Issun had never thought he would feel like this but he was desperate for Waka not to die. The prophecy was going round and round his head and that damn fruitcake was the only one who knew how to deal with it. Bah. It would be just like Waka to die now since it was the only time Issun hadn't wanted him dead.

"I don't like the look of that arrow," said Susano, frowning. "I don't dare touch it. I think he's dead."

"No, he's still breathing," said Issun.

Susano had carried Waka from Shinshu Field and they were now back in Kamiki, in Kushi's empty house seeing as she now lived with Susano. In the adjacent room, the mill rumbled as it steadily trod the stream outside. Issun didn't know how anyone could sleep through the racket, but Waka was motionless as he lay on the narrow bed in the corner, the arrow still protruding from his chest. Susano's voice sounded tight, as if he was trying not to breathe in the fizzing air. Issun didn't blame him; his throat felt as if it had been scraped all the way down to his lungs and stomach.

Kushi stood by the doorway, her hands clasped to her chest and tears running down her face. "He doesn't deserve this. There has to be someone who can help. We should fetch Mr Orange."

As tempting as it was to inflict Mr Orange's home remedies and bizarre dances on Waka, Issun was more interested in getting him better. Where was Ammy? She might be able to help, but Issun hadn't seen her since she'd vanished with Oki after the Moon Tribe. What was taking her so long?

Issun wished he'd had the sense to jump onto her. There was nothing he could do to help Waka and Ammy was the one he was supposed to keep an eye on. Sakuya had said Ammy couldn't change forms on the mortal plain, but Waka had been convinced it was going to happen.

Issun shook himself. "Kushi, Susano, why don't you both wait at the village entrance for Ammy? She'll be back soon."

And if she wasn't then Issun would go looking for her. Silently he begged for her to still be in wolf form. He needed time to think. If this prophecy started to come true now then he didn't know what he'd do…

Kushi carefully rearranged the blankets around Waka while Susano looked on with a furrowed brow. "Just call us if you need anything, Issun," said Kushi.

Issun watched them leave. Maybe he should go up to Sakuya's tree. He could do with the air seeing as he felt as if he was suffocating with the feel of this cursed arrow filling the room, and Sakuya might be able to use her magic to help. It had to be worth a try… He bounced to the door.

"Have they finally gone? It's about time," Waka muttered.

"Huh?" Issun spun around just in time to see Waka awkwardly sitting up. "Were you faking all that? You bastard! I was actually worried about you!"

Waka's face was still grey as he propped himself up against the wall. Grimacing, he grabbed hold of the arrow. The light screeched, throwing shadows about the room, and the air thickened until there was nothing left to breathe. Waka looked as if he might scream but he managed to keep his mouth tightly closed as he slowly dragged the arrow from his chest. Hurriedly he hurledit across the tiny room and then he fell back on the bed panting. Issun noticed Waka's shirt beginning to turn crimson.

"Sheesh, you're gonna bleed to death!" said Issun.

"I'll manage."

"Why? Are the Moon Tribe immortal or something?"

Waka glanced at him.

"Yeah, I know what you are," said Issun. "You're a sword is a bit of a give away and you've got the same annoying face as the rest of your buddies. What did you do to piss them all off?"

"Forgive me my little bouncing friend, but I really don't feel like talking right now," Waka muttered, holding the blankets tight to his chest.

"Ya big girl. It's just a pretty arrow." Issun bounced over to the arrow that still crackled in the corner of the room. Remembering how Waka had grabbed it, he touched it with his fingers. "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

He swore as he yanked his arm back. The skin of his fingertips had turned red and his entire arm was so numb that he could barely move it any more. "Ow! OW!" All right, so Waka wasn't a girl. Issun would let him off this time.

"Electricity," said Waka. "It hurts, but that particular arrow doesn't kill. It's been designed so that the end never penetrates too deeply. I don't think the Moon Tribe want me dead." He clasped his hand to his chest, which was red and burnt, just like Issun's fingers. "Where is Amaterasu?"

"Um…" Issun glanced at the door as he blew on his fingers. "I don't know."

Waka looked annoyed. Really annoyed. "You were supposed to watch out for her, Issun, and instead you're playing with arrows?"

"She ran off trying to defend you! Look, I'll find her. Keep your hair on. Hey, speaking of which, do you have long funny hair like the rest of your weirdo tribe?" Issun peered at Waka's winged hood. It was difficult to see in the yellow, flickering light from the arrow, but Issun could just about make several strands of gold around Waka's face.

"Just find her, bug!" snapped Waka.

"You do don't you? Ha! That's so funny! All right, I'm going! Later, Blondie!"

As amused as Issun was, his good humour vanished as soon as he was outside. There were no clouds and the curved moon reigned supreme in the night sky, spilling its milky light over the village. Issun had never realised it before but there was something sinister about moonlight and the way it turned everything grey. Looking up, he thought of the Moon King staring down at the mortal plain. Again he heard Waka repeating the prophecy in his head.

"Ammy, I swear you better not have let those Moon Boys get you," he muttered.

She had to be fine. Issun felt certain he would feel it if something had happened to her. Sometimes during the past year he'd sworn there had been moments when he could almost sense her. There had been times when he'd felt inexplicably happy, and he'd been certain they'd been Ammy's emotions. There'd also been times when he'd been certain something bad was happening to her…

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts away, he bounded to the entrance of the village. Susano sat by himself on a rock. Kushi must have gone to bed.

Issun was just about to call to him when he felt something leap up inside his mind. He grinned. Ammy. He could feel her.

"Thank gods," he muttered. "And you'd better still be furry!"

Bouncing past Susano, he used his sword to hack through the grass so that he could move faster. "Ammy!" he called, shouting her name in his mind as well out loud. "Ammy!"

He sensed her picking up speed, but almost immediately she slowed down. Issun frowned. He suddenly felt as if he'd been plunged into Lake Laochi again. Something was wrong. He could sense it in every part of Ammy's thoughts.

"Is Fido back?" said Susano, catching up with Issun.

Both of them stood at the edge of the corridor of cherry trees that marked the entrance to Kamiki and stared at the bare moonlit path that led out across the open Shinshu Field. Issun could sense her drawing closer and he stared into the distance so hard that it hurt his eyes as he strained to see her white shape. Finally he stopped. He could see movement in the shadows ahead.

Don't be human… don't be human…

He held his breath. A ghostly shape stepped into the moonlight and Issun suddenly felt so giddy that he almost fell over. She was still a wolf.

"Ammy!" He ran forward to leap onto her back, but then he stopped. She wasn't walking properly and her tail was drooping. Issun watched as she limped forward. There was blood on one of her front shoulders. Damn it! He should have gone with her.

"Ammy, are you all right?" Issun peered at the wound. It didn't look bad; it was more as if she'd stumbled against a rock than been physically attacked, but it was close to the scar on her side. Hmmmm, Issun must ask Waka how Ammy had got that, though he suspected it had come from the fight with the Moon King.

"Ahahaha! It's nothing but a scratch!" said Susano. "It takes more than a scratch to topple the great Fido!" He laughed.

Ammy glanced behind and Issun looked up, just as Oki slumped out of the shadows in his beast form and collapsed on the path. Susano's laugh suddenly died and even Issun was speechless. Oki's fur was more red than blue and he made a horrible grunting noise as his chest haggardly rose and fell with each breath.

"Susano, get something for bandages!" said Issun, bouncing over to Oki urgently. "Oki! Hang on in there, OK?" It really wasn't the Oina warrior's day… he'd been banished, poisoned and now this.

Limping forward, Ammy rubbed her nose against Oki's neck for a moment, turning her muzzle crimson. Issun expected her to lay and rest beside him but instead she turned back towards Shinshu. She was alert and watchful, as if waiting for the enemy to return.

Issun jumped into Oki's damp fur and he soon found the wounds. There was a gash on his belly, another on his back and several small wounds all over him that looked as if they might have come from arrows. Sheesh, him and Ammy must have had fun pulling those things out.

"We'll get that Moon Tribe for this. Don't worry, Oki," said Issun.

Behind him, Ammy growled. Her eyes were still pinned on Shinshu.

"Don't you dare even think about going after them alone, Furball!" said Issun.

"They won't… hurt her," Oki muttered in between rasping breaths.

Issun looked between him and Ammy. Of course they wouldn't. Issun had never seen them attack her and if she had been their target then she would be just as bad as Oki. Still, that didn't make him feel much better. The Moon Tribe were stronger than he'd expected and he had no doubt there would come a time when they would not be so lenient towards Ammy.

"Issun, they're coming back," said Oki.

"What? Now?"

Ammy barked urgently and then she dashed over to Issun and stared at him. She was desperate to say something but, as hard as Issun tried, he couldn't sense what it was. Again she barked. She ran towards Kamiki and then back to Issun.

"Ammy, I don't get it," said Issun. "Are the Moon Tribe coming back now?"

She paused. Again she stared out over Shinshu Field, but she didn't seem to see anything. There was something else she wanted to say…

"I've got some water," said Susano, panting as came running back from the village with a bucket of water and a pile of cloths. Kneeling, he stared uncertainly at Oki. "I dunno much about wounds, especially on weird creatures like this. Kushi's got this." He held out a jar of paste that looked suspiciously like it was made of nothing more than crushed fruit from Mr Orange's fruit trees.

"Well, it's better than nothing," said Issun shoving one of the cloths into the bucket. They'd have to worry about the Moon Tribe when they came. Oki's blood was beginning to seep soak into the ground. He needed help.

Carefully, and warily as if he expected Oki to bite him, Susano began to clean the matted fur while Issun smeared the orange paste onto the dry cloths ready to use as bandages. It was painfully slow work. If Susano pressed even slightly too hard then Oki would wince or growl, and, worse, the bleeding didn't seem to want to stop. Oki's eyes were already screwed tightly shut and Issun kept expecting his awkward breathing to suddenly stop.

Meanwhile, Ammy paced. Sometimes she'd stare at Kamiki. Sometimes she'd stare at Shinshu. Issun could feel she was restless and he had an irritating feeling that he knew why… Was she worried about that idiot half-baked prophet? He felt like yelling at her. She was worried about him and Oki was bleeding to death.

Though thinking about it, Waka hadn't looked that good when Issun had left him…

Susano wrapped the last bandage about Oki. "I think that's the best that can be done."

"You still awake, Oki?" said Issun, peering at his face. He looked a bit better, but his breathing still sounded rough and tired.

"Yes. Thank you," Oki muttered.

"I've never seen a man like this. What is he?" said Susano. "He's too ugly to be a god."

"He's from the north. Susano, do you think you can carry him back to the village?"

Susano eyed Oki's bulk. "He's a big beast. Bigger than Fido, but I can probably manage. What happened to him anyway?"

"There's some weirdo foreigners with gold hair prancing around like they own the place," said Issun.

"They're coming back, Issun…" Oki mumbled.

Ammy barked and dashed over to Issun. She stared at him urgently.

"Are they coming now?" Issun frowned as he concentrated on Ammy, trying to sense what she was thinking. If they were in Shinshu, she would be after them already. What was she trying to tell him?

She moved towards Kamiki and barked. Issun stared at her blankly. For a long moment she gazed at him and then she suddenly broke into a sprint towards the village.

"Hey, Ammy, wait!" Issun called, but she was already out of sight.

Leaving Susano to carry Oki, Issun bounded after her. What the heck had gotten into her furry head? Kamiki was surrounded by water so there was no way the Moon Tribe could have got in without them seeing… even so, Issun found himself staring all around, looking for any flash of gold hair.

Ammy was by Susano's house, her nose held high as she sniffed the air. She snuffled about the door for a moment and then turned and stared at the sake brewing mill. Her tail began to wag.

She was unbelievable! Oki was dying and all she wanted to do was find that idiot from the moon! "Bah!" Grabbing a pebble from the ground, Issun threw it at her head. She yelped as it smacked her on the nose. "That's what you've been whining about since you got back, Furball? That half-baked prophet who is a member of the same tribe of freaks that almost killed Oki? Sure, he got hit by an arrow but Oki had to deal with a lot more. Don't you care that Oki could die? Fine, go and snuggle with your moon boy, but I'm gonna stay with Oki to see if he survives the night. Goodbye, Furball."

He bounced away from her, ready to go and meet Susano. They'd have to find somewhere else to put Oki. It would probably just stress him out if he was in the same room as Waka.

Behind, he felt Ammy staring at him. She bounded to catch him up.

"I said goodbye!" Issun drew his sword, intending to jab her in the nose, but she moved back just in time. "You can worry about that prophet and I'll worry about Oki." He tried to turn away but Ammy barked and leapt in front of him. She had an urgent look in her eyes as she whined.

"Don't grovel to me, Furball. I'm not in the mood."

He sensed that she was frantic. Good. He wanted her to feel bad.

Again he turned his back on her and stormed towards the village entrance. Susano had just appeared with Oki in his arms. Oki's breathing had quietened. He was either unconscious or asleep. Issun jumped into his fur and pressed his head against Oki's chest. His heart rate sounded steady and relatively normal. That was good.

"Shall I take him to the mill?" said Susano.

"Would you wanna be in a room with Waka? No, there's got to be somewhere else. Would your house be OK?"

Susano laughed. "Anyone who hates that… that… flappy man is welcome in my house. Where's Fido gone?"

Issun looked around. Ammy was nowhere insight. Probably cuddled up with Waka. A Furball and a Fruitcake. Issun tried to laugh, but he couldn't actually believe she'd gone. He'd expected more grovelling. Traitor, he thought.

Roughly he shoved the feeling of betrayal away. Instead, he patted Oki. "Don't worry, pal. We'll get you through this."

Waka knew that Amaterasu had entered the room, even though he had his eyes closed and she didn't make a sound that was audible over the rumble of the mill as she padded forward. "Alone at last eh, ma cherie?" he said. He smiled as he sat up, though he had to bite his lip slightly as the pain of the wound split across his chest. At least it was better now the arrow was gone.

Amaterasu wagged her tail as she bounded towards him. Waka managed to laugh. "I'm all right, though I must confess I didn't expect those arrows to hurt that much…"

He was aware that she was watching him carefully as he wrapped his arms about his chest. "You know very well that I've been through worse," he said, "and don't you dare let those mortals use leeches or any other odd medicines. I'm like you. I heal quickly. Since that arrow didn't kill me, I'm already on the mend."

He knew she didn't believe him so he pulled up his shirt. The bleeding had stopped and a scab had taken the place of the raw wound. In a few days it would be completely gone, though he suspected he'd be tired for a while, which would be irritating.

Amaterasu, however, did not look convinced at his words. She jumped onto the bed and sat, almost crushing Waka's legs in the process. She peered at his face intently.

"Amaterasu, you know how I feel about wolf breath. And you're heavy. Please move."

She continued to stare at him and then she licked him. Jumping to the floor, she sat and wagged her tail. Waka laughed as he wiped his face. He'd missed her. Usually he preferred to be alone with his prophecies or flute. People were far more fun to annoy than they were to talk to, but he'd always liked being with Amaterasu. There was something soothing about her presence.

Or there had used to be something soothing about her. It was different since that prophecy had entered his head.

Amaterasu suddenly barked and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt with her teeth. She pulled it, as if she wanted to drag him out of bed.

"I don't heal that quickly," said Waka. He frowned. Amaterasu was anxious and she kept looking at the door. Again she tugged at his sleeve. She wanted him to leave.

"All right," said Waka, "but before we go I have something important to tell you. Amaterasu, stay as a wolf until this fight is over. I don't care if you find a way to use your human form on this mortal world; stay as a wolf."

Her expression wasn't always easy to read, but Waka could usually tell what she was thinking. This time he wasn't sure if she was annoyed or not. He was too used to seeing her as a human. She was useless at hiding her emotions - and conveying them – in her human form. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd told her not to lick the celestials' faces whenever she was pleased to see them. There had been a few other 'incidents' as well that they still needed to talk about.

Whether she was annoyed or not, she would listen to him, but that didn't make Waka feel much better. His prophecies were never wrong. He wished he understood this one more. Usually he could tell how everything would turn out, but this time he was baffled. He'd known Amaterasu for more than 200 years. They trusted one another completely. Somehow that was going to change for the worst.

Amaterasu rested her head on the bed and stared at him. Waka wondered if she could read what he was thinking. It seemed like it at times. Quickly he pushed the prophecy out of his thoughts.

"Well, once again we appear to be trapped on this mortal plain only this time we don't have an ark. However, my fellow Moon Tribers must have used something to follow us since I doubt they'd just jump off the Moon Cliffs. You could have warned me before you pushed me, ma cherie."

She grumbled apologetically. Waka had been more than a little surprised when she'd shoved him off the edge of the cliff, but it had been the best thing to do. Vel, the Moon King, had had them cornered and he would have killed them. Amaterasu had pushed Waka and then jumped. Waka wished he could have seen Vel's face. He would be furious they had escaped. He'd wanted to kill them personally.

Waka shook his head. "We shouldn't have gone to the moon. He's always loathed the gods and the celestials. I knew that. You shouldn't have come with me."

More to the point, he shouldn't have let her come. He'd had a bad feeling about this from the beginning.

Amaterasu stared at him.

"We can't change what happened," Waka agreed, "and I suppose it's not all bad. We can return to the heavens. Some of the Moon Tribe are camped out in Taka Pass. We'll steal whatever ark they're using, but we'll have to be careful. Vel will be looking for us. And the sword."

Waka glanced at the flute on the floor by the bed. He'd checked it was there as soon as he'd opened his eyes since he wouldn't have put it past Issun to just leave it lying around Shinshu. He should have left it on the celestial plain. Now Vel knew he had it, he'd stop at nothing to obtain it.

And if his highness succeeded… well, the deaths of the celestials would be nothing compared to the new guilt Waka would have to live with.

Amaterasu seemed to know what he was thinking. She picked up the flute with her teeth and growled. She wouldn't let the Moon Tribe get it.

"Tres bien, Amaterasu, but please don't slobber on it too much. I like playing that."

Carefully she placed the flute on the bed. Waka closed his fingers tightly about it and then yawned. Ugh. He wasn't used to being tired. He rarely had to sleep. He laid back on the bed, but again Amaterasu grabbed his sleeve and pulled.

"All right."

Picking up the bag that still contained the orb that had been in the Moon Cave, he carefully stood. The pain was worse than he'd expected and he grimaced as he placed a hand against the wall to steady himself. He wrapped an arm about his chest.

Amaterasu glanced at him and then at the doorway. Waka followed her gaze. If she wanted him to go, then he'd go.

Unfortunately, he might collapse along the way…

Amaterasu suddenly pushed her head against him, knocking him back onto the bed.

"Amaterasu, what on earth are you doing? Are we going or staying?"

Grabbing a blanket, she pulled it over him. Well, it seemed as if he was staying then. Amaterasu sat by the door, as if she was a guard dog.

He'd feel better if he rested for a few hours. He'd leave before the sun rose, though. Issun wasn't the most reliable sort, but Waka supposed he could trust him to take care of Amaterasu for now. He'd have to make up a prophecy and send them off on some quest somewhere. It didn't matter where as long as Amaterasu stayed away from him and the Moon Tribe.

Amaterasu suddenly jumped on the bed and placed her paws firmly on his shoulders. She stared at him.

It seemed that she really could read his thoughts. When had she learnt to do that? He'd have to be more careful.

"We need to go our separate ways. Just for a little while," he explained. "Why don't you spend some time with your little bouncing friend? I know you've missed him."

Her expression didn't change but Waka knew her well enough to know something was wrong. Her eyes suddenly looked sad.

"Ah, have you been arguing, ma cherie? I told you he would be jealous since he's not too fond of me. I expect it will be better when I'm gone."

She didn't move her paws from his shoulders and Waka realised that she was not going to let him go anywhere. "Ma cherie, we have to go our separate ways. I'll catch up with you later. The Moon Tribe are my people and my responsibility." And there weren't many of them left thanks to Vel. He'd practically destroyed the entire civilization.

Still Amaterasu didn't move.

Waka blamed her human form for this show of stubbornness. Two hundred years ago she'd spent most of her time on the Celestial Plain as a wolf, but now she seemed to have decided that she liked being human. It made things more than a little awkward at times since she didn't know how to behave as a human. Waka wished he had time to work on that with her, but he knew that wasn't going to happen because…

Amaterasu pressed her face close to his and Waka knew she could tell what he was thinking. He pushed the thoughts away before she found out too much.

"Amaterasu, move," he said.

She stared at him. She was beginning to irritate him now. She knew that and Waka had a feeling she was enjoying it.

"Amaterasu, why are you being like this? You trust me so listen to me. I need you to stay out of this. You've been spending far too long as a human and you're letting your emotions get in the way. Remember what happened when we were battling the monsters on the Celestial Plain to save the remaining few celestials and you let your emotions get the better of you? You almost got us killed."

Now he had her. He saw the expression in her eyes change. She jumped to the floor and lay down with her head resting on her paws.

Waka sat up. "And there's no need to grovel about it. I told you we'd discuss it when we have time."

Which he wouldn't have.

Again Amaterasu seemed to 'hear' what he was thinking. She suddenly jumped up onto the bed and licked his face before nuzzling her head against chest. Waka gently wrapped an arm around her and closed his eyes.

"Don't worry about it, ma cherie. I'll be fine." He emptied his mind so that she wouldn't catch what he was thinking. "I promise I'll be fine."

"Issun… Issun, are you here?" Oki muttered.

Issun jumped at the sound of his voice. It had been quiet for so long that he had almost nodded off. Susano had gone to bed downstairs with Kushi and Issun had been left alone with Oki's tired breathing. Shaking himself awake, Issun peered at Oki's face. His eyes were still closed.

"Yeah, I'm here, pal," he said.

Oki licked his dry lips and grunted slightly. Slowly he moved his legs as he tried to stand.

"Hey, what are ya doing?" said Issun.

He expected Oki to fall but the Oina warrior managed to get up on all four legs. He stood motionless, his legs trembling from the effort. "Where is Waka?" he asked.

"Er… why?"

"He's in danger. They're coming for him. Amaterasu and I heard them say…" Oki slumped back to the rug he'd been sleeping on.

Issun felt as if he'd been slapped. Ah. That was why Ammy had been worried. Issun suddenly felt like a rat. He should have tried to understand her more…

He bounded through the door. The quiet village still slept but the moonlight covered everything thickly. In the white light, Issun saw the half dozen Moon Tribe members that had just entered the village.

"AMMY!" Issun screamed.

Woah, this story is getting long now!