Hello, readers! I would like to thank my reviewers so much for leaving their thoughts on my story. These people are as follows: Triforcekitty, StormofRoses, NeonGreenSheep, LoverofWhiteWolves, and Jao Jao. Much appreciated! And, since I forgot to do it in my other story and Chapter 1, the disclosure!

I do not own Okami, or its' characters. Or the Shinto myth, which I slightly tweaked for my story. I own some minor characters, but if you want to steal their names, it's fine by me.

P.S. Does anybody know who owns the Shinto myth? Tell me!

Amaterasu had quietly accepted her fate as goddess of the sun. Her father had performed an act of which Amaterasu could not explain, and thus, the training began. The grueling, intense training. Sweat dripped down Amaterasu's nose, and a wheeze escaped her throat. How could she go on? Her muscles ached from being pushed so hard, and she felt as if her heart was going to pop from pumping great amounts blood. Maybe it would, and that would put her out of her misery.

"Again." Izanagi simply ordered. Amaterasu sucked in as much air as she could manage, and repeated the moves that her father had engraved into her brain.

Jump, air spin while kicking right leg, land, punch with right hand. She reminded herself. Or was it punch, then jump? No… no, it was spin, then jump… no, no, no! Ugh, Dad's gonna kill me for forgetting this again. Finally, the goddess remembered the formation. Jump, spin, kick, punch. She repeated it again and again in her thoughts and tried once more. Her father was impressed.

"Well done, Amaterasu. Though I regret to inform you that this technique will not aid you in your fight against demons."

"Demons?"

"These moves will barely damage an average human, but you must start at the bottom to rise, yes?"

"Human?""You have a lot to learn, Amaterasu…"

"Then start at the beginning! I am so sick of having to wonder what's going on, and who these people are, and what I'm capable of! Did you ever even consider that I might have wanted to be something other than a savior to people I've never heard of?" It was amazing how she could keep such a plain expression while baring these unbridled feelings. Her father laughed heartily at her sudden burst of irritation and impatience.

"The beginning, eh? Let me see…"

The universe came into existence from a jumble of matter. Eventually, the mass separated to form the heavens, and the earth. From a seed of the earth, the deities were born. Gods and goddesses that represented all things good and bad, and also, the god and goddess of creation. These two were considered the "first humans." They made the land, and also created many new gods. But still, they were lonely. After nine exciting months, a beautiful baby girl was born. But this blessing did not come without a price. The goddess of creation could not handle the taxing act of giving birth, and became very sick. The strong-willed queen pushed herself through the worst bout of the sickness for her child, and, from her cot, watched the little girl grow up. In the dawn of the girl's fifth birthday, the queen of the heavens whispered into her servant's ear.

"Find the vessel." The queen was as sane as ever, and the selfish servant knew that this vessel must have been worth a fortune to the royal family. The queen passed in his presence, and without telling the king, sought out this vessel. The greedy servant searched high and low, to no avail. On his deathbed, he told his wife and young son of the object. The son, being a little boy, could not keep this secret for long. The news of the queen's words spread like wildfire. For generations, men, women, and children all searched for the vessel. Was it gold? Silver? Eternal life? A royal heirloom? Would anyone ever discover it? The great king sent out many men, but still, no vessel. After decades, the fabled object was merely a memory. A legend. Few still had faith that the queen knew what she was talking about. But the king knew his wife, and he just had to find the vessel.

"Did the king ever find the vessel, Father?" Amaterasu asked. Sullenly, her father shook his head.

"No, my darling, but the vessel is out there somewhere, and the king is still looking."

Amaterasu had refused her supper and retired to her room for the rest of the night. The tale of the vessel and the queen had put a damper on her mood. She wasn't sad for the queen, but how many people had wasted their lives searching for what could never be found. She lay in her bed with her silk nightgown and listened to the noises of the dining hall. Suddenly, Amaterasu lurched forward. She had been startled by a commotion from beneath her. Amaterasu threw on her slippers and followed the noises. She anticipated it was Sudai and his frail frame, dropping priceless dishes yet again. Amaterasu was surprised that the usually bustling dining hall was eerily quiet, and empty. A cold meal rested on the table, untouched, and a few of the chairs were flipped over, as if someone had stood too abruptly. Amaterasu leapt over the seats and raced out the door. She spotted footprints in the grass and realized that they were headed towards the Kusanami Field, which was just plain grass spread around for a few hundred yards. Amaterasu didn't like the creepy silence it had always held, and mostly avoided it. Amaterasu slowly stopped as she approached her destination. She could make her father out of the fearful crowd that surrounded a monstrous object unlike Amaterasu had ever seen. It was jet black with designs embroidering the middle that glowed and electric blue. She didn't understand these hieroglyphics, but the goddess understood one thing. This massive ship was not welcome in her home.

Oh no! What could it be? I don't think Ammy likes it... I'm surprised I didn't procrastinate on this chapter as much as I do on my other stories... Oh well, that's good, right? Anywho, five reviews equals new chapter, so review, please! Also, check out my profile to find a link to my DeviantArt page, because I recently did a lot of new drawings. :)

~ChattyCat