Wakusei sure gets into a lot of trouble doesn't he? Well does his luck improve anymore in this chapter? Read to find out.
Surely you know which characters belong to who by now! If not well...tough! Look back to find out.
Painful Reunion
Several days of resting and I never knew how irritating healing can sometimes be. I was often told, or hit, by Ayako to stop scratching like a dog with fleas but...it was hard to resist. I still was being trained by Father, you can never learn everything, but it wasn't exactly much of a lesson. At one time, I went to sleep and I heard Father trying to sneak up while I'm asleep, like a sneak attack, but once he got close I jumped up at him and pretended to bite his face off! I got an inch from his face and whispered:
"Expect the unexpected." That is a line I never forget. He just smiled and disappeared in a puff of glitter. I was still a bit wary, for he can sometimes pull a fast one while you aren't looking, but I was left undisturbed.
I was in my human form by the Konohana Tree just sitting there trying to fix my hat which had been burnt. It was starting to come along but I'm not sure how to sort my clothes out seeing they are burnt everywhere and look like I have just gone through a fireball...which I have actually. Ayako made fun of me but I ignored here most of the time. I also learnt the other human with the weapon wasn't the son of Susano but used to be the boy of the forest...that meant he had a pink dog by the name of Ume who was keeping an eye on the village while they went to check out the battle. This guy was called Kokari and he still recognized Amaterasu and Issun even though ten years had passed. They got to talking quite often but I didn't care much what the others were doing.
I also had the voice going on and on about the same thing in my head...the same one that told me to fight Kitsune, stay behind in the Tao Troopers cell and many other things and said it was all for destiny. This time, it suggested doing something crazy and I'm not going to listen this time! It told me to go to Kamui but I cannot. I was told to go out of Kamui to distract the demons but, truth is, I was actually exiled from Kamui because the demons were after me. If I go to Kamui then the Oina have every right to kill me like a demon! Going to Kamui was suicide and I wouldn't be able to master enough courage to kill an Oina tribesman.
The other point is that Yami might be hiding there, waiting for me to show up and take the punishment for disobeying him. Knowing Yami, he will not make it very pleasant and guaranteed, he will make me suffer before going in for the end.
"No, I cannot think of such things yet." I said to myself. That was when I got a flash of an image. The wolf version of Yami, standing tall and Oki on the floor, motionless. Samickle was also there, motionless on the floor.
I put my hands to my head in an attempt to block the image from my head but with little success. Yami was talking to me...I got the shivers just listening to him speak by the image! This must be how Father sees into the future, must be annoying!
You will suffer for your disobedience, even more than I had already planned.
"Go away! Get out of my head!" I shouted without meaning to. I felt somebody kick me slightly, I put my hands down and looked up to see Father looking down at me. I looked around but I couldn't hear the voice anymore. Was that really a voice or was I going mad or something? "It's gone." I then look up at Father. "Didn't you hear anything?" Waka only replied by sitting next to me. I looked over to where Kamui would be...should I really listen to the voice like I had always done or ignore it and see what happens?
"I believe you should go." Father says and slightly startles me. "You are thinking of whether you were going to go or not, were you not?" I nodded and looked back to Kamui. "Why do you hesitate in going to Kamui? I know it involves more than just Yami." He can see right through me...that happens often. Its hard to keep a secret from the great Waka.
"I'm exiled from Kamui." I said and Father listened intentionally. "I was half demon back then and Kamui was attacked by demons way too often. The Oina thought I was the reason, they were probably right too, so they sent me away from Kamui to distract them from Kamui. The truth is, that was also called exiled from Kamui until asked to return."
"But we must go back to Kamui soon."
"If I return then the Oina have ever right to kill me like they would a demon."
"If we do not return then say au revoir(1) to the Oina." I then looked at Father and he had a serious expression on his face telling me to listen. "Evil has gotten stronger in Kamui ever since you left and it has taken it's toll on them. We must return and help them otherwise evil will spread to other parts of Nippon and all our work would be all for nothing." At that point, Amaterasu, with Issun and Ayako on her wolf head, walked towards us. Ayako jumped off her head and onto mine.
"So...where are we headed now then?" She asked. "I know that look on your face anywhere so c'mon, spit it out!" I stood up and turned into my wolf form.
"We're off to go meet the Oina Tribe." Ayako then stood very still, probably traumatized.
"Kamui!? But we were exiled from there! If we return we may as well hand ourselves to the god of death!"
"But if we stay here then we may as well not care for the Oina because they are going to get killed by demons!" Ayako shivered but she understood that we had no choice but to risk it. "We may as well go now." I started to walk then Amaterasu stopped me.
"Waka and I cannot leave yet for Kamiki Village is in quite a state. You go on ahead and we'll catch up." I nodded and ran off to go and save a tribe who wishes me dead.
...
"Bloody hell!" Ayako shouted as we were hit by a big blizzard. "I thought this was Kamui not the bloody high mountains! Where did this blizzard come from!?"
"How should I know? I have been gone from Kamui for a few weeks now, and so evil has been able to get deeper into Kamui." I was having trouble seeing and could only see a meter in front of me! My sense of smell was good but it was very confusing as I could only smell fish. The only thing to hear was the roaring of the wind and Ayako complaining.
"This is ridiculous! I can't even see a meter in front of me! How in gods name are we going to find shelter if we can't even see a rock in front of us!?" At that point I saw a dark shadow and as I came closer I saw it was a rock. I walked towards it and stood on top of it to try and get a better look, all to no avail.
"See anything, Ayako?" I asked Ayako as she had climbed onto my nose as I pointed it up high so she could have a better look.
"Snow, snow, some more snow..."
"Seriously! This is a life or death situation! Seems like that anyway... a demon could pull a fast one if we aren't careful!"
"Hey, its not my fault there is this massive blizzard so I can't see..." Ayako stopped there.
"What's wrong?" She took a while to reply but eventually did, with a bit of fear in her voice.
"T-there's something moving out there!" That made me nervous, we weren't in the best of places to be prepared for an attack. "It's small but it knows we are here!" I lowered my head and looked through the blizzard to try and see but I couldn't see a thing. I didn't drop my guard for a second but I was feeling slightly nervous as I still hadn't managed to make a weapon yet!
Out of nowhere, the thing leapt onto me and I was looking at an angry beast, the shape of a large dog. The blizzard then cleared a bit and I saw a brown like wolf wearing a leaf like mask. I knew this Oina, and I never expected to see her here all alone out here in a blizzard!
"Don't move, stranger!" She barked at me. "Move and you may never move again!"
"Lika!? Is that you?" My voice stopped the wolf from growling. She jumped back and I stood up.
"How do you know my name? I have never seen you before yet you know it. Are you working for a demon!?"
"Guess the Oinas really have been through a hard time." Ayako said aloud and Lika looked like somebody had put ice down her back.
"Ayako!? Then if you are here then that means this wolf is...!" She then did something very unexpected, she ran at me and pushed me aside! I got to my feet and I saw anger in her eyes.
"Lika, what the hell...?" I couldn't finish. What had happened here while I was gone?
"It's your fault!" She barked and I could tell, she was going to cry soon. "It's all your fault this happened! Kai is dead because of you! Yami told us everything about you and what you did!"
"Lika, I had no choice but to turn into a demon if it meant saving Amaterasu and Waka. I couldn't stand and do nothing. How was I to know that that decision was going to cost many people their lives?" Then something she said got my attention. "Kai is dead!? How did that happen!?"
"She thought it wasn't true what Yami told us, that you did that to save Amaterasu and Waka not to join the evil forces like he said. Yami got angry and blasted his rays of light at her and she was blown out of the sky, she was killed instantly!" She then looked at me with a serious expression as the hate left her. "You shouldn't be here! You have to leave while you can! Oki and Samickle would tear you to pieces if they find you or Yami will blow you to bits if he caught up with you! Leave now while you have the chance!"
"I cannot, for Yami is the reason I am here. I have a score to settle with that salaud(2). He has caused so much damage while I wasn't here to protect this place but now I'm back and stronger than before!"
"Wait...Wakusei you don't even have a sword! How are we gonna kill some demons if we don't have a sword?"
"The master of building stuff is here and all he needs is time. If we can find the right stuff then building a sword should be easy."
"Guess the prophet blood really comes in handy sometimes." Ayako giggled.
"Lika, you should go back to the village and pretend you never saw us, I don't want to see Oki yet but, in time, I might. I'll return to the village later when I feel ready, go now before another blizzard kicks in!"
"I'm sorry I attacked you, I really thought Yami was telling the truth but it was just a scam! I wish you luck...Oh, spirits of the air, earth and sea...grant this two your powers to defeat the lord of darkness!" She then howled and ran off to the village. I ran to find the right stuff needed to make a sword like Fathers but...how was it done again? Think, the size, the colour, the handle...That's it!
"So what do ya need, cub boy?" Ayako asked.
"The tree branch from the tree found in Yoshpet." I ran there and the magic from the forest was weak...luckily enough to keep demons at bay. I grabbed one big branch and prayed that I was right about how to make it work. I had to be in human form for this to work and that made me shiver since I wore thin clothing that had been wrecked. Ayako just watched in fascination as I worked my magic.
Moments went by and I finally got it working! I made the branch look like a wooden stick that some dojo teacher would use and can turn into a blue like sword, like Waka's but light blue in colour.
"Wow...why can't I do that?" Ayako complained
"Because you didn't come from the Moon or have any connection of the Moon in any way." I said and tried the sword out on a log which slashed in half! "Works fine but every sword must have a name...what about Tousou?"
"Sounds good, it's blue and looks like ice." Satisfied with the sword's condition, I turned into my wolf form, mainly to keep the cold at bay, and that was when I heard someone fighting a demon. There was howls in pain and growls in rage, the sound of swords clashing and demon's evil giggle. "Lemme guess, we move in, right?" I nodded and ran to see if I could make a surprise attack on the demon. Tousou was already out as I thought it may come in handy some time soon and I found the area where the battle was taking place.
I found the battle and I saw somebody unexpected, Oki! He was fighting a couple of Igloo Turtles, a few Namahages and a Blade Namahage. Oki had been wounded and looked tired...must've been caught in a trap. He wasn't going to last by himself much longer so I waited for the best moment to strike.
"Curse you demons!" Oki was shouting. "I will not listen to Yami's orders! I walk a lone path and defeat evil not encourage evil to spread even more!" The demons hissed and the Blade Namahage jumped into the air, ready to strike Oki down. I wasn't going to stand and watch that happen so I jumped out of nowhere and bit down hard on the Namahage's blade which snapped in half in my jaws. I landed on my feet and turned to face the group of demons who looked surprised. The Namahage wasn't injured but look scared.
"Only cowards gang up on a lone warrior." I said and got Tousou ready. "Fight me if you think you are really even as great as you think you are." The demons looked at each other and hissed at me, agreeing to the challenge. The Blade Namahage wanted revenge for his broken blade and got his big fist towards me. I ran under him and slashed Tousou as I passed, that would be very painful for any mortal! He disappeared in a puff of flowers behind me and I growled for the next challenger who was the Igloo Turtle.
The Igloo Turtle hurled some ice balls at me, which I dodged every one of them with ease, and swung his lamp tail at me. I swung Tousou at the lamp tail and it touched the lamp which exploded into flames. Ayako tried to use her brush powers but she wasn't for it yet, so I concentrated really hard on the flames and imagined a paintbrush painting a line from the flame to the igloo part of the demon. The fire responded and set the Igloo Turtle on fire, leaving the core open for an attack, which I took by swinging Tousou at it. It also burst into a puff of flowers and disappeared. I looked at the remaining demons who were having second thoughts about fighting.
"Anybody else want to try their hand on me?" I asked and growled. The demons hissed and then made a cowardly get away. "Au revoir, poltron(3)." I turned to Oki who was looking stunned, but thankful. "As usual, you need to learn to fight with a smaller group of demons."
"You...you knew me...from before?" Oki asked who was in human form at this time and trying to stand and eventually succeeded.
"I've changed that much? I never realized that I had changed that much when the demon was fought out. Or is it the hat that changes my looks so much?"
"The hat does make you look more weird but I think the fact that your fur is more lighter and the markings give out it's own light is the real reason he doesn't recognize you." Ayako said and Oki's eyes looked at me in disbelief. I just looked at him calmly and smiled.
"Did you really think I was working with those demons like Yami said?" Oki remained silent. "Most of what Yami said was a lie, the reason I changed was because Amaterasu and Waka's life was at risk. He was going to blow them to bits if I hadn't have stopped him then...this world would be in even more danger than it already is!" I heard something behind me and I turned to see Samickle had arrived, in wolf form, and he lunged at me once he saw me. I dodged his attack and could've swung Tousou at him but I wasn't here to kill him.
"Demon helper!" Samickle barked. "You were betraying us all along, ever since Oki took you in! We thought you would help us but you were helping the demons all along! You are not worthy as a warrior Wakusei!" He lunged at me again and again I dodged him.
"You must be the real fool, Samickle." I said calmly. "If you believe what Yami has told you then you are the fool. I have fought off demons in Sei-an city, Ryoshima Coast and in Shinshu Field yet I am still considered evil to you?" Samickle looked less threatening and looked uncertain and slightly ashamed. "I have risked my life many times and will do gladly to my friends but you still do not trust me?"
"I do." Oki had changed into his wolf form and stepped forward. "But you were cast out of Kamui, why have you returned if you were exiled?"
"Because I was told to."
"That's not what I meant, you are here also because you want to be, why?" Oki asked again.
"I heard that evil was spreading here in Kamui and, because I consider Kamui my second home, I came to try and save it. Now I learn that Yami is hiding here and I'm also here for revenge. He will not be happy to learn that I have regained my normal self and I know that I will suffer but that is a risk I'm willing to take." Oki and Samickle exchanged looks and they nodded at each other.
"Then we will help you defeat this Yami, we are going to protect Kamui no matter what the cost!" Oki said and howled to the challenge. Samickle howled with him and I just made a silent prayer to the gods. We then set off to go and find Yami, not knowing that it wasn't me who was going to go face-to-face with death this time, but somebody else whom I care about.
Hopefully you will not hate me for the next chapter as somebody DOES die. Wait...not somebody but some people! More than one dies...ok I'm gonna shut up before I spoil it.
Did everybody enjoy their xmas? I certainly did! I got attacked by party poppers and those party horn things that make stupid noises! Damn you big bro!
Review please if you want next chapter to come quicker or if you feel like it. P.S. Get well soon CuriousCanine! Feel lucky for Wakusei has a lot worse luck than you. Here's your get well soon presie -hands you a cross- keeps evil at bay lol.
French Translations
(1) Surely you know what au revoir means! If not then it means: Good bye!
(2) Don't say salaud to your French teachers for it means: Bastard (if your enemy doesn't know what it means then feel free to call him/her that)
(3)Poltron, if my French is correct, means: Coward