Sorry this has taken so long! I haven't forgotten about you all but I've been in London for a week. It's also manically busy at work, which is where I usually write whenever I have a spare moment.

Anyway, on with the story. I struggled with this. Waka is a pain. Big time. Let me know how he turns out because this is a Waka chapter. There's also a fair bit of blood in it so be warned!

The boat had landed and the air felt different. Smoother. Silkier. Issun breathed in deeply. He couldn't believe it. He was on the moon. He was the first poncle to ever come here.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see a damn thing because he was stuck in Waka's pocket.

He'd tried to poke his head out but Waka had wrapped his hand around him warningly. Gods, did he think Issun was stupid or something? He wasn't going to let himself be seen!

He just wanted a little peep at the moon…

Waka was moving. Why wasn't he fighting? There had been voices a little while ago; Raik's annoying voice, which was even more arrogant than Waka's, and one or two others that seemed to come from the Moon Tribers that had been in Kamiki since Issun heard them whispering about how Ammy had fought. Why wasn't Waka doing something? He was Tao Master so surely he could take on this bunch of loons… but no, Waka was walking quietly like a good little Moon Boy. Issun didn't get him at all.

Issun knew he should be scared. The Moon Tribe may not have looked as intimidating as the monsters he'd seen during his time with Ammy, but he knew he was in far more danger now than he'd ever been before. People were always more dangerous and unpredictable than monsters. Monsters had an embedded evil nature that was impossible for them to change, but people… people were evil because they chose to be.

Issun thought about everything Waka had told him about Vel, the Moon King. He was jealous of the Celestial Plain and the way Ammy could outshine everything, and because of that he wanted to destroy her. A man with a crazy ambition like that was a million times worse than any monster.

Waka was worried too. He'd barely said anything and the hand imprisoning Issun was moist. Gross.

Despite all that, Issun was oddly content. Maybe it was the air… he'd never tasted anything this good before. Even being half-strangled by Waka's grip couldn't wipe the grin off his face. If it was this good on the moon, he wondered what it was like on the Celestial Plain…

There was a whirring noise that Issun recognised as a door. He struggled against Waka's fingers, trying to press his face against the pink material of the pocket to see if he could see any of his surroundings. Waka's grip tightened urgently. Issun was going to bite him in a moment…

"Bonjour, Vel," said Waka.

Amaterasu ran. It took longer than usual for her to build up speed in her two legs but the land was soon whipping past her at a blurring speed. Behind her trailed the vibrant flowers that grew wherever her feet touched the ground.

Something refreshing about this almost hairless skin. Vibrant sensations. Fingers of wind trailing though hair and across naked flesh. Bare feet pounding the soft grass and beaten paths that were warm with the heat of her sun.

The scents and smells of the world were muffled, but instead there were colours. The rich green of the land stretched far past the horizon. Swirls of pale pink petals drifted through the air. The colourless water reflected the blue of the sky. Didn't notice this with wolf eyes.

If only she had more time... So much to feel in this form with this skin. Silk water. Cool mud. Softness of the blossoms gathered beneath the trees…

Later. Waka and Issun first.

But suddenly uncomfortable. Memories circling. Black light. Waka… Issun. Gone. Helplessness. Anger.

And older memories. Celestial plain. Burnt ground. Blood. Fortress. Red monster. Waka standing close. Breath on lips. Pain slamming into her side, tearing through skin. Falling forwards. Hands on almost hairless skin. Blood…

No.

Concentrate.

Ignore the memories. Bury emotions. Pain. Anger. Hide…

Almost hairless skin. Fingers trailing through hair…

Concentrate.

Running across the land. The feel of the ground beneath her feet. Faint scents… faint, but still there.

Oki chasing her.

She focussed on him. Fun to run ahead as he frantically tore after her… and to feel his nervousness about her naked form. Humans… such strange creatures. Such perfect, sensuous skin and yet they kept it hidden from the feel of everything around them.

But mustn't get too far ahead. Must protect Oki at all costs. If the Moon Tribe knew what he carried…

But they didn't. And Waka would never tell.

For now she would run.

Ahead was the stream that wove into Agata Forest. The surface shimmered. No need for lily pads this time.

She stretched her arms out wide as she leapt into the inviting water.

Waka stood facing Vel in a wide silver room that was similar to the prison on the ark that had been used to transport them here. There were no windows but a cluster of unpleasently bright moon crystals on the ceiling lit the room.

Vel stood in front of a table. Like everyone else in the Moon Tribe, he had golden hair and the young face that came with immortality, but he was a difficult man to predict as even Waka was never quite sure if he was going to smile or frown - not that it mattered since Vel would happily kill someone while wearing either expression. Right now, there was a small smile on his face as he entwined a long string of fire-coloured, star-shaped beads about his hands. A rosary. Behind him, the table held a variety of swords and blades.

Waka knew this room. Usually Vel spent his time in the throne room or in his study with his 'trophies' that he'd picked from the corpses of the people he'd murdered. He only ever came here to torture people. The walls were smooth, making it easy to clean off the blood.

Aware that Vel was studying his face, waiting for some twinge of fear, Waka pretended to look bored as he examined his fingers. It was a gesture that never failed to annoy anyone, but Vel continued to turn the rosary in his hands.

"Welcome home," said Vel.

"Home? No, you are mistaken there. Home has people and places one is attached to."

Vel gripped the rosary a little tighter. Waka knew he shouldn't be teasing him, but it was something he could never resist. People were more interesting when you wound them up until they looked as if they were going to burst. Issun was an especially good target since he always bounced like a cricket whenever he was angry.

Usually though, Waka teased people when he knew they were in no position to hurt him. This situation was very different. He didn't particularly want to be tortured. Rosaries hurt. And Vel was very good at torturing people.

Vel glanced at Raik. "Raik, you have done well. You may leave now."

"Thank you, your majesty," said Raik, bowing.

"Yes, run along like a good little lapdog," said Waka before he could stop himself.

Raik laughed. "And I bet I can name a dog you'd love to have in your lap."

Waka froze and he knew that some kind of emotion must have shown on his face when he saw Vel's smile widen into a grin. Quickly Waka shrugged, forcing himself to appear merely amused at the comment even as his hand unconsciously reached for his missing sword. "Now she's not a wolf any more I'm sure everyone would like to have her in their lap."

Though if anyone tried such a thing he'd slit their throat.

"I'm sure I'll have time for that later," said Vel casually.

Waka smiled, while at the same time trying to keep his grip on Issun who seemed to be bouncing furiously in his hand. "I don't think Amaterasu would stoop so low. She's not interested in animals when in her human form. And even when she's a wolf, phoney royal slugs are still beneath her."

Vel still smiled, but the rosary in his hands suddenly fell still. Waka knew he had gone too far and he tensed as he waited for the tearing feel of the beads to cut into him. Instead though, the only pain came from his finger as Issun bit him. The comment about Amaterasu in people's laps didn't appear to have gone down well. Somehow Waka managed to fight the urge to pull his hand away, even though he could feel he was bleeding. Instead he gripped Issun even tighter, taking pleasure in the faint gasp Issun gave as he was almost crushed.

Vel glanced at Raik. "Why are you still here. I told you to leave!"

"Uh, yes, your majesty," said Raik, hurriedly bowing and rushing to the door. Waka heard it lock behind him.

Again Vel began to toy with the rosary, winding it round and round his hands. "You're very fond of that dog. I noticed how protective you and she were of one another when you were here a few days ago. Your hand was always trailing across her fur. You didn't even seem to realise you were touching her all the time."

"You're obviously not very good at noticing things if you are unable to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf."

"It had crossed my mind that perhaps she had used her power to bewitch you. If that was the case, then I'm sure you'd be happy to enter my service now that I have snatched you away from her."

Waka laughed. "Afraid not."

"What a pity. There aren't many people with the gift of foresight. It was about the only reason I had to keep you alive."

Waka shrugged, though he knew he was treading a dangerous path. Perhaps it would be better to play along. Waka had tricked more people than he could count, no matter how hard it had been to stomach the drawling compliments he'd had to bestow, but this time he was wary of that. His prophecy still billowed in his head.

He'd only told Issun a small part of it; the rest was none of his business since it involved just Waka and Amaterasu. Waka didn't know if he could stop it from coming true since he'd never given a false prophecy before, but he was determined to do everything he could. The prophecy could easily be brought about if Amaterasu found him back in Vel's service…

Somehow she was going to end up hating him. He had to avoid that.

Vel sighed as he unwound the rosary from his hand. "To business then. Where is my sword?"

"What sword?"

The fiery beads darted through the air as Vel swung them forward. Waka couldn't move as quickly without the magic his winged hood had provided, but he was still fast enough to avoid the blow. Vel's face darkened. He lashed out again. And again. Waka leapt aside but each time he felt the air slicing beside him as the beads narrowly missed.

"Where is my sword!" snapped Vel. "The one you stole from me over two hundred years ago!"

"Two hundred years is a very long time and I've tried my hardest to forget everything that happened in my life before I travelled to the Celestial Plain."

Again Vel slung the rosary forward. Waka jumped out of the way and laughed as he saw the frustration flaring in Vel's eyes. "I can do this all day," said Waka.

Vel grabbed a glaive from the table and hurled the massive weapon across the room. Waka darted aside, but at the same moment Vel struck with the rosary. The beads ripped through Waka's shirt and tore into his already bruised skin. He bit his lip so hard that he tasted blood, but he was determined not to scream. Vel loved it when people screamed. His legs buckled but he remained standing.

"I can do this all day too," said Vel. "Where is my sword?"

"What sword?"

Again the rosary struck. Waka tried to move out of the way but he was too slow and this time the beads sliced across his stomach. He fell, groaning as he pressed his arm to the wound.

"The sword that opens the spirit gate!" snapped Vel. "Where is it?"

"Oh, that sword," Waka muttered. "I had it with me on the mortal plain but the situation was a little messy when your minions appeared. I must have misplaced it."

Vel roared. Waka closed his eyes as the rosary hit him again and again, ripping open new wounds across his chest, arms and legs. He felt as if he was going to die. He was getting dizzy as he felt his blood pouring. According to his prophecy, this was not how he met his end but it didn't change the fact that every blow was agonising.

At last the blows stopped. Waka opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but he could see his own blood pooling across the floor. He was losing a lot of that recently…

Vel had returned to the table. When he turned round, Waka could see that he was holding a new weapon. He couldn't see it clearly, but he saw the faint haze of yellow that surrounded it and sensed the sudden fizz to the air. Oh no. It was another rosary; one that Waka had seen Vel use countless times before. The beads were soft, unable to cut or slice, but the electricity that throbbed through them made every blow more torturous than was possible with any other weapon. Maximum damage without ever offering the relief of death.

Again Waka closed his eyes. He felt as if his mind was going to snap and he knew this wouldn't be the first time Vel had tortured someone to insanity. Nobody who'd been hit with those beads had ever kept hold of their mind.

"I wasn't planning on using this on you, but you're giving me no choice," said Vel. "I want that sword!"

Waka took a deep breath. People always answered Vel's questions when he used this rosary. He couldn't let the same thing happen to him. Hurriedly he pictured the Celestial Plain. He had to take his mind away from this room or he would lose it. He had to forget about what was happening to him…

The first blow hit him. A thousand needles seemed to pierce his skin and following them came the crackle of electricity. Trying desperately not to scream, Waka leapt into the first memory he could.

Amaterasu was covered in blood as she ran across the Celestial Plain in her human form. She was also laughing. Waka chased her urgently. The trails of flowers she left behind were speckled with red spots.

"Ma cherie! Amaterasu, stop!" he cried.

She did, but she halted so suddenly that Waka crashed in to her, knocking both of them to the ground with him on top of her. She smiled up at him and then licked his face, but Waka rolled off her quickly. She never wore clothes. He'd seen her naked before since she'd been human once or twice before Orochi came, but now it was becoming a problem. She'd been ecstatic when they'd landed as she'd realised that she could change her form to whatever she wished, and now she showed no signs of wanting to turn back into her old favourite wolf form. He was getting too used to seeing her like this and he was beginning to think of her as a human rather than a wolf.

"Amaterasu, are you hurt?" he asked, purposefully looking at the ground instead of at her.

Glancing down at herself, she seemed to see the blood for the first time. She didn't look concerned and now that he was so close to her, Waka realised that he couldn't see any wounds. The blood must be from the monsters they'd just killed. He smiled. He should have known better than to worry.

Suddenly she grabbed his arm and began licking it furiously. Waka hadn't noticed that one of the monsters had cut him. Awkwardly he tried to pull it back. "Amaterasu, wolves lick, humans don't. This isn't ladylike."

She stared at him, the amusement clear in her eyes. She seemed to know when he was uncomfortable around her and he had the uneasy feeling that she enjoyed it. Giving him one last lick, she released him.

Moving away from her slightly, Waka sat with his knees pulled to his chest. "Well, that's most of the plain clear now. The only thing left is that fortress to the north."

Amaterasu copied the way he was sitting, though it took her several moments to arrange her human limbs correctly. She sat so close to him that she was practically pressed up against his side. Waka sighed. He hadn't said anything to her the first few times she'd done things like this since she obviosuly didn't know how to behave as a human, but things were definitely becoming more awkward and he felt far too warm when she sat so close.

"Ma cherie…" How did he tell her that this wasn't appropriate? "You know that I…"

She pounced on him. She was happy and she wanted to play. Most of the monsters were gone and the plain was beginning to return to what it had been two hundred years ago. Their last battle a few minutes ago had caused the curse, which had sat so heavily on the plain for two hundred years, to finally lift. Flowers had soared across the burnt, shrivelled ground, filling the air with their sweet pollen. It was just like when they had lived here before. All that was left to deal with was the fortress and their home would be completely restored.

"I'm not a wolf, ma cherie!" said Waka as Amaterasu pinned him. "And neither are you."

She pressed herself against him and stared intently at his eyes with that amused expression of hers. Was she doing this on purpose? It was almost as if she liked teasing him. He could feel her breath against his face.

"This isn't the time to play, Amaterasu. Let's deal with that fortress." He tried to shove her away, but she was surprisingly strong in her human form, despite her slender body.

She suddenly frowned, as if she sensed that something was bothering him. He knew she'd never let him go unless he told her, which meant they were going to be here a long while. He stared at her and she stared back.

"If you're going to be human then please act like one," Waka said finally.

She stared.

"If we ever return to Nippon and you start jumping on men like this then you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble very quickly," he tried.

She stared. Her gaze was irritating, even though Waka didn't normally get irritated. He'd known her for a long time but there was so much that he still didn't know. What was a goddess? Was she an animal or was she human? What did she consider herself to be? And did she have any idea what effect it had on him when she pressed her naked body against him?

"Do you understand anything of what I'm saying? You never speak to me," he said. Angrily he pushed against her but she still wouldn't let him up. "Move!" he snapped.

She stared, still seemingly amused. Waka turned his face away so that he at least didn't have to look at her any more.

"Waka."

He'd never heard her speak before. Her voice was just as beautiiful as the rest of her. He thought he'd imagined it, but when he looked at her he saw that her lips were still parted slightly.

And he just couldn't resist. He respected her more than anybody else he'd ever met, and he knew what he was about to do was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. Leaning forward, he lightly brushed his lips against hers for a moment.

She stared. Waka didn't even know if she knew what a kiss was. She didn't look angry, but he was suddenly furious with himself. He felt as if he'd taken advantage of her somehow.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. He pushed her off of him and this time she let him get up. She licked her lips and then stared at him. The amusement was gone from her eyes.

"I won't do that again," Waka promised. "I swear."

"I asked you a question!" Vel snapped suddenly.

Had he? Waka couldn't remember. He'd forgotten where he really was. It still felt as if he was on the Celestial Plain with Amaterasu.

He didn't know why he'd picked that memory to hide in. He hadn't been very happy about what had happened. He should never have kissed her. It had seemed innocent enough at the time, but it was only later, when they'd been in the fortress, that he'd realised how much damage he'd done and what effect his actions had had on Amaterasu. It had haunted him ever since.

"Answer me," said Vel suddenly.

"I wasn't listening," Waka mumbled, opening his eyes. Was it over? His head pounded and his vision was so blurry that he couldn't see a thing. He quivered. Remnants of electricity seemed to still be snaking through his body, but he was alive and he didn't feel as if he'd lost his mind. He slipped his hand into his blood-soaked pocket. Issun was still there but he was limp. Waka hoped he was all right. He'd probably taken several blows from the rosaries.

Ignoring the pain, Waka forced himself to stand. "And even if I had been listening to your inane drabble I wouldn't tell you anything you wanted to know. I do not answer to you."

"How did you do that?" said Vel. "You hid your mind. Everybody does what I ask after I've used this rosary! You shoudl be gibbering on the floor begging for mercy."

Slowly Waka began to see clearly again. The silver walls were splattered with red. Was that all his? Ouch. No wonder he felt so sick.

But as soon as he saw the expression on Vel's face it gave him the strength to smile. He'd never seen him look shocked before. He was definitely in a lot of pain but he'd survived. Nobody had ever maintained their sanity after a beating from that rosary…

Vel hurled the beads across the room. His blue eyes were dark. "It doesn't matter. I'll find that sword. And I'll destroy your dog so that she'll never be reborn. I know how to kill a goddess. I'm going to use you to do that."

"I'll never give you the sword."

"I don't need the sword. All I need is you. Everything is in motion. She'll come for you. She is in her human form now. Can she control her emotions? I'm going to kill everyone she holds dear. I'm going to make her angry and watch her destroy herself. There's a reason gods don't use human forms. And there's a reason they don't fall in love."

Back to Ammy and Oki for the next chapter.