(Misaki)
Takamagahara was unfailingly bright in the early morning. Amaterasu's divinity was all consuming; her light being a perfect representation of that. It danced across all the heavy clouds and cast every single temple within the realm in a heavenly glow. I very quickly understood why no mere mortal man or woman could gain access here. Their beings would not be able to withstand the purity the land and the gods gave off.
But in the midst of all this beauty, I still felt the rain that no other could see. I felt the chills that ran through my body as I harbored the plans of seeing my father deep in my bones, only to erase every memory he ever held of me. The pit of my stomach rolled each time I tried to make peace with my decision. Was it right? Did I even have any right to do this?
I'd studied the requirements in the heavenly library for a week, memorizing the spells and power it took to tap into someone else's mind and thoughts, and no matter how it was said, it still felt like I was invading someone I loved's entire being. Inari had allowed me to practice on her through the days leading up to now. She would travel amongst the mortal world and see things, and then return to me describing them in full detail before seeing if I could wipe them from her memory. At first it didn't work, but after a few more attempts and removing my frustration and doubt from it, I succeeded.
Amaterasu summoned me to her in the late morning hours and we met beside the training Pagoda; I was beginning to despise this thing. It exemplified all of my failures in my immortal mothers eyes.
She stood beneath one of the thick branches of the enormous tree with a serene look upon her face. She smiled only slightly when I approached her. I bowed in greeting and she nodded lightly back in fair acknowledgment.
"Kon'nichiwa , Ama."
"good morning Misaki San."
She turned airily on her toes and began walking towards the long moon bridge that sat just a small distance from where we were standing. I followed without question. She was silent for a few breaths before her eyes roamed above her and a small sigh left her lips. "I was going to have you train with Kusanagi today, but I feel your nervousness each time you interact with the blade. So, we must find another way to make bonding with the weapon possible."
"Alright," i responded eerily. unsure of what she was going to say next.
She stopped in her tracks as her feet touched the edge of the grey stone bridge and she turned to face me. "i would like to send you to the human realm..."
What? How would the human realm be able to help me in something entirely beyond it?
"It has come to my attention that in order for you to wield the weapon you must understand its origin, the struggles the blade went through to come to you, and its previous battles." I knew she could see my frustration. "There is only so much you can learn in books Misaki. And I am afraid that we are running out of time for you to bond with the weapon."
"But i don't understand Ama. I was not aware that there was a time limit for me to master this skill."
Her face switched to one of worry for only a fraction of a second before it went back to the serene unbothered mask she always wore. If i had not been paying attention i would never have caught her change of expression.
"There isn't really," She replied, shaking her head. "But, bonding becomes much more difficult if it is not done almost immediately. We have been pushing that time. You MUST master Kusanagi."
There was an urgency there that I had never heard from her. It made my hands sweat. And caused a creeping nervousness that crawled over my skin.
"Kusanagi is one of the three royal imperial regalia of Japan. We must understand the others in order to understand Kusanagi, and why he chose you to be his handler. I believe that once that is done, the handle should no longer scald your palm when you reach for it."
My eyes narrowed and my head fell a bit to the side. The Imperial Regalia of Japan...
"But I was taught that the three Imperial objects stayed within the Emperors possession."
She squared her jaw as she looked down at me. "You are the Emperor's daughter, are you not?"
There it was again, that hint of fear, and something else....
perhaps, condescension?
Something was off between us and I felt the shift in the air as I grew more aware. She was keeping something from me.
Instead of pressing her on my observances, I steered the conversation in the direction she wanted it to go.
"When shall I leave?"
"You may leave when day gives way to night. You will descend the mountain with all that you have learned thus far and discover our history. The royals accounts of our weapons and of our time before them is astoundingly accurate. You will travel back to the home you once resided in and study the records. You will return again by mornings light for a continuation of your training."
This was falling into place beautifully. Here I had been, pondering over how I was going to sneak away back to the mortal realm to see my father and here came Ama with the perfect assignment. Hopefully after studying the scripts and letting my fathers love go I could make a real dent in my capabilities. I was so desperate to prove to my immortal mother that her decision to covet me was not a wasted one.
However, one day was quite rushed. But, I understood why she chose a short deadline. I knew full well that she did not want me to get wrapped up in the ways of the mortal world and the people within it. She constantly drilled in my mind that as gods we were to remain unstained from meddling in human affairs or conducting them, and that although we may look the same as them, we were still almost an entirely different species.
Setting aside my internal worries I nodded and thanked her for the trust she was bestowing upon me in allowing me to travel back home. Although I was very aware that no matter how much faith she bestowed in me she would be watching almost every move I made. I would need to handle this correctly in order to not disappoint or embarrass her.
(Amaterasu)
The light that sparked to life in those emerald irises of hers frightened me. She seemed almost too elated to be traveling back to the palace. I did not want to assign this to her but the meetings with the other gods was clear on what needed to be done and the pace that it needed to be done in. Even in my scolding of Misaki I still saw the raw ability and power that resided inside of her. She had the potential to be a great deity but for now, she would be an important chess piece in the game that was to unfold.
'You may have won the battle for her, but I will win the war...'
A chuckle escaped me as the words that young warrior once said to me so long ago hovered in my mind. I was aware of him, bringing death and shadow to the mortal world, causing irrevocable damage to his spirit. He was so bold and brave then. Now, as I look down at him all bloodied, lost, and insane; completely apart from the man he once was I saw no threat in him. If my daughter came into contact with him she would end his life, and his unknown suffering. She would provide him a mercy.
But something caught my eye as I watched him wander emptily through the back trails that lined the castle. He had been there three days now, laughing hysterically and speaking riddles to himself but bringing forth no calamity. I wondered if a part of the young Samurai was still holding onto his spirit? I dared not go near him for fear that it would jog his memory of past events. But Misaki had been away from him for over a mortal decade, there was no trace of love left in her heart. When she'd come to me in regards to the dreams and sounds of rain from her last days with the boy, I sent her to meditation, giving her a mantra that aided in her forgetfulness instead of assisting in her memory recovery. In due time, her mind would be clear of any lingering thoughts of the life she lived. She would be entirely mine to shape. I had large plans for the girl... if she returned successful.
(Misaki)
I jolted up in pain. Sharp and unrelenting it was as I covered the right side of my face. My eye began to water and the sharp pain that rolled in in waves was almost unbearable. I rocked back and forth beneath my nagusame-sha, clenching my teeth to hold back a scream that would wake everyone. This pain had occured before but only when I was asleep. The pain of torture...
I could not tell you how I knew for sure where that pain stemmed from but my body did know it. Had something happened to me before this life? Had I been harmed and did not remember? As badly as I tried to recollect anything that may explain this there was nothing that came to mind. Almost instantly, after breaking into a sweat and clutching my covers the pain disappeared; as if it had never been a problem in the first place.
What in the heavens was happening to me?