The Tennyo's Hagoromo
Once upon a time, in a distant land, a legend began, (starting, of course like all the others), a
young fisherman sat out for the day's work. It was a horrible commute, through small hills, woods, and rice
fields, so the fisherman had to wake long before dawn, in order to catch the bast fish possible. Upon his
back were his tools and a light breakfast. It was a dark morning today, so the fisher overshot his usual
trail and was forced to take the scenic route.
Upwards he trekked, through untouched forests, winding trails, and high pure mountains. Soon he
grew weary, and when he spotted a nice spot near a tall black pine, he decided to stop and eat his
breakfast. Dawn was breaking over the giant mountains, and he watched the wondrous colors that were so new
to him. Watching the lulling image before him he leaned against the tree and slept deeply.
When he awoke, it was far past noon, and all the fish would be gone. A sensation that made the
hairs on his neck stand on end and sent shivers down his spine made him freeze and go deadly silent. In the
distance he heard the bell-like sounds of women's laughter. Curious, but cautious, he rose and crept toward
the slight sounds of far away merriment. He was so silent, more so than any hunter, animal or human before
him had ever been. Not a stone did he kick, not a shrub did he rustle, and his clothes were as muffled as
Spring air. He peered through the dense brush, and was amazed by the divinity he saw before him!
There, in plain sight,(unless he had lost his mind), were a dozen maidens more beautiful than life
itself, bathing in a sacred lake. Like queens, they chatted, giggled and splashed, as if they were wild
women. Each was slender, with clear gem-like eyes, dusky skin more mysterious than night, and long ebony
hair that shone like Onyx falling at their feet in homage. The fisherman wondered where these startling and
regal women had come from. Surely such women of unparalleled beauty were not from his village, and would
know better than to bathe out in the open in a sacred lake.
The clothing behind him on the pine proved him right, for it outshone even the best clothes of the
High Empress herself. In fact, the clothes looked to not be of Earthly design. They were gossamer fine,
brilliant white, adorned with the rarest jades and golds. More remarkable still, the robes were made
entirely of giant white feathers, as if plucked from an enormous white and holy swan. These robes would
allow anyone to fly anywhere they wished. They belonged to the women, the Tennyo, who were angel maidens,
and allowed them to fly all the way to heaven.
The young fisher was ignorant, and knew little of legend. If he did, he would've known to leave the
maiden's be, for their wrath was the mightiest in all the Heavens, but he did not. What he did know, was
the look of pricey items, and not only were those robes pricey, they were priceless. He saw his fortune in
that flutter of wings, and so he stole one and hid it in a small ditch so he could retrieve it later, in
secret.
A whir of wings sounded, and the surprised man turned.In his excitement he had made too much noise,
and scared the Tennyos away. They had donned their robes and flew away, and the only sign of their
existence were the eleven oddly shaped birds flying toward the sun. They had left their exceedingly
beautiful leader alone to die, and she lay crying diamond tears into the lake. She nearly eclipsed the poor
sun and shamed the moon from her beauty. Her voice was her beauty's equal and it made the air crackle with
it's strength and melodic tones as she cursed her companions.
"You!" she said sternly,
"Have you seen My Robe? My Hagoromo? I need it, or I shall never return to Heaven!Should you return it I
shall reward you most handsomely!"
The fisherman shook his head. He had been moved by her voice, her beauty, and her tears, but the greed in
his heart was by far greater.
All day and all night they searched frivolously for it. As the moon and sun came up they shuddered,
dreading how much she would surpass their beauty. When dawn came the Tennyo gave up.
"You,have been kind, and although you did not recover my Hagoromo, I shall reward you for your good will.
Name one wish, and I shall grant it." she said gently and soulfully.
The man thought hard. The hidden robe would make him richer than any man in the village, and he would never
need to work again in his life, if he sold it. He would need heirs, and heirs came from wives. When he
became rich he could have his pick. But why couldn't he have his pick now? There was no woman he would
rather possess than the earth-shatteringly lovely Tennyo.
"I wish for you to serve my every whim and become my wife."
For the second time the Tennyo cried the diamond pure tears, but was bound to her word, so she agreed and
granted his wish.
Through the years the Tennyo gained him much wealth, perhaps more than the Hagoromo could have
fetched, and power. She insured his reign over his village and then, slowly, over the country. The country
fell upon poor times. She obtained all he desired, bore him all the sons and heirs a mortal man could ever
dream of, and raised them all with love and care. She brought the children prosperity, luck, talent and
unnaturally long life. She realized her husband to be an evil man, who badly influenced her innocent
children. Still, the Tennyo lived on fulfilling her promise, lovely and unchanged, yet suffering, for a
century.
One day, as she was doing her duty and strolling her gardens she heard the village children. She
loved them all, for they brought her so much joy, so she stopped to watch them play. They were dancing and
singing a song about a clever hero who had hidden a robe in the mountains. Knowing at once the robe was Her
Hagoromo and the man to be her cruel husband, she rushed to the place the children had sung about. The
Tennyo intended to leave quietly, hurting no one, but was confronted by her enraged husband. He had wronged
her, but still, she bore him no ill will, and would leave him to live out the rest of his life as Fate
intended.
"How Dare You! I gave you all you have, treated you well! I gave you more than all the other women
could ever fathom, and more than you or any female even deserved! I gave you honor! I gave you more than
you should ever have the right to dream of! And what do I get in repayment? A grumpy horrid wife who never
does a thing, a wife who steals from me then abandons me? I could have any woman! You should be grateful I
chose you! I made you all that you are and I achieved your full potential!"
He howled white-hot with fury,he had caught her sneaking away from him.
The Tennyo frowned. Had he not open his mouth and spoken lies to her, should would have left him as
he was. Now he would pay. Dearly.
"You have no right, you evil pig! You stole my home, my decency my Hagoromo. You used me for all I'm worth,
exploited me, destroyed my honor and my dreams! You corrupted the children I gave you, ruined innocent
people, cheated, killed, pillaged, and you claim to be the wronged one?!?! Perhaps I'm not innocent for
being the accomplice. I never claimed to be. I gave you all you had! Without me, you would have died that
very day! The pine would have crushed you to death had you not awoken from our splashing, and your corpse
would have remained there, the crows picking at your body, and no one would ever realize you were gone!
We felt bad for you, you were so good and so young and had so much potential, so we decided to work a
miracle for you! You shamed the innocents that you once were. For their sake I curse you!"
"All that you own, ever did or ever will be yours no more. Instead, it will belong to those you
have wronged! No descendants of yours shall accomplish anything of value, for they are wicked! They are
doomed to see my children of pure heart succeed in all that they set out to so with little effort. My
children, my descendants shall borrow my Hagoromo to join me in the Heavens when I call for them, and your
children shall be dragged down to Hell to join you by your sin, by your legacy, and by this curse, when
they are painfully disposed of! To keep my final will, my good daughter Kharma shall judge the good and the
wicked!" She howled.
With a flash, the Tennyo donned her wondrous feather robe and flew away, her destiny and purpose
fulfilled, as she ascended towards the sun. Below within the Earth you could hear the moans of an evil man
who had cheated death for more than a century. You could feel the tension that buzzed through the air, for
the Judgement had been passed upon the human race. The Rightful order was created, and all hurried to fill
it's niche.And never again has such beauty or Justice graced our humble Earth.
Once upon a time, in a distant land, a legend began, (starting, of course like all the others), a
young fisherman sat out for the day's work. It was a horrible commute, through small hills, woods, and rice
fields, so the fisherman had to wake long before dawn, in order to catch the bast fish possible. Upon his
back were his tools and a light breakfast. It was a dark morning today, so the fisher overshot his usual
trail and was forced to take the scenic route.
Upwards he trekked, through untouched forests, winding trails, and high pure mountains. Soon he
grew weary, and when he spotted a nice spot near a tall black pine, he decided to stop and eat his
breakfast. Dawn was breaking over the giant mountains, and he watched the wondrous colors that were so new
to him. Watching the lulling image before him he leaned against the tree and slept deeply.
When he awoke, it was far past noon, and all the fish would be gone. A sensation that made the
hairs on his neck stand on end and sent shivers down his spine made him freeze and go deadly silent. In the
distance he heard the bell-like sounds of women's laughter. Curious, but cautious, he rose and crept toward
the slight sounds of far away merriment. He was so silent, more so than any hunter, animal or human before
him had ever been. Not a stone did he kick, not a shrub did he rustle, and his clothes were as muffled as
Spring air. He peered through the dense brush, and was amazed by the divinity he saw before him!
There, in plain sight,(unless he had lost his mind), were a dozen maidens more beautiful than life
itself, bathing in a sacred lake. Like queens, they chatted, giggled and splashed, as if they were wild
women. Each was slender, with clear gem-like eyes, dusky skin more mysterious than night, and long ebony
hair that shone like Onyx falling at their feet in homage. The fisherman wondered where these startling and
regal women had come from. Surely such women of unparalleled beauty were not from his village, and would
know better than to bathe out in the open in a sacred lake.
The clothing behind him on the pine proved him right, for it outshone even the best clothes of the
High Empress herself. In fact, the clothes looked to not be of Earthly design. They were gossamer fine,
brilliant white, adorned with the rarest jades and golds. More remarkable still, the robes were made
entirely of giant white feathers, as if plucked from an enormous white and holy swan. These robes would
allow anyone to fly anywhere they wished. They belonged to the women, the Tennyo, who were angel maidens,
and allowed them to fly all the way to heaven.
The young fisher was ignorant, and knew little of legend. If he did, he would've known to leave the
maiden's be, for their wrath was the mightiest in all the Heavens, but he did not. What he did know, was
the look of pricey items, and not only were those robes pricey, they were priceless. He saw his fortune in
that flutter of wings, and so he stole one and hid it in a small ditch so he could retrieve it later, in
secret.
A whir of wings sounded, and the surprised man turned.In his excitement he had made too much noise,
and scared the Tennyos away. They had donned their robes and flew away, and the only sign of their
existence were the eleven oddly shaped birds flying toward the sun. They had left their exceedingly
beautiful leader alone to die, and she lay crying diamond tears into the lake. She nearly eclipsed the poor
sun and shamed the moon from her beauty. Her voice was her beauty's equal and it made the air crackle with
it's strength and melodic tones as she cursed her companions.
"You!" she said sternly,
"Have you seen My Robe? My Hagoromo? I need it, or I shall never return to Heaven!Should you return it I
shall reward you most handsomely!"
The fisherman shook his head. He had been moved by her voice, her beauty, and her tears, but the greed in
his heart was by far greater.
All day and all night they searched frivolously for it. As the moon and sun came up they shuddered,
dreading how much she would surpass their beauty. When dawn came the Tennyo gave up.
"You,have been kind, and although you did not recover my Hagoromo, I shall reward you for your good will.
Name one wish, and I shall grant it." she said gently and soulfully.
The man thought hard. The hidden robe would make him richer than any man in the village, and he would never
need to work again in his life, if he sold it. He would need heirs, and heirs came from wives. When he
became rich he could have his pick. But why couldn't he have his pick now? There was no woman he would
rather possess than the earth-shatteringly lovely Tennyo.
"I wish for you to serve my every whim and become my wife."
For the second time the Tennyo cried the diamond pure tears, but was bound to her word, so she agreed and
granted his wish.
Through the years the Tennyo gained him much wealth, perhaps more than the Hagoromo could have
fetched, and power. She insured his reign over his village and then, slowly, over the country. The country
fell upon poor times. She obtained all he desired, bore him all the sons and heirs a mortal man could ever
dream of, and raised them all with love and care. She brought the children prosperity, luck, talent and
unnaturally long life. She realized her husband to be an evil man, who badly influenced her innocent
children. Still, the Tennyo lived on fulfilling her promise, lovely and unchanged, yet suffering, for a
century.
One day, as she was doing her duty and strolling her gardens she heard the village children. She
loved them all, for they brought her so much joy, so she stopped to watch them play. They were dancing and
singing a song about a clever hero who had hidden a robe in the mountains. Knowing at once the robe was Her
Hagoromo and the man to be her cruel husband, she rushed to the place the children had sung about. The
Tennyo intended to leave quietly, hurting no one, but was confronted by her enraged husband. He had wronged
her, but still, she bore him no ill will, and would leave him to live out the rest of his life as Fate
intended.
"How Dare You! I gave you all you have, treated you well! I gave you more than all the other women
could ever fathom, and more than you or any female even deserved! I gave you honor! I gave you more than
you should ever have the right to dream of! And what do I get in repayment? A grumpy horrid wife who never
does a thing, a wife who steals from me then abandons me? I could have any woman! You should be grateful I
chose you! I made you all that you are and I achieved your full potential!"
He howled white-hot with fury,he had caught her sneaking away from him.
The Tennyo frowned. Had he not open his mouth and spoken lies to her, should would have left him as
he was. Now he would pay. Dearly.
"You have no right, you evil pig! You stole my home, my decency my Hagoromo. You used me for all I'm worth,
exploited me, destroyed my honor and my dreams! You corrupted the children I gave you, ruined innocent
people, cheated, killed, pillaged, and you claim to be the wronged one?!?! Perhaps I'm not innocent for
being the accomplice. I never claimed to be. I gave you all you had! Without me, you would have died that
very day! The pine would have crushed you to death had you not awoken from our splashing, and your corpse
would have remained there, the crows picking at your body, and no one would ever realize you were gone!
We felt bad for you, you were so good and so young and had so much potential, so we decided to work a
miracle for you! You shamed the innocents that you once were. For their sake I curse you!"
"All that you own, ever did or ever will be yours no more. Instead, it will belong to those you
have wronged! No descendants of yours shall accomplish anything of value, for they are wicked! They are
doomed to see my children of pure heart succeed in all that they set out to so with little effort. My
children, my descendants shall borrow my Hagoromo to join me in the Heavens when I call for them, and your
children shall be dragged down to Hell to join you by your sin, by your legacy, and by this curse, when
they are painfully disposed of! To keep my final will, my good daughter Kharma shall judge the good and the
wicked!" She howled.
With a flash, the Tennyo donned her wondrous feather robe and flew away, her destiny and purpose
fulfilled, as she ascended towards the sun. Below within the Earth you could hear the moans of an evil man
who had cheated death for more than a century. You could feel the tension that buzzed through the air, for
the Judgement had been passed upon the human race. The Rightful order was created, and all hurried to fill
it's niche.And never again has such beauty or Justice graced our humble Earth.