Chapter 10: A Vision and The Moonlit Road

A/N 1/22/10: Yet another chapter revised.^^

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Sasuke left his thoughts as a strong wind began to blow him and his lily pad perch toward the bank of Lake Laochi, on which stood his parents. As the lily pad touched ground, he jumped off and turned to face his mother. "I thought Raiden took your powers."

"He did…" said his mother, looking away from him.

"But you saved me. You-"

"Hey! Ammy didn't save your tail! I did!" A small green orb began bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's head. Sasuke leaned in and sniffed at the jumping orb.

"Uh, who are you?"

"The name's Issun the Wandering Artist!" cried the orb, which Sasuke realized was not an orb at all. It was a very small man…or a very big bug. Either one was possible.

The black wolf asked, "So, you know the Brush Strokes?"

"Of course I do!" said Issun as he posed proudly. "I was your mother's Celestial Envoy all those years ago!"

"Celestial Envoy…?" he wondered out loud.

"Grrr… Never mind that, kid. We've got more important things to think about! First off, where's the Ark going?! And second, who's drivin'?!" Sasuke's ears fell against his head. He looked to his paws, a bit ashamed of how far he and his sister had strayed.

"Raiden is driving and Sakura's with him."

"What?" asked Amaterasu, her eyes wide.

"Now, why'd she go with him?" asked Issun.

"He…he told us the truth… He told us about the Moon Tribe, the Moon Warriors, the Emperor…and you, Dad." Waka's eyes widened and he staggered backwards, his face paling in horror. "He told us how you took the Ark, and ended up bringing darkness to the lands."

"No…." his mother whispered in sadness.

"Sakura got mad and allowed Raiden to convince her to help him free the Ark and travel to the Celestial Plains and the Moon. I came as well, though I am not sure why."

"The Moon? What could possibly be there?" asked Issun.

"He didn't really tell us but Sakura still followed."

"Why didn't you follow him, kid?"

"I…I tried…but I hesitated, and then when I got to the door, a barrier stopped me and sent me falling into the lake. I'm not sure why I was not allowed onboard."

"I am," Issun said, crossing his arms confidently.

"You are?"

"Yeah. Your heart was full of doubt and an unwillingness to face your destiny."

"That…makes sense," said Sasuke.

"It does? Ah, I mean, of course it makes sense! Everything I say makes sense! I am a genius after all!" Issun began bouncing up and down again. Sasuke ignored him and turned his gaze to his father, who was looking worse by the second.

"You know…I don't believe in holding the past against someone," said the wolf. "The past is what a person used to be, and the present is what a person is now. I only look at a person's current actions to judge them; the past should not be held against someone. Time changes people, for better or worse."

"Well said, kid," said Issun.

"Thanks." Waka began to brighten up; the color was slowly returning to his face. Issun bounced a few times before jumping to Sasuke's head. He landed on Sasuke's nose and looked the wolf in the eyes.

"Alright, kid, I'm gonna ride around on you for now, 'cuz you seem to be the only one around who really knows what's happening."

"Fine, I-" Sasuke stopped midsentence and stood there, frozen. His eyes did not move, and he even appeared to stop breathing.

"Kid? K-kid?!" Issun jumped up and down in an effort to get the wolf's attention. "What's wrong, Sake?" Sasuke suddenly sprang to life, gasping and rapidly looking left and right.

"Are you okay?" his mother asked, obviously concerned.

"Y-yeah, and I know what we need to do," said the black wolf, determination evident in his voice.

"You do?!" Issun asked, bouncing once again.

"Yeah, follow me!" he barked before racing off toward Nippon.

"Where are we going?" his mother asked as she pulled up beside him.

"The place where this whole thing began, Lunar Mountain!"

"Figures…" she muttered back.

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"So, this is Lunar Mountain?" Issun asked, marveling at its size as they approached the large mountain.

"Yep." Sasuke walked the familiar path to the room he had stood in only an hour ago. Triangle-shaped markings seemed to point the way as they lit up one by one; he could not recall having seen them before, but then again, he had been rather distracted every other time he had been here. As he entered the large room and stepped on the Lunar Trinity, it glowed a faint blue.

Amaterasu stopped short of the Trinity. "I shouldn't. It might take what's left of me."

"It can't, Mom. It can only do that when activated by three members of the Moon Tribe." Amaterasu cautiously stepped onto the marking and breathed a sigh of relief as nothing happened. Meanwhile, Sasuke continued walking across the floor, stopping when he reached the wall opposite the door.

Issun looked at the wall curiously. "Whatcha thinkin', kid?"

"There's a special order I have to press these moons in," he replied, staring at a small version of the Lunar Trinity that was carved into the wall.

"How do ya know?"

"I had a vision," he stated before raising his paw and pressing the right crescent moon once, the left crescent twice, the right crescent once more, the half moon at the top once, and finally, the middle full moon once. The room suddenly burst to life as the markings covering it glowed bright blue.

"What the- What's goin' on?" The large Trinity in the middle of the room sent a beam of blue light up toward the top of the mountain. As the beam disappeared, the full moon in the center of the platform opened, and a blue and gray glaive floated out. It paused in midair for a moment before flying in a circle and landing on Sasuke's back.

"Are you okay, honey?" called Amaterasu, who was on guard, waiting for an attack.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine!" He glanced back at the glaive before turning and pressing a new combination into the marking on the wall. A whoosh of air sounded and slowly, the large Trinity behind him took to the air and floated, waiting for him to board. His mother and father leapt up onto it first. Then, he jumped up onto it and looked skyward as it took the four heroes to the mountain's peak.

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"Geez, the wind up here's really strong," said Issun as he struggled to keep from being blown off Sasuke's head. He looked around and saw nothing but open sky and the platform on which they stood. "Why'd we come up here, kid? We should be runnin' after the Ark."

"There's no way we could catch it just by chasing it on the ground. We'd have to cross rivers, climb mountains, and who knows what else? We came up here to take the shortcut." Issun held tighter to Sasuke's fur as another burst of wind buffeted them.

"A shortcut?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't see anything," said the Poncle.

"But its there."

"How do ya know, kid?"

"I had a vision."

Issun began bouncing up and down angrily. "Oh, no, I am not gonna let you be another half-baked prophet! I'd rather-"

"Have I been wrong yet?!" snapped Sasuke.

"Well, no, but-"

"I had a vision at Lake Laochi that told me what to do. I was supposed to come here to Lunar Mountain, activate the Moonlit Road, and run on it until I reach the Ark." Issun stopped bouncing as the wind picked up once more. Amaterasu walked over to her son, fighting not to show her sadness for her child's gift from the gods.

"Where is the road?" she asked. To answer, he turned and headed for the edge of the mountain's peak, which only extended a little past the platform's end.

"Hey, kid, there's nothing there!" cried Issun, pulling back on the wolf's fur. Sasuke ignored him. "Kid!"

"Unlike you, Issun, I trust my visions, and, oddly enough, the technology of the Moon Tribe."

"Sasuke, wait!" shouted Amaterasu. He stepped forward, seemingly into the air, and did not fall. His paw landed on something solid, despite nothing being visible. He fully stepped off the mountain and did not fall. He appeared to be standing on air.

"I'm going to run down this path until I reach the Ark." Issun began jumping up and down on his head.

"But, kid, how'll ya tell when the Road has ended?"

"When I fall off." Sasuke then raced off with Issun holding on for dear life. Amaterasu turned to Waka, who had remained silent through this whole ordeal.

"Should we follow?"

"My prophecy told me yes, but I am still unsure."

"You have trusted every other prophecy you've had, as have I. Now is definitely not the time to start doubting them."

"You are right, ma cherie." Waka adjusted his hat. "Now, let's make haste. They've already got a large head start."