Infinite Stratos: Recollections
A/N: Hello again! Sorry for another slow update in this one. Just busy that's all, from watching anime that is. End term is fast approaching and my projects and exam are also approaching fast. So my updates might get slower than usual again.
Today I'm busy reading the Date A Live LN, I've found a liking to its characters and it's story. But I'm actually afraid that it is going the same route as IS, you know, stop for a while and keep a lot of readers hanging in the air waiting.
Anyway that's all for now!
Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos (except my OCs), it belongs to Izuru Yumizuru.
Through the eyes of a young boy: Part 2
Orimura main mansion.
It was sundown when the mother and son finally got out of the hot spring. It was a miracle that the two did not faint for staying there for nearly half a day, in fact they didn't seem that affect at all.
"It's sundown already. Oh how time flies so fast." Izanami peeked out the window and saw it was already dusk. Izanami wore back her robe and of course she also made Ichika wear his robe.
"Mom, I want to spend more time with you. I don't want to go home yet."
Izanami turned to her son who she's carrying in her arms. Her beloved son, Ichika, was snuggling on her neck. The poor boy wanted to spend more time with his mother.
"It has been a long time since you last slept with me. Well why not, because after all, I am your mother right?" Izanami cooed at her son while gently caressing his cheeks.
"Uhhmmmm! Mom…." Ichika clung to his mother more.
"For tonight, you'll sleep with me." Izanami planted a long kiss on her son's forehead, comforting her son who has been restless and worried this whole time.
"Uhmmm….." Ichika nodded gently and proceeded to rest in his mother's embrace.
Seeing her son sleeping peacefully in her arms, Izanami gently walked so she doesn't wake her sleeping Ichika.
Minutes later…
In Izanami's quarters.
After a long walk from the hot spring, Izanami finally arrived in her quarters. Her attendants are all there ready and waiting for her every beck and call.
The room of Orimura clan's matriarch is unbelievably extravagant. Tatami mats compose the floor, Japanese art works and master-crafted Katana line up on the walls. The bed was extremely big. There is also a large library in the right side of the room, a personal dojo on the left.
"Leave us be." Izanami strode straight to her very large bed, large enough for ten people to lay there without trouble in space. She gently laid her son there.
At Izanami's command, her attendants bowed and then quickly exited the quarters without delay.
"What troublesome life. I wish I can just live with Izanagi and Ichika." Izanami complained about her life. But at least this time she didn't wreck anything because Ichika is with her. Izanami removed the robe on her body and lay on the bed naked. She didn't feel ashamed to pull her son close to her exposed body.
"Sleep well my son." Izanami pulled the blanket and draped it over her and Ichika. She then held her son tighter and lovingly ruffled his raven hair.
"Mom…." Izanami opened her eyes when she heard her son's voice. She looked down at her son's face, wide awake still not even asleep yet.
"I thought you already slept." Izanami lightly pinched her son's cheek. Ichika in response snuggled more to her mother, like he was needy for her warmth.
"I'm scared mom."
Though Izanami couldn't see her son's expression because he is pressing his face on her chest, she can tell that something is bothering him.
"Why? Did some of the clan members scold you? Just tell me and I'll have them dealt with." Izanami felt angered at the thought of someone doing something bad to her son. Her anger unleashed her malevolent aura; the room became rife with her suffocating presence.
"No, it's not like that…. It's about our family. Was it really true, what father and you said….. About our family…"
Ichika's voice became a whimper. Tears rolled from Ichika's eyes as he thought of the horrible truth her mother told him.
"I'm sorry… It's just how it is." Izanami felt guilty for telling her son that, she wanted to tell it to him easy, but she can't find any other way to say it.
"…"
Ichika quieted down and Izanami began to worry when all she heard now was his soft whimpers.
"Ichika….." Izanami tried to call her son's attention but Ichika remained snuggling on her chest. Izanami tried to make Ichika face her but her son just hugged her tighter to keep his face pressed deep into her breasts.
(Our family has been like this since the beginning. They only consider themselves as merely a group of persons carrying the same blood and the same allegiance. No true bond exist between it, our family is nothing but a hallow existence.)
(No! I don't want our family to become like that! I don't want them to act like strangers against one another. I want everyone to be close to each other and understand one another…. I want to change our family! That's right I will change everyone!)
(You really love this family?)
(Yes! I love Mother, my nee-chans, everyone! I want everyone around me to smile, to be happy, to never feel sadness or loneliness. That's why I want to change our family!)
(I know you can do it.)
(I know you can accomplish that my son, I have faith in you. When you grow up, I know that you are destined for great things.)
(I won't let you down dad! I promise to meet your expectations!" Ichika raised both his fist in the air.)
Ichika remembered the memory of his talk with his father in the bamboo forest. That memory where he made a promise to his father, a promise that he swore he would fulfill no matter what.
"Mom…"
After a few minutes of being quiet, Ichika finally spoke. He then stood up from lying.
"Ichika…"
When her son suddenly sat up, she followed him and sat up as well. Actually she is worried about her son's emotions. Even though she is a very callous and capricious woman, she still worries like a mother does for her son.
"Come on. Tell your mom what's wrong…." Izanami hugged her son from behind, pressing the back of his head into her heavenly cleavage.
"Mom… I've made a decision…." Ichika slowly looked up to her mother.
"Oh….."
Izanami saw the determination brightly burning in her son's eyes. She was genuinely out of words because of her son's immovable resolve.
"I want to change our family! I will make our family better! I will stop at nothing! I will never give up!" Ichika suddenly shouted and stood up on her bed. Izanami was a bit surprised when her son suddenly shouted some strange words.
"Wait…. Ichika…. Settle down a little…."
"I love my family! My mom, my dad, my sisters, my nee-chans (attendants), my aunts, everyone in our family! I love them all! That's why I want to change our family so that they would love each other and we can finally be a real family!"
Despite Izanami's gentle efforts to calm him down, Ichika raged around and repeatedly shouted the decision he reached.
"I won't give up! I won't give up! I won't give up!" Ichika repeated those words while he jumped up and down on the soft bed of his mother.
"...Ufufufufufufu….." Though at first confused, Izanami later realized what her son meant and she just giggled at her son's giddiness.
"Mom! I love you!" Ichika threw himself into his mother's embrace and Izanami spread her arms wide open and welcomed her son into her arms.
"My son's suddenly throwing formidable words at me." Izanami lovingly hugged her son, even though she is naked she shamelessly showed herself to her son. But Ichika doesn't even mind that his mom is naked in front of him and just snuggled without hesitation on his mom's body.
"Mom, I promise you….."
Ichika stopped snuggling on her mom's body and looked up to her with the same determined eyes.
"What is it?" Of course, Izanami wanted to know.
"I promise you….. I will make our family a real one!" Ichika is no longer feeling sad now; the new feeling that dominates his expression is a mixture of determination and happiness.
"…." Izanami felt nostalgic when she heard her son's words, it reminded her of her husband and also at the same time her brother, Izanagi.
"I promised dad and now I'm promising mom too." Ichika curled his little hands into fists and looked proudly at his mother.
(You really are your father's son.)
Izanami lightly giggled and grabbed Ichika again, this time tackling him to the bed and tickling him wildly.
"My son is trying to act mature! How cute!" Izanami began to kiss her son's face and tickled him more.
"M-Mom! Ahahahahahahaha! W-Wait! Ahahahahahahahaha!"
The poor boy was helpless in the face of his mother's teasing.
Minutes later….. After the mother and son finally stopped with their bonding time, the two finally lay back on the bed to rest for real this time. Ichika is now being hugged by his mom again; his face was pressed into her cleavage and Ichika was comfortable in it. The face of the young boy was full of happiness, just like a child in his mother's loving arms.
"Mom did you take my promise seriously?" Ichika mumbled. Izanami smiled and gently gave a "hmmm" as a reply of agreeing.
"Really mom?"
Ichika still pursued the question.
"Uhuh….."
Izanami pulled Ichika to her face and gave him a long kiss on his forehead.
"I'll definitely hold you to that…"
Ichika smiled brightly after hearing his mother placing her trust on him.
"Anyway, sleep now Ichika. Your mom's body will keep you warm all night." Izanami pulled the blanket over them, but the blanket was only for her because the blanket of her son is her naked body.
"Goodnight mom…."
"Goodnight Ichika…"
Ichika finally closed his eyes and let himself wander the gardens of Hypnos. But Izanami on the other hand, remained awake. She enjoying the serene look on her son's sleeping face. The sadness and fear that dominated his expression earlier now vanished and was supplanted by peace.
"Again, I gave my son another reason to be sad worried." Izanami mumbled in a quiet voice. Right now she actually felt a little guilty about what she said to Ichika in the onsen earlier in the day.
"I wish I could've eased my manner when I answered him. But I went and told him right away without thinking what he might feel."
This is one of the rarest times that Izanami showed some remorse for something she did, right now she isn't Izanami Orimira, the blackhearted leader of [Phantom Task] but now she is Izanami, a loving mother for her son, Ichika.
"Sorry if you have such an ill-mannered mother." Izanami briefly made a sad smile as she looked at her sleeping son.
"No matter how hard I try, I just can't act like a real mother to you."
Remembering some of her failures in mothering, Izanami began to feel more ashamed. But she noticed that her thoughts began to run in a weird direction.
"…..Did I just think that?" Izanami laughed at herself for briefly acting all pathetic like a human.
"My god, it must be the stress that's causing this but….. Once in a while, it can't hurt to act like this… After all I only do this for Ichika…."
Izanami pulled her son into a tighter hug as if she was trying in imprint the body of her son to hers.
"Good night, my son."
Finally, Izanami fell to her own deep slumber.
(Scene Change)
The next day. Orimura main mansion.
To start this day, Izanami who is carrying his son, walked into the garden and had a large banquet prepared. She did all this for her son who is currently with her right now; it is rare for Ichika to stay here so Izanami took it upon herself to make his visit here memorable. So everytime he visits, Izanami always prepares a feast to make it fun for Ichika.
And now that same event happened. Izanami took Ichika to the garden where Izanami's all female attendants are waiting for the two of them. Also, Sora, the lead guardian of Ichika's entourage is also here along with Izanami's attendants.
""""""Welcome! Izanami-sama, Ichika-sama!""""""
All of them greeted at the same time.
"Wow! So many foods!" Ichika looked around the banquet of varying delicacies of Japanese cuisine. Four long tables full of impeccably prepared Japanese foods.
"This is our breakfast." Izanami nuzzled her cheeks on her son's face.
"All of this is ours? But we will never finish it!"
Ichika's reaction looked a bit exaggerated but given that he is a kid it was only normal. Izanami couldn't help but feel like laughing whenever Ichika cutely makes his expressions.
"Pffft!" However she elected not to thinking that Ichika might feel that she is making fun of him. But her snickering was still heard by Ichika. But instead of thinking that he is being mocked, Ichika smiled thinking that her mother is happy, which in fact she is.
"Thank you mom!" Ichika embraced Izanami's neck.
"Of course, all of this is for you."
Izanami placed Ichika on the ground and allowed the boy to run around the banquet.
"Wow! So many!"
Ichika gawked at every dish set on the table.
"Ufufufufufufu!" Izanami smiled at the sight of her son happily enjoying what she prepared for him.
Moments later the extravagant breakfast started. Izanami had a gigantic carpet set in the middle of the garden where the chosen dishes where brought there from the table.
Izanami had Ichika sit on her lap as she fed him the breakfast.
"Say ah…"
"Aaaaaah!"
Izanami happily fed Ichika the food and of course Ichika is just as happy as his mother.
"Is it good?" Izanami cooed at Ichika. Ichika answered with a happy nod.
The surrounding attendants, only from a distance and watched the mother and son bond with each other. Somehow they also smiled, seeing their masters happy also brought them a sense of happiness as well.
But suddenly Ichika began to call on all the attendants, gesturing them to come and join him and Izanami.
"Nee-chans! Come here and join us!"
Ichika happily waved at them. At first they hesitated, but when they saw Izanami nod they obeyed and joined the matriarch and her son. But when they saw they didn't eat and just sat there, eliciting a sad behavior from Ichika.
"Why aren't all of you eating?" Ichika's gave off hints of sadness.
(GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON)
Seeing her son in such an expression, Izanami persuaded (more like threatened them) with her nauseating aura.
"Eat…." Izanami smiled at the hesitating attendants. Her smile was at first friendly when Ichika is still looking at her but when Ichika looked away her smile turned scary.
(Do not spoil my son's mood or you'll get dismembered slowly later.)
That was the message of Izanami's scary smile.
Of course after seeing that, everyone took part in the feast. Partly because they are afraid of Izanami and also because they were invited by their beloved young master, Ichika.
"Sora-nee!"
Sora, the head caretaker of Ichika who was also persuaded (forced) by Izanami, was called by Ichika.
"Mom can I talk to Sora-nee in private?" Ichika turned to his mom and asked. Of course Izanami nod and released Ichika who then ran to Sora and dragged her somewhere deep into the garden.
"What is it Ichika-sama?" Sora respectfully asked her young master.
"I need help Sora-nee." Ichika acted all serious, but given his cute appearance, his attempts to be cool ended up as cute gesture. Sora nearly giggled because of it.
"I want to go to the city."
However Ichika's next words did not make Sora smile anymore.