The Aria of a Panda (a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

|Chapter 1 - Airport Goodbyes|

"Itaria no Mirano e no hikō wa 20-bu de shūryō shimasu."
イタリアのミラノ・エ・ヒキョ・ワ20ブ・ドゥーユリ

      Winter stood in the Kansai airport terminals, gazing at the screen which displayed different flight times for international cities. Lifting her left wrist, she checked her watch, displaying the time of: 9:40AM. Her flight would be leaving in 20 minutes, taking her to a whole new world with a whole new language to learn. Even though her mother is half Italian, she didn't have the chance to learn the language unlike Mandarin and Japanese, so she'll have to learn on the way to Milan, Italy.

      She looked around at the people walking inside the airport. Many of them were traveling with their families while some were traveling alone, just like her. She's lived in Japan for 13 years and now, at the age of 17, she's decided to move to Italy with her aunt and commence a new chapter in her story; having a fresh start and living life her way.

      She adjusted her gray backpack strap, letting it rest more comfortably on her right shoulder. Her Totoro printed roller bag stood next to her, followed by a purple duffel bag, carrying most of her clothes. Pulling out her smartphone, Winter checked to see if her family had reached the airport yet. No new notifications popped up and she sighed internally, slipping the device back in the pocket of her jacket.

     "Onee-chan!" A high pitched voice called from behind her.

      Without looking back, Winter automatically knew it was her little sister, Julietta. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her petite body, capturing her in a bone-crushing embrace. Winter let out a strangled gasp and pushed the young teen off, playfully.

     "Baka!" Winter laughed, ruffling her sister's messy, onyx colored hair, "You shouldn't have squeezed me like that while I'm carrying things." She gestured to her heavy bag, laying on her shoulder.

     "Gomen'nasai." Julie replied, bowing her head, apologetically, "I'm just going to miss you a lot, that's all."

      Julie, born in Japan, spoke fluently, but was never taught Mandarin like Winter was, who spent 4 years in China. The older sister shook her head, smiling, "I'm only in the next continent." She leaned down until she was at eye level, peering at Julie's cerulean gaze, "Remember, this isn't a goodbye, it's just a-"

     "-See you later." She finished before her lips tugged into a grin, recalling what their relatives used to say whenever they would leave to travel. Her freckled face beamed under the bright lights overhead.

     "Exactly." Winter confirmed, regaining her posture, which was not that far from her sister's height. A mere 4 inch difference.

      In the distance, she saw her parents walking towards them. Waving, she left her bags with Julie and ran over to greet the couple. Her mother's eyes reflected the lights above as they were filling up with tears. Her father, on the other hand, stood tall with a proud expression painted on his face. The brunette gave her parents a long embrace, holding them close to her. The smell of her mother's sweet perfume brought nostalgia to Winter as she remembered it was her favorite scent. She was able to distinguish the scent of Lotus flowers anywhere. She felt the strong grip of her father's arm around her shoulders, enveloping her in a protective shield of their affection.

     Finally letting go, Winter stood back, breathing calmly and smiled at her parents, "See you guys later?"

     "See you later indeed." Her mother choked out through the tears running down her rosy cheeks. Her short brown hair, similar to Winter's, but had strands of gray flow with it, laid messily on her shoulders which added a rebellious look. The white, lace blouse she wore, that Winter bought for her on her birthday last month, illuminated her light complexion, making her seem younger than she really is, "Remember to thank Aunt Loretta for her hospitality and for putting up with you."