Joey groaned as he slowly started to stir awake. “Ug...stupid cat.” He carefully pushed himself up and gave his eyes a small rub. “I’ll transport you to his realm.” He said sarcastically. A snort came out as he pulled his hand away from his eyes and tried to focus on the area around him.


The area around Joey was jagged, rocky, and gray. He quickly looked up and saw an endless sea of gray clouds looming above him. A rumble of thunder would erupt and force joey to quickly cover his ears.


“HOLY!” Joey cried as he held his head; eyes wide in fear as a small bit of pain erupted in his head from the noise “Oh man, no wonder dogs always hide in bathtubs..” he sighed and slowly pulled his hands away. “Okay, let’s hope those will not be frequent..” he grumbled and looked back around the area. “Oh this will be fun to travel on.” he shot a look back down as his shoe less feet. He lifted one foot up and saw the pads on the bottom. He set it down and looked at the other foot. “Oh I hope these will be enough.” Joey sighed and looked at the rocky terrain “Won’t get anyplace just standing here, might as well get started.”


Joey carefully started to walk the difficult terrain. “Okay, nice and easy; careful.” He said to himself as he was walking along the stony area. “Well, this is not so bad, not a definite substitute for shoes, but I suppose I have no other choice.” he sighed and kept up his walk.


After an unknown amount of time, Joey went and sat down on a slab of stone. “Man how long have I been walking? Actually, how long have I even BEEN in this world?” Joey looked around and then back up at the sky. “I know I was here for a day, I think? That night came and then it passed quickly. Also, how long was I passed out for?” Joey held his head as his mind was hurting as he tried to make sense of it all.”Have I been gone so long people are worried? Or has it only been a few hours?” A small whimper escaped Joey as he thought about everything back home.


Joey’s ears perked a bit as the sound of shifting stone filled his ears. “Who’s there?” he called out and looked around. He sniffed the air and looked around as he tried to lock on to whatever might be out there. “I know you are out there.” he huffed a bit as the smell seemed to be all around him. “Gekigami! Is that you? Kabegami said this was your domain!” he called again. The sound of stones clattering seemed to come from all around him. The moment Joey looked at one spot, the sound quickly came from another area . “Okay you are really pushing my patience..” Joey snarled a bit as he caught a white blur for a brief moment as it vanished behind a stone. “GOT YA!” Joey ran for the stone.


There was a grin on Joey's face as he advanced; however his expression would quickly turn into expression of surprise as he felt something tackle into his back and knock him to the ground.


“Sorry, I got you!” A childish voice chuckled as Joey could feel its weight on his back.”Hello new Ammy!” it chuckled again.


“Very...funny.” Joey huffed and tried to turn his head and look behind him. One his back, there seemed to be another white furred feline, with some familiar markings on its head. Joey’s eyes went to its mouth and saw there was an arrow without a tip being held. A small gasp came out, and then another groan “Great, another cat.” He sighed.


The feline looked annoyed and dropped the broken arrow “Hey, you should know I am more than just “another cat.” He snorted annoyed. “I am the great and mighty Ko-Gekigami! Son of the almighty and powerful tiger of the thunderstorm, GEKIGAMI!” He cried and another boom of thunder ran out through the area.


Joey yelped once again and covered his ears from the loud boom “Please don’t do that!” he groaned as the ringing slowly started to fade away from his skull. “Stupid wolf hearing..” he grumbled.


“Oh, sorry new Ammy!” He walked along Joey’s back and patted his head. “Old Ammy was not a fan of thunder either.” He chuckled. “However, you should bow before me for forgiveness for calling me “Another cat.”” he huffed.


“I can’t bow before you if I am UNDER you now, can I?” Joey said with a bit of deadpan tone and sighed once again.


Ko-Gekigami pondered that for a moment. “Good point.” he picked up the arrow and leapt off Joey’s back. He sat Before Joey and looked down on Joey. “Is that better; new Ammy?” He chuckled and reached out to give his nose a small boop.


Joey just snorted a bit annoyed after the boop. “Yes, much.” He sighed and slowly pushed himself back up to two legs. He sighed and brushed off his fur. “Man this is troublesome.”


“Why not just lick and groom yourself like everyone else and old Ammy did?” Ko-Gekigami asked with a bit of innocent curiosity.


Joey paused for a moment as he envisioned himself grooming with his tongue. He winced a bit and then gagged slightly. ‘Because um..'' he looked down at the tiger cup who was eagerly waiting for a response. “..It’s complicated.


“Complicated?” He tilted his head in confusion at the anthropomorphic canine’s response. “I don’t see what is so hard about it. I have been doing it all my life.” To demonstrate he licked his arm and then turned to lick the side of his body. Joey’s ears would perk as Ko-Gekigami was emitting a happy purr.. “See? It’s not that complicated at all.” He chuckled.. “Go ahead and try it. You will need to do it eventually.”


“I’ll..pass.” Joey sighed and brushed the rest of the dirt off his fur.. “So kid? Where is your Dad?” he asked.”I have a few questions for him.”


“Dad is out running around. Doing what, I never really know.” Ko-Gekigami sighed a bit. “Must be talking with the other gods about you. I overheard a bit of a conversation earlier. That is how I know about you, new Ammy.” He giggled and happily jumped around Joey.


“I see. That does make sense. Granted you probably should not eavesdrop when your dad talks about important matters.” Joey gave a small chuckled and reached down to scratch the tiger cub behind the ears.


Ko-Gekigami purred loudly and chuckled a bit from the attention for a brief moment, before batting at Joey’s hand “Okay, that’s enough!” he laughed


Joey could not help but snicker at him. “Oh the great and mighty Ko-Gekigami, defeated by an ear scratch.” He chuckled.


“Oh ha ha, very funny.” He rolled his eyes and then gave a small snort as Ko-Gekigami rubbed his head with his paw. “You win this round new Ammy.”


“Okay, you can stop calling me “new Ammy.”” Joey said as he made some air quotes. “Just, please call me Joey, please?” he sighed.


“Hmm? But why? Don’t you want to be the new Ammy, new...Joey?” Ko-Gekigami corrected himself.


“It’s...complicated.” Joey sighed and walked over to sit on another slab of stone.


“Complicated? again? Why must everything with adults always be complicated?” Ko-Gekigami sighed and shook his head.He walked over and sat next to Joey and looked up at him.


“You’ll realize that problem when you’re older kiddo.” Joey smiled a bit as he stared at the young tiger.


“Hey I am 300 years old. Meaning that I am technically older than you, kiddo.” Ko-Gekigami blew a raspberry at Joey.

Joey’s eyes widened a bit hearing that, and then he chuckled a bit. “Oh really? Well then please forgive me..” Joey leaned down with a huge smirk on his muzzle. “..old man.” he teased


Ko-Gekigami was clearly not amused with Joey and gave him another boop on his nose. “Ha ha very funny.” he huffed a bit.


A small yelp escaped Joey from the boop, but he just kept chuckling away. “You left yourself open for that one, old kiddo.”


“Yeah, yeah, ha ha ha.” He said sarcastically. “Speaking of kiddos, are you going to have a kid too? Old Ammy had a son, and we were good friends; but when they went missing I kept hoping he would return.” Ko-Gekigami’s ears drooped a bit.


Joey locked up as he heard Ko-Gekigami mention a kid. His face froze in a state of shock. “Err, that is definitely complicated.” he squeaked out and looked down at his body. “But I can, explain this one. I am not “equipped” to have kids, got it?” He chuckled nervously.


“Not equipped?” He blinked several times with a confused expression. “Oh, wait. It’s because you’re a guy?”


“Exactly!” Joey smiled as he gave a small sigh of relief. “I can’t have a kid because I lack the means for it.”


“But, I was born and dad is male..” he pondered it over. “So then, how was I born?” he rubbed his chin with a paw.


Joey mentally started to panic a bit as his mind raced for an answer for the young tiger cub. “You were born from the hopes and prayers of the people and your father.” He quickly blurted out.


“Really? Is that how mortals are born as well?” Ko-Gekigami looked up at Joey as he expected his answer.


“No a stork brings those…” He quickly blurted out as he was mentally screaming for a change of subject.


“Storks? Oh those long legged birds with the big beaks? Those bring babies to mortals? Interesting.” He pondered that over. “Wait, you said i was born from the people’s and my dad’s hopes and prayers? Doesn't that mean you can concentrate and give me another playmate?” He looked up at Joey with hopeful eyes.


“I…” Joey started but Ko-Gekigami’s eyes seemed to be hitting Joey right in the soul. “...will consider it.” he sighed.


Ko-Gekigami gasped and then jumped around happily “OH BOY!” he laughed happily. "I can’t wait to have another playmate!”


Joey Felt his lip quiver slightly as he was staring forward. <Oh great. Not only do I have to be a god, I have to be a mother? I MEAN FATHER!> he mentally cried and shook his head. Joey wobbled a bit as he shook a bit too hard and made himself dizzy


Ko-Gekigami stopped jumping around and looked at Joey’s actions with a puzzled look. “What’s wrong Joey?”


“Oh I, um…” He looked at the tiger’s curious eyes and sighed. Joey was having a bit of trouble lying to him now. “...was thinking about being a mother; FATHER!” he blurted out and blushed as he quickly held his muzzle shut with both hands.


Ko-Gekigami just kept staring at Joey for what felt like eternity. “So um, do you...want to be a mother or father? Is there something complicated that is making it hard for you to decide?”


“Yeah kiddo, that is DEFINITELY what is happening right now…” He sighed again. He rubbed his furry head as he tried to compose his thoughts. ‘Say, you mentioned before you heard your dad talk a few things with the other gods? By chance, did you happen to overhear anything related to old Ammy and her son vanishing?” Joey leaned in curiously <I wytiwyg="1" seriously just called her old Ammy?> He mentally groaned as he stared down the tiger cub.


Ko-Gekigami stroked his furry chin in thought as he tried to remember. His tail swished back and forth on the rocky ground he pondered his memory. “Well, um, I think so; Something about the two of them investigating Yami’s return? Who is Yami? They sound like a really bad person.”


“Yami!?” Joey yelped and zoned out for a moment as he remembered the vision he had before. The menacing, glowing ball off evil flashed in his mind. His body shuddered as he heard it’s horrifying roar emitting again. He saw the wicked claw come out and once again launch right at him!.


Joey yelped as the vision made him fall backwards in shock and land on the ground with a small oof.


Ko-Gekigami gasped as he saw Joey fall back. “New Ammy are you okay!?” He cried as he ran behind the stone Joey was sitting on and saw the anthropomorphic canine laying on his back and staring wide eyed at the sky.


“Y-Y-Y-Yeah.” Joey stuttered a bit as he took a few deep breaths to compose himself. “I just know who that is.” He sighed and pushed himself back up.