Despite their reputation as being the least capable of the Magic Knight Squads the Black Bulls weren't stupid. Sure they were a bit more lax than the other squads, and they definitely had more fun than all of the other squads combined, but when someone was in danger they always came through in the end.

Take their encounters with the Eye of the Midnight Sun for example. Out of every other squad they had fought in some of the most dangerous encounters since the group had surfaced. Magic zombies attacking the kingdom? Check. Children being kidnapped from a small town in order to have their mana drained? Check. Underwater temple being targeted by a beast that hates humans? Check. Fighting for their lives in the forest of witches against not only a brainwashed girl, but another kingdom and a crazy witch queen on top of that? Check. Honestly it was about time the other squads realized just how strong and intelligent they were.

"FINRAL!"

Said spatial magic user jolted out of bed at his leader's shout. He didn't even have half a mind to regard the loose shirt and trousers that were his pajamas before he was transporting himself to the bathroom where Yami would surely be waiting.

"Captain Yami?" He questioned hesitantly.

"Finally!" The older man's voice echoed through the large wooden door and down the hall. "I need toilet paper. Be a pal and warp me some, okay?"

Finral nodded even though he knew his captain couldn't see him.

"Yes, Captain! I'll do that right away."

Just as promised a tiny portal opened up in the bathroom a minute later, a roll of toilet paper landing in Yami's waiting hand. The younger male heard a grunted "thanks" before he closed the portal. It went in one ear and out the other, however, as he made his way back to his room with a yawn. That had definitely not been a good start to his day.

At least we don't have some strict training regime that someone demands us to be present for every morning, he thought. I can just go back to sleep.

That's what he had hoped, at least, but it seemed Vanessa's cat wasn't on his side today.

"Hey, is that you, Finral?" Luck's ever energetic voice reached his ears. He winced; how was the kid so full of energy at eight in the morning?

"Good morning, Luck. What're you doing up so early?"

"Well you know how Captain gets up super early to train, right? Asta, Magna, and I wanted to get as strong as him so we started getting up at the same time in the morning too. Captain wasn't too happy about us being there at the same time though, so we decided we would train after he came in for the morning. It helps since Magna sleeps so much. Anyway, you should join Magna, Asta, and I for group training this morning! It'll be tons of fun!"

Finral listened to the kid's rant to be nice, but his decision had been made from the minute Luck said "train".

"Um, I think I'll pass today. I didn't get much sleep last night and I need mana to bring Captain Yami to—"

"Awe," the blond whined with the same smile on his face as usual. "Are you sure? You never want to train with us."

He winced, a feeling of guilt surfacing. Sure he turned them down more often than not because he was tired from being everyone's errand boy or would rather be chasing girls than play-fighting. That didn't mean he didn't want to hang out with his squad mates.

"Maybe next time, okay?"

"Fine. We'll be out front if you change your mind. Bye!"

With that Luck used his lightning magic to fly off. This left Finral to turn back to his room with a frown on his face. Was Luck upset? He could never tell with that ever present smile he was always flashing.

The battle-crazed runt is fine, he told himself. Just go back to bed. You can train with him later tonight if you really want to make it up to the kid.

Except when he lied back in bed sleep refused to come.

After roughly half an hour of tossing and turning, Finral put on his usual attire and transported himself outside almost in frustration. He guessed he might as well train if he couldn't sleep. It's not like he didn't have plenty of room for improvement anyway.

When he stepped out of his portal he noticed Luck trying to get past Asta's sword. On the sidelines was Magna, whooping and cheering both of them on. Upon noticing him though both of the younger boys stopped their ministrations.

"Finral?" Asta yelled. "What're you doing here? Is there a mission?"

He shook his head. "No. I just thought I'd drop in for some training as well. I'm fine just watching too."

Magna hooked an arm around his superior. "Nonsense, my man! You can fight me while those two go at it."

Finral could already feel the heat of Magna's flame magic whirling past him.

"Sounds good to me. Let's go!"

His forced enthusiasm didn't stop him from getting a couple burns though. He fought well enough, redirecting Magna's attacks through portals that fired the shots right back at him. On the other hand, when he started using his homing spells the spatial magic user was put on the defense.

"That was great!" Luck crowed after about two hours of fighting. His bright eyes homed in on Finral as the green-clad male looked at the burn marks on his clothes forlornly. "Thanks for joining us today, buddy! It was awesome having you here to even out training."

"What he said," Magna agreed. "Totally beats one of us sitting out."

The dirty blond smiled. "Thanks for having me! I'm just going to go upstairs and ask Vanessa if she can sew this back together."

With that he warped himself back into the safety of the building. Finally he could relax without—

"There you are. I've been waiting for you, y'know."

Finral froze in terror as he felt the malice leeching off of his superior.

"C-captain Yami! I'm sorry you couldn't find me. I was just—"

"Probably flirting with some girls over breakfast in a nearby town, is that right?"

Hurt swept over his features. "No. I was training with Asta, Luck, and Magna."

The older man hummed as if thinking the statement over.

"Huh. Well, that does explain why you've got soot all over your clothes. Go change and make yourself more presentable before we head out. The Wizard King is expecting me in half an hour, and I got a couple things to do in the castle beforehand."

"Yes, Captain."

He trudged a couple yards to his door and entered it by actually opening and closing the door instead of just walking through it like usual. If he had been Yami watching him from the hallway he would have noticed something odd about his behavior. Instead his own actions slipped his mind.

Five minutes later, Finral and Yami were stepping out of a portal leading to the Wizard King's private quarters.

"You can go wandering around the capital like normal, but I expect you back here by noon so we can head back to the base. Don't get too caught up in chasing girls or I'll be pissed."

"Of course, C-Captain!"

An hour and a half of sightseeing later (and buying a couple Clover Kingdom staple candies for his squad mates back home) Finral was waiting restlessly for Yami to appear.

He heard a door click from somewhere down the hall. Thinking it was his superior, or even the Wizard King, the dirty blond quickly drew himself off from where he was sitting on the floor into a more attentive pose. Disappointment flooded him when he caught side of golden cloaks. He recognized Klaus, Mimosa, and Yuno leaving a room that definitely wasn't the one the Wizard King and Yami were in.

Why are they here? He wondered. I thought the Captain of the Golden Dawn was away on a mission with some of his squad mates. I guess they could be getting their own mission briefing from that bowl-headed guy that assists the Wizard King. As long as their vice captain isn't here, it doesn't really…

As if hearing his thoughts one last figure excited the room the others had left. This one exuded far more arrogance than the others, the sureness of his step and eyes full of distain just some of the indicators his brother was here.

"I didn't know they allowed livestock in the palace halls."

Finral stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Langris always liked to point out how he was just a pack mule for the Black Bulls.

"Hello, little brother."

"Don't call me that. Not when so many important people are nearby. I don't what anyone associating us with each other."

"That'd be much more helpful if we didn't, I don't know, look similar, have the same type of magic, and share a father." He stated flatly. His mood was already low to begin with, so he really didn't need to listen to his brother's cruel words today.

"It is unfortunate. Being related to you is quite embarrassing for me, as well as our parents."

The Black Bull tried to focus on counting down the seconds when Yami would make his appearance.

"Nothing to say? It's good you're starting to accept reality instead of rejecting it to have fun."

Finral felt his jaw tighten.

"Langris, I've heard this all from you before. Multiple times in fact. I get that you hate me, alright? You don't need to remind me every time we cross each other."

"Maybe I do. I don't want you forgetting what with all the fun you have being in that little group of rejects."

Anger bubbled underneath his usually kind eyes.

"Don't make fun of my squad. Remember what I told you that day in Kiten? We'll beat yours; just you wait. The rankings are only a week away."

"Big talk for such a pushover who doesn't know a thing about duty."

"He knows a lot about duty, pretty boy. Mine especially."

The brothers' attention fell onto Yami, who had somehow hid his presence until he was walking in between them both.

"I'm glad you two had a little family reunion, but it's time to head out. We got an important mission from the Wizard King himself." His black eyes zeroed in on Langris for split second as if daring the royal to speak. "You ready, Finral?"

"Yes, Captain."

Nothing else was said as the two Black Bulls walked through the portal, but the cold look in his brother's eyes was burned into Finral's head.

As soon as they arrived back to base and he was dismissed, Finral warped himself to his room. After that it was a matter of shedding his Black Bull's robe and the gifts he'd gotten for his squad mates before opening another portal to the roof just above his room. He would give them their gifts when he was feeling better.

Why do I feel so off today? He wondered as he sat down on the partially slanted rooftop. His eyes trailed upward to look at the clouds running across the sky, the sun playing peek-a-boo every so often as a particularly big cloud blotted it out. It was only a matter of time until the sun began to set though.

Settling himself onto his back, he drew his knees up and placed his hands behind his head with a sigh.

Maybe a nap will help me feel better.

Closing his eyes, he felt the weight on his chest shift into pressure building behind his eyes. Before he knew it tears were building up behind closed eyelids, but he had no idea why.

Today was just not his day.

"It's time for dinner!" Charmy shouted. Almost immediately Asta, Luck, and Magna materialized out of thin air. As they tore into their food Gordon, Grey, Noelle, and Vanessa slowly trickled in. Yami and Gauche came in last, the older man looking tired as usual while the other stared at a picture of his little sister.

"Hey, idiots." Their captain spoke up just as he sat down. "Where's the womanizer?"

Luck's back straightened as he looked over the table in confusion, swallowing a mouthful of food before speaking.

"Huh? I didn't even realize he wasn't here. I know I saw him around here earlier."

"I haven't seen him since training this morning," Magna commented.

"I'm sure he's out flirting with some girls in a nearby town or something."

"I don't know about that, Noelle." Vanessa replied, a bottle of beer in one hand. "He's usually very good about letting someone know when he's warping somewhere. He could just be sleeping in his room though. Is it just me or did he look completely exhausted today?"

Charmy hummed in thought. "Now that you mention it, he did look a bit tired this afternoon. He didn't even want lunch."

"He hasn't eaten today? Oh no I hope our friend is alright."

Nobody heard Gordon's whispered words over Grey's panicked scream.

"What if he's sick? He might be dying!" When she noticed people looking at her she squeaked again, picking up a plate to hide her face. "Hey, don't look at me!"

"I'm sure he's fine. You people really need to stop freaking out over anyone who's not my precious Marie." Gauche stated, annoyed.

Asta stood up suddenly, a determined look in his eyes.

"I'm going to go see if he's up in his room. He might have just fallen asleep, and I don't want him sleeping through dinner if he skipped lunch earlier."

"Go get him, kid." Vanessa said after taking a swig of her drink.

With that the commoner took off running. It was only a handful of staircases later that he was in front of his superior's door pounding on it and shouting loudly.

"Finral, buddy, you in there?!"

No answer.

Frowning, Asta turned the door knob and slowly inched his way inside. When he was met with an empty room he became worried. He grabbed the discarded robe lying on his bed and floored it down the stairs without closing the door. The moment he reached the dining room he flung the robe out dramatically.

"Guys, he's missing!"

Yami gave him a deadpan stare.

"No he's not, idiot."

"Captain Yami is right," Noelle added with rolled eyes. "He's around here somewhere; just not in his room. No need to freak out, Dorksta."

"I'll help you find him after dinner," Vanessa offered. She was a bit worried herself if she was being honest. "Charmy will have plenty of leftovers ready for him in the kitchen, isn't that right."

Charmy answered back something that sounded similar to the words "of course" but it was hard to tell with her speaking with her mouth full.

Asta nodded, taking her word for it.

Once the food was gone Magna and Luck said they'd start searching the lower levels of the base. Noelle said she'd check the upper floors if Asta wanted to look outside. Vanessa said she'd fly around on her broom for a better view from above.

"We'll find him," she reassured Asta as they stepped outside. "I'll start searching above the nearby forests, okay? Give us a shout if you find him."

He saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

Over an hour went by, and still no sign of the spatial magic user.

Those inside the base were now outside searching with Asta, completely sure their hollering of his name throughout nearly every room inside confirmed he was not there. Vanessa was getting dejected as well, entertaining the thought he had warped away without telling anyone when she caught sight of a sleeping figure on the roof of their base.

"Finral?" She gasped before flying over hurriedly. As she closed in she realized her squad mate was curled up on his side fast asleep. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest when she noticed the dried tear tracts on his face.

Flying down to where Asta, Noelle, Luck, and Magna were debating if they should just assume he warped somewhere else, the witch made a shushing motion with her finger before pointing up at the roof. It was only after everyone was airborne in their own fashion (aka Magna's Crazy Cyclone, Luck's magic boots, or Vanessa's broom) that they could see what she was gesturing to.

"Be quiet," she warned as they hovered several yards away from their sleeping friend.

"We should just let him sleep." Noelle stated before ordering Magna to bring her back to the ground. Luck reluctantly went with them, leaving Vanessa and Asta to slowly grow closer to the rooftop he was on.

The three of them had grown close since their fight under the sea. It showed during their fight in the witches' forest as well. There was a doubtless connection between them not dissimilar to the red strings of fate Vanessa could weave. It was as strong as Asta's drive to never give up, and as complex as Finral's control over his portals.

As Vanessa and Asta quietly stepped onto the nearly horizontal rooftop, they quietly sat down on either side of the sleeping Black Bull.

"He must've had a rough day," Asta stated at a regular volume.

The woman made a noise of agreement, her features souring as she remembered what Yami had told her before they'd left in search for him.

"He apparently had a run in with his brother today at the capital."

Anger flared to life in Asta's eyes.

"That jerk? Now I'm even more worried. He said some really horrible stuff about Finral last time I saw him. How can his little brother be so disrespectful?"

"There's some complicated drama in many of the royal family's. He must have said something unpleasant to our boy here though. Luck also mentioned he hadn't slept well last night, and with all that training this morning, skipping lunch, using his magic to transport Yami to his meeting, and running into his brother…"

Asta swallowed. "Yeah, that could make for a pretty crappy day."

Vanessa nodded, reaching forward with a hand to run her fingers though Finral's dirty blond hair. After several seconds of this the sleeping boy let out a soft sigh. The pinched look to his face softened slightly, and Asta could swear that his breathing was lighter too.

They sat there even as the sun went down and the temperature dropped. When it became too cold for Vanessa she went inside to grab a blanket for her and a cloak for Finral, Asta saying he felt just fine. He simply stared at the stars appearing above them as the witch carefully placed Finral's cloak over his shoulders. If her fingers found their way to his hair again, and if Finral curled closer to Asta making more room for Vanessa to sandwich the dreamer in between them, well, who was he to say anything?