Year One: First Spring - First Stages, Step One

"The Sorcery Emperor has returned!"

"They won the battle against the invading army!"

"Two cheers for our hero, the Sorcery Emperor!"

The green haired girl gazed blankly at the city, hearing the distant calls, before looking away. She had larger concerns than some 'Sorcery Emperor' or 'Magic Knights.'

"HELLEN!" She flinched at the shout and turned to see her friend Asta, a boy a bit younger and much shorter than herself. "I PROMISE I'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY! WILL-"

She shook her head, going back to tending to a small patch of flowers. Asta looked taken aback before grinning, clenching his fists and looking at her.

"I won't give up now, Hellen!"

She shook her head.

"I'm still in this game!"

She turned and glared at him slightly, shaking her head 'no' again.

"W-"

The ash blond boy was suddenly blown back by wind, and Hellen let out a small sigh before looking up to face a boy with short, wavy black hair and calm eyes, who was taller than her. "Thanks again, Yuno."

He nodded to her politely before turning to Asta, who was glaring at him.

"Asta, how many times have you asked her?" A small child asked, looking at the blond boy with a bored look.

"Yeah, yeah! You're making Big Sister Hellen feel nervous!"

"Shut up you little shrimps! And Yuno! Why'd you have to blow me away?!"

"You're short, annoying, can't sit still and have absolutely no luck with women. To top it all off, you're proposing to my fiancée."

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO TALK TO SOMEONE YOU'VE GROWN UP WITH FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, HUH PRETTYBOY?!" Yuno frankly ignored the loud male and turned to Hellen.

"Would you like some help, Hellebore[1]?" He asked, and she smiled at him, placing a hand shovel in the offered hand.

"DON'T IGNORE ME!"

"Asta, no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to get into any sort of relationship with her," one of the children said, looking up at Asta.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"You won't be able to marry her, Asta. She's my fiancée," Yuno stated, looking at the shorter boy dead in the eye. "Plus, you're 15; too young to be married to anyone.

"You're young too!"

"There is a reason why we still aren't married," Yuno commented offhandedly, eyes still trained to the flowers.

"R-right..." Asta slumped over slightly before springing up once again, pointing at Yuno, who glanced at the ash blond. "FIGHT ME YUNO!"

"No," he bluntly rejected before returning to the flowers. Asta and the younger children began to bicker in the background as the two finished tending to the flowers. Hellen stood up, roughly wiping some sweat from her forehead before walking to her large woven basket full of clothes.

"I'm going to hang these up..." she said softly, and the boy's eyes softened slightly.

"Here..." Yuno held out his hands, and the wet clothes drifted out, suspending in the air before spiraling around at a fast pace, giving the illusion of a sphere. After a moment, the black haired boy stopped the circulation and the now-dry articles of cloth spread wide, and Yuno glanced at his fiancée to see her reaction.

Hellen smiled at him, and watched the dry cloth neatly fold itself and drop back down into the basket.

His cheeks dusted pink and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips before turning to Asta, his face quickly returning to its stoic state. Asta had a(n extremely) fake smile on his face as he took an axe. "Here, I'll cut some firewood..."

Yuno beat him to it, by swiping his arm downwards. The sound of chopped wood falling to the ground reached Asta, who glared at Yuno. "You two're the same age, but Yuno's so much further along than you!" One of the children pointed out, and Asta let out a small 'urk' noise before running up to Yuno.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Asta demanded, shaking the taller boy back and forth by his shoulders. After a moment, Yuno slapped Asta's hands away and simply stated "This is the result of unrelenting work and talent."

Hellen sighed and looked at one of the Sisters from the clergy, who smiled at the girl before walking up to Asta. "It's alright, Asta, the awarding ceremony is coming soon, you're sure to be able to use magic."

"You're right, Sister!" Asta instantly cheered up, a determined look coming to his face. "I'll get a Grimmoire stronger than everyone else's and become a Magic Knight! And then I'll become the Sorcery Emperor! Then I'll come back and rebuild this dirty little church!"

"Excuse my dirty little church!" The head priest shouted in protest, but was ignored.

"He's still saying that," one of the children sighed.

"I understand your determination," Sister began, "But I'll tell you now; almost all of the people who become Magic Knights are of royalty or noble blood, that are born with extremely well-developed and promising Magic powers."

Hellen looked up before looking at the basket again. "We are all of low-class and are orphans, and the chances of any of us becoming Magic Knights are low...but I doubt myself becoming a Magic Knight more than I doubt your and Yuno's abilities. In fact, I don't doubt you two at all."

Yuno and Asta watched Hellen in surprise as she hefted the large basket onto her head and balanced it, holding one side with one hand, the other wiping more sweat from her forehead, before she smiled. "I just don't believe I'll ever make it as far as you two."

"Hellen-" Yuno didn't get to finish his sentence; his fiancée was already around the corner, headed back to the sleeping quarters to sort out the clothes.

The two boys stood in silence, slightly in awe that Hellen had spoke, before Asta 'hmph'ed and ran off. "Asta, where are you going?" The Sister called, but Yuno just shook his head.

"Leave him; he'll be back by dinner."

I can remember when I saw Yuno and Asta for the first time. I was two-and-a-half years old then; about two years and a quarter older than them.

I don't know why I can remember something so vividly at such a young age, maybe it was Asta's pale hair, or maybe Yuno's amber eyes or their strange auras.

"Hellebore, would you like to see them?" Sister asked, and I nodded wordlessly. I crept up to the baskets and crouched down, peeking in at them. The two infants stopped crying for a moment, peering at me curiously before smiling, laughing.

I was taken aback for a moment before reaching out to the blond one's basket. He 'grinned' and he grabbed a hold of my hand and laughed a bit harder, closing his eyes happily. I smiled softly at him before the other started crying and I turned to him.

His aura was bright, full of life, but slightly dark, while the other's was dim, full of determination and ambition.

Hesitantly, I reached to him. The boy slowly stopped crying, spotting my hand and eagerly reaching out and snatching my hand, pulling it forward and rubbing his face against it, as if it were a doll.

I smiled gently, watching as the small boy began to fall asleep, my hand still in his firm grip.

"They really like you," Sister commented, and I looked over my shoulder, a bit startled. "Do you want to name them, Hellebore?"

"..." I said nothing, looking back at the two boys, gazing at her excitedly. "Ah...Asta," I said softly, pointing at the blond child before gazing at the black haired one. "Yu...no." I smiled in a proud fashion. "Asta, Yuno!"

Sister looked a little surprised before smiling. "All right, Asta and Yuno it is!"

~•~

"Hurry up, Hellen!" Asta said eagerly, jumping in place. I ran out, wearing a pair of overalls, short sleeved shirt and knee-length leather boots with a silver toe-cover and iron bottoms and short heels.

I'd gotten them as a gift from a visiting noble who had been impressed by my Magical talent and knowledge. I had received the pair of boots, a ring and a silver hair piece 'to remember him by.'

"There you are!" Yuno smiled, and grabbed her arm and pulled her along as they ran into the woods. "Let's play hide-and-seek!"

I smiled and nodded, and the two boys cheered.

Hellen watched Yuno walk off after Asta before turning around, her boots clacking against the stone road. 'Now to wait for March to come...'