Hey, everybody! I hope you enjoy this little oneshot! Possessed
Waka and Amaterasu finally defeated their one and only true enemy, Yami, the black-hearted Ruler of Darkness. Or rather, the twosome assumed so, but they didn't know. They were not aware of Yami's dark spirit, freed from its metal shell, preparing to enact one final act of evil. Transfixed on Amaterasu with eyes that were quickly losing the ability to see, it ensnared the white wolf in its trap, wrapping her in its dark embrace. Amaterasu snarled viciously as she sensed the darkness trying to invade her, mentally fighting away the dark power attempting to take control of her. Burning agony took hold of her as the darkness played with her mind, deceiving her into believing that her body was engulfed in flames. Amaterasu thrashed about, howling in torment, the imaginary flames consuming her.
"Amaterasu? What is wrong?" Waka asked worriedly. The prophet could not see the fire that the darkness had conjured in Amaterasu's mind, as it was just that—in Amaterasu's mind. But still, she suffered as if real flames were burning her. The inferno blazing in her psyche wore at her, damaging her from within. The furious, scorching heat of the nonexistent fire became too much for her to bear. She collapsed to the ground, futilely struggling with weakening resistance against the darkness. Amaterasu then finally gave up the losing battle, letting the darkness overtake her and falling alarmingly still.
As she lay motionless, the darkness swept over her, seeping into her fur and working its way into her flesh. The dark powers of Yami elicited a change in Amaterasu, blinding her pure heart. Her fur, white as the pristine, newly fallen snow around them, was dyed black as midnight. Her divine crimson markings took on an ominous glow that pulsated and undulated beneath her skin. The darkness even captured the power of her Divine Instrument, Solar Flare, staining the reflector that was adorned with the symbol of the sun ink-black and encasing the blue-green flames in blackened ice. The shards of dark ice orbited around the black mirror as its former flames once did, sharp and lethal weapons.
When the transformation was completed, Amaterasu rose to her feet, but she was no longer Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun. She was now Amaterasu, servant to the Ruler of Darkness. Everything about her was different, all except for her golden gaze. But upon looking into them, with pupils narrowed to small pinpricks, one would only see two spheres of golden light that shone at odds with her ebony fur. These shining eyes, the wolf focused on Waka. Her memories wiped and her thoughts manipulated, she no longer recognized the prophet as a friend. To her, he was now nothing more than another enemy to be slain. She thirsted for his blood as fervently as she desired the blood of all enemies.
Waka knew that he was the only one that could free her of the darkness that held her heart in its grasp, but hesitation prevented him from taking any immediate action. Though he's never admitted it outright, he was deeply in love with Amaterasu, knowing that her true form was that of a human. He could not bring himself to harm the one he loved. Amaterasu, however, held nary a twinge of hesitation in her darkened heart. She attacked without delay, baring her fearsome claws and her sharp fangs.
He was left with no choice; he was forced to draw his sword by way of self-defense. But even then, he merely defended against her attacks, still unwilling to hurt her.
"What's the matter, moon boy?" Amaterasu sneered in a voice that was not her own. Yami was speaking through her, using her like a mindless puppet that exists for nothing else than to be controlled. "Come at me! Unless you're too scared . . ." Her lips drew back in a twisted grin that both smirked at him and bared her fangs in a display of intimidation, again the doing of Yami. She charged at Waka once again, this time sporting her ink-black reflector. The deadly shards of ice were flung at him, which he narrowly dodged. "Fight me!" she snarled. He answered with silence, at which she responded to with another throw of her weapon. Again, he evaded the attack, infuriating the wolf with his grace and agility. "You worthless prophet! You're good for nothing!"
Though he knew these words weren't Amaterasu's, still they hurt all the same. He felt that the words rang true was why they hurt his heart so much. Ever since he inadvertently led the Celestials, the people of the Celestial Plain, which was Amaterasu's true home, to their deaths, he's carried the burden of guilt and regret. After making such a major mistake, he believed that he could never do anything right. All he's ever caused was death and misery, in his mind. Those harsh words, particularly coming from Amaterasu, called back the negative thoughts and feelings, and that did not feel good at all. The words that brought back the pain of the past came from Yami, not Amaterasu. And to free Amaterasu from Yami's iron grip on her, he must defeat her. It is the only way, and he has at last accepted that. Yami will pay for causing everyone so much suffering.
Amaterasu saw the determined fire in his eyes. "So, you're finally ready to fight, are you?" she said derisively. Waka simply glowered at the wolf he knew wasn't Amaterasu. He then lunged at her, fully wielding his sword, Pillow Talk, like he should have all along. Amaterasu's movements were almost as graceful as the prophet's, sidestepping and backflipping over his every attack. She fired another dark ice shard at him as retaliation for him daring to attack her. This one made contact, grazing past his shoulder. He took no notice of the injury, throwing his other sword at her. The sword was slashed in midair by the mystical force of Amaterasu's Celestial Brush, the paintbrush that can alter reality. The force of the slash changed the course of the sword, sending it back at its owner. He was unable to dodge the unexpected attack by his own sword, the blade cutting into his side.
"You can do better than that!" Amaterasu jeered. "Oh, wait. You can't, can you?"
"I'll show you what I can do!" Waka said resolutely. He went to attack Amaterasu once more, disregarding his recent wound and slashing at her. She leapt over his sword and sank her fangs into his arm. Again, he ignored the pain and aimed another attack in her direction. The prophet felt a sense of both victory and sorrow as he felt the sword bite into Amaterasu's flesh. The wolf hissed and writhed beneath his sword like a serpent in its final throes of death. Waka took care not to force the sword too deep. He wanted to defeat her, not kill her. Amaterasu let out a howl of distress, sensing instinctively that the end was near. With the sacred blood spilling forth from her wound came the dark essence of Yami, turning her blood into black ink. As the darkness ebbed from her veins, so did the blackness that colored Amaterasu's white fur. The menacing light from her crimson markings faded, and the dark ice around her Divine Instrument crumbled away, allowing the flames to burn once more. The last of Yami's essence left her body, and her blood now ran red. Amaterasu was free.
Free, but gravely injured. If her wounds weren't attended to, she would die. Waka would not allow that. Having nothing else as a bandage, he ripped off parts of his shirt to wrap around Amaterasu's wounds. That helped halt the bleeding, but she had already lost a lot of blood as is. Whether she would survive or not, not even the prophet with the ability to see the future knew.
At the least, she was conscious. "Waka . . ." she rasped, her speech impaired by her labored breathing.
"I'm here, ma chérie," he said, kneeling by her side.
She looked up at him, her golden eyes big and wide and shining brilliantly, as they should be. With what little strength she had, she gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you . . . Waka . . ."
"You needn't thank me." He gingerly stroked her bloodied fur, and she rubbed her head against his hand, silently asking for more with the last of her meager strength. "It was I who did this to you . . ."
"It's . . . okay. I know . . . what you had . . . to do. Again, I . . . thank you. For freeing me from . . . the darkness."
"Amaterasu . . ." Always, she's forgiven him like that. Whenever he caused something to go wrong, and even when he indirectly killed the Celestials, her people, still she forgave him. She was ever so gracious to him, no matter what it was that he did. She made him feel like he was worth something. Like he was more than a man from the accursed Moon Tribe. Like he could make a difference in this world. That was why he loved her. Amaterasu's eyes fell closed, her strength failing her. "Amaterasu! Can you hear me? I . . . I love you. Please, don't die on me . . ." He took her battered body in his arms, cradling her gently. He could feel her breath, light as the wingbeat of a butterfly, and her heartbeat, the soft fluttering rhythm that seemed as if it would quit at any moment.
"Waka . . ." Amaterasu muttered, her voice so soft, it was like the sound of a feather falling. "Love . . . you . . . too." Then her breathing and her pulse ceased at once. There, in his arms, the great wolf that saved the land of mortals passed away.
"Amaterasu? Amaterasu! Wake up! Please, wake up!" Waka pleaded. But he already knew. He sensed Amaterasu dying in his arms. He felt the stillness of death in her. "Damn it!" he cursed himself aloud. It was he who did this, he who killed her with his own two hands. Once again, he messed everything up, this time costing Amaterasu her life. "By the Gods . . . I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, ma chérie!" He bowed his head in shame over her broken body, his tears of remorse and sorrow dripping onto her lifeless form. "It should have been me . . ." He was the one who deserved to die, not Amaterasu. He looked over at his discarded sword, considering suicide. If he couldn't live without his beloved Amaterasu, then he wouldn't live at all.
No, an ethereal voice said.
Upon looking up, Waka saw a bright light enveloping Amaterasu's form. Her spirit.
You must live on, the spirit of Amaterasu said. For my sake . . .
"Why should I?" he snapped, made bitter by the guilt that consumed him.
I want you to live the life I should have. Return to the Celestial Plain, and restore peace to the land of mortals.
"I will not do it without you!"
I never expected to see you acting so . . . childish. You must finish what I couldn't. Someone must bring peace back once more, and that someone is you. I trust you, Waka, to do this. You have to continue your life without me.
"But . . . I can't." His voice cracked, and a fresh wave of tears threatened to break through.
Yes, you can. I know you can. I have faith in you. Please, Waka. Finish what I started!
"No. Not without you . . ."
I know how hard it is for us to part ways. But I love you, and I know you love me. You have to let me go, my dear.
"Please . . . I don't want you to leave!" At this point, his composure broke down completely, desperate for the one he loved to stay. Through his tears, he pleaded once more, "Please . . . Don't . . . Please!"
I'm sorry. But I have to leave. This is my destiny. Your destiny now is to return to the Celestial Plain and reestablish peace there. You must follow your destiny!
Though he didn't want her to go, he knew what she said was true. He had to bring back the peace, just as Amaterasu had to depart for the other world. Gathering what little dignity he had left, he composed himself somewhat and said, "You are right. I've just been acting the fool all this time. Though I hate to say it, this is adieu, ma chérie. Farewell . . ." It took everything he had not to fall apart all over again at the thought of her never coming back.
Farewell, my love. May we see each other again someday . . . As soon as the last words were spoken, the light around Amaterasu vanished, and all that was left was her dead body. It pained him to do so, but he buried her body outside and sent her spirit off with a prayer, marking the grave with her Solar Flare. Then, Waka boarded the Ark of Yamato and set out for the Celestial Plain, accepting his destiny just as Amaterasu accepted hers . . .
~END~
Just so you know, this all takes place in the Ark of Yamato. The snow was created when Amaterasu was thrashing about, her tail accidentally making the mark for Blizzard, the snow Celestial Brush technique. Please don't forget to review! I'm serious! I'll write, but I will NOT post up any more stories until I get a review for this one! So please, REVIEW!
