Divergence of Fate chapter 8: Seven, almost eight, also six.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and... nothing really. It is morning. The whiteish morning sun is doing its best to get through the clear glass, illuminating a dark bedroom. The owner of that room is sitting cross-legged on the bed with a book in hand, examining the contents of those thin pages.

It was a normal day. As normal as a day can get in such a place. Get up early in the morning, have a shower, change, breakfast, and then start studying. Though no matter how much she worked, it did not look like she was anywhere close to beating that tall mountain of books.

The Wodime residence was usually a silent place - it may have been because of their silent and controlled tone or maybe there was something special in the air that absorbed any kind of voice that would have disturbed the almost eerie silence. Except for the birds, of course, those always made sure to announce themselves early in the morning as they glided from one tree to another, using their agile wings.

Some stray thought wondered what it would have been like to turn into one of those birds, take off and have a look at the land from way above the fluffy clouds.

"Can mages fly?" Dia asked the mage across her while trying not to look too jealous of the birds.

Pepe leaned against one of his fancy hands, appearing to think about the question. The pale lips formed into a thin line, before forming into that smile of his.

"I am sure that there is someone out there who can."

"Can you fly?"

Come to think of it, there may have been some resemblance with a pink, crane-like bird she had seen once in a book. Flame? Flamengo? If anything, the color scheme was spot on. The quirky man went from smiling to a small fit of laughter. "Me? Flying? Well... no. Or at least not yet. Who knows, I might learn how to fly one day!"

"Hm."

"Would you like to fly?"

Dia looked away, the window conveniently appeared in her sight, and just there was one of the loud sparrows that wouldn't let her sleep in. Mockingly poked at the window before flying away.

Jerk.

"Maybe."

"Then I am sure that one day, you will fly. Just like that sparrow."

When the time comes, she is going to show that sparrow who is the boss. Though before she has an epic showdown with the local fauna, she first must learn how to tame the thing inside her. The pressure, the energy, and the effect as it rampaged across the entire street left an impression. So far, she hasn't been able to replicate that - anything similar. She definitely doesn't want to demolish this place. The last thing she wants is for Kirschtaria to be upset with her when he returns.

If he returns.

Some part of her mind uttered before she could stop it, but that thought was pushed aside.

If her eyes could shoot lasers, the entire bathroom would have probably been filled with the tiniest of holes as she tried to get a few drops of water moving with no effect whatsoever - the ones that would linger around every time she would get out out of that large bathtub with Maria's help.

Wouldn't it just be epic? She creating giant waves, creating mist, and disappearing in it like a ninja. Walls of ice that would protect her from all harm. Not to mention, free ice cream. Would she be able to create ice cream as well? That is the important question.

Actually, no, not really, but It would have been something.

"Pepe?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have ice cream today?"

With the weather getting warmer every day, eventually, it got to a point that it was difficult to sit outside for too long. Or at least, as outside as she could be - which mostly meant her sitting in a room with giant windows and so many plants that it looked more like a garden than inside a house. Pepe said that It was late July and that this kind of weather was normal for this part of the year.

The ice cream however hit the spot. The flowers around them gave off a nice smell.

It was still amazing how easily she can just ask for things - a little princess. Dudley is probably melting into a small green puddle of jealously somewhere out there, along with his friends because this is some really amazing ice cream and not the cheap ice cream cakes they would gobble down as if their lives depended on it every once in a while. Would the staff mind too much if she watched how they make it?

It was probably a better idea not to step on too many toes.

The white sweet mush of goodness and fruit slowly melted in her cup as she focused on it.

Freeze.

Please just freeze, you can do that, right?

Just what is she missing? It was so easy back then.

Eventually, she sighed and went back to eating. After all, it was still good ice cream, and better not waste it.

The rest of the day went on as usual. More books, Pepe being too nice to her, and then her evening routine. Dinner, take off the clothes, bath, pajamas - or whatever was the white dress-like thing she was given, and then good night with Mr. Andersen.

...

That was as usual - the wonderful softness and smell of the bed would lull her to sleep pretty quickly as of late, then she would take up rested and ready for the next day.

...

Diantha woke up in the middle of the night just because it seemed. The sun was no longer illuminating the room and its place was taken by a more modest moon, giving her enough light to know where things roughly are, but not enough to see everything clearly. Dia would always sleep through the night. Always. It was a vital skill she had to learn if she wanted to function through some harder days, so why was she awake?

The thought that she could leave the room occurred to her for a moment, at a different time, she would refuse out of fear that something bad might follow if she disobeys but this time something felt different.

After a moment of wrestling with the urge to see what is up, she finally gave up, removed the cover, and slid out of the bed, while leaving the pink stuffed toy behind. The halls were empty and quiet, even quieter than during the day. Even the birds outside were taking a break from their constant tweeting, singing, and all the other random noises. Making sure that she wouldn't get caught, the girl made sure to listen in on the smallest of sounds while looking around every corner. If she could do it in the streets, she can do it in a dead silent mansion.

After a while of listening and wandering around, she finally picked on something. Ironically, it came from where she knew the kitchens were - after all, it was one of the places she wanted to explore the most. The wonderful place where the delicious ice cream is made.

A thief? Maybe someone doing late-night snacking?

If it is a thief, he is doing some really poor job at being stealthy because Dian can hear the humming from quite a distance. What kind of a thief hums as they steal food? Then again, there are also grown men that still get bitten by little kids.

Making sure that she is out of sight, she let the carpet under her silence her footsteps as she approached the room, then slowed down as the carpet became a stone floor. She momentarily wondered whether it would have been better to remove her slippers as they were still pretty big for her small feet and moved around way more than she would have liked. In the end, she chose to leave them on, if only to avoid extra movement.

Finally, after she got close enough to her target, she peeked behind the corner she was hiding at to see the person in the kitchen.

The first thing she saw was a mop of blond hair, tied into a ponytail - probably so that it wouldn't get into the way of whatever the culprit was doing.

Dia suppressed the urge to get out there and scold the person - this is not how you steal. You have to be quick, quiet, effective, and elegant. Though admittedly, being elegant was just a bonus.

Maybe if she causes some ruckus, she would have enough time to ge... "Kirschtaria?"

The owner of the place quickly turned around with a look that Pepe would probably describe as a 'deer in the headlights. The blue eyes widened as he spotted her standing there and no longer hiding. The black-haired girl wiped her eyes to make sure that she is not seeing things, but he was still there. He was not the cold-looking man in a white suit, but the man who picked her up. Hair tied up, wearing that much less fancy shirt, trousers. His face went through several expressions until it settled on surprised.

"Pip? Why aren't you..."

Needless to say, she turned into a small missile that tackled Kirschtaria and being very unsuccessful in toppling him over. Though that was kind of given since he was still at the very least twice her height. Or even three times.

He came back. He actually came back. After so long, he came back.

He even smelled the same. How is it possible that after such a long time, when she herself had changed so much from that street rat, he is still the same. Dia realized only later on that she was tearing up a bit, though when that happened, the blond had somehow managed to pick her up and seat her at a chair. He was still the man who picked her off the streets and looked after her as she recovered, glancing at his face through her tears, she could tell.

"I.. I thought that there was some thief. I couldn't sleep for some reason so I left my room to look around a bit, and..."

"Sorry. I thought that you were asleep, so I did not want to wake you up." Embarrassed, she wiped her tears as quickly as she could. "Feeling better?"

She nodded. The man, who previously moved down so that their eyes would be at the same level smiled reassuringly. "So. A thief."
"You would make for a bad thief like that."

Better to direct the conversation elsewhere - she is a big girl and those do not cry. Pepe told her that once.

Kirschtaria's hair was still in that ponytail, hanging from his back. Combined with that expression, nobody would have expected that he is the owner of this place at all. Looking around, Dia realized something.

They are in a kitchen. Yes, actually she knew that. Duh. They are in a kitchen, but there was something else. Bowls, flour, butter... a baking tray? Yes, there was a baking tray at that kitchen counter, looking very much as if it was being prepared for something.

Dia opened her mouth and closed it. Then she opened it again and asked: "Do you like cooking?" It was actually more of a statement than a question, but It would make sense. He had money, a lot of money, but he still lived in that London apartment and making his own meals, meals which he shared with her later on. No fancy expensive restaurants like her aunt and uncle would do frequently, he always cooked back then - and she couldn't understand why she was not allowed to cook when she always made meals for others before.

Kirschtaria was pretty good at hiding his embarrassment, she had to give him that, but it was hard not to see it, considering the situation - she just caught him cooking in the middle of the night. Did he even get any sleep after he had arrived?

"Yes." He answered eventually, confirming her thoughts. "Pip?"

"Yes?"

"How good are you at keeping secrets?" He stared at her, she stared back and both looked more than a little awkward. For a moment, he tried to look serious but it had the opposite effect - it made Dia crack up and start laughing. Dear... something. What had she done? Exposing the dark secrets of the one person that allowed her to sleep in a comfy bed and eat delicious ice cream.

"What secrets? Are there any secrets?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before understanding what she meant.

"Good girl." This was followed by a gentle touch on her head. "Now then, would you like to help me out a bit here?"

"Sure!"

Diantha was starting to be certain that Kirschtaria is the nicest person in the world. When she woke up that day, she wasn't expecting that Kirschtaria would be back, or that she would cook up a storm with him by her side. Pushing her sleeves up, she got a chair, an apron that was too big for her and they were ready to go.

Was that bowl always so close to her?

In the end, those cookies turned out to be very nice. Diantha leaned forward to examine the result of their hard work. Steaming hot chocolate chip cookies, chocolate still soft enough that if she were to poke it, it would melt and leave stains. Is it alright to snack at night? Looking around, Kirschtaria certainly did not mind as he picked one of the better-looking ones and placed them on a small plate. Then he picked yet another one and started examining it. She thought once again that he would eat that one, but instead, he placed that one on the same plate.

Maybe he is storing them for later? Having safe storage for food is important, though she wasn't sure how important would it be for him.

"Kirschtaria!" Both heads quickly turned around to see someone familiar standing in the doorway. "You are baking up a storm here and you did not think to call me?!"

Pepe did look mildly upset. One of the rare moments when he wasn't smiling. Scratch that, the smile came back, except it wasn't the pleasant one, but a one she had seen once before - when Pepe was not in a good mood but upset about something. Luckily, it wasn't her back then, however this time the target of his ire was in the room.

"This is so unfair!" Then he stopped, glanced around the room, eyes stopping at her - only at that time she realized that she should probably be asleep. Pepe's eyes moved onto something else before eventually stopping at the blond. "You can cook?"

"Yes." Came a reply in the most dignified tone he could muster at that moment. The effect was pretty good considering that he was still covered in flour.

All of sudden Pepe's face lit up as if he suddenly realized something important, eyes flying towards her while she just stood there awkwardly. "Ohhhhhh. That is how it is." Is there something that she should know? Kirschtaria cleared his throat, that gesture was enough to stop Pepe from saying whatever he was about to say as he covered his mouth and momentarily looked like he just found some great treasure.

Is there something that she should know?

"I was hoping to surprise you in the morning, but matters did not work out that way." She looked around, Pepe still looked like a smug cat that just caught its lunch while Kirchtaria pulled something out of a pocket. Along with the plate and the item, he made his way towards her, and then...

"Happy Birthday."

She knew what she had heard, but the mind failed to process the information at that point - she suspected that her birthday was in summer, seeing how her aunt's behavior changed the last year around this time, but she never actually knew the date.

What is the date today anyway? It is late July, that is all she knows.

Kirschtaria opened his hand to see a small box there, after opening it, she saw what looked like a pendant - a tiny blue gem carefully attached to a thin silver and delicate-looking chain.

"It is my Birthday?"

"As of today, you are six."

"How do you know?" She blurted out before she could stop herself. "I mean, I..."

"I have my ways." He winked.

This was the second shock of that night. And she just let herself cry this time.

Also, Diantha wasn't certain how she got to bed that night.

The past few months have been... interesting to say the least. A child with, quite frankly, a ridiculous amount of prana, affecting the world around her just by breathing. Diantha - Pinsqueak is a good girl, however, it was hard to ignore the bag of issues that came with her.

"Any luck?" Scandinavia Peperonchino wasn't smiling, even as he was enjoying a glass of a cool drink on this hot summer night. The duo may appear as if they had known each other for years but the truth was that they have not interacted much up until Kirschtaria needed someone, preferably a mage with trustworthy skills to look after Pip, if only to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Kirchtaria's own father passed away many years ago, though even if he were around, he would be one of the last people to learn about the girl's existence. The couple of cousins he has were not a suitable option, which left him with those who worked for Chaldea, and there wasn't a person more trustworthy than Peperonchino Scandinavia.

"I have a good idea what might have happened. However, I still need to examine the place that Diantha was talking about." She was already sound asleep in her bed, too exhausted to keep going, in the morning he would ask the staff here to leave her be. "I have managed to contact Zelretch."

"Now you have my attention."

The Wodime head shook his head. "I do not wish to draw hasty conclusions."

"But?" The other man asked, curious. Kirchtsria sighed. "You are dangling the grand prize in front of my eyes, of course, I am curious, Kirch-chan."

If his guess is correct, if the event which brought her here is what he thinks it is, Diantha might be either the luckiest or unluckiest child in existence.

"She rayshifted."

"She what?"

"Now quite the rayshift that we are preparing for, but something similar. According to Zelretch, there are a number of randomly occurring rayshifts at all times. Finding them is a completely different matter, however, they occur. These rayshifts connect one world with another."

"Are you implying that Dia-chan is from another world?"

"It is the most reasonable explanation I have arrived at so far. As of right now, there is only one thing left to do. I was hoping to examine the place that Pip spoke about."

"We are talking about a crossroad in a showy night. Kirch-chan, there is a half dozen crossroads in and around London. Not to mention that there is a whole another slew of issues with rayshifting." Peperonchin frowned, then sighed. "Though judging by your expression, you already have a good idea which crossroad she mentioned in her story."

Silence fell. Come to think of it, he still found the quiet halls and rooms here unpleasant, though slightly more bearable ever since his father passed away. The exception was one certain room where a certain child moved in recently - just by living in there, she somehow changed it. It was impossible not to feel the ambient energy, the same one that would try and defend her when she felt like she was in danger, except this time it was much more relaxed. Welcoming even.

It made him wonder, what could she become if she tries hard enough?

(How many people would look at her jealous for her raw inborn ability?)

"I think it is a parasite." The sudden statement brought him out of his thoughts, paused for a moment then understood what the fellow team member was talking about.

"The scar?"

"It is alive and conscious at the very least. Not really happy about its current state but it probably does not have a choice but to remain where it is if the thing wants to live. Snapped at me when I poked it around a few times."

That child has possibly the worst possible luck there is, or maybe such a condition is normal where she comes from. It is hard to determine the truth without further information. "Is it dangerous?"

"At this moment, there seems to be something that prevents it from harming Dia-chan. Protection of some sort if you'd like. However, it is hard to determine how much longer it will last. From my estimates, it has been there for a few years already. The signature is similar to Dia-chan's own."

"So it was created by a parent?"

"That or a very close relative." Peperoncino put the small glass away, seemingly no longer interested in its contents, and then put his hands together as he leaned against them. "I can't be certain, but I think that the protection is weakening."

Kirschtaria closed his eyes, processing this new information. Combined with the fact that it displayed aggression, it was only a matter of time before it would try to harm the child.

"Can it be removed?"

"I can't even figure out how it was made in the first place."

"I see." If that is the case, then the next course of action was clear. He had discussed the matter of Diantha's origin with the Kaleidoscope for hours. While what happened to her was highly improbable - a once-in-a-century occurrence at best, it was possible to replicate under certain conditions. It came as a mild surprise that the old True Mage was willing to help without much of a fuss.

Potter? Well, let's just say that her other versions are almost always an interesting target to observe.

Kirschtaria chose not to inquire about specifics back then as Zelretch started to laugh, even if he felt interested. The Second True Magic was something that broke countless of his students, not only physically but also mentally.

What however truly mattered was what he would find on the other side - he already had some idea what to expect.

I still can't get over the fact that one of his hobbies is baking. Yes, it is official. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised that much seeing how much he likes puns too... and that he at one point went to Liz's concerts and had actually enjoyed himself. Gotta love this dork.

Also, Mushashi does her own version of rayshifting, that is how she goes from world to world as a reminder.

Once the list of scenes was done, this was done surprisingly fast. Actually, I left two scenes out as it felt like it would be better if I placed them in the next chapter as this is already 4k words. Found out that shorter chapters have their perks - it is easier to keep up with certain stuff.

So, yeah. Dia is turning 6 years old. I am still wondering whether I shouldn't have made her at least a year older, but then I also think that It would create holes elsewhere. For example, the fact that she doesn't know her name - the more time she would have spent with her relatives, the more chances to learn what her birth name is. Then there is school - she probably would have been sent to school at some point and this version obviously has never been to one.

I kind of want to move onto later chapters with servants and Lost Belts to get into the good stuff, but I do not want to skip earlier years either. Big, year-long time skips are out of the question if I want to build not only Diantha's character and the relationships around her. This would help to explain some of her actions in the future without me having to spell it out.

Anyway. I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter.

Please leave a review, it really helps me out when writing.