The Japanese mythology "KOJIKI"

Betrayal

Eight years had passed after Wakahiko was sent to Izumo.

Amaterasu had been quite busy for a long time, but on that day she squeezed in time for organising her room.

Amaterasu

Phew! I've almost done it! Well...there are too many documents!

Amaterasu

Oh? What's that filthy paper?

She had a bad feeling.

Amaterasu

I think I forgot some important things...

The title of the document was 'The strategy of rescuing Middle Earth from Ohkuninushi.' She read the contents.

Amaterasu

Well...OK. In order to rescue Middle Earth from Ohkuninushi, we sent Wakahiko as a messenger......Wakahiko??

Amaterasu

.................

Amaterasu

..............

Amaterasu

Oh,God! I totally forgot!!

Amaterasu

Hey! Omohikane! Omohikane!!

Omohikane rushed into the room, because she called his name insanely.

Omohikane

Hi! Did you call me?

Omohikane

...Oh, did you organise your room? Good. I think it was messy.

Amaterasu took the gee.

Omohikane

Oh, I slipped it out...It's not good to make her grumpy...

Amaterasu

It is because there are too many documents!!

Omohikane

I agree.

Amaterasu

By the way, do you know about this paper?

Omohikane

Eh? Strategy....rescue Middle Earth....Wakahiko...??
Oh. I've forgot about him.

Amaterasu

Eight years have already passed but we heard nothing from him! Don't you think it is strange? Something bad might have happened!

Omohikane

Well...

Omohikane

To be fair, we also forgot about it...

Amaterasu

What are you trying to say?

Omohikane

I think even if we send another person to Izumo, the result might be the same. You know, the previous two messengers disappeared.

Amaterasu

So, what am I supposed to do?

Omohikane

How about the pheasant, Nakime?

Nakime was a big bird which could understand man's words.

Amaterasu

Good. Nakime bird can go and come back much more quickly than people. So let's send her.

She dispatched Nakime to Izumo.

Meanwhile, Shitateru was doing the laundry in her garden.

She found a big bird flying from the Celestial Plain. The bird stopped on one of the trees in the garden, and said,

Nakime

Wakahiko! Why haven't we heard from you for eight years? We have to conquer the gods in Middle Earth. They are so dangerous! Hey! Wakahiko! Can you hear me?

Nakime said it in very funny way, but Shitateru went pale when she understood the situation.

Shitateru

It must have come from the Celestial Plain...

She rushed into her husband's room.

Shitateru

Wakahiko! Look! An evil bird is there!

She was totally pale. Wakahiko was alarmed and went outside immediately.

Wakahiko

What a big bird!

Shitateru

It sang like a curse. It must bring evil things! Please kill it!

Wakahiko

Why are you so frightened? Everything is OK...

He soothed her, and fetched the arrow and the bow which were given to him by Amaterasu.

Wakahiko

This bird is big enough to be aimed at easily.

Wakahiko aimed at Nakime, and loosed his arrow. He succeeded in hitting her. The arrow penetrated her heart and flew over to the Celestial Plain.

At the same time, Amaterasu, Takagi, Omohikane, Chidi were having lunch at the bank of Amayasu river. They were eating riceballs made by Chidi.

Chidi was the last daughter of Takagi. Both of Takagi and her brother Omohikane really loved her.

Chidi

Ta-da!! I also made tempura. Help yourself.

Takagi

Sounds good.

Omohikane

Oh! You made tempura!? Great!

Amaterasu

Huh....

Omohikane looked too obsessed with her sister. They all enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.

Suddenly an arrow popped out from the cloud beneath them.

Chidi

Oh! What a surprise! Is it...an arrow?

Amaterasu

This is the arrow that I gave to Wakahiko!

Takagi

A blood smudge is here...

Omohikane

Dad...is it...perhaps...Nakime's blood?

Amaterasu

What...?

Takagi

.......

Takagi was speechless.

Takagi

We can't say anything so far. We need some information. But if Wakahiko betrayed us and hit Nakime, it's a quite imminent problem.

Amaterasu

But...is it possible?

Since Amaterasu didn't imagine that Wakahiko betrayed them, she looked into Takagi's eyes with worry.

Takagi

Let's find it out through the bet.

They were all sitting straight when Takagi said that in a very serious way.

He took his bow and aimed at the hole from which Wakahiko's arrow came.

Takagi

If Wakahiko had thrown his arrow to kill an evil soul, my arrow won't hit anyone.

If Wakahiko had betrayed us and thrown his arrow to kill Nakime, it will penetrate his heart.

He murmured and loosed the arrow. Amaterasu was looking at the direction that the arrow flew away.

Takagi

We'll see. Just wait for a while.

Amaterasu

I see.

That evening, they heard incredibly sad voice from Middle Earth. Amaterasu got out of her room to see what's the fuss. Takagi was there.

Takagi

The voice is coming from Izumo.

They found Shitateru was grieving in the face of her husband's death.

Amaterasu

Oh, god...Wakahiko's dead...

Takagi

Seems like that.

Takagi answered quietly.

Amaterasu

......Well..well...Now I understand why he didn't come back here. He had a lovely family.

Takagi

Amaterasu, with all due respect, betraying is a different thing from not coming back.

Amaterasu

I know.

Takagi

We can't doubt the result of this bet, but I don't want to believe it if I can.

Amaterasu

Me too......Oh, I have to tell it to Wakahiko's parents. You can take a rest now. You must be tired.

Takagi

Don't bother, please. Or rather, I want to keep on working today.

Amaterasu

I see.

Amaterasu didn't know what to say, she just rubbed his shoulder. Takagi smiled a bit as usual.

When Wakahiko's parents found about his death, they went down to Izumo straight away.

Shitateru welcomed her in-laws warmly. However she hadn't understood yet why Wakahiko was killed. Although he didn't keep his promise with Amaterasu, didn't they go too far by killing him? Wakahiko's father explained her the details which he heard from Amaterasu.

When Shitateru learned it all, she bursted out in tears.

She understood that her beloved husband was killed because of her and their kids. She put her head down and couldn't say anything.

They built a hut for the funeral. They called in some birds from the Celestial Plain.

A wild goose brought the offerings, a heron cleaned up the hut, a kingfisher cooked for everyone, a sparrow rolled out a mortar, and a pheasant cried hard for the dead.

At his funeral, both gods from the Celestial Plain and gods in Middle Earth grieved. They kept on singing and dancing for him throughout eight days and eight nights.

When Shitateru's brother Takahikone arrived on the last day of the funeral, all the people were aghast. He looked quite similar to Wakahiko. Even for Wakahiko's family, it was very difficult to distinguish them. They got a wrong idea that Wakahiko was alive, and ran to Takahikone. They were so pleased.

However Takahikone wasn't Wakahiko of course. He didn't like being mixed up with a dead person.

Wakahiko got furious and left a parting shot.

Takahikone

I thought we were good friends! Don't be ridiculous!

He also wrecked the hut with the sword of Totsuka, and kicked it as hard as he could.

The parts of the hut were found after a while in Mino, which is far from Izumo.

Thus Wakahiko's death made both gods in the Celestial Plain and gods in Middle Earth feel bitter.

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