2008 CE: Japan, Kagari household
The quiet summer air was interrupted by a loud electronic sound, the Kagari phone was ringing. Soon after the ringing started, loud pounding came from the other side of the house, and soon, like a streak of lightning, Akko was at the phone.
"Hello?" The brunette answered, looking around the room as she did. By the front door to the home were suitcases and travel bags, Akko remember that her parents were gonna go on vacation soon, and she'd be left on her own, well on her own with a babysitter.
"Akko!" The voice on the other side called, causing Akko to smile giddily. "You won't believe what happened!"
"What happened?" Akko asked Diana.
"I was able to fly today!" Diana exclaimed excitedly.
"No way!" Akko started, "So your back on your broom?"
"Well, yes and no." Diana said.
"What do you mean?" Akko questioned.
"I can fly yes, but I can't fly fast." Diana stated.
"Who cares!" Akko started, "You can fly again, that's all that matters!"
"You know..." Diana said after a moment of comprehension, "You're right! I may not be able to fly good, but I can fly!"
"Speaking of flying though..." Akko started.
"Hmm?" Diana queried.
"Well, my parents are going off on vacation soon, and they're gonna be leaving me here with a babysitter..." Akko finished.
"Why aren't they taking you with them?" Diana questioned.
"They said something about it being a 'them' trip or something like that." Akko answered.
"Well that's stupid!" Diana exclaimed, "They should take you with!"
"They said I wouldn't like to do what they're doing." Akko replied.
"Well..." Diana started, "They should at least allow you to spend time with a friend rather than with a babysitter..."
"You're my only friend. I doubt they'd let me..." Akko started, "Wait! What if I convinced them to allow me to spend time with you while they were on vacation?"
"There you go!" Diana answered, "You should try!"
As if on queue, Akko could hear her parents moving another suitcase to the front door with the others.
"I'll go do that now! I'll be right back!" Akko said, putting the phone on the table.
Akko ran over to where her parents were, and tuned into the conversation they were having.
"...and the babysitter should be over at noon, early enough to see us off." Mrs. Kagari said to Mr. Kagari.
"Three more days, then we're off to Hawaii!" Mr. Kagari cheered enthusiastically.
"Hun, your fly is down." Mrs. Kagari stated blankly.
"Huh? Oh!" Mr. Kagari said, quickly zipping up his pants.
"Anyways," Mrs. Kagari started, before turning towards Akko, "You look like you want something."
Akko nodded with her fists in the air, a determined glint in her eye.
"Well, what is it?" Mrs. Kagari asked, her voice sweet as honey.
"I was wondering..." Akko started, losing a lot of determination after beginning, "If maybe I could go to Diana's while you're on vacation..." She practically mumbled the rest.
"Akko, honey, you know Diana lives in England right?" Mrs. Kagari questioned.
"Yeah I know that... But it's been such a super long time since I've been able to see her!" Akko answered.
"Well, let me check with your father first." Mrs. Kagari said, turning toward Mr. Kagari, who had both of his hands clasped together with his fingers against his mouth, and tears in his eyes. Mrs. Kagari sighed at this.
"Alright." She started, to which Akko and Mr. Kagari began cheering gleefully. "But Hun." Mrs. Kagari said, and made Mr. Kagari freeze in his tracks.
"Yes dear?" He asked.
"You have to get the ticket for her." Mrs. Kagari stated calmly, before turning around and heading for the kitchen.
"Yes dear." Mr. Kagari said, whilst sighing, and getting out his phone.
Akko had already ran back to the phone.
"Diana guess what!" She exclaimed happily.
"Ah, miss Kagari." A familiar voice, not Diana's, said on the other line.
"Oh, hi Anna!" Akko started, "Where'd Diana go?"
"The young mistress is talking with her mother right now, she said something about getting permission for something, and asked me to keep the call going and to tell you what was going on." Anna stated.
"Really? Oh! I know what she's getting permission for!" Akko cheered.
"Hmm? And what would that be?" Anna asked.
"She's probably trying to see if I can stay over while my parents are on vacation." Akko answered.
"Really?" Anna said, clearly surprised by the answer.
"Yeah! I already got permission from my parents, and they're already getting me a ticket!" Akko said.
"That's great news miss Kagari, I'm certain the young mistress will be ecstatic to hear that." Anna started, "Oh, speak of the devil, here she comes now. With a smile like that, and the pep in her step, I'd say you'll be able to stay here." Anna finished.
"Yay!" Akko cheered, and soon heard that the phone was handed off to Diana.
"Hello?" Diana called out.
"Diana guess what!" Akko exclaimed happily.
"What?" Diana asked.
"My parents said yes! I'm gonna be able to go to England and stay with you!" Akko exclaimed.
"Really? That's great!" Diana shared in Akko's enthusiasm. "My mother said it was alright for you to stay too!"
"Yay!" Akko cheered again.
"Alright, it's almost lunchtime, so I'm gonna have to go now, see you soon!" Diana said, emphasizing the seeing part.
"Bye bye!" Akko finished, then hung up the phone.
"Akko!" Mrs. Kagari called, "Come get some more dinner! It's gonna go to waste if you don't!"
"Okay!" Akko called back.
Akko, her mom, and her dad were sitting on the flight from Tokyo to London, Akko was a little more calm now that she had taken a nap, but soon excitement began to boil over again, as they were on the final leg of their journey. Soon the plane landed, and the family got out and grabbed their bags, Akko's parents were going to hop on a connecting flight, but it was delayed due to severe weather rolling in, so they had time to see Akko off. Heading down the last escalator to the entrance of the airport, Akko could see a familiar woman standing with a sign that said 'Kagari' on it. Akko waved as she approached. When Akko met up with Anna, Akko's parents showered her with hugs, and words, before heading off to wait for their flight.
"Bye mom! Bye dad! Love you!" Akko shouted at them while waving both arms.
"Bye Akko! Have fun, and stay out of trouble!" Akko's father called.
"Don't do anything your father would!" Akko's mother called.
"I won't, don't worry!" Akko called back. She watched them go further and further away until she couldn't see them anymore, then turned toward Anna.
"You ready to head out miss Kagari?" Anna asked, while grabbing Akko's bags.
"I'm ready!" Akko cheered.
Anna and Akko headed for the door, Anna walked briskly, while Akko skipped happily. Soon the two were in front of the airport, and Anna moved to pack the bags into the trunk of the car, while Akko hopped in. Inside the car was an excited blonde, and when the equally excited brunette got in, the two shared a big hug.
"Diana!" Akko exclaimed, holding onto Diana tightly.
"Akko! It's been too long!" Diana cheered back.
The two hugged until Anna finished, and closed the trunk, after that the two buckled up, and Anna hopped in shotgun, and then the chauffeur began to take them away from the airport. Akko and Diana shared stories on what happened since the last time they talked, and even of their own vacations they've had in the past. Eventually the road turned to dirt, and Akko and Diana ran out of things to say, as both were just excited to get out of the car. Soon the Cavendish manor appeared in front of the car, and Akko couldn't help but gawk at it's immense size.
"Whoooa!" Akko exclaimed. "That's your house?" She questioned Diana.
"Yep. That's the Cavendish Manor." Diana stated, slightly pompously.
The car pulled up to the front entrance, and Akko and Diana hopped out, and ran up the steps to the door. As soon as they were inside, Diana began to give Akko the 'grand tour' of the manor. They went everywhere, it took hours, but they explored every nook and cranny of the interior of the manor, and soon were called for supper. Akko ate like a queen, she ate the food that was served rather quickly, but absolutely devoured all the bread in sight. Anna, who was slightly appalled by Akko's eating habits, but was moreso happy that Diana had a friend over, made a remark to the kitchen staff that Akko really enjoyed the bread, to which they took note. Akko, who had stuffed herself into a coma, had to be carried up to her guest room.
The next day, Diana took Akko out into the field, and showed off her magic. She transformed squirrels into rabbits, and back again. She flew on her broom, slowly, but surely, and even began to teach Akko about magic, and how she could do it herself.
"It's probably gonna take you a while to get the hang of using a wand, and actually preforming spells, but I bet by the time you go back to Japan you'll have flown at least once!" Diana explained.
"Yay!" Akko cheered, ready to learn all she could.
The girls practiced all day, they had a picnic, that was cooked up by the kitchen staff, for lunch and only stopped practicing when suppertime rolled around. The next day was pretty much the same, except with a few more Chariot card game breaks. The next day the same, same as the next, day after day, week after week, Akko and Diana practiced and practiced. not only magic though, Akko learned the basics on horse riding, and Diana learned how to beat Akko at her own game almost every time. The weeks turned into a month, and Akko was casting spells only slightly worse than Diana was, but she still had yet to grasp broom riding. What concerned Akko more, however, was not something to do with magic, but rather something non-magical. Akko's parents hadn't so much as contacted the manor since she arrived, and it was starting to worry her. But she always pushed it to the back of her mind, when she practiced her magic. After a month and a half, Akko finally got it, she finally got off of the ground. Akko pinned her ability to learn magic this quickly on her 'wonderful teacher' Diana, but Diana was more humble, and said that it was all because Akko was a natural, and had really been working toward getting it down. Akko did a couple of laps around the field, getting a little bit quicker as she did, but was stopped when she saw a solemn looking Anna approach Diana.
"It can't be!" Akko shouted, angry at the notion.
"Miss Kagari, I understand this news is upsetting, but please calm down a little." Anna tried her best to mediate.
"No! I won't calm down! You have to be lying! In fact, I know you're lying!" Akko yelled, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Akko..." Diana mumbled, clearly distressed by the news, and how Akko was acting.
"I won't listen to it! If you won't tell me the truth, I won't listen to any of it!" Akko screamed, tears finally falling.
The young Japanese girl turned and ran off toward the woods.
"Akko!" "Miss Kagari!" Anna and Diana shouted at the same time.
The two began to give chase, but Akko soon disappeared into the treeline. Diana and Anna began searching the wooded area, while calling out to Akko. Diana called out while her own tears began to fall, and Anna soon went off to get more help from the manor, while Diana continued searching.
"Akko!" Diana called out, tears in her eyes, and some dried on her cheeks.
"Akko where are you!" Diana called out slightly weaker.
Soon the blonde couldn't take it anymore, and she began to cry fully.
"Akko!" Diana called out through the tears. "Where are you Akko!?"
Diana sat down by a tree, and began to sob into her palms, when suddenly she heard the sound of another girl crying nearby.
"Akko?" Diana choked out.
Diana got up, and moved toward the sound of the crying, and soon came upon the small Japanese girl. She was crying into her knees, while holding them close to herself.
"Akko!" Diana called out, and ran over to the crying Japanese girl.
When Diana arrived at her friend's side, she gave the brunette the biggest hug she could muster.
"Akko... I'm so glad you're not hur-" Diana started, but was cut off by Akko.
"I-Is it true?" Akko started, to which Diana backed off from the hug and looked into Akko's eyes.
"Akko..." Diana mumbled.
"Is it true... That mom-" Akko began to cry harder, "That mom and dad are..." Akko couldn't do it, she couldn't say the word.
Diana gave Akko another tight hug, and began letting her own tears loose. The two girls sat there, in one another's embrace for what seemed like hours before a kitchen aid found them, and called out to the other staff. Akko, and Diana were red in the face from crying, but had fallen asleep together, and they had to be carried back to the manor. Once there, they woke up, and bathed, before sleeping together on Diana's bed.
"You mean she's just going to be put up for adoption?" Mrs. Cavendish asked, appalled at the aspect.
"Sadly yes. Her parents eloped, and were disowned by their own parents, and neither have siblings, so there would be no family members to take custody of her. The next option would be for her to go into the Japanese foster system." Anna responded.
"When will the workers be here?" Bernadette, Mrs. Cavendish, asked.
"They called up, and said they'd be here tomorrow evening to take her back to Japan." Anna answered.
"Call them and arrange for them to bring adoption papers." Bernadette stated.
"Yes Mistress." Anna responded, bowed her head, and left to make the arrangements.
"Poor girl..." Bernadette mumbled, a tear sliding down her cheek.