Tama
Since Saki was too busy rolling on the floor laughing. I looked around the room and saw Serenity laying across the big red chair. I had noticed it earlier but got distracted. Blinking over I picked her and put her back on.
Saki had finally gotten up and was wiping her eyes as she asked the dreaded question. “Tama, why are you in your underwear? And where is your bra!?” By the time she finished the second half of that sentence she had stopped laughing and was actually staring at me.
I shrugged. “Saki said Tama had to wear underwear! Tama is wearing underwear!” Saki just sighed and shook her head.
“Tama.. a bra is a part of underwear. The panties only cover the bottom half!” She snapped. Her cheeks were red and her tail was lashing. “We need to get you back to your room. I will have the maids bring you something to wear.” She turned to leave the room.
“Nya! Tama doesn’t wanna wear the horrible dress! Tama doesn’t need a bra! Hers aren’t as big as Saki’s! They don’t slow her down!” I blinked over to Saki even as an illusion of a bra and gi covered my body.
She grabbed my hand and began pulling me back towards the room with two stairs. She proceeded to, without any mercy, drag me through the three hallways of eternity and suffering! When we reached the big cold room with the big bed again. She walked over to the really big wardrobe and pulled it open.
Anna was sitting on the bed sobbing and gently petting her core as it slowly healed. Sensei said it took a very long time for elemental cores to heal when they had been damaged. Something like one hundred years or something.
I could fix it if I wanted to. But Anna needed to learn it was not okay to take over others bodies. I had let it mostly slide with random children. But my body was not acceptable! What if she hurt someone?!
Saki pulled out a bra and walked over to me. I looked at it and at her pleadingly. She ignored me and held it out. “Put it on Tama while I get you a dress.”
I sighed as I took the bra and put it on. It was itchy and uncomfortable. But.. But Saki knew best. She went back to the wardrobe and began digging through it. “Um.. Tama.. I.. I’m sorry.. For everything.” Anna said quietly to me.
I ignored her and waited for Saki to finish. “Please heal my core Tama, only your healing can. You know this!” I continued to ignore her as Saki returned with the dress. “Damnit Tama, I said I was sorry! Please! I will probably die soon if you don’t. I am leaking essence!”
“No one cares!” Saki finally turned and snapped at Anna. Causing her to flinch. “You did something you knew Tama hated. You did it in public in front of everyone. Thousands saw you! The fact you are even alive is a mercy I would not have given!”
Anna, with tears in her eyes, snapped back. “She was unconscious in an arena of people terrified of her! What did you want me to do!” She held her core closer as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I know I am not the most moral person. I know I can be cruel. But I have never once tried to truly hurt anyone! Now I am going to die for saving my owner in a moment of weakness!”
“That didn’t give you the right to possess her and you damn well know it! You could have easily protected her until she woke up. You she would be fine and you wanted to pretend to be a princess! Well you got your wish Anna. It only costs you your life!” Saki snapped back twice as loud. I winced.
Anna curled closer to her core and just sobbed quietly. Saki handed me a shirt and a skirt. “It’s going to have to be good enough for now, I am sorry Tama. We will get you a new gi as soon as possible.” I sighed as I took the clothes and put them on.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“You know.. If you heal me I can become your gi again..” Anna said quietly. “I promise I have learned my lesson. Never again! Pure clothing… if I die you will always have this problem for the rest of your life..”
“We can get you another water spirit. You can even summon one yourself Tama. She is trying to manipulate you. Quite a messed up thing to do for someone who needs healing.” Saki said dryly as she raised an eyebrow at Anna.
Anna glared at her. What do you expect me to do? Sit here and cry quietly as I bleed out? I am sorry Royal Advisor Saki, oh, I'm sorry, I mean Queen Saki, who tells us lesser mortals how to act!”
Silence filled the large room and after a moment I sighed. Walking over I grabbed Anna core from her. She cried out in a panic and tried to grab it back. My water washed over the core and it began to close. The cracks reformed until it was whole again. I tossed the core back at her. “Remember Anna, never again.”
With that, I turned and left the room to find a new gi. Anna tried to form around me, but I grabbed her core and tossed her back on the bed. “Do not touch Tama!” I snapped at her. “Anna is not forgiven! But Tama does not kill her friends if she can help it!”
I stepped into the hallway and blinked down the three hallways to the foyer.. That room with two sets of stairs. I took a left and went through the main castle doors. I walked up to the closed gate and looked at the guard expectantly.
He seemed surprised, but quickly rushed to open the gate. Everyone was so slow, I felt myself aging as I waited for him and the other guard to open the gate fully. The moment it was open I blinked out and made my way to one of the rooftops.
I looked around and after making sure I was alone. I took my clothes off and curled into a ball. Quietly, so no one could hear me. I cried.
“Now then, why are you crying now little one?” I turned to see Sensei standing over me. “Training is hard, life is hard. But it goes on. To be a protector, you must face what hurts and push through!”
“But Tama can’t Sensei!” The young version of me cried out as she sat on her knees sobbing. “Tama.. Tama has failed..”
Sensei leaned in and gently picked me up. I wiped my tears as I watched him comfort my young self. “Now little one, one day you will see that failure is just another form of growth.”
“Tama see’s it now Sensei.” I said quietly to his memory as he slowly faded. “Tama has grown… Tama will be better.”
I wiped away my tears as I stood. I slowly walked to the edge of the building and looked down over the street. These people… they all needed me. But not as a Ninja. They needed me as a Queen.
I didn’t know how to handle that… But I would. I narrowed my eyes and wrapped my trail around myself. Yes, I would. But if I was going to do this…
I turned and looked at the itchy clothes on the ground behind me. I was going to do it my way.
Closing my eyes, I tried to do something a bit odd. Saki had her illusions. They made images over her body. It made me wonder. Could.. Could I do something like that with my water?
Closing my eyes, I focused and held out my hands palms up. Water poured from my hand and began to form and then harden.
After a moment, the water suddenly exploded and sprayed everywhere. I flinched, but started again. This time, instead of forming in my hands, I had the water become visible, blocking my body from view.
Slowly, I formed a dress of water over my body. It felt smooth and soft on my skin. My water. I shifted the water's color to purple and smiled as it rippled and changed to match my desire.
After a moment, I left a single connection to it, and let go. It stayed and I smiled. I now had a Princess dress, just like Saki wanted and the best part? I had done it my way.
“Excuse me miss, this is a restricted zone. Please exit immediately” I turned to see a.. Woman? Made of dirt but colored to look like skin.
“Nya! You are a golem!” I said excitedly. “Sensei used to tell me about how cool you guys are!” In response the golem stepped forward and repeated her sentence.
“Excuse me miss, this is a restricted zone. Please exit immediately” I paused and leaned in.
“Why?” In response, she stepped forward again and formed a weapon that looked like a big stick.
I smiled and pulled out Serenity “Nya! Tama wants to play!”
The golem dashed forward and swung the big stick. I stepped to the side and swung Serenity down at its chest. That is usually where a golem’s core was.
The golem suddenly turned to dust and my sword went through the dust. It then reformed and swung at me with the big stick. I grabbed the stick and pushed water into it. It turned to dust, or tried to, but instead it turned to mud and fell to the ground uselessly as I swung Serenity again.
The golem turned to dust to flee and I giggled as I activated my water veil and jumped into the dirt. Instantly the dust began to turn to mud. I grabbed the core as it tried to flee. I barely squeezed and it cracked then shattered.
The remaining dust became inert and fell to the ground. “Nya! That was fun!” I said happily as I turned around. There were a bunch more golems now, they all had different weapons all made of dirt.
My smile widened. “Tama is going to have so much fun!”
