Talking

Thinking

Happy double digits! This is my first fanfiction in a long time to make it this far. (Though Just One Last Time will eventually when I finish up chapter ten. I'm having to rewrite it over and over.) The only other one is a really crappy self-insert I wrote a longgggg time ago in the Tales of Symphonia archive. This also marks the beginning of the second arc in the story. A second season if you will. Titles will be different now as well (totally not because I was running out of ideas). To the guest reviewer, who left the one review I really need to answer. This chapter might explain it? I've been hinting at the explanation in several places. Anyways, longest chapter yet, let's go! Thanks for the great response from everyone towards the story thus far. Its only going up from here in my opinion.

I don't own Familiar of Zero.

Chapter X: A Wizard is Hurt

"So Brimir is basically the founder of Halkeginia's entire society?"

"Yes." Louise nodded. Saito and Derf decided to let her do the honors and made me wait till she woke up, "His children went on to found Tristain, Germania, and Gallia."

"So this void magic." I absentmindedly rubbed my forehead where runes were now engraved, "It's present in mages that summon human familiars?"

"That's what Professor Colbert used to say." Louise replied, "I don't understand though. I know for a fact Princess Henrietta is a water mage. How could she have the ability to use void magic?"

"Maybe summoning me overwrote her old affinity?" I shrugged, "It doesn't seem horribly unlikely. Maybe a void user died somewhere and the powers went to her."

"I guess." Louise frowned, "I wish my magic had waited to be screwy until I summoned Saito."

"So speaking of familiars," I stepped off Albert onto the grassy courtyard of the academy, "How do they work around here?"

"It's a lifetime contract." Louise replied, "Till death do you part."

"I figured." I yawned and then looked down at myself, "Anybody have a pair of clothes I can borrow? And maybe a bath?"

Saito snickered, "I can get Siesta to get one ready like she did for me once, and I can ask for some old clothes while I'm down there."

"Thank you." I replied, "I wouldn't be upset if you somehow found a fedora and a coat down there."

"Got it." Saito laughed and left with Louise in tow. She insisted on not letting Saito leave her sight. It was kinda funny how similar they were.

"You are a mess." I turned to see Julio with one side of his head bandaged up.

"I don't even want to discuss the last month." I laid down in the grass and put my aching head on my griffon side. He made a surprisingly good pillow. "I just want to have a night where I can sleep completely peacefully."

"Tough time?"

"You've got no idea." I sighed closing my eyes, "Try a three-eyed dragon with massive horns that breaths fire and is faster than you. And these things are everywhere."

"They aren't peaceful?" Julio replied

I couldn't but begin laughing the hardest I had in weeks. Soon Julio himself joined in and we were rolling around on the ground in stitches. When I finally recovered, He and I picked ourselves up and Julio waved goodbye, stating he had something he needed to go and do. I laid down again on my griffon, but I wasn't allowed much rest time.

"There you go acting chummy with Julio again." I opened my eyes to see Saito standing over me scowling, "Here's your clothes, the bath's over there."

Saito dumped the pile of garments onto my head and somehow picked me up with one hand. He then unceremoniously dumped me into the giant metal tub with an evil grin on his face.

"Oh...so this is how it is..." I put an equally evil grin on my own face, "You do realize who you've declared war on right?"

"Crap." Saito tried to escape as I used a simple wind spell to yank him into the tub with me. The two of us glared at each for a moment before bursting out in laughter. Then we began to splash each other with water like five-year-old; we laughed so loudly they could have probably heard us from Albion.

"Alright alright," I gasped out in-between laughs, "Enough, I need to actually take a bath."

"Right." Saito flopped out on the grass, "I'll just dry off in the sun for a while."

"You do that." I stripped down to nothing and sighed in the warm water. I could feel all the caked dirt and blood slowly coming off, "Maybe I'll feel normal again in a few hours."

A brief twinge of... something caused my eyes to open.

"Must've fallen asleep," I wiped the sleep out of my eyes, "Oh Henrietta! How's my master doing?"

The girl was trying to be quiet as she snuck past my tub. I guessed she didn't want to disturb me.

"Was the twinge her nervousness spiking?" I looked down at my pruned hands, "An empathetic bond then?"

"Please don't call me master." the girl looked down at the ground, "Not even in jest. I want us to be equals nothing more."

"Alright." I shook my hair out, "I'm gonna change now just to let you know."

Henrietta let out a small eep and immediately turned around. I grinned and began to put on my new clothes. Saito really ended up coming through. There was a coat and hat in the pile, nearly identical to my old ones. It felt incredibly good to be back in my familiar outfit, though now I had a tunic and breeches on instead of jeans and and a shirt.

"You can turn around now." I yawned tiredly, "And to continue your earlier thought, we can never really be equals. You're the queen, and I'm the commoner."

"But-"

"Its the fact of life." I shrugged, "I already know the nobles around here hate my guts. I'm the commoner that can use magic. It's a travesty in their eyes."

"Well..." Henrietta sighed, "They'll have to get used to it I think. You're my familiar now, whether or not either of us likes it, and I'm knighting you and Saito tomorrow."

"K-knighting!?" I admitted that the idea gave me a bit of pleasure from my days of daydreaming when I was ten, "Heck I still sometimes day dream about being a knight."

"Yes." Henrietta turned to look at me, "And don't try to talk me out of this one. I made up my mind, and I've already arranged everything."

"Yes ma'am." I gulped at the ferocious look she had on her face, "Dear lord am I whipped already? I'm not even going out with the girl."

"So about how you kissed me a few weeks ago," Henrietta scuffed her foot on the ground, "I am deeply sorry, but I cannot return your feelings. I still... I still love Wales. That and the nobles would have a fit even if I did have feelings for you."

"I get it I get it." I held up a hand in peace, "I'll live. Won't be the first time I've had a girl say no, won't be the last."

That of course was a lie. I forced down the feelings of sadness so if there was indeed a empathetic link not to send them over to Henrietta. Likely Henrietta was the last. After all she was my master from here on out, and if I was going to be a familiar I was at least going to try and be a good one. What girl would have wanted to go and marry someone already so attached to another woman?

"So." I yawned tiredly, "Where do I sleep? I'm supposed to stay at your side at all times now that I'm your familiar correct?"

"I suppose." Henrietta nodded and began to walk

"You do know you're going to need to give up on Wales someday." I commented, "You're the leader of an entire nation, and you'll need an heir someday. It'd be better to start looking now instead of getting an arranged marriage."

Henrietta ignored me, the only sign that she heard me being a small stutter in her step. I sighed and followed after her.

Suddenly a very acute sense of dread filled ever pore of my body. I shook it off and took off after the princess. I reinforced my barriers just in case. I had gotten a very accurate 6th sense after spending a month in constant wariness. I subtlety got closer to the princess and began moving my eyes back and forth looking for movement. I saw nothing. I sighed deeply and dropped my guard. The feeling of dread only got stronger.

Suddenly the feeling of dread spiked, and I jumped out of the way, carrying Henrietta with me as a massive wave of wind came crashing through the courtyard. A very familiar blonde head of hair was floating over the wall.

"WALES!?" Henrietta and I both exclaimed. I narrowed my eyes and pushed her behind me.

"Which one of the pentagram." I held a hand out in front of me and gathered lightning in front of it, "I don't feel like small talk. Never thought you guys would be dumb enough to try the same trick twice."

"Trick?" Wales landed silently in front of me, "I am me. I've come to take Henrietta with me to live together."

"Oh come on." I facepalmed with my right hand, doing a quick silent spell to check. It was indeed Wales "Do you really think we're going to fall for that?"

"Wales is that really you?" Henrietta stepped out from behind me and began walking towards him, hope shining in her eyes.

"Henrietta he's obviously not in the right mind." Henrietta ignored me and kept moving closer.

I cursed under my breath and moved to grab Henrietta before she got to far away from me. Before I could do so however, a hurricane of several different magics sent me head over heels through the top of the student dorm.

"What the hell!?" I heard Saito coughing.

"Sorry about that." I brushed my coat off and put my hat back on, "Well since you're awake, mind helping me a bit?"

"M-My room." Louise's face was slowly turning red in anger, "COMMONER!"

"Get angry later." I flicked her in the forehead, "Your favorite princess is in a bit of a pickle."

"Princess Henrietta!?" Louise scowled up at me and rubbed her forehead, "What's wrong?"

"Undead past lover." I jumped out the hole, "Grab Louise and follow me Saito!"

I looked up at Wales, who was gently kissing Henrietta in the air. My blood boiled. I felt my entire body shaking. How dare Astrious try the same thing again. Oh there was going to be hell to pay.

Saito walked up next to me, and I began to formulate a plan, "You get super strength while holding Derf right?"

"Er yeah." Saito replied, "What of it?"

"Louise, you've got some sort of magic right?" I turned to the pinkette, "Brimir told me to have a little faith you."

"Yes." Louise nodded with pride, "I can make massive explosions."

"Oooh nifty. So you're the one that blew up that ship." I turned back to Saito, "I want you to throw me at them. I don't want to risk anything by throwing spells, and my only other way of flying is really inaccurate. Wales might dodge out of the way, and I don't want to chuck random spells while Henrietta's up there."

"Well alright." Saito gripped Derf in one hand and grabbed me by the front of the shirt with his other, his runes shining with a bright light. I wondered briefly what would make mine shine like that before I felt a rush of wind as Saito threw me like a human missile toward Wales.

Before I could do anything, Wales lit up like a Christmas tree and sent me spiraling to the ground smoking. No really. He lit up with a multiple of different colors underneath his skin.

"Uggh..." I stumbled out of the crater created by my fall and stared up at Wales, who was still glowing, "Some kind of implants? There's no way he was this strong last time."

"Familiar," wait that was Henrietta not Louise, "I want you to leave us alone in peace. Are you that jealous of our happiness? Please leave the nobles to their affairs commoner. Go sleep in the pen out back like the rest of the animals."

I felt like a dagger went through my heart at every word. I knew deep down that Henrietta would never say those things, but then even deeper still whispered a voice that told me what I really knew. That the mind control spell only let the user do what the host did at least somewhat desire. Somewhere deep down inside Henrietta thought I was nothing more than a jealous good for nothing commoner that had intruded on her life. I knew it was probably just due to something left over from her upbringing, but the swelling anger inside me unfortunately ignored my usual common sense.

I clenched my fist. Irregardless of how upset it made me. Irregardless of how another person in life had possibly abandoned me. I had to save her. Do the impossible, do the undo-able as a favorite anime of mine used to say. I forced my emotions down into a cage and focused up on Wales with one of the best wizardly glares I've ever mustered.

"You asked for it buddy." I launched myself full speed tumbling through the air and shoulder tackled a surprised looking Wales, sending him flying towards the ground. I then caught Henrietta with a gust of air and sent her flying into Saito's open arms. Wales probably thought I was going to be so thrown off, and that I wouldn't come after him again. I was made of tougher stuff than that.

"Well well." Wales brushed himself off, "You aren't so easily affected by words as I thought."

"I'm with you." Saito stood tall next to me, "Louise is escorting the princess back to Agnes."

"Right." I nodded, "You know I never asked this... but friends?"

"Friends." Saito shook my hand firmly.

I felt a power surge through the contact, and both of our runes began shining like white fire.

"Oh ho!" Derflinger exclaimed from Saito's back, "The mind and left hand of god reunited for a fight completely in rhythm. It's been years!"

"You go front and I'll go behind." I flooded my body with magic that didn't feel entirely my own, "And don't worry I can keep up."

"I'm more worried about keeping up with you." Saito disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of Wales swinging Derf down. My jaw dropped, since for some reason Derflinger was completely coated with fire. Wales blocked with his bare hand and shoved Saito back. I ducked in and tried to stab with my sword I'd created with pure lightning, only to have him grab my wrist and repeatedly blast me in the chest with fire until I began to cough up blood. I looked up at his face to see his eyes glowing like a rainbow.

"What the hell did they do to you!?" I choked out, scrambling back as Saito managed to free me with a particularly vicious combo. Man was he good with a sword.

"I was granted great power to rescue Henrietta from you heathens." Wales began to gather a massive fireball that reminded me greatly of a spirit bomb, "NOW DIE!"

"Well he's clearly whacked in the head." I grumbled and turned to Saito, "Look I'll handle the fiery spirit bomb if you can disable him."

Saito chuckled, "You watch anime?"

"Lots." I redirected all the magic in my body up into my arms, "We can talk later maybe. GO!"

I rapidly began pulling moisture out of the air. Surprisingly I didn't have to be careful not to accidentally end up pulling moisture of Saito himself. My magic seemed to flow right around him like it knew he was a friend. Probably another benefit of being a fellow void familiar. I mentally thanked Brimir for putting that little extra thing in the contract.

I began blasting the nuke with all the water I could. To my horror it showed no signs of stopping, and I had now essentially given it cooled rock armor.

"Troublesome." I chewed my bottom lip before settling on plan B, "Well this is going to hurt."

I stood directly in the things' path and flowed the entirety of my wards' strength up to my arms. With a great roar I grabbed the thing and stopped it from falling entirely. The thing began shaking in my hands, and I braced myself for impact. More surprising was how easy it was to hold it back.

"DISPEL!" I heard Louise shout, before literally everything turned quiet in a instant. My wards failed, the giant fireball nuke thing disappeared, Wales suddenly collapsed, but not from Derflinger being stabbed into his chest, and I saw my master run up out of the corner of my eye to the fallen Wales

"Wow Louise," I had a grin on my face from ear to ear, "That spell is a BEAUTY."

I rubbed the top of her hair affectionately eliciting a crimson blush, before turning to make sure my master wasn't getting herself hurt.

"H-Henrietta," Wales seemed to be possibly in the right mind for once, "It is good to see you once more in the right state of mind."

"NO!" My master's body shook in despair, "Not when I've just gotten to see you again!"

"Henrietta." Wales took her hand in his, "Forget about me. I don't want to be stuck loving me forever. You need to move on."

"I-" Henrietta vigorously shook her head, "I will never be able to love one as much as I love you!"

Ouch. I absentmindedly stroked the left side of my chest where I felt the usual pain at her words. Well what was done was done. I knew what she probably thought of me deep down anyway.

"Promise me you'll forget me." Wales fell back and began to breath heavily, "PROMISE."

"But-" Wales fell limp, Derflinger still sticking out his chest. Saito pushed my master gently to the side and slipped Derf out with a grimace.

"Can you take Henrietta back to her room?" Saito tried getting the worst of the blood off in the grass, "She needs to rest at this point.

"Get someone else to do it." I replied coldly, "My only duty tonight was rescuing my master. Nothing more."

Saito raised an eyebrow at my attitude but didn't decide to comment, "All right. I'll take her myself. You sure you don't want to talk to her? She didn't mean the things she said you know. She could really use someone she trusts right now."

"Want to know something Saito?" I turned to walk away, "The mind control spell she was under only allows the user to make their target do what the target even slightly desires. Think about that one for a moment. Get Louise to talk to her or something."

I stomped away, not caring that I was probably acting like a child. I headed to Albert's stall in the stables, knowing he'd at the very least provide a good ear and a soft pillow. I'd just cover my nose in some sort of magic to cut out the poo smell. I decided to work on some counter to mind control in the morning. This stuff needed to stop happening.

I've got new writing strats. I just write my story in a massive document and split it later. It actually really helps. Also I kinda lied about this being a chill chapter. Half of its chill. I needed to get this particular sequence out of the way though. It really needed to happen. Next chapter will probably be a lot of talking and emotional stuffs. One final note. I could really use a beta reader.

-Forscythe