A month flitted by in a flash, and before Akatsuki knew it, he was given a relatively clean bill of health, or how Vincent put it, he was within:
"Normal Perimeters for a girl your age."
It was a strange statement, and Akatsuki was unsure how he felt about it. On the one hand, he was glad to freely walk around the large estate without the need for a cane or wheelchair anymore, and on the other hand, he was still trapped within a young girl's body. That being said, Akatsuki was still left dumbfounded by his recovery time. He could jog around the estate only a month after waking with little discomfort. Magic was truly a wonder.
Akatsuki decided to shrug off the awkward feeling of being trapped in the opposite sex's body, instead focusing on regaining some of the strength he had in his past life. Akatsuki wanted to live a life of luxury, one where he perhaps wouldn't need such a finely forged body, but in truth, Akatsuki knew little of his new life's situation. His family seemed more than reluctant to talk about politics, wars, and other things that might upset the recovering young girl they thought Akatsuki to be. It was frustrating.
At first, Akatsuki's father was entirely against his training, protesting at great lengths during family meals, but his newfound mother had come to the rescue. Akatsuki's Mother, Evelyn, as Akatsuki had come to find out, was a magical swordswoman who put a lot of stock into a strong body, unlike his father, Fredrick, who was a mage and saw little need put his young daughter through such rigorous training. Eventually, Evelyn got her way, and Akatsuki learned this wasn't the first time they discussed this particular argument.
In the past, Evelyn trained Ashley to wield a sword; she had done so before her father could make her into a pure mage. It seemed Fredrick was hoping to get the upper hand this time around, but Akatsuki was starting to learn that the true head of this house was his mother.
Akatsuki put all these thoughts and more out of his head as he continued his laps around the estate. Each lap was about half a mile around the estate's parameter, giving Akatsuki a good feel for the layout of the multi-building home. Akatsuki was coming to the end of his fourth lap as he slowed to a leisurely jog.
The entire estate was sectioned into a few areas. First and foremost was the main living area, a single sizeable noble building in the middle of the estate. The building housed not only Akatsuki's family but the various staff that kept the entire estate running. In the far left corner was a large training yard with multiple guards and soldiers training, the Blanc's guard. The stables sat on the far right, with a field for grazing extending far past the central estate's wall. It was a place Akatsuki felt more than comfortable spending his days lazing about, but first, he'd train.
As Akatsuki stopped, breathing heavily from the jogging, he pulled the lace that tied his long hair free. Akatsuki found that items on his body got in the way while exercising, the least of which was his hair. Even tied up, the hair would often blow in the wind or get caught in his face or mouth.
"I always love it when you let your hair down. It is always so beautiful." The very reason Akatsuki hadn't cut it spoke up.
Evelyn stood at the entrance of the main building as she always had, waiting for Akatsuki to get back from training. The act had become an unspoken promise between the two. Akatsuki would return and walk with his mother to get changed. He would then join her in the garden, and the two would talk and enjoy each other's company till evening. It was something Akatsuki truly appreciated, and today was no different.
Akatsuki entered his room, only to fight back the various maids who insisted on dressing and undressing him every time. Today being tired and in a hurry, he finally conceded. He allowed the maids to strip down his sweaty training outfit and start to unwrap the large grassy knolls he had stored away for training, another item that got in the way.
"I wonder if there is some sort of magic reduction surgery." Akatsuki thought out loud, and the maid who was currently slipping on Akatsuki's undergarments paled.
"Surely you jest, My Lady, and you have such a beautiful body. It would be a shame to waste it; what if your mother heard through the door?"
The thought sent a shiver down Akatsuki's spine as his mother had threatened to keep him locked in his room just for attempting to cut his hair shorter. She said he wouldn't be allowed to leave until it grew back. Akatsuki was pretty sure it was a form of child abuse, but as the Child Protective Bueru existed in this world, he was out of luck.
Before long, Akatsuki found himself in a soft blue evening dress, accessories and all, and on his way to the garden. It seemed his mother treasured Akatsuki's feminity. She threatened him with punishment whenever Akatsuki suggested anything that might reduce that feminine nature. So, of course, pants were entirely out of the question.
The garden was beautiful, with an extensive array of colorful flowers and vibrant greens. Walking next to Evelyn let the tension of a long workout seem to slip away as he enjoyed her company. The concept of someone loving one unconditionally had always been far-fetched within Akatsuki's mind. Yet, he felt this woman truly felt that way about him, or at least about Ashley's body.
A flare of guilt plagued Akatsuki for the hundredth time as the two sat down on a small bench. She began Reminiscing about when Ashley had been young and her antics as a small child. The feeling of guilt was something Akatsuki was far less accustomed to, even compared to fear or sadness. Purple roses surrounded the bench they sat on, and Akatsuki had learned it was the secret behind the Blanc's fortune and their seemingly never-ending supply of purple pigment. Surrounded by the beautiful flowers and beside someone, he felt a burgeoning love for, Akatsuki decided to be honest.
"Mother..." It was the first time he had ever called her that out loud, and it seemed to catch in his throat. His voice was sad, and tears threatened to overtake his eyes. "I am not the girl from your stories." His mother waited patiently for him to continue, a look on her face he couldn't quite place. Akatsuki's words never came.
Akatsuki couldn't seem to make himself continue as fear and sadness gripped his heart. He feared she would leave him. That his mother, who he became so attached to, would abandon him; after all, his original mother hadn't even deigned to stay in his life a day.
Akatsuki looked down, hiding his tears, finding his shoes very interesting. They resembled a type from his original world called Mary Janes. The shoes had a bow on the toe area and frilly white lace around the inner edge. Akatsuki felt like a fraud wearing them, and he wondered how far he could run if he fled in the heeled shoes. Luckily he didn't have to find out as his mother lifted his head softly, wiping away the tears on his cheeks with her thumbs.
"Honey, I know… you are not the Ashley I knew, and you may never be that Ashley again…" she paused, making sure Akatsuki's eyes met her icy depths, and to his surprise, when he looked up, he saw warm tropical oceans instead of frigid tundra. It comforted his soul in a way Akatsuki couldn't explain. "That is okay, Ashley. I still love you." Akatsuki only cried more as a sob-filled answer cried back, trying desperately to make her understand.
"I'm not her! I'm not the girl you loved!" His words were rough, and a hint of anger and accusation was within his heart as he spoke. Evelyn smiled warmly.
"No, you are not." Akatsuki's heart sank, and he knew she finally understood. "But you are a girl I love and adore. You are pretty stubborn, strong-willed, and even sly at times." Evelyn giggled. "Somedays you remind me of the little girl I lost, and others the woman I always knew you would become. You..." The woman blinked tears out of her own eyes as she continued. "You are not the little Ashley from my stories. People are their memories, after all; however, I know that the Ashley sitting next to me right now..." Evelyn reached forward, pushing Akatsuki's head into her chest, holding him tightly. "I love her very much."
Muffled sobs ripped from Akatsuki's throat as he pressed himself against Evelyn. He clung to her clothes as what felt like a lifetime of sorrow and misery washed away, replaced by the warm love of a mother. For the first time in his two lives, Akatsuki did not try to fight or control his emotions. He let them run wild as he cried like a baby. He hugged her tightly and knew what it felt like to have a mother's unconditional love for the first time.