E16: The Princess's Arrival

It was the beginning of a new year. The snow was still coming down as hard as ever, pelting the forest with a constant downpour. For someone that prefers to stuff herself in a sauna than work, Mervana hasn't stopped making it snow for a month straight. The only thing that changes is her reach from her mountain; on a good day, she reaches just before the ocean, yet could restrict the snow to just her area.

Unfortunately, her area is just within reach of the mountains. They were eternally downwind to a cold winter, keeping inside for most of the past month. They had even sent the hellwans home early, their parents unable to pick them up near the latter times of the day through the snow.

"It has already reached above my ankles," Anna said, talking about the level of snow as she swept the courtyard. Her talismans were still doing a good job, keeping the box of their land heated and winter free. Yuki stood by, holding a torch, for light since the clouds were hiding away from the sun. "You have ankles," Anna said. "Can you go stand beside the snow?" Yuki nodded and went beside it, rubbing her arm and leg as a bit of her body went outside the barrier. "Exactly, it does come above your ankles. Your legs even," Anna said. "I couldn't go outside in these conditions…." Yuki nodded again, stepping away once it was too much to stand at the edge of warmth. She was only wearing a skirt and sweater, after all. "Go get Mistress, I want to ask her to go visit Mervana." The catgirl nodded one last time and hurried inside, leaving Anna to resume her cleaning. She was on polishing the dragon statues, stopping when she heard the mysterious clopping, muffled by the impact with the snow.

She went to the entrance, seeing an entire procession arrive in front of the shrine. Everything was made out of blue slime, yet detailed enough to fool the common eye. Several samurai marched in front of the chariot, lining up along the line between the snowy forest and warm cobblestone. Three pairs of horses pulled the large chariot up the incline, coming to a stop right behind the guards. Anna had a deadpan face the entire time. She never cared for the royal/powerful types that would come and request a favorable harvest season. Although, she was confused about who would be dumb enough to come in the middle of winter…

The samurai guards parted down the middle as more guards came to make a path. A Nureonago walked down it, the only one dressed in clothes that weren't created from slime. She wore a blue, river-themed kimono and a headdress that went up farther than her head and bejeweled with white gemstones. She walked daintily, keeping herself from sinking in the snow as she came in front of Anna. "Hello, honorable Yokai of the Harvest~," She said, bowing in front of Anna.

"Am I supposed to know you, as with the Fairy Queen?" Anna responded with her usual disinterest.

"I understand, a mere princess holds less prestige than a yokai as your self. However," she said, opening a hand fan. "I am not just royalty, fufufu~"

"Mmhmm. State your business," Anna said. "This outta be good, as you're coming to a Harvest shrine…"

"Amid the winter season. I am well aware. My business does not concern any crops, however. I simply had to meet with the Harvest deity, as she is-" Anna held up a hand to stop the Nureonago's speech, leaning on her broom. "Whatever you think, I am not the deity you are after. I am her maiden."

"Ah! I didn't know the maid answers the door," the slime jested, seeing two puffs of smoke coming out of Anna's nose. She fanned the smoke away from her, before turning the hand fan onto herself. "So, where is the true deity then? Busy controlling the lands, I presume?"

"If you consider sleeping as controlling the land."

"What?" Said the Nureonago confused. The double doors to the home then opened, Yuki dragging a half-asleep Mizuki out onto the shrine grounds. She rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the increasing darkness of the sky.

"Is...that her?" The princess asked, walking past Anna to Mizuki. All of a sudden, she seemed infatuated with the Ryu, staring at her like a forgotten relative. "Is that my long-lost mother?"

"Hmm?" Mizuki said, staring at the slime as Yuki held her hand. "Who is our visitor, Anna?"

"Let me reintroduce myself," the princess said, coming up to Mizuki and bowing. "I'm Princess Tamiko, the Rain deity of the land, savior of my village, and your blessed offspring." Mizuki nodded along, but it wasn't until she repeated in her head did her baggy eyes widen. "I have a what!?"

_________________________________________

Tamiko was ushered inside, made to wait in the rock garden. Yuki was placed on watch, sitting on one of the seats while watching the snowfall. She held her hand out towards the snow, watching her slimy fingertip start to freeze up in the weather. "Interesting…."

"She's my what?" Mizuki said again, quietly in a whisper tone, but with just as much shock. She and Anna were staring on at her from behind the opposite side of the kitchen to the backyard. "She said mother. I do not understand it either Mistress," Anna whispered-shouted back. "Should I burn her alive?"

"No!" Mizuki said. "If it's true, and this 'Tamiko' is really my daughter….but, I never even got together with another man…"

"That's the part that confuses me the most," Anna said. "For all your laziness and succubus-like body, you are a sexual saint." Mizuki glared at Anna for that comment, but turned back to Tamiko, innocently showing Yuki a nice ball and cup trick made from her slime. "We need to talk to her."

"Then I burn her?"

"No," Mizuki said, taking a deep breath before going to her. She reached around, knocking a claw on the outside of the doorway behind Tamiko. "Tamiko, we need to talk."

"I am all ears mother," she said, moving out of the way to allow Mizuki to sit down in front of her. She put a hand down on Mizuki's lap, looking up at her as a tear came down from her eye. "We just have, so much to catch up on…."

"Like, our connection," Mizuki said, putting her hand over Tamiko's hand. "You seem very nice, but I never had any children or any mates."

"Oh, did you mean that method? you thought…" the slime started laughing, chuckling into the sleeve of her kimono. "Oh, that is funny! Of course, you aren't my biological mother, although I wouldn't mind getting such good-looking genes."

"You make me blush," Mizuki said, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, how am I your mother, then?"

"Who else could give me such powers?" Tamiko said. "The power to make it rain and control the clouds?"

"Not me, that is for sure."

"Ah, but it is you! It has to be. Every other yokai I came to had the wrong abilities or just didn't feel right, but you…" She put her hand over the area where her heart was. "You just feel so right, like I have finally come home to my roots~"

Mizuki was confused since she also didn't "Well, how did my daughter come to be then?" Tamiko seemed excited to tell her origins, seeming to have prepared a tale for this exact occasion. She scooted herself back, creating a flat plane out of water that hovered over the rocks. From the plane rose a small blob with two eyes.

"Once upon a time, there was a valley where a lovely little village lived," Tamiko started. "And outside that village, lived a sad, little girl with no one to love her." A bunch of taller blobs rose around the small one, all of them congregating with each other, but seeming to avoid her like the plague. Mizuki watched, holding a part of her tail like she had tucked her legs in and was resting on her knees. "Oh gosh…"

"One day, the valley was threatened by a terrible drought," Tamiko said. "The oh-so-divine goddess in the lands above gifted it with showers. What she didn't know, is that her rains blessed the poor girl." She created a cloud that hovered over the little blob, the little blob growing to a larger blob than the others, adorned with a small crown on her head. "She became something more, and with her new power, she became the valley's true deity, and everyone loved her~"

Mizuki had mixed feelings, wondering if the slime had implied anything about her in that story. She still thought the ending was wholesome though, awwing when she saw all the blobs gather around her with happy eyes.

"Yes, but I still felt empty, mother," Tamiko said. "When I was alone and cold, the gods saw my plight and gave me my newfound form. I never got a proper chance to thank them….until now." Tamiko went to hug Mizuki, resting her head on Mizuki's shoulder. Mizuki patted her back and head, looking down at her with a smile. "I never knew my storms had that effect, but I am glad they did," Mizuki said, still in partial disbelief. "I mean, I have a daughter!"

"And I have a mother! You, you wish to be my mother right?"

"Of course, daughter." Tamiko nodded and squeezed Mizuki for a moment, letting go and tidy herself up. "Sorry, I know I should act regal in front of a deity…"

"Oh, that's only what Anna says," Mizuki said. She turned to the inside, seeing Anna still watching from inside. "She is the more strict one around our part of the land."

"Seems like she could loosen up," Tamiko joked, getting a giggle out of the Ryu. "Indeed, do you mind stepping inside? It would be rude to leave family out in the snow."

"I don't mind, the Shirohebi made it cozy and warm," Tamiko said. Mizuki nodded and went inside, being pulled into another room by Anna as soon as she had gotten close. Anna closed the door behind her, listening for any movement before turning to Mizuki. "Anything mistress?"

"Well, she seems nice and pleasant! Although, her attire could use a bit of spoofing up…"

"I mean as in how she is your daughter"

"Oh right, well she mentioned that a storm gave her powers, but beyond that, she seemed just as clueless. Oh! Did you know she has her very own village?"

"Focus, Mistress," Anna said. "Have you ever made a storm that could turn someone into a deity?"

"I don't remember! At least, maybe I made one accidentally?" Mizuki said shrugging.

"Then let us kick her out!" Anna said. "Who's to say she is even a deity? She's just a slime girl in a fancy dress!"

"She was abandoned Anna. I can't just let her leave like that. We could be the first people she could connect with!"

"Mistress-" Mizuki put her claws on Anna's shoulder, staring into her soul through her eyes. "We are keeping her here."

"Yes Mistress…at least have her prove she has your powers," Anna suggested.

"Fair enough, it would be dumb to take someone at their word."

"I cOuLdN't ImAgInE tHaT."

"Save the sarcasm for when I am proven right," Mizuki said, going back outside. Tamiko was getting her hair done by one of her guards, which was a bit strange since the slime was ultimately her body in the end. "Tamiko!"

"Yes, mother?" She said softly, a flower being adorned on her head.

"While I trust you, I just cannot accept that you are a deity without proof. You have to do more than a simple story to prove your connection to me," Mizuki said. "Although I am sure you aren't lying to me."

"It is alright, I understand mother," Tamiko said. "After all, what is a deity without integrity?~" Right after she said that A storm formed in the sky, clouds pooling together until it became one dark gray mass that pushed aside the eternal snowstorm. The snowflakes were quickly replaced by rain that turned into steam as they crossed into the shrine's airspace. Mizuki looked at the storm and Tamiko, nodding to herself while it rained. "Well, I am convinced," she said confidently. Rather, she seemed more relieved that she didn't have to turn Tamiko away, breathing a sigh of relief. "It is settled then! We shall be deities together!"

"Brilliant!" Tamiko said. "Mother and daughter side by side, ruling our lands as gods, maybe even the world!"

"Or just the forest..." Mizuki suggested.

"Of course, we can't go too off the path just yet," Tamiko said. She turned around back to the shrine, looking at the building with wonder. "Although, this place is a bit too humble for someone of your status, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Mizuki said. "It has always been this size…"

"Well, you don't want to seem weak, do you?" Tamiko asked.

"Weak?"

"Small, humble. We are chosen one's of nature, and our living quarters should represent that, or else the humans may think different!"

"L-like, a new coat of paint?" Tamiko thought about it, looking at the minka through a tiny frame she makes with her fingers. "No no no….much larger, fufufu~"