Something Forgotten

By Nika Ravenscraft 

It has been forgotten, the bright light, the light that use to originate from the bright orb in the sky has dulled, enveloping the world in everlasting twilight. Clouds are scattered across the sky, hiding the rainbow of colors that lurks behind them. I can’t help but wonder if behind all those clouds, all those cotton-ball like objects in the sky, if somewhere the original sky remains, the sky that was blue like the ocean. I’m starting to wonder if it ever really existed, if there ever was a bright yellow object called the sun, if there ever was a stunning blue sky.

The sound of my footsteps are muffled as my feet meet the soft texture of the ragged, old rug that lays just beyond the doors of the main entrance. The high school has already started to wake up, and to come alive. Students stroll down the hallways, just loitering around various parts of the school. The quiet is short lived, a chorus of voices, and a plethora of conversations flood into my ears, accompanied by the sound of my feet now connecting with the tiled part of the floor. The overload of sounds is interrupted by the shrill yell of the bell, signaling that it is time to head to class, and to start the school day. With a sigh, a sigh that causes nearby hair to fly up, reach for the sky, and fall back down, I trudge to my first class. I travel across fields of shining tile, my reflection joining the reflections of other students as I travel down hallway after hallway, climb up stairs, go down a few more series of hallways, before reaching my final destination. I enter, letting my gaze automatically lower to the floor. I don’t feel like watching my classmate’s fingers fly, as they text their friends or go on social media sites. I sit in an area that has no one sitting in it, roll my eyes at the sight of all the expletives that are carved into the desk’s surface, and get out all the necessary materials. Before zipping up my bag once again, I do a mental check, binder, pencil, and computer. It looks like I’m all set. The song of the day comes on, giving those who still linger in the halls extra time to get to class in a vain attempt to not be late.  A man belts out, “Oh how I miss they sunny days. I would do anything to get the sunlight back, to feel the bright beams warm against my skin.  Where are you, the orb that represents my happiness? Oh the sunny days, oh the sunny days... Without you, the source of light, the sky has grown faded and ugly. The moon enhances the sky’s beauty at night, but what about the day? Oh my hope, oh my i-ll fated love, where have you disappeared to?  I just want some sunshine, I want a bright day...”  The rest of the song is muted by my classmate’s chattering, criticizing the song, asking others if they have ever heard it before, if they know who sings it. My heart feels heavy, and a chill has spread across my skin, causing goosebumps to form. A headache blooms from the previous cloudy feeling in my mind, and I rest my head in my hands, and cover my eyes that have grown watery. Why does that song make me feel so sad? Why has the song nearly brought me to tears?

My teacher enters, clapping his bony hands together, as a wordless demand for silence. “Today....” he says, in his surprisingly deep voice, “we are going to start studying the Japanese religion of Shinto. Amelia, do you have any previous knowledge of Shinto that you would like to share with us? I let my face turn hard, solidifying into a mask. I try not to let my irritation show. I shouldn’t be too surprised that in one look he assumed that I was japanese. My parents, who look just like me have informed me of my true racial background, and have warned me that many people mix Chinese and Japanese people up. ‘Although the two races look similar, anyone with half a brain will know you’re Chinese,’ my mother informed me, with my father sitting next to her, merely nodding in agreement. But to my surprise, random facts pop into my mind. Kami are spirits, but can be also seen as gods. A kami’s duty is to support life. Kami can get hurt and die, just like a human. They aren’t perfect and make mistakes. They have emotions. Most important of all, not all kami are good, some are evil. How do I know this? I have never learned about Shintoism before, I’ve never stumbled across it when reading, or doing other research. I lower my hands, and let them rest in my lap, using the desk to hide them. I glance down, eyeing them with disgust, they’re shaking, I’m shaking. “I can’t think of anything... Sorry.” I can feel multiple people stare at me, their gaze focused on me, their eyes straining to see right through me. All this attention, having so many people intensely looking at me makes me feel uncomfortable. I stare at my hands until they blur, and fight the urge to shift my position, making my agitation obvious.  

Murmurings spread throughout the classroom, accompanying the sound of papers being shuffled and passed from person to person, from hand to hand. A packet slides onto my desk, all it’s layers fluttering before coming to a stop at my elbows. After a few deep breaths, I raise one of my hands to grab the packet, and my gaze automatically connects with the pictures. A lion, a muscle bound beast with bulging eyes and a fluffy tail lurks behind a child, the caption reading, ‘Animals are protectors. Mythical lions, also known as Shishi are believed  to have a playful temperament and are the protectors of children. The lion’s face begins to blur, and suddenly the eyes move and meet my gaze. But no it’s just a picture, there is no way it could move. Below that is a picture of a group of centipedes, the caption reading, ‘Centipedes are polluted animals, and are often connected with the dead and impurity.’ Once again the picture blurs, and soon the centipedes are crawling. There is no way they could be moving either! Perhaps I didn’t get enough sleep last night... The last picture on the first page is that of a crow, it’s beady eyes stare straight out at you. The caption below the crow is longer than the previous captions, ‘There are two types of crows. In some myths they’re depicted as bad-tempered and stupid, and in other myths they’re respected and seen as a good omen. It is also said that tengu, supernatural, long-nosed creatures have the form of a crow.’ Once more, the picture blurs and the crow caws as it’s shape changes, morphing into a muscular, human-like beast, with an abnormally long nose. The creature now laughs instead of cawing, and stares straight at me. As the laughing grows louder the centipedes who had been resting start to move again, and the lion’s eyes move once again. I blink rapidly, take deep breaths, and rub my eyes, only making it worse. The laughter echoes throughout the room, the centipedes crawl across the packet and desk, and the lion seems to be contemplating whether he wants to jump out or not. Before I know it I am out of my chair, out of the room, and out of the school. My head aches, each footstep I take sending a new wave of pain through me. Multiple words and sentences float through my mind. Benten is the kami of music and arts, Ebisu is the kami of prosperity, Hachiman is the kami of archery and war, Tenjin is kami of education, Izanami and Izanagi are the kami who created Japan, Konpira is the kami of safety at sea, and Amaterasu is the greatest of the kami, she is also known as Amaterasu-Omikami, the ‘Sun Goddess.’  Amaterasu, despite being Japanese has golden hair, the same color as the sun... I find myself in front of my house, my parents are waiting for me, standing in front of the front door, making it impossible for me to go inside without passing them. How do I explained to them about what happened at school? How do I explain how I thought pictures were coming to life? How do I explain to them that I keep having random facts pop into my mind?  

“Your hair is showing,” my father says, pointing to my forehead. A blonde wisp sticks out from underneath my hat, and dances in the wind. Previous words replay themselves in my head, Amaterasu, despite being Japanese has golden hair, the same color as the sun... I’m Chinese and have blonde hair... But could I be japanese, could I be Amaterasu?

“All the other kami marveled at your beauty...” my mother says, her casual gaze turning into a scowl. “There was no contest, everyone knew you were the most beautiful. You have so many worshipers, so many kami, humans and animals that love you... You let your emotions get the better of you. I still remember when Susanoo made you mad, and you hid in a celestial cave like a coward. Thanks to you Earth was dark. We had a heck of a time getting you out of that cave... You’re unstable, you’re unfit to be the sun goddess. I WILL kill you, I WILL kill Susanoo, and I will make all our lives stable once again,” her eyes turn dark, turning so black that no light could possibly pierce the darkness. She moves, and holds hands with my father. “I am not your mother, I am Benten, kami of music and the arts. With Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, I will kill you. The man who I thought I was my father, a man who was always smiling smirks before morphing into a sword that shines in the pale twilight. Ame-No-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, the Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven, later named Kusanagi, Grass Cutter, was given to me from Susanoo, my brother as a sign of good faith. With one fluid, graceful motion, Benten swings Ame, and something slams into my back.  As I fall forward, a blur  of color. I trust Ame with my life. He would never betray me. He agreed that Susanoo could never be trusted..  

A roar accompanies the sound of ripping and tearing of flesh. Blood trickles in my direction, and when I look up I find that Benten is in an intense battle with a lion, but just not any lion, it’s THE lion, the lion from the picture. Both kami and lion are bleeding, but Benten looks more injured than the lion. She drops Ame and raises her blood stained hands in surrender, and tries to hide a wince as she rests most of her weight  on her right leg. “I surrender, for now. But keep this in mind Amelia, I mean Amaterasu, if I don’t get you, Ezio will. He had already erased your memories, and other’s memories of you. Even if you don’t die, if you’re forgotten, it will be like you never existed,” her words are harsh, and pierce me, just as painful as a stab. But who is Ezio? I don’t remember him at all.... If this whole situation wasn’t traumatizing enough, I notice that the blood is alive, something within it wriggling and squirming. What is in the blood? Is it snakes? Is it worms? Is it, could it be..... Scarlet stained centipedes attempt to climb onto me, to flow over me, to cover me like a living blanket. I stumble, slipping on the blood as I struggle  to stand.  When I finally manage to stand, my legs threaten to collapse, my knees quivering at the sight off the horde of centipedes that have surrounded us, and that scurry over our feet. The lion playfully paws a few once in a while, lightening the mood. Benten’s eyes meet mine, just as the lion pushes me along with its head, urging me to walk away, to run away. I turn, the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise as her eyes bore into my back. “Go ahead and run, oh mighty Sun Goddess, oh ‘beautiful’,” her sugary words drip poison as she continues, “Amaterasu. Don’t think that just because you’re in America that you’re safe. Others will find you, and other will help you or kill you. Good luck living, good luck surviving.” Her words ring throughout my ears even when she is no longer in earshot.  Wait, if this lion is the one from the picture, then where is the child, the young boy he was protecting?

“Junko!” A voice calls out, causing the lion to speed up,and me to slow down. Popping out from behind a fur tree is a young boy, a boy with the hair that is a color similar to the snow, yet sparkles like it contains glitter. The boy is short and thin, but not frail. He wears a kimono that has a mixture of various bright colored flowers on it.The lion tackles the boy, and licks the fallen boy’s face. “Junko stop! It tickles!” He says in between giggles. The lion reluctantly stops, and backs away, letting him rise to his feet. Straining to get traction with his sandals, he sways once he gets on his feet and the lion, Junko helps steady him. A breeze ruffles his hair, and two ears pop up, and from somewhere behind  him a tail fluffs up. Once again, strange words enter my head. Foxes are the messengers and helpers of Inari, who is the kami of rice, and prosperity. He protects people who are in love and helps recover stolen items. Offspring of a fox and human have immense power, strength and  are wise. “Are you alright? You have some blood on you,” the boy says, gesturing to my shirt. The blood, whoever’s blood it is stains my shirt sleeves, and much to my horror I see familiar movement of that of a centipede. Luckily Junko gnaws on it once I shake it off. “I overheard Benten call you Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. I don’t remember any such person, then again, I don’t really remember there being a sun. Do you remember any kami named Amaterasu?” He asks, looking at Junko who licks himself, tidying up his paws after manhandling the centipede. Junko looks up at the boy, his eyes meeting the pale red, almost pink colored eyes of the boy, and shakes his head left to right.

“Y-y-you’re...” I say, or rather stammer, trying to figure it all out. Is this boy part fox or is he a fox that can turn into a human? Or maybe he’s a human that can turn into fox? What if he’s Inari himself? What if he wants to kill me? Then again, if he wanted to kill me he’d have to remember who I am first. If he doesn’t know who I am, then how come Benten knows who I am? Could she and Ame be working for that person she mentioned, Ezio?

“I’m Haru. You’re real name, Amaterasu is a mouth full, is it if I call you by your other name, you know ‘Amelia?” He asks, his eyebrows scrunching together as he studies my face. “You have a strange look on your face, are you hungry? Something tells me that that look is the expression of  hunger.” Junko chirps in agreement. ‘Wise’, yeah right.

“Y-you’re p-part fox? That m-means one o-of your p-parents...” I stammer, thinking aloud, cutting myself off after remembering that I am talking to a YOUNG, a very very YOUNG boy, a boy that is probably 10 or so. At the word ‘parents’ his eyes water, and he sniffles, and his ears sag, and his tale flops onto the ground.  

“I don’t know anything about my parents, I don’t even know who my parents are. But that’s okay, the only person, or lion I need is Junko. Right Junko?” Despite the fact that he is smiling, he can not hide that sadness that his eyes and tone of voice hide. Junko chirps once more, acting more like a house cat than a lion.

“That makes two of us,” I respond, earning myself a look of surprise from Haru. Poor Haru, his only friend is a lion, and the lion is more like an oversized cat than the wild animal it’s supposed to be. “What do you say we become friends? It’s the least I can do for you having Junko save me back there,” I add. His bottom lip trembles as he bites it, trying to stop it from quivering. Water wells up in his eyes, and a few tears fall down his face.

“No one has ever wanted to be my friend. They always ignore me or tell me to go away...”he whimpers, still trying to stop his lip from quivering, and trying to stop himself from crying any further. Upon instinct I close the distance between Haru and I and hug him, and to my surprise, his hair is softer than the silk kimono he wears. “Do you really want to be my friend? You aren’t lying? I don’t want to hear another cruel lie..”

“Shhh, it’s alright,” I whisper, patting the weeping boy’s back. What has happened to Haru, what has happened to this sweet, sensitive boy? What kind of pain has he felt? How could his parents not want to be a part of his life? How could they not want to protect him? How could they not even want to be around to hug their child, to love their child? How can I help him, how can I help a boy with such a bruised heart? “Of course I mean it! Us people without families have to stick together right? Maybe we can even form a family of our own, choosing those we trust to be a part of it.” His sobbs die down has he processes what I said.

“I would like that, I would like that very much,” he response with a sniffle. “No one has ever been kind to me like you have.....” His voice trails off, and I can sense that he is about to cry again. I release him from my hug so I can back up a bit, rest my hands on his shoulders, and look into his peculiar eyes.

“I’m just treating you like everyone should. You’re nice to me, so why I wouldn’t be nice to you? Besides, together I think we can find the answers to some of our questions, that we can find what you lost. I can help you find your parents, and you can help me regain my memories. Now, do you know where we can find Inari, or someone that can help us?” I say in response. Haru wipes his nose on one of the sleeves of his kimono and his nose wrinkles and his ears twitch as he thinks.   

“Most of the kami live in Japan, but with a rumor going around that someone is trying to unblock the entrance of the underworld and bring Izanami back, kami are scattered all over the world, looking for answers. I’m pretty sure Inari is still in Japan.. But I think Hachiman is here, in America. I remember overhearing him say to the other kami, “Whoever is planning to do this is going to be hiding and plotting where we least expect it. I think I’ll go to America and look around for a while,” Haru informs me, “He said it really loud, too. It hurt my ears. Then everyone started discussing various possibilities and began arguing with each other. Hachiman got so mad  he turned red in the face, the brightest shade of red that I’ve ever seen. I think he was annoyed by all the yelling. Then again he is the kami of war, and is known to be irritable. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so irritable if he got some more sleep..” A series of caws interrupts Haru from his ramblings. That’s right, there was a picture of a crow too, a crow that turned into that strange, large beast... It sounds close, there is no way we can outrun it, especially with Haru wearing sandals.

“Haru, get on Junko now. I’m sorry Junko, but we’re gonna have to ride you like a horse if we ever want to get away from the crow,” I have to yell to be heard over the cawing. Junko sighs, but lets Haru and I sit on his back and grab fist-fulls of his mane all the same. The cawing ceases and a roar echoes out from behind us, and some small trees fly into the air, splintering into tiny shards that fall like confetti. “GO JUNKO GO!” Junko jumps into motion, gaining speed with long strides. But sadly, we are just out of  the intimidating, yet funny long-nosed creature’s grasp. Somehow as we get into town, and plow down main street, weaving through traffic no one stops to question the odd sight before them. “How come they can’t see us?” I wonder out loud, and sadly no strange words pop into my head to answer this question.

“Those who are kami, are monsters, or come in direct contact with kami, or work for kami become part of the invisible world, the world most people don’t see. Most humans, even those who worship kami only see the visible world, the world where monsters and other creatures are lead to be fictional. We’re anything but, as you may know by now...” Haru replies, and his tail whacks me in the face as we round a corner. In the distance a truck full of straw is losing it’s cargo, making a path of sorts of follow.  

“Do you think...” I murmur, and Haru finishes, saying, “That we’re supposed to follow the hay?” Kuebiko, the scarecrow kami...  

“Kuebiko, the scarecrow kami,” I repeat the strange words aloud. Could the path all be the thanks of Kuebiko, the scarecrow kami? Could Kuebiko be trying to help us? After a few more turns, with one almost resulting with us getting hit by a minivan, we end up in front of the town library, with the monster’s frustrated roars being faintly heard, originating somewhere in the distance. A scarecrow hobbles in our direction, accompanied by a toad. To my surprise, the toad is the one that talks.  

“Myyyyyyyyy masttteeeer Kuebiiikooooo  wwiiiissshhes tooo heeelp yoou,” it croaks, dragging out each word, having a surprisingly deep voice for a tiny toad. “Mmmmy masssstterrrr knoows evvverythiiinng.” Oh, a know-it-all, how absolutely WONDERFUL. Kuebiko shakes his arms furiously, losing some of his stuffing in his process. “Mmmy mmmastter saaayys yooou willll haaavve tttooo maakke ittt qqquiccck, theerree iiiss nnooo wayyy thhhe tttoaddss wwilll keeeep thhatt ttenggu yooou’veee aattracteddd att baayy forr muccch looonggeer.” Oh thats right, that official term for the crow turned into a long-nosed monster is tengu. Tengus are hideous, yet comical, and also very smelly at the same time.  

“Do you know who Haru’s parents are? Do you know who I am? Do you know why people want to kill me?” I ask, talking a whole lot faster than I mean to. Kuebiko shakes and sways, nearly falling over.

The toad responses in his irritating voice, “Hhhhhe ssaysss thhhatt hhhe doeeessn’t knooow thhhe annswerrrs too yoour quuuesttiooons, buuut thee libbrarry mayy bee offf sooome heeelllp. Loook fooor aaa boook calllleeed ttthee Kooojiki orrr aaa bbbook cccaaleed Nnnihhhon Ssshookii. Ggood lllluuuck.” With that said, the duo disappears in a flurry of hay, leaving us to wheeze and cough. The Kojiki, also known as the Records of Ancient Matters, and Nihon Shoki, also known as the Chronicles of Japan. Thank you for filling in the blanks annoying, yet helpful random words. The brief silence is shattered as the tengu roars, and sadly, it sounds much, much closer.

Looking for books with a lion and half-fox boy, while having a tengu in pursuit, just an average day, right? How will we find the books? Will we be able to find them in time? Follow your instincts. Haru, Junko and I wander aimlessly around the library, and just as we are ready to call it a quits, a strange sensation comes over me, and I feel as if something is leading me to the unlit, secluded part of the library, towards a place I was too cowardly to check, the darkness scaring me away. Amongst the vast darkness, two books glow, and I grab the books, two fat, leather bound, brick-like books. A roar shakes the building, and I catch a glimpse of the tengu’s long nose through one of the library windows as he sniffs, searching for our smell. “It looks like we’ll have to read these later, for now lets get out of here,” I say, cursing under my breath as I struggle to carry the books. The tegu roars again, and this time it causes the windows to shatter, and the few people scattered throughout the library scream, one girl screeches, complaining about the wind. If it only was the wind... How will we escape? There is no way we can outrun it with it being so close, It could easily grab us or stomp on us, just like squishing a fly. If I live through this, I will never squish a fly again. “We need a distraction...” I murmur, my mind struggling to come up with an idea, a solution. I can only think of one. “Haru, take the books, get on Junko, and leave when I yell for you to go. I’m going to distract the tengu, alright?”

“B-but it’s huge! There’ s no w-way I could leave you behind,” Haru whimpers, and Junko licks his hand in a vain attempt to give the boy some comfort, the spit makes Haru’s pale skin shine. I’m not the only one to notice it, Haru glances down at his hands, a twinkle in his eyes. “My hand looks bright and shiny, like a ghost from American storybooks...”

Suddenly he is out of my reach, my hand only grasping air. He stumbles over the pieces of shattered glass that cover the floor like a sharp rug, and Junko follows at his heels, cutting up his paws, leaving a small stream of blood behind him, staining the tiles.  Haru shakes and sways as the tengu approaches him, and the tengu’s amused chuckles fill the air, sounding like thunder. Haru, you barely know me! Why are you willing to die for me, a stranger?

I’m scurrying out of the building, still clutching the books, running faster than I ever have before. I find myself screaming Haru’s name, and profanity at the tengu. Warmth surges up within me, sending a fiery feeling through my veins, and the glowing books that I still clutch grow brighter and brighter, almost blinding me. My skin joins in with the books, tingling before starting to glow. There in no almost for the tengu who falls back a few steps and grumbles, rubbing his eyes. The glowing was only a temporary solution, with Junko cutting up his paws on the glass, there is no way he could possibly carry us like before. Unexpectedly, the tengu gets hit with arrows, and as the arrows burrow into his skin, darkness ebbs around it, staining the tengu’s normally crimson skin  a deep black color, similar to that of the dark corner of the library. The tengu wails, patting itself, trying to find the arrows and pull them out. It manages to pull a few out, but most of its attempts only result with it breaking arrows in half, driving them deeper into its flesh. It blinks it’s watery, neon yellow eyes, and smiles, showcasing it’s pointy, dirty stained teeth. Volley upon volley of arrows are fired at the tengu, who roars, and swats at someone or something just behind us, it’s meaty hand passes so close that I feel a rush of air as the tengu moves its hand. Before any of us know it, the tengu’s chest is littered with arrows, and soon it’s skin, once a fiery red is turned into a deep black, making the tengu look like a giant living shadow. The tengu roars once more, but it comes out more like a wail, like the last cry of  a dying animal. It moves to swat again, but as it does so, its arm and hand start to crumple, drifting down towards the ground before being carried away by the wind. Ashes... The tengu has been reduced to ashes, ashes that are helpless, ashes that are grasped by the wind with an unrelenting grip as they are carried away into the distance. Black, the color of shadows. Katsu, kami of victory and shadows, armed with a bow that shoots arrows containing shadows which reduces the target to ashes. Katsu is the son of the kami Hachiman, the kami of archery and war. His bow, Kazuki, is rumored to be his brother. “Katsu....” I murmur under my breath. Out of all the kami the strange words that pop into my mind tell me about, he seems the most familiar.  Haru, Junko, and I all slowly turn around to face our rescuers. My breath catches, and so does his. Why is he so familiar? Why do I feel like I should know him? Why do I feel like, perhaps, at one time I was friends with him?

His mouth hangs open, and he drops his beautiful, wooden bow, and it clatters against the ground as it lands. It morphs into human, a lanky, chestnut haired boy, who sits, and studies my face. Kazuki and Katsu look nothing alike, the only thing similar about the is their clothes, clad in black from head to toe. Katsu’s outfit color matches his eyes and hair, creating an intense contrast between his brother’s lighter colored hair, and emerald green eyes.

“I feel like I should know you....” Katsu murmurs none too quietly. Kazuki nods in agreement, and rises to his feet, towering over Katsu, towering over us all. “But when I try to remember my mind grows foggy. Perhaps this is the work of Ezio... Perhaps YOU work for Ezio. GIVE ME THOSE BOOKS NOW!” His voice gradually rises in pitch, and his once quiet words end in a yell. He quickly closes the gap in between us, causing Haru to emit a strange sound, and skirt around me.

“SHE’S NOT EVIL!” Haru hollers, earning a surprised look from us all. “She’s helping me figure out who my parents are, and I’m helping her figure out who she is. If you hurt her, my only friend, I’ll KILL YOU,” typically such words would sound humorous coming from a young boy, but as he shakes, his ears flattened against his head, I can tell he means it, every single word. The shocking outburst stops Katsu in his tracks, giving Kazuki the chance to yank him back. I can hear Junko snarl as he too skirts around me and joins Haru. The odd duo are surprisingly quite intimidating. Kazuki’s eyes light up at the sight of Junko.

“Junko, buddy, I didn’t recognize you at first!” He exclaims, and Junko bounds over to him and licks his thin hands, and makes a strange sound, similar to a purr. Kazuki chuckles at our bewildered expressions. “Junko use to be Katsu  and I’s protector. Don’t you remember Junko?” Kazuki shifts his gaze to Katsu, beaming, waiting for Katsu’s reply. Katsu, who after wearing an emotionless expression cracks a smile.

“Yeah, yeah I do... I guess you two aren’t that bad after all,” as Katsu replies, Kazuki tenderly touches each one of Junko’s paws, engulfing them in darkness momentarily, and once he pulls away, Junko’s paws are healed. So that power, the power of deep, endless darkness can used be for something besides killing, how strange... “But I was right about one thing, Ezio has done something to you, both of you. I guess I over reacted, I had been using the books to lure Ezio out of hiding, but so far I’ve had no luck. His tone, still harsh, sounds slightly apologetic.

I respond with three words, “Who is Ezio?” For a while silence is my only reply. A cloud of seriousness has settled over our group, and Katsu takes a deep breath before replying. “Ezio is the kami of memories, dreams, and nightmares. He can alter, remove, and replace people’s memories. He messes with people’s minds. He’s dangerous, he’s turned people mad, full-blown crazy. You should stay away from him, both of you.”

“But he might know...” I begin, as Katsu interrupts me.

“Don’t you get it!” He hollers, his gaze turning dark and unsettling, “Of course Ezio knows you, and knows who the kid’s parents are. He IS the one who took YOUR memories away. He IS the one who caused your pain and suffering. He IS a monster!” After his outburst, his breath comes in quick, short gasps. It takes a breeze to break the spell, a breeze to play with my hair, a breeze to make me realize I have lost my hat somewhere along the way. With one shaky hand, he points to my hair. “Your hair, it’s golden, like sunlight. It reminds me of...” His voice trails off, and he squints as he tries to think of how to finish his sentence. “I... Can’t... Remember...” He adds, clutching his head. “I feel like I should know you, but my mind grows cloudy whenever I try to remember... What did Ezio do to ME?”

“Benten said Amelia is Amaterasu, kami of the sun, also known as the ‘Sun Goddess’. As for what Amelia’s hair looks like, well, I for one think it looks like the sun. Or at least it looks like similar the smiley faced suns I’ve seen drawings of. Benten was really mad at her. She said she was going to kill her, and Susanoo. But I had Junko attack her before she could. I can’t remember exactly why Benten was so mad. Perhaps she didn’t get enough sleep, or was hungry. I always get eight hours of sleep myself. It’s strange, Benten knew who she was. I wonder if Benten knows who my parents are...” Haru says, rambling, unaware that we have stopped listening.  

“So Benten knows who you are... That must mean she is working for or with Ezio... She might be our only chance to figure all of this out, but after what the fox-boy’s told me, I highly doubt she’d want to help me. Perhaps I could try to get a hold of her husband, although I’m not too fond of dragons..” Katsu says, rubbing his chin as he thinks.

“Wait!” Haru chirps. “If you’re gonna try to figure out what this is all about, then we’re coming too! WE are the ones most affected by it, after all.” Even though I’d rather not talk to a dragon, or even think about going near Benten, I have to agree with him.

“Wait.... You said you might talk to her husband, but you aren’t fond of dragons.. Does that mean that her husband IS a dragon?” I wonder out loud. This day is only getting stranger and stranger.  

“Her husband IS indeed a dragon,” Kazuki answers, making me jump. He had been so quiet I forgot that he was even present. “She married him to gain influence over dragons, managing to stop dragons from eating Japanese children. She’s still trying to convince him not to eat ANY children. I don’t know how she does it, dragons aren’t easily convinced.... But she is the kami of art, music AND the sea, so I guess she could bribe them or scare them. Wouldn’t it be scary to be swept out into the middle of the sea? It makes me scared whenever I think about it...” To emphasize his point, he shivers, meanwhile, Haru and Katsu argue. Their argument consists of repeated “Yes you wills” and “No you won'ts.” Katsu, for someone who seems about my age, 15 or so, he acts at like a ten year old. “WOULD YOU TWO STOP ARGUING! WE’VE GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT THAN IF YOU COME WITH US  OR NOT,” Kazuki adds, raising his voice, shocking Katsu and Haru into silence. “Most of the kami that could help us are in Japan.. Katsu gets airsick so we’d have to go by boat. But, if you recall, Benten is kami of the sea, and I highly doubt we could get safely to Japan without Konpira’s help. She’s the kami of safety of sea. But even she has limited power... Perhaps we consult with Tenjin and see what he thinks we should do...” Tenjin, the kami of education.... “You still have Tenjin’s cell phone number, don’t you?”

Katsu scoffs before replying, “I do but  I’M not calling him. I don’t need help from that old fart! And I DON’T get airsick! There is no such thing as air sickness!”

It would turn out there is such a thing as air sickness. Or at least, so it would seem. As soon as the plane got into the air, Katsu clung onto Junko like a toddler to a teddy bear, and turned pale. He looked like he could puke any minute. Luckily he didn’t. After struggling to get Junko onto the plane (it’s hard to get a lion, even though people can’t see it, on the plane), I was in no mood to clean up puke. Some how, despite it all, I managed to fall asleep. My dream was anything but normal.

“I know you want to trust him, but you can’t,” A skeptical Katsu says, pacing back and forth. “I know he’s your brother, and I know you want to trust him, you can’t,” despite that fact that Katsu normally acts idiotic, he is serious. His eyes never leave mine, and I can tell he means every word.

“It’s alright, Ezio said he’d go with me. Ezio would never let anything happen to me,” I reply, and I can feel myself smiling, trying to use body language to convince him to believe me. He crosses his arms and uncrosses them, unable to make up just how firm he wants to come across.

“But Susanoo was banished to the underworld for a reason...” Katsu begins to say, before I cut him off, much to his annoyance. He sighs, clearly irritated.

“Everyone deserves a second chance!” Now it is his turn to cut me off, now it’s my turn to get annoyed.

“Oh he’s had plenty of second chances....” he says, uttering some curses directed at Susanoo under his breath. Before I realize it, I’m closing the gap between us, and pulling him into an embrace.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Just try not to forget about me while I’m gone, alright?” I reply, trying to sound authoritative, which is hard, my words are getting muffled by his shoulder. He chuckles, it’s a deep rumbling sound,originating deep within in his chest.

“I could never forget you,” he murmurs, reluctantly letting me go. He smiles, he waves goodbye, he wished me luck, he appears happy, but he isn’t. His eyes, turning dark like one of his shadows, showcases his true emotions. He is anything but happy.  

I wake with a start, jolting forward so much that I bang my forehead on the seat in front of me, causing pain to blossom from a blueish-purple bruise. That dream... Does it mean something? Or is Ezio messing with my mind? Or is it a memory, something that really happened? I glance over at Katsu, who is fast asleep, sprawled out in the middle of the aisle, using Junko as a pillow. I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing as a middle aged passenger trips over the two, and unable to see them, is bewildered, wondering how the heck he could’ve tripped over nothing. I wonder, if all  those times I thought I had tripped over my own feet, that I actually had help, invisible, supernatural, and mythological, help. Haru, sometime during the plane ride has fallen asleep, his head resting on my shoulder. He rest peacefully, his ears occasionally twitching, the only sound he emits is a soft snore. Out of everyone in our group, it appears only Kazuki and I are awake. From across the aisle,  he unbuckles his safety belt with a soft click and rises, standing, wincing as he bangs his head on the roof of the plane. A guy as tall on him really doesn’t belong on a plane. He holds one finger to his lips, and gestures to the overhead compartment above me. A faint, tapping sound originates from the compartment. Gently pushing Haru so he sits upright once more, I rise, step into the aisle, and slowly open the compartment. As soon as I open it, a white blob zooms past my head.

“A dove!” Kazuki  exclaims, grinning from ear to ear. “Perhaps Hachiman has sensed our predicament and sent the dove to help us!” His expression is of that of a kid in a candy shop, and I bite my lip to stop myself for speaking my thoughts, ‘How is a dove going to help us talk to a dragon? How is a dove going to fight a tengu?’ Then again, I wasn’t that much helping fighting the tengu we faced earlier.. Once more, in a short period of time, I am surprised. The dove morphs into a human, a woman with dark hair, clad in armor like that of a samurai, with a sword dangling in a sheath by the left side of her waist.

“I am Masami, messenger for the great Hachiman. I come with a message for Katsu...” She announces, her voice trailing off as her eyes look about the plane for Katsu. Her eyes widen when they rest on me. “You!” She exclaims, yet having to realize that she is standing on Katsu’s sleeping form. “You seem familiar.... Are you a kami, or do you work for a kami?” Kazuki clears his throat, and points down to at Masami’s feet, causing her to stumble back, and blush in embarrassment. “Oh! You have my sincerest apologies!” Despite the fact that he has been stepped on, and that we are no longer whispering, Katsu continues to sleep. Can anything wake him up? The plane lurches, hitting some turbulence. The ‘Buckle-Up’ sign lights up, glowing bright under the dim lights. The plane shakes and shudders, and through one of the oval plane windows, lightning can be seen. Thunder booms, waking Haru, who jumps out of his seat scurries into the aisle, his hair and fur standing upright. He clutches my left hand with an unrelenting grip.

“Storms are scary,” he whimpers, tilting his head at the sight of Masami. At the sight of Haru, the seemingly serious, no-nonsense woman squeals.  

“You’re adorable!” She says in a sing-song voice, causing Haru to hide behind me. I must admit, it was terrifying to see her personality change so quickly. From behind I hear Katsu finally awake, along with Junko. He opens his mouth, but his words are lost by the wailing wind. Wordlessly, Masami draws her sword, and glares at the sphere that has formed a few meters ahead of us. It spins continuously for a few minutes before morphing into a human-like shape. For once, the strange words and my brain works in sync.

“Susanoo!” I holler, but my words are carried away by the wind.

“I thought I knew what I wanted,” he mumbles, his words barely audible over the wind. “I thought I wanted revenge. I thought I wanted to bring Izanami back, I thought I wanted to unblock the entrance of the underworld. I thought I wanted you to suffer like I did, to be humiliated. I thought..” He coughs, and loses his human-like shape momentarily. “I thought.... I thought I wanted you to die. I’m sorry, sister. I never thought it would get so out of hand... I never thought...” He never gets to finish his words, he disperses as quickly, if not faster, than he had formed. For a moment there, for the briefest moment, it seemed like he was forced to leave, that he had no choice but to leave. Izanami, a kami that died giving birth to the kami of fire. Izanagi made a promise with the rulers of the underworld to not look for her, and in turn he would get Izanami, his wife back. He broke his promise, and found her rotting body. Embarrassed, she decided that she would force Izanagi to live in the underworld with her. He managed to block the entrance, but not before, in her rage, Izanami  claimed she would kill 1,000 people a day. Izanagi countered her claim by saying be would make 1,500 babies a day.    The words just pour in, threatening to overflow my brain. After being exposed to his wife’s body, and to death itself, Izanagi plunged into a river to purify himself. When he washed his left eye, he gave birth to Amaterasu, who became known as ‘The Great Kami Shining in Heaven.’  The words just keep coming. She was put in the heavens, and became the sun kami. She is seen as one of the most beautiful kami, and the people of Japan even nicknamed the country, ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, in her honor. My vision tilts, and I grip onto a nearby seat with a white-knuckled grip to keep myself from falling over. The words finally dimmer down, and a picture lingers in mind instead.  For the first time, I see who Ezio is. He is a middle aged man, with a long hair that ends at his waist. From far away, you would probably mistake him for a woman. ‘After you,’ he  says, gesturing for me to walk in front of him. I wonder how Ezio plans on making sure Izanami doesn’t get out while we unblock the entrance so we can get in. Or perhaps Susanoo is taking care of that for us... My head explodes into pain, and my vision goes dark, and all I hear is grunts and heavy breathing. I can feel myself being turned over and dragged along, my back and legs scraping against the hard ground. I’m being dragged, but where am I being dragged to?  Who hit me? Why did they hit me? What are they going to do with me? My mind fills with endless questions. My mind grows heavy, clouded, and foggy. Doesn’t a similar feeling happen when Ezio uses his powers? Ezio..... Ezio.......... Who is Ezio? Who am I? Why am I stuck in this darkness? How can I escape this darkness?  What is this darkness? Am I dead? Oh god, oh god, oh god...

When I awake, I’m no longer on the plane, I laid out on a metallic bench in a bustling airport, with Haru sitting beside me, and he hollers, beaming when his gaze meets mine. I sit up slowly, and the others, who approach, carrying sandwiches, and bags of pretzels quicken their pace when they see I’m awake. Amongst the group, Masami is nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Masami?” I ask, and Haru shrugs, and chatters on about how much he loves airplane food. A jolt of panic surges through me. “Where are the books? Haru, have you seen the books?” Now Kazuki, Katsu and Junko are within earshot. “Masami is gone, and the books are gone...” My mind churns, gradually putting two and two together. If I recall, Masami’s face was covered with paint, and it was hard to tell what she looked like with all that armor on..... When Susanoo appeared she drew her sword, and if I recall correctly, if you looked at the sword more closely, it looked an awful lot like Ame... But Benten can’t turn into a dove, can she? Perhaps she had some help, perhaps she had Ezio mess with our minds, so we saw her for what he want us to see her as. Or, perhaps that was Ezio himself... Either way, why didn’t they, whoever it was, kill Susanoo and I right then? Perhaps they need the books for some reason.... Maybe Ezio is going to use the books to try to find each kami’s weaknesses, so he can force them to do what he wants. Perhaps he doesn’t want to kill all the kami, perhaps we wants to feel powerful, perhaps he wants to rule over all the kami...

“It looks like the more we look into this situation, the more we don’t know,” Kazuki says, chuckling, earning a glare from Katsu.

“There is NOTHING to be chuckling about,” Katsu snaps, sighing deeply, and furiously rubbing his forehead. “I’m sorry, I’m just cranky. I’ve been trying to figure stuff out on my own, I’ve been trying to remember, and so far, I’ve only been able to give myself migraines...” Kazuki pats him on the back roughly, trying to comfort him. “But I do have good news. I’ve decided to let you two, and Junko tag along. After everything that’s happened, the bigger group you’re in, the safer you are. Besides, even though fox-boy can be annoying, he’s grown on me,” and if him admitting that wasn’t shocking enough, meanwhile, he reaches down and ruffles Haru’ s hair. Despite that  Haru grumbles and glares in response, I can tell that he secretly likes gaining Katsu’s affections. The poor kid has probably never had a good male role model in his life....

“While we went out to get some food, I got a map, and it turns out Mount Katsuragi is near here. Perhaps we could talk to her and see if she knows anything, after all she is as smart, perhaps even smarter than Tenjin,” Kazuki says, passing the small, glossy map around. Sure enough, the mountain is close.

“Wait, did you say we were going to go talk to a MOUNTAIN?” I ask, perplexed. Could mountains talk? Then again I should be surprised if I think back and reflect on all that has happened recently. “How do you even know that this mountain wants to talk to us? Maybe the mountain doesn’t like us, or I mean me. Benten certainly doesn’t like me....”  

“Don’t worry, Katsuragi is kind, and will even help strangers. Although she is a bit strange... She likes to mimic people,  but that aside, she’s harmless,” Kazuki informs me as we walk out of the airport, and into unknown.

Tripping over tree roots, struggling to walk through tall vegetation, falling into mud (at least I hope it is mud), getting eaten alive by insects, meanwhile having the feeling that someone or something is watching us, our hike up Mount Katsuragi is anything but easy or peaceful.  The longer we hike, the more questions I think of. Is Katsuragi  literally the mountain, or does she just live on the mountain? Perhaps she is a face carved into the mountain itself....

“Hehe you youngsters have been having a rough time, haven’t you?” A voice asks, echoing throughout the force, originating from a lone sakura tree. It’s light pink, a shade of pink so light that it almost looks white, blossoms are in full bloom, warm and friendly, like open arms.  A breeze shakes a plethora of petals lose, those petals swirl and form a hunched, but familiar shape. The petals from an old woman, who depends heavily on her stick that she uses as a cane. Katsu starts to open my mouth, but the elderly woman snaps at him, telling him to let her to do the talking. “I’m Katsuragi, also known as Hitokotonushi, or the “one word deity.” A little bird, just the other day, chirped ‘visitors’ at me. I knew you were coming. Now give me a minute, perhaps I’ll get another word, another chance at predicting what will happen next,” the old woman taps her foot and whistles, impatiently waiting for a word to appear. Kazuki and Katsu exchange knowing looks, Junko lays by my feet, and Haru and I merely gaze at the petal woman, trying to anticipate what will happen next. “Something, something, something,” she whispers repeatedly, just loud enough for us to hear. “Something has been forgotten... Something will be forgotten.... Something, something, something....” She continues to whisper, wringing her hands, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening as she gets lost in thought. Each of us take turns calling her name, and eventually she blinks, finally realizing that we’re still present. Her form changes, and she now is a giant centipede. “Centipede...... Impurity, deception, and disguises,” she adds, her numerous legs twitching. Once again she gets lost in thought, but this time, no matter how many times we call her name, no matter how loud we get, she doesn’t return she does the opposite, she disperses, the petals returning to the tree and re-attaching themselves. A vast cloud blocks out what little light shined through all the foliage, causing us to be lost in darkness. Somehow the dark is darker than black, darker than any shadow Katsu could cast.  

“Great, Katsuragi has gone crazy! Now it’s dark, and I can’t see a thing!” Kastu exclaims, and I can hear him stomp his foot in outrage, his words get muffled by Junko’s snarl. “What are you snarling at Junko? Have you gone crazy too?” The cloud drifts on, revealing a ghastly creature.  

Part of it looks like the samurai version of Benten, part of it looks like the image of Ezio that popped into my mind, part of it looks like a centipede, and the rest of it is a rotting mess.  

“I cAn hIdE nO lOnGeR,” it coughs, each word said with a different sounding voice. “I aM EzIo, kAmI oF mEmOrIes. I wAs cUrSeD tO loOk LiKe ThIs by IzaNagI. I aM IzAnaMi’s lOvEr, tHe ReAl FaThEr oF tHe fIrE kAmI tHaT cAuSeD IzAnAmI’s dEaTh,” his very voice sends shivers down my spine. “I WiLl bRiNg mY lOvEr bAcK, sO wE cAn LiVe iN tHiS wOrLd tOgEtHeR. BuT fIrsT, I mUsT wIsH to sEek rEvEnGe. I wiLl KiLl IzAnAgI’s cHildRen. I wAs mIsTaKeN tO lEt BeNtEn bE yOur KiLlEr. I hOpE tHat sHe cAn kiLl tHat RaT, SuSaNoO, oR I mAy HaVe tO KiLl THeM bOtH MySeLf. NoNe tHe lEsS, YoU aRe gOiNg tO DiE HeRe, SuNnY!” He hollers, lunging towards me.  

“Sunny...... Amelia, I remember who you truly are! I remember you, Amaterasu!” Katsu exclaims, starting to move towards Ezio and I, but the ground falls out from beneath him, the ground is actually a surging horde of centipedes. “Kazuki transform! I won’t let you kill her, Ezio! I won’t let you take my sunshine away!”  Haru, who had been right next to me has nearly disappeared, the only sign of him is the very tip of his index finger. Meanwhile Junko gnaws on centipede upon centipede, trying to free Haru. Is there a way.... Any way that any of us will get out of this alive?

It happens so fast. One minute Ezio’s clammy hands are clasped around my throat, my throat feeling like fire, while in another minute everything explodes into a series of light and sound. I can hear the yells and cries of many people, the obnoxious chewing sound as centipedes get gnawed on, and a scream as someone tries to let some of the pain out, let it escape, trying to gain some sense of relief. When the light fades, I awake to a frozen scene. Kami are scattered about, some focusing on battling the centipedes, other trying to reach Ezio. It appears that only Haru can move about, that only Haru is unfrozen.  

“I can finally protect you!” He exclaims, breathing heavily. Just how much energy does it take for him to do all of this? “Just you watch, I’ll save you, and you, Katsu, and Kazuki can all live together, and be one happy family! Just you-” his words get cut of as he collapses, a sword buried deep within his shoulder. Ame.... He forgot to freeze Ame! Heat builds within me, a deep fire being kindled within my heart. I glow, the light so bright that I have to close my eyes to keep myself from going blind, and I hope Haru has the sense to do the same. When the light fades, the centipedes, Ezio, and Ame are ashes, helpless ashes, ashes that are gobbled up by the wind. I collapse onto my knees, but barely registering the occurrence as I crawl towards Haru, to the sweet boy who only wished to protect others.  

A while later...

I can’t believe it’s been a month, a month since everyone’s memory was restored, that it’s been a month since the real  Benten came to me to  apologized, begging for me to forgive her,  that it’s been a month that Haru got injured, and thankfully recovered, that it’s been a, that it’s been a month since I found out Katsu, Kazuki, Haru and I are actually thousands of years old, that it has been month since the peace was restored. I know someone else may try to unblock  the entrance of the underworld, I know that this peace may be short lived, but for now I will enjoy it, until we must protect the peace once again. Poor Haru never did find out who his parents were, but he told me it didn’t matter. “As long as I have you, Katsu, Kazuki, and Junko, I will never need to know who my parents are,” he told me one night as we gazed up at the sparkling stars. I did some math, and even though we’re thousands of years old, Haru’s human age equivalent is 10, Kazuki’s is 17, Katsu and mine are 15. I suppose none of it really matters, I don’t think I will ever grow up, and I don’t think I ever want to grow up.

My return was much awaited, and the first morning I, and many of the heavenly kami returned to the sky, and as we did so,  you could hear people all over the world chatter excitedly, gesture to the bright, captivating morning sky and exclaim, ‘Here comes the sun’. The heavens is where I will remain with my chosen family. But that doesn’t mean I don’t go back down to Earth to visit old friends, such as Kuebiko and his toad, and Katsuragi. But for now I chose to remain in the sky, amongst the clouds, returning smiles to a plethora of faces, a symbol of hope, a promise of a better tomorrow. Sometimes, when I let my mind drift, I remember the song I heard so long ago, ‘Oh how I miss they sunny days. I would do anything to get the sunlight back, to feel the bright beams warm my skin.  Where are you, the orb that represents my happiness? Oh the sunny days, oh the sunny days... Without you, the source of light, the sky has grown faded and ugly. The moon enhances the sky’s beauty at night, but what about the day? Oh my hope, oh my i-ll fated love, where have you disappeared to?  I just want some sunshine, I want a bright day...’  Sometimes the voice of the man who originally sings it lingers in my mind, and sometimes, when I think long and hard, the man sounds like Susanoo. As I stroll across the sky, spreading light around the world, I sing it out loud, “Oh how I miss they sunny days. I would do anything to get the sunlight back, to feel the bright beams warm my skin.  Where are you, the orb that represents my happiness? Oh the sunny days, oh the sunny days... Without you, the source of light, the sky has grown faded and ugly. The moon enhances the sky’s beauty at night, but what about the day? Oh my hope, oh my i-ll fated love, where have you disappeared to?  I just want some sunshine, I want a bright day...”

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    University, 28 Apr. 2005. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

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"Amenouzume." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/19207/Amenouzume>.

Background Information

Kami are spirits, often seen as gods that can also be seen as your ancestors. They don’t have unlimited power, they’re not perfect, and do make mistakes. Kami aren’t immortal, they can get hurt and die. They also rot when they die, just like us. Kami have emotions and can behave like humans. Although the duty most kami is to support life and birth, not all kami are good, some are evil.  There are three types of kami, Ujigami, ancestors of clans, kami of nature, animals, plants weather, objects (ex: rocks, clouds) and kami of humans, souls of those who have died and achieved great things can become kami. In Shinto, there is no split between the physical and spiritual words, although there is a heaven, Earth, and hell, kami can normally dwell where they please. The underworld is also known as Yomi, and is a place where the dead continue their existence accompanied by centipedes and polluting things.

About Kami (Who’s Real, Who’s Not, etc.)

Amaterasu/Amaterasu Omikami/(known in the story as Amelia)/Sun Goddess (real):  kami of the Sun, ancestor of the Imperial family, sister of Susanoo.

Benten/Benzaiten (real): kami of music, the arts, and the sea.

Susanoo (real): kami of wind and storms, in some myths seen as the ruler of the underworld, brother of Amaterasu.

Ebisu (real): kami of prosperity, sometimes mixed up with Hiruko, Izanami’s and Izanagi’s first born child.

Hachiman (real): kami of archery and war

Izanami and Izanagi (real): the wife and husband (and brother and sister) duo who made Japan.

Konpira/Kompira (real): kami of safety at sea (protects fishermen, sailors, etc.)

Tenjin (real): kami of education, (believed to be the Japanese scholar Sugawara no Michizane), helps worshippers pass exams.

Inari/ Ta-no-kami (real):  kami of rice, food and prosperity, protects people who are in love, and recovers stolen items.

Katsuragi/Hitokonushi (real): the “One Word deity” of Mount Katsuragi,who has the ability to predict future acts of good or evil with one word.

Kuebiko (real):  the scarecrow kami who knows everything.

Katsu (fictional): son of Hachiman, kami of victory and shadows.There probably is a kami of such thing, but Katsu is a creation of my mind, not from the myths and legends of Shinto.

Ezio (fictional): kami of memories, nightmares, dreams, hallucinations, illusions (manipulates people’s minds).  There probably is a kami of such things, but Ezio is a creation of my mind, not from the myths and legends of Shinto.

Objects, Monsters, and Animals (Who’s Real, Who’s Not, etc.)  

Ame-No-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi(the Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven)/Kusanagi(Grass Cutter) (real):  swords in Shinto mythology are as famous of any of the kami, although I did not come across any swords or weapons that could turn into a humans. Although, weapons are often seen as kami themselves. Ame is a real sword, and was really a sword Susanoo gave to his sister to prove that he wasn’t up to any tricks.

Tengu/crows (real): depending on the myth, crows are respected or disrespected. Some myths depict crows as idiotic creatures, some depict them as wise and helpful, others have crows that turn into red, longed nosed monsters. Although I had the tengu in my story be of monstrous proportions, across my research, I did not come to find myths that said that they were anything but ordinary size.

Centipedes: centipedes can be found with rotting things, and can be a sign of impurity.

Toad(s) (real):  toads are magical animals, and are the messengers and helpers of Kuebiko. Although the toad in my story can talk, in my research, I did not come across a  toad that could talk.

Foxes/fox hybrids (real): foxes are the assistants to Inari, and appear in people’s dreams and reports various occurrences to the kami. Foxes are also messengers to Inari, particularly white foxees. Foxes are believed to be magical, and when a fox and a human have a child, the child has immense power, strength, and is wise.

The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters (real): a sacred text of Shinto.

Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan, real): a sacred text of Shinto.

Dragons:  There was a dragon that ate Japanese children, and Benten married him to gain influence over him (and perhaps all dragons) to stop him from consuming Japanese children. There is a famous dragon called Ryujin, who lives under Lake Biwa. I am unsure of what exact dragon Benten married.

Shishi/Lions: are lions with bulging eyes, have curly, bushy tails, have a playful temperament are protective and usually protect children.

Haru (the character himself, fictional): Although there are fox hybrids in Shinto, I have yet to come across a myth starring Haru. There could be a Haru, but far as I know, Haru is only a creation of my mind.

Kazuki (the character himself, fictional): Although there are weapons in Shinto mythology, I have not read about any being able to turn into humans, nor have I come across a character named Kazuki. There could be a Kazuki, but far as I know, Kazuki is only a creation of my mind.

Junko (the character himself, fictional): Although there are lions and Shishi in Shinto mythology, I have not read about any lions named Junko, but there could be a Junko. As far as I know, Junko is only a creation of my mind.