The Mother Country

Away they went. This trip had been long a time in the making; years, maybe a decade. Why had they continued to push it off? This question ping-ponged around her mind. It was answered with a chorus of excuses; first it was marriage, then the twins, then little Kurumi. The Raikageship too. Other milestones emerged in between these moments, but they all led to the same place: not visiting that place. Speaking of it was veritable taboo; so Shi carefully tiptoed around it, focusing on family life and settling into Kumogakure. Three small children meant there was little time for much else; a useful distraction with such an elephant in the room.

But then her husband made the announcement; they were going to visit. While Shigemi thought about figuring out what changed his mind, she decided against it, assuming it would jeopardize the trip. Besides, she wanted to see who the woman was that had her father-in-law head over heels. As nice as it was listening to his copious stories, Shigemi wanted to meet in person. What would her mother-in-law think of her? And the children? Her calm slowly deteriorated as this questions came to mind. In an effort to recover that calm, she settled on her sleeping infant's face, staring at the child's cheeks, begging to be pinched.

Just more than a few years had gone by since that day of cataclysm. A day solely remembered by it's ability to take everything one thought they knew and flip it on its back. Or at it felt that way to Karai. For most of his life he went questioning the very cause of his existence. Seeing at a young age that there was something peculiar about his speck of brown in the vast sea of his white family. Less than satisfied with the answers he desperately sought, Karai's relationship status with his birth mother in simpler terms is one of distance, despite knowing her for a little over half a decade. But no matter the feelings toward his mother, Karai felt that it was essential that his children learned of their roots.

Traveling by cruise --which in part was a little too extravagant for his personal liking-- Karai found himself as calm as could be, unlike his spouse, whose mind wondered endlessly about the awaiting in-law. Cuddling up to her and the baby ever so lovingly, the man brought his soft almond coloured eyes to meet Shi's own. "Everything going to be fine. My mother was excited to hear I was coming so an extra five heads is going to be a field day for her." He reassured, lightly pecking her forehead. A loud snore pulled his attention just over a shoulder, relieving a soft laugh after noticing his doting father in a tangled mess of small children.

"We will arrive in just a few minutes, sir." The attendant spoke abruptly, respectfully bowing as she exited the cabin.

Shigemi nodded, snuggling closer while watching the rise and fall of Kurumi's chest. The loud snore of Seishi proved an additional relief; a smile broke before fading, as she thought of the one still missing. Last they heard, the woman had been seen in the far north of Lightning Country, before the path went cold.

The attendant's announcement refocused her; now wasn't the time for sad thoughts, not with new people to meet. Tomorrow, she'd worry about such things.

"By the gods if everything is not ready by the time my son makes it here the tree will be getting new roots tonight!" Her voice boomed as she stormed the halls of the palace. To say she was thrilled would be one harsh understatement. Other than a few touch in visits, Kirei's relationship with her son had not grown much since their initial meeting. It was sad yet she understood that it would take some time for them to actually bond, it was the only thing she could ever hope for. On even such a short notice, she wanted nothing less than the best to accommodate him and his guests. She prepped hours on end for the halls, pictures, rooms, entertainment and even the town had to be perfect. Everything have to be perfect. Her blue acrylics tapped the chair's armrests as her long mystic white hair cascaded down toward her lap. Her excitement rose and fell just as quickly as her second born entered the throne room.

"Mother, drink some water." The lass said sharply, handing her mother a glass of fresh spring water. "You are exerting yourself far too much. Karai may not know us much but it is a gentle soul, his father did well raising him. So he would notice all the effort and hopefully all the extra effort too." Her eye roll caught an unamused sigh from her mother's person.

"Kiyome, i just want him to like it here." She admitted almost in a whine. "All I want is for us to bond, I want to be his confident and backbone. And yes, that Seishi, he did good by our son."

"You want a Mama's boy but you and I both know it's way too late for that." Kiyome sneered, teasing her mother. "You can't overcompensate for lost time. Just make do with the time you have now, otherwise you'll end up hurting yourself."

"Oh hush!" The mother said with a bit of laughter, fanning her daughter away. "You dare preach to me. YOUR QUEEN."

"I'm going to go greet them now." Kiyome said rolling her eyes once more before turning away. "You stay here and try not to sweat out of that designer dress while having a panic attack. Good luck."

As they disembarked, Shigemi stopped to appreciate the abundance of nature around them. Unlike the stark cliffs, rock faces and mountains of Kumogakure, there was a multitude of fauna to be found, from gently rolling hills of green, to valleys of flowers. Trees too; it reminded her of home in that way. Though they didn't have the luxury of a waterfront.

Steeling herself, a still sleeping Kurumi in hand, she began to walk.

Meanwhile, a little ways behind her, Kokoro held her father's hand, before pointing at the landscape. Having rarely seen trees and foliage in Kumo, the sheer number filled her expression with wonder and delight. "Tree!" She felt an urge to climb it, but relented at her mother's knowing glance. A small pout followed before she brightened again, taking in the rising town.

"Whew." Seika yawned, stretched wildly cracking some stiff joints before sighing in relief. "I think that was a good trip, very nice view of the ocean."

Karai scoffed a tiny bit while giving his dad a side eye. "The only thing you saw was the back of your lids. I was amazed about the kids slept through your snoring. My ears are still ringing."

"You didn't seem to care while your munchkins were out of your hair, now did you?" The absence of a response sufficed as its own answer. Taking in the air fully, Seika couldn't help but smile while examing beautiful terrain, it truly never gets old visiting this place. Feeling as if he had forgotten something, the man looked about for his seemingly lost grandson. "Oh dear!" Seika exclaimed dramatic. "Where could the naughty Kanata have gone now?"

The mischievous child giggled hysterically, appearing from over the man's shoulder grabbing on his head. "I'm right here, Grandpa!" His laughter was cut short by the amazement of the gargantuan evergreen seen in the distance. "KOKO LOOK, BIGGER TREE!"

And in that distance, a figure soon came into clarity, appearing in the form of woman. Whose skin seemingly crafted of the finest milk chocolate. Her lips stretched upward as she approached the group, revealing a near perfect smile. "Well, look at what he have here!" The woman's voice because high pitched upon seeing the children up close, though she quickly went silence when noticing the youngest among them rest peacefully in her mother's arms. Kiyome hugged her brother tightly, lingering there for a few seconds before pulling away. "It's good to see you again, Elder Brother."

He reciprocated, genuinely finding joy in reuniting with his sister. "Same, Kiyome. You look amazing. The mature look really fits you."

"Mature? Nah, you got me beat, Mr Family Man." Turning toward Shigemi, Kiyome offered a similar experience to the man's wife adjusting just enough so that the baby slumber would go undisturbed. "Ahh, the wife. You are gorgeous. He's probably heard this from his other sister, but I definitely approve!"