Didn't like writing this chapter much since it's basically 70% pre-existant scenes ffffff

But it had to be done.

Also Kal now HAS THE POWER TO KNOOOWWWW.

ALWAYS BELIEVIIIIIIING, WHEN YOU'RE GOLD!

Uh... you get the idea.

Also you shalt now see the reason why Kal was created and practically what this whole story was spawned from. Just one little scene.

Even though it had looked pitch black inside, the walls of the ark glowed softly with red and blue lines similar to the markings outside that lit up and then faded a moment later. As the door clamped shut behind her, Kal reflected on how quiet the place was. Even though this room was large, it wasn't big enough to be the whole of the ark, and there was no sign of Amaterasu or Waka. She couldn't pick up any scents, as every time she tried the only thing she could sense was the evil from deeper inside the ark.

As she glanced around at the markings on the metal walls, she realised that a few of them actually seemed like images. That looks like Orochi… and Crimson Helm… and Ninetails!

So the spirit really had gone to this ark after all.

Something inside her made her want to race over to the room which the Ninetails icon was above, but she reminded herself why she was here in the first place. Rushing in without thinking is what's got me beaten up so much lately. Getting revenge on Ninetails isn't my priority. Besides, Amaterasu will probably defeat him, so I'd only be getting in the way if I tried.

"Do my eyes deceive me? A dog of the moon aboard this ark?"

Kal jumped at the unfamiliar voice, glancing around to see where it had come from. Surely there couldn't be anyone else inside this ark? There didn't seem to be anyone there.

Finally her eyes came to rest on someone who looked to be floating in the air, their hair shaped like wings that beat silently. It seemed like that was why they were floating, but she could see right through them. They were a spirit.

"Who are you?" she asked tautly, still not used to the fact that she was talking to a dead person. Well, she assumed they were human.

"One of the few Celestial spirits still trapped inside this ark," the spirit girl sighed. "My name is Azumi. I didn't expect to ever see a lunar dog here."

Why is there a spirit here? Kal wondered to herself. To be trapped here as a spirit, that would mean that Azumi had been killed in this ark… "What happened to you?"

"You mean, why am I a spirit?" Azumi questioned, echoing her thoughts. "All of us Celestials were devoured by the demons inside this ark when we escaped from Orochi on the Celestial Plain. Only a few of us remain here as spirits."

"The Celestial Plain, huh," Kal muttered. She knew someone had mentioned that to her long ago, most likely Rao reading from one of her scrolls. Yet humans didn't know that much about it, and because of that, neither did she. This didn't seem like the time for asking about that, however. "There are still lots of demons inside this ark, aren't there?"

"I believe there are still a few, but since Okami Amaterasu arrived not long ago some of them seem to have disappeared."

You mean there was even more evil than there is now! Kal's eyes widened.

"But still," Azumi continued. "If you are a Tsubasa… are you looking for the man of the Moon Tribe who is in this ark?"

Her attention snapped back to what the Celestial was talking about. So it's true then. Waka is from the Moon Tribe. "Yeah. Do you know where he is?" The ark is massive, it could take ages to find him otherwise.

"Not precisely, but I can sense that he is somewhere within the upper levels of this boat," Azumi told her. "You must hurry, Tsubasa Inu. The demons in this ark may get you as well."

Kal just nodded in reply, glancing towards the top of the ark. I'm not letting any more darn demons attack me. The ark was so massive that she could barely see a thing more than ten metres above her, and she couldn't pick up any sound either.

When she glanced around again Azumi had vanished. At least she knew where to go now.

"Let's just hope there's no flying demons in here," she muttered, spreading her now-silver wings and taking off, heading upwards towards the upper levels of the ark.

It seemed like ages before Kal finally reached a part of the ark where she could see her surroundings. More blue lines trailed in a hemisphere above, some of the light blocked by a large floating platform.

The rest of the place is practically empty. This must be it.

Even though her wings ached from flying up here, she gave a final burst of energy to speed up towards the platform, clearing the edge by a few metres and landing lightly on the metallic stone, causing a small cloud of dust to fly in the air. She folded her wings beside her so not to stir up any more of the grit, and glanced around.

In the centre of the platform was what looked like a giant sphere. It was shrouded by darkness so she couldn't see exactly what it was, but because of this she could tell that it was definitely something bad. The sense of evil she was picking up from it was stronger than ever…

"Kal?"

Distracted by the evil power coming from the ominous sphere, Kal finally snapped back to reality. She finally glanced over to see Waka stood across the platform, for once actually looking surprised to see her.

Though she was probably just as shocked.

Even though it was hard to see in the half-light, she could tell that he was injured. His kimono was torn and blood-stained, and he had a bruise on one side of his face. Even the wings of his hat were ripped, one almost torn off completely.

This is why I should have been trying to defend him…

"Can't say I'm that surprised," he said evenly, forcing a smile. "I knew that you would find out sooner or later…"

Kal glanced back at her wings and the pale marking on her shoulder. Obviously he'd noticed.

"You've become a true Tsubasa, je vois," he muttered, his voice somewhat guarded since she could tell that he knew more than he let on. "I'm assuming that's how you managed to get into this ark. Didn't think to show up earlier to help get past the other demons, eh?"

Well, at least I know he isn't hurt too badly then.

She glanced over at the dark sphere, giving a half-bark.

"This is Yami, the ruler of all evil," Waka explained, clearly understanding the unspoken question. "And the demon… who killed all the celestials in this ark…" he trailed off as he glanced at the shadow. "I couldn't stop him then. Now is my chance to avenge those he killed."

He sped forward to attack the dark shape with his sword Pillow Talk, but every strike he made was rebounded by the shield around it. Kal was about to run over and try to help when she heard a noise from somewhere across the platform and glanced around. A beam of light appeared, vanishing a moment later as Amaterasu dropped down from it.

So she teleported up here? Huh. If only I'd known there was an easier way than flying.

Suddenly she had to jump aside as Pillow Talk went flying over the edge of the platform.

"There you are, Amaterasu," Waka commented, regaining his balance as he landed back on the platform once more. "I thought I could handle this before you arrived, but it seems I have met my match."

How do you defeat something if it's got a barrier? I guess since Amaterasu is here now she'll probably know what to do. I mean, she managed to break through Orochi's barrier and defeat him…

Suddenly the ground started to shake, and the light wavered. Kal glanced around in shock, not knowing what was going on.

"And so it begins," Waka said quietly, his voice grave. "The dreaded Day of Darkness is upon us."

The light faded until the area was almost as black as the emptiness below. Kal knew that outside the sun would now have completely vanished, even though she couldn't see the sky from in here. The shadows surrounding Yami disappeared, and finally she could see the ruler of darkness, a giant metal orb covered in red lines. Was that all? She'd learnt not to underestimate demons.

She wasn't entirely sure what happened, but all of a sudden a strange red light started emanating from Amaterasu. It almost looked like she energy was being drained from her. Then a bunch of orbs flew from her, scattering in the air above before arranging into a circle and hovering back down to the centre of the platform, where they were absorbed into Yami. Then the red light stopped and Amaterasu fell to the ground, her crimson markings and divine weapon gone.

What the heck just happened? Kal's eyes widened in fear. It looked like he just took her powers away…Yami couldn't do that, could he?

What if he could. Did they have any chance of defeating him now?

At that moment the metal sphere opened, the top half separating into quarters and a small globe rising from inside, housing something that looked like some kind of fish or foetus. Was that what Yami really was? Maybe the metal was just armour. The water started to glow for a moment as the foetus curled up tighter into a ball, and then a blinding laser shot from it, heading straight for Amaterasu…

Yet it never hit her.

Waka had jumped over to block the laser, using his remaining sword to break it. However, Yami was strong and the prophet was being forced backwards.

What do I do… what do I do! I made it in here and now I don't even know how to achieve what I came here for! But I have to do something!

Here goes improvisation…

Hurriedly she drew her own sword, pausing for a moment to aim before flicking her head and throwing it through the air towards Yami.

It simply pinged off the glowing orb and clattered uselessly to the ground a few metres away.

Well that didn't help at all…

Yami had pushed Waka so far back that he was right in front of Amaterasu now. As the laser became ever more powerful he couldn't block it any longer, and Yami used a final surge in power to blast him backwards, and the laser vanished.

Waka's hat fell to the floor, and Kal blinked in astonishment.

So it's true…

As he landed back on the platform once more, breathing heavily, his energy spent, the long golden hair that had always been concealed by his helmet trailed down his back. Kal wasn't really sure what to think.

He really is from the Moon Tribe. He looks so different without the hat. But why did he never tell me? There must have been some reason.

Almost sub-consciously she could hear the sound of Yami charging his laser again.

It was too late that she realised that considering the state of the other two at that very moment, to the demon she was probably the biggest threat.

The laser was heading for her.

"Gah!" she cried as she saw the flash of light. There was no time to move.

She shut her eyes against it, waiting only a second to feel the pain that would come with being hit. She could sense the heat moving through the air towards her…

The ground shifted beneath her paws. But other than that…

Nothing.

"Huh?" she gasped as she nervously opened one eye to see what had happened.

Gold sparks fluttered to the ground around her, disappearing once they touched the metal. And the floor around her looked different. She could see Yami in front of her, his laser firing in the opposite direction.

"Whoa…" she murmured, her fur still standing on end from the shock. I can teleport? Is that what happens when you become a "true" Tsubasa? That must be why Bengo could do it…

Yami was charging his laser again, preparing to fire. Kal got ready to jump out of the way - she wasn't entirely sure how she'd teleported before, and even though it was probably similar to the way she'd used her collar she didn't want to chance it.

Although it wasn't her he was aiming for this time, she realised with a jolt.

"Look out!" she yelped.

No use.

Yami shot his laser once again, smashing into Waka. The prophet was blasted backwards into the air and over the side of the platform, where he vanished into the darkness below.

No… no…!

She raced over to the edge of the platform, but she was unable to see anything. It was too dark.

This can't be happening… Waka… no!

She turned back to face Yami again, tears brimming in her eyes and a lump forming in her throat. "You'll pay for this, you worthless demon!"

Just then she heard a quiet yap, and glanced over in surprise to see Amaterasu struggling to her paws, the want for vengeance giving the goddess energy. But the noise she'd made had almost sounded like a warning.

I don't get it, Amaterasu… we have to defeat Yami…! I don't care whether you think I'm a bad fighter! Whatever happens, I can't just stand here and do nothing!

At last the white wolf glanced up at her, and for a moment her eyes locked onto hers.

And as their gazes met, Kal finally understood Amaterasu's message.

Save him.

"But how…" Kal cried hopelessly. The only way I could save Waka is by flying after him… and I wouldn't know how to stop him falling…

But… I have to try. A Tsubasa's duty is to defend the Moon Tribe. And if Ammy believes I can save him…

Besides, defeating Yami is her fate. Not mine.

You can't make someone else's fate your own.

She took a deep breath, letting it out again shakily to calm down. "Okay. I'll do it," she nodded. "You better darn well save the world, mind."

With that said, she jumped backwards, diving over the edge of the platform. As she plunged down into the darkness below, the goddess's battle cry echoed around the ark, marking the start of the most important battle in history.

For both of them.