41: Heavenly Correspondence

The surviving evil aura of Ryu (re-oo), the once dragon-yokai emperor over the forces of darkness, has left Tsukiyomi's (t-su-key-oh-me) mortal consort stewing in fear by his bed; the possessed, banished moon god retreats to his study down the hall, on the lower level of his underground, mountain palace.

As he crosses the threshold, his blue, wrap-tie, silk robe transforms into a layered, purple and green robe tucked into pleated trousers with bare feet crossing a glistening, gray marblesque stone floor.

Stepping onto the teal area rug with silver linework, he heads for his extravagant, wooden chair with dragon's claws clutching orbs as feet.

Sitting back against the teal cushion arching above his head with horns, he traces his fingertips along the solid, dark wood table with calligraphy pens, ink pots, and scroll paper.

Leaning forward in his chair, forearms rest on the surface of the table as he mulls over his latest plans.

A knock at the door draws him from his thoughts, the moon god's oldest friend and yokai servant with red-orange, fiery hair and black horse ears, peeks his upper body inside.

Muscles stretch black fabric to it's limit as he points back with his thumb, "mi'lord? There's a--uh," he gestures with this hands, "little glowing guy."

His voice changes pitch slightly as he questions what he is describing, "that wants to speak with you. He says "The Creator of Japan'' sent him because he heard your 'pleas' and 'has counsel'. D'you want this in here? Or, should I--?" Swallowing hard at the sight of his master's mismatched eyes, he dismisses it then carries on, Sanemaru (sah-nay-ma-roo) clicking his strong, stubble jaw twice.

Pointy horse ears stick up through wild, fiery strands to face his master of a hundred years.

"Hai (yes)," Ryu answers on behalf of Tsukiyomi, leaning back in the regal chair and pressing ivory fingertips together. The black fabric with medallions slides down brawny forearms and gathers at his elbows, both apparitions eager to hear the guidance of Izanagi-no-Mikoto, Tsukiyomi's father.

The messenger floats through the open doorway as Sanemaru widens it, the humanoid horse demon pulling the door shut to leave them in peace.

The androgynous being flies into the round, stone room filled with stuffed shelves as far as the eye can see. Flying over the teal rug interwoven with luminescent, blue and silver scales, Ryu watches the messenger approach him at the center right of the windowless room.

The scattered bookcases surrounding them to the back and left like an indoor maze, holds neatly packed scrolls, bound books, and various trinkets.

Centered on the wall behind the possessed moon god is a captivating tapestry of the full moon sharing its sky with a massive, four-legged, wingless serpent. Shimmering silver-green scales and a blue mane compliment the serpent drifting over a plum blossom tree forest dusted with snow surrounded by mountains.

The messenger halts, his long, white gown flowing loose beyond his ankles in clear view of Ryu.

Glowing fabric is bound by an illuminated, gold belt tied in a hanging bow at the hip. Curly, golden hair rests on the chest-line of this miniature adult with the voice of a child in song.

Amber eyes land silently on the banished god, examining his appearance with distinct changes compared to their last encounter forty years ago.

Whence stood a dignified, expressionless diplomat with solid, waist-length cerulean hair and flawless skin now sits black-streaked locks and patches of scale-infected-flesh peeking out along bare forearms.

The current expression on Tsukiyomi's face reads unsympathetic fiend as the once compassionate, endearing cerulean jewels of the fallen god has lost power to a black, dragon's eye centered with a bloody abyss.

"Your affliction has grown worse, as I find I am speaking with the dragon yokai himself." The luminary being glances around the room before looking back at Ryu.

"I see you still delight in pulling treasures from mankind's future to bring back to this cesspool of lust and greed."

Baring his fangs with scales surfacing around reddening eyes, Ryu slams his fist on the table, "would you just get to the point?" He snarls, crosses his arms, then gestures across his table with palm up, "what has the Creator spoken about his shameful child?"

The messenger is unmoved, "the words you hear will make no sense to you. Begone, serpent, or settle down."

Ryu flies over his table and hovers to meet the eyes of the messenger, "the pieces of you that will return to your Lord will not make sense to you." Ryu shifts his face menacingly close with a threatening growl.

"Archfiend of forgotten lore with antiquated ways-- your darkness cannot withstand my light long enough to lay a hair upon me," the messenger reassures with a blank stare that agitates the impatient demon lord.

"I shouldn't have expected anything less from your holier-than-thou kind."

Ryu shrugs before pacing sideways in the air along an imaginary floor, "you're all as empty and weak on the inside as this poor excuse for a god," he runs his hands over his body.

"Hiding behind the glory of -your- Creator while pretending you're the only ones here with any -real- power," Ryu scoffs in an amused disdain.

"It is understandable you would be intimidated by our grace in that way, as you have chosen a vulnerable god to overtake rather than set your goals on the Creator himself," the messenger inches closer until their noses barely connect, his gentle face contrary to the words leaving it.

Ryu narrows his eyes with a snarling huff then floats into an upright position before slowly descending to sit on the table, "if your -Creator- is so great and caring, he would've come here himself to save his once favorite son," Ryu folds his arms, licks under his upper lip, and sucks his teeth as his feet touch the floor.

The soothing voice of the messenger antagonizes Ryu, "you may see more than what this time has to offer you, but you do not see the picture of all time." The messenger's words visibly displeases Ryu's ears, "that is why you waste energy on petty agendas rather than resting in the peaceful darkness that was carved out for you a kiloannum ago."

Ryu barks, "speak then begone, servant, before I carve out a peaceful darkness for you in my picture of time." The demon lord crosses one of his legs, adjusting himself on the table before cleaning the inside of his left ear with a clawed pinky.

The messenger blinks slowly with a sigh, unrolling a glowing scroll he pulls from within his robes and reads aloud:

"My only right tear: I trust you to understand the sacrifice you must make to lift your sentence and become the second-most powerful god of our heavens. The wrong sacrifice will hand you to the wrath of darkness, where the emperor of destruction will contain you beyond my reach. The fate of my creation rests in your hands— do not dishonor me."

The messenger closes the scroll and tucks it into his sleeve, Ryu opening his palm to the messenger as the scroll leaves the blonde haired spirit and flies into the dragon's claws.

"I wouldn't reco--," the messenger fell silent when Ryu dropped the scroll to the floor, his hand sizzling and smoking where the paper made brief contact.

The messenger floats to the chair nearest Ryu and stands on the arm rest to stare up into Tsukiyomi's eyes.

"The struggle within you is real, yet so, too, is the power of your father. Despite the past, we are all rooting for you." The messenger bows before exiting without the scroll, leaving Tsukiyomi to stew in his internal cell.

Ryu's frustration strengthens while pondering the cryptic words of Izanagi. He throws his hands up with an annoyed growl, random items fall from the shelves and crash to the floor.

"'We're all rooting for you'," Ryu mocks, running his fingers through his hair with a scowl.

"They didn't even send word during daylight when you're in control. Divine timing," scoffs, "wet trash in a pretty pot to deceive foolish creatures of hope beyond an insignificant life controlled by someone with true capability," Ryu balls his clawed fingers into a fist in front of him then slams it into his free palm.

Tsukiyomi, chained and naked within the confines of his own mind, looks to the floating, dragon's head embodying Ryu's aura.

Floating around him in the dimly lit dreamscape of stone, Tsukiyomi's voice echoes in the darkness, "you are flustered that you cannot decipher your own destiny because my will is what forms it."

The moon god's empty tone drives Ryu into a confession.

"I am -flustered- because your kind is obsessed with having control and -lying- about what it means to have," he growls, "'free' will. Case and point!" The head bobs then gets up close and personal with Tsukiyomi's face, the chained moon god watching the aura dispassionately.

"Your will, the will of a -god-, holds my destiny beyond my own gift of foresight because of what lineage you were born unto?" A daunting snicker bounces off the walls of Tsukiyomi's study as Ryu laughs maniacally.

"At least when I rule over others, people know what they are to me. Your father is a cruel, cryptic man and you are -his- naïve son; telling yourself you understand everything that goes on behind the scenes up there when you don't know -anything-," Ryu hisses.

"While you waste time deciphering his message, I will be busy overthrowing you and tainting your mortal-- eliciting her to weep and beg for mercy because she would never have felt such soul-scorching pleasure by anyone's hands but mine."

He coos promisingly, flying around Tsukiyomi in a teasing taunt with a fiendish chuckle. Smirking so devilishly that it reflects on Tsukiyomi's physical lips, "mm, how I enjoy forcing you to watch feebly through your own eyes. Sigh," he strokes his jawline before running his fingers over his lips.

"I do much more with this body than you could ever dream," cupping his chin gently with a grin, he jumps to his feet.

Moving swiftly around the room, "you waste this form." Spinning in a circle with his arms up then down, "unsurmountable power yet forgiving of ningen worthy only to be worm food."

He stops suddenly and looks up, staring at the statue of a scantily clad, curvy woman on the bookshelf and smirks.

"Or a quick fuck and feast," Ryu straightens from his turn when his eyes land on a black oval mirror at the far back, left side of the room.

Inching suspiciously closer to the endless pool of black glass, "you squander time enduring the rules and suffering of a 'natural order'. This is why demons will always prevail," Ryu stares into the flawless obsidian glass he approaches, cracks of blue light materializing along the surface until the visage of a horned, black-eyed monster with silver scales looks back at him.

"We do not deny ourselves the simple pleasures in existence, thus we have nothing to keep us from gaining what we seek," he licks his fingers before smoothing out the eyebrows on Tsukiyomi's face by following the scaled ridges above his eyes in the dragon-yokai reflection.

"We get more power from humans that fear and lust for us compared to the few that praise and worship you. Why have faith in creatures that are so willing to give actual demons what they want for their own selfish reasoning?"

Tilting his head at the mirror, questioning Tsukiyomi with a sincere demeanor, he receives silence.

Shaking his head before standing up straight and grabbing his robes to shake and flatten the fabric casually down his hard body.

"Never have faith in a kind that doesn't have faith in you," Ryu sneers, making his way back to the chair and contemplating who to fuck with next.