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Tell me once again
I could have been anyone, anyone else
Before you made the choice for me
Taking the goddess’s hand into her own, she admired the burning gold of her eyes. Silent, soft steps of her feet graced the temple steps as Illari led her down. The young girl could not speak; the goddess was too brilliant for her to speak.
My feet knew the path
We walked in the dark, in the dark
I never gave a single thought to where it might lead
But the goddess giggled and asked, “My dear, tell me why you have sought my form?” A voice sweet as honey, lips curled into a mischievous smile, "I've heard your prayers every dawn break." She awaited the answer. Illari drew a breath, the same air the goddess shared, and gently spoke.
“Forgive me for what I have done,” Illari pleaded as memories of her comrades and fellow children flashed in her mind, lost to the explosion of her powers. The goddess’s eyes narrowed slightly at her confession as she took another step down the shrine steps. Her power radiated brighter than Illari could ever achieve.
All those empty rooms
We could have been anywhere, anywhere else
Instead, I made a bed with apathy
“Why must I? The sun is no merciful being and never asked for forgiveness.”
My heart knew the weight
Ten years' worth of dust and neglect
We made our peace with weariness and let it be
The goddess rested a palm on the cheek of her disciple, her iridescent auriferous eyes lingering as she closed in with a soft kiss to Illari’s forehead. The sun of her crown sparked and glittered in the sunshine rays. Illari felt intoxicated at such a display of affection from her deity.
The moon will sing a song for me
I loved you like the sun
Bore the shadows that you made
With no light of my own
I shine only with the light you gave me
I shine only with the light you gave me
“My little ray, keep shining for me. For the sun without it will never warm nor shine as bright,” The goddess spoke, words light as a feather and quick as a stream. Illari stared at her deity in awe as her goddess became radiant in the slither of light.
Stepping further down the steps away from her disciple, the goddess continued, “Without you, Who will I be? I’ll be the sun everyone will take for granted in their everyday lives like they do with my moon.” The brilliant goddess lowered her gaze, and Illari waited for her to continue.
With a flicker of her sun-like eyes, the deity reached out a hand to her loyal servant, “Come, my dear. You served me this long and came all this way for me. Are you going to leave now?” Illari stiffened: her beloved sun was giving her another chance. After she confessed sins?
Name your courage now
We could have had anything, anything else
Instead, you hoarded all that's left of me
“Are you afraid? I do not bite; only Okami does,” She giggled with a small smile, and Illari took her hand and followed her down the steps of her shrine into the light her goddess’s sun had brought.
Swallowing your doubt
Like swords to the pit of my belly
I want to feel the fire that you kept from me
The goddess of the sun shined bright so her disciple could shine brighter. Her crown is luminous, and her eyes burning with passion. Where she went her ray followed.
The moon will sing a song for me
I loved you like the sun
Bore the shadows that you made
With no light of my own
Every dawn, the servant turned to the horizon to watch the sunrise.
I shine only with the light you gave me
Awaiting for her deity’s blessing and soothing light.
I shine only with the light you gave me
She basked in every morning light and prayed at every moonlight.
I shine only with the light you gave me
“The sun is not merciful and does not ask for forgiveness, is what you said…,” Illari remorsefully pondered, staring down at the sun emblem of her rifle.
(I could have been anyone, anyone)
“But even the sun must make its wrongs right, my goddess.” The sun woefully dimmed as it leered down the horizon. Its formerly crystal blue sky darkened as the gleaming moon rose, all too familiar with the warrior’s remorse.
I shine only with the light you gave me
(I could have been anyone, anyone)