On Their Journey

She hugged them tightly, holding her beloved sibling close to her. Nothing else seemed to matter in those moments. Everything came to a halt as relief swept over her like a wave. All of the fear that had built up, all of the doubt and uncertainty seemed to disappear into that hug. She wasn't sure how long it lasted, nor did she care. She held them close to herself, trying to convince herself that this was real. 

"Kuma.." They smelt like them, and their hair felt like that familiar fuzzy mess it always was. Hugging them felt right, normal. It was the same embrace they had felt thousands of times over the course of their lives together. 

"Hi Kaene." That was their voice. There was no doubt. Kuma felt a similar sense of relief, hugging their sister tightly. "I'm sorry… I am sorry that I disappeared like that. I am sorry I worried you and everyone else, I'm--" Kaeruko however shook her head and just smiled at them. 

"No, don't apologize. A lot has happened… I am just glad to have you home." Kaeru beamed, gently fixing Kumako's hair. It was only then that she glanced over and noticed the large white bear. It was sitting down licking it's bloodied paw. "Kuma… what is that…?" She whispered, suddenly moving as if to protect them. Kumako however laughed. 

"That… is my friend. She helped me get out. It's a long story but I promise she won't hurt you." Kuma mused, to which the bear seemed to nod in response. It was only after a second that Kumako noticed the markings on Kaeru's arms. "Kaeruko, when did you get these…?" They asked her, though it wasn't as if it was a bad thing. They already had a feeling that it was a similar situation to them. Though, it wouldn't be with the goddess. Sitria herself wasn't exactly paying much mind either, which meant that it wasn't a bad thing. 

"That is another long story. Come, we should get everyone settled and then get you in a bath. You smell horrible." Kaeru teased, her arm around Kuma as they walked towards the town. Hitsugaiya had returned to his normal form once the oni were all killed. He stared at the two siblings, however he smiled and bowed his head as they walked by. Kaeruko paused once they got closer to him. "Renatsu, Hitsugaiya, please bring Taika to the priestess. He is hurt." Hitsugaiya nodded his head. 

"Understood. We are happy to see you home, Kumako. Welcome back." The burly man grinned, a rare sight. "Chihiro will be happy to see you too." Kuma giggled in response. 

"Thank you. And thank you for holding those oni back until I got here. You looked pretty cool, from what I saw." Kuma gave him a thumbs up, though they did not move away from Kaeru. He seemed happy to hear that, but quickly walked away to go treat Taika. Renatsu came up to them after that and wrapped his arms around Kuma briefly. 

"We will talk later. I missed you little one." Renatsu kissed their head as well, turning to Kaeruko after that. "We will bring Taika in. What should we do with the bodies?" He asked, glancing at the ten dead oni on the ground. 

"Oh! My companion will deal with them. Don't worry. Just focus on yourself." Kuma said, glancing back at Sitria who shot them a look. They were not really sure how they could explain that this bear was the goddess herself. It didn't seem like necessary information right now. As the two walked the sun seemed to peak out of the grey clouds, beaming down on the tribe. It felt warmer than it had previously, and the wind had quieted down to a pleasant breeze. The sheow mooed pleasantly and started to eat once more. The tribe began to filter out of the barrier that Kaminoko had created, rushing towards Kaeruko and Kumako. It was far too much to process all at once, and Kuma wasn't sure they heard half of what was being said. Regardless, they were happy to be home finally. The priestess approached them last and smiled. Kuma stared at her, wondering if she would scold them for what had happened. Of course, there was also the matter of the fresh magical tattoo on them now. Yet she just smiled and bowed her head. 

"Kumako… Welcome home. We are so happy to have you back. Kaeruko was nearly insufferable while you were gone." The priestess teased, waving her arm so that they could go towards her yurta. "Come, we should get you both cleaned up. It has been a day. We will have a feast tonight to celebrate. I am sure you both are starving." 

"I was half expecting to hear an earful from you…" Kuma muttered, however they were happy to avoid that. They were far too tired to have any will to listen to a lecture. Once inside the yurta Kumako ripped the nasty clothes off of them. They didn't really care if it was improper, they were tired of those damn gross clothes. Plus it was warm here at least, so they didn't really worry about getting cold. 

"Kuma!" Kaeru gasped, staring at them with wide eyes. "Those marks-- So that bear much be--" 

"A spirit, yes. A strong one at that. I am curious to learn more about it, Kumako. However for now we should get you cleaned up and warm. Kaeru, can you heat the bath up?" Kaminoko asked, to which Kaeru nodded. She went over and lit the fire under the bath that would warm it up. It wouldn't take too long, which was a positive. Kaeru desperately wanted to bathe as well. Even though she wasn't that dirty, she just didn't want to keep the grime from fighting on her. It felt wrong. 

"Thank you. I want a bath like nothing else right now… But isn't it cool? It was freaky to see at first, but I think it is actually a good look on me." Kuma grinned, posing as if that would make a difference. "You two both must be in similar situations yea? I never realized before that those marks on you meant you had a spirit helping you out." They felt very smart right now. For once, they knew a bit more than usual. It was a lovely feeling if they had to be honest, although they still knew so little. 

"You are correct. I am impressed. You seemed to have learned a lot while you were gone." Kaminoko laughed a bit. She seemed a lot more human now to Kuma. They wondered if Kaeru felt the same. The water heated up quite quickly, and Kuma was more than happy to jump in. It felt amazing. The warm water seemed to instantly melt away any fatigue that they had felt. They sunk their head below the water, closing their eyes and just sitting there in the warmth for a moment. They didn't want to move. However the need for air forced them up once again. As they pulled up they saw Kaeru step in, her body decorated with those strange lavender marks that were similar to their own. She looked even more beautiful than when they had last saw her. Her hair seemed silky smooth, her skin clear, her eyes more confident. Something had changed within her since they had last seen her, and although they were not really sure what that was, they were happy to see it. They themself had changed a lot as well. Of course, it felt like only a few days had passed since they were here. Maybe a week at most. It dawned on them then, they had no idea how long they had actually been gone for. 

"Kaeru, how long have I been gone?" They asked her, biting the inside of their cheek in anticipation. Sitria had warned them that it could have been a long time. That damned tomb of hers was so separate from the realm of humans that time itself flowed differently, whatever that meant. Not to mention but they could have very easily been out for days before they even awoke. Who knew how much time could have been eaten up by then?

"You were gone for over a month. We did try to find you but.. Chaos was moving in quick and we had little that we could have done." Kaeru frowned as she watched her sibling carefully. They stirred a bit, but didn't say anything. "How long did it feel like you were gone for?" 

"Maybe a week at most. I wasn't awake for some time and then… the place I was in was weird. I can't believe I was gone for over a month. Though I am a bit relieved. I was worried I had been gone for a year or more." They took a breath. "So it is time to catch up. What happened to you? Ill tell you what I went through as well." 

The two sat in the bath together and discussed all that had happened. Kaeru spoke about Inga, the ceremony, her move to the spirit realm and what the tribe was doing now. In turn, Kumako explained a little bit of what had happened to them. They decided to keep who Sitria really was to themself, for now at least. They did speak to the tomb, the strange lights, as well as the test that they had been put through to escape. By the end of the conversation their fingers looked like prunes and the water no longer felt warm. Kaminoko had listened without say a word, instead setting up fresh clothes for them both. Once they were out, and dried up, Kaminoko broke her silence. 

"The spirit you are with Kumako, the white bear.. You realize that it is incredibly rare for a spirit to be visible to normal humans right?" She said, though her voice was soft, "We should try to avoid the others interacting with it as much as possible, until at least they are more used to the idea. It could cause panic, since most of the spirits we are used to encountering are those of chaos." 

"I will try to tell her that but I doubt she will be content laying low." Kuma muttered, thinking back to the attitude Sitria had already given them about coming here and how she wanted a feast of great proportion. Kaeru raised her eyebrow, glancing over at Inga for explanation. 

"I would listen to them." Inga said. He had been just sitting quietly playing with a kendama to pass the time. Of course, only Kaeru could see him as far as she was aware. He was being rather passive. She almost felt disappointed he wasn't more invested in meeting Kuma. He glanced up then and made a face. "What? There isn't much I can do right now. All the excitement is over." 

"Well then what do you suggest we do, Kuma? We cannot just let a giant white bear wonder around without explanation….. Especially one that can talk." Kaeru made a face at Inga. Kuma blinked and looked over, narrowing their eyes. 

"Who's that kid over there?" They asked, causing both Inga and Kaeru to freeze. Kaminoko looked to where they were staring only to frown. 

"Kumako… are you able to see someone there…?" She asked, carefully. They were not sure what this was all about, but they felt that everyone was being awfully dramatic. 

"Of course I can." They bit the inside of their cheek again. Inga walked over to them and offered a hand. Kuma thought that he was a very strange looking child, especially with that black blotch on his face. He must have been a spirit, if the priestess could not see him. 

"I shouldn't be surprised. My name is Inga. I am the spirit contracted to your sister. It is a pleasure to meet you. I didn't realize that you could see me at first, so forgive me for not saying anything earlier." Inga bowed his head, although it was half teasing. He seemed happy now. Kaeru felt rather relieved.. At least she would not have to hide him from Kuma. This made things far more simplistic for her. 

"I see. Nice to meet you then." They turned towards Kaeru. "Well I should introduce you both to her. She will probably be bored by now." 

"I… Well I am glad that this is all working out. We should go say hello, and then we need to plan what to do from here. I am so exhausted, all I want to do is sleep.." Kaeru sighed deeply. "I am surprised you aren't more tired, Kuma." Kuma meanwhile was busy looking at the sleeves of the clothes they had been given. 

"Oh I mean I guess I am tired. But there is way too much to do to sleep. Also… why are these clothes so nice?? Where are my actual clothes?" They asked, almost sounding vaguely offended by the fact that Kaminoko had given them higher quality clothing. 

"Well, considering everything, you technically are at the same status as I am. You should dress to fit your new role--" 

"I really don't want to, but thanks. I guess I will wear these for now, since I just got back. But I really prefer my old clothes to these. It doesn't feel right." Kumako grinned and gave Kaminoko a thumbs up. Kaeru slapped the back of their head. 

"You just got back and already you are causing problems! Don't be rude to the priestess! Goddess, I almost forgot how difficult you can be sometimes! Just because you survived your little jaunt outside does not mean that you can go around talking like that to your elders! Show some respect!" Kaeru had that scary glint in her eyes, one that Kumako knew very well. They muttered something to themself very quietly before walking out of the yurta, arms crossed and looking far more like a dejected child than they had previously. It was kind of adorable, if Kaeru was being honest. It felt nice to be back to normal. 

"I didn't expect to see that side of you. You have been so… serious as of late. Are you two always like that?" Kaminoko asked, raising her sleeve up to hide her face slightly. Kaeru was sure it was to hide a smirk. 

"I would not say we are always like this. Most of the time, they are far better behaved than that… Though I do suppose that they are still a child. Even though so much time has passed, and both of us have grown up a lot… It makes me happy to see that they still are silly. It's refreshing to feel like things are normal again." Kaeru beamed as she put her hands together. "Thank you for helping clean them up, Kaminoko." 

"My pleasure, Kaeruko. It has been nice to have others I can speak to again more frequently. I love the energy that you both have brought to the tribe." The priestess began to walk towards the outside. "Also.. If you would like, please go ahead and just call me Kami. No need to be so formal any more." 

The two woman walked out of the yurta together. There was a crowd gathered around Kumako, who seemed to be relishing in the attention. They spoke rather proudly of the fights they had whilst gone, beginning to regale the crowd with a dramatic retelling of their fight with leshii. Kaeru almost was tempted to begin to lecture them again, however Kami shook her head with that knowing smile. As Kumako spoke of their fight, the white bear came lumbering up, a large piece of meat in its mouth. Kaeru glanced over at it as it sat down. It then turned towards her and stared back in turn. 

"What?" Sitria's voice was muffled by mouthfuls of food. Thankfully the crowd was far too engrossed with Kuma to notice the bear and it's voice. Or perhaps only Kaeru could hear it, she couldn't really tell. At least, until she saw Kami making a face as well. 

"You are… You are the spirit who traveled and protected Kuma, right? Thank you for taking such good care of my little sibling." Kaeru said, bowing her head. She was not certain how to address a bear properly. The bear scoffed, wriggling her nose. 

"Such a task was nothing for me. You must be Kaeru, the older sister. They spoke about you a lot. I am glad to see that you are more sensible than they are." She took another bite of food, her mouth becoming stained with grease and herbs. This was not the picture of grace that Kaeru had in mind when she thought of a white bear… actually, nothing about this bear seemed particularly normal. As far as she could tell, this bear was almost as childish as Kumako. It was hard to say if she was amused or worried by this realization. 

"I see… well, I had been hoping that Kuma would introduce us. They seemed reluctant to tell us your name. How would you like to be addressed?" Was this the proper way to ask? It seemed awfully brash, but she desperately needed to know how to address this spirit. At least, if she was going to talk this much, a name would have been greatly helpful. 

"Sensibly sensible! I like it. You may address me as 'your grace' or 'your reverence'." That was incredibly unhelpful. Sitria looked pleased with herself. Inga appeared next to Kaeru then and made a face. 

"Since when have you been anything graceful or worthy of reverence?" He asked, crossing his arms. The bear turned sharply and made a face. It was hard to say, but Kaeru was certain it was that of disgust. 

"How rude! After all I have done for you, this is the thanks I get? You could have come out to say hello earlier, Inga." Sitria huffed, shaking as she stood up to walk closer. Kaeru wanted to back away, however it felt rude to do so. "So you finally found a human who is willing to work with you? Impressive." 

"I could say the same to you. How long were you down there for?" Inga grinned, moving closer to the bear before he wrapped his arms around her. "It is good to see you. I have to say, I am surprised that you have decided to take this form." 

"Yes, well I had little choice. It is quite a good look for me. I am very happy with it." Sitria hummed, nuzzling Inga affectionately. Kaeru simply watched, not sure whether to be surprised, happy, or what. This was weird. So this spirit could see Inga, and clearly they were good friends. She was tempted just to ask Inga the bear's name, but she had a feeling he would just give her some sort of vague answer or say she would figure it out on her own. 

"I see. Well, since we are going to be working together again, I do hope that you are nice to my Kaeru." 

"So long as I am given my proper dues, I do not mind. Although I will be looking to you, Kaeru, Kami," Kami looked shocked that she knew her name, although Kaeru had a feeling she knew a lot more about them all than she let on "to tell me more about your tribe here. Kuma is a poor student of history, as I am sure you both know, and I would like to be caught up on the world. It has been so long since I last was here.. Oh! While I am on that subject, Kami come closer please." 

Kami bowed her head and walked towards the great bear. She placed her paw on her head, and suddenly the red tattoos on her body began to glow. Sitria slowly placed her paw down after that and took a deep breath. She however did not say a word and waved Kami off. The poor priestess looked rather baffled. 

"Pardon me, but… what was that about?" She asked, looking at the marks on her arms curiously. They did not stop glowing. This hadn't happened before, at least, not to her knowledge. 

"Did you not figure it out?" Sitria asked, groaning. Sometimes these humans were insufferable. "Tell me, priestess, what is the primary difference between you and the siblings there?" Kaminoko seemed baffled by the question, but Sitria wasn't feeling particularly patient. "Us. Inga and I. We are the spirits bound to those two, and we are here. You however have no spirit to speak of. Did you not think that was a bit odd?" 

The priestess stood there with her mouth slightly agape. Her eyes seemed to search for a response, only to come up with the air in front of her. The surrounding excitement from the story that Kumako was telling seemed to die down and still. Suddenly she felt like it was just her and the bear here. This strange bear with fur so pretty and soft looking suddenly seemed far more ethereal. Almost as if the sky itself was present within her eyes, the glints of light like stars shining on their own. 

"I.." She couldn't find words. Nothing came to her. She had never quite thought so hard about her status, nor had she considered how odd it was that despite her contract with a spirit she had never spoken to or seen it. Since she was young it had always been a given that she had been blessed, that she had a connection to the spirits and world around her. She learned everything she was supposed to, and yet.. She had not once pondered as to why she had a connection without ever speaking to the spirit. 

"You don't have a contract with a spirit, you have consumed a spirit." Sitria smirked, if it was possible for a bear to smirk. "Ate it right up! That is why you feel like you know so much~ You have taken that spirit entirely and made it into yourself." 

Kaeru looked between Sitria and Kami. This was… a lot to take in, of course. However beyond that it seemed as if this spirit was having way too much fun revealing something so big. What was it with their love of dropping information bombs like that? 

"Is there a reason you decided to say this now?" Kaeruko asked her, crossing her arms slightly. Poor Kami seemed to be questioning her entire life, which was reasonable. Kaeru wasn't sure why this spirit was so naughty but it was kind of annoying. Inga almost began to laugh but put a hand over his mouth to prevent it. 

"Because I can." The bear huffed again. "And because to be quite frank it is disturbing to see a human who has consumed a spirit like this. Yet I know her well, since she has prayed to me many times before. Just like you have. I just wanted to know how it is that she consumed one of my messengers like that. Perhaps she did not do it, I can't say. But it is unnatural and I have a right to know, considering I am your goddess." 

"BAM! I killed the last leshii using my blessed axe!" Kuma exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as they showed off the bone made axe. Kaeru looked at the goddess and then back at Kumako before suddenly she turned to Kami. 

"Is that possible…?" She asked the priestess. Kaminoko shook her head, as if trying to process what had happened. 

"I suppose it is… Though that makes no sense. None of this makes sense to me. Why would the goddess take the form of a simple bear? Why would she bind herself to a human? If you are going to sit here and say such things, you should have enough decency to explain yourself properly. As for my consumption of a spirit, I have little idea as to what you are talking about." She seemed mad, her eyebrows knitted together as she tapped her finger against her arm. "Besides you are truly the goddess… Why have you not done anything about all that has happened to our people? We have lost countless lives to chaos! We have continued to run and do all that we can do, and yet you have done nothing to help us until now! Why is it?" She was almost yelling now. Kaeru gently reached forward to take Kami's hand. Yet the priestess smacked her hand away. "I will not let anyone mistreat our people, whether or not you are a goddess or a spirit or human. So if you are the goddess, explain yourself. You owe us that much at least--" 

"Sitria is childish isn't she? Surprising, I know. I was shocked too once I figured it out." Kuma came waltzing over, glancing at Kami and laughing. "Wow I don't think I have seen her this mad since I by accident broke one of the shrines we made." 

"What do you mean by that? I am rather offended that you would--" Kuma however raised a finger to their lips, telling Sitria to be quiet. The goddess fought between whether or not it was even worth responding to that. 

"You did not think to mention this little bit of information before, Kuma?" Kaeru asked, grabbing Kumakos sleeve and pulling them close. 

"I thought about it, but it would only cause problems. How do you think I reacted once I found out? I was mad too, and frustrated… the goddess is just some childish brat who I was arguing with. What else was I supposed to do?" Kuma sighed, moving from Kaeru to Sitria. They then wrapped their arms around her and gently pat the bear's head. "But I think she is in a similar position as us. Plus without her, we would be dead right now anyways. There is no way we could have fought oni without someone powerful like the goddess herself. So let's drop it for now. After we stop chaos from spreading, you can yell at her all you want." 

"That was surprisingly mature of you, Kuma. I cannot condone giving permission to yell at me, but I guess for now I will let this drop." The bear nuzzled against Kuma's hand. 

"You also need to stop confusing people. Sometimes you just say things without thinking, and honestly it is just frustrating. Don't expect us humans to just magically understand what it is you are talking about."