Tree branches reached high above, their shadow dancing on the rippling pond under the midday sun. At one end of the pond floated Amon, his arms spread wide across the cool surface, his body drifting. At the other end was Akane, now fully over the sleepy haze. With her body submerged, she stared at the gentle ripples, troubled by thoughts of the night prior.

'Hm…' Her brows furrowed. 'There are things I just can't remember about last night. Moments I just can't recall, like gaps in the memory.'

She remembered fire. She remembered rage. She remembered the Corrupted Draconic Spawn shrieking as her fist struck, and then… Bits and pieces of what happened after.

Her claws flexed under the water. "What happened yesterday?" She finally asked with her back towards him. "Could you tell me? In detail?"

Amon cracked one eye open, watching her across the pond. "You don't remember?" He asked, staring at her bare back.

She shook her head. "I remember fighting… I guess. I remember that there was fire everywhere… There's something about the fire too.. I can't remember."

"Shit." Amon casually cursed, letting his gaze drift to the sky. "I'm sure that thing isn't going to forget, with how bad you burned it and all."

"Burned it…?" Akane whispered, confused.

"I was just thinking by the way, could you heat up the water?"

"Huh?"

"Would be nice, don't you think?"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Akane with a slight frown, turning towards him.

Amon stared at her for a moment. The water surface reached just below her shoulders.

"You really don't remember, huh?" He muttered.

Amon had fully expected her not to remember what happened after her body was engulfed by the sphere of flames, not to remember her "Kitsune Form", but not remembering even what happened before that was a surprise. In her "Kitsune Form", Akane had barely been conscious. Prior to that, however, she had been fully conscious.

"You burned it really good," Amon said. "After I told you to just 'let it out'. It's like you had this other power in you. Flames started to rise from your body. Your every hit on that thing made fire burst out. At one point, you even controlled the flames that were burning the hut and village."

Akane looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he explained.

"You don't remember any of it?"

"I guess I kind of do now that you're telling me." She muttered, scratching her head. "Huh. I guess I did do those things."

"That's your reaction?" Amon frowned. "Seriously? You can use fire in crazy ways. You should be way more pumped up about it. Seriously."

Amon had previously watched with shiny glittering eyes, the Goblin Chief shoot Fire balls. That was cool, but it was nothing compared to what Akane had done, what she could do.

"What you did earlier… That was the coolest thing ever. Seriously." He muttered while looking away, slightly jealous.

"Hehehe… Yeah, well…" She chuckled, scratching her head again. "That's gone now, so…"

"Gone?"

"Yeah." Akane nodded while contracting her arms. "Whatever I could feel stuck in my body then is gone now so… It was probably just a one-time thing."

"A one-time thing? Do you have such one-time things often? Maybe with a different kind of Magic?"

"No, why?"

"..."

"Anything else important I might have forgotten?"

"That's pretty much it, I guess." Amon went back t staring at the sky above. "You protected me while I was taking a nap. Thanks."

"Oh, yes." Her head snapped up. "What's up with that?"

"Seems to have fused with my hand." He answered, assuming that Akane had forgotten about his armmorphing and stretching to grab it. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No…" Akane muttered. "It has a foul smell though."

"What does it smell like to you?"

"Death."

"I see." Amon nodded. 'Guess that makes sense.'

"Your arm." She pointed.

"Yeah…"

Going up Amon's arm were dark purplish lines engraved on his skin. Of course, they originated from the Black Stone.

"Are they growing?" Akane asked with genuine worry in her voice.

"Nope." Amon answered. "I've been keeping an eye on them. Still the same was they were when they appeared, when I woke up."

"Good." She sighed.

For a moment, silence hung between them. Only the sound of the pond's ripples and the birdsong filled the space. Then Amon's voice turned heavier, quieter.

"Akane."

Her ears twitched, catching the seriousness in his tone.

"Right now," Amon said, lowering his gaze from the sky, "you're the only person I have. The only person who's got my back."

Akane froze. Her tail stilled and her hands paused under the water.

"We fought together and we survived together. When I passed out, you were there for me. When you passed out, I carried you and brought you here. So I think…" His voice softened. "We should stick together. For now. Or for a while, you know. We can trust each other, I think. At the very least we can depend on each other when danger is around. So… What do you say? I have your back, you have my back?"

Her lips parted, but no words came. Suspicion still lingered. After everything that has happened to her, she had to be suspicious. Still,

'Getting suspicious around the only person to have truly helped me must be a mistake though.'

Getting over-suspicious could end up an even bigger mistake than being gullible.

Plus, his words really resonated with her.

Right now, fore miles and miles, he was the only one to have her back. The only one she had.

She stared into the water, her reflection fractured by ripples.

"…Fine," she murmured finally. "We'll stick together."

Amon grinned and started walking towards her, the water surface arriving just below his chest.

"It's a promise then."

Her brow arched. "A Promise?"

"Hm." He nodded, extending his smallest finger. "Pinky swear."

She blinked. "That's… Not necessary."

"I think it is."

"Fine." Akane muttered as she hooked her pinky around his. "There. Happy?"

"I'd say so, yeah." He chuckled

A faint smile tugged at her lips before she looked away.

They stood there for a moment, fingers linked, the water lapping gently around them.

Finally, Amon let go. "We should get moving soon. Can't stay here forever."

Akane nodded faintly.

But he didn't get out of the water.

She waited and waited.

Her sharp eyes narrowed. "You get out first."

Amon tilted his head. "Oh… I didn't realize you wanted to see me naked."

Her face flamed instantly. "T-That's not…! Just get out of th water!"

"You get out of the water!" He laughed. "I'm not ready to be seen naked by a woman."

"I've already seen you naked so just…" Akane's words trailed off as she realized what she was saying.

"Oh…"

"W-What I meant was-"

"I can play that card too. I've seen you naked as well."

"That doesn't count! I hadn't noticed my clothes had burned off!"

"What about earlier when you sat on me?"

"...!" Akane's face turned flaming red. "Don't say it like that!"

"Say like what? You were sittig on me-"

"I was threatening your life!'

'Ugh, you know what… Let's just get out at the same time."

"From opposite sides!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright…"

They emerged each from one side of the pond, water streaming down bare skin, droplets running along muscle and curve alike. For a moment, they remained with their backs towards one another, the pond's length separating them.

Both tried not to sneak a peek, despite the fact that both wanted to sneak a peek.

As fate would have it, they both snuck a peek at the same time, which caused them to freeze completely.

They froze, staring at each other's naked bodies.

The awkward silence, which could have lasted a lifetime, was broken by Amon.

"I got clothes for you." He said, pointing right where Akane had been sleeping earlier. "I laid them under your head earlier as a pillow."

Her blush deepened. "Y-Yes." She stuttered, and ran towards the folded clothes.

Akane snatched the clothes and hurriedly began putting them on, her face burning brighter than the flames she wielded.

Amon started getting dressed as well.

'Guess I did well to keep another Hobgobli's clothes intact,' he thought to himself. 'Though having around fully naked wouldn't have been bad either.' Amon chuckled to himself.

Moments later, they left the pond, walking side by side.

"So um…" Akane scratched her cheek. "Where are we going?"

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