Alone and Quiet but Sad

DANDY wiped the sweat that streamed down her face as she tugged on the last vine that hanged on a tree. Finally, the forest was back into its original state. Homey and light to the feelings.

"Thank you!" She even waved at the few birds, monkeys, deer and other small animals that helped her clear up the forest.

Since it was just her that cleaned the forest, it took her a few days before she was done. It took longer than she expected as some of the vines and weeds started to adopt to the living things that it attached into.

Dandy flew at the trunk of the tree and touched the scar that the vines left. "I'm sorry. Don't worry I'll heal you. You won't even notice that it was there." Dandy giggled as the tree swayed.

She placed her two hands on the scar, closed her eyes as she utter her prayer. "I call upon the light of life. Restore what's broken. Give cure when it's needed. O, Goddess of the Godesses, hear my prayer!"

A blinding light started to glitter as it burst from where Danday's hand were. The shimmer started to fill the sourroundings. It looks like that the stars were brought down to earth.

The birds chirped as the wolf howls. The trees swayed simultaneously as the other animals rejoiced.

A few moments later, the light subsided, and the scar on the trees trunk were all gone. The leaves and the grass were greener.

"Thank you, our Deity."

The chorus of voices in dandy's head made her looked at the gathering that was happening. It had been like that since she started to use her powers. It was as if everyone was drawn unto her.

Dandy shook her head as she slowly descended and sat on the tree's root. "You don't have to thank me," Dandy smiled at everyone. "It is my duty. This is what mama gave me. It is I that would be saying my sorry." Dandy slightly bowed her head. She just smiled at everyone when they bowed their heads, too.

"Seems like I always forget the things I should be doing," Dandy continued. "And if it weren't for Lord Kahaku, I wouldn't recognize my mistake."

Dandy could feel the side of her lips starting to droop down into a frown. Her eyes, too, were getting blurry as tears were starting to fall.

"If…If he didn't told me that I'm already hurting you, the old guardians might have disappeared completely without me knowing about it. Sorry." Dandy bowed again.

The forest were silent but the voices in Dandys head weren't.

{We are sorry, too, our lady.}

{We should have told you instead of just hiding.}

{We know you just want to protect everyone.}

All of those voices came from living life in the forest. Dandy was thankful that they forgave her and it reflected on how the flowers started to bloom and made it rain of unending of petals. Dandy was oblivious that it was her who made all of it thus getting amaze because of it.

Out of happiness, she stood up and danced with the swirling petals as the animals gave her way. Following her footsteps as they circle the lands of the forest.

Dandy stopped when she was at the banks of the river but the deer that was following her didn't saw that she stopped moving, accidentally pushed her to the water.

Everyone stopped when Dnady fell in the river. Everyone tried their best to look at the water. Waiting for the small deity to pop her head out of it.

A few more minutes and there was still no Dandy, every creature started to panic and was ready to jump to the river when they felt the cold water from the other side of the river.

There she was, floating near the falls and gave the creatures a splash of the cold spring.

"I got yah!" gigiling when she did it again. "Come on, the water is fine."

The creatures looked at each other then looked around as if finding someone.

"Are you looking for Lord Kahaku? He's not here. He went away with Yoshiko and Tamotsu. We have the forest all to ourselves."

Dandy giggled and swim going to the waterfalls. She then sat on the stone where Kahaku usually sat and imitated him. "Look, this is how Lord Kahaku is, right?" She sat and crossed her legs. She put her two hands together and closed her eyes.

The moment the water falls down on her head, she quickly jumped back on the water. "How does Lord Kahaku do this? The water pushes down in my head so hard. Makes me feel so dumb."

She just shrugged in the end and went back on teasing the other creatures to jump but still, no one did. Maybe they were too afraid of Lord Kahaku.

In the end Dandy got out of the water. Shake off all of the water in her and splattered it all around making everyone getting wet. She laughed at how the others run away from her and hid behind the trees. And that gave her an idea.

As she was ready to hug every animals to get them wet, that was when she heard a voice in her head.

{Dandy,} called to her by a familiar voice, {Dandy, I know you can hear me.}

{Lord Kahaku?}

{Yes.} The voice answered. {Where are you now?}

Dandy looked at everyone and told them to be silent but it looked like she doesn't need to say it as everyone were quiet and bowed their head towards the waterfalls.

Dandy looked back and there she saw Lord Kahaku, looking at her.

She smiled at him and waved, then slowly put down her hands as Kahaku werenty smiling at all.

"I told you to go back to your flowerbed after cleaning the forest, right?" Dandy just nod at him. "Then what are you doing playing around?"

Dandy didn't answer Kahaku and just lowered her head.

Kahaku sighed. "Yoshiko and Tamotsu wouldn't be by your side that's why I want you to go back to your flowerbed. Do you understand, Dandy?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"And…there's someone who wants to talk to you?"

"Is that Dandy?" Another man's voice asked.

Dandy tried to see who was it but even before he could peek at the water, Kahaku's hands blocked the view. Struggle can be heard form the other side before she could see someone being dragged away by Kahaku.

Dandy was still giggling when Amaterau's face emeged from the water. Everyone bowed their head lower than earlier.

"Mama!" Dandy exclaimed and run to the banks of the river to get a closer look. It had been so long since she last Amaterasu.

"My Dandy," she greeted. "have you been well? Are you listening to the elderlies?"

"I'm not old!" Kahaku's voice can be heard from the side.

"I know. I know," Amaterasu laughed. "But your spirit is much older and knowledgeable than Dandy."

"Whatever."

"Lord Kahaku doesn't want to be called old. He says that he doesn't look old to be called. That's why we don't call him old."

Amaterasu then laughed hard. "You don't call him old but you just call him that so many times."

Dandy quickly put both her hands in her mounth. "I'm sorry, My Lord."

"One of these days, I would get my revenge."

Amaterasu just nod and wiped an invisible tear in her eyes. "I can see that you are happy, Dandy. I really hope you would. You still remember what I told you, right?"

"Uh-ha!" she replied enthusiastically.

"Good. And I want you to always do that. It wont be for their own good but for you." Amaterasu started lecturing. "Dandy, I want you to be always cautious but not the extent that you wouldn't think of the consequences. Always think before you act. Think if it will fuilfill you duty as the deity and also be able to take care of other living beings. Remember that the forest aren't the only thing that needed you protection."

Dandy's face distorted as she thought about what she did. Like what Amaterasu said, she did protect the humans from her. But due to that, she neglected to protect the forest. And Amaterasu knew that.

"I'm sorry, mama," was all Dandy could say. "I tried to push away humans so they could be protected from me."

"From you?"

"I think it's about the story of Shina and Naru."

Amaterasu's face fell into deep thought as sadness was clearly seen. "The twins. Yes, the curse."

"Where are you going?" Kahaku said at the back.

"I'm going back. I shouldn't be staying here for too long. Amaterasu," the voice called. "see you around. The both of you."

Amaterasu nodded before looking back at Dandy. "My child, you already have heard about the curse and I applaud you for wanting to protect the humans from you. But it's not just the humans. It's for everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Yes, everyone. It can be Gods to Gods. Gods to other creatures. A Deity to another deity. It could be anyone." Amaterasu confirmed. "You see, my child. We are not allowed to love just one. We the higher beings cannot focus our love to only one being. We are supposed to love everyone equally. That's why, don't fall in love with anyone, Dandy. Guard your heart. Do you understand?"

Confused as she is, Dandy just nodded to Amaterasu.

She wanted to ask if Amaterasu have someone like that like Shina and Naru did but she held back. It will be impossible for Amaterasu. Her mama will always love everyone equally. Instead, she asked herself if she would encounter that someone.

******END OF CHAPTER*****

Please do add us to your library to get an update~

Hoping to have an up spree soon~