EXPLANATION: This is set in two games, actually, the ending of Okami and the ending of Dark Chronicle. I noticed the Japanese symbolism of rabbits in the moon rather than a man in the moon throughout these games. The fact that the god of the moon is a rabbit in Okami, the Moon people have rabbit like hair like Waka and the bamboo cutters granddaughter, and the same in Dark Chronicle with rabbits being moon people and living on the moon. Now I decided to cross the two universes. While they may be set in different places, they could certainly have the same explanations, plus my own theory of Yamis constant rise to power and the true tale of Ameratsu.
Read on….
How brightly the moon doth shine
The earth had just come up from over the horizon and was already casting a beautiful glow over the surface of the moon, each building picking up on the shine. Time was of no necessity here, not in a town ravaged by terrible outbreaks of violence. Even now Ameratsu found herself beaten and bleeding on the side of the road, rabbits licking her wounds and the divine ones jeering. The rest of the moon people slumped at the alley, quivering in fear as the divine ones sheathed their swords. One even gave Ameratsu a hard kick in the ribs, and spat upon her.
"Yami Harbingers!" One yelled. "You don't even deserve to die, to take the easy way out." He lifted his hand and fired a puff of smoke, "Soon you too will know how to feel pain, humility...and to be unworshipped, deidolised!" The divine ones leapt down he dark streets, heading towards crater five. The blonde child moved aside his ear like hair to pick up some cards the divine ones had thrown down. They were of moon people, glistening in many different colours, brushing their hair down their elegant necks with rabbits dotting each corner. And on each card, in blood, were circles. Just circles. When the child saw them, he burst into tears. The sight of the evil god Yami was enough to drive anybody mad. Mortals never really seemed to understand the significance of the black or red moon, of how the circle was the very shape of their destruction. Waka, clothes torn and bloody, wrapped his arms around Ameratsu, caressing her fur and cleaning her wounds. He put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered a soft, gentle prayer. Then, with as much strength as was left in him, he heaved the wolf upon his back and strode from the alley to the street, the boarded up houses and shattered temples forcing him further and further out in disgust. To think that both he and Ameratsu had returned home after only just beating the great monster Yami, and still being prejudiced for being part of the moon tribe, the people who supposedly stowed away the demon Orochi and the millions of monsters themselves aboard the ark of Yamato. And yet their work was still not over. Waka was now crossing a snowy field, the starry sky above him getting ever closer as he ascended the mountain. The snow crunched beneath his feet, and the cold chill brought a frustrating anger to his countenance. Hoisting Ameratsu from his shoulders, he laid her to rest on the grass, once again whispering the prayer. He finally stood back, waiting the wolfs final command. Ameratsu struggled onto her feet, lifted her head, and gave the most fantastic howl. The snowy field suddenly burst with flower, the towns and temples all across the surface of the moon rebuilt in an instant, the meadow restored. Waka was ecstatic until he glanced down at the now lifeless body of the sun god. She had given her last breath to restore the moon to its former glory, and at the price of never being thanked, never being remembered. Waka cradled the wolf on his knees as he sat on the mountain top. Just him, Ameratsu, and a field of flowers, laid out like a great portrait.
Issun studied the scene he had painted for a moment. No, he thought, he was right to give the tale its sad way, its final cause. To think that he had been improvising the story now for over a hundred years! He moved his canvas to the side, and began his new painting.
For Shiranui would live again…..
"Rufio" Called Julia, her face beaming like the sun. Rufio quickly skipped along towards the house of his friend Julia.
"Do you have more pie, mrs Julia?"
"Why of course!" She handed a fantastic pie to him. He nodded in approval and waved his goodbyes, strolling jauntily down the road. How lucky he was, to be loved in such a foreign world. He still pined for yellow drops, but the moon just seemed more and more distant as he gazed out to open space. To be home… the one place where he could be fully appreciated and accepted. He suddenly saw Max pass by, and offered to pose for his camera. With the moon in the background, the young Rufio sighed as he thought of home. He quickly drew the red symbol of his tribe in a circle on his sleeve, marvelling at its beauty of roundness. For poor Rufio did not know of such significance of this. And neither did his tribe, who even now were worshipping the great moon god Yami as their rightful ruler. Master Crest was none the wiser, a prominent card in Yamis pack. For who would ever believe that the god of the moon….
Could be eclipsed by a mere pretender.
And eclipsed it has been.