Adapting
Sorry if this intro part feels a little awkward. I needed some way to transition to the first one-shot style chapter!
After Diana and Akko recovered, they proceeded to discuss with the headmaster what the plan would be for moving forwards.
"First of all, you two cannot be living halfway across from the school from one another." Holbrooke started.
"Of course. So will Akko and I be rooming together?" Diana asked. Akko gulped.
As much as I would like to room with Diana, I can't abandon Sucy and Lotte… Akko thought.
"No offence Diana, but could we just have rooms like right next to each other? I don't want to stop rooming with Lotte and Sucy." Akko suggested. Holbrooke considered for a moment.
"I don't see why not. We can swap your spot with the room right next to Diana's."
"Then that's that!" Akko said, relieved that she wouldn't be leaving Sucy or Lotte.
"Next up is figuring out your class schedule. We cannot have you take a full class load and raise a baby dragon. That is far too much. Let's begin with cutting four classes." Akko immediately knew what she would be removing.
"Magic Linguistics, Magic History, Magic Numerology, and Magic Pharmaceutics please!" Akko said quickly. Holbrooke nodded and took note on her piece of paper.
Unlike Akko, Diana was hard-pressed to figure out which classes she wanted to remove. She scratched her chin as she thought.
"Hmm...Why must you make me choose, headmaster?" Diana complained.
"I can give you time to think on it if you wish. We do have until the beginning of the semester to decide." Holbrooke suggested.
"I would like that." Diana thanked. The rest of the meeting was to go over semantics, mostly notifying Akko and Diana that they would most likely be required to go to lectures with Aoi Hane, as well as spend all of their time outside of school with it as well. Then, Chariot took the wheel, educating the two on the 'do's and don'ts' of raising a baby dragon. Akko groaned and leaned back, preparing herself for the long lecture.
Akko had moved into the large suite, very similar to Diana's, that was next to Diana's room with her friends. After Lotte and Sucy had recovered from the initial shock, they hadn't known whether to congratulate Akko or feel sorry for her. To Akko's relief, neither seemed phased by the fact that Akko was essentially become a mother.
Through the next week, Diana and Akko fell into a pattern. They would wake up early, feed Aoi Hane meat from the cafeteria's stock, then meetup with each other in either Akko's or Diana's room, where they would go through a normal day. Aoi Hane slept with Diana and Akko in turn, switching off every night. They would go through their day as normally as possible, attempting to teach the curious dragon about the world as they went.
Diana and Akko also found that Aoi Hane was a male. That had certainly been an experience.
Aoi Hane quickly learned to walk on its own, which was a relief to Diana and Akko's tired arms. Though, he still liked to be carried as much as possible. He was quite the curious child, as one would expect. Sticking his nose where it didn't belong, then running from the trouble he inevitably caused. Diana and Akko were responsible for teaching Aoi Hane how the world worked, and that also involved much more than they had initially planned.
For example, Diana and Akko had not anticipated having to teach him basic knowledge, from what a bee was, to why he couldn't just go snapping at people he didn't like. He didn't have the mind of an infant, but more like the mind of a toddler.
Akko and Diana had gotten significantly better at communicating with Aoi Hane, as it took a little while to get used to communicating without words. They also got better at interpreting what Aoi Hane was telling them in response. They could tell when he was hungry, or when he wanted them to know something.
If there was one thing that Diana and Akko knew for certain from this whole situation though, it was that as they Aoi Hane grew, he also helped them grow. Even from this small amount of time, Akko had realized how much more responsible she needed to be. Previously, if she had done something to hurt herself, she was the only one affected. Now though, she realized that she would be leaving Aoi Hane without a mother, hurting him as well. And Akko couldn't stand to do that. If there was one thing she could wholeheartedly say she loved as much as her family, Aoi Hane would be it.
It was now the last day of the break between semesters. Students were beginning to come back to the school, and word quickly spread about the entire situation, and soon Diana and Akko were the center of talk for the entire school. Although, as rumors tended to, some talk strayed from the truth slightly. Some people were saying that Diana and Akko had found an infant dragon and chose to raise it valiantly. Others were saying that they had kidnapped it from a mother dragon in some mystical place. Of course, Diana and Akko knew none of those things were true, but they didn't care to dispel the rumors.
Akko was sitting on Diana's couch now, watching as Diana played half heartedly with Aoi Hane. Akko could tell that Diana cared about Aoi Hane heavily, but both Akko and Diana were beginning to become tired of the constant hyperactivity. It felt like they could never catch a break, only getting to rest when the other took over.
"He's bored again." Diana said exasperatedly as she watched Aoi Hane curl up into a ball on the carpet.
"Ask him what he wants to do." Akko suggested, flipping through a magazine.
"He knows, but he doesn't know how to tell us. This language barrier is quite troublesome." Diana muttered. She sat looking at the baby dragon for a moment, obviously trying to talk to him mentally. Then, Diana groaned.
"Really? You want to do that again?" Diana complained, not standing up. Akko laughed at Diana's distress.
"What is it he wants to do?" Akko asked.
"He wants to go play outside and run around and chase the birds. It's what he decided on after he couldn't figure out to say the other thing he wanted to do." Diana explained, then frowned, "But I don't want to go outside." Akko laughed again.
"That sucks! It's your turn! I went last time!" Akko teased, sticking her tongue out. Then, DIana smirked. Aoi Hane proceeded to put his head down, though not as if in shame, but rather it looked like he was pouting.
"What did you tell him?" Akko asked, watching Aoi Hane curl up on the footrest, still pouting.
"I told him that I don't want to go outside. We spoil him too much anyways." Diana admitted. Akko nodded in agreement. Their entire agenda throughout the past few days had been revolving around him and only him. Diana and Akko had hardly spent any time with anyone else other than each other and Aoi Hane.
Though, Akko didn't mind spending time almost exclusively with Diana. In fact, it made her rather happy. Akko had thought that it was impossible for her and Diana to get any closer, but they had. Spending all of your time with someone, practically living with them in fact, could make you closer to even your closest friend.
Diana won't take me outside. Can you? Akko felt Aoi Hane's mind brush against her. Although the words weren't exact, it was the feeling that Akko had gotten from his complaint.
"Great. He's asking me now. Thanks for that." Akko complained to Diana.
No. I'm busy. If you can find out what it is you wanted to do in here, I'll do it with you. The way they had communicate was not an exact art, and frequently, things got lost in translation. Based on Aoi Hane's unsatisfied growl from across the room though, Akko thought she got her point across. Then, something popped into Akko's mind.
Akko was sitting on a couch, though it felt weird. She was much shorter, and her body felt...different. Against her will, Akko looked up to her right side and saw...herself? Akko's body pointed to something in front of her and her view shifted again. Her head turned and looked at a book that was sitting on the coffee table.
I'm looking through Aoi Hane's eyes...is this a memory? Akko thought.
In front of her were pictures on a page with text. Even though, Akko herself could understand what the words on the page said, a foreign thought embedded itself in the memory, and that was that she could NOT understand what the words said. Diana said something, and Akko had the same odd feeling of both knowing and not knowing what they said.
The memory and Akko was sitting on the couch again in her own body. She looked to Diana, who had a similar shocked expression on her face. Aoi Hane was sitting up on the footrest, looking back and forth between Diana and Akko.
"Diana, did you see that too?" Akko asked. Diana nodded.
"I think it was a memory. One of Aoi Hane's. Is that what he wanted to do? Sit down and read?" Diana said.
"I think so." Akko asked him mentally. Aoi Hane just sent back the feeling of approval.
"Well, I suppose we can do that." Diana conceded, standing and grabbing a book before walking over to the couch where Akko sat. Akko could still remember the memory Aoi Hane had shared as if it were her own. Like the memory had been imprinted on her mind. Sudeenly, an idea popped into Akko's head.
"Wait, Diana! I think I have a way to teach Aoi Hane english!" Akko said, happily.
We won't have to communicate so awkwardly anymore! Akko thought with relief.
"How would we do that?" Diana said, confused.
"Well, Aoi Hane just shared a memory with us. What's to say we can't do the same to him?" Akko said, trying to lead Diana to the answer.
"I can't remember the time from when I was a child when I learned english, though…" Diana said, still confused.
"That's the thing. I do! I can remember all my english classes back in Japan!" Diana's eyes opened slightly more as she realized what Akko was getting at.
"You'll share your memories of learning english, and he will acquire those memories, so we could talk to him. It may not work, though." Diana said, but then smiled, "It's worth a shot."
Akko fistpumped, and began to recollect on everything she could about learning english. She knew she missed a lot, but hoped much of the memories would surface with the major ones.
When Akko was finally ready, she mentally shoved the memories through the mental link. Whatever had happened, it had happened in a split second, as Aoi Hane instantly staggered, as if stunned.
"Woah!" Diana said, rushing forwards and catching him before he could fall off the footrest.
"Did it work?" Akko said, looking to Diana.
"I haven't a clue." Diana responded.
Diana? Akko? A voice spoke inside Akko's head. Akko staggered back. It had the familiar touch of Aoi Hane's mind, but instead of pictures or ideas, it was a voice. The voice sounded like a child's, though was definitely male.
"Aoi Hane? Can you understand us?" Diana asked. Aoi Hane jumped up, flapping his wings happily.
I can understand! I can understand! The baby dragon's voice cheered happily. Akko sighed with relief.
"That's so great! I'm so glad it worked!" Akko said happily, picking up Aoi Hane by his front armpits and hugging him tight.
Mooommmmm! Aoi Hane groaned, embarrassed. Akko's voice hitched in her throat. She had known the severity of her position, but hearing it from Aoi Hane seemed to amplify it. Then, Akko smiled. Holding back the tears of joy threatening to form at the corners of her eyes.
I hope you liked the first of the one-shot style chapters! I needed something at the beginning to explain the transition. As for the reason I wrote this one, It is REALLY hard to write a character that doesn't really talk. Like both difficult and awkward. So i found this was the best way to get him to speak.
Next chapter will be another small time skip, as well as a little more one-shot like. Next chapter? I'll just let you know it's called "The Lecture"
P.S. Don't forget to review!