𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧?

Chapter 16

"Kureno, is that you?" Akito mumbles, turning her head to look at me. "Oh, no. It's the dumb deer."

I flinch at her words but refrain for doing anything hasty. I can't let this go south like it did last time. Shigure is right in saying that my body couldn't take another blow like it did. 

I feel him lightly push me into the room. So I take a step further in. Further into the darkness, the broken hope. And further into my plan. "Are you back here to try and break the curse, again?" Akito beings to laugh. "And you brought the dog in with you. You two were always the dumbest."

"You didn't always say that." My whole body is cringing listening to her awful cackle. She is just such a wicked creature. 

"So, what's your plan? Are you going to bore me to death with a lecture?" She continues to howl. 

I slip my hand inside of my pocket and grab the scroll of paper. But as I pull it out, I pull out a small picture of Hatori that I didn't even realize I had in my yukata. I hope that after I do this, Hatori. You'll forgive me.

"I believe, you like the idea of promises, bonds, isn't that right Akito?" I ask. "Because if that's the truth, then you've failed to keep your end of the promise. As both God, and as once, my friend."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She snarls.

I thrust the paper in her face and quickly move away in case if she decides to swipe at me. "What is this?"

After the Deer had been left out of the first banquet, the God decided to throw another one in honor of the Deer. But the only animal that came was the Dragon.

"Don't you remember? When Akira was still alive?" I ask as her eyes fill with fire over the old note.

The Deer was saddened by the fact that only one animal came. But the Dragon offered the Deer friendship to make up for the lack of the other animals.

"You.... you think you can just expect me offer you friendship? You idiotic beast." I hear the door close behind me, signaling that Shigure had left the room. I don't feel weird speaking now that he's not standing over my shoulder.

The Deer and the Dragon grew close over time. But the Deer became jealous when she saw that the Dragon had many other friends with the other animals. She wanted the Dragon all to herself.

"You've failed to keep a promise you made to me. And I have also failed to keep my end of it as well."

The Dragon told her that she was being foolish by being jealous. The deer was angered by the Dragon's words, and ran away. From both God and him.

"You said it, as clear as I did. Don't you remember it?" I say once again. "That day that Akira asked if I was willing to be your friend."

While away from the animals and God, the Deer learned many of things. She learned that the Dragon had been right, she had been very selfish. She learned of her wrongs. She decided to go back to God, and her friend the Dragon.

"I came back from school, I came and saw you, and together we wrote down on this piece of paper our friendship. And what we must do to keep our friendship alive. We promised to each other that we would do no harm."

The deer returned home, but the God greeted her with anger. God was furious at the deer for leaving. The deer, although scared of God, spoke up to God.

"Shut up! SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME!" Akito screams, grabbing on to my clothes. "Do not remind me of stupid promises I made when I was a dumb child." Her voice comes to a whisper.