A/N: So I was looking up Okami art last night (mostly OkixKai stuff, to be honest XD) and I found a lovely picture of adult Ammy and Waka and chibi Ammy and Waka stringing up Tanabata wishes on a stalk of bamboo. I'll put the url on my profile if you want to look at it because it's super pretty and inspired me to write this little one-shot. :) Also, brief paraphrase, the story behind the Tanabata festival is basically that it's the Japanese celebration of two lovers in heaven, Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair), who are separated from each other by the Amanogawa (Milky Way), reuniting for one night of the year. As the story goes, magpies fly over the Amanogawa to bring Orihime across to meet Hikoboshi, but if it rains, the magpies can't come. Anyway, I encourage you to look into more Japanese festivals because they're pretty awesome. Enjoy and review please!
200 Years of Wishes
Waka sat high in the branches of Konohana, watching the sky as the last light of the sun faded and the night crept in. From below, the distant sounds of laughter and chatter reached his ears as the villagers of Kamiki emerged from their homes to sit in the pleasant nighttime warmth and watch the stars. Tama was forbidden to set off any fireworks, because it was absolutely imperative that the sky be clear on this night.
"You're lucky this year, my friend," Waka said to a small star twinkling across the swirling Amanogawa. The day had been hot and muggy, but there was no sign of rain and even now the only clouds lay hazy and grey on the horizon.
"Hey, what're you doin' up there, you half-baked prophet?" came the grating voice of Issun. Amaterasu padded up the path to the Guardian Sapling with the bug bouncing on her head, as always. She sat down on her haunches underneath the red torii and cocked her head up at him quizzically. "You're pretty suspicious hangin' about up there by yourself you know. Kushi busted out the sake already, and Mrs. Orange has got some o' her famous cherry cakes!"
"I was merely chatting with my dear friend Hikoboshi," Waka replied airily. He leapt down from the branches of the tree and landed in front of the wolf and her envoy.
Issun stopped bouncing. "Stars don't talk," he pointed out.
"Brilliant observation, my little friend. Truly, I am amazed. Well now, shall we go see what the fuss is all about down there?"
Ammy grinned and Issun muttered something under his breath while the three of them made their way to join the villagers. Mr. Bamboo was there with a basket of bamboo stalks, which he was handing out to the kids so they could tie up their wishes. He grinned widely when he saw Ammy. "Why hello, wolfie!" he said. "Would you and your friends like to hang up a wish? Oh, wolves can't write, I suppose…"
Ammy flicked her tail and a strip of colored paper floated down to the ground in front of her paws; she sat down and held her tail over the paper, dripping ink.
"Oh my!" Mr. Bamboo exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Proves me wrong, doesn't it? Well, here you are! I've saved the finest stalk for you!"
Ammy took the stalk in her mouth gratefully. It was too heavy and tipped downward into Waka's lap, but he simply laughed and helped her hold the branch up while she finished writing down her wish.
"World peace," Issun read over her tail, while trying to think what to put on his own paper. "That's a nice thing to wish for, I guess. Though I kinda hoped yours woulda been more interesting."
Ammy gave him a suffering sidelong glance and then turned to Waka, who was already stringing his up.
"I'll get yours too, ma cherie," he said.
"Hey hey hey, me too!" Issun cried. "HNGH…Ah! I know!" He scribbled something hurriedly and thrust the paper at Waka, puffing with pride. He had drawn a quick sketch of Konohana in full bloom, with Amaterasu sleeping peacefully underneath it. "I guess my wish is similar to Ammy's, heh," he said, his aura turning slightly pink. "But then again, what's a Celestial Envoy good for, right?"
Waka smiled to himself. The little bug was a good kid, when it all boiled down.
"Hey, we never saw what your wish was, prophet!"
Ammy perked to attention, thumping her tail in agreement.
"Oh, it's nothing truly interesting," Waka said dismissively. "Just the same wish I've written every year."
"Then this I've gotta see," said Issun mischievously, hopping over to Waka's end. Ammy cocked her head. He knew she was thinking back to the Tanabatas they had spent together on the Celestial Plains, and how he would always smile and wink at her and say, "It's a secret~".
Waka made to move the branch higher, but Issun was faster. He grabbed hold of Waka's slip with a triumphant "HA!" and held it flat for Ammy to see.
I wish the weather will be fine tonight. The two of them stared at the slip, reading the characters over and over, perplexed by the simplicity and wondering if it was a joke.
"Two hundred wishes about the weather?" Issun shook his head, baffled. Ammy blinked, wondering the same thing.
Waka simply smiled and stared up at the sky. His eye immediately caught out Hikoboshi, twinkling closer and closer to his beloved Orihime. He didn't expect the little bug to understand. He hadn't lived without her for a hundred of those years; he wouldn't know that with each stroke on every one of those slips, Waka poured the feelings that he left unsaid.
So I can be with you.