Once again, sorry about the long delay in updating, everyone. Hopefully you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Fair warning with this chapter, it is going to start filling in the blankets in terms of backstory and is going to involve some jumping between the past and present to explain them. As usual, expect some fluff, and expect things to go a bit dark as a topic that was brought up last chapter takes center stage.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 4-Gazing at the Sunrise
She threw up only once, which they both considered to be acceptable.
To Tamamo's credit, she tried to hold it in, but Hakuno's soft insistence was enough to get her to remove herself from her shoulder and hustle toward the train's bathroom. Hakuno watched her go, silently keeping watch over her every step. While he loved his wife dearly and knew when she focused her self-control was commendable, he wasn't going to underestimate the power of a pregnancy. Especially when said pregnancy involved two children instead of one, two children who were more than likely going to inherit their mother's divine power. Thankfully, Tamamo's footsteps didn't leave burning imprints in the train car floor. Sitting in his seat, he hoped that the next few seconds wouldn't be marked with the train suddenly shaking or an unexplainable indoor-heat wave suddenly hitting the train.
The first one was thankfully avoided, the second one, not so much.
Almost immediately after sensing the heat wave, he began to silently expel freezing energy to counteract it. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, far, far from it. Crossing his left leg atop his right, he was once again struck by the number of differences between himself and the woman he loved. The biggest one was without a doubt their race, she was a goddess and he was a human being. Born completely average minus a few drops of legendary blood in him, but nothing that really pushed him out of the "human" category. Even with the powers of the Moon Cell coursing through him, he didn't seem himself as anything less or more than human in spite of being capable of feats even the most adapt magus would bite their lip in jealously at.
That last one in particular always left him quietly smirking to himself.
After that, the biggest difference between he and Tamamo was no doubt their abilities, their affinities. She was Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, the strongest deity in the Shinto pantheon as well as its ruler. Rather than a mere mortal god, she was instead a celestial god, her light shining through the vastness of space bringing light and warmth to all things.
He was the moon. Quiet and mysterious he seemed to so many people, to himself, he merely saw himself as an ordinary person who at times had to do extradentary things. The light he gave off was a reflection of the sun's, yet it had its own unique charms about it. Whereas the sun inspired energy and activity, Hakuno was prone to moments of self-reflection, and he seemed to be able to inspire that in others. Or drive them up the wall with his inability to die in spite of their best efforts. Or punch holes in whatever warped logic they clung onto or exploit personality defects. In simplest terms, lunacy. He'd certainly driven the higher-ends up the Magus Association mad when he told the tale of his life and his involvement in the last Great Holy Grail War. Even before he awoke to his powers, he was able to sense emotions in people, read them really. He didn't need a few chunks of moon rocks inside of him to know that little over a quarter of the room wanted to strap him to an operating tale and dissect him. Tamamo's response to sensing that intent had been threatening to incinerate those magi on the spot; in doing so, she also made it clear that she would happily burn anyone who got in her way. Looking back on it, that was the first time that Hakuno had ever had to use his powers to counteract hers, his coldness nullifying the inferno-like heat she was giving off.
In the end, they'd ultimately walked away hand-in-hand, a sense of relief and freedom making them feel like they were walking on air. It was about a week later that they learned their showing up of the Association heads had elevated them to rather infamous status…and in the eyes of others, made them heroes.
"It seems like wherever you go, you always tend to attract attention. And one way or another, you two end up recognized as heroes. Heh, well, that's not too surprising. Without either of you, the Earth would be a battered, broken husk." Twice had remarked when they all sat down together. Hakuno had nervously scratched the back of his head while Tamamo took the comment in strides. "Odds are they won't take this lying down, but cooler heads will keep the others in check. After Shanghai, I honestly doubt anyone's in a hurry to cause another incident, especially one that'll leave the Earth crippled should another alien invasion take place."
"I'd prefer not to think about that. At least give us a year to recover from the last one." Hakuno had bemoaned. Just talking about it made all his old wounds from battling Velber-01 flare up. "If I had to choose one, I think I'd prefer the Magus Association."
"It'd be a short fight." Twice remarked casting his gaze over to Tamamo.
"Flattery is always appreciated. It may just net you something special." The former Servant had remarked with a giggle. Brief as it might have been, both she and Hakuno saw the way Twice's lips briefly twitched into an upward smile. They stayed that way for a few seconds, almost a full-blown minute. "All that said, I'm…willing to bet that we've bought ourselves a couple of months to a year before those old coots come knocking. When that time comes, well, I'll keep it below a solar flare, how does that sound?" Tamamo's laugh had brightened both of their moods, already pleasant enough, but now bolstered by the whimsical image of the fox "battling" the Magus Association and Clock Tower. Would the fallout be immense? Definitely. Would it be a hilarious demonstration of karma coming full circle? Hell yes it would, and it would be glorious to watch.
Once she got her laughter under control, Tamamo graced him with a response. "Hm, I'll see what I can do. That said, I suppose the thing we should be hoping is that such a thing never comes to pass."
They were all optimistic, especially Hakuno. It was often said that optimism was a key trait of his, something that had persisted through multiple life times. Which itself some would have viewed as surprising. Following a life of wartime strife and chaos then dying from brain damage, one might have thought that all the optimism had been beaten out of him. Then again, considering that his first death had involved a steady case of memory loss, one could have argued he was given a clean slate. It seemed that time after time, he was given one of those. Each one, he'd made the best out of. Ever the optimist, Hakuno wanted to believe that this slate he was being given, hopefully his last one, was going to be the best one out of them all.
His ears twitched as he heard a familiar heartbeat. Looking up, he turned to his right and watched as his wife made her way back into view. She looked nearly exactly the same as when she left. Upon laying eyes on him, a smile broke out along her face. In several short steps, she was back beside him, cuddling up to him. Hakuno silently wrapped a arm around her, just as he had before.
"I don't smell like vomit, do I?" She immediately asked.
Chuckling, he leaned over and kissed her atop the head. "Nope, just the same old Tamamo that I've known and loved."
"Heh, I'll fresh up once we get home." She giggled in response then closed her eyes. The experience had been…well, frankly, it sucked. Pregnancy sickness was to be expected, she'd seen it dozens upon dozens of thousands…and once upon a time, she'd experienced it herself. The most famous experience had led to the birth of Japan's imperial line. Such memories were quite literally thousands of years, yet Tamamo could recall them with the clarity of yesterday. Memories on top of memories, such was the nature of one with an extended lifespan like hers. It was something that made her a stark contrast to her mortal lover. When they first met, he had no memories of his life before while she would have done anything she could to purge her own. It was another aspect of the duality they shared, what perhaps helped pull them together.
While she didn't doze off completely, Tamamo could faintly feel herself becoming drowsy. She longed to crawl into bed alongside her husband and sleep the night away until her celestial lantern rose back up into the sky. Technically speaking, she had near infinite strength, yet she felt exhausted. It wasn't the first time she'd felt like this; since reincarnating into flesh and blood, she found that even though she was a goddess, she was still prone to feeling all the things normal humans felt. Gods and humans, at times there was a world of difference between them…other times, they were more alike than either would have liked to admit. Ironically, it was the thing that she'd attempted to learn back when she first descended from the heavens to the mortal realm.
She crossed her fingers that her children wouldn't have to suffer through learning that lesson the same way that she had.
Or perhaps they would.
"Some lessons can only be taught with pain. Bitter as that may sound…the pain reinforces the lesson, hammering it in to ensure that we don't forget it." Those were the words imparted to her from the late head of the Hsu Family, Hsu Guang. It was incredibly easy to jump back in time eleven years ago, to the Shanghai Great Holy Great War. She was back in Guang's office, a crescent moon silhouetted in the sky beyond the glass window of his office. During the weeks' long war, she'd become familiar with the office, as had her Master, who found himself called to it almost every other day. "That is a truth that I…have had to learn over the course of my life, as a magus, as a businessman, as a man, as a husband…and as a father. I believe that, as we learn and grow, that truth makes itself known to us at various points in life. Sometimes at the most critical. If I may be so bold…"
"Not even we goddess are immune to that."
"Considering that I'm being told that by a pantheon head, I suppose I should take some pride in that wisdom." The progressive magus chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. Tamamo laughed back. "That said, I must ask…should we come out the victors of this war and your wish is granted…Caster, no, Tamamo-no-Mae, would you be prepared to learn these lessons again? To have your potential offspring learn them as well?"
Hsu Guang was a man who could be polite and casual, but one there was one undeniable trait about him that tended to always shine through-when he talked to someone whom he had a personal interest in, he tended to be as direct as possible. Such a trait had earned him many admirers, and an equal or even greater number of enemies, especially those who despised his way of living. Rather fittingly, that trait had made him easy to connect with and act as one of the two leaders for the Azure Faction in the Shanghai Grail War. Even Tamamo could say she respected that about the Chinese magus.
His words to her back down had been the materialization of a debate she'd been having within herself. A part of her had wanted to say that he was being optimistic, he sounded optimistic of their chances of winning the war. Which he was right in. It was just when the conversation took place…the Velber had yet to reveal themselves throwing the entire Grail War into chaos and turning a simple fight for wishes and supremacy into a battle for Earth's survival. Yet, in the midst of it all, everyone still had time to discuss their personal desires and aspirations. In some ways, they gave them the strength to rise up and fight against an enemy of literal cosmic proportions. Tamamo herself had been a prime example.
"As much as…I would like to dodge the question, I must answer it." Replied the Japanese Servant, her body tense yet at the same time relaxed. An odd equilibrium had been reached, one that she took strange solace in. "I have lived a long, long, long life, one that's been filled with its fair share of pain. With that pain, I have also learned many important lessons. Should fortune smile upon me that Hakuno and I can settle down and have children of our own…for them to go through the same. I would like to do everything in power to keep that from happening…but I know I probably won't be able to." Her fingers curled, nails softly biting into the wooden desk that she sat at. It would have been so incredibly easy for her to tear into it, and the man sitting directly across from her. "I could regain all of my divine power…but it probably wouldn't be enough. More importantly…it would perhaps be best that…our children did learn such lessons, even if they came with a bit of pain. Of course, I'm not saying that I want them to experience such pain, it's just…"
"To know the lesser aspects of life merely means that one can enjoy the greater aspects of it." Guang offered with a soft, encouraging smile.
When Tamamo next opened her eyes, she was back in the present, no luxurious office, no middle-aged Chinese man sitting across from her, having a frank but ultimately encouraging and even relaxing conversation with her. That conversation still rung in her head like so many others. The advice and memories were precious to her, just as they were precious to her husband.
"Our stop's coming up." Hakuno quietly whispered to her.
Train rides had turned into an unexpected joy for her. They almost always had a relaxing charm to them, especially when shared with her lover. The more whimsical side of her also saw trains as proof of humanity's progress, to be able to move across such great distances, more times than not in relative comfort, back in her time, such things were nothing more but dreams. Dreams could be made real with enough time and effort, something that Tamamo herself had come to realize. Humanity had that special power, which was one of the things that made them stand out amongst the various races in the universe. It was one reason why Tamamo loved living amongst them, and would watch over them.
She could feel the train beginning to slow down. "Here I was just starting to get comfortable." Murmured the former Servant. "Still, I'm looking forward to kicking my feet up back in our little den."
"You and me both. The funny thing is…I don't think we did much today." Mused the human before a thoughtful look crossed his head. "Actually, scratch that. We did a lot of thinking, some walks down memory lane, and I'm going to guess wrestled with some anxiety about the future. Heh, all that can be pretty taxing if you think about all of it hard enough." A whimsical smile on his face, the male brunette placed his free left hand on the side of his head. Over the years, he'd diligently kept his brown hair cut, ensuring it never grew past a certain length. Friends in high school and in college had repeatedly teased him about what would happen if he let his hair grow out. Some had gone as far as to sketch out potential hairstyles he could rock. Some of them were laughable, others Hakuno wished he'd never laid eyes on. They served as motivators as to why he'd never let his hair grow out past his shoulders. Besides, he already had enough to deal with in regards to his wife who could control hers at will. And sometimes that control slipped from her. He chuckled as he recalled several mornings when he would wake up not under the bed sheets, but under waves of pink hair strands.
"One could say that you're working the muscles in your brain. It's important to get those muscles working, and a blessing to even be able to use them." He laughed at the last, quite snappy, portion of her statement. It was so like her, so like the woman he loved. "Thankfully, I think we've taxed those muscles enough for one day. When I rise up and shine my light over this great country, we can get them working again. Speaking of which, tomorrow you're going to start making some plans, aren't you?"
"Pretty much. Tomorrow…I'm definitely going to call mom and dad, let them know." A smile blossomed on the former Master's face as he pictured his parents' expressions upon them learning they were going to become grandparents. It was something that they knew for a long time, ever since they met Tamamo. His foxy lover had made it very clear that she intended on marrying Hakuno and having his children one day. Along with making such sentiments known, she, a goddess reborn into the mortal world, humbly bowed her head and asked them for their permission to marry their only son. Needless to say, it was quite an evening in the Kishinami Household, one that was expected, yet carried out in an unexpected manner. The fact that a goddess, the top god of Japanese religion, had fallen in love with their son and wanted to marry him was the hardest thing for them to accept-more so than the existence of magi, magecraft, genuine magic, gods, monsters, aliens, and what have you.
Hakuno remembered making a remark about how little his parents had faith in him if that's what they found unbelievable. In a heartbeat, they were both there, reassuring him, his mother practically wrapping him up in her arms. It may have been a bit of a low blow, but he hadn't been able to help himself, plus it'd broken up some of the tension.
They got off the train hand-in-hand as they almost always did and began to make their way home. Another beautifully pleasant evening that they quietly enjoyed. Their conversation was of what they would do for dinner. Sure, there was home cooking, which they both extremely good at, but sometimes there wasn't anything wrong with eating out or taking a bite back home. Hakuno suspected he was going to be doing a lot of that if he was on his way back home from work. As Tamamo's pregnancy progressed, her ability to cook was going to be impeded, and her appetite was going to balloon almost as much as her belly would. Only rarely did his wife indulge in big eater tendencies, but he always knew she had it in her.
"Hm, I'm in the mood for a little sushi." The former Servant declared.
"Sushi, huh? Well, I know a couple of places. Do you want to head home and wait for me or-" Hakuno already knew what the answer was going to be; maybe he just wanted an excuse for his wife to kiss him, not that she needed such a thing (or she ever did). Originally, the kiss might have been meant to be quick, by Hakuno melted into it, gently pushing his tongue into Tamamo's mouth, she moaned in appreciation at the act. The familiar jolt raced up his spine as they separated and stared into one another's eyes. Hakuno's arm brought her closer to the point she was sandwiched against him; for Tamamo, it was always one of the best places to be.
"I'm not so bloated I can't move a finger yet, Hakuno." The pink-haired woman affirmed, her voice low and husky sending all sorts of implications.
"Noted." Hakuno chuckled leaning down and kissing her forehead making her blush.
Giggling, she grabbed his head and began to guide him down the street through the crowd. Hakuno never got tired of this, of her leading the way. It was from her that he'd learned how to do the same, in both this life and the one before it.
When it came to the various restaurants of Kyoto, the couple had come to know them by heart, and quite a few had come to know them. When they moved to town, news had begun to spread of a pair of mysterious chefs whose culinary ability was enough to raise a couple of eyebrows. Having those chefs stop by had always been a treat, and more often than not it turned into an opportunity to exchange culinary notes.
"Good evening, Akaho-san!" Bombastically shouted the goddess in human form as they burst through the doors, not a hint of subtly in her.
Her introduction was immediately met with a series of raised heads and happy shouting. As it happened, the head chef himself was at the front counter, his green eyes lit up as he saw the faces of two of his favorite customers.
"Ah! Tamamo-san, Hakuno-san! Welcome! I was wondering when you'd stop by for a meal! Chase, get them a table set up on the double!" Barked the veteran sushi chef. He certainly looked his age of sixty, but he was still very much kicking, as his staff could attest. Including his grandson.
The Japanese-American teenager respectfully bowed to the couple, his face enthusiastic at seeing them again. Akaho Sushi was a family-run business like so many others across Kyoto, including Tamamo's own inn. It was all too common to see teenagers working as waiters, cooks, janitors, and almost any other job where they could gain some experience. Tamamo and Hakuno were amongst those who enjoyed helping those youths gain such experience. Neither of them were strangers to using their influence from time to time to help out a few young up incomers, other times they just happily handed out advice, and received stories in compensation.
At Akaho Sushi, there always seemed to be a lot of stories to tell from the employees and customers, many of whom the Kishinamis had gotten to know. In fact, upon first moving to Kyoto, Hakuno eve worked part-time for kicks-his way of learning even more about the art of sushi making. Like Chase and the rest of the chefs could attest, Atsuto Akaho was nothing short of a grueling instructor; Tamamo respected him for that as his attitude reminded her of one of her own teachers. Thankfully, the green-haired chef seemed to possess a dislike of birds, including sparrows. Fish on the other hand, he treated with respect eve as he carved them up and taught others how to do the same to be served as food. He'd certainly installed such values in his half-American grandson.
"So, come on, tell us! How'd it go? You swept her off her feet, right, Chase! That's what happened, right!" Tamamo excited spoke, barely able to contain herself.
The redheaded youth sheepishly looked between them and them and his tablet, their orders recorded. "Um, well…she…liked the curry I made for her, said that it was the best that she'd ever had. She also said I was a really nice guy and that she'd…well…" It was his hesitation in speaking that gave him away. Tamamo's bubbly expression crumbled and Hakuno gave him an apologetic smile. Looking between the two, he could see they already knew the answer, though he still felt obligated to say it, to give them some clarity. "She's moving to Nara. I mean, that's good, right! She told me that I'd find someone here in Kyoto and that things would be better that way, right! That means that I-"
"Chase Akaho, you are a somewhat bubbling but kind, excellently-skilled young man whom any girl would be lucky to have as her boyfriend and perhaps even potential husband!" The seventeen-year-old was left speechless by the bombastic voice of the pink-haired inn owner, even though she'd actually refrained from shouting. He'd heard her shout before, and the woman had a voice like daughter. She didn't have to use that shouting voice to get her point across though, not this time. "At the very least she recognized you for the good man that you are, and that you'll be in the future. Someday, a woman will come along and should she catch your eye and her you, seize on that chance. You may not know when another opportunity will find you again."
As per usual, the teenage waiter and cook in training was left speechless at the sorcerous woman's words. Chase wasn't the only one, again. When Tamamo stepped up, she tended to become the center of attention, quite fitting for a sun goddess really. She just had that much of a commanding presence; it was one of the traits that made her an excellent businesswoman and manager.
"Your first heartbreak will hurt, but it won't be the end of the world, at least you shouldn't let it be." He could have just let Tamamo's speech be it, but Hakuno decided to speak up at well. Call it a whim. He didn't consider himself a relationship or love guru like his wife, but he liked to think after several years, and some romantic entanglements of his own, he had some advice he could give. "There's a girl out there for you, you just have to find her….or wait for her to find you."
Smiling in acceptance at their words, Chase looked between the married couple. "Um, if you don't mind me asking…which was it for you two?"
Hakuno and Tamamo shared a look between them. Chase had seen it a dozen times before, between both the enigmatic couple, as well as his own parents and a couple dozen others. Guess that's what a real romantic relationship looks like. Wonder if I'll ever end up in one. The redhead quietly mused.
"It was more like…Tamamo found me, at just the right time. You could practically say she saved my life." Declared the male-brunette flashing the younger boy a wink.
"Well, that's how it started, but in the end, Hakuno ended up being the one to save me." The pink-haired woman chirped.
"You two make it sound like you were involved in some dangerous things when you two first met." The teenager laughed.
"Hey, Chase! Consort with the customers while you're on break! They ordered their food five minutes ago!" One of his coworkers called.
"S-S-Sorry about that, Mr. and Mrs. Kishinami." The teenage said realizing exactly how much of their time he'd eaten up.
"Oh, don't worry about! We were happy to hear about how things went between you and Sayuri." Hakuno declared. "Don't be in a big rush for us."
Tamamo watched the young man depart, practically right into the arms of one of his coworkers who threw an army around him as he began to heckle him. Tamamo looked back to her husband with giggles. "You're going to be a great father."
"And you, a great mom." Replied the former Master. "Tamamo…do you think that…we'll probably have to have that sort of talk with our kids?"
Her face grew damper as she now nurtured the possibility. Rejection was…well, it was a subject that Tamamo knew all too well. "As much as I'd like to say no….possibly." Lacing her fingers together, she felt the hooks of the past attempting to sink into her. From time to time, they sunk in deep, but she'd grown enough that she believed she could force them out, as she did now. "Disappointment is a part of life, but so is rising above it." Her hands rose above the table and reached out, finding his. "They're going to be our kids, so learning to rise above setbacks is a given, right?"
"Definitely." Hakuno amicably replied before chuckling. "Though we are going to have to take precautions for when they let off steam."
"Hehehehe, fair point! I suppose before they're born, I cam probably going to have set up some…play fields for them, so they're free to run about and explore without limits." A wistful look colored her face as she looked down at their interlocked hands. "How would you feel about one day perhaps taking them to the Reverse Side of the World?"
"That's a given, I mean, odds are they'll stumble into it one day. Better we go with them the first time. Plus, we'll have to teach them what places to stay as far away from as possible."
"Hm, well, we're certainly have to try and stop by Valhalla, see Brynhildr and Jiang." The former Servant declared, Hakuno was in full agreement with her. "Once we show them the worlds though, I worry about how much their wanderlust will influence them. They will be our kids." There was a brief squeeze of his hands. "I'm hoping there'll be enough of you to balance out that wanderlust."
"You talk like you're the only one with a taste for adventure."
"Heheh, good point, though between the two of us, you're certainly the more cautious one. If you smell trouble, you'll react to it, and I'm sure our little ones will do the same. I just hope they'll know enough when to run from trouble and when to confront it."
"…Or run long enough until we get there." Affectionately sniped the Corona owner.
"That's my husband." Tamamo affirmed, feeling the urge to reach across the table ad kiss him. For now though, a peck on his hand was enough. He returned the gesture.
Sokyō-ku, 9:28 PM…
"Finally home." Murmured the Miko fox. "Little ones, this is your den, the place where you'll always be able to find sanctuary."
Arm wrapped around his wife, Hakuno trotted up the steps. No matter how many times he viewed it, Hakuno felt like he never got tired of looking at the home he and Tamamo had bought. That was no doubt pride at work, pride that he and Tamamo had finally found happiness, happiness that they had made last. Also, their home was pretty nice all things considered.
It was a villa, a traditional Japanese home like many others in Sokyō Ward, one of the best. Hakuno believed it to be large enough for a family of soon-to-be four, and maybe more knowing him and his wife. Two stories like so many other homes, and like them in expanded to the side providing room that Hakuno and Tamamo had made modest use of. Well, them and their fox familiars who'd already made themselves at home and practically ran the house (and guarded it) when they were away. Said familiars were bursting through the door and practically throwing themselves at the couple, affectionately licking their faces as they always did.
Just think, in about four years you'll have two little fox-eared children jumping out to greet you. A whimsical voice in his head mused. It was right, and that thought of it made Hakuno's heart race a bit faster. Not even when they got in doors did it stop, the constant slowly but noticeable acceleration chewed away at him throughout the rest of the night. Even into the shower he shared with Tamamo, albeit his heart was also racing then for an entirely separate reason.
He knew he had to do something about it, so he waited until his wife had seemingly fallen asleep beside him. It wasn't like it'd been an exhausting day, not physically; Hakuno just knew he had a lot to take in.
I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a dad. A dad…a dad. He repeated over and over again in his head. Rising from his pillow, he placed a hand over his chest, covered by the plain white t-shirt he wore. His heart was still beating, a quiet rhythm that refused to quiet itself down. While his right hand lay over his heart, he looked down to his left-it was trembling. "Guess there really is no helping it." Whispered the male brunette. Hakuno ran his hand along his wife's bright pink hair before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and leaving the room.
As he walked to his destination, a few of the familiars manifested, softly rubbing up against him. They could sense the stirring of his heart as much as he could feel it. He whispered to them that he was fine and that he'd be sleeping in a second. Only one decided to stay with him.
"You know, it's a shame you didn't become a writer, I imagine you'd have made a fortune." Minamikaze chuckled keeping pace with the adult human.
"Maybe that's what I'll do after I retire, fortunately, that's still…hm, thirty to maybe forty years off."
The fox snorted. "That long? Do you plan on moving up the ranks to become regional head or something? You've certainly got the talent for it."
"Maybe. Maybe not, we'll see what the future holds." His office wasn't just protected with an ordinary lock, it was safeguarded by three magical locks. For a magus, this was entire normal. All Hakuno did was turn the knob and hold the door open. Minamikaze strutted into the study like he too had a claim to the place; he'd been in it enough times that one could say he did too. Hakuno had realized after the first week that the familiar would follow him into his private study and stay with him until he left. He didn't mind it, in fact, there were times he was actually grateful for the spiritual fox's presence. Sometimes he even took his input into his writing.
Then again, he also liked being there to learn more of Hakuno's life story, a story that stretched across what was practically three life times. Ironically, it was that very thing that kept him up on nights like tonight.
His journals were a fiercely guarded thing. Like most people, he didn't advertise that he kept diaries of his life. Hakuno knew that there were some who'd have given anything, paid anything or killed to get their hands on what he'd written. Particularly the recording-obsessed fanatics in the Magus Association; they already saw him as an enigma to unravel. Getting a hold of his journals would certainly help them do that. Unfortunately for them, Hakuno would burn his journals before he let that happen. That possibility itself was somewhat hypocritical since he was partially writing his thoughts and feelings down in hopes of something about him being remembered.
"We have the power to choose how we're remembered…but sometimes we don't. In the end, we're all pebbles in the river of time. It's escapable, and yet we struggle against it."
"You know, I like to think that's part of being human."
"Hehehehe, I agree with you, Hakuno. For if we did not struggle against time, against fate, against hardship, were would be the joy in life?"
He considered himself blessed to have met a lot of interesting people, even when they were trying to kill him. As he'd learned, that sort of relationship was par for the course for the likes of Oda Nobunaga, a man who seemed to enjoy the life-threatening drama that he seemed to attract. He encouraged Hakuno to do the same; at the time of the Shanghai Holy Grail War, Hakuno felt he was remembering how to do that. Ironically, he wanted all that drama recorded.
So far, he'd filled up five journals with his life story and he was now on number six. He had no idea how many volumes his life story would end up containing, but he knew one thing for sure-the rest of the story was going to get a whole more interesting. Which for his already interesting life was saying something.
Again, he was eagerly looking forward to it.
Within the private office, there were generally four sounds one could expect to hear: pencil on paper, keyboard keys, Hakuno's occasional humming, or music playing. Tonight, there was only the first of the four, the food worker's pencil moving in swift strokes, filling up page after page. This was how it usually went for most of these write-ins, the only breaks coming when either Hakuno's mind wondered off, he stopped for something to eat or drink, or something interrupted him. Any of those things could have happened and he'd have gotten right back to writing if he wanted to. Minamikaze quite literally floated atop his shoulders, it was either that or him sitting at his desk, on the couch or on the wooden desk itself. Hakuno always found something comforting in the familiar resting on his shoulder; he was always prepared for his commentary.
"You know, I don't believe it's unnatural for humans to fear parenthood." Said commentary finally came.
"Hm, and what about animals?" He politely retorted.
The familiar lifted its head and chuckled. "Well, for us it's instinct, but I believe it's also the same for you humans. On same level, you'll instinctively know what to do. Have you not listened to your instincts before and came out victorious?"
"Hehe, fair point. Granted, I don't think that last part will apply until they're grown and succeeding in the world on their own."
"They will." Minamikaze encouraged.
Putting his pencil down, he looked to his right at the fox spirit that helped run his household. He was a pet, a guardian, and a also a friend, one of the many strange and unusual friends that Hakuno had been blessed with.
"Ah, I'm touched, Hakuno!" The fox cried. "Knowing you, I'm sure your children will run into their fair share of interesting people, though no familiar will ever compare to me."
"Uh-huh, I think we'll let time decide that." The human chuckled. "Knowing me and Tamamo, they'll end up meeting some interesting people."
"And if there's a boy in the mix, he may end up becoming a charmer just like you."
Hakuno winced. "In that case…I'm going to have a lot to teach him, though I'm hoping I don't pass…urgh, that onto my potential sons or sons."
"I think the ability Harem Protagonist is a lovely ability to have. It certainly has its perks." Minamikaze inquired. "In fact, it may not even be limited to men! Surely any girls you and Lady Tamamo have will end up attracting some attention, hm?"
"Yeah…and that's a thought that's going to keep me up at night." Personally, Hakuno didn't want to think he'd be one of those fiercely overprotective fathers if he had daughters. Yes, he'd be protective of them, but he wanted to believe he'd have more faith in their choices of romance. So long as they were happy, he'd accept whatever choices they made, the same went for any sons he might have. "Relationships…you know, I wouldn't mind if that talk didn't come until they were in their teens, which would be entirely normal."
"Ah, but knowing our children, they'll have caught someone's eye long before then. A few childish crushes never hurts, right?"
Sighing in happy acceptance, Hakuno turned around and saw that Minamikaze had removed himself from his shoulder to make room for the mistress of the household. Tamamo stood just a foot away from him in her sleeping gown, her enchanting face illuminated by the desk lamp. Her golden yellow eyes cackling with warmth as she smiled at Hakuno and he smiled back at her. She stepped forward, practically falling into his arms resulting in a kiss between the two. Once it ended, Tamamo affectionately leaned against the chair and Hakuno, who got back to his writing. He never minded her being there to see him.
"You know, when the time comes, they'll be chopping at the bit to get into this room." She spoke.
"I know, but I'm confident they won't be able to until they're at least eleven or twelve, by which point I'll have upped the security." The male brunette responded. "I can already hear them complaining at their failure to crack the lock."
"Ah, my dear husband, look how far you've come." Tamamo laughed. They were polar opposites in many ways, one of the biggest being that she was an extrovert of the highest order (on the surface anyway) while he was an invert (again, on the surface). Not even multiple lifetimes had been enough to shake that aspect of Hakuno, then again, that trait may have only been reinforced thanks to those multiple lives, especially living through multiple life-or-death situations. Still, over time they'd gradually influenced each other in mostly positive ways. "I'm happy that you're leaving sign posts to guide them."
"I want to do all that I can for them." His voice was as quiet as a leaf riding the wind. "They're not even born yet…but…I want to do everything in my power to help them."
Throwing her arms around him, she kissed his cheek. "That's what makes you you, Hakuno, the man that I love and the man I'm proud will be the father of my children." She practically buried herself in the crux of his neck as she'd done hundreds of times before. Though he kept his gaze on the opened notebook, Hakuno wrapped his arm around, bringing her in close. Tamamo would have just dropped herself into his lap had she not cared that he still planned on writing. "You're going to do fine, my darling. I've seen with my own two eyes that you have the makings of a father in you, countless times in fact."
Looking to her, Hakuno smiled in acceptance of her words. That was his Caster, his Tamamo, always encouraging him. "I'm hoping that I do. I'm hoping that they don't have to go through the same amount of pain and heartbreak that you and me had to go through."
"We won't let them." The former Servant quietly affirmed. "We won't be able to shield them from all the pain in the world, but we'll do our best…just like we always do."
Hakuno laughed. "We'll do our best," might as well have been their motto. Matter of fact, Hakuno was pretty sure that they could turn it into their family motto, officially speaking anyway. The Kishinami line in this world had made do when Toyotomi Hideyoshi had exiled them, half-expecting them to patter off into obscurity and then oblivion. In this life, Hakuno could vividly recall his grandfather and even great-grandfather laughing at how the family had proved them wrong. They weren't famous (at least not in a…normal sense), but they'd certainly found success, and they'd done so by simply putting one foot in front of the other and doing their best.
Putting his pen down, he closed his eyes and wallowed in Tamamo's embrace. She'd stand at his side all night holding him like this if that's what he wished.
"I'm done for the night." He declared.
"Are you sure?" She softly pressed. "You don't have to stop tonight on account of me."
Closing his notebook, he gently ruffled her pink hair. "I'm ready to hit the sheets, especially with the future world's best mom in my arms."
Squealing in glee, Tamamo threw herself into Hakuno's arms, peppering his face with kisses. Their magical audience rolled his eyes in amusement then waited by the door seeing that they were ready to call it a night. He watched in joy as the male brunette put away his notebooks, the desk cabinets they were stored in triple-locked just like the office door. As with most magi households, if any of those locks were picked, Minamikaze and his fellow familiars would know of it; that was assuming the intruder had somehow made it past them, a feat that they wouldn't have long to savor. Once that was done, he watched the human lift the goddess up into his arms.
The door slid shut behind them, though instead of their bedroom, Hakuno walked in the opposite direction. Holding her up in one hand, he reached for the doorknob and pushed the door open. Inside lay nothing but a simple bed, desk, and a drawer, the bare basics of a guest room.
"I'm looking forward to customizing it." Hakuno admitted with a smile.
"As am I. Luckily, we've got plenty of space, not to mention we can always make more." If they wanted to, they could have moved into a simple two-bedroom apartment that was barely as big as a minute, yet with her witchcraft, they could have warped the interior to resemble a full-on palace. Such a thing was tempting, but Tamamo's pride and tastes would have never allowed it, either would Hakuno. Though highly unconventional, they were a magical family, and it showed in their house. "So, if it's a boy and a girl, how do you feel about splitting the room's colors?"
"Hm, I'll consider it. For now, how's about we wait a little while until you start showing."
"Mikon, you're looking forward to me becoming as big as a mountain."
Laughing as he shut the door, he responded, "I seem to recall someone occasionally fantasizing about that happening. Getting cold feet?"
"Not at all. I'm just…so happy, and I'm happy that you're happy. I'm happy that you have faith in your ability to be a father."
"I've been so many things before…but this is one that I don't think I've ever looked forward to as much." Pushing the covers aside, he gently laid his wife down onto the bed. He joined her on the opposite side, feeling her arms wrapping around him while his arm wrapped around her waist. "Hakuno Kishinami, father, it's…incredibly for me to think about after all I've been through."
"But because you've been through so much, you'll have so much to tell and teach our children."
"Think they'll be willing to sit and learn? I mean, they could end up going through a rebellious phase." The human offered. "They could end up gaining a little something from your side of the family."
He laughed as his wife's face fell. "Urgh, don't jinx our children. The last thing we need is them inheriting Susu's personality defects."
Laughing, he reached over and began to twirl a few strands of her bubblegum pink hair. "Speaking of which, we are going to-"
"Mikon! Your family first! Let's introduce them to your family first! They're way nicer and cooler than mine!" Shouted the goddess throwing herself into Hakuno's embrace. The human was pretty sure that thousands of miles south, his family suddenly a happily tingling sensation. "They're going to be Kishinamis first and kami second."
"Agreed." The former Master declared before stretching his mouth open in a yawn. "Goodnight, Tamamo."
"Night, my Hakuno."
It was the second night in which the couple had learned they would be parents. They had hundreds more nights ahead of them, nights that would be peaceful…and probably punctuated by the occasional trip to the bathroom, which the foxy-eared former Servant ended up taking in about an hour.
Three Days later…
"My…my…my bbbbbaaaaabbbbyyyy!"
Hakuno winced yet continued to smile. Oh, he knew this was coming, he knew it was coming a mile away. His mother had cried when he'd graduated elementary school, junior high, high school, college, and when he'd gotten a job; she was a sentimental woman and he loved her for it, as did his father and his wife.
His father wrapped an arm around his wife, who continued to shed tears of joy. It was clear she wished that this wasn't just a video chat and that she was physically there to hug him. Meeting his father's eye, he saw that he very much felt the same way. The feeling was rather mutual on Hakuno's end.
"Hehehe, yeah. We're having twins." He repeated with a hearty laugh, his father echoed it.
"Twins, huh? Imagine that!" Hiroji Kishinami proclaimed. "So, how's Tamamo been?"
"Practically over the moon." He responded.
Meanwhile, his mother seemed to have finally dried her tears up enough to speak. Hakuno's often remarked honey brown eyes came from her, their gentleness and warmth that could leave many a woman smitten, just as she left more than a few men smitten before meeting his father. Those eyes cackled with motherly pride and love as they stared at him. "I-I'm sure. Did she…oh, was she able to contain herself until you two got home?"
Laughing and blushing, the food specialist nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well…kind of. Truth be told, she was actually kind of subdued, we were both really speechless when we found out. Kind of ridiculous in hindsight since it was…probably going to happen eventually." Both of his parents laughed while Hakuno blushed even brighter.
"Two kids…that's a good start." His mother giggled.
"Mom." Groaned the adventurer.
"Come on, I think all three of us know that you and Tamamo aren't going to stop at two."
"Dad!"
"When your kids are grown and about to become parents themselves, you'll understand." Hiroji cackled. His son hung his head in apparent defeat the wisdom imparted onto him. "Now then, Hakuno…we're proud of you, so damn proud of you."
"We're coming to visit you and Tamamo." His mother declared.
"Mom, dad, that means a-wait, what? You're coming to Kyoto!" The way his father looked to his mother told him that this was a complete out of the blue decision-one that he decided to go along with. Both Kishinami men were alike in that regard. "M-M-Mom, d-d-dad, you can't just fly to Kyoto out of the blue! I-I-It's-"
"It's not like there's a law against coming to see our son and daughter-in-law, whom I want to personal give advice to. Besides, Tamamo would love to see her in-laws, wouldn't she? And you'd love to see your flesh, right, Hakuno?" The black-haired woman cheerfully declared. Yes, declared as every word she'd spoken was a fact that Hakuno was powerless to argue against.
All he could do was stare in slack-jawed awe at his mother. His head hung in defeat causing his parents to burst into laughter. "Alright, I'll let Tamamo know so she can prepare some rooms for you two at the Senbonzakura Inn." Looking up, he saw both of his parents look at him with knowing smiles. "Well…I guess we could use your input on how to design the room."
Yet again, Hakuno could practically f eel his parents desire to throw their arms around him in a hug. Eventually, they'd be able to do that. Him and Tamamo, who'd be esthetic at her in-laws coming over for a day or two. It was better than having to wait until Christmas to see them in person.
His ears twitched as he heard a familiar heartbeat, and he felt a familiar and pleasant aura approaching the house. "Could you two stay on the line for a little while longer?" Their grins were an affirmative yes.
Almost seven minutes later and his wife returned home, no doubt a little exhausted from the long workday she'd had to endure. Being the romantic, Tamamo loved weddings, she rarely had the heart to turn down a request to have a wedding held at the inn. Unfortunately, the latest request had eaten up more of her time than she would have liked. Hakuno figured getting a break from that planning in the form of a talk with his in-laws would be a nice way to unwind from the work she'd put into the wedding over the last of days.
Mere seconds after she walked into the living room, he moved aside allowing her to see who was on the other end of the video chat.
"Hiroji-san, Nanako-chan!" Shouted the sun goddess, her fox ears and tail bursting and twitching in excitement.
Casually stepping aside, he allowed his wife to take a seat and begin chatting it up with her in-laws as she always did. As with him, he could sense a desire to reach through the screen and physically interact.
Hakuno quietly entertained the possibility of just literally running south to meet his parents then bringing them back to Kyoto, though for potential luggage he'd have to wait until night fell and the moon rose into the sky. Some would say that would have been the magus thing to do, but Hakuno didn't want to rob his parents of the thrill of traveling half-way across the country to visit him and Tamamo like normal parents.
They could save the light speed travel for Christmas in a few months anyway.
I'm sorry again for the long silence in updating this story. I've had a lot of things to work through before I could get back to this little family-focused tale. As it happens, I was finally able to update on Father's Day, and toward the end have it focus on Hakuno, now a soon-to-be father. The idea of him keeping journals is something that I came up with upon realizing he's basically been tempest-tossed from one situation to another, sometimes without any memory of who and what he is. Identity is a bit of a recurring theme for him as he's had to fight to define who he is. The chapter's title was actually in reference to him since for the first time in a long while, he's at a true point of stability, and even with this big change on the horizon, he's holding onto everything he's gained and cherishing it. Toward the end, I was even able to hint at the larger Kishinami Family, namely his parents, finally making an appearance. Next chapter will hopefully come faster and I promise it'll include Tamamo reuniting with her in-laws...and all the family-centered fluff you'd imagine. Oh, and some more info on how our foxy duo has arrived at this happy point in their lives.
Until then, stay safe and healthy, everyone!