Aokigahara-Sea of Trees

A jumble of thoughts

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Not long ago, it was a colourfull mix of different beeings. A bubble cut off from the now and then. It should have been a sort of party, a meeting. But something changed.

Have you ever seen how deer and fox youki put their head together and whispered to each other. Did you ever thought a fox could be serious, deadly serious?

"We knew it would happen sooner or later, more like...sooner"

"Sen.." the brown haired flute player tried to talk to them, looking from one to the other. But everyone of them looked away. The crane, the lizard, the deer..every youkai who represented one animal and even the spirit of the ginko lowered his head.

"Even you?" The guardian sounded hurt, looked disbeleaving at the fox who had taken the form of a red haired, brown eyed human male.

"You are the trickster, you and your kind always survived, I thought at least you and the tanuki would do more" pointing to the sumo ringer who was none other then one of the tanuki,taking one of the forms that suited him the best. Sometimes a buddhalike monk, a drunk..but now he was sober, too sober, his bottle full and no smile on his face.

Only a couple of 'people' looked somewhat satisfied. 

"It all started when my kind was killed of from these lands, they knew we were guardians too, but they killed off all the little ones. Humans have never know how to share, they had so many chances and still they did everything to ensure that even their own would die." A samurai, a wolf youkai...a proud warrior without the little ones, the wolves. He and others were here without their animal counterpart.

"They thinned the barriers with every one of the little ones they vanished from the islands, from the sea" bitter their voices, but still some of them who were lonely looked sorry. Even most of the wronged one never wanted that what had started, that was why they had voluntered so many, many year ago for this task

"Have you not been the one who pulled all the strings togethe and tried to warn them? But none of them wanted to listen to the humans you influenced and gave the urge to voice the warnings we could not give directly" the wolf sounded angry, hurt as he spoke to the soft hearted spirit.

"They had all the information, the proof that this would be dangerous, but they still did it, and now 'He' is awake. The chains ripped and he is on the way to these lands. With the tainted youki they use as an energy source it was only a matter of time when they would kill themselves off from these lands. Even we can not stay" the long limbed, crane necked beautifull woman answered teary eyed.

"I do not understand you all, how..why? I mean..you all, we always...we never .." the genderless spirit was lost for words. It was not the first rough time, not the first attack that 'He' started.But they were right, the humans made it so much worse this time..they HAD known that the tainted youki would destroy them if the vessels would burst. The important ningens who made the decisions had know it all and still they choose the 'easy' way.

As if anything was easy,he scoffed with his thoughts. For 200 years they had know these form of energy and the danger, the people of these lands had felt what it would do to them, thousands had died with only a small snippet of what was now here, and how ironic that they would pour more of this foul energy into the vessels and build shrines to it on these lands,holy land even. They had forgotten willingly, they had looked away and now the vessels started to break one after the other.

"You can not be serious, there are children and mothers" an angry howl which shoock the bubble, seperated from time and space. This should have been a time for celebration, not for...for this. He thought back to the dolls festival..maybe it was a stupid notion but he loved this little ceremony. Even when the humans had forgotten the origins and the use it had once.

"Inuchan..." "Don´t  Inuchan me" he growled to the fox, stupid fox, stupid lot of them, choking on his feelings, the hurt, the fear for everything.

"Ah yes, the stupid dogs always had less brain and too much heart for the even more stupid ningen" the cruel voice of the prince cut in. "They brought it to themselves when they wanted to act stupid for their new and only god..consume. Sounds a bit like monsun, don´t you think?"

"Shut your trap you bejeweled bastard" howling in rage the inu jumped to attack the dragon, held back by fox, wolf and tanuki while the dragon only laughed "So angry, why? They knew...and they forgot. Do you feel it, his mate is  straining against the chains. His mate was hurt too much and it freed him. And still the humans want to play stupid and talk down what happened."

His smile was so cruel and satisfied. His kind would be free again, they no longer would have to hide when this was over, the land would be theirs again. Even the kind ones of them, had no longer the nerves for these pitiful creatures.

And the dragons were the most powerful of youkai, if they would be openly against the humans, not even all others together could stop them.

Not only japanese spirits were here, a kangaroo spoke up "They knew, always. The short lived ones always knew of the bad energy and they always kept away from it until their greed overrode their instincts. When they thought themselves above nature, they signed their doom. And you as their 'creation', no wonder you still want to help them, but it is futile."

"The vessels will break one after the other, all of them. You know it, He is free and his mate will not stop shaking and pulling on the chains" the cojote spoke up "And then it is only a matter of time until all of them will wake. Do you think it is different from my place? Don´t you feel the youki of earth, wind, fire and water. They, the humans need more than a miracle. WE need more than a miracle"

"So you just want to sit back and watch?" the inuspirit is wrenching himself free, glaring at them

"Not all of us are against the ningen, but they have made their bed without a thought what will happen when they need to lay in it" one of the oldest of them, a dragon leaning on a gnarled cane made from the roots of an old gingko "Little one, we know you are deeply upset..and you son.." he is craning his neck to the young cocky 'human' clothed in finest silk, embroided with small jewels "You know that you must not interfere, it is not time yet and the ones who want to help,can do so. If the ningens will even now not rething and act accordingly, you still have time to do as you wish. What is a year compared to centuries that already are beyond you?" 

Some of it was said with regret and pity for the humans, but also for the youkai who had lost so much and still they wanted a world where the humans remembered from where they came and all of them could live together.

That time was there once, and was gone and these now were the darkest days, but after the night, there comes the break of dawn, or?

 

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Pray for Japan, pray for all of us because we are all one