I hope that my deep love of this game is properly expressed in my writing. ^u^

Sorry about the weirdly long chapters. This, like Malevolent Bliss, is a fic that started out as one long blob but was condensed into chapters to make it easier to upload and read. This is meant to take place in some time period shortly after the end of the first game and before the beginning of the second.

I hope you guys like this one! :D

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"Please remind me again what we're doing. I seem to have lost interest halfway through your explanation."

Amaterasu rolled her eyes at her companion's short attention span, flicking her tail a bit testily. "We've been asked by the Fieran king to aid his daughter, the princess, in a quest to find her ideal birthday gift. Her father warned that she is a little demanding, but so long as we cooperate and are kind to her, she shouldn't be a problem."

Issun shuddered. "It's weird when you're irritated. Your voice seems to rattle my bones."

As a god, Amaterasu was not normally granted the ability to talk with normal mortals. But ever since she had mastered the fabled thirteen brush techniques, her powers had been growing in the strangest and most fantastic ways. She could now converse with Issun through speech, rather than barks and rolls of the head, and speak as a normal person would. However her words had a somewhat interesting effect. Her voice did not come from her mouth at all. It seemed to reverberate around her, and anyone listening, resounding both inside and outside their minds. To those that weren't used to it, it was a little unnerving. Even Issun was still a bit uncomfortable.

"Then please, don't repeat questions more than necessary. Or my voice will be a bit more than irritated." Amaterasu turned her head to him, smiling in an almost devilish way. She meant no harm by it, but unfortunately, wolves can be a bit more intimidating than they intend.

Issun pat her head shakily, but soon regained his composure. "You got it, furball. Just wake me up when we get there."

Amaterasu nodded, pausing for a moment to breathe. The air around them was serene and peaceful, the scent of flowers wafting through it. The wolf inhaled deeply, sighing with a pure, innocent joy. A powerful wave of enthusiasm was building up inside the god's lithe body. She curled back up on her haunches, her rump up in the air and her tail straight out behind her. Then, all at once, she broke into a sprint, tearing through the chill morning grass. Her dampening fur glimmered in the sunlight, rendering her a sleek silver blur bolting across the landscape. Issun, completely used to this by now, paid it little mind and simply kept his head down to avoid the building turbulence. They shot across the meadow at breakneck speeds, nearing their destination in a ludicrously brief amount of time. But such was to be expected of the sun god, the mother to all and the most respected among the Celestials. She was the fastest thing on land, and in a full, joyous sprint through springy grass and soaring flower petals, nothing could stop her.

Unless a very specific person inconveniently appeared in her direct line of travel.

A man on stilt-like red shoes materialized before her, giving her virtually no time to stop. Unable to slow down enough, she crashed into the man headlong, sending them and Issun rolling into the dewy brush. A sharp yelp escaped her as she came to a sudden stop, her back colliding with something warm and soft. Behind her, she heard coughing, for the man she'd slammed into no longer had any wind.

"Whew!" He wheezed through his words, struggling for breath. "Still as strong as ever, ma chérie! You nearly broke my spine!"

At his delighted laugh, Issun groaned, collecting himself somewhere nearby. "Damn it, you stupid fruitcake. Why can't you warn us when you're gonna jump out of nowhere like that? I can hardly feel my legs!"

The man chuckled, sitting up. "Aw, come now! Don't tell me a burly thing like you can't take a little tumble!"

Amaterasu, though somewhat pleased to see the man, agreed with her insect-like friend. "You should be more careful, Waka. You could have been hurt too."

"But am I? No, I am the picture of health! And I get a chance to chat with my old friends!" He ruffled her snowy white head, grinning. "Look at you! I've never seen this coat so shiny! Out for a jog through the meadow, or were you headed somewhere?"

"To Fiera," Issun blurted, hopping back over to them. "We got a request from the princess. Urgent business, very important, so we'll just be on our way now."

Waka plucked him off the ground, pouting. "But who will I play with if not you two? Surely you can spare a few minutes for one little game?"

"Haven't you got any other friends?" The sprite snapped, wriggling in his grip.

The man simply laughed. "None that can put up a fight quite like you! I want this to be a fun game!"

Amaterasu smiled, snatching Issun back from his grasp. "We'd like to play, but we really must get going. Perhaps another time."

Waka sighed, grinning and getting to his feet. "If you insist on being a stick in the mud, that's fine. Just call me if you ever need a pal, eh, ma chérie? Good luck on your journey! Au revoir!"

He disappeared in a flash of shimmering stars, each shining rainbows of color as they drifted to the ground. Issun snorted, crossing his arms as he reclaimed his place on top of Amaterasu's head.

"We'll call you if we ever need live bait." He shook his head, sighing. "Dumb ol' half-baked prophet."

Amaterasu laughed, stretching a bit to crack her joints. "He means no harm. He's just a little eccentric."

Issun shifted on her head. "I don't know how that lunatic ever built the Ark of Yamato. He seems like the type to have trouble tying his own shoes."

"He wears sandals," The wolf pointed out.

"And I'm surprised he's not falling over all the time! He walks on those pencil-thin stilts and doesn't even tremble! It kind of pisses me off!" The sprite nuzzled into the fur near his companion's ear. "Not something to worry about now, though. I just want to get this job done with so we can go back home."

Amaterasu nodded, breaking off into another sprint. She dashed across the landscape, rather deep in thought. It had been quite a while since her journey to the Ark of Yamato, though the memories of the gory, tormenting battles she went through were engraved into her mind. All that pain and suffering…she shook it from her head, not wanting to dwell on such unpleasant things. What she wanted to focus on was where she was now, in this beautiful prospering meadow with the sunlight on her flank and her humorous little friend atop her head. After all, the pain was over now. With her defeat of Yami, she had ushered in a new era of peace. She and Issun, and Waka, and everyone in Nippon who believed in her, they were all responsible for the bliss that was washing over their beloved country. And with no more confrontation for the time being, Amaterasu was eager to bask in it.

Before long, the bright red gates of Fiera became clear over the horizon. They cast a scarlet reflection across the damp grass, making it almost appear to glow. Issun turned a weary eye up from where he had been napping, yawning at the sight.

"So are we here? Cool," He said groggily, sitting up.

Amaterasu grinned. "Not far now. The princess awaits you."

Issun sighed happily, starting to drift off a bit. "Ah, yes. Let's just hope she's not a spoiled brat, and that her gardens produce the largest and juiciest fruits!"

The wolf snickered, darting up the path to the kingdom's entrance. At either side of the magnificent wooden door, a large, burly guard was standing, a spear in both of their tightly clenched fists. The one on the right perked up at the sudden arrival of a large white wolf. He jabbed his comrade in the stomach with the butt of his weapon, effectively waking him from the stupor he had been in. The man on the left blubbered comically, shaking the sleep out of his face. He and the other stood tall as Amaterasu approached, watching her slow to a delicate, graceful stop before them.

"State your name and business, please," The right guard huffed.

"This here is the Sun God Amaterasu!" Issun blurted. "And I'm Issun, wandering artist, sword master and this furball's personal missionary! The Fieran king has requested our assistance in finding his daughter a birthday gift!"

A snort came from the guard on the left as he crossed his arms. "That sounds a little far-fetched. Why don't you prove it? Let me see the letter the king sent to you."

Issun lifted the Spatial Distortion Fan off of his wolf friend's back, opening it. Within the fan was an organized collection of pockets, which you could reach into from the front but couldn't even see from the back. He hopped down to the pavement and set it in front of Amaterasu so she could use her mouth to pluck out the document. However, as she dipped into the appropriate pocket, she couldn't feel the letter they'd been sent.

"I'm sure it's in here. I just had it…" The god mumbled, shifting the contents of the fan.

Just as she was about to pull her snout out of the pocket, the doors behind the guards burst open, resulting in both men being smacked in the face with the wooden surface. They grunted in unison, stumbling away from their posts. From the entrance that had been revealed stepped a slender young woman, her hands on her hips and an expression of deep annoyance on her face.

"What do you think you're doing, you clods?" She shouted, glaring at the guards. "You were told that a special wolf would be coming to the kingdom today! Look at the marks on its face! Can't you tell a special wolf from a normal one? These two are our guests!"

"W-we're so sorry, Princess Hitsukana!" The guards yelped, scurrying back to their designated watch posts.

Issun grinned, hopping up and down on top of Amaterasu's head. "Thank goodness you're here, beautiful! We were worried that we wouldn't be able to help you find your birthday gift!"

The woman squealed. "Ooh, how cute! The wolf has a little buggy on its head! Hi there, little bug!" She waved her finger at Issun, oblivious to his slight offense at her words.

The Poncle cleared his throat, laughing with a bit of a forced inflection. "My name's Issun, milady. And this here is Gift-Hunter Ammy! Or Amaterasu, if you like that better."

"Okay. Issun and Ammy. I like it!" Hitsukana giggled, stepping closer. "Come with me, I need to bring you to the palace!"

As she turned around, Issun let out the large wave of drool that he had been fighting back. Though not pleased about having his slobber on her head, Amaterasu could understand why he was so flustered. Princess Hitsukana was quite cute, with a bright face and a good figure, but what was most obviously the cause of Issun's melting brain was the fact that her kimono was very low cut, exposing her somewhat massive breasts. Not quite Rao, but definitely stacked.

"Stop drooling. You always complain when I slobber on you," Amaterasu uttered, intentionally a bit loud.

"What was that?" The princess was wearing a ditzy look, smiling blankly.

"U-uh, nothing!" Issun leaned down by the wolf's ear, hissing darkly. "Don't ruin this for me, Ammy! She already thinks I'm cute, and she's got boobs and money!"

Amaterasu rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you have a chance. Royals like this are usually put into arranged marriages." It was astonishing that the god was able to keep her voice soft, as it still reverberated around them. They were a bit worried that Hitsukana could hear her.

"Then I'll have to prove to her father that I'm a man worth marrying!" He shouted in a whisper, pumping his fist. "And then we'll have a lovely wedding on the beach, and instead of kissing the bride I can just give her a good valley snuggle!" He chuckled to himself, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.

"Hush. If Hitsukana hears any of this she won't trust us not to hurt her. Or at least, she won't trust you." Amaterasu sighed, shaking her head slightly.

Fortunately though, it seemed that the princess wasn't paying the faintest bit of attention to their quiet discussion. She just bounced along happily, leading the pair up the streets of the city. Even from the gates, they could see where they were being led. In the middle of town, at the end of the path they were on, a huge and magnificent palace stood proudly above the tiny buildings around it. It was covered in extravagant gold and silver, with what were probably real jewel-encrusted birds standing as gargoyles above the doors. It emanated wealthy living and lavish spoiling. Amaterasu even felt a twinge of jealousy at the gorgeous building that the princess so blandly introduced them to.

"This is the palace that my papa had built for us," She stated, waving her hand nonchalantly. "It's for when we're here during the summer. We rule over Fiera, but we like to move around the kingdom so we can experience all the culture here. Neat, huh?"

Issun looked as though he may faint. "Beautiful! But just to be expected! A lovely lady such as yourself doesn't deserve anything less than this!"

Hitsukana snorted. "It's hardly big enough just for Mama and Papa. I only get three rooms to myself."

A small twitch was forming in the side of Amaterasu's cheek. She whispered to Issun, "Something tells me that we're going to have more than a little trouble finding a gift for this girl."

"I'll be the gift!" Issun spluttered, swooning back onto the wolf's neck.

The princess led them in through the sweeping doors of the palace, unfazed at the shock the pair behind her expressed. Amaterasu had to pause, gaping around at the eye-popping amount of rare jewels and metals that graced the room. Everything was coated in gold, silver, platinum and various other glimmering substances, and edged with every kind of expensive jewel that the two had ever seen. The brightly shining colors made the wolf's eyes water a bit.

"So are we going up to your…ah…rooms?" The god asked a bit shakily.

Hitsukana nodded. "Yup. Right up these stairs. Walk on the carpet, okay, wolfy? Your feet might slip on the marble."

Amaterasu grumbled to herself as she leapt up onto the third step. "He told you my name…"

They climbed up the stairs, the princess having to dash to keep up with the god's long bounds. She was panting softly once they had reached the top, leaning down to grip her knee. Issun fought back a nosebleed as her cleavage was further exposed.

"Whew! Okay, this way. Down the hall here," Hitsukana instructed, turning left on the lavish green carpet that stretched across the center of the floor.

Amaterasu followed, staring around them as they continued to pass more expensive and valuable-looking things. A large ornate painting hung between two wooden doors, depicting a ship sailing the waves amidst a lovely sunset. Upon closer inspection, she could see the name of a very prestigious artist etched along the bottom. She sighed to herself, a bit envious due to the rather light money purse that they carried with them.

The princess stopped in front of a huge pink door, clapping with delight. "Here we are, you two! Come in, make yourself at home! But please don't shed on my bed, wolfy!"

"Ammy," The wolf blurted politely. "If it's not too much trouble, your highness."

"Oh, yes, sorry! I'm a little out of it today!" The girl giggled, stepping into her room. This too was just as extravagant and elegant as the rest of the house. A huge canopy bed sat in the middle of a sea of ivory carpet, both made of a fine silk. A ludicrous number of bureaus and wardrobes were spread along the walls, alongside artful tables, plush couches and varying artifacts, all seeming to resemble cute animals or flowers. Hitsukana plopped down on her bed, waiting for the two to take a seat somewhere.

Issun grinned as his companion simply sat on the floor, his arms crossed proudly. "So tell us, your angelic-ness! What is it that you want for your birthday?"

Hitsukana smiled with her hands folded pleasantly in her lap. "A trap."

"A…trap?" Amaterasu wondered.

"Yes, a trap." At this, the princess' voice seemed to darken. "I need you two to help me catch a man that I continue to run into on my travels outside the kingdom. I never know when I'll see him, and frankly, it's getting on my nerves."

"So that's what you want for your birthday? You just want this guy captured, right?" Issun jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "Then just leave it to us! Ammy and I can catch any bad guy you've got, no matter who it is or how powerful they are!"

"Has he been harassing you, Princess?" The god asked, tilting her head.

"Oh! Um, not really." Hitsukana blushed, grinning wide. "He's annoying though. Very annoying. And I'd like to catch him so I won't have to guess when I'll see him next."

"Annoying? We know someone like that…" Issun muttered, looking away.

The princess clapped joyfully. "Yes, I know you know him! That's why I had Papa ask you two to help me capture him! I've seen him with you out in the forest before, so I know that of anyone, you could help me find him!"

Amaterasu felt a creeping sense of suspicion. "Do you know his name?"

"Um…I may have heard it before, but I can't remember it now."

"Can you describe the guy? How ugly is he?" Issun inquired.

Hitsukana fidgeted, giggling sheepishly like an excited child. "He's not one bit ugly, little bug! He's actually very handsome, but so annoying and eccentric! He says such funny things! It's delightful!"

"Wait, if you like him, why are we capturing him?" The Poncle said dubiously, putting his hands on his hips in vexation.

"Like I said, because I never know when he'll pop up again! I hate having to wait until we run into each other in the woods, because it's not commonly that it happens. I want you to capture him so I can visit him whenever I like!"

"So…you want him to be your pet?" Amaterasu looked exasperated, her ears twitching slightly.

The princess shrugged. "More like a captive guest, I like to think. Oh, don't you think he'll love it here? I can give him his very own room and everything!"

The wolf shook her head. "Your highness, people don't tend to – "

"Ahem!" Issun shouted, gripping the point of the god's ear. He leaned into it, whispering sharply. "Ammy, you know who she's talking about, right?"

"Yes, probably Waka," Amaterasu murmured back.

"So if she has him living here, he'll be out of our hair! And we can probably visit this beautiful place and the even more beautiful princess any time we want! It's perfect!"

The wolf's eyes widened. "But Is – "

"It's a brilliant idea, Princess! We'll get right to work on setting a trap for your new guest!" Issun laughed heartily, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hitsukana leapt up, clapping once again. "Oh, good! That's excellent!" She placed her clasped hands beneath her chin, giggling. "My twentieth birthday is tomorrow, so I expect you to have your friend here by then, okay?"

"Pfft!" Issun hopped forward, leaping up onto the girl's shoulder. "We don't need that long! We'll have him here by tonight! In fact, give us a few hours, it'll be no trouble!"

The princess squealed loudly. "Oh thank you, thank you so much, little bug!"

Issun had to fight back a shriek of his own as she pulled him to her bosom, hugging him tightly and laughing giddily. His tiny face was nearly crushed within her cleavage, his hat the only thing keeping her breasts away. Amaterasu cleared her throat, causing the girl to release her companion.

"We'll be back shortly, your highness," The wolf said, somewhat amused. "C'mon Issun."

Her jaws closed around the shakily laughing Poncle, making sure that the blood flowing from his nose was directed towards the ground. Hitsukana didn't seem to mind a bit that the carpet was being stained, and waved them off with a cheerful grin on her face. The god trotted out of the room and down the stairs, carrying Issun's partially conscious form until they had stepped outside the doors.

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Please review! I'm always really happy to hear from you guys, even if it's total gibberish! :D