• Chapter 3; Unwanted memories.

    I leap and land in front of the priest’s house.

    “Before we enter, do you want to know why I know this priest?” I ask Tamiko. She nods. I sigh.

    “After giving that prophicy to the Oina, I collapsed in the snow, trembling because of the cold air on my bare flesh. I felt warm breath on my face and I was pulled onto the back of something.

    “ ‘So kid, what’s your name?’ I heard.

    “ ‘My…name…?My name…is Waka…but…” I panted.

    “ ‘My name is Ishaku! Every Ponical’s dream is to become the Calestrial Envoy! And that’s what I’m gunna become!’ he said. I fell asleep, and I was gasping for breath. When I woke up, I saw a doctor.

    “ ‘Where…is…a white…wolf?’ I asked him.

    “ ‘Oh you mean that dog that claimed to be a god? Oh, it left. The little golden bug on it was angry about what I said. So, how do you feel?’ the doctor asked.

    “ ‘Tired…hungry…and sick. I think I know what’s wrong…with me.’ I panted.

    “ ‘What?’ the doctor asked.

    “ ‘the flu. I feel like I have a fever……’ I started, and I fainted in the middle of my sentence. When I woke up again, I was feeling great. I was full, warm, and not sick. I look at the doctor, and smile.

    “ ‘Do I have to repay you?’ I asked.

    “ ‘Nah, but I’m going to bring you somewhere safe. Monsters have attacked here, seeing you here. What did you do to get them that angry?’ the doctor asked.

    “ ‘I am from the Moon tribe, I created all the monsters here, and I betrayed their leader, Yami, whom is trapped in the Ark of Yamoto in Laochi lake,’ I explained, ‘ now if they see me, they kill me on sight.’

    “ ‘I am the retired Tao leader, wear this hat.’ He told me. He handed me a hat, the one I wear. I put it on, no question, but my bangs still showed.

    “ ‘They wont know the difference!’ the doctor said. I get to my feet, and fallow the doctor out of the building. We walk to Shinshu field, and to a small house just a bit in front of the arch that leads to Lake Harami. I opened the door, and gasp. I feel sick again, and I shift into a baby. Then the priest raises me from that day onward. This priest is my father. I… I haven’t told him anything about my true past, but he understands my stress when I deal with monsters.” I say. Tamiko blinks, and hugs me.

    “You just need someone to tell your stories to, like, maybe a girlfriend.” Tamiko tempts.
    “No. I might die, and you will be crushed. If you die, I will be crushed. In the end, I must leave anyway.” I told her. I un lock her hug and open the door to the priest’s house. He is lying on the ground, eyes dulling.

    “No!” I scream. I run over to his dying body and pick it up. There is a huge stab mark from a sward. I see a splinter in his wound, and I remove it. I choke up. I look in the dark corner, where a man is standing. He is Susano, with a bloody wooden sward.

    “Why did you do this to such an innocent man?” I ask, my voice trembling.

    “He found out about my flaw, so he must die.” Susano replies.

    “You should be Orochi’s minion so I can kill you!” I shout, “ You should not have done this, the gods wont forgive you. They will curse you! I promise you, unless you kill Orochi, they will never leave you alone!”

    “Well, I’m not going to defeat him yet, so your silly gods can do whatever they want to me!” Susano says. Tears roll down my cheeks. I bow my head, looking into the eyes of my father. His cold hand touches my cheek, and then falls.

    “Tamiko, make sure Susano gets put in some serious trouble with monsters, as in, make him fail on his technique, by making Amaterasu busy with something. I see a boy, running into ruins, make sure his dog stays in there, and tell it to go deep to teach it’s master to be brave!” I tell Tamiko telepathically. She nods. I pick up my near dead father and run.
    I get to the city and to the doctor. The doctor takes a good look at the wound while I give my energy to keep my father alive.

    “It went through him… there is nothing I can do. But you can transfer your good energy and heal him, and he’s safe. The flaw; you’ll need to be in bed for a long time.” The doctor says.
    “Don’t…do…it.” My father pants.

    “No mon père. I want you to live. You……You don’t deserve to die. I do.” I say.

    “No…you…don’t my…child…” My father breaths. I close my eyes, and start dumping my energy into my father. Once I feel his wound heal, I let go of his hand, and hit the ground.
    “Are you alright?” I hear my father say.

    “I’m…fine. Just tired.” I mumble. I lose conciseness.

    Hey, Amaterasu, why does everyone here hate me? My young self asks Shiranui, then known as Amaterasu.

    They hate all of the moon tribe, including you, even though you are a good boy. Amaterasu told my younger self telepathically.

    Why don’t you hate me? My younger self asked her.

    No one would play with me. You did. I am your doggie now. And I can feel the good person within you. She told my younger self.

    The sine changes. I see me, only fighting Yami. Amaterasu is down, a white wolf, all powers drained.

    Switch to my side Waka. You know you can’t resist my power! Yami says.

    N- No! I can… I say. My blond hair is stained with my blood.

    No you cant. I want you on my side. Prove your loyalty to one side, or the other. Your choice. Either, you protect Amaterasu from my lazar that will kill her, or you kill her right now, while she is weak! Yami shouts. My future self turns. His eyes turn blue, like all Moon tribes. I watch as my future self walks over to Amaterasu, who looks at him with her eyes, usually I would stop and purposely miss, but he drives his Katana into her stomach, killing her. She screeches in pain, and dies. Amaterasu turns into a statue and explodes.
    “What were you thinking?! Amaterasu no!” I scream.

    Come Waka, let this ark down and let me into the world of Mortals! Yami says. Just when I am about to leap in front of my future self and slap him upside the head, I feel someone stroking my cheek. I half open my eyes and I see a beautiful girl. When I blink and open my eyes fully, it is Tamiko. I sit up, well, try to. When I get halfway there I get dizzy and fall back down. I sigh.

    “What were you dreaming about?” Tamiko asks.

    “The future…” I say, “How’s mon père?”

    “He’s ok. He’s preying that you wake up! He was very proud of you, for putting him before yourself like that. He told me that you turned out to be just like him, even though you are a part of the Moon Tribe. Um, would you care sharing your dream with me?” Tamiko says. I grab her hand, and make her place it on my chest. I close my eyes and replay that cursed dream.

    When it is over, her eyes are wide.

    “You wont go like that…right?” She asks.

    “I might.” I say.

    “Don’t! that isn’t you!” Tamiko says.

    “Not yet. I have a choice. I might chose to risk my life and save Amaterasu, but the possibilities of that are slim. Moon tribe are usually not like me, with red eyes. The red eyes proved I was torn between gods and demons. If I save Amaterasu, they will stay red, but if I decide to kill her…they will turn blue, like the usual color of the Moon Tribe’s eyes. I……” I say. Tamiko sits me up. She feels my forehead, and then smiles.

    “What?” I ask.

    “You had a fever and now it’s gone.” She says. I look down at my hands. I think about how much time we’ve spent together… I… I think I’m in love with her. That makes me a little sad.
    The last person who I loved, the priestess Reo, died a horrific death. Reo was attacked by Ninetails, and killed. Before Reo, the girl drown in a lake. Before that, the Tao trooper named Tamiko was murdered, and her body was never found…but her relationship with me started when I saw her as a small girl, me two years older than her. We loved each other, though we hated to admit it. I… I miss her. She was just as understanding and curious as this one… after I heard about her death, I never let girls join the Tao troopers. I was thrown into a horrible depression, and nothing could get me out of it. Eventually, I stopped eating. I just lie in my bed, weeping over her. When the next girl helped me out of the depression, she died. But it didn’t hurt that much. My heart still yearns for Tamiko… the Tamiko who is with me is just like the Tamiko with me then. I will protect her.
    “What are you thinking about?” Tamiko asks.

    “Past experiences…” I say.

    “With love?” she asks.

    “Yes. When I was a boy, I met a Tamiko. We grew up together, me one year older than her. She was murdered and the body was never found. When I heard the news, I was thrown into a serious depression. I didn’t eat after a while, but another girl helped me out of it. The reason that girls aren’t in the Tao tribe; is that Tamiko was a Tao trooper.” I admitted. Tamiko smiles.

    “Waka… do you feel affection to me?” Tamiko asks.

    “A little…” I say. The thing I don’t like about this girl; you cant keep a secret form her. I grimace back.