天照 「陽神」 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amaterasuomikami) wrote2016-04-29 10:10 pm
amaterasuomikami) wrote2016-04-29 10:10 pm
Entry tags:
a trip to the movies, part 2
The film begins with a recap of the previous movie's events, leading the audience to a scene where the Emperor, having come to his sense, offers to trade some of his treasure for demon fangs, some of which are wrapped around him in a necklace. Harugami agrees, and purchases the Fog Pot which had trapped Kasugami. The sheep god appears in a vision to her, and explains that with this treasure, her full strength has been restored, and granted the wolf a new power-- Mist Warp. With this power, she could use special Origin Mirrors at which she saved her progress to travel from one to another in an instant.
Having concluded her business at the palace (the guards thanked her as she left, sensing she had something to do with the change in the emperor), the wolf left to find Kaguya standing around outside. She recognized Issun's voice right away. The mysterious girl said that she felt like something was calling to her, and she could not resist. She had a vision of a royal crest in the bamboo grove in Sasa Sanctuary, home of the sparrow spirits, and headed off. They followed, back across the coast and over the bridge, and into the sparrows' inn.
Heading to the back, they found Kaguya at the crest... along with her grandfather. It seems she hadn't expected to run into him here. He was overjoyed to see the girl, but she rebuffed him, explaining that her fate lay elsewhere. Using a mysterious power, she opened a hole in the ground, and jumped in. Harugami and Issun followed suit. They dug and they dug and they dug, until finally they found... a rocket?!
Following an explanation and tearful farewell, Kaguya gave Harugami one last token-- the treasure that the emperor had desired, the Fire Tablet-- and went on her way. Issun reminded the wolf that they needed to have a harsh word or two with Queen Himiko. Making their way back to the palace, Harugami used Veil of Mist to get past the guards, and headed inside. Her attendant within greeted them, and told the duo that Her Majesty was expecting their arrival.
The elevator took them directly to her floor, where they were greeted by... lava. How on earth did they get it in this building?! "You may be god now, but you'd be a crispy critter if you fell in this stuff!" This was the first time in either film that Issun had addressed the wolf's true nature. But no matter. Equipping her new Fire Tablet, Harugami was able to swim to the other side of the sea of flames, entering a long corridor that led directly to the queen's room.
"Benevolent À̶̧́͟_̷͡҉_҉́̕͠t̨͡͝ȩ̶̸̶͠_̧̕_̶͏s͡͡u͟͏҉̀"... I have been waiting for you."
Himiko, who had hidden herself up to now, had done so for good reason. She had been attempting to divine the location of the demons' stronghold, Oni Island, which disappeared and reappeared in different locations at the end of each day. The queen had hidden herself away in order to protect herself and her crystal ball from harm. But she had another task for Harugami... The dreaded Water Dragon was necessary in order to break Oni Island's barrier. They just had to get it back under control. To do so, someone would need to go to the Dragonian Domain under the sea.
Naturally, Harugami agreed to do so. To Issun's dismay.
With Himiko's border key, they headed for the northern coast. They barely took a step in before the prophet Waka appeared once more. He explained that this area, too, had been cursed, but he himself performed a Great Divine Intervention. He had nothing further to say besides taunting Issun, and disappeared just as suddenly as he'd appeared.
Oni Island could be seen in the distance, as well as the Water Dragon patrolling the sea. Both seemed impassable for now. On the beach, they came across a group of kids hitting a man with sticks and whatever else they could find, taunting him about a supposed experience with the Dragonian Domain. Once Harugami and Issun shooed them off, Urashima explained that the emissary of the Dragon Palace, Orca, would appear at the pier with the morning sun, only to those worthy of the visit.
On the way to the pier, they passed a little girl, who told the story of how a cat had climbed that impossibly tall tower, and had become a god. But then it was too scared to come down, so it cried and cried until it finally turned to stone. Its cries could still be heard today... hence the name, Catcall Tower.
Once they were at the pier, Harugami manually summoned the morning sun. True to form, Orca appeared. But he couldn't take them to the Dragon Palace just yet-- its ruler, Otohime, had decreed that Harugami pass one final ordeal-- find the whirlpool that was hidden to protect the Dragonians.
Catcall Tower seemed like the most obvious place to start. As they got closer, they could hear the signature meows that seemed to echo across the sea. Arriving at the island, they found at the base, to no one's surprise, cats. The mark of Catwalk, one of the brush techniques, plastered all over the tower. With it, anyone could walk up the walls. And so they began.
... It was a very long climb. Night fell before Harugami got to the top. There were more cats at some of the tiers.
Finally, they reached the top, to find a small mermaid spring, and at the very top... another cat. Issun wondered if it came up here looking for something to eat, so Harugami pulled out a bag of fish-based animal feed, which it happily devoured. With one last meow, it curled up and went to sleep.
... And then there was one last cat.
Now, they could take the mermaid spring back down... or they could take a leap of faith.
Night fell. Back on the mainland, a Kabegami statue stood against a cliff face, the stairs to which had long since crumbled away. Climbing it, they found... well, a cyclopic demon. It was resilient, but soon dispatched. A man who appeared to be stargazing had apparently been oblivious to the commotion until it was already over.
The man explained that they were standing on Watcher's Cape, where the gods had once used as a point from which they could return to the heavens. A great place to stargaze, where even the whirlpool galaxy- a group of stars forming a great spiral-- was visible once. But recently, it had seemed to disappear as Oni Island had begun to appear. The man was waiting for a shooting star to wish it back.
A simple dot of Harugami's tail on the canvas, and the star appeared-- and shot across the night sky. The man made a fervent wish for the galaxy to reappear, and sure enough...
Approaching the end of the cape for a closer look, they passed a stone monument that stated that when the whirlpool galaxy spins, a whirlpool would open up below, too. That sounded like the entrance to the Dragon Palace! But... it wasn't spinning right now. Issun remarked that it looked like a big, celestial windmill.
And they knew what to do with windmills.
A few Galestorms later, the galaxy seemed to be spinning rapidly-- and sure enough, a whirlpool opened up in the sea below. The duo quickly ran to Orca to hitch a ride straight into the center of the whirlpool, narrowly avoiding the patrolling Water Dragon.
click the picture!
Approaching the palace, the guards called out to them from the second floor. Althought their tone was terse at first, but once Queen Himiko's name was dropped, they invited the duo in to speak with Otohime in the throne room.
Otohime, stating that the Dragonians were prepared to do whatever was necessary, addressed Harugami by her mysterious name, and in the same manner as the gods ("origin of good and mother to us all"). She explained that when Oni Island appeared a month prior, monsters swarmed into the sea and laid siege to the Dragon Palace. Much was lost before the Water Dragon appeared, and routed the forces of darkness. But their leader, the Dark Lord, had great powers, and severely injured the Water Dragon. The sea deity seemed to fly into madness after that, and rampaged through the seas. The Dragonians were as much in danger as anyone else.
The queen of the Dragonians entreated Harugami to retrieve an item called the Dragon Orb from within the Water Dragon's body itself. Harnessing its power, the barrier on Oni Island could still be broken. To Issun's horror, the sun god agreed to reclaim it. The dragon made its lair in a garden at the palace, but left the Dragonians alone as long as they did the same to it. But Otohime believed that if anyone could do it, it was Harugami.
They found the Water Dragon right where Otohime said it would be, its jaws wide open, and without another thought, leapt into its mouth.
Within, strange, tree-like structures, appendages, and crystals grew haphazardly. Most of its body was filled with water, unsurprisingly. Its body was surprisingly vast and cavernous... and even some demons lurked inside its body. No wonder it was so enraged.
As Otohime had stated, they found the Dragon Orb deep within its belly... tangled up in stomach muscle that not even Harugami's Power Slash could cut. Maybe up ahead, there would be something further... turned out it was a dead end. A red liquid filled this cavern, and some dripped from a mass in the ceiling. Using Waterspout to burst the mass, the acid flooded the cavern. Getting back would be difficult if not for the Lily Pad technique.
Riding the lily pads back in, they once again utilized the red liquid, this time to dissolve the fleshy mass surrounding the Dragon Orb. Once freed, the object landed in the red liquid and made it disappear. They were all ready to leave when suddenly, something in the air shifted. The doors were sealed by dark forces. Balls of pale purple flame swarmed around them-- foxfire! Some launched themselves at the wolf, but she dodged-- and then formed into pipe foxes that howled at her, and lunged.
Nine in total, three at a time. They danced around her, and slashed, and even drained her Celestial Ink from her. It was a tense battle, but in the end, the balls of foxfire lay dormant, and the god victorious. The evil defeated, the seals on the doors vanished-- and the foxfire rose into the air, coalescing into a strange object, a set of rods.
The Fox Rods that Rao had been searching for!
But they had no time to gloat, as it seemed the acid had done a great deal of damage to the dragon-- it was falling apart from the inside, and in a matter of minutes, they would be doomed too if they didn't escape. Acid and chunks of flesh fell rapidly as they dashed back towards the Dragon's mouth.
Once they escaped... the Water Dragon fell endlessly, into the abyss of the sea. It was dead. Without it, what hope did they have of penetrating Oni Island?
Before they could ponder much longer, a light appeared from the depths. It was coming up to meet them. A man addressed her by name, in the same way the gods and Otohime had. He introduced himself as Wada, King of the Dragonians, and thanked her for releasing him from his uncontrolled rage as the Water Dragon. He explained that he had gone to battle with the Dark Lord, and swallowed the Dark Instrument he wielded. But the Fox Rods had lodged in his belly and caused him the pain which drove him to madness.
Before he disappeared into the depths, he asked Harugami to return the Dragon Orb to his wife, Otohime, and prayed for the rest of the innocent souls whose lives he had ended as the Water Dragon... and for the sun god's good fortune. He fell back into the abyssal waters, and the Dragon Orb glowed, its light consuming Harugami and Issun, transporting them back to the garden.
Rao was waiting there. She had seen the Water Dragon thrashing about from the shore, and hurried to Harugami's side in case she was needed. Issun showed her the Fox Rods that they had taken from within Wada's body, and she seemed both shocked and enthralled, and demanded that the duo give her the Fox Rods at once. Issun hesitated, fearing for her safety. The monsters would stop at nothing to locate these, and the priestess having them would put her in danger.
Harugami, however, obliged.
"It's an eerie light they give out. Yet somehow, alluring," said Rao. With this, her holy powers would reach their limit, and she could aid Himiko in defeating the Dark Lord. Telling them she had to return to the city, she added that she would honor this duty with her life, and dashed off.
Back at the throne room, Otohime was pleased to see that Harugami had escaped the Water Dragon, and in turn the wolf returned the Dragon Orb to its rightful place above the throne. As the queen and her guards bowed to her and thanked her, Issun asked about Wada-- his death and his role as her husband. The Dragonian's leader confirmed that he had indeed been her husband, and he used the orb to become the Water Dragon in order to save his people. She then re-stated that the Dragonians had the resolve to do whatever was necessary, and the Dragon Orb had to be retrieved, no matter the cost.
As she asked about the Fox Rods, she seemed concerned that Harugami had given them to Rao... whom Otohime seemed unaware and uncertain of. She hoped that the priestess proved trustworthy... and no sooner had those words left her mouth than the Dragon Orb moved forward, and began to glow. As the wolf and her companion stared on in confusion, Otohime stated that perhaps it was a vision from the late king-- something he wanted them to see.
Ankoku Temple. Rao. Running. A huge monster in pursuit. Black and mysterious, on all fours with multiple tails. It looked like it might be a fox-type demon. As the trembling priestess was cornered, its tails rose into the air--
The vision ended.
Harugami and Issun wasted no time in running off, without explaining the vision's meaning to the Dragonian Queen, who reminded them that there was still hope.
They ran out of the palace, returned to the surface on Orca's back, made for the shore, and ran all the way across Ryoshima Coast up to the temple. There, they saw Rao heading towards the temple, beckoning them to follow. Something was different about her, though, as she vanished from sight, appearing and reappearing up the stairs, and around the side of the temple.
Finally, she vanished into a wall, and as the duo approached, the wall vanished-- it was an illusion, concealing a waterless well. Harugami leapt in, and found a long corridor. Where did it lead? Also, there was a mummy against the wall, wearing familiar-looking clothing...
Turns out it lead straight to the Imperial Palace. The guards didn't know of it... and likely, neither did Himiko. Inside, they found her attendant knocked out. They had to hurry to Himiko as fast as they could.
They were too late. (( watch til 13:15 ))
Following Himiko's advice, the duo left the palace in pursuit of "Rao". They had precious little time to waste. When they came upon Watcher's Cape once more, Otohime was waiting for them. She had sensed Himiko's death, and came to this spot where Himiko had predicted Oni Island to appear. Issun expressed that without the Water Dragon, they still couldn't break the barrier, so that there was no point.
Otohime countered, The Water Dragon is not dead in the true sense of the word."
click the picture!
Oni Island was just as foreboding up close as it was from a distance. The fortress was surrounded by lava-- not an issue for one with the Fire Tablet, but no less daunting, considering the distance. A pair of ogres stood guard at the door-- they were no match for Harugami.even if this LPer is shit at the game oh my god
As they made their way in, they were greeted politely by what appeared to be one of "Rao"'s prayer slips... or whatever they truly were. It introduced itself as Tobi, had an evil aura, sentience, and could speak. Though tasked with guarding Oni Island from intruders such as herself, it challenged the god to a bit of sport-- a race to the end of the hallway. The paper slip was fast, but not faster than Harugami.
Tobi challenged them again and again, over spiked chasms and hallways, through rotating crushers, even through monster battles. There were other hazards too, of course-- laser-spitting statues over small, tight corridors, security "cameras" that flooded the room with lava. With effort, she navigated her way around them all.
On a terrace outside, they found a great tiger statue with a bow on its back, but no arrows to fire. Naturally, Harugami could fix that... and released another brush god.
With Thunderstorm under her belt, making her way through the rest of Oni Island was fairly straightforward. At Tobi's final race, it stated that the wolf was approaching the climax of her adventure... and with one last loss, it announced that as it had abandoned its duty as gatekeeper, the cost would be its existence. Still, it told them, this was the life of its choosing, and so had no regrets as it was to vanish. Wishing them well, the evil aura vanished, and the paper slip fell to the floor, transformed into a small flower-- and vanished entirely. For evil beings, there was no afterlife-- this was the total end for Tobi.
They had precious little time to mourn. They were close to the top. Issun said a few parting words to the fallen being, then they headed on their way.
Finally, they were at the summit... and the Dark Lord was waiting for them. (( watch until 11:56 ))
The credits roll. Though it stated that this was the end of her adventure in Ryoshima Coast, the wolf's journey was far from over-- but perhaps there was someone out there who could tell the rest of the story personally.
...
If you stick around long enough, you will see a scene set behind Ankoku temple. A couple from the city has come to pay respects to the true Rao's grave, a single headstone with the priestess' name and title on it, and kneel down to pray before it. The false wall fades to the viewer's eye, revealing a single lily in bloom by the old well, as if watching over the gravesite's visitors...
Having concluded her business at the palace (the guards thanked her as she left, sensing she had something to do with the change in the emperor), the wolf left to find Kaguya standing around outside. She recognized Issun's voice right away. The mysterious girl said that she felt like something was calling to her, and she could not resist. She had a vision of a royal crest in the bamboo grove in Sasa Sanctuary, home of the sparrow spirits, and headed off. They followed, back across the coast and over the bridge, and into the sparrows' inn.
Heading to the back, they found Kaguya at the crest... along with her grandfather. It seems she hadn't expected to run into him here. He was overjoyed to see the girl, but she rebuffed him, explaining that her fate lay elsewhere. Using a mysterious power, she opened a hole in the ground, and jumped in. Harugami and Issun followed suit. They dug and they dug and they dug, until finally they found... a rocket?!
Following an explanation and tearful farewell, Kaguya gave Harugami one last token-- the treasure that the emperor had desired, the Fire Tablet-- and went on her way. Issun reminded the wolf that they needed to have a harsh word or two with Queen Himiko. Making their way back to the palace, Harugami used Veil of Mist to get past the guards, and headed inside. Her attendant within greeted them, and told the duo that Her Majesty was expecting their arrival.
The elevator took them directly to her floor, where they were greeted by... lava. How on earth did they get it in this building?! "You may be god now, but you'd be a crispy critter if you fell in this stuff!" This was the first time in either film that Issun had addressed the wolf's true nature. But no matter. Equipping her new Fire Tablet, Harugami was able to swim to the other side of the sea of flames, entering a long corridor that led directly to the queen's room.
"Benevolent À̶̧́͟_̷͡҉_҉́̕͠t̨͡͝ȩ̶̸̶͠_̧̕_̶͏s͡͡u͟͏҉̀"... I have been waiting for you."
Himiko, who had hidden herself up to now, had done so for good reason. She had been attempting to divine the location of the demons' stronghold, Oni Island, which disappeared and reappeared in different locations at the end of each day. The queen had hidden herself away in order to protect herself and her crystal ball from harm. But she had another task for Harugami... The dreaded Water Dragon was necessary in order to break Oni Island's barrier. They just had to get it back under control. To do so, someone would need to go to the Dragonian Domain under the sea.
Naturally, Harugami agreed to do so. To Issun's dismay.
With Himiko's border key, they headed for the northern coast. They barely took a step in before the prophet Waka appeared once more. He explained that this area, too, had been cursed, but he himself performed a Great Divine Intervention. He had nothing further to say besides taunting Issun, and disappeared just as suddenly as he'd appeared.
Oni Island could be seen in the distance, as well as the Water Dragon patrolling the sea. Both seemed impassable for now. On the beach, they came across a group of kids hitting a man with sticks and whatever else they could find, taunting him about a supposed experience with the Dragonian Domain. Once Harugami and Issun shooed them off, Urashima explained that the emissary of the Dragon Palace, Orca, would appear at the pier with the morning sun, only to those worthy of the visit.
On the way to the pier, they passed a little girl, who told the story of how a cat had climbed that impossibly tall tower, and had become a god. But then it was too scared to come down, so it cried and cried until it finally turned to stone. Its cries could still be heard today... hence the name, Catcall Tower.
Once they were at the pier, Harugami manually summoned the morning sun. True to form, Orca appeared. But he couldn't take them to the Dragon Palace just yet-- its ruler, Otohime, had decreed that Harugami pass one final ordeal-- find the whirlpool that was hidden to protect the Dragonians.
Catcall Tower seemed like the most obvious place to start. As they got closer, they could hear the signature meows that seemed to echo across the sea. Arriving at the island, they found at the base, to no one's surprise, cats. The mark of Catwalk, one of the brush techniques, plastered all over the tower. With it, anyone could walk up the walls. And so they began.
... It was a very long climb. Night fell before Harugami got to the top. There were more cats at some of the tiers.
Finally, they reached the top, to find a small mermaid spring, and at the very top... another cat. Issun wondered if it came up here looking for something to eat, so Harugami pulled out a bag of fish-based animal feed, which it happily devoured. With one last meow, it curled up and went to sleep.
... And then there was one last cat.
Now, they could take the mermaid spring back down... or they could take a leap of faith.
Night fell. Back on the mainland, a Kabegami statue stood against a cliff face, the stairs to which had long since crumbled away. Climbing it, they found... well, a cyclopic demon. It was resilient, but soon dispatched. A man who appeared to be stargazing had apparently been oblivious to the commotion until it was already over.
The man explained that they were standing on Watcher's Cape, where the gods had once used as a point from which they could return to the heavens. A great place to stargaze, where even the whirlpool galaxy- a group of stars forming a great spiral-- was visible once. But recently, it had seemed to disappear as Oni Island had begun to appear. The man was waiting for a shooting star to wish it back.
A simple dot of Harugami's tail on the canvas, and the star appeared-- and shot across the night sky. The man made a fervent wish for the galaxy to reappear, and sure enough...
Approaching the end of the cape for a closer look, they passed a stone monument that stated that when the whirlpool galaxy spins, a whirlpool would open up below, too. That sounded like the entrance to the Dragon Palace! But... it wasn't spinning right now. Issun remarked that it looked like a big, celestial windmill.
And they knew what to do with windmills.
A few Galestorms later, the galaxy seemed to be spinning rapidly-- and sure enough, a whirlpool opened up in the sea below. The duo quickly ran to Orca to hitch a ride straight into the center of the whirlpool, narrowly avoiding the patrolling Water Dragon.
click the picture!
Approaching the palace, the guards called out to them from the second floor. Althought their tone was terse at first, but once Queen Himiko's name was dropped, they invited the duo in to speak with Otohime in the throne room.
Otohime, stating that the Dragonians were prepared to do whatever was necessary, addressed Harugami by her mysterious name, and in the same manner as the gods ("origin of good and mother to us all"). She explained that when Oni Island appeared a month prior, monsters swarmed into the sea and laid siege to the Dragon Palace. Much was lost before the Water Dragon appeared, and routed the forces of darkness. But their leader, the Dark Lord, had great powers, and severely injured the Water Dragon. The sea deity seemed to fly into madness after that, and rampaged through the seas. The Dragonians were as much in danger as anyone else.
The queen of the Dragonians entreated Harugami to retrieve an item called the Dragon Orb from within the Water Dragon's body itself. Harnessing its power, the barrier on Oni Island could still be broken. To Issun's horror, the sun god agreed to reclaim it. The dragon made its lair in a garden at the palace, but left the Dragonians alone as long as they did the same to it. But Otohime believed that if anyone could do it, it was Harugami.
They found the Water Dragon right where Otohime said it would be, its jaws wide open, and without another thought, leapt into its mouth.
Within, strange, tree-like structures, appendages, and crystals grew haphazardly. Most of its body was filled with water, unsurprisingly. Its body was surprisingly vast and cavernous... and even some demons lurked inside its body. No wonder it was so enraged.
As Otohime had stated, they found the Dragon Orb deep within its belly... tangled up in stomach muscle that not even Harugami's Power Slash could cut. Maybe up ahead, there would be something further... turned out it was a dead end. A red liquid filled this cavern, and some dripped from a mass in the ceiling. Using Waterspout to burst the mass, the acid flooded the cavern. Getting back would be difficult if not for the Lily Pad technique.
Riding the lily pads back in, they once again utilized the red liquid, this time to dissolve the fleshy mass surrounding the Dragon Orb. Once freed, the object landed in the red liquid and made it disappear. They were all ready to leave when suddenly, something in the air shifted. The doors were sealed by dark forces. Balls of pale purple flame swarmed around them-- foxfire! Some launched themselves at the wolf, but she dodged-- and then formed into pipe foxes that howled at her, and lunged.
Nine in total, three at a time. They danced around her, and slashed, and even drained her Celestial Ink from her. It was a tense battle, but in the end, the balls of foxfire lay dormant, and the god victorious. The evil defeated, the seals on the doors vanished-- and the foxfire rose into the air, coalescing into a strange object, a set of rods.
The Fox Rods that Rao had been searching for!
But they had no time to gloat, as it seemed the acid had done a great deal of damage to the dragon-- it was falling apart from the inside, and in a matter of minutes, they would be doomed too if they didn't escape. Acid and chunks of flesh fell rapidly as they dashed back towards the Dragon's mouth.
Once they escaped... the Water Dragon fell endlessly, into the abyss of the sea. It was dead. Without it, what hope did they have of penetrating Oni Island?
Before they could ponder much longer, a light appeared from the depths. It was coming up to meet them. A man addressed her by name, in the same way the gods and Otohime had. He introduced himself as Wada, King of the Dragonians, and thanked her for releasing him from his uncontrolled rage as the Water Dragon. He explained that he had gone to battle with the Dark Lord, and swallowed the Dark Instrument he wielded. But the Fox Rods had lodged in his belly and caused him the pain which drove him to madness.
Before he disappeared into the depths, he asked Harugami to return the Dragon Orb to his wife, Otohime, and prayed for the rest of the innocent souls whose lives he had ended as the Water Dragon... and for the sun god's good fortune. He fell back into the abyssal waters, and the Dragon Orb glowed, its light consuming Harugami and Issun, transporting them back to the garden.
Rao was waiting there. She had seen the Water Dragon thrashing about from the shore, and hurried to Harugami's side in case she was needed. Issun showed her the Fox Rods that they had taken from within Wada's body, and she seemed both shocked and enthralled, and demanded that the duo give her the Fox Rods at once. Issun hesitated, fearing for her safety. The monsters would stop at nothing to locate these, and the priestess having them would put her in danger.
Harugami, however, obliged.
"It's an eerie light they give out. Yet somehow, alluring," said Rao. With this, her holy powers would reach their limit, and she could aid Himiko in defeating the Dark Lord. Telling them she had to return to the city, she added that she would honor this duty with her life, and dashed off.
Back at the throne room, Otohime was pleased to see that Harugami had escaped the Water Dragon, and in turn the wolf returned the Dragon Orb to its rightful place above the throne. As the queen and her guards bowed to her and thanked her, Issun asked about Wada-- his death and his role as her husband. The Dragonian's leader confirmed that he had indeed been her husband, and he used the orb to become the Water Dragon in order to save his people. She then re-stated that the Dragonians had the resolve to do whatever was necessary, and the Dragon Orb had to be retrieved, no matter the cost.
As she asked about the Fox Rods, she seemed concerned that Harugami had given them to Rao... whom Otohime seemed unaware and uncertain of. She hoped that the priestess proved trustworthy... and no sooner had those words left her mouth than the Dragon Orb moved forward, and began to glow. As the wolf and her companion stared on in confusion, Otohime stated that perhaps it was a vision from the late king-- something he wanted them to see.
Ankoku Temple. Rao. Running. A huge monster in pursuit. Black and mysterious, on all fours with multiple tails. It looked like it might be a fox-type demon. As the trembling priestess was cornered, its tails rose into the air--
The vision ended.
Harugami and Issun wasted no time in running off, without explaining the vision's meaning to the Dragonian Queen, who reminded them that there was still hope.
They ran out of the palace, returned to the surface on Orca's back, made for the shore, and ran all the way across Ryoshima Coast up to the temple. There, they saw Rao heading towards the temple, beckoning them to follow. Something was different about her, though, as she vanished from sight, appearing and reappearing up the stairs, and around the side of the temple.
Finally, she vanished into a wall, and as the duo approached, the wall vanished-- it was an illusion, concealing a waterless well. Harugami leapt in, and found a long corridor. Where did it lead? Also, there was a mummy against the wall, wearing familiar-looking clothing...
Turns out it lead straight to the Imperial Palace. The guards didn't know of it... and likely, neither did Himiko. Inside, they found her attendant knocked out. They had to hurry to Himiko as fast as they could.
They were too late. (( watch til 13:15 ))
Following Himiko's advice, the duo left the palace in pursuit of "Rao". They had precious little time to waste. When they came upon Watcher's Cape once more, Otohime was waiting for them. She had sensed Himiko's death, and came to this spot where Himiko had predicted Oni Island to appear. Issun expressed that without the Water Dragon, they still couldn't break the barrier, so that there was no point.
Otohime countered, The Water Dragon is not dead in the true sense of the word."
click the picture!
Oni Island was just as foreboding up close as it was from a distance. The fortress was surrounded by lava-- not an issue for one with the Fire Tablet, but no less daunting, considering the distance. A pair of ogres stood guard at the door-- they were no match for Harugami.
As they made their way in, they were greeted politely by what appeared to be one of "Rao"'s prayer slips... or whatever they truly were. It introduced itself as Tobi, had an evil aura, sentience, and could speak. Though tasked with guarding Oni Island from intruders such as herself, it challenged the god to a bit of sport-- a race to the end of the hallway. The paper slip was fast, but not faster than Harugami.
Tobi challenged them again and again, over spiked chasms and hallways, through rotating crushers, even through monster battles. There were other hazards too, of course-- laser-spitting statues over small, tight corridors, security "cameras" that flooded the room with lava. With effort, she navigated her way around them all.
On a terrace outside, they found a great tiger statue with a bow on its back, but no arrows to fire. Naturally, Harugami could fix that... and released another brush god.
With Thunderstorm under her belt, making her way through the rest of Oni Island was fairly straightforward. At Tobi's final race, it stated that the wolf was approaching the climax of her adventure... and with one last loss, it announced that as it had abandoned its duty as gatekeeper, the cost would be its existence. Still, it told them, this was the life of its choosing, and so had no regrets as it was to vanish. Wishing them well, the evil aura vanished, and the paper slip fell to the floor, transformed into a small flower-- and vanished entirely. For evil beings, there was no afterlife-- this was the total end for Tobi.
They had precious little time to mourn. They were close to the top. Issun said a few parting words to the fallen being, then they headed on their way.
Finally, they were at the summit... and the Dark Lord was waiting for them. (( watch until 11:56 ))
The credits roll. Though it stated that this was the end of her adventure in Ryoshima Coast, the wolf's journey was far from over-- but perhaps there was someone out there who could tell the rest of the story personally.
...
If you stick around long enough, you will see a scene set behind Ankoku temple. A couple from the city has come to pay respects to the true Rao's grave, a single headstone with the priestess' name and title on it, and kneel down to pray before it. The false wall fades to the viewer's eye, revealing a single lily in bloom by the old well, as if watching over the gravesite's visitors...