Gaussian Distribution

Chapter 2 – Epilogue: Dissonance in Numbers

March 30th, Amatsu Western Plain, 10:33AM – A Vacation Worth Remembering –

It was the best day of Ayase's life.

That day's weather appeared to be in a complete agreement with the stressed-out shrine guard. Having worked hard for five rainy nights on patrol had drained her energy out. Despite being on duty during the wee hours of the night, she still wished to have a 'normal' vacation– there was nothing comparable to the warmth of the sun that constantly bathed her with energy. As it turned out, the clouds were scattered like dessert toppings across the expanse of the azure sky, and the sunlight wasn't all that intense. She had all that she wanted at that moment– a stable job, a good day's rest, and total silence. Perfect.

Ayase yawned, spread her arms out and stretched her tired legs across the enormous, evergreen cotton sheet beneath her. Then she turned her head to her side, fixed her long, wavy locks, and gazed on the small basket of sweets she brought for that day's retreat. It looked like a picnic– even though Ayase had no one accompanying her, she felt completely at ease. As the nearby pine trees swayed along with the wind's silent melody, the young lady let out another yawn, drowsy from watching the dream-like scenery surrounding her. I will never forget this brief moment of freedom.

Her eyelids finally gave up, and in a few moments, Ayase was beyond the tangible realm of consciousness.

"Feels nice, doesn't it?"

Having felt a clammy hand sliding up her thigh was more than enough for Ayase to wake up. She jolted back into action and looked frantically around her, but didn't find anyone or anything that could possibly disturb her peaceful break. I guess I'm dreaming.

Ayase decided to stand up to get a better view of the surroundings. No sooner after she gained a foothold, she noticed a small boy with short, grayish hair standing underneath a rotting pine tree just a few meters in front of her. Kids aren't growing up right these days, huh? Ayase examined the boy's features for a moment, and then decided to call him out.

The boy did respond to Ayase's call, but not in the way that she expected him to.

Ayase wasn't able to react in time, for the boy disappeared from his former location and reappeared in front of her, smiling so horribly, it didn't look human at all. To her surprise, the boy materialized two swords out of thin air, one in each hand. Wha–

Pain surged through Ayase's body as the blades ripped across her abdomen.

The lady guard's sight began to white-out, having been pushed back by a terrible force after the blades scathed her– leaving a ghastly trail of dark-brown blood on the cotton sheet below. She managed to withstand the debilitating blow, and decided not to move much, knowing that any slip-up would render her body as good as dead. Ayase staggered to regain her balance as she felt her gut and intestines start to wrench and spew out their deadly acids within her body. I have to escape!

Ayase attempted to look for an opening. It's now or never. To her surprise, her attacker materialized two additional swords– both floating in mid air as if some invisible being was holding them.

That's it, I'm going! The lady guard dashed in the opposite direction of the homicidal boy, in an effort to avoid all the incoming strikes.

STAB. SLASH. RIP. SCRATCH. PEEL. STRIP. CRACK SLASH. STAB. STAB. STAB. SCRATCH. RIP. CRACK STAB. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. CRACK STAB. SLASH. RIP. RIP. RIP. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.

Ayase kept on running, holding her stomach as tightly as she could, for she felt that at any moment, her intestines would simply dislodge itself and slip through the massive cuts she had in her stomach. She heard another crack coming from her chest and back, and ignored it with all her might. For all I know, that could be my shoulder blade. She was now completely running with nothing but all the adrenaline she had left in her body. Her legs were getting worn out, as each tendon in her ankle ached and bled terribly.

After what seemed like hours, Ayase managed to escape her attacker's clutches and made it near the western border's entrance. She was totally soaked in her own blood, which where having difficulty clotting due to the volumes of liquid she had lost along the way. To her dismay, the afternoon sun was making the burning sensation from her cuts feel a lot worse. Doctor… I need… a doctor…

Minutes before Ayase's body finally gave way to extreme fatigue, stress, and blood loss, she managed to arrive on the front door of the nearest building she found at the border. There, she saw a man exit the building with carrying a large, black bag.

"How can I help you, miss?"

Ayase had no time to argue about the man's cold and unwelcoming demeanor. I'm bleeding to death, for goodness' sake! She reached out to the man, and asked him to give her immediate medical attention. The man simply nodded and told her to wait for a few moments. To Ayase's horror, the man put the black bag he had been carrying and threw it at the concrete floor. After hearing a sound comparable to a cracking bone and hearing an agonized moan coming from the bag, she decided to run away once more. Ayase felt throwing up after seeing a person's entire arm come out of the bag, which the man simply pushed back in with a scalpel. She finally fainted when the man proceeded to kick the bag repeatedly until the moans stopped.

February 28th, Grand Shrine Wish Hall, 03:57PM – A Fox's 'Apology' –

In the beginning, I had nothing.

For me, Jintetsu was the constant reminder of human mortality. Despite their short lives, humans like him strive to change the world in any small way they possibly can. Sometimes, they even overcome what was previously thought off as impossible– high speed travel, flight, even underwater exploration.

Never have I seen creatures comparable to their capability of both creation and destruction. All of them are beautiful in their own merits, even if they all perish in the end of their lifetimes.

Why am I even thinking about this? Perhaps it is because of guilt. Perhaps it is because of hate. Perhaps it is because of a name he gave me when I was 'alive' as his pet.

Even an entity like me, whom many consider to be immortal, is also afraid of the death. Physical death is nothing compared to the pain of spiritual death. The former we never learn off, but the latter is something beings like me never dream about. We don't even talk about it.

I didn't know what actually came over him… at first. He simply dropped a coin on the Grand Shrine's wishing well and wished– just like everyone else does! Who doesn't have a wish, anyway? I simply observed him atop the pine trees surrounding that clearing. Of all the people I've known since my conception, Jintetsu was the most perceptive. He knows where I am, no matter how far I hide from him.

I tried to help him out immediately after I noticed that he wasn't moving anymore. He was the kind of man that almost never ran out of energy. But before I could even get close, he materialized four scythe-like swords which dimensions I couldn't even imagine was possible! I felt overwhelming fear as he called me 'Ao-chan' over and over!

I could hear his soul scream in pain, as it was being consumed by another entity– a great evil that was sealed centuries ago on the bottom of that wishing well. It finally found a host and reawakened, or perhaps it realized Jintetsu was its perfect vessel.

If only I was able to stop him in time, he wouldn't have changed into a complete monster. He wasn't the man I used to know, after he dropped that coin and all…

All I did was watch as he called out my name even louder. Even if everyone in Amatsu considered me a deity or even a god, I couldn't do anything! In the beginning, I had nothing. Now, I believe that sentence actually applied to everything… specially me!

And here I am once again, simply watching from my usual spot atop the trees.

Yesterday. Oh, How I wished yesterday didn't happen! Ayase. I'm terribly sorry!

April 3rd, Amatsu Central Park - Entrance, 10:03AM – Voices of the Children –

"Look, just call me 'Red' if you can't say my name properly." Taro heard the young boy with crimson hair. He watched him lean forward on a nearby fence overlooking the Central Park and marvel at the grandeur of the scenery behind it. He had heard of the redhead's interest about the park a few days ago, and promised to take him to the same place where he stayed every afternoon. Taro cringed as soon as his friend called out to him, "Hey! Scharoooooooo!~"

"It's Taro, for goodness' sake!" replied the native boy as he walked up to 'Red's' location. "I understand that 'Redschtly' is a difficult name to say and spell, but you can't even say mine properly!"

The two boys stared to each other eyes, aware of each other's confusion.

Taro crossed his brows. Something had to be done. He decided to pull Redschtly's arm and said, "From now on, I'll call you 'Akage' instead. Got that?"

"You've got to be kidding me, Scharo… I don't even know what that means."

The native couldn't help but shake his head. "Listen, 'Akage'. If you don't play along with it, I won't listen to your stories at all. In fact, maybe I'll just leave you here and sleep elsewhere. And that's Taro, once again."

Taro observed the redhead's reaction. At least he learned something today. He took a stone that sat under the shadow of the fence, and threw it inside the park. "You told me earlier… that you saw some weird guy wearing a fox mask at the wishing well?"

'Akage' nodded, relating his experience at the wishing well at the back of the Grand Shrine a day ago. "He stopped me from making a wish."

"What did you wish for, anyway?"

Taro fell silent after asking his question. His redhead playmate appeared to be more serious than usual. "Don't worry, Akage. I don't care what you've wished for at all. I want to see if you actually have a brain!" Taro said jokingly, patting his friend's back.

"You make it sound like I don't have one."

"Akage… what if that fox guy was actually just 'protecting' you from something dangerous? Let's say… what if there was a monster at the bottom of that well?"

"Yeah right. Monsters? I'd cut them if I had a sword…" the redhead frowned.

Taro laughed at his friend's response. "Akage, I have a lot of swords! I can lend you one of you like! I love swords, you see. How about you? Do you love swords?"