A/N ;; Welcome, readers, to my newest little project: All At Once!

So, since my one-year anniversary passed -eye twitch- three days ago, I had planned to post this story on that very day, thinking it would be a good idea, since I had been planning something like this since the beginning of the year. But FF... - You know, FF, I like you. You're one of my favorite websites. Really. But you really grate on me sometimes. - decided that it wouldn't let me log in, therefore delaying the posting of this story to today...

Anyway, there are a few obvious changes in this story. For one, Lika is not as old as she is in the game (granted, I don't know her exact age, but I'm sure I've made her younger here than the game), both Kai and Lika are the daughters of the village leader, Kemu (and no, he's not as old as he is in the game, either. Not nearly as old.), and I've changed most of the layout of Wep'keer, which isn't too apparent in this chapter, but it will become important for later.

And for anyone who follows my other on-going Okami story, this story is not related to Desterrado in the slightest. I'll say that right here and right now.

Disclaimer: PixelatedFirefly does not own any part of Okami, for if she did, she would not be writing fanfiction and instead would be working on different ways to spend the cash she would have from owning any part of said game.

All At Once
an Okami fanfiction

Chapter One: Yoshpet Forest

"Kaaaaai!"

Kai, eldest daughter of the village leader Kemu, paused in her footsteps at the sound of the shrill eager voice of her little sister. She sighed in exasperation, but anyone who might have heard that sigh would definitely say that it sounded more amused than impatient.

"Kai! Waaaait!"

A smile spread across the older girl's face. Kai turned to wait for her small companion to catch up, gazing back down the snowy slope at the odd little figure that hurried to catch up with her.

Her little sister, Lika, bounded up the hill – as much as a quadrupedal toddler can bound, anyway – her green leaf mask bumping along with her movements and her mop of short black hair shining in the midday sun as she breathlessly pounced up to Kai's side, wriggling in joy like the young puppy she still very nearly was. She tottered to her feet after her considerable dash, gripping the edge of Kai's peachy sleeve for support. Utterly delighted to have her older sister's undivided attention, the Oina child beamed up at the older girl with a wide baby-fanged grin, panting in between her attempts to smile.

"About time," Kai said, laughing lightly.

Lika giggled in response, smiling as if her sister had praised her. Without hesitation the little cub trotted happily after her big sister, hop-skipping every few steps to keep up.

Lika was still young enough that she was faster on four legs than two, which explained the increasingly ragged condition of her clothes and the dirt on her chubby hands. Trying to mimic her older sister's steady stride with her stubby little legs had the unfortunate effect of getting her left behind – though Kai never let her too far out of her sight – causing the toddler to use her intermittent quadrupedal sprints to catch up again.

What Kai had intended as a quiet stroll in the woods surrounding Wep'keer had become a wild adventure for Lika; she doubted the smaller girl had ever even been quite this far from the safe confines of her home. Lika certainly acted like she'd been offered a grand new territory to explore fully – not only did she have to catch up from her slower walking, but also from romping little side-trips to investigate interesting smells, laughing and yipping like a playful puppy set loose.

Slowing her stride a little as Lika tagged after her – mostly to avoid having to stop and wait so often, as well as she could keep an even closer eye on Lika – Kai once again held out her hand, waiting for the familiar feeling of smaller fingers clinging onto her own larger ones.

Kai sighed, taking in a deep breath of the fresh, vibrant forest air. Yes, it felt as though she belonged here, in the thick realms of the trees.

Her next thought brought a small smile to her lips; babysitting her little sister was not without its own share of... quirks. This certainly wasn't the first time she was with the little Oina child alone, but this was the first time she had brought her little sister outside the safety of Wep'keer, and she was quickly realizing what a job it was to keep track of the little rascal. She now understood why her father hadn't dared to take Lika anywhere near Yoshpet; it was inevitable he would somehow lose her in there, and if the legends of the forest held up, if you got lost in there once, you got lost in there forever.

At first, Lika had been content to be carted around in Kai's arms as the young girl went about her business – what little of it she had. However, no matter how much she loved her older sister, there was no way any toddler could sit still for an extended period – and soon the little bundle of energy was fidgeting and demanding to be let down to play.

Then it had proved equally hard to get anything of consequence done with a bored toddler chasing after her ankles. After what seemed like the hundredth pounce on the back of her knees and the thousandth pull on the end of her coat, Kai threw everything task she had wanted to accomplish that day to the wind and took the child outside the village. At least Lika would be distracted from her coat out there – and once outside, Lika immediately went forth to run through the snow, toddling, falling, then galloping wolf-like on all fours chasing some of the animals that lived around the town.

As far as Kai knew, Lika had rarely been outside Wep'keer, never mind being brought near Yoshpet. Closely guarded from within and outside Wep'keer, Lika's experiences with the outdoors were generally limited to gazing out into the wilderness as she moved about the town. Or the occasional walk with her father, with the village elder almost jealously guarding his second offspring, several of the loyal sentries in watchful attendance. Everyone knew that the Oina tribe had enemies outside the village – whispering and uncovered plots made it clear that Lika's life would certainly be in danger if she wandered too far from the watchful gaze of her protectors.

But at least being outside with plenty to explore kept Lika from swinging with Kai's clothes – as much as Kai loved her little sister, there were some things that Lika did that annoyed her greatly if done too much. Clothes-tugging was one of them, Kai concluded with a small sigh. With hopping insects to chase and birds to scare, Lika was kept well-entertained indeed. He wasn't sure if their father would approve of his precious daughter snacking on grasshoppers, but she herself was content to let Lika indulge in her true nature. Her father would definitely be angry if Lika ate birds, but Kai was certain that she wasn't skilled or fast enough to catch them yet, anyway.

She'd watched the cub's clumsy attempts at pouncing and coursing for a time, letting out another sigh of amusement. A good tracker Lika might be – it was in her blood, naturally – but the little wolf would need time, growth, and strength before she could hunt anything larger than mice.

Until Lika was old enough, Kai would have to content herself with simply watching over the wolf cub whenever she could. So when the grasshopper-chase had ended, Kai had announced that they were going to take a stroll through the forest. Off they went, leaving behind Wep'keep and its prying eyes and its politics and its gossip, venturing out into the woods that lay at the foot of the mountain. Safer territory, or more dangerous – depending on how you wanted to look at it.

There really were no real safe places for the child of a political figure in this world, save in the loving arms of her close family. Once she left those arms, she would be prey to many, humans and demons alike.

Kai frowned at that thought, especially when a particular group of snarling human faces popped first and foremost in her mind. Well, no matter their "power," none of them would be able to lay a hand on Lika – not them, or any of their allies. Besides, Kai was strong, as well as fast; one of the strongest in the village, if she said so herself. Very few could stand against her long in a fight, even amongst her own kind. No being, human or demon otherwise, would dare to attack Lika while Kai was with her.

As long as she kept a close eye on the cub, nothing would happen. She was actually well aware of her little sister's location and safety right at the moment. Lika was–

Where was she?

Kai blinked, a sudden jolt flashing through her as she whirled to face the path behind her.

The forest was quiet – there was no sign of Lika.

"Crap!"

The word fell from her lips before she could rein it in, startling herself with her own tone of voice; chagrin and self-reproach rapidly flooded her mind as she realized that she'd been far too absorbed in her own thoughts to keep track of the cub. This wasn't supposed to happen! This never happened!

Oh, Amaterasu above, if something happens to her–!

All the tracking abilities of a full-blooded Oina came into play as Kai quickly retraced her steps, searching for the place where Lika's scent separated from her own. It wasn't difficult; only a hundred meters back along the path, just inside the forest from the edge of the meadow they'd crossed, the smell of the younger Oina turned downhill from the trail, leading into the thicker brush.

All of her worry showing clearly on her face, Kai quickly changed into her wolf worm and bounded rapidly and silently through the thickets; hopefully her advanced speed would allow her to overtake the cub before anything drastic happened. She was so intent on her little sister's scent that she almost didn't notice the other odors wafting from the base of the hill – and her eyes narrowed dangerously when she caught them.

There were other demons here.

She'd been aware of the presence of several other demons in the vicinity, most of them not dangerous but common forest folk – but they were also aware of her and for the most part none had bothered to come near, choosing to avoid her location altogether.

But these demons were closer; her senses not registering them as any kind of animal, instead denizens of whatever shadowed valley Lika was foolishly heading towards. Their scents had probably caught the young Oina girl's attention and piqued her curiosity – and the child was too young and naïve to be wary of other demons.

And, Kai thought worriedly, too damn young to listen to her instincts!

Her nose told her she was close, and as the valley bottomed out she could smell the cub to her left. Angling towards the scent, she was startled when she leaped over a tangle of vines and almost tripped over the little Oina crouched on the forest floor near a log.

Kai lurched to a stop, not caring how awkward she was in doing it, and switched back to her human form. She couldn't help the deep breaths that forced their way up through her lungs as she stood over Lika, gazing down with equal parts of relief and anger.

"Kai!" Lika seemed surprised to see her, too, leaping up to cling to her knees.

"Why did you wander off like that?" Kai demanded, a bit more harshly than she intended. "Don't you know that it's dangerous in here?"

Lika's whole form deflated completely at the tone of her sister's voice, her posture going suddenly stricken and remorseful. "Sorry, Kai!" she cried, anxious to do anything that would appease her older sister's anger. Looking tail-tucked and eyes looking like they were welling with tears through her mask, the little cub clung to Kai's coat and whimpered sorrowfully. "Sorry...!"

At the sight of brimming tears, the older Oina's face softened. "I'm glad," she said, moderating her tone. She crouched down to Lika's level. "Lika, don't go wandering off on your own. What would I tell father if something ate you?"

Lika blinked, as if that notion had not occurred to her. "Ate me?"

"Yes..." Kai lowered her voice. "There are many things in this forest who would think that a little Oina is very tasty."

Lika's already-wide eyes went even wider. "Bad things!"

"That's right. So remember that – you should never leave my side." Kai glanced at the woods around them, eying the muddy pond-swamp at the bottom of the valley, before gazing back at the child. "Shall we go now? I suppose father should be done with his meeting fairly soon."

"Papa!" Lika's eyes lit up at the mention of their father. She bounced, then changed her grip to the end of her sister's coat as Kai turned to lead her out of the valley.

"Why did you wander off in the first place?" Kai asked curiously, mostly to appease her own wonder, not really expecting Lika to know how to answer her.

"Funny smells," the cub replied, surprising her. "Wanna see."

"Really..."

"Icky mud," Lika continued solemnly. "Yucky water. An' smells–"

The child's voice cut off at the same time there was a sharp yank at her coat – sharp enough to almost stop her in her tracks, but before Kai could turn about and tell the cub once again to stop pulling, something set up such a howling, screeching racket that her indignation was quickly forgotten.

As she whirled, Kai caught a glimpse of Lika clinging tightly to the end of her coat, tiny fangs exposed in an open-mouthed cry of surprise and fear – and a glimpse of something brown and slimy wrapped around the midsection of the child – before the terrified little face of her little sister was whisked out of her view, the panicked grip taking a handful of little hairs from her coat as they were forcibly pulled apart.

"Lika!" Plainly shocked beyond belief that anything would so brazenly attack the cub in her very presence, Kai quickly leaped after the stolen child. Whatever-it-was had a grip on the small Oina girl and was dragging her kicking and screaming towards the swampy, insect-infested pond in the center of the small snowy valley – some kind of brown, algae-coated tentacle, with many of its fellows writhing up from the water, just waiting.

How dare some sorry piece of a demon snatch my sister from beneath my nose!

Fury suddenly flooded her mind, lighting her eyes on fire. In a flash, she was once again back in her wolf form, outracing the withdrawing tentacle, razor-sharp claws flashing down to sever the limb in one clean hit.

Writhing like a chopped worm, the severed half of the tentacle released Lika. Kai snatched her up and prepared to get them both clear of whatever lurked in the swamp – but something cold wrapped around her leg and pulled; caught mid-leap, she was spilled unexpectedly into the mud, face-first. She was forced toss Lika away from herself or risk crushing the cub as she crashed to the earth, even more angered than before.

Not only did the muddy pond bastard think it could steal her little sister away from her – it also thought it was strong enough to take her on!

Either it was a lot tougher than it looked... or a lot more stupid.

The tentacle on her leg was joined by another above her waist and a third around her throat, intent on dragging her into the swamp. A snarl broke out from her throat – the first since the battle began – as she brought her talons into play once more, slashing herself free of the grip on her neck, digging in with her paws to keep from being pulled into the murky waters. Even as powerful as she was, if this thing managed to get lucky and dragged her into its domain, even she would be drowned and eaten.

"Kaaai!"

The cry made her glance up, spotting Lika dodging the set of tentacles that were after her. Startlingly agile considering how childishly clumsy she usually seemed, the cub leaped and rolled into the cover of a nearby log, terrified, but reluctant to leave her sister behind.

"Lika, go! Follow the trail!" Another tentacle was brutally slashed through, and another, but the thing seemed to have an endless supply and Kai was distracted. "Run!"

"Kai...!" Hesitating with a whimper, the little Oina girl turned and darted away from the swamp, obeying Kai's command – but before she could take a mere three strides, another tentacle snatched the poor cub by the waist, eliciting a shrieking yelp, and began pulling her towards the water's edge again. "Kai!"

With another wordless snarl, Kai ripped the tentacles away from herself and leaped clear of the mud, heading in Lika's direction. More tentacles shot from the swamp to stop her, but in a whirl of shattering claws she slashed them to ribbons. "Keep your filthy limbs off me!"

A high-pitched snarl made him whip around – and to Kai's immense surprise, little Lika had turned about and set her tiny baby-claws into the slimy tentacle that held her prisoner.

Finally, her natural instincts had kicked in, pushing aside whatever feelings she had held back before; terrified but determined, the cub savaged the thick limb and tore at it with her claws. The Oina child had the spirit to fight, but her claws were sharp but too short, too soft, and her tiny child hands weren't strong enough to force them through the rubbery flesh of her enemy.

But in less than a moment, Kai was there, long talons ripping through the tentacle in a single swipe, her other paw moving aside the child. She picked up the struggling child and held her close as she darted away from the enraged thing's other attacking limbs.

The little Oina child was still battling, eyes bright and wild under her mask as she fought her older sister's grip as if it were another tentacle; both were covered in the mud of the swamp, and in the heat of the moment Kai's scent was hidden under the stench of the swamp-beast's slime. The same tiny claws managed to sink into Kai's left forepaw – but she didn't even wince, intent on dodging aside of the grasping tentacles. Lika caught her sister's blood-scent and drew back her hand immediately, the wild terror vanishing from her eyes. "Kai...?"

"Hold on tight," Kai commanded, ignoring the sting of the tiny bite. Her free paw slashed through the whirling limbs that were still attacking her as she alternately plowed through most of them and leaped over the swamp-slime and water, heading for the center of the pond.

She summoned all her power into her attack, bringing forth all her protective feelings for her sister and focused them into one slash. Her deadly talons struck down into the middle of the pond, sinking her in up to her shoulders as she released the attack.

The tentacles writhed in sudden agony. Kai withdrew from the water just in time; the mud erupted, the owner of the tentacles coming up from the swamp-water to gasp for breath. It was a positively ugly thing, somewhere between an octopus and a slug – but Kai cared little for the thing's appearance and moved to attack one last time.

The swamp-monster's skin was already blistered, evidence of hers and well as others' attacks, and it still writhed in pain from her last attack. Kai's swift retribution was almost a mercy, a single massive strike slicing it into five pieces that fell lifelessly into the swamp. The wolf leaped clear of the poisoned swamp, carrying Lika to safety, landing in the harmless mud several meters away.

In the silence that followed, Kai stood motionless in the knee-deep slime, holding Lika close; the little cub was trembling and both of them were coated with cold swamp-slime. Kai faded back into her human form again as she then looked down at the cub in her arms, ensuring that she wasn't at all harmed.

"Kai..." Lika quavered into her coat, still holding on tight as she'd been told to, her face buried in her sister's chest. "Kai..."

"We're safe now," Kai said softly. "It's dead."

"All gone?" Hesitantly, Lika poked her head out.

"All gone," Kai affirmed. "Something like that didn't have a chance with me."

"Kai..." Lika said her name again, staring wide-eyed at the pieces of the monster that had attacked her. "Yucky! Not gonna eat me!"

"It definitely won't," Kai agreed, leaping clear of the swamp-mud in one bound. She looked down at the child in her arms, taking in the blood on the tiny hands – some of it her own.

Kai couldn't help but smile in amusement. "Let's go home," she said, with a slight look of distaste at the mud on her body. "Father will be looking for you soon, no doubt." And he's seriously going to be angry if he knows that I put Lika in this situation.

"Home... Papa..." the little cub murmured, looking pensive. The child was probably wearied from the battle – obviously, since something like this had never happened to her before. With a small frown, Kai wondered if having this kind of experience at such a young age would scar Lika's mind... or if she was strong enough to overcome this fright.

"Home... and a bath," the older Oina girl agreed, wrinkling her nose under her mask at the stench of pond-scum that clung to both of them. "Before anyone sees us..." she added, almost as an afterthought, leaping into motion and bounding back up the hill. They would be back to Wep'keer quickly, and then it would be up to Kai herself to get them through the town and back to her own home without notice. Then she would take the cub back to her father's home, where she rightfully belonged.

She growled at herself in disgust. Why am I so worried about someone finding out about this? It's not as if no one has ever been attacked by a mud-monster before...

Because I know father will have my hide for this, she answered himself, almost ruefully. Lika is my responsibility, and I almost let her be eaten... But at least I actually prevented it from happening...

Somewhere deep inside, in a place she was refusing to acknowledge at the moment, she prayed that this tragic attack would never reach the ears of her father. If so, then he might not allow her to see Lika again...

Dispelling that thought from her mind, Kai swiftly made her way towards Wep'keer.

A/N ;; Interesting? Care to read further? Leave your opinion in a review!