thus was the pass of the setting sun
Okami (mythology?) -- endgame spoilers*
*which is to say, THIS IS NOT HOW THE GAME ENDS, it's just something that gets revealed near the very end of the game that sets the timeframe for this fic
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... Thus was the passing of a god.

Like so many things in his life, it was too late: escaped too late, fought too late, prophesized too late, arrived only in time to see the village in full bloom, and the crouched stone wolf in its rickety little shrine. It's such a pathetic thing, but he puts his hand on the rough wood and he thinks: this is the best they can do, these little villagers with their tiny lives and narrow dreams. This is the best tribute they can give to a god, because they have nothing better.

In Tamagahara, there would have been golden gates to all the corners, a shrine of pearl and coral to rival the palace of the Great Dragon King, and the air would have hummed with mourning songs. The statue itself would have been in full glory, so lifelike that it would stir the heart to see.

In Tamagahara, rather than the white of mourning there would have been dull ash-grey and black as the heavenly plain itself shed color for the sun god's passing.

In Tamagahara, Amaterasu would not be dead.

And for what? Orochi was merely sealed, youkai still prowled in broad daylight, and already the flighty faith of humans had whittled the path to the heavens into a thread. The Ark had been lost, and its people alongside it; only Amaterasu had remained.

And now, not even that.

He covered his face.

There were prayers he could say over this rough grave, though they were joyous things, meant to celebrate a god in her full glory and strength, *ah! Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to us all!*

It would have made her laugh, and that would have been good: it was said that Tamahagara flourished at the sound of the sun god's laughter. And perhaps she would accuse him of being too serious ("are all of the men of the moon tribe so solemn? ah, I want less of that, then!") before she vanished into the tall grass with only the plumed rise of her tail visible and then -- gone.

Gone.

He could recite prayers; instead, what he said was: "When the same spring comes, we'll meet again."

He did not kiss the stone, but he touched it once more, and walked away.