Weeellll this story is progressing quickly. With short chapters. Hnnghh...
Still, it seems Kagu isn't the only one with anger issues hmmmm
Also, Sakuya is apparently Nippon's telephone.
Nyehhhh back in the 1000s. We didn't use telephones. We used tree people. There were no answer machines but at least it was a damn lot harder to cut the phone lines.
Kuni waited patiently as Kaguya used her powers to see what was going on. Or at least, he assumed she was. She was standing with her eyes closed and for a moment he wondered if she'd fallen asleep. He was just about to say something when suddenly she gasped.
"What? What's wrong?" Kuni asked, startled as he'd almost felt like he was falling asleep himself, with the sound of the sea in the background…
"The guards have captured someone," Kaguya told him, sounding worried. "They seem to think he's a demon… but I know he isn't, he's one of Amaterasu's friends…!"
"Do… you think we should try and help…?"
"I don't know if we can," Kaguya sighed. "We can't go to the city and demand they release him. We'll probably only get caught too. But… I know how terrible it is to be locked up for no reason… I wish there was something we could do…"
"He's Amaterasu's friend? That's what you said, right?" Kuni checked. "Then why don't we let her know? She could help."
"How?" Kaguya asked helplessly. "I mean, I could probably find out where she is, but… getting there is another matter."
"Oh yeah," Kuni muttered. Mutt had never liked staying in one place for too long so perhaps it ran in the family.
Mutt…
He shook his head slightly. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Mutt. Someone needed their help.
Then all of a sudden he had an idea.
"There's a Guardian Sapling around here somewhere, right?"
"What?" Kaguya blinked. "Yes, but—"
"Where is it?"
"At the top of the cliffs up there, there's a path near the temple," Kaguya shrugged. "But I don't see how that—"
Not waiting for her to finish her sentence, Kuni turned and raced away across the beach.
"Kuni, wait! What does the guardian sapling have to do with any of this!?"
"We need to find Miss Sakuya!" Kuni called. "She'll be able to find Amaterasu!"
It hadn't taken Kaguya long to catch up to Kuni since he'd had no idea at all where he was going – he didn't know where the Guardian Sapling was since he'd never been there. Once she'd found him, getting lost in the cliff paths, she lead the way to the large cherry blossom that overlooked Ryoshima.
"Here we are," she spoke up as they reached the top of the path. "I still don't know how a tree is going to help us find Amaterasu…"
"Just wait," Kuni assured her, racing over to the edge of the ring of water that surrounded the tree. "Miss Sakuya! Are you there?"
For a moment nothing happened. Then there was a flash of pink in the air, bright against the dusk colours of the coast. A few cherry blossom petals drifted around the tree, and a moment later the light faded to reveal a woman with long black hair, who appeared to be floating in the air.
Kaguya was somewhat taken aback. Although thinking about it, she had the feeling she'd heard about something like this before. This person must be a wood sprite.
"Ah, Kuni," the woman said formally. "Is something wrong?"
"Um… for some reason the city's guards have captured one of Amaterasu's friends," Kuni told her. "We thought you might be able to tell her so she can help him…"
"I could warn Amaterasu," Sakuya nodded. "If I knew where she was."
"Oh," Kuni sighed. "Well, never mind then."
"But you can locate Amaterasu, can you not?"
Kaguya jumped as she realised Sakuya was looking at her. "I-I… how did…"
"I can sense your power," Sakuya explained. "You can see what is going on throughout the land. If you can locate Amaterasu then I can tell her what is going on."
Kaguya was silent for a moment as she got over the eeriness that Sakuya could simply sense what her power was. Then she nodded. "Okay. Give me a few minutes and I'll find her."
Closing her eyes, Kaguya searched the land for a familiar white wolf. The rest of Nippon seemed pretty quiet. There were a few imps in the forest but they wouldn't be much of a threat. She spent a few minutes scanning the whole of Shinshu before doubling back and looking around Ryoshima, even though she doubted the goddess was here.
She couldn't find Amaterasu anywhere… or at least, not in Nippon.
Yet she remembered another place she might be. Now Kaguya scanned the frozen lands of Kamui. It was hard to tell if there was anything here with all the white of the snow, and added to that everything was slightly fuzzy anyway since Kamui was further away than Nippon. She hadn't needed to search quite this far with her powers before…
Wait. There.
She'd finally located the goddess. Now she just had to work out where she was…
Somewhere nearby some water, and the ground nearby was edged with snow… and there were some mountains in the distance.
"The lake near Ezofuji," she told them, opening her eyes at last.
"Ezofuji?" Kuni echoed, sounding confused. "Never heard of that place…"
"Hmm, that's quite far away from a Guardian Sapling," Sakuya commented. "But I'll try and get a message to Amaterasu."
"Ugh. Ammy, I'm bored. And it's cold out here. Why don't we just go back to Wep'keer already?"
The goddess didn't give any clear reply. She simply gave a quiet grumble, nudging a rock into the water with one paw.
"I mean, how much longer is this going to take?" Issun sighed. "We've been waiting here for ages."
Amaterasu gave a half-bark.
"Okay, ten minutes. But it still feels like ages."
Just then a pink light arched through the air towards them, coming to a halt a few metres away.
"What the…" That's not the prophet.
Ammy looked confused for a moment. Then she jumped up, giving a bark, her tail wagging.
A moment later the light faded, revealing the wood sprite.
"Oh hey, Sakuya, sweetie!" Issun chirped, his dull mood immediately gone. "You came all the way out here to see me—I mean, us?"
"Yes, I have a message for Amaterasu," Sakuya explained. "But I don't have much time to convey it. This place is far from a guardian sapling and my power won't let me stay so far away for long."
"Huh," Issun muttered. Though to be honest, she did seem a bit less clear than usual… not that he'd like been looking at her or anything. "Well, what is it, honey?"
"Amaterasu, there's a message from the city at Ryoshima. Your help is needed there…"
"Sei'an? They need our help? Why?" Issun persisted.
"That is all I have time to say. I hope it will be of assistance."
Sakuya seemed to be fading already. She vanished back into the glowing pink light, which disappeared back off over the cliffs, presumably back to the Guardian Sapling in Kamui.
"Huh… I wonder what's going on in the city. I mean, if Sakuya had to deliver a message to us for them—OH GEEZ!"
He broke off as Ammy suddenly rushed over and picked him up, racing away along the path back to the village.
"Eww! Eww! Wolf spit! Aaah! Gross! Furball, you could have just waited for me to jump back onto your head!"
Kuni waited for Sakuya to reappear. It had been a few minutes since she vanished.
"Do you think she was able to get to Amaterasu?" Kaguya asked quietly.
As if in answer to her question, the wood sprite appeared in the air above them.
"Did you find them?" Kuni spoke up immediately.
"I managed to find them and gave them as much of the message as I could," Sakuya nodded. "Hopefully Amaterasu will be on her way soon."
"Oh, good," Kaguya sighed in relief.
"Until the goddess returns here, I'd advise you and everyone else to be careful," Sakuya warned.
"What? Why?" Kuni blinked. He knew that apparently the city's guards were slightly confused, but as long as they didn't get mistaken for demons as well…
"I am sensing that there is something wrong in the land," Sakuya sighed. "I can't tell what it is, but there is a dark power coming from somewhere, and I believe it has already started to affect the people of Nippon…"
It was late into the night by the time Amaterasu and Issun arrived at Ryoshima. The goddess could tell that Issun was tired from the fact that he'd hardly spoken a word through half the journey here.
Yet the second she'd finished listening to Sakuya's message, Ammy had raced here as quickly as she could. There was trouble in the city. Since it couldn't have been that long since Waka was last here she had the horrible feeling that there was some connection. That must be why he'd never arrived at Ezofuji…
"Amaterasu!"
She skidded to a halt as she heard someone call her name. Both she and Issun glanced around.
"Oh, Kaguya!" Issun greeted the Moon Tribe girl as she walked over to them from one of the paths leading off into the cliffs. "What're you doing here, honeypie?"
"I'm assuming you two got the message," Kaguya commented. "The one from… Sakuya…? Was that her name…?"
"Yep, and yep," Issun nodded. "So what was that message about? There some trouble in the city?"
"Amaterasu, the guards captured your friend," Kaguya told her. "They seemed to think he was a demon…"
"Wait, what!?" Issun cried. "You mean we came all the way here just for that darn prophet!?"
The wolf ignored him. Not waiting for any more of an explanation, she raced away along the sandy path. She had to get to the city. She had to save Waka…
"Whoa, whoa! Hold it, furball!"
Amaterasu skidded to a halt once more as she felt Issun tugging on her ear. She glanced up at him.
"We don't even know what the heck is going on here! What if it's all a misunderstanding? Knowing that prophet…" Issun mumbled arrogantly.
The wolf let out a quiet whine. But he's been caught by the city's guards. If it's just a misunderstanding then we have to help him, they'll have locked him up…!
"Well if that's the case then he can stay there," Issun tutted, rolling his eyes. "Makes no difference to me."
She let gave a faint growl. We have to get him back.
"What, you're really that desperate to leave, furball?" Issun snapped.
Huh? Amaterasu blinked. Why did he sound so hurt? She knew he didn't like Waka but he didn't deserve to be held captive in Sei'an for no reason…
"We might as well just leave him there! Knowing that darn fruitcake he'll manage to get himself out of trouble eventually albeit getting a few scars on the way. Why should he need our help?"
Ammy just sighed. Issun was just getting upset because as soon as they had Waka back she'd be leaving to go to the Celestial Plain…
"Well fine then!" Issun huffed, hopping down from her head. "See if I care!"
What? Issun, wait…
"No! If you wanna go help that prophet then do it on your own!" Issun cried, jumping away across the sand. "You just run along now and rescue Rapunzel and float on back to your Celestial Plain, sun god."
Wait! Ammy barked, taking a step forwards. They couldn't leave like this again…
Issun halted for a moment and glanced around. "No! Just go away, you stupid wolf!"
Amaterasu stopped following him as he turned away once more. She was left watching in dismay as the small green light disappeared into the distance. Why? Why was Issun so mad at her all of a sudden?
I don't understand…