Once upon a time, there was a beautiful lake in the middle of a forest. Colorful flowers and herbs grew in abundance at the lakeside. A huge body of cool, crystal-clear water filled the lake. However, there were few people who knew about the lake itself.
A water spirit was residing there, acting as a guardian or a protector of the holy lake. He was bound to the place, destined to never leave. The Water Spirit faithfully served his duty, without questioning much.
"I was borne by the lake, thus I shall protect it till the very end."
He continued to protect the lake for hundreds of years, for so many times he couldn't count by himself. He protected the lake by his very own hands, without anyone beside him.
The Water Spirit grew weary of loneliness, so he decided to look for a companion. Alas, his pale feet were bound by an unseen force to never leave the lake. So he could only waited. Waited and waited.
Once in his endless lifetime, he met several humans. The first one was a little girl. She was sick and dying, left by her own mother to die in the forests. The Water Spirit found and raised the poor girl, nursing her back to health. The young girl was grown up into a beautiful woman, and the Water Spirit soon enamored for her. However, a hunter was passing by the lake. He met the maiden and both fell in love with each other. The maiden left the lake without even looking back. And so, the Water Spirit was left alone.
One day, he met an old man wandering the forest. The old man was a blind hermit, living in solitary. He asked the Spirit for a stay, which the latter agreed. The old hermit and the Water Spirit lived together harmoniously. One day, the old hermit washed his face with the lake's water, and found that his blind eyes regained their sight. Astonished by the blessed water's power, the old hermit accidentally slipped to the lake and drowned. The Water Spirit was crushed by his companion's demise, but he couldn't do anything to prevent it. He buried the old man's body at the lakeside, lamented his death for days. And so, the Water Spirit was left alone again.
His closest friend was a young man. The young man in question was ostracized by his own village's people. Just like his own brother, the Water Spirit took great care of the young man. The young man's sunny disposition cheered up the Water Spirit's lonely heart, even if it was only a little. One day, a deadly disease plagued the man's village. He took two pails of water from the holy lake, to cure the villagers' disease. However, his good will was responded with hatred, and he was killed by the hands of his own neighbor. A Grim Reaper appeared before the Water Spirit, holding the young man's body. They both buried the poor man's body beneath a great tree at the lakeside, surrounded with beds of flowers.
"He ascended to Heaven, grew a pair of wings and freed from his cruel fate." The Grim Reaper said. "At the very least, he won't suffer anymore."
After they finished the burial, the Grim Reaper walked away, leaving the Water Spirit alone─again.
"Choooromaaatsuuuuuuu!"
"Eh? Ahh?! What?!"
Something─or rather, someone─grabbed the Water Spirit's waist from behind his back, pummeling him to splash into the lake. Choromatsu emerged from the lake, turning around to see the assailant.
"Jyushimatsu?!" He screamed, in joy and in surprise. An angel smiled wide, shaking off his wet hair like a puppy. The Angel proceeded to hug the confused Choromatsu.
"Long time no seeee! I missed you so much, Choromatsuuuuu!" Jyushimatsu laughed with excessive energy, infected even the ever gloomy Ichimatsu the Reaper.
"Indeed, it's been a while, Water Spirit." Ichimatsu smirked a little. "You're not so different since the last I saw you─drenched and soggy, as usual."
"You too, your tongue is as sharp as ever." Choromatsu replied. "Your bitter, snappy attitude doesn't change a bit."
"Now, now! Please don't fight!" The Angel clumsily swung his arms around, trying to keep both parties at bay.
"We're not fighting!" Both Ichimatsu and Choromatsu spoke in unison, much to Jyushimatsu's glee.
"See? You two are really getting along well!"
"Hmph. If it wasn't for Jyushimatsu, I wouldn't come here." The Reaper clicked his tongue.
"Watch your filthy mouth, you stinky Reaper." Choromatsu grumbled. "Be grateful to me for giving you a chance to be together with Jyushimatsu. If it wasn't me, then you two won't be here today, you know?"
Ichimatsu ignored the Water Spirit's words, annoyed the latter even more. Instead, he walked towards a big tree, crouching at a stone-carved cross beneath it. Said cross was decorated with a garland of fresh, yellow-colored flowers.
"...did you do this?" Ichimatsu asked, his stiff face softened. Choromatsu nodded proudly.
"Yes. Every morning, I search for the freshest flowers!"
"I see..." The Reaper slowly crouched, caressing the stone cross with his pale fingers.
"Ichimatsu, hey! Whose grave is this?" Jyushimatsu cheerfully asked, unaware of Ichimatsu's darkened face.
"It's...yours..." Choromatsu answered. "Two hundred years ago, Ichimatsu buried you here."
The Water Spirit carefully tread his words. He didn't want to awaken both Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu's painful memories.
"Is that so..." The Angel smiled, his eyes teared up. "I really love this place! Really! Thank you very much, Ichimatsu."
Jyushimatsu snuggled to Ichimatsu's black robe like a spoiled kitten, failing to notice the Reaper's burning red face.
"And thanks to you too, Choromatsu. For the flowers." Jyushimatsu said, smiled brightly at Choromatsu, who was also flustered at said smile.
The Water Spirit smiled back at him. "Spare me the kind words, my friend. I'll do anything for you, if that makes you happy."
Gracefully, Jyushimatsu picked the garland of flowers from his grave. He smelled the flowers, tears welling up on his wide eyes.
"Nobody has ever given me a flower before." He embraced the garland with joy overwhelming his heart. "Nobody has ever treated me like this. I'm so happy. Thank you, Ichimatsu...thank you, Choromatsu. I love you both."
Ichimatsu shyly diverted his gaze to the ground. With hoarse, choked voice, he spoke to Choromatsu. "I guess...I should thank you too...for tending Jyushimatsu's grave. It means a lot to me..."
A gentle wind blew through the garland, scattering its petals to the sky.
Later, the Angel and the Reaper spent their night at the lake. The Water Spirit joyed from having companions to talk with, even though it was only for a while.
The wind breezes through the lake and the forest. Under the faint moonlight, The Water Spirit saw his two friends locked up in a tight embrace. The Reaper kissed the Angel's head, gently ruffling his hair. The pair fell asleep under a giant tree, snuggled to each other.
The Water Spirit's eyes widened. A jolt of pain stung his chest. The Angel's innocent smile reminded him of the first human he met─the maiden who left him for another man. He clenched his fists, struggled to contain his overflowing feelings of envy, fear...and sadness.
He envied the Angel for finally having someone to love, and loved him back. He feared the Angel might leave him all by himself again, and was saddened that he will be alone...again.
"I always longed for someone to love me. I always longed for someone as my companion. But, I'll be fine..."
The Water Spirit slowly descended into the lake. He smiled at the Angel and the Reaper, before disappearing.
"...as long as they are happy."
Years passed. Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu had left the lake, traveling together to another country. Their departure left a bitter taste in Choromatsu's mouth.
"I knew this would happen..." He mumbled. "...but why do I feel so dejected inside? I'm going to be alone again...isn't that just natural? Why do I feel so upset about it?"
Afterall, he has spent his endless years of protecting the lake─all by himself. Visitors came and went away, as easy as the seasons changed. He couldn't expect one of them to stay forever, together with him for eternity.
"That's why...I'm so jealous at you, Jyushimatsu..." Choromatsu gently adorned the grave with freshly picked flowers from the lakeside. "But at the same, I feel happy for you. Strange, isn't it?"
The full moon was reaching its peak. Silvery tint of the moonlight danced on the lake's surface. The Water Spirit walked away from the grave. His feet touched the cold water, slowly sinking to the depths of the lake. He closed his eyes, as the bubbles floating above his head and the darkness of the depths slowly swallowed him.
"Ichimatsu's right. I shouldn't let my emotions get the best of me. I have to suppress these painful feelings deep within my heart. I have to protect this lake, that's all matters to me." He whispered silently.
"Ooooh, hellooo! What do we have here?"
Choromatsu opened his eyes, emerged himself from the lake. His heartbeat went wild, as a sharp-dressed man smirked at him. The man was sitting at the lakeside, spreading his black wings.
"Jealousy, anger, frustration, sadness...all-in-one! How fantastic!" He clapped his hands. "You're not as pious as you look! I like that, man!"
"What do you want, Devil?" Choromatsu sharply gazed at the man, fully cautious of the latter's movements. "If you intend to cause harm to this lake, then I shall banish you right now."
"Harm? Heavens, no." The Devil chuckled. "I only offer my hands to the miserable souls who desperately calls for help...such as you, my dear!"
"Silly. I don't need any help. Especially from you, Devil." The Water Spirit frowned. "If you'd kindly leave this place at once, that would be a great help, thank you."
Malicious cackles poured out of the Devil's mouth. He tried to grab Choromatsu's arm, but his hands fizzled a whiff of smoke from touching the Spirit's skin.
"Get off!" Choromatsu flailed, pushing the Devil away. "How dare you!"
"Holy protection...I see..." The Devil's face contorted into a ferocious grin. "What a bother. Oh, dear me..."
With a flick, the smoke vanished from the Devil's hand. He slowly approached Choromatsu, who threatened to splash him the lake's holy water.
"If you move further, I'll flush you down with this lake's water!"
"Whoa, calm down, dear! Let me talk a bit, okay? Okay?" The Devil panicked. "I came here to listen to your anguished heart! That's all!"
"I'm terribly sorry, but I have no intention to share my feelings with anyone else. Now, scram!"
The Devil shook his head, smiling in alarmingly dangerous way. His voice turned a pitch lower.
"Tsk, tsk. Stop trying to fool me! I know everything about you, my dear! Oh, what is it I see? Jealousy, over your lucky friends? Well, I guess you're not that successful in your love life! Ha! No, that's not it? Is it fear of being left behind? Is that it? What a delightful surge of emotions!"
"No, you're wrong! Get lost!"
"But wait, there's more! You feel regret for helping people? That's right, my dear! You can't just pick up people who got lost in this forest and look after them like picking up cats and dogs from the street! What did you get from it? Betrayal after betrayal! Just like that chick who dumped you for a ripped-as-hell guy, and that idiot angel who dumped you for a stinky-ass reaper!"
"STOP IT!"
Choromatsu clenched his head, crouching to hide his face─his misery-painted face. The Devil stopped laughing, slowly approaching the Water Spirit.
"Did I hit the jackpot?" He chuckled. Choromatsu spat at his face, viciously stared at the demon.
"Fuck you!" The Water Spirit hissed. His dignity was crushed before him, all stripped bare from him. He had an urge to gush out blessed water from the lake to kill the demon right away, but he chose not to.
"Now that I know your suffering...I ask of you, Water Spirit..." The Devil grinned from ear to ear. "What is your wish?"
Choromatsu widened his eyes in disbelief over what he heard from the demon's unreliable mouth.
"What is your wish, Water Spirit? I shall make your wish come true. Anything, everything...I shall fulfill your desire. Do you want someone to love you? No worries! Do you want someone to accompany you? Easy! Do you want someone to ease your boredom? Ta-da! It's-a-me!"
"I can't trust you."
"Aww, c'mon. If you can't trust me, let's form a pact, then."
The Devil forcefully grabbed Choromatsu's hands. He groaned in pain, but he endured the sizzling smoke coming out of his hands. The violent fizzle was enough to made Choromatsu worry.
"I hereby offer you my heart, my soul, my everything...to dedicate my promise to you...ugh..." The Devil gasped between his words, enduring all the pain from touching a holy being he was prohibited to touch. "...for I shall hold my promise to my demise...you shall smite me...if I failed to keep my words..."
"Stop it! You're in pain! You're going to hurt yourself!" Choromatsu struggled to let go of the Devil's hands, but the confident demon kept holding his hands.
"Now...guh...I have said my piece..." The Devil smiled, despite all the agony he went through. "...your answer?"
Reluctantly, Choromatsu answered. "...okay, fine, whatever! Let your hands go! You're hurting from touching me!"
Slowly, the smoke stopped. The Devil stopped feeling pain that burned his sweaty palms. He was startled, but surprisingly overjoyed.
"We did it! Oh gosh, we really fucking did it!" The Devil laughed cheerfully, much to Choromatsu's confusion.
"T─that aside...are you okay?"
"Ohhh, are you worried? How sweet of you."
"Hey, are you tricking me?!" Choromatsu retorted, his face flushed in red. "I didn't feel anything...but you looked like you were in pain earlier..."
"I don't care about those silly things. All that matters to me...that you're my partner now."
The Devil put his arms around the Spirit's waist. In a surprisingly gentle manner, he touched Choromatsu's face with his slender, cold fingers.
"Hey, what─"
"Let's seal the pact with a kiss, shall we?"
The Devil and the Water Spirit formed an agreement under the moonlit sky. The mighty full moon reached the zenith, as the two shared a passionate kiss.
The Water Spirit struggled to broke free, to no avail. He could only feel the Devil's freezing cold tongue inside his mouth, and a strange heat suddenly welling up inside his chest. He gasped for breath, feeling the Devil's own dry breath intertwined with his choked voice.
"Does it feel great?" Said the Devil. "I know you would love to have me as your partner."
"Silence, Devil. Please stop your insolence and keep it to yourself." The Water Spirit wiped his mouth, disgusted at the Devil's obscenity.
"I will come to see you again tomorrow, my beloved."
The Devil flew high to the sky, and disappeared within the night's embrace. The Water Spirit looked up to the sky, unaware of his fingers brushing against his own lips. He felt an intense heat filling his mouth, his tongue went numb from the Devil's icy kiss.
"How strange," he thought to himself. "How can this warmth came from those cold, icy fingers? How can this heat came from such deathly freezing lips?"
Although deep within, he secretly wished to see the Devil again.
One thing the Water Spirit missed to notice, was that the lake's water slowly turning darker.