HP Fanfic: Seasons of Seven, Chapter 1
Happy, Juanita? The young woman woke up to the sound of rain falling gently on the roof. It apparently rained most of the time in this country. She began getting dressed after washing up. The pleated skirt, sweater, and white, long-sleeved blouse lay on a nearby chair, waiting for her to put them on. She stared at them long and hard. Once she put them on, there would be no turning back. She would be committing the next three years of her life in England, and more importantly, to the abandonment of a duty she had upheld since she was born. Fingering the blouse, she let her mind drift. Three years ago, she had been on a similar trip here, but then, that had been a just-in-case scenario. No one imagined that three years later it would be carried out.
Least of all, her godmother.
Her godmother had fought when she was much younger against this contingency plan being made in the first place, invoking the rule of guardianship. She had been overruled by the Spirit of the Shrine. The young woman smiled. She remembered how at the threat of being blown away, her godmother had stood her ground. In the end though, her godmother had won a reprieve. Her goddaughter would not be sent away if they could find and contain the threat that had made the contingency plan so urgent in the first place.
Three years later, she undertook this journey against the wishes of her godmother. The need could no longer be denied, and her own powers were awakening much faster than anyone had expected. She began to dress, discarding her sleeping clothes for the ones on the chair. In the act of pulling the shirt on, she caught sight of an old marking on her right wrist. It glowed brightly, and she smiled. She quickly dressed, just having pulled on the robe over herself when someone knocked her door urgently.
"Come in," she turned towards the door.
A woman of medium height entered in a rush, looking for her. When she saw the girl she sought in the robe, she said nothing but hugged her tightly instead. The younger girl hugged her back, holding on to her. She inhaled her godmother's scent; fresh and crisp. This might be the last time she would be holding on to her godmother; she blinked the tears away before her godmother released her. There should have been no marks, but she saw it anyway.
"We can still beat this, little one. There's no reason for you to be here," her godmother knelt down to her knees to look her goddaughter in the eyes.
"No, okaa-san," she called her mother, "There is every need for me to be here. We need to protect the Gateways from being used, and what better protector than an Unregistered Lock?"
"Your records can still be found, dear one," her godmother was not being difficult, merely pointing things out.
"And I am unmarked. They cannot trace me, Okaa-san."
"That is a very slim thread to hang your duties on, daughter," it was a rare form of endearment.
"So says the woman who gambled the fate of the Makai Gateways on no one recognising her blood in front of the full Youkai Pantheon," she smiled.
"My powers had been unlocked then, dear one. Yours is still growing."
"Then there's no better place to refine them than in a school, is there, Okaa-san?"
"... There are other ways you know."
"Which would take too long. Okaa-san, trust my judgement. Please." She was pleading. Her godmother still had the power to overturn her decision.
"Is there any other reason than the one you've been telling me, dear one?"
"The temple has been too stifling." The look on her face was asking her godmother to defy that.
"Only that?" She took a long time to answer it. When she did, her voice was heavy.
"None that I can explain, Okaa-san."
Her godmother searched her face long and hard, looking for a mark she was sure was not there. That mark had been left sealed away. She would never again be tempted by it. Raising a hand, her godmother caressed her cheek. "Your seal here is much weaker than the place where it was sealed. This is Her land. She has marked you for Her own. Are you sure you can deny Her that which she seeks?" her godmother's voice was close to tears.
"I'll destroy Her if I have to. Medea and Medusa cannot be contained."
"Their bloods are tainted. They are Hunted."
"Not if I can change that."
"You are not of the Huntress Limits dear one. Not for a long time more."
"I've defied Karma once before, as you have, Okaa-san."
"Be wary of arrogance."
"Be vigilant against complacency. You taught me that," she smiled. Her godmother sighed.
"Are you sure this is what you really want?"
"Not really. But it's as good as any." Her godmother glared at her.
"You're not going to be as carefree with this as I think you're going to be," she warned.
"Like godmother, like goddaughter," she grinned mischievously.
Least of all, her godmother.
Her godmother had fought when she was much younger against this contingency plan being made in the first place, invoking the rule of guardianship. She had been overruled by the Spirit of the Shrine. The young woman smiled. She remembered how at the threat of being blown away, her godmother had stood her ground. In the end though, her godmother had won a reprieve. Her goddaughter would not be sent away if they could find and contain the threat that had made the contingency plan so urgent in the first place.
Three years later, she undertook this journey against the wishes of her godmother. The need could no longer be denied, and her own powers were awakening much faster than anyone had expected. She began to dress, discarding her sleeping clothes for the ones on the chair. In the act of pulling the shirt on, she caught sight of an old marking on her right wrist. It glowed brightly, and she smiled. She quickly dressed, just having pulled on the robe over herself when someone knocked her door urgently.
"Come in," she turned towards the door.
A woman of medium height entered in a rush, looking for her. When she saw the girl she sought in the robe, she said nothing but hugged her tightly instead. The younger girl hugged her back, holding on to her. She inhaled her godmother's scent; fresh and crisp. This might be the last time she would be holding on to her godmother; she blinked the tears away before her godmother released her. There should have been no marks, but she saw it anyway.
"We can still beat this, little one. There's no reason for you to be here," her godmother knelt down to her knees to look her goddaughter in the eyes.
"No, okaa-san," she called her mother, "There is every need for me to be here. We need to protect the Gateways from being used, and what better protector than an Unregistered Lock?"
"Your records can still be found, dear one," her godmother was not being difficult, merely pointing things out.
"And I am unmarked. They cannot trace me, Okaa-san."
"That is a very slim thread to hang your duties on, daughter," it was a rare form of endearment.
"So says the woman who gambled the fate of the Makai Gateways on no one recognising her blood in front of the full Youkai Pantheon," she smiled.
"My powers had been unlocked then, dear one. Yours is still growing."
"Then there's no better place to refine them than in a school, is there, Okaa-san?"
"... There are other ways you know."
"Which would take too long. Okaa-san, trust my judgement. Please." She was pleading. Her godmother still had the power to overturn her decision.
"Is there any other reason than the one you've been telling me, dear one?"
"The temple has been too stifling." The look on her face was asking her godmother to defy that.
"Only that?" She took a long time to answer it. When she did, her voice was heavy.
"None that I can explain, Okaa-san."
Her godmother searched her face long and hard, looking for a mark she was sure was not there. That mark had been left sealed away. She would never again be tempted by it. Raising a hand, her godmother caressed her cheek. "Your seal here is much weaker than the place where it was sealed. This is Her land. She has marked you for Her own. Are you sure you can deny Her that which she seeks?" her godmother's voice was close to tears.
"I'll destroy Her if I have to. Medea and Medusa cannot be contained."
"Their bloods are tainted. They are Hunted."
"Not if I can change that."
"You are not of the Huntress Limits dear one. Not for a long time more."
"I've defied Karma once before, as you have, Okaa-san."
"Be wary of arrogance."
"Be vigilant against complacency. You taught me that," she smiled. Her godmother sighed.
"Are you sure this is what you really want?"
"Not really. But it's as good as any." Her godmother glared at her.
"You're not going to be as carefree with this as I think you're going to be," she warned.
"Like godmother, like goddaughter," she grinned mischievously.