She hadn't moved. Half the day had gone by, the sun being replaced by the silver moon. She didn't want to move. She couldn't move.

Sure, hours had gone by and she hadn't changed from her canine form. She hadn't bothered hunting for food, or searching for water. Louna remained at the stone entrance with only herself and chirping nightlings who occasionally had the courage to come near her. It didn't seem like she was a threat, and they were right. Louna wasn't a threat to anyone, which was why she just couldn't understand the dramatic event before. Maybe she never would.

Finally raising from her feet, the nightlings moving out of the way of her path, Louna started on a invisible path to possibly no where. She jumped down from a ledge, then followed a dirt path that brought her to a gate with a large guardian sapling behind it. Louna stared up at the large tree, no specific thoughts on her mind besides wondering where she could go and if someone could possibly help her. And it was at this thought that Louna's body had a faint outlined glow about it, and then the butterfly emerged. Watching as the creature that started her trouble flew around her--Louna snapping her jaws at it--she could have sworn she was going to be in for another tornado-like experience. To her surprise, the odd butterfly just flew in one path, seeming to beckon her to follow. Reluctantly, she did. She had no other option.

Louna was led from the valley and to a small village. She was never one to leave the territory of the Oina's, so she had no idea what village it was. But as she walked people stared at her, seeming to keep a wary eye. Perhaps it was because they thought she was a wolf of some sort? Louna continued to follow the butterfly, making it to a path that split into two before she was confronted by an odd old man.

"You there, canine!" Called the old man. "Stop in your place!"

Louna glanced behind her, her eyes scanning over the man. He was tall, not too old, and had a little tree growing on his head. Her eyes stared at his oddity before tilting her own head to the side and sitting on the ground.

"You are no Amaterasu, wolf. Your fur is black and white unlike Amaterasu's was a pure white. What is it you're doing in this village?"

She had absolutely no idea. She was just following a butterfly after all… But how featherheaded would she have sounded to reply? To just play the part of a normal wolf would probably leave her off better, but eventually the elder would have to notice her own oddity, the jewel resting on the middle of her forehead.

"Your silences is rude, wolf," spoke the elder. Louna continued to remain silent, her head turning to see if the butterfly had perhaps disappeared. "But I suppose you were just passing. Be gone then. Off with you."

With a slight huff, Louna picked herself up and turned again, starting off in the direction she had last seen the butterfly go. It had taken the left of the two split areas. Louna's paws moved slowly, her stomach rumbling slightly from hunger. She didn't allow herself to stop walking until she made it to a stone gate. Her eyes stared at it carefully, absorbing the large guardian tree behind it. The butterfly was resting on the gate, its wings barely moving. At first glance the area seemed to be dull, just a tree and nothing more. The only thing she was capable of seeing was a man dressed in pink robes and an odd hat.

"I've been waiting for you, my dear. You've kept me waiting for quite some time."

Was he speaking to her? Louna glanced around, trying to see if she could spot someone else. But it only caused the man to chuckle, and he turned around to face her. His features were very sharp and attention catching. He had small almond eyes the color of a deep green. His thin lips were pulled back into a warm smile, one that probably meant for her to feel comfortable, but it didn't. His jaw was small, but chin perfectly rounded. Though sharp, his features contained a small feminine touch that added to his beauty. He reached a hand out and beckoned her through the gate.

"I have clothing for you, since I know you most likely don't have any of your own," he told her.

Clothing. It was one of the most important things she would need. She stepped through the gate, he moved out of her way, and she saw the neatly folded clothing near the tree. Louna walked over to it slowly, cautiously, as if something was going to pop out from under the attire.

"Go on. I promise nothing's wrong with it," the man told her.

"Who are you?" Louna said, shifting into her normal self. The man turned as soon as the long blue sweater she was wearing fell off of her, leaving her bare. Louna glanced over her shoulders to make sure he wasn't watching. Her hands quickly swooped up the attire, and she started to dress herself.

"Moi?" the man said, pointing to himself. "You can call me Waka, a very close friend to Amaterasu."

Louna snorted, adjusting the small silver obi that tied around the black kimono. The kimono was short, only falling to her thighs, but a pair of shorts were provided to her relief. "Amaterasu…" she muttered. "Of course you are. How I can I doubt that?" she added sarcastically.

"Mmhm, is that strong hatred I sense?" Waka asked her, glancing over his own shoulder to see if she was done dressing. He turned at the right moment, she was just slipping on the wooden sandals.

"What is it you want?" Louna asked bluntly, her lips pulling into a frown. "How did you even know I was coming here?"

Waka pointed to the butterfly, it didn't surprise her. He already claimed to be a helper of Amaterasu, and she wasn't pressing him for anymore information. Her stomach growled lowly, wanting to be fed, but she had no food and had no intentions of asking this complete stranger for help. He had already given her clothes when she shouldn't have trusted him in the first place.

"Hungry?" Waka asked her, tilting his head to the side as he watched her glance up to the moonlit sky. Only her stomach replied, causing her frown to grow, and giving her a slightly sheepish look. Waka chuckled lightly, and beckoned for her to follow. "If you come with me I can also promise food," he told her.

Reluctantly, but starting to starve, she followed him into the village. Louna kept her mask on the whole time, preventing him from seeing the rest of her face. She spotted the old man from before, watching the both of them with a slightly confused expression. She wondered if he had identified her as the wolf from before. But she noticed that few others stared, too. She could only wonder why. Louna kept feet behind Waka, also noticing he was leading her back to the valley.

"Where are we going?" Louna asked quietly, staring at a merchant they passed and nodding her head in kind respect.

"Well, I figured we should go to Sei-An City," Waka said. "But I know that you wouldn't trust me to get there a faster way, and walking would probably make you feel more comfortable until we get to the fairy," he stated with a small flick of his wrist. And he was right. Walking would make her more comfortable, but a starving stomach in demand wouldn't.

"Well…" Louna started, shifting uncomfortably. "What's the faster way?" she asked.

"Sure you want to find out?" Waka asked her, and she knew he was smirking from the tone of his voice.

"No," Louna muttered. "But…" She was eager to eat. She didn't really seem to have noticed the butterfly now resting on her shoulders, returning to her body as she made up her mind. Waka waited patiently for her to continue, believing that he should probably make the decision himself.

"You don't trust me is the case." Waka spoke in a friendly nature as if he had known Louna since she first escaped from the womb. Louna's frown became smaller. He hit the nail on the dot. Trust would be an issue for a while in her current case. "I promise it won't harm you."

Before she even had the chance to say anything else, Waka slipped an arm around her waist. He wore a bright smile, though stared in a different direction away from her glare. Louna glanced at the small sparkles appearing around them, wondering what strange event was going to take place now before she noticed Waka's body and her own vanishing. Louna's jaw dropped, and for a moment she almost started screaming until Waka prevented that from happening.

"Relax," he told her. "This is the faster way."

It was only seconds later, after their bodies had vanished, that she and the strange man reappeared within a long hall. His arm fell from her waist and to his own side, not lingering even for a moment. Louna swayed a little, completely thrown off balance from that experience.

"Let's take the longer way next time," she mumbled.

Waka ignored her. "Anyway Louna, this is my palace, located within Sei-An City. And yes, this happens to be the city holding the Queen within. However, I chosen to take you to this place instead because it'd be easier for me to watch you." Waka took brisk steps forward, his friendly voice taking on a more serious note. Louna nearly struggled to keep up with his pace, giving up only after a few seconds and getting left behind by feet.

"What do you mean it'd be easier for you to watch me?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest. Louna's lips pulled into a slight sneer, her own voice suspicious.

Waka glanced at her from over his shoulder. "Because of your strong disbelief in the Gods, especially Amaterasu, monsters find targets like you easy to have within their control. If you got into the hands of the wrong monster, the monster we're suspecting is after you, it could be devastating," Waka told her.

"What are you talking about? What monster is after me?" Louna asked, her eyebrows furrowing together. She had been completely unaware that some monster was after her. This was probably just some horrible joke to make her believe in the gods. It wouldn't work too well if it was. She'd just be pretty ticked in the end if that was the case.

"I can't exactly give you details on that." Waka said, turning into a hall. "But there is a strong force somewhere in Nippon that has been targeting you. Amaterasu and myself have keeping an eye on you also, making sure you don't get yourself into trouble."

"Great job," Louna said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

Waka sighed.

"My dear, if you keep up that attitude, it'll be exactly how this monster will get to you." He stopped at a room, and pushed the door open to reveal a bed chamber. Louna stared into it for a moment, inspecting the room before she decided if she wanted to go in. The walls were a light blue, shadowed by the dark light of the night. A large bed was in the center of the room, a window on the right, and a dresser with a large mirror and some accessories on the left.

"This will be your room," Waka said, remaining outside of the room but reaching his hand in to turn on a light. "I hope you don't mind it. I will send one of my troopers in with food for you in a moment. After you eat, just leave the tray outside and get well rested. We'll have a busy day tomorrow."

Waka didn't give her a chance to say anything in return. He quickly closed the door as her lips began to part.