I told you I'd be writing another one! Well, here it is! Now we shall unravel the mystery that is Amaterasu's past. Keep in mind that Shiranui is Amaterasu's 100-year old incarnation. This is a story that dates back to the time when Shiranui was born. Don't forget to read and review! Especially review! Please?

A lost soul wanders aimlessly, searching for another life, another body. It seeks the chance to reincarnate, and live again. The soul—that of a long-dead deity—finally finds what she seeks. She prepares to enter the world of the living again, ready to start anew . . .

o~*~o

"Breathe. It's okay, Kinkou, just breathe. You can get through this."

A young wolf named Mizuki spoke soothing words of comfort to her friend. Kinkou, a wolf with fur like spun gold, lay on her side, her breathing ragged and uneven. She let out a pained howl as another contraction came. She was in labor, and she did not know what to do, as this was her first time.

Mizuki, her old friend, was there to help her through it. "That's it. You're doing good, Kinkou," she said. "Now push!" Kinkou did so, crying out as the pain intensified. And then, just like that, it was over. The cry of a tiny newborn wolf cub filled the air. A new life was born.

There was just one pup, as wolves of the Moon Tribe produced only one child, sometimes two, not a litter. That is that way it had always been within the pack of wolves living side-by-side with the people of the Lunar Civilization.

The new mother looked down at her pup, smiling. It was then she noticed that this was no average wolf cub. Wolves of the Moon Tribe have always been proud of their golden fur—each wolf was different, though, varying in shades from light blonde to dark amber—but this little wolf did not have gold fur. Instead, it was white. Pure white, like freshly fallen snow. Kinkou pondered about this for a second, but then decided that that was not important. All that mattered was that this pup was hers, and nobody else's.

Mizuki—whose fur was a lighter color than Kinkou's, whom possessed a coat of fur that was the color of pure gold, enviable among many—also looked down at the tiny pup, eyes wide with awe. "But . . . that's . . . How is that . . . It can't be!" she said, so flustered she couldn't even complete her thoughts.

"I don't know," Kinkou said, "but I think it's a miracle." She licked the pup—her pup—clean, proud to be the mother of this unique wolf. "She's special."

"What are you going to name her?"

"Hmm . . ." Kinkou thought for a moment. Then she came up with the perfect name. "Shiranui. She will be called Shiranui."

"Why that name?" Mizuki asked, confused as to why Kinkou would pick that name. To her, it didn't sound all that good.

"It's the name of an old goddess, one I've heard of before in stories. I think it's perfect for her because I believe that she's a gift from the gods."

"Okay. Whatever you say."

Kinkou and Mizuki emerged from the small den they had been holed up in, puppy in tow. All the other members of the pack gathered around them, eager to meet the newest addition. But when they saw that white fur of hers, many backed away, shocked and dismayed. Whispers and murmurs spread across the crowd.

"What's with that pup?"

"Her fur is white! What sort of Lunar wolf has white fur?"

"Is it a demon?"

"What is going on here?"

The wolves instantly fell silent. Rinmari, the alpha female, walked up. The wolves obediently bowed to her as she passed. Her fur, a deep, dark amber, sharply contrasted with her piercing icy-blue eyes. That was another trait most Lunar wolves shared—blue eyes of varying shades. Kinkou met Rinmari's gaze fearlessly, her beautiful cobalt eyes sparkling. Mizuki looked on nervously, her sky-blue eyes glittering with worry.

Rinmari looked at the tiny pup that Kinkou carried gently with her teeth with disgust. "And what is that thing?" she asked disdainfully, her voice seething with hatred.

Kinkou glared at Rinmari, anger in her azure eyes. Handing the helpless pup to Mizuki, she said, "This thing happens to be my child, and you have no right to say such things about her."

Rinmari did not care about this. "And why not? That thing is clearly not a Lunar wolf. Look at that dreadful fur! It is not one of us, nor will it ever be."

Kinkou now started to growl. She was getting fed up with Rinmari's nonsense. "She may or may not be one of us, but I know that she's a gift from the heavens, and I ask that you back off."

Now it was Rinmari's turn to growl. The nerve of that wolf! How dare she tell Rinmari, leader of the Lunar Pack, what to do? "Now listen here—"

"Break it up, ladies."

The quarreling wolves stopped in their tracks. Up came Hiroshi, the alpha male of the pack. Having heard all the commotion, he was here to put a stop to it. As one of the only males in the Lunar Pack, it was mainly his job to act as peacemaker, halting catfights wherever they may erupt.

"H-Hiroshi, darling," Rinmari stammered, unsettled by his appearance. Though she is the leader of the pack, Hiroshi was still her mate, and that meant she still had to listen to him. And he had told her specifically not to pick fights. Her tone was immediately contrite, like that of a child that had done something bad. "I-I . . . I'm sorry, honey."

"That's okay, sweetie," Hiroshi said, ever so gracious and forgiving. "But what is going on here? What's all the hubbub about?"

Fury rose up in Rinmari again at the mere thought of that wolf and her demon child. "That wolf . . . Kinkou, I believe it was. Her child, or whatever it is . . . it's not normal."

"Not normal? Now, what can you possibly mean by that?" His tone was cynical and condescending, a smile playing on his lips. It wasn't the first time Rinmari had gotten worked up over what usually is nothing at all.

"What do I mean?" she snapped. "Just look at it! Can't you tell? It's a demon in disguise!"

Hiroshi examined the pup in question. "Well, well," he said, intrigued. "What do you know? A white wolf cub." He then turned back to face Rinmari. "That is unique, for sure, but I don't think it's a demon. Just look at that lovely white fur! If anything, this is a pup from heaven above."

Rinmari huffed out her frustration. She hated being treated like a child, and she absolutely despised being wrong. But she wasn't going to fight him. She promised she wouldn't. Hiroshi walked away and Rinmari reluctantly followed.

"I just don't get that wolf," Kinkou remarked as she watched the alpha wolves leave.

After passing the tiny Shiranui back to Kinkou, Mizuki replied, "Me, either."

o~*~o

Kinkou settled down in her spacious den, her little pup sleeping soundly next to her. Just then, Kinkou's perceptive ears picked up a sound—a rustle in the bushes nearby. She started to get up when she heard it again.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called cautiously to the empty walls of the cave. Another rustle in the bushes came as a reply. Kinkou caught a familiar scent—this person belonged to the Moon Tribe. A friend. Her voice became gentler as she called out again. "It's okay. You can come out. I won't hurt you."

A set of eyes peered up out of the bushes, the top of their blond head showing. The eyes—a light silvery-blue color—seemed fearful and apprehensive.

Kinkou used an even gentler tone, practically whispering as she repeated, "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

Finally, the person emerged from the bushes. It was a young boy of about 8 years. He was clearly from the Lunar Civilization, what with his blond hair and blue eyes. But it was uncommon to see human visitors around these parts. For the most part, the humans just left the wolves alone. It was a mutual agreement—humans and wolves should not mix. Kinkou was curious as to why this little boy would deliberately walk into wolf territory, but she decided to ask a different question. "Who are you?" she asked instead.

"Um . . . I . . . M-My name's Waka," the boy said timidly. So that was his name. But another question still remained.

"Why are you here, Waka?"

"W-Well . . . I . . . I-I don't really know."

"You don't know . . . ? Can you tell me what happened?"

Young Waka told her that he woke up in this area with no recollection of what happened beforehand.

"Oh . . . That must be hard for you," Kinkou said sympathetically. Suddenly, she felt that she should change the subject. She didn't want him to feel worse about it. "Would you like to see my little pup?" Waka nodded his head. "Here she is." She revealed the sleeping cub to him.

He looked at the tiny wolf in wonder. "Elle est belle," he murmured in French. "She's beautiful. That fur . . ." He reached out and gently stroked the little pup's fur. It was surprisingly smooth and silky in his hand, unlike a normal wolf's coarse, rough fur. The tiny Shiranui woke, responding to his touch by slightly raising her head, whimpering softly for more.

She didn't know why, but Kinkou had the feeling that this was the start of what would be a grand journey . . .