Oh, and so you'll know where we left, I'll put a little recap thing at the beginning, okay? (Told you I don't leave things hanging. XD) This will be finished…someday. I'm focusing all my attention on my other Okami fic, then Blood Song, and then I'll work on this. Please note that the symbol/letter at the end of the chapter title is a Roman numeral; I'll be using those instead of typing 'part one' and whatnot. (I believe in making things look neat, hence my often profile revamps.)

Enjoy.

Golden Rays

Chapter One: Descendant of Nagi I

Ammy's ears perked up when she spotted a chest in front of her. Racing forward and headbutting it, a bag of seeds popped out. "Why, you little devil! Look at this sweet grub you found! Hey, wait... this is animal food! Still, we could save it to give to animals. Let's use it when we try to approach animals later. Something good might come out of using it the right way!" he explained happily. "I know gods aren't supposed to use creatures in this manner, but what the heck! Let's make an exception this time." Issun grinned.

Ammy turned around to face the Sacred Deck, and with a short burst of speed, she ran and jumped off of the side of it. She landed on the ground on all four paws and found herself standing next to Mr. Orange, who was laying on the ground and moaning loudly. "Ah…" he groaned, his face in the dirt and the rest of his body up in the air. "Great Shiranui... Oh no..." he moaned even louder. Ammy rolled her eyes and turned around to see the statue of the man with the flute now alive and playing a nameless tune.

She padded up cautiously to the man and looked at him. Recoiling in surprise, the man jumped. "Ah... I feel it; I sense it. Foul beasts dwell within this place! Concentrate. Look hard. You see, right behind you now..." he murmured lowly. As he said that, another red ring formed around Ammy, and three green imps popped out. Growling, Ammy whipped around to face them. She leaped at one imp and swung out at him with her weapon and slashed at him with her fangs. The imps behind her both lunged at her with outstretched arms and hit her across the flank.

She spun around on one of her hindlegs angrily and cleaved both of them in two with a single swing of her weapon. The imp behind her was lying in the dirt, partially consumed by the dust. Drawing a straight line across it, it was easily dispatched and fell in two pieces. The ring quickly disappeared, and Ammy walked back up to the flute-player, who was named Komuso. "Humans are not witness to such battles, but I saw it! The fighting went on for exactly seven seconds! Hmm... you fight well," he said lowly, dropping his arms to his side. "I have chosen the path of Buddha, but in you I sense another power, and I see the path you have chosen is also the path of truth." Komuso raised his instrument back up and went back to playing, the harmonious melody filling the clearing.

Ammy made a wide arc to turn around and went back down the trail that led to the village. She passed through the large red wooden structure and skidded to a short halt next to a woman in the middle of the turnip field. A few tawny brown-feathered sparrows took flight as the goddess stopped, wagging her tail. "I've had just about enough of this!" the woman yelled angrily, a bucket full of water on her head swaying with her movements. "I don't know if it's stray dogs or monsters or what, but some keeps messin' up my crops! Going around diggin' holes…it makes me mad!" she added, fuming and clenching her fists. "If I catch you diggin' around here, you'll get a good thumpin'!"

Ammy rolled her eyes and locked her eyes onto a small boy running around a few yards away from the turnip farm, a small brown striped dog barking and nipping at his heels. He held on tightly to a small string with a dragonfly tied to it, smiling and teasing his dog. "Hm? A white wolf? Now that's just plain weird," he muttered, eyeing Ammy curiously. "Sure looks like a weak little bugger…" Ammy's facial expression turned flat. "Think you could beat my dog, Hayabusa? Well, listen to this…"

Ammy looked to her left to see a medium-sized brown dog sitting on its haunches with a bored expression. The dog had dark brown eyes and wore a bandana-like cloth around its neck. Aside from having a brown pelt, it also had darker stripes criss-crossing its back. "…there's this field my momma tends to, you…" he continued on. "Well, Hayabusa managed to dig up nine turnips in a row!" Happily, the little boy started bouncing up and down on the ground, raising his arms in the air. Continuing, he stopped jumping and said, "…even though my mama was chasing him around trying to slug him!"

"There are actually ten turnips in that field." The kid—Mushi—allowed his joyous expression to fall to the ground. "Hayabusa is fixin' to get all ten!" Ammy walked away from Mushi as the little kid left, proudly marching along with his dragonfly held high up in the air. Stopping, she turned back around and raced over to him. "Think you can dig up all the turnips in my mama's field?" he asked curiously and crossed his arms. "Don't forget," he said, "you'll have to avoid being slugged by my mama. I'll admit you're the better canine if you can do it."

"Ack; she's gonna try and slug us?" Issun asked with wide eyes. "Not exactly my idea of a good time, Ammy," he added and sat back down between the white wolf's ears. "At least you have your Celestial Brush and wicked brushstroke!" he called out cheerfully.

Ammy furrowed her brows together and turned around, facing the turnip field and Mushi's mother. She was standing amidst her turnips, watching over them like a watchdog with a feral look spread across her face and the eyes of a hunter surveying the area. Ammy kept her eyes fixated on the woman and gingerly stepped onto the turnip field, watching the Turnip Guardian warily.

As soon as the woman looked away, Ammy quickly darted one way for a turnip.

Her claws sunk into the ground and moved backwards and then she swung them back forward again. The ground tore up all around, dirt and grime flying in all directions and sending a shower of soil in all directions. Her paws left deep gashes of four claw marks in the ground and her tongue lolled out of her mouth happily. As she neared the root of the turnip and pulled it out happily and started to prance away, that's when she heard a shriek.

Mushi's mom let out a long, shrill, strident squeal and started to run at Ammy. Growling, Ammy raised her tail and drew a straight line of ink across her stomach, and with a shink, the woman fell back on her rear with a surprised look across her face. Ammy hurriedly raced over to another turnip and started to tear away at the ground, and in no time, was rewarded with another turnip.

Ammy kept scampering around the turnip field nimbly, dodging the punches Mushi's mother would throw at her with ease. Giving the older woman another slash, she quickly darted forward after her eighth turnip. Her claws once again made deep incisions in the ground and struck the root of the turnip. Bending forward, she clamped her fangs around the wide part of the turnip and pulled back on it. As it slid out of the ground with a loud 'wet' sound, Ammy quickly looked behind her. Mushi's mom raised up her fist, balled it up tightly, and brought it crashing down.

The wolf goddess quickly ran between her feet, dropping low to the ground and coming out on the other side. She happily coated the woman in a large clot of ink, leaving the Turnip Guardian confused and covered in black ink. After Ammy had retrieved her ninth turnip, she whipped around to see the tenth one…and it was being heavily guarded by Mushi's mom. The stark white wolf glared down the woman with narrowed blue eyes, her fur sticking up. As the sun beat down upon her back, a small line of sweat rolled down her nose and landed in the dust.

Issun murmured a few words of encouragement in her ear, urging her forward. The wolf raced forward, her speed matching that of the wind. She did a nimble flip over the woman's head, and as Mushi's mom looked up, she was blinded by the golden rays of the sun. Ammy darted between her legs as she made contact with the ground and quickly ripped the turnip out of the ground, not even taking the time to properly dig it up.

Although this turnip was different.

Instead of being a pale white color, this one was a bright red-pink color and had long, floppy, green leaves and had jagged edges and odd pieces of the vegetable stuck out at different angles. Ammy and Issun didn't have long to contemplate it, though. Issun yelled something in her ear as she held up the turnip happily…and that was when she saw Mushi's mom coming after them angrily. Faster than lightning, Ammy darted off the turnip field, leaving the woman in the dust.

Mushi's mother let her arms drop to her sides and walked back to her 'post' in the middle of the field, angrily cursing at Ammy. The white wolf rolled her eyes and pranced over happily to Mushi and dropped the turnip at his feet, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Hey! That's…that's…" Mushi couldn't find the correct words as he stared at the turnip at his feet. Hayabusa, his dog, walked around behind him, barking. "The oddly-shaped turnip Hayabusa and I've been looking for!" he exclaimed. "That means…" He took a large gulp. "…You've broken Hayabusa's record by digging up all ten turnips!" Anger radiated off of Mushi, disbelief and shock mixed in. "Gosh darn it!" he yelled angrily and start jumping up in the air. "…Fine. You're the better canine…" Pausing, he added, "Anyway, it actually feels good to have a new goal to aim for."

Ammy had a wolfish smile across her muzzle and flicked her ears. Turning around, she scanned the area known as Kamiki Village. An old woman washing clothes in the river singing and humming to herself, loud snores coming from a shack across the stream, and a lone woman kneeling down in a rice field next to the watermill. Ammy's ears pricked forward and she ran forward, tail wagging happily back and forth.

Ammy trotted forward and moved in between the woman's hands, looking up into her dark brown eyes. "Well, what a fine looking wolf!" the woman said, petting Ammy between the ears. "What's your name?" she asked. "Mine's Kushi; it's a pleasure to meet you." Standing back, Kushi put her hands on her hips. Her red kimono was stained with green and brown dirt, and the ends of it were dripping with water. The long sleeves that trailed all the way down her arm were folded back, revealing her soaked hands.

"Working in the fields again, are ya?" Issun said, grinning and folding his arms.

"Issun!" Kushi exclaimed and jumped back a little, shocked. "Are you and the wolf together?" she asked, pointing at Ammy. Before Issun could say anything, Kushi pointed to the field they stood in. "This is where I grow the rice for making my sake, you know," she explained with a soft sigh. "…But I have to manage the harvest all on my own. It's hard work." Dropping her arms to her sides, she looked at the wolf dejectedly. "Maybe I should have Susano give me a hand this year…" Kushi started to bend down when she immediately shot up again. "Oh, listen to me blabbering on! I just can't help chatting to you!"

"Why, Ammy, I think you found a friend here!" Issun whispered before Ammy could leave the rice pond. "You'll meet many people who want to talk to you like this. You should talk to them two—or even three—times." Issun paused. "Being a god and all, you can actually tell when to talk. They may just be muttering to themselves, but it pays to listen!"

Kushi bent down to the ground and started to pet Ammy, carefully stroking the top of her head softly. "Susano's a neighbor of mine. He's a little unusual, but…he goes around with a huge sword slung over his shoulder. He's always practicing with it. They say he's a direct descendant of our legendary hero, Nagi." Kushi let out a long, soft sigh and let her arms drop to her sides. "And he loves his sake, too… He often pops around here to buy it." Kushi started to turn around and go back to tending her field when she turned around once more. In a polite tone, she said, "Make sure to say hello when you see Susano. He could use a friend, I should think. He's always on his own." With a warm and welcoming smile, Kushi turned around and bent down.

Issun scratched Ammy's right ear as she turned around and he leaned up against it, sighing softly and inhaling the sweet aroma that hung around Kamiki Village. The smell of light cherry blossom flowers drifted on the breeze and delighted those who smelled it. Ammy shook her head and her body, flinging droplets of water everywhere.

The white goddess surveyed the area like a hawk, her eyes scanning the village for any signs of a person in distress. She looked across the village, and on the other side, bending down towards the river, an old lady with dull gray-white hair washed her clothes, humming and singing to herself. Although the express that was easily forced that shown on her face, Ammy and Issun easily realized the woman was irritated.

Padding up to her slowly and dropping her head down to the ground, Ammy walked up behind the woman and sniffed her. An aroma of cherry and citrus surrounded her, irritating the goddess' senses. Ammy's cold black nose pressed up against her neck, and with a start, the woman jumped around in shock.

Age was evident across her soft and kind face, and the wrinkles that dashed across her body signaled old age. Calming down, the woman raised one hand and softly stroked the wolf. "A white wolf! Now that's a rare sight…" she murmured. "Did you come down from the mountains just to play with us?" she asked, ruffling the fur between her ears. "Well, you'd better be careful, dear. Lately some monsters have been attacking the villagers…" she sighed.

"Do you even know who you're talking to, gramma!?" Issun shrieked and started bouncing again. "This here is Shiranui reborn!" he proclaimed loudly with a proud smile. "The wolf and I have it covered; those monsters are history!"

"Well if it isn't Issun," the woman replied calmly. "And riding a wolf, are we?" The woman's name was Mrs. Orange, and as she slowly stood up from her position next to the river, a small band of sweat trailed down her nose and fell to the ground, landing in the dust. "This one certainly resembles Shiranui… Especially the nose…" Squinting from the bright rays of the sun, Mrs. Orange peered closer at Ammy's face, scrunching up her nose and stifling a short chuckle. "Hmm… Well, I'd better get back to my work…" she grumbled irritably and turned around.

Her water-soaked hands delicately moved the clothes in and out the washboard, cold and icy river water rushing over it in a rocking motion. Sweat coated her neck in a thin layer of clear salty water, staining her violet-colored kimono a darker shade of purple. Ammy pushed her nose into the woman's side to get her attention and wagged her tail.

"Here to listen to the ramblings of an old woman are you?" Mrs. Orange asked, standing up straight and cracking her back. Pointing to the clothes she was washing, she said, "Well, I was doing the laundry…" She walked over a few feet and pointed to two long sticks that stuck out of the ground vertically with forked ends. "—but when it was ready to dry, I noticed my drying pole was gone." She pointed to the empty space between both sticks. "Oh, whatever shall I do?" She turned around started muttering things like 'where did that darn pole go?' and 'how could something important like that just disappear?' and whatnot.

Issun leaned in closer to Ammy's ear and whispered, "Hmm… She's missing something that should be there, is she?" Pointing to the two poles, Issun nudged Ammy with his foot. "You'd better help her out, furball," he suggested.

Ammy stepped off to the side and looked over both poles with a clear eye. With a quick stroke of her Celestial Brush, a fine black line appeared between the two poles and 'exploded' away, revealing a long, polished, brand new bamboo stick. Ammy let out a happy bark directed at Mrs. Orange and pointed to the new pole with her muzzle.

Leaping in shock, she exclaimed, "A new drying pole!? Oh my! Where did that come from?" She looked around anxiously in all directions, her dark brown eyes skipping over the white wolf. "The gods must have answered my prayers! How wonderful!" For a woman her age, Mrs. Orange started to jump up in the air, happiness radiating off of her in golden waves. "Time to dry the laundry!"

Ammy sat back on her haunches and watched as Mrs. Orange walked back and forth, hanging up towels, kimonos, and rags to dry. The white wolf yawned widely, revealing pearly white fangs and exposing them to the sun. Sunlight glittered and danced off her teeth and reflected small dapples of white onto the water's surface, making a few fish scatter. As she watched small kois dart away, she turned to face the older woman beside her.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to hang my laundry, but…" She started to bite her nails nervously. "…The sun seems to be so far away these days," she sighed. "Maybe it doesn't like all those monsters lurking about?" she said as more of a question than a statement and sighed once more. "If only it would shine closer, my laundry would dry in a second…"

Within half a second, Ammy had already drawn a large black circle in the sky. Moments later, the circle filled in with fiery red-orange colors and started to cast warm rays of golden sunlight upon the land. Every leaf, plant, and tree was warmed by it, and with a loud call from a nearby sparrow, Mrs. Orange jumped nearly eight feet in the air. "My word!" she gasped loudly, clutching her chest as if she were about to have a heartattack.

Sunlight poured down from the sky and rested on her hanging clothes, which were gently swaying in the breeze. Ammy's fur glistened brightly in the sunlight, each clear hair on her pelt prickling with happiness and joy. Mrs. Orange stared at her clothes as the warm shafts of sunlight started to dry her clothes, her mouth hanging open as if it had broken hinges.

"The sun has suddenly drawn so close…" she murmured, still in shock. "My laundry will be bone dry in no time! First my pole… and now this? Will the miracles never cease? Maybe I ought to make some cherry cakes to offer to the sun…" Mrs. Orange wiped her brow with a dirty sleeve of her kimono and smiled again. "Come back tonight if you want some, too, Snowball." She let a wistful smile cross her face and added, "No one makes better cherry cakes! They're mouth-watering good!"

Ammy's eyes widened in a delightful fashion as she turned around, her mouth already starting to water from the thought of the cherry-flavored snack. She slowly padded away and bounded away once Mrs. Orange returned to watching her clothes and headed for the mill. Its large wheel was broken at the top and constantly rocked back and forth in the water, kicking up small waves. The shack itself sat on the river's edge, the wheel dipping in the water along with a few support columns.

Boarded-up wooden windows were tightly shut and brown wooden shingles made up the shack's roof. Issun whispered a few words into Ammy's left ear, and nodding in a wolfish fashion, she quickly coated the top part of the water wheel in dark, black, ebony-colored ink. An 'explosion' similar to the one from before happened again, and within no time, the top of the wheel was fixed and starting spinning again in the water on its own.

A shocked and startled gasp came from Kushi, who was bending down in ankle-deep water in her rice field, clutching a few rice plants in her hand tightly. Dropping them, she immediately raced over to the mill and stared up at the now-turning mill with shock and joy plastered across her face. "What's this!?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening and shining brightly. "The mill's been mended! Who on earth did that!? I'd completely given up on the idea of making my sake… But now I can get on with polishing the rice!" she exclaimed happily. "Well, no time like the present! I better get started."

Kushi hummed a few songs in her head and turned around to face the door that led into the mill. Picking up her dirtied kimono as she walked, she picked her way through the field and entered the building through a large brown door. Ammy yawned again and, once again, scanned the area, looking for something that seemed mildly interesting.

Her clear sky-blue azure eyes soon found themselves straying across the river and gazing off towards the exit of Kamiki Village. Issun nudged her beneath her ear, and with a long, graceful, flying leap, she soared across the river and skidded to a halt on the other side, her claws digging into the ground and acting as brakes. She took off at a fast-paced lope as soon as her paws made contact with the ground, her paws making a drumming sound against the ground. On her left was a medium-sized red wooden shack with a sign outside, but instead of stopping, she continued on to the end of the trail.

Two walls of stone rose on either side of her, shielding her from the sun's rays and casting dim shadows on the ground. A few rabbits rested in the shade of the trees, taking quick naps and scampering away when Ammy walked into view. She slowed down to a slow walk and sniffed the breeze. Another human was upwind, and as she walked further along the dirt path, her eyes adjusted to see a heavy-bodied male with a basket of odd items trying to push a boulder.

The boulder was larger than a two-story house and weighed three times as much. A light brown hat rested upon the man's head as he pushed, sweat pouring off his neck and dripping down his chin and nose. "Heave! Heave!" he yelled as he pushed. His grass sandals tore up the ground as he continued to push against the boulder, tearing and uprooting grass in his wake. "This is weird," he panted, "my mind really wants to shift this rock, but my body won't cooperate! It's like I'm made of lead!"

Ammy and Issun both exchanged a confused stare between each other.

"Could this be a case of demonic possession? I sure hope not!" he continued on. Ammy flattened her ears as he rambled on about being possessed. As soon as those final words left the traveler's mouth, another imp materialized out of thin air, coming to the ground in a spiral of dark purple-black wisps.

It wore long dirty yellow clothes and carried a dark green bongo-like instrument across its back. The mask that covered its face concealed fire red eyes and the imp's blazing determination. Ammy quickly raced forward with her weapon and halted yards away from it.

The bongo-wielding imp soon called forth two regular green imps, both armed with their usual flute-like weapons. In a taunting manner, the two smaller imps both smacked their rears and made mocking noises. Ammy, without waiting, immediately raced forward and started lashing out at the three imps with her Divine Retribution. The first imp went down easily and was cleaved in two, but as she whipped around to catch the other, she was hit by the end of another imp's flute.

It struck her in the hip, and with a fierce snarl, she lunged forward at it and snapped at its head closely. The newer imp quickly wheeled around and threw his bongo at her like a boomerang. Jumping up in the air, the bongo lightly grazed the underside of her paws. She quickly drew a fine black stroke across the green imp's stomach, and with another shink, it soon fell in two 'pieces' and made a flowery mess on the ground.

She whipped around angrily to see the other imp. With a short-lived glare, she easily lunged at it and lashed out at it twice with her weapon. It took one blow to its left and another to its right before it fell on the ground in a mess of dirtied clothes. One quick slash across its back quickly sent it back to where it came from, and with a joyous bark, Ammy happily bounced back over to the merchant.

As the imps disappeared, two large trees, a group of multi-colored flowers, and tall grass quickly sprang up, as did more rabbits. A new type of power surged through the goddess' veins as the land before her returned to its natural state.

"Ah…I feel as light as a feather now!" the merchant proclaimed happily and opened up the umbrella he had across his back. "Sadly…" He cast a forlorn look at the boulder. "…that doesn't make it any easier to shift this boulder. Who went and blocked the only path out of here, anyway?" he asked, looking around as if the culprit would be in view. "There's no way I can get back to the city now." The merchant paused for a moment and looked at Ammy and said, "Say, pup, your owner lives here in the village, right? So you must know that guy, Susano. Can you get him to come here?"

Ammy sighed.

"They say he's the descendant of the legendary hero, Nagi," he explained, even though Ammy already knew that. "If anyone can do something about this rock, it's him." With a firm nod and a small shrug, the merchant turned back around and tried to push the boulder some more…and still failed.

"That's strange…" Issun whispered to Ammy. "This boulder wasn't here before," he added and pointed to the large gray boulder that blocked the only exit out of Kamiki Village.

Ammy turned away from the boulder and stared down the path, resting her eyes on the shack she had passed up earlier. She trotted over to the shack and stopped in front of the door. Issun pulled on the white fur on top of her head to get her to halt, making her growl at him in a low tone. "Sheesh…" Issun muttered. "He's always snoring like a bear." Quickly changing the subject, he said, "This is the home of the two-bit middle-aged warrior, Susano."

Ammy pricked her ears forward and easily saw what Issun meant. Susano could be heard deep inside the shack, snoring loudly and sounding like a bear snarling than actually a man sleeping. "He goes around claiming to be a descendant of Nagi. He's famous around here for his lineage, but he's awfully lazy and too off-the-wall to be a descendant of a legendary hero." Issun rolled his eyes.

The white goddess didn't bark or growl or grovel in response but, instead, walked through the door that cut off Susano's house from the rest of Kamiki Village. The first floor—the main floor—of his house had a dirt floor that was speckled with small gray rocks. A small carpeted circular platform was in the middle of his house with two torches perched on either side of it. Stone walls rose on either side of the wolf and were coated in a layer of wood on the outside. On the far right of the house, Ammy noticed a large jug-like cylinder and raced forward.

She headbutted the barrel-like object to find a hidden ladder beneath it. The snoring was amplified as soon as the barrel tumbled away, and with a short cry of joy from Issun, Ammy leaped down the hole to see what lay on the basement level…

o O o O o O o O o O o O o o O o O o O o O o O o O o o O o O o

Ammy hit the bottom floor with a thump and slowly clambered to her paws, her eyes widening to catch all hints of light that managed to poke through Susano's house. The snoring on the basement level of the house was almost too loud for her to stand, though with steady determination, she calmly strode over to the side of Susano's bed.

"I…am…the…greatest…" he murmured in his sleep as he slept on his back.

As the goddess' eyes adjusted to the dim lighting down here, she got a full view of Susano.

He wasn't a very handsome man, and although he had some muscle mass on him, he was slightly overweight and had a large, cherry-red nose that sat between two brown eyes with thick, bushy, black eyebrows on top of them. His hair was messy and black and looked as if he'd dunked himself in melted pig fat and then found a way to smooth back his hair. Despite that, the shirt he wore was too small—or too loose—for Ammy's liking.

It exposed too much of his arms and hairy chest, and Issun had to bury his face in Ammy's fur to stop himself from gagging. His baggy pants were held up by a dark red—almost burgundy—sash that was tied in a tight knot around his waist. His forehead protruded out a little, casting small shadows over his eyes and mouth. His lips were cracked and dry, his ears were bright red, and his face had a pink hue to it.

Ammy pricked her ears forward once more when he started murmuring again, and all she heard was this: "Oh…Kushi…let's…" But he never finished. His body started twitching and moving, and Ammy and Issun guessed that he was dreaming about making out with Kushi. Issun, disgusted, buried his face once more in the goddess' white fur.

"Let's wake this guy up!" Issun exclaimed loudly as he swallowed back down vomit.

Ammy allowed a feral grin cross her face, and with a huge step back, she raced forward and headbutted Susano. He jumped a few inches in the air from the impact and immediately shot up. "What the!?" he exclaimed, looking around wildly. "Huh?" he said and scratched his head curiously.

The supposedly 'great warrior' rose to his feet and stretched out like a cat, yawning widely and fixing his sword—which looked like a wooden sword more than anything else—across his back. "Ah… I feel so well rested!" he said and stretched out once more. "I planned to meditate underground…but fell fast asleep." Susano even had a voice to match his appearance. His voice was deep but portrayed hints of cowardice within it. He furrowed his brows together and peered closer at the wolf and Poncle before him.

The same flat look crossed Ammy's face.

"Huh? Who are you?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "And what business do you have with Susano, the greatest warrior ever?" he asked and crossed his arms proudly and held his head up high. "Do even the beasts know of my great exploits now?" Ammy rolled her eyes and yawned. "Well, Fido—" he said, referring to Ammy. "—I'm not looking for apprentices. Go back to the mountains and play with your monkey friends." Susano quickly dropped back to the ground and laid down. "How dare a mangy mutt like you interrupt my meditation!" he said angrily.

"Get a load of this guy," Issun hissed and crossed his arms. "All brawn and no brains." Stepping towards the end of Ammy's nose, Issun declared, "Quit messin' around and come with us!"

"Hm? You snuck in here again!?" Susano yelled and leaped to his feet and peered down closer at Issun. "Quit bugging me you… you… bug!" he growled.

Issun started jumping up and down faster than ever on the tip of Ammy's muzzle angrily. "I told you, don't call me a bug!" Still jumping, he added, "C'mon, Ammy; we're taking him with us!"

In a second Ammy had grabbed Susano and had him flung on her back and held him down with Divine Retribution. "What do you think you're doing!?" he yelled angrily and looked around anxiously for a way to get off the goddess' back. "Put me down this instant! What will the neighbors think!?" he cried out.

Beads of sweat started to fly off his head as he struggled around weakly. Ammy, with a devious grin, jumped out of the basement and to the main floor from the hole she had fallen in from. She quickly raced out the front door and into the cold air of the village. Instead of turning back left to go meet up with the merchant, she raced over to the river and leaped in, spraying water everywhere. Susano struggled fervently on her back and let his arms fly up in the air as he screamed at the wolf to let him go.

Flicking her ears back against her skull, Ammy plowed through the water powerfully. Ammy jumped up on the shore next to Mrs. Orange, who looked at Susano and said, "Oh, Susano! That sure looks like fun!" Her tone hid bits of laughter behind it. "—but shouldn't you be practicing your swordplay?"

Ammy turned away from Mrs. Orange and raced over to Mushi and Hayabusa, who were both still romping around in the grass together. "Boy, you're sure weird, Susano," Mushi remarked casually. "Is that supposed to be some kind of new training or what?" Ammy and Issun both grinned wildly as Ammy ran over to Mushi's mother.

"It better not be you messin' up my garden, Susano!" she scolded. "You'll get a good thumpin' if it is!"

After Susano's face turned a bright pink color and his pride was slightly damaged, Ammy let out a laugh-bark and took the red bridge back across the river and headed back off to the boulder that blocked the exit of Kamiki Village.

The merchant craned his neck around and saw Ammy coming after him. As she skidded to a halt, Susano slid off her back and landed on the ground in a mess of purple clothing. The merchant did a short clap with his hands and smiled, his big, red, puffy cheeks poking out.

"You mangy mutt!" Susano chided angrily, shaking his fist in the air threateningly. "You brought me all the way here just to test yourself!?" Resting his hand on the hilt of his 'sword,' he said, "Then prepare to taste the wrath of my trusty blade, Tohenboku!"

"H-Hold on a minute," the merchant interrupted with and opened up his purple umbrella again. "You're the legendary Susano?" he asked curiously.

"Yep!" Susano said cheerily and straightened out, taking his eyes off the white wolf's form. "None other than Susano, the greatest warrior to ever live!" he declared proudly. "And by the way," he said slyly, "never interrupt warriors engaged in battle."

"…But I've got a favor to ask you," the merchant replied. "This huge boulder blocking the path is really getting in my way. Can't you do something about it?" he asked and motioned to the boulder with his umbrella.

"What!?" Susano said, taken aback.

"Come on! Please? I mean, you are Nagi's descendant, are you?" The merchant had a faint glimmer of hope shining in his eyes as he stared at Susano. "Surely one stone is no match for your mighty skills… right?" he added.

"Hm…" Susano pondered for a moment. "It is certainly not beyond my ability…"

"Really?" the merchant replied hopefully and started to crack a small smile. "Great!" He paused. "Okay, then! No time like the present! Go for it!" he cheered.

"Wait!" Susano said immediately. "A boulder of this size is not very easy even for me. This will require my utmost focus to magnify the power of my sword!" Sweat started bouncing off Susano's head again as he looked around nervously. "I shall retire to the training grounds to make preparations. Wait for my return," he explained.

Before the merchant could say anything else, Susano quickly ran off towards the 'training grounds' in the back of his house, kicking up dust and dirt as he ran. Ammy's eyes stayed focused on him as he ran and she opened her mouth to start panting. "Hmm… I wonder…" Issun trailed off, staring at a nearby floating fluffy white cloud that soared across the sky lazily. "I've never seen the guy train seriously…ever."

The merchant closed up his umbrella and went back to surveying the area. Ammy let out a wolfish sigh and turned back around to find where Susano went. The male was lying on the ground in the middle of his 'training ground' stretched out and soaking up the sun's rays. He lay amidst a few scattered scarecrow-like decoys. Ammy rolled her eyes, sighed, and raced back across the red wooden bridge.

She sharply took a left turn and entered the door to the mill. The inside of the mill was very narrow and small with a dirt floor and shelves stacked with numerous items. A few barrels of polished rice were lined up against the wall in an orderly fashion, signaling that Kushi had already gotten down to work. Ammy loped up casually to the maiden at the end of the mill and looked up at her, tongue lolling out of her mouth happily.

Kushi bounced with joy and petted Ammy's head softly. "You're interested in how to brew the sake, are you, Snowy?" she asked, calmly stroking and grasping the fur between her ears. She stood back up straight and said, "Well, this thing here's for polishing the rice, you see. Oh, I'll tell you what!" she exclaimed. "I've got something I think you'll like. Hee hee, it's just some leftover stock from the store, but I made it myself! It's called 'Vista of the Gods'," she explained. "Oh…" She stopped. "But are you even old enough to drink, Snowy?"

Kushi shrugged and turned around and picked up a small jug-like object that was decorated with blue symbols. As Ammy picked it up, she could hear the sloshing sound of the sake inside the jug. The jug was gripped tightly between her teeth, and Ammy quickly exited the mill and ran back across the river. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Susano needed sake to train. (Or so he claimed)

"I know I told that merchant I could help…" he mumbled as he laid down on his side in bright yellow sand. "—but a boulder of that size? I don't care if I'm of a legendary bloodline! It's just too big!" In his left hand, gripped tightly, Susano clutched an empty white bottle of sake and turned it upside down. "Hm? Oh no!" he yelled. "I can't believe I've run out of sake at a time like this!" He tossed the bottle over his shoulder as it went flying into the river. "This won't do one bit…" he grumbled.

He seemed oblivious to Ammy standing right beside him with a new jug of sake.

"That's it for today. I'll just have to train tomorrow…" he sighed and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the sun and squinting. Susano looked behind him when Ammy let out a small bark to catch his attention. "Hm?" He jumped to his feet and stared at what Ammy clutched tightly between her teeth. "Hold it right there, Fido!" he exclaimed and pointed at the 'Vista of the Gods.' "That smell…" he sighed lovingly. "Is that Kushi's famous homebrewed sake?"

Ammy rolled her eyes irritably and dropped the sake jug on the ground at Susano's feet. The dejected look on his face quickly turned to a lustful smile as he picked up the sake jug and clutched it tightly to his chest. "F-F-Fido, my friend, did you bring me some of Kushi's sake? Oh, what a glorious day!" he cheered happily, quickly changing moods. "Ah, good ol' sake! A man without drink is like a warrior without his trusty sword! In fact, it is said that Nagi himself relied on the power of sake in his battle with the dreaded Orochi!"

"It's all so clear now! Let the training begin!" Susano took a quick drink of the sake and turned around and grabbed his sword by the hilt and held it out in front of him. Ammy padded up to his right side and looked up at him. "I'll just try a bit of my usual routine," he said and cracked his knuckles. "Okay, here I come!" he declared.

Susano bent down in a bowing motion and brought his right arm forward and slowly drew it back to the hilt of his sword and let out a roar-like sound. He quickly raced forward and Ammy, eyes widening, quickly drew a single stroke across the dummy that Susano slashed across. Miraculously, the decoy fell in two pieces on the ground and quickly disappeared.

Susano skidded to a halt and quickly turned around to face another decoy to his left. He did the same ready stance and slashed at it, Ammy hurriedly drawing a single brush stroke along the decoy's mid-section. "Feast your eyes on this!" Susano declared loudly and turned back around to face a large, red-gray rock that had sharp and jagged edges. "Susano Style Exploding Implosion!"

Ammy drew a quick black line as Susano struck the boulder with his sword. The boulder was cut in two and skidded into the lake. Susano didn't move but let his mouth hang wide open. "Huh!?" He stared at the split rock with disbelief plastered across his face. "Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed as he quickly raced back to the boulder faster than a jackrabbit, his sword clutched tightly in one hand.

Ammy and Issun quickly skirted off after him to see him ready himself about twenty yards away from the massive boulder. He brought one hand to his sword and fixated his eyes upon the boulder. The merchant quickly dodged to the side, getting out of harm's way. "Susano Style Exploding Implosion!" he yelled at the top of his voice.

Susano charged at the huge boulder with the speed of a raging bull and raised his sword to strike at the rock. Ammy's eyes widened to the size of the moon, and without missing a single beat, she quickly drew a quick slash across the boulder. The boulder soon split in two horizontally and fell to the ground. Susano stopped and let his mouth hang open again, awe plastered across his face and evident in his dark eyes.

"Th-th-that's amazing!" the merchant stuttered, opening his umbrella once again. "You sliced that huge boulder clean in half!" he gasped. Susano, however, was not as enthusiastic. He was scanning over his sword in disbelief, looking it over with a confused look. With his back turned towards the merchant, he narrowed his eyes. "You really are something!" he added.

"Wow!" Issun gasped. "I didn't think ya could do it, pops!" he lied, smirking.

Susano still stood with his back towards the group as he faced the now-revealed opening to a new part of Kamiki Village. "Me either…" he murmured as he held his blade up to the sun and looked it over. "Er, I mean, of course I could!" he stated loudly and crossed his arms again, his usual pride-filled grin coming back to haunt his face. "After all, I am Susano, the greatest warrior ever!" Susano raised his blade higher towards the sun's rays and for a moment, it seemed to radiate in the golden dapples of solar rays.

"You weren't just showing off when you said you were Nagi's descendant!" the merchant said, gaping. "Someone like you'd have no trouble fighting monsters off, huh?" He smiled. "Well, anyway, thanks a lot. Now I can start doing business again." The merchant quietly put away his umbrella and marched over to one of the canyon walls and started setting up his items. Ammy blinked innocently and watched him until she heard Susano start talking again.

"Did you say m-m-monsters?" he stuttered. A small line of sweat fell off his face and landed in the grass. "Oh, uh… Of course; no problem," he added, his tone still uneasy. "This is a job for the most skilled warrior in all of Nippon. Yes! I shall rid these lands of their vile presence. Just sit back and watch the great Susano work his magic!" Susano declared loudly and stepped back in a ready stance, gripping his sword tightly in his right hand.

Ammy sat down and sighed again as Susano took off through the pass, laughing like a madman and kicking up dust and dirt in his wake. "He shouldn't get all puffed up. He's nothing without us," Issun said flatly. "Think he'll be okay? The monsters outside the village are nasty."

Ammy didn't acknowledge Issun with a bark or a growl, but, instead, continued to stay sitting down and staring out into the exit of Kamiki Village. "Ah… Glorious Amaterasu!" said a sweet and loving voice. Pink cherry blossom flowers delicately floated down to the ground in a swirling motion, and within the middle of the swirl was a woman with long, ebony black hair of whom Amaterasu recognize to be Sakuya. "What a pleasure to witness your heroic deeds! I am in awe. When you cleaved the boulder in two, my heart skipped a beat…" she said.

Her long pink kimono exceeded far past her feet as she floated near ten feet in the air, a warm, motherly smile spread across her face. "To see your skills with the brush is to be witness to great art," she sighed.

"Yeah? So do we get a reward or something, lady?" Issun hissed and hopped off of Ammy's nose and onto the ground. He bounced forward all the way up to Sakuya and stared up at her.

"I hardly think your participation had any impact, little bug," Sakuya replied coolly and brought her hands together.

"It's Issun!" he yelled and jumped back on top of Ammy's head for extra height. "Issun, Issun, Issun!" he chanted. "Stop calling me a bug!" His eyes flaring dangerously, he added, "I'll crawl back into your kimono if you say that again!"

"My word!" Sakuya gasped and wrapped her arms around her exposed breasts.

"Aw relax, lady. Furball here's more comfy, anyway," he replied. Ammy growled and turned her head to the side, trying to get a better view of Issun. "Let's get back to that reward thing you were talking about," he said slyly, hopping off Ammy's head once more and bouncing back over to Sakuya. "C'mon, Ammy! Put your paw up or something… Go on, shake!" he cheered. Before he could move again, though, Ammy raised one paw and quickly brought it down upon Issun's head.

"…I must apologize," Sakuya sighed forlornly. "I would like to reward you, but I'm afraid I haven't the power. I can barely muster enough strength to make a flower bloom." After those words left her mouth, Sakuya pointed up towards a barren and dead-looking tree that towered over the three. "Though my body stands firmly here within the confines of the village, my roots spread far and wide, protecting remote areas outside. These parts of me are known as Guardian Saplings. They collect the praise and adoration that gives me strength," she explained.

"The recent evil is eroding the Guardian Saplings…" she sighed. "If this continues, I will wilt away as well, and my power will vanish. Worse yet, the dark power grows stronger with each passing day. Life as we know it will be consumed utterly in no time." Sakuya sighed heavily and gazed down upon Ammy's shining white pelt. The white goddess had taken to lying down on the ground, her head resting heavily upon her paws.

"Aw, man, this is gettin' heavy…" Issun murmured.

"Great and powerful Amaterasu, could I be so bold as to request your assistance in rejuvenating these Guardian Saplings by lifting the curse that enslaves them?" she asked kindly. "I shall mark the locations of nearby saplings on your map." Sakuya let out a tired and weak yawn, dropping her arms to her sides. "I have grown tired… I haven't even the strength to speak now. I hope that my request has not fallen on deaf ears…" she said lowly and hopefully. "Amaterasu… may the fresh scent of flowers protect you always!"

And as Sakuya said that, she quickly disappeared in a rain of white-pink flower petals. As the petals dissipated into thin air as soon as they touched the ground, Ammy lifted her head up lazily.

"Bah…" Issun sighed. "I'm always itchin' for a good fight, but…" He bounced over to Ammy and hopped up on her back and started jumping up and down, trying to get her to stand up. "I sure don't want to poke my nose into this mess… Still, I'm stuck with furball here till I get all the brush skills…" he sighed. "Anyway… Ammy's a god and all… What could possibly go wrong?" he muttered.

Ammy shook her head tiredly and straightened out her legs, climbing to her full height and blinking open sleepy blue eyes. "Hey, did you listen to her, furball?" Issun asked curiously. "You get the rest of the brush techniques to the save the world, and I'll steal and learn 'em!" he cheered happily. "Yeah, that's the ticket. At any rate, let's start by following them marks on the map!"

Ammy glanced behind her to look at Kamiki Village. The merchant was already almost finished setting up his stand and was sorting numerous and different items according to their price, weight, size, and rarity. Issun nudged her beneath the ear once more, and with one final glance around the village, she quickly turned around and walked out into what lay beyond the formerly hidden exit…

o O o O o O o O o O o O o o O o O o O o O o O o O o o O o O o

In times of peril, most people could be found hiding in a corner and moping around, praying for things to get better. But that was not the case in the Shinshu Fields. The people who lived in the massive plains only knew the pain of being slashed by a monster or by having their house set on fire and razed by the playful imps.

But right now they didn't feel anything.

A large field of green with lush flowers and grass grew on the outskirts of Kamiki Village, birds soaring through the air, racing the wind, and rabbits and deer lightly stepping through the tall weeds and munching on whatever type of food they could find. The pass that separated the village from the fields guarded the area, leaving Shinshu Fields in a dome-like bowl. There were very few ways out, and even fewer ways in.

The gurgling of a nearby stream, the crashing of waves against the beach next to the Moon Cave, and the sound of horses whinnying to their friends and wild boars scampering angrily after green imps that had become to bold filled the air.

Of course, all this was natural on a normal day.

But on this day, darkness shrouded the landscape, cloaking everything in a dark mist of black. Churning waves of black clouds hung low to the ground, covering up a good portion of the land. As the white goddess stepped out in Shinshu Fields, she was blasted by the strong aroma of death and decay.

Her eyes, no matter how much they narrowed or widened, couldn't spot the large sapling that grew in the middle of the field, and the ground which was usually covered in lush ground and pretty flowers was now cloaked in a veil of darkness. The ground was turned an ugly gray color, and dead plants and leaves littered the ground. As she looked deep into the black abyss, she noticed that every single piece of land, save for a tiny sliver of visible land, was covered in a thick, black cursed zone.

"Huh?" Issun inquired as he sat upon the goddess' head and surveyed the area. "You probably know this already, Ammy, but… This here is Shinshu Field, the most beautiful field in Nippon." He paused. "At least it's supposed to be… But ever since that incident, I've been getting a bad vibe. We better watch where we're going," he whispered. "Let's pay attention to the map as we push ahead."

Ammy nodded as best as she could and passed through a small wooden, broken fence with gaps between the boards and fully stepped into full view of the field. Issun tugged on her fur to get her to stop, and as she did, he said, "Ammy, that's the first Guardian Sapling marked on our map!" He pointed to another dead-looking tree in the very center of the field with a small outstretched arm. The tree was curled and twisted and was a light brown color and was bare of any leaves.

"It's supposed to be a place for travelers to rest and recuperate, but just look at it! It looks like it could fall over any moment!" he huffed, crossing his arms angrily. "This place is definitely cursed from the looks of it. Places where evil has taken hold, luring monsters from far and wide, are known as cursed zones," he explained, turning his nose up at the acrid smell. "…But I've never seen one this big." He motioned around the area with an arm, pointing out the large expanse of area covered by cursed area. "It's withered all the plant life in the area… even that big tree!"

Ammy looked around.

"It'd take a monster with powers beyond even a god to do this!" he exclaimed. Realization striking him, he added, "That tree's an offshoot of Sakuya. It protects nature in the area. Maybe the natural beauty here would return if we revived it…" He closed his eyes briefly and opened them again, blinking a couple of times before continuing. "But how the heck could we do that, anyway?"

Ammy didn't reply, but, instead, raced as far into the land as she could go before hitting a part of the cursed zone. The ground slowly changed from green, short grass to dead gray land, and as she came over a small bump-like hill, she came down the other side and found a stone statue of a slightly overweight merchant, frozen in place and holding an umbrella. "Another statue?" Issun whispered. "Has everyone here turned to stone?" he added. "They must've been struck by some terrible curse… The only way to help them is to rid this cursed zone of evil."

She turned away from the statue and walked back up on the hill and looked around Shinshu Field. The stream that was normally sky blue and clear was a dark, sludgy purple and had black waves running through it. She wrinkled her sensitive nose in disgust and looked across the river. Aside from an old bridge that connected both pieces of land together, a man wearing faded, torn, old dark yellow clothes chopped away at a piece of wood with an axe, making sure to stay away from the cursed river and land.

She did a speedy lope towards the axmen and halted when she got within five feet of him. The man picked up his axe and dropped it to the ground and wiped his forehead tiredly. "What just happened?" he asked warily, looking the goddess cautiously. "I was out here chopping wood as usual and communing with nature as usual when I heard a loud rumbling like an earthquake from the lake," he explained. "Then a huge gust of wind blew up from out of nowhere. I don't know what happened next, but when I came to, it was like this."

Ammy looked around the axmen's work area and noticed a small shack behind him made of old wood. The smell of food drifted out one of the open windows and into the field, making her mouth water delightedly. "My art workshop was just across the stream there, but it up and vanished when this cursed zone appeared. The earth must be angry. All I want is to live with nature in peace, man!" he exclaimed, clutching his axe tightly between his fists. "But now I can't. I noticed a figure running from the lake to Kamiki. Whoever it was, man, I hope Mother Earth kept them safe…" he sighed.

As the axmen started to go back to chopping and splitting logs, Ammy nuzzled his legs to alert and grab his attention. "What's up, nature buddy?" he greeted as if they were old friends. "Curious about that cave?" he asked and wiped his forehead again. "It's the entrance to a place called Hana Valley…"

Ammy looked behind the man and towards the right a bit to notice a large, dark entrance-like cave, with the tainted river leading out of it. Ammy nodded, although she was unsure if the man had noticed her movement. "…the site of an amazing waterfall," he continued. "But monsters have moved in now. There's a trippy crystal ball in there that makes plants grow enshrined there. You'd think gardeners would be flocking here for it!"

He snorted.

"Actually…" He rubbed his temple soothingly. "…Not that long ago, that Susano guy went marching in there." He muttered a few curses under his breath. "It's weird. Normally he runs away at the sight of monsters…" Pondering for a few moments, the man added, "And he hardly seems the type to try his hand at gardening. Anyway—" He straightened up. "—it's bad karma, man. You could be attacked if you went in."

The man turned around and raised his axe high up in the air and brought it crashing down against the thick bark of the log. Splitting it in two easily, he knocked once piece of it away and took another out and put it back on the stump.

Ammy yawned widely and sat back on her haunches, snapping at the little bits of wood shavings and chips that flew her way. As the forms of dark green scroll-like objects that hovered above the ground started to draw closer, and as the distant howling of wolves drew steadily closer, the axmen put away his axe and quickly turned in for the night, retreating to the confines of his tiny shack.

Ammy, not all too eager for a fight at the moment, turned towards the river and jumped across it. Without turning back to see if the scroll—which Issun called 'Demon Scrolls'—was after her, she quickly scampered into Hana Valley.

Well.

This was rather overdue. Anybody who agrees? Please don't ask me when the next update will be. It will be updated sometime, but probably not within next week, tomorrow, etc., etc. I'm currently focused on my other Okami fic—Flickering Memories. (I'm a Ninetails whore if you read it. :D)

Anyway, CC appreciated! (Or just good ol' praise if that's what you feel like you're up to.)

Oh, and also, I didn't mess with the villager's dialogue a bit. The nameless axe guy at the end actually spoke like that. (I forgot what line it was, but it sounded as if it was missing a word.)

-Tainted Lullaby

-October 24th, 2008.