Me: Ok, this chapter was written recently so it's much better than the others.
Echo: ...
Me: Echo is still traumatized from the last chapter...
Echo: ...
Me: Echo! I have cake!
Echo: CAKE!
Me: Disclaimer: I do not own Okami! Also, the cake was a lie!
Echo: NUUUUUU!
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The sun sparkled outside against the clear, blue sky. Echo's eyes slowly opened as it shone through the window. She yawned and stretched, then looked over at Kurow, who was still asleep. I'll go wander outside. she thought, I'm sure Kurow wouldn't mind a few extra minutes sleep. She carefully pushed the door open and crept outside.
The breeze felt good against her fur. She looked around at the village. There was a large waterfall pounding down the side of a mountain and a long river winding through the center of the village. I small field with turnips was a across it on the other side as well as a row of houses.
"Oh, Chibi! What are you doing out here?" a voice said from behind her. Echo turned and saw a woman hanging laundry. "Oh, pardon me, Echo. I thought you were Chibi." Echo sat down, "It's fine. It's easy to get us mixed up, I suppose." she said. The lady smiled, "I suppose so. I'm Kushi, Kuni's mom, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Kushi." then Kushi went back to hanging her laundry.
Echo turned to get a drink of water from the stream when a flying disc hit her in the face. She yelped and fell back in surprise. A brown dog and a boy then hovered over her. "Are you hurt, miss?" Echo got up and shook her head. "Ugh, no I think I'm fine." The dog wagged his tail, "Oh good! I was worried! I'm Hayabusa. This is my owner, Mushi. Sorry about that." Echo smiled, "It's fine. I'm Echo, by the way." "Well I'll see you later, Echo!" While Mushi and Hayabusa walked back over the bridge. Echo decided to go check out the other half of the village, so she followed them.
The turnip field interested her, so she ventured toward it. The rows were aligned perfectly and the scarecrow looked kinda cute in the middle of it, not that it would help keep away crows that way...
"HEY! GET OUT OF THERE!" a cold bucket of water was suddenly dumped on her and she whirled around. "Don't even think about digging here, doggie!" Echo shook her fur and growled. Then she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Kurow had come out of the house. She abruptly stopped growling and walked off toward the house. You're lucky this time lady. Next time you're gonna get it!
"Kurow!" Echo barked at the boy. "Oh, dude, there you are. Why are you wet? Did you take a swim or something?" Echo shook her head, "It's a long story..." Kurow laughed, "Ok, so you wanna head for Shinshu Fields?"
"Sure!" Let's go!"
Sukani headed out into the field. She hoped her father and Reika would be ok without her, considering the fact that there were demons running around and prey was pretty scarce. She wandered off down the path. Ok, beast, show yourself! No one messes with my family and gets away with it!
However, the next thing she heard was a fox cry. "Grahhh! Can't I get a decent meal without a dog chasing me? Despicable little pests..." Sukani followed the voice to a kitsune. Like her, it had multiple tails; at least 6, but it was a sable-cream color with a tuft off fur hanging over part of its face and had multiple scars from past battles. The young grey fox curiously approached it.
"Umm, excuse me? Do you need any help?"
"Huh? Who are you?"
Sukani smiled, "I'm Sukani. I saw you having trouble back there. Is there anything I can do?" the kitsune smiled, "Well, you could try to catch me some food if you'd like..."
Sukani turned and scanned the area. A rabbit was munching on some grass, so she crept up to it and caught it quickly, then returned to the fox.
"Hm? Oh, well done! Thank you!" she began eating the prey. "It's nothing, really. Just trying to help a friend in need." The sable fox's ears pricked, "Friend?" she asked, tilting her head.
Sukani smiled, "Well yeah.. I mean , it's not every day you meet a fox with 6 tails. It's nice to have someone like me around." Sukani sat down, "What's your name anyway?"
The fox swallowed the last bit of prey, Come on, what's a good name for me... Oh, I know!
"Kyu. My name's Kyu."
"Nice to meet you, Kyu. What happened to you anyways?"
"I got ambushed by a demon or two, nothing major... Besides, what are youdoing out here alone?"
Sukani then explained the whole incident with her mother. Kyu acted saddened, but truthfully the kitsune had a plan.
"Oh you poor thing! I swear I saw something run from this area a little while ago, too..." Sukani's eyes grew wide, "You did? What did it look like?" Kyu looked down, "I'm afraid I didn't get a good look at it... But I'm sure if I see it again I'll remember it." Sukani sighed, "I suppose so..."
Kyu smiled faintly, Fool! You have no idea what you're doing! I'll mentor this little one into being a true demon, then I shall have my revenge!
"Umm, Sukani?"
"Yes, Kyu?"
"I think you have a great potential. Maybe I could train you to use your powers? And we could also track down the demon that killed your mother."
Sukani hopped up into a standing position, "Really? Oh, thank you!" Kyu looked at her, "Oh, it's nothing, friend."
But Sukani had no clue what she was getting herself into...
(Echo's POV)
The place was practically deserted, besides the few animals that hung around. A cold, demonic aura surrounded me and Kurow, making both of us shiver a bit.
"Dude, you'd think that from working with Chibi that I would be used to this by now. But no. It still scares me a bit.., ya' know?"
The fought of Kurow being scared kinda was kind of funny to me, considering how brave he was. But as I observed the field, I agreed. It was full of an ominous purple mist and the plants were all dead. The sky was also blood red. "Err, yeah. I think I know what you mean.."
Kurow looked around, then fixed his eyes on the Guardian Sapling in the distance. "Over there, dude! It's one of them trees! Come on!" He hopped on my back, "Let's go!"
I walked a bit awkwardly. I wasn't used to carrying people around, let alone walking through cursed zones.
They finally reached the tree. "Ok, Echo, work your magic!" I quickly whipped out my Celestial brush and drew a large circle around the tree. Within a matter of minutes, the area was back to normal.
"Good job, dude! I think you're getting the hang of this!" I wagged my tail at the compliment, but then a curious light shone down from the sky. "Is that, a constellation?" The stars formed a pattern that looked much like a horse. I saw some stars were missing, so I added them in.
Kurow came to my side just as the setting changed to a bright, peaceful area. A horse galloped around, swishing its tail and causing wind to blow. A smaller horse trotted along beside it, the little pinwheel on its back spinning like crazy. "The constellations hold brush gods, if you hadn't already noticed, dude."
The horses turned and slowed down to a trot before speaking.
"Echoterasu, great hero brought forth from lands afar. We are Kazegami, masters of wind. We have lent our powers to the Great Amaterasu and the Little Sun Chibiterasu. Now you shall have the power of Galestorm! Blow back your enemies and vanquish the darkness!" the older of the two reared up on his hind legs and a ball of light glowed, circled around me, and then disappeared as I learned the brush technique.
Then the younger Kazegami trotted up to me, "I have a message from the Great Amaterasu. She says that if you draw a symbol similar to that of a sideways hourglass, then you shall find your own brush skill." then he trotted off after his father and we were returned to Shinshu Field.
"Cool, dude! Galestorm! Now you can literally blow your enemies away!" I laughed at Kurow's little joke. Then I decided to test it. I drew a loop and suddenly a powerful gust blew from behind me. Kurow looked a bit surprised. "Geez, dude! No need to be that rough!" I bowed my head in embarrassment, "Sorry, Kurow..."
"Well, we'd better get going, dude. I smell evil comin' from the direction of Hana Valley, so let's head that way." I nodded my head, and Kurow leapt onto my back.
However, as I started off, there was a faint sound in the distance like a flute. My ears pricked and I stopped. It got louder.
"You hear that, dude?" Kurow asked. I nodded, but I was trying to pinpoint where it was coming from...
"Ma Cherie! I see you have met Kurow!" I jumped and turned around to a guy that looked almost like Kurow, minus the ridiculous bird hat with wings. I got into a battle stance.
"Wow, no need to be so aggressive. I mean no harm to you, wolfie." I relaxed a bit, but didn't let my guard down. This dude still weirded me out a little.
Kurow jumped from my back, "Dude, you're Waka, aren't you?" The man pulled out a flute and twirled it, "The one and only, Mon Ami!" I sighed, Oh, God help me... This guy is such a fruitcake...Kurow looked a little aggravated, then his eyes narrowed. "What wrong, Kurow?" Waka asked.
"I should be asking you, dude." he replied in a cold tone. "Why'd you send me here knowingwhat would happen to me?" Waka stopped. "I had to do what I thought was best, but I realized too late that I was wrong about my choice." Kurow looked unfazed by Waka's remarks. "I see you're still upset with me, eh?"
"Oh yeah, a lot." Kurow replied. "You pretty much sent me out to die!" Waka looked really upset now, "Kurow, I will make it up to you. But for now I can only give you this." he pulled out a flute, slightly different from his in size but then that it looked identical. "My flute?" Kurow said questionably, grabbing it from Waka's hand. "Well I suppose you deserve a thanks, dude."
Waka smiled, "Well, I'm glad you're at least a little more happy, Ma Cherie. But I must make it up to you." Kurow looked up at Waka, "Well, man, I don't know. I got Echo, so I don't need much help, dude. But thanks anyways." Kurow put his flute away.
Waka spoke again, "Well I must leave you now. But before I go, I have a prophecy! In the submerged forest lies a grand battle!" He paused for a few seconds, "And now, I bid you adieu!" and with that he ran off and into the field.
Kurow looked down at his flute. It must be the same one he used to battle with Chibi. I bet it holds a lot of bad memories for him. And then Echo thought about her dream, That voice at the end of it... It was Waka, I'm positive!
"Yo. Echo?" I snapped back to reality. "Uh, yeah?" He paused again, "I-I never thought I'd meet him."
"Who? You mean the fruitcake dude?"
He laughed a bit, "Ok, ok, yeah. The "fruitcake dude". But seriously, he kinda is like my dad. I mean, he created me and all so it kinda cool to meet him but... I kinda feel bad for getting angry with him, you know dude?"
"Well yeah but, he seemed like he needed to get yelled a little. Plus it was good that you got to say what you felt to him." Kurow looked at the sky, "Yeah, dude, it was." He turned back to me, "So, we gonna go kick some demon butt, dude?" I nodded, "Yeah, let's go! To Hana Valley!"
So we set off for Hana Valley!
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*Kyu is short for Kyubi, or Ninetails.
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