Chapter Text
Prologue - The Lotus Flower
The Beginning
No one really knew how she got there – who created her, birthed her, or just brought her into existence. Yet, she knew that the moment she opened her eyes, she was there for a purpose.
The very first day she came into existence, she was greeted with a bright blue sky, glittering water that rushed down a hill into a plunge pool with a thin mist floating all around it before gently flowing into a river, and lush green grass with blades that swayed in the cooling wind. The sun was beaming overhead, and the air felt hot on her pale skin.
But it was also that first day when the first thought came to mind.
She was alone.
Although she didn’t know what loneliness was at first – it was her first day just being after all.
So, she spent a good amount of time sitting on the river’s edge with her feet dangling beneath the water’s surface as it flowed around her ankles. Her hands rested on the grass beside her, and her eyes studied the area around her, taking in the bright colors of flowers, the sounds of the rushing waterfall, and the mixed songs of birds.
Then came a living thing that was brave enough to approach her.
At first, she simply tilted her head at it, observing how the small gray creature twitched its little pink nose and swiveled its long ears. It hopped closer to her, its beady black eyes looking between her face and her hand, until it pressed its nose against the skin of her knuckles. The feeling alone sent warmth through her, startling at first, until she reveled in it.
Something inside of her told her this creature was a rabbit, and with a slow and steady hand, she raised it enough to pet the fur on its head, earning a quick tail wag before it hopped away.
This finally gave her the initiative to stand and take her first steps away from the river. She wanted to follow the rabbit – see where it went. The oddest part of all was that it seemed like it wanted her to follow.
The first stop was at the top of a steep hill. It didn’t take too long, but with her still learning how to use her legs properly, she took her time, feeling the muscles work with each step. To her surprise, she was greeted with a wonderful scenery at the top. There, she stood on the plateau of a small mountain, overlooking a vast land covered with trees.
The rabbit sat beside her ankles, looking at the beauty with her, and after a few moments of marveling, it moved away and found a small batch of flowers a few feet away. She quickly followed its movements, staying close behind, until her eyes stopped on a wonderfully colored flower that stood just a foot tall.
She crouched down with both hands on her knees as she zeroed in on the specimen, taking in its indigo shade.
“Beautiful.” Her first word. A wide smile grew on her lips, hearing her own voice for the first time. So, she continued with, “How lovely you are. I wish you could speak with me.”
Just like the rabbit, she gently touched the petals of the indigo flower, but stopped when a glowing aura enveloped the plant. She retracted her hand, falling backward onto her bottom as she watched the flower morph into…something.
The process took no longer than a minute before the flower was no longer a plant, but now seemed to be a living thing that stood just as tall as the plant once was. The creature had pale skin like hers, but had starkly white hair, hidden beneath an indigo-colored hat. Its green eyes blinked slowly open, looking straight at the woman who watched the creature.
When its eyes looked down, she watched as it pulled at the indigo outfit it wore before meeting her eyes once again. During all of this, the rabbit joined her side, watching the same thing as her, but with less fear and more curiosity.
The little indigo creature took a step closer to the woman and the rabbit, holding out a hand, and said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me! Please, what shall my name be?”
A name? She thought.
“What is a name?” she asked him, tilting her head as she leaned closer to him. She then placed a few of her fingers onto his outstretched hand, feeling his warmth.
“It is simply what you call someone,” he answered.
“Do I have a name?”
“You don’t know it?”
She shook her head at his question, then watched as he gave her a small smile, squeezing her fingers lightly. “Then, let’s bring some more friends into this world, and with all of us together, we can give you a name, Goddess!”
At those words, the rabbit began to hop sporadically, as if it were happy to hear their next goal. And so, the three of them were off, ready to find the next friend they could create.
Once they descended the hill, the little indigo creature, which she had deemed to be a sprite from their shared touch, led the way. He led both her and the rabbit back towards the waterfall, smiling widely with a sway in his head. She watched the little bell on the end of his hat swing side-to-side, following his stepping rhythm.
As they neared the waterfall, the little sprite stopped, gasping at a batch of tall grass that held a bright shade of blue. He skipped to it, holding both hands out to grip two bunches of its blades, careful not to rip it from the ground.
“Bluegrass is beautiful! Let’s make it into a friend!” he exclaimed, turning his head to look at the Goddess.
She gaped at him, but only for a short moment before bending down to gently grip her own bunch. Another aura glowed brilliantly from her touch, and as she let go, all three watched it morph into another small sprite.
Wearing the same outfit in a light shade of blue, the creature blinked up at them with red eyes and scratched at its ginger-salmon hair. He took in the trio before he said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me. What shall my name be?”
The Goddess simply smiled and said, “I don’t have a name for you yet.”
The Indigo sprite said, “The Goddess doesn’t have a name either! We are making more friends to help come up with names together. Would you like to come with?”
Those red eyes looked between the indigo sprite and the Goddess before looking down at the rabbit that simply twitched its nose in the air. Then, he held a small, thin smile and said, “Alright, as long as we don’t have to get too dirty.”
The Goddess tilted her head, unsure of what that word meant, while the indigo sprite merely giggled. Then, the rabbit led the way again.
This time, the journey was a bit longer. The rabbit led them the opposite way from the hill, following the river’s edge until turning left. The quartet found themselves in an open field where plants grew wildly from what the Goddess surmised was nutrient-rich soil.
Yet, she stopped when there was one thing that stood out from everything else in the field – something brightly red, round, and absolutely plump.
She moved her legs faster, closer to a trot, before leaning down to marvel at the thing.
“A tomato!” the indigo sprite exclaimed, coming to her side. “It’s an edible plant that most living creatures love. We can definitely make it into a friend!”
So, just like the last two times, she touched the tomato and watched it morph into a sprite in bright red clothes. However, this sprite adorned grey hair and eyes, blinking at the quartet.
“Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me! What will you call me?” he asked.
She giggled and said, “We are making friends to come up with names together. Would you like to come with?”
To this, he gave a short nod and crossed his arms.
Now, their quartet turned into a quintet, and this time the Goddess led the way with a spring in her step. However, their journey didn’t last long as they continued North. It was as if something was calling to the Goddess, pulling her closer. She veered right and found a tall patch of grass in a dark green hue.
“Animals love eating this kind of plant,” the light-blue sprite inquired, poking at a blade.
The Goddess smiled, showing her teeth, before grasping a bunch in her hand, careful not to rip it from the ground. Just as before, it morphed into a sprite wearing green clothes, with beige hair and green eyes.
After taking in his surroundings, he tiredly said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me…um…what’s my name?”
Just as before, the Goddess answered with, “We are making new friends to help us with a name. Come and travel with us!”
With a small nod, their quintet turned into a sextet, and the rabbit led the way once more.
“Why is the rabbit leading?” the light-blue sprite asked.
“It is our animal friend!” the indigo sprite answered.
That seemed satisfying enough.
Yet, their journey did not last long.
Because even though the rabbit was their friend, the rabbit was still just a rabbit. And rabbits are preyed upon by other animals.
The Goddess did not know of the large avian that followed them from the beginning. She did not know that it was circling them, waiting for its opportune moment, like now. And she did not know that it was too late.
A hawk swooped down swiftly, snagging the rabbit away from the front of the group, and soared away just as quickly. The sprites halted their steps, absolutely mortified by the scene that had just happened.
And the Goddess?
It was as if time stood still.
Perhaps it did, but no one really knew.
The rabbit was her first friend – the first creature to greet her in this world.
And now it was gone.
Just like how nature would always intend for it.
With the Goddess' tears came rolling clouds that turned the sky gray. The sprites watched as rain began to pour, bringing with it a cooling breeze. The rain melded with the droplets that left the Goddess’ eyes.
She cried for the first time, and the sky joined her.
Without thinking, the Goddess turned back around, following their path back towards the waterfall. The sprites followed silently behind her, exchanging knowing looks. Yet, they did not know how to help her be happy.
The Goddess went to step back into the river, but a formation in the rocks caught her attention. It was a large opening in the cliffside, inviting anything to keep out of the rain. She listened, changing her direction to step into the small cavern. It was there that she sat.
And sat.
And sat.
An endless loop of day and night, rain and wind, spots of sun before more rain.
Until finally, the air chilled enough for the first blanket of snow.
The sprites were in and out of the cave during this time of her grieving. They would bring her plants, show her new discoveries, and try to speak with her, but nothing they did helped the ache in her heart, which longed for her rabbit friend to return.
But then, something new called to her. It wasn’t a voice, but it was more like a pull — it tugged at her very being, coaxing her to finally exit the cave.
So she did.
The Goddess finally stood and stepped out into the cold air. The sprites had mentioned something about it being winter, and the snow confirmed the new season.
She stepped through it, feeling the ice dig into her feet, yet it didn’t hurt as she continued, following that pull back to where she last saw her rabbit friend. It coaxed her further, pulling harder the closer she got.
Finally, she and the other sprites found themselves in a dense forest, and there it was, where she saw a color she had never seen before.
The green sprite simply walked up to the tree that held the strange color and said, “This is an orange tree, Goddess. The fruit is delicious.”
She marveled at the fruit-bearing tree before finally reaching up to pluck one of the oranges from a branch.
She set it down in the snow as it glowed, morphing into a sprite with an orange-colored outfit. He seemed not to hold any hair under his hat, but instead on his chin, where it was thin-looking and dark. His dull-blue eyes looked between the Goddess and the sprites before he said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me! What’s my name?”
The indigo sprite was the first to answer once again, stating, “We want to bring new friends with us before we come up with our names. You should come with us!”
When the orange colored sprite crossed his arms, he placed a toothy smile on his lips and curtly nodded, following them away from the dense forest.
Then, the Goddess felt another tug.
She followed it, back where they came from, past the river, past the cave, and back towards the mountain.
However, it only brought her towards the base of it before redirecting her towards the small lake she had missed, where a tiny island resided directly in the middle with another opening, inviting her inside. The lake was completely frozen over, allowing her to step onto the ice covering it.
The sprites followed closely behind, whispering to one another, as she carefully stepped closer to the mouth of another cave.
Inside, she was greeted by the most spectacular color she’d ever seen. It was neither plant nor animal – it was a sparkling rock with a deep shade of purple. This rock was what was calling her, and touching it revealed it was called an amethyst.
The amethyst, just like before, morphed into a sprite with a purple outfit. With black hair and gray eyes, he glanced up at the Goddess before looking between the other sprites, who went from curiosity to holding large smiles on their faces. Then, just like the others, the purple sprite said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me. Please, what shall my name be?”
The Goddess looked down at him before scanning the others. She felt that familiar warmth blooming deep within her, a soft smile forming on her lips as she remembered that feeling was close to the one she felt when she first befriended the rabbit.
With that warm feeling, the weather began to change once again.
The cold clouds slowly faded, welcoming the warming sun that began to melt the snow and ice. She no longer felt cold, and outside of the cave came the melody of birds and other animals as they sang the chorus of new life.
There was another tug that came with the new season. As much as she wanted to follow it, she found that, once she stepped outside of the small cave, the lake was no longer frozen over. The Goddess tilted her head, watching as the sun glistened on its surface, feeling the tug grow more insistent the longer she stood there.
A feeling swelled deep inside the goddess, and before she knew it, she was floating in the air. The sprites quickly grabbed hold of her dress, and with the new power, she floated above the lake all the way to the other side.
But she didn’t stop there.
The Goddess floated towards the tug, feeling the little weight of the sprites that held on tightly. They giggled, feeling the warming breeze caress them as they seemed to fly through the air.
Finally, the Goddess felt the tug stop when she hovered over a small batch of yellow flowers. She allowed herself to descend gently, her bare feet touching the new soft grass beneath them. The sprites hopped down before circling the yellow flowers.
The indigo sprite said, “These are moondrop flowers! Aren’t they pretty?”
The Goddess nodded as she knelt down. Touching the golden petals on one of them, the flower morphed into a sprite with yellow clothes. He had golden hair and bright blue eyes that looked between her and his brothers.
Then he said, “Thank you, Goddess, for bringing life to me! Please, what shall my name be?”
This time, the Goddess smiled widely before opening her arms, enveloping them in an embrace. “I think I finally have names for all of you.”
And so, with a point of her finger, starting from the first sprite to the last, she listed their names, earning a smile from each sprite:
Indigo - Yoichi
Light-Blue - Kudo
Green - Shinomori
Red - Bruce
Orange - Banjo
Purple - En
Yellow - All Might
After she stated their names, all the sprites collectively looked at one another before looking back at the Goddess. Within their brotherly connection, they also had a name to give to the one who brought them to life:
“The Harvest Goddess, Nana!” they said in unison.
“The Harvest Goddess?” She looked at them, curious about the new label.
Yoichi took a step forward. “Yes! You have the ability to help nourish this land, from animals to plants, and even to the weather. Because you gave us life, we will help you in this endeavor!”
And so, the Harvest Goddess, Nana, took her sprites along with her to explore her region of land, ensuring that the soil remained rich and that the animals had plenty to eat. She grew so happy that Spring slowly became Summer.
But with Summer came the day she lost her rabbit friend, and as she mourned, the seasons would change from Fall to Winter; when she finished mourning, the cycle repeated over and over.
With each year, the land remained nourished and well cared for.
Then, one day, something new entered her region.
It was a living creature resembling her features, except it was a tall man. His hair was as white as snow, and he wore a yellow cloak that shaded his face from the Summer sun. Nana watched him as he approached the waterfall, looking down at the glittering water.
He seemed…tired. Hungry even.
The man held a flower in his hand – the stem between his fingers as he twirled it around. With a hefty sigh, he tossed the flower into the water, muttering something about his journey coming close to an end.
Nana felt bad for the man and floated from above where she was hiding. The man, startled, fell back on his bottom as he watched her descend from above until her bare toes just touched the river’s surface.
“Wh-who are you?” the man asked, staring at her.
Nana crossed her arms, smiling at the man as her black hair hung loosely over her shoulders. “I am the Harvest Goddess, Nana. You came and brought a flower to me!” She plucked it from the water, bringing it close to her face to take in its rich scent. “You seem kind.”
“H-harvest Goddess?” The man blinked up at her for a moment. After some silence, he stood up, brushing the grass from his bottom before extending an open hand out to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The story goes on to say that when the Harvest Goddess took his hand, she and the human man made a deal with one another. If she would allow him and others to reside in her region, he would continue to bring her whatever he harvested.
And from there, a blossoming friendship was formed – the land would continue to grow bountiful crops, so long as no harm came to the Goddess and her sprites.
But as time moved forward, things began to shift.
She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but there was a niggling feeling at the back of her mind. As the days passed, the feeling only grew, and thus, a premonition from a dream. A prophecy, as she would call it, played out before her.
She couldn’t make out their face.
A newcomer.
Someone who would change everything within the blink of an eye.
And the Harvest Goddess, Nana, had no idea what to make of that.