Here's an Okami story that wasn't supposed to be an Okami story and yet here I am. I rewrote the prologue because I felt like it. I also have a beta reader now! :D

Edited by Grammarly and my new beta reader, MysticBofa. Thank you my friend!

Reijiko raised an eyebrow at the white okami seated cross-legged next to her as they observed a petite, skinny boy being cornered against a wall. A small pool was what the wolf used to monitor the mortal world below her during her duties as sun goddess. Said goddess returned Reijiko's stare and grinned cheekily.

"Yes?"

Reijiko huffed and said, "Are you certain he is the one, Amaterasu? He seems…" she spared a glance down at the pool and caught a glimpse of the boy taking a fist to the face before looking back at the okami. "Insignificant."

The okami let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she adjusted her position, bringing and settling her tail onto her lap and stroking it absentmindedly. "Oh, ye of little faith. Of course, I am sure, Reijiko. In fact, one might say I am 'overly confident' that this boy, however small and weak he is perceived to be, is the one from the prophecy." Another chuckle escaped from her elongated, toothed maw as she smiled, showing off the sharp, pearly-white teeth.

Reijiko rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the pool. "I have my doubts and concerns, my lady." She shot an adamant glance at Amaterasu. "Does the prophecy call for a thin twig of a man to face off against Yami and his army?"

Another chuckle from the okami sun goddess. "Of course not! He is but a boy, Reijiko. He will soon grow to be a strong man, the one from the prophecy."

"But a foreigner?"

Amaterasu opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it as Reijiko had a good point there. After a brief moment of silence, she finally spoke, resuming the stroking of her tail. "I admit, I was both surprised and, dare I say, disappointed to find that it called for a 'mortal not born of Nippon'." She shrugged dismissively. "But I dare not ignore such a prophecy. Remember the last time one was ignored? By both kami and mortals alike?"

Reijiko nodded. "Yes, Nippon was nearly destroyed by a weapon nearly as powerful as the sun itself." She visibly shivered, and Amaterasu did the same. "All of those people, happy and living their life peacefully…gone in an instant." Her ears folded back against her head, and she hugged herself tightly. "It was horrible, Ammy. To hear thousands of voices fall silent all at once in a flash of light brighter than the sun. And it happened not once, but twice. Twice, Ammy." The eight-tailed, golden-furred kitsune stifled a sob, which came out as a whimper.

Amaterasu reached over and placed a comforting hand on Reijiko's shoulder. "It's been nearly a century since that happened, Rei." The kitsune sniffed and nodded solemnly.

"I know," she whispered meekly.

Then the okami smiled brightly and directed Reijiko's gaze to her. "Speaking of centuries, it's almost your ninth one, isn't it? Don't you get your ninth tail this summer?"

Reijiko immediately perked up, and all the somberness and grief were gone in an instant. "Y-yes! I do! I nearly forgot! Thank you for reminding me, Ammy. Mother is currently preparing for the ceremony itself and has requested for my assistance in the following months…" she faltered when she noticed the beaming smile on Amaterasu's wolfish face. "What?"

"Nothing," she fibbed with a shake of her head, keeping her widening smile. "I understand from your reaction that it is a wondrous occasion?"

Reijiko nodded eagerly. "Yes! It is!" She paused and collected herself, turning serious. "Ahem, I must apologize for the sudden departure, Amaterasu. But it was a pleasure to see you again."

Amaterasu smiled and nodded once. "The pleasure is all mine. Good night, Rei. Have fun at the ceremony, won't you?"

Rei smiled and hugged the sun goddess. "I will. Good-night, Ammy."

Amaterasu returned the embrace before pulling away to allow the kitsune to stand and depart from her dwelling. But just as Reijiko was about to cross the threshold and journey back to her home, she stopped in her tracks and turned to Amaterasu with a concerned and worried look on her delicate, vulpine features. "I hope you are right about this human, Ammy. If it turns out that he is not who the prophecy says, then the entire world would be at stake. All life, mortal and kami, will be destroyed until Yami and his demons remain."

Amaterasu narrowed her golden eyes at the kitsune before looking off to the side. "You don't know if it's Yami, Reijiko. And neither do I."

"Then how do you explain the recent rise of demon incursions, in not only Nippon, but the rest of the world?" the kitsune questioned almost accusingly.

Amaterasu shook her head and replied feebly, "Just demons being demons. These are random attacks; sloppy and uncoordinated, and completely manageable. If I'm not wrong, I believe that one of your sisters and some other fellow kitsune are dealing with that, correct?"

Reijiko shook her head and took a step towards the sun goddess. "That is beside the point, Ammy. What threat to the entire world and Celestial Plain is greater than Yami and his army? And the attacks aren't just random like you said they were. I-"

Amaterasu whirled on the eight-tales, her golden eyes burning bright with fury. "I defeated Yami and cut him to pieces, Reijiko! He is dead! There is no possible way that he's alive. Even if he was, he'd be too weak to do anything! Now leave! I wish to be alone! And you have a silly ceremony to get to!"

Reijiko stiffened and let out a small gasp, and Amaterasu realized too late what she had said. But instead of fixing the issue, the okami sun goddess turned away from the kitsune and ignored her. Reijiko let out an angry huff before she stormed out of the room. Upon going through the portal that led to her home in the mortal world, she found herself in her bedroom.

And it was there that the eight-tailed kitsune sank to the floor and broke down into tears.

Meanwhile, back in the Celestial Plain where Amaterasu resided, the sun goddess herself was reeling from the events that had just played out not a moment earlier. She berated herself for exploding on Reijiko in the way that she did. There was no reason for that. Amaterasu knew that she quite possibly lost one of her best friends, and it was her fault.

The okami sun goddess sighed sadly and subconsciously brushed away a stray tear from her left cheek tuft.

"It would be best if I didn't dwell on it any longer," she murmured to herself.

Then one of her ears perked to a strange sound, and she turned towards the commotion. It was coming from the 'seeing pool'. Dismissing the ridiculous name, Amaterasu strode over to the instrument and peered into the pool, letting out a sigh as she watched the boy, the supposed 'chosen one', lay curled up in a ball on the ground after having been beaten to a pulp by a triage of bullies.

She felt pity for the boy, and her heart went out to him. But she didn't dare interfere with what she believed to be his destiny. If he was to be the savior of mortals and kami alike, he would have to learn to be strong and rise up to any and all challenges the world threw at him, without any outside help. However, in ten years, when the prophecy is supposed to come true, Amaterasu would be able to approach and train him to become the warrior he was destined to be.

In the meantime, she resorted to watching over him until the time came, waiting to eventually meet her champion.

Amaterasu smiled softly to herself and placed her hands on the edge of the pool, resting her chin on top of it as she stared at the boy. "I look forward to meeting you, erabareshimono...my champion."