Dance with my Mother

The sky starting to shift, dark clouds dissipated, the lightning subside, the sunlight cascade above in the dawn sky, the rain mid-drop, citizens emerged in the evacuation after the storm, alongside the mothers with their children safe on their arms, elder ones squint their eyes from the sunlight, they all stared at my massive form on the ground, exchanged glance and draw themselves cautiously on my subconscious state, the memory lingers, I could feel the warmth of my mother's arms on my massive snout.

My massive form lay still, something beneath my eyes and felt the warmth as the way cupped the water. Then, my form slowly illuminate, my mother's eyes widened, she see it, a light of transformation coming through my body, she pulled herself instinctively away, took a slow step backwards to give me some space for remolding. Her eyes didn't leave my form, she kept staring—not leaving.

Hiku appeared from nowhere, landed on Azusa causing the both bakeneko stumbled on the ground.

"Ow…"

"Hiku…" Azusa hissed, rubbing her head.

~~~

My form slowly shrinking, the illumination glows, no longer growing inside, reptilian arm retreat remolded back to human hand, except the right arm, it was the permanent part, I've already adapt it since I raised in the woods despite the dangers lurking in. The light faded at last, I curled myself into tight ball—now human, although I still have a T-Rex traits.

Citizens gasped in awe, they're no longer scared at my appearance, they already accepted me who I am. I stirred from my unconsciousness, cautiously sat down with groan, my attire covered in dust and twigs from my sudden transformation, vision still hazy, I adjust my vision… my eyes wide, blushed on embarrassment.

Citizens didn't fled, they just stared at my form im awe, instead of fear. A soft voice broke the silence.

"Kyou…?"

The city became silent, Hiku and her team observe in the distance, citizen stared at the exhausted woman, they exchanged glance and gave her a space to approach, stepped backwards away in respect.

I shift my attention to her, sharp pointy ears twitched, tilted my head in curiosity; she was a gentle-looking woman, not just any woman I've ever met, with exhausted eyes from the work, the sketchbook still holding against her chest trembled, breath hitched as she stared at me in disbelief.

"My baby…? I-Is that you?"

"STEP BACK FROM THIS FREAK, SHE'S DANGEROUS!"

A loud angrily voice interrupt them, anyone shift their gaze towards him, General Naoryuu or know as my father, breathing ragged almost he ran without using his vehicle, his chest rising and falling, eyes sunken and wide, but my mother ignored him, took a step forward despite her knees wobbled.

"My little girl…"

Her eyes red from tears, reached her hesitant hand forward, not touching but she offered. She whispered, voice cracked.

"I'm sorry… I didn't protect you from your father… I swear I didn't abandoned you even you were gone on my arms, but you're father abandoned you, I asked the guards from years, but they said…you were devoured alive by the T-Rex." she explained, sobbing, tears flowing continuously across her cheeks.

I stared at her with my pupils dilated, I expected she was pretending, but she wasn't lying—she's telling the truth—she was utterly broken, depressed and haunted.

"I search for years, I prayed you were safe, I dream of you growing up without me…"

My eyes wide in disbelief, throat tightened, lips and claw trembled. My mother whispered, her voice ragged with love and sorrow. She stepped closer with a tired smile that she held inside her heart for long years.

"My daughter… I miss you."

My clawed hand on my right side trembled, although still in cold hearted of wrath, my chest rising and falling weakly after my intense transformation. I ended up only vulnerable on her gaze despite I was born monster… but for her? She was just saw me as her child.

"What if… I hurt you?" I whispered, standing tall than her, but my mother shook her head, moved closer and placed her hand on my scale cheek.

"You never hurt me, my little one. You've suffered from years without me."

I took a step closer, General Naoryuu or my estranged father stiffened, his eyes wide in disbelief but I ignored him, my gaze focused on the only one— my own mother.

With deep exhale, I spread my arms wide and wrapped them around her shoulders, my clawed fingers curled on the fabric of her clothes without harming her.

She let a sharp gasp, not from fear. In relief, she wrapped her arms back, burying her face against my shoulder, sobbing harder.

"You're warm… but I'll never stop loving you."

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears flowing on my eyes, whimpering from the first time in years, I felt a piece of puzzle completed, I spoke softly with sob.

~~~

"I'm forgive you, mom… I'm not mad at you."

I open my eyes, hardened as they focused on the trembled man—my father. "Except him."

My mother froze, not pulling away, she just stay on my arms, flinching from the quiet and lethal of my voice.

"K-Kyou- I— forgive me please—"

"Forgive you!? Do you think you can FOOL me!? You abandoned me! I heard you say when I was just a weak infant—you want a son over a daughter like me."

"Kyou— I… that's not what I talked about—"

"You just threw me away from the woods, feeding my flesh to the T-Rex."

He winced under my glare, but my mother held me tighter, whispering on my sharp pointy ears.

"You don't have to forgive him, not yet or forever."

I stared at her, my glare softened as I looked at her. "For you, mom. I'm not going to kill him." I said to her, voice soft yet when my gaze darkened back to him.

"But I'm never calling him as my father."

My mother closed her eyes, pained but she understood what I'd say, citizens let a cheer applause, clapping their hands together rushed towards me in excitement, some children playing my tail, but I'm not biting them, just let them play whenever they want.

~~~

"Yo, Dino girl!" Hiku rushed to me, wrapped her arms around my neck, I shot her a mocking glare. "Dino Queen, not a girl!" I corrected her, Sylvia pretending to wipe her eyes from tears with a soft smile playing on her lips. Hiku responded, bakeneko ears flattened with her hands raised in mocking surrender.

"Okay, okay Dino Queen. Just don't bite me."

"Try me, kitty cat."

"Don't you dare to call me a kitty cat! I can still bite you know?!"

"With those sharp teeth?"

"Hey—! Stop teasing me!"

"Why not, kitty cat? I have mighty jaws, sharp teeth and you never get away from me—"

A loud thunderous roar erupted. I shift my attention towards the entrance, a massive footsteps trembled the earth causing citizens fled away, panicking.

My sharp pointy ears twitched at the familiar footsteps, I've realized my brother Rex arrived, his massive form, rushed towards my direction.

Hiku and her team fled, Rosetta very stubborn, rushed towards almost she wants to cuddle with my massive brother.

"THE T-REX'S HERE—!"

"Rosetta! Get back here—" Violet hissed, embarrassed, grabbed her girlfriend's wrist, stepped backwards away.

My brother stepped close, his tongue flicks out eagerly, he licked my cheeks with his massive tongue, tail swishing happily to see his older sister safe.

I let a squealed, rubbing his chin while he kept licking, the steel of his saddle rattling, purred. My cheek covered on his slubber, wiped the remnants with my wrist.

"Okay, okay, that's too much, huh?"

My brother purred, nuzzle his snout on my side.

My mother's eyes twitched in disbelief, she observe the bond between the T-Rex and his older sibling, asked nervously.

"Umm, Kyou? Who's that?"

"Mom, my brother."

"Oh… can I…? Can I touch him?"

"Of course, mom."

I approach her, gently wrapped my fingers on her wrist to guide her towards my enormous brother. My brother just let a soft chirp, and nudge his snout against her chest, purred.

My mother laughed, scratching his chin, my gaze softened as I saw my mother for the first time laughed, Hiku and her team stared at us with soft giggles.

The city was now silent and normal, I finally found a new family, even through the journey with pure trauma and haunted memories left behind, starting a new chapter in the future.

Unbeknownst to us, Grandma Sanyu watched from the darkness with a small smile play on her lips before she retreat back in the shadows, alongside with the female T-Rex.

The End?