Post by Taishou89 on Dec 18, 2023 4:32:23 GMT
Comet of the Ages
(^Click for subtitle)
Deep within the Hida Mountain range, located on one of it's north facing peaks, sat the Buddhist monastery and temple, Hokkyokusei-ji. With the appearance of the great comet in the sky that would remain visible for a week as it's travels took it past Earth, it's visible presence in the night sky had set many across the lands at unease with many viewing it as an omen of bad things to come, some accusing the country's Daimyo for bringing it about with their many wars. To put the minds of the people at ease and at request of the Emperor and with the agreement of many Daimyo, Priests and monks across the land were asked to pray for a more auspicious outcome and to help alleviate the fears of the people who have already been wracked with famine, disease, war, and death.
The arrival of the comet had indeed brought ill fortune at Hokkyokusei-ji Temple as the first night of it's appearance, 7 of the 56 monks residing at the monastery had died suddenly of mysterious circumstances, leaving 49 remaining. The number 49 was an ominous number and considered bad luck as the pronunciation of the numbers 4 and 9 were similar to the word for "death" and "suffering". Add to that there was a feeling of unease among the monks leading up to the mysterious deaths of the 7, a kind of unexplainable tension and sensitivity toward slight and sadness. These concerns were brought to the Abbot of Hokkyokusei-ji, but he felt it necessary to proceed forward with the Emperor's wishes. So That night, the 49 Monks would gather before the statue of Buddha in the main hall to recite and repeat the Hannya Shingyo(Heart Sutra) All night until dawn, with the intent to cleanse and help purify the world in conjunction with the many monks and priests across the land. At the very least this may purify and stabilize the mood within the monastery.
However that evening before the ceremony, a nobleman from the Capital had arrived and requested to be present for the the monastery's recitement as he wished to observe the ceremony and offer his own prayers. As the Abbot met with the Nobleman, a tall man of 6 feet tall and slender build, wearing the traditional garb of a court noble. His face was angular and almost resembled a fox, his hair was kept neat and tied up in the traditional fashion beneath his tall tate eboshi hat. His skin was fair and almost pale and it appeared as if he wore a kind of makeup around his eyes. Giving his name as Fujiwara no Hikaru, he made his request. "My lord Abbot, I humbly request to be allowed to be present for your ritual heeding the Emperor's request. I can assure you that I will not hinder the ritual." Seeing no harm in the request, the Abbot granted him permission to sit in on their ceremony.
That evening as the sun began to set, Lord Hikaru had been seat in the back of the main hall as all the Monks assembled before a great bronze statue of Buddha. As the Abbot led the start of the heart sutra, one of the monks struck the large bell of the temple as another struck a wood block to set the beat for the chant, a 3rd monk would also strike a large singing bowl as well. While the chant was going on Ikari, or as the name he was using, Hikaru, sat with a straight face. Concealing within his long sleeves, his interlocked fingers with his pinky and index fingers pressed together and extended outward, his thumbs pointed upwards, he muttered another incantation.
While above in the heavens of the clear and moonless night sky, the comet shown brilliantly with it's long tail. It looked as if it was still, but it was indeed moving as it traveled through space. As the hour grew late into the night and the chant continued. The Hour was close for the Nobleman's plot and none of the monks nor the Abbot himself would have noticed a dark shadow lifting from their bodies and collecting near the sealing in a dark cloud. All of their dark feelings that had been brewing within them the past month before the deaths of the 7, the long planted seeds of evil by a malicious lord with a mysterious and devious plot, had now sprouted and began to bloom into the fruition of which he had intended.
As the shadowy cloud expanded and filled the ceiling, the Abbot, midst chanting, felt his eyes draw upwards until what he alone saw the shadowy cloud. Shocked and ridden with fear, before he could attempt to counter it, the shadowy cloud struck out with solid tentacle like limbs and speared him through the chest. Almost simultaneously, the same happened to the rest of the monks in the room. Their bodies still strangely alive as they were paralyzed by the dark entity. Ikari remained in his position, a smirk crossing his lips as he observed what happened. His plan was working and it was almost time. In what would have been a great positive energy force of light from the Monks and the Heart Sutra, he had corrupted by planting the seeds of doubt, anger, and sadness within their hearts long before this ritual was to be conducted. If he hadn't been there to also take part, the ritual would have likely purified their hearts from his seeds, but Ikari needed their combined force for what he truly wanted of the whole affair. With their combined energy, now tainted with his own will, in conjunction with the power of the Comet of Ages, he could greatly weaken barriers of this world to make it easier for him to cross between the many different planes of existence, but little did he know that this would also affect the barrier of time.
As the Hour drew near he focused all of his intent and energy and the combined energy of the monks, his chant was no longer a whisper but almost to a shout as the shadowy cloud began to swirl and a light formed at it's center. As the planets of the universe aligned as the Comet of Ages reached that perfect alignment, The 49 Monks were torn apart by the evil energy of Lord Ikari's shadowy cloud, painting the great hall and the bronze statue of Buddha in their blood as Suddenly the light shot forth from the temple, through the ceiling and roof of the main hall and straight into the heavens and collided with the comet and the alignment and a great light shot back to earth like a thunderbolt as the barriers of the worlds and the Barriers of time itself had diminished to a weakened state. Travel between them would still be harsh and complicated, but the strong could still cross.
The arrival of the comet had indeed brought ill fortune at Hokkyokusei-ji Temple as the first night of it's appearance, 7 of the 56 monks residing at the monastery had died suddenly of mysterious circumstances, leaving 49 remaining. The number 49 was an ominous number and considered bad luck as the pronunciation of the numbers 4 and 9 were similar to the word for "death" and "suffering". Add to that there was a feeling of unease among the monks leading up to the mysterious deaths of the 7, a kind of unexplainable tension and sensitivity toward slight and sadness. These concerns were brought to the Abbot of Hokkyokusei-ji, but he felt it necessary to proceed forward with the Emperor's wishes. So That night, the 49 Monks would gather before the statue of Buddha in the main hall to recite and repeat the Hannya Shingyo(Heart Sutra) All night until dawn, with the intent to cleanse and help purify the world in conjunction with the many monks and priests across the land. At the very least this may purify and stabilize the mood within the monastery.
However that evening before the ceremony, a nobleman from the Capital had arrived and requested to be present for the the monastery's recitement as he wished to observe the ceremony and offer his own prayers. As the Abbot met with the Nobleman, a tall man of 6 feet tall and slender build, wearing the traditional garb of a court noble. His face was angular and almost resembled a fox, his hair was kept neat and tied up in the traditional fashion beneath his tall tate eboshi hat. His skin was fair and almost pale and it appeared as if he wore a kind of makeup around his eyes. Giving his name as Fujiwara no Hikaru, he made his request. "My lord Abbot, I humbly request to be allowed to be present for your ritual heeding the Emperor's request. I can assure you that I will not hinder the ritual." Seeing no harm in the request, the Abbot granted him permission to sit in on their ceremony.
That evening as the sun began to set, Lord Hikaru had been seat in the back of the main hall as all the Monks assembled before a great bronze statue of Buddha. As the Abbot led the start of the heart sutra, one of the monks struck the large bell of the temple as another struck a wood block to set the beat for the chant, a 3rd monk would also strike a large singing bowl as well. While the chant was going on Ikari, or as the name he was using, Hikaru, sat with a straight face. Concealing within his long sleeves, his interlocked fingers with his pinky and index fingers pressed together and extended outward, his thumbs pointed upwards, he muttered another incantation.
While above in the heavens of the clear and moonless night sky, the comet shown brilliantly with it's long tail. It looked as if it was still, but it was indeed moving as it traveled through space. As the hour grew late into the night and the chant continued. The Hour was close for the Nobleman's plot and none of the monks nor the Abbot himself would have noticed a dark shadow lifting from their bodies and collecting near the sealing in a dark cloud. All of their dark feelings that had been brewing within them the past month before the deaths of the 7, the long planted seeds of evil by a malicious lord with a mysterious and devious plot, had now sprouted and began to bloom into the fruition of which he had intended.
As the shadowy cloud expanded and filled the ceiling, the Abbot, midst chanting, felt his eyes draw upwards until what he alone saw the shadowy cloud. Shocked and ridden with fear, before he could attempt to counter it, the shadowy cloud struck out with solid tentacle like limbs and speared him through the chest. Almost simultaneously, the same happened to the rest of the monks in the room. Their bodies still strangely alive as they were paralyzed by the dark entity. Ikari remained in his position, a smirk crossing his lips as he observed what happened. His plan was working and it was almost time. In what would have been a great positive energy force of light from the Monks and the Heart Sutra, he had corrupted by planting the seeds of doubt, anger, and sadness within their hearts long before this ritual was to be conducted. If he hadn't been there to also take part, the ritual would have likely purified their hearts from his seeds, but Ikari needed their combined force for what he truly wanted of the whole affair. With their combined energy, now tainted with his own will, in conjunction with the power of the Comet of Ages, he could greatly weaken barriers of this world to make it easier for him to cross between the many different planes of existence, but little did he know that this would also affect the barrier of time.
As the Hour drew near he focused all of his intent and energy and the combined energy of the monks, his chant was no longer a whisper but almost to a shout as the shadowy cloud began to swirl and a light formed at it's center. As the planets of the universe aligned as the Comet of Ages reached that perfect alignment, The 49 Monks were torn apart by the evil energy of Lord Ikari's shadowy cloud, painting the great hall and the bronze statue of Buddha in their blood as Suddenly the light shot forth from the temple, through the ceiling and roof of the main hall and straight into the heavens and collided with the comet and the alignment and a great light shot back to earth like a thunderbolt as the barriers of the worlds and the Barriers of time itself had diminished to a weakened state. Travel between them would still be harsh and complicated, but the strong could still cross.