The trip to Kyoto only took two days, as the city was located in the middle of Honshu, and the coast was not that far off. In that time, Chang'e had experienced Japanese culture to the fullest. Some recognized her status as an immortal, and a certain few dared to bow down to her, which she found flattering but dauntless in a foreign country. As the culture faintly reminded her of her own, it was both a pleasant and nostalgic experience. Her status as an immortal had her treated as a noble, and as such, it was easier for her and Yue Tu to move about.
Regardless, she still had to be watched. After all, she was a foreign power in a foreign land. After Susano escorted the ship to shore, a strange black crow and cat appeared. To the normal mortal, they simply looked as they were, but to higher beings, their disguise was easily seen. To Chang'e, the crow appeared as a tall, dark-haired man with striking eyes, and the cat easily appeared the same, but with distinct blue eyes.
With the first day passing by, Chang'e found out they were yokai who had grown together in the same area. Their names were rather interesting; Kange for the tengu and Hisashi for the cat. Yue Tu did not mind either of them, but he kept a wary eye out for the feline.
As Nu Wa advised, traveling in the same ship would be prove too dangerous, and as such after Chang'e reached the capital, she knew her ship was bound for Xian. She was left alone with Yue Tu, and although she knew the Guardian of Heaven was right in letting them travel alone, it would not help her if she was attacked.
"This is where we will leave you," Hisashi said, standing next to Kange. "Ameterasu is in a meeting right now with the other Gods. We will return later." With a bow of the head, Kange left to his own devices.
"Until then, Moon Goddess," Kange flew off to follow his feline friend.
Chang'e considered it strange to hear Moon Goddess. She knew she should have been used to it by now, but if anything, the only connection she had with the moon was that she lived on it.
"So, what do you think about Japan?" Yue Tu scratched his ear.
Chang'e bent down and petted him. She was fond of the sights she had seen, especially the cherry trees and how everywhere around her, the pink petals reminded her of her moonflower dance.
"You know...since we're not in China anymore, you can talk." Yue Tu reassured her, "I won't tell anyone."
She smiled as she considered the thought, but she was used to not speaking at all.
The both of them stood at the bottom of the palace steps, waiting for the grand palace doors to open. The courtyard was completely empty, save for the endless rows of cherry trees, whose pink petals reminded Chang'e of her moonflower dance. She imagined herself dancing amidst the flowing petals, but refrained from such thoughts for now.
She was on a mission to save the world. Dancing could wait.
The palace doors groaned as they opened. A smiling woman in a pink kimono stepped out, holding a small white fan. She wore a headpiece (though it was not as grand as Chang'e's) atop her black hair that reached to the back of her neck. She radiated happiness, much as her clothing radiated the petals that fell from the air.
"Please, do enter!" She announced with a cheery voice. "Amaterasu will see you now!"
From Chang'e's observation, she assumed the woman was either a Goddess of Happiness or of Fortune.
She ascended up the steps until the both of them entered.
"I am known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, wonderful to meet you! But please, call me Uzume. Also, sorry if my brother, Susano, was mean to you. He's always mean."
Chang'e smiled at her, but Yue Tu responded.
"She doesn't like to talk," Yue Tu said, "but she's happy to meet you too."
"Oh! You're so adorable!" Uzume picked up Yue Tu, and carried him all the way to the meeting room. The rabbit made little objections, as he did not want to offend the Goddess.
The walls depicted Japanese ukiyo-e painted and crafted by the most exquisite artists that Japan had to offer. The short table extended across the tatami floor, each side accompanied by a particular kami. It was an elongated yet elegant room.
Amaterasu sat at the opposite end of the table, silently awaiting Chang'e and Yue Tu. She had her own thoughts as she listened to her fellow Gods bicker.
"I believe that for now, we should abstain from joining either side. Involving our pantheon with either the Old Order or the Elysian Uprising will be detrimental to our society, and our people have enough problems as it is." Tenjin, God of Knowledge and of Scholars, gazed at Kuebiko, who was propped up on a wooden pole. He wore black scholarly robes that suggested his wisdom was unmatched.
"But Tenjin, if we want the heavens to return to normal, should we not join their cause?" Kuebiko countered. Another God of Wisdom (but also of agriculture), Kuebiko looked as though he were the odd one of the group. A stuffed scarecrow, he held himself in place, not actually seated on the table but on the side instead. The small toad on his shoulder croaked in agreement.
"Silence, our guests are here." Amaterasu watched as the sliding doors revealed Chang'e and Yue Tu, who were escorted delightfully by Uzume who muttered something about joy and wonder.
The Japanese Pantheon stared at the newcomers. Tsukiyomi, God of the Moon, smiled (or was it a smirk?) at Chang'e, who he remembered as the unfortunate woman who landed upon his moon.
Uzume gleefully skipped to her seat at the table, setting Yue Tu down and sitting next to her husband, Sarutahiko Okami.
Amaterasu, regal in form, towered over most of the other Japanese Kami. She wore white silk-laden robes that was longer than her body, complementing her red markings. Her white hair reached to the back of her knees, and her many white tails showed her endless power. She looked at Chang'e with neutral red eyes, which the moon goddess considered frightening.
"It is not often that our sister pantheon visits us. Our people do not tend to get along with yours." Though the Japanese and Chinese pantheon had similar stories to one another, they usually kept their distance.
Yue Tu cleared his throat, hopping on the opposite end of the table, where Chang'e assumed she had to sit on her knees.
"The Elysian Uprising is at a disadvantage," Yue Tu began, "the Old Order, we believe, has some sort of method to control the will of a God-"
Many from the table whispered amongst themselves, until Amaterasu silenced them once more.
Yue Tu ultimately described the condition of the war-torn world, as he assumed that the Japanese pantheon were kept in the shadows. He told them of the recent battles major battles, the Gods that have died or disappeared, how some pantheons were completely missing from their locations, and other distressing news. In the end, Yue Tu had spoken all the information up today, and Chang'e did not speak. Amaterasu, who contemplated a course of action, finally responded after a few minutes.
"No." It was a simple answer, but about half of the table objected, clamoring their thoughts out, but before one daring God could rise and represent the dissenting opinion, she continued,
"This war has nothing to do with the Japanese Pantheon, and that is that. We have our own affairs to attend to, and until the day the Old Order dares to attack our land, we will refrain from joining either side."
"Then...what about the Buddhas?" Yue Tu asked.
"...They have not been seen since the beginning of the war. Now leave, there is nothing further to discuss."
As Chang'e picked up herself up and rose to walk away, Tsukiyomi flashed a brief smile. Perhaps, she thought, not all Gods agreed with their appointed leaders, and that there would still be a chance to convince individual Gods to join the Elysian Uprising.
A/N: In all honesty, I had no idea how to end this. In one version, Chang'e would have objected and actually voiced her thoughts, but for now, I'll save her speaking for a much more dramatic moment.
So far, I have some thoughts about how this story will progress, but I am not sure.
Do review and give criticism if you can, as that is how writing can only improve so.