Warnings: Blood, Gore, Swearing.


Hikari was turning 1-year-old tomorrow.

She had finished reconstructing Hogwarts in her Mind Palace, She had done it absurdly quickly. Unfortunately, she couldn't figure out any holes in her shields because there was no one to attack her, so she had to get quite creative with the shields.

She was quite proud of her Hogwarts, she thought it looked exactly the same with the addition of extra traps here and there, everything was perfect.

Hikari sighed, looking outside her baby crib sadly. She could now sit up and walk in moderation, and she is using the word 'walking' very modestly here. She could barely waddle like a duck – as her brother had so graciously reminded her.

Since she started crawling, she had been collecting random information, just snippets of conversations or even hushed whispers between the guests. Every piece of information was vital to help her stand confidently on her own two feet.

The most shocking information she'd found so far was that her mother and father made up one day, acting like they hadn't fought at all.

Which was arguably very toxic, if you asked Hikari. They didn't even get over it, she could still feel the tension around certain topics. Her mother almost went into a panic attack the other day when asked about their grandparents. (Hikari still thought they did it on purpose, so she remembered their name and face, just in case.)

Her father also avoided certain topics, nothing as obvious as her mother but enough to be suspicious about it.

There was something small nagging in her chest trying to lodge itself into her throat every time she thought about the common things between the topics he avoided and figured out it was always about – her.

Though surprisingly enough, Hikari was acknowledged by her father a few months ago. He no longer avoided her, he fed and changed her a lot more now, and the most uncomfortable thing; he watched her.

Whenever she was in the room, his eyes frequented between all his family but whenever they rested on her, she felt her skin prickle and her hands shake, Thank Merlin she started Occlumency when she did, or it would have been a disaster.

He would also say things, things that didn't make sense - and not just to her, based on her mother's reaction to him and her face contorting in a way that obviously said he was going insane. Hikari had already accepted that Shinobi were a thing apparently and her Mama wanted to be one when she was younger.

(She gained this look in her eyes. A frozen look that hid horrors. She was somewhere else, not their home, Hikari had realised.

And then she turned and smiled as if nothing had happened and continued with the story book.

Hikari kept silent, and added it to her list.)

Somethings her father mentioned, though, weren't even the brand of madness she had gotten used to in this house. Every single time he mentioned anything about the flesh-eating deer or the shadows moving in the hallways, he would turn and look straight into her eyes.

She wanted to tell him it wasn't her, but then she actually gave it some thought.

Shadows moving wasn't too far from the Patronuses she made in the dark because she was lonely and sometimes, she did play with shadows, it was fun and relaxing, like playing with the monsters under your bed. The deer stories however, were becoming increasingly gory with every mentioned detail, what the heck was that about? Why does everyone keep forgetting that she was a child? Was he threatening her? She sure felt threatened.

Did he know? That her Patronus was a stag? Had he seen? But then why the suspense? Why not ask her? Why make up stories?


'Naras love puzzles, don't you see, Ri-chan?'


Tomorrow was Hikari's birthday and she had a complete birthday party planned for her. Her father hadn't cared that her mother wanted to throw a large party for a baby who probably wouldn't remember it and just gave her his wallet as a peace offering. Smart man.

For some reason, her mother was completely stressed, she fixed her dress more than 17 times so far and she wasn't showing any plans of stopping.

The party didn't actually start until noon the next day, or so had Hikari heard, so why was everyone so tense? There was still more than a day left.

Someone knocked on her nursery.

Her father opened the door, smiling at his wife and walked closer so he could press a kiss to her lips. "It's going to be fine."

She felt like she was missing something. Her mother sighed, worry lines forming on her forehead. "I can't help it. She is not like the other Nara, Shikaku. I don't think she is ready for this. She is not calm. She is loud. She is normal."

Hikari scrunched her nose. She didn't know who her mother was convincing, herself or her husband, because that didn't sound like she believed anything of what she was saying.

Shikaku smirked at his wife. "You would be surprised. She might look like your mother but her brain is all me."

The woman huffed. She gathered up Hikari in her arms and offered her to Shikaku Simba-style. "Look at her!"

Hikari, taking it as her cue, beamed at her father and stretched her arms upwards. "Daddy!"

Shikaku snorted, snatching her up. "You are a stinky baby."

"No! Daddy! Ri-chan good." She squirmed in his arms, squealing.

"Yeah, right. We'll see."

And that didn't sound ominous at all.

Her first mistake was not stopping him at that point.

Her second mistake was not calling for help when he carried her outside the house and went through the gathering crowd – outside their home, waiting for her – and into the woods.

She looked over his shoulder into the crowd that was getting smaller as they went further into the woods and noticed a few women surrounding her mother and giving her tissues. Her mother was crying.

'Why does this feel like a funeral? Something bad was going to happen. Her only source of information was carrying her away without a word.'

Well, one way to find out.

She looked at her father's face and scowled as hard as she could with her pudgy face.

He got one look at her face and sighed, "Troublesome. You can't get out of this with that, not this time. Everyone has to go through this. Your brother did and now it's your turn."

"Whadz 'zis'" She narrowed her eyes at him.

He smirked. "You're going to find out soon enough."

Was he going to get rid of her? Her fear spiked, and she slammed her shield down as fast as she could.

Her father sighed; no doubt having seen her face. Dang, she had been lax.

"You are not going to be in danger, they will like you. Just don't make any sudden, loud noises and you will be just fine. Yoshino was just being dramatic because she hadn't been through this." He grumbled, softly.

He quickly side eyed her, "Don't mention the last thing to your mother."

Hikari giggled and raised her small hands, falling back into instinct. The man's words were oddly comforting, so he ought to be rewarded. "Pinky Pwomise."

Her father mumbled back, "Troublesome" and hooked his pinky to her whole hand.

Hikari giggled and settled her head to his shoulder, her hand finding her mouth, while her eyes got lost in the greenery around her. She didn't go out enough, the greens were wonderful to see.

Her third mistake was letting her guard down.

"We're here."

Hikari woke up from her nap on her father's shoulder and blinked to get her blurry eyes to focus.

They were in a clearing. There was some animal's skin lying around and darker spots of dirt framing it.

Her nose twitched. That was blood. She looked at her father, but he seemed calm, he was looking at a spot between the giant trees.

She turned her head and froze. There was a stag staring her down, a giant stag with sharp bloody Antlers that dripped down into the ground.

Shit.

Her father bowed, yes that was very smart and she ought to remember it but freaking keep your eyes on the predator, you idiot!

She kept staring at the antlers that had some sort of tissue on then, she hoped that wasn't human flesh, before she was dislodged from her place and laid on the ground.

Her father left her on the dirt, fixed her with a stare that seemed to say 'remember what I said' and promptly turned around to leave.

Motherfucker-

Was she a sacrifice? Is that what is happening right now? How the hell did her brother survive this –

Something dripped into her forehead. She gulped, and very slowly, looked up.

Dark eyes stared at her from above. The dark liquid that spelt into her forehead now dripping on her cheeks.

This was something out of a horror movie, whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck

She, in a fit of utter stupidity that she hoped had been inspired by her wild luck, lifted her arms into the air as the historical sign of 'pick me up'.

WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING. GO DOWN ARMS. GO DOWN.

The mighty stag huffed, and bent down. Hikari froze in horror. She was going to be sacrificed again, she was going to die by being stabbed to death because her fucking father –

And then she was in the air, dangling by the back of her dress.

The stag picked her up with its teeth like a puppy and was marching with her somewhere.

Yeah, okay. This wasn't the craziest thing that ever happened to her.

'Anything as long as I survive, I suppose.'


The party members were tense. The main reason for the party hadn't come out of the woods yet.

It was a Nara tradition, to leave children in the forest and wait for the deer to perform their rituals, accept the child and bring them back.

Children who aren't accepted usually come out quickly, with a shallow injury or two, marking them as unworthy. That is a sign that they shouldn't be allowed any leading position in the clan. Not all children entered, and not all at the same age, but Shikaku had been determined that Hikari was ready.

The time for accepted children to come out had differed from child to child, but it never went past a few hours, maybe a night at most.

Shikaku was already regretting everything. Shikamaru had been fixing him with glares ever since he came back from his sleepover with Chouji. Yoshino hadn't stopped crying from the day before. He himself had been waiting in front of the entrance for a whole day to avoid Yoshino's increasingly murdering looks.

The guests only made it worse. There was only his two teammates and their families but not once had Chouza made a joke nor had Inoichi moved to check on his whining daughter. The three of them were sitting in front of the entrance like statues. Their children were sitting by the prepared table, tense and fidgety when Shikamaru refused to look at them and kept looking at his father.

Was it really his fault?

She wasn't normal. The girl was a Nara through and through. She was incredibly smart, hence why she immediately acted as her mother wished. She was a genius, he knew it.


(Shikaku remembered a hospital room and two cold bodies. His wife died first and she stayed like that for 40 whole minutes, he had counted, completely cold and lifeless. Then she breathed and he almost cried from relief before the child went silent.

They were both dead, one after the other. However, both walked away unharmed.

Death can't be escaped that easily, that wasn't logical, they should have died. They were dead.)


(He was a man who focused on details.

Hikari wasn't cold at night, her skin the perfect temperature at all times. She always had her blankets beside her even when he put them in another room on purpose. Her room lit up at night on its own violation, the shadows danced in the dark underneath her crib.

And he can swear on his Shinobi career that the blanket had become two shades darker than the original bright red it was. Over. Night.

No, Hikari wasn't normal. She wasn't. She couldn't be.

Did he kill his daughter? Was Yoshino right? Was he a monster?)


The sound of childish laughter stunned all the people outside the forest. Even the passersby froze and looked at the forest in wonder.

Out came Hikari, giggling madly while clutching the back of a gorgeous doe, right behind them came dozens of larger deer. The head of the deer clan walked last, blood dripping onto the ground beneath him.

Shikaku was the first to move, immediately standing up and moving towards his daughter. The large stag however, soiled his plans and moved in his path.

Huff huff

He grew concerned, not even getting the chance to bow before the stag stomped its feet and positioned his antlers anteriorly in an attack position.

"Uh. I didn't mean–" His voice was interrupted by aggressive grunts. He raised his hands in alarm and glanced at his daughter.

Said daughter was glaring up at him, nose scrunched and lips turning to a pout, not at all looking like the scowl she had intended it to be. "Pongs!"

The head of the deer clan, turned at the childish voice, forgoing his battle stance, making Shikaku drown in relief before he was pulled back forcefully by the scruff of his shirt courtesy of Chouza.

"Wann' Mama, Pongs. Go bye-bye now." She waved a hand to demonstrate.

The childishly named 'Pongs' quietly walked towards the child, and nudged her softly, huffing in her face. Hikari lifted her head and hugged him.

"Buh-bye, Pongs. Mish you." She whispered.

"Hikari!" Her mother ran from the inside the house directly towards her daughter like a demon possessed.

"No, Yoshino! You can't –"

The child barely had time to nudge the animal back only for her to be enveloped in a tight hug by her mother. While still surrounded by deer.

Shikaku almost lost his balance.

"Oh, Hikari. My baby, you're okay. You're safe. You are here now." Her mother mumbled, reassuring herself more than Hikari. But she let her do her thing, anyways. She hadn't been a mother before, she didn't know what it was like.

"Yoshino.." Her father once again tried to get closer to them, only for Pongs to stop him.

"That's my wife and my child." He argued, but Pongs just snorted as if telling him 'Come see if I care' and positioned himself intimidatingly.

What the fuck is happening anymore.


Hikari spent the day glaring at her father from her mother's hold. Shikamaru had only gotten to hold her after the party was done and the guests were leaving.

She knew why he had done what he did, but she won't forget that he refused to prepare her and threw her to the wolves – deer – like a piece of discarded meat.

Children are usually warned of what they will go through. Hikari wasn't and she wasn't going to forget that.

She loved the deer, and she thought they liked her too. Prongs Jr. seemed like he really liked her Patronus of him. The stag puffed its chest comically when he saw it, and then threw her at the tiny fawns who cooed and played with her. She did heal one of them that was going to die, too. Its mother almost smothered her afterwards, hereby earning the name Molly Jr.

She adored them, but she couldn't imagine herself leaving Teddy in a forest with dangerous animals and waiting for him to survive, not when there had been children who had gotten hurt. That wasn't something children should go through, no matter the traditions.


"No, you are not, Ri-chan. You are a Nara."