Aoi Hane
I don't know how I made last chapter both way longer AND rushed, but I somehow did. I tried to fit two chapters worth of stuff in one, and I don't think it worked as well as I would have liked. Also, Important update at the end of the chapter! Anyways, let's get into this chapter!
Akko and Diana sped down the hallway, the baby dragon called in Akko's arms. It seemed to be relaxed as she carried it, curled up as much as possible considering the position it was in.
Anxiety gripped Akko as she walked towards the headmaster's office. She worried about what was going to happen, and how everything would come together. Akko didn't want to have to give up her life and friends at Luna Nova, but there was one thing that overtook even that worry.
She couldn't stand to think about the baby dragon coming to any type of harm. Whatever had happened the moment Akko had touched the dragon, she now felt different about the whole situation. Previously, she had been thinking about figuring out how to get the professors to raise the dragon as had been planned, but any possibility of that was gone from her mind. In fact, it now made Akko nauseous thinking about that at all.
And these thoughts weren't something implanted in her head either. She thought them at her own volition, and she didn't feel like there was some outside force influencing her thoughts.
As Diana and Akko walked, she felt the warm breath of the dragon's breath on her neck, and she actually smiled. Akko shifted the small dragon in her arms, and she caught a glance of something on her wrist. Akko lifted her arm slightly to get a better look. There was a small silver mark that stretched in a straight line across the base of her hand.
"Hey, Diana. Do you have a mark on your wrist?" Akko asked as they sped walked through the hallways. Diana impatiently lifted her hand to check before her demeanor changed.
"Yes, I do. Do you have one as well?" Akko nodded.
"It's on the hand I touched the dragon with. What do you think it is?"
"I haven't a clue. We'll figure this all out." Diana turned a corner and Akko quickly followed behind. As the two walked in silence, Akko noticed the eyes that were drawn to Diana and Akko from their peers.
"Diana? Is everything going to work out?" Akko said softly. Worry was evident in her tone. Diana slowed to look Akko in the eyes.
"Everything will be fine." Diana gave Akko a smile. And that was enough for Akko. Her nervousness seemed to dissolve, replaced by optimism. Akko continued down the halls with Diana until she saw a flash of red from further down the hallway.
Akko squinted as the red got a little bigger, until she could make out the form of Professor Chariot.
"Professor Chariot!" Akko yelled. The baby dragon in her arms winced at the sudden loud noise, before yawning and resting its head on Akko's shoulder once again.
"Sorry…" Akko whispered. Chariot ran up to Diana and Akko.
"So it hatched?" She said nervously.
"Yes. That is what we were coming to see you and the headmaster about." Diana replied. Chariot rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers, muttering under her breath.
"Okay, let's go figure all this out. Let's go to the headmaster." Chariot spun on her heels and continued in the direction that Diana and Akko had already been walking.
They arrived at the door to the principal's office, where Diana knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Holbrooke's voice called.
"It's Diana and Akko. May we come in?" Diana replied. Diana's voice was stable, but Akko could tell from experience that Diana was nervous.
"Yes." Diana started to open the door while the headmaster continued to speak, "I assume it's to talk about the E-" Holbrooke cut herself off when she saw the baby dragon in Akko's arms.
"Oh. So it hatched then?" Holbrooke's voice darkened. Akko and Diana nodded as Chariot slipped in the room and shut the door.
"Well... That is...not good. Would you like to explain what happened?"
Akko and Diana retold the entire story, not leaving out any details. From the moment the egg started moving, to what happened when they touched the dragon, to when they hurried from the room to where they were now.
"I see...So you came here for advice and how to move forwards?" Holbrooke asked. Diana and Akko nodded again. When Akko looked down, she saw that the baby dragon had fallen asleep. Akko smiled, joy fluttering in her heart.
"Well, there are a few options. There is the easiest and most obvious answer. We could always take the dragon and have the staff raise it, as was the original plan." Panic erupted inside Akko.
"No!" Akko and Diana both yelled at the same time. Holbrooke looked taken aback by their outburst.
"You can't!" Akko protested.
"Why do you want to keep hold of it so badly?"
"I don't know, headmistress. We just kind of...do." Diana said.
"I think this is where I come in." Chariot recited what she had just read with the bonding scenario. As she spoke, Akko found that it explained everything she had been wondering about ever since she touched the dragon.
"So, what you are saying is that Miss Kagari and Miss Cavendish have essentially become the mothers of this dragon?" Holbrooke confirmed.
"That is correct." Chariot answered.
"And you say this explains the situation well, Miss Cavendish?"
"That is also correct. I don't know what it is, but everytime I look at it…" Diana trailed off, a smile forming on her lips, "I'm overcome with joy."
"I see...Well this complicates things. That leaves one more option. You and Miss Kagari will have to raise the dragon." Holbrooke said.
"While attending school?" Akko asked.
"I was getting there. We can reduce your courses for this coming semester. You can take a smaller workload until the dragon matures, and leaves on its own."
"How long does it take to mature?" Akko asked. The baby dragon yawned in its sleep.
"According to the research I did, about three months until it can go on its own. That leaves you with half a semester after it matures to take a full course load and catch up."
Only three months? Akko thought, then something else from what Chariot had said earlier.
"You said that we could communicate with it? How?" Akko's mind flashed back to the time when she had gotten an impression of what the dragon had wanted back in Diana's room.
"It didn't say." Chariot said.
"Could I try?" Akko asked.
"I don't see why not. This is a learning opportunity for all of us." Holbrooke said. Akko smiled and shook the baby dragon awake. It yawned and and looked directly at Akko, as if expectant. Akko leaned over and set the baby dragon down on the ground. It stretched out its winds and body before standing looking at Akko. Akko and Diana both got on their knees.
"Okay. Hello, my name is Akko." There was no response from the dragon.
"And my name is Diana." Once again, no response.
"I'm sure it doesn't know english. What else could we try?" Chariot suggested. Akko thought for a moment. Meanwhile, the dragon took a step towards Akko, nuzzling her hand with its snout, as if to say, "Pet me". Akko ablighed, running her hand down its neck and body.
"What if we try communicating with it mentally?" Diana suggested. The dragon looked to Diana when she spoke before turning from Akko and rubbing up against Diana. Diana looked surprised for a moment before smiling and petting it.
"Umm...how would we talk to it with our heads?" Akko asked.
"Chariot did mention something about a bond. I'll try to as well." Diana looked down at the dragon intently. It walked over and sat on Diana's lap, curling up into a little ball, perfectly content.
"Okay umm...Let's try this." Akko said. Before Akko could do anything, however, the dragon's head snapped up, looking Diana right in the eyes. Diana just stared back, shell shocked.
"Diana? What did you do?" Akko asked.
"I just thought what I wanted to say, except different?" Diana seemed confused as well as to what she had done.
"What do you mean 'except different'?"
"It was like I was thinking at it. Like I wanted it to hear what I was thinking." Diana said. Akko decided to try it as well.
Hi my name is Akko! Akko tried her best to think at the dragon, as Diana had suggested. Suddenly, the dragon looked at Akko, tilting its head as if it were confused.
"Good job, you did it!" Chariot congratulated.
"I don't think it understands what we're saying to it." Diana said, "Like it's hearing what we're saying, but it has no idea what we actually are saying."
"Didn't you say it probably doesn't know english?" Akko said, "What about trying to send it a thought instead of words? If that makes sense."
Akko steadied herself, and as best she could, Akko tried to think at the baby dragon a thought without actually using words. She sent the impression that her name was Akko.
This time, the dragon reacted slightly more vigorously. Looked at Akko before uncurling and walking over to Akko. It shot out a forked tongue, licking Akko on the cheek. Diana couldn't help but laugh at the entire situation.
"Did it work?" Diana asked.
"Yeah, I think. You have to talk to it without using words. Like think about ideas and images to get across your point." Akko explained. After a few moments, The dragon looked away from Akko, then walked over to Diana and licked her on the cheek. Akko smiled at the display. Then out of the blue, something popped into Akko's mind.
Mom? Rather than words, it was the impression of the phrase, but it still had the same effect. It hit Akko like a punch to the gut.
Akko hadn't realized the severity of the position she was in, until she heard it from the baby dragon itself. Akko was this thing's mother. She was going to raise it. She was going to be there for it as it growed. Looking over at Diana, She could see she had heard the dragon as well.
Then, Akko began to tear up. They weren't tears of sorrow, but of joy. The small droplets collected at the corner of Akko's eyes, threatening to spill. When Akko saw Diana in a similar fashion, she couldn't help but smile. A tear rolled down her cheek. Then another. The baby dragon walked up to Akko, crawling up on her lap, licking her face, causing Akko to laugh.
Akko stood up with the dragon in her arms, and did the first thing that came to mind.
She walked up to Diana, and hugged her, tears of joy still wet on her cheeks. To Akko's relief, Diana returned the embrace, hugging Akko back. The two just stood there for a few moments, baby dragon held between them. Finally, Diana broke the embrace. In the corner of the room, Chariot was smiling.
"There is one more thing." Diana said, voice shaky.
"What is that?" Akko asked.
"What is it's name? If it has a name, then we can use that, otherwise we need to name it. It is our-" Diana cut off, voice catching in her throat, before continuing softly, "our kid." Diana finished.
Akko nodded in agreement, not trusting herself to form a proper response.
Do you have a name? Both Diana and Akko thought towards the dragon at the same time.
When the impression came back, it was clear and concise.
Aoi Hane
Didn't expect me to be back this soon? Or update this late? Well, here I am! I couldn't stop myself! I know it's short, but I have a reason.
Important update for the next few chapters! I will be changing the style of the next few chapters to fit the pacing and character development of Aoi Hane growing up! I will be doing short 1,000-2,000 word chapters every day or every other day that are similar to one-shots, but still tie in. It will all work out, and you'll have something from me to read every day or two! It works for everyone!
The reason I'm doing this style is that I don't feel it's necessary to detail everything with Aoi Hane's growing up, but there are a few important things and character building I need to do. The arc will end with a big finale style long chapter as well. It will all make sense as I update. Anyways, thanks for reading!
P.S. Don't forget to review! I've started replying to the review I can over PM!