Yo, fellow Okami lovers. So, this story is a rewrite of a rewrite of a rewrite, (not really, but it feels like it) and I posted this once before, but now it's back and better than ever! So like a ton of this is already writer (considering I wrote it in like 2010) so you can expect sort of frequent updates. Enjoy!
Rio bent over the muddy garden as she yanked weeds from the dirt. The rain the night before had loosened the soil, so Rio took advantage of her neighbors' unkempt yards. A bead of sweat slid down her nose as she jerked the crabgrass out of the muck. She stood erect and, turning to the house behind her, called to its resident.
"I'm finished, Ms. Fuseya! I'll leave the weed basket out here!" Rio brushed the dried, chalky mud off of her left sandal.
"Thanks dear! Come collect your pay tomorrow!" Ms. Fuseya replied hoarsely from within her home, peering out of the window. Rio waved goodbye and strode silently out of the old lady's garden. She wouldn't encounter any other people on the other side of the hill, as Mrs. Fuseya's
Rio was a sixteen-year-old girl with a very unique appearance. As she walked, a breeze blew through her hip-length, unruly white hair, flicking her wispy bangs to the side. Her warm skin and ruddy, flushed cheeks brought out her fiery red eyes.
She sighed as she inspected her current state. Her sandals and kimono were covered in dirt and her feet were sprinkled in weed clippings. Her kimono was about six inches more fabric than needed for her scrawny, boney body. The money earned from clearing out neighbors yards and doing odd jobs around Shinshu Field wasn't nearly enough to sustain a healthy lifestyle, and rent alone for her little hut took up 70% of the profits. Her diet consisted of the rotting fruits and vegetables she could afford from that crooked merchant and the fish she managed to catch in Lake Harami, which were few and far between.
Rio dragged her feet through the grass, exhausted from a long day hunched over the old woman's garden. She let out a tired breath and mindlessly followed her usual route, her back aching as she forced herself forward, desperate for rest. She made it to the top of the hill with some effort and regained her strength, taking in the view. The setting sun's rays shone through the cloudy sky, warming Rio's skin in that familiar, safe glow. With newfound energy, she descended the hill. She passed the wilted cherry blossom trees, branches bare in the cold grip of winter.
Rio finally reached her abode and scrabbled to get inside, the air growing chillier by the second. She stepped inside and slammed the door, the original owner's sign reading "Tama's House" rattled behind her. Her home was simple; a cot set in the back corner, a bureau pushed into the wall, a hearth sitting commandingly in the middle of the room, wallpaper peeling off the walls. She leaned against the door, arms crossed over her stomach, and let out a whimper, her belly aching for food. She made her way over to the hearth and struck a match, tossing it into the dry wood stacked inside. A few wisps of smoke rose and Rio began to relax as the heat filled the room. It eased her sore back and she sank to the floor, her hands hovering over the fire. Once she was comfortable, Rio slid out a hand-woven wicker basket, and when she lifted off the lid the smell of smoke was overrun by the pungency of old fish. She speared one with a fire-poker and pulled it out of the basket, holding her nose while she set it over the fire. She covered the creel and tried to waft away the smell.
Soon, the fish began to sizzle and pop and Rio pulled it off of the heat, bringing the meat close to her lips.
"You really gonna eat that nasty ol' fish?" Rio's dinner clattered to the floor as she jumped to her feet, searching the room frantically for the intruder. The room was empty, the only sound was the crackling fire.
"Hello?" Rio called quietly, leaning over cautiously to pick up the spear, holding it as a weapon. Maybe the trespasser would run away from the offensive smelling fish stuck on the end of it.
"Can't you see me?" The shrill voice turned harsh. "What're you, blind?" A dark red dot flew off of Rio's run-down bed and repeatedly leapt up and down. "Don't be condescending, babe. I know you can see me!"
"W-what are you?" Rio asked in disbelief.
"I'm a Poncle! Jeez Louise. Don't you ever get outside, kid?" He yelled. Rio grew irritated.
"It's not babe, or kid, it's Rio. And even if I had heard of you pompoms before now I doubt I would have noticed you." She hissed. "What are you doing in my house?"
"How dare you talk to me that way! Why I oughta–" A loud rapping sounded at the door, cutting off the tiny man's empty threat. Rio was surprised. This Poncle was more company than she'd had in months, and quite frankly she didn't welcome any more.
"Hold that thought." She ordered him patronizingly, putting up an index finger to silence him. She set down her makeshift weapon on the hearth's edge and let out a tired, heavy breath. She turned away from the Poncle and grasped the rusty doorknob, wary of any more strangers. She pulled the door open a few inches and peered out. Standing on the other side was a boy Rio assumed to be not much older than herself. Rio was shocked to see he shared her marble white hair, styled up into a messy quiff. He had eery electric yellow eyes that seemed to bore through her. He was dressed oddly, black formal attire. Rio frowned and crinkled her nose, confused. Was this some sort of joke? The boy flashed a sly smile, and clasped his sculpted hands together.
"Hey there sweetie, excuse me for a second." He spoke abruptly, his voice soft and sweet, lightly pushing Rio out of his way and entering her home.
"But–" Rio tried, her vermillion eyes growing wide. The boy ignored her.
"Issun, you said you were going to take a look around, not stay for dinner." He scolded.
"Not much for dinner here, anyway..." The little man, Issun, grumbled condescendingly.
"Hey–" Rio attempted.
"We've gotta go pretty soon, I left Suki alone with that friend of yours." The boy informed him boredly, stooping down to offer his hand to Issun, who sprang in accordingly.
"Oh, Sora, this is Rio. Rio, Sora." The Poncle introduced. Rio found an opening to speak.
"What?" She cried out in astonishment. "Who are both of you? Why are you in my house?" The boy, Sora, shot an accusing look at the tiny man.
"You mean you didn't tell her?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Do you realize how idiotic we look now?" Sora rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand. "Rio, was it?" Rio snorted at his aloofness, which he ignored. "We're here to collect you. You belong to a species of advanced beings, Brush Gods, who harness certain powers in order to serve the Gods." He prattled on, clearly having prepared the speech beforehand.
"You've got to be kidding." Rio ground her teeth together, clearly pushed past her limit, with her exhaustion returning rapidly. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't have the time or the energy to deal with it." She grabbed the door handle angrily and flung it open. A cold gust of wind made the two guests shudder, but Rio stood stoic. "Please leave."
"It's no game. You're not human." Sora stated blandly, ignoring Rio's obvious discomfort. "You have to come with us, otherwise you'll be taken by demons, or worse, killed." Rio clenched her teeth. "Haven't you ever wondered who your parents were?"
"No! I have a dad and my mom died when I was four!" Rio shouted. Sora furrowed his brow, looking at Issun in confusion.
"Then you were adopted? Whatever, it doesn't matter right now. Your white hair and red eyes tell us everything we need to know."
"You're going based off of my appearance?" Rio scoffed, slamming the door once again.
"Gods and Goddesses give off a certain aura that Celestial Envoys," he motioned to Issun, "can sense."
"Do you even hear what you're saying? Gods and Goddesses, Celestial Envoys? I don't even believe in the Gods!" She confessed wildly. Issun broke his silence.
"How can you not believe in the Gods!? Didn't you hear how Amaterasu saved all of Nippon nineteen years ago?" He yelled, his glow darkening from a lively green to a bloody red.
"I heard that Susano from Kamiki Village stopped that dragon, are you telling me that he's the Sun God?" She asked flatly. Issun quieted his voice.
"Damn Ammy, letting that pig-headed fraud have all the credit..." He drifted off. Sora took over once again.
"We have to leave soon. Pretty soon this place'll be swarming with demons." He commented.
"Wait, what?" Rio asked.
"Issun's not the only one who can sense auras. Demons can as well, and since we're here, eventually, they'll be here too." Rio rolled her eyes.
"Then if I'm some magical being like you, why haven't there been any demons here before?"
"Because you haven't realized your powers yet." He frowned. "Come or don't come, we can't stay any longer." Issun leapt up onto Sora's broad shoulders. Rio moved out of his way wordlessly. As Sora faced the door, he turned, and out of the corner of his eye, he spoke to Rio in a tired voice. "We'll be staying in Agata Forest for two days. If you change your mind, come find us." Rio nodded and the two strangers exited inaudibly. She locked the door behind them and stood motionlessly for a moment.
They seemed pretty serious. She thought. The fire had long since been extinguished, and her dinner had fallen cold. What a waste of a perfectly good fish. She sighed and padded over to her bed, collapsing into it, and blew out the flickering candle on her nightstand. The room was pitch black, and Rio finally found the peaceful grip of sleep. Moments later, she was torn from it. A rumbling occurred outside. She drew herself out of the comfort and lazily sat up. Are those two creeps still lingering outside? She brought herself up to her knees on the bed and faced the window. She mentally scolded herself for being so frightened; there was nothing.
Suddenly, Rio flew back from her bed and onto the floor. Deep, solid red eyes had suddenly appeared right before her. Rio's heart was beating rapidly, and she scrambled to her feet. When she looked again, they were gone. She tried to calm herself, but she realized that she was too weak to defend herself; the only way she would be safe would be with those two. There was more commotion outside and Rio clambered to grab her essentials. How long will I go for? She wondered as she snatched a large homemade bag from under her bed. She sprinted to her dresser and ripped the top drawer open, and into the satchel she shoved anything she could reach. Once the sack was full she bolted. Rio had never been so terrified. Not just because of those red lifeless eyes, but because those two fools may have actually been right.
After she left her home and sprinted toward the ferry port, Rio took a final fleeting look at her shabby little shack. The last owner had left it in such a disarray you could hardly call it a house, but somehow, she had made it a home. She had lived there two years, only a child when she stumbled into Shinshu field, and survived simply by the skin of her teeth. Rio darted up the giant staircase from her house and ignored the searing pain in her rawboned thighs when she reached the top. In the distance, she spotted Sora walking casually, with a little green light sitting atop his head. She jogged over and eventually caught them.
"Hey," Rio mumbled, out of breath, "wait up." Sora smiled as Rio matched his pace.
"What made you change your mind?" He asked.
"I haven't completely changed it yet," she imparted with a small smile, and slung her bag over her shoulder, "but we'll see."
Woohoo! First chapter. I'm turning this into a comic soon when my art skills are where I want them to be, so maybe… I don't know, get ready for that? Might take like 6-15 years to get there, but someday! So review, and message me any questions you might have about the story. Thanks!
~ChattyCat