OK, this is my first Okami fanfic. Apologies if I'd made any mistakes anywhere! Feel free to point any out.

This mostly follows on from the game and it's set about a year later. There will be a human Ammy and probably a tiny bit of romance. I'm not saying with which characters though in the opening chapter 'cause that would just ruin it.

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The sun seemed to be struggling to rise as it appeared on the horizon and it was ages before the first hues of orange and pink weakly prodded the Kamui snow, sending a weak glittering ripple across the icy land. Gradually the light sunk in to Wep'Keer but from there it seemed as if it could move no further. It refused to touch Laochi Lake. The entire area surrounding the freezing water and the base of Ezofuji remained shadowed, as it always was.

"No, no, no that's not right! You idiot Issun! You know very well that Ammy doesn't have a tail like that. Looks more like a cat and Ammy'd never forgive me if I made her look like a cat."

Sitting on a flat stone by the water's edge, Issun frowned as he stared at the paper. He'd drawn Ammy dozens of times but this time he couldn't get her right. Too much fur, not enough fur, crimson markings in the wrong place, too dog-like, too cat-like… and it shouldn't even have been possible to make her look like a cat.

"It's that stupid ark's fault," he muttered. Crumpling the paper, he tossed it in to the lake. Every time he pictured the ark in his mind and tried to capture it on the paper, he'd quiver as he remembered the evil feeling that had swirled about it. It had even had its own smell, like blood.

He hoped Ammy had been all right on there; she obviously had been, but he did wonder. He hadn't liked her leaving her with that freak of a half-baked prophet. He hoped Ammy had eaten him along with whatever monsters had been on that ark.

He was trying to draw her ascending to the heavens on the ark, but it was impossible. The memories of the ark troubled him, but that wasn't the only problem. He couldn't wipe Ammy's soft, sad wolf eyes from his mind as he'd said goodbye to her on the bridge leading to the ark.

"I only said those things to get you on that ark, Furball, you know that. Now, stop staring at me like that. I haven't passed out drawings of you for a while and this one is really important I don't want people forgetting about you!" said Issun.

He picked up his brush, forgetting his unease as he again pictured the ark. It didn't matter what he'd felt coming from that thing; Ammy had destroyed the evil. There was no need to be so jumpy about it. He put the brush to the paper.

"Issun, what frustrates you so? I can hear you groaning to yourself in the village."

Issun leapt in surprise at the voice. At the same time the brush smeared across the picture. "Bah!" He jumped up and down in annoyance and then turned to face the newcomer. "Oki, don't you know never to disturb an artistic genius at work? How long have you been spying on me?"

Oki was almost directly behind him. Issun had forgotten how quietly the guy could move.

"Not long," said Oki. "Why do you come here without saying hello? I haven't seen you since the last full moon. When did you get back?"

"Ages ago and I've been sat here ever since trying to draw Ammy. In a few days it will be a year since the day of darkness. I want a special drawing to give to people to remind them."

"You'd have better luck if you calmed your mind."

"Bah!"

Issun grabbed another sheet of paper. Quickly he drew the ark and then pictured Ammy, shoving the sad wolf eyes away and trying instead to remember how powerful she could look.

"What exactly are you trying to draw? The ark?" Oki peered down and Issun hastily snatched up the paper and bounded away to a different rock.

"Hey Oki, I don't show work in progress. It's bad luck and you're distractin' me! Don't get me wrong it's great to see your blue face but I'm busy. No offence but go away. I'll catch up with you later."

"As you wish, but do come and show me when you're done. Your work is impressive. Make sure you stop by the village too. You're always welcome."

Issun almost felt guilty for shouting. Oki was one of his favourite people and he didn't get to stop by very often to see him.

But at the same time he didn't like to be disturbed when he was working. He'd find Oki later and maybe apologise.

Back to the drawing. His brush moved faster and faster. He had her now at last. She stood on top of the ark, as magnificent as she'd been one hundred years ago. Her white fur was tousled in the wind and the sun dazzled the instrument on her back. She was poised, muscles tensed as she held her head back and howled at the sky where the sun was rising…

"That's my furball!" said Issun, grinning.

"Issun," said Oki suddenly.

Luckily Issun's surprise didn't ruin the picture this time but he was still annoyed as his concentration snapped. "Oki, you still here? Look, I said-"

There was the sound of scraping metal. Issun leapt around just as Oki finished drawing his sword, a blade that looked similar to the legendary Kutone he'd once held. He was staring up at the sky. Issun followed his gaze.

The air was half-dark, even though Issun knew the morning sun would be all over the rest of Kamui by now. His eyes stung from the cold as he strained to see whatever Oki had spotted. He stared for so long that his face seemed to freeze.

Just as he was about to laugh at Oki's nervousness, he saw it; a sparkle high in the air that didn't come from falling snow. Almost as soon as he saw it, it vanished and then reappeared a little lower. Again it disappeared and then returned.

"It was the same when the demons came," said Oki. "They'd begin as faint objects in the sky. By the time we realised what they were, it was too late."

"Those creepy old owls?" said Issun. "It can't be! There aren't any monsters in Nippon any more." Even so, he still grabbed his own sword. Oddly he wasn't concerned. He often thought about his days with Ammy when they'd taken on any monster that had dared to come near them and sometimes the land seemed hideously dull without any danger.

But it wasn't the owls. Issun wasn't sure it was. He couldn't see Oki's expression behind his mask, but he felt sure the man was frowning with the same confusion that gripped Issun.

The flickering light was coming closer. It was so close that Issun felt certain he should be able to see what it was but every time he tried to focus it would disappear and reappear somewhere else. He thought he could see something white and gold, but it was so difficult to see and looking up at the cold, hazy air was making him feel dizzy.

"It's a wolf," said Oki.

And as soon as he'd spoken Issun saw it for himself. "Ammy!" he screamed, just as the great Amaterasu hit the lake with a giant crunch of water.