Still told in Musaki's P.O.V. This is where Musaki meets 'the ghost' that would go on to be his friend. Me and Wonder Panda Tan-Tan role-played this on Facebook a few weeks ago and let's hope this succeeds.

Chapter 2: I Can Be Your Friend

Musaki's P.O.V.

Throughout most of the day, I was walking around the hallways of the orphanage to find this so-called 'ghost' the kids claim they saw and I walked over from room to room to find out for myself. If there was really a ghost, why didn't I see it? As I was continuing my investigation, I heard a door slam a few doors behind where I was and I turned around and wanted to see if someone was in there.

Or maybe there really is a ghost.

When I opened the door, I looked around and I didn't see anything or anyone there and I assumed that it was probably the wind or something like that. I continued onto my investigation and I went over towards this one room next to mine and I slowly opened the door and quietly came inside the room and as I looked around, I saw someone curled up in a corner in the darkness.

I wanted to find out who it was and I said, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"No one's here. Just leave me alone." the voice said.

I quickly turned around and I saw that it was a person. I didn't know what he would look like, other than the fact that his fur was white and I was a little nervous to see if those kids' predictions were true. I swallowed hard and asked, "A-Are you a...a ghost?"

"No, but I wish I was. Then, I wouldn't hurt anyone."

My fears soon turned into curiosity when I heard him say that he wishes he wouldn't hurt anyone and I asked, "Why wouldn't you though?"

"Just go away and leave me alone. I don't wanna hurt you."

I got down on my knees to the ground and I could see that he didn't face me, assuming that I might come and hurt him. He could sense that I was still here and that I wasn't going anywhere and he asked, "Why are you still here?"

"I just want to know why you're hiding yourself." I said, scratching the back of my head.

I could hear him crying softly and he responded tearfully, "Because I'm a monster...a monster that hurts people."

If anyone heard something crack, it was my heart. I just met the guy for a few minutes and I could already tell that he needs a friend right now. I just didn't believe that he calls himself a monster and I asked, "Why would you say that you're a monster?"

"Because I killed my parents!" he shouted and began sobbing more.

I was stunned to actually hear that come out of this person saying that he killed his own parents and I wanted to know a reason how it could be possible. I asked him, "How?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

I scooted over to him and I put my paw on his back, in which made him flinch a little and I said, "I won't tell anyone, honest."

He took a little glance at me and he lets out a heavy sigh and a sniffle and said, "Okay...you see, I-I-I have this power and I burned up our house along with my parents. I just...I couldn't control it."

"What kind of power?" I asked, curiously.

"I can make fire."

I widened my eyes at that after hearing him say he can make fire and used it to hurt his own parents. I could tell that he was extremely guilty about it and I asked, "Why'd you do it?"

"I-I-I-I don't know why, but I didn't mean to do it. It was...it was an accident." the young boy said, trembling.

"How long ago was that?" I asked.

"I was four."

"And how old are you now?"

Crap, that was so random of me to ask him that. He quickly replied, "Eleven. Why are you so interested about me?"

I figured that question was gonna come up and I said, "Earlier, I heard some rumors from one of the kids stating that they've seen a ghost around here for three years. I didn't even want to believe it because I knew that there were no such things as ghosts. But I keep hearing it more and more and I took it upon myself do my little investigation to see if it's true and when I came here and saw you, I completely knew that there was no ghost here."

"But I wish I was. I'd be invisible for the rest of my life." the boy replied.

"You're not a ghost. You're someone that needs a friend." I replied, softly.

The young boy lets out a sad sigh and said, "No one would want to be friends with me."

I could identify with him very easily...he was lonely and I'm lonely as well and I figured that I should give him a chance. I let out a huge sigh and said, "I would."

He actually turned around and faced me, still in the darkness with a little hopeful look on his face and asked, "You would be my friend?"

"Of course I would."

He blinked several times and asked me, "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

"My name's Musaki. What's yours?"

"Ichi."

He looked at me in the eyes and for him, it was the first time that he's ever had a friend and it was also the first time I've had one in less than a year ago and he lets out a smile and said, "I made a friend."

"Can you come out into the light so I can see you?" I asked.

Ichi nodded his head slowly and he stepped into the light and I saw that he's a black and white furred dog with blue eyes and only wore shorts. I could see that he has the same fur color I have and it's like an instant connection. I said, "You're black and white like me."

Ichi looked up at me and he said, "Yeah, I-I guess you could say I'm a panda dog."

I've never heard anything like this before in my life and I said, "Well, I'm an actual panda too."

He looked at me and he could sense that I don't have the same body weight than a normal panda does and he said, "You look kinda...thin. I've never seen any pandas before, but this is the first time I've ever seen one."

"It's the first time I've seen a panda dog too." I added.

He lets out a smile and a little laugh and said, "You're funny."

"So are you. Also...I kinda understand how you feel because I lost my parents too."

Ichi could tell that he felt the same way I felt and he asked, "They were dead, too?"

I wasn't sure if I could open up to him because the pain of telling him about it was too severe, but if he opened up about his parents, I should do the same. I nodded my head in response and I said, "When I was three years old, my parents weren't just dead, but they were killed by a..."

I paused myself because I got all choked up and I felt like I was gonna cry again. Ichi completely puts his paw on my shoulder and said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I took a minute to calm myself down and tears started to come out of my face and I was able to finish off the last part of what I wanted to say. "...they were killed by a monster."

Ichi widened his eyes and asked, "A monster like me?"

"Much different. I'll never forget...his big eyes...his huge, scary, orange eyes. I have bad dreams about those every night and I'm always scared that it'll come back for me." I said, tearfully.

Ichi felt a huge sense of guilt for wanting an answer come out of me and he said, "I'm sorry if I asked."

It wasn't his fault that he wanted to know and I wiped my tears and said, "It's okay. There were days that I ask myself 'why did this have to happen?'"

Ichi took a huge sigh and he still felt a sense of sadness washing over him and said, "At least it wasn't your fault."

I quickly turned to him in response to that and I asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I killed my parents because of me. I'm the reason why they died because of this power I can't control." Ichi said, with tears coming in his eyes.

I went over to him and asked, "Why would you say it was your fault?"

"Because it is! I'm just someone that kills people and it's my own fault!" Ichi shouted.

I stayed silent for a minute because I felt like I was asking him too much about this and that maybe I shouldn't have asked. Ichi could tell that I was scaring him and he lets out a big sigh and said, "I'm sorry, Musaki. If you wanna leave, I totally understand."

I didn't even want to leave him all alone because neither of us want to be lonely again and I said, "I'm staying right here."

Ichi didn't think I would stay here and I continued saying, "I'm never gonna leave you and neither of us want to experience loneliness again."

"Are you sure? What if...what if I hurt you? I wouldn't live with that." Ichi said, his ears drooping down.

"You won't hurt me. I wanna make a promise to you...that I'll be here for you whenever you feel alone." I said, tears also coming out of my eyes.

Ichi froze for a second and couldn't believe what I just said to him and he asked, "You...you will?"

"Because you're my best friend."

He became deeply overwhelmed by what I just told him and he asked, "We're really friends now?"

"Yeah."

There were tears coming out of his face, but they were tears of happiness as he came over and hugged me tightly and he said, "Thank you, Musaki...thank you so much."

"You're not a monster to me. You're my best friend, Ichi."

Ichi lets out a few choked sobs and a few sniffles and whispered, "Thanks."

And that was the start of our friendship...that would emerge through it all.

Ichi is owned by Wonder Panda Tan-Tan, BTW. It's a little different than what we had pitched, but I hope it's good. And yes...there is more coming up. Great way to start up a friendship, huh?