A/N: Firstly, thank you for clicking on my story! Second...
So, this is an idea I've had in my mind for a few years already. I'm an avid fan of genderbending every single series I watch, so, when I watched Zero no Tsukaima back in 2009 and found out there wasn't any gender bender fanfiction of it, I almost freaked out. After a while, I decided that if no one would write one, then I'd do it. This is the result of that. Coming to this site, I noticed there are a few genderbent fanfictions going around now, which makes me really happy. I want to share what I write too.
Before starting, I want to make some points clear: english is not my first language, so, if you read and find an error (even in this A/N) I'll be really thankful if you point it out to me so I can fix it. Another thing, in this fanfiction, only three characters are genderbent: Saito, Louise, and another one you will find out soon. Saito and Louise will retain their personalities, of course, but there will be a few changes, e.g.: Saito with the attitude of a girl raised in modern Japan and Louise as a boy raised in Halkeginia. This means they are not only viewed differently socially, but their experiences and sometimes behavior will be slightly different too, as well as the way they view some things.
I will explain other things as I write the story, like why I make the characters do this instead of that or why is Louis acting differently than Louise would, etc., but for now, this is what you should know. I also want to say I write this story mostly for my own entertaiment, but I hope you find it entertaining too. I'm not sure yet if I'll adapt the whole story or just a few novels, it depends on how well-received it is and if I want to. Lastly, about the name of the story. I'm not really convinced, I just knew I wanted to avoid the words 'familiar' and 'zero' at all costs. Maybe I'll change it, but I can see myself getting used to it pretty soon.
With nothing else to say, read out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Zero no Tsukaima, the characters, scenarios or plot, only the headcanons you may come across. I write this only for my own entertaiment.
The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage
Prologue
...
Hiraga Sachiko was a normal girl: seventeen years old, finishing her second year of high school and with very few worries in life. She was an only child. Her parents, though annoying at times, were caring and loving. Her friends, though few, were good and loyal. Her academic performance was average at best, though that was mostly due to her bad studying habits.
She was a nice girl, sociable despite her somehow timid nature, and always had the best intentions in everything she did, even if she ended up screwing more often than not. She was naturally curious, to the point many would call it a flaw, and very competitive when given the chance. She enjoyed listening to anime soundtracks and recently started a hobby of baking.
If someone were to describe Hiraga Sachiko in one word, it would be: average.
Her mother often told her she should find a good husband as soon as she graduated from school. Her father was a little more supportive: he wanted her to study and work before settling down. Her teachers often said she needed to put more effort in school. Her friends treated her like a little girl who needed to be taken care of, less she hurt herself unintentionally.
She wasn't stupid, though she had to admit she had a hard time following what other people said. Everyone she knew decided to do things for her instead of letting her try and learn. They told her she was slow and an airhead; and she needn't try so hard for things. People had very little expectations of her, and as a result, she herself had little expectations for her future.
Sometimes she would fantasize with things like studying medicine or law, or trying to enter Tokyo University, to see if that could impress the people around her, but they always stayed as just that: fantasies. After all, she didn't have the capacity. Everyone said so. It was a fact.
But, knowing this, made life very boring for her. She envied anime and manga characters, who could overcome all sorts of obstacles and live out life as they wanted. Boredom brought apathy, and apathy soon turned to desperation to find some excitement to fill her life with.
She tried new things. She started to work part-time in a family restaurant, owned by one of her deceased grandmother's friends. She picked up learning to play the flute. She asked her mother to teach her how to sew. She began to play video-games, something she had never done before.
It wasn't enough. It was driving her crazy how nothing could fill her. How nothing could make the apathy fade away. As a last resort, she asked one of her friends to set her up in a blind date with one of her boyfriend's friends. She wasn't desperate for a boyfriend, but she thought having one would help finally fill the hole she felt inside her at all times. To wipe out the boredom that slowly but surely was consuming her mind.
She would have never guessed, the excitement she looked for, would appear in the form of a magical mirror in the middle of the street, and a small but angry strawberry-blond boy.
A/N: And that was it. Just a small introduction so you can see for yourselves some of the changes with Saito as a girl. What I really wanted to show here was a little of Sachiko's life pre-summoning. I'll bring the first chapter in a few days. Oh, and if you're wondering about the name, I read the name Saeko going around the web. Personally, I don't like it, and I actually know someone named Sachiko in real life. That's it.