A/N: ...I am ridiculously late for this one guys. I am so sorry for the late updates. College has been very busy as of late since I'm now in trimesters rather than semesters now, I have a wedding to go to and I just haven't had much time to write in the last couple of months. My updates are probably going to be later than I would like because my college is really sucking up my time. I apologize for the late updates but I will not abandon my stories. I WILL finish them.
Since for the rest of the week I'll be in Virginia I decided to get this chapter out before tomorrow, when my flight leaves. I really appreciate all of you being patient with me. I know I take a very long time with updates, but I will finish these stories. I also have plans for a Fire Emblem Awakening Story for next year.
On a side note, I put up a poll in my profile for my Sonic Blades story, and I got curious on which of my OC's you guys like the best. I've extended the poll for Halloween.
Cast list for this chapter
Sonic the Hedgehog - Roger Craig Smith
Miles 'Tails' Prower - Kate Higgins
Amaterasu 'Ammy' - Colleen Clinkenbeard
Issun - Luci Christian
Ko - Matthew Mercer
Tei - Patrick Seitz
Rei - Christopher Sabat
Chi - Michelle Ruff
Princess Fuse - Laura Bailey
Mr. Bamboo - Todd Habberkorn
Disclaimer: I don't own Okami or Sonic the Hedgehog, Okami belongs to Capcom and Sonic the Hedgehog belongs to SEGA.
Kagehime-sama53 presents
Licensed by SEGA and Capcom
Dubbing by Funimation Entertainment
Sonic the Hedgehog: Okami Chronicles
Chapter 7: The Canine Warriors Part 1
*Recap* "If that didn't then I might" said Amaterasu with a slight annoyance in her tone.
"Bet he's bound to pop up somewhere" said Sonic.
"Anyway lets head onwards" said Tails.
They crossed the bridge and headed for their next destination beyond the Agata forest. This time their adventure lead them to the Taka Pass. Unbest known to them was that the battle with the Spider Queen would be the least of their problems and only the beginning of more battles to come.
The small group made it to yet another curse zone, similar to the one that they saw in the Agata forest. Sonic wondered to himself just how many cursed areas were there anyway. Amaterasu just ignored it and proceed to find the next Guardian Sapling. Sonic, Tails and Issun followed closely behind, being careful of the miasma the zone was producing.
"Well this is a problem" said Tails as he saw that the regular path to take was overflowing with miasma, making passing through it next to impossible.
"Looks like we need to find an alternate route to go" said Issun. "Hey Ammy, check if there are any hidden passages in the wall, I heard that some of the insides of cliffs have those passages that they used back in the olden days"
"If that's the case then that crack in the wall is a dead giveaway" said Sonic as he pointed to a crack in the cliff wall.
Amaterasu drew a Cherry Bomb and placed it in front of the crack and jumped back before it exploded. Once a hole was blown into the wall, it revealed, sure enough, an alternate passage.
"Let's continue onward, the sooner we purify this place the better" said Amaterasu. "There's only so much miasma one could take"
They made their way into the hidden passageway and when they got to the center of it, with a path that lead to an exit above them, they heard the soothing sound of a flute playing. Amaterasu's ears twitched as she heard an all too familiar sound, the same could be said with the others.
"Hark! The call of the heavens, the earth, the sea… They summon me forth to defeat evil!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me" said Sonic as his eyes narrowed to a very annoyed expression.
"Waka!" yelled Amaterasu with a hint of anger in her voice, but it leaned more to annoyance than anger.
Waka jumped down from the path above and landed gracefully in front of the travelers. "Waka, the gods' gift to man, is here! Bonjour!
"Great, what does he want?" said Issun.
"And he's still as flamboyant as last time" said Tails with a sweat droop in the back of his head.
"Long time no see!" he greeted.
"What do you want?" said Amaterasu with all seriousness.
"My, my, how rude" he said with fake shock. "Did you not enjoy the little log adventure I prophesized"
Amaterasu's eye twitched at that statement as Sonic glared at him. "So it was you!" hissed Sonic.
"Where you behind that near disaster?" demanded Issun as he jumped up and down on Tails' head.
Moi? Of course not! I just had a fleeting glimpse of your future" he said. "You see, I have the power to see that which is yet to come. Even if it were something you'd rather not know…" he said that last sentence in a soft tone.
Amaterasu took not on the last thing he said and narrowed her eyes at him again. If he really had that kind of power, then gods know how much of a burden it must be for him.
"The half-baked prophet's at it again" said Issun, not believing what he said. "If you're so great, then how come ya didn't predict Orochi's return?"
"Issun does have a point" said Tails. "If you do have that kind of power I mean"
Waka just stared at them, not answering their questions. He stood there for a few moments until he fixed a strand from his wing cap and brushed it. "Excusez-moi? You say something, my little fox and bouncing friend?" he said.
"That's it!" yelled Issun as he unsheathed his sword, ready to attack.
"Wait a moment Issun!" said Amaterasu.
"By the way, I saw your battle with the Spider Queen. A rather clumsy attempt, I must say" said Waka with an unimpressed tone.
"Clumsy! You try fighting a freakishly tall spider!" said Sonic. "And with Ammy's help it was no problem!"
"How could a wolf like you expect to save the world, especially with these kind of companions?" said Waka. "Explain to me that Amaterasu, or do you prefer to be called Ammy"
Amaterasu glared. "And what right do you have to judge me on just one battle" she said.
Waka chuckled and readied his sword. "There's only one way to settle this" he said as he pointed his sword to Amaterasu as she readied her newly upgraded Reflector.
In an instant, Amaterasu charged to Waka as he swiftly dodged the attack with ease. Issun jumped back on Tails' head as he and Sonic decided to help out Amaterasu this time. Amaterasu and Waka continued to exchange blows, then she jumped back and summoned the Rosary Beads and shot them like incoming projectiles. Waka blocked the attack, but it left him wide open for one of Sonic's homing attacks. He slammed into Waka and jumped back beside Amaterasu. He gave her his traidmark cocky grin as she gave her own smile. Tails also started to give his own blows to Waka, but Waka dodged every single one of his attacks. Then Tails flew up and as he did Sonic and Amaterasu attacked together. Waka was unable to continue for much longer, because he was outnumbered and the fact that the three of them continued to use each other to their advantage. He then jumped on a stone lap and hunched over panting.
"Not bad, ma Cherie" he said. "Seems you and your friends here have more bite than I thought"
"What do you mean, not bad?!" yelled Issun.
"Hard to sound convincing when your out of breath" said Amaterasu.
"That's what you get for underestimating us!" said Tails.
"Yeah! We sick by Ammy, even in battle" said Sonic with a grin.
"This is pointless! What was the purpose of this anyway" said Amaterasu.
"Ah, that's right!" he exclaimed. "I had a question for you. Have you been to Lake Harami over on Shinshu Field yet?"
"Lake Harami?" said Tails. "I've heard of it, it's where the Moon Cave lies, right?"
"The Orochi's prison" said Amaterasu with a look of all seriousness.
"Yes, a barrier has blocked the entrance ever since Tsukuyomi was removed" said Waka with his own tone of seriousness. "That means Orochi must still be in there"
"So is he trapped there or what?" asked Sonic.
"No, hedgehog. It probably means that Orochi isn't strong enough to leave" said Issun.
"Issun has a point" said Amaterasu as she closed her eyes. "He must have been greatly weaken due to being sealed for one hundred years"
"I want to get through the barrier and enter the cave" declared Waka. "But I'll need the Serpent Crystal in order to do that. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find it, would you."
"That's what you wanted to know!" yelled Sonic. "Why d'ya have to pull out your sword just to ask that!?"
"Why do you want to visit Orochi's lair?" asked Tails.
"So then, you do not know?" said Waka, he then let out a sigh. "So that windmill" he mumbled. "Tres bein, I'll just have to find it myself then. But before I bid you adieu, I have a prophecy for you"
"Not this again" mumbled Sonic.
Waka did a dramatic pose. "I foresee a DOG-gone difficult quest" he stated. "Au revoir, baby" and with that he disappeared yet again, leaving the others baffled and annoyed.
Amaterasu placed a hand on her temple as she let out a breath of frustration. Sonic and Tails were no better. Waka was a very special case for them.
"Hey, guys! Let's try and beat Waka to that Serpent Crystal!" stated Issun. "I have feeling he's up to no good"
"I agree with Issun" said Sonic with his arms crossing over his chest. "And who knows, we might find another Celestial Brush technique"
"Yeah, but now we need to worry about finding the Guardian Sapling so we can purify this place" said Tails.
"Tails is right, purifying the area is first priority" said Amaterasu.
And with that said the four of them continued walking, hoping to find the sapling as soon as possible so that the area would be purified once more.
"So, how do we find this Serpent Crystal anyway?" asked Sonic as he took a bite from his rice ball.
They had found the guardian sapling rather quickly after clearing the tunnel and were now enjoying the last of their lunch that Kushi had given them. Now they were debating on finding the Serpent Crystal in hopes of finding one of the brush gods.
"Well, that windmill has peaked my interest" said Issun as he was standing on Ammy's head this time and looking at the mountains, where a silhouette of a windmill was showing.
"And didn't Waka mumble something about it?" asked Tails.
"It wouldn't surprise me" answered Amaterasu as she took a bite of her food. "And that windmill is probably in a village, because we need to get more supplies"
"Man, Kushi was spot on when she said this food would last three days" said Sonic with a slight laugh. "Can't believe it's been three days with camping and traveling"
"I think its fun" said Tails with his own smile.
"But first we need to take a good look around Taka Pass. I want to make sure the people here weren't harmed" said Amaterasu.
When they finished their food, they talked, or in Sonic's case ran, around Taka Pass making sure that the flora and fauna were still in one peace. Sonic decided that a quick dash for him would be enough and speeded on ahead while Tails flew overhead and Amaterasu fixed the wilted trees that needed to be blossomed. Also she took the opportunity to exterminate some pesky demons in her way. She had a feeling that Sonic did the same, while Tails assisted him from the air. The sun was starting to set as they met up again in front of the Sapling and made their way to the village with the windmill, which was named Kusa Village. By the time they got to the village, it was already night fall.
When they got to Kusa Village, they were stunned when they felt a very evil atmosphere in the village. Amaterasu was starting to get a bit lightheaded due to the high amount, and also due to the fact that she was a goddess.
"What the hell?" mumbled Sonic.
"There's a very evil aura here" she managed to say.
"She's right, but this isn't a cursed zone" said Issun.
"We better investigate" said Tails.
They asked around in the village to see what was going on and apparently there were some monsters that took residence in the shrine on the hill of the village, and the entire place was in a panic. But, just as they were about to head onto the direction of the shrine, Amaterasu suddenly collapsed.
"Ammy!" yelled Sonic as he ran to her and crouched down and cradled her. What he saw shocked him and the others, as right before their eyes, her crimson markings and reflector were vanishing.
"What's going on!?" exclaimed Tails, worried for their goddess friend.
"C'mon, let's take her to a resting place for now" suggested Issun.
Sonic lifted Amaterasu in his arms and placed her near a tree. Tails left for a moment to get her some water along with Issun. Once they came back, she moved slightly and opened her eyes.
"Ammy! Are you alright, what happened!?" asked Sonic with concern in his voice.
Amaterasu sighed, still feeling a bit lightheaded. "I was afraid this might happen. Seems like the evil aura is so powerful that my celestial powers have been, temporarily unusable"
"So, in these type of zones affect your powers as well as your heath, am I right?" asked Tails, while handing her the canteen of water.
"Celestial spirits lose their powers in evil or cursed zones, as a goddess I'm no exception" said Amaterasu as she grabbed the canteen and drank its contents.
"Feeling better?" asked Issun.
"I still feel a bit lightheaded, but other than that, not as bad as when we entered" she answered as she started to stand.
Sonic looked at her and cocked his head to the side. "So…this is how normal people see you?" he asked.
"Yes, Sonic" she said as she raised a brow while looking at him. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, it's just weird looking at you without your markings and reflector" he said.
Amaterasu rolled her eyes as they continued to make their way to the shrine. When they got there, they saw a woman pacing back and forth. She was average with long black hair and wearing a formal orange kimono with a light green obi around her waist. From the looks of it, it looks like this woman was of nobility.
"Oh, this is most unfortunate" she said with worry.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Sonic.
She looked at the hedgehog and his companions and quickly stepped back as she raised her hands. "Please, don't come near me! I have been possessed in a momentary lapse in vigilance!"
"POSSESSED!" yelled Sonic and Tails in shock as Amaterasu's eyes widen.
The woman suddenly let out a loud yell of pain as a demon emerged from her body and attacked them. They jumped back before the monster could attack and Sonic quickly dashed to the woman, who had passed out, and carried her out of harm's way. Once he placed her back down in front of the shrine, he did a homing attack to the demon imp and knocked it back. Amaterasu also dashed and used her claws as her new means of attacking, she may have lost her abilities but that didn't mean she was defenseless. Tails also helped in attacking the demon as he landed a solid kick on its abdomen as both Amaterasu and Sonic landed punches on it, finishing it off.
When the demon was destroyed, the curse around the village lifted and Amaterasu's powers returned. Her crimson markings returned to its place on her face, hair, eyes and shoulders and her reflector and rosaries also returned to their rightful places. Amaterasu let out a content sigh, feeling relieved and rejuvenated now that her powers were back. The small group walked to the shrine to make sure that the woman was alright. To their relief, she started to wake up and opened her eyes.
"Are you alright?" asked Tails.
"Hm… Have I been freed from the evil curse" she managed to say as she sat up.
"I wouldn't move around much" stated Amaterasu. "You were indeed cursed, but now you are alright, the demon has been dispelled"
"Thank you for saving me, but I do not know how?" she said.
"What the heck happened, sweetness?" asked Issun.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Are you familiar with my family, the Satomi House?
All of them looked at her with blank looks, signaling that they did not know of the house she was talking about. "No…I can see now that you are not" she said with slight disappointment. "Still, you might be of great service to me. Will you listen to what I have to say?"
"You just keep talkin' pretty lady. Issun's listening" said Issun with a flirtatious voice.
Sonic and Tails sweat dropped when they heard his tone, while Amaterasu just stared at the woman. "Go on" answered Amaterasu.
"Oh, thank you! I am Princess Fuse, priestess of the Gale Shrine" she introduced herself. "The Gale Shrine stands atop of Mount Kamiji"
She gestured to the large windmill on the top of the mountain. "Kazegami, the god of wind, is enshrined there" she continued.
Amaterasu's ears perked at the mentioned of Kazegami. "The wind blowing down from there keeps the monsters away. Known as the Devine Wind, it is venerated as our protector" she finished.
"But, the windmill is at a standstill" said Sonic. "And it looks like there's not even a breeze around"
"You are right. The windmill stopped one day and since then, monsters have snuck into the village" said Fuse with sadness in her voice. "Even I, the last remaining priestess, was almost slain"
"Then we need to find a way to get that windmill blowing again" said Tails. "Is there a specific reason to why it stopped?"
"There is only one. It's that horrible monster, Crimson Helm!" Fuse stated. "The beast now dwells within the Gale Shrine. My family has been battling this monster for almost 100 years now. But the monsters killed the head priest while he was weak from sickness and the Shrine fell"
"I remember hearing that story" said Issun. "It was big news in these parts"
"Is there any way to take back the shrine?" asked Sonic. "I mean, there hast to be a way right?"
"There is but one. The warriors who serve the Satomi House can right this wrong. The Satomi Canine Warriors!" said Fuse. "The Canine Warriors have protected the Shrine, and served the family for ages, but they are now scattered throughout Nippon"
"If we bring them here then we can re-claim the shrine, correct?" asked Amaterasu.
"Yes, if we bring them together again, they could break the barrier and retake the shrine" answered Fuse.
"So what are we waiting for, let's go find these puppies" said Issun.
"Here, you may find this useful" Fuse handed Amaterasu a charm. "You can track them down with this. I sense five of the warriors here in this village. But be warned, they are a temperamental bunch and don't take kindly to strangers, but they should return to me once they see the charm"
"Alright then, we'll start first thing in the morning" said Sonic.
The next morning…
Once morning hit, Sonic, Tails, Issun and Amaterasu set out to look for the canine warriors. Following what princess Fuse said, they started their search in the village. They found the first canine warrior, a white dog with olive greed patches with a yellow bandana around his neck, a sleeveless olive green kimono top, whom he called himself Rei, near the outskirts and they informed him that Fuse was summoning them. He nods his head and headed to the location of Fuse. They continued their search for the rest of the warriors. As they continued the trail on the outside of the village, they saw a rather familiar sleeping figure lying on the ground.
Once they got closer to it, Amaterasu and Sonic could feel the annoyance creep back in their system, as Tails and Issun only swear dropped and let out deep sighs. The figure who was sleeping, was none other than Susano. Amaterasu's brow started twitching with annoyance as the said man was mumbling nonsense in his sleep.
"What the hell is he doing here?" said Sonic with his own tone of annoyance.
"Who knows" replied Tails.
"He's a strange case I'll tell you that much" said Issun. "Though he looks like he's having a nightmare. It would be funny if it weren't so sad"
Amaterasu let out a sigh, and went to go try and wake him. She crouched down to shake him, but to her shock his eyes sprung open and he jolted upwards, now standing. Amaterasu's eyes were wide and she had almost fallen back.
"That dream again!" he exclaimed with anger. "Is there no escape!? I thought by coming to the village-" he was cut off when he noticed Amaterasu, Sonic, Tails and Issun.
"Hey there, pops! Floundering around in your dreams, too?" came Issun's snarky remark. "Must be nice to be able to nap in the middle of the day like that"
"Greatest warrior ever, my ass" mumbled Sonic under his breath as they continued to give him an unimpressed glare.
"Huh! Hedgehog, Poochie, Kit and Bug!" he exclaimed.
And anger vein appeared on Amaterasu's head as she stood up. "And pry tell why are you sleeping in the middle of the road?" she questioned, anger lacing her voice.
"Oh, uh…*cough* I was meditating and the three of you disturbed me" he stated while sweating slightly at the looks they were giving him, especially Amaterasu's. "Even in my dreams, I'm hard at work devising strategies for fighting off demons"
"That still doesn't explain why you're here" said Tails.
"I came here to pray for victory at the Gale Shrine young kit, but…Lo and behold, the shine is now occupied in the shrine with other demons!" he stated. "But, with my invincible sword, there's no need to pray, but, mankind's fate rests with me, so I must be fully prepared"
"I see, so tell me, how are these 'preparations' coming along?" questioned Amaterasu.
"Well, first, I must sit here and come up with a well thought out plan" and with that said, he lied down onto the ground yet again.
"Plan? Yeah, right!" exclaimed Issun. "That's just your excuse to sleep!"
Susano did hear anything because he had already fallen asleep again. The companions sweat drooped, while Amaterasu and Sonic let out sighs of frustration. Deciding to forget about him for now, they continued their search for the rest of the Canine Warriors.
The second canine warrior was located near a dead flower bed, and he was helping a young girl water them. He was a gruff built dog, dark gray in color with patches of white and had an intimidating appearance, and a light green bandana around his neck. The little girl explained that since the water dried, the plats have died, but she was watering them every day. The dog, whom he introduced himself as Shin, was helping the young girl water the plants by fetching water from a stream outside of the village, and helping her plant new seeds in the land. A small smile came to Amaterasu's face as she approached the dead flower bed. While Sonic and Tails lightly distracted Shin and the little girl by helping them water, Amaterasu used her Bloom technique to make the flowers lively again. Shin and the girl were shocked to see that the flowers suddenly bloomed again and the little girl gave a small prayer to thank the gods. It was then that Sonic and Tails informed Shin that Princess Fuse needed his help. Shin nods his head and bid his farewell to the little girl, promising to return and play again, he also thanked Sonic and Tails for informing him.
Their search for the third Canine Warrior lead them below the village mountain to a field of bamboos, where they started speaking to an old man, whom called himself Mr. Bamboo. He explained that he had always gathered bamboo in Sasa Sanctuary in Taka Pass for his craftsmen work, but he hasn't been able too due to the Sparrow Clan suddenly closing off the entrance.
"And to make things worse, the festival is just around the corner" he finished. "I sell my work there, but due to the situation I'm running out of time!"
"Don't worry Old man, we'll see what we can do" said Sonic with a confident grin.
"He's a sucker for helping people isn't he?" asked Issun in a whisper to Tails.
"That's just how he is" came Tails' explanation.
Amaterasu suddenly started walking in the direction that the charm was pointing them to, and it started glowing profusely when she got near a large trunk of bamboo. Amaterasu stared at the large trunk, and then summoned her brush and Power Slashed the trunk. Sonic and the others heard the thump of bamboo and ran to her direction.
"Hey Ammy, what did you do that for?!" exclaimed Issun in anger.
"There's a dog in there" said Amaterasu as she put away her brush. "And it looks like she's sleeping"
"What is a dog doing sleeping there?" questioned Tails.
Sure enough there was indeed a dog sleeping inside the trunk. A female light pink dog, wearing a simple sleeveless kimono with a dark pink bandana around her neck. Amaterasu lightly poked her cheek, and the dog stirred awake. She sat up and gave a loud yawn. Then she glanced at Amaterasu, Sonic, Issun and Tails. Her gaze fell to the canine tracker on Amaterasu's hand and her eyes widen as she got out of the bamboo trunk. Sonic explained that Princess Fuse had asked them to find them. The dog, whom had introduced herself as Chi, thanked them and proceeded to return to Princess Fuse.
They found the fourth Canine Warrior inside a cave at the top of the village, in a separate area. This one was a male brown dog with cream colored patches and a violent scarf around his neck. He introduced himself as Ko and explained that the reason he was in the cave was because he was taking some time to hone his skills. When his gaze fell onto the Canine Tracker, he knew that Princess Fuse needed their assistance once again and thanked Sonic and friends for informing him.
They made their way back to the shrine, where Princess Fuse was, but they were suddenly stopped when a lean and slightly intimidating dog started glaring at them. He was lean built, with one eye closed and a scar running down it, auburn colored fur and an orange bandana around his neck.
"Tei, you also heard Master's call?" asked Ko as he spoke to the glaring dog.
"I have Ko" he replied back. His gaze was still fixated onto Sonic, Amaterasu, Tails and Issun, but mostly on Amaterasu. "I see you have our master's Canine Tracker"
"Yes, she had requested us to find you" answered Amaterasu with a sharp look.
"I sense strong power inside of you. I would wish to fight you with the skills I have learned through my journey" claimed Tei.
"Now hold on Tei!" yelled Ko. "Princess Fuse has forbid us to take part in senseless battles and you know that!"
"You, white wolf. You are the one I want to fight" proclaimed Tei while pointing at Amaterasu. "Prove your right to bear the Canine Tracker!"
"Hey, what gives you the right to-" Sonic was cut off when he heard Amaterasu chuckle.
"Very well then, Tei was it?" said Amaterasu with a slight confident grin. "I shall face you"
"Ammy!" yelled Sonic and Tails.
Ko only let out a frustrated sigh as he motioned for Sonic, Tails and Issun to step back so that Amaterasu and Tei could have their battle. He knew well that once Tei set his mind onto something, there was no way for him to let it go. Both canines stared each other down and then, in an instant, both charged up to each other, throwing punches. They continued their fight by rapidly punching, kicking and in some cases slashing each other with their claws. It was an even match.
Ko looked in amazement at Amaterasu as he saw her easily keep up with Tei. "Her fighting skills are impressive if she can keep up with Tei" he said mainly to himself.
"Why did he pick a fight with her anyway" asked Tails.
"He just wanted to see if she's a worthy opponent" Ko stated.
"Well, Ammy won't go down so easily" stated Sonic with a grin.
Back to the fight, Amaterasu and Tei continued to exchange blows to each other, until Tei suddenly jumped back and held his hand up. He gave a small, but noticeable grin as a similar one came to Amaterasu's face. "A worthy opponent, I see" he said as he focused his energy in his body. "Now, feel the wrath of the Satomi Power Orb!"
"Tei!?"
All of them turned to see Princess Fuse, with the other Canine Warriors, as they came out of the Shrine house to see what the noise all about was. "I thought I heard something outside. I hope you weren't fighting" she said.
"It was no more than a friendly tussle, I can assure you that" came Tei's quick response.
Sonic, Tails and Issun just looked at him with blank looks and just shook their heads. Amaterasu only gave out a small chuckle as she fixed her kimono sleeves and faced Princess Fuse with the other warriors. "Tei, I must ask, what is the Satomi Power Orbs?" asked Amaterasu.
"Each Satomi Canine Warrior bears an orb of a different virtue" explained Chi while stepping forward. "They are the Satomi House's greatest treasure"
"Milady needs the orbs power to break the Crimson Helm's barrier" continued Shin.
"Unfortunately, three of the Canine warriors are not accounted for" said Princess Fuse. "Why don't all of you respond when I call you!" she ended with a slight huff.
The Canine Warriors let out nervous laughs and hung their heads low in shame. "I fear something bad might have happened to them" she said with worry in her tone.
"If it's not too much to ask, can you find the rest of us?" asked Ko.
"Well, we did say we would find them all didn't we" said Sonic with a smile. "Don't worry Fuse, we'll find the rest of them"
"I'm forever grateful and in your debt" said Princess Fuse with a bow, as the others bowed with her.
"I recommend continuing your search in the morning, the path outside the village gets very dangerous at night" said Rei. "And take this map, Milady has already marked the locations of the remaining three"
"They should return once you show them the Tracker" said Chi.
"May the Gods grant you safety" said Tei.
And with that Amaterasu, Sonic, Tails and Issun decided to call it a day and rest up at the local inn in the village so that in the next morning they could continue their search. Amaterasu hoped that once they found all the warriors, that they could restore the shrine and life to the village, and hopefully find another brush god.
