Author's Note: This is the first time I'm using an author's note... Don't want to disturb your reading! Anyway, please review and tell me if there's anything I should put in here and if I have mistakes so I may correct them. Thanks! (I didn't put this in before but I'm pretty sure you've heard it enough times: I do not own any of the Okami characters - except for my OCs)

Chapter 6

He wanted to curl up in a hole and lay there until the storm inside of him had ceased. There were so many things running through Oki's mind at the moment. He just wanted to say it... but couldn't find the courage to. Normally one would be excited and ask it without hesitation, but when asking a god this sort of question, things could get messed up.

Just say it! He thought frantically, trying to make his mouth form the words he had been looking forward to saying but also dreading.

He managed to form the first word. "Will-" CRASH! Suddenly the lighting went out in the restaurant, leaving everyone in pure darkness, save for the dusk sky filtering through the windows.

What's going on?! He felt for Ammy's hand. "Ammy...?" He whispered.

"Right here," she whispered back, to his left. She grasped his hand.

"What's going on?" Oki whispered.

"I have absolutely no idea," she whispered.

"The lights went out, that's what's going on!" Issun said sarcastically. Oki was about to mutter a comeback but was cut short.

"Sorry everyone!" A voiced boomed throughout the restaurant, silencing the people who were screaming. "I'm new to the whole power thing... I guess this wasn't the best place to practice. Let me just fix this for you..." With that, the lights flickered back on. Everyone in the room gasped, some people fainting upon sight of the creature. It was a wolf... but it wasn't a normal wolf. This wolf had wings like a dragon, two horns upon its head about double the size of its ears, a mane with a pattern of lightning bolts, and a gauntlet around each of its four legs. The dragon-wolf was a normal wolf-grey in color, apart from the horns, wings, the lightning bolt patterns in its mane, and its gauntlets, which were all an electric-blue.

"Hey! I assure you, I am no threat! I swear it!" The creature boomed.

"What's it saying?" Someone whispered. Of course, since it was part wolf, only Amaterasu, Issun, and Oki could decipher its language.

The wolf looked at each person in turn before it spoke again. "I'm Arashi, or Storm. I'm a student under Gekigami, the god of thunderstorms. I was sent here to aid in Amaterasu's quest, and it appears my scenting has paid off..." He said, trailing off as his eyes rested on Amaterasu. "Shall we take this outside while the humans recover?" He asked, cocking his head.

For a while, Amaterasu, Issun, and Oki had been shocked into silence. Amaterasu was the first to recover. "Yeah..." She said cautiously. She took Oki's hand and let Storm go first through the door.

Once they were outside, Storm turned and wagged his tail. "You're Amaterasu." He stated, more than asked, as he pointed his muzzle towards Amaterasu. He turned to Oki. "And you are?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Oki," Oki said.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Issun yelled. "I'll just introduce myself, 'cause it's more respectful than waiting to be asked," he said, directing the comment at Oki. "I'm Issun. Nice to meet ya, Storm!"

Storm dipped his head in acknowledgement. "And to you, Issun."

Issun wasn't done talking, though. "So does this mean that all of the 13 brush gods have a student? Were they all sent here to help us? Are they all wolves? If not, what do-"

"SHUT UP!" Amaterasu, Storm, and Oki all said at once.

"Okay, okay! Hey, the more knowledge the better, right?"

Everyone groaned. Issun had to be the most annoying Poncle in the history of Poncles.

Storm spoke up. "I can answer those questions, if you promise to stay quiet." He growled the last two words.

"Okay, I promise. Lips sealed," Issun zipped his lips, locked them, and pretended to throw away the key.

Storm sighed. "Yes, all of the 13 brush gods have a student. Though the gods are never mentioned to have students, it doesn't mean they're not real. I'm the only one who's following you on your quest till the end. The others will find us when the time is right. And yes, they are all wolves.

"Oh, and by the way, remember that little lightning show? That was me making my dramatic entrance. Sorry about almost zapping you. It's in a student's nature to test the one we're destined to aid. Which means you'll know when the next student is coming to help."

"Then how come it took you so long to find me if you landed near me?" Amaterasu asked.

"Well, a student doesn't exactly land where they want to... most of the time it's nowhere near our destination. Besides, you're a hard one to catch, and that was a cursed forest you were in. No way was I going in there!" He spread his wings and took to the night sky. "Now, are we ready to get this show on the road?"

"Wait, I have a question," Oki piped up.

Storm dove down closer, spreading his wings to slow down. "Yes?"

"What exactly does a student do? I mean, do they inherit their mentor's power?"

"Ah, this is the good bit, my favorite bit. You see, we create their power." Everyone gave him a blank face. "Let me explain it this way," he said, ascending into the night sky. There was suddenly a blast of thunder. A large storm cloud had just formed over the ocean, lightning bolts reaching towards the dark water. It soon disappeared. Storm dove down to the ground, slowing himself with a beat of his wings, and landed softly.

"See? Pretty cool, huh?" He asked, a wolfish grin forming on his face. "I create a thunderstorm, Gekigami uses the lightning created by it."

"If that's the case, then wouldn't that make you... Like, more powerful than Gekigami?" Issun asked, forgetting his promise to keep quiet.

"Not technically, no. Gekigami can also move the clouds. I can't, and I can't control the lightning, either. But you can, right?" He asked, turning to Ammy.

She nodded. "Yeah. Shouldn't you know that? I'm able to control all of the Celestial Brush techniques."

"Well I did I was just... confirming," he explained.

"Wait, why doesn't furball have a student?" Issun asked.

"Does she really need one? I mean, she can control, like, everything." Oki stated.

She nodded. "Sort of. I'm not as advanced as you students are, but I can use all of the normal brush techniques." By this time, Amaterasu was itching to get on with the adventure. She wasn't a conversationalist. She finally couldn't take it anymore. "Can we please just get moving? I'm dying for an adventure!"

I know, kinda ended at a weird spot. But I'm totally out of ideas! If anyone has any good ideas please be sure to tell me, meaning that until I have another idea, I won't be updating. (Also, if you're familiar with the Warriors series and Doctor Who, I have started a fanfiction story on that crossover. It's VERY short compared to this.)