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Part 72: Yamome's Persistance

Info

Writer

Dougurasu

Character Introductions

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Character Deaths

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Arcs

Hikari Crystals Arc

Zesshou Loves Hitori Arc

Nagata's Trial Arc

Secret Of The Tiko Tribe Arc

Timeline Entries

The Story

Endless Rain

Part 72: Yamome's Persistence

© Dougurasu

Baku, Moyasu, Sasaeru, Mariko, Ty, Wevlum and Wevli were standing outside on the porch of Mikomi's safehouse.

“Listen carefully everyone,” Baku said, “No one, and I mean no one approaches this place without my guidance. If you do, with the intention of seeing Mikomi, a magic field will strike you and probably kill you. Only with me in your party you can safely pass through it. Everyone understand?”

The group nodded almost simultaneously, still in awe of Mikomi's aura. She may have looked like a fragile old woman, but she was strong inside and she had a sort of glow to her that you couldn't really explain.

“You can't really blame Sasaeru...” Wevli said to Moyasu. “He was looking out for us all, including Mikomi. If Mikomi dies, she will rest in peace instead of having to suffer.”

“But if we get her to The Clouds Before the Sun she will be saved from her cure,” Moyasu answered, “She's much too important to us and we need her.”

“Aren't you being just a little selfish?” Sasaeru piped up, “She's in pain. If she wants to die then that's her decision, not yours.”

“How do we know she can think straight, huh?” Moyasu asked, “How do we know if she knows the percussions of her death?”

“Isn't that all the more reason to let her go?” Sasaeru said, looking down. “If she has lost all reason, shouldn't we let her commit suicide? Tell me, if you were out of control of your thoughts and actions and in extreme pain, would you not want to die as well?”

Moyasu growled and walked on. “You don't understand, Sassy. You just don't.”

“I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be a good lawyer for you, or for anybody that matter,” Kino said when he opened the door and saw it was Nagata, followed by Wevles.

“No, that's not it, I have someone else to be a lawyer. I just came to talk a bit,” Nagata explained.

“Sure come in.”

Nagata entered the house and closed the door before Wevles nose.

“Damn you, Nagata!” Wevles pouted.

“Empress?” Silence. “Empress!!”

“Yes!” Lana shook away from her gaze. She had been fixated on the Light of the Soul for hours. She was sitting in her tent with the Light in the middle, her shadow crawling across the tent sheets. The light was so intriguing, so special... so addicting. 'I'm stronger than that,' Lana thought, 'I will not be taken by this light.'

“Empress!!” Tebok said with a raised voice.

“YES! I'm here, what do you want?”

Tebok lowered his voice again. “When are we going to set out and trade the merchant for the other Hikari Crystals?”

“Tomorrow. We haven't set up camp just for a rest. We're going to sleep here and tomorrow we'll reach the Mikomi Tribe.” After she finished her sentence she covered up the Light with a piece of cloth and went to see Chounin.

“I still don't get why Yamome is so persistant,” Nagata said, “As far as I've seen she hasn't shed a single tear. She's just been... angry.”

Kino sighed. “What I don't get is how she found out about Pyro Phoenixtruth so fast.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, think about it. That Pyro kid came that day, and already the next day she had that fall-back position planned together with Shikai.”

“That is weird, now that you mention it,” Nagata scratched his head, “Well, I have to go. The second session is due any minute now, wish me luck.”

“Good luck.” Kino said absently.

Nagata opened the door in Wevles' face and walked straight on to the Council building.

Zesshou was sitting at the entrance to the village looking up in the sky. He had to sit on a piece of wood because the ground had become so soggy that he would sink to his ankles if he just stood still. From here at least he could see the stars. It was a rare sight, it'd been cloudy and rainy for weeks, in fact it had gotten so bad that some houses that were on low ground had been flooded and the residents had to evacuate. He grabbed the ring from his pocket. His precious ring that everyone thought he was going to give Siren, but in the end he ran away and took the ring with him. He looked into the beautiful crystal.

“Hey, what you doing?” Wevlum asked. Wevlum, Baku and the others had appeared out of nowhere thanks to Baku's ability. “We're back! Did we miss anything?!”

“How'd your wedding with Siren go?” Wevli asked.

Zesshou's face flushed. “Well... it didn't... I didn't want to. But- but I did earn the Light of the Soul that way...”

“The Light of the Soul? Is that that ring you're holding in your hands?” Moyasu asked.

If Zesshou's face could've been any redder it probably was. “No, that's my wedding ring,” he said reluctantly. “La-”

However he was interrupted by Wevlum. “Wooow! It's beautiful! I didn't know we had any crystals in our village.”

Moyasu's palms began to perspire.

“Well no, but Kanshi, the jeweler, got it from a Tiko trader.”

Her eyes widened.

“Oh wow, Zesshou. Well if you're not gonna give it to Siren, you should give it to someone very special!”

She wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

“Yeah, maybe your girlfriend or something, or you don't you have one, do you?”

“Moyasu, come. We have to sleep tonight. It's been a long day and we need to prepare ourselves for the journey to the Chi village,” Sasaeru said and pulled Moyasu away from the party.

“I'm leaving for Mikomi again,” Baku said.

“How can we contact you, Baku?” Mariko asked.

“Just call out my name and I'll come!” Baku smiled and he was gone.

“Presenting Nagata, the accused.”

Nagata stepped forward.

“Presenting Hana, the lawyer.”

Hana joined Nagata in the middle of the hall.

“Presenting Yamome, the accuser and Pyro, the failsafe.”

Yamome entered the room and Pyro appeared in a flash, definitely miserable.

“Everyone knows the way of this court. Nagata, you've been found guilty once, if you're found guilty today, we will make your sentence. Please, begin Yamome,” Shikai announced.

Yamome rose to her feet. “Nagata, what was the first thing you did after you had successfully retaken the village?”

“Uh... I think... getting the fences secure?”

“Uh, sorry,” Pyro said, “But the first thing you did was go to Lightning and make sure he was tied to the stables.”

“So,” Yamome gloated, “You went to secure your little horsie instead of making sure your troops were safe.”

“Well, maybe so, but Lightning was still going pretty much berserk and I'm the only one who can handle him in that state,” Nagata objected.

“If it wasn't for Lightning, we might've lost a dozen more soldiers if we were going to fight head on with the Sendo!” Hana elaborated.

“Ha!” Yamome said and turned to Nagata, “You're the only one who can control that horse? Maybe we should get rid of you and the horse.”

“What...?” Nagata stammered while slowly clenching his fists, “What did you say?”

Yamome glared at him. “That we should get rid of your disgusting pet.”

Nagata immediately rose to his feet and knocked over both the table he and Hana were sitting at and his own chair. “How dare you?!” Nagata fumed. “Lightning can make it from here to the Chi Village in one day!”

“Don't do it, Nagata!” Hana said startled.

“Lightning saved Hitori, Wevli and me in the caves beneath Hiyou Lake!”

“Nagata, that's enough.”

“Lightning was key in retaking this village! If it wasn't for him, we would've lost a lot of lives.”

“What about Shousha? Thanks to him Shousha has died!” Yamome shouted.

“If you're going to blame this on anyone, blame it on me! Not on Lightning! He hasn't done anything wrong!” Nagata said and got his chair back up. “Speaking of Shousha, you haven't even shed one tear for him, have you? Why is that? Why is it that your so hellbent on taking your revenge on his death and not shed a single tear?!”

After the crowd's silence during the outbursts the council members suddenly began to chat.

“E-everyone mourns in their own way, Nagata...” Yamome said after obviously thinking about her answer.

“Uh, silence in the court, silence,” Shikai said. “Will the defendant please rise. Also will the seven council members please chose either Yamome's side or Nagata's side.”

The first council member chose Nagata's side.

Nagata smiled at the council member, but he didn't flinch.

The second chose Yamome's side.

Yamome grinned at Nagata.

The third, fourth and fifth went to stand over at Nagata.

Yamome's grin had vanished.

“Uhm, thank you, members of the council. It has been decided. Nagata has been found not guilty today. The deciding vote will be tomorrow evening. I hope to see everyone back then.” Shikai said and he turned around and left the hall.

In frustration Yamome slammed her hands on the table and walked away.

“Good job Nagata.” Hana said and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“BUT YOU CAN'T!” Sasaeru shouted.

“I can't just sit still and let him give that ring to someone he loves! Your people use persons and some sort of alchemy or something to make crystals and gain wealth! You don't have a crystal mine! You're all liars!” Moyasu said while pacing through their room.

“Would you lower your voice?” Sasaeru said, “Not even the people in the village know of that. Only the council and the leaders know of our secret. Do you know what will happen if word got out?”

“I don't care! I can't stand how you can just accept that your people are mass murderers!” Moyasu said. “What do you think? Do you agree with this policy?”

“I don't make the rules, Moyasu. But I do know that this secret needs to be kept. Else our own people would rise up against us. I didn't decide to do it, but we've been doing it for decades, and so far nothing has gone wrong!”

“Do you agree with it, or not?!”

“No, okay? I don't agree with it!”

“Then how in Chi's name can you just... accept it?!”

“There are more important things. All we do is use our enemies, the Sendo.”

“And that makes it right?” Moyasu stopped. “I'm through with you! I hate you, Sassy!!”

Sasaeru's face turned even more serious. “If you tell, I am going to have to kill you, Moyasu. And I will.”

“My arm is almost healed now, I will be able to defend myself,” Moyasu said.

“You're going to have to kill me then, Moyasu,” Sasaeru replied. “It's one thing to shoot an enemy you don't know, but it's quite another to kill someone you've already spent over a week with, now isn't it? However I have no problem with killing you if it means keeping an entire village of people safe.”

Moyasu growled and gave up, stomped out of the room and crashed the door shut.

“My, what temper...” Sasaeru said.

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