Chapter Text
It took Māo a month to recover from his ordeal. No one was quite sure what had happened, but they were all witness to the darkness fading from the land as the cat god was confined to the bed. Some wondered if the journey had been too much for the young god. Others wondered if the darkness had affected the smallest of them all in ways they couldn’t yet surmise.
In that month, it became clear that the god of fertility had been seeded, his body beginning to show signs of pregnancy. It made a few of the other gods uneasy, while his closest family doted on him constantly.
Though only two of the twelve knew exactly who was the father, and though Lǎohǔ wanted to tell everyone what had happened… he knew it wasn’t his right to say.
“Mm…” Māo stretched out in the bed, his skin still pale from his illness, but he felt as fresh as spring rain on a blooming valley. He smiled to himself, reaching down to rub at his stomach, a soft purr building in his chest. He’d been apprehensive about it all at first, but there was no denying how right it felt, knowing there was a little seed growing inside of him. He felt whole , for the first time in a long time.
Like it was meant to be…
“Māo…” Shé spoke up from the entryway, his expression somber. The cat god’s ears pinned back for a moment before he swallowed hard, slowly sitting up. “Tùzǐ has called a summit…”
Letting out a quiet breath, the feline said nothing as he got up from the bed, knowing it was finally time to determine his fate before the other gods.
-0-
They stood in the temple hall, each taking their place as Māo kneeled before them in the center. His ears were pinned back, tail curled around his waist protectively, but he stared the rabbit god in the eyes, trying to act confident. “Māo…” Tùzǐ cleared his throat for a moment, sighing, “since you have recovered from the effects of your ordeal… it is time to bring to order your fate. Three centuries ago… we banished you from the mountain because of your nature. Despite this… you journeyed on your own to save us from the darkness that consumed us.”
Māo flicked his tongue out to wet his lips, perking up slightly as hope built inside his chest, heart fluttering nervously.
“For this , you have our sincere gratitude… and I might have forgiven your actions to attain peace. However… conceiving a child with another god… is something I cannot forgive.” The rabbit god narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as the feline immediately guarded his stomach. “Whose is it, Māo?”
The room fell deathly silent as each god looked around at the others, obviously curious. Some knew with confidence it wasn’t them, while others weren’t so sure. The cat god whimpered quietly, biting his lower lip as he ignored the crimson stare locked onto his form. His gaze fell to the floor, before he closed his eyes.
“Whose is it?” Tùzǐ repeated the question, his voice booming in the silence of the hall.
“I don’t-” he started, voice broken, before another interrupted him.
“It’s mine,” Láng’s voice cut over Māo’s own, as shocked murmurs swept through the other gods. He stepped towards the feline, standing tall and proud, unwavering as he spoke, “The seed is mine.”
“L-Láng…” the cat god breathed out the name, eyes wide as he stared at the wolf.
“I see…” Tùzǐ sighed, shaking his head. “I cannot banish the sun, but you know the rules, Láng,” the rabbit rumbled lowly.
“W-wait a second!” Lǎohǔ protested, eyes wide, before falling silent when the rabbit raised his hand to silence him. Shé and Shǔ each growled, but stayed silent as they watched the moon god take a step forward.
“The Great Tome is the very essence of our lives here on this land. It’s rules protect us. Guide us-”
“The Great Tome is a farce ,” the wolf suddenly snarled, whirling on the rabbit, fangs bared and eyes blazing. “You hide behind it like a shield because you’re scared , Tùzǐ. We have all been cowards because of that damned book! I never should have let you banish him in the first place!”
The others began to whisper among themselves, some disbelieving, others in agreeance to the wolf’s words. The rabbit bristled slightly, his ears pinned back at the words. “How dare you-!”
The doors to the temple hall pushed open with heavy creaks, silencing the gods as they turned their attention to the doors. Shock and confusion swept through each of them when they saw an old woman limp inside, holding tight to her wooden staff.
“The witch…?” Māo’s eyes widened when he recognized her immediately.
“Who dares to interrupt us?” Láng growled, already on edge from the topic of conversation. The others were just as uneasy, still trying to get over the dark ordeal, as they watched the stranger warily.
“Mm… my, my… it seems I’ve arrived just in time, haven’t I?” she chuckled, voice rough. “Else I might’ve had to watch my Champion be cast out again.”
“Your… Champion…?” The cat god was stunned, the words flashing in his mind as he remembered someone speaking to him in his dreams.
“What are you-?” Tùzǐ started, before suddenly the old woman transformed with a flash of bright white light.
Tall and beautiful, she smiled at them all, her long blonde hair laced with flowers as her golden gown flowed behind her. “Rest easy, my children… I mean you no harm,” she spoke quietly, her voice soothing and calm. “It is fated that I would come to stand before you all today. You live in fear of the unknowing… guided by a God long since perished, a man who did not know how you would come to grow as a family.”
“Who… are you…?” Niú asked quietly, eyes wide as they all stared at her.
“You may call me Eden,” she smiled at him, eyes glittering with mirth and delight. “You may cast out the young Māo, if you still wish… but know that the darkness had been born from your own turmoil. You each lived for too long without a part of your hearts that was most important. There is no guarantee the darkness will not stay gone… if you give in to your fear once more.”
Tùzǐ’s ears pinned back at the words, gaze falling to the cat god before them and he frowned, realizing she was right.
“I will admit I nudged things in a certain direction,” Eden chuckled quietly, shaking her head. “I allowed the Champion a potion to stave his fertility… but with a twist. I knew what would happen, and I let it,” she added, letting her gaze drift to the wolf god. “It has perhaps been a long time coming, hm?”
Láng swallowed hard, before looking down at the cat god, stepping forward and kneeling beside him. Without hesitation, he pulled the poor confused feline into a soft, gentle kiss, “Yes… it has…” he murmured quietly, smiling as Māo melted against him, purring softly. “Whatever happens, Māo… I will not abandon you again.”
“Nor will I,” Lǎohǔ growled quietly, stepping forward. “Māo was the life of this mountain… he did everything to help us thrive in our own way. He went out of his way to make my nightmares disappear…”
“He made us smile and laugh,” Shé purred softly, taking his own step forward, as Shǔ and Gōng Zhū both did the same.
“This mountain… was not the same when he was banished,” the boar god deflated, shame befalling his form. “And we are to blame for this…”
“For everything…” Niú added in a quiet whisper.
“Will you forgive us…?” Lǎohǔ turned to look down at the feline, who stared up at them with wide eyes, tears threatening to fall.
“I… th-there’s nothing to forgive…” he said quietly, ears pinned back as his heart thundered in his chest.
“Three centuries of loneliness… anger and sadness… is plenty reason to ask for forgiveness,” Tùzǐ rumbled quietly, falling to his knees. “Láng is right… I hid behind the Great Tome… that book … for too long, living in fear of what might happen. We… I… was a coward. And I cannot change the past, but I hope that you will work with us… for a brighter future for us all.” One by one each god fell to their knees, kneeling before the cat god, as Māo watched them with wide eyes.
After a moment, he swallowed hard, the tears finally falling, “You’re my family…” he purred softly, expression softened. “That never changed. Will never change…”