Yay! Reviews makeh me happy :3 Thanks guys. Here's another chapter. Um, updates after this may be scattered and distanced from one another, due to the fact that the freakin' military has decided that we have two weeks to move out XP Stupid army. But I'll try to get one or two more updates in before my wii gets packed up, then a few during the move, depending on how much time I get on the internet... hm...

Disclaimer: SQUEE-squeek! (In rat that means: I don't own Okami)

Chapter 3: The Statue of Nagi

On the opposite bank, Amaterasu stopped to shake the stardust off of her pelt and looked around. On this side of the river, there was only a pawful of large boulders, a chest, and a glowing decorative arch.

Issun's eyes were trained on the chest as Amaterasu padded forward. It was in the middle of the small clearing, and the wolf knew that in the Ponicle's eyes, it was begging to be opened. She took a half a step back before darting towards it, bashing it open. She must admit, at least to herself, that the action was quite enjoyable.

When the chest popped open, a pouch-like object popped out. Amaterasu recognized it immediately.

"Look what you found, furball!" Issun exclaimed, bouncing up and down in excitement.

An Astral Pouch? The goddess replied silently, almost amused.

"This Astral Pouch here's amazing. It can swallow up lots of food. Then when it's full, it can revive its owner if he or she dies!"

Your vast knowledge overwhelms me, Amaterasu groaned inwardly.

"Let's start feeding it with whatever food we can find around here," Issun continued.

The wolf paused for a minute. What are you insinuating, bug? I don't need an Astral Pouch to help me. Though in contradiction to her words, the goddess moved towards the clay pots surrounding the arch and made quick work of them, producing a few apples, oranges and peaches.

"Nice one!" the Poncle praised. "Now onward, furball!"

As you wish. Amaterasu quickly loped towards the arch, passing through it without a second thought.

Once through, she didn't even pause before she was sprinting up the dirt path. I know where I am, she thought excitedly.

The goddess didn't stop as the path turned to stone as it wound its way up the mountain, around trees, and over a large mountain stream.

After following the path in silence for a while, Amaterasu barked and slowed her pace, bringing herself and the Poncle to the mouth of a cave. The white wolf led them through it without hesitation. Nothing would hurt them here.

As they made their way deeper into the cave, wooden bars fell to block the cave mouth behind them, but neither creature spared that a thought.

"Is this…" Issun's voice trailed off in awe.

The sun goddess tuned out the Poncle's words as she padded forward, her eyes on the large statue in the center of the cave. Nagi, she thought, what trials have befallen you? Her gaze was sorrowful as she padded forward; the shrine was in ruins. Moss desecrated the surface, and the hero's sword was broken off at the hilt, the blade completely missing.

Amaterasu moved her tail in a precise way, forming in her mind's eye the sword with her celestial powers. There, she said to herself. Not much, but it's all I can do, mighty warrior.

As the stone statue flashed, the former glory was restored to the monument as the sword seemed to fix itself of its own accord. But Amaterasu and Issun knew better.

"That really was your brushwork all this time!" the Poncle exclaimed.

Do you only know extremes? Amaterasu demanded at his loudly spoken words.

"How'd you get so good?" Issun asked. "Exactly who are you, anyway?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Hey, there's another constellation!"

His words caused Amaterasu to tear her gaze from the statue and look towards the starry night sky above it.

"This one looks like a…" Issun mused, tilting his head to look at it from different angles.

A rat! Amaterasu thought excitedly.

She used her tail and celestial powers to draw in the missing star. The constellation came to form a white rat with crimson marks covering his body. He leapt down from the sky and drew a large sword from a red sheath at his side, twisting around in many neatly executed fluid movements, causing the sword to arch through and slice the air around him. The surroundings evaporated into the golden clouded light of the celestial plains.

Tachigami! the sun goddess exclaimed, bounding forward to sit in front of the small god. The white rat perched on the hilt of his sword, the point facing downward.

"Well, well, well…" he squeaked, "If it isn't mother Amaterasu."

I am glad to see you are well, sword-master, Amaterasu told him.

"It has been a long time," Tachigami told her as a way of apology, "but with all these monsters around, the only place I could hide was in this shrine dedicated to ancient heroes."

Amaterasu gazed up at him. A noble act it was, Tachi. You did right by waiting for me.

"If there is anything I can do to assist you in your endeavors," the god added, "I'm at your service. Make good use of this sword, as it was designed to conquer evil."

Tachigami transformed himself into the orb that represented his power of Power Slash and returned his strength to Amaterasu. With his disappearance went the illusion of the Celestial plain, and Amaterasu and Issun found themselves back in the cave.

"Hey, that was the god, Tachigami, master of the Power Slash technique," Issun stated, a contemplative tone in his voice.

Please enlighten me on where you get your information from, so I may share with you its wealth, the sun goddess thought dryly.

Ever oblivious, the Poncle plowed on. "Wait a minute. If you're getting all these powers… Then you're just like that Shiranui!"

Give this guy a medal- Wait. Like?

"You know, the wolf who fought and died alongside the great Nagi."

You are irritating me, thief.

"When Shiranui died, the wolf's power was split into the 13 brush gods." Issun's voice got a tad bit more shrill. "This is crazy. Shiranui and Nagi?" He was bouncing up and down in excitement. "It's just like the legend."

Please, someone slap him.

"Well, anyway I've never seen this Power Slash technique myself." He gazed around, then bounced up with extra pep. "How 'bout showing your stuff off on that boulder over there? Lemme see you slice it in half by drawing a single line!" He was practically exploding with excitement.

I don't condone this senseless power-show, Amaterasu silently informed him. But the white wolf faced the boulder any way, and with one horizontal slash of her tail, the boulder was sliced in two, the top half sliding off onto the ground with a thud.

"Wow!"

Amaterasu couldn't smother the spark of pride that ignited in her chest. Chill out before you make a mess, she laughed to herself.

"I didn't think you had it in ya, furball! I'm not even in the same league as you! Guess I really overestimated myself."

Well, it doesn't seem like humility is your strongest quality…

… … "Hey, furball… Er… I mean, Amaterasu… I've made up my mind."

Amaterasu couldn't help but smirk at Issun's confusion, but his words had her worried. Made up your mind about what…?

"If you're Shiranui reborn," he continued, "then that means you can master all 13 techniques, right?"

Riigghhtt… Amaterasu answered, even though she knew that he couldn't hear her.

"In that case, I'll tag along until I'm as good as you! Lucky you!"

Yeah, lucky me!? Amaterasu whined as she shook her head, trying to get the Poncle out of her fur. But he wouldn't budge.

"Heh heh…" he laughed, as if she had just cracked the funniest joke in the world. "It's no use tryin' to change my mind. There's no stoping me once I've made a decision!"

Somebody, please, kill me now.

"But enough about me!" Issun abruptly changed the subject. "Now that you've mastered the Power Slash, you can cut down that thing Sakuya was talking about. Let's go back and give it a shot!"

Amaterasu retraced her steps toward the entrance, now exit, of the cave, not even stopping when the thick wooden poles barred her way out. She whipped her tail to the side, just like she did with the boulder, and the logs cut clean in half, falling out of her way.

In a showy exit, she leapt over the logs and darted down the path at a full sprint. It was a bad idea, because stopping when you're running that fast doesn't happen on a dime. At the base of the small slope, a ring of dark magic encased the two, caging them in with a few-

Imps! Amaterasu instantly recognized them as she tried to stop, almost causing Issun to topple off of her head. She swiftly dropped into a defensive crouch, spitting out deep growls at the creatures.

"What the!?" Issun snapped, startled as he gripped onto Amaterasu's fur for dear life. "Where'd they come from!?"

I don't know, the white wolf's growls deepened, but I'm sending them back!

"Ha, whatever. Draw first, ask questions later, right? You know the Divine Instrument you have one your back? Use it!"

Gladly. Taste my strength, foul creatures!

Amaterasu leapt at the closest imp, using her powers to swing the disk at it. It forced the thing onto its back, and the color was drained from it, leaving it dazed and unable to move.

"Look, Ammy!" Issun exclaimed in her ear. "Once you caught 'em off guard and turned 'em black and white, they're easy prey for your brush, no matter how nasty they are! Grab your brush and give them a Power Slash!"

Amaterasu snarled and whipped her tail to the side, focusing on the stunned imp. It sliced the thing in half. It's top and bottom parts spun in the air slowly, before disappearing, leaving behind shoot of wildflowers.

The sun goddess snorted in satisfaction, but her gloating was cut short as the other imp landed a lucky hit on her flank. The wolf yelped and whipped around, teeth bared.

She swung her Divine Instrument at it, then was forced to leap away as the creature pulled out a crudely made bamboo flute. It sucked in a great deal of air before blowing it out at Amaterasu, the dark magic infused with the air and music forming a force that could actually hurt the goddess. That is, if it could catch her.

She darted around the imp until she was standing behind it. She swung the disk at it again, and again, until its body rose into the air before falling back down to earth, defeated. It too disappeared into a bunch of wildflowers.

Amaterasu snarled and looked around, waiting for more foes to come forward, but there was none. The dark barrier dissolved and the sounds and sights of Sakuya's spirit realm were as they were before.