And here we are, a New Year's chapter. Coincidentally for us, the Japanese New Year celebrations end on the fourth of January, so I think I'm quite on time. XD
I was sent two prompts, by Of Stories Told and ChizomenoHime. Both were quite interesting, so I thought of somehow combining the both of them. However, while I was writing this, I realised I wasn't sure where I was going and the story just developed on its own, so I apologise to these two readers if it didn't turn out the way you expected it to.
This was quite fun to write, a bit of a challenge, but I enjoyed it nonetheless And if you guys enjoy it too, I wouldn't mind receiving more prompts in the future, so that you could have something to read while waiting in between chapters.
(Also, I don't really know how this became so long, as I had intended to write something about half this length, approximately 3000 words. Oh well, I hope it's alright.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything not found in Harry Potter Wiki, Pottermore or in the books or movies are likely to be made up by me and do remember this is a fanfiction i.e. I'm borrowing the Potterverse and messing around in it so there may be intentional factual errors.
The Prompt by Of Stories Told: Hadria and Gelly go to Japan near New Year's because of a magical peach medicine Gellert has heard about. Apparently it's made by the gods and can cure almost any ailment, and so not knowing what the future may bring, he sets out on New Year's to try and obtain some of this medicine, while deciding to leave Hadria home alone.
This of course backfires on him horrifically. Can include moon rabbits, kotatsu, and mochi, along with a shrine visit with a lucky fortune in the end while Hadria and her pets wait for Gelly to return.
The Prompt by ChizomenoHime: That one time Hadria tried out a suspicious food recipe in one of her books or when things went Frankenstein mode with angry and scared villagers waving pitchforks and torches and Gellert had to dish out Obliviates extensively
(Once again, I apologise if it wasn't to your expectations ^^")
Natsukashii / 懐かしい
The sky was a deep sea blue and blanketed with silvery stars like a vast upside-down ocean glittering under the moonlight. Dusk had fallen but Gellert had yet to return to the guesthouse they were staying at. He had left in the morning, before the sun had risen, to ascend Mt Hōrai, in search of a legendary peach medicine that could cure almost any ailment. He'd taken Nacht with him, as the mountain could only be accessed via magical flying mounts, and a Thestral was as good as any.
Finding Mt Hōrai was difficult enough—it was only visible to those attuned to magic, once every four years, never in the same location it had been (there were a few times when it visited China instead)—but it was also an island by itself, the same colour as the clouds it floats amongst. Hadria was only assured of his safe return by Scáth. The Grim wasn't prophetic, but he did know that Gellert's soul wasn't about to leave his body anytime soon.
The blonde wizard hadn't told Hadria when he'd be back, but she expected him to be home by nightfall. It wasn't as if they needed that peach medicine urgently, though it would be useful to have when they do. But it was a mythical item, even in the Wizarding world, much like the Deathly Hallows, and there was no guarantee of finding it. And it seemed unlikely that such a rare and precious item could be obtained freely without some sort of test or trial. No doubt the medicine would have a keeper or guard, and despite the fact that Gellert was a very powerful wizard, he was just that: a wizard. A wizard granted with a second chance at life, perhaps, but a wizard nonetheless. Scáth said he'd return alive, but that didn't mean he'd return unharmed. There were so many possibilities—he could be badly Cursed, or wounded, or imprisoned for a hundred years in another dimension…
Hadria could only hope he'd return while the guesthouse still existed. The roof of the kitchen was already gone. The kitchen itself was slightly burnt but intact, as she had managed to repair everything with a few overpowered Mending charms, but one could not repair something that wasn't there, and so the roof remained… gone.
It wasn't her fault. Not entirely. But Gellert had been gone for a long time and she had nothing to do. Hadria swore the recipe in the book had instructions for an exotic New Year's dish. (Not that there was any evidence left to prove her claims, since the book itself had been incinerated). How as she supposed to know that Noh would retrieve the wrong ingredients for her? (He'd never failed before, but she supposed there were only so many languages a carnivorous shadow-creature could learn before mixing them up in the worst way possible). At least she now knew a creative but expensive way to make fireworks. As well as way to make a Lethifold breathe smoke. All one had to do was feed it Erumpent fluids.
"It is a wonder the poor scrap of cloth did not explode," Scáth had commented when he returned from visiting the village whose borders the guesthouse sat upon.
The kitchen had still been covered in ash then. The moment Hadria realised it was a bad idea for the smoking Lethifold to breathe upon the kitchen stove where she had been frying slices of pork in butter and oil, she had immediately cast in quick succession all the variations of the Shield Charm she could remember. The kitchen was thus burnt, the roof reduced to dust, and there was a sooty black patch where the stove should be, but in Hadria's opinion, it was a lot better than what had happened back in her previous life, when Mr Lovegood had struck that Erumpent horn in his home and blew up the place.
While Hadria was cuddling with the Boggart and the still-smoking (normal smoke now, not… Erumpent smoke) Lethifold under the kotatsu in the living room, hoping Gellert would return before the owner did, said former-Dark-Lord was (finally) at the foot of a floating mountain-island that seemed to drift away pretty quickly whenever he thought he was nearing it. It didn't help that he already had an encounter with some fox spirits on his way up the nearest mountain. They hadn't been deterred by the Thestral he was riding, and even seemed inclined when he left the mountain peak and took to the air. Fortunately, they seemed to have found another source of entertainment in the form of a lost tourist when he tried to lose them.
On his way towards the floating island, he had then been assaulted by fierce Veela-like creatures who insisted that he was trespassing in their region of sky. They wore the robes of a monk and waved their feathered fans at him, chasing him upon crow-black wings with strangely coloured fireballs until he was far enough and high enough from whatever mountain they had been protecting.
However, that was only the beginning of his adventures.
Mt Hōrai reminded Gellert of the Island of Courts that floated above the Abyss in the crepuscular Realms. But this island was a lot more pleasant to look at, with silvery green grass at its base that gave way to strange white-gold trees higher up the mountain, bearing leaves the colours of a blushing sunset and pale pink flowers. The mountain peak itself was wintry white, the rivers that flow from it were like crystalline dragons, twisting and winding down snowy slopes.
Upon landing amongst the soft grass damp with glistening dew—because the mountain evidently existed in its own world where it was already springtime and still morning), Gellert was not amused to find himself facing a huge white serpent with obsidian-black eyes, which had been disturbed from its slumber in the grass.
That was when the serpent spoke.
"And a very good morning to you too, Mister Grindelwald," it said in fluent English.
Gellert stared blankly at it.
"You know, I don't think he speaks English. His magic… It smells German," said another voice. When Gellert turned, it appeared to have come from a frog. A large and greenish-brown talking frog with bulbous eyes and spotted limbs.
"I beg your pardon, I was merely surprised by your ability of human speech," Gellert finally said politely. It was a strange and mystical island. Naturally, there would be strange and mystical animals there too, he reasoned with himself. Strange and mystical animals that could talk and knew his name.
"Stay here long enough, and you will learn the languages of all that lives under the heavens," explained the frog. "Why, there's an old badger, in the woodlands on the other side who can speak to flowers!"
"Is that what you have come to seek for, Mister Grindelwald? Knowledge beyond time?" the snake murmured silkily. "Or perhaps to have a dip in the Fountain of Fair Fortune?" It laughed to itself.
"Don't mind the snake. She likes to boast of her wit. That's why she likes to say your name—to brag about her knowledge of names. And the Fountain? It's utter nonsense. By the time anyone reaches it, they'd already have found their fortune," grumbled the frog.
"But if you're still seeking it, its in a garden on a hill behind the mountain," added the snake, still chuckling.
Gellert hesitated, faced with these two creatures. He didn't know what to make of then, for they were harder to read than humans. (He bet Hadria could, or even if she couldn't, the lot of them would probably still be drinking tea and exchanging jokes by now. She had a certain way with animals).
He's looking for the legendary peach medicine, came a haughty voice as soft as shadow. And he nearly had a heart attack when he realised that it was the Thestral that had spoken.
"The Night Lady speaks!" the frog gasped, and got a kick that sent it flying into a particularly spiky patch of grass.
Anyone with magic can speak and hear the language of the mind, you fool. Five years here and you are still as stupid as a tadpole.
The snake sighed at what seemed like an unlikely reunion of… acquaintances?
"I would have mistaken your Thestral to be an ordinary foal if she had remained quiet. Members of the Night Herd have always been able to hide their appearance in their silence. In other words, even those who have seen death may not be able see them if they stay silent as shadows. Or perhaps… 'Notice' would be a better word than 'see'. Sound gives away their presence, which allows those who can see ordinary Thestrals to notice them."
Gellert blinked at the serpent. "… Pardon?"
The snake chuckled over the noise of two arguing creatures in the background, and grinned, forked tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. "Keeper of Nightmare, I can taste your power. You are a great wizard, but you will need to be better if you hope to find what you seek. There is a palace on the mountain. If you seek food and rest, you could find it in there. Its gardens are filled with magical herbs and fruits, each are precious and rare. Most have a specific property, but the peach medicine you speak of is greater than these and comes from the magical peach tree that grows in the courtyard in the heart of the palace. It is heavily guarded and it is impossible for anyone but the Master to retrieve a fruit from it. But you may have a chance of proving your worth and obtain a bottle of medicine from the Master."
"Wait, who makes the medicine?" Gellert interrupted.
"The Master's friends who makes a little—just a pinch, or a drop, depending on which version of the story is correct—every month. But first, you have to ascend the mountain, and it will not be easy for one like you who accumulate knowledge like a jar collecting water."
"What do you mean? And who is this Master?"
The serpent merely smirked. "If you do continue this quest of yours, you will see."
He gave the serpent an exasperated glare, which was returned with such a glint in the eye that reminded him of Hadria's look of mischief. Speaking of Hadria… He wondered what she was doing now. Hopefully, tucked safely in bed, assuming it was night-time back in Japan.
As Gellert led Nacht away from her argument with the frog, under the clouds, in the city below, Hadria was preparing for the New Year without her guardian's supervision.
"I really do not think this is a good idea," Scáth said, as Hadria drew out another rune. In the middle of the backyard, there was a pentagram drawn in the snow, surrounded by runes. Sitting in the middle of the pentagram was a single firework rocket, which was large enough (courtesy of an Engorgement Charm) for Hadria to ride on.
"It's cold here, and I don't want to risk touching the fireplace. Plus, its tradition to visit a shrine for the New Year," she replied. The Grim glanced back at the house, which now had another portion of its roof gone. Light snow had started to drift down from sky, which had slowly been covered by shimmering white clouds. Between the gaps, one could still see the night sky, black and glittering.
"It would probably be safer to touch the fireplace than attempt what you're doing. You might just raze the entire backyard to ashes," the Grim commented dryly.
The fireplace was, at the moment, covered in some sort of unidentifiable slime, which Hadria did not want to risk setting aflame. She still wasn't sure how it happened, but it had involved the burping Boggart, the still-smoking Lethifold and the kotatsu catching fire. Which was why her only source of warmth now was the Lethifold wrapped around her like a cloak as usual. The Boggart was of no help, as it always felt neither warm nor cold.
"Midnight's in fifteen minutes, and the nearest shrine is too far to reach in time by foot," Hadria said. "If this succeeds, we'll be there in a minute. Do the runes look right to you? That one is for protection, for containing the blast. That one is for speed, and that one for energy, to aid with our take-off."
"I don't know runes. If this doesn't work… well, I think two explosions in one night is quite enough, don't you agree?" Scáth sighed.
"At least there won't be anymore holes in any roof," Hadria replied cheekily and grabbed the Boggart by its tail. "Alright, we're ready. Meet us there?"
"Okazaki, right?"
"Yes, see you there. And if you reach first, please don't scare anyone."
With that, the Grim disappeared in a cloud of black mist, and Hadria settled herself as comfortably on the rocket as she could, one hand still holding onto the Boggart. Then she turned and with a jab of her wand, ignited the rocket, after which she quickly tucked her wand back into the voluminous sleeves of her kimono and held on tight to the rocket.
And five, four, three, two… one!
The rocket made an odd whistling noise before there was a terrific blast and there were off, soaring through the cold night sky, a trail of colourful sparks and fire behind them. When she glanced back down at the guesthouse, there was a burnt patch in the backyard and scorch marks in the shape of the pentagram and runes she had drawn earlier. Nothing else seemed to have been destroyed, which was always a good sign.
It was a lovely feeling, riding the rocket like a comet. It had been ages since Hadria had been in the air, spinning and diving and shooting up and about with the wind in her face, adrenaline in her blood and exhilaration in every breath. The only difference between riding the rocket and her good old Firebolt was that the rocket could not be steered, and there were flames on its tail.
Halfway through whooping and cheering as the rocket abruptly changed direction, making her heart leap and her stomach drop, she froze.
Because sitting before her, on the arrow-tip of the rocket, was a fat white rabbit. Well, it only seemed fat because it was larger than any rabbit should be, with thick snowy fur, large hind legs, huge long ears and a pink twitchy nose. Its eyes were just as big as the rest of it, full and round, and red as cranberries. For a moment, all Hadria could do was stare at the rabbit that kept making a soft snuffling noise with its twitching nose and twitching ears. Then there was a strange sensation, as the red eyes of the rabbit darkened, as if…
Konbanwa, okosan.
It was a gentle ageless voice, both young and matured at the same time. Hadria had no doubt the rabbit had just performed Legilimency on her, and had somehow gotten past her Occlumency barriers, as strange as that may seem. She hesitated, before replying, in her mind:
Konbanwa, Usagi-san. Uh, sumimasen, demo… do you know English?
Ah. Gomenasai, I thought you were a local, said the rabbit.
Hadria stared. I'm pretty sure Japanese do not have green eyes.
Those who can use magic, like you, could have… unique features, the rabbit explained. Are you going to Okazaki Shrine?
Uh… Yes. Are you on your way there too?
Hai. Thank you for letting me catch a ride. I would've used my mortar and pestle, but it seems like your rocket is a lot faster and I'm about to be late.
… Mortar and pestle? Hadria questioned, thinking of Babayaga, the Medieval Russian Hag that she had seen a few times on a Chocolate Frog Card. According to Muggle legend, she also used a mortar and pestle to fly.
Gomenasai… It seems I've forgotten to introduce myself! I am Mochi Tsuki, a Moon Rabbit. My family and I live in the moon and make legendary food, said the Rabbit. Mortars and pestles are all I use.
Ah? I'm…. Hadria Potter. Is your last name Mochi or Tsuki? You live in the moon? Do you make mochi then? What other food do Moon Rabbits make? Where do you get your ingredients from?
The Moon Rabbit blinked her large red eyes at the space in the air between them, as if she could see the stream of questions that had spilled from the excited girl.
Well, we're all called Tsuki. But we differentiate ourselves according to our occupations. I make mochi, so I'm Mochi Tsuki. We… live inside the moon, yes. We are Moon Rabbits, but Rabbits all the same. We do not come out of our burrows when we do not want to be seen. My brothers make tea and wine. Ingredients are supplied by Ao-dono. He comes once a month to collect them, when the moon is dark and no one can see him.
Images of Rabbits merrily making food flashed through her mind, courtesy of Mochi Tsuki. Hadria thought it was all very fascinating. Even though she was used to the magical world, there was something… surreal, or dream-like about a conversation with a Rabbit from the Moon.
Have you always lived on the moon? Hadria couldn't help but ask. Rabbits on the moon! She thought that was only a legend. After all, no Muggle had seen one despite having landed on the moon before. But then again, that was of no surprise. She had no doubt their rabbit-holes were bound to be invisible. Did they use wards, perhaps? Or maybe the Fidelius Charm? Hadria badly wanted to visit the moon, now that she knew it was more than a chunk of rock reflecting sunlight.
Long long ago, Mochi Tsuki began. The Snake-Headed One came to visit, disguised, and Father sacrificed himself as food for him. He was then brought back to life, rising like a Fire-bird from the ashes, and the Higher Ones gave him the honour to live in the sky. The Golden-Faced One brought him to the moon and there he stayed. He then made a deal with Ao-dono, who visited, and in return for a great feasting every year, he made medicine every month. We don't need food, for we are now amortal, but we can still eat and it is grand indeed, to have a feast fit for kings every New Year. He met Mother later—Ao-dono's mochi maker, and we came about thereafter.
It was an interesting story, like a fairy tale, and Hadria immediately blurted out her next question, a very important one, in her opinion, And then? What happened next? Did you all live happily every after?
Hmm… We're happy, certainly. Making mochi is hard work, but I enjoy it. And I get to go play at Ao-dono's place when it's Mother's turn to make the mochi. We all take turns, you see. And I'm sure my siblings feel the same. Here, an image of two Rabbits playing with rice the way kids play with sand appeared. Hadria had a strong feeling that the rice wasn't supposed to be played with like that, but she supposed the Rabbits were young… er.. ish? (Hadria honestly had no idea how old the Rabbits were, though they sounded pretty playful yet ancient at the same time).
I see. Were you making mochi before you… arrived, then? Is that why you're late? Asked Hadria. What were the chances of the Rabbit having some mochi on her? She wanted to try some, having never tried mochi made by a rabbit before. But looking at the Rabbit, who was wearing nothing and carrying nothing, she doubted it.
No… the Rabbit muttered sheepishly. We don't work on New Year's Eve. Instead, we celebrate early and have our own feasting at Ao-dono's place, so that we have the time to make mochi, tea and wine later, for the Feast of the Higher Ones. I've just returned from our feast, and it's my turn to go to the shrine and collect the requests left there for the New Year, before returning home to work.
There was a short silence afterwards, as the Rabbit was evidently quite reluctant to elaborate on his lack of punctuality. Hadria would have assumed that Mochi Tsuki was late due to the feast, but the snuffling she was making had increased in volume, making her look very nervous.
Suddenly, her ears perked up straight and alert, her eyes wide with alarm, and her entire white fluffy body stilled.
We've reached! Mochi Tsuki exclaimed and leapt off the rocket. Hadria, who hadn't been paying attention to the rocket's course ever since the Rabbit got on board, made a split-second decision before following the Rabbit and leapt off, only to find herself far too high above the ground for anyone's comfort. Luckily for her, the Boggart had chosen that moment to be useful and transformed into a gigantic crow who had a harder time slowing their too-fast descent than a real crow should. It did give her time to cast a Cushioning Charm though, and they reached the ground safely. A second later, there was an explosion, and when Hadria turned to see what it was, she saw colourful smoke rising from a distance, above the thicket of trees.
"You said there won't be anymore holes in any roof."
It was Scáth, come to meet them at the shrine, with a judging look in his yellow eyes. When Hadria looked around, she realised the Rabbit had disappeared.
"Whose roof did the rocket crash into?" Hadria asked, wincing slightly.
"Luckily for you, it was an abandoned shed. Let's avoid a repeat of the Obliviating Incident, alright?" the Grim replied.
The Obliviating Incident, as Scáth put it, took place a year ago, when Gellert and Hadria had to Obliviate everyone in the village they stayed in, because the presence of her Lethifold hadn't been taken very well, and she had been accused of being a Hag-in-the-making (because apparently, only a Hag could keep such a creature as a pet, never mind the fact that Hags were beings that always had the appearance of warty old witches and it was actually impossibly for a girl like her to become one). Hadria made sure Noh spat out the boy he'd swallowed, thankfully, still alive and kicking—literally, before Gellert returned him to his family and they erased the memories of every last torch-bearing villager. (They all woke up in the village square the next morning, under the impression that they'd had too much drink the night before.) Hadria had made sure to never leave the Lethifold alone ever again.
"But—"
"Yes, it's just three holes in different roofs now, but if you had, let's say, crashed into the shrine…" Scáth trailed off, knowing Hadria could guess at the consequences by herself. "Now, why are we here again? This shrine is for the god and goddess of childbirth."
"Because it's the nearest one, and look," Hadria replied irritably, and pointed at the placard at the entrance of the shrine, reciting: "It is also believed to house the god and goddess of dispelling evil related to the compass points and other sources."
"Fine, so what are we going to—" muttered the Grim, before suddenly padding closer and sniffing the girl. "Why do you smell of… rabbit?"
Meanwhile, on the back of a gigantic flying turtle, Gellert had finally gotten to the top of the white mountain, where a palace stood, tall and magnificent. For a moment, he was disorientated, too many voices whispering too many secrets in his head. He wasn't even sure who he was or where he was and what he was doing there. There was the wind murmuring to him the names of all the birds in the air, and the sea roaring with the words of all the fishes in the sea. And there was world that was flat and spilled waterfalls over its edges, and a world that was a cube, with tunnels that went deeper than its sides could contain. And there was golden time spilling through his spine, and the blood of the earth, flowing red in his body, and the songs of the stars still thrumming through his bones.
And there was a Harrumph! And a ice-hot breath on his cheek.
Gellert blinked at the Thestral. "Nacht? Oh, I—"
But he couldn't remember what it was he was before he became himself once more. All the ancient knowledge that had been breathed to him by the shades of those who went before him were gone. Their voices had increased in intensity the higher he went up the mountain, saturating the thin air with their old thoughts of older things. When he had reached the peak, for a moment, he had felt both weighed down and enlightened. Then the moment passed, and everything he might have learnt was forgotten, flowing away like… too much water out of an already filled jar.
All the same, it was better to lose all those precious knowledge and information than to have lost himself.
An old man greeted Gellert at the gates of the palace, which swung opened on his approach. The old man turned away swiftly and walked faster than one at his age should be capable of. Bewildered, Gellert and Nacht passed through the gates and followed the old man through gardens filled with rare plants and strange flowers.
Finally, the old man stopped at the main doors of the palace, and Gellert managed to catch up. Could this old man be the Master?
The old man certainly looked the part, with long white hair and a long white beard, much like Dumbledore, but there was a gleam in his eyes that made him seem far younger in heart and far older in mind than the wizard Gellert knew. The old man wore soft white robes lined with silver silk, and with a wave of his hand, the palace doors were open.
"I am not the Master," he said as he gestured for Gellert to enter. Gellert wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not that the old man had known of his query.
But as he wondered what was waiting for him in the palace, the old man simply smiled and did not answer the unspoken question and led him through a richly furnished hall, leaving the Nacht to wait outside.
The palace was a labyrinth of hallways, rooms and corridors, and Gellert noticed too late when his mysterious guide disappeared, leaving him lost in a foreign place that could well be a maze in three-(and hopefully not four as well)-dimensions.
When Gellert finally found the exit of the palace after what seemed like tiring days later, he was very much bemused. He hadn't met the Master, nor had he found a single sleeping chamber nor dining hall. There seemed to be nothing of use in the palace except beautifully decorated halls and rooms that were empty. He hadn't seen anyone either. Save for the dragon in the tower, the chimera in the basement and the cockatrice in one of the otherwise empty courtyards. All three had insisted on attacking him, but he had managed to escape their brimstone and fire relatively unscathed. His cloak was a tad more singed than he would've liked it, but he was just glad that was all he got after an entire day of avoiding fireballs. It almost seemed as if Someone wanted him toasted that day. As if it were a New Year requirement to be reminded of one's mortality by either the Grim or some Higher Entity.
Nacht greeted him outside with a huff. You failed, didn't you?
"Failed?" Gellert repeated. "Well yes, it seems I've failed. I have found neither the Master nor his medicine."
The Thestral merely sighed and turned around. Come on, let's head down.
They didn't see the old man again, nor was Gellert assaulted by information from shades of those who have passed on, but when they reached the bottom of the mountain, they met the snake from earlier that day. This time, however, the frog wasn't there. Instead, there was a cat who appeared to be waiting with an eager expression.
It was evening now, and the sky was painted with the vibrant colours of fire.
"So you are the visitor," the cat commented. "Many of us have heard of you. It's not often we get a newcomer. How goes your quest?"
"I doubt it was fruitful," said the snake. "I suppose you did not find what you were looking for?"
"No, I did not," Gellert replied. "I reached there and found nothing."
The cat snickered, while the snake shot him a look. "It's not that funny, you know."
"But it is!"
"It is humorous in its own way, I suppose," the snake admitted grudgingly. "But I don't think Mister Grindelwald here understands what just happened."
"That's the funny part!"
"… Never mind. Mister Grindelwald, did you see the Master? Old man? Long white beard and long white hair? Wears all white?"
Gellert stared. "I did meet an old man like that who invited me into the palace, but he said he wasn't the Master."
"Oh, that's because that old man technically isn't the Master, but is the physical human representation of the Master. The Master himself is the Turtle who carries this island on his back," explained the snake. Gellert groaned. This was getting absurd.
"And the reason you saw nothing in the palace was because the palace itself was the second test. After you had proved your worth, the palace would test you once more, to ensure that you will receive only what you should receive."
"I… still don't get it," Gellert muttered and the snake smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, for smiles on snakes generally just make them look hungry, but it was a smile.
"You didn't need to prove your worth because you didn't need it. Those who seek rest find rest in the palace, those who seek to fill themselves are given food there, those who are sick are healed there, those who seek wisdom are provided with the experience to gain it, those who seek love and belonging will find comfort there. But you have need for nothing, and so, you found nothing. You wanted the medicine, but do not need it, and therefore, you did not find it."
"Oh."
"Oh," mocked the cat, still laughing at Gellert who now had a strange expression on his face. Surprise mixed with equal parts disappointment and happiness.
"I see. That's it, then?" he finally said. "I suppose I shall be content with that for now. Would be nice not to return empty-handed though."
"Well, did you learn anything from your trip up the mountain?" asked the snake.
"… No. Except that the way I've been learning things has been wrong the whole time or something," Gellert grumbled.
"Better late than never," sad the snake. "At least that's something to bring back. Next time, if there is a next time, don't bring a jar of water. You can't gain anything from it, without losing some of what you have already."
"Then what should I bring?"
"A sieve. The important bits will stay while the rest will flow away. You will not learn a lot like this, not unless you stay for a long time, but it is certainly something, and certainly something important."
"Or better yet, bring the girl," chuckled the cat. "I hear she's—"
The snake stopped the cat with a glare. "What have you done?!"
"Nothing. Just, you know, did a little nudging… They do it every year anyway! And I swear she told me to."
"Who told you to help the Rabbits with their annual 'souvenir'-taking this year?"
"The Ram-Headed One!"
The snake made an unintelligible sound. "You do know that if whatever it is ends up with a mortal, someone will have to pay for it?"
"Not my problem," sniffed the cat.
"I think you should leave, Mister Grindelwald," the snake finally said. "I'm sure your ward is waiting for you."
Hadria was indeed waiting for him when Gellert returned on Nacht's back. The journey back had been even more unpleasant than the way there, for the Tengu and the fox spirits had been overly enthusiastic upon seeing him again.
Of course, he didn't expect her to be waiting in a guesthouse with two holes in the roof, a missing stove and a missing kotatsu. Or perhaps a small part of him that had learnt from experience had expected it but had hoped it wouldn't happen.
"How do you think we're going to explain this to Saito-san?" Gellert inquired sternly.
"Well… We could offer to pay for the repairs and another stove and kotatsu?" Hadria suggested, shifting about on the spot sheepishly.
"We're going to have to do that anyway," Gellert bit out. "But he's still going to ask for an explanation, including one for the burnt marks in the backyard."
"Eh… Obliviate him?"
"Obliviate who?" demanded the owner, who had returned to check on them. He was a kind and hospitable man, albeit a little prone to Japanese superstition, despite being a Squib, and he often came to made sure his guests were alright.
"Gomenasai, Saito-san! We didn't intend for the outcome to be so disastrous, but it wasn't entirely our fault," Hadria immediately blurted out. "You see, there was a Moon Rabbit who visited me, on her way to the Okazaki Shrine, because she needed a way to get there on time. She was running late, and she needed a ride, so I tried to provide her one, but there were a few explosions along the way, because I made some mistakes somewhere while experimenting with a firework rocket. But with some of her help, we managed to get to the shrine safely, and she gave me something in return."
Digging through her pockets, Hadria fished out a peach that seemed to glow with an ethereal light. "Here, I hear it's supposed to be… very good for one's health. She says it's from a land beyond the clouds."
Saito-san stared at the peach with wide eyes, awe and disbelief on his face. "But… it can't be. Throw it to me."
Hadria threw it, and it arced gracefully before floating down into the man's hands. She knew, because she had held it too, that it would feel as light as a Patronus.
"We'll pay for the damage too, of course."
"You will be staying for a few more days, right?" the guesthouse owner questioned.
"Yes, until the fourth, when the celebration ends."
"I will test out this… peach. If it is what I think it is, you will not need to pay for the repairs. In fact, you will not need to pay for your entire stay here. This is… This is priceless! I think, I shall insist on it. I won't allow you to pay for anything if this is indeed a peach from the Immortal Land. And you will always be welcome to stay here again, at a discounted price."
Then the owner of the guesthouse was gone, riding his bike home to where, Hadria will later learn, his sickly parents stayed.
There was a brief moment of silence as they watched Saito-san leave, riding into the lantern-lit streets of New Year's pre-dawn.
"This is going to be a long story," Hadria warned Gellert before he could say a thing. And she regaled to him the entire tale, ending with how she met the Rabbit again, after the celebration at the shrine had died down and some drunk teenagers had begun singing in a heavily butchered version of Japanese. The Rabbit had then given her a small basket of two peaches in return for the ride (after finding out she was a Favourite of the Higher Ones), nicked from the tree in Ao-dono's palace. Apparently, they always took something from the place each New Year visit, and the Turtle knew it, the way he knew about the going-ons of everything on his back, but he never stopped them, for they were great friends and he knew they always put whatever they stole to good use.
They left on January 4th, with Saito-san jokingly thanking them for the trouble they had caused in the process of gaining him something very precious. He encouraged them to return, should they visit Japan again, for they seemed to help him each time they stayed at his guesthouse. (The previous time they had stayed there, Hadria had caught and tamed a dangerous Lethifold).
Hadria had a lot of fun that New Year, and when they left, she was in high spirits, knowing she would remember all of this for years to come, the second peach resting comfortably in her pocket. Gellert had somehow managed to retain a small degree of sullenness despite having enjoyed himself at the New Year fairs, but Hadria wasn't sure how much of the sullenness was pretence for the sake of drama, because she knew Gellert wouldn't be so petty as to be irked about going through so much trouble in vain, only for his ward to effortlessly get something of more worth than what he had been searching for… Right? Wrong.
"I wasn't upset!"
"You shouldn't read someone else's journal over their shoulder while their writing in it, Gerwald."
"I wasn't upset."
"It's rude. And an infringement of privacy. Do you want me to start behaving like a rebellious teenager?
"You're twelve, and I wasn't upset."
"Why are you repeating that? I never said you were upset."
"… Never mind."
The End!
How was it? I had to do some research for this, of various myths and legends surrounding the mystical elements of this story, such as Mt Horai, which is the Japanese equivalent of Penglai, an island where the Immortals lived, the Moon Rabbit(s) and the Ao the Turtle. I took a little from different cultures, and tweaked them here and there to fit the story.
Another note for those who do not get the Moon Rabbit's name: Mochitsuki is the Japanese term for making mochi, where the word 'tsuki' is the word for 'pounding'. However, I took the liberty of turning it into a pun, because the word for 'moon' can also be read as 'tsuki' which I thought was quite appropriate.
That said, I hope no one is offended by whatever I wrote, and if I have made a mistake somewhere, please let me know. To everyone else, feel free to leave a review if you have a comment or question about this story.
Thanks for reading, and have a Happy New Year!
~Avis