Chapter 2: Resurrection

This is it. At last, the time is right. The moment Waka, Issun, and Sakuya have been anticipating for twenty long years is finally close at hand. Gazing up at the sky, they could see nothing but darkness stretch infinitely before them. A powerful evil aura covered the field like a dense fog. A new threat endangers Nippon. The time has come to summon Amaterasu back to world.

Sakuya prepared for the long-awaited ritual that would wake Amaterasu from her stony slumber. She called forth Amaterasu's most powerful reflector, Solar Flare. Using her divine powers, Sakuya placed the Divine Instrument on Amaterasu's body.

Bit by bit, stone was replaced by flesh. In a dazzling flash of light, the ritual was complete. Everyone watched in awe as Amaterasu opened her eyes, living and breathing again.

o~*~o

Amaterasu

I woke up in a daze and took in my surroundings. I was in Shinshu Field, greeted by the faces I know and love. Shakily, I rose to my feet, my limbs feeling stiff. By instinct, I shook myself off, trying to get rid of the stiffness I felt all over. Taking a second look around, everything seemed to be the same, but I had a feeling that something was different . . .

I looked to my friends, hoping one of them would give me an explanation as to what exactly was happening. It felt like I'd been sleeping for ages, and I just knew that there was something different. I sensed that evil had returned to Nippon, of course, but there was something else I couldn't put my finger on.

Waka decided to step forth to answer my unasked questions. There was a broad smile on his face as he approached, as if he hadn't seen me in forever. This only made me more curious, and decided to listen closely to his explanation.

"You have been asleep for a long time, ma chérie. Twenty years, to be exact." I gaped at him in disbelief. I was asleep for that long? I thought. Impossible! How can that be? Almost as if he read my thoughts, Waka said, "It is true, Amaterasu. Do you not remember that day?"

My memories flashed back to the day the Ark of Yamato was attacked. Come to think of it, I can't recall anything beyond that day. So it is true. I admitted to myself. I slept for twenty years . . . Wow.

"Amaterasu? Amaterasu!" After who knows how many times Waka called my name, I came back to reality. Waka shook his head.

"Really, ma chérie, you need to stop spacing out like that! One day, that is going to get you into trouble, you know." At that, I gave him the wolf version of an eye-roll. Looking at Shinshu Field, it hasn't seemed to change all that much after twenty years. My eyes traced the path to Kamiki Village. I longed to see if it changed after all these years.

Issun followed my gaze. Like always, he read my thoughts like an open book. So he said, "C'mon, guys, let's go back to the village." Excited, I speeded down the path so fast, I left all the other guys in the dust! In half a second, I arrived at the village. I looked around, eager to find out what stayed the same and what has changed.

It pleased me to know that the village itself hasn't changed a bit. The sakura trees that flourished in the village still stood, bringing with them a storm of cherry blossom petals. At first glance, Kamiki seemed to be exactly the same as it was twenty years ago. But taking a closer look, I noticed that the people in the village changed.

Mr. and Mrs. Orange, the town elders, were still alive by some miracle. Little Mushi was now grown, living his dream of becoming a great warrior. Susano and Kushi were getting older, but were still together as a happy couple. The only person I didn't recognize was a young lady harvesting the rice fields that Kushi, whom runs a local sake bar, usually worked.

"Oh, that's Kiyoko," Issun said, once again reading my mind. "She's Susano and Kushi's daughter." The girl called Kiyoko turned around, and the family resemblance was clear. She had her mother's beauty, but I could somehow tell there was something more to her. Noticing my presence, she came over to investigate.

"Hello, Issun," she said, looking around. "Where's Waka? I haven't seen him around lately. Oh, and who's your cute lupine friend here?" Her voice was light and gentle, like her mother's. She knelt down to look at me more closely. I could see that her eyes were a lovely violet color. Behind those eyes, though, there was something I couldn't quite name.

"Hey Kiki," Issun replied. "This furball here goes by Amaterasu. And I could care less where that half-baked prophet is!"

She laughed—a light, sweet sound that was almost musical. "Well, why haven't I seen this wolf—Amaterasu, was it?—around the village before?"

"Trust me, it's a long story!"

"Trust me, I have plenty of time!" she replied with a smirk. With no comebacks for that, Issun had no choice but to explain the long story. Kiyoko listened intently, hanging on every word. Surprisingly, she believed everything, even the part about me being a goddess. I silently thanked Issun. As a Celestial Envoy, it was his job to kindle people's faith in the Gods, which he has done well.

Kiyoko now looked at me with brand-new respect, and bowed before me as she said, "My deepest apologies, O great Amaterasu! I did not know you were a goddess! I—"

"Aw, save the respect," Issun cut in. "She gets enough of that already. Feel free to call her Ammy, she doesn't mind."

"Alright . . . Ammy." She seemed quite reluctant to address a goddess like me with such familiarity. "Yeah, I think I'll stick with Amaterasu. Well, I know about you now, so I guess I should tell you a little about myself now. As you know, my daddy, Susano, is a descendant of Nagi. So, I, too have the blood of Nagi flowing through my veins. Sure, my daddy's the greatest male warrior . . . but I am the greatest female warrior!"

I smiled inwardly. Ha, she's related to Susano, that's for sure, I thought. He would always say that he's the greatest warrior, and proved that by dealing the final blow to Orochi when he returned after 100 years. Taking another look at Kiyoko, I now realized what that something in her eyes was. Behind those amethyst eyes, a fiery passion burned within. Though she had her mother's looks, she also inherited her father's fierceness and a love for the way of the sword.

At that thought, Kiyoko drew a sword I didn't realize she even had.

"With my trusty sword, Takemaru, no one can defeat me!" she declared confidently.

"Oh, is that so, Kiki?" The voice came out of nowhere, but was soon followed by a face. A young man I also did not recognize appeared, carrying a blade over his shoulder.

"N-Nushi!" Kiyoko exclaimed in surprise.

"So, how about a friendly sparring match then, little sis?"