NOTE: This was written as a literature trade between myself and TheDogzLife. She asked for Waka from Okami, with her character Kal from her fanfiction Fate of the Tsubasa. (GO READ IT D )

Waka's fingers flew across a screen, typing directly onto the hologram that was projected in front of him, and then his hand dragged to an oval shape on the table, using it to guide a cursor around. He seemed extremely busy, as if making preparations urgently. All of this technology confused Kal. She could never work out what her master was doing, so she'd long lost interest in the turquoise glowing computer. Just another object.

She was still small, with fragile wings and puppy gait when she walked. She remembered meeting Waka, which had been only a few months ago. She remembered the blood, and the arrow. And then the man, with a pitiful look on his face which was almost obscured with flowing hair, which she had since learned was but a hat. He'd taken her in, and now here she was. She's not left the ark that he'd brought her to yet, but she knew of the sun and the moon, seeing them from the top of the ark and playing in their light with the gleefulness only a puppy could own.

Kal was snuggled within a blanket, warm and watching Waka on the computer, until he closed all of the windows, leaving nothing but darkness seeming to hang in the air where the computer had been, simply the illusion left by the sudden disappearance of the bright lights. He got up and left, walking with perfect balance on his stilted shoes.

A crash. Thunder? Then a flash of brilliant white. Lightning. Kal quivered, shrinking further into her ball. She longed to run to Waka, as after all, he was her master. He could protect her, right? But due to her stubborn streak, she refused to show any weakness. She shouldn't have any, in her opinion, so she was determined to get over this fear.

Another bang. Another jump.

Waka, who'd not noticed this, was gathering his things, pulling Pillow Talk into its sheath and attaching it to his waist.

"Ma cherié, I must go to the coast line, there's been a couple of demon attacks there that I must investigate. I trust you'll be okay on your own?" he didn't turn to face her, his French accent coming strong through his words.

Kal uttered a small bark of confirmation, attempting to crawl from the comforting shadows in the corner of the room to mask her fear, but being pushed back with another bang. Thunder that shook her bones, lightning that blinded her. She flared her wings to look stronger. She'd not experienced this type of weather before, but had heard Waka describe it. It was completely different to the usual calm, sunny nature of Nippon. It was alien, and that scared her. She watched Waka's behaviour closely; as he didn't seem to be bothered by the sudden turn of the weather, and walked over to him as he crouched down to pat her head.

"Au revoir," he chirped, and pulled the door open. It flew open with the force of gales, as if blown from the brush of Amaterasu herself, slamming on its hinges. Kal saw the dark, turbulent clouds swirling in torment, and then the crack that symbolised the lightning to come. When it did, it illuminated Waka's figure in the doorway. This was the last straw – she couldn't be on her own in this storm. It was too scary, too strange. What if she became a victim of the lightning? Would it strike her, leaving nothing, or would the thunder shake her some much she broke into a million pieces like a dropped vase? He young brain was on overdrive, and her legs shuddering beneath her.

She barked as loud as her fear would allow, and leapt towards Waka lopsidedly, jumping to him and grabbing what she could with her teeth to get his attention, just as thunder ripped the air and lightning tore the sky,

"Ma cherié!" he yelped, twisting to see Kal. She had her jaws buried in one of the wings of his hat, and was hanging in mid-air, with round pupils and a quivering tail.

He smiled, recognised what it was she was afraid of. He shut the door, blocking out the noisy winds and the dark skies, returning them to the quiet, dimly lit ark.

"You do not like thunder, eh?" he asked, plying her from his winged hat, and holding her close. She shook her head. "Those demons can wait till morning, don't you think?"

He sat down on the chair, and held the tiny winged puppy in his lap, patting her slowly as she fell asleep, and feeling protected from the storm in her master's arms. They both slept, and by dawn the usual calmness had descended up Nippon again.

The lightning storm had once again descended upon Nippon, as it had countless times since that first. The light thrashed and the thunder cracked, but Kal was able to sit calmly and watch it. She'd used her stubbornness to overcome her fear.

Waka chuckled. He was sitting next to her on the rocky outcrop, watching the storm happen but not getting lashed by the rain, which was instead soaking the area a few hundred meters away. Kal turned to look at him, a questioning bark escaping her mouth.

"Do you remember when you used to be afraid of these storms?" he asked her, a cheeky grin on his face. She nodded; annoyed that he was teasing her about it.

"You were so small, and each time you heard a crack of thunder you came running to hide under my hat. I could never go out; you were always there with pleading eyes and a shaking tail. You used to be quite cute, ma cherié." He told her, mischief painted on his face. She growled playfully at him, not pleased with the teasing. She didn't like her weaknesses being pointed out.

He looked back to the vicious storm, a serious look this time.

"We've come a long way since then, eh?"