<3
Chapter 47: Our Final Promise
Goodbye.
Rika sat on the chair, watching the busy life amidst her. Almost emotionless, but not lifeless, she looked up at the skies whose clouds waltz in an endless dance. The feeling she had before was the last feeling, she knew it, for it was much powerful than the times Yui and Yuko had their curses lifted.
These were the final tears she would experience.
“Is it okay…?” she uttered under her breath, allowing a few tears to escape as an obligatory accomplice to the parts of her pulling away one by one.
“A world without eternity…” Rika wiped her tears away.
“Maybe I was a child after all… A child too obsessive… A small girl unwilling to part from her fairytale threshold… I need to gather the final meeting…”
Letting out a sigh, she stood up again, retreating into her room.
Goodbye, all of you.
“Maki…” Reina looked up at Maki, her eyes watering, not of sadness, not of joy, but of realization.
The younger’s words did not seem to reach the other. Maki backed away from their embrace and turned around.
It was too sudden. One second, there were the chains around her mind, but now, the restrictions simply vanished. Maki looked at her hands, studying her prints to see if there were any external changes made. No, nothing has changed. Nothing but the spirit that has left her body.
Maki turned back to look at Reina, whose eyes released those tears of realization which gradually turned into relief.
Maki didn’t realize she too, was relieved, and for some reason, sad at the sudden release of the cursed binding.
She cried as well.
Leaving is sad… So sad…
Megumi was sitting on the window sill, with her book lying on her lap. She simply displayed no interest for it anymore. She stopped reading to register the existence of presence that had been with her for so long. The existence that was no longer with her.
Closer inspection upon the book revealed darkened spots where her tears fell.
“…Masae?”
No answer from within the room.
“Masae?” the older called out again.
“Yes?”
Megumi closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall behind her, feeling relaxed by that voice. Yet, this was a rather new feeling to her, a feeling normally restricted by the missing existence. It was an odd feeling. It was confusing to her.
Had the spirit within her relinquish all these feelings from her?
It was like a maelstrom of thoughts deep inside of her.
But now, something was clear.
One feeling was in the center of it all.
It was a feeling that was once repressed, but now free to articulate.
Megumi placed the book beside her and then reached out her hand to the younger woman, inviting her to take it.
Masae blinked, confused at the other’s intention, but took the hand anyway.
Immediately, before thoughts can process, the older tugged the younger into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around the other’s neck.
“Megumi?”
“I was born because I wanted to love you,” the glasses-wearing woman whispered in the other’s ear, “And now, I can finally say it…”
“Megumi…” Masae smiled, closer to having teary eyes at the confession. “I’m happy…”
“Don’t cry,” Megumi loosened her grip slightly to pull back and then move forward again to kiss the tears away.
Things like “partings are the beginnings of meetings…”
It was gone. All that it left was distant memories regained.
Kaori allowed the tears to fall down her face as she brushed the final strokes of the now finished painting.
She stood up and backwards to look at the painting, her head tilted at an angle due to the state of her hard tears.
The hopes of her mind.
The freedom of her mind.
The love she had realized she had and had infused into each stroke of her brush as she stared at the painting.
She used her index finger and thumb to cover her eyes, trying to stop those tears.
And thus, the painting of Abe Natsumi was done.
Right now… I don’t want to hear those words…
She was walking down the street when she felt it.
That sudden departure from her heart.
She looked up at the sky, wondering if the love of her life was looking at the same sky.
“So this is what it feels like…” Were the only words she could gather. She placed her right hand over her heart, wondering if such an action could heal the wounds of the left-behind weight of the burden.
Everything else was simply noise.
Noises of slight sniffling.
Noises of tear drops on the ground.
“So that is how the curse was broken…” the Morning Musume leader closed her eyes, savoring the memories that passed her by just before the spirit left her.
Cry with me.
Risa paused in her conversation with the older, realizing that the spirit within her, suppressing her, had disappeared without her knowledge.
Ai became confused at the sudden pause.
She then saw the younger cry.
“…So sudden,” the younger said amidst tears. Risa turned around and then laid her head on Ai’s lap, relaxing on the bed beneath them.
“You…?”
“My curse is gone…” Risa tried to say, tears blocking most of what she had wanted to say. She reached her hand out, caressing the older’s face, and Ai was registering the words she had just spoken.
“Your journey is over too…” Ai allowed her tears of relief to drop and then laid down as well, hugging her beloved.
“We have both walked a long way… Let us rest.”
Let us cry together.
Hmm… Why do I have this odd feeling…? Miki thought as she was sitting on sofa, waiting for someone to appear.
Could it be that I’m just nervous? No, can’t be, Aya and I have done things more intimate than a silly café date…
“Tan~!” came a slightly exhausted voice. Miki looked up to find Aya out of breath, standing in front of her. “Sorry for being late,” Aya regulated her breathing normally now, “have you waited long?”
“It’s alright,” Miki stood up, “you didn’t run did you?” the older mused.
“No I didn’t, I think I was a little too excited coming here,” Aya laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
“Sorry for asking you to come so suddenly,” Miki chuckled, “You know me, whenever we both miraculously have a day off, I would call you and we wou—”
“And you are the last.”
Miki felt something tear away from her, halting what she was going to say before.
“Thank you very much,” the snake with the kanji for five on its head bowed.
“Tan?” Aya questioned, confused at the tears which came forth from Miki’s eyes as she turned her head into a different direction, clasping her hand to her mouth to prevent any noise from exiting. “Is something wrong?”
“Thank you for keeping that old, old promise… Thank you,” the snake turned around, seeing another figure behind it amidst the complete darkness. Then the silver snake slithered up the figure’s hand and arm, which was crouching, and then stood up.
Miki didn’t see what the figure looked like. She only saw the back of the figure’s body, clad in traditional black and blue attire, and the figure’s long silver hair reaching it’s mid-back. Also on the figure’s back was a long katana, sheathed in black iron, that legendary sword which was found in the Orochi’s tail in that age-long myth. The figure was clearly the god from that legend. He turned his head slightly, showing a youthful face with the long beautiful silver beard to compliment it. His dark blue eyes stared into the tearful eyes of Miki, smiling.
With that smile, Susanoo and the snakes clinging to him walked away into the dark abyss, vanishing into shadows beyond the world.
Gone.
Cry like the day we were first born into the world.
“Is he okay?” the old woman looked down at the man at her feet.
“Mother, I think he’s just knocked out…” a young woman kneeled at the man’s side, shaking him with intent of waking him.
“Such a young fine man too! But he seems like a demon with that unnatural hair of his!” the old man studied with his elder eyes. “Kushinada, I say we should leave him be. We should not involve ourselves with a demon such as he.”
“The least we could do is nurse him back to health and then we can let him go, do you prefer that plan?” Kushinada looked up at her elder father with a pleading look. The old man sighed and let out an affirmative noise.
There was a slight cough coming from the unconscious man. Kushinada and her mother immediately averted their attention to the waking man.
“Where…?” he uttered almost inaudibly, still weak.
“You are in the Izumo province, sir,” Kushinada reassured, smiling at the man.
“Ah yes…” the man stood up, patting himself to remove any dust from his traditional outfit and light armor. “I remember now…”
“But were you not injured?” Kushinada stood up, her hands latched onto his shoulder armor.
“Would you believe me if I said I fell from the sky after having quite the large fight with my sister?”
“Now who are you and your sister to say such a supernatural thing?” the old man waved his hand dismissively, already in disbelief from the story.
“My sister is Amaretesu.”
The elder couple and Kushinada gaped with shock.
“Then… You…” the elder couple and Kushinada stammered, but the man finished for them.
“Why yes, I am Susanoo, the so called ‘lowly brother of the storm and winds’ of the sun goddess,” Susanoo let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. “I was exiled from heaven after losing to my sister, so I guess I have nothing more to do than to just wander here…”
“No! Stay here and help us with something!” Kushinada’s eyes became tinted with an inexplicable determination.
“Ah yes! Can you help us out of the goodness of your heart?” the old man sported a pleading look, along with his wife.
“I am listening,” Susanoo paid full attention to them.
“There are these terrible beasts roaming near us! There are eight fierce serpants that always come by to collect a daughter from us for their meal, and now that seven of our daughters are gone, only Kushinada is left! Please, we love our daughter dearly! We don’t want her to be stolen from us! She’s the only one we have left!”
“I can’t do it…” Susanoo frowned, “This may be a beast, but it is still a live being that only kills others to live. It is no different than killing a human who simply kills other living things to live.”
“Sir, I beg you to differ!” Kushinada cried out, “I only want to live too! You are the only one with the strength to slaughter these beasts! I will give you my heart, soul, and flesh if you do this for me! Please, Susanoo-sama, I only wish to live and continue my generations!”
Susanoo’s viewpoint slowly deteriorated after being touched by Kushinada’s words. “So be it. I will reach a point with these deities,” Susanoo let out another sigh, “where do these serpants live?”
“They live on cave of that mountain,” the old man pointed to the aforementioned far mountain, “thank you so much! We are thankful to have a good god like you granting our favor! Sorry for our lowly burden!” the couple bowed to the God, to which he simply used the winds to straighten their backs gently.
“There is no need to bow, I am happy to know that I am needed here,” Susanoo smiled serenely. “My dear woman, I shall come back for you after I am done,” and with that, the wind god levitated in the air and flew straight for the mountain.
As he flew, he used his magic to create eight caskets of the finest rice wine for his ‘welcome’ at the deities’ home. Soon, he arrived at the lair, the eight caskets floating behind him as he walked into the cave nonchalantly, ignoring the small lesser snakes hissing at him.
“Eight serpants of naught, answer my summon!” Susanoo called out into the lair, listening to his echo after the call. The lair rumbled slightly, and he saw eight pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness, staring contemptuously at him. The eyes grew larger, signifying their movement closer to him.
Eight large silver snakes came to his view, each with a number tattooed onto their heads.
“What is it you desire, outsider?” the first head hissed.
“An outsider’s presence is not wanted here,” the fifth head said, with the fiercest glare of the other seven.
More hisses of Susanoo’s unwelcome came before Susanoo levitated the caskets to the heads.
“I only wish to speak with you all,” the man sat Indian-style in mid-air. “Please drink, it will satisfy you all.”
And so, the Orochi drank the wine while Susanoo listened to the stories they had to offer for him at his request. They were interesting stories. They were fascinating stories. They were unique stories. They were sad stories. They were happy stories.
How could such a beast deserve to die?
The wind god suddenly remembered his original intention of coming to the place, and he grew sad. Eventually, everyone would die. The banquet would end. No matter how fun it was. No matter how much you love your friends, eventually, they would all have to die.
Susanoo did not have the heart to vanquish them of their existence.
He told the Orochi of what he was sent here to do, and they quickly got angry, though not at the god, but at the selfish humans who want their death.
Then the god came up with a plan.
He drew a circle into a newly created wine casket, requesting that the Orochi drink it. Susanoo then said, “Let our friendship last for eternity. Let us be bound by our friendship for times of infinity. No matter how many times we die, no matter how many times we are reborn. Again, in the same way, no matter how many times, let us have another banquet. Everyone getting along for all of time, let us be in eternal bliss.”
The others nodded in agreement, so one by one, they took turns to drink the wine; however, there was one snake who didn’t drink the wine at all.
“I’m sorry sir, but I do not want eternity,” the first head said, looking at the floor in sadness.
Those were unthinkable words to say. To Susanoo… and the other seven serpants… They were rejecting words.
Everyone was sad to hear them. They all turned against the first head.
Even so…
“Sir, sir, even though you are frightened, let us accept that all things end. Even though it is sad. Let us accept that life ends. Sir, even though it was just a short time, I am happy that you came to us, accepting us. If I were to die, I would be reborn, and meet you again. The next time, rather than this dreadful setting, I want to see you smile in the sunlight. The next time I meet you, I want to see you laughing, surrounded with people.”
But the others hated those words. Feeling betrayed by the first head, all of the orochi attacked the first head, wounding it severely.
“I’m sorry,” Susanoo said, walking to the first heavily breathing first head, then he tilted the serpant’s head upwards, and poured the remaining drops of the special wine into it.
“I guess it can’t be helped, can it…?” the first head said after swallowing the drops. “Kill us then, when we are reborn, we will come back to you always. My only request is to make a sword out of our scales, so that we may protect you always.”
Susanoo nodded his head, sad to see his friend go.
The others agreed to their friend’s last request, allowing their deaths only because they will be reborn anyway to see Susanoo and have another banquet again.
Soon, the first head died, and one by one, Susanoo bid his farewells to the others, while the others bid farewells to eachother.
“Until we all meet again!” the snakes cried out, and then Susanoo killed them painlessly, knowing that they will be reborn to meet him again. Gathering their bodies, Susanoo used his magic to combine and condense the bodies into the form of a powerful blade.
“My friends, what shall we name this relic?” Susanoo called out with his mind, searching for their souls waiting to be reborn. “Shall it be called the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi then?” (Heaven’s Cloud-Gathering Sword) “Hmm… Such a long title… I shall call it the Kusanagi then.”
And with that, Susanoo sheathed the sword, and flew out of the cave.
The first memory forgotten…
“Tan?”
“Sorry…” Miki wiped her tears away, “Sorry, all of a sudden… It’s just… I just separated from someone I have always been with. Though we were always together, it was always so painful together.. Such a burden… But now that we have parted, this is my reaction… I’m being so unfair…”
Aya’s eyes widened, understanding the context now. “Can you not see it ever again?”
“Yes, we will never meet again, I know it… But…” Miki looked up at Aya, “in exchange, it has given me my freedom,” Miki moved in to hug the younger tightly.
“Tan…” Aya smiled, hugging the other in return.
“Aya, can you call me by my first name again…?”
Aya smiled at the request, remembering the last time her dear Miki had last asked her that those many weeks ago.
“I love you, Miki…”
Miki pried herself from the hug slightly and kissed the younger right after she had heard what she had wanted to hear.
Pulling herself away, Miki smiled, “Say it as many times as you want.”
The First Promise…
Since when did it become a curse?
Since when did it become a burden?
When everyone was happy and struggled to part…
Love should have been there.
Time has gone by, people have changed.
And it became something that has made people suffer.
I’m sorry.
I’m very sorry.
But…
There is something I want to say to everyone for trying to keep the promise.
Although it is not the promise that was originally made…
To all those who kept it…
What I most, most want to say to everyone is thank you.
Thank you for letting this story reach it’s end.
The story of when the first head’s words finally came true was far into the future.
But that future is now the past.
And this burden is now gone.
Thank you for keeping that promise.
Goodbye.
<3
Topic: Our Cursed Gift [Chapter 47: Our Final Promise][COMPLETE] (Read 130920 times)