Rogueoftime89: I do not own Breath of Fire or Zero no Tsukaima (The familiar of zero). I just write this for the fun of finally getting my ideas out on a media format. Flames shall be used to cook meals and trolling shall be anti-joke-chickened. Constructive criticism will be considered but remember the fine line between criticism and flaming/trolling.
I may or may not add additional BoF characters. See one you'd like me to add? Make a note in a review!
~_~_~_~_~_~_Chapter 1_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Today was the day. The day in which the second year students of the Tristain Magic Academy would summon their familiars – magical beings with whom they would spend the rest of their lives with – and those very familiars would ultimately reflect not only the element of the mage but, in essence, their character and strength. Among the second year students was a small girl with pink hair and matching color eyes, considered a danger to herself and everyone around her whenever she tried to cast any spells whatsoever. Her name was Louise De La Valliere, a mage who was known to be among one of the most inept mages in history; being able to only produces explosions with her magic with catastrophic results. For that reason she was given the title "The Zero" – zero talent, zero magic, zero future. Today she planned to change that. She planned to summon the most powerful, most majestic and beautiful familiar of all – such as a manticore like her mother, or a chimera or, most especially, a dragon. At least, that was her plan anyway.
"Please students, gather around." announced Mr. Colbert to the other second year students, adjusting his glasses slightly.
"As you all know, today is the Spring Summoning Ritual through which you will meet your destined familiar with whom you will spend the rest of your years with. When I call your name, I want you to step into the center here and cast Summon Servant and once your familiar is summoned please step back to let the other students perform their spells. First up is…"
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A hooded figure stands within a complex magical circle, with one of the prominent traits about the circle being the 3 bars repeated all around the circle, each one either having a break on one bar, a break on two bars, even one having no breaks and another opposite it having all of the bars broken. Directly below the figure was the yin/yang symbol and in the four corners were not only the symbols of the four elements but their respective rings. Much time – much effort – was put into researching how to summon this being into the world. He did not have nearly as much as he had hoped but – by combining it with the spring equinox and the alignment of the solar eclipse he hoped that the summoning ritual would be enough. No, it had to be enough. A figure in the background shifted, a woman, watched the figure anxiously. If they succeeded, their research and efforts would finally pay off. The hooded figure raised a staff in his hands, holding it as if to offer it to the heavens as the solar eclipse began.
"By the power invested in me by the heavens I invoke thy name and bind it to me."
He pointed the staff upward, a sliver of white, bright light shot from it towards the eclipse.
"I Summon thee oh mightiest of the eternal – of the endless, rulers of the heavens – heed my words and take form before me!"
The light from his staff then divided in the sky, creating a defining swirl against the eclipse.
"Thy path is clear and thine destiny is neigh! I summon thee! I invoke thee! Descend from the heavens unto my care – my charge!"
The rings in the four corners began to glow and each shot a colored ray of light at the figures own central beam, transforming the white light into a rainbow of magnificent colors.
And then something unexpected happened – the sky exploded in blinding light.
"What's happening?!" The woman yelled, alarmed. This wasn't part of the ritual!
"I don't know. Something has gone wrong. Quickly, to me! We have to stop this!" The woman was about to rush over when the sky darkened again and the figure was thrown back into the woman, the room filled with smoke as though he had failed a spell – which, he knew, he had.
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"Is that everyone?" Mr. Colbert asked aloud, readjusting his glasses.
"No, Louise still hasn't gone yet~" called a tan skinned woman with red hair, petting a red lizard-like creature the size of a dog and with a tail that seemed to end in fire. Kirche smirked as she turned from Mr. Colbert to Louise, who strode from the back of the crowd toward the clearing in the center. People began murmuring and whispering among themselves.
"Think she'll summon anything?"
"It'll probably explode, like always!"
"Yeah! She's The Zero after all"
"Hahaha! I think you're right!"
Louise clutched her wand tightly, the wand in her hand shaking slightly with the force of her grip. She was going to make them regret calling her a zero! She was going to summon the most magnificent familiar of all! And then! Then they'll see! She raised her wand and began to chant.
"Pentagon of the five elements, hear my call! Bring forth my familiar to me! Oh my servant, that exists somewhere in this universe! My divine, beautiful, and powerful familiar!" Tabitha looked up from her book to look on as Louise performed her summons if only slightly piqued as to what kind of familiar was related to failures – or explosions.
"I wish and assert from the bottom of my heart, Heed my guidance and come before me!" With a flick of her wand and a point, a powerful explosion rocked the grounds driving many of the students backwards onto the ground.
"*coughcough!* Just as-*cough!*expected from a zero!" A blonde, curly haired boy with a rose in his hand knelt beside the blonde girl beside him.
"Montmorancy, are you all right?" not receiving a response and noticing her face turning beet red he asked again.
"Montmorancy…?" She ducked her face into her robe and pointed over to Louise, who had also gone beet red and turned around. In the space she was supposed to summon her familiar was a boy, roughly their own age, with shoulder length sky blue hair sleeping on his back – and he had absolutely no clothes on.
"W-W-Well you *ahem* certainly summoned a… *better* familiar in one area Louise~" Kirche called over, still looking on while covering her nose to stop a small nosebleed. Mr. Colbert rushed over and took off his overcoat, doing his best to dress the boy while some of the other students started laughing, some with catcalls.
"Hey, can I summon a girl as a familiar like that too?"*SLAP!*
"Well I know what zero's gonna be doing tonight! Hehehe!"
"She blew the pants off of him wow!"
Louise herself was shaking where she stood, mortified. Was this supposed to be her familiar?! Some commoner so poor he couldn't even afford proper clothes?! This had to be a mistake! How was this divine, powerful and beautiful?!
"You can turn around now Miss Valliere, I think he's starting to come around." Mr. Colbert said, standing as the strange boy began to stir.
"Mr. Colbert this has to be a mistake, who has ever heard of summoning a human – a peasant – as a familiar! Please let me perform the summoning again!" She asked him, a look of pleading on her face. Mr. Colbert sighed before shaking his head, noticing the boy sit up and rub his eyes blearily.
"The Spring time Summoning ritual is sacred. It can only be performed once."
"But-!"
"No buts, Miss Valliere! Now finish the ritual please." Louise looked at the boy on the ground, who was looking around curiously at the crowd gathered around them. Glaring, she walked over and knelt right beside him, causing him to look at her. She was taken slightly aback at how… pure his gaze was, his two sky blue eyes drinking in her every movement. She shook her head before speaking to him.
"Consider yourself extremely fortunate, peasant! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" The boy tilted his head slightly, curious, while Louise waved her wand over his head and chanted.
"Pentagon of the five elements, grant your blessings upon this creature and bind him as my familiar." She touched him on the head lightly with her wand before hesitating, blushing. She lowered her head to him, causing him to blush as well, before gently placing a kiss on his lips. She then stood up from him and waited.
"Ow OW!" The boy clutched has left hand, gritting his teeth as small tendrils of smoke rose from his hand.
"Stop complaining! It's just the familiar runes being inscribed on you!" Louise said with a huff, Mr. Colbert kneeling beside the boy and taking his hand to look at the back.
"Interesting… this is highly unusual." Both the boy and Louise looked at him curiously as he stood up.
"Well, now that the springtime ritual is complete, you are all dismissed for the day. Please return to your dorms." Mr. Colbert said, making for the main building as Louise looked down once more at her familiar, seeing his face light up with wonder as the other students floated off to the main building. She glared at him.
"Come, familiar!" She snapped as she turned, walking to the main building as her new familiar followed, trying to keep his robe from fluttering outward.
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The hooded figure helped his companion up and dusted himself off, looking over to the ritual circle. He spotted a small figure lying down and rushed over.
"What is it?" the woman asked as she watched him kneel down.
"I don't believe it. It worked!" he said as he removed his robe and helped the figure on the floor get up, wrapping him in the robe. The new figure held onto the Summoner as if drunk.
"Who-Who are ye?" The figure asked in a deep archaic accent. The Summoner smiled gently.
"A man who has a lot of questions about the world and a lot of work waiting for the right answers – answers only you might be able to provide. But come, you have had a rough time getting here. You must be tired." The summoner was joined by the woman and all three retreated beyond.
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"Now," Louise began as she turned around again after her familiar had dressed. They found some old stable boy clothes for him to wear, consisting of a sleeveless white shirt with rough black pants and closed work sandals. He was also given a hair tie to put his hair into a ponytail.
"What's your name, familiar?"
"My name? I'm… I'm Ryu." Ryu said after a moment.
"Where are you from? Who's the noble in charge of where you came from?" Louise tapped her foot impatiently as Ryu thought for a moment, putting a hand up to his chin and closing his eyes with a look of concentration.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I can't remember anything. I only remember my name and… that's it." Ryu said as he looked at her. Louise sighed, her eyebrow twitching. This was not her day so far. She had no clue what element she was, her familiar was a commoner who couldn't even remember where he was summoned from and she was utterly humiliated by the fashion in which he was summoned. She could already hear the taunts of the other students about her and him being together.
"You're sleeping outside familiar!" She snapped angrily. Ryu looked at her, confused.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want anyone else getting any funny ideas about us thats why! It's bad enough that you appeared naked!"
"But-"
"No buts familiar! Now stand outside, I'm changing!"
"Why?" That's it! That was the last straw for her! She gritted her teeth in rage.
"OUT!" She yelled, pointing at the door and visibly shaking with rage. A frightened Ryu quickly opened the door and stepped through it slamming it behind him.
Yes, she saw him naked and that was, perhaps, one of the reasons she felt uncomfortable with having her familiar watch her changing. I would almost seem like she was returning the lucid favor – she wasn't quite sure how she deduced that nonsense but the feeling in her gut remained all the same. Her face flushed at the very thought of what the other students must think of her now. Not just a failure as a mage, but the fact that all of them would have such… radical thoughts about what would be happening in her room every night. Oh no, Kirche was exempt because she was beautiful and was in love and all that stuff, but Louise sleeping in the same room with her familiar after his dramatic entrance? Nope, Louise must be desperate for a lover! Why, she would be no better than Count Mott! Oh the rumors, the gossip that would be floating around after today!
'Deep breaths, calm down Louise. Rule of steel. Rule. Of. Steel.' She mentally told herself, steadying her breath and calming herself down as she began to take off her uniform. She haphazardly put it on her bed as she put her wand down, reflecting on her actions. True, this was a bad day for her but in all honesty it was probably worse for her familiar. Being ripped away from wherever he came from and having only her for any support – not even knowing if he had any loved ones who would miss him or even a home for that matter. This was essentially what he had to call home now and she simply took out all of her anger and frustration on him.
'Well, maybe I can be a little nicer on him. And then he'd be grateful to his kind and benevolent master. And then maybe…' what? What would happen next? She didn't know but since he was her familiar that technically made him a live-in servant, right? Yeah, so she'd have him do chores for her. She grabbed her clothes and walked over to the door, opening it.
"Familiar, I have a new task for y-ou…?" She looked around the hallway. Her familiar was gone! By Brimir, her familiar had wandered off and abandoned her!
"Grrrrrr! FAMILIAR!" She yelled out in frustration as she once again hastily donned her uniform, grabbed her wand and ran outside. As if this day couldn't get any worse!
'To hell with it, he just abandoned his master! The ungrateful DOG!'
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"I would love to try that Souffle, Katie." Guiche said, flashing a dashing smile at the first year girl in front of him, his curls lighting up in an elegant and beautiful fashion. Katie looked at him, smiling and holding her hands in front of her, absolutely lovestruck.
"Really?!"
"These eyes would never lie to… you?" Guiche watched as Ryu walked by with a look of mild curiosity on his face, his blue eyes scanning everything with an almost childish innocence. Katie turned around to see what was distracting Guiche.
"Hey, you!" Ryu turned his head to Guiche.
"Me?"
"Yes you! Aren't you the familiar that Louise summoned?"
"I am, yes!" at this Katie turned back to Guiche.
"All of the first years are talking about it! It was so… unexpected." Katie looked away from Ryu blushing profusely, causing Ryu to tilt his head quizzically. Shrugging, Ryu turned away and began back down the hall again.
"Hey!" Ryu turned around again. Guiche looked at him expectantly.
"Aren't you going to give a proper goodbye? To a noble no less?" Ryu scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Sorry, I didn't know I was supposed to." Ryu bowed to them. "Goodbye then." Ryu turned around and went down the stairs. Guiche let out a small 'humpfh'
"Commoners." Katie giggled. "Now where was I? Ah, yes." He once again flashed his eyes at her, making Katie blush.
"These eyes would never lie to you, my dearest Katie."
"Oh lord Guiche…"
"Katie…" He leaned his head down, Katie blushing heavily as he came closer and close-
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Both looked at the stairwell Ryu just came from and saw a very enraged ball of pink fly down the stairs, huffing.
"Oh Louise, your familiar was here just a minute ago." Louise gave Guiche a glare.
"Well then help me find him!" Guiche looked at her incredulously.
"You mean… he ran away?"
"No he wandered off! Now come on!" Louise stomped past them in hot pursuit, Guiche giving a shrug and raised his hands.
"Only Louise." Katie giggled before he took off after Louise.
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"… It seems tonight won't end in just a fever." Kirche said, leaning her head down against her man of the night.
"Hmm?" Kirche looked up at him as he gazed across form them. Following his eyes, Kirche saw a blue haired commoner walking across from them.
"The familiar that Zero summoned? What's he doing?" Kirche wondered aloud as she saw him walk out the door leading outside. Almost a second later there was the sound of rapid footsteps coming from the stairwell. Kirche turned her head to see both Guiche and Louise fly out, the tiny new master fuming.
"Oh, Zero your familiar just walked out the door." Kirche said.
"HE WHAT?! Oh he's not planning to-?! GRRR!" Louise stomped across the hall, Kirche getting up and following behind Guiche.
"What happened?" Guiche gave a chortle.
"Get this, her familiar wandered off on his own when she took her eyes off him!"
"Really?! Hahaha!" Just as they stepped outside they heard a frantic yell.
"HELP! SOMEONE GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" All three looked up to see that Ryu was being kidnapped by a blue dragon that was now taking off into the air.
"HEY YOU PUT HIM DOWN! PUT MY FAMILIAR DOWN RIGHT NOW, HE'S MINE! HE NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED!" Louise yelled out as she ran to try and keep up with both of the familiars, Ryu now looking unsure of whether he wanted to stay up or find out what his master had planned as punishment. Both Guiche and Kirche looked on, the former confused while the latter was astonished.
"Isn't that Tabithas familiar? Why is it kidnapping Louise's familiar?"
"I don't know. Perhaps Tabitha wanted to talk to him? Oh, who am I kidding? This is Tabitha I'm talking about!" Kirche sighed, shrugging. "Hang on, let me go find her."
"No need." Said a small voice behind her. Kirche looked behind her and noticed the spectacled blue haired mage coming up behind her, looking at her own familiar with a slight frown of disapproval. Tabitha raised two fingers to her lips and whistled, making the dragon change its flight path back to its respective master. The dragon touched down in front of its master with Ryu still hanging by the shirt in its clenched mouth. Tabitha pointed down in front of her.
"Drop him." The dragon looked between her and the boy in its mouth, a look of disappointment crossing its face before it opened its jaws to let him go, Ryu landing with a small 'oompfh!' on the ground. Tabitha rapped her staff on the dragons head lightly.
"No stealing." Tabitha then turned around and started back where she came from, her familiar taking off into the night again as she went back to the book she was reading from. Ryu stood up, wobbling slightly before a flash of pink tackled him to the ground, pinning him under her.
"Next time you wander off like that without my permission I'm going to personally drop you out the window you got that?!"
"Yes master!" Ryu said dejectedly as Louise got off of him, glaring as he himself got up and dusted himself off.
"Geez Zero, no wonder you got a commoner for a familiar! He's perfect for you! Ah ha ha ha!" Kirche and Guiche both laughed as Louise once again flushed in anger, before turning her burning gaze to her familiar, who visibly shrank on the spot upon noticing his master.
"Start marching! NOW!" She barked, making Ryu yip and take off back up the stairwell with Louise close behind, keeping her eyes on him the whole while.
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He finally found it. Colbert looked at the page, almost in disbelief at what he found.
'Gandálfr. He's a Gandálfr!' There was no mistake. The runes on the page marking a Gandálfr matched the ones on Louise' familiar exactly. One of the four legendary familiers of Brimir the Founder.
"Of they who were the first to serve were the four bound in two. Gandálfr, whose holy hand held mastery over the instruments of war cleansing foes like wildfire. Lífþrasir, from whose heart life flowed just as from the earth but at equal a cost. Vindálfr, for whom animals would bend knee and serve just as the clouds obey the winds. And Mjöðvitnir, for whom the intricacies of magic would be as clear as the purest waters. It is from the first to serve that the rest follow, to live in constant strive to achieve the holy masteries of the four honorable paths. To every spring must be summoned the next to serve forevermore, never too young but never too old. As bound by seasons four so must be summoned upon two years time." Colbert closed the book and returned it to the shelf, picking up his handwritten notes. This was something that the Headmaster would want to hear about – no, needs to hear about! As soon as he was able to, Colbert would present his findings to headmaster Osmond and see where they would go from there – what actions they would take in light of this information. Things were going to change, Colbert was sure of it!
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After threatening her familiar to within an inch of his life and changing back into her night gown – she didn't dare risk losing sight of him, despite her feelings on the matter of him watching her change – She decided that he would be much less of a burden if he simply stayed in her room to sleep instead of risking him out in the hall and possibly having him kidnapped by yet another familiar.
"Do you understand me familiar?! Answer me!"
"Yes master, perfectly clear master!" Ryu said, face serious and making a small salute. Louise looked at him suspiciously for a moment before breaking her gaze off.
"Very well then, you are forgiven this time. Next time you do this I won't be so lenient."
"Thank you master." Louise climbed into her bed, snapping her fingers and making the candles snuff themselves out. She rolled herself to face the window and closed her eyes – before flashing them wide awake as she felt something sneak into her bed. She turned around and found a pair of sky blue eyes staring at her own, point blank.
'AJAKABHDBHJDSID-!' She blushed a deep red before yelling out loud
"WHA-WHA-WHA-GET OUT! OUT!" Louise kicked her familiar out of her bed and onto the floor. She grabbed her wand and pointed it at him, a fireball perfectly in mind!
"FIREBALL!" A small explosion rocked the room and filled it with smoke as her familiar lay on the floor, gibbering incoherently and smoking slightly. "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!"
"Going to sleep master~" Ryu said dazedly as he got back up. She pointed at the hay beside her bed.
"That's what this is for! You're sleeping on that!" Ryu looked at the hay then to her, confused.
"But it's hay…"
"YES its hay! Now go sleep on it!"
"But-"
"GOOD NIGHT, FAMILIAR!" Louise said with a huff and turned back around, shutting her eyes. Ryu looked at the hay pile then sighed before sidling over and laying on it, facing the ceiling. Eventually sleep overtook his discomfort and he slept.
~_~_~_~_~_~_End Chapter_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Rogueoftime89: And that's the end of this chapter. If people are a bit OoC I apologize. Why so few explosions? Well, Louise can't be so terribly mad at every terrible familiar now can she? And on that note I decided to use Ryu from Breath of Fire 4 simply because unlike other OP crossover characters, Ryu can actually grow in strength alongside her, plus it's the one I'm most familiar with. I may possibly add other characters from breath of fire at points but I may not.
Thank you for reading, review if you'd like. Otherwise be patient with updates. I'm vulnerable to writing blocks frequently, so updates may vary. And please go easy, it's been a while since I last wrote, and I don't write often.
