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The sky was clear and the weather had warmed. It was the perfect day to travel. Tama was flying with a destination in mind. Time went by fast. It has already been several winters since he last went back to his birthplace. It was time to go visit his mother.
The kind human who kept his egg safe and raised him to a big dragon he is now. The sweet mother who defended him against a youkai aiming for his life and flesh. No, Mother did not birth him. It was a joke the fat cat started. Nyanko-sensei jokingly said that Natsume is Tama’s motherーthat Tama has imprinted on the human upon birth, therefore he is Tama’s mother. Though Mother brushed it aside, Tama couldn’t take his mind off of it. He likes the notion of having a mother. Usually Tatsumis are born alone and have to struggle to survive by themselves, so Tama is more than happy to welcome Mother’s presence.
He is going to meet such an esteemed person.
Tama could not wait to see his mother!
This is an important visit, so of course he brought various goodies to please his mother. Rare herbs, flowers, fruits, sake and trinkets from his journey were tucked safely underneath his feathers. Tama does not exactly know what is useful to humans and what not. Honestly, Tama just picked whatever items he thought would pique his mother’s interest.
Most of the trinkets were items Tama received from youkais he had helped along his journey. His mother’s kindness has inspired Tama’s own brand of kindness. If he could, he’d help troubled youkais. Not all of them ended well, though that does not deter Tama in helping the next one. His mother is a good influence to what Tama has become today.
Truly, Tama could barely contain his excitement so much that he did aerial acrobats across the vast sky, piercing clouds and startling a flock of birds.
There is so much tale he wanted to share with his mother. He also wanted to hear how his mother is doing in his absence.
Ah, the wind and sunshine is very nice against his body. It is such a pleasant day. Auspicious day, Tama says!
Would Mother be thrilled to see Tama after such a long time? Tama has certainly grown bigger and stronger than before. His horns have branched and split into intricate shape, a testament of his prowess. A kind weasel youkai Tama knew helped decorate his horns with flowers and silk ribbons. Tama is in his best looks. He was dressed to impress.
A distinctive scent then caught Tama’s attention, ah no, it was two scents! Uh? One scent? It was all mixed up together, but Tama recognized that scent anywhere!
Mother!
Without sparing a second to waste, Tama dove down and landed heavily in front of the source of Mother’s heavenly scent.
Tama opened his beak to greet his mother, but … uh?
The two tiny humans standing still in front of him are, in fact, not his mother; though Tama can smell his mother’s scent from these two. Can humans shrink and split into two? Tama is not well versed in human anatomy, but he is certain that humans cannot do that.
What is going on?
Tama tilted his head as the scent of fear wafted into his nostril. It came from the two tiny humans. Now that Tama is looking at them, these humans are shaking like autumn leaves. Right, humans are not supposed to be able to see him. The way that these children stop in front of him means that they can see Tama, no?
“N-Naoto, what should we do?” The dark haired human child whispered loudly, tugging at the other one’s sleeve fervently.
The light haired one stood stock still with his eyes fixated on Tama’s large body. His pupils were shaking. “I, I, I don’t know. Maybe we can squeeze in and walk past it?”
A smack landed on the child named Naoto. “How can we squeeze in when this youkai’s body is literally covering the entire road ?!” Tama glanced down and his body was indeed blocking the road. It’s a tight fit. Tama wiggled slightly to reposition himself and the two human children squealed loudly. Tama’s sudden movement spooked them.
It was apparent that this Naoto child was afraid of Tama, but he bravely stepped forward and stood between Tama and the dark haired child. “M-Mama said we’re not supposed to talk to strange youkais.” Naoto said to Tama in his quivering voice. “So we’re going to go the other way. Don’t follow us!”
“Yeah! Or I will tell Father to seal you away–!”
Naoto gasped. “–Seiya! No! Ssh!”
There is no weight in the threat, unlike the exorcists Tama had stumbled upon previously. Tama was not concerned about his safety. Though he is still curious on what of these two humans that pulled his instinct.
Maybe if he can see them closer he can figure it out?
Tama swiftly stretched his large claw to snatch the one named Naoto and brought the boy for close inspection. Tama’s large eye gazed upon the human, inspecting every inch of it. It is a human child without a doubt; to be precise, a child with a peculiar smell and strong spiritual energy.
“Naoto!” The dark haired one screamed in horror, frozen in place.
The small figure in Tama’s grasp struggled futilely. Tears streamed down his plump cheeks. “Seiya, run! Run! Go get Mama and Father! I’ll hold him off!”
Hm? What is this child terrified of? It’s not like Tama is going to eat him. Tama is not fond of human meat since he considers himself part human due to his mother.
Any attempt to calm the panicked children fell on deaf ears as the both of them screamed their heads off.
“Oi brats, what are you shouting about? Noisy!” A familiar voice rang above the screaming the two children were doing and grabbed their attention.
“Nyanko-sensei! Help us! This youkai is going to eat Naoto-nii!” The dark haired child ran towards the rotund fortune cat. Said cat was loafing comfortably on the wall nearby.
The cat’s eyes glow green before widening. “ Oya ? Aren’t you … ? Tama?” Hearing his name called, Tama chirped and nodded his head quickly. It is his Mother’s cat bodyguard! Oh, it is so nice to meet a familiar face!
Mayhaps the cat bun can help straighten this misunderstanding in Tama’s stead? Tama does not want to eat any of them! They smell like Mother so Tama is curious, that is all.
Nyanko-sensei nodded as he listened. He snorted amusedly. “Well, if you don’t want them to misunderstand, you shouldn’t grab him like that. Of course they thought you’re gonna eat them.” No wonder! Tama then carefully lowered Naoto down.
Tama is sorry, Naoto child.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Naoto immediately ran to his sibling and hugged each other tightly to prevent one of them getting snatched again.
“These two are Natsume’s children, by the way. That’s why you can smell Natsume from them.” Sensei pointed out, stretching his body and yawning widely. “We haven’t met in quite a while and you probably haven’t heard the rumor about Natsume mating yet.”
Mother has a mate now? Tama is missing a lot. He should’ve visited more often.
“Guess it’s a good thing we met here. You’re on your way to Hitoyoshi, aren’t you? Natsume doesn’t live there anymore.” Nyanko-sensei jumped on top of Tama and nestled there. The cat’s round face peered down to the two frozen children and addressed them. “Calm down, Tama is not going to eat skinny children like you. Tama, the blond one is Naoto and the dark one is Seiya. Brats, this is Tama.”
The children are still cautious despite Nyanko-sensei’s introduction. Tama knows he is huge and amazing, but there is no need to be afraid of him, Mother’s children!
When the kids did not respond, Nyanko-sensei seemed to consider something before smirking in amusement. “This is your mother’s first child. Come greet your older brother.”
The children gaped. “What?! This youkai is Mother’s son?!” They shouted at the same time.
“D-Does that mean I’m not the eldest?” Naoto gasped in horror, looking as if the world was ending.
Meanwhile, Tama watched as the dark haired child–Seiya–squealed. “Tama-nii!” The fear disappeared and was replaced with unbridled joy. The child ran towards Tama, glomping his neck.
“Can we get a ride home? I wanna fly with you! Can I ? Can I?” Seiya begged Tama with his best pitiful puppy eyes. Tama eagerly nodded. Of course! Giving them a ride is no big deal. They can reach Mother faster this way.
Seiya bounced in excitement before starting to climb Tama, settling behind Nyanko-sensei. Seiya waved towards Naoto who was still petrified down there. “Nao, come up! Hurry, hurry!” The child beckoned the other.
“ Sniff –What? No! Mother and Father will be upset at us if we fly home. It’s too dangerous!” Tama huffed, why is this one being difficult? Tama is good at flying. Tama can take them all to Mother safely and quickly.
Seiya snickered. “Pfft, you’re so lame. Just say that you’re afraid to fly. Weak.”
“What did you say–?!”
–
The barrier around the house barely phased Tama. Perhaps Tama has gotten that strong during his journey for him to be able to withstand the barrier. The barrier itself is not weak per se. It was certainly modified to accommodate a friendly presence.
Despite Tama’s smooth entrance, Tama’s arrival still sounded the breaching alarm. Humans clad in black hakama ran out the house and pointed Tama’s way, shouting urgently. Some of them even began to chant protective sutras and docked their bows with arrows imbued with spiritual energy.
Tama landed as gently as he could in the courtyard, avoiding damage to any plantage or the beautiful pond. He panicked when the human aimed at him. He has precious cargo on his back. If his cargo gets hurt, Mother will be very sad and angry at Tama. Tama grew restless as several humans slowly, but surely approached Tama with hostility.
“Ah, these stupid humans–” Frustrated by the situation, Nyanko-sensei jumped off of Tama and transformed into his wolf-dog form. “Back off, idiot exorcists! This is Natsume’s precious friend!” Sensei’s large maw was wide open, growling loudly.
That helped the situation if not a little. The exorcists lowered their weapon. Right at that timing, a slender man stepped out. The man’s breath is labored as if he ran all the way there in a hurry.
“Tama!” The man’s lovely voice called out Tama’s name. It was Mother!
Mother is here! Cat bodyguard is not lying to Tama. Tama purred, nudging Mother’s belly with his beak. Tama missed you so much!
Mother’s soft hand stroked the plane between Tama’s eyes, relief filling his gaze. “Hello, Tama. I did not expect you to visit me here. Did Sensei guide you?”
Nyanko-sensei has transformed back and landed squarely on top of Mother’s mop of blond hair. A paw smacked Mother’s forehead. “Of course I did! I also brought the kids back. Be thankful! I demand two boxes of Nanatsujiya’s newest manju!”
Mother frowned, swatting away Sensei’s paw. “The kids? Where are they?” Mother peeked behind Tama’s gigantic form. Though he will not find anyone.
Seiya popped up from Tama’s feather. Plump cheeks flushed red, thoroughly warmed by Tama’s exquisitely soft downy feathers. “Mother, we’re home!”
Mother’s countenance relaxed as one of Tama’s cargo crawled down his majestic body and onto the ground. “Seiya!” Mother crouched down and received Seiya’s enthusiastic hug. “Where is your brother?”
A pitiful sob answered Mother’s question. Another head popped out of Tama’s fur. Naoto’s face was blotched with tears and snot. “Mama … “ The poor child crawled down at a much slower pace than his brother. Naoto practically slid down Tama’s feathery back on his belly. Tama felt bad for him.
Mother walked towards the whimpering child, picking him up. “Naoto? What’s wrong?” The child cried louder, wailing even.
“Mnngg … S-Seiya said I’m not his older b-brother anymore because Tama is, is his new brother … “ Tama grimaced at that. The whole way to the house, Seiya and Naoto were arguing with Nyanko-sensei interjecting once in a while. Seiya was teasing Naoto about Tama being their new older brother.
Mother was confused to say the least. Tama poked the fat cat with the tip of his claw, pushing him to speak up. Sensei’s the main reason why Naoto is crying!
The cat clicked his tongue before telling Mother what actually transpired. The fact that Sensei kept teasing Naoto so much that Naoto’s pride for being Seiya’s older brother was trampled, simply because Tama was born years before the children were born.
Mother’s frown became even worse. A punch landed square on Sensei’s head in reprimand. “No treats for you, Sensei.” Mother ignored the cat’s complaints, instead Mother focused on the sobbing Naoto.
“Naoto, Sweetheart, you will always be my first child. I gave birth to you and your brother. Do not listen to Nyanko-sensei’s words, okay? He’s just teasing you.” Mother pacified the crying child with absolute care, patting the child’s small back.
Tama laid down completely on the yard, orbs watching his mother’s movement closely. Seiya opted to rest beside Tama, leaning against Tama’s fluffy feathers. “Mm, Mother, can you tell me how you met Tama-nii?” Seiya said after Naoto’s cries had died down. “Nyanko-sensei said Mother picked Tama-nii’s egg and kept it until it hatched.”
Seiya spread his arms wide and his tiny fingers stroked Tama’s feathers, up and down, side to side. Tama is very proud of his feather coat. Most of his baby feathers have fallen off and been replaced with mature ones. He took great care of it to keep a good appearance. Seems like his effort rewarded him with Seiya’s careful rubbing.
Mother was about to respond, but someone beat him to it. “Yes, I’d love to know how you got your hands on a Tatsumi’s egg, Takashi.” A dark haired exorcist with the same feature and scent as young Seiya appeared behind Mother. Tama’s body went rigid at the sheer power coming from the man. “I wonder how many children you have hidden from me and Natori-san.”
“Father!” Seiya ran smack into the man’s legs.
Mother smiled sheepishly, accepting a kiss to the temple from Seiya’s sire. “It’s a long story– how about we wait for Shuuichi-san to come home and then I tell you about Tama. I’d rather not tell the story twice.”
Tama plucked the gifts he had prepared for his Mother one by one as a peace offering to Mother’s mate, to show that Tama is not a threat. As Tama laid down his gifts, the exorcist grew interested. It’s a good thing that none of them break during flight. It would be embarrassing to provide broken things in front of Mother’s mate.
The dark haired exorcist became especially attentive as soon as Tama brought out an old book he got. “Oh, this child has brought something interesting.” He picked up the book and flipped through it. The man’s smile widened impossibly. It reminds Tama of a cat getting the canary–a bit unsettling.
Mother, along with the human children, crouched down to inspect Tama’s gifts. “Are all these for me?” Mother’s hand stroked Tama’s beak appreciatively.
Tama nodded eagerly. Of course, it is Mother’s to use. Perhaps to share with Mother’s family as well, Tama won’t mind.
“Thank you very much. I love it.” Mother’s smile warmed Tama’s heart. It is worth it to carry all these even only for that smile. “How about I cut up the fruits then you can tell me what you have been up to, Tama? I’m sure the twins would love to hear your tales as well.”
Nyanko-sensei spotted the alcohol Tama brought and beamed brightly. For such a rotund cat, Sensei grabbed a bottle at the speed of light. He cradled it close to his chubby body before expertly popped the cork open. Chugging noises filled the yard, “Tama, you bright boy. You brought delicious alcohol and perfect snacks!” Tama doesn’t think anyone can part the cat from that bottle anytime soon.
Sensei is not the only one excited as the children cheered, thankfully ignoring the drunkard cat. As mother picked the fruits, Naoto and Seiya began to rummage through the pile and asked a thousand questions regarding the items. Tama shook his head. This human has not taught their children well. How come they don’t know these things? Even young youkai would know what these are!
Well, as their pseudo older brother Tama is required to teach the younger ones about youkai knowledge. Children with such strong spiritual energy will end up in Tama’s world one way or another.
Hm, Tama hoped the children would grow up to be as kind as their mother. Having exorcists as their sire, their future perspective is uncertain. But Tama’s mother is very nice and empathetic, surely the children will turn out the same, right?
“Seiji-san, do you want fruits as well? I’ve tried several of them before back in Hitoyoshi. They’re sweet when they’ve ripened.” Mother’s voice rang from the porch where he was cutting up the brightly colored and oddly shaped fruits.
With the book in hand, the exorcist sat beside Mother. His eyes still glued to the old pages. “Mm, I’d like to try one. I’ve never tried youkai fruits before.”
“Shuuichi-san said he will be home in two hours. His shooting ends early.” Mother continued, feeding Seiya a cut-up fruit. Naoto poked the fruit before opening his mouth, wanting his mother to feed him as well. Tama is glad the child has stopped crying his eyes out.
“Papa is coming home?! Waaaai!” Seiya ran around in circles, dragging a long, beautiful silk cloth behind him.
Naoto piped up in a small voice. “Papa? Nao miss Papa … “
“Yeah? Do you miss your papa? Well, he has been gone for two weeks already. Make sure to tell him that yourself, okay?” Mother wiped the corner of Naoto’s mouth with a napkin. The smile never leaves his countenance.
“No, I don’t wanna.” Naoto pouted and opted to shove another bite of fruit into his mouth.
This time the dark haired exorcist chuckled, attention pulled away from the fascinating writings on the book. “I wonder where he’s getting his tsundere-ness from?” Tama saw the man throwing his mother a side-glance.
“Seiji-san!”
Tama crooned. Tama’s meeting with Mother is nothing but chance and fate. Tama is glad that Mother saved him from his doomed fate of becoming a great youkai’s meal. Tama will make sure to return Mother’s kindness. He might not be Mother’s actual child like Naoto and Seiya, but Tama is glad to be considered as one.
Mother has his own family now. Mother also seemed to be very comfortable and at ease. It was very different from when Tama was born. Mother was still tense at times, his smile often has this odd note to it.
Tama can stay for a few days and soak in his mother’s presence before taking off to another journey. Tama also wanted to meet this Shuuichi guy. Tama has a feeling that the man is where Naoto took his appearance and crybabyness from?