Dark Edge Village

The Matsu enjoyed the days's weather as it reminded him of his own home. Normally he would have opted to meet with the Usagi in the administrative center but with a day like that it seemed almost like a crime.

He took a seat in the grass and inhaled deeply. What a good day.

Tomoe wasn't feeling her best after last night, and was tempted to just remain in her tent until the second Iuchi test, but when she recieved a summon from Nintoku... well, she couldn't refuse a Matsu, right?

With makeup concealing the most of her weariness, the Hare arrived, dressed prim and proper as always. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Matsu-sama. Have you had rice?" she called to him as she approached the seated Lion.

The Usagi's weariness did not go unnoticed to the Lion and while the Matsu were not the most subtle of families there was courtesy in the Lion's words. "You look better Usagi-san," he motioned to a box of sweets. "It might not be rice but the sweetness goes well with this day."

The Lion seemed to be more cheerful than usual.

"... Thank you," she put on a polite smile. Leave it to a Lion to be perceptive. Or maybe he saw what happened last night.

Seating herself down in the grass with him, she noticed how he seemed to be in a... good mood?

"You seem well today, Matsu-sama. Looking forward to being matched with Khulun-san?"

Her words painted his cheeks pink. His hand went instinctively towards the fan she had gifted him before he nodded lightly. "Tomorrow is the big day."

"Tomorrow's the big day," she nodded with a smile as she saw the fan. As excellent in quality as the one Khulun had showed her and Yuki yesterday.

"... But I assume you did not summon me out here to talk about Khulun-san? You both seem very set for eachother."

He shook his head "At all, my topic is not so... lighthearted."

"I've heard in the grapevine that there were visions involved in yesterdays trial," he said in a cautious tone. "I wanted to know about them."

Tomoe's smile slipped away as she thought back to the vision she had had.

"... I saw my grandfather. He warned me that the dead would walk amongst us once more, but not like they had under the Bloodspeaker, but living and breathing." She shuddered at the thought. "He said it would bring war and strife... I think I heard the sounds of battle before he was gone."

The Matsu's face turned white as she spoke of her vision. He didn't know for sure but he was aware of the incident at Morikage Toshi and about his youngest sister being sent there.

He felt a knot in his stomach as he realized the implications and just what spirits its be.

"He is right."

"... Did you have a vision too?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with concern. Not that she doubted her grandfather, of course, but she wasn't a priest, diviner or medium.

"No," he shook his head. "But I know that the spirits have returned."

He pondered on which of his ancestors could have come back. Was this connected to what happened to Kyuden Asako and if yes which one of his ancestors could have been sent to Toshigoku. His expression darkened as he immediately pictured just who it could be.

"..."

The rabbit considered the lion for a long time.

"How do you know? What is it you're not telling me?"

He sighed; why did this nice day have to sour so quickly? "I do not know anything for sure," he defended himself. "Only what my youngest sister has told me."

"Apparently some spirits have returned to this world and have come to live near Morikage Toshi," he continued. "They are apparently lead by one of the Hantei though which one it is I can not say."

"I had never given it too much thought because, to be honest, I did not know much of it nor it seemed as pressing but after your vision," he sighed. "I do not know what to think."

"I might not know much about the other realms but I do know about the only portal that has been recently opened around the Phoenix lands," he trails off letting the Bunny make her own conclusions.

The portal to Toshigoku...

The Hare frowned and raised a hand to rub her temples. "This... could be really bad. It makes sense now, grandfather saying it would be in their nature to cause war and strife."

"I hope now that my vision was just something I imagined, rather than something true. I don't think grandfather would lie to me, but maybe... maybe I just imagined it." This could be really bad.

"Perhaps," he didn't know what to think. "But its too many coincidences."

"And if in fact these ancestors of ours are planning an attack..," he did not want to picture that. "We have to know more."