CHAPTER 9: THE THIEF AND THE VOID PART 1

(Siesta POV)

"Louise..."

"I told you, my name is Meredy. Honestly, I don't even know who that person is. Anyway, thank you for the tea, Ms. Valliere, we'll be taking our leave now."

"I'll see you later then, Siesta, little L-Meredy."

"Hmmmp."

And with that, the pinkette gently shut the door behind her.

And as they walked in the direction of their quarters, the maid, who went by the name Siesta, could not help but feel confused... very, very confused.

A few minutes before, she was in a state of panic, for the new friend they had made, Cattleya, with the maid calling her on a first name basis due to request of not addressing her with honorific, had collapsed, as she ran as fast as could to get medical help.

When she got there, Madam Emily, the head medic, immediately rushed in response. She did, however, ask Siesta to take of the medicine she was brewing before she left, specifically instructing her to add and mix the bowl of ground leaves to the boiling solution after fifteen minutes, then turning off the heat of said concoction after another fifteen minutes.

And thus, she followed the old healer's orders, having managed to calm down enough to do so. After all, it was just a simple task.

However, it was also because of it, that she felt that she had once again missed out on something. For when she went back to the room of Ms. Valliere, after the old medic had returned and informed her that everything was fine, she was met with an odd sight.

In her mind, based from what she last saw, Siesta was imagining the older of the two pinkettes lying on the bed, while the younger one placed a towel on her forehead. Instead of finding Meredy taking care of Cattleya, however, it was Cattleya who was apparently taking care of Meredy.

What met her eyes was exactly the opposite of what she thought.

"Doing that to her own sister... really thought she was dead... then again I did the same... still that was mean... never thought she'd do that to me..."

"Meredy?" inquired Siesta nervously, feeling disturbed, as she noticed that her friend was muttering to herself.

"...never would have expected it from her of all p... yes Siesta?"

And now, as she looked at her pink-haired friend, the maid could not help but feel even more nervous, as she saw that her cheeks were puffed up and flustered.

"Would you mind telling me what exactly is going on?"

As she asked this question, the pinkette's carefree demeanour had vanished, as a more serious expression appeared on her face.

"Alright then," she finally responded with a sigh. "First though, let's find a place where we won't be overheard."

Yes, Siesta was worried, really worried, about her friend's well-being, and actually wanted to do everything she could to help her, not only because she felt guilty about what she had done, something which had been haunting her dreams, but because she truly liked her. She knew she was just a commoner, she knew she could not perform magic, but if she knew the situation, perhaps, there could be something she could do to be of aid.

-BREAK-

(Louise POV)

"So you're actually..."

"Yes I am. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you sooner."

It was noon. And currently, I was sitting inside my room, having a serious conversation with Siesta over lunch. And the topic of our discussion was of course, my true identity. I was planning to tell her about it, the truth about myself. However, I had been hoping to do so in better circumstances. Still, it wouldn't matter much now anyway, as the truth was basically out, so the least I could do was make sure that I told her personally, before she figured it out by herself.

And now there were two people, two people, who not only knew who I am, but who also knew, that I remember, that I had not forgotten. Yes, my real name is, or was, Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere, the third daughter of that noble family.

And my sister, Cattleya was one of them.

To be honest, I was actually upset, of the way she went about it. The moment I regained my reason, I realized exactly what happened. My sister, my kind-hearted and loving, favourite big sister, had actually set me up, creating a situation in which I would lose control over my emotions, which would leave me vulnerable.

And succeed she did.

For she was the one person I would never have expected to do something like this. To make me believe that she was dead, to make me believe that I was the one responsible for it, to make me feel helpless, so that my true emotions would surface, I have to admit what she did was downright underhanded.

Still, despite all these, I just could not find it in my heart to hate her for what she had done. For whenever I look at her eyes, all I see there was love, hope, and longing. After all, I was the one who started it in the first place, and the pain I must've caused her... them, when I pretended to not remember... I definitely deserved it.

Of course, that does not change the fact that what she did was mean, really mean.

All things considered though, it seemed as if more good came out of all this. At least now, I no longer have to pretend, to hide behind a mask, whenever I am with my big sister, at least when we were alone. Besides, she did promise me she would not tell anyone about my secret. She did, however, ask me to tell our other sister Eleonore about it, and although I was against the idea, I just could not deny a request from my favourite sister. Still, I will delay things for as long as I can, for knowing my blonde-haired elder sister, I needed to find the right choice of words when I tell her.

And aside from that, Siesta had taken the truth much better than I thought she would, when I told her that I was actually the third daughter of the Valliere family. I thought she might resent me for hiding it from her, but Siesta accepted it without much issue.

"Thank the Founder, they are related."

Still, for some reason, I could not help but feel disturbed. It was strange, but somehow, she actually seemed really happy when she confirmed that Cattleya was indeed my sister.

"Kyuuuu!" a voice cried, belonging to a giant blue flying creature.

"Siesta?"

The girl merely nodded in understanding.

"I'll tell you the rest later."

For according to my sister Cattleya, the headmaster had requested people, to go on a mission...

"Requip," I whispered, as I switched into my 'Mystogan' outfit.

And that mission is...

To capture the infamous thief, Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, and retrieve whatever it was that he had stolen.

There were more pressing matters at hand.

-BREAK-

(Kirche POV)

In an area some distance away from Tristain Magical Academy, where people rarely pass through, a red-headed female nymphomaniac fire mage, whose name was Kirche von Zerbst, more commonly known in the school as Kirche the Ardent, currently found herself enveloped in flames. However, the flames that surrounded her were not the flames of passion. For as of present, the fire she had was that of anger and hatred.

And the reason behind her rage, was due to the fact, that there was a giant golem in front of her, and clutched tightly in one of its hands, was a petite, blue-haired female wearing glasses.

When they had set out for the mission, Kirche, admittedly, was excited. After all, aside from her love for passion, she also loved adventure, and in fact, she and her friend, Tabitha, had been through a number of them together. And now, they were on the trail of an infamous thief who they managed to get a lead on due to circumstances. For Tabitha, on her way back to the Academy after running an errand earlier that day, chanced upon a golem that was fleeing the Academy. According to the blue-haired female, said golem had been dispelled soon after, but thanks to Sylphid's sharp eyesight, they had been able to track the person riding on it.

Yes, Tabitha was her friend, and Kirche cared for her, much more than she ever, and perhaps ever will, with her bed partners. After all, the red head only ever saw them as just tools, instruments, for satisfying her lust, for her enjoyment. And if there was someone in the Academy who Kirche truly 'loved' in every angle of the word, that would be her best friend.

"KYUUUU!"

Suddenly, a large blue Rhyme Dragon flew, with incredible speed, towards the golem.

SLAM

Only to find itself caught in the neck by its unoccupied arm...

CRASH

Before being hurled like a rock in a sling, and was sent crashing through tree after tree, four in all, before finally coming to a halt once the momentum was lost, unconscious.

"SYLPHID!" shouted the Zerbst. Gritting her teeth, she immediately began casting a high speed fire spell in her arsenal, and was about to send it directly at the hooded figure on top of the giant rock creature...

Only for her to be forced to stop, the moment she saw that her friend, Tabitha, had been placed in her spell's intended path...

"Fufufu," mused the masked person, who had introduced himself as Foquet the Crumbling Dirt. "Having a hostage really is convenient. Though I must thank you for giving me the opportunity."

As he said these words, the red-haired woman could not help but grit her teeth in helplessness and frustration. For the current predicament her blue-haired friend was in, she was the one to be blamed for it.

If only she had not been so careless, they would not be in this mess. The moment they managed to acquire the item were tasked to retrieve, the moment she got her hands on the Staff of Destruction, she got lax, complacent.

And because of it, she was taken by surprise, by a large hand that set out to grab her, and while her friend managed to pushed her out of the way, she was the one who got caught by it.

"Nnnn..."

"TABITHA!" screamed the Zerbst, as she noticed that the hand of the golem which held her friend had tightened, and the blue-haired female was now finding it difficult to breathe.

"YOU FIEND!"

"Whatever you think I am, I don't really care. Now, if you don't want your friend to die, I suggest you hand it over," the hooded person declared, glee evident in his voice.

"How do I know you will let her go if I return this to you?" inquired the red-head, trying to keep her voice as calm as possibly.

"You don't" replied the hooded person smugly, to which the Zerbst could only clench her fist in frustration.

They had been through many encounters, and had faced dangerous situations together. And yet, thanks to her folly, it was the first time, that things had looked so grim. It was hopeless. For even if she could cast a precision fire spell to try and free Tabitha, it would be pointless, as even her most powerful magical flame attack had not even managed to deal the golem any damage.

Still, even though it was a gamble, even if there was no certainty, even though it was more likely than not that they would be double crossed, Kirche knew that it was the only way, and thus she began casting levitate on the item behind her to use it in exchange for her friend's life.

BOOM

"?!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Suddenly, a flash of white light blinded her momentarily.

And as she regained her vision, the first thing which Kirche saw was that the golem's right arm was completely gone.

For a moment, the red-head could not help but feel dread and worry, as she realized that it was the one which held her friend.

Only for her fear to be replaced by relief and confusion in the next one. For as she set her eyes downward, standing in front of her, was a person wearing a dark blue cloak, carrying the red-head's petite female friend in her arms.

"Miss Tabitha, are you alright?" the newcomer, who was also wearing a mask, inquired, to which the blue-haired female nodded in response.

"TABITHA!"

Having recovered from her shock, the red-head immediately rushed forward, completely forgetting everything else, and pointed her wand at the stranger, who she now recognized as the person who had defeated Mott in a duel a couple of days prior.

"Let her go," she began in a threatening tone. True, she was glad that her friend was unharmed, but the person in front of her was just too suspicious, and thus she once again began to fear for her friend's safety.

"Not an enemy," the blue-haired female stated.

The red-head, however, was still not convinced.

?!

Suddenly, with incredible speed, said person had closed the distance between them, such that it left no time for her to cast a spell.

And at the point in time, Kirche the Ardent could not help but shake in fear, as she realized that she was defenceless, for all the offensive spells she knows were double edged swords at such a close range.

"Take her."

Instinctively, the Zerbst stretched out her hands, as to her astonishment, the man in bandages, instead of attacking her, placed Tabitha in her arms.

"Why are you helpi..." she began, still feeling confused...

"WATCH OUT!"

CRASH

Only for them to be interrupted by a large hand made out of rock which attempted to pound them into the ground. Had they only been a moment too late in dodging, they would have probably been turned into paste.

"Kirche, take your friend and get to safety," the man instructed in a muffled, yet commanding tone, before turning his back on them, to face the giant five-story golem.

"Not an enemy," the blue-hair female repeated.

In truth, she was still puzzled, confused, unsure of what exactly was happening, or why exactly he was helping them. Still, even if he wasn't an enemy, Kirche couldn't not help but think, that the person, no matter how strong he was...

...must've have been out of his mind.

Was he crazy? Did he just try to give her an order? Telling her to leave? Her, Kirche the Ardent, withdraw? After what the bastard did to her friend, there was no way she was going to follow.

The red-head, having regained her composure now that her handicap was gone, opened her mouth to argue, but then, she felt her blue-haired friend tugging at her.

"Sylphid," Tabitha stated.

"Right," the Zerbst replied after a moment.

If it wasn't for her friend's request, Kirche would never have backed down. However, as she saw that her friend was worried about her familiar, even though she was eager to resume battle, she allowed herself to give in. Supporting her friend, the two started walking towards the woods, where Tabitha's familiar, Sylphid, was shaking its head, the Rhyme Dragon struggling to get up to its feet.

-BREAK-

(Foquet POV)

"You are as good as they say you are, Foquet," stated a muffled voice, belonging to a person in a weird outfit, his arms and legs covered with bandages, and who she knew went by the name Zero.

In response to his praise, the person he was commending fired a barrage of jagged rocks at him...

Only for the target to evade it with ease.

And as the battle continued, the earth elemental mage, who was known throughout the continent as the infamous thief, Foquet the Crumbling dirt, could not help but curse her misfortune.

Yes, she was a master of stealth and thievery, and because of her exceptional talent, she had succeeded in stealing the Staff of Destruction that was kept in Tristain Magical Academy, despite the powerful magical spells that prevented entry to the vault, utilizing the fact that it was vulnerable to physical attacks to break through.

However, thanks to carelessness on her part, that particular item, which had taken her months of patient planning and preparation to acquire, had been taken from her.

Yes, she had managed to enter the Academy, having gained employment there as Osmond's secretary. True, the old headmaster was without a doubt a letch, and had actually spent some of his time fondling her assets, but the real reason why she was hired was something else. For in truth, there were those among the job applicants who, loathe though Foquet (or Longuevile, as was her alias as the secretary,) was to admit it, were younger, better-looking, and had better curves than her.

No, the real reason why she managed to land the job, was due to the fact that she had passed the headmaster's trial, a test, to prove her skill in handling paperwork, an enemy which, with good reason, was feared and dreaded by Old Osmond, just as much, or as Foquet guessed, even more than he did Elves.

And indeed it was a difficult task. However, not for nothing was Longuevile an infamous thief. To be able to penetrate into various institutions, she would not only have to be a good actress, but also, she needed to have the skills required by said organization for her to be able to enter. And indeed, aside from being a thief, she had taken several types of jobs in the past, just so that she could earn money. The only type of job she had never taken were assassination requests, and even then, it was not as if she had not killed anyone before. For in her entire career, while she did avoid it as much as possible, there had been times when she had been left with no other choice, and she can be cold hearted if need be.

Unlike the stories about her, however, Foquet the Crumbling Dirt was not evil. Well, she did have fun tormenting the nobles, as well as watching them despair when their precious items were taken from them. However, the real reason why Foquet lived her life as a vagabond...

Was in order for her to be able to support an orphanage, where her younger sister, was living.

And indeed, Foquet had a soft spot for children. In fact, aside from the one where her sister was, she, under different names and guises, would help out homeless children and nearby homes for the homeless wherever her travels had taken her, and that included the one in the city near Tristain Magical Academy.

And it had given her an excuse, a perfect alibi, and since she was literally a monster that could handle paperwork really well, as per the agreement with Osmond, she always had a day or two off work (with pay) to spare.

And it was also the reason why the Staff of Destruction got her attention. She did not really care who bought it, for if her calculations were correct, the item would undoubtedly be worth a lot of money, and if it really amounted to as much as she predicted it would, then she might finally be able to retire from her thieving days, and be able to settle down, and spend more time with her sister.

Which was why she was filled with rage, the moment she went to the shack she was using as an alternative hideout, and found two people, coming out of it triumphantly, with the item which had taken her, stealing though it was, enormous effort to acquire, her ticket out of her miserable way of life, being taken from her.

BOOM

Now, however, she was no longer merely fighting to retrieve the item.

In her years in her infamous career, Foquet had always had the upper hand over her target, and it was possible that good fortune may have to do with it. Now, however, it seems as if her luck was running out.

How the hell did he do that? the infamous thief thought to herself in shock. For having calculated her opponent's speed, Foquet, rather than uselessly fire multiple spikes at her opponent or use her golem in a futile attempt, created a giant, wide-radius boulder, with which to crush her opponent, one which was large enough to leave no room of escape.

Instead of the target getting flattened however, the rock she hurled, despite being extremely durable like her golem, that even triangle class offensives of other elements, even water, would have done no damage...

...was obliterated into tiny little pieces...

"Impressive," the man in the strange mask muttered, as he stood his ground, in his monotonous muffled voice. "To create something that enormous, if I were to guess correctly, I'd say that you're already a square class mage. I must admit, it was fun fighting someone as strong as you. However..."

Suddenly, the infamous thief could not help but feel nervous, as she felt a sudden shift in the air which only an experienced fighter would be able to notice...

"It is time to end this..."

Reacting instinctively, Foquet, realizing the mortal danger she was in, decided to leave behind her prize and retreat, ordering her golem to withdraw...

Only to find that she couldn't control it. Then, to her horror, she realized that she herself couldn't move, as she saw, having her head down, that a yellow circle with strange writings had appeared on her golem, right underneath her.

"SLEEP. FIVE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE: SACRED SONG!"

And the last thing the infamous remembered was being bathed in a bright purplish white light, before her world faded into blackness.

-BREAK-

(Kirche POV)

"I think I'm in love," a red-haired woman declared, as she stared at the person in front of her.

A while before, she had been worried, too worried, about Tabitha, to think of anything else. Now that it was over, now that danger had passed, however, Kirche von Zerbst, the Ardent, was back to her old self, and was now staring hungrily at the masked person in front of her.

True, she did not know what he looked like, but the way he handled himself, the way he fought, had somehow 'touched' her. And in fact, if she hadn't been supporting her blue-haired friend, who had broken one of her legs when the golem squeezed her, she would have probably rushed forward and smothered the man's face in her breast, as well as unmask him, for she was convinced, that even though he wasn't really that tall, even though he was hiding his face, he was definitely handsome.

"KYUUUU!"

"?!"

And to Kirche's amusement, it seemed as if her friend's Rhyme Dragon liked the man, who, having been caught unaware, was now being tossed up and down the air by Sylphid like a ball.

"HELP!" the man shouted in a muffled, yet pleading voice, as he struggled to keep his mask on.

"Sylphid, stop," said Tabitha in her usual monotonous voice, but loud enough for the Rhyme Dragon to hear. Immediately, said Rhyme Dragon stopped what it was doing and moved towards its master, and as a consequence, the person it was playing with groaned, as he painfully hit the ground, rubbing his behind as he stood up.

Strange, thought the Zerbst to herself, as the masked person started walking towards them. Somehow, this feels kind of familiar...

"Here," said the man, as he held out his hand. "This is yours, is it not?"

"Thank you," stated the blue-haired female, as she took the item that the man held, her staff.

"Oh my," whispered Kirche, as a malicious smirk appeared on her face. For while her friend's voice may have remained the same, she noticed that for the first time since she had known her, a red tinge which appeared on face. And the only times before that she had seen it was when she was teasing Tabitha, which could only mean...

...that her friend had found a crush...

And she could not have been more pleased. True, Kirche wanted to bed the man, but seeing as Tabitha seemed to have taken an interest in him as well, the passionate Zerbst, while feeling a sense of loss, decided to step aside to give her friend the opportunity to 'mature,' hoping that she would succeed.

"Your welcome," the man in bandages replied. "Anyway, it seems like... GET DOWN!"

Suddenly, the man turned his back on them...

BOOM

"What in Brimir's name..." muttered Kirche, as she and Tabitha started standing up, having reacted instinctively to the man's voice...

And saw the reason why. For in front of them, the other masked person, the infamous Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, was once again standing.

"You," Kirche began, pulling out her wand, as her passion once again turned to anger, while her friend Tabitha, readied her staff.

To their surprise, however, the man in a blue cloak gently placed his hand on their shoulder, shaking his head.

"Don't, it won't be necessary," he said, as he cautiously approached the earth elemental mage.

And it would seem that he was right, for the infamous thief, who had caused them a lot of trouble, had fallen to her knees, muttering to herself, before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

Reluctantly, Kirche lowered her wand, though she was still eyeing the Crumbling Dirt with intense dislike.

?!

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Kirche, in an almost growl-like voice.

"Ms. Kirche, Ms. Tabitha," the man in the dark blue cloak began. "Please take the Staff of Destruction back to the Academy. I will deal with Foquet personally."

And before anyone could utter a word, there was a flash of white light, and the two of them were gone.

"What in the Founder's name?" muttered the Ardent to herself, once again feeling confused and irritated, while her friend Tabitha merely stared with her usual blank expression.

In truth, after everything that happened, she would not have minded it, even if the masked person took all the credit for the deed. After all, he did come to save their lives. However...

To both her shock and irritation, the man picked up the thief, and placed him on his back...

... and the fact that he was being treated normally, even though he had been bound, instead of being dragged around the dirt like the criminal he was, had gotten to her nerves.

-BREAK-

(Foquet POV)

?

A green-haired woman awoke with a start, not knowing where she was, for the place was dark, and she could see nothing but pitch blackness.

For a moments, she was dazed and confused, not sure of where she was, why she was there, and what she had been doing. Then...

?!

It came back to her, and the last thing she remembered was being hit by a purple beam of light from above, before she lost consciousness.

"I see, so I must be in prison," the green-haired woman chuckled slightly to herself. After all, there was no other explanation. True, she was not bound, but her body felt too heavy to move, and aside from that, she did not have her wand, so it would not have made much difference.

"At least the bed is soft," she whispered to herself, as she tried to distract herself with little things, to keep her mind occupied. For she only knew to well the fate that awaited her. With the number of enemies she made, and nobles at that, there was no doubt that she would be sentenced to death. And if she were lucky, she would be executed quickly. However, she also knew how nobles treated their prisoners. And since she was a woman, they would probably torture and rape her before she was finally allowed to have her peace.

And soon, tears started falling down her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she was crying.

In truth however, Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, whose real name was Mathilda, did not really care about what would happen to her. Having lived a harsh life, the nobles could fuck her up for all she cared.

No, the real reason why she was crying, was not because she was worried about her own predicament, for what brought her grief and sorrow, was how her death, while she did not really care much for her own life, would affect the lives of those who were dear to her. The children of the orphanage, the few people she respected, and most of all...

Her sister. While she was sure that the girl was strong and would be able to go through any hurdle, the green-haired woman could not help but worry for her sake. For without her, she knew that her sister would now have to take the burden alone. And given what she was... the fact that she was different, would make things really difficult for her. All the thief could do now was pray, hope and pray that her sister would make it through.

Slowly, Foquet's eyes began adjusting to the darkness, as she curled herself up, looking downwards. The moment that her eyes had adapted enough for her to see her legs and sheets of her bed, she started looking around...

And was surprised at what she saw.

For instead of finding herself in a prison, with chains and bar doors, she found herself in a familiar room, the windows closed, the dark green curtains effectively blocking out the light.

She was in her room, in Longuevile's room, at Tristain Magical Academy.

For a moment she stared around in amusement, her mouth agape, confused and puzzled, without any idea what exactly was happening.

"So you're finally awake," stated a muffled voice.

"?!"

All of a sudden, Mathilda found herself brought sharply back to reality, as she realized who the voice belonged to, and while she was surprised, she was quickly able to recover herself. What she was seeing had been too good to be true after all.

Knowing that she had no chance at escape whatsoever, the thief decided that it would be best to get straight to the point, and before the man could say another word, she took the initiative.

"What do you want, Zero?" she asked in a mocking tone.

The man seemed slightly taken aback by her attitude, as he went silent for a moment, as if contemplating on what to say...

"Where is Tiffania?" the man in a dark blue cloak asked finally, as he stared at her straight in the eyes.

The moment he opened his mouth to speak, the moment he asked his question, the infamous thief, Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, was too shocked too speak, as she felt a wave of fear wash over her, which shook her to the core.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Alright, another chapter out.

Yes, I finally managed to reach this chapter. Honestly speaking, while I was still on chapter three, I had been wondering on how I could twist canon scenes so that the following non-canon ones will be valid, so I hope I did well enough.

Now, as for the issue of whether or not Saito will appear, well, I decided to reverse my verdict. However, he will not be a major character, and he will only be a supporting one, and he would appear later, much, much later, and sorry to those who like him, he will not play a central role. Of course, I might still change my decision on this matter, but as of present, the chance he will appear later is at 60%.

As for the FT characters that will appear, well, I'm still thinking of who to send.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then people...