Steve Rogers had found himself staying up late following the events of the day, noting down everything in a little journal he kept in his pocket. He figured he should start a list of big events, inventions, and at least attempt to acclimate himself to the modern world. Following the near disastrous incident upon the Helicarrier, and the rather embarrassing confusion with the electrical panel during the infiltration by Loki's goons, Steve felt it would be irresponsible if he didn't try.
So with the little notepad in hand, he flipped to a new page and began to jot down little notes, or things to keep an eye on. First on the list was the important and concerning information. The locations that the wolf could be found, for one. He jotted down the safe house (which he had learned was heavily watched and acted as a false place of security), the (ugly) Stark tower, and then the shrine that had somehow just appeared in Central Park. He had taken early morning runs down one of the pathways that lead right past the spot, and it hadn't existed there before. He was sure of it.
Steve even took down notes of the little arts and crafts store the duo had visited, as well as the polite war veteran selling hotdogs on the street, who was rather sharp and quick to catch on. He made a mental note to check in on him as well, if for nothing else then just to chat briefly and swap stories. He wouldn't admit it, but having someone with similar shared experiences might be nice to speak with every once in a while.
With the brief list of locations taken down, he began on the slightly more worrying list. The large wolf's abilities.
When he had first encountered her, the lupine was quick, deceptively so. Strong, agile, could perform accurate martial arts, and seemingly could pilot alien speed bikes. Though that last one could be sheer luck.
He had heard from Clint that she was fast, going from several city blocks away to one of the top floors of a building in an impossibly short time. Throw in some healing abilities and energy recover, as well as an intelligence that no animal should have, and things started getting worrying.
Unfortunately, things only grew more concerning as he recounted the previous day. She could seemingly teleport or vanish into thin air, change her appearance to something she had seen moments prior, and even project illusions wherever she wanted! To top it all off, now the wolf had mind powers, and made cans of paint float.
Oh, right, and the magic ink. He couldn't even attempt to explain that one. It just kind of appeared. He just jotted it down, and tried not to think about it.
Reading over his list, he knew he was probably forgetting something. The multitude of skills and abilities display was genuinely worrying, and absolutely warranted Nick Fury's close attention. Or, it would, but… Amaterasu seemed genuinely nice. He was hoping that wasn't some form of magic emotional manipulation speaking, but he felt he was a decent judge of character.
She easily could have evaded him with her abilities, or probably caught him off-guard when the two were shopping or painting, but there was never any hint of maliciousness or alternative agenda. The wolf just genuinely seemed to want to clean up the place a little and paint.
So, with those notes out of the way, Steve set about drawing. He had intended on doing some pencil sketches of her from memory, including rough measurements and important details that Fury had asked for. But after the first couple sketches, he found his mind wandering. In the light of a lamp, he sat up and just doodled.
He sketched out the wolf carrying a thin tree in her mouth, and then a brief action shot of the chunk of wood being hurled over the short walls of the Shrine. He the wolf holding a paintbrush in her mouth, her head tilted to the side, an ear cocked as she stared at him. Then drew out the markings he had noticed on her later on in the evening, those red swirls and lines that he was sure didn't exist before.
Steve eventually retired for the night, turning off the light and going to bed, intending to go for a jog in the morning and spend the next day with the wolf in order to watch her and ensure that she wasn't going to be a danger to the public.
Steve slept soundly, tired from the past few days and just wanting a decent period of rest for the night. While Steve had intended to find the wolf first thing in the morning, something else had happened instead.
She had found him.
A brief creak in the floorboards had Steve wide awake, sitting upright in bed, immediately taking in the room and the potential dangers that could assault him at any second. All he managed to catch though, was the sight of his jacket falling to the foot of the bed, and the brief flash of white fur, before the room was silent once more.
He reached over the edge of the bed, grabbing his jacket that he had given the wolf to hold onto the previous night, and then glanced at the spot on the floor near the wall where he had seen her for less than a second.
She was gone, like she had never been there in the first place.
He groaned and shifted to the side, glancing at the clock at the bedside, and double checking to make sure he wasn't missing anything.
It was 6:30 in the morning.
So, with the sun just starting to peek over the horizon, Steve Rogers grabbed himself a quick bite to eat, and then made his way outside, jogging his way through the slightly quieter streets of early morning new York. He gradually made his way toward Central Park, trying to figure out what he should try to do with Amaterasu that day to better understand her abilities and determine her nature a bit better.
However, he came to a stop in front of the shrine, a feeling of confusion and surprise coming over him, a feeling that he was unfortunately quickly becoming accustomed to. He looked up to the top of the arch that acted as the entrance to the shrine, and found the wolf standing on one leg at the very top. She was stretched out, and wobbling, balancing on one leg, while craning her neck and watching an early morning yoga session taking place, doing her best to mimic the increasingly difficult poses that the instructors were showing.
"Thanks for bringing back the jacket." Steve spoke up to her. He winced as the wolf gave a startled yelp and staggered backward, losing her balance in surprise. The large wolf wobbled for a good few seconds, trying to keep her balance, before finally giving up the valiant effort and plunging to the side.
She toppled off the arch to the left, bounced off the top of the wall bordering the shrine property, and tumbled to the ground in a flail of limbs, out of sight of the super soldier.
Steve walked under the arch and into the shrine grounds, turning to the side. He looked down at the sprawled-out form of the wolf, on her back, limbs splayed out in all directions while she huffed, shaking her head from the tumble.
Amaterasu tucked her forepaws up to her chest and shifted her gaze to meet Steve's, the pair staring at one another, as if daring one another to make a mention of what the other had seen. The wolf eventually snorted and shook her head again, shifting to her side and getting to all fours. She wheeled around to face Steve, giving him a little huff and a grumble as she flicked her ear, a few blades of grass falling to the ground.
"Didn't mean to startle you, sorry about that." Steve apologized, grinning lightly in amusement but refusing to laugh at the expense of the wolf. He glanced at her, and then shifted his gaze outside the gate of the shrine to the yoga class taking place. "Don't want to go join them?"
A little huff and the folding back of the wolf's ears gave Steve all the answer he needed as she pawed lightly at the ground. She probably just hadn't thought to go up and join. Though he was sure the class would have been distracted by the wolf and might have stopped altogether.
The pair were distracted as they caught sight of a few people jogging along the paths off in the distance, and Steve caught a little wiggle of the canine's tail as the people disappeared from view.
"Wanna go for a run?" Steve asked, turning to face the wolf again. The canine tilted her head and looked at him, giving an inquisitive little "wurf" in response.
"Yoga isn't really my thing." Steve explained, inviting the wolf to join him for an early morning activity.
He almost immediately regretted his choice to ask the magic wolf to go running with him, when the wolf almost seemed to grin, her gold eyes shining with barely restrained mischievousness and excitement.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Amaterasu had woken up just before the sun had risen, yawning sharply and letting out a high pitched whine at the end of the yawn, blinking her eyes heavily. She got to her feet and shook herself off, the sound of something a little heavy and made of fabric hitting the floor soon after.
The jacket!
Ammy looked at the object Steve had covered her with the previous night, and hefted it up with her Telekinesis. She shook off the garment and made sure it was clean and spotless before stuffing it into her Inventory.
The large canine huffed, deciding she would drop off the jacket before really getting a start on the days activities! As she turned to exit the little building within the shrine, she bumped her nose into a blue screen, causing her snoot to scrunch up for a brief moment.
She snorted and shook her head, leveling a cool gaze to the surprise blue screen floating in front of her.
Quest Created: Canine Courier! You were given an item of relatively little importance to borrow! Honour dictates you must return it in a timely manner.
Objective:
Give Steve's coat back to him within 24 hours.
Rewards:
10 praise, 1 Skill Point
Amaterasu blinked and rolled her eyes at the absurdly obnoxious little blue screen. She shook her head and stepped through it, shattering the box into thousands of tiny shards that evaporated.
Well, if she was given a goal, she might as well get it finished with early on. Though in comparison to the effort the rewards were minimal. It was funny in a way, her previous goals going from stopping an alien invasion and collecting aspects of the universe, to delivering a jacket to someone she met recently.
With a new goal, Ammy set off for the safe house she had been in previously. She cloaked herself in an illusion, rendering herself invisible as she weaved her way though the streets, quickly coming upon the building tucked away in a more residential area.
She approached the front door and sat down, pawing at it and giving a soft bark to be polite just in case anyone was awake. After a moment of waiting, she used Flash Step to teleport herself inside the little safe house. She padded softly along the floor, trying to keep quiet as it seemed like no one was awake at the time.
She stopped for a moment, and then crouched lower, giving a soft and playful growl as she started sneaking around instead, darting quietly behind a chair, and then teleporting herself 3 feet over to behind the couch, keeping herself low as she belly crawled through the building.
Sure, she could cloak herself, but where was the fun in that?
Ammy huffed as she peeked her nose out over the edge of the couch and looked around, before leaping over the central counter between the living room and the kitchen, and ducked down behind it, the whole motion taking less than a second.
She kept her claws lifted as best she could as she shuffled and crawled forward on the linoleum, before rolling herself over with a little flail of her limbs as she got stuck on her back for a moment. She rolled from behind the counter to the edge of the wall near the fridge, and peeked around the corner down the hallway.
The coast was clear! She kept herself low and silently padded down the hallway toward the bedrooms, her tail just barely dragging on the ground as she prowled forward, breathing softly to not make a sound. As she came to a stop in front of the rooms, she scented the air, realizing that Clint and Natasha hadn't been here for a day or so now, but it seemed like Steve was still in the building for the moment. She cocked an ear and listened to deep breaths coming from the room to her left.
The wolf padded up to the door and teleported herself through it, ending up on the other side and trying to remain quiet as she approached the sleeping super soldier. She pulled the jacket from her inventory, and used her Telekinesis to hover the jacket in the air. She stepped closer to the bed, intending to lay the jacket down nicely, when the floor underneath her creaked.
She had been trying to be sneaky, not wanting to wake up Steve, so when he woke up and sat up straight in bed, looking around the room, she panicked. She lost her grip on the jacket and used Flash Step to teleport herself through the wall.
Her plan had succeeded! Maybe! And she was in a rather annoying bush now… But still, she had done it! She delivered the jacket!
Amaterasu yipped lightly in happy triumph, squirming and flailing around in the bushes a little, wriggling herself free over the course of a minute. The notification for her Quest being completed had appeared and then shattered out of existence nearly as fast, the large wolf flopping free of the bush and landing on the screen, shattering it.
The large wolf shook herself off, sending leaves and sticks flying, before making her way back to the Shrine, cloaked and almost impossible to detect. The city of New York was still New York, as busy and crowded as ever as people went about their business.
She gave a sigh of relief as she entered Central Park, the familiarity of Nature and the sound buffer of the trees being relaxing to her. As she made her way to the Shrine, however, she saw an unusual sight. People in brightly coloured clothing were standing in a clearing not too far away from one of the main paths, just able to be seen briefly through the bushes.
The wolf didn't want to startle the people and cloaked herself, before moving closer, leaping over the bushes and watching as someone made their way to the front of the group, setting down an odd looking roll that spread out into a foam mat.
Amaterasu watched as the class got set up as well, and began with some stretches and slow simple movements as they got prepared for this "yoga". She sat and watched for a moment, before attempting to stand herself upright on her back legs, balancing herself as she tried to extend one leg out and mimic a pose.
Then she fell backward. She landed on the grass with a "wuff" and a soft thump, drawing eyes to where the sound came from, pausing the class.
Though she was cloaked, Amaterasu was thoroughly embarrassed. She made her way to her feet and quickly left the area, teleporting herself to the other side of the bushes to avoid making any sound on the pathway. She trotted to her shrine Shrine instead, glancing up at the stone archway.
With a thought and a glance back to ensure a proper viewing angle, Ammy leapt on top of the stone archway, scrambling a little as he back paws failed to make contact. Once she heaved herself up, she huffed and turned around, looking through the branches of a tree and over the bushes to watch the yoga class taking place.
She started to stretch and shake out her paws and tail a little, watching the group of people getting out of some weird crouched and stretching downward position, and arched their backs as they looked to the sky. The wolf lay on her belly and did the same on the stone, stretching but keeping her eyes on the class.
The group of people gradually worked their way through more and more difficult poses, the wolf having difficulty following along. She had dropped her illusion at this point and had her tongue out in concentration, balancing on one back leg with her front legs out in front of her. The class started to spread their limbs away from their torso's in a kind of star shaped form, so the wolf wobbled in place and attempted to do the same.
She was focused on the group, wobbling dangerously in place for a moment, her tail flicking out to her counter balance. She stared and focused, breathing deep, intent on copying the movements she saw. She could feel a tug on her magic as she did so, something forming and clicking inside her, and she stabilized herself further. It felt right, and something shifted, magic condensing into a new ability-
"Thanks for bringing back the jacket."
Concentration: Shattered.
Ability: Vanished.
Embarrassment: Extreme.
She yelped and fell from the stone archway, tumbling downward, bouncing off the top of the wall and falling into the boundary of her Shrine. She landed on her back and bounced, before falling flat, limbs splayed out as she huffed, trying to focus on something other than the clouds.
Steve apologized of course, and after watching people jog by, the pair decided on a run. Now he was talking. She was fast before she had gotten her new magic.
As Ammy padded outside of the Shrine area alongside Steve, she decided against using her magic for now. She found herself relying on it more and more often and wanted to avoid becoming lazy or becoming dependant on it in the event that someone could just steal her power like they could in her past life.
So, Ammy loped along beside Steve as they took a slow pace initially, following the pathway. Ammy had cloaked herself as that German Shepherd from before, jogging along the pathway beside Steve, who had worn a sweater and had the hood up as they ran for both of them to disguise their identity.
However, Ammy pulled forward a little as the pace was a little too slow for her liking, trotting along a little faster. Steve matched her of course, and the pair quickly passed the pair of joggers they had seen earlier, with a quick "on your left" from Steve and a warning bark from Ammy.
Still, it wasn't fast enough. Seeing as it was early and there weren't too many people, Ammy dropped her illusion and looked back at Steve, giving a playful bark as she sped up. He rolled his eyes in return, dropping the hood as he picked up the pace, the pair moving along a bit faster than what most people could sprint.
They ducked around another pair of people jogging, making their way around the lake and working further along central park, at some point leaving the pathway to just race through the trees and bushes, leaping over obstacles.
Still.
Not fast enough!
Ammy could feel herself holding back, able to do more. So, she did. Flowers and leaves and blossoms were left in a trail behind her. She heard Steve's feet hitting the ground hard behind her, the super soldier keeping up with the wolf though not without strain. Ammy huffed as she ran. She could go faster still, but…
She flexed her will on reality, pausing time for a moment. She shifted her gaze back to the super soldier she was running alongside, and he seemed to be happy. Or at least the expression on his face was. Maybe. It could have been a grimace now that she thought about it. One of those clenched angry smiles when someone's pushing themselves hard, or exasperated with someone…
Nah, couldn't be!
She released her grip on reality for a moment and barely stumbled in her strides, continuing running with the super soldier as if nothing had happened.
Of course, they eventually ran out of green empty park area to run in, the pair slowly jogging to a stop as they noticed the grey of the streets and buildings peeking through some trees, the sounds of the city growing louder.
Ammy huffed and glanced up happily at Steve, her tail wagging quickly behind her. Steve was breathing a little harder as well, the flat out sprint through the park leaving the pair winded for a moment. That was, until Ammy pulled on her magic and used Bloom on herself and the super soldier, energy coursing through them both.
Steve looked mildly surprised and looked down at himself for a moment, before looking at the large canine now sitting down, wagging happily beside him. He raised an eyebrow, to which the wolf merely barked out an affirmative, before getting back to all fours, facing opposite way.
"Race you to the other side?" Steve asked, crouching down a little.
A playful growl was his response as Ammy crouched down as well, body thrumming with excited energy, ready to race through the park.
The two pushed off and ran through the trees and bushes, leaping over roots and benches, weaving around people and doing their best to keep to themselves while they ran back and forth.
And back and forth.
Again.
…and again…
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Following the events of the run, the pair decided it would be a good time to explore the city a little bit. The park had been getting a little too full, and the pair had found that they had started wearing a track into the ground from how hard they were running and pushing themselves. Ammy was overjoyed with the running though, having quite enjoyed her time with the soldier. Steve didn't seem to be disappointed in the events of the morning either, a relaxed look on his face as the pair walked along.
Of course, Ammy was happy for another reason as well. They had gotten food! They had stopped by the friendly man running the hot dog cart again, and while he had begrudgingly tossed the wolf a meat tube, Steve had slipped the guy a $5 bill when Ammy hadn't been watching.
After a brief chat, a happy little "wurf" and attempted lick from Ammy, the pair went on their way once more. While walking, Ammy decided now would be a good time to check up on those pesky little notifications that kept popping up in front of her. She split her focus between walking and weaving through people, and working through those funny little blue screens.
Congratulations! Due to your recent endurance running with a friend, you have gained +1 Endurance, Dexterity, and Charisma.
After a brief moment of thinking, and dodging her way around the grabby hands of a rather messy and sticky toddler in a stroller, she decided to put the skill point she gained into her Strength, that stat being the lowest she had so far. Maybe she could find a way to train that further…
Name: Amaterasu Reborn
Titles: Dog, Hero of New York, Not a Stray
HP: 350/350
MP: 1 000/1 000
Level: 17
Strength: 26
Vitality: 36
Dexterity: 35
Intelligence: 50
Wisdom: 35
Charisma: 28 + 10% = 30.8
Luck: 26 + 10% = 28.6
Skill Points: 0
Praise: 748
She should also revisit her shrine later and spend some of her Praise that she had built up…
"I'm not too sure if you had any other plans, but I was going to go to the library today. I've got a few days before I've gotta leave on a trip and wouldn't mind getting some reading in." Steve spoke, getting her attention again as she let the blue screen fade.
"Aroo?" Ammy asked, tilting her head lightly, her tail drooping a little. She had started to like spending time with him! He could run! And there was food. He could paint and draw and was just easy to be around.
"It won't be for too long. Coulson arranged for Tony to look after you for a bit. You remember him, right? Can fly around in that red suit, owns that tall building that we all met on at the end of the fighting?" A nod was all the confirmation Steve needed to continue.
"Anyways, he was… 'asked' to look after you, but you aren't being forced to stay. Just check in with him if you can." Steve continued.
The pair approached a tall, old looking building, the white stone stretching high and wide. They made their way up some stairs, and Ammy ran forward a few paces and jumped, landing at the base of one of the many statues that decorated the front of the building. She pawed at it lightly, and then made her way off the platform to the next one, excitedly taking in the familiar art form.
"If you're worried that he's not going to be any help, I've been told that someone named Pepper, or Happy, would be more than willing to help." Steve continued up the stairs, knowing that Ammy would follow soon enough, and that she should be able to hear him. "You might want to hide yourself though, I don't think they're gonna let you in."
The wolf huffed as she leapt away from another statue and loped her way up the steps. She shook herself off lightly and matched her pace with Steve once more, bumping into his leg briefly and looking up at him, nodding, before she vanished from sight.
"…This world keeps getting weirder, I swear." Steve Rogers spoke to himself, shaking his head.
The super soldier and the sun goddess made their way into the massive library, the sign reading The New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Steve pulled out his wallet and flashed his card at the desk, before making his way along the first floor toward the American History section.
The area was fairly quiet, though the occasional person wandering around made it impossible for Ammy to uncloak herself immediately, instead keeping up her Illusion and making sure to occasionally use Telekinesis to nudge Steve and let him know she was there.
He eventually turned down an aisle, as if knowing exactly where to go, and plucked a book off the shelf, something about "American History Post WWII and The Societal Shift in American Culture". Ammy had no idea what it was about.
"I'm going to go sit in the far corner off to the left, should be hidden enough for you to read without being spotted." Steve paused for a moment, and furrowed his brow. "Er… can you read?"
An affirmative little "wuff" was all the reply Steve needed. He went off on his way and Ammy split off as well, padding her way through the massive library. She could explore! There were so many smells and sights to look at, everything felt a little overwhelming with all the choice.
Ammy decided to wander her way through the absolutely massive building, gradually working her way higher and higher, through room after room. She eventually made it to the third floor, and blanched as she felt a weird pull on her being.
Something was wrong.
It wasn't urgent, but it definitely wasn't safe.
Amaterasu made her way into the rare books area on the third floor of the library, weaving her way around a few people. She made her way up some stairs and looked up, feeling the pulling on her magic and the wrongness at the very top levels. She focused her Telekinesis on the section, only to have her magic slip right over the thing she was trying to grab. She attempted once more, putting more magic in it, only for her magic to slide off and hit some books to the side, knocking them off the shelf.
She panicked and quickly caught them all with Telekinesis, floating them back up to their proper positions with an annoyed growl. She attempted to use one of the books beside the wrongness to knock it down, only for her magic to lose contact on the book that came into contact with it. It didn't move even as momentum carried the book against it. She thought to herself for a moment, sitting down as she puzzled this out.
She couldn't use her magic to grab it. She couldn't knock it down without gathering attention. She couldn't climb up without struggling and likely knocking many books down, and causing a commotion.
She supposed she could make an ice barrier, but someone would definitely see that, and then she'd have to make an illusion to hide it. But then there would be the water to deal with…
Wait a second…
Amaterasu pulled up her Skills and Abilities information on the helpful little blue screens she so absolutely loved and didn't think annoying! Not one bit! And she definitely wasn't thinking this to avoid incurring the wrath of the screens…
She looked at one particular skill she had gotten but not put much use into. Shield. She had used it to create a permanent barrier over the painting that she and Steve had made on the outside of her Shrine, preventing any physical objects from passing through the inch thick invisible barrier.
Shield lvl 1: You frequently put yourself in harm's way for others and are a shield for the innocent. You can now create barriers of magic of a variety of size and shapes to defend against attacks, both magical and physical, and you can control what passes through them. Shields can be linked directly to your magic to drain MP instead of HP, or be given a set amount of durability based on the MP you put into it.
She hummed in thought for a moment, before tilting her head. She used her magic to create a Shield in front of her, about a foot off the ground. It was a square shape, roughly 3 feet wide and long, and unable to be seen by any other than Amaterasu.
She thought for a moment, raising a paw to press against the barrier. If she could choose what she let through… What if she didn't let herself go through?
She released her shaping of the magic barrier and kept her paw pressed against it. She pushed down on it, and found the invisible Shield unmoving. She worked onto all fours, and hopped up, landing onto the floating platform cautiously.
It didn't budge.
Amaterasu made another Shield a little higher up in the air and pushed off the one she was standing on, leaping up to the next one. It held as well.
Quelling the excitement of her new discovery and all the exciting ways she could abuse it. She tried to use her magic to lift and shape the Shield to bring her higher, but found that she couldn't change the Shield once she had made it. Lifting it also didn't work, as her Telekinesis wasn't strong enough to move it or herself. Yet.
Ammy made her way higher and higher using the platforms as stairs, before eventually reaching the top shelf, leaning in to examine the object that was making her senses scream danger.
It looked to just be a few pages. They were glowing a light purple, and seemed to almost pull energy into it. Cautiously, Ammy leaned forward and gripped it between her jaws.
Immediately, her magic failed. She fell from the top height of the shelves and to the floor with a solid thump. Her illusion had shattered when she grabbed the papers, leaving the wolf in plain sight for everyone to see.
The loud crash of her hitting the floor echoed around the large empty room, drawing looks as a security guard started making his way up the stairs. She attempted to freeze time, or to turn herself invisible again, only for her magic to fizzle out.
She tried harder this time, getting to all fours and crouching down behind a railing, trying to avoid being seen by the security with a hand on his hip, near the gun he carried. Her magic failed once more.
Warning: You have come into contact with part of a powerful magic artifact. This particular artifact drains your magic at an astonishing rate and leaves you unable to use magic as a result.
Quest Created: Hunt for the Darkhold! You have found several pages of a powerful book of Dark Magic. These pieces are scattered across the globe. The pages of the Darkhold protect themselves by draining magic and are impossible to find without having access to other pages.
Objective: Collect all 200 pages of the Darkhold.
Currently collected: 7/200
Secondary Objective: Keep the pages from being gathered by people who seek to use the book. Destroy the Darkhold.
Learn how to destroy the Darkhold.
Rewards: ?
Failure: ?
Amaterasu dropped the papers as quickly as she could, letting them fall to the floor, her magic recovering just enough for her to throw an Illusion over herself and the area around her, rendering her invisible and hiding the pages of the Darkhold.
The security guard stepped past the wolf, who was holding her breath. The keys jingled on the guards hip as he walked by, his boots echoing hauntingly through the room. He came to a stop mere feet from Ammy, turning to look around the room. He looked down at his feet, searching for anything, and then looked directly at the wolf!
She held her breath, hoping that the illusion was working properly. She didn't have enough magic to throw up a shield or make a quick escape, and she'd rather not be filled with holes, thank you very much.
Luckily, the guard's eyes swept over her spot, and beyond the pages. He stood nearby for another long moment, Ammy hearing her heartbeat quite audibly, before the guard started to move on again. The guard reached up to his shoulder and turned on his radio, mentioning something about checking cameras to whoever was on the other end.
Ammy sighed in relief and relaxed, turning her gaze to the pages on the floor and scowling at them. She thought for a moment and huffed, using her Telekinesis to grab a random book off the shelf (a replica version of The Codex Leichster: The Complete Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci) and opened it up on the floor. She grabbed the pages of the Darkhold again, and staggered as her magic was ripped from her body. She set the pages in the book and backed away, closing the book over the pages.
Cautiously, she used Shield to form a barrier an inch thick centered around the book, locking the barrier to the object. She touched the barrier, finding that she had her magic still, and shoved the book into her Inventory.
She huffed. It felt wrong to have the pages there. Like it was struggling out. Trying to escape the dimensional prison of her Inventory. She shook her head and kept herself cloaked, glancing around at all the other books in the room with a light shimmer to them.
They were clearly magical in nature to some extent, but she didn't feel that same hostile nature as she did with those pages. They would be safe for now, and she could always check back on them later.
Amaterasu kept herself hidden as she made her way back downstairs, her desire for exploring crushed. She took her time making her way back to Steve, thinking hard. She eventually lay down out of sight of the room behind the table, uncloaking herself and giving a soft huff up at Steve, and poking at his shoulder with her Telekinesis. He startled slightly and turned to look around, before glancing down at the wolf.
"You okay? You were gone for a while." Steve sounded concerned, setting down his book for a moment. Ammy merely huffed and shuffled closer to him, to which Steve reached down to set his hand between her ears and rub her head gently.
"I found a book you might be interested in." He continued, pulling away and bringing something down in front of the wolf. "The art style yesterday seemed similar to what I've seen from here. I thought you might be interested."
Ammy looked down at the book Steve set down for her, glancing over the title. Lost Japan: Last Glimpse of Beautiful Japan. She tilted her head and nosed at the book, flipping the cover open and then using her magic to flip the pages, looking at the words closely.
As she read, her attention and thoughts about the Darkhold fell away, replaced by a quiet satisfaction as she and Steve read in silence.
~{O}~{O}~{O}~
Time had passed much faster than the pair had realized, an influx of older students, parents with their children, and others catching their attention. Ammy quickly threw an Illusion over herself once more and floated the book back up onto the table for Steve to grab.
The pair decided to just rent out the books they had been reading. Ammy was back to her usual good mood, padding happily alongside Steve as they went to go rent the books out, putting them on Steve's library card.
Ammy overheard a conversation at a desk a little further down to her left, flicking her ear and glancing over at a younger girl who was dancing at her mother's feet, hopping around excitedly and all around just being a kid. Ammy smiled to herself a little, enjoying the infectious energy as her tail wagged.
"Mommy! Terry is gonna love this! He loves history!" The little girl hopped in place. She couldn't have been too much older than seven. The girl whirled around and looked at everyone while she moved around, her mother just sighing tiredly and not wanting to put down her daughters mood.
Steve finished up at the desk and held the books in his arm, thanking the librarian as he started to walk toward the exit. The mother and daughter duo did so at the same time, the mother handing her daughter a book for her to carry, while the mother carried a few more.
Once Steve and Ammy had cleared the exit and headed toward the stairs, Ammy dropped her illusion and the pair continued on like nothing had changed. The little girl behind the pair noticed though, and gasped. She then turned her attention to Steve and made a shrill, excited sound, looking at Steve and running forward while clutching her book.
"Amelia, hun, careful! Don't run down the stairs!" The mother called out. The girl either didn't hear her or didn't care in her excitement.
"But mommy! Mommy look, the doggy! A-and that man! He looks like- wah!" The girl, in her excitement, hadn't been paying attention to her footing and hurled herself off the top step of the stairs, gripping the book tightly. The mother let out a startled shout and raced forward, dropping the books to try and catch her daughter who was just out of reach.
The little girl closed her eyes and shrieked, only to pause as she realized that she wasn't falling down the concrete stairs.
Ammy used her Telekinesis on the girl and lifted her a little bit higher, reorienting the little girl and floating her back over to her mother, who was too stunned to speak. Steve had stopped his movement down the stairs, turning around as well, hearing the noise and had been prepared to jump in and catch the little girl.
"M-mommy! I'm flying!" The girl shouted excitedly, kicking her legs and flailing a little bit. Ammy set the young girl down and turned around to face them properly, wagging her tail a little and poking out her tongue in a slight blep for the child.
"Are you okay?" The mother asked in concern, looking over her daughter, and then glancing up at the pair just slightly down the stairs from her, her eyes widening in recognition. "Uh… You… You're um… Thank you."
"Mommy, that's Cap'n 'Merica and that's the pretty doggy!" The girl exclaimed, her hand reaching to grab at her moms hand and squeezing in excitement. Ammy wagged harder at the child's words, giving a happy little bark.
"You two okay?" Steve asked, climbing up the steps and crouching down to scoop up the book, offering it to the woman. She nodded in reply, shifting her grip to cradle the books in one arm, and hold her daughter with the other.
"Mommy! Can they visit Terry with us? He loves Cap'n 'Merica! They can come with us and drop off the books!" The girl clearly couldn't find the flaw in her logic, asking two strangers to follow them. "He'll be so excited and he'll get all better!"
"I'm sorry about her. The last week has been a lot." The mother spoke. The four moved off to one side of the stairs, doing their best not to block the path as people came and went, a few glancing over as they passed. "My son Terrance is in the hospital right now because of the crazy alien thing, and Amelia here is really worried about him."
"Mommy, tell them about how much he likes Cap'n 'Merica!" Amelia interrupted, jumping in excitement.
As the mother and Steve spoke, Ammy padded up to the younger girl and sat down, cocking her head to the side and leaning in to press her nose against the child's cheek.
"Ah! That's cold!" She giggled. The girl wriggled her fingers out of her mom's grip and set her book down, bringing both of her hands up to cup the wolf's cheeks and rub them happily, before squishing them together and giggling. "Pretty doggy!"
Ammy whuffled softly and poked out her tongue even as her face was smooshed, adding to the giggling the child was making. Amelia moved her hands down and into the wolf's neck floof, leaning in to hug the large lupine right after. Ammy lifted a paw and set it on her back in return, hugging the child.
"Terry is my big bro! He's in the hospital right now, he's sick and hurt his legs when the sky opened! He's been really sad, but I think he'll feel better with the books! They're about Cap'n 'Merica and the cool things he did with his friends! All the fights and rescues and all the cool things!" The girl babbled on, holding Ammy tight while talking. "Great Gumpy used to tell us about all the stories when we were younger! Terry really liked them!"
Welp. Amaterasu had her mind set. She was going to go visit this, Terry! She couldn't refuse something like this, a child needed her help, so she would very happily do so. Ammy pulled from the hug and got to all fours, the disappointed sound from the young girl quickly replaced by a squeal of excitement as Ammy used Telekinesis to lift up the little girl and plunk her right on her back, using her magic to hold her in place so she wouldn't slide off.
The wolf started trotting around in circles, much to the younger girl's excitement. The mother watched her daughter, smiling after a moment with how gently the wolf was treating her child. Steve watched as well, a light grin coming to his lips. He had new notes for tonight that Fury would need to hear about.
"Weeee! Mommy, can they come?" Amelia asked. Amaterasu quit moving around and turned to face Steve and the mother, her tail happily wagging back and forth.
"No, hun, we can't bother them, I'm sure they're busy. You should say goodbye to Mr. Rogers and… sorry, what's her name?" The mother turned to Steve, gesturing to the wolf.
"Amaterasu." Steve supplied.
"Ama-Amatana… Amerassu…" The young girl huffed for a second after trying, attempting again a moment later. "Ammatsu… Amiter… This is hard… I'm gonna call you Ammy!"
The wolf's world ground to a halt for a moment. That familiar name, given to her by a close companion in a life not so long ago. She missed him. Missed it. The name, the companionship, the adventures! All the people she helped, the monsters she fought. They saved the world!
…and she couldn't ever get back.
The wolf blinked and looked up, using an Illusion to hide the tears gathering in her eyes and barked happily instead, wagging her tail faster as she nodded in agreement.
"Can Mr. 'Merica and Ammy come visit Terry with us?" Amelia asked again, pleading with her mother.
"We aren't in a rush, if you're worried." Steve supplied, leaving the decision to the mother. He didn't mind, and Ammy certainly didn't seem concerned as she started wandering back and forth with the girl on her back again, hopping a little and bouncing the girl, much to her excitement.
"Okay… You'd better say thank you though!" The mother warned, but smiled all the same.
Quest Created: Terry's Triumph! You have been enlisted by a little girl to help her brother, Terry, who is in a rather dark period in his life.
Objective: Visit Terry, make him feel better.
Secondary Objective: Make him better.
Rewards: 100XP, 75 Praise from each member of the family, +2 Charaisma
Secondary Rewards: 1000XP, New Ability, New Active Mission
So the four set off toward the hospital, Amelia riding Amaterasu's back and giggling the whole while, babbling on about school and what she and Terry would do during the summers, and all the exploring, and how they would pretend to be hero's like Captain America and play pretend.
Ammy loved every second of it, bouncing around and keeping the child safe on her back, her magical hold never faltering as they made their way in. The reception was a little more difficult, the person at the front faltering when Captain America, Amaterasu, and a woman and her daughter walked in through the front doors.
The man at the desk blinked, glanced down at the wolf, then to Steve, gaping slightly and fishing around for reasons not to let the 200lbs wolf into the hospital. A brief glance at the spotless wolf and then a look at the Television hanging on the wall going over footage of the battle had won him over.
He directed the group to the room they needed to go into, with the mother walking in first. She walked over to her husband and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, and set the books down on the bedside table. She then walked over to her son who was in the hospital bed, and gave him a soft hug, being very careful not to jostle him.
"Hey buddy, how's my little hero doing?" The mother asked, sitting on the bed lightly. The roughly twelve-year-old sniffed and wiped his eyes, his arms shaking a little.
"Not good… I still can't feel my legs…" The young man sniffled softly, barely holding back tears.
"Hey, I know you're hurting, but your sister and I met someone at the library. They're very special friends. Do you want to say hi?" The mother asked gently, grabbing Terry's hand and holding it lightly.
"Not really…" Terry spoke, the young guy looking apprehensively at the slightly cracked door.
"But big bro it's Cap'n 'Merica!" Amelia exclaimed from the hallway. Terry's expression shifted in an instant to restrained and hopeful excitement, while the mother sighed and face palmed, and the father glanced between this wife and the door.
"Just… just come in. Amelia I swear…" The mother sighed, but couldn't help fight the grin on her face.
"You're not serious, are-" The father choked on his words, standing up from his chair and coughing as Steve entered the room, followed by Amelia riding on the back of the large wolf immediately after.
Ammy, being the little trouble maker she was, decided to use her Illusion and changed Steve's pedestrian clothing to his iconic suit. He took it all in stride, glancing down for a moment, and then moving toward Terry's bedside, kneeling down beside the wide-eyed and stuttering child.
"So, your mom tells me you were pretty brave." Steve began, his persona shifting to that of the amazing Captain America, his voice adjusting slightly. "I heard that you saved your sister and pushed her out of the way of the alien's, is that right?"
A teary nod and quick breathing was all Steve got in response. He glanced up at the mother and father who were holding one another, watching and sniffing a little at the scene.
"Well, Terry, I want you to know that was an incredibly brave thing you did. I'm proud of you for stepping in and helping your sister, that takes courage and bravery and quick thinking! You're a real hero." Steve shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, and gripped Terry's hand gently but firmly, squeezing lightly. "We need more people like you, Terry. You make this world a better place."
"B-but Captain Rogers, I- the Doctor said I might not be able to walk again. How can I be a hero if I can't walk?" The boy sniffled. Steve's eyes softened and he leaned in a little.
While Steve continued his talk with Terry about how it didn't matter how strong or fast someone was, but their intent and the size of their heart… Ammy ignored it all and padded up to the base of the bed. He glanced over to the two parents who were still watching Steve and their son interact, pulling the kid out of his misery effectively.
With them all distracted, Ammy leaned in and pressed her nose against the child's leg through the covers of the blanket. She used her magic, a combination of Rejuvenation and Bloom on the child. A shift and snapping was heard under the bed, but there was no pain.
"What are you doing, Ammy?" Amelia asked, still sitting on the wolf's back and watching her closely. Amaterasu merely glanced back and "wurfed" softly, pushing her snoot against the blankets again.
Terry paused for a moment and jolted, shaking a little and widening his eyes. Ammy huffed and stepped away from the bed, smiling to herself as she watched Terry sit up in the bed, his eyes away from his hero sitting right beside him. He looked down and wiggled his toes under the blanket. Then he shifted his legs.
Within moments, the boy sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pushing himself off the bed and to the floor. In his excitement, however, he stumbled after realizing that not using your legs for two days caused issues with your balance.
Steve reached out and caught the boy, helping hold him upright while he gained his bearings. An excited hug followed, from both Amelia who leaned down and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck, and Terry racing toward Captain America and hugging him tightly.
The parents were bewildered, the two quickly running around the other side of the bed, moving in to hug their child who only moments before had been paralyzed from the waist down.
Steve stepped away from the hugging and tearful reunion, moving to stand beside Ammy and nudge her hip lightly with his knee.
"You let me do all that talking and motivating for nothing." He chided, not meaning a word of it as he smiled, watching the scene. The wolf merely rumbled happily in response and wagged her tail. Enjoying the sight.
Quest Completed! Terry's Triumph! You have been enlisted by a little girl to help her brother, Terry, who is in a rather dark period in his life.
Objective: Visit Terry, make him feel better.
Secondary Objective: Make him better.
Rewards: 100XP, 75 Praise from each member of the family, +2 Charaisma
Secondary Rewards: 1000XP, New Ability, New Active Mission
You have gained +2 Charisma.
You have leveled up!
You have gained the ability Healing Aura.
Healing Aura: As the Goddess of the Sun, you radiate a warmth and magic that can heal injuries over time, and cures illnesses. The closer someone is to you physically, the quicker they will feel the benefits of your healing.
You have unlocked a Mission! Missions are different from Quests in that they will never be completed, and you can continue receiving rewards from them indefinitely.
New mission: Health Hound! Heal the sick and injured!
Rewards: 50XP, 50 Praise (per person)
Number of people healed: 1
Ammy wuffed happily, wagging as she bumped the super soldier in return. Poor Steve was very unaware that Ammy wouldn't be letting him leave now that Terry had been cheered up and been healed. No! There were people to help, and they were standing in the middle of a hospital full of them!
Amaterasu flicked her tail and pumped more magic into her Healing Aura, feeling the warmth and energy radiating outwards, the calming presence of her other ability adding to the situation. The magic and warmth seemed to seep through the walls and floors, unimpeded by solid objects or people as it spread.
Ammy quite enjoyed helping people. Now she knew how she was going to help a lot more.
"Thank you, Ammy." Amelia spoke softly into her neck floof, the child getting comfy from the warmth and the soft fur she was snuggling into.
Well… Maybe she could help after they had finished up here. Terry still wanted to hang out with Captain America a little more, after all.