Okay, just so we're clear here, this is the sequel to "The Dog Days of Okami Amaterasu." So if you're sitting here going, "What the heck is this?" I suggest you go on over to my profile and read the aforementioned story. And feel free to read my other stories, too! Don't forget to review! Chapter 1: Rebirth
"The great Goddess will return . . ."
Waka
I cannot believe it. 100 years have passed since Shiranui left this world. Where has the time gone?
Shiranui . . . the woman I loved. Even when the goddess found out that I had a hand in the destruction of the Celestial Plain, her home, and the murder of the Celestials, her people, still Shiranui loved me. She knew I was from the cursed Moon Tribe, the people that created the devious Ark of Yamato, the vessel that brought evil to the land of mortals, but she did not care. In fact, she grew up with me there, on the Moon, as she was originally reincarnated as a Lunar Wolf, a wolf that resided alongside the people of the Moon.
Sometimes I still refuse to believe that she is gone, that she sacrificed herself to kill Orochi, the eight-headed monster that terrorized the people of this land. And every time I start to think that she may one day return, reality hits me, and hits me hard. She will never return. I shall spend the rest of my days here, trapped in Nippon, the land of the mortals, guarding the Moon Cave. The Moon Cave, the place where Orochi once resided, and the place it was slain by the now legendary hero Nagi with the assistance of Shiranui, who had taken the form of a white wolf because she could not show her true form to the mortals. I am responsible for guarding it because I must ensure that no one ever removes Nagi's sacred sword, Tsukuyomi—the blade that keeps the black spirit of Orochi sealed—from its resting place. But I must say, it is a dull and dreary occupation. No one dares to even approach the cave, let alone enter it and steal the sword.
Needless to say, my existence has been an uninteresting, mundane one since Shiranui passed on to the next life. The days blur together like some sort of dream, hazy and easily forgotten. The years pass me by without my realization of it. I have thought about returning to my home on the Moon using the Ark of Yamato as my means of transportation, but those thoughts are swiftly put down by the fact that said ark is hidden, and likely damaged beyond repair in the crash landing that brought Shiranui and I here to the land of mortals in the first place.
. . . 200 years have passed since Shiranui and I came to the land of mortals. Now Shiranui is gone, and I will most likely be trapped here for eternity. I cannot even die, nor can I age. No, I am not invulnerable, but I do not age because I am from the Moon. I am different. I always have been. And so was Shiranui. We were two misfits, two outcasts who found comfort and love in each other. What am I to do without her? That is the question I have been asking myself all these years. I am lost without her, my magnificent, glorious angel . . .
I look down at the flute resting in my hands. It is the only material thing I have now that reminds me of Shiranui. My fingers dance across the surface of it, playing imaginary notes as I recall the melody I played for her just before she died. I remember the smile on her face, and how peaceful she looked, like she was merely deep in slumber. Not once have I played my flute since then. My music is for her ears only. The only way this world will ever hear it again is if she returns to me. And that is never going to happen.
Or is it?
No! It is not going to happen! I cannot get my hopes up. She is not coming back. I wish she would, but she is not. Shiranui . . .
What is strange, though, is that my heart doesn't hurt when I think of her. I miss her, but the thought of her does not make me terribly sad. I believe that my heart has been frozen, frozen at that moment in time right before Shiranui died. I keep telling myself she will never return, but my heart says different. It is like it is waiting for something. It will not thaw until whatever it is waiting for comes.
Suddenly, my vision goes dark. I do not panic, because this is normal for me. I am simply having another vision, another prophecy. An image of the future forms in place of my normal sight. I see . . . Shiranui?
Yes, it is she, but there is something different about her . . . This must be her reincarnation, then. My foresight tells me her name is Amaterasu. I see her and I onboard the Ark of Yamato, en route to the Celestial Plain.
So she will return! And the Ark of Yamato is functional! We are going home, after all. But when? My visions never tell me when something is going to happen, only what will happen. I hope I do not have to wait too long. I have been waiting for 200 years already!
I wish someone, anyone was here, so that I could share this joyful prophecy. Prophecies are always better when I share them with someone. But there is no one here, so I whisper it to the lonely wind: "The great Goddess will return to the land of mortals, and purify it of evil before returning home with her beloved."
o~*~o
For once, someone actually comes to the Moon Cave. Though I have to guard this place day and night and I get absolutely no rest, I try my best to look alert until I realize it is only Abe, one of the Tao Troopers that serve under me. What is he doing here? He is supposed to be keeping the peace in the capital city, Sei-An. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux?" Wait. No one understands me when I speak French. I must remind myself to speak English."What do you want?" I ask him, slightly irritated.
"Um . . . W-Well, uh, sir, I . . ." Abe stammers.
This only exacerbates my irritation towards him. Tao Troopers are supposed to be strong and confident, not nervous and insecure. "What is it? What did you come here for?" I prompt him, wanting him out of my sights as soon as possible.
"C-Captain! You are needed in the capital, sir!"
"What for?" This might actually be interesting.
"Something has come up that only you can take care of, sir!"
Something only I can take care of? That sounds intriguing. And it would give me an excuse to do something else other than stand by this stupid cave all day. But, wait . . . Who will guard the cave when I'm gone? Well . . . I'm almost certain no one will come to the cave—no one has in over 100 years. So it is settled then. "All right. Count me in."
We soon arrive at the capital. I head up to the Tao Troopers Headquarters situated high in the sky above Sei-An. "D'accord, now what is it that 'only I can take care of,' Abe?" I ask.
"Uh, um . . . L-Look in your office, sir."
My office? Oh, non, please don't tell me . . .
I open the door to my office and am almost buried in an avalanche of . . . paperwork. "This is what you brought me here for? Paperwork?" I hate paperwork. It is even worse than guarding the Moon Cave all the time. I want to strangle that Abe now. But I mustn't. That would not be very professional of me. "How is this something 'only I can take care of?'" I demand, barely keeping a hold on my temper.
"Well, uh . . . All these documents must be signed by the Captain." Why me?
"I suppose I should get to work," I sigh, resigned. Might as well get started. Heaven knows all this is going to take me forever . . .
o~*~o
After what seemed to be centuries, I finally finish the last of the paperwork. Exhausted, I make my way back to the Moon Cave.
Suddenly, another vision; a figure cloaked in shadows fleeing from the Moon Cave and into Kamiki Village, sealing the entrance of the small village with a boulder. At the same moment, I hear a monstrous roar and the ground beneath me quakes. I am wondering what is happening when the sun is unexpectedly immersed in darkness, and the land is consumed by the same dark power, leaving no mortal unscathed. The plant life withers away, and the humans turn to stone.
There is only one conclusion I can draw. Orochi has returned. Only that vile creature has such dark powers. The perpetrator must have waited until I left for the capital, and then took the sword. How could the sacred sword have been removed so easily, though? This is disastrous! This land is surely doomed, unless . . .
All of a sudden, the sun appears in the sky, burning away the darkness. The people return to normal, though they seem a little confused. I still sense the powerful curse of Orochi, so how is it possible that the sun returns? I know of only one who has the ability to call the sun from the darkness . . . Can it be?
Possibly. But I will not get my hopes up. First, I need to find out more about the extent of Orochi's power. I can only hope it is not as powerful as it was. I explore the land before coming to a place called Agata Forest. I have seen this place before, in visions. It is supposed to be lush and beautiful, with many trees standing proud and tall. Now, corroded by Orochi's evil, it is devoid of all life. "Cursed zones" is what I have heard others call these areas eaten away by evil. I sense Orochi's power, still caustic and evil as ever, yet not quite as powerful as it was 100 years ago. It is rather depressing to see such a glorious place reduced to a cursed zone. If only there was a way to lift this curse . . .
Before my very eyes, in a fantastic flourish of cherry blossom petals and tree leaves, life returns to Agata Forest. But how did this happen? I catch sight of Shira—Amaterasu, I mean, emerging from a small cave. Is it really she, though? My lost love returned to me at last? There is only one way to find out.
I put the flute to my lips, relishing the feel of the familiar wood, and play a few notes to test it out and hopefully attain Amaterasu's attention. The white wolf's ears perk up, and she looks eagerly about the forest, seeking the source of the sound. I begin to play Shiranui's favorite melody, to see if Amaterasu recognizes it. She looks up to where I have perched myself high on the branch of one of the trees.
"Hark!" I say. "The call of the heavens, the earth, the sea . . . They summon me forth to defeat evil! Waka, the gods' gift to man is here! Bonjour!" Yes, I know it sounds somewhat arrogant, but what can I say? The mortals are blessed to have me here. Also, it had always been somewhat of an inside joke between Shiranui and I.
"What's up with that guy?" I hear someone say. It was definitely not Amaterasu, so who said it? I then notice a small green dot bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's muzzle. Wonderful. It seems that she, too, has found a Poncle companion. I remember all too clearly Shiranui's Poncle friend, Ishaku. I am not sure, but there was just something about him that always irritated me. But I digress.
I search Amaterasu's expression, looking for any signs of recognition or familiarity. I see those golden eyes I missed so much, but I see no indication of her remembering me. She does not remember me. I feel my heart starting to break, but I quickly pull myself back together. If she does not know me, I will play along and act like I do not know her. "That crimson shading and Divine Instrument on your back . . . You look kinda weird, but I reckon you pack a punch, baby," I say, hardly able to keep a straight face as I do. I note the fact that her crimson markings and Divine are similar to Shiranui's, and that she has a Divine Instrument like Shiranui did. She is even a white wolf like Shiranui was.
"Hey!" Amaterasu's Poncle friend shouts, clearly annoyed. "Think you're so special way up there, huh? Get down here and talk face to—Wait, did he say crimson shading? Can he see Ammy's true form?"
Yes, I can, you dimwit, I think, but decide against saying out loud. He wants me to come down, so I will. Using the skills I have learned as a Tao Master, I leap from the tree branch, glide down and gently land on the surface of the water. I add some sparkle and make the surface of the water glow lightly for added effect. How's that for razzle-dazzle?
"Wow," Amaterasu sighs dreamily, mesmerized by my little performance. I'm glad she liked it.
I have only one question for Amaterasu now: How strong is she? Is she as strong as Shiranui once was? If I want to find that out, it is best to test her myself. I take out my flute again and extend it out into my sword, Pillow Talk.
"Hey! He drew a sword!" The Poncle remarks—rather dumbly, I might add.
"I can see that, Issun," Amaterasu says to him. So that is the Poncle's name—Issun.
Smiling, I say, "Oui! This is how I get my point across, pun intended . . . The moment the cursed zone started spreading across Nippon, I saw the shadowy figure that removed the sacred sword Tsukuyomi flee into Kamiki Village and seal the entrance with a huge rock. You guys know anything about that?" That has nothing to do with why I'm fighting her, but I must at least have an excuse, no?
"This guy gives me the creeps," Issun says. "Better keep your eye on him! Huh?" He notices that Amaterasu has fallen into an attack stance, growling. "Ammy, you getting all worked up again?"
"I don't know who you are," she snarls, "and I don't know anything about that! Bring it on!"
"Magnifique! I wouldn't have it any other way!" There would be no point in fighting her if she wasn't going to give it her all. "Now you shall get an earful of my beloved sword! Behold, Pillow Talk! Let's rock, baby!" I slash at her with Pillow Talk and my other sword, using the both of them for double the attack power. As we fight, I carefully assess her abilities and strength. She can dodge my attacks easily enough, but I can hardly feel her blows, they are so weak. The only way she is able to deal damage to me is by deflecting my own swords back at me with her brush power Power Slash. I have seen enough. I back away, signaling the end of the fight. "It's been quite some time since I've tasted your power, Amaterasu. That's enough for now."
"Too late now!" Issun snaps, obviously riled up now. "You're the one who picked the fight! Hey, wait! You know this guy, Ammy?"
Oops. I'm not supposed to know her. I guess I forgot. And I probably shouldn't have fought her right away like that. I chuckle, partly out of embarrassment. "Well . . ." I say, "That was pretty tactless. Excuse-moi, baby. You see, I was looking into the cursed zone that struck this area. It consumed all in its path, even the light of the sun. It is the curse of Orochi, the legendary 8-headed serpent!"
The Poncle stops in his tracks. "O-Orochi?" he asks nervously.
"Do not utter that name without reason. That alone could curse the weak of mind. Orochi was slain 100 years ago by Nagi and Shiranui, and its evil spirit was sealed away in the Moon Cave, which I guarded. You know, the cave in the middle of the lake over on Shinshu Field. But someone has gone and freed Orochi by removing Tsukuyomi. The beast's evil has caused a cursed zone to cover these lands. I never thought the sacred sword could be so easily removed. Whoever did it waited till I was back in the capital. It seems things are afoot that even I did not prophesize!" I look over to see Amaterasu's reaction to my impressive story, only to find her asleep! I nearly floor-vault, but I catch myself, and I smile. That is so like Shiranui. She'd always fall asleep when I went on for too long.
"We're way ahead of you, pretty boy!" Issun sneers. "We've been busy dispelling the curse left and right. That Orochi's gonna be mincemeat when we're through with it!"
So it was Amaterasu, after all. I knew she could do it. "So, you're the ones who've revived the trees in this area . . . But a lot of time's passed since Orochi's return. You'd better pick up the pace, ma chérie."
"What?"
I sigh, disappointed in Amaterasu. Her power isn't what it used to be. "I'm sorry to say, our battle just now was a big disappointment. You're not what you used to be, Amaterasu. You may have defeated Orochi, but . . . One cannot dwell on past glories. You have weakened greatly during your 100-year slumber."
Amaterasu growls, and refuses to believe me. "What are you even talking about? I know what I'm doing! Don't worry about me! I'm more than strong enough to take down Orochi!"
Issun goes on, ignoring Amaterasu's rant. "That's enough! Now tell me about that shadowy figure you saw fleeing to Kamiki! How do we know it wasn't you?"
Like that was even possible. "Relax, my little bouncing friend. Oh, I almost forgot!" I had another vision during my exploration of Agata Forest, one pertaining to him and Amaterasu. "I have a little prophecy for you. I can see into the future, you know. I forsee a log and big thrills! You'll know what I'm talking about when the time comes!" I laugh to myself as I recall the vision of the two of them somehow ending up on a log rushing downstream and Amaterasu attempting to stop the log by using her Vine brush power to tie vines to various Konohana Blossoms scattered along the river banks. It is quite a comical sight. I do not worry, because I see that they come out of it perfectly fine. I compose myself and say, "Anyway, I must be off. The work of a prophet is never done. Au revoir, baby." I deftly leap from branch to branch, leaving Amaterasu and her Poncle partner behind.
I almost miss a step and fall as the reality of the situation strikes me. She doesn't remember me. Amaterasu, the reincarnation of my lost love, does not remember me. She has forgotten me. She's forgotten all the good times we've had. She's forgotten all we've been through together. She's forgotten her love for me. I have to stop and rest on a branch for fear I'd truly fall. My sight becomes blurred with the tears I'd been fighting back the entire time I'd been with her. She doesn't love me anymore because she doesn't remember that she'd ever loved me in the first place.
She has lost her memory. But maybe, just maybe . . . I can help her get it back.