Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Months. Years. Decades. Centuries. No matter the measurement, time passes.

People. Things. Events. No matter how dear, everything becomes but a memory as time passes. Even if these memories are enshrined with in story or pictures, all things fade as time marches on. As is their fate.

As was the fate of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and savior of Nippon.

Not from any fault of her own or those that she had helped. Issun alone had spread her name and deeds far and wide till his time ran out. The citizens she had saved, and the lives she had personally touched had helped keep her power alive, and spoke highly of her.

However how long until the next generation is too far away from the events before they feel nothing for them? How many times can a story be told before its just a myth? How many years before a piece of art depicting an event is just a beautiful masterpiece? Over time even the truth fades into nonexistence.

And so the great goddess slept. Too powerful to truly fade away, but too weak to act upon the world. Not forgotten, but not worshipped. Sustained by the memories and half hearted tellings of her tale.

"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe! My divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant! Heed my call! I wish from the very bottom of my heart! Answer my guidance and appear!" A voice cut through her sleep. Chased away the dreams of the past. Making a demand of her filled with bravado and arrogance.

However even weakened a goddess can hear everything. Beneath the loud demand was a silent desperate prayer. Emitting the arrogant voice was an even more desperate heart. While the voice demanding a servant, the heart begged and prayed for a savior. It was to that heart that the goddess awakened. To that prayer that the savior of many answered.

It was in answer to that heart's call that the goddess Amaterasu returned to the world once more.

Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière was very desperate right now. Not only did she declare that she could summon a familiar that was better than all others, but this was perhaps her last chance to prove she could indeed cast a spell properly.

With a deep breathe she cast her summon familiar spell, pouring all her willpower into it. Sadly… the spell had the most predictable result. An explosion erupted throwing up a dust cloud and causing many to stumble and fall. However there was something different about this particular explosion. Louise stared into the very heart of the cloud of dirt and debris until she realized what it was.

There was something there. Something that was drawing her forward. As if on auto-pilot the little pinkett walked through the choking cloud as if it wasn't there. Her hand stretched out, not in a searching gesture, but a welcoming one.

The dust settled a her fingers graced something warm and solid. Her eyes drank in the form of her summon. A statue of a wolf whose very posture spoke of great power. Whose eyes promised wisdom beyond measure. Whose appearance was that of unmatched beauty. A statue that according to some part deep down in Louise's heart, could only be divine.

Again she acted without any real thought. Her fingers caressed under the statue's jaw as all else was drowned out. She leaned forward and whispered to the statue, "My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière. Origin of all that is good, and mother to us all… please bless me with your guidance." With that she kissed the statue on its forehead and took a step back.

It was only then that her brain decided to decide to reboot itself. Confusion rolled through her mind like a tidal wave. Doubt tore at her as her classmates whispered behind her. Time seemed to stretch. Seconds felt like hours as confused whispers became familiar jabs and name calls. However before despair could truly take hold of her heart, something happened.

The statue cracked.

It was a loud thunderous sound that was quickly followed by another. Then another. The statue became covered in a spider's web of thin cracks. All of the sudden a second explosion, this one of light, filled the courtyard.

Amidst the curses and flinches of her classmates, the young girl didn't move. She stared transfixed at where the statue stood. In its place, sitting on its haunches, was a creature that was truly all she asked for.

The wolf that sat before her was almost pure white,except for the red marking that patterned its shoulders and chest. As well as the crimson circle on its head with two lines, one that extended down the back of its neck and the other to its nose. At the center of the circle the runes of their contract shined brightly. On each ankle, both shoulders, and the base of the tail misty fur swirled forth. This was a creature that in no way was from the mortal plane. This wolf was no normal wolf.

Louise felt a smile spread upon her lips as she stared into golden eyes. Eyes filled with warmth and wisdom. Her feet guided her forward as fingers glided into soft fur. The being's head tilted ever so slightly as she petted it.

The words from her classmates washed over her once more. Their awed whispers brought a bright smile to her lips as she looked down at her familiar. If the familiar reflected the master then she must be something special.

Her smile got wider as she listened. About how beautiful her pure white wolf was. About how it certainly looked strong. How it certainly was one of the smarter and stronger looking animals. How… wait. No, wait. That sounded all wrong.

The creature before her wasn't pure white. Wasn't a normal animal. Couldn't be. Why were they downplaying this? Were they blind? Her smile became a confused frown. Could they not feel the great power that was emitted in waves from her familiar? The warmth? What was wrong with them? Her fingers stilled their movements as she stiffened. Her familiar gave a soft whine as if asking why she stopped. However she didn't answer.. She couldn't. Her brain just wouldn't register.

By the time her brain rebooted enough to turn around and demand answers… Professor Colbert had already called an end to the class. She could only watch as her classmates made their way back to the castle. All except one.

The blue-haired girl had long ago put away her book. Her emotionless eyes felt like they were looking into Louise's very soul. Observing and picking at it as one would an old puzzle box. Something that looked so deceptively simple, and yet was so very complex. It was rather odd how fitting that comparison felt.

After what felt like an eternity the bluenette turned away and walked off followed by her blue dragon. Leaving behind a very confused pinkett alone with her strangely amused familiar and a mystery.

This place was very like yet unlike her own. There was great power here. Spirits lived and spread their influence in the nearby areas. The great elements flourished and were practiced by young disciples. She could feel the life all around her.

However the people, the land, even the very air felt different. Her domain was high in the sky and yet it felt so distant. Far more so than her weakened state explained. The disciples were varied in both appearance and element. Back in Nippon a teacher would take on a disciple of a similar attunement and train them for years as an apprentice. Sometimes taking on several. However the sheer number of disciples, and she sensed far more than the small group than that just departed, seemed too much for such a system to work.

However the biggest difference was in the elements themselves. In all the disciples, each had power over at least one of the elements. However she only felt the power of four of them. In all the students. All of the teachers. All of the land around her, she felt only one real source and user of the fifth and strongest of the godai, void. That source was in the spirit of the girl whose prayer brought her here. And such a powerful source she was.

Amaterasu felt bad for this girl. To have no proper teacher was a terrible thing. To have such great potential, and no one to help you mold it. No wonder she prayed for guidance so desperately.

However it would be sometime before she could give the girl the guidance she sought. She heard the whispered comments of the young students. They saw what all others with no belief saw. A white wolf, pure and strong. It was a form she was very use to at this point. An image she actually quite adored. However that meant that with so little belief her powers were both weakened, and her true form would not be seen by-

"What are you? You are no wolf. You are not pure white. I don't know what the others are talking about. Are they blind? Can they not feel the power coming off you? The warmth radiating from your being?" the girl said turning toward the weakened goddess with confused frustration dripping from her voice. Her fists were clenched tightly.

From where she sat on her haunches Amaterasu gaped in surprise at her new charge, her mouth opening wide. This girl could see her?

"Of course I can see you. I'm not blind. I have eyes."

The goddess in wolf form blinked at the girl. She could-

"Yes I can understand you. Its obvious what you are saying." The pinkett replied with a twitching brow. "Now stop treating me like a child and answer my question."

The goddess couldn't stop the confused whine from escaping her throat. This was not what she expected. Someone that could not only see her but understand her so easily? The last humans that could see her so clearly at first glance had been that monk… well and Susano had claimed he had seen her from the beginning. Though the only ones that had understood her had been the… wait… maybe… did she…

"What do you mean can I paint? How does that explain anything? And what is a poncle?"