A shadow fell across the stone statue of the heroic wolf, Shiranui. Though the wolf's name was not actually Shiranui, in fact the wolf wasn't really a wolf at all. Unknown to the villagers, the brave "wolf" who had fought alongside Nagi less than a month ago was really the great goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. The tall man to whom the shadow belonged ran a pale hand over the statue's back. "Ma cherie… " he breathed, fearful that anything louder would cause his voice to break and his composure along with it. "It took moi nearly a moon to visit, désolé. Waka removed his wing headdress, revealing his long, golden locks to the almost full moon. "Amaterasu… you are such a kind soul. You waited so long, gave your life to protect this little village." He muttered mournfully, settling himself at the statue's base. "If only I had kno- if only I had heeded my own visions, perhaps… you would have- your kindness would not have been-" the blonde's voice began to quiver. Taking a deep, steading breath he started again. "You showed me the same such kindness the first time we meet, do you remember?"

Black

That was all that existed

Oppressive darkness

Cold steel

And pain…

"Aider moi…" the small blonde child called out weakly. Pain like he had never felt before pulsated through his leg, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

Oh how he wished he would slip back into blissful unconsciousness, the pain was unbearable. Let it be over, make it stop; make it stop… the boy pleaded. Something pushed on him from above, crushing his small chest into the floor, causing his breaths to come in short, strangled gasps. Just when he thought he could take no more he heard it, gentle, cautious footsteps. "S'il vous plaît aidez-moi…" he called, it came out as a strangled whimper. The footsteps paused, and then started again, quicker and increasing in volume. The last thing the boy heard was a horrified gasp before he was swept into sweet nothingness.

The young Waka awoke with a start, blonde bangs stuck to his sweaty forehead. Scenes from his dream, images of his people torn apart and lying in crimson pools, danced across his cyan eyes while there terrible screams still rang in his ears. He gasped for breath to steady himself. He lay back against the pillows of this unfamiliar bed. As he stared up at the ceiling, numb realization washed over him. Those horrible scenes were not just simply from his exhausted mind, they were his reality, the tragic circumstance that had brought him to this alien place. Speaking of which, where exactly was he? Waka glanced around the room, taking everything in. The room was small and brightly lit, with pale yellow walls and tall windows with long white flowing curtains.

While he was comparing the bright, cheery room to the dark and gloomy monastery he had called his home the door opened. A woman who looked no older than her mid-twenties entered with her back to him, she seemed to be arguing with someone. "-now just run along and play sunbeam." "but-!" a younger voice replied. The woman moved from the door and made to close it behind her. But in the short moment between her movement and the closing of the door Waka's blue eyes locked with a pair of big amber ones. "Oh, you're awake." Waka tore his eyes from the door to face the other person in the room. He immediately noted that she had the same pair of mysterious gold eyes, albeit older looking ones. Her pale face was framed by long, straight white hair. Her most startling features were the crimson markings that decorated her face. She perched herself on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling little one?" Waka racked his brain, attempting to identify her tongue; to his great shock he noted that she spoke the language of the gods. He quickly scraped together his limited knowledge of the language to form an answer. "I 'ave- been better…" he mumbled, his thick lunar accent causing him to trip over his words. The woman smiled softly. "Well I guess it can't be help after what you've been through; you were in such a poor state when we found you." She brushed some hair behind her ear. "My name is Nurigami, what's yours?" "Waka" "Well Waka, would it be alright if I check your bandages?" the boy nodded timidly. While she was working a question floated across his mind. "Um, excusez-moi, when you found me-did you 'appen to find ma flute?" "Hum? A flute? No I don't think we found any flute, my apologizes." He was going to ask about the person she was arguing with but thought it better not to push his luck. After Nurigami changed his bandages she gave him some water than left him to sleep.

Sometime later the blonde was none-too-gently awoken by rapid knocking coming from the door. "Little one? Are you awake?" the voice belonged to Nurigami. "Oui, I am awake." He replied. The door opened and Nurigami entered, followed by three other figures: two older men and a small girl. The older of the two men had shoulder length white hair that was pulled away from his face. Lines around his gold eyes hinted at his age, late thirties most likely. The other man's hair was short and styled into a mohawk, the ends of which were scarlet. His features were very pointed and his eyes, gold like the rest, held the same keenness as a bird of prey. Waka's eyes went wide, but only for a moment, when he turned his attention on the little girl. For an instant he had mistaken her eyes as the mysterious pair from earlier. But alas, that was not the case. No this girls eyes were heavier lidded and a darker, an almost-brown shade of gold. The tips of her silvery hair barely brushed her jawline and she had a small braid just below…. a pair of fluffy rabbit ears? Interesting… Her height implied that she was about his age, seven maybe. The older man introduced himself as Yomigami, the mohawked man as Moigami, and the rabbit girl as Yumigami. That name caught Waka's attention, as it was the name of the moon goddess, the mother god of his people. She was the only god he knew anything about and even that knowledge was limited. "So Yumi?" Yomigami asked. The little moon goddess stared at Waka; the blonde was starting to wonder what was going on. "Is he one of yours or not?" Moigami snapped. The girl continued to gaze at Waka, it was becoming unnerving. "Yes, yes he's a child of the lunar realm." Yumigami said in an airy voice, dark gold eyes still locked on him. "So, will his people send a group to retrieve him and that ship? They'll want their technology back." Moigami inquired, arms folded over his chest. "No one will come." Yumi responded, in the same distant tone. Waka felt dread rising in his chest, along with sorrow; he knew the reason no one would come for him, but he didn't want to hear it, hearing it would make it true. Yomigami's brow furrowed "Why do you say that?" the small child simply shrugged "Because the Lunar Empire has fallen. This boy is the last of his people."

"Your sister was none too gentle with the news." The adult Waka commented to the stone wolf. "Then again she has always been a bit… cold, pardon my saying so. Her head is always a million miles away." Silence fell as the young man reminisced. "It is not so hard to tell that you two are sun and moon, you act so differently. Especially when we first spoke, remember?"

The young boy sat on a large tree root the protruded from the earth, gazing absentmindedly across the water of the crystal clear lake before him. Behind him he could hear the playful shouts of the child gods playing in a nearby field. He had been released from the confines of his room three weeks ago with the permission to stay as long as he remained on this side of the mountain range that cut through the middle of the floating island. But even after three weeks the other children had yet to include him. Sighing, he dropped the twig he had been twirling between his fingers and instead fiddled with the end of the white robe he had been provided seeing as his clothes were damaged beyond repair.

Suddenly, Waka was launched from his seat on the exposed root by something heavy ramming into him from behind. Pushing his face out of the dirt he turned to face the culprit behind his tumble. Perched upon the root he had been a moment ago was a puppy with brilliantly white fur. No, wait, it wasn't a dog it was a wolf cub that, oddly enough, had crimson patterns on its fur and….his flute! The pup was holding it in its jaws. Waka slowly got onto his knees and inched toward the wolf, hoping it was friendly. Closer and closer he inched, intent on obtaining his prized instrument. "Nice pup, good pup, drop the flute please" he extended his hand carefully towards the flute in the cub's mouth. Before he could reach his prize there was a blinding flash of light. Waka fell back on his rear, covering his eyes from the intense light.

When the light had subsided the blond removed his arm from his face. The wolf was nowhere to be found, in its place sat a small girl. She was pale, but not in a sickly way, her skin resembled that of a porcelain doll and seemed to glow with light and power. Markings similar to the other god adorned her face, but hers were more decorative and complex. She had a perfectly round face with delicate features and long, pearly-white hair that fell past her shoulders. Bangs, not unlike his, hung in her gold eyes. Waka sucked in breath. Her eyes, they were the pair he had seen the day he had arrived. They were like two amber stones; big, gold eyes that glowed with a heavenly fire. Even being so young, Waka knew that this girl was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

The mysterious girl stared at him, fluffy white wolf ears upon her crown twitching slightly. She spit out the flute she had be holding in her mouth in front of him. This led him to assume that the wolf and the girl were one in the same. "Merci" he said, snatching up the wood instrument from the ground. The girls face broke out in a huge smile, sharp canines flashing. "You do talk funny!" she chirped in the most lovely voice to ever exist "Say something else!" completely confused by what was going on he didn't know what to say. The beautiful girl hopped off the root and settled herself in front of him. "My name's Amaterasu, what's yours?" "My name – is Waka" he mumbled shyly, again tripping over his heavy accent. The girl, Amaterasu, smiled. "I like you Waka, in fact, you're going to be my new friend!" the lunar boy blinked twice "Huhhh?" Amaterasu grabbed his hand "come on lets go play!" she began dragging his towards the group of laughing children. "Whahhhhh?!"