AN: Back by both continued creative Inertia, as well as popular demand, more Summoning Kushina. I had a question about what Kushina was saying when summoned in the first chapter; pretty much she was demanding to know where she was, where her baby was, where her husband was, etc. I'm making liberal use of Google Translate for this fic, because I want the language barrier to actually *feel* like a language barrier.
((()))
The next morning, at breakfast, Colbert received a message from the infirmary, requesting his presence at his earliest possible convenience. The wording of the message suggested importance, but not urgency, so Colbert finished his breakfast, but made his way directly to the infirmary thereafter.
Within, he found that a privacy screen had been set up around the summoned woman's bed. The healer on shift spotted him shortly after he entered, and waved for him to join her as she moved towards the enclosed space.
"You won't believe what the maid we had watching her through the night saw," The healer said, and just grinned as Colbert directed an inquiring glance at her by way of response.
They reached the enclosed area, and the healer opened the curtain briefly so that the pair of them could step in, and then closed it behind them. Colbert blinked in surprise at what he found within. Pink hair mixed with red, the Valliere scion resting on top of her older (and substantially more fully grown) familiar, being cradled like an overly large infant, with the blanket covering the both of them. The situation might have been considered cute, ignoring the breach of social ettiquette, until one counted for the fact that Louise seemed to be having some sort of nightmare, and was shivering in the woman's arms.
Then the redhead reached up and began to subconsciously stroke Louise's hair, and the girl's trembling subsided. Then the whole situation definitely counted as cute. Colbert watched the sleeping pair for a few more seconds; when nothing changed, he turned his attention to the other young woman who had already been present within the enclosure.
"Miss... Siesta, I believe it was?" He inquired gently.
The maid turned to look at him, and Colbert winced. Her eyes were bloodshot; painfully bloodshot, and he recognized the desperate drive in her haggard expression that was common to exhausted soldiers on watch, who were more afraid of what their commanding officers would do to them if they fell asleep, then what would happen should they come under attack. She blinked, and he could see her mentally playing his words back, before managing to form a coherent response.
"Yes, Professor Colbert," The young woman said, her voice scratchy, "Siesta of Tarbes."
"She was the one who saw how this happened last night," The healer said to Colbert, before turning to face the maid, "Tell him what you saw."
"Yes milord," Siesta said tiredly, bowing to the healer before turning back to Colbert, "I was tasked to keep watch for any change during the night," She said tiredly, "Partway through the night, Lady Valliere woke, and came to check on her familiar. When I informed her of the woman's status, she became... distraught, and I ushered her into a chair, where she sat until she fell asleep some time, perhaps a half an hour, later. Less than an hour after Lady Valliere woke, her familiar, still sleeping, created some sort of chains, they glowed as though golden, though they didn't quite seem wholly real. The chains collected Lady Valliere, and tucked her into bed with the woman, fading away once they were much as you see them now."
Colbert looked the maid in the eyes, searching for any hint of deceit or exaggeration, but all he found was fatigue, and a certain degree of relief.
"Thank you," Colbert said, smiling gently at the young woman, "Why don't you go-"
He was cut off by a groan from the bed, and his attention was immediately upon the sleeping pair. One of whom was apparently rousing; the redhead's eyes were opening, though she clearly was only partially conscious.
"Nani?" She said, and Siesta started, violently, splitting Colbert's attention between the two.
The redhead sat up somewhat visibly, continuing to cradle the young Valliere woman to her chest, eyes quickly appraising her surroundings, dipping down towards Louise, widening in shock for a moment, before turning a harsh glare at Colbert.
"Koko de nani ga okotte iru?" She demanded, her voice firm, but low, Colbert suspected she was attempting to avoid waking Louise.
"Ah, ah," The young maid said, "Ah, Sumimasen ga, anata wa erementaru chiiki kara kita nodesu ka?"
The woman's attention flickered over to Siesta for a moment; Colbert turned a surprised gaze upon the pretty maid, while the healer just gaped at her.
"Hai. Watashi wa Uzugakure no jōnin Uzumaki Kushina, Yondaime Hokage no tsumadesu. Dare ga watashi o koko ni motarashita?"
Siesta went very, very pale; the healer moved to speak, but Colbert shut her off with a sharp gesture, giving the maid a moment to compose herself before she turned to speak to Colbert, still pale, but only shaking slightly.
"My grandfather," Siesta said weakly, "Was not from Halkeginia. He came from a place he called the Elemental Nations, and he spoke the same tongue as this woman. He told many stories, and tried to teach all of his children, and grandchildren, the language, though I am somewhat rusty, as it has been years since I last used it."
"I take it she is from these lands then?" Colbert said gently, resting a reassuring hand on Siesta's shoulder.
"Y-yes, Professor Colbert," Siesta said, becoming more tense, rather than less, as she continued, "She says her name is Kushina, of the Uzumaki clan. Some of the stories my grandfather told spoke of the Uzumaki clan; they were from a minor nation, but the most powerful noble family within it."
"A duchy, perhaps?" Colbert asked, suspecting that the maid knew more of the technicalities of noble rank than most commoners.
"Perhaps," Siesta said, shrugging, "I am not certain, but if so, the Uzumaki family would have held the Ducal title. Th-there's more though. You have to understand, titles were not passed down from father to son, or even mother to daughter; the Elemental Nations were a militant society, and they were ranked based upon their prowess in battle, stealth, and guile. She has claimed the rank of Jounin, which would be equivalent to either a Triangle or Square class mage, I cannot really say with any certainty based upon the stories I remember."
The girl was rambling; it was not at all hard for Colbert to recognize the signs of great stress, especially considering how drastically the maid's usually far more passive demeanor had changed.
"What else did she say," Colbert said gently, but firmly, taking Siesta's chin in his hand and tugging it around to make her look directly at him.
"Ah," Siesta said, glancing at the redhead, who was gazing impassively at the exchange, before turning to look up at Colbert fearfully, worrying her lower lip with her teeth for a moment, then finally forcing herself to speak.
"I-if I understand her correctly," She half-stuttered, "She says she is married to the Fourth King of Konoha, which is the largest and most powerful of the Elemental Nations."
"Thank you," Colbert said quietly, closing his eyes for a moment, and forcing himself to process swiftly, as though he were in a potentially lethal situation, which in a way, he was.
"What does she wish to know?" Colbert asked, reaching backwards without looking to grab the healer, who was attempting to slip out of the enclosure.
"Ah," Siesta said, visibly relaxing as the subject was changed, "She wishes to know who brought her here."
"It was Miss Valliere who summoned her, though the ritual was expected to summon a random creature, not a human," Colbert said, pulling up a chair and seating himself facing the redhead, "I am willing to answer most likely any question she has, please tell her this."
"Yes, professor," Siesta said, nodding sharply, before turning to the foreign woman, "Louise Valliere, anata ga hoji suru hitotsu wa, anata o shōkan hitotsudeatta. Colbert-sensei hoka no shitsumon ni kotaete shiawase ni narimasu."
((()))
"Any question?" Kushina asked sharply, subtly shifting her grip on the girl in her arms beneath the blanket.
To most, it would appear she was simply shifting her posture, it would take a skilled observer to recognize that she was also checking the young woman's body for weapons or seals. She found nothing but a narrow wooden dowel, one that had more the feel of an implement than a tool. Her shift did cause the girl to stir slightly, however, though she did not wake, simply burrowing further into Kushina's chest, whimpering slightly in her sleep.
"Ah," The young woman, some sort of domestic servant, said nervously, "He say, ah, said, 'most any.' You have more questions?"
"I do," Kushina said, nodding sharply, "First off, if I was brought here unintentionally, how do these people intend to return me?"
The pretty girl, who Kushina could tell, on closer inspection, bore at least some degree of ancestry amongst the people of the Elemental Nations, exchanged words with the balding warrior in their tongue, the man looking at her the entire time. Kushina saw familiar things in his gaze, the emptiness of heart that came from a killer who did not enjoy his profession, the hidden edge that made it clear he had no intention of abandoning his martial skills, however much he loathed their uses, and a fierce protective instinct. If not for his clearly foreign features, he could easily have passed as a Shinobi of Konoha.
"Colbert-sensei says that at this time, they have no idea," The maid said, her voice trembling slightly with fear, "It has been six thousand years since a human was last made a Familiar, and he does not know whether or not he or she was summoned, or simply recruited."
Kushina nodded sharply again, staring the man in the eye for a long moment before responding.
"I will expect to be shown the seal work involved in this summoning," She said, "And he will tell me what is involved with this," She raised her left hand to show the glyphs engraved there, "If this seal had been attempted a single day earlier, the result could have been destruction beyond what most men can conceive."
Kushina closed her eyes this time, while the old warrior and the young maid spoke again, taking the time to flex her chakra within her coils, testing her reserves and control, to see how she had recovered from her ordeal, and if she had been drugged with a suppressant. Her chakra was low, at least compared to what was normal for her as an Uzumaki, and a Jinchuuriki to boot, but was about double what most Jounin could hope to muster, so she determined it 'adequate' for the time being. It also responded readily to her will; supple, flexible, flowing fluidly, just as she maintained herself.
When the short conversation between 'Colbert-sensei' and the maid finished, Kushina opened her eyes again, and glanced between the two.
"Ah," The maid said hesitantly, taking Kushina's glance as a sign to speak, "Colbert-sensei says that he will be happy to show you the summoning circle, as well as any literature in the library regarding the seal on your hand. He also said that he had Lady Valliere complete the ritual in spite of the unexpected circumstances, because he hoped her magic going into your body would help you survive."
"Magikku?" Kushina asked, not familiar with the word.
"Ah," The young woman said, somewhat flustered, "It is like what you use to do ninjutsu?"
"Chakra," Kushina said, turning her attention back to the girl in her lap.
Closer inspection revealed that the girl was, in fact, more of a young woman, one of those who simply did not visibly age much beyond the age of twelve; Kushina well recognized the signs from her own pubescent cycle; it was not until she had begun to truly push her own endurance training that she had lost the last of her baby fat. Beyond her childish appearance, however, was the way that the girl had essentially jabbed her maternal instincts with a Zanbatou. Her thoughts attempted to turn to her actual, new-born son, but Kushina ruthlessly suppressed that train of thought, there was no time for it now. She needed time, and information, to understand the situation she found herself in.
"This young woman," Kushina asked the maid, "Valliere Louise, she has her own quarters within this facility?"
"Ah, yes, Lady Uzumaki," She replied, "As the daughter of a Duke, er, small Daimyo? She usually occupies quarters on the most luxurious level of the student dormitories."
"You have been there before," Kushina asked by implied statement.
"H-hai, I am one of the castle's general staff, and have cleaned there sometimes."
"Your name?" Kushina asked.
"Siesta of Tarbes, Lady Uzumaki," Siesta said.
"Tell this warrior," She nodded towards Colbert, "That I require time alone in a more private location," Kushina said, "And once you have slept, I wish for you to come and serve as my translator."
Siesta began conveying her words to Colbert, and as soon as Kushina saw him begin to nod in the affirmative, she moved to climb out of bed.
This was when she discovered that her legs no longer responded properly to her commands. Considering that she recalled her spine being severed, she was nor surprised; after a few moment's experimentation, receiving spastic twitches in response, Kushina decided she would have to learn to walk again, but was not paralyzed.
"Ah," Siesta said, "Professor Colbert says that he will send for porters and a stretcher to help you to Lady Valliere's room."
"No need," Kushina said flatly, switching her grip on the Valliere girl, to a one-handed one and hooking first one, then the other, of her legs up over her shoulders in a startling display of flexibility, "I can see to my own transportation."
((()))
Few were passing through the corridors between the infirmary and the top level of the student dormitory at that hour of the morning, but those who did, would behold something they would not soon forget. The redheaded woman that Louise Valliere had summoned the day before, her legs folded up alongside her body with her knees hooked over her shoulders to hold them in place, was swinging along the corridors, and climbing up the stairwells, on clearly-magical chains, her diminutive summoner clasped in her arms.
To the serving staff, it was simply an interesting quirk of a newly-arrived noble; the fact that the woman was being followed by Siesta, one of their own, and Colbert, widely recognized by the commoner staff as their greatest advocate amongst the nobility, was of roughly similar interest. To Nobles, both faculty and students, it was a completely bewildering sight, especially for those, like Kirche von Anhault Zerbst, who realized that the woman was not using a wand, staff, or indeed any form of focus to control the chains.
Aside from Kirche, who had caught sight of the older redhead when she was just entering her quarters across from Louise's, none of them received any form of acknowledgment. Kirche simply received a quick visual appraisal, and a respectful nod, before the strange woman disappeared into the Valliere's quarters, not to be seen again for another day.
((()))
Arrangements were made for Siesta to stay within the Valliere's quarters, so that she could be on hand to translate at all times; Siesta was of mixed disposition about the move. As she was explicitly placed in the service of Ladies Valliere and Uzumaki, she would no longer be subject to the command of other nobles; on the other hand, she would be in easy range of collateral damage should diplomacy (with she herself serving as the only available translation) break down.
Her worries were rapidly diffused, however, once she was alone (or close enough, considering the Valliere scion was still asleep) with Uzumaki Kushina, as the woman's demeanor changed entirely.
"Siesta," Kushina said gently once she had tucked Louise into bed, and sat down herself, "Why are you afraid of me?"
Siesta twitched, trembling slightly, as she looked down and away from the older woman, resisting the urge to start fidgeting nervously.
"Y-you are nobility, Lady Kushina," Siesta stuttered, "I am a commoner."
She said nothing more, and silence, aside from Louise's soft snores, reigned for long moments.
"Siesta, look at me," Kushina said quietly, and after a moment's hesitation, Siesta did.
In Kushina's eyes, she found fierce determination mixed with harsh honesty.
"It is true, that I am from a noble clan," Kushina said, her voice strong with purpose, "And I am proud of what my family accomplished before they were wiped out in the Third Shinobi War. But that means nothing in regards to my value relative to yours. I am Jounin, and when I am on a mission, I expect my subordinates to obey my orders promptly, but I do not believe that my rank, or my clan, or my anything makes me somehow inherently 'better' than them, or you, or anyone else. There is a kind of worthlessness a person can have, but that is earned, when they choose to be a bandit, or a traitor, or a tyrant, and I do not see that kind of worthlessness in your eyes."
Kushina inhaled deeply, and took Siesta's hands into her own before speaking again.
"You have nothing to fear from me," Kushina said fiercely.
And Siesta believed her.
((()))
When Louise woke again, she was in her own bed, in her own room, and for several long minutes, she lay there, wondering if the last day had been a dream, wondering if she wanted it to be a dream. Was it better to have a familiar, but one who was some crazy commoner woman with knives, or to still be the Zero?
Then a faint thump disturbed her thoughts, and she sat up and saw that the woman with the ludicrously long red hair had apparently just fallen to the floor of her room. She had apparently also noticed that Louise was awake, as she was staring right back; Louise flinched, part of her wanting to cringe, but then forced herself to sit up straight, and glare right back. The woman's neutral gaze twisted into a quirk of a grin at Louise's glare, and Louise's glare was downgraded to an irritated scowl.
"Ru-," The woman began, frowned then started again, gesturing towards Louise "R-, R-, Rlouise,Walliere?"
Louise blinked, then realized what the woman was trying to say.
"Yes," Louise said, "I am Louise Valliere."
"Uzumaki Kushina," The woman said, nodding and gesturing towards herself, then bowed slightly, an awkward gesture considering she was half-seated, half-sprawled, on the floor, "Hajime Mashte."
"Nice to meet you?" Louise replied uncertainly.
Then the woman smiled warmly at her, conjured a pair of golden chains without a wand, and used them to swing up onto Louise's bed. Louise stared, eyes wide with shock at the casual display of square-level earth magic. When the chains faded out of existence, she was only left even more confused, as she knew of no kind of magic that could have such an effect, and Louise knew every single spell in the libraries of the Academy, Valliere estate, and non-restricted sections of the Royal Library.
She had tried them all too, just to see if one of them would work. The first few dozen square-level spells she had attempted had caused her to pass out from exhaustion after each attempted casting, and that was when she'd started getting explosive side effects sometimes, which she had seen as an improvement, but unfortunately, things had never progressed further. Uzumaki (such a strange name!) tapping her shoulder brought Louise back to the present, and the woman picked up a part of Louise's blanket.
"Moufu," She said, pointing at the blanket, then handing the portion of blanket over to Louise, and gesturing for the younger woman to speak.
"Moufu?" Louise said, catching on, "Blanket?"
"Blanket?" The other woman said, taking the section of blanket back, and pointing to it meaningfully.
"Blanket," Louise agreed.
"Blanket, Moufu," The woman said, and Louise nodded.
"Blanket, Moufu," Uzumaki said again, gesturing meaningfully towards Louise.
"Moufu, Blanket," Louise said, realizing more fully what the woman intended.
Uzumaki smiled warmly at Louise again, then held up a closed fist.
"Ichi," She said, raising one finger, then another, and another, "Ni, San..."
The next hour passed in a simplistic language lesson, part of Louise found it to be frustrating and, frankly, rather dull, but the woman kept smiling at her. Warm smiles, friendly smiles, supportive smiles, like her older sister, Cattleya, but also different somehow, in a way she couldn't quite understand, that made her heart both ache and tingle deep down.
As the mutual language lesson progressed, she also noticed that her rather spacious quarters no longer felt quite so spacious, mostly because two more beds had been added, one of them fully luxurious as her own, the other a small servant's cot, where the maid who had been keeping watch in the infirmary the night before was sleeping. Louise was not entirely sure what the servant was doing in her quarters, but it made sense for her Familiar to be there, and the quality of her bed was easily explained by the redhead being a square class mage, and thus clearly a noble of some consequence.
It was... different spending time with the foreign woman; she clearly had no pre-formed expectations of Louise, no low opinion, nothing.
And Uzumaki kept smiling at her, gentle smiles, tender smiles, encouraging smiles, affectionate smiles.
For some reason that Louise really didn't understand at all, that made her very sad. She tried to hide it, and for a while, she thought she'd succeeded, but when they moved on to exchanging terms for the various parts of the hand, Louise found her hands were getting wet, and realized that she was crying. In the moment of realization, she froze. Instinct kicked in, demanding she put on a strong front, that she never ever show weakness, but the whole response was short-circuited when warm arms wrapped around her, and pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"Anata ga naku ma, sore o dasu, kodomo shin'ainaru, watashi wa anata o hoji shimasu," The woman said gently, then began to hum a soothing melody while she gently stroked Louise's hair with one hand, and rubbed her back with the other.
Louise's composure wobbled, her lip trembling as the emotional fallout of a year of scorn, derision, and social isolation from her classmates, frustration and disappointment at her failure in casting spells, as well as her own self-loathing because of said failure, being under threat of death the day before, and then the very woman who had held a knife to her throat being everything to her that her mother never had, and she so dearly wished for, it all came crashing down.
The Rule of Steel, the constant demand of strength, shattered within Louise's heart, and she dissolved into delirious sobs and cascades of tears.
((()))
AN: There's something about Louise that makes me want to give her a hug. She does tend to end up having emotional meltdowns when I write her; this time earlier than usual. For those wondering, Kushina's last line there is basically her saying "Let out the tears, I'll hold you."
Also, big news! I'm E-published now; my first short story is up on Smashwords; head over to Smashwords and search 'Kel's Story' to find it; a single dollar to buy, which is the lowest price I could put on it, aside from free. Seriously speaking, I am *flat* broke, less than ten dollars to my name, and as my regular readers may have noticed, I missed two weeks of updates recently. That's because of the difficulties involved in replacing a faulty power supply when you have next to no money, and no job. And for those of you living in partially or fully socialist countries, the government hain't giving me no money either.
So; if you like my writing at all, please support it (and me) by going and paying for the bits that aren't free.