And They Left Flowers in Their Wake

by TheGingeryOne

An old dog and the folks that knew them.

Kamiki Village

Sakuya:

Behold Nippon, a green and verdant land where there's a spirit in every tree and the sun stretches her golden fingers gently over the rolling hills. Behold the children that laugh and sing in safety, the merchants running trades, the quietly devoted still whispering chants and legends about the white god that once roamed the land…

Behold the curse that swallows it all like a bug crushed underfoot. The ground groans under the thick, black sludge charging over grass, ripping up the trees, devouring flowers whole. There is a roar. And then there is nothing.

In some other land that might have been the end. Not in Nippon. The spirits in the trees, small and great, whispered pleas to the heavens, and Sakuya arose. It hurt. The air felt dry, worming its way deep into her chest like an illness, sticking hard in her throat. There was no time to focus on that- the debris from the great curse hurtled towards the statue beneath Konoha. She shattered it with a wave of her hand, coughing violently as it vanished into dust. She turned to the statue.

"Oh Amaterasu, it has been so long," she sighed as the mirror drank away the last few drops of her power, "shine your divine light on this broken and shattered world!"

And certainly, the woman before her wasn't in her prime. She was old, with thin hair, shaking hands and a face like an aged apple. But her smile…oh, that smile that split her face with brilliant white could have blessed a demon itself, and Sakuya felt a tear come to her eye.

Mr Orange:

It was one of those days where the wind seemed a touch foul, filling tiny cracks in his old bones with heavy lead. He stretched as best he could, walking to the highest point of Kamiki, in hopes of finding what had caused such a stir.

All he found was a boy. A messy boy, with dirty hair and soil under his nails, staring straight at the sun. Mr Orange sighed and called, "You there! Child!"

The boy turned, all big eyes. Issun was sat on that horrible nest of hair. "Yes, yes, you! Have you come to play with us from afar? I can't imagine how you got here- you look so…well…"

The boy scowled and flashed his teeth, all sharp and cracked like a punk. Mr Orange held up his hands and backed away, "I don't mean any offence! I just say it like I see it, young man, and you- AAAAAAAAGH!"

Hello, said the ground to Mr Orange's forehead, it's so nice to see you.

I do concur, said his forehead, before Mr Orange blacked out.

Mrs Orange:

"It's been horrible," sighed Mrs Orange, washing an obi in the river while the young woman watched, "you must have seen it on your way here- the whole field's a rotting mess! We've been having so much trouble with the smaller imps too, it seems that they're getting far too bold. And to top it all off, my pole's vanished!" She splashed up more water, frowning at the empty sticks. "Look at them, how am I meant to dry anything? And with the sun so far away too…oh, but I must be boring you, young lady. I doubt you came from the mountains just to hear an old woman's woes!"

The young woman just smiled. She dusted her skirt off as she stood up, bowing her head to Mrs Orange, and staring hard and the empty space. Issun, who had taken up residence in her bun, was mumbling something to her. She laughed.

The pole appeared in a burst of ink. Flowers grew where it hit and ground, and Mrs Orange felt her jaw drop. She touched it softly, hands quaking, like it might melt away. It didn't. It was a pole.

"Praise the gods!" Said Mrs Orange, clapping her hands together, "They must have heard my prayers!" She looked at the young woman, "You did see that, yes? You and Issun?"

The woman nodded. Issun held on for dear life.

"I must hang it out! Oh, perhaps this is a sign of things to come- perhaps we'll see some proper sunshine soon!"

Mrs Orange turned away, busying herself with drying the sopping clothes. Issun sighed, "let me guess, you're gonna fill those prayers too? Even if she doesn't recognise you?"

The woman grinned. The world warmed up.

Cherry cakes were on the menu tonight.

Mushi:

It wasn't fair. His mama was strict enough as it was, always telling him that Hayabusa was eating too much and that he should focus on working the fields, not playing with his dog. She was always saying he was too dirty and badly mannered, but this teenager with the missing teeth and stupidly long hair was allowed to run around looking like that? Really?

It wasn't fair. Mushi folded his arms and pouted at the boy. "I bet you couldn't beat my dog Hayabusa's record at turnip digging. He dug up nine of Mama's turnips before she managed to give him a good thwacking!"

"Is that a challenge?" Said Issun from atop his head, "oh, we'll show you who the best digger is! Come on, Ammy, let's throw this right back in the brat's face!"

The boy laughed, grabbing up some of his hair so that it was out of his face. Red eyes gleamed in the sunlight. He crept, slowly, pawing away the dirt at a turnip and shoving it inside his jacket. Then he moved on, ever so quietly, until-

"-YOU! What are you doing with my turnips?!" Mama Mushi charged, aiming a well-earnt smack around the boy's face-

But she only caught the edge of his wispy, white hair. The boy stuck his tongue out, yanking out turnips like it was some sort of dance. He bounced away from Mama with a grace that mismatched his scruffy appearance, leaving her in the dust. He skidded towards Mushi, leaving Mama to fume.

Mushi inspected them. Nine turnips. All ordinary.

He looked up with a grin that hardly reached his eyes. One that shattered when the boy pulled out the final, bizarre turnip. He was smiling.

"…Wow. How did you do that?"

The boy tapped his nose and passed on the turnip. Mushi felt his heart skip a little.

"Come on Hayabusa! We're gonna learn how to move like that!"

Kushi:

It wasn't rare for Kamiki to get visitors, and Kushi was used to unfamiliar faces- she had to be, when it came to selling sake- but there was something different about this person. Usually the folks who came by around festival time were workers, folks from Kusa village and the nearby forest. They didn't come dressed in the clothes of a noble woman.

And any noblewoman Kushi ever saw didn't come traipsing into the rice beds with a big smile on her face. "Oh, hello ma'am. Are you here to see the festival?"

She shook her head, instead pointing up at the trees. They were still withered, not a leaf to their name. "Oh…I hope you aren't disappointed by it, ma'am. The trees have been sad since that horrible roar! It feels like spring hasn't quite come yet." There was a brief moment of silence. The lady fidgeted with her hair. "Perhaps you would like to try some sake? My waterwheel's broken, I'm afraid, but I think I have a little left…"

The woman just held up her hand with a grin, breezing past Kushi to stand before the waterwheel. She threw up her arms, sleeves billowing in a sudden wind.

And then the wheel was fixed. It turned merrily in the water. Kushi gaped.

"My-my wheel! It's fixed! Oh this must be a blessing from the gods- thank you so much!"

The woman laughed and hugged her, nearly swallowing Kushi in the robes. Her feet flew off the floor. She left Kushi at the door of her brewery and waved, jogging off with a bag of seed in hand. The birds didn't fly away, even though she must have looked like a very enthusiastic screen that had come to life.

Kushi smiled and hummed a tune as she went to brew her sake.

Susano:

Oh no.

He was not dealing with this.

There was a limit to how much nonsense Susano could put up with while he was sober, and a godly figure wreathed in holy fire was not so much past that limit as trampling over it with a war dance. He groaned, squinting in the hopes that it would cure some of his terrible, terrible hangover.

And if he had to deal with this godly nonsense, then he was sure as hell getting some sake out of it.

Shinshu Field:

Merchant:

Suddenly, the world came back. It's like waking up after a dreamless sleep, where everything feels a touch too vibrant and slightly not real. A minute ago, there was nothing, and then there was something.

The merchant blinked as a round lady tapped his head and showed him some wares. Fine, gorgeous wares, the type of thing that would fetch more than a pretty price. He handed her the money, and she instantly bought enough feedbags to give every living thing on Shinshu Field lunch.

He blinked as she walked away. At least he would eat well tonight.

Nameless Man:

"The water's been smelling kinda evil recently, know what I mean?" he said, throwing his axe down on more firewood, "Bad vibes, you know. I wouldn't touch it."

The lady nodded, long hair hiding her bright and teary eyes and she shifted her gaze to the valley. She rubbed her face, which was dirty, and made a faint whimpering noise. "Yeah," he said, "I reckon something must be causing a problem up there, eh? We'll have to wait for someone to- hey, where are you going lady?!"

She ran into the valley, leaping over the stream and leaving nothing but trampled grass. The Nameless Man sighed, resting on his axe.

"Hope she's gonna be okay."

Ida:

She looked at him with one of the cockiest grins he'd ever seen, legs all on display and eyebrows quirked up. It had been very kind of her to give him a travellers' charms, sure, but kindness meant nothing once he was challenged.

"You really want to race me? I have to warn you, Ida is the fastest man in Shinshu Field!"

She just laughed and crouched to run. The little sprite signalled for them to start, and at first, Ida charged ahead. He was laughing, wind through his hair, as the white flash faded behind him-

And then she tackled him to the ground, still grinning, and looking quite proud of herself.

Ida gave a grim smile. This was war.

Tama:

Tama scratched his head and sighed as he stared into the bowl of explosions, mumbling over formulas and measurements to the point he scarcely noticed the sounds outside. It might have been nightfall, seeing as he was starting to squint at the characters on the paper, but that hardly mattered. Inspiration didn't wait for things like 'regular sleeping hours'. And there wasn't long until the festival too, he couldn't just not top last year…

The door made a noise and a slam, but he hardly cared. There were bigger things to worry about.

He heard something like a voice. Then there was a ball of white charging into his vision, and his side. Tama yelped, nearly falling into his explosives and sputtered out, "Who are you?"

A little sprite bounced onto his nose, "Ya finally noticed! I'm Issun, this here's Ammy. Furball's new in town."

"Furball, huh?"

The boy was staring at him with big, burning eyes, pools filled with space. Tama's heart started blazing.

"That's it!"

"Uh-"

"That's it! Boy, look deep into those explosives, alright? We've gotta make 'em burn…make them blast into the heavens loud enough that it'll wake the gods! Can you do that boy? Do you have that sort of cosmic passion?"

"Furball's got passion up the wazoo, guy! Come on Ammy, let's set this place ablaze!"

The boy gripped the edges of the dish and glared at them, like they had committed some grievous offense on his family. He let out a loud shout as Tama thwacked the bowl, bashing his hands down.

They exploded and Tama went flying. Colours splashed in the sky like ink on wet paper, and the boy bounced up, grabbing for them. It was horrifically cute, and Tama smiled. Those would do. Those would definitely do.

Mika:

"It's been terrible," he said to the miko as she poured out tea for him, "I can hardly sleep I've been praying so often. Things don't just vanish! Especially caves that house monsters! They don't! I swear it must be the work of some foul force flying around- oh, thank you." She handed him a riceball and knelt down, examining the shrine with interest. The little sprite that had been hanging around her hair was sitting on the table, nibbling at her food. "So priest guy, seen anyone suspicious around?"

"I'm afraid not. If I knew someone was messing with the Moon Cave, I would have taken the journey to report it to the Tao Master- or I would, if I didn't think those blasted imps would ruin the Moon Shrine!"

The miko perked up, leaning forwards a little.

"Oh, it's nothing miss. Just some troublemaking imps that I've made a wanted list for. No one comes by here much though, and I can't leave with the Tao Master gone. I don't know when I'll be able to put this up- oh, perhaps you could put it up somewhere on your travels?"

She smiled at him and grabbed her food, making her companion squawk. The shadows grew longer and longer.

"I think you should stay here for the night...It's dangerous when night falls. The monsters get much more aggressive, and I'm certain they'll come after you with that in hand. I can afford to wait a little longer before getting rid of- Wait, where are you going?! Miss?!"

She laughed and waved at him, sprite carrying the list and shouting encouragement.

Mika swallowed and started to pray.

The sun rose in the morning just as it always did, and the miko came strolling through the door with exorcism arrows and a list in tow. Her partner was chattering away, and Mika could hear the smile in his voice. She handed him the list.

"How- how did you-"

She beamed.

"P-praise the gods, one moment- here! I suppose this prize is more appropriate for a warrior than a miko but…but…"

She laid her hands over his as he gave her the pot. Mika looked up.

Red. Red lines, all over her bright and brilliant skin. Her teeth were wild and white.

"O-oh grief. Oh grief I should have known." He dropped to his knees, head to the ground. "I am so, so sorry for the disrespect-"

She laughed and joined him on the ground, sticking her tongue out at him before handing him a riceball. Mika clutched it like a blessing, and she waved at him on the way out. He was left alone in his shrine, which suddenly felt very small. Once again, he started to pray.

Agata Forest

Karude:

It wasn't that the child was particularly out of place in the forest; it was more that they seemed to fit in too well. People from the city and countryside alike seemed to have issues coming through sometimes, either caught out by vines or the deepness of the water, but this child just bounded through like they were a deer. There wasn't a foot gone wrong.

Karude didn't say anything when they sat at the campfire, just offered them a bit of meat and watched them devour it. He spoke softly about his son and his concerns, and the child listened.

They might've just been a child, but Karude had felt the forest breathe under his fingers for most of his life. And with the child here, the forest had come to life.

Seemed a fair bit more spiritual than just a child.

Kokari:

It was a girl a little taller than he who approached, tapping him on the shoulder and tilting her head. That was the thing that sent him over the edge into tears. Ume was gone, it was his fault, and he had nothing to do to help except stand around with an empty rod. He bawled and bawled, uncaring of the girl in front of him. She shifted her eyes, side to side.

"Alright, that does it! Hey, kid, quit whinging!"

"B-but-"

"No buts! Butts are for poopin'! Listen, you really wanna help your dog? You just gotta have faith! See this guy here? This guy was dead until two days ago! You don't see them complaining!"

The girl shrugged and pointed to the water.

"…You really think it'll work?"

"Of course it'll work! If Ammy can come back from the dead, you can catch a fish!"

Kokari swallowed. He would rather not find out if that story was true or not, but the sprite was unlikely to stop shouting.

Besides, someone might stop by with some line and-

The rod jerked and he lurched forwards. There was a fish. There was a fish!

He pulled and pulled and eventually it flew out of the water. He gaped at them. The girl gave him a thumbs up.

"See? You just gotta have faith!"

Kiba:

Chalky was a weird kid.

Most kids didn't have hundreds of demon fangs on them and most kids also weren't determined to fight their way through the entire forest. He was skinny and sharp, and every single time Kiba didn't have something worth the fangs, Chalky would shove ten at him and eat his dango.

Kiba wasn't going to ask questions. Outside of asking if he preferred red bean or not.

Spider Queen:

The ruins were never silent.

In her chamber, the queen had the constant flickering flames and the roar of waterfalls that echoed inside her head. She had the drip-drip-drip of leaking ceilings and the ever present rustling leaves. If those were to fail, there was always the imps and their revelry. The ruins, contrary to popular belief, were alive.

And something was intruding. She heard the click clack of claws, vibrating through the ground. The queen stayed still. Her eyes weren't excellent, but she could feel the soft burn that came with the divine.

A beast. Large teeth, long nails, hair flowing around her feet like fog wrapping round trees. Beautiful.

Awful intruder. The spider queen moved.

"Are you that dog that's been sniffing around?"

Sleepy:

He knew what he was and he knew what she would be and he knew what they had been.

He just didn't care, because as a bear, he had much more important things to do.

Sleepy snored.

Taka Pass:

Tea Brewer:

"It's awful," he said, turning over one of the cups in his calloused hands and looking off into the distance, "first this awful curse and then my cup gets stolen. My lucky cup! I saved for years to have it made and since I got it, there's been nothing but success for my shop. And now…" The tea shop owner sighed, shoulders slumping. "Now there's nothing but misfortune since those moles took it!"

The woman nodded politely, hands twisting between her skirt. She'd offered him a flower from the basket on her back, and it made him feel a little better, but it was nothing on his cup. At least she was trying.

"If you see those moles could you perhaps…I don't know, offer them a flower to trade? It's a bit rude to ask, I know, but…I really do love that cup. Perhaps it'd bring me a small blessing if I had it back."

She gave him a soft nod and began to chat with the customer next to her. He wasn't alone in his troubles, it seemed.

She left, handing him another flower, and he forgot about the woman for a day or two.

She returned in a blaze of mud and flowers, thrusting the cup into his hand and a pinwheel into his client's. He gaped a bit.

"How did you get this?"

The woman did nothing but grin.

Mermaid Fountain Girl:

The water came back all at once, spraying out from the centre of the pool and swirling once more. She had to cover her eyes for a second, and got soaked, but then it was there. It was beautiful.

And there was a young woman peering into it. She squinted at the whirlpool, batting at it and staring at her hand.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She looked up.

"The pool, I mean. They say that mermaids would come up from the depths with these, and they'd come to meet people on the surface. It's a nice story, isn't it?"

The girl laughed a little and raised an eyebrow. For a second, she was confused but then…

"What? No! I don't have- I mean- I never met any mermaids!"

She kept giggling, even as she brushed herself off and patted the fountain girl on the shoulder.

Digging Man:

It was so close. He could smell it, almost, the rich scent of buried treasure. There were thousands of little gems beneath the ground and he was certain that this one was going to be the treasure of a lifetime. It might have been gold! Or ancient gems! And besides, even if his dowsing rod wasn't kicking up a storm, there was that old weirdo staring straight at the ground. Old folks with beards longer than they were very rarely tended to be wrong about treasure. Not to mention the bouncing little sprite on his head.

"Hey old timer!" Said the digging man, "fancy helping out a little?"

The old guy might have smiled, but it was hard to tell below the beard.

There was money- a lot of money- but the only treasure was some broken disc with worn out designs. He sighed. The old timer was huffing and puffing after digging so much, flopped on his back.

"You want this as payment? It's junk, I don't need it."

"Hey! Don't try to fob your junk off onto us-"

But the old timer just took it from him and shut his eyes again.

Mr and Mrs Cutter:

There was something wrong with the teenager that strutted into their garden, but it was so hard to pinpoint what it was. For a start, the area clung to a curse like dust to cobwebs- any human would start to feel sick within minutes. But this kid…they just strolled inside, chatting away with their little sprite friend, and seemed to not have a speck of evil on them.

Mr Cutter drew his knife. The sun was setting, and it wouldn't do to leave witnesses around.

He lunged at the kid, and landed flat on his face. They cackled, pointing and laughing. He grunted and lunged once more.

This time, he was met with an elbow. The sprite hollered, "Ammy, what the heck? I know he's weird! There's no reason to crack his ribs!"

But the kid just ran inside.

"Oh no," Mr Cutter groaned. He heard squawking, and then a tengu burst out of the house. The kid dodged wildly.

No point holding on now. He burst into his true form and started to battle. Slicing through a kid, no matter how holy, wouldn't be a problem-

Wasn't his hand over there before? It burst into a flowery bloom like…like…

The last thing Mr Cutter saw was a blaze of red and white.

Chun:

It was very exciting, in a way! The lady that let her out of the box was gorgeous, like some sort of fairytale princess. She had a kind and patient smile, one that never left her face as Chun lead her towards the sanctuary. Chun just didn't understand how the guards could be so rude to the well-dressed lady when she stood at the entrance to the Sanctuary.

"Honestly! Let her up, Daddy will want to reward her!"

"Y-yes Miss Chun! Yes boss!"

And she still looked perfectly in place when she entered the family chambers, bowing as needed and offering polite gestures to the compliments. She looked ever brighter when she opened the boxes and saw the rewards, radiant as a goddess…

Well, until they offered her the baths. Then her face seemed to freeze a little.

Ah well, thought Chun, no one can be perfect!

Though perhaps the lady was a little closer to imperfection as Chun heard the shriek and splash.

Komuso:

He always kept his head covered, but there were some things that were far beyond sight. It was like a warm summer breeze, petals brushing by his hands as he felt evil leave the land.

"Marvellous," Komuso said, "Mortals are not usually witness to such battles, but I saw it! I have chosen the path of the Buddah, but you…you certainly have a righteous power of your own."

Big Daddy Jumba:

It was some ratbag kid, according to his guards, and some princess according to his little flower, but all Jumba could see was a person. They dressed totally in white, and that was the most striking thing. Hardly even that it was white, undyed cloth was hardly strange. More so that they had not a speck of dirt on them.

Other than that, everything was completely, totally average. They could have been a city dweller, a country-kid or even some reanimated minor spirit. None of them would have surprised Jumba.

Still, they brought back Chun. That was worth a reward.

A human that went to such lengths could never be average.

Kusa Village:

Little Garden Girl:

The garden was dead.

It was just one of those things, really. Winter came and the flowers died away, leaving nothing but soil and some shoots of grass to survive it. Just like last year, they had vanished and left the ground cold and bare.

But this year, it didn't come back. There were no green shoots or tiny petals bursting through. The ground stayed solid and grim.

She watered it every day though. She sang to the ground. It would come back sooner or later, it had to.

Someone a little younger than her was watching though. They stared with big sad eyes, tilting their head this way and that.

"I'm watering the garden," she said, "the plants are a bit late this year!"

They nodded, scrubbed their face, and ran off.

She didn't know what else happened, but a little later that day, the wind blew again and the garden burst into bloom. It was like a little miracle.

The child came back, playing with a flower as she told them all about the miracles of the day.

"Isn't it incredible? The gods must have felt sorry for this little garden and brought it back to life!"

It was strange, because children weren't known for their attention spans, but as the kid listened she could have sworn that a smile crept onto their face.

Princess Fuse:

There were a few things that Fuse expected the Sun God to be: bold, beautiful, radiant; covered in mud and splashing around with her dogs was not one of them. She was certainly the god- red markings all over her skin made certain of that- but she looked so…well…undignified. Like a common pet.

But Fuse gave her the task regardless, and she completed it swiftly. She ran to the Gale Shrine and returned only after the sky cleared.

And, after that, she still wanted to fight the dogs. It was absolutely bizarre. There was nothing else to gain from Kusa Village; it was totally restored! But she kept coming back and gazing longingly at the dogs, all puppy-dog eyes and puppy-god eyes. It was like having a child. A monster killing child.

So one day, Fuse let her. Gathered in the Gale Shrine, the dogs stood firm and unbroken against their greatest challenge.

A short woman with a big smile who was jumping from foot to foot with excitement.

So of course, the battle was bloody. The canine warriors ripped into Amaterasu, teaming up to delete her ink or block her strikes. In turn, she fought hard and fast, striking dirty blows here and there while she mustered every divine force in her arsenal to fight back. They matched blow for blow, lighting crashing and fire flaring up from nowhere but…

No one ever stopped smiling. The dogs' tails wagged and the goddess grinned so hard her face might split. At the end of the match, Amaterasu offered all the dogs some holy bones, and stood proud before Fuse.

She had won. Silliness aside, divine radiance had won over canine training.

Fuse handed over the bead as a reward, and Amaterasu went on her mysterious way.

At least until Issun shouted something about, "stop trying to find every damn rat in this place Ammy! We've been over this! There's too many for you to feed! It's bad enough that you give those spoilt pooches food every time you see them!"

Fuse laughed a little under her hand, and started to think about a new training regime.

Priest Yatsu

He had been blind for years, to the point where it hardly bothered him anymore. Sure, there were sights he missed- Fuse's face, the sunset in sakura season, eight cute and lovely doggies all huddling around, but he'd learnt to appreciate other things in life. Warm hands, warm sun, warm and snuffling doggies.

It was a bit too warm when he died. He supposed a horrific fire monster born of beasts' blood would do that. Still, there wasn't much point in regret. He just lingered outside the Gale Shrine, and prayed.

There was a step. The another, and another, until they were echoing loud and clear before him. They stopped before him, looking up.

"Oh…A fair maiden, this far down? What business do you have here?"

She looked up at him and snorted, a rush of wind suggesting that she was pointing at the Shrine.

"I'm sorry. The only thing that could break the seal would be the Satomi Power Orbs…"

There was a faint glow of power around her and Yatsu gasped. "Wait- what would a maiden like you be doing with those? They were the responsibility of the canine warriors and Fuse!"

"She ain't a maiden, ghost guy! This here's a bona fide god! A really stinky god."

"Oh, you appear to have a little booger with you…"

"Hey!"

The maiden's hair shifted around and she walked past them. The door rushed open, and she ran inside.

Crimson Helm:

There were so many people running around the Shrine these days. There were scurrying imps and chimeras around, all playing merry hell with the windmills while they stayed still. The serpent's crystal shone gently under his gaze, glittering softly. Even if the Shrine stank of smoke, it was still a comforting home where he guarded it with his life. Or unlife. Demons didn't put too much stock in things like "living" "dying" or "species taxonomy".

Even with the smoke, he could smell Amaterasu before he could see her. It was the smell of old rocks and rotting plants, thick and angry in his nose. He blinked an eye open and watched the short, stocky warrior come flouncing in. His old bones creaked as he unfurled and jumped down, swords drawn.

There was no way this little miss was going to get to that crystal without a fight.

Moon Cave:

Door Imps:

There was something weird about the imp that came tumbling through the ceiling. They were hairy as any other imp, and perhaps a little underdressed, but beyond that they seemed perfectly average. Maybe it was the smell? They definitely smelt a little too clean. Oh, but then those flowers had come back, hadn't they…

Either way, they were outside the Moon Cave and they should have been inside the Moon Cave. The imp huffed, "what are you doing out here? It's a big night ahead of us! Chop chop before the boss decides to eat you up!"

Ajimi:

The disguise was pretty terrible, even to Ajimi's often clouded eyes. No imp in Orochi's cave would ever run around in white and red, not to mention the ghastly glow around them. Still, the mask showed that they were at least willing to play by the Moon Cave's rules, even if it was only for a while.

And they did pull him out of the pot.

Fetching all the ingredients too! He had to admire the determination. Maybe a god would make a fantastic demon, one day. Or at the very least, an excellent food critic.

Once they stopped gagging.

Orochi:

There was that terrible scent in the air, the fresh scent of flowers that always preceeded Amaterasu's arrival. It was almost polite, to have so many ways to announce one's presence. On the other hand, he supposed it could be considered arrogant- a way of saying, "look upon my power and despair, demons!"

Not that Amaterasu would ever admit to a fault like pride. Oh no, she remained stubbornly silent when he was around, no taunt leaving her lips.

Speaking of, he could see her peering over the cliff that watched over his throne room. Old and wrinkled in the face, with scars on her arms, and lit by red, divine fire. The armour was cracked, fabric threadbare, patterns fading.

Everything changes, it seems, he thought, even you and I.

Amaterasu leapt down to stop him eating the maiden, smacking his barrier with the sacred mirror and growling when it failed. He flashed her the closest thing to a smile he had.

"O, Stray God of the Celestial Plain, it has been too long." He breathed deep and smelt her through the flowers. There it was, the scent Crimson Helm and the Spider Queen told him of before they went north- old rock, rotting flesh, moss that grew in cracked old ruins…

"You reek of decay. Why show your face now?"

She gripped her mirror tighter and leapt in to the fray, ignoring her companion's warnings. He snapped at her hakama, barely missing her leg and catching the fabric between his teeth. It burnt away with the fire, sprawling out before him. She shot beads into his eyes and he roared, sake suddenly flooding into his mouth.

It was vicious, certainly, but familiar. The same old dance between him and his foe; she choked him out and he cooked her alive. She thrust divine water into his flames and he stabbed her with poison. It was routine. It was the same as ever.

But it wasn't like before, when he glittered gold in the moonlight and she hadn't been able to shrug off his attacks. It wasn't like before, when he'd nearly broken his own neck avoiding her brush.

Amaterasu may have decayed into something that was barely above a wolf, but he was hardly any better. He was old and fragile, with brittle scales and nothing but the faint whispers of his fellows to keep him company.

It wasn't even the legendary sword that felled him. Orochi's spirit drifted northwards, watching the souls of his friends fly off to wherever they were called.

What a disgrace. At least he would have a report for the emperor.

City Checkpoint:

Yoichi:

The way the old lady claps whenever she sees him shoot straight and true is bringing a warm and fuzzy feeling to his chest.

Yoichi understands that his job as a guard is very important, especially with the nonsense happening at the capital. Disease is no laughing matter. But the fact of the matter is, he sees no reason why he can't learn to shoot perfectly while also maintaining watch over the bridge to the city.

The woman isn't helping, really, especially as she offers him sweets whenever he hands her an apple. It makes him feel like someone's grandson.

Another arrow flies straight and true. In mid-air, it catches fire.

Yoichi can only watch as the land burns, crashing the bridge down with a thunderous smack.

The woman pats him on the head and strolls across, munching on an apple.

(why is this one randomly in present tense? We just don't know)

Sei-an City:

Camille and Camellia:

Camille didn't believe in gods. Gods were silly, a work of fairytales. So when the old bird came along, all dressed in the fanciest costume she'd ever seen, Camille rolled her eyes and waited to see what Camellia would say.

"ooh, you're so pretty and fancy! Are you a god?"

The lady nodded her head, producing a flower from her sleeve. Camellia gasped. "Sis look! She's magic! She made these flowers bloom!"

Camille folded her arms. "I'll believe it when I see it. You'd need some sort of miracle to prove that."

The woman had a twinkle in her eye. Her sprite friend sounded far too innocent when he said, "So…a sudden rain shower, perhaps?"

"I suppose-"

The heavens opened. Camellia jumped for the raindrops.

"Ugh! That could have been any sudden shower. You'd need a tree to appear out of-"

Beside her, a might oak appeared. A few people stopped to stare.

"…I…"

Camille looked hard at the woman. It. It wasn't make up. They were glowing. Make up didn't glow.

"I….think I can see it now."

Camellia cheered.

Mr Flower:

The trees were screaming. They had been groaning long before the awful fog started to plague the land, cursed as soon as that roar rumbled across the land. It was just that the plague hit them very, very badly; the blossoms had vanished and the trunks were starting to rot. Sei-an stank.

He'd wilted with them. Mr Flower wheezed, bones aching while he stumbled outside. He blinked. The sky wasn't clear- not with all those blossoms in the sky.

There was a scruffy looking fellow waving at him, pointing at all the trees. Mr Flower waved, and watched him run off into the city.

Trees bloomed in his footsteps.

Emperor:

He was a funny little teenager, really. The emperor had no idea how such a young chap got into his gardens, but the bright smile always set him at ease.

Well, the smile and the hundreds of demon fangs the boy had. Large ones, small ones, ones that had been cracked when the demon still had them and grew opal-like material between them, ones that were strangely coloured…it was a wonder, really, how he had them. The emperor would have accused him of stealing but…

It just seemed that the child was too kind hearted to do that. He always said hello to the guards, and maintained the closest thing to manners a little street boy was able to. The emperor felt a warm feeling whenever the child arrived, like a sunrise in his heart.

"Do you have any stories to go with your fangs?" He asked one day, when a particularly large haul had gotten the boy a hearty meal in thanks. The child looked up from his rice, chewed thoughtfully, and placed it down. From the pack at his side, he pulled out a scroll, and prodded the little sprite on his shoulder.

"What is it now Ammy? I only just got a chance to rest!"

He pointed at the fangs, then at the scroll. The boy pulled out a particularly large fang.

"Oooh, right. Should I tell and draw, or just draw?"

The boy picked up his brush and winked. The emperor leant forwards as the black marks began to streak across the page.

"Okay, so it all started on our way back to Sasa Sanctuary…"

Kaguya:

There was nothing to do in the cell except for wait. She had been called to the city weeks ago, and after an initially friendly reception, the emperor had turned cold. Since then, she watched the plants start to wilt and the water fill with sludge. There were no candles anymore, either- only the light of the moon to suggest that there was still light in the city.

And each day, it was becoming less and less visible. The cloud was thick and choking. It was getting harder not to cry from the air alone, never mind the terrible prison she was in.

Until one day, a little flash caught her eye. It was hopping along the little garden path, perhaps as big as a beetle, but no larger. She peered through it and gasped.

White hair that trailed almost to the ground, the finest junihitoe Nippon could offer, and intricate, sprawling markings over her porcelain face. She stopped to stare at Kaguya, pulling at her companion's cape to make him stop. He snapped at her, and Kaguya almost flinched- surely a boy like that couldn't speak to her that way? She must have been a princess at the very least. Perhaps even an empress- maybe he had had a wife, and she'd been cursed with the rest of the city?

Oh, but empresses didn't walk around with no one but loudmouthed boys, and they certainly didn't trail their clothes in poison water.

Nonetheless, they agreed to help her. They saved her from the emperor's clutches, and they agreed to witness her journey back home.

She just hoped they would have the decency to comfort her poor grandfather, alone on planet earth.

Mr Bamboo:

He'd seen the young lady all around Eastern Nippon, so it was no surprise that she'd eventually be around again. He just didn't expect to see her with Kaguya. Standing in the heart of the bamboo groves, where once he'd seen the little terror ruin her clothes and howl about being forced into the hot spring. She didn't quite look like that now, but he could hardly tell, because there were tears streaming down his face and nothing mattered quite so much as Kaguya.

She was alive. And she was about to leave.

The girl in white was quiet, as was her bouncing friend. They just watched, staring up into the starry sky as Kaguya flew away- perhaps forever.

Mr Bamboo sniffed. The girl put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. She had changed, in some way, looking rather more like the moonlit princess he'd said goodbye to than the teenager that half-destroyed the bathhouse hunting for food.

"She'll come back," said Issun, "I promise old man, you'll see her again someday."

Mr Bamboo stared up at the cold and lonely moon.

"I hope I will."

Blight:

Blight knew a god when he saw one, mostly because the blinding light was enough to churn his non-existent stomach. She marched into the bowels of the emperor's stomach, looking very much like she'd crawled out of a cesspool. Blight expected a scowl on her face, especially considering her companion was trading insults with him…but…

Amaterasu just placed her hand on her partner's chest and walking forwards, sword in tow.

"Oh no you don't! I'm never gonna get much chance to fight with you again, Amaterasu, so you better be prepared for a double fight!"

Blight folded his arms, "Two on one? Hah! I thought your sort was meant to be too good for that sort of foul play?"

"Can it, tin-can! Ammy and I are gonna kick you where the sun don't shine, and you're going right down the drain!"

Blight wished he had a face so that he could flash them a challenging smile. Instead, he pulled out his swords.

"Hahaha! The Indomitable Blight accepts your challenge, Amaterasu!"

"You better not forget about me! It's Issun!"

"Come at me then, Issun! Make me remember your name against the blinding light of the sun!"

In the end, Issun struck the final blow. Goldnail shattered beneath Denkomaru, with Kasugami's fog ensuring that Blight saw his end coming. He was already beginning to turn into flowers. What a disaster.

A blood pumping, delightful disaster.

He started to laugh, long and hard, while Issun and Amaterasu watched.

"Excellent show," he said, "An excellent show indeed, Issun and Amaterasu!"

And then, Blight died, spirit drifting towards Oni Island.

Himiko:

She certainly didn't look like Himiko expected, but that hardly mattered. When the woman came into her throne room, still shaking off lava and looking very much like a drowned rat, Himiko knew that appearances could be very deceiving. After all, Amaterasu may have chosen to look like a vagabond…a very grumpy vagabond…But there was still that soft feeling radiating from the woman.

Or maybe that was just the lava, though Himiko as Amaterasu's companion shrieked when she shook again. The goddess folded her arms and pouted at Himiko, shoulders hunched high like a petulant child. Himiko raised a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle a laugh.

They talked as best they could. Himiko told Amaterasu of the issues in the city and the possible sources of them, never once losing her cool. Amaterasu just nodded at the end, approaching Himiko with all the grace and dignity of someone who'd been forced to swim through a pool of lava in order to get a meeting. She stood on her tiptoes, met Himiko's eyes-

And stuck out her tongue before a storm of petals blew all over Himiko. She cackled.

Well, no one ever said that gods were perfectly polite.

Hayazo:

He was the greatest thief in the city, and damned if anyone was going to take that title from him. He hid in the bushes and rocks, snickering as guards ran past and left him to make off with their goods.

It was going well, until the pale man showed up. He stood out like a sore thumb, the perfect victim.

But as Hayazo crept up, the man turned around and grabbed his wrist. He plucked the pocketwatch from his belt and raised an eyebrow.

"Hehe…. what's that doing there? Well…I gotta go!"

Hayazo's face went red as the sun came up. There was no way this could continue.

But continue it did. Every night he would try to make his way towards a target, only to be caught by the guy in white. It was getting ridiculous.

"Okay," he said, when there was only one thing left, "I get it. You're some sort of weird justice spirit or a possessor or whatever. But I stole these goods fair and square! So this time, if you want this back? You better prove you're more fleetfooted than the great Hayazo!"

The man heaved his sword over his shoulder, and waved a hand at Hayazo. Hayazo smirked.

"Catch me if you can!"

Northern Ryoshima Coast

Urashima:

It was a terrifically old man who saved him from the kids, waving his walking stick around like he meant to give them a thrashing worthy of the waves itself. The sprite probably helped that, shouting something that sounded an awful lot like something that would make a demon blush. He felt a rush of jealousy as he looked at the old guy- what he wouldn't give to be wrinkled once more!

"Thanks, sir," he said, "Those little brats just don't believe a word I say. You think they'd have some respect for their elders but…"

It fell to silence. The old man was giving him a funny look.

"So…you're Urashima, yeah?" the sprite said, "We've been looking for you! My pal and I were wondering what you knew about Orca…"

He didn't see the pair for a few days after that, and it was made all the worse that Orca seemed to have forgotten all about him. So Urashima moped, barely touching his fish, while his wife looked on.

Then the old man came in, caked in seaweed, and handed him a box.

All at once, Urashima's aches and pains came back, belly fat fading away as his skin became loose and saggy. His eyebrows grew out again, and his voice turned hoarse.

Mrs Urashima dropped her plate.

"U-Urashima? Oh Urashima! You're back!"

He flung his arms around his wife, ignoring how his back howled. When he turned to look at the man, he seemed a little less wrinkly himself- or perhaps that was just Urashima's eyes playing tricks on him.

Either way, he gave him thanks, and enjoyed his dinner for the first time in years.

Otohime:

The bubbles in the palace reflected Amaterasu's light around the throne room, making it sparkle more than Otohime thought appropriate for a serious meeting. The woman herself seemed grave enough though, wrapped in a heavy coat and hakama. She stared deep into Otohime's eyes as she regaled the tale of the water dragon.

"That is why I require the dragon orb. In order to save this place from the Dark Lord's fury, we must break the barrier to Oni Island." Otohime finished, folding her hands in front of her. "Do you accept this task, Amaterasu?"

The woman bowed her head and marched out of the throne room, like a soldier heading to war. Otohime sighed. The gait reminded her far too much of someone else who left.

King Wada:

He was dead and he had made peace with that. What Wada hadn't made peace with was the way his body churned the waves and threw boats into disarray, swallowing more spirits and making himself angrier.

But now the fury and pain had cleared. The only thing before him was a god, drenched by the sea and clutching the awful instruments in hand. Their knuckles were white.

"Ah Amaterasu, benevolent mother…"

And she prayed as he fell to the deep.

Rao:

She'd felt Amaterasu, rather than seen her. Of course, she could only feel her. Rao had been dead for a long time, since that man crept into one of her sermons and left her for dead.

But there was hope now. A sunny day carried on a warm breeze that blew over the graves outside. The breeze that made the foxes twitch, made their fur bristle.

Rao was dead. It would not stop her fulfilling her duty. She would protect the city.

Oni Island

Tobi:

Tobi never knew what it meant to be gatekeeper to Oni Island, if only because the Lord was always asking him to take on more duties. Gatekeeping, obviously, just meant keeping people out of the castle. But to be the gatekeeper meant ensuring the demons queued to use the labyrinth of torment, and that it was kept clean. It meant taking inventory of the castle and reporting directly to the Lord, with whatever information they required.

The young man in front of him was bold, stepping through so much of the island with hardly a second thought for his safety. He was not a demon, nor an ally, but still…Tobi appreciated how he continued to run even after his jacket was torn to shreds, and his feet blistered.

"You truly are resolved to make your way to the Lord, aren't you?" Said Tobi, watching as the good sir bound up his aching feet. "It is rather admirable, I must say. You've come further than anyone."

The man smiled, slightly, and grabbed the wall as he stood up to face Tobi once more. Tobi could feel the Lord in his head, demanding an explanation and going through the punishments for treason, but-

But even if it was a divine wind blowing, even if the invader was going to end the island-

Would that be such a bad thing?

Tobi, I swear, if you lead that bumpkin god up here, you're dead!

My Lord, with all due respect, death means very little to our sort. We have known that we were doomed as soon as Amaterasu came into the world and ripped Orochi apart. I will not give in.

How dare you?! I created you! I breathe life into you!

And I am grateful for it. But I would like to live my life doing what I love. Lord, it is nothing personal. I praise you for giving me life, for letting me think and feel- and yet, because of that, I must race once more.

…

Lord, I will gladly accept a traitor's death.

…Fine. Do what you will. You have betrayed me.

And there was silence once more. He could feel himself coming apart at the fibres.

No matter. The Lord would travel to the north and meet with their allies. One day, Tobi would rise again, out of necessity or accident or whatever.

But at least he got a good race out of it.

Ninetails:

Tobi was the most reliable scrap of paper on the island, and now he was dead. A traitor. A traitor that not only failed in his duty, but lead the god of the sun to the top of Oni Island. Staying in the stars to observe was the only thing that had prevented them from going downstairs and personally ripping the scrap apart.

Well, that and the fact that it probably would have looked a bit undignified. Ninetails watched the blur of light come charging up the stairs, blobbing stars into their constellation.

Ninetails summoned the golden realm and growled, edging forwards with Ninestrike.

"Amaterasu," they said to the god, who stood in the plainest clothes a priest could wear. She looked like some humble acolyte. "You didn't have to come all this way for me to kill you…"

Of course, no acolyte would ever carry a divine weapon as vicious as the one Amaterasu held. She lifted it to the heavens and swung, barely missing Ninetails' mask.

"Hardly fair, bumpkin god. Well, if you want to get started, I certainly won't refuse…"

Ninetails roared, rushing forwards.

"In the name of the Dark Lord, Yami, I will kill you here and now!"

Kamui:

Oki:

She wasn't an Oina, but she was certainly a warrior, dressed for the cold. They prowled around each other, circling warily, waiting for someone to make a move.

Oki struck first, testing her mettle. Their swords clashed, and he was thrown back by the weight of the blade. She took her opportunity and rushed him, wild hair flailing behind her, sword passing an inch from his face. A few strands of hair came off.

They traded blows, again and again. His ice met her fire, sword strikes meeting divine metals. She growled beneath her own mask, shoving him in the chest to get in better shots, sometimes tanking hits herself in order to strike him better.

They battled long into the blizzard. Eventually, the thing that stopped them was Issun.

"Will you two quit it! I'm freezing my ass off!"

At least Amaterasu had the grace to look embarrassed. She sheathed her sword and pulled the little sprite into her hands, smiling gently at him.

"Oh, don't give me that look! You and I know that you would have kept going until I was a frozen speck inside your hood, and then you probably wouldn't have noticed for hours!"

She giggled a bit at him and gestured towards the hut. Oki shook his head.

"I cannot. I must stay out until Kutone finally glows silver."

Amaterasu shrugged and walked inside anyway, leaving Oki in the blizzard. He kept his eyes trained on the door, wondering how long she was going to-

Ah, never mind. Amaterasu tore out of the house with wide eyes, charging past him. He caught the end of Issun's speech though.

"WHAT DO YA MEAN YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE CURSE?"

Maybe it was for the best they didn't keep fighting.

Kai:

Amaterasu let out a whine as soon as she crossed the door into Kai's home, flopping onto the ground before the fire like a particularly sad pair of curtains. She was a rather stocky sort, mask only half covering her face, and Kai faintly wondered how she kept such long nails when she was fighting so often.

"The blizzard's been coming down from Wawku Shrine for so long. Soon, we're going to end up with the whole of Kamui buried under snow," She began, "and what's worse is that Lika's missing."

Amaterasu rolled over, barely lifting her head from the floor. "My little sister. She's so young, but she's the one who was meant to cast the incantation at Lake Laochi. I don't think Old Man Kemu could survive it, not in this weather…"

Kai bit her lip, watching as Amaterasu sat up slowly. She couldn't see much of her face, but there were deep lines around her mouth, and her teeth looked yellow from age. Kai swallowed. "And…not to be rude, but…will you be alright in this blizzard?"

Amaterasu stretched. Issun bounced off her shoulder to the table. "Eh, don't worry about this old dog! She's a tough cookie, aren't you Ammy?"

She smiled at her companion, picking him up once more. "Don't worry Kai, we'll find Lika before you know it! There's no way that anyone can hide from Furball's nose- she'll be fine, no matter how many demons we have to kill to get her!"

Amaterasu nodded. She took Kai's hand and squeezed it.

Sure, she may have been old, but at least it was a little reassuring.

Kemu:

Kemu knew whippersnappers when he saw them, and this one was the worst sort of all. First, he'd whamped right into his side, and then he'd had the gall to run away!

But after a quick chase, they'd made peace. He wheezed at the boy, explaining all the issues at the Lake. The blizzard raged outside, banging at the walls.

"I will give you passage to the lake. In return, please help us find Lika to end this blizzard, great Shiranui!"

The boy nodded, shrugging his heavy cloak back on and running into the night.

Tuskle:

The owls kicked up a fuss as soon as the little lady burst through the door, shivering. Well, of course she was shivering- she'd decided to substitute things like winter clothing for a truly magnificent mane of hair. Tuskle brushed past her and shut the door before tending to her freezing new guest. Presumably, it was the person that Kemu had sent.

"You want to learn about the lake?"

She shivered and nodded, teeth chattering away.

Now, Tuskle was used to some unruly visitors during her stories, but there was nothing quite like relating the ancient tales with a quiet percussion from chattering teeth.

Onigiri Sensei:

He'd seen the child playing in Shinshu and swimming around Ryoshima, so it was hardly a surprise that they had somehow braved the winds of Kamui to arrive here. He remembered the first day he saw them, strolling into his dojo with a sack full of money and a burning desire to learn.

It started with Fleetfoot, when they danced around his blows until he was satisfied they could evade anything. Then, the strange mirror that they crashed into the dummies. The rosaries and glaive followed, working them into a style that could crush demons, no matter how much larger they may be.

And now, they were in Kamui. Their face looked a little sharper, with a few more scars on the arms here and there. But the fire hadn't left. They dropped the money into his hands, and training began.

They looked like a child, but Onigiri Sensei couldn't shake the feeling that…somehow, they couldn't be. They moved with too much force and grace, they had too many ways to grit their teeth and get up after an injury. They may have been a spirit. They may have just had a baby-face.

None of that seemed right though. Still, Onigiri Sensei promised to teach anyone that could pay up. He was not about to abandon that.

Ishaku:

Even after 100 years, Ammy hadn't changed. Well, that wasn't true. Ammy had changed a little; lines in the face deeper and eyes a little more tired, but they were still Ammy. The stubborn mule still spent half their time with their head in the clouds, pulling a hood over their face so they wouldn't have to face reality, which was often him telling them something like "hey do you need a celestial envoy".

It was good to see the old dog again though. Even if he could hardly see a foot in front of him.

"You're still the same old dog you always were," he said, offering them a cup of tea, "how have you been? Well? The blizzard hasn't been getting to you?"

Ammy shrugged, pointing to the dripping furs hanging up.

"Ah. Well, at least you're not looking like you did after…you know. But you do feel frail, my old friend."

There was a minute of silence.

"Amaterasu…are you sure that you're going to be able to cope with whatever comes next?"

Amaterasu didn't respond.

Lika:

Lika hardly remembered what had happened, just that she woke up on a stranger's back, face rammed into the fluffy fur collar they were wearing. They smelt weird, like they'd been rolling in the ground after a bonfire- certainly nothing from Wep'Keer.

"Lika! Lika, you can't fall asleep now! There's a blizzard!"

She knew that voice, blinking up and seeing Issun perched on her nose.

"God, Lika, are you alright? You had a rough ride!"

The snow was pelting the stranger's face. Lika nodded, pressing her face to the stranger's back. Issun was talking about the weird old dance Kemu taught her- of course she could do that!

Besides, Kai would be really upset if she didn't come home before the blizzard stopped.

Lechku and Nechku:

"Hoo," Said Nechku as he dodged another strike from the woman's sword, that she had been using as a cane until two minutes ago. She was old and scarred, hair half falling around her. Skinny. Threatening, yes, but nothing he'd need to call Lechku for-

Why was half his wing falling off? Nechku looked up.

There was another woman. She stood with broad shoulders and a wide stance, carrying one of the most holy items in the world- the Solar Flare.

She had a brush. Her markings were dark red, far more intricate than the other creature's….

Oh bollocks, he thought as the barrage began.

If he had flesh or blood, it would have brought a blush to his face, being defeated in such little time. His circuits were melting- what a shame, he liked this body-

"Hoot!"

His brother came crashing in, clock ticking away. Their magic fell in synch.

Certainly, he would die later, but that didn't mean the White Wild Majesty wouldn't go down with him…

Ark of Yamato

Marco:

She was positively radiant, standing before him with a grim face and simple clothes. She gave him offerings and listened to the woes of the Celestials as she tore through the demons with the power of the sun.

And yet, no smile showed up.

He didn't expect joy, but from the faint stories he'd heard…well, he expected at least some sort of energy.

Amaterasu was silent as the cold and distant moon.

Ushiwaka:

He'd hated seeing her like that. When she was called Shiranui, she'd been energetic beyond belief, almost annoyingly so- dragging him across the countryside and forcing him to pay for her food, but Amaterasu was quieter and wheezing. Her bones would ache, her armour was tarnished, and she was half leaning on those weapons to stand. Her forms were sloppy, her weapons were weak, and the markings were faint.

None of that was as bad as watching her power vanish with the eclipse though. She went from a weak god to a fragile human, no more likely to survive the emperor than he was.

"Amaterasu…you waited for so many years…"

But he never had a chance to finish, as Yami flung him into the depths of the ark.

Tokoyami no Sumegari:

There had been whispers about the stray god.

He heard them all. The Spider Queen spoke of a radiant but feral beast, while Crimson Helm told him about the warrior that cracked his bones apart. Orochi detailed a woman with a dim divine light, armour cracked, and Blight laughed about how she snapped apart his swords. Ninetails was sour, telling him of a humble, bumpkin priest. The twins were more focused on time travel, but vaguely recalled some scars.

He saw none of it. The creature before him was too bright for his eyes. So he ripped their power away and left them mortal.

Then, he saw nothing but a person in peasant's dress, glaring at him and clenching their fists.

They backed into a fighting stance, and charged.

They traded blows with each other, fast and hard as they beat the power of the gods from him. He growled and pumped out more missiles, bullets, anything to raze the creature to naught but dust.

He retreated once she had thirteen. He waited.

They made to howl and he threw them aside. He had transformed into a grasping monster, and he would choke the life from-

What.

There were lights in the world.

There were not meant to be lights in the world. It was the day of darkness. He glanced around the room, hearing voice echo out. Voices with memories. Experience.

Prayers.

They had been dim, until that point, nothing but a faint glowing shape. But. The prayers wouldn't stop coming and the light got brighter and brighter, like magnesium flames or a supernova-

The sun itself shone from their eyes. The White, Wild Majesty, Okami Amaterasu, returned

And they were blindingly, horribly radiant.

Issun:

He'd heard all sorts of names for the Furball. He'd heard people call her a pure and gentle maiden, and a ruffian, and a princess. He'd seen demons tut at how he wasn't fashionable, praise her strength, and everything in between. Okami Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to us all. The god that reflects what people believe they should be seeing.

He wasn't immune, but he had trouble believing all of them. How could Ammy dress like an empress if she was traipsing through the mud all day? How could she run barefoot in the deep snow? No, he knew in his head that Amaterasu was probably not at all what she seemed, but he'd never been able to see the furball as anything but a messy haired, slightly dopey idiot.

She ran around in a miko's clothes, pulling up the Hakama and occasionally throwing on a jacket. Her hair stayed in some sort of tiny ponytail, and she'd definitely cracked a tooth or two over her journey. Sure, there were marks on her skin, but any old god could manage that.

He had trouble seeing her as a god because it had taken so long for her to become a god, to him. She'd always been the idiot furball who jumped into pits to feed some rats, the one who spent all their money on feedbags and then pigged out on some poor person's rations. She was the reckless one who, whenever he said "Leap before you think!" just laughed and followed along his reasoning. She was his companion, his eventual con-victim (albeit a willing one) and his best friend.

He never understood how anyone could call her radiant. Radiant people were like Kaguya and Himiko and Otohime. Radiant people weren't half dressed as they howled about having to go into yet another hot spring.

But now, now was different. He hadn't been able to board the ark. The only thing he knew was that it was dark.

So he started to pray. And when that didn't work, he started to draw. He started to draw, and to tell stories about all of Furball's deeds- how she fed all of the animals, how she fixed poles and delivered sake, how she never asked for anything in return. He told them everything, every little detail that had seemed like a waste of time when the rain was pouring down. He understood.

He drew a picture of her, based on one of her silly victory shouts.

And people still called her radiant.

Issun still wasn't certain he'd use those words exactly, because she still drooled on him and threatened to eat him and ogled girls with him…

But when the sun rose through the darkness, he knew that she was a goddess, through and through. A silly, fun-loving goddess that should be thanked- not because she was divine, but because she was kind.

And that was worth more than any compliment her holy light would get her.