words.
Commentary: The most probably topic of the conversation is that Hitomi told him of the upcoming war with the Ninja and his role for the empire. She may also have told him of the identities of the Kolat in his clan, figuring that he'll take care of them because he is "No man's pawn."
10. Kyuden Ashinagabachi (Wasp)
A forest of trees parts for the twisting road, and the black-garbed scouts rush ahead to bring word to their lord of her passing. All of Rokugan knows now that she has come, and her footsteps echo with rumor and with honor.
To be visited by her is a sign of destiny.
Tsuruchi, eyes narrowed, raises his bow, and the crystal arrow flies as if spurred by thought. Where it strikes, the tree shivers, and leaves fall from the topmost bough. "I have seen what you fight, Hitomi-san," he says curtly, lip curling in distaste as he indicates a new scar on his wide shoulder.
"You do not need to convince me that the threat of the Shadow must be defeated. Or that the Emperor must die."
"Morikage showed me how to fight them," he continues, placing another arrow in his string. "Hate taught me how to kill them."
"What has fear taught you?" Hitomi touches a shaft of crystal with fingers of black glass.
The second arrow speeds to its resting place, shattering on the shaft of the first. Tsuruchi lowers his bow slowly, staring into the heavens with an angry smile. "Fear breaks swords, Hitomi-sama. I am an archer." Tsuruchi slings his quiver over his shoulder and turns away. "I have no sword to break."
"We shall see," is all she reply she gives.
10. Kyuden Ashinagabachi (Wasp)
Summary: The next stop on the Hitomi farewell tour is Kyuden Ashinagabachi, the Wasp stronghold. Tsuruchi, daimyo of the Wasp Clan, tells Hitomi that he knows that the Shadow must be defeated. Surprisingly, he also is convinced that the Toturi must die. "Morikage showed me how to fight them ... Hate taught me how to kill them." He goes on to say that "Fear breaks swords, Hitomi-sama. I am an archer ... I have no sword to break."
Commentary: Tsuruchi is still alive after his injury during the rescue of Emperor Toturi at Morikage. He is renowned as one of the best archers in the empire. During his time at Morikage, he learned that the shadows can be harmed by crystal and that they fear the light.
11. Kitsune Mori (Forests of the Fox)
Kitsune flit from tree to bush, hiding behind the lowered branches and sniffing at the spiced air. Someone has come to the forest, and her passage has stirred them.
Ryosei and her men greet the visitor with hot sake, the finest tea that the forest can create. They kneel with her in the front gardens of Kyuden Kitsune, awaiting her words. Hitomi pauses, unsure in this place of Kami and of human, seeking the path between both.
"The Age of Man is ending," Ryosei begins.
Hitomi shakes her head. "I do not know that it ever existed."
After a pause, the Fox murmurs, "What else do you know, Hitomi-sama, that will show us where the Empire ends?"
"The darkness gathers in the south. Crystal injures it. Light destroys it. These I found beneath the palace. But something more"
Her companion nods. "We must go to the south to defeat it."
"No." Hitomi sets down her cup with conviction. "Your place is not at Volturnum, Fox daimyo." Ryosei lowers her eyes, narrowing them in surprise and concern, but Hitomi continues. "Your task is to defeat the Shadow where it has stepped within the light. You will know your place when the Sun first rises above the horizon. You will strike then, or not at all."
Around them, the silver spirits of the kitsune howl in tribute, their cries seeking a moon that does not rise above the trees.
11. Kitsune Mori (Forests of the Fox)
Summary: Ryosei greets Hitomi at Kitsune Mori (forests of the Fox). The Age of Man is ending. Hitomi tells them that "The darkness gathers in the south. Crystal injures it. Light destroys it...." She assigns them the task of defeating "... the Shadow where it has stepped within the light... You will strike then, or not at all."
Commentary: Notice how Togashi-like Hitomi is becoming? She's starting to tell people of their destiny and their role in the upcoming battle. Togashi told Bayushi Kachiko her destiny just prior to the Day of Thunder. Is Ryosei the next Kachiko?
12. Golden Sun Plain
The Plains of the Sun shine brightly beneath the blood-red sky, catching the scarlet light on hanging heads of golden grain. It is a peaceful place, a land of learning and scholarly pursuits,but it was once a battle ground.
Now, the Asahina have restored their delicate peace, living in their libraries and uncovering the secrets of the stars. To them, she is more than an enigma. She is a source of unknown knowledge and a bastion of belief.
Tampako bows, his robes covering the slow stiffness in aged joints.
"Hitomi-sama," he whispers, hands clasped. "You are most welcome here."
She returns his formality, glancing beyond him in an unguarded moment to see the young woman at his side. Her name is Tsukiyoka, and although she carries no sword, the fires in her eyes burn like a winter's sun. Where Tampako is delicate, she is firm. His gentle hands are mimicked by her movements, but her motions are more assured, less hesitant. Something has changed in the halls of the Asahina a change not wrought by Shadow or by the battle Hitomi prepares to fight.
Exchanging mild pleasantries with the daimyo, Hitomi walks through the library's arched doorways and listens to his tales of the carvings on the ancient walls. The other students, afraid of their visitor, turn their heads to the ground and look away. Their fear is apparent as they move restlessly in their pale blue robes. Yet they stand once more, and their eyes know strength as well as concern.
Behind all their peace and scholarship, the Asahina have learned the ways of war. They would never be the same. Hitomi glances again at the students, understanding their nature at last.
They would be the source of change.
12. Golden Sun Plain
Summary: Hitomi visits the Plains of the Sun and meets with Tampako and his students. The Crane civil war has ended and the Asahina have returned to learning and study.
Commentary: Since the Asahina took part in the Crane Civil War, their very nature has changed. Their innocence lost, "[t]hey would be the source of change."
13. Mizu-Umi no Sakura Yuki (Lake of Cherry Blossom Snow)
High above the Shinomen Forest, waterfalls cascade down to an icy lake. Their hiss hides her footsteps, their mist conceals her passage--until she steps forth at the edge of the wide tree line. An arrow sings and buries its head into the stone at her feet. Its message is clear.
She is not welcome in the Shinomen.
Another hiss, this time not of water or steam but of serpent's tongue. "Turn back, Betrayer." The deep voice resonates without source from the high limbs of pine and cedar. "Or the warriors of the Pale will find their revenge on you, despite the call of our Dashmar." There is hatred in this voice, and it rings with desire for the kill.
She does not know if this is the Balash but she hears his echo in the voice's whisper, carried on the Akasha's wind. "The Pale Onnotangu must die so that the new can rise," she says staunchly, her obsidian face impassive.
"What do you know of Pale and Bright? What do you know of the People's Mind?" Disgusted, the hiss turns darker. "Nothing." Three movements and three dark forms, their scales as black as ink, slide forth from the forest. Though their strangely curved swords hang in their sheaths, Hitomi knows their deadly strength is contained only by an unknown command.
"If you go," the Balash says, "We will not follow."
"If you do not," Hitomi murmurs, "then your revered Qatol will die once more. Think on that when you call me Betrayer?."
13. Mizu-Umi no Sakura Yuki (Lake of Cherry Blossom Snow)
Summary: Hitomi visits the Naga at Mizu-Umi Sakura Yuki (Lake of Cherry Blossom Snow) to argue that they must follow her in battle. They call her the Betrayer and are only held back from battling her by order of the Dashmar. She says to Balash that the Qatol will die once again if they stay neutral.
Commentary: The Naga were recently at war with the Dragon because they had concerns that Hitomi would release a great evil upon the world. Hitomi did release the Shadow that was captured and imprisoned under Kyuden Togashi, but it was said to have been unintentional due to excess pride on Hitomi's part.
14. Shiro Kuni
The Crab. Their high mountains hide the way to the far south, the darkness of the Shadowlands--and something more.
She has not approached Kyuden Hida. Even on the edge of immortality, Hitomi knows better than to tempt destiny's blade. Standing on the cliff's edge above the stone walls of Shiro Kuni, fortress of enchanters and of war, Hitomi catches a glimpse of a life that was denied her.
Still, the figure that walks along the arched stone bridges before the palace comes, not caring about decorum or posterity.
Hitomi watches, intrigued at his approach.A staff of jade shines in his fist as he steps upon the cliffs, his wide black hakama fluttering in the stiff breeze. "So," he begins, with no thought of politics, "You come to us."
"I walk where fate leads me. The path is not one of my choosing."
"How lucky for you." Kuni Utagu's voice holds sarcasm but not hatred. It is more than she expected. He continues. "Leave our lands. Your question here has already been answered. If it is our duty to aid you, then one of the Hiruma will come."
Hitomi nods and opens her mouth to speak once more, but the Crab lifts a fist to point at the empty sky.
"Know this, Hitomi-sama. When you rise from earth to heaven, the Crab will be watching you. Do not think that our arrows cannot reach you in the sky. If we must, we will build a wall so high and so thick that even you cannot harm the Empire, and we will shoot at you from atop it until you fall screaming to the ground. Now, go." Gruff, he turns away, having no further words to give her.
For a moment, Hitomi smiles. "I believe you would, Crab. I believe you would."
14. Shiro Kuni
Summary: Hitomi visits Shiro Kuni and talks to Kuni Utagu. He states that " ... If it is our duty to aid you, then one of the Hiruma will come." Afterwards he tells her to leave Crab lands and emphasizes that they will protect the Empire from her if she intends harm. He goes on to say " ... If we must, we will build a wall so high and so thick that even you cannot harm the Empire, and we will shoot at you from atop it until you fall screaming to the ground."
Commentary: Hitomi and Hida Yakamo were bitter enemies, both causing the other to lose a hand. His was replaced with a daemon claw by Kuni Yori and later with the Jade hand. Her hand was either smashed with a tetsubo or severed, but Bayushi Kachiko gave her the Obsidian hand to replace it. Duty is very important to the Crab, and they usually will do their duty no matter what their own personal beliefs.
In the dark and dread of the Twilight Mountains, spirits lift alien voices to worship a blood-covered sky. Writhing armies march to the south, their undead claws churning blackened mud to char and ash. But one horseman races through the rough mountain terrain, his onikage steed baring its fangs at each turn, hoping to find flesh to rend and tear. The rider does not care nor aim to stop his mount's bloodthirsty hunger. His glowing eyes hang in a fleshless skull, and tendons hang from fingers of bone and claw.
His name had once been Moto Tsume, and beside him had ridden his brother, Sada.
She watches impassively as he tears through the mountain passes, clearing the way for his armies to march. From atop a rise, she calls to him without voice, without sound, with eyes of gold and ice.In a way, they are still Fu Leng and Togashi; still the darkest brother and the whispering son.
"We will not aid you." Tsume's cry is fierce, angered. "You will have to prove yourself worthy before you can ask for the favors our father once claimed."Hitomi nods, knowing that there is more to his hatred than the echo of a forgotten name. He could respect only strength, understand only fear or courage, and nothing else in the world of humans could touch his putrid heart. There is only one answer she can give.
"Then get out of my way."
Summary: Hitomi asks Moto Tsume if he will join her cause. He refuses so she says "Then get out of my way."
Commentary: Moto Tsume has been reanimated with Fu Leng's skull. Hitomi talks to him as if she were Togashi. When asked to help against the Shadows, Moto Tsume (Fu Leng) refuses, stating that he does not think that Hitomi (Togashi) is worthy of his help. Getting her answer, Hitomi (Togashi) then tells Fu Leng (Moto Tsume) to stay neutral during the upcoming battle with their brother, the Shadow.
16. Shinsei's Shrine
The land is empty, the temple lit by only a few flickering flames. Deep in the forest, near its heart, is a glade of yellow grass and an open shrine with no monks to tend it. It is a holy site, a place of dreams.
The light of the eternal candles shines like dark stars beneath the night's canopy, and where no monk should have been, a man walks from the shrine's heart toward Hitomi.
"Will you follow me?" She asks him, simply.
He smiles, and a black crow lands on the monk's broad shoulder. "A favor for a favor. For you followed, once, when you had nothing to gain by doing so. We know our purpose upon the land, and if we can bring you peace, our path will take us to your side." Almost recognizing the monk's smile, Hitomi pauses to contemplate his words. Then the sense of familiarity is gone, and the crow flies over an empty woodland beneath a moonless night.
16. Shinsei's Shrine
Summary: Hitomi meets a monk at Shinsei's Shrine. He tells her that the monks will help her.
Commentary: Is the monk a descendent of Shinsei? The crow is a symbolic of Shinsei.
Lightning crashes through the sky, and the thunder's echo is deafening. It rolls across the clouds and chases the darkness to the south, but does not cross the border to the far southern plains. Even the mighty Osano-Wo could not stop the conflict that is about to take place.
Her footsteps are silenced by the thunder's roar, falling unheard in the shrine of the Fortune of Storms.
There is nothing to be said here, no one to convince or to whom to explain her purpose. Nothing remains except the last shreds of her mortality, and she leaves them on the altar beside the thunder's roar.
Summary: Hitomi leaves the last part of her mortality at The Shrine of Osano-Wo. There is no one to greet her there.
Commentary: Her visit is suggestive of the quaint "quiet before the storm". The battle with the Shadows is inevitable. The leaving of "... the last shreds of her mortality ... beside the thunder's roar." signifies that this will be an epic battle between giants, without human fragilities to get in the way.
18. Ryoko
Owari
"I'm sorry, Lady Hitomi-sama." The guardsman bows at the shining green gates of the Scorpion city. "But you cannot enter Ryoko Owari."
She stares at him, stoic and unafraid. "You would stand in my way?"
"No, great one." The guard bows again. "And when you have done as I ask, you may take my head to repay you for your trouble. But the walls of Ryoko Owari do not hold the one you seek. You must follow me, to the north. She is waiting there for you."
"How do you know what I seek, and what I do not wish to find?"
"Your forgiveness, my lady." The Bayushi smiles, lowering his hands to bow again. "But I am Scorpion."
The dark lady of the Dragon smiles. Perhaps he knows her path, after all.
18. Ryoko Owari
Summary: Hitomi is refused entry into Ryoko Owari by a lowly Scorpion guard. He directs her north and apologizes for the inconvenience, offering his head for her troubles.
Commentary: The Scorpion know that Hitomi will want to speak to Bayushi Kachiko and guide her north.
19. Yogo Shiro
The window is silent. Kachiko stirs, unfolding from her cushion to stare out at a blood-colored sky. Their discussion has been brief, terse. Filled with memories of a burning land and of an Empire that both know they will never see again. Memories of a time before the Shadow came.
Aramoro's dark form hovers uncertainly at the edge of her vision. Hitomi's footsteps retreat through the halls, and the sliding shhh of shoji screen announces her departure. They will never see one another again.
"A place without the moon," whispers Kachiko, lifting her hands to remove the ivory pins that bind her hair.
"My lady?" His voice is satin, soft and clear.
"If she calls for us, you must be sure that she is well attended."
"I will follow her." Unhesitating. "You have but to command it." His voice, lately, has been strained. Though it holds so much more than fidelity and loyalty, now it knows the pain of grief.
"No, Aramoro." The black locks fall in willowy strands across her shoulders, down her neck, and lightly into the hollow of her arched back. "Send another. Not yourself, and not Yojiro, for I will have need of you before the moon rises in the sky once more. Hisa, perhaps?."
He bows. "Your will, my lady." Soon, the lands of the Scorpion will be empty, and there will be nothing left for the Shadow to steal.
19. Yogo Shiro
Summary: The scene begins with Kachiko and Aramoro discussing the implications of Hitomi 's words. Kachiko asks Aramoro to send Hisa to aid Hitomi, for she has other plans for Aramoro and Yojiro.
Commentary: The Scorpion are hiding the fact that they have abandoned Ryoko Owari to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Shadows. The mystery is what Kachiko has planned for herself.
20. Spine of the World Mountains
Deep beneath the mountains at the center of the Empire, the body of a Kami lies.
The collapsed mountains have regrown over its rotting corpse, and trees stand upon the shattered rocks as if the pass had never been.
This is the death-place of Akodo.
This was once the land of his people.
Hitomi steps through parched dirt, her hands clutching the high stone of the wall, clawing her way to the top of the Spine of the World.
She looks down over the Empire, and sees what the crow would see, above the clouds. From the wide plains of the Doji to the empty lakes of the southern lands, and far distant, to the northern mountains and southern blight.
It could not be so far, now, to the Celestial Heavens. One step, and the world would fall away.
20. Spine of the World Mountains
Summary: Hitomi visits the Spine of the World Mountains, where the Kami Akodo defended his people with his life. She is alone and thinks that the Celestial Heaven seem closer when viewed from the top of the mountain.
Commentary: The mountains collapsed onto Akodo. Some say that Lord Moon was behind the mountain's collapse.
21. Mountain of the Seven Thunders
Blasted and torn apart by the Shadow, the temple stands in ruins. Even the monks that tend what is left of the once-magnificent gardens shudder at the cold rain, and pull their robes more tightly about them as she passes. The obsidian of her fist does not shine so brightly here, nor does her yellow eye glow as it once did.
This is not a place where pride is welcome, but a shrine to loss and grief.
Hizuka stands waiting at the shattered tori arch. He holds food and water in a carefully wrapped bundle, uncertain if she still needs such things. When she takes it, he bows happily."Will you need us to follow you?"
Hitomi nods silently.
"There is blood on our hands." Hizuka looks down. "We have lost our way."
"I know. That does not matter. I seek to cleanse the elements, and to bring a name to the Lost Ones. But I cannot stand alone, or my death will shame the Heavens."
He looks up, with sorrow in his troubled eyes. "You say you will clear the darkness from the sky, but I ask you this. Can you cleanse my soul?"
Hitomi says nothing, only places her hand in his and allows something to move within his burdened heart. Then the dark lady of the Dragon turns, walking back down the path and into the Lion lands.
21. Mountain of the Seven Thunders
Summary: At the Mountain of the Seven Thunders, Hizuka and his fellow monks agree to follow Hitomi. The Shadow has attacked the Temple here, no reason was given. Hizuka is troubled by the recent bloodshed and states that the monks have lost their way. Hitomi agrees but states that her purpose is to cleanse the elements. She does not say words when he asks "... Can you cleanse my soul?" Instead she " ... only places her hand in his and allows something to move within his burdened heart." Next she will visit Lion lands.
Commentary: What is left unsaid is why the Shadow attacked the temple. Rumor has it that the monks put up a fierce fight against an unknown intruder. The only thing stolen was an ancient cloak, said to be Shosuro's.
22. Kenson Gakka
The plains shake as a tentative rumble of earth shrugs away sleep and tears aching clefts in the ground. Earthquake. The word is common; the effects less so, this deep in the heart of the Empire.
Hitomi walks the iron paths of the Lion lands, her feet treading within the marks left by soldiers marching for battle. Beneath the high cliffs of the Ikoma lands, a small group of Lion meet with her, their orange banners flowing in the stiff wind.
"The Matsu have done their duty, and the Kitsu have failed in theirs." The old man rests upon a wooden stool at the edge of the battlefield. "Let the Ikoma serve you." Gunjin smiles toothlessly, his old mouth curving. "And we will show you that the Lion have honor, still."
22. Kenson Gakka
Summary: A small earthquake precedes Hitomi's visit to Kenson Gakka. Gunjin sates that the " ... Matsu have done their duty, and the Kitsu have failed in theirs." The Ikoma will serve her and pledge that they are still honorable.
Commentary: The first official acknowledgement of the corruption of the Kitsu. They made a pact with oni to help defend against the Unicorn forces. The earthquake suggests that there is imbalance in nature, perhaps the corruption of the elements mentioned earlier in her journey.
23. Heigen no Otaku
These are the plains of battle, the dark lands where the Unicorn charge against Lion lines. Where an oni as old as the Empire raises his metal fist and slaughters the pride of the Otaku, driving them from their horses and crushing them beneath Lion blood.
That price has been paid, yet still the echo of spectral hooves resounds through the Heigen no Otaku, and still the blood of the battle-maidens soils the empty ground. It is said that nothing will grow where brave hearts fell, and the Heigen no Otaku plains are bare indeed. Xieng Chi watches the still figure as it crosses the wide red expanse, her black steed churning the mud beneath impatient hooves.
She has seen her clan fall to the Kolat. Seen them struggle beneath a Kami's command, and watched as they were slaughtered by the defiant Lion. For her valor, the Kolat hunt her, and the Lion curse her name as a butcher of their people.
But that does not matter; she is Unicorn, still.
Hitomi turns across the plain and comes toward her as the Otaku daimyo raises her hand. "We will send our finest, Lady Dragon," Xieng Chi calls. "But you must forgive me if I do not attend you myself." Her smile is bright despite weariness, and her eyes shine with pride.
"The Otaku have suffered much," Hitomi says. "I would not take the last of their strength for my own battle."
"Then let the Ide serve you, Hitomi-sama." Xieng Chi's horse prances as she speaks. "Ashijun will gladly give his life to see the moon returned to the sky."
"He can come," Hitomi whispers. "But when it is time, I will choose my own second as destiny decrees."
Xieng Chi understands, and finally gives her fractious steed its head, turning once more toward the heart of Unicorn lands, leaving the cursed plain behind.
23. Heigen no Otaku
Summary: This segment starts with the battle between the Unicorn against the Lion at Heigen no Otaku. The Lion have " ... an oni as old as the Empire ..." as an ally. The oni has a metal fist and has been devastating the Unicorn battle-maidens. Xieng Chi sees Hitomi coming to her on a black steed.
The Unicorn have been under Kolat influence and were defeated by the Lion (with help from an metal fisted oni). Because of her activities, Xieng Chi is hunted by the Kolat and cursed by the Lion as a butcher of their people. She has been made daimyo of the Otaku . She agrees to help Hitomi by sending some of her remaining troops along with Ashijun.
Commentary: Xieng Chi has been promoted to daimyo since Kamoko left. Lady Shinjo had cleansed the Unicorn clan by driving away or killing the Kolat. Their former clan champion Yokatsu was discovered to be Kolat. He fled before Lady Shinjo could could kill him. The Lion's oni was summoned by the Kitsu and was instrumental in negating the Unicorn's cavalry advantage. The attacks on the Lion were ordered by Emperor Toturi for their dealings in dark magics. Even though the Unicorn were weakened by their war with the Lion, Xieng Chi still promised to help Hitomi, thought she would not be going herself.
24. Kyuden Tonbo
At the base of the Dragon mountains, the white banners of sorrow fly above a jewel-colored palace. Shining walls could not brighten the loss that they suffer, nor could they forget the damage that has been done by the Naga.
Why had the Naga attacked? To defeat the Shadow that rested within the walls of Kyuden Hitomi--once Kyuden Togashi, the oldest palace of the Dragon. Naga instinct served where the Empire's knowledge failed, but still the Dragonfly do not curse Hitomi for awakening Shosuro.
After all, it had only been a matter of time.
She stands at the edge of their practice field, watching as Mirumoto Sukune teaches a young bushi the method of Mirumoto's Niten. Here, men have died for her. They have struggled against the anger of an Empire when she used Togashi's knowledge to gain the secret of how to defeat the Shadow. When the Emperor himself had been turned, his face slipping to nothingness, these men had still sworn their allegiance.
How could she leave them now?
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24. Kyuden Tonbo
Summary: The Tonbo have also suffered at the hands of the Naga. Kyuden Tonbo stands at the base of the Dragon Mountains. Hitomi watches as Mirumoto Sukune teaches Mirumoto's Niten to a young bushi on the practice field. Hitomi used Togashi's knowledge to find the secret on how to defeat the Shadow. The Emperor has been influenced by the Shadows.
Commentary: The Naga attacked the Dragon to defeat the Shadow that was captured and imprisoned in the basement of Kyuden Hitomi. Kyuden Tombo was one of the earliest areas attacked because of it's location. Shosuro was awakened by Hitomi and was set free accidentally when the crystal chamber cracked beneath the touch of her obsidian hand. A prominent "feature" of the Shadow (or ninja) is that their face looses it's features.
Shadows move, flicker, tearing open the boundaries between light and dark and fading them into nothing at all. Three men stand at the edge of the road, their faces empty of all features save their grinning smiles. Shark's teeth erupt from bloody gums, and flesh tears open into horrible smiles. These are the sons of shadow, the children of the night.
These are the ninja.
Hitomi is alone, her obsidian hand clenching into a fist about the hilt of her katana. "I know what you have done." The accusation is bitter.
They hiss in laughter, their long tongues flickering beneath the starlight. "We have done nothing more than set them against themselves." The face shifts, becomes Daidoji Uji, becomes Tsuruchi, Agasha Gennai, and Ikoma Tsanuri. It moves again, and other faces--less recognizable--flicker across its empty features. "We are the ones who lose the missives, who send the armies, who suggest the oni, and bring out the evil that hides behind the shining face of 'honor.' And you think that the pitiful sacrifice of your death can destroy us?"
"Destroy, Goju? Not as such." She smiles. "Nonetheless, your time is ending."
"Oh, no, Hitomi-chan." The thing swells into the form of her brother, and the lady of the Dragon screams in rage. "Our time has just begun. When you cry out in pain on the day of your seppuku, you will look up at your second and there will be no face. Remember that, when you die in shame as your brother did."
Hitomi's sword moves faster than the sun's first rays, but it is too late, and she stands on the road alone.
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Summary: Three men with featureless faces except for a shark's tooth smile stand on a road. The ninja are the sons of Shadow. Hitomi accuses the ninja of sowing confusion and chaos by impersonating influential people. Goju's name is mentioned for the first time.
Commentary: Goju is the family name of a branch of the Scorpion. They were a contemporary with the Bayushi but hid their name so that they could carry out their secret agenda. The Shadow is the unnamed child of Lord Moon. Because a name gives form to a soul, the lack of a name caused the Shadow to be amorphous. It was not part of the heavenly hierarchy and thus was free from rules or restrictions. A few of the initiates from the Shosuro school each year are take by the Shadow in a pact made with the original Scorpion thunder. The victim's memories are absorbed and their faces and bodies become malleable. A notable distinction is a lack of facial features. The other initiates that were not absorbed gain shape shifting and other special abilities. At first, Shosuro's deal with the Shadow seemed beneficial because she was given enough strength to return to Rokugan with the original Black Scrolls that imprisoned Fu Leng. The Shadow seemed weak and disorganized. As more knowledge was absorbed, the Shadow became more human in wants and desires. With each absorbed soul, it's knowledge base increased. Together with Lord Moon, it had plotted the destruction of Rokugan for centuries because it was jealous of the favoritism that the other Kami and their children enjoyed. The current plan seems clear. Have the clans destroy themselves, then take over the survivors because they'll be too weak and disorganized to resist.
Hitomi's brother Satsu died in a duel with Hida Yakamo. His death was contraversial since it isn't clear if Yakamo fought "fairly". Hitomi insisted that he was struck from behind as he was preparing to duel, others have said that it was a fair fight. Because of this early childhood trauma, she became driven by revenge for 10 years afterwards. She cut off Yakamo's hand in a duel, he returned the favor by crushing her hand with his tetsubo. Both of them had their hands replaced, his with the Jade Hand, hers with the Obsidian Hand.
26. Exile's Road
The mountains of the Empire rise once more around her as the Unicorn lands fade into the territories of the Dragon. Within the mountains, there are no clear boundaries, no place to mark the land's edge between banners of green or purple. Yet in her heart, she knows the moment when she touches the first stones of her mountain home.
From these high peaks, a road winds north through icy cliffs and sheer terrain, shattered by a thousand years of exiles pacing out of the Empire and to their destiny. The Burning Sands lie somewhere beyond these mountains, as do the watery lands of the gaijin horde and the end of the Empire.
Others have bid farewell to Rokugan, crossed these hills and never returned.
Some, like the Scorpion, have come home once more.
As Hitomi watches the red sky fade into a stark, star-covered blackness, she wonders which of these travelers she would become.
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26. Exile's Road
Summary: Hitomi exits Unicorn lands and returns to the her homeland at the Dragon mountains. She is walking out of the Empire along Exile's Road to the Burning Sands and wonders if she is coming back.
Commentary: One more day until her self-imposed time for seppuku. Not a lot going on, possibly just "filler" until the big day tomorrow.
27. Shrine of the Three Sisters
Raising her arms to the heavens, Hitomi rests. Behind her, she hears them come; those who had been following. "You are too early," she whispers to the first without looking.
"You are too eager."
"You do not know the nature of your heart."
One by one, they turn away as the first light of an empty moon begins to bathe the Empire in its stark, uncompromising light.
Still, one remains behind the rest, to help her on her way.
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27. Shrine of the Three Sisters
Summary: Hitomi returns to the Shrine of the Three Sisters. Her followers have come with her but soon they depart, leaving Hitomi and her second.
Commentary: She has completed her "farewell tour" of the empire. Now only the identity of her second remains unknown, to be determined during this weekend's Strike at Midnight Tournament.
Final Tournament Results for Strike at Midnight (May 16, 2000)
- Tournament results
- Official Strike at Midnight story by Wizards of the Coast
- The Mirumoto version of Strike at Midnight
Legends of the Five Rings CCG and the names of some characters are copyright of the Five Rings Publishing Group and Wizards of the Coast. Artwork is copyright by various artists whom illustrated cards for Wizards of the Coast. Other names, stories and ideas are copyright MountainView. Dragon logo by R. Stier.
