Yes, well...This chapter feels more like a filler than anything. And yes, it also has some...Questionable implications near the end. I really am stretching the limits of the T-rating, am I? Don't worry, the next chapter's going to be back to the usual "daily life events" format, probably taking place in winter (How ironic, as by the time I wrote this chapter, it was already end of spring...) Also, this chapter was the biggest pain in the arsch to write. Mostly because I wrote several full chapters and then discarded them because I either didn't like the idea, they were too poorly written, or both things at once. And yes, I'm not happy with this chapter as well.
Before anyone says I'm baiting for compliments - no. I'm just saying that chapters like this one aren't exactly done to the best of my abilities. After my exam preparation and the exams themselves are over, maybe then I'll focus more on writing and get to writing better chapters. And I promise I'll try to avoid fillers.
It was a fairly ordinary summer evening. Tails was just minding his own business for the remainder of the evening after dinner, when suddenly, he heard Cosmo reciting something over at her room. The kitsune got curious, and decided to check up on his seedrian girlfriend. As soon as he approached the door, the words that Cosmo was reciting became clearer: "…The firstborn are the rulers of many. In dire times, the many have the power. But the power of many cost them their lives. So the power was sealed and only meant to be used in times of disaster. "
A few quiet, but quick knocks quickly caught the seedrian's attention, as she stopped reciting and turned around, saying: "Oh, hey there, Tails."
"Good evening. What was that strange chant you were reciting?" – The kitsune asked, rather curious.
"It's a certain chant my sister taught me. It seems to be some sort of abridged version of the mythos of Gaia and the origins of seedrians." – Cosmo responded, then was about to get back to reading it, but turned back to face Tails and replied: "You…You wouldn't mind if I read it from the beginning? You kind of interrupted me, so..."
"Of course I wouldn't. I am actually rather curious about parts of the seedrian culture…" – The kitsune then added in a somewhat less enthusiastic voice: "Or at least the remnants of it."
"In any case, the chant goes like this:
In the beginning of our homeworld, there were The Predecessors
One of the Predecessors was The One
The One was the first Child of Nature to exist, named Gaia
The One could talk to those who would not respond to anyone else
For they were kindred spirits by their nature and soul
However, the Predecessors were immobile, not counting Gaia herself
So One became Many
The Many are the Seedrians, Children of Nature
Amongst the Many, there were the Firstborn, direct descendants of Gaia
The Firstborn are the rulers of Many
In dire times, the Many have The Power
But the Power of Many cost them their lives
So The Power was sealed
And only meant to be used in times of Disaster
The Power is of two different natures
One of them is pure power and raw strength
Which would cost the one using it their Life
The other is ability to give life and stop destruction
But for that, one has to give up their Body.
The Power shall bring forth dark times if misused
The Many must be ever so mindful of it
Else the Many are doomed."
As Cosmo finished the chant, Tails tried to piece together what he just heard. The part about the power, he could understand that – it was referring to the male seedrians' beast form abilities and the females' ability to transform into trees. And the part about misusing the power was loud and clear, too. But the beginning part was a little hard to understand. Cosmo noticed the somewhat dumbfounded look on Tails' face, so she replied: "Long story short, apparently, Gaia was the first seedrian ever. And it was from her that the other seedrians have gained the ability to communicate to plants – after all, it turns out that plants are as sentient as animals, they just don't display it outright."
"Huh. The more you know…" – Tails remarked, to which Cosmo giggled and responded: "Now that I remember it…Early teachings of Gaians never taught us anything about animal races. In most interpretations, all that was told about them is that they were just…Different. Not imperfect, not evil, just…Different. With different lifestyles, different customs and traditions… From what I could recall, not every seedrian on the colony ship was a war refugee. And there were a select few who thought that not all animals are so awful – mostly the old seedrians that had actually lived before the war of Greengate. Alas, most seedrians I knew followed the teaching that animals and plants are just never meant to be in harmony, for they are too different." – Cosmo paused for a moment, then added: "You know what I think of these teachings now?"
Tails didn't respond, letting Cosmo continue. The seedrian smirked, and remarked: "I think the teachings about plants and animals being unable to live in harmony are a bunch of nonsense. And you know what else I think? We may be just a single case, but we are living proof that the peaceful coexistence of plants and animals is not impossible." – With that said, Cosmo hugged Tails tightly. The kitsune hugged back and quietly replied: "Indeed we are, Cosmo-chan. Indeed we are."
"Wait, "-chan"?" – Cosmo wasn't too familiar with honorifics. Tails blushed and remarked: "That kind of slipped out. "-chan" is an honorific used in one of the languages of Eastern Mobius, commonly used between lovers referring to each other. "
"I never thought that the inhabitants of the same planet would speak in different languages..." - Cosmo replied, seeming a bit intrigued. Tails didn't know what to say on this, and just smiled, gazing into each other's eyes silently. The silence lasted for a few more moments before Tails leaned forward and kissed his seedrian girlfriend on the lips. After holding on for long enough and subsequently breaking the kiss to catch her breath, Cosmo remarked: "Do you plan on kissing me every day?"
"If you want to, I can." – Tails replied, missing the point due to being a bit dazed after the kiss. The plantgirl giggled and said: "Tails, what I meant to say is, you don't have to shower me with kisses and hugs every day to prove me how much you love me. All that you've done for me so far is already more than enough. Besides, all that display of affection is making me feel overwhelmed. I don't deserve that much of it."
"Oh…Okay." – Tails replied in a somewhat disappointed tone. – "I'm glad that you appreciate what I'm doing for you anyway. It's just that…I'm kind of awkward with relationships."
"Tails, you don't have to worry about that. You have a good sense of right and wrong, and on some things that may not exactly seem obvious at first – don't worry. I won't laugh at you or get angry if you were to do something wrong. I'll just explain what's wrong and tell you what to do in that kind of situation." – The plantgirl wanted to hug Tails again, but remembering her previous statement, backed out of it. – "You know, I think while we were talking here, it's already gotten quite late, don't you think? How about we both take a shower and get back to our bed?"
"Yeah, I'm kind of feeling that-" – Tails suddenly froze up at the realization of a tiny little detail in what Cosmo said. – "Wait…"Bed"? As in, you want to sleep in the same bed with me again?"
"If you're still feeling uncomfortable about it because of some…Difficulties, then I understand." – The plantgirl replied in a somewhat concerned voice, to which the kitsune answered: "Naw, I've kind of gotten over that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll head over to the shower."
Cosmo nodded and Tails left the room. In the remaining time, the plantgirl was just quietly lying on the bed, left with her own thoughts.
"Heh. Smart, cute, brave, and can be romantic when he wants to. And living with him isn't half bad, either – at least his house is a lot more comfortable than the cramped-up room I had to share with Galaxina back on Space Colony Dandelion… And he is so thoughtful, too. Sure, he can go overboard with his feelings at times, but I know he means well – he's just not experienced with this, as much as I am. He loves me as much as I love him, and we both know that. Now I know why I fell for him. " – The seedrian then sighed and remarked out loud: "If only we could get married someday…"
Of course, of all times to remark this, it had to be when Tails was opening the door – the kitsune wasn't the type of person to take overly long showers, just enough to clean up a bit. The plantgirl immediately yelped and covered her mouth, realizing that Tails might have heard her. Luckily, Tails' reply implied that he didn't hear what she said: "Oh, you were reciting that prayer again? Sorry I interrupted."
In her mind, Cosmo let out a sigh of relief, while what she said was: "Oh, it's really nothing. I…I guess I'll go take my turn in the shower as well …" – And with a nervous smile on her face, the girl exited the bedroom, while her foxy boyfriend lied down on the bed, waiting for the plantgirl. Several minutes had passed – the water was still running, and Cosmo wasn't coming over to the bedroom anytime soon. Normally, by this point, Cosmo would be already done showering and would come back over to the bedroom. But right now, she was taking a bit too long.
"Okay, this time she is taking a bit too long…" – Tails was already beginning to wonder just what Cosmo was doing in the shower for so long. Deciding not to disturb her privacy, however, the kitsune decided to just continue lying there, letting his mind wander.
"Maybe I can get used to living with her. I mean, she is pretty much perfect in every way – she is beautiful, kind, cute, thoughtful… Sure, she can be a little shy or cowardly from time to time, but that's just part of her personality, and it is kind of endearing at times. And it's not like there are problems in the practical side, too – I've got to admit, I began to really enjoy her cooking lately, and she keeps the house so neat and tidy, too… Of course I'd have to ask her to loosen up on this by a bit – I don't want to treat her as a filthy housewife. Well…" – The mobian glanced over to the framed photo on the wall – just a few days ago, he had borrowed Amy's camera to take a photo of him and Cosmo. The two were standing not too far away from the cliff where Tails' house stood, so aside from the view on the two lovers holding each other's hands and looking into the camera, there was also a really nice seaside view. Tails sighed and remarked: "She would definitely make for a good wife. But I have to wait with this."
"Wait with what?" – Oh, the irony. Cosmo had just finished showering, and had already come back to the bedroom. Tails looked back and said, stuttering: "Oh! H-hey Cosmo! How l-long you were h-here?"
"Not for much. I came back from the shower, opened the door, and then heard you saying that you have to wait with something. What is it?" – The seedrian asked, a little curious.
"Well…" – The kitsune sighed. He couldn't hide it any longer. – "I was wondering about our relationships."
"Oh…Is something wrong, Tails?"
The fox immediately corrected himself and replied: "No, I don't mean that there is anything wrong with it! What I meant to say is…With the recent events, do you really think we would successfully be able to bide our time until we can take our relationships…Further?"
The plantgirl sighed in realization of just what Tails meant, then replied: "Well, you yourself said that we have to wait until we are of legal age, right? And you do seem rather uncomfortable with discussing some subjects further. Although, truth be told…" – Cosmo immediately blushed at what she was about to say, so she gestured Tails to come closer, so that she could whisper it to him. When the kitsune was close enough…Well, I'm sure most readers might understand the implications, but I cannot explicitly write anything here – I have to keep this T-rated, you know. All I have to say is, Tails' response was this: "So that's why you took so long in the shower. And how often were you doing that?"
"...At least once a day." – The plantgirl's cheeks were pretty much as red as the rosebuds adorning the sides of her head. - "How come you never done...That?"
"And here I thought we agreed not to speak of this until we're legal…" – Tails remarked, sighing. – "I just try to get my mind off of it, that's all. When you want to get your mind off of something - find a distraction. In my case, the distraction was working on the mechanisms, and it proved to be practical, too. Is there any distraction you think would be right for you?"
"Oh…Well, I can somewhat stay concentrated during housework…But hey, even that runs out eventually. So it's not really an option." – Cosmo replied, looking down. After a few moments, Tails asked: "Well, didn't you use to enjoy gardening a whole lot? Why won't you go back to that?"
"Now that you reminded me…" – The plantgirl pondered over for a bit before continuing: "I was doing a lot of gardening with my sister back on board of Space Colony Dandelion. On the off chance that she was free from work at the infirmary, we would often go to the "green" deck and take care of the plants there. And now that I think of it…" – The seedrian stood up from the bed and looked out the bedroom window – even though it was quite dark already, one could easily see that the small patch of ground just behind the house was free of any plants, but not completely barren. That's when the plantgirl had an idea: "Maybe it's about time to get an expansion done for this house? How about building a greenhouse attachment?"
"You do realize that's going to be worth several extra contracts to get the money for the materials and a few hours of convincing everyone to come over and help?" – Tails asked back. Even though the fox liked the idea, he was unsure if it would be possible to fulfill. A few moments later, the kitsune sighed and replied: "Okay, if that would make you happy."
"Tails…If it's really that problematic, then you don't really have to-" – Cosmo did not get to finish her sentence, as Tails interrupted her: "Nonsense, Cosmo. I'd do anything for you. Even if it might put a strain on me or our budget." – After the mobian finished his speech, he looked at the clock – they were definitely talking way into midnight, as it was nearing one o'clock. – "We'll discuss this tomorrow. For now, let's just go to sleep."
The plantgirl nodded, then remarked: "Just let me change my clothes first."
Tails quietly complied, turning away from Cosmo as she took the towel around her body off, placed it on the bedside dresser to dry, then took her nightgown out and put it on. Said nightgown wasn't anything too risqué – just an ordinary light-green one. The plantgirl then lied down on the bed as Tails stood up and went to switch off the lights and then went back to bed. It didn't take long for the couple to fall asleep in each other's embrace, unaware that they were still being watched by someone out of this world…
Gaia's Realm, same night
Lucas was looking downright furious. So much that any breakable objects in the vicinity would probably be unable to survive the elder seedrian's wrath. Of course, seeing his daughter sleeping next to that fox wasn't really giving him any pleasant thoughts.
"Lucas, easy there. I know you're quite short-tempered, but…"
"For how long they were sharing the same bed, woman?!" - The male shouted, interrupting his wife's speech. - "At this point, that fox probably bedded her by now!"
For Lucas, interrupting his wife's speech was probably one of the dumbest things he could do at the moment, as the blue-haired seedrian immediately said: "Lucas, while you were raging there after you saw Cosmo doing...That, I kept watching her. And I can assure you, in the moments between her "sinning" and what you're seeing now, she and Tails just quietly gone back to sleep. That fox didn't do anything to her yet. "
"That's the keyword here, Hertia! "Yet"! These animals give in to their instincts any time they have an opportunity to do so!"
"Lucas, calm down. If anything, they seem to be actively trying their best to keep these matters to themselves for now. They're biding their time for when they think it would be right. And besides, even if Tails did agree to her terms, who are you to stop her? Cosmo is no longer a kid, Lucas. She can take responsibility for the consequences of her actions."
The reptilian-like creature sighed and replied: "I'm just...Very worried about her, Hertia. That's all."
"You're overcompensating for what you couldn't give her back then, right?" – That question from Hertia hit Lucas like a knife. The male seedrian looked down and replied, sighing: "Yes, Hertia. Yes, I feel like a complete failure of a father. Yes, I am feeling like I didn't give her what she needed. But I cannot just-"
"And yet we cannot do anything. Unless we intervene directly, she won't even notice we're watching her." – Hertia replied, interrupting her husband's speech. – "And even then, we have no right of intervention unless there is a critical situation about. Lucas, I don't feel like there is a point in you acting so overprotective towards her. It's as pointless as shouting at a wall."
Lucas sighed and replied: "But Hertia, we clearly saw what she was doing in the-"
"It's pretty normal for girls her age. No need to make such a big deal out of it. If I were you, I'd just leave Cosmo and Tails alone for now." – With that, Hertia walked away from the lake. Lucas gave it one last glance, seeing Cosmo and Tails sleeping peacefully, and then walked away as well, with the water of the lake once again reflecting the sky of Gaia's Realm.
Back in the mortal world, still the same night.
Meanwhile, Cosmo and Tails were already quietly sleeping in their bedroom. Cosmo was having a rather pleasant dream – she and Tails were in the middle of a strange garden overgrown by various plants, with Cosmo lying right on top of Tails. The two were kissing deeply and passionately, with Cosmo oblivious to the fact that she had no clothes on – sure, she immediately noticed the feeling of Tails' fur brushing against her bare chest, but due to dream logic, she assumed that it was how it should be. The kitsune also had a pleasant dream of his own – he dreamt that he and Cosmo were in an enchanted spring on Planet Marmolin – the same one they fell into way back then – , kissing each other. In this dream, Cosmo also didn't have any clothes on at all, and Tails also was completely oblivious to this, just enjoying the feeling of being close to Cosmo and the sweet scent of her rosebuds.
The two weren't exactly aware that some of the feelings they've had weren't actually coming from their dream – Cosmo was tightly clutching her foxy boyfriend's tails, while Tails himself had his face rather close to his seedrian girlfriend's rosebuds. But that mattered not to them – the only thing they were concerned with at the moment were their respective dreams of each other.
Ugh. Well, I tried to make it at least presentable. Not sure if I succeeded. Then again, considering some other things that end up here...
Anyway, next chapter won't be a filler and, as I said before, will likely take place in winter (As in, in-universe winter.), and will go back to the "daily life events" format.
And with that, Darky...Out!