The Potted Weed

Okamitsune strolled through the front door with a wide grin. "Yo, mom! Dad! I'm back! Didja miss me?"

"Welcome home, Sunny," Fenris' deep voice greeted her, "how was school?"

"Meh." She shrugged her backpack off and let it slam on the floor while kicking her sandals off her oversized paws. "I'm telling you, dad, this world is totally lame. I've only been here one day and I'm already missing the old one."

"Well, give it a little time."

Okamitsune wandered into the living room, staring at the night-black wolf sitting on the couch. He was smiling warmly down at a small potted plant sitting on the coffee table. "You okay, dad? You look kinda out of it."

He glanced up, still smiling. "I'm doing wonderful. Look at this!" He gestured towards the plant. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Uh..." Sunny stepped closer and kneeled down. The plant was healthy, but not exceptionally pretty. It definitely wasn't a flower, and in fact looked more like some kind of weed. "It's... Er... Green?"

Fenris snorted in amusement. "It's alive."

"It's a weed."

He reached out and stroked the leaves, his smile broadening as he made contact with the papery fronds. "But it's alive."

Sunny was getting a little worried, now. "Er, yeah. Were you expecting it wouldn't be?"

He let go of the plant and patted the opening next to him on the couch, scooting a little to the side so his large and curvaceous daughter would have room to sit. "Have time to listen to an old deity's ramblings?"

She carefully slid herself in and fidgeted until she was comfortable. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

He leaned back and rested his arms on the head of the couch. "Power."

Sunny blinked. "Power? Since when have you cared about power?"

Glancing over, ...

... middle of paper ...

...on. "Wha?"

"Sure, maybe the gift tends to get a little out of hand, and maybe the gift isn't always as considerate as it should be, and maybe the gift even keeps breaking things..." Inari leaned in and kissed her daughter on the muzzle. "... But thanks to that gift, he'll always know that, regardless of dominion or magic or anything at all, he can create something just as beautiful as anyone in any universe ever crafted."

"Wait a second," Okamitsune stammered, "are you talking about m-"

Fenris' voice growled from the kitchen, a note of urgency easily discernible. "Dear, is the oven supposed to be smoking?"

Inari sighed, but smiled. "I can never leave that God alone in the kitchen. Coming, dear!" She gave Sunny another quick peck on the cheek, then rushed off.

Okamitsune spent a while staring at the little potted weed on the sill, lost deep in thought.