Let's all take a moment to appreciate the fact that Oki is such an amazing character, he has four theme songs…okay, on with the show. Remember to review, please!

Chapter 8

After a few days of lazing around and father-son bonding, Oki decided that he could no longer put off returning to his homeland. He told this to Chibiterasu, who accepted the proposition with open paws.

"I can't wait!" He declared, following slowly behind Oki, pouncing on imaginary bugs in the grass. "I can't wait to meet Lika and Kai and Samickle and Tuskle and everyone else! They're gonna be so surprised when I know all their names."

"Right…" Oki said hesitantly, leading his son towards the cave that led to Kamui, "But I have a request for you."

"What's that?" Chibiterasu asked quizzically.

"Refrain from calling me 'Daddy,' all right?" Oki growled, lip curling slightly; "Call me Oki while in the presence of anyone from the tribe."

There was a long pause. "Okay." Chibiterasu agreed dutifully.

Oki sighed with relief. He couldn't have anyone knowing his secret. After clearing that up, the Oina warrior hunted a big breakfast for the two of them to share. They quenched their thirst and finally set off on the long journey north.

But with Chibiterasu by his side, the journey seemed to take only half as long. As they walked, Oki recounted more tales of Amaterasu for his son, describing the adventure they shared so many months ago…

"Amaterasu!" Oki panted, trying to navigate his way through this maze of a shrine, "Amaterasu, where are you?"

In response, a trio of monsters popped out of nowhere, sharp-toothed imps wielding axes. Oki threw his wolf body at them without abandon, shredding them with his teeth. Nothing would keep him from forging on. Amaterasu had promised they would fight Nechku and Lechku side by side. He couldn't keep her waiting.

He ran out a door and found himself on the side of the snow-covered mountain. Further up the trail, a familiar shape moved among the trees.

"Amaterasu!" Oki shouted, bounding after her.

She halted and looked over her shoulder, her eyes brightening at the sight of him. But as he approached, a slight sadness came into them.

"Is Shiranui…?"

"Shiranui's fine." Oki panted, "Her little Poncle friend came for her and they…they went home. It looked like she had recovered somewhat so I left them and came rushing here." He doubted his own words. Nevertheless, they seemed to comfort Amaterasu and Issun.

"I have a feeling Shiranui is going to be okay if she's with old man Ishaku." Issun said thoughtfully.

Oki didn't bother pointing out how wrong he was. With a deep sigh, he turned and looked at the winding slope before them. "Not much farther now. Those demons must be up ahead." He set off along the trail.

Amaterasu shivered, following behind. Her white coat was damp and clung to her thin frame. "I'm cold," A pathetic whimper escaped her throat.

Oki looked back and rolled his eyes. "I didn't know goddesses could become victim to such trivial weaknesses."

"Hey!" Issun snapped furiously, "You're not exactly as tough as you think, Oki! Besides, look at the sun!"

Oki obediently turned his gaze skyward. A wisp of sun had disappeared. The moon was slowly drifting across the sky in preparation for the Day of Darkness. Solar eclipses didn't exactly last an entire day in the normal sense, but this was a special day celebrated by demons. If they didn't defeat them by the end of today, Kamui would be nothing more than a block of ice tomorrow.

The very thought caused Oki to pick up the pace. Amaterasu struggled her way through the snow behind him, teeth chattering.

Suddenly, Oki felt a familiar tingling sensation sweep over him. His body grew taller and cold bit into his bare skin. He was back on his feet as a human, but he hadn't triggered the transformation. Aside from that, it had felt…different. Nicer, somehow.

"Wh…What is this trickery?" He murmured, observing his hands in shock. This had never happened. For a moment, he feared something serious might be wrong with his body. Perhaps he had sustained some sort of terrible internal injury from the fight that was slowly weakening him. Perhaps he was the victim of a curse.

But then he looked to Amaterasu. Her jaws were gaping comically. Her ears and tail stood straight up.

"What?!" Oki demanded, his heart pounding nervously.

"You didn't hug me." Amaterasu whined, looking put out.

"Oh, c'mon Ammy." Issun growled, "You didn't."

Oki just stared at her. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Amaterasu grinned mischievously, her tongue lolling. "It's my bloom technique. I use it to open flowers and make trees grow faster. And when I use it on humans, they get really happy! They pet me and give me hugs! I just really wanted a hug…and your fur looked so warm."

Oki flushed beneath his mask. Before he could point out how rude that was, the nice, warm feeling enveloped him once more and he sunk back down on all fours. He blinked sleepily, back in his wolf form. Amaterasu was wagging her tail energetically, looking way too proud of herself.

Oki's lip curled. "Don't do that."

"I like you as a wolf better," Amaterasu laughed, trotting past him, "But if I ever feel like changing it up, now I know I just have to—"

"Watch out!" Oki roared, just as a demon came flying down from above, spitting fire directly at Amaterasu.

He threw himself at it, driving the full force of his body into it. The beast hit the ground with a screech. Without wasting any time, Oki slashed his sword at it, cutting off one of the demon's wings. Amaterasu jumped in and helped him finish off the monster. With their combined effort, it was a simple task.

"Thanks," Amaterasu said, sitting back and panting.

"It was nothing." Oki said proudly, swishing his tail. There wasn't a scratch on him. Amaterasu, however, seemed strangely breathless for such an easy win. Her bright red markings looked faded, though it could have been Oki's imagination.

He glanced at the dim sun, partially concealed by storm clouds moving in. It would be consumed by tomorrow morning. If the sun disappeared, would Amaterasu disappear with it…?

Before he could ponder this any further, Amaterasu took the lead and the two wolves scaled the remainder of the mountain together. At one point, they entered back into the shrine and found themselves immersed in the maze once more. But they soon located an elevator contraption that would carry them to the final battleground. It resembled the clock on Lechku's body.

"Well, Amaterasu?" Oki said. She swung her head around and looked deep into his eyes. "Will you fight alongside me?"

That familiar sly grin flashed across her face. "Let's rumble."

The floor they stood on began to rise. As they approached Nechku and Lechku's hideout, the air grew thick with tension. Oki felt adrenaline pumping through his body and he kneaded his paws in anticipation. Kutone, still shining silver, felt light on his back. He flexed his claws, prepared to rip into the demons that had plagued his land for far too long.

Amaterasu brushed her pelt against his. Oki thought it to be a comforting gesture, but when he looked at her, she seemed shaky on her feet. She was leaning on him for support.

Oki sent up a silent prayer for her. O spirits of the air, earth, and sea…grant us your divine power.

When they reached the top of the mountain, the two found themselves on a ruined altar of the shrine. Stone walls rose around them, forming a barricade. The night sky was riddled with storm clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The stench of owl and metal hung heavy in the air.

Both wolves tensed up at the sound of rustling wings. A growl escaped Oki's lips as he forced his eyes to adjust.

There was a flash of lightning. It silhouetted two gargantuan shapes perched in separate trees. Lechku and Nechku.

The two demons spread their wings with threatening hoots. Flapping powerfully, they lifted into the air and hovered above the battlefield, twisting their heads to look all around them as if they couldn't be more satisfied with the conditions of that evening.

Issun hopped forth to stand on Amaterasu's nose, brandishing his tiny needle of a sword. "So this is where those birdbrains went. They're trying to hide while they lick their wounds!"

Oki stepped forward bravely, teeth bared, "We can't let these infernal contraptions get away this time. And I don't think we have enough energy to chase them down again." He cast a concerned glance towards Amaterasu, but she was standing strongly on her feet, glaring at the two demons.

She returned his gaze, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Them? Get away again? Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Right!" Issun pitched in, "No prey has ever eluded my trusty sword, Denkomaru, more than once!"

"Nor my own!" Oki declared, Kutone shimmering with power on his back.

Amaterasu's eyes did not waver from his own. He felt a surge of protectiveness for the small she-wolf. Together, they could win this war.

Both wolves turned to face their opponents and roared a challenge. The owls let out deep, spine-chilling hoots in response. Amaterasu flew forward with incredible speed to strike the first blow. For a moment, Oki was stunned and watched her go. Then he realized she could slow time to a certain extent. Shaking off his admiration, Oki charged towards the nearest owl, Lechku, with his sword raised.

As he leaped into the air and swung his weapon, Lechku threw up a wing to shield himself. Oki's blade shockingly grazed it harmlessly. The owls' defenses were pumped up to the max.

Oki neatly landed on all fours. Lechku circled above him, whipping off its top hat with its unnatural human arms. Using its cane, it began to dish out bombs like some sort of warped magician.

Fear pulsed through Oki as the image of six Oina children killed by an explosion came to mind. But he dodged around the bombs, keeping on his feet despite the quaking ground. He spotted Amaterasu out of the corner of his eye, flinging a bomb right back with her powerful brush techniques.

The bomb hit Nechku. The silver owl spun out of control, its bulbous eyes practically shooting out of their sockets. Amaterasu leaped at the stunned demon, flailing her weapon, but he was out of reach.

"Amaterasu!" Oki shouted, streaking towards her, "Can you get me up there?"

Amaterasu's eyes flashed with an idea. "Yes!" She yelled.

She painted a large bow into existence. Oki quickly positioned himself, while she pulled the bowstring back. Lechku shot ice shards at them, but Amaterasu deflected them with a mere flick of her tail.

The next moment, she released the string and Oki was flying through the air. He slammed right into Nechku, digging his claws into the owls' strange mechanical exterior. Nechku crumpled under his weight, bringing him within reach of Amaterasu. The two wolves tore into the silver demon without abandon.

Oki plunged his sword into Nechku's throat with such force that its head nearly popped off. But it was attached by a spring underneath. Oki could only gape at it in astonishment. These owls were less animalistic than he had thought.

With a screech, Nechku broke out from under them, but not before scouring his talons along the length of Oki's body. The Oina warrior gritted his teeth against the pain, springing back to avoid another blow.

Lightning flashed down from the sky and struck Lechku as he swooped in to aid his brother. After a moment of fright, Oki realized that it was just Amaterasu controlling the elements. She was going all out, battling with fire, ice, and lightning. All traces of her earlier weakness were gone. She moved at a mind-blowing speed and fought with incredible strength despite her lithe frame.

Oki could have stopped and watched, but he had to focus on his own battle.

The clockwork minds of the owls seemed to be working furiously to figure out how to defeat Amaterasu and Oki. After being shot through the air with the bow multiple times, they realized that Oki needed to be dealt with first. Lechku and Nechku closed in on him, summoning bombs and ice crystals out of thin air. One even produced a sword out of its hat.

"Oki, look out!" Amaterasu shouted, working her paintbrush furiously to counter these attacks.

Oki charged right underneath Lechku and Nechku to avoid the brunt of it. But a stray ice shard pierced his paw and pain shot up his leg. He grunted and slowed his pace slightly. Amaterasu dashed to meet him.

"Let's finish this!" She growled, glaring fiercely at Lechku, the golden owl. His body was sparking. His system seemed to be malfunctioning due to the lightning strike from earlier.

Quickly, Oki jumped into place on the bow, offering himself as the arrow. Amaterasu wasted no time in shooting him directly at Lechku. The horned owl shrieked as he landed right on his face and forced him to the ground.

Amaterasu was quickly by his side, using her complete arsenal to bring this beast down: teeth, reflector, rosaries, and of course, her brush techniques. Lechku's struggles came to an abrupt halt. Oki backed off, panting. The gigantic owl lay there, twitching, its system giving off smoke.

"One down," Amaterasu panted, scanning the skies for their final foe.

Oki relaxed slightly. This would be all too easy now. He looked up and realized that Nechku had turned tail and was gliding away. Fleeing.

"No!" Oki roared, bounding up to the edge of the cliff and throwing his head back, "Come back here, coward!"

Suddenly, with unnatural speed, Nechku wheeled around and came shrieking across the sky, talons out. Oki tensed himself to dodge, but Nechku blazed right past him. Oki wasn't his target.

Amaterasu's howl of pain pierced the stormy sky as Nechku dug his claws into her body and plucked her off the ground. Then he hovered above the battlefield, tearing into her flesh mercilessly. Her struggles were futile. Blood dripped down from above and splattered the stones beneath.

"Amaterasu!" Oki yowled, limping after them. Despite his burning side and aching paw, he bunched all of his muscles for a powerful leap. But Nechku was high out of reach. And without Amaterasu wielding the bow, he could not hope to shoot himself up there.

No, no, no! Oki thought frantically, images of the dying Shiranui flashing through his mind, I can't let her die!

He brought back his precious sword, Kutone, and threw it as hard as he could without thinking. The blade plunged into Nechku's shoulder, injuring his wing. With a surprised hoot, he sunk towards the ground.

Roaring, Oki flung himself at Nechku, bringing him down and retrieving his sword in the process. Amaterasu freed herself from his death grip and pulled out a sword of her own. It was bright yellow and sparked with electricity.

"Stand back!" She demanded breathlessly.

Oki leaped back just as she brought the sword straight down into Nechku's chest. Just like his brother, he began to short circuit as electricity raced through his body. Then, to both wolves' surprise, he lifted his wings and attempted to take to the sky once more. When the demon realized it was a hopeless task, he swiveled his head towards his brother and fluttered weakly over to him.

With a final hoot, the two demons exploded on contact.

Oki braced himself from the resulting shockwave. Flowers sprouted by his paws and the storm clouds above parted to reveal the sun. A wave of warmth ran over his body and that was when he knew…he and Amaterasu had saved Kamui.

"By the spirits of the earth, air, and sea…" Oki whispered, "We've done it." He looked to Amaterasu for her reaction. What he saw shocked him.

She had crumpled to the ground. Her red markings and her divine instrument had vanished without a trace. Multiple wounds stained her coat. She appeared to be an ordinary white wolf rather than a goddess.

"Amaterasu!" Oki cried out, fully convinced she was dead. He rushed to her side.

Issun was huddled by her chin, stroking her fur. "Ammy, you okay? C'mon, furball, we've had worse…you're gonna be fine! Here, eat a bone!"

Heavy breathing alerted Oki that Amaterasu was still alive. Issun was trying to feed her something to heal her. She weakly lifted her head and chewed, but it seemed to be doing her no good. She was shivering fiercely and her powers were not returning to her.

Oki glanced at the sun. Even more of the moon had blocked it out.

"Go get help!" Issun demanded, "Get the villagers or something!"

Oki hesitated to leave Amaterasu here with only Issun to look after her. What if a familiar of Nechku and Lechku tried to exact vengeance? What if the temperature dropped even further due to the approaching Day of Darkness?

"No." Oki said firmly, "You go. I'll stay here with her."

"You want me to get help?" Issun said, sounding furious, "I'm an inch tall!"

Oki glowered at him. "I've seen you hop, Issun. You can clear greater distances than anyone in a single bound and outrun a wolf if you wish to. Besides, you and Amaterasu navigated the shrine better than I could have."

There was a long pause, as if Issun wanted to argue. Then he said, "Fine! Just take care of furball for me, will ya?" He turned and hopped quickly away, grumbling to himself. His tone suggested that he had faith Amaterasu would survive this ordeal. It comforted Oki, but only slightly.

The great blue wolf gently stepped over to Amaterasu's huddled form and curled his body around hers. After a few minutes of silence, her shivering seemed to go down a bit.

"Are you warm enough?" Oki rumbled in his deep voice.

Amaterasu's dark eyes blinked open. "Yes," She said, smiling, "Well done, Oki. You're truly a hero."

Oki felt a burst of pride at the goddess's praise. But it was quickly replaced by concern as his gaze roved over her body. She looked so fragile without her godly powers on display. He carefully began to lick at one of her nearest wounds, cleaning away the blood. "Will you be all right?" He asked between licks.

"I'm fine," Amaterasu sighed, nuzzling into Oki's thick fur coat a bit more, "It's just a few scratches. I was much worse off after fighting Orochi and Ninetails…after all, I didn't have you by my side."

Oki gave a small grunt of acknowledgement and continued to clean her wounds for her. Amaterasu was silent for a little longer, and then spoke up again.

"I don't understand this strange weakness…I've never felt like this before." She lowered her head on its side and closed her eyes, "I'm so tired…and cold…"

"I'll look after you." Oki said firmly.

Amaterasu did not respond.

He nudged her cheek with his nose, but she was still. Worry clutched Oki's heart. Where on earth was Issun? Oki quickly grew impatient, convinced that each breath of Amaterasu's would be her last.

"Curses!" He snarled, climbing to his feet. He wormed his way under Amaterasu's body, sliding her onto his back. He staggered slightly due to his injured paw. He supposed it would be easier to carry the white wolf as a human, but he wanted her to be able to keep warm in his shaggy mane.

Moving slowly, Oki began to carry Amaterasu back the way they came. Her body was lighter than he expected. How silly to think the world's fate rested on this wolf's shoulders…and here she was passed out on his own shoulders. He prayed silently for her recovery.

"Fear not, Amaterasu," He murmured, carrying her back the way they had come, "Everything will be all right,"

And he was right. Issun appeared with the villagers in tow, meeting them halfway. The Oinas took Amaterasu, fussing over her and praising her. But she was in another world right now and remained unconscious.

Oki watched all of this unfold, completely forgetting his own wounds until Kai came up to him and asked how he was. He was fine; Amaterasu was their first medical priority. He followed behind the pack, avoiding any interaction. He was still very aware of his mistakes; he was still an outcast and might not even be accepted back into the tribe after his rash actions.

But as long as Amaterasu was all right, he didn't care.

After walking for miles, Oki was nearly home. Chibiterasu trailed behind him, his dirt-caked paws dragging on the ground. His eyelids drooped, betraying just how tired he was. But he didn't complain, not at all. Oki found this rather admirable, coming from one of his age.

As soon as they came to the end of the tunnel, all of Chibiterasu's energy returned to him. He let out a tiny squeak and leaped back, his fur standing on end. Oki stopped in his tracks, wondering what could have frightened the little pup.

"What is that?" Chibiterasu asked in a hushed voice, "Why is everything white?"

Oki realized with a spark of amusement that his son was speaking of the snow. He should have known he had never witnessed the soft powder, covering the ground and gently falling from the sky.

"Come," Oki invited kindly, leading Chibiterasu outside.

Instead of taking careful steps, Chibiterasu took a flying leap past Oki, letting out a small squeal when his paws sunk into the snow. "It ate my feet!" He said indignantly, stopping where he was. He cocked his head quizzically, trying to figure out how to get them back.

"You're fine," Oki said, circling him, "It's only water frozen into ice crystals. You can eat it, if you want. But only eat the ones that fall from the sky."

"Great! I'm thirsty." Chibiterasu said, peering upwards. He stuck out his little pink tongue and began to leap about, attempting to snap up snowflakes. Oki gave him a minute to enjoy himself. When he saw Chibiterasu starting to shiver, he told him it was time to go.

Quietly, he led Chibiterasu in the direction of Wep'keer. Chibiterasu commented on everything he saw, completely in awe with this new land. At one point, he fell completely silent. At first, Oki thought nothing of it. Then he looked over his shoulder and realized the little wolf pup had gone missing.

"…Chibiterasu?" Oki called, feeling the usual surge of ridiculousness whenever he used his son's name.

There was no response.

Fearing the worst, Oki began to hurry back along the trail. He kept his eyes peeled for a flash of red markings—Chibiterasu's white coat would blend effortlessly with the snow.

Luckily, he found his son within minutes. He had completely sunken into a snowdrift and was trying to wriggle out. Oki reached in and grabbed him by the scruff, hauling him out. Chibiterasu let out a sneeze, blowing snow flurries out of his nostrils.

"That's cold!" He declared, shivering in Oki's grip.

"I'll carry you the rest of the way," Oki mumbled through a mouthful of wet fur.

Holding his head high so that Chibiterasu's paws would not scrape the ground, Oki forced his way through the thick snow. Chibiterasu squirmed excitedly in his grip, looking eagerly at their surroundings. Oki didn't have the heart to tell him to remain still. He was excited too, but for different reasons.

When they were nearly to the frozen river that led to the village, Oki spotted a small shape in the snow. It appeared to be a round green plant, sprouting up from the ground. But Oki knew better. It was little Lika. What was she doing here, all alone? A blizzard could set in and she could lose her way.

Oki opened his mouth to set down Chibiterasu and call out to her. At the same moment, she turned around. And that when he realized there was something dreadfully wrong.

Her eyes were blazing red. Her lips had curled back to reveal rows of tiny teeth, like sharpened needles. Otherwise, she appeared to be very much the same wolf. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Lika had been possessed by a demon.