It was her greatest victory. She never thought she would make it, especially with powers she can't even predict. She knew she was a demigod, but that didn't stop her from feeling vulnerable in every dimension she travelled to after someone skilled her. In the fragments where she had Hanyuu as her ally, the goddess who bound her from the moment she came into the world. Like a guardian angel and like a mother above all, who protects her and advises her in every of her struggle. In the one hundred divine years she lived, no matter how many times she wanted to give up, no matter how helpless she felt, and no matter how desperate she was, her sharp mind and her faithful friends successfully escaped the prison of June 1983. It was something both Hanyuu and her wanted with all their hearts. We are of course talking about Rika Furude, the sweet little girl who looked so innocent and yet her eyes had seen so many eerie things despite her young age.

She didn't know if she should reveal her secret to her friends. What was she worried about? The most that could happen was they'd think she was just joking around. She would never be called insane or delusional. But sooner or later they would find out. So it happened. During their battle with Takano and her minions, they found out about both her relationship with Hanyuu and the legend of the Furude family.

So now, Rika couldn't help but enjoy her village Hinamizawa to the fullest and the fun with her loyal friends. Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Shion, Satoko, and of course Hanyuu. She could finally feel like a child. This is how children should live life: carefree with the whole meaning of the word. At least she thought so. Before her six years, she had no memories at all, so she wasn't sure if she really was the average happy child.

She couldn't rest, however. In any case, she had to be mentally prepared so that it wouldn't come suddenly. Who knows? Perhaps God Oyashiro decided that the hundred divine years she fought to avoid the tragedy were not enough. She may have woken up out of nowhere in another dimension, not necessarily June 1983, but somewhere else. Maybe worse... No, this wasn't the time for such thoughts. She achieved her coveted goal, and that's what mattered! Right? But what if her concerns were true? What would she do then? What if Hanyuu's powers weren't helpful enough? Was she really a demigod or just a mortal who happened to be born into a religious family?

Even after the victory, her thoughts had their own battle. A battle she could hardly control, no matter how many times she expressed her concerns to Hanyuu. So, she tried to forget about it. They were just negative thoughts and nothing more. The time finally passed and she welcomed 1984 with intense anticipation. For another year she celebrated her birthday with her friends and classmates in the summer.

They often celebrated at the Sonozaki twins' house. Since Rika was an orphan, they wanted to make her feel like she had a family, even if it wasn't her biological one. They did the same with Satoko after all. So, like every year, this year the whole Sonozaki family gathered for Rika's birthday. But there was something different this year. As if it was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Are you ready, Rika? They're all waiting for us! We can't delay!" Satoko said imperatively who loved parties. She wanted to be the first to arrive. But why her friend hadn't come down yet? Rika was usually full of life when it came to her birthday. It might have been a mere coincidence, but she still went up to their room to check. She sit on her knees and had not yet put on her dress. She was rubbing her belly area.

"Are you okay, Rika? What's the matter?" her friend asked.

"Mi... I think the ice cream I ate at lunch didn't agree with me,"

"Did you have a fight with the ice cream? What was the thing it didn't agree with?" Satoko teased her.

Although Rika smiled she didn't laugh like she usually does at Satoko's jokes. Satoko rested her hand on her shoulder out of concern.

"Does it hurt a lot? If you're in pain, we can skip the party. Health is always a priority."

"It's nothing... It'll leave in a few minutes," she replied although she wasn't certain.

"I'll give the pain ten minutes and if it continues we'll call the Sonozakis to tell them the party is cancelled."

They agreed so they waited to see the progress of Rika's health. As she touched her belly, she found out that pain was special. It wasn't exactly the stomach area but... Uterus. Just above the sensitive area. She had never experienced it before and was a little worried. For a moment it occurred to her it was what all girls and women experience, but perhaps it was too early. She had heard it starts between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. She was twelve. It was definitely the lunchtime ice cream.

The ten minutes that Satoko had set, passed. Rika in already eight minutes felt much better. They decided that ice cream for lunch wasn't such a good idea, so they dressed formally to go to the party. Although Rika was having a good time, somewhere inside of her there was a doubt about the pain that maybe wasn't caused by external but internal factors. Of course, she decided to forget about it and live in the moment of her day. August 21st. It was her birthday on this day every year. She looked forward to becoming a woman, like her older friends. There was still no breast, but would see in a while. The hair on her legs and arms was minimal. But that detail alone excited her.

As the blue-haired girl blew out the candles on the cake, Hanyuu watched the situation in her invisible form. She was glad to see Rika growing up. But on the other hand, she was an orphan. There wasn't a motherly presence to guide her and listen to her daughter's youthful concerns. This presence could have been replaced by Satoko, but Satoko has the same concerns as Rika. She wouldn't be able to advise her. Whereas someone older than her who went through the same period of time, would listen to her more attentively.

At last, she decided she would become that motherly presence. After all, she was her guardian angel. She knew what Rika felt at every moment both mentally and physically. In other words, if Rika was sad, Hanyuu would also be sad. If Rika was in pain somewhere, Hanyuu was also in pain in that particular spot without being injured herself.

*

*

That same night Hanyuu woke up due to an intense pain in the uterus. She was pretty sure it wasn't her own body. Only when she was in her goddess form could feel the girl's physical health. At the same time, there was another sensation equally painful. As if someone had tied the stomach so tight you thought it would crush it.

Even though Hanyuu had just woken up, she ran into the girls' bedroom. Rika wasn't there. Instead in her place, there was a stain on the mattress that couldn't distinguish the color well due to darkness. It looked black, but it could be another colour. She didn't worry. She actually expected this moment. Rika had a woman's body now. It wasn't terrifying, at least for Hanyuu. But for a girl experiencing it for the first time, it is quite special, so she rushed to find her. The bathroom lights were on. She slowly opened the door so that Satoko wouldn't wake up. Rika was standing over the sink as if wanted to vomit.

"Is everything okay, Rika?" Hanyuu whispered.

"Hanyuu, am... Am dying! For... real this time!" she stuttered.

"No, honey, you're not dying!" she held her trembling hand. "Everything is going to be okay. I am here!"

"Hanyuu... I thought that... It only happens to girls who go to middle school. Am... still in elementary!" her voice trembled as if she were about to cry.

"Once girls see changes in their bodies, even small ones, it happens."

"But why? Because I need to have children in the future? What if I don't want to?"

"It's not just for having kids. It's a sign of good health the red peony has bloomed. All women have it, even those who aren't interested in starting a family." she hugged her tenderly and rested her head on her hair. Rika was shaking all over.

"Are you sure? What if it's something else? Am I being transported to a fragment again? Who shot me and why?!"

"Relax, Rika. I know well what it is! It also happened to me once when I was permanently mortal," Hanyuu felt Rika's face wet. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Am scared... What if Satoko sees this and makes fun of it?"

"There's no chance! Am sure she'll understand! Besides, you're both girls!"

The goddess waited a while until the first shock passes. She continued giving cuddles to Rika only to make the discomfort go away sooner.

"Perhaps I should have explained better to you why this is happening. You're an adolescent and your body is changing to become a woman's. It's inevitable it'll happen every month and there is no need to be ashamed. You'll get used to it in time. Trust me! Your symptoms are normal, expected to say the least! But they can be treated, so don't worry. You'll have tummy aches only on the first day of every month. We're in this together, baby! We managed to break the one-hundred-year-old fate and you think we won't make it with something that happens to all women in the world?"

For the rest of the night, she didn't sleep comfortably even after Hanyuu gave her painkillers. Not that it hurt, nor she didn't know what was happening to her. She just didn't expect the hormones to kick in the day after her birthday, nor that the pain is unbearable at such times. However, Hanyuu let her lie on her knees so that she would have a sense of safety and protection. She rocked her like an infant in a cradle, but Rika didn't mind. She was already mentally and physically tired.

When Satoko woke up the next morning she noticed the blood stain on the mattress, which is why she was startled at first thinking Rika had some kind of injury during the night. Her relief though was huge when she found out it was just the red peony flower. She hadn't blossomed into Satoko yet, so seeing her friend so downcast made her panic.

"I think it's because she spent half of her childhood trying to get out of the trap of tragedy with divine powers. It's not even she chose it! Mortals who have such experiences tend to be more irritable and have a generally sensitive psyche, or even completely apathetic. So try to be understanding as much as you can," Hanyuu advised her.

"Satoko you're both entering an age where you are no longer children but you're not adults either. It's the age the rest of your friends are. Don't let it cross your mind that because I'm very close to Rika you aren't allowed to tell me your concerns! I think of you and Rika as my daughters! So, if you allow me, I would like you to be the second chance I get, so that I don't make the same mistakes I made with my own daughter! If you don't mind..."

Satoko looked at her like she was speaking an alien language. She had never thought of having another guardian to replace her own family. After the death of her parents and the mysterious disappearance of her brother, the only daily companionship she had was Rika. Even though she liked it, she didn't know how to respond to the goddess's words. What she answered came out completely spontaneously:

"You can't be my real mom, but yes. Give it a try!"