I started sprinting toward the cabin at full speed. The smell became stronger and stronger and my fear only grew. After only a few minutes, I started blinking to get there faster.

  When I finally reached the farm cabin, it had been two days. I was starving… I had not eaten or rested. My eyes were bloodshot. But I had finally arrived. I hopped down from a tree and walked into the farm clearing.

  My blood turned to ice and tears welled in my eyes. I fell to my knees at what I saw. No... no. That's all I could say, that's all I could think.

  In front of me lay the ruins of my childhood home. Decay and rot filled the air, the pigs, the chickens, all undead wandering the farm. My Sensei, a mindless husk standing in the torn-apart cabin. His skin gray and lifeless, his eye sockets empty and devoid of life.

  My body moved before my mind did. None of the undead animals put up any resistance and were dead before they had time to take another step. I stood at the foot of the destroyed cabin looking up at the man I had once called my Sensei, his lifeless eyes stared back at me.

  I walked up to him, and with a swift motion, I freed him from his undeath. His head rolled on the floor and his body collapsed unmoving, finally at peace.

  I fell to my knees, my tail wrapping around me as my ears flattened on my head. I felt my world shattering and all I could do was sit there with a cold, distant look. Fear was gone, hunger was gone… only one emotion remained: emptiness.

  I don't know how long I sat there. Minutes? Hours? Days? It didn't really matter. I didn't really care anymore. I pulled Serenity, its calming waves not enough to comfort me anymore. I raised it and pointed at my chest as tears began to streak down my face. I closed my eyes.

  "What do you think you're doing?" Tama turned around to see Sensei smiling down at her. "I..." She caught herself as her voice sounded... young. "You know better than to go and give up like that! I taught you better!"

  Her sensei said, looking down at her in the same way he always had. A kind of stern smile on his face. "But I... you don't understand!" I said, trying to get the words out. But he simply shook his head.

  "I understand perfectly. You planned to give up because you are upset and feel like a failure, do you not?" His raised eyebrow caused me to wince.

  "I... yes... but you are..." He raised a hand before I could finish. "No, Tama! I am not important in this. The only person that matters is you. One day, I may not be around anymore. You need to keep moving forward. That is the path of a true ninja! Do not expect me to be there to always clean up your messes!"

  I began to sob. "You made it sound so easy!" I said as my voice cracked. "But it's so hard, and I can't do it!"

  "You can. You are an ocean in a drought. The endless optimism, the one and only Future Ninja who will save this land," he said simply as he looked at her.

  "BUT I'M NOT YOU, SENSEI!" I screamed at him using all I had left. He simply smiled at me and said, "I know, and that's what makes you better."

  I stared at my Sensei for a long moment, speechless. The memory, for that's all it was, a memory, caused me to pause. I slowly lowered Serenity and looked at it. For Sensei, I would continue. For Sensei, I would stop whoever did this and above all, I would complete my quest.

  It took me four days to get back to the town. I had to stop multiple times to rest and eat.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I paused at the edge of the forest, looking at the town in the distance as I considered what to tell Saki. After all, I said I would be hunting and then just vanished for just over a week. She was probably very worried or confused.

  To my surprise, Saki and Tera were standing outside the gate, talking to each other animatedly. I strained my ears and heard their conversation. "So, you think she will be back today?" Tera asked. "Definitely. I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel her. Maybe it's being her royal advisor or something, but the closer she gets to me, the stronger the feeling."

  I winced at the memory of making Saki my royal advisor. I had been panicking and had done the only thing I could think of. I had made the smartest person my advisor. It was a childish thing, I knew this. But... I just couldn't do it. I needed Saki, and that need made me feel uncomfortable.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, counting to ten before I allowed myself to fall forward. My tail caught the branch and I swung in an arc around the branch before using my momentum and the edge of the branch as an extra push to launch myself towards them.

  I sped towards them, feeling the wind in my hair and face. A moment of peace as the world blurred around me. Then I opened my eyes and blinked, appearing right next to Saki with a wide smile. I said, "Nya! Tama is back from hunting! It was crazy out there! Lots of crazy wolves and such! But now Tama is ready for goblins and purple parties!"

  Saki jolted and spun, not having noticed me appear, and Tera simply smiled sadly at me. Inwardly, I once again winced at my actions.

  My rage had overcome me and I hadn't been thinking clearly when I had verbally attacked Tera. I had almost killed her. The thought made me feel horrible.

  My smile grew slightly wider and I danced on the balls of my feet. "Are we going, or does Tama need to go hunting again? She is so bored!"

  "No! We are going very soon!" Saki said quickly, her tail wagging back and forth quickly as she waved her hands in a stop motion.

  "Yes, empr... I mean Tama. We will be leaving shortly," Tera said in a calm and respectful tone. A smile on her face said she was happy; the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn't.

  I felt my tail curl around my leg and my ears slightly droop at Tera's clear sadness at not being able to call me empress. I really hated that title though, no matter how much she loved it.

  On one hand, she should be allowed to call me whatever she liked, but that word… it represented something I was not. I was a swordsman, I was a ninja, I was a Nekojin, I was Tama.

  I was NOT an empress or royalty. No matter what my bloodline apparently seemed to be. I smiled at Tera and nodded enthusiastically. "Tama can't wait to kick goblin butt!"

  I ran around her excitedly as I imagined all the goblins I would take out, keeping my mind from Tera's sad eyes.

  "Say, Tama, can... can we talk?" Tera's words sounded uncertain and she seemed to not be making eye contact.

  I considered for only a moment before responding. "Of course, Tama is always willing to listen to a friend!"

  I saw her smile become genuine and she nodded. "Thank you, Tama. I just want you to know, I am sorry for everything. I... I became so obsessive. At first I just liked you, but when I learned... er... what I learned about you, I might have become too much. I want you to know that it was not my intention to scare or upset you." She sounded uncomfortable as she spoke, but she seemed determined to finish.

  I had not expected this, but I already knew what she was implying. I stepped forward and looked her in the eyes. "Tama forgives you. Tama was angry earlier and didn't mean to say those horrible things. Tama loves you as a friend and is sorry too!" My tail wagged back and forth quickly and my ears perked up, doing my best to show my sincerity.

  I felt a wave of comfort from Serenity and embraced it. After all, this all felt awkward and my baby had helped me so much recently.

  Though I smiled, and Tera smiled back, I could clearly see she was still upset. I considered for a moment what to do, when an idea hit me. With a look of innocence on my face, I grabbed her breast again.

  Tera froze in shock and opened her mouth, but I shook my head and let go before whispering quietly to her, "Tama thinks it unfair yours are bigger." I held back my giggle as I watched Tera try and fail to react normally to the sudden act.

  I had a feeling that would make her stop pouting, and it had worked. My tail twitched and my ears wiggled in amusement.

  "Tama... I..." Tera suddenly stepped forward and pushed her lips against mine. My mind went blank and I vanished, appearing over thirty feet away, covering my mouth. What had she just done to me?!