I slowly groaned as I came to, immediately regretting the action as my lungs protested with a coughing fit.
"Oh, hold still young man." I winced at the loud voice ringing in my head. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my hands moved to defend myself without thinking. Unfortunately all my actions accomplished was me getting a low powered stunner spell to the gut, making me cough again. Thankfully it wasn't strong enough to actually stun me, just knock the wind out of me. The voice came again, but it was quieter this time. "You young witches and wizards always over doing it. Retirement will come all too soon for me." A voice said. Through my tired mind, I noted the voice was feminine.
"W-." My throat was so hoarse I had to whisper to not use my vocal cords. "Where am I?"
"Saint Mungo's." I faintly recognized the name. "You've had quite a few friends stop by since you got here. Had to force the lot of them out." Then everything snapped back to me so quickly I felt like I had been slapped. I sat up, ignoring the protesting nurse and my aching body.
"Akumu!" I looked around as I coughed into my elbow. My arm was pulled away from my face and a potion was shoved into my hand.
"Drink this, then talk." I warily looked at the corked vial. Hearing a huff of impatience from the magical nurse next to my bed, I popped the cork out and sniffed it. Recoiling, I shot a glare at the witch. She sighed and with practiced ease, made me slam back the potion before I could think. I gagged as the strong substance burned my throat like ice. With that out of the way, I glared at her.
"Where's Akumu?!"
"Who son?" I turned to see a wizard step through the white curtains on my right.
"Akumu! My sister! She was-!" I froze as the memory resurfaced and I slumped back, my heart shattering all over again. "…No…" I scrubbed my eyes, furiously trying not to cry. I took as deep a breath as I could, then looked the man in the eye. "Where did they put her…?" My eyes flicked over to see the curtain pull back again, and Professor McGonagall stepped through. "Professor-!" A simple hand being held up was all that she did, but it was enough to silence the sentence on the tip of my tongue. She turned to the nurse.
"Madame, how is he?" I didn't appreciate her acting like I wasn't in the room, but a sharp look from her kept me quiet.
"Other than the charred skin and torn muscles, his body is surprisingly resilient to whatever spell was used on him." The Professor nodded her thanks and turned to me, another look making sure she was the first to speak.
"I am not sure what happened when you were fighting Voldemort, Mr. Taiki. But whatever you did had the Dark Lord clinging to life, even before the final Horcrux was destroyed."
"I…nearly killed him?" She nodded, "But is he…?"
"Mr. Longbottom was able to destroy the snake. Voldemort is no more." I slumped back, a sigh of relief rushing through my teeth.
"He's gone…" I looked at her again, my throat tightening. "Where did you put Akumu…"
"You need to rest, Mr. Taiki." She stated calmly.
"I need to see her." Fiery determination danced in my eyes before suddenly extinguishing. "…I can't go home…" Horror made my breathing pick up and I looked at my hands. "I, I can't get home without her! She was the only wa-!" My voice caught in my throat and the medi-witch put a second potion in my hand.
"Drink." She commanded. I didn't move.
'Not only is Akumu dead…I don't have any way home…What am I going to do now?'
««{{¤}}»»
Once the nurse was sure I could walk with a cane for support, I followed the Professor out of my hospital room and down the hallway at her urging. She made sure I was still with her as she stopped at a door and knocked. A voice too soft for me to hear answered.
"Professor, why did you drag me halfway across the hospital?"
"She's in here." She said, and opened the door, holding it open for me. I cautiously stepped in.
'Why do they have her body in a hospital room…?' The room was rather dark, the only light streamed from the gently shaded windows. I stepped into the main part of the room, noticing a silhouette against the window. My heart stopped and my blood froze.
"About time you got here. I thought I was going to stand by this window forever." I scoffed in disbelief and shock as tears threated to spill again. Akumu, bandaged and beaten, turned to face me, and with a wave of her wand the lights turn on.
"Of course you plan a dramatic entrance." I choked out. She smiled, but it was forced.
"You act like you're surprised." Silence filled the room before I moved towards her with every bit of speed that I could and wrapped her in a hug. She returned it, tears in both of our eyes as we hugged each other as tightly as our injuries would allow.
"I'm so glad you're alive. I thought…I couldn't." My fists bunched up her shirt, not wanting to let go in case this was the cruelest dream I had ever had. (And that would be saying something…) She just nodded into my shoulder, knowing what I was trying to say. After a minute I pulled back. My legs gave out, and she had to help me sit on a chair before I fell. There was only one thing I could think to say as I sucked in a shaky breath. "I-I thought he killed you. How…?" She snorted, then frowned a little.
"Sorry, but…you are not ever repairing this thing." I raised an eyebrow as she held her hand out. I copied her action, and I noticed her wince at the bandages covering most of my arm and hand. She placed something in my open palm, and I gasped. Just about split in half with cracks running throughout, was my Yang necklace made out of dragon scales. I looked at her in shock.
"Wait, you mean?"
"The Killing Curse hit the necklace, not me directly. Apparently just enough of the spell hit me to knock me out, but not kill me." I stared at the necklace in disbelief.
"That's…"
"Astronomically impossible? Beyond dumb luck? So ridiculous that it's actually not surprising considering it's us that did it? Yeah, tell me about it. Professor McGonagall got quite the scare when I woke up."
"Probably almost gave her a heart attack." The smallest smile traced my lips at the thought. Akumu sat on the edge of her bed, her feet swinging a little.
"So…what happened to you?"
"I went ballistic on Moldywart." I stated dumbly as I looked over my bandaged arms, the memories resurfacing. She folded her arms.
"Tch, of course I missed it." She stated flatly. I stood up, internally groaning at the strain. I hobbled over to her and took her hands.
"I thought you were dead."
"You said that already." She said, flicking her hair back with a twist of her head.
"Akumu. Harry was the one to stop me. If he hadn't stepped in…" She stared at me in confusion for a minute, not getting what I wasn't willing to say, before her eyes widened.
"You were that angry?"
"I stood up to, and almost killed, one of the most powerful wizards in history. I was blinded by grief. I wanted so badly to say it wasn't true, that you weren't dead." I sucked in a tight breath, "But I snapped. If Harry hadn't stopped me, I would have destroyed myself. Metaphorically, and physically."
"…" Her eyes started to water at the thought of seeing me in that state.
"…Come'ere." I turned and struggled to push myself onto the bed. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. "But he did stop me. He knew that tearing myself apart wasn't going to bring you back."
"I knew you cared. I didn't realize just how much it would have affected you." She stared at her hands before whispering, "…Thank you."
"Anything for you Akumu." I slid off the bed. "Now, the nurse said I had 15 minutes. I have to get back to my room before she finds me and straps me to a bed." Akumu snorted, then laughed.
"Oh, that I would pay to see." I smirked, placing a hand on her shoulder. I held out the necklace, but she tried to push it back. "Keep it." I shook my head.
"No, I gave it to you."
««{{Flashback}}»»
(Muggle world, before soccer tourney)
"Akumu, can you come out here for a minute?" I heard her give an exaggerated sigh before popping around the corner.
"What? I was studying?"
"No, you were napping, don't think I'm stupid." She raised an eyebrow then rolled her eyes. "Just come here."
"Fine, don't know who died and made you boss." She sat down on the edge of my bed, her hands resting in her lap.
"No one, but I am older."
"Hmph." I smiled gently before holding out my hand.
"Here." She took the object and her eyes rested on it only for a second before snapping up to meet my gaze.
"No."
"I'm not asking."
"I'm not taking it, Rai. It means too much to you." She folded her arms.
"Which is why you should have it."
"That doesn't make any sense! Besides…it's your only reminder of them." She tried to argue.
"Not true. I have the memories." I said, tapping the side of my head with a finger.
"'Cause that's going to last." She snorted. "I'm still not taking it."
"I told you I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Why do you want me to have it so badly?"
"Because, I remembered Umbridge sa-."
"You trust anything out of that witch's mouth?" The fire in her eyes made me pause.
"No, but I did my research." Her shoulders slumped a little.
"Of course you did."
"These scales have latent magical abilities. I'm not sure what they are, but maybe they'll help you somehow. Who knows, maybe once everything settles down, we can figure out how to unlock your magic." Something flashed in her eyes, but it was too brief to tell what it was.
"Rai."
"I'm not making any promises. In fact, I'm out right saying don't plan on it working. But maybe keep that sliver of hope." She gazed at the purple and black scales as I passed it over to her.
"…Thank you Rai…"
"Gotta give you something, don't I? It is your birthday after all." She clouted me over the shoulder, making me jump.
"Oh shut up."
««{{Flashback End}}»»
"…And after it saved your life, you should have it now more than ever." She hesitated as I pushed it into her hand. "It's yours." She looked between my eyes and the necklace.
"But…it's the only thing you have of them." She tried one last time.
"And you saying that over and over again isn't going to change anything." She let me set the necklace in her hand, then slugged me in the shoulder. "Ow! Jerk." I rubbed my already sore shoulder.
"I'm not planning any death defying stunts any time soon. They haven't even released me yet." She said as she latched it around her neck.
"Still."
"Fine. Baka."
"Love you too, sis." I said as I hobbled out of the room. The biggest weight lifted off of my shoulders as the door latched.
««{{Later That Day}}»»
I sighed as Akumu and I stepped out of the hospital. Thankfully the workers there didn't throw away my katana. After only just getting it back from Sting, I was unwilling to let it go again so soon. I noticed a group of people off to our left. Recognizing our friends, I motioned to them and we walked over. Hermione was the first to spot us and stood up, alerting everyone else.
"There they are!" Everyone was on their feet in an instant, forming a circle around us. The noise was a little much for me, so I pulled out my wand and let out a bright flash of light over my head.
"Everyone done? Good. You don't need to shout." Everyone smiled and we went through a line of hugs and relieved laughs. I paused when I saw a particular red head staying near the back, sitting on a picnic bench outside of the crowd. One quick sweep of the small group confirmed the sharp stab of dread that had hit me in an instant. I put a hand on Ron's shoulder and gently pushed past him. Once everyone saw where I was going, they made a path. I crouched down, the wizard only making brief eye contact before looking back to the particular piece of grass.
"…I'm sorry George." He looked at me, a smile that was more painful than mine etched its way across his face.
"I always did say I would live longer… And I still can't figure out how you know who's who." I scoffed and shook my head, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. There were so many people that hadn't made it. None of them should have been in that war. I scowled a little, clenching my fist.
"Rai?" I turned to see Mr. And Mrs. Weasley holding hands, standing in front of the small crowd. "Are you alright dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"...Yes. I'm...sorry about Fred..." She gave me a small, knowing smile. She held out her free arm and I couldn't help it. I hadn't felt my own mother's embrace in years. Mrs. Weasley slowly took us down to ours knees as everything over the past few weeks poured out onto her shoulder. She quietly cried as well, Mr. Weasley placing a comforting hand on both of our shoulders.
After a few minutes, I pulled back, feeling much lighter than just a few minutes ago.
"…Thank you." Mrs. Weasley smiled sweetly, wiping tears from my eyes.
"You have been through far too much for someone your age." I blinked.
"You have no idea." I weakly deadpanned. She let out a short laugh and pulled me to my feet. My ears registered a very familiar flapping noise and turned, but Mrs. Weasley cut me to the chase. She gasped and I was pushed behind her with a protective arm. A familiar roar of confusion made me turn around. "No, don't!" Mrs. Weasley hesitated, but lowered her wand as I stepped around towards Tesla, who had stopped when he saw the wand. "He's a close friend." I held out a hand and Tesla pushed into it, moaning a little before going on to bump me in different places, checking my injuries. I turned to see that Akumu had greeted Sting, her hand on his head as he walked up to us.
"Rai?" I nodded at Mrs. Weasley. "How on earth did you manage this?"
"Long story. I'll explain to everyone at some point, but not right now. Just know that both Tesla and Sting are not going to harm anyone. They simply want to protect us." Tesla nudged me. "Okay, Tesla protects me, Sting protects Akumu." He rumbled and I leaned on his head with a sigh. "You'd think after this many years the sass would leave your system. Guess you've been spending too much time around Astrid." His eyes widened a little and he growled at me. "Oh chill out. Still uptight as ever." He rolled his eyes and we both smiled. I hugged him around his neck, and he wrapped his wing around me, bending his head to rest against my back. I sighed at the long missed embrace. I pulled back, a smile on my face, which he rumbled at.
"I never thought we'd see each other again." Mrs. Weasley noticed Sting as well, who tilted his head at her.
This was a strange world. There were people with sticks that shot dangerous lights, and the air felt statically charge, like when Tesla got mad, but it was only around the people with the danger sticks. Mr. Weasley stepped forward, his eyes wide in awe. He reached out a hand but hesitated. I nodded as I stepped over.
"It's okay Mr. Weasley, they won't hurt you." He nodded and stretched his hand out. Tesla reached out to meet him, brushing his hand with his nose. Mr. Weasley ran both hands across the dragon's scales.
"Magnificent..." He said in awe. Mrs. Weasley held out a hand that was slightly shaking. I gently took her wrist and urged her forward. Tesla nudged her hand and she gasped at the texture.
"Yes, they are." Mrs. Weasley agreed with her husband. Tesla groaned at the praise. I gently whacked him over the nose.
"Come on, we've talked about this years ago, I told you not to let praise get to your head!" He growled at me, his shoulders raising a bit, only to get the Mrs. Weasley finger pointed at him.
"Do not growl at him!" She sharply retorted. Tesla pulled back, looking between me and the unmoving finger, a little unsure about who this woman was. He brushed against me as an apology. I hugged him, smirking as she put her hand on her hips with a nod. "Good." I snorted in laughter.
"Mrs. Weasley, I figured out how your son Charlie tames dragons." She raised an eyebrow, curious. "He just taps into that motherly care you've kindly showed him for all these years." She huffed and propped both hands on her hips. I smiled, and she smiled cheekily in return, wagging her finger at me.
"You are lucky we are all still tired Rai. Otherwise you might get to experience some of that "motherly care" you say Charlie has seen." I audibly gulped, my eyes getting a little wider.
"Du-! Yes ma'am!" She smiled, for real this time, and I relaxed. Tesla chuffed in humor and I rolled my eyes.
"Mr. Taiki." I turned to see Professor McGonagall walking over with Harry in tow. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore. Like I've been hit by lightning. Oh, wait."
A/N: Rough Google Translate ahead. If it's wrong, it's the best I could do! I am monolingual on a good day! XP
*Smack*
"Ahahahow! Nande ore?!"(Why me?!) I rubbed the back of my head.
"Hiniku ni naranaide kudasai!"(Don't be so sarcastic!)
"Ma, anata wa watashi o utsu hituyo wa arimasendeshita!"(Well you didn't have to hit me!)
"Anata wa jubun ni orokadesu, tokiniha sore wa sukoshi chikara ga kakarimasu!"(You're stupid enough, sometimes it takes a little force!)
"OI!" We glared for a second before our heads turned in sync. We blinked at the crowd of staring eyes before I busted up laughing, realizing we had slipped into Japanese without realizing.
"Rai? What language was that?" Harry asked.
"That was Japanese Harry, quite fluent, if I had to guess too." I nodded to the brightest witch of her time.
"Correct Hermione. We both grew up speaking the language. Of course, we learned English because it's becoming bigger around the world overall."
"But you had perfect accents in both languages!" I shrugged at that.
"That's how we were raised. Both of my parents are actually from America, so I had to adopt the Japanese accent. Not too hard when your teacher is 80 years old and doesn't like slackers." Everyone blinked at me before Tesla bumped me from behind. When I turned to look at him, his wing pulled back, exposing his saddle. I grinned.
"It's been way too long."
««{{Months Later}}»»
Akumu and I were up on a hill outside of the mostly repaired Hogwarts. It had taken months to get it to its current state, and the workers were still repairing the occasional fallen wall and busted floor out of the way of the main traffic of future students. Tesla nudged me from where he was curled up at my side.
"It's almost back to its former glory." Akumu said, her hands running over Sting's scales.
"It won't be the same though. The scars will always be there." She looked at me through a lock of hair, a glint in her eye.
"True…but I think I like it better like that. It shows a depth to the school." I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Since when are you philosophical?" I coughed as she reached over, jabbing me in my ribs. "Gah! I was joking! You know I'm still sore!" She smirked at me and went back to staring at the castle.
"I always was. You just never listen."
"Sure, fine. I'll admit, I used to tune out your ramblings before Berk."
"Jerk."
"Aaand you're a poet too." I keeled over in pain, my gut flaring from where her fist had landed. "Okay-! I'm sorry-! Don't hurt me-!" I coughed out as I saw Tesla stare at me as if to say, "you brought this on yourself, I have no sympathy for you." I rolled my eyes at him. "Even after all this time. You still haven't changed."
*Whack*
"…Only proving my point, jerk." I ducker under his wing. "You're going to give me a concussion one of these days." He warbled and bumped his head against me. I grumbled in response as I leaned against his shoulder. He shifted around until his head and tail curled in a circle around me. I sighed, just enjoying the familiar feeling of static in the air. I missed Tesla and the others. My brow furrowed and I sat up, Tesla moaning in protest.
"…Akumu?" As I spoke, I saw her and Sting were copying Tesla and I. Her head was resting against his shoulder, just behind his head. My eyebrows raised when I saw Sting's tails draped across her lap. He trusted her enough to let her touch his tails. Both of their eyes were closed, and it was the first time in a few months I saw Akumu's face truly relax. Her eyebrow raised slightly in response to her name. Other than that, only a hum answered me.
"Hmm?"
"…Do you remember how Tesla and Sting got here?" Her eyes blinked open as she thought about it. She sat up and paused in thought before looking at me.
"…No…?"
"Really?"
"I…can't remember."
"Do you have access to your magic?"
"Rai, we've already established this, I can't do it." Her tone was
"Then why did Tesla and Sting come through one of your portals." Her eyes locked onto mine and for all her self-control, her breathing hitched. "Akumu…were you lying, this whole time…?" Her hands moved to her lap.
"…" The conversation stalled, and I looked back towards the castle, my thoughts running a million miles an hour.
"Why?" Her eyes flicked up to mine for only a second. "That's all I want to know, Akumu, is why you lied to me?" Her arms wrapped around her, nervousness breaking through her shell. "I'm not mad, Akumu, just…"
"…It's not important…" My lungs filled before I paused, thinking of my next words carefully.
"…No, I suppose it's not." I leaned against Tesla again. "You'll know when you're ready, to tell me and to go home." I closed my eyes and sighed, relaxing. I could feel her eyes on me for a solid minute before I could tell she stand up, Sting letting out a small squawk in protest. She mumbled an apology to him as she walked off. I cracked an eye to see Sting watch her walk away before he turned to meet my eyes, tilting his head. I closed my eyes and took another breath before grunting as I got up.
"Fine, Sting. Still haven't been able to say no to that look." I grumbled before following Akumu. She was standing at the edge of a small ledge, looking over the Black Lake. I stopped a few yards behind her, folding my hands behind my back, standing vigil. It was probably five minutes before she said anything. When she did, she didn't make any movements to look at me.
"I was scared." I dipped my head in acknowledgment. She would know I was urging her on, just by my silence. "I didn't want to face your parents." The only thing to break the silence was the distant water on the lake shore, and a small breeze brushing through the grass. "How could I face them? They probably hate me."
"I doubt it." I said.
"…You don't know that."
"You're right. I said I doubt it, not that I know it." She half turned to look at me.
"How can you say that?" Her eyes were dull, worry starting to seep through.
"You don't know them like I do, Akumu." I stepped up to her, looking over the lake and the hills beyond. "They are not people who hate. It is not in their nature."
"But I nearly killed them and then made you commit murder."
"True." I said as I shifted my weight from my heels to my toes, and back again. "But will they know it was you?"
"Of course they will!" She glared at me.
"Possibly." I said as my eyes swept across the scenery. "I should paint this. The castle would be a little difficult, changing appearance every day with the repairs and all. I wonder if Diagon Alley has any painting equipment. After all, I was able to find some on Ber-." She fully turned to me, stomping her foot down.
"Rai! Listen to me!" My mouth closed calmly as I made steady eye contact with her. "I can't go with you!"
"Why not?" I raised an eyebrow for a second, tilting my head a little.
"They won't accept me! Not after what I've done! I've killed people!"
"So have my dad and I." My gaze swept over the scenery again, noting a small herd of Thestrals on the far side of the lake.
"But those weren't in cold blood!" My brow raised as I mentally conceded to her point. But I wasn't going to admit that to her.
"Who's the judge on that, Akumu?" She paused, not expecting that comment. "Who are we to say what is justified murder?"
"Stop getting deep and listen to me!" I turned to her.
"I am listening to you."
"No! You're not!" She opened her mouth to continue, when I gripped her shoulder.
"You will not be judged. Not by my family. Nobody is perfect or void of faults. Yes, some are more severe than others. Yes, some people deserve punishment of a higher caliber. But don't you think me putting a full magazine through you was enough?" She hung her head, unsure how to answer me. "You are not a glutton for punishment. In fact, you avoid it at all costs. So why are you punishing yourself."
"…I don't deserve a home." My eyes closed in frustration before I raised my voice.
"Wrong!" Her eyes were wide as stared at me. My volume lowered as I continuted. "You deserve a home more than anyone. You deserve to have a family." I paused, "I bet, you weren't on that path until after your brother died…were you?" Her eyes widened even more, and she ducked her head. "You were angry. Angry at the cops because they couldn't do anything. You were looking for a way to make his killers pay. But you never found them…did you?" She shook her head, unable to speak. I continued.
"You went on a rampage, directing your anger and pain at anyone who tried to protest your actions. It was a blind rage you lived in for years. Long enough, that once you found me," I titled my head forwards a little, "You finally had a worthy opponent to unleash all of that built up anger on. You finally had a large enough outlet."
"I became obsessed."
"So did I." Her head jerked up, her brow furrowing as confusion danced in her eyes. "After…that day, I became obsessed with hunting down the life you had built. I found the gang that followed you, and I tore it apart. Piece by piece, person by person, I locked them away. I had become the fiercest force in the precinct. Even some of the more experienced officers avoided me because I spent countless days and nights hunting with hardly any care for myself." I shook my head as I turned to the scenery again, "I wasn't fair, I wasn't just. I was angry. I was blind." I let that sink in for a minute before turning back to her. "I went against everything I had ever learned. All of the instructions I had been given were put behind lock and key in my mind. I didn't care what I had to do, just as long as I brought them down."
"I was in the same boat as you Akumu. Except for the fact that I had a family who was able to pull me from that pit I had dug. I had people to help me to my feet when I had kicked myself into the dirt. You didn't before. But you do now." Her eyes misted over and she looked away, not wanting me to see.
"…I still don't think they'll accept me."
"How about when we get back, I talk with them. Before you even walk in the door, I explain everything." She mulled that over before looking at me.
"And what if they still don't accept me?"
"Then I'll help you find a place and get settled. I'm not going to turn my back on you Akumu. We've been through far too much for that." I wrapped my arm over her shoulder. "Besides, I have a guilty conscience. I couldn't walk away and leave you on the street to save my life." She rolled her eyes, only half meaning her next comment.
"You are still way too soft."
"Only when I can be, Akumu. Only when I can be."
««{{¤}}»»
"Tesla…It's been fun, but we need to send you and Sting back." He warbled at me. "Hey, it's not like this is permanent, we can still visit. There's just no telling when." I instinctively ducked, barely avoiding a wing. "Cut it out!" I ran my hand over one of his horns that framed his head like a crown. "Hey Akumu?"
"Huh?" She was kneeling and digging through her bag.
"How often can you make a portal?"
"Unless I'm exhausted, as often as I need." I turned back to Tesla with a smirk.
"See? I'll visit as often as I can. I'm not planning on saying goodbye any time soon." Tesla rolled his eyes, as if he was saying "ask me if I care". I smirked and scratched him behind his crown of horns, watching his eyes roll back as he leaned into it. I pulled back after giving him a final hug. "Alright, ready Akumu?"
"As I'll ever be." She said as she slung her bag over her shoulders. I nodded at her.
"Let's do this." Akumu closed her eyes and raised her hands, moving them in two slow circles. She started muttering and a purple and black light started pouring from her hands, creating a sideways figure eight. About ten feet out, a small portal, the same colors of magic swirled into existence. It slowly grew until it was about 15 feet tall. Akumu lowered her arms as the invisible gong echoed out. I turned to Sting and Tesla, kneeling down as they both brushed against me. "We'll see you two soon, alright?" I paused when I noticed an oddly familiar stone hanging from Tesla's neck. It looked like someone, most likely Hiccup, had set the white stone into the collar wrapped around Tesla's neck. "Tesla…you kept it?" He groaned as he nodded. I smiled, placing my hand on his head. "You have no idea how much that means to me." He rolled his eyes and stepped back. I turned to Sting and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Take care of Tesla for me, will ya?" I dropped my tone a little, nearly whispering to him, "He's kind of getting old, wouldn't want him to croak out before I get to visit again."
*WHACK* I was bowled over by a thicker portion of Tesla's tail, making me roll once or twice. I landed on my backside and lolled my head a little.
"Mom, make the Hippogriffs stop." I groaned as Tesla and Akumu cracked up laughing. I shook my head to clear the horse eagle hybrids from spinning around my head. I wobbled back over to them, Sting letting me lean on his head for support. I shot a harmless glare at the others. "At least I have one friend that doesn't abuse me…" Tesla and Akumu both shot me glares at me before I chuckled. "Alright, let's get you two home before I get a concussion or something." Everyone shared looks of amusement before I gave my dragons one last hug. "I'll visit soon." Akumu stood next to me and cleared her throat.
"We, will visit you soon." Tesla, Sting and I nodded before they flapped their wings and leaped through the portal, the familiar gong sound ringing across the plain. The portal shrunk with a wave of Akumu's hand, slipping out of existence. "Well, shall we go home?"
"…I feel a strange sense of Déjà vu…" I snorted as she raised her hands and started another portal.
"Rai! Akumu! Wait up mates!" I turned to see the Golden Trio, along with Luna, Neville and Ginny running up, and blinked in surprise to see Headmistress McGonagall moving at her own, albeit slightly swifter, pace behind them. When the others got to us, Ron's hands going to his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Blimey! Did you have to do this so far from the castle?" He gasped. I only smiled.
"Well, we couldn't have our dragons scaring the students, could we?" He shrugged.
"They weren't that scary mate."
"Maybe not to you. But imagine never seeing a dragon before in your life, only to have one show up out of nowhere." He nodded.
"Fair enough mate." The Headmistress made her way over to us, presenting a scroll to Akumu, and then myself.
"What is this Professor?"
"An allowance to return to Hogwarts any time you wish. You still have much to learn when it comes to magic, and we can't have you getting out of practice." I smiled at her and held out a hand. She returned both gestures and stepped back. The rest of us traded hugs until Hermione and Luna stepped forward, holding out a gift to Akumu and I respectively. Hermione handed Akumu what could only be a wrapped book, while Luna handed me a large shoulder bag.
"What's this guys?" Luna's smiled widened a little as Hermione gestured to Akumu's gift.
"I know how much curses and hexes interested you, so I thought I would give you a bit of light reading to go through while on your trip."
"Thank you Hermione." Akumu said, a little too focused on the fact that someone thought enough of her to get her a gift. Luna turned to me, that same whimsical smile playing across her features.
"And I know how much the process of wand crafting piqued your interest Rai, so I thought I would help you start out." She tilted her head. "There are many Wrackspurts around your head Rai. Is your brain a little fuzzy?" I smirked, still enjoying her antics.
"It's just a little sad to leave. I know we can come back, but it…still hurts, leaving friends."
"I'm glad you had so many friends here Rai, and I'm glad you thought of me like a friend."
"Luna, we are friends." Harry snorted and I quirked an eyebrow at him. Luna spoke up before I could ask Harry what was so funny.
"That's nice. Harry said the same thing a while ago." I wrapped her in a one arm hug.
"He's lucky to have you as a friend. You're one of a kind, Luna. Own that." She just smiled, and her normally thousand yard stare seemed to focus as she took in my words, nodding. I opened the bag she had given me, and I gasped when I saw it had to have an expansion charm on it, because sitting inside, lined up row by row, were probably two or three dozen wooden samples. All of them were the appropriate length to carve wands out of. Two or three book were set off to the side, and a quick peak at the titles told me they covered the craft of wand making. Then I noticed five long vials off to the side in the bag, and when I pulled one out, it had glittering gold feathers in it.
"Luna…" I breathed in awe, feeling my lilac wand respond to the same feathers that resided in it.
"Oi! Don't let her take all of the credit! I pitched in a Galleon or two as well!" We all laughed at Ron's indignation. I made sure the vial of Thunderbird feathers was properly secured before setting the bag down and giving Luna a full hug.
"Thank you so much! I'll make sure this gets put to use." She nodded.
"Check the pocket on the side Rai." I raised an eyebrow, but opened it. stepping back. Akumu and I stepped up to the portal, turning towards our friends. I raised my lilac wand, Akumu raised her own as well, and with a simple flick, a silvery mist poured from the tips.
"Expecto Partonum!" We called together as our Patronuses formed in the air. Mine formed into a white mare, which trotted around and rested it head on my shoulder. Akumu's shocked everyone the most. A large slender form slithered from her wand, a Python curling and twisting in the air. We both smirked and with another flick of our wands, our Patronuses took off, leaping and twisting through the air in a dance. Ginny was the first to react, and soon my mare was joined by another horse, both of which nickered and took off in a high speed chase. Soon everyone's Patronuses were out, even Professor McGonagall's cat Patronus was pouncing on Harry's stag as it passed by its owner, nearly knocking him over. I looked at the laughing group and noticed Neville didn't even have his wand out, he seemed content just watching the others.
"Hey Neville, which one is yours?"
"Oh, um, none of them." He said after a moment of hesitation.
"Why don't you show us?" His ears turned red and I saw his mental walls come up, an instinctive reaction.
"I uh…it might get a little too crowded if there's any more running around."
"We have the whole hillside Neville." I titled my head, my voice lowering a little as I grew concerned. "Are you embarrassed by your Patronus' shape?" He paused to think of an answer and let out a sigh. Pulling out his wand, he closed his eyes, his face squinted in concentration. I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Neville. I'm not going to judge you." He nodded, his eyes squeezed shut. He took a deep breath and pointed his wand out.
"Expecto…Patronum." A single wisp fell from the tip of his wand, but nothing else happened.
"Confidence, Neville. You stared down the Dark Lord and used the sword of Gryffindor. If anyone can do this spell, you can."
"That was a moment of desperation, Rai. I really thought I was going to die." He stated.
"But the sword of Gryffindor only chooses those who it knows are worthy." I tightened my grip on his shoulder. "You can do this." He looked at me, still unsure.
"Yeah, come on Nev!" Ron cheered him on.
"You can do it Neville!" Hermione joined in. Soon everyone had given him encouragement. I patted his shoulder.
"It's now or never Neville. Prove everyone who has said bad things about you wrong. Right here, right now." His grip on his wand tightened and I saw a light in his eyes grow. His raised his wand and shouted with everything he had.
"Expecto Patronum!" A silver light shot from his wand in a fast swirl, darting around until it settled a couple feet above the grass. Everyone made room so Neville could see the slivery form as it swirled in one place. "…" Neville stared to turn away, his heart sinking. I kept my hand firmly on his shoulder, stopping him from turning. "It was no use Rai, I'm just not that good."
"I think there's someone you need to meet, Neville." His head bowed, he looked at me in confusion. I pointed with my free hand, and his eyes widened.
"That's, but that's a-a-!"
"The symbol of the House of the brave and selfless, the courageous and determined? The symbol for the House that you belong to? Yes, Neville, your Patronus is a lion." I led him forward as the large beast watched us, its tail calmly flicking. I stopped a few feet away from the ethereal form, urging Neville on. He knelt down in front of the lion, almost losing his balance due to nerves. It watched him confidently, a kindness that could have only been passed to it from its owner in its eyes. Neville reached a shaky hand out, the lion not moving an inch. His hand came in contact with the mane, and the lion closed its eyes, gently pressing into his hand. I stepped closer and noticed a strained smile on Neville's face.
"I…I did it." I smiled, which only grew as the lion stepped forward, rubbing against Neville's cheek. It wrapped a paw around him and gently pulled him into a hug, Neville hesitating only for a moment before he returned it, his face only partially visible in the shimmering mane. The lion almost seemed to hum as it held its owner.
After a minute, Neville pulled away from his Patronus and wiped his face with his sleeve, sniffing a little. I reached down and placed my hand on his back.
"And you said it was a moment of desperation." Everyone, including Neville, couldn't help but find that funny.
««{{A Few Minutes Later}}»»
"Alright! Off we go!" I said as we once again stood in front of the portal. Everyone called their farewells as I took Akumu's hand. "Ready?" I asked.
"What if I say no?" She prodded.
"Wrong choice!" I wrapped my arm around her waist and leaped into the portal while she let out an unflattering yelp. The colorful world giving way to a purple and black swirl as we flew home. We settled in for the ride as Akumu pointed a finger at me.
"First, don't ever do that again. Second, don't knock us out of the portal this time."
"I'm keeping my hands to myself, trust me. We don't need another two years stacked on top of the two or three we've been gone." She nodded and "laid back".
"Good." We floated on in silence for a while. I perked up a little.
"I forgot, what memory did you choose for your Patronus?" She thought about it for a minute.
"Honestly? The morning after I snapped out of it all. Once I realized what I had done, and that you were giving me a second chance despite everything, I was…ecstatic, for lack of a better term." She glanced at me. "Which memory did you use?"
"Two, actually." She raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking of when I first met Tesla. It was so surreal, I was still adjusting to being around dragons, and suddenly I had a friend that spits lightning like a Norse god." I tilted my head back as if pondering. "The second memory was just as powerful. When I realized I could help you."
"What?"
"I'm not heartless, Akumu. You know that better than anyone. I couldn't bear the thought of you just returning to your old self again. When I saw the chance that you might change…I was so happy." I snorted. "Plus a little relieved that I probably wouldn't have to dodge as many knives." She chuckled at that.
"You had no idea how wrong you were."
"No kidding."
««{{¤}}»»
Akumu and I stood outside of my house. A simple two story with a garage on the right side. It looked like someone was home, but I wasn't sure who it was. I didn't recognize the car. I walked up to the porch, leaving Akumu near the gate. I stepped up to the door and raised a fist. I paused, gathering the nerves I would need for this.
*Knock knock knock*
"Just a minute!" My heart began to speed up when I heard my mom's voice. I peeked over my shoulder at Akumu, who was leaning up against the fence. She nodded to me, but I could tell she was nervous. I turned back to the door and took a deep breath. The second the door opened my brain froze at the same time my mother did. So I said the only thing that came to mind.
"Sorry I missed curfew."
Hold it! Before anyone freaks out! Yes, it's over! I have an epilogue planned, but it will be short(probably)
This story is just about as long as Chance Untamed, probably ending a little under 65,000 words, hard to tell with a few Author Notes. Geez. That means, in total, these two books somewhere around almost 150,000 words. And I've got more stories planned for the future, with a few written out for the most part! First though, I need to finish my book. That's right! I'm writing an actual book I can actually sell! I love for everything it's worth, don't get me wrong, but I have this idea I want to try out. If it flops, at least I tried.
The journey with Rai and Akumu might be finished, and it was probably more adventure than either of them would have chosen, but I think everyone can agree it worked out. Drago is gone...maybe*shifty eyes* nah, they found him dead after Akumu and Rai left. I'll leave exactly how he died up to y'all ;) Voldemort is gone, and everyone is in their proper dimension! Now Rai is probably going to sleep for the next month or so, meanwhile, him and Akumu have to adjust to home life and find a way to keep their magic and Rai's lightning power hidden from the world. Will they be able to?
Duh. They aren't stupid. XD
I really hope each of you enjoyed this wild ride. Chance Untamed started out as a ridiculous idea that I had no idea how to put together. For goodness sake I told my mom I hated writing my entire life, and I hadn't even finished High School when the first chapter went up. My very first story, an Erin Hunter's Warriors/Beyblade Metal Fury Crossover, flopped. I don't think I got more than two chapters up with that before I couldn't work on it anymore. A few weeks before I left on my mission I found what I had titled "Chapter .5" for the story. Now I know why I stopped, going back and reading that *shudders*. Now, I've got these two books, both of which are about novel length, finished. And I honestly couldn't be prouder. Not in a prideful way, I hope. But I did that. I did that. Something I told my own mother I would never even consider as a job or hobby. And it's complete.
Some of it is the fact that I came to really enjoy it. Another part was you all. I went back and read your reviews that were left over the past…three years? Wow. Those reviews gave me the fire I needed to write the Untamed series. I probably would have written it anyways, because it was something I have come to love…but I enjoyed seeing everyone's reactions. I loved taking advice from you when you had it.
A special shout out to mr. jack joke. He was actually the one to help me skip from OoTP to the Battle of Hogwarts. He was willing to help me by bouncing ideas back and forth, while I was struggling to figure out how to keep SA to one single book. And while I fleshed out the details, he gave me unique ideas to mull around. I didn't want to cover every detail of all three books involved in SA, because no matter how much I love this series, it probably would have gotten old and very Gary/Mary Sue, sticking Rai and Akumu into every scenario when it wasn't needed. Even if I had kept them in the muggle world…three years is a LONG time to fill in. I would have had NO idea what to do. The soccer tourney was at the drop of a hat, and that even felt a little forced on my end, if only so the others could find them.
Alright, choice time, and I'll put a poll up so you can vote on my profile as well.
What should my next story be? I have a few choices, and some might take longer than others to complete, as I am working on my book.
a) Beyblade: Future Endeavors/The Guardian's Acquisition(which I already started posting, just need to know if people want to see both finished books.)
b) Pokémon: Pokémon Status: Journey Central/Pokémon Status: Rescue Mission(I somehow have the sequel done before the original…Maybe do a prequel-sequel so I have time to finish the original?)
c) Transformers: Renegade(Spin-off story, doesn't follow the timeline for anything really, TV, movies, none of it.)
d) Harry Potter/NCIS Crossover: Time Turned Upside Down(Not sure where I'm going with this one…Probably the least likely to continue.)
Let me know which one you want!
And seriously, thank you to those who reviewed, followed, or simply just read. This has been a huge boost in my self-confidence. I wouldn't have enjoyed nearly as much without the support. Chance Untamed alone has almost 19,000 views in total, with 73 reviews. Y'all need help, that's insane! XD
~Silverleone