Chapter 7: No Need for Cupid's Arrow

"Wow, so this is your place, huh?"

Cupid gazed about as he and the little cat girl approached a broad wooden fence at the end of a dirt path. He could see the red roof of a large house rising out of the reaches beyond the gate. The area was very remote, surrounded by lush, tall trees and a mountain backdrop. The smell of fresh lake water wafted in the breeze as cicadas sung their serenade to the rhythm of leaves in the wind.

The house was several miles from town. He and the little girl walked the entire way. Though flying would have been a lot quicker, Cupid thought it best not to risk more attention from the locals after the strange calamity at the festival.

This is not to say that the hike was unpleasant by any means. He and the girl got to have a pretty deep conversation about... well, Cupid wasn't quite sure… but he pretended to understand out of courtesy.

"What are these things?" he wondered, walking towards one of the eight-foot tall wooden logs that flanked the entrance of the gate. They were inscribed with calligraphy - one in the color of red, the other blue. There were round lenses embedded at the top of their facades. As he reached out to touch one, a voice rang out, causing him to retract his hand.

"Welcome back, Ryo-Ohki," it greeted. "Sasami has been worried sick about you."

"Miyaa," replied the little girl as she hung her head in apology.

"What?" Cupid questioned, scanning the area for the voice's origin. "Who said that?"

"I did."

"Where?"

"Here," the voice responded, becoming discernibly irritated.

A bush rustled nearby, drawing Cupid's attention. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Look, I can see you moving over there, so why don't you just come on out and quit playing games?" He folded his arms, waiting for the prankster to reveal himself. "Come on now, talk to me face to face like a man!"

"I don't have a face, so that would be quite a difficult task, don't you think?"

This time, he was certain the voice came from the direction of the gate itself. He examined one of the logs with an expression of scrutiny. "What is this, some sort of intercom?"

"I am Azaka, defender of this residence and royal guardian to Princess Ayeka Jurai," The blue log stated. "Who might you be?"

The introduction leaving him all the more confused, the young man reluctantly gave his name.

"I'm Cupid."

A long moment of silence followed. Cupid eyed the logs curiously, wondering if he'd said something wrong.

"Where's your magic bow and arrow?" the red-marked pillar replied finally, snickering.

"Geez..." Cupid rolled his eyes with chagrin. "Why does everyone think those jokes are so freaking funny?"

Suddenly remembering that he saw movement in the bushes a moment ago, he turned back toward it. "What was that anyway...?"

He walked over and kicked the shrub lightly. Garnering no response, he kicked it harder. Suddenly, a big raccoon leaped out and latched onto his chest, hissing and screeching.

"Holy shit, get it off me," he shouted, snatching it from his body. He spiked it to the ground and it went scurrying into the woods. Panting, he turned about to find the little girl gawking at him in mortification.

"You sure brought a strange one back with you, Ryo-Ohki," observed Azaka.

"Hey, that could've happened to anyone," retorted Cupid, humiliated. He started to consider the incident an omen that it was time to go.

"So… Ryo-Ohki, is it?" He walked over and knelt down before the furry little girl, rubbing the top of her head affectionately. "You're home safe and sound now. I just hope these two things aren't your parents or you're gonna be in for some counseling when you grow up." He stared into her eyes, regretfully. "So, I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"Miyaa..." Ryo-Ohki gazed back at him, sadly.

"I think she wants you to stay for a bit," Azaka noted. " Though, I don't think it's such a wise idea. You're a bit odd, from what I can tell."

"To whom in this household are you comparing him to?" the other log interjected. "Besides, he did see Ryo-Ohki home safely."

"Hmmm. I suppose you have a point, Kamidake." Azaka replied. "Ok, we'll permit him to enter. But we're not responsible for what happens to him past this point." With that, the gates swung open.

Happy to receive their approval, Ryo-Oki grabbed Cupid by the hand and tugged him toward the entrance.

"Wait a minute," he protested, not sure if he wanted to delve any deeper into the proverbial rabbit hole. "I like you. I really do, but maybe we should just part ways here. There's something important I need to get back to."

Ryo-Ohki gave him another pleading look. "Miyaa…"

"No, we're not doing this again," he said sternly, turning his nose up at her pitiful expression.

"Miya." Her eyes welled up, threatening to unleash a flood of biblical proportions.

"Aw, man. Come on, look what you're doing," he sighed dejectedly. "Okay... but just for a couple minutes, then I'm off, alright?"

Ryo-Ohki enthusiastically agreed and continued to lead him onto the property. They advanced down a long path, which winded around a big, blue lake. The two-story house that was partially visible from outside the gate rested at the end of the trail. A tree-covered mountain arose in its wake. On the far side of the lake was a trail leading up the mountainside to a shrine.

Cupid looked around in awe of the of the residence. It wasn't the size of it that impressed him; he'd been in palatial estates that dwarfed this one by comparison. It was the setting... the tranquil, secluded ambiance. As he stopped to look out on the pier of the lake, Ryo-Ohki tugged impatiently at his arm.

"Ok," he answered, allowing her to tow him further along. As they stepped upon the wooden front porch of the house, Ryo-Ohki rang the doorbell, racked with anxious glee.

After a few moments, Cupid could hear the sound of locks unhinging. The brass knob twisted to the left and finally, the door swung open. As Cupid's eyes fell upon the face of the person on the other side, time seemed to slow down.

The lake breeze met her misty blue locks, sending them in a flurry before her hypnotic carnation colored eyes. As he looked upon her pure angelic face, all at once, Cupid's heart overflowed with hope.

Surprised by his presence, the young lady stood gazing back at him in befuddlement.

Feeling the weight of the awkward moment bear down upon him, Cupid managed the one word his rapidly beating heart would allow.

"Hi."