Work Text:
It was an evening after a quiet dinner when it all happened. Fox and Krystal were sitting in their living room, reading, with Fox sitting in a spot that had become his favorite over the years. It was on one of the plush cushions Krystal placed next to a small table, upon which were three objects. Two of them were candles, one of vanilla and one of lavender. The third object stood between them, a small statuette of a tall vixen, with an ample figure and flowing hair. This was the Cerinian Goddess Maira, the goddess of motherhood, home, hearth, and care. And it just so happened to be the goddess whose signs Fox was born under. All of them, actually; he was, as Krystal told him when she first explained the goddess to him, what the Cerinians called a Sign Born.
Fox breathed in the duel scents, and signed contentedly. He heard Krystal giggle.
"It really is cute how you're so comfortable next to that shrine," said Krystal. "Something in you senses the desire to be close to her."
Fox looked at the statuette, and shrugged. "It is comfortable over here. I'm still not sure what to think about all that Sign Born stuff. At least the scents are nice."
Krystal just smiled. "Well, her work is certainly afoot, at least to me."
That was another thing. Krystal never forced him to believe in all of this; she was content to believe that she was blessed after her tragedy to find Fox and be with him, and as far as she was concerned, Maira had her eye on the both of them. Fox could play the skeptic all he liked. It was one of the things Fox admired about Krystal; she was so graceful about it all.
Eventually Fox put his book down and stared out the window. It was a rainy Fall evening, and watching the rain brought him calm.
"Thinking about the teaching job?" Krystal asked.
"Yes," said Fox, turning to her and smiling. "Peppy wants me to meet the principal. I expressed interest, and frankly, I think I would enjoy it, but...it's going to be such a change, going from a pilot to teaching early flight stuff to high school kids."
"Fox," said Krystal, giving him a flat look. "My opinion isn't going to change. You will be a terrific teacher. You are calm, kind, and you like children. And as I said, teachers have a natural affinity to Maira. All signs point to you being excellent at it."
"I know you say that," said Fox, still smiling. He looked back out the window. "Well...I'm looking forward to it. Still won't stop me from overthinking."
"You do that a lot, but it's fine," said Krystal. She winked at him. "That's why I'm here to tell you to stop doing that."
Fox chuckled.
They read in comfortable silence for a time, until Krystal eventually got up to head to bed. She had an early meeting with an art gallery tomorrow; Krystal decided that her post-Star Fox life would be a venture into painting. She still remembered her old lessons in the Cerininan Impressionistic style, and she wanted to share it with Corneria, if only to make sure the artistic traditions of her home survived. Fox, needless to say, was lovingly supportive.
In the silence, Fox kept reading, until he put the book down again and stared out the window once more at the rain.
Part of his wonderings about the teaching job came from his general wonderings about the future. He decided, some months ago once the recovery from the Aperoid Blitz finished, that he was going to retire. Mercenary work was satisfying to an extent, and there still was some work to be had, but in his soul the chief thing he wanted was to settle down with Krystal and do something else, something just as productive. It was a profound blessing that Krystal not only agreed with the plain but endorsed it just as strongly. She, too, wanted a life together--had wanted it for some time, same as him--and so as far as the personal motivations went, Fox was fine. It was just the practical matters left. Would this teaching work be as satisfying as he hoped? What else would the future bring?
It was a lot to think about.
He looked at the statue of Maira. Her arms were wide, as if welcoming someone into a hug. Something about her gaze--immaculately carved into a loving expression--always calmed him down. She was the goddess of home and hearth, right? Practical matters if there ever were any, and people liked to describe him as a kindly practical person. Staring into the status’s eyes and breathing in the scents, Fox wondered what she would say about all this.
Maybe it was because he was thinking too much. Or maybe because he was tired. But something about the statue, with its open arms and it's large...well, very large bosom offered as a pillow, calmed Fox down.
Another moment of silence passed.
"You know," said Fox. "I wouldn't mind meeting you, if you are...out there, somewhere."
It was the first time he'd ever prayed to Maira, if that could be called praying. And nothing happened.
Well...well, what was he expecting? It's not like a goddess would suddenly poof into his home because he asked-
The statues eyes glowed.
Every hair on Fox's neck stood on end. He stood up, mouth agape, and before he could speak a large poof filled the room. He fell to the floor, like he'd been buffeted by a very large and very soft powder puff. Now on his back, Fox opened his eyes and saw the room covered in a mist of sweet-smelling smoke. The room was perfumed in the smells of vanilla and lavender, and when he took a deep breath Fox felt calm, despite everything. But in the center of the room, he could see something--or someone--towering over him.
"Aww~" said a warm, womanly voice. "Oh, you are even cuter in person! Come here~."
Before Fox could speak, the shape leaned over, and two soft paws gripped him under his arms and lifted him up, as...as the largest bosom he'd ever seen loomed into view, huge and white-furred and rapidly approaching-
BOOOMF~.
Fox felt his head wedge between two overwhelmingly soft pillows, as two arms wrapped around him and pinned his arms to his side. He was now utterly pressed into soft oblivion, and when he tried to budge he couldn't even wiggle. He felt someone cuddle him close, and turn side to side like they were holding a beloved stuffed animal.
"Mmmf!" said Fox. "Mmmph-"
"Oh, you are just the perfect size!" the voice from before squealed. "It's been so long since I could hug a mortal, and you will be getting so much of mother's attention, dear~."
More and more Fox was cuddled, his nose becoming more wedged in the valley. He actually felt his cheeks getting scrunched up. But despite it all...Fox felt an odd calm. He didn't panic, despite being unable to even move in the figure's grip. He did blush, and his wriggles seemed only to elicit giggles.
"Easy there, dear," said the voice. "It's okay, let me just cuddle you a bit longer. Aren't you so adorable? Yes you are~."
Despite the whiplash of all of this, Fox kept feeling that strange sense of calm. It was like complete warmth and gentleness pressing in on him from all sides. He felt...little again, but not really? It was hard to place.
"Mmmph!" said Fox.
"Oh, there you go being fussy," said the voice. "But, I do think I should get a look at you. Let's see."
He felt a tug...and the nothing.
"Ara?" said the voice, sounding quite ditzy now. "Oh! I've gotten you stuck, haven't I? Dear me, this always seems to happen with my hugs. Well, let me just...ah, there we are~."
With another tug, Fox was pulled back--there was a soft boomf noise as it happened--and he got a full look at the ample bosom right in front him. Yes, he hadn't been seeing things, they were really...bigger than his head, he realized with a blush. Then he felt a digit tap his chin and guide his gaze upward.
"Hello, dear~."
A gentle face, with fur white as snow, looked down at him with warm amber eyes. Her full lips were in a coo, with lavender lipstick that matched her eyeshadow. Her headfur was long, a deep purple, and it almost covered an eye. Adorning her head was a circlet--much like the ones Krystal, wore, actually--of gold, with an amber jewel in its center. It became clear how much...taller she was than him, when her face filled his vision. Fox felt rather little again.
"Still as cute as always," she said. "And just the perfect size, too~."
She adjusted her hold of him, till he was cradled in her arms like a kit.
"There we are," she said. Gentle rocking motions followed. "An even better position to speak to you. And don't you just look confused, darling~. That is alright; I did just appear in your living room all of sudden! But, you know, dear, once you have the energy to manifest yourself again corporally, you simply must." She booped his nose. "And now Mother Maira's got you, Foxykins~."
"...who?" said Fox. This was, he realized, the first word he could form in what seemed like a while.
"Oh, that's you, sweet thing," she said, her tail wagging. "My little Foxy Woxykins, my Sign Born."
"No, I mean," said Fox, blushing hotly. "I mean...who are you?"
"Why, dear," she said, cocking her head to the side--and actually looking adorable herself--"I am Maira, one of the Cerinian goddesses. Goddess of motherhood, home, hearth, and gentle love. The White Vixen, the Soft One, The All-Mother and...well, a number of names that, as much as I understand the respect, I find sometimes pretentious," she said, pouting a little. Then her smile came back. "You can just call me Maira, or mother. Mama, too, if you need to be a little more vulnerable. You are just a little one, after all." She tickled his stomach. "Just my little dear~."
"Hey-!" said Fox, starting to giggle.
"Ah, I found the spot~." said Maira.
Fox was reduced to helpless giggles as Maira gently tickled him, cooing all the while. When she finished, she started rocking him again, humming to herself as she looked down at him. Fox felt small once more, and then the enormity of this meeting him like a sack of bricks. Or rather, a soft sack of pillows, frankly.
"So," said Fox. "You're...you're real."
Maira cocked her head to the side again, pouting. "Well, of course I am, Foxykins."
Fox realized that asking a goddess, in the flesh and cradling him like a child, to confirm she was real was probably rude. Maira, thankfully, seemed more confused than offended.
"Oh," said Fox. "Well, I just...honestly?" and he chuckled. "I'm completely at a loss."
"Oh, you just can't help looking adorable, can you~?" said Maira, pinching his cheeks. "And I must admit, I did...move fast with the introduction, I suppose. You must forgive me, sweetie, I do love my hugs."
She sat down--Fox expected the coach to groan under her stature, but there wasn't a sound--and adjusted her hold, keeping Fox flush against her bosom.
"But I have arrived, dear," she said, and she booped his nose again. "Aren't you just a little Foxykins, hmm~?"
"Foxykins?" said Fox, raising an eyebrow.
"My name for you," she said. "And no, it's non-negotiable~."
Fox frowned, blushing.
"Oh, such a cute little pout," Maira cooed. "But! I must talk about my arrival and what it means for you both. And you and Kryssykins will be-"
"Mother Maira?"
And there was Krystal, at the steps to the second floor, staring at the two of them, wearing her evening robe.
"Oh, hello~!" said Maira, waving to her. "Good, you're both up! Now, come here my little darling, it's time for me to explain to you both-"
Krystal felt on her rear, her face completely gob smacked.
"I'm surprised you didn't faint," said Fox, in deadpan.
"...you know, we do all need to sit down," said Maira sheepishly. "This is probably a lot for the both you."
Fox gave her a look. Maira pouted and wagged a finger at him.
"Naughty child," she said gently, tapping his nose. "Don't tease mama."
In short order, Maira had the two of them sitting in her lap, each of their heads resting against her chest. Krystal looked bewildered and reverent, and then she nuzzled into her arms, which just made Maira chuckle.
"You're really here!" said Krystal. "I knew you were watching us! Auntie Garnet always said you kept an eye on your loved ones. See, Fox? I told you we had friends in high places."
"That you do," said Maira, rubbing Krystal's headfur. "Of course I've been watching you two very closely for some time now. And now that my power is refreshed, I can finally begin to watch over you personally. But, I should explain myself."
"You see," she continued, her expression now solemn. "When...when the Mother Planet was destroyed, my sisters and I were deeply impacted. The Mother Planet was my cradle for the Cerinians, and to lose so much of my children at once..." she shook her head. "It was too much. My sisters and I had to rest, to heal the wounds of so great a tragedy. In our dreams we still watched over our people. I saw you, Krystal, in your journey for answers. And of course, Fox, I saw you. And have always seen you, as you know."
"This is about me being your Sign Born, right?" said Fox.
"Mmhmm," said Maira. She ruffled his head fur, and started--as Fox blushed--bouncing him gently on her knee. "I always keep an eye on my little ones."
"So you appear to us now," said Krystal. "We...Fox, we are very blessed. It is a rare thing for the goddesses to show themselves directly to mortals."
"And that, I think, needs to change," said Maira, looking resolute. "I must be with my children. And so it shall be." She pulled them close. "Starting today, I will be taking personal charge of the two of you."
"Huh?" said Fox.
"I will be taking you under my care," said Maira, smiling sweetly at the two of them. "A chaperone, guardian, or nanny I suppose, to be cute," and she giggled. "Mother Maira will be taking personal care of the two of you, from now on~. And I will be staying right here."
"You mean...living with us?" said Fox.
"Well, living close by," said Maira, looking sheepish. "I don't mean to intrude."
Fox's hospitality instincts kicked in. "Not at all, but it's just...well, this is a lot to take in."
"It is," said Krystal. "But...well, it's much like a tradition back home, I suppose. It was a common thing for the women of a village to "adopt" a friend's children as a social chaperone or god mother, in a way."
"A tradition I started!" said Maira, her tail wagging.
"I'm a bit old for that, though," said Fox with a smile.
Krystal gave him a look. "You're in your thirties. You are not old."
Maira also gave him a look. "And compared to my age you're still a toddler. Both of you, actually."
"Lovely," said Fox, his smile growing. "Now I have two people who can groan at my jokes about how much my knees hurt."
Maira booped him on the nose and wagged her finger. "Naughty child," she said, pouting.
"Oh, good, now we can get him to break that habit," said Krystal. "But still...to think that you'll be taking care of us..."
"Well, someone has to," said Maira, looking resolute. "You both have been watching out for others and yourselves for a long time now. You've had many journeys, many enemies, and many trials. And now, with my authority as a goddess, that is over now. You both," she said, looking at them, "are now in my care, here and ever after."
"Ever after?" said Fox.
Maira smiled gently at him. "For the rest of your days. And when you pass on, the first thing you will feel is my arms taking you both home."
Fox...blinked. It was something to hear a divine being talk so casually of the afterlife. And, as he felt the goddess pull him close to her breast, he realized...maybe this would be nice.
"Where will you stay, though?" said Fox. "You need a room, and I won’t just let you sleep on the couch."
"Oh, there he goes," said Krystal, her tail wagging. "The perfect host. He's a darling like that, you know."
"He absolutely is~," said Maira, who now pulled Fox tightly to her bosom, smothering him in a breast.
"Mmmph!" said Fox.
"But he does have a point," said Krystal. "Where will you stay?"
"Mmmph-" said Fox, but he was finding that Maira could hold him still with just a gentle paw.
"Hmm..." said Maira. Then she looked out the window. "Ah! Here we are."
She let Fox go, and Fox pulled back, blushing hotly, as he noticed that Maira was looking out their backyard window...right at the garden shed. It was an old thing Fox built himself some years back, but which he never used. Fox actually needed to buy some tools, as for most of the landscaping work he hired help for, being that in the past he was in the Great Fox for most of the year.
"Wait," said Fox. "I hope you're not thinking of staying in there?"
"I have an idea," said Maira, looking down at him with a smile and a wink.
They all stood in front of the shed, and Fox was still wondering what in the world Maira could be thinking of. Krystal's tail was wagging; maybe, with all her knowledge of the goddess, she actually knew what to expect.
Standing beside the goddess also gave Fox the chance to actually look her over for the first time from a distance. Maira was tall; very tall, really, with himself barely coming up to her stomach. She wore an ornate and plush robe, a deep purple decorated with yellow symbols, trimmed with lavender purple and cinched with amber ties that had jewels at the ends. She was voluptuous; wide hips and large bosom, the typically motherly figure. Just from appearance alone Fox would've assumed she was a regal person, but even after knowing her only a few minutes she had much more in common with a doting, sweet aunt. It was endearing, frankly.
"Now then," said Maira. She held out a paw. "Let's do a little redecorating, shall we?"
The goddess closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they glowed amber. And then, she spoke.
It was not Cerinian. Fox knew that language from bits and pieces Krystal taught him; it was a mix of old Krazoa from Sauria and something else, hinting at a close connection between the two planets. But what came out of Maira's muzzle was something completely different, and something unfathomably old. Fox's fur stood up; not out of fear, but out of some instinctual feeling of reverence. Krystal was kneeling, even, and he wondered if he should do the same.
Maira, for her part, had a cheerful face as she spoke, and then with a dainty wag of her finger, she fired of a ball of amber light at the shed, and it was engulfed in light.
Fox shielded his eyes. Then, when he looked once the light dissipated, his jaw hit the dirt.
In the place of the shed was now an incredibly cozy little cottage. An A-Frame, the kind people dream of building in some idyllic forest somewhere. A little chimney stuck out of the roof, and the door was just the right size for Maira.
Krystal just stared in awe. Fox, meanwhile--and he really must be a Sign Born of a goddess of home if this was his first reaction--asked, "Well, what about size? It seems a bit small."
Maira just winked at him, and walked forward and opened the door. And as Fox and Krystal walked in, Fox's jaw hit the ground, again.
"Oh," said Fox. "Of course it's bigger on the inside."
What was once a dusty, empty shack was now a spacious, wide room. At one corner was a raised pavilion, with a large lounge chair and window that looked straight out into the forest beyond. In the center of the room was a long table, with cushions alongside it, and the floor was covered with a plush, white rug. There was a hearth and fireplace on the right side, with its own set of cushions nearby, and a roaring fire was already there, the faint crackling filling the room. All along the walls were wide windows and shelves and painted pictures; the paintings were all landscapes, and from Krystal's amazed expression Fox guessed they were paintings of Cerinia's landscapes, from its beaches to its forests and mountains.
Along the shelves were various knick-knacks. Vases with flowers, candles, incense, small china figurines of foxes and other races. Fox was drawn to two figures in a raised spot close to the pavilion, and noticed they look like Krystal and himself. Then his ears twitched, and he noticed a faint ticking. There, standing beside the wall close to the fireplace, was a grandmother clock.
Cozy. That was the singular, overwhelming feeling.
"Well," said Maira, hands on her hips. "This will do nicely."
"It's amazing!" said Krystal, her tail wagging. "Look, Fox! This is a painting of Ca Jouja, my home town!" She pointed a painting of a seaside town, with the waves breaking on the beach, and palm trees swaying in the wind. "It looked just like that, in the mild days of Summer." She smiled with a melancholy nostalgia, but it was a smile nonetheless. "This whole place feels like home, really."
"It does," said Fox. "It feels sort of like an aunt's house, honestly. Like-huh? Wait..."
There on the wall was a panting of...his home, his first home, actually. The farmhouse on Papetoon, with its place on a hill overlooking one of the prairies. There was a light on in the home, and instantly Fox was brought back to his first memories as a kit; his mom rocking him to sleep on a warm Papetoonian night, his father carrying him to bed after a day of running through the yard.
"Why, Fox," said Krystal, standing beside him. "That's-"
"It is," said Fox. "We lived there till I was about 5. Then we moved to Corneria."
Maira placed her paws on his shoulders. "Just some little pieces of home for you both. What do you think?"
"It's...very nice," said Fox. "This whole room feels...safe. Warm, too."
"It's a projection of my power," said Maira, Her tail wagged. "Usually we goddesses have our own realm--call it a pocket dimension, really--but now...well, if I want to live more among you both, I should just have a little home you two can visit just as easily as I can see you both."
"Well, talk about new neighbors," said Fox.
"I'll say," said Krystal. "Oh? What's that?'
Krystal pointed to a large rectangular chest, painted purple with white accents, that sat in another corner of the room. It was a toybox, Fox realized, sort of like the little one he had when he was a kit.
Maira looked positively giddy. "Oh, you've noticed it~! That, dear, is a little surprise. Go ahead and open it, you two."
Krystal walked over first. She opened the lid, and Fox saw warm light coming from the inside.
"Just reach your paw in, dear," said Maira, her tail wagging. "It's a surprise~."
Krystal did so, reaching her paw into the light, and jumped back in surprise as the lid fell with a soft click. Then she looked at her paw. She was a holding small doll, a little vixen, with long hair tied in a braid. Krystal's eyes widened...and then she smiled softly.
"This is the first toy I ever had," said Krystal. "Mom gave it to me when I was...goodness, it must've been when I was just a baby." She looked at Maira. "This must be magic too, isn't it?"
"Call it a receptacle of childhood memories," said Maira.
Fox walked up and looked at the little doll, smiling despite his amazement. "Didn't take you for a doll girl, Krystal."
"Oh, I was for a little bit," she said. "Then I got into my rambunctious phase."
Maira smiled. "You mean your gremlin phase, as your mother called it."
"I wasn't that bad," said Krystal.
Maira just kept looking at her, her smile getting wider and wider.
"...oh, fine," said Krystal. "I could be a little terror sometimes, but I turned out alright."
"That you did," said Maira. "Alright, Fox. Your turn~! Reach inside."
Fox turned to the toybox. As he got closer, the toybox thumped a little. Fox stopped, and looked at Maira with his eyebrows raised.
"I think something in there is quite excited to see you~," said Maira, her tail wagging again.
"Is it safe?" said Fox.
"Fox," said Maira, "you never have anything to fear in my presence."
It was a simple statement of fact for a goddess, Fox realized. This really had been quite the night. So, Fox walked up to the toybox, opened the lid, and-
POOF~.
For the second time now Fox fell on his back, blinking away surprise. This time, at least, there wasn't any smoke to get in the way. He stood up, and stumbled into something indescribably plush and soft. So soft it bounced him back gently. Before him stood a wall of cream-colored plush fur. He looked up.
It was a giant--truly giant--stuffed kangaroo plush. A feminine one, with big eyes and eyelashes, and soft colored fur. Her mouth was curved in a gentle smile, and it stood on its wide feet with its tail behind it. It was so big, Fox realized, that he could probably fit snug inside her pouch.
For a second Fox stared in pure bewilderment, until old memories came running back. Memories of Papetoon, of a trip to the city, and his mother buying a specific plush for him one day...
"Recognize her, dear?" said Maira.
"Fox," said Krystal. "How on earth did this fit into your room?"
"She wasn't this big," said Fox, his tail wagging despite himself. "I remember her. Mom bought her for me one day. I think I wasn't feeling well that weekend, and mom wanted to buy me something gentle-looking to help him sleep at night. Whoa, she even smells brand new, like fabric softener. And..." He frowned. "She certainly wasn't this big, though."
"Well, she was big," said Maira. "To a little boy your age, with your imagination, she must've been this big."
That made some sense. Looking up at her, it did feel familiar, falling asleep in his crib at night with her looking down at him-
The plush then moved, looking right at him and blinked.
It really said something about the events of the night that Fox was neither terribly surprised, or perturbed.
"...huh?" he said, wiping his eyes.
The plush blinked again, and after raising its plush paws in surprise--like a mother finding a child--it reached down. Faster than Fox could move, he was picked up in her paws, and held close, her face filling his vision as he heard her tail swish behind her.
"Oh!" said Maira, sounding slightly surprised. "My. She was really eager to see you."
He did have a comment for that, but it was silenced as the plush pressed her muzzle to his face in a "kiss" before cuddling him tightly to her chest.
"Aww," said Krystal. "Foxy, she's so happy to see you!"
"I can--mmph--tell!" said Fox, now for the second time today trying to speak over overwhelming affection. After being cuddling side to side and pressed tightly into plush softness, he was turned around and held securely.
"Well, I think she wants to spend some time with you, dear," said Maira. "He's very cute like this, you know, Krystal."
"Tell me about it," said Krystal. "Fox always has been a cuddle magnet."
"I can hear you both," said Fox, blushing, "you know-"
One of the kangaroo's plush's paws moved down, and Fox saw the flap of her pouch open. Before he can say anything, she let him go, and he fell and landed with a soft fwump into complete softness, his head barely sticking out. Looking up, he saw the plush put a paw to cheek, looking pleased with herself. She patted him on the head, and gently laid both paws on her pouch to keep him held in place.
"There, he looks comfortable," said Maira. "Now, dear Krystal, let me show you some of these other paintings of Cerinia. Come over here~."
The two vixens moved around the room, and Fox watched them, as the plush held him securely in her pouch and paws.
...he yawned, and settled back into the plush expanse. This had really been an eventful evening. Retirement just got a lot more interesting.