73. Cherry Blossoms
A/N: The continuity I'm using for Okami intercepts canon after the first game. I'm not even taking anything from Okamiden into account. I wanted to be able to focus on the first generation only.
Mozenrath knew very well why the auditorium wasn't used as the karaoke room. Yes, the acoustics might have been better – a fact Ravess well knew, having performed on that stage many a time – but the stage was preceded by nothing but rows and rows of seating. Nothing that would allow for dancing or chatting. It was so much more of an elegant space, though, and he admired the molding over the seats and balconies as he set up his presentation space on the stage: a simple crystal-powered slide projector set up on a small podium.
The entirety of the WHAM ARMY sat before him in the seats, crowding into the front rows, the co-founders front and center. Mozenrath gave them all a confident nod before beginning his presentation.
"I'm guessing you're wondering what was so important that I had to summon literally the entire WHAM ARMY to one room," he began. "Well, I have our next goal in mind, and I'm going to need your attention for this one."
With a flick of his wrist, he produced a row of magically-conjured slides with illustrations, then placed them, one by one, into the projector. He stood back and snapped his fingers, letting the first slide appear on the white canvas behind him, larger than life. He knew what would be on each without even having to look; the first was a bird's-eye view of the diagram of the spell with its artifacts placed on all but two points.
"As a reminder, we are collecting the components of a spell that will harness the twelve elements that make up existence and use that energy to conquer the heart of all worlds, thereby giving us complete control over the multiverse," he reiterated. "We have currently collected all but two of the pieces. We are missing Life and Fire. Fire will be simple enough to collect. Life, however, is a much more complicated concept. Thankfully, I have the answer."
He snapped his fingers. The slide changed; he knew this one depicted a white wolf midstride on a run through a field. "For those of you who don't know," Mozenrath illuminated, "this is the sun goddess Amaterasu."
"Should someone tell him?" Yzma whispered.
"No, not yet," Roman whispered back, just loudly enough for the other founders to hear. "Let's see if he figures it out on his own…"
"I know, I know," Mozenrath went on, "we're not the biggest fans of the sun around here. Well, I was, once, but a certain incident left me jaded. I think we all agree the moon is superior. That being said, Amaterasu doesn't necessarily stop at the sun. She can control the sunrise, the moonrise, fire, lightning, the growth of plants, water…basically, you name it, she can do it. Up to and including the power of creation. How can someone who looks like an ordinary wolf accomplish this, you ask?" He snapped his fingers again, and the slides rotated to show the image of a brush with a polished wooden handle and bristles that whirled like clouds on the edges. "By using the Celestial Brush."
"Mozenrath – " the Huntsman began.
"Skullface," Roman hissed. "You're on probation. Don't be a killjoy."
The Huntsman seethed silently as he folded his arms and shrank into his seat.
"This little art supply allows Amaterasu to do any old thing she wants," Mozenrath explained. "Now, letting her keep hanging onto it sounds all too responsible, doesn't it? If the spell weren't the focus, I could think of some better purposes it could be put to in our hands. But, alas, if we are to take that brush into our possession, which is exactly what I'm proposing, we have to leave it in the spell where it belongs. Where it TRULY belongs." Snap; the slide changed to a landscape depicting rolling hills and blooming cherry blossom trees.
Vexen rose. "Mozenrath – "
Mozenrath put up a hand. "Now, I know what you're thinking. How are we possibly going to swipe a paintbrush from a literal goddess, and not only that, but one of the most fearsome and powerful goddesses in recorded history when it comes to combat?"
"That is not what I – " Vexen attempted.
"Please, Vexen," Mozenrath urged. "Save all questions for the end of the presentation."
Vexen sat back down with a huff.
"Well, first of all, there's the question of how to approach her," Mozenrath went on. "Amaterasu resides in a godly realm even we can't breach. It's an immortals-only club. There are, however, ways to get her to leave. The world I'm showing you now is one she has a particular interest in protecting for one reason or another." He snapped quickly to cycle through the slides, showing a small village, a beach, a bustling city with architecture in the feudal Japanese style. He came to rest on a depiction of a tall cherry blossom tree. "This world is covered in disgustingly cheerful-looking sakura trees. Sakura trees that are connected to the world's life force. If something were to HAPPEN to those trees, Amaterasu would see fit to come on down and figure out just what was going wrong. And when that happens, we strike. Literally every single one of us. Now, I know what you're thinking: isn't that overkill? Better safe than sorry in this case. After all…there may have been some…trouble with…Ganondorf." He muttered that last part. Pushing his voice back up to projection volume, he continued: "There's no way Amaterasu, mother goddess or no mother goddess, can stand up to every single one of us. That's why I need all of you. Every single one of us is going to that world. And we are going to collectively kill Amaterasu."
Ravess' hand went up.
"I seem to recall telling you to hold questions," Mozenrath said derisively. "That being said, I already know the answer to what you're going to ask. If we're all there, who's guarding the base here? The answer? Turn on the automated defense systems. Because this mission is an all-hands-on-deck matter. Understood?"
Ravess' hand stayed up.
"Whatever other question you have, it can wait," Mozenrath said sternly.
Ravess groaned an "Ooh" as she frustratedly tucked her hand away.
"So, to recap," Mozenrath said, "we band together. We journey to this world. We disease the sakura trees to lure Amaterasu out of hiding. When she comes down to the mortal plane, we slay her. The Celestial Brush becomes ours, and we are left with the easiest element of them all to collect. Trust in my leadership and do as I say, and we'll come out of this mission successful. NOW I will take questions."
Several hands shot up. Mozenrath searched them over, then played favorites; "Wuya. What do you think?"
"How can you expect us to trust that you know what you're doing," Wuya said dryly, "when every single one of your slides has been upside-down?"
Mozenrath bristled. It had to have been a joke. No, he hadn't looked at the slides himself, but he felt he hadn't needed to. He took a brief swivel back –
Yes. The depiction of the tree was definitely upside-down.
With a snap of Mozenrath's fingers, it was righted. "You're all going to forget about this," Mozenrath growled. "Now, as for your other questions – "
Every hand went down. They'd all been ready to tell Mozenrath about the slides.
"Forget it," Mozenrath huffed. "Set the defenses and meet me in the control room in an hour." He stormed off the stage, muttering oaths to himself.
...
Once again, Sora found himself in the hourglass room, with Merlin there to translate as per usual. Surrounding them were Riku, Kairi, Ruby, Papyrus, Stork, Jasmine, Katara, Kazuichi, and a very curious Rapunzel and Eugene.
"So how does this work?" Rapunzel asked in awe.
"It's pretty simple," Sora explained. "You just feed it lightning and it answers your questions. It's not always a clear answer, though. Sometimes you have to figure it out."
"And by that, he means have me figure it out," Merlin huffed.
"All right," Eugene said with a nod. "Let's give it a shot. I want to see this all-knowing hourglass in action."
Sora nodded to Riku and then to Kairi; all three raised their blades and cast "THUNDER!" in unison.
The sands were stirred. As they whirled, Sora asked, "What is Mozenrath after this time?"
At first he thought the sands were refusing to answer, for the picture that appeared was blank, just the color of parchment. Then a brush began to draw an image on that parchment in black ink: the outline of a wolf with distinct swirling markings on her fur. Once the illustration was done, an image of a paintbrush was drawn diagonally across that of the wolf.
"Now, I know he isn't THAT stupid," Merlin said immediately.
"What is it?" Sora asked as Rapunzel aahed over the hourglass, running close to press her hands to the glass and see the image close-up.
"That is the mother goddess Amaterasu," Merlin explained. "Possessor of the Celestial Brush that allows her to manipulate the elements. She is renowned as one of the most powerful divinities in existence. I wouldn't go comparing her to Hades, who I know you've gone toe-to-toe with on multiple occasions and walked away from. The hourglass is telling us that Mozenrath is after the very brush that gives her all that power, and I can't think of a more inane goal to pursue. He can't even approach the Celestial Plane where Amaterasu resides! And I know what you're thinking: neither can you."
Sora's head hung. "Then…how are we supposed to…"
"I suppose if you REALLY wanted to check up on things," Merlin suggested, "there is a world closely linked to the Celestial Plane that is in fact mortal. It is a world Amaterasu has a close relationship with as its guardian. There's no harm in having a look around, though I'm not sure what you'll find."
"We should go!" Sora insisted.
"I'll draw you up coordinates," Merlin stated.
Sora turned back to the rest. "So," he asked, "who's with me?"
"Me!" Ruby hopped up and down. "Me, me, me!"
"COUNT ME IN!" Papyrus added.
"Might as well," Stork said with a shrug.
Jasmine and Katara hesitated; they were obviously trying not to look in a certain direction, but all could tell what was on their minds.
"Listen, I wanna go," Kazuichi insisted. "This is one of those things that'll get me past despair. I can't think of anything more hopeful than protecting a goddess. Even if it is the weirdest-looking goddess I've ever seen."
"If Kazuichi is going," Jasmine resolved, "then so am I."
"Me too," Katara agreed. The implication went unsaid: if he'd opted to stay behind, both would have remained with him to watch over him.
"Hey, Rapunzel," Kazuichi suggested, "wanna come with us?"
"Do I EVER?" Rapunzel cried. "This is a real adventure! Eugene, are you with us?"
"Well…" Eugene hesitated.
"You had another plan," Rapunzel realized.
"I mean, I was going to check things out here," Eugene admitted, "since there's a BIG city out there to explore, but this seems more important."
"Well," Rapunzel suggested, "we COULD split up. You could stay back while I go to this other world. I'd be back soon."
"Just so long as we can trade stories," Eugene promised.
Kazuichi knew he shouldn't have felt a heart-leap of excitement to hear that Rapunzel was coming along and Eugene was staying back. It happened anyway.
"What about you?" Sora looked from Kairi to Riku. "Are you coming?"
"I think you've all got this one covered," Kairi said.
"You're kind of our Mozenrath-hunting squad," Riku laughed.
"Yeah," Sora realized, "we are, aren't we? All seven of us. No, make that eight with Rapunzel. We're a specialized team!" He gave it some more thought. "I did wanna invite Donald and Goofy, since it's been forever since we've been on a mission together, but they're still gone on their trip to Disney Castle. Any word on when they'll be back?"
Merlin shook his head. "They didn't give a specific time of arrival. Disorganized as usual."
"Maybe we should wait," Sora mused.
"Can we afford to?" Stork asked. "We've already been here long enough to catch our breath…and then some." Once again implicitly leaving the subject of Kazuichi in the air.
"You're right," Sora realized. "We should go. But Donald and Goofy will come along with us soon! Say hi to them when they get back?"
"Of course," Riku promised.
"All right!" Sora declared. "Cinnamons: MOVE OUT!"
The eight now assigned to pursuing Mozenrath burst from the room with Merlin in tow.
Within the hour, the Gummi ship blasted off, heading for the world Merlin had given coordinates for. Of course, the moment it left was the moment that Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's ship re-entered the Radiant Garden atmosphere in order for that trio to report back in to the castle that everything was fine at home.
...
The entire WHAM ARMY came forth from the Corridor that exited out onto a wide field of green grass. The weather, as usual, was terrible: a bright summer sun shining within a topaz-blue sky. The field sloped gently up a hill one way. An enormous cherry blossom tree in full bloom with pink was visible not too far off; a small house was some distance away from that.
Mozenrath made roll call as his comrades appeared on the field: Ragdoll, Firefly, Vexen, Zevon. Only when he was certain all had arrived did he close the Corridor.
"Welcome to Shinshu Field," he announced as he stepped back to address the group at large, arms spread wide open.
"I hate it," Mim huffed.
"So lemme guess," Firefly piped up, hovering a foot above the ground as he pivoted to face the great cherry blossom tree. "That's one of those trees we've gotta bring down if we want her majesty to come out and play."
"On that, you're correct," Mozenrath told him.
"Great," Firefly replied, firing up his gauntlets. "Let's torch it."
"Ah-ah-ah." Mozenrath wagged a finger. "First of all, we won't be burning the trees down. We have to let Amaterasu think there's something to save. Second, we won't be starting with THAT one. That's just a Guardian Sapling. It isn't the source. Once we take out the source, we can start bringing down the Guardian Saplings one by one."
"So where's the source?" Rémington asked.
Mozenrath made a gesture indicating a pathway. "That road leads to the sakura tree that protects this entire nation. That is the first tree we have to bring down."
"Advancetage!" Zevon commanded, beginning to march.
Mozenrath appeared in front of him, holding out a hand to signal that he should stop. "Not you," Mozenrath clarified. "This is a delicate magical operation. We'll be channeling primarily from Mim, since she is the one most known for having the touch that will wither a flower or something lyrically catchy like that." He stepped back. "And in order to have enough power to engulf the tree, I'm going along with her and bringing Wuya, Aghoul, and Xayide. The rest of you can kick back and relax here in the fields until we've accomplished that goal."
"Wait," Gothel broke in. "Why are we all waiting here?"
"Because, unlike any other tree we have to poison," Mozenrath explained, "this tree is positioned near a very small village. The kind of village where gossip gets around. Having twenty-five people walk in, the tree fall into ill health, and twenty-five people walk back out is bound to raise some eyebrows. The five of us should be able to pass unnoticed. Now, don't worry. Everyone can be present for every other tree sabotage we have to do. But for this first job, it's just the five of us."
"Well, then," Wuya suggested, making her way toward the road Mozenrath had indicated, "let's move."
The quintet Mozenrath had specified set off toward the village as the others all stood around rather awkwardly for some time before striking up conversations among themselves and sitting down to relax in the grass.
The road to Kamiki Village took Mozenrath, Wuya, Mim, Xayide, and Aghoul through a short rocky pass before emptying out in a tiny village at the base of a massive hill. "I hate this more and more," Mim grumbled. "Look at this place! It's…QUAINT! I hate quaint!"
"Not to mention it is small," Xayide remarked. "Not worth a conquest."
"And let me guess," Wuya added. "The tree is all the way on top of the hill."
"It's like you've been here before," Mozenrath laughed. Then, softer, "Do not engage a single person. We're here to pass by unnoticed."
"I'll be silent as the grave," Aghoul promised.
Villagers tended to turnip crops, harvested rice for sake, and hung laundry out to dry as the quintet passed through Kamiki entirely and set out on the road uphill. After a trek, they arrived at a tree that seemed to dwarf the one they had spotted in Shinshu Field.
"Now that's a blight on the landscape," Aghoul remarked.
"I'll show it blight," Mim said wickedly.
"And now we come to my favorite part of the job," Mozenrath announced. "The destruction."
"I always thought your favorite part of the job was the gloating," Wuya pointed out.
"Well, it's a close race," Mozenrath admitted. "Everyone, join hands."
"Is that completely necessary?" Aghoul asked, all the same extending a hand for Mozenrath to clasp and another for Mim to grasp.
"Sappy as it might seem, it's what works," Mozenrath sighed, letting Wuya take his hand and watching Xayide fall in on Wuya's other side. Once all five were connected, Mozenrath continued, "We now have to let our essences connect. Our job is to flow all our power into the same reservoir so that Mim can pour it into the tree. Mim, you'll be doing what you did to my power back on Equestria."
"I've got it," Mim assured Mozenrath.
"And the rest of us?" Xayide asked.
"Don't put up any resistance," Mozenrath told her. "Now, this may be as simple as Mim dippng her toes into all of our respective pools, or it may blend our powers into each other's souls. Whatever happens, don't break the connection."
"Here goes!" Mim announced.
She closed her eyes to begin her reach. The pathway through the other four opened up clearly before her. Her essence put out tendrils that crawled between the quintet's souls, effectively exposing all to each other. She was by that time used to what she would find, remembering how Mozenrath's essence had felt in Equestria and knowing fully what to expect from Aghoul. Wuya and Xayide, however, flinched. They could handle Mim's essence, which was dark, much like theirs, and highly pressurized, like a geyser about to blow at any minute. Aghoul's essence, however, felt unnatural and diseased. It was almost enough to make Xayide let go of the chain. The same energy was emanating from Mozenrath, though not nearly to that degree. It made sense, after all. Aghoul was dead, and Mozenrath was still paying for his magic with his life. As for Aghoul and Mozenrath, they were awed by the freshness of both Wuya and Xayide's essences, hardly like their own.
Mim took a step forward, bringing the others to walk alongside her. Then another step, and another, until she was directly next to the cherry blossom tree. She raised her free hand, extending her index finger.
Pulling upon the four essences she touched as well as her own, she pressed her fingertip to the tree with a "Zim zabberim ZIM!"
An electric jolt ran through her arm and exited through her finger. She felt as though she'd let loose absolute cannon fire. Within seconds, the petals began to rain down from the tree, shed in sickness, leaving branches bare.
"One down," Mozenrath announced.
Xayide wasted no time in jerking her hand away from Wuya, snapping her essence back to herself and no one else. The other four let go of each other's hands more casually.
It took only a minute for the tree to become completely bare of petals: naked branches swaying in the wind. That very wind seemed to become more sour in scent and taste.
"And now the real show begins," Mozenrath went on.
"What do you mean?" Aghoul asked.
"If I've studied this world correctly," Mozenrath explained, "bringing down this tree should already start to have some interesting effects. You should see it more on the way back down."
With that, he turned to stalk down the path. The others followed, confused but intrigued.
Before their very eyes, flowers withered and small ponds dried up. The icing on the cake, however, was the appearance of several creatures in their path: slender, masked demons that flailed and danced threateningly. Wuya, Xayide, Aghoul, and Mim struck defensive poses.
Mozenrath was quick to respond. "Is that any way to greet the people who let you come out to play?" he chastised the demons. "We destroyed the sakura tree for you. Let us pass without incident, and we'll take care of the rest of them. Or you can test us and see how long you live. You owe us."
The demons parted, letting the quintet continue down the road.
"Dare I say they work for us now?" Aghoul said hopefully.
"Oh, how I wish," Mozenrath sighed. "I do so miss having legions of mindless monsters that will act at my whim. No, they just know what role we played in their new free reign, and they know better than to try and mess with us. I can't say the same for the rest of the village, of course. Though it will probably be contained only to the village. And I'm guessing the good townspeople won't even be able to recognize what's doing the damage. Around here, people see what they want to see."
To Mozenrath's surprise, when he and his four cohorts re-entered Kamiki Village proper, they were greeted with the sight of the lanky demons chasing the villagers about.
"You were saying?" Wuya commented.
"That's…not what I expected," Mozenrath admitted. "Maybe the people have a little more faith in them than I thought. This certainly does give us good cover to escape."
As the quintet approached the rest of the contingent once more in Shinshu Field, Yzma was the first to greet them. "So?" she asked. "How did it go?"
"Swimmingly," Wuya said with a grin.
"We've successfully plagued a village with demons," Aghoul clarified.
"Now let's do it again!" Mim cried, charging at the Guardian Sapling that Firefly had spotted earlier, full tilt.
Xayide bristled, walking stiffly after her. She was not looking forward to tasting the rot of Mozenrath and Aghoul's essences again, but knew it had to be done.
"Anyone who wants a demonstration can gather round," Mozenrath announced.
And gather round they did while Mim, Aghoul, Mozenrath, Wuya, and a reluctant Xayide clasped hands once more, combining their powers. Mim gave the Guardian Sapling a zap, and as its predecessor had done, it shed all of its petals, leaving the tree exposed and poisoned. The air grew heavier; further along the horizon, the group could see demons popping into existence all over Shinshu Field. Smaller cherry blossom trees sprouting across the field also lost their petals, the ends of their twiggy branches waving in the wind.
"So the hold these trees have over this world is stronger than I imagined," Vexen remarked. "They are directly connected to its natural life force. Fitting, to lure out an emblem of natural life."
"The next Guardian Sapling is in Hana Forest," Mozenrath explained as he gestured to another road leading out of the field. "This time, we can all go."
He led the march.
Hans was quick to step up to his side. "That was some impressive tree-killing," he said smoothly.
"I'd like to say I couldn't have done it without my friends," Mozenrath replied, "but really, they couldn't have done it without me."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what this place is like without all those pink petals falling all over the place," Hans went on. "Why does every world we visit have to be this garish? Take away the colors and you might just have an ideal date spot."
"You're suggesting something," Mozenrath realized.
"Well, we haven't had much alone time," Hans reminded him. "Maybe after we finish with this goddess, we could make a trip back here to fix that. Or to any other world that would make a good vacation destination."
"For what purpose, exactly?" Mozenrath asked.
"For what purpose?" Hans repeated. "For a change of scenery. To see and do things that you can't back at base. To leave everyone behind and make sure we aren't interrupted."
"Hmm." Mozenrath thought it over. "I suppose I could make some time. Though when it comes to this world, I would wait until after we've slain Amaterasu to explore it more fully. Believe me, the difference that makes on this world will be phenomenal."
As the last of the WHAM ARMY disappeared down the road to Hana Forest, the Gummi ship of those calling themselves the Cinnamons passed overhead.
...
Feeling a shiver come over her, the wood sprite Sakuya pulled on a thicker kimono.
Her tree was suffering, and it sent chills through her very skin. While she did not sense the Darkness that had overtaken her land when the fearsome dragon Orochi had been loosed from his slumbering prison, she was still aware that something was very, very wrong.
And as the realization washed over her, she felt the sudden loss of connection to one of her Guardian Saplings, namely the one in Shinshu Field. Whatever had happened to her tree was spreading.
"Please," she said in a quivering voice, "hear my prayer. An evil has come to this world, and all of nature will suffer if it is not stopped. Though it may seem smaller than the demons of the past, already it has corrupted the saplings that protect this world, and already demons have begun to walk the earth in its wake. Help this world, please…before it is too late."
...
"You get the feeling that something's already wrong here?" Sora asked as he, Ruby, Papyrus, Stork, Jasmine, Katara, Kazuichi, and Rapunzel walked the road on the rocky pass that led to Kamiki Village.
"Now that you mention it, my constant dread does seem to be more prevalent than usual," Stork agreed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rapunzel admitted. "This world already seems so beautiful!"
"No," Jasmine stated, "something's…off."
"I guess if that many of you feel it, I can't argue," Rapunzel said.
"So we should be ready for trouble?" Ruby asked.
That was when they rounded the corner, putting Kamiki Village in full view. Chaos overran. Demons ripped vegetables from the ground, threw pottery out of homes, and chased civilians, ripping at their clothing.
Weapons were immediately summoned to hand. "IT IS TIME FOR THE CINNAMONS TO GO TO WORK!" Papyrus announced.
They split up, each taking a different quadrant of town. Sora parried a rushing demon's reach with the Keyblade's shaft, swatting it hard. Ruby sliced through the air, forcing a trio of demons to jump up over her weapon. Papyrus bounced the creatures off plates made of bone. Stork spun, planting a hand on the ground to vault up and deal a swift kick to a masked monster's face. Jasmine punched another directly in the head. Katara, noting a nearby body of water, pulled two long ribbons of her element out of it and whipped them at the demons her friends were corralling, binding them up in watery tendrils. An armored Kazuichi soared overhead, his blasters knocking demons back before they could reach innocent victims. Rapunzel had thought to bring her customary frying pan along on the excursion, and she slammed it into a demon's chest to prevent it from digging up any more crops.
Before long, the demons were running en masse down the road out of Kamiki Village. The eight Cinnamons regrouped in the town's center to watch them leave.
"What do you think that was about?" Sora wondered out loud.
"Eh?" An old man peered out of his home cautiously, noting the sounds of screams and items breaking had subsided. He then made his way delicately toward the eight visitors, clearing his throat loudly to get their attention.
All eight turned to face him, noting that he seemed to be sporting a hat shaped like an orange – that or an actual orange balanced on his head. "Were you the ones who got rid of all those demons?" the man asked.
"OF COURSE IT WAS US!" Papyrus responded, placing a hand proudly on his chest.
"What were those creatures?" Jasmine asked.
"Monsters!" the man explained (Papyrus bristled at the term, but by now, he knew to expect it to be used as an insult on most worlds, disappointing as it was to hear). "Bent on terrorizing us! But surely you knew that. These are the same demons that ravaged all of Nippon for centuries."
"We're kinda not from here," Sora explained.
"Hmm." The man looked them over, noting their style of dress, Papyrus and Stork's build, the weapons they carried. "I can see that now! But surely you know about demons! More than that, you must know about Amaterasu's struggle against the demons, or you would not be able to see them as clearly as you could. After all, it was only when our faith in Amaterasu was restored that we were able to see both her and her enemies for what they were."
"Amaterasu the mother goddess, right?" Katara clarified.
"You really aren't from around here," the man observed, "which makes this all the stranger. Well, all the same, I must offer my thanks. As the village elder, I am glad you protected my people."
"It's what we do!" Sora said with a smile, dismissing the Keyblade to put both hands behind his head and smile.
"My name is Mr. Orange," the man went on, "and I wish to welcome you to Kamiki Village. Though I wish it were under better circumstances. I had believed Amaterasu had cleared all of the demons out for good. I wonder…" His gaze traveled up the hill. "Something may have happened to the tree that guards us."
"We can check it out!" Sora offered. "Don't even worry about it!"
"If you would not mind terribly," Mr. Orange said. "I must see to the damage that has been caused here."
"YOU CAN COUNT ON US!" Papyrus affirmed.
The eight were soon on their way up the hill.
"Okay, so I may not have taken the whole motion sickness thing into account when I made this armor," Kazuichi muttered. "But I didn't actually throw up, so maybe it's getting better!"
"That's good!" Katara replied.
"Now I'm starting to worry about all of this," Rapunzel admitted. "If Amaterasu was the one who took care of the demons the first time, and now they're back…"
"Oh, no," Jasmine gasped.
She was the first to have beheld the cherry blossom tree. Its bark was now peeling as its branches reached skeletally to the skies.
"This tree…" Jasmine stepped forward, pressing her hand to the bark. "It must be a source of Light for this world. I wonder if the return of those demons has to do with the way this tree is sick."
A soft voice affirmed the statement: "That is exactly what is happening."
She appeared in a shimmer beside the tree; Jasmine backed away to give her room. Sakuya, draped in pink with raven hair that was piled atop her head, levitated above them all, approaching the Cinnamons slowly. They stared at her with varying degrees of awe and amazement.
"You are here from another world," she stated. "No, from many other worlds. Are you here to do good?"
"Well, yeah," Sora replied.
"I am glad for it," Sakuya said, "for I believe the evil that has tainted my tree has come from another world as well."
"I bet that sneaky Mozenrath did it!" Sora spat accusatorily.
"You know of the evil that came down to this world?" Sakuya asked.
"At the very least, we have a pretty good guess," Stork informed her.
"Then perhaps you are the help I have prayed for," Sakuya mused.
Amaterasu never did like to be shown up. She had already been on her way to answer Sakuya's distress call, but sensing that someone else was given the credit for that, she hastened her pace across the heavens. A great gleam of light shone to herald her entrance; she burst forth, a white wolf with bright red markings and a shimmering disc carried on her back. Once she stood beside Sakuya, she regarded these visitors with an expression that asked how they dared claim to be the help Sakuya had requested when she, Amaterasu, was here to defend her beloved world.
"WHOA!" Sora cried, and the other Cinnamons felt he had said it all.
"Amaterasu!" Sakuya greeted. "Mother of us all!"
Amaterasu gave a proud bark.
Katara immediately bowed, and the others followed suit except for Sora and Kazuichi, both of whom had to be elbowed in the stomach to realize what the proper thing was to do for the moment.
Amaterasu regarded Sakuya with a questioning gaze; who were these people?
"These are visitors from other worlds," Sakuya explained. "They seem to know what evil has struck."
Amaterasu's expression remained quizzical; she wanted to know exactly what was going wrong.
"My tree is diseased," Sakuya told her. "Once it shed its petals, the world around began to change. Springs dried up and demons burst from the air. Now I have lost contact with the Guardian Sapling of Shinshu Field – "
She gave a great gasp. Amaterasu started with concern.
"Are you all right?" Jasmine said hurriedly, standing to full height.
"My Guardian Sapling in Hana Forest," Sakuya explained. "It too has fallen."
Amaterasu gave a dissatisfied bark.
"Guardian Saplings?" Ruby asked. "Like…other trees?"
"The Guardian Saplings connect to this tree by root," Sakuya explained, "and they keep watch over this land, protecting the forces of nature. If they are being poisoned…"
"Now I KNOW it's Mozenrath!" Sora proclaimed. By this time, all eight Cinnamons had risen from their bow.
"Amaterasu," Sakuya implored, "walk with these visitors. Learn what they know of the evil that has arrived. Perhaps together, you can put it to rest before things can become any worse."
Amaterasu gave a decisive nod. She then backed up, giving the tree a visual once-over.
A sparkle materialized in the sky: the Celestial Brush. It painted an enormous circle of ink in the air, surrounding the bare branches of the tree. Once the circle closed, the tree became awash in light. The disease was ousted forcibly from the trunk; brilliant pink petals burst from the ends of the branches.
"That should stop the damage from spreading," Sakuya said with a nod. "Thank you, Amaterasu."
Amaterasu barked proudly.
"Yet there is still work to be done – " Sakuya began.
Amaterasu cut her off with a different tone of bark. Did Sakuya think she didn't know? The other cherry blossom trees on the way to the Guardian Saplings would have to be restored to bloom. Sites of demon attacks would have to be cleared in order to restore nature.
The wolflike goddess gave the eight Cinnamons a meaningful look; were they with her?
"We're in!" Sora affirmed. "Just let us know what we need to do!"
"How is she going to do that?" Stork whispered to him. "She is a wolf – "
"We'll figure it out!" Ruby cut in.
"I would recommend making way to Sei'an City," Sakuya suggested. "That is undoubtedly where this otherworldly evil is headed if it wishes to destroy the Guardian Saplings, and I believe your Celestial Envoy has taken up office there."
Amaterasu nodded. It sounded like a solid plan.
"A city!" Rapunzel gasped. "I can't wait to see what the cities are like here!"
"Farewell, heroes," Sakuya said as she faded into the trunk of the tree. "May your path be blessed."
Amaterasu knew it would be. After all, she was the one doing the blessing, thank you very much.
"All right, Amaterasu!" Sora exclaimed. "Lead the way!"
Amaterasu gave the eight one last look-over, still not quite believing that these were her allies. Then again, she had seen stranger. She set off at a trot toward Kamiki Village proper, stopping every now and again when she found a bare tree on the road. Each of these trees was encircled in ink the way Sakuya's had been, and it burst back into bloom.
"Did you get a look at that tree lady?" Kazuichi commented. "Man, she was hot! No, seriously, did you SEE those tits?"
"KAZUICHI!" Katara snapped. "Are you serious right now?"
"Whaaaaat?" Kazuichi groaned.
"That was incredibly sexist!" Katara informed him.
"I meant it as a compliment!" Kazuichi argued.
"It's never a compliment," Jasmine added.
Amaterasu gave a whine of disappointment and shook her head.
"Come on, it's just what guys notice," Kazuichi went on. "You don't get it because you're girls. Sora, Stork, and Papyrus get it."
"I HAVE NEVER SAID SUCH AN OFFENDING THING IN MY LIFE," Papyrus asserted.
"Yeaaahhh, I don't point out chests," Stork added. "Or ogle them."
"I don't either," Sora contributed.
"Well, of course Sora doesn't," Kazuichi said, as though that much should have been obvious. "He's gay."
"Actually, I'm bi," Sora clarified.
"I didn't know that!" Ruby commented.
"The point is," Katara insisted to Kazuichi, "you were acting like a JERK just now."
"Well, sor-ry," Kazuichi huffed in a tone that said he was not at all sorry.
"Can we talk about this later?" Stork asked. "You know, maybe after we INTRODUCE OURSELVES to the mother goddess and explain to her the imminent danger she's in?"
"Oh, right!" Sora recalled. "Mozenrath did come here looking for you, Amaterasu! Well, actually, for your brush."
"THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO HER ANY GOOD IF SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO MOZENRATH IS," Papyrus reminded him.
Amaterasu found herself questioning once again how these eight were supposed to be heroes. They seemed incredibly disorganized.
"Maybe we should do introductions first," Rapunzel suggested. "My name is Rapunzel."
This kicked off an introduction session that lasted on the way down the road; as the nine passed through Kamiki Village, the Cinnamons took the time to inform Amaterasu of exactly who and what Mozenrath was, what he wanted, and what, potentially, that meant.
It did seem to be a concern. Nothing Amaterasu wasn't sure she could handle, of course. Though having eight sets of helping hands would certainly be useful. The more she heard them speak, the more she found herself interested in knowing who they were.
She was sure this incident would be over in a matter of minutes, but in the meantime, it certainly seemed it would be interesting if nothing else.
...
Sands of all colors swirled about the small room Maleficent had commandeered. She had invited Hades, Ursula, Jafar, Cruella, and Grimhilde to watch the process; they observed as a layer of navy blue sand settled itself inside a glass container Maleficent had selected earlier and placed on a table at the room's heart. Out of the cyclone of grainy earth that took up the center of the room, orange sand laid itself down in the bottle next, then yellow. A stream of green layered itself delicately on top.
One after another, the colors Maleficent had selected arranged themselves inside the bottle. Once the glass was filled to the brim, Maleficent raised her hand, and the sands fell still, the unused extra spilling to the floor of the chamber.
She approached the table, putting a rubber stopper in the bottle. "Ganondorf proved that the sands can indeed change the very fabric of reality if cast in the right combination," she explained to the watching audience. "His work was merely a test. This is the true purpose of the sands of Goab."
"This is gonna be a real show-stopper," Hades affirmed.
"And the only way it can be reversed is indeed to use the Book of Prophecies?" Jafar reiterated.
"That's the idea!" Ursula cackled.
Maleficent led the small group to a balcony that overlooked the dried seabed below Villain's Vale. Holding the bottle over the edge, she smiled, now knowing her plan was about to come to fruition. The Book of Prophecies was so very nearly in her hands.
"Sands of Goab, rainbow hue," she chanted, "block the light from heroes' view. Dull Garden's radiance; make foul what was fair. For all but us, become NIGHTMARE!"
On the last word, she let the bottle slip from her fingers.
It tipped bottom over top over and over as it hurtled toward the ground. Then, bolstered by Maleficent's incantation, it shattered on the stone below.
A resplendent wave of every color burst from the impact zone, spreading out over the entirety of the city of Radiant Garden and its castle. As color passed over, true color was drained, like a coloring book that had not yet been filled in.
And when it stopped, there was not a single one of Maleficent's forces left in Villain's Vale.