Week 9 Story: The Sun Goddess: Amaterasu

Amaterasu The Sun Goddess: Source

       Being the goddess of the sun after all these years is quite taxing. Being responsible for keeping the balance and harmony within the earth realm is just exhausting. You may have heard that I bequeathed my position to one of my descendants, and while this is true, someone has to make sure that no one messes up the balance. It has been thousands of years since that incident. With the exception of the elders, not many people remember who I am. The year is 2020, my descendant Asahi is now in charge of the light. I watch over her, as she is just a girl. I watch her as she channels her powers, I need to ensure that she is acting responsibly with something that she did not ask for. Having the entire power of the sun in your hands is quite the responsibility. I know how it was. Growing up with my brother, our parents put such a force of pressure upon us. It was inescapable. But those times are over, I must look forward to ensuring that the balance of nature is maintained. 

"I know you do not know me" I utter to Asahi in her dreams. I know she will understand my message, but it is important for the balance of the earth that we never meet - as we are one soul. "I know you do not know who I am, but I am looking out for you" I assure her, "you need to trust in your abilities and the energies of the world. Do not deny it, do not disrespect it, you are stronger than you know". I know that my message will slip into her subconscious and lull her as she grows up. She will soon have questions that her parents will not be able to answer. She needs to know, hear, and feel my presence, without ever knowing me. 

I watch as she grows, she adapts, she changes. As her powers grow. mine weaken. I can feel my energy depleting, I hope that this is my last incarnation. Although I love my work, I want to rest. I leave my power in the hands of those younger, stronger, and wiser than I. I am humbled by the newer generations of my family's abilities. I feel as if I can finally rest. My work here is finally done. 

Authors Note:

For this story, I really wanted to take the original source material concept, and sort of spin it in a new light. I really like writing "follow up" stories, like I did with my stories about the Buddha, as well as this one. I like to fictionalize and idealize what the future for these powerful forces would be like. I think that it is super interesting to ponder, "what would the character in question look like in the modern day?". I also really like pushing forward their narrative onto future generations. I feel like this story specifically could have been expanded into a full-blown novella. To me, this feels like it would be a good prologue to a novel. Overall, I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope that everyone enjoys it!
Bibliography: Japanese Mythology