I'm SOOOO sorry this took so long! Between camps and the summer project that came back to bite me in the butt I've had no time to write. Hopefully the next chapter won't take near as long.
On a better note, Okami finally has its own section::Dances:: Yea!
I'm sure you don't want to hear me ramble. Now, onto the fic!
Restoring Faith
Chapter 5
'I will not squash the bug,' Waka thought to himself. 'Amaterasu will be cross with me if I squash the annoying, insolent bug. Even if he's been provoking me for the past three days.'
It wasn't working.
Glancing up, Waka caught the obscene gesture that Issun tossed his way from the safety of the wolf goddess's back. Waka growled under his breath and prayed that Amaterasu would forgive him for what he was about to do…
Amaterasu gave a yip and broke into a run as the trio approached the Ryoshima coastline. Waka breathed deeply, relishing in the fresh sea air that filled his lungs. He smiled as Amaterasu played in the grass like a pup. It was comforting to see that, in a world so devoid of faith, the beauty of the sea still remained.
Waka sat down in the sand and gazed out across the sea. He picked out each the islands that floated like gulls upon its surface. There was a slight weight on his knee and he glanced down at the Poncle who also gazed across the ocean.
"It's not there."
Waka looked down, startled, as Amaterasu trotted up to their side. The goddess too gave the sea a glance before huffing in affirmative.
"What's not there?" Waka asked reluctantly.
The Poncle replied without turning, though Waka could hear the smirk in his voice. "I dunno prophet. Why don't you tell me?"
Waka glowered at the artist, who stared back. Amaterasu barked sharply and Issun answered Waka's question.
"To get to the undersea kingdom, we took a whirlpool on the back of a dolphin. The whirlpool is gone. So we need to figure out a way to reopen it. But how…"
Waka bit back laughter as Amaterasu snorted at the Poncle's musings.
"You makin' fun of me or somethin' Ammy?" Issun snapped.
The white wolf snorted, gestured with her head at the sky, and drew in the sand. Issun hopped down from his seat on Waka's knee to examine them. The prophet took the opportunity to look at the markings. They were nothing he recognized.
They meant something to Issun obviously, as he smacked his forehead and then shook his head.
"Now I just feel stupid. I must be getting old."
It crossed Waka's mind that the artist was the youngest of them, but he kept the thought to himself, choosing instead to wait for the Poncle to explain.
"What Ammy reminded me of," said Issun, addressing the prophet, "was that we could simply get to the whirlpool the way we did the first time, which involves the Celestial brush. We'll have to wait for nightfall though."
Waka pondered this for a moment.
"We'll have to be careful," he said finally. "That much Celestial energy is bound to be picked up by any monsters near by, or even by a human who knows what to look for," his gaze turned to Sei-An City, "if you catch my drift."
The Poncle hummed in agreement.
"The guy's paranoid. He's bound to have set up all sorts of alarms. So once Ammy's done the brush thing, we've gotta move fast. Which means we gotta find that dolphin. It used to appear at the dock every morning, but I'm sure that's not the case now." The Poncle turned to his lupine companion. "Whatdya think Ammy?"
The wolf responded by purposefully trotting onto the rocking sea and looking back at her friends. Waka got the idea immediately.
"So we'll ride on you and to trust luck that we survive? Not the best plan you've ever had, if you know what I mean."
The goddess huffed and threw him a look that plainly said 'And you have a better idea?'
"We've got no other choices," said Issun, vocalizing Amaterasu's feelings. "For now, we should just settle down and wait for sunset."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Waka fed more wood to the fire as Amaterasu enjoyed the fruits of her labor beside him. Issun sat a little further off, absorbed in his painting. Waka scrutinized the sky above him and picked out the first stars in the dimming sky. It would be time to move soon.
Silently he got up, banked the fire, and moved about the temporary campsite, gathering his things. The tasks were soon completed and the prophet was left to fidget with impatience, glancing at the sky constantly.
Amaterasu, sensing his impatience, quickly finished her dinner and settled her weapons on her back. She trotted over to the nearest open area and stood waiting. Waka, sensing the idea, followed her and drew his blade. With a roar he leapt at the goddess.
As the duo parried, Waka lost himself in the dance of the battle, stress draining away as he smoothly dodging all the strikes his lupine friend threw at him. It was a ritual they had engaged in many times over the course of their travels, more often than Waka would have liked.
Waka matched Amaterasu stroke for stroke and didn't notice the darkening surroundings. It was Issun who called the halt.
"Cool it you two! It's almost time!"
Waka slid his sword back in its sheath before hefting his bag on his back. He strode to the top of the ruins where Issun and Amaterasu waited for him.
The group stood, gazing up at the stars. Waka started as he felt a flash of Celestial energy. Amaterasu quickly pulled him on her back and leapt off the cliff towards the sea as the prophet heard the howls of monsters behind them. Risking a glance back, Waka caught sight of a horde of demons racing after them.
The sea had opened and the palace of the Dragonians was visible. Waka could see people leaving the palace, pointing towards the sky. Amaterasu only touched the surface of the sea once before she plunged into the whirlpool.
"Hurry and close the ocean!" Issun yelled at the Dragonians as they landed. The waves poured in, covering the entrance to the sea floor. Waka heard the monsters howl in disappointment.
"We won't be able to go back that way," he remarked. "They'll be waiting."
Issun grunted.
"Lady Otohime isn't stupid. She'll have more than one way to get out of here."
Waka hummed in agreement as they were led inside the palace. They were left in the throne room as their escort left to fetch Otohime. Waka took the chance to examine the underwater sanctuary.
He'd heard of the place, of course. However, he'd never seen a need to visit the Dragonians heaven, even if he could. There were no monsters there and at the time he was preoccupied with righting his wrongs.
The prophet was brought out of his musings as the queen of the Dragonians entered with her guard. Upon seeing her visitors, the queen quickly waved off her guards and dismissed her attendants. When the room was empty she turned to the travelers.
"Issun! Amaterasu! And…" Her voiced trailed off.
Waka bowed. "Waka, of the Moon Tribe. It is my pleasure to meet you, Lady Otohime."
Otohime frowned.
"The same member of the Moon Tribe who killed the Celestials, crashed the Ark of Yamato, and released evil onto the world of man?"
Waka winced. He'd tried for years to repair the destruction caused by his mistakes, but he had known that it wouldn't fixed everything. Amaterasu rubbed up against his leg in an attempt to comfort him. The gesture, while not necessarily successful, was appreciated.
Waka was surprised when the Poncle artist came to his defense.
"Look here! I don't like the prophet and I don't make a secret of the fact," Issun exclaimed furiously from atop Amaterasu's head, "but even I'm willing to admit that he's done his part in destroying the evil released from the Ark of Yamato! There's no reason why you should hold any resentment against him!"
Otohime was unmoved by his words.
"I cannot forgive what he has done. It has cost many of my people and my husband. However, I shall be reasonable. He may stay here for this meeting, but afterwards he may never besmirch my kingdom with his presence again."
Amaterasu growled in her throat as Otohime spoke. She glanced up at her friend who was simply taking the abuse. When the Dragonian Queen had finished the prophet bowed to her, murmuring thanks for her kindness.
"Now, Amaterasu, Issun, what is your purpose here?"
Waka was stung by her obvious omission of his name, and the hint was clear. Otohime was willing to deal with the wolf goddess and the Poncle but the failure of Moon Tribe was not to say anything.
"Now that Ammy here is back," Issun began, "we believe that now is the time to strike against that Sasori guy. He's in cahoots with demons, isn't he?"
Otohime nodded. "Yes. He has made a deal with, and is possessed by a demon known as the Monster Raven." Amaterasu shifted at the name. "Are familiar with this demon, Amaterasu?"
Amaterasu looked up at her allies sadly but neither confirmed nor denied anything.
"We'll worry about the demon latter." Issun drew the discussion back to the subject at hand. "There's a barrier around Sei-An City and you, Lady Otohime, are said to be a barrier expert. How can we destroy the barrier?"
Otohime grew thoughtful. "Well, I've read that the barrier is comprised of four different seals, and each has a corresponding key that unlocks it. If you unlock all four seals, the barrier falls. Each key represents part of the Monster Raven: there's the Raven's Feather, the Raven's Claw, Raven's Beak, and the Raven's Eye."
"Are those literal descriptions?" Issun asked.
Otohime laughed. "I doubt it, otherwise they'd be pretty hard to get a hold of and it's been done before. The four keys will probably be hidden better this time. Also," here she grew serious, "I've read that normal weapons cannot affect the Monster Raven. They must be bathed in the tears of the father of the Gods, Izanagi-sama."
At this Amaterasu turned and dashed out of the audience chamber, Waka quickly following, leaving Issun to talk with Otohime.
Waka came upon his friend in one of the many coral gardens surrounding the palace. She was sitting next to a rock pool, gazing into space. Waka approached quietly, sitting silently beside her. When it was clear that Amaterasu would make no move, Waka spoke up quietly.
"Izanagi-sama is your father, correct?"
Amaterasu started, having not heard her companion's approach. She eventually nodded.
Waka glanced over at the wolf goddess. Ears drooped, shoulders hunched, the goddess was the image of misery.
"And I take it the two of you did not have the best of partings?"
The white wolf snorted and rolled her eyes. That was such a huge understatement.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Amaterasu shook her head once. Her father was her problem. She would deal with it when she had to and no sooner.
"We should probably check on the bug and see if Lady Otohime has any more information for us."
Amaterasu glared at Waka for insulting the Poncle but got to her feet and started towards the palace nonetheless.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Waka almost stepped on the artist, who was waiting near the palace entrance, but the Poncle's reflexives allowed him to hop away just in time. (Regretfully, Waka thought to himself.)
"Watch where you're stepping, ya half-baked prophet! Ya almost squashed me!"
"Pity I missed."
Issun's hopping increased with his anger, but Amaterasu simply scooped thee Poncle up in her mouth. She quickly spit him out, and Issun's temper had a new target.
"I'm not food, fuzball!"
Amaterasu growled before turning her nose up at the drool-covered sprite. Waka finally gave into his laughter as Issun scowled at them both. The damp mood lifted.
"I hate you all."
Amaterasu chortled along with the prophet. Eventually the laughter ceased and Waka turned their thoughts back to the matter at hand.
"Did Lady Otohime have any more pertinent information?"
"Nah." Issun shrugged his shoulders. "Just that she had no idea where the keys are. Which was kinda obvious to begin with."
Waka was nodding his agreement when a sharp erupted around his temples.
A shrine gate. Rubble. A sense of terror. A sword standing tall amidst the destruction. A solitary feather.
When Waka came to, he was lying on the ground, Amaterasu peering worriedly down at him. He reached up to rub the goddess between the ears before hauling himself to his feet.
"I'm alright. I just had a vision."
Issun snorted. "Never happened when you gave us one of them weirdo prophecies."
"It's been… harder… to receive the gods recently."
Waka quieted, and while Amaterasu knew how the subject affected her friend, she needed to know the contents of the vision.
Waka hesitantly explained what he had seen. Issun and Amaterasu shared a glance at the mention of the sword.
"That's gotta be Tsukiyomi, in the Moon Shrine."
Waka nodded his agreement.
"And the feather?" Issun asked.
"My visions are never entirely clear. The feather could be an actual feather or it could simply be a representation of the Raven's Feather."
"Whatever it is, we know somethin's going on at ol' Orochi's place. Let's head there."
Issun hopped back up onto Amaterasu, nestling amongst her fur, as the wolf goddess followed Waka to the surface.
To be continued…
AN: I've got band camp next week, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do. I'll take Chapter 6 with me, but… We'll see.
Please review!