Amitie and the Mysterious Egg Chapter 2 - I’m the Mom!?

“A-Amitie...What took you so long...eh? What’s that you’re holding!?”
“Guguu!?”

I dragged myself out to the park and was greeted by the blue-caped wonder that is Arle. The mysterious yellow animal that’s always with her is Carbuncle. I muttered a ‘Hiya Arle, Carbuncle...’ with what little energy I have.

---

“You look completely exhausted! What the factor just happened!?”

The one that came rushing over is Ringo. Her loopy curls and bright red hair are her charm points.

“G’morning, Ringo...Ahahahaha...”

I was barely able to explain it, so I just laughed it off. The little guy looked up and made eye contact with me...

---

A mysterious light came out of the mysterious forest, and a mysterious animal came out of a mysterious egg. It’s round, white, covered in fluffy feathers, and has a bird’s tail feather. Its size is so small it rides in my palm, kinda like a doll. The mysterious animal came out of an egg, fiercely flapping its wings at me. It sure startled me good, making me shriek and fall on my rear. I hesitated, and it hopped onto my stomach. Is it attacking me!? ...or so I thought...

“Kyuu♪ Kyu...kyukyu~♪ “

H-huh? I started to calm down, and its fluffy face came closer. Is it...

“Are...are you playing with me?”
“Kyuu!!”

I don’t really get what it’s saying. It did chirp happily and nuzzle at my neck.

“You want to play a game with me huh~?”
“Kyu!”

“Hmm...Then, how about a game of Puyo? Um, Puyo Puyo is a game where you stack and pop to play~...”

“Kyukyu~?”
“Don’t know, huh. You did just hatch, though. Ahahahaha...ha...”

What am I saying? This is way too weird, and my head is spinning! Uh... Th-That’s right! I got lost! I don’t have time for this, right!?

“Uhm, hey you. This is kinda bad, but I’m kinda sorta busy and all...”
“Kyu~?”
“So, I gotta get going.”
“Kyu!?”
“Take care, then!”

I said good-bye, put the little guy on the ground, and got up on my feet. Alright, time to get moving!

“Kyukyuuu!”
“Uwaaah!?”

I turned my back on the mysterious animal and it a~ttacked me from behind! One good ram too~! I lost my balance and fell flat on my face.

“Kyukyukyuu! Kyukyukyuu!”
“Y-You still want to play~!?”
“Kyuuuu!”
“But I can’t~!”
“Kyuu! Kyuukyuu!”

Get real, it’s being difficult and stubborn with me! I pulled the animal off me and put it on the ground again. I faced it and pointed my finger at it.

“Don’tcha see!? I can’t play with you! OKAY, SO. LONG. GOOD. BYE!”

I turned around, and I tried to leave as soon as possible.

“Kyuu~...Kyuu~!!”

It cried out from behind me, and shrank as I kept going. Shame I can’t play with it. I can’t look back though.

“Kyuu~...Kyuu... Kyuu~!!”

Eeh~...though, I slowly stopped?

“Kyuu~...Kyuu~~~!”

......

“Get really real! I give up!”

I couldn’t stand it anymore and turned back. The fluffy white animal walked on its itty-bitty legs, clumsily tottering left and right as it got closer. Then I got an idea as I watched it.

“No other way, huh... Would you like to come with me? Though we’ll play later. I have to find my way back.”
“Kyukyuu!”

I rush on over and the white animal happily hopped along.

“Alright...Ready to go?”
“Kyu!”
“Oh, you’re kinda slow on your feet, and even if you have wings, you can’t fly yet. Hmm, then, how about I carry you?”
“Kyuu! Kyuu!”

I picked the little guy up in my hands, and it narrowed its eyes as I cradled it.

“Whew...You’re a nice one aren’t ya~...”
“Kyu kyu~♪”
“If you keep on worrying, you won’t be happy you know~!”

I continued to talk with the little guy as I headed out from the forest.

---

“...So, at the end of it...I brought along this little guy, hung around the forest, and then finally got out.”

I pretty much summed up my story to Arle and Ringo, and waited for their response. I looked at the white animal in my hands and said “You must be tired~! Right, Tama!” to it. It then answered with an energetic “Kyuu!”. Gee, even though the little guy’s in my palms, it sure isn’t very tired...

“T-Tama?”

Arle tilted her head.

“It was nameless. How annoying huh? I named it Tama because it came from a tamago- uh, egg!”

I said that aloud with a wink. I think it's a really cute name! 

“With that naming convention, anything from an egg--chickens, ostriches, snakes, even frogs-- could be named ‘Tama’.”

Ringo’s being super analytical as ever.

“Hmm, then what about...’Tamatie’?”

I suggested the second candidate, but then Arle panicked and interrupted with “I think Tama’s good!”. Aww, I thought the other name was cute.

“With that aside...”

Ringo cleared her throat.

“I’ve never seen this animal before, but judging by the plumage, it’s some species of bird isn’t it? As it’s being cradled by you it’s, as they say, ‘Imprinting’ on you.”

“Uh, what's...Ihm-prihn-teeng?“

As soon as I asked, Ringo lifted her finger and began her explanation.

“Primarily, avians have short-term learned observance when they see things. Known by its shorter, more common moniker of Imprinting, even with such minute perspicacity, by then the observation will induce a long-term influence...”
“Stop STOOOP!”
“Guguuuu!”

All of these confusing words one after another are driving me crazy, then Arle and Carbuncle stopped Ringo. Bleeeh...I’m terrible with difficult words....

“Uh, Ringo, we kinda lost you. Could you give a simpler explanation?”
“Is that so...when it hatches, it thinks the first thing it sees is the parent.”
“So then...Tama thinks Amitie is its mom!?”
“Perhaps...”

Both Arle and Ringo looked at Tama and me at the same time. Wait, wait, I’m Tama’s mom?

“Is that right, Tama!?”

In my arms, the cheery Tama just listened, not even answering with “Kyu?”. Ah, but, Tama is like a cute doll, and it believes I’m the mom... This is isn’t that bad~. When they saw my face, Arle and Ringo just looked at each other.

“Amitie, are you smiling?”
“You’re not bothered by this!?”
“Gugu~.”

Tama gazed with its bead-like eyes. E~eh, can’t be helped. While I’m reliable, I say I’m usually not that helpful... I’m curious about what Arle has to say, but kinda nervous.

“...though, do you know where its real mother is?”
“That’s right...We should return it to the mother.”
“O-Of course!”

I shouted in a hurry. Its real mom is somewhere, but it thinks it’s me. Though...

“When I searched around me, there’s nothing to be found in the scene! Surely someone must’ve forgotten the egg, right!?”

I tightly hugged Tama as I blabbered on, and the two of them thought about it and nodded.

“In that case, there’s no way around Amitie’s predicament.”
“Even still, Amitie, Now I’m really feeling your sentiment!”
“E-Ehehehe...”

What a start for something very, very weird. The more I look at it, the cuter it appears and I keep cuddling it. I don’t want to say goodbye so soon. Anyway, if I run into Tama’s real mom, will I have to return it!? Until then...

“I’ll treat you well, Tama!”

A huge smile grew on my face. Then Tama...

“Kyuuu~...Gyu...”

Before I knew it, Tama goes limp in my arms.

“““EEEEEEH!? TAMAAAA!!”””
“Guguuuu!?”

We all shouted so suddenly, gathering with surprise around Tama.