The beginning.

Yuki swore and moved quicker out of the old cave. He held onto Taro tighter. "Ama, there has to be something you can do. You've worked with those religious types. Can't you contact their god or- I dunno! Do something! I think we're losing him here."

"The gods don't listen to humans on the best of days, why would they listen to demons?" Amaterasu turned on her brother. "All we can do is try to patch him up and pray that a god likes Taro enough to send a messenger or.. I dunno, send him up to the heavens to fix him." She watched as her brother put Taro down, never fully releasing the other man.

"Then patch him up." Yuki begged as he met the woman's eyes. "Please. Just.. do what you can." She nodded her reply as she dropped to her knees beside the powerless-angel.

"Jesus... what did our Mother do?" She breathed as she carefully stripped back the pieces of clothing clinging to Taro's wounds. Yuki remained silent, gently holding the other mans hand in his own and keeping his head low. He watched his sister patch up what she could before speaking again.

"Why did we trust her again? Why did I-" Amaterasu cut off her brother before he could continue

"Yuki, its not your fault."

"Oh yeah?" He finally raised his head to meet his sisters eyes, his own showing the first sign of tears. "How isn't it? Because of me- Because of my actions I just got an angel killed. Because I trusted the woman who raised me, This man could very well die."

"He wont die." Amaterasu spoke very slowly, and very clearly to her brother. "Now, I want you to go and run and fast as you can. I need you to find another angel, or a messenger, or a fallen servant or something. Do you Understand?"

Yuki nodded quickly. "How will I know what they look like?" Amaterasu looked to Taros pendant before looking to the man himself.

"Can I borrow that?"

"No, no, don't touch it, don't- There's no one else, here, I couldn't even-" He choked out, words faltering and catching in his efforts to speak even as he tried to tighten his grip around the pendant, as if he thought she might just try to take it anyway - as if he could stop her.

He tried to sit up, failed, and then settled for clutching the pendant against an uninjured spot of his chest, struggling to keep his eyes open and watching Amaterasu with visible wariness. Not that the didn't trust her or Yuki, just that... Well, if he hadn't been careless in the first place, he wouldn't have ended up like this.

Whatever this was.

"You won't know, you won't- It's not always that obvious. If we don't want it to be. I wasn't originally... Going to stay. For- For long."

"But no one will question your prolonged absence right?" Amaterasu asked, growing slightly annoyed. She understood his reservations but this could help him. She just needed to get him to understand. "How many of your kind get stuck down here every year exactly?"

With a sigh the woman dragged her hand through her hair. "I'll tell you what I plan to do with it. I may not be able to do a lot of things the monks do, but I did pick up a few tricks with them... and on my travels. There's a little... incantation that I can do on it. Its from the heavens right? So it can be used to trace others like you, maybe even one who can help or contact someone or maybe they'll have a god watching over them, I don't know. But its better then sitting here so please," She held out her hand, looking up to meet his eyes as she did so. "Let me help you Taro. I'm not my idiot brother and I'm not my mother. I genuinely want to help you and this is the only way I know how."

If Yuki took offence to being called an Idiot, he didn't show it. He just looked to Taro, gently moving away from him as he did so.

Taro huffed out a few short, sharp breaths of almost pained indecision, eyes flitting between his own hand and Amaterasu before he gave a small nod, just a tiny inclination of his head, and relaxed his grip on the pendant, extending his hand out towards her with visible effort.

He didn't voice anything he was thinking (that it might be the last link he had to getting everything back, that he didn't entirely trust that it wouldn't be sold to the next interested person to walk past) because she clearly had some idea of what he was thinking already.

"I don't know if finding anyone will even help," He admitted in a voice that was barely a whisper, shutting his eyes again and shifting his hand across to rest shakily just below a knife wound that Amaterasu had bandaged up. The bleeding, he could feel, was slowing. Sluggish, now that it was bound, nothing more. Yuki was moving back, and he didn't know whether or not he wanted to assure him he didn't blame him.

He didn't, not really.

But he wasn't exactly feeling an overabundance of sympathy.

She gave him an appreciative smile, not saying anything else. She felt she didn't need too.
Turning away from the two men, the girl placed the pendent on the ground and waved her hands over them. A few quiet words escaped her mouth, each in a language unknown to most ears. The pendant glowed lightly before the spell sunk in. Once it had returned to normal, Amaterasu turned back to the others. "Its done."

With careful steps, the girl made her way over to her brother and placed the pendant over his neck. "Take good care of this or I'll kick your ass, understand?"

Yuki nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Now go and for the love of whoever is listening, hurry. Okay?" He nodded again at his sisters request and took off into the woods at full speed.

Kietsu could sense her or something, that's why Anei was always assuring anyone who questioned that her tortoise would return. He always returned. Biting her lip she half jogged after her brother.
She had just told them he'd find them but that didn't stop her from worrying.

---

It had been hours since Kietsu had been left behind, if they had been human he was sure he would have been able to keep up, but demons with their stupid enhanced everything just left him in the dust. He could still feel Anei though, that was a plus, even if it was getting dimmer he at least knew where they were heading and Japan was not so large a place that it would be impossible to find her again.

Yuki came to a halt, staring down at the tortoise that was glowing brightly. He frowned. It was a tortoise. A tortoise. He frowned. "Damn, Ama. Your spell doesn't work." He looked down at the pendant. "Its a turtle, magic thing. A turtle. What kind of angelic thingy is a damn Turtle!"

Kietsu had sensed the demon coming for a while before he'd even come into sight, but as apparently, and Kietsu knew this for sure through much testing, he had no magical signature or any supernatural aura to speak of, at least to the senses of humans and demons, Kietsu had dismissed him. It wasn't until the feet had stepped right into his path and stopped, that Kietsu had paid the demon, a young man, any attention at all.

'Well.' Kietsu thought, somewhat dumbfounded as he gave him a once over, not really listening to whatever the kid was mumbling to himself 'That's... That clearly does not belong to him!'
Taking a moment to scowl as hard as a tortoise is able, Kietsu waddled forward so that he can chump quite viciously into the boys toe. Rigorous testing had shown that a tortoises bite could hurt like hell. Even for a demon.

"Ow!" Yuki jumped back and grabbed his foot, frowning down at the damn creature. "Stupid Turtle!" He exclaimed. He reached behind the tortoise and grabbed it by his shell. "Well, if you're not some kind of heavinly thing, at least you'll make a good dinner." He stuck his tongue out.

Very slowly, because Kietsu was angry and dramatic and not a goddam turtle thankyouverymuch he tipped his head forward and... grinned at the demon boy.
It had taken him years to get a turtles face to contort into a semblance of a smile, and it actually hurt a lot of muscles to do so, but for this idiot he was willing to bring on the creepy tortoise smile.

Yuki frowned. "Okay, thats just creepy." He held the tortoise tightly and ran back, still freaking ot slightly about that goddamn grin. This turtle was going to kill him.

Kietsu scowled, there wasn't much he could do in this form, but it did seem that the idiotic demon was bringing him closer to his charge, so he settled in for now and let the fool run take him where he willed.

Yuki stopped in front of Taro and his sister. He held the tortoise up. "I found this thing. It glowed... and bit my toe. Which hurt, if anyone was wondering."

Amaterasu just stared at her brother. "Yuki." She began slowly. "Its a tortoise. How is a tortoise meant to help us here?"

That was... Shit that was Taro, bleeding everywhere. Kietsu knew he was only supposed to use his change in emergencies as it took a lot from him but... The other Tennin was dying.
Soft glow, quickly turned blinding and Kietsu was staggering on two legs for the first time in decades.
He only had a short time and then he'd be as good as comatose for the next few days.
Already on his knees, he paid the two young demons no mind as a lay his hands over Taro's chest taking a moment to assess both his spirit and his health.
Both were abysmally poor.
Wasting no more time, Kietsu shucked off his shirt so that he had access to the many tattoos that adorned his body. When he'd been cast, his patron had bound his jewel to his body so that whilst he was so vulnerable, none could take advantage.
It meant his power was volatile and struck like lightning though, just as quick to leave as it was to arrive.

Now he pulled, Kietsu was not a healer by right, but Taro's body should be able to heal itself if he could give it enough juice...

He just needed to-- There!

He could feel it ripping open like a knife wound, pouring from him, he had a moment to hope that Anei would be alright on her own for a while before he passed out, an odd mimicry of Taro's own form.

"Did that turtle just become a..." Yuki trailed off, his head tilting to the side as he looked down on the man that was once a turtle.

Amaterasu's own head mimicked her brothers as she took in the sight before her. "A man. Yes." She murmured. "And a rather fine looking one at that. We should help."

"We should." Yuki agreed, though neither one made a move, both from shock and because they were too busy enjoying the sight.

They'd made good headway on the mountain by the time dusk was starting to settle, Anei obviously was still a little bit distracted from the obvious missing presence of her tortoise but Zetsubou couldn't fault her for that, she was obviously attached to the creature and he'd already learn't for himself the thing was smarter than it looked.
"We've only got about another hour before we lose the light" He mused, watching the sun settle behind a cloud, "Are we setting up for the night or continuing onward?"

"Moving on." Mori said, at the exact same time that Satori responded with;
"Settling down."

The man reached up to massage his forehead a little, expression somehow controlled despite his otherwise clear frustration. "I said we weren't in immediate danger, I didn't say it would be a good idea to stop wherever we wanted."

"Well, did you want to stop?" Satori turned to Zetsubou and Anei, tilting her head a little.

---

Taro jolted awake with his first substantial breath since Ayama had turned on him, eyes snapping open and body half lurching upright into some kind of half-sitting position - he hadn't been aware that he had blacked out, and now had no idea why he was awake.

Everything still hurt, and he could feel the injuries pulling sharply in objection to his sudden movement, but the searing agony was gone, his lungs weren't rattling with each breath, he could breathe. He could breathe. Everything else was still gone, there was no connection to his powers, not even the awareness that they were there- And Kami, maybe they weren't - but he could definitely feel the surge of power still settling underneath his skin.

That wasn't his.

He hunched forwards to balance himself and then, yeah, there was a Tennin, sprawled out and unconscious beside him. Kietsu, it was Kietsu, he hadn't seen him for... Well, he wasn't even sure how long it had been, but- Well, there was no logical reason at all for him to be down here, and certainly not within any kind of reachable distance of himself; and while he didn't claim to know anything about the way the balance Tennin used their abilities, he was moderately sure that it didn't usually result in unconsciousness.

He shifted over immediately, ignoring Yuki and Amaterasu - both who were just standing there and staring at the other - and clutched a hand over the worst of his injuries to make movement easier. It wasn't bleeding anymore - at this rate, would be vastly improved in just a matter of hours. He managed to keep himself upright, grimaced, quickly checked for breathing, for a pulse, and then shook the Tennin's shoulder a little, looking over the tattoos with confusion (the markings made sense, but... what was he doing here?)

"Kietsu? Beth wnaethoch chi?"

Blinking hazily into consciousness, Kietsu groaned and rolled tightly into a ball, he felt awful, everything hurt and throbbed and why had he done this to himself again?
"Taro Ydych chi'n dda?" He murmured, voice dropping off at the end and vision blanking out for a few moments.

"Sorry." He slurred slightly, before there was even a reply, "Rest... need... cysgu. Alltudiaeth. Cysgu"

"Rwy'n dda, diolch i chi, Kietsu. Cwsg - rydym yn ddiogel." Taro said, not moving back, just staying crouched right where he was at Kietsu's side, unsteady, skin pallid and bloodied, but he was upright and determined. He took in a slow breath, experimentally, and glanced back to the other two, lips in a thin line of discomfort.

"We need to stay here, until he wakes." He explained faintly, speaking through the sensation of dizziness that had hold of his balance, pressing his other hand to the floor a little to the side of his bent knee to steady himself. He was healing, yes, and quickly, but that meant his body was already working overtime to keep up with the push Kietsu had given it. "She's gone-- Can we risk a fire? He's probably going to need the warmth."

He needed it too.

Amaterasu jumped as Taro spoke. She had been lost in... well... Anyway, she probably needed to stop looking and actually help both the angels. At least, she presumed the once was tortoise was an angel. He could have been anything really.

"Fire. Yes." Yuki said, jumping himself as he broke into action. He rushed around, collecting bits of wood and rock so his sister could light a fire. "Food. We should get that too."

"Right." Amaterasu nodded. "I guess... I'll do that." She was quite embarrassed at her obvious appreciation of the new comers body. Any excuse to get away was a good one. "Yuki, stay here and guard. Take care of them, alright?"

"Why can't I hunt?" Yuki pouted, sitting up almost like a dog would. And you're better at healing then I am."

"Because you can't kill an animal if it stopped in front of your blade." Amaterasu told him. "And the... Tortoise man appears to only be knocked out. He might just need some red meat when he wakes up. So, by hunting I am fulfilling my duties as their healer."

"Fine." Yuki grumbled, giving in to her. he sat back and began to feed and poke at the fire as she left for some food. The boy looked to the angel awake. "Do you or... Turtle need help moving closer to the fire?"

"I can't move Kietsu by myself, right now," Taro said quietly, sitting still exactly where he was, almost positioned defensively beside the other angel - not that there was much of a perceived threat from Amaterasu or Yuki, not really, and it wasn't really likely he would be able to do anything right then, but he was far too shaken to let himself relax. "Might need some help, there."

Frowning at the sunset Zetsubou slowed his gate before glancing at the clearly distracted Anei. She'd been quiet and even though Zetsubou had only known her a short while he knew this was unusual.
"Maybe it would be better if we set up for the night" He mused, eyes never really straying from his sister profile.

---

It was somewhat the opposite effect than when Kietsu had become a man, his transformation back into tortoise, the light just sort of, fled, from the surrounding area, somehow harder on the eye than the previous brightness had been.
In it's place was merely empty air, and once again, a tortoise.

"Second thoughts, I think I can handle this." Taro said after a moment's consideration, scooping up the tortoise and shifting in closer to the fire, sitting cross legged and keeping the small animal in his arms. He hunched his shoulders slightly and leaned forwards for the sake of maintaining balance. "Fine, we're fine. And you, we're having a long, long talk later about style and things to aim for when getting kicked out, because this doesn't really show off your best features," He continued, directing this last part to the unconscious tortoise, angling his body towards the fire and away from Yuki.

---

Mori dropped his bag down and fell into a crouch to start pulling out the few small things of dried food that they still had stashed away - nothing fancy, but better than nothing, certainly. Satori gave Anei a careful look and then actually reached out a hand to catch at the girl's arm, gently leading her a little bit away from the others and then turning to look at her properly.

"Did you want to go back?" She asked finally, keeping her hand in place just above the girl's elbow. "Because that's an option; and better now while there's still distance between us and any possible pursuers."

Shaking her head Anei gave a small smile, "It's alright, it's Kietsu. He can take care of himself."

When Amaterasu returned with the wood, she was confused as to where the newcomer had gone. That was until she noticed the Tortoise lying in Taro's arms.
Her first instinct was to turn on her brother in an accusing fashion. "What did you do?!" She snapped. "When I leave there is a partially naked and very attrac- injured man." She corrected herself quickly. "And now there's a Tortoise?!"

"Not my Fault!" Yuki was quick to defend himself. He raised his hands above his head in case she decided to hit him with the wood in her arms. "He blinded us with some crazy light and then poof! Turtle."

"Tortoise." Amaterasu corrected before turning her back on her brother and walking over to Taro. She placed the wood down and began to create a stronger fire. "Is he going to be okay?" She asked softly. "Are you?"

---

Karin looked around the woods. "I could probably go catch something if anyone wants something more then... Whatever that is." She motioned to Mori's hands.