Like all the other places, Taka Pass was cursed. Its grassy, rolling hills were dead and crubling, the windmill atop Gale Shrine had stopped blowing the divine wind. The once shiny, pure river and spring were gone, replaced by the cursed, gloopy liquid like the river in City Checkpoint. Amaterasu and Issun stood on one of the hills, gazing over the disgusting landscape. Issun shivered and looked down at the shimmering white wolf beneath him.

"Ammy, what's happened...?" He shuddered.

Ammy whined and put her tail between her legs, walking slowly further into Taka pass. A dark wind whipped around, free to poison the air since the Kusa windmill had stopped. Ammy sped up and dashed down, looking at the gate that led to Sasa Sanctuary. She walked through it and saw three dead trees blocking the way in, and a sign nailed crudely on, saying two words: "Go Away".

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     Hina climbed shakily onto Nakami's purple back and settled in between her leathery wings. She put her arms around Nakami's neck.

"Can we go somewhere? i don't know where that Crow Tengu came from, but maybe we'd be safer elsewhere?" She whined.

Nakami nodded and walked downhill along the edge of the contaminated Deep Abyss. Nakami paused to sniff the surface and came nose-to-nose with a rotting dead fish. She recoiled and turned her head to look at Hina, who was shivering and whimpering to herself.

Shall we try Taka Pass? Nakami suggested.

"Y..Yeah s... sure..." Hina muttered.

They contined along the edge of the lake and turned to walk up towards the bridge to Taka Pass. The river there was disgusting and contaminated, the new bridge was old and beginning to rot. Nakami leapt gracefully up and felt the wood splinter beneath her paws. She dashed quickly along and hopped off onto the other side. They walked up to Taka Pass, and stared at the curse that lay there. Hina hopped off Nakami's back and led the way nervously up a slope that led to what used to be a Guardian Sapling, but was now withered and decaying. Nakami growled suddenly.

"W..what is it, Nakami?" Hina squeaked.

Something's down there... Nakami snarled.

Down on the ground, pacing along the grass just outside Sasa Sactuary, was a white glow.

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"It's no good, furball. Sasa Sanctuary's just not open to us..." Sighed Issun.

Ammy grunted and walked downhill, the way she would go to get to the old Guardian Sapling. Her fur shone eerily in the black night, like a ghost in some dark old house. There was a slight movement on the cliff above them, and something tackled Ammy, knocking her onto her side.

"What the..." Began Issun. Something barked.

"Nakami!" Squealed Hina, running down to Nakami.

Ammy jumped to her feet and growled. Nakami copied and the two wolves faced each other.

"Who are you!?" Shouted Issun.

More importantly, who are you? Asked Nakami with a growl.

Issun looked confused, and Nakami and Ammy simutaneously propelled themselves at each other, meeting in the air with an unpleasant crunch. Ammy used the Divine Retribution to smack Nakami on the back, but Nakami quickly retorted with an agile leap as she used her thick, scaly tail to thunp Ammy on the face.

Hina, Help! Howled Nakami impatiently, and Hina brought out her fans.

Witha few graceful swipes of them, a small gust of wind blew, giving Nakami the upthrust she needed to ebcome airbourne. She soared above Ammy, dive-bombing her. Ammy was thrown to the ground, bruised but not finished yet. Nakami was equally hurt, but still determined. Issun hopped swiftly onto Ammy's head and wielded Denkomaru, facing Nakami.

Hina, you know anything about fighting? Nakami asked, continuing to stare at the wolf and the Poncle in front of her.

"Not really... I guess I could blow away the bug?" She suggested, worried.

Nakami didn't get a chance to answer as Ammy prepared to strike with her reflector. She flinched as the weapon hit her front leg.

"Ha! Nice one, Furball!" Cheered Issun.

Nakami howled and used her strong back legs to leap into the air and belly-flop onto Ammy's head. Ammy growled and leapt back to her feet and Issun hopped back onto her head, his green aura a furious red.

"Stupid Mutt!" he cursed. "Now fear my majestic blade, Denkomaru!"

Issun leapt at Nakami and lunged at her leg with his sword. He cut off a clump of fur before Nakami snarled and snapped him up in her lupine jaws, swallowing him like she would a mouse. Ammy gaped and crouched, furious growls being emitted from her mouth.

Suddenly, the fight was cut off by a heartstopping roar, bringing Nakami and Ammy back to the rest of the world. Hina squeaked and flung her arms around Nakami, who shivered and wrapped her tail and wings around Hina. Ammy trotted over and sat in front of the two, whimpering. Nakami leapt into the air suddenly, and looked as if she was about to vomit. She coughed unpleasently and out popped Issun.

"Gaah! I'm sick of being covered in wolf saliva!" He shouted.

The roar echoed across Taka Pass again. Issun's glow returned to it's normal green, and he shuddered. Nakami and Hina huddled up together again and Ammy whined as she walked back over to them. Hina looked nervous.

"Who are you two anyway?" Issun asked.

"I...I'm H...Hina and this is Na... N... Nakami..." Hina muttered, barely audible.

Who are you? Asked Nakami, wrapping her thick wings around Hina protectively.

"Uhh... What?" Issun asked, tilying his tiny head on its side.

"S...She asked who you were.." Hina mumbled.

Issun looked at Ammy, who was sitting on her tail, watching the conversation with interest. She looked back down at Issun and licked his head. She then looked at Nakami and Hina. Issun knew exactly what she meant.

"I'm Issun and this is Ammy." He said.

Whats with the crimson patterns and the... thing on her back? Asked Nakami. Hina repeated her question, stuttering occasionally.

"You.. you can see that!?" Asked Issun with bewilderment. Nakami and Hina nodded.

"Have you two seen that shrine in Ryoshima Coast?" He questioned. They nodded again.

"Well, this is The Great God Amaterasu, who saved Nippon from evil, little more than a year ago..."