Issun stared up at the night sky his heart heavy, he hadn't wanted to leave his furry friend alone, but she had needed to fulfill her destiny on her own. He searched the sky for the oh-so-familiar wolf constellation he prayed to every night. It has been a year since she departed on the Ark of Yamato. A flash flew across the sky and he closed his eyes and wished upon the shooting star. When it vanished he made his way to Kamiki Village, not wanting to sit and simmer in his sorrows any longer. He had made his home in Kamiki Village. It wasn't much to human eyes, but inside the sacred tree of Sakuya, there was a tiny little single Poncle village. Sakuya had allowed him to stay there having felt sorry for the loss of their friend. Issun removed the bug hat from his head and set it by his bedside as Sakuya made her presence known.

"Darkness still cloaks the land Issun; do you think that she may return one day?" She asked and sat in a small hand carved chair Issun had made from her tree. Issun shrugged and looked up at her. "Who knows...the fur ball may be Happy where she is and never come back. After all she is with pretty boy in the celestial plain. I kinda figured those two would hit it off if they were left alone." Issun said with a small halfhearted laugh. Sakuya laughed behind her hand lightly. "I guess so, seeing as they used to be companions in the celestial plain...but didn't he say something about her returning here once the celestial plain was restored to its former glory?" Sakuya asked and Issun nodded.

"Did you see that shooting star tonight?" Issun asked, swapping topics trying to avoid getting himself upset. Sakuya smiled and nodded. "I wished upon the star in hopes of Amaterasu returning home one day." Sakuya said and Issun looked at her skeptically. "She is home, Sakuya...that's where she was born..." he said and Sakuya fiddled with her fingers with tears in her eyes. "Her home is where her heart is, albeit a stubborn heart, it will lead her home." Sakuya said and Issun raised his hands to try and stop her from crying, but it didn't help and she began sobbing into her hands.

"Sakuya, babe! Quit crying! You make perfect sense! She will come home someday! It just takes time to restore an entire civilization..." Issun said and Sakuya sniffled and looked at him. He looked relieved when she stopped crying. "I will see you tomorrow alright, Sakuya? I'm tired from being a celestial envoy all day." He said and she nodded. "Good night Issun." She said and vanished from sight. Issun lay in his bed wondering what tomorrow was going to bring.

He woke early and began making his way around the village. Susano and Kushi were busy with their son, who, taking after his father wanted to mess with his father's blade. "Issun, have you heard?" Kushi asked and Issun hopped onto her shoulder and bounced up and down eagerly awaiting the news she was withholding. "Have I heard what?" he asked and she smiled." Someone from Sei-an city claims to have spotted Ammy-sama." Kushi said and Issun yelled in delight. He hopped off her shoulder and made his way straight out towards the border of Kamiki Village. Sakuya appeared before him as he passed the Sakura trees just outside of Kamiki Village. "So you heard the rumor as well? I told you she would return home. I knew she would. My heart yearns to see her!" Sakuya said and Issun grinned. "I'm going to go see if the rumors are true." He said and she smiled.

"Be careful Issun, it is still dangerous to roam Nippon." She said and Issun rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know babe. Those demon scroll still won't go away and there are still devil gates around." He said offhandedly and she frowned, but vanished from sight all the same. He bounced away happily going to go see if the rumors were true. He managed to find a bird he could communicate with, the long legged Heron flew him straight to Sei-an, but left him there to find a way home. He talked to everyone there but the only rumors he heard of were those of a black haired man from Kamui searching for a sword and one of a pure white samurai woman. He sighed and made the devastating trip back to Kamiki Village.

Sakuya appeared to him the moment he entered Kamiki Village. "Issun...have you brought any news on our dear friend?" she asked and he shook his head. She frowned and he sighed. "I have decided to travel again... maybe I will meet up with her someday... I will visit you, I promise. But I just need to travel. I don't very much like being cooped up here all the time. I think I may visit my home village..." he said and she nodded. "I will see you soon, little bug." She said and he didn't even get mad when she called him that. He was too devastated to do much else.

The frigid weather was something he wasn't accustomed to anymore, he realized as he entered Kamui. He entered the first house he came to, which happened to be the one he had entered with Ammy the last time he was here. He sat in front of the fire and warmed himself. He heard a wolfish snort and a shuffle behind him. He turned around and saw Ammy laying there. "Ammy-" he began, but the image of her vanished and his hopes died. He sighed and turned around only to realize there was no fire here. He had imagined it along with Ammy. He used the inferno brush technique to light a fire by using a lantern that was lit across the way.

He warmed himself and sighed. "Get a grip, Issun." He scolded himself. "She is gone. She isn't coming back." He growled to himself, and his heart sank as the words he had said echoed through his mind. He wasn't as good as she was with the brush techniques, but he would get there. He would show her that he was just as good as she was. He fell asleep by the fire and dreamt of the adventure he'd had with her. Those may have been some of the scariest times of his life, but it was all worth it. All because she had been there, because Ammy had been his loyal friend.

Elsewhere....

Oki sighed as yet another weapons' merchant held no information on the blade he was after. They told him that the sword had chosen its master already and hadn't been in the possession of a merchant in nearly a hundred years. He sighed and changed into his wolf form. He made his way from Sei-an city to travel back to Shinsu Field. He was treading through Agata Forest when he heard that familiar howl. He had frozen where he stood and looked atop the ledge and the snow white wolf stood atop the cliff ledge, her brilliant red markings and blue main divine instrument and her green second divine instrument making her a wondrous sight. She was dangerously beautiful as the moon cast its light upon her.

He quickly made his way up to where she was only for her image to fade away. He reached out but the image faded. He frowned slightly; he could have sworn that she had been there. He sighed and changed back into his wolf form. He jumped off the Cliffside and made his way to the edge of Agata Forest. A flash of white and a familiar scent caught his attention. He chased the blur of white straight through Shinsu Field and into Kamui. The blur of white vanished right into his home. He reverted back to human and swept away the thick covering on his door. There was a fire lit inside and he saw a familiar little green Poncle asleep in front of the fire.

He walked around the fire and sat on the other side, but not before he carefully picked up the Poncle and placed him on a blanket a few feet from the fire. He removed the mask from his face and rubbed his temples. He folded one leg under him while the other was propped up in front of him and his arm rested on it. His deep red bangs fell over his eyes and he felt as if everything he was doing was hopeless...as if letting her go on that ark had been a mistake. He felt sorry for Issun, who had been with her much longer than he had. But she had saved his life, even though he hadn't realized Shiranui was Amaterasu at first, he learned that she had in fact been the great white wolf who had slain Orochi the first time.

She had saved him, and instead of waiting for her wounds to heal, she had fought Orochi and died. He heard the story of it all from Issun. She was resurrected and everyone called her Ammy. Issun withheld all his pained emotions just to tell the tale of how Shiranui was in fact Amaterasu, and Amaterasu was in fact a goddess. Anyone could see how much the envoy adored his furry friend. His ears twitched at the sound of tiny sobs. He looked over at the envoy and his eyes softened when he realized that it was Issun who was crying. Issun rolled towards Oki and Oki sighed. He transformed into his wolf form and placed Issun atop his snout. Issun's pained cries became nonexistent. Oki looked outside at the sky and saw the stars twinkle in the wolf constellation. The constellation twinkled and he furrowed his brow. Oki didn't think much more of it and tucked his head between his paws and drifted off to sleep.

The morning came faster than Issun thought it would. He rubbed his eyes and found he was a lot warmer than he figured he would be. It clicked in his mind that he was surrounded in wolf fur. He looked down expecting to see pure white fur surrounding him but the devastation came when he saw inky black fur with red mixed in, in certain places. He sighed then it hit him that he was on a black and red wolf. "Oki?" he asked surprised. The black wolf grunted and cracked a single eye open. Issun dropped off the head of the fearsome Oina Tribe male.

Oki changed back into his human form and lay on his back, his mask once again covering his face. He had his arms under his head using them as a pillow. "Issun." Oki's deep voice rang out, shaking Issun with its deep rumble. Issun bounced away from Oki, so that they could talk without Oki making him suffer an earthquake. "Yeah?" Issun asked and Oki's eyes drifted to him. "Why have you once again invaded my home?" he asked and Issun laughed nervously. "I was on my way to see gramps...and I got stuck out here alone in the cold. Oki nodded in understanding and all was silent for a while. Until Oki rolled on his side so he could look at the tiny Poncle.

"You saw her too didn't you?" he asked, his head propped up on one arm. Issun was confused until he got what Oki was saying. "Ammy? Yeah...I saw her when I got here. I thought there was a fire going, but there wasn't. I heard something behind me and I turned and...I saw Ammy curled up... then she was gone, just like that..." Issun said and Oki made a noise signaling he had heard. "Why do you ask?" Issun asked finally, looking up at Oki. "You were crying in your sleep...and I saw her too." Oki said and rolled to lie on his back. "I was on my way back here when I heard her howl. I looked up and saw her sitting atop a ledge in Agata Forest. I made my way to her and when I reached out to her, she vanished." Oki said and Issun sighed.

"So the Oina Tribe male everyone was gossiping about was you?" Issun asked and Oki shrugged. "I was searching for the sacred sword, Tsukuyomi. They say it is the sword that Nagi slew Orochi with." Oki said and Issun nodded. "It is, but Ammy has...had it. She doesn't have it anymore." Issun said and Oki looked at him and sighed. "So no one knows where it is?" he asked and Issun nodded. "Why do you seek it?" Issun asked curiously. "A new demon has shown itself, if only briefly. It looks like the goddess but a five tailed wolf." Oki said and Issun looked at him. "There was one demon we fought. He called himself nine tails, he was a fox that looked like Ammy but was a false god." Issun said and stood.

"Well I guess I should get going then..." Issun said and Oki raised a brow at him. "I seek not only the sword, Issun. I seek the goddess that wielded it." Oki said and Issun froze in his tracks. "You mean you seek Ammy? What for?" he asked. "The same reason you seek her. She was a companion that made an impact on my life and I was saddened to see her leave." Oki said and Issun drew his sword. "Then we will search the ends of this world until we find her!" he said and pointed it straight towards the sun that was somewhat hidden behind clouds and falling snow. "I would feel guilty if something had happened to her because I allowed her to board the ark alone..." Oki said and Issun turned towards him.

"I couldn't board the ark. I wasn't allowed to, and I doubt you would have been allowed to do so as well. We just have to find her." Issun said and a familiar chuckle from the doorway caught Issun's attention. "Bonjour, my little bouncing friend." Waka's voice rang out. "Waka..." Issun grumbled. "What a pleasant mood you were in...where did that go?" Waka asked and Issun grumbled more. "Prophet, why have you come here?" Oki asked sitting cross legged in front of the fire. "Ah, a fine question indeed. You see, I am missing a certain someone and I cannot seem to find her. I believe you two could find this person faster than I could..." Waka said and Oki raised a brow.

"As you know, a certain snow colored wolf left with me to the celestial plain." Waka said and Issun growled. "Get on with it you two bit prophet!" he growled. Waka sniffed and went back to what he was saying. "As I was saying. A certain wolf left with me. She was in the celestial plain until yesterday and now I cannot find her anywhere. I'm afraid she is missing. The celestial plain is restored and she was due to return to the mortal world, but she is gone, and there are no white wolves in the celestial plain, or here in the mortal world. I cannot see where she has gone." Waka said and Oki sat up straight. "So you are asking us to find her?" he asked and Waka nodded.

"I see...and do you have any helpful prophecies for us, Waka?" Issun asked sarcastically. Waka nodded at this. "In fact, I do my tiny bouncing friend! Thank you for asking." He said and he cleared his throat. "The woman in white knows what you seek." Waka said and Issun was about to complain when Waka vanished. Oki sighed and looked to Issun. "The woman in white?" he asked and Issun shrugged. "I guess we will just have to search for this woman in white." Issun said and Oki nodded. Issun was about to step outside when he slapped himself in the forehead. "The woman in white! There is a samurai travelling throughout Nippon, the pure white samurai, they call her." Issun said and Oki raised a brow.

"So we seek out a female warrior?" Oki asked and Issun nodded. "I am guessing that is what the woman in white means." Issun said and Oki nodded and changed into wolf form and allowed Issun to sit atop his head. "I guess we get to adventure now huh?" Issun asked with a small laugh and Oki grunted. "You know, Ammy never even acknowledged me as I spoke...you actually reply..." Issun said and Oki huffed. "Sheesh, that ain't a bad thing, at least you let me know you are listening." Issun said and Oki made a growling sound. "Alright alright I will be quiet sheesh, just for a little while though." Issun grumbled.