Musaki sees Ichi as something that Ichi's never known or felt before...

Chapter 14: Fears and Promises

A few weeks later, Ichi walks out of the bathroom and heads towards the hall back to our room and as he almost got there, he heard the sound of a flute coming in out of nowhere so he instantly followed the sound and as it got nearer, he walks into our door and to his surprise, he figured out that it was me.

I was playing my flute just to pass the time just to get a few things out of my chest and Ichi was very surprised that I knew how to play it and he's never seen a panda like me with a flute, but he seemed very amazed.

After I was done, I turned around and I saw Ichi standing there and I had no idea he listened to the entire thing and I asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough, Saki." Ichi replied.

He walks in the room and just sat down on my bed for a while and he looked at me and asked, "Was I interrupting you?"

"No. I just...didn't expect anyone to hear it." I said, chuckling a bit.

Ichi sighed heavily and laid on the side of my bed and he said, "Saki...I'm sorry."

I chuckled softly at this and I said, "Hey, Ichi...what you gotta be sorry for, bro?"

Ichi replied, with worry in his voice"Everything. My powers..."

I quickly went up towards him and I knew he was still holding onto the day that he punched me a few days ago and I said, "Ichi...what does your powers have anything to do with it?"

"Musaki...you know I almost took your life two times or more because of me. I know you're trying to be there for me and I appreciate the effort, but the truth of the matter is...I'm a killer. I can't control my powers and that one day...one day, I'll just go crazy."

I didn't want him to fill his head with so many thoughts like that and I said, "Ich...come on, buddy. You know you're not a killer or a monster. You're just a kid that needs a friend like me who will do anything to be here for you. I've told you this at least 2 million times."

"Yeah, but it's not enough. I don't know how you deal with me." Ichi said.

I ask myself that same question every day, but for good reasons that I would remain by his side, through good times and bad times and that I'll never give up on him. I looked up at Ichi and said, "You just need someone to control your strength. I don't know who that person will be...but it'll happen...someday."

"It's just that...I'm still afraid that I'll hurt everyone...even you. So many reasons that I hide myself away from everyone is that I don't want them to feel the same way my parents felt when I killed them and that I'd be responsible for it. It's something I'll never get over for the rest of my life and will just have to live with guilt, shame and disappointment." Ichi said, his voice breaking.

I let out a huge sigh and I told him, "Ich...it's not your fault. Sometimes things like this happen."

"But not to me." Ichi replied.

"Everything happens for a reason, you know. Like...I've been grieving over the loss of my parents since I was three and I always stayed in my room in a deep depression just like you, but Shakur told me that my parents wouldn't want me to live in sadness forever. They just want me to be happy and move on."

"How? How do you move on after something like this happens?" Ichi asked.

He made a good point on that one and I put my hand on his shoulder and replied, "It's pretty hard. But overtime, you just...do."

Ichi looks up at me and I let out a smile and told him, "You know, I see you as something else too."

"What's that?"

My smile grew wider and I replied, "My brother."

That really lit Ichi up a little bit after I cited him as my brother and he asked, "Y-Y-You really think so?"

"I know so. We pandas have to stick together."

He lets out a little smile and he told me, "You're like the brother I never had. I always thought that you'd run away from me because of my powers, but you never did."

"It's a promise...a promise that I still keep."

Ichi went over to me and he gave me a hug and told me, "Thank you...for never giving up on me."

"Always. And we'll always have each other's backs for a long time."

Brotherhood and friendship go hand in hand. Ichi and Musaki will always be friends forever. Wonder Panda Tan-Tan, hope this satisfies you. Got more coming up!