Sunset over Darkness
By
Krampus the Dark
Authors Note: welcome everyone to my new story Sunset over Darkness, a Okami story (while some element from different games like Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry, and Marvel vs Capcom 3, will be present.) This story will take most of my time, so while I will continue to work on Blood Moon Rising don't expect updates to be plentiful. I will try and make this even better than the aforementioned story, so grammar and spelling mistakes should be at a minimum. If you have any questions put them on your review, or if it just can't wait then P.M. me and I'll respond as fast as I can. Chapters should have about 3500 words and up to 4500 (hopefully for the 4500.) So with out further delay here's our story.
P.S. I suggest listening to the Okami soundtrack.
Chapter 1: Flight of Reminiscence
I stood in boarding line 4, waiting for my turn to board flight 36 to Japan. My life's dream was finally about to be fulfilled, all the hard work and struggles would pay off. I looked over to see all of the passengers for boarding lane 3 were all gone, onto the plane where they waited for the rest of us to come abroad. I sighed in boredom while waiting for my line to get moving, so just to mess with me the universe decided to have the line begin to move while I thought. I awoke from my state of mind by a light tap on my shoulder blade.
I looked behind me to see who tapped me, to see a young looking kid. Based off his looks and wardrobe he looked to be about eighteen no, nineteen. He wore a black hoodie with the text of "Bow Ties are Cool" written in blue text. He had a simple pair of slack blue jeans and black sneakers. He had a back pack on, that seemed to be black, with a red trim. His luggage was a simple beige. He had Caucasian skin and bright yellow hair with amber eyes. And he was I say about 5'6 feet tall.
"Um sorry man to interrupt your thoughts but the lines moving, and I would like to leave some time today." He said. I raised my eyebrow at him and looked forward to see everyone in front of me gone. I gained a small blush from my embarrassment. Why did I not notice them moving forward? So I quickly gave some apologies to the people behind me and moved to the attendance desk with my luggage. When I reached my destination the attendant looked up from her computer, and she asked.
"Hello sir may I see your ticket, and please state your name." she asked in a forced sweet tone. I didn't have time to mess around the flight left in 20 minutes, so I complied.
"Yes mam, my name is Jonathan Hollow and here's my ticket." I said while handing her the ticket. She gave me the same instructions and thanks from all airports and the like. Really has anyone else noticed that all airports have the same things when rules come into question? But beside my rant I made my way to the portal while looking down to see my seat. It read G4 a window seat, great I wonder who will be the guy or gal that gets the 'pleasure' of setting next to me. I then looked up to see I was right about to enter the plane, I walked in and entered the VIP section. I walked down the cramped hallway back to commercial. By the look of things I would be in the back 'joy' I thought. So I began my little trek towards my seat.
I began with a brisk pace to get to my seat. As I walked through I saw a multitude of people on board with me. There were people of all types and kinds, you'd see African Americans, Caucasians, and quite a few Orientals most likely going home. That's one thing planes always seem to have multiple people of different backgrounds and different life stories. Or at least that's what I would hope to see, for all I know they could all just be just a bunch of normal people with similar lives to mine.
I had finally made it to my seat and to my surprise it was in the last row. And no one was seated next to my seat already, we'll I guess my flight "buddy" was on his or her way. I grabbed my luggage and placed the bag in the compartment above the seats. While I kept my carry on with me. I shuffled over to my chair due to the lack of leg space between the seats. When I got over to mine I quickly seated my self and closed my eyes, I sighed in delight at how soft the seat was. I was a bit surprised at the softness of it, I mean most seats on planes aren't exactly going to be this comfortable. As I sat there in my short bliss I heard people walking by and putting there things up into the compartment. I was ejected from my little heaven when I heard the sound of shuffling on the floor. I opened my eyes to look at the person that was going to seat next to me. A woman likely in her 30s to 40s was trying to put up her baby blue suit case. After she finished her struggle she looked down and said.
"Oh hello there how are you?" she asked with a smile. Though I could tell she was trying to be nice I didn't return said smile, no instead I raised my eyebrow and replied with.
"Good thank you for asking mam, but can you answer a question for me." I asked. When she was about to respond I quickly asked.
"Would you so happen to be the one to sit next to me?" I asked with a dead tone. I looked to see what her face had become in response for my less than rambunctious tone, but nothing had changed great she was one of those people. You know the type, the one that's always happy and no matter what you say or how you say it, they wouldn't get the hint. Like the I don't care tone.
"Oh no, I'm not the one who will be next to you young man, but I'll be across from you though." She replied with enthusiasm. I decide that my best strategy was to just smile and nod, yep I'm doing one of the old and cliché pretending to listen thing ever invented. But she just smiled back.
"But after the flight we can talk or something if you would like?" she asked me. I dropped my fake smile and tried to think of a way why I couldn't, then I remembered something that was a 'Get out of talking to a annoying, over joyous nut job card' I had to meet with a man from the Kibo University, that was sent to pick me up. You see I was to become the new western culture teacher, and I was ecstatic when Kibo had replied to my application. I always loved Japanese culture and my own, so when I was about 15 or 16 I decided to go over to Japan and become a Western culture teacher. Boy was it hard to get where I am now.
"Sorry I can't, I have to meet someone important. So sadly I no." I said with a obviously fake tone. I was worried for a second she wouldn't buy it but to my joy she did. Her annoying smile instantly did a 180.
"Well gosh darn it, that sucks." She said. But then to my horror her smiled returned.
"But we might see each other later, I'll be in Japan for about 2 weeks, you?" she asked. Now is the time I would tell her to leave me alone, but I felt nice today and the plane would takeoff in 3 minutes. So I decided to amuse her.
"Oh I'll be around for much longer than that, thank you very much and I have a lot of work so very unlikely." I said. She nodded her head and thanked me for the talk. She was about to go to her seat but stopped and said her name was Willow. Well now that she was gone I noticed the seats next to me were still vacant. Huh lucky me I guess, I don't have to listen to anyone. And to me that's a win right there. Now I guess by now you know I'm not a people person, but that might lead one to ask why this job. Well the answer is quite simple, they're my students and I can deal with colleagues. So in the end it would all work out.
"Attention everyone this is your pilot speaking, my name is Captain Rogers and we will be heading out in the next 2 minutes. I'm here with my Co pilot Duke, there will be a small amount of turbulence, but we should be in Tokyo on our scheduled time of 4:15 a.m. in the morning local time." The captain rambled. I chose to black out the rest of the stuff because I've heard it all before.
You know what I mean, the incase of emergency jargon. There is never any new dialogue that is added to their little scripts. So when he finally had stopped talking I felt the plane begin to move and they began the standard warmup speed. It wasn't long before we made a turn and we began to pick up speed, oh joy here's the part I hate the dam take off. We are now in the air and I'm getting fucking butterflies from this crap, oh well I can't really blame anyone yet.
"Please turn off all electronic devices or set them to airplane mode please." Came the flat toned voice of our captain. Well I was good since I set my phone to plane mode just before I boarded and my laptop was off in my bag. So I didn't have to worry, so with us in the air and already a good distance from the airport. I looked out to see the clouds being lighted to a soft white from the sunlight, it made me smile. The whites and blues of the sky just made me feel relaxed. But this also caused me to think, here I was on a plane going to Japan going to live my dream. But I wouldn't be able to see my family for some time and everything will be so new. I mean I know a lot about the culture and history of Japan but I don't know jack about the layout of the place. This also got me to think about my job, I remember when I came up with it. I came up with it during my second year of high school.
I told my "friends" about my dream job and they laughed at me. Now this wasn't the joking kind of laugh, no it was one of mocking. So after that I went through that school day with a bit of depression. When I got home I went to my room to do my homework and I started to do some research on Japan's history. I was in love with the place after a few paragraphs from a online text book. The dynasties were so complex and the caste system of ancient Japan was so interesting, so a quarter way through the book I opened a new tab and looked into their culture and it was interesting to say the least. But I then I head the door open and in walked my parents back home from work and I walked out to greet them.
I told them of my intentions and to my delight they were happy and proud. I told them what I what I wanted was to teach western history and culture to the kids in Japan, and they agreed whole heartedly. They said it was a good idea and they would help me with the funds and the like. It was at that point I began my little quest to obtain my dream and dam was it rigorous. I was on my second year of high school and I had to finish it, but lucky for me I was three quarters in and summer was closing in. It wasn't long before school had ended and summer had began. Nothing important had happened at all during the summers leading up to this. All of them I spent them with family and friends. So I was on my third year did I begin my classes, I had world history and English. I also had the usual classes like math, and science. But the best class was Japanese class, where I would learn Japanese.
Most of my third year was uneventful, no it was my fourth and final year at high school that all the drama happened. It started out small, it began with some scum bag that had brought meth into the school and began to distribute the crap. I may not have mentioned this but I lost my uncle Kenny to that shit, oh that was a horrible fucking time to be me. Everyone knew who the dealer was, Jason Booth and it's a sad thing to say his great grandfather was a hero back in World War 2. But no one sold him out no. Not even my friends hell one of them got addicted to it. So when the ass hat tried to sell it to me I punched him in the face and dragged him to the office. A lot of my fellow students didn't like that so I began to get bullied , or should I say tried I told the to piss off and they did. Dam I even lost my friend that was addicted. No he didn't die, no he was just pissed.
Next came the football fiasco, one of our star quarter backs fell and broke his leg. So I was called in to fill his spot. I wasn't on the team, but I was on the reserve list. So I got to play quarter back and due to the whole Jason incident a hand full of students didn't like that, and even some others due to me taking the spot. So I played what like 4 games and we were in the finals. It was us the William chargers vs the Martin Oxen, we were in the home stretch and one touch down would win us the finals. I was open and I got the ball, I was running when one of the Oxen players come out of no where and sidelined me. I was down and we didn't have enough time to score, so we lost and guess who got blamed? That's right me, oh the flak I got from my coaches and team mates. The mocking lasted for about 2 months before it died down.
And now the last shit storm I endured, it was a month before prom night and all of my friends had dates. I tried to asked some of the girls I liked but they all refused or refused with some colorful words. All their reasons were either about my clash with Booth or the game. It seems my popularity here was at a all time low, it was by now I had given up on trying to find a date. But just a couple of days after I lost hope, to my surprise Rose Stack one of the most popular and beautiful girls asked me to prom. I never really liked her and she was the old quarter backs girl friend. Apparently they had a falling out a little bit while ago, now that I think about it not that long after the game where I was brought down. Any way so it was the night of the prom and I went to her house to pick her up. She answered the door and to my shock wore and tight red dress, anyway I walked her to the passenger seat and let her in. With that done I got into the car and drove us there, while making so small talk. I noticed that she wasn't smiling and asked what was the matter, she just said she was a bit nervous. We walked in and began to dance and the like it was a hour in when it all went to hell. I asked if she wanted a drink and she said yes. I went to grab it and once I had it I was walking back. I handed the drink to her and she took it, I began to take a drink from mine when I was shoved to the ground I looked up to see Clark Wilson the old quarter back, with a sadistic smile. Every one was laughing at me and then I head a ahem, I turned my head and looked upwards to see Rose with the same smile. Before I could say a word she dumped her drink on me and the walked over to Clark, when she made it over to him he raped his arm around her and she looked at my confused look and said.
"OH MY GOD YOU REALLY THOUGHT I LIKED YOU!" she laughed. She then began to explain that this was a prank to get at me for the game and for turning Jason in. So there I sat covered in punch while every one laughed. Oh how I wanted to cry but I couldn't, no my sadness was soon replaced with rage. Not just any rage no it was a un-holy fire that had replaced my blood. It tore through me and replaced all my senses with hatred, my only thought was of vengeance so I got up and walked away to the punch bowl. Not many were watching me due to laughter, but the ones one were saw me grab the punch bowl and walk back over to the two idiots. When I was back in front of them I said with a bit more volume to my voice.
"Enjoy your free punch you mother fuckers!" I yelled and I threw the entire punch bowl at them. Instantly everyone shut up and looked shock at my action. I promptly gave every one the bird and walked out to my car to drive home. When I had made it to my car I opened my car door and was about to get in when I heard a slam. I looked up to see Clark and a couple of his buddies walking towards me and dam they looked pissed, once they were a good distance the other prom attendances began to walk out as well. I returned my sight to Clark and his goons, they were about half way until they could reach me. I looked Clark in the eye and gained a Cheshire Cat smile.
"Well if it isn't the dumbass and his friends, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" I said with a mocking tone.
"YOU KNOW DAM WELL WHAT THIS IS ABOUT HOLLOW!" He screamed in rage. He was advancing quickly and soon he was right in front of me. I looked to his right shoulder to see it twisting back, I quickly side stepped to the left and all he hit was air.
"Oh I'm sorry I forgot, was it when I dumped the punch on you and your whore? Or was is it because your low on self-esteem, because I know your lacking it." I chuckled out. That just pissed him off more and his friends jumped in. They all ran at me but before they got to me I turned around and opened one of the glove compartments in my car and pulled out my emergency gun. I pointed it at Clark and said.
"Looked were both pissed beyond thought and I'm asking nicely leave me alone and no one gets hurt. Deal?" I said with finality. He looked to his chums then to everyone else and he smiled.
"Sure we'll go and leave but I hope you remember this because everyone has seen your little stunt, you'll be a social pariah." He said. I responded with a laugh, he lost his grin and looked at me and yelled.
"WHAT'S SO GOD DAM FUNNY FREAK?!" I responded with more laughter.
"You and everyone here is what's so funny, I don't care about social status and schools almost over anyway, so thanks for the laughs and what not have a good prom night!" I said as I got in my car. After that I drove home and went to bed.
Even though I went to bed that night with a smile on my face, I was given something that haunts me to this day. I woke up from my sleep and I got up and onto the floor. I made my way over to the light switch and flipped it upwards and nothing happened. Great the power was out. I opened my door and walked down the hallway and I stopped when I noticed a faint red glow coming from my parents room. I tip toed to the door and slowly opened it. What I saw was something that is still scarred into my mind. There were my parents hanging from the celling with giant hooks lodged into their chests. Blood fell from them like a lite rain, pools of blood were everywhere in the room and their bed was stained a deep red from the blood. Just one look at my mother told me all I needed to know if she was okay. She wasn't.
I head a faint cough and I looked over to my dad he was alive!
"DAD YOUR OKAY, DON'T WORRY I'LL GET YOU DOWN!" I yelled. I was half way to him when I slipped and fell into one of the pools of blood I was soaked. I quickly got up and continued my trek towards my father, when I finally made it, I tried to remove the hook but was stopped when he pushed my hands away and he gave me a sad smile.
"Its to late for me son, but know that me and your mother loved you." He said weakly it looked like he was going to say something else but before he could his eyes widened.
"Run John and don't look back and remember I love you…" He gave one last cough and he then closed his eyes. I turned around to see glowing red eyes in the rooms door frame. It's eyes were catlike, I decide that if I wanted out, I have to get past this thing. I braced myself and ran at it, I pushed with all of my might and it fell over. I ran down the stairs and right into the door. I quickly shook my head and I threw the door open, I was quickly blinded by a bright light I opened my eyes and saw the light I bolted outside but I fell when a clawed hand grabbed my ankle. And it slowly pulled my back inside, and it stopped when I was holding onto the door frame. I then heard a snake like voice say.
" Now why would you try and leave us child, this is your home? No matter we have you now, so GET BACK IN HERE!" It screeched. And with a mighty pull I lost my hold and I lost my grip and I was pulled in and the door slammed shut. I tired to struggle but the grip tightened and I was lifted up to its face. I couldn't make out any detail except for its eyes, oh the cold feeling I got when I looked into them.
"Now that your back and not trying to run, were going to have some fun. Ill never let you leave dear, this house is mine the very air you breath in here is mine. So that makes you MINE!" It roared.That's how it always ended and nothing more. It happens so often almost every time I go to sleep, except when sunlight was touching me I don't know why though. I never told my parents they have enough on their plate.
Now that I think back on those days, I remember them as obstacles waiting for me to over come them and I did. The last month of school was easy I've gotten over what people think and with some well placed words the idiots left me alone. Though the teachers did pull me to the office the week after the prom.
"Mr. Hollow please report to Ms. Parkers office." Said one of the office attends over the inter com. I sighed and got up and walked to the exit while I heard some snickers coming from my classmates and I saw some grins. I opened the door and walked down the hallway towards the office, I was in math and the room was in the same hall as the office. As I walked down to the office I saw some students standing by their lockers with smiles, they were also in groups and whispering about something, it didn't take me long to guess what it was they were talking about. What with them looking at me when they thought I wasn't looking. I ignored them and continued my way down. So I was at the office entrance, I looked through the glass to see the office desks and attendants working with the computers. So I took a deep breath and opened the door and walked in.
One of them looked up and saw me, she gained a look of uncertainty before she said.
"Ms. Parker will see you now." I nodded at her and walked over to the principals office and entered. There in a big blue felt chair sat Ms. Parker. She was about 5 foot 5 with red hair, she was Caucasian with brown eyes. She wore a yellow top with a black long skirt. She looked at me and motioned for me to take a seat. I quickly sat down and looked at her, she sighed and began.
"Look Jonathan, I get it schools almost over and tempers are rising but-" she was cut off when I waved my hand in dismissal.
"Look let's cut to the chase about what this is about, the gun thing from prom night. Clark or someone probably told you and the staff about what happened in the parking lot, and gave some story that played me out to be the antagonist. I'm I in the ballpark here? I said. She looked surprised at my deduction of the reason to my visit
"…. Yes this about prom night and how did you know?" she asked. I sighed and said.
"When all of the people who went to prom were whispering and smiling at me, coming here to the office it leaves little to the imagination on what this is about. And tell me their version on what happened….. please." I asked. She gave a weird look and nodded, she opened a file cabinet and moved so stuff around and pulled out some papers and began to read.
"Well some students who were there at prom said that you were mistreating Miss Rose and that Clark stepped in and broke you two apart. You then left to grab the punch bowl while Clark was comforting Rose, you then came back yelled some obscenities and threw the punch bowl at them and ran off, Clark and some of his friends went after you and tried to talk to you and you pulled a gun on them and threatened them. What's your version?" she stated. I wanted to laugh at the story but I stood strong.
"Well while some parts are true like the punch bowl except I cursed once and I did pull a gun on them the rest is bullshit mam." I then began to tell her what happened that night. When I finished she looked conflicted.
"How do I know your not lying to me?" she asked.
"Simple have I ever been know to do this stuff and am I known to lie? While Clark and his friends are known to lie and be a problem, I shouldn't have pulled the gun but they were threatening me, so it was self defense." I said. Ms. Parker looked at me with realization in her eyes. She said if I was required again I would be called down and she gave me a heavy warring to not do that again. I gave her my word and was off.
A lot of people were surprised to see my come out of the office, some asked why I wasn't in trouble and I gave them a shit eating grin and I shrugged and made my way back to class. I received the same things from my math class so I gave them what I did for the students in the hallway, my math teacher told us to he quite and so we did. But I still gave everyone a smug grin because I knew that it would piss some of them off because they wanted me to get in trouble.
About a month later it was the end of school and I head that Clark and his goons had gotten yelled at by Ms. Parker and their parents and that brought a smile to my face any way school had just ended and I was opening my car door but before I could get in I was punched in the face and when I opened my eyes I saw that a crowd had formed and we're cheering. I looked around to see who had a death wish and I stopped when I noticed Clark standing just a few feet away and he was holding his hand.
"Dam John I knew you had a thick head but not that hard!" He laughed. The crowd roared with laughter, I then got up and gave him a glare. Then crowd then began cheering for Clark.
"Well it looks like they want me to kick your ass so let's get this over wi-ARG!" He yelled as he feel over. I had punched him in his face. Word of advice when your in a fight don't monologue. Really it will only screw you over. I head a bunch a boo's and that made me crack and turned around and yelled.
"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I WILL GO FOR ALL OF YOU IDOTS NEXT!" and they did some looked pissed and some looked scared. I head a groan and I looked to see Clark was getting up and he looked pissed, I don't have time for this so let's end this now I thought. I walked over to him and punched him in the gut and when he doubled over I kick his leg out from under him. And he fell, I shock my head and walked to my car. I stopped and looked towards the crow and gave then a glare and gave them the bird. I got in and I looked to the stunned crowd and said.
"Happy graduation!" and I drove off. And that was it for most part.
It had been five months since the fight and I had applied to a lot of colleges and I never had I received a reply. So I had given up and it wasn't long before depression began to set in. No collage wanted me and it was the only way I could achieve my dream. But not only two weeks later did I received a reply from The University of California. They apologized to me saying that they've been busy with other applicant's and the like. They said that my dream was interesting and wanted to know more about it, so I told them what my dream was and what were my goals. They loved the idea and they said if I joined them they would get me into the right classes and all I had to do was pay the for the room and supplies and I would be accepted. When I told my parents they were happy and they gave me most of the money I would need for getting stared.
I thanked them and just a month later I went to California and began my studies, the teachers and fellow students were nothing like the idiots at my high school. They had no past bias against me so nothing from my past came to bite my ass. Though I never dated anyone, love is something I've chosen to live out, with the only exception being my parents. I really love them and I promised that I would try to come home for Christmas and Thanksgiving. They knew that it would be hard for me to come home and visit so they at least wanted me to write to them very now and then. I told them it would be no problem, man I know I've said this a lot but I love them.
So it sucked when halfway through collage I decided to come clean with a secret of mine, I remember it was around new years when I told them. We were in the living room watching the ball descend and when it stopped we all said happy new year. A couple of minutes later I sighed and looked at them and said.
"Mom, Dad I have to tell you something and please keep a open mind." They looked at me with concerned looks and said.
"Why of course son, well support you no matter what." My dad said and my mom nodded in agreement. I gave them a weak smile.
"I know you raised me as a Christian and I thank you but I don't believe in god….. or any other religion for that matter. Until I see true evidence of divine providence I don't see anything but stories." I confessed. I looked at them and as expected they were shocked. It started with the normal stuff like, did we do something wrong and the like, but after a few months they came to accept it. Of course they tried to change my mind but in the end just a few stern words and they let it lie.
That was half a year ago and I can't help but smile, in the end I guess it all worked all out. I sighed man I was tired, it was late at night. I can't help but let my eyes close and sigh, I may not have any sunlight shining on me but I needed sleep and I felt relaxed. So if you excuse me I need some sleep.