C
Cloister
Author's Note:
If you don't know Okami, you play as the Japanese sun goddess in the form of a wolf. Several characters mention her true form as a beautiful maiden... and it's a shame you never get to play as her true form. So I wrote this, centering around the final battle where the prayers of Nippon return her to human form at full strength. Enjoy.
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Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to the people of Nippon, had made the gravest mistake of her long storied existence. Just when her victory over the Emperor of Eternal Darkness seemed complete, Yami had a surprise. As soon as she turned to celebrate the end of her long struggle against darkness he sprung back to life and lashed out at her. He caught the unaware sun goddess and drained every ounce of her power. The constellations of the brush gods disappeared from the starry sky above the Ark of Yamato. Everything grew cold as the room turned pitch black. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Light had disappeared. And Yami used what strength he stole from Amaterasu to transform into his most powerful form yet. Out of his sphere unfolded a massive, crooked claw capable of plucking gods from the sky and slaying them instantly.
Yet Amaterasu was devoid of strength. Without the celestial brush and her divine instruments, she was nothing but a helpless white wolf. And with the beating she received from Yami she was badly wounded and could hardly move. To think she had failed after coming so far made sadness and despair swell in her heart. So many lives counted on her guidance. So many looked up to her for her protection. And yet she was helpless before Yami. The next blow from his dark claw would end her reign and bring about destruction of the land of mortals. She could do nothing but lower her head in sorrow.
But as Yami reached out, hope rose from below. Prayer from Nippon- the land of mortals filled the Ark with spheres of light. Each one brought praise of Amaterasu's benevolence, hope that she would shine again. Issun had fulfilled his destiny as Celestial Envoy. Susano, Kushi, Princess Fuse, Otohime... everyone Amaterasu had come across in her journey spoke out to her with all of their belief. The surge of power was enough to stagger even Yami who cautiously pulled back. Strength was returning to the sun goddess. She felt her wounds heal and her power over the Celestial Brush surge through her being. The spheres of praise collected in a flash of light where Amaterasu's battered form rose up.
When it subsided, the sun goddess had undergone a change. The combined prayer of Nippon restored her to her true, Celestial form. She no longer had to hide behind a statue of a wolf. But she no longer resembled the Celestials of old. Her time among the people of Nippon changed her appearance greatly. She now had long black hair fixed into a gold headdress that was eternally burning. Her clothes resembled an elegant white kimono of many layers decorated with the same symbols that once graced her wolf form. The divine mirror she used to slay demons floated at her back, ready to be used as a shield against empty death. The prayer beads hung around her neck. And the glaive she recovered in her travels was now her sword.
All the prayers of Nippon had given her a second chance. A chance she was determined to make the most of.
As soon as Amaterasu recovered the final battle with Yami began immediately. She was the burning sun in the utter darkness of the Ark. Her kimono did not slow her down as she moved gracefully across the Ark to clash with her foe's mechanical hand. To her surprise the Celestial Brush had no effect on Yami's sphere. Ink dissolved as she used her most powerful brush techniques. Even when she tried to summon the sun, Yami's darkness was too absolute. She would have to rely on her fighting abilities to succeed. Meteors fell from the sky. Tornadoes rose up from the ground. It was not easy to get close to the Emperor of Eternal Darkness much less strike the round bowl where his physical form hid.
She kept moving. As long as her solar energy burned bright her resolve could not be beaten. Yami, having tormented the goddess with an extended fight before the people of Nippon restarted the battle, knew it all too well. Like before, he was well prepared with many surprises.
Amaterasu was caught off guard by weapons she did not recognize. From his sphere Yami began to fire blindingly fast spears with trails of fire. It was a swarm of rockets well suited to tracking the blinding heat of the sun goddess. No matter how she darted around the ark, the rockets corrected their course until making contact with their target. She raised her divine mirror as explosions rained down around her. But it was no use. The rockets landed at her sides, behind her, in front of her. Her mirror cracked from the punishment and was quickly destroyed. The blasts punched her to and fro until she flew up until the air and hit the ground with a thud. She arched her back in agony.
"Ugh!" Amaterasu gasped.
Before she could get back up, Yami's claw immediately scooped her up and began to apply crushing force. In his mechanical hand was enough strength to destroy planets, much less a Celestial sun goddess. There was not enough air in her lungs to scream as her nemesis tried squeeze all the solar energy out of her body. Something snapped. Her divine glaive had been destroyed by Yami, snapped in two. She realized she would break next if something was not done. In a desperate bid to be free, she used a power slash through Yami's claw. It was not enough to do damage, but the sudden strike gave her enough room to slip free.
Exhausted, her only divine instrument left was the prayer beads. As much distance as it gave her to attack she found Yami staying out of range. Now he was keeping back instead of on the offensive. It was clear he was planning something, but the sun goddess did not know what. After the missile attack, she had to finish the battle as soon as she could. Even at her most powerful, Yami was still dangerous.
The fight went on. Amaterasu did not yield. Yami occasionally swiped at his opponent. The air was tense. Then he opened his claw toward Amaterasu and a flash rang out. It was then she realized what was going on. Yami was absorbing her sunlight. Parts of his sphere had flipped over to reveal mirror-like panels. Since she was the only source of light on the Ark, he had an endless supply. Her mind raced. She leap forward to break the panels but it was too late. Yami fired a blinding weapon. It was similar to the one that felled Waka. But this one was much stronger.
The beam weapon swept up Amaterasu as she jumped through the air. The weapon was made of light she had never felt before. Harsh and artificial, it tore into her very being just like all the other dark weapons Yami had used during the fight. Her prayer beads shattered as her solar energy began to plummet. It was endless pain. A pain she had never felt in her entire existence. It was enough to keep her from using the Celestial Brush, not that it would help her now. She tried to shield herself with her arms but it was no use. The laser had her caught in Yami's sights, burning away her new found strength. Amaterasu's precious solar energy was fading fast. Without any clear escape, all she could do was endure the overwhelming pain.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Amaterasu cried.
Yami had converted enough solar energy to keep the goddess burning in his laser far beyond her breaking point. The second chance given to her by the people of Nippon through prayer had been wasted. At the moment Yami cut off his laser, Amaterasu fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud. Either through desperation or stubbornness she tried to get back on her feet... but was too weak. She fell to her knees as if bowing before the Emperor of Eternal Darkness. Her once proud Celestial form, as well as her kimono, was ruined. Mother Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, origin of all that is good... had been defeated.
The overwhelming darkness that had shattered her divine instruments and drained her solar energy lurked nearby, as if observing his fallen opponent. And for once in eternity, he found the need to speak.
"O Amaterasu, you have grown feeble. If only you understood mortals as well as I do."
Yami's deep metallic voice echoed through the Ark. Amaterasu had been stricken silent by her failure. She could not bear spending her last moments talking to empty death like Yami. No, she was desperate to offer a prayer to the people of Nippon to beg for their forgiveness. But Yami continued.
"Where you seek strength through guiding mortals in harmony with nature, you've overlooked a far more powerful aspect. Their destructive side."
He hovered closer, letting his shadow eclipse the fallen goddess.
"I have thought about this for a long time. Orochi and the others were perhaps too overzealous. Instead of laying waste to the world of mortals... I will make use of them. With technology powerful enough to slay a goddess... think what it will do to their world. They will make the greatest of killing machines."
As much as Amaterasu didn't want to listen, Yami's words drove her to tears. No matter what he planned, she could not do anything to stop it.
"The time of gods is over. Now it is a time for glorious weapons. What say you to that O Mother Amaterasu?"
Death came for the sun goddess. But before she passed away she put her hands together and uttered her final words.
"People of Nippon... know that I did not want a world of darkness to prevail. But I was not strong enough. Forgive my weakness... forgive me..."
"Your final words?" Yami remarked. "How foolish. A prayer to those who will only forget you in due time."
Sorrow consumed Amaterasu as she collapsed to her side and passed away. Her body faded into light that quickly dried up in the darkness of the Ark. The last of the Celestials had fallen and Yami was free to wreck havoc in the world of mortals. The legend of Okami Amaterasu had come to an end.
If you don't know Okami, you play as the Japanese sun goddess in the form of a wolf. Several characters mention her true form as a beautiful maiden... and it's a shame you never get to play as her true form. So I wrote this, centering around the final battle where the prayers of Nippon return her to human form at full strength. Enjoy.
-------
Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to the people of Nippon, had made the gravest mistake of her long storied existence. Just when her victory over the Emperor of Eternal Darkness seemed complete, Yami had a surprise. As soon as she turned to celebrate the end of her long struggle against darkness he sprung back to life and lashed out at her. He caught the unaware sun goddess and drained every ounce of her power. The constellations of the brush gods disappeared from the starry sky above the Ark of Yamato. Everything grew cold as the room turned pitch black. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Light had disappeared. And Yami used what strength he stole from Amaterasu to transform into his most powerful form yet. Out of his sphere unfolded a massive, crooked claw capable of plucking gods from the sky and slaying them instantly.
Yet Amaterasu was devoid of strength. Without the celestial brush and her divine instruments, she was nothing but a helpless white wolf. And with the beating she received from Yami she was badly wounded and could hardly move. To think she had failed after coming so far made sadness and despair swell in her heart. So many lives counted on her guidance. So many looked up to her for her protection. And yet she was helpless before Yami. The next blow from his dark claw would end her reign and bring about destruction of the land of mortals. She could do nothing but lower her head in sorrow.
But as Yami reached out, hope rose from below. Prayer from Nippon- the land of mortals filled the Ark with spheres of light. Each one brought praise of Amaterasu's benevolence, hope that she would shine again. Issun had fulfilled his destiny as Celestial Envoy. Susano, Kushi, Princess Fuse, Otohime... everyone Amaterasu had come across in her journey spoke out to her with all of their belief. The surge of power was enough to stagger even Yami who cautiously pulled back. Strength was returning to the sun goddess. She felt her wounds heal and her power over the Celestial Brush surge through her being. The spheres of praise collected in a flash of light where Amaterasu's battered form rose up.
When it subsided, the sun goddess had undergone a change. The combined prayer of Nippon restored her to her true, Celestial form. She no longer had to hide behind a statue of a wolf. But she no longer resembled the Celestials of old. Her time among the people of Nippon changed her appearance greatly. She now had long black hair fixed into a gold headdress that was eternally burning. Her clothes resembled an elegant white kimono of many layers decorated with the same symbols that once graced her wolf form. The divine mirror she used to slay demons floated at her back, ready to be used as a shield against empty death. The prayer beads hung around her neck. And the glaive she recovered in her travels was now her sword.
All the prayers of Nippon had given her a second chance. A chance she was determined to make the most of.
As soon as Amaterasu recovered the final battle with Yami began immediately. She was the burning sun in the utter darkness of the Ark. Her kimono did not slow her down as she moved gracefully across the Ark to clash with her foe's mechanical hand. To her surprise the Celestial Brush had no effect on Yami's sphere. Ink dissolved as she used her most powerful brush techniques. Even when she tried to summon the sun, Yami's darkness was too absolute. She would have to rely on her fighting abilities to succeed. Meteors fell from the sky. Tornadoes rose up from the ground. It was not easy to get close to the Emperor of Eternal Darkness much less strike the round bowl where his physical form hid.
She kept moving. As long as her solar energy burned bright her resolve could not be beaten. Yami, having tormented the goddess with an extended fight before the people of Nippon restarted the battle, knew it all too well. Like before, he was well prepared with many surprises.
Amaterasu was caught off guard by weapons she did not recognize. From his sphere Yami began to fire blindingly fast spears with trails of fire. It was a swarm of rockets well suited to tracking the blinding heat of the sun goddess. No matter how she darted around the ark, the rockets corrected their course until making contact with their target. She raised her divine mirror as explosions rained down around her. But it was no use. The rockets landed at her sides, behind her, in front of her. Her mirror cracked from the punishment and was quickly destroyed. The blasts punched her to and fro until she flew up until the air and hit the ground with a thud. She arched her back in agony.
"Ugh!" Amaterasu gasped.
Before she could get back up, Yami's claw immediately scooped her up and began to apply crushing force. In his mechanical hand was enough strength to destroy planets, much less a Celestial sun goddess. There was not enough air in her lungs to scream as her nemesis tried squeeze all the solar energy out of her body. Something snapped. Her divine glaive had been destroyed by Yami, snapped in two. She realized she would break next if something was not done. In a desperate bid to be free, she used a power slash through Yami's claw. It was not enough to do damage, but the sudden strike gave her enough room to slip free.
Exhausted, her only divine instrument left was the prayer beads. As much distance as it gave her to attack she found Yami staying out of range. Now he was keeping back instead of on the offensive. It was clear he was planning something, but the sun goddess did not know what. After the missile attack, she had to finish the battle as soon as she could. Even at her most powerful, Yami was still dangerous.
The fight went on. Amaterasu did not yield. Yami occasionally swiped at his opponent. The air was tense. Then he opened his claw toward Amaterasu and a flash rang out. It was then she realized what was going on. Yami was absorbing her sunlight. Parts of his sphere had flipped over to reveal mirror-like panels. Since she was the only source of light on the Ark, he had an endless supply. Her mind raced. She leap forward to break the panels but it was too late. Yami fired a blinding weapon. It was similar to the one that felled Waka. But this one was much stronger.
The beam weapon swept up Amaterasu as she jumped through the air. The weapon was made of light she had never felt before. Harsh and artificial, it tore into her very being just like all the other dark weapons Yami had used during the fight. Her prayer beads shattered as her solar energy began to plummet. It was endless pain. A pain she had never felt in her entire existence. It was enough to keep her from using the Celestial Brush, not that it would help her now. She tried to shield herself with her arms but it was no use. The laser had her caught in Yami's sights, burning away her new found strength. Amaterasu's precious solar energy was fading fast. Without any clear escape, all she could do was endure the overwhelming pain.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Amaterasu cried.
Yami had converted enough solar energy to keep the goddess burning in his laser far beyond her breaking point. The second chance given to her by the people of Nippon through prayer had been wasted. At the moment Yami cut off his laser, Amaterasu fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud. Either through desperation or stubbornness she tried to get back on her feet... but was too weak. She fell to her knees as if bowing before the Emperor of Eternal Darkness. Her once proud Celestial form, as well as her kimono, was ruined. Mother Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, origin of all that is good... had been defeated.
The overwhelming darkness that had shattered her divine instruments and drained her solar energy lurked nearby, as if observing his fallen opponent. And for once in eternity, he found the need to speak.
"O Amaterasu, you have grown feeble. If only you understood mortals as well as I do."
Yami's deep metallic voice echoed through the Ark. Amaterasu had been stricken silent by her failure. She could not bear spending her last moments talking to empty death like Yami. No, she was desperate to offer a prayer to the people of Nippon to beg for their forgiveness. But Yami continued.
"Where you seek strength through guiding mortals in harmony with nature, you've overlooked a far more powerful aspect. Their destructive side."
He hovered closer, letting his shadow eclipse the fallen goddess.
"I have thought about this for a long time. Orochi and the others were perhaps too overzealous. Instead of laying waste to the world of mortals... I will make use of them. With technology powerful enough to slay a goddess... think what it will do to their world. They will make the greatest of killing machines."
As much as Amaterasu didn't want to listen, Yami's words drove her to tears. No matter what he planned, she could not do anything to stop it.
"The time of gods is over. Now it is a time for glorious weapons. What say you to that O Mother Amaterasu?"
Death came for the sun goddess. But before she passed away she put her hands together and uttered her final words.
"People of Nippon... know that I did not want a world of darkness to prevail. But I was not strong enough. Forgive my weakness... forgive me..."
"Your final words?" Yami remarked. "How foolish. A prayer to those who will only forget you in due time."
Sorrow consumed Amaterasu as she collapsed to her side and passed away. Her body faded into light that quickly dried up in the darkness of the Ark. The last of the Celestials had fallen and Yami was free to wreck havoc in the world of mortals. The legend of Okami Amaterasu had come to an end.
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