Finally! I’m Free!

AFTER getting permission from the Old Tree that she could use her powers to manipulate his tree, Tamotsu was ready to witness on how Dandy would do it.

Dandy concentrated on going in to Life Stream and and winding the life strand of the tree. Using that, she let the life energies accumulate at the outline of the branch. With a sway of her hands, the life energies tried their might to move the branch but still, it wouldnt budge.

Dandy opened her eyes and look at the tree. Nothing happened. "Tamotsu, why is it like that?"

"You think that you could do it just like that? Like you were just lifting a thing?"

"I told you it'll be too hard for her." Yoshiko protested.

"And I believe that she can." Tamotsu contradicted Yoshiko. "And I want you to prove me right, Your Grace."

"But how?"

Tamotsu looked her intently. Reading her thoughts? Thinking on how to help her? Or was he just looking at her?

"Tamotsu?"

He sighed. "Just think what I said, Your Grace. You need to be more in depth with them for you to finally use their potential."

"Huh?" That was all could Dandy say. In depth? Wasn't she already with the Old Tree? They were practically friends now. How much depth did she need to do?

Dandy puffed and sat down facing the tree. Looked at it before closing her eyes and in to the Life Stream. She practically played with the life energies. Tried again and again to lift the roots, branches and other parts of the tree for it to move the way she wanted it.

{What should I do to you?}

She smiled as she wringle her fingers, the life energies followed it. She smiled and do it with her other fingers. They looked cute as they follow her. She started to make figures from the stream of light that coming from the energies. The faster she moved her fingers, the more she could see the figures that she was doing.

{This is great! If only the trees would also do that…}

Dandy halted on what she was doing. Then a thought comes to her head. "Tamotsu, is it possible if I invade the tree's life stream?"

Tamotsu didn't answer and just looked at her. Dandy waited, and waited, and waited but Tamotsu didn't answer.

Dandy tsked at him and taunt him before closing her eyes. She immediately looked for the Old tree spirit. She found him sitting at top of the tree like he usually does.

"Sir, I'm asking for permission if it will be okay to hop on your life stream?"

"What?" the old tree snapped at her. "Are you still not done with your task? You are slow. Very slow. No wonder some of the spirits here are weak. I've already given you permission to do what you need to do?"

Dandy scratched her cheek and awkwardly answered. "You…haven't said anything."

"Huh?!"

"Yes. You haven't."

Exasperated scoffed was given to Dandy. He then mumbled before disappearing. "I already told you to do what you need to do. Now you telling me I didn't. Is it my fault if you're deaf?"

Dandy just cant believe it. But send her thanks to the old tree before finding the life stream of the tree.

She stood up and followed the string up to where she was. She don't know if the Old Tree was testing her but she needed to fly just to reach it. And when she did, she let her life stream came in contact with it and let it flow until she reached the main life stream of the old tree.

Dandy gasped as she felt the stream came into her. Generation of memories came into her. From the moment he was just a seedling upto now. How he endured the the storms. Gave shelter to other small beings. Braved life together with the others.

She smiled at how the Old Tree spirit has a heart. Due to his hardships, he was quite mean. And she understood now why.

"Thank you, good sir. And from now on, I will be here."

From there, Dandy moved fingers, and a few of the small branches moved. When she moved her arms, so are the bigger branches. She tilted her head, moved her body. She just slightly moved her roots when she heard Old Tree shouting.

"What are you doing?! Are you trying to pull out my roots?!"

"Sorry!" she laughed as she shouted. Though she can mend it if she pulled out his roots, she did not dare to do that. Old Tree Spirit would really kill her.

Dandy slowly let go of the life stream of the old tree, making sure that it was placed back to its original form. She opened her eyes and gently descend. "Thank you again, Sir!" She called at the Old Tree Spirit as she bowed down.

Tamotsu descend, too, at her side. "Well done, You Grace. And as promised," He opened his palm and let go a blob of water that was big as palm. Let it fly, it started to greew bigger and bigger as it goes higher. It stopped when it reached the highest peak of the Old Oak.

Tamotsu then clapped his two hands and twisted it as if opening a lock. And when he parted it, His polearm started to appear. It was a green polearm and was made of jade and the blade looks majestic with its flaming green color that added to its flame-like edifice. Before it fall from the ground he kicked it up and catched it with his right arm.

Tamotsu breath in and readied to throw his spear when Yoshiko spoke. "Just throw it, hopper. Don't make it too dramatic."

"Shut up!" Tamotsu shouted. And just as Yohsiko said, Tamotsu unceremoniously threw his polearm. It hit the water blob and water started to spray all over Dandy;'s flower bed.

Little by little the barrier started to dissolved from the water until it was no more. Dandy looked around and when she finally see that the barrier was no where to be seen, she sprinted as fasts as she could toward the edge. She stopped abruptly when she reached where the barrier was. Looked at it intently before reaching her hand as she extended her legs and feet for a step.

She closed her eyes as she nearing the boarder when all of the sudden, someone pushed her that made her roll out of from where she was.

"Who did that? Who?!" Her eyes wide when she looked back who it was. It was Yoshiko that playing innocent by looking around. "Yohiskooo!" she ran back to where Yoshiko was and jumped to him.

She rode his back and pulled his ear back. Yoshiko howled like never howled before. "You Grace! Not the ears. Not the ears!"

"You are not going to do it again. You hear me? You almost got me electrocuted by the barrier! You almost pull my heart out!"

"But there's no more barrier, Your Grace."

Dandy then stopped what she was doing and looked from where she came from. Her eyes blinked and sheepishly smiled. "Right. There's no more barrier."

Slowly, she got off of Yoshiko and stepped back away from him. "Sorry, Yoshiko. Forgive me, okay?"

"Your Grace, I may have forgiven you if you pulled my hair at the back but it was the ears. My precious ears."

"Yoshiko," Dandy warned.

"Are you ready to run, Your Grace?"

"No," Dandy shook her head. "but I'm ready to fly."

And even before Yoshiko pounce on her, she already flew up. And once again, her laughed where heard.

***

"Goddess, I should return to the Toyoashihara," Kahaku asked permission to go back to earth. "The longer I stay here, the longer I get anxious and worries."

"Cant you stay a little longer, Lord Kahaku. Is my brother's presence…bothering you?"

"Goddess!" Kahaku exclaimed at the tone Amaterasu gave him. He slipped a glance to Susanoo who were grinning ear to ear. He cant belive that this was the Susanoo who wreck havoc in heaven and earth.

"Sorry, sorry." Amaterasu half-heartedly said. "Stay, Lord Kahaku. This palace will be lonely."

"And I'm afraid that the more I stay the more my body would adopt the heavely life. And I don't want that. I'm stil comfortable living at Toyoashihara."

"And sooner, you will realize that you stay here and she already slipped down there," Susanoo then laughed when Amaterasu pouted. She was caught by her scheme. "Running away from you duty is a no, no, sister."

"Whatever, Susano. Go. I just remembered that I need to welcome my other visitor on the coming days." It was then Amaterasu's playful air changed. With a serious voice she said, "You should not meet him as he's a little…egoistic. I need to be careful or everything may fail."

Both of Kahaku and Susano gave a proper bow at Amaterasu. They simultaneously stepped back until they reached the door holding their bows. They only raised their heads when they were out of the doorway.

"Oh, brother, please be careful with Lord Kahaku this time. See you." Amaterasu teased ang closed the door of sunrise hall.

Kahaku just shook his head in disbelief. Why does he remember Dandy with that attitude of hers?

"So, can I come with you?"

"No."

"Why not? I should crash at your river. It had been years since I've gone to that place. I miss the times that—"

Kahaku stopped walking and throw daggers with his eyes. "Stop, Lord Susanoo. Talking about the past is not important. I suggest you be careful on what you were doing. If you would be seen with me, a well known comrade of Sun Goddess, it may ruin her plan."

Susanoo didn't say a thing. Kahaku took that a chance to walk away from him. He could feel him, walking behind him but aren't saying anything. They both stopped at Ama-no-Ukihashi—the floating bridge of heaven, the bridge that connects the heaven and earth—Kahaku looked at Susanoo and was greetd by him looking at him, too.

His golden eyes was still the same. Flaming gold, glistening like the sun. And he could still remember that it was dark as the night when burning with passion.

Kahaku looked away and stopped himself from remembrring the past. He started walking in the bridge and tried not to look back but…

"Kawa no Kami!"

Hearing his true name, Kahaku looked back at Susanoo. It has been so long since someone called him that. And for a long time, it was only Susanoo would call him that.

"After all of this, I'll come back for you."

Kahaku's eyes widened as Susanoo grinned. He gave him a big wave before Susanoo staretd to fade from his eyes.

The next thing he saw was the overview of the forest and his river. Stunned from he said, Kahaku let himself free fall. His heart was beating loudly that he needed to calm himself down and free falling wasnt helping.

"Lord Kahaku!"

That tiny voice distracted him. And not to far away from the ground, he saw Dandy waving at her.

That was when he woke up. He was finally back.

{Now, let's forget about that dumb God.}

"Welcome back, Lord Kahaku!" Dandy shouted again when he landed. She ran up to him and was surprised when she floated in mid air before hugging him.

"Did you just…" Kahaku looked at Tamotsu, as the latter nodded at him.

With that, he slightly forgot what he did at Takamagahara and who was with. And he felt a little better.

{Is it really?}

****END OF CHAPTER****

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