Super Spark of Duper Pride [OB] - Act I: Motivation

3-S: Dragons' Choices (Wyrm 11 & Apex 3)

...

<I forgive you.>

Skanda-sama: <Huh!?>

What he just said, it struck a chord with me.

<Back in my old life, I hated a classmate of mine because my crush rejected me saying he liked her instead. I hated her for that among other things, like how aloof she is yet somehow she is popular because everyone found her beautiful, combined with her near perfect grades, I couldn't see her as anything but a Mary Sue, undeserving of her good fortune. I bullied her day in and day out, but she always dismissed me, which made me even angrier, thinking she is looking down on me. Of course, I was just being petty, letting my own self righteousness run wild. I wasted so much of my precious time on hating her, when my friends were right there, wanting to spend time with me. Sniff, I miss them, I really do, I wished I had spend more time with them, but I just wasted my time doing something I am ashamed of, that didn't make me happy anyway.>

I start to cry again.

Skanda-sama, having turned back to face me, is staring at me with disbelief written all over his face.

I wiped my tears and took a deep breath.

I then faced Skanda-sama.

Honestly, I am still scared of him, I just can't help it after everything he did to me.

In fact, his sorry state makes him look like an undead, making things worse.

But no one is perfect, not even Skanda-sama.

He may have betrayed my expectations of him, but right now he needs help.

And this is my chance to repay him for taking care of me too.

<I guess what I am trying to say is, you may have messed up very badly, but you can always use this experience as the wisdom you need to do better next time around.>

I am returning the very same wisdom Skanda-sama taught me.

He continues to stare at me, dumbfounded.

It's honestly starting to get awkward.

Skanda-sama: <...Heh heh, must be pretty satisfying hitting me with my own advice, eh?>

After a while, Skanda-sama finally replies with genuine amusement.

<Like you can't imagine.>

He is back, he is finally back.

I lean in and hug his head.

I am crying, but of joy this time.

He hesitated, but hugged me back with his broken limbs.

Apex 3:

This is a rather troublesome situation I have found myself in.

I may not be on fire anymore, but I am still without enough EP to hunt for food, or do much of anything else for that matter.

And above me are all the fiery earth constructs I have deployed in my fight against the Rising Star.

My main duty here is to patrol this part of the Lower Stratum and keep this shaft clear.

I don't regret battling her, but to fail the Maker outside of that like this is most shameful.

Just then, I felt another disturbance in space again.

Is it her? Or perhaps...

The Maker steps out of a portal in front of me.