Kon'nichiwa Nomura

Walter frowned down at the envelope as he stepped out of the post office. It had been a very long time since he had received an official "Omni Reach" letter for anything. It was more often that he had to send letters about Otto's health or training. He looked around the market for his brother.

"Otto!"

The polymorph turned and waved. Walter was tempted to still call him a boy. Despite being well over 200 years old, Otto didn't look much older than 16.

"Haben sie Essen?" He asked.

"Ja."

"Bis gut. Wir gehn hause."

Otto furrowed his eyebrows but grabbed their mule's reigns and trotted over. Walter stayed quiet as they left the town and approached the forest.

"Fledermaus? Was…" Otto tilted his head at the letter, "Was ist das?"

Walter held up the envelope, "Omni Reach. It's a letter from the Janis Order."
Otto frowned, "Relocation?"

"Most likely."

Otto's frown deepened as he tightened his grip on the reigns. In the 200 years that he had never truly been relocated. They had simply been bouncing between the villages around the village they made their home.

Walter opened the letter and read as they walked. He nodded lightly.

"VVhere are zey sending you?" Otto asked.

"It would appear we are headed to Japan." Walter refolded the paper, "One of the recent placements there has become orphaned and has become something of a trouble maker. They want us to go and keep an eye on her. Seems taking care of you has them convinced that I am good with children."

"Us?"

Walter smiled down at him, "Yes, Bruderlein. We are going to Japan. We'll pack tonight and leave first thing in the moring."

"Can vve take Friedrich?" Otto asked, patting the mule on the shoulder.

"For now," Walter agreed, "Though I can't guarantee they'll let him on the boat."(1)

LLB

Walter looked around skeptically as he and Otto walked down the path. Otto didn't look any more confident as he led Friedrich. They had purchased local clothes nearly as soon as they got off the boat and sold their western clothes. They would be out of date before it was time to leave Japan.

The house they were looking for was tucked away in the hills. A secluded noble family provided a good start for any changeling. Until her foster family fell ill and died before her familiar even reached the age of six.

"We should be getting close," Walter whispered, "The house is at the end of the path."

"Do you zink she's ok?" Otto looked up at him, "I know she's a changeling but she's still a vvhelp isn't she."

"True. But she hasn't been alone." Walter assured him, "Last I was informed, the servants at the house were taking care of her.

"Zen vvhy-"

Rustling in the forest made him stop. From between the bushes tumbled a little girl. She had a mad grin painted over her face, her long black hair was a tangled mess and her elegant silk kimono was torn in several places. But it was her eyes that betrayed who she was. They were the same bright green as Walter's and any other changeling Otto had met.

"Nomura Zelda! Ima sugu koko ni modotsu te kudasai!"

All three of them turned at the shout. The girl giggled and darted forward. Walter ducked down to catch her around the waist. From within the forest came an older woman, her own hair falling out of its bun and her cotton kimono was tied back. A back ink mustache and glasses were drawn on her face. Otto turned to hide his smile.

"Anata wa dare desu ka. Kanojo wa hanashi te!" The woman demanded and marched forward.

Walter stumbled back a step and the girl giggled. The woman continued to glare, her attention bouncing between Walter and the girl.

"Chisoka Nami?" He asked.(2)

The woman stood more upright, "Yes? Why?"

"I'm Walter Stricklander and this is my brother, Otto Scaarbach." He explained, nodding at Otto and shifting his hold on the girl. "We are the ones sent to help with the child. Is…this her?"

Nami looked between the men and the child, who had now stopped giggling in favor of looking at the newcomers.

"That is she but I wasn't expecting westerners to come." She took the girl from Walter and took a step back.

"We were just as surprised to be sent," he admitted, "What is her name?"

Nami nodded slowly and looked down at the girl in her arms, "Nomura Zelda. Though she doesn't really answer to it. She was a handful before the Lord and Lady passed but she's been an absolute night terror ever since."

Otto winced but Walter simply nodded his head, "I understand, Mss. Nami. Don't worry, if I can get this hellion to cooperate, I'm sure I can help you with Ms. Zelda."

The little girl snarled in a way that should have made her caregiver shiver though she simply let out a tired sigh.

LLB

"I don't know, Fledermaus. I vvas never zat bad." Otto insisted as they unpacked in the room Nami had taken them to. "I vvas high-energy, sure. But I don't zink I ever purposely caused trouble."

"You were a nightmare when I first found you," Walter laughed, "And a defiant little bastard when you wanted to be. But you turned out just fine and I'm sure our new friend will as well. Especially with Mss. Nami's help."

"Mss. Nami looks like she's at ze end of her rope. Um…Fledermaus?"

"Hmm?"

"VVhere are ze beds?"

His brother looked up at him from his spot on the floor. "Did you not read any of that paper I gave you on the way here?"

"I did! It said ze beds fold up und get stored in ze cupboards. Zere are no beds in ze cupboards."

"What?"

He stood and looked at the empty closet. They could hear giggling from the hallway.

"Still zink I vvas just as bad?" Otto lift an eyebrow.

Walter sighed and opened the door. He followed the scampering footsteps down the hall and into another bedroom. The girl sat on a shelf much higher than she should have been able to reach.

"Oh! Mss. Nami was right about you," He hissed, "What have you done with our beds?"

"First of all, it's Mss. Chisoka to you." Zelda crossed her arms, "And who said I took the futons?"

"You know, Bular would have eaten me for a stunt like that." Walter crossed his arms right back.

"Well, Bular's not here right now." In a flash of bright green light, she transformed.

"Oh! She looks like a little Lottie!" Otto leaned around Walter's shoulder.

He had to admit, the polymorph was right. Though she was bright pink instead of dark blue and lacked the wings possessed by both Walter and Charlotte the little changeling did bear a strong resemblance to the younger Shakespear. Her hair was still long and black, her eyes still bright green, and her smile was just as wide. Her long thin fingers came to vicious points and her long legs ended in little round hooves. She rolled her eyes and pulled a jar of saki from behind her.

"You are far too young to be drinking zat," Otto's eyes widened.

She laughed again, "Well it's not like anyone is here to stop me."

"I'm here," Walter stepped forward and grabbed the jar.

Zelda pressed a little knife to his chin, "Don't even think about it, Old Man."

Walter lift an eyebrow before transforming in a flash of green light. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down from the shelf.

"Otto, I take back everything I said about you at this age," He snarled over his shoulder, "This little monster makes you look like a daydream."

LLB

Walter rubbed his eyes as he paced up and down the porch. Otto sat in front of him while Zelda knelt neatly beside him.

"Alright." He began, "Last night was a disaster. You," he pointed at Zelda, "Are incredibly lucky that Mss. Chisoka didn't walk in while you were transformed. This is your first placement and, frankly, the first true placement need to act more befitting of your position as a lady."

"And who said I wanted to be a lady?" Zelda crossed her arms, "There are plenty of other positions here that would make it easier for me to find bridge pieces. That's why I'm here isn't it?"

Walter stopped pacing to face her, "Yes and no. All changelings are meant to be looking to find the bridge pieces. But all three of us are meant to be learning about this place as well. That's also why we can't scare away Mss. Chisoka. You may know some of this place but she is the only one who has truly lived here her whole life."

"Like how you had to learn about life in Germany vviz me vvhile vve vvere zere."

"Exactly."

"And we're working for the Gumm-Gumms because…" Zelda tilted her head, "What do we owe them?"

"Aside from our lives?" Walter lift an eyebrow, "Gunmar is the only one who knows how to bring back our Lady Creator, Morgana. The agreement is that we will help bring back Gunmar and he will help us bring back Morgana."

"And this will in no way come back to haunt us," Zelda crossed her arms, "How can we be sure that Gunmar will hold up his end of the deal? He never gave one iota about us in the Dark Lands."

Walter sighed, " To be completely honest, I believe there may be some sort of spell that forces them to. No matter how many times Bular threatened to eat me, he never did. And I was allowed to raise Otto with little interference."

"That works great for you but how long has it been since either of you had to actually work with other changelings?" Zelda huffed and stood, "I don't trust changelings I knew in the Dark Lands, why on the surface realm would I trust either of you? I can get the bridge pieces without you two slowing me down."

"Perhaps you can," Walter conceded, "But, so long as we are here, we might as well train with you."

Zelda smirked, "Well, then. This will be fun."

LLB

In the weeks that passed, little progress was made in taming Zelda's violent tendencies. At first, Walter and Otto were willing to give her some grace. Having been raised in the Darklands with other changlings, she was still adjusting to life on the surface. Used to the kill-or-be-killed life common among whelps in the changling nests. However, as time passed, it became more and more clear that something more was going to have to be done.

"Zis isn't vvorking, Fledermaus." Otto groaned, holding the cool cloth against his throbbing eye, "Is zere anything less violent that vve can try?"

"She does need to train, Otto." Walter put down his brush and steepled his fingers. "You know that better than most. And you are clearly out of practice if a whelp is doing this much damage."

"It's crazy, VValt!" Otto insisted, sitting up, "You may be able to see in ze dark but she can hear me breaze! Ich schwore!" He sat back on his free hand, "Besides, you know I'm better against a larger opponent."

"Then we'll have to train you against some smaller enemies," Walter sat back, "But perhaps you're right. We need to find a way to reign her in."

On the other side of the door, Zelda humphed and marched off. So what if she played a little rough? If you didn't play rough in the Dark Lands you didn't eat. Sure that wasn't a problem for her here on the surface but that didn't mean she could go easy. Changelings were changelings no matter where they were. And Changelings were ruthless.

She stopped when she noticed Mss. Chisoka in the garden by the pond. Her movements were slow and graceful. Zelda slipped on her geta and walked over as quietly as she could.

"What are you doing?"

Mss. Chisoka jumped, nearly dropping her fan, "Mdm. Nomura! I didn't see you there!"

"What were you doing?" She asked again.

Mss. Chisoka stood upright, "It was a mai. A dance from my village by the sea."

"A dance?"

"That's right. We dance it at the end of summer so I'm practicing." Mss. Chisoka explained, holding her fan back up, "See, the fan represents the fish and our movements represent the currents they follow as they migrate at the seasons change."(3)

Zelda tilted her head. Mss. Chisoka shuffled nervously for a moment.

"If it's alright with you, Mdm. Nomura, I'd like to resume my practice."

Zelda nodded and sat back on the stoop to watch her. As Mss. Chisoka finished her run through, she stood back up.

"Will you teach me?"

"What?"

"Will you teach me how to dance the mai?" She insisted.

"I-If you're sure, Mdm. Nomura." She closed her fan carefully, "I'm not a teacher and I don't know many though."

"That's alright. I don't need to know many." Zelda assured her, "And you can call me Nono. If those two idiots are going to then you might as well, too."

"Alright," Mss. Chisoka lift an eyebrow, "Then I'll do my best to teach you what I know, Nono."

LLB

Otto peeked into the kitchen. Rice was cooking on the stove with another pot waiting for use. Nami stood at the counter.

"Mss. Chisoka?"

She jumped and turned, "Oh, Herr Scaarbach. What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry." He stepped into the kitchen proper. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just vvanted to say zank you. For teaching Nono ze mai."

Nami relaxed and turned back to her cooking, "I'm glad she enjoyed it. It was nice to have someone to dance with again."

Otto smiled and stepped up the counter on the other side of the stove, "VVell, Nono sure enjoyed it. You should have heard her vvhen she came back to VValt for her ozer lessons!"

They worked together in silence for a while. Otto preparing the meat while Nami prepared the dumplings.

"VVould you be vvilling to teach her some more?"

"Of course," Nami put the dumplings in the steaming basket, "But, as I told her, I don't know very many."

"I don't think she'll mind," Otto assured her, "VValt und I vvere just talking about vve vvanted her to have a less violent outlet for her energy und zen she ran in vvanting to show us ze dance you taught her. I zink she just vvants to learn."

Nami nodded, "I think that could be arranged. There might even be a dance school in the nearby village if she gets tired of the dances from my village."

"I'll talk to VValt about it. But I zink it vvould be good for her." He looked over his shoulder at the open door before turning back to his work. "VVhen vve first arrived, she said zat she didn't vvant to be a lady. Zat zere vvere so many ozer zings she could do."

"I know." Nami nodded, "She's a brilliant artist as well. And you know that little saki bottle she has? She made it herself. She's extremely talented but I think she just doesn't know her own strength. Even when she was little, her parents tried so many things to contain her energy."

"VVhen all she really needed vvas a vvay to let it out."

In the courtyard outside the kitchen window, Nono slipped her geta back on and ran to the edge of the pond. Slowly, more hesitant than Nami had been, she went through the motions of her mai. As she danced, she quietly mouthed the story to herself.

LLB

Apparently during the Edo period of Japan trade with the western world was banned with the exception of the Danish due to one port. At the time, that referred to Sweden, Norway, and parts of Northern Germany.

Nami was also the name I gave Mary's cousin in the main storyline. I kind of meant to imply that this was the girls' ancestor and is in fact a mermaid.

I don't know if there is actually a mai about fish and currents. I do know that some mai are used to tell stories and I thought a story about the fish and the currents would make a good mai to be danced by merfolk.