Zero Shame: Chapter One: Aya, One with Nothing
"Aya. There is no greater force in Gensokyo than I. Yet you insist on taking pictures of me, slandering me, and, worst of all, interrupting my nap." ~ Yakumo Yukari
FOQUET SPOTTED NEAR TRISTAIN'S MAGICAL ACADEMY
According to local sources, the infamous thief Foquet the Crumbling Dirt
has been sighted around Tristain's famed magical Academy. Though hated
by most nobles, commoners are often indifferent when asked about this
menace. Some sources say that Foquet only targets the rich, often nobles
who overtax their subjects. Others claim that he only goes after the boastful,
the ones who become too proud of the possessions they own. Most rumors
contain the same base fact: that Foquet is not a commoner, but rather a
Noble, most likely poor. Some say he is a disposed noble masquerading among
commoners, learning about treasures of different families by pretending to
be a servant or employee... [Continued on page 4]
LOUISE NOT-THE-ZERO
Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, more commonly known as Louise the
Zero, has, on the previous day of water, cast 3 successful spells despite her
nickname. High ranking sources in the Academy have confirmed that aside
from the 2 familiar-related spells done in public, Lady Vallière cast a
successful translation spell that day too. [continued on page 3]
AYA SHAMEIMARU REPORTER EXTRAORDINAIRE ARRIVES IN TRISTIAN
Rejoice readers! The fastest reporter ever to be known is here to provide
you with news, articles, and rumors collected fast, written fast, and delivered
fast! You'll know the news before the wind has had time to carry it! Aya
Shameimaru is able to provide you with not just articles but[cont. on page 2]
Tabitha's Book Review Column
Book: Twin Moon Collapse: A study on the moons' effects on magic and behavior.
Notes: This book contains information important to Wind and Water mages.
"Behavior" section is of little value.
Verdict: Library. Do not Buy
Aya didn't like her situation very much. Exiled from Gensokyo for the moment, the fact that she was branded and claimed by this young magic-user did not improve her temperament. She did not want to stay in this world longer than the gap youkai forced her to. On the other hand, it seems that once the runes were burned into her flesh, this young human became her responsibility.
Many have accused her of being "flighty" and flippant about rules and obligations. True, she was quick and flew about as a reporter, but as a Tengu she prized responsibility. And since Louise became her responsibility, Aya could not turn away from her. No, she'll see this little partnership through. It was probably the damn [WORD GAPPED]'s intention anyway.
Which is why when a section of wall crumbled and threatened her "master," Aya swooped down and sped the two of them away to safety. The young girl's breath was quick and shallow, clutching the exiled one close as she longed for stability.
"Thhhe... The Vault!" Louise realized, barely managed to explain as she recovered from her scare. "It's going after the vault! F..! Stop that Golem!"
Aya set the mage down and turned back to look at just what nearly killed her mage. A great animated earthen mound-like creature was attacking the Academy's walls in a manner she'd never seen before. Aya knew about the Celestial incident, and that of the HisouTensoku, yet this "golem", this type of amalgamation of earth and life was something she had not witnessed yet. Not knowing what else to do, Aya chose to fire blasts of wind in order to rebuff it.
"What is this thing?" she shouted over the din, questioning her summoner with the ability to manipulate wind.
Louise, still shaken, yet now standing tall, replied. "It's a golem! It's a construct that's being controlled by a mage! You can destroy it or just take out the controller!"
Nodding in acknowledgement, Aya let out a "Stay here. I'll take care of this!" as she flew off, knowing that she could unleash more of her power on the golem.
Her blasts of wind were quite ineffectual, as any damage would just be filled in with new dirt as time went on. Any stronger and the Academy would be damaged further and endanger the students both inside and out. Aya switched to more destructive Danmaku shots charged with far more energy than allowed in Gensokyo as she whirled about in [Illusionary Dominance] level speeds, looking for the "controller" of the Golem.
She found it, on the other side of the Golem's head. She began directing her wind-laden danmaku blasts towards the exposed mage, only for it to reform part of the golem as a shield.
*Boom*
All of a sudden, a part of the golem seemed to fall off, dropping toward...
Louise.
What was she doing there?
Pushing her speed, she once again scooped up her master in her arms.
This time, she would get angry.
~~ ./One Week Ago\. ~~
"So what are you?" Still a bit awestruck at her familiar's wings and the power contained in them, Louise didn't know how to react to all it was telling her. Her hand fiddled with the tip of her familiar's wings, fingers delighted by the soft downy feel of the black feathers, making her even calmer. Paying no heed to the molestation, Aya energetically continued her explanation. "I'm a crow tengu! A reporter, I take pictures with my camera and write articles with them!"
Reporter, Louise thought as she then turned to the leaf-like fan in her hands, she knew the word. A profession that had to do with "the press". As she fiddled further with her familiar's fan, the young mage recalled all she knew about this relatively new establishment.
The press was a new tool that was popularized by some commoners and a line-class earth mage capable of creating many pages of information very quickly. Tristian itself only had the machine popularized after the Queen pushed for the use of it during the last war. Most "reporters" in Tristian were under the employ of the royal family. They were commoners and disposed nobles that posessed a good understanding of writing, and who had earned a good position due to their academic merit. Louise knew about what Reporters did, but never used or read the "papers" they wrote herself. Being a noble, she was far more familiar with the heralds employed by the academy and her own estate. Did that mean her Familiar was also a close servant of Royalty? But still, there were things that Louise didn't know. She set down the fan and picked up what her familiar called her "life, pride and joy!".
"Aya... what is this "Camera" exactly? And how does it take these... "pictures"?"
"A Camera is an extremly important tool for Reporters!" Excitedly, Aya snatched her pride and joy, the custom Aya-type NitoriTech Camera, from Louise's hands to demonstrate. "Capable of getting a scoop at speeds upwards of mach 3, a wonder of Kappa technology! It is able to be used offensively against danmaku! Like I said before, it's my pride and joy! It's able to take pictures, which are basically instant portraits of whole scenes, and... develop... them..."
Quite suddenly, Aya's eyes went dull. She realized just why the sukima put her on this world.
"DAMN YOU YUKARI!"
~~ .o. ~~
A few hours later, after Aya had calmed down, the Master and Familiar pair began setting rules for each other. Since Aya was pretty much stuck in Halkegina until Yukari decided to let her back into Gensokyo, the crow tengu decided to stay with Louise, if anything because Louise needed her at the moment.
It wasn't as if she couldn't run away from the mage, in fact, if she did Louise wouldn't ever be able to catch up, no matter what the young girl used. Rather, if she stayed, everything will be provided for, be it clothes, shelter, and food. In return she just had to watch over and listen to the young noble.
Louise, on the other hand, felt far more confident in herself now that she had summoned such a powerful creature. Yet at the same time, she did not feel as confident as she thought she would, as now her Familiar made sure that she understood that it was sentient and powerful enough to disobey her if it wanted to. Not that it would, the crow tengu added, trying to calm her down, just that it could. And above all, not to endanger herself… again.
The two girls agreed that to make things work, it had to be a partnership. It took a few heated comments and more than a couple dodged explosions, but by the end of the day the pair had established what their situation would be. Unlike what Louise had originally thought, this relationship would be one of give-and-take, not say-and-obey, and she would have to listen to her familiar just as much as it listened to her (much to her dismay). Aya also had to accept the fact that Louise "outranked" her in this world, and had to comply as well as she could to the noble's commands, especially in public.
Feeling satisfied with the talk, the tengu flew off to look around the academy while Louise sat down and wrote a letter to her family, detailing the success of her summons.
The black haired tengu enjoyed the crisp air as she sped along the winds, freely flying by each of the six towers of the academy, even doing a quick run through the forest before returning to the main building. Many students were playing with their familiars still in the courtyard, and the smell of roast meat and spiced soup was in the air.
Knowing that she could not eat in the dining hall anyway, Aya followed the scent to the kitchens, barely missing a maid as she turned the final corner.
Still, the shock alone was enough for Siesta to drop the tray she was carrying, only for it to be held in place by a cushion of air.
"Ah! Sorry! Let me help you with that."
Aya picked up the tray and turned back to the maid, who was shaking now pointing at her newly-exposed ears and wings.
"Wh... what are you?" The young girl stammered out, clearly frightened by the newcomer's form.
Aya gently set the tray down as she offered the maid her hand. "Hi, I'm Aya Shameimaru, a crow tengu. I was summoned as a familiar today"
"A tengu?" Hesitantly, Siesta grabbed Aya's hand and stood up, faint recognition tickling away at her mind. "Isn't that... a mountain spirit?"
It was Aya's turn to look in shock. "You... you know?"
~.o.~
"You... don't really look like a tengu. I thought you would..."
"Look less human?"
After a round of apologies, explanations, and introductions, Aya and Siesta bonded with each other while carrying a tray of food up the stairs to Louise, who Aya earlier alerted with her great speed.
The said noble was a little displeased at Aya for inviting Siesta to dine with the two of them, but Aya insisted, finally convincing the pinkette by revealing Siesta knew of Tengus and could help her understand Aya better.
Which lead to the reporter carrying large and heavy baskets of food (at her own insistence nonetheless) while the maid held a few light snacks with a tea service upon a serving tray.
"A lot of outsiders say that." Aya mused, as they went up the stairs. "But I like to point out that I can take different forms if I wished, and staying in this form makes it easier to write and take pictures."
Siesta nodded, noting that it did make sense, as she was careful not to spill the tea. "My grandfather also talked about those 'pictures' and 'cameras' when he was still alive. He said it was able to take a portrait of a person in a moment. Is that true?"
Aya smiled at the maid's question. "Absolutely. It makes reporting alot easier. Here, I'll show you my camera when we get to the room"
The maid didn't know whether to smile or to cry. She didn't want to intrude upon Lady Valliere's mealtime, but the noble's familiar insisted. As the two reached the room, the Pink-haired girl was already waiting for them. Introductions were done as she held open the door, and the three girls had their first meal together.
It would become tradition for the three future friends, and would lead to Siesta obtaining her first noble friend.
And her first Tengu one.
~~.\ .o. /.~~
"Don't worry me like that again! What if you got hurt? That speed could have killed you! You're lucky I was able to go slow enough!"
'By the founder', thought Louise as her familiar berated her. 'She sounds like Eleanor!'
Try as she might, the flat-chested mage could not find any fault in her familiar. This incident was her fault after all, as she ignored Aya's warning and even let Foquet get away, after all. But that didn't stop the frustration from snapping her self control in half.
"I'm a noble! It is my duty to ~"
It was the first time Lady Valliere felt terror when she looked upon her familiar. Somehow those two red eyes evoked terror, like a bird of prey staring down a hapless mouse, no, like how the eyes of a murder of crows stared down a hapless victim, unable to escape. Her word died in her throat.
"Your. Job. Is. To. Stay. A-. Live." Each syllable accented with anger, the phrase caused Louise to deflate further. She had never felt this afraid since leaving her mother. "Do. You. ?"
"... yes..." was the weak reply. Louise could feel the tears welling up. She knew what she did was stupid, but she couldn't fail anymore. She had familiar now! She was supposed to have successes! Not abysmal screw-ups. She could hear the jokes and back-stabbing comments again. Kirche's out-front jokes and teasing comments were far easier to bear, as she only said them straight to the Valliere's face. But the nameless, faceless persecution was almost always too much.
She was stopped before she could sob as two lithe yet strong arms grabbed ahold of her as she found her face in a soft pillowy chest. Two more warm appendages wrapped around her, cloaking her in a black downy cape.
That afternoon Louise cried into her familiar's chest.
And Aya saw how fragile her summoner truly was.
AN: Aya Shameimaru!