AN: Ok so here is chapter 3. found I had a bit of spare time at work *chough*all of it*chough*

so I tried to put out a little bit of effort (and stave off the inevitable boredom induced nap) by putting this together.

So, before we get to our mandatory disclaimer, thank you to all of you who took the time to review this story so far. I really appreciate it. Couple of little things I kinda want to address from those reviews too,

#1. Overkill on the fop.

I do admit, that having Hrist go completely apeshit on Guiche was a bit sudden, but I want you to think about this: First off, he has been abusing his rights as a so-called noble, and while yes Hrist couldn't care less about the difference between nobility and commoner, it was the abuse he was heaping on Seista that set her off. It was needless and inexcusable for a man. Then he had the nerve to show up to a duel HE requested late; bad form. Third strike was the golems. Hrist typically is portrayed as very cold and efficient, ruthlessly dealing with blasphemers and those who defile the gods. Well, I don't know about how you guys see it, but with Hrist, a VALKYRIE, standing on the field, once the golems came out she saw them as an insult and a slight against the gods, hence the sudden rage. But my reasoning for the Soul Crush so soon? At one point Guiche had 12 golems on the field ready to fight, and if you have a 10 hit combo just chillin' in the wings why not use it? Especially if it's easier to do and more efficient than taking on each opponent individually (admittedly if she used it on one opponent as opposed to 10 plus fop we would have hot hamburger on the ground instead...). Also considering by the game canon Hrist doesn't have any massive AoE nukes *shrugs*

#2 Killing the fop.

Now this one made me LOL. Come on guys! First rule of bad cinema! If you don't see the head roll it didn't happen. I did intend for it to be a bit cliffhanger-ish but the fact that everyone who reviewed and commented on it seemed assured he was dead leads me to think I need to change something in my style. *shrugs*

#3 Hrist's cover name.

Yup you were right, it's Leone, not Lennore. I forgot and thank you for reminding me. I'll go back and change it soon. From now on I'm gonna use Leone when her cover name is referenced but expect it to phase out soon anyways.

As always reviews are appreciated, and if you leave a review with a logged in profile I might even answer or comment back to ya before the next chapter! (*gasp* he does that?)

ON WITH THE SHOW! and the disclaimers...

I owns NOTHING! F****!...

OH! and thanks go to "Nameless Flame Wielder" for being my beta, and generally awesome sauce friend. check his stuff out Iz le gud ya?


Three people saw Hrist hoist her weapon with killer intent, and three people moved to stop her as one. Louise called out to her while physically tackling her, attempting to hold her back.

"FAMILIAR! Stop! Don't kill him!"

Both Professor Jean Colbert, and the school headmaster Osmond, having been in the crowd watching discreetly, decided something more definitive was called for. Both professors were rated as square class mages within their respective elements, fire for the professor, and earth for the headmaster. Between their combined ability it was a simple matter for them to both push Guiche out of the way of the halberd and create a wall of fire to try and stop the woman in her tracks.

The fire proved completely incapable of slowing the woman down; she stepped through the minor inferno as if it wasn't even there, flames rolling off her body as if afraid to burn even a single hair on her head. Fortunately the headmaster had more success in moving his student. The earth heaved beneath the fop, carrying him away from what his 'victim' on a wave of dirt.

Meanwhile Louise clung to Lenore's waist like a child to her mother, dragging her feet in a futile attempt to stop her familiar. Hrist finally seemed to realize that she was being held and paused and looked to her smaller would-be little sister. "Louise, you would have me spare this waste of flesh?"

Louise nodded her head emphatically. "Y-yes! There's no need to kill him over something like this!"

Relieved that the pink-haired Valliere had managed to stop her familiar's rampage, Professor Colbert approached warily. "Indeed madam. Not only does the boy not deserve to die, but killing him would be highly illegal. And we would have to turn both you and Miss Valliere over to the palace."

Hrist did not seem impressed. "Hmph, good luck… But why would Louise have to be taken away with me?" Hrist had once more changed how she looked at the situation. If her actions would affect Louise, then she might have cause to be more careful, at least in certain matters. Their comings and goings held little relevance in the long run to her for the most part, but Louise was different.

Louise filled in the blanks. "The familiar represents the summoner, your achievements are mine, your failures are mine, and… your crimes are mine."

"I see. It appears the situation is more complicated than I anticipated." Hrist stated looking down to the girl attached to her hip. "It seems we have much to discuss Louise." Looking back to the two older professors and the now silent crowd surrounding her and Guiche, Hrist put an end to the farce of a battle. "Very well, It seems you will live for now boy..." she declared coldly. Planting the point of her halberd in the ground, Hrist turned with Louise to leave the courtyard.

Recalling the missing entries on his student's paperwork and the apparent lapse in his judgment professor Colbert called out to the enigmatic woman and her pink-haired summoner. "Wait, madam, I still need your runic name."

"Not now; I will speak to you later. I believe you have a student to attend to." Once more coldly dismissing the professor, Hrist didn't even bother breaking stride or turning around as she led Louise off the court.

Once Louse and her familiar were out of the courtyard the murmuring began, students talking about what they had just seen. Disbelief was the common theme, incredulity close behind that. The thought that a commoner was able to defeat a mage, and as soundly as Leone had defeated Guiche, was unheard of. For most of the students, what they had just witnessed was a fantasy, something that was reserved for fanciful stories and sultry romances, not a schoolyard brawl.

Of the nearly three hundred students gathered in the vestry courtyard two were standing side by side, a study in opposites: one caramel-skinned, curvaceous and sultry the other pale-skinned, petite and conservative. Tabitha and Kirche had come to this expecting something interesting, but seeing their classmate almost literally torn apart in less than half a minute was beyond all expectations.

Tabitha summed up the events of the morning quite succinctly: "Dangerous..." Kirche could only nod her agreement.

Kneeling next to his student, Professor Colbert took in the state of his student. Physically speaking the boy was fine: he was almost completely untouched. The only damage he had taken in the entire affair was when he hit the ground, and when the headmaster moved him out of danger. Minor abrasions and rashes were a small price to pay when the alternative was beheading...

That was no duel. It was almost an execution.

Mentally on the other hand, the boy was a wreck. Now that the adrenaline from the near death experience was wearing off his body was trembling violently, his eyes were widely dilated and darting around looking for the source of his terror. A foul smell emanating from the boys trousers.

Turning to the nearest student he could find, a petite little girl with blonde hair, the professor waved her over. "Please go and bring the medic. You do know where the infirmary is, yes?"

Taking one fearful glance at the quivering boy on the ground the girl nodded and hesitantly replied with a quiet "Yes professor," before running off to do as he asked.

While Colbert had been examining the boy, Osmond began trying to disperse the crowds of students still milling around. A minor wind spell allowed the headmaster's normally quiet voice to be heard by everyone in the courtyard. "Alright students, that is quite enough. The first and third years still have class. Please return to your assigned classrooms. Second year students, I ask you disperse with your familiars for the time being." Though obviously reluctant, once the students began to obey and disperse the elder professor went over to inspect the aftermath. "How is the boy, Jean?"

Sighing as he sat up, Professor Colbert removed his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. He turned to his employer "He should be fine, might have nightmares for a while, but nothing lasting."

"Hmm... good, good… But this was very interesting wasn't it?" The elder professor had an out-of-place look of amusement on his face as he stroked his beard in thought.

"How so? Poor Gramonte was nearly killed over a childish squabble!" The outrage was clear on Professor Colbert's face and his voice was almost thunderous.

"Exactly! Think about it Jean. Guiche de Garmonte, son of the general Garmonte a very proficient dot-class earth mage, and a proficient tactician in his own right, was defeated by the FAMILIAR of one Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. And while her family is reportedly powerful and influential she has shown none of this talent in anything aside from academics and theory..." as the headmaster explained his interest in the situation, professor Colbert's eyes were drawn to the ornate halberd Hrist had left imbedded in the ground glittering in the afternoon sun.

"Correct me if I'm wrong Jean, but wasn't Miss Vallière at risk for expulsion recently?"

Nodding his head at the headmaster's inquiry, Colbert closed his eyes, recalling the poor girl's… precarious situation. "Yes, until recently Miss Vallière had yet to perform any magic of substance, and as such her grades in all of her practical magic courses were failures. The duchess Vallière was intending to pull her daughter from our academy if she couldn't perform her familiar summons adequately."

"And yet the familiar she summons is not only human, but also capable of summoning weapons and armor out of thin air, and more than strong enough to treat one of Mr. Garmonte's ability as if they were nothing..." Osmond observed, walking towards the halberd as he spoke. Both men's breath caught in their lungs as the weapon shattered like a pane of glass on the first touch. Shards of formerly unyielding crystal fell to the ground like so many snowflakes. "So very interesting... and was I right in hearing that you have yet to discover her runic name? That is very unlike you Jean."

Hanging his head at the admonishment Professor Colbert shyly scratched the tip of his nose. "I know, and while I am ashamed to admit it, while researching the matter I was overcome with a desire to continue my experiments with the explosive oil."

Osmond nodded easily. "Any results?" To say that Jean was put off by the headmaster's acceptance of his oversight would be an understatement.

"Not any more than the last time... You aren't upset?" Jean hedged, feeling like the old headmaster was just waiting for the right moment to verbally tear into him.

"There is nothing to be upset about. You already seem to be correcting the mistake, and it didn't endanger anyone so why get upset? Besides, did you ever consider that she may have 'inspired' your need to experiment?"

Professor Colbert was left gaping at the implications. "But... but there was no incantation, and she didn't have a wand, that should be impossible!"

Smiling gently the old man had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I know... so very very interesting."


Walking across the open fields outside of the academy walls Hrist and Louise found themselves a quite spot in the shade of a large oak tree to have their discussion.

As they sat down, Louise got straight to the first and most pressing thing on her mind. "So... you can use magic?" she mumbled nervously.

Smiling softly at how impatient her little Louise was, Hrist gently shook her head. "Louise, please let me go first: it will be much easier for you."

Grimacing slightly at having her familiar tell her to wait but unsure how to continue, Louise nodded her assent.

"Ok Louise, you summoned me to act as your familiar yes?" nodding her head Louise allowed her familiar to continue. "What exactly does that entail?"

The little mage almost immediately replied. "Normally a familiar is responsible for assisting their master in whatever way they are capable of: fetching reagents for spell-casting, allowing us to see what they see, and in extreme cases defending their master from harm." Talking magical theory seemed to bring Louise back to her senses from the debacle earlier, and the words started to come easier for the little girl.

"So, why are my actions a direct reflection on you?" This had been bothering Hrist since it was brought up, and now was a good time to get it resolved.

"That has to do with the fact that until you, all familiars have been either magical creatures like Tabitha and Kirche got, or slightly special mundane animals."

"Like the coward's giant mole?" Hrist somehow managed to make even that passing reference to Guiche sound cold even if she was gentle and warm to Louise.

The reminder of Guiche and the fight that had just finished caused Louise to openly flinch. "Yes, that is a good example."

Hrist nodded in understanding. "So it's less that the world sees us as one and the same, and more the fact that regular familiars are little more than glorified pets. That is easy enough to understand."

Turning her back from the tree they were sitting under, Hrist brought herself to look straight at Louise with an odd smile on her face. "Louise, if I am supposed to be your familiar, tell me what troubles you so."

The look of shock on Louise face was clear as day, and it quickly went from shock to outrage.

"Wh-what? Nothing troubles me! What could trouble me?"

Moving closer to Louise to rest her hand on the younger girl's leg in a reassuring manner Hrist spoke softly to calm her down. "Louise, I've been here barely two days and I can already see you keep a strong image, but something is bothering you. You said it yourself a familiar is supposed to help their master however they can, so let me help you."

Louise looked up at the warrior-woman and fought back the urge to lash out. She had seen this woman demolish a noble with no effort whatsoever, and yet she was now trying to talk to her like a sister. It didn't make any sense; was she a ruthless warrior like her mother or a caring person like her sister? "It's… It's nothing!" she tried.

Hrist's smile didn't falter in the slightest. Instead, she wrapped an arm around Louise's small shoulders and pulled her closer. "Even the greatest of us have our worries. You need not hide them from me; I'll help you face them."

It was unfair, Louise thought. Her familiar was amazing and frightening and kind and dangerous and gentle… Maybe it was just having someone who cared right here, but she found herself speaking to the taller woman quietly. "I'm… scared, Leone." Giving in to the comforting embrace, she leaned her head on Hrist's shoulder but refused to look up at her. "Last night, I dreamt that my mother disowned me, and my father hated me."

It took a lot to shock Hrist: she had seen the worst depravity humanity was capable of and fought with the worst nightmares anyone could ever dream up, and she fought them all with a smile. But seeing this little girl with enough power to summon a goddess from beyond death whimper in fear of her family's ire: that struck a chord with her. "Why would they do that?"

"A mage's nobility comes from magic," she recited. "My family is filled with exceptional mages… except me. I haven't cast a single spell right even though I work so hard. This school is the best in Tristain, and even they haven't been able to figure out what's wrong with me. How can I make my parents proud when I can't even do the simplest thing?" Louise was starting to ramble, unloading the condensed story of her troubles to the first person she had met on campus that she felt she could trust unconditionally. Even the professors couldn't understand what it was like to live with that kind of failure.

"And what of your classmates? Have they offered any help?"

Louise looked away sharply. "Why would they? I'm just the Zero," she mumbled bitterly. "Zero success, zero chance, zero hope," she forced herself to say, fighting back any show of emotion. A Valliere never showed weakness to anyone.

The small mage didn't expect for her familiar to pull her more fully into her lap, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. Hrist quietly whispered in her ear, "Not anymore." Louise would forever deny that she shed even a single tear there, and Hrist would never tell.

The pair spent a few minutes like this, just enjoying the warmth of the others presence. Then Louise's curiosity got the better of her. "So you can use magic?"

"Haha," The sound of soft laughter rang like music in the stillness of the clearing, breaking the solemnity of the moment. "No, not as you know it, but after a fashion. I can use a power very similar to magic."

The half-answer left Louise just as confused as she was to start with. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember yesterday when your professor was trying to get me to remove my gauntlet?"

Seeing Louise nod in remembrance, Hrist continued. "Wasn't it strange how he suddenly dropped the topic and left?"

Louise eyes went wide when she realized what happened. Her familiar had enchanted her professor, without wand or incantation, and nobody noticed. Magic that affected the mind was illegal in civilized countries, and her familiar was able to use it so casually? "That was you!? What did you do to him?"

"Nothing dangerous to him or others, I assure you. A small amount of power and a bit of focus on the desire for him to leave, that's all. What he did after that was what he would have done if we had never crossed paths at all that day." A subtle smile played across Hrist's face. Mortals were so vulnerable to suggestions. At times like these she could fully understand why Loki enjoyed his mischief so much. "My weapon and armor are similar, merely raw power given form."

Looking up at Hrist, Louise had a pitifully hopeful look on her face. It was simultaneously adorable and almost heart-wrenching. "So it's not really magic?"

"No. most mages would be insulted if I called such tricks true magic." shaking her head to emphasize her point Hrist regarded the hopeful look on Louise face carefully. "Why?"

"Maybe… I could learn it, too?" Louise tried. If it was mere power given purpose and form, perhaps it would let her wield whatever magic she had. Maybe the problem was never with having magic or not, but something else. So long as she wasn't using elven magic, it should be alright to try.

"N..." Hrist's first instinct was to automatically tell her no and leave it at that. Wielding raw divine energy was not the place of mortals. But, something about Louise continued to remind her of her sister Silmeria, and the memories of her previous incarnation Alicia reminded Hrist that it had been done before. "No... not 'no,' it very well may be possible..." she hedged.

"What do you need me to do?" Louise instantly jumped at the chance. The look of desperate hope on the little girls face was enough to make Hrist legitimately hate whatever or whoever had forced the girl to such lengths that such desperation was possible, especially at her age.

Thinking about it for a moment, Hrist realized she didn't know how to teach this sort of thing to a mortal. Silmeria had been conscious inside of Alicia to assist with her learning, but the painful desperation from Louise demanded at least an experiment from Hrist. "To be honest Louise, I am not sure: I've never taught anyone to do this, so for now... let me see you cast a normal spell."

"What spell?" the hope on her face had changed into a tired resignation when she realized it wouldn't be a quick fix.

"It doesn't matter, whatever you choose will suffice." As Louise stood up and moved away from her familiar, Hrist focused all of her attention on her, trying to feel the energy the little girl was calling. She could tell that the girl had divine energy even from here; the question was whether or not she was accessing it when she attempted mortal spells.

Nodding her head as she raised her wand, Louise chose a quick fireball spell. Even if it only exploded like all the others it was the closest thing she had to a 'working' spell. Besides, it tended to make a bigger explosion than something like 'sleep' or 'silence' would, and in some part of her mind she had to admit if she was going to be a failure at casting she might as well be an impressive one. "FIREBALL!" pointing her wand at a tree deeper within the line of the forest Louise released the spell, and like all of her other attempts it had explosive results.

Unlike her failures in the class, which usually ended with some broken glass a bit of smoke and a change of clothes, this spell ended up turning a good five-foot portion of the trunk into so much sawdust instantly, leaving the rest of the fifty-foot mammoth to plummet to the ground violently.

*CRASH!*

As the tree groaned and toppled, Hrist jumped forward, wrapping her arms around her summoner and leaped out of harm's way. Once the dust settled and Louise was able to see again, she realized that her familiar had her wrapped protectively within her arms and had hid behind the trunk of another tree.

A smile had appeared on her face, one eerily similar to the one she had when Guiche challenged her to a duel. "I thought you said you couldn't cast magic?" Hrist couldn't have been happier if she wanted to be at the moment. The spell Louise had just cast was composed of PURE divine energy, not a trace of fire or any other element to be found. And it all felt like Silmeria.

"I can't: that was a failure of a spell, it was supposed to be a fireball." Louise tried to hide it, but when her spells failed like this it always hurt. On some level she realized it was just another confirmation that she was 'Zero'.

"Do you know what I saw, Louise?" the grin hadn't budged an inch from Hrist's face, confusing Louise immensely.

"What?" Louise couldn't reconcile her sisterly familiar with that almost feral grin she was sporting.

"I saw you doing exactly what I was hoping to see."

"Huh?"

Putting Louise back on the ground to stand on her own, Hrist walked back towards the now broken treeline. "Watch carefully Louise" standing in a neutral stance in front of the stump Louise had made, Hrist threw a photon at it silently. An explosion similar to what Louise had just caused resounded through the clearing, though on a smaller scale.

"Now your turn Louise, tell me what YOU saw."

Louise was speechless, her familiar caused explosions too? Was she doing something right (or wrong in a different way) after all? "Uh... I don't know..."

Cradling her face gently in the palm of her hand, Hrist looked at her summoner through her fingers. "Did you feel anything when I did that?"

Hesitantly, Louise nodded. There was something there she felt tugging at her senses, though she couldn't describe it.

"Do you think you can copy it?"

Looking apprehensive at the prospect of failure again, Louise looked up to Hrist. "I can try, but could you walk me through it?"

Hrist's smile became gentler, more encouraging. "Of course... first come over here, we don't want you to hit anything too close to you after all." Motioning for Louise to stand next to her in front of the stump, Hrist began, "Now, I don't know what it feels like for you when you cast your spells, but I assume the beginning is the same. Close your eyes."

Both women were standing in that clearing relaxed with their eyes closed, and missed the shadow of a dragon flying overhead. "Next, I want you to find your power, whatever it is when you cast your spells. Search yourself for it; tell me once you think you've found it,"

Nodding her head with her eyes still closed Louise took a deep breath. "Ok Leone, I think I've found it. It's warm." In truth, this was not a new exercise for any mage, but if it helped her familiar, she would go through it again.

Smiling at how fast Louise was taking the instructions, Hrist continued, "Now, I want you to bring your hands up in front of you, once you do that focus on moving that power with your will."

"To my hands? What about a wand or a staff?"

"You should not need those for this. Your power might resist, but don't try and force it. If it won't move, just stop and try again."

"Okay." Opening her eyes to watch Louise, Hrist stepped off to the side. The sight of the little girl making progressively more frustrated faces, while humorous, was tempered by the sight of a spark of energy glowing between her outstretched hands.