It was a rather cold day, as it usually was in the most northern region of Nippon, known as Kamui. The village of Wep'keer was in a dilemma though. Samickle, the Oina chief, along with Kai had just returned after rescuing Lika from a band of large demons, never before seen in these parts. Then everything should've been OK, right? Lika was safe and unharmed, so what was the problem? Oki had accompanied them in her rescue, and has yet to return. You see, as Oki has done before, he had acted as a shield to let the others escape, and he hasn't come back.

"Oh Samickle, it's been two hours since we've returned, where is he?!" Kai exclaimed, extremely worried. She and Samickle were sitting near elder Kemu's hut. "I'm not sure, but if he doesn't come back in five minutes I'm going to search for him." Samickle replied.

It was snowing very light, despite the temperature, a somewhat lovely day in Kamui.

And then it happened. From the gates above, leading to where the Ark of Yamato was but eight months earlier, he steadily walked. Kai and Samickle stood in absolute shock.

"Lika's safe, .... right?" In wolf form was he, walking as if in a trance. "Sorry to keep you waiting... ...." From snout to tail, practically all over, battered and cut, blood dripping and smeared on his body. "Samickle, Kai?"

Samickle and Kai finally found their tongues and simultaneously screamed Oki's name.

He stopped abruptly, "I'm sorry." and coughed up blood as he collapsed to the snowy earth underneath him.

"OKI!!!"

It was warm, and quite comfortable. And he felt as if his head was being stroked. "Nngg..." Slowly opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings, someone's hut...? That petting, who's doing that? He leisurely raised his head a bit. Lika was next to him, playing with a toy and petting his head from time to time.

"Lika? Whe-" Oki was cut off by "Hello Oki! You're a soft doggy." She smiled under her leafy mask.

Oki was in Kai and Lika's home, bandaged and cleaned up. His mask was on the other side of the room, along with his demon fang necklace, drying on a towel after a wash. Although, Oki couldn't remember much of what had happened, but he logically assumed the demons got the better of him.

"Oki, do you want me to get my sister since you're awake now?" Lika asked innocently. "Yes, I would appreciate that.." he somewhat nervously replied. He felt embarrassed to be in another's house, but he didn't show it much. "Okay!" Lika hopped, and rushed outside. Must've made her feel important.

He sighed, and tried to stand up. As he did this Kai walked in and saw him fall again. "Oh Oki, what are you doing? Please..." she helped him lay down comfortably.

Once he was settled Kai asked, "Oki, what happened?" He paused and tried to collect his thoughts. Oki folded back his ears. Naturally he remained in his wolf form, he had to, didn't he? His mask was on the other side of the room and he would feel more uncomfortable if he was in his human form anyway.

"I... I honestly don't remember. I was fighting those demons, but the rest escapes me.." he responded. Kai looked at him, fear in her eyes. It unnerved Oki. "Kai?" he beckoned.

"Oki. You don't remember, at all, walking into the village?" Kai questioned. "No. Not at all. In fact, would you mind telling me?" he replied. "Oki... we left you to fight, and you didn't come back for over two hours. When Samickle and I were about to go looking for you, you walked steadily in the village caked in blood muttering about things." Kai told Oki slowly.

"Muttering about things? Of what sort? Do you recall what I said?"

"You were asking about Lika, and you kept saying you were sorry. Of what of, I cannot say." she said. Oki hindered. After a long pause Kai stood up and said, "Well Oki, we're going to have to move you to Samickle's house to rest for tonight, seeing as Lika and I take up most of the space in here. And we can't leave you alone until you're healed. So rest until he arrives." She stepped out of the hut. Oki laid his head down, trying to think everything through. What was bothering him? He can't remember what happened earlier that day, whether or not he defeated those demons and are they a continuing threat to the Oina tribe, how he's going to survive having to reside within Samickle's hut and..........? What is he forgetting? Something he was thinking of last night in his own hut.

Samickle and Kai walked in and picked his embarrassed furry butt up and began to carry him up the stretch of walkway towards Samickle's library of a house.

He suddenly remembered, it was something about Amaterasu.