Hello everyone! Sixsamchaos here! I am sorry for the long wait, but I have finally finished the first chapter of the rewrite. Hopefully, you will all be thrilled with this new version.
Anyways, please review and let me know of your opinions, as feedback matters as much as the story itself.
Any flamers and trolls out there, know this. Constructive criticism is helpful but comments bordering on insults is a pathetic disgrace to the literature world. You don't like how I write my stories, then don't bother reading them!
Now that my message has been sent, I shall move on with the disclaimer:
Sixsamchaos does not own Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima. What he does own is the madness that is his story and any OCs that he creates.
It was a beautiful day in the world of Halkeginia. The sun was shining brightly, the wind gliding across the lands, as the peaceful villagers of the various kingdoms went about their daily business. Farmers tended to their crops with high hopes of plentiful harvests. Traders and merchants setting up their shops and businesses for another day of work and profit. Men and women enjoying drinks and sharing gossip, as their children laughed freely in their playtime. To many, it was an ordinary day. However, to the noble class, today was not an ordinary day, for it was the day that marked the beginning of the Spring Time Familiar Summoning Ritual. Today was the day that each of the second year students of Tristain's Academy of Magic would summon one of the many magical and mystical creatures that exist within the lands of Halkeginia. And with each summon, a new bond between mage and familiar shall be formed.
Yes, it was an exciting day for all of the second year students, as many of them were quite curious about the creatures they would summon. However, there were many students who were also nervous of the ritual, as one's familiar represented not only a mage's elemental affinity but also the characteristics that best described the mages themselves. Still, many of the students were confident that they would pass through the ritual with no problems. Unfortunately, this cannot be said for one certain student amongst the second year class. Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, or better known as Louise the Zero, was a most curious mage. Although the young lady was famous for her family name, Louise's reputation amongst her peers was mostly about two things. The first was that she had almost no ability when it came to the art of magic, as every spell Louise had attempted always ended up with a very large explosion, something that made the unfortunate girl a laughing stalk amongst her classmates. The second part of her reputation was, much to the girl's embarrassment, about her short stature. Although the young girl was at the age of sixteen like most of her peers, Louise still held the appearance of a young child whom was just entering the beginning stages of becoming a teenager. Combined with her infamous temper, this made the young mage an extremely volatile person when greatly angered.
However, Louise was currently more concerned about the summoning ritual than her standing amongst her peers, as the ritual was her last chance to prove to everyone that she wasn't some useless mage. In fact, the young girl was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that she and everyone else had finally arrived at one of the vast fields that surrounded the school. Still, Louise was able to set aside her worry in favor of watching her classmates summon their familiars. Despite their cruel teasing, the young mage saw it courteous to at least pay attention to the sacred ritual. As each of her classmates stepped forth to cast their summoning spells, Louise quickly felt her worry return, especially after seeing some of the amazing creatures that her colleagues had summoned. Most of her classmates had summoned normal animals, such as cats and birds, common creatures that were typical of first-time summons. However, there were some very rare or even strange creatures that appeared. One student had summoned a bugbear, a creature that appeared to be a giant eye with batwings and a tail. A dark skinned beauty by the name of Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst, and Louise's archrival, summoned a rare fire salamander that was about the same size as a large dog. However, the biggest surprise was Tabitha, a quiet, blue-haired girl who carried a staff that was larger than her body, as she had summoned a rhyme dragon, one of the rarest of all creatures that existed in Halkeginia.
Jean Colbert, one of the professors of the academy and supervisor of the Spring Time Familiar Ritual, was impressed with this year's rituals, as many of the students showed much potential. Being the right hand of the school headmaster, Colbert had seen many young mages summon their first familiars, and was proud to say that the curiosity and wonder of the ritual had not yet left him. Wiping his small spectacles and clearing his balding head of the sweat that came from the sunny day, the professor turned back to address his students. Although Colbert had a very good memory, the powerful mage didn't want to forget any of his students.
"Well done. Has everyone had a chance to summon their familiar?"
Just as Louise was contemplating her odds of secretly escaping, Kirche spoke out to the professor. "Professor Colbert. Little Louise has yet to summon her familiar."
"Oh, yes. Miss Vallière, please come up and summon your familiar."
Silently cursing at her large-breasted rival, Louise slowly stepped through the crowd until she stood near the experienced mage. Despite the grace and dignity that came with her social upbringing, Louise still felt a cold pit in her stomach, hearing the whispers of her fellow classmates even as she prepared her own summoning spell. Many of the students were prepared to stand their ground in the case of an explosion, while others sought to taunt or scoff at the young noble. For her part, Kirche simply looked on amusingly at her short rival, standing next to the ever-reserved Tabitha, as said girl was content with reading her large book.
Taking a deep breath, Louise slowly felt herself calming, her worries ebbing away as she looked deep within for her magical power. As Louise prepared herself for the ritual, Colbert couldn't help but blink as he saw a subtle change within Louise. Having served under the girl's mother for a long time during his profession in the military, Colbert knew a lot about his former commander's mannerisms and characteristics. Feeling a small smile tug at his lips, Colbert nodded in approval, knowing full well that Louise had the potential to go far in the world of magic.
*In a Forgotten Realm*
The void. A realm that had once been filled with stars, planets, and beauty was now nothing more than a dark abyss of emptiness. Nothing existed within this dark abyss save for one silhouette, drifting throughout the non-existent plane. However, the silhouette was neither an object nor a person. A more accurate description of the silhouette was that it was both. Had light existed within the empty void, one would have made the assumption that the shadowy figure was a statue. To be more specific, the statue was in the form of a man, yet instead of being an inanimate object, the statue was actually very much alive.
Currently, the frozen being was sleeping peacefully within his stony prison only to awaken with a start when a distant echo reached his ears.
"I beg of you…"
'Impossible. This is the void, the eternal darkness. Nothing exists here except me.'
Just as the imprisoned man was about to contemplate the return of his insanity, another echo was heard. The disembodied voice grew louder and clearer, as a large green portal suddenly came into existence, bathing the realm with light for the first time in ages. The portal glowed with intricate symbols and runes that pulsed with increasing intensity. However, the frozen figure paid the portal no mind, as he was entranced with the disembodied voice, the voice of a young girl. Within her echoes, he could hear the conviction, the emotion, and the desperation within her words.
"My slave who lives somewhere in the universe!"
'Slave? I am a slave to no one!'
"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!"
'Sacred? Ha! I forfeited that belief long ago! Beautiful? What is so appealing about a monster? Strong? Even with all my power, I couldn't stop my loved ones from dying!'
"I desire and here I plead from my heart!"
'I have long accepted my fate. Why must I continue to suffer the return of life? My previous life had been one full of failures. Why call out to me?'
As the man continued to question the young girl's words, he noticed that he was drifting towards the portal, as if it was reaching out to him. However, the man could do nothing but float towards the summoning portal, as the stone prison prevented any form of resistance.
"Answer to my guidance!"
'Am I deserving of a second chance? Am I worthy to return from the dead?'
However, the stone figure found that his questions were answered for him, as he entered the portal.
'I guess I don't have a choice. Very well, I shall accept your call. Perhaps this new path before me will finally lead to my salvation.'
*Tristain's Academy of Magic*
While Louise was casting her summoning spell, many of the students found her chant to be a bit strange, as it wasn't like the other spells that were previously performed. Although every summoning spell was unique in its own way, the spells usually held some similarity with each other. In fact, some spells were generic spells that were taken from the many texts of the academy's library. However, Louise's spell seemed to be extremely different when compared to these spells. Still, many of her peers were prepared to face any kind of explosion that might occur as the result of her summoning.
"What a strange chant," spoke Montmorency, a young noble girl with blonde hair that was styled into Victorian ringlets that were kept together with a red hair bow at the back of her head.
"Well, it certainly is different," observed Guiche, a blonde haired boy with blue-gray eyes.
As Louise spoke that last of her summoning spell, the young mage waved her wand to bring forth her familiar, closing her eyes with full expectation of an explosion to occur. However, the young mage didn't feel any sort of heat nor any sound of a blast. There wasn't even a humming or even a whistling sound that usually followed with the summoning of a familiar. Opening her eyes, Louise collapsed to her knees, as she looked out towards the empty field with disbelief and despair. For his part, Colbert looked at the young girl with sympathy. Like the rest of the school's populous, the professor knew of the young girl's reputation and knew the most likely outcome for the young noble's future. Fortunately, Louise was spared from the usual teasing and bullying, as the rest of the students looked on with pity. Walking up to the young girl, Colbert grasped her shoulder comfortingly, and spoke in what he hoped was a comforting tone.
"I am sorry, Miss Miss Vallière. It seems you have failed the summoning ritual."
Just as the professor was about to lead the heartbroken mage, both student and teacher froze in shock, as a large glowing seal suddenly appeared before them. The portal shined brilliantly and bathed its audience with a majestic and comforting green light. Even the familiars were astonished by the impressive display, while the students were astonished by the sheer size of the summoning portal. Meanwhile, Louise stared intently at the portal, her hopes of a successful summoning returning tenfold. Unfortunately, her hopes were soon dashed, as the typical outcome had occurred with the summoning, as the portal soon destabilized into a large explosion, kicking up dirt and dust all across the field. The shockwave alone threatened to knock all the mages and their familiars back over several feet. Fortunately, many of the students were prepared for the explosion and were able to calm their familiars down rather quickly. Still, this didn't mean that they weren't knocked down, as many of the nobles saw fit to scold the dazed Louise. Surprisingly, Kirche and Tabitha were still standing alongside their familiars, as they didn't even appear to have a spec of dirt anywhere. However, the surprise quickly left as some of the nearby students saw the remnants of a shield dissipating, no doubt a spell that Tabitha had casted at the last minute.
However, Louise paid no attention to the greatly irritated crowd of students and familiars, as she stared intently through the clearing smoke in hopes that her familiar had survived. As the dust finally cleared, the young mage was torn when she finally saw her familiar. Although Louise was successful in her summoning spell, the young mage hadn't expected to summon a mere statue as her familiar. Despite her somewhat unlikely wishes, Louise had wanted to something majestic like Tabitha's rhyme dragon or something fierce such as her mother's manticore. Even Colbert seemed a bit perplexed at the statue, as it was definitely the most anticlimactic and strangest summoning that he had ever seen. The statue itself appeared to take on the shape of a man; however, it was the statue's expression that truly captured the professor's attention. Its expression conveyed a feeling of regret, yet acceptance, something that bothered the professor greatly. Usually statues were built to convey the power or greatness of the people, deities, and creatures that they exuded. However, this statue appeared to be of someone whom was full of sadness, regret, and age. As Colbert continued to ponder about the stone figure, Louise stepped closer to inspect her disappointing familiar.
The statue itself was around five feet and nine inches tall, something that also irritated Louise as she stood a whole foot shorter. Shaking off her irritation, Louise continued to inspect the man's appearance. It seemed that the man that the statue represented had worn an attire that consisted of an ankle-length trench coat, a pair of long pants, a plain shirt, a pair of boots, and a pair of gauntlets. In addition, it appeared that the man had worn something underneath his coat, as Louise recognized what appeared to be some type of armor that was underneath the sleeves. As Louise inspected the man's face, she saw that he was most likely between the ages of seventeen and twenty years old, and appeared to have an appearance that was somewhat plain-looking. All in all, the man seemed to portray someone without any type of distinction. He appeared to be neither a commoner nor a noble. However, the young mage was soon shaken from her thoughts, as her peers made their reactions clear to the rather pathetic looking summon.
"This makes what you said last night worth it, Louise! I never would have guessed that you would summon a statue," laughed Kirche, as she almost collapsed with tears in her eyes.
Soon enough, the rest of Louise's classmates were laughing and calling out to Louise with the exception of Tabitha, whom was stilled focused on her book.
"That's Louise for you! No wonder she's called the Zero!" Although such comments were nothing new to the young mage, Louise still kept her back towards the crowd, refusing to let any of her peers see her glistening tears. However, Colbert merely stood to the side, as he knew he could do nothing to stop the teasing and bullying. Still, the professor made sure to later remind the second years that their behavior wasn't fitting of the noble class. As Louise glanced at her teacher for some sort of instruction for her predicament, Colbert merely gestured to finish the summoning ritual. Sighing, Louise stood directly in front of the statue, so that she may complete her task.
However, unbeknownst to the humans, many of the familiars that were amongst the crowd looked on with apprehension and fear. Like any living creature, each of the familiars had the inborn sense of detecting danger and negative energy from a direction or another being. The current situation was no different, as many of the familiars seemed to show signs of discomfort. Even the more formidable familiars, such as Kirche's fire salamander and Tabitha's dragon appeared to be wary and defensive at Louise's familiar. Soon, Colbert took notice of the other familiars and was having thoughts about letting Louise complete her ritual. Meanwhile, Tabitha closed her book and moved her attention towards the statue, prompting Kirche to stop her laughter, as confusion soon marred her features.
*Statue's POV*
'Well, this is unexpected. I didn't think this girl would be the one to have called me.'
'Still, I wonder why the others are taunting her. Is she a victim of bullying?'
As I pondered my thoughts on the young child, I couldn't help but feel old memories rise from the forgotten corners of my mind. However, my thoughts were soon set aside when I noticed the uneasiness of the creatures amongst the audience. I also noticed that three of the humans were also giving me wary stances.
'So, they know that I am a danger, but they do not know what I exactly am. After all these centuries, I didn't think I still had that capability.'
Still, I couldn't help but feel amusement building up inside me, something that I have not felt in centuries. If I wasn't stuck as a lawn ornament, then I would most likely have laughed at their expressions. However, my mirth quickly died down, as I saw the pink-haired child move to stand in front of me. Although I knew a summoning ritual when I see one, I was curious to see what she would do, as I doubt she would want a statue for a companion.
"You should be grateful. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone, even for a statue. My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; grant your blessings upon this statue, and make him my familiar."
In all my time as a learner of the magical arts, I have never heard a chant like the one this little girl had spoken in front of me. It seems that this day is just full of surprises. Wait, why is she climbing on me? What is she doing with her wand? What the hell? DID SHE JUST KISS ME?
*Normal POV*
Unaware of her familiar's shock, Louise had finally completed the summoning ritual. However, the young mage quickly backed away from the statue, as it suddenly began to crack and groan. Almost immediately, the statue began to shake with intensity, as the stone gave way to reveal a shining light. As more and more pieces broke away, the light's shine grew in intensity until it threatened to blind both the astonished mages and the panicking familiars. After a tense moment, the blinding light began to fade before revealing a truly amazing sight. In place of the statue was now a man wearing an all-black attire, which consisted of an ankle-length trench coat, pants, a plain shirt, leather boots, and leather gauntlets. In addition, the dazed man seemed to be wearing vambraces on top of his gauntlets; however, the metal appeared to be made out of polished obsidian instead of the usual steel or iron that most armors tended to be constructed of. As for the man himself, he appeared to have silver hair along with amethyst eyes. Groaning, the statue-turned-man slowly shook his head before taking a look at his surroundings, causing several of the crowd's familiars to either flinch away or growl defensively. Soon enough, the man turned to examine his own body, making slow and careful movements with each of his limbs.
Mustering up her courage, Louise stepped forward to address her newly transformed familiar; however, she cringed slightly from the cracking noises that came about from the man's newly freed form.
"Are you alright, familiar?"
The former statue turned to face his savior. "What?"
Louise huffed, but understood that her familiar was most likely still reeling from the drastic change. "I asked if you were okay."
It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. "I think so…thank you…"
As Louise continued to try and help her still dazed familiar, Colbert seemed even more conflicted than before, as he eyed the former statue. Although it had been years since the last war, the veteran mage never lost any of his instincts when it came to analyzing opponents, as Karin the Heavy Wind made sure to train all of her soldiers into the ground. However, these very same instincts were warning the professor to be extremely careful with Louise's familiar. Although Colbert couldn't exactly place it, he felt as if there was a darkness surrounding the man, which put the former soldier on edge. Even more unsettling, the dark presence felt uncannily similar to the malice and dread that the evil creatures of Halkeginia tended to radiate. Should the summoned familiar become hostile, Colbert knew that he would have to lead him away from the students and the school. Fortunately, Colbert sighed in relief, as the man's right hand suddenly glowed with a faint light, indicating that the familiar contract was complete.
However, the man grunted in slight pain from the contract, but paid the glowing runes no mind, as he kept his focus on the spectacled teacher. Unknown to Colbert, the man had also been analyzing the fire mage, and knew from Colbert's stance that he was a former warrior. Smirking slightly at the interesting development, the man returned to his neutral expression, as the teacher moved to stand next to Louise.
"I see the contract is complete. Well done, Miss Vallière."
"That hurt you know," grumbled the man.
"May I examine the runes," asked Colbert. As the man showed the professor his right hand, Colbert frowned at the unrecognizable runes, which appeared to be different than the standard contracts that he had previously studied. Sighing, the fire mage knew that he'll have to search the library's vast collection for the answers to his questions.
"Well, this has certainly been an interesting turn of events. These runes are very unique." Colbert turned to address the crowd of students, signaling the end of the summoning ritual. Easing his grip on this staff, Colbert glanced at the mage and familiar once more before heading back to the academy, while the students also left to get acquainted with their new familiars. As the students levitated themselves or rode on the backs of their familiars, an awkward silence passed between Louise and the statue-turned-man, having been forgotten and left behind. Sighing, Louise began the long trek back to the school with her familiar following.
"So, familiar…"
"Xander."
"What?"
"My name is Xander Melee."
"How is that possible? I thought you were…"
"A simple statue? Although your assumption is understandable, Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, I assure you that I was very aware of my surroundings. As a student of magic, you should know that things are not always what they seem," smirked Xander, as he left a flabbergasted Louise behind. After a minute or two, a fierce blush erupted from the mage's cheeks, as she realized the implications of Xander's words.
"I can't believe I gave a stranger my first kiss!"
*An Hour Later*
It wasn't long for the two to reach the school grounds. Currently, Xander and Louise were sitting in Louise's bedroom, as the young mage had to explain to her strange familiar the social customs of Halkeginia as well as what she expected from her familiar. However, the young mage also had to answer any questions that Xander had voiced, and with night quickly approaching it was understandable that the pink-haired mage was extremely tired. Standing up from the small table, Louise quickly changed out of her uniform and into her nightgown, not caring that Xander was still in the room. Quickly blowing out the lights, the weary girl was asleep before her head even hit her pillow. Sighing in annoyance, Xander stood up and examined his new home, impressed by the embellished furniture and trinkets. The well-crafted queen sized bed, large dresser, vanity table and mirror, bathroom, and large circular table and chairs truly did make one feel like a noble. In fact, the only thing that seemed out of place was the small pile of hay that was placed in a corner of the room nearby the room's only window.
"She most likely wasn't planning on summoning me for her familiar. I guess there's no helping it," whispered Xander, as he silently left the room. Once outside, he slowly walked through the many hallways, admiring the school's architecture. Taking a glance out one of the large windows, Xander raised a brow at the two moons before continuing his exploration of the school. After an hour or two, the silver-haired man came across a young couple, amused with how the blonde teen was wooing a cute brunette girl. Stepping into the shadows, the man decided to have some fun with the young couple.
"Well, isn't this a touching scene."
"Eep!"
"Wha!"
Xander laughed at the couple's surprise, as he quickly left the scene, traveling through the shadows, as if he was one with them now. Speeding through the long hallways and corridors, it wasn't long till Xander found himself in one of the academy's many courtyards. Inspecting the area from the safety of the shadows, Xander found that wasn't the only one in the area, as he saw, in his view, a very beautiful maid.
The woman before him appeared to be around the age of eighteen and stood about a little taller than five feet. Her shoulder-length black hair swayed in the slight breeze, while her steel blue eyes shined brilliantly under the moonlight. As Xander continued to admire her, he couldn't help but become entranced by her beauty, as her uniform hugged all the young woman's curves nicely and complimented her creamy skin and generous bust.
Currently, the young maid was carrying a large basket full of dirty uniforms, a large tub of water a few feet in front of her. After a moment of simply admiring the young maid's beauty, Xander was about to continue his exploration of the academy; however, a shriek from the maid caused the shadow-walker to quickly turn back to the girl. The young maid had somehow tripped, and was about to smash head first into the metal tub. Acting on instinct, Xander quickly focused his control over the shadows and formed several shadow tendrils, catching the surprised maid before setting her safely on her feet.
"W-What?"
"You should be more careful, milady," spoke Xander, as he stepped out of the shadows, further surprising the maid.
"O-Oh, good evening milord," stuttered the embarrassed maid.
Xander shook his head. "No. None of that milord stuff. I am merely Xander Melee."
"M-My name is Siesta, sir."
"Good evening to you too, Siesta. However, my name is not sir, it is Xander."
"Forgive me, Master Melee, but it wouldn't be proper, especially since you are a noble."
Xander sighed. "I am not a noble, Siesta. I am merely a man who has been given a second chance at life."
Confused at what her savior was talking about, Siesta blinked at the man before her eyes widened in realization. "Excuse me, mi-Xander. Are you the statue that Miss Vallière summoned?"
"You know about me?"
Siesta nodded. "There have been rumors spreading throughout the academy that Miss Vallière summoned a statue that then transformed into a human."
Xander sighed before scratching the back of his head. "Well, so much for anonymity."
"Forgive me for asking, but why are you out here? Should you not be in bed?"
"After spending so long as a piece of rock, I didn't really feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as a little girl. Besides, the sleeping arrangements Louise had prepared were not meant for someone like me."
"I see."
"Would it be alright for me to help you with your work? I believe a humble companion would be preferable to the embellished nobility," suggested a slightly awkward Xander, surprising Siesta once again.
"Oh no…I couldn't let another person perform a duty of mine."
"It's fine. Besides, think of my help as an apology. I kind of spied on you for a moment when I was still a part of the shadows," spoke a sheepish Xander, hoping the beautiful maid wouldn't take it the wrong way.
Fortunately for the man, Siesta seemed to be flattered rather than offended. Smiling, the young maid accepted Xander's offer and guided the shadow-walker through the process of her task. Due to the fact that her unexpected helper was a statue for some time, it was most likely that Xander was a bit rusty when it came to laundry. Logically, the young maid was correct, as she had to correct Xander's technique several times, but was glad that he was able to handle the task quite quickly. Soon enough, Xander started to make some pleasant conversation with Siesta, which brought a smile to her beautiful face. Inwardly, the young maid sighed in relief that Xander was not like the nobles of the academy. Due to the fact that she was a commoner, Siesta knew she couldn't do anything to the mages without dire consequences. The young maid knew that many of the male students saw her and a few of the other maids with lust in their eyes, especially since the uniforms tended to compliment the girls' curves quite nicely. In addition, Siesta feared that she may one day end up as a mistress to one of the older mages. However, Xander appeared to put the young woman's fears to rest, as he seemed to exude a feeling of comfort. In fact, the man sitting next to her seemed to be an enigma, as he didn't seem to care or even be aware of the status quo.
"Are you alright there, Siesta," asked Xander, shaking the young maid out of her thoughts.
"Oh! Y-Yes! I-I'm fine, Xander. No need to be concerned," stuttered the startled maid. Xander chuckled for a moment before he quietly continued his task.
Soon enough, the workload was finally finished, as Siesta, with Xander's help, delivered the clean laundry over to the storage closets. Sighing, Siesta stretched her aching muscles, as she thanked Xander for his services. Nodding, Xander bid the young maid farewell and was about to search out a place to rest until Siesta grasped his arm.
"Um…w-would it be acceptable f-for us to do this again?" Xander blinked in surprise for a moment before giving the maid a slight smile, nodding. Blushing deeply from her forwardness, Siesta bid the silver-haired man good night before retreating to her own quarters. Xander stayed silent, admiring the young woman for a moment more before stepping into the shadows once again. Feeling his body become one with darkness, Xander traveled through the academy until he found a comfortable looking tree inside one of the courtyards.
"Ha, even after all these years, I still got it," whispered Xander as he emerged from the shadows and made himself comfortable at the base of the large tree.
'Well, today has certainly been an interesting day. Still, I wonder why I was summoned here. From what Louise told me, the familiar reflects the characteristics of the mage. Does that mean she has a path similar to mine, or is it due to the type of magic she has? I had accepted my fate long ago. Why would anyone want to bring someone like me back?'
Yawning, the man continued to ponder his questions until sleep finally claimed him after an hour or two.
*The Next Morning*
"Woooooowwwwww. I must admit. Last night was the most comfortable sleep I've had in a long time," yawned Xander, as the former statue awoke to the early morning with dawn only a few minutes approaching.
"I better go wake up Louise."
After a quick routine of stretching, Xander merged with the shadows before speedily traversing the academy grounds. Slithering through cracks, crawling up walls, and dodging any of the morning staff, it wasn't long till Xander quickly reemerged in Louise's chambers. Glancing around, the former statue looked to see that he had miscalculated, since he emerged into the bathroom. Muttering under his breath about being out of practice, Xander smoothly entered the mage's bedroom before walking up to Louise's bed. Looking over his partner, Xander smiled at Louise's completely relaxed expression. As the sunlight peered through the window, it accentuated the young girl's vibrant pink hair, giving Louise a very adorable and innocent appearance.
'So much like little sis and the twins.' Unfortunately, the man's thoughts brought forth more old memories, which caused Xander to frown before sighing.
"Better wake her up…"
Grasping the mage's shoulder, Xander gently shook Louise awake before stepping back. Groaning, Louise groggily sat up and cutely rubbed her eyes. Blinking away the sleep, crystal pink eyes made contact with amethyst purple. Unfortunately, Xander soon found out that Louise's reflexes were much faster than her memories.
"EXPLOSION!"
*BOOM*
"Well that was uncalled for," said Xander calmly, as the smoke from Louise's spell drifted out of the window. Strangely enough, Xander appeared to be completely fine, as he didn't even have any soot anywhere on his person.
"W-What are you doing here?"
"You summoned me to be your familiar, remember? I assumed that you wanted an early start on the new day."
"Oh…right…of course…"
Xander nodded. "I shall wait for you outside then."
As soon as Xander had closed the door, Louise sighed at both her strange familiar and the situation she was in, as the young mage didn't have a clue when it came to addressing her current predicament. She was supposed to summon an extravagant creature as her familiar, not a statue that turned out to be a prison for a living human. In addition, the young mage couldn't exactly treat the man like a servant or a dog, as he didn't show any disrespect but also not revealing any love for the noble class either. Combine all this with the fact that she had yet to inform her family and the Princess what she had exactly summoned brought forth a very powerful headache. Still, the young mage decided to cross such bridges as they appear. For now, Louise performed her daily morning rituals and dressed into a clean uniform before leaving her quarters. Unfortunately, the current scene before her didn't seem to ease her growing headache, as Xander was having a staring contest with Flame, Kirche's fire salamander.
"Well, it's nice to see you finally grace us with your presence, Little Louise," teased Kirche.
"Why are you here, Kirche?"
"Oh, just to tease my little rival before heading off to class. Normally, I would have woken up a little later, but, for some reason, Flame here wanted me to leave my room rather quickly," answered Kirche, as she gestured to her familiar.
As the two rivals turned their attention to their respective familiars, the mages were surprised to see Flame growl at Xander, breathing out small sparks of fire as he did so. For his part, Xander merely continued to stare at the creature with his amethyst eyes; however, the dull and slightly glazed look made to be an uncomfortable sight. For Kirche, she blinked at her familiar in confusion before glancing at Louise's familiar. From the time she had spent bonding with Flame since his summoning, the fire salamander seemed to be a friendly creature when confronted by humans. As for Louise, seeing the look in her familiar's eyes scared the girl slightly, as it was the same type of look her parents would have from time to time.
"Strange…Flame isn't usually like this. He's normally friendly towards strangers. Your familiar didn't do anything to mine did he, Louise?"
"W-What!? How dare you accuse my familiar something like that," shouted a furious Louise.
Xander blinked before shaking his head. "Your familiar is just thinking of your safety, Miss Kirche. I would do the same with Louise here."
"My, my, a gentleman are we?"
"You better not try and seduce my familiar, Kirche! However, what do you mean?"
"Flame here sees me as a threat," said Xander rather bluntly.
This caught both girl's attention, as Xander didn't seem to be any kind of threat to anyone. No, he seemed more like a bored young adult that seemed to stick out due to his hair and eye color.
"Well, we should get going shouldn't we, Little Louise?"
"Stop calling me that Kirche," blushed a furious Louise, as she walked alongside her rival towards class, Flame defensively following his master. Xander sighed at the wary beast before moving as well.
As the two were walking, Xander took the time to observe his so-called master and her reactions towards the busty redhead. Apparently, Kirche loved to tease Louise about almost anything that she wasn't strong in, although most of the teasing was about Louise's lack of physical growth. As for Louise herself, the man could already tell from years of experience that she was some whom seemed independent and stubborn with a bit of a temper mixed in. Still, Louise seemed to carry a subtle nervousness, despite the fact that she moved with as much grace and dignity as any other noble.
'She most likely has the arrogance and ignorance that comes with it as well. In fact, from what I have seen in my brief time here, it appears that most in not all of these students are either arrogant or ignorant to the real world.'
It wasn't long till the group had reached the classroom and entered to find all the usual activities and gossip flying around. However, the main talk appeared to be about Louise and her strange familiar, as many of the students whispered and glanced at the duo. While Louise would normally tune out what her peers would usually speak about her, the young mage was highly insulted by the rumors flying about. Apparently, most of the mages believed that she had hired a commoner and used several illusion potions in order to simulate the summoning ritual. However, Xander didn't seem to be bothered by the whispers and stares, as he was too busy staring at the various creatures that were in the room. In fact, part of the reason why the mages talked about the man was due to the uncomfortable presence he seemed to radiate towards the other familiars. It was as if he was a deadly predator and they were his prey.
Once Louise had taken her seat, Xander opted to stand next to her, making him appear to be some sort of bodyguard. Soon enough, the teacher had entered the classroom. Xander raised a brow at the new face, as she appeared to be slightly older than Colbert and had brown hair and blue-gray eyes. In addition, her attire consisted of a black dress with a purple cloak and a matching purple hat. She also seemed to be a little on the plump side as well.
"Good morning, students, and welcome to the beginning of the new year. I am Mrs. Chevreuse and I shall be your teacher in Earth magic during this semester."
As the professor began her lesson and the students turning their attention towards her, Xander took the time to observe the physics and laws of the world he had been brought into. From Chevreuse's way of speaking, it appeared that science did exist in this realm, although magic seemed to be the governing rule on the matter. For the most part, the class was only partially interesting for the man, but it wasn't until Louise had volunteered to transmute some rocks into brass that truly grasped Xander's attention. The terrified reactions of the students, Tabitha's walking out of the classroom, and the subsequent chaos that followed, solidified the man's suspicions. Sighing, Xander followed Louise to the headmaster's office, while some of the students took Chevreuse over to the infirmary. Meanwhile, the rest of the class sought to calm down their familiars. Once again, Xander appeared to not have a spec of dirt on him, while Louise looked as if she was trampled by a stampede.
*An Hour Later*
After speaking briefly with the headmaster and then sweat dropping at the action between the old man and his pretty secretary, Louise and Xander were back in the destroyed classroom. Currently, the young mage was tasked with the responsibility to clean up the mess without the use of magic. Fortunately, Xander had opted to help the poor girl out, as she didn't even have any time to change out of her destroyed uniform. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Xander voiced his questions without stopping his cleaning.
Louise sighed as she set the cleaning cloth down. "The reason why they call me 'Louise the Zero' is because my success rate at casting spells is zero. I'm considered a laughing stock amongst my peers and my family considers me a failure at my lack of success."
As the girl sat dejectedly against the wall, Louise was surprised when Xander sat down beside her, wrapping her up with his arms in a comforting embrace. The embrace was not unlike the one the young mage's older sister, Cattleya, would use whenever Louise was sad or frightened.
"I don't think you're a failure. You summoned me, right? That proves you can use magic," whispered Xander comfortingly, as he smiled slightly at the shocked girl.
This had the man's desired effect, as Louise soon began to cry into his shoulder, never once leaving his embrace. For some reason, the young Vallière felt comfortable with her familiar and began to cry out all her fears and emotions. As she cried and spoke, Xander simply listened and whispered comforting words to her. This had continued until Louise had run out of tears and had fallen asleep due to her emotional distress. Sighing, Xander carefully stood up with Louise still in his arms, but was surprised to see Siesta quietly walking into the room. From the man's questioning gaze, the maid blushed slightly before explaining how she was passing by until she had heard Louise's crying, witnessing the act between the mage and familiar.
"I-I am sorry. I didn't mean to spy on you two."
Xander simply gave a small smile. "There is no harm done; however, I wish to keep this moment between Louise and myself."
"Of course."
Xander sighed, as he inspected the room and saw that the cleaning was still only half done. Adjusting his grip so that he was holding Louise more comfortably, Xander focused his energy before several shadows began to move on their own accord. Siesta gasped in surprise as she watched Xander manipulate the shadows until they formed into perfect copies of both himself and Louise. Gesturing to the cleaning supplies, Xander gently ordered the clones to finish the work before telling them to dispel afterwards. Receiving nods, the man left the room with the young maid following. As Xander led the young maid to Louise's room, he glanced to see her confused expression.
"Something on your mind?"
"How did you make those clones? Although I have not been working here as long as the other workers, I have never seen or heard of a mage being able to use shadows in such a manner."
Xander held a small smile. "Let's just say I have abilities that many would find impossible, even amongst the magical realm."
"Really? Amazing…" Xander nodded before frowning.
"However, it is not without a price. There were many things I had to give up in order to gain such strength."
"Oh? What did you have to give up?"
"That…is a story for another time." Siesta frowned slightly, as it didn't take a psychic to understand that it was a sore topic for the man. Still, the young maid was rather curious but decided to not push the matter any further. Hoping to clear some of the silence, Siesta thought back to what she had witnessed back at the classroom.
"That was a very sweet thing you did. Comforting Miss Louise back there."
Xander smiled softly at the sleeping girl. "She reminds me a lot of my little siblings. After taking care of them for such a long time, comforting Louise just came natural to me."
"I feel the same way about my siblings," smiled Siesta.
Xander merely hummed before nodding. As the conversation died down, a comfortable silence formed between the familiar and the maid; however, it wasn't till the group had reached Louise's room. As Siesta opened the door, Xander walked in and gently set the sleeping girl down. Taking off her shoes and cloak, the maid helped Xander tuck Louise into bed before the two of them quietly left the room. Smiling in gratitude, Xander thanked his companion for her help. Blushing, Siesta merely nodded; however, the young maid was blushing for another reason. Tucking in Louise had reminded Siesta of how her own parents used to tuck her in back when she was younger. For a brief moment, it felt as if she and Xander were Louise's parents, tucking in their child after a busy day of work. Fortunately, the young maid was saved from thinking more intimate thoughts when both of their stomach's decided to make their presence known.
Smiling slightly in amusement at Siesta's burning face, Xander asked his friend to dinner, to which the young maid nodded.
*Two Hours Later*
After leaving Louise to her rest, Siesta happily led Xander to the academy's kitchens and introduced the silver-haired man to her fellow staff members. Unfortunately for the sweet girl, bringing a male companion to her surrogate familiar had brought upon a lot of teasing from the rest of the staff. However, Xander merely took the teasing goodheartedly, as the boisterous chef Batou seemed to welcome the shadow-walker with open arms. As the maid and familiar enjoyed their dinner of leftovers, Xander was able to learn more about the staff workers and Siesta. Unfortunately, the man frowned from what the servants had to say about their employers. Apparently, the nobles treat many of the regular as second hand citizens due to their upper lifestyle and special abilities. After hearing Batou and a number of other workers rant about working for a bunch of ungrateful brats, it only served to confirm Xander's suspicions. Fortunately, none of the servants seemed to mean any of the mages real harm, only wanting the magic-users to open their eyes to the realities of life.
"That was a very delicious meal. My compliments to the chef and his fine crew," smiled Xander.
Batou merely laughed at the praise, as gave Xander a hearty pat to the back. "Well, the thanks is much appreciated, young man! Just know that you are welcome to eat here any time!"
"Actually…I'm older than you would believe."
"Really," asked Siesta.
Xander nodded. "I am actually over five thousand years old."
"WHAT!?"
"Aside from being trapped in stone, I was a victim of an accident. The result was that my body would no longer age. I am a semi-immortal."
"Semi-immortal?"
"Yes. You see, the accident involved with an ancient relic merging with my body. Although I cannot truly die until the relic within me is destroyed, I can still feel the effects of pain; however, I am still susceptible to death."
"I don't understand. How can you be susceptible to death, yet not truly die?"
"I have also been here for over ten years, young man, and I have never once heard of such an artifact," added Batou, as Siesta tried to make sense of what Xander was saying.
Xander sighed. "I don't blame you for not believing. The relic is extremely dangerous and my people thought they were all destroyed. Unfortunately, we were wrong."
"Hmm. Why don't you talk to Old Osmond and Colbert about your predicament? I'm sure they could help you," suggested Batou.
"I'll consider it. Anyways, it is late. I should check up on Louise and allow you to return to your duties," nodded Xander. Getting up from his seat, the familiar thanked the large man and his staff before he turned to Siesta.
"Thank you again, Siesta. I hope we could spend some more time together soon."
Siesta blushed, as Batou several other cooks snickered in the background. "It was no problem, Xander. I hope to see you again as well."
Smiling, the former statue left the kitchen, leaving the poor maid to more teasing from her surrogate family.
*Meanwhile*
Within the academy's magical library, Colbert sighed once more in despair. Ever since the summoning ritual, the professor had retreated to the library in hopes of finding the type of runes that Louise's familiar possessed. Unfortunately, things were not working in the teacher's favor, as the table he had been using was full of books and old tomes, none of which provided the answer he had been seeking.
"I know that I have seen those runes somewhere before, but where?"
After searching for several more hours, the middle-aged man had only one tome left to look over. The old tome had surprised Colbert, as it was from the older and more restricted section of the library. This was due to the fact that the tome itself was from the time of the Founder Brimir. Carefully turning each page over, Colbert read diligently until he came upon the very same runes he had been looking for.
"It can't be. I must inform Headmaster Osmond at once," gasped Colbert.
Quickly saving the book's page, the professor quickly made his way to his old friend's office.
*Headmaster's Office*
Old Osmond, as he was affectionately called, was known for many things. He was known for being the Headmaster of Tristain's Academy of Magic. He was known for being a powerful and wise square class mage. He was known to have a familiar mouse named Chuchu. He was known for his hobbies, which included smoking his pipe and being a bit of a pervert, especially when it came to his secretary, the beautiful forest green-haired Miss Longueville.
For the old mage, the day had been the same routine of handling paperwork, dealing with Louise's explosions, performing his hobbies, then receiving a beating and lecture for said hobbies. It was Colbert's sudden interruption that brought this daily routine to an end. However, the professor sighed at his superior, having long been used to Osmond's mannerisms.
"I am not interrupting something am I?"
"No, you are not interrupting anything, Jean. I was just reminding the Headmaster about how to act appropriately with his colleagues," answered Longueville.
"I'm afraid your punishment will have to wait, Miss Longueville. I have some urgent matters to discuss with Headmaster Osmond," spoke Colbert with a serious tone, alerting both Longueville and Osmond.
"What is it, Jean?"
Colbert said nothing to his old comrade and merely showed him the sketch of Louise's familiar runes before discretely tapping the ancient tome. Instantly understanding the gravity of the situation, Old Osmond politely asked Miss Longueville to leave the room. The moment the beautiful secretary closed the door, Osmond enacted a privacy seal before the two men sat down.
"Tell me everything you know, Jean."
*Louise's Bedroom*
After waking Louise from her slumber, Xander set up the dinner that Batou and Siesta had thoughtfully prepared for the young mage, while Louise cleaned herself up. Currently, the mage and familiar were sitting at Louise's table; however, Louise wouldn't make contact with Xander's eyes, feeling too embarrassed from her earlier breakdown to speak to him. Knowing that her pride was getting in the way, Xander did nothing to agitate the young girl. For now, the former statue decided to wait till Louise was ready to speak to him. Fortunately, the man didn't have to wait long.
"Um…Xander. About…back at the classroom..."
"There is nothing to be ashamed about, Louise. You were under a lot of stress and pressure. You shouldn't be embarrassed about letting your emotions out."
"You know. You remind me of my older sister, Cattleya. She always seems to know what bothers me and always seems to comfort me."
"Oh? Is that so?" Louise nodded, a fond smile adorning her features.
"Yeah. Even though she gets sick very easily, she still sneaks into my room and would hold me whenever I'm troubled. We'd talk and she'd even bring some of her pets along to try and cheer me up."
"She sounds like a wonderful sister."
"She is," smiled Louise.
"Would that make me your big brother then?"
Louise looked up in surprise at her familiar, as he once again shocked her with his mannerisms. A moment of silence passed before the young mage smiled.
"Well, it'd be better than just calling you my familiar wouldn't it?"
Xander nodded before opening his mouth to say something; however, the man seemed hesitant to speak. Noticing Xander's hesitance, Louise sent a questioning glance.
Xander sighed. "It's nothing, Louise. I was merely thinking that you should finish your dinner and get some more rest. We'll talk later."
"Alright then," spoke Louise uncertainly. Fortunately, the young mage didn't push the matter further and returned to her meal. Once done, Louise quickly changed into her nightgown and went to bed, while Xander informed the girl that he will be exploring the school a bit more before heading to bed.
*An Hour Later*
After exploring the school grounds a bit more, Xander sought to practice with his powers a bit more before sleeping at the same tree he had used previously.
"I will need to talk to her about my abilities as well as the familiar contract between us. I just hope she will be accepting of everything about me," whispered Xander to himself, as a shadowy fire engulfed his fist for a moment before dispersing.
*The Next Day*
Waking up once again during the early morning hours, Xander decided to perform some workout exercises before he had to wake up Louise. After waking his charge, the man soon escorted the young mage to the dining hall for breakfast, and then to her classes. Since familiars were not allowed to be in the classroom, Xander couldn't stay with Louise. Instead, the former statue found himself wandering the halls before bumping into Siesta, who was on her way to the kitchens for breakfast. Quietly accepting the beautiful maid's invitation, Xander escorted his companion to the kitchens. After having a wonderful breakfast, courtesy of the kitchen staff, Siesta and Xander were currently helping around the kitchen, as the man had nothing better to do until Louise's classes were over. Changed into a cook's uniform, Xander found the work to be pleasant as it brought up more fond memories from his past. In addition, the young maid was able to introduce Xander to her second surrogate father, Marteau. It turned out that Marteau and Batou were twin brothers and held the position of co-head chefs. Together, the two brothers were known as the "Chef Brothers" and were famous for their skills in the kitchen. After completing several more chores, Siesta and Xander were tasked with serving the students cake and desserts, as classes had ended early. Apparently, the second years were supposed to spend the rest of the day bonding with their familiars.
"I should go find Louise once the task is done," muttered Xander.
"You might find her in the courtyard," spoke Siesta.
Nodding, the man helped his friend deliver the sweets to the courtyard where the students had been relaxing with their familiars. As the two were busy with their task, Xander found it difficult to not overhear the conversation involving a certain blonde playboy, as Guiche seemed to bask in the attention he was receiving.
"C'mon Guiche! Tell us who you're dating this time."
"Yeah! Which girl fell for your charm this time?"
"Me? Going out with one girl? My, that's ridiculous, my fragrance and chivalry should be enjoyed by all!"
Shaking his head at the blonde's stupidity, Xander was about to continue on until he saw a small bottle fall out of Guiche's pocket. Shrugging it off as something insignificant, Xander continued on with his duty. Unfortunately, this resulted in Xander not being aware of Siesta also taking notice of the bottle. Seeing no harm in picking it up, Siesta quickly placed the small vial on the table before turning back to the pastry cart. Although the blonde tried to ignore what the maid had done, his colleagues did not bother to try and hide their surprise.
"Hey, isn't that one of Montmorency's perfumes?"
"You're right. The purple color is Montmorency's signature."
"So does that mean you're going out with Montmorency, Guiche?"
As the other students continued to bombard the blonde with more questions, Guiche quickly began to sweat bullets. However, his panicking state didn't allow him to notice a cute girl with chesnut hair carrying a basket approach him from behind. Hearing the disturbance, Xander turned to see that it was the same girl he had seen two nights ago with Guiche.
"Guiche. Is it true? Are you truly dating Montmorency," asked the girl, as tears threatened to fall.
"Katie…wait, I can explain…"
"Guiche! What is the meaning of this!? Have you been meeting other girls behind my back again," questioned a furious Montmorency.
"Montmorency, my sweet flower, this is merely-"
*SMACK*
Guiche's poor attempt to explain himself was abruptly cut short, as both heartbroken girls decided to slap him simultaneously, calling the blonde a liar before they stormed off. Complete silence took over the scene; however, it was not to last, as everyone who had witnessed the incident quickly broke down laughing. Still reeling from the stinging slaps, Guiche quickly took notice of his growing humiliation before glaring at the one who caused the mess. Poor Siesta looked like a deer caught in headlights, as the blonde mage turned on the maid.
"Maid! Have you any idea of the wrongful deed you have just committed!? Your actions made two beautiful ladies cry!"
"From where I saw it, you were the one to hurt them. So back off and calm down," glared Xander, as he moved to stand between his friend and Guiche.
"Oh? You'd defend this wrongdoer," glared the blonde.
"You're the idiot who decided to cheat on your girlfriend," stated Xander; however, it was obvious from his tone and stance that he was growing irritated with the mage.
"Such disrespect! I believe a lesson is needed. I, Guiche de Gramont, challenge you to a duel," declared the mage, making many of the other students gasp. Although duels were not uncommon, they were still considered to be significant events amongst the noble class.
"Accepted," growled Xander.
"Meet me at Vestri Court in a few minutes," ordered Guiche before he stormed off, followed by his group of followers.
Xander sighed before he felt Siesta tightly grip his right arm. Turning around, the man came to see the young maid's frightened expression, tears already threatening to fall. Concerned, Xander quickly brought the quivering maid into a comforting embrace, ignoring the whispers of the remaining students.
"Are you alright, Siesta?"
"W-Why did you a-accept? You're going to get yourself k-killed," whimpered Siesta.
"What's going on here," demanded Louise, as she, Kirche, and Tabitha entered the courtyard. Never breaking the embrace, Xander turned and explained what had happened to the group. Frowning, Louise looked at her familiar in disapproval, while also glaring at the maid.
"What were you thinking? Guiche, despite his two-timing ways, is still a noble and the son of one of Tristain's most decorated generals. We need to go to Vestri Court and clear things up right now!"
Xander nodded. "We will go to Vestri Court, but I will not back down. I have accepted the challenge, so I must honor it."
"Even if you were a mage, you were stuck as a statue for the Founder knows how long!"
Xander sighed, seeing the logic behind Louise's words; however, the man would not be swayed and stayed true with his decision. Sighing, Louise led the group to Vestri Court in hopes of diffusing the situation, while Xander kept trying to comfort Siesta along the way.
"And today started so peacefully too," grumbled Louise.
Well, there it is. Hope you enjoyed the first rewrite!
Bio: Xander Melee
An ancient warrior of an ancient order, Xander was chosen to protect his world and help keep the multiverse in order. However, a betrayal resulted in the loss of everything the man cared about. Trapped within a stone prison, the man was forced to slumber and live an eternity of loneliness. Awakened by Louise's summoning, Xander hopes to find where this new path shall lead him.