Into Lands Unknown [Event]

Mission Stuff:

Dream Rilo:

As the landscape transitioned from the light of day to the cool, dark of night many of the villagers would have been heading to bed or beginning their days. There had been rumors of nightmares coming alive and plaguing many of the village denizens, but none had truthfully been a bother to the young male as he stared out of his window. Many had been afraid to go to sleep and at one point he could even see what he thought was a rift opening in the sky. Even then, Rilo had remained skeptical of the entire situation though even he knew that anything was possible in this world. Not giving any credence to the idea of monsters and nightmares running amok in the world, Rilo retired to his bed where he placed his katana on its stand, and neatly placed his day clothing into a bin where he would change into his night attire. As he got into the bed, he began to look up at the ceiling and pondered whether or not this was something he should have truly been concerned about. He did not have nightmares for the most part, only silent sleep. Sometimes he had seen images that did not make sense to him yet that had been it. Whatever was going on outside of these walls was something that did not make a lot of sense to him, but in time that would change. Slowly the lids of his eyes would cover the red of his eyes and soon he would be off to sleep after a couple of minutes. As his breathing slowed down to a crawl, he felt as if he had been floating in a cesspit of black, formless and motionless as he allowed sleep to fully take him over.

After a moment he found himself in a dark space, though he could not see any further in front of him and it felt like he was a spirit of sorts. Formless though this was not his usual feeling when he slept. As he tried to move around he would find that he had no limbs to command. Curious. Taking in a deep breathe he would focus on the bottom of his body at his feet. Focusing on his core he would begin to form his feet and legs slowly going up and continue to control his breathing. Even in the art of smithing one had to control their breathing to make sure they did not make a mistake. The next would be his arms and torso, the center that brought everything together. He knew his arms and chest far too well, they allowed him the facilities of his limbs and held his major organs and other things. Lastly would be his neck and head, ears and so on. With his final breath he would feel the tufts of hair begin to fill out before he touched the ground. Looking over his body he would instantly know that something was different. He stood a little taller than what he remembered and his clothing had been different. His hair had been a few inches longer, his body felt taller and looking at his attire his overcoat had changed from black to white. Reaching for his side he had found that he carried two katana's instead of one. The second one felt the most familiar in fact...as he reached for it, he knew it to be the sword he had been carrying since long before he could remember. As he unsheathed the blade he could hear the faint voices as a droplet of water slowly coalesced from it. Sheathing the blade he would smile and nod to himself. A good dream. Looking around the area around him would begin to form into that of a long forge. Tools of all types and weapons adorned the wall as the smell of smelting metal and smoke filled the air.

He slowly began to follow the only path forward not sure where it would lead him to, but it was a feeling that he had. One to continue onward.

682 WC

Heibon'na had prepared to go to bed that night without much difficulty. However, the day before her was rife with woes of exceeding too well in the world. Kirigakure no Sato had a plethora of above-average shinobi and she felt herself slipping up and beginning to excel at a higher rate than she expected. "It's too much honestly. There was always something to be wary of but I thought I sorted through that already. I just need to be more vigilant.." She told herself, drinking some sleep-time tea to help relax her. She knew that the nights had been dangerous but to the extent that it was, was not something she was fully aware of. Kirigakure no Sato had seen the rift form in the distance though most of the issues seemed to be focused on the main island where she was not. Now beginning to partake heavily in her academics, she had found a place to stay on the main island of the Land of Water. Falling asleep that night, she was fully unaware of what she was about to encounter.

Waking up she went through the motions of the day, her thoughts focused on her new place of rest and residence within the village proper. There was not much she could not do for the day for herself and she sent home money on the regular after taking care of her needs. it had been the start of the weekend and thus no academy courses for the day. Once she entered her bathroom she stared as she was not paying too close attention to her surroundings as she woke up groggily. Staring back at her was a different person. She moved and screamed in fright as she noticed that her appearance had changed to that of a guild attendant from her favorite light novel. She looked over her transformation as she assessed the changes in her body and figured it was likely just a dream, a more vivid dream but a dream nonetheless. A light sigh escaped her lips as she gave an affirmative nod and decided to explore her world. Before she realized more of what was going on, she had turned around and the space around her shifted and changed.

Dreamscape Apperance:

Heibon'na ventured into what appeared to her, the streets of Kirigakure No Sato. She found herself lurking about unsure about being spotted by anyone in this attire that made her look like some obsessive fan of the series she enjoyed. She liked the everyday average working individual and thought of herself as a unique individual for enjoying the idea of management and organizing others. It was a dream of hers to realistically become a shinobi and enter the administration of the village in some capacity rather than the elite forces of her village. She did not aim toward the top rung but would be satisfied with her dream and aspiration towards that of just an aide. On her journey forward through the Land of Nightmares unbeknownst to her, she saw remnants of other dreams. A patchwork teddybear who had seen too many fights, a paper crown that was torn in too many places to count, and even a few other knickknack-style items that kids were obsessed with. She bent down to look at one in particular, it was her brother's wooden kunai.

The item itself was nothing to take any notes of genuinely. It was a practice tool their father had used and blunted heavily from how often he trained. It became more of a paperweight by the time it landed in the hands of the Ogawa family's youngest. She picked up the wooden kunai and was curious as the landscape shifted around her. The place she had found herself in was ever twisting and coiling in energy, some that she was not that closely familiar with. Heibon'na in her attire dusted herself off, armed with a blunted wooden tool, for now, she knew that she needed to figure out what was going on. The memories of her own family were intermingled with that of others, and she was not going to let this go unanswered. As much as she did not inherently seek to solve an otherworldly problem, she was aware that if something was going on, she would need to report and figure out a solution to the problem in a degree of immediacy else there was likely going to be more issues later down the road for her.

She found herself wandering for a while before finding herself at a crossroads of sorts. There were no real distinct parts of her surroundings before a signpost began to form in the center of the road. "That's not normal at all..." She began to speak before it spun and spun and spun before one arrow landed towards the path she had come from. On the wood, Kirigakure's symbol became emblazoned on it indicating that was the path towards Kirigakure No Sato perhaps? She was unsure as the landscape around her shifted, one path leading to a mountain, the other towards a series of what Heibon'na could guess were floating stones of some sort. Turning to look down her path, there seemed to be storms and winds beating water against the path, another one tracking down towards another series of mountains except this one had a storm overhead and one that she did not care to venture forth under. Uncertain of the correct path as the signpost had 3 more arrows spinning, Heibon'na decided to remain and stay there at the crossroads.

Surely someone or another would arrive and help bring an explanation to what was going on. Somehow she was quite unsure of how it would all play out in this weird world she had wandered into. Perhaps others will arrive as once she did, one of the arrows locked in on the path she came from though she was uncertain of what it meant for the other paths or of the people to come.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 1,000 | TMWC: 1,682 / 15,500

The Dreams and Nightmares Affair was not something Hikari assumed would disappear at a moment's notice. Having encountered some situations already, there was more to uncover and learn about, and thus Hikari opted to try to delve deeper into the Land of Dreams, or better said, Land of Nightmares. The young Kitsune had figured out quite a bit before locking in the idea of how dreams had power and different capacities. She had been developing her own powers quite a bit and figured this would be a great time to explore and figure out if she could find out more about herself within the landscape of dreams. There were always catches no matter where she went but the Dreamscape Sea of the Land of Dreams was uncharted territory and a place where she could explore, figure out more, and test out what she could be capable of.

As she went to sleep that night she considered the others blessed by Inari, her brother, her sister, and her family. She thought of legends of the Nine-Tailed Fox alongside other historical Kitsune of the past. She thought of herself as powerful and a force of retribution against those who had wronged her and she wanted more. The last excursion she underwent into the Land of Nightmares resulted in a clash of reality set in form to the scope of herself. The final fight was not one she was found to remember due to her limited capacity at the time but she knew there was more to her than she wanted to admit. She desired to become stronger, to become an asset, and to be in charge given the option. Hikari had her sights set on leading her clan, to a better future, under her directive. She was unsure how best to broach the subject with her sister and it had been a long time since she had seen her brother. The young kitsune hoped that the two would likely be on her side, but she was unsure what would come of it.

Her mind was filled and as she found herself within the Dreamscape fully once more, she noticed her attire had shifted and changed. Perhaps it was due to the influence of another, perchance it was, it would keep her identity more hidden due to the disconnect at a minimum. Pink hair and fur with her tails combined into one was a change of pace for her. She shrugged it off as she ventured out once more into the Dreamscape around her. This time she imagined more and more different locations, seeking out more knowledge and answers possible. Perhaps someone out there she would encounter would have more knowledge she could work with or work towards within their collective setting. Previously she ventured into the Dreamscape from Kumogakure No Sato with other genin of her village, this time she felt like she would likely encounter various others.

Dreamscape Appearance:

Her attire was almost alluding to a shrine maiden of some kind from a light novel. It was one of the more popular ones she figured as there was no other reason for her to likely end up this way outside of her subconscious and she was acutely aware her fondness of pink was not as high as others. A light shrug would be her sticking point as her ears felt larger and were decently distinguishable though hidden at the same time amongst her hair. It was a baffling alteration to her form and in truth, thought nothing more of it as she approached a crossroads. Already present was another individual, a lost soul of sorts who stood by a signpost that had spinning directions. One pointing down a path of water that had Kirigakure No Sato's symbology on it led Hikari to assume this was a native from the Land of Water. It was surprising to her to see someone from so far away present in the Dreamscape. Presumably, it would have been closer individuals but Hikari took the note and decided to go with it, more knowledge from afar thankfully.

"Hello there. I believe you are lost within the Dreamscape Sea and are unaware of your own surroundings. I would recommend being vigilant in this space as it can be altered quickly and creatures are prone to be summoned to go after us." The young Kitsune stated as she approached the signpost. Slowly another arrow would lock in and point towards the route that Hikari had traveled. Kumogakure No Sato's symbol appeared upon that marker, Hikari took another note as she surveyed the surrounding area. Two more paths, yet only 2 people present so far. It meant others were likely to be arriving shortly enough. Perhaps more knowledge and experience would arrive to aid in the next chapter of these encounters. That was when Hikari's ears perked up as small entities of winged monkeys began to form and fly down one of the paths towards the group. Quick to act, Hikari unleashed handseals quickly before a sphere of heavy gravity blocked the path before the monstrous creatures would reach the two.

From the distance they were at, a silhoutte could be seen approaching with a baseball bat of some degree as the features they possessed were not that distinct at all. "Who goes there?" Hikari called out unsure of what kind of response she would receive from the newcomer. The idea of people being present, friend or foe was something to be worried about here as she had already encountered a nightmare version of herself. It was just a matter of time before this person came into full sight of the duo and made a full introduction. As more monkeys appeared to flee from this individual and get trapped in her Singularity Technique, the person on the path approaching continued to approach even while seeing the monkeys getting stuck. Undaunted they continued forward before Hikari yelled out warning the individual of the dangers of approaching was, "Stop there before you get hurt!"

WC: 1,000, TWC: 1,000 | TMWC: 2,682 / 15,500

Quinn's ventures into dreams were not quite as they seemed. Whenever they had gone into the Dreamscape, their form remained the same although the ideas and intentions of Quinn were rather linear in nature. The fear the others possessed was not something that Quinn was aware of. Their time in this world altered quite a bit of their perspective and when the idea that the conflict was not fully over, Quinn took it upon themselves to represent Otogakure No Sato to the best of their ability. Surely something or someone would not find their presence unwelcomed. Quinn was a go-getter after all, as they fell asleep that night, they let their mind wander instead of shut down. This proved to be the correct call.

With their bat in their hand, they already recognized the same proceedings as before when they arrived at this Land of Nightmares with Kaito and Hanzo. Surely if they were successful fully then the affair in its entirety would have been dealt with and their ability to venture forward would not have been successful. The Forgemaster surmised it was simply due to a resonant echo of the whole situation. That or there was more needed and necessary for the affair to be wrapped up and finished. With a light shrug, as they walked past the toys of children and the monikers of others' dreams, Quinn beelined somewhere else. Where in question was a mystery as they let their feet take them to where they needed to go. The Dreamscape would bring them to a group of people or further and deeper as it did before. An objective in mind was more than enough to guide the blacksmith onward.

Dreamscape Apperance:

Their appearance had altered though they were unaware of it. Their observation skills were not lacking in this facet but rather unphased by the alteration. Their hair grew longer, their body shape a bit more feminine, and yet their attire was almost something they would wear. Quinn took note of this at minimum as they did enjoy a new attire to be in potentially as the seasons were changing and perhaps this was one avenue to liven their interactions. Gloves on their hands and a nice tie accented with a red opalescence jewel to wrap up the fit, Quinn the Forgemaster made their approach as the screech and howls of monkeys got their attention. The creatures already had faced Quinn once before, made it clear they did not want to encounter the Otogakuran shinobi once more. Their screeches alerting others of their kind bolted from the Dreamscape that surrounded Otogakure no Sato's space in this reality or realm or plane of existence. Following them, Quinn knew they would lead somewhere.

The Forgemaster followed and pursued adamantly as they used their bat and techniques to swat out the stragglers while maintaining focus on the pursuit. Surely they would bring them to a location with others since they were so intent on lingering around the village's dream space. Considering the creatures thus far aimed to attack, it was likely that Kaito, Hanzo and the Forgemaster's efforts were not in vain. They probably needed to retreat once they took a strong hit within the Land of Sky's dreaming zone within the Land of Dreams. They observed the small minute differences between the two times they had been present there and noticed that the scenery was more encompassing of Otogakure No Sato properly. It appeared that their work was suitable enough to fight back against the force that was fighting and seeking to enter the Land of the Waking. Quinn nodded in affirmation as they progressed forward swatting one flying monkey after the next when they caught up to them.

A crossroad began to form in front of the Forgemaster as the progress forward was beginning to narrow. The Monkeys in mid-air were slammed to the ground before they could notice someone else opposite of them at the focal center point of the road. Hearing the warning, Quinn simply continued walking forward as the force and strength of the technique did put force on Quinn but they simply walked through it without much damage to themselves. "Hello there." Quinn began as they assessed the duo present. The signpost spun and spun before the 3rd arrow locked into the direction that Quinn came from and a note appeared signifying the village they came from, Otogakure No Sato. A firm nod of affirmation came from the Forgemaster as they assessed from the position they stood about the signpost, they came from other villages nearby. The Land of Sky was nestled between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water which put their meeting to be a more reasonable occurrence though there seemed to be a fourth to come. With the beginning of monsters spawning, Quinn knew whoever the fourth was to be they would find themselves coming into a rough situation.

"No time to talk. More creatures coming." Plainly speaking and quick to act, Quinn would begin to bat off more creatures that began to come from the various paths. Entities from each of the village's pathways began to form and converge on the group. Taking a forward position with their bat, Quinn moved the two behind them before jumping up to swing and beat down the creatures. With awareness of the Singularity field below, Quinn's strikes would launch them towards the outskirts of the field before they got pulled in or down against the ground versus Hikari's technique. Using their surroundings to their advantage, the waves that began to be present to fight against were ramping up slowly and surely. Using their knowledge of the situation to the best of their ability, it would only be so long before something else would stir and cause more issues for the group to manage and handle. Seeing the final arrow of the sign before them spinning, there was one path that had not had someone arrive from yet meaning another person was showing up.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 1,000 | TMWC: 3,682 / 15,500

The long path continued as Rilo walked in silence, his right forearm resting on his blades and his amber eyes looking around the area trying to place where he could be. For him it had simply been long paths of cobblestone and weapons on the walls mixed with lanterns with whispers he could not necessarily make out but could hear. The Ametsuchi did not pay any mind to these voices but the weapons continued to draw in his attention attempting to pull him off the course that he had been walking on. Each weapon called his name as if he had crafted them but this was the first time he had ever seen them. Each step echoed in the endless expanse that he had been walking through yet one thing he could never wrap his mind around was why did this narrow corridor only exist with weapons and fire. Was this something that occurred when he had slept? Or was this how he always dreamed and that was why he never remember it. Either way he continued on his trail until he could hear something. Ears sensitive due to the ringing of metal and steel caused him to stop in his tracks as he attempted to listen into this surroundings. Flames and voices would die down as he could hear something cutting through the wind. Was it a blade? No this sounded perverted and monstrous... Was it an animal? Not a bird that he had heard of and the darkness was making it hard for him to see through it. Taking in a deep breath he would remember that burning feeling when he had first awakened it. His Kenseigan. His amber eyes would begin to glow in colors of fevered orange and pink as they pierced through the darkness and there he could see it. Winged monkies.

Whatever these abominations were they were coming to him and were cutting off his advance. At long last he would be able to feed his steel a worthy battle. Sliding his left foot back he would grip the top blade, even if he could feel Enten, his favored blade ringing in his mind, he knew that this was not the battle for it. The Refined Katana would be gripped with his left hand as he took in a deep breath and dashed forward, slicing through the first monkey with a brilliant display of dexterity. The sword would be quickly sheathed as he continued forward, drawing and sheathing the blade as he sliced through the opposition without missing a beat. As he looked around he could see more and more coming in the direction he had been going to, but that did not bother him. His sword would continue to ring until he finished the last one that had been standing in his way. With a single swing of the blade the blade would flick off of the blade and with a second motion it would be sheathed. Continuing on the path he would continue until he had came to a crossroads. In the center he could see a few people battling the winged creatures and just as he was thinking of speaking, he would see one coming from the blind side of the red haired female?? Without thinking he dashed forward, Enten being drawn as he sliced through the monstrosity and sheathed the blade just as quickly as he unsheathed it. Taking in a deep breathing his glowing eyes would look upon her and offer a small nod to see if she was alright but outside of that he would change his focus on taking care of the other invaders. Unsheathing his Refined Katana he would take to fighting not missing a beat as if it was a dance of blades. Each movement was well calculated and not a single movement was wasted. As soon as the threat was eliminated he would sheathe his blade and walk back over to the path that he had took to get here.

Looking at the sign he would notice that the sigil for Hoshigakure would appear on his sign, but more so those that came before him also bore a village symbol. Sheathing the Katana he would turn around to face those that were involved in the fight. Looking them over he would notice one key thing- They were all women. A hint of embarrassment would appear at least mentally and would not show to those within the space. He was not the type to spend time with women or people in general so this was a little awkward for him, but he had just as quickly put on his adult pants and speak. Crossing his arms he would walk to the center of where the fight had taken place," I assume you all are alright? Secondly does anyone know where we are?," it was a first for him and if any of them had knew where they had been it would help him get his bearings. In the meantime he would deactivate his Kenseigan, returning to his amber hues as he looked around the space with his normal eyes again. The space had returned to normal as he continued to look around for a moment, thoughts forming within his mind on whether or not this was a space that was concocted by some practitioner of the arts.. Maybe he had been snatched from his bed and placed in a jail like situation but even then who would go through it. Another thought was that his teacher had found a good reason to teleport him somewhere, but not even that ice dragon was petty enough for this. Either way he would wait on the response of his new company to figure out what had been going on. If they knew what this place was that would give him an indication on what to do.

At this point he would simply wait in silence, likely to talk if one had spoken to him though he would keep his distance from the trio until he had gotten a good grasp on who they were.

WC: 1,061/ TWC: 1,743 / TMWC: 4,698/ 15,500

Being the first to arrive yet appearing to know the least of the situation, Heibon'na turned to look between the three others who arrived. It almost felt as if she was in her light novels though the mysticism of the first two was brought into contrast with the last to arrive. A young man who felt like he was around her age but she was never good at that. She likely looked like a child amongst the other two. Even in the guild attendant's attire, someone who should have more if not a good portion of details was irrelevant in this situation. She sighed like she was just another person in the crowd yet here she was, one of four about to fight for the Land of Dreams. Perhaps she should just try to go back to sleep and she would wake up but something told her that, that was not going to work. Once the signpost locked in all the symbols, a fifth arrow began to form and pointed towards a new forming route, the rest of the scenery diverging from the initial setup that was formed upon their arrival. The path itself mixed and muddled in a mixture that was not distinct enough to claim from one village or the next.

Staying quiet themselves, Heibon'na awaited to hear what the others had in mind. Looking towards Hikari and Quinn who were quick to act, quick to speak, and to hear at least appeared to have an idea of what was going on. Surely there was an answer from them that they could take advantage of as a group. With a blunted wooden kunai in hand, she was quickly aware that she was way over her degree of concept and that let her think about the route and path she was planning on taking forward. There was a multitude for her to work on within the village of Kirigakure no Sato but there was work elsewhere that was needed. Should something akin to this arise without her awareness, what could she do to help? There was much on her mind but one thing in sight caught her attention, a stack of books on the path that had formed. It was children's books, a multitude scattered across the path. From bedtime stories to young novels and chapter books, a variety of different subject material had formed but that was when she came back to what was going on after the others had begun to speak. "Oh! My name is Ogawa, Heibon'na. Ogawa as in Small River."

She was scatterbrained in this moment as the other two elaborated and explained to the best of their understanding. When she said two she meant one, the Pink Kitsune known as Hikari discussed in detail their own past experience thus far and the things she had encountered. Heibon'na simply listened as the two proceeded to walk down the newly made path, "But are you sure?" She asked as Quinn continued to walk forward into the unknown that was presented before them. "Are you sure this is the right path? The right way?" She questioned as the process itself seemed ridiculous to her. The idea that dreams were being corrupted and turned into a multitude of monsters and amalgamations and this was not just 'a dream' was unfathomable. It truly was crazy talking! Dreaming allowed people to explore their minds and experience things they ordinarily would not be able to do so. The fact that she was apparently cognizant was more of a fever dream or a lucid one than her consciousness actually being in a realm known as the 'Land of Dreams' that was becoming or attempting to be turned into the 'Land of Nightmares'.

All of it was ridiculous but Quinn continued to walk forward as their bat swung with the force to move a boat even. Their show of strength was baffling to consider and with the idea of someone this strong, this deterministic, was something that Heibon'na could not dream up herself. There had to be some truth even though the Forgemaster appeared to be a female presenting version of another one of their light novel characters. There was no way this was not some wild dream of her own but that left Rilo. Rilo was not like the other two and in fact appeared to be simply just another person stuck in a similar situation as herself. He felt more normal, more average like her, but she was so unsure of it. Her features themselves were not all that different but there was no telling between Hikari and Quinn if their presentations were similar to who they purporting to be from, as Hikari put it, 'the Land of the Waking'. Somehow someway they ended up in the same mess and now it was time to work together.

The screams of monsters and beasts and creatures of nightmares began to fill the airspace once more as Quinn trudged forward, there was a multitude of ideas running through Heibon'na's head including that of her family. They were defenseless against something of this capacity if what Hikari brought up was true. She felt as if there was something she left out at this point in the explanation, but there was no way of knowing unless she herself knew. There was a degree of melancholy almost that she could feel from the kitsune but there was no knowing. They were willing to work, help, and act for the sake of others and likely out of self-preservation but that did not stop them from simply acting without talking to the rest. Surely this was a good sign for the group's chances to succeed here where there was still more to do and complete within the Land of Dreams to help it defend against the advances of those who would want to transform it into the Land of Nightmares. Heibon'na was uncertain of how she could help but with that blunt wooden kunai, she would try.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 2,000 | TMWC: 5,698/ 15,500

"The Land of Dreams. Better said, however, what remains of the Land of Dreams. A landscape, or dreamscape depending on semantics, that exists as a domain to reinforce the world we normally walk and contain all that we conjure without proper form. However, that is simply speculation based on scholars of Kumogakure that I have read within our campus. The reality we face is that we have somehow walked into a communal space or domain within the Dreamscape Sea." Hikari began to ramble staring at the signpost once it locked in upon Rilo's arrival. Expanding her explanation of what she knew and had encountered already, Hikari's assessment was factual and seemed to indicate that success was vital to the longevity of the world that the group lived in. "There's a lot of factors to keep in mind which is mental familiarity of locations, our own minds can conjure and form items consciously or subconsciously. Nightmares feed upon the fear that we possess and we will have to face them head forward." She added before she heard the more timid of the two that she had seen of the ones that were not swinging a bat wildly introduce herself as Heibon'na. 'Mundane...' Hikari thought to herself before offering a reassuring smile to the fellow teenager, "My name is Kobayashi."

Once the fifth path formed, the proceedings within this dreamscape mirrored what she had already encountered which made understanding the series of events to become easy to inform and relay. Before she could begin to speak up once more, Quinn began to move forward upon the fifth path and with a huff of acceptance, began to follow the Forgemaster. Once they had gone a few meters, the timid girl spoke up asking if they were sure. Quinn seemed to dismiss the initial question and continued forward before Hikari chose to respond, "As sure as I am that I am here and present before you." She said as Heibon'na spoke up once more, breading uncertainty before it was Quinn who responded with a simple answer. Hikari had no better answer to give at that moment and a light warm smile crept on the rather cold-calculating kitsune's face. Her body seemed to react in ways that were unnatural for her as the feelings and sensations replicated her emotions as best as they could in such a foreign presenting appearance. It was not of her own form but it was of her own kind at least.

The Forgemaster was proceeding forward without stop or pause which led to Hikari having to jog to keep up. Heibon'na also seemed to not be able to maintain the pace as she spoke up, "Perhaps slowing down would be in the best interest of the group as a whole. We shouldn't operate alone in this space!" She called out as Quinn finally took pause. The memories of children's dreams were fading off the path resulting in smaller creatures beginning to form and grow from the darkness that entrenched the path they had taken. Without a moment's hesitation, Quinn was quick to act, moving in a blitz of speed, launching swing after swing against the beginning waves of creatures, a look of disdain and frustration laced the rather emotionless face that showcased the physical strength of the group. "As much as I would love to get out of here as quickly as it appears you do, I think abandoning the rest of us is not in the best interest of a fruitful and successful resolution."

Quinn had turned once the first wave of creatures was dismissed and taken care of. They stood still for a moment as more cries could be heard. A mixture of crying children, screaming monsters, and screeching filled the space once more as the path that had taken shifted and expanded to a more open field with knee-height grass for the small kitsune. The openness was somehow to their advantage this go around though unclear why the dreamscape chose an open field. Quinn chimed up at this moment before the bat they were using became rampant with chakra, their attention set on the creatures that were coming and on their way instead of the group. "You can't just brute force your way to the end of this! You have to maintain some semblance of rationality and work with us!" Hikari vocalized aggressively at this point, forming seals back to back creating two spatial holes on the eastern and western flanks of them. Similarly forming another singularity behind them towards the south, creating a bottleneck effect pushing and land-based traveling creature towards the north relative direction.

Hikari assessed the creatures to the best of their ability trying to figure out anything of metric or justification for their creation this go around within the dreamscape. Surely being in this setting once more would provide some degree of answers to the group let alone the answers she sought after for Kumogakure no Sato in this situation. Her village needed help and saving from this menace as the massive rift overlapped into their borders and it was that much more important for her as she could determine from the symbols on the initial signpost that they encountered. Heibon'na cowered behind Hikari which was wild to see a semi-crouched shinobi in this situation. It was very likely that the girl may have been an older academy student as she had been. Empathy was not something she was inclined to show but in a problem encounter like this, it would have to do. "We will be facing waves for a while, be warned that something will begin to form in the corner of your vision. That's fine! We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Stay alert, I'm not sure if these creatures will behave like ones I have already encountered previously though the idea definitely would be nice for simplicity's sake." Hikari added in preparing for the waves of creatures to begin their onslaught against the makeshift shinobi world squad.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 2,000 | TMWC: 6,698/ 15,500

Quinn took note of what was going on between the group and saw Rilo come out with a blade in hand. That was enough for them to make the determination that the group was good enough and good to go. Between the four of them, Quinn could sense each one and had a small feeling of understanding of the concept and based on their various reactions, a general idea of familiarity. Hikari began to ramble off about the tiny details but explained it all with a decent amount of understanding and in better words than Quinn could have put them into. Eventually, the office aide of a girl spoke up about their name, and without missing a beat right after Hikari spoke, Quinn did their spiel. "Quinn. Blacksmith. Forgemaster. Business Owner. Melee combatant." Giving a bit more depth in terms of their specialties. Not that it was not obvious by their approach or stature but it would become clear as the group progressed forward. It was a curious thought about stating they owned a business. Even though Fosters' Forge was growing in popularity, it only had recently became accessible to the global markets.

That was when Heibon'na spoke and questioned the direction. The growing amount of frustration came from Quinn as they breathed in and out before making a very obvious statement clear, "No other way. Only path not to a home. Need to move." With that, it appeared Hikari did not protest and assumed that the young aide would likely stick near Hikari's side. This did not bother Quinn in the slightest as they pointed towards Rilo when they stopped to make the statement. "Cover the rear. Protect the girls. I'll take point. Issues?" They declared without giving Rilo much time to respond. Considering the way they had swung the baseball bat, it was obvious that if they had chosen a katana or any edged blade it would equally be as deadly, if not more so due to the sheer cutting power it would possess. With a multitude on their mind and with a constant lookout, with the expectation of some similarities, the voice of Hikari rang out once more that they had gone too far forward. Their idle speed was greater than the group's. Even with their back toward the group, it was easy to tell the Forgemaster was getting frustrated.

The cobble beneath their feet shifted as they could sense the creatures coming and began to act quickly. Turning to face the group and lock eyes with Rilo, an easy read from the blacksmith of Otogakure was that they were going to handle this first oncoming wave. Breathing in and releasing a strong force of will upon their body, moving at their max speed in a quick blitzing motion, the Forgemaster's bat was splattered with darkness and other substances as the creatures took form and seemed to be filled with whatever children imagined the inside of said creatures to be like. Typically it was nothing, no concept of anatomy, but other times like now, there was a mixture of fluids. This added to the frustration they had and sighed when Hikari began to chastise them. Pinching the bridge of their nose before seeing Hikari act more swiftly than Quinn had anticipated. The group became enclosed in what Quinn figured was more of the capacity and space-time techniques that the kitsune had used earlier. Turning to look at Rilo once more, it was a clear distinction of where the enemies would be coming from.

Hikari's words echoed in the space as the field around them began to swarm with creatures. The severity of the problem was being managed by Hikari's techniques but there would likely be a degree of time that they needed to survive and hopefully, that was shorter than how long the kitsune could maintain the techniques. "Cover any that come through." Quinn finally declared looking towards the swordsman. "One doesn't look combat-ready. Other is playing defense. Need another on the offense." Once said, Quinn turned their attention to using their difference in speed to remove the larger and bigger threats as soon as they could spot, identify, and approach safely. As much as they could go through the spheres made by Hikari, it was best not to tempt fates any more than they already had. It was likely by now that the silhouettes of themselves would form, though this time it was unknown variables. Quinn guessed the nightmare version of Heibon'na would simply just be a better-equipped villager due to the lack of capacity they had presented thus far, Hikari's alternative self would likely be more problematic for the Blacksmith as getting close enough to engage in close-ranged combat to someone like her would pose to be a problem at this rate.

There were always catches, something unfortunate to encounter and deal with. Surely the two girls would show that they were wrong about their assessment but it was going to be a show-and-tell moment for sure. There was Rilo who seemed almost as lost as Heibon'na but at least showed competency upon entry to the area that they ran into. Considering there was a blade involved, Quinn did have a little bias as they let a lot of the wind out of their body with the breathing, helping them retain and maintain a cooler and more leveled head. "Aye be careful. Nightmare versions will come soon. Nightmares of us. Any tips and tricks. Best to say now. Might not be easy. Might have to face another. I dislike Genjutsu." Quinn stated openly as someone who was working with shinobi from other villages. It was a sheer drastic change in the way they were handling the situation as it was now that they took on a more protective and proactive speaking role, not letting Hikari ramble herself and the others to death with her words. "Be quick. Be confident. Be precise. We are together." They added in, attempting to give them a vote of confidence.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 2,000 | TMWC: 7,698/ 15,500

And here he had been. Looking over the quartet as it was he was...conflicted of his thoughts. Of the four, One of the females had seem the studious type. Smart. Knowledgeable of topics he probably was not even aware of. Then came the black haired one. Young. Inexperienced. Not a liability but probably did not trust in herself enough. Then the red head. Bossy. As blunt as the weapon she carried. Seemingly did not care about the situation or want to be here yet here she was. Two of them had information about the place which either meant they had been through this before or had simply carried or passed knowledge from someone else. Either way they would be the guides in this affair to return back to their daily lives and escape this nightmare. Rilo listened to the explanation of the dreamscape from Hikari taking in everything she had said with pure interest, especially about the part about them being able to conjure items from their mind which would explain why he had Enten...The blade still was in the possession of his mentor so there was not a plausible way that he should have had it, but here he was with it. His left hand would cup his chin as he went into thought for a moment but only long enough to collect what he had been thinking at the time until the others had begun to introduce themselves. Looking from one to the other he would place his hand back to his side as he was last to speak," Rilo. Apprentice to the Forge master of the Dragon's Hour and swordsmen," that was the extent of what he had to share since they could see he used swords so that was a bit redundant. His initial reaction to the three was well warranted seeing as Hikaru was the more "gentle" of the three while Quinn would have been the opposite end of the spectrum. This was definitely going to be an interesting combination of people.

As the group began to walk along the path, he would take the rear making sure to keep his head on a swivel, listening and looking around for anything that could sneak up on them. In this space he could see something in the corner of his eyes just like Hikari had mentioned and even more so when he activated his Kenseigan. The fabric of this space would become more apparent to him, but this was no usual mass of space-time creation. For certain things, when he looked at them under the guise of the doujutsu he could see the fabrics or lines that made up space and chakra to an extent but here...he could not see any of that. Small lines that made up the fabric of this space could be seen but nothing else on his end could be made out which made it all the more infuriating. What was apparent to him however at this point was that the air between Hikari and Quinn was tangible enough to where he could see it even with his normal vision. He would of course stay out of their mini tiff and focus his sights forward. He did however feel a tad sad for the younger female who had been going through this silent for the most part. She had seemed like the only one that would have some variation of difficulty protecting themselves, but at the moment he was not going to let her just be defenseless. Walking over to the black haired female he would pull out the Tanto that he usually would keep up, but in this situation it would find use with someone and hand it to her," No need to be afraid. It may not be much but it will help you protect yourself and if you find yourself in danger just call on me," he would pat her on the shoulder gently to at least show some sign of assurance before moving forward.

Another wave of monsters would begin to form and the red headed forge master would brazenly state that they were going to take the first wave. For a moment Rilo contemplated a rebuttal but who was he to deny someone their fun or a swift dispatch. Staying back he would cross his arms, standing to the right of Heibon'na just in case. They may have tried to pick her off, but in the even that they tried he would be there to deal with it. He merely stood by and watched as Quinn took care of the first wave of enemies with more surely on the way toward them. His vision could not make out anymore and that was likely due to the chakra-less mass of monsters that were coming at them. At first none were coming through the makeshift defense that Hikari had made, but over time they would be making their way through. Reaching into the back of his coat he would pull out a set of four needles, each one being roughly an inch in length. Instead of using his swords this time and potentially causing an additional gap in their formation, he would begin to throw the needles hitting the ones that would squeeze through directly in the center. Just big enough to dispatch the creatures he would slowly draw the Refined Katana and when one of the monsters came closer he would begin to dispatch them. Without moving too much he would slash one after another keeping his pace but also making sure he was close to the other two in case they needed him. Both spoke of nightmare versions of themselves and honestly Rilo did not understand what that had meant. Did this mean they would have to fight themselves? Conquering a form of themselves that would test their very being? Or would they have to fight the nightmare versions of the other party members?

There were too many variables for the young swordsmen to even consider thinking about, but that mass in the corner of his eye continued to grow. Mold. And soon he would realize what the two meant. It was a flash, a swift moment in time that if he was a tad slower both he and Heibon'na would have be slashed. With a swift swing he would block a blade that had seemingly came from nowhere, but the arm of the owner would begin to form until he stared face to face with no other than himself. Moving the black haired girl out of the way he would make a nodding motion for her to move before he took the fight to himself. Moving forward he would swing his blade quickly pushing back the nightmare version of himself until they were both a good distance from the group so that no one else got hurt in their exchange. Both locked eyes as he stared into an opposite window of himself, the doppelganger refusing to say anything but he could see it in his eyes what he wished to convey. Sheathing the Refined Katana he would take in a deep breathe and wait. As he exhaled both would dash forward as a glimmer of light shined off of their blades, sheathing and slashing before re-sheathing the blades and continuing the same dance. The two continued matched in movement, but Rilo could see no end to it. No way to end it. Each movement was countered by another as he originally thought he was pushing the nightmare back but instead he would be locked in the same place.

Frustration began to take over as he continued the downhill battle and finally the nightmare spoke," You think of yourself as someone who can simply make a new life when you don't even remember your past. A child who cowers behind a persona made by others. A blank slate who lets whoever add on to it without wondering. Without questioning. You carry that blade without asking the important questions. You are pitiful in every right. That is why you will fail. That is why you will never be more than a tool," the nightmare smiled, a smile that broke the features of its own face as it began to push Rilo back. The words had rattled his concentration in a way that words normally different. Was it because they came from a version of him? Words that would carry no meaning coming from someone else had hit differently when it was your mouth being used to deal them. Like a cut from a sword he had been wounded because in the smallest of senses he was right. All he had been since he was found was a slate others had poured into. No sense of independence even if he had tried to show it. What was he if not a sheet of paper that others had written a story for him? What was his own story if he could not even remember the beginning of his own tale? These questions caused a shift in his concentration that would cause him to begin to falter and like falling dominoes he began to lose the will to fight. The nightmare continued to swing and bash at the now waning defense of Rilo, causing the white clad male to buckle and slowly be pushed to his knees. The darkness slowly began to encroach upon the swordsman until something had flickered in his mind. At first it was a broken scene, as if the film of the movie had been distorted or broken. But slowly it began to fix itself as he had seen himself younger, and in the arms of someone.

The voice was muffled but he could make out the words of the person who had been speaking.

"Never lose hope and never lose your way. You are what you make yourself...my son."


The words continued to echo in his mind as what could have been the final swing from the nightmare was blocked by his blade. His closed eyes would slowly open as the colors of the Kenseigan burned in his eyes. His will had slowly began to return as he slowly stood up, pushing the nightmare back as he took his stance and shook his head," Maybe you are right and i've let people write my story...but I am the narrator of how things will go. Now begone shadow," as he finished he would sheathe his blade and dash forward, unsheathing his blade with blinding speed before slowly sheathing it. As the guard of his sword clinked against the scabbard of his sword he would close his eyes and sigh," Now begone shadow....never again to torment me," and as he finished the shadow of himself would begin to bisect and slowly disappear into wisps. Taking in a deep breathe he would slowly turn to check on the others to see how their battle was going. As he was about to rejoin them he would be cut off by some of the same monsters that had attacked the group earlier, he would unsheathe his blade and let out another sigh," Out of the frying pan and into the fire... I hate this," swinging at the first monster that would come at him, he began his new battle as he tried to hold out until the others came through. Whatever their own personal battles were he would only hope that they would not succumb or almost succumb like he did. Of the four, he figured both Quinn and Hikari would be able to snap out of it due to them knowing what would be happening now. Though with how he had seen Heibon'na acted maybe she would be the one that might have succumbed. He would not put her out of the fight yet for she could very well disprove them all, but until such a time he would continue to fight to protect them. It would be the only thing he could do for them at this moment and hopefully after this they could be free of this world.

WC: 2,011
TWC: 3,072
TMWC: 9,707/15,500

As the group moved forward into the Dreamscape, the retorts and assessments the group had of her were relatively spot on. Heibon'na was ill-equipped, ill-prepared, and for lack of a better word, a burden to their progress. The concern for protecting her was also aggravating to her. She was on her journey and wound up here but accident surely but when the monsters truly began their assault, that was when it was clear the most. The blunt wooden kunai in her hand was nothing but a toy in the showcase of Rilo and Quinn's weaponry styles and swings. Hikari making crowd control so trivial as well made it clear that even if she was the lowest on the totem pole, she was not the base of something greater. The whole she helped add to was just bait, not support.

Heibon'na cursed at herself as she bore witness to the creation, development, and spawning of the creature in the corner of her vision stepped forward towards her while the others were distracted, a true kunai in their hand. It said nothing, its features blank unlike hers. A blank copy of herself, moldable still, being created at the moment, a canvas to be painted upon. The wooden tool in her hand found itself clashing against the tool, a sharp and distinct point aimed at her as she blocked and pushed back against herself. The blank copy slowly tilted its head at the young teen student. There was a modicum of annoyance that could be conveyed in the simple body language it possessed. The entity that formed herself had little to work with, little to press against when it came to the reflection it was.

It was a cruel thing to do, creating a shadow, a nightmare version, of Heibon'na. There was nothing to work with, nothing to use, it was like a freshly made piece of paper. So much potential and so much use but at the time of creation, nothing was present to warrant the decision to choose her as a target to pull from. Heibon'na on the other hand stared terrified of the almost doll-like creature that stood before her. She could tell it was angry by the way it gripped the kunai in its hand. Surely there was a degree of chance she possessed but how? How could a student with a lack of training be able to just beat something that was at minimum a stronger version of her? The terror already filled her body and kept her still for a while as the nightmare version of herself began to move forward, one step, another step, one more step, getting closer to the young Kirigakuran girl.

The trigger for her to rise was the chip in the wooden kunai in her hand. The kunai of Nightmare Heibon'na had dug into the blunt tool that was of her father. Slowly standing up, the fear that was once there was no longer present in her eyes. The severity of what stood before her was just that of a doll... a doll that was less than her, a no-one from Kirigakure. Launching the wooden kunai at the nightmare, it stopped and deflected the lackluster throw only to be charged by the student and mounted on the ground throwing punches in a fit of rage. She did not scream, she did not yell, she did not say a word as she punched over and over the nightmare version of herself. Blood splattered the surrounding head of the entity. It slowly faded into the darkness as it left the body as she continued to punch and punch more. Tears streaked down her face once she was done and stood up and sniffed, turning to look at the rest of the group.

She picked up the wooden tool as before and then the metal one that the copy had possessed. She shook her head before looking at Rilo and then the other two, she was the last to overcome the entity that was faced against her. She was struggling but when the entity that was defeated, a bigger more gruesome entity rose to be the next challenger for the group. It bellowed out a roar that shook the space they encompassed and with that, shook their bodies to the core from vibrations or fear, though it would not be easy to determine. The entity made of shadows gave form when the light within the area reflected off of scales, it revealed wings that were hidden in the dream essence that made up the space. The scene shifted once more to that of a crossroads, no signpost, no accents to say where they would be going, but there was one distinct path laid out before them. A cobblestone path that eventually became an amalgamation of light and dark elements glowing in outlines as it led to the entity standing before them.

Gripping the two kunais in her hand, Heibon'na waited. She was unsure what to do, how to act, or when to make a decision in this sliver of time. The others had power, direction, and drive to make the decision and act. Holding the two, she looked between them and the creature that was before them, looming over with great hands looking to sweep them from the plane of existence by the time it fully spoke aloud. "Fools! Fools once more! You have come to fight again and have brought weaklings?!" It accused, presumably referring to Hikari and Quinn who had come before and in reference to Rilo and herself being newcomers to the situation. An amazing and baffling concept to think of, to see such a creature exist outside of even light novel pages, it truly felt like she was in some sort of freak fairy tale gone wrong by this point in time as it continued to speak except Heibon'na did not hear the words it spoke as she was simply frozen in place, awaiting the final verdict of what was coming.

WC: 1,000, TWC: 3,000 | TMWC: 10,707/ 15,500