CHAPTER NINE

Kamiki Village

I walked down the path from Konahana, satisfied. We'd traveled back to Kamiki in hopes that Sakuya could be of some assistance- and the wood sprite had given me some advice for finding some suitable dogs. She'd even marked where they should be on my map! I checked it as I padded along. "Hey!" I said, and Hiraku started with a disgruntled "Hrph!?" at my bark, as he'd been taking a nap during my conversation with Sakuya.

"The first suitable dog is right here in the village!" I barked in excitement, as we passed the green trees standing near the mountain trail. "Yeah, ok." He said, yawning and stretching his limbs. "Let's go find him then." I looked up at him suspiciously. "It doesn't have to be a boy you know. Think about Chi!" I referred to the pink warrior who had led us to the cave with the other warriors. "Yeah, whatever. But considering that she's one out of eight, I consider the possibility of this dog being a girl is close to ze-" He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence, because as I passed under the red gateway we both saw a dog standing in our way; well, not exactly standing in our way, more caught in our path.

"Oh!" The dog said, in a high, soft bark, and dropped the meat feed-bag that she'd been carrying. She, yes she, reminded me of Hayabusa, because she looked to be the same breed; but far skinnier, and with slightly floppier ears. She had a gray pelt, pale-cream paws and a curly tail, with dark gray stripes on her flanks. "H-here, you can have it!" She said, crouching down, lowering her blue gaze and starting to back away.

"Calm down, it's ok." I said, speaking in wolf; and I lowered my head as well. "We don't want your food."

"Y-you don't?" She said with a stammer, and straightened up a little, still looking nervous. "No. What's your name?" I asked the dog. "M-My name? It's, Noriko..." She barked quietly. "Come again?" Hiraku said. "I said my name is, Noriko." She repeated, slightly louder this time. "Where do you live?" Hiraku asked, looking around. "Oh, I don't have a home." She said, very quietly again, so we could barely hear her. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Hiraku asked. "No, how could a c-cat grab my tongue and make me be quiet? Its claws would probably make me y-yelp in pain!" She said, tilting her head. Hiraku looked at her in momentary disbelief, then said in a smart-alecky tone: "Well, what if said cat wasn't using its claws, just its paws?"

"Considering if a cat could maintain a grasp on my tongue using just it's n-non-opposable paws, wouldn't you be able to see it sticking out of my mouth anyway, so it wouldn't be a question, but more of a statement?" She tilted her head to the other side, probably wondering if he was sane. I giggled, and Hiraku turned red in frustration. "No! Yes? Ugh! It's just a metaphor!" Hiraku shouted angrily, then looked down at me. "Can you believe this?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said softly, looking down.

It looked like Hiraku was just about ready to scream 'FOR WHAT?' at the poor stray so I shook him off his perch on my head. "I have to apologize for Hiraku", I said. "He's not usually this hot-tempered." Which was a lie. "It's fine." she said, dipping her head. "I'm used to being yelled at." This time I tilted my head. "People chase me away from their houses so I don't try to steal their food."

"That's too bad." Hiraku said, crossing his arms and looking at the dog. "If you don't have a home, where do you sleep? Where do you eat?"

"Up there." She gestured to the hills above Kamiki, near the waterfall. "I eat whenever I can find food, in no place in particular."

"So you don't have anyone who cares for you?" Hiraku asked. "No, I've lived on my own since I was a pup, when my old masters kicked me out." As I got an even better look at her, I saw she was very visibly thin, -her ribs showing clearly through her coat- and her pelt was in rather poor condition; but still, her bright blue eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity.

"You have to be one of the unluckiest dogs I've ever met!" Hiraku exclaimed, bouncing back onto my head, and my heart went out to the poor stray dog. 'Could she possibly be one of the dogs I'm looking for..? She seems fairly wise..' As I thought, I heard her stomach growl, and I decided to let her eat her meal in peace. "We'll see you around the village then, Noriko." I said, and dipped my head. "It was a pleasure to meet you." She dipped her head in response. "It was a pleasure to meet you both as well." I watched as she picked up the feed-bag and trotted off towards the waterfall. I lifted my tail in farewell, then turned around.

"Hey! Look over there!" Hiraku leaned over my brow and pointed forwards. I followed his finger, and saw another stray dog. This dog had long legs and tail, his body was black, except for his belly, chest, paws, and face -which were white. He had a white muzzle, and a stripe going up the middle of his head as well. When he turned, I saw he had green eyes. I smiled. "Hello there!" I said, wagging my tail and walking up to him. "How-"

"You!" The dog barked in a highish voice that made me stop in my tracks. "Wild creature! Get away!" He reared up on his hind legs and batted the air. "Horrible wolf! Be gone!"

Unfortunately for him, his dramatic act unbalanced him- and he stumbled backwards, then fell- directly into a mud patch. "DIRT!" He screamed. "MY BEAUTIFUL COAT! I JUST FINISHED GROOMING!" Then he froze, and glared up at me. "This is all YOUR fault! WOLF!" He spat out the last word as if it was acidic, his green eyes burning.

"Excuse me? My fault!?" My hackles raised. "Who do you think you are?" Hiraku asked, with the same acid in his voice.

"How dare you talk back to ME in such a way!" The dog sniffed, pointing his sleek muzzle upwards as if I smelled horribly. "I am a PUREBRED DOG, born and raised in a civilized society!" He sniffed again. "Unlike this mudhole you country dogs live in! And unlike you I have a sense of honor and responsibility for myself!" He said, raising his muzzle in the air as if the village smelled of rotting fish. I was quickly growing agitated with him. "Look, we really should be on our way now, so if you could just..." I side-stepped him. "Move aside! Thanks!...Jerk." I whispered the last word so he couldn't hear, and trotted away with my tail held high. Behind me, his face grew panicked.

"WAIT!" He barked in his high-pitched tone, making me stop and sigh. "Well, you see..." He said. "Yes?" I asked in a sweet, falsely interested tone as I turned to face him. "Ahem, what I meant to say is that I need a guard." He barked, picking up his bossy tone and position with ease. "Would you, vicious, savage, wild wolf- be my protector until my owners come to pick me up?"

I sighed again. "How long until you're going to be 'picked up'?"

"Well, they didn't give me a date of course, but it's been a few months now, -maybe closer to a year- so it should be any day!" He barked, and I shook my head. This dog had no idea he'd been dumped; surely NO owner could bear him.

"Fine, if ever you get yourself into a dire situation, I'll defend you." I said, which was more than I felt like promising at the time, but I did it nonetheless- he was just a dog after all, even if he was annoying. "Good!" The dog sniffed, with no trace of gratitude in his voice at all. "Now if I ever need you, I'll be sure to call on you… What was your name?"

"Akimeterasu." I growled, and he nodded. "Fine then, Akimeterasu. You can expect a summoning from me, Daiko, soon! Your tiny feral brain will be able to remember that, won't you?" He thrust his muzzle into the air again, and my fur bristled, I was not at his beck and call! "I won't be waiting for it. Goodbye, Daiko." I said, with no small amount of bitterness in my voice and a swish of my tail, dismissing myself before he could try it. As I turned away from the black-and-white dog and started to make my way up the hill, I still kept my eyes on him- making sure he didn't go anywhere. When I finally turned my head to look where I was going, I found myself face to face with yet another dog.

"Hi!" She said brightly. "Oh great, not another one..." Muttered Hiraku. "My name's Shisa! Don't mind him, he's just a bit upset that his owners haven't come to pick him up yet. Is this your first time here in the village?" She said, words tumbling over each other, and tail wagging. She was a very fluffy, yellow dog; so fluffy she would easily trump both Ko and Chi in a contest. Her eyes were bright green and full of light and spirit, very different from than Daiko's disapproving and spiteful emerald gaze. "I'm Akimeterasu, and no, this is my second." I said, smiling. "My masters are traveling through here, and we've been here a few days now, I must have missed you the first time. I normally don't miss things, I'm very attentive. At least my owners say so, they say I have ears like Tachigami!" She said, tail still wagging very hard. "And- wait..." She said, dropping off. Her tail stopped drumming, and her eyes widened to their fullest extent. "Akimeterasu? Like Akimeterasu- a god Akimeterasu!?"

"Uh...Yeah." I said, ears flattening because of her strange reaction.
"WOW! I never thought I'd meet a real GOD! I'm so honored!" She suddenly exploded, tail wagging harder than ever and she jumped into the air, bouncing around like an excited puppy. "Uh, thanks?" I said. "I've heard so many tales, and I never even thought this was possible!" She barked. "Do you have a place to stay?" Said the yellow dog, and I shook my head. "You have to come stay with me for the night! I'm sure my masters won't mind!" The fluffy dog barked, and practically herded me towards a house. "I-I-!" I started to protest, and she looked at me with large, shining eyes. "Please?" She whined in a pitiful tone. The sun was setting in the distance, and I looked at Shisa, who was staring at me with eyes the size of ink bottles, and I smiled. "Ok."

"YAY!" Shisa said excitedly, and let out a bark that resonated like a sonic boom, so strong it knocked me off my feet and I tumbled over backwards. "Whoops, sorry! That happens sometimes when I'm excited." She yipped sheepishly. "She is one excitable dog..." Hiraku said, and I nodded as I got to my feet. "No worries, Shisa." The dog grinned and bounced around me. "Calm down, you silly fluffbrain." He said, and Shisa turned to look at us, still bouncing up and down. "Shisa?" We heard a voice, and turned around, where an old man was standing in the entranceway. The young dog barked, and ran up to him. "What's this? You've brought a friend?" He said, smiling. "Well, this isn't an ordinary wolf is it? We're not ones to turn away anyone in need, come in, young god." I blinked in surprise. 'He can see me?' I thought to myself. 'Only those with great faith are able to see the gods these days.'

He slid the door shut behind us, and sat down on a mat in front of a table. An old woman was preparing dinner, and looked over her shoulder as we entered. "Oh! Nobuo dear, what's this? We have guests for dinner? Come, come in, sit!" She bustled, and gestured to the mats. The old man looked at Hiraku and I, as we sat down.

"Are you truly a god?" He said, looking at me, and I nodded. "Her name is Akimeterasu, and I'm Hiraku." The poncle said. "You must be her emissary, then." He said in a quiet tone, looking at the poncle. "A celestial companion."

My eyes wandered, and I noticed a particularly decorated alter on the right wall. Though this was not their house, they had certainly taken to making it a wonderful prayer-place. There were thick evergreen branches within a vase, an Ofuda- a type of amulet, several tablets with symbols on them, and a straw-rope hanging above it. "You are surely a god on a quest." The old man said, and I nodded. "We're searching for dogs that could become Canine Warriors." I barked, and Hiraku relayed it.

"My wife, Kameyo, and I are honored to open our home to you." He said, and bowed his head to us. He seemed very open, and kind, yet there was a sternness lurking underneath, one who didn't take nonsense. 'Sincerity is a great value to those who follow the Shinto religion.' I thought to myself. "Canine warriors?" Shisa barked, looking at me. "What's that?"

"The guardians of Kusa Village, and the Gale shrine. Each of them are keepers of a different virtue. There's Wisdom, Knowledge, Honor, Brotherhood, Duty, Justice, Loyalty, and Faith."

"Cool! I'm named after lion-dog creatures, that are known for protecting things!" Shisa barked happily. "Because of my fur." She added sheepishly, then wagged her tail again. "The legend goes that when an envoy returned from a distant voyage to the court of his home kingdom, he brought a gift for the king, a necklace decorated with a figurine of a shisa-dog. The king found it charming and wore it every day underneath his clothes. But at the port near the city, the village of Madanbashi was often terrorized by a sea dragon who ate the villagers! One day, when the king was visiting the village, one of these attacks happened; and all the people ran and hid, but he faced the monster with the figurine held high, and immediately a giant roar sounded all through the village, a roar so deep and powerful that it even shook the dragon. A massive boulder fell from the cliffs -sent from heaven- and crushed the dragon's tail. He was trapped, and couldn't move, and died. The boulder and the dragon's body turned to stone, and became covered with plants and surrounded by trees that can still be seen today." She finished.

The old woman brought over bowls of rice to the table, and set one down in front of Nobuo, and Hiraku, then she went over to the alter, and placed the last bowl on it, and mixed in a cup of water, and some salt. She said in a calm, sure voice: "We are grateful for the gifts of life, and pledge to do your utmost." Then she bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once again to the shrine. Then, she returned to the kitchen, where some beef was still cooking. This couple was devoutly religious, offering shinsen to the gods. No doubt my mother and the other gods would enjoy the rice, up on the plains.

Hiraku split two splinters off the chopsticks and used them to grab up his rice. Then, Kameyo grabbed something off the fire, and I smelled the delightful scent of cooked meat. "You can have this, Akimeterasu. I was going to offer it to the gods anyway." The hunk of meat hurtled towards me, flying out of her hands and into the air in slow motion with a slight spin in front of my eyes, and I grabbed the meat out of the air. The meaty taste met my tongue, to my immediate delight. My mouth started to water and my tail wagged. 'Ahh... Delicious hibachi, one of my favorite foods...' Dropping my head, I started to gnaw on the tender meat, in a wolfish way, and the couple started talking again from their place at the table.

Shisa gnawed happily at a bone nearby, in a corner closer to the fire. "Do you know any legends, Akime?" Shisa barked, from her place across from me, and I tilted my head. "Or stories, ones about the gods?" She rested her head on her paws expectantly, looking at me. "I'm just wondering, because my people always used to tell stories to their grandchildren after dinner. And seeing as you're a god, maybe you'd know a good one!" I heard the excitement in her voice, from the prospect of hearing a legend from a real mythical being, and racked my mind for stories- one came up immediately. It was one about my mother, and I smiled. "Well, I do have one. It's about a man who wished to marry the sun." Hiraku turned to look at me, perched on his bowl of rice, and Shisa scooted closer. The fire crackled, and I began my story:

"A long time ago, before Orochi and the legend of Nagi- there lived a handsome young man. He was the strongest and wealthiest person in his village, and everyone revered him. But he could not be truly happy, because he was missing something in his life that could not be captured nor bought- love. And he would not consent to marry just any maiden. No, he wanted only the finest bride in all of Nippon, and he knew there was no bride finer than the sun herself: Amaterasu. She was the most powerful thing in all creation; he admired her brilliance, and her unending dedication to appear in the sky every day. He would wed only she.

So one day, when the midsummer sun had reached its zenith- he went to confess his love to the goddess. "Oh Amaterasu," He cried from the highest point in his village: "My dearest sun, please show yourself to me, so that I may prove my love to you. I beg of you- you are the most beautiful thing in the world, will you marry me?"

Amaterasu was amused by the mortal's request, but of course she could not accept. She was clever, and knew she had a lesson to teach the young man, so she decided to go speak to him. She appeared before him in a blaze of light, so he had to shield his eyes, and after the light faded he was at first… Taken aback by her form. "Oh, you are a wolf? But no matter, I will love you for who you are!" He exclaimed, and bowed before her. Amaterasu sighed. "Rise, young man. I know your feelings, and I know you only wish to marry me because you think I'm the most powerful thing in the world. But what if I told you I am not?" He scoffed. "I wouldn't believe you! You make crops grow, you bring light and warmth to the world, and chase away darkness!"
"But when clouds cover me, my light is dimmed!" She countered. "They are more powerful than I."
"Well, yes… But can you not create wind- to blow the clouds away? However hard they may try to cover the sky, you can send them away with a single gale!" He countered.
"Yes, this is true…" Amaterasu replied, flicking her ears. "But there is something that can keep the wind at bay, and protect people from it." He looked taken aback again, and she continued. "It is the walls of a home."

"Walls?" He exclaimed, and she nodded. "Yes, and who create walls, and other strong buildings? It is none other than people. When a tree falls, it falls for good. Even when one building is blown down, another will be built in its place. Human resilience beats all odds. You, in your own way, are just as powerful as the gods. You do not need to marry me." The man saw the truth in her words and thanked her. He then headed back down to the village- and she ascended back to her home. He was soon married to a young maiden that had secretly loved him for many years, and they lived a long happy life together. He was content, happy with the lesson Amaterasu had taught him."

I finished, looking at my audience. Shisa appeared enraptured, and when the story ended, she started wagging her tail. Stories seemed to be the only thing that calmed her down. My mother used to tell me legends all the time when I was a pup, and she used to tell it perfectly- since she was really there. I hoped I did her justice.

"Wow, that was a good legend!" Shisa barked, smiling. "I don't think I've ever heard that one before!" Hiraku seemed to like it too, and he was looking at me with a face of approval. "So, your Mom is quite a casanova huh?" He said with a quirked smile. "She's had more suitors than you'd think." I said with a returning grin.

Shisa looked aghast. "How could you speak of the gods in such a manner?" She said, and I giggled. "It's ok, Shisa. Even the gods have to laugh sometimes." I laid my head on my paws, feeling the warm glow of the fire. "Ok…" The fluffy dog said, even though she still looked a bit shaken, and she smiled. 'She certainly is friendly, and kind. Her masters have passed on to her a vivid belief, something powerful, and rare.' I thought, as I blinked a few times, my eyes slowly closing.

'I think I might have found the Canine Warrior of Faith.'

(AN: OHMYGODSLONGCHAPTER. But we meet new characters, yay! :D 3 dogs down...at least 5 to go...
The story of the man who wished to marry the sun is based off a real Japanese legend, but I changed it around a bit for the sake of the story. ;)

It's so weird how I came up with these dogs before I ever watched My Little Pony, and yet some of them seem so similar to some of the characters from the show...(Daiko to Rarity, Noriko to Fluttershy, and Shisa to Pinkie..) o.0 weird...

For those who may be interested: Daiko's a Saluki, Noriko's a Kai-ken, and Shisa's a Japanese Spitz hybrid.)