Chapter 3: Inaba of the Earth
True to the blessings of Sakra, the centuries passed and the rabbits became quite numerous, covering the land far and wide and even across the sea to the Land of the Rising Sun far in the east. Some came by way of natural disaster, others as pets to the humans who brought them. One group, like so many others, passed over the sea as stowaways aboard a maritime merchant ship to find themselves in a new and unfamiliar land. They crossed the singing sands of Idegahama beach and made a new home for themselves in the bamboo thickets of Cape Keta. There they lived in peace with other friendly animals and humans who lived in the area.
The land of Inaba was ruled by a kind and beautiful princess named Yagami-hime. All who met her saw the light of her smile and felt the kindness in her heart. She was loved by both the people of her land and also by the many fauna that lived there. The daughter of mortal parents, she was orphaned at an early age. Her mother died in childbirth. Her father Tanabe no Osumi, the king of Inaba, was also a Lieutenant General in the service of Emperor Tenji and the Oumi party. He was killed in battle during the Jinshin War along with his trusted friend Captain Kamatari and Kamatari's eldest son. Yagami-hime was given rule of Inaba without dispute when she was just 13 years old. Fujiwara no Fuhito, the second son of Captain Kamatari, was named the new Captain of the Inaban Army even though he wasn't much older than the princess at the time.
The rumor of the princess's loveliness spread far and wide. In time, word of her reached the land of Izumo across the cape. With Yagami-hime's twentieth birthday approaching, Yasogami, the oldest of 80 sons born of the goddess Kushinada-hime, set out with his brothers to ask Yagami-hime for her hand in marriage. The youngest of the brothers, Oukuninushi, was made to carry their entire luggage in a large sack on his back so he walked late behind Yasogami and the others.
The marching of 80 gods shook the lands and could be heard far over the horizon. The tumult caused the gentle beaches of Chiburijima to fall into the sea leaving red cliffs behind and pushing a tsunami ahead.
"I hate this!" Young Tewi wasn't looking forward to being a big sister. It was sure to mean more work and she hated work. Her mother was expecting a new litter and it was she and her sisters' job to expand the warren to make room. A job made all the more difficult with all the earthquakes that had come recently. Tewi paid no heed to lessons learned of the rabbit whose image now paints the moon and she took the first chance she saw to skip out of the warren and down the hill to the beach below.
Her father was gathering breakfast before the sun set so that gave her some time to frolic with the crabs. She was pawing at a crab that looked like it had a human face on its back, betting she could get away before it pinched her. Sure enough it snipped at her but she was too fast. Looking back at the annoyed crab she saw that the water was now much farther away than it had been a moment before. As the beach doubled in size, she was amazed to see crabs popping up all over the place to grab the abalone and sea cucumbers that had been stranded there.
She looked up toward the Oki Islands to find that they appeared to have been swallowed up by the sea. How can the sea be falling and rising at the same time? It was then her keen ears heard the sound of the rushing waters. From this distance it was louder than the Sendai River. She knew trouble was coming.
She ran toward the hill to warn her family. "Maybe I can seal the entrance to the warren with dirt before the water arrives" she thought. As she hopped up the steep climb to her home her wet paws slipped and she fell back to the bottom. By the time she got back on her feet she knew it was too late. A moment later she was pushed into the hill. She tried to scramble up the side but it was all she could do just to keep her muzzle above the water. All her calls of warning and all her cries for help where drowned out by the inrush of water that had no end.
Tewi was pushed over the top of the cape and into the thickets where she found herself clawing up a broken bamboo plant that threatened to break free from its stem at any moment. Whether it was minutes or hours that passed she did not know but eventually the waters became still again. Being this high above her home, she knew that if her warren wasn't sealed in time it would be inundated. Tewi now feared for her family more than for herself. Before she could get a grip on all that just happened, the water started to recede back out to sea. The bamboo tree Tewi had been holding onto finally gave way taking her out to sea with it.
Hey mommy! The princess said I could come to her birthday party. Can I, huh? When Tewi opened her eyes she found herself in an unfamiliar land. Looking around she found nothing but kelp and driftwood surrounding her. She had washed up on the island of Dogo, one of the Oki Islands she thought washed away by the sea. As she looked out to sea in the waxing moonlight she could barely make out the cape that she once called home sitting on the horizon and wondered if anything or anyone was left. She couldn't swim and the current was against her so drifting on a log was out of the question. She rested the next day under the cover of the debris, unsure if there might be predators here.
The next evening, Tewi was anxious to get back home. She climbed over some of the flotsam to deeper water careful not to fall in. There she found a shark swimming in the water taking in the numerous anchovies that had made their way there. She called aloud "Hay Mr. Shark! Which family do you think is bigger, your family or my family?"
"Of course, ours are bigger." he answered.
"So I'll count you" Tewi offered. "Please gather all of your family together and make them line up on the sea from this island to the opposite cape. I'll run on them and count the number. We'll make out which family is bigger?"
"That would take some time" said the shark. "Come back in three days."
Three more days would make this the longest Tewi had ever been away from home. Aside from the sharks and the occasional falcon there didn't appear to be many predators here. Unfortunately for Tewi there weren't any friendly faces here either. No other rabbits, no humans with their boats, she felt she was spared from drowning only to die of boredom. The clover wasn't in bloom and tasted awful but at least she wouldn't starve. To make matters worse, the top of her head was scarred by thorny weeds as she tried to get at the clover.
Tewi woke up early on that third evening. The sun was getting low in the western sky and she wondered if the sharks where even going to show up. As the moon was about to rise in the east she heard a sound that made her fur stand on end. "Oh, for Frith's sake! Not another tsunami." As she considered high-tailing it for the hills she saw in the distance not a wave but a line of shark fins spanning half the horizon. "Finally, maybe now I'll get to go home."
As she requested, the sharks lined themselves up from the island to the cape. At the shore she met the shark from before who said "Perhaps you will find the multitude of my family greater even than the stars in the sky."
"We're about to find out." Tewi was in a joyous mood. She eagerly leaped onto the back of the shark and then on to the next again and again. In truth, Tewi could not count higher than four; any number higher than this, even five, may as well be a million. That did not matter to Tewi, she would gladly hop over a million sharks if it meant she could return home again.
Hours passed and she kept right on hopping. The sun was gone but the full moon was more than enough for her keen eyes. Not once did she falter or trip. After 16 hours and 16 leagues of travel she finally set paws on the dry land of Hakuto Beach. Her joy of finishing the trek far outweighed her fatigue and hunger.
"Splendidly done land creature" said the wise old shark at the end of the line. "Perhaps now you will reveal whose family is the bigger one?"
Tewi turned to the shark and addressed him face to face. "How foolish you are to be deceived by me! I only wanted to come here. Thank you very much."
On knowing they were deceived the old shark became angry and caught Tewi faster than her tired legs could jump. He might have eaten her had he not the disgusting thought of such a dirty beast rotting in his gut. As he wrestled with the rabbit in the shallow water he tore the fur from her body leaving her naked. Only her ears and tail where spared the pain of his vicious attack.
Later that morning Tewi came to and realized that she wasn't dead. She was however in quite a lot of pain. She didn't want to move but the rising tide forced her to get on her feet if that were at all possible. Moving away from the water she could hear a new sound like an approaching storm. Try as she might she couldn't find a single dark cloud in the mid morning sky. As the din drew closer she felt she should take cover from whatever unknown threat was drawing near. To no avail as it turned out, the beach was flat and clean with nowhere to hide. As she baked in the sand she thought a coup-de-grace must be more than she deserved.
Down the beach they came, nearly four score of mighty gods. "This is it" thought Tewi. "They're coming to take me to the underworld."
As Prince Yasogami approached Tewi he raised his fist out as a signal for his brothers to stop. This was a curious sight, a hairless hare lying on the beach as though she where expecting to get a tan. "What's this now? How came you to be in this sorry state?"
Tewi looked up as she lay there and with her dry voice began to tell the god prince all that had happened to her since the tsunami hit. Then Yasogami asked "You do know what you did was wrong?"
"Yes, I will never do anything like that again" she answered.
Yasogami added "If you bathe in the sea and lie in the sun on that sand berm you will be healed." With that he signaled for his brothers to continue their journey to the palace.
Tewi returned to the sea and let its waves wash over her. Her wounds where cleaned and her skin cooled bringing her some relief. She then slowly made her way to the top of a small sand dune to rest. When she made it she could see that the mouth of the Sendai River had been torn open by the tsunami and was hardly recognizable any more. Many dozens of larger sand dunes now surrounded it giving it the appearance of a dry desert right next to the sea.
The sea breeze dried her off quickly. The sand and sun where once again burning her flesh as the salt on her skin stabbed at her wounds. If anything, she felt even worse than before. Closing her eyes tightly she believed she could still see. Before her mind's eye she saw the fifth realm of the underworld, the Hell of Great Screaming where oni threaten to pierce her lying tongue with nails and then tear them from her body only to be healed and tortured again. Such is the fate of those who sin as she had. Tewi vomited in the sand and cried out in anguish. For the first time in her life she was truly and utterly scared.
"What happened to you?" came a voice in the darkness. Tewi opened her eyes and saw another god prince not unlike the ones that passed earlier. He had a genuine look of concern on his face. "Do not fear. I will not harm you. My name is Oukuninushi." Stammering in pain and tears streaming down her face she told him what had happened from the beginning.
The god prince asked her "You do know what you did was wrong?"
"Yes, I will never do anything like that again" she answered.
Oukuninushi added "What my half brother did was also wrong. You should bathe in the clean waters of that creek and cover yourself in the pollen of cattails, then rest in the shade of a tree and you will be healed."
Oukuninushi followed after his brothers and Tewi just looked on too frail to even thank him properly. She made her way down to the stream and walked in, her skin now all but numb to any comfort it could provide. The stream had long since emptied the salt water from the tsunami into the Sendai River and out to sea. The pure clean water flowing down from the Chuugoku Mountains washed all the salt from her skin and its coolness closed the pores that had once held her fur. She took in great mouthfuls of this water to wet the dryness within her. In a most convenient turn of luck she found a row of Suwa typha beside the stream that had not been uprooted by the tsunami. She gnawed at the lower stems to get at the cattails above and rolled around on them. The pollen stuck to her like an astringent powder protecting her skin. All that was left now was to get some rest somewhere in the shade. The only place she could think of was the bamboo forest back at the cape. Her mind thundered with the thoughts of what she might find there. It could either be the happiest moment of her life or the saddest. As scary as it was to go back, she simply had to know.
As Tewi approached the forest she could see that many of the bamboo trees near the edge of the forest had toppled over, the soil that held their roots having eroded away. Walking further in, she was finally shielded from the midday sun. Slowly and anxiously she approached her home. Her worst fears were realized when she saw the extent of the damage. Rather than a water-filled hole in the ground, her eyes where met with the sight of her own bedroom open to the sky. Nothing more of her warren remained. "MOM? DAD? ANYBODY?" Nothing. "MOMO? HANA? MOKO? … NANA? … anybody?" There was no answer. The other warrens nearby fared no better than her own. No help, no solace, not even any bodies to bury. Tewi was scarcely more than half grown and already she had outlived everyone she knew save the princess. "The princess!"
There was nothing for her here. No one in the land had greater need to grow up quickly than she did. Tewi was a doe who had known true fear but she was not afraid any longer. She had felt true pain both of her body and of her spirit but had no tears left to cry. With new-found energy and the speed of a tengu she bolted through the bamboo forest towards the Hakuto Shrine and the palace beyond.
As Tewi ran up the stairs to the portico, Captain Fuhito called for more troops to reinforce the gate. A wounded animal running for aid was never a good sign, especially a nocturnal animal in the middle of the day. Tewi made it to the audience chamber drawing the attention of everyone there. Yagami-hime was horrified to see the state her friend was in and begged her to explain what happened. Tewi refused to even catch her breath as she told the princess an abridged version of her account. Though the story was told at a rapid pace, the princess was able to understand much of what was said. Glad to see Tewi recovering from her torment, the princess allowed her the use of her bedchamber to rest in for the remainder of the day.
Yagami-hime had invited many people to the royal birthday gathering but she never dreamed she would be visited by a million gods from a far away land. Of course she didn't take the scope of this seriously, knowing rabbits tend to exaggerate numbers. She was especially enamored with the one Tewi called Oukuninushi. She believed only a god with a good heart would go out of his way to help a poor rabbit in need. With Tewi in good care she sent word to Captain Fuhito of the divine guests who where now expected.
The dining had long ended but the sun had yet to set when the gods finally arrived at the palace. The remaining guests where making marry with much talking and much more sake as a biwa played delightfully in the background. The crowd made way and bowed as the gods entered in and the princess was beginning to wonder if there really where a million. Eight rows of nine and one of seven they made with their leader standing ahead of them all. Though this was her birthday, her palace and her kingdom, the princess herself was compelled to bow low before such magnificence. The gods all smiled and blessed their host who proved more beautiful than mere rumor could have foretold.
As was the tradition, each guest introduced himself to the princess and presented her with a gift. The first was Prince Yasogami who gave to her an octagonal box made of black ironwood from a far away land; a wood so dense it will never catch fire. It was beautifully gilded with Orichalcum and the craftsmanship alone would make this a very valuable treasure. There was no way for the princess to tell at a glance the true power this treasure possessed. In the interest of civility she begrudgingly accepted his gift, realizing now that the god who stood before her was the one who tormented her little friend.
One by one the ceremony of introductions continued. As if there was some unwritten rule, none of the brothers gave a gift of greater value than those of his elders. The last of these brothers introduced himself as Oukuninushi and the eyes of the princess lit up. His dress seemed almost common and well worn from his journey but his face was youthful and handsome to behold. His gift to her was a smooth orange carnelian from the River Gounokawa near his home. This rare stone was the symbol of a capable leader and conferred good luck to others. She accepted his gift with a smile and held it to her heart.
At the conclusion of introductions Yasogami addressed the princess once more saying "Yagami-hime, I have come to your palace not only to celebrate your birthday but to ask for your hand in marriage."
There was awe from the crowd. Yagami-hime's face turned bright red. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. At first she didn't know whether to feel honored that a god had proposed to marry her or appalled that the one to do so was a god of few morals. She thought about this for a moment but the answer seemed clear.
"I'm honored that you think me worthy of becoming your wife Lord Yasogami" Yagami-hime steadied her breath, "but of all the eligible suitors gathered here this evening, I will wed none other than Lord Oukuninushi."
The entire room, both mortal and god, was taken aback by the princess' proclamation. Now it was Prince Oukuninushi's turn to change color and distrust his ears. Yasogami's reaction was quite different. His mouth hung open in an "o" and he gave her a sideways stare in a you-did-not-just-dare expression. In the past it was forbidden for even a princess to deny a marriage proposal from a god. Punishments where severe but the numerous occurrences of bridal suicides and maternal infanticides made the threat of punishment counterproductive. He turned and gave this same look to his brother who responded with an equally wordless what-did-I-do look.
Such words spoken under the spell of sake might be forgiven but the princess was sober as a shrine maiden. Yasogami had to know. "Are you sure your heart is not in confusion? He isn't even of our father's bloodline. He's the bastard lovechild of our mother's affair. Are you really in love with him to the exclusion of a greater god such as I?"
"Yes." The only word that would free itself from Yagami-hime's lips, clear and unmistakable in a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Fine" said the prince. "You can have your lesser god, we never wanted him anyway."
With that the princes, all but Oukuninushi, turned and left the palace. No one was more confused than he. Even before he ventured to these lands he was just as enamored as his brothers by the tails of her beauty and kindness but never considered he would ever catch her eye or that she would have a desire to be close to him. "Is it true you desire me? Please don't let this be a game. Will you marry me?"
"If someone like me will do" she answered "then yes."
"I don't know what to say" was his reply to hers.
"You can say 'yes' or you can say 'no' but you don't have to say anything just yet." She motioned for him to approach her. "Come, there's someone I want you to meet; an acquaintance from your journey."
As they were about to leave a servant asked "My lady, where would you like us to put these gifts?" The gifts from the dinner guests have already been handled by the afternoon shift but the gifts from the gods lay aside the low tables.
The princess held firmly to the stone in her hand and replied "I have no need of them" with a noticeable measure of contempt in her voice. "Hand them out to the peasantry."
As the birthday-girl retired with her new beau it was clear that this party was over.
(To be continued in Chapter 4: The Disappearance of Oukuninushi)