There it was. The ultimate truth. If Nozomi had said she had killed Joki to usurp his throne or that she had been working for their enemies this whole time, then Honiko's duty would have been easier. The fact that Nozomi had done it out of loyalty, or worse yet, love only intensified the pain. She had hoped for an alternative explanation. Something that she would only whisper when at death's door between the two of them. But it wasn't meant to be. Nozomi's reasoning for killing Honiko's prophet was the same as she had declared before the Society. Honiko searched every square inch of Nozomi's soul for a lie. She hunted every stray thought for deception or even madness. She came up with nothing.
She did it for me. Everything she's done since we've first met....she's done for my sake.Honiko had laid the foundation for Joki's defeat without even knowing it. The former Dragon Sage was overcome with shame and guilt. The tears no longer evaporated upon contact with her skin, they now fell freely only obscured by the mess of white hair and Noz-bleeding that covered her face. She had done this. She had cultivated the woman that now knelt before her. She was the reason why the New World that was promised would now be just a fantasy. Honiko gripped the necklace that she had shown her disciple as she contemplated the words spoken to her.
"
Whatever you decide to do, I am yours as long as you wish me to be. You are not subservient to anyone. I cannot stand by while someone would use you like Joki did. So now, without Joki's influence, what do you want?"
I don't know....She couldn't bring herself to voice the words aloud. She had been certain of so much for so long, but all of that certainty had been tied to one man. Joki had taken her from the wilderness and given her life meaning. He had given her a title, purpose and power. He had taught her her true heritage and turned her into a weapon to be wielded by destiny. Honiko shook her head, refusing to believe what Nozomi was telling her. He had set so much in motion. He had fought for the Sage's vision for several lifetimes before giving up on the people of Kishin. However, she could not explain how he had fallen so easily to Nozomi nor could she rationalize the cruelty he spewed at her, Omi and so many others who had done nothing but devote themselves to his cause. Honiko turned her head to the mass of gelatin which was now floating in a puddle. If this was some kind of trick or test, then it was by far the greatest one he had ever used. If she forsook him now, there would be no coming back from this. Not for her or anyone else.
Honiko turned her attention back to Nozomi. She was bleeding profusely and according to her Mind's Eye almost entirely depleted of her Bijuu's chakra. She was filled with memories of the time they had shared together and the love that had formed between them. She was also tormented by thoughts of what could have been. The adventures on other worlds. The glory they could have witnessed together under Joki's leadership. Honiko now had to make a choice. One that she'd have to live with for the rest of her life, no matter how short it was. She said a silent prayer and followed her heart. Honiko gripped the necklace's talon and
pulled.
It broke without much resistance. She had designed it to be strong and wearable even in combat, but with concerted effort by a determined shinobi, it would break. She now held the piece of jewelry in one hand and her tomahawk in another. Honiko could not turn her back on Joki. No matter what he had done or failed to do. Nozomi believed her to be a leader but she was wrong. Honiko was a follower and if by some hellish twist of fate, Joki had been a fraud well then she would not let Nozomi suffer by seeing her wither into a shell of a woman. The Cosmic Sage decided that it was better she die here than witness her sensei slip into depression and madness. The people of their organization were watching. Most were too afraid to leave or intervene and if she permitted Nozomi to walk away then Joki's vision really would die. She could not let that happen.
She wanted to say goodbye. She wanted to tell Nozomi why she would always put Joki over herself. But she could not bear to lie or justify her decision. The words became a lump that caught in her throat and threatened to choke her to death. Maybe part of her knew that she was worshipping a ghost. An image of a Disciple that maybe at one time was the model warrior that she wanted to serve. For the first time in her life, Nozomi had forced Honiko to seriously consider the possibility that the person whom they served was now just an echo of that hero. A soul devoid of all the Sage's teachings and instead replaced with a Dark God's ambition for destruction and carnage. A living portal to a void that would swallow the shinobi world whole so that something new could be born. She now decided that if that was to be the case then she'd follow Joki into that void. She'd either witness the birth of a new species of man or she'd allow this world to cease. There was nothing in space for her and no warrior had a place by her side if they could not accept that mission.
Even if I choose the ghost of a man who had ceased being centuries ago....what else is there? We cannot live for ourselves or even those we love. We can only live for our destiny and mine is with him. For better or for worse. Honiko used her white Katon chakra to burn the necklace. She started with the talon and soon the flames spread across the beads until it was all ash. She looked down at Nozomi one last time and tried to mentally communicate what her throat could not.
I'm sorry. She had accepted Joki's sword which had been fetched by Raijin. With no fanfare, she finally answered Nozomi's question with actions not words.
Honiko plunged the Dreamkiller into Nozomi's stomach. It was deep enough to paralyze and grievously wound, but not enough to kill. Honiko noticed that her hands were shaking. Her aim was off. She tried again this time narrowly missing her apostle's heart.
I-I can't she realized. Rather than try again, she withdrew the sword and turned her back on the Descendant. She now faced Raijin. The loyal shinobi who had stayed true to their Founder's ideals. He had grown from a weak lieutenant to her most trusted acolyte. She was now going to ask him to do the one thing she could not. The moment was surreal and it somehow reminded her of their trip to the Isles when she took Nozomi to meet Joki for the first time. She sighed and gave the order before walking away.
"
Kill Nozomi"
Elsewhere
The Sage of Six Paths watched with solemn acceptance as Honiko chose the path of her sensei. It was a sad day for the world. A blow to his hopes for humanity and his own student. The demigod closed his eyes and shook his head. The image of the scene that had been playing over the waterfall abruptly cut out. Many thought of him as a God and the association angered him. He was no less fallible than they were. Perhaps allowing Joki to poison the minds of so many for so long was one of his many errors. Or maybe he should have known that an evil entity had seduced his disciple and turned one of his greatest treasures into a weapon. Whatever the case may be, Hagoromo did not feel like the hero that so many considered him to be and he certainly was not the God they deserved.
Joki sensed his Master's disappointment. He should have been smug but he was not. He felt hurt. He wanted the Sage to be proud of him, like he used to be. When Hagoromo opened his eyes and looked at Joki, his expression was that of a man who saw a stranger wearing their clothes of his favorite son.
Concern. Disgust. Anger.He did not speak. There was no gleefulness or giddy quips to be made. He had imagined being filled with a sense of pride once Honiko had shown the enduring power of his teachings, but instead all he felt was self-loathing. Even though Joki had won, he had lost. The two reflected in silence for awhile before Hagoromo spoke.
"
I vowed to return you to your work and return you I shall. You won't have a place here or anywhere that could be considered holy. Your soul belongs to him now. You will get your opportunity to overturn what I and your brothers have fought for but you won't do it by your own power. Nozomi was right. You've relied on the fruits of your disciples for far too long and you do not deserve to reap the harvest they've sown. When you return, all will see you for what you truly are."
"
Master I-"
"
Begone!"
And just like that, a blinding light overcame Joki. The last thing he'd see was the look of contempt from the man that had been his Teacher, Commander and Father.
Reality
The white never ceased. Joki knew he was awake. He knew he was back on Earth but the same white that had taken him from his victory over Nozomi, now constantly plagued him. It wasn't just that. He could hardly hear and his voice felt weak. He could feel chakra flowing through his veins but it was different. It had been corrupted somehow just like the rest of him. Honiko was kneeling beside his body which had slowly reconstituted itself from a clump of white mass. The body that had been formed, however, was not his own. It was elderly. It was decrepit and weakened as though some kind of black magic had poisoned it. The Joki who had once stood before the Society in all his might and glory was now a feeble old man. He blinked and nothing came into focus. A rising panic filled his soul as he realized that he was now blind. All that he could hear was faintest of whisper from his padawan. The words had been a yell but time had degraded his sense of hearing.
"
My Lord!"
Honiko was now beyond distraught. The man that was supposed to lead them against the world had been cursed. He was no longer the legendary Water Disciple that had braved aeons of struggle to bring them a chance at restoring Hagoromo's paradise. He was now an ailing grandfather. Blind, hard of hearing and with a chakra system so broken down that Honiko wondered how he was even alive. If this was an illusion meant to torment her then Honiko would gladly accept death by his hand. If she had done something wrong to be filled with such a hellish vision then she begged him to just put her out of her misery. But the nightmare did not cease. It continued. Joki was no longer a threat to the ninja world or to anyone else. He kept calm and did not let his fear show. Hagoromo had told him this would happen. He had allowed him to come back to finish what he had started, but he had cursed him to be a bystander. He would not usher in the New Age as a triumphant God-King. If by some miracle Raijin and Honiko were able to somehow marshal the Society to victory over these heathens, then he'd be lucky if he was even given a seat at the table. The Disciples could no longer be resurrected, their strongest warrior had defected and now their leader had been taken away from them. It was at that moment that Joki's hope for a better future died. Honiko was strong but could she truly thrive without his image to lean onto? He was doubtful, but he knew he could not surrender. He was too far gone to give up and their was still hope for their cause. He sat up from the puddle and whispered something into Honiko's ear.
The Cosmic Sage listened and stared at her now ancient sensei. She slowly helped him to his feet and looked up at the horrified faces. None of them dared speak out against her. Nozomi had lost the will to fight and she could not protect any of them from Honiko or Raijin. At this point, some cut their losses and shuffled away. The strongest and most perceptive among them were treating this as a real event not an illusion. The craven realized that they might never get this chance again and so they bolted. The Society had forced and coerced some into their ranks and so a life free of its influence was worth more than the now remote possibility of a New World Order. They would not fight Joki even in his weakened state, but they figured that his loyal followers could not protect him while chasing them down.
Omi was one such person. The moment he saw the elderly Joki arise from the puddle. He knew that he could not wait a second longer. If it was indeed a trap then he'd die. Joki would always spare Yen-Li and so he was only gambling with his own life. He had remained still only through years of torture and conditioning, but seeing how Honiko was now aiming to slay Nozomi, he knew something was wrong. He wasn't sure what had felled this God. Whether it was Nozomi's power or some other force, but he knew it was real. It was worth risking his miserable existence over. For so long he had come to believe it was his destiny to be Joki's manservant but now that a glimpse of light was shining through his prison, he'd follow it.
A new destiny. Change. Not just for Yen-Li but for me as well.He whispered to her in a low tone. "
Go now. Run. Get to our cabins and take anything of value that we might need. I'll meet you there." He wanted to cover her escape. If a fight broke out, if he was attacked or otherwise commanded, he needed to hold them off while she at least got away from this area. It was volatile and dangerous here. He kept an eye on Menza and Yuyo knowing that they might try to teleport to Yen-Li. It was difficult to read the sociopathic scientist and his fanboy assistant. Menza had gone from looking amused to looking rather concerned. A rare expression from someone who pretended to know everything. He didn't think Menza had any particular beef against him or Yen-Li, but trying to predict his next move was impossible. Omi decided that he would try to bargain with them if necessary. No price was too high to pay for Yen-Li's freedom.
Menza noticed Omi staring and sneered. He could read the look on the man's face.
Omi the Coward is one of the first to flee. What a surprise. Menza thought. It was the only thought that the Nature Clansman hadn't censored from Honiko's prying Eye. He had several thoughts on what had just transpired but those were for him to enjoy and he didn't want others peeking into his poker hand. He watched as the more loyal members of the Society ran to help Honiko get Joki away from the battlefield. These zealots would do their best to guide the now blind and frail old man to a dignified exit. They were now looking to Honiko for leadership and if she was still with Joki, then they would be as well. Many of these shinobi had put all their faith in Joki. They had nothing to go back to and in some cases had been brainwashed to see him as a Savior. Led by Honiko, the procession of acolytes would exit from the scene.
She now held his sword, Dreamkiller, in her hand. She wasn't sure what the future would look like, but given what he had whispered in her ear, she knew that this was not over. They would rise again to take it all. For their Avenger would soon descend upon all shinobi kind. It would show them what she had demonstrated back in the Valley of Jehoshaphat: that they were just as weak together as they were apart. No amount of unity or cohesion would change their destiny. The Society's Champion would strike down their enemies from above and break their hope just as how Nozomi had nearly crushed theirs's. The Fire Descendant looked to Menza and nodded. It was time. The Cursed One took Yuyo's hand and teleported from the scene. Honiko did not need to repeat her Master's words for Menza had already surmised what had been communicated.
Unleash the Indaina Kujira.
[Exit Honiko, Joki, and Menza]
